Chapter 489 Zhang Ximeng's way of being a minister
Is this Ming Dynasty really different?
The Yuan army is still in Hebei, Guanzhong... and in the south there are Chen Youding, Zhang Shicheng and Ming Yuzhen Weiping.
A great war was fought, and the mountains and rivers were exhausted. The financial resources of the Southeast were withered, and the Central Plains was thousands of miles away.
There are people everywhere who don't have enough to eat and don't have enough clothes to wear.
There are internal and external troubles, and everything is waiting for improvement... How is this different?
In the final analysis, it is just to straighten out the top-level things, and then they still need to be implemented and implemented. Only when these things are done can we barely say that Ming Dynasty has changed.
After returning from Zhongmou, Jia Lu called Du Guangan and other students, stayed behind closed doors for five days, and drafted a plan for building water conservancy... The whole idea was based on Zhang Ximeng's design.
This means digging reservoirs and ponds and building irrigation ditches where conditions permit.
Then the land around the ponds and canals was divided for people to use.
An acre of land that can be irrigated can yield at least 30% to 60% more than land without irrigation. In areas like the Central Plains where river water is not abundant, the yield can even be doubled.
Not to mention that fish can be raised in ponds, reeds can grow in shallow water areas, and there are also products such as water chestnuts and lotus roots, as well as raising ducks and geese... Therefore, it is very cost-effective to build large-scale reservoirs and water conservancy facilities.
But there is a premise, that is, investment is required, and it is not a small amount.
Jia Lu, who was obviously much more energetic, started to care about Zhang Ximeng's requests for people and money.
"Xiang Zhang, I have said what I said, and everyone has heard it. You can't lie. This time, the river control cannot be worse than that of Yuan Ting... You have to arrange manpower for me, at least 200,000, no upper limit.
.I also want to give you money, even tens of millions of banknotes are not too small for me."
Zhang Ximeng gave him a big look. You can really open your mouth. But fortunately, Zhang Ximeng was prepared, so it's not that he couldn't agree.
"Jia Gong, if you want people, here I only have prisoners."
"That's better!"
Jia Lu agreed, "It's good to take prisoners! They are strong, they can save wages, and they are of high quality and low price. You can take as many as you want!"
"Wait!" Zhang Ximeng stopped Jia Lu, "Well, you should calm down a little and let me explain this matter clearly."
Zhang Ximeng coughed slightly, and then told Jia Lu the details... After defeating hundreds of thousands of Yuan troops and winning the decisive battle in the Central Plains, how much did Ming Dynasty gain?
Not too many, there were about 200,000 prisoners alone.
South of the Yellow River, there were sixteen camps dedicated to holding captives, and there were as many as thirty camps north of the Yellow River.
In addition to the prisoners, there were also a large number of livestock, including more than 30,000 horses alone.
In addition, the Yuan army also had several horse farms in Hebei, which were also confiscated by the Ming army. They obtained nearly 100,000 cattle, horses and livestock, as well as a lot of fodder.
Needless to say, other gongs and drums, tents, weapons and armor, gold and silver are fine and soft.
After all, this Chahan fiasco was no smaller in scale than the original Tuotuo fiasco in Gaoyou. Zhang Shicheng swallowed Tuotuo's inheritance and became a big fat man in one breath.
At this moment, Daming should be able to burp after swallowing this victory.
Jia Lu immediately became happy after hearing Zhang Ximeng's introduction. His gray beard was raised high, "Okay, take it from the people and use it for the people. The Central Plains is in decline. It is all the fault of these people. Let them work.
Isn’t it just right to do hard labor and restore the people’s livelihood in the Central Plains?”
"It doesn't seem to be that good."
Zhang Ximeng smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Jia Gong, you also know that for this war, we mobilized hundreds of thousands of people in Shandong alone. Shandong had just surrendered to the Ming Dynasty and had suffered from war. Such a large-scale deployment of personnel is even more...
It will affect the farming season. Therefore, my lord wants to send half of the cattle and horses to Shandong, so that through this time of equalizing the land, the people can get some benefits."
Jia Lulue was startled. Shandong was indeed much better than the Central Plains because of the high cost of hair, but that was it. It was still very poor and life was difficult. This time, the Shandong elders gave their best to help and did not give anything in return, which was unjustifiable.
