The Qing court wanted to use the peace to get a respite, thinking that it had made a great concession, but it did not really realize that the Ming Dynasty at this time was no longer the Ming Dynasty before, different from the financial bankruptcy of Chongzhen, different from the satisfaction of Hongguang and indulged in pleasure, different from the internal strife between Lu and Tang, and different from the weak strife of Yongli.

The war had to be fought without interruption, and even if it could not lead to a decisive victory for the time being, as long as the Manchus were left in such a tense military state, the Qing court's finances would be bankrupt for two or three years at most.

Although the finances of the Ming Dynasty also faced difficulties, they were only temporary. Thanks to the numerical advantage of the population, Jiangnan will be rebuilding and recovering very quickly, and the first season of grain will be harvested soon, and the shortage of grain and grass materials will be greatly alleviated. By the end of autumn, the second season of harvest, plus other areas, the Ming army would have the material base to launch a strategic general offensive.

Therefore, negotiating peace was not considered by Zhu Yongxing at all. Why can you fight and? At present, public opinion and the morale of the people can be injected, and the tone of "expelling the Tartars and restoring China" must always be maintained. This was not only directed against oneself, but also against the internal oppression of the Manchus, which helped to continue to weaken their hearts.

Judging from the overall strategic situation, the Ming army is in an increasingly advantageous position. The situation in Shandong was becoming less urgent because of the crisis within the Manchus, and although the Manchus had mobilized a patchwork of troops, they had not yet been able to reach the strength of a counteroffensive and stabilize the Jiaodong Peninsula as a base.

But the advantage was not overwhelming, if the Qing army quickly carried out a strategic contraction, the forces deployed in Jianghuai were thrown into the Shandong battlefield. It will inevitably prompt the Ming army to make corresponding troop increases. Time, the Qing court needs to breathe and adjust, and the Ming court also needs to raise and hoard supplies. to supply all armies, all strategic directions.

Obviously, Shandong is inclined, whether it is the distance of transportation, or the economic situation of the recovery area, and the difficulty of collecting supplements on the spot, more grain and grass materials are needed.

…………

"The knighthood is a recognition of patriotism. It is not to give them the privilege of exonerating themselves from sin in the future. Not to mention the people, even if it is a prince and a general, the sinners will be investigated. Zhu Yongxing explained the reason to the important ministers. In order to avoid the suspicion and accusation of selling official positions, in fact, the main purpose is to be able to raise more materials and money, "Moreover, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Criminal Justice will conduct investigations." to ensure that the knighthood conferred on him does not fall into the hands of those who have bad deeds. Disgrace the court. ”

Guo Zhiqi, the Zhengqing of Dali Temple, was just about to get up and play, but Zhu Yongxing had already stretched out his hand to signal him not to be impatient.

"As for what will happen to them in the future, who knows?" Zhu Yongxing shook his head lightly and said, "Don't talk about a prince, even if they are princes and generals, who can guarantee that they will not commit crimes?" ”

"Long live Qijuan, Weichen thinks it's okay for the time being, but it's not suitable for a long time." Zhang Huangyan said cautiously: "Official, fame." The important weapon of the country should not be lightly awarded. Businessmen are mercenary. Donating money is also selfish. ”

"As long as you abide by the law and make profits, you don't have to be overly despicable." Zhu Yongxing said: "I said before that businessmen are patriotic, traitorous, law-abiding and legitimate, and illegal profits. As for the important weapons of the country, of course, they should not be lightly given, but they may not only be available to scholars. For those who contribute to the state, giving it is also an encouragement and an example. ”

Ye Hu, the secretary of the Ministry of State Security, diverted the topic, and the matter of conferring the title of the people was decided, "Long live Qi, Zheng Zhaoren has returned from Burma, and the information presented shows that Mang Bai does have a heart of disobedience, and many of the Burmese ministers have been bribed by him. And Mangbai was very shrewd, and sent a secret envoy to contact Zheng, hoping that our dynasty would send an envoy to congratulate him after he ascended the throne, and he promised to return the emperor and his ministers unscathed. ”

Congratulations? Mangbai's intention was obviously not to obtain wealth, but to strengthen and consolidate his position in politics through the symbolic congratulatory message of the Ming emperor.

Zhu Yongxing pondered for a moment and sneered: "Since you are reckless and knowledgeable, what does it matter if you promise him?" I've already been relieved of my vassal status, so sending an envoy to congratulate me isn't a loss of national identity, right? ”

Of course, there are still vassal states, but it is not the previous tributary system, and Zhu Yongxing hopes to turn it into more practical interests.

The tributary system was a hierarchical network of political order that existed in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia from the 3rd century BC until the end of the 19th century, with the Central Plains Empire of China as the main core.

After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, clearly stipulated that Annam, Champong, Goryeo, Siam, Ryukyu, Sumatra, Java, Huanheng, Baihua, Sanfuqi, Boni, and other Western and Nanyang countries were "non-conscripted countries", which actually established the actual scope of China's control. He also established the tributary principle of "thick and thin". Eventually, the tributary system was established, which became the prevailing system of international relations in the Eastern world. In this system, the Central Plains regime of China became the center of the unitary power, and the tributary states recognized this central position and constituted the outer vassals of the central power.

Under the guidance of the policy of thick and thin, many small countries flocked to the tributary, because the Ming Dynasty gave very generous rewards and was calculated on a per capita basis. Later, the tribal officials in the country were also enthusiastic and rushed to send a large number of tributary teams. This overwhelmed the finances of the late Ming Dynasty and forced it to limit the number of tributaries.

Zhu Yongxing was not interested in this symbolic sense of "all nations coming to court", and he wanted to gradually make the treaty system the main system of international exchanges with European countries. At the same time, the colonial system was implemented in a targeted manner as the dominant system for interaction with other weaker tribes.

To put it bluntly, Zhu Yongxing is also a "mercenary" generation, who doesn't like imaginary things, but prefers practical interests. Relatively speaking, the treaty system and the colonial system should be more practical.

And the Ming Dynasty has already dissolved the vassal relationship with Siam and Burma, whether it is a helpless move or not, it is already nominally an equal state relationship. Therefore, sending an envoy to congratulate the new king on his accession to the throne is not a drop in price. Of course, Zhu Yongxing doesn't care about this. If he can achieve his goal without a fight, it is naturally his first choice.

"Mangbai wants to usurp the throne, is his words credible?" Chen Shaoyu, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, expressed doubts, after all, the matter of sending envoys belonged to his department.

"Since he is plotting to usurp the throne, Mang Bai is worried that his matter is not right, and he must need to be recognized by the Celestial Empire." Ye Hu said optimistically: "And long live is already on the throne, and it is not good for him to detain the Emperor and his ministers." ”

Zhu Yongxing thought that Ye Hu's analysis was reasonable, but he still thought for a moment before he spoke: "Then let He Jiuyi capture the Burma Pass and help Mangbai." Well, the transferred army continued to rush towards Yongchang to prevent Mangbai from repeating his actions. ”

(To be continued......)