In contrast, the Shi Weng Group's organization and implementation of intelligence work is quite modern.
As long as you have knowledge, learning is actually very fast.
Thinking of the intelligence collected by the Foreign Intelligence Bureau a few days ago, there are actually some knowledgeable people within the Ming Dynasty who are aware of the advancement of the thief.
Of course, their understanding is still limited to technical aspects such as ship strength and artillery power, and they cannot appreciate the institutional advantages of the Senate. Just facing up to and learning from the technical level is enough to bring about huge progress.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a military movement in the Ming Dynasty?
Licensing is different from what many elders think. He does not agree with technological blockade. After all, the Senate is not a company that only aims to make money. Still holding the belief of "changing the world and changing the world".
With the power of the Senate alone, it may take more than a hundred years to achieve this goal. If culture, knowledge, technology, and concepts can be exported to the Ming Dynasty, let them follow the Senate's example and open factories, schools, and cultivate talents. In the future, the Senate will be able to utilize more resources. Perhaps this process can be shortened significantly.
"Didn't the run happen?"
"Yes, sir." Xu Yong whispered, "On the first day, there were more people. On the second and third days, there were a lot less people. I quietly inquired and found that the Shanxi house had a weakling temporarily and did not go!"
Zhou Lezhi looked solemn and asked, "What did Shopkeeper Shen say?"
"He is now telling the outside world that he is sick. He is hiding in the bank and no one is around. I am afraid that there are secret sentries outside Shenji, so I don't dare to look for him."
"Yes, you are right." Zhou Lezhi said, "For people like him who rush ahead, there must be someone watching. Anyway, the run has been lost, and he is irrelevant. Let him hide for now. Say it again."
"yes."
"Leng Ningyun's matter has been defeated now. If the matter is not done, the thieves will definitely take revenge. Even the Emperor's feet are not safe. From now on, you should not come to Mr. Wang's house again. Contact is still a matter of Let the traffic officer do it, do you understand?"
"I understand, little one!" Xu Yong said.
"Okay. Go ahead. Be careful."
Xu Yong hesitated for a moment and whispered: "Sir! There is news from Mr. Liu that Jin Yiwei is secretly inquiring about your old man's situation..."
"Oh?" Zhou Lezhi frowned, "Do you know why?"
"Master Liu is not sure. I only know that it is the intention of Mr. Wu, the Shangguan of Jinyiweitang. He said that he would exercise secretly. He asked you not to do any activities for the next few days."
"You tell him I understand. I will rest here these days and not go anywhere."
Xu Yong withdrew. Zhou Lezhi liked this little apprentice of Liu Zhen very much. Not only was he smart, he was not as boastful as a smart kid. He is very calm when encountering big things. Liu Wei told himself at the beginning: Xu Yong is a good kid.
Maybe the master thought of himself this way back then? Zhou Lezhi felt a little complacent.
Thinking of his master, Zhou Lezhi realized that the capital was no longer safe for him. Although he made many arrangements to hide his identity, the fact that he was practicing medicine outside and the threshold was Wang Yehao was not a secret among the wealthy families in the capital. Of course, based on this alone, it cannot be said that he and Mr. Wang have a special relationship. After all, there are hundreds of people of all kinds who worship Mr. Wang in the capital, and he is just one of them.
But this trick can fool the royal guards, but it may not be able to fool the thieves. The thief Kun was always cruel and wise, so he had to be more careful. The move from Chongxiao Temple was also to temporarily avoid the limelight: before that, he had already discovered suspicious people near Chongxiao Temple.
He currently lives near Guangji Temple in Mingyufang in the west of the city. This place is close to the imperial city, surrounded by temples and government warehouses. It is a large area with few people and is quite quiet. He planned to hide here for a few days before making any plans. He would also use this time to calm down and review what happened since he started working for Mr. Wang.
Although Leng Ningyun escaped, he did not give up on the peace negotiation. The imperial court's suppression of Kun was tantamount to suicide. This was the view he had always held. But now, without Leng Ningyun, his biggest trump card, the "two-pronged approach" strategy was no longer feasible. He could only find another way to stop the activation of the suppression machine in the court.
One day at the end of the first month of the tenth year of Chongzhen (February 1637), the smell of smoke from burned firecrackers could still be smelled in the air, and red and brown firecracker skins were everywhere on the streets. Vendors on the streets of Beijing have begun to get busy early. The shouting and shouting of stalls can be heard endlessly. Pedestrians on the street were still discussing various rumors about the Delong case. This is the biggest "gossip news" in Beijing these days, and it is also the most talked about thing among ordinary people in the city during their spare time. At all times and in all countries, people have always regarded caring about "big things" that have nothing to do with themselves as a kind of pastime.
The Forbidden City, outside the Qianqing Palace.
Yang Sichang straightened his clothes and stepped into the palace under the guidance of the eunuch. The butterfly of history flaps its wings due to the arrival of travelers. The internal and external troubles of the Ming Dynasty were more serious than in another time and space. Therefore, he did not refuse Chongzhen's love-stealing decree three times like in the original time and space, and returned to the capital several months earlier than in the original time and space to propose his policy of quelling the rebellion to Chongzhen. Today he will report this plan to the emperor.
