The nineteenth day of the lunar month.

Courts.

Zhang Zhou was not there, but what he talked about that day was closely related to Zhang Zhou.

The first thing is that the fire sieve lost the battle in the steppe, and the gray slipped to the Donghetao area, and was given a back road by the Tumut department, and the fire sieve could only withdraw to the west when the army was almost annihilated, probably to the area where the Warat people once lived, and withdrew from the contention for the territory of Mongol in the south of the desert.

And the Ming Dynasty completely stood by in this battle, which was equivalent to treating the fire sieve as a bird, and was eaten by a group of hungry wolves on the grassland.

“…… Your Majesty, both to raze the raze, but to the collection of Di Yi ignorant, so that its ethnic annihilation, will inevitably affect my Ming prestige in the small country of Fanbang, I have always emphasized benevolence and righteousness first, first did not tell and sent troops to Duoyan Sanwei, and then put the Menggol Jin Department to death, who will serve the Ming Dynasty in the future? ”

"How can the power of the Heavenly Empire continue in the land of the four seas of China? Even North Korea, which had been loyal to the Ming Dynasty before, had to overthrow the son of the world and ascend the throne, causing civil strife, and the country of Fanbang had already complained......"

What Confucian officials pay attention to is to govern the country with etiquette and music, and they cannot tell others about conspiracies and tricks.

Although it is a personal can see that in the past two years, the Ming Dynasty has been in an absolute hegemonic position in foreign affairs, but this hegemony has been regarded by those traditional Confucian officials as a turning point of "prosperity and decline".

Listen to this group of people...... Is it human talk?

It's going to be razed and razed, and it's still about benevolence and righteousness? Da Ming didn't slaughter all the fire sieve tribes, that was extraordinarily gracious, and now that they are defeated, do you want to blame Da Ming for not sending troops to help them?

As for North Korea...... That's the result of your infighting, what's the matter with Guan Daming?

There are also Duoyan Sanwei, if they are loyal to the Ming Dynasty early on and don't do that treacherous thing, why would the Ming Dynasty send troops to destroy you?

As he was talking, Yang Shou, the new secretary of Dali Temple, said: "Your Majesty, the little prince of Tatars, Batu Munk, played a concert and vainly said that the land of the Hetao would be returned to his residence, which is disrespectful to the upper state, and His Majesty is requested to dispatch soldiers and horses from the three sides to be stationed in the land of the Hetao to prevent the Tatars from taking advantage of the situation." ”

This is talking about Batu Munke, after uniting several tribes and crippling the fire, he directly proposed to Daming that Daming give him the land of the East and West Hetao and let him use it as pasture.

Zhu Youzhu said: "As the co-lord of the grasslands, Batu Munch has never been loyal to the Ming Dynasty, but on the grounds that the reward was small when he paid tribute, he invaded the border land of the Ming Dynasty many times. ”

Li Dongyang walked out and said: "Your Majesty, perhaps Batu Munch urgently needs to establish his prestige on the grassland because of his defeat in the previous battle of Guanshan, so he will be eager to fight with the fire sieve department, and after the victory, he will put forward the idea of dividing with the imperial court, in exchange for the respect of the grassland tribes for him." ”

"Humph!"

Zhu Youzhu snorted coldly, "You want to make excessive requests with the imperial court in exchange for prestige on the grassland? Such delusions are so obvious! ”

No matter how angry the emperor was, Zhu Youzhu did not directly decide to send troops to fight Batu Munch because of this.

The battlefield has been won before, and now it is the cold winter wax moon, the grassland is full of snow, and it is easy for the Ming army to find the north after entering the grassland, and in this environment, even the lethality of the Ming firearms is insufficient.

Besides, he has discussed it with Zhang Zhou, he has been mainly responsible for preparing for war in the past two years, and before he can prepare, he will go to war?

"Reject Batumunk's recital!" Zhu Youzhu said, "Reprimand him for not obeying the way of the ministers, if he dares to raise troops to attack, I will let him have no return!" ”

Yang Shou said: "Your Majesty, the grassland is weak now, if the Ming Dynasty does not take the opportunity to send troops to suppress its prestige, so that several major tribes in the grassland will unite, and there are signs of invading the Central Plains, it will be too late." Please send troops to the grassland! ”

"Your Majesty, please send troops to the grassland!"

There were actually more than a dozen civil servants present, who united to send troops to Zhu Youji.

……

……

This will make Zhu Youzhu can't be rectified.

