stubborn thief

Before the vanguard of the army had even reached Xianyang, Cheng Yun rushed from Xi'an to meet them.

When Liu Chengzong entered Xianyang, Ma Ning, who had just taken over as the commander of the Tangqi cavalry, reported that he saw small camps everywhere along the way, which seemed to be Mongol troops grazing their livestock.

Liu Shizi remained silent, only instructing Zhang Yong to quietly pass on the order for the two travelers to remain in their armor and horses without dismounting, and to be on guard.

When the food and drink sent from Xianyang arrived to reward the troops, Liu Chengzong looked up and asked Chengyun while eating, "Why are there military camps everywhere outside Xi'an?"

Cheng Yun was enjoying his mutton soup when he suddenly asked this question out of the blue. Holding the fried dough twist, he froze on the spot, his mind blank: "Huh? Brother, didn't you send them?"

Now it was Liu Shizi's turn to be stunned.

He had been leading troops for six months, issuing orders all day long, and had become accustomed to making decisive decisions. He had also won a great victory and was bursting with confidence, never doubting himself. So, he instinctively retorted, "When did I send them here?"

Cheng Yun, being good-natured, didn't find his words harsh at all and simply said matter-of-factly, "Last year, huh?"

Wow, you're making it sound like the truth.

Liu Shizi leaned back tactically, his mind completely blank about summoning Mongol troops to Xi'an, but Cheng Yun's answer seemed to confirm that such a thing did happen.

He acted as if it were true and asked, "Who came over?"

"Hmm... let me count them."

Cheng Yun put down his bowl and, as if reciting a menu, pointed to his knuckles and counted: "The Dzungar Bobatu of the Oirat, his brother General Chuhuer, this is the Dzungar tribe; Duerbodalai's fourth son Omubudaiqing and seventh son Sonomucheling, this is the Durbet tribe."

"Then there are our own people: General Dai Daozi of the Tianshan Army, General Zhou of the Taimeng Guard, Xie Erhu and Basang, the two brigade commanders of Qinghai, Generals Shangtianhou and Chuan Chuan of Kangning, and the Muya chieftain of Dajianlu."

“Tumetbe said that the two brothers, King Lhazun and King Lhazun, came from Tibet; originally there were also leaders of various tribes in the south and north of the Gobi Desert, but they went to war with their brother, and the messenger has circled around the north of the Gobi Desert and has not yet returned.”

so many people?

Liu Chengzong still couldn't remember why he had summoned them, but upon hearing these familiar names, he had a sense that nothing would go wrong near Xi'an, and he finally relaxed.

Once he relaxed, his tone softened, and he chuckled before saying, "I've been gone for over half a year, and I've completely forgotten why I called them here."

Cheng Yun had already realized that his second brother had been so busy killing and arson on his trip that he must have forgotten about this matter, so he explained with a smile: "After we captured Xi'an last year, we sent messages to various places, asking them to come to the alliance this summer."

After being reminded, Liu Shizi thought about it carefully and then slowly nodded, as if... as if there really was such a thing.

At that time, Xi'an had just been captured, and people were not very confident. They wanted to show off their power and intimidate their vassal states, but due to the long distance and high mountains, they ordered them to come over this summer.

But the plans couldn't keep up with the changes.

This year, the Marshal's army fought a battle in Liaodong, which shattered the more than two-hundred-year-old fate of the Later Jin dynasty. Liu Shizi is now unusually calm and has no intention of intimidating his vassal states.

When he set off and crossed the Wei River, the tribal leaders were already waiting on the bank.

Liu Shizi glanced around and immediately spotted Batur Huntaiji standing out in the crowd. To his left was Dai Daozi, and to his right was Dalai, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. Behind him followed a group of Oirat nobles, making him the most imposing figure.

To the left of the Oirat were Baiyan and Lazun from Tibet, along with Liu Jiusi and Liu Guoneng, who were also there. They were accompanied by Tibetan noble chieftains adorned with silver and pearls, who were clearly not used to the environment of Xi'an Prefecture and had a very somber atmosphere.

