Before hanging himself, Chongzhen lifted the table
Chapter 164 Looking Ahead
Chapter 164 Looking Ahead
Although this is metal currency, as long as the face value specifies the value, it is actually credit currency.It's just that compared to paper money, it has an extra layer of "fig leaf".
Although it is said that there are certain conditions for the issuance of this new money, but for now, it is not Emperor Chongzhen who has made a decision. At most, if it is annoying, he will say "I have decided" and see which minister Dare to continue to oppose!
As long as the military recognizes the new money, the new money will not be a problem.However, Emperor Chongzhen's prestige in the military was the greatest except for the two emperors of Kaiguo.
As a result, the court's urgent lack of money was actually solved.
However, Emperor Chongzhen actually knew that it was useless to solve the problem of money alone, he must have enough supplies.Otherwise, if you have more money and less supplies, the money will also depreciate.
The innovative decisions he made during the deliberations were actually a comprehensive plan.
Abolition of the original household registration, no longer restricting various occupations, and no longer tying them up, can stimulate their greatest enthusiasm for production.
In addition, Emperor Chongzhen also announced the reform of the guard system, and there were 26 guards in the capital alone.That is, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang imitated the systems of previous dynasties such as the Tang and Song Dynasties and set up twelve guards, the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di added ten guards, and Emperor Xuanzong and Xuande of the Ming Dynasty added four guards, for a total of 26 guards.
The innovation of the guard system started from these 26 guards.
When the Xinjing Camp was formed previously, elite soldiers had been drawn from various guard posts and border troops.Emperor Chongzhen directly ordered the reorganization of the remaining soldiers, establishing a field army, a construction army, a breeding army, etc.
As the name suggests, this is a military organization engaged in farming, construction, breeding, etc. The funds used, including military pay, labor tools, etc., are all borrowed from the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty; the profit and loss for a year is divided [-]-[-] with the court.In other words, if there is a loss, the treasury will allocate money to cover the deficit; if there is a profit, the treasury will have an income.
The expenses and profit sharing of these special forces are reviewed by the Ministry of Household Affairs and supervised by the Metropolitan Procuratorate. The appointment and removal of senior officers are appointed by the Ministry of War.At the end of the year, the ministers of various ministries and the censors of the left and right censors of the imperial court must report to the cabinet and submit it to the emperor and president.
In this way, it means that the imperial court no longer has to worry about supporting these military households. Even the start-up funds are borrowed from the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank and they can make money on their own.
From the beginning, the court must take care of them. For example, they should be given priority in contracting projects to support them.
Of course, the work they do used to be done by recruiting people to work in the form of labor, which is considered a business without capital; however, now they are allowed to work and given new money, and from a certain perspective, it is also considered a business without capital; Only in this way, it reduces the disturbance to the people, allows new money to move, becomes a reflection of the value of labor, and is conducive to economic development.
In addition to the vigorous development of production in the form of the imperial court, Emperor Chongzhen also issued a notice to encourage the private sector to vigorously develop production.
The land of Gyeonggi is guarded by the emperor and his troops, so there should be peace in the foreseeable future.
As a result, abandoned fields need to be reclaimed and planted, burned down houses need to be rebuilt, and coal mines, iron mines, etc. are also in urgent need of a large number of workers.
The notices issued by the imperial court were to tell the people of the capital where manpower was needed, where money could be made, etc.
If you don’t have money, it doesn’t matter. You can go to Daming Royal Bank to borrow money; as long as you have skills and strength, you can make money!
At this time, the importance of the Ming Royal Bank became highlighted.
Any economic activity is inseparable from money. The Ming Dynasty Royal Bank has truly become the heart of economic development, continuously injecting fresh blood (money) into economic development, allowing various economic constructions to be carried out.
If there were no Ming Dynasty Royal Bank, many people would have no choice but to despair, or those who were more courageous would have to borrow money from loan sharks.
People of this era did not realize the role of the Ming Royal Bank, but Emperor Chongzhen naturally knew that this series of layouts was laid out with the Ming Royal Bank as the core.
As soon as the replacement of people in Liaodong was over, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming took the replaced family members and set off from Shanhaiguan and rushed back to the capital to deliver the order.
When they arrived at the capital, they saw a heated situation.
The towns and wild areas along the way are full of people.
Men, women, old people, and children are all busy working.Some were cleaning up their homes, and some were busy in the fields. All in all, it was a busy scene.
This scene made them, who had just returned from Liaodong, stunned.
Wasn't there a war that just broke out in Gyeonggi?Why is it normal that people's livelihood is in decline, there are no roosters crowing for thousands of miles, and bones are exposed in the wild? Why does this place look like a peaceful and prosperous age?
The closer to the capital, the more lively it becomes.Even on the official road, you can see people recruiting people with gongs and drums, and the salary is better than the next.At least that's what they think in the eyes of those who have just returned.
In addition to them, there was another team that came back from outside the customs, and they were also stunned by this scene.This team was going to clear out Tang Tong's troops in the Hetao Plain.
Tang Tong was ordered to retaliate against the left and right banners of Tumut. Although he quickly captured Guihua City, these Tumut tribes were nomadic, so it took him a lot of time to encircle and suppress them, and finally annihilated most of them. They captured their cattle, horses and sheep, and then returned happily.
As a result, after entering the pass, Tang Tong heard how the emperor personally led the army to show his might, punching the bandits and kicking the captives, and quelled the rebellion in the capital in one fell swoop.
He felt a little regretful. If he had not taken this job and left the country, he would have achieved even greater military exploits!
When he was at Xuanfu, he didn't feel anything yet.But after passing Juyong Pass, Tang Tong also saw the heated situation, so much so that he doubted whether he had gone wrong.It has only been a few months, but things have changed in Guan Guan!
Unlike Kong Youde's team, which mostly encountered people enthusiastically calling for workers, Tang Tong's team came back with loot.They were all cattle, horses and sheep, and there were so many of them that it was very spectacular.Someone came and asked if the cows and sheep could be sold!
Tang Tong felt like, damn, why are there so many rich people suddenly?I just want to ask if I can sell it. When can I afford to sell cattle and sheep?
When the two teams arrived at the capital, they had almost figured out why there was such a heated situation. Suddenly, they once again refreshed their understanding of Emperor Chongzhen.
In the beginning, the current emperor was incompetent and did not distinguish between loyal and traitorous!
Later, the current emperor was extremely brave, leading troops in battles, and was invincible!
Then, they discovered that the current emperor was able to turn things upside down and make civil affairs so powerful in one fell swoop!
Needless to say, they were even more in awe of the current emperor.
Besides, Emperor Chongzhen is really very busy, even busier than the original Emperor Chongzhen.
It's not that he doesn't want to be a hands-off shopkeeper to relieve himself of some work, but it's just that he can't be a hands-off shopkeeper.
There are many innovations this time that only he knows the key to.He must be sure so that things will not go awry.
For example, regarding the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty, this was actually the function of later banks, and it also integrated the central bank and ordinary banks into one, accounting for borrowing and lending methods, how to manage charters, how to issue loans, how to settle settlements, etc.A large number of palace maids were assigned to work in the bank, and he had to read all the regulations.
Fortunately, he had Queen Zhou, Queen Zhang, Prince Zhu Cixiang and others with him. He reviewed the decision and asked them to execute it.
And those special military services are actually state-owned enterprises in later generations.If it is managed, it will be the first time for others, and he needs to control it.Of course, he always has a group of people around him who can take over. Zhu Cixiang must be there, and the corresponding six ministers, etc., must also be assigned tasks and explain the key points and precautions to them.
In addition to these things to be busy with, state affairs are also bothering him, and he must be the one who makes the decision. He cannot let the chief minister and others handle it directly.
For example, the South's petition for help.There was chaos everywhere, and many cities were lost. At most, they could barely protect themselves. As for counterattack, it was just a dream.
Then I heard that the emperor showed great power and actually drove away the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu. Suddenly, naturally, the memorial for help flew to the capital like snowflakes.
