Jingnan Strategy

Chapter 435 Clouds move in all directions
"Where did this idiot's brain go!"

In September, as the "Zong Regulations" were distributed to various vassal princes' palaces by Zhu Gaoxu, the vassal princes in various places couldn't help but scold Qi King Zhu Su after finding out the whole story.

Originally, the vassal king was doing a good job, and the only thing that could control them was the "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions".

Now Zhu Shu was messing around and suddenly produced another "Zong Rules". Anyone who was related to the vassal king wanted to see what was in Zhu Shu's mind.

"Hey, I feel guilty again..."

In the palace of Prince Han in Kunming, Zhu Gaochi, who was sitting in the front palace, looked at the "Zong Rules" in his hand, flipped through it several times, and took a rough look.

In general, the "Zong Regulations" are much stricter than the "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions".

The "Huang Ming Ancestor Instructions" is full of rules at best, but the "Zong Regulations" are actual "laws" directed at the feudal kings and clan members.

The "Zong Regulations" include eight chapters, thirty-two volumes, and six hundred and six articles, including "Wei Jin", "Fighting Litigation", "Fraud", and "Miscellaneous Laws".

Some of these things would not have been punished at all in the past, but now the punishment is particularly serious, such as [torture slaves privately, twenty sticks].

Seeing what he said, Zhu Zhanji also picked up the three-pound torture stick, raised it and brought it down with a little force of three points.

He sighed, but then he realized that the guards of the various vassals had been defeated by Zhu Gaoxu a long time ago. Now the total number of soldiers and horses is only a hundred thousand. Besides, they have no artillery or muskets. If they really fight, these hundreds of thousands The soldiers and horses are estimated to be unable to defeat even the 160,000 standing armies of the four southwestern provinces.

Zhu Gaochi couldn't help shouting, which frightened Zhu Zhanji to quickly withdraw his torture stick, squat down and look at Zhu Gaochi: "Dad, are you okay?"

Looking at the torture stick, Zhu Gaochi asked playfully, "Does it hurt when it hits you?"

In the "Zong Rules", even the cane for cane punishment is standardized. A large wooden board is used, which is six feet long, about three inches wide, and weighs no more than three kilograms. The spanking side of the board has a one-inch protrusion. Stone nails.

After the two father and son played tricks, they immediately picked up the "Zong Rules" and started reading it with toothache.

"Second Brother, this "Clan Rules"..."

"Ignore him, I'll go back this time anyway..."

"Hey!!"

Walking out of the study, Jin Youzi's figure was exposed to the sunshine in the eastern desert.

"Three points?" Zhu Gaochi quickly motioned to his left and right to help him up, rubbing his butt and saying:
"It hurts so much with three points of strength. Uncle Qi is already forty-seven years old. He can't be beaten to death with a stick of thirty?"

"Well, be gentle and hold back your strength." Zhu Gaochi was not worried. After all, Zhu Zhanji was only thirteen years old, so how strong he could be.

"I will not be your Majesty in the future." Zhu Di felt a little melancholy, and Sai Hazhi also felt very uncomfortable after hearing this.

Looking at the others, Zhu Zhanji, who stood aside and read the "Zong Rules", took the torture stick and said, "Dad, let me try it gently."

Zhu Gaochi asked Zhu Zhanji, but Zhu Zhanji immediately shook his head like a rattle: "No, no."

"Try giving it a gentle blow. It hurts, and I won't do it again in the future."

In order to prevent the vassal princes from cutting corners, Zhu Gaoxu specially sent a pair of torture sticks, which are now placed in front of Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi said it lightly, but others didn't dare to take action at all.

"Word OK! Word OK!"

"I said boss, how strong are you?"

If it were Zhu Di, he would have tried to persuade him again and again until he refused to listen, but Zhu Gaoxu didn't have that much patience.

"I'm here!"

When he reached the door, he opened the courtyard door and saw Yang Rong, Hu Guang, Huang Huai and others.

With that said, Zhu Gaochi lay down on the chair sent by his brother, scaring the people around him who didn't know what to say.

"Your Majesty..." After hearing what Zhu Di said, Sai Hazhi, who was in his forties, knelt down quickly and said, "I am your Majesty's man."

The title of the book was written on the closed piece of paper, no more, no less, just three words... "Records of the Northern Expedition"

Zhu Gaochi's face turned pale, and Zhu Zhanji also stuttered: "Three points..."

