Daming: Dad, you are really not good at governing the country

Chapter 464: Establishing a travel file through the supervision post to escort the warhorse
It is said that Liang Yexian stared at the Hongwu Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang without blinking, with a hint of expectation in his eyes, hoping that His Majesty would grant his request.

That look seemed to be silently expressing his earnestness. Anyone who saw it could feel Liang Yesian's eagerness and seriousness.

The wind and snow outside the palace never stop for a moment.

The sound of the wind whistling makes people feel uneasy.

The entire Shangyuan County is shrouded in the severe cold of winter and unknown variables, and there is a solemn and depressing atmosphere everywhere.

The wind blowing on my face felt like a knife cutting.

But no matter how much pain it felt, it couldn't compare to the anxiety that the officials from the six ministries were feeling at this moment.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew very well in his heart: Liang Yexian volunteered at this moment, both to make up for his previous mistakes and out of his responsibility to Ma Zheng.

He admired Liang Yexian's responsibility from the bottom of his heart, but he couldn't help but worry.

If this goes wrong, it will be a bad ending.

So Zhu Yuanzhang began to discuss the matter in a low voice with his ministers.

I saw that they all had frowned brows and serious expressions.

Although the voices of discussion were low, they revealed great caution.

After a full half hour, Zhu Yuanzhang finally raised his head.

He looked at Liang Yexian and estimated it in his heart, then said, "Since Liang Aiqing has this intention, we will agree.

We will order Mao Xiang, deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to bring a team of capable men to accompany you.

Mao Xiang is a capable person, and having him around will provide some extra security.

You must investigate this matter thoroughly for us. If there is any situation, remember to report it as soon as possible and don't delay it.

This warhorse issue is a matter of great relevance, and it concerns the safety of the Ming Dynasty."

When Zhu Yuanzhang said this, his voice was so steady and powerful.

But the knuckles of his hands, which were tightly gripping the armrests, turned white due to the force, which was enough to show that he attached great importance to and was worried about this matter.

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang's mind kept emerging with scenes of charging into battle and expanding territory on horseback.

The dust raised by the horses' hooves and the scene of soldiers shouting and fighting.

It's like a kaleidoscope of events, vivid in my mind.

He knew very well that the stability of the Ming Dynasty today also depended on these fine horses.

Therefore, no matter what, the issue of this warhorse must be thoroughly investigated, and no negligence is allowed!
When Liang Yesian heard this, he immediately knelt down to express his gratitude.

The forehead hit the ground heavily, making a "dong dong" sound.

He said loudly: "Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.

Even if it costs my life, I must get this matter done for the court!
This is the only thing on my mind at the moment.

I will definitely do my best to live up to your majesty's grace."

At this moment, the Minister of Rites Zhu Mengyan stood up.

He usually appears gentle and cautious, but today he can't hide his anxiety.

He stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I think this matter needs to be investigated in detail from the foreign trading side.

The nomadic people have always been cunning. Although there have been checks during transactions in the past, there is no guarantee that they will not use new tricks to pass off inferior goods as good ones.

Give us those horses that look OK but actually have many hidden dangers.

Moreover, the remnant forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty are now eyeing us covetously and have been trying to make a comeback.

If it was really done intentionally by foreigners, then there must be a bigger conspiracy behind it.

Maybe they want to weaken the combat power of our Ming army so that they can take the opportunity to invade the border. We must be on guard. "At this point, Zhu Mengyan frowned slightly.

A trace of worry flashed in his eyes, as if he had already seen the horrific scene of foreign cavalry trampling on the Ming territory.

Zhu Mengyan continued, "Your Majesty, I have a plan, but..."

Zhu Mengyan paused deliberately and glanced at the reactions of the ministers around him.

In particular, he looked at the Minister of Revenue Fan Min, with whom he had always been on good terms and with whom he often helped each other in the court.

Seeing the other party nod slightly, he continued, "But this plan involves some risks. I suggest that you immediately select the most capable and shrewd spy who is proficient in foreign languages ​​and good at adapting to changes.

There were no less than twenty of them, pretending to be ordinary horse traders, and blending into the nomadic tribes that often traded horses with our Ming Dynasty.

As long as the spies manage to get close to the person in charge of the horse farm in the tribe, they can find out the true situation of the horse selection, feeding and sale in the farm through making friends and bribing him.

We should pay special attention to whether there is any attempt to deliberately screen out inferior horses in preparation for trading with our Ming Dynasty.

In addition, have the spies send the news they have gathered back to the court as quickly as possible by sending pigeons every day. There must not be any delay."

As Zhu Mengyan spoke, he secretly observed Zhu Yuanzhang's expression out of the corner of his eye.

His heart was beating fast, and he was thinking to himself: Can my suggestion win the emperor's favor? After all, it would be a great achievement if this matter was done well.

But if something goes wrong, I can't escape responsibility.

For example, if the plan fails, will Fan Min continue to support me?

Zhu Mengyan was actually secretly worried in his heart, wondering if the foreign tribe had already been prepared.

Once those spies are exposed, it may cause a bigger diplomatic crisis.

But the situation is critical at the moment, so he can only take the risk and give it a try.

Seeing this, Li Huanwen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, seemed somewhat dissatisfied with Zhu Mengyan's hesitant attitude.

He didn't care about etiquette at the moment, and directly retorted in an urgent tone: "Master Zhu, although your point is reasonable, I'm afraid it's too late to just focus on the foreign races!"

Li Huanwen spoke crisply and clearly, with the boldness and frankness of a military general.

He spread his hands and continued, "The transportation distance in our Ming Dynasty is long, and it is winter now, and the road is icy and slippery.

There is no guarantee that the fodder used to feed the horses during the journey will deteriorate.

Or the groom's momentary negligence may cause the war horse to have problems.

The situation on the border is already tense, with foreign invaders likely to attack at any time, but our own war horses keep getting into accidents.

If you can't figure out your own affairs, how can the war horse be good?

Then you can only wait for defeat on the battlefield!"

At this point, Li Huanwen frowned, his eyes revealing a deep fear of failure in the military arena.

He raised his voice and said: "I think some tough measures should be taken immediately to strengthen internal management.

First, along each transportation route, a supervisory post was set up every fifty miles, and each post was built in a sheltered valley or leeward slope.

The post station must be staffed by at least ten experienced grooms who are familiar with the habits of horses, as well as three clerks responsible for accounting and delivering messages.

Every time the horses arrived at a post station, the groom would carefully check the horses' mental state, diet, and any external injuries within half an hour.

The documents record in detail the changes in the condition of each horse, including when it was fed, what kind of grass it was fed, how much water it drank, etc., forming a complete travel file.

This file must be transported along with the horse and checked at each next stop.

If you find anything unusual, report it to the Ministry of War and the Imperial Household Department immediately."

(End of this chapter)