After the report of the Minister of Revenue Guo Yunhou, Gong Yonggu, Yang Shouchun and Xu Guangqi reported on the profits of Royal Industries, Royal Bank and Huangzhuang this year.

Although the heads of these three state capital enterprises have official titles from the Ministry of Revenue, they are only responsible to Zhu Youxiao.

Moreover, Zhu Youxiao is the largest controller, so the ministers present can only listen and know the basic situation, but they cannot interfere with His Majesty the Emperor's income.

However, in many cases, the treasury is used to replenish the national treasury, so even if the ministers want to say it, it is hard to say anything.

But overall, the finances in the eighth year of the Age of Revelation were significantly improved much more than in the seventh year of the Age of Revelation, and the court had the extra money to benefit the world.

Next is the Ministry of War reporting on the military strength and national defense of the Ming Dynasty.

Since Lu Xiangsheng, the Minister of War, is now in charge of affairs in Liaodong and Denglai, the person in charge of daily affairs of the Ministry of War was replaced by Yang Sichang, the Left Minister of the Ministry of War.

Yang Sichang has a good memory and is the only minister among the six ministries who did not bring a booklet.

Yang Sichang held the elephant scepter and bowed to Zhu Youxiao, which was a bit more than the Shangshu Lu Xiangsheng. When reporting on the entire Ming Dynasty border defense situation, the number of troops and the expenses of food and wages, he was also eloquent and talked endlessly.

According to Yang Sichang's report, Zhu Youxiao increased the number of the entire army a lot after replacing the general officers and allowing the general officers of the nine border towns to recruit soldiers independently.

Among them, the border troops, which originally had an increase of more than 200,000, has increased to more than 300,000.

But most of them are military soldiers, which is no different from ordinary people. They just pay rent to their respective officers for farming.

However, the newly added officers and soldiers were recruited strictly according to the standards of professional soldiers. Zhu Youxiao also issued a special order for this and put forward several principled instructions for the recruitment of generals of each border town.

Zhu Youxiao allowed Cao Wenzhao, Zhou Yuji, Zhao Shujiao and others to recruit troops mainly to improve the combat effectiveness of the border army. Moreover, when they generally support their families and private soldiers, Zhu Youxiao did this only to give clear permission to recruit private soldiers to the generals of the border army.

Of course, this will definitely lead to the emergence of warlords, but the emergence of warlords cannot be curbed by whether they allow recruitment or not.

The emergence of warlords was an inevitable trend in a peaceful and prosperous era. With the increase in the frequency of war, even if Zhu Youxiao did not improve the status of warriors, the status of warriors became important because of the way of survival changed from non-violence to violence.

Moreover, compared with the fate of the Qing Dynasty and the nation, it is nothing to make these military aristocrats stronger. What's more, Zhu Youxiao himself recruited troops and established the Royal Guards, which was considered the largest military aristocrat in the empire. If the Ming Dynasty really turned into a violent group one day, then he would be the largest warlord in it.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao didn't have to worry that after Cao Wenzhao and others became military groups, they would be in harmony with the imperial court, like the Guanning Army and Zuo Liangyu in history.

Not only because these generals were loyal ministers who had been tested in history, but more importantly, although Zhu Youxiao allowed them to recruit soldiers, food, pay, weapons, equipment and official promotions were still firmly controlled in his own hands.

Not only that, according to Zhu Youxiao's plan, once the border troubles are eliminated in the future, or the scale of the Imperial Guards reaches a certain level, that is, they are fully capable of taking over the heavy responsibility of the entire Ming Dynasty's national defense, the outstanding officers and soldiers of these warlords will be disrupted and reorganized into the Imperial Guards, while the others will be eliminated.

At present, most of the ace troops of the generals of these border towns have replaced flints and have been reorganized in the form of the Imperial Guards, focusing on ideological education and propaganda, and emphasizing discipline.

But they also have their own characteristics. For example, Cao Wenzhao's Qin soldiers dared to fight bloody battles to the end, Manchu and Guizhou's Mongolian and Han army were good at cavalry combat, and Mao Wenlong's Dongjiang soldiers were more good at long-distance raids and fighting large and roundabout mobile warfare after Lu Xiangsheng appeared.

Since it was involved in the military affairs of the Ministry of War, Zhu Youxiao turned around and looked at Man Gui.

Man Gui, who was restless, smiled awkwardly, wanted to stand up and salute Zhu Youxiao, but Zhu Youxiao pressed him back again: "Sit down and show the demeanor of a first-rank official!"

As he said that, Zhu Youxiao asked Man Gui with a smile: "Mangui, how many troops are there, how many cavalry are there, how many auxiliary soldiers are there, and the soldiers can eat and wear well. Especially those Mongolian heroes who served the Ming Dynasty like you, but they are still used to it, whether they have any credit or not, and that the food and salary are not put in place."

