"You and I haven't seen each other for a long time, haven't we?"

Zhu Jinglun's calm appearance made Chen Zhiting feel down-to-earth, but Zhu Jinglun's words made Chen Zhiting feel ashamed. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

The independent will of the Ming bureaucracy will eventually be reflected in the game between the prime minister and the imperial power.

As the civilian-bureaucratic clique became more and more mature and more comfortable in dealing with the political situation during the period of great change, they became more and more inclined to reject the constraints of other directions, and even the attitude of the emperor was not as holy as before.

Chen Zhiting did not have the original intention of confronting the emperor, every time he had different political views from the emperor, he thought that he was upholding the public heart, and there was absolutely no selfish interest in it.

But people's hearts are sensitive, after rejecting the emperor's attitude several times, the emperor is even more indifferent to political affairs, and the power of the civil government is more independent, but Chen Zhiting has also unconsciously distanced himself from the emperor, and it has been a long time since he deliberately looked for an opportunity to report to the emperor.

Feeling the pressure again today, feeling the pressure that he couldn't bear as a courtier, he thought of this emperor again, but suddenly felt guilty for his ungodly behavior, which was not the duty of a courtier. He didn't know that this was politics, which would make the people closest to him involuntarily change, and he thought that what he was doing was absolutely right, and he had just tasted a little bit of the poison of power.

Seeing Chen Zhiting's crampedness, Zhu Jinglun waved his hand:

"Sit down, sit down!"

Chen Zhiting sat next to Zhu Jinglun at this time, and after the maid brought a cup of strong tea, she quietly withdrew from Zhu Jinglun's study and closed the door from the outside.

Chen Zhiting reorganized his thoughts, and then reported everything that had happened recently to Zhu Jinglun. Finally, I would like to ask for Zhu Jinglun's opinion.

"So the political situation in Vietnam is now controlled by Nguyen Van Huang, a powerful minister?"

The Ming spies in Hue, Vietnam are everywhere, and the same kind of text is not a joke, Vietnam already has a group of officials who are close to the Ming Dynasty, and these people have revealed the Vietnamese government and expressed their attitude.

Nguyen Van Xiang was a poor peasant with a poor family background, his father had participated in the peasant uprising against the Nguyen Dynasty in Vietnam, and although he was not reinstated, he was forbidden to participate in the imperial examination.

Later, I don't know how to get the appreciation of Emperor Ruan Phuc Shi, and with the secret help of Ruan Fu Shi, he obtained the qualification for the imperial examination, and passed the imperial examination and became an official in the court. Because of the emperor's support, he rose all the way, and four years later, he became the secretary of the criminal department of Vietnam.

Later, in 1873, he made great achievements in negotiations with the French to recover the occupied Hanoi from the French. Then he gained the trust of Emperor Side, and before his death, Emperor Side appointed him as an auxiliary minister.

"It's not necessarily the ministers who are in charge, there is still the mother of the Ruan family, and the two concubines are in charge of political affairs. However, it is rumored that Ruan Wenxiang has an ambiguous relationship with his widow and concubine. ”

There was even some lace news. After the death of Emperor De, his mother Fan Shihui was still alive, after Emperor Yude ascended the throne, he was named the Empress Dowager Ciyu, and the two concubines left by Emperor Emperor De, Zhuang Yi and Xuefei, also had a great influence on the government, and these three women were collectively called the Three Palaces.

It is rumored in Vietnamese officialdom that Nguyen Van Xiang had an affair with a concubine and conspired to kill Emperor Yude. Because Emperor Yude was the eldest of the three adopted sons adopted by Emperor Yude during his lifetime, but Sangong didn't like this Emperor Yude, so he murdered him, and Emperor Yude died violently after only three days of reign, and even the year name has not been decided.

After the death of Emperor Yude, Nguyen Van Xiang and others supported Emperor Yude's younger brother, and Emperor Xiehe succeeded him. But Emperor Nguyen Phuc Thanh did not want to follow in his brother's footsteps and was controlled by the ministers and the harem, so he secretly colluded with the French and used French power to fight against the ministers. Historically, he reigned for only four months before he was poisoned, and that is why he was killed.

"The ministers are chaotic, the harem is in the government, this is the elephant of the country!"

Zhu Jinglun sighed.

Chen Zhiting sighed: "It's really not a son of man, the auxiliary ministers are all chaotic ministers, and the palace concubines are all chickens!" ”

Zhu Jinglun feels that Vietnam is a mess now, and it will not end well if he intervenes at this time, so it is better to wait for a result from within them, whether it is the power of the minister or the victory of the king, Vietnam must play a stable court in order to make a difference.

So Zhu Jinglun suggested: "Let the affairs of Vietnam go first." The top priority is to step up preparations! ”

Chen Zhiting hesitated: "Your Majesty, is there any other way than to go to war?" ”

Zhu Jinglun said: "Preparing for war does not necessarily mean going to war, but it must be based on being able to fight, and only when you can fight can you talk." ”

In fact, war is not Zhu Jinglun's first choice, the economic crisis has just hit, the Ming Dynasty is still a primary industrialized country, a hundred ruins to be rebuilt, a serious lack of capital, this battle continues, but it will be a few years of accumulation, and the government debt will definitely increase again.

If it can be resolved through negotiation, it is not unacceptable, historically France and the Qing government have negotiated an agreement to divide Vietnam, ceding the north of the Red River to the Manchu Qing, but this agreement was later disagreed by the French Parliament, and the Manchu court also thought that the partition of the subject country was unjust and did not accept it, so the two sides lost the last chance for peace.

But until now, the French didn't even plan to talk to the Ming Dynasty, which made Zhu Jinglun puzzled, the Ming should be stronger than the Manchu Qing in history, why the French were tougher.

"What is the situation of the French army occupying Hongji?"

Zhu Jinglun inquired about the situation of the enemy at the forefront of the confrontation with the Ming Dynasty.

Chen Zhiting reported: "I have received the latest information, I heard that it was a Tokyo Minerals Company that urged the French to occupy this place. ”

There is also the matter of capitalists, Zhu Jinglun can't help but be curious: "What is the origin of this company?" ”

Chen Zhiting said: "I found someone to check in France, it is not a good company, it is built by a group of speculators, what is the Tokyo (Beiqi) Mining Company, and a lot of shares are given to French politicians free of charge, wanting to monopolize Vietnam's minerals." ”

This makes it clear that the most profitable mineral in Vietnam is the coal mine of Hung Kai. Historically, it was not until the 90s that France became interested in mining in Vietnam, because coal mines were not a scarce commodity in those days, and even Japan exported a large number of coal mines, so it was not profitable to develop mines until the 90s.

But the rapid development of the Ming industry, changed the situation, the Ming imported a large number of Hongji's coal, if France can obtain this mine, not only can earn huge profits, but also can greatly balance the trade of the Ming Dynasty, can offset the deficit caused by the export of Ming raw silk to France.

It seems that the minerals of the north of the country are to France what the Indian opium is to the United Kingdom.

Zhu Jinglun understood that it was impossible for the French to let the Ming occupy the land north of the Red River, so war was inevitable.

"Let's go all out!"

Zhu Jinglun sighed.

Chen Zhiting said: "I am already preparing. ”

Zhu Jinglun shook his head: "It's not enough!" ”

Chen Zhiting frowned: "Please make it clear to Your Majesty." ”

Zhu Jinglun sighed: "Order to build a warship!" ”