The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Yang Peng's personal visit to the Hanlin Academy also put invisible pressure on the group of pampered officials in the Hanlin Academy.

They have not yet been involved in major disputes in the court, but they have not been in step with the emperor on many positions. In addition, the East Factory has had a bad reputation in the past two years, and people think that the East Factory may target some upright officials, and upright officials like them seem to be the most dangerous.

But in fact, Yang Peng didn't want to pay any attention to those Hanlin scholars who seemed to be indifferent to the world.

Still in the bachelor's room.

Zhang Zhou, Yang Peng and Cheng Minzheng took their seats. Yang Peng came up and expressed his admiration for Cheng Minzheng.

"I heard that after Scholar Wang entered the cabinet, the affairs of the Hanlin Academy are now under the jurisdiction of you, Lord Cheng. You can be said to be a busy man in the court. You are in charge of the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, and the Hanlin Academy. It can be said that the more capable you are, the more work you should do. If there is anything you need, just give me instructions." Yang Peng said with a smile.

Cheng Minzheng frowned and thought, you are now the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot, how can I command you to do anything?

Zhang Zhou said, "What Eunuch Yang wants to discuss is related to the Hanlin Academy, right? Should I avoid it?"

Yang Peng smiled and said, "Your Majesty sent me to discuss the military supplies and grain for Liaodong. Now Liaodong has requested to transfer money and grain. I heard that the situation on the front line is very tight and there is no military rations to supply the army."

Zhang Zhou nodded and said, "Hasn't it been requisitioned? Hundreds of thousands of shi of grain will be transferred from Liaoxi, which is the grain and grass previously stationed. Together with the previous reserve grain in Liaodong, this batch of grain will be enough for the troops in Liaodong to use until the summer."

Cheng Minzheng asked hurriedly, "Is it necessary to drag this war on for so long? Do we need to prepare food and fodder until summer?"

"It's better to be prepared." Zhang Zhou said with a smile, "Liaodong has already started a new round of military farming. The soldiers can temporarily put down their weapons and focus on farming, and do a good job of military farming in Liaodong. Last year, the Jurchens could not be resettled, and southern Liaoning and other places experienced their destruction."

"Haha." Yang Peng just smiled.

Cheng Minzheng said helplessly: "If we had known this earlier, we should not have settled the Jurchens in southern Liaoning and other places. They have caused so much damage, and the agricultural and sericulture industries in Liaodong have also been delayed. The gains do not outweigh the losses."

Before Zhang Zhou could speak, Yang Peng took the initiative to answer, "It is precisely because we have tried that we know this way does not work, so now we have changed our strategy, right?"

Zhang Zhou said, "Lord Cheng, I know you are here on behalf of the cabinet to inquire about the military and political arrangements in Liaodong. Some things are indeed inconvenient to talk about here, but there are some things that I can still tell you truthfully."

"I'd like to hear the details." Cheng Minzheng said.

Yang Peng advised: "Sir, some things are still inconvenient to say."

Zhang Zhou said, "Mr. Cheng is not an outsider, so it's not too much for him to speak out. Besides, if we keep everything secret, it will inevitably lead to speculation, which will not be good for the outcome of the matter."

Cheng Minzheng couldn't help but frown when he heard the meaning of this conversation and said, "If it's really inconvenient, then it's okay if you don't talk to me."

Perhaps at this time Cheng Minzheng felt that he should not be involved in certain disputes.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "The battle in Liaodong was more for the purpose of raising troops and keeping the people safe. Now that Binhai City has taken shape, the next step is to expand it and establish an industrial and agricultural radiation zone. However, Binhai City is located south of Shanhaiguan. Beyond the pass in the north are grasslands and deserts. Although it is close to many prefectures and counties in Northern Zhili in the south, it is better to develop eastwards if we want to reclaim wasteland and grow new crops."

Cheng Minzheng asked, "Isn't there a sea to the east?"

Zhang Zhou said: "With the connection of sea transportation, if Liaodong produces grain, it can not only be self-sufficient, but also directly transport it to Binhai City by sea, and then transport it to the capital. Isn't this more convenient than transporting grain from the south?"

Cheng Minzheng argued: "Although Liaodong is a vast land, its conditions are naturally not as good as those in Jianghuai, Huguang and other places. Even if you grow grain in Liaodong, how much can you harvest? I'm afraid you can't even make up for the military supplies in Liaodong. Do you still want to transfer it to the capital, or even replace the grain for the imperial court?"

Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Everything depends on human effort. How do you know that the yield of new crops can't make Liaodong a fertile land, increase the population, and even provide peace for the army and civilians?"

Cheng Minzheng thought about it for a while, as if he felt that Zhang Zhou was too crazy, and shook his head to indicate that he could not agree.

