Zhu Youzhi's determination to manage the grassland has been presented to the Manchu ministers of civil and military affairs.

In the face of such an ambitious king, these ministers, especially the civil ministers, did not know what to say, they once relied on regulating and restraining this seemingly cowardly and helpless king to become the Ming monarch in their minds.

But now everything is moving out of control.

After the conclusion of the court meeting.

On the way out of the palace, the ministers had already discussed it, and the opinions of most of the ministers were still inclined to support the strategy of using troops in the northwest.

It's not about whether it's so reckless, it's more about whether it has an effect, it took less than half a year to clean up a fire screen that was once unstoppable and repeatedly violated, and the emperor also used his strength to interpret that he was not just a king.

When Liu Jian and the others heard the discussion of the people below, they didn't feel good in their hearts.

Whether the interests of the Ming Dynasty are important in the eyes of the Wenchen or the interests of the Ming Dynasty in the eyes of the emperor are important, there are contradictions and conflicts in itself.

……

……

Cabinet duty.

After Li Dongyang and Xie Qian came back, what they were most concerned about was naturally what the emperor had said to Liu Jian and them in the inner court.

Liu Jian also roughly said that most of the things involved had already been said by the emperor, and Liu Jian did not deliberately evaluate the emperor's actions.

Xie Qian also chose to remain silent this time.

Only Li Dongyang seems to be not very confident in the matter of co-opting the fire sieve, he said: "If the current fire sieve is proposed, and the imperial court wants to approve, there is still a conflict, the fire sieve wants to graze and build a city in Weininghai, and what the people and cattle and sheep want, but what the Ming can give him is only the land of the Hetao that has not been operated for many years, and he is not allowed to get together." ”

"What do you mean?" Liu Jian looked over.

Li Dongyang said: "Even if Huo Sieve is really willing to accept the imperial court's edict, or it is only an expedient measure, after the situation on the grassland changes, it is almost a matter of time before the rebellion is revolted." ”

"Hmm."

Liu Jian is actually concerned about this layer.

Didn't the emperor expect that?

If the emperor didn't have this concern, he wouldn't have put forward a plan that was close to "buying horse bones with a thousand gold", and would rather let the fire sieve rebel after returning to obedience, but also give a sample to the grassland tribes, it is estimated that even Zhang Zhou himself saw that it was impossible for the fire sieve to sincerely return to the Ming Dynasty.

Li Dongyang said: "The town of Xuanda General System was moved from Xuanfu to Datong, but I don't know what Your Majesty wants?" ”

Xie Qian looked at the past with a smile, and there are things that you Li Binzhi can't understand?

"I think." Liu Jian said, "Your Majesty wants to take Datong as the foundation and let Zhang Bingkuan prepare for the war and go to the grassland. ”

Li Dongyang asked: "How much money does the imperial court have to spend for this?" ”

Liu Jian shook his head: "The imperial court can't even reward the money and food of the meritorious soldiers of Weininghai and Maoerzhuang, and it can't take out for the time being, everything depends on Zhang Bingkuan's self-financing in the northwest, but with the current declining situation in the northwest, how much can he raise in a short period of time?" ”

Not only Zhang Zhou, but even the cabinet also knew that after the change of the system of grain development, the situation in the northwest was getting worse day by day.

But they are still reluctant to change the salt law back.

What you want is to be able to control the northwest ...... Anyway, the northwest is like that, the future of the Ming Dynasty is not determined by the rise and fall of the northwest, and the central government cannot guarantee it, so why pursue the long-term peace and stability of the northwest?

"Autumn is about to begin, the reports of disasters in various places are continuous, the Ming Dynasty can now be said to be stormy and eventful, Zhang Bingkuan is in the northwest, and he can indeed calm the hearts of the army, and it can be regarded as making the court peaceful."

Liu Jian sighed again.

Roughly speaking, even if we don't look down on Zhang Zhou, but now that his military power is already there, it is still possible to be a town in the northwest.

Create a good external environment, so that we can concentrate on solving the internal problems.

Xie Qian smiled and said: "The current situation in Daming is not very good, and it is not much worse than the future, compared to the future...... Who knows? ”

In Liu Jian's eyes, the meaning of Daming is a bit "stormy" now, because they feel that Daming's finances have almost collapsed, and the so-called Hongzhi Zhongxing is only based on the mutual comfort between monarchs and ministers.

