Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Facing the emperor's gaze, Liu Zunxian said confidently:

"After the Battle of Daning, the situation between Ming Dynasty and Jianlu has reversed."

"Before this, the Liaodong troops had difficulty winning in field battles, so they could only defend the city."

"But the Battle of Daning showed that the Ming army equipped with new firearms could easily defeat the Jianlu."

"I believe that it is only a matter of time before the Jianlu are pacified."

After hearing this, Zhu Youjian nodded, agreeing with Liu Zunxian's judgment.

In fact, it was because of this understanding that Zhu Youjian agreed to the British Duke's attack on Annan.

The fact that Liu Zunxian has such insight shows that he is qualified to be the Minister of Border Defense and can be regarded as a capable minister.

Thinking of Liu Zunxian's dedication to his duties after taking office, Zhu Youjian praised:
"You have this insight. You are qualified as the Minister of Border Defense."

"I feel very relieved to leave the border defense of the Ming Dynasty to you!"

He praised Liu Zunxian generously and encouraged him to keep up the good work.

When the ministers heard these words, they all looked at Liu Zunxian with new eyes. They didn't expect that this border defense minister, who usually didn't show off much, would make such a big show at this time.

Liu Zunxian was also very happy, and felt that the current emperor was a wise ruler. The reason why he sought to be reinstated was to gain a title for meritorious service, and now he tried his best to show it:

"If the new army can win in a field battle, we can seek a decisive battle with Jianlu."

"During the Battle of Daning, the Jianlu were on the grassland, and they escaped."

"But if the imperial army follows Chief of Staff Yang's plan to surround the enemy from all sides, the Jianlu will have nowhere to escape in Liaodong."

"When the time comes, we will surely defeat the Jianlu army with one push."

This strategy is an extension of the General Staff strategy, and all the ministers in the Privy Council agree with it.

However, after hearing it, Zhu Youjian always felt somewhat familiar.

He thought about the battle between Ming and Jianlu, and suddenly thought of the Battle of Sarhu. He frowned and said:
"The Ten-Sided Net is a defensive blockade strategy. Can it be turned into an offensive one?"

"Back then, Yang Hao divided his troops into four groups, but the Jianlu concentrated their forces and defeated them all the way."

"If the Ming Dynasty attacks in a coordinated manner, will the Jianlu resort to the same old tricks?"

Liu Zunxian had thought about this question, but he did not perform it himself, but gave the stage to Yang Sichang.

After all, everyone knew that Yang Sichang was the one the emperor had deliberately cultivated. His voice in the Privy Council was second only to Yuan Keli.

At this time, Yang Sichang said confidently:
"Your Majesty, the defeat at Sarhu was because the Ming Dynasty underestimated the enemy."

"That is no longer the case now. All armies know how to be cautious."

"As long as we set up camp like the troops of Xuanda, even if the Jianlu concentrate their forces, they will not be able to attack us in a short time."

"Other armies will quickly encircle us after receiving the news, and maybe we can stop the Jianlu."

"So I think that the ten-sided net can be used not only for defense, but also for offense."

He explained in detail to the emperor the use of the ten-sided net in the attack and the contingency plan made by the General Staff.

This plan took into account the strength of each army, the distance between them, the communication methods, the construction of camps, etc., which made Zhu Youjian very satisfied.

Realizing that the General Staff had become more and more qualified, Zhu Youjian said with great appreciation:

"Everything will stand in advance, and nothing will be abandoned if you don't."

"Yang Qing is well prepared!"

"This strategy of setting up nets on ten sides is the ambush from all sides of the new era."

"No matter how good the Jianlu are at fighting, they will be trapped to death by Yang Qing."

"I approve this plan. You can follow it in the future battles!"

Approved Yang Sichang's strategy of setting up a network on all sides and asked the Privy Council to prepare for the implementation of this strategy.

If there are other strategies in the future, they can also be proposed.

The ministers looked at Yang Sichang with envy, knowing that if this strategy was implemented, he would definitely be one of the people who made the greatest contribution to the pacification of the Jianlu.

Liu Zunxian was also extremely envious of this junior, but he knew that the combat strategy was not his responsibility. As the Minister of Border Defense, he added:
"To deal with the Jianlu with a strategy of spreading a net in ten directions, at least 100,000 new troops will be needed."

"I think we can transfer 50,000 elite troops from the border to Beijing and train them into a new army."

"With 50,000 new troops like this, plus the troops from Liaodong, it will be enough to completely trap the Jianlu."

"It only takes a few major battles, and the Jianlu will surely be destroyed."

"If Liaodong is pacified, it will be able to accommodate tens of millions of immigrants."

He elaborated on his strategy in detail, believing that the importance of border troops was no less than that of the navy.

Zhu Youjian smiled and nodded, as if he agreed with Liu Zunxian's statement.