This was the moment he had carefully prepared for and long awaited. His father's conviction and the rejection by his colleagues did not extinguish his determination to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country. From his performance as a local governor to his hard work after entering the capital, he proved his loyalty and ability to the young monarch. Today, he will decide the future of this sluggish empire in this hall, one king and one minister. He believes that the emperor's determination to work hard is his greatest reliance. With his talent, he can stabilize the world and revive the Ming Dynasty, whether it is Neither the Liu bandits, nor the Donglu, nor the Kun thieves can stop him.
After the ceremony, Chongzhen said:
"Since I became emperor, although I have been close to virtuous ministers and far away from villains, eradicated Wei Ni and purified the court, internal and external troubles have not decreased but increased. In the court, the same party and the dissidents have been attacked, and the governors in various places have done nothing or such things as wise and wise ways to protect themselves. The rotten wood sits in the court and is not familiar with government affairs. There are few capable ministers who can share the worries of the king and father. There are Eastern captives in the north who knock on the gate frequently and plunder the people of our heavenly dynasty. There are rogue thieves in the country who are scurrying in all directions, making the people's livelihood uneasy, and foreign thieves. They also invaded Guangdong and Guangxi and frequently invaded the coasts of Fujian and Zhejiang, arrogating the imperial system. The day before yesterday, I received a report from Nanzhi. The thieves invaded the Songjiang River with three clippers and took a look at the Yangtze River. The navy in one town was unable to retreat from the enemy. It really makes me extremely disappointed. . I have always heard of your talents, and now I have sent an edict in front of the palace to seize your love. Since I have agreed to attack the Eastern captives, rogue bandits, and traitors, if the rebellious ministers and traitors are not exterminated, there will be no peace in the world. "
The time traveler has a clear understanding of the situation in the late Ming Dynasty by relying on the knowledge of old time and space: the fundamental cause of the crisis in the late Ming Dynasty was financial bankruptcy. There are various factors for fiscal bankruptcy. The natural disasters of the Little Ice Age are on the one hand, the intensification of land annexation is on the other hand, and the backward fiscal and taxation system is the fundamental reason.
Considering the territory, population, products and economic status of the Ming Dynasty, it was not difficult for an inefficient ruling machine to maintain its rule. The sudden arrival of the Little Ice Age disrupted the fragile balance. The bottom farmers who suffered from natural disasters and plagues could no longer bear the heavy taxes and went bankrupt one after another. The depleted countryside became fertile soil for the breeding of peasant armies. The originally inefficient and corrupt financial system of the imperial court also fell into a deadlock. The result of financial bankruptcy led to a significant decline in administrative and military capabilities. What followed was a rebellion in the border areas... coupled with the corruption of officials. Corruption, the Ming Dynasty finally fell into the abyss under such a vicious cycle.
It is naturally impossible for the knowledgeable people at that time, including Yang Sichang and others, to be completely ignorant of these issues. But to eliminate the shortcomings, we need to take action against vested interest groups. The gentry and clan groups in the Ming Dynasty were extremely large. If the rulers did not have the courage and insight to scrape bones and cure poison, no one would dare to touch them. The emperor was diligent and diligent in his work, but he was also very sensitive to "court discussions". With such foresight and foresight, any attempt to make drastic "reforms" is asking for death. Yang Sichang was very aware of the risks involved, so he avoided talking about these issues. In his opinion, the Ming Dynasty had a vast territory, dense population, and abundant material resources. As long as we worked hard, we could still "revival". Even if we could not recreate the "prosperous age", there would be no problem in maintaining it at best.
At this moment he said seriously:
"Since ancient times, it is difficult to have both loyalty and filial piety. With His Majesty's holy grace, I should die as a dead man in life and weave grass into knots in death to repay the trust of my father and king."
After saying this, he bowed his thanks in court
Chongzhen nodded, "Come on, let's talk about it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. What I said to Shaobao is to strengthen the army based on sufficient food, and to fight against foreign forces, the priority is to secure the home. If the army is not strong, it is impossible to defeat the bandits, and if the food is insufficient, it is impossible to strengthen the army. Nowadays, the local towns have been in arrears of pay for a long time. Minister In Guanji Town, the various units in the capital camp had less than one out of ten soldiers, and most of the military families sold their sons and daughters to beg for work. After a tiring journey, it was difficult to defeat the enemies of tigers and wolves. Moreover, the soldiers were poor and often fell into banditry. I heard that among the bandits, there are many soldiers from the four towns of Yansui, Guyuan, Ningxia and Gansu, and some even turn their disciples into thieves."
"In the end, it's still these four words: soldiers, horses, money and food, but raising money and food is easy to say, but how difficult it is to put it into practice." After saying this, Chongzhen couldn't help but sigh.
It is said to be four words, but it is actually one word: money.
Since ancient times, the collapse of any political entity has begun with financial collapse. Naturally, Ming Dynasty could not fall out of this cliché. Arrears of pay for officers and soldiers in various places have been the norm in the Ming Dynasty since his grandfather Wanli. During the war, a certain amount of back pay was paid in order to keep the soldiers alive. As for military merit rewards, to be honest, Ming Dynasty's military merit rewards have always been very meager. In terms of incentive system, they are not on the same level as an armed robbery group like the Eight Banners that systematically distributes spoils. But now, the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver allocated to reward soldiers and replenish military supplies before the war are too stretched for the Ministry of Household Affairs.
(End of chapter)
