I'm really not doing business

Chapter 1069 Two Insurmountable Mountains in the Military Strategy of the Ming Dynasty

Why wasn't Qi Jiguang greedy when he was young? But when he got older, he suddenly saw the dragon robe and was blinded by its allure.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death—a curse from which no one can escape.

As people get older, they become stubborn, withdrawn, and distrustful of everyone, even finding it hard to tolerate the slightest disobedience from their own son.

When Qi Jiguang was young, he was really too busy. After defeating Daningwei, he went to Kaipingfu. After defeating Kaipingfu, he went to fight Anda Khan. Just as he had finished dealing with Anda Khan and had been suppressing bandits in the Yanshan and Taihang Mountains for two years, he was about to take a break when he launched another eastward expedition to Korea and Japan, busy realizing his ambitions.

When the peaceful and prosperous times he desired were realized, and the tranquil grasslands and calm seas he longed for were achieved, his body was suffering from the "three excesses and one deficiency": excessive thirst, excessive hunger, and excessive urination. Instead of gaining weight, he lost weight. With great willpower, Qi Jiguang starved himself to a healthy state, and he was no longer able to fight.

Before he stepped down, he was incredibly busy; after he stepped down, his ambition, which lacked the support of his power, became indifferent.

Zhu Yijun did not care about Qi Jiguang's behavior, which was suspected of being presumptuous.

This wasn't the emperor testing Qi Jiguang. You can't test people's hearts. Zhang Juzheng said this countless times: a monarch who tests people's hearts will eventually be devoured by such a test.

Completely unexpected.

The Donghua Hall was not a place for receiving guests. The twelve-chapter imperial robe had always been there. It was only because the court meeting was held in the Xihua Hall and the audience was held temporarily that this incident occurred.

In the end, Qi Jiguang only looked at it and reached out his hand, but did not touch it. Since he did not touch it, it would be reckless for the emperor to make such a big fuss.

Qi Jiguang was the greatest military leader of the Wanli Reforms, and his illustrious reputation as Duke of Fengguo spread throughout the land.

The Wanli Reforms had not yet achieved great success, but the emperor discarded the useful tool after it had served its purpose. This was tantamount to putting away a good bow before even conquering the country, which would have led to a situation similar to that of Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi.

The predicament of the Zhao family was that they failed to conquer the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and thus began to discard their useful tools and cook their hunting dogs, leaving them only able to yearn for the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun for the rest of three hundred years.

It's not surprising that people develop greedy desires when they can get something out of their reach.

Zhu Yijun had seen far too many Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). When these Jinshi passed the examinations, they all had a dream of serving the country and making it their own. They looked down on treacherous officials, sycophants, and corrupt officials, and even hated them to the bone.

Because at that time, they couldn't reach it.

Later, they obtained official positions and posts from the Ministry of Personnel. After taking up their posts in local areas, they gradually became the very thing they hated most. In many cases, they were even worse, and they became even more ruthless in exploiting the people.

Corruption was rampant in the Ming Dynasty. Despite the Anti-Corruption Bureau's crackdown, it couldn't stem people's greed. Countless lives were lost, rivers of blood flowed, yet the desire remained like a cat's claws scratching at one's heart; without taking something, one's hands would itch.

Qi Jiguang was truly within reach. Zhu Yijun relied entirely on Duke Zhenwu of Fengguo, essentially throwing his own life at the table, betting that Qi Jiguang was a loyal minister. The emperor won the gamble, gaining glory and prestige for the Ming army.

Everyone is greedy when they are only one step away from that position. No dynasty is an exception. The Ming Dynasty had the Jingnan Rebellion and the Tumu Crisis. The struggle for imperial power has never been gentle.

When greed arises, greed and reason begin to struggle for control over the body. If reason cannot overcome greed, one will become a slave to greed.

Without a doubt, Qi Jiguang's rationality prevailed over his greed; he remained true to himself and didn't even touch it.

Shen Li sat to one side, trembling with fear. There was a battle going on at the front, and the conflict between the emperor and the general was probably the biggest crisis since the Wanli Reform of the Ming Dynasty.

Shen Li felt that His Majesty's response was excellent. This matter was neither a big deal nor a small one.

