Outside the Qianqing door, there is the sound of whips.
On the early morning of the eighth day of February, on the third day after Emperor Kangxi returned to Beijing, with a burst of whips, the imperial court hearing outside the Qianqing Gate began again.
The so-called imperial court was an expanded early dynasty. In addition to officials from various ministries and halls, middle and lower-level officials in Beijing also had to participate. It can be described as a large scale. Because there were too many officials participating in this "big morning court", the main hall of Qianqing Palace could not be crowded, so it had to be moved outdoors.
This kind of early morning court was also popular in the Ming Dynasty for several years. The two workaholic emperors Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Youjian even had early morning court every day. All the officials in the capital had to get up before dawn in the Qing Dynasty and go to the court with lanterns. Going to court has to come and go in the wind and rain. The northwest wind blows in winter and the sun shines brightly in summer. They have been in office for a long time, and all of them have dark and rough skin. They look like the comrades of later generations who have been engaged in outdoor work for a long time... maybe a little worse. There was no sunscreen in ancient times, and they were not allowed to wear one in court. Straw hats and sunglasses are definitely not allowed to be worn, so let’s just dry out in the sun!
When the Qing Dynasty first settled in Beijing, they didn’t hold early morning dynasties... Emperor Shunzhi’s Duo Ama couldn’t get up. Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep a little longer with “Aunt Bu” in his arms? Moreover, Shunzhi was also quite lazy. After taking office, he could only manage a court for five days and spend the rest of the time in the Qianqing Palace casually handling court affairs.
Emperor Kangxi was a workaholic comparable to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Youjian. After taking office at the age of fourteen, he insisted on working every day except for the third festival of the year and the big funeral in the court when it was necessary to interrupt the imperial administration. The door listens to politics.
This level of effort is really comparable to Chongzhen!
And the results of his efforts... seem to be catching up with Chongzhen.
The Chongzhen reign will disappear in the 17th year, and the Kangxi reign has already reached the 14th year this year... It looks a bit dangerous!
And it’s not just the year number that looks dangerous, but also the steady retreat on the battlefield!
Although the Qing army barely resisted Wu and Zhou's Northern Expedition on the battlefield in Henan, it gained temporary peace by ceding the land of four prefectures and three states. However, the serious consequences caused by Burni's sneak attack on Beijing caused the Qing Dynasty's national power to decline again!
What's even worse is that the banner of Prince Zhu San, the second-in-command of the New Ming Dynasty in the south, who seems to be "exterminating himself from the world's scholars," has now appeared in Haikou, Tianjin. Moreover, tens of thousands of water workers and their family members ran to seek refuge!
Now Tianjin Haikou, the gate of the Qing Dynasty, has been broken by the navy of the new Ming Dynasty!
But compared with these military failures, what is really fatal is the financial collapse!
Jiangnan is gone, Huguang is gone, Jiangxi is gone, Zhejiang and Fujian are gone, Guangdong has been gone for several years, and Jiangbei is about to be lost, and even Henan has lost half of it!
Even if the military defeat can be stopped, the Qing Dynasty will only have Zhili, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, Huaibei, half of Henan, the jurisdiction of General Shengjing and General Ningguta outside Guanwai, and some dependencies The Mongolian League flag of the Qing Dynasty.
The site looks quite big, but we can’t charge much money!
The territory outside the customs and the Mongolians are all losing money. Gansu is basically losing money. The remaining Shaanxi and Shanxi can make a little money. Shandong, Zhili and half of Henan are in fair condition. Huaibei is prone to floods and is located in There is no hope for the anti-Ming front line.
And relying on Shaanxi, Shanxi, Shandong, Zhili, and half of Henan, which are not very wealthy, how much tax can the Qing Dynasty collect in a year? Can you get five million taels if you convert it into silver?
This is clearly a rhythm that is about to go bankrupt!
If the Qing Dynasty's finances went bankrupt and the people resisted Ming Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty... could they still resist?
The current situation seems to be difficult to persist until the 17th year of Kangxi's reign!
With these thoughts in mind, the officials of the Qing Dynasty who were in Beijing and were still qualified to attend the court meeting paid Kangxi three obeisances and nine kowtows in accordance with the etiquette.
"Pingshen, Pingshen!"
