weaving

Chapter 1331 Right Commander

Inside the Qianqing Palace, the Second Assistant Minister Wu Shen and cabinet members Huang Jingfang and Jiang Dejing were kneeling on the ground and kowtowing, begging Emperor Chongzhen to withdraw his plan to appoint Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng as the commander-in-chief to suppress bandits and governor-general of military affairs in seven towns including Baoding.

However, the cabinet chief minister Chen Yan slowly stood up. I thought he would be like me and beg the emperor to withdraw his order, but I never expected to hear him say: "Your Majesty, since Hou Xun and Chen Xinjia are both inconvenient to lead the army to suppress the bandits, and Hong Chengchou is in the important area of ​​Liaodong and cannot be easily transferred, Sun Chuanting has just arrived in Shaanxi and the army has not been completed.

In my humble opinion...it is advisable to appoint Yongning Bo as the Right Commander of the Central Military Command Office, and let him dispatch the local government troops in Henan in the name of the Right Commander, and actually supervise the military operations in the Central Plains to suppress the bandits. Then appoint a capable official to assist him in supervising the transportation of money and grain, and temporarily stabilize the situation in the Central Plains. When the court has a suitable candidate, then appoint the Bandit Suppression Commander to coordinate the suppression of bandits in the Central Plains. "

Chen Yan's words shocked everyone in the Qianqing Palace...

Wu Shen, Huang Jingfang, Jiang Dejing and others looked at Chen Yan with confusion in their eyes. They didn't understand why Chen Yan would abandon the structure of "civil officials in charge of key positions, and military officials in charge of calls for troops" that had been established since the Zhengtong period, and actually suggested that Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng be the commander-in-chief of the military operations to suppress bandits in the Central Plains?

Even the eunuch Wang Chengen who was serving on the side was a little surprised. Although he knew that Chen Yan was a conservative person, mediocre and mean, who often relied on shirking responsibility to maintain his position, he also knew that the reason why Chen Yan opposed Hou Xun's appointment as the commander-in-chief was actually to suppress the remnants of the Donglin Party.

But no one had expected that Chen Yan would openly recommend Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng to lead the military operations to suppress bandits in the Central Plains in such a public manner. Didn't this put himself in opposition to all the civil servants in the court?

However, when Emperor Chongzhen heard what Chen Yan said, he was overjoyed. His originally furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and the slightly raised corners of his mouth further demonstrated his pride.

"The Prime Minister proposed to appoint Yongning Bo as the commander of the Central Plains to suppress the bandits. What do you think?"

The reaction of Zheng Sanjun, the Minister of Personnel, was beyond everyone's expectation. He stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I agree with the proposal made by the Prime Minister. Yongning Bo has been in battle for a long time and his talents are of great use. He should be appointed as the commander of the central army to suppress the bandits!"

…………

Wu Shen, Huang Jingfang and Jiang Dejing were all stunned. They couldn't understand what was wrong with Zheng Sanjun.

In their eyes, Zheng Sanjun was an old Jinshi during the Wanli period. He had served as a county magistrate, the director of the Nanjing Ministry of Rites, the prefect of Guide, the deputy envoy of the Fujian Provincial Surveillance Department and the governor of education, and the councilor and governor of grain of Zhejiang Provincial Government.

During the Tianqi reign, he was summoned to be the Shaoqing of Guanglu, and later changed to the Shaoqing of Taichang Temple. He successively served as the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, the Left Deputy Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. He refused to collude with Wei Zhongxian's eunuch party and was framed and dismissed from his post, returning home to live in idleness.

During the Chongzhen period, he was reappointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing and concurrently in charge of the Ministry of Personnel. Later, he was implicated in the case of Hou Xun who was falsely accused of corruption and was dismissed and returned home. It was not until the 15th year of Chongzhen that he was recalled to the court, given the title of Prince's Guardian, and appointed as the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

For someone like Zheng Sanjun, even if he was not a core figure of the Donglin Party, the label of civil servant was welded on him anyway, and it was a foundation that could not be changed even after his death.

