Baidu otaku as Chongzhen

Chapter 698

In April, the weather has become warmer.

Forbidden City.

Wenhua Hall

Yang Reform is busy with the political affairs of the day.

"My dear family, judging from the situation reported from various places, this year's severe drought has become a foregone conclusion. The disaster has spread to several provinces in the north. Most of the places will be short of harvest, and some places may have no harvest. Let's discuss it..." Yang Reform began with these few words.

Now it is mid-April, and the drought in various places has begun to become prominent. It can be judged that the disaster is a foregone conclusion. Many places should have green seedlings, but now they are dry and cracked, let alone crops.

A year of catastrophe is a foregone conclusion.All states and counties have also learned how to behave, and reported the disaster immediately, but they did not try to cover up the disaster, because it was a thankless task.

After the emperor had spoken, the ministers began to discuss it.

The omen at the beginning of this year was not good. The emperor had said earlier that there would be a catastrophe this year. Looking at it now, it was indeed a catastrophe year, and many ministers frowned.

The ministers discussed for a while, but Yang Reform was overwhelmed.All the ministers fell silent.

"Everyone, tell me, what can you do to deal with it..." Yang Reform said.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I believe that the planting of sweet potatoes should be vigorously promoted. Sweet potatoes are a sharp weapon against drought. They are high-yielding and easy to live..." Shi Fenglai was the first to stand up and express his opinion. Regarding the promotion of sweet potatoes, Shi Fenglai has already formed conditioned reflex.

"Hmm..." Yang Reform was noncommittal for the time being, nodded, and hummed, as if he was listening.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, since there is a severe drought this year, the court should also deal with it in advance. I think that we should use work for relief, and we should find a way to let the people live first..." Han Yu also said, his method is simple. Relief, do projects.

"Hmm..." Yang Reform was still noncommittal and nodded.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I believe that immigration should continue to be strengthened, and the people must not be displaced..." Bi Ziyan said the third way.

"Hmm..." Yang Reform still nodded, indicating that he was listening.

The ministers also said some methods, including asking Zhang Xianyong to pray for rain, including telling the heaven and earth, offering sacrifices to the gods of the four directions, including the king's officials saving their lives, building water conservancy, and exempting land taxes and taxes.

Yang Reform has been listening carefully, and these are effective ways to fight the drought.Yang Reform could have agreed straight away, but Yang Reform was completely noncommittal and replied with "um".

Regarding how to fight disasters, Yang Reform is experienced, and what the courtiers said is correct, but all of these methods require money, and they require a large amount of money, let alone the war on the nine sides of the north.Immigrants in the south spend several million taels a year.All kinds of projects and various expenses add up to a considerable sum.Even though Yang Reform is rich now, facing such expenses, he has to have a headache.

Not only a headache, but also a heartache.

The money for southern immigrants is absolutely indispensable. In addition to southern immigrants, there are actually northern immigrants. This money is also indispensable. Southern immigrants are mainly for disaster victims in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and other places, while northern immigrants are mainly For Gyeonggi, Shandong, Shanxi and other places, it is a project that can only continue to invest money.

Relief for work is actually a variety of projects, including the oil industry in Shaanxi, road construction, the construction of a new city in Shanghai, etc., all of which are relief for work, which require a large amount of money, hundreds of dollars a year Ten thousand taels.

Another example is what kind of sweet potato, running a school and other seventy-eight eighty-eight expenses add up to a terrible expense.Yang Reform did a little reckoning, but his head hurt and his feet hurt too, so at the Xiaochao meeting, he was "um", "um", and "um", and he didn't dare to speak loudly.

"You guys are all right..." Yang Reform gave an evaluation, but he didn't confirm the things that should have been settled so quickly.Yang Reform hesitated a little, shouldn't he save some money?Should some projects be cut?Although I got a lot of money from the salt merchant, I can't afford to spend it like this!Now that money is spent, Yang Reform's heart hurts and his liver hurts. If this continues, in less than two years, he will have to live the life of the emperor again.

