At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen was speechless and endless, only to hear him say again: "Chen Aiqing can adapt to the situation, although it is not successful, but it is also a great achievement!" ”

Zhou Yanru didn't dare to listen to it anymore, lest he couldn't help but speculate in his heart. He did not hesitate to take a few steps forward, quickly took the urgent report from the hand of the eunuch on duty, and looked at it at a glance.

Zhang Fengyi, the secretary of the Ministry of War, was not able to read this urgent report for the first time, but from Emperor Chongzhen's demeanor, he had already concluded that although the Heavenly Army was not recruited, something must have happened so that the biggest threat to the northwest would no longer exist.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind, could it be that the thief was taken away by God? Or did the thieves get into internal strife and take care of themselves? Thinking of this, he suddenly fell into deep thought, and he didn't even notice that it was his turn to see the urgent report.

After Zhou Yanru saw it, he was also relieved, and secretly wondered in his heart that the Heavenly Army was really making a fuss, since their purpose was just to exchange markets, they could bring it up to the imperial court, why bother with knives and guns!

Naturally, he didn't think about it, if the Heavenly Army didn't show its strength and hurt the imperial court, it would be absolutely impossible for the vast majority of officials to agree to the mutual market demand. As for the many reasons for opposition, such as what was originally a thief of the Ming Dynasty, if he didn't kill him, he should eat fasting and chant Buddha, and he even dared to ask for a mutual market? Maybe it is said that the heavenly army wants to exchange markets because of the lack of materials, if you promise them, won't it help the thieves to grow, absolutely not!

But now, relative to the fall of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, and Sichuan, when there is danger, it is really cost-effective to ask the heavenly army to stop the army in Yulin and only mention the little request of the mutual market!

If the current Jianyu is the same as the Heavenly Army, if he can just put forward the request of the mutual market and stop the army, he will be able to be a stable one!

"Your Majesty, since this is so knowledgeable, why don't you give him permission to exchange markets?" Zhou Yanru just said this. Suddenly, I felt a pang in my heart, as if I shouldn't be such a bird, it seems that I am still too young.

He was in a hurry, and immediately added: "It is commendable to ask the Heavenly Army to sell their killer weapons to the imperial court." If it is not as good as a thousand gold market bones, there will be similarities again. It can be imitated to avoid one more fierce enemy in the imperial court; The second is to show the generosity of the imperial court, showing my Chinese spirit. I wonder if Your Majesty thinks so? ”

Emperor Chongzhen nodded when he heard this, and said with a relaxed expression: "I think so, although I can't let the Heavenly Army recruit and help the imperial court deal with Jianyu, but it can give the imperial court a killer weapon. I think that his group of grass thieves can destroy more than 5,000 Jianyu, and now that the elite division of my court has such a killing weapon, it must not be weak, and it is expected to repel Jianyu! ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!" Zhou Yanru arched his head and bowed his head. Praise loudly.

The sedan chair carried people, whether it was the military department secretary who had already read the emergency report, or other courtiers who could not get their turn, seeing that Shoufu was like this, they also praised unexpectedly: "Your Majesty Shengming!" ”

After a while, when everyone finished reading the emergency report and began to discuss the matter, a problem was suddenly discovered by them. And it seems insurmountable.

That is, although the Heavenly Army can sell their killer weapon, the imperial court can't afford it!

Recognize this fact. The monarchs and ministers in the Wenhua Hall couldn't help but look at each other. The current situation of the poor and rich people in the Ming Dynasty, not to mention the wealth of the people, the poverty of the country alone is vividly reflected at this time.

Zhou Yanru was the first assistant, so he had to speak first and said, "Your Majesty, otherwise, buy him a Heaven-Bombarding Divine Cannon first." A flintlock pistol, and then make the war game imitate? ”

Emperor Chongzhen was very ashamed when he heard this, is this still a big country? People call the Heavenly Army to be able to sell, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to open this mouth here!

Before he could express his position, Zhang Fengyi, the secretary of the military department on the side, immediately objected: "Your Majesty." Never. ”

He was also forced to confront the first assistant, if it was not good to suppress the bandits, it would not be good for the capture of the war, because he was the secretary of the military department, and he had to be responsible. Anyway, he doesn't care about the silver of the imperial court, if he can buy more killing weapons, he will have a better chance of winning on the battlefield, and the position of the secretary of the military department will be more stable.

Zhang Fengyi opened his mouth, and both Emperor Chongzhen and Zhou Yanru turned their heads to look at him.

"Your Majesty, if you think about it, if the imperial court really only buys a sky-bombing cannon and a flintlock pistol, it will be too undignified for the imperial court. Not only is it called the Heavenly Army, but as long as the thieves hear about it, they will laugh at the court. ”

Since Zhang Fengyi objected, he didn't wait for Shoufu to have a chance to interject, and immediately continued: "And there is another disadvantage, if you anger the Heavenly Army, people will not sell it to the imperial court, and I am afraid that it will not only be sold to those thieves." It will also let some ill-intentioned people understand the reality of the court, and if something happens again, I really can't afford it, Your Majesty! ”

Zhou Yanru himself also felt a little blushing, if Emperor Chongzhen said that he would do it himself, then where would this face go?

But he is the first assistant of the Ming Dynasty, and he is considered to be the head of the Ming Dynasty, knowing that there are mice running in the warehouse, so he still has the money to buy a big killing weapon called the Heavenly Army.

But he thought about it a lot, Emperor Chongzhen is also a person who wants to save face, although he knows that he has no money, but such a humiliating thing is absolutely impossible to do.

Therefore, after pondering for a moment, he looked up at Zhang Fengyi and said, "Zhang Qing, what do you think?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that we can follow the previous precedent of purchasing Hongyi cannons from Xiyi in Haojing Ao." Zhang Fengyi said slowly, as if thinking about something, and after speaking, he paused, and said again in a slightly seductive voice, "You can even ask the Heavenly Army to provide gunners to come with the Bombardment of the Heavenly God Cannon to fight for my Daming." ”

When the Ming Kingdom purchased Hongyi cannons from Portugal, they hired Portuguese as gunners to go north, and the treatment was very favorable.

Emperor Chongzhen was overjoyed when he heard this, but in a blink of an eye, the smile was gone. He had to remind Zhang Fengyi: "Zhang Qing, these all need money, where do these money come from?" ”

Who knew that Zhang Fengyi already had an idea, so he immediately replied: "Your Majesty, doesn't the Heavenly Army want to exchange markets, then our court will give another discount." That is, the merchants of the Heavenly Army can go to the interior of the court to do business, and the court does not charge a penny in exchange for the needs of the court. ”

According to the founding law of the Ming Dynasty, commerce was subject to taxation, which was thirty taxes and one; But by the end of the Ming Dynasty, those businessmen with backgrounds, that is, the so-called officials and businessmen, basically evaded taxes and could not collect taxes at all. Take Zhejiang, a major tea-producing province, as an example, there is only a tea tax of a few dozen taels of silver a year. Whatever the reason, it can't be justified, right?

And those businessmen who have no background, the local tax collection is very strong, and they don't care about any 30 taxes and 1 non-tax. However, these taxes do not go to the national treasury, they go to the pockets of local officials.

When Emperor Chongzhen heard Zhang Fengyi's idea, he was overjoyed when he remembered that the imperial court could exchange it for what he needed without spending a penny.

But as soon as he rejoiced, his excited expression disappeared immediately. (To be continued.) )