"Everyone, don't be so blind. How can you fight a war without killing people and burning money?
We can just build again after the fighting is over. Just a dozen artillery pieces in Ningyuan City can cause heavy casualties to Jiannu.
What if there are a hundred artillery pieces? As long as there are no problems, Ningyuan City will be a natural chasm that the slaves will never be able to cross. "
Speaking of this, Chongzhen thought of Yuan Chonghuan.
History says that he secretly negotiated peace with Jiannu, but I don't know whether it is true or not.
After this incident, I must be called back for a personal meeting.
Li Guopu opened his mouth and whispered: "Your Majesty, you are not forcing me to..."
After saying half of it, he stopped talking.
Everyone else knows the meaning behind the words.
The emperor was very clear about the problem of Jinning's defense line. If this was the case, he must have other ideas.
If the emperor didn't tell them, they couldn't ask.
Chongzhen didn't even explain. He just deliberately forced Jiannu to take a detour to Mongolia. Otherwise, how could he cheat Huang Taiji?
As for dragging artillery and taking the initiative to attack, it's not that he hasn't thought about it, but it's unrealistic.
An artillery weighs three thousand to eight thousand kilograms, the pulling force of an ox is about 700 to 1,000 kilograms, and horses are not much better.
With the current road conditions and the conditions of the loaded carriages, the forward speed is extremely slow, and it is easy to be charged by the Jiannu cavalry.
Unless the cavalry of the Four Guards of Tengxiang can officially fight against Jiannu, this strategy can only be thought about.
"Since you have no objections, this task will be handed over to Xu Aiqing. The Ministry of Household Affairs will provide financial support, and the Ministry of Industry will provide full support for iron and workers."
"Xu Aiqing, as you just said, you are responsible for controlling the specific process.
I only want the results, and I will report the progress of the previous month at the beginning of each month. Also, don’t forget to train the gunners. "
"I obey the order!"
Guo Yunhou, the Minister of Household Affairs, Fan Jingwen, the Minister of Industry, and Xu Guangqi stood up and saluted at the same time.
"Bi Aiqing, we need to spend more time researching and developing your kind of fire gun."
"Sun Aiqing, research on gunpowder granulation must also be carried out simultaneously."
Both of them responded at the same time.
As for gunpowder, if the granulation is done well enough, the power will be greatly increased, and it will be made into something similar to a ten thousand enemy.
Launched from a catapult, the power is probably no worse than that of artillery.
If it is possible to make an artificially ignited earth bomb weighing half a kilogram, or use a hot air balloon to carry a basket of earth bombs, and take advantage of the weather to drop it over the enemy camp.
There are many ways to attack, just see if you can increase the power of gunpowder.
Artillery attacks from a distance and catapults attack. The two cooperate and complement each other.
Everyone's hatred for Jiannu was deep, so they all looked excited at this moment.
“The planning of firearms has come here first, let’s talk about the second plan.
Guo Aiqing, you are the Minister of Household Affairs and are in charge of farmland, household registration and people's livelihood across the country. Please tell me whether you can do it. "
Is it difficult for the people to have enough food and clothing and enough money? It's hard to say, but it's easy to say.
As long as the people are given enough land, that will be fine. But the question is, is there land? Will the officials keep the people fed and clothed?
Guo Yunhou said immediately: "I can't guarantee whether we can do it or not, but we can settle the accounts first."
As he spoke, he walked to a wooden board with a six-foot stack of paper hanging on it.
"Your Majesty, the Daming Fish Scale Atlas records that there are 8.5 million hectares of fertile land, equivalent to 850 million acres.
Since there are large and small acres in Xi'an, there are definitely many in other provinces. Let's calculate it as 90 million acres.
As of the seventh year of the Apocalypse, the population recorded in the Yellow Book was 13 million, but this is already distorted.
Let’s say it’s too much, let’s say it’s about 150 million. In this way, everyone can get about six acres.
