My life skills in Daming Liver.

Chapter 333 Xuzhou Region
Zhang Juzheng looked at Gao Gong and asked, "Brother Suqing, is there any way to deal with Nanjing's money shortage?"

Gao Gong sighed and said: "It's difficult! You and I actually know that the best way to deal with the money shortage is to mint coins, but can Nanzhili still mint coins like this?"

Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and shook his head. In order to cast cannons, Zhang Juzheng had already brought all the copper and iron stocked by the Nanjing Ministry of Industry to Anqing. Now there is no material for coining.

Gao Gong continued: "There is another way to issue silver coins."

"Uncle, do you know? The silver coins made in Fuzhou have been used in Shandong and Jiangbei, and their currency values ​​are very stable."

Zhang Juzheng said: "Silver dollars? Where can there be silver in South Zhili!"

Gao Gong said: "Recast."

"Recast?"

Gao Gong nodded and said: "Yes, changing the silver coins issued by Su Ze into smaller amounts and worse quality silver coins will cost money and labor, but it will increase the number of silver coins in the market, and it can also be used to a certain extent. Alleviating the money shortage to a certain extent.”

"Another advantage is that money is scarce and things are cheap. As long as money can be spent, Nanjing can survive."

Zhang Juzheng was stunned and said: "Brother Suqing, the imperial court is the orthodox court! Do you want the orthodox court to privately mint silver coins for thieves?"

Gao Gong was also silent.

Zhang Juzheng said again: "But the government doesn't have the silver coins issued by Su Ze?"

Gao Gong said: "Isn't my uncle going to implement a whipping method in Nanzhili? Then this year's autumn grain collection will be converted into silver dollars, and the banknote customs duty will also only accept silver dollars. As long as there is a sum of silver dollars in hand, it will be collected." It’s time to start recasting.”

Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a while, and finally said hesitantly: "But the imperial court?"

Gao Gong said calmly: "The imperial court has already given up on Nanzhili. With your great talent, can't you still see that?"

"You and I are both abandoned by the imperial court. We are just minting new money. The imperial court will not mind."

Zhang Juzheng looked at Gao Gong and could only sigh and said: "Qing Su, I want to guard the Su thieves in Anqing. Can you help me with the minting of coins?"

Gao Gong originally wanted to refuse, but when he saw the silver threads in Zhang Juzheng's hair, he finally nodded and agreed to Zhang Juzheng's request.

Compared with Nanjing's bustling industries, the city's buildings are about to collapse.

On the pier on the Bund in Shanghai, there was a lively scene.

The second son of the Xu family personally supervised the loading of winter clothes on the dock.

The steward of the Xu Mansion was shouting:

"These are winter clothes sent to the southeast. They must be tied up! If they are damaged, your wages will be deducted!"

Seeing a porter scattering the winter coats sent to the New Army in the Southeast on the ground, the manager immediately jumped up and shouted: "Quick, quick, quick! See if the thread is open? Don't damage it! This winter coat It’s just one or two cents of silver! Can you afford to pay for it?”

On the other side of the pier, it was a completely different scene.

As long as the winter coat mixed with straw and reeds is dropped, the grass clippings will be exposed from the cracks.

Some winter coats are accidentally dropped on the ground, and the corners are already ripped.

But even so, the stewards of the Xu Mansion were not watching at all, and they just allowed these laborers to throw their winter clothes on the boat.

After all the winter clothes were loaded and unloaded on the ship, I watched the two fleets sailing towards the south and the north.

Xu Kun had some vague speculations in his mind. With such a large purchase, it was very likely that these winter clothes were military uniforms purchased by the imperial court.

But Xu Kun's sense of guilt quickly disappeared.

you get what you pay for!The total ex-factory price is two cents of silver!What kind of winter coat do you want?
Anyway, the Ming court had broken off the purchase contract with itself, and these winter clothes were sold to "traders from the north", and Xu Kun didn't know anything about the others! ——
At the water transport pier outside the Yongding Gate of the capital, Zhao Zhenji, dressed in red official uniform, walked out of the official ship and looked at the large number of officials who greeted him in front, showing a humble smile.

When the newly appointed minister boarded the pier, all the officials paid homage to him and shouted in unison:
"Welcome Mr. Zhao Ge back to Beijing!"

Zhao Zhenji quickly smiled and bowed in return. Looking at the fawning faces on the dock, Zhao Zhenji finally tasted the beauty of power.

"Let let!"

Only a domineering and sharp voice was heard, and then several brocade guards in red cloaks cleared the way, and a white-faced and beardless eunuch appeared on the pier.

Chen Hong, the supervisor of the East Factory and eunuch Bingbi, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, has now replaced Li Fang, who was involved with Eunuch Tao, and became the second most powerful person in the palace after Huang Jin.

When the officials at the dock saw it was Chen Hong, they all shrank their necks and turned their heads away.

Chen Hong cupped his hands and said, "I'm sending an edict to summon Zhao Zhenji to the palace for an audience."

