"Stand back! No one is allowed to enter without being summoned!"
The two Jinyi guards who broke in rashly couldn't help but feel a little regretful when they saw that the gods from all walks of life did not fight. Amidst Wanli's angry scolding, they retreated angrily.
When Emperor Wanli smiled, thick wrinkles formed on his old dry bark face, making him look even thicker:
"Haha, General Xuanwu, you are young and energetic. When you first came to the capital, you misjudged the situation in the court and were bewitched by traitors. It is understandable to me. This court will not be punished for words, and I have always been generous to others and to my ministers. most generous,”
Liu Zhaosun then remembered that Zhu Yijun still owed him at least thirty thousand taels of silver.
Let’s not mention the Battle of Hunjiang. After the Battle of Kaiyuan, the head reward of 10 taels of silver for each of the 3,700 surviving soldiers was delayed by the Ministry of War.
In total, Wanli only gave Liu Zhaosun a reward of eight thousand taels of silver in total, and sent him off like this.
Later, Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi submitted several memorials to the emperor, crying out for their poverty, especially Qiao Yiqi. Seeing that the ten thousand taels of silver he lent to Liu Zhaosun could not be recovered, it truly became a sunk cost. With tears on his face, he took Shang Fang's sword and wanted to kill Liu Zhaosun.
However, when the memorials of the two military supervisors arrived at the capital, they were like a mud cow sinking into the sea, and nothing more happened.
Considering that Emperor Wanli didn't hesitate to massacre three thousand Qi's troops in order to miss out on military pay, and now he owed Liu Zhao and Sun soldiers their military pay, he still had the nerve to claim that he was generous and generous, and no one else was thick-skinned.
Zhu Yijun had been emperor for forty-seven years and had long since become a master of men. He knew that when Liu Zhaosun came to the capital this time, in addition to offering prisoners, he also wanted money. To be precise, he asked for money from him, because the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of War would never money.
It must be Xiong Manzi who told this stupid young man that he still had 20 million silver left in his pocket.
"If no one instigates what happened today, if you admit your mistake to me, I will spare you the crime of arrogance! If it is found that there is collusion, you will stay in the Zhenfu Division and don't go back to Liaodong."
In front of the money, you can put aside the disputes over the country and the criminal cases.
Wanli summoned Lu Shou, and the emperor and the eunuch gathered together and whispered for a while.
The two of them finished speaking quickly. Wanli nodded, raised his head and said to Liu Zhaosun:
"Liu Qing, the Jinyi Guards have checked. You have no contact with the capital officials on weekdays. You were also at the Wengcheng military camp yesterday. It seems that you are not under the influence of a traitor."
Liu Zhaosun expected that Wanli would not really touch him. After all, there were still people to guard Kaiyuan City.
It is not ruled out that the emperor had a brain attack and cleaned out a few military leaders before he died to establish authority for the prince. However, it was not his turn no matter what.
When Xiong Tingbi heard that he could be forgiven, he felt that there was room for relaxation, so he stepped forward to persuade:
"Your Majesty, the prisoners were sacrificed at the Meridian Gate just today. It was witnessed by all the people and officials. If General Liu is convicted for his words, I am afraid that it will chill the hearts of the soldiers of the three armies and make people laugh at me for losing the courtesy..."
Wanli looked at Xiong Tingbi coldly.
"Xiong Manzi, please don't get involved in this matter. Go back and take care of the affairs of Liao Town. How much money and food do you have left? Go back and write a detailed memorial for me to read!"
Xiong Tingbi returned to the capital this time mainly to ask for money from the imperial court. Although it was still the forty-seventh year of Wanli at this time, the bottomless pit of Liaodong had already begun to take shape. All the gods in Liao Town were looking for money from Mr. Jinglue to exchange for armor, firearms, women (deleted by mistake), repair For those who built forts and built city walls, he also supported Liu Zhaosun, and even throwing hundreds of thousands of silver at them didn't even make a splash.
The little money Xiong Tingbi brought had been spent long ago.
The old emperor caught Xiong Tingbi's fate with just one sentence. He had to retreat angrily and looked at Liu Zhaosun worriedly, not daring to speak any more.
After cleaning up Xiong Tingbi, Wanli turned to look at Liu Zhaosun.
Every time he quarreled with his ministers, Emperor Wanli felt as if he had been given a shot of chicken blood and was particularly excited. Of course, without this magical skill, he would not have persisted in working for forty-eight years despite being besieged by ministers.
