The yak was sent to the Ming army camp in the morning, and Li Qing came to the Wala camp in the afternoon. After a brief discussion on trade matters, the two sides set the tone.
Wala's export commodities are roughly divided into four categories: ginseng, leather goods, medicinal materials, and livestock.
Among them, livestock mainly include three types, yak, camel, and war horse.
Yak and camel can bring convenience to the Ming Dynasty to open up wasteland and people to migrate, while war horses can improve the development of the Ming army's cavalry. Li Qing also added a special note: [Livestock must not be less than 20% of the total trade volume].
Too much and Wala can't bear it, too little and Daming suffers. This amount is just the limit that Wala can bear.
I have no choice but to agree.
After signing the trade agreement with Wala, Li Qing signed a separate one for Ashtaimur. Although the current Ulyanha almost exists in name only, he still has an attitude, and it can also sound a warning to Wala: Don't fight. Wu Liangha’s idea.
There is one more force on the grassland, which is beneficial and harmless to Ming Dynasty.
The more power there is, the more conflicts there will be. The instability within the grassland is what Li Qing wants to see.
Ashe Temür burst into tears of gratitude. He was a prisoner the day before yesterday, and he suddenly became a tribal leader again. Although he was hardly popular, the Ming Dynasty recognized his status!
This was a talisman, at least Wala wouldn't dare to try against him again.
After the agreement was signed, Tuohuan couldn't help but ask, "Marquis Yongqing, about firearms...?"
"Well..." Li Qing said with a smile, "It all depends on your performance. However, after the Emperor returns, he will increase the production of large-scale firearms. Whether firearms can join the trade ranks does not depend on the Ming Dynasty, but on you."
You can write a bad check at will, but you can't sign a document.
Tuo Huan was a little disappointed, but the Ming Dynasty's tea, iron pots, silk, salt and other items were all in urgent need of them. With these things, they could develop rapidly.
…
After another conversation, the two parties agreed on the trade time and carried out the first batch of trade after winter.
Li Qing originally wanted to eat at Ye Xian's banquet, but the customs on the grasslands were different from those in the Central Plains. There was no banquet for the dead, so he could only return in sorrow.
~
Two days later, the Ming army took over.
In this battle, nearly 20,000 enemies were wiped out, and a total of 5,000 sheep, 2,500 camels, and 8,700 yaks were harvested. The results were remarkable.
However, the balance pattern on the grassland was broken, which made Li Qing worried.
The tactics displayed by the Tatars made Li Qing feel a little terrified.
In fact, he was not very sure whether Oara could hold the Tatars.
Along the way, Zhu Di had no interest and obviously wanted to go with Li Qing.
…
The sky is clear, the fields are vast, the grass is blown by the wind and cattle and sheep are visible, the sky is blue and cloudless, and it is so beautiful.
Zhu Di is older and rides on the dragon chariot all the way without fear of wind and sun, but others do not have this treatment.
When Yu Qian came down from this trip, he was dark and skinny. He was not fat at all, but he looked like a bamboo pole, looking malnourished.
It's less bookish and more refined overall.
During this trip with the army, I have grown a lot, whether physically, mentally, or in terms of knowledge.
I have suffered some hardships, but I have become mature and steady.
Li Qing looked pleased, drove his horse to him, handed out the wine bag, "Take a few sips to relieve your fatigue."
Yu Qian thanked him, took two large sips, and said with a satisfied expression, "Thank you, Lord Shangshu, for taking care of me all the way. Please come back when I get back."
Li Qing took the wine bag and grinned, "Okay!"
Yu Qian also smiled.
The war horse moved forward unhurriedly, and with the movement of the horse, the person was slightly bumped up and down. Although he was used to it, Yu Qian was still sore all over.
Turning his head and looking at Li Qing, Yu Qian found that he didn't seem to have any discomfort or fatigue. It seemed that such a small thing as marching could not affect him at all.