Wait a minute......

Am I dreaming?

In the past, every time I said that I would send troops to the grassland, a bunch of people jumped out to stop it, okay, but now because Batu Munch won the fire sieve and put forward a non-dividing idea, saying that the imperial court would give him the land of the Hetao, you are so indignant?

Or do you see that I don't want to use soldiers anymore and deliberately go against me?

Zhu Youzhu couldn't help but set his eyes on the left waiter of the military department at this time, "Xiong Da and Xiong Er", and neither of them had the intention of coming out to speak.

Then Zhu Youji's gaze swept over the three members of the cabinet first, and finally fixed his eyes on Ma Wensheng's head, and said: "Ma Qing's family, it is the cold winter season now, and the grassland is not yet peaceful, do you think the Ming Dynasty should send troops at this time?" ”

The implication is quite obvious.

I told you, there are a lot of difficulties now, you Ma Wensheng should know what I mean, right? Others can be unprincipled people in the twilight of the Qin Dynasty, you Ma Wensheng shouldn't be upside down, right?

Ma Wensheng said: "Back to Your Majesty, now the Tatars have not invaded my frontier, and they are spending the winter everywhere, and the soldiers are sending troops at this time, but they are afraid that the winter clothes will be insufficient, and they are susceptible to the influence of climate and terrain in the grassland, so it is not suitable to send troops." ”

When Zhu Youzhu heard this, he was relieved.

It's good that you Wenchen are not completely on the opposite side of me, otherwise I would really only need Bingkuan alone.

"But the old minister thinks." Marven said, "The little prince of Tatar is not playing now, he must fight back!" ”

Zhu Youzhu frowned and said, "How to fight back?" ”

Ma Wensheng said: "Please ask Your Majesty to reprimand him when he issued an edict, and proposed to let him withdraw from Guanshan, Weininghai and other places, so as to use this as the residence of the Ming Dynasty, and proposed to build a fortress around here." And it should be ordered to accept the tribes on the grassland who are oppressed by it and downcast, and go to Guanshan, Weininghai and other places to graze, so as to form a barrier against the Ming border. ”

"Wow!"

Many ministers present listened to Ma Wensheng's remarks and sighed.

Many people were saying on the spot that this suggestion was very good, and they almost wanted to say that they were simply fighting back against Batumunk's shameless cheekiness.

Zhu Youzhu said: "Around Weining Haizi, as far as I know, there have been no tribes grazing here for more than a year, and Maoerzhuang, which is only more than a hundred miles away from Weining Hai, has been building a city. As for Guanshan...... That is the hinterland of Tatars, is it useful to have such a will? ”

Ma Wensheng raised the wat board and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, this is to fight back against the arrogant words of the little Tatar prince, in order to demonstrate the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty." ”

Zhu Youzhu asked: "Then if the Tatars are not angry and take the opportunity to send troops to Weininghai, will I have to attack with soldiers and horses in the same place?" ”

A question is like raising a slap directly to Ma Wensheng's face.

You're a bad old man.

On the one hand, he said that he did not support the Ming Dynasty to send troops, but on the other hand, he encouraged me to intensify the conflict with the Tatars, and made it clear to Batu Munk that I wanted Guanshan and Wei Ninghai, so didn't Batu Munk directly "find the right direction", and the soldiers and horses went to these two places?

When the Tatars send troops to Weininghai, will you let me send troops or not?

Liu Jian came out and said, "Your Majesty, it is also necessary to show the prestige of the Ming Dynasty. ”

Zhu Youzhu said with a cold face: "Okay, if you want to show your majesty, then it is also direct, and in the future, let Xinjian Bo lead his troops to patrol Weininghai frequently, and build a fortress in Weininghai to echo Maoerzhuang." I also believe that with Xinjian Bo in Datong, the Tatars will not dare to invade easily. Next thing! ”

……

……

The defeat of the fire sieve and the matter of Batu Mengke's request to seal the Hetao were exposed by Zhu Youji.

Although Zhu Youzhu also felt that the Tatars should not be like the Tatars in the winter, he also knew that even if the courtiers of the Ming Dynasty would agree to let the Ming concentrate on preparing for war in the next few years, the Tatars would not sit idly by.

Even so, there is no need to put Daming in a very low posture, and he should be strong.

Anyway, with Zhang Zhou to support him, it's a big deal that the Tatars came, so they directly sent troops to attack, and let Wang Shouren go to the ...... first If Wang Shouren can't be defeated, Zhang Zhou will personally lead the troops......

