When everyone was lively in the city, Li Zicheng left quietly.

He could cross the sea from Songjiang and enter Jiangbei, and it was not impossible for Jinshan Shipyard to have a lot of spare ships to bypass the open sea at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

But the mouth of the Yangtze River is too wide, there are thousands of horses, it is impossible to have so many transport ships, one trip down, at least one day and the second trip of the soldiers, waiting on the north bank for a day.

For cavalry, the land route was much faster than the water route.

Li Zicheng took his own soldiers, bypassed Songjiang City, crossed the Yangtze River from Nanjing's Xiaguan Wharf, and did not even enter Nanjing City, but only brought Li Xiangjun and Liu Rushi.

In less than half a year, there should not be too many changes in Nanjing.

In the future, there may be a surprise when you enter Nanjing again, right?

With an inexplicable expectation, Li Zicheng turned around and looked at the faint city of Nanjing behind him, and then lightly whipped on the horse's buttocks, "Drive!"

Along the way, Li Zicheng did not carefully look at the farmland along the way, nor did he stay in a certain prefecture or county.

Just like the people you see along the way, according to the inherent laws, at a normal speed.

Leisurely travel, this may be the life that the people expect, right?

On the afternoon of the 14th day of the first lunar month, Li Zicheng finally returned to Jingshi, and he originally wanted to enter the city directly from the Yongding Gate in the south of the outer city, which was the closest road.

However, the city sent many officials to meet him in the middle of the road, and insisted that Li Zicheng go to the Desheng Gate in the north.

Ten miles outside the Desheng Gate, there is a piece of kneeling black press, divided into two rows, very neat.

Li Zicheng said in his heart, which one is this, greet it, greet it, and kneel to greet it, it's still ten miles away!

There is no need to figure it out, he understands that it must be Liang Wencheng and them!

Li Zicheng turned over and dismounted, walked a few steps, and was just about to get the ministers up, when he heard a strong and slightly chaotic voice: "The ministers welcome the emperor's victorious return to the court!"

"No rudeness!"

"Emperor Xie!"

The official kowtowed three times, completed the procedure, and then got up, and according to the level of his position, surrounded Li Zicheng.

Li Zicheng arched his hands and returned the salute, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am not in Jingshi, I am fortunate to be in you!" Although I have a small military exploits, today is still the New Year holiday, but I work you to welcome you in the cold wind, sins and sins!"

"The emperor is not in Beijing, how can the ministers have a holiday?"

"The minister hopes that the emperor often has such military exploits......"

"Haha, this old bone of the minister, it is really a blessing for the minister to be able to greet the emperor in the cold wind!"

……

"Hahaha......" Li Zicheng laughed, walked into the group of ministers, high-fived and celebrated with this one, patted that one's shoulder, and laughed a few words casually, "I have returned to Beijing today, I will give you a holiday immediately, and I will ......go to work again tomorrow and the Japanese Festival."

"Tomorrow's ......" the ministers laughed, not even half a day, this is also called a holiday?

"It's cold outside the city, let's enter the city and talk while walking!" Li Zicheng got on his horse, and the ministers either rode horses or sat in a sedan chair, embracing Li Zicheng into the Desheng Gate, from the west of the imperial city, and then through the Xuanwu Gate into the outer city in the south.

The main gate of the outer city is the Zhengyang Gate.

Li Zicheng took the lead and re-entered the inner city from Zhengyang Gate, the original Daming Gate has been changed to Huaxia Gate, other than that, there is almost no change.

He sympathized with the hardships of the ministers, and after entering the Tian'an# Gate, he let the ministers disperse, and returned to the official office and mansion, and only took Liang Wencheng and Guo Shijun into the palace.

In the Qianqing Gate at the front of the inner city, Gao Guiying personally led all the concubines to kneel to greet him.

Li Zicheng hurriedly dismounted, "Queen, get up quickly, and you, hurry up!"

All the concubines bowed, although they were not as exaggerated as the ministers, but their foreheads were indeed gold bricks touching the ground.

Li Zicheng wondered, what's wrong, pacifying Jiangnan is just a very small battle in the process of the founding of the Chinese state, except in Taiwan, there is no risk, why are the ministers and concubines so welcome?

Is it for the unification of China?

From the moment the Heavenly Mandate Army entered the Beijing Division, did anyone still doubt that Huaxia would eventually replace the Ming Dynasty?

"Your Majesty," Liang Wencheng bowed his hand to Li Zicheng, and smiled at Gao Guiying, the implication was that it was not the minister who wanted to come to the Qianqing Palace, but the emperor who pulled the minister, "Otherwise, the minister will come again tomorrow......"

Li Zicheng glared at Liang Wencheng, good people have let you do it, how can I do whatever I want in the harem? He coughed and said, "I'm not confused, I ......can still distinguish between state affairs and family affairs," he raised his eyes and looked at Gao Guiying, and said: "Queen, I want to summon Wencheng and Shijun, you go down first, let Yulian prepare, and reunite in the evening, it can be regarded as a late reunion!"

"The concubine obeys!" Gao Guiying glanced in the direction of Liang Wencheng and Guo Shijun again, then turned around and took a group of warblers and swallows back to the palace.

Li Zicheng asked Liang Wencheng and Guo Shijun to wait in the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace first, but he recruited He Xiaomi.

He Xiaoxiao understood and personally went to the rear to lead the three personal soldiers over, "Your Majesty ......"

Li Zicheng didn't speak, just nodded, three slightly short personal soldiers, Yu penetrated into the Qianqing Palace, and the little eunuch Wang Lian hurriedly received the three personal soldiers into the palace and transferred to Xinuan Pavilion.