But he no longer argued, because he knew that what Zhang Zhou did was based on the emperor's decision. Since Zhang Zhou had reached a consensus with the emperor, no matter what opinions he put forward, it would be useless.

Yang Peng smiled and said, "So Mr. Zhang sent troops to Liaodong, on the one hand to pacify the Jurchens, and on the other hand to open up military farms in Liaodong and increase the population of Liaodong. After these people planted grain, there may be a good harvest this year. With this grain, whether it is to fight in Liaodong or on the grassland, it is estimated that it will be enough."

Experimental field.

Zhang Zhou also regarded Liaodong as his own "back garden". After all, Liaodong could not be reclaimed for a long time in the Ming Dynasty, and the number of residents was still smaller than that of the Central Plains. The sparse population also meant unlimited potential.

Cheng Minzheng asked, "Is there any way to replenish the missing food?"

"Yeah." Zhang Zhou smiled and nodded, "I can't make up for it, but don't we still have Eunuch Yang?"

"I don't deserve it." Yang Peng continued to be like a smiling tiger, very politely, "I am working for your majesty. I received your order earlier and contacted the officials and wealthy families in Liaodong. They raised a batch of military rations and supplies, which is enough to cope with it. As for cloth, Liaodong could have provided some, but Mr. Zhang's weaving workshop has almost solved the problem of clothing for the entire army. There was a heavy snow in Liaodong at the end of February, but the soldiers did not suffer from the cold. As for the lack of food, it will be transported over in the next few days, so there will be no problem."

Cheng Minzheng sighed, "It's good that you are well prepared. Just consider it as my worry for nothing. I will inform the relevant people and let them know that they are worrying too much in this matter."

……

……

Cheng Minzheng will continue to stay in the Hanlin Academy to handle affairs.

Zhang Zhouze and Yang Peng left, but their conversation did not stop.

Yang Peng sighed, "I don't know which side this Cheng Ge Lao is on. Why does he seem to be resentful and not speaking in your favor?"

Zhang Zhou smiled and didn't answer.

Although he was the one who rescued Cheng Minzheng, it was also with his secret help that he was able to achieve what he has today.

But Cheng Minzheng, as an official from the traditional faction, like Lin Han, wanted to keep in step with him, but also had to care about the opinions of traditional civil officials, which made him a relative fence-sitter, unable to please both sides.

"Sir, have you encountered any trouble in the capital recently? I heard that someone wants to impeach you for competing with the people for profit. Although this is not a big deal, I can still help you resolve the problem."

Yang Peng is a man who does cruel things.

Someone wants to secretly impeach Zhang Zhou and poses a threat to Zhang Zhou's business layout. Yang Peng can even use the East Factory to help Zhang Zhou settle the matter.

Zhang Zhou said: "That's not necessary at all. I used to run several businesses in Beijing, but now I have temporarily closed them all to avoid being criticized."

Yang Peng smiled and said, "I heard that he is doing business in partnership with the prince."

"Yes." Zhang Zhou nodded. "It's a pity that the Crown Prince is still young and doesn't understand these things. Even if there is a profit, I can't share it with him. It's better to close the industry temporarily and reopen it when the time is right."

"That's right, that's right." Yang Peng was naturally a little disappointed, because he knew that Zhang Zhou's business used to be very profitable.

But after Zhang Zhou ascended to a high position, he temporarily stopped his business in order to avoid suspicion, which meant he lost a lot of income.

Originally, he had a chance to get a share of this.

Zhang Zhou said, "Eunuch Yang, I'll need you to take care of Liaodong's affairs."

Yang Peng said quickly, "How can I do that? I still need you to worry about it. I just contacted a few generals and wealthy families in Liaodong and asked them to take out their previous reserves. They were not theirs in the first place. Some people should be punished. I still need you to mention it to your majesty."

Yang Peng wanted to promote his "own people" through Zhang Zhou, and also wanted Zhang Zhou to help him suppress some disobedient people.

Zhang Zhou could also see from this that Yang Peng was now showing his ambition.

As a person who had to be used in a special period of time, Yang Peng seemed to have completed his historical mission, just like Li Zhang.

Zhang Zhou thought about it and decided that sometimes one should think about how to get through this period of time.

……

……

Yongkang Princess Mansion.

That day, Princess Yongkang called the housekeeper over and asked about sending an invitation to Zhang Zhou.

"The invitation was sent, but I didn't see Duke Cai in person. Duke Cai's mansion won't see guests now, and His Majesty has also strictly ordered that no one can approach at will. Your Highness, the Prince Consort is not in Beijing at the moment. If we invite him back like this, it's inevitable that people will gossip about us."

The manager still has his own ideas.

Yongkang seemed to be too enthusiastic towards Zhang Zhou this time, and she was getting rejected by the cold receptionist. Zhang Zhou on the other side seemed to ignore her completely.

