Zhu Houcong looked at Yan Song, one of the most "fierce men" in the Jiajing Dynasty who could not be ignored.
When he goes to Zhejiang, of course he will be like a huge stone smashed into a bottomless pool.
He is Yang Tinghe's disciple and the chief accompanying scholar in the Imperial Study Room - a close official of the emperor.
When he goes to the southeast, whatever he does will have double interpretations.
Yang Tinghe "driven out" Fei Hong, the leader of the old party. Now, except for Sun Jiao, most of the people participating in the policy are probably from the "new party."
Moreover, Sun Jiao also went to Guangdong to supervise the reform of the Yamen Office, seeming to be afraid that Yang Tinghe would cause big trouble in Guangdong.
In this case, if Yan Song goes to the southeast, he can advance or retreat.
Zhu Houcong looked at him, and Yan Song added: "Starting by cutting off Japan's tribute, the Japanese pirates will become more rampant and the Southeast maritime merchants will take risks and violate the ban. Using coastal defense as an excuse and the wealth of the Southeast, we will be able to train a navy."
He knew the emperor's thoughts very well.
This Japan seems to arouse the emperor's anger more than anything else.
"Do you know how to be a water trainer?" Zhu Houcong asked.
"I don't understand, but Xia Gongjin, the admiral of Caojiang, can recommend talents to me. Zhao Jun is the admiral of the coastal defense road in Guangdong. He has made great achievements in this battle, and he can also be transferred to the chief military officer of Zhejiang."
"Then how do you behave?"
Yan Song quickly replied: "Mr. Yang Ge can talk about abolishing the Zhejiang Shipping Department and even conquering Japan in order to distribute food and wages to the wealthy gentry and wealthy households in the southeast. In this way, he wants to clean up the southeast by taking advantage of what Zhejiang officials call a 'little thing' The intentions of the gentry are clear. Although there is no need for an expedition, the Japanese pirates are harming the people. Your Majesty ordered Zhao Jun to transfer to Zhejiang to take charge of the military. Strengthening coastal defense is an act of loving the people."
Zhu Houcong understood and asked Yang Tinghe to be more forceful, while he acted to mediate and release to the local area that the emperor was not unscrupulous towards Yang Tinghe.
"When I go to Zhejiang, Mr. Yang Ge will definitely not object. However, when I go to Zhejiang, I can mediate. Please report the branch number of the maritime trade company, select wealthy merchants to supply southeast goods, and escort the coastal defense warships to Guangdong for profit. Along the way, we will pass through Zhejiang, In Fujian, if someone intercepts someone and then smuggles it to Japan, I will have to follow the military orders issued by Yang Ge and the imperial court to gradually eliminate them."
Zhu Houcong looked at him deeply: Are you all learning to fish?
There is no doubt that Haimao Branch will only choose a few partners. Will those maritime merchants who have been cut off from the financial resources of the shipping department take risks and pretend to be Japanese pirates to rob cargo ships? Zhu Houcong probably still has one.
But does it need to be this complicated?
Zhu Houcong was thinking, but Yan Song said: "Your Majesty, the gentry in the southeast are rich and have bribed many officials. They must not be ignored. Wang Bo'anding's period of worry has not expired, and it will take more than a year before he can become an official. When the period expires, Southeast You can plow and sweep vigorously. Before that, I can make arrangements first. At that time, the Beijing camp can go south, Jiangxi troops can go east, the coastal defense road can lock the sea, and the southeast can be said to be stable."
This was a chess game against the Southeast, and Yan Song also began to plan the script.
Yang Tinghe, the party leader, is probably going to be pushed in an increasingly radical direction by him, and Yan Song can release another layer of meaning by virtue of his status as a close minister of the emperor.
The coastal defense roads and Zhejiang officers and soldiers he and Zhao Jun strengthened in Zhejiang can suppress Japanese pirates in the short term, but what about the long term? Coupled with Ding You's Wang Shouren and the officers and soldiers of Zhejiang, is it possible that these are the officers and soldiers of King Qin in the future?
It all depends on what Yan Song does after going to Zhejiang.
Zhu Houcong looked through some more maps and classics these days, and finally figured out a clue.
The Hosokawa clan should have Shikoku as its main territory, separated from the Ouchi clan by the Seto Inland Sea.
And near the Ouchi clan's territory, there is a place called Ishimiyama.
It was a mountain of silver that was constantly being produced and flowing into the Ming Dynasty.
At the same time, there was also silver flowing in from the Southeast Asia. At its peak, the Ming Dynasty owned nearly half of the world's silver. According to what Zhu Houcong heard from Lao Qin, it was more than 350 million taels of silver.
In the era of the silver standard, this was a terrifying number.
Most of the imported silver comes from Japan.
As for how much of the fall of the Ming Dynasty was due to silver, that is another story.
