Ming Dynasty entry: I am Chongzhen, the greatest emperor of all time!

Chapter 119 The wealth of Jiangnan is comparable to that of a nation.
Despite the oppressive aura emanating from the title "tyrant," Wang Jiayan stepped half a step out from the ranks of military officers.

His scarlet robe and rhinoceros horn belt reflected the azure sky outside the palace. The Minister of War raised his tablet above his brow and asked, "Your Majesty, I humbly request your clarification: what system should be adopted for the four armies beyond the pass?"

Zhu Youjian's anger vanished instantly, replaced by a playful expression. "What brilliant idea does Minister Wang have?"

"The Guan-Ning Army system was established in the second year of the Tianqi reign." Wang Jiayan took out a yellowed book from his sleeve.

"The Guan Ning Army consists of 50,000 combat soldiers, 100,000 auxiliary soldiers, and more than 50,000 artisans."

"The annual salary for combat soldiers is fifty taels of silver, and for auxiliary soldiers it is twenty taels, with additional rewards for battle."

"This force of 150,000 alone will cost 4.5 million taels of silver annually, and armor and firearms will require another million taels."

“Liaodong is bitterly cold, and only one of the five grains can be harvested. Even without additional taxes, the output is barely enough to feed the families of artisans. The army needs to transport 900,000 shi of grain from within the pass every year, and 100,000 laborers are dispatched for transportation over four months, with 200,000 shi lost along the way.”

At this point, Wang Jiayan paused slightly.

Zhu Youjian was also aware that the six million taels of Liaodong military pay allocated to the Wu family every year was barely enough, and Wu Sangui and Wu Xiang had not embezzled much.

Moreover, given the customs of the military in that era, it was inevitable that the generals would have to get their hands dirty and have some grease on their hands.

In addition, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War had acted improperly, to the point that the Guan Ning Army had to make its own arrows.

In order to support the Guan Ning Army and to make his own life better, Wu Sangui had no choice but to condone and even support smuggling.

This is how I earn some money.

This is why, even though Zhu Youjian had captured Wu Sangui and Wu Xiang, he never took decisive action against them, but instead bestowed upon them the title of Duke, praising them highly.

After all, in the late Ming Dynasty society, where demons and monsters roamed everywhere and people were judged by their moral standards, these two were already generals who were capable of getting things done.

Seeing that Zhu Youjian remained silent, Wang Jiayan continued.

"If we were to establish four armies, the cost would quadruple to 22 million taels of silver, require 500,000 conscripts, transport 6 million shi of grain, and also need a great many artisans."

"Our Great Ming's annual revenue last year was less than five million taels of silver, how can we talk about building four new armies!?"

Wang Jiayan's meaning was very clear: I don't oppose the establishment of the new Fourth Army, but Zhu Youjian has no money, so how will you build it?

The rain gradually subsided, and the crisp sound of water dripping from the eaves hitting the golden bricks could be clearly heard.

Zhu Youjian stood with his back to the assembled officials, gazing at the dragon throne, his wide-sleeved dragon robe fluttering even without wind.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

After a while, Zhu Youjian slowly spoke, "Then, according to your opinion..."

Wang Jiayan said that he had thought about it long ago, and even prepared a solution.

But at this moment, he suddenly wanted to see whether this Minister of War, who had always presented himself as an upright official, was a capable minister or an ordinary one.

"Your Majesty, I beg you to postpone the affairs of the four armies outside the pass." Wang Jiayan suddenly knelt down, his forehead hitting the floor tiles heavily.

"Three thousand elite cavalry can be led by the Duke of England to patrol the border. The Dengzhou and Laizhou naval forces will send General Zheng to guard the Bohai Sea. In the meantime, we can transfer Zuo Liangyu northward, Minister Shi and Prince Zhou's troops westward, and Huang Degong lead the elite troops of the capital garrison southward. This three-pronged approach will encircle Li Zicheng. Once the internal strife is quelled, we can reorganize the salt tax in Lianghuai, reopen the Maritime Trade Office, and conduct a thorough survey of the land south of the Yangtze River. This could increase annual revenue by tens of millions. We can also train a new army, cast heavy artillery, and after ten years of effort, sweep away the enemy's stronghold with lightning speed."