If things aren't explained clearly, this small matter will gradually become a deadlock, and eventually a big problem; if they are explained clearly, this big problem will become a small matter.

Shen Li believes that the reason this matter was so easily resolved is that His Majesty is in the prime of his life, while Qi Jiguang is already very old.

The emperor and the general were the foundation of the Beijing garrison, but the emperor was still young, while Qi Jiguang was already old and gray. Any soldier, officer, or general with a brain would choose His Majesty over the general, just as the Yan faction listened to Yan Shifan and not Yan Song back then.

If the ages were reversed, this matter probably wouldn't be so easily resolved.

In the Xuanwu Gate Incident of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, forced Li Yuan to make him the crown prince, and soon Li Yuan abdicated to become the retired emperor, while Li Shimin ascended the throne and became emperor.

During this process, there was one person who did not participate in the entire power struggle at Xuanwu Gate, and even maintained a neutral stance: Li Jing, another military genius of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Jing was originally a former official of Emperor Yang of Sui. After Li Yuan raised an army in Taiyuan, Li Jing quickly informed Emperor Yang and actively mobilized troops in Chang'an to defend against Li Yuan's attack.

After Li Yuan captured Chang'an, he resented Li Jing for his stubborn defense, which had caused heavy casualties, and planned to execute him.

Li Shimin pleaded for Li Jing's life, and after seeing Li Jing again, he persuaded him to surrender. Li Jing refused, and Li Yuan issued another decree to kill him. However, Emperor Taizong pleaded again, and Li Jing's life was spared.

Li Shimin not only saved Li Jing's life, but also recognized and appreciated his talent.

Li Jing joined the Prince of Qin's mansion in the first year of Yining and became a general under Li Shimin. He did not leave until the third year of Wude. All of Li Jing's military achievements during the founding of the Tang Dynasty were made in the Prince of Qin's mansion.

Whether it's a life-saving grace or a kindness that brings recognition, it should be repaid.

However, Li Jing's stance on the Xuanwu Gate Incident, which led to the usurpation of the throne, is somewhat questionable.

After Li Shimin successfully seized the throne, in the first year of the Zhenguan era, he appointed Li Jing as Minister of Justice and concurrently as Left Guard Commander of the Crown Prince. In the second year of the Zhenguan era, Li Jing became Chancellor, thus becoming the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty through military prowess.

At that time, Li Shimin was still very young and had the ability to tolerate others. He did not care about Li Jing's somewhat wavering and refusing stance during the Xuanwu Gate Incident and entrusted him with important responsibilities.

But when Li Shimin grew old, things were completely different.

Qi Jiguang was thirty-five years older than the emperor, so the emperor could wait patiently for Qi Jiguang to die peacefully, thus maintaining a good reputation for harmonious relations between the emperor and his minister.

"Keep an eye on the censors and don't let them talk nonsense." Zhu Yijun looked at Grand Secretary Lu Guangzu and told him to keep an eye on the censors and don't let them sow discord between the emperor and the Grand General. They would really be punished by the emperor's iron fist.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Lu Guangzu was very confident about this.

The censors and officials in charge of criticism were always criticizing everything and everyone, even the emperor, but they dared not criticize Qi Jiguang. If they had forced Qi Jiguang into rebellion, who would have been responsible? In a moment of passion, they could have rebelled without hesitation!
Zhang Hong glanced at the location of the Imperial Secretary. The Imperial Secretary had already gone to the toilet when the eunuch hurriedly returned, and had not returned yet.

The Imperial Secretary, in the Ming Dynasty, also earned the nickname "Waterlogged Grass Spirit".

Maozi is a dialect word from Baoding, meaning outhouse or toilet. Lao Maozi Jing means someone who particularly likes going to the toilet. It is said that this Zhongshu Sheren (a high-ranking official in the Imperial Secretariat) does nothing but spend all his time in the toilet.

Zhu Yijun continued the court discussion, and Qi Jiguang expressed his approval of establishing military garrisons and outposts after the conquest of Annam, sharing his views.

"The soldiers themselves grew out of the military garrisons and outposts. The Marquis of Ningyuan had only three thousand retainers in Liaodong, yet he was able to defeat the Eastern Yi so badly that they couldn't find their way back. All of these retainers were military households." Qi Jiguang first told the ministers a basic fact.

