Chapter 333
Zhang Juzheng from Xuzhou looked at Gao Gong and asked: "Brother Suqing, is there any way to deal with the money shortage in Nanjing?"
Gao Gong sighed and said: "It's difficult! In fact, you and I both know that the best way to deal with the money shortage is The way is to mint coins, but can southern Zhili still mint coins like this?"
Zhang Juzheng thought for a while and shook his head. In order to mint cannons, Zhang Juzheng had already brought all the copper and iron stockpiled by the Nanjing Ministry of Industry to Anqing. Now there is no Materials used in coinage.
Gao Gong continued: "There is another way to issue silver coins."
"Uncle, do you know? The silver coins made in Fuzhou have been used in Shandong and Jiangbei, and the currency value is very stable."
Zhang Juzheng said: "Silver coins? Where is the silver in Southern Zhili?"
Gao Gong said: "Recast."
"Recast?"
Gao Gong nodded and said, "Yes, recast the silver coins issued by Su Ze into smaller amounts and worse quality. Although this move requires fire and labor, it will increase the number of silver coins in the market and alleviate the money shortage to a certain extent." "Another
advantage is that money is scarce and materials are cheap. As long as Nanjing can come up with money, Nanjing will Can it be maintained?"
Zhang Juzheng said in stunned silence: "Brother Suqing, the imperial court is the orthodox court! Do you want the orthodox court to privately mint silver coins for thieves?"
Gao Gong was also silent.
Zhang Juzheng said again: "But the government does not have the silver coins issued by Su Ze?"
Gao Gong said: "Isn't Shuda going to implement a whipping method in Nanzhili? Then this year's autumn grain collection will be converted into silver coins. And the banknote customs duty also only accepts silver coins. As long as you have a sum of silver coins in hand, you can start to recast them."
Zhang Juzheng hesitated for a while, and finally said hesitantly: "But the imperial court?"
Gao Gong said calmly: "The imperial court is all We have already given up on Southern Zhili. With my uncle’s talent, can’t you tell?” “
You and I are both abandoned by the imperial court. We are just minting new money. The imperial court will not mind.”
Zhang Juzheng looked at Gao Gong , could only sigh and said: "Qing Su, I want to guard the Su thieves in Anqing. Can you help me with the minting of coins?"
Gao Gong originally wanted to refuse, but when he saw the silver thread in Zhang Juzheng's hair, he finally nodded. Agree to Zhang Juzheng's request.
Compared with Nanjing's bustling industries, the city's buildings are about to collapse.
On the pier on the Bund in Shanghai, there was a lively scene.
The second son of the Xu family personally supervised the loading of winter clothes on the dock.
The steward of the Xu Mansion was shouting:
"These are the winter clothes sent to the southeast. They must be tied up! If they are damaged, your wages will be deducted!" I
saw a man carrying the winter clothes sent to the New Army in the southeast. When he got to the ground, the manager immediately jumped up and shouted: "Quick, quick, quick! Check if the thread is open? But don't break it! This winter coat costs one or two cents! Can you afford to pay for it?"
On the other side of the pier, it was a completely different scene.
As long as the winter coat mixed with straw and reeds is dropped, the grass clippings will be exposed from the cracks.
Some winter coats are accidentally dropped on the ground, and the corners are already ripped.
But even so, the stewards of the Xu Mansion were not watching at all, and they just allowed these laborers to throw their winter clothes on the boat.
After all the winter clothes were loaded and unloaded on the ship, I watched the two fleets sailing towards the south and the north.
Xu Kun had some vague speculations in his mind. With such a large purchase, it was very likely that these winter clothes were military uniforms purchased by the imperial court.
But Xu Kun's sense of guilt quickly disappeared.
you get what you pay for! The total ex-factory price is two cents of silver! What kind of winter coat do you want?
Anyway, the Ming court had already severed the purchase contract with itself. These winter clothes were sold to "northern merchants", and Xu Kun didn't know about the others! ——At
the water transport pier outside the Yongding Gate of the capital, Zhao Zhenji, dressed in red official uniform, walked out of the official ship, looked at the large number of officials who greeted him in front, and showed a humble smile.
When the newly-minted minister boarded the pier, all the officials bowed to him one after another and shouted in unison:
"Welcome Mr. Zhao Ge back to the capital!"
Zhao Zhenji quickly put on a smile, bowed in return, and looked at the pier. With these flattering faces, Zhao Zhenji finally tasted the beauty of power.
"Give!"
A domineering and sharp voice was heard, and then several guards in red cloaks opened the way, and a white-faced and beardless eunuch appeared on the dock.
Chen Hong, the supervisor of the East Factory and eunuch Bingbi, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, has now replaced Li Fang, who was involved with Eunuch Tao, and became the second most powerful person in the palace after Huang Jin.
When the officials at the dock saw it was Chen Hong, they all shrank their necks and turned their heads away.
Chen Hong cupped his hands and said: "The edict summons Zhao Zhenji to the palace
for an audience." It turned out that the edict was sent, and everyone looked at Zhao Zhenji with envy. As soon as he arrived in the capital, he was summoned by the emperor to question him. As expected, Mr. Zhao Ge was a benefactor. Pampering Zhengsheng!
