The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 75: Your Majesty, in addition to the silver, I also need to take Yuan Dudu away

Liu Zhaosun remembered that Zhu Yijun still owed him 30,000 taels of silver. After the Battle of Kaiyuan, the reward for each soldier's head had not yet been paid. Kang Yingqian and Qiao Yiqi submitted several memorials to Emperor Wanli, lamenting their poverty.

Especially Qiao Yiqi, who saw that the money he lent could not be recovered and became a sunk cost. This wealthy young man from Jiangnan cried every day and wanted to kill Liu Zhaosun with the imperial sword.

Zhu Yijun had been emperor for forty-seven years and had become quite a shrewd person. He knew that Liu Zhaosun had come to the capital this time not only to offer captives but also to ask for money. To be more precise, he was asking him for money because the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War were currently short of money.

After thinking for a while, he realized that it was Xiong Manzi who knew that he still had 20 million in the treasury, so he instigated Liu Zhaosun to ask for money.

Xiong Tingbi noticed that the atmosphere was not right, and he quickly said, "Our emperor is wise. Today we are presenting the captives at the Meridian Gate, and General Liu must be tired. Why not let him return to the city wall and rest first?"

Wanli glanced at Xiong Tingbi and said coldly, "Xiong Manzi, you must take good care of the Liaozhen affairs. How much money and grain do you have left from the money I gave you? Please write a detailed memorial to the emperor and let me review it later."

Xiong Tingbi returned to the capital this time to ask the court for money.

The bottomless pit of Liaodong has taken shape. All the gods are asking the governor for money to exchange for armor, firearms, women, to build garrisons, and city walls. Millions of Liaoxi tribute have been poured in, but not even a splash has been made.

The old emperor grasped Xiong Tingbi's weak spot with just one sentence, and Xiong Jinglie had to retreat in disappointment and dared not speak again.

After dealing with Xiong Tingbi, Wanli turned to look at Liu Zhaosun, "General Liu, I heard that you have a plan to pacify Liao, and that you are making great strides in Kaiyuan and treating the foreign tribes as brothers. What's the point of trying to convert the Chinese into barbarians?"

"What are your thoughts on the Liao situation?"

The atmosphere around them suddenly became tense. Lu Shou looked at the ground without saying a word, Xiong Tingbi shook his head and sighed, and Fang Congzhe stretched his neck and looked around.

"Your Majesty is wise and enlightened, so I'll start with Sarhu. When I first met Your Majesty, he was watching an execution from the Meridian Gate Tower, wearing a leather cap. From a distance, he looked calm and plump, ready to fight. I couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for Your Majesty. I guess this is what they say, that the monarch and his subjects know each other well. I presume that in this Sarhu battle, Your Majesty wanted to achieve victory in one battle. I also had this thought when I encountered the Jiannu at Hunjiang..."

Liu Zhaosun talked incessantly, like a drowning man grasping at the last straw. He just hoped that the straw he grasped was big enough to save his life.

Liaodong was in tatters, hindered by various obstacles. According to the original plan, the Kaiyuan farming project progressed steadily. The smuggling trade in ginseng, sable fur, and seafood was booming, and Mao Yuanyi successfully developed the Red Cannon. By sending people to Macau or Dongguan to purchase several thousand reliable matchlock rifles, he was confident that he could survive until Nurhaci's death.

What he saw and heard along the way during his trip to Beijing was too much of a shock to Liu Zhaosun. When he saw more than 10,000 men lining up to apply for jobs and fighting with the soldiers of the military department in order to enter the palace as eunuchs, he was shocked.

The time traveler's three views were refreshed again.

What is hell? This is Asura hell.

Winter is approaching, and the Little Ice Age is about to arrive. Everything will continue to deteriorate. To survive in Liaodong, you need stronger strength.

The existing land is insufficient; expansion must be accelerated. Land acquisition requires military force; relying on just 3,000 men is insufficient; the size of the military must be increased. Military expansion requires money, a lot of it.

The time traveler lives in the real world.

He doesn't have the super system like others who can get women when they ask for money, nor does he start by begging for food. Looking at it now, it has become my legendary life, which is even more amazing than Zhu Yuanzhang's.