The soldiers and household guards were selected from military households, not from so-called "wandering knights and heroes." These wandering knights and heroes, who claimed to be acting on behalf of Heaven, eliminating harm for the people, and upholding justice, mostly caused trouble for the common people because they did not engage in production.

These people would only become troublemakers and destabilizing factors within the military.

The selection process for the Beijing Garrison takes into account family background. If your grandfather has committed a crime, you will not be selected for the Beijing Garrison. Only those with a clean background will be admitted. If your background is not clean, even if you are selected based on physical strength and martial arts, you will not be admitted. The same applies to the servants that Li Chengliang led.

"Before the ninth year of the Wanli reign, the nine border garrisons were severely in arrears with their pay. What you ministers don't know is that at that time, the soldiers on the border were all engaged in business." Qi Jiguang recounted the past. The ninth year of the Wanli reign was more than ten years ago.

Wang Guoguang began to address the army's arrears in pay in the third year of the Wanli reign, and it was not until the ninth year of the Wanli reign that the payment of pay was initially completed.

Before the ninth year of the Wanli reign, the soldiers in the military garrison were so lawless that they dared to do business. There was nothing the garrison dared not sell, and as long as you had the money, they even had firearms and gunpowder.

"When Duke Wencheng was alive, he told me that from the Jiajing era to the ninth year of the Wanli era, the troops of the nine border regions would go out to the grasslands in the summer and autumn to steal the horses of the Hu people and destroy their nests." Zhu Yijun corroborated this point.

The soldiers of the Nine Border Regions not only engaged in business, but also engaged in arson and looting.

There was no other way; the imperial court wasn't paying them. These soldiers, armed with weapons, had to find ways to raise their own money. Robbing civilians would be punished by the court, so going beyond the Great Wall to rob people, horses, and livestock became the best way to raise their own money.

They didn't cherish the money they had stolen. These soldiers, carrying their blood-stained bags, scattered the wealth they had risked their lives to gamble in gambling dens and brothels. As the saying goes:
The brave warriors, riding white horses and purple-gold swings, will not go to the battlefield but to the wine shop;
Last night, I gambled away all my money, but I still have a bloodstained skull in my purse.

In the ninth year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, Qi Jiguang mentioned to the Emperor that military garrisons were not allowed to engage in commerce. This matter was put into practice and has been underway for more than ten years. It has now been completely resolved. The practice of driving horses to raid enemy strongholds has been transformed into purchasing furs from the Xianbei Plain, which has provided them with a livelihood.

"Military affairs are actually just three things: military preparation, military discipline, and military competition."

Qi Jiguang said with a solemn expression: "No matter how perfect the initial concept or system was, two hundred years is enough time to change everything, including good and evil, right and wrong."

"Political and military affairs, in the long run, will eventually return to the state of least resistance in actual operation."

"Specifically in military affairs, military equipment was produced by artisans and farmers organized by bureaucrats such as the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War; military administration, the management of the army, ultimately fell to the soldiers; and the one in charge of military affairs was the hereditary meritorious official."

"The military settlement and garrison system has undergone many changes from the early Hongwu period to the present two hundred years, but in the final analysis, the military settlement and garrison system has provided farmers and artisans with production, excellent soldiers, and a large number of hereditary meritorious officials to guard the area."

Military households were hereditary, and even the Duke of Qian's mansion was part of the hereditary military merit system. From dukes and marquises to ordinary soldiers, everything was hereditary. They dared not dream of becoming rich and powerful, but they were able to survive. This also explains why the Ming army, which was in arrears with its pay, could still fight.

Because military garrisons and military outposts also had production functions.

The hereditary system of military households, centurions, chiliarchs, earls, marquises, and dukes meant that these garrisons were a collective and would instinctively protect the interests of their own garrisons.

The ministers didn't read much of Qi Jiguang's "On War," but Zhu Yijun (Emperor Zhu Yijun) kept it in his hand and read it frequently. Qi Jiguang made these points even clearer in "On War."

"The key to the Annam garrison issue lies in how to prevent the garrison lands from being annexed. As long as the lands still belong to the garrison, then the subjugation of Annam by the king becomes a matter of course," Qi Jiguang said, pointing out the crux of the problem.