It turned out that it was a decree, and everyone looked at Zhao Zhenji with envy. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he was summoned by the emperor to question him. Mr. Zhao Ge was indeed very favored!
When Zhao Zhenji entered the palace, the palace was already lit with lanterns.

Zhao Zhenji followed Chen Hong. The eunuch in the front row held a lantern to cut through the darkness. Zhao Zhenji entered the palace through the restored Donghua Gate, and could vaguely see the outlines of the three main halls.

Since the palace disaster that year, due to the lack of money in the imperial court, the construction of the three main halls has been suspended. This year, the repairs are finally almost completed.

Zhao Zhenji did not dare to look further, and continued to follow Chen Hong with his head lowered, heading west to the Yuxi Palace where the emperor lived.

In the past, when the emperor was practicing Taoism, the doors and windows of the Yuxi Palace were kept wide open in the winter because of the heat in the winter and the cold in the summer.

But after winter this year, the Yuxi Palace was also covered with pavilions, and the windows and palace doors were closed.

Zhao Zhenji followed Chen Hong and entered the heavily guarded palace gate.

Chen Hong frowned and said, "Mr. Zhao Ge, please."

Zhao Zhenji looked at the road leading to the center of the palace, straightened her clothes, and walked in carefully.

"My lord, Zhao Zhenji pays homage to His Majesty!"

The emperor sitting on the couch in the center of the Bagua still looked like an immortal, but he was wearing a thin silk robe worn over a fox fur coat, and he didn't have the fairylike feeling before.

The emperor lay on the soft couch with his eyes closed to rest. Zhao Zhenji did not dare to move and knelt on the ground with all his body prostrated.

"My dear, it's been a long journey all the way. Thank you for your hard work."

Although he said it was hard work, the emperor had no intention of letting Zhao Zhenji get up.

After about a quarter of an hour, the emperor said: "Get up."

Zhao Zhenji stood up slowly, and the emperor said:
"You have done a good job in Nanzhili, and you deserve the title of Yuan Henryzhen."

The emperor praised people when he came up, but Zhao Zhenji didn't look happy at all.

Sure enough, Jiajing said again:
"But I asked you to prepare Huguang autumn food to enter Beijing, and you messed up this matter."

Zhao Zhenji knew the emperor's character very well. He did not shirk his responsibility, but knelt down again naturally:

"The minister is guilty."

Zhao Zhenji confessed his crime so smoothly that the emperor's tone became softer.

"You are guilty, Huguang Governor You Jujing is even more guilty, and those officials in Jiangxi are even more guilty."

"I will remember all these for you."

The emperor glanced at the submissive Zhao Zhenji, and then said: "Get up, let's talk about it, can Nanzhili be defended?" Zhao Zhenji stood up. He had already considered the scene of meeting the saint countless times on the road, and this question was also one he repeated. Considered.

As a "great scholar of mind" and "the number one non-stick pan in the Ming Dynasty", Zhao Zhenji's character is to seek stability in everything.

But this time the monarch and his ministers are right, it will determine their initial impression in the emperor's heart, and will also determine his position in Xu Jie's cabinet.

Zhao Zhenji said: "I thought I couldn't defend it."

Regarding this result, Emperor Jiajing was not angry anymore.

Zhao Zhenji continued: "South Zhili is crisscrossed by water networks, and the Su thieves are good at water warfare. It is simply not a terrain suitable for the elites of the Nine Sides to fight."

Emperor Jiajing showed a smile and said: "I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable about military affairs. I knew I would have asked you to be the Minister of War."

Zhao Zhenji immediately said: "I don't know anything about military affairs. I listened to Uncle Zhang's analysis when I was in Nanzhili."

"Is it Zhang Juzheng?"

Zhao Zhenji nodded quickly, and he said: "I don't know military affairs, but I know finances."

"Before I left Nanjing, although I sent the Gang Liang of Nanzhili to the ship, the food and salary of the court were not enough to support the nine side troops to fight in Nanjing."

As the first accountant of the Ming Dynasty and the owner of "my money", Emperor Jiajing was more aware of the current financial difficulties of the imperial court than Zhao Zhenji.

In order to raise military expenses, the emperor even stopped the expenses of many clan members below the county king, and even abolished many of them above the county king.

As a result, this year the emperor's poor relatives organized groups to go to the capital to scold the emperor.

These poor relatives who couldn't take the blame were successfully imprisoned by scolding the emperor, and were once again fed by the emperor.

But even so, the food and grass that the capital managed to get together would definitely not be able to support the Nine Frontiers in a decisive battle near Nanjing.

Even if there is a Grand Canal, the supply line is hopelessly long.

Moreover, the Jianghuai area has a dense water network and is indeed not suitable for cavalry operations.

The emperor looked at Zhao Zhenji and asked: "With your talent, where should I annihilate the Su thieves?"

Zhao Zhenji raised his head and said, "I thought it was Xuzhou."

"Tell me why Xuzhou? Why not Shandong?"

