Zhu Youxiao made his judgment based on historical trends. Although Korea had changed its ruler, it would still be subservient to the Ming Dynasty. As for how much power it could have to contain the Later Jin, that was another matter.

However, Sun Chengzong and others concluded based on cultural heritage and historical traditions that Li Zong would definitely express pro-Ming tendencies in order to obtain the Ming Dynasty's enthronement and prove the legitimacy of his accession to the throne.

Feudal society attached great importance to orthodoxy. No matter whether you came to power legitimately or not, you had to find a legitimate reason for yourself.

Only if the Ming Dynasty recognized and conferred the title on him could Li Zong get rid of the label of usurper and traitor.

In other words, Lee Hwon, who was originally in power legally, could only be called Gwanghaegun in the Joseon royal genealogy, while Lee Jong became the orthodox Joseon King Injo.

Although Bi Zisu was strict and resolute, he was not pedantic.

In fact, his suggestion of a wait-and-see approach was a bit cunning. To put it bluntly, it was just waiting for the right price, to see how Li Jong would behave and how much benefit the Ming Dynasty could gain from it.

This coincided with Zhu Youxiao's idea. Although not much could be squeezed out of Korea and the Korean soldiers were incompetent, they could still play some role.

It was rare that everyone had the same opinion, and the emperor was very happy. He gave rewards to everyone and also drank tea and chatted with his ministers to show his closeness and trust.

In ancient times, this was called "sitting and discussing the Dao". It was very noble and awesome, and it was something that should be written into history books.

Of course, such a high-class tea party cannot be a place for random talk. We are all intellectuals, leaders, and the discussion must be about national affairs.

"I plan to pacify Liao within three years." Zhu Youxiao finally spoke out his long-held goal, gazing eagerly at his ministers. "To achieve this goal, all of you must give your all, and we must be of one mind."

Given the current situation, pacifying Liao within three years was no longer just boasting; it was a real possibility. But it was difficult for others to say this, and when the emperor spoke of it, especially in this kind of setting, it seemed like a sincere and heartfelt statement, demonstrating harmony between the ruler and his subjects.

Sun Chengzong pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "Since Your Majesty has such ambition, we, the ministers, dare not but devote ourselves to serving you with all our loyalty."

Li Qiyuan and others also bowed their loyalty, the emperor's reliance, their glory. The only people in the whole Ming Dynasty who could hear the emperor's true feelings were these few people in the palace.

Zhu Youxiao was very pleased and told him some of his thoughts and plans on military, economy, and administration. They were all officials who knew his thoughts and plans, so his work could be carried out well.

"I have no choice but to be in such a hurry." Zhu Youxiao finally mentioned a big event, which shocked everyone.

"I'm sure you all are aware of the continuous wars during the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Three Kingdoms period, and the Western Jin Dynasty, as well as the turmoil at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, and the beginning of the Song Dynasty. Besides political and economic factors, another issue that cannot be ignored is climate change. Dramatic drops in temperature, frequent disasters, and massive declines in grain production all led to continuous wars and social unrest."

After a pause, Zhu Youxiao continued, "I've had Xu Guangqi and others research and collect disaster records from the Yuan and Ming dynasties. The general trend is that disasters are becoming increasingly frequent. From the Hongwu period to the present, there have been over a thousand recorded disasters, more than double the number from the Yuan Dynasty."

This isn't just Zhu Youxiao's random speculation; it's based on data. Later meteorological research has shown that China experienced several Little Ice Ages, not counting the one at the end of the Shang Dynasty. The one at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty was the fourth.

Strictly speaking, the period from the Yuan Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty was a Little Ice Age, with the Chongzhen period being the peak period.

During the first three Little Ice Ages, China's population plummeted by more than four-fifths. During the fourth, it plummeted by half, a loss attributed to potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes.

What Zhu Youxiao was worried about was the peak of disasters in the next ten or twenty years. Disasters are the catalyst for war and the root cause of social unrest.

Even if the Jiannu were eliminated within three years, the northern nomadic peoples would still go south to plunder in order to survive under the pressure of famine.

At the peak of the Little Ice Age, it was already very difficult for the Ming government to appease and provide relief to hundreds of millions of people. How could it have extra supplies to appease the northern ethnic groups?

Moreover, simply promoting sweet potato cultivation was not enough to overcome the famine. Pre-storage grain was also being implemented, but it was clearly insufficient if Zhu Youxiao alone paid attention.

Large-scale infrastructure construction, including roads, water conservancy projects, bridges, etc., requires huge investment and collective efforts; efforts to store grain and prepare for famine must also be greatly strengthened. Governments at all levels must attach importance to this and treat it as an urgent task to be completed.

These were the reasons why Zhu Youxiao wanted to tell everyone. While suppressing the rebellion in Liao, he also had to make preparations to survive the great famine.

Given the productivity and technological level of the time, it was essentially all manual labor. To complete such a large project, three or four years would have been too short a timeframe to be complete.

The first person to feel shocked and troubled was the Minister of Revenue Li Qiyuan. The money was just enough to support the war, and the emperor proposed even greater expenses. Where would the money come from?

"Long live the emperor," Li Qiyuan said, bowing. "These measures and the costs involved are enormous, and will take several years to invest. The government certainly can't sustain this."

"What if..." Li Qiyuan hesitated for a moment, but still expressed his doubts about the idea of ​​a major disaster. "If the investment is spread over a dozen years, the financial pressure may be alleviated."

Ten years is too late!

Zhu Youxiao smiled wryly and said, "I understand the Ministry of Revenue's predicament, and Li Qing need not worry. This year's fiscal plan will remain the same and there will be no major changes. I will find a way to resolve the funding issue."

"I'm discussing this matter with you today, firstly to plan together, and secondly to raise our awareness." Zhu Youxiao said in a deep voice, "Even if we can destroy the Jiannu within three years, what about the Western Tartars? If disaster strikes, war may be inevitable. We must prepare in advance to ensure safety."

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