But he quickly changed the subject:
"Fifty thousand new soldiers, weapons alone will cost at least one million taels of silver."

"Counting the salaries they need, the military expenses will be even higher."

"It would be nice if we could use the Liaodong money to train new troops, but unfortunately Liaodong is unwilling to do so now."

"What solutions do you have to solve this expense?"

Liu Zunxian opened his mouth when he heard this, and didn't know how to solve it for a moment.

He wanted to deduct some of the money from Liaodong to train new troops, but this was simply impossible.

A few months ago, when the imperial court wanted to disband the Liaodong army and train a new army, the Liaodong generals said that they would rather take the initiative to fight against the Jianlu than have their troops disbanded.

That's why the Liaodong War broke out. All the previous battles on the grassland were preparations for this war.

Now the imperial court has mobilized a lot of troops and supplies for the Liaodong War, and this war is already on the verge of being launched. All matters concerning Liaojiang will be discussed after the Liaodong War is over.

If they wanted to train a new army, they could only find money from other places. The six million taels of Liao military pay could not be shared for the time being.

Whenever the ministers in the Privy Council thought about the fact that a good strategy could not be implemented, they could not help but frown.

Like the emperor, they are now increasingly dissatisfied with the Guanning Army, which is swallowing up military funds.

Just as these people were about to express their opinions on Liao's military pay, they suddenly heard the emperor say:

"Zheng He once said: If you want your country to be rich and strong, you can't ignore the ocean. Wealth comes from the ocean, and danger also comes from the sea. Once the king of another country seizes the South Sea, China will be in danger."

"Opening up Southeast Asia is not only about coastal defense and immigration, but also about financial resources."

"Yu Qing, can you tell me how much money did you receive in customs tax revenue this year?"

When Yu Anxing heard this question, he said proudly:

“Tariffs have increased every year since the establishment of the customs.”

“Although the year is not over yet, the tariffs for the first 11 months have added up to more than one million.”

"It is estimated that the tax amount this year will be more than 1.1 million."

This was the benefit brought by the Ming Dynasty's deployment of maritime forces to combat smuggling and allowing Zheng Zhilong and others to plunder tax evaders at will.

Under pressure from both the government and pirates, some maritime merchants began to prefer paying tariffs.

Especially after the listing of Daming Shipping Group this year, the coastal ports, lighthouses and other facilities were further improved, and after the publication of nautical charts, many maritime merchants have become more law-abiding and obeyed the command of the Navy Department.

Those maritime merchants who own more than one ten-thousandth of the shares of a shipping group and become shareholders dare not be vague in this regard, for fear of having their preferential treatment revoked.

These factors have led to a sharp increase in customs revenue, reaching a huge amount of millions this year.

When Liu Zunxian heard this number, he was so envious that he could not speak. In the past, the border tariffs and customs duties totaled only more than 200,000 yuan, but he did not expect that not long after the separation, the customs duties would suddenly swell.

In contrast, border tariffs have hardly changed, and all the taxes they receive are used for border defense and border construction.

This made him envious, and he hurriedly said:
"Your Majesty, can half of the taxes that the Customs gives to the Ministry of Revenue be allocated to the border troops?"

"Use this money to train a new army. Within five years, we can train 50,000 new soldiers."

"In this way, we can pacify Liao within five years and completely put an end to the enemy threat."

Zhu Youjian laughed loudly and said to Liu Zunxian and other ministers:
"Now you understand why I prioritize the development of the navy?"

"This is the era of the ocean. We need to make money through maritime trade and collect more taxes."

"To tell you the truth, according to the statistics of the Imperial Household Department and Zheng Zhilong, if the customs of the Ming Dynasty collected all the taxes, it would be enough to collect tens of millions in customs duties."

"If the Ministry of Revenue allocates half of this money, it will be easy to train enough new troops."

"What do you think? Should we give priority to developing the navy and use the wealth gained from the sea to subsidize the border guards?"

The four words "tens of millions of tariffs" shocked all the ministers who heard them in the hall.

Although they knew that maritime trade could make money, they had never imagined that they could earn tens of millions of dollars a year just by collecting tariffs.

This is almost equivalent to half of the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue. If the court could get this money, it would not have to worry about financial problems.

Yuan Keli hurriedly asked:
"Your Majesty, how is the levy of 10 million calculated?"

“Are you exhausting all resources?”

Zhu Youjian said with a smile:

"The waters of the four seas are boundless, how can one possibly exhaust all the fish?"

"Yu Qing, tell me, how many people are evading taxes now?"

Yu Anying certainly didn't want to say it, because it would make him appear incompetent as the Navy Minister.

However, facing the gazes of the emperor and his ministers, he knew that if he lied, the consequences would be serious, so he could only bite the bullet and say:

"Nine out of ten ships at sea evade tax."

“When Dongning Insurance Company intercepts ships to collect insurance premiums, only one in ten merchants can produce tax bills.”