"Commander Liu, let's talk. Let's continue talking about your country's war, the Battle of Saarhu, the mine supervisor, and the assault case."
"As long as you are justified, I have always been generous and will not hold you accountable,"
The surrounding atmosphere became tense again. The eunuch Lu Shou looked blankly at the ground. Xiong Tingbi just shook his head and sighed. Fang Congzhe realized that he was temporarily safe and stretched out his long neck from the sand like an ostrich and looked around.
"My Emperor is wise, let me start from Sarhu. When I first met the Holy One, the Holy One was watching the execution on the Meridian Gate Tower. He was wearing a leather bean suit. Looking at it from a distance, he felt broad-minded and fat. I have a close relationship with the emperor. I think this is what is often said. The emperor and his ministers know each other, and the minister presumes on his own. In this battle of Sarhu, the emperor wanted to complete his victory in one battle. This kind of thinking was reflected in the minister's encounter with Jiannu in the Hunjiang River. , there are also..."
Liu Zhaosun kept talking. Rather than starting a performance, he was more like a drowning man grabbing the last straw. He just hoped that this straw was big enough...
Liaodong is in ruins, with constraints from all sides.
Liu Zhaosun's only two skills - Dao Dao and Soul Calling - have basically been used up.
The situation in Liaodong has not fundamentally improved yet.
According to the original plan, Kaiyuan's farming business was advancing steadily, and the ginseng, mink, and seafood smuggling trade was in full swing. Mao Yuanyi and the others successfully produced a batch of red cannons, and then sent people to Macau or Dongguan to purchase thousands of reliable matchlock guns. If they were lucky, It's still pretty safe to wait until Nurhachi is finished.
However, when he came to Beijing this time, what he saw and heard along the way stimulated Liu Zhaosun so much that he had to slightly change his previous plan.
When he saw more than 10,000 men queuing up to apply for eunuch jobs, even fighting against the soldiers and horses for a spot in the palace, the time traveler's three views were refreshed again.
The Little Iceberg weather is coming, only a few months left.
Winter is coming and everything will change when the Little Glacier weather arrives.
If you want to feed more troops, the current land is not enough. You must speed up expansion and occupy more land.
He made a rough estimate these days and found that at least 200,000 acres would be needed to offset the loss of food production caused by the disaster.
If you want to occupy land quickly, you must have the support of force. Three thousand men alone are not enough. You must immediately expand the scale of the fighting force.
Recruiting soldiers requires money, a lot of money.
Liu Zhaosun is a real person living in the real world, not a character on the Internet, and there is no system or plug-in that makes money and food a woman comes.
Therefore, if he wants to lead everyone to survive, he needs support from the outside.
Xiong Tingbi will leave soon. After he leaves, Liu Zhaosun completely loses foreign aid and is isolated on all sides in Liaodong. He officially begins his legendary fighting career in the Kaiyuan anti-golden base behind enemy lines.
Unfortunately, not everyone can become a teacher. To engage in guerrilla warfare in Liaodong, where conditions were harsh four hundred years ago, can only be said to be a mistake.
Liu Zhaosun knew very well that if farming and army expansion could not be completed quickly, they would not be able to hold on in Kaiyuan without the help of Hou Jin soldiers.
This time coming to the capital to present prisoners and meet the Holy Emperor was Liu Zhaosun's last chance to win foreign aid.
If he loses this opportunity and misses this time window, Liu Zhaosun will have no choice but to beg himself to travel back in time, dig up Dingling Tomb and ask Emperor Shenzong for money.
Oh, Zhu Yijun’s old grave has been dug up. If it’s okay, let’s dig it again.
"Your Majesty, as the ancients said, the beloved son of his parents has far-reaching plans. Forgive me for being stupid. Today, the Crown Prince and Prince Fu are both princes. Why does Your Majesty favor the Crown Prince and alienate Prince Fu? This is something I don't understand."
As soon as these words came out, everyone present was shocked. The politically experienced Fang Congzhe immediately smelled a hint of danger and retracted his neck.
Wanli's face was filled with black question marks, and he looked at the martial artist in front of him with a caring expression.
Everyone in the world knows that during the Wanli Dynasty, Zhu Yijun doted on Prince Fu the most. Instead, he always regarded the prince Zhu Changluo as someone he had picked up. Otherwise, there would not have been such trivial matters as the dispute over the country's foundation and the prosecution in the future.
