When the boat sailed to Zhenjiang, Zhao Han passed by it several times. This time it seemed more prosperous and lively.
The industry and commerce around Taihu Lake is very developed, especially the textile, dyeing and other industries leading the country. These commodities pass through rivers. One route is from Zhenjiang to the Yangtze River, and the other route is from Jiangyin to the Yangtze River.
Zhenjiang is more prosperous than Jiangyin because taking this road, you can directly enter the Northern Grand Canal.
Nowadays, sea trade in Shanghai Port is booming, and Jiangyin, which is closer to Shanghai, is gradually catching up and even has a tendency to overtake Zhenjiang. Waterway cities such as Wuxi, Changshu, and Taicang have also become important cargo distribution centers because they are connected to Shanghai. Together with this, they have become important cargo distribution centers.
Fushanpu in Changshu has gradually developed into a large port on the Yangtze River.
"Huang Shunde, the magistrate of Zhenjiang, pays homage to Your Majesty!"
The fleet just stayed on the shore for the night. Except for the soldiers who were sent out to guard, the rest of the entourage did not get off the ship. Huang Shunde, the prefect of Zhenjiang, brought officials from Zhenjiang Prefecture and Dantu County to the emperor's ship to see him.
Zhao Han nodded and said: "No courtesy. There are not many stools on the boat, so you can all stand."
"According to the order!" said the officials.
Zhao Han said to Huang Shunde: "It was time for you to go to elementary school at that time, right?"
Huang Shunde looked excited, squeezed out some tears and said: "Your Majesty still remembers the dog, I... How can I be so virtuous... I will work hard and be a good, upright and capable official to repay His Majesty's great service."
Thank you!"
Zhao Han smiled and said: "Stop talking such nonsense, just don't blame me in your heart."
"I would never dare." Huang Shunde said quickly.
This was Zhao Han's first scholar to help when he raised troops in Wuxing Town.
Although Huang Shunde joined the gang just to earn some wages and was ready to surrender his officers and soldiers at any time, he was still considered a very senior hero of Conglong. What's more, Huang Shunde served as Zhao Han's secretary and was dismissed because his family was intermarrying with a wealthy family.
Zhao Han was released as an official.
If he had not made any mistakes, Huang Shunde would now be at least a minister.
Officials are not allowed to marry into wealthy families. This ban has been lifted long ago. Huang Shunde sometimes thinks about it and feels that he has been wronged enough.
But it is not unfair, because the new dynasty of Datong continued the policy of the Ming Dynasty and stipulated that officials were not allowed to marry women from the place where they served. This was a replica of the prohibition on intermarriage with wealthy families, and was all to prevent officials from colluding with local wealthy families.
Zhao Han asked: "Have you ever been back to Wuxing Town in these years?"
Huang Shunde replied: "I was transferred two years ago and visited once on my way out. Thanks to His Majesty's kindness, Wuxing Town now lives and works in peace and contentment. It is one of the most prosperous places in Luling County."
Zhao Han said: "If you keep talking nonsense and flattering me, you can get out."
Huang Shunde hurriedly said: "Although it is not among the best, it is definitely among the top three."
Zhao Han suddenly lost the mood to chat. What he wanted to talk about was about the parents in Wuxing Town and the current situation of those old friends in the past. Huang Shunde was still so lackadaisical, why did he talk to the emperor about Wuxing?
The town is rich and prosperous, but the head of the donkey is out of line.
Of course, Huang Shunde couldn't talk like that. He rarely went back to his hometown, and even when he did, he didn't care much about the situation in the village.
We could only talk about official business next. Huang Shunde reported on the people's livelihood situation in Zhenjiang Prefecture. After finishing speaking, he was sent away by the impatient emperor.
Although it was not very pleasing, after the officials got off the boat, they still looked at Huang Shunde with envy. After all, the emperor spent most of his time chatting with the prefect.
Huang Shunde put his hands behind his back, held his head high, and strode forward, listening to the flattering sounds of the accompanying officials.