When the Liaodong General King sitting under Sun Chengzong asked Mangui this, he couldn't help but feel nervous. Mangui is now a general under his command, and he is in control of all the money and grain dispatches. If Mangui says a few words in front of His Majesty, such as deducting military news, I'm afraid that his Liaodong General King will not be easy to be.

Man Gui didn't expect that His Majesty would personally ask him and his subordinates, so he was naturally very moved. Although he and his Mongolian officers and soldiers were still good at bowing, horses, riding and shooting, they were actually no different from the soldiers and civilians in Liaodong. They had official positions in the court and their own farmlands in the local area.

"When you go back to your Majesty, the last general has 20,000 cavalry and 30,000 auxiliary soldiers. With His Majesty's blessing and the general's care, the last general and the soldiers are very good, and their morale is also very strong. Everyone is waiting to come out of seclusion one day to make contributions to His Majesty's killing of the enemy."

It is precisely because they have to protect their homes and protect their own interests that they will serve the Ming Dynasty wholeheartedly. He did not directly say that the Liaodong General Wang deducted some military news and some rewards and punishments in Jin. First, he was still worried about the reason why the literary nobles and martial arts were inferior; second, Wang Xianjin was already better than the former General Yuan Chonghuan.

After all, for border generals, it has become a common saying that they are not afraid of civil servants being greedy, but fear of civil servants being lenient.

Yuan Chonghuan belongs to the latter, and Wang Zaijin belongs to the former.

Seeing that Man Gui did not take this to slander Zhu Youxiao, Wang Zaijin felt relieved and began to admire Man Gui secretly, thinking that he would go to Shanhaiguan in the future and would be better than before. At least he should not underestimate Man Gui. After all, it seems that His Majesty attaches importance to him as a civil servant.

Zhu Youxiao looked at Wang Zaijin and saw Man Gui say this again. He nodded in his heart with praise: "It's so good. It's true that civil servants are not greedy for money and military generals are not afraid of death. This is a sign of prosperity in the country. As a major official in the border town, this point should be remembered more. And more importantly, not to restrain each other, to work together, to be considerate of each other, to be kind and kind, to not be arrogant, and to not be timid in military officials!"

Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chuanting, Wang Zaijin and other governors, Man Gui, Mao Wenlong, Zhao Rujiao and others all responded: "Yes!"

Next is the report from the Ministry of Rites. Compared with the other six departments, the Ministry of Rites has not been idle this year.

From the escort and palace examinations at the beginning of the year to the denial of the establishment of the Confucius Sect in the Southern Sect in terms of the ritual system, to the current sacrifice of His Majesty to the sacrificial tombs of Xiaoling, and the significant reduction of the privileges of royal relatives and nobles, and the joint arrangement of a large number of literati and gentry to transform and support teaching in backward areas, they are all important events.

As the cabinet assistant, Qian Qianyi also manages the Ministry of Rites. Although he did not seem to have done many earth-shaking things, the Ministry of Rites, which he presided over with Li Mingrui and Wen Tiren, was responsible for the interpretation and publicity of the legitimacy of His Majesty's rebellion today.

There were many civil officials who were dissatisfied with the emperor Zhu Youxiao, but none of them said that he had made great efforts.

However, in fact, the Ministry of Works has been building large projects, but because Zhu Youxiao paid for it himself, the civil servants did not come up with it to talk about it.

For example, the construction of Liangjing Avenue cost a lot of money, but the officials at all levels are responsible for the charges, and the big merchants behind them enjoy the benefits of convenient transportation.

The center of the role of the Censorate and the Six Sections was obviously shifted from restrictions on the emperor to surveillance of all officials. What they reported was nothing more than a report on how many officials and local officials had been impeached. There was no mention of the government affairs, especially the number of times that the Emperor advised him.

The Hanlin Academy should not be tied to the new changes, but since Zhu Youxiao took the Hanlin Academy as the Ming Dynasty Social Sciences Institute, the Hanlin Academy now not only represents nobleness and honor, but also has become the official authority to explain a series of social science issues.

Now, Zhu Youxiao has also arranged new tasks for them. In addition to writing history and writing books and biography for various Ming characters, he also needs to work with the Ministry of Revenue to survey the total population of the Ming Dynasty, work with the Ministry of Rites to determine the literacy and illiteracy rate of the Ming Dynasty, and even work with the Imperial Heaven Supervision to do climatological statistics.

In short, Zhu Youxiao’s purpose is to no longer make Hanlin Academy a place where people can only be stormed and respected, he wants to give him more functions.

What the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering are doing now, let alone what the Royal Academy of Engineering is doing. Now even Zhu Youxiao himself cannot remember how many issues these two colleges currently have. Anyway, he remembers that some people in the Royal Academy of Sciences are already exploring what light is, and have even debated whether light is particles or invisible waves like sound.

The Royal Academy of Engineering is a little more pragmatic, but what impressed Zhu Youxiao the most was that Cheng Xuanlang, an engineering Academy named Wanlong, applied for a bold guess to collect lightning through some kind of container. Zhu Youxiao was very pleased that there were such avant-garde people in the Ming Dynasty began to think about the thing about electricity, just as Wanhu, the same surname as him, dared to make rockets and send himself to heaven.

