The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 239 My Important Minister
During the Dragon Boat Festival in the second year of Taichang, Kaiyuan was filled with festive joy.

The past year or so has been of extraordinary significance to the Kaiyuan system.

On the military front, the Kaiyuan Army decisively defeated the Later Jin and landed in Shandong. Combat troops and cavalry were further expanded, and the army's size was snowballing. The army's musketry rate increased to 70%, and the Liaodong Navy began to equip warships, bringing the navy from its initial existence. The workshop staff expanded to 1,000 people, and new rockets and field artillery were successfully developed and put into mass production. Breech-loading flintlock rifles continued to improve, and the problem of poor gas-holding performance of the bolt was about to be solved. Furthermore, the development of hot air balloons for actual combat use has been approved...
In terms of civil affairs, the population under the rule of Ping Liaohou exceeded three million, and refugees from all over the country came to seek refuge every day.

More factories and mines were developed, and iron ore from North Korea, gold ore from Shandong, coal from Fushun, and timber from Hetuala were continuously transported to Kaiyuan, providing the workshops with the raw materials needed for smelting and manufacturing.

The gains from the campaigns against the Later Jin and the Wenxiang Sect were fully absorbed, and the Liaodong Trading Company's influence spread throughout the interior of the Ming Dynasty, as well as to Korea and Mongolia. Vast sums of money and resources continued to flow into Kaiyuan, a significant portion of which was used to build post roads, schools, workshops, and military garrisons. This large-scale infrastructure development effectively curbed inflation. While the people's pockets grew fatter, prices remained relatively stable, and their lives became more comfortable and hopeful.

Externally, after controlling the Later Jin sphere of influence, the Kaiyuan Army continued to intensify its pressure on Liaozhen, gradually encroaching on Shandong and strengthening its control over Korea.

The northern expedition team and ocean whaling team composed of soldiers, sailors and hunters are being established at an accelerated pace.

These two expeditionary forces, affiliated with the Civil Affairs Bureau, will be responsible for the Outer Northeast Expedition and Ocean Expedition missions, respectively. They are expected to set off on their great journeys by April next year.

The spying activities against Japan were jointly initiated by the Industry and Commerce Department and the Intelligence Bureau. The first batch of spies dressed as merchants have been lurking in the port of Nagasaki...
In terms of team building, the pacification troops, combat representatives, and the intelligence bureau checked and balanced each other, divided responsibilities, and assisted Ping Liaohou in strengthening his control over the military, industry and commerce, and other departments; the training officer system was further improved, becoming an important tool for strengthening public opinion control and enhancing Ping Liaohou's personal prestige.

The corrupt officials within the Kaiyuan system were purged, the East Depot operatives lurking in the city were slain, a number of arrogant generals were suppressed, and cliques and opportunists were severely punished. Newcomers were promoted, a number of veterans lost their power, and the various factions were reshuffled, consolidating Liu Zhaosun's power. With the end of the rectification movement, the conditions for rebellion in Kaiyuan were ripe.

Becoming an emperor is no longer far away.

Despite the prosperity, Liu Zhaosun was worried.

At noon, Yang Qing'er and two maids worked for half a day to prepare a table full of delicious dishes.

Marquis Ping Liao brought his wife to worship the ancestral tablets and burned paper money for his adoptive father Liu Jing. Finally, they sat down and picked up their chopsticks.

After eating two pieces of steamed buns, the scene of giving ice cream to Jin Yuji at the wedding came to my mind.

"Husband, is it not to your liking?"

Yang Qing'er thought that Liu Zhaosun had been overworked in recent days and had a poor appetite, so she stood up and filled her husband's glass with wine.

"It suits your taste very well. Thank you for your hard work, ma'am."

Realizing that he had lost his composure, Liu Zhaosun quickly took the wine glass and drank it all.

Seeing him like this, Yang Qing'er knew it was because of Jin Yuji. She suppressed her sorrow and comforted him:

"Zhang Chao and his men are highly skilled, and with the Second Army's reinforcements, they will definitely not allow the rebels to escape to Shandong. Please rest assured, my husband. Besides, we still have our soldiers in Shandong."

Liu Zhaosun wasn't worried about Zhang Chao's ability to catch up with the rebels. According to the pacification troops, Song Yingsheng had taken over a dozen carts of gold, silver, and jewelry with him when he left the city, so he couldn't have gotten far. He was concerned that Zu Dashou would fight to the death and send troops to stop the pursuit. Cheng Liang's few hundred men alone were no match for the Liaozhen. Given the current situation in Kaiyuan and Liaozhen, Zu Dashou was likely to do so. If the Dongfang barbarians and Song Yingsheng were allowed to escape to Wendeng, collusion between the internal and external forces would lead to disastrous consequences.

He thought so in his heart, but pretended to be pleased on the surface, and said to Yang Qing'er with a smile:
"Madam is right, I was worrying too much."

"My husband will rest at home during the New Year. Bumbutai will return to the grasslands after the New Year, so you should spend more time with your little sister."

Seeing Liu Zhaosun's brows relaxed, Yang Qing'er stood up to pour wine for her husband again. Bumbutai grabbed the wine pot and filled her own cup.

Yang Qing'er said with a smile: "Children, don't drink alcohol. If you drink too much, you won't grow tall and won't be able to get married."

Liu Zhaosun clapped his hands and laughed after hearing this.

"What little kid? She will soon be the Great Khan of Khorchin. When you see her again on the grassland, you must address her as Great Khan."

Bumbutai put down the wine cup, and whether it was because of the drunkenness or because of true love, there was light in her eyes as she looked at Liu Zhaosun infatuatedly.

