King of Han Dynasty of Ming Dynasty

"impossible?"

"Why is it impossible?"

Seeing this, Zhu Gaoxu narrowed his eyes and looked around at everyone, then snorted coldly and continued:

"Don't the grasslands of the Oirat and Tatar, which you regard as foreign barbarians, have their own abundant products here?"

"For example, war horses, cattle and sheep."

"Even if the Ming Dynasty spent several times more manpower and material resources on these abundant products, they would still be several levels lower than what other countries produce."

"Even the endless grassland can have something so beneficial to them."

“As the saying goes: The land and water nurture the people.”

"Why."

"In such a small country like Japan, there can't be a huge amount of silver mines?"

"Complementary to it?"

Say it.

The entire imperial study was filled with silence.

All the ministers looked at each other, then frowned and fell into deep thought. They did not speak for a long time, not knowing how to answer or refute this question.

It’s not that they don’t want to refute.

Mainly, right!

The example given by King of Han Zhu Gaoxu is too vivid and extremely close to reality.

Although they had many concerns and doubts in their hearts.

But I don’t know how to start, how to ask.
The atmosphere in the field became extremely depressing, with heavy and chaotic breathing filling the air. It was foreseeable that although no one in the field spoke, everyone's thoughts at this moment were not calm.

After a long time.

Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, was the first one who couldn't help himself.

After all, what are we fighting for?
Just one word "money", two words "money".

Although the Ming Dynasty today has eased a lot of financial pressure due to the introduction of refined salt and the reform of the salt law, it is only an alleviation and it is not enough or can be squandered at will.

another.
To the north is the border with Tatar and Oirat.

The emperor led the army in person, and Emperor Yongle did not give a clear time limit for the war when he went out.

God knows how long this Northern Expedition will last.

Just the opening of this battlefield, various military equipment, supplies, logistical support, various personnel deployments and a series of other matters have already cost the Ministry of Revenue nearly 10 million taels of silver to maintain the expenses of the Northern Expedition.

Although during the Northern Expedition.

He spoke all kinds of nice words, and had also thought about how to quickly earn enough profits from the Oirat and Tatar after various subsequent victories to make up for the loss of national strength caused by the war.

But the problem is that the war has not yet been won. It can be said that everything is still in the preparation stage.

No one knows what the outcome and direction of the battle will be, and no one dares to give a 100% definite answer.

Everything is just an unknown.

Under such circumstances!

At present, the Prince of Han is like a madman, and has learned the true teachings of the current emperor.

Having failed to achieve any victory or advantage in the first battlefield, they wereted no time in attempting to open up a second battlefield. The place they wanted to conquer required them to cross the ocean to the tiny country of Japan on the other side of the sea.

of course
now.

Although Zhu Gaoxu did not directly state that he wanted to attack Japan.

But the people in the room were not fools. Zhu Gaoxu and the Crown Prince looked so excited and intimate with each other.

Isn't it implied from their words that they want to take action?
Under such circumstances, how could Xia Yuanji, the Minister of Revenue, remain as calm and composed as a rock?

At this moment.

If Xia Yuanji had not tried his best to control his emotions, he would have almost burst into cursing and even used foul language to swear.

Even so, he couldn't help but complain in his heart:

"This, this, this"

"What kind of things are these Zhu family's children?"

"Every one of them is so warlike, from Emperor Taizu, to Emperor Jianwen's reduction of the feudal system, to Emperor Yongle's accession to the throne, to the current Han Wang Zhu Gaoxu who wants to open up two battlefields at the same time. They are definitely all psychopaths."

At the same time, he now had many complaints about the Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, whom he had respected and cared for so much before.

This, this, this. It is true that people are redder when they are around redder people, and blacker when they are around blacker

How come the prince, who used to be extremely peaceful, the least warlike and the most opposed to war, has now fallen into a vicious circle? How come he has become a warmonger in such a short period of time? How come he has started to act nonsense like Your Majesty, the King of Han and the King of Zhao?

Can't we just have a couple of days of comfort, a couple of days of a little better health?

Met such a family.

Managing money and the national treasury for such a family, I really don’t know what sin I must have committed in my previous life.

