"Chen Tian Yi has met your Majesty." The finance minister, who was dressed in court uniform, looked a little thin. He glanced at the two noble concubines standing not far from the emperor, and was startled for a moment, but his expression was not revealed.
"Well, no courtesy, please sit down." A young eunuch had already brought a brocade stool next to him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Tian Yi sat down respectfully.
"Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Your Majesty, Li Wufeng, the Military and Political Envoy of the Northwest and Governor of Northern Luzon, submitted a report to apply for financial assistance from the central government of the empire to Northern Luzon to promote the economic recovery and development of Northern Luzon as soon as possible and ensure the stability of the border areas." Tian Yi was concise and concise, directly explaining his purpose and presenting his report.
Situ Mingyue took the report calmly and read it carefully.
Hexi's sunlight shines on people with an indescribable comfort, making them feel drowsy. The waves on the lake are as flat as a mirror, with the occasional kingfisher passing by, which embellishes the tranquility of the lakeside.
After a while, Situ Mingyue finished reading the report, then took a sip of the tea cup handed to her by the eunuch next to her and asked, "What do you think?"
"I understand that Northern Luzon was originally the least economically developed region in the Grand Duchy of Luzon. Although its geographical location is important, due to its complex population composition and large number of ethnic minorities, it has not been taken seriously by the Luzon government, so the local economy has been lagging behind. This is also one of the biggest reasons why local people of all ethnic groups are dissatisfied with the Grand Duchy of Luzon." Tian Yi cleared his throat and began to introduce the basic situation.
Situ Mingyue nodded slightly, and then motioned for Tian Yi to continue.
"Now Li Wufeng intends to divide the gift to Northern Luzon into two parts. Northwest Luzon was originally the most desolate area, including the green swamp and the grassland near the Indian Kingdom. The vast area is equivalent to the interior of our empire. There is no city in the two prefectures. The vast majority of residents make a living from agriculture, fishery and animal husbandry. There is no industry and commerce at all. The road transportation facilities are also extremely backward. It should be said that Luzon is in a semi-empty state. The original management of the people was just a formality, so Li Wufeng hoped to build a central city in this area, and the various ethnic groups living near the northwest corner of the Indian Kingdom were harassed by the neighboring Indian Pancha tribes. Li Wufeng hopes to build a small fortress there, at the westernmost end of the empire's territory, to garrison troops to maintain local security." Tian Yi saw that His Majesty the Emperor listened very seriously, so he introduced it very carefully.
"Northeast Luzon is centered on the existing Vito City, and includes the large Hengduan Mountains in the east where Gaoyue barbarians inhabited, and the nearby shallow hilly areas. The Luzon people only have sovereignty over this land in name, but in fact it has been for hundreds of years. They have no way or the ability to control every plant and tree here. The proportion of Andes in this area is larger than that of Northwest Luzon. They can be regarded as the largest ethnic group in Northeast Luzon. We Tang people also occupy a certain proportion. , the economic situation is slightly stronger than that in the west, but if the Gaoyue barbarian inhabited areas in the Hengduan Mountains are also included, the problem here is also quite specific. The Gaoyue barbarians are still in a relatively primitive economic state, and we want to get them out of their backwardness as soon as possible. , and also require greater investment in transportation, education, and health." Tian Yi slowly introduced the situation in Northern Luzon.
"Now that the Northern Luzon region has been newly included in the empire's territory, people of all ethnic groups in the area have placed great hopes on the empire, so I came here to ask your Majesty specifically about this matter." Seeing His Majesty the Emperor's forehead wrinkle slightly, Tian Yi quickly added.
"Northern Luzon is so vast. Is the economy really so backward?" Situ Mingyue focused on the report in his hand again.
"Although Northern Luzon is large in area, its ethnic composition is complex. It has never been the development focus of the Luzon government. Luzon's economic focus is mainly concentrated in the central and southern parts, followed by the western part. It does not pay attention to the north and has relatively few troops. That's why Li Wufeng was able to succeed relatively easily, and the people of Luzon were able to sign an agreement with Li Wufeng so easily and generously," Tian Yi explained.
"In your opinion, if Li Wufeng's request is met, how much money will the empire need to allocate?" Situ Mingyue asked thoughtfully.
"If this is to be fully satisfied, it will be a large amount of money. In his report, Li Wufeng proposed that building new cities, developing transportation, rectifying military equipment, improving political power, etc. will require a considerable amount of funds. Yi Chen initially estimated that it will require at least one thousand It’s about five million imperial gold coins. But now the empire’s finances are not rich, and there are many places where funds are needed, so it is difficult to bear such a huge expense.” Tian Yi’s words did not show any tendency.
"According to you, Northern Luzon has a vast territory and rich products, but is it so poor and backward?" Situ Mingyue asked hesitantly.
"Since the founding of the Grand Duchy of Luzon, its economic and development focus has tended to be in the central and southern areas, followed by the western area. Due to the large number of ethnic minorities in the northern area, and the relationship between these ethnic groups and the Andean people is not very harmonious, the population is also far smaller. In the south-central and western parts of the country, no attention was paid to it at all. The local culture, education and infrastructure were quite backward. Otherwise, the Luzon people would not have only a small number of garrison troops, Li Wufeng would not have succeeded so easily, and the Grand Duchy of Luzon would not have done so. I'll sign a treaty agreement with Li Wufeng when I'm generous." Tian Yi explained patiently.
"Then do you think it is necessary for the empire to provide such a huge aid to such a remote and backward area?" Situ Mingyue asked slowly, and a pair of eagle eyes fell on Tian Yi's face.
