Dream of the Red Chamber: Start by gaining Zhao Yun's martial prowess, and be ennobled in a sin

Inside the Qianqing Hall, after reading about the reorganization of the army in the Northwest.

Emperor Jingsheng then looked at the third matter mentioned in the memorial.

The third matter concerns the Han Dynasty's proposals regarding the peace terms between the pseudo-Qing and Hunxie states.

After the destruction of the Northern Yuan royal court, Hunxie quickly withdrew his troops and sent people to the Han Dynasty to negotiate peace.

The envoy sent by Hunxie indicated that Hunxie's military expedition was due to the instigation of the Northern Yuan royal court, and that he did not truly intend to invade the Han Dynasty.

Subsequently, the puppet Qing dynasty, unable to sustain its forces alone, withdrew its troops back to Liaodong.

Emperor Kangxi also sent envoys to the capital of the Great Han Dynasty to explain that the reason for sending troops was due to the instigation of the Northern Yuan court, and that he was willing to make peace with the Great Han Dynasty and not invade each other.

During this period, the envoys from both countries held several rounds of consultations with Li Guangdi, a minister of the Han Dynasty, in the capital city, but no consensus was reached.

Neither the Hunxie nor the puppet Qing dynasty had much sincerity in negotiating peace, and neither was willing to pay any actual compensation for their invasion of the Han dynasty.

The Han Dynasty court was in an uproar over this matter.

Most people advocated stopping while the situation was good, saying that years of war had exhausted the people's strength and depleted the national treasury, and it was not advisable to continue the war.

A small number of pro-war advocates suggested that the Marquis of Champion should take control of the nine border regions and send troops to wipe out the two major border threats, Hunxie and the pseudo-Qing.

Emperor Jingsheng had recently written to Jia Jing to inquire about his opinion on this matter.

At this time, Jia Jing wrote his opinion on the matter in his memorial to the throne.

He believed that the false Qing and the Hunxie had violated the border without cause and killed our people and soldiers in Ganzhou and Suzhou in the northwest, and their crimes were unforgivable.

You can ask for peace, but you need to agree to four conditions from the big man:

The first cession of territory required the puppet Qing dynasty to cede all land west of the Liao River and retreat to the east of the Liao River.

Hunye was required to cede Hami, Turpan, and the entire southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, which were vital passageways on the Silk Road.

The second option is to send a son as a hostage. The Qing dynasty is required to send Prince Yinxiang, who is leading the troops, to the Han dynasty to learn etiquette. The Hunxie Kingdom is also required to send one of its legitimate sons to the capital as a hostage.

Third, by opening up trade markets in several border towns, we can control the economic lifeline of both countries.

The fourth indemnity is five million taels in a lump sum, or in installments over several years.

Of course, Jia Jing also knew that the pseudo-Qing and Hunye might not easily agree to these peace terms.

After all, neither country was defeated this time; they were merely frightened by the annihilation of the Northern Yuan, so they took the initiative to withdraw their troops and seek peace.

Getting them to pay the price won't be easy.

Because between nations, they have always only recognized swords and spears, not morality.

Therefore,

Jia Jing offered further advice, in a very simple sentence:

It is recommended that the court suspend the peace negotiations and that the Northwest take the initiative to send troops to annihilate the tens of thousands of troops of the puppet Qing and Hunxie forces. This move is extremely necessary!

After reading this, Emperor Jingsheng felt much more confident and his thoughts on negotiating peace with the two countries became clearer.

He picked up the vermilion brush on his desk and wrote the character "准" on the memorial.

Then Emperor Jingsheng looked at the fourth matter mentioned in Jia Jing's memorial.

This time, the viewing time was exceptionally long. Originally, I was leaning slightly against the cushioned chair, but I gradually sat up straight.

His expression was somewhat solemn, and his gaze was also somewhat sharp.

This story mainly recounts the illegal activities of officials and local gentry in the northwestern border towns.

These included encroaching on military farmland, ineffective supervision, manipulating salt and iron, monopolizing trade routes, collusion between civil and military officials to exploit the military and civilians, and annexing land, among other things.

