Improving people's livelihood can certainly alleviate contradictions and clarify politics.

However, in the context of the current main contradiction between the Ming Dynasty and the enemy of Jianzhou, it is still a symptom rather than a root cause.

Even if Chongzhen is the reincarnation of the God of Wealth, he can close his eyes and sprinkle silver wherever he goes, and the people of Zhili who withered after being looted can become rich all of a sudden.

But as long as there is no way to prevent the invasion of Jianzhou, he will eventually marry someone.

Historically, the statehood has not been robbed every year.

Basically, every five or six years, I guess you have recovered, and then come back to grab a wave.

It's a pity that every time they can go unscrupulous and get away with it.

What to do with them?

Training!

Chongzhen asked Mangui to divide the forces of Liaozhen and send out Yingchang, in order to gradually train a force comparable to the strength of Liaozhen on the western front.

After many simulations, Chongzhen knows that military training is by no means something that can be completed by changing equipment and changing equipment.

The most important link in military training is actually actual combat. It's better to practice than to fight.

In history, Sun Chuanting's Qin soldiers and Lu Xiangsheng's Tianxiong soldiers were also gradually trained by them when they were governors in order to quell the rebellion.

Through actual combat, weeding out the weak and retaining the strong, accumulating talents, and perfecting tactics, a hundred battles of elite soldiers can come out.

Like in the online novel, pulling the old men of the Beijing camp to the mountains for military training, equipping them with new-style rifles, and the emperor can get an invincible army if he speaks again, which is purely whimsical.

Don't talk about training new-style infantry, just like making a movie with a script, we must first have a scientific infantry drill code.

And this kind of drill can only be compiled by senior officers who are familiar with the new tactics for a long time, at least at least there is no such talent in the Ming Dynasty at present.

Let's just say that who hasn't experienced this military training? Do you really think that you can get involved with elite soldiers after a little practice?

The real main force of elite soldiers, military training is to play a role in the selection of people with strong bodies and smart brains, it is just the beginning, and the training intensity has not yet come up.

Chongzhen can now count on the trained soldiers and horses, in addition to Liaozhen and the Western Army, there are only Hong Chengchou's Qin soldiers and Chen Qiyu's Jin soldiers.

With extra soldiers and horses, he is not ready to recruit any more.

In fact, the two dynasties of Tianqi and Chongzhen were not ignorant of the importance of military training, on the contrary, they organized and trained a large number of new troops in Tianjin, Denglai, Zhili and other places, and the so-called training and salary were to supply these new troops.

As a result, these armies did not play any role in history, and after Huang Taiji entered the fortress or swept away the autumn wind, no one saw these new armies make war exploits.

Even after Kong Youde launched the Wuqiao Mutiny, this group of new troops was like decorations, and was even coerced by the rebels on Phi Dao.

Having learned a lesson, Chongzhen focused on the construction of an artillery army on a blank sheet of paper this time.

He wanted to make sure that even if the Ming army only had artillery and cannon fodder left, it would be able to keep the enemy out of the country.

The Xishan Military Academy, of which Sun Yuanhua served as the principal, was continuously cultivating artillery talents.

The next step was to improve the equipment of the artillery corps.

However, Chongzhen did not plan to cast the cannon first, but planned to improve the gunpowder used by the Ming army first.

And this requires a large amount of saltpeter resources.

Chongzhen took Liu Zongzhou to a nearby saline-alkali land.

In autumn and winter, there was little water, and there used to be a pond here, but now there is only white sand.

Chongzhen pointed to this piece of brine pond and said, "In the territory of Shuntian Mansion, there should be a lot of such brine ponds, right?"