By ensuring that the garrisons do not lose their land, we can guarantee sufficient food, weapons, and qualified soldiers, who will spontaneously protect their interests. These garrisons will then act as strongholds against the barbarians, guarding Annam for generations. In this way, after three generations, Annam, like Yunnan, will forever belong to the Ming Dynasty.

When the Ming Dynasty recovered the Hetao region, a seemingly insignificant event occurred: Shi Maohua, the governor of Shaanxi, was ordered to relocate the military garrisons to the Hetao region, which gradually alleviated the chaotic situation there.

The garrison system was not invincible; its biggest drawback was that it required farmland as a means of production.

The court debate lasted for nearly an hour before it ended, and finally a whole set of policies was determined, including a series of systems such as conquest, relocation of people, establishment of military garrisons and guard posts, provision of weapons and grain, long-term tax reduction and exemption, and prohibition of buying, selling, and long-term leasing of garrison land.

The theory of contradiction is a very effective methodology.

Conflicts are universal, and the mission of the imperial court is to mediate the conflicts of interest among different classes and interest groups.

To resolve a conflict, one must break it down into numerous smaller conflicts, and ultimately find the principal conflict among these smaller ones.

Once the primary contradiction is resolved, some secondary contradictions will be alleviated and become easier to resolve, or may even have already been resolved.

However, focusing solely on secondary contradictions will not only fail to resolve them, but will also complicate the primary contradictions, making them even more difficult to handle.

Clearly, Qi Jiguang divided the Ming Dynasty's campaign against Annam into two parts: military victory and political victory. The superior military appearance, equipment, and discipline of the Ming army made military victory very easy, but political victory was very difficult.

If we dissect the issue of political victory further, we will find that the main problem to be solved is the Annamese people's will to resist and the prevention of Ming Dynasty traitors from stealing the fruits of victory.
Both of these main contradictions point to one solution: military garrison posts.

After summarizing the historical lessons of military garrisons and military outposts, it was found that the main contradiction in the deterioration of the outposts was the annexation. Finding a way to prevent the outposts from losing their means of production became a key part of the key issue.

After deliberation and planning, no decision was made on the matter. Instead, it was sent to Guangzhou to solicit the opinions of local officials and frontline commanders, including Liu Jiwen, Wan Wenqing, Chen Lin, and Luo Shangzhi, who were closer to Annam and had a better understanding of the situation there.

The decision-making mechanism established during the Wanli era, guided by the theory of contradictions, involved combining local suggestions to refine government orders and implement them.

"Your Majesty, the case of Lü Kun has been scheduled for the last day of July." Wang Jiaping, the Minister of Justice, reported that Lü Kun's sentence had been set. After months of rigorous investigation, this clown who jumped out after Wang Guoguang's death had finally had all his accomplices arrested and brought to justice.

August is the month of the Emperor's birthday. In principle, no beheadings are carried out in public during this month, as bloodshed is considered an ominous sign.

"Isn't anyone going to save him?" Zhu Yijun asked Wang Jiaping calmly.

Wang Guoguang's decision to consolidate all taxes in the country into the imperial court offended many people, especially given the current situation of reduced land taxes and severe local fiscal deficits. There were simply too many people who hated Wang Guoguang, and Lü Kun was just one of them.

According to Lü Kun's plan, if he were indeed captured, all the officials would present their memorials, and the Emperor, seeing the fervent emotions of the crowd, would choose to delay rather than insist on killing him despite the opposition of all the officials. As long as the matter was delayed, there would be a chance to survive.

If he drags it out until everyone stops caring and gradually forgets about it, and then spends some money to persuade powerful officials and ministers to say some good things, he, as a second-rank governor, can finally be released after going through the process of eight deliberations and eight remonstrances.

“Nobody.” Wang Jiaping shook his head and said, “After he was imprisoned, everyone avoided him like the plague, afraid of having anything to do with him.”

"How ruthless." Zhu Yijun shook his head. Most of those who are unfaithful are scholars. Lü Kun's behavior was clearly a collective tacit action. When Lü Kun was severely punished, this group immediately cut ties with him, making it impossible for the court to investigate a case involving a group of people.

Zhu Yijun approved Wang Jiaping's memorial and granted the joint request from the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review.

