Chapter 259: You Give So Little Money, It's Hard for Me to Do Things

Zhu Yijun rewarded the Third Lady who came to pay tribute, summoned the envoys of various countries, and let the envoys of various countries witness the building of the Great Ming imperial palace. The row of glass in the new imperial palace was dazzling, and they were all double-layered glass, which was excellent for warmth.

The Korean envoy was just asking for peace as usual. The weather was cold, and the King of Korea brought greetings, and by the way, sold "Goryeo Ji" (Korean concubines), a bed-warming artifact. Goryeo Ji was a high-end product line that Korea had started cultivating since the Tang Dynasty, specially used to serve nobles. The price was expensive and was the main export product of Korea.

Zhu Yijun was not interested in these. The meat-eaters of the Great Ming liked these Goryeo Ji very much.

Goryeo Ji were good-looking, but too many Goryeo Ji would easily lead to family unrest. The Hu Yuan practiced this iron law with its own national destiny.

The Ryukyu envoy, Ryukyu Zheng Yi Doctor Zheng Xian, and Ryukyu Zhongshan King Wang Mansion Long History Zheng You, expressed their gratitude for the Great Ming Emperor's armed cruise. The Japanese pirates scourge in Ryukyu had been alleviated to a certain extent. The cruise of the five-masted ocean-crossing ship effectively deterred the Japanese pirates. The Ryukyu envoy expressed the hope that the Great Ming would have mercy and continue the cruise.

"The King of Ryukyu offered a national letter, hoping that the Great Ming's navy would continue to go to Ryukyu to deter the Japanese pirates. To express the sincerity of our King, we specially offer 300,000 jin of fish oil, 10,000 jin of shark oil, and 500,000 jin of sulfur every year to help with military expenses and reward the labor of the distant army." This time, Zheng Xian came to the capital not only to thank, but also to hope that the Great Ming court could continue the armed cruise, and the military expenses would be sponsored by Ryukyu.

The Ryukyu Kingdom discovered that the Great Ming army no longer conducted armed cruises. This point was unacceptable to the Ryukyu Kingdom. The armed cruise and investiture of the Great Ming Navy were major events for the Ryukyu Kingdom. They had just spent a few days of stability, and the Great Ming suddenly stopped coming, and the Japanese pirates scourge started again. After a little research, they understood that it was because they didn't pay money.

Without sponsorship, the Great Ming Navy really wouldn't go.

The court's current style was to gather wealth and promote profit. Gathering wealth and promoting profit inevitably required calculating costs and inevitably required being calculating. Only with payment would there be a harvest. The Great Ming displayed its military power. This time, the Ryukyu Kingdom took out sincerity and asked the Great Ming to continue to promote its military power.

"The noble envoy has come from afar, and I am very gratified. With a thousand sails passing by, every time the Great Ming Navy goes, the cost is extremely heavy. I hope the noble envoy knows. I trouble the noble envoy to tell King Shang Jiu after returning to the country that I intend to establish several coastal defense inspectors in Ryukyu, select sharp soldiers of the navy, the 'Langli Baitiao,' to go and patrol. Besides that, when the Great Ming Navy goes, it needs three suitable bases, otherwise the navy will arrive, but there will be no place to stay."

"This is a necessary condition for the navy to go on patrol. Without these, how can the navy go? I hope you know." Zhu Yijun's words were full of "noble envoy" and "inform," but the meaning was very impolite. To translate, it means: Ryukyu gives so little money, it's hard for me, the Great Ming Emperor, to do things.

He wanted to establish coastal defense inspectors in Ryukyu and build three naval ports in Ryukyu, exclusively for the Great Ming Navy to dock.

If Ryukyu didn't give, the Great Ming Navy wouldn't go. This was both grace and power. Ryukyu actually had other choices, such as directly defecting to the Shimazu family, serving the Shimazu family as the suzerain, and letting the Shimazu family help deal with the Japanese pirates. If the Japanese pirates couldn't be dealt with, they would just become Japanese pirates directly. Anyway, King Shang Jiu of Ryukyu's mother was also Japanese.