Zhu Yijun frowned slightly. Considering that the man in front of him twice killed the slaves and was able to talk nonsense with an old man like Xiong Tingbi and Fang Congzhe, it was obvious that Mo was not a fool. Could there be some other mystery behind this?
"Lu Shou!"
Wanli beckons.
"emperor,"
Lu Shou walked up to Wanli like a little daughter-in-law, for fear that something would go wrong and make the emperor unhappy, but she heard the emperor whisper:
"Go to the Imperial Academy and the Hanlin Academy and find all those rubbish who read the books of sages and sages. Give me a good scolding of this warrior. Read "Warring States Policy" and become a fool. What Ming Dynasty does not lack most are these rubbish Confucian generals. !”
Lu Shou said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the Imperial Academy has gone to the suburban temple to offer sacrifices..."
After Xuan Jie sacrificed his prisoners, the emperor still had to offer sacrifices to the suburban temple. As in previous years, Wanli left the temple sacrifices to the sacrificial wine and Hanlin, and did it on his behalf.
"Oh, I forgot about this. Then I'll find a new scholar, one who is talented in literature and can curse."
The Jin Yiwei must report to the chief eunuch every day the details of the official day in Beijing, including of course the new Jinshi in Beijing.
"Your Majesty, when the rankings are released in March, all the Jinshi will return to their hometowns to listen. I'm afraid there won't be many of them,"
"Look for someone who is stupid and straightforward, and dares to speak. The wilderness is better. It would be best if there is someone like Hai Gangfeng."
Zhu Yijun squinted his eyes and thought of what happened a long time ago. At that time, Hai Rui had not yet died of illness and Zhang Juzheng was still alive. The little emperor Wanli only had to recite classics every day and did not have to worry about fighting with his ministers like he does now. .
"Have it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I remember a person who seems to be from Guangxi. He was watching the sacrifice of prisoners in the inner city yesterday. The officials said that this person has some integrity and a bad mouth."
"Go find it quickly!"
~~~~~~
Wanli looked up at Liu Zhaosun, smiled slightly and said:
"General Xuanwu, let's continue talking about Sarhu. It's just past noon now. It would be best if you could return to Wengcheng before dark. If not, stay in Zhenfusi tonight."
"My dear friends, please don't leave yet. If you come, I will give you a seat and some tea!"
The two sat down, and Fang Congzhe took a breath and looked towards Liu Zhaosun, wanting to see what flowers the young commander-in-chief could tell.
"The Emperor prepared for the Battle of Saarhu for one year and eight months. He mobilized elite soldiers and generals from all directions to clear holes and plow the courts to quickly eliminate Jiannu. But now it seems that he made a mistake."
When Liu Zhaosun said this, he looked up at Wanli and saw that his expression did not change, so he continued:
"The emperor is experienced in military affairs. He can strategize and win thousands of miles away. He is far ahead of the generals. Don't you know that he is planning to do it slowly? Just like Xiong Jinglue said, the method of defending the border is to use defense as offense. In this way, Jiannu will be consumed, and the Jin people will have less land. Narrow, if given time, the slaves and thieves will definitely collapse without a fight. Even the stupid officials can think of this, why can't the emperor?"
The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly and still looked at Liu Zhaosun with a half-smile.
Xiong Tingbi, who wrote the Liaodong Economic Strategy, was thoughtful. He had told the emperor many times about the method of guarding the border in Liaodong, and mentioned it in memorials and imperial edicts.
Everyone in the court thought that the emperor wanted to save money to prevent the Liaodong front line divisions from being short of pay, so they forced Yang Hao to rush the troops.
Could it be that there are other unspeakable secrets in it?
However, Chief Assistant Fang was not interested in military matters. Taking advantage of the moment when the emperor was fighting with Liu Zhaosun, he stretched his neck and searched everywhere for Eunuch Lu, who had not returned for a long time.
"Why? The minister guessed that the emperor did not want to leave a legacy for future generations, so he declared war on the slave thieves against all opinions, appointed Jun Song and Ma Lin, veteran generals, and urged the former commander Yang Hao to quickly advance the army, in order to defeat the enemy. The slave thieves were nipped in the bud, and it was difficult to clear them without allowing the slave thieves to overrun, let alone a traitor like Nurhachi. It is a shame that Juniper's adventurous advance, North Korea's betrayal, and the defeat of the Saarhu, Liaodong's crisis, shows that the slave thieves The power is already rampant, and it can be seen that the Holy One has far-reaching plans."