"If all those people paid taxes according to the law, the customs revenue could indeed reach tens of millions."

Liu Zunxian cursed "traitors" and reported:
"Your Majesty, there are so many people evading customs duties. I think they should be severely punished."

“The navy should step up efforts to crack down on smugglers and prevent them from evading taxes.”

Others have suggested banning ships that do not pay taxes from going out to sea and sinking them if discovered.

For a time, the Wuying Hall was bustling with people, all concerned about tariffs.

Zhu Youjian smiled at the solution they proposed and said nothing until they finished speaking. Then he said to them:

"Now you know why the navy takes precedence over the border troops?"

"I will set a national policy today. The navy should prioritize making money and provide more military funds for the border troops."

"The specific method of transfer payment will be discussed by the Navy, Border Defense and Revenue Departments."

"Taxes collected by the army should be used first for military expenses."

Yu Anxing was very happy to confirm this principle, because it clearly stated that the navy had priority over the border troops, and that sea power was more important than land power.

Although Liu Zunxian was somewhat unwilling, he found it difficult to object to the emperor's proposal to divide the money:

If the navy's priority is not recognized, they will not get any share of the customs duties.

If you take someone's money, you can only be humble and respectful to them.

In this way, with the tacit approval of the Border Defense Department, Zhu Youjian determined that the future national policy of the Ming Dynasty would be to give priority to maritime power.

Then, he said to Yu Anxing:

"Yu Qing, please write down everything you said just now and absorb the useful information."

"In addition, Daming Shipping Group will expand its business scope and provide more services to merchants who pay taxes according to the law."

"Customs taxes and anti-smuggling revenues can also be shared with coastal garrisons."

“We will strive to make sure that maritime merchants who evade taxes have nowhere to hide and cannot do business within the control of the Ming Navy.”

Use both force and service to promote tax collection in accordance with the law.

At the same time, Zhu Youjian also used methods such as drawing lots for exile and depriving citizenship to collect tariffs.

Anyone found to have evaded taxes would be fined and have their Ming citizenship revoked. Every year, a lottery would be drawn to exile some people.

The customs revenue of the Ming Dynasty increased year by year thereafter, and sea merchants who dared to evade taxes were gradually squeezed out of maritime trade.

These are all future changes, and what the customs revenue now brings to the Admiralty is the approval of the South Seas Strategy.

As long as the Liaodong War next year does not result in a disastrous defeat, the imperial court will begin its offensive against Annan, eliminate the danger on the South China Sea shipping routes, and help nobles such as the Duke of Ying to establish fiefdoms.

Zhu Youjian said:
"The Annan attack does not require the imperial court to send troops, and the military expenses will be borne by the participating dukes and marquises, and the spoils of war will also belong to them."

"But each army needs someone to command it."

"General, I have decided to let Zhang Shize take up the post of Guard Commander. What recommendations do you have?"

Min Mengde, the Minister of Logistics, had not spoken before, but now he spoke:
"The biggest problem in conquering Annan is the climate."

"The most important thing for the military guard is to prevent the Ming soldiers from losing numbers due to acclimatization."

"I think we should choose someone who is familiar with the southern climate, such as Shi Yongan, the governor of Nangan."

"He and Li Li both made contributions in the defense of Guiyang. I think he is qualified for the job."

Obviously, as a person in the Privy Council who is familiar with the southwest, Min Mengde wants to gain a say in the southeast.

Those recommended were also meritorious soldiers from the southwest, in order to secure positions for them.

Zhu Youjian nodded in approval and after careful consideration, he gave the order:

"Shi Yongan has only been the governor of Nangan for a year, so let Li Li go!"

"He was wronged because of the Jinpen case before, so give him a chance to make meritorious contributions."

"Tell him to work hard and choose a fiefdom in Jiaozhi in the future."

This was obviously a promise of title, and the ministers were envious when they heard it.

In their opinion, Jiaozhi was the best area in the surrounding area, but unfortunately it was granted to dukes and marquises by the emperor, so they had no chance.

Li Li had the opportunity to choose a fiefdom in Jiaozhi, how could they not be envious?

After deciding on this candidate, Zhu Youjian transferred Wu Jianglong from the Marine Corps to serve as the chief of staff as a deputy general, responsible for combat strategy.

After all, Commander General Zhang Shize had never fought in a war before. He only served as the general and coordinated the various armies by virtue of his status as the grandson of the Duke of Ying.

The Lifanyuan proposed that Zhang Jingxin be appointed as the envoy to Vietnam.

This man was a Jinshi in the second year of the Tianqi reign. He had served as a Censor in the Ministry of Rites and was quite familiar with the etiquette and regulations of the court.

Zhu Youjian appointed him as the head of the delegation, selecting people from the Lifanyuan and the Xingrensi, and reading the imperial edict to various forces in Annan.

Before he set out, he was summoned and given instructions. (End of this chapter)