The two Ryukyu envoys' expressions changed drastically upon hearing this. This was no longer a matter they could decide, and furthermore, they had completely failed to anticipate that the Great Ming's appetite would be so large—demanding three good ports and several naval inspection stations. These were the naval forces and maritime inspection stations of the Celestial Empire, which would inevitably bring about countless problems.

This was an unacceptable thing for Ryukyu.

As soon as this was said, all the civil and military officials in the court were shocked. The Emperor's conditions were truly a bit excessive. Wanting money, wanting goods, wanting land, and wanting the sea rights for coastal defense patrols, this was completely increasing the military tethering on Ryukyu.

The court officials finally realized that the source of the Great Ming's new policy, Zhang Juzheng, was no longer in the court, and the source of the Great Ming's new policy was gradually shifting to the Great Ming Emperor!

It's not as good as Zhang Juzheng!

The Great Ming Emperor was more radical than Zhang Juzheng, and even a bit eager for quick success. What if the King of Ryukyu closed his eyes, stomped his feet, and directly defected to Japan?

"Inform the King, if he is willing to agree, send an envoy to come again." Zhu Yijun waved his hand, signaling the two envoys to go back and discuss, and then give an answer. If the King had no response, that was also an answer.

The Great Ming Navy would have to find a way to use force. The Great Ming was absolutely impossible to give up Ryukyu, this "Ten Thousand Country Sea Beam," especially now that opening the seas was in full swing.

Zhu Yijun's conditions were already very polite.

According to the most radical Tan Lun in the court, the Great Ming should establish a Hall of Meeting and Reception foreign affairs office in Shuri Prefecture, which was the capital of Ryukyu, to specially receive the King of Ryukyu, and build a shipping office in Naha Port in Shuri Prefecture, and use the "Duxiangguan" as the military expenses for the Great Ming Navy's garrison and reward for the labor of the distant army.

Zhu Yijun chose a plan that was not so radical: garrison plus coastal defense inspectors, increasing military tethering, and then planning for political tethering and economic tethering.

In the young Emperor's worldview, the military is the ballast stone and the foundation of everything. Without military tethering, other tethering is just a moon in the water and a flower in the mirror.

"Your subjects retire." The two envoys helplessly chose to leave. The Great Ming Emperor's appetite was too big. I don't know if the King could accept such harsh conditions, but standing in the Great Ming's position, giving so little, it was truly impossible to do things.

The envoys of Annam and Malacca couldn't even speak Chinese well and needed an interpreter throughout. Zhu Yijun didn't have much interest in communicating, mainly granting them permission to pay tribute once a year. Tribute was trade, reporting to the shipping office in Dianbai Port, Guangzhou.

The Siamese envoy offered an auspicious sign, a white cat. Zhu Yijun didn't care much about this thing and ordered the Ministry of Rites to return the gift. Siam requested tribute, and according to the old system, Siam paid tribute once every three years, which was changed to once a year.

Annam, Malacca, and Siam all changed their tribute to once a year. The reason for this change was mainly for teak, as Siam possessed a large amount of teak, the best wood for shipbuilding.

The Siamese envoy expressed his worry about the increasingly huge Taungoo Dynasty. Bayinnaung was a hero, and the Siamese envoy was worried that Bayinnaung would go south. For this worry, Zhu Yijun said he would issue an edict to tell him to restrain himself.

As for whether Bayinnaung restrained himself or not, that was not something the Emperor could control. The conflict between the Great Ming and Bayinnaung was concentrated in the Yunnan area. The cost of attacking was too high, and the gain was not worth the loss.

The Siamese envoy returned in disappointment, without getting the Emperor's effective promise.

The last one to appear was the special envoy from Spain, Riccio. He looked around and walked into the Imperial Pole Hall, performing the great ceremony to face the Emperor.

"No need for formalities." Zhu Yijun said with a smile. Riccio was in the capital and did not actively collect the Great Ming's military intelligence, mainly examining the customs and people, and also often wrote letters back, letting Antonio take them back to the King. Riccio's position was very interesting. He completed his mission very well and lived very comfortably.

