In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 866 Eloquent Tongues, Using Barbarity to Subdue Barbarity

Qi De, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War, appeared to be around thirty years old.

Sitting behind Shen Jin, the Minister of War, was a document in his hand.

Noticing that all the adults were looking at him,
He showed no fear whatsoever, and even puffed out his chest.

Zhu Shou, the Marquis of Zhulu, looked at him with a cold glint in his eyes and let out a soft snort.

Immediately afterwards, an official from the Governor's Office spoke up in rebuttal:

"Lord Qi, please don't speak nonsense."

"Daning is located in the northern frontier, always on the front line against the Northern Yuan, facing the Buyur Lake directly. How could it possibly do business with the grassland people?"

These words undoubtedly revealed the attitude of the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office.

Many people looked at the Ministry of War officials with a hint of hostility.

Strangely, Shen Jin, who was always a kind-hearted person,
He didn't rush out to explain today.

Instead, he remained calm, as if he had known all along.

Zid continued speaking:
"The Northern Pacification Command has not sent any documents or military reports to the court regarding battles with foreign enemies for a full year, and there have been no rewards or honors for the victories against the steppe people."

For a commander stationed in such a remote border region to submit such a report card is probably rather unacceptable.

Ru Chang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, nodded slightly in response:

"According to the information received by the Ministry of War, at least a dozen people have gathered at Buyur Lake, and there are hundreds of thousands of able-bodied men from the grasslands."

Documents frequently arrived from Beiping and Liaodong praising those who had killed enemies and claimed credit.

Indeed, the Northern Pacification Command has not submitted a single memorial to the throne in the past year.

"It's impossible for a territory stretching for hundreds of miles to remain without a single conflict."

Ru Chang's words caused everyone present to fall into deep thought.
Many of the adults in the audience had strange expressions on their faces.
If that's really the case, then it's quite strange.
It's hard not to suspect that there's something else going on.

Zhu Shou felt a headache coming on.
The Northern Military Command has not sent any documents related to the enemy for the past year and a half.
But he knew that this wasn't impossible.
Rather, it was the victory of killing a dozen or even a hundred enemies.
The Northern Pacification Command didn't even bother with it and didn't report it.
Furthermore, since the commander was a wealthy man and did not need the governor's office to allocate reward money, no official documents were sent.

All the officials in the Governor's Office knew about this matter.

But he couldn't say anything.
If this matter were brought up, wouldn't that be targeting Beiping and Liaodong?

Just as he was thinking about how to explain,
An unexpected person spoke up; it was Qin Kui, the Minister of Works.

He smiled, looked at Shen Jin beside him, and said:
"Lord Shen, I know a little about the affairs of the Beiping Military Command."
Last year, during the war in Liaodong, the Beiping Regional Military Commission was inspired to say that they should use barbarians to control barbarians.

Therefore, some military affairs against the enemy steppe people were handed over to the Doyan Three Guards, and it was only natural that the government office did not send any documents.

Upon hearing this, those present looked enlightened.

They were all aware of the special nature of the Three Guards of Duoyan.

Although nominally a garrison, it was in reality autonomous.
To fully bring them under the rule of the imperial court, it is necessary to gradually divide and weaken them, and wait for time.

But Qi De, the chief clerk of the Ministry of War, showed no sign of letting up and spoke in a deep voice:
"Lord Qin, the Doyan Three Guards are also guards of our Great Ming Dynasty, under the jurisdiction of the Beiping Regional Military Commission."
According to regulations, their documents against the enemy also had to be sent to the Governor-General's Office and the Ministry of War for safekeeping.

Now, official documents are no longer delivered, and military reports are no longer issued.
The northern frontier is in complete chaos; the imperial court has no idea what's happening there. How can this be allowed?

Xiao Qi, the Vice Commander of the Left Army Commandery, frowned slightly and glared fiercely at them:
"Lord Qi, the border defense situation of the Commandery is none of your business."

The Governor-General's Office has absolute confidence in the defense arrangements for Da Ning!

Qi De stood up, bowed respectfully, and his voice still carried a questioning tone:

"May I ask, Lord Xiao, if the Beiping Military Command has any defense problems, will the Governor's Office take responsibility?"

"Bang!" Xiao Qi slammed his hand on the table, glaring angrily.

"If the Governor's Office doesn't take responsibility, are you, the person in charge, supposed to take it? Can you handle that responsibility?"

"You've only read two books and you're already pointing fingers and giving orders here."

If your Ministry of War feels the defenses are inadequate, then send someone to inspect them personally.

