Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 471 Supervision Department

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the scholars from the Military Academy have already entered officialdom!"
"In the coming days, we will assign these scholars to both the army and navy, and train them as quickly as possible!" Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, the Minister of War felt a jolt of fear and quickly explained to Emperor Longwu.
At the same time, the Minister of War felt a chill run down his spine! He knew that this meant Emperor Longwu was beginning to disapprove of these old guys holding onto power in the upper echelons of the army and not giving younger generations room for advancement! Therefore, as one of the leading figures in the military, he had to make internal adjustments as soon as possible!

"What about the Ministry of Revenue? Are there any problems with the supply of provisions and supplies?" Warfare is all about logistical support! Therefore, Emperor Longwu was quite concerned about the Ministry of Revenue's finances. Of course, Emperor Longwu knew in his heart that the Ministry of Revenue of the Dragon Kingdom should currently be fine, but he still couldn't help but ask.

After all, you can only feel truly at ease after confirming it yourself!
"Your Majesty!"

There are no problems with the Ministry of Revenue. Money, grain, cotton clothing and other supplies are plentiful, and the current inventory is enough for the two armies to use for two years!
"Once the new grain comes in next year, the Ministry of Revenue will take over again!" The old man, the Minister of Revenue, was very clear about the situation in his own little corner of the country, and he spoke with great pride and eloquence!

"Not bad!"

"Won't this affect the layout in other places?" After hearing the Minister of Revenue's words, Emperor Longwu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. It seemed that his decision to overcome all opposition and promote superior breeds nationwide had indeed been very advantageous!

Finally, Emperor Longwu also inquired whether his decision to wage war against the various tribes of Tibet would affect the development and planning of other parts of the country.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will absolutely not affect the court's other plans!"
Meanwhile, with the nationwide grain register review completed this year, next year's tax revenue should be even more abundant! The Minister of Revenue remained calm despite Emperor Longwu's praise, stating directly that next year's tax revenue would be even higher!

After all, with the grain registers in place, no one will be able to evade taxes anymore! Nobody will be allowed to!

"What about the supply of weapons and armor? Is it enough to meet the army's needs?" Having discussed the issue of provisions, the next issue was weapons and armor.

"Your Majesty, the Bureau of Armory has prepared a sufficient supply of all kinds of swords and spears."

The firearms bureau had enough cannons, projectiles, and gunpowder for a major battle.

Meanwhile, the Firearms Bureau has also improved the muskets, which are currently undergoing testing. "Although Minister of Works Zhang Dazhu is about to retire, he still handles these matters with great ease!"
"Hmm~!" After hearing Zhang Dazhu's response, Emperor Longwu nodded in satisfaction! After all, it seemed that the imperial treasury was full, and there were plenty of swords, armor, and even cotton clothing, which fully met the conditions for starting a war!

"By imperial decree: the First and Second Army Corps shall be fully prepared for war."
At the same time, Generals Qian and Jiang were to be stationed at the two armies immediately to train the troops as soon as possible!
The Ministry of Revenue prepared provisions and supplies, while the Ministry of Works prepared weapons and firearms.

Then send another message to the Mughal tribes: In this battle, I will destroy Tibet!
After the war, I will redistribute their vassal territories according to their merits! Seeing that there were no problems with provisions, supplies, weapons, and firearms, Emperor Longwu directly ordered preparations for war!

At the same time, in order to win the hearts and minds of the Mughal tribes, Emperor Longwu offered the temptation of redividing their vassal territories! Emperor Longwu believed that the Mughal tribes would be very tempted by such a vast grassland as the Ussuri region!
"Your Majesty, we obey!" Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's decree, the officials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony bowed and responded. Even the eldest prince, Zhu Qiyu, who had been standing behind Emperor Longwu like a puppet, respectfully bowed and accepted the order!
"Your Majesty, should we recruit more soldiers for the First and Second Armies?" Just after everyone responded to Emperor Longwu's words, Huang Zhong, the Second Grand Secretary, suddenly asked a question that no one had expected.

As soon as Vice Minister Huang Zhong uttered these words, all eyes immediately turned to him!

