The Nanjing street market on Chinese New Year's Eve is exceptionally lively, dignitaries and ordinary people come out with their families to watch the lanterns, and the famous Qinhuai River is even more lively, with a noisy atmosphere. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Zhou Renyuan walked on the banks of the Qinhuai River with Zhu Cihong, Mo Zhu and Wang Fu, quietly watching the figures on the flower boats in the river constantly shuttling, and the debauched laughter of gold sellers and courtesans kept coming from the cabins of large and small boats.

"The merchant girl doesn't know the hatred of the country, and she still sings the flowers in the backyard across the river." Zhou Renyuan said with a sigh. Zhu Cihong and Wang Fuyi had solemn faces, "Daming is in such a situation, these rich people are still happy here, it is really in vain for my people of Daming." Zhu Cihong said hatefully.

"The prince's words are biased." Zhou Renyuan said with a smile. "What, the fourth uncle thinks Cihong's words are wrong?" Zhu Cihong was a little unconvinced. "Do these people have vassal kings and rich clans? Although my father was also a vassal king, I also became a county king half a month ago. Zhou Renyuan smiled bitterly. Zhu Cihong's face turned red, and he snorted, "Fourth uncle, you ---? ”

"The Zhu family themselves don't cherish their own world, and these ordinary people don't cherish it anymore!" Zhou Renyuan spat out turbidity.

"Then Fourth Uncle, what do you mean that if Da Ming wants to be reborn, he must first do it to his own people?" Zhu Cihong looked at Zhou Renyuan nervously, "My father will not agree." ”

"Daming has rotted to the roots, if we don't make a heavy hand, we will all lose the country!" Wang Fuzhi interjected. Zhu Cihong has been in contact with Wang Fuzhi these days, and he admires his knowledge and character, and when he heard Wang Fuzhi say the same, the impact on his young heart was quite great, "Mr. Wang, then—then where do you say to start?" ”

Wang Fuzhi glanced at Zhou Renyuan, and Zhou Renyuan's eyes acquiesced. Wang Fuzhi was encouraged, and said loudly: "Your Royal Highness the Prince, the key is land. The wind of land annexation in the world is becoming more and more intense, and the first thing that bears the brunt is that the feudal kings and clans in various places have encroached on a large number of land, and the meritorious heroes and nobles are ranked second, and then there are powerful landlords. These days, if you look at the land occupied by the nobles of this capital, it can be said that it is shocking, this is still the rich Jiangnan, and the other poor provinces don't know how serious it is! There was a perennial drought in the north, and there were many displaced people, but the imperial court could not come up with enough food for disaster relief, so they turned against it. Is there really not enough food in the world? No, the grain is in the hands of the vassal kings, nobles and heroes, but they are unwilling to sell it to the imperial court, because the imperial court has no money! ”

"Just because the imperial court has no money to buy food, these nobles and heroes are watching the world in chaos? And the land is in their hands nine times out of ten, do they still have the monarch and the court in their eyes? Zhu Cihong's face was flushed with anger, and his eyes were cracked.

"Unfortunately, Prince, this is the reality." Zhou Renyuan said.

"But why didn't the ministers of the court say these words to my father? Don't they know? ”

"Of course they know, and the emperor understands it in his heart. But the ministers of the imperial court do not say that it is because they are all vested interest groups, which officials in the capital are not thousands of acres of good land in their hometowns, and there are few who are really honest. And the emperor is an aspiring monarch, but unfortunately he took over the mess of Wei Eunuch for ten years, and purged the eunuch party after ascending the throne, but he was born at the wrong time when he encountered a natural disaster and the Jurchen kowtowed! This time, I don't think the emperor will punish the nobles who invaded the land in the capital. Zhou Renyuan sighed.

"What does the fourth uncle mean that my father doesn't want to offend these nobles?" Zhu Cihong asked puzzled.

"Other places can be chaotic, but this Jiangnan is absolutely chaotic. Jiangnan accounts for sixty percent of the imperial court's taxes, and it can be said that without Jiangnan's taxes, the officials of the imperial court will drink the northwest wind. In recent years, SXGSHN has been in drought all year round, and thieves have been everywhere, if it were not for the stability of Jiangnan, the consequences would be unimaginable. Your father just wanted to punish these nobles with a heavy hand, but the most serious invasion in the world was our Zhu family, and they were punished heavily, what do other nobles think of us vassal kings and clans? The emperor will not let them leave Germany. ”

"Then Fourth Uncle, didn't you say that you are seriously ill and take strong medicine? Is there any way you can persuade my father? ”

"The prince should know that I have persuaded the emperor to move the capital, and only by moving the capital to Nanjing can everything be done again. It's a pity that the emperor didn't agree. Zhou Renyuan replied helplessly.

"Don't you just care about the North? That's also my land and people! Zhu Cihong said urgently.

"The north is rotten, only by surviving with a broken tail, breaking all the shackles in the north, retreating to the south to build a Ming iron army and then counterattacking the north, my Ming can get a new life, which may take ten or twenty years." Zhou Renyuan looked at the secluded river and said.

