Although things in Shaanxi were not completely settled, after receiving the imperial edict, Tang Feng immediately prepared to return to Beijing. The imperial edict did not mention why the emperor was so anxious for Tang Feng to drop everything and return to Beijing immediately. It only said that he had other important matters for him to attend to. However, through Jin Yiwei's well-connected information network, Tang Feng still knew everything. It must be the crisis in Liaodong that forced the emperor to let him fight the Jin again.
In fact, in Tang Feng's private heart, he still hopes to go to Liaodong and fight the Jin people again, because he knows that the Jin people pose a far greater threat to the Ming Dynasty. Only by completely defeating them can the Ming Dynasty ensure its own safety. Now that the opportunity has finally come, of course he won't have any hesitation.
Although before leaving, Tang Feng was still not very satisfied with the current situation in Shaanxi. The court's judgment on the imprisoned officials had not yet arrived, which made him a little worried. But compared to the golden man, these corrupt officials are not too important. However, when leaving, in addition to handing over half of the money and food to the local government to provide relief to the victims, Tang Feng took away the money and food that he had stolen from the homes of several large businessmen and corrupt officials. Because he had already learned what was going on in Liaodong through Jin Yiwei's spies, and knew that the defenders there had not received military pay for some time.
Military pay is the key to soldiers being willing to serve the court. What some scholars say about serving the country and sacrificing one's life for righteousness are simply empty words in the eyes of those who have raised a family. If the soldiers want to fight the Jin man without any regrets, they must at least ensure that he can feed his family and that his family will have someone to rely on after his death. Otherwise, morale will be low. So even though he knew that these silver coins were crucial to Shaanxi, Tang Feng still took the risk of being impeached and took them back.
When Tang Feng left, in addition to many officials promoted by him, many people in Xi'an came to the city gate to see him off. In this month of getting along, everyone has a very clear understanding of this young governor and knows that he is a good official who is willing to do things for the people. And now that he is leaving, many people are reluctant to leave.
Tang Feng said to the officials who accompanied him out of the city for the last time: "You remember, the people of Ming Dynasty have paid a lot for the court, and you must not hurt them anymore because of your own selfishness. Otherwise, there will always be a *** We will regret it!" After saying this, Tang Feng slapped his horse and left with thousands of troops. The troops from other provinces had returned to their own provinces after the chaos had been calmed some time ago, so now he only brought back thousands of troops from Zhili and the capital.
When leaving, Tang Feng still couldn't let go of the things here. He was worried that everything would change once he left. In fact, just as he feared, in a year's time, there will be another rebellion in Shaanxi, and this time the chaos will only be more ferocious and violent than before, but this is another story.
Along the way, Tang Feng did not dare to delay for a moment, so he hurriedly and slowly returned to the capital on May 12th. After ordering people to settle down, Tang Feng went directly to the palace without going home. The morning court had just ended, so after hearing reports that Tang Feng was waiting outside the palace, Chongzhen immediately called him in.
"Your Majesty, Tang Feng, bows to my emperor, long live him, long live him, long live him!" Tang Feng first performed the royal salute, and after Chongzhen signaled him to stand up, he stood up to greet him. Chongzhen looked at Tang Feng carefully and found that except for being a little darker, he didn't change much from when he left the capital. This made him quite gratified and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, Yi Zhi. You are here this time." I am very happy to hear that Shaanxi has made such a great contribution, what reward do you want?"
"As your Majesty's minister, it is my duty to share your worries for you, and I dare not ask for rewards. It's just that the soldiers under my command worked so hard and shed blood, and many of them died in battle. I hope your Majesty can reward them heavily." Tang Feng Busan said humbly.
Chongzhen nodded appreciatively and said: "I am deeply pleased that you have such a heart. Those soldiers who quelled the chaos will naturally be highly rewarded by me, but as the governor, it is also a great achievement for you to quell the chaos in just a few months." One thing. If you have merit, you must be rewarded, and I will not forget you. Let¡¯s do this, I will promote you to a first-class marquis, and you will be able to live in a city of 8,000 households.¡±
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." It is said that one dares not to say goodbye to a gift from the emperor. Tang Feng naturally couldn't refuse the emperor's words. However, he knew that this was just the emperor's opening remarks before he got down to business, and he would definitely reveal the reason why he was eager to recall him to the capital later.
However, the emperor was obviously in a good mood today. He did not want to mention the affairs of Liaodong yet, but continued to talk about the affairs of Shaanxi: "What you did in Shaanxi this time was very good. You did not repeat the mistakes of Zhejiang. You were able to write to the court to decide those people again." crime."
After he said this, Tang Feng remembered what he had been worrying about, and hurriedly asked: "May I ask the emperor, has the court decided how to deal with those officials who committed crimes and were imprisoned?"