Making baseless accusations here
Must we receive a military report every day and a major report every three days to prove that the Commandery is taking defense seriously? That's absurd!

At this moment, Minister of War Shen Jin chuckled and gestured for them to stop.

"Lord Xiao, please don't be angry. Lord Qi is only concerned about defense."
It's understandable that most people at Fishing Lake feel uneasy.

He turned to look at Zid, gesturing for him to sit down:
"Sit down, sit down. The Governor's Office is such a large place, do you think they can't see how well it's defended?"

Qi De sat down silently, his face calm.

At this moment, Ru Chang spoke thoughtfully:
"Lord Shen, the Governor's Office is not entirely clear about the defense of the northeastern frontier either."

Last year, border incursions occurred in Liaodong, resulting in several major defeats for the border troops.

In the end, they had to send the three guards of Tianjin to quell the rebellion, which was quite a disastrous situation.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire military headquarters fell into a deathly silence.

The group of officials looked thoughtfully at the two officials from the Ministry of War, their expressions playful.
It's strange that the Minister of War and the Vice Minister of War actually got into a dispute.

Shen Jin, still the same easygoing guy, smiled and said:
The Governor-General's Office believed that there was no need for the Commander-in-Chief to increase defenses.

That must mean they have confidence in it, and we in the Ministry of War certainly cannot overstep our bounds.

However, the road construction project in Liaodong deserves attention.

Liaodong has been ravaged by war, and the people are impoverished. It will probably take one or two years for them to recover and rebuild. How can they possibly build roads now?

Zhu Shou spoke in a deep voice:
"Although the Haixi Jurchen, the Wild Jurchen, and the Northern Mountain Jurchen were severely weakened..."
But after a period of rest and recuperation, they will inevitably make a comeback.

This feud might even escalate the conflict further.
Moreover, you have all surely already met the envoys from Goryeo.
Yi Seong-gye has already seized absolute power, and a coup d'état is likely to occur within the next two years.

Once he achieves success, he might very well avenge the humiliation he suffered years ago.
Therefore, the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office believes that...
It is essential to build a road that allows for rapid support and troop deployment.

Li Xin, the Assistant Commander of the Left Army, nodded slightly:
"Liaodong is located in the Northeast and has the fine iron ore that the army needs most."
If we don't have enough troops to defend it, and it falls, our Great Ming will suffer heavy losses.

Seeing that both adults had spoken,

Officials from the Left Army Commandery all echoed this sentiment, believing that the road should be repaired.

But Sun Ke, the Vice Commander of the Rear Army and Marquis of Quanning, looked thoughtful and said softly:
"Liaodong is located outside the Great Wall, and it's surprising that such a huge amount of money has been spent on road construction."
It's a bit like picking up a sesame seed and losing a watermelon.

The opinion of the Rear Military Governor's Office is that
After verifying cement and concrete roads
"Build a road from Datong, Shanxi, to Beiping or Kaifeng."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Shou's eyes narrowed.

Since the Shanxi Military Commandery was under the jurisdiction of the Rear Army Commandery, it's no wonder that Sun Ke wanted to build roads in Shanxi.

After all, this involves the ownership of 400,000 taels of silver.

Even with a discount, it's still 200,000 taels!

For a governor's office, this is already a desperate measure.

Zhu Shou did not immediately refute, but instead looked at the officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War.

As expected, Ru Chang, the Left Vice Minister of War, immediately spoke up:
"inappropriate!"

Shanxi is an important border town, located within the Great Wall.
All the official roads are sufficient for transporting troops and supplies.
"To spend such a huge sum of money to build a road at this time would be nothing short of throwing money away!"

"Absolutely! If we're going to build roads in Shanxi, it would be better to take the money and grain to Henan for flood control."
Four hundred thousand taels of silver could build several large reservoirs.

Qin Kui also spoke in a deep voice.

Zhu Shou was very satisfied with their performance.

The reason he was so certain that the Six Ministries would vehemently oppose it was because of Shanxi's unique circumstances!

The prince has already set off; why spend so much money on road repairs?

What's going on? Are they really going to move the capital?

Soon, the commanders of the three military governorates—front, center, and right—also voiced their opposition, indirectly proving that building roads in Shanxi was not a good thing.

For a time, Sun Ke, the Marquis of Quanning, became the target of everyone's attacks.

Sun Ke felt his head was about to explode.
With so many people opposing him, he couldn't say anything and could only plan for the future.

Because of the Datong incident, the entire yamen (government office) became lively, and even a bit noisy.
It was packed with people, like a bustling market.