Now Zhu Houcong was thinking about the water trainer that Yan Song said, and asked him with a smile: "Japan is a country that does not conquer, why did you mention the expedition?"
Yan Song said sternly: "The Great Wall of Nanyang is to guard against Westerners after all. However, since Westerners can come from the West via the South Ocean, and His Majesty once said that his people have traveled all over the world, they may not be unable to come from the East in the future. If we are like Japan In conjunction with each other, our Ming Dynasty has a wider eastern sea area, so how can we not guard against the rich and prosperous land in the southeast?"
Zhu Houcong looked at this caring person with emotion.
He probably didn't know Iwami Ginzan.
Although Zhu Houcong didn't remember clearly, he also knew that Iwami Ginzan became more and more important because of the use of more advanced smelting methods, which eventually caused constant battles in Japan.
The information that Zhu Houcong had collected at this time was only a few words about Japanese silver coins from the memorials of the Shipping Department and some people over the years. It was said that although Japan produced silver, it mostly purchased copper coins from the Ming Dynasty.
It can be seen that at this time, Japan had not yet used Iwami Ginzan on a large scale to establish its own silver coin system.
However, the outflow of copper coins was strictly prohibited, so they could only be smuggled.
How did Southeast maritime merchants first exchange goods for silver and copper coins from the Weaving Bureau and Shipping Department? How did they smuggle copper coins? How did they obtain goods and silver through copper coins during a smuggling operation and then sell them to Nanyang? How did they purchase from Nanyang or Japan? Zhu Houcong can probably imagine how much money he can make when the goods come back.
So he looked at Yan Song and nodded: "We will discuss this at the national policy meeting tomorrow."
…
The memorial from Zhejiang officials was submitted through the normal channels of the General Affairs Department, unlike the secret memorial submitted by Xie Changjie through Ryan.
The courtiers knew that the advisers must have been discussing the matter, but there was no result yet.
When it came time for the next court meeting, Yang Tinghe, leader of the new party and chief minister of the cabinet, once again acted uncharacteristically at the court meeting.
Everyone was stunned.
The last time this happened, Fei Hong opened fire at the meeting, triggering a dispute between the new party and the old party that lasted for several months, and ended with the emperor killing the Guangdong rebels in court.
Why was it the other way around today? It was Yang Tinghe who opened fire?
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, Yang Tinghe, please report the abolition of the Zhejiang Shipping Department and severely punish the Admiral Xie Changjie, the Admiral Eunuch Lai En and others! Zhejiang people sit back and watch the Japanese pirates plunder freely, and their crimes cannot be evaded!"
While some people were dumbfounded, many people from the court councilors stood up and seconded their opinions.
At this moment, Yang Tinghe's "power" is very strong.
Although the new law has not yet been rolled out, the revision of the Ming Dynasty Code has been steadily advanced under the leadership of his fellow countryman Li Chongsi.
Although the New Party implemented new laws in Guangdong and it was not yet time to officially take action on taxes and levies, the great victory in Guangdong was enough for Yang Tinghe to take credit for the New Party.
Emperor Jing was promoted to the emperor and was welcomed into the Imperial Ancestral Temple, with Yu Qian accompanying him as a worshiper. The new party gave a final conclusion to the reputation of monarchs and ministers.
Your Majesty's eldest princess has decided to choose Yu Chengye, a new scholar from Sichuan, as her consort, and Yu Chengye is the younger brother of Yang Ting and his eldest son-in-law Yu Chengxun.
Yang Tinghe added in the next sentence: "Although the evidence of brothers Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling is conclusive, the person who caused the trouble has never been identified, so the three-law trial has been delayed. It is found that the traitor Fang Muxian still has remaining party members and Fang Muyi Hiding in the territory of the Daifu Ouchi family of Japan's Sakyou Zhao, within half a year, people came to him repeatedly to intercede for him as the brother of the Empress Dowager Cishou, which shows that there is someone behind the scenes with a big conspiracy! He has allowed the traitors to come first, and the remaining evildoers will continue to follow. I request you to kill these two officials to warn the world!"
"The mission sent by Japan brazenly plundered Zhejiang, and its disobedience is clearly revealed. I ask you to compile a naval training plan and issue a document to conquer it!"
Those low-key court officials who were wise enough to protect themselves were shocked: Is Yang Tinghe crazy? Has the emperor already taken away their titles, ransacked their homes and put them in jail? Why did he use the incident of the Japanese mission to kill them all?
The most important thing is the last sentence: Conquer Japan?
Where is the ancestral precept of Emperor Ming? Japan is a country without conquests!
