Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

The secret room next door.

The secret room seemed a bit crowded today.

In addition to the two clerks Guo Jing and Chai Che who were responsible for recording on both sides of the table, four chairs were also placed.

Needless to say, Zhu Di and Zhu Gaochi, father and son, had not seen each other for a long time. Master Dao Yan was also sitting on the left hand side wearing a black cassock.

As for the right side, there is Zhenyuan Hou Gu Cheng with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, what is going on?"

While listening to the sounds coming from this strange wall and looking at the three top decision-makers of the Ming Empire, Gu Cheng felt a little ridiculous.

General Gu has never seen this scene in his seventy years of life.

The three top decision-makers of the Ming Empire sat in rows to listen to the lecture.

Moreover, he eavesdropped on a prison inmate giving a lecture.

The most important thing is that they all seem to be quite serious?

Therefore, even though Zhongjin was as calm as Gu Cheng, he finally couldn't help but ask.

Dao Yan on the side glanced at him with his triangular eyes and remained silent.

Although Gu Cheng was someone the emperor could trust, his other identity was even more important.

Gu Cheng is almost the only person that the eldest prince Zhu Gaochi can rely on in the Ming military circles.

The other nobles from Jingnan swarmed towards the second prince Zhu Gaoxu.

This was also the source of the previous dispute between Dao Yan and Zhu Di. If there was an imbalance in the information obtained between the two princes, it would inevitably lead to the second prince becoming the prince.

Jiang Xinghuo's knowledge and ability are simply too great.

What Jiang Xinghuo said alone was enough to tip the scales in the battle for the crown prince.

Gu Cheng's question immediately attracted the attention of Zhu Di and his son.

Especially Zhu Gaochi.

As the chief logistics officer of the Yan Army during the Jingnan Campaign, Zhu Gaochi would discuss with Gu Cheng almost every day the Yan Army's logistical material mobilization and supply routes since the veteran general Gu Cheng was defeated and captured in Zhending and sent to Beiping City. Choices and other issues.

During the battle to defend the city of Peiping, the two of them survived the most difficult time together.

Although Gu Cheng was unwilling to accept any form of military power, or even the weapons awarded by Zhu Di, he was already very familiar with the affairs of the Yan army.

Brothers are brothers, and princes are princes. Now the emperor's father's thoughts are unpredictable, and Gu Cheng, the Marquis of Zhenyuan who guards Peiping, has returned to Nanjing to report on his duties. Zhu Gaochi, who finally hoped for strong support, naturally has a crush on Gu Cheng.

The father and son stared at Gu Cheng together.

"General Gu, what do you want to know first?" Zhu Gaochi asked first.

Gu Cheng was a little surprised when he was asked. His white beard trembled for a moment. What do you mean you want to know something first? Is this complicated? Or is it that the person giving the lecture is very complicated?

Gu Cheng asked without hesitation: "His Royal Highness, tell me first, who is the person opposite? Why are your Majesty and Master Daoyan listening to his lectures so seriously?"

"Have you seen the immortal statue on the road?" Zhu Gaochi asked directly.

Gu Cheng nodded, and Zhu Gaochi continued: "The prototype of the 'Fertilizer Immortal' that is being rumored around Nanjing City today is Mr. Jiang Xinghuo Jiang, but it is not convenient for him to appear in front of the world for the time being, so in order to protect him His identity will be temporarily replaced by the name of 'Fertilizer Immortal'."

Gu Cheng recalled the rumors he heard about the residents in the streets and alleys of Nanjing on the road, as well as the immortal statues he saw, and had some vague guesses in his mind.

"The chemical fertilizer that is said to be able to double the yield of crops per acre is this ginger."

"Jiang Xinghuo." Zhu Gaochi added.

Gu Cheng glanced at the emperor and continued, "Is this Jiang Xinghuo doing it?"

Zhu Gaochi nodded in affirmation, and then said: "There is also the 'shared labor into the mu' system that has been gradually implemented in Jiangnan, which is also an initiative of this Mr. Jiang."

Gu Cheng was slightly surprised and said sincerely: "That is indeed a great talent. It seems that he has solved a lot of troubles for the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty."

"Indeed, the people in Jiangnan are now stable. Chen Ying, the imperial censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, has impeached many officials who were not eating. At the same time, Ji Gang, the commander of the Imperial Guard, has also arrested many Jianwen remnants who are entrenched in Jiangnan and intend to rebel. All of this depends on Mr. Jiang's proposal of "sharing the labor into the family" not only caused a large number of criminals with evil intentions to jump out, but also made the people of Jiangnan feel the majesty of His Majesty's grace." Zhu Gaochi's rainbow fart was expressed in front of him for free. Zhu Di put it in front of him.