Liu Zongzhou nodded and said, "In Hebei, in ancient times, it was a swamp, and the water receded and became a plain. There are a lot of such salt ponds, but because there are many impurities during the period, they have a spicy taste, so they cannot be used as table salt. ”

Chongzhen said, "Although it can't be eaten, this miscellaneous salt is more useful." Do you know saltpeter? ”

Liu Zongzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Saltpeter is a traditional Chinese medicine, and I heard that the gunpowder used in my Daming artillery also needs to be stored in large quantities. Your Majesty wants me to send someone to make saltpeter in large quantities? ”

Chongzhen said, "Exactly, I Daming won the world with firearms." We are using firearms to protect the world. ”

"Most of the gunpowder supplied by the military department today is shoddy, and the proportion of charcoal and marl mixed with it is much higher than normal. As a result, every time the enemy is encountered, the guns are often silent, so that the captives and horses are unscrupulous, which is very hateful. ”

When Liu Zongzhou heard this, he also had to sigh, "The lack of discipline in the national dynasty has led to the abolition of armaments, which is really a misfortune for the country." ”

"However, such mistakes are also old and evil, and I hope Your Majesty will not entrust Sun Gaoyang to this reason."

Looking at the other party's sincere expression, Chongzhen was dumbfounded, Liu Zongzhou still regarded himself as the original Chongzhen.

"Of course I know it's not Sun Gaoyang's fault."

Liu Zongzhou was puzzled, "Since the emperor has no intention of being dissatisfied with Sun Gaoyang, why didn't he directly instruct the military department to improve the quality of gunpowder preparation?" ”

Chongzhen is a little impatient, although Liu Zongzhou is a square person, but after all, he is an old-fashioned bureaucrat.

"The affairs of the military department are complicated, and even if they are entrusted to do it, they may not be able to meet my standards."

"I handed it over to you because Shuntianfu guards Gyeonggi, and it is adjacent to Jiliao, which is convenient for supplying to the front."

Chongzhen sighed again and said, "I know that the people of Zhili have suffered from military disasters this year, and I have the heart to relieve the people. ”

"The emperor wants to reduce the money and grain of Shuntian Mansion this year?" Liu Zongzhou immediately became interested, and this kind of helping the poor is also his duty as a parent official.

Chongzhen nodded, "The reduction of money and grain will fall on the production of saltpeter." As long as the final acceptance criteria can be met, the same volume of saltpeter can be used as five times the same volume of grain. ”

Liu Zongzhou's eyes lit up, the white saltpeter in these saline-alkali fields can be described as how much there is, and refining it is just a matter of paying some physical strength and fuel.

After Chongzhen's order, Liu Zongzhou, whose brain became flexible, thought that the government could even take out some grain to attract displaced people to produce saltpeter.

In this way, the food exempted from taxes and the food for disaster relief can be offset and more people can be saved.

He immediately kowtowed and thanked him, "The emperor's promulgation of such virtuous policies is really a blessing for all the people!" ”

Chongzhen waved his hand and said, "Don't be in a hurry to thank you first." ”

"Since these saltpeters are going to be sent to the border and used to fight against the Jianyu, naturally they can't be a foolish account."

"First of all, the saltpeter collected in each county will be sampled and lit in Shuntianfu, and then put on charcoal for testing."

"Ge Hong once said that the difference between real nitrate and other fake nitrate is that its flame is blue and purple, and it ignites suddenly when it is heated, and the fire bursts."

"If someone uses shoddy manganese salt, it will not be able to achieve the above effect. Then not only can he not be exempted from money and food, but he must also be punished with additional saltpeter. ”

Liu Zongzhou's heart sank, and he hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"The second is that this saltpeter is not weighed in the end, regardless of loss, only look at the volume received."

"In the past, the military department practiced nitrate, and often made a fool of things, and the heating and precipitation ended hastily after only one time. As a result, the final finished saltpeter is susceptible to moisture and hardening, and often squibs are used during war. ”

Liu Zong immediately understood Chongzhen's intention of only looking at the volume: "The real saltpeter is not easy to get wet, and the volume is relatively more." ”

"The minister must let his subordinate officials declare to the people, and make them think for themselves, and they must also do enough work, so as not to hand over the inferior saltpeter."

Chongzhen nodded slightly, this is the benefit of communicating with smart people, and the words often don't have to be too thorough.

At the moment, he issued an edict and asked Liu Zongzhou to submit this decree to the Ministry of Households, so that all the prefectures under the government could handle it accordingly.

Everything is ready, and I just have to wait for the next year to test the fineness of this saltpeter.