Modong, outside Hecheng (north of Qiqihar), looking at the "Zong Rules" in his hand, Zhu Di had a complicated expression.

Shaking his head, he said to the military attaché in front of him: "Sai Hazhi, there is no need to report these things to me. After you return to Nanjing this time, you can take up a post in the Chunhe Hall."

In such an atmosphere, even the residence in Hecheng where the civilian officials of the Northern Expedition were gathered could not help but feel a bit depressed.

"It really hurts that much?" Zhu Zhanji didn't believe it. After all, no one dared to bully him since he was a child.

Sure, they're dull, but hitting someone still hurts.

In the eyes of most of them, it seems that after this Northern Expedition, the Yongle reign is coming to an end, but for Zhu Gaoxu himself, Yongle can still survive for a few more years.

He was thin and his official robes were very loose. He obviously suffered a lot during the Northern Expedition.

However, this attitude is in line with Zhu Gaoxu's attitude towards the vassal kings.

"He's really not afraid of those uncles and brothers making trouble..."

"Your Highness, of course it hurts." Shi Yangcheng, the chief minister of the Han Dynasty, responded, but Zhu Gaochi took it in his hand and weighed it: "This one doesn't hurt, either. Let me give it a try..."

"Why don't you lie down and try it, daddy will hold your strength back for you."

As he was talking, he suddenly didn't know what to say, and his mouth felt bitter.

In the small courtyard, Jin Youzi put down his pen when he heard someone calling his name. After drying the ink on the book, he closed the book, got up and walked towards the door of the courtyard.

Generally speaking, the meaning behind this "Zong Rules" is very obvious, that is, the imperial court is watching the vassals, and whoever dares to violate the prohibition will be punished with a rod in the slightest case, and demoted to a common people in the most important case.

"Everyone, come here, does your Majesty have something important to do?"

Although Jin Youzi was also an official in Jiangzuo, he was not considered a local rich man, so his interactions with everyone were not actually close.

When Xie Jin and Yang Shiqi were still there, he often had gatherings with Hu Guang and others because they were good friends. However, after Xie Jin and Yang Shiqi were decentralized, he rarely attended gatherings.

"Go in and talk."

Hu Guang and the others spoke with a headache. Although Jin Youzi was confused, he turned sideways and gave way.

When everyone entered, some of the scribes accompanying Jin Youzi poured tea for them.

Several people took their seats in the main hall, with Jin Youzi and Hu Guang sitting in the main seats.

After taking his seat, Hu Guang got straight to the point and said: "Recently there are rumors that after His Majesty returns south, he is planning to abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince. Have you ever heard from Your Majesty?"

Jin Youzi was skilled in bow and horse, so Zhu Di was closer to him. However, he was not good at military affairs, so Zhu Di left him and other civilian officials in the camp several times during his expeditions.

Because of this, his records in the "Northern Expedition" were usually based on his own speculation based on Zhu Di's number of people when he set out. For this reason, Zhu Di laughed at him for not knowing the art of war and not knowing the number of his own troops.

"Your Majesty has never said that, but His Majesty's demeanor, I'm afraid..."

As soon as Jin Youzi opened his mouth, everyone's hearts immediately rose.

Yang Rong, who was sitting in his seat, thought about it for a while, and then said: "Actually, there is no big problem with Dong Palace's accession to the throne. It's just that Dong Palace is militaristic, which is not good for the people's recuperation."

Yang Rong was very familiar with the important tasks of border defense. In his opinion, it was enough to focus on defense against the Hu and Fan people in the north and west. There was no need to mobilize troops to fight them in the cold places.

As for the measures to expand territory in the south, he quite supports Zhu Gaoxu. After all, Zhu Gaoxu's use of troops in the south can often recover military costs, and after a few years of governance, the local area can increase taxes for the court. This is a good thing. pieces.

If Zhu Gaoxu could withdraw his troops from Xifan and at the same time abolish the newly established Yanran Command and Envoy Department, it would save the court at least one million yuan.

"It's not as exaggerated as going militarily."

The middle-aged official sitting in a corner suddenly spoke, and everyone looked at him, only to realize that it was Yang Pu, the new academician from Huguang.

When Yang Pu saw everyone looking at him, he didn't feel any pressure. He just argued with reason: "Your Majesty and His Highness, although they run the world and have many affairs, they never rush the construction deadline."

