"Let's talk about something else." Sun Chuanting changed the topic and said, "Dad wants to hear your views on today's general trend. ”

Wang Pu said: "Dad, do you want to listen to the truth or lie?" ”

"Nonsense." Sun Chuanting didn't have a good breath and said, "Of course Lao Tzu has to listen to the truth." ”

"The truth is that the climate of thieves has become a success, and it is impossible to exterminate them in two or three years." Wang Pu changed his words and continued, "And if you rush too quickly, it may encourage the arrogance of the thieves and accelerate the process of the collapse of the situation in the five northern provinces." ”

Sun Chuanting frowned and said, "Is it so serious? ”

Wang Pu said solemnly: "I'm afraid that the actual process is even more serious than what my son said." ”

Sun Chuanting said: "With your firearms battalion, you can't exterminate the thieves?" ”

"Dad, there are only 4,000 people in the firearms battalion!" Wang Pu smiled bitterly, "But the thieves have at least 500,000 troops, and the difference in strength is too great, and everyone spits and drowns their son's firearms battalion." ”

Sun Chuanting said: "Of course one firearms battalion can't do it, but what if there are ten firearms battalions? Can't you still destroy the thieves? ”

Wang Pu said: "Dad, don't be joking, how much silver does it cost to form ten firearms battalions?" Do you think the current financial situation of the Ming Dynasty can support it? ”

Sun Chuanting said: "What if Lao Tzu gathers the financial resources of the five northern provinces? How many firearms battalions can be formed? ”

Wang Pudao: "How much financial resources can the five northern provinces have?" ”

Sun Chuanting said: "It should be able to squeeze out 200,000 yuan a year. ”

"Two hundred thousand taels?" Wang Pu smiled bitterly, "Forget it, Dad, 200,000 taels of silver is only enough for half a year's salary for the 4,000 soldiers of the firearms battalion. ”

"What did you say?" Sun Chuanting frowned and said, "Two hundred thousand taels of silver is only enough for four thousand soldiers for half a year's military salary?" ”

Wang Pu said: "Dad, this is only the monthly expenditure of silver, if you win the battle, the reward is a lot of money, if an army wants to have super combat effectiveness, it is not enough to rely on equipment and training, more is to rely on silver to smash out, let's say the firearms battalion under the son, do you know how much silver the son threw into it?" ”

Sun Chuanting said: "How much silver was smashed?" ”

Wang Pu said: "Counting the pension of the fallen soldiers, the reward after the victory, the silver for buying weapons and equipment, the silver for buying grain and forage, plus the monthly salary for the soldiers, it has exceeded one million taels!" ”

Sun Chuanting was speechless: "Need so much silver? ”

Wang Pu said: "Dad, the army is a machine that eats money, and the war is not silver in the end?" ”

Sun Chuanting said: "Fortunately, your Wang family is the richest man in Shanxi, and some of them are silver. ”

"Hey, don't." Wang Pu hurriedly shook his hand and said, "It's true that our Wang family is the richest man in Shanxi, but now all the industries have been transferred to Jiangnan, and my son has no surplus silver in his hands." ”

"Stinky boy." Sun Chuanting scolded with a smile, "Don't think that Lao Tzu doesn't know anything, the king donated two million taels of silver during the siege of Jiannu, as well as 200,000 taels of Gonggong Zhang, of which hundreds of thousands of taels were spent on rewarding the soldiers and people who defended the city, and hundreds of thousands of taels were used to help Datong refugees, so there should be nearly one million left, right?" ”

Wang Pu said: "Do you know this? ”

"Ugh." Sun Chuanting suddenly sighed and said, "If you do what you said, even if there are one million taels of silver, it is only enough to form another firearms battalion, and two firearms battalions are still too thin, but if you can't even count on the firearms battalion, then this matter is really a bit tricky......"

Wang Pu said: "Dad, if you listen to your son, it is best to take a defensive position against the thieves and Jiannu now, hold the strategic points such as Tongguan and Shanhaiguan, try to divide and confine the enemy in one area, and then restore the new policy in the ten provinces south of the Yangtze River as soon as possible, first improve the bad financial situation, and then step up the formation and training of the new army when the treasury has money and food, and when the new army is trained, first destroy the thieves, and finally free up your hands to clean up the Jiannu outside the pass." ”

"Ugh." Sun Chuanting sighed and said, "Why don't you want to be like this for your father, but Long live the lord will not wait, and those imperial historians in the court are even more dumbfounded waiting to pick your father's thorns, if your father can't exterminate the thieves in Henan within a year, he will be dismissed at the least, and his head will fall to the ground." ”

Wang Pu said: "So you can only be Cao Ying, and if you become Cao Ying, you don't have to pay attention to Long Live Lord, let alone those bullshit imperial historians in the court." ”

"Shut up." Sun Chuanting said angrily, "Lao Tzu has said it, don't mention it again in the future." ”

Wang Pu heaved and stopped talking.

