Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

"That's good." Lu Zhenfei nodded and said, "Then hand over these horses to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

"My servant fully supports Chief Kui's opinion." Qian Qianyi was the first to express his approval, "These ten thousand horses should be handed over to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and to the Holy Majesty for disposal."

"My servants also support it." Zhang Shenyan and Meng Zhaoxiang also expressed their support.

"Then it's settled." Lu Zhenfei smiled and said to Wu Linzheng, "Da Situ, let's write off the [-] war horses in the account of the Ministry of Finance, and only exchange [-] million shi for [-] horses. Bull's head plus [-] sheep."

"The next official takes orders." Wu Linzheng responded, the account of the ten thousand horses must be canceled.

You can't go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs or ask the Holy Master for money, right?Being a courtier can't be so stingy.

What's more, this year's small days of the Ministry of Household Affairs are also quite turbulent. The two bonds have issued a total of [-] million taels. Now it is not only making up for the salaries owed by officials, but even giving out New Year's gifts.

This includes sheep, one for each person of the eighth and ninth ranks, three for each of the sixth and seventh ranks, ten for each of the fourth and fifth ranks, and even fifty for the senior members of the third and above ranks!

It's a pity that these sheep are still far away in Huguang.

As soon as Wu Linzheng finished speaking, Liu Shizhen, the envoy in charge, rushed in with an urgent letter.

"Yunnan Express Delivery!" Liu Shizhen quickly rushed into the cabinet to check in, and said pantingly, "Gentlemen, Yunnan Express Delivery!"

Qian Qianyi, who was seated at the bottom, jumped up, took the letter from Liu Shizhen and handed it to Lu Zhenfei, Lu Zhenfei took the letter, picked the wax with a knife, and took out the letterhead from the envelope.

With just one glance, Lu Zhenfei's face collapsed.

"Shou Kui!" Zhang Shenyan asked, "Could it be that another chieftain rebelled in Yunnan?"

"Ah? No way." Meng Zhaoxiang said, "Wuding chieftain Wu Bikui's rebellion has just been suppressed, peace has not been two days, and another chieftain rebelled? Can't we let us have a peaceful year?"

Qian Qianyi also asked: "Shou Kui, is there really another chieftain rebelling?"

"Yes." Lu Zhenfei handed the letter to Zhang Shenyan, and said with a dark face, "Mengzi chieftain Sha Dingzhou rebelled, and this person's strength is much stronger than Wu Bikui, and he took Kunming on the same day he raised his troops. Mu Tianbo, Duke of Qian, fled to Chuxiong with only a few confidantes, and even his whole family was lost in Kunming."

Along with the fall, there were more than two hundred years of savings of the Guizhou government.

"Ah?" Meng Zhaoxiang, Qian Qianyi and others suddenly changed their faces when they heard the words.

Duke Qian only saved himself, and even lost Kunming, so wouldn't Yunnan be suspended?
"This is a major matter for the military and the country, and it must be discussed with the Holy One before making a decision." Lu Zhenfei said solemnly, "Come on, let's go to the Yilun Hall of the Imperial College now."

Qian Qianyi quickly said: "Shou Kui, Your Majesty is invigilating the exam at the teaching ground."

"Oh, yes, I actually forgot about it." Lu Zhenfei patted his forehead and said again, "Then I'll go to the teaching ground later. This matter is extremely urgent, so don't delay for a moment."

"It should be so." Qian Qianyi echoed.

At that moment, a group of people left the cabinet directly and came towards the teaching ground.

When Lu Zhenfei and his group arrived at the teaching ground, the imperial examination had just ended.

"Lu Qing, why are you here?" Chongzhen smiled, and asked again, "By the way, all of you are well-educated, well-known scholars, why are you all telling me how you did on this exam?"

...

"The Analects of Confucius?" Seeing the exam questions given by Chongzhen, Lu Zhenfei and the others looked at each other in blank dismay.

I think this question is too simple, right?Would such an imperial examination be too sloppy?
"Do you think it's too simple? Simple is right. Simple exam questions like this can allow candidates to give full play to their talents and learning, and not be stumped by breaking the questions." Chongzhen smiled, and then said with a straight face, " I feel that Ming’s imperial examinations have changed in nature.”

"For every exam, the examiner always finds rare chapters and sentences from the Four Books in different ways."

"I really can't find the uncommon chapters and sentences, but I still think of cutting a paragraph from different chapters and sentences to make up the questions. Is it really necessary to try to make things difficult for the candidates?"

Lu Zhenfei did not agree with Chongzhen's words.

Lu Zhenfei said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, making the exam questions more difficult will help outstanding candidates stand out. If the exam questions are too simple, it may be difficult to select outstanding candidates."

Chongzhen said: "I'm afraid that the ones you've selected are not talents, but rotten Confucians who only know how to find chapters and quote sentences."

After a pause, Chongzhen said again: "After all, the first test of the Four Books is just to decide whether to stay or not, and not to decide whether to be superior or not, so let the candidates give full play to their talents and learning, and let them make the essays colorful. This is the correct answer." , and then wait for the second trial discussion and the third policy questioning session to come up with difficult problems to determine the outcome."

Lu Zhenfei shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's too early for you to say this, it's not too late to say it after the results of the Imperial Supervision Examination come out."

Lu Zhenfei and Ma Mingpao have similar personalities, they are both straight-hearted.

This made Qian Qianyi who was next to him anxious, and said to himself, Shoukui, how can you speak so straightforwardly?When you talk to the Holy One, you just pick what he likes, why bother to spoil his interest?