"His Royal Highness attaches great importance to military affairs. The available troops have always been at every step. Every time there is little rebellion, peace and tranquility can be restored quickly. Wherever the imperial troops and horses are restored, no common people criticize the imperial court. How can this not explain His Highness's wise?"

"Besides, this matter is a matter of heaven's family, we just need to fulfill our responsibilities."

Based on the evidence, Yang Pu believed that there would be no major changes in the world after Zhu Gaoxu ascended the throne, and he did not recommend that the ministers debate the matter here.

Facing his words, everyone pondered for a moment and then said one after another: "Donggong is indeed good at managing money, but..."

For a while, they couldn't say anything. After all, Zhu Gaoxu could fight and make money. The rectification of officialdom was directly proportional to the degree of diligence, so it was really hard for people to find fault.

But the problem is that his New Deal did harm the interests of many people, and his overseas voyages made all officials watch helplessly without receiving anything.

These various problems piled up together, and even if there was nothing wrong with Zhu Gaoxu, they tried to find out what was wrong.

They just talked for a long time, but they couldn't find anything wrong. Moreover, the Bohai faction and the New Deal faction under Zhu Gaoxu were not easy to deal with, so they discussed for a long time, but they couldn't do anything except complain.

Jin Youzi sat there and watched them grumble for an hour, then stood up and said, "I have something to go to see His Majesty, please do what you want."

"We're leaving too."

Upon seeing this, Yang Rong and others also stood up and bowed, and then left the small courtyard.

When they walked out of the yard, the door of a yard not far away from them also opened, and the two sides looked at each other.

The difference is that the seven or eight people on their side have unsightly faces, but although there are seven or eight people walking out of the yard not far away from the diagonal corner, they all have red faces and smiles.

The two sides looked at each other, and Yang Rong and the others bowed and left.

"What shady things are these birdmen discussing?"

Standing at the door, Li Shi couldn't help but tease. Richard and the others standing behind him laughed out loud. Wang Yi glanced at them and then said:
"Don't say a few words. I've been very nervous recently, so be careful not to leave any excuses for others to delay His Highness's important events." "Yes!" Li Shi and others agreed. It was obvious that they were also discussing just now. The problem between Zhu Di and Zhu Gaoxu.

However, they are very optimistic and believe that it won't be long before His Royal Highness will ascend to the throne, and they will gradually replace the old ministers.

"You take them first. I have something to go to His Majesty."

Meng Zhang looked at Wang Yi and Li Shi and explained with a smile. Wang Yi also nodded clearly and said: "You are going back to Bohai. I guess you will be transferred to the capital when His Highness ascends to the throne."

"When you go back this time, you can do more inspections and see who can replace you in Bohai."

"Okay!" In response to Wang Yi's words, Meng Zhang turned around and left the alley and walked to the streets of Hecheng.

Hecheng, as Zhu Di's first northern expedition to destroy the Ulliangha guards, was regarded as Daning's first city in Modong because it had direct waterways to Zhaozhou, Jilin, Andong and other cities.

Due to the existence of Wenjiang water transportation, although it was only built nine years ago, it is already very prosperous.

The wall of Hecheng is five miles in circumference. There are more than 26,000 people in the city. There are 12 market towns and more than 70 villages outside the city, with a population of more than 67,000.

The city wall of Hecheng is built of concrete mixed with river stones. There are four main roads in the city, all five feet wide, made of concrete with cement. The remaining eight auxiliary roads are two feet wide, and thirty-six lanes are one foot wide. There are main roads and auxiliary roads. There are more than 800 shops and more than 7,000 residential buildings, which shows its prosperity.

Most of the people on the street at this moment are people who migrated from Liaodong or were exiled here.

Although they were relocated and exiled, after settling here, the environment was not as harsh as they imagined. It was just that the output per acre was less than in the south.

The yield per mu here is lower than that in Jilin, Zhaozhou and other places. Even if rice seedlings are grown in the greenhouse, after sowing and harvesting, the yield will only be six and a half buckets of solid grain.

Therefore, if you want to feed a person here, you have to cultivate at least five acres of land.

Fortunately, although the grain production is small, the Bohai Sea transports a large amount of grain to Modong every year through water transportation. While stabilizing the price of grain in Modong Sanwei, it buys grain from Modong Sanwei at a high price and sends it to Hailaerwei.

