Wan Qian refers to whether the peak can bear the fifty-fourth section of the storm (II)

February of the first year of Chongzhen

The governor of Fujian has already announced that he will levy the Jinghai tax to consolidate the maritime frontier, and this time he will do his best for his official career, and he will persuade the Fujian political secretary to only need 30% of the Jinghai tax in the future, and this money will be used to build post stations and official roads for Funing Town in name. In the past, the sea tax in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou was only charged to ships that came to the port to berth, and it was about 100,000 taels of silver per month.

Now what Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng have come up with is very different from the previous sea tax, the Jinghai tax stipulates that all ships passing through the Taiwan Strait must pay taxes, and the price is determined by Funing Town, and there is no need to report to the imperial court for permission, so everyone understands that the money of this Jinghai tax is only a lot more than in the past.

What's more, in the past, most of the sea taxes had to be handed over to the central government, and the Fujian political secretary himself could only intercept two or three percent, and half of it had to be owned by Funing Town. Now that the ban on the sea has been ordered, not a single tael of silver in taxes has to be transported to Nanjing or Beijing, so the officials of the Fujian Provincial Government Department are of great interest.

Even according to the previous sea tax, the chief minister could get 30,000 taels of silver a month, and if Huangshi raised the tax again, the magistrate thought that it was not impossible to get 50,000 or 60,000 taels of silver a month. As for Funing Town, which has the lion's income, one or two million taels of silver a year, it is naturally not unusual, and this rumor soon spread in Fujian Province, and the number of people who volunteered to join or marry into Funing Town increased, almost completely canceling out the impact of the previous defeat of the officers and soldiers.

On the basis of this Jinghai tax, Funing Town finally threw out the long-planned Jinghai loan. This is a high-interest loan for a period of up to 12 years, starting from the third year, Funing Town will repay 30% of the loan amount every year, and after 12 years, the repayment will be 300%. Funing Town desperately advocated that Jinghai's big loan should be collateralized by Jinghai tax, and the quality was absolutely guaranteed, and at the same time, there was also a guarantee from the Fujian Political Division.

This time, in order to facilitate fundraising, Huangshi also specially organized people to print exquisite IOUs. The top-to-bottom IOUs of Jinghai's large loans are divided into five modes: 1,000 taels, 100 taels, 50 taels, 10 taels, and 1 tael, which are bearer convertible securities. Huang Shi hopes that this will make the securities more widely circulated, that is, borrow more money.

Of course, anti-counterfeiting is also very important, in the past month, the Funing Town Military Industry Department has been busy in this regard, and finally made a set of original watermarks and carvings. In the end, the bonds were densely covered with all kinds of seals, and even Huangshidi's personal signatures were carved into plates, which were also printed on the Jinghai bonds in one go.

Recently, there has been a lot of trouble due to pirates. Most of the money of Fujian merchants was smashed in their hands and could not be spent, this time there was such a famous person as Huangshi as a guarantee, and the one-year Pingban loan was also repaid well, so many people came to buy Jinghai loan, at this time there was no insurance company, and there was a lot of risk in running and trading outside.

Now Yellowstone has opened a mysterious door in front of everyone, and behind the door is a new road to riches, leading to a treasure trove that has never been seen before. You don't have to do anything in the future. As long as you sit in your own yard and watch the sky, the total principal and interest will be 300% within 12 years, which is so tempting that many people flock to it.

February 20, Quanzhou

Today, the Jinghai loan officially began to be sold, and the first batch of bonds was printed in Huangshi, with a total of one million taels of silver. Huangshi is in a hurry to use money. Therefore, he gave the buyer a small discount for two months on this batch of bonds, and the loan date was calculated from the first day of the first month of the first year of Chongzhen. As a result, the purchase situation was beyond the expectations of Huang Shi and Zhu Yifeng, and in just one day, more than 700,000 taels of 1 million Jinghai loans were bought.

Looking at the crowd of people outside the political secretary who were eager to buy bonds, Huang Shi said thoughtfully: "It seems that it is necessary to print another 500,000 taels of silver as soon as possible." ”

At this time, in addition to Zhu Yifeng and Huang Shi, there were also several Fujian political officials who were close to Governor Zhu. After listening to Huang Shi's words, their faces turned a little pale, unlike Huang Shi, who was happy, as more and more debts were sold, the hearts of these magistrates became tighter and tighter, in case they could not pay the money in the future. The court will definitely kill people as scapegoats.

Yellowstone was the only one in the group who wasn't worried. He also explained to several civil officials: "Rest assured, gentlemen, we are calling the future prosperity as collateral to tide over the current difficulties." Also known as spending money today and tomorrow, it is the most amazing and excellent way to manage money in the world. ”

"Isn't it just that Yin eats grain?" a civil official muttered quietly behind his back, and Huang Shi just laughed when he heard this.