I don't believe that the Tatars can still be besieged by the Ming Dynasty's many artillery and firearms, and what can they gain in the frontier?

Next, the Tobe Shangshu Tong Zhong will perform the matter.

“…… Your Majesty, after the Haining Wei Salt Farm enters the autumn, it has produced millions of catties of salt, a total of nearly 10,000 salt introductions, and the salt produced has been sold all over the south of the Yangtze River......

Zhang Zhou's opening up of a salt farm in Hainingwei has yielded results.

The efficiency of adding water trucks to the beach drying method is twice as efficient as that of the surrounding salt farms that use firewood to fry salt.

The labor cost has been greatly reduced, and even the surrounding salt farms themselves have seen that this trick is simply too effective, and they have taken the initiative to improve and promote.

Zhu Youzhu frowned and said: "Hainingwei's salt farm is a separate mine for salt shipbuilding, if it is merged with the surrounding salt department, how will the surplus salt silver produced in Taicang be dispatched?" Could it be that the Ministry of Household Affairs thinks that shipbuilding should be used more? ”

Zhu Youzhi was very vigilant.

He saw that the household department took the initiative to promote it, and also proposed to merge, which must not be a good thing.

It seems to be to promote the good experience and merge the salt occasions of the two Zhejiang provinces into a whole, but in fact, it is to plunder Zhang Zhou's achievements...... Once merged, how much salt Hainingwei's salt farm produces, that is, a little quota will be allocated in the end, and most of it will still be transported to the three sides and other places.

In the rules of the salt farms in the Ming Dynasty, the salt tax of the salt farms in the two Zhejiang provinces is mainly used in Gansu, Ningxia, Yansui and Guyuan.

However, after changing to Yinkaizhong, that is, the color folding method, the salt produced in each salt place has actually been blurred in the scope of marketing, but the salt produced is still trafficked to the three sides...... And in this way, a law was formed, and the two Zhejiang provinces were the backyard of the salt tax on the three sides.

Now Zhang Zhou has set up another stove in the backyard, and the salt produced in a winter salt production season has made everyone look red.

Zhu Youzhu saw that he did not answer, and he himself added: "The salt tax of the two Zhejiang provinces is mostly used for border administration, but in the past few years, the grain has not been transferred to the three sides and other places. There is no quota for occupying the nest, and how much salt is produced to how much salt is used, so as to enrich the military needs of the various places in the nine sides. ”

Tong Zhong said: "Your Majesty, now there is only one salt place in Hainingwei that uses the new law. ”

Zhu Youzhu nodded and said: "As for the salt produced in the Haining Wei Salt Factory, I don't plan to use it for border politics, whether it is the sale of the salt produced or the tax revenue from the salt introduction, it will all be used for shipbuilding. I proposed to build a ship before, and the money and grain that the imperial court could transfer were less than 20,000 taels of silver, so how could such a little be enough to build a few ships? If it is all up to Tang Yin, the governor of the Bohai Sea, to raise it by himself, then I don't know how long it will be raised! ”

Tong Zhong looked very sad and indignant: "The minister doesn't understand why he has to spend so much money and food on going to sea. ”

Zhu Youzhu said: "Then I want to ask, is it less expensive to cast artillery in the north?" Do you think I'm just spending money and not doing anything real? The southeast coast has always been doing the preparation of the Japanese, so shouldn't it be prepared in advance? ”

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, there has always been a saying of "preparing for the Japanese".

In fact, there have always been pirates and pirates, and they are also related to the sea ban of the Ming Dynasty, but it was not until the Jiajing period that it became a major event affecting the Ming Dynasty.

Now the emperor wants to build ships under the pretext of "preparing for the Japanese", and the ministers can't find too many faults.

After all, the emperor himself said that the total amount of money and food spent on the household was less than 20,000 taels, and the rest was raised by Zhang Zhou and Tang Yin themselves.

Now for the courtiers, the most pity is not how much it costs, but not to be able to return the "value" created by Zhang Zhou to the treasury, seeing that Zhang Zhou can create wealth from an inconspicuous matter of drying salt, they are unwilling at the same time, but also think about how to persuade the emperor, let the emperor focus on "national affairs", to put it bluntly, everything is under the control of the ministers of the court......

It's strange that the emperor can listen to it.

……

……

Originally, there was a third major event involving Zhang Zhou in the court discussion.

