I'm really not doing business

Chapter 720: Paying for War is Zhu Yijun's Greatest Respect

Ma Fang, the general commander of Datong, the general commander of Xuanfu, the deputy general commander of the Beijing Camp of the Ming Dynasty, the Earl of Yangcheng, and the so-called Lord Ma, was old. After he fell ill in the sixth year of Wanli, he resigned from the post of deputy general commander of the Beijing Camp and became the chief academic officer of the Military Academy, where he trained a large number of generals.

In the ninth year of Wanli, Ma Fang was conferred the title of Yangcheng Earl by the Ming Emperor for his military achievements.

Ma Fang, the Earl of Yangcheng, had two sons. The eldest son was fond of literature, was good at poetry and calligraphy, and often liked to socialize with famous people and pretend to be cultured. He was not happy about his father's military affairs, and often said that a good man should not be a soldier and good iron should not be used to make nails. Since he was a child, he refused to practice military exercises and ride on horses. Although he was a family of military honors, he spent all day hanging out with scholars.

Prince Ma had spent his entire life in military service, and was very displeased with his eldest son's behavior. He reported this to the emperor, and ordered that after his death, his title be inherited by his second son.

Ma Fang's second son, named Ma Lin, was skilled in archery and horse riding. He could gallop at the age of ten. He was brave and good at fighting. He had already served in the camp in the second year of the Wanli reign. In the ninth year of the Wanli reign, when Altan Khan was defeated, Ma Lin was promoted to the lieutenant general of the Third Cavalry Battalion for his military merits. He led 3,000 soldiers of the Third Cavalry Battalion and was the first to charge into the enemy's territory.

Ma Lin doesn't like his brother Ma Dong, because his brother always says, "Charging the first battle line is bullshit, it's just courting death!"

When Ma Lin was so angry, he would beat up his brother Ma Dong to vent his anger and tell him not to say anything in the future. But Ma Dong would still say that thieves were not worthy of being in the army and that a good man did not become famous through military affairs but only through literature to gain wealth and honor. Ma Lin was so angry that he laughed at his own brother.

Their father Ma Fang was once a horse-raising slave of Altan Khan. If it weren't for his father's bravery and many military exploits, would the Yangcheng Earl's Mansion be what it is today? !
It is normal for brothers to fight with each other. Ma Lin is brave, but his brother Ma Dong does not learn martial arts. In addition, his father favors his younger brother, so his brother Ma Dong can only be beaten. But from childhood to adulthood, Ma Dong has been beaten so many times, but he has never changed.

In the sixth year of Wanli, his father was seriously ill, and Ma Lin was in Baoding Prefecture suppressing bandits and could not return home. In the seventh year of Wanli, after the mission was completed, Ma Lin hurried home. His father was out of danger, which made Ma Lin relieved. What surprised Ma Lin was that this time his brother no longer mentioned the strange words that a good man should not join the army.

When Marin asked this question, he was almost furious. He picked up a long knife and was about to find someone to ask for an explanation!

Brother Ma Dong was humiliated. The influence of Ma Fang, the former Lord Ma of Yangcheng, was still there, so these scholars did not dare to talk nonsense and were very respectful to brother Ma Dong. But when Lord Ma became seriously ill, these scoundrels began to show their true colors. They privately called Ma Dong the son of a horse slave, which Ma Dong heard.

Even though he was conferred the title of Earl of Yangcheng by the emperor for his military achievements, in the eyes of these scholars, Lord Ma was still Altan Khan's horse slave.

Ma Lin wanted to find someone to seek justice, but Ma Dong stopped him. Because Ma Lin was still serving in the military camp, and if he went to cause trouble for these despicable scholars, it would be tantamount to the military disturbing the people. Ma Lin would be expelled if he returned to the camp, but Ma Lin finally held back.

Ma Lin and Ma Dong always debated with fists and feet, but they also had their own rules. He believed that when two armies met, it all depended on the bravery of the general. If the general was brave, the soldiers would also be encouraged and dare to advance. Once the general advanced, the soldiers would also be encouraged and strive to be the first.