Now Zhu Yifeng no longer has any civil official stands, he hurriedly said to Huang Shi: "Huang Shuai, let's hurry up and build a water division, this battle must be won, otherwise where will we make up so much silver in a few years." ”

"If we can borrow more silver, won't we be able to clear the Haikou sooner and start collecting the sea tax?" Huang Shi retorted nonchalantly, and after a short pause, he said to himself: "It's so decided, and we will rush back to Xiapu in the end, and print another 500,000 ...... No, Jinghai borrowed a million taels of silver and sent it back to Governor Zhu here. ”

Before Huang Shi went out, Zhu Yifeng grabbed his clothes again, and said with excitement on his face: "Huang Shuai, this battle must be won, otherwise we will find millions of taels of silver there." ”

"Haha, haha," Huang Shi laughed a few times and comforted Zhu Yifeng: "Lord Zhu, don't worry, if we can't calm Haikou within two years, we don't have to worry about repaying the money." ”

Seeing that Zhu Yifeng's face turned pale, Huang Shi hurriedly comforted: "Lord Zhu, don't worry, just for these many righteous people who support the Funing Army, we will also sweep away Haikou and return the fathers and elders of Fujian Province to a peaceful world." ”

Since Huang Shuai has such confidence, the official is waiting to hear the good news. Zhu Yifeng seemed to be a little dissatisfied with Huang Shi's definition of the person who bought the debt as a "righteous citizen", he turned to look at the large number of businessmen outside the Yamen, and said coldly: "What kind of righteous people? ”

Twenty-fiveth. Xiapu, the headquarters of Funing Town

"Marshal, my Funing Army has expelled most of the pirates from southern Fujian, and the losses of the Panshi Camp and the Xuanfeng Camp are negligible. However, the thieves are still entrenched in Tongshan and Penghu in the Zhongzuo Institute (Xiamen), and our Funing Army has no sailors and cannot expel them, and the thieves are constantly harassing them. Our army is not strong enough, and I am afraid that we will not be able to take care of the entire Fujian Province for a while. ”

"Hmm. Huang Shi looked at the map for a long time and didn't speak. After the destruction of the Funing Army, the Earth and Water Division. Zheng Yiguan had firmly grasped the control of the sea, and tens of thousands of pirates could maneuver back and forth by water, while the Funing army could only run on two legs. In order to prevent accidents, the fire battalion now has to stay in the old camp in Xiapu, and they dare not go out to fight at all. In the face of Fujian's long coastline, the strength of officers and men is really stretched.

In the months since Huangshi left, more than 5,000 heroes have come to Xiapu to join the army. With the addition of the troops of the Tianyi Battalion, they can almost make up two battalions of combat troops, but they lack technical troops. At present, the teaching team is training them at the Kasumigaura camp. Huang Shi planned not to assign the two battalions artillery and engineer corps to the fortification of the two battalions for the first time, and to send them to defend the key points along the Fujian coast once the pikemen and musketeers were well trained.

The staff officer also emphasized: "The impassability of the shipping route has led to a sharp drop in the income of Fujian Province, and General Liu has written from him that the large loan of Pingban can no longer provide too much land. ”

The first batch of Pingman's large loans has entered the repayment period, and the risk of shipping to Fujian has been greatly increased. Liu Qingyang's monthly profit is now less than 150,000 taels, and with the problem of payment, the amount of silver that Shandong can subsidize to Huangshi every month has dropped to less than 100,000 taels. Liu Qingyang wrote again to complain, telling the Yellowstone Dark Council that she is a hen that can lay eggs, but the priority now should be to fatten it, not kill the chicken for eggs.

Fortunately, however, the "Jinghai Loan" was quite successful. Yellowstone's forces still have a way to survive for the time being, so the pressure on the Dark Council is not very great.

Two hundred thousand taels of silver were spent by Yellowstone in a blink of an eye, the twelve-pound cast iron cannon was determined to be in production, and the beta version of the eighteen-pound cannon was lifted off the boring machine yesterday, and experimental shooting will begin today. At the same time, Bao Jiusundi's Military Industry Department also submitted a production plan for the 24-pound cannon to Huangshi, and this plan was a formality here in Huangshi, and after he signed it, the Military Industry Department would include the design, production, and testing of the 24-pound gun in the plan.

At the same time, ten battleships were already under construction. This time, Huangshi simply built a one-time fleet and directly cut fresh wood to build ships, although this kind of ship will fall apart after ten months of launching and sailing. But for Yellowstone, this time is basically enough. Anyway, he didn't plan to fight the pirates for four or five years.

The envoys of Funing Town were sent to the coast of Zhejiang, and these people were all officers of the former Funing Town Water Division. Huang Shi asked them to scout whether there were any big ships that could be transformed into warships along the coast of Zhejiang, and asked them to ask for the price and quickly return back. At the same time, there were also officers sent to Yungui, and at this critical juncture, in addition to continuing to let Shandong merchants buy wood from Chen Jisheng, Huangshi also decided to take the convenient Yangtze River waterway, and also began to buy wood from Yungui.