After a long while, Zhu Shou coughed lightly and patted the table:
"Please calm down, everyone. Pan Jing, the Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong, has already submitted a memorial and official documents."
Today's discussion was about whether to build roads in Liaodong, but we've gotten a bit off-topic by talking about Datong.

For this road construction project, the Beiping Military Command plans to contribute 100,000 taels of silver to participate in defense.

The Liaodong Military Command raised a portion of the funds on its own.

The imperial court only needs to spend about 150,000 taels of silver to repair this nearly 700-mile road! This statement was even more shocking, and many people sat up straight, looking at the person in the head of the table in disbelief.

Zhu Shou picked up his teacup, looking refreshed and energetic.
He took a small sip, looking completely unperturbed.

Marquis Quanning, Sun Ke, expressed his doubt with some disbelief:
"Is the Beiping Military Command so rich? They haven't even finished one road, and they're already building another?"

This question was a shared doubt among all the officials present.

Upon hearing this, Qi De's eyes lit up. He was about to stand up and righteously rebuke Daning for doing business with the grasslands when...
Ru Chang, who was standing nearby, quickly grabbed him and held him down, hissing in a low voice:

"Don't make things worse!"

Qi De slumped down, somewhat deflated, his breathing becoming much heavier; he was clearly quite angry.

Duke Fu Youde of Ying, who had remained silent until now, chuckled softly, his aged voice echoing in the yamen:

"Lu Yunyi has always been adept at making money, even without the support of the imperial court."

They stumbled and struggled to begin road construction on their own.

It wouldn't be surprising if they managed to procure an extra 100,000 taels of silver now, whether from Jiujiang or not.

Li Jinglong was still smiling.

They felt the conversation was getting too far off track and that he didn't need to pay anymore.

Unexpectedly, after going around in circles, he came full circle. He gave an embarrassed smile and raised his head:

"Yun Yi is indeed skilled at making money."

"However, I've heard that his money comes from support from some bigwigs, all for the development of Daning."

Naturally, no one present believed such nonsense.

They also had their own information channels and knew that the wealthy families in Daning City had been severely harassed.
However, even with such skill, they were very impressed!
Zhu Shou, seizing the opportunity, tentatively asked:
"Lord Cao, I heard you made a lot of money the other day. Is that money still there?"

Upon hearing this, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Some young adults attending the meeting for the first time looked up in disbelief.
Looking at the person at the head of the table in shock, he felt that this Marquis of Zhulu was far too direct.

Similarly, Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, cursing inwardly!
Seeing his unpleasant expression, Zhu Shou smiled:

"Duke Cao, the border defenses are currently in dire straits, and the imperial court's funds are scarce; it's a situation where everything is leaking."

Could you please lend me 150,000 taels of silver from the Governor's Office?

Rest assured, as long as the Left Army Commander-in-Chief's office has sufficient funds, it will repay you immediately.

Furthermore, the Governor's Office will also give you a generous interest payment, how about it?

"Damn it, that son of a bitch, he's full of bad intentions!"

Li Jinglong cursed inwardly again.
He understood that, to put it nicely, it was a loan; to put it bluntly, it was taking.

I never intended to pay any interest or interest!

Taking a deep breath, Li Jinglong tried to calm himself down.

Although I knew I would have to spend money, 150,000 taels of silver was still too much.

"Fifty thousand, I only have fifty thousand taels of silver on hand."
If the Governor's Office needs it, then we should report this to His Majesty.
Once His Majesty grants permission to build the road, the funds in my possession will naturally be available!

"fifty thousand?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhu Shou's eyes, and he became even more certain that this little brat had really struck it rich!
If someone this stingy can come up with 50,000, they must have at least 300,000 in their hands!
A resolute glint flashed in Zhu Shou's eyes. He took a deep breath and spoke in a deep voice:
"Duke Cao, the Governor's Office doesn't have much silver in its coffers. Could you lend us some more?"
How about 100,000 taels? We can raise the interest rate a bit more.

Please rest assured, Duke Cao, the Left Army Commandery will certainly remember your kindness.
If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to call!

These words were utterly treasonous, but none of the officials present harbored any other intentions.
I just thought to myself, Zhu Shou is really ruthless.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong's inward cursing intensified, and he said in a deep voice:
"Only fifty thousand left, not a penny more."
To be honest, if this road weren't related to the nation's defense, I wouldn't have been willing to spend my life savings.

But there was no other way; as the Duke of the Great Ming Dynasty, he naturally had to shoulder his responsibilities!
As long as we can defend against foreign enemies, I wouldn't mind being buried in the yellow sands!