It was about the elimination of the old, weak, sick and disabled in Jingying, but because Zhang Zhou was not there, Zhu Youzhu did not let Chen Kuan come out to talk about it...... But in fact, at the execution level, Chen Kuan has come forward a lot, and Zhang Zhou, as the person who handled the case, is very low-key in this matter, as if even Zhang Zhou knows that this will offend a large number of people.

The court meeting ended.

A bunch of ministers came out with mixed feelings, and each of them was lamenting the "unfairness of fate" in their hearts.

Why are we diligent, but we can only end up in the name of mediocrity, and Zhang Zhou fished for three days and dried nets for two days, and he could do so many things without even coming to the court, so that we couldn't target it if we wanted to?

After the court meeting, Ma Wensheng, the secretary of the ministry, specially invited Li Dongyang, meaning to go to the ministry to discuss the assessment of the next year, but in fact, he wanted to talk to Li Dongyang about Zhang Zhou.

"You should find Yu Qiao......"

Li Dongyang was invited to the ministry, but he was still reluctant, and most of the things he communicated with Ma Wensheng before were completed by Xie Qian.

Ma Wensheng said: "Binzhi, there is something I still want to inform you, Your Majesty recently asked for a list of officials above the prefect level in various places, and said that it was to make some adjustments in the employment of people in the northwest. I don't know if this is Zhang Bingkuan's intention, or His Majesty's temporary intention, I always think that His Majesty may want to bring some rising stars to assist the north in preparing for war and other matters. ”

Li Dongyang's face was cold.

The emperor is still not very satisfied with the employment of people in the northwest today.

The main reason is that there are too few people in Zhang Zhou's faction, and what the emperor wants is that Zhang Zhou can respond to every call in the northwest and any decree can be effectively conveyed, not like now, only a very small number of officials belong to Zhang Zhou's promotion...... Still looking out of place.

Li Dongyang asked, "Isn't it that Your Majesty wants to use these people to enter the Martial Arts Hall?" ”

Ma Wensheng shook his head and said: "Originally, I also thought that if Zhang Bingkuan wanted to cultivate power, he must take the Yanwutang as an opportunity, but I saw that His Majesty didn't seem to have too many expectations for the Yanwutang, and I didn't know how to discuss it with Zhang Bingkuan." If it is simply the dispatch of local generals, some of them do not seem to have military and political qualifications and experience, and His Majesty has divided a few people...... It seems to have a deep meaning. ”

Zhu Youzhi chooses people.

Of course, it was chosen according to Zhang Zhou's opinion.

What is Zhang Zhou's biggest chip? Naturally, I know who are the people who are just small officials in the DPRK now, but who may be a generation of famous ministers in the future, and what are the specialties of these people, and whether they can help themselves......

Although this kind of insight in advance is likely to be only on paper, a person's ability is still reflected in his future career.

The emperor casually drew a few people, put it to Ma Wensheng to observe, and they all felt that the emperor's vision was very accurate, no matter what ability these people showed now, at least in terms of future potential, they were full of potential.

Only when Ma Wensheng feels the "crisis" will he take it out and tell Li Dongyang.

If the emperor wants to choose only some incompetent people, Ma Wensheng will naturally feel that the emperor is just messing around.

Li Dongyang said: "After Zhang Bingkuan entered the court, the few people he brought with him, in addition to Wang Qiong, Lu Wan, and Wang Xian, are Zhu Feng and Wang Shouren. But if he chooses from some magistrates, he has not even seen most of them with his own eyes and has no real contact...... Ma Butang, are you too worried? ”

Li Dongyang's meaning.

No matter how awesome Zhang Zhou is, it's just a person, not a god.

He used Wang Qiong, Lu Wan, and Wang Xian very accurately, it doesn't mean that these people were all picked out by his discernment, after all, these people have been in the officialdom for a long time, and their abilities have shown a lot.

Even if it is Wang Shouren, it can only be said that Zhang Zhou and Wang Shouren are Jinshi in the same year and understand each other......

Now do you think Zhang Zhou can pick out the people who will influence the situation in the future from a group of magistrates who have never seen it?

Isn't that unfounded?

Ma Wensheng sighed: "I hope I am too worried, but when Your Majesty chooses people, he doesn't look at the evaluation, and just selects them based on his name and experience." I'm afraid that it will break the rules of the ministry's overall assessment, as a secretary of the ministry, I also have to take this as a warning, you just know it. ”

(End of chapter)