"Fourth uncle, your idea is too terrible!" Zhu Cihong trembled. Zhou Renyuan was silent for a while, yes, Zhu Cihong has lived in the deep palace for a long time, and he doesn't know how miserable the world is, all he listened to was the recital from the ministers of the court and some things that Chongzhen told him.

"It's all right, Prince! It's normal that you don't understand it now, and I'm sure you'll agree with me when you travel more among the people. Zhou Renyuan comforted.

Zhu Cihong nodded hesitantly.

After a conversation with Zhou Renyuan, Zhu Cihong had lost interest in visiting the lanterns and proposed to go back to the post house to rest. So the group returned to the inn.

When Zhou Renyuan settled Zhu Cihong and returned to his room, he saw Wang Fuzhi cutting tea and waiting for him. "What's the matter, Brother Nong has something to say to the younger brother?" Zhou Renyuan asked with a smile.

"I can't sleep, I guess His Royal Highness the Crown Prince won't be able to sleep tonight." Wang Fuzhi also smiled.

"Just because of what I said?" Zhou Renyuan joked.

"Renyuan, is your words to the prince on the banks of the Qinhuai River the most useful method for you to use the current Ming Dynasty?" Wang Fu's righteous color road.

"It's the most useful and practical, but unfortunately it's also the most ethereal." Zhou Renyuan sat down and picked up the cup, "Speaking of the most ethereal, I think, and Brother Nong, you should understand." ”

"yes, ethereal nothingness." Wang Fuzhi nodded, sighed, to put it bluntly, everything has to be nodded by Chongzhen, Zhou Renyuan is just a county king, even if he is a prince, he can't interfere with national policy, let alone control the army. After Ming Chengzu, the restrictions on the vassal king were quite strict, and he was afraid that the vassal king would rebel with the army, because Ming Chengzu Zhu Di was the vassal king who rebelled and seized the throne of his nephew Emperor Jianwen. Zhu Changying, the king of Hengzhou, had 20,000 troops in his hands, and if it weren't for the rebellion of the peasant army and Chongzhen's acquiescence to his self-preservation, he would have been impeached and sent to prison by the imperial history. Don't? Wang Fu's heart moved, his face turned pale, he glanced at Zhou Renyuan, and said, "Renyuan, do you want to master more troops to replace the current emperor?" ”

Zhou Renyuan smiled and shook his head, "It's true that you want to master more troops, but you don't dare to replace the word." One is that the righteousness of the world is not on my side, and the other is that I, the emperor, who is not a good emperor, just want to survive in this troubled world!"

Wang Fuzhi breathed a sigh of relief, he was willing to work hard with Zhou Renyuan because he felt that Zhou Renyuan was currently the only hope for the Ming Dynasty, but if Zhou Renyuan had the intention of replacing the imperial court, he would definitely leave Zhou Renyuan, after all, Wang Fuzhi was still a feudal scholar in his bones. "So what kind of arrangements will you make next?"

"Recruitment!" Zhou Renyuan decisively said, "It is better to rely on others than on yourself, I decided to repair a letter to my father, scatter the fertile land of my vassal king's mansion, and give it to those people who have no land, recruit young and strong people to enlist in the army, train in peacetime, and go home to cultivate the fields during farming, and at the same time encourage reclamation, strive to cultivate more acres of land, and increase the population." Originally, I wanted to take you to FJ, but I found out that I didn't treat me these days, and I couldn't wait, so this time I was in trouble, and Brother Nong went back to help my father complete this matter. ”

Wang Fuzhi stood up excitedly and made a gesture, "Renyuan, you can open a precedent in the world, think of the common people, and do not give up for your brother!" ”

"I'm afraid that it won't be safe on the way back, so I'll ask Xiong Tianlin to escort you back with ten personal soldiers! Be careful on the road! Zhou Renyuan advised.

"Thank you Renyuan!" Wang Fuzhi's heart was very moved, and he had a feeling that he was dying as a confidant.

Early the next morning, Wang Fuzhi took Zhou Renyuan's letter and left under the escort of Xiong Tianlin's personal soldiers. Zhu Cihong was still a little reluctant to let Wang Fuzhi leave, and asked Zhou Renyuan sadly, "Fourth uncle, why did you send Mr. Wang away?" Isn't there a lot of helpers around you? ”

"yes, I know that too! But I have too many things to do, I have no skills, I have been away from home for many days, my father and brother Wang are not in good health, and I need someone to help me. Country, country, I can only go home first!" Zhou Renyuan sighed faintly and replied.

"Yes, country before home! The fourth uncle has a magnificent mind, and Cihong is moved! It's a pity that the fourth uncle can't enter the court as a prime minister, otherwise my father has a talent like you to help him, and this Ming may not be like this! Zhu Cihong turned around and looked at the back of Wang Fuyi's departure, and sighed softly.

Zhou Renyuan was also in a trance at this time, he suddenly found that there were very few people around him who could be used, except for Wang Fuzhi, the remaining Mozhu was too small, and he still needed to stay by his side and sharpen more, Shen Tieshan was the leader of his own personal soldiers, he had brains, good martial arts, he could write and martial arts, and he would be a good general in the future. But the pro-soldiers, except for Xiong Tianlin, he hasn't had time to know more. Talent, what he lacks most at present is talent.