Joy of Life: I am a Han Dynasty succubus, and I rebel from the beginning

Chapter 335, Liu Hong and Lin Ruofu's discussion, step by step, or militarism
The grand court meeting ended successfully with most people satisfied.

Lin Ruofu leaned on his crutches and slowly, with the help of the eunuchs in the palace, prepared to walk towards his prime minister's residence.

Hong Zhu stopped in front of Lin Ruofu and saluted respectfully.

"Prime Minister, the king invites you to have a chat in the imperial study."

A gleam of light flashed in Lin Ruofu's eyes, and he was just about to walk towards the imperial study.

Hong Zhu waved his hand and asked several imperial guards to come over carrying a sedan chair.

"The king said that the prime minister is old and has made great contributions. From now on, he can just ride in a sedan chair when he enters the palace. He doesn't have to walk."

Lin Ruofu glanced at the sedan chair but did not get on it. Instead, he looked at Hong Zhu.

"The King of Han is planning to let me, the Prime Minister, step down?"

They say he has worked hard and made great contributions, and that he is old.

Isn't it just hinting to him that he shouldn't stand in the toilet without taking a shit?

Especially the cabinet members, almost all of them have the ability to stand on their own, and it seems that it doesn’t matter whether he is the prime minister or not.

Hong Zhu was stunned, but quickly reacted and smiled.

"Minister Lin, you are worrying too much! The king is not Emperor Qing. If the king really wants you, Minister Lin, to step down, he will tell you."

"I allowed you, Minister Lin, to ride in the palace carriage because I couldn't bear to see you overworked."

Lin Ruofu looked at Hong Zhu for a long time and nodded slightly.

He was indeed a little nervous.

Liu Hong sat in the imperial study, holding Bai Lang's memorial on mobilizing the Nanzhao Kingdom's 500,000 troops, and rubbed his temples from time to time.

Does the Nanzhao Kingdom have two million people? What's the difference between Bai Lang's actions and mobilizing the whole country's troops to attack the city?
The Kingdom of Qing is not like the small border country of Nanzhao. Even if it has lost the three major warehouses of the inner treasury, it can still look at the accumulation of previous years.

The armor rate can also be over 80 percent.

With the group of peasant soldiers of Nanzhao Kingdom, they probably would not have been able to compete with Qing Kingdom unless they took down several big cities by surprise.

Just fail once!
Once the food supply is cut off, the entire Nanzhao Kingdom will be littered with corpses.

Thinking of this, Liu Hong suddenly became a little annoyed and threw the memorial to the ground.

"Bai Lang, Bai Lang... Even now, you don't think you did anything wrong. Instead, you kidnapped millions of people from Nanzhao to keep you going crazy."

As soon as Lin Ruofu walked into the imperial study, he saw Liu Hong throwing the memorial to the ground, and was slightly startled.

Then he slowly bowed.

"King of Han!"

Liu Hong glanced at Lin Ruofu, waved his hand, and asked him to sit on the couch.

"Minister Lin, you are here! Tell me, how much grain does the Han Kingdom have?"

Lin Ruofu originally wanted to use official data to perfunctorily answer, but seeing Liu Hong's serious expression, he thought for a while and spoke honestly.

"It will not affect the people of Han. The reform process will probably squeeze out 1.5 million shi, which can support an army of 200,000 for three months."

Liu Hong's grip on the teacup tightened slightly.

“What if we buy food in bulk?”

"Five million shi is the maximum, unless there is a massive purge in the country without any reason to wipe out all the big families and big businessmen."

Lin Ruofu spoke with certainty.

He was the chief minister of the cabinet and the prime minister of the Han Kingdom. He knew everything about the Han Kingdom.

Dingzhou and Qianlongwan provided grain and silver to support the seven counties in the capital. It has only been a year, and no matter how hard they try to recover, they can't afford much.

What’s more, Dingzhou was hit by a snowstorm.

Dongshan Road is located in the Dadongshan where Emperor Qing and his entourage went. Yan Xiaoyi and Shangshan Hu collected grain on the spot, but there was not much left.

As for the taxes in Jiangbei Road, a large portion of them are needed to repair the Yangtze River embankment to prevent further floods.

But Qing Kingdom has no choice but to fight!
Otherwise, by the time Qing Kingdom had time to quell the Nanzhao rebellion in the south, an army of 800,000 would have marched northward to take Kyoto.

People’s lives are difficult!
The imperial study fell into silence, and Lin Ruofu knew there was another way.

It would not affect the reform and could also provide a large amount of grain support for the Han State to conquer the Qing State.

However, since Liu Hong didn't mention it, Lin Ruofu wouldn't embarrass himself.

Liu Hong held the hot tea for a while, then spoke softly.

"Minister Lin, what do you think of militarism, combining farming with warfare, and using strict laws to urge state-owned heavy factories to quickly discover the problem?"

Ordinary people probably wouldn't understand the meaning of this.

But Lin Ruofu, a veteran, definitely understands.

According to later generations, it is a capitalist expansion strategy, which is a bit like Shang Yang's Reforms in Qin State.