After Xiong Tingbi left, he would lose external support and fall into unprecedented isolation, and began his fighting career in the anti-Jin base area behind enemy lines.

To engage in guerrilla warfare in Liaodong, where conditions were harsh four hundred years ago, was simply idiotic.

This trip to the capital to surrender prisoners and meet Emperor Wanli was his last chance to seek foreign aid.

He had been planning for this opportunity for a long time. If he lost this chance, the time traveler would have no choice but to beg to travel back again, dig up Dingling Mausoleum and ask Emperor Shenzong for money.

What? Zhu Yijun’s tomb has been excavated for research purposes?

It doesn’t matter, let’s dig again.

"Your Majesty, the ancients said that parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run. Forgive my ignorance, but today, the Crown Prince and Prince Fu are both princes. Why does Your Majesty favor the Crown Prince and alienate Prince Fu? This is incomprehensible to me."

When these words were spoken, everyone present was shocked. The politically experienced Fang Congzhe sensed danger and retracted his neck again.

Wanli looked at Liu Zhaosun with an expression of concern for the mentally retarded.

Everyone in the world knows that Zhu Yijun doted on Prince Fu the most and always treated Crown Prince Zhu Changluo as if he were adopted. Otherwise, there would not have been such troubles as the dispute over the national foundation and the case of the assassination with a stick.

Zhu Yijun frowned slightly. Considering that Liu Zhaosun had defeated the Jiannu twice and could still have such a pleasant conversation with Xiong Tingbi, it was clear that he was no fool. Could there be some other mystery?

Liu Zhaosun started quoting from classics and talking about the Strategies of the Warring States. It seemed that he was quite good at it. That would be a bit troublesome.

"Lu Shou!" Wanli waved his hand.

"emperor."

The chief eunuch Lu Shou walked over like a young wife, with his head lowered and his eyes submissive, fearing that something would go wrong and displease the emperor.

"Go to the Imperial College and the Hanlin Academy and gather all those useless people who are well-read in the books of the sages. Give me a good scolding of this warrior. He has the audacity to show off in front of me after reading a few chapters of 'Strategies of the Warring States'."

Lu Shou asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, the Imperial College's chief academic officer and the director of the Imperial College have gone to the suburban temple to offer sacrifices."

After the ceremony of announcing victory and presenting captives, the emperor still had to offer sacrifices to the suburban temples. As in previous years, Wanli left these trivial tasks to Ke Jijiu and Hanlin.

"I actually forgot to find a few new Jinshi, those with brilliant literary talent and who can curse."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard reported details about Beijing officials to the eunuch every day, including the activities of new Jinshi in Beijing.

"Your Majesty, the results will be announced in March, and all the successful candidates will return to their hometowns to await recruitment. I'm afraid there won't be many candidates."

"Look for someone who is honest and outspoken, preferably from a desolate area. If there's someone like Hai Gangfeng (Hai Rui), that would be the best."

Zhu Yijun squinted his eyes, and memories of decades ago surfaced in his mind. At that time, Hai Rui was still alive and Zhang Juzheng was at the peak of his career.

The young Emperor Wanli only needed to recite classics and not worry about state affairs. He didn't have to worry about fighting and killing like he does now.

"Have it?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I remember a man who looked like he was from Guangxi. He was watching the captives being presented in the inner city yesterday. The Ministry of Personnel said that he was not good-looking, but he was very courageous."