Not only the generals are not cowards, but the entire army is not cowards.

Marin said this and did this. In every battle, he charged to the front, wearing armor and holding sharp weapons, and was the first to break through the enemy lines and climb the mountain.

Ma Lin could use the Tiger Power Bow and all ten arrows would hit the target. He could then fight again the next day. His bravery could support his fighting methods, but what made him depressed was that he could not beat Li Rusong, who was of the same age as him. Li Rusong was not only strong, but also had great endurance.

There are three cavalry battalions in the Ming Dynasty. Since their establishment, they have been known for being elite because they have the best mobility in the Ming Dynasty. Because of their elite status, the cavalry battalion is also the only army in the Ming Dynasty that can move at any time. It is a fast-response army that can set off immediately the next day after receiving an order the day before. This is the pride of the cavalry battalion.

Ready at all the time!

This sentence is the foundation of the Cavalry Battalion. When Your Majesty needs it, the Cavalry Battalion will be able to respond at any time and eliminate any enemy who dares to invade.

Yesterday, the cavalry camp received an order to rush to Liaodong within ten days and build Jiuliancheng within a month, so as to be ready to go to Korea for battle at any time. The next day, the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, was a sunny morning. The sounds of pigeon whistles and trumpets resounded throughout the military camp. The cavalry camp woke up at five o'clock in the morning and assembled in the parade ground before Your Majesty arrived, waiting quietly.

The Ming Emperor's carriage arrived earlier than anyone expected. When the Deshengmen gate was just opened, His Majesty's carriage had already slowly driven out and arrived at the Wuying Tower, where he completed the seal-granting ceremony.

When the horn sounded, the young emperor of the Ming Dynasty, dressed in military uniform, walked out of the Wuying Tower step by step in the fierce winter wind. This figure was so familiar to the elite soldiers of the Beijing Camp. The emperor of the Ming Dynasty walked firmly to the parade ground and stood in front of all the elite soldiers.

"The Ming army is mighty!"

His Majesty the Emperor's concise but powerful words echoed throughout the parade ground. He was still the familiar Majesty. There was no long speech, no grand rhetoric, but he used the simplest words to tell this unpeaceful world that those who openly offend the mighty Han will be punished, though they are far away.

"Your Majesty, it's mighty!"

The cavalry camp's uniform cheers rang out in the Beidaying. The brothers in the infantry camp were very envious of the cavalry camp. The infantry camp would set out half a month later. Although the infantry camp could celebrate the New Year at home, the cavalry camp was already on the journey.

"Soldiers, return in triumph!" Zhu Yijun stood on the parade ground and expressed his most sincere wishes for the Ming army to return in triumph.

"Triumph!"

Zhu Yijun looked at Li Rusong and said, "Pick one."

Zhu Yijun asked Li Rusong to compose a military song. The Ming Dynasty had many military songs, all of which were composed by Prince De Zhu Zaiyu and sung in the military camps.

Li Rusong cleared his throat, whispered twice to the guards around him, and then shouted loudly: "Get ready, ten thousand people are united! Mount Tai can be shaken!"

“If ten thousand people are united, even Mount Tai can be shaken.”

"Only loyalty and righteousness can make one's spirit so strong that it can fight a bull!"

"My lord loves me like my parents; if I disobey military orders, I will not be free."

"The orders are clear, the rewards and punishments are fair, and we are ready to face the dangers and dangers. How dare we delay?"

"Report to the emperor, save the people. Kill all the Japanese, and seek a title of nobility!"

The music band of Taichang Temple, following the soldiers' shouts in unison, began to play their instruments along with the singing. The majestic tones soon became passionate, and the iron-blooded and murderous atmosphere spread throughout the Beidaying camp.

"Six feet of iron bones, forged into a sharp sword, an inch of loyalty, melted into the mountains and rivers."

"I will never regret it. A man should die in the frontier. After a hundred battles, why should he return home wrapped in his horse's hide?"

"The flags are flying, the bugles are blaring! The swords are unsheathed, the thunder is roaring, the lightning is flashing!"

