Emperor Ming Dynasty

Chapter 191 The Battle of the Economy
With the expansion of the territory and the rise of King Hanyang's power, the size of the military and administrative department's office is also constantly expanding.

The Military and Political Department is under the Six Caos, and under the Six Caos, it is divided into departments.

Subdividing and subdividing, it is natural to hoard a large number of officials, but this is just a reserve for the future.

Only Zhao Shu and Yan Chongxin, the transshipment officer, were the ones who welcomed the King of Hanyang, and they were the only ones who were qualified.

Zhao Shu pursed his lips, and said with a light smile, "Your Highness, the army stationed in the warehouse, excluding allotments, there are still 900,000 stones transported to Xiangyang."

"900,000 stone!"

Zhu Yixi muttered, then sighed: "It's only enough for half a year's military rations."

"Huangzhou Mansion and Wuchang Mansion have also allocated 700,000 hectares of military settlements this time, and we have to subtract food for growing and eating. Only [-] shi can be used."

"However, next year's summer harvest, at least two or three million Shi Jun can collect grain."

Zhao Shu didn't take it seriously, instead he said happily: "I just found out today, the joy of Taizu's army."

"Where is the joy of commercial taxation in military settlements?"

Yan Chongxin refused to accept it, and deliberately quarreled: "Since the entry of Sichuan salt, although the price of salt has dropped sharply, there are more people buying salt, and there is less private salt. The commercial tax in September is already 150,000 taels."

"This month, the threshold of 200,000 taels will be reached."

"How about food prices?"

Perhaps it was because of too much money, but Zhu Yixi was very concerned about food, so he couldn't help asking.

"Because of the autumn harvest, the grain in Lingnan is five cents per stone, and in Jiangxi it is six cents, but the market still maintains around nine cents to one tael, which is strange."

Yan Chongxin was puzzled.

"This is what I asked for."

Zhu Yixi shook his head with a smile, and said to Zhao Shu: "For the dispatch of the grain bank, let the Transshipment Department dispatch it. It is also convenient for them to collect taxes."

"My minister has no objection." Zhao Shu's smile changed slightly, and he responded directly.

"In addition to the grain store, the tea store, the salt store, and the transshipment department all have to send people in to coordinate and monitor their market prices, and collect taxes by the way."

Zhu Yixi immediately explained.

Yan Chongxin suddenly realized that these guilds were all established by the King of Hanyang, and the tax was paid directly into the warehouse, and the price needed to be negotiated and should not be changed suddenly.

After controlling these guilds, the Hanyang Palace's control over Huguang and Sichuan will naturally be greatly enhanced.

To maintain a moderate level of prices, the absolute advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

"In addition to grain, tea, and salt, the Transshipment Department has to oversee the establishment of the Chengcheng Ironware Guild. We must not allow one or two pieces of pig iron to go to the north."

Zhu Yixi said solemnly.

In the early Ming Dynasty, the output of pig iron in the world was 8 million catties, which was three times that of the 5 million catties in the Northern Song Dynasty.

Among them, the south accounts for 6%, and Huguang accounts for [-]% of the world with [-] million catties. It can be said that the pig iron production in Huguang is enough to influence the world.

If Lingnan is controlled again, it can almost monopolize the pig iron in the world, and the Manchus can only stare blankly.

Economic war is also a continuation of war, and there is no shame in it.

Therefore, this is also the reason why Zhu Yixi assigned troops to the Transshipment Department. To curb smuggling, violence is needed.

In fact, Zhu Yixi controlled Huguang and bought all the grain in Jiangxi, which caused the price of grain in the south of the Yangtze River to rise, and it was Beijing that was more affected.

Without the transportation of millions of stones of grain from the south, it would be impossible to support soldiers, horses and officials.

So in a sense, the Transshipment Division is the second battlefield.

"Don't worry, there is no hoe to walk over."

Yan Chongxin hurriedly patted his chest and said.

Only then did Zhao Shu say: "Nanjing is already preparing to negotiate peace with Jiannu, to attack the intruders together, and ask us to send troops to Kaifeng and Luoyang."

"Talk about shit."

Zhu Yixi frowned when he heard the words, and cursed directly: "Why don't they beat them themselves? They have no money and no food, so they want to order others? They want to eat ass."

"Tell Nanjing that without a million shi of grain and a million taels of silver, my soldiers and horses will never be able to take a step north."

Yan Chongxin quite agreed: "To drive away the wolves and tigers, Nanjing wants us to lose out and reap the benefits of the fisherman."

"A loss-making business can't be done."

"not only that!"

Zhu Yixi sneered and said, "The thieves just forced the late emperor to death, but the establishment of slaves is for the lives of our Jiangshan community and clans like me."

"Those people in Nanjing have already lost their fighting spirit, and they are dreaming of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and they want to be beautiful."

Zhao Shu echoed: "Your Highness still sees far, building slaves is the root of our extinction, especially the Mongolian Yuan invasion."

"It's not that powerful!"

Yan Chongxin was a little unconvinced: "There are at most a hundred thousand slaves, and the intruders are still in the front. The most basic Southern and Northern Dynasties should exist."

Regarding this, Zhu Yixi didn't want to explain any more.

Throughout the south, the Nanjing imperial court had the same intentions, wanting to completely get rid of the corrupt north, so that both trespassers and slaves would suffer, and reap the benefits of the fisherman.

However, the Nanjing imperial court is not as good as Zhao Gou's Hangzhou court, and the four towns in Jiangbei are far inferior to the four ZTE generals.

Afterwards, Zhao Shu reported the abnormal behavior of Chuangjun: "Dasan Pass and Wuguan both have tentative attacks by intruders. I don't know what Li Zicheng is thinking?"

Zhu Yixi's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

Historically, Li Zicheng fled to Hubei when he was defeated.As a result, he was shot to death by Orion, making him laugh out loud.

Most likely, this is a prelude.

"Perhaps, he is testing."

Zhu Yixi said in a deep voice: "He was defeated in the northern border and suffered heavy losses. He can't come to the south to make up for it with some combat functions?"

"North damage and south compensation!"

The two important ministers nodded one after another, expressing that it made sense.

Compared with Jiannu, the Ming army must be a soft persimmon.

However, Li Zicheng's adjustments were too big, from benevolence to the common people, to appease the gentry,
The distrust of the common people, the gentry's deep-rooted distrust of him, and the defeat in the war made him unstable internally, and he has turned from prosperity to decline.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yixi felt a little emotional, the world is really impermanent!

"By the way, Your Highness, near Fangcheng, there is a group of troops with thousands of old and young, begging to surrender."

Zhao Shu just remembered and said.

"Who is the leader?"

Zhu Yixi asked curiously.

"Red Lady, Li Xin's wife." Zhao Shu said with a light smile, "Li Zicheng killed his most trusted adviser, and now he is not going to let his wife and children go."

"He, already can't recognize himself."

Yan Chongxin said contemptuously: "After all, it is the king of Caotou, who rises and disappears suddenly, nothing more than that."

Zhu Yixi, on the other hand, focused her attention on the red lady, who was a famous figure in history.

"Surrender, surrender!"

Zhu Yixi thought about it, of course he wouldn't be smart, he stored it recklessly, and he didn't even look at it if it was of no use value.

"Let her go to Xinyang."

After speaking, the King of Hanyang had a clue, and directly ordered: "Give me a camp number, and call it Mie Chuangying."

"Just give them some money and food."

As the first pass in the north, Nanyang must not make mistakes. It is better to let them go to Xinyang, where there is the Ming army, and it is just right to open up the territory.

(End of this chapter)