The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

The expedition team had already rushed to Piantouguan, Yulinwei and other places in Yansui between mid-late February and March. The Ming Dynasty officially entered the "war mode" of the ten years of Hongzhi.

At the end of March, it rained several times in succession in the capital, which seemed to be good weather.

On this day, Xie Qian arrived at the Ministry of Revenue under an umbrella. The newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Ji Zhong, came out to greet him and welcomed him into the Yamen.

"... Disaster prevention is being carried out around Zhili..." Zhong Zhong mentioned casually.

Xie Qian placed the umbrella near the door and asked, "Is it because of the hailstorm?"

"Yes." Zhong Zhong said, "We just issued an edict, saying that there may be hailstorms around Beizhili, so that all places should take precautions. After the beginning of spring, these rains seem to be continuous, but after the spring grain planting There will not be much moisture in the future. If there is not enough water in the rivers and lakes, I am afraid that droughts will still occur in various parts of the Central Plains."

Zhang Zhou warned of hail disasters around Shuntian Prefecture: "(April) Guimao, Shuntian Prefecture, Jizhou and the four counties of Suning, Gaocheng, Zaoqiang and Qingfeng in Zhili were exposed to wind, rain and hail, killing people and livestock and damaging the fields. "

Zhang Zhou had to give a warning if there was a disaster involving death.

But in fact, Zhang Zhou did not expect that yamen at all levels would show signs of expanding this early warning.

To put it bluntly, it is a bit too much disaster prevention.

Xie Qian sighed: "How come the drought has not ended for several years? No matter how amazing Mr. Zhang is, why didn't he summon the Dragon King?"

Zhong Zhong hurriedly said: "This is impossible to say. Huanghuai is still preventing the Gonggong disaster this year."

Obviously, many words are taboo in the court, and because the emperor believed this, Zhonghui felt that Xie Qian was a bit arrogant and said some "unspeakable" things casually.

Xie Qian sat down.

Zhong Zhong asked two heads of the Ministry of Household Affairs to bring over some official documents, which mentioned the transportation of money and grain to the northwest, and also included the raising of money and grain by Liu Daxia, the new governor of Xuanfu. The purpose of Xie Qian's coming here was to get to know Liu Daxia. A series of memorials after taking office.

"Xuanfu's reserves are insufficient." Zhong Zhong reminded Xie Qian while he was reading local official documents.

"Yes." Xie Qian did not raise his head, continued to look down and nodded, "In the past year, just on the Xuanda front line, several battles have been fought. If the Xuanfu treasury is still full, it would be strange. What’s going on with these tens of thousands of stones of grain?”

Zhong Zhong went over to take a look and said, "This is a reward for the soldiers in the previous battle at Guanshan."

Xie Qian frowned and said, "Isn't there another reward? Why did you touch the Xuanfu's savings?"

Zhong Zhong said: "That's right, because when Wang Dehua was in Pianguan, he led Xuanda's first-line troops to go to the aid of Xinjian Bo. After the war, when the soldiers returned to the government, they needed money and food for resettlement, because it took time to transfer money and other things to the court. After deliberation, tens of thousands of stones of grain from the Xuanfu were transferred to settle the soldiers and civilians."

Xie Qian said with a displeased look on his face: "I just sent out a military expedition and took tens of thousands of stones of food back. Is there any secret behind the scenes?"

This means that it is not because Wang Qiong was promoted to Minister of Household Affairs that he was rewarded with tens of thousands of stones of grain?Selling favors with the imperial court's food is a bit much.

Zhong Zhong added: "This matter is subject to your Majesty's imperial edict. In addition, Mr. Xiao, the chief official of the Supervisor of Ceremonies, also specifically mentioned it. What was given was old food that was used to weed out the old and bring out the new. Liu Shiyong, the governor of Xuanfu, mentioned this matter after he took office. matter, but His Majesty paid no attention to it."

Liu Daxia was recommended by Ma Wensheng, but now he is in charge of food and grass in the Xuan Mansion, which seems to be causing trouble for the Zhang Zhou, Wang Shouren, and Wang Qiong factions.