"When two men meet on a narrow road, the bravest one wins! Keep going, keep going, keep going!"

The urgent horn sounded again.

Zhu Yijun stood on the parade ground, singing the Ming Dynasty's military songs with the soldiers, and watched the generals and soldiers head towards Beidaying Station.

This time, the Ming army went to Liaodong on horseback. All the war horses, logistics, and baggage were transported by horseback, not on foot.

The Shengping No. 128 Iron Horse has a horsepower of only . There are only eight carriages in total. The front and rear two are the front sections, one pulling and the other pushing. The remaining six sections can be used to carry goods. Each section can carry about people. Nearly iron horses are needed to transport people, horses and supplies to Liaodong, and water and coal must be replenished along the way.

Although there are many inconveniences, if you ask soldiers how they like to march, they will answer loudly: By car!
Although riding in a car is tiring, walking is more tiring. Riding in a car is a great favor from the emperor.

Marin came to the iron horse and looked at the Shengping No. 4 which was already warming up. He loved and hated this thing. He loved it because it saved him a lot of energy, but he hated it because it stole the limelight from the cavalry camp.

"This coal-eating iron horse is really a powerful weapon for war. However, once it appears, our cavalry camp looks very stupid." Ma Lin said to Li Rusong with a smile.

"Wouldn't it be better to save some energy for killing the Japanese pirates? This thing is really expensive. Do you know how much coal it needs to make a trip to Liaodong? Sixteen thousand kilograms. The two iron horses at the head and tail will consume thirty-two thousand kilograms of coal. One hundred vehicles will consume three million and two hundred thousand kilograms of coal." Li Rusong loved and hated it. He loved it because it reduced the burden on the soldiers, but he hated it because it was too expensive.

But since Your Majesty is paying for everything, I won't hate him so much.

Just the march, not counting the construction of the highway, the iron horses, and the manufacture of carriages, the more than three million kilograms of coal alone would cost His Majesty the Emperor thirty thousand silver coins.

Ma Lin counted on his fingers and said, "30,000 silver and 60,000 dan of grain. It's not a loss if you calculate it. Otherwise, this 10,000 cavalry camp would need 70,000 dan of grain to go to Liaodong. Not counting the grass and beans, your majesty has earned 10,000 dan. The more you use, the more you earn!"

"Seventy thousand shi is not enough, at least eighty thousand is enough." Li Rusong calculated it himself, and he sighed and said, "I am almost forty years old. I was beaten by my father yesterday. It is really annoying. You said that we have climbed to the position of lieutenant general and deputy general, and we still have to take the mathematics test? And everyone has to pass it. Oh my god, this cultural course gives me a headache."

When it came to the math test, Ma Lin immediately shared the same hatred with Li Rusong. He felt the same pain and was beaten up. He said indignantly, "Studying? What the hell! I was beaten up by my father yesterday. You said you are seventy years old, how can you still be so strong!"

Li Rusong, like Ma Lin, did not like to study, but he had to study. Otherwise, he would not even know how to calculate the military rations, so how could he lead the troops to fight? He could only learn by force. It was reasonable that the army had accountants, but they did not need them. However, there was a military song that sang: "The commander loves me, and is better than my parents." Therefore, both the commander and the soldiers had to pass the cultural test.

"If you can let me not study and let me kill as many Japanese pirates as possible, I will be happy to do so!" Li Rusong said with a smile.

Ma Lin patted the carriage, looked back at Beidaying, and said with a smile: "You are dreaming. Let's go to the front line."

Zhu Yijun saw his uncle Zhu Zaiyu fiddling with a machine high up in the Wufeng Tower in Beitu City. The machine was at least the size of a desk and more than one person tall. There was a very long and large bridle on the head of the machine. The bridle was made of leather and was retractable. The bridle was hung on a long wooden box. There was an escalator at the tail of the long wooden box, and Zhu Zaiyu was standing at the tail.

At the tail end of the long box, there was a cover, which was also made of leather and was opaque, and Zhu Zaiyu was hiding inside it.