After Gu Cheng listened, he said seriously based on what he saw and thought along the way.

"What I saw along the way was that not only in the south of the Yangtze River, but also in the north of the Yangtze River, the service-sharing system has been implemented. It has indeed greatly won the hearts of the people and increased the people's trust in your majesty."

After listening to the conversation between the two, Zhu Di didn't seem to care on the surface, but the corners of his mouth that he pursed forcefully revealed his inner thoughts.

Although Jiang Xinghuo was extremely talented, wasn't all this because of Zhu Di's ability to tolerate people and immortals?

Can this be separated from Zhu Di's magnanimity?

If it were his father, Zhu Yuanzhang, who sat in the secret room and listened to the first sentence, he would have ordered his beheading.

Where is the next thing?

Of course, this was also due to the fact that he was in a good mood that day, and that he himself rebelled to seize the throne and didn't pay much attention to the rules.

Therefore, Zhu Di was actually extremely proud at this time.

Ever since I listened to Mr. Jiang's lecture, I have seen that the Ming Dynasty is getting better and better day by day. The problem of the vassal king has been solved, and most of the three military guards of the vassals have been returned to the court. The Jiangnan gentry who opposed him have also been followed and are now much more honest. As for a few Those courtiers who were still dissatisfied with him a few months ago are now tightly bound by the interests of the fertilizer elixir subscribed by the Ming Dynasty National Debt, and they give him memorials and praise him every day.

And with Cao Guogong Li Jinglong's mission to Japan, if nothing unexpected happens, Ming's navy and powerful forces will be able to occupy Japan's gold and silver mountains next year.

In this way, the problem of Ming Dynasty treasure banknotes that has been criticized by the people will soon be solved.

At the same time, as the voyage to the West continues, the population pressure of the Ming Dynasty will definitely ease in the future, and it will also bring a massive amount of foreign materials and wealth.

With a two-pronged approach, with money, Zhu Di can realize his ideal ambition of "ruling the Tang and Song Dynasties, and reaching far into the Han and Tang Dynasties".

At that time, the "Yongle Dadian", moving the capital to Peking, and conquering Mongolia will all be natural things.

The great acceleration of all these processes and the easy solution of all problems are all thanks to Jiang Xinghuo!

Zhu Di sighed deeply in his heart.

At the same time, I couldn't help but think about what kind of complicated emotions and interesting expressions Jiang Xinghuo would have if he was released from prison and found that the words he said when he pointed Jiangshan had become reality.

Thinking of this, Zhu Di's tightly pursed lips finally couldn't help but grin, and his eldest son Zhu Gaochi also smiled knowingly.

But at this time Zhenyuan Hou Gu Cheng asked a question.

"Your Majesty, is it possible that the conquest of Japan mentioned in your secret letter to me was also proposed by this person? Or is it part of the plan to send Duke Cao Guo to Japan to test and understand the situation first?"

Gu Cheng's expression became serious.

"That's right." Zhu Di nodded slightly.

Gu Cheng's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

"Your Majesty, this must not be done!" Gu Cheng's face was full of worry.

"Why do you say that?" Zhu Di frowned slightly and looked into Gu Cheng's eyes.

"A cross-sea expedition is a taboo for military strategists." Gu Cheng's voice was a little heavy.

"Oh?" Zhu Di raised his eyebrows and looked at Gu Cheng with interest.

"Yin Jian is not far away, Your Majesty!" Gu Cheng hurriedly advised: "In the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty failed in his three expeditions to Goguryeo, and when he came to protect his children and led the navy, he also failed again and again, so that the good Sui Dynasty collapsed; in the Yuan Dynasty, Kubi The two fierce attacks on Japan resulted in a huge defeat, which not only severely damaged the country's vitality but also caused countless casualties, but also severely dampened the Mongolians' spirit of being invincible, and it has been going from bad to worse since then."

"These failures, in the final analysis, are due to the fact that they are not familiar with the enemy's customs and customs, and it is difficult for the navy to march and fight, attack cities and forts as they can by land, and cross-sea conquests greatly increase the difficulty of logistical food supplies. "

"What's more, Japan has a large population and has just experienced a unification war. Presumably the military's combat power has not been corrupted. Once the attack is frustrated, it will be pushed back to the sea and the story of the Yuan Dynasty will repeat itself."