However, Emperor Chongzhen could not lead troops to rescue him before he stabilized the capital.Otherwise, it will really be like pressing down the gourd and raising the gourd, and ultimately neither end will be well.
For this reason, he kept all these memorials, or responded with orders, asking them to fulfill their duties loyally, and they must guard them until I lead the troops to attack.But as for when to lead the troops, there is no certainty.
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen only paid attention to the land of Jin and the capital.Only when the leader sits here, watching the ruins being rebuilt, and watching the yamen, cities and places getting back on track, can he rest assured.
However, there is also something that he has been worried about, and that is the food and grass issue.
The food in northern Shanxi has been harvested, but at most it will provide some support to the capital.In the Jinzhong area, the farming season has been delayed, and I am a little bit embarrassed, and it is impossible to support the capital area.
By the beginning of October, Emperor Chongzhen was already considering leading his troops south.
At this time, the people below came to report that Kong Youde, Tang Tong and others were back.
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen immediately issued an order to summon them to see him.
In the Wuying Hall, Tang Tong met first and reported the results of the battle to Emperor Chongzhen.
The left and right banners of the Tumut tribe in the Hetao Plain did not expect that when the Qing army led troops to attack the pass, the Ming army could actually send troops to attack them. Therefore, they were caught off guard. Except for some who escaped, most of them were captured. Annihilate.
Women, children, the elderly, and some men captured a total of three thousand people and temporarily placed them in the Xuan Mansion, waiting for the emperor's order to be dealt with.
Among the trophies, there were more than 500 large and small horses, more than 100 large and small cattle, and the largest number of sheep, more than 3000.What made Tang Tong a little regretful was that when he sent out troops, some of them went to nomadic places and were run away.
Emperor Chongzhen was still very happy about this.This kind of war is cost-effective to fight.
Mares, ponies, and the corresponding cattle and sheep are all allocated to the breeding army for breeding. Of course, the costs must be calculated into them.Then the suitable war horses were allocated to the army, the cattle were sold to farmers in the market, and some were allocated to the garrison army. The sheep were also sold.
On Tang Tong's side, he was granted the titles of Prince Shaobao and Zuo Dudu.Correspondingly, officers and soldiers are also rewarded based on their merits, either with grain fields, silver rewards, or promotions.
After Tang Tong withdrew, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou came together to see him.
These people, as soon as they entered Wuying Hall, they immediately knelt down and shouted long live!
Emperor Chongzhen even heard it, and seemed to be choking in the shout.
He was not surprised by this, after all, there were not many good emperors like him.
No, I saw Emperor Chongzhen smiling and saying: "Everyone is equal!"
Then, he said kindly: "Please come forward, please, let me see you."
After Zu Dashou stepped forward, he saw the emperor looking at him and said with some emotion: "Zu Qing, I haven't seen you for several years, you are getting old!"
Upon hearing this, Zu Dashou knelt down again and whined: "I will never see Your Majesty again in my life, and I will never be able to serve Your Majesty again!"
Emperor Chongzhen didn't pay much attention to the grievances between him and the original emperor. He looked at him at this time and said with a smile: "I see that your beard and hair are white, can you still serve me?"
When Zu Dashou heard this, he immediately raised his head and echoed loudly: "As long as your majesty has your decree, you will not hesitate to die without hesitation!"
While talking, he began to really look at the emperor.
Along the way back, he had heard countless times about how brave and invincible the current emperor was.After arriving in the capital, he saw the various methods of the current emperor, which really shocked and shocked him.He even wondered whether the emperor had actually changed. Otherwise, how could it have changed so much?
However, seeing him at this moment, Zu Dashou still recognized him. This was the original emperor. His appearance was the same as in his impression.However, there was a difference. He could feel it. The emperor in front of him was full of confidence.
He is worthy of being a descendant of Emperor Taizu. Once he was enlightened by Emperor Taizu, he became as heroic as Emperor Taizu!
Emperor Chongzhen, after hearing what Zu Dashou said, turned to look at Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, and asked, "How are you and your family?"
After hearing this, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming immediately knelt down and echoed with tears of gratitude: "Thanks to your Majesty's grace, the general can be reunited with his family!"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen let them level up with a smile and said at the same time: "It would be great to come back!"
After saying this, he became serious and said to them: "I want to pacify the pass first, and then consider recovering Liaodong. This time will probably take three or four years. Therefore, I still consider rebuilding the Dongjiang Army. What do you think, sir?"
With the restraint of the Dongjiang Army, Jianlu could not attack the pass with an overwhelming army like last time.If the Dongjiang Army were stronger, they wouldn't even be able to divide their troops into the pass!
At least in Emperor Chongzhen's view, the Dongjiang Army was necessary to deal with Jianlu.
After hearing this, several people looked at each other, and finally turned to look at Zu Dashou.
They actually discussed this matter on the road.After all, they are all people who have been engaged in Liao affairs for many years!
Zu Dashou did not hesitate and immediately reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, the guilty general has just returned from Liaodong and knows some internal affairs of Jianlu. According to the estimation of the guilty general, Jianlu will never dare to enter the Kou Pass again within three or four years. !”
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhen was listening to him carefully, he quickly continued to explain: "There are actually many conflicts within Jianlu. Just because the leader and young ministers are strong, there are a lot of right and wrong. Originally, they had compromised with each other, but they were killed by His Majesty. Some, the internal forces of Jianlu will fight for power again. When the sin is about to come..."
He recounted in detail the overt and covert struggles between Bumbutai, Dorgon and others over the substitution matter to prove that Jianlu was actually unstable internally.
Then, Zu Dashou continued: "And now Jianlu is very suspicious of the surrendered Han people and even other tribesmen. Many people even treat other tribesmen very badly, which aggravates the instability within Jianlu."
"In addition, the grassland tribes, who were originally forcibly subdued by the Jianlu, also acted abnormally when they saw the Jianlu's defeat. According to the criminal general's knowledge, the Mobei Mongols were the most important, and they were suspected of not listening to the orders of the Jianlu. .”
"..."
It has to be said that Zu Dashou stayed within Jianlu for several years. His original subordinates and sons were all working for Jianlu, and they knew far more things than the average person, let alone the Guan Nei side. .
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen listened very carefully as he told him one thing after another. Some of the things he could roughly guess from the history he knew about, but some things were indeed the first time he heard from Zu Dashou. heard.
In exchange for Zu Dashou, this information alone is worth it.
Zu Dashou told and analyzed everything he knew in one breath, and finally told Emperor Chongzhen: "All these are due to your Majesty's heavy blow to Jianlu. From this, the guilty general dares to assert that three or five Within this year, Jianlu will not be able to, and will not dare to enter the pass again."
Emperor Chongzhen nodded, but when he spoke, he still surprised them: "I understand all this, but the Dongjiang Army still needs to be rebuilt!"
When Zu Dashou and others heard this, they immediately looked at each other.Even Zu Dashou wondered whether the emperor suspected that what he said was false?
When Emperor Chongzhen saw their faces, he knew what they were thinking. He immediately smiled and said: "I rebuild the Dongjiang Army for two purposes. The first is to contain the Jianlu; the second is my last resort. The purpose of valuing is..."
Having said this, he paused, and seeing that they were all listening attentively, he continued: "...the Dongjiang Army is a navy, and this is my purpose, to rebuild an invincible navy. This world does not refer to the Ming Dynasty, but to the whole world, including the Western Yi!"
Zu Dashou, Kong Youde and others were shocked when they heard this.
Their eyes were only on Liaodong, but unexpectedly, the emperor had already seen the whole world, including the whole world of Xiyi!
They were shocked, but Emperor Chongzhen was still telling them: "Now the most powerful navy in the imperial court is in the south, and I might be suspected of disobeying the imperial court's orders. I rebuilt the Dongjiang Army to deter the navy in the south. etc. After the navy is reorganized and the world is at peace at home, we will have to compete with the Western Yi for overseas hegemony. I won’t tell you these things, but it’s better for you to understand. The competition with the Western Yi for overseas hegemony is related to the ability of our descendants. Can we live a good life!" "A simple example, the Western Yi's clippers and their artillery are currently better than those of the imperial court. The overseas products are richer than you can imagine. With this foundation, one day if They own everything overseas. If they can build better ships and better artillery to attack the Ming Dynasty, it will be very dangerous!"
