"Your Excellency, please ......"

"Drive!"

"Slow down, adults!"

Zhu Heyin's carriage out of the city was only inspected for a short time at the outer city gate, and then drove out of the corridor of the city gate and came to the stone bridge of the moat ten zhang wide outside the city.

When he came here, Zhu Heyin could already see the market town outside the city.

With the gathering of more than 2 million people in the city of Beijing, a large number of market towns rose outside the moat.

In just eighteen years, they have surrounded the entire outer city of the capital.

If we look at it from the perspective of future generations, the current urban area of the capital has reached the point of the fourth ring road in later generations.

However, this does not hinder the gap between rich and poor in and out of the city.

After the carriage drove into a market town in Dongzhimen, Zhu Heyin could see that the streets were filled with people wearing short clothes and trousers.

Despite being made of white cloth, the clothes look like they've been worn for some time.

In the market towns, a set of ready-to-wear made of ordinary white cloth costs 50 yuan, and the common people often wear it for a year or two before changing into new clothes.

It's hard for people in the city to find work, and it's the same outside the city.

Although a garment only costs three days, most people have more than three months of work in a year.

Most of them still have farming as their main source of income, and the land allocated to them by the government is often more than a dozen miles or even dozens of miles away from the market town.

Zhu Heyin didn't bother to look at the market town, but paid attention to the scenery after the carriage walked out of the market town.

When the wagons first left the market town, as in most of the Ming Dynasty, the people used tractors in rotation to plough the fields, and some farmers who had planted their crops early were hunched over the fields to pull weeds.

The advent of tractors has indeed lightened the burden on farmers, and a production team only needs ten men to complete the work of hundreds of acres of land.

In the spring sun, they were almost shirtless, and hung their shirts under the trees.

Zhu Heyin watched for a while and didn't let the coachman stop.

The carriage moved away from the city, and the brocade guard, who was in charge of guarding the carriage along the way, also caught up from behind when the carriage came to a remote area.

After the carriage left the city for more than ten miles, although there was still a large area of cultivated land in front of Zhu Heyin, there was no existing building.

It is impossible for farmers to spend two hours a year on the way to and fro, so there are straw huts here.

Each shed corresponds to a production team, and they live in the hut during the two most important seasons, spring planting and autumn harvest.

Each production team sends one person to deliver meals in the form of three households a day, which is one of the few times of the season when they can see their families.

Zhu Heyin's team attracted the attention of many people working in the fields, but the convoy did not stop, but walked forward for another seven or eight miles, and then slowly stopped.

When the people working in the fields saw the convoy coming, they stopped what they were doing, and only a shirtless man with a straw hat squatted in the field, pulling weeds for the rice fields that had been planted.

Zhu Heyin got out of the carriage, he walked to the dirt road on the side of the cement road, and got off the dirt road without thinking about it.

He descended the dirt road and headed towards the ridge.

It was hard for the surrounding peasants to imagine that a noble child like Zhu Heyin, dressed in precious silk, would go to the field in person, and wondered what he was doing here.

Under the gaze of the peasants, Zhu Heyin walked to the path behind the man in the straw hat, and said to the man who was squatting in the field five or six steps away:

"Uncle Wang, the war you estimate is coming......

As soon as Tian Jian and Zhu Heyin spoke, the man in the field stopped moving, and then turned to look at Zhu Heyin.

He wore a straw hat and dark skin, and was in his early twenties.

Although he has dark skin, he is not bad looking, and he is tall when he gets up, so he looks out of place.

He walked from the field to the path step by step, and then walked onto the dirt path in front of Zhu Heyin.

When he and Zhu Heyin were standing on the same road, the height of more than six feet was intimidating, almost a head taller than Zhu Heyin.

"The war is coming, so my father's letter urging me to go home is probably coming soon."

The man washed his feet, and then put on his clothes in front of Zhu Heyin.

Zhu Cihuang, the king of Langya County, the ninth son of Zhu Youzhen, the king of Qi, was the double champion of the joint examination of Shuntian University in the north and south last year, and was called "like my brother" by Emperor Zhu Youxiao......

Looking at his back, Zhu Heyin felt a little emotional about his imperial uncle, who was four years younger than himself.

He is only eighteen, but he has his own unique views on politics and military affairs.

"If I had the ability, maybe my father would have taken my words to ......."

Zhu Heyin couldn't help but think of the situation of the people he saw, and couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

"I have seen the rice in Beizhili, it should be a pest and disease caused by no fallow for many years, and the rice in Beizhili will have to be fallowed for a year next year."

