unclear

Chapter 192
"Absolutely not. Water conservancy requires not only major repairs but also major repairs. All ministers have seen the situation in the past two years. Droughts and floods are increasing year by year, especially north of the Yellow River, with more and more affected states.

If we can't rectify it in time, I'm afraid there will be nothing we can do if there is another food shortage next year.By then, there is no need to wait for Beilu Jianlu to come to fight, Ming Dynasty will also have to be replaced by someone else. "

But this suggestion was immediately rejected by the emperor, with some reproach.As the head of the Ministry of Industry, I am already responsible for the long-term disrepair of water conservancy facilities. Now I dare to talk cheaply. I really don’t know how to write the word "death".

In addition, this suggestion was bad to the core. All the money for building water conservancy projects came from the emperor's internal funds, so it had nothing to do with Taicang.As soon as Heshuan changed the use, the money was turned into salary money and returned to the Ministry of Household Management. The abacus was really loud!

"Does Your Majesty already have a suitable candidate? Could you please let me and the other staff members know that they are not treacherous, evil or mediocre people, but they are worthy of the post of commander-in-chief."

As the chief minister of the cabinet, although he has little real power, he has more say in government affairs than the six ministries and nine ministers.Shen Li looked at the emperor's thoughtful expression and felt a little familiar, so he tentatively expressed his attitude.

If the candidate proposed by the emperor is not too controversial, he and the Donglin officials he represents will be willing to sell face. Power should be regarded as the cost of your coming and going. You can't just get the benefits without paying.

"No, no! I'm thinking why I can't retreat to Shanhaiguan. When the country is strong, I can send out elite soldiers and generals to wipe out the hinterland of Liaodong in one go, and take back my homeland at the same time.

In this way, the front line can be shortened more than ten times, and the originally stretched troops can be relieved immediately. The excess troops can be arranged in Yongping Prefecture, Jizhou, Yanqing Prefecture, and Xuanfu Town as appropriate to strengthen the defense of the Great Wall and stop the northern invaders from moving south. Harassment. "

After wandering around for more than two hours, listening to candidates' resumes and giving up huge benefits, trying their best to win over the civil service group, only then did they finally realize their true purpose and give up Liaodong!

This idea had already been considered and formed when the emperor was the eldest son in Jingyang Palace, but it was not the first plan, but an alternative if there was no time to organize the army after the normal succession.

If the war in Liaodong becomes tense, Hong Tao will not be prepared to give up an inch of ground like Emperor Chongzhen did, sending all the few fighting soldiers, money and food left by the imperial court to risk their lives.

There is a way to save land and lose people, and both people and land are lost. Save people and lose land, and both people and land are saved.When you are weak, giving up properly does not mean admitting defeat, but holding on tighter to resist beatings.

As long as you can withstand the opponent's attack, you can counterattack after taking a breath.If you have to fight tooth and nail to make the scene look good, you are likely to be knocked to the ground with a punch, and even the possibility of a comeback is lost.

At present, the strength of the Ming Dynasty is declining, especially the military strength is no longer as brave as it was in the early Ming Dynasty. The military morale is slack, morale is low, and it is on the verge of collapse.

The Liaodong region is vast and flat, with almost no danger to defend except for a few military towns.On the contrary, it is more suitable for the living habits of nomadic and nomadic peoples. The time and place are favorable for both people and people.In addition, the problems in Liaodong are more complicated. You cannot just focus on one place. While fighting against the Jurchens in Jianzhou, you must also keep an eye on the Mongolian ministries in the north.If the troops that are not sufficient in the first place are attacked from both sides and fail, they will be incompatible with the art of war at home and abroad.

Of course, Emperor Chongzhen didn't necessarily see this, and he didn't dare to leave because he wanted to lose face and had no backup plan.The dignified Ming Emperor will be sprayed to death by both the government and the public if he loses the country that his ancestors conquered.And even if we retreat to Shanhaiguan and the Great Wall, we may not be able to hold on for long, and I don't know for sure.

But Hong Tao is different. He is shameless and not afraid of being scolded. He is also good at digging holes.No matter what the ancestral foundation is, no dynasty in ancient and modern times, at home and abroad, can always be strong. It is almost a truth that the most prosperous will inevitably decline. Even the stars cannot escape this fate. Why can human beings change it?

As long as we can successfully retreat to the front line of Shanhaiguan, the difficulty of defense will be greatly reduced.The Jurchens in Jianzhou suddenly gained a large area of ​​​​land and a large population. They must have time to digest and absorb it. They should not move westward too quickly. It is likely to drag on for a year or two.

One or two years may not be able to do anything for others, but it is very useful to Hong Tao.I dare not say more. In two years, even without the support of the court, a new army equipped with new artillery can be trained.

The number does not need to be too large, tens of thousands of people are enough.In two years, at least three or four new sail warships can be built, as well as supporting qualified sailors.With these battleships and new troops, Hong Tao had several ways to prevent the Jianzhou Jurchens from advancing westward.

In the past two years, the industrial upgrading of the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty will be in full swing, and the agricultural reform will also see initial results.Only with money and food can we have the confidence to fight. This is an eternal truth.

Keeping the people fed is the emperor's greatest achievement. An achievement that no one can erase will also be the emperor's greatest support. No one can shake his status and appeal just by relying on this.

Once you have soldiers, money, food, and prestige and appeal, you can begin to implement the last step of the first step of the plan. To fight against foreign forces, you must focus on the inside!Unless the opposition forces in the court are crippled and eliminated, any reform and foreign war will be a pipe dream.

If you dare to send troops to attack the Jianlu, they will dare to block Shanhaiguan and cut off your retreat and food. They will cooperate with the foreign enemies to carry out another Tumu Fortress Incident, and then say to the people of the country:
You see, the emperor just didn't listen to the advice of his loyal ministers, and always believed in the slanderous words of his ministers and eunuchs. The result must be bad luck!But it doesn’t matter, there are still a lot of descendants in the old Zhu family. It’s better to choose a kind and virtuous successor. As long as you can stay away from villains and approach gentlemen and strictly abide by the ancestral precepts, the Ming Dynasty will still be the Ming Dynasty. If you can’t protect them all, it will be better than the previous one!

So, in Hong Tao's mind, the enemies within the Ming Dynasty were more dangerous and hateful than any external enemies.If he could only choose to eliminate one, he would rather not expand the territory, but hang all these hypocrites on the city wall who only care about self-cultivation and family harmony.This can at least leave a relatively favorable political environment for future generations, so that they no longer have to struggle like themselves.

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the room was shocked, but they behaved differently.Some were communicating with each other with their eyes, wanting to know what they wanted; some were thoughtful, silently calculating the gains and losses in their hearts; some were extremely excited, crying and pleading on their knees with sincerity.

"No, Your Majesty, you must not! Liaodong is the foundation of our ancestors. We can lose it easily. We have no face to face our ancestors! I am willing to lead the whole family out to guard Liaodong. I swear to fight the Jianlu to the death, and I will not return if I win!"

(End of this chapter)