"Go!"

~~~~~~
Wanli looked up at Liu Zhaosun and said with a grim smile, "General Xuanwu, continue. It's only past noon, and it would be best if you could return to the Wengcheng before dark. If not, you will stay at the Zhenfusi tonight."

"My dear ministers, please don't leave yet. Someone, please give us a seat and some tea."

The two men sat down, Fang Congzhe took a breath, and wanted to see what the general could say.

"The Emperor prepared for the Battle of Sarhu for a year and eight months, spending two million taels of military pay and mobilizing elite troops from around the world, intent on sweeping away the Jiannu and swiftly destroying them. Now it seems like a miscalculation."

Seeing Wanli's expression unchanged, Liu Zhaosun continued, "Your Majesty is an experienced military officer and a master of strategic planning, far superior to me. Don't you know how to plan this step by step? Just like General Xiong mentioned, defending the border is like attacking, wearing down the Jiannu. The Later Jin army is small and the territory is limited. Given time, they will collapse without a fight. Even a humble minister like me can come up with this idea, so why can't Your Majesty?"

The old emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, a hint of a smile. Xiong Tingbi seemed lost in thought. He had also explained this border defense method to the emperor before. Everyone in the court believed that the emperor wanted to save money to prevent the Liaodong frontier from running out of supplies, so he forced Yang Hao to rush the troops.

Could it be that there are other unspeakable secrets?

"Why? I suspect the Emperor doesn't want to leave a legacy of trouble for future generations, so he defied all odds and declared war on the bandits."

"We hastily recruited veteran generals Du Song and Ma Lin to urge Yang Hao to advance quickly, in order to nip the enemy in the bud and prevent them from spreading."

"Even weeds are difficult to clear, let alone a traitor like Nurhaci. It's a shame that Du Song was so reckless and Joseon betrayed us, leading to the defeat at Sarhu. However, it also shows that the emperor has far-reaching ambitions."

"Your Majesty, at the cost of fame, is determined to remove obstacles for the Crown Prince. This is what I was saying just now: parents who love their children will plan for them far-reachingly. Your Majesty's love for the Crown Prince is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people."

Liu Zhaosun, despite his arrogance, launched into a rambling argument, which was illogical in many places and inconsistent with the facts.

For example, he went against the majority opinion. Nurhaci had already declared war on the Ming Dynasty and was about to reach Shenyang. The Ming Dynasty officials were furious. Why did the emperor still need to go against the majority opinion?

In addition, his words were full of loopholes and contained many words that offended his superiors. If Emperor Taizu were still alive, he would have dragged this warrior out and skinned him alive.

Of course, the person sitting across from him at this moment wasn't Zhu Yuanzhang or Zhu Di, but Zhu Yijun. Zhu Yijun's greatest concern in life, besides money, was the affection of his family. His love for his family (specifically, for Prince Fu) was incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Before Liu Zhaosun finished speaking, Wanli opened his eyes slightly, and the anger on his face was gone.

"Well, it's rare that Mr. Liu has such a thought. You're so far away in Liaodong, and you can think of this. You're better than those who read the books of sages. Go on."

Xiong Tingbi stared blankly at Liu Zhaosun, shocked by his nonsense.

Seeing that he had successfully attracted the attention of the old Emperor Wanli, he decided to try to change the topic to the Liao salary.

"After the battles of Hunjiang and Kaiyuan, our subjects killed over 4,000 of the rebels, not counting the bondsmen, and their morale was greatly reduced. However, in Liaoyang, Shenyang, Tieling, and other places, the defenders were cowardly, and some even colluded with the Jiannu. I cannot speak of this..."

"Who is it? Who dares to take Liao money and surrender to the Jiannu? That's my money!!!"

The imperial court invested millions of taels of silver in Liaodong every year. Every time the Liao tribute was paid, Emperor Wanli would suffer from insomnia and think about the huge sums of silver in the middle of the night.

Now someone dared to use his own treasury to collude with the Jiannu, how could this not make the old emperor angry.

The palace maid came forward to wipe the sweat off the emperor's face, and Wanli looked at Liu Zhaosun angrily.

"Tie Ling Defender Ding Bi, Liaodong General Li Rubai!"

Recently, the number of memorials impeaching Liu Zhaosun from Liaodong has suddenly increased. Even if Liu Zhaosun did not speak, Wanli knew who was colluding with the Jiannu.