"Respected Your Majesty, this magnificent palace is far less dazzling than Your Majesty. Your brilliance will surely shine into every corner of this world. Thanks to God's grace, I have the honor to witness these moments." Riccio used an aria and extremely skilled Chinese to flatter the Great Ming Emperor.

Every time they met, Riccio's opening remarks always made the Great Ming court officials, whose culture tended to be introverted, blush. This person was truly too good at flattering!

"If you have something to say, say it." Zhu Yijun had also met Riccio many times. The last time they met was the last time, when the Manila Galleon arrived at the port in June and Antonio had an audience with the Emperor, Riccio accompanied him. They were all acquaintances.

"Your Majesty, I am getting married." Riccio said with a smile: "I once made a promise in front of the Lord to remain unmarried for life to serve God, but now I am going to break my promise. I can only ask the supreme Your Majesty to bestow blessings on me."

Zhu Yijun understood some of this. Remaining unmarried for life to serve God was not an individual case in the West, but a trend. For example, Queen Elizabeth I of England remained unmarried for life.

Now Riccio had betrayed the Lord and betrayed his faith, so naturally he had to seek blessings. He could only seek the protection of the Eastern God. And the Eastern God, ordinary people couldn't get the blessings of the Old Heaven, they could only get the blessings through the Son of Heaven. Riccio understood the religion of the Great Ming this way. The Emperor's new house was built, he came to congratulate, and also hoped to get the Emperor's blessings.

Zhu Yijun was not stingy with blessings, as long as Riccio performed his duties well.

Riccio's marriage partner was a Red-Haired Barbarian from the West. That woman followed Antonio to the Great Ming and served Riccio. They fell in love over time, and the two of them were full of the sour smell of love, and finally walked into the grave of love, the hall of marriage.

The only problem was that this woman was divorced and had a child.

Zhang Juzheng and Dorgon had repeatedly proven one thing with their own experiences: other people's children can't be tamed.

Zhang Juzheng pushed for the new policy regardless of his reputation when the country was in danger. The treatment Wanli Emperor gave Zhang Juzheng was almost digging up the grave and whipping the corpse. And Dorgon, when the master was young and the country was suspicious, led the Qing into the pass, took charge of the government, and settled the country. After his death, he was posthumously titled Emperor by the Shunzhi Emperor, but not long after, he was opened the coffin and whipped.

Dorgon, the actual founding emperor of the Qing, stood from the perspective of the Jianzhou Jurchens, and Dorgon spent twenty years letting the Qing go from regional separatism to sitting firmly on the country.

Dorgon didn't want to kill Dayu'er and little Fulin and be the Emperor himself, but he had no son, and the throne always had to be passed to his nephew.

Riccio was a special envoy and not a minister of the Great Ming. He wanted to take over, and Zhu Yijun could only choose to respect other people's fate.

Riccio left satisfied after receiving the Emperor's blessings.

Zhu Yijun began to handle state affairs. The court meeting, the place Wanli Emperor hated the most, because looking at it, the court officials who were so obedient in front of the teacher became hateful. No matter what the Wanli Emperor wanted to say or do, it was wrong.

Zhu Yijun actually faced a similar situation, only because Zhang Juzheng was still alive, so the court officials restrained themselves.

"Is the Military Ministry Censor Pei Yingzhang here?" Zhu Yijun picked up a memorial, flipped through it, and waited for Pei Yingzhang. Zhu Yijun's random roll call method made the court officials afraid to miss the court meeting. Missing the court meeting and being named would be like Jia Sanjin, losing face and losing his official position, directly socially dead.

"Your subject is here." Pei Yingzhang hurriedly stepped out, knelt on the ground and said loudly: "Your subject is here."

"You bastard!" Zhu Yijun closed the memorial in his hand, slammed it, and threw it out, hitting Pei Yingzhang, which made the group of officials shiver violently.

The Great Ming's memorials were also opened to be read. In order to make it convenient for the Emperor to throw, Zhang Hong specially designed a clip. As long as it was buckled, it could be thrown out, which was very convenient.

With His Majesty's accuracy, if he wanted to hit, he would definitely hit.