"Ten years?" Zhu Youjian suddenly chuckled, and as he turned around, the twelve-tasseled jade ornaments brushed against Wang Jiayan's shoulder.

"Does Your Excellency know how many people the Jurchens have abducted this year? And how many wives did Dorgon marry in Khorchin last month?"

He strolled to the edge of the steps, his boots grinding against the bloodstains coughed up by the Left Censor-in-Chief. "Don't even mention ten years, do you believe the Jurchens won't even give me three years!"

Wang Jiayan's knuckles turned blue as he gripped the imperial tablet: "Then the national treasury..."

"How much silver did you obtain during the raid on the capital a month ago?" Zhu Youjian suddenly asked the Minister of Revenue.

"The total is thirty-seven million taels."

"How much silver did the Prince Zhou's residence contribute?"

"Five hundred thousand taels."

"How many were sent from Nanjing?"

"Eight million taels."

With each question, the emperor descended a step, finally stopping in front of Wang Jiayan. "Isn't this enough to build the four armies outside the pass?"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Jiayan suddenly looked up. "The confiscated wealth will eventually run out; this is an exception."

"Then let's find another exception!" Zhu Youjian suddenly roared. "Corrupt officials can't be killed off, and parasites can't be caught completely! The day before yesterday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau reported that the Jiangxi Provincial Governor was privately selling school land; yesterday, the Embroidered Uniform Guard uncovered that the Yangzhou Salt Transport Commissioner was colluding with the enemy; and today..."

He suddenly grabbed the ledger from Wang Jiayan's hand and threw it at the ranks of civil officials, shouting, "Tell me, who did these deficits in the ledgers go to?!"

Shi Bangyao was unable to dodge in time and was hit on the forehead, blood flowing down his wrinkles and into his eyes.

The old minister tremblingly picked up the book, the ink on the yellowed pages smeared with blood, just like the blood ice on the snow in Liaodong in the early years of Chongzhen's reign.

"This is not a vegetable market, and you are not charcoal sellers!"

"Today you say you won't build it, and tomorrow someone says they'll surrender the city. Do you want me to surrender the entire country the day after tomorrow before you're satisfied?!"

"During the Ming Dynasty, there was no policy of marriage alliances, no tribute payments, and no indemnities!"

"The emperor guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the state!"

"To die is to die!"

"I would rather use this silver on the army and be defeated honorably by the Jurchens than have it taken by the Jurchens to continue enslaving the people of my Great Ming after my death!"

"Draft an imperial edict." Zhu Youjian turned and flicked his sleeve. "Minister of War Wang Jiayan is to be in charge of the military affairs of the four cities outside the pass, with Marquis of Jingnan Huang Degong assisting. Within three months, the four cities of Ningyuan, Guangning, Jinzhou, and Yizhou shall be rebuilt. The Ministry of Works shall immediately conscript 50,000 artisans."

"Your Majesty!" Wang Jiayan crawled two steps on his knees. Seeing that he could not dissuade him, he could only reach out and grab the hem of the dragon robe. "Even if it must be built, Guangning Guard should be restored first! It connects to Mongolia in the west and controls the Liao River in the east. During the Wanli era, Xiong Tingbi..."

"Minister Wang," Zhu Youjian leaned down and pried open the old minister's fingers, speaking in a low, almost whispered voice, "Beneath Guangning City lie the three thousand loyal bones of Luo Yiguan."

Wang Jiayan trembled violently.

The snowy night of the second year of the Tianqi reign reappeared before my eyes. Luo Yiguan, the military commander of Guangning, defended the isolated city to the death. When the gunpowder ran out, he used bricks and stones to smash the enemy. When the city fell, none of the three thousand defenders surrendered. Their corpses were piled up by the Jurchens into a Jingguan (a mound of corpses).

“Those who abandoned Guangning back then deserve to die.” As Zhu Youjian straightened up, the blood in his eyes was even more intense than the bloodstains on the steps. “Now I wish to reinstate Guangning. Minister Wang, are you willing to avenge General Luo?”

The old minister's white beard and hair danced wildly in the draft, his throat bobbed several times, and finally he kowtowed heavily, "Your subject obeys the decree."

When the thunder roared again, the Xuanjia Guards had already carried the limp Left Censor-in-Chief out of the palace.