The court meeting concluded, and Zhu Yijun kept Qi Jiguang behind for a private discussion about Annam and Japan, especially Xiong Tingbi's land reclamation and settlement system in the Guandong Plain.

“General Qi should go fishing, it’s no big deal,” Zhu Yijun said with a smile. “Autumn is coming soon, and I have acquired a down lining, which I will give to General Qi.”

Zhang Hong brought out the down lining that had been prepared beforehand and placed it next to Qi Jiguang.

"This inner lining is made of dodo bird down, which has excellent warmth retention. Dodo birds are indeed very easy to raise! They have lots of feathers, lots of meat, and taste delicious." Zhu Yijun talked endlessly about dodo bird farming. The dodo bird was also called the dodo duck by the people of the Ming Dynasty. The dodo duck is a treasure from head to toe.

Zhu Yijun talked about a lot of techniques for raising dodo birds, including the location, disease prevention, breeding, etc. He personally raised a batch and gained an in-depth understanding of the breeding process.

"Your Majesty, I don't understand. A live duck costs more than a hundred coins, while a roast duck only costs less than thirty coins. Is it cheaper when it's cooked?" Qi Jiguang had lived in Beijing for many years, and the price of roast duck in Beijing had been decreasing. Now the price was as low as thirty coins.

This peculiar phenomenon puzzled Qi Jiguang.

Zhu Yijun explained the reason: the cost of a dodo bird and a duck is more than 80 coins, and it may be more expensive if there is an epidemic. It is extremely reasonable for a live duck to sell for more than 100 coins. The secret lies in the down, feathers and duck products.

Down is the most expensive, followed by feathers, and duck products such as duck neck, duck feet, duck tongue, duck intestines, duck gizzard, duck heart, duck blood, and duck fat—these eight delicacies of duck—are also not cheap.

Under these circumstances, the cost of roast duck is about seventeen coins. With the addition of charcoal, seasonings, and other ingredients, the final price can be around thirty coins.

The roast duck is cheap because it's not force-fed or soaked in chemicals; it's just a peculiar phenomenon that has emerged as the industry chain has matured.

"Actually, raising sheep in Suiyuan wasn't profitable before. It was the improvement of wool spinning technology in the Ming Dynasty that made wool more expensive, and the profit from raising sheep gradually increased. Naturally, the people of Suiyuan preferred raising sheep rather than horses." Zhu Yijun used the example of why roast duck was cheap to explain why sheep were raised in large numbers in Suiyuan.

Initially, the Ming Dynasty's involvement in wool textile production harbored malicious intentions, with some even harboring the idea of ​​sheep devouring people. However, twenty years later, it turned out that the sheep were devouring horses, rather than people.

The evolution of systems always tends to follow the path of least resistance.

After conquering Altan Khan and bringing Suiyuan under his control, everyone would choose a less strenuous method rather than killing. Killing would exacerbate conflicts and create great resistance. Sheep eating people might solidify the will of the border people to resist, but sheep eating horses is something that everyone can accept.

Once the nomadic people of the grasslands lost their prized mobility and began to settle down, they would no longer be a threat to the Ming Dynasty.

It was during the process of raising the dove birds that Zhu Yijun figured out why the rule of Suiyuan was so smooth.

"So even without my conquest, Wencheng Gong's woolen factory would have rendered the Northern barbarians harmless." Qi Jiguang listened to the Emperor's explanation with a touch of emotion. The conquest of Altan Khan seemed to be a futile effort, while Wang Chonggu's woolen factory seemed to be a more moderate approach.

Zhu Yijun waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Absolutely not. Military victory is the prerequisite for all of this!"

"Without military victory, how could the northern barbarians obediently raise sheep instead of horses? If there is not enough pasture and fodder, they will raid southward, exacerbate the conflict, and war will lead to the severing of trade routes."

"Without military victory, there will only be one outcome: a repeat of yesterday, and the two hundred years of rotten war between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Barbarians will continue."

"The theory of contradictions tells me that the development of contradictions is extremely complex and fundamentally unpredictable."

Contradictions are divided into primary contradictions and secondary contradictions, containing too many variables, and each variable will change the contradiction. Contradictions are universal, complex and unpredictable.

The Ming Dynasty and the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty have been fighting for two hundred years, and the war has gradually degenerated into a stalemate. Both sides are exhausted and need a resolution.

