Please call me the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty

night.

The Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youjian stood by the window, gazing out at the scene as the gentle autumn rain began to fall again.

Zhu Youjian was in a state of distress.

He thought to himself that the more rain there was, the more weapons would be damaged in Ningyuan. Without weapons, how could the army fight?

It seems we need to speed up the production of AK47s to equip the Ming army.

He was lost in thought, reflecting on his own affairs during today's morning court session.

He could also see that Wei Zhongxian was deeply entrenched in power.

The current court is divided into two factions: one loyal to the court, and the other loyal to Wei Zhongxian. It's quite clear...

There were more people loyal to Wei Zhongxian than to the imperial court.

Using a simple and brutal method to directly eliminate Wei Zhongxian would probably be inappropriate and could backfire.

As a time traveler, Zhu Youjian naturally knew that Zhao Gao had killed Huhai and installed Ziying as the King of Qin.

He wanted to use Ziying as a puppet, manipulating him at will.

Because, in his impression, Ziying was usually simple-minded and silly, as if he were a person without any guile.

He was wrong.

Ziying was quite shrewd.

His usual naivety and foolishness are all an act.

After he ascended the throne, he deliberately avoided attending court.

According to the Qin state's regulations, if the King of Qin did not attend court, Zhao Gao had to personally visit him to invite him.

To Zhao Gao's surprise,

He was arrested as soon as he entered the Prince of Qin's residence.

It turned out that Ziying had already set a trap and was waiting for Zhao Gao there.

Therefore, Ziying was a very capable person, but the Qin dynasty was on the verge of collapse, and he could not support it alone.

Zhu Youjian wondered if he would end up like Ziying.

Just as Zhu Youjian was lost in thought,

He felt a pair of gentle arms embrace him from behind.

Her arms were like delicate tender shoots, with fair and smooth skin.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Youjian smelled a woman's fragrance, which was refreshing and pleasant.

The woman whispered in his ear, "Djokovic, what are you thinking about?"

Zhu Youjian turned his head to look and saw that the woman standing behind him was none other than Zhang Yan.

Zhu Youjian observed Zhang Yan by the lamplight and saw that her eyes were like autumn waves, her nose was like a hanging gall, her lips were like cherries, her teeth were white and her lips were red, and her long legs were so beautiful that they were breathtaking, as if she were untouched by worldly affairs.

Zhu Youjian saw this and couldn't help but be moved.

He quickly took two steps back and asked, "It's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Zhang Yan smiled and pointed to the food box on the table, saying, "I saw that the lights in your palace were still on, so I knew you hadn't gone to sleep yet."

It's late at night, and you must be hungry, so I made you something delicious.

In addition, I also brought a flask of Dukang wine.

Hearing him say that, Zhu Youjian also felt a little hungry.

Zhang Yan opened the food box and took out the food and wine inside.

The two people sat facing each other.

Normally, Zhu Youjian never drinks alcohol, but tonight, seeing Zhang Yan's hospitality, he drank a couple more cups.

He frequently offered toasts.

Zhang Yan accepts all comers.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Zhang Yan's face was flushed, making her look even more beautiful and charming.

Zhu Youjian noticed that when Zhang Yan smiled, she would reveal two rows of white teeth, which were neatly arranged, and her eyes were bright and spirited.

As expected of a beauty selected through open auditions, she is truly impeccable. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to believe that such a stunning beauty exists in the world.

"My precious pearl, I am deeply grateful to you."

Without your strong support, I would not have been able to ascend the throne smoothly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan put down her wine cup: "The reason I strongly recommended you to Zhu Youxiao and made you succeed to the throne was not for your sake, but for the sake of the people of the Ming Dynasty."

Throughout history, there have been far too many instances of a young ruler causing the relocation of a kingdom.

For example, Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Chai Rong, suddenly fell ill while he was in his prime.

He passed the throne to Chai Zongxun, who became Emperor Gong of Later Zhou.

However, Chai Zongxun was too young, only seven years old.

How could an orphan and a widow be a match for Zhao Kuangyin?

The following year, Zhao Kuangyin launched a coup at Chenqiao, forcing Emperor Gong of Later Zhou to abdicate. Later Zhou was thus destroyed and replaced by the Song Dynasty.

If Chai Zongxun had been your age back then, would Zhao Kuangyin have been able to overthrow the Later Zhou dynasty and establish himself as emperor so easily?

The situation facing our Great Ming Dynasty today is more complex and severe than when Chai Zongxun first ascended the throne.

The national treasury is empty, and internal and external troubles are arising one after another.

Within the court, powerful ministers such as Wei Zhongxian and Cui Chengxiu formed a eunuch faction, seized control of the government, and disrupted the order of the court.

There were also thieves, such as Gao Yingxiang, the rebel leader, and Ma Pianpian, the notorious bandit.