On the right are Zhou Riqiang and Chu Huer, both dressed in military uniforms. They are both very tough, and their subordinates behind them are also full of vigor. The nobles in the forest have all changed into Ming army uniforms, but due to insufficient supplies, they look a bit messy.

Liu Shizi was delighted to see them, dismounted, and strode over.

He raised his hand to stop the man from bowing, patted Batur Huntaiji's arm and said a few words, then squeezed Chu Huer's arm, hugged Dai Daozi, greeted Liu Jiusi (the Monkey King) and Liu Guoneng (the Sky Piercer), and led Zhou Riqiang toward Xi'an.

It feels so good to be home.

Liu Shizi first went to the inner hall to pay respects to his parents, then took a bath and changed his clothes to wash away the dust of the journey, and had Bai Liuxi trim his long hair that had grown wildly since the eastern expedition.

After tidying up, he had a simple meal with Batur Huntaiji, Baiyan, Lazun and others that evening. Soon after, he led his men into the Chengyun Hall of the Qin Palace, where he had Zhao Jifang and Zhang Yuanheng deliver the official documents for the past six months and summoned the officials of the Five Offices and the principal officials of various regions.

The impact of the Liaodong campaign exceeded Liu Shizi's expectations. How significant was it? The Marshal's Office stopped fighting altogether.

Li Guo, the deputy commander of the relief and suppression battalion, originally led about a thousand men and was ordered to Longxi to suppress bandits.

There were many bandits in Longxi. The mountains were secondary; the main problem was the local chaos. Many of the so-called bandits were former Ming Dynasty officials, military officers, and defeated soldiers.

Led by Qiao Qiangao, the prefect of Gongchang, and Tu Shixian, the military commander of Ningxia, there was a large group of officials from various counties, both civil and military.

After the Battle of Guanzhong, a large number of Ming Dynasty defeated soldiers wandered around Longxi, occupying various hilltops and raising their own banners, making it the most chaotic place in Shaanxi.

The Vice Minister of the Military Affairs Office, Duerboda, led the training guards to block them several times. Yang Yao, the commander of the Linliang Brigade of the Marshal's Office, also led troops to suppress them. They were able to quickly quell the rebellion, but it would resurface as soon as the troops withdrew.

These people are very cunning, which made the Marshal's army feel like they were part of the Ming army's campaign against the militia.

The main issue is that neither Yang Yao nor Da Lai are good at suppressing bandits in the mountains.

Therefore, after Li Zicheng surrendered, Liu Chengzong appointed Li Guo as the assistant commander of the relief and suppression camp to go and eliminate Qiao Qiangao and Tu Shixian.

Unexpectedly, when news of the Marshal's victory outside the pass reached Longxi, Li Guo arrived and the tough nut to crack was immediately gnawed down.

Moreover, the various bandits either disbanded on the spot or surrendered at the first sign of trouble, and many of them still held onto their troops, trying to change their status at the Marshal's Mansion.

Even the old civil officials in Xi'an Prefecture, whose attitudes were ambiguous, have softened their stance.

Liu Chengzong has returned, so Master Liu did not attend the meeting. He only handed over some matters of the clerk's office to Chengyun before it began, asking him to report them to Liu Shizi.

Cheng Yun spread his hands and said, "There are many officials who want to take up official positions, and there are also many officials with great talent, but there are no suitable official positions in the Marshal's Mansion."

After saying this, he looked at the letter, then looked up and said, "Therefore, General, the Ministry of Personnel proposes to form a cabinet."

Liu Shizi wanted to laugh as soon as he heard the word "cabinet," knowing that this was his father's idea, said through Chengyun's words. He then asked with a smile, "Who are the candidates for the cabinet?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the location of the Ministry of Rites and saw Zhang Xianzhong standing tall and straight, as if afraid that others would not see him.

However, Minister Zhang was destined to be disappointed, as Master Liu was a proper official and had no intention of establishing a military cabinet.