"Please speak, Grand Secretary Huang!" Upon hearing Huang Zhong's voice, Emperor Longwu knew that this Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong was about to unleash another major move! Normally, Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always something important!
"Your Majesty, I suggest that Your Majesty continue to expand the First and Second Legions!"
The generous benefits offered by the military would surely drive countless young people in China crazy!

Especially for those foreign tribes within the country who harbor disloyal intentions, the imperial court can take this opportunity to cleanse them once again!
Furthermore, this matter will greatly benefit the court's upcoming policy of comprehensive Sinicization! The Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong's words were filled with a chilling aura of ruthlessness!
After hearing what the Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong said, Emperor Longwu was also deeply moved!
Huang Zhong truly lived up to his reputation for using the most handy knife; his words resonated deeply with Emperor Longwu!
"Huang Cifu, Minister of Rites, and Minister of Personnel, remain here."

"The rest of you, hurry up and prepare for war!" Emperor Longwu didn't comment on the words of the Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong, as if he hadn't heard them at all. Instead, he directly ordered Xia Yuanji to leave with the Ministers of Works and Revenue, among others!

"Your Majesty, we take our leave!" Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, Grand Secretary Xia Yuanji knew that Emperor Longwu was taking Huang Zhong's words to heart! That was why he asked everyone else to leave!
At this moment, even Xia Yuanji felt that Huang Zhong's words were too cruel. However, given the current situation of the Dragon Kingdom—with wars abroad and a policy of promoting full Sinicization domestically—Xia Yuanji did not refute Huang Zhong's words.

After all, a merciful ruler cannot command an army, and a benevolent ruler cannot hold power! For the prosperity of the Dragon Kingdom, some necessary sacrifices are essential!
Moreover, what is about to be sacrificed is the current scourge of the nation! It deserves absolutely no pity!
"Oh! Right, Minister Zhang!"

"I will be visiting the Firearms Bureau in the coming days. Have the craftsmen prepare the improved firearms; I want to see them in person!" Watching Xia Yuanji and his entourage turn to leave, Emperor Longwu suddenly called out to Zhang Dazhu, the Minister of Works, clearly informing him that he would be personally inspecting the Firearms Bureau soon!

"Your subject obeys the decree!" Upon hearing Emperor Longwu's words, Minister of Works Zhang Dazhu quickly turned around and replied. Only after Emperor Longwu waved his hand did he turn and leave.

In fact, after hearing what the Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong said, Emperor Longwu was moved and, deep down, approved of the matter. Therefore, Emperor Longwu immediately began to expel the people!

After all, what follows involves the burning of books and burying of scholars alive, which is never a good look, so it's best to avoid it somewhat. Of course, this avoidance isn't because Emperor Longwu is afraid; it's simply that he hopes fewer people will be involved in this burning of books and burying of scholars alive!
Or to put it bluntly, Emperor Longwu wanted the Second Grand Secretary Huang Zhong to take full responsibility for the burning of books and burying of scholars!
"Yu'er, let the officials from the Imperial Observatory come in." After Xia Yuanji and the others left, Emperor Longwu instructed his eldest son to personally invite the officials from the Imperial Observatory into the room.

"Yes!" The First Prince, Zhu Qiyu, who had been completely unnoticed until now, bowed and turned to leave. After all, the celestial officials from the Imperial Observatory had been kneeling outside for half an hour! It was time to let them rise and discuss matters!

"Minister Wang, how is the arrangement for dispatching inspectors to various county-level and above government offices progressing?!" After watching his eldest son leave, Emperor Longwu turned his attention to Wang Fang, the Minister of Rites.

After all, Emperor Longwu had been preparing for a long time to address the issue of local corruption in the Dragon Kingdom, and had decided to adopt the modern disciplinary committee strategy, setting up inspectors in government offices at the county level and above throughout the Dragon Kingdom!
However, despite several years of preparation, the Ministry of Personnel has yet to make any move.

Of course, Emperor Longwu was also aware that the previous situation was due to a shortage of manpower. Therefore, it was precisely because of the need to replenish the ranks of officials that Emperor Longwu allowed the Imperial Academy to have so many students who were ranked in the third class!
(End of this chapter)