Zhu Yijun was able to recognize his uncle because he was wearing prince's clothes.

"What is the emperor's uncle doing?" Zhu Yijun asked in confusion.

"Painting, that is the drawing board of His Royal Highness Prince De." Feng Bao looked in the direction of Zhu Zaiyu and said in a low voice.

As a scientist, it is very reasonable for him to be able to compose music and paint at the same time. Zhu Zaiyu always likes to make various inventions, and this device is his latest optical invention, the viewfinder.

Feng Bao instructed the eunuch and brought a blueprint. Then Feng Bao held the blueprint and said, "This is the principle. Light passes through the convex mirror in front and enters the darkroom. The image is reflected in the built-in reflector. Thin rice paper is spread on the reflection to trace the image."

(Darkroom drawing board schematic)

"This is a painting by His Royal Highness Prince De." Zhu Yijun looked at the drafts drawn by Zhu Zaiyu one by one. These paintings were all landscapes, mountains, pavilions and other objects painted by Zhu Zaiyu. Each one was lifelike, and the composition of each one was very ingenious. Each one was a work of art, and the proportion of near objects being big and far objects being small made the proportion of the entire picture more harmonious.

However, these drafts, which can be regarded as works of art, have no names, which shows that Zhu Zaiyu was not very satisfied with these paintings after he finished them. He just threw them aside and they were compiled into a book by the stewards.

In the art of painting, Zhu Zaiyu chose to cheat by using optical image mapping to make the proportions of the picture more harmonious.

"Let's go and have a look." Zhu Yijun went up to the Wufeng Tower, and Zhu Zaiyu just came out of the sunshade with a pencil in his hand. He saw His Majesty, holding the rolled-up scroll in his hand, and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I wish you good health."

"Uncle, thank you for your courtesy. Have you finished this painting?" Zhu Yijun asked Zhu Zaiyu whether he had completed the painting of the expedition to aid Korea in fighting against Japanese invaders.

Zhu Zaiyu handed over the scroll and said shyly, "Your Majesty, I haven't finished the painting yet. It's just a rough sketch."

Zhu Yijun opened the scroll. It was indeed a sketch. The shapes of most of the characters were outlined, but the whole picture was very complete. On the outline of the city wall of Beidaying, there were drums and trumpets, and flags fluttering in the winter wind. The emperor was watching the soldiers on the parade ground, and the soldiers were marching out in an orderly manner. Li Rusong and Ma Lin were standing in front of the iron horses and chatting, relatives were seeing them off on the platform, and some scholars were whispering to each other.

"Can these scholars be removed? They are a bit of an eyesore." Zhu Yijun looked at the map of aiding Korea in its fight against the Japanese invaders and was not very satisfied with the scholars who were whispering to each other. The main reason was that the overall atmosphere was solemn and dignified. These scholars, not only whispering to each other, but also gesturing with their hands, which was even worse than the onlookers.

"I also think it is a bit inappropriate. When I perfect the sketch, I will remove them all and add some flowers, plants and trees in the empty space. It will be better than them." Zhu Zaiyu said with approval. Your Majesty has no artistic cells in his body. Queen Wang has worked hard for more than ten years, but Your Majesty still knows nothing about music theory and his painting is only at the level of simple sketches.

But there is nothing wrong with your Majesty's aesthetic taste. These scholars and officials are indeed discordant in the picture of the expedition.

Pointing at others is extremely impolite, but among the courtiers and imperial clerks who came to see him off, at least a dozen were pointing at the soldiers.

It's very, very rude!
"I have been tinkering with some materials recently, hoping to etch this moment permanently on a plate. I will plate a layer of silver on the copper plate, then fumigate it with iodine, etch it on the viewfinder, and then fumigate it with mercury. But the picture is still a little blurry. I am looking for a material to remove the unchanged silver and make the picture complete. It has not been finished yet." After Zhu Zaiyu put away the scroll, he told His Majesty the Emperor about his progress in optics.