I heard that Gao Yingxiang also has a nephew named Li Zicheng.

"Yes, I have already appointed Li Zicheng as a soldier at the post station." Zhu Youjian said, resting his hand on the table.

"I've heard that Li Zicheng has quite aspirations."

Isn't this a waste of talent?

"Gao Yinxiang gathered a crowd to cause chaos and harm the local area."

Li Zicheng was his nephew. According to the system of our Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng should have been arrested, beheaded, and his head displayed to the public. What I'm doing is already an act of leniency.

This arrangement was made to observe its effects.

Zhang Yan nodded: "Okay, you need to keep an eye on the movements of Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong and others."

Now, to our north, the army of Ligdan Khan of Mongolia is eyeing us covetously, and to our east, the army of the Later Jin is stirring with restlessness.

Nurhaci died at the hands of Yuan Chonghuan, and the Later Jin harbored deep hatred for our Great Ming Dynasty; they would not rest until they achieved their goal.

Zhu Youjian poured Zhang Yan a bowl of tea: "You're right, the Later Jin army is very tenacious in battle."

Over the years, our court has become far too corrupt.

Leaving aside other matters, let's take the Five Armies, the Divine Machine Battalion, and the Three Thousand Battalion of the Imperial Guards as examples. Since the Battle of Tumu, the Imperial Guards have essentially disintegrated, their combat effectiveness has clearly declined, and they are far inferior to what they once were.

"Your Majesty, the fact that you can say such things shows that you have a clear understanding of the current situation."

These past few years, the weather hasn't been cooperating; the winds have been unpredictable, and the rains haven't been timely.

Drought, locust plagues, and earthquakes struck one after another, causing a significant reduction in grain production, leaving many people without food.

"The Shaanxi region is littered with corpses of the starved, and there have even been instances of people exchanging their own children to eat. So, what Zhu Youxiao left you is indeed a mess, and it's not easy to clean up." Zhang Yan looked worried.

"I have already transported grain to the disaster area several times."

Zhu Youjian also attached great importance to this matter.

Because he deeply understood that "food is the first necessity of the people" and "the ruler is the boat; the people are the water."

The principle that "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it" applies.

Zhang Yan stood up, placed her hands in front of her abdomen, paced back and forth in the hall, and slowly said: "I know you are very diligent. You go to bed very late every night and get up before dawn to attend the morning court."

Objectively speaking, your diligence is unprecedented in history.

However, you must understand that many things cannot be solved simply by being diligent.

Zhu Youjian listened quietly.

He knew that what Zhang Yan said was true.

After being tempered and refined after entering the palace, Zhang Yan gradually matured.

Zhu Youjian then recounted the events that had occurred in the court that day.

Zhang Yan said with resentment, "Cui Chengxiu, Bi Ziyan and the others are all part of Wei Zhongxian's faction."

They follow Wei Zhongxian's lead without question, yet they dare to disobey your orders; they are truly audacious.

Despite serving as Minister of Revenue, Bi Ziyan accomplished nothing.

He was in a daze and never thought about how to make the national treasury fuller.

In this vast world, what doesn't cost money?

Where does the money come from?

Money doesn't fall from the sky, nor does it grow on the ground. Does Your Majesty expect you to personally go and make money?

This reminded Zhu Youjian of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty.

Yang Jian was the founding emperor of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Wen of Sui was extremely skilled in financial management.

His life was very simple. It is said that at the peak of the Sui Dynasty, the population reached more than 900 million. The granaries were so full that the grain was piled up outside the granaries.

This only shows how much trouble Emperor Yang of Sui caused. It wouldn't have been so easy for an ordinary person to squander such a great foundation of the Sui Dynasty.

Zhu Youjian thought to himself that his life was not so good; Zhu Youxiao had left him a complete mess.

Zhang Yan gently stroked her temples: "However, Wang Jiayan is a loyal minister."

He was upright and incorruptible, unafraid of powerful figures, and the entire court feared Wei Zhongxian.

Upon seeing Wei Zhongxian, they all fell silent in fear.

Only he dared to argue with Wei Zhongxian based on reason.

We can further collect evidence of Wei Zhongxian's forming cliques, colluding with the Later Jin, plotting rebellion, and deliberately murdering Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou, Wei Dazhong, and the other six gentlemen.

Then, Wang Jiayan was instructed to contact other court officials to impeach Wei Zhongxian.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian seemed somewhat excited: "Do you think Wang Jiayan would dare to do that?"

Zhu Youjian said this because the Six Princes had impeached Wei Zhongxian.

But they met such an end; after the Six Gentlemen, no one dared to impeach Wei Zhongxian again.

Zhang Yan smiled slightly: "Your Highness, rest assured, I am never wrong in judging people. Wang Jiayan is a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, you can rest assured about that."