As Zhu Youjian gazed at the palace lanterns swaying in the rain, he suddenly remembered the half-eaten wheat cake that Ma Erzhu had given him before he died. The boy had believed until his death that the emperor ate the same thing as him.

Because the emperor once said, "We eat together, and we wear the same clothes!"

He sighed deeply. No matter the era, ordinary people are always just numbers in the eyes of the upper class.

It refers to property linked to money, food, and military equipment.

“Once an auspicious day is chosen for ancestor worship, no court assemblies should be held before the ceremony.”

"Retreat."

Wang Chengen's high-pitched voice pierced the rain.

As the officials knelt to see him off, the emperor suddenly stopped and said, "Issue an edict to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices: starting today, reduce palace expenses by half. The money saved..."

He glanced at Shi Bangyao, who was slumped on the ground, and said, "Add three hundred catties of sesame oil to the Martyrs' Shrine."

……

Upon returning to the Qianqing Hall, Zhu Youjian did not rush to rest.

Instead, he took out paper and pen and began to write down the basic framework of the four armies outside the Great Wall.

He could write out such a complex and mind-bending general direction as the imperial court's reforms, so the small matter of military organization was a piece of cake for him. He had already roughly thought about the specific organization of the four armies outside the Great Wall before.

It's just that it's certain now.

The first is the military structure.

Although he wanted to turn the four armies outside the Great Wall into a standing army, without substantial financial support and a sound military administration, doing so would only create four military leaders.

The standing army must begin with the Beijing Garrison, and can only begin with the Beijing Garrison.

That way he can have complete control.

Of course, if the loyalty tag is removed, then disregard what was said.

Zhu Youjian's idea was to develop the four armies outside the pass into the basic training ground for the Ming Dynasty's troops, a prototype of the war zone system.

Based on the current military system of the Ming Dynasty, five men form a squad, two squads form a platoon, five platoons form a small flag, five small flags form a general flag, four general flags form a thousand households, two thousand households form a division, and five divisions form a battalion, totaling ten thousand men.

All the soldiers in the camp were combat soldiers, receiving the same pay as the Beijing garrison. They did not have to work; they only had to fight and train. Moreover, the camp was the largest independent unit.

Subsequent transfers were also conducted at the battalion level.

For example, to establish the Guangning Army, five battalions could be transferred there, a commander-in-chief could be parachuted in from the Grand Council, and a staff officer could be sent from the Ministry of War. This would constitute an army or a war zone.

The battalion was the main combat unit, while all other soldiers and auxiliary troops were directly dispatched by the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War was directly responsible for the battalion's pay, provisions, weapons, and even the replenishment of its personnel.

Meanwhile, the miscellaneous soldiers and auxiliary troops were the responsibility of the local provincial administration commissioner.

To further ensure that soldiers are born entirely for combat.

This also greatly limited the emergence of military leaders.

Taking the Guangning Army as an example, five battalions were first formed on the spot to familiarize themselves with the new environment and new regulations. Once the five battalions had formed combat capabilities, they were then split up and rotated to the other three armies, with the old leading the new and the strong leading the weak.

To balance the combat capabilities of the four armies as much as possible.

It can also prevent the commander-in-chief from taking control of a particular unit.

Except during wartime, the commander-in-chief only has political and troop-mobilization rights, while battalion-level rotations are directly under the jurisdiction of the Military Affairs Department.

This was also the war zone system that Zhu Youjian envisioned.

Once the military power of the whole country is recovered, we will first reform it according to this method, dividing the two capitals and fourteen circuits into several war zones, allocating several battalions to each war zone, and rotating them every three or five years.

Once the standing army is established, these local troops will be gradually phased out.

During rotation, each battalion must return to Beijing to rejoin the Beijing garrison.

The troops to be rotated were also transferred from the Beijing Garrison.

It can be said that apart from the excessive wear and tear, it has no drawbacks.

After all, this thing really burns through money!
The army marched for three months, and the amount of money burned was astronomical.

However, Zhu Youjian didn't care. As long as he opened the customs, the Chinese people would have the innate talent for farming and the nearly saturated Central Plains.

Zhu Youjian had reason to believe that within ten years, the entire East Asian region would be under the rule of the Han people.

During the Ming Dynasty, maritime merchants were able to transport large quantities of silk and tea to Europe, exchanging them for the silver they desperately needed.

