"What's the matter? You, Prime Minister Huiden, also want to lead the army?"
What appeared in front of him was a face full of flesh and dark round eyes.
The emperor originally took root in Hanzhong, and when he went to Yuanyang Mansion, he subdued Prime Minister Hui Deng, who was Zuo Liangyu's subordinate at the time, thus allowing him to obtain the merit of following the dragon.
However, as early as the fourth year of Chongzhen (1631), Prime Minister Hui Deng was active in Shanxi with Zhang Xianzhong and others. His unit was one of the 83rd Battalion of the Shanxi-Henan Rebel Army. In name, he was the same as Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.
Later he belonged to Li Zicheng.
Theoretically, there is a lot of overlap between the two.
"I am nearly sixty years old, but I still want to give it a try."
Prime Minister Hui Deng looked expectant and said: "Who doesn't want to be the Duke of the country? For the sake of my descendants and myself, I have to fight hard. It is useless to die on the bed."
Gao Yigong smiled slightly: "I know what you think, but it's difficult!"
"You have no such experience in leading an army alone to fight a war. The court and your majesty do not believe you."
Xiang Huiden had a grimace on his face, but he couldn't say what he wanted to say.
Leading an army alone in battle, and also commanding an army of hundreds of thousands, is indeed a test of physical strength and experience.
He wanted to say that he had confidence, but the emperor didn't believe it.
"Then, who has hope?"
"Hard to say."
Gao Yigong was silent for a moment, and then said: "But you can't catch the general, but a deputy general can still do it."
"Remember, don't talk nonsense and ask for permission."
"Yes Yes!"
Regarding Gao Yigong's lessons, Hui Dengxiang, although older, was far inferior to him in terms of title and holy scrolls, so he could only listen to them.
After he left, Gao Yigong fell into deep thought.
There is no doubt that after this war, a new prince will be created, and maybe even a new powerful faction.
The ten great princes do not mean that there are only ten princes in the court. This is the same as the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, which does not mean that there are only seven countries in the Warring States Period.
This is because these ten princes have outstanding achievements, and they are first-class in terms of military exploits and seniority.
Now that a new member has taken office, who will be pushed out?
This is a question worth thinking about.
In the palace, Zhu Yixi was not affected by it and still carried out strategic preparations in an orderly manner. A large amount of military supplies were continuously transported to Kulun and military cities were built one after another.
Although it seems easy, the cost involved is difficult to measure.
It takes six shi of grain from Beijing to get one shi of grain from Kulun.
In other words, assuming that one stone of grain costs eight silver cents in Beijing, then the cost of Cullen's military rations is nearly five silver coins per stone.
Craftsmen, material consumption, the army, etc., added together, the imperial court had lost 20 million silver coins in just one and a half years.
"Kulun will build five military cities to store grain and supplies. The court still needs to allocate tens of millions of yuan to complete the preparation work."
Yan Chongxin still stood in front of the emperor. As he spoke, the corners of his eyes twitched, feeling extremely distressed.
Using one-third of the annual tax revenue to fight a war is such a luxury, but it must be fought.
If the Manchu Qing Dynasty cannot be wiped out directly, I am afraid that it will be a disaster for future generations and another Mongol Empire will be established, which will be uncomfortable at that time.
"kindness!"
The emperor sat on the soft couch, closed his eyes and meditated. While eating the grapes brought by the maid next to him, he hummed to show that he was listening.
"It is expected that May or June next year will be the most suitable."
"Can you hide it?" Zhu Yixi said casually: "The ice and snow had melted by then, and the herdsmen started grazing. I'm afraid I can't hide it anymore."
"Your Majesty, Tuxie Tuhan's tribe has been completely controlled by the imperial court. There is no way in or out of the three hundred miles radius of Kulun. The Manchu Qing Dynasty should not be able to detect it."
Yan Chongxin was somewhat lacking in confidence.
"not enough."
The emperor shook his head: "The Mongols are the least trustworthy. How do you know that those nobles don't want to restore power and are seeking skin from the tiger?"
Yan Chongxin was silent.
"Let Chahar, Jilin, Liaodong, plus 20,000 Beijing troops, a total of 40,000 people, command the troops on Horqin's right wing and intimidate Horqin's left wing."
Zhu Yixi sat up directly and blamed the map behind her: "Since there is a risk of being leaked, I will attack from both sides. Both hands are true."
"After subduing the Horqin tribes, the army attacked Fengjing Prefecture from the east and followed the route where the Manchus fled westward. I don't believe they will remain indifferent."
To put it bluntly, it is to make the Manchus focus on one thing and not the other, making it difficult to understand its true meaning.
Even if Mobei loses, Modong will still have a chance of winning.
To take a step back, it would be impossible to surrender the Horqin tribes by then. This would mean removing the Qing's barrier and cover, directly exposing Fengjing in front of them, and they could march at any time.