If we compare him to Zhuge Liang, he probably can't.

However, as an official, he cared deeply for the people, was diligent in his duties, loved them, was honest and incorruptible, and was known among the common people as a "divine ruler." How could such an upright person not be loyal to the court?

After listening to Zhang Yan's words, Zhu Youjian was somewhat moved.

If Wang Jiayan were to join forces with other ministers to impeach Wei Zhongxian, he could then take the opportunity to arrest Wei Zhongxian in a legitimate manner.

Zhang Yan looked worried, as if she had thought of something: "For our Great Ming Dynasty, the Guan Ning Jin defense line is of paramount importance."

In this respect, Yuan Chonghuan's vision was much more far-sighted than Wang Zaijin's.

Initially, Wang Zaijin wanted to abandon the idea of ​​rebuilding Shanhaiguan outside the pass and instead build another defensive system eight miles outside Shanhaiguan to reinforce it.

At that time, Yuan Chonghuan expressed his opposition. He believed that it was better to defend the area outside the pass than to defend Shanhaiguan. If defending the area outside the pass, Ningyuan should be the first choice. Ningyuan should be used as a fulcrum to build the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line.

The Guan-Ning-Jin defense line is the lifeline of our Great Ming Dynasty.

Shanhaiguan is the last line of defense.

Therefore, the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line must not be lost, and the officials stationed at Shanhaiguan must be carefully selected, with their ancestors investigated for three generations.

If the officials stationed at Shanhaiguan were to defect, that would be a huge problem.

Zhu Youjian listened and agreed with her.

Throughout history, there have been numerous instances where countries perished due to the mismanagement of personnel.

In particular, the selection of officials to guard important passes should be done with extra care.

Let's take a look at why the Tang Dynasty perished.

The military governors wielded immense power in their localities. According to the imperial system, a person could only serve as the military governor of one region, and could not stay in that region for too long. After a period of time, they would be transferred from their posts to prevent the military governors from forming cliques with their subordinates.

Often, the generals don't know their soldiers, and the soldiers don't know their generals.

However, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was deceived by An Lushan's apparent loyalty and believed him to be a very loyal minister.

An Lushan could dance the Hu Xuan dance, was shameless, and even recognized Yang Guifei as his godmother.

Some people say that he had an ambiguous relationship with Yang Guifei, but whether that actually happened is unclear.

In short, Yang Yuhuan liked him quite a bit.

Later, An Lushan was appointed as the military governor of Fanyang, Hedong and Pinglu, commanding nearly 20 troops and becoming the most powerful military governor at the time.

Unexpectedly, despite Li Longji's great trust in him, he joined forces with Shi Siming to launch the An Lushan Rebellion.

Although the An Lushan Rebellion was eventually quelled by the Tang Dynasty,

However, the An Lushan Rebellion shook the very foundations of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Longji was forced to flee to Western Shu, and at Mawei he ordered Yang Yuhuan to commit suicide.

From then on, the Tang Dynasty began its decline.

Dejou, did you see that? Just because Li Longji didn't see through An Lushan, he ended up like this. Isn't that tragic?

Therefore, the most important thing for an emperor is to be good at recognizing talent and to know who are loyal ministers and who are treacherous ministers.

However, identifying talent has always been the most difficult task.

Because some people appear loyal, but in reality, they are treacherous officials, because they hide their true nature too well.

Zhu Youjian wholeheartedly agreed with this.

"Isn't Ningyuan short of soldiers and generals?"

Choi Seong-soo refuses to mobilize troops, what do you plan to do?

How's the evidence gathering regarding Choi Seong-soo's collusion with the Later Jin progressing?

"I've pretty much got it down."

"Is it time to arrest Choi Seong-soo?"

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment: "Ningyuan is currently at war with the Later Jin. If we arrest Cui Chengxiu at this time, it may trigger an adverse chain reaction."

"How do we solve the problem of reinforcements?"

"I have already ordered Wang Zaijin to recruit troops from Guangdong and Guangxi."

At this moment, the troops are already on their way to Ningyuan.

Zhang Yan's expression softened slightly: "That's not a bad idea. Aren't the weapons rusted and the arrows rotting? How do we solve that problem?"

"I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon to Gao Di, the general of Shanhaiguan, instructing him to transport a batch of weapons and armor, including bows and arrows, broadswords, spears, etc., from Shanhaiguan."

In addition, I have ordered someone to send 50 AK47s.

Zhang Yan nodded in approval: "It seems you've become more and more mature, managing to arrange all these things so quietly."

As for the commander-in-chief, it would probably be inappropriate to make Man Gui the commander-in-chief.

Although he is loyal and brave, he lacks strategy and is probably no match for Dorgon.

"You don't need to worry about this. I've already made arrangements."

"Then, should we invite some more Portuguese soldiers over?"