"Hey"

Thinking of this, Xia Yuanji couldn't help but let out a long sigh. His old face was full of bitterness and an extremely resentful expression. He was about to open his mouth to say something.

but
Before he opened his mouth.

Zhu Gaoxu had already seen all of Xia Yuanji's actions. He was naturally aware of Xia Yuanji's thoughts, and then he smiled at him and said:
"Old Man Xia"

"Why do you look so bitter and resentful?"

"What?"

"What happened?"

"When you talk about Japan, you become like this. Is there some unspeakable secret between you and Japan?"

"Hahaha"

"If so, you might as well say it out loud so that everyone can have fun."

Xia Yuanji: “!!!~!!!”

Prince Han, can you be a human being?

Can you be a human being?
Could you please stop being such a dog?
Would this really be appropriate for a joke?

Are you sure it's just a joke? Are we in the mood to have fun with you now?

Of course, Xia Yuanji understood the sarcasm in these words.

He pretended to be ignorant when he knew the truth. He didn't believe that Zhu Gaoxu didn't know why he was like this.

In this regard.

Xia Yuanji was too lazy to pay attention to him and did not dwell on this issue too much. He also accepted his teasing. He was really in no mood!

Then, he simply sorted out his thoughts, pondered for a moment, and said with a solemn tone:

"His Royal Highness, Prince of Han."

"Don't blame me for pouring cold water on this matter, don't blame me for not cooperating, don't blame me for complaining."

"It is indeed our Ming Dynasty. I think you two have an idea of ​​the current situation of the treasury."

"Your Majesty's Northern Expedition has not yet begun, and the outcome is unknown."

"And the Ming Treasure Note Plan also requires money, and certain steps have already been implemented."

"We are now opening up a battlefield and fighting on two fronts at the same time. If the people of Dawn have a poor harvest this year, or if there is a natural disaster or man-made disaster."

"The imperial court can't even take out a penny. The treasury is in a tight spot. What should we do?"

"If disasters are not effectively managed, they will inevitably lead to unprovoked disasters, causing chaos within the Ming Dynasty, and the people will flee and go into exile. If they are instigated by people with ulterior motives, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Having said this, he paused, his expression became extremely serious, and he continued in a low voice:

"To do such a thing would cause unrest in the Ming Dynasty and threaten the Ming Dynasty's national destiny."

"Your Highness, the Prince of Han."

"Is it really worth it?"

"In my opinion, regardless of whether the huge silver mine in Japan is real or not, even if it is true, there is really no need for us to take risks for it now."

"And because I'm waiting for your majesty to finish the Northern Expedition."

"We can start another uprising and cross the sea to attack Japan!"

"There's no need to rush about this."

"This is the safest approach, and it is also the safest method for our Ming Dynasty."

"I beg Your Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Han, to reconsider."

It can be said that it appeals to people's emotions and moves them with reason.

A concise analysis of the pros and cons, although the wording is all in opposition.

But its carefulness and analysis.

But it doesn't sound unpleasant at all.

Then he looked around.

The ministers who had been sitting upright and drinking beside him, trying to hide their emotions and embarrassment, also came to their senses in an instant. Without any hesitation, they hurriedly spoke up to persuade him, affirming what Xia Yuanji had just said, saying:
"Yeah yeah!"

"His Royal Highness, Prince Han."

"Master Xia is right about this matter."

"My sincere heart is all for the sake of our country and people. There is absolutely no selfish motive at all."

"One move affects the whole body."

“Don’t plan for the worst, and don’t plan for the best.”

"There is no bias in my words."

"I beg Your Highness the Crown Prince, and Your Majesty the Prince of Han to be wise and think twice!"

This statement came out.

Seeing everyone's opposition.

This was not unexpected by the brothers Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaochi.

When the two brothers were discussing the matter last night, they already knew about the outcome.

But as far as the matter at hand is concerned.

It's not about right or wrong.

Each minister has his own thoughts, and his words are all about the Ming Dynasty and its people.

I did not intentionally mix anyone else's emotions and thoughts into my words.

They are all about discussing matters.