Looking at the large number of production plans and the amount of materials that are increasing every moment, Huang Shi is the person who can feel the vitality of Funing Town the most, and he smiled at the staff officers around him: "The ministers in the court are all waiting to see the jokes of our Funing Town, they more or less know that I Huang Shi already owes a lot of debts, and they all think that I can't make up the money for the water builder by saying anything." ”

Several staff officers had admiration on their faces, and they almost simultaneously replied in a loud voice: "They are wrong. ”

"Yes, they were wrong. Because civil officials are not monolithic, although there are countless people who want to see me Huangshi unlucky, there are also a large number of people who want to share the merit and money from me. Soon, the adults in the court will hope that I will not be able to calm the pirates, and in the end they will only cry and beg them to pull me. Huang Shi grinned and swept the staff officers around him and asked loudly, "Will they succeed?"

Several staff officers straightened their chests one by one and replied in a high-spirited manner: "No, those dog officers will never succeed!"

"Yes, you work hard!"

......

In March of the first year of Chongzhen,

When the envoy of the imperial court arrived in Fujian, Yu Zhigao was immediately released and asked to report to the headquarters of Funing Town as soon as possible to make meritorious service for his crimes. At the same time, the envoy of the imperial court also brought another will......

March 7, Kasumigura.

Today, Huang Shi, Zhao Slowxiong, Jin Qiude, He Dingyuan, Yang Zhiyuan, Jia Minghe and other high-ranking officers of Funing Town have arrived, and they have all come to see Wu Mu off. According to the old practice, the civil servants were responsible for dispatching and the eunuchs were responsible for supervising the food and wages, and now Chongzhen ordered that the power of the eunuchs should also be transferred to the civil officials. All the eunuchs of the local prison army returned to the palace to listen to it.

"Today, Huang Shuai and the generals can come to see us off, which shows the hospitality!" Wu Mu raised his wine glass and saluted. Then he threw his head up and drank it down, and then wiped his mouth with his sleeve with a big grin.

"Grandpa Wu, please. ”

"Ambassador Wu, please. ”

But everyone's voices were low, and after they had whispered, they all drank the wine from their glasses slowly, and then slowly put it back on the table.

"Haha, our family is no longer Ambassador Wu...... Alas, our family was not an ambassador in the first place. It's all lifted by a few generals. Wu Mu was now wearing only a set of ordinary unqualified cloth clothes, and this time the Holy Decree stripped him of his official title, and also declared him a prisoner to be investigated. Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng were also transferred back to Beijing at the same time, and they were asked to escort Wu Mu back to Beijing by the way. Now these two people were still standing behind Wu Mu as usual, but at this time, they were like two elementary school students who had done something wrong, and they seemed to be very uncomfortable with their fears.

"Zhang Qianhu, Chen Qianhu, have a good trip. Huang Shi led the toast to the two men again. When they followed Wu Mu to Immortal Island a few years ago, they were just two small flag officers. But now they are all majestic Jinyi Wei Qianhu, and the Jingshi is now discussing the merits of the two of them in the southwest, and it is said that they will probably be rewarded with the rank of commander and envoy.

"Thank you. The two brocade-clothed guards replied in a low voice, and drank the wine silently.

From the beginning of stepping onto Changsheng Island, Wu Mu, Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng, who were still three little people at that time, always got together to drink and brag, and by the way, they talked about their ambition to strive for wealth. This habit has not been changed for so many years. Seeing that the two of them finished drinking, Wu Mu generously raised the wine jug to his two escort officers as he usually drank, and the two of them also nodded as usual: "Thank you, Gonggong Wu." ”

"There has been news in the palace, and several people have reported that our family is a ...... of Grandpa Wei."

Wu Mu's words had just begun, and Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng interrupted him and shouted in unison: "Grandpa Wu!"

Wu Mu still didn't care, he smiled: "What are we afraid of? Even if everyone in the world says that Grandpa Wei is rebellious, our family still has to call him Grandpa Wei!"

Everyone was silent, and Wu Mu continued the topic just now: "Some people in the palace said that it was Gonggong Wei who brought our family into the palace. also said that Gonggong Wei asked our family to go to Changsheng Island. also said that Father-in-law Wei has been promoting our family...... They weren't wrong, so this time they framed Duke Wei for rebellion. Let's just say that our family is also in the know. ”

"The Donglin Party wants to deal with this case poorly, to record our family's confession, and to force our family to admit that Wei Gonggong conspired against him. Everyone remained silent, but Wu Mu laughed: "But our family will only say loudly: This is not true, even though Gonggong Wei is wrong, he is loyal to the first emperor." ”

Wu Mu had already written a note, and he handed it to Chen Ruike and asked him to forward it to the emperor: "I heard that most of the people said bad things about Duke Wei, and those who refused to agree were beaten to death. ”

When he said this, the muscles on Wu Mu's face trembled, and he recalled the pain of the board falling on his buttocks in his mind: "Our family will never fall into the hands of these villains, and our family will never cry and beg for mercy." ”

Huang Shi couldn't help but speak: "Gonggong Wu!"