"Your Majesty, even if this person is very talented, he doesn't understand battle formations after all. If he listens to his words and rashly launches a large army to attack Japan, the world will be exhausted after the four years of Jingnan, and it may cause public resentment." Gu Cheng said again. Open your mouth.

However, this time he was interrupted by Zhu Di before he could finish speaking.

"It doesn't matter, I know what you mean."

Zhu Di waved his hand and said calmly: "Since I have decided to deal with Japan, I naturally have to be fully prepared. And as I said to you in the secret letter, Japan's gold and silver mountains will play a vital role in Ming Dynasty's future overseas development." Trade and the renewal of the Ming Dynasty's treasures are of decisive significance. Therefore, I have to deal with Japan no matter what, but I will never raise troops recklessly. The Lord cannot raise an army in anger, and a general cannot go to war out of anger. This principle still applies to me. got it."

Zhu Di confessed his plan to conquer Japan.

"The first step is naturally to send an envoy headed by Cao Guogong to Japan to explore whether the gold and silver mountains really exist, and at the same time understand the domestic temple, military, economic and other conditions in Japan at that time; the second step is to re- Take back Jeju Island and eliminate Tsushima Island, the Japanese pirate nest. Based on these two islands, train the army to adapt to the local climate, water and soil; the third step is to send emissaries to take the opportunity to stir up civil strife in Japan and support the restoration forces of the Southern Dynasties. Wait until Japan is in chaos, and then look for opportunities to occupy the island where Sado Jinshan is located, and the 'China' area of ​​Japan where Iwami Ginzan is located."

What I want to say here is that the reason why Zhu Di said "taking back" Jeju Island is because Jeju Island was once the Tamra Military and Civilian General Administration of the Yuan Dynasty. Its main purpose was to conquer Japan and raise horses. The east side of Jeju Island is connected with Japan. Nagasaki Prefecture, across the sea, is a logistics base for attacking Japan and an important place for the Navy to practice naval battles.

As for raising horses, Tamna has produced war horses since ancient times. It is a very suitable place in Asia for raising horses, with abundant water and grass and a suitable climate. When the Yuan Dynasty fell, there were still 20,000 to 30,000 war horses on the island. At the same time, it also assumed the responsibility of exiling prisoners. For example, Chen Youliang's son Chen Li, Ming Yuzhen's son Ming Sheng, and the Yuan Dynasty royal family were exiled here.

Although the Ming Dynasty agreed to the "Tanluo Plan Report", Lee's Joseon was still different from Goryeo. Whether or not he recognized the previous statement depended entirely on the Ming Dynasty's will, not on the Joseon Dynasty.

Based on Lee's North Korea's national policy of "Making Great Differences" towards the Ming Dynasty, Lee's North Korea was determined not to disobey the Ming Dynasty on a mere Jeju Island.

Gu Cheng is not a pedantic person, he is just in the inherent inertia of the actual role of Chief of General Staff. Seeing that Zhu Di's plan is well organized and basically all aspects have been taken into consideration, and it is not just a slap on the head to make decisions, so he feels relieved a little.

But as a veteran soldier with more than fifty years of military service, Gu Cheng knew very well that in this era, the staggering loss of supplies required for cross-sea expeditions, as well as the ultra-high organizational capabilities, were what a test it was for the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Gu Cheng still retained his opposition to the conquest of Japan.

After all, no one here dares to say that they really understand Japan.

While there was a brief conversation next door, the lecture here also started.

Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong listened very carefully.

For Li Jinglong, the trip to Japan is estimated to take several months. If he can come back alive.

Therefore, for Li Jinglong, this was the last lesson Jiang Xinghuo taught in prison.

The most important thing is that when you listen to the class, you will feel less regretful!

The key to this lesson is that it can teach him what he needs most, which is related to his wealth and life.

As for Zhu Gaoxu, according to his estimate, there may be only as many as seven classes left, and as few as four or five classes left.

After this, Jiang Xinghuo will be released from prison, and it may be difficult to hide their identities.

In other words, Jiang Xinghuo's time for teaching without reservation was only these four to seven classes.

It is precisely because time is short that we cherish it so much.

"What I just mentioned at the beginning of the second volume of "The Theory of National Destiny" is the 'geographical determinism'."

