Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 210 Chongzhen is playing with fire

"The Liao army began to harass Jianzhou frequently in April. On May 4, the army divided into three groups to attack Jianzhou. On the [-]th, they captured Sarhu and killed Amin, the leader of the bandit army with a red flag. On the [-]th , defeated Jianzhou Jurchen Eight Banners with [-] people in the Suzi River Valley, and beheaded the leader of the Red Banner, Daishan. Mang Gurtai, the owner of the Army Zhenglan Banner, Yue Tuo, the owner of the Bordered Red Banner, and Azige, the owner of the Zhengbai Banner, were defeated and committed suicide. Seeing that the situation was over, the leader of the bandit, Huang Taiji, also committed suicide. Liaodong was occupied for ten years and finally returned to his homeland. It has been completely destroyed since then.”

In the empty hall, Wang Qia, who had just been promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War, read aloud the information about Liaodong collected by the Ministry of War in the morning.

Although his tone was slow, the ministers in the hall held their breath and listened carefully, not daring to make a sound.

As early as the Liao Army's massive attack on Houjin, news of the Liao Army's victory has spread in the capital.At first, these ministers were dubious, and couldn't believe that Houjin, who had been like a maggot attached to the bone for the past ten years, could be wiped out.But with the fall of Hou Jin, everything was a foregone conclusion, and the memorial of the Ministry of War made this matter even more certain.

Chongzhen closed his eyes, feeling complicated.If after Jin was eliminated, the army was sent by the imperial court, then Chongzhen would not mind amnesty for the world, and the whole world will celebrate together.However, it was a local army that was completely unrestrained by the imperial court that eliminated Hou Jin, the most powerful enemy of Ming Dynasty.Moreover, this army has been behind the enemy for a long time and has been far away from the imperial court for more than ten years. The influence of the Ming court on that place is almost gone due to the destruction of Hou Jin.

"Ministers, the memorial to the Liao Army's request for merit has been placed on my desk. How do you think I will reward Chu Yun of the Liao Army?" Chongzhen opened his eyes and asked.

Many ministers looked at me and I looked at you, and were speechless for a while.How to reward this?Searching through the history books, he can't find a general who killed a powerful empire in his 20s when he was in his [-]s.Perhaps Huo Qubing, who was granted the title of Langjuxu, can be counted as one. He is even more of an official to Da Sima Hussar General, and he was named Champion.

Look at those generals who have contributed to the destruction of the country, all of them are ministers, such as Deng Ai who destroyed the Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, he was made a Taiwei, and 60 households were added to the fiefdom.During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Cao Bin, who destroyed the Southern Tang Dynasty, was promoted to the Privy Council Envoy, the Procurator Taiwei, and the Zhongwu Army Jiedu Envoy with his meritorious service.And the current Chu Yun, who was a small hundred household two years ago, should he be regarded as a first-rank subordinate, on an equal footing with a group of old men in their [-]s and [-]s in the hall?
"Your Majesty, you can enfeoff Chu Yun as the Liaodong General Soldier, the governor and Tongzhi, the prince and the Taibao, and thousands of households in the world, and receive the same treatment as Li Chengliang, the former Liaodong General Soldier." A minister stood up and said.

Everyone turned their attention to that person, but it was Zhou Yanru, the Minister of War.

"No, how can Chu Yun get such treatment at such a young age? In the past, Li Chengliang, the general soldier of Liaodong, won ten great victories successively, and the martial arts of the frontier commander was unprecedented in the 200 years of the Ming Dynasty. Even so, Li Chengliang's status is prosperous, Excessive extravagance. If Chu Yun is young and energetic, if he is only in his twenties and becomes a supreme minister, I am afraid it will become another catastrophe for the future Jin Dynasty." A minister stood up and objected.