This eldest princess had always been arrogant and proud, and no one in the palace had ever seen her flattering someone like she did today.

Yongkang said, "No matter what, we have to invite him. Everything is ready. What else is missing? Liaodong has been making little progress. Only he can help the prince consort. For the sake of the glory of this mansion, he should at least help the prince consort to make some connections."

The maid next to him said, "Your Highness, if you are too enthusiastic, you may be ignored. This will make it easy for others to take advantage of you."

"Besides Zhang Bingkuan, have I ever treated anyone else like this?" Yongkang said unhappily, "Who am I doing all this for? Who married the girl from the Cui family to him? Now that the two families are relatives, I'll just treat it as a banquet for my sister-in-law. What's wrong with that?"

"This..." The old woman didn't know what to say.

"Remember, send me an invitation every day and make sure to invite people. Zhang Bingkuan can't stand being pestered by others. If he refuses to help the prince consort this time, I will let him know what it means to not turn back until I hit the south wall, and I will not give up even if I jump into the Yellow River!"

Yongkang said angrily, as if he was determined to fight Zhang Zhou to the death.

……

……

Fushun City.

The Korean troops led by Tang Yin passed through the territory of the Jurchens of Jianzhou Wei and finally arrived at Fushun City on the tenth day of March.

When they left, the army was still in good order, but when they came back, it was a defeated army. Most of the soldiers fled or died. Only more than 8,000 people arrived in Fushun City, and Cui Yuan personally led the troops to welcome them out.

When Cui Yuan met Tang Yin, he saw Tang Yin standing in front of a stew pot, adding firewood to the fire while waiting for the broth to cook. It felt like he had not eaten for eight lifetimes.

If the commander-in-chief of an army is like this, the situation of the Korean soldiers under him is simply... horrible.

As Cui Yuan and his men walked along the way, they saw many North Korean soldiers covered in black, sitting there chewing dry food, taking the hot soup handed to them by the people next to them, eating while crying, as if they had escaped death and were reborn as human beings.

"General Tang." Cui Yuan didn't know what to say when facing Tang Yin.

Tang Yin seemed too weak to stand up.

Xu Jing, who was standing beside him, stood up with his hands in his pockets and said with a smile, "I heard that a batch of cloth was transported here? The situation in the city is not good either. I am really sorry to trouble you."

Cui Yuan said: "Is this Mr. Xu?"

"I don't deserve it. I'm just the deputy envoy to Korea. I've been in the army all along, serving as a councilor, assisting the Tang army in their work." Xu Jing was still clear about his identity and status. He was just a person who lived a life of idleness and waiting to die. Although he had done a lot in the past two years, he was not a Jinshi after all, so it was difficult for him to make a name for himself in the court.

Cui Yuan bowed and said, "There is a shortage of food in the city, but there are some supplies, such as cloth. You two are familiar with Duke Cai and know that he has made great efforts to develop textiles. Now the soldiers in the army will not have much problem keeping warm."

Xu Jing said with emotion: "If I had known earlier, I should have taken a batch of cloth from the court before entering Jianzhouwei and Haixi. Many Korean soldiers froze to death."

Cui Yuan said: "How should we arrange for these soldiers? If they enter the city, it will cause inconvenience. Logically, they should be stationed outside the city. But I am afraid it will cause some disputes."

It was obvious that Cui Yuan did not want these 8,000 Korean soldiers to enter the city. If they really entered, conflicts would definitely arise in the city. There were already tens of thousands of soldiers gathered in Fushun City, and with the addition of this group from Korea, it would become even more lively.

Tang Yin drank a few sips of soup and seemed to have regained his strength. When he stood up, he seemed to be covered in a cloud of water vapor.

Tang Yin adjusted his fur hat and said, "Let's camp outside the city. I'll stay outside the city for the time being too."

At this time, Zhang Yong came up and said with a smile: "General Tang, you can't stay here. His Majesty has transferred you to the northwest."

"Transfer me to the northwest?" Tang Yin felt as if he had just escaped from the tiger's mouth and was about to enter a wolf's den.

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "This is a good job. Congratulations on your promotion to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Tang Yin was transferred from Right Vice Minister of Works to Right Vice Minister of Revenue. He did not think this was a good thing, because he knew he would be transferred to the northwest, so he naturally thought that this position was just a nominal one and there was no actual official vacancy for him.

Zhang Yong continued with a smile, "You have been promoted to the general manager of Sanbian and will take office immediately."

After these words came out, Tang Yin hadn't reacted yet, but Xu Jing beside him was already so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth. He said with surprise: "Bo Hu, I said that you can wait until the clouds clear and the moon appears. This is the court's reward for you. When you go to the northwest, you can set up a government office. Then I... will definitely be your guest again and help you achieve your career." (End of this chapter)