Internally, the status of peasants and soldiers was raised, severe crackdowns were made on and the aristocratic families were purged, all in preparation for the war system.

Externally, they plundered other countries' population, raw materials, and markets to provide a constant source of impetus for reform.

But this thing is like a flood and a beast. Once it is opened, it is very likely that it cannot be taken back.

A large number of generals with outstanding military achievements will become warmongers and advocate war all the time.

The civil service will be suppressed to the point where they cannot raise their heads, and domestic public opinion will fall into a frenzy of war.

If there is no food, go to war and rob!
Without raw materials, go to war and rob!

Without silver and grain, go to war and rob!
Public opinion opposing the reform will be quickly suppressed, and intellectuals advocating feudal rule will be quickly sent to the guillotine.

This seems to be a good situation.

After all, the world is huge, with the Kingdom of Qing, the Kingdom of Nanzhao, the Dongyi City, and the Northern Qi.

Once the world is unified, we can also strike at the Western Hu and seize their livestock.

Even if the Western Hu are gone, we can still colonize overseas and conquer the world.

It's really too domineering, but the problem is that the basis of all this is that you cannot fail, or at least fail in a way that would cause you to suffer serious consequences.

Otherwise, the economic system of the Han Dynasty would quickly collapse, and the Han Dynasty would fall into a state of economic depression overnight.

When Lin Ruofu saw Liu Hong talking about militarism, with an excited look on his face, he took a deep breath.

"King of Han, can you guarantee that you will never fail in this life? In other words, can you guarantee that your descendants will be as wise as you?"

Liu Hong took a sip of tea and felt a little bitter.

It is because of this concern that he hesitates in making a choice between normal industrial accumulation and primitive capital expansion!

Liu Hong gently put down the teacup and stared at Lin Ruofu.

"Then Prime Minister Lin, we have to fight the war against Qing! If we don't have food, tell me what to do?"

It’s easy to deal with the lack of money. You can use military merits, titles, privileges, land, etc. as a substitute.

Without food, the army cannot even fight.

Lin Ruofu was also silent for a while.

"My lord, are you interested in taking a trip to the southern part of Kyoto?"

Most of the people in the southern part of Kyoto were soldiers who followed Liu Hong to conquer the world. After becoming disabled, they looked for jobs in Kyoto.

By the way, he was also looking after the soldiers of the Qing State who were sent home.

Liu Hong nodded slightly and looked back at the imperial study.

The imperial palace is a symbol of imperial power, but also the emperor's prison.

If you stay here for too long, you will become more and more autocratic and detached from the people.

Even with the Baoyue Tower, Qianhang, and the People's Conference, the people's sentiments in various places are constantly conveyed.

It also cannot prevent Liu Honghui from gradually becoming alienated from the people, it can only alleviate the situation at best.

Hong Zhu was startled and wanted to dissuade him, but then he laughed at himself.

The King of Han is the only grandmaster in the world in his prime. Other grandmasters are busy hiding from him, so how could they have the leisure to assassinate him?

Liu Hong picked up the casual clothes that he hadn't worn for a long time and followed Lin Ruofu to the streets of South City. Looking at Lin Ruofu in his plain clothes.

Liu Hong's eyes showed a hint of surprise.

Lin Ruofu smiled, with a hint of reminiscence in his eyes.

"I'm old! I always like to play chess and grow flowers and plants. Mr. Yuan's identity has been revealed, so I can only brag to those old soldiers."

Lin Ruofu is very lonely in the Han Kingdom. Apart from taking care of Lin Dabao, his daughter and son-in-law have already gone to the opposite side of the Han Kingdom.

Yuan Hongdao, a lifelong friend, was also a spy for three years.

As the prime minister, second only to the emperor and above everyone else, he had many people trying to curry favor with him, but none of them were as pure as Lin Ruofu expected.

Liu Hong shrugged and did not comment on Lin Ruofu's approach.

If Lin Ruofu were still an old farmer in his seventies, he would probably just want to live a good life.

Instead of expecting to have a playmate who is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and who can raise flowers, plants, birds, and animals.

"Grandpa Lin, you're here again! Where's my candy?"

The fat boy with fangs hugged Lin Ruofu tightly, drooling.

Lin Ruofu smiled happily, took out a piece of candy from his arms and handed it to the little fat boy.

"Go! And call your father over."

Liu Hong glanced at the ruddy-faced little fat boy and nodded slightly.

The change is quite obvious.

These were just his followers like soldiers, and the fact that they could raise their children to be plump only showed that the reforms were widely popularized.

But this time Liu Hong guessed wrong.

Hong Zhu pulled out a document and handed it to Liu Hong.

This family was once the imperial guard of Qing Kingdom. After the capital city of Kyoto was captured, they stopped serving in the army and opened a cloth factory with several disabled soldiers.

Lin Ruofu smiled and fed candies to the children around him.

At this moment, he did not seem like a veteran who was deeply involved in the court, but rather like an amiable old grandfather next door.