"Humph"?These days, the officials in the DPRK have been arguing with each other about this matter for a long time. Although I also want to execute these officials who caused civil unrest in Shaanxi, many people in the court are opposed. And what they said makes sense. Now that Shaanxi is unstable, we really can no longer go to war. "
Tang Feng did not expect that things would turn out like this, and he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. If he had known this, he should have used the royal flag to kill them all. Even if he was criticized, it would be better than leaving these troubles behind. But it was too late now, and he could not criticize others in front of the emperor. After all, after resigning from the post of governor of Gansu and Shaanxi, he was just an unofficial marquis and could no longer participate in political affairs.
Seeing Tang Feng's displeasure, Chongzhen felt a little apologetic. He sighed and said, "But after you straightened things out like this, I think the officialdom in Shaanxi will be improved. And I heard that this time you were in a wealthy businessman in Shaanxi." A lot of money and food were recovered from the raid, which should be enough for the people affected by the disaster to survive for a while, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I know that the national treasury is not rich now, so after leaving half of the money and food for Shaanxi, I brought the rest to the capital. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Chongzhen was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then a smile flashed in his eyes: "You must already know why I want to transfer you back from Shaanxi, which has not yet been completely stabilized, right? That's why you transferred the money and food there I also shipped half of it back."
Tang Feng nodded and said: "I dare not hide anything from Your Majesty. I have been paying attention to the situation in Liaodong. I heard that the soldiers there have not been paid for a year, so I thought"
"It's my fault, but God punished the people and soldiers." Chongzhen sighed and said: "You have done a good job. This is the main reason why the Liaodong army is unstable now. If you go If you can bring some money and food with you when you go to Liaodong, and the relationship between you and them, there must be room for recovery."
It can be seen that Chongzhen is also a little helpless against the natural disasters that are constantly occurring in the Ming Dynasty. This makes Tang Feng's heart move, and he knows that an opportunity has arrived. After thinking about it for a while, he still said: "Your Majesty, although I brought some money and food back, it is only a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of military pay owed. Although this time I can boost the morale of the military through this method, but what about the future? ?
"My Ming Dynasty has been suffering from natural disasters in the past few years, and the people have lived a life of hunger and food. Even if there is a big harvest in three years from this year, I am afraid that the treasury will not be full. By then, soldiers I'm just afraid something will happen again."
"I have also considered this. However, although I am the emperor and am rich all over the world, I can't make money and food." At this point, the emperor suddenly realized that Tang Feng seemed to have something to say, so he looked at him Said: "If you have any opinion, you might as well speak up."
"Your Majesty, do you still remember what I said to you at the beginning of this year? Now it is very difficult for me, Ming Dynasty, to find a way out on my own, so why not look outside?"
"You mean the sea ban?" Chongzhen looked at Tang Feng suddenly. He really didn't think about it again. Maybe it was his inherent concept that made him dare not touch the rules set by his ancestors. But the appearance of Tang Feng reminded him again of the thoughts he had had before.
Tang Feng nodded and said: "Exactly! Your Majesty, besides my Ming Dynasty, there are countless countries. Although they may not be as wealthy as our Ming Dynasty, they also have their own food. As long as we can trade with them, With the porcelain, silk and other items of our Ming Dynasty, we can obtain food, gold and silver and other necessary things from the merchants of these countries. Now that our Ming Dynasty can no longer support itself, we can only get compensation from outside!"
"This I'm afraid this proposal will not be supported by the courtiers." Although he said this, Chongzhen, who was worried about state affairs, was naturally very excited to have such a life-saving straw when he had no countermeasures.
"Your Majesty, our Ming Dynasty has now reached a dangerous moment. Based on the knowledge of the adults in the court, they will no longer stick to the rules, right? I am willing to have a talk with them!" Tang Feng made a decision.
"Okay, then I will grant your request. As long as the courtiers do not object to this, the opening of the sea can be carried out step by step!" The emperor nodded and agreed. Now he really has no other choice but to go against the laws of his ancestors.
Seeing that Chongzhen was finally persuaded to nod, Tang Feng was very happy. He knew that some officials from the coastal areas would come to his side for the sake of their hometown and their own interests. As long as this step is taken, the revitalization of Ming Dynasty will no longer be a dream.
"He's married. It's time for you to come back to Beijing and see me. You should be tired, so go home first. I will arrange a court debate tomorrow. I hope you can win the support of enough ministers, and then you can go to Liaodong. !" Chongzhen said as he nodded encouragingly to Tang Feng.
"The Marquis is back! The Marquis is back!" With a burst of cheers, Liu Hui and Dayu'er brought their children and went to the second door. Although Tang Feng had sent someone home to report the news as early as when Tang Feng came to Beijing, the two women still couldn't calm down without seeing their husbands step into the house. Now that they saw that he was finally back, the two women came to meet him with great joy.
Seeing that his wife and children were all there, and they didn't seem to have changed much, a smile appeared on Tang Feng's lips. He squatted down and picked up his son, Keqing, who was closest to him, and touched the son who was rushing towards him. The eldest daughter Chuoer's little head said: "Let's go inside and talk as a family. We don't want to make our family laugh."