"Huang Shuai, you don't have to say anything!" Wu Mu pushed his right arm forward suddenly, and with one finger of five fingers, Huang Shi's words were choked back into his stomach. After Wu Mu stopped Huang Shi, he slowly retracted his arms again, slowly put his hands on his knees, and sat on the bench with a golden knife and talked eloquently:

"Our family knows that Huang Shuai wants to persuade our family to endure and get through the difficulties in front of us first, but our family will not do this. Our family has been running rivers and lakes with the master since childhood, and we knew from the beginning that the grace of dripping water should be reciprocated, if there was no Wei Gonggongdi, our family would have starved to death on the street a few years ago, without Wei Gonggong's words, our family would not have been sent to Changsheng Island, and there would not have been a chance to meet Huang Shuai and the generals, and ......"

Wu Mu turned around and hugged his fists at Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng: "I won't have a chance to meet the two brothers." ”

Both of them respectfully clenched their fists in return: "Gonggong Wu is polite." ”

Wu Mu turned back to Huang Shi and said calmly: "Our family has had a good life for several years. also saved a lot of savings, and Father-in-law Wei also allowed our family to succeed his son, and the ancestral incense was also preserved. Although our family is a father-in-law, he is an ambitious father-in-law, and our family can't do anything to take revenge. ”

Huang Shi Zhengse said: "Gonggong Wu is loyal and patriotic, and his righteousness is not disgraceful, and I respect my father-in-law with a cup." ”

Wu Mugan laughed twice. He drank all the wine in the cup: "For many years, our family thinks that we are diligent. Those who are loyal to the king, although they ......" Wu Mu's voice suddenly lowered a little: "Although our family received a lot of money from Huang Shuai, it ......"

Wu Mu's voice suddenly became high-pitched again: "But the errand handed over to our family by Lord Long Live is always taken to heart by our family, and our family has never dragged the soldiers back, and has never conspiracy to frame anyone!"

Huang Shi also nodded and said: "It is indeed Huang's great luck that Gonggong Wu can come to Huangshi as a supervisor." ”

After getting the affirmation of Huangshidi. Wu Mu shook his head and sighed for a long time, and finally smiled miserably: "Alas, if our family is a civil servant, with so many years of hard work, we can always end up with a good ending." ”

In the final analysis, Wu Mu was just a eunuch, and no matter how the emperor disposed of him, no one would raise any objections. Wu Mu's spirit was a little sluggish, and then he cheered up again. He untied a small burden beside him, took out a silk bag from it, and solemnly handed it to Huangshi.

Huang Shi took the silk bag with both hands, square and heavy. He carefully opened it in Wu Mu's expectant eyes, and inside were several thick volumes, with a few big characters written crookedly on the cover, "Wu's Art of War". At first glance, it looks like a person who has just learned to write for a few years.

"This is our family's hard work for several years," Wu Mu's eyes were still staring at the set of books when he spoke, his eyes were warm as if he was looking at his own children, and his tone became gentle: "We often hear people say that 'a book with a name for eternity', alas, it is impossible for our family to have an heir, so we always think that we can leave something, and it is not in vain to come to this world and go away." ”

"Huang Shuai, we would like to invite you to take a look at this book, if there are any small mistakes. Please also help our family to change. In the future, we can let our son publish it. ”

Wu Mu's face was full of expectation when he spoke, and Huang Shi nodded lightly: "Gonggong Wu can rest assured." I'll definitely change it for the better. ”

"Thank you so much Huang Shuai. ”

Like the banquet at the foreland of Farewell to Changsheng Island, Wu Mu ended up getting drunk. During the banquet, he once again sang a big song for the generals of the Funing army. After drinking, Wu Mu asked Chen Ruike to help him and staggered towards the boat escorting him back to Beijing.

Huang Shi suddenly remembered something, so he ran two steps to chase after him, untied the sword that Wei Zhongxian gave him, and handed it to Chen Ruike, but his eyes looked at Wu Mu and said: "This sword was handed to me by Gonggong Wu, and I don't know how much blood is dyed on it, so Gonggong Wu will take it for self-defense." ”

Chen Ruike was stunned for a moment, and quickly took the sword and put it away. Wu Mu has always been a little superstitious, always worried that he lacks yang energy, and after death, demons will invade his mausoleum, which will not only make him restless after death, but also detrimental to the future of his adopted son. Wu Mu often said that Huangshi's sword was full of energy, so Huangshi gave it to him as a funeral companion to bless Wu Mu. Wu Mu, who was full of wine, bowed his hand at Huang Shi again: "It is enough for our family to get acquainted with Brother Huang in this life!"

After getting on the boat, Zhang Gaosheng helped Wu Mu tie a rope and an iron ball around his waist, Wu Mu said goodbye to the two first, and then waved his hand at Huang Shi and the others on the shore, turned his head and jumped out of the boat......

Chen Ruike and Zhang Gaosheng of Jinyi Wei Qianhu reported that on March 11 of the first year of Chongzhen, Wu Mu, a prisoner, took advantage of the unpreparedness of others and committed suicide by throwing himself into the water in fear of crime.

......

