"What are you afraid of? I'm afraid that there will be no movement! The prime minister waved his hand casually, "People have been doing work for hundreds of years, we are doing it now, how can we do it quietly?" The West is far away, and the selection of the mission cannot be ignored, so you can use dim sum for a while. ”

Seeing that the prime minister had already used such an unquestionable tone, Kong Zhang had no choice but to suppress it even if he had an opinion in his heart.

"Yes, Prime Minister, I'll arrange it when I get back."

"Okay, let's stop here today, let's first write a note about the Spaniards that we just discussed, for Your Majesty's reference, and I will also write another note with Your Majesty about the affairs of the mission, so you all hurry up and do it." Then, the prime minister waved his hand again, and several secretaries who had been waiting in the Wuying Hall also came over one after another, and began to take out the minutes of the meeting they had just recorded for several ministers to inquire.

"By the way, that Japanese envoy is still with your Ministry of Commerce, right?" As if remembering something, the prime minister asked the prime minister again.

"Yes, the envoys of the shogunate are now left in Kyoto by the people below us." As soon as he said this, Shang Minister Zhou Xuezhi's mood suddenly improved a lot, and his face was also full of smiles, "According to my instructions, they are now unhurriedly negotiating with that envoy, and they are scaring him from time to time, but they can toss him miserably...... Anyway, the next thing is not to talk to him about a result, and keep hanging them, so that he can't leave the capital. ”

"Now that spring has begun, if we are not in a hurry, something will be wrong, and it is inevitable that the envoy will be suspicious." The prime minister pondered, "You can almost meet him in person, and be more stern, let him know that we are very angry with the shogunate's actions, and then you can give them a deadline to transport the copper before then—this is like the style of our great man, and the envoys may not be suspicious." ”

"Okay, I'll summon him when I get back." The business minister is full of mouths. He held his breath here with the prime minister, and he really wanted to vent in front of the foreign envoys.

"You have to do it well, and you have to work hard in everything, otherwise, after Chen Sheng comes over, he sees us procrastinating and tired, so don't you have to be angry every day?" Because he was in a good mood, the prime minister joked again, "I don't know what he should think when he hears that the court is going to fight the Spaniards?" ”

At this time, Chen Sheng, who was thousands of miles away, of course did not know that he had become the object of the prime minister's jokes with several old brothers, and he was able to take time out of his busy schedule today to prepare to meet His Royal Highness the Prince.

Ever since he learned from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that His Majesty intended to transfer him back to the capital to serve as Minister of War, he had been preparing for the handover with his usual conscientious and responsible attitude. Although he did not know whether the candidate to succeed him as commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Army would be selected from within the Liaodong Army or transferred from outside, it was always right to make preparations for the handover earlier.

In the past few days, he has written many documents and letters, some for his successor's reference, and some for his subordinates, warning them to obey the law after he is gone, and never to cross the thunder pond again. However, because he was now far away in Jinzhou City, there were many things that were inconvenient to do, so he asked his henchman Ning Zeguang to hurry back to Shenyang City, the headquarters of the Liaodong Army, to temporarily preside over the handover matters, and first take a clear inventory of the accounts of the Liaodong Army's money, grain, and arms storage.

After several days of busyness, although he had great energy, he still felt a little tired, and finally stole a little time to meet the prince.

Unlike Chen Sheng, who lives in the barracks, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince lives in the best post house in Jinzhou City, and since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince moved in, this post house has always had civilians who come to stop and watch, and every time the prince goes out to inspect the post house, it will cause boiling cheers among this group of people. Although the guards were worried about affecting the safety of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and wanted to disperse them, the Prince stopped them.

When they saw the famous Marshal Chen Guogong coming to visit, the onlookers burst into applause, and Chen Sheng ignored them and came directly to the post house with the guards.

Because of the presence of His Royal Highness the Prince, the usually bustling post house is now empty, but it is a little more secluded.

As soon as the prince, who had been studying, heard that Ji Guogong was visiting in person, of course he didn't let him wait, and directly let him see him.

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince." After coming to the prince's residence, Chen Sheng first bowed meticulously.

"Ji Guogong doesn't have to be polite." The crown prince hurriedly asked him to excuse himself, and then looked at the other party with some curiosity, "I don't know why Ji Guogong suddenly came to visit?" ”

"The minister is here for the business of Goryeo." Chen Sheng's answer was very straightforward.

"Goryeo?" As soon as he heard this, the prince couldn't help but become serious. "Please also ask Ji Guogong to explain in detail."

When he left Beijing, his father had already told him about the dispute between the Han mission in Goryeo and the Goryeo royal family, and also entrusted him with carte blanche to deal with the affairs of Goryeo, so he has been sad about how to deal with this matter for a while, so he naturally attaches great importance to it.

