Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

"The governor of Daning used Man Gui, and the governor of Guihua used Zhu Mei. He also wanted to go to the grassland to make merit."

"Is it feasible to use Zu Dashou as the only governor of Hetao?"

Looking at the list recommended by the Privy Council, Zhu Youjian asked.

He believed in the abilities of Man Gui and Zhu Mei, and he even had no doubts about Zu Dashou's abilities. These people had fought their way out of Liaodong and Jianlu, and were among the best generals of the Ming Dynasty.

The only thing that made him doubt was whether Zu Dashou would try his best. If he surrendered to the Jianlu like in history, and was used by Huang Taiji as a benchmark for recruiting Ming surrendered generals, that would be bad.

Zhu Youjian was still inclined to send Zu Dashou to another place and avoid contact with the Jianlu.

Yuan Keli listened to the emperor's question and responded:
"Zu Dashou has been working hard for the past two years, which is enough to show his loyalty."

"General Sun of Shaanxi and Commander-in-Chief Sun of Liaodong both think this man is useful."

"His younger brother Zu Dabi and others are capable of staying in Shaanxi on his behalf."

The subtext of this sentence is to keep some of the Zu family members in the mainland. Even if Zu Dashou has other intentions, they must be considered.

Moreover, after being transferred out of Liaodong, the Zu family was far from having deep roots in other places. The court had no scruples in dealing with them.

Zhu Youjian considered this situation, nodded slightly, and said in agreement:

"Then issue the appointments according to this list, and let them list the minimum objectives of the battle plan, and the Privy Council will set a higher goal."

“If you can’t even achieve the minimum goals you set for yourself, then you’ll be held accountable.”

"Tell them that war is no joke and they can't be half-hearted."

He also specifically instructed a group of privy ministers to try their best to meet the reasonable demands of the generals on the front line and solve their problems.

The guard captains of the three protectorates must also be carefully selected to help them with logistics and supervise and protect the troops.

Yuan Keli and others listened to the emperor's instructions and raised another matter:
"In the memorial Sun Chuanting recommended Zu Dashou, he mentioned that Zu Dashou seemed to be interested in seeking a fiefdom in Hetao."

"Many generals in Shaanxi are also planning to go to Hetao to establish a vassal state. Will this be approved?"

Zhu Youjian frowned, and the first thought that came to his mind was to disallow it.

Because in his mind, the place called Hetao has always been the land of the Central Plains Dynasty.

Such places should of course be directly governed rather than being divided up.

However, after thinking carefully about the current situation, he found that the conditions for direct administration of Hetao were insufficient.

There are hundreds of miles of sand between Daming and Hetao.

This made him frown and ask:
“How far is Hetao from the Great Wall?”

"Is it within 500 miles?"

Chief of Staff Yang Sichang said:

"The closest place is close to 500 miles away, but most of them are more than 500 miles away."

"Yansui Town is exactly 500 miles away from Hetao."

"Ningxia Town is closer, about three or four hundred miles away."

"But if we count the Great Wall alone, it's also about 500 miles long."

This made Zhu Youjian sigh a little. Five hundred miles was not far. If it was in the inland, he could definitely send troops there.

However, there is sandy land between Hetao and Ningxia and Yansui. Under the current situation, it will be extremely costly for the Ming Dynasty to cross the sandy land to support its military presence in Hetao.

Not to mention that Shaanxi, which is now devastated by the disaster, cannot afford it, even the entire Ming Dynasty would find it difficult to come up with this amount of military expenditure.

So he thought about it and said:
"An area in Hetao should be reserved as land for the garrison directly under the Protectorate, and the rest of the area can be divided up."

"It's the same with Guihua. As long as the defense of the Great Wall can be guaranteed, the 500-mile limit can be slightly reduced to 300 miles."

"Any place outside of this area can be divided out."

After slightly relaxing the requirements for enfeoffment, Zhu Youjian issued another order:

"Tell all the soldiers to fight bravely and make great contributions. At least one-tenth of the land they conquer can be used as fiefdoms for the generals, and one-tenth can be used as land for the soldiers."

"As long as they are capable of fighting on their own, they are allowed to lead an army on the grassland."

"The bandits from Shaanxi and Shanxi..."

After a pause, Zhu Youjian said:
"Those bandit leaders were also allowed to accept the amnesty and leave the border."

"You can get a title and territory after making meritorious contributions."

This caused an uproar among the ministers, who felt that the emperor was too lenient towards them. Border Defense Minister Liu Zunxian said:
"Your Majesty, the court's rewards should be given to meritorious soldiers, not to rebellious bandits."

"Otherwise, I am afraid someone will follow suit and cause unrest throughout the world."

Other ministers also advised against giving the bandits too good conditions.

Zhu Youjian listened to their discussion, nodded slightly, and decided:

"The bandits have performed meritorious services and have been demoted to a lower class as atonement for their previous crimes."