Chongzhen said: "Lu Qing, there seems to be something hidden in your words?"

Lu Zhenfei shook his head again: "When the results of the Imperial Supervision Examination come out, you will know why, my lord, why the examiners have to rack their brains to come up with a set of questions every time in the scientific examination."

"Okay, let's wait for the results of the Imperial College Examination to come out."

Chongzhen snorted softly and said, "By the way, what are you doing here?"

Only then did Lu Zhenfei present the urgent delivery from Yunnan to Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, Sha Dingzhou, the chieftain of Mengzi in Yunnan, has rebelled, and he captured Kunming in just one battle. Chuxiong."

"As expected." Chongzhen said coldly, "Although this Mu Tianbo has some abilities, but he acted out of control, and he was nepotism, and he exploited too much the chieftain under his rule. It would be strange if Yunnan didn't turn back."

Lu Zhenfei continued: "Then, will the imperial court send troops to conquer Mengzi Chieftain Shadingzhou?"

Chongzhen said: "Sending troops to conquer Shadingzhou must be conquered, but not now, the new army has not yet been fully organized and trained, and the firearms are far from in place, so even if I want to send troops, I will be powerless."

"Your Majesty, can we conscript wolf soldiers from Guangxi?" Lu Daqi suggested, "Or conscript native soldiers from Xiangxi?"

...

In the Ming Dynasty, Guangxi wolf soldiers and Xiangxi native soldiers were excellent mercenaries who made great contributions to the suppression of the Japanese invasion.

Chongzhen said: "It is not impossible to conscript Guangxi wolf soldiers or Xiangxi local soldiers to suppress the rebellion, but they can only be guest soldiers, so a strong army of officers and soldiers must suppress them."

Lu Daqi was puzzled and said, "Why is this?"

Chongzhen said: "If wolf soldiers or local soldiers are used as the main soldiers to suppress the rebellion, it is tantamount to drinking doves to quench thirst. Mu Tianbo made this mistake before suppressing the Wubikui Rebellion."

"In the end, although the Wubikui rebellion was peaceful, Mengzi chieftain Sha Dingzhou saw through the reality of Yunnan."

"In the same way, if the imperial court enlists Guangxi wolf soldiers or Xiangxi native soldiers to suppress the rebellion, the chieftains of Guangxi and Xiangxi will also see through the falsehood of the imperial court and think that the imperial court is powerless to suppress the rebellion. After the rebellion, the chieftains in Guangxi and Xiangxi should follow suit."

Speaking of this meal, Chongzhen said again: "At that time, where should the imperial court dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion?"

Lu Daqi frowned and retorted: "Your Majesty, Guangxi wolf soldiers and Xiangxi native soldiers are still trustworthy. The imperial court has recruited wolf soldiers and native soldiers many times to counter the rebellion. Kuidong native soldiers even fought against Jiannu in a bloody battle in Hun. He, three thousand native soldiers were all killed on the battlefield and none of them retreated, this is a worthy soldier."

Chongzhen said coldly: "Kuidong's local soldiers are loyal and brave, that's because of Qin Liangyu! But there is no second Qin Liangyu in Xiangxi and Guangxi, and since the bandits rose up, the imperial court has recruited wolf soldiers and local soldiers too much. The salary is not enough, although I have been dispatched to send troops in recent times, but it is not as good as listening to the imperial court's orders before."

Lu Daqi was silent, because what Chongzhen said was the truth, Guangxi wolf soldiers and Xiangxi native soldiers were indeed not as obedient as before. Sometimes the food and salaries provided by the imperial court were a little slower for a few days, and they directly set up troops to burn, kill and loot.

Last year, there was a group of wolf soldiers from Guangxi who were ordered by King Qin, but they were forced to stop when they came to Jiangxi when they heard that the capital had fallen. Then, because of the lack of food and grass, they went straight to looting, and finally the governor of Jiangxi, Yuan Jixian, mobilized the people to drive them back. Guangxi, since then Guangxi wolf soldiers have a bad reputation in the minds of Jiangxi people.

And to be honest, the military discipline of wolf soldiers and native soldiers has never been very good.

Chongzhen said to Lu Zhenfei again: "Lu Qing, tell Mu Tianbo to wait another half a year. After half a year, the new army will be trained, and I will personally lead the new army to Yunnan to suppress the rebellion."

After half a year, the training of the new army has basically been completed.

The most important thing is that the Daming Armory has produced at least about [-] flintlock guns. Together with the Hubu Arsenal and the dozen or so small workshops, it should be able to gather [-] flintlock guns.

With this new army of [-] people, plus the cavalry battalion and [-] barbarians as the main soldiers, Guangxi wolf soldiers and Xiangxi local soldiers can be recruited as guest soldiers, so that at least [-] people can be gathered.

With these [-] soldiers, it is enough to put down the Shadingzhou Rebellion in Yunnan.

"Half a year?" Lu Zhenfei said worriedly, "My lord, Duke Qian may not last half a year."

"Trust Qian Guogong." Chongzhen said solemnly, "Last year and the beginning of this year Xuzhou was so difficult, didn't I survive it? I can survive it, why can't Qian Guogong not?"

"My Majesty's words are right." Qian Qianyi couldn't hold back, and said, "I believe Duke Qian will be able to hold on until the court sends troops."

Lu Zhenfei glanced at Qian Qianyi with some displeasure, then bowed his hands to Chongzhen and said, "So, I replied to Duke Qian that the imperial court is now mobilizing troops and will send troops to Yunnan to conquer Shadingzhou in June and July next year. .”

"Yes." Chongzhen said, "We will send troops in June and July."

Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain