Jingming

Chapter 386: Attack and defense change shape, everyone looks to the prince

Ma Fang also looked back at the large army retreating to the west, then gritted his teeth and said: "Should we be prepared to be guarded against them chasing us?"

"Someone has cut off the rear." The captain of his team stopped him from staying behind for reconnaissance.

Ma Fang couldn't escape like this, otherwise he would be shot into a hedgehog first.

At this moment, he felt like returning home, but there was nothing he could do.

He didn't know that after his departure, he would be forced to go further away from the Ming Dynasty, but he would also grow from an ordinary young soldier to a brave general who was truly familiar with the Mongolian and Yuan war methods.

When the good news came to the capital, Zhu Houcong was overjoyed: "The offensive and defensive momentum is different! According to the decree, Yu Dayou is granted the title of Han Haibo! I don't want to waste my strength in vain. I must no longer do it for fame. When Gunbilik dies of old age, he will seize it first. Right wing, or simply go to the Khan Court and seize the bird position?"

As an "emperor", Zhu Houcong understood better what he was thinking.

This battle broke An Da's illusion.After facing the new reality, he took the initiative to start from the longer-term future and prepare to adjust his strategy.

On the contrary, Xia Yan was a little stunned: "Will he take the initiative to start civil strife in Meng Yuan?"

Zhu Houcong chuckled: "He can't wait any longer. It has only been four years, and he no longer knows the Ming Dynasty. Only if he has an army of more than [-] and has no worries can he divide the troops and pinch the weaknesses of the Ming army. If the grassland cannot be unified, the Khan's court will be robbed today Duoyan, I will beat him. Tomorrow, when Gunbilik invades the three sides, I will beat him. Whatever happens, I will beat him! I will keep an eye on him and beat him, but neither Khan Court nor Gunbilik will help him. Could it be that I will cut off all the territories of the Tumut tribe in one go?"

A smart person like An Da will know the tactics behind it after seeing the first blow clearly.

In this country-to-country war, I would like to use one enemy against another country, but that is not possible.

Ming Dynasty didn't give him the time to have both fame and strength!If the various ministries of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties are still a mess, why should I compete with the Ming Dynasty?

Anyone who wants to unify the current grassland and make all races surrender can only reforge it with blood and fire!

"Han Haibo! Biography of General Wei Qiaoqi: Fenglang lived in Xushan Mountain, Zen in Guyan, and climbed to the Hanhai Sea!"

When the decree reached Yuncheng, the snow had not yet melted, and Zhao Benxue seemed to have transformed from a hermit who was indifferent to fame and fortune to a passionate young man.

Looking at the snowy plains of Mobei, his eyes were terrifyingly bright: "Zhifu! Your Majesty has high hopes for you and is very determined to expel the northern captives!"

Yu Dayou fought against Feng Bo twice and finally caught up with Tang Shunzhi.

Going out of Liangcheng made Anda slightly misjudge, creating the most favorable situation for taking Tucheng.Use a small broken city to resist defense, use artillery fire to frighten the enemy, and use strong momentum to persuade them to retreat!

His eyes were also very bright, looking at the distant north: "If we can really climb the vast sea, it will naturally be the day when we become a duke! Master Zhao, this day can't be too far away!"

How far away this day is, the candidates in the capital who came to participate in the 11th Jiajing Examination are also discussing at this moment.

Since the defeat of the Marquis of Chicheng in the battle of Heye Mountain in the fifth year of Jiajing, the Ming Dynasty's record against the northern captives has been getting better and better.First, the formation killed the old master of the Khan Court, and now he was able to regain the lost ground north of the border wall.

Gao Gong was also among the fellow examiners who were discussing, but he was more active in sharing his experiences in Yunnan.