"Your Majesty will not hesitate to gain fame and clear away obstacles for the Crown Prince. This is what Wei Chen said before. Parents who love their children have far-reaching plans. His Majesty's love for the Crown Prince is beyond the comprehension of mediocre people."
Liu Zhaosun stood in front of Wanli and rambled on. Many of his remarks were illogical and inconsistent with the facts. For example, he said that against all opinions, Hou Jin had already declared war on the Ming Dynasty, and he also used Against all odds. In addition, his words were also full of loopholes, and even some of them were offensive. If Emperor Taizu was still alive, he would probably be dragged out and skinned.
Unfortunately, the person sitting opposite Liu Zhaosun at this time was not Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhu Di, but Ming Shenzong Zhu Yijun.
The most important thing in Zhu Yijun's life, besides making money, is the love between flesh and blood. His love for his relatives (for King Fu to be precise) is also difficult for ordinary people to understand.
After Liu Zhaosun finished speaking, he looked to the opposite side uneasily. Wanli opened his eyes slightly, and the sullenness in his eyes was gone.
"Okay, it's rare that Liu Qing has such a heart. You are far away in Liaodong, but you can think of this level. You are better than the people around me who read the books of sages. Go on,"
Xiong Tingbi looked at Liu Zhaosun blankly, and was shocked by Liu Zhaosun's nonsense. It seemed that this real celebrity was so shameless that even the emperor was willing to be defeated.
As long as money is not mentioned, the chat can continue. This is the experience summarized by Liu Zhaosun.
Seeing that he had successfully attracted the attention of the old emperor Wanli, he decided to try to bring the topic to Liao's salary.
"I observe that the number of slaves and thieves in armor of the Eight Banners Army should be about 80,000. After the battles in Hunjiang and Kaiyuan, more than four thousand slaves and thieves were killed by me and others, and they were not included in the clothing, which greatly reduced the morale of the slaves and thieves. However, in Liaoyang, In Shenyang, Tieling and other places, the defenders are cowardly and even collude with those who establish slaves, so I cannot speak..."
"who is it!"
Wanli waved his hand to interrupt. The old emperor, who was nearly sixty years old, was more interested in money than the dispute over the country's origins or the case of attack.
The imperial court invested millions of taels of silver into Liaodong every year. Every time Liao's pay was issued, Emperor Wanli would suffer from insomnia. He would get up in the middle of the night and think about the white money, but there was no response.
Now there are people who dare to use their own internal funds to collude with slave creation. How can this not make the old emperor angry?
The maid came forward to wipe the emperor's sweat. Wanli looked at Liu Zhaosun angrily. Xiong Tingbi also stared at Liu Zhaosun. Fang Congzhe was calm and gentle. The water in Liao Town was too deep. He had just been promoted to the chief minister, so naturally he did not dare to go into this muddy water. .
"I can't say anything, the evidence is not sufficient yet,"
"It seems that Liu Qing really has the style of an ancient gentleman, good, good, good!"
Wan Li shook his head angrily and remained silent for a long time, letting him continue the topic.
"After the fall of the Liao Dynasty, Kaiyuan's military strength was weak and it was difficult to support a single tree. I was ready to die for the country. However, my death will not have any impact on the overall situation of Liaodong."
What Liu Zhaosun said was quite tragic and true. Wanli nodded, his expression unchanged.
Upon seeing this, Liu Zhaosun decided to directly enlarge the move. After a while, he said:
"Your Majesty, I have been in Liaodong for more than a month. In addition to charging into battle and killing bandits for the country, I also visited the elders and went deep into the countryside. I have some foolish opinions on Liao affairs. Please tell me, Your Majesty,"
Wan Li waved his hand impatiently: "Speak more straightforwardly, don't be like a civil servant, so docile,"
Liu Zhaosun was dumbfounded. It was already very straightforward.