However, the criterion for historians to evaluate the merits of an era is not the financial situation.

Just like in the Wanli era, the Ming Dynasty's finances were not bad, and it was also called the dark era, and these professional politicians in the Ming Dynasty were their weakness in making money.

It seems that the literati only cared about the so-called Haiyan River Qing, and did not really realize how to collapse the court, let alone understand the laws of historical development.

……

……

The will of the imperial court regarding the submission of the fire sieve soon reached Yanghekou.

Zhang Zhou also sent people to play the fire on a fast horse, and sent it back to the north by the emperor's imperial pen Zhu Pi's music, and at the same time got the news that the Yongxieb Department had sent troops to Weininghai.

"Zhang Zhitai, Your Majesty's intention is that you want to move the town to Datong Town, and it is not a way to stay in Yanghekou."

Tang Yin came with Yang and Wei to command Song Xian.

Don't look at him as just a military director, but Song Xian holds Tang Yin like a messenger, and he is also very stubborn to Tang Yin.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Bo'an has just gone to Datong, and I have no intention of going to Datong at present." ”

"Don't go to Datong ......" Tang Yin was a little puzzled.

Not much to say.

You call this disrespect!

The emperor asked you to go, but you have to stay in Yanghekou? Or do you have your own opinions?

Zhang Zhoudao: "In the past few days, I want to go to the south of Datong and open mines, if there is any war in the north, let the governor of Xuanfu and Bo'an plan it, as for Wang Dehua on the side of the pass, I don't have to worry." ”

Tang Yin was worried when he heard this.

The emperor asked you to come to war, and now the situation in the grassland is uncertain, you actually want to put down your military affairs and go to mining?

Song Xian didn't have so many opinions, he asked: "Lord Taiwan, what do you think the end will be able to help?" Yang and Wei Neng helped to send people to assist. ”

Zhang Zhou glanced at Song Xian, it seemed that this Yang Hewei commander was very eager to climb his big tree, and he did his best, which meant that he was a bit of a public weapon for private use.

"No need."

Zhang Zhou picked up a few things on the table and handed them to Tang Yin, meaning to help him pack and tidy up, "I have been bothering Yanghekou for a long time, causing you trouble, if the fire sieve enters the customs, I will come back." In the affairs around Datong, listen to Wang Zhongcheng more, don't make trouble for him, just don't block me. ”

"Yes."

After Song Xian received the order, he was sent out by Zhang Zhouxian.

Tang Yin asked, "What's the inconvenience to say in front of him?" ”

Zhang Zhoudao: "I said Senior Brother Tang, you study Your Majesty's recitals carefully, and when we leave tomorrow, you tell me your experience." That's it! You can go back too. ”

“……”

Tang Yin was speechless.

What's not to say bluntly, let me go back and research? What do I study? The imperial edicts given to you by the emperor are all clearly stipulated, is there any code word that cannot be done?

But now it was Zhang Zhou's order to him, and he had no choice but to take out all the so-called edicts and go to "study" them overnight.

……

……

That night, Zhang Zhou met Chen's daughter.

Chen's daughter came from Xuanfu, she was still waiting for Zhang Zhou to find her to open a mine in Xuanfu, and was temporarily recruited to Yanghekou, a rich girl born in the land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River, to the bitter cold place like the northwest, she didn't know what the meaning of coming to the northwest was.

But if you let her go back to the capital or Nanjing...... She couldn't go back.

"Master Zhang."

When Chen's daughter saw Zhang Zhou, her expression was very respectful.

If Zhang Zhou's appointment in the army in the past was only on paper, and in the rumors spread by others, it is now presented in front of her eyes.

"Sit." Zhang Zhou usually looks lazy and inactive.

But in the northwest, Zhang Zhou really did things.

Almost all of his official duties in front of him can be summed up as ...... Money and food.

Zhang Zhou asked Tang Yin to study the emperor's will, in fact, to let Tang Yin know that the emperor almost did not mention money and food in all his wills, that is, to tell Zhang Zhou that it is okay to prepare for war, but the support that the imperial court can give is limited, and it is all up to you to raise it yourself.

On this basis, as long as you can conjure up money and food, you can do whatever you want.

Chen's daughter sat down this time, far away from Zhang Zhou, looking very restrained.