Three days later, on the night of March 10

In the past two days, Huang Shi would go to the study every night to take out Wu Mu's manual and read it for a while, at the beginning, Huang Shi was quite patient to help him revise it, but the next night Huang Shi became a little impatient. After opening Wu Mu's suicide note again tonight and reading two pages, Huang Shi finally sighed: "This rewriting is even more tiring than heavy writing, and Grandpa Wu is completely out of the way." ”

After a few more moments of grumbling, Yellowstone finally mustered up the courage to examine again. Although the words in the booklet in his hand were all written crookedly, they were not scribbled at all, and every word was written clearly and meticulously. After reading the whole book, there was no correction in the whole book, which made Huang Shi sigh again, and it can be seen how many drafts the owner of the book has typed.

Huang Shi gently closed Wu Mu's book and carefully tied it with silk cloth, and then he took out a few books from the bottom of his bookcase. This is exactly what Huang Shi personally wrote down and has always kept secret about his military training experience. It is also mixed with a large number of war examples since he started the army. Huang Shi rubbed the book cover for a moment, then opened it with his own painstaking efforts, and found what he was looking for by the candlelight.

It was Huangshi's previous combat command diary, which recorded in detail Huangshi's prediction of the battle situation and battlefield, as well as the reasons for his choice of corresponding strategies and tactics, and Xiong Tingbi's comments and analysis of these battlefields were also included. The manuscripts were written in neat fine letters, and each battle was accompanied by a topographical map and a review of the commander's own gains and losses.

Huangshi moves the pen like the wind. Many of these first-person narratives have been changed to two people's dialogues, and it looks as if Wu Mu had collected them from Huangshi through dialogue. The chapter on the Battle of Golden State was quickly revised, and Yellowstone checked it again from the beginning, and felt that there was no major problem, and similarly if the revision was made carefully, there would be no flaws.

Tearing off the original cover, Huang Shi added a new blank to his manuscript, and then neatly wrote on it: "Wu's Art of War, Wu Mu's writing."

......

Ever since the Dongjiang Army captured Haizhou, the cabinet of the Chongzhen Dynasty had been discussing the issue of moving Mao Wenlong to Gaizhou. Mao Wenlong was adamantly opposed to this, claiming that most of the Dongjiang Army's food and salary were taken from North Korea, and that if the town was moved to Gaizhou, the imperial court would have to be responsible for feeding hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town.

The next day, March 11, Liaodong

The envoy sent by Huang Taiji to Dongjiang Town arrived in Zhenjiang today. The envoy, Ko Ke, was a confidant of Huang Taiji, and when he arrived in Zhenjiang, he immediately tried to get in touch with Mao Wenlong and asked for the start of peace negotiations.

On the thirteenth, when Mao Wenlong learned of this, he immediately ordered someone to send Koko to Tieshan, and on the same day, he could not wait to send a report to the imperial court. In the Tang newspaper on the 13th, Mao Wenlong never mentioned that he had sent an envoy to Liaoyang, but only said that Huang Taiji was afraid of the force of Dongjiang Town, so he sent people to ask for peace.

Subsequently, Mao Wenlong successively issued Dongjiangtang newspapers on the 15th and 17th, repeatedly emphasizing to the imperial court that Huang Taiji had asked for peace, and insisted that this was an initiative of the Later Jin side under the military pressure of the Dongjiang Army. At the same time, Mao Wenlong in order to strengthen the momentum. He also hurriedly asked the DPRK to send envoys to watch the ceremony.

Twenty days. After the North Korean envoys arrived on Dongjiang Island, Mao Wenlong opened the gate. There were many soldiers on both sides, and after Koke handed over Huang Taiji's letter, Mao Wenlong solemnly said that this was a condition that he could never agree to, "You have jumped off the beam and committed a crime, and you have accumulated age." If you want to pay money today, please make peace, and it is advisable to listen to it. Since I am ordained, only the thief is begging for my duty. In addition, the Celestial Empire did not allow peace, and it was difficult for me to deal with it first, and I would wait for the court to deal with it. ”

This statement naturally confused Koke, Mao Wenlong didn't say much, he insisted that Koko was a "subordinate", and he couldn't say it clearly, and soon sent Koko back to Zhenjiang, and at the same time asked Koko to bring back a letter, in which he asked Huang Taiji to "return the old land and swear to heaven", and send a big official to talk next time.

After finishing this work, Mao Wenlong followed up and sent a report to the imperial court, saying that under the threat of the Dongjiang army, the Later Jin regime was already in danger, and if the imperial court forced Dongjiang Town to move to Gaizhou without sufficient food and wages, it might affect Dongjiang Town's ability to continue to kill the enemy.

On April 4, officials from the Ming Household Department arrived at Dongjiang Island and began to count the soldiers in Dongjiang Town.

On April 26, Koco came to Zhenjiang with Huang Taiji's second letter. Two days later, when Mao Wenlong received the news, he immediately reported to the court again on the 28th, and at the same time lamented the small official of the broad branch, Mao Wenlong said that the reason why he put it back last time was to hang out a bigger fish, "the sea and the slave work together, but the result is not successful."