"Even if you really become a Khan, you will always be my brother, okay?"

Liu Zhaosun stretched out his finger, made a pinky promise with the little girl, and nodded to her.

"Good brother, it's a deal."

Yang Qing'er rolled her eyes at the two of them, put some food into her husband's bowl, and poured him some wine.

"Stop talking nonsense and eat some mutton to replenish your body.

"No more, Madam knows I can only drink three cups. I have to go to Sun Chuanting's house later."

Yang Qing'er was shocked and said, "Why don't you stay and celebrate the festival with us instead of going to someone else's house?"

Liu Zhaosun had a sad look on his face and before he could say anything, tears were about to fall. Seeing him like this, Yang Qing'er hurriedly asked what was going on.

Ping Liaohou sighed.

On the day when Ping Liaohou executed Song Yingding, Song Yingsheng took his men and three thousand taels of silver to the Sun family and persuaded Sun Chuanting to flee Kaiyuan with them, take a boat out to sea in Jinzhou, and surrender to the imperial court.

Song Yingsheng repeatedly assured him that as long as he was willing to return to the capital, the factory manager would arrange for him to be the head of the Ministry of War. After Liu Zhaosun was defeated, Sun Chuanting would be promoted to the Minister of War. With Sun Chuanting's talents, he was definitely a candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

Sun Chuanting hadn't married yet, and his only mother had passed away the previous year. Song Yingsheng thought that with such an offer, he would definitely go with him. Unexpectedly, Sun Chuanting flatly refused. Not only that, he pointed at Song Yingsheng's nose and yelled at him, telling him to take the money and leave immediately.

Song Yingsheng found this incomprehensible. Sun Chuanting had just been humiliated by Liu Zhaosun. Because of Kang Yingqian's fault, he had been demoted from a city lord to a lowly official, a humiliating situation. Normally, the Suns should be filled with hatred for Kaiyuan, but why was this happening?

Song Yingsheng was furious and left his son to kill the witnesses. Fearing that the matter would be exposed, he hurried to find Eunuch Zeng. The two of them made plans overnight, contacted an officer who had been bribed long ago, took the gold and silver, and fled Kaiyuan in the early morning.

The bandit responsible for silencing Sun Chuanting stabbed him, and Sun Chuanting fainted. When he was about to stab him again, patrolling soldiers came over. He was worried that he would not be able to escape, so he dropped the knife and fled in panic.

Sun Chuanting was accompanied by only one servant, who had followed his master for many years, all the way from the capital to Kaiyuan. That night, the old servant was sleeping in the next room. When he found Sun Chuanting the next day, only a thread of his body remained...

The small courtyard was cold and deserted. An old man was squatting beside a coal stove, lighting a fire. The thick black smoke was swirling everywhere, choking Liu Zhaosun to tears.

The guard was about to step forward when he was stopped by Liu Zhaosun.

"Old man, does Sun Baigu live here?"

The old man looked back at everyone and led the way without saying a word.

Liu Zhaosun followed the old man into the living room. This was his first time visiting his subordinate's home.

“I should visit their homes more often in the future.”

The living room was very simple, with nothing but four walls and a few pieces of furniture.

Also serving as officials in Kaiyuan, after two years, some people took away more than ten carts of gold and silver, while others were left penniless.

Liu Zhaosun sighed slightly: "Even more frugal than me."

He secretly made up his mind to further improve the treatment standards of Kaiyuan officials in the future, and it was unrealistic to rely on moral constraints to ensure integrity.

Various supervisory systems must be combined with salary-based integrity maintenance. We must never be as harsh as Zhu Yuanzhang, who let the horse run without giving it grass to eat.

He looked at the old man leading the way and asked:

"How is Sun Chuanting now?"

The old man was deaf and dumb, so after asking several times, he had to give up.

……

Ping Liaohou looked at Sun Chuanting lying on the bed. Sun Chuanting heard Liu Zhaosun's voice and struggled to sit up, still putting on his official uniform.

"No need for that, there's no one here, don't bother with these empty formalities!"

Liu Zhaosun glanced at the extremely hot and humid room, then looked at Sun Chuanting lying on the bed, and said with heartache:
"Are you okay? I was busy chasing the rebels yesterday and didn't have time to see you."

"Don't worry, sir. A few petty thieves can't kill me."

Liu Zhaosun gently helped Sun Chuanting up. The deaf and mute servant stood at the door, holding a bowl of steaming medicine in his hand.

The guard looked the man up and down and let him in.

Liu Zhaosun raised his hand to signal the old man to stop, took the medicine from him, tasted it himself, and helped Sun Chuanting drink it.

Sun Chuanting's eyes were red as he talked about his assassination attempt that day.

"If you hadn't taken inventory of the shop and brought back the account books to protect me from the blow, I'm afraid I wouldn't have seen Ping Liao Hou again."

"Master Sun has been diligent and dedicated, and has done so much. God will surely see through it!"

Liu Zhaosun waved his hand to call the guards forward, took out the medicine plaster, and applied it to Sun Chuanting personally.

Sun Chuanting looked shocked. Ping Liaohou held his cold hand.

"Tell the guards to relax and apply the ointment. Don't harm my trusted ministers. Lord Sun, I've wronged you these days. When you recover, I will reinstate you and lead the campaign in Liaoxi. I will destroy Liaozhen."

In summer, wind brings rain, and the strong wind knocks on the broken window frames, making a rustling sound.

Everyone in the room was in tears.

"General Liu, have you captured Song Yingsheng?"

"It's almost time, he can't get away!"

(End of this chapter)