"The matter of the post station's waste should be improved with good methods, and it must not be abolished. I have said it many times. The post station is a matter of great importance. You submitted a memorial, but you didn't say to abolish it. Do you want me to sell it to rich merchants and giant gentry?" Zhu Yijun slapped the table, looking at Pei Yingzhang, who was so angry.

He didn't let them abolish the post station, so these people thought of ways to make articles on the post station, and thought of the method of resale.

Zhu Yijun had never once thrown a memorial at someone in front of everyone, and he was so out of control in front of everyone.

"Your Majesty, your subject thinks it's not allowed." Tan Lun heard that this censor wanted the court to sell the water horse post, so he hurriedly stood out and bowed: "The post transmission waste should be discussed with the registration rules, and the external inspection should go to the department. Registration to prevent fraud, internal inspection should be sent to the department by the department, and the person should go to the department to receive it in person to prevent grinding and changing, instead of just saying that the waste is too heavy and resale is appropriate."

"Its waste is too heavy, mountain people fraudulently obtained horse cards and wantonly instructed poor people and laborers. Registration and inspection, without cause, must not apply for horse cards to match the post, strictly matching the post method."

"Strictly reward and punish orders, post delivery personnel have a lot of experience, know the situation and malpractice, those who report will be rewarded, those who sell and release will be punished, so it is appropriate. Post transmission is the hands and feet of the country, and it must not be lightly abolished or resold."

Tan Lun didn't just say it, but had been doing it all along. He had been rectifying the abuse of the post station and had confiscated a large number of horse cards that were issued indiscriminately.

The post station was under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, and the rectification effect was extremely good. The phenomenon of excessive waste had been greatly improved, but this Pei Yingzhang lightly said, since it loses money, sell it.

"Commander, drag him down and beat him for me, 20 court beatings, and send him to Luzon tomorrow to be an official. The Ministry of Personnel knows." Zhu Yijun looked at Pei Yingzhang and announced the disposal of Pei Yingzhang. Beat court beatings, send to Luzon, just in time for Luzon to lack people, go and show your teeth to the big crocodiles!

Actually, Pei Yingzhang's thinking was very interesting. Since it loses money, sell it. Although I don't know why rich merchants and giant gentry want to buy it, selling bad assets, isn't this a matter of course? The intestines were simply straight.

But the post station, for the Great Ming, was the extension of imperial power. Even if it loses money, it must be carried on. Moreover, it didn't lose so much money now.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Wan Shihe bowed his head to accept the order. Regarding the Emperor's chaotic decree that castigated the remonstrating officials and harmed the upright spirit of the court, Wan Shihe not only did not oppose or blame Chen Shan, but instead obediently agreed, fully revealing the true colors of a sycophantic official.

Pei Yingzhang was dragged down. The gate of the Great Ming imperial palace had just reopened, and someone was beaten to pieces, and blood dripped on the moon platform in front of the Imperial Pole Hall, which was considered opening the light for the Great Ming imperial palace.

The Great Ming's post station cost the court about 770,000 taels of silver every year. This was just the grain and salary of the post soldiers, not counting the consumption of the local area. The Great Ming's Nine Dragon Post was indeed extremely wasteful, so since the Jiajing era, after the court's finances suffered a huge loss, there had been people clamoring for abolition. Only the Chongzhen Emperor fell into this trap.

"Imperial Uncle, has the 'Zhuishu' (Book of Mathematics) been compiled properly?" Zhu Yijun picked up the second memorial, which made Zhu Yijun become kind and pleasant. Imperial Uncle Zhu Zaiyu was still exerting his strength. The "Zhuishu" that was found from the library of Wang Xijue's mansion last time had been translated and compiled.

What exactly did the "Zhuishu" talk about? This book was the textbook of mathematics in the Great Tang, but because it was obscure and difficult to understand, the things that the classics doctors had to learn for four years were lost in the two Song dynasties.

And this isolated copy was found again, so Zhu Yijun handed it to Zhu Zaiyu to deal with.

Zhu Zaiyu studied it and re-compiled it.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been sent to the Mingli Hall. The imperial students of the Imperial Academy are blessed." Zhu Zaiyu stepped out and bowed.

