Ye Xianggao nodded and said: "Tiger-Character Banner is no longer just a business in Datong or Xuanfu. After they conquered the Tumote tribe, they have also established a foundation on the grassland. Once the imperial court uses troops against Tiger-Character Banner, it will be difficult to protect them. will not retreat to the grassland. Then the imperial army will need to go north to the grassland to completely eradicate the traitors of the Tiger Flag. If they cannot be completely eradicated, they are likely to come back, just like Anda Khan back then, and committed crimes against our Ming Dynasty. Borderlands.”
After hearing this, Tianqi nodded in agreement.
"The chief minister thinks too highly of the traitors of the Tiger Flag. How can they compare to An Da Khan back then? Moreover, even An Da Khan back then was not blocked by the Ming Dynasty from outside the border wall." Han Xu disagreed. said.
He felt that Ye Xianggao raised the tiger flag too high.
Ye Xianggao faced Tianqi and said: "Your Majesty, since the Tiger Character Banner can conquer the Tumote tribe, its strength is definitely not low. Otherwise, the imperial court would not have defeated them all several times in the past. This shows that the strength of the Tiger Character Banner cannot be tolerated. So I feel that if we want to deal with the Tiger Character Banner, we cannot just rely on the border troops of Datong, but also need the imperial court to send out a large army and let the border troops of Xuanfu and Datong assist."
"What Ai Qing said makes sense. To use troops against the Tiger Flag, we must eradicate it completely and never give it a chance to resurgence." Tianqi said firmly.
Obviously, he supports going north to the grasslands to eradicate the Tiger Banner, rather than just clearing out the Tiger Banner forces in the border areas of the Ming Dynasty.
Ye Xianggao glanced sideways at Han Xu and winked.
It seemed to tell him again that the stage had been set up.
Han Xu bowed towards Tianqi and said: "Please ask the Holy One to issue an order to eradicate the tiger flag and kill Liu Heng."
"Okay, I...wait!" Tianqi said halfway, then turned to look at Ye Xianggao and Han Xu in front of him, and said, "If the Ministry of Revenue already has no money and food, how can we still send out an army."
The soldiers and horses move forward before the food and grass are moved.
Although he had never led an army, he also knew that sending out a large army to fight required preparing food and grass in advance, and the war was fought with money, otherwise the court would not send so much money and food to Liaodong every year.
"The Ministry of Revenue really cannot afford the money and food to prepare food for the army." Ye Xianggao explained to Tianqi.
Han Xu, who was standing next to him, said: "Please ask your Majesty to take out the silver from the inner treasury and use it to purchase food and fodder for the army. We will destroy the Tiger Character Flag and seize the properties of the Tiger Character Flag. We will make up for the silver from the inner treasury. If there is any excess, The money that comes out can be returned to the household department."
"What Han Aiqing means is that I also need to provide the food and fodder for the army?" Tianqi's face turned ugly again.
Han Xu said: "Eradicating the Tiger Flag will solve a scourge for the court and ensure the stability of our Ming Dynasty border areas. At the same time, the wealth seized from the Tiger Flag can be returned to the national treasury. It is a good thing that has the best of both worlds."
"How did Han Aiqing know that he could seize something from the Tiger Flag? What if there is nothing? Aiqing, don't forget that the Tiger Flag has many soldiers and horses, all of which require a lot of money." Tianqi frowned. explain.
Han Xu said: "Even if there are no seizures, only eradicating the tiger-character flag is a good thing for the court. After all, the existence of the tiger-character flag has threatened the Ming Dynasty. If it exists for one more day, it will be a threat to the court. .”
"Let's talk about the tiger-character flag later! It won't be too late to dispatch the troops of the imperial court after the Ministry of Revenue collects the cash register." Tianqi was unwilling to continue to take out money from his inner treasury.
Although he also wanted to eradicate the Tiger Flag, the court had no money, and the Tiger Flag did not openly rebel, so it was not too late to wait until later.