Just when they were stunned by Yang Tinghe's madness, Cui Yuan stood up in a hurry and said: "Mr. Yang Ge, this is wrong! Your Majesty! It is absolutely impossible to conquer Japan! Zhang Heling and Zhang Yanling behaved inappropriately. Duan, if there is an oversight, it is enough to seize the title and punish the crime. Regarding the incident in Zhejiang, why should we kill two people again because of it and make the world talk about Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty, I second the proposal!" Wang Qiong also stood up, "Japan ignores the righteousness of the vassal state, and it is enough to cut off tribute. Since the Zhejiang Shipping Department was established to pay tribute to Japan, it is appropriate to abolish it. However, the expedition to Japan will consume a lot of money. But it’s hard to see merit! Mr. Yang Ge’s proposal, I don’t agree with!”
Seeing that Yang Tan later stood up to oppose Yang Tinghe's petition for an expedition to Japan, many court officials recalled the past.
Didn’t the imperial party drive away the old party together with Yang Tinghe? Why are the Imperial Party and the New Party at war now?
Everything seems to be because of the Zhejiang incident. Is Yang Tinghe going to use it as an excuse?
In the court hall, Yang Tinghe made an impassioned speech: "More than a hundred Japanese pirates roamed Zhejiang, plundering and harming the people. How could the people deserve it? Zhejiang was at a loss. They did not think about the incompetence of guarding the land and bringing peace to the people. Instead, they still petitioned for forgiveness for their mistakes and for the appropriate treatment." , what's the truth? Your Majesty! The law of heaven is clear. The corruption in Zhejiang is probably no different from that in Guangdong before! If there is no severe punishment, how can we comfort the people who were killed? Your Majesty! Even the Japanese pirates are unable to resist and are allowed to go unpunished. Is there anything I can do to you? How can I go to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices to my ancestors and Duke Zhongwu?"
In the minds of some people, Yang Tinghe was exaggerating because some people died in a small riot in Zhejiang.
However, what Yang Tinghe said is a great principle, a moral principle that Confucians must at least superficially respect.
Only Cui Yuan seemed to be very restrained in his emotions. He stared at Yang Tinghe and said, "Mr. Yang Ge! The new law in Guangdong is still being tried out. Where will the food and grass come from if we have to go on an expedition?"
"Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Japanese invaders have never been eliminated! Emperor Taizu set up two Zhejiang provinces to prepare for the Japanese invasion, and Emperor Taizong's Guangningbo was awarded the title for defeating the Japanese pirates! Now, the Japanese pirates have colluded with the remnants of the rebels and looted in the name of tribute. I, the Ming Dynasty, can tolerate it or not! Cui Zuojun, who is a noble relative, how can he turn a blind eye? The Japanese pirates and the crusade against Japan are for the important land of the southeast! To raise food and salary, the gentry and the common people of the southeast should have money to contribute, but they have no money to apply for the army. !”
Wu Tingju, the new Minister of Household Affairs, immediately came out: "Your Majesty! Now that Guangdong has been victorious, the soldiers are waiting for rewards! After next year, the Beijing camp will spend nearly one million taels of regular pay and military equipment! The strategy of enriching the country has not been effective, and the annual income cannot Times before, the Ming Dynasty really couldn't afford the expense of an expedition to Japan! In the tax-rich southeast region, Mr. Yangge really can't agree to this request!"
As soon as Wu Tingju finished speaking, many court officials immediately came out to refute him.
It seems that this is another incident where conflicts broke out at the North Korean meeting due to unfinished deliberations at the national policy meeting.
Officials from the southeast quickly discovered something strange: those who stood up and enthusiastically supported Yang Tinghe were basically northerners from places where taxes were very light.
How did the Ming Dynasty become rich? If the coastal provinces that benefit from sea trade and the southeast with fertile fields can be dealt with, the new law will probably be more than half of it, right?
If they were allowed to succeed, how large a group of southern officials would be purged?
Seeing that the emperor was also looking at Yang Tinghe and the court officials who stood up to support him, and caught a hint of displeasure flashing in the emperor's eyes, many people who had been silent before and their brains were running at high speed immediately knelt down as if asking for orders for the country. .
"Your Majesty, you must not waste your troops on an expedition!"
"Your Majesty, although there is an endless stream of Japanese pirates along the coast, the harm is far less than that of rushing to send more pirates, which will make the people's burden heavier!"
"His Majesty……"
The momentum was not necessarily smaller than that of Yang Tinghe's faction. Cui Yuan and Wang Qiong also took the lead in arguing with it.
"That's enough!" Zhu Houcong suddenly shouted.
There was silence in Fengtian Hall.
In the eyes of the courtiers, Zhu Houcong stared at Yang Tinghe and said: "The remnants of the traitor party robbed and caused trouble in their name. The Zhang brothers tolerated the traitors and acted rampantly several times. They deserved the death penalty! The Shipping Department failed to control it well. It was abolished first and all the ministers were sent to prison." It’s a crime in Beijing! Zhejiang has failed to respond well. According to Mr. Yang Ge, how should we deal with it?"