Sun Chuanting thought for a while, and suddenly asked, "Son, if your father wants to transfer your firearms battalion to Kaifeng, will you go or not?" ”

Wang Pu said: "Go, but there is a condition." ”

Sun Chuanting said: "What conditions? ”

Wang Pu said: "You have to go to the court and transfer your son to Nanzhili to be the chief soldier." ”

"Nonsense." Sun Chuanting said angrily, "How can there be a reason to blatantly ask for an official from the Lord of Long Live? ”

"There's no way around it." Wang Pu smiled and said, "If you don't transfer your son to Nanzhili as a general soldier, then your son will have to stay in Datong and not move his nest." ”

"How can it be?" Sun Chuanting said angrily, "You stinky boy dare to blackmail Lao Tzu? ”

"Dad, don't get angry, it's useless to get angry." Wang Pu said with a smile, "My son is not intimidating, let me tell you the truth, if you can transfer your son to Nanzhili as a general soldier, your son can help you train 100,000 elite divisions within two years, and you don't need a penny of silver from the treasury!" ”

Wang Pu was telling the truth, he really didn't think about taking a penny of silver from the treasury of the Ming Dynasty.

But then again, with the rebellious things that Wang Pu did in Datong, he didn't want to get another copper and a grain from the treasury.

"100,000 elites?" Sun Chuanting said movingly, "You kid want to be Cao Ying, right?" ”

Wang Pudao: "Dad, as long as the people of the whole world can live in peace, as long as the national glory of the Ming Dynasty can prosper forever, it doesn't matter whether the way is reasonable, it doesn't matter if the process violates the ancient teachings of the saints, what matters is the final result, this is called the same end, what you say?" ”

■■■

Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

When Emperor Chongzhen was reviewing the recitals, Wang Chengen entered the hall with a bowl of ginseng soup and said respectfully: "Long live Lord, you have already approved the recitals for a day, it's time to rest." ”

"Hmm." Emperor Chongzhen put down the red pen, got up and stretched, and suddenly asked, "Chengen, Sun Chuanting should have arrived in Datong, right?" ”

Wang Chengen replied respectfully: "From the itinerary, it should have arrived." ”

Emperor Chongzhen asked quietly: "You said that Sun Chuanting could not cure Wang Pu?" ”

"It's hard to say." Wang Chengen shook his head and said worriedly, "But no matter what, the slave still hopes that the master can reform and put state affairs first." ”

"No, it won't." Emperor Chongzhen shook his head and said, "Wang Pu has done so many rebellious things, it is impossible for him to turn back, alas, I knew this, I really shouldn't have let him go back to Datong in the first place, if he was left in Jingshi, he might still be able to become a tiger general, but let him go to Datong, but let the tiger return to the mountain." ”

"Ugh." Wang Chengen also sighed, and said with regret, "Although Lord Ma won the battle of Datong, saved the people of Datong, killed a lot of Jiannu, and captured a few leaders of Jiannu, he still lived up to the expectations that Lord Long Live had for him." ”

"You're still speaking for him?" Emperor Chongzhen's eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of imperceptible fierceness, and he said in a low voice, "Sometimes I really want to send Jinyi Guard to send him to Jingshi for questioning, but I am afraid of the army in his hand, if he jumps over the wall and runs to the thief, the consequences will be unimaginable." ”

"yes." Wang Chengen nodded and agreed, "This matter has to be discussed in the long run, so I can't rush it." ”

Emperor Chongzhen sighed faintly: "It's just that Ru'er who has suffered me, alas, ......"

■■■

Shengjing, Dolgon's mansion.

Dolgon asked Fan Wencheng and Ning Wan to summon him to his house overnight, and said: "Mr. Wen Cheng, Mr. Wan, I just got the news from Xizuo that Hao Ge and Tan Tai were captured alive by Wang Pusheng after the defeat of Datong, and now they have been executed by Ling Chi at the entrance of Yanjing Caishi. ”

"Good thing." Ning finished me and said, "As soon as Haoge dies, your head and abdomen will be eliminated, master." ”

"What is Hauge?" Fan Wencheng disagreed, "The chief regent, Zilharang, is the master's henchman. ”

"Yes, yes, yes." Ning Wan chimed in, "Now it's time to clean up Zilharang. ”

"There's no hurry to clean up Zilharang." Dolgon shook his head and said, "The top priority is to form a firearms battalion as soon as possible, at least ten firearms battalions like Wang Pu's, also to use muskets, but also to use the kind of tactics used by Wang Pu, Wang Pu's firearms battalion is too powerful, if we don't catch up, we will definitely perish under Wang Pu's firearms battalion in the end." ”

(To be continued)