Zhu Yuanzhang had a brief discussion with Zhang Ximeng and then hurried back to the palace. He felt that he wanted to study this issue carefully. After he left, Zhu Di took his two brothers and came out in a grand manner.
"Don't be afraid, Mr. King Lu is a very nice person. Have you forgotten what the queen mother told you? When you get here, it will be just like in the palace."
Zhu Di then bared his teeth and said to Zhang Ximeng: "Sir, please give me some food! We are going back to the martial arts school now, and we have nothing to eat. We will have to bear the consequences when we go to the palace."
Zhang Ximeng said helplessly: "I only have coarse tea and rice here, I'm afraid I have wronged you!"
"No grievance, no grievance. There are so many cattle and sheep raised in my brother's house. Let the kitchen kill them. Just put them in my name. My brother won't feel bad."
Brother?
Zhu Fang and Zhu Fan were still hesitating. Aren't our brothers from Peking?
How can he have a mansion? The place he lives in is called East Palace!
"You two have forgotten? Zhu Ying is not our elder brother?" Zhu Di said: "Both our father and mother recognize him. Even the prince of Peiping recognizes this eldest brother. I would like to remind you to respect our eldest brother.
Point. He opened up territory for his father and sent troops to the southwest, which was not easy. When he comes back, I will thank him very much! Then I will also invite him to the martial arts school to tell us stories. How fun it will be!
"
As Zhu Di spoke, he ordered the people in the Zhang family: "Go quickly, we are still young and can't eat too much. Just pick a small one. We want to save money for my eldest brother!"
The subordinates looked helplessly at Zhang Ximeng. What could Zhang Ximeng say? They just nodded and asked him to do as he was told.
Actually, if you think about it carefully, it's quite fun.
Zhu Ying, this kid, is just a cycle of nature, and retribution is not good. With a bastard like Zhu Di, his good days are coming to an end.
Sure enough, the cook got a fat sheep from Zhu Ying's house. What kind of small one? Just eat the fat one!
Zhu Di was very considerate, and went to direct it himself. He roasted a fat and tender hind leg and gave it to his husband. He and his two brothers divided a hind leg and roasted some lamb chops and gave them to Zhang Shuning.
Then he took the front legs and the tender mutton and went to the school to share the food with the wise men.
The remaining sheep heads, bones, hooves, and haggis were left in Zhang's kitchen to make soup.
"Thank you very much. I'll be back in a few days. Let's kill the big brother's horse! I think that horse doesn't like to eat grass and doesn't grow tall. It's a good drinker."
The people in the kitchen all looked at it and wanted to laugh. Evil people have their own evil ways, and finally someone could make Zhu Ying feel embarrassed. They very thoughtfully gave Zhu Di a big bag of barbecue spices.
Zhu Di carried the mutton, as if he were a victorious general returning to his loyal martial arts.
After a barbecue, Zhu Di, the little martial arts sun, became brighter and brighter.
The world of children is that simple. There is nothing that cannot be solved by a barbecue. If there is, then have another meal!
But it won't work if it's placed on government affairs.
When Zhu Yuanzhang announced that he would adjust the provincial divisions, the entire Ming Dynasty became agitated.
Unexpectedly, the first person who couldn't sit still was Wang Guangyang. He came to pay homage to Zhang Ximeng as a heavenly official in the Ministry of Civil Affairs and a respected official in political affairs.
After briefly talking about the arrangements for the imperial examination, Wang Guangyang went straight to the topic, "Prime Minister Zhang, I think it is better not to adjust this province easily, especially Henan and Jiangbei provinces, which cannot be easily moved."
Zhang Ximeng smiled slightly and poured him a cup of tea. "My lord did say this, but how to arrange it has not yet been decided. You are also an important official of the court. If you have any ideas, just say it directly. Everything can be discussed easily."
Wang Guangyang looked at Zhang Ximeng's expression and found nothing out of the ordinary, so he plucked up the courage to say: "Prime Minister Zhang, if nothing else, Henan Jiangbei Province is currently going all out to control floods. We need to consider all aspects and allocate manpower and material resources.
Everyone needs to work together, like an arm and a finger. If the Henan and Jiangbei provinces are split up, causing officials to shirk their duties, unclear powers and responsibilities, and delaying the important task of water control, the lower officials are afraid that the overall situation will be ruined!"
Zhang Ximeng listened silently, "What you said is also true. Let's weigh it carefully later. After all, it's just a matter of water control. It seems a little thin. If there are any other reasons, let's talk about them... In short, I can't tell the truth.
ah!"
Wang Guangyang seemed to want to say something else, but he didn't say it and took his leave obediently.
After he left, the look on Zhang Ximeng's face was not so good.
However, he can also accept that even his subordinates must be allowed to have their own ideas.
Just after Wang Guangyang left, Liu Bowen arrived again.
Compared with Wang Guangyang, Liu Bowen was much more straightforward, "Xiang Zhang, do you think this re-division of provinces can continue the Shandong Province established by Han and Song Dynasty?"
"Why?"
Liu Bowen smiled and said: "According to the original division method of the Yuan Dynasty, Shandong belonged to Zhongshu Province. Not only Shandong, but also Shanxi and Hebei all belonged to Zhongshu Province. This Zhongshu Province is really too big and has too much power.