Re-compiling was to make it easier to understand. Zhu Zaiyu understood the content of the "Zhuishu." The research on pure mathematics in the Great Ming today was not as good as that of Zu Chongzhi and Zu Geng a thousand years ago, which made Zhu Zaiyu feel ashamed.

The things talked about in the "Zhuishu" were actually two things: one was differentiation, and the other was integration. Differentiation is infinite division, and integration is summation. There was some kind of universal connection between the two, but a key tool was missing to transform them. Zhu Zaiyu was studying their relationship.

Now the "Zhuishu" had joined the luxury mathematics textbook list of the imperial students of the Imperial Academy and became a textbook for the Mingli Hall.

It was indeed a blessing. There were very few cases of such isolated copies being passed down. If this wasn't a blessing, what was?

"Good, good, good." Zhu Yijun nodded repeatedly, highly affirming Zhu Zaiyu's work, and gave another round of rewards to the doctors of the Royal Academy of Sciences. These doctors were treasures. Wang Chonggu was building the Royal Academy of Sciences and specially built residences for them, with independent gates and courtyards, equipped with Iron Forest Army guards.

Zhu Yijun picked up the third memorial, and his face immediately turned black.

The First Grand Secretary Lu Diaoyang and the Second Grand Secretary Wang Chonggu looked at each other. The Emperor was like a dog's face, changing as soon as he said it.

"Is the Shanxi Circuit Censor Wang Zhixiang here!" Zhu Yijun held the memorial in his hand and said with displeasure, his tone even more severe.

"Your subject is here." As soon as Wang Zhixiang heard his name, he shivered. The miserable state of Pei Yingzhang being dragged back after 20 court beatings was right in front of his eyes. Wang Zhixiang trembled and stepped out.

"You bastard!" Zhu Yijun closed the memorial in his hand and put it aside, asking Wang Zhixiang.

At the end of the first year of the Wanli era, the loyal and patriotic Marquis Hou Yuzhao submitted a memorial, and finally all the commandery princes and below went to seek their own living, and the court also stopped the genealogy of the commandery princes and below, and the five-service relatives. This Wang Zhixiang said he wanted to give marriage and funeral officials.

The problem came, money, who would pay?

Don't talk about costs, just talk about benefits, that's naturally good. Costs?

"Naturally, the national treasury and the inner treasury pay." Wang Zhixiang finally knew what his problem was.

His memorial violated the holy will, or rather, didn't understand the Emperor's specific requirements for the memorial. Since the last time Zhu Yijun and Zhang Juzheng discussed the word "cost," the memorials had been standardized. If you talk about a political order, you can't just talk about benefits. You have to show the other side according to the contradiction, and make it clear who has to pay the price.

Wang Zhixiang's memorial violated this basic principle, so it made the Emperor angry.

The problem Wang Zhixiang said did exist. Since the 29th year of the Jiajing era, the court's finances suffered a huge loss, and they had been treating the clan thinly, which violated the ancestors' established laws. As a censor, he could naturally discuss state affairs, but not explaining the costs and prices according to the contradiction was the mistake he made.

"Oh, the national treasury and the inner treasury pay money. Censor Wang, the country's finances have recovered slightly, but there is not much surplus money. This side is using troops against Tuman Khan, and that side is building the navy. It's not that I don't want to, but I can't do it. Do you understand?" Zhu Yijun thought for a moment and said: "Add 300 silver coins to the Imperial Uncle to show kinship."

The Imperial Uncle card, the first usage, was to save money while showing kinship.

"Your subject, understands." Wang Zhixiang breathed a long sigh of relief. He was much luckier than Pei Yingzhang. He was just scolded twice, the Emperor was still willing to explain, he didn't get beaten, and he didn't get exiled.

Moreover, the purpose of his memorial had been achieved. The Emperor rewarded the Imperial Uncle Zhu Zaiyu, expressing kinship.

"Is the Military Ministry Left Censor Wang Daocheng here?" Zhu Yijun picked up another memorial and continued to handle state affairs.