"Have you heard about it? The Cochin diplomatic envoy also reported back that the Mo family's usurper, in order to protect his power, is also willing to give back the three prefectures of Lang Son, Lang Giang and Xin'an, and even give up Cat Ba Island. The Ming Dynasty established overseas commercial ports!" Gao Gong was a little excited. "The foreign bureaucracies in Yunnan have returned to the royal status, plus the newly established Mengmi Mansion in Yunnan, and the dozens of miles north of Datong. Last year, the Ming Dynasty expanded the land and established the same territory. It’s more than just one more province!”

"How can a minister who has usurped the government be canonized? In my opinion, we should simply re-establish the Jiaozhi Province as President Zhang said!"

Zhang Fujing did become Prime Minister and Minister of State, but the provinces of the Ming Dynasty were only called provinces and not chief envoys.

"Are you thinking that if you pass the Jinshi examination and gain an additional province and several prefectures, you can first go through the prefectures and counties and then draft a pavilion? Are you willing to go to Jiaozhi?"

"Why not? Your Majesty Su, your Majesty has inspected the various departments in Outer Yunnan. Now Wu Butai has been transferred to the Nanjing Ministry of Rites and Communications, and your Majesty has indeed been promoted to the Chief Envoy of Yunnan. Although being an official in Yunnan is a bit risky, it is also a place to make achievements. Su Qing I even went to Kunming for more than a year, and I heard that Mr. Yang Weiyue, the prostitute in the previous department, was also a county magistrate in Kunming..."

The new atmosphere of the Ming Dynasty was also reflected in the young scholars.

After five years of Jiajing's five-year examination score system, and eight years of Jiajing's new academic system and new examination syllabus, the new learning has inevitably affected the thinking of young scholars aspiring to fame.

They also gradually gained a broader vision and ambition, and wondered whether the Ming Dynasty would have the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

At least now, good news from the north and the south has reached the capital, and the people in the Ming capital are singing and laughing.

The Tatars are no longer as popular as they used to be. This is the best change in the hearts of the people in the capital, which is very close to the border town.

On the first day of February, during the Great Court Meeting, civil and military ministers gathered outside the Meridian Gate early.

The one at the front is Zhang Fujing.

After eleven years, he finally became a supreme minister.

Behind him, in addition to the eight state ministers, were Yan Song, Yang Shen, Huang Zuo, Liu Long, Gui E, Zhai Luan, Liu Tianhe, Gu Dingchen and others.

They are the ministers of the Ministry of Culture and Education, the Ministry of Finance and Taxation, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Literary Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Ministry of Defense.

After this big change, although Zhang Zilin, Mao Ji, Wu Tingju and others are still in the State Hall, they should all be at their last stop.Assist Zhang Fujing and lead new ministers based on past experience.

In addition to these people, the one who attracted the most attention was a new corporate president who could be ranked in the national policy conference: Cui Yuan, the first president of Daming Bank.

He is just a brick, which needs to be moved wherever it is needed.

Starting from the 11th year of Jiajing, Cui Yuan will no longer hold the position of Zongrenling - Yu Chengye will take over; and he will no longer need to participate in military affairs on behalf of the five prefectures - Guo Xun finally achieved his wish and returned to the national policy meeting.

At today's meeting, the new Prime Minister and Minister of State will present the first major thing he will do after taking office: the Ming Dynasty's new treasury and new Tongbao system will be launched.

This matter has been in preparation for a long time. Fei Hong, who has resigned and returned to his hometown to serve as the dean of Jiangxi University, has contributed a lot, but it is still Zhang Fujing who takes the lead in planning and preparation.

Whether the new law can finally be implemented is now the most critical part.

After years of debate and practice, both monarchs and ministers have become very clear: the core issue of the Ming Dynasty is actually a financial issue.

Cleaning up land, reforming taxes and servitude, and paying attention to commercial taxes are just to expand the tax base; expanding the number of officials, improving remuneration, strictly enforcing laws and regulations, and establishing separate police and public security systems are just to improve efficiency and enforce orders and prohibitions.

The earliest new accounting laws, purchasing laws, and budget settlement laws all required the unification of the treasury and the unification of coinage rights in the hands of the court.