The magistrate of the mansion is Wei Xin, a scholar from Hunan. He followed Huang Shunde and flattered him: "The royal minister of the mansion is in the emperor's heart. He is truly worthy of being an old minister from Conglong."
Huang Shunde boasted: "When Your Majesty raised troops and captured Wuxing Town, there were no scholars around him. Although I was not a scholar, I was still a child. I was the first scholar to work with Your Majesty. It was difficult at that time.
It is said to be a town, but in fact it only covers the territory of two villages, and we have to deal with the encirclement and suppression by officers and soldiers."
Lin Yingchen, the magistrate of Dantu County, also followed beside him. He smiled and complimented him and said, "Why don't you tell us how your majesty defeated the soldiers of the former Ming Dynasty?"
"Yes, yes, we all want to hear it." Other officials agreed.
"Then I'll tell you," Huang Shunde said as he walked. "At that time, His Majesty only had three to four hundred troops. Jiangxi Governor Xie Xuelong led an army of tens of thousands to attack. Today's Mr. Li Ge also recruited local warriors and went around.
Then they rushed to attack Wuxing Town. Everyone, faced with such a predicament, what solution can you come up with?"
The officials frowned and couldn't think of a solution. With only a few hundred troops at hand, facing tens of thousands of troops to conquer, and being surrounded by Li Banghua's troops, no matter how hard they fought, they would definitely lose.
Huang Shunde smiled and said: "Your Majesty is the True Dragon Emperor, and he is naturally a genius. When Jie Xuelong came to attack Wuxing Town, Your Majesty went to attack Ji'an County. He was sure that the city would be empty of troops. Jie Xuelong is not an easy person to deal with. He would have been there long ago.
So we left troops to defend the city. Why do we say that the Ming Dynasty will surely perish? No matter how good the governor is in fighting, he can't stop others from holding him back. Guess what?"
The officials really didn't know, and they all pricked up their ears to listen.
Huang Shunde stroked his beard and whetted his appetite before saying: "The eunuch guarding Ji'an Prefecture was afraid that his banknotes would be robbed, so he actually sent half of the city's officers and soldiers out to guard the banknotes. Your Majesty personally led the rebel army to attack at night, and not only killed
We defeated the officers and soldiers and even captured the guarding eunuch."
"That's it." The officials suddenly realized.
Huang Shunde asked again: "Do you know how your Majesty captured the city?"
Lin Yingchen said: "But let the eunuch go to defraud the city?"
Huang Shunde smiled and said: "A deceived city is a deceitful city, but how to deceive the city is beyond your imagination."
"Master, please elaborate." Wei Xin felt itchy after hearing this.
Huang Shunde said: "Ordinary people, if they want to deceive the city, they must be quick with their troops before the defenders can react. But His Majesty said that there was a night attack outside the city and there was chaos, so the city must be well prepared. Your Majesty allowed the defeated troops to flee, and the soldiers of the other side were killed.
They all hid themselves in the eunuch's house and pretended to rob the bank and then evacuate overnight."
"After daybreak, the defeated soldiers came to the door one after another, wanting to return to the city. The officers and soldiers guarding the city did not dare to be careless, and they verified their identities before letting them in. When more and more defeated soldiers returned to the city, Your Majesty disguised himself as a defeated soldier and brought
The eunuch came out of the mountain. With so many people fleeing back to the city, the city defenders thought that the rebels had already withdrawn, so how could they expect to return with a kill? The eunuch shouted a few words, and the city gate opened, and all officials from the prefecture and county levels came.
Welcome and be killed by His Majesty!"
"You are really brave and careful. Your Majesty has a good stick!" The official next to him admired sincerely.
Huang Shunde suddenly sighed and said: "Your Majesty is very strict in managing the military and officials. In order to prevent collusion between the government and the people, he forbids officials from marrying the gentry. I am a person close to your Majesty. Unexpectedly, it was concealed by my family that I was actually married to a gentry. That's why I was demoted and severely punished."
