Most of the officials of the Ming Dynasty were very wealthy, especially the Donglin Party officials, who were known as the "Qing Liu".

The officials of the Song Dynasty were rich because of their high salaries, and the salaries given by the imperial court were spent as much as they wanted. Not to mention other officials, even the famous minister Fan Zhongyan also has the ability to buy thousands of acres of fertile land and set up Fan's Yizhuang to help the poor and the poor.

But the officials of the Ming Dynasty did not have a high salary, they were reliable and privileged, and their income was not lower than that of the officials of the Song Dynasty. Many officials are even wealthy, with thousands of acres of good acres.

Li Sancai, the big tiger, has been defeated, but as for other corrupt officials, Zhu Youxiao is not ready to let go. Not only on the job, but also on the job, don't even think about running.

In addition, severe punishments for concealing taxes, accepting contributions, and embezzlement began last year, and a grace period was set aside for self-examination and self-correction.

Now that the deadline has arrived, the emperor is of course impatient, and immediately issued an edict to severely punish the officials, gentry and eunuchs who are obsessed, greedy for money, and want to get away with it.

Although it is not possible to catch all the lawlessness in one net, there are obviously the iron-faced and self-sustaining Metropolitan Procuratorate, and there is Uncle Wei's Dongchang Fanzi, and there are not many who have slipped through the net for a while.

The methods of the imperial court were as severe as ever, expulsion and exile. There are not many people killed, but they are all taken away to contribute to the development of Dongfan and Qiongzhou.

Zhu Youxiao has changed his thinking, and the income from the house is not tightly drawn to the inner library.

It should be the household department to the household department, and it should be the inner library of the inner library. It's all the state's money, and it is also his goal to fill the treasury and make the country's finances loose.

There was a lot of trouble in various places, and many Qingliu were now "clear" to the point that only the clothes on their bodies were left, and they were escorted by soldiers to take a sea boat and sail to a new life and future.

The money accumulated over the years is small and soft, and the land and houses purchased have all become the growth figures of the state's fiscal revenue.

This was the first fire of the year, and although some people expected that the emperor would not be satisfied with last year's "tyranny", such a large-scale harsh treatment, leaving no room for the slightest, still surprised them.

There is always luck, which is also one of the root causes of human inferiority!

Zhu Youxiao only had a cursory look at the income figures, and he didn't calculate them seriously. But for the civil officials who were punished, there were still a few that made him raise his eyebrows and pay a little attention.

The water is too cold, Qian Qianyi, and the "leader of Donglin" and the leader of the poetry world, this goes back to Dongfan to discuss Fu! Well, I also saved Liu Ruyi from being harmed by this bad old man.

There is also this Ding Kuichu, who is really difficult to change his nature, and has not yet been promoted to a high-ranking official, but he already has tens of thousands of thousands of wealth, and thousands of acres of land have been donated and sent.

Zhu Youxiao sneered and threw the list of severely punished people on the table. In addition to these officials, the gentry and eunuchs were also attacked, a total of sixty-five people.

In other words, sixty-five families have become destitute and have been exiled to Dongfan or Hainan, where they will start a new life.

Although these sixty-five families were old and young, the exile must have been difficult. But Zhu Youxiao didn't pity them, he had already given them a chance, but he didn't cherish it, who was to blame?

The confiscated gold and silver, as well as the houses and land, add up to more than 4 million, which can barely be consumed by the war in Liaodong and southwest.

However, in addition to these two wars, the expansion of the navy, the addition of ships and artillery, the replacement of the army, the expansion of artillery, the purchase of horses, and the transformation of the army into mules and horses were all tasks that cost a lot of money, and the finances were still difficult to be sufficient.

Fortunately, with the opening of the sea ban, the income of the city shipping department will increase significantly; The commercial tax has also been raised, the mining tax has to be collected, and the monopoly of salt, tea and iron is also more standardized than last year.

The important thing is also the Qingtun salary, which basically solved the salary of the northwest frontier army and the inland army, which is also a large part of the imperial court's financial expenditure.

I can slow down, but I haven't reached my goal yet, and I'm afraid I still have to pay some money for my private house. Zhu Youxiao didn't make a careful calculation, and he knew that it should be enough to be gratified to be like this with only one year's work.

As for the issue of officials and businessmen, the knife has been sharpened, and it is only a matter of time.

After all, the forbearance stipulated must be observed, and keeping one's word and being true to one's words is also a guarantee of credibility for continuing to promote reform in the future.

After reviewing a few more books, Zhu Youxiao stood up from the chair, his arms were expanding his chest, and his cervical spine was moving, and he walked slowly to the door of the hall.

The fur was gently draped over his shoulders, and Zhu You didn't reply, he patted the little hand of Li Chengcheng, who was empathetic and knew his thoughts, and walked out of the palace gate.

