For the first time in the Ming Dynasty, 56 people were punished for violating the ancestral rules of the court.
Sitting on the throne, Zhu Houjie listened to the ministers outside wailing and howling as they were beaten. He felt a little better.
Soon, the officials who were still in good health were carried into the Hall of Public Announcement by the warriors.
Those with weaker bodies were carried back. This time, six people were beaten to death, all of whom were censors.
The court session continued. Those imperial censors who were beaten to the point of excruciating pain did not dare to shout in the main hall, because shouting in the main hall was against the ancestral system...
Zhu Houjin sat on the throne and slowly said,""Beloved ministers, do you have a memorial?"
As soon as Zhu Houzhen finished speaking, the Minister of War, Wang Yangming, stepped forward and bowed,"
"Your Majesty, the Gaochang Country of the Western Regions has been buying rations in the important town of Gan Su. I have received a report that the cavalry of the Gaochang Country attacked 50,000 dan of rations that the Imperial Court was transporting to Gan Su five days ago!”
"Gan Su's Commander Zhu Jialiang requests an imperial edict to lead his troops into the Western Regions to flatten Gao Chang Country.”
"If I remember correctly, Gan Su's General Zhu Jialiang is the descendant of Zhu Neng, the hero of Jingnan. He should be sixty years old this year, right?”
"Your Majesty has a good memory. Commander Zhu is sixty this year.”
After hearing this, Zhu Houzhen thought to himself that once a general reached sixty years old, he would probably die of old age before leaving the Jade Gate Pass, let alone go to the Western Regions to fight.
"There's no need for an old general to deal with a small country like Gaochang. The Western Regions is vast and there are many small countries. We must recover them. However, once the Imperial Army enters the Western Regions, it won't be as simple as dealing with a single Gaochang Country. Dear ministers, please recommend."
In the court, the Minister of Revenue, Lu Hua Cheng, saw that the Emperor was about to start a war again and immediately stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, our country has just had a big battle with the Tatar cavalry, and we are exhausted. This humble subject suggests that we discuss this matter in a few days. The empire is currently farming, and it is a time of famine. If we want to go west, we will need a large amount of food and silver.”
War was about money and comprehensive national strength.
The ministers all knew that the little Emperor was extremely belligerent. Although the national treasury had this amount of silver, they couldn't possibly use it all up just to start a war, right?
The Minister of War, Wang Yangming, did some calculations in front of Zhu Houjin. The western expedition against Gaochang Country would require at least a hundred thousand soldiers.
The basic expenditure of a hundred thousand soldiers was two hundred taels of silver, and this was only the salary.
Each soldier ate 30 dans of grain, which would be 3 million dans of grain in a year.
According to the current prices, if one tael of silver was used to buy a stone of grain, the annual rations of a hundred thousand soldiers would cost three million taels of silver.
This was only the infantry. If they added cavalry, the amount of rations consumed would increase several times.
Other than that, there was also the cost of artillery, weapons, armor, and logistics supplies. If all of them were added up, the amount of silver needed to conquer Gaochang Country would probably reach a whopping twenty million taels!
"Zhen doesn't care so much. Right now, there are thirty million taels of silver in the national treasury. In the future, there will be commercial taxes and overseas trade every month.”
"Dear ministers, the western expedition must be carried out. I want to restart the Silk Road! We must open up the Western Regions!"
Zhu Hou's voice was like a great bell, swearing that the Western Regions must be taken down!
Seeing that the Emperor was determined to conquer the Western Regions, Wang Yangming kowtowed and said,"
"Your Majesty, this humble subject believes that Your Majesty can send General Li Chengliang to reorganize the army and wait for the weather to warm up before leading a hundred thousand cavalry to the capital of Gaochang.”
"The ice and snow on the roads of the Western Regions have not melted yet. As long as the army is ready for war for a month, the 100,000 soldiers can set off.”
"There are thirty-six small countries in the Western Regions, with countless tribes and many people from the Central Plains living there for a long time. If the Great Ming cavalry arrives, they will definitely rise up and welcome the imperial army.”
After Wang Yangming finished speaking, Zhu Houyi nodded.
"Good, good! How can a hundred thousand soldiers be enough? Now that there was no war in the north, they only needed 300,000 troops to monitor the Jurchen. They could divide 200,000 troops and transfer another 100,000 troops. They would merge 300,000 troops and attack the west when the weather warmed up.”
"This matter is settled. The Western Regions is our homeland. I must take it back, and I will definitely take it back!”
"My emperor is wise! Long live!"
The officials shouted in unison.
War, war, the current emperor was undoubtedly a rare war genius!
Zhu Houzhen sat on the throne and listened to the officials praising him, enjoying it very much.
