Chapter 343: Take From the People and Give to the Barbarians

Fengtian Palace is at a tense moment.

Alchukhawei and Zhikuleca turned their heads and saw the furious Wu Jinghou Zhao Chengqing, with a flash of fear in their eyes.

Since the resignation of Wang Yue, the coach of the Eastern Expedition, the Liaodong Commander-in-Chief, who also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of Jianzhou, holds military and political power in Jianzhou and has become famous in Jianzhou.

Although I am not necessarily afraid of this Wuhou, I did not come here to provoke a war. I mainly hope that Ming's reward will be more generous.

Kuleca immediately knelt down, but said very stubbornly: "Our Alchuka tribe is affiliated with the Ming Dynasty, but you gave tens of thousands of pieces of Mongolian cotton cloth, but only gave us a few carts in Alchuka? What if you Ming Dynasty It’s better to give that reward, our Alchuka tribe won’t come next year, and we won’t care about the title of Guard Commander!”

this……

The civil and military ministers present were stunned for a moment, and they all looked at this Jurchen in disbelief.

They never expected that a small Jurchen tribe would dare to be so arrogant. Not only did they behave rudely and rudely in the court, but they also dared to speak loudly in front of the lions, and even threatened the Ming Dynasty to bribe them with rewards.

Although everyone knew in their hearts that these tribal leaders did not sincerely attach themselves to the Ming Dynasty. They usually surrendered to the Ming Dynasty for rewards from the Ming Dynasty.

But now, the latest addition to the Alchukha tribe has directly pierced this layer of window paper, and is here to threaten the Ming Dynasty nakedly.

Zhu Youtang first glanced at the extremely arrogant Jurchens, and then turned to look at the group of civil servants.

Dynasties under civilian rule can indeed reduce wars and even create a so-called resurgence or prosperous age, but usually at the expense of borders, even at the expense of ceding territory and paying compensation.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty died due to tiger breeding was because these civil servants kept making concessions to foreign countries in order to gain peace of mind, which ultimately led to an irreversible situation.

But I don’t know that now that someone is riding on their head, how will these virtuous ministers who talk about doing good for the world respond?

Taichang Temple Minister Cheng Minzheng and other officials did not expect such an incident to occur, but they all pointed the finger at Honglu Temple. How could these uneducated Jurchens be arranged to participate in the imperial meeting.

The traditional method of disposal has been to leave these tribal representatives in Liaodong or Xuanfu, and let these people eat and drink there. Even if they make rude remarks, they can suppress the matter directly.

For example, back then, Wang Zhi wanted to raise troops because the Jurchen tribe made rude remarks, but was easily stopped by their civilian officials, thereby averting a war.

"Insolent, our Ming Dynasty has given you enough rewards for the Alchukha Guard! No, you shouldn't ask for rewards so blatantly, you are simply greedy!" Xu Qiong, the Minister of Rites, stood up to accuse, and then corrected.

"Damn, that's so arrogant!"

"So shameless and extremely rude!"

"This is simply shameless. You should never be summoned to court!"

…

The civil officials present could not sit still at first, and started to criticize this small Jurchen tribe who openly asked for increased rewards at the New Year's Day meeting.

Tuo Huochi, the envoy of Beishun, stood aside and witnessed everything. The corners of his mouth could not help but slightly raised, and he seemed to be watching the show with great interest.

Since their princess married the Ming Emperor, the relationship between the two countries has apparently eased. Moreover, because of the Ming Dynasty's help in disaster relief and the relationship between the princess and the princess, friction on the border between the two sides has been reduced.

But he always felt that all this was a conspiracy on the part of the Ming Dynasty. Giving up looting the Ming Dynasty for some cotton clothes for the winter was actually an act that outweighed the gains and losses.

Now seeing that the small Alchukha tribe is so provocative to the Ming Dynasty, they are naturally happy to see the results, and they also want to take the opportunity to let the Mongolian peace faction see how useless the Ming Dynasty is.

If he had a choice, he would prefer to continuously plunder the borders of the Ming Dynasty, not only to quickly replenish the supplies he needs, but also to stimulate the morale of various tribes.

Zhu Youtang remained silent and glanced at Guo Yong next to him.

Guo Yong and Zhu Youtang had the same idea, and immediately asked in a unique voice: "Not coming? Do you Alchuka guards want to betray the Ming Dynasty?"

Although it is special, since the Alchuka tribe has accepted the official position of the Ming Dynasty, it is naturally regarded as the subjects of the Ming Dynasty.

"I made it very clear just now! If you, the Ming Dynasty, don't increase the reward, let's get together and part ways!" Kuleca was a strong young man who looked full of courage.

Although their leader asked him to come over and talk nicely, he knew that if he wanted to get more, he had to be strong enough with his fists and not soft-spoken.