Seriously. Some time ago, Prime Minister Zhang served as a stay-at-home officer in Peiping, and these areas were all placed under the control of the Beiping Stay-at-Arms Department. Now that Prime Minister Zhang has returned to the capital, I boldly propose that Shandong be set aside separately. Firstly, it will facilitate governance, and secondly,
It will also make some officials who were originally in Shandong righteous and move up a level."
Zhang Ximeng smiled and said, "Mr. Bowen, do you think you are blatantly taking care of your old subordinates?"
"Forget it!" Liu Bowen said with a smile: "But I think they made a lot of contributions to the Northern Expedition, and they should be rewarded based on their merits. And I am allowed to put forward opinions, and Zhang Xi is allowed to oppose them. I just try my best."
Zhang Ximeng laughed loudly, "Mr. Bowen, you made it so clear, maybe you are not talking about Shandong, right? Let's be honest. Tell me, what are the voices in the DPRK and China now, and how do they plan to divide it?"
Liu Bowen also laughed. He and Zhang Ximeng were not only friends, but also almost half-confidences. They naturally put national affairs first on such major matters related to the national economy and people's livelihood. And there is no need to play small tricks. Zhang Ximeng is so sharp,
How can you not see it?
"Xiang Zhang, if you want to talk about it, every province divided by the Yuan Dynasty is too big. The Henan and Jiangbei provinces dominate the Central Plains, and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces include Yingtian, Liangzhe and Fujian.
He controls half of the finance and taxation of Jiangnan. As far as these two provinces are concerned, whoever secures the Central Plains will be half the emperor, and whoever occupies Jiangsu and Zhejiang will be the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, holding the imperial court's money bag."
Liu Bowen said: "Especially now, although the officials of the Yuan Dynasty have been abolished and replaced by chief envoys to be responsible for civil affairs, and judicial envoys to be in charge of criminal matters. But in fact, once these provincial envoys return to Beijing, they will become ministers.
With the title of Councilor for Political Affairs, there is no comparison with the other ministers in Beijing. Even the secretaries of the Central Committee must be on tenterhooks!"
There is no doubt that the person you are talking about is you, Wang Guangyang. You are still talking about water control. I really don’t think anyone can understand!
In addition to Wang Guangyang, there was also Luo Furen, who also came up from Huguang Chief Envoy and took over the household department at once, which was also a very important yamen.
If you include the previous gross price, it would be even more amazing.
Basically, something happened to the court, the minister was deposed, and then local officials were transferred to Beijing to take over the vacant positions.
Things happen again and again, and among all the princes in the dynasty, who can sit still and wait for death!
"Prime Minister Zhang, the news I heard is that someone suggested that we simply abolish the provinces of the Yuan Dynasty and use roads to govern the place."
When Zhang Ximeng heard this, he almost laughed out loud. The roads in the Yuan Dynasty were almost the same as those in the prefecture. For example, Suzhou is Pingjiang Road, Changzhou is Changzhou Road, Zhenjiang is Zhenjiang Road... If it is divided like this, the places will be sparse, not at all.
I can't do anything big.
"Prime Minister Zhang, maybe that's what they planned." Liu Bowen sneered slightly.
Zhang Ximeng thought for a while and said with a smile: "The local government can't do anything, they are pushing the blame, and the efficiency is low... Then they will inevitably invite the DPRK and China to send imperial envoys to coordinate local affairs. Then they can put all the blame on the local governments and give them the credit."
On your head, use the place as a place of dung to nourish the gorgeous flowers in the court?"
Dung, flowers?
It's really appropriate.
Liu Bowen couldn't help but laugh. It's rare that the most powerful thing about Zhang Ximeng is his sobriety. He laughed and said: "Zhang Ximeng is really keen, but I was too worried. With their little tricks, they can't deceive Prime Minister Zhang at all."
Zhang Ximeng shook his head, "Mr. Bowen, this matter may not be that simple. Of course, the place must be able to do things, but it cannot be too big. If it gets to the level of Yuan Ting, it will be troublesome. The provinces must be divided, but
To what extent it can be split, it’s hard to explain in just a few words. I don’t have an opinion yet, Mr. Bowen, do you have any ideas?”
Liu Bowen was startled and immediately said: "Xiang Zhang, if you want to talk about the failure of the Yuan Dynasty in dividing provinces, the biggest problem is that the mountains and rivers are used as boundaries... This is not dividing provinces, but dividing countries! They just hold back.
Enlarging the local area is the way to create chaos. For example, Chahan Timur and Polo Timur, these people became lords as local officials."
Zhang Ximeng nodded repeatedly, "Mr. Bowen, thank you very much. I know it well."
After talking to Liu Bowen, Zhang Ximeng did not see anyone else again. This time the division of provinces is probably more serious than the previous ones.
For an additional province, there will be an additional set of three departments, including the chief envoy, the inspection envoy, and the general command envoy. At the same time, there will also be the guard department, the thousand households office, the tax card, the bank account, and so on.
foot.
Every position must be filled by someone, which is an enviable benefit.
Moreover, if the province is too fragmented and cannot accomplish anything, someone will be needed to coordinate, which adds another set of people and a piece of fat.
In addition, the current trend of the chief envoy becoming the minister is too fierce, and all the princes in the court must also beware of this move.
Almost a month had passed since the proposal to re-divide the provinces was proposed. Finally, the first imperial meeting was held, with Zhang Ximeng and Li Shanchang all sitting in their seats.
Accordingly, Wang Guangyang, Hu Weiyong, Yang Xian, and other important officials in the court, all the flowers of the Ming Dynasty, all arrived.