I already smelled the breath of spring, and the eaves of the temple were constantly dripping with melted water. But freezing people don't freeze snow, and the temperature is still cold.

Jingshi is like this, in another month at most in Liaodong, the ice and snow will melt and disappear, and the chest wall of the trench can be excavated, right?

Stopping under the eaves, Zhu Youxiao's eyes went from near to far, and his thoughts also fluttered.

………………………… Divider...........................

Spring is long overdue in Liaodong, and until now I have not seen its beautiful figure, let alone smelled the warm breath.

Stepping on the creaking snow, Fan Wencheng followed his subordinates to the hall. This is the residence of the Four Baylor Emperor Taiji, and it was also Huang Taiji who invited him to come and meet.

I have long heard that the four Beile Huang Taiji can be civil and martial, and treat the Han people who have surrendered well, but Fan Wencheng has not had many opportunities to meet Huang Taiji, let alone have a deep friendship.

The messenger soon came back and invited Fan Wencheng into the hall, interrupting his thoughts.

"Humble to meet the four Baylors." Fan Wencheng entered the hall and saluted Huang Taiji, and his attitude was very respectful.

"Mr. Fan is exempt." Huang Taiji raised his hand on the main seat and said very kindly, "Please take a seat." ”

After Fan Wencheng thanked him, he and Luo Xiujin exchanged salutes before sitting down in the guest seat.

The subordinate served tea, Huang Taiji signaled, and after a long silence, he asked: "In the first battle of Ningyuan, our army was defeated. But I know that the moat and the plan to burn the stakes were successful. Today's invitation is also to ask about the details of the siege. ”

After a slight pause, Huang Taiji continued: "I have asked several people, and they all say that the firearms are powerful. In particular, a kind of artillery hits extremely far and is extremely powerful, and our troops have suffered many casualties as a result. ”

"I think you also know some news, that kind of artillery is made by overseas Hongyi, and the Ming court spent a lot of money to buy and equip the troops." Huang Taiji shook his head a little helplessly.

According to the "Daming Forum" newspaper sent from a secret channel, the Houjin side finally knew where the cannon on Ningyuan City came from. This also put an end to their idea of obtaining it, and unless it was captured on the battlefield, the possibility was very small.

The newspapers exaggerated the power and number of Hongyi cannons, which also made Houjin more afraid of attacking fortifications.

Fan Wencheng saw that Huang Taiji stopped to drink a cup of water, he also quickly organized his words, bowed slightly respectfully, and said: "Back to Sibeile, I think that although the artillery of the Ming army is sharp, it is not the most threatening. ”

Oh, Huang Taiji raised his eyebrows, put down the teacup, and looked at Fan Wencheng.

"Why did Mr. Fan say that?" Luo Xiujin asked for the master, and she was very puzzled in her heart.

Ning Yuan returned from defeat, and the Houjin army, regardless of the generals and soldiers, had lingering fears about the Hongyi cannon. The tragic scene of a dozen bloody alleys has been engraved in my mind and cannot be erased.

If it is a face-to-face bloody battle, no matter how tragic it is, it is also a tactic that the Houjin army is familiar with.

But now, the invincible iron horsemen and brave warriors died under the iron balls that came one after another without meeting the enemy, which is really unacceptable.

It's like a soldier who is fully prepared to fight with the enemy with real swords and guns, but is greeted by indiscriminate bombardment; A warrior who roared with a knife and was ready to duel with his opponent was in a similar mood when his opponent pulled out a pistol and shot him.

The artillery is sharp and powerful, which is almost the consensus of the golden generals after participating in the war. But Fan Wencheng said this, how could he not surprise and puzzle Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin.

Fan Wencheng saw that the success aroused the doubts and interest of Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin, and he was slightly interested in his heart.

Like others, how can you show your talents? The standard is different, not exactly. After he came back, he thought about it seriously, and he really had some unique insights of his own.

"Four Baylor, I wonder if you have calculated the casualties of our army this time?" Fan Wencheng smiled, and immediately regained his serious expression, and said, "What I said about the humble position is not the total number, but the exact number of artillery and firearms, as well as other factors. ”

Huang Taiji frowned slightly, of course he hadn't counted it, and he didn't have this habit at that time. The number of dead and wounded depends on the total, and it doesn't matter if you were killed by shelling or fell from your horse.

When Fan Wencheng knew that it was not a betrayal of Guanzi, he didn't wait for Huang Taiji to say something, and he continued: "According to what he saw and estimated on the battlefield of Ningyuan, although the Ming army's artillery was sharp, the number of casualties caused by our army was far less than being hit by the Ming army's guns under the city. ”

Luo Xiujin said with a smile: "This is also normal!" There can be several artillery pieces, and there are thousands of Ming troops defending the city, and the firepower is naturally extremely dense. ”

Fan Wencheng nodded, as if agreeing with Luo Xiujin's opinion, but what he said was not like this, "Although the Ming army's artillery is fierce, what really hinders our army's attack is the Ming army's huge number of firearms, as well as trenches and fortifications. ”

"In this attack on Ningyuan, the artillery at the head of the city was condescending, and our army gathered men and horses in the distance to bombard, although it caused many casualties, but the greater impact was on the morale of our army, and the actual obstacle to our army's attack was not as big as thought."