The whole person is as stable as a rock, and there is not even a slight bump in the body.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's nothing." Yu Qian shook his head, and then couldn't help but be curious, "Li Shangshu, are you really in your sixties?"
"Ah, doesn't it look like it?"
You wear a mask all day, how can I tell... Yu Qian scratched his head, "Look at Li Shangshu's body... he's even better than a young man."
Li Qing smiled slightly, "I have been practicing martial arts since I was a child, and my body and bones have always been strong."
Yu Qian nodded and did not continue the topic: "Li Shangshu, after you return, will you continue your previous duties?"
"Yes." Li Qing stretched, "First continue to supervise the migration of people from the south to the north. When winter comes, you will be responsible for supervising the tea and horse trade."
Yu Qian hesitated a little, but finally said yes.
"You don't like it?" Li Qing asked.
"No, it's not." Yu Qian hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Li Shangshu seems to intend to train the lower officials, and he still trains them to deal with the situation inside and outside the pass. The lower officials are presumptuous, dare to ask the minister why he is like this?"
"You are from the Ministry of War. Isn't this normal?" Li Qing said with a smile, "Or maybe you are afraid of hardship?"
"Of course not." Yu Qian looked solemn, "Being an official, being loyal to the country, and serving the people is really my duty. Why is it hard work? It's just..."
He wondered: "Xiaguan is just a new scholar. He has neither a first-class title nor any outstanding ability. Why does Li Shangshu treat Xiaguan so favorably?"
Li Qing pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Why, you don't have confidence in yourself?"
"No, it's just..." Yu Qian took a deep breath, "I hope Li Shangshu can clear up my doubts."
This problem has troubled him for a long time.
"I have already explained this before. The reason why I trained you is because you have just joined the officialdom, you have a righteous heart, you are not polluted by the smog of officialdom, and you are not from a wealthy Jiangnan family." Li Qing said lightly,
"Instead of worrying about this, it is better to improve your abilities, serve the country, serve the people, and do not waste my training for you. Don't put the cart before the horse."
Yu Qian's lips moved a few times and he nodded heavily.
Li Qing smiled and said, "That's right."
Saying, 'Tons, tons, tons...' He drank again and again, and it seemed that Yu Qian was addicted again.
"Here you go." Li Qing was very generous.
Yu Qian took it, but only half a mouthful was left.
…
…
In late July, he returned to the capital.
Li Qing no longer cared about rewards and pensions for soldiers. The first thing he did when he returned to Beijing was to ask for leave.
Zhu Di cursed, but still approved him for five days.
Li Qing's trip was not long, only a hundred days. The three girls did not change much, but after all, they were getting older, and their old appearance became a little more serious.
They cooked themselves and made sumptuous meals. As usual, they put their hands on the dining table, looked at him with their chins drawn, and chattered non-stop.
Li Qing responded to them while eating delicious food...
We ate, drank, talked and laughed, and ate a meal from dusk until dark.
At night, Li Qing transferred Qi to them one by one. While nourishing their bodies, he also eliminated potential illnesses for them.
…
Five days passed by in a flash, and Li Qing, who had been lying dead at home for several days, finally went to court.
Unexpectedly, something big happened on the first day of court.
Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian came to report at the same time: bandits were breaking out along the coast, and the scale was quite large, numbering in the thousands, and the people along the coast were deeply affected.
Zhu Di was furious when he heard this and immediately sent troops to quell the chaos.
As a result, first Jin Youzi and Yang Rong in the cabinet blocked it, then most southern officials came out to dissuade him, and finally even the official Jian Yi, who had always been quarrelsome, spoke out.
The reasons are surprisingly consistent: they are all the people of the Ming Dynasty, they just need to be comforted and educated, there is no need to use swords and guns against the people!
There's a problem... Li Qing narrowed his eyes and instantly thought of Tang Sai'er's 'uprising' before.