In particular, the border generals formed alliances and marriages with wealthy Shanxi merchants, which not only led to corruption but also turned the border towns into their own private territories for personal gain.

It specifically mentions the corruption of the Gansu General, the Guyuan Governor, the Imperial Censor, and the local Provincial Surveillance Commissioners.

It also pointed out that corruption in the northwestern border towns is no longer an isolated phenomenon, but a systemic decay.

He then proposed five specific measures: severely punishing corrupt officials, suppressing powerful clans and curbing land annexation, investigating and resolving wrongful convictions to appease the people, promoting trade to benefit the people and stabilize the border regions, and reorganizing the border troops to enhance their combat effectiveness.

It is better for one family to cry than for a whole road or a whole country to cry!

The ruthless crackdown on officials, gentry, and military officers is a form of benevolent care for the country and its people.

Finally, he wrote down three institutional suggestions for reorganizing the border troops:

The first system is "generals do not have exclusive control over their troops, and troops do not have private generals":

Border military commanders are subject to a three-year rotation system and are not allowed to serve in their hometowns or in the same town for more than three consecutive years.

At the same time, the command and management authority of the army were separated, with the general in charge of military command and the governor in charge of administrative management and supervision, thus creating a system of checks and balances.

The second military farmland was nationalized and placed under the unified management of the Ministry of Revenue.

The military farmland in the border towns was nationalized, and the Ministry of Revenue recruited landless farmers to cultivate the land. The harvested grain was used directly as military pay.

The military household system was changed to a "conscription system," recruiting displaced people into the army, providing them with land to settle down, and allowing soldiers to pass on the land to their descendants after retirement, thus realizing the integration of soldiers and farmers.

Thirdly, it is strictly forbidden for generals to employ military households for private purposes:

The imperial court explicitly stipulated that generals were not allowed to privately employ soldiers to cultivate private land or build residences for themselves, and those who violated this rule would be punished for "embezzling military funds".

At the same time, a "soldier appeal system" was established. If a soldier was forced to serve a general privately, he could report it directly to the imperial censor. If the report was verified, the general would be severely punished and the soldier would be rewarded.

Emperor Jingsheng carefully read through these memorials, pondered for a moment, his gaze complex, and couldn't help but sigh:

"Zijie was completely selfless, and everything he thought and did was for the sake of the court's overall interests."

"His proposed measures will only harm his own interests and will only invite impeachment and condemnation from countless officials and gentry."

"He shows not a trace of arrogance due to his achievements, nor a hint of selfish ambition to amass power! This is the true mark of a loyal minister, the true advisor bestowed upon me by the founding emperor to restore the dynasty!"

"It's laughable that those censors and officials still impeached him, accusing him of harboring ulterior motives and posing an unforeseen danger!"

"If I were to believe these slanders, I fear I might really have to hang myself on Coal Hill in the future."

"However, this matter cannot be rushed! Corrupt officials, local tyrants, and evil gentry are not limited to just the Northwest."

"The Han Dynasty has deep-rooted problems and rampant corruption. To eradicate these problems, we must start with the court system."

"Now that the border war is going smoothly, we should focus our main efforts on cleaning up official corruption and implementing new policies domestically!"

"To eradicate these corrupt practices, the most important thing is to have some talented people with new ideas! Perhaps we can hold a special imperial examination... with Zhang Tinglu and Li Fu as the chief and deputy examiners..."

Emperor Jingsheng's thoughts naturally turned to the new policies, the cleanup of official corruption, and the development of national strength.

…………

The main hall of Qianqing Palace.

It was early afternoon.

It's already hot.

The May sunlight slanted in through the window, drawing bright white streaks on the blue brick floor.

There was no wind, and the bronze bells on the eaves remained motionless. Ice chips burned in the bronze cauldron at the foot of the hall, and wisps of blue smoke rose straight up, turning into smoke and dissipating in mid-air.

at this time,

The five Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, along with the Right Vice-Governor, the Prince of Nan'an, the Vice-Governor, the Prince of Beijing, and Prince Teng, waited in the hall in their court robes, without uttering a word.