This half-joking remark made all the family members present smile knowingly. To be honest, these people have always thought that being able to be slaves in the Anping Marquis Mansion is a great blessing. This Marquis has always been very polite to his servants, and there is no bossing around from other lords, let alone unprovoked Punishing and scolding his servants made Tang Feng's status in their hearts very unusual. Now seeing that the Marquis is finally back, the family members who have been worried about him are relieved. Some quick-thinking people have already gone to the kitchen to spread the news and let them prepare a sumptuous dinner.
It was not until he returned to the backyard and sat down that Tang Feng looked at his two wives affectionately and said, "It was really hard for you to take care of the house during the few months I was away."
"Look at what you said, Mr. Hou." Da Yu'er, who spoke quickly, smiled and said: "We are your wives. Of course, we will take care of things when you are not here. What's the trouble?"
"What my sister said is that you are a man and you should serve the country abroad. Now that you can come back safely so soon, we are very happy." Liu Hui also pursed her lips and smiled. One of the two girls is a daughter of a small family, and the other is a girl from the grassland. Neither of them has the fighting spirit of a wealthy family. Therefore, after two years of getting along, the relationship between the two girls has not deteriorated, but has become closer. . This is also what Tang Feng hopes to see most. With the two of them living in harmony at home, the atmosphere in the entire Hou Mansion will be harmonious and stable. And from their two conversations, it can be seen that the relationship between the two of them is still very good.
Tang Feng glanced at the two of them happily. He was really lucky to have such two virtuous wives. But then he thought of another thing. He would soon leave his wife and children again, so how could he say this? Seeing that they were so happy about his return, how could he tell the news?
But the reality made it impossible for Tang Feng to hide it, because Liu Hui said: "And now that you are back safely, we will naturally retire, and everything in the family will be returned to you, Lord Anping"
As soon as he heard these words, Tang Feng no longer had any thoughts of hiding anything. He sighed and said, "I'm afraid things won't go as we want. My return to Beijing this time is not just about nothing, but something more important." It¡¯s up to me to do something.¡±
"Ah?" The two women were stunned when they heard this, and Liu Hui even said hurriedly: "Do you still want to go out?"
Tang Feng nodded slightly and said, "Yes, I was ordered to come back this time to prepare for going to Liaodong."
"Liaodong?" Da Yu'er heard the place name and immediately guessed what it was about: "Does the emperor want you to go to Liaodong to guard the border and deal with those Jin people?" When she said this, her face was full of worry.
Tang Feng nodded gently: "Yes, I am going to Liaodong to fight the Jin. But you can rest assured that I have not dealt with the Jin once or twice. I have great experience in dealing with them."
"But" Liu Hui suddenly thought of something. Not long after she and him got married, Tang Feng went to Liaodong, and the two were separated for two years. Moreover, news came that Tang Feng's life and death were unknown, and he was devastated at that time. If my husband goes to Liaodong again this time and something happens again, can I still be able to support him? Thinking of this, Liu Hui's expression changed a little. Although she said nicely just now that any man should contribute to the country, at this time, she still couldn't let it go.
Tang Feng understood his wife's thoughts very well. Seeing her worried look, he was deeply moved and comforted: "Don't worry so much. The situation this time is far from what it was before. And this time I am very worried about Liaodong." He has absolute control over the overall situation, and the previous situation will definitely not happen again. And you should also have heard about the current unfavorable situation in Liaodong. To be arrogant, now the entire imperial court can go and immediately change the situation there. I am the only one left. Can I ignore the life and death of the Ming Dynasty and the more than 100,000 soldiers on the border just for my own safety?"
The two women looked at each other, and finally nodded in unison: "We understand, my husband, you went to Liaodong for the sake of the people of the world. We will not complain anymore." Although they said this, the worry on the faces of the two women could not be seen. butNo reduction at all.
Tang Feng knew that it was unrealistic for the two girls not to worry about this, so he changed the subject and said: "Well, today is not for me to wash my hands. Our whole family should be happy. I want to respect you two more. A few drinks, good wife. I will have to rely on you to take care of the housework and educate the children for a while." After saying that, he brought Keman over again, teasing the two little guys who could just understand a few words. Making them giggle.
The laughter of the children diluted the somewhat sad atmosphere in the hall. The two women also knew that this was the intention of the court. In fact, there was no possibility of her husband rejecting it, so they cheered up and started joking with him. What they said was more. The interesting stories about the children growing up made Tang Feng feel warm in his heart.
The night of reunion passed quickly. At the fourth watch of the next day, Liu Hui woke her husband up. Because early this morning, after the morning court, he was going to the palace to debate with many officials of the court to gain more strength for the establishment of a sea ban. Tang Feng did not dare to be careless about this. This was a major event related to the future rise and fall of the entire Ming Dynasty. He had to convince the officials to make the Ming Dynasty embark on a broader path.
If it were the middle of the Ming Dynasty, perhaps he would not be able to change the centuries-old ancestral precepts because he was still self-sufficient. However, in this era of imminent chaos, Tang Feng has enough confidence to change this description that is not in line with the times. Stick to the trend. With this belief in mind, Tang Feng strode to the palace gate, just waiting for the morning court to end