This silver will eventually transform into inscriptions and steel knives, which in turn will continue to protect the merchants.

With the size of Europe, plus the newly developed Americas, the Japanese pirates who had not yet opened their doors, and the large groups of African and African people, Zhu Youjian dared to say that the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue would reach 100 million taels of silver in five years!

Although he can't even come up with ten million taels right now...

After completing the military structure, Zhu Youjian handed it over to Wang Chengen, who then instructed him to pass it on to Wang Jiayan.

He then instructed again, "Go and summon Zhang Huangyan and have him come to see me."

Wang Chengen nodded, took the Xuan paper that Zhu Youjian had just written, and walked out of the main hall.

Looking at the empty hall, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but let out a wail.

"Why am I so poor!"

After working with Dorgon for a month, the capital's food reserves were almost completely depleted.

It's unlikely they'll survive until the autumn harvest.

There are also pensions to be paid to fallen soldiers, a lot of money to be spent on reforming the army, and the standing army he has been longing for, with a huge shortage of weapons and armor.

The newly established Guangning Army also needs a large number of entries as a foundation.

Now Zhu Youjian wished he could split every tael of silver in half to spend.

With the north almost completely cleaned up, Zhu Youjian was hoping that the south could provide some assistance.

As he pondered these thoughts, Zhu Youjian drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up again, Zhang Huangyan was already standing in the main hall, but he didn't dare to disturb Zhu Youjian.

After a month's absence, the changes in this future prime minister are considerable.

The youthful innocence in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a sense of vicissitude.

Zhu Youjian got straight to the point.

How much silver is there in Jiangnan?

Zhang Huangyan cleared his throat and replied briefly, "Jiangnan is so rich that it can rival a country!"

"Tell me more about it."

As the candlelight flickered, Zhang Huangyan pulled out a book with a salty, fishy smell from his bosom.

The character "salt" is faintly visible on the cover, and dark brown bloodstains remain on the edges.

"Last year, the total number of salt permits issued in Lianghuai was 600,000, but 1.4 million were actually issued." The young man traced the dense ink characters with his finger. "The eight major merchants in Yangzhou all have looms from the Imperial Textile Bureau."

Zhu Youjian tapped the imperial desk lightly with his fingertips, "Speak like a human being."

"Your Majesty, each shipment of official salt weighs 200 catties, while private salt weighs 800 catties. When the Salt Transport Bureau's fleet leaves Yangzhou, it has a draft of six feet, but when it reaches Wuchang, it only has a draft of four feet. What they are unloading is not salt, but official silver as ballast."

"The Taihu stones in the mansions of the eight major merchants were all transported from Dongting East Mountain. Last month, the Zhou Prince's Mansion was raided and yielded 500,000 taels of silver, which is not even enough to buy half a garden of the Zheng family in Yangzhou."

“I arrived in Tongzhou three days ago. This document records 327 salt merchants, 1,400 private ports, and 779 ships that colluded with Japanese pirates.”

"The Suzhou prefect dispatched six waves of assassins, forcing me to detour via Dengzhou."

“The postmasters at the Yangzhou-Fengyang post station are all protégés of the Jiangzhe faction.” Zhang Huangyan pulled a moldy roll of official documents from his boot. “Your Majesty, please see the memorial from Yangzhou Prefecture in the seventh year of the Tianqi reign.”

The words "the people are poor and the land is barren" on the yellowed paper were pressed into a dent by Zhu Youjian's fingertips, but below them was an approval document from the Ministry of Works, authorizing the allocation of 800,000 taels of silver for dike repair.

"Where did the money go?" the emperor asked, his voice sounding as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Your Majesty," Zhang Huangyan suddenly sneered, "two years ago, when the Yellow River breached its banks, the salt merchants of Yangzhou donated one million taels of silver to aid in the relief efforts. "But what they donated were newly minted Jiajing Tongbao coins, privately held coins of insufficient purity!"

He unfurled a piece of silk, revealing a map of Yangzhou covered with dense red circles. “These money shops and pawnshops are backed by the Six Ministries of Nanjing. Qian Qianyi, the Minister of Personnel, has twelve silver vaults in Guazhou alone.”

"Tell me, with such blatant manipulation, how could the wealth of Jiangnan not rival that of a nation?"

(End of this chapter)