Having said this, Emperor Chongzhen stared at them and asked seriously: "So, do you understand what I mean by rebuilding the Dongjiang Army?"
At this moment, not to mention Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, even Wu Sangui felt inferior in terms of knowledge and foresight.
They never thought about the navy in the south, let alone the Western Yi.However, what the emperor said was absolutely reasonable. They had never seen Xiyi's clipper.But this firearm has always been the most powerful in Xiyi.
Especially Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, their original instructors were Folangji people, and Folangji people were not the most powerful among the Western Yi!
However, they also had doubts. They heard Kong Youde say: "General, I don't understand something. This Xiyi, General is from Folangji. Isn't it good friends with me, the Ming Dynasty?"
The implication is that the emperor is a bit unfounded?
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen sneered and said: "That's because the Folangji people came from afar and had too few troops to fight against the imperial court. They only made good friends with the imperial court. You must remember that people who are not of my race will be friendly with the imperial court." The hearts must be different! The Western Yi are all a country of wolves, and the imperial court can only make them surrender if it is powerful. Otherwise, it will definitely use its force to attack the Ming Dynasty. If nothing else, let’s talk about Luzon Island in the south, which is adjacent to Franji The Spaniards from the country occupied the place and massacred tens of thousands of Ming people on the island in the past two years! This revenge must be avenged!"
Hearing this, Kong Youde and others were shocked. They didn't know Lu Song was there at all, but the emperor knew about it, and he was well aware of Xi Yi's ambitions.
Whether they are Jianlu or Tatars, they are still Western barbarians. As the emperor said, if they are not of my race, their minds must be different!
With this in mind, Kong Youde and others had no objections.
Among them, Geng Zhongming said: "Your Majesty, there are no warships in the imperial court now. The ones affiliated to Shanhaiguan are all civilian ships, which can only carry people or transport goods. And Jianlu... Jianlu..."
When he said this, he was a little embarrassed, but in the end, he continued: "...Jianlu has some warships. Although they were given to the North Korean Navy, once Jianlu needs it, he can command the North Korean Navy. .”
Jianlu's warship was given to Jianlu by the two of them. In addition, Shang Kexi took the ship and the people on the island hostage and gave it to Jianlu.
Emperor Chongzhen heard this, but he was not embarrassed at all. He said: "If there are no warships, build warships, and build naval battle ships. You should prepare first. After I calm down the chaos in Shandong, I will start construction at Denglai Shipyard. Warship!"
"The general will obey the order!" Kong Youde and others heard this and quickly agreed.
Emperor Chongzhen's arrangement was to use Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming's original subordinates as a basis, and then select water-savvy soldiers to expand the Dongjiang Army to 5000 people. They would first build warships and train naval forces.
Wu Sangui then entered the Beijing camp and became the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp, and later went on expeditions with him.
As for Zu Dashou, he was already old, but he should be able to take charge of the local area and suppress bandits, so he was named Shandong Commander-in-Chief.
Liu Zeqing, the original commander-in-chief of Shandong, first rebelled in Shandong and then defected to the Jianlu. Unexpectedly, he was killed by the Jianlu.
After Emperor Chongzhen arranged this matter, he began to consider Shandong.
Shandong is just east of the capital, and the land is fertile. If it can settle down and resume production quickly, it is also a grain producing area that can supply the capital.Now, although Liu Zeqing is dead and there is no large bandit army, there are still bandits and robbers everywhere without a leader.
In addition, there is a Confucius family in Shandong, which occupies an unknown amount of land!It's a pity that when Li Zicheng went to Qufu, he didn't collect the stolen money and help him kill the Kong family!
Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen felt that it was time to resolve the Kong family's problems.
But before he could do that, he received another grim news.
This news was brought by Huang Degong, the commander-in-chief of Fengyang.
In Wuying Hall, Huang Degong, who rushed to the capital, was summoned immediately.
However, after seeing the ceremony, he immediately reported a bad news: "Your Majesty, Li's army of thieves and the rebel general Zuo Liangyu's unit have joined forces, and the momentum is huge. The general learned this when he repelled the thieves who attacked Lujiang Prefecture. , these rebels have captured Huguang, and some of them have even invaded Jiangxi, and are about to threaten Southern Zhili!"
Emperor Chongzhen was actually not surprised when he heard the news.
Zuo Liangyu had originally fought against Li Zicheng's army in Huguang, Henan and South Zhili. After he "forced Zuo Liangyu to rebel", if Li Zicheng was still at his original strength, they might continue to fight; however, Li Zicheng also His strength was greatly reduced after being beaten by him. This was the basis for Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu to form an alliance.
Once their two families formed an alliance, there was no army in the south that the imperial court could fight, so they relied on the local gentry to form a stronghold to protect themselves. How could they withstand such a powerful enemy?
After nearly 300 years, the Ming Dynasty has become fundamentally rotten. However, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he still wanted to protect the Ming Dynasty. It would be easier to destroy the bottles and jars and rebuild them again.
Of course, if there are other means, it would be better, at least some fewer people would die.
However, if it was only one month before the hanging, there was really nothing we could do.
Zuo Liangyu's reputation is so bad that he must be removed from the army.Under the guarantee of force, the benevolent are invincible!In other words, those who win the hearts and minds of the people win the world, and those who win the hearts of the people win the hearts of the people!
Now, due to limited strength, Li Zicheng had to form an alliance with Zuo Liangyu in order to deal with the great enemy Emperor Chongzhen, which was tantamount to a bad reputation.
Emperor Chongzhen knew that it was time for him to lead his troops again.We cannot let Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu's rebel army destroy all the most prosperous places in the Ming Dynasty!
After questioning, Huang Degong found out why he couldn't receive the news. It was because of the chaos in the south and the memorial could not be sent to the capital at all.That is to say, Huang Degong led the army to kill from south to north and brought the news.
Huang Degong's department only has about 3000 people.This force is actually unable to conquer the main force of bandits in the south.Just like in the original history, in the end Huang Degong was unable to suppress the other warlords, and instead died in the internal fighting in the four towns.
With these in mind, Emperor Chongzhen incorporated Huang Degong's troops into the Beijing camp and accepted reorganization.Of course, some rewards were also given.
"The general will obey the order!" After hearing this, Huang Degong immediately accepted the order without thinking.
After he left the hall, he felt a little confused.
While he was still in Fengyang Mansion, Huang Degong heard that the emperor personally led troops to win several battles.At the beginning, he didn't believe it.How can he still not understand the current emperor?As far as the emperor he knew was concerned, it was impossible for him to lead troops, let alone win a battle!
As a result, Li Thief's army went south, which proved that it was indeed the emperor who was so powerful that he defeated Li Thief's army and had no choice but to go south.
In this way, he was surprised: How did the current emperor lead his troops, and he was able to defeat the army of Li thieves? Even if he just repelled it, that would be amazing!
As for the situation in the capital, when he was the commander-in-chief of the Yongwei Battalion, he should not be too clear about it: he wanted soldiers but no soldiers, he wanted money but no money!
Although the emperor killed some rebellious officials and traitors and ransacked his homes, he got a lot of money.However, soldiers are not just about counting heads.As a veteran who is used to leading troops in war, he knows the difference very well!
Therefore, Huang Degong has always been puzzled.
Later, when Jianlu's army invaded and Li's army moved north, he also received an imperial edict to go north for reinforcements. At that time, he thought that the imperial court was doomed.
Not to mention the army of Li thieves, even if the emperor was good at fighting, could he still defeat the army of Jianlu?
Not to mention, the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu are now united, which is equivalent to being invincible.
