As soon as this question came out, the atmosphere in the room instantly froze, although this is Gansu, it does not mean that the officials in Gansu know everything.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's visit to the northwest this time can be said to have attracted great attention. As for why His Royal Highness the Crown Prince came to the northwest, that is also something that these officials urgently need to know.

Since it is something that needs to be known urgently, it is natural to inquire, and this inquiry will naturally be able to inquire.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here for the exiles of Jingxiang.

This matter is no secret in the officialdom of the northwest now, especially after His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cleaned up a large number of big households in the northwest some time ago.

Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is asking this question, who can not be empty in his heart?

Zhou Zhan's heart was so empty that he raised his head and wanted to see Governor Zhou Jilin. But as soon as he raised his head, he saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looking at him with a playful expression, and Zhou Zhan immediately withdrew his gaze.

Shaking his head, Zhou Zhan took a step forward and hurriedly said, "Back to His Royal Highness the Prince, there are fugitives in Gansu, and there are many military households. ”

Zhu Houzhao nodded, and then continued to ask, "How many of them are there?" ”

Zhu Houzhao, the escape of the people, didn't ask, and he didn't want to ask. Because in Zhu Houzhao's view, the people can't survive, so change places, and there is no big problem in saying it.

It's just that the problem of fleeing from military households is relatively big, because it means empty salaries, insufficient soldiers, and low combat effectiveness of the army.

Zhou Zhan listened to this question, and didn't speak for a long time, his face was very embarrassed, and he didn't know how to say it.

For this His Royal Highness the Prince, Zhou Zhan is so scared, although it is the first time to see it, but the shadow of the famous tree, the things that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did are scary enough!

"What? Is this question hard to answer? Zhu Houzhao raised his head and looked at Zhou Zhan.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Zhu Houzhao turned his head to look at Zhou Jilin with a smile and asked, "General Zhou is always looking at you, Governor Zhou, do you know better?" Why don't you tell me about it? ”

"Back to His Royal Highness the Prince, General Zhou is afraid that the court will pursue him." Zhou Jilin said directly: "The number of military households fleeing from all over Gansu has reached 20%. ”

Zhou Jilin didn't hide it at all, and said directly: "After all, it's bitter cold here, and there is a shortage of money and food, and it is not a new thing for military households to escape." In addition to strictly guarding against it, there is nothing too good for the ministers to do. Unless the imperial court can allocate a part of the military salary and use a lot of money to retain the military households, I am afraid it will be difficult for them not to escape. ”

Zhu Hou glanced at Zhou Jilin, this was an honest person, similar to the information he had gotten, and he also knew that Zhou Jilin was telling the truth.

Not to mention the Northwest now, no one wants to come in the future. In later generations, 50 percent of the country's population was concentrated in the southeast coast, where 30 percent of the land area was located.

Not to mention the northwest, the northeast can't keep people either, and this era is even more so. In later generations, the working environment is poor, the natural environment is poor, but it can also be overcome. But in this era, people can't live anymore.

People can't live anymore, who is willing to guard the border for you?

Zhu Houzhao could also understand, so he nodded and didn't ask again.

"Governor Zhou, after the palace entered the city, I found that people were being mobilized everywhere, and the whole of Gansu seemed to be under martial law, what is the so-called matter?" Zhu Hou looked at Zhou Jilin: "It won't be for the palace, right?" ”

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince misunderstood, the ministers transferred people just in case, a few days ago there was news from Hamiwei that Hamiwei's loyal king Shaanba died." Zhou Jilin explained: "The ministers are worried that Ma Heima of Turpan will take the opportunity to attack Hamiwei. ”

Shamba is dead?

Of course, this Shaanba Zhu Houzhao knows that he is the loyal king of the Ming Dynasty, and Shaanba is still his father.

He also knows that Ma Heima is the lord of the Turpan Khanate, which is often referred to as the Eastern Chagatai Khanate.

However, in Zhu Houzhao's memory, the life of the Eastern Chagatai Khanate does not seem to be easy.

Zhou Jilin's statement and approach are also very safe, because this Ma Heima has a criminal record.

It can be said that the competition between the Ming Dynasty and the Eastern Chagatai Khanate for Hamiwei has never stopped.

I won't say it before, in the year of Hongzhi, my father named Hanshen as the king of loyalty.

In the same year, Turpan booby-trapped Han Shen in the name of marriage and reoccupied Hami. The father detained the Turpan envoy and ordered him to repent and return the land he had invaded.

In the fourth year of Hongzhi, Turpan was returned to Hami.

The following year, the old father made Shaanba the king of loyalty.

In the sixth year, Ma Heima, the lord of Tulupan, sent troops to capture Hami and held Shaanba. Ma Wensheng, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and others were determined to restore Hami, but they have not succeeded.

In the eighth year of Hongzhi, Xu Jin was the governor of Gansu, sent troops to recover Hami, and still governed its land with Shaanxi. However, due to the repeated attacks of Turpan, it is rare to live in peace.

It wasn't until the eleventh year that Dad became stable after Wang Yue took charge of the trilateral military affairs and manager Hami.

Now that Shaanba is dead, it's hard to figure out that Ma Heima from Turpan is going to be dispatched again, and it is normal for Gansu to prepare.

Daming and Turpan competed for Hamiwei, and the reason was very simple, because this geographical location was too important.

Once Turpan occupies Hamiwei, it will become an outpost for their attack, and the troops will be directed at Suzhou of the Ming Dynasty, which is later known as Jiuquan. This is not allowed by the Ming Dynasty, so the Ming Dynasty supported the agent here, that is, the King of Zhongshun.

The best solution is, of course, the Ming garrison Hami, but the cost is too high, the cost is too great, it can be said that the gains outweigh the losses, and it is best to support an agent.

In fact, the Ming did exactly that, but Turpan was also worried, because once the Ming attacked, this would also become an outpost for the Ming army.

So it became a very important place.

Of course, here in Zhu Houzhao, there is more to it than that. Ha Miwei Zhu Houzhao is going to be decided, and it has to be.

It is not to support agents as it is now, but to garrison troops, and even to establish a Ming government in Hami.

Why did Zhu Houzhao do this?

Of course, in order to open up the Silk Road, out of Zhangye, through Suzhou, and then through Hamiwei can reach Turpan, and the trade route can go all the way to the west.

Once this trade route was opened, the Ming Dynasty would be able to trade with Central Asia, even if it was enough to sell things to Turpan.

If a steam engine train is invented in the future, Daming can continue to fight westward, but that is too far away for now.

Anyway, West Asia is in chaos now, and the Timurid Empire is about to collapse, and the Ming Dynasty is just getting involved. As for entering the Timurid Empire, Zhu Houzhao never thought about it. With such a long supply line, Da Ming had to be dragged down.

Without steam trains, Zhu Houzhao would never have entered Central Asia.