"Your Majesty, it is a pity that these two bandits have become powerful and have taken root in Liaodong. It is difficult to eradicate them in a short time."

Wanli nodded slightly, his eyes becoming sinister.

"The Liao garrison is disunited, and Kaiyuan's forces are weak. I'm afraid I can't hold my own. The Nu bandits are strong now, and their chieftain has over 100,000 troops. I am ready to die for my country."

Wanli's expression remained unchanged as he listened to him continue.

The time traveler finally unleashed his ultimate move: "Your Majesty, I have been in Liaodong for over a month. I fought in the bloody battle of Hunjiang and defended Kaiyuan. Thirty thousand soldiers shed their blood in Liaodong. This was not for my promotion, but only for..."

"Just to express my admiration for the gods!"

Wanli leaned forward slightly and said, "Mr. Liu, I am aware of the achievements you have made in Liaodong. Without you, Liaodong would have fallen long ago. Let's talk about Liaodong first, and then we can talk about other things."

Seeing that the emperor had a kind attitude, Liu Zhaosun knew that he had a chance of getting the money.

"I have visited many elders and visited the countryside..."

Wanli waved his hand impatiently: "Speak frankly, don't be like the Hanlin Academy Hanlin, so pretentious."

Liu Zhaosun nodded quickly. "Your Majesty, Liaodong is a bitterly cold land, where rice only grows once a year. When Emperor Taizu governed Liaodong, he established a system of garrisoned soldiers, ensuring self-sufficiency and a stable state. Later, the Liao army declined, just like the garrisons today, which have fallen into disrepair. Military farms were neglected, and the grain was insufficient to feed the army. Emperor Taizu instituted the policy of "Tailing and Opening the Central Region" (Note 1). During the Yongle period, the court granted merchants a salt permit, allowing them to transport two dou and five liters of grain to the border. This was a considerable profit, bringing peace to the country and prosperity to the merchants. It was a win-win situation."

Wanli straightened his back. This warrior had such a thorough understanding of Liao affairs. He was definitely not an ordinary person.

"It's hard for you, Mr. Liu. You fought against the enemy in Liaodong and served your country. You also know the laws and regulations of the imperial court. Those civil servants may not be able to figure out the reason."

Wanli had a vague feeling that the new scholar who would come over later would not be a match for this warrior.

"Lord Xiong and Prime Minister Fang both know the story of the grain tax and the opening of the central government. You don't need to elaborate. Just get to the point."

Liu Zhaosun nodded repeatedly. He only knew the basics and was afraid that if he continued, he would be exposed, so he cut to the chase:
"Later, treacherous individuals saw the huge profits from salt permits and used their power to seize them, making exorbitant profits. Ordinary merchants couldn't get salt permits, or they had to transport grain to the border to get them. Over time, merchants became unwilling to transport grain to the border."

In fact, Liu Zhaosun's words were very subtle.

In real history, it was not corrupt officials but the emperor himself who seized the salt permits for his own selfish reasons and undermined the policy of paying taxes and opening up the country.

Even Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, who was known for his benevolence, was not immune to this practice and granted salt permits to his royal relatives on many occasions. One can imagine what other emperors did.

Xiong Tingbi leaned forward. During their long conversation in Kaiyuan that day, Xiong Tingbi had sensed that this young man had the talent to govern the border. Seeing him today, he found he was even more capable than he had imagined.

"The policy of opening the central government was abandoned. During the Hongzhi period, the Minister of Revenue, Ye Qi, proposed the "opening the central government to reduce grain" (2), which is still used today. However, I think that this policy is putting the cart before the horse, forgetting that the original intention of opening the central government was to supply food to the border troops..."

"We've strayed off topic. Let's talk about Liaodong!"

Liu Zhaosun quickly stopped him. Many people in the court were counting on salt permits to make money. He couldn't just slap them in the face.

"Your Majesty, the three things I just mentioned—the neglect of military farms, the inconvenience of farming in Liaodong, and the opening of the grain tax system—will ultimately lead to only one outcome."

Wanli stared at General Xuanwu with interest.

"What's the result?"

"Rice prices in Liaodong continue to rise, making Liao's military pay unsustainable. Of course, the same applies to all of the nine frontier regions, but to varying degrees."

