The Ming Dynasty started with caution

Zhu Houzhao's words always make sense, and you can't find any flaws. This guy's brain is born to argue.

Yan Chengjin hurriedly took a sip of the wolfberry tea he brought with him to calm down.

"Zhu Houzhao!" Emperor Hongzhi appeared outside the Cultural Hall at some point, his eyes wide open, and shouted: "Don't interrupt the teaching of Yan Qing's family!"

Zhu Houzhao responded angrily.

Yan Chengjin and others hurriedly saluted.

Emperor Hongzhi's face changed, and he smiled: "I just listened to you and I have a deep understanding. Your knowledge is not shallow. I was worried that you would be included in the lecture too early. I think I was too worried."

In fact, Yan Chengjin had already discovered that Emperor Hongzhi was eavesdropping outside the door, but he quietly turned on the non-physical performance mode, pretending that Emperor Hongzhi did not exist, and talked for a long time.

From the doctrine of the mean, to the virtuous and frugal that Emperor Hongzhi liked to hear.

This is the lecture notes Wang Yue gave him.

If Cheng Minzheng is a serious teacher, Wang Yue is a serious flatterer.

It can be said that it is quite suitable for Emperor Hongzhi, who advocates respecting virtue and frugality.

Yan Chengjin said calmly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind! Compared with Lord Li, my knowledge is like the light of a grain of rice compared to the brightness of the bright moon, the difference is very large."

Emperor Hongzhi nodded and cast an admiring look: "Don't be too humble, Mr. Yan. It's a good thing to have talent and knowledge."

Your Majesty, this lecture was given to me by Wang Yue and Cheng Minzheng. I don't want to be Zhu Houzhao's teacher. You forced me to do it...

Why did Li Dongyang also cast an admiring look at me?

Zhu Houzhao said with a cold face, "Old Gao, I want to compete with you in talent!"

Yan Chengjin looked at Emperor Hongzhi with some embarrassment, only to hear Emperor Hongzhi glare at him, and then looked at Yan Chengjin: "The Yan family should not bother with him."

"Of course I won't."

After the lecture, Emperor Hongzhi asked to talk to Zhu Houzhao alone.

No food today, the civil officials all dispersed.

After leaving Wenhua Hall, Li Dongyang said with relief: "Well said."

Yan Chengjin said seriously: "I often receive advice from adults, and my father's words and deeds, so I have such a deep understanding."

Li Dongyang saw that he had no flattering look on his face, so he didn't think it was flattery, and smiled kindly: "Learn more from Anding Bo, who killed the enemy on the battlefield and killed thirty-nine times. How brave."

…………………………

It was just August, but the weather was getting colder and colder, and crops in various places were harvested one after another.

The world suddenly became uneasy. This year's harvest was much less than in previous years, and thieves were rampant in looting.

A group of thieves lurked in Poyang Lake, and dared to loot the grain transported to Taicang.

The memorial was sent to the palace. After seeing the memorial, Emperor Hongzhi was furious and wanted to wipe out the thieves.

Early in the morning, Li Dongyang and three other cabinet members entered the palace at the emperor's order, saying that they were urgently summoned.

Liu Jian was a little older, and the road was a little slippery, so he walked slower.

Yan Chengjin was walking on the road and found Li Dongyang and the other two, and smiled: "Good morning, three adults."

Li Dongyang nodded.

Xiao Jing was waiting in the courtyard of the Meridian Gate. When he saw the three people from the cabinet appear, he strode forward to greet them: "Please hurry up, the three adults. Your Majesty has been waiting for a long time."

Liu Jian was surprised: "Why are you so urgent?"

Xiao Jing hurriedly said: "Jiujiang Prefecture was robbed. The thieves from Poyang Lake intercepted the grain in Taicang."

Yan Chengjin's heart moved. Someone robbed Taicang?

Suhu is prosperous, the world is full.

Suhu was robbed, the world is cold.

Especially after the arrival of the Little Ice Age, the grain harvest of the Ming Dynasty was even more stretched. Suhu was an important grain-producing area for the court.