The emperor expressed his opinion. The first two results were regarded as the main opinions on how to deal with this incident. The last sentence is just to see if Yang Tinghe is willing to stop there, right?
Yang Tinghe was silent for a while, and then he saluted and said with emotion: "I would like to appoint a governor of Zhejiang. Zhejiang people are guilty of failing to respond to this matter. They should find out the reasons to demonstrate the power of the Ming Dynasty's laws and regulations and to calm the people's anger in Zhejiang! Japanese invasions are endless. If there is no governor to supervise the constitution of the place, I am afraid that Japanese pirates will attack the shore and cause another tragedy!"
"In Mr. Yang Ge's opinion, who can be appointed governor of Zhejiang?"
"I recommend Yan Weizhong, the chief scholar in the imperial study, and the right deputy imperial envoy of the Jiadu Procuratorate to patrol Zhejiang!"
Please tell me that Yan Song, who is worthy of enjoying the Imperial Ancestral Temple, is Yu Qian!
His purpose in going to Zhejiang is obvious. Looking into this Japanese rebellion, how many people in Zhejiang will be affected along with the shipping department that is about to be abolished?
How incorruptible is Yu Qian? What about the officials in Zhejiang?
While the emperor was meditating, Yang Tinghe said again: "If the people in Zhejiang admire Zhongwu Gong, the hundreds of Japanese pirates will never be in a deserted land! Your Majesty, even if the power of God cannot spread as far as Japan, the people of Zhejiang are also your Majesty's subjects!" What a blessing it is that the prince is born? But can your majesty bear to hear the sorrowful cries of the people of Zhejiang?"
Many court officials were stunned: It’s broken!
They all looked at Yang Tinghe: he was blocked by the emperor at that time, but now he started to block the emperor who had firmly established his throne.
Your Majesty, who is blessed with a prince, do you not care about the bereavement of the people of Zhejiang?
As expected, the emperor's expression froze, and then he said angrily: "That's right! Yan Song, go to Zhejiang and investigate for me. Why can a mere hundred Japanese pirates enter Zhejiang like no one and harm my people!" "
Yan Song came out and knelt down: "I obey your order!"
Unexpectedly, Yang Tinghe also said: "I ask Wu Dinghou to organize the army and prepare for war! If there are remnants of rebels in Zhejiang, Wu Dinghou can lead the Shenji Battalion southward at any time!"
Zhu Houcong's face darkened: "This matter is not urgent! If there is nothing else, let's leave the court first!"
Everyone could hear the emperor's dissatisfaction.
Before leaving the court, he also said: "Yan Song, Zhang Bi, and Gu Dingchen followed me back to the imperial study to talk about Emperor Taizong's canonization of the Japanese king, the reopening of Japan, and the past events."
There will be no national policy meeting today, and the emperor only summoned three accompanying bachelors.
But anyone can see that the main one is Zhao Yansong.
This was probably the last time he spoke to the emperor as a bachelor's student, and he was still talking about old things related to Japan.
But it’s hard to say it’s not for another purpose.
The court officials of the scattered dynasty looked at Yang Tinghe who was going to Wenyuan Pavilion: What happened in the imperial study room in the past few days, so that he had to force the emperor to kill the Zhang brothers and start a war in Zhejiang today?
After returning to Wenyuan Pavilion and sitting down, Yang Tinghe reached out and rubbed his face. After wiping away the serious expression, a wry smile appeared on his face.
Damn it, he's becoming more and more like a powerful traitor, and he has to act more and more upright.
Jiang Mian, Mao Ji, Shi Yun, and Yang Tan all looked half-smiling, and then they all turned bitter.
"I will go to Wenlou to convene the Beijing-based national policy implementation meeting." On the surface, he is also Yang Tinghe's new party cadre.
Shi Yun also shook his head: "There will be another volume of "The Legend of the Ming Dynasty"."
After that, he got up and went to the history museum.
Yang Tinghe drank tea to soothe his throat and warm his heart, and said leisurely: "In the future, I don't know whether we will be among the loyal ministers or the traitors."
By now, the new law must be enacted!
This is just the beginning. Fei Hong is afraid that he has not yet received the secret order and has not yet gathered the old party to take action.
He has been in Sichuan for so long, he must have collected a lot of dirty information about Yang Tinghe's family and Li Chongsi's family, right?
The only one who can protect him now is the emperor.
What is this thing called?
In the imperial study, Zhu Houcong only took out a box and handed it to Yan Song.
"When you go to Zhejiang, don't let me down." Zhu Houcong looked at him deeply, "Please tell me that you can enjoy the Ancestral Temple with my father-in-law, and you should follow his example."
Yan Song only thought that the emperor was reminding him of the merits of the Ancestral Temple, and had no idea what the emperor really wanted.
(End of chapter)
