Domineering Daming

Liu Shimin nodded, and said: "By the way, the action of the cabinet in the capital is almost over. There are a few who slipped through the net, including the Taoist priest Wang Ji found somewhere. He disappeared completely, and even Jin Yiwei couldn't find it." arrive."

Cao Huachun frowned, and said, "Just like the monk in Xinwang's Mansion back then? Come and go without a trace?"

Liu Shimin took a sip of tea and said, "Yes, Jinyiwei is still looking for it. In addition, Nanzhili is expected to receive the news later tomorrow and will also collect the net. It's just that Chiyu Trading Company..."

Cao Huachun understood what Liu Shimin meant, and said: "I will make a statement with the emperor, and Nanzhili should make preparations early."

This matter is over, Liu Shimin said: "Well, for the candidates to go to the cabinet, the emperor, do you have any special requirements, Eunuch Cao?"

Cao Huachun thought for a while and said, "I remember that the emperor closed the eunuchs after he ascended the throne. Now there are no new internal prisons, right?"

Liu Shimin said: "There are no more, but recently there is a lack of manpower."

Cao Huachun didn't seem to have heard the "sufficient manpower", and said: "The emperor has no special requirements, so let's have two apprentices each, and ask them to keep a distance from the people in the cabinet, not to get too close, and focus on doing things. Don’t look at other things, don’t ask, don’t listen, don’t talk.”

"Okay, I see, I'll pick someone." Liu Shimin put down his teacup and said.After getting along for a long time, he knew Cao Huachun's behavior very well.

Cao Huachun also got up, he couldn't delay for long, he had to arrange the matter just now, and then rushed to the Compassionate Ning Palace to wait.

The sky was getting dark, Hejian Mansion, the northernmost end of the Grand Canal, Cao Wenzhao got off the boat and went ashore.

A personal guard behind him gasped and said, "My lord, we're finally ashore. We almost have to cut through the ice along the way."

Cao Wenzhao did waste a lot of time on the way, looking at the dark direction of the capital, Cao Wenzhao said: "Find a place to stay, rest for one night, and enter the city tomorrow."

"Yes." Cao Wenzhao hurried along, only bringing a dozen bodyguards with him.One of them responded, ready to make arrangements.

He had just walked a few steps when three people came out from a restaurant not far away, walking towards them with a clear goal.

"My lord." The personal guard stepped back, looking at the person very vigilantly.

Cao Wenzhao also saw it, and he still didn't pay attention to the mere three people. While tidying himself up, he said: "Go and prepare, the emperor has been waiting for a long time."

Upon hearing this, the personal guard hurriedly said, "Obey!"

Cao Wenzhao straightened up, looking at the visitor with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.It didn't take long for him to see that the person in the middle was actually wearing the costume of Jinyiwei Qianhu, and the other two were dressed as servants.

For Jinyiwei, Cao Wenzhao is familiar with it. Jinyiwei has been "abolished" in the eyes of many people. On the surface, these are honorary. any power.

"The next official, Sun Ling, sees Cao Zongbing." The person who came was in his 30s, fair and clean, and looked quite polite.

Cao Wenzhao looked familiar, but couldn't remember it for a while, so he looked at him and said, "Who are you?"

Sun Ling raised her hand and said, "Father, grandson, inherits the family."

Cao Wenzhao's expression moved slightly, and he said, "Mr. Sun Ge asked you to come?"

"Yes, my father has something to discuss with Cao Zongbing first." Sun Ling said.

"It seems that the emperor pushed Sun Ge so hard that he actually let his son block me here..."

Cao Wenzhao's face remained unchanged, but his heart was like a mirror. Most likely, Sun Chengzong was forced by the emperor to have no choice, so he came to seek his support. At the same time, this was also a way for Sun Chengzong to express his attitude to the emperor.

"What does Sun Ge always want to talk about?" Cao Wenzhao said.

Sun Ling looked around and knew that the opportunity was rare, so she said directly: "I think General Cao already knows about the emperor's military reform intention, and my father is deeply worried. I hope General Cao will act prudently and advise the emperor."

Cao Wenzhao put his hands behind his back and said calmly: "Mr. Sun Ge asked you to pass such a sentence, and you want me to listen to him? Isn't he afraid of causing the emperor's dissatisfaction?"

Sun Ling bowed slightly and said, "Yes, my father just said that."

"It seems that it was just for the emperor to see, and he didn't really want to persuade me." Cao Wenzhao knew it in his heart, and said: "Okay, I understand, you go back and tell Mr. Sun Ge, find a chance, and I will visit in person. "

Chapter 857

While speaking, Cao Wenzhao also understood why the emperor was in such a hurry to call him to Beijing. In terms of government affairs, the emperor has many helpers, and it can be said that the control is quite thorough, but in military affairs, he is a little weak. Directly command the generals of various places to control the military power, and the daily affairs are controlled by the Ministry of War. Sun Chengzong has a huge influence in the Ministry of War. Therefore, if he wants to promote the reform of the military system of the Ministry of War, Sun Chengzong is a mountain that cannot be bypassed.

