If it weren't for the frequent wars last year and the huge consumption of military expenditures, the surplus last year would definitely be far greater than the year before.
If this had been done in the past few years, how could the imperial court have fought so many wars, conquering Monan in the north and conquering the southwest? How could it afford the expenses?
You must know that the scale of the southwest chieftain's rebellion is no less powerful than Yang Yinglong's back then.
The imperial court even mobilized troops from Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, plus tens of thousands of troops from the Beijing camp brought by the emperor himself.
It was bigger than the Battle of Bozhou. Of course, the emperor also contributed a lot of money, but everyone knows that the emperor made a fortune by confiscating his houses.
Even the household department also took a lot of soup to drink.
But even so, this is a fact. Last year's finances were indeed much better than in previous years. Although there were still some constraints, they were not overstretched.
After thinking of this, Cheng Guoxiang was too embarrassed to answer.
He already understood what the emperor meant, and it was nothing more than comparing it with facts.
You see, although I kill people like crazy and change officials one after another, the court has money to do things and the country's economic situation has improved.
Seeing Cheng Guoxiang speechless, Zhu Youxiao almost couldn't help laughing.
Then he said:
"I always think carefully before I act."
"I know what you mean, and I also know your sincere heart for the country, the people, and the country."
"But in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. The political factions of the Jiajing Dynasty must not appear in the Tianqi Dynasty."
"I also have to make up for the mistakes my grandfather made, one by one. The party struggle in the imperial court has lasted for nearly a hundred years, and it's time to come to an end."
"If the monarch and his ministers cannot unite as one and maintain the same political opinions and strategies, but instead undermine each other and attack each other, fighting openly and secretly, how can the Ming Dynasty be revitalized or prosperous?"
Song Yingxing and Cheng Guoxiang didn't know what to say to what Zhu Youxiao said, because it was indeed the truth.
Regardless, it is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty that the emperor has such ambitions, and it is also a blessing for their ministers who are dedicated to doing what they want to do.
Even if the process is too cruel and bloody, and the means of implementation are too cruel, the starting point is good, and the result must be good.
"The Sword Comes"
The two people who originally thought of admonishing them even to the death were sent out of the palace by Zhu Youxiao.
After experiencing this incident, Zhu Youxiao also learned wisely. Before everything is over and the dust has settled, he will not meet any officials again.
What a sour mouth.
Therefore, for nearly ten days, Zhu Youxiao never left Qianqing Palace, and he did not even favor the concubines in the harem.
Not only for a few days of peace and quiet, but also because there were too many accumulated political affairs and memorials, so I had to work overtime.
But also in these few days, the entire capital is about to be turned upside down.
The minister worked tirelessly every day and insisted on kneeling outside the Meridian Gate regardless of the scorching sun.
I hope that in this way, I can meet the emperor and give him face-to-face advice.
Zhu Youxiao remained indifferent.
The only thing he cared about was how the errand he ordered was done and how much money he would get from this house raid.
Because he has another big expense, Yuan Keli's Denglai Town, as well as the construction and scale of the navy, are completely on track.
Although the navy's fleet is not as large as it was during the Yongle period, it cannot be underestimated.
There are as many as two thousand warships of various sizes.
Of course, there are only a few hundred ships capable of naval combat, and most of the rest are used for transporting supplies or troops.
These ships were all collected from various coastal guards by Yuan Keli with great effort, and there were also many civilian ships among them.
Although it cannot be compared with the long-distance fleets of the West, judging from the current strength, it is enough to defend this three-acre area along the coast of the Ming Dynasty.
Now that the ports, ships, sailors, officers and soldiers have been built, it is time to start building a real navy.
This is where money really needs to be spent. The hundreds of thousands of taels of silver spent in the early stage are just the foundation.
If you want to form a truly qualified naval fleet with naval combat capabilities, you must have a professional instructor for professional training.
Westerners with rich experience in large-scale navigation and naval battles of various scales are undoubtedly the best choice.
Their use of artillery and naval battle tactics were far superior to those of the Ming Dynasty at this time.
But these Westerners are all just looking for money.
What's more, we need to develop and build bigger and stronger warships, preferably ones that can be used by Zheng He when he went to sea.
But this is obviously unrealistic, because the drawings have long been hidden by Liu Daxia, and the craftsmanship has been lost for hundreds of years.
Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao was so angry that he immediately ordered Liu Daxia's grave to be dug up and his body whipped. The whole family was exiled to Liaodong and became slaves for generations.
Then he summoned Xu Guangqi, the deputy minister of the cabinet:
"I heard that when I was young, I once worshiped Western barbarians as my teachers and learned their culture."
"That's true. When I was in Guangxi, I happened to see the map of all nations. I was shocked. At that time, I made up my mind to learn from the person who drew this map."
"After several twists and turns, I finally got my wish and became a disciple of Matteo Ricci. I learned Western astronomy, geography, and mathematics from him, and translated the original mathematics of the Yi people."
Matteo Ricci and Zhu Youxiao had heard that he was an Italian and his tomb is just outside Beijing.
"I came to you today to discuss the construction and training of the Royal Navy of the Ming Dynasty. After much thought, you are the only one who knows the most about overseas affairs among the civil and military officials of the dynasty."
"My ministers often deal with Westerners, so they should know that there is heaven beyond the sky, there are people beyond people, and there are countless countries and lands beyond the sea."
"You are also someone who has seen the whole map of the world, so I won't say more to you."
"Our land of the Ming Dynasty is just a small corner in the whole world. Why do we call ourselves the lord of the world and the supreme kingdom of heaven?"
"Especially the naval warships of the Westerners, our Ming Dynasty is really out of reach, the gap is huge."
"Perhaps it is a blessing among misfortunes that they have not yet sailed to our Ming Dynasty."
"But if they don't come now, it doesn't mean they won't come in the future. Our Ming Dynasty is already far behind the West in terms of maritime strength. If they really come by then, how will our Ming Dynasty resist them?"
"So my Ming Dynasty must seize this moment and quickly and vigorously build a powerful maritime fleet to wait for my arrival. We cannot delay it any longer."
"What's more, Japanese pirates are rampant along the coast of Ming Dynasty, running rampant and committing evil acts on the sea."
"It seriously threatens our coastal areas and people in the Ming Dynasty. Where is the majesty and credibility of the imperial court? It is really hateful."
"Only a powerful navy can completely solve this problem and keep the enemy at bay, just like our Nine-Border Military Town in the Ming Dynasty."