"The minister should have told His Royal Highness the Crown Prince about this before, but he didn't know the whole situation at that time; Second, I didn't know that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was fully responsible for this matter, so I didn't immediately report it, and asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to forgive me. Chen Sheng confessed first.

"What is the crime of the national prince?" The prince shook his head, "I...... I'm just an ignorant teenager, and with such a militaristic matter, I should have acted seriously. ”

"Your Highness doesn't have to be presumptuous, with Your Majesty's knowledge of people, since you can be entrusted to Your Highness with full authority, it will naturally not be wrong." Chen Sheng smiled rarely, "Your Highness, today the minister has just received news that Shi Gaoyi, the head of the mission in Goryeo, is about to come to Jinzhou and will soon ask to see His Highness." ”

Shi Gaoyi is the head of the mission, and it stands to reason that he cannot easily leave the host country, and this time he chose to leave, it seems that he has obtained the permission of the Ministry of Internal and External Affairs. He also knows how to behave, and he sent a clipper to greet Liaodong before he set off, so Chen Sheng could receive the news first.

"What? This...... This ......" The prince was suddenly a little surprised. "He came to see me in Liaodong?"

For the crown prince, Shi Gaoyi is also the master of this incident, he was still thinking about how to deal with the other party, but he didn't expect him to take the initiative to come to Liaodong to ask to see him, which really surprised him.

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to inspect Liaodong and Goryeo, and in his capacity as His Royal Highness, it is reasonable for the head of the mission to personally come over and make a front stop." Chen Sheng smiled, "It's just that this head Shi is famous for his exquisite heart, I'm afraid it won't be just to greet His Highness......"

"Does Guogong also think that something is wrong?" The prince became even more nervous, "This head of mission came here, I'm afraid it's also because of some weakness...... In this way, the accusations made against him by the lord of Goryeo are not completely fabricated? ”

"To say that it is completely fabricated is naturally unlikely...... Where did the lord of Goryeo have the courage to frame the **** leader? Chen Sheng's smile became deeper and deeper, "However, there is no disciple if you are observant, and the head of the Shi regiment has been in Goryeo for many years, and he has greatly safeguarded the interests of our dynasty in Goryeo. ”

“…… What Guogong means is that Chief Shi is a meritorious hero, so shouldn't he be punished for his crimes based on the accusations of the lord of Goryeo? The prince asked immediately.

"Punish crime or not, this is a decision that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can make alone, and the minister can't decide on behalf of the prince," Chen Sheng shook his head slightly, "Your Highness don't make a decision because of the minister's words, it's better to take a look at it again and deal with it according to your heart, anyway, Your Majesty has given His Highness full power." ”

Seeing that Ji Guogong didn't want to interfere with his decision at all, the prince couldn't help but feel a little angry. The head of the mission in Goryeo was also a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and now such a high-ranking official, even including the lord of Goryeo himself, had all the future and fortune in his hands, and he had not made such a major decision, so he could not help but feel a little worried.

"Ji Guogong, the lord of Goryeo said that in Goryeo, there are Han people who rely on their relationship with the embassy to wantonly accumulate wealth, be greedy and tyrannical, and wantonly bully the Goryeo people, causing displaced people in many places in Goryeo, and the embassy is aware of it and intends to cover it up...... Are these things true? After thinking for a while, the prince asked again.

"If it's all false, that's not true." After hesitating for a moment, Chen Sheng, who has always been outspoken, also gave a rather obscure answer.

"In other words, there is indeed such a thing, and there are many similar things?" The prince understood what he meant.

Then, he was slightly annoyed, "If there really is something like this, then I can't ignore it, how can the reputation of **** be ruined by a group of black sheep?" Goryeo has always been quite deferential to our country, and it would be too bad if a handful of lawless mission officials were chilled. ”

"Your Highness, this matter is not so simple, please calm your anger." Seeing that the crown prince was suddenly angry, Chen Sheng hurriedly advised him, "The mission also has all kinds of unavoidable places, and you can't blame them all. ”

Chen Sheng spoke for the mission that he had nothing to do with him, mainly because many of the so-called "illegal acts of oppressing the Goryeo people" were committed by the Liaodong Army, and in order to expand financial resources and supply military supplies, the Liaodong Army has always participated in the border trade between China and Goryeo, and has obtained a lot of benefits. In addition, in the area between the northern part of Goryeo and the Han Dynasty, there are now a large number of Han-controlled farms and farms, and their backstage is actually the Liaodong Army, and it is precisely because of the Liaodong Army that these businessmen dare to oppress the Goryeo people so unscrupulously, creating such a big public anger in Goryeo.