Jiang Xinghuo said slowly: "Of course, I want to start with a premise, which is geographical determinism. It does not mean that geography determines everything. It just explains the greatest limitations and constraints on the formation and development of a country from the perspective of the greatest possibility. .”

"Any conclusion about the overall thing from a single factor or dimension is one-sided, subjective and inaccurate."

After laying down the layers of armor first, Jiang Xinghuo began to tell.

"Geographic determinism is the prerequisite for the geo-temple theory."

"The geo-temple theory is the guiding theory for relations between countries."

"The so-called geographical determinism refers to the theory that people's living habits and cultural characteristics are formed by their geographical conditions."

"Further evolution means that countries composed of different ethnic groups are affected by factors such as local geographical environment, the abundance of animals and plants, climate, etc., so there are differences in development paths between different countries."

Li Jinglong was extremely positive today, he asked thoughtfully.

"What Jiang Lang means is that the formation of the country was innately affected by these environmental factors? It is these environmental factors that affect and shape the country. In other words, it is the geographical conditions that determine the country to a large extent. Formation?"

Jiang Xinghuo nodded, very satisfied with his performance.

Zhu Gaoxu was a bit disapproving. After all, in his concept, his father Zhu Di was the best in the world, he was the second in the world, and even if the king of heaven came, he would have to be third. Man will definitely defeat heaven.

"Mr. Jiang, can you give a specific example?" Zhu Gaoxu asked.

"sure."

Jiang Xinghuo asked directly without thinking.

"Then why do you think Huaxia became Huaxia?"

This question made Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong feel a little confused.

Why did China become Huaxia?

This is the same as why your mother is your mother.

It's so natural.

After Li Jinglong pondered for a few moments, he asked tentatively: "Is it because of China's geographical environment?"

Zhu Gaoxu also roughly understood it and added: "Because the land of China has the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, water sources, large plains, and cattle, sheep and horses, it is suitable for the birth of civilization."

Jiang Xinghuo nodded and said: "Food production caused by environmental factors is definitely a prerequisite for the formation of a country. If there is not enough and stable output of food to support the population, there will be no traces of civilization."

"Similarly, it is precisely because the natural conditions of the Yellow River Basin in ancient times were favorable and there were many wild animals and plants that could be domesticated that people developed agriculture. Agriculture not only provided necessary nutrients for the development of human society, but also domesticated animals as means of transportation. Then the space for activities can be expanded, and more people can be fed, so as to provide specialized talents who are not involved in agriculture. This has been mentioned in our previous "On National Destiny" and will not be repeated here."

"But what I want to ask is, have you ever thought about what Chinese civilization would look like if some mountains and rivers changed their original appearance?"

Jiang Xinghuo imagined: "For example, if the Yellow River and the Yangtze River no longer flow in parallel from west to east into the sea, but instead flow in parallel from north to south, with the Yellow River in the west and the Yangtze River in the east, what will the Chinese civilization evolve into?"

Hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu and Li Jinglong were stunned for a moment. They had never imagined such a situation.

Now that Jiang Xinghuo was talking about this path that they had never imagined, it actually aroused their imagination.

After all, this is something that can easily be speculated on.

The current landscape and environment of China are the same as those of thousands of years ago in many aspects.

In other words, the landform environment is difficult to change, so it would be easy to imagine if the Yellow River and the Yangtze River flowed from north to south.

Li Jinglong couldn't help but have many pictures in his mind - the Yellow River flows through the Hetao and the Northern Shaanxi Plateau. I'm afraid the situation in the Hetao area is not much different from the current situation. After all, it used to be a "ji" shape running north-south, while the Northern Shaanxi Plateau will be It will become more suitable for farming. Correspondingly, due to the obstruction of the Qinling Mountains, the Guanzhong area may form a huge lake or even an inland sea.

Similarly, due to the formation of the Guanzhong Inland Sea, the scope of farmland there has been compressed, but it will be more suitable for grazing. Since the Yellow River no longer runs east-west, the nomadic people can easily follow the north-south Yellow River to go south to the Guanzhong area for grazing.

The pattern of Chinese civilization will become a divided world in the shape of "Chuan".

——————

“Geography, climate, and economic conditions are all important factors in shaping history. This is not a problem, but we must remember that they are all conditions that make history possible, not conditions that make history a reality.

What makes history actual is the consciousness of survival and the desire for happiness. "

——Feng Youlan's "A Brief History of Chinese Philosophy"

There is another chapter that was not saved and my computer crashed. I'll try to see if I can fix it.