The conversation between the two lasted for a long time, Luo Jian didn't know much about Zhang Zhengchen, and some things were not easy to talk about, but he just told him that the Yangzhou army would never compromise with the Qing soldiers, so he could rest assured.

However, from Zhang Zhengchen's conversation, Luo Jian felt that he was still relatively open-minded, and his thinking was clear, and he was a good talent, so he had the idea of digging him up, but he had to go back to Yangzhou to discuss it with Shi Kefa, and he knew the officials of the DPRK and China very well.

After being held back for a day, the divisions began to maneuver in different directions early the next morning, and Luo Jian also led the first division back to Yangzhou.

Sure enough, as Zhang Zhengchen expected, the first division returned to Si County, and the imperial court sent a messenger to ask the Yangzhou army to withdraw, but this time it was Zhang Cheng, a eunuch in the palace, who came.

When Zhang Cheng saw Luo Jian, he honestly ran to Luo Jian to kneel down and salute, but was stopped by Luo Jian.

"Father-in-law Zhang, you know that I am the most dislike of kneeling, and you still come with me to do this?" Luo Jian said with a smile.

"Grandpa Guo, there is no way to do it, I don't want to come to pass on this holy decree, but the emperor and the Ma Ge Department are very anxious, lest the Manchu court refuse to negotiate peace, and the ministers of the court and the central government are unwilling to come, the emperor has to let the little one come to pass the decree, and the prince of the country should not blame the small one." Zhang Cheng said very earnestly.

"Grandpa Zhang, you are not younger than anyone, you don't have to say anything 'small' in front of me, you are so reluctant to come to see me?" Luo Jian said with a smile.

"Ouch, only Grandpa Guo treats us who are still in prison as human beings, Zhang Cheng is unwilling to see Grandpa Guo, Zhang Cheng is unwilling to come to preach this holy decree." Zhang Cheng was indeed very moved, this is indeed the truth, if it weren't for a few eunuchs in the palace who showed up, no one else treated them as normal people in this era.

"Why is that?" Luo Jian asked.

"Although Zhang Cheng is in the palace, he also understands that what the Manchu Qing Dynasty wants is the Ming Dynasty, and this court is still there for a day, how can the Tartars be willing to negotiate peace? This peace talk is only temporary, the emperor can't understand it, but the Ma Ge Department should understand, why they are still so urgent, Zhang Cheng is a little puzzled. ”

"Hehe, Gonggong Zhang is reasonable, let's go, let's talk while walking, we have to go back to Yangzhou anyway." Luo Jian said and got on the horse.

"Grandpa Guo also wants peace talks like them?" Zhang Cheng was a little anxious.

"They want to be safe, I want to take my fist back first, do you say it's the same?" Luo Jian said with a smile.

"Grandpa Guo said this, Zhang Chengke understood, and Zhang Cheng didn't believe that Grandpa Guo would be the same as them." Zhang Cheng said with a smile.

"There is a saying, Zhang Cheng doesn't know whether to say it or not." Zhang Cheng drove the horse and followed Luo Jian closely, not daring to be side by side with the same sword, and said hesitantly.

"I said, how are we talking when you follow behind? If there is something to say, Grandpa Zhang said it directly. Luo Jianluo reined in and walked side by side with Zhang Cheng.

"Zhang Cheng feels that the Ma Ge Department seems to be extremely distrustful of Grandpa Guo now, and often goes to the palace to say the words of Grandpa Guo in front of the emperor, and Baoguo Gong and Chengyi Bo and others are also picking thorns in the Yangzhou army in the emperor's ears all day long, Grandpa Guo must not be guarded against!" Zhang Cheng said and glanced back, and saw that Luo Jian's guards were far away, so he was relieved.

When Luo Jian heard this, his heart moved, but he didn't see that Zhang Cheng was really an understanding person.