Having said this, Han Xu was not willing to give up and continued: "Your Majesty, the matter of the Tiger Character Flag should not be delayed any longer. Every day that passes, the power of the Tiger Character Flag will increase by one point. In the long run, sooner or later it will become The imperial court will be in great trouble."
"I have said that we will discuss the matter of the Tiger Flag later. If the cabinet cannot wait, let the Ministry of Revenue prepare the money and food needed for the army. I will never stop it." Tianqi said impatiently.
He had already taken out one hundred thousand taels from the inner treasury to provide relief to the victims. Don't even think about asking him to take another silver from the inner treasury.
Han Xu said with all his strength: "Your Majesty, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, the Tiger Flag must not be left behind."
"I have said that the Tiger Character Flag will be eradicated sooner or later, but now there is no empty treasury. Once we collect the money and food, it will not be too late to send out a large army to clear out the Tiger Character Flag." Tianqi began to be dissatisfied with Han Xu's stalking. .
Without relief for the victims, civil unrest is likely to occur. However, it has been so long since the Tiger Banner conquered the Tumote tribe and there has been no clear intention to rebel against the imperial court, so he believes that it is not too late to wait and take action.
When the national treasury is sufficient, the army can be sent north to the grassland at any time to eradicate the Tiger Flag.
"Aren't you afraid that Liu Heng of the Tiger Flag will become the next old slave from Liaodong?" Han Xu said, looking at Tianqi.
Tianqi's face sank and he said: "I have said it before. It's not that I don't want to eradicate the tiger flag, but that the treasury is empty and unable to send out a large army. Even the money and food for disaster relief have to be scraped together. Do you think the court still has enough money and food?" Are you going to send an army north to the grassland?"
He was very angry.
He felt that Han Xu was too ignorant and kept an eye on his internal treasury. Moreover, the money and food needed for the troops to fight the Tiger-Character Banner could not be supported by his internal treasury.
"Mr. Han Ge, don't force the Holy One anymore. The Holy One knows it well. When it's time to send troops to the tiger-character flag, he will naturally send out a large army." Seeing that Tianqi was already angry, Ye Xianggao hurriedly stopped Han Xu, who was still trying to distinguish.
He knew that Han Xu was also doing it for the good of the court, but the court did not have money to send out a large army, otherwise it would not have allowed Datong and Xuanfu to raise their own food and wages.
"I'm tired, let's send the two pavilion elders away." Tianqi ordered the little eunuch beside him.
He no longer had the patience to wait for Ye Xianggao and the others to leave on their own, and directly asked the young eunuch to drive them out of Qianqing Palace.
"Two pavilion elders, I will escort you out." The young eunuch walked up to Ye Xianggao and Han Xu and said respectfully.
"I excuse myself."
Ye Xianggao bowed to Tianqi.
Then he saw that Han Xu didn't move, so he pulled Han Xu with his hand.
"I also retire." Han Xu had no choice but to bow.
The little eunuch walked in front to guide the two of them until they were outside the gate of Qianqing Palace, and then returned.
Ye Xianggao and Han Xu left Qianqing Palace and walked side by side to Wenyuan Pavilion.
Compared with Ye Xianggao's calm expression, Han Xu's expression was very ugly.
A little further away from the Qianqing Palace, Han Xu couldn't help but said: "Brother Jinqing, why didn't you help me just in front of the Holy Lord? You also know that the tiger-character flag is a scourge to the court and will threaten the Ming Dynasty sooner or later. country."
"So what if you know, the imperial court has no extra money to send out an army." Ye Xianggao said as he walked.
Han Xu said: "The imperial court doesn't have it, but the Holy One does. The inner treasury of Shenzong back then left a lot of things. As long as the Holy One agrees, I don't believe that we can't raise the money and food for a large army."
"You also said that it is the inner treasury, something that belongs to the Holy Lord himself." Ye Xianggao said.
Han Xu frowned and said: "Sending a large army to deal with the Tiger Flag is for the sake of the imperial court, and even more for the sake of the Zhu family."