Especially those censors who were punished today. An hour ago, they were still prepared to restore the ancestral system and were willing to die to refute him.
But now, they seemed to have been beaten awake and began to realize that they were just ants in front of the Emperor…
Zhu Houyan felt the joy of being an emperor when he saw the worship and flattery of these censors!
After a while, when the mood of the officials had slightly recovered, Zhu Houyi looked at Wang Yangming and said,""Wang Yangming!"
"Your humble subject is here!"
"I order you to draft a letter of credence to attack Gaochang and appoint Li Chengliang, the commander of the five military camps, as the general of the conquest. He will lead 300,000 elites of the empire and lead the army to the west in a few days to recover our homeland! At the same time, the money and grain needed to completely open up the ancient Silk Road would be raised by the Ministry of Revenue!”
"This lowly subject obeys the decree!"
Zhu Houjiu stood up and looked down at the officials with a fierce expression. Then, he left the Xuanzheng Hall.
Huang Jin then shouted,"Retreat!"”
……
After retiring from court, Wang Yangming drafted an imperial edict and passionately recounted the 800-year history of the Western Regions separating from the Central Plains.
The people of the Central Plains in the Western Regions were eager to return, but there were thirty-six small countries in the Western Regions that were oppressing the people of the Central Plains.
Now the emperor of Ming Dynasty ordered the soldiers of Ming Dynasty to recover their homeland. How magnificent!
Wang Yangming's writing style was excellent. He wrote this edict in a tragic and stirring manner, making people's blood boil.
The imperial edict wrote:
"Our comrades of the Central Plains have suffered the oppression of the barbarians for eight hundred years. Now that the emperor is wise and the empire is strong, the imperial army will conquer the Western Regions and the people of the world will prosper!”
In less than a year after Zhu Houzhen ascended the throne, the Ming Empire had turned from a decrepit old man to a vigorous and vigorous one.
The empire's army was invincible, and sharp. The barbarians of the four seas were terrified and submitted!
Now, the Ming Empire's comprehensive national strength is very strong, and it has the ability to win more than two wars at the same time!
This was absolutely unimaginable in the past.
——
In Yangxin Palace Hall.
The Imperial Censor of the Left, Yang Jianxian, was trembling violently. His face was ashen as he stood in front of Zhu Houxi's Dragon Book table.
The censor of the Left Capital was the highest rank of censors. Today, more than ten censors had submitted a petition to restore the ancestral system and stop the reform. As the censor of the Left Capital, Yang Jianxun could not absolve himself of the blame.
Zhu Houyi had received a secret report from Cao Zhengchun yesterday, saying that Yang Jianxun had accepted a bribe of two hundred thousand taels of silver from an unknown person.
The banknotes were sent to his mansion by three different banks.
Obviously, there must be someone behind the scenes behind those censors and censors who had gathered together to attack the reform.
"Yang Jianxun, I just want to know what the person who gave you the money asked you to do for him after you accepted the two hundred thousand taels of silver.”
Yang Jianxun was drenched in sweat!
One had to know that Yang Jianxian was an honest and upright official known to the world.
At this moment, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Your Majesty, I was confused! Your Majesty, I deserve death!"
Pa!
" Hmph!" Zhu Houji slammed the table and stood up." I have eyes and ears all over the empire. Which of the officials in the court is not under my control?!"”
Zhu Hou's voice was like a great bell, shocking the deaf.
Yang Jianxun was so shocked that his entire body started to contract!
"I deserve to die! Your Majesty, please calm down. This lowly official doesn't dare to hide anything. This lowly official doesn't want this silver. It's them who insist on this lowly official accepting it. Otherwise, they will collectively impeach this lowly official…"
"Humph! What a joke! He didn't even want silver? I have never seen such a shameless person in this world, Cao Zhengchun!”
"I'm here!"
"Let him see for himself. The East Military Hall has collected dirty things about him!”
"This lowly one obeys the decree."
Cao Zhengchun looked at the Left Imperial Censor Yang Jianxian with a cold smile and said,"
"10 days ago, someone placed 50,000 taels of silver notes in the basket of Mrs. Yang's personal maid. The silver notes came from Datong money house. Eight days ago, Lord Yang's father-in-law came into the residence and brought 80,000 taels of silver notes. The silver notes came from Guangfeng money house and were placed in a secret compartment by Lord Yang overnight…"
Was this the great official who was praised by the people for being as clean as water?
Simply ridiculous!
Zhu Houjin's face turned ashen!
This person not only made money wantonly, but also mobilized his disciples to attack Wang Yangming for accepting bribes and make a countercharge…
Shameless! Shameless!
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