Rule the Ming Dynasty Alone

The Forbidden City has been covered with thick white cotton-padded jackets.

Going in the morning and returning at dusk, the scenery is different in the four seasons. This is true not only of the Little Drunkard Pavilion, but also of the world's largest palace complex, which is showing the beauty of winter.

Sizzling...

Xu Hong and Qian Sen came to the Meridian Gate together. When the two met here, they felt a sense of déjà vu.

They were all the latest batch of Jinshi in the Hongzhi Dynasty. The twelve best-achieving people that year participated in the Xiaochuan. Their first meeting in front of Xiyuan Gate was a major turning point in their lives.

As time passes, the circumstances of the twelve people are different.

Liu Cunye, the most prosperous number one scholar at that time, has resigned and returned home to find his mother. Qian Fu, the arrogant and arrogant number two scholar, has also resigned and traveled around. Jin Guibu, a man who is good at power, has become an insignificant warehouse ambassador after Yang Tinghe. .

On the other hand, Zhang Sui has become the first governor of Luzon, and Yu Ming has been promoted to the minister of the Ministry of Industry. These two people are considered to be the two most outstanding people in their generation of Jinshi, and they are also the two people with the brightest future.

Yu Ming has used his outstanding craftsman skills to become the most dazzling technical talent in the Ministry of Industry. Many people have concluded that he will be the future Minister of the Ministry of Industry.

Although Zhang Sui was an overseas governor, the Luzon gold mines were related to the Ming Dynasty's finances, and Luzon Island was an important base for the Ming Dynasty in Southeast Asia. His status actually far exceeded that of ordinary governors.

As for the two of them, they have actually become the envy of many people.

Although they are not as dazzling as the first two, through their pragmatic spirit, they have performed well in the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of War, and have become the best among the doctors.

"Two adults, please come with the Za family to the palace to meet the saint!" A father-in-law looked at the two people who were summoned and said calmly, holding the Buddha Chen in his hand.

Xu Hong and Qian Sen nodded lightly and followed the father-in-law into the Forbidden City.

Although they entered the Forbidden City many times, both the gate ceremony and the palace ceremony were in the outer court area, but they had never reached the inner palace.

This time they were suddenly summoned by the emperor's decree, and they came to an area that even the big shots couldn't reach, so they were naturally more nervous.

"Master Qian, why do you think His Majesty suddenly summoned our two young doctors?"

Xu Hong is now a very mature official, but seeing the area getting closer and closer to the inner palace, he seemed to be very unsure and asked.

Although he and Qian Sen have become the backbone of various yamen after years of hard work, their current official positions are not high in rank and their qualifications are too junior, but they do not understand why the emperor summoned them.

You know, even a high-ranking minister can hardly enjoy the treatment of being summoned by the emperor in his palace, let alone the two insignificant doctors.

The only thing that made him feel at ease was that he had always abided by the law since he became an official. Especially the wife he married was a rich woman. She had already made him feel at ease to be an upright official when they got married, so the emperor was unlikely to punish him.

As for Qian Sen next to him, although he was born into a poor family, the entire capital knew that Qian Sen was a genuine ascetic and the most upright official in the capital after Song Cheng.

"As ministers, how can we randomly guess and act on His Majesty's will? As long as our hearts are open-minded, we can be unfazed by honor and disgrace. Only by fulfilling our duties faithfully can we be ministers!" Qian Sen's thin face was tense, adhering to his own way of being an official.

When Xu Hong saw Qian Sen, who was full of righteousness, he knew that he had found the wrong person to confide in, so he had to admit his mistake honestly.

Among their current generation of Jinshi, although there were many old-fashioned ones of the same age, Qian Sen was the one with the most stubborn personality he had seen and the one with the most determined heart.

Even Zhang Sui might be concerned about his future, but Qian Sen seems to have nothing else in mind and is focused on his own affairs.

He is unreservedly loyal to the emperor. Although he has not done anything very loyal so far, he always puts the emperor at the highest level in his private contacts.