But even so, under the emperor's order, he set off without hesitation with about [-] soldiers and horses.However, they were blocked by bandits from the Central Plains and could not go north in time.Sometimes when he went to bed at night, he was afraid that when he woke up, the court would be gone!
After losing about a thousand troops, Huang Degong finally opened the way north and rushed to the capital for reinforcements.
Unexpectedly, the news he heard was that the emperor once again led an army to defeat the army of Li thieves. Jianlu even fled after hearing the news, not daring to fight against the army led by the current emperor!
At first, he didn't believe it at all: impossible, this is absolutely impossible!
However, others were right in saying that even the slave chiefs of Jianlu and Prince Shuoying were captured alive by the emperor in front of the battle, and the loyal martyrs were commemorated in the newly built Zhonglie Hall!
If you can brag about other things, you cannot brag about this kind of thing. You can find out if there are slave chiefs captured alive in the capital to pay tribute to their loyal martyrs.
As more and more people said this, he became suspicious.
When he arrived at Gyeonggi, he was shocked when he saw that this place and the south were two different worlds.
The south is in troubled times, but the land of Gyeonggi is actually peaceful. This is simply unimaginable.
Along with his army going north, there were also a large number of people from the south, who all rushed north, trying to escape to a peaceful place.
Of course, harassment and interception by thieves and bandits were inevitable. Huang Degong wiped out several thieves and finally arrived at the capital.
When he met with the emperor, he actually observed it very carefully.
Yes, the emperor is still the same emperor, he recognizes it.Also, the voice is also the voice in memory.However, the language and demeanor were really different and full of confidence.
However, even if he beat Huang Degong to death, he could not see that the emperor no longer looked like a man with a thousand catties of strength!
After observing for a long time, I finally left with a lot of doubts.He decided that after entering the capital camp, he would take a good look at what the emperor was like.
In fact, Emperor Chongzhen saw his reaction and was confused.But he doesn’t care, anyway, it’s the kind of person who traveled through time and merged with Emperor Chongzhen’s soul. He is Emperor Chongzhen!
Two days later, Emperor Chongzhen held another high-level meeting of the Cabinet, Supervisor of Rites, Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, in the Wenhua Hall.
After the ceremony, before Emperor Chongzhen could say anything, Fan Jingwen, the chief assistant, came out and said: "Your Majesty, Daming Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, and Baoding Prefecture have all sent urgent memorials, saying that people from the south are coming in large numbers, and food is needed." It’s urgent, we can’t arrange it, and we need the court to come up with countermeasures!”
These prefectures are all the southernmost prefectures in Beizhili. Due to the war, the people's livelihood in the prefectures is in decline and there is a shortage of supplies.If there are too many refugees suddenly arriving, there will be various problems.
When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he realized that this matter was similar to what Huang Degong said.
He could also understand that after Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu joined forces, they launched a large-scale attack on southern Zhili. When the people in the south heard that the emperor had driven away the army of Li thieves, defeated the Jianlu, and drove the Jianlu out of the pass, they must have wanted to Thinking that the capital city would be safe, it was natural for them to flee to the north.
This matter is really a bit difficult to handle.
It’s not that the population is too large!
There have been years of war in the north, and the population has dropped sharply. There are refugees who have fled to the north, and there are places where they can be resettled.However, the problem is that there are not that many supplies, especially food.
If there is no food, the newly stabilized Gyeonggi area and the refugees will have nothing to eat, and they will steal, loot, rebel, etc., which means that the previous chaotic times will happen again!
These are the common people of the Ming Dynasty and cannot be ignored, but how should they be managed?
Emperor Chongzhen also had a headache, so he immediately asked his ministers: "Do you have any good ideas for settling these people?"
Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, immediately stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, the capital is in short supply of food and grass. It is only thanks to the supply of some supplies from northern Shanxi. Otherwise, this winter will be difficult and there will be no surplus food at all."
After a pause, he continued: "Originally, the grain in the North relied on water transportation, but since last year, water transportation has been interrupted. The capital has not received any grain at all. It is not known whether it will be received next year. It must be prepared for a rainy day. Otherwise there will be chaos!"
This was a problem. Emperor Chongzhen ignored him and turned to look at the others.
Fang Yuegong, the assistant minister of the cabinet, saw the emperor looking at him, so he reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, can you issue an order for northern Shanxi to supply some food? Wei Chen thought, there should be some squeeze, right?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and said: "All the taxes that should be paid in northern Shanxi have been paid. If we make another decree to ask them to pay, it will be equivalent to adding more taxes. I will become a person who breaks my word, no!"
After hearing this, Fang Yuegong quickly said: "Wei Chen is wrong!"
How many heads do these villains have who dare to trick the emperor into breaking his promises?
Emperor Chongzhen didn't blame him, he just thought for a moment and said, "But we can spend a lot of money to purchase grain, and we emphasize that next year in the capital will be a bumper harvest, so we should be able to collect some grain!"
New money can be printed. At least for now, the reputation is very good, and the metal currency with face value is really easy to use. You don’t have to carry a steelyard with you to check the quality of larger transactions like before. , don’t be too troublesome!
For Emperor Chongzhen, as long as he can buy food with new money, it is better than increasing taxes!
Another cabinet minister, Jiang Dejing, came out and said: "Your Majesty, as usual, you can ask the southern governments to strictly restrain the people under their jurisdiction, check the road guides, and reduce the pressure on the capital!"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately shook his head and said: "No! The people who fled north left their hometowns because they couldn't survive. How can we cut off their path of hope! What I, and your ministers, have to do is to give them I hope that they will no longer suffer from hunger and cold, and will no longer suffer from military disasters, instead of just caring about themselves!"
When Jiang Dejing heard this, his face turned red immediately, and he said with a look of shame on his face: "Your Majesty is teaching me a lesson, and I understand!"
The idea of officialdom was not only shared by Jiang Dejing, but by most people.In other words, Emperor Chongzhen came from that era of later generations and would pay more attention to some things in this regard.
Subsequently, there were many discussions in the Wenhua Hall, but no good solution was found.Not only are there currently many refugees, but it is also foreseeable that more refugees will flock to the north.
In the end, Emperor Chongzhen made his own decision: "The people who have arrived in the capital should be resettled as much as possible. They should go to Shandong and the seaside where they can easily find places to eat. On the capital side, food control should be re-implemented and food should be saved to cope with the food dilemma."
After hearing this, Fan Jingwen immediately said: "Your Majesty, Shandong is not peaceful. There are small groups of bandits and bandits. I'm afraid they can't be settled!"
Of course Emperor Chongzhen knew this, so he immediately said: "Then Fan Qing will lead the capital camp of [-] people, separate the routes to clear out the Shandong thieves, award Shang Fangjian, rectify the local yamen, stabilize the situation in Shandong as quickly as possible, and restore peace!"
If you just send military generals to go on an expedition, it will be difficult to intervene in local political affairs. Therefore, you still need to have a civilian official with sufficient status to lead the troops to eliminate the thieves and at the same time rectify local political affairs and handle military and political affairs at the same time.
At the court, Fan Jingwen was not only the chief assistant, but also had experience in leading troops in war. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen directly named him.
"Wei Chen accepts the order!" After hearing this, Fan Jingwen knew that the matter was of great importance and did not dare to violate it, so he quickly agreed.
But then, he reminded again: "But Shandong Province is afraid that it will not be able to accommodate the people who are constantly moving north!"
Emperor Chongzhen heard this and said without hesitation: "I will soon lead my troops south to put down the chaos in the south as soon as possible, so that the people will no longer have to leave their homes and flee!"
Hearing this, Fan Jingwen was immediately surprised and said: "The southern bandit army, Zuo Liangyu's unit alone, numbered hundreds of thousands, not to mention the army of Li bandits. If Your Majesty wants to lead troops to march south, Weichen Shandong Can the trip be postponed?"
But it seems that delaying it will cause problems. It can’t be together. Where will the soldiers come from?
(End of this chapter)
Although this is metal currency, as long as the face value specifies the value, it is actually credit currency.It's just that compared to paper money, it has an extra layer of "fig leaf".
