Bringing the Railway to Daming

"Even if Li Zicheng and his men only looted 15 million taels of silver from Beijing, those corrupt officials of the Chongzhen Dynasty should be skinned alive!"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang obviously hated corrupt officials even more.

If it weren't for the national interests, he wouldn't even want to give those corrupt officials the chance to do hard labor in Luohuang, but would instead skin them all and even light sky lanterns!
Zhu Biao's face was also frost-covered. "These parasites of the state are truly foolish. They initially refused to contribute money to help the court fight the Shun army, but after joining the Shun army, they still harbored a hopeful mentality. In the end, they were tortured and their wealth was exposed, leaving them bankrupt and their families destroyed."

Liu Kuan lamented, "Of those officials and nobles who defected to Li Zicheng, there were indeed few good people. The few civil and military officials and nobles who were truly loyal to the Ming Dynasty at that time either died in battle or committed suicide when the Shun army broke into the city."

"Some hanged themselves, others burned their entire families to death, and even fathers, sons, and brothers drowned themselves. Of course, some also took off their official robes and infiltrated the civilian population, taking advantage of the chaos to leave the capital and head south, plotting to restore the Ming Dynasty."

"However, the worst of all were the Ming officials who surrendered to the Qing less than two months later. These people were slaves of three surnames, with no regard for the Ming or the Han dynasty, and only wanted to preserve their own lives and wealth."

"What's funny is that the Qing dynasty learned a lot from the Ming dynasty's experience, practically treating the Han gentry and landlords like pigs and dogs."

"When the Qing court needed money, it made these people pay fines for their crimes, and official positions were sold at a fixed price, without any deception. As a result, most of the so-called gentry became the white gloves that helped the Qing Dynasty oppress and enslave the people."

When Liu Kuan thought of those officials in the late Qing Dynasty who borrowed money to buy official positions and then brought professional debt collectors with them when they took office, he suddenly felt that those "gentry and landlords" were ridiculous.

Zhu Yuanzhang was originally very happy when he received Zhu Gang's telegram, but after listening to Liu Kuan's story about the late Ming Dynasty, he became very depressed.

He didn't want to hear more about the late Ming Dynasty for the time being. Seeing that Liu Kuan had finished speaking, he changed the subject and said, "The third brother also mentioned in the telegram that the Mamluk Kingdom had many slaves, such as military slaves, serfs, and labor slaves. What do you think should be done with them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Kuan first inquired about the general situation of the Mamluk military slaves, serfs, and other slaves before saying, "These slaves must not be released. Perhaps some of them can be recruited and used by the Jin vassal state and the Xihai Guard."

"Xihaiwei should be more cautious in absorbing local people than Jinfan. It would be best if we could mainly recruit immigrants from the Ming Dynasty."

"In addition, I would like to remind His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin not to rely too much on the locals. The immigrants who followed him are the backbone of the Jin vassal state's rule over Egypt."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "You think much the same as me and Biao'er—even though we treat ethnic minorities like Mongols and Semites equally in the Ming Dynasty, that is based on the fact that we have tens of millions of Han people."

"The Third and Fourth Princes established vassal states overseas, but the Ming people who followed them were a minority. Naturally, they couldn't treat the locals who came with them equally."

"Perhaps, the various practices of the Qing Dynasty after they came to rule the Central Plains in later generations are worth their reference."

Zhu Biao also said: "To use a small number to control a large number requires caution."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled again and said, "We Han people yearn for many children and grandchildren. Immigrants will surely have more children. I believe that in a hundred years, Han people in the overseas vassal states will no longer be a minority."

After talking about the overseas Jin vassal state, Liu Kuan prepared to take his leave - it was getting late, and he didn't need to go to Tiangongyuan after leaving the palace, he could go directly back home.

Zhu Yuanzhang then changed the subject and said, "Lee Seong-gye of Goryeo was slow to realize that the Ming Dynasty was seizing the Western Regions. Perhaps he felt pressured, or perhaps he saw this as a rare opportunity, and so he launched a series of actions."

"He first ordered the execution of Wang Yu and his son Wang Chang, and then had Wang Yao confer upon him the titles of 'Meritorious Minister for Rescuing the Nation' and 'Founding Loyal Earl of Hening Commandery'."

"He was subsequently promoted to the position of Minister of the Imperial Household (equivalent to the Prime Minister), and then concurrently served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies."

"At this point, Lee Seong-gye was second only to the emperor in Goryeo, and was only one step away from ascending the throne."

Zhu Biao continued Zhu Yuanzhang's words and said, "I have discussed this matter with my father and I, and I think that Lee Seong-gye will most likely have two choices."

"One is to first usurp the throne and then submit a petition to the Ming Dynasty. The other is to manipulate Wang Yao and, as a powerful minister of Goryeo, guide Goryeo to submit to the Ming Dynasty."

Liu Kuan didn't know Lee Seong-gye well, and wondered, "Since Lee Seong-gye is only one step away from the throne, would he be willing to give up his power? Goryeo hasn't fought against the Ming Dynasty, has it? Why does he think he can't hold on?"