Wanli pondered for a moment and felt that there was some truth to it.

"The Liao tribute pouring into Liaodong has caused grain prices to skyrocket. Right now in Shenyang, a dan of rice sells for five liang (approximately 100 grams)—more than twice the price in the capital. Ordinary people simply can't afford it." Xiong Tingbi stood up, saluted the emperor, and vowed, "Your Majesty, I guarantee with my life that what General Liu said about the Liao situation is true."

Wanli sent Xiong Tingbi to sit down, tugged at the jade belt of his leather robe, and looked a little upset.

Ever since he could remember, the Ming Dynasty had been short of money, and the military expenditures for the nine frontiers had been increasing every year, from more than two million taels in the early years of the Jiajing reign to more than nine million eight hundred thousand taels last year.

Shortly before Liu Zhaosun entered the capital, the generals and governors of the nine frontiers began to cry poor again, asking the emperor for money! They said that there was not enough food and wages this year.

Zhu Yijun had not received any education in modern economics, nor did he have any economic knowledge such as inflation and commodity circulation.

Over the years, he watched helplessly as the money was just collected and was divided up by his subordinates for various reasons.

Since the problem of lack of money cannot be solved, then let's get rid of the people who ask him for money.

"The price of grain in Liaozhen has skyrocketed every year, and it's closely related to Li Rubai and his group. Please continue."

"Your Majesty, the price of grain in Liaozhen is one tael of silver per dan. After the silver was paid, it was sold at five taels per dan. Soldiers used to receive their pay, which was enough to cover their expenses and leave some for their families, but now it's not even enough to cover their expenses. Therefore, the soldiers are full of complaints, and if their pay is not paid on time, they will riot."

Wanli's expression grew increasingly serious. The Ming army's demand for pay wasn't a phenomenon unique to the reigns of Tianqi and Chongzhen; it had already begun appearing in the middle of the Wanli reign, and it was becoming increasingly frequent.

In the 15th year of the Wanli reign, a mutiny broke out in Yunyang, Huguang (now Shiyan). The soldiers, having been bullied by civil officials for a long time and having their food and wages withheld, smashed the prefectural government office and injured more than a dozen students. The censor had to pay the arrears of food and wages before the mutiny was finally quelled.

"Without pay, the army is inadequate, and the court has no choice but to recruit more soldiers, which only empties the treasury."

"If Liaodong is not peaceful, the Liao tribute will not stop. If the Liao tribute does not stop, the people of the world will become even more impoverished. When they reach the extreme end of their poverty, they will want to change. The Central Plains and Shaanxi are prone to famine. Once a disaster occurs, the people will starve everywhere, and their hearts will turn against each other. When there are refugees everywhere, it will be even more difficult to collect taxes. If the Liao tribute comes again, the people will have no choice but to rise up."

"Therefore, I suggest: establish military farms, promote culture and education, and establish the imperial examination system. Use the Chinese to transform the barbarians, and use the Liao people to defend the Liao territory. We cannot pin all our hopes on foreign troops and Liao tribute. I believe the same can be done for the Liao garrison. Liao tribute should no longer be collected."

Wanli was a top student when he was young. Zhang Juzheng cultivated him carefully. Among the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, Wanli was one of the most intelligent ones.

Wanli knew what Liu Zhaosun said. If they could act with the same swiftness and determination as the Kaiyuan Army, regardless of obstacles, nothing would be impossible.

"I heard that Liu Qing has a good command of the army and that all the soldiers are not afraid of death. How did Liu Qing do that?"

Liu Zhaosun prostrated himself and kowtowed again. "Your Majesty, I have only practiced the great principles, teaching my soldiers to be loyal to the emperor and patriotic. I have clearly established rewards and punishments for them, and I have personally served on the front lines in every battle."

Wanli was silent for a long time, then spoke softly, "Mr. Liu has just arrived in Liaodong, yet he has seen things so clearly. He is truly extraordinary. Go back and rest."

Wanli vaguely remembered that Shaanxi had sent a memorial the day before, which indeed contained reports of a civil uprising. Thinking of what Liu Zhaosun had just said, a chill rose in his heart.