Cheng Yun unfolded the official documents and read them aloud one by one: "Nan Juyi from Weinan County, who once served as the Governor of Fujian and Minister of Works, is now seventy years old and unable to manage general affairs. He is proposed to be appointed as a Grand Secretary for consultation purposes." "Jiao Yuanqing from Sanyuan County, who once served as the Governor of Xuanfu, is now nearly seventy years old and unable to manage general affairs. He is proposed to be appointed as a Grand Secretary for consultation purposes."

"Jiao Yuanpu of Sanyuan County, who once served as the governor of Datong, is now in his sixties and is proposed to be appointed as a Grand Secretary or to tour the local areas."

"Ma Mingshi of Wugong County, who once served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is proposed to be appointed as a Grand Secretary for consultation."

Cheng Yun rattled off a list of several retired Ming officials in Shaanxi, prompting Liu Chengzong to ask in surprise, "Are they all planning to take up official positions?"

Of course, not all of them intended to enter officialdom.

However, when news of Liu Chengzong's victory outside the pass reached them, their attitudes changed drastically, and they were able to discuss future matters with Master Liu.

Taking this opportunity, Shi Chengye of the Ministry of Works cupped his hands and said, "General, there is also Wang Zheng, the former military supervisor of Liaohai in Sanyuan County. If he can come to the Ministry of Works, I am willing to step down and give way to a more capable person."

This one sentence alone made Liu Shizi frown.

He could sense that the victory in the Battle of Lingdong had a great impact on the entire Marshal's Office, as well as on the former Ming officials who were now outside the capital.

During this period, I may have been under considerable pressure.

After all, Wang Zheng was known as the "Southern Xu and Northern Wang" for his expertise in manufacturing tools and learning Western knowledge, while Nan Juyi had served as the Minister of Works.

Now that Liu Chengzong has won a major battle to 'express his long-standing anger over Sarhu and avenge the old humiliation of the year of Ji Si,' the Ming officials are paying more attention to the Marshal's Office, but there are no official positions available for them to serve in the Marshal's Office.

After all, no one dared to say who Liu and Chengyun were among the ministers in the Marshal's Mansion, and Zhang Xianzhong was known for his bad temper. The most suitable person to vacate a position seemed to be the unassuming Shi Chengwo.

Moreover, the mold for casting cannons was taught to him by Wang Zheng.

“Mr. Shi, if you are not competent to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Works, I will choose another capable person.”

Liu Chengzong looked at Shi Chengwo and said very seriously, then changed the subject and said, "But for a long time, Mr. Shi has been unparalleled in supervising the manufacture of military equipment. No one in Shaanxi is more suitable than you for the position of Minister of the Ministry of Works."

"Let's stop telling jokes like 'abdicating and handing over the reins'."

Liu Shizi chuckled, then relaxed and said to Shi Chengwo, "I just got a batch of military equipment from Yulin and sent it to the workshop for the craftsmen to learn from. You have to do a good job."

My feelings were complicated. After thanking Liu Chengzong for his trust, I clasped my hands in gratitude and accepted the order, but deep down I still felt somewhat insecure.

After all, he was just an ordinary craftsman who rose to prominence in the Marshal's Mansion by relying on his cannon-casting skills taught by Wang Zheng. During this period, he did indeed endure a lot of pressure—and the key point is that he was also from Sanyuan.

Liu Shizi didn't delve into this matter. He could only ensure that he wouldn't make wrong personnel decisions due to external influences, but he couldn't help Shi Cheng with the pressure he was under. Ultimately, Shi Cheng had to overcome it on his own.

He turned to Cheng Yun and said, "Regarding the matter of the Grand Secretary, just as you said, the Ministry of Personnel will issue an official document and dispatch official vehicles to recruit advisors. However, if they are unwilling to come, do not force them, and do not tempt them with high-ranking positions."

"Let nature take its course. If they want to take office, they can. According to the old rules of the Marshal's Office, their salary will be reduced by one grade and they will be allowed to continue serving. If they do not want to take office, they can live as idle gentry and retire. If retired elderly officials are poor and cannot make a living, they can send people to various government offices for help. The government should provide appropriate assistance based on their past official positions."