Although it is said that there are certain conditions for the issuance of this new money, but for now, it is not Emperor Chongzhen who has made a decision. At most, if it is annoying, he will say "I have decided" and see which minister Dare to continue to oppose!
As long as the military recognizes the new money, the new money will not be a problem.However, Emperor Chongzhen's prestige in the military was the greatest except for the two emperors of Kaiguo.
As a result, the court's urgent lack of money was actually solved.
However, Emperor Chongzhen actually knew that it was useless to solve the problem of money alone, he must have enough supplies.Otherwise, if you have more money and less supplies, the money will also depreciate.
The innovative decisions he made during the deliberations were actually a comprehensive plan.
Abolition of the original household registration, no longer restricting various occupations, and no longer tying them up, can stimulate their greatest enthusiasm for production.
In addition, Emperor Chongzhen also announced the reform of the guard system, and there were 26 guards in the capital alone.That is, the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang imitated the systems of previous dynasties such as the Tang and Song Dynasties and set up twelve guards, the Yongle Emperor Zhu Di added ten guards, and Emperor Xuanzong and Xuande of the Ming Dynasty added four guards, for a total of 26 guards.
The innovation of the guard system started from these 26 guards.
When the Xinjing Camp was formed previously, elite soldiers had been drawn from various guard posts and border troops.Emperor Chongzhen directly ordered the reorganization of the remaining soldiers, establishing a field army, a construction army, a breeding army, etc.
As the name suggests, this is a military organization engaged in farming, construction, breeding, etc. The funds used, including military pay, labor tools, etc., are all borrowed from the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty; the profit and loss for a year is divided [-]-[-] with the court.In other words, if there is a loss, the treasury will allocate money to cover the deficit; if there is a profit, the treasury will have an income.
The expenses and profit sharing of these special forces are reviewed by the Ministry of Household Affairs and supervised by the Metropolitan Procuratorate. The appointment and removal of senior officers are appointed by the Ministry of War.At the end of the year, the ministers of various ministries and the censors of the left and right censors of the imperial court must report to the cabinet and submit it to the emperor and president.
In this way, it means that the imperial court no longer has to worry about supporting these military households. Even the start-up funds are borrowed from the Ming Dynasty Royal Bank and they can make money on their own.
From the beginning, the court must take care of them. For example, they should be given priority in contracting projects to support them.
Of course, the work they do used to be done by recruiting people to work in the form of labor, which is considered a business without capital; however, now they are allowed to work and given new money, and from a certain perspective, it is also considered a business without capital; Only in this way, it reduces the disturbance to the people, allows new money to move, becomes a reflection of the value of labor, and is conducive to economic development.
In addition to the vigorous development of production in the form of the imperial court, Emperor Chongzhen also issued a notice to encourage the private sector to vigorously develop production.
The land of Gyeonggi is guarded by the emperor and his troops, so there should be peace in the foreseeable future.
As a result, abandoned fields need to be reclaimed and planted, burned down houses need to be rebuilt, and coal mines, iron mines, etc. are also in urgent need of a large number of workers.
The notices issued by the imperial court were to tell the people of the capital where manpower was needed, where money could be made, etc.
If you don’t have money, it doesn’t matter. You can go to Daming Royal Bank to borrow money; as long as you have skills and strength, you can make money!
At this time, the importance of the Ming Royal Bank became highlighted.
Any economic activity is inseparable from money. The Ming Dynasty Royal Bank has truly become the heart of economic development, continuously injecting fresh blood (money) into economic development, allowing various economic constructions to be carried out.
If there were no Ming Dynasty Royal Bank, many people would have no choice but to despair, or those who were more courageous would have to borrow money from loan sharks.
People of this era did not realize the role of the Ming Royal Bank, but Emperor Chongzhen naturally knew that this series of layouts was laid out with the Ming Royal Bank as the core.
As soon as the replacement of people in Liaodong was over, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming took the replaced family members and set off from Shanhaiguan and rushed back to the capital to deliver the order.
When they arrived at the capital, they saw a heated situation.
The towns and wild areas along the way are full of people.
Men, women, old people, and children are all busy working.Some were cleaning up their homes, and some were busy in the fields. All in all, it was a busy scene.
This scene made them, who had just returned from Liaodong, stunned.
Wasn't there a war that just broke out in Gyeonggi?Why is it normal that people's livelihood is in decline, there are no roosters crowing for thousands of miles, and bones are exposed in the wild? Why does this place look like a peaceful and prosperous age?
The closer to the capital, the more lively it becomes.Even on the official road, you can see people recruiting people with gongs and drums, and the salary is better than the next.At least that's what they think in the eyes of those who have just returned.
In addition to them, there was another team that came back from outside the customs, and they were also stunned by this scene.This team was going to clear out Tang Tong's troops in the Hetao Plain.
Tang Tong was ordered to retaliate against the left and right banners of Tumut. Although he quickly captured Guihua City, these Tumut tribes were nomadic, so it took him a lot of time to encircle and suppress them, and finally annihilated most of them. They captured their cattle, horses and sheep, and then returned happily.
As a result, after entering the pass, Tang Tong heard how the emperor personally led the army to show his might, punching the bandits and kicking the captives, and quelled the rebellion in the capital in one fell swoop.
He felt a little regretful. If he had not taken this job and left the country, he would have achieved even greater military exploits!
When he was at Xuanfu, he didn't feel anything yet.But after passing Juyong Pass, Tang Tong also saw the heated situation, so much so that he doubted whether he had gone wrong.It has only been a few months, but things have changed in Guan Guan!
Unlike Kong Youde's team, which mostly encountered people enthusiastically calling for workers, Tang Tong's team came back with loot.They were all cattle, horses and sheep, and there were so many of them that it was very spectacular.Someone came and asked if the cows and sheep could be sold!
Tang Tong felt like, damn, why are there so many rich people suddenly?I just want to ask if I can sell it. When can I afford to sell cattle and sheep?
When the two teams arrived at the capital, they had almost figured out why there was such a heated situation. Suddenly, they once again refreshed their understanding of Emperor Chongzhen.
In the beginning, the current emperor was incompetent and did not distinguish between loyal and traitorous!
Later, the current emperor was extremely brave, leading troops in battles, and was invincible!
Then, they discovered that the current emperor was able to turn things upside down and make civil affairs so powerful in one fell swoop!
Needless to say, they were even more in awe of the current emperor.
Besides, Emperor Chongzhen is really very busy, even busier than the original Emperor Chongzhen.
It's not that he doesn't want to be a hands-off shopkeeper to relieve himself of some work, but it's just that he can't be a hands-off shopkeeper.
There are many innovations this time that only he knows the key to.He must be sure so that things will not go awry.
For example, regarding the Royal Bank of the Ming Dynasty, this was actually the function of later banks, and it also integrated the central bank and ordinary banks into one, accounting for borrowing and lending methods, how to manage charters, how to issue loans, how to settle settlements, etc.A large number of palace maids were assigned to work in the bank, and he had to read all the regulations.
Fortunately, he had Queen Zhou, Queen Zhang, Prince Zhu Cixiang and others with him. He reviewed the decision and asked them to execute it.
And those special military services are actually state-owned enterprises in later generations.If it is managed, it will be the first time for others, and he needs to control it.Of course, he always has a group of people around him who can take over. Zhu Cixiang must be there, and the corresponding six ministers, etc., must also be assigned tasks and explain the key points and precautions to them.
In addition to these things to be busy with, state affairs are also bothering him, and he must be the one who makes the decision. He cannot let the chief minister and others handle it directly.
For example, the South's petition for help.There was chaos everywhere, and many cities were lost. At most, they could barely protect themselves. As for counterattack, it was just a dream.
Then I heard that the emperor showed great power and actually drove away the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu. Suddenly, naturally, the memorial for help flew to the capital like snowflakes.
However, Emperor Chongzhen could not lead troops to rescue him before he stabilized the capital.Otherwise, it will really be like pressing down the gourd and raising the gourd, and ultimately neither end will be well.