Zhu Cihuang put on an ordinary short shirt and trousers, and he didn't look like a county king, but like a fierce general in the barracks.

As for what he said, it was due to the fact that he majored in agriculture at Suncheon University.

"I can't be the master of this matter, you have to go into the palace and talk to your father and grandfather."

Zhu Heyin opened his mouth to respond, and at the same time expressed his embarrassing situation in the palace.

Although he has been an assistant to the East Palace for several years, he has never had his own team.

It's not that he doesn't have the ability, it's that he can't form it, after all, Zhu Ciran is not the emperor yet.

Moreover, Zhu Cihuang's status in the eyes of Zhu Youxiao is indeed relatively important, or it should be said that Zhu Youzhen's heirs have a very important status in the Ming Dynasty.

"I'll go to Uncle Huang to tell you about the matter, let's go."

Zhu Cihuang responded, and at the same time walked with Zhu Heyin to the carriage on the cement road.

The two got into the carriage one after another, and Zhu Heyin did not sit on the main seat after getting into the car, but sat on the left and right sides with Zhu Cihuang, sitting opposite each other.

"This year, the employment problem has been mentioned in various places, hasn't Qi encountered this problem?"

Zhu Heyin didn't directly ask Zhu Cihuang to help, but knocked on the side.

Although he was four years younger than Zhu Heyin, because Zhu Cihuang was born late, he was personally brought to the age of twelve by Zhu Youzhen before he was sent to Daming, so he naturally had a lot of exposure to it.

Zhu Heyin's thoughts were revealed in front of him, but he didn't care, but said:

"In this matter, my father has long said that what Daming should pay attention to now is the study of people's livelihood."

"The eldest brother has increased the research on the internal combustion engine before, which is correct, but this cannot solve the current problem of Daming."

"My father and I talked about the Ming Dynasty in private letters, and in the final analysis, it is nothing more than cutting military spending and increasing investment in people's livelihood to increase jobs."

Since the textbooks that he studied and came into contact with were all written by Zhu Youzhen, the words of Zhu Cihuang and Zhu Heyin have been biased towards modern times.

"But...... The various infrastructure projects of the dynasty can theoretically be used for more than ten years......"

Zhu Heyin hesitated, but Zhu Cihuang shook his head and said:

"This has nothing to do with how many years it takes, you and I can see things clearly, do you think the officials in the court can't see clearly?"

"The key is not infrastructure, but cutting military spending."

"But if you want to cut military spending, the generals in the army will definitely be unwilling, and this is why your father is hesitant to do it."

"The war against the Rakshasa is a compromise before cutting military spending."

"In a war, the generals in the army can get millions of taels of silver."

"As long as the money is in hand, they will naturally loosen their military spending."

"But the point is that they will loosen up for a few years......"

Zhu Cihuang mentioned the matter of the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies, which is also the most troublesome thing for Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Ciran at the moment.

They don't have the prestige that Zhu Youzhen did back then, as far as the current situation in the Ming army is concerned, even if Zhu Youzhen is moved back from the Qi State, he needs to prepare a lot to make the generals in the army bow their heads.

The disadvantages of using force to rise to power are like this, but Zhu Youzhen had no way back then.

The military attache is powerful, and it is much better than the Manchu Qing Dynasty entering the customs.

Moreover, during the reign of Zhu Youzhen, he did play a good balance between civil and military, and also told his brother how to choose cabinet ministers.

In Zhu Youzhen's view, it is indeed very simple to balance the civil and military, how could he have imagined that the military attache could be indulged to such a state.

He worked hard to reduce the army to more than 600,000, but it only took more than ten years to rise back to more than 700,000.

It is not an easy task to reduce military spending, whether it is disarmament or the reduction of all kinds of materials, and not everyone dares to cut the Ming army from 2 million to more than 600,000 like Zhu Youzhen.

"This matter, it depends on my father."

Zhu Cihuang didn't wait for Zhu Heyin to think about it before he spoke:

"My father hasn't returned to Daming for so many years, if he can bring back the Marquis of Liaodong, the Marquis of Xuanhua and other marquis, then it is estimated that there is no need to compromise, and military spending can be reduced."

"It's just that my father's health doesn't seem to be good lately, and I'm afraid I'm ...... after two months of traveling."

Zhu Cihuang's face was worried, which made Zhu Heyin's newly rising confidence collapse again.

Not long after his confidence collapsed, Zhu Ciran, who had already sat down in the East Palace to deal with the music, also heard a sound of footsteps.

Listening to the footsteps getting closer and closer, he put down the red pen in his hand and slowly raised his head.