Zhu Youxiao has always let the blame for the two research institutions of the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Even if the censor impeached them and damaged the dragon vein due to an explosion experiment, Zhu Youxiao did not do anything to them. He even imprisoned the censor, and his crimes were naturally confusing the public.

Therefore, Zhu Youxiao did not stop such people who wanted to collect lightning. However, he still commented on the memorial to apply for the project: "Although I am righteous, Lei Gong and Die Mother are ruthless, so be careful of safety!"

Finally, there were reports from the Ordnance Department, Imperial College, Dali Temple, Taichang Temple, etc. Zhu Youxiao said a few more instructions.

...

As the Spring Festival approaches, just as the Emperor Zhu Youxiao and the important officials of the court held a year of summary court discussions, Wang Siren, who was far away in Taiping County, Kuizhou Prefecture, also began to prepare for the New Year.

Looking at the endless Qinling Mountains in the distance, listening to the sound of reading in the academy, and asking about the fragrance of bacon floating in the Tujia Village at the foot of the mountain, although Wang Siren still missed Jiangnan a little, he was also used to life in the depths of Daba Mountain. He taught the children in the mountains to read the Three Character Classics, helped the locals write inscriptions, and sometimes Wang Siren himself also asked local farmers how to grow good crops in the barren mountains.

What is more legendary than Wang Siren is that Ni Yuanlu, who was also exiled to Dongxiang County, Suiding Prefecture, was arrested by local female bandits and became the husband of the village. At the same time, she also became the military advisor. As a result, she also recruited the bandits that were difficult for officers and soldiers to wipe out, and now she has become the county magistrate of Taiping County.

When he learned that Wang Siren was also in Taiping County, Ni Yuanlu rushed to meet him. Naturally, the two were crying when they saw the villagers. But at the same time, they decided to take advantage of the reunion to join hands with local gentry to build a college under the local scenic spot Motianling to educate the local area.

This day is the Lantern Festival, and it was the first day after the academy holiday. Wang Siren, as the mountain leader, was preparing to do some simple questions for the assistant children, and then went to the market town to buy a big mountain pepper fish (giant salamander) and let the concubine who was exiled with him make a rich Lantern Festival rice. When he heard Ni Yuanlu's voice coming from the foot of the mountain.

"Mr. Ji Chong!"

Wang Siren was over 20 years old, so Ni Yuanlu respectfully called him Mr. Ni Yuanlu, who had always been obsessed with cleanliness, has now been in this remote area for a long time and has lost his habit of the past. He was wearing linen and his head was tied up with only rattan, climbing up along the steep stone staircase. As soon as he got up, he sat on the rock, took out a newspaper, and panted, saying, "Look, good news, just a month ago, Concubine Hui gave birth to the eldest son of the emperor. His Majesty was very happy and pardoned the lives of hundreds of officials and scholars who were detained."

Wang Siren listened to the newspaper and snatched the newspaper. This newspaper was run by Chen Qiyu, deputy envoy of Sichuan Dixue. The pages were directly reproduced from the content of the Daming Daily, which was naturally the birth of the eldest son of the emperor. The language was very plain and there was not much content, but Wang Siren was crying when he read it.

"Your Majesty!" Wang Siren couldn't help but kneel down to the north, and shouted loudly outside the mountains, and couldn't help but cry with joy. Ni Yuanlu, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but smile bitterly. Although they were demoted to this place, their concern for the government had never faded.

"Let's go, go to my house, and we'll have a few drinks together. The Ming Dynasty will be safe, and the world will be peaceful for several years. Even if we die of old age, we will have no regrets." Wang Siren said, and then led his donkey, pulled Ni Yuanlu and walked towards another relatively circling road. The two of them were talking and laughing along the way, and the scenery was endless at the end of the sunset.

"The Master said, "Taibo, his ultimate virtue is gone. Third, the world is given, and the people are not given, and they are praised." Chen Jiru, in Kaili, the mountainous area of ​​Yunnan and Guizhou, was still alone, without a wife, no friends, and no relatives. Even the students were only four or five peasant children who had some time due to slack farming. There were no classrooms, so they could only sit on the straw pile to teach and read the four books.

But Chen Jiru was enjoying it. When the Orthodox Church was in full swing, he saw the Wang Shuye Office of the county government coming with a basket: "Chen Jiru, according to the order of the prefect, because the eldest son of the emperor was born, everyone celebrated. The scholars who came to our palace to renovate could get two kilograms of meat and a dou of millet. This is yours. Take it and go back for a meal."

"What did you say? Your Majesty has a prince." Chen Jiru, who was dressed in rags, grabbed Wang Shuban, but Wang Shuban thought he was dirty and broke free: "It's not steamed, can it be cooked? The eldest son is Zhu Cijiong. If you want to know the truth, you can go to the newsstand in the county town to take a look."
Chapter completed!