On the first day of the first month of May, Koko arrived at Dongjiang Island, and Mao Wenlong not only invited the North Korean envoys this time, but also asked Huang Zhongse and other officials from the household department to watch the ceremony together. According to a report by Huang Zhongsedi of the Ministry of Households, after Mao Wenlong tied up the translator of the Later Jin Dynasty and the traitor Ma Tongshi, he was soon beaten to death by the soldiers and civilians of the Dongjiang River, while Koke was tied up by Mao Wenlong and taken to the ship of the Household Division.

The sixth day of the fifth month. Mao Wenlong sent a report to Daming again, describing in detail the causes and consequences of his capture of Kuokedi, and took this opportunity to discuss the significance of Dongjiang Town, and also claimed that "the minister does not dare to take extravagance".

On 13 May, when Huang Taiji saw that the envoy had not returned for a long time, he sent people to the Yalu River to inquire about the news. Mao Wenlong hurriedly reported the matter in the Tang newspaper on the 15th, and at the same time asked someone to send a letter to Huang Taiji. The letter did not mention Koke's whereabouts at all, but warned Huang Taiji that there were people in the Ming household department on Dongjiang Island. Secret negotiations and very dangerous clouds.

On 22 May, when Huang Taiji learned from the DPRK side that Koko had been arrested, he was furious and called Mao Wenlong a "scoundrel," and the first peace talks between Houjin and Dongjiang Town broke down.

......

At the end of June of the first year of Chongzhen, Jingshi,

After returning to Jingshi today. Zhang Heming just entered the house to rest, and a disciple came to report to Sun Chengzong to ask to see him, and Zhang Heming naturally immediately asked the doorman to invite someone in. After Sun Chengzong entered the house, he saluted his old friend Ye Xianggao, and Zhang Heming smiled and said, "Kaiyang, you are good, sit!"

Zhang Heming made a great contribution this time, and he was really in the limelight for a while.

After Sun Chengzong sat down, he asked cautiously: "Zhang Weng, tomorrow the Holy Lord may inquire about the strategy of pacifying Liao." I wonder if Elder Zhang has already made a calculation?"

Zhang Heming began to twist his beard again, and after thinking for a long time, he asked rhetorically: "The old man has no decision, can Kaiyang teach me?"

Sun Chengzong said without hesitation: "Zhang Weng pacified the southwest this time, and played Huangshi as the first contribution to quelling the chaos. ”

"Oh. Zhang Heming shook his head and thought for a while. Then he asked, "Why is that?"

"Zhang Weng, this time Huangshi's contribution to the establishment of the land is already too great, the Holy Lord originally intended to give him an earl, and it took a lot of effort for the courtiers to persuade the Holy Lord to dispel this idea. Sun Chengzong shook his head slightly unnoticed, and his loud voice also lowered a lot: "Zhang Weng, Huangshi is only thirty years old, and he has only been in the army for a few years. ”

Zhang Heming and Sun Chengzong looked at each other and were speechless for a while, and finally Zhang Heming nodded lightly, dragged out his tone and said, "But ......"

"Huangshi is indeed the number one general of Daming Zhongxing," Sun Chengzong couldn't wait to speak. His voice also returned to its former sonority: "But he was too complacent. was too sharp and unstable, and when he was only thirty years old, the emperor considered giving him a knighthood. Now that Zhang Weng is here, there is naturally no problem. I can barely hold him down, but in another thirty years, who of the younger generation of literati can beat his edge?"

Zhang Heming nodded again, and said in a long voice again: "But ......"

"Zhang Weng," Sun Chengzong moved uneasily on the bench. The emperor seems to be in a hurry for quick success, and he seems to value Huangshi very much. But once the generals lose control, it is likely that the world will be in chaos and the lives will be ruined, so Sun Chengzong feels that he still has to shoulder the responsibility of the ministers of the Three Dynasties: "Now that the Minhai Japanese are arrogant, in the opinion of the younger generations, it is better to let Huangshi do his job as the chief military officer of Jinghai to prepare for the Japanese, and there are also juniors in the saint to say, as long as Zhang Weng does not mention Huangshi in front of the saint." ”

Zhang Heming nodded slightly: "Kaiyang is worried." ”

......

July 3rd, Ouchi

Since Zhang Heming entered Beijing, Chongzhen summoned him twice in a row, the monarch and the ministers talked very happily, the emperor liked this spirited old man very much, and Zhang Heming's views on the art of war also made Chongzhen admire.

Today, Chongzhen summoned Zhang Heming for the third time, and listened to the old Zhang Tou tell the story of the process of pacifying the southwest, during which the young man was so excited that he stood up from the dragon chair several times, and every time he made a naïve cheer after the thrill.

"Can't Zhang Lao give me a letter?" After listening to the story, Chongzhen talked about Liao affairs again, and he looked at Zhang Heming eagerly: "If I let Zhang Lao preside, will this Liao affairs be used for ten years?eight years?"

Zhang Heming said unhurriedly: "Holy Lord, the old minister still has that sentence, the art of war is cloudy: first for the invincible in oneself, and then for the invincible in the enemy." ”

Chongzhen asked urgently: "What is invincible, and what is invincible?"

