allonlinenovel Chapter 915 The Prince Consort still needs to put in a lot of effort.
Chapter 915 The Prince Consort still needs to put in a lot of effort.
Yang Shaofeng felt that something was wrong.
To be fair, the strategy proposed by Li Shanchang was almost the optimal solution to completely resolve the Hu Yuan problem.
Taking full advantage of the Ming Dynasty's large population, numerous craftsmen, and abundant resources, they built city after city on the grasslands, and then strung these cities together like a noose around the neck of the Hu Yuan.
The routine is a typical mix of "the ways of the king and the way of the tyrant," with nothing particularly surprising or winning, and it can even be seen through at a glance.
The crux of the problem is that even if Hu Yuan can see through this tactic, he has no way to counter it.
Unless Hu Yuan had desperately destroyed the first city built by the Ming Dynasty, or directly marched south and fought the Ming Dynasty to the death.
Otherwise, they would only be slowly strangled.
Then the problem is coming.
The Ming Dynasty had a large population and many artisans, but they needed to migrate to Liaodong, southern Mongolia, and northern Mongolia little by little.
No matter how abundant the resources of the Ming Dynasty are, they still need to be mined bit by bit by human hands.
Not to mention the massive resources required to build the city.
for example.
During the Yongle era, the fourth prince and Xia Yuanji had used this tactic before.
During the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, Sun Chengzong also used this tactic.
The difference is that the fourth brother and Xia Yuanji used this tactic to beat up the Tatars and Oirats.
Sun Chengzong's use of this tactic in Liaodong nearly crippled the Ming Dynasty's finances.
Same routine.
Different endings.
The reason for this situation was that the Ming Dynasty's finances were still functioning well during the Yongle era, and Zheng He's seven voyages to the Western Ocean provided a continuous source of funding for the Ming Dynasty's finances.
By the time of the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, the Ming Dynasty's financial system was already facing complete collapse.
Therefore, the fourth prince and Xia Yuanji could use the "building a city in ten days" tactic, and Xia Yuanji, as the head of the Ministry of Revenue, could even shout the slogan "If we're going to fight, let's fight big."
Sun Chengzong, let alone building a city in ten days, would be impeached even if he chose to build cities in a few key military locations.
Can the Ming Dynasty afford such an expensive scheme?
Yang Shaofeng looked directly at Li Shanchang and tentatively asked, "Prime Minister Li, what about the money and provisions for building the city..."
Li Shanchang stroked his beard and smiled.
Before the third year of the Hongwu reign, I would never have had such an arrogant idea.
Before the first year of the Hongwu reign, I didn't even dare to mention the words "building a city".
Even when it comes to repairing Yingtian Prefecture, I have to be very careful in making plans, for fear of dragging down the Ming Dynasty's national treasury.
but.
In the seventh year of the Hongwu reign, I not only dared to propose the idea of "building a city in ten days," but I even dared to shout the slogan "If we're going to do it, let's do it on a big scale!"
"Money and food?"
Li Shanchang tapped the geomantic map, his finger slowly moving towards Dengzhou Prefecture.
"Let's leave the national treasury aside for now, and let's also leave the Dengzhou border market aside for the time being."
"Take this stick and this shorty."
"If the Ming Dynasty wants to conquer the northern deserts, shouldn't they prepare money, provisions, and auxiliary troops?"
Li Shanchang tapped the geomantic map with a pained expression: "You must know that the Ming Dynasty's dealings with the Hu Yuan were never simply for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, but to protect them."
"Without the protection of the Ming Dynasty, can the King of Korea still be considered the ruler of a country?"
"Without the protection of the Ming Dynasty, would that short and ugly family still be playing the North-South divide game?"
"By extension, which of Ryukyu, Srivijaya, Malacca, Siam, Burma, and Annam hasn't received favors from the Ming Dynasty?"
"Since they have received the country's favor for generations, shouldn't they contribute money and manpower?"
"This is their responsibility and obligation as vassals!"
Li Shanchang chuckled coldly, then said menacingly, "Get the Dengzhou fleet moving and take the travelers to the various vassal states. I believe they will make the right choice."
Yang Shaofeng was completely numb, and even began to question the meaning of life.
If I remember correctly, it seems that I am the one who transmigrated?
I've probably seen quite a lot of all sorts of messy tactics and strategies.
Now look what's happened! That old scoundrel Li Shanchang has actually started playing the same tricks as the foolish Ying family ahead of time.
Good heavens, they've gathered a bunch of henchmen, made them contribute money and effort, and all the benefits go to the Ming Dynasty. What kind of Ming Dynasty-era American style is this?
Zhu Biao was completely numb.
I know that Prime Minister Li is ruthless.
Little did they know that Prime Minister Li would be so ruthless.
Is this the same Korean man who lamented his thinning hair in the capital?
Is this still the same Ming Dynasty chief minister who angrily denounced Yang the Madman as "utterly inhuman" in the capital?
Just as Yang Shaofeng and Zhu Biao were secretly complaining to themselves, Li Shanchang chuckled coldly and said in a sinister tone, "Even if we don't use the money and grain from these vassal states, is there really no way to solve the problem of money and grain?"
Li Shanchang glanced at Yang Shaofeng, then smiled meaningfully and said, "Shouting the slogan 'Seal the Wolf and Dwell the Mountain' will thoroughly enrage Hu Yuan."
"However, shouting the slogan of 'relieving the people and punishing the guilty' can make the herdsmen on the grasslands welcome the king's army with food and drink."
"Don't forget, those who hate the Yuan Dynasty the most are not the people of our Great Ming."
"When the herders from the grasslands heard the news, they came to join us, and the problem of manpower for building the city was largely solved."
"Some herders have come to join us after hearing the news. Is it a problem with food and fodder, or something else?"
“If we transport some tea bricks from Jiangnan to Liaodong and southern Mongolia, at least the problem of beef and mutton will be solved.”
"With the help of various canned goods from Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture, the problem of fruits and vegetables has been basically solved."
"With the addition of various compressed rations and luncheon meat, the problem of military rations no longer exists."
"What's left are stones, bricks, timber, and sand. Does Liaodong really lack these things?"
Alright, alright, so this is how you, Li Shanchang, play it?
You've mastered the tributary system perfectly.
You've mastered the art of operations research to a whole new level.
I just want to ask, what kind of tricks does Li Shanchang not know?
Yang Shaofeng was internally ranting, while Chang Yuchun looked at Li Shanchang with a bewildered expression: "Building a city? After autumn?"
That's not right either.
What did the higher-ups send us to Liaodong for?
Are you suggesting we escort His Highness the Crown Prince and some good son-in-law who has risen to power to Fenglangjuxu?
How did things escalate to the point where Hu Yuan was to be killed completely in the fall?
If everything goes according to Mr. Shanchang's plan, then what about the rest of us, and Xu Da, Fu Youde, Feng Sheng, and the others who have fought to the death with Hu Yuan all these years?
Does this count as us trying to slack off?
Li Shanchang glanced at Chang Yuchun and nodded in confirmation, "That's right, it's about building the city until autumn."
"As the Prince Consort just said, sealing the wolf's lair is important, but when to do so is not important."
"To completely eliminate the Hu Yuan and free the Ming Dynasty from border troubles is far better than a great victory like the Fenglang Juxu."
At this point, Li Shanchang turned his gaze to Yang Shaofeng: "Of course, the Prince Consort will also need to put in a lot of effort."
Yang Shaofeng pointed at himself again: "Me?"