For this reason, he kept all these memorials, or responded with orders, asking them to fulfill their duties loyally, and they must guard them until I lead the troops to attack.But as for when to lead the troops, there is no certainty.
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen only paid attention to the land of Jin and the capital.Only when the leader sits here, watching the ruins being rebuilt, and watching the yamen, cities and places getting back on track, can he rest assured.
However, there is also something that he has been worried about, and that is the food and grass issue.
The food in northern Shanxi has been harvested, but at most it will provide some support to the capital.In the Jinzhong area, the farming season has been delayed, and I am a little bit embarrassed, and it is impossible to support the capital area.
By the beginning of October, Emperor Chongzhen was already considering leading his troops south.
At this time, the people below came to report that Kong Youde, Tang Tong and others were back.
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen immediately issued an order to summon them to see him.
In the Wuying Hall, Tang Tong met first and reported the results of the battle to Emperor Chongzhen.
The left and right banners of the Tumut tribe in the Hetao Plain did not expect that when the Qing army led troops to attack the pass, the Ming army could actually send troops to attack them. Therefore, they were caught off guard. Except for some who escaped, most of them were captured. Annihilate.
Women, children, the elderly, and some men captured a total of three thousand people and temporarily placed them in the Xuan Mansion, waiting for the emperor's order to be dealt with.
Among the trophies, there were more than 500 large and small horses, more than 100 large and small cattle, and the largest number of sheep, more than 3000.What made Tang Tong a little regretful was that when he sent out troops, some of them went to nomadic places and were run away.
Emperor Chongzhen was still very happy about this.This kind of war is cost-effective to fight.
Mares, ponies, and the corresponding cattle and sheep are all allocated to the breeding army for breeding. Of course, the costs must be calculated into them.Then the suitable war horses were allocated to the army, the cattle were sold to farmers in the market, and some were allocated to the garrison army. The sheep were also sold.
On Tang Tong's side, he was granted the titles of Prince Shaobao and Zuo Dudu.Correspondingly, officers and soldiers are also rewarded based on their merits, either with grain fields, silver rewards, or promotions.
After Tang Tong withdrew, Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou came together to see him.
These people, as soon as they entered Wuying Hall, they immediately knelt down and shouted long live!
Emperor Chongzhen even heard it, and seemed to be choking in the shout.
He was not surprised by this, after all, there were not many good emperors like him.
No, I saw Emperor Chongzhen smiling and saying: "Everyone is equal!"
Then, he said kindly: "Please come forward, please, let me see you."
After Zu Dashou stepped forward, he saw the emperor looking at him and said with some emotion: "Zu Qing, I haven't seen you for several years, you are getting old!"
Upon hearing this, Zu Dashou knelt down again and whined: "I will never see Your Majesty again in my life, and I will never be able to serve Your Majesty again!"
Emperor Chongzhen didn't pay much attention to the grievances between him and the original emperor. He looked at him at this time and said with a smile: "I see that your beard and hair are white, can you still serve me?"
When Zu Dashou heard this, he immediately raised his head and echoed loudly: "As long as your majesty has your decree, you will not hesitate to die without hesitation!"
While talking, he began to really look at the emperor.
Along the way back, he had heard countless times about how brave and invincible the current emperor was.After arriving in the capital, he saw the various methods of the current emperor, which really shocked and shocked him.He even wondered whether the emperor had actually changed. Otherwise, how could it have changed so much?
However, seeing him at this moment, Zu Dashou still recognized him. This was the original emperor. His appearance was the same as in his impression.However, there was a difference. He could feel it. The emperor in front of him was full of confidence.
He is worthy of being a descendant of Emperor Taizu. Once he was enlightened by Emperor Taizu, he became as heroic as Emperor Taizu!
Emperor Chongzhen, after hearing what Zu Dashou said, turned to look at Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, and asked, "How are you and your family?"
After hearing this, Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming immediately knelt down and echoed with tears of gratitude: "Thanks to your Majesty's grace, the general can be reunited with his family!"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen let them level up with a smile and said at the same time: "It would be great to come back!"
After saying this, he became serious and said to them: "I want to pacify the pass first, and then consider recovering Liaodong. This time will probably take three or four years. Therefore, I still consider rebuilding the Dongjiang Army. What do you think, sir?"
With the restraint of the Dongjiang Army, Jianlu could not attack the pass with an overwhelming army like last time.If the Dongjiang Army were stronger, they wouldn't even be able to divide their troops into the pass!
At least in Emperor Chongzhen's view, the Dongjiang Army was necessary to deal with Jianlu.
After hearing this, several people looked at each other, and finally turned to look at Zu Dashou.
They actually discussed this matter on the road.After all, they are all people who have been engaged in Liao affairs for many years!
Zu Dashou did not hesitate and immediately reported to Emperor Chongzhen: "Your Majesty, the guilty general has just returned from Liaodong and knows some internal affairs of Jianlu. According to the estimation of the guilty general, Jianlu will never dare to enter the Kou Pass again within three or four years. !”
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhen was listening to him carefully, he quickly continued to explain: "There are actually many conflicts within Jianlu. Just because the leader and young ministers are strong, there are a lot of right and wrong. Originally, they had compromised with each other, but they were killed by His Majesty. Some, the internal forces of Jianlu will fight for power again. When the sin is about to come..."
He recounted in detail the overt and covert struggles between Bumbutai, Dorgon and others over the substitution matter to prove that Jianlu was actually unstable internally.
Then, Zu Dashou continued: "And now Jianlu is very suspicious of the surrendered Han people and even other tribesmen. Many people even treat other tribesmen very badly, which aggravates the instability within Jianlu."
"In addition, the grassland tribes, who were originally forcibly subdued by the Jianlu, also acted abnormally when they saw the Jianlu's defeat. According to the criminal general's knowledge, the Mobei Mongols were the most important, and they were suspected of not listening to the orders of the Jianlu. .”
"..."
It has to be said that Zu Dashou stayed within Jianlu for several years. His original subordinates and sons were all working for Jianlu, and they knew far more things than the average person, let alone the Guan Nei side. .
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen listened very carefully as he told him one thing after another. Some of the things he could roughly guess from the history he knew about, but some things were indeed the first time he heard from Zu Dashou. heard.
In exchange for Zu Dashou, this information alone is worth it.
Zu Dashou told and analyzed everything he knew in one breath, and finally told Emperor Chongzhen: "All these are due to your Majesty's heavy blow to Jianlu. From this, the guilty general dares to assert that three or five Within this year, Jianlu will not be able to, and will not dare to enter the pass again."
Emperor Chongzhen nodded, but when he spoke, he still surprised them: "I understand all this, but the Dongjiang Army still needs to be rebuilt!"
When Zu Dashou and others heard this, they immediately looked at each other.Even Zu Dashou wondered whether the emperor suspected that what he said was false?
When Emperor Chongzhen saw their faces, he knew what they were thinking. He immediately smiled and said: "I rebuild the Dongjiang Army for two purposes. The first is to contain the Jianlu; the second is my last resort. The purpose of valuing is..."
Having said this, he paused, and seeing that they were all listening attentively, he continued: "...the Dongjiang Army is a navy, and this is my purpose, to rebuild an invincible navy. This world does not refer to the Ming Dynasty, but to the whole world, including the Western Yi!"
Zu Dashou, Kong Youde and others were shocked when they heard this.
Their eyes were only on Liaodong, but unexpectedly, the emperor had already seen the whole world, including the whole world of Xiyi!
They were shocked, but Emperor Chongzhen was still telling them: "Now the most powerful navy in the imperial court is in the south, and I might be suspected of disobeying the imperial court's orders. I rebuilt the Dongjiang Army to deter the navy in the south. etc. After the navy is reorganized and the world is at peace at home, we will have to compete with the Western Yi for overseas hegemony. I won’t tell you these things, but it’s better for you to understand. The competition with the Western Yi for overseas hegemony is related to the ability of our descendants. Can we live a good life!" "A simple example, the Western Yi's clippers and their artillery are currently better than those of the imperial court. The overseas products are richer than you can imagine. With this foundation, one day if They own everything overseas. If they can build better ships and better artillery to attack the Ming Dynasty, it will be very dangerous!"