"This," Tian Yi was a little nervous. He was not sure what His Majesty the Emperor meant. Judging from the happy look on his face yesterday, he should support Li Wufeng's request. But looking at his current posture, His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be angry again. He seems to be suspicious, and his attitude has changed a lot. He is a person who is extremely good at figuring out the Holy Will. Otherwise, he would not have been able to sit firmly in the position of Minister of Finance during the ups and downs of the imperial court in the past few decades. Could it be that this is the case? What new changes happened overnight
"This depends on your Majesty's opinion. If your Majesty thinks that Northern Luzon is remote and has little development value, you can let Li Wufeng solve it on his own and the court will provide appropriate subsidies; if your Majesty thinks that Northern Luzon The location is important and there is a need for key development, so the empire can naturally provide a certain amount of assistance to accelerate the development of the local economy." What he said was impeccable, and he gently pushed the question back to Situ Mingyue.
"I want to hear your opinion." Situ Mingyue was somewhat dissatisfied with Tian Yi's ambiguous answer.
"This, Northern Luzon is geographically remote, far away from the heart of the empire, but it is the springboard for the empire to enter the central continent. It is not very valuable in an economic sense, but it is quite important in terms of strategic location. Controlling this It is also conducive to the extension of the empire's influence to the central continent, such as the Western Region and the Tengger Grassland area, which is of great benefit to improving the status and influence of the empire. However, this area is too remote, and the empire It's just that management is relatively difficult." Tian Yi thought quickly in his head and finally came up with some words to respond. He did not dare to make random conclusions without knowing His Majesty the Emperor's true intentions.
Situ Mingyue sighed slightly. He couldn't blame Tian Yi for being hesitant. If he had followed what he meant yesterday, he would definitely have supported him. But seeing that his tone had changed a bit today, he naturally didn't dare to make any rash suggestions. The crux of this problem is not actually whether Northern Luzon is important or worthy of assistance, but that I can't trust Li Wufeng.
"Tian Aiqing, the weather is nice today. Please accompany me for a walk by the lake." Situ Mingyue stood up and took the lead.
"I obey the decree." Tian Yi knew that His Majesty the Emperor must have something to ask him, so he quickly followed suit.
The winding lakeside path seemed particularly quiet, surrounded by ancient trees, and the scenery was very beautiful. Situ Mingyue walked slowly forward, and came to a stone tablet by the road. The inscription on the stone tablet was blurred. He caressed the stone tablet, as if there was something difficult to solve.
"Your Majesty, what do you want to say to the minister?" Tian Yi couldn't help but ask when he saw that His Majesty the Emperor was just stroking the stone tablet, as if he was reading the blurred inscription, and did not speak for a long time.
"Well, Tian Aiqing, you have been my veteran minister for decades. I also know that you are loyal to me. Today I want to ask you a question. You must tell me truthfully and never say anything that goes against your will." Situ Mingyue He slowly turned around and spoke word by word.
Seeing that His Majesty the Emperor was so cautious, Tian Yi was also quite surprised and said quickly: "I will tell you everything I know, and I will tell you everything I know."
"Well, very good. What do you think of Li Wufeng?" Situ Mingyue's face was calm, but her eyes were fixed on Tian Yi's face.
Come, as expected, Tian Yi said secretly in his heart, and after thinking for a while, he replied: "Master Li Wufeng is young and talented, with outstanding achievements. He repeatedly defeated the empire's enemy Luo Bei, and later suppressed the rebellion and ambush the bandits, and governed the northwest. He is so impressive that he is indeed a rare talent that has been rare in the empire for many years."
"What else?" Situ Mingyue's face was expressionless.
"Well, it's just that Mr. Li is a young man who is ambitious, and is inevitably arrogant and arrogant. He is somewhat incompatible with the veteran ministers of the empire. Moreover, he often acts deviantly and violates the laws of the empire." Tian Yi continued bravely.
"Is that all?" Situ Mingyue looked a little ugly.
"Wei Chen really sees it that way." Tian Yi saw sweat on his forehead and secretly regretted reporting it.
"Hmph! Is it possible that no one in this court can share my worries?" Situ Mingyue's face turned blue and she became extremely stern.
"Your Majesty!" When Tian Yi heard this, he knew that His Majesty the Emperor was very dissatisfied. If he couldn't come up with any real opinions, it would be really difficult to deal with him. He quickly said: "I have also heard that Li Wufeng has different ambitions." As Bo Bo said, his actions were indeed out of line. It was just that Li Wufeng had made great achievements right now and was very popular among the imperial government and the public. Looking at his behavior, he had no intention of rebelling. This time, the empire recruited him to come to Beijing and he was ready to go. Come on, it’s so different from the Linlang family in the south, it’s really hard to make a conclusion.”
After hearing Tian Yi's urgent words, Situ Mingyue looked better, "Then what do you think we should do?"
"In my opinion, Li Wufeng has done nothing else at this time, and he has indeed made outstanding achievements in guarding the northwest. If your Majesty is worried, I have two strategies." Tian Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead and said.
"Oh? Those two strategies."
"Li Wufeng is not yet married. If your Majesty issues a decree to marry the thirteenth princess or the seventeenth princess and make her your consort, you will be able to win her heart and make her loyal. This is the best strategy." Tian Yi said the first strategy. .
"Well, what about the second strategy?" Situ Mingyue nodded.
"Secondly, Li Wufeng has been guarding the border for many years. He has worked hard and achieved great results. Now that the northwest is stable, he can temporarily stay in the capital to recuperate to show the emperor's favor. Kuang Chen heard that this person is quite a womanizer, so he can give more beauties to make him addicted. If he can stay in the capital for a long time, If you keep him in Beijing, his influence in the northwest and northern Luzon will gradually weaken, and then you can replace him with others. If you can combine it with the best strategy, you will have miraculous results, it can be said to be the best strategy." Tian Yi said the second Policy.