The fact that everyone is from the Ming Dynasty is obviously something that everyone can accept.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty." Qi Jiguang realized that he was really getting old. The truths that he could understand without thinking in the past now required His Majesty to explain in detail.

"Your subject takes his leave." Qi Jiguang bowed again and left the Imperial Study in Yanqing Palace. He went fishing at the Dragon Pool.

With His Majesty around, the storms and hardships outside cannot affect him.

The emperor, the general, and the cabinet ministers were completely overthinking things. All the ministers, eunuchs, and officials in the know who knew what happened in the Donghua Hall of Yanqing Palace chose to keep it to themselves. Even the most talkative eunuch chose to keep quiet and refused to say a word.

Zhu Yijun placed the twelve-symbol imperial robe in the bedroom of the imperial study. Ministers would not go to the bedroom when they came to the imperial study, in order to avoid similar incidents from happening.

The renaming of Yanqing Palace angered the Six Ministries in Nanjing, who submitted a series of memorials impeaching the local officials of Songjiang Prefecture. How could a temporary palace be upgraded to a royal palace? This was blatant disregard for the Six Ministries in Nanjing. This was wrong, and the name should be changed back.

If we don't stop all of this from happening, and a Minister of the Six Ministries from Songjiang emerges in the future, it will be too late!

Zhu Yijun stamped each of them with "I understand" before smiling and saying to Zhang Hong, "The incompetent officials of Nanjing can only watch helplessly as Songjiang Prefecture succeeds, and are powerless to do anything about it."

Nanjing was always a step behind. The emperor had already made his second southern tour and stayed in Songjiang Prefecture before Nanjing remembered to invite him to stay in Yingtian Prefecture and begin the renovation of the Mochou Lake Palace.

What did you do early?
“The ministers in Nanjing have a point. Songjiang Prefecture is too close to the sea. If a maritime disaster were to occur, wouldn’t that directly threaten the Emperor’s safety? Actually, Nanjing is much better. It can respond quickly and also protect the Emperor’s safety.” Zhang Hong felt that what the Nanjing officials said made a lot of sense.

The Ming Dynasty is currently powerful and its navy is formidable, but no empire can be powerful forever. Once the navy declines, the emperor will have to face the threat from the sea when he resides in the Yanqing Palace.

Zhu Yijun said with great emotion: "This is why Emperor Chengzu Wen made up his mind to move the capital to the northern capital. The emperor guards the country's gate, which can maintain the army's combat effectiveness and prevent the Tang Dynasty's border troops from getting out of control, and also prevent the Song Dynasty from emphasizing civil affairs and neglecting military affairs, which led to military weakness."

In the thirteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, during the Battle of Songjin, Hong Chengchou led 130,000 troops in a bloody and brutal battle against Huang Taiji in the Jinzhou and Songshan areas. The war lasted for two years, resulting in numerous casualties.

After losing 130,000 men, in the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, Sun Chuanting raised an army of over 100,000 men, intending to suppress Li Zicheng. However, he ultimately fell short and failed.

Even after Sun Chuanting's death in battle, and with only a year left until the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty was still able to organize an army of over 100,000 to wage war.

This kind of control is extremely rare in all dynasties. When a country falls, how many can still muster an army of 100,000 loyal to the court?
This miracle was certainly due to the success of the military garrison system, but it also owed much to Zhu Di's relocation of the capital to the northern capital.

Because the capital was located on the border, posing a great military threat, even if civil administration was promoted and military affairs were neglected, it would not have developed into the situation in the Song Dynasty where civil administration was valued more than military affairs.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di were two insurmountable mountains in the military history of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yijun finally made up his mind and chose to stay in Songjiang Prefecture. This was also a consideration. While he was alive, the navy could guarantee combat effectiveness. If he died, the secondary capital would be in Songjiang Prefecture. Even if his descendants were stupid, they would not expose themselves to danger.
"Your Majesty is wise and insightful, but I am foolish and ignorant." Zhang Hong pondered carefully and then understood the reason.

He was indeed not suited to be the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. His Majesty always said that military affairs require talent, while political affairs only require diligence and a willingness to ask questions.

Not at all; politics also values ​​talent.

(End of this chapter)