Zhu Yuanzhang's decision was completely reasonable, and even he couldn't say anything.
"Then, isn't there half left? I, I don't think it's too little."
Zhang Ximeng became even more helpless, "This half is a bit troublesome. I need to convince someone."
Jia Lu didn't care, "Xiang Zhang, is there anyone in the world who can't be convinced? Your mouth can make dead people live, even His Majesty can't handle it! This is nothing."
Zhang Ximeng said in a low voice with a sullen face: "What about the queen?"
Jia Lu was stunned for a moment, "Well, why does this have anything to do with the queen? And our queen is famously wise. If she knew that the Central Plains was in decline and people's livelihood was difficult, she might even take the initiative to send it here! And there is another
What's the trouble?"
"You don't know something!" Zhang Ximeng said: "For this war, the Queen raised a lot of military supplies in Yingtian. Especially the money. Before the war officially started, she borrowed eight million Guan Baobao.
By now, I estimate that it is at least 12 million yuan. Although she didn’t say it, I also know that the Queen is paying interest on these seizures!”
"Repay the interest?" Jia Lu's eyes widened.
"Yes, the principal has not been paid yet, but the interest must be paid, right? Otherwise, the court's credit will be ruined. The treasure banknotes we have worked so hard to maintain will follow the footsteps of the big yuan treasure banknotes."
When Jia Lu heard this, four words suddenly came out: open a river and change money!
That's right, it was because of these four words that the Yuan Dynasty caused chaos in the world and destroyed the country and the family.
As a result, when it came to the Ming Dynasty, controlling the Yellow River and restoring people's livelihood in the Central Plains was still a matter of treasure money.
They say they are different, but aren’t they exactly the same?
"Xiang Zhang, do you have any good ideas?"
Zhang Ximeng sighed lightly, "I can't even think of a good strategy, just print more treasure money!"
"No!" Jia Lu shouted almost subconsciously, you really want to make the same mistake again!
Zhang Ximeng smiled slightly and said, "Jia Gong, things are not what you think. Although treasure banknotes cannot be issued indiscriminately, it is not necessarily a bad thing. We have swallowed Shandong and Henan in one go, and our territory has increased so much.
For business transactions, restoring people's livelihood, spending money everywhere, and sending more appropriately, as long as you control the rhythm, there will be no problem."
"But there is a prerequisite."
"What premise?" Jia Lu was still hesitant.
"The premise is to wait for the crops to be planted for a season, and it is best to see the harvest. When the time comes, we will still harvest, issue treasure banknotes, and match the money and grain, then the problem will not be big."
After listening to Zhang Ximeng's explanation, Jia Lu was so angry that he almost fell down... What you said was as if you had spoken.
We want to restore people's livelihood in the Central Plains, control floods and farm, and we urgently need a sum of money... Then you told me that as long as we farm and harvest and have food, we can get more money.
You, aren’t you talking nonsense!
A few years ago, Jia Lu would have wanted to slap Zhang Ximeng a few times... But this guy's official position is getting higher and higher, and his reputation is getting more and more. When he is the wise prime minister of the world, he really can't slap him while his wife is still alive.
"Xiang Zhang, according to what you said, it's a dead end right now?" Jia Lu asked helplessly.
Zhang Ximeng shook his head, "Maybe it's worse. To be honest, the prisoners can only get two taels of food every day."
"Two taels?"
Jia Lu was really shocked, "This, let alone a big living person, even a cat or a bird is not enough!"
Zhang Ximeng nodded, "Yes, it is indeed true."
Jia Lu was even more speechless, but thinking about it, there were hundreds of thousands of troops. The Yuan Dynasty almost lost all its capital. How could the Ming Dynasty consume less?
In the Battle of Changping, Zhao State lost hundreds of thousands of people and was in ruins. Qin State also stayed inactive for several years, quietly recovering its strength.
For a battle of similar scale, the Ming Dynasty's family was really not as rich as the Qin Dynasty at that time. Almost all the grain accumulated in the southeast was pledged, and Queen Ma even went to the house in person to raise money.
Behind the glorious victory is a Ming Dynasty full of scars and heavy burdens.