Having said this, Emperor Chongzhen stared at them and asked seriously: "So, do you understand what I mean by rebuilding the Dongjiang Army?"
At this moment, not to mention Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, even Wu Sangui felt inferior in terms of knowledge and foresight.
They never thought about the navy in the south, let alone the Western Yi.However, what the emperor said was absolutely reasonable. They had never seen Xiyi's clipper.But this firearm has always been the most powerful in Xiyi.
Especially Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming, their original instructors were Folangji people, and Folangji people were not the most powerful among the Western Yi!
However, they also had doubts. They heard Kong Youde say: "General, I don't understand something. This Xiyi, General is from Folangji. Isn't it good friends with me, the Ming Dynasty?"
The implication is that the emperor is a bit unfounded?
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen sneered and said: "That's because the Folangji people came from afar and had too few troops to fight against the imperial court. They only made good friends with the imperial court. You must remember that people who are not of my race will be friendly with the imperial court." The hearts must be different! The Western Yi are all a country of wolves, and the imperial court can only make them surrender if it is powerful. Otherwise, it will definitely use its force to attack the Ming Dynasty. If nothing else, let’s talk about Luzon Island in the south, which is adjacent to Franji The Spaniards from the country occupied the place and massacred tens of thousands of Ming people on the island in the past two years! This revenge must be avenged!"
Hearing this, Kong Youde and others were shocked. They didn't know Lu Song was there at all, but the emperor knew about it, and he was well aware of Xi Yi's ambitions.
Whether they are Jianlu or Tatars, they are still Western barbarians. As the emperor said, if they are not of my race, their minds must be different!
With this in mind, Kong Youde and others had no objections.
Among them, Geng Zhongming said: "Your Majesty, there are no warships in the imperial court now. The ones affiliated to Shanhaiguan are all civilian ships, which can only carry people or transport goods. And Jianlu... Jianlu..."
When he said this, he was a little embarrassed, but in the end, he continued: "...Jianlu has some warships. Although they were given to the North Korean Navy, once Jianlu needs it, he can command the North Korean Navy. .”
Jianlu's warship was given to Jianlu by the two of them. In addition, Shang Kexi took the ship and the people on the island hostage and gave it to Jianlu.
Emperor Chongzhen heard this, but he was not embarrassed at all. He said: "If there are no warships, build warships, and build naval battle ships. You should prepare first. After I calm down the chaos in Shandong, I will start construction at Denglai Shipyard. Warship!"
"The general will obey the order!" Kong Youde and others heard this and quickly agreed.
Emperor Chongzhen's arrangement was to use Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming's original subordinates as a basis, and then select water-savvy soldiers to expand the Dongjiang Army to 5000 people. They would first build warships and train naval forces.
Wu Sangui then entered the Beijing camp and became the commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp, and later went on expeditions with him.
As for Zu Dashou, he was already old, but he should be able to take charge of the local area and suppress bandits, so he was named Shandong Commander-in-Chief.
Liu Zeqing, the original commander-in-chief of Shandong, first rebelled in Shandong and then defected to the Jianlu. Unexpectedly, he was killed by the Jianlu.
After Emperor Chongzhen arranged this matter, he began to consider Shandong.
Shandong is just east of the capital, and the land is fertile. If it can settle down and resume production quickly, it is also a grain producing area that can supply the capital.Now, although Liu Zeqing is dead and there is no large bandit army, there are still bandits and robbers everywhere without a leader.
In addition, there is a Confucius family in Shandong, which occupies an unknown amount of land!It's a pity that when Li Zicheng went to Qufu, he didn't collect the stolen money and help him kill the Kong family!
Thinking of this, Emperor Chongzhen felt that it was time to resolve the Kong family's problems.
But before he could do that, he received another grim news.
This news was brought by Huang Degong, the commander-in-chief of Fengyang.
In Wuying Hall, Huang Degong, who rushed to the capital, was summoned immediately.
However, after seeing the ceremony, he immediately reported a bad news: "Your Majesty, Li's army of thieves and the rebel general Zuo Liangyu's unit have joined forces, and the momentum is huge. The general learned this when he repelled the thieves who attacked Lujiang Prefecture. , these rebels have captured Huguang, and some of them have even invaded Jiangxi, and are about to threaten Southern Zhili!"
Emperor Chongzhen was actually not surprised when he heard the news.
Zuo Liangyu had originally fought against Li Zicheng's army in Huguang, Henan and South Zhili. After he "forced Zuo Liangyu to rebel", if Li Zicheng was still at his original strength, they might continue to fight; however, Li Zicheng also His strength was greatly reduced after being beaten by him. This was the basis for Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu to form an alliance.
Once their two families formed an alliance, there was no army in the south that the imperial court could fight, so they relied on the local gentry to form a stronghold to protect themselves. How could they withstand such a powerful enemy?
After nearly 300 years, the Ming Dynasty has become fundamentally rotten. However, as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he still wanted to protect the Ming Dynasty. It would be easier to destroy the bottles and jars and rebuild them again.
Of course, if there are other means, it would be better, at least some fewer people would die.
However, if it was only one month before the hanging, there was really nothing we could do.
Zuo Liangyu's reputation is so bad that he must be removed from the army.Under the guarantee of force, the benevolent are invincible!In other words, those who win the hearts and minds of the people win the world, and those who win the hearts of the people win the hearts of the people!
Now, due to limited strength, Li Zicheng had to form an alliance with Zuo Liangyu in order to deal with the great enemy Emperor Chongzhen, which was tantamount to a bad reputation.
Emperor Chongzhen knew that it was time for him to lead his troops again.We cannot let Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu's rebel army destroy all the most prosperous places in the Ming Dynasty!
After questioning, Huang Degong found out why he couldn't receive the news. It was because of the chaos in the south and the memorial could not be sent to the capital at all.That is to say, Huang Degong led the army to kill from south to north and brought the news.
Huang Degong's department only has about 3000 people.This force is actually unable to conquer the main force of bandits in the south.Just like in the original history, in the end Huang Degong was unable to suppress the other warlords, and instead died in the internal fighting in the four towns.
With these in mind, Emperor Chongzhen incorporated Huang Degong's troops into the Beijing camp and accepted reorganization.Of course, some rewards were also given.
"The general will obey the order!" After hearing this, Huang Degong immediately accepted the order without thinking.
After he left the hall, he felt a little confused.
While he was still in Fengyang Mansion, Huang Degong heard that the emperor personally led troops to win several battles.At the beginning, he didn't believe it.How can he still not understand the current emperor?As far as the emperor he knew was concerned, it was impossible for him to lead troops, let alone win a battle!
As a result, Li Thief's army went south, which proved that it was indeed the emperor who was so powerful that he defeated Li Thief's army and had no choice but to go south.
In this way, he was surprised: How did the current emperor lead his troops, and he was able to defeat the army of Li thieves? Even if he just repelled it, that would be amazing!
As for the situation in the capital, when he was the commander-in-chief of the Yongwei Battalion, he should not be too clear about it: he wanted soldiers but no soldiers, he wanted money but no money!
Although the emperor killed some rebellious officials and traitors and ransacked his homes, he got a lot of money.However, soldiers are not just about counting heads.As a veteran who is used to leading troops in war, he knows the difference very well!
Therefore, Huang Degong has always been puzzled.
Later, when Jianlu's army invaded and Li's army moved north, he also received an imperial edict to go north for reinforcements. At that time, he thought that the imperial court was doomed.
Not to mention the army of Li thieves, even if the emperor was good at fighting, could he still defeat the army of Jianlu?
Not to mention, the army of Li thieves and the army of Jianlu are now united, which is equivalent to being invincible.
But even so, under the emperor's order, he set off without hesitation with about [-] soldiers and horses.However, they were blocked by bandits from the Central Plains and could not go north in time.Sometimes when he went to bed at night, he was afraid that when he woke up, the court would be gone!