Zhao Zhenji said immediately:
"In Xuzhou, there have been more than [-] large-scale conquests in the past dynasties. Ever since Xiang Yu, the founder of the Han Dynasty, fought for hegemony here, Xuzhou has been the gateway to the Central Plains."

"Xuzhou is the hub of Huanghuai transportation. As long as the imperial court controls Xuzhou and defeats the Su thieves, it can directly go south to recapture Southern Zhili."

"Xuzhou is also a water transportation hub. It is very convenient for transporting troops and grain. The terrain near Xuzhou City is also suitable for cavalry operations."

The emperor who was sitting on the throne finally sat up straight. He looked at Zhao Zhenji and said, "In your opinion, what is the chance of the cavalry winning against a cannon?"

Zhao Zhenji transformed into a non-stick pan again and said: "I don't know anything about military affairs, so I dare not speak nonsense!"

at the same time,

Liaoyang outside the customs.

"Ten percent!"

Li Chengliang, who had just been promoted to the commander-in-chief of Liaoyang, said to the envoy sent by the imperial court to inquire about the government.

"Bird guns are not unusual. Firearms are far less stable than swords, guns, swords and halberds during combat, and they can easily go dead and stall."

"Even if the Su thieves are well-trained, their firearms still need to be reloaded after being fired, but our cavalry can gallop into the enemy's formation with just one breath, and the thieves' army will be in chaos!"

"Let another elite cavalry charge out from the flank. No matter how elite their gunmen are, they will never be able to form a formation to resist!"

The imperial envoy was overjoyed and said: "General Li, can I submit your words intact to the Emperor and the Ministry of War of the Cabinet?"

"Of course! As long as the court's winter clothes arrive, our army can go south immediately! Destroy the Soviet thieves!"

The imperial envoy showed a troubled look and said: "The imperial winter clothes are still on the way. General Li will wait for orders from the Ministry of War and wait until spring begins before setting off."

Li Chengliang cursed and said: "What kind of winter clothes did the imperial court buy last time? I asked the Ministry of War to directly allocate money and let us directly buy fox skins from the Jurchens to make winter clothes!"

“All the imperial court’s money has been stolen by these profiteers!”

The messenger's face changed greatly and he said: "General Li, be careful! The last batch of winter clothes was produced by Xu Ge's hometown, and this batch of winter clothes was purchased and woven by Princess Yu's natal family!"

Although Li Chengliang behaves like a rough guy, in fact this is just his disguise. He just pretends to be reckless and vulgar to lower the vigilance of others.

He colluded with officials and banned the transportation of grain from Dengzhou to the north because these grain merchants did not have much backing.

After hearing that Mr. Xu Ge and Princess Yu were standing behind Dong Yi, Li Chengliang immediately put away his complaints.

After seeing off the imperial envoy, Li Chengliang said to the Jurchen "housekeeper" beside him:
"Do you understand the imperial court's policy? If you win this battle and your tribe is allowed to annex, how many people can you draw from the tribe?"

These Jurchens were all domestic slaves raised by Li Chengliang in Liaoyang.

"Father! Let's go back to the tribe to recruit troops!"

A Jurchen young man with newly grown hair knelt at Li Chengliang's feet and kowtowed while saying.

Li Chengliang said: "Send 300 troops from your department and bring them to Liaoyang City in the spring!"

"Father!" This Jurchen young man was not yet proficient in Chinese. He stammered: "The total number of men, women, and children in our unit is only 500. How about sending [-] troops?"

Li Chengliang kicked the young Jurchen away and said: "Go and catch the Jurchen! He is as stupid as a pig!"

The Jurchen young man quickly retreated and led his companions back to the tribe.

Fuzhou, the naval academy that has been moved to the seaside, has now been renamed the "Southeast New Army Military Academy", and Su Ze serves as the commander.

At this time, Su Ze looked at the busy staff class students and asked: "Ming Ting will mobilize the frontier troops to go south, and it has been confirmed from various information."

"But what tactics will Mingting use? Where will the decisive battle take place? Do you have any results from your deduction?"

Because Lin Liangjun has been promoted to brigade commander, now the squad leader of the staff squad is Su Ze's disciple Peng An.

Peng An said: "Nine-sided elites. In the military chess game, only strong archers and cavalry can cause greater casualties to our army. The students thought that Mingting should use cavalry to fight the decisive battle."

This result was not unexpected by Su Ze. There was no shortage of smart people in the Ming Dynasty, so it was normal to think of using cavalry to deal with gunmen.

"As for the location of the decisive battle, we have to wait for the information from Station Commander Xiong and the capital before making a judgment."

Peng An added another sentence: "According to the students, Ming Court should not have reached a consensus on the location of the decisive battle."

Su Ze nodded and said: "Send an order to Xiong Wu. We must find out the Ming army's decisive battle strategy before spring begins!"

　Today is the first update. I have a lot of checks today and no time to type.Feel sorry.

　　ps. Xuzhou’s name was confusing in the Ming Dynasty. Some people called it Pengcheng. I’ll call it Xuzhou.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)