"Your Majesty, Liaodong is a bitter cold land, and rice is harvested once a year. In the early years, Taizu and Chengzu sent large armies to conquer Liaodong. At its peak, Liaodong had an army of 400,000. The soldiers were stationed together and were self-sufficient. Liaodong could also be stable and orderly. Later, with the The Liao army declined, just like today's guard station, and the Liaodong farms were gradually depleted, and the grain produced could not support the Liaodong army. In addition, Taizu formulated the policy of receiving grain and opening up the middle (1). During the Yongle period, the imperial court gave merchants a salt quota. This allowed merchants to transport two buckets and five liters of grain to the border, which was very profitable. Therefore, many merchants rushed to Liaodong. Not only did they transport grain, they also spent their own money to recruit refugees, reclaim land, and pay to build piers and platforms. Since then, the country has Peace and prosperity for businessmen, it’s a win-win situation,”
Wanli interrupted Liu Zhaosun again. At this time, the emperor could basically judge that the warrior in front of him should not be instigated by others. He was so familiar with Liaodong affairs and was beyond the reach of others. Such a person would definitely not be used as a weapon. Emperor Wanli's voice was soft. He said slowly.
"It's rare that Liu Qing, who served his country by killing thieves in Liaodong at a young age, still knows these things. Even some civil servants may not be able to clarify the reasons for these national laws and regulations, such as those of the Hanlin Academy..."
Wanli felt that the new Jinshi who would come over later was probably no match for Liu Zhaosun, so he felt a little frustrated and waved his hand:
"That's all. Lord Xiong and Fang Shoufu are aware of this success. You don't need to go into details. Let's talk about the key points."
Liu Zhaosun nodded repeatedly. In fact, what he knew was only superficial. If he continued to talk, his secret would be revealed, so he kept the story short:
"Later, some treacherous people in the court saw the huge profits from salt bait, so they took advantage of their authority to take advantage of it. However, ordinary businessmen could not get salt bait. It often took a long time after transporting grain to get it. After a long time, everyone was unwilling to buy it again. By sending food to the border, the policy becomes obsolete,"
Liu Zhaosun's words were very implicit. In fact, in real history, those who occupied salty areas and undermined the policy of opening up the country for their own selfish interests were not mainly corrupt officials, but more senior rulers, even those who were benevolent. The famous Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty gave salt to relatives of the emperor many times, as can be imagined by other emperors.
Xiong Tingbi leaned forward slightly and listened carefully to the conversation between the emperor and Liu Zhaosun, trying not to miss a word.
That day in Kaiyuan, he had a long conversation with Liu Zhaosun and briefly talked about some strategies for peace and Liaoning. At that time, he only thought that this son had some talents in border management and was a real person doing things in Liaodong. Looking at it today, Liu Zhaosun was far away It was much more complicated than he thought. He took a sip of tea, looked up at the back of Liu Zhaosun, and nodded thoughtfully.
"After the policy of receiving grain from Kaizhong was abandoned, during the Hongzhi period, Ye Qi, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, proposed "Kaizhong Zese" (2). It is still used today, but I think it is putting the cart before the horse and forgetting that the original intention of Kaizhong was to supply food to the frontier army. , rather than increasing treasury revenue..."
"Liu Qing, I'm going too far, let's continue talking about Liaodong!"
Liu Zhaosun nodded quickly. Many people in the imperial court were counting on this "opening the Zhongzhe color" salt lure to make money. This policy has been implemented for hundreds of years and has formed a huge interest group. It cannot be refuted by just one or two words, so he Stop it quickly and continue to return to the whole.
"Your Majesty, the three things that I just mentioned - the waste of farmland, the inconvenience of farming in Liaodong, and the lack of grain payment - can only lead to one result."
"That is, the price of rice in Liaodong continues to rise," Liu Zhaosun looked at everyone around him and added:
"Of course, it's the same everywhere in Jiubian, it's just that the degree of increase in food prices is different,"
Wanli nodded slightly and signaled Liu Zhaosun to continue.
"In addition, millions of taels of Liao wages pour into Liaodong every year, and the slave chiefs rebel, and the price of food in Liaodong has skyrocketed. Now in Shenyang, one stone of rice can be sold for five taels, which is more than twice as expensive as in the capital,"
Xiong Tingbi glanced at Liu Zhaosun, stood up, saluted the emperor, and added:
"Your Majesty, I guarantee with my life that what Liu Zhaosun said about Liao Town is true."
Wanli sent Xiong Tingbi to sit down and tugged at the jade belt on his clothes, feeling a little upset.
Since he can remember, the military expenditure of the Nine Borders has been rising every year, from more than two million taels in the early years of Jiajing to more than 9.8 million taels last year.