"Uh, this..." Before Yang Reform held this "Drought Relief" meeting, it wasn't that he hadn't calculated what he was going to do, or how much money he would spend. It's a little tight.

Yang Reform smacked his lips. If it weren't for the amplifier function of the bank and banknotes, the money he actually got from the salt merchants would have bottomed out. The money he spent these days was too generous and too extravagant.The money was pouring out like running water. Yang Reform felt that life was not like this. He was also a man with a family and a house, so his hands should be tighter, otherwise this life would not be possible. Year after year, time The time passed quickly, and before you knew it, the money had bottomed out to a certain extent. This was a wake-up call. If you didn't pay attention, there would be big troubles in the future.

The officials were all waiting for His Majesty to speak, and many of them had their necks stretched.

Although Yang Reform spends money, his heart hurts and his liver hurts, but he also knows that he still has to bite the bullet. These things are all the most important, and they are absolutely unavoidable. They are absolutely unstoppable, and even if they stop, there will be big troubles. These are the essential elements to maintain the normal operation of the Ming Dynasty.

Yang Reform thought about it, and now he can only bite the bullet and hold on. After the meeting, he has to find Bi Ziyan, and he has to speed up the arrangement of this budget. Otherwise, the endless spending every year like this Money, but it's not a headache, a foot pain, a heartache, a stomachache, a toothache...

With a budget, at any rate, how much money to spend every year also has a certain amount, knowing how much money to prepare, knowing how much money can survive a year, and finding money early if you have no money, far better than throwing money casually like this now. Strong head on.

……

Yang Reform is still hesitating whether to bite the bullet and confirm these things.

But he saw Wang Chengen at the side beckoning to him.

Yang Reform just went to get a headache, heartache, and liver pain, but he didn't care about Wang Chengen's movements. When he saw that Wang Chengen seemed to be about to say something, he immediately stopped and looked at Wang Chengen.

Wang Chengen immediately approached the emperor, and whispered: "Your Majesty, Liaodong urgent report..."

Yang Reform felt something was wrong when he heard it, Liaodong Urgent Report?Wasn't it said in public that time?Even if the war is stalemate, there is no one who hides it like this?Is Wang Chengen so abnormal today?Could it be that a major change occurred in the Liaodong War?The moment Yang reformed, he became "serious".

"...Master Sun said that the captive chief Huang Taiji asked for peace when the two armies were facing each other. He said he could go to Beijing to plead guilty. In order to show his sincerity, he even voluntarily gave up Liaoyang City. Now that the army has arrived in Liaoyang, it may have already been taken. Liaoyang City..." Wang Chengen told the story in a low voice.

"Uh...seeking peace?..." Hearing the surprise, Yang Reform unknowingly spoke out, asking for peace, pleading guilty, and giving up Liaoyang City. This is all a conspiracy.

Wang Chengen had no choice but to do this. He was also a person who knew the inside story. He knew what was going on in Donglu’s request for peace. Let's talk about it, let the emperor have a psychological preparation first.

All the ministers also saw Wang Chengen's actions. Seeing what Wang Chengen said in front of the emperor, they were all curious about what happened this time, so mysterious.

Yang Reform's mind started to work rapidly. This is not good news. He took the urgent report in Wang Chengen's hand and looked at it for himself.In addition to the letter of credence, there is also an urgent report, and there is also a secret letter from Sun Chengzong, all of which are written by Sun Chengzong, so there is no mistake.

The content inside is more detailed, and the process of the matter is clearly explained.Although Yang Reform knew there was a conspiracy without reading it, he had to admit that the conspiracy was powerful and vicious after watching it.

Yang Reform's mind turned rapidly.

How to deal with this matter?How to counteract the influence of Huang Taiji's conspiracy?How to calm the possible disputes in the court?Yang Reform knew that the time had come to test himself.