Copper plate, silver plating, photoetching, mercury vapor development, Zhu Yijun keenly extracted the key words. He had a good chat with Zhu Zaiyu and found out that Zhu Zaiyu was stuck at the last step. The non-photosensitive mercuric iodide became the culprit that destroyed the picture. Zhu Zaiyu was trying to find a way to wash away the mercuric iodide.

Iodine was named by Zhu Yijun. It was obtained by treating kelp extract with green vitriol oil.

Ever since the kelp king Yao Guangqi led fishermen to grow kelp in Shandong, Daming has been very interested in what is in the kelp that can be effective for goiter. After a long period of extraction, he finally discovered black and purple vapor on the glass container through green vitriol oil, and that iodine tincture can be obtained by treating iodine with wine.

Green vitriol oil is sulfuric acid, which was used by alchemists in the Han Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty it was no longer a secret. For example, the "Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jingjue" of the Tang Dynasty mentioned the method of refining stone gall and extracting essence to extract sulfuric acid.

According to the research of the Hospital of Anatomy, iodine tincture is a very powerful disinfectant that can kill a large number of pathogenic insects for a long time. It is very suitable for various surgical operations, and is very practical for burns, freezing, knives, abrasions, and bruises.

When the army set out on this expedition, 120 boxes of iodine were sent to the front line.

Zhu Yijun used his usual old method of using silver to attack Korea in this fight against the Japanese pirates.

Paying for the game is Zhu Yijun's greatest respect for war.

"We have used asphalt and white wax for etching before, but the image quality was too poor, so we changed to copper plates and silver plating?" After an in-depth communication between Zhu Yijun and Zhu Zaiyu, they realized that the technology had been iterated once. The asphalt etching method also requires constant cleaning with vegetable oils to remove the unhardened asphalt.

This method, which had poor imaging and long exposure time, was soon abandoned by Zhu Zaiyu. The silver plate photography method is now in the final stage of development. Zhu Zaiyu's recent research is on how to wash away the reddish-brown unimaged silver iodide.

"Yes, the images of asphalt and wax are too blurry and can only be used as references for painting. However, there are some old pedants in the Imperial Examination Hall opposite the Imperial Academy who always scold us for tinkering with soul-stealing techniques and demand that our Imperial Academy's viewfinder not be aimed at their Imperial Examination Hall. They have come to make trouble several times but were driven away by the imperial guards every time." Zhu Zaiyu shared the difficulties encountered during research and development.

"Oh, then let the Imperial Examination Hall move away. I will find a new place for them. The old Imperial Examination Hall opposite the Imperial Observatory has been cleaned up. Let them go back." Faced with a choice between two options, Zhu Yijun chose to keep the Gewu Academy.

"Ah? Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhu Zaiyu just shared it casually. He was just simply sharing some fun with His Majesty. After all, these old scholars called this thing soul-stealing, which was somewhat amusing.

A convex lens, an aperture, a copper plate, and silver coating can absorb a person's soul into a black box? The imagination of these old scholars is always so strange. Instead of associating it with the infinite truth of all things, it associates it with the bizarre.

But Your Majesty still punished these old scholars for their nonsense.

The Imperial Examination Hall caught fire and burned down in the seventh year of the Wanli reign. The palace was full of cultural and educational facilities, and the ministers in the court were unwilling to spend money to rebuild it, so they placed the Imperial Examination Hall opposite the Royal Academy of Gewu. As a result, now they are fighting, and the emperor has driven these old scholars back to the old Imperial Examination Hall.

The old Gongyuan was cleaned up and not rebuilt. Even though it was freezing cold, it was still warm enough to just huddle together.

"This thing costs silver, it must be very expensive. Does the Royal Academy of Literature need silver?" Zhu Yijun had not given money to the Academy of Literature for a long, long time. He gave 500,000 silver when it was first built. Later, Zhu Zaiyu asked for one million silver in secret to research reciprocating steam engines. Since then, Zhu Yijun has never allocated funds to the Academy of Literature.

"No need. These are just little things. They don't cost much silver. A total of three thousand silvers were spent. Your Majesty, the Academy of Gewu has five hundred thousand silvers. If the army is short of them for the expedition, you can use them. The Academy of Gewu has no place to spend money for the time being." Zhu Zaiyu was not completely unconcerned about state affairs.

