Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong could be spared, and Zhu Youxiao believed that the tragedy of starving people everywhere and eating their own children would not happen.

Kong Youde and Zu Dashou could be let go. Zhu Youxiao did not feel that he owed them anything, nor did he give them the historical environment. He also did not think that they would be as greedy for life and afraid of death as in history, or rebel against the enemy.

But why did Zhu Youxiao hate the "Eight Great Merchants" so much? Was it to confiscate their property or to warn traitors?

Maybe both, or maybe neither is the point.

In the end, Zhu Youxiao came to a conclusion that he was not sure whether it was correct or not.

Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong's rebellion was not without reason. Like the starving people who were trying to survive, they were unwilling to be "starving corpses in peace."

Kong Youde's defection to the Later Jin had its reasons. The low status of soldiers, the court's discrimination and oppression of the Dongjiang Town, and Yuan Chonghuan's arbitrary killing of Mao Wenlong...

Only the "Eight Great Locust Merchants" made money with dirty tricks and enjoyed wealth and splendor in the Ming Dynasty, but they secretly colluded with the Later Jin Dynasty and betrayed the country and the nation.

The "Eight Great Locust Merchants" are the ones who eat and then destroy the pot. They are extremely ungrateful.

Zhu Youxiao found a reason and let go of his worries. His eyes became firm and he looked at the somewhat uneasy Luo Sigong.

Realizing the emperor's gaze, Luo Sigong no longer hesitated.

Regardless of whether the emperor was punishing him on trumped-up charges or genuinely possessed intelligence unknown to him, he had only one choice when given the task, and that was to do his best to complete it.

Moreover, the emperor summoned him alone, so how could Luo Sigong not understand what he meant?

Standing up and bowing, Luo Sigong said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will go to Shanxi personally and handle this serious case of slavery."

Hmm! Zhu Youxiao nodded, his eyes showing appreciation, and said in a deep voice: "Take my secret decree and the letter from the Ministry of War, and ask the Datong General to mobilize troops. Investigate this major case thoroughly and execute him on the spot. This will ensure that there is no objection from the court and the people, and it will also deter people and serve as a warning to traitors and rebels."

"Yes, I understand."

Luo Sigong knew that the so-called conclusive evidence meant a confession of guilt, regardless of whether there was a crime or not.

According to the intelligence gathered by the Pacification Office, the Fan family was undoubtedly involved in liaisons with the Jiannu. Several other families were also involved, and their connections were very close, so it was only natural that the Fan family would be implicated.

"Luo Yangxing is a good person. After you finish your mission, you and your son can return to Beijing together to report!" The emperor added casually, which made Luo Sigong very happy.

He was already old, and naturally hoped that his son would inherit the position of commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. It was also a custom for the Embroidered Uniform Guard to be passed down from generation to generation, and Luo Yangxing was indeed very hard-working.

But as his son, he cannot recommend the choice of successor, which is his dilemma.

The emperor's instructions clearly indicated his intention to promote him, but it was not certain whether he was to be the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But if this task is done well and in accordance with the emperor's wishes, it will definitely give his son extra points. How could Luo Sigong not understand that this is also a reward for merit?

Luo Sigong bowed and took his leave, saying, "I will now go to Shanxi and complete my mission. I will try to return before the Emperor's birthday to congratulate His Majesty."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said, "Go quickly and come back soon. I'm waiting to drink Mr. Luo's birthday wine."

Luo Sigong took his leave, and Zhu Youxiao's smile gradually faded. The plundered property should have been worth millions, but this year's Wanshou Festival should be simple. Let's wait until the Liao Dynasty is pacified before holding a grand celebration!

Thinking of this, Zhu Youxiao stretched, got down from the throne, walked out of the hall at a leisurely pace, and stopped under the shade of a tree outside the hall.

"Long live, long live!" A strange voice came from the side, making Zhu Youxiao smile again.

Walking to the cage, Zhu Youxiao looked at the parrot inside. He asked the palace maid to buy it from the market and it had been well trained.

Wang Tigan came over and said with a flattering smile, "I taught it to say 'Long live the emperor', but it never learned. It's a stupid bird. One day I'll buy the emperor a better one."

Zhu Youxiao chuckled and said, "It's just for fun. Wang Ban will ask the concubines in the harem. If they like them, buy them a few to keep as entertainment."

"Yes, yes, I'll do it right away." Wang Tigan half-bent his body and nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice.

“Long live, long live!” “Long live, long live!”…

The parrot started to chatter in repeater mode, which annoyed Zhu Youxiao a little, so he turned around and wanted to leave.

"Hurry, stupid bird!" The sudden bird cry made Zhu Youxiao stop in his tracks and turn his head in surprise.

"Hurray, stupid bird!" The parrot jumped in the cage and shouted again with even more excitement.

I—Zhu Youxiao—rolled my eyes, turned to look at Wang Tigan, who was also stunned, and said, "Don't swear in the future. This bastard doesn't learn good things, but he's quick to learn bad words!"

Wang Tigan hurriedly agreed respectfully, and when the emperor turned around, he glared at the parrot fiercely.

"Hurray, Broken Bird!"

Zhu Youxiao twisted his footsteps and almost fell. He walked away without even looking back. I don’t know if the braised parrot tastes good. This broken bird...

……………………

The emperor was the most pressing for faster communications. Accustomed to the speeds of later generations, the Ming Dynasty found them quite torturous.

If it was just the difference between a sports car and an ordinary car, Zhu Youxiao could tolerate it, even though it was several levels lower. But when it was the difference between a horse and a snail, it really made him feel painful.

The 800-li express was only so-so. Zhu Youxiao was not satisfied and had to think of other ways. Carrier pigeons were a good choice, as they had existed since ancient times. Zhu Youxiao ordered the breeding and training of pigeons, preparing them for use in various armies.

However, it is not uncommon for homing pigeons to go missing or die due to weather, birds of prey, or other accidents.

In response to this, Zhu Youxiao pondered and proposed a more advanced and reliable communication method.

Historically, before the invention of the original wired telegraph, there was a very fast method of transmitting information, which was invented by the French in the 18th century.

This information transmission system has the dual shadow of a lighthouse and a telegraph code. The specific operation is to build several communication towers from one place to another, and then install a horizontal crossbar on the top of the tower.

The horizontal bar can be rotated and can form various angles; two vertical arms are installed at both ends of the horizontal bar, which can also rotate.

Through calculations of permutations and combinations, if enough angles are used, each communication tower can form nearly 200 configurations using wooden poles and vertical arms.

Each configuration represents a message that can be seen through a telescope by a nearby communication tower and can be passed on through relay.

This communication system was once established and used between Paris and Lille, France, which is 230 kilometers away. It is said that the fastest time it took to complete a message transmission was just over two minutes.

……………….