The problem now is very simple, that is, the Ming Dynasty must increase the rewards of their Alchuka tribe, otherwise the Alchuka tribe will stop paying attention to the Ming Dynasty and continue to plunder the property of the border residents of the Ming Dynasty.

Good to get together and have fun together?

When the civil and military officials present heard the Jurchen's ultimatum, they immediately looked at each other.

No one thought that this little Jurchen tribe leader would ignore Ming Dynasty so much and dare to openly threaten him here.

Although many civil servants knew in their hearts that whether it was the attached tribes or the chieftains in the southwest, they were mostly interested in the rewards from the Ming Dynasty, and in exchange for the Ming Dynasty not using weapons.

It's just that the words and deeds of Alchukhawei and Zhikuleca have exposed the lie that they have been using money to protect the Kingdom of Heaven, causing everyone including the civil service group to lose face.

Come on, the Ming court really doesn’t even have the dignity to do so.

No, the Alchuka tribe really does not recognize that it belongs to the Ming Dynasty.

In fact, if you choose from the bottom of your heart, there are many kneeling parties in the civil service camp.

They can tolerate the threats of the Alechuka tribe. After all, "sharing the blessings of peace and prosperity" is the political concept that best suits their interests. But unfortunately, the one who is in charge now is no longer the civil service group, but the tyrant Hongzhi in front of them.

"Except for the Alechuka Guard, who else of you has this idea, and will leave the Ming Dynasty without increasing the reward?" Zhu Youtang directly ignored Kulecha, but turned his head to ask the personnel of the envoys, chieftains and tribal guards.

Originally, he sneered at the political game of "sharing the blessings of peace and prosperity". After all, this political ecology maintains the interests of the scholar-official class, but it is the lower-class people who bear the burden.

Zhu Youtang does not intend to be the spokesperson of the scholar-official class, nor will he be a cowardly emperor, but to become a true leader of China.

Now this group of people is greedy and openly asks the Ming Dynasty for more people's fat, so he doesn't mind solving this contradiction in another way.

In fact, he could understand the thoughts of these people. After all, no matter how generous the rewards were, they could not compare to what they had gained by looting the border.

Unless they had no confidence in their own army, or they had already robbed most of the border, they would turn to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty.

It was just a pity that the peace he understood was never obtained through generous rewards, but the "power comes from the barrel of a gun" of a wise leader.

Since Zhu Youtang ascended the throne, he has formulated a strategy to strengthen the country and the army. Now that these Jurchen tribes are restless, the only way is to beat them until they are obedient.

Huh?

Tuo Huochi, the envoy of Beishun who had been watching the show, felt Zhu Youtang's strong attitude, but couldn't help but look at the young Ming emperor in surprise.

The representatives of the three guards of Doyan looked at each other, but they knew that the Liaodong Army was no longer the same as before, so they shook their heads gently.

Seven representatives of the Haixi Jurchens came today. The co-governor of the Wula Guard said with a smile: "Your Majesty, we in the Wula Guard do not have this intention, but we do hope that the court's reward can be increased a little bit!"

Huh?

Wu Jinghou Zhao Chengqing turned his head to look at the co-governor of the Wula Guard, vaguely realizing that the Wula tribe might be the mastermind behind this turmoil.

When the Minister of Revenue Li Si heard this request, his face immediately sank.

He also realized that this group of Jiangxi Jurchen tribes were indeed greedy, and the co-governor of the Alchuka Guard, Kulecha, might just be testing the waters, and they all had this in mind.

"The ancients said: Take from the people and use it for the people! You guards never pay taxes to the court, but you think the court's rewards are not enough, and even openly threaten the court to increase the rewards. It's really greedy! From today on, the rewards of each guard will be halved. Those who want to rebel against the Ming Dynasty can do as you please. But the power of the Ming Dynasty cannot be desecrated. Anyone who dares to offend the Ming Dynasty will be punished no matter how far away they are!" Zhu Youtang also responded strongly in the face of pressure from this group of people.

Especially "Those who offend the Ming Dynasty will be punished no matter how far away they are", the tone is very decisive.

Unlike the court presided over by the civil service group who is afraid of war, Zhu Youtang has no compromise in his dictionary, and it is even more impossible to bow to a force that is weaker than him.

In fact, the current financial expenditure of the Ming Dynasty court is not scientific. On the one hand, it raises hundreds of thousands of troops in Liaodong to stabilize the border defense, and on the other hand, it is generous in rewarding various tribes outside the Great Wall.

Not to mention that there is no need to be afraid of the war in Liaodong, in fact, supplies can be completed by looting the Jurchen tribes in Liaodong, thereby reducing the financial expenditure of the court.

Ah? Cut in half?

The representatives of the three guards of Doyan were dumbfounded when they heard this.