Zhu Zaiyu was willing to compose music for the Beijing camp. When the army set out, Zhu Zaiyu came to Beitu City to draw a map for the soldiers. It was not that he knew nothing about political affairs, he was just too lazy to put in the energy. The indulgence of the Ming Emperor also gave him the confidence to turn a blind eye to the human heart and the evil spirits. Your Majesty, between the two choices, choose the Institute of Gewu.

Zhu Zaiyu discovered that other government offices in the Ming Dynasty would hand over their profits to the national treasury and the internal treasury, and even the Jieshiyuan would hand over part of its profits to a certain extent. Those who sold medicine made more money than those who sold smiles. A large cockroach juice (Kangfuxinye) could make the Jieshiyuan earn hundreds of thousands of silver coins a year. However, only the Gewuyuan did not have to hand over its profits.

The Academy of Gewu made money by licensing technology, such as reflecting telescopes, steam engines, various hydraulic tools, and various spinning wheels. Although it did not make much, it had saved some money over the years. The emperor invested heavily in the Chidao and the opening of the sea, and the treasury was empty. When Zhu Zaiyu learned about this, he planned to voluntarily hand over some of the profits.

"Leave it to the Five Classics Doctors. I still have some money here." Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "The Five Classics Doctors are not really starving. Don't let them worry about the loose change."

"I obey your order." Zhu Zaiyu was not very clear about the situation of the national treasury and the internal treasury. He just told His Majesty that there were some here, and if you need it, just say so.

"The painting is finished. Let me see it." Zhu Yijun pointed at the scroll and said with a smile. Zhu Zaiyu was very attentive to this painting. Even the viewfinder in front of Zhu Yijun was a specially made large-aperture viewfinder.

"Farewell to Your Majesty."

The Chinese New Year is coming soon, and His Majesty the Emperor is very, very busy. After getting off the Wufeng Tower in Beidaying, he has to meet the families of soldiers; he has to go to Huangji Gate to receive foreign officials, elders, and common people; he also has to go to the Royal Institute of Technology to meet with doctors of science and engineering; he has to go to Shiwang City to meet clan members; he has to go to Xishan Coal Bureau to meet with craftsmen; he has to go to Nanhai Zi to meet with the relatives of the coastal defense inspectors and the watchtowers; on the last day before the Chinese New Year, he has to go to the orphanage outside Chaoyang Gate to visit the children in the official residences, and in the afternoon he has to meet with all officials to wish him a happy new year.

These are all tasks outside of the general affairs. In addition, the Ming Dynasty's year-end audit has been completed, and the emperor also has to personally inquire about some accounts. After the new year, the performance evaluation system must be posted. The performance evaluation of all officials in the capital is conducted by Wenyuan Pavilion, and the emperor also has to evaluate the court officials. These all have to be posted for public notice, and naturally the emperor has to review them personally.

Zhu Yiliu said that in the position of emperor, both wise rulers will be scolded, and being a foolish ruler is extremely miserable and bullied, while being a wise ruler is as busy as a donkey in a mill. He was absolutely right when he said that.

Zhu Yiliu could enjoy rights without fulfilling his obligations, and his brother did it for him.

Zhu Zaiyu looked at the emperor's back and sighed. In thirteen years, His Majesty had only rested for eight months, and he was still on a southern tour fighting demons and monsters. His Majesty was very enthusiastic now, but how long could this enthusiasm last? The shadow of the difficulty of overcoming the difficulties was growing day by day.

Zhu Zaiyu and Zhu Yiliu, who were born nobles, could not particularly understand Zhu Yijun's diligence. In Zhu Yijun's view, these things were not a burden. On the contrary, he enjoyed them.

Until New Year's Eve, Zhu Yijun sat in Tonghe Palace, waiting for officials to come and wish him a happy new year.

"Has the cavalry battalion led by Li Rusong arrived in Liaoyang?" After sitting down, Zhu Yijun asked where the Ming army had gone.