Zhang Heming squinted his eyes and pondered for a moment, gently twisted his snow-white long beard, and said lightly: "Holy Lord, the art of war has clouds: the shape of a soldier is like water, the water avoids the high and tends to go down, the soldier avoids the real and hits the void, the soldier is impermanent, and the water is impermanent. ”

Chongzhen was obviously a little dissatisfied with this answer. He asked bluntly: "Elder Zhang, your Pingnance is so splendid, why is it that this Pingliaoce is not at all down-to-earth?

Zhang Heming smiled faintly again, and he bowed slightly: "Shengshang Mingjian, King Yue said it well, this is a wonderful use of soldiers." With one mind. ”

Although Chongzhen was a little discouraged when he heard it, Zhang Heming's credit was real. Moreover, after summoning Zhang Heming these two times, Chongzhen would tell the cabinet about the correct answer between the two people, and those ministers all praised Zhang Heming as "an old man seeking the country".

Chongzhen personally sent Zhang Heming out of Lantai, and then convened the cabinet to discuss today's answer, Qian Longxi and they were all amazed by Zhang Heming's opinion, and everyone said that Zhang Lao is really the dry city of the country.

"I also think that Zhang Lao is good at side affairs and good at military affairs. Chongzhen agreed with the final word, and he instructed the cabinet: "But Yuan Chonghuan has already arrived in Beijing yesterday. Tomorrow, I will also see each other, if this person can also use the land, let Zhang Lao serve as the governor of Liaodong, and Yuan Chonghuan will be the governor of Liaodong, praise the military affairs, and help Zhang Lao. ”

"Holy Wisdom!"

The next day, Yuan Chonghuan saw the Son of Heaven as a leather officer. After saluting Chongzhen as a monarch and minister, Yuan Chonghuan shook his robe. He sat down on the floor stool given to him by the emperor, generously spread his legs slightly, put his hands into fists and lightly placed them on his knees, and looked at the young man with his head held high.

"Yuan Qing's family, do you know what I summoned you to Beijing this time?"

Weichen thought. The Holy Lord's summoning of ministers must be for the sake of Liao's affairs!"

Although Chongzhen also knew that Yuan Chonghuan must know this, what Yuan Chonghuan said was not a standard answer, logically speaking, the courtiers should be modest and pretend not to know, and then wait for the emperor to wake up in person.

Chongzhen nodded lightly in some surprise: "Not bad." ”

Yuan Chonghuan held his neck high, smiled at the emperor slightly, and said loudly: "Weichen entered Beijing this time to relieve the worries of the saint!"

In the nearly a year since he ascended the throne, the young man has been accustomed to seeing the scene of courtiers only kowtowing and not taking ideas. Now the sharp aura exuded by the person in front of him really made Chongzhen feel surprised and happy. After thinking about it for a while, he hurriedly bowed over and asked, "Yuan Aiqing can have a peaceful Liaoce?"

A proud smile appeared on the corner of Yuan Chonghuan's mouth, as if the emperor was just asking a question that was too simple; There seemed to be a hint of disdain in his eyes. It seems to say that there is nothing in this world that he can't do; His face revealed a sense of perseverance, which can give people great confidence:

"Chenneng can be leveled in five years!"

......

After Yuan Chonghuan finished seeing His Majesty and left, Li Biao had not yet reacted from the shock, and in the empty Wenyuan Pavilion, only Qian Longxi sat on the side and drank tea quietly.

The saint didn't even ask the cabinet, so he insisted on letting Yuan Chonghuan ...... No, Lord Yuan is the Jiliao Supervisor?"

Qian Longxi took a sip of tea and said, "Not bad." ”

Li Biao turned sideways and probed in the direction of Qian Longxi: "Lord Qian, it is the Inspector Ji Town, Liao Town, Leiden Town, Tianjin Wei, a total of three towns and one guard, and the army in the entire Gyeonggi region is handed over to Lord Yuan alone." ”

Qian Longxi felt that the tea was a little hot, and he nodded again and again while blowing: "Yes, Master Li, you are right." ”

Li Biao leaned forward again, and pressed one arm on the table between the two: "Lord Qian, Lord Yuan just asked the Holy Lord not to send a prison army and not to set up a governor!"

Yuan Chonghuan asked Chongzhen not to set up an imperial history, and the distribution of military salaries every year was decided by him in a word, in other words, he could decide seventy percent of the financial expenditure of the imperial court without the need for supervision by others.

"Yes, the Holy One has approved it. Qian Longxi sighed, and then continued to blow into the teacup.

Lord Yuan also demanded that other Liaodong officials be revoked from their monopoly powers. ”

Yuan Chonghuan hoped that Chongzhen would only listen to him and trust him alone on the issue of Liao affairs, so it was best not to let others have a chance to speak at all.

"Well, except for Mao Wenlong. Qian Longxi pointed out that Chongzhen did not agree to Yuan Chonghuan 100% on this issue, and the Son of Heaven just took back the sword of Man Gui, Zhao Shujiao, the governor of the three towns, and the Jingstrategists, and let them go and talk to Yuan Chonghuan if they had anything to say. Chongzhen showed that he only listened to Yuan Chonghuan's words. Clearly tell everyone not to come to sue the royal court.