"But after becoming a knight, you must treat everyone equally in the future."

"This is a special policy that only targets bandits who have not committed serious crimes and who have voluntarily accepted the amnesty."

"If you are half-hearted about the offer of amnesty, or even surrender and then rebel again after accepting the offer, you will be punished for both your crimes and will be resolutely wiped out in the future."

"Mr. Yuan, you are the director of the Anti-Rebellion and Disaster Relief Committee. You need to work with the governors and governors-general of various places to formulate a comprehensive plan for recruiting the pacification."

"The goal is to reduce internal unrest and direct it outward."

Yuan Keli received the order, and the other ministers had nothing to say. They all knew that the emperor's strategy was to transfer internal troubles to the outside world.

This is the case in Jiangnan and Northwest China. Even the previous immigration was based on this strategy.

After finishing the discussion on this matter, Zhu Youjian and a group of privy ministers discussed the replacement of governors and governors-general.

It is now August, and the governors and military guards of Shanxi, Ningxia and other places need to be replaced.

Zhu Youjian said to them:

"According to the previously agreed terms, this year the Governor-General of Sichuan and Guizhou and the Governor of Guizhou, the Protector of Ningxia, the Governor of Shanxi, the Governor of Henan, the Governor of Shuntian, the Governor of Denglai, the Governor of Jiangxi, the Governor of Zhejiang, the Governor of Anhui, and the Governor of Hunan need to be replaced."

"Let's not talk about the governors and governors-general who are not in the martial law areas. What are your candidates for the Governor-General of Sichuan and Guizhou, the Protector of Ningxia, and the Governor of Shanxi?"

This matter has been prepared for several months. Yuan Keli said immediately:
"I think that Fu Zonglong, the governor-general of Sichuan and Guizhou, and Jiao Xin, the military envoy of Ningxia, should remain in office."

"The governor of Shanxi should be someone who is familiar with the situation. I recommend Yang He, the military commander of the three provinces who suppress bandits."

"This person has made many contributions in suppressing bandits and is familiar with the situation in Shanxi. He is the most suitable person to take over Shanxi and cooperate in the suppression of bandit operations." Zhu Youjian nodded slightly, agreeing with the recommendation.

Because he also had his eye on Yang He and thought that this person was capable of doing the job.

However, after Yang He was transferred away, the post of the Three Provinces Bandit Suppression Guard was vacant. He asked everyone:

"Who is qualified to take on the post of military guard left by Yang He?"

This is also an important position and there is an opportunity to make meritorious contributions.

Everyone recommended candidates, and finally Zhu Youjian appointed Wu Shen, Shaoqing of Taichang Temple, for the position.

This person had been the Imperial Censor of Shanxi Province and was very familiar with the situation in Shanxi Province. If he became the Military Protector, he should be able to better cooperate in suppressing the bandits.

With the confirmation of these candidates, the official adjustment in the third year of Chongzhen finally began.

Among the governors and governors-general to be replaced this time, many were old officials who had previously served as governors and governors-general and were chosen by Zhu Youjian in order to stabilize the situation when he first ascended the throne.

After three years of hard work, most of them were exhausted and could no longer work. Even Jiangxi Governor Guo Shangbin died in office due to illness caused by overwork.

In order to prevent more old ministers from dying of illness while in office, Zhu Youjian decided to replace all of them.

Therefore, there are quite a few governors and governors-general to be replaced this year:
"Governor Sun Guozhen of Denglai has done a good job in Shandong. He will be needed for the Liaodong war next year, so he can continue to serve."

"Zhejiang Governor Wu Shangmo has only been in office for a year, so he doesn't need to be transferred this year."

"Jiangxi Governor Guo Shangbin has passed away, Henan Governor Cheng Shao is already 74 years old, and Shuntian Governor Cheng Zhengji is also in poor health. All three positions need to be replaced."

"Anhui and Hunan are going to implement a one-tax system in the next three years, and they must choose people who support it."

Nanzhili and Huguang were the two places where Zhu Youjian implemented the one-tax system. These two places had a large amount of land and could provide a large amount of grain and tax revenue.

Especially in Huguang, after Jiangnan turned to planting cash crops, grain was usually shipped from here. Zhu Youjian planned to fully promote the one-tax system to squeeze out the tax potential of the two places.

The current Governor-General of Hunan and Hubei, Min Hongxue, is relatively obedient. The Governor of Hubei has not yet been established, and the Governor of Yunyang, Wang Jiazhen, is working hard to transfer to this position.

Hunan Governor Wang Qia came from the Donglin Party. He was not very satisfied with this position, and Zhu Youjian was not very satisfied with him either.

In addition to the incompetent Anhui Governor Li Fengjie, Zhu Youjian decided to remove him.

There are still five governors who need to be transferred and replaced this year.