"And our troops, which were blocked by the trenches, were subjected to intensive fire from the enemy's guns, and there was also the bombardment of close-range artillery, as well as the kind of exploding shells, and the casualties increased suddenly."

"The city defense of the Ming army is very strange and fierce, and the fire bolts attack downward, and all angles can be taken into account, and it is almost impossible to dodge."

"Although the artillery is fierce, it fires slowly, which is also its weakness."

"The artillery is powerful, but it must also be very bulky and inconvenient to move, which is also its weakness."

"As for the attack on the fortified city, from ancient times to the present, it has been a fierce battle with heavy casualties, and there is no artillery, and the same is true."

"Therefore, I think that attacking fortifications is the weakness of our army and the strength of the Ming army; In the field, our army was invincible, and the Ming army had few chances of victory. ”

After Fan Wencheng finished speaking, he arched his hand to Huang Taiji, picked up the teacup and took a sip of water.

Huang Taiji and Luo Xiujin glanced at each other, their expressions a little complicated.

Luo Xiujin smiled and said with some teasingness: "Since this is the case, then our army will avoid shortcomings and no longer attack the places where the Ming army is stationed?" ”

Huang Taiji pursed the corners of his mouth slightly, and he was not very satisfied in his heart.

Let me talk about the strategy of attacking the fortification, but you don't seem to have any choice, and you are willing to admit defeat. Who doesn't know that the Ming army can't fight in the field, but people won't fight with you. And if a few nails are not removed, the strategic situation will be difficult to reverse.

Fan Wencheng smiled bitterly and said, "Although the words of the humble post are a little frustrating, they are also from the bottom of their hearts. If you want to attack the city, unless you are on a par with the Ming army in terms of weapons and equipment, this is a difficult requirement to meet. ”

After a pause, Fan Wencheng added: "But it is not easy for the Ming army to rely on the fortress to advance. The cities along the way have been demolished, and if you want to build them, it will cost a lot of money, not to mention how long will it take? If our army takes advantage of the enemy's cultivation and has not yet succeeded, it may be the best policy. ”

Huang Taiji pondered for a while, and finally said the second sentence since they met, "Mr. Fan's views are subtle and pertinent, and he agrees with it." Only by knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent can one win a hundred battles. It is really unwise to know the enemy's strengths and still forcibly attack the long with a short one. ”

Raising the teacup and signaling to Fan Wencheng, Huang Taiji continued to ask: "If the enemy has no city to rely on, can our army break the enemy's defense with artillery and trench bridges?" ”

Fan Wencheng knew that Huang Taiji was referring to southern Liaoning, to be precise, Jinzhou. Although the Ming army in western Liaoning is strong, it is still far away, but the Ming army occupies this bridgehead, but it is a great threat.

Unless Houjin abandons the coast, abandons southern Liaoning, and shrinks in Liaoshen. Otherwise, the Ming army could not be allowed to continue to entrench in Jinzhou and stabilize the foundation.

Well, Ningyuan has Hongyi cannons and strong cities, and Houjin's head is not iron enough to hit it. What about the Golden State, it seems that there are no of those!

Fan Wencheng didn't dare to make a judgment easily, but he didn't hesitate, and said slowly: "I haven't seen the defense facilities of the Ming army, so I don't dare to answer easily. But without Jiancheng and Hongyi artillery, it would definitely be more advantageous to attack than Ningyuan. ”

Huang Taiji is not harsh, who dares to judge victory or defeat easily when it comes to fighting? If Fan Wencheng said that he would win, it would cause him to be dissatisfied.

Of course, Huang Taiji was also a little disappointed, not for Fan Wencheng, but for Hou Jin's current offensive ability, which was indeed difficult to defend the Ming army's strong defense.

If the defense of Jinzhou is also impregnable, Huang Taiji can only wait for an opportunity. For example, what Fan Wencheng said just now should be a good choice to take advantage of the Ming army's advance in repairing the city and carrying out a quick strike.

Among the four major Baylors of the Later Jin, Dai Shan and Amin have all fought against the Ming army, and they have also suffered losses; Not to mention Mang Gurtai, he is already a wasted person.

Only the white flag of Huang Taiji did not fight with the reorganized, trained, and equipped Ming army. He believed in the improvement of the combat power of the Ming army. However, the extent of the improvement is obviously still not well understood.

If you don't have a personal experience and are not really hurt, you will always feel that others are incompetent, and if you change yourself, you will have a different result.

The current Huang Taiji is such a mind. Obviously, he had to be flattened before he knew it was great.

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