If you go outside, you must first settle inside!

This sentence was earth-shattering, like a lightning bolt splitting the dense fog in Chongzhen's heart, and a looming thought in his heart that he didn't dare to resort to was about to move. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

He pretended to be surprised and asked, "Make peace with Jiannu?" Isn't it risking the world's condemnation? ”

Yang Sichang said: "If the country lives and dies, how can it be avoided because of misfortune and fortune." For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, the minister is willing to risk the world's disapproval for His Majesty. ”

"Good, good, good!" Chongzhen was excited, and said three good words in a row, but I don't know whether it was a good idea to negotiate peace, or Yang Sichang's spirit of self-sacrifice for the sake of righteousness was commendable.

Seeing Chongzhen's praise, Yang Sichang was greatly encouraged and continued to explain his three strategies: "Today's guard is erosive, the Beijing camp is useless, and the army that can fight is mostly in Shaanxi and Gan to suppress the Liukou. His Majesty can increase the number of troops by 120,000, including 80,000 infantry troops and 40,000 horse troops, and spend 2.8 million taels of silver every year. ”

Chongzhen saw that he could casually say how much to increase the army and how much money to spend, it must be that Ding Wei did not forget the state affairs during the period of guarding the system, and he did enough homework before the audience, so it can be seen that he is a person who does things. And when talking about military affairs, his thoughts are like springs, and he talks eloquently, which is very different from the sluggish and wooden appearance of Zhang Fengyi, the current secretary of the Ministry of War, and he can't help but sigh: "I hate to be late!" ”

However, 2.8 million taels of silver is simply fatal for Chongzhen. He hesitated and said, "The treasury is empty, and there is no silver to use in the treasury, so where does the silver come from?" ”

Yang Sichang had already had a draft, and calmly replied: "You can increase the land levy of one cent per mu, and a total of 7.3 million taels will be levied nationwide, which is a training salary for training border soldiers; In addition, 2.8 million taels of wages were levied, which was used exclusively for the purpose of exterminating the rogues. ”

Chongzhen hesitated slightly: "Will people in the world accuse me of tyranny? ”

"If Your Majesty is worried, then the salary can only be levied for one year."

"A year?" Chongzhen doubted, "Can you exterminate the rogue in a year?" ”

Yang Sichang replied confidently: "The minister has a plan, as long as His Majesty supports it, it will be peaceful within two years." The ministers called it 'four positive and six corners, ten sides of the net': Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Jiangbei are the four positives, and the four governors are divided into suppressions, and the special defense of Yansui, Shanxi, Shandong, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan is the six corners, and the six governors are divided into defense and assist in suppression, which is called a ten-sided net, and the governor and the prime minister follow the thief's direction and specialize in the collection. In the vernacular, this method means intercepting and encircling the itinerant peasant army, and then destroying it, with the governors of Shaanxi and other places in charge of pulling the nets, and the governors of the five provinces and the prime ministers of the five provinces in charge of "catching fish."

Chongzhen saw that he was right, and couldn't help nodding his head again and again: "Very good, according to what you said, increase the levy and practice salary." ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!"

Yang Sichang's words persuaded Chongzhen, and from then on, the burden of the peasants became heavier, leaving a foreshadowing for the fall of this dynasty.

However, whether it is levying and training salaries, or increasing the number of troops by 120,000, it is a long-term plan, and the Tartars who are close in front of them always have to face, Chongzhen asked: "Since according to what Qing said, Hong Chengchou and Lu Xiangsheng are going to levy and suppress the Liukou, and it is not appropriate to transfer, so can you transfer troops from Guangdong?" ”

Although Yang Sichang has been at home for the past two years, he knows the general trend of the world well, and Qionghai Town, which has risen like a comet, is naturally also in his eyes. He has his own opinion on this army, which can fight more than the vast majority of Ming troops.

"Your Majesty is referring to Qionghai Town, right? In Yichen's opinion, the general army is arrogant and domineering in the summer, and it can be used, but it cannot be reused. If you have to do it, don't transfer it north. ”

Chongzhen sighed, speaking of arrogance and arrogance, it has now become the patent of military generals, especially those border town chief officers with heavy troops, not to mention Xia Nan alone? Liaodong general Zu Dashou surrendered to Huang Taiji in the battle of Daling River, and then fled back, Chongzhen not only did not dare to surrender, but also added the title of Zuo Dudu, and later summoned him to Beijing several times to meet, Zu Dashou hid in Jinzhou City, refused for various reasons, no matter who was the governor in peacetime, he did not dare to care about him, he did not obey anyone, what can he do with him?

Yang Sichang continued: "If Your Majesty wants to relieve the plight of Gyeonggi and let the Tartars retreat, it is not only a way to use force. If the Tartar pseudo-Khan has the intention of negotiating peace, he can withdraw from the army through peace talks without spending a single soldier. As for the Tartar army in the territory of Beizhili, the prefectures and counties can be ordered to stand still, so as not to affect the negotiation of peace. ”

Chongzhen was tempted, and it didn't take a single soldier to make the Tartars retreat, which sounded very good. He now has no money to pay the border towns, and every time he mobilizes the soldiers and horses of King Qin, he feels a headache when he hears that the troops of the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Households, and King Qin are fighting for food, grass and silver. If it's really as simple as Yang Sichang said, you can try it.

However, the proposal to make peace with the Tartars will definitely be pointed out by the Qianfu. Chongzhen cherished his feathers very much, and didn't want to bear this infamy, so he hesitated for a long time and didn't say anything.

Yang Sichang observed his words and looks, and also saw Chongzhen's tangled mentality, so he recommended a candidate: "Fang Yizao, the governor of Liaodong, is an old acquaintance with his ministers, and he has the same interests, so he can send someone to Shenyang (Shengjing, the later capital of Jin) to contact Huang Taiji." ”

Chongzhen was puzzled: "Why don't you negotiate directly with the slave chief Azig?" ”

"Azig is just a county king, not even a prince or a banner master, he can't be the master, and now the power of the Tartars is in the hands of the puppet Khan Emperor Taiji, such a major matter can only be discussed with him."

Chongzhen thought about it for a long time, and felt that he didn't need to come forward by himself, so he could give it a try, so he said: "Qing Ke can take a letter of resignation, send it to Liaodong as soon as possible, and order Fang Yizao to send people to Shenyang. He specially explained that Yang Sichang wrote a letter in his private name, either in the name of the imperial court, or to leave room for himself, and if the matter was exposed, it could be wiped out.

"Your Ministers obey."

Chongzhen saw that Yang Sichang could understand his own thoughts, and was very satisfied, not only has the ability to strategize, but also can figure out the holy will, and be of the same heart as the Son of Heaven, where to find such an excellent courtier. He promised: "Qing can first restore the official position of the right attendant of the military department, and then take up the post of secretary of the military department when the time is right." ”

After this performance, Chongzhen felt that if Yang Sichang came to be the secretary of the military department, he would be much stronger than Zhang Fengyi. However, although Zhang Fengyi was mediocre and incompetent, he was not a big mistake, and he had just taken the initiative to ask Ying to leave the Beijing Governor, and he could not move for the time being, so he could only wait for Tartar to withdraw from the army, and then try to transfer him to another place to make room for Yang Sichang.

Yang Sichang replied modestly: "The position of this soldier is as important as a thousand jun, how can the minister be virtuous, please choose another meritorious." ”

Chongzhen knew that this was a humble statement, and said firmly: "Qing doesn't have to resign, the position of this soldier belongs to you." ”