She couldn't help but glance at Liu Gui who was standing on the side, if it weren't for the existence of a tent like a tent here, and there were people next to her, she should really be worried that Zhang Zhou was the one who coveted her.

"It's been hard along the way, haven't you?" Zhang Zhou asked with a smile.

Chen's woman said: "Before leaving, everything was not very stable, but the road was very peaceful, and even caravans could be seen. I heard that it was the adults who won the battle on the grassland and kept the border fortress safe. ”

"Pretty good at talking." Zhang Zhou said, "But this is meaningless, originally I wanted to open an iron mine north of Zhangjiakou Fort, but now I have changed my mind and am going to open a coal mine in Datong Town, and the purpose of calling you here is precisely why." ”

After hearing this, Chen's daughter was a little relieved.

She asked, "Do you want to get the mines to be donated from all over the world?" ”

"Huh." Zhang Zhou was laughing.

This tone is a bit like Zhang Heling, when he knew that he was going to open a coal mine in Datong, he felt that he wanted to rob the private mines.

Liu Gui said coldly: "How can my lord be the kind of person who takes advantage of it? ”

"It's the little girl's gaffe, I hope the adults will forgive me." Chen's daughter hurriedly got up and admitted her mistake.

"Sit."

Zhang Zhoudao, "I have always relied on my own skills to open a mine, and you know what I do, if I can't use what I have learned, it is no different from not learning." What I want is just a front for you. ”

"The little woman doesn't understand."

The roles played by Chen's daughter and Zhang Heling in mining are different, but Zhang Zhou feels that this woman understands so many twists and turns in officialdom, but she doesn't say it.

"Open a mine, the biggest problem is to compete with the people for profit, this is easy to be impeached by the imperial historian, and I will never put my eggs in one basket, Xishan Coal Mine, I rely on the Jiang family, and I use your Chen family in Datong." Zhang Zhou said, "But your Chen family must be unconditionally attached to me, and your business failure in Beijing makes you have to get on this boat, isn't it?" ”

Chen's cheek muscles were tense and she didn't speak.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Follow me south tomorrow, and when you encounter a place with a mine, you stay to help take care of it, and as for the employment of people, the governor of Datong and the local health office will provide assistance, but the local prefect and county government will not cooperate." ”

"You should know that when I came to the northwest to use troops, I relied on the governor, the capital division, the Xingdu division, as well as the general military office, the guard office, the thousand households and other yamen under my jurisdiction, and it has nothing to do with the local cultural and governance yamen."

Chen's daughter probably understood that she was going to be the vanguard.

"If there is trouble, someone will help you solve it, but you have to face the big problem yourself, and if the government goes to raid the mine, you have to be tough. Good luck. ”

Zhang Zhou also told Chen's daughter clearly.

If you help me open the mine, the local government will definitely find you trouble, which involves a dispute over the interests of the strong dragon and the local snake.

It seems that you have the guards and thousands of households behind you to support you, and even the Xuanda General System and the Governor of Datong are your backers, but you don't expect these people and the yamen to give you much assistance at a critical time, and even if you are arrested by the local government and imprisoned in a cell, it is not impossible.

The so-called "good luck" roughly means...... Ask for more blessings.

Chen's daughter asked, "Isn't Lord Zhang going to deal with the local government?" ”

"Hehe, go up."

Zhang Zhou smiled.

This look is the material for doing business all year round, and I know the biggest way to do business in this era, that is, to dot up and down.

Not to mention mining operations, even if it is an ordinary business, if you don't take care of the local government such as customs and customs, it will be difficult to move an inch.

"This official controls the military affairs of the six towns in the northwest, and this official is looking for someone to open a mine, and he still has to do something? Who's the dot? Own subordinates? Zhang Zhou smiled.

Chen's daughter feels what it means to be "stressed".

I was asked to go to the mine because I didn't plan to get along with the local government, and you didn't even give me the basic money to buy the road, so you said I had good luck or something...... You Zhang Bingkuan is really picking, you have to save this kind of silver?

Zhang Zhoudao: "Let's put it this way, if the local government and gentry have trouble, there will be people from Shouning Hou to fight against them, you don't rush to the front, if there are people from the government who want to embarrass you and want to discuss filial piety with you, you shouldn't have heard it." But you can't leave Shanxi, but if there is anything in the mine, the government will deliberately make things difficult, and you have to rush to the front. ”

Chen's face was ugly.