Otherwise, how can you be a minister without being a minister? How can you be an official in Zhenjiang Mansion now?"
The officials suddenly realized that no wonder Huang Shunde was not doing well, he was really unlucky.
…
"Why is Your Majesty unhappy?" Liu Rushi asked.
Zhao Han looked at the water of the Yangtze River and said something confusing: "The human heart is like this river. It is calm on the surface, but there are many undercurrents surging beneath the water."
Although Liu Rushi couldn't understand what he was saying, he was able to pick up the words: "Don't be afraid of undercurrents. Just build the embankments and don't let the floods inundate both banks."
"That's well said." Zhao Han said with satisfaction.
Mainly because of the exchange just now, Zhao Han found that Huang Shunde had not made much progress and his ability was not worthy of being a prefect. Regarding the situation of Zhenjiang Prefecture, Zhao Han asked carefully, Huang Shunde answered vaguely, and he was obviously not a competent official.
.
But such a person actually became a prefect.
Seniority is one aspect, and there are connections in the court.
Zhao Han had tried his best to balance the forces of all parties and deliberately promoted non-Jiangxi officials, but he still formed the "Jiang Right Faction", which was somewhat similar to the "Huaixi Faction" at the time of Zhu Yuanzhang.
The Jiang Right faction has Li Banghua as the center, Song Yingxing as the arm, and Zhao Han's old friends are all leaders.
When the cabinet was first formed, Pang Chunlai was from Liaodong, Li Banghua was from Jiangxi, and Tian Younian was from Shaanxi. In addition to their qualifications and merits, they were also balancing power.
It's a pity that Tian You is old and sick, otherwise Zhao Han would never let him go.
After Tian Younian retired, the person who took over the position was Song Yingxing, who, like Li Banghua, was from Jiangxi. Most of the chief officials of the Shibu and Shicao were also from Jiangxi.
Even if they are fair and selfless, they will inevitably favor officials from Jiangxi when promoting officials.
Nowadays, there is even a jingle: "A full dynasty of Jiangxi, a half dynasty of Ji'an."
The Donglin Party and the Fushe Party are all small forces compared with the Jiang Rightists.
This year, Pang Chunlai retired again and returned to his hometown. He wanted to return to his hometown in Liaodong to take care of his old age. But Zhao Han refused to let him go. If Pang Chunlai left, the country would really become dominated by Jiangxi people.
Zhao Han thought carefully and wrote the words "Zhu Zhiyu".
Zhu Shunshui is an old friend of Zhao Han, and his knowledge and ability are very outstanding. Now he is working as an envoy outside, and he can find an opportunity to be transferred to the central government, first as the left minister, and then promoted to minister.
Then, write the name "Wang Diaoding".
Wang Tiaoding is the head of the Hanlin Academy and has made outstanding contributions to the theory of Datong. Officials of the Hanlin Academy are not allowed to be transferred to political affairs easily. They can first be sent to serve in local areas, and then transferred back to the Ministry of Rites for promotion. After Chen Maosheng enters the cabinet, he
Let Wang Tiaoding be the Minister of Rites.
Wu Yingji, a native of Anhui, is already in the center. Zhang Bingwen, also a native of Anhui, can also look for opportunities to be transferred back to serve as a court official.
Within ten years, the number of Jiangxi people in the cabinet officials must be reduced to only 40%. Otherwise, as time goes by, there will definitely be trouble in the future, and maybe Zhao Han will have to imitate Zhu Yuanzhang and kill heroes.
This is really not an alarmist statement. If one party is allowed to become dominant, it will not be able to suppress it when the time comes.
As the leader of the Jiang Right faction, Li Banghua, even if he is selfless, the people below him will use his name to do whatever they want.
Li Banghua is seventy-three years old this year. Although he is in strong health, he can't work for a few more years. When he and Pang Chunlai leave the court, Song Yingxing will be the next chief minister, and then the cabinet officials will be able to make major adjustments.