Emperor Kangxi's loud and brisk voice rang out.
The officials near Qianqing Gate were all stunned... What's going on? Is it really a good thing, or are you trying to force a smile?
The guys got up and looked up furtively. I saw Emperor Kangxi dressed in court uniform, sitting on the throne outside Qianqing Gate, looking at everyone with a smile. Seeing everyone getting up, Kangxi smiled and said: "I received a secret report from someone from the Huainan Camp early this morning... Wu Sangui is dead!"
The "someone" he mentioned was referring to someone who was ordered to lurk in Wu Zhou's camp!
Kangxi continued: "Wu Sangui died at noon on January 23rd. He was poisoned in his presidential palace... It is said that Zhu Heji poisoned the allicin sold to Wu Sangui with puffer fish. The poison poisoned Wu Sangui to death! There are many doubts about the method of death, but the person must have died, there is no doubt about it!"
"Your Majesty's great blessing reaches heaven!"
"The servants are waiting to congratulate the emperor and the Qing Dynasty..."
The ministers below all know that Emperor Kangxi has been trying to make peace with Wu Zhou some time ago, and has also sent many people to Wu Zhou's side. So this answer should not cause any more problems regarding Wu Sangui’s life and death!
Thinking of this, the ministers below congratulated Emperor Kangxi together!
In any case, Wu Sangui's death is a good thing after all.
If Wu Yingxiong could ascend the throne after Wu Sangui's death, then the Zhou-Qing alliance against the Ming Dynasty would most likely be accomplished.
But... what about the financial issues?
Even if Wu Yingxiong became Wu Zhou's master, it would be impossible for him to pay taxes to the Qing Dynasty!
This Wu Yingxiong probably wants to be the emperor himself!
When Kangxi spoke again, he had already lowered his tone: "Once Wu Sangui dies, the puppet Zhou Dynasty will not be in trouble for the time being. Maybe we can join forces with Wu Yingxiong... After all, he is also a member of my beloved Xinjieluo family. Son-in-law, and I still know how much he weighs.
But the crisis in our Qing Dynasty has not passed... Now the Mongols outside the Great Wall are bewitched by the pseudo-Khan Burni. The banners of Chahar, Tumote, and Ordos have all surrendered to Burni. The situation in Southern Mongolia is urgent!
At the same time, Prince Zhu's flag has been planted in Dagukou and Tanggu in Tianjin Prefecture... The Pseudo-Ming Dynasty has already taken possession of the ports to sail northward across the sea and attack the capital of the Qing Dynasty!
Beijing has now become the gate of the country and the front line in the fight against hypocrisy! If we can't work together to overcome this hurdle, the Puppet Ming Dynasty will take over Beijing... Haha! "
Kangxi said "haha" twice and said no more.
But everyone knows what it means!
Now that Wu Sangui is dead... Wu Yingxiong seems to have no ability to attack Beijing from the Northern Expedition. And the Third Prince Zhu came over by sea!
If everyone does not work hard and unite, I am afraid that when Prince Zhu San enters Beijing, everything will end.
Many of the people standing outside the Qianqing Gate now have the intention to defect to Wu...such as Wang Fuchen!
But voting for Zhu... Haha, does Wang Fuchen dare? Zhu Heji was worried that he would not be able to catch him!
Emperor Kangxi said calmly: "There are always more solutions than difficulties... We are in difficulties now, but compared with the time before we entered the customs, we always have more than half of the Central Plains and the entire northwest, and a year's tax There are always several million taels of silver. Isn’t it much better than back then? As long as we unite as one and throw away all the arrogance and licentiousness we have developed over the years of entering the customs, what does this difficulty mean now? It means nothing at all!
And I also believe that you, the good servants and ministers of the Qing Dynasty, will definitely be able to work together with me and the Qing Dynasty!
How about we, the monarchs and ministers, work together and drive away Prince Zhu from Tianjin Wei? "
The servants and ministers below heard this and already understood a little bit.
Kangxi probably wanted to reform finances and implement strict savings...and in order to gain the support of everyone, he carried out Prince Zhu San who had fled to Weihaikou, Tianjin.
Think about what Prince Zhu and his brother did to Ling Chi back then. Who dares not to work hard or be frugal?
Now it is no longer a question of money, but a question of life!
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