For this reason, Baoyuan Bureau was first established as a single enterprise, and now the special Daming Bank was established.

It's a big day.

"...I asked your majesty to make new treasures for circulation in the world, including copper-cast Tongbao, silver-cast silver coins, and gold-patterned treasures. The rate is to be produced by the Baoyuan Bureau of the Ming Dynasty Bank. It will last for nine years, and the old ones will be gradually collected. Copper coins, broken silver, silver ingots, etc. are melted into new treasures..."

In the middle of the National Assembly Hall, three green-robed officials were holding three plates.

The one on the right has five copper coins of different sizes and colors on the plate, with only four characters on the front: Ming Tong Bao.On the back, there are new numbers and traditional Chinese characters in capitals. The number is naturally one, two, five, and ten, and the Jiajing 11th year system is added. The outside is round and the inside is square, just like the old practice.

The one on the left has only solid round coins on the plate.On the front is the pattern of the Sanchen flag of the Ming Dynasty, surrounded by a triangular mountain pattern based on a circle of undulating arc-shaped prints. Surrounding the Sanchen in a semicircle, there are also the four characters "Daming Silver Dollar".On the back, there are only two words "one or two", plus the words "Daming Bank", "Jiajing 11-year system" and other words.

The one in the center has three pieces of exquisite paper on the plate.They are not as big as the original banknotes, but the paper used is obviously newly developed, and they are printed with more exquisite patterns.This is due to the continuous improvement of engraving technology in recent years, including the development of new inks.But the most conspicuous thing on this treasure ticket at the moment is the gold pattern.

It is said that it is a gold pattern, but in fact it is just that when making this kind of paper, gold threads are buried between the two layers of paper pulp to form a circle.Now, some treasure tickets have three golden lines of different widths, some have two lines, and some have one.

And in the circle where the golden patterns gather, there are different images.A treasure ticket with a face value of 100 taels of silver. Under the portrait is written: Imperial portrait of Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty.The one with a denomination of fifty is Zhu Di.The one with a denomination of twenty is Zhu Houcong.As for the back, it’s all text.

The reason for using the emperor's statue is very simple: Ming Dynasty's new currency is directly linked to the majesty of the emperor. If there is any private coining or counterfeiting in the future, they can be directly prosecuted with full charges, which is disrespectful.

Zhu Houcong waited for Zhang Fujing to finish explaining the long memorial, and then gave a concise and concise reply: "Yes!"

The currency currently in circulation today is a mess and full of strange things, as well as precious banknotes and a lot of broken silver.Zhang Fujing will spend nine years to first digest the treasure money collected through various channels over the years, and then gradually recover all kinds of miscellaneous money on the market.Nine years later, starting from the 20th year of Jiajing, every copper coin and silver on the market will be produced in a fixed amount and uniformly produced by the Baoyuan Bureau entrusted by the Daming Bank.

There is also the trouble of constantly redeeming damaged, oxidized and corroded money, but a ten-penny Tongbao is not ten times as heavy as a one-penny Tongbao. This is a unified system, and the currency circulation situation will also change. It is an important content that Da Ming Bank needs to report at the major national policy meeting every three years.

Later, Zhang Fujing continued to petition to establish the Daming Bank and set up branches in various provincial cities, prefectures, and counties.

At this initial stage, it is naturally impossible to release other commercial bank licenses.To establish this system first, the first thing to do is to issue and exchange.There are two most important channels for issuance: officials' salaries will be directly converted into silver from now on, and new money will be used for purchases.As for the recycling of old coins, in addition to grain and tax, many taxes can be converted into silver or banknotes.

The reason why Yang Shen was so anxious before was because the money law was about to be implemented, and the Ministry of Finance and Taxation had to bear the pressure of tax differentials caused by the huge recycling of treasure banknotes and the recycling of old money of insufficient quality.

The establishment of the Ming Dynasty Bank means that there is a new series of officials in the Ming Dynasty.Although Da Ming Bank is an enterprise, it is the most special enterprise.Those who hold positions within it have official status and are not under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue or even the State Palace, but they oversee the upcoming unified treasury of the Ming Dynasty.