After losing about a thousand troops, Huang Degong finally opened the way north and rushed to the capital for reinforcements.
Unexpectedly, the news he heard was that the emperor once again led an army to defeat the army of Li thieves. Jianlu even fled after hearing the news, not daring to fight against the army led by the current emperor!
At first, he didn't believe it at all: impossible, this is absolutely impossible!
However, others were right in saying that even the slave chiefs of Jianlu and Prince Shuoying were captured alive by the emperor in front of the battle, and the loyal martyrs were commemorated in the newly built Zhonglie Hall!
If you can brag about other things, you cannot brag about this kind of thing. You can find out if there are slave chiefs captured alive in the capital to pay tribute to their loyal martyrs.
As more and more people said this, he became suspicious.
When he arrived at Gyeonggi, he was shocked when he saw that this place and the south were two different worlds.
The south is in troubled times, but the land of Gyeonggi is actually peaceful. This is simply unimaginable.
Along with his army going north, there were also a large number of people from the south, who all rushed north, trying to escape to a peaceful place.
Of course, harassment and interception by thieves and bandits were inevitable. Huang Degong wiped out several thieves and finally arrived at the capital.
When he met with the emperor, he actually observed it very carefully.
Yes, the emperor is still the same emperor, he recognizes it.Also, the voice is also the voice in memory.However, the language and demeanor were really different and full of confidence.
However, even if he beat Huang Degong to death, he could not see that the emperor no longer looked like a man with a thousand catties of strength!
After observing for a long time, I finally left with a lot of doubts.He decided that after entering the capital camp, he would take a good look at what the emperor was like.
In fact, Emperor Chongzhen saw his reaction and was confused.But he doesn’t care, anyway, it’s the kind of person who traveled through time and merged with Emperor Chongzhen’s soul. He is Emperor Chongzhen!
Two days later, Emperor Chongzhen held another high-level meeting of the Cabinet, Supervisor of Rites, Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, in the Wenhua Hall.
After the ceremony, before Emperor Chongzhen could say anything, Fan Jingwen, the chief assistant, came out and said: "Your Majesty, Daming Prefecture, Zhending Prefecture, and Baoding Prefecture have all sent urgent memorials, saying that people from the south are coming in large numbers, and food is needed." It’s urgent, we can’t arrange it, and we need the court to come up with countermeasures!”
These prefectures are all the southernmost prefectures in Beizhili. Due to the war, the people's livelihood in the prefectures is in decline and there is a shortage of supplies.If there are too many refugees suddenly arriving, there will be various problems.
When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he realized that this matter was similar to what Huang Degong said.
He could also understand that after Li Zicheng and Zuo Liangyu joined forces, they launched a large-scale attack on southern Zhili. When the people in the south heard that the emperor had driven away the army of Li thieves, defeated the Jianlu, and drove the Jianlu out of the pass, they must have wanted to Thinking that the capital city would be safe, it was natural for them to flee to the north.
This matter is really a bit difficult to handle.
It’s not that the population is too large!
There have been years of war in the north, and the population has dropped sharply. There are refugees who have fled to the north, and there are places where they can be resettled.However, the problem is that there are not that many supplies, especially food.
If there is no food, the newly stabilized Gyeonggi area and the refugees will have nothing to eat, and they will steal, loot, rebel, etc., which means that the previous chaotic times will happen again!
These are the common people of the Ming Dynasty and cannot be ignored, but how should they be managed?
Emperor Chongzhen also had a headache, so he immediately asked his ministers: "Do you have any good ideas for settling these people?"
Upon hearing this, Ni Yuanlu, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, immediately stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, the capital is in short supply of food and grass. It is only thanks to the supply of some supplies from northern Shanxi. Otherwise, this winter will be difficult and there will be no surplus food at all."
After a pause, he continued: "Originally, the grain in the North relied on water transportation, but since last year, water transportation has been interrupted. The capital has not received any grain at all. It is not known whether it will be received next year. It must be prepared for a rainy day. Otherwise there will be chaos!"
This was a problem. Emperor Chongzhen ignored him and turned to look at the others.
Fang Yuegong, the assistant minister of the cabinet, saw the emperor looking at him, so he reported to the emperor: "Your Majesty, can you issue an order for northern Shanxi to supply some food? Wei Chen thought, there should be some squeeze, right?"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and said: "All the taxes that should be paid in northern Shanxi have been paid. If we make another decree to ask them to pay, it will be equivalent to adding more taxes. I will become a person who breaks my word, no!"
After hearing this, Fang Yuegong quickly said: "Wei Chen is wrong!"
How many heads do these villains have who dare to trick the emperor into breaking his promises?
Emperor Chongzhen didn't blame him, he just thought for a moment and said, "But we can spend a lot of money to purchase grain, and we emphasize that next year in the capital will be a bumper harvest, so we should be able to collect some grain!"
New money can be printed. At least for now, the reputation is very good, and the metal currency with face value is really easy to use. You don’t have to carry a steelyard with you to check the quality of larger transactions like before. , don’t be too troublesome!
For Emperor Chongzhen, as long as he can buy food with new money, it is better than increasing taxes!
Another cabinet minister, Jiang Dejing, came out and said: "Your Majesty, as usual, you can ask the southern governments to strictly restrain the people under their jurisdiction, check the road guides, and reduce the pressure on the capital!"
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen immediately shook his head and said: "No! The people who fled north left their hometowns because they couldn't survive. How can we cut off their path of hope! What I, and your ministers, have to do is to give them I hope that they will no longer suffer from hunger and cold, and will no longer suffer from military disasters, instead of just caring about themselves!"
When Jiang Dejing heard this, his face turned red immediately, and he said with a look of shame on his face: "Your Majesty is teaching me a lesson, and I understand!"
The idea of officialdom was not only shared by Jiang Dejing, but by most people.In other words, Emperor Chongzhen came from that era of later generations and would pay more attention to some things in this regard.
Subsequently, there were many discussions in the Wenhua Hall, but no good solution was found.Not only are there currently many refugees, but it is also foreseeable that more refugees will flock to the north.
In the end, Emperor Chongzhen made his own decision: "The people who have arrived in the capital should be resettled as much as possible. They should go to Shandong and the seaside where they can easily find places to eat. On the capital side, food control should be re-implemented and food should be saved to cope with the food dilemma."
After hearing this, Fan Jingwen immediately said: "Your Majesty, Shandong is not peaceful. There are small groups of bandits and bandits. I'm afraid they can't be settled!"
Of course Emperor Chongzhen knew this, so he immediately said: "Then Fan Qing will lead the capital camp of [-] people, separate the routes to clear out the Shandong thieves, award Shang Fangjian, rectify the local yamen, stabilize the situation in Shandong as quickly as possible, and restore peace!"
If you just send military generals to go on an expedition, it will be difficult to intervene in local political affairs. Therefore, you still need to have a civilian official with sufficient status to lead the troops to eliminate the thieves and at the same time rectify local political affairs and handle military and political affairs at the same time.
At the court, Fan Jingwen was not only the chief assistant, but also had experience in leading troops in war. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen directly named him.
"Wei Chen accepts the order!" After hearing this, Fan Jingwen knew that the matter was of great importance and did not dare to violate it, so he quickly agreed.
But then, he reminded again: "But Shandong Province is afraid that it will not be able to accommodate the people who are constantly moving north!"
Emperor Chongzhen heard this and said without hesitation: "I will soon lead my troops south to put down the chaos in the south as soon as possible, so that the people will no longer have to leave their homes and flee!"
Hearing this, Fan Jingwen was immediately surprised and said: "The southern bandit army, Zuo Liangyu's unit alone, numbered hundreds of thousands, not to mention the army of Li bandits. If Your Majesty wants to lead troops to march south, Weichen Shandong Can the trip be postponed?"
But it seems that delaying it will cause problems. It can’t be together. Where will the soldiers come from?
(End of this chapter)
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