"Xiang Zhang, if the prisoners cannot survive with such little food, I, I'm afraid something will happen?"
"So Hu Weiyong suggested that we could imitate the Qin State and kill hundreds of thousands of prisoners!"
"What?" Jia Lu was shocked, "Xiang Zhang, how can this be done? That's hundreds of thousands of lives, not to mention the recovery of people's livelihood in the Central Plains, inseparable from labor... This Hu Weiyong's heart is too vicious.
!”
Zhang Ximeng said helplessly: "Jia Gong, I don't want to do this either, so I wrote a law on land equalization and advocated river regulation. I just wanted to retain these people and find a way to quickly restore the power of the people in the Central Plains. But it's hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice. If things happen
If it can't be solved, if it continues to be delayed, the prisoners will cause rebellion. Even if the master doesn't want to listen to Hu Weiyong, it won't work."
Jia Lu frowned and said angrily: "Well, that's hundreds of thousands of people, and human lives are at stake!"
Zhang Ximeng nodded, "Yes, it is true that human life is at stake, but what can be done? If the Lord really decrees this, I can only think of a comprehensive way."
Jia Lu was quite surprised, "Prime Minister Zhang, you won't dissuade His Majesty?"
"I have said all that I can say. I am your Majesty's subject. I will not do such a thing as having no king or father and disobeying my father just to be named."
Jia Lu was stunned, are you like Zhang Ximeng?
Are you known as a sage in this world?
Where righteousness lies, do your duty without mercy.
Is this all fake?
Zhang Ximeng laughed and said, "Mr. Jia, if you dare to show your heart, I am your lord's minister, in charge of the provinces, and the official in the world. We officials are responsible for unconditionally executing the lord's orders, no matter what the order is, even if
It is contradictory, and we must ensure its smooth implementation. So in essence, we are not moral!"
There is a moral vacuum, and it belongs to Dai Ying to be orthodox.
"You! How can you say that?"
Jia Lu was furious and knocked on the table excitedly, "Zhang Ximeng, you, you are Mr. Yunzhuang's junior. In order to relieve the victims, he fought with the officials and gentry during the day, and prayed for rain to save people at night.
They all fell on the common people until they died of exhaustion!"
"That's right, so he is exhausted." Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "Jia Gong, I am talking about the worst situation. Of course I will try my best to avoid it...and I also have an idea."
"What's your idea?" Jia Lu frowned, "Xiang Zhang, don't try any tricks!"
"You're absolutely right, it's just a trick."
Jia Lu frowned, becoming more and more suspicious.
Zhang Ximeng, on the other hand, crossed his legs and stopped talking, just drinking tea.
Just when Jia Lu could hardly wait any longer, someone suddenly ran in and brought a gust of wind.
"Brother, I'm here!"
It was Zhu Ying who rushed in. This young man was dusty, his face was chapped at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were red. When he saw Zhang Ximeng, he was filled with excitement.
Who knows if Zhang Ximeng means any small talk, so he directly asks: "How much money have you prepared?"
Zhu Ying was startled for a moment, then hummed: "Five million and a half million yuan! Brother, how do you know money? You don't even ask me how hard it is!"
Zhang Ximeng snorted coldly: "How hard have you worked? Aren't you still alive? If I didn't have this money, I would have to watch hundreds of thousands of lives disappear! You know nothing!"
Zhang Ximeng was suddenly furious, with murderous intent emerging from the corners of his eyes and brows... Zhu Ying was frightened and muttered: "Brother, please don't be so fierce!"
Zhang Ximeng stood up directly and said angrily: "Okay, just wait. I will go see the lord right now."
After saying that, Zhang Ximeng turned around and walked out directly.
Jia Lu looked at Zhang Ximeng's back and suddenly showed a sighing smile. He said to Zhu Ying: "Don't be afraid, your eldest brother is not pointing at you, he is angry with Hu Weiyong!"
"Hu Weiyong? How dare he make my elder brother angry? I, I will cook him!"
Jia Lu stopped Zhu Ying and sighed: "Your eldest brother and Mr. Yunzhuang are actually the same people, and he is more strategic than Mr. Yunzhuang. With him here, it is a blessing for everyone in the world!"