On the tenth day of the fifth lunar month in the 19th year of Chongzhen's reign in the Ming Dynasty, Yuhu Palace.

In addition to Wu Sanfu, Li Yan, Wu Guoyong, Yan Yingyuan and others who were leading the army, the leading figures of the Ming Dynasty in Huguang included Qiu Yu, Fang Yuegong, He Tengjiao, Chang Yanling, Liu Kongzhao, Du Yinxi, Qin Liangyu, and one from

The predecessor of Nanjing Imperial Academy, Wen Anzhi, who had escaped from Yiling Prefecture occupied by the Dashun Army, all gathered together to offer suggestions.

"Your Highness," the old woman Qin Liangyu looked worried and spoke first, "I received an urgent report from Shizhu's home. The army of rogue bandits has gathered in Badong, Qutangwei, Fengjie County, Wushan County, and Yunyang County. The rogue bandits have carefully posted notices everywhere.

The songs about welcoming King Chuang and dividing the fields have made people panic. The regiments have lost their fighting spirit in training, and they are afraid that they will not be able to withstand the attack of the rogue bandits! Moreover, the armies in central Sichuan have been miserable in the past two years, fighting life and death with the rogue bandits, and they have suffered heavy casualties.

And I can’t get military pay from the imperial court, and I don’t have any reinforcements.”

The old lady didn't come all the way to see Prince Zhu just for the sake of the honor of a prince. She came to Huguang to get money, weapons and reinforcements to arm the Sichuan landlords.

Earlier, Zhu Cihong sent Ma Shiying to Hunan, and when Guizhou entered Sichuan, he gave him a large sum of military pay. But since then, he has never sent money or materials to Sichuan. Moreover, the military pay he gave Ma Shiying was not enough to support the whole of Sichuan.

The expenses of various Ming armies.

The situation in Sichuan is very strange. Before Zhang Xianzhong entered Chengdu, the Ming army in Sichuan was weak in various ways, and most of the landowners and wealthy people in Sichuan stood by and watched. However, chieftain Qin Liangyu actively resisted, but he was weak and could not defeat Zhang Xianzhong. And under Zhang Xianzhong

After he entered Chengdu victoriously and became the Ming Lord of Sichuan, the weak Ming army also rose up. The landowners who stood by and stood by also jumped out to pull the lever. Even the Ming army (guard soldiers) of Guizhou and Huguang (Shizhou Wei) also

Come and join in the fun.

As a result, Zhang Xianzhong was beaten to a bloody head and disgraced. Now he is a little angry!

During the two years of besieging Zhang Xianzhong, all kinds of landlord armed forces under the banner of the Ming Dynasty also grew stronger. It is not that they have strong soldiers and horses, but they are still powerful in numbers. The number of soldiers and horses in each group is said to be no less than a million.

! Even if the water is squeezed out, there are only one or two hundred thousand people who can't beat Zhang Xianzhong like this. Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang, Liu Wenxiu and the others are all under Zhang Xianzhong's command!

There are so many people fighting for the old Zhu family, and they still fight so hard. How to calculate the score? According to the rate of twenty taels of silver per person per year, plus a reward of ten taels of silver, plus an armor money of ten taels, two

How come the two-year expenses for 100,000 people have to be 16 million taels, right? Even if there is another discount, they still have to give 10 million taels, right?

So Mrs. Qin is not only here to help, she is also here to ask for an account!

Wen Anzhi, who is in his fifties this year, has a long beard that reaches to his chest, and a white face that is full of righteousness, took over the topic and said: "Yiling Prefecture, Badong County and Guizhou Shentian have also been divided into dictating land.

Debt-free and interest-free! Therefore, the ignorant people were incited to oppose the scholar-bureaucrats, causing the poetry and calligraphy houses to either be ruined or to flee!

And Kuizhou is close to Badong, I'm afraid that the ignorant people there already know about Badong, and people's hearts will be in chaos!"

After hearing this, Zhu Cixiang's brows tightened slightly, "You ignorant little people, you are slandering the working people. The working people are too knowledgeable! Divide the land, waive debts and interest, no matter how much trouble you make, you won't suffer!"

Zhu Cixiang glanced at He Tengjiao again, and He Tengjiao said: "Your Highness, Sichuan has been in chaos for several years. The gentry and people in Sichuan are suffering terribly. They look to Master Wang like a baby looking forward to his biological mother. Now Master Wang has settled in Huguang. If we don't send troops into Sichuan in time,

I'm just afraid that Sichuan people will be disappointed and the people's hearts will be lost!"

Qiu Yu also said: "Yes, Sichuan's land of abundance will become bigger again if it is captured by bandits! Master Wang should join Sichuan as soon as possible to defeat the bandits!"

Fang Yuegong also supported the entry into Sichuan. He said: "Now Sichuan's official army has a slight upper hand. If two divisions of new troops can enter Sichuan to overcome difficulties, the overall situation will be settled in one fell swoop. The rogue bandits will be pacified and Sichuan will be safe. I am still afraid.

Can’t we recover the Central Plains?”

Prince Zhu understands the meaning of these three Huguang local snakes, so hurry up and go to Sichuan to torment the Sichuan people! Just restore the original status quo here in Huguang!

Zhu Cihong turned his attention to Chang Yanling and Liu Kongzhao.

Chang Yanling said: "Your Royal Highness, I am willing to take up a brigade of soldiers to go to Sichuan with the new army. The bandits will not be exterminated and they will not return eastward after they die!"