But after all, Liu Daxia had just taken office. No matter what opinions he had, the emperor would definitely not consider the issue from his standpoint.

Let you raise food, not settle old scores, not to mention old scores that have been finalized.

Xie Qian said: "If things go on like this, the Xuanfu's treasury will also become the money of the inner government. If an imperial edict can transport grain from the Xuanfu, it would be better to store all the money and grain in the Beijing warehouse. This is The wind cannot last long."

Zhong Zhong seemed to have heard it.Xie Qian came here to "support" Liu Daxia.

Relying on Liu Daxia alone to compete with people like Zhang Zhou and Wang Shouren is a bit like a fly on a tree.

But if a group of veterans in the court come forward... Of course, they can't do it too obviously, they must support it secretly. This is to prevent the emperor from having strong resistance. This requires cabinet ministers represented by Xie Qian to make secret remarks from time to time. Personality and other things, in the name of rectification, secretly help Liu Daxia.

Zhong Zhong is very clear about his position in the court. He does not belong to the new faction, which means that the Ministry of Revenue is still mainly controlled by the traditional faction headed by Liu Jian.

Zhong Zhong nodded and said, "That's right. Let's find someone to play the part. Why don't you ask your majesty to change this batch of resettlement grain into money, and transfer the grain to Yan on the grounds that there must be a reserve of grain for troops sent to the northwest?" Sui...what do you think?"

"Yeah. Pretty good." Xie Qian nodded.

The purpose of the emperor's reward is not changed, but the food rewarded to the soldiers who sent troops to Piantou Pass is changed into money again, and the reward that has been implemented is changed into a virtual one...

The emperor thought he had given a reward, but in fact, the soldiers would get nothing for the time being. They would have to wait another year and a half before these rewards would be distributed to the soldiers in the form of discounts.

He has caused trouble without leaving any trace.

Xie Qian suddenly felt that compared to a veteran like Zhou Jing, Ji Zhongbi was on the right track in terms of operation.

"Don't let Zhang Bingkuan find out." Xie Qian reminded, "It's easy to say to your Majesty. Now your Majesty only values ​​the results of the expedition to Hetao. When the money and food are dispersed, your Majesty will not be too harsh. But if Zhang Bingkuan comes forward, things may happen. It’s different.”

To guard against Zhang Zhou is like guarding against thieves.

Ji Zhong said: "Yes."

Later, when Xie Qian looked at the official documents nearby and discussed with Zhong Zhong, he seemed to be less evasive than before, and his words became much more relaxed.

……

……

West Hills.

Zhang Zhou had been in Xishan for the past two days to supervise the transportation of ordnance to the northwest. The ordnance was not transported to Yansui, or the batch used by Zhu Hui to lead the army, had been prepared before.

Everything that needs to be shipped now is shipped to Datong.

If Xuanfu is now serving as a food transfer station for Ming Dynasty in the northwest, and Datong, where Wang Shouren is stationed as the general commander of Xuan Dynasty, serves as an ordnance depot in the northwest.

"Forty cannons, plus [-] muskets, can only be equipped with one or two thousand troops. Is it...missing?"

Next to Zhang Zhou was Wei Bin, the eunuch and eunuch who accompanied him as the emperor's special envoy.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "A little adds up to a big thing. The cannon transported this time is not an ordinary light cannon, and the range is not close."

Zhang Zhou will personally supervise this time because the cannons shipped out are all rifled cannons, and they are also the first batch of rifled cannons in the Ming Dynasty. The muskets are still smooth-bore flint muskets, but Zhang Zhou has prepared to improve them to rifled ones, but It still takes time.

Wei Bin said: "I heard that a lot of craftsmen were transferred to Datong this time."

Zhang Zhou nodded with a smile and said: "The coal production in Datong is no less than that of Xishan. The coal quality is higher, but the transportation of pig iron there is not yet popular. If in two years, a rail railway from the capital to Shanxi can be opened, At that time, the northwest of the Ming Dynasty and the capital were connected. There is still a long way to go." (End of Chapter)