"Your Majesty, the Liao situation is currently devastating. Once Liaodong is conquered by the Jiannu, the interior of the Ming Dynasty will be affected, as I just said. Civil uprisings in Shaanxi and Henan are also foreseeable."

Throughout the Ming Dynasty, the refugee problem was a thorn in the side of the body that could not be eliminated until Chongzhen hanged himself on Coal Hill.

"Then, what does this have to do with Prince Fu?"

Liu Zhaosun's body trembled. "I heard that when Prince Fu was leaving for his fiefdom in Henan, the emperor issued an imperial edict granting him 40,000 hectares of farmland."

"I have heard that Prince Fu's fiefdom was originally in Luoyang, but because his estates were too large, the land in Henan was insufficient, so he took land from Shandong and Huguang to make up for it."

"I have heard that Prince Fu has privately seized Zhang Taiyue's property, the miscellaneous taxes on the reed islands along the river from Jiangdu to Taiping, the silver from the salt wells and tea in Sichuan, and more..."

Wanli interrupted them with a wave of his hand, furious: "Enough! So you're just like that censor! I only gave Zhu Changxun a small fortune and let him return to Henan to live a peaceful life, and you're jealous and making a fuss! This is my family affair, and you don't need to interfere!"

Liu Zhaosun persisted, his voice resounding, "Your Majesty's treatment of a vassal king is unprecedented! Drought and locust floods are raging in Henan, leaving thousands of miles of land barren and crops completely destroyed. The government is pressing for more, and grain prices are as low as eight ounces per dou. When I arrived in the capital, I heard people eating Guanyin dirt and even bartering their children for food!"

"Henan is in distress, and public opinion is surging! Prince Fu is the richest man in the land, possessing vast tracts of fertile land. As a prince, he has shown no concern for the Emperor, nor has he distributed grain or money to the victims! Instead, he spends his money recklessly, living a life of luxury. I risk my life to advise you that if this continues, Prince Fu's wealth and status may be in jeopardy!"

"That's enough! Stop talking!"

Wanli coughed violently and spat out blood. The palace maid hurriedly brought him medicine.

Wanli pushed the medicine bowl away, his eyes blazing with anger. After a while, he weakly spread out his hands, took the bowl and drank it.

After losing the battle for the throne, Wanli wanted to give all the wealth in the world to his youngest son in order to make amends to Prince Fu. Now, Wanli's health is deteriorating. Will the selfish and foolish Prince Fu be punished? How much good fortune will he have left?
Ignoring the Emperor's fury, Liu Zhaosun lamented, "Your Majesty's doting on Prince Fu is actually harming him. His future is in jeopardy! Your Majesty, for the Crown Prince's sake, fought a bloody battle against the Jiannu at Sarhu, and though defeated, he still held honor. Therefore, I just said that Your Majesty treats the Crown Prince far better than Prince Fu. I am willing to die to protect both, Crown Prince and Prince Fu."

Wanli drank the medicine, and a palace maid came forward to wipe the sweat off his face. "Prince Fu is a man of good fortune, blessed by heaven. He doesn't need you to show your loyalty! Are you deliberately trying to irritate me today?"

"I dare not! Kaiyuan is in great danger from the fighting, and we only have enough food and fodder to last until June. I am in urgent need of money and food!"

The surroundings became quiet.

Wanli said with a gloomy expression: "Haha, as expected, you are here to ask for money! What else can you all say besides asking me for money? What else can you do!"

Liu Zhaosun argued, "Your Majesty, I owe tens of thousands of lives in Hunjiang and Kaiyuan. These lives are no longer my own! If I cannot pacify Liao, I will die as a token of my gratitude to the world! Please grant me this!"

"I have no treasury to give you!"

"Kaiyuan has no food and no money. If the imperial court continues to withhold military pay, I will repay Your Majesty with my own death!"

Liu Zhaosun's eyes were sharp and he responded sharply, not giving in at all.

"This time I came to the capital not only to demand the military pay owed by the court, but also to request the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites to allocate manpower. In Kaiyuan, I am doing the work of seven or eight people. As a military commander, besides fighting on the battlefield, I also have to judge cases and feed horses. I can't go home once a month. I don't mind the hardship, but I am afraid that I will become ill from overwork and will never see the emperor again and will not be able to serve him."

What Liu Zhaosun said was, of course, true. The Wanli Emperor was due to die the following year, and with Liu Zhaosun's anger today, he could collapse at any time, prematurely ending his long reign.