"This statement is wrong. Liaodong has been occupied by Hou Jin for a long time. Chu Yun's Liao Army was founded by the soldiers and horses of the former Dongjiang Town. The generals in the army still care about the court. Your Majesty can take this opportunity to seal the Liao Army. Officials, show your kindness to them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to temporarily appease them with some vain official positions? Moreover, while Liaodong is safe and sound, the imperial court can reorganize its military equipment, relieve the drought, and enrich the country’s strength.” Zhou Yanru said.

It turned out to be friendly troops.Seeing that Zhou Yanru was just a tactic to delay the attack, the ministers in the court could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"In addition, His Majesty can issue another decree to call back Liao army officials to the court to reward their contributions." Zhou Yanru said again.

Chongzhen was silent for a while: "Zunzo."

"Your Majesty, I have a mission to play." An official stood up, "Recovering Liaodong is certainly a great joy, but the enemy of our Ming Dynasty is not outside the pass, but inside the pass."

"Ma Maocai, I heard that there was a severe drought in Shaanxi. I sent you to Shaanxi to investigate. Have you completed the inspection?" Chongzhen saw that Ma Maocai had just returned from Shaanxi, and this was the first time he went to court.

"Yes. In Yan'an Prefecture, my hometown, there has been no rain for a year since last year, and the grass and trees have withered. In August and September last year, the people rushed to pick the grass in the mountains to satisfy their hunger. The taste is bitter and astringent, and it can only guarantee that they will not die. After October, when the grass was eaten, the people peeled the bark and ate it. After the bark was eaten, they dug up rocks from the mountains and ate them. How could stones be eaten? It didn’t take a few days for these people to bloat and fall to death. Some were not reconciled. Those who died by eating stones first gathered together as robbers and plundered everything. I have recorded what I saw and heard along the way in this "Bei Chen Da Hung Shu". .” Ma Maocai handed over the memorial to Emperor Chongzhen with the eunuch Chen.

Emperor Chongzhen felt even heavier when he heard such chilling words.Droughts continue and wars continue in Shaanxi. This matter is also very worrying.

Chongzhen received the memorial, his hands trembling a little.

"Where is the Minister of the Household?"

"Wei Chen is here."

"Prepare to raise grain and disaster relief silver, and transport them to Shaanxi and northern Shaanxi. We must raise 20 shi for disaster relief." Chongzhen said.

"20 shi of grain? Your Majesty, there isn't any." The Minister of the Household Department said helplessly, "The treasury is not supported, and at most we can only provide [-] shi of grain. As for the relief money, it is even more stretched."

Chongzhen frowned after hearing this.Such a huge dynasty, but still can't provide the silver taels to relieve the disaster area?

"The famine in Shaanxi is serious now, can you raise money for disaster relief?" Chongzhen looked around at the ministers.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan to enrich the treasury." A minister jumped out.

This person is Liu Mao, who is involved in the right-hand affairs of the Criminal Division.

"Quickly tell me." When Chongzhen heard this, someone actually had a way to get the money?

"Today, about seven or eight out of ten of the prefectures and counties in the world are trapped in post stations, but only two tenths of the post stations are used for public affairs, and eight tenths are used for private affairs. If the post stations are abolished, 80 taels of silver can be saved for the treasury every year. Please cancel the station and dismiss the public servants of the station." Liu Mao said.

"No, the ancestors set up a post station, so they win over powerful people, make them blindly carry their burdens, consume their energy, waste their time, eat their food, and make them dare not do wrong. It has a wonderful effect. How can it be easily abolished now? Some ministers immediately retorted.

80 taels of silver are saved every year... After Chongzhen heard this, he was slightly moved because he was short of money.

It's a pity that neither Liu Mao nor Chongzhen ever imagined that Li Zicheng, who is still working as a groom in Xingqing Mansion, was laid off because of the post, and finally took the risk, joined the peasant uprising army, and became the later "chuang king"...

　There is another chapter to be added tomorrow. I really don’t have time today. I am about to die suddenly, and I don’t want to waste everyone’s money by injecting water.Thanks to Zhuifeng~_~, angelluxifa and all book friends for their support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)