If this was done in the early days, it would make people feel that this person is virtual, but after getting along with each other for several years, and the other person is indeed honest and dedicated to his duties, then it will be the truest reflection of his heart.

I have to say that if I were the emperor, I would probably reuse ministers like Qian Sen.

Qianqing Palace, a picturesque courtyard of ice and snow.

Now the time has come to the fifth day of the first lunar month, and tomorrow the capital city will start going to the Yamen again.

Zhu Youtang, wearing a dragon robe, stayed in the warm spring-like Dongnuan Pavilion. Although it was still the Spring Festival holiday, some things already needed to be arranged in advance.

Although he has a vision and wisdom that far exceeds that of people of this era, he never believes that it does not require sweat, let alone that he can win by lying down.

Zhu Youtang knew that to win this currency war, he not only needed the correct line, but also had sufficient means, and he could not relax even a little bit.

Although it is now possible to operate a money printing press, it cannot follow the footsteps of the Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes. Nowadays, it is necessary to spend money to raise chickens, but it also needs hens that can lay golden eggs.

Take the China-Europe train in later generations as an example. If it were built in this era, it would only lead to the destruction of the country. However, in later generations, it became a wise move to replace sea transportation.

As early as 2000, he had already begun to order the Ministry of Industry to design the Beijing-Tianjin Canal plan to build China's first truly tolled canal.

This time, the Dagu River is no longer limited to a simple river connection, but to increase the width and depth of the canal to meet the transportation capacity needs of Tianjin and Beijing.

Although the investment in the Beijing-Tianjin Canal is expected to be as high as 2 million taels, with Tianjin's current annual transportation volume of tens of millions of taels of goods, since it is levied with a tax of 20 taels, the investment can be recovered in at most five years.

Although the return period is relatively long, it can not only increase fiscal revenue in the future, but also alleviate the problem of tight transportation capacity between the two places, and improve the transportation efficiency of the two places. It can be said that it kills multiple birds with one stone.

Seeing that the plan submitted by the Ministry of Industry was mature, Zhu Youtang immediately proposed to allocate two million silver in batches to the Ministry of Industry from the household department, and at the same time asked the Ministry of Household Affairs to prepare a draft of the national debt for the Beijing-Tianjin Canal.

Although he now has enough bullets, he still wants to be prudent in his budget, not only to continuously build projects that produce golden eggs, but also to tie all the people in the capital to his chariot.

"Your Majesty, we have been brought here!" Liu Jin walked in and reminded him softly.

Zhu Youtang knew that the biggest problem now was internal resistance, so he immediately waved people to bring Xu Hong and Qian Sen in.

Although he now has great power, he still needs to continuously cultivate talents, especially talents who are loyal to himself, so he has always paid attention to the performance of middle and lower-level officials.

Xu Hong has shown his military management talents. He is not only proficient in the art of war, but also has the ability to manage generals.

Although Qian Sen is very low-key, he has a high talent for mathematics. What is very rare is that he can stick to his heart and has not been greedy for a penny so far.

In the first month of the year in the capital, a rare ray of sunshine fell on the window of Dongnuan Pavilion.

"Xu Hong, a doctor in the Ministry of War (Qian Sen, a doctor in the Huguang Division of the Ministry of Hubu), respectfully greets you!" Xu Hong and Qian Sen came in together and said politely.

Zhu Youtang was reading the information about Nanzhili and said without raising his head: "I'm in peace! Get up. Do you know why I called you here?"

"I dare not presume to predict the Holy Will!" Xu Hong glanced at Qian Sen and said respectfully together.

Zhu Youtang was quite satisfied with this answer, but he immediately asked a question: "Two dear friends, do you know what I am most worried about at the moment? Don't say that you don't dare to speculate on the holy will!"

this……

Liu Jin saw Zhu Youtang blocking the road between the two people, and couldn't help but look at the two officials with sympathy.

"I am a doctor in the Ministry of War, and I am most concerned about the border areas of the Ming Dynasty! Today, the Ming Dynasty is worried that the barbarian Jurchens are harassing the people of the Northeast Prefecture, and the second is that some famous people have malicious intentions towards the Ming Dynasty merchants, especially those who dare to think about the Ming Princess. It's time to get rid of it!" Xu Hong's heart changed and he answered based on his own field.

