Perhaps seeing the heaviness in Min Yuanqi's eyes, Zhu Wanchun smiled slightly, and actually patted Min Yuanqi's shoulder.

In addition to this person, the person who is qualified to do this is Min Qiande alone.

"Yuan Qi, I can see the anxious look in your eyes." Zhu Wanchun said with a smile: "But things are complicated, maybe it won't work today, but tomorrow?" There is always a solution, so why suffer so much? Let's talk about the Franc machine, I also said earlier that I am afraid that it is extremely difficult, after all, the military is a heavy weapon. Who knew that when he asked a general in Nanjing's Beijing camp, he patted his chest on the spot and agreed, but he could still send troops to escort him across the river with three hundred and one guns, and the craftsman was also wrapped up in him, just saying that he wanted to give some benefits to the officials of the Ministry of Industry who were in charge of the craftsmen. I'm just afraid that things will change, and I have reservations, in fact, this thing is going very smoothly, it can be seen that there is nothing wrong with doing it seriously, Yuan Qi but relaxing, even if Liukou wants to come south, a year is less. Besides......"

Zhu Wanchun hesitated a little, but still said: "There is Gao Jie in the north, this person is the strongest and fierce among the four towns, and Li Zicheng has a hatred for taking his wife, it is impossible to surrender to the pseudo-Shun, in this case, his troops also have more than 100,000 brave soldiers, and they have no power to fight against the rebellion......"

Min Yuanqi shook his head with a wry smile and said: "Gao Jie followed Sun Chuanting first, ran with Bai Guangen first when the situation was not good, and then ran all the way south in the north, and he didn't dare to fight against Chuang Rebellion at all. It was true that he did not dare to surrender, but he did not dare to fight either. There are only 10,000 people who come to Liukou, Gao Jie may dare to fight a dozen, and if tens of thousands of people come, he will have to run away. At that time, it will also coerce the people of Xuzhou and Huai'an, and harm one party, and it is impossible for him to guard Xu Huai. From him and Liu Zeqing, Brother Zhu can see that there is the slightest line of defense to stabilize the place? They are all fishing for the best of the water, desperately exhausting local financial resources. Build a big house and build a big house, collect treasures, gold and silver and other valuable things, once a large army goes south, even if it does not surrender, it will never resist to the death, let alone protect the territory and the people. These people are far inferior to the festival envoys of the Tang Dynasty. Although the envoys of the Tang Dynasty held their own military power and financial power, and were disrespectful to the center, they regarded themselves as the courtiers of the Tang Dynasty, and they had to lepropriate foreign barbarians and rogue thieves, and there were very few people who surrendered and rebelled. Moreover, the festival degree makes the heirs to be left behind, passed down from generation to generation, and the state and county of the festival degree are regarded as their own private property, most of which are good business operations, and the army is also trying to make it strong and elite, because the army is not strong, there is no basis for survival. It is because the center of the Tang Dynasty was weakened after the middle of the Tang Dynasty, but most of its territory remained, and even after the rise of the Khitan, the northern towns still had the ability to resist its invasion, until the center was not attached, the world was in chaos, and the Khitan had the opportunity to go south. Even so, the entry of the Khitan also has the saying that China is difficult to control, if it is not for Shi Jingtang to take the initiative to offer the sixteen states of Youyun, it is also difficult for the Khitan to get the land of China. Today's so-called four towns, not to mention compared with the four generals of Zhongxing in the Southern Song Dynasty, are far worse than those Tang Festivals who are disrespectful to the center and are not afraid of the king's law. To put it mildly, it's just a group of bastards who have no ambitions, don't understand the general trend, and have no ability or integrity...... Brother Zhu, don't have the slightest illusion about this generation, not only will they not be a help, but they may turn against me at any time, mess up my territory, and harm my big things. ”

Zhu Wanchun did have some fantasies, after all, Gao Jie and Liu Zeqing had settled in Xu Huai successively, and the combined strength of the two was nearly 200,000 people.

Even if there are a lot of miscellaneous soldiers, the combined number of elite soldiers of the two divisions is more than 100,000.

Even in the face of more than 100,000 or 200,000 rogues heading south, the two towns combined are not without the strength to fight.

In addition, there are two towns of Huang Degong and Liu Liangzuo behind him, with more than 600,000 towns and 200,000 elite soldiers.

If the four towns work together, even if all the troops go south and cannot win the field battle, relying on the terrain and city defense, they will not have the power to resist.