Under Dou Meiyi's service, Li Zicheng took off his military costume and changed into a convenient palace dress, and then entered the imperial study of Dongnuan Pavilion.

Liang Wencheng and Guo Shijun were drinking tea, and when they saw Li Zicheng, they both got up.

"No need to be polite, sit down," Li Zicheng sat on the main seat, and said with a smile: "You are the closest people to me, one has been with me for the longest time, and the other has a heart-to-heart relationship with me, this is the Qianqing Palace, it is my home, just feel free." ”

Both of them knew Li Zicheng's temperament, and they didn't value the courtesy, so they looked at each other, and Liang Wencheng said: "The emperor has left the capital for more than half a year, and the minister is really ...... I really hope that the emperor will return to Beijing as soon as possible, and the ministers will first report to the emperor on the work of the court, and then listen to the emperor's southward conquest......"

"I'm not in Jingshi, you, the prime minister, don't have a light burden on your body," Li Zicheng smiled faintly: "Let's say, what has changed in Jingshi, and what are the things in the court of Huaxia that need to be dealt with urgently!"

Liang Wencheng paused and said: "Let's talk about the economy first, the second year of Huaxia has passed, and the total tax payment for this year has been fully completed 18 million taels ......."

"Only eighteen million taels?" Li Zicheng made a simple calculation and felt that the silver should not be enough to spend, "You roughly tell me how the silver is spent." ”

"Among them, 10 million were spent on military affairs, 2 million were paid by officials, 3 million were spent on education, 2.5 million were built on roads, and 1.5 million were subsidized to the naturalized border areas......

Li Zicheng frowned and said, "It seems that there is a million shortfall......

"It's not one million, but a gap of two million and two million, as well as the Han Qing Department and the Hanyang Department, etc.," Liang Wencheng was worried, "Your Majesty, if it weren't for the six million of the Ming Dynasty, the minister would be eager to hit the wall with his head......" Li Zicheng was also in a daze, the total tax was only 18 million, and the military expenditure alone reached 10 million, accounting for sixty percent, which is really appalling, is he reckless?

He thought for a moment, but he really didn't think of which army could be cut, so he muttered: "Do you need 10 million military expenses?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister will settle accounts for you," Liang Wencheng said: "Seven battalions and twenty-five divisions of the army, 500,000 infantry, two cavalry battalions of 40,000 cavalry, 10,000 cavalry of the emperor's own soldiers, 50,000 navies of the South China Sea Fleet and the North Sea Fleet, exactly 600,000, not including the tiger cavalry and wolf cavalry......"

"Tiger cavalry and wolf cavalry don't need to pay for military expenses!" Li Zicheng calculated in his heart that 600,000 troops, calculated at the monthly salary of half a tael per person, is 3.6 million per year; The grain consumed, calculated at five stones per person per year, required a total of three million stones, worth one and a half million taels; These two expenditures have already exceeded 5 million taels, and if you add the cost of transportation, you will have to add at least 500,000 taels.

Military expenditures are definitely not military salaries and food.

The consumption and research and development of weapons, the clothing of soldiers, etc., especially the maintenance of cavalry horses, the warships of the navy......

"The Emperor's ......"

"The meaning of Wencheng ......"

"At present, the southwest is still fighting, and the Tartars in Liaodong are only temporarily stopped, and sooner or later they will go south, and it may not be realistic to let the emperor reduce the number of soldiers," Liang Wencheng's heart was really uneasy, "But the number of troops must not be increased, otherwise, it will ...... Otherwise......"

"Wen Cheng means that if the number of troops is increased, the court will not be able to make ends meet," Li Zicheng said with a smile: "In the end, like the Great Qin and the Great Sui, the second will die?" ”

"The minister didn't dare to ......" Liang Wencheng seemed relieved.

Li Zicheng thought for a moment and said: "I don't know how many troops Huaxia needs, and some of them may be able to be eliminated in the future, but today's Huaxia is not stable in the north and south directions, so I plan to expand the sixth battalion to four divisions, and in addition, the North Sea Fleet will be increased to at least 10,000 soldiers......"

"And an army?" Liang Wencheng had a bitter face, "Your Majesty ......"

“……”

"At the end of the year and the beginning of the year, the national treasury is less than three million, Huaxia is so big, there are disasters every day, in case the money and food for disaster relief are not enough......" Liang Wencheng hesitated for a moment, looked at Guo Shijun again, and saw that Guo Shijun didn't seem to have the meaning to speak, gritted his teeth, and said: "If the emperor continues to increase the army, the ministers will ...... Please resign as Prime Minister!"

"Wen Cheng thinks that you, the prime minister, are for me?" Li Zicheng sighed leisurely, "Actually, we are all for Huaxia and for the future of Huaxia!"

“……”

Li Zicheng understood that it was basically impossible to let Liang Wencheng understand this truth, he glanced at Guo Shijun lightly, and said: "Wencheng rest assured, after the six infantry battalions are full, I do not plan to expand the army for the time being." ”

"Six infantry battalions?" Liang Wencheng said: "The minister is ignorant, but the minister is from the army, can the emperor tell me where the six infantry battalions will be stationed in the future and what is the purpose?" ”

"The third battalion was stationed in Liaodong and regained Liaodong step by step until the Manchu Tartars were completely driven back to Changbai Mountain; After the end of the expedition, the fourth battalion will return to the Beijing division as a mobile force; The fifth battalion was stationed in Jiangnan; The 6th Battalion was stationed in the Beijing Division; The 7th Battalion was stationed in the northwest, guarding a large area of land in the northwest; The eighth battalion will stay in the southwest in the future, and the southwest will not be too peaceful in the short term!"