The people who came were Li Dingguo and Hong Chengchou, who walked into the Chunhe Palace in the official clothes of the first grade, among which Hong Chengchou, who was nearly seventy years old, still had strong steps, and Zhu Ciran, who was watching, squinted his eyes unconsciously.

Behind Hong Chengchou, Li Dingguo, who was forty years old in a few months, followed in.

He is the same as back then, his expression and actions are still calm, although he is middle-aged, but his momentum is still there.

"See Chitose ......"

After the two walked into the side hall of Chunhe Palace, they saluted Zhu Ciran.

Seeing this, Zhu Ciran raised his hand slightly to indicate that he was flat, and at the same time, the little eunuchs on the left and right sides brought chairs for the two of them to sit down.

After they sat down, Zhu Ciran opened his mouth to get down to business.

"Now that King Yong has become a vassal, shouldn't the matter of King Ding's vassal be scheduled?"

Zhu Ciran got straight to the point, and the people who could sit here were people he could trust, so for his thoughts, Li Dingguo still said without a trace of taboos:

"Your Highness, with all due respect, the current situation in the country is not good, and what the people need is rest and recuperation, not war."

"It is precisely because the people are not doing well that Lone wants to survey the Quartet!" Zhu Ciran rumbled, as if he meant something.

"After this battle, the military expenditure of the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies should be reduced."

"After the reduction of military spending, it will be invested in the Ministry of Industry, and the Ministry of Industry will sort out the rivers of the world!"

Zhu Ciran said the reason why he started the war, which made Li Dingguo frown.

Zhu Ciran's thoughts were understood by him, but he didn't think that with just a few million taels of silver in a war, he could make the group of proud soldiers in the army obediently accept the dismissal.

Since the tenth year of the Apocalypse, it has become a fat shortage for soldiers to eat imperial food, so many people who enlisted as soldiers have purchased real estate in the city.

If Zhu Ciran wants to be disarmed, how will the Ming Dynasty settle the soldiers who have been laid off?

Judging from the current environment, Hata can no longer solve the problem, and the job is not so easy to find.

Without a job, let the retired soldiers stay at home, what will happen when they sit and eat?

Thinking of this, Li Dingguo said:

"Your Highness, there is no need to start a war, and the dynasty can retire the soldiers in turn according to their age."

"How many soldiers are over forty?" Zhu Ciran didn't give Li Dingguo time to breathe, and asked directly.

"About 30,000 people...... Li Dingguo estimated and said a number.

30,000 people, this is not a small number, at least in terms of the Ming Dynasty's military force, as long as they can guarantee the baggage, they can completely penetrate Europe.

It's just that in the face of this amount, Zhu Ciran frowned slightly, and his face was full of impatience:

"What can you do with a reduction in military spending of 30,000 people? You can't even dredge the canal. ”

"I am determined to disarm 100,000 people after this war, and all those over the age of 35 will retire!"

"Your Royal Highness......" Hearing Zhu Ciran's thoughts, Du Yinxi couldn't help but make a fuss, but was interrupted by Zhu Ciran raising his hand.

The actions of the three of them were seen by Hong Chengchou, and at this moment he was a little joking in his heart, and even wanted to laugh.

In his opinion, where does Zhu Ciran want to cut military spending? It is obviously to weaken the power of the generals and let the generals recognize the reality.

It's just that he used this method a little later, and in the vicissitudes of eighteen years, the sergeants and soldiers in the army have been changed three times.

The little royal majesty that King Qi had accumulated back then had long since declined with Qin Minping's death.

Now, except for the Southern Army and the Shangzhi, the other four armies will not be so honest and wait to cut power......

"Hong Gechen, don't you want to say something?"

Zhu Ciran set his eyes on Hong Chengchou, he knew very well that this old fox had a solution to things.

However, when he spoke, Hong Chengchou, who was still walking like a flyer before, trembled his hands at this moment, slowly raised, and said in a hoarse and weak voice while making a gesture:

The old minister thought...... Don't rush things...... Long live the ......"

Hong Chengchou's appearance at this moment, if a person who has not seen his previous appearance sees it, I am afraid that he will feel that he is unable to take care of himself.

Obviously, Hong Chengchou doesn't want to deal with this kind of thing at all, anyway, judging from Zhu Youxiao's situation, Hong Chengchou can definitely walk in front of Zhu Youxiao.

In this situation, coupled with the fact that his heirs are not capable, he can only rely on the title to eat, and his title of Marquis of Nan'an can be hereditary for two generations, and there are three generations of scattered ranks after two generations, so there is no need to worry about children and grandchildren.