It is for this reason that Wu Shen and others felt that Zheng Sanjun agreed with Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng's "regaining the power of the commander-in-chief as a new military noble." Isn't this digging the foundation of the world's civil servants?

However, at this moment, the three of them only dared to feel resentment in their hearts. At most, they would glance at Zheng Sanjun and Chen Yan with puzzled eyes, and there was even a hint of resentment in their eyes.

In fact, they only care about the interests of the civil service group. They can no longer see the current reality, let alone the future of the country...

Of course, maybe they don’t care about the future of the country!

Civil servants like them only care about their own interests. As for the future of the Ming Dynasty, that is the business of the Zhu family and the Emperor Chongzhen who sits behind the imperial desk...

No matter who becomes the emperor, no matter whether the court is the Ming Dynasty or some other messy court, it has little to do with them.

After all, no matter who sits on the throne, they will need this group of civil officials to help govern the world. But now the commander-in-chief of the army has been replaced by a military officer. Isn't this digging for the talents of the civil officials?

Therefore, even with the strong support of Emperor Chongzhen today, Wu Shen, Huang Jingfang, Jiang Dejing and others have to oppose it. Otherwise, once this matter spreads, they will no longer be able to stay in the court!

Because if you offend the emperor, you will be dismissed and sent home. Even if you are sent to prison, you will have a chance to be reinstated. But once you completely offend the civil servants, you will be put on the real list and will never have a chance to turn things around. You may even be poisoned by them. …………

"Zheng Sanjun, as the Grand Chancellor, do you agree with Elder Chen's proposal to appoint Earl Yongning as the commander of the Central Plains' military operations to suppress the bandits?"

Since he had already made a clear statement, Zheng Sanjun no longer concealed anything. He replied very clearly: "Your Majesty, I agree with the proposal made by the Prime Minister."

Zheng Sanjun made such a statement out of helplessness.

Although the civil service group of the Ming Dynasty is now powerful, there are many factions within it, and they are constantly fighting against each other. Even though they have grasped the central power of the court, they are unable to select real talents from within, especially those who are familiar with military affairs.

Of course, this was also due to Emperor Chongzhen. The court frequently pursued accountability, which led to the conviction and execution of many cabinet ministers and governors-general. This in turn triggered the negative mentality of Ming officials of "not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes."

On the other hand, although the Ming Dynasty has evolved from the mechanism of mutual checks and balances between the Governor's Office and the Ministry of War in the early Ming Dynasty to the current form of civil officials completely suppressing military generals, in reality there are many warlord-like generals like Zuo Liangyu. In fact, it is difficult for civilian supervisors to truly dispatch and control them.

In fact, Emperor Chongzhen did not really want to let the Earl of Yongning be the admiral, but there was not a single civil official in the court whom he could trust to appoint, so he had no choice but to do so!

After all, compared with the stability of the Ming Dynasty, the fact that Wu Xun regained control of the military power was not necessarily a bad thing for Emperor Chongzhen. As long as the Ming Dynasty still existed and as long as Chongzhen was still the emperor, it would only be a matter of rewarding Zhang Cheng handsomely.

At worst, just confer him the title of duke. So what?

"What do you, the ministers, think?" Emperor Chongzhen's tone clearly showed impatience.

Wu Shen stole a glance at Huang Jingfang and Jiang Dejing, and saw that they were like ostriches with their heads pressed to the ground. He sighed inwardly and replied, "I... second the motion."

"My lord, I second the proposal."

"… Seconded… Seconded…"

In the Qianqing Palace, after a group of cabinet ministers expressed their "secondment", there was no longer any voice opposing the Earl of Yongning's appointment as the commander-in-chief of the Central Plains military campaign to suppress bandits.

Just at this moment, the sound of an urgent copper bell with a speed of eight hundred miles was suddenly heard outside the Qianqing Palace, and everyone in the palace immediately turned their attention to the roll of yellow silk military newspaper.

Emperor Chongzhen dug his nails deep into his palms, and he suddenly recalled his dream last night - Emperor Taizu stood at the Xiaoling Mausoleum holding a sword, and the direction of the sword was exactly the direction of Kaifeng...