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

At the beginning of the fifteenth year of Hongwu, the wind of late winter was still a bit chilly.

Zhu Gang stepped into the East Palace and his eyes swept across the magnificent palace. The glazed tiles were shining coolly in the sunlight.

He was wearing a brocade robe, with an upright posture and a slightly raised corner of his mouth.

His tone was full of the boldness and sharpness that only a vassal king could have, and he laughed loudly, "Brother, look at this East Palace, it's even more magnificent than before!

But looking at the scale, I feel like there is something going on here.”

Zhu Biao frowned slightly and shook his head gently, his expression revealing the steadiness and worry unique to a prince.

He put his hands behind his back, walked to Zhu Gang's side, and said with a long sigh: "Third brother, in my opinion, the East Palace really does not need to be so huge and luxurious.

If the money was used to renovate the old city of Yingtianfu, the people there would have less hardship and more comfort, and this would be a real move to benefit the people."

Zhu Gang nodded, a hint of thought flashing in his eyes.

He clasped his fists and said, "Brother, you care about the people, this is a blessing for the people of Ming Dynasty.

However, the royal palace concerns the reputation of the court and the dignity of the state, so some things have to be weighed.

But since you said so, I guess you have more thorough considerations?"

Zhu Biao smiled bitterly and sighed, looking at the unfinished building.

“That being said, there are still many buildings that are yet to be completed.

It is freezing cold this season and not suitable for construction, so we can only wait until spring.

Alas, the manpower and material resources consumed in this process are really a headache. "

The two walked side by side, Zhu Gang followed Zhu Biao to the vicinity of the Greenhouse Palace, and said as they walked: "Brother, the construction of the East Palace this time has cost a lot of money, and it must have put the court's finances on a tight budget, right?
This reminds me that our court has to carry out many affairs, and money is indispensable for everything.

Take the Overseas Employment Plan for example, the amount of manpower, material and financial resources required is not a small amount.

I'm afraid it will be difficult to sustain it relying solely on the government's financial allocations."

Zhu Biao nodded solemnly, "Yes, Third Brother, this is what I have been worried about.

Now there are many things to be done and many matters need to be advanced.

But the financial pressure is really great, and every expense has to be carefully calculated.”

Zhu Gang said, “That’s why I proposed holding a shareholders’ meeting.

Whether it is a royal project or an overseas project.

Let nobles, military officers, and even businessmen invest.

It can not only raise funds but also disperse risks, which is of great benefit to the court in carrying out various affairs.

Just like the construction of the East Palace this time, if a similar model had been adopted at that time, perhaps the financial pressure would not have been so great. "

Zhu Biao frowned even more tightly, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.

He said with a hint of reproach: “Third brother, when you first proposed holding a shareholders’ meeting, I felt that the risk was not small.

Allowing nobles and military officers to participate is already a demonstration of the court's benevolence and righteousness, so why should we try to get businessmen to invest?
This businessman is profit-oriented and acts with calculation.

There are too many variables, so we have to be on guard.”

Zhu Gang's eyes were firm and his tone was resolute. He stepped forward and said, "Brother, the Overseas Settlement Plan is extremely difficult.

The manpower and material resources required are enormous, and relying solely on nobles and military officers is far from enough.

Relevant systems should be established as early as possible so that even if there are problems, they can be controlled within the Ming Dynasty and will not affect relations with vassal states.

A short pain is worse than a long one, so this matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later.

Furthermore, although businessmen value profit, they only need to be guided and restrained.

They can also be used by the court and contribute to the development of Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Gang with sharp eyes, and then changed the subject and asked, "Third brother, the 'Ryukyu Horse Purchase Plan' that you have been insisting on, is it also a preparation for overseas employment?"

Zhu Gang looked serious and said in a serious tone: "Even if there is no overseas plan, it is necessary to purchase war horses from Ryukyu.

Since the transition from Yuan to Ming, the Northern Yuan Dynasty was defeated and fled to the desert, but they still fought against the Ming Dynasty in the north of Jianting Ridge. In particular, the Nahachu group used Liaodong as its base and caused the most harm.

When Goryeo was interacting with the Ming Dynasty, it also maintained friendly relations with the Northern Yuan Dynasty and Nahachu, and pursued a pro-Northern Yuan policy.

In the twelfth year of Hongwu, my father asked Goryeo to pay tribute of a thousand horses.

However, they only paid tribute of 200 horses and frequently colluded with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, so they were warned many times by our Ming Dynasty.

Such actions must be guarded against.”

Zhu Biao sat at the dining table, opened the box and prepared to serve the dumplings.

Hearing this, he asked with a puzzled look on his face: "Purchasing war horses from Ryukyu and colluding with Goryeo to form an alliance with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, what is the connection between the two?"

Zhu Gang narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone calm but with a hidden edge.

“In fact, once the imperial court has pacified Yunnan, it will be able to encircle the remaining forces of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

As long as Aluhui, the right prime minister of Haixi, was forced to surrender before April of the 16th year of Hongwu, the contacts between Goryeo and Nahachu could be cut off.

By purchasing war horses from Ryukyu and putting pressure on Goryeo, the diplomatic goal of severing the relationship between Goryeo and the Northern Yuan Dynasty could be achieved.

In this way, the hidden dangers on the northern border of our Ming Dynasty can be greatly reduced."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with admiration, "Third brother, you have considered it very far ahead, but the battle to pacify Yunnan is full of difficulties.

But how easy is it to achieve this strategic goal?

Not to mention that Yunnan has a complex terrain and is full of miasma.

The Northern Yuan Liang Wang has been operating in the area for many years and has a deep foundation, so it is not easy for him to win. "

Zhu Gang smiled confidently, "Before I learned that the nobles of Suphanburi wanted to come to Ming to attend the military academy, I was helpless.

After all, even sending out 300,000 troops was a difficult task for my father, so it would be difficult for me to do anything.

Fortunately, there is always a way out. Nakong Ying wants the noble children of Suphanburi to receive orthodox military education from Hongwu Academy. This is our chance to "borrow someone's strength to defeat him."

Zhu Biao suddenly realized, "You mean to send those noble children to the battlefield to create trouble for the Northern Yuan Liang King who is guarding Yunnan?"

Zhu Gang shook his head disdainfully and said, "It would be hard to expect those pampered nobles to fight even if my father agreed.

My idea is to organize a battlefield observation group, let them go to the front line and learn the Ming Dynasty's firearms tactics.

At the same time, the guards and followers of these noble sons were organized into the "Yong Camp" to fight in the name of "mercenary corps" to cooperate with our Ming army.

In this way, they can play a role and show the dignity and strength of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Biao looked worried when he heard this, "Third brother, this plan is brilliant, but firearms and tactics are a secret of the Ming Dynasty.

If we get control of them and they bite us back in the future, the consequences will be disastrous.

You have to weigh the risks carefully.

The benefits of firearms are related to the safety of our Ming Dynasty, so we must pay attention to it."

Zhu Gang smiled and waved his hand, "Don't worry, brother, since I proposed this plan, I have made all the necessary preparations.

Nowadays, most of the courses offered at Hongwu Military Academy are short-term training courses that can be completed in one year, and there are deficiencies in theory.

We can take this opportunity to change it to '2 + 1' mode.

Two years of theoretical study and one year of military practice assessment.

Only after passing the final examination can one serve in the military.

This way, they can learn something while also being restrained.”

At this point, Zhu Gang looked serious and further elaborated: "For the training of the 'Yongzi Camp', we can select experienced, loyal and reliable generals in the army to serve as coaches.

The training content includes not only firearms handling standards, but also strict military discipline training.”

(End of this chapter)