What she wants to ask most now is, in fact, if I exert so much effort, how much can I share?

Zhang Zhou also answered her appropriately: "I won't promise you specific benefits, but when others mention your Chen family in the future, it will be my Zhang's descendant...... Show you His Majesty's secret decree! ”

"Secret purpose?"

Chen's daughter was surprised.

The Emperor's secret decree? What is this concept?

Zhang Zhou asked Liu Gui to hand over a thing.

Chen's daughter knelt on the ground first, received it in her hand, and then knelt there to finish reading the things in her hand, and waited for her to finish reading...... only to find out that it was actually a "letter" written by the emperor to Zhang Zhou in his private capacity.

The words used in the titles are "Bingkuan", "you", "I" and the like, and the meaning expressed is actually that I am very sure of your merits, but unfortunately there are too few places where the court can support you, and you need to raise it yourself......

Just say.

Even if you are a local traitor, I will be completely on your side.

After she finished reading it, she suddenly found that she had read something that she shouldn't have seen, and the image of this "king" in the letter was simply shattered, in order to let his Bingkuan help him raise military salaries and materials, and even did not hesitate to compete with the people for profit, and said so many words that could not be presented in front of hundreds of officials......

This...... Are you sure it's the emperor's tone?

While she was shocked in her heart, she was also thinking, this is like what the emperor said?

But this person in front of him is the emperor's most trusted person, what is the point of him forging a secret letter from the emperor and showing it to a small person like me?

"Get up, continue to sit and talk, do you understand?" Zhang Zhou waited for Liu Gui to take back the emperor's secret decree before asking.

The Chen woman felt like she was on a thief ship.

Zhang Zhoudao: "I'm a person, I just like to go straight to work, and even Your Majesty understands my temperament, so he won't beat around the bush with me." His Majesty asked me to raise military rations and materials in the local area, and even to cast artillery on my own to complete the accumulation before sending troops, and also proposed that I should not care about the opinions of the local government and the imperial historians of the DPRK and China. ”

"But I'm in the middle of the court, how can I not care about these things?"

Chen's daughter frowned.

The emperor let you offend people because he wanted to keep your mouth real and make you an outlier in the eyes of the Chinese officials.

As a result, you let us people come out and bear the infamy, while you yourself went to be a "saint"?

"I'm not selling dog meat on a sheep's head, raising funds to govern the army and the border, don't you understand those old scholars in the court? Probably the most incomprehensible thing is the people of the local government! If I want to focus on how to deal with them, how can I put my mind on managing the army and using it? ”

"These things have to fall on your shoulders! Miss Chen, the amount of task I gave you is not too large, you can help me earn 200,000 taels of silver every year, which is probably enough! ”

When Chen's daughter heard it, this goal was really "not big".

Kill me!

200,000 taels ...... How much coal does it have to be mined to be worthwhile?

"Come with me tomorrow, change into men's clothes, if I have a female dependent, it will inevitably make people think more, and if you don't have many people, just listen to my people. Well done. Zhang Zhou smiled.

It's like a group of people, all of whom are doing chores for him.

And he is a person who runs the whole thing, waiting for others to play everything, and he counts the money behind his back.

……

……

Xuanfu.

Wang Shouren received the will of the imperial court, and asked him to prepare to meet the fire screen in Datong Town.

Wang Xi said: "Wang Zhongcheng, look at the meaning of the imperial court, whether I should wait to take advantage of the fire and send troops to attack it, so that it ......"

"Where do you see the things that are not mentioned in the will?"

Wang Shouren asked.

Wang Xi's face was embarrassed, but he was vaguely disappointed.

Wang Shouren knew that because of Zhang Zhou's presence, everyone in the Northwest Army wanted to make a difference, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and if Zhang Zhou's influence was lost, it would be even more difficult to make contributions on the battlefield.

"It is expected that the fire sieve will not enter the customs easily, and he will propose to return to the Ming Dynasty when he is in danger, but once he leaves the barracks, how can the tribes of the grassland sit idly by? How to make the fire screen obey the order to enter the customs, it depends on how Zhang Zhengtai negotiates with him, and recently all the military stations in Datong have strengthened their vigilance to prevent the Tatars from attacking! ”

(End of chapter)