But now that things have just begun, the Ming Kingdom has lost a prime minister and hundreds of officials.

That's a lot of money.

If we continue to push hard, there will be more bloodshed.

can give up reform, Baili Wuji will never agree, the cycle of rise and fall, if the Ming Kingdom continues to go back to the old path, even if it is strong now, it is just a copy of another Tang Empire.

The most basic reason for the fall of empires is that they cannot repair and improve themselves.

The longer the empire exists, the more powerful the interest groups will become, and it will be difficult to reform.

For example, once a son of heaven and a courtier, many lords will be born in each dynasty, and these lords can be hereditary, and the more dynasties the empire replaces, the more lords.

And the heirs of these lords, a large family, as long as they live, can reach out to the court to ask for money, so that the court alone spends half of the tax on their annual income, or even most of it.

Such a country is undoubtedly a self-destructive grave.

This is one of the fundamental reasons why every empire falls.

After a while, Xu Shiming looked at Baili Wuji who was still in trouble, and he said softly: "Has the emperor ever thought about retreating as a way forward?" ”

Baili Wuji's footsteps paused, and he turned his head and asked, "Xu Xiang, please make it clear." ”

Xu Shiming swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty and said, "Time." Please ask the emperor to be lenient for these old ministers, the war of the Ming Kingdom is over, not only the people need to recuperate, but these old ministers also need a transition time. The emperor was at his peak in the Spring and Autumn Period, and he could implement reforms even if he was ten years later. Why bother with this moment? ”

Baili Wuji's face was a little cold, and he asked: "Xu Xiang, do you want me to see these corrupt officials rampant in the states of the Ming Kingdom for another ten years?" ”

Xu Shiming retorted unceremoniously: "The emperor can't conclude that there is no good official among the old ministers, right?" ”

"You ......." Hundreds of miles of unscrupulous speech.

Truly. Even among the bad guys there are good people, not to mention that the old ministers also grew up reading the books of sages.

It's just that the old ministers have a relatively low ability to accept compared to the new recruits of the two schools in the Ming Kingdom, and they have the bad habits of the old officialdom, so it is difficult to change them from the roots.

This is also the fundamental reason why Baili Wuji gave up reforming the old ministers.

It takes time to develop habits and styles, but once they are formed, they need to be changed. It will take longer and be more difficult.

But Baili Wuji couldn't refute Xu Shiming's words, because Baili Wuji himself knew that there were now hundreds of thousands of old officials in the Ming Kingdom. Even if 10% of them are good officials, it will be a big number.

One percent is more than 10,000 people, which is only one percent compared to more than 100,000 people. But if it comes out independently. More than 10,000 people are 10,000 families and a population of more than 100,000.

What's more, the proportion is not necessarily only 10% of good officials.

And these people will become the victims of the Baili Wuji reform and suffer from the disaster in vain.

This may be the personality that Baili Wuji has cultivated since he was a child - "Ci is not in charge of the army".

Sacrifice, for victory, is necessary and inevitable.

But politics is different. It could be done in another way entirely - compromise.

The exchange of interests is carried out on the premise of achieving the goal. That's the other way.

It's a pity that Baili Wuji can't understand and can't recognize it.

As the commander of the Ming army, Baili Wuji is outstanding, but as a politician, Baili Wuji is still not enough.

And this is Xu Shiming's strength.

Xu Shiming took a step forward and persuaded: "Your Majesty, the minister has a plan, please consider it." ”

Baili Wuji nodded and said, "Speak." ”

Xu Shiming said: "Dali country please surrender, and send Princess Foyin to Jinling to make peace, very sincere." In this case, why not allow Dali to surrender? On the one hand, the emperor canonized, chased Feng Xiang, appeased the old ministers, and on the other hand, the Dali Kingdom was included in the territory of the Ming Kingdom, and after that, the emperor could slowly transfer the old ministers to the Dali State in batches. ”

Baili Wuji smiled bitterly again, he understood Xu Shiming's words, Xu Shiming was thinking, as long as Baili Wuji did not immediately clear the old ministers, set aside time, and use the surrendered Dali Kingdom as the "garbage can" of the Ming Kingdom, and then send the old ministers to Dali Kingdom batch by batch as "garbage".

In this way, the Ming country was quiet, and Baili Wuji also achieved the goal of reform, and in addition to a group of officials who were really angry with the people, at least half of the old ministers could be sent to Dali to continue to be officials, and some good and reformed old ministers continued to stay in the Ming country.

In fact, Xu Shiming's words are feasible, but the question is whether Duan Sicong is willing?

He sent Princess Foyin to come and kiss, what kind of idea he was fighting, it can be said that Sima Zhao's heart is known to passers-by.

The problem is back to square one.

Duan Sicong was not happy, so he had to fight, but he could fight, these old ministers of the Ming Kingdom were not happy, and now even if Baili Wuji gave up using the war to reorganize the armies of various states, no old minister would believe it.

It's not fighting now, and it's not going to be fighting.

Xu Shiming saw Baili Wuji smiling bitterly, and he asked tentatively: "What is the emperor's difficulty?" Please also advise. ”

Baili Wuji said casually: "Will the Duan clan of Dali agree to Xu Xiang sending officials to Dali?" ”

That's the most critical point of the question.

In fact, everyone understands that when all the officials of Dali are appointed by the Ming State, even if Duan Sicong is still the emperor, he is just a bare-bones commander and a puppet.

Think about it, how can Duan Sicong agree to such a thing?

In order to be a hundred miles of unscrupulous, it is better not to be famous, but also to seize real power.

Xu Shiming listened to Baili Wuji's question, and he smiled, because the meaning of Baili Wuji's words showed signs of loosening.

In other words, as long as the Duan clan agrees with the Ming State to send officials to Dali, then Baili Wuji is likely to agree to Xu Shiming's strategy.

Xu Shiming is undoubtedly a born politician, as long as there are gaps, there is hope for success.

Xu Shiming smiled and said to Baili Wuji: "Although this matter is difficult, it is not without hope that it will be done, it just depends on whether the emperor is willing or not?" ”

Baili Wuji replied: "Xu Xiang's idea, I recognize, as long as the Duan family agrees that eighty percent of the officials of Dali will be appointed by the Ming court, I will agree to the surrender of Dali and no longer send troops to attack." ”

Xu Shiming was more relieved, because the conditions proposed by Baili Wuji were a little looser than before, that is, not all Dali officials were appointed by the Ming court, but only eighty percent.

It sounds like a lot of eighty percent, and only two percent are left for Duan, but this needs to look at the base.

Xu Shiming estimated the approximate population of Dali and the corresponding number of officials, and there were at least 20,000 or 30,000 officials in the country. (To be continued......)