In order to show respect to his subjects, Zhu Youjian allowed them to hold the court recommendation in accordance with the previous agreement.

And unlike before, he did not deliberately manipulate the imperial nomination this time. Now that his power is solid, he does not need to be cautious about even the position of governor.

However, he still intervened in the election of Henan Governor, and instructed Fan Jingwen, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, whom he favored, to run for the position.

This person was honest and dedicated to his work. Henan also suffered from frequent natural disasters and serious banditry, so Zhu Youjian needed to send a capable minister to govern.

Fan Jingwen also had a good reputation in the court, and without much interference from Zhu Youjian, he was nominated as the governor of Henan.

His subordinate, Zhang Tianlin, the Shaoqing of the Guanglu Temple, was recommended by the court as the governor of Hunan.

Both of them had made outstanding achievements in the Guanglu Temple, and were praised by the court and the public for reducing white grain and saving expenses. This time, they were promoted to governors together, but one was given the title of Nanjing Military Minister and the other was given the title of Nanjing Censor-in-Chief.

Wang Qia, the former Hunan governor, was promoted by the court to be Shuntian governor. Although he was still a governor, he was closer to the court. He should be very satisfied with this position, but Zhu Youjian frowned.

Because he didn't have a good impression of Wang Qia and didn't want to put him in such an important position in Shuntian.

However, considering that the Shuntian Governor was mainly responsible for military affairs, and above him was the Great Wall Commander Zhu Xieyuan, Zhu Youjian did not reject this candidate in the end and respected the opinions of the ministers.

The next candidate for the governor of Jiangxi was still a member of the Donglin Party, Xie Xuelong, who was currently serving as the Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple.

He often stirred up trouble in the court and had many opinions on the reform of rituals and music. This time, the officials recommended him as the governor of Jiangxi, and Zhu Youjian was happy to let him go.

The last remaining governor of Anhui was Zou Weilian, who was recommended by the court officials.

He was also a member of the Donglin Party and worked in the Imperial Household Department in Nanjing.

Many Shaoqing in Beijing were recommended as governors this time, so Nanjing naturally had to nominate one.

Zhu Youjian saw the implementation of a single tax system in his policy outline, and although he had doubts about his Donglin Party identity, he still approved of this candidate.

Three of the five were members of the Donglin Party, which made Zhu Youjian sigh at the power of the Donglin Party. Many talents in the world were recruited into the Donglin Party.

If he had not used the term system to suppress the speed of official replacement, I am afraid that there would be more Donglin Party members in the court and local officials today.

This made him still extremely vigilant against the Donglin Party, and he regarded suppressing party disputes as a key point of government:
"We can give them the positions of governors and governors, and these Donglin Party members will not be able to cause trouble in the local areas."

"But the number of Nine Ministers and Grand Secretaries is still limited, and cannot exceed two people."

"If the Donglin Party members want to become ministers, they should first pull down their own party members."

"Registration of social organizations should also be pushed forward as soon as possible. Those who are included in the Donglin Party list should avoid being members of the same party."

Avoiding the same party members, or avoiding the same society, was a policy that Zhu Youjian specifically targeted at social groups and secret societies, especially the powerful Donglin Party.

Anyone who is registered by the Donglin Party must avoid serving as a Kedao official or an official in the same department.

That would further reduce the Donglin Party's appeal and discourage more fresh blood from joining the party.

As for what to do with those who are not on the registration list, it depends on whether they are accomplices. If it is found that someone is not on the list but is actually an accomplice, he will be charged with secret association.

And many people will gradually realize that if they are not on the registration list, they are not the core of the Donglin Party.

Those arrogant Jinshi were absolutely unwilling to use their talents to serve the core Donglin Party members.

In preparation for this matter, Zhu Youjian asked his ministers to recommend local officials such as provincial governors and provincial judges who needed to be replaced.

In addition, the Shaoqing who was transferred from the court to other places must also put forward new candidates.

This meeting also combined the collective system, and various regulations were further improved.

With the support of Zhu Youjian, some up-and-coming talents began to serve as Bu'an and Shaoqing and became candidates for court ministers.

Ni Yuanlu, Jiang Dejing, Ni Jiashan and others were promoted in this adjustment.

Under the control of Zhu Youjian, the Ming Dynasty court began to exchange power between the old and the new.

Zhu Youjian, who was becoming more and more adept at this, completed the exchange smoothly without causing much disturbance.

The officials in the court also became more and more accustomed to the appointment system and new recommendation methods established by the emperor.

The role they played in the promotion also made them very enthusiastic about participating.

After the destruction during the Tianqi years and the tight grip of the current emperor upon his accession to the throne, they are finally experiencing a little of the feeling of the Wanli years.

At the same time, we also realize that the current emperor is different from the emperors of previous dynasties. He will not hold on to power after grabbing it, but will really re-establish rituals and music and redistribute power. (End of this chapter)