From Min Yuanqi's words, Zhu Wanchun faintly felt and realized that the problem of the Ming Dynasty was what should be done according to common sense, but it was contrary to common sense.

Zhu Wanchun was shocked and angry, and sighed: "Since the time of the Divine Sect, how many good opportunities have been wasted, how many good ministers and good generals have not been able to do their best, everything can be good, but the result is the worst, I really don't know why Daming has become what it is now." ”

Min Yuanqi smiled bitterly, but there was no answer.

Not only the Ming Dynasty, in fact, this is the boss of civilization, there are too many problems on the body, which is equivalent to people reaching the end of their lives, even if they are still breathing, they are also a boss with problems, and it is difficult to regain the situation when they were in their prime.

The military system, political system, culture and education of the Ming Dynasty are actually a problem that has fallen from the founding of the country.

But after all, he is a monk of Huangjue Temple, and when designing the entire national system, he is still relatively incapacitated.

The pro-vassal clan system, the fiscal and taxation system, the imperial examination system, the military system, and the political system designed by it all have serious defects and problems.

The entire Ming Dynasty can be said to be involved in the whole body, or it can be said to be infighting and involving each other, many things are corrupted under selfishness, and the root cause is still on the original system.

Many things, looking at the slightest can get a good result, but they are running wildly towards the worst ending, and future generations should have deeper and broader thinking and consideration.

But Min Yuanqi didn't think too much, now he is in such an environment, he can only work hard to do his best, change bit by bit, like a new seedling that has just broken the ground, he can't bear too much, he can only take care of it, and hope that it can grow into a towering tree.

"I trust you, Yuan Qi." After Zhu Wanchun was angry for a moment, his demeanor turned normal, he looked at Min Yuanqi, and said with a straight face: "Others can't succeed, others don't take responsibility, you succeed, you have!" I, the Zhu family, fully support you, the country is broken, and you still talk about family profits, which is really ridiculous. At least twenty or thirty cannons must be purchased, and there must be at least 100 craftsmen to recruit soldiers, so that your artillery battalion can quickly become an army. The refined iron used, Suzhou steel, my family will do their best to buy, as soon as Jiangnan is brought to Fujian and Zhejiang, if the land route is not passable, take the sea route, even if my Zhu family is bankrupt and broken, I have to support Brother Min to the end! ”

"Brother Zhu doesn't have to be so ......" Min Yuanqi was greatly moved, and his heart was also very moved.

From the time I have traveled to the present, I have seen a lot of pedantic people, ignorant people, or selfish and selfish people, most of them are flies and dogs, even if they have good intentions and are responsible, most of them are also concerned about the interests of the family.

There are really very few people like Zhu Wanchun who dare to sacrifice their family for the country at this moment.

Waiting for the order to shave their hair, at the time of the subversion of civilization, countless good men came out to give up their homes for the country, even if they gave up their lives, they couldn't bear to make Huaxia fall into a bloody place again.

Unfortunately, by then it was too late to do anything, and it was useless.

"Actually, it doesn't matter which army goes south." Although Min Yuanqi was moved, he still persuaded him: "As long as the Zhu family is obedient, after the short turbulent period, no matter which faction gains power, the Zhu family will be stable......

It is obvious that the new regime will raid some of the nobles and gentry, destroy the old ruling class to make way for the nouveau riche, and some of the merchants will also suffer from the fish.

Just like Qin Shiqian to the nobles of the Six Kingdoms and the family to Guanzhong, Liu Bang then did such things.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the relocation of wealthy households to northern Anhui was the same truth.

However, the existence of salt merchants is related to the most basic livelihood of the people, and like grain merchants, they are the existence that the new regime wants to win over and exploit.

As long as the Zhu family does not toss to the death, whether it is Li Zicheng or the Qing army going south, they will not encounter any major persecution, unless they are accidentally injured or slaughtered during the war, then there is no way.

"Forget it, I'm betting heavily too." Zhu Wanchun didn't care, and said with a smile: "I feel that Yuan Qi has achieved more than one general soldier, if you become a vassal in the future and control Xu Huai, my Zhu family is not the largest salt merchant in Huaiyang, who else dares to sit in this position?" ”

Min Yuanqi smiled when he heard this, and said, "Control Xu Huai? I think we have to be on guard first, if you have someone who is in control of Huai'an now, you may not be able to let me go. ”

……

Liu Zeqing turned over and dismounted, pressed his sword forward, and the generals and officials around him knelt down and saluted, even the soldiers who were guarding the guards, and those who were standing solemnly with guns knelt down on one knee one after another, not daring to look up at him.