In this regard, it is natural to have a large number of more professional people to serve and handle things.

Cui Yuan, the emperor's most trusted relative and honorable minister, was the president, and the person who coordinated the specific affairs was Li Mo, the chief of Dingguo'an Minke in the sixth year of Jiajing's reign.The right deputy imperial envoy was appointed as the president of the Ming Dynasty Bank, with a second rank, which is equivalent to the treatment of a minister.Zhu Houcong’s answer to this second memorial was also: “Accurate!”

Before it was over, Zhang Fujing began to submit a third request: "I would like to change the situation in which the internal transportation warehouse, Taicang warehouse and other treasuries are co-located, and the Ming Dynasty Treasury should be established under His Highness the State Council. The Ministry of Finance and Taxation will be responsible for tax collection and transportation, and the Daming Bank will send personnel Supervision is supervised by the Metropolitan Procuratorate. Every year, each government office lists its expenditures. The budget at the end of the previous year and the final accounts at the beginning of the next year are reviewed and approved by the State Council and reported to the National Policy Conference for resolution, and are uniformly allocated by His Majesty's decree. The amount of savings in each province, prefecture, and county follows this system. First report to the State Council for approval..."

This matter is the highlight, involving issues at the local level, the central court, the small treasury of various ministries, and the emperor's personal treasury.

On the basis of many previous new laws, the State Council will now have more centralized and unified financial power.

In fact, this financial power was not tightly controlled by the previous Ministry of Household Affairs or even the emperor.Local taxes and deposits, coupled with the consumption of shipping and warehouse management, always make the Ministry of Household Affairs feel that the "treasury is short".One of the main reasons for the deficit was that the emperor took too much from the inner transport warehouse.

Now, on the surface, Zhang Fujing wants to get more from the emperor: "According to the current harem, ministers, and clan mansion..."

After many rules were changed, the places where the emperor himself needed to spend money became much clearer. One of the major changes was that the clan's salary was paid by the clan government from the grain reserve number. In the past, it was all paid by the local finance department. Put it into the reserved food.

Zhang Fujing kept talking, but the court officials could only hear one idea: from now on, the national treasury will allocate a fixed amount of silver to the internal transportation treasury every year.If money is needed again, Your Majesty will issue a decree and the National Policy Council and the State Council will discuss it again...

Although in the past the emperor wanted to build a palace or something, he still had to negotiate.But now, there is a vague intention to prioritize other state affairs to ensure expenditure after the budget is finalized. The extra money the emperor wants to spend may not be able to satisfy it.

This is a bit confusing to some people: Doesn’t the imperial court exist to meet the needs of the emperor?
Everyone is able to stand in the Forbidden City to attend the court meeting. They know that there is also the Ming Dynasty Asset Management Bureau, and they know that the emperor has taken away many monopoly resource industries through enterprises. Although these enterprises will still contribute to the Ming Dynasty treasury. A huge amount of tax money, but their profits are even more impressive.

But even though he knew this, openly asking the emperor to "consume a fixed amount" was considered a treason to a certain extent.

However, Zhu Houcong's reaction was still very simple: "That's right!"

Three accurate words in a row seemed to be the emperor confirming his determination to implement the new law in front of the civil and military officials of the court, and his trust in Zhang Fuking, a "lucky minister" who went from being unknown to the prime minister and minister of state in just 11 years.

After the court meeting with His Majesty the Holy Ming, Li Quanli returned to his mansion.

In his house, Li Jin's two sons live here.

"Where is Yuan'er?" He asked his own son Li Yingchen.

"...went to the big stadium."

After the rectification, the grand arena resumed operations, and this time the "lottery industry" of the kings was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"...Nonsense! Go and call him back!" Li Quanli looked unhappy.

He continued to pack his luggage. It was almost noon before Li Yuan returned to the house. When he came to him, he saluted a little wearily: "The foster father called the child back, what are your instructions?"