When Zhao Zhenji entered the palace, the palace was already lit with lanterns.
Zhao Zhenji followed Chen Hong. The eunuch in the front row held a lantern to cut through the darkness. Zhao Zhenji entered the palace through the restored Donghua Gate, and could vaguely see the outlines of the three main halls.
Since the palace disaster that year, due to the lack of money in the imperial court, the construction of the three main halls has been suspended. This year, the repairs are finally almost completed.
Zhao Zhenji did not dare to look further, and continued to follow Chen Hong with his head lowered, heading west to the Yuxi Palace where the emperor lived.
In the past, when the emperor was practicing Taoism, the doors and windows of the Yuxi Palace were kept wide open in the winter because of the heat in the winter and the cold in the summer.
But after winter this year, the Yuxi Palace was also covered with pavilions, and the windows and palace doors were closed.
Zhao Zhenji followed Chen Hong and entered the heavily guarded palace gate.
Chen Hong frowned and said, "Mr. Zhao Ge, please."
Zhao Zhenji looked at the road leading to the center of the palace, straightened his clothes, and walked in carefully.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Zhenji pays homage to Your Majesty!"
The emperor, who was sitting on the couch in the middle of the Eight Diagrams, still looked like an immortal. However, he was wearing a thin silk Taoist robe put on a fox fur coat. He was not as immortal as before. The feeling of wind tunnel bone.
The emperor lay on the soft couch with his eyes closed to rest. Zhao Zhenji did not dare to move and knelt on the ground with all his body prostrated.
"My dear, it's been a long journey, thank you for your hard work."
Although he said it was hard work, the emperor had no intention of letting Zhao Zhenji get up.
After about a quarter of an hour, the emperor said: "Get up."
Zhao Zhenji stood up slowly, and the emperor said:
"You have done a good job in Nanzhili, and you are worthy of a Yuan Henryzhen. Words."
The emperor praised people when he came up, but Zhao Zhenji didn't look happy at all.
Sure enough, Jiajing said again:
"But I asked you to prepare Huguang's autumn grain to be sent to Beijing, and you failed in this matter."
Zhao Zhenji knew the emperor's character very well. He did not shirk responsibility, but knelt down again naturally:
"I am guilty."
Zhao Zhenji confessed his guilt so smoothly that the emperor's tone became softer.
"You are guilty, the governor of Huguang, You Jujing, is even more guilty, and those officials in Jiangxi are even more guilty." "I will
remember these for you."
The emperor glanced at the submissive Zhao Zhenji, and then said: "Get up and talk about it. Look, can Nanzhili be defended?" Zhao Zhenji stood up. He had already considered the scene of meeting the saint countless times on the road, and he had also considered this issue repeatedly.
As a "great scholar of mind" and "the number one non-stick pan in the Ming Dynasty", Zhao Zhenji's character is to seek stability in everything.
But this time the emperor and his ministers met, it would determine his initial impression in the emperor's mind and his position in Xu Jie's cabinet.
Zhao Zhenji said: "I thought it could not be defended."
Regarding this result, Emperor Jiajing was not angry anymore.
Zhao Zhenji continued: "The water network in South Zhili is crisscrossed, and the Su thieves are good at water warfare. It is not a terrain suitable for the elites of the Nine Sides to fight." Emperor Jiajing showed a smile and said: "I didn't expect that you actually know military affairs. If you had known, let
me You are here to be the Minister of the Ministry of War."
Zhao Zhenji immediately said: "I don't know anything about military affairs. This was all analyzed by Zhang Shuda when I was in Nanzhili." "
Is it Zhang Juzheng?"
Zhao Zhenji nodded quickly, and then said: " I don’t know much about military affairs, but I know about finance.”
“Before I left Nanjing, I sent the grain from Nanzhili on board, but the food and salary from the court were not enough to support the nine-sided army to fight in Nanjing.”
As the first leader of the Ming Dynasty , Accountant, the owner of "my money", Emperor Jiajing is more aware of the current financial difficulties of the imperial court than Zhao Zhenji.
In order to raise military expenses, the emperor even stopped the expenses of many clan members below the county king, and even abolished many of them above the county king.
As a result, this year the emperor's poor relatives organized groups to go to the capital to scold the emperor.
These poor relatives who couldn't take the blame were successfully imprisoned by scolding the emperor, and were once again fed by the emperor.
But even so, the food and grass that the capital had finally gathered together would never be able to support the nine-sided army in a decisive battle near Nanjing.
Even if there is a Grand Canal, the supply line is hopelessly long.
Moreover, the Jianghuai area has a dense water network and is indeed not suitable for cavalry operations.
The emperor looked at Zhao Zhenji and asked: "With your talent, where should we annihilate the Su thieves?"
Zhao Zhenji raised his head and said, "I thought
it was Xuzhou." "Tell me why Xuzhou? Why not Shandong?"