Zhu Cihong said to himself: Go to Sichuan to eliminate the bandits? Are you trying to deal with the local snakes in Hunan? Think about it, you are an honest man, how can you defeat the scholars in Hunan?

Liu Kongzhao was the only one with a frown on his face among everyone present. He didn't say a word from the beginning until now. Even when Zhu Cixiang looked at him, he didn't say a word.

Zhu Cixiang smiled faintly: "What you all said is true and loyal advice for the country, but I still need to listen to the opinions of the generals. When I return to Wuchang, I will discuss it with you. Sincere uncle, if you stay, I will work with you.

You tell me about your return to Wuchang. The other ministers, please go down and rest first."

"Your Majesty, please leave!"

Everyone who had to leave stood up, saluted, and then exited the palace hall. Only Liu Kongzhao remained.

Zhu Cixiang looked at him: "Uncle Chengyi, don't you agree with the immediate westward march?"

Liu Kongzhao smiled bitterly: "It is a great cause to march westward to Sichuan and suppress the bandits. But how much food does Qiantui Master still have in his hands? I know that Sichuan has been in chaos for many years. The young men are fighting, the fields are barren, and the powerful are separatist. Moreover, Sichuan has always been

We are not a big province in terms of money and food. Even in the peaceful and prosperous times, we only paid a land tax of 1.08 million shi of white rice! Your Highness, please think again!"

Zhu Cixi remained silent.

The problems are one after another!

Going to Sichuan is a great righteousness! The land of abundance is the hope of all people, so how could you not go?

But after going there, it was a bottomless pit!

Sichuan's team training is no better than that of Huguang or Nanzhi, but it is similar to that of Shandong. It has grown enough to defeat Zhang Xianzhong.

Therefore, it is impossible for Zhu Cihong to receive any money or food from Sichuan for many years to come, and he will not even give him 1.08 million shi. Not only will he not give it, but Zhu Cihong will also throw money into it!

So how can we not give a heavy reward to the team members who worked so hard to suppress the bandits?

There are so many remnants of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong that it is simply unrealistic to eliminate them all. To recruit them, you will inevitably have to spend a lot of money on them.

It doesn’t matter whether it is possible to use the invaders to control the captives. Can you use those invaders in vain? And you have to equip them with supplies and let them go to war with the Eastern captives without food and weapons!

Liu Kongzhao said: "Your Highness, the key to the suppression of Sichuan is how much the imperial court can spend. In the past, the imperial court has tried to pacify the bandits many times, but it was always difficult to succeed. The problem is that the imperial court has no money and food!"

Zhu Cixiang breathed out, "It is necessary to enter Sichuan, and it is also necessary to pacify the bandits!" He looked at Liu Kongzhao, "Uncle Chengyi, if you can tell this to me, it means that you are one of my own. Your count can be added in front."

The word "overcoming difficulties" has been mentioned."

"I would like to thank His Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Cixi waved his hand, "But there are some things that must be done! Even if it doesn't work, we can't let the bandits feel too comfortable in Sichuan!"

"But" Liu Kongzhao hesitated to speak.

"Uncle Chengyi, what do you want to say?"

Liu Kongzhao lowered his voice and said, "Your Highness, the civil uprising in the southeast is imminent!"

"Civil uprising?" Zhu Cixiang was stunned, "Did you hear something about it?"

Liu Kongzhao shook his head: "I am a guard in Jiangdu and in Wuchang. I was in charge of the Jiang Navy before. I know best how many grain-carrying ships have sailed since last autumn. Moreover, I also know how many Huguang rice ships have sailed in the past years.

!

Southeast is about to run out of food! There is no food to eat! I still have relatives in Nanjing. I recently wrote a letter to borrow money from you, saying that the price of rice in Nanjing has now risen to four cents of silver per dou."

yes!

The Southeast is running out of food!

Zhu Cihong knew that Liu Kongzhao had been the admiral of the Caojiang Navy for many years and was very familiar with the water transportation situation on the Yangtze River.

In the past, how much rice from Huguang was shipped to Jiangnan every year. How could he, a naval admiral, know how to accept bribes?

Moreover, the Chengyi family is also a big family. There are many relatives in Nanjing who used to live in the Southeast Guard. Now most of them have lost their property and have to eat old rice at home, so they are extremely sensitive to the rise and fall of rice prices.

"This matter is indeed troublesome," Zhu Cixiang frowned, "Uncle Chengyi, go back to Wuchang immediately and see if you can find a group of rice merchants willing to go deep into Hubei and send troops to escort them to collect rice."

Nowadays, most of the territory of Jingzhou Prefecture, Chengtian Prefecture, De'an Prefecture, and Hanyang Prefecture in Hubei are occupied by the Ming army. However, the influence of the rogue bandits is still very strong, and the opposition between farmers, the government, and gentry and merchants is serious. Moreover, the original rural areas

The trade routes no longer exist, and going to the countryside to harvest rice has become a business that may cost one's life. And selling rice is not a high-profit business, which is not enough for rice merchants to risk their lives. So now

There are many businessmen gathered in Wuchang, but few dare to go to the countryside to harvest rice.

"I'll leave now!" Liu Kongzhao stood up and said again, "But Mr. Qiantose should think of another way, otherwise the price of rice in the Southeast will still rise. Although the Southeast is rich, there are also many poor people! There is no food to eat.
Chapter completed!