The emperor was meditating on the throne, and the officials below became anxious. They didn't know what happened to them, and they speculated one after another. This kind of situation is rare.

Yang Reform thought about it for a while, and he already had some countermeasures in his mind, thanks to Sun Chengzong's writing of the matter clearly, and also benefited from some suggestions made by Sun Chengzong.

With some countermeasures, Yang Reform is ready to make this matter public.

"Gentlemen, here is a very important matter to discuss first, and the matter of disaster relief will be discussed later..." Yang Reform knew that this matter could not be delayed, nor could it be covered up, so he would say it sooner or later , allowing myself to know the content in advance and have time to think about countermeasures is already considered good.

The officials stretched their necks, wanting to know what was going on, it was so weird.

"Big companion, show Master Sun's report and Donglu's letter of credence to your family..." Yang Reform said.

As soon as these words came out, the courtiers were surprised. I don't know what Donglu's credentials are.All eyes turned to the notebooks in the emperor's hand.

Sun Chengzong's memorial and Donglu's national letter were circulated in the hands of the officials, and the voices of the officials' discussions became louder and louder.

"Your Majesty, I think..." A minister who had just read the memorial and Donglu's national letter immediately yelled.

Yang Reform shook his hand to silence the minister.

The minister seemed to have just remembered, and swallowed the words again.

Sun Chengzong's memorial and Donglu's letter of credence continued to be circulated among the officials.

Yang Reform was a little annoyed, Huang Taiji's poisonous plan was indeed very poisonous, and before it was circulated, some ministers couldn't wait to express their opinions.

"Everyone, let's discuss it. Huang Taiji, the captive chieftain, wants to belong to our dynasty. Why do I feel a little bit worried!" Yang Reform saw that the ministers had finished circulating, pressed his hands, and said, before speaking, he made a little statement of his own opinion. Attitude, so that their men and horses have a psychological preparation.

"Your Majesty, I believe that there should be deceit in the matter of Donglu's surrender. We have old grievances with Donglu. We must not trust Donglu." Shi Fenglai was still the first to say it. The emperor reminded him that he already understood The basic attitude of the emperor is naturally in accordance with the attitude of the emperor.

"Your Majesty, I believe that this is the critical moment for our army to encircle and suppress Donglu. Donglu is asking for peace at this time. I have great doubts about Donglu's sincerity. I think that I have been cautious..." Han Yan also slightly favored the emperor on the basis of justice.

Yang Reform nodded.

"Your Majesty, I have a different opinion." Chen Yuting stood up without hesitation, also speaking in the voice of the opposition.

"Oh, the Qing family might as well talk about it." Yang Reformed.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I think that it is precisely because our court has pushed Donglu to a desperate situation that Donglu is sincere in seeking peace. If Donglu usually seeks peace, it can only be regarded as a joke. Therefore, I think that this is a This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If we can peacefully clean up the eastern captives and completely pacify the war in Liaodong, it may be a good story, avoiding the pain of swords and waste. Now we are facing a severe drought. I think it's more appropriate for the expenses to be used for disaster relief..." Chen Yuting said immediately.

Pros and villains appear on the stage, and the ministers are even more arguing.

"Well, it makes sense..." After hearing this, Yang Reform didn't express much. He just hummed and waved his hand to signal the ministers to continue.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the motives of Donglu seeking peace at this time are really suspicious, and you must not be careless..." Some people supported the imperial party.