Chen Sheng had always known about these things before, and he acquiesced. Now that Liaodong has gradually calmed down, the finances and supplies of the Liaodong Army are no longer so tight, so Chen Sheng also intends to let the Liaodong Army withdraw from these businesses and let real businessmen take over.

"Why is that?" After listening to Chen Sheng's explanation, the prince was suddenly a little dazed.

He was starting to feel that the matter was a little tricky, and it wasn't as easy to handle as it seemed. There is no doubt that as the crown prince, he should deal with it impartially, so as not to chill the feudal kingdom and the people of the world, but the Liaodong Army is the main army of the Han army, and its merits are first-class, and some of the things he did before are also for a reason, and he really doesn't want to hit the morale of the soldiers of the Liaodong Army because of Goryeo.

"Ji Guogong, is there any way to get the best of both worlds?" After thinking for a while, he couldn't help but ask Chen Sheng.

"This matter involves the Liaodong Army, and the minister does not dare to say anything." Chen Sheng still didn't let go, and refused to use his identity to influence the prince, "The minister only has one sentence to suggest to His Highness - most things in the world are not black and white, and most people in the world are not good or bad, Your Highness." Governing the country is about weighing the pros and cons and acting in compromise, rather than necessarily distinguishing between good and bad. ”

"Weigh the compromise...... the prince silently recited two of the words several times, savoring the meaning. What does Ji Guogong mean is that he wants to make some gestures to appease the Koreans, but also not to hurt our interests too much, so do you want to compromise on it? ”

Chen Sheng just smiled slightly and didn't answer again.

"......" The prince lowered his head and thought quietly for a long time.

"In any case, the people of the Liaodong Army must withdraw from these camps, and they are not allowed to participate in them in the future." After a long time, as if he had made up his mind, the crown prince finally raised his head and looked at Chen Sheng, "It is the national policy of my father that soldiers are not allowed to get involved in business, and they must stick to it to the end." Even if there were extenuating circumstances before, it's time to stop now, right? The salaries paid by our court to the officers and soldiers are rare in previous generations, so we should be fed even if we have an appetite, right? I also ask the national government to issue a strict order, and similar behaviors must be strictly prohibited in the future! Otherwise I can't sit idly by! ”

The prince's tone was rarely so heavy, which made Chen Sheng stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted.

"What the prince said is exactly what the minister thinks, now that Liaodong has been peaceful, the Jurchens or the Mongols are no longer in trouble, many of the previous practices do not need to be done now, the minister has now ordered to go down, and any officers and soldiers in the Liaodong army are prohibited from being involved in it in the future. Moreover, after the establishment of Liaodong Province, the Liaodong Army will also be more constrained, and it will not be the same as before. ”

"That's good......," the prince finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"However, after the withdrawal of the Liaodong Army, what does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince plan to do with those big men in the merchants, granges, and fields? Are they all the property of the Han merchants, and they were all returned to Goryeo? Chen Sheng suddenly asked.

The question was a bit acute, but the prince did think about it just now. "These properties are the property of the Han people and cannot be returned, but in the future, these businessmen can only operate in accordance with the law, and stop doing those things that destroy the relationship between the two countries......

Although the crown prince was ostensibly restraining these merchants, he had secretly recognized the benefits they had seized in Goryeo, and only asked them to restrain them in the future for the sake of the relationship between the Han and Goryeo, as well as the control of Goryeo.

"Of course, the method that the prince said is good, but ...... With the temperament of the Goryeo people, they will definitely gain an inch, if we let the Liaodong army withdraw, these merchants will have no backup behind them, and then the Goryeo officials will definitely blackmail and coerce the Han merchants," Chen Sheng still remained silent, "Rather than trouble later, it is better to call these merchants back first." ”

"This must not happen!" The prince didn't know that Chen Sheng was deliberately testing him, so he immediately objected, "These industries are all accumulated little by little by Han merchants, how can they be handed over?" It is true that I want to maintain diplomatic relations between the two countries, but I am not sacrificing the interests of the Han merchants, as far as I see, these merchants do not have to withdraw, just continue to operate in Goryeo, and I will let the Goryeo people ensure that their property is not disturbed. ”

After a pause, perhaps because he felt that he was speaking too outrageously and explicitly, he unconsciously justified his reasons, "The courtiers of the Goryeo Kingdom are extremely corrupt, even if they return these properties to the Goryeo people, they will definitely be greedy for ink from top to bottom, and they are not good at management, and in the end these industries will be ruined." Rather than this, it is better to let the merchants of Dahan continue to operate, which is good for Dahan and good for Goryeo. ”

After hearing his defense, Chen Sheng also laughed.