Wanli breathed heavily, glaring with a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce Liu Zhaosun. He frowned, recalling many things. It seemed like he had seen this general before him somewhere.

Qi Jiguang? Li Chengliang? Li Rusong?
After an indeterminate amount of silence, the old emperor finally gave in. "If you can truly hold Kaiyuan, I can give you some from the treasury."

Fang Congzhe opened his mouth wide. Liu Zhaosun was the first person to ask the emperor for money like this.

"I believe that Liao tribute should no longer be levied, or should be reduced. I request that Your Majesty grant me the authority to establish military farms in Kaiyuan. Furthermore, I request that you grant me the right to temporarily recruit officials below the fifth rank in Kaiyuan to assist in military affairs. The censors in the court are not allowed to interfere!"

Wanli said impatiently: "Everything you said needs to be approved by the cabinet. I can't make the decision alone."

Fang Congzhe quickly practiced Tai Chi: "Your Majesty, I will listen carefully to your judgment!"

Liu Zhaosun struck while the iron was hot: "I only want new Jinshi candidates."

"allow!"

"Your Majesty, if we follow the strategy of pacifying Liaodong, Liaodong will surely be held, and the military expenditures for the nine frontiers can be reduced by half."

Wanli's eyes lit up. "Cut it in half? Wouldn't that save five million taels of military pay? Is that really possible?"

"How dare I deceive you!"

Wanli was not as naive as the Coal Hill War God Chongzhen. Liu Zhaosun's ability to defeat the Jiannu and station troops in Kaiyuan clearly demonstrated his ability. His analysis, while flawed, was coherent and insightful, capturing the essence of Liaodong in just a few sentences.

The method of converting Chinese people into barbarians, cultivating land, and promoting trade mentioned in Liu Zhaosun's stratagem for pacifying Liao was quite innovative. Even if Liu Zhaosun failed to pacify Liao, it would still be much better than using the Liao garrison.

"How much military pay does Liu Qing need?"

Fang Congzhe stretched his neck, his butt completely lifted off the pearwood armchair. He and the ministers from the six ministries had spent two months to obtain 100,000 yuan in imperial treasury from the emperor.

Liu Zhaosun was able to get a large sum of money in less than half an hour of meeting with the emperor.

Liu Zhaosun raised his fingers and began to count carefully.

"Your Majesty, I have thought over and over again. The reward for each soldier's head last time was 30,000 taels. In this Kaiyuan battle, the soldiers' armor and weapons were excessively consumed and urgently need to be replaced, which will cost about 20,000 taels. In addition, the army's food and fodder storage and supplies will require 50,000 taels. Purchasing war horses and chariots will cost 30,000 taels. Jing'an Fort was burned down by the Jiannu, and repairs are needed..."

"Tell me, how much is it in total?!"

Liu Zhaosun held up his finger and said, "Your Majesty, it must be 600,000 taels."

"Sixty thousand!"

"Five hundred thousand taels is also acceptable."

"Eighty thousand, eighty thousand at most! The treasury has been spent. If you don't believe me, Liu Qing, go ask Lu Shou! Go ask Prime Minister Fang!"

"I bow again with tears in my eyes, thanking Your Majesty on behalf of the Liao people! Your Majesty, please do not abandon the Liao people! Your Majesty! The Liao people are suffering. If Kaiyuan falls, millions of Liao people will suffer! I cannot live in vain!"

"I owe tens of thousands of lives in Hunjiang, and tens of thousands more in Kaiyuan. Every night when I close my eyes, all I see are the ghosts of soldiers who died tragically. I can't sleep. If you don't pacify Liao, I will only bleed five steps away and die in front of Your Majesty!"

After saying that, Liu Zhaosun slammed his head against the marble floor, breaking the stone and splattering blood three feet away.

Everyone was shocked and Fang Congzhe sighed slightly.

Xiong Tingbi was furious:
"Liu Zhaosun, what are you doing? Are you trying to force the emperor? The emperor is kind and generous. He knows the Liao situation is difficult and will definitely donate generously! Five hundred thousand taels is enough! Why do you want so much? Where is your conscience?!"

Wanli turned around and glared at Xiong Tingbi, gritted his teeth and leaned over to look at the bloody Liu Zhaosun:
"Mr. Liu, I know you're having a hard time in Liaodong, but the nine frontier states are all asking me for money! Do you know that Xuanda has been in arrears for nine months, and Jizhou has been in arrears for half a year? I can only give you 300,000 yuan from the imperial treasury!"

Liu Zhaosun slowly raised his head, blood flowing down his forehead and all over his body.