The personal guard didn't understand this, so he said, "Then my lord, why did you come to Beijing? We don't have any generals above the commander-in-chief in the Ming Dynasty. Is the emperor trying to seal you up?"

Cao Wenzhao immediately remembered Zhu Xu's previous words, and quickly waved his hands and said: "From now on, don't talk too much, especially after entering Beijing, you must be cautious in your words and deeds!"

Qin Wei said: "Obey!"

When Sun Ling hurried back to the capital overnight, Sun Chengzong was in the Ministry of War and did not rest for a moment.

There were only two people in Shen Yongmao's class, one was him and the other was Sun Chengzong.

Because the military reform is of great importance, the scope of knowledge is not large, even Mao Wenlong was excluded by them.

"My lord, now that Lu Xiangsheng has taken over the patrol battalion, but he has not served as the Minister of the Ministry of War, it seems that the emperor has made up his mind." Shen Yongmao sat opposite Sun Chengzong, with a worried look on his face.

Lu Xiangsheng is also a staunch imperial party, and he obeys the emperor's words. Now that the patrol battalion is in his hands, the Ministry of War's right to speak has been reduced by half.

Sun Chengzong frowned and said: "The emperor never stops until he achieves his goal. What we have to do now is to change as much as possible, not to stop."

Bingge, the most important weapon of the country, should not be taken lightly.No matter from which angle, Sun Chengzong had no way to persuade himself to agree to Zhu Xu's idea of ​​unifying the unified military power.Although he knew he couldn't stop it, he wanted to minimize the danger.

"My lord, what should we do now? Cao Wenzhao won't listen to us. If the emperor confers military merits, it is possible for him to join the military department to replace me..." Shen Yongmao said.Zhou Yingqiu and Fu Changzong were going to be transferred out of Beijing. The higher-ups already knew about it, and Shen Yongmao also felt that he would also be transferred.

This was also what Sun Chengzong was worried about. After pondering for a while, he said, "I have read the government affairs plan of the cabinet. Basically, there are no major issues. The emperor's attention will soon be transferred to the military reform."

Shen Yongmao looked at Sun Chengzong and thought about it: "My lord, will Cao Wenzhao stand by our side and advise the emperor?"

Sun Chengzong shook his head and said: "It should not be possible. I have already sent letters to the commanders-in-chief of various places to ask for their opinions. If they can all oppose it, even if they just disagree, we can fight with the emperor again."

Shen Yongmao understood Sun Chengzong's meaning, but he still said: "The big meeting will be next year. The emperor will definitely set the tone and start preparations before the year. The subordinate officials believe that the key is Cao Wenzhao's attitude. His influence on the emperor is more important. over us."

Sun Chengzong took a deep breath and said: "Well, I have already made an appointment with him. When he comes to Beijing, I will have an in-depth talk with him personally."

Shen Yongmao nodded lightly, feeling extremely heavy in his heart.

Today's emperor is very talented, and his thinking is completely different from theirs. Although the emperor is often proved to be right afterwards, it is still difficult for them to stand idly by on such a major event.It is about hundreds of years of country and society, and the world is stable, so they cannot be careless.

Sun Chengzong took the memorial in front of him, handed it to Shen Yongmao and said, "As for the disarmament, I have read the military budget for next year... After all, it is still a bit late."

Shen Yongmao took it over, and said solemnly: "Yes. Liaodong, Shaanxi and Gansu are the two main reasons, and the army is also the largest. It is not easy to cut them all at once, and Annan, Jiugang, and Luzon have added more than [-] people. There may not be much increase, so next year's military spending may still rise, and it will take another year or two to come down."

Daming's annual military expenditure is as high as 2000 million taels, which was unimaginable in the past. In addition to other expenses, especially the expenditure of the Ministry of Industry and immigration, Daming's annual expenditure is even more than 5000 million. If there is no Huitong Commercial Bank's support, the imperial court can't even provide one-tenth of it. Now Huitong Commercial Bank's profits are gradually decreasing, and the imperial court's finances continue to deteriorate. Such expenditures must be curbed!

Sun Chengzong has been in the cabinet for a long time, and he is well aware of the difficulties. He said: "The imperial court should last for another year. In the year after next, the financial expenditure must be greatly reduced, otherwise the national treasury will inevitably collapse..."

With Daming's current size, if the finances are exhausted, the impact will be too terrible.

Shen Yongmao understood, and said: "Your official knows that according to the plan of the Ministry of War, Shaanxi and other six provinces will maintain 20 elite soldiers, and Yunnan and South China will maintain 200 elite soldiers. Up and down."

This number is still too high, and the pressure on the Ming court is still extremely high.

However, in the next year, the huge projects of the Ministry of Industry and the emigration of the victims will all enter the digestion period, and the expenditure will be greatly reduced, which will greatly ease the financial situation of the imperial court.