Not long before Liu Zhaosun entered the capital, it was not yet May, and the governors and governors of Jiubian began to cry for poverty again and asked the emperor for money! Said that this year's food and salary are insufficient...
Zhu Yijun has not received common sense education in modern economics, nor does he have common sense in economics such as inflation and commodity circulation.
Over the years, he has watched helplessly as the money was finally collected and immediately distributed. Since the problem of lack of money cannot be solved, then he should get rid of the people who asked him for money.
Wanli summoned the palace maid and asked the palace maid to move the charcoal furnace farther away, and then said coldly to everyone:
"The price of food in Liao Town has skyrocketed every year. In addition to what General Xuanwu said just now, it is also related to Li Rubai and his group. I know it all. You continue to talk,"
"Your Majesty, the price of grain in Liao Town is about one tael of silver and one stone. After the silver is drawn, it can be sold for five taels and one stone. When soldiers receive military pay, they can leave some money for their families in addition to expenses. Now it is not enough even for expenses. . Therefore, the soldiers are full of complaints. Once the military pay is not paid on time, there will be "no pay". The army's combat power is insufficient, the court will inevitably recruit more troops, and the national treasury will be empty, so it has to increase the Liao pay. If Liaodong is uneven, the Liao pay will not stop, and the Liao pay will not stop. Then the people in the world will become increasingly poor, reaching the extreme. If they are poor, they will want to change. There are many famines in the Central Plains and Shaanxi. Once there is a disaster, hungry people will be everywhere and they will have different hearts. When the refugees are everywhere, it will be difficult to collect taxes, and Liao's wages will be difficult to collect. If the people cannot survive, they will have no choice but to rise up..."
Wanli bowed his head and said nothing. Wanli was a top scholar when he was young. Zhang Juzheng selected Hanlin Academy scholars to train him carefully. Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Wanli was one of the most intelligent.
"Okay, I understand. Liu Qing has been in Liaodong for more than a month and has seen so clearly. It is indeed extraordinary. You are tired after talking so much. Go down and rest."
Wanli vaguely remembered that the memorial sent from Shaanxi Mizhi a few days ago did contain a report on the civil uprising.
"Your Majesty, a single spark can start a prairie fire. At present, the Liao Dynasty is corrupt. Once Liaodong is captured by the Jiannu, civil unrest in the mainland of the Ming Dynasty is also expected,"
Wanli was a little uneasy because what Liu Zhaosun said was true. He also knew that in the Ming Dynasty, the problem of refugees could be said to be a gangrene that has never been eliminated.
Not to mention now, even during the Chenghua period, millions of refugees in Jingxiang were in rebellion. Fortunately, Emperor Xianzong was wise and powerful...
"Then, what does this have to do with King Fu?"
"I heard that when King Fu was in the country (to enclose land in Henan), before leaving, the emperor issued an edict and granted King Fu Zhuang 40,000 hectares of land. Later officials fought hard, and Chang Xun also made a speech, so only 20,000 hectares were sealed."
Wanli nodded silently and did not refute.
If Fang Congzhe and others were not present, he would have pointed at Liu Zhaosun and cursed:
This world should belong to the King of Fortune, so tens of thousands of hectares of fields are nothing!
"I heard that King Fu's fiefdom was originally in Luoyang. Because the farm was too big, there was insufficient land in Henan, so he took the land in Shandong and Huguang to make up for it."
"In addition, I heard that King Fu also secretly occupied Zhang Taiyue's family property, occupied the miscellaneous taxes in Dizhou along the river from Jiangdu to Taiping, occupied Sichuan salt wells to collect tea and silver, and..."
Wanli waved his hand to interrupt and said angrily:
"That's enough. I just want to reward Zhu Changxun with a small income and let him live a stable life. You don't need to comment on my family affairs!"
Liu Zhaosun, however, refused to give up and continued:
"The emperor treated the vassal king like this, which has never been heard of in ancient times. In recent years, Henan has suffered from drought and floods, and the people have exchanged their children for food. Public opinion is fierce, but I have never seen King Fu give a grain or a coin to the people of Henan Province. I risked my life to make a speech. , if things continue like this, King Fu may lose his wealth..."
Wanli shook his head and said nothing. He had expected that Liu Zhaosun would end up involved here. Over the years, he had tried his best to make Zhu Changxun the prince. After his failure, King Fu took control of Henan. In order to make up for it, Wanli rewarded him with so many treasures.