The average per capita is six acres, and the average yield per mu is two and a half shi, which is equivalent to fifteen shi.
If high-yield crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes can be promoted on a large scale, and new high-yield crops can be introduced, as well as the yield-increasing methods developed by the Agricultural Research Institute,
The average yield per mu is three shi, which is equivalent to 18 shi. It is enough to have enough food and clothing and some money left in hand. "
"But... this is all ideal, just numbers on paper."
After Guo Yunhou finished settling the accounts, he suddenly said "but" with sadness, helplessness, anger, longing and other emotions mixed in his eyes.
After a few breaths of silence, Guo Yunhou said again: "Your Majesty, there are rumors that the fertile land of the Ming Dynasty was occupied by royal families, 20% by wealthy merchants and gentry, 40% by military camps, and only 10% by ordinary people.
Although it is a bit exaggerated, I have sorted it out during this period and made a preliminary estimate that the royal family may account for 15%, which is about one million hectares.
If you include the wealthy merchants and gentry involved, it would be estimated to be around 1.5 million hectares.
The amount in the hands of the common people is almost 30%, which should be calculated to be about 4 million hectares. On average, it is three acres per person.
Therefore, if we want to achieve the goal of having enough food, clothing, warmth, and enough money for the people, we must release the fields in Jiangjun.
We have to consider the stakes in taking action against military camps. "
"And we have to beware of local higher-ups increasing taxes privately, and when the court no longer collects miscellaneous taxes."
After Guo Yunhou finished speaking, everyone fell silent. They all knew the serious issue of land annexation.
Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, only during the Hongwu and Wanli years, the land of the Ming Dynasty has been clarified, which shows the depth of the interests of all parties involved.
It took Zhang Juzheng a long time to sort out such a strong person with the support of the emperor. Can he really do what he can do with the current situation?
The clan, the wealthy merchants and gentry, and the military garrison. Each of these three mountains is worth tens of millions of dollars. Can it really be moved away?
Except for the four cabinet members and the five ministers of the Ministry of Revenue, Guo Yunhou, everyone else was full of doubts and a sense of powerlessness.
Sun Chengzong and others participated in the policy of selling the land of the Qin Palace. Naturally, they knew that the emperor was using public opinion to kill the clan and force the clan to hand over the land.
Taking action against the clan is the royal family's own business, but taking action against the gentry, wealthy merchants, and military camps would involve huge interests.
Chongzhen did not answer the questions of the ministers, but looked at the British Duke Zhang Weixian, the loyal Marquis Qin Liangyu, and Li Banghua, who also served as the left minister of the Ministry of War.
"The British Duke, Marquis Zhongzhen, Li Aiqing, if I want to rectify the military affairs of the country and completely abolish the guard system, do you think it is feasible?"
Everyone was shocked. The emperor reorganized the twenty-six guards two months ago, and even merged the twenty-one guards some time ago.
From the day the Ming Dynasty's Military Discipline Inspection Department was established, everyone knew that sooner or later the National Guards would be rectified, and now it's finally here.
Each era has its own products and limitations. The Wei system cannot be said to be backward, but at least it was undoubtedly the most correct choice during the period after the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
Chongzhen admitted that the guard system had made a huge contribution to national finance and border defense construction, and accelerated the "reform of the land and return to local people" in the southwest region, but now it exists in name only.
Exploitation was severe, farmland was plundered, and military families fled.
Especially the military households were a hole dug by Zhu Yuanzhang for future generations. He wanted to ask Zhu Yuanzhang what he thought when he set up the guard system?
Why is it that if our ancestors were military households, all future generations must be military households?
The various systems aimed at military households simply do not treat military households as citizens of the Ming Dynasty. For example, intermarriage between civilian households and hundreds of households will affect their descendants, military households can only have one person as a living member, while civilian households have no restrictions, etc.
Qin Liangyu and Li Banghua did not speak, but looked at the British Duke Zhang Weixian.
The British Duke stood up and said in a deep voice: "What does your Majesty want to do?"