"We arrived in Guangning yesterday and will definitely reach Liaoyang today. The snow on the highway has been cleared, so your majesty can rest assured. Marquis Ningyuan has personally gone to Guangning to pick up the cavalry camp. Your majesty, Li Rusong and Marquis Ningyuan have not celebrated the New Year together for twelve years." Feng Bao reminded his majesty that for the sake of Li Rusong's progress and to prevent the court from having any strange ideas, Li Chengliang would not let Li Rusong go home for the New Year.

This has been going on for twelve years, year after year. This is the first time in thirteen years that father and son have been reunited at home.

"You will not let me down, and I will not let you down." Zhu Yijun said with certainty.

For Li Chengliang, this is also mutually true. After Zhang Juzheng began to return power, the Ming emperor's actions to strengthen military power were even greater than Zhang Juzheng's. The court had done nothing to let Li Chengliang down. Liaodong had already had a tendency to become a warlord, and Li Rusong, as Li Chengliang's eldest son, was able to climb to his current high position and lead the elite cavalry battalion. This was the emperor's great favor. If he continued to become a warlord, he would be abandoned by both humans and gods.

They gave each other opportunities and prevented things from getting out of control.

"Please invite Minister Xuan to the audience." Zhu Yijun sat up straight and met with the court officials to wish them a happy new year.

When Zhu Yijun met with the ministers, Liaodong was also immersed in the atmosphere of celebrating the Spring Festival. Before the New Year, there was a heavy snowfall, which was a sign of a good harvest, and the next year would be another bumper year.

"Hey, Old Zhao, when do you think His Majesty will measure the land and collect the land tax in Liaodong?" Li Chengliang asked his old friend Hou Yuzhao with a smile on his face. This year, Liaodong has a bumper harvest, and the people have meat in their pots during the New Year.

In order to support the reclamation of wasteland in Liaodong, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty exempted Liaodong from paying the imperial grain tax. This policy was not unique to Liaodong. For example, Gansu was permanently exempted from paying the imperial grain tax. Liaodong did not say that it would be exempted from paying the imperial grain tax forever, but for so many years, His Majesty did not even bother to collect it.

"I heard that you were stubborn and refused to let His Majesty take it." Hou Yuzhao frowned, stood up suddenly and said, "These cheap scholars in the court!"

Hou Yuzhao had heard some rumors and didn't take them seriously at first. But now, when he thought about the general environment of entering Korea to fight, he immediately realized that someone wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to capture Li Chengliang and the trap had been set!

Rumors can kill people. Once these unintentional rumors spread widely, no matter how brilliantly the battle is fought, Li Chengliang will not end up well. If people follow the crowd, three people can make a tiger. Who knows, the Liaodong soldiers may think that Marshal Li has some ideas and dares to bargain with the emperor while taking advantage of the important matter of resisting the Japanese pirates.

"Fuck! I should have slapped these cheap scholars in the face when I was in the capital!" Li Chengliang also reacted. His eyes widened, he slammed the table and stood up, and immediately said: "Song Jinglüe, prepare the car, I want to go back to the capital! Back tonight, Lao Zhao, you keep an eye on Liaodong, whoever dares to talk nonsense, pull out his tongue!"

"You scholars are so vicious!"

Li Chengliang can't celebrate the New Year with his son again.

A piece of rumor without any beginning or end could force Li Chengliang to this point. All the books these scholars read were about this kind of conspiracy.

"Old Li, be patient and sit down. It's not a big deal. His Majesty always takes a lenient view of the enemy, otherwise he wouldn't ask you whether you want to go to Korea to guard the city." Hou Yuzhao thought for a moment and felt that His Majesty would not have any grudges. He sat down and continued to drink tea with his hands in his sleeves.

"Huh? Wow, Your Majesty is so awesome! Damn, Your Majesty even thought of this." Li Chengliang suddenly remembered what the emperor asked before returning to Liaodong, and reacted.

Your Majesty's leniency in assessing the enemy is comprehensive, even including the lowly Confucian scholars.

(End of this chapter)