Wanli's health has been deteriorating over the years, and sometimes he begins to worry about how much blessing this selfish and dim-witted King of Fortune will have after he is gone.
"Therefore, Wei Chen thinks that the emperor is harming Prince Fu by pampering him so much. In comparison, the emperor treats the prince far better than Prince Fu. That's why I said what I said just now. The age difference between me and Prince Fu is not that far apart. May I To die..."
Wan Li was exhausted at this time, and he cursed in his heart, why Lu Shou didn't get the chance to kill him.
He felt a little overwhelmed, waved his hands and said:
"Don't talk nonsense. King Fu and Jiren have their own destiny and will be very good in the future. I don't need you to show your loyalty! Your strategy for Ping Liao, Xiong Tingbi told me, it can be done even if it is barely enough. He said, this time you What do you want when you come to the capital?"
Seeing that the emperor finally came to the throne, Liu Zhaosun stopped talking nonsense and said with a smile on his face:
"The Kaiyuan soldiers are in a fierce battle, and the food and grass can only last until June. I need money and food before I can continue to fight against the slaves in Liaodong and kill the thieves for the country!"
The surrounding area suddenly became quiet. After a while, Wanli smiled sadly and said:
"Haha, as expected, he is also here to ask for money!"
Liu Zhaosun knew that he could not give Wanli any chance to breathe, so he continued:
"Your Majesty, I am here this time not only to ask for military pay, but also to allocate some manpower to the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Rites. Now I am doing the work of seven or eight people by myself. Sometimes I have to go to trial cases in person. I am physically and mentally exhausted every day. I am exhausted. I’m worried that I won’t see the Emperor again.”
What Liu Zhaosun said is of course true, because Emperor Wanli will die next year, but being nagged by General Liu today may end his long career as emperor early.
"The Hanlin Academy, the Imperial College, there are a lot of rubbish who read the books of sages! As long as you can guard Kaiyuan, don't let Liao Town ask me for money again, what else?"
Xiong Tingbi, Fang Congzhe and the others looked at the young General Liu with their mouths wide open. This was the first time they had seen someone who could ask for money from the emperor like this.
"I only want civil servants with Jinshi background. In addition, I believe that the Liao Dynasty salary can no longer be levied, or that the levy should be reduced. In time, the military expenditures of the Nine Borders can also be halved."
"Half half? Doesn't that mean saving five hundred taels of silver?"
Emperor Wanli's eyes glowed.
Wanli is not a childish emperor like Chongzhen, the god of war at Meishan. Liu Zhaosun was able to defeat Jiannu and garrison troops in Kaiyuan. His analysis just now was very clear and coherent. Coupled with the strategy he proposed to pacify Liao before, Wanli felt that using this There may be a slight chance of victory if the people defeat Liao, at least better than the group of military leaders in Liao Town who only know how to ask for money and never fight.
"How much military pay do you want?"
Fang Congzhe stretched his neck and lifted his butt completely off the pear wood armchair.
Liu Zhaosun raised his finger to Wanli and began to settle Wanli's accounts in detail.
"Your Majesty, I have thought over and over and calculated that the reward for the head of the soldiers last time was 30,000 taels. In this battle of Kaiyuan, the soldiers, armors and weapons were consumed too much, and they urgently need to be replaced. It will cost roughly 20,000 taels. In addition to the large army It costs 50,000 taels to store grain and grass supplies, and 30,000 taels to purchase war horses and chariots. Jingan Fort was burned down by slaves, and repairs require..."
"How much in total?!"
Liu Zhaosun stretched out two fingers.
"It has to be two hundred thousand taels,"
"Twenty thousand! The most I can give you is thirty thousand taels!"
"One hundred and fifty thousand taels is fine,"
"Fifty thousand, maximum fifty thousand! I have spent all my internal funds. If you don't believe me, you can ask Lu Shou!"
"One hundred and fifty thousand taels is the minimum. I shed tears and express my gratitude to Your Majesty on behalf of the original soldiers and civilians!"
Liu Zhaosun fell to his knees, grabbed the ground with his head, and slammed into the marble floor. The stone broke and blood oozed out.
Xiong Tingbi said angrily: "Liu Zhaosun, what are you doing? Do you want to force the emperor? Seventy or eighty thousand taels is enough!"
"I can only give you sixty thousand taels!"
"make a deal!"