Zhu Youtang naturally wanted to conquer the savage Jurchens and the Dayou family, but Ming Dynasty was now more important to develop the Northeast granary and recover treasure seeds, and it was necessary to put filling the stomachs of the people first.

This year is not the time to use the Barbarian Jurchen. After all, Northeast Prefecture is still in the development stage, and there is no need to mess up the rhythm for the sake of barren land, but RB's Dayou family does need to give some color.

As for the wavering Ouchi family, it would be better if he could send their eldest daughter to his dragon bed, otherwise he would also have to show them the hard power of the Ming army.

Zhu Youtang did not intend to reveal his intentions to a doctor from the Ministry of War, so he turned his attention to the middle-aged man with a face like a sharp sword and said, "Qian Sen, what about you?"

"I have been serving in household positions, and I only pay attention to the financial affairs of the Ming Dynasty. The imperial court has abolished the silver standard to prevent the Ming Dynasty's goods from being looted by foreigners, and cast Hongzhi silver coins and gold coins to smooth the economy. These are all good strategies for a century. However, Jiangnan Many aristocratic families are obstructing the imperial decree, and I think this is a big worry for His Majesty!" Qian Sen said his guess based on his field.

Zhu Youtang looked at these two talents with great satisfaction, and nodded lightly: "You are actually right, but whether it is RB or Jiangnan, you need to take some risks if you want to succeed. My dear friends, you Are you ready to serve the imperial court?"

"I am willing to go through fire and water for His Majesty!" Xu Hong and Qian Sen solemnly expressed their stance without hesitation.

Zhu Youtang picked up the tea cup next to him and said very seriously: "Don't agree so happily, this time your life is in danger!"

"There is no need to be afraid of eating the emperor's salary, being loyal to the emperor, and worrying about the emperor. I am willing to die for your majesty!" Xu Hong was still a little scared, but he still kept the saint's teachings in mind.

"Your Majesty, I lost my father when I was six years old. My mother kept me safe and raised me until I reached adulthood. I passed the exam at the beginning. My mother's dying instructions were to be loyal to the king and serve the country. I regard you as my father. I still dare not forget it. Now I have been appointed as an official by your majesty. , Eat Lord Milu, you should repay your kindness with your own body, how can you avoid it with misfortunes and blessings!" Qian Sen said with a magnanimous look as if he was waiting for this moment.

Zhu Youtang looked at these two people, but expressed his wish: "You are loyal to me, but I hope that the ministers who can relieve me and the people of the world can truly prosper the country by hard work!"

"Although I am stupid, I would like to be Your Majesty's sword, stabbing wherever you point, to eliminate adultery for Your Majesty, and either relieve your worries or kill me!" Qian Sen and Xu Hong both expressed their opinions as if they were ready to wake up.

Zhu Youtang could feel their loyalty and determination to do things, so he returned to business and said: "I just got the news that a promotion official in Suzhou and a Songjiang colleague died in an accident. What do you think of this?"

Generally speaking, court officials act like local emperors in the local area, but the prerequisite is that they cannot touch the core interests of the local officials and gentry.

Shang Yang offended the interests of the Qin royal family and nobles and was torn apart by a chariot and died. Wang Anshi's reform failed to offend the interests of the gentry class. Fan Zhongyan was demoted three times.

It's just that these are historical facts on the surface. Those who died because of interests were not just small local officials. Even the fate of Emperor Jianwen was also related to his interests in touching the vassal king.

"Your Majesty, I don't dare to be arbitrary, but Jiangnan officials have had frequent accidents in recent years, and I think there is something fishy about this matter!" Xu Hong was no longer the stupid young man he used to be, and he immediately expressed his judgment.

"It's more than just strange! There must be a good minister who wanted to do something illegal, but was silenced. I ask your Majesty to send his ministers to the south of the Yangtze River!" Qian Sen had already paid attention to the south of the Yangtze River and said with high fighting spirit.

