Xin Zi Juan, Grass and Trees in the Setting Sun, Section 93, Think Tank, Give Suggestions
Zheng Chongjian pondered for a long time, "Ziying, the Ministry of War is also quite hesitant about this plan. It is estimated that it intends to send some elites from the three towns of Datong, Shanxi and Xuanda to go south. What do you think?"
Feng Ziying glanced sideways at Zheng Chongjian, "Dazhang, who are you here on behalf of? Or are you asking me privately?"
Zheng Chongjian was a little embarrassed and glared at Feng Ziying, "Don't ask any more questions. Don't give me any nonsense about people who are in their position to seek political power but not in their position. I just want to hear your opinion. And
What will the war situation in the southwest look like..."
Feng Ziying roughly understood the other party's intention. Now Zhang Huaichang is the Minister of War. Although Xu Dahua, the left minister, is from Kuaiji, he was promoted by Emperor Yonglong. He also belonged to the imperial party and was not familiar with military affairs. He was mainly responsible for the Arsenal Department.
and the affairs of the Military and Horse Department.
Zheng Chongjian is asking on behalf of Zhang Huaichang.
Although Zhang Huaichang is from Liaodong and has always been concerned about military affairs, after all, he has stayed in the position of Zuodu Yushi for too long and is quite unfamiliar with military affairs, so he must be a little unsure when encountering this kind of thing. But if he wants to
Summoning Feng Ziying to inquire would not harm his image as Minister of War, so it would be most appropriate to ask Zheng Chongjian.
"Did Master Yuan not make any suggestions?" Feng Ziying was a little puzzled. Although Sun Chengzong was not here, Yuan Keli was the doctor of the Military Select Division. He should be the most knowledgeable veteran in military affairs in the Ministry of War. He should be able to fully understand the current situation.
"Master Yuan went to Xuzhou and has not returned to Beijing yet." Zheng Chongjian rubbed his face, "It is about Huaiyang Town."
Feng Ziying frowned.
The affairs of Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town) have been turbulent for a long time. Nanjing has been insisting on the establishment of Huaiyang Town, and requested to be stationed on the line of Xuzhou, Yangzhou and Jinling. The gentry in the south of the Yangtze River also responded in large numbers, with loud voices, even in the DPRK and China.
Many officials from Jiangnan expressed their support, and Ye Xianggao and Fang Congzhe were unable to stop him.
Therefore, the establishment of Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town) has been delayed for so long, and it has finally been put on the agenda.
The formation of the Jingxiang Army went smoothly and quickly, because everyone knew that the southwest rebellion was imminent, and the court was united, but there were some differences in the Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town) army.
At least Qi Yongtai was firmly opposed to it, and most of the Northern scholars also disagreed. However, Guyuan Town's poor performance in countering the rebellion in the southwest also put great pressure on officials from the Ministry of War and Northern Territory.
The reason put forward by many people is that the Jiubian Army Town has been stationed on the northern border for a long time and may not be suitable for fighting in the southern region. The court should still consider setting up first and second military towns on the basis of the Southern Guards, such as Jingxiang Town and Huaiyang Town (
Jiangbei Town), in order to use troops in the south, so that if the south needs to send troops, it can also reduce the pressure on the nine sides to mobilize troops.
"It seems that Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town) is about to be established, but the establishment of Jingxiang Town has already made the court unable to support it. The needs of Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town) are probably more than those of Jingxiang Town, and the money will never be paid.
Where did it come from?" Feng Ziying asked.
Zheng Chongjian hesitated for a moment, "The imperial court has discussed before that the food and salary expenditures of Guyuan, Ningxia, and Gansu towns should be reduced to form Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town). This time Guyuan Town suffered another major defeat in the southwest war.
Mr. Xu has proposed to simply abolish Guyuan Town and merge it into Jingxiang Town. Part of the original Guyuan Town’s food and salary will be transferred to Jingxiang, and part of it will be used to form Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town).”
Feng Ziying had anticipated this, but she didn't expect that the imperial court would cut down even Gansu Town and Ningxia Town. This would be dangerous.
"Who proposed the reduction of the two towns in Gansu and Ningxia?" Feng Ziying frowned, "Will the emperor agree?"
"It was the suggestion from Mr. Zheng Zheng, the right servant, Zheng Zhenxian." Zheng Chongjian also looked a little hesitant.
"Hmph, these Jiangnan scholars are trying every possible means to weaken the border defenses. Guyuan Town is just that. Once Gansu Town and Ningxia Town are weakened, aren't they afraid that the Mongols will take advantage of the situation to become bigger?" Feng Ziying snorted softly, "
The scars have healed and the pain has been forgotten. Do you really think that the Tumuts are good people? Once the Mongols and Tumuts in Duogandusi become aware of the weakness of Gansu and Ningxia, will they take advantage of the situation to start a fight?"
Zheng Chongjian remained silent. He also knew that this issue also caused fierce controversy within the Ministry of War. Zhang Huaichang, the Minister of War, was firmly opposed, but Zheng Zhenxian, the right minister, was eloquent.
He had not been the minister for a long time, and his influence within the Ministry of War was far less than that of Zhang Jingqiu. If Yuan Keli had not firmly supported Zhang Huaichang, I am afraid that this proposal would have formed a unanimous opinion within the Ministry of War.
"But the imperial court's financial resources cannot support the newly established Huaiyang Town (Jiangbei Town)." Zheng Chongjian was silent for a while before telling the truth, "Xu and Zheng are helpless. This year, the Ministry of Revenue's treasury has bottomed out.