Li Quanli said nothing and looked at him.

The son of the Marquis of Chicheng, who was famous all over the world, is now a noble son with fine clothes and fine food.He is already fifteen years old, but he does not have the prowess of a young man. On the contrary, he is more delicate than the daughter of a wealthy family.

"Of course it's about going to the Xuanfu." Li Quanli frowned and finally said, "Wuxueqian refuses to go, and you don't want to go to the Imperial College. Are you just hanging around like this?"

"Father, my father was born and died on the battlefield, isn't it just so that we two brothers can live a good and stable life?" Li Yuan still said lazily, "Children are not destined to study and become officials, and they can no longer risk their lives in dangerous situations. The Li family is incense. Now the child can also arrange a marriage. Father, before you go to the Xuan Mansion, can you help the child settle this matter? After getting married, the child can also ask to inherit the uncle Chicheng."

Li Quanli's chest rose and fell, and his eyes became increasingly angry.

Li Quanli was at fault for the child to develop like this.After returning from Xuanfu, he devoted more attention to training troops in the three major battalions.Now, he would succeed Guo Xun and Fu Duo and serve as the general military officer of the entire Xuanda Border Region, but he did not expect that Li Yuan had been raised like this in his house.

Since the beginning of last year, he has become more and more like a playboy.

"Now, I am your father! I tell you to follow me, and you just follow me!"

"I'm not going!" Li Yuan's voice rose a lot, "I'm staying well in the capital, why do I still have to fight? If I go to Xuanfu, I can only lose my father's face. Foster father, you just want a child Are you going to embarrass my father? Or, with my father’s reputation, it will be easier for you to take me there and make meritorious deeds?”

"Isn't it embarrassing enough for you to be like this?" Li Quanli grabbed his collar angrily, "When it comes to embarrassment, who among the British Duke, Wu Dinghou and I is not embarrassing our ancestors? You brat, how can you say these things? Are you not qualified for big things? If I want to make great achievements, why should I rely on you, a young boy, and the reputation your father earned back then?"

"Then why do I have to go?" Li Yuan pushed Li Quanli's hand, "My father made great achievements but also lost his life. We brothers took care of our adoptive father, but we are still wild children! In martial arts, how many people laugh at my father? Crazy? Isn’t it what my father wishes most for us two brothers to die peacefully?"

"Yingchen, what are you doing?!" Li Quanli looked at his own son angrily.

Li Yingchen lowered his head slightly: "My son is at fault. Some people in the house... privately still complain that my father favors one over the other..."

Li Quanli regarded the Li Yuan brothers as his own children, and every time he returned home from the Third Camp, he cared more about the brothers.But the feeling of living under someone else's roof is not pleasant. No matter how much Li Quanli takes care of the two brothers, when Li Quanli is not in the house, they are still just outsiders.

Looking at Li Yuan's slightly red eyes, Li Quanli slowly let go of his hand.

He was silent for a long time, and then he spoke: "In Luohan Valley, the mountains on both sides were full of fire at that time. Everyone said that your father was brave and unparalleled. It was me who got the great merit from heaven. It was just good luck that your father saved Bodi's sweat." The flag and the body were handed over to me, and I happen to be the uncle of Xiangcheng whom Your Majesty trusts."

Li Quanli looked at Li Yuan: "Some people say that I accept your brothers as adopted sons because I feel guilty. Yuan'er, do you think so too?"

"My child didn't think so." Li Yuan replied softly, remembering Li Quanli's concern for them over the years.

"At that time, your father was covered in wounds, his body was full of arrows, and he only had one breath left. Do you know what the last words he said after he rushed into the formation and saw me?"

Li Yuan looked up at him with tears in his eyes.

Li Quanli's eyes were a little dazed, as if he had returned to that day again.

At that time, Li Jin stood in front of Li Quanli, holding Bodi's banner with both hands, amidst the deafening shouts of killing, the sound of cannons and bowstrings.

