Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 380 Acting with Swift and Decisive Power Despite Illness

Hong Chengchou slowly straightened up, the shock on his face fading, like a seasoned veteran listening to the final military orders from his commander-in-chief before the battle.

He no longer used any polite formalities or preamble; every word he uttered went straight to the point.

"May I ask Your Majesty, what are the guiding principles of this strategy? What are the divisions between the ministries and departments? How should I proceed so as not to fail even a fraction of Your Majesty's plans?"

The admiration in Zhu Youjian's eyes grew even stronger.

"I will give you three things."

Zhu Youjian extended the first finger, his gaze calm.

"Three months ago, I issued an edict to recruit two hundred old farmers from Fujian and Guangdong who had spent their lives growing sweet potatoes and corn. These people may not know a single character, but they understand the land better than the scholars of the Hanlin Academy."

Zhu Youjian raised his second finger.

"You alone, with just your mouth, can't persuade the entire northern officialdom. Therefore, I've prepared a pack of vicious dogs for you. The Andu Prefecture and the Eastern and Western Depots—let them pick the most ruthless, vicious, fame-hungry, and unscrupulous people from their respective departments."

“You must remember,” the emperor’s gaze fell on Hong Chengchou, “this knife has only one purpose—to establish rules through execution. Whoever dares to reach out, you will cut off their hand; whoever dares to obstruct, you will silence their entire family. Their job is to clear all the stones from your path, whether they are alive or dead.”

“The last thing,” the emperor’s tone finally softened, filled with trust, “your own people.”

"The transportation and dispatch of seed potatoes, grain, and equipment involves thousands of miles and countless details, which cannot be accomplished without trusted confidants. I know that among the people you brought from Shaanxi, there are many veteran generals who have followed you for many years. For example, your battalion commander Wang Jingchong, I have read his file. In the past, in Liaodong, he transported 100,000 shi of military rations in three days without a single leak. You will find it easier and more reliable to use such a person than any of the Ministry of Revenue officials I have assigned to you."

Craftsmen, knives, our own people, technology, violence, logistics.

There are no cumbersome official documents, no bureaucratic wrangling, only the most core power and the most direct execution chain.

At this moment, Hong Chengchou truly understood how terrifying the emperor before him was.

This government office, and its staff, were directly responsible to him and possessed extraordinary power. Their sole purpose was to complete the task of land reclamation in the north at all costs.

Hong Chengchou suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, these three are the foundation for success. However, everything is difficult at the beginning. Having these three is like having no roots. Without a thunderous crackdown, I'm afraid we won't be able to suppress those local dragons."

"I understand." Zhu Youjian's eyes suddenly sharpened, like a hawk locking onto its prey in the distance. "Therefore, I will give you a great gift as a breakthrough for your journey!"

“Li Yingzhen, the General of Gansu,” the emperor slowly uttered a name, “embezzled military pay and resold disaster relief grain, which led to a mutiny of displaced people in Yuzhongwei under his jurisdiction last year. I ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate, and they found that his private granary contained 80,000 shi of life-saving grain that should have been distributed to military households.”

"Three days from now, I will issue an edict ordering you to personally handle this case in your capacity as the Wartime General Manager of Agricultural Reclamation."

"Use the cruelest torture to punish this scoundrel—"

"Lingchi!"

"Let the world know through the lament of a second-rank general that I have entrusted you with the power of life and death! Anyone who obstructs the plan to save the people will be punished as a traitor! I want everyone to know that in this war, there is no mercy, only life and death!"

A loud bang echoed in Hong Chengchou's head.

His fist was clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force.

Hong Chengchou said no more, and bowed deeply: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

……

When Wang Chengen served the imperial meal, the emperor and his minister had already moved to the side of the West Warm Pavilion, in front of a huge map of North Zhili, Shandong, and Shanxi. The meal was simple: four side dishes, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of pigeon soup.

The emperor handed one bowl of rice to Hong Chengchou, while he picked up the other bowl for himself. The two did not sit down, but stood in front of the map.

Zhu Youjian's gaze slowly moved across the map, from the cracked loess of Shaanxi, through the majestic Taihang Mountains of Shanxi, and finally stopped in the heart of Beizhili.

"Hengjiu," the emperor's voice carried a chilling weight, "look at this map, what does it resemble?"

Hong Chengchou held the bowl and followed the emperor's gaze. He saw that the vast swathes of land appeared as a desolate, withered yellow on the geomantic map.

A thought struck him, and he blurted out, "It's like a piece of skin that's about to crack."

"Well said." Zhu Youjian nodded, tapping the withered yellow patch heavily with the tip of his chopsticks. "This patch of skin has already begun to rot. From Shaanxi to Shanxi, and then to Beizhili... The reports I have received are like snowflakes, but in summary, they can be summed up in eight words: barren land stretching for thousands of miles, and the people suffering terribly."

He took a bite of rice, as if chewing on the endless blood and tears contained in those eight words.

“I summoned you here not to do patchwork repairs. Those piecemeal methods, like opening granaries for relief or providing work relief, cannot save this land that is rotten to the core. It’s like feeding ginseng soup to a dying person; it may keep them afloat for a while, but not forever.”

The emperor turned around and looked directly at Hong Chengchou. His deep eyes reflected the mountains and rivers on the map, as well as a mad yet rational light that was hard for others to detect.

“Your Majesty…” Hong Chengchou spoke slowly, his voice hoarse from carrying too much weight.

Both the emperor and his minister were fully aware of the situation.

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are ultimately coarse grains, a desperate choice for survival during famine, far less precious and respectable than the five grains for nourishment.

The classics have never listed this as a legitimate means of maintaining peace and stability, and relying solely on it for a long time is not a sustainable solution for the health and well-being of the people.

However, they were also acutely aware that in the face of a human hell where people were starving and resorting to cannibalism, discussing what was precious and what was respectable was a pale and laughable luxury.

The most urgent task is not to ensure that people eat well, or even to ensure that they have enough to eat.

The most important thing right now is only one thing—to help more people survive!

Even if it's in a less orthodox and less nourishing way, survival comes first, then everything else.

However, Hong Chengchou did not stop there.

He paused for a moment, seemingly organizing an extremely difficult, yet unavoidable, question.

His gaze shifted from the scorched earth on the map to the northeast, towards Liaodong.

He raised his head and looked directly into the emperor's eyes, asking the question that lingered in his mind, and surely in the minds of all the officials, yet no one dared to ask it.

"Your Majesty, there is something I don't understand, and it's like a fishbone stuck in my throat."

"Such natural disasters have shaken the foundation of the nation and are tantamount to signs of national demise. At this time, the Ming Dynasty should be like a patient lying in bed, needing rest and recuperation, and using every bit of its vitality to prolong its life."

"But why does Your Majesty still insist on using the entire nation's resources to launch a distant expedition against the Jurchens?"

"To act swiftly while ill is a cardinal sin in military strategy. I am foolish and ignorant, and I humbly request Your Majesty's understanding."

(End of this chapter)