The initiative is still in the hands of Ming Dynasty.
Anyway, Zhu Yixi is still young, so it’s not a problem to wait two or three years.
"hateful."
Thinking of the memorial sent by the envoy in Russia, Zhu Yixi became angry.
The reason why the Manchus lived so leisurely for more than ten years was because the Russians continued to trade with them and exchanged a lot of salt, iron and other materials.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to support a feudal regime just by relying on low-temperature and barren areas like Lake Baikal.
Food is fundamental, but people cannot rely solely on food.
Zhu Yixi hates Russians even more.
It seems that in Central Asia, Russia needs to be taught a lesson.
However, there are still benefits to Russia's trade with the Manchus. The minister sent some information about the Manchus.
Although the whole country is dedicated to the military, there are only 50,000 standing troops and horses. It is already difficult for a population of more than 1 million to feed an army of 50,000.
In addition, like firearms, although there were Russian trades, gunpowder was scarce, resulting in the Manchu Qing not regaining half of its strength in the late Ming Dynasty, or even only 20% of its strength.
For example, all the red cannons that seemed to be attacking the city and seizing the ground had stopped firing. Not to mention the flintlock muskets, even the matchlocks only cost about three thousand.
Due to the lack of gunpowder, there was not much practice, so the Manchus were more good at riding and shooting, rather than firearms.
Of course, in this era of transition from cold weapons to hot weapons, armor coverage is still something that cannot be ignored.
In the late Ming Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, almost all elites wore three layers of armor, and the rate of armor wearing in the army was as high as 70%, but now it is less than 20%.
Many of the armors worn by the Eight Banners disciples were passed down from their ancestors, and they are almost all of the same quality.
Productivity determines the outcome of a war.
In the Ming Dynasty, cotton armor was almost universal, and officers even had a piece of silk inside to prevent arrows from entering the flesh.
The armor wearing rate of the Beijing camp is 80%, and even the ordinary patrol camp will wear a piece of paper armor or leather armor, and it is still capable of fighting.
Based on this calculation, the chances of winning the war are quite high.
"Ten frontier armies, 200,000 capital battalions, and 400,000 patrol battalions are enough to defend the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Yixi breathed a sigh of relief and was quite happy.
"By the way, how much tax can be collected this autumn?"
"Your Majesty, there are about 60 million people."
Yan Chongxin said: "Compared with last year, it has increased by one million yuan, and the salt tax, commercial tax, and land tax are negligible."
"This is normal."
Zhu Yixi nodded slightly: "The land in the world is limited. Some wasteland and mountainous areas are not worth cultivating. It is not feasible to use them reluctantly. It is better to move to other places."
"The northern border of Anxi, the three northeastern regions, and Luzon are all important areas worthy of relocation. The cabinet must continue to follow up. This land cannot be given away once it is occupied."
"Only when the common people take root can it be passed on to future generations for generations to come."
"I understand."
Yan Chongxin nodded solemnly.
After he left the palace, he suddenly saw Anguo Gong Li Jizu asking for an audience, and he was shocked.
It seems that it is still for the Northern Expedition.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little distressed.
Nowadays, there are only nearly 90 million silver yuan in the Ministry of Household Affairs, which can only be used by the court for one and a half years. Thinking about it, he feels a little uncomfortable.
The imperial court spends more than 60 million yuan a year, and he doesn't know when he will be able to make a surplus for three years. At that time, he can safely return to his hometown and serve as an official.
"Hey, why are you here?"
Zhu Yixi glanced at Li Jingwu and couldn't help laughing: "What, you want to be the commander?"
"Your Majesty has seen thousands of miles. This is what I think."
Li Jizu said with a look of grievance: "The Fifth Army Governor's Mansion is really difficult. I have to deal with those things every day, and my back is sore from sitting there. It's really uncomfortable."
"Now that there is a good opportunity, I will naturally strive for it."
"Stop your thoughts."
Zhu Yixi did not give him a good look: "Don't mention you, even all the princes, I will not let them take action."
"The world's military exploits are always numerous, how can we let you monopolize them?"
"Hey!" Li Jizu sighed with helplessness on his face: "The minister wants a few bastards to join the army and earn meritorious service."
"That's fine."
Zhu Yixi nodded slightly: "However, we can't be in the rear. We should fight if we want to."
"You are not allowed to fool around when you are in the army."
The ten great princes control almost all the ten divisions of the Fifth Army Governor's Office, and are involved in all aspects of the military. If their heirs are allowed to participate, it will be easy for them to fake and melee meritorious service, which violates the principle of fairness.
But there are always exceptions.
Now that he had spoken, Zhu Yixi agreed, but in the end he still had to give a warning.