Liu Hong sat casually aside. He wanted to see what Lin Ruofu was going to do.

The burly middle-aged man in silk bowed politely when he saw Lin Ruofu.

He didn't know Lin Ruofu's identity!
But an old man who can give candy to children all day long must have a special status.

Then the middle-aged man looked at Liu Hong who was sitting on the steps nearby. His face suddenly turned pale and he quickly knelt on the ground.

"Zhao Kai, the former centurion of the Qing Kingdom's imperial guards, pays respect to the King of Han."

Liu Hong waved his hand to shut the guy up.

Lin Ruofu also restrained the smile on his face and sent the remaining children away.

He walked closer to Zhao Kai and patted him on the shoulder, which was a kind of comfort.

"Zhao Kai, there is a decision to be made in the court today. The King of Han will raise an army of 200,000 soldiers and 50,000 naval forces to attack the Kingdom of Qing. What do you think?"

Zhao Kai's expression changed for a while, but he finally nodded helplessly.

"The King of Han is wise!"

Liu Hong's eyes were not on Zhao Kai. This was not what he wanted to hear.

Seeing that Liu Hong had not yet given up the idea of ​​​​activating militarism, Lin Ruofu sighed slightly.

Looking at Zhao Kai, he spoke earnestly.

"Please tell me what you think! An army of 250,000 is probably not enough to defeat the Qing Kingdom, which has an army of 800,000."

"When the Han Kingdom begins its war readiness, you will probably be drafted into the army as well."

Liu Hong didn't say anything, but nodded slightly.

Han Xin was a top figure in military strategy, who defended the country with righteousness and deployed troops with extraordinary tactics.

But those veteran generals of Qing Kingdom who have experienced many battles are not mediocre people. They have followed Emperor Qing in his campaigns. Even if they are fools, they should have become successful.

With an army of 200,000, Liu Hong was worried about Han Xin.

Zhao Kai glanced at Liu Hong, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and spoke from the bottom of his heart.

"King of Han, I don't understand why you must attack the Kingdom of Qing!"

"The soldiers of Han and Qing once fought bloody battles, and now they are fighting each other. The winner must be determined!"

"Does the hometown of King Han and the hometown of Emperor Qing have to go to war?"

Lin Ruofu nodded and looked at Liu Hong again.

Now that the Han State has experienced several wars, most people do not want to experience a war.

The concept of family and country has not been cultivated, so the war should not have started.

Anyway, the King of Han is the youngest grandmaster, so even if he has to outlast them, he can outlast the other grandmasters.

Why bother getting involved in this mess?

Liu Hong understood what Lin Ruofu wanted to say and looked towards Jiangnan in the distance.

After a long time, under the expectant gazes of Lin Ruofu and Zhao Kai.

Liu Hong shook his head and spoke softly.

"No, this battle must be fought!"

Bai Lang has been constantly cleaning out the Qing Kingdom's aristocratic families. As long as the Han Kingdom's troops are stationed there, they will be a blank slate!

The soil is extremely suitable for reform. The common people and the remnants of the surviving aristocratic families will all cling to the Han Kingdom.

The same is true for Emperor Qing! Without the control of the noble families, those territories can provide him with a steady supply of food and soldiers.

For Liu Hong and Emperor Qing, this is a race against time.

Who is slower?
Whoever loses the initiative.

Lin Ruofu frowned, he didn't understand why Liu Hong insisted on fighting.

I originally thought that it was the military who was using this information to blackmail Liu Hong.

Unexpectedly, this was the result Liu Hong agreed to.

Liu Hong's tone was erratic.

"Everyone says that Han Xin, the great general of the Han Dynasty, is the sharpest sword in my hand, but that is not true."

"My sharpest sword is Bai Lang!"

Lin Ruofu woke up suddenly and suddenly remembered the close connection between Bai Lang and the Han Kingdom.

Bai Lang was once a bandit during the flood in Jiangbei Road, and later became the captain of Liu Hong's personal guard, learning his thoughts and behavioral concepts.

Later, Bai Lang left Liu Hong's command, but was able to obtain troops and military equipment support from Qianlong Bay and Wuzhou Camp, and captured the capital of Nanzhao Kingdom.

Even though they unified the Nanzhao Kingdom, they could not escape the silver and grain aid from the Han Kingdom.

Lin Ruofu's voice was trembling slightly.

"My king, if that's the case, then why did you allow Bai Lang to attack Qing? You knew that Han was not ready yet."

Liu Hong shook his head and spoke helplessly.

"Sometimes once you sit in this position, you have no choice! Bai Lang's method of eliminating the noble families is too cruel. There is a shortage of officials and food is scarce."

"Han is no longer able to support Nanzhao. If Bai Lang doesn't send troops, we will go all out to take down Qing."

"Then he will face the situation of starvation in Nanzhao."

Lin Ruofu patted Zhao Kai on the shoulder, motioning him to leave, and stared at Liu Hong with sharp eyes.

"So, King Han, have you decided to embark on the path of militarism?"

(End of this chapter)