Wang Daocheng inspected the military affairs of Shandong and discovered several problems. These problems did exist. For example, there were many runaway soldiers in the Yizhou Guard. Wang Daocheng said the Yizhou Guard was very important.

Saying: "The Yizhou Commandery controls Qing and Qi on the left, connects Yan and Lu on the right, carries the danger of Mount Tai on the back, and faces the guard of Huaiyu. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it has been repeatedly invaded by soldiers, and Rizhao is close to the sea. Since the Jiajing era, the defense against the Japanese pirates has been very strict. When the Taizu pacified Shandong, he also ordered the Zhongshan Wang Xu Da to take Yizhou first, then drive north, which is truly the throat of Qi and Lu."

The military affairs of this key place began to rot, and the number of runaway soldiers was increasing. This triggered Wang Daocheng's attention, and he even went there personally in June. After returning to the capital, he wrote this memorial.

"Your subject is here." Wang Daocheng stepped out and bowed: "Your Majesty, your subject has already investigated the matter of the runaway soldiers in the Yizhou Guard."

"What is the reason?" Zhu Yijun asked.

"In a word, there is a Duke Yansheng Kong family in Shandong." Wang Daocheng chose to speak bluntly.

He used one sentence to summarize his six months of visits and investigations. The runaway soldiers in the military garrison were an extremely common phenomenon, but the situation in Shandong was even more serious. There was a Duke Yansheng in Yanzhou, Shandong.

As soon as Wang Daocheng said this, it was like throwing a big bomb into the court, which stunned the court officials. Wang Daocheng was truly too brave.

After a burst of "mighty" and "quiet" sounds from the correction officials, the court finally quieted down.

Wang Daocheng bowed his head and said: "In recent years, the Duke Yansheng has borrowed the guard troops to perform labor, causing unbearable expense and toil, leading to the neglect of duties and the desertion of soldiers; secondly, there is the punishment of withholding grain, where soldiers and junior officers are all impoverished, with monthly rations amounting to no more than two or three mace of silver, a sight too miserable to look upon; thirdly, there is the punishment of labor, where one tael and two mace of silver are extracted per month, and three taels and six mace over three months, meaning the annual grain of each soldier is insufficient to complete the penalty for a single shift."

Wang Daocheng explained these three reasons in great detail. Duke Yansheng borrowed guard soldiers to repair work for his own farmland, resulting in the soldiers being miserable and tired, so they fled directly. This was the direct reason. Secondly, it was the deduction of grain for punishment. Wang Daocheng originally thought it was the military generals who were harsh, but when he arrived at the place, he realized it was not.

This explanation is not complicated. The grain and grass of the Yizhou Guard were supplied by Shandong. Because Shandong had too much annexation by Duke Yansheng and did not pay taxes, it led to a huge deficit in Shandong. And the grain and grass of the Liaodong Commandery were also supplied by Shandong. In order to ensure the supply of grain and grass for the Liaodong Commandery, the Yizhou Guard appeared to have a deficit. The Yizhou Guard became less and less, and there was only two or three silver coins of allocation per month.

A soldier in the Great Ming Beijing Camp had 18 taels a year, and one month was 1.5 taels of silver. And the Yizhou Guard only had two or three silver coins a month. This military salary could no longer guarantee basic life. It was natural for runaway soldiers to appear. A strong man was not one person who was full and the whole family was not hungry. What he had to guarantee was the life of the whole family.

Where to escape, escape to Liaodong, or simply become a bandit.

Finally, it was the punishment for work. Duke Yansheng borrowed guard soldiers to repair work, and if they didn't do it well, they had to be fined. After working for three months, they not only couldn't get the money given by Duke Yansheng, but also had to pay money back to Duke Yansheng's mansion. One month, one person was 1.2 taels. In the end, the grain and salary of the whole army were not enough to pay the fine.

"If I were a soldier of the Yizhou Guard, I would have to escape too. Is it only the Yizhou Guard?" Zhu Yijun heard this and said sincerely, working for Duke Yansheng's mansion and having to pay money back, who can reason with this? There is no place to reason, running is the only way.