At this time, Lu Shou's voice came from outside:
"Your Majesty, people have been brought,"
Wanli said angrily:
"You are so talented! It took so long!"
Lu Shou looked at the blood stains on Liu Zhaosun's head and the shattered marble floor. He quickly knelt down and stammered:
"I deserve to die. I searched all over the guild hall and inn but couldn't find it. I finally found it when I went to the Wengcheng military camp."
The dark-skinned new scholar knelt down and bowed to Wanli who was on the throne.
"Student Yuan Chonghuan, please bow to my emperor, long live my emperor!"
Although Wanli met Yuan Chonghuan during the palace examination, strictly speaking, he had a teacher-student relationship.
However, Wanli would never regard these corrupt scholars as his students, they were not worthy.
He waved Yuan Chonghuan to get up and said straight to the point:
"Yuan Qing, I have called you here today to talk freely with you about Liao affairs. You know that you have nothing to say today. Ahem, let me tell you first, what do you think of Liao's salary?"
Yuan Chonghuan stood up, raised his hands to the emperor again, and glanced at Liu Zhaosun standing next to him out of the corner of his eye.
He felt that this general looked familiar, and seeing that the man had a determined look on his face even though he had a bloody head, he thought that he must be a general from Liao Town, and this person must be related to the Liao salary.
Yuan Chonghuan was so excited that his fingers couldn't help but tremble. He knew that the opportunity had come.
According to Taizu's custom, new scholars must "observe the government of various officials and make them familiar with the political system before taking office." Under Yuan Chonghuan's conditions, at most he could only be a remote county magistrate, and he would have to wait in line for a long time. Historically, Yuan Chonghuan also served as the magistrate of Shaowu County in Fujian Province. It was not until he met the noble Hou Xun that he came into the sight of Emperor Tianqi...
After all, he is only a top three Jinshi now, and his articles and strategies are ranked 40th among the top three. He can be said to be at the bottom of the list. I never expected that I would be summoned by the emperor before I left the capital. Could it be that my Ping Liao policy had fallen into the emperor's eyes?
He knew that there were some things that the Emperor was not comfortable saying, and Qingliu needed to step forward and speak out. If he could seize the opportunity, he would be able to keep it in the Emperor's heart in the future.
After adjusting his words a little, Yuan Chonghuan raised his head and glared at the Liao Town general, and said to Wanli in a thick Lingnan dialect:
"It is not difficult for the Emperor Yao and Shun to pacify the Liao Dynasty through the ages. If the emperor's false ministers take advantage of it - (I am responsible for the full power), the east can be pacified in half a year, and the whole Liao Dynasty can be restored. I think that the Liao Dynasty cannot be allocated more money, nor can it be conquered again! Anyone who dares to ask for Liao's salary again will be killed!"
Wanli sneered in his heart:
"It's also a waste,"
The emperor waited for Yuan Chonghuan to finish, then ignored this person and looked up at Liu Zhaosun with a smile.
"Liu Qing, if I give you 60,000 yuan, how long will it take for you to pacify Liao?"
Liu Zhaosun stood up slowly, pondered for a moment, and said solemnly:
"My emperor is a wise man, and I pledge my property and life to annihilate the feudal slaves in five years, and to carry out enlightenment in ten years, so that the Liao Dynasty will be pacified in a total of ten years."
Wan Li nodded. In his opinion, this time limit was relatively reliable, so he waved Lu Shou forward to prepare to release the internal funds.
"Your Majesty, in addition to the money, I also need to take away Yuandudu. Please give me your permission!"
(1) Grain payment system: It existed in the Song Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang improved it. Simply put, the government invites private bidders based on the amount of military rations needed in border towns. Merchants who win the bid transport grain to the border military towns. After the grain arrives, the government issues salt to the merchants. Then the merchants used the salt guide to obtain salt, and then sold it in designated areas to make profits. This policy was undermined after the mid-Ming Dynasty.
(2) Kaizhongzhese: In the fifth year of Hongzhi, Ye Qi proposed a method of collecting silver to receive salt, which was approved by Emperor Xiaozong. This is "kaizhongzhese". Merchants no longer need to transport grain to the border. They only need to pay silver to do salt business. This method violated the original intention of the Kaizhong system: the issue of military rations was solved by the Naibao system, and the problem of national treasury revenue was solved by the Naibao system, which subsequently led to a series of negative consequences.
Lewen