"On behalf of the millions of Liao people, on behalf of the fallen soldiers! On behalf of my adoptive father Liu Jing! On behalf of all people in the world! I bow my head in gratitude for the Emperor's grace! The Emperor's grace is immense and will never be forgotten!"

A surge of passion flowed along the marble floor and finally flowed to Wanli's feet.

Since traveling through time, he has suffered all kinds of hardships, the Hunjiang River is a sea of blood and corpses, the Liao people have been broken up, and millions of people have been separated.

Countless images appeared in his mind like slides.

The young man, who was less than 20 years old, could no longer suppress his emotions. He fell to the ground and cried loudly, regardless of the blood.

Xiong Tingbi stepped forward and helped Liu Zhaosun up.

……

Lu Shou's voice came from outside: "Your Majesty, the person has been brought here."

Wanli angrily said, "You killer! What took you so long to come back?"

Lu Shou looked at the blood on Liu Zhaosun's head, then at the broken marble floor. He knelt down quickly and stammered:
"I deserve to die. I searched all the guild halls and inns but couldn't find him. I only found him at the Wengcheng military camp."

The dark-skinned newly-appointed Jinshi knelt on the ground and bowed to Wanli who was sitting on the throne.

"Student Yuan Chonghuan, kowtows to the Emperor!"

Wanli had met Yuan Chonghuan during the palace examination. If one had to draw a connection, they could be considered to have a teacher-student relationship.

However, the emperor would never regard these corrupt scholars as his own students.

He waved Yuan Chonghuan to his feet and said straight to the point, "Mr. Yuan, I summoned you here today to discuss Liao affairs with you. You should speak freely. First, tell me what you think of Liao military pay."

Yuan Chonghuan stood up and bowed to the emperor again, and caught a glimpse of Liu Zhaosun standing beside him.

He felt that the general looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere.

This man had a bloody head and a piece of white cloth wrapped around his head. Although he looked extraordinary, he looked like a bad person.

Yuan Chonghuan guessed that this must be a Liaozhen general who came to the capital to demand Liao military pay. He sorted out his words a little, turned back and glared at Liu Zhaosun, then said to Wanli in a thick Cantonese accent:
"Your Majesty, like Yao and Shun in ancient times, conquering the Liao Dynasty was not difficult. The Liao situation is difficult, and it is beyond my power to handle. However, I believe that the Liao tribute has caused great harm to the people. While in the capital, I saw a family of four forced to break up and die due to the Liao tribute. An 80-year-old man was begging on the streets. It was truly pitiful. Such harsh policies should be abolished swiftly. No additional levies should be imposed, and no more levies should be levied! Anyone who dares to suggest levying more Liao tribute will be executed!"

Wanli sneered in his heart:

"He's also a waste!"

After Yuan Chonghuan finished speaking, Wanli no longer paid attention to this person and looked up at Liu Zhaosun.

"Lord Liu, if I give you 300,000 treasury coins, how long will it take to pacify Liao?"

Liu Zhaosun slowly stood up, the Hunjiang River and Kaiyuan River appearing before his eyes, a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. He wiped away his tears:
"Our emperor is wise and wise. I guarantee with my life that within five years we can wipe out the Jiannu, and within ten years we can promote civilization. In total, within ten years we can pacify the Liao!"

Wanli nodded. He thought this time limit was reliable.

"Your Majesty, in addition to the silver, I also need to take Yuan Dudu with me. Please grant me permission!"

(1) The policy of paying grain and opening the market: This policy existed in the Song Dynasty and was improved by Zhu Yuanzhang. In simple terms, the government would invite bids from the public based on the amount of military grain needed by the border towns. The merchants who won the bid would transport the grain to the border military towns. After the grain was transported, the government would issue salt permits to the merchants. The merchants would then use the salt permits to obtain salt and then sell it in designated areas for profit. This policy was destroyed after the mid-Ming Dynasty.

(2) Kaizhong Zhese: In the fifth year of the Hongzhi reign, Ye Qi proposed a method of paying silver to obtain salt permits. Merchants no longer needed to transport grain to the border, but only needed to pay silver to engage in the salt business. This method violated the original intention of the Kaizhong system: paying grain to Kaizhong solved the problem of military food, while paying silver to Kaizhong solved the problem of national treasury revenue. It subsequently led to a series of negative consequences.

(End of this chapter)