Li Biao continued to lean over to Qian Longxi, and everyone was about to lie on the table: "Before Your Majesty saw me today, Lord Yuan was just a leather worker, and he also asked Wei Wei to set up an ancestral hall, and the saint hated Wei Wei the most!"

Qian Longxi had just taken another sip of tea, so he just nodded silently, no matter what happened when he came in, no matter what he had done before, no matter whether Da Ming had a precedent or not. Anyway, now Yuan Chonghuan is already the secretary of the military department, the right capital of the Imperial History of the Metropolitan Inspection Academy, and the Jiliao Governor who leads the sword of Shangfang.

Li Biao stood up from the table suddenly, and his waist was straight. He slapped the table heavily and shouted in confusion: "Lord Qian, how did Yuan Chonghuan do it?"

Qian Longxi, who was drinking tea, had a sinking face, and slammed the teacup in his hand on the table, making a louder sound than Li Biao slapping the table. Qian Longxi couldn't help but look at the tea that splashed all over the table, and shouted angrily at Li Biao: "Master Li, are you asking me?"

......

Daming has been plagued by the Xiaoice period for nearly fifty years. In July of the first year of Chongzhen, in order to complete the feat of "five years of Pingliao", Chongzhen, the "King of Yao Shun" in addition to the normal agricultural tax of 2 million taels per year, could not be less, and the arrears of the past should be recovered.

In addition to recovering the tax arrears, Chongzhen was even more determined to levy the Liao salary to 7.33 million taels, and he strictly ordered the provincial magistrates to absolutely not allow the peasants to default on paying taxes. According to the order of Emperor Chongzhen. All officials who can collect all the taxes and silver can participate in the performance appraisal of the current year, and those who are in arrears will be demoted and fined.

Emperor Chongzhen vigorously carried out his policy, and those officials who could not bear to collect taxes from the victims were quickly punished, some of the seventh-grade officials were demoted by more than a dozen levels in a row, and some officials were fined for hundreds of years in one go. A large number of local officials felt that they were not capable of doing it, and the Son of Heaven allowed them to resign. Because a large number of reserve officials are waiting to be in high order to squeeze the last drop of blood and sweat out of the peasants, in order to prove their ability to the Son of Heaven.

In Shaanxi, for example, officials in various localities generally used the method of beating peasants in arrears every three days to force them to pay taxes, so soon long queues formed at the yamen in these areas, and at first the Chinese peasants who honestly handed over the land to the yamen came to the yamen on time to be beaten, and then went home to continue farming.

As time passed, a new profession soon emerged in Shaanxi, the so-called "taking the board for others", which was initially a spontaneous act in each village, because almost all the young and strong laborers in a village had to be beaten every three days. Therefore, each village will nominate a few people to be beaten for the whole village. Later, it developed into a permanent occupation. Shaanxi's standard is to beat two copper plates at a time for others.

This profession quickly spread to Shanxi, Henan, Shandong, and Beizhili...... Among them, Henan Province suffered from continuous droughts during the Wanli and Tianqi years, and the most serious county had a record of no rain for eight years. There was even a tragedy of cannibalism at one time. However, with the effective relief of the Emperor of the Apocalypse, there were no displaced people in Henan Province. At this time, when the Henan political secretary begged Chongzhen for relief, Emperor Chongzhen replied: I know, but the tax still has to be collected.

In August, Huang Shi was putting Yu Zhigao in charge of training the naval division, and the new naval division already had more than 50 warships and nearly 10,000 officers and men.

Since ancient times, the sandy land of Fujian Province has produced scarce grain, so it is customary for women to farm and men to risk their lives to go to sea to fish, but in any case, the harvest in the south of the Yangtze River is always better than in the north that has suffered a catastrophe. Therefore, in history, as the smoke of the north was everywhere, the emperor of Chongzhen would impose heavier and heavier taxes on these lands where there had not yet been a violent rebellion.

Officers and soldiers in Funing Township were training on the school grounds, and Huang Shi saw children in the neighborhood giggling and playing around the school grounds, and these children sometimes asked the soldiers for a few steamed buns or a bowl of wontons to eat. But Huang Shi knew that if he remembered correctly, soon this scene of civil-military harmony would cease to exist.

In the Chongzhen Dynasty, the land in Fujian rose steadily, and finally the land that produced less than five coins of silver had to pay a tax of ten taels of silver. At that time, the peasants would settle up to protect themselves during the tax season, and the Fujian political secretary would send the Funing army to forcibly collect grain, break the peasants' villages, and drag away their property, wives and daughters to offset the taxes.

In the deserted wilderness, Huang Shi muttered to himself, "If I don't do something about it, the anger of these poor peasants will eventually turn into an uncontrollable torrent that will sweep across the Central Plains." ”

Since the Ming Dynasty set the national policy of the Son of Heaven to guard the country, the Central Plains has not encountered war for two hundred years. Hundreds of millions of people live and work in peace and contentment on this land, they provide taxes and soldiers to the country, and ensure that the Ming Empire can regain its strength again and again in foreign wars.

"The tide, the storm is coming...... And can I turn the tide?"

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