"Grandpa Guo, Zhang Cheng is grateful to Grandpa Guo for treating Zhang Cheng as a person, if Grandpa Guo can trust Zhang Cheng, he will send some people in the capital, if there is news in the palace, Zhang Cheng will report to Grandpa Guo as soon as possible." Zhang Cheng spoke very quietly.

Luo Jian was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately finalized it with Zhang Cheng.

"Don't be too public, you have to protect yourself." Luo Jian said.

Zhang Cheng didn't speak, but was secretly grateful in his heart.

The retreat was not in a hurry, Luo Jian and the first division walked for seven days before returning to Yangzhou, Zhang Cheng did not enter Yangzhou City, and went back to Nanjing directly, but Zhang Zhengchen followed Luo Jian to Yangzhou, it seems that he is not ready to return to Nanjing.

After leaving Yangzhou for more than a month, the outside of Yangzhou City has become unrecognizable to Luo Jian.

It has become a large construction site, next to the barracks is being built is a textile factory built by Liulan, looking at its appearance is estimated to be about to put into production, several places next to it are also building factories, I don't know which factory it is, the houses have also increased a lot, and a street is about to form outside the east gate.

Shi Kefa, Ren Minyu, Yi Bangcai and others were already waiting outside the east gate.

"Xinghua, you guys are really fighting so well this time, the situation in Jiangbei has changed greatly!" Shi Kefa stepped forward and said to Luo Jian.

After capturing Xuzhou and Huai'an, in fact, the former garrison of the four towns in Jiangbei has been basically restored, that is to say, in this direction, it has returned to the situation before the Qing troops moved south.

"This Yangzhou is developing so fast, it's only been more than a month since I left, and I can't recognize it." Luo Jian pointed in the direction outside the city and said.

"Yes, when you built the barracks far away, I think you thought too far, and now it seems that it will be better to go farther." Shi Kefa said with a smile.

Zhang Zhengchen, who was following behind, hurriedly stepped forward to meet Shi Kefa, and greeted Ren Minyu and others.

"Xinghua, go back to the house and say, you must be tired after walking for so long." Ren Minyu stepped forward and said.

A few people walked as they talked, and soon returned to the Dadu Governor's Mansion.

Let Shi Kefa and Ren Minyu and others drink tea in the hall, Luo Jian simply washed up and sat down, seeing that Luo Jian was seated, Wang Xiuchu had already taken out a notebook and began to record.

"Xinghua, what do you think of this peace negotiation in the Manchu court?" Shi Kefa asked first.

"Opportunity and challenge." Luo Jian said simply.

"Oh, how do you say?"

"The opportunity is that we Yangzhou is in need of time to develop, this time is coming, the challenge is that the Manchu court will not wait for us to develop, will take all means to hinder our development, and then it itself must consolidate development, it depends on what we do." Luo Jian explained in detail.

"Yes, we can't think that peace is really coming, the Manchu Qing Dynasty is not the original Jin State, and our court is not the Southern Song Dynasty." Shi Kefa said.

"Even if the imperial court is the Southern Song Dynasty imperial court, Brother Xian, do you think we will tolerate most of the country being invaded by foreign tribes?" Luo Jian said with a smile.

"Yes, we have to hurry up with all the time, Xinghua, do you have any plans?" Shi Kefa asked.

"I think we have to plan our own development as soon as possible, and my opinion is to gather officials above the county level, let's study it carefully, what is the focus of our development? How to develop? You have to have a plan. Luo Jian said.

"Yes, with a goal, a focus, a direction, coupled with your advanced technology, it is difficult for us to develop well in Yangzhou." Ren Minyu said with a smile.

"I think before this meeting, we all go down to do some research and research, without investigation and research there is no right to speak, and do a careful study of the various situations in the whole region, so that we can make a plan in our hearts and not be blind." Luo Jian said.

"This is not only for us to do, but also for officials at all levels, and the officials who govern a place do not know the situation under their own rule, can they still manage it well?" Shi Kefa added.