Such a situation has led to being an old minister subordinate to the emperor is his best choice.

Hong Chengchou's thoughts, Zhu Ciran knew very well in his heart, he was a little disliked, but when he thought that Hong Chengchou still needed to balance the Western Army, he dissipated his anger.

"Since the statute can't be discussed, then I will play my father's throne on this matter."

Zhu Ciran was soft, but in his heart he felt uncomfortable that Li Dingguo did not support him.

"The old minister retired ......"

Seeing Zhu Ciran say this, Hong Chengchou slowly got up, and after making a salute, he was about to withdraw from the palace.

Seeing this, Du Yinxi had the intention to stay, but seeing that Zhu Ciran had no intention of keeping him, he could only follow Hong Chengchou and retreat.

Compared with the two, Li Dingguo did not leave directly after saluting, but held the wat board with both hands, and the whole person stood in place.

After Hong Chengchou and the others left, he frowned and said to Zhu Ciran:

"Your Highness is still young, why rush for a while?"

Li Dingguo's tone was no longer so official, which made Zhu Ciran feel better.

However, in the face of Li Dingguo's words, Zhu Ciran still put his hands behind his back and turned around dissatisfied:

"The generals of our ninja army are not overnight, and now that the country needs further reforms, they should make concessions!"

"But is your reform really a reform?"

Li Dingguo walked in front of Zhu Ciran, frowned and questioned him, Zhu Ciran was also angry when he heard this: "How can it not be counted?!" ”

Zhu Ciran's voice instantly made the palace maids and eunuchs in Chunhe Palace tremble, but Li Dingguo resisted Zhu Ciran's anger and suppressed him loudly:

"Reform should have a charter! The minister dares to ask His Highness, do you have a charter in your hand? ”

"The charter is in my chest!" Zhu Ciran retorted loudly, but Li Dingguo pressed step by step:

"Does your statute really apply to the dynasty? Isn't it enough to change the 'Five-Year Plan' without authorization? ”

"Your Highness has written to you a long time ago, and it is enough for you to follow the statutes."

"Now there are more than 3,400 counties in the world, and the workers in each county are living in dire straits, why are they like this, can you not know?!"

Li Dingguo was angry in his heart, and he didn't even bother to say the honorific title of "you", and called "you" directly.

According to the normal situation, as soon as he said this, the brocade guard at the door should have walked in and taken it down according to the situation.

However, it seems that such a situation is often staged, so in the face of such a situation, the brocade guard at the door did not move.

"You are arrogant! Loneliness is the prison country! ”

Zhu Ciran is still the same as every quarrel, and if he can't argue, he immediately moves out of his identity.

"The king of Qi has a word first, and if the country is not right, then the rebellion is justified! If you are not right, there is a way to resign! ”

Li Dingguo clenched the wat board in his hand, gritted his teeth and continued: "If Your Highness insists on not listening to the minister's advice, then please ask Your Highness to approve the minister's resignation!" ”

"You ......" Hearing Li Dingguo's words, Zhu Ciran was immediately stunned.

Not to mention that he needs Li Dingguo to control the upright and balance the northern army, from his personal point of view, he doesn't want Li Dingguo to leave him.

He knew better than anyone else that Li Dingguo was not at all uncommon in his current position as a cabinet minister.

He dared to guarantee that he would now approve Li Dingguo's resignation, and within a day, Li Dingguo would be sitting on a ship bound for Qi with his family......

Zhu Ciran didn't continue, but the violently undulating chest explained his discomfort.

At this moment, the entire Chunhe Palace was silent, but the brocade guard at the door was very clear......

In this quarrel, it was again the prison country that lost.

They can be sure that this is because in the past few years, every quarrel between the two has almost ended with Li Dingguo saying cruel words and Zhu Ciran regressing.

"I will play my father in this matter, and I will personally write a copy to Uncle Qi Wang, so that he can see how the good disciples he taught himself deceived the king!"

After calming down for a long time, Zhu Ciran vented what he would do, like a child who couldn't argue and looked for his parents.

"Now that His Highness has decided, the minister will retire ......"

Seeing this, Li Dingguo also knew that he had won this quarrel.

He was sure that Zhu Youxiao and Zhu Youzhen would reject Zhu Ciran's approach, so there was no pressure.

He looked at Zhu Ciran deeply, and then turned around and left the Chunhe Palace.

Zhu Ciran stood quietly in place, and it wasn't until Li Dingguo's footsteps disappeared that he raised his leg and kicked on the corner of the table next to him, knocking down a piece of paper, pen, inkstone and ink on it......

(End of chapter)