Yang Lian and Fang Zhenru were shocked. You know, if the serious thing the emperor mentioned happened, the impact would be too great.
Since Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing, grain transport has become the lifeline of the imperial court, and this was no exception during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Large quantities of grain were to be transported to the central region of the country to supply the vast imperial court and the families of the bureaucrats, as well as military rations in the north...
"Your Majesty, sea transportation is now flourishing. If the canal transportation is cut off, the impact may not be that serious?" Fang Zhenru was not sure and answered tentatively.
Zhu Youxiao smiled and said helplessly, "If it weren't for the huge implications and the uncertainty of the cost, I would have moved the capital to Nanjing."
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible," Yang Lian hastily remonstrated. "The Ming Dynasty is currently at its peak, and we will surely overcome this disaster. How can we chase the emperor away for food?"
There were many emperors who pursued food for their own benefit, including several in the Sui and Tang dynasties, but I don't care much about them.
Zhu Youxiao smiled and waved his hand casually, indicating that it was just a thought and not to be taken seriously.
In fact, if the capital was moved to Nanjing, it would indeed save a lot of food and save a lot of transportation costs for transporting grain from the south to the north. However, mobilizing a large army would probably not be so easy.
"I will set up an institution to coordinate the disaster prevention and relief affairs of various provinces." Zhu Youxiao made an important decision. This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a well-considered one.
It's certainly not possible to act independently. It's not an exaggeration to say that the Little Ice Age was a national and global climate disaster. Zhu Youxiao's "unwavering national strength" wasn't just a casual remark.
The governors of several northern provinces were summoned to Beijing to receive personal instructions and raise their awareness of the importance of major disasters. This was also an assessment. If they failed, they would be replaced.
The assessment is not just an interview; it also involves looking at the specific disaster prevention and mitigation plans they have developed. In other words, today's meeting is just the first step.
Zhu Youxiao had conflicting feelings about summoning Yang Lian.
Yang Lian was a renowned minister of loyalty and integrity, but Zhu Youxiao considered him merely average in terms of ability.
Therefore, Zhu Youxiao was also waiting for this "rising star of Donglin" to advise him.
As expected, as the emperor's audience was about to end, Yang Lian, ignoring Fang Zhenru's glance, stood up, bowed deeply, took out a memorial from his bosom, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial to submit. Please review it."
Zhu Youxiao lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "If the content is the same as what you submitted before, I already know it, so there is no need to submit it."
Fang Zhenru stood up and secretly tugged at Yang Lian's sleeve, signaling him to leave. The emperor's displeasure was evident, and further attempts to remonstrate with him would probably not lead to good results.
Yang Lian did not back down; this was not in his nature. Of course, there was nothing new in the memorial; it had been submitted before, and the emperor had ignored it, showing no intention of correcting it.
"Your Majesty." Yang Lian bowed and spoke, "Although the content is the same, I have submitted petitions repeatedly but all have fallen on deaf ears. I do not understand the reason. I beg Your Majesty to clarify."
Zhu Youxiao snorted, staring coldly at Yang Lian for a long moment before slowly speaking, "When the court was rife with factions and formed factions to attack each other, did you, Yang Qing, ever submit a memorial? When the Liaodong governor-general was at odds, when Wang Huazhen was boasting, and when Xiong Tingbi was being oppressed, did you, Yang Qing, ever submit a memorial? When the court's finances were insufficient to support the war between the two sides, what solutions did you, Yang Qing, have?"
The emperor's voice echoed in the hall, seemingly calm, but Fang Zhenru and Yang Lian knew that the emperor was suppressing himself.
"How many of those whom Mr. Yang believes share the same ideals are truly upright gentlemen? Mr. Yang and the Donglin scholars discussed the principles of nature and reason, and discussed the way to govern the country. What strategies do you offer that will benefit the country and the people?"
"I have made great use of the imperial guards, so that I can keep my eyes and ears clear and not be deceived by others; I have punished corrupt officials, cracked down on evil gentry, eliminated factional disputes, and abolished bad policies, so that the court can be rectified, the country can rise day by day, and victory in the war is in sight."
"Could it be that Yang Qing cannot see these favorable changes, and still wants to return to the previous bad situation of 'many righteous men in the court, but the country's power is declining'?"
"You've spoken up for the Donglin Party. Does that mean you've admitted to forming a faction? It seems I still have to continue to purge those Donglin Party members who talk about morality but act so shamelessly and greedily."
"I'm telling you, do your job well and do something practical for the country and the people. Don't try to gain fame by being upright and speaking out against the emperor. You should know what it means to buy a reputation for honesty."
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