In the Imperial Study.

Emperor Chongzhen saw Zhu Daolin, who had put down the dishes and chopsticks, once again picked up an empty bowl and looked at it carefully, as if he was silently evaluating the craftsmanship and texture of the small porcelain bowl.

Before and after a quarter of an hour, Emperor Chongzhen was also full, he comfortably spit out mouthwash, and then took the hot cloth towel handed by the little eunuch, and wiped his mouth and hands slowly.

Zhu Daolin put down the empty bowl very appropriately, and asked in a low voice to the emperor: "This time, I sent a set of enamel tableware with the tribute, I don't know if the emperor has seen it?" ”

Emperor Chongzhen looked at Zhu Daolin: "I saw it on the gift list, but I haven't had time to appreciate it, what?" Is this set of enamel tableware valuable? ”

Zhu Daolin replied solemnly: "It is indeed quite valuable, it was ordered by the minister for 16,888 taels of silver to the most famous porcelain factory in the overseas Tianshu Pavilion, and it is the only one in the world, even if you have money, you can't buy it." ”

Emperor Chongzhen was taken aback: "It's so expensive? ”

Zhu Daolin nodded: "It is indeed expensive for ordinary people, but it is not a matter of silver for the minister, but a piece of mind, although no one told the minister, why the emperor suddenly decreed that the four official kilns that have been inherited for more than 200 years four years ago were stopped, but the minister knew in his heart that this was the emperor's compassion for the subjects under his rule, and it was the emperor's determination to show the people of the world to work hard!" ”

But as a courtier, the minister couldn't watch the Manchu Dynasty civil and military still enjoying a luxurious life, but let the emperor suffer alone. This is a bit of a slippery statement, and it also means a little bit to belittle others and elevate themselves, but the minister doesn't care what others think, and what he says will be comfortable. ”

Wang Chengen and Cao Huachun were very moved when they heard Zhu Daolin's truth, and looked at Emperor Chongzhen, who was also deeply moved.

After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen sighed. threw down the cold cloth towel in his hand, and looked at Zhu Daolin's eyes fixedly:

"The atmosphere at today's court meeting is a little abnormal, I once again threw out two proposals to replace local officials that were originally rejected by the six ministers, but I didn't expect that no one objected, and they were all passed."

Since then, the two-hour court meeting has solved many problems that have been delayed for two months. Even the edict to collect the local tax arrears was successfully promulgated, and none of the Household Shoshu and the two squires and the four givers objected to it, which reminded me of many things. ”

"A moment before the dispersal of the dynasty, the military department suddenly presented a fold in the middle of the matter, full of praise for you Zhu Daolin, and asked me to transfer you Zhu Daolin and the well-equipped Jiangnan New Army to the front line of Xuanda. I know it's a good idea, but I can't make up my mind, so I want to ask you, are you willing to take on this big responsibility? ”

Zhu Daolin complained bitterly in his heart, thinking that he should have come or came, but his face was as calm as ever:

"It's not that he doesn't want to, but he thinks it's not feasible. First, the Forces nouvelles will need to wait until early November to train. Before there is enough training, it is more useful to pull into the battlefield than to go to the ordinary border army that fights all year round. The reason is that the new army is not equipped with broadswords and spears, but new muskets and artillery, which are not sufficiently trained to use skillfully. ”

"I also know that three months ago, Wu Jingxian had already sent me the "Musketeer Drill Code", "Artillery Drill Code", "Sailor Drill Code", "Military Order and Military Regulations" and the training outline of the New Army compiled by you, and I was deeply inspired after reading it. I know that it is not easy to form and train a new firearms army, so I have never mentioned this matter, but I have always had high hopes for you! ”

Facing Zhu Daolin, who was straightforward and straightforward, Emperor Chongzhen also spoke his heart calmly.

Zhu Daolin knew very well that not only were there many secret agents of the East Factory among the instructors of the New Army. Even in the several major workshops under his command, there are Jinyiwei secret agents and Dongchang secret agents who are loyal to the emperor, and the only places without secret agents are the technical research institute directly under his own jurisdiction and the current Yingzhou Island, but Zhu Daolin didn't care about this, as if he never knew, and continued to say his second reason.

"Secondly, once the ministers and the new army south of the Yangtze River are transferred to the north, they must first prepare ordnance and food supplies. Not to mention, in half a year, nearly 10,000 officers and soldiers carried at least 250,000 catties of armor, gunpowder and iron bullets, calculated at 2,000 per new carriage, 125 wagons, plus 350 wagons to transport artillery and marching food, in order to ensure that the army can continue to fight for a month, and when it is used up, it has to be transported from the Jiangnan Gunpowder Factory in time. ”

"If you add the food, clothing, maintenance and replacement parts for the next four months, etc., the amount of military supplies cannot be less than 1.5 million catties, even if such a large supply is borne by the minister, someone needs to transport it for the minister! But looking at the government and the opposition, who can help the ministers? Who wants to do this favor? The soldiers and horses went first before the grain and grass were moved, and this is the truth. ”

The young emperor had to nod, he knew that the numbers Zhu Daolin said were still conservative calculations.

Zhu Daolin continued: "In the end, once the minister leaves Jiangnan, who can take over the immigration development affairs of Yingzhou Island? Who will be responsible for the construction of Baoshan Port and the establishment of the Municipal Shipping Division? Who can trade with overseas nations in the place of ministers? And who would dare to come forward and open up shipping for the emperor? ”

"There is also the Nanjing Firearms Bureau, which is about to start trial production after completion, and the gunpowder factory and the cannon casting factory need to be checked by the ministers personally, without a year and a half of careful teaching and repeated practice, no matter how skilled the craftsman is, he can't figure out the way, and the Nanjing Firearms Bureau will not be able to make a new type of musket, and if it is not possible to build a new type of artillery, even the rejuvenated Jiangnan Navy Division will stop."

"This is because, without the support of the ministers to earn back batches of silver, no matter how capable they are, they can't build a warship, otherwise Wei Guogong wouldn't have to beat his chest and lungs and sigh that he has been stumbling for more than ten years!"

"The above is the minister's opinion, and it is also the biggest thing that the minister reported to the emperor in Beijing this time, no matter how the emperor finally decides, the minister will follow without complaint, galloping on the battlefield to protect the family and defend the country is the minister's greatest wish in this life, everything the minister does, isn't it for this purpose?"

Emperor Chongzhen nodded frequently, and once again fell into a dilemma, he pondered for nearly half an hour, still unable to decide.

Wang Chengen, Cao Huachun and Zhao Huaizhong on the side were anxious, fearing that the emperor would really be bewitched by courtiers with ulterior motives and make the decision to let Zhu Daolin go north to resist the enemy, which would outweigh the losses.

Seeing the worried emperor slowly standing up, Wang Chengen hurriedly ordered the little eunuchs to withdraw from the dinner table and quickly retreat.

Zhu Daolin sighed secretly, came to Emperor Chongzhen, who silently spread out the large "Territory Map of the Ming Empire", accompanied him to open the map, squatted side by side in front of the majestic splendid rivers and mountains, silently looked at the line of the Great Wall on the map, and no one said a word. (To be continued.) )