It is very difficult to maintain the current situation. Unless the southwest war achieves a decisive victory immediately and ends within the year, the situation will get worse."
Feng Ziying put her hand on her forehead and sat crookedly in the official hat chair. It was difficult to answer this question for a while.
For a new military town, there is no start-up cost of 800,000 taels. If you want to make it more perfect, it means that 1 million taels of silver will have to be poured into it. It is no wonder that the Ministry of Household Affairs is shouting
Too much to eat.
But Huaiyang Town is the collective voice of the gentry in the south of the Yangtze River. Even Ye Xianggao and Fang Congzhe can hardly ignore it, so where does the money come from? It's not just from cutting down some seemingly less important military towns.
On the surface, it seems that the situation in the northwest is relatively stable after the Ningxia counterinsurgency, but Feng Ziying knows that this is just a superficial phenomenon. The three towns of Gansu, Ningxia, and Guyuan have become extremely weak. He even agrees with the abolition of Guyuan Town, but
Gansu Town and Ningxia Town cannot, and Yulin Town even needs to be strengthened. Because of the poverty and hardship in the northwest, as well as the impact of natural disasters, a little carelessness may trigger internal rebellions. The peasant uprising spread from Shaanxi in the late Ming Dynasty.
Aren’t they all originated from northern Shaanxi?
If the Second Town of Ningxia and Gansu were weakened, Guyuan Town was abolished, and Yulin Town had to face the Tumut people outside the border wall, once northern Shaanxi suffered a drought, maybe a spark would allow the farmers of the late Ming Dynasty in the previous life to return to work.
As the Great Zhou Dynasty unfolds, Feng Ziying must guard against this move.
Regarding the peasant uprising in the late Ming Dynasty, Feng Ziying knew very well that it was caused by many factors, including natural and man-made disasters, and the government forced the people to rebel. However, northern Shaanxi's fragile environment, barren land, strong folk customs, and a single-minded desire to make money
Once an official with outstanding political achievements encounters a natural disaster, Feng Ziying cannot think of any way to stop such civil uprisings.
Even for the chief minister of the cabinet, it is difficult to find any panacea to cure this chronic disease that has been getting worse and worse.
Maybe the promotion of potatoes and sweet potatoes can slightly alleviate this risk? Feng Ziying never dared to pin this hope on maybe or possibility. Once the sparks are ignited, it will be a prairie fire. Look at how a southwest war has evolved like this. Feng Ziying is really right
The Great Zhou Dynasty had no confidence in its military power except the six towns of Liaodong, Xuanda, Jizhen, Datong, Yulin, and Shanxi.
"Forget it, Ziying, let's not worry about this now. Your Excellencies and the cabinet ministers will definitely come up with a sound strategy. The most difficult thing at hand is the southwest war. What do you think?" Zheng Chongjian shook his head.
"What do you think? Aren't you just sitting and watching?" Feng Ziying said angrily: "Guyuan Town is vulnerable, so why did the Jingxiang Army perform so poorly? It shouldn't be like this, and the Denglai Army..."
"How is the Denglai Army?" Zheng Chongjian was a little nervous.
Wang Yingxiong mentioned in his letter to him and in his last conversation that the Denglai Army was not weak in combat effectiveness and had strong adaptability, far better than the Guyuan Army. Wang Ziteng was indeed a wily and scheming general, but he always
He refused to go all out on the grounds of food and grass supply constraints, and even suspected that Prince Tengju had ulterior motives.
Zheng Chongjian also had some such views, but the top brass at the Ministry of War seemed unwilling to mention this, so Zheng Chongjian wanted to find out his views from Feng Ziying.
"Denglai Army, it's best not to count on it." Feng Ziying shook her head, "Now the southwest war still lacks a commander with enough control ability. Mr. Sun is just a soldier, how can he lead and coordinate other departments? The court should give Mr. Sun a
Governor or governor status, otherwise it will be difficult to control the arrogant and powerful generals such as Guyuan and Jingxiang."
Zheng Chongjian also nodded: "I'm afraid Mr. Zhang has already made a plan for this matter. He will propose it to the cabinet ministers in the evening. Whether he should be a patrol officer or a governor depends on the opinions of the cabinet ministers."
"Oh? Mr. Zhang also thought of this?" Feng Ziying was not surprised.
After all, Zhang Huaichang has been serving as the censor of Zuodu for many years. He should also know that with Sun Chengzong’s current embarrassing status, let alone Wang Ziteng who would not buy it, Yang He, Guyuan Army, Chongqing, Luzhou, Xuzhou and Huguang
Local officials such as Shizhou Guard and Yongshun Xuanwei Division over there will not pay attention to you, but if there is a patrol officer and governor status, it is different. It can really be done cheaply. If the official disobeys
, it can be disposed of directly.
"Well, but the titles of governor and governor have not been used in the imperial court for a long time..." Zheng Chongjian was interrupted by Feng Ziying: "Extraordinary things are done in extraordinary times. It's such a time. You still have to worry about these stereotypes. This is not asking for trouble."
Huh? The princes of the imperial court would not be so pedantic."
Governors and governors followed the regulations of the former Ming Dynasty, but the Great Zhou Dynasty only had them when Emperor Taihe founded the Great Zhou Dynasty, and never in the following dynasties. During the Japanese Rebellion in Renchen in the late Yuanxi Dynasty, they were briefly appointed, mainly
in Liaodong, but was quickly revoked.
Therefore, governors and governors are unfamiliar to most people, and their titles and powers and responsibilities are relatively vague. In short, they have great discretion. Of course, this mainly depends on the strength of the court's authorization.