"Investigation and research should be done to know the local people's lives, transportation, taxation, industry and commerce, water conservancy, and so on, and this workload is not small, and we can only focus on local officials, and we will do some sample surveys as an auxiliary." Luo Jian said.

"Xinghua, when do you think the meeting will be?" Shi Kefa asked.

"At least a month later, I will have people send the notice as soon as possible, so that the officials of the prefectures and counties can start the investigation immediately, and we will also arrange sampling surveys in various places. Brother Xian, this time I have made up my mind, if there are perfunctory and irresponsible officials, I will never be soft! Luo Jian said resolutely.

"Alas, Xinghua, there is something I haven't had time to tell you yet, you have to be mentally prepared." Shi Kefa said with a sigh.

"Oh? What's up? Luo Jian was a little surprised.

"The imperial court sent a group of officials over, and you are in Huai'an, for fear of affecting your battle, so I didn't tell you, I placed them down." Shi Kefa said helplessly.

"I don't care who sent it, I don't do practical things, I just want to be an official to make a profit, if I don't do it well this time, let them get out!" When Luo Jian heard this, it was useless to blame Shi Kefa, but if these people did a good job, it would be fine.

"Xinghua, we also have to consider our relationship with the imperial court, if we turn our faces with the imperial court, they cut off our military salaries, grain and grass, and Yangzhou will not have a good time." Ren Minyu persuaded.

"What are we developing for? It is in order not to be controlled by others, and when the war resumes in the future, we can rely on our own strength to turn the tide and save the building from collapse. If we become like the officials in Nanjing, do we need to develop? Luo Jian patiently explained.

"Therefore, I also have the intention of taking the opportunity of this meeting to rectify the rule of officials, and to be an official and a master, we in Yangzhou resolutely do not want it! In the future, we will evaluate officials to see whether the living standards of the people under their administration have improved and whether their economic production has improved, not by how much tax they have collected. Luo Jian continued.

"Xinghua, there is no standard for what you said? How do we assess? Shi Kefa asked.

"Brother Xian, there are standards for these things, for example, the improvement of people's living standards, we can still take the form of sample surveys. There is a special subject here, called statistics, and when I have time later, I will give classes to the officials, and let them understand that they don't need to find every citizen in the county to figure out their living standards. Luo Jian explained.

"There is another point, we in Yangzhou should train financial personnel as soon as possible in the future, and the scientific financial system can also better prevent official corruption.

"We also have to do a detailed investigation of the officials' salaries, I know that the salaries of Ming officials are extremely low, and it is difficult to support their families, this is not good, we must improve the treatment of officials, so that they can do things with peace of mind. As for what standard to raise, this should be determined according to the development of Yangzhou. ”

Luo Jian kept talking, Wang Xiuchu kept recording on the side, and even Zhang Zhengchen found a pencil and paper out of nowhere, and lay on the table to record it seriously.

Shi Kefa and Ren Minyu stopped talking and quietly listened to Luo Jian.

"Brother Yuhou once said to me, our Yangzhou army won a great victory in Huai'an, and no one in Nanjing took it seriously, and the ambassador of the Manchu peace talks arrived in Nanjing, and the whole Nanjing city was like crazy. On the bright side, this is people's minds, and the common people want to live a stable life, on the other hand, this is called 'businesswomen don't know the hatred of the country'! It's called Gou and stealing peace! But does our half of the country have the foundation of the Southern Song Dynasty? I don't think so! ”

"This situation must not appear in Yangzhou, peace is not given by others, it is by us to fight with knives and guns, do not drive the Tartars out of China, peace will never come, this must form a consensus in Yangzhou!"

Listening to Luo Jian's words, everyone in the room fell into deep thought.

PS: Friends who are still paying attention to this book, because the author has been riddled with trivial matters recently, I can only change one more a day, please understand, and when I am busy with this time, I will resume two changes a day, and I apologize to you again!