The liveliness here is no different from some cities in the north of Daming Pass. Even because of the abundant water resources, some woods have been left in the city and transformed into gardens for people to play.

Here, firewood is the least valuable thing.

Separated by the Wenwen River, there are grasslands to the west of the Wenjiang River and swamps and woods to the east of the Wenjiang River.

Some people will continue northward along the Wenwen River, then cut down trees in the dense forests in the north, and transport the cut trees along the river to Hecheng for sale.

In Jiangnan, the price of a hundred pounds of river firewood is thirty-three cents, but here it only costs ten cents.

During each Northern Expedition, the men would work as civilian husbands, because the wages of civilian husbands during the Northern Expedition was twenty cash per day.

When we returned from the war, the restaurants on the main roads and auxiliary roads were almost full. There were not only civilians and auxiliary soldiers, but also a large number of Ming troops.

Because of this, every time after the Northern Expedition army returned, Zhu Di would issue a three-day alcohol ban in the cities along the way to prevent the soldiers from getting drunk and making noise.

Riding horseback to the outside of the city, the streets were filled with Ming army soldiers wearing mandarin duck jackets. When they saw Meng Zhang's dozen or so cavalry, the soldiers would run with their heads down, just like the students who saw their teacher on the street. .

"You should leave and go find some good food by yourselves. I can go out of the city alone."

Meng Zhang looked at the soldiers filling the streets and all the street stalls and restaurants that were already packed. He threw a small bag of money from his arms and told them to go eat.

But the Baihu official who took the money smiled and said, "Master, where is the place here?"

"We'll leave one person to wait for a seat first, and we'll send the rest back to you. We'll probably just be able to sit down and eat."

"It's up to you, just don't forget the prohibition on alcohol." Meng Zhang shook the reins of his horse, and one of the officials from the hundred households left one person to grab a seat, and then led more than ten people to escort Meng Zhang out of the Changhe Gate of the South City of Hecheng.

Walking out of the city gate, the lively and prosperous scene immediately disappeared, replaced by the dirt road that people walked on, and the military camp stretching in the distance.

On the road leading to the military camp, many soldiers who took leave to go to the city for dinner could only bow to each other and wait for Meng Zhang and others to leave before trotting back to the city to have fun.

For them, who have been eating military rations and dry vegetables for several months, now being able to eat fresh ingredients is the biggest reward for them.

Although there are enough people living in Zhenluwei and Hailar City, they are still not as lively and prosperous as He City.

After riding his horse through the dirt road and entering the military camp, Meng Zhang dismissed his guards and came to the tent to look for Zhu Di.

Zhu Di had already had lunch at this time. When he saw Meng Zhang coming to see him, he asked, "There are no rebels making trouble in the city, right?"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured that the prohibition on alcohol is strictly enforced and no one dares to violate it." Meng Zhang bowed in response and said at the same time:
"I came here this time to ask Your Majesty when the Bohai troops will withdraw to the Bohai Sea?"

Seeing Meng Zhang asking, Zhu Di also put down the memorial in his hand and said calmly: "You can choose a date. The army will go south in five days. You can leave early if you want."

"That's right!" Zhu Di seemed to remember something and asked Meng Zhang: "How many Jurchens are there in the Bohai Sea who have not been cared for?"

"Almost 60% of them have been recruited. There are still at most hundreds of thousands living in Beishan, but it is only a matter of time before they are recruited."

Meng Zhang said this, and Zhu Di also said actively: "There are no enemies or wars in Bohai. It is mainly about appeasement. It would be too unfair to keep you here."

"News just came from the south that the Marquis of Xining Song Sheng has passed away. I thought about it and found that you are quite suitable to go to the northwest to take charge. The key is to see if you are willing."

"Chen..." Meng Zhang wanted to agree immediately, but after thinking about it, he still hesitated and said:

"I will listen to your majesty and your highness' arrangements!"

Although Zhu Di was mentioned, Meng Zhang secretly wanted to express that he wanted to listen to Zhu Gaoxu's arrangements, and Zhu Di was not used to this.

Zhu Gaoxu of the Bohai Sea is like Zhu Gaoxu of the Yan Mansion to himself.

However, his generals in the Yan Mansion gradually died of old age and illness. It is not known how long veteran generals like Zhang Yu, Qiu Fu, and Meng Shan can live.