"It's just that it's the Yizhou Guard's turn to be unlucky this year." Wang Daocheng chose to be straightforward again. Since he had poked this matter out, he didn't intend to hide it. Duke Yansheng's mansion didn't just borrow military soldiers to repair work this year, but every year. It wasn't land reclamation, it was dredging ditches and irrigation. The runaway soldiers in Shandong were particularly serious. It just happened to be the Yizhou Guard's turn this year.

It wasn't that it hadn't been discovered before, it was just that Duke Yansheng, as the descendant of the Sage and Teacher, no one in the court dared to poke this layer of window paper.

Now, Wang Daocheng poked it.

"Strange, why does Duke Yansheng's mansion borrow military soldiers to repair work?! Even the Qian Duke's mansion lets its own slaves do the work." Zhu Yijun said with surprise.

Wang Daocheng pondered and replied: "The Qian Duke's mansion naturally doesn't dare to be overly harsh on military households. After all, there are many Miao in Yunnan and Guizhou, and there is a great threat from Bayinnaung outside. If they are overly harsh, Bayinnaung will collude with these Southwest Miao and work together inside and outside. Duke Yansheng's mansion also calmed down for a few years. After the Japanese pirates scourge gradually stopped, the old thoughts revived, and it started again."

"As for why Duke Yansheng's mansion borrows military households, your subject is stupid and doesn't know the details."

The strangest thing about this matter was that Duke Yansheng's mansion borrowing military soldiers to do work just happened, and even became a default convention. Wang Daocheng didn't even find out when it started.

"Reporting to Your Majesty." Wan Shihe stood out and bowed: "In the Xiaozong era, the seventh year of the Hongzhi era, Duke Yansheng submitted a memorial saying that the farmland was fallow, water conservancy was not prosperous, and ditches were blocked, and requested to conscript civilian labor. Since then, it has started, and it has become a convention until now."

Wan Shihe explained clearly when it started, and the time was the seventh year of the Hongzhi era.

Wan Shihe read books, read history books, and when Wang Daocheng asked him, he didn't know either. He checked for a long time before he found the ancestors' established laws from the Veritable Records. It wasn't too difficult. According to Wan Shihe's understanding, such outrageous things didn't happen in the Zhengtong and Tianshun eras, they happened in the Hongzhi era.

Sure enough, it was found by Wan Shihe.

Ming Yingzong didn't treat Duke Yansheng's mansion well, and even punished them, but Ming Xiaozong was exceptionally kind to Confucianism.

"Issue an imperial edict to prevent Duke Yansheng's mansion from borrowing military soldiers to repair work in the future." Zhu Yijun thought about it and said: "The war in the two provinces is gradually calming down, Luopang is stable, and the guest soldiers in the two provinces have nowhere to settle. There are more than 1,500 people. These guest soldiers will follow Governor Ling Yunyi to Shandong, and Governor Ling Yunyi's staff and others will follow. What does the Grand Minister think?" Zhu Yijun gave Governor Ling Yunyi support, not just talking about it, but really giving him support, such as his staff and his guest soldiers.

The settlement of guest soldiers had always been a headache for the court. In order to pacify the Yao people in Luopang Mountain, Governor Ling Yunyi conscripted 1,500 guest soldiers. The hard battles were all done by these guest soldiers, and they killed a lot of people. Releasing them to their relatives was releasing the tiger to the mountain.

Now Governor Ling Yunyi didn't have to have a headache. The Emperor's meaning was to let the guest soldiers follow Governor Ling Yunyi to Shandong and continue to do their old business, which was killing people.

"Your Majesty, 1,500 people are probably not enough." Tan Lun said very confidently: "It's not even enough for a foot battalion. Your subject thinks that more than 3,000 people are more appropriate. At least gather a foot battalion so that it is easy to direct."

The scale of a 3,000-person foot battalion was the result of Qi Jiguang's long-term practice. Too many people would be a waste for pacifying the Japanese pirates, and too few people wouldn't be useful. And 3,000 people were just right.

Looking at Tan Lun's meaning, he was directly treating Duke Yansheng's mansion as Japanese pirates, actually needing a foot battalion to prevent major chaos.