There are countless people in the army who try to steal and take credit, especially when it comes to generational wealth such as titles, which can almost make normal people lose their minds.
However, the emperor still has control over the court. Such things rarely happen. Once they are investigated, they will be dealt with severely immediately.
Hearing this, Li Jizu hurriedly bowed down and opened his mouth. He seemed to have something else to say, but he couldn't say it.
Obviously, almost no one can resist this piece of meat from the Northern Expedition.
The emperor has not decided on his general until now, which is really frustrating.
There are many factions in the military. There are small factions among the big factions, and they are derived from personal likes and dislikes.
If you can't eat this piece of meat yourself, you can always get some benefits by letting it be eaten by relatives and friends.
But Li Jizu did not dare to say anything about the recommendation.
This is the arbitrary decision of Qiankun.
After he left, Zhu Yixi squinted his eyes and started thinking.
According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, those who went out to conquer thieves would generally be awarded the title of general, thus allowing them to control other armies.
Therefore, the general's seal in the Ming Dynasty was temporary, not fixed, and was returned to the general's seal after leading the troops in the war.
Such as the general who suppresses thieves, the general who suppresses the rebels, the general who conquers the barbarians, the general who defeats the thieves, etc.
But among so many generals, the most important one is the Zhenglu General, which is characterized by the Northern Expedition that swept across the Mongols.
After all, for the three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty, the Mongols have been invading the border and can be said to be lifelong enemies.
Xu Da, Feng Sheng, and Lan Yu served as generals for the expedition, and their deputy generals were Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong and other famous generals.
When he swept across Liaodong, Zhu Yixi did not give him the title, but now that he is sweeping across Beihai, it is very likely that he will be given the title.
What general wouldn't want to have such a heavy title?
Once he took office, later generations mentioned what Li Zhenglu and Zhang Zhenglu had done, how majestic they were.
Just like adding the posthumous title Wenzheng to a civil servant, it is too tempting for a warrior.
"You have to find a place to live in the town."
Zhu Yixi secretly thought.
…
While the whole of East Asia was plunged into ice and snow, South Asia entered the dry season.
King Qin, Hanoi.
After several years of expansion, Hanoi City was finally built, along with the Qin Palace.
King Qin witnessed this historical moment and was filled with emotions for a while.
Just like this city, the foundation of the Qin State has become increasingly solid, and millions of Annan people have gradually transformed into Qin people. The former Dayue Kingdom has become history.
No, fake history.
The "Surname Granting Order" and the "Household Registration Order" allowed the common people of the Qin State to have their own surnames, and also allowed the imperial court to master the population data of the entire Qin State.
The "Wasteland Opening Order" and the "Land Granting Order" allowed landless people to occupy and cultivate hundreds of acres of wasteland with tax exemption for three years.
The "Tax Order" combined miscellaneous taxes into one, one whip law, and a low tax rate of one in ten taxes, which provided relief to a large number of poor people, and established a tax system with food as the mainstay and copper coins and silver coins as supplements.
With the help of a group of ministers, the King of Qin only needed to persist and suppress, and he secured his throne and won the hearts and minds of the people.
Of course, under this series of New Deals, a large number of old powerful people naturally refused to agree, and rebellions broke out one after another.
However, the entire Qin court had no intention of forgiving at all. They resolutely and continuously suppressed, leaving absolutely no room for respite.
Because the upper-level rule of the entire Qin State did not rely on the entire Qin State’s landlord class or aristocratic families, but on the Ming Dynasty court.
Even if the suppression fails and they are even driven out of Hanoi, Ming Dynasty will continue to support them.
Under this ruthless suppression, the stubborn ones were eradicated, and their lands were awarded to the noble class, becoming a tool for the King of Qin to win them over.
The sensible landowners passed the imperial examination and actively moved closer to the King of Qin.
"Your Highness——" Right Prime Minister Mao Fu held a book in his hand and carefully presented it to King Qin.
The King of Qin, Zhu Cunming, was wearing a dark black dragon robe with only a thin shirt underneath. He was wearing wooden clogs and was half lying on a bamboo chair.
The chamberlain forwarded it.
I saw four big characters written on it: "General History of Annan"
King Qin flipped through it casually, and within a quarter of an hour, he nodded with satisfaction: "Yes, the level is not bad, it is not just copying nonsense, it is well-founded."
This general history of Annan is a brief history, mainly telling the origin of the Annan region.
The beginning is naturally Nanyue during the Qin Dynasty, then to Jiaozhi in the Han Dynasty, to the Annan Protectorate in the Tang Dynasty, to the rebellion in the Northern Song Dynasty, to the rebellion and disobedience in the early Ming Dynasty, and then to the Qin Dynasty today.
It lasted nearly 1,800 years and contained about 300,000 words. It took one year to compile and finally completed it.