In other words, man-made disasters were primary, natural disasters were secondary, and foreign enemies were secondary. The countless hungry people who rose up in rebellion were the main force that destroyed the Ming Dynasty.
Now, the Jiannu army was at the end of its rope. Even if most of them could escape to the north, they would still be destroyed by the disaster of the Little Ice Age and the continuous attacks of the Ming army.
With his worries removed, Zhu Youxiao began implementing drastic reforms. Without institutional reform and social progress, the Ming Dynasty would sooner or later return to its old ways. The current signs of recovery were merely a survival exercise.
For the emperor, pacifying the Liao and exterminating the slaves was only the first step. The strong army forged in war would not be put into storage or let go; their stage had just begun.
Moreover, defeating the Jiannu was a loss-making venture, with investment exceeding output, and subsequent wars were merely about expansion and plunder. The emperor's definition of waging war was different from that of militarism.
"Your Majesty..." Wang Tigan entered the palace and reported, "Governor of Ji and Liao, Wu Yongxian, has been summoned to an audience."
"Announce!" Zhu Youxiao put away the memorial and sat up straight.
Wu Yongxian, the governor of Ji and Liao, was a Jinshi in the 20th year of Wanli. He served as the magistrate of Linchuan, the director of the Ministry of Revenue, the provincial governor of Zhejiang, and made great achievements in all his political posts.
After taking over as Governor of Ji and Liao, Wu Yong visited Ji and Chang within ten days of his arrival, and submitted a memorial to the emperor that was commended. In actual work, he also achieved remarkable achievements, repairing and strengthening the watchtowers and battlements, giving them a brand new look.
"Your humble servant kowtows to the emperor, may he live long, long, long, long live his majesty." Wu Yongxian entered the hall and knelt down to pay his respects.
"Mr. Wu, please excuse yourself. Rise." The emperor's voice was clear and clear. After a pause, he said, "Please take a seat."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty." Wu Yong bowed again, stood up, and sat down respectfully on the embroidered cushion.
Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I have summoned Mr. Wu back to the capital, intending to appoint him Governor of Liaodong. What do you think?"
Liaodong was bitterly cold and had just been stabilized, so one can imagine how heavy the work was.
"It is the king's order, how dare I flee?" Wu Yongxian bowed and said, "I will devote all my energy to governing Liaodong."
Zhu Youxiao nodded in appreciation and said, "Jiliao and Liaodong are located on the frontier, and officials are reluctant to go there. When Mr. Wu was appointed, he also said so. I still remember what he wrote in his memorial: to uphold simplicity, abide by agreements, cherish the army and love the people as the official conduct. If you can do this, I will be relieved to let Mr. Wu govern Liaodong."
Changing the subject, the emperor continued, "But this time, Lord Wu's visit to Liaodong is different from the past. I want to separate the military and the government. I want to start with Liaodong, and Lord Wu can serve as a role model."
Controlling the military with civil power, and suppressing the military with civil power, has been a tradition throughout the dynasties since peace came. Although this practice was beneficial in consolidating imperial power, it also had obvious drawbacks.
The emperor was not just talking about giving equal weight to civil and military officials and elevating the status of military personnel. He would start implementing this policy starting with the new Liaodong governor.
Wu Yong was a little surprised at first, but then he calmed down and listened to the emperor's narration and instructions.
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