A barrage of gazes shot over, and Xu Huizu, standing beside him, lowered his head in embarrassment, avoiding everyone's stares.

You have to start saving for your funeral by the time you're twenty.

What should the group of men in their fifties and sixties present say?
Perhaps realizing he had gone too far, Li Jinglong coughed lightly and stood up:

"I have other matters to attend to. You may discuss this further."

Having said that, without waiting for anyone to stop him,
He then strode out of the yamen as fast as he could.

Everyone watched his retreating figure, his deep-set eyes filled with profound meaning.

After the main figure left, the meeting of the commanders ended unhappily, and the group of officials went their separate ways.

Zhu Shou sat at the head of the table in silence for a long time.

Also remaining were Li Xin, the Assistant Magistrate, and Xiao Qi, the Vice Commissioner.

Xiao Qi held the Governor's Office account book in his hand, gently flipping through it, and said in a deep voice:

"The commander currently has 23,000 taels of silver in savings, which is far too little compared to the 400,000 taels needed for road repairs."

"Four hundred thousand? You actually believe that, Lord Xiao?"

Li Xin raised his head and glanced at him:
"In my opinion, 200,000 taels should be enough. Pan Jing is deliberately exaggerating."

Zhu Shou nodded in agreement:

"Yes, 400,000 taels is a bit exaggerated, but 200,000 taels is too little."

The road from Daning to Shanhaiguan costs over 200,000 yuan.

You all know how bad the road to Liaodong is.

In the freezing cold, it would cost at least 300,000!

In this way, Da Ning will contribute 100,000, Liaodong will contribute 100,000, and the remaining 100,000 will be provided by the imperial court.

If we calculate it that way, it's about right.

At this point, Zhu Shou leaned back excitedly, clasped his hands together, and patted his chest with a pleased expression:

"In my opinion, this matter is likely to succeed."

With Beiping, Daning, and Liaodong all connected, our Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office can finally hold its head high.

"Then, whether it's doing business or transporting troops, it will be much faster!"

Marquis Chongshan, Li Xin, sat to one side and sighed helplessly:
"Once His Majesty agrees, the funds from the Military Command will be sent over to expedite the repairs."
The situation in Goryeo is still uncertain. Having a route would make fighting easier should His Majesty decide to send troops there.

Zhu Shou nodded:

"Not bad, hey~ Xiao Qi, how much money do you think Li Jinglong and his crew have made these days?"
"Not only do we need to repair the roads in the city, but now we need to repair the roads in Liaodong as well."

Xiao Qi was in charge of the accounts of the Left Army Commander's Office and was very sensitive to matters of money.

His expression was serious. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying:
"Their gang made at least 500,000 taels of silver."

"what!"

Zhu Shou sat up abruptly, his face filled with shock.
Marquis Chongshan, Li Xin, also stood there dumbfounded, incredulous.
They were all founding heroes, and in their early years, they recklessly plundered money during wartime.

Over the past thirty years,

They were convinced countless times that robbery was the fastest way to make money.

But now, they are wavering.
Two months, and 500,000 taels of silver?
Xiao Qi nodded:

"Now we've found out everything. Those prime properties saw their prices drop by as much as 80%, and they bought them all."
The situation is now stable, and prices have rebounded considerably, although they haven't been converted into physical silver.

But this land is worth more than money! Five hundred thousand taels of silver is still too little!

Zhu Shou stood there, stunned, tugging at his beard and muttering to himself:
"No wonder Li Jinglong is throwing money around everywhere. If he doesn't spend such a large sum, how many people will be eyeing it?"

Seeing the complicated expressions on the two marquises' faces, Xiao Qi seized the opportunity to speak:
"My lords, no matter how unsociable Lu Yunyi may be..."
That person was also a member of our Left Army Commander-in-Chief's Office.
In my opinion, he's quite kind; as long as you discuss things with him properly, he'll be fine.

Let's not make things too tense.

Next time there's a similar opportunity, let him take us along. You can't refuse a smiling face.

At this moment, upon hearing the shocking figure of 500,000 taels of silver,
Zhu Shou's dissatisfaction with Lu Yunyi's forceful push on Pan Jing also dissipated considerably.
With such a powerful benefactor, harmony is paramount!

Having made up his mind, he immediately spoke:
"Alright, Lord Xiao, write a letter to Lu Yunyi."
Tell him that he can write to the Governor's Office if he needs anything, and the Governor's Office will definitely help!

"it is good!"

(End of this chapter)