Chongzhen Chat Group

In the Wenhua Hall, an elegant civil servant was paying homage solemnly, while Emperor Chongzhen on the throne looked at him with a little curiosity.

Emperor Chongzhen was very fond of the official in front of him, not because of his appearance, but because of the memory of the original Emperor Chongzhen.

Before Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, he had already read the twenty volumes of "Collection of Local Officials" written by this official, and was very impressed by the insights he shared about wealth in the book. For this reason, people were specifically asked to look for his articles on other aspects, which is evident from this.

In the original history, it was precisely for this reason that when his father was convicted and executed, when he proposed to take his father's place, the original Emperor Chongzhen not only did not blame him, but instead reduced his father's punishment and did not blame him at all. It did not affect his own career, and he even rose to great heights, eventually becoming one of the most respected high-ranking officials in the Ming Dynasty.

At this time, the civil servant below had finished the ceremony and stood respectfully, waiting for the emperor's inquiry.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at it for a while, then picked up a memorial on the imperial case and said calmly: "When promoting a virtuous person, one should not avoid relatives. Governor Yang recommended his son to me and wanted you to take on the important task of building the new Baotou. Do you know no?"

"Your Majesty, I have learned about this two days ago!" Yang He's son, Yang Sichang, who of course dominated the state's military preparations at this time, responded respectfully.

Emperor Chongzhen looked at him, finding his words and deeds impeccable, and then asked calmly: "Do you know the situation of the new Baotou I want to build?"

"Your Majesty, I also know it!" Yang Sichang still responded respectfully, "In fact, from the Warring States to the Tang Dynasty, some ancient cities were built in Baotou several times. The earliest was King Wuling of Zhao who built Jiuyuan City in the 20th year of King Wuling. After the Qin Dynasty, it was changed to Jiuyuan County, and in the Han Dynasty, Yunzhong Wuyuan County and other counties were built. Later, the Northern Wei Dynasty established by the Xianbei people resettled Huaishuo Town. During the Tang Dynasty, three "surrender" counties were established in the Hetao area: East, Middle and West. "City", including Baotou..."

Yang Sichang obviously studied the history of Baotou after receiving the letter from his father Yang He. Speaking at this time, he spoke endlessly and left a very deep impression on people. Even Emperor Chongzhen, who was preparing to rebuild Baotou, didn't know the history of Baotou in detail.

"...Later, during the Yingzong period, after our Ming Dynasty stopped garrisoning troops in the Hetao area, the Mongolian tribes re-entered the Hetao area and grew stronger, so that the Mongolian tribes in the Hetao area later invaded our Ming Dynasty under the leadership of Ada Khan, and even for a time Attack the capital city!"

When Yang Sichang said this, he raised his head and said in a firm and powerful tone: "Your Majesty, the Hetao area is rich and fertile. No matter who occupies it, as long as they develop it carefully, they will have great gains! Your Majesty's use of troops in the Hetao is actually a great success. What a wise move, I sincerely admire you!"

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he couldn't help but curl his lips slightly and reveal a smile. This Yang Sichang is really good at speaking. At the end of showing off his knowledge, he can flatter him naturally, making people feel that this is what he is talking about, and he is very helpful to flattery.

However, Emperor Chongzhen immediately regained his calm expression and continued to ask him: "Then do you know what is the difficulty in rebuilding Baotou?"

When Yang Sichang was answering, he was also secretly observing Emperor Chongzhen. Unavoidably, he was surprised that Emperor Chongzhen was so young now and behaved so maturely and seasonedly when treating his ministers. As a result, he did not dare to despise or deceive him. He calmly held his breath and concentrated on answering Emperor Chongzhen's questions.

"I believe that the first priority in the reconstruction of Baotou is to build a shelter from the cold before winter and store food for the winter. At the same time, we also need to prevent the intrusion of the Mongolian tribes in the west. Only after these two issues are resolved can we talk about the common people. Only with the relationship between different ethnic groups can we open up wasteland for farming, dig caves and mines, etc.”

Emperor Chongzhen nodded after hearing this. Yang Sichang did have a clear understanding of the priorities of the matter. This was indeed valuable for the actual person in charge of Baotou.

Thinking like this, he asked the next question: "Do you have any countermeasures against the possible invasion of the Mongolian tribes in the west?"

When Yang Sichang heard this, he did not hesitate and immediately responded: "I believe that we should take the initiative to attack with courtesy first and then attack, so as to avoid the invasion of the Mongolian tribes in the west before Baotou is built. Many methods need to be used according to the actual situation. The main purpose is to ensure..."

At this point, he paused for a moment and seemed a little hesitant, but finally he continued: "I think that for some tribes, it is okay to give some benefits; but for some stubborn tribes that are hostile to our Ming Dynasty, Then it is necessary to become a naturalized governor, and the imperial court sends out heavy troops to destroy it in one battle as a warning to others and to show the power of the Ming Dynasty. Only a combination of hardness and softness can make the Ming Dynasty stand firm in the Hetao."

Yang Sichang had heard about Emperor Chongzhen's toughness. Therefore, he was a little worried that it would cause the emperor's displeasure when he made suggestions and suggested that some benefits should be appropriately compromised and that he should use a combination of firmness and softness. But this was really a strategy he had thought hard about, and after thinking about it for a while, he finally said it.

Fortunately for him, after he finished speaking, Emperor Chongzhen showed no sign of displeasure. He still maintained his indifference and asked again: "Is there any concrete strategy for giving up some of the benefits you said?"

When Yang Sichang heard this, he felt relieved and quickly replied: "The grassland is bitter and cold, especially for the Mongolian tribes in the west. They have admired the wealth of the Ming Dynasty for a long time. Therefore, I think that for those tribes that can be won over, we might as well ask them to They opened up border markets and allowed them to obtain some of the daily necessities they wanted, such as tea and salt, without killing people in battles. However, they were absolutely not allowed to use ironware and other items that could be used for military purposes."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he finally smiled and said to Yang Sichang with a smile: "What you said is very much in line with my wishes! In this case, I am relieved. I intend to appoint you as deputy censor of Zuodu and governor of Baotou. , I wonder if you are willing to take on the important task of rebuilding Baotou and protecting the Loop?"

When Yang Sichang heard this, he couldn't help but be overjoyed. Originally, he thought that being transferred to Baotou would be enough. After all, Baotou today does not have a large population, and the official positions in Bingbeidao are overqualified. It's even possible that if you go to Baotou, your official rank may be a little lower.

But he was also prepared, knowing that if he achieved results there, even if his official position might be demoted, it would be of great help to his future career. That would be a major achievement in the expansion of territory. !

What I didn't expect was that the emperor attached so much importance to the reconstruction of Baotou that he even appointed him as governor of Baotou. This was really surprising!