They just stood here to eat melons and watch the show, but they never thought that the melon would be eaten by themselves. The Ming court actually cut their rewards by half.

Although the rewards of the Ming Dynasty were not much in their eyes, if they really had to deduct half of the rewards every year, their hearts would undoubtedly be heartbroken.

Unlike the Alechuka tribe far away from Liaodong, their territory is close to Liaodong.

Once they dare to turn against the Ming Dynasty court directly, not to mention that the rewards and trade will be suspended, and it will be easy to face the Ming Dynasty army.

That's right, if the Ming Dynasty court really wants to reduce their rewards, they dare not even fart, and can't help but look at the Jurchen with hatred.

Zhao Chengqing and other military heroes straightened their backs when they saw how powerful Emperor Hongzhi was.

The Ming Dynasty had the power to crush all the other powers, but the civil service group had always advocated sharing the blessings of peace, so that the Ming Dynasty had repeatedly been the victim.

Now that they had such a powerful emperor, they also felt a sense of masculinity, but they were not afraid of war at all.

Kulecha, the co-governor of Alechuka Guard, did not speak Chinese very well, and seemed to be surprised after realizing it, saying, "It would be fine if you did not increase the number, but you actually want to reduce it by half?"

"Alechuka Guard will be removed from the list, and Kulecha will be thrown into prison immediately, awaiting his fate! Order the leader of the Alechuka tribe to go to Shanhaiguan to be tied up and confess his crime, otherwise the Ming Dynasty will definitely attack him!" Zhu Youtang's eyes fell on the arrogant Kulecha, and he made another decision.

Ah? Attack?

After these words came out, not only Kulecha was completely stunned, but also the other six representatives of Haixi Jurchen were stunned, and the envoys such as Tuohuochi also looked at Zhu Youtang in shock.

In the past, the Ming Dynasty court always liked to settle things peacefully and had always been a staunch peace faction, which was also the reason why the Alechuka tribe, which had just joined the Ming Dynasty, dared to ask for such a high price.

But now, due to a disagreement, not only did they expel the Alechuka tribe, but they also asked the Alechuka tribe to tie themselves up, otherwise the Ming Dynasty would actually attack them.

It's just the Spring Festival? Are we going to start a war again?

When all the civil officials in the court heard the ultimatum of Emperor Hongzhi to the Alechuka tribe, they all looked at their emperor in shock.

No one expected that after Kulecha, the co-governor of Alechuka Guard, broke the fragile monarch-minister model of money, the emperor would not hesitate to respond with war.

In theory, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty had endless blessings in the world and should be the one who disliked war the most, but Emperor Hongzhi was simply a complete war maniac.

If it is said that the expedition to Jianzhou Guard is still excusable, after all, the territories of both sides are adjacent, but it is a bit reckless to want to conquer the Alechuka tribe.

Unlike Jianzhou, the Alechuka tribe is located to the north of the Haixi Jurchens. If you want to conquer it, you not only need to go a longer way, but also need to spend more food and grass.

In addition, no one dares to guarantee that other Haixi Jurchen tribes will not be turned against, thus cutting off the food and grass of the expedition army.

Qiu Jun, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and Cheng Minzheng, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, looked at each other and were about to stand up to dissuade them, but they found that Wang Yue, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, cast a hostile look at them, which immediately made them shudder.

Two Han generals stepped forward and immediately wanted to escort the arrogant Kuleca to the prison.

Kuleca realized the disaster when he saw the disaster coming, but he struggled angrily and said, "The two countries will not kill the envoys when they are at war!"

"Are you an envoy of the country? You are just a small Tongzhi of our Daming Wei Suo. Be careful that I will kill you now!" Jingyuan Marquis Zhao Chengqing said with great contempt.

Unlike the delegations of Beishun, Beiyue and Korea, the Haixi Jurchens nominally submitted to the Daming and became a part of the Daming. As for Kuleca, he was only the Tongzhi of Alechuka Wei and was not in the category of envoys.

Of course, if this Kuleca could see the situation clearly and not say some disrespectful words, the Daming side might not really kill him.

Kulecha realized that his threat had backfired, and he knew that his life was in danger, so he rationally shut up.

But he was sure that his leader would never compromise with the Ming Dynasty, let alone tie himself up in Shanhaiguan, and a war would be inevitable.

This court farce ended, and the next step was the banquet.

But everyone knew very well that the Ming Dynasty in the fourth year of Hongzhi could no longer be peaceful, and the Ming Dynasty was about to face a war from the northeast.

"The funds for the Luzon gold mine have not been resolved yet, so how can we have silver to fight now? It's really ridiculous!" Qiu Jun, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, saw the tyrant in front of him pushing for a war, and couldn't help but shook his head secretly. (End of this chapter)