"Since Your Highness knows that Goryeo is rampant and lawless, how can you believe that their officials will not bully the merchants of the Han Dynasty after the Liaodong Army withdraws from commerce?"

"This ...... Our dynasty is a kingdom above Goryeo, and Goryeo should treat our dynasty with deference, and I will never allow them to bully our merchants. If the Goryeo officials really dared to do this, then they would have no excuse to find, and the Han could punish them one by one and make them compensate. Anyway, as long as there is a little bit on the Han side, the industry of the Han merchants can be saved, and there is no need for the Liaodong Army to be involved, which has ruined the internal discipline of the army in vain. After a slight hesitation, he lowered his voice slightly, "In addition, a large number of sergeants are discharged from the Liaodong Army every year, and these veterans can be placed in the property of the Han merchants, and the Han merchants will protect each other, and they will not be afraid of bullying by the Goryeo magistrates." ”

After he finished speaking, he suddenly felt a little apprehensive, and looked at Chen Sheng uneasily, as if he was a student waiting for the teacher to review the answers.

Chen Sheng didn't speak at first, but just kept looking at the prince, as if he was sighing something.

Just as the prince was about to ask another question, he suddenly let out a long sigh.

"The prince is right, he should do this, if it is a minister, the minister intends to do the same."

As the world became more and more stable, the military needs of the Han Dynasty became smaller and smaller, so a large number of sergeants would retire every year, and the Liaodong Army was naturally no exception. When these sergeants leave the army, in addition to being paid a discharge pay, they need to be placed in a local place.

Most of the officers will be awarded land according to their respective military ranks and military merits, and after returning to their hometowns, these veteran officers have developed the habit of obedience because of their years of military experience, and have mastered military skills, so they will become the backbone of local governance in the Han Dynasty. However, after all, the fields in the world are limited, especially most of the inland provinces that have not suffered military disasters during the change of dynasty, and the imperial court can only confiscate the fields from the private property of the former Ming clan and some puppet officials.

In order to solve this problem and allow the veterans to enjoy their old age as much as possible, the court also debated for a long time, and finally came up with two solutions.

One is to encourage local legions to reclaim land in the frontier provinces, and then grant these fields to retired soldiers to immigrate to the border in disguise.

However, this practice was questioned a lot from the beginning, because most of the frontiers had not been peaceful for a long time, there was too little land that could be stably cultivated, and there were not many people, and most of the environment in the frontiers was very harsh, even if the land was cleared, it was very difficult to cultivate, and not many soldiers were willing to stay here to farm because they could get the land granted.

In order to save money for the country, the former Ming stipulated that the soldiers of the guards in various places must be soldiers for generations as military households, and then cultivate the land of the guards, but the fields of the guards will eventually slowly flow into the hands of commanders such as Qianhu, and in the end, these military households can only be bound to the land for generations, unable to change their own identity and that of their descendants, no different from slaves.

The monarchs and ministers of the Han Dynasty all came from the Ming Dynasty, and they have also seen a lot of the tragic situation of the former Ming military households, and they are very reluctant to let the past repeat itself.

So after a long discussion, everyone proposed another solution, that is, to give the land in the frontier in the form of large fields to the meritorious veteran officers, and use these people to consolidate the situation in the frontier - these frontier landlords can organize civil defense teams in the local area to assist the Han army in maintaining local law and order, and the retired soldiers can freely choose, if they want to stay in the frontier, if they are not willing to stay, the Han government will help find a way out.

Unlike the former Ming Dynasty, the government of the Han Dynasty itself was a huge economic system, and the government represented by the cabinet owned all the merchants, sea ships and cargo industries in Yunshanxing, as well as a large number of factories, mines and granges, which themselves had a huge demand for labor and could absorb a huge number of employed people, so these places became the largest flow of veterans. Since most of the soldiers in this book have developed good health during their military careers, and some have also learned practical skills such as horse breeding and machinery, and they are accustomed to being obedient to their duties, they have also become the workers they like to hire everywhere, and both sides are very satisfied.

In this way, all over Liaodong, the newly conquered lands were already covered with large tracts, all the way to Goryeo, and most of the owners of these farms sent their adult children to serve in the army. Unlike the military households of the Ming Dynasty, these people took the initiative to do it, out of gratitude to the army, and by the way, they continued to seek protection for their families.

Therefore, Chen Sheng said that the Liaodong Army "withdrew", where was it so easy to withdraw? The prince is just looking for another name, what the regular army is not allowed to do, and the veterans are justified in doing it.

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Two more into one 6,000 words

May 1st, 52nd, 53rd, three days off, and I wish you all a happy holiday