Zhu Biao said, "Korea has never fought against us, but Lee Seong-gye is not completely unfamiliar with the military strength of the Ming Dynasty. In fact, my father and I both believe that it would be better to let Korea request submission."

"After all, Goryeo has been a vassal state of China for many years. If we don't have a strong enough reason to attack it, it will not look good after all."

Liu Kuan understood.

It seems that Zhu wanted Lee Seong-gye to know how powerful Ming Dynasty was - so powerful that Goryeo had to submit to it in order to survive.

Then Liu Kuan imagined that if Goryeo was also incorporated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, then even if the Ming Dynasty was not counted as an overseas territory, its territory would be very vast and beautiful.

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Two months passed in a flash and the weather turned cooler.

On the morning of the third day of August, Liu Kuan went to the cross-river bridge after breakfast as usual, and Zhu Biao followed him as he had done several times before, but the strange fog did not appear. This situation was within Liu Kuan's expectations.

After all, looking back at the previous appearances of strange fog, although there is no regular pattern, it rarely appears year after year.

After August comes September and October, which are known as the golden autumn. Because new crops such as sweet potatoes, corn, and potatoes have been promoted to almost all provinces this year, and water conservancy projects have been promoted for many years, the people of the Ming Dynasty have achieved a greater harvest this year.

During these two months, people in many places are happy and cheerful, just like they are celebrating the New Year.

By the end of October, Lee Seong-gye finally made a decision. Relying on his status as a powerful official in Goryeo, he urged the new Goryeo King Wang Yao, whom he supported, to submit a petition to the Ming Dynasty for submission.

At this time, Goryeo was like a ripe peach to the Ming Dynasty, which could be picked and eaten at any time.

Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang paid attention to his eating manners - when the envoys from Goryeo presented memorials and letters, Zhu Yuanzhang politely declined them.

So in December, the Kingdom of Goryeo sent a larger delegation and again submitted a petition requesting submission.

The delegation sent by Goryeo this time was not only unprecedentedly large, but in order to show his "sincerity", Lee Seong-gye even asked his second son Lee Bang-won to bring the six-year-old Crown Prince Wang Yao to study in the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

Lee Bang-won was 23 years old when he passed the Jinshi examination in Goryeo in the 15th year of Hongwu and officially entered the officialdom. It can be said that he was already past the age of studying.

As for the Crown Prince of Goryeo, he was too young and obviously not suitable for studying abroad.

So anyone with a discerning eye could see that Lee Seong-gye sent these two people as hostages...

Songjiang Prefecture, Wusong Port.

This port is located at the mouth of the Wusong River and was originally within the territory of Suzhou Prefecture. However, a few years ago, when the imperial court invested in the construction of Wusong Port, it abolished the Wusong River Thousand Households Office and assigned Wusongkou and Baoshan to Shanghai County of Songjiang Prefecture.

At the same time, a Maritime Customs Office was established at Wusongkou, making Shanghai one of the eight port cities after the Ming Dynasty opened its sea ports.

On this day, eight Goryeo ships arrived outside Wusong Port in the cold wind.

On the leading ship, Li Fangyuan looked at Wusong Wharf with a serious expression.

This wharf was even larger than the largest in Goryeo, and it held hundreds of ships of all kinds, their sails like clouds. Warehouses, restaurants, and eateries lined the wharf, and merchants, porters, and travelers thronged with each other, a constant stream of people.

On several warships of at least 3,000 tons, Ming soldiers stood like sculptures, holding muskets, which was intimidating.

There were also Ming soldiers on guard on the watchtower at the dock, and "Ming soldiers" in black uniforms patrolling the streets.

Obviously, the Ming Dynasty did not relax its military vigilance just because it was a prosperous maritime trade port.

This made Li Fangyuan look even more solemn.

A few months ago, he learned that his father Lee Seong-gye was going to force Goryeo to submit to the Ming Dynasty. He first thought his father was crazy, and then thought his father was too timid and weak - he was only one step away from the throne, but he did not dare to seize it because he was afraid of the Ming Dynasty.

He couldn't persuade Lee Seong-gye.

Therefore, when Lee Seong-gye wanted to select a son to serve as a hostage to the Ming Dynasty in the name of studying, he volunteered and took the job that his other brothers avoided.

What he wanted at the time was to take the opportunity to find out the strength of the Ming Dynasty - he wanted to let Lee Seong-gye understand that the Ming Dynasty was not that scary, nor was it invincible.

At least they were defending in Goryeo and should have been able to defeat the Ming army.

The Red Turban Army was rampant in Goryeo back then, but wasn't it wiped out by them?

But when he was "escorted" out to sea by Ming warships and arrived in Ming Dynasty, and saw the prosperous yet orderly Wusong Port, Li Fangyuan's original idea was a little shaken.

'Do not! '

Li Fangyuan shook his head suddenly.

"I have not yet set foot on Ming territory, nor have I yet reached the Ming capital. How can I conclude that the Ming is invincible just because of a few warships and a prosperous port?" (End of this chapter)