"He said: 'Leave it to you. Let my son take another one in the future.'"

Hearing this, Li Yuan's body trembled slightly.

"I will tell you now that you have grown up!" Li Quanli looked at Li Yuan, "Why is your father called a 'crazy general'? Because of your Li family, our Ming Dynasty, countless soldiers and border people, for several generations, who Doesn’t the family have a mortal feud with the Tatars? What he is doing is not for you, but for his father, grandfather, uncles and brothers! He is out for revenge! He wants you to remember that this revenge has not yet been avenged! Without Bei Luo, only the descendants of your Li family and the descendants of countless families in the Ming Dynasty can live in peace and stability!"

"Your Majesty has been in the imperial court for eleven years. Among the generals, only your father has a statue in the Hall of Heroes!" Li Quanli's voice became louder. "Your father died, and I kept guard for more than two hours! He has the same name as my grandfather, Not only for your kindness, but also for the sake of not losing the face of my ancestors, for the sake of future generations, and for the sake of blood feud from generation to generation, for the soldiers who fell one by one in front of me in the sweat ditch! You don’t want to grab another big banner, I go!"

"If we meet again under Jiuquan, I have an explanation for Brother Li! He said he left it to me, and I protected his family! I also helped him fulfill his last wish! But you, in the future When the civil servants and generals of the dynasty walked through the Meridian Gate, they thought about where the Queen Chicheng was? Do you have a clear heart after living a mediocre life? You want to get married and renew your relationship. In the future, your son will ask you, why is he only a county prince? "

"Your father is a well-known man at home and abroad. His life can only buy you a generation of wealth?" Li Quanli grabbed his collar again, "I tell you! If you have merit, you will be rewarded, if you are not, you will be demoted. Wait, this is what it should be! Whoever brings shame to the ancestors is an unworthy descendant! I can’t make so many senses. I haven’t had a drink with your father yet! I just want to be able to be wary of him again when I go to find him in the future. Thumbs up, saying that his son is also good, and now he is the Duke of Chicheng!"

When the bloody man who rushed in front of him grinned, Li Quanli had only one emotion: How magnificent.

It's a pity that I only said one sentence to him in this life: "Leave it to me!"

Then Li Jin smiled and said her last real words: "It's so happy!"

Maybe he was really a little crazy. At that moment, he didn't think about his family. He just felt happy because of the hearty battle to the death.But there must be some reason that supported him to risk his life, such as staying in the border town for a long time and experiencing countless hatreds between families and the country.

Li Yuan is just a child, and he has gradually grown into his own niche over the years.

He lost his biological father, and this adoptive father seemed to be obsessed only with his career in these years.Although we treat him well, we cannot understand each other.

But it wasn't until this moment that Li Yuan discovered that his adoptive father had such a deep affection for his biological father even though he only met him once.

At this point, Li Quanli and the figure of his father, who had begun to blur in his mind, seemed to begin to overlap.

Perhaps it was because Li Quanli had such expectations for him, thinking that one day he would be promoted to Duke Chicheng.

"Okay! The child will go with his father!"

At this time, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Forbidden City, Weng Wanda, who was ranked second in the Jiajing Six-Year System for National Security and Civil Affairs, also said, "I am willing to go."

Zhu Houcong nodded approvingly: "Send the order to Guangdong, prepare the boat! Send the order to Zhao Jun, gather the sea trading company and the Guangdong coastal defense warships, and expedition to Malacca!"

After many years, the Ming Dynasty's fleet will once again go to farther places in the Southeast Asia.

There were only at most two to three hundred regular troops there in Malacca, and more than half of the Western commercial and war ships gathered in Malacca had been destroyed in Thanh Hoa.

By controlling that throat and setting new rules, Ming Dynasty, which had already implemented new money, could obtain a steady stream of silver reserves.

Yang Shen was already numb, and his forehead was cramping.

He doesn't understand.

One of the things we plan to do after setting up the Daming Bank is to issue government bonds?
(End of this chapter)