Li Qing felt there was something wrong, not to mention the suspicious Zhu Di.
Zhu Di immediately summoned Xiao Linzi, the admiral of Dongchang who had been left behind before the expedition, to inquire about the details.
Seeing Admiral Dongchang entering the palace, the civil servants who had been clamoring just now immediately became silent, looking shocked and frightened.
They didn't expect that Dongchang's hand would stretch out so long, and even Jiangnan would start to intervene.
Zhu Di took in the expressions of these people, snorted coldly, and asked: "Xiao Linzi, what is going on with the thieves in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian?"
"To inform your Majesty, there are actually no bandits." Xiao Linzi said respectfully, "The so-called bandits are causing troubles caused by wealthy gentry smuggling goods out to sea."
Li Qing did not show too much surprise. The wealthy gentry in Jiangnan could not ignore the huge benefits of maritime trade. The profits of several times or even ten times were enough to make people flout all laws.
Including Emperor Longwei!
"Tell me carefully." Zhu Di's eyes were cold, "Who are these thieves?"
Xiao Linzi was a little embarrassed. Dongchang had not been established for a long time and had not yet fully grown. He had not found anything substantial.
"It is rumored that these thieves and bandits are all gangsters supported by wealthy gentry, either bribed, cooperated, or even..."
"But it doesn't matter."
Xiao Linzi whispered, "It is said that there are even Han people pretending to be Japanese pirates, directly plundering coastal areas, and then selling the stolen goods overseas."
"Eunuch, you must provide evidence when you speak." The Minister of Civil Affairs said in a strange tone, "It is rumored that such a thing has been heard directly to Heaven without verification?"
"It's not too late to investigate now." Zhu Di glanced at the minister coldly and said calmly, "Xiao Linzi, you can send the squad to investigate. You can lead the team yourself."
"My slave obeys the order."
"Your Majesty, I have this report." Jin Youzi came out. "The words of the Han people pretending to be Japanese pirates came from Eunuch Lin's mouth. We cannot let him check it, lest he distort the facts to confirm his statement."
"I second the proposal." Hanlin Bachelor followed immediately and said, "Eunuch Lin needs to avoid suspicion, so we should not let the Supervisory Censor investigate."
There was a hint of amusement in the corner of Zhu Di's mouth, "What if I don't let him check it out?"
"If the emperor insists on doing this, the result will definitely be difficult to convince the public." The right deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate came out and said.
"Haha," Zhu Di sneered again and again, "You have to convince the public, right?
become!
There is one in Dali Temple, one in the Imperial Academy, one in the Hanlin Academy, and one in Jinyiwei. Is it okay for you to supervise it? "
The right deputy imperial envoy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was speechless and could only hold up his hands and said, "Your Majesty, your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, why not let the six tribes join in?" Jian Yi came out, "In this way, we can convince the public more."
This old boy is still thinking about He Xini, or in other words, he is also involved... Zhu Di's eyes became colder and colder.
Just when he was about to get angry, Li Qing came out and said, "If you want to recruit people from the six ministries, I will recommend all the soldiers from the Ministry of War to Shizhong, and Yu Qian will cooperate with the supervision."
"If you recruit people from the Ministry of War, then our Ministry of Civil Affairs will also recruit people." The Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs came out and said, "Your Majesty, I recommend..."
"Come here!" Zhu Di shouted, interrupting his next words.
Seeing the emperor's angry face, the ministers felt uneasy in their hearts.
After a while, General Zhandian entered the main hall and said, "Please give me your orders, Your Majesty."
Zhu Di had no expression on his face, "Put Jian Yi in jail."
To capture the thief and capture the king, Zhu Di now saw that everyone was a thief, so he simply took the most important official minister.
Sure enough, this move was very effective, and the ministers immediately became honest.
The Minister of Civil Affairs did not say anything and returned to work honestly. The whole hall was silent.