The recent grain price may rise. When I go back later, I will ask He Neng to store more grain. The weather is cold and winter is coming. I don't know how many people will starve to death.

Li Dongyang knew that this matter was serious and quickened his pace.

Xiao Jing said again: "Your Majesty wants to raise troops to suppress the bandits, attack Poyang Lake directly, and catch all the bandits in one fell swoop."

Yan Chengjin was not optimistic about the court's dispatch of troops.

The Ming Dynasty's navy is worse than a dog. As a navy, there are still some who can't swim. The bandits in Poyang Lake gather and disperse unpredictably, use boats as holes, and are well versed in waterways.

The lake area is extremely wide, and the vast waterways are rarely set foot in the Ming Dynasty's navy. It is probably impossible to defeat the lake pirates there.

Besides, the pirates in Guangdong are just as rampant, and it is difficult to allocate troops.

If the Guangdong navy is withdrawn, the pirates will take the opportunity to invade, and both the lake and the sea will be lost, which will be even more unprofitable.

There is a way to solve this problem in later generations, which is to increase the number of military preparation roads, and wait for these bandits to come ashore, and the military preparation roads and the patrol roads will work together to encircle and suppress them.

But now in the Ming Dynasty, only the patrol roads are used to maintain the public security of the official roads. They are in name only, with few people. If they encounter bandits, they can only be wiped out.

If there are two forces of Bingbei Dao and Fenxun Dao to maintain the defense of the road, two plus one plus five.

When two meet on a narrow road, the brave wins, and when the forces are evenly matched, the strategists succeed.

As long as the officers and soldiers of Bingbei Dao and Fenxun Dao do not wave when the wind is favorable and do not surrender when the wind is unfavorable, retreat when the enemy advances, and delay when the enemy flees, and wait for the local government or guards to come to reinforce, the thieves will be destroyed sooner or later.

Yan Chengjin carefully considered it and fell into deep thought. If he pointed fingers, would Li Dongyang, Liu Jian and Xie Qian feel slapped in the face?

This point had to be considered.

Needless to say, Li Dongyang has always encouraged himself to "sing if you want to, and speak out boldly if you have a dream".

Liu Jian has a straightforward personality and has always been objective, so he is unlikely to bear grudges.

On the contrary, Xie Qian is unpredictable. Yan Chengjin only knows that Xie Qian is good at arguing, but he doesn't know whether he is good at face.

Yan Chengjin rehearsed it in his mind and tried to ask, "Sir, I have some superficial ideas. I don't know if I should speak up or not?"

Li Dongyang said, "My Great Ming Dynasty is open to all opinions and promotes talents. Why are you so hesitant? Just speak up."

Yan Chengjin said after careful consideration, "Jiujiang Prefecture has a special geographical location. It faces the river defense affairs of the Yangtze River and the defense affairs of Poyang Lake. It is inevitable that it will lose sight of one while focusing on the other. How about setting up a military preparation road in addition to the patrol road?"

Yan Chengjin's attitude was, "I just have an idea, and I don't know if it is feasible. Mr. Li, do you think it is feasible? Can you help me judge?" It was more like asking for advice, and the element of showing off was greatly reduced.

Li Dongyang fell into deep thought. Jiujiang Prefecture was indeed as Yan Chengjin said. It faced river pirates and lake pirates. If all the troops were invested in Poyang Lake, wouldn't the river pirates take the opportunity to go ashore and rob houses?

Xie Qian sighed softly and said, "The official system is already complete and cannot be increased or decreased at will. If a military preparation department is added, it will require additional officials and soldiers. The establishment of one official will lead to a series of official positions. One more official means one more salary. This needs to be carefully considered."

Liu Jian also fell into deep thought.

Based on the principle of keeping three points in everything so that it can be argued in the future, Yan Chengjin did not insist on arguing.

If the court insists on sending troops into the lake, I am afraid that it will end up with a horrible end.

Whether to listen or not is up to Li Dongyang.

"I will go on duty."