Zhao Zhenji immediately said:
"Xuzhou has been the site of more than 50 large-scale battles in the past dynasties. Ever since Xiang Yu, the founder of the Han Dynasty, fought for hegemony here, Xuzhou has been the gateway to the Central Plains." "Xuzhou is the hub of the
Yellow and Huaihe River transportation. As long as the imperial court controls Xuzhou and defeats the Su thieves, it can directly go south to recapture Nanzhi. Li."
"Xuzhou is also a water transportation hub. It is very convenient for transporting troops and grain, and the terrain near Xuzhou City is also suitable for cavalry operations." The emperor who was sitting on the throne finally sat upright. He looked at
Zhao Zhenji and said "In your opinion, what is the chance of the cavalry winning against a cannon?"
Zhao Zhenji turned into a non-stick pot again and said, "I don't know much about military affairs, so I don't dare to speak nonsense!"
At the same time,
Liaoyang was outside the pass.
"Ten percent!"
Li Chengliang, who had just been promoted to commander-in-chief of Liaoyang, said to the envoy sent by the imperial court to inquire about politics.
"Bird guns are not uncommon. Firearms are far less stable than swords, guns, swords and halberds during combat. They can easily go out." "
Even if the Su thieves are well-trained, firearms still need to be reloaded after being fired, and our cavalry It only takes one breath to gallop into the enemy's formation, and the bandit army will be in chaos!"
"Introduce an elite cavalry to attack from the flank, no matter how elite their gunners are, they will never be able to form a formation to resist!" The
envoy of the imperial court said with great joy ! : "General Li, can I submit your words to the Emperor and the Ministry of War of the Cabinet intact?" "
Of course! As long as the winter clothes from the court arrive, our army will be able to go south immediately! Destroy the Soviet thieves!"
The court envoy expressed his embarrassment. He said with an expression: "The winter clothes for the imperial court are still on the way. General Li should wait for orders from the Ministry of War and wait until spring before setting off."
Li Chengliang cursed and said: "What kind of winter clothes did the imperial court buy last time? If you want me to tell you directly from the Ministry of War, After allocating the money, let's buy fox skins directly from the Jurchens to make winter clothes!" "
All the imperial court's money has been stolen by these profiteers!"
The envoy's face changed greatly and he said: "General Li, be careful! The winter clothes are from Xu Ge's hometown, and this batch of winter clothes were purchased and woven by Princess Yu's natal family!"
Although Li Chengliang behaves like a rough guy, in fact this is just his disguise. He just pretends to be reckless and vulgar to degrade others. wariness.
He colluded with officials and banned the transportation of grain from Dengzhou to the north because these grain merchants did not have much backing.
After hearing that Mr. Xu Ge and Princess Yu were standing behind Dong Yi, Li Chengliang immediately put away his complaints.
After seeing off the imperial envoy, Li Chengliang said to the Jurchen "housekeepers" beside him:
"Do you understand the imperial court's policy? If you win this battle and your tribe is allowed to annex, how many troops can you draw from the tribe? "
These Jurchens are all domestic slaves raised by Li Chengliang in Liaoyang.
"Father! Let's return to the tribe to recruit soldiers!"
A Jurchen young man with newly grown hair knelt at Li Chengliang's feet and kowtowed.
Li Chengliang said: "Your army will send three hundred troops and bring them to Liaoyang City in the spring!"
"Father!" This Jurchen young man was not proficient in Chinese language. He stammered: "The total number of men, women and children in our army is only five hundred. , send three hundred troops?"
Li Chengliang kicked the Jurchen young man away and said: "Go and catch the Jurchens! That guy is as stupid as a pig!" The
Jurchen young man quickly retreated and led his companions back to the tribe.
Fuzhou, the naval academy that has been moved to the seaside, has now been renamed the "Southeast New Army Military Academy", and Su Ze serves as the commander.
At this time, Su Ze looked at the busy staff class students and asked: "Mingting will mobilize the border troops to go south. It has been confirmed from various intelligence." "
But what tactics will Mingting use? Where will the decisive battle be? You have deduced it? What's the result?"
Because Lin Liangjun has been promoted to brigade commander, and now the squad leader of the staff squad is Su Ze's disciple Peng An.
Peng An said: "Nine-sided elites. In the military chess game, only strong archers and cavalry can cause greater casualties to our army. The students thought that Mingting should use cavalry to fight decisively." This result was not unexpected by Su Ze
. There was no shortage of smart people in the Ming Dynasty, and it was normal to think of using cavalry to deal with gunmen.
"As for the location of the decisive battle, we have to wait for the information from Station Commander Xiong and the capital before making a judgment."
Peng An added: "According to the students, the Ming court has not reached a public opinion on the location of the decisive battle."
Su Ze nodded and said: "Send an order to Xiong Wu, and be sure to find out the Ming army's decisive battle strategy before the spring begins! "
It's still the first update today. There are too many checks today, so I don't have time to type. Feel sorry.
ps. Xuzhou’s name was confusing in the Ming Dynasty. Some people called it Pengcheng. I’ll call it Xuzhou.
(End of chapter)