It was already mid-May, Liu Zeqing came back from Yizhen, and at the same time made a detour to Yangzhou.

Nominally, Shi Kefa announced that after King Fu of Jianguo announced his accession to the throne, he announced that he would supervise Jiangbei as a scholar and be stationed in Yangzhou.

But soon near Yangzhou, there was a battle between Gao Jie's department and Huang Degong's department.

Shi Kefa did not arrive in Yangzhou for a while, and he did not dare to severely reprimand the two feudatories for the exchange of troops, let alone send troops to suppress them, or even dismiss the two towns.

Shi Kefa could only persuade with good words, and at the same time placed a number of weaker general soldiers in Yangzhou, and coveted Yangzhou's thoughts with extremely high Jie, Liu Zeqing, Huang Degong and others.

At this time, the four towns were almost formed one after another, Xingping Bo Gaojie was stationed in Xuzhou, Dongping Bo Liu Zeqing was stationed in Huai'an, Guangchang Bo Liu Liangzuo was stationed in Shouzhou, Fengyang. Ningnan Hou Huang Degong was stationed in Chuzhou and guarded Nanjing.

The four towns consume 600,000 taels of salary every year, and the natural grain is 600,000 stones, and Nanming's financial resources are not abundant, and more than 70% of the income is used to support the soldiers and horses of the four towns.

If you look at it from the map, Liu Zeqing and Gao Jie, Liu Liangzuo are north of Henan and Shandong, if the army goes south, these three towns are facing the southward soldiers and horses of the Shun army.

In the land of three towns, there are more than a dozen state capitals, and even the county is more than 40 states and counties.

With a population of more than 10 million, dozens of prefectures and counties, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, it can be called a strong soldier.

If before the fourteenth year of Chongzhen, these generals were never allowed to tear the soil and face the people, but at the beginning of the Southern Ming Dynasty, in order to make the generals work hard, it was actually equivalent to splitting the territory.

The intentions of the Southern Ming monarchs and ministers are not bad, but it is a pity that the generals of the four towns cultivated are not to mention compared with the four generals of Zhongxing in the Southern Song Dynasty and the talents of the Tang Dynasty Jiedu or the Taishou of the Han Dynasty, even if they are compared with their predecessors, such as He Shixian, You Shiwei, Cao Bianjiao and many other Ming generals, they are far inferior in ability and discipline.

Wanli, Tianqi, Chongzhen's early generals, more or less also have some problems, but in general, they are all from the generals, and they have been defending the great frontier territory for generations, and they have the feelings and temperament to serve the country, and they do not hesitate to die for it. Lack of ability, but loyalty is not in doubt.

Even a rebel like Zu Dashou who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, although it was for Ning Yuan's family foundation, it could not be compared with Man Gui, Zhao Shujiao and others in terms of discipline, but deep down in his heart he was unwilling to rebel against the Ming Dynasty and surrender to the Qing Dynasty, Dalinghe City was forced to surrender first, and then managed to escape back to the Ming Dynasty.

Although the ancestral family descended, but never occupied a place in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing court employed, the first to descend outside the pass for the first class, such as the Tong family, known as the Jurchen Ming Dynasty generals, after the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, the power is no less than the old Manchurian ministers, and even has the Tong half dynasty.

The next level is that it has the generals and coats when it covers the whole of Liaodong, which is not necessarily high and powerful, but many of them are included in the Eight Banners, and even carried to the Eight Banners of Manchuria by the Han army.

Cao Xueqin's family is one of them.

The next inferior are the Sanshun kings, Wu Sangui and others who surrendered before entering the customs.

The next inferior are Jiang Xiang, Tang Tong and other northern generals.

The next inferior ones are Liu Zeqing and Liu Liangzuo and other Southern Ming generals.

The generals of the north and the south have low political status, it is difficult to be promoted, and even used for prevention, and a few are liquidated. What remained was also suppressed and used, and its subordinates also formed the basis for hundreds of thousands of green battalion soldiers in the later Qing Dynasty.

Liu Zeqing and others' surrender can be said to have neither the slightest recognition and loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, nor the slightest benefit to their own future, which is simply unattainable.

However, at this time, Liu Zeqing did not have the slightest worry about his own future or the fortunes of the Ming Dynasty, he had already got what he wanted, and it could be seen from his demeanor when he got off the horse, he was complacent, arrogant, and domineering!