"My Majesty, I believe that Donglu's request for peace should be sincere. Otherwise, he would not have taken the initiative to give up Liaoyang City, and even the chieftain Huang Taiji was willing to enter Beijing to plead guilty. Your Majesty, isn't this enough to reflect Donglu's sincerity? Is it? I think that it is a good thing to give Donglu a chance to surrender without fighting, and to solve the Liaodong issue without using swords?" There are also people who support Chen Yuting's words.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Donglu gave up Liaoyang City. Judging from this report, it should be that Donglu was forced to pressure our army and had no choice but to let it go. It cannot be regarded as Donglu's sincerity in seeking peace. ..." The dispute among the ministers suddenly became fierce, and the pros and cons immediately quarreled.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, I see that the writing of this country is extremely humble. In the words, I have already treated my Ming Dynasty as my father's dynasty, and I have taken the initiative to give up the city of Liaoyang. I think this matter is still somewhat tolerable. Believe it... Of course, Donglu's reputation has always been extremely bad, and he has a grudge with us, so he shouldn't have believed it, but I think that no matter how bad it is, His Majesty should send an envoy to contact Donglu. Chief Huang Taiji is really willing to enter the capital alone, then it is enough to show the sincerity of the Eastern captives' surrender. Your Majesty, if the Liaodong war can be resolved peacefully, I think it will be better..." There are not a few people who support a peaceful solution. Those in the middle also supported a peaceful solution.Of course, there are many prerequisites for supporting peace, that is, the captive chieftain Huang Taiji went to Beijing alone to plead guilty.

This rhetoric immediately won the support of many people. Whether it is true or not, at least Donglu's attitude is good, and there is still some sincerity. At least we should talk about it first, whether it will work or not is another matter.

Yang Reform listened for a while and felt very upset.Huang Taiji's move is actually so powerful that it can make so many people in the court speak for it. Yang Reform has become more confident in his ability to control the court since he has done a few major things, but today, Yang Reform feels it again. That kind of faint discomfort.

What these ministers say is more "reasonable" and more "honest". No matter whether you agree with the peace talks or not, you can't say anything to them.

Yang Reform himself does not approve of peace talks, and the reasons for this are naturally needless to say.

Those who are in favor of peace talks, you can't blame him for anything. After all, what he said is also right. The Liaodong issue can be resolved without fighting. Why not do it?You want to say he is naive?But not necessarily, people said that Huang Taiji, the eastern captive, should go to Beijing alone. As for how the talks go, that's another matter. They just want to talk, but they don't necessarily say it will be successful.

Once the talks are made, Liaodong is thousands of miles away. It will take a few months to send an envoy to come and go.If the negotiation is really successful, it is naturally the credit for the peace talks. Even if the negotiation is not successful, it is nothing, just keep fighting.

The bad is here. Once we talk about it, what should the army far away in Liaodong do?The situation of the army is embarrassing. Now we are fighting a scout war, talking about killing Donglu's strength and not giving Donglu a chance to recover, but once we talk about it, should we continue to fight scout war or not?Fighting will affect the peace talks, and it will definitely be brought up by Donglu to talk about things. Negotiations will be even more nonsense. If there is no fight, Donglu will just get a few months to recuperate. This time is definitely very precious. Donglu was in Lin Dan last year. Khan has built a lot of pastures there, and with these pastures, he can restore a lot of strength.Once they stop fighting, the soldiers must relax and relax their vigilance, which will have a great impact on the morale and combat effectiveness of the Liaodong army. Once Huang Taiji finds an opportunity, it may give the Ming Dynasty a fatal blow.

Yang Reform thought for a while, and had to say, this move was indeed vicious, and it hit the weakness of the Ming Dynasty.Since the Ming Dynasty, there has been a discord between civil and military. It is "natural" for civil servants to suppress military generals. Civil servants have always suppressed generals like dogs. ...

If the peace talks come to fruition, it is only reasonable that civil servants will take the lead and continue to overwhelm the generals and support the peace talks.On the contrary, if the peace talks fail, it will naturally depend on the generals to conquest. Naturally, it is the credit of the warriors. Facing the rise of the status of the warriors, civil servants must not be reconciled and must do everything possible to suppress them. Now Huang Taiji's "sincerity" is undoubtedly a The fuse focuses on the estrangement and friction between civil servants and generals.

Yang Reform knew that the dispute between civil and military forces was only one aspect. If other reasons of reason and secrets were included, this battle might not end easily. Huang Taiji's fire was really burning.

(End of this chapter)