In fact, Zhu Youtang was not sure whether the matter was an accident or a murder, so he nodded lightly and said: "I have sent Mr. Wang Ge and Mr. Yin Ge there, but they need to take charge of the overall situation and abolish the silver standard and implement currency We have to start from the first government, so I want to put you out there to help!"

Different from the previous policy of killing people, if we want to abolish the silver standard and implement new currencies, it is more important to contain the landlord class and guide the people's hearts.

In fact, as an emperor, compared to a chess player, Wang Yue and Yin Zhi were powerful tools to eliminate the resistance of the gentry class, while Xu Hong and Qian Sen were responsible for leading the people's hearts.

In this era, local people not only need good policies, but they also need good officials who truly care about them.

"I am willing to die for your Majesty!" Xu Hong and Qian Sen realized that they were important chess pieces of the emperor and expressed their stance very excitedly.

Zhu Youtang's eyes fell on Xu Hong, and he told his arrangement: "Xu Hong, you will serve as the governor of Hangzhou and help Mr. Yin Ge implement the imperial decree!"

To this day, he pays more and more attention to this group of officials from the Hongzhi Dynasty.

Although these people have some shortcomings, youth is both a shortcoming and an advantage. If you stay in official circles for a long time, you will inevitably become tactful. On the contrary, newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. This is the key to breaking the situation.

In fact, circles of all sizes exist in any era. Nowadays, these newbies in official circles often do not have such deep interests, so they are actually the most suitable candidates.

"I accept the decree!" Xu Hong didn't expect that he was the prefect of such an important area, so he immediately saluted politely.

Zhu Youtang's eyes fell on Qian Sen, and he also told his arrangement: "Qian Sen, you will serve as the prefect of Songjiang and also be in charge of the Shanghai Shipping and Litigation Department to help Mr. Wang Ge implement the imperial decree!"

"I accept the decree!" Qian Sen said with some excitement, knowing that the time to truly serve the emperor was coming.

Zhu Youtang watched the two best seeds being sent to the east and west, and said seriously: "I know that you are all pillars of talent. Now I am sending you to the place. First, I hope you will create wealth for the people. Second, I hope you will make the people rich." This is another test for you! If you can benefit one party, I will reward and reuse you, otherwise I will not miss you."

"I will live up to your Majesty's expectations!" Xu Hong and Qian Sen knew that this was a warning and encouragement, and they expressed their stance respectfully.

After years of observation, they also knew that the emperor in front of them was a talented and strategic emperor, and he adopted a system of clear rewards and punishments for civil and military officials.

Now they are taking important positions in local areas. If they do well, they will be promoted step by step, but if they do poorly, they may not be able to return to the capital.

But they were not nervous. After all, they originally wanted to do practical things for the people. If they didn't do well, they would have no shame in returning to the court.

The two people left the Qianqing Palace, stepping on the snow and feeling very excited.

Although they are also doing things in the Sixth Department of Beijing, many things are too pragmatic and are far less practical than actually doing things in the local area.

What's more, as the magistrate of the local government this time, in addition to governing the local area, he also has the mission of promoting government decrees for the court. Being able to be loyal to the emperor at the top and loving the people at the bottom is simply their most ideal position.

"Master Qian, it is very dangerous for you to go to Songjiang this time, so be careful!" Xu Hong knew Qian Sen was upright, so he warned him seriously.

Qian Sen felt Xu Hong's kindness and nodded gently: "The same is true for you. Nothing happened in Hangzhou Mansion. This may be more serious than Songjiang Mansion!"

"No matter how dangerous it is, it can't be compared to Suzhou Prefecture, right?" Xu Hong knew that Qian Sen was right, but he pretended to be relaxed and teased Suzhou Prefecture.

As he was talking, Song Cheng, Yin of Shuntian Prefecture, walked towards him.

The two of them also bowed to these first upright officials of the Ming Dynasty in a polite manner, but they saw Song Cheng following the Xiaohuang Gate towards the Qianqing Palace, but they didn't understand why the emperor wanted to summon Song Cheng. Could it be that someone else came out of the palace again? Case failed? (End of chapter)