“But apart from that…” Liu Chengzong shook his head: “It is not appropriate to give him any extra preferential treatment. Even if he is a Grand Secretary, he should not interfere in the affairs of the Six Ministries and local affairs.”

Upon hearing Liu Chengzong's words, the officers and soldiers of the Marshal's Office who were qualified to participate in the discussion in the hall all breathed a sigh of relief.

Many people were taken aback by Shi Chengwo's statement about stepping down and making way for a more virtuous person.

Such a thing has never happened before in the Marshal's Mansion. Many veterans know about the relationship between Shi Chengwo and Wang Zheng, but if the Minister of Works were to step down and give way to a more capable person, would others also have to step down and give way to more capable people in the future?
Clearly, Liu Chengzong's attitude toward this matter was: no.

To outsiders, this naturally means that virtue cannot surpass merit and hard work, and they have a clear understanding of the situation.

Seeing their relieved expressions, Liu Shizi found it amusing and said, "Several... hundreds of thousands of people have paid a single grain of rice and a single coin for us, which counts as contributing to the great victory in Liaodong. Not to mention you gentlemen, the Marshal's Mansion is where it is today thanks to my efforts, but which of you in the hall has contributed little? You must not belittle yourselves."

"The same is true. The Emperor deserves much credit for the Ming Dynasty's current state, but which of them didn't contribute? Each of them prides themselves on their own virtue and talent, and they have all held high positions. They suffered defeat after defeat on the battlefield, and the world was in chaos. They are all to blame."

"Only victory can prove whether someone is capable or not."

After speaking earnestly, Liu Chengzong smiled and said to everyone, "I think their talents are far inferior to yours!"

After he finished speaking, everyone burst into laughter.

Of course, this was just a nice remark; Liu Shizi wasn't so blind as to be unable to see a person's abilities.

Putting aside others, people like Nan Juyi, who served as governor of Fujian, led an army of ten thousand across the sea to attack the Japanese invaders, and erected a monument in Penghu, are worthy of being called both a general and a prime minister.

The entire Marshal's Office could not find an official more outstanding or more familiar with the southern environment than him, and he was even far superior to the highly skilled Wang Zheng.

But so what?

He's not blind; saying this is obviously calling a deer a horse, but it's because he's not stupid.

In the current situation, everyone in the hall is his own base, and it's uncertain whether those old gentlemen are even willing to join him.

If Nan Juyi sincerely comes to seek refuge with him tomorrow, he will naturally welcome him with open arms and treat him with even greater respect than he would with Minister Qian.

But today, he cannot let his old brothers who have followed him for years feel disheartened for the sake of a few ambiguous outsiders.

Liu Shizi would naturally require his subordinates to appoint people based on merit.

Because of the need to get things done, everyone will instinctively practice nepotism, and only after getting close to someone can you tell whether they are mediocre or virtuous.

However, to prevent subordinates from cultivating cliques, wasting money and resources to support parasites, and blocking the upward mobility of talented people, it is necessary to emphasize to others the importance of appointing people based on merit.

Liu Shizi didn't have this requirement for himself; he had to cultivate his own faction, and their loyalty to him was a prerequisite for holding office in the Marshal's Mansion.

If he can't even meet this basic requirement, and can't even act properly, how can we let him be an official? Are we just waiting for him to seize power and the army and then rebel?
After the laughter of the crowd subsided, Liu Chengzong shook his head slightly and said, "Did I underestimate the number of people I just mentioned, such as hundreds of thousands who have paid taxes? Chengyun, how many people are actually under our jurisdiction?"

Upon hearing Liu Shizi finally inquire about this matter, Cheng Yun immediately stepped forward and reported, "Reporting to the Marshal, the Marshal's Office administers thirteen prefectures, thirteen states, and three pastoral administrations, with a total of males..."

Cheng Yun suppressed a laugh, looked at Liu Chengzong for a moment, and under his expectant gaze, finally spoke: "Two million eight hundred and thirty thousand, one thousand one hundred and thirty-one." (End of this chapter)