There is no point in finding fault with it.

but……

The only problem with everyone is that they are too conservative and too cautious.

About this question.

Zhu Gaoxu should bear a large part of the responsibility.

After all, when he was planning and reforming the Ming Baochao, he had played a big trick in it. He wanted to use it to set a trap for some officials in the court and try to get some of them to jump into it.

So.at that time.

Many things are said in a rather abstract way, and they are all said in nice ways.

As a result, there was not much pressure on the ministers.

Let everyone have no sense of crisis.

It was precisely because of this that the ministers ignored some potential crises.

Of course, the so-called ignoring means that we don’t know whether these individuals really ignored it or just pretended to ignore it.

Or maybe he pretended to be ignorant even though he knew the truth, hoping to embarrass him and make him lose face completely, it is unknown.

After all, those who can sit in this position are all shrewd people.

then.

Zhu Gaoxu and the Crown Prince looked at each other and exchanged their thoughts.

After a brief silence, Zhu Gaoxu simply organized his thoughts, a smile emerged on the corners of his slightly raised mouth. In response to the concerns of his ministers, he simply stated his cards directly without hiding anything, and leveled the hole he had dug himself.

Then, he waved his hand at the ministers who were bowing and asking for permission, and said quietly:

"Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes."

“This reform plan can be slowed down.”

"No need to be so anxious."

"After all, there is a gap of tens of millions of taels between the silver in the national treasury and the actual amount of treasure notes issued by the imperial court in recent years."

"When we were talking about the exchange of treasure notes and silver."

"I was indeed not thoughtful enough at that time and thought everything was too rosy."

“We didn’t prepare for the worst.”

"But it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Just like what Lord Xia said, if someone knows the difference in the amount and knows the bottom line of the court, they will spread rumors among the people, causing all the people to exchange all the treasure notes and silver in their hands."

"If the court cannot produce it by then."

"That would be really fun."

"So for the sake of safety, I suggest that we postpone the policy of exchanging notes for a while."

"Based on the existing silver, we will first completely conquer Japan and seize the huge silver mines in Japan."

"At that time, we will implement the reform of Ming Baochao."

"This way we can be more secure."

"I wonder what you think, gentlemen?"

Dele.

This is simply true.

Just now they used the country and the people as an excuse to force a stop.

Nowadays, this gentleman is applying what he has learned immediately, and is using his own methods to treat others.

Everyone in the field couldn't help but be stunned.

Just as Zhu Gaoxu had thought just now, these people were all shrewd people. How could they not see clearly the little tricks Zhu Gaoxu had played in the Baochao reform system?
As for why I didn’t point it out or refute it at the beginning.

to be honest.

You are unkind and I am unjust.

Zhu Gaoxu attempted to trap them in the Ming Dynasty's treasure note reform.

Naturally, these people also want to go with the flow and take the opportunity to return the favor.

Now, this gentleman blew himself up in front of so many ministers, slapping himself in the face, which was also a disguised admission of fault. This unconventional tactic really caught them off guard.

A brief moment of stunned silence.

My ministers, you look at me and I look at you.

I felt a little bit frustrated for a moment and didn't know what to do.

But that’s enough.

What else can they do?
We can only let this matter go.

After all, it's something that everyone knows, and neither of them has any good intentions towards each other.

It is naturally impossible to bring all these secret intrigues to the surface, right?
If that really happens, no one will look good.

If Emperor Yongle gets to know about this, everyone will be punished with fifty lashes and no one will be able to escape unscathed.

Afterwards, the Minister of Works, Song Li, slowly stood up from the crowd, bowed slightly to Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaochi on the high platform, and said:
"His Royal Highness, Prince Han."

"Forgive me for asking one more question."

"There are unimaginable amounts of silver mines in Japan. This is all speculation, or the confessions of the previous batch of Japanese who have died."

“But there is no evidence.”

“This is really hard to believe.”

"After all, national war is no joke. One move will affect the entire body."

"I wonder if you two have more concrete evidence on this matter?"

"It will also allow me to wait and feel completely at ease."

"Of course, it can also stop everyone in the world from talking nonsense." (End of this chapter)