"Okay, I understand, please step back."

Zhu Di waved his hand to signal Meng Zhang to retreat, and Meng Zhang left as he wished.

But not long after Meng Zhang left, he saw a familiar figure approaching.

The person who came this time was his seventeenth brother Ning Wang Zhu Quan.

Although the thirty-three-year-old Zhu Quan participated in every battle of the Northern Expedition, he was either a vanguard or responsible for supplies in the logistics.

During this Northern Expedition, Zhu Quan did not go to the front line with Zhu Di. Instead, he was responsible for transporting supplies in Hecheng to Hailaer City on the front line.

Zhu Di called him here, mainly to ask him some things.

"His Majesty……"

Zhu Quan bowed and saluted. His skin was a little dark due to living in Daning all year round. Fortunately, he was still relatively healthy.

"Have you read "The Clan Rules"?"

Zhu Di motioned Zhu Quan to sit down and asked him what he thought of the "Zong Rules".

Zhu Quan was not as violent as his elder brothers, so he did not pay much attention to the "Zong Rules" and did not find it harsh.

"People in the army are bound by military laws, and among the people they are bound by laws. Then the clan members naturally have to have something to restrict them. I don't think there is any problem with the "clan rules."

After all, Zhu Quan stood by Zhu Gaoxu. Since he did not infringe on his own interests, he naturally wanted to put in a good word for Zhu Gaoxu.

"My second brother said before that he would move you to Datong. What do you think?"

Zhu Di asked Zhu Quan, and Zhu Quan heard what Zhu Di was thinking.

Nowadays, Oara and Tatar are suffering heavy losses one after another, and they will not be able to make any waves in seven or eight years.

In addition, since the construction of Beijing was completed, it was inevitable to move the capital. Therefore, the vassal in Daning City became a threat to the capital. After all, the Great Wall was not built on a large scale during the Hongwu and Yongle years. Even if it was built, it would not be possible. Most of them are constructed of rammed earth and are not solid.

Although Zhu Quan only had more than 5,000 guards, he could still do a lot in such a short distance.

Zhu Gaoxu moved Zhu Quan to Datong, mainly because there was Juyongguan between Datong and Beijing. Even if Ning Fan rebelled in the future, it would not threaten Beijing.

However, compared to Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Di was more on guard against the feudal king. What he was worried about was not that Ning Fan threatened the capital, but that Ning Fan would bring craftsmen with him and bring firearms technology to the grassland.

Therefore, his inquiry had some purpose.

After Zhu Quan understood this, he thought about it and said, "My brother, I am now in my thirties, and I can still mount my horse and fight."

"If possible, I would like to go to Guanzhong or Longxi."

Zhu Quan took the initiative to mention the northwest, but Zhu Di was a little embarrassed when he heard it.

It is true that the northwest is prone to rebellion due to its ethnic composition, but the reason why rebellion is prone to occur in that place is mainly due to insufficient resources.

Conflicts arose between ethnic groups competing for land resources, leading to rebellions.

Although Zhu Gaoxu moved hundreds of thousands of people inland, the Mongols moved into Henan, Shanxi, and Sichuan, and more than 100,000 Han people moved to Longxi, and the people from northern Shaanxi in Yan'an moved into Guanzhong, the scale of the local rebellion was not smaller than before. .

Such a place with insufficient resources will naturally be very barren.

Zhu Di really couldn't do such a thing by moving Zhu Quan, who had made contributions to both Jingnan and the Northern Expedition, to the northwest.

"This matter... I'd better make a decision after returning to Nanjing. You and the palace guards will return to Daning tomorrow to have a good rest and take care of your body. I may not be able to come to the north to see you in the future."

Zhu Di confessed to Zhu Quan and did not forget to care about his body.

But compared to him, Zhu Quan was more concerned about Zhu Di's health. After all, the first few brothers of their generation died in their thirties and forties. The fifty-two-year-old Zhu Di was undoubtedly the best among the more than twenty brothers. The existence of the longest life.

"Fourth brother also needs to pay more attention to the holy body. Brother, please retire."

Zhu Quan called him Fourth Brother, which made Zhu Di even more embarrassed to move him to the northwest.

After stroking his beard, he finally decided to let someone else take the blame.

"Second brother, it seems that you still have to handle this matter regarding your Seventeenth Uncle..."

(End of this chapter)