The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 357
The ninth day of March.

In the land of the capital, it is also the time when the flowers are blooming in the warm spring. Zhu Youtang visited the back garden of the palace this day and specially brought Empress Zhang with him. It seemed that the husband and wife were very loving.

Zhu Youzhang was worried that if he was going to take a concubine soon, it would cause empress Zhang to have a bad relationship with his husband and wife, but he never thought that because he was going to take a concubine soon, Queen Zhang had been very obedient to him recently, which made him truly understand What is a "real man".

"His Majesty."

Xiao Jing came over with the battle report, and greeted Zhu Youtang from a long distance away.

Zhu Youtang bowed his head and said a few words to Empress Zhang, and then Empress Zhang respectfully saluted, first took the entourage of Kunning Palace and left the palace garden.

Only then did Zhu Youtang talk to Xiao Jing on the temporary throne.

"How? Is there any result?" Zhu Youtang asked.

Xiao Jing said: "Return to Your Majesty, the outcome of the Liaodong War has not yet been determined, but Mr. Zhang has already left Shanhaiguan."

"Is it coming out now?" Zhu Youtang was also surprised.

It has been more than two months since Zhang Zhou left the capital. According to Zhu Youtang's impression, let alone the flattening of Jianzhou and Haixi Jurchen, even if Zhang Zhou was to flatten the entire grassland, it should be almost Are you done?

It turned out that now... Zhang Zhou had just left Shanhaiguan?
Xiao Jing said: "However, Uncle Xinjian's march on the ground of Jianzhou was very smooth. In the past ten days, he has successively captured forty or fifty Jurchen villages, and also captured six or seven cities."

"Uncle Xin? Very good."

Zhu Youtang is still very satisfied with "Confucian generals" like Wang Shouren.

He knows how to fight again, speaks sincerely and respectfully, and looks imposing. Most importantly, he is a capable person recommended by Zhang Zhou to the court.

Although Zhu Feng is also trusted by Zhu Youtang, even Zhu Youtang feels that Zhu Feng should not be counted on to complete any big plan, because Zhu Feng is a bit cynical and lacks experience.

On the other hand, Wang Shouren seems to be born without experience, and he can do great things when he comes up.

"Has the Acropolis of Jianzhou been captured?" Zhu Youtang asked.

Xiao Jing replied respectfully: "I didn't win it. Uncle Xinjian's performance showed that the local Jurchen tribe in Jianzhou was heavily guarded against the Jianzhou Guard, and all tribes were also cooperating in defense, so he bypassed the Jianzhou Guard City. , It is said that according to Mr. Zhang's intention, there is no rush to nibble away a little bit."

"Haha... Cannibalization, um, the previous few times when we suppressed the Jurchen, we suffered from the haste. Even if they were defeated every time, they couldn't be governed for a long time." Zhu Youtang discussed with Zhang Zhou the strategy of governing the border people. Naturally understand the essentials.

Xiao Jingdao: "It's just that a minister in the court recently mentioned the governance of the Jurchen tribes after the war. Do we still need to appoint native officials from Jianzhou?"

Zhu Youtang shook his head and said, "Actually, last year, when I was discussing side affairs with Bing Kuan, Bing Kuan had already mentioned to me that he wanted to return to the native land."

"what?"

Xiao Jing was taken aback.

This was the first time he heard this term from Zhu Youtang.

Although it was just a noun, from the literal meaning, he knew exactly what it meant.

"The hidden dangers of the border areas to the imperial court are increasing day by day, not only in Liaodong, but also in the grassland Tatars, and the tribes in the southwest. They have had a considerable impact on the stability of the imperial court in the past few decades. In the past, the Ming Dynasty The greatest resistance I encountered came from the stability of the frontiers, and with Bingkuan, I think there is no need to worry about the future."

Take away the power of the native officials, and change the officials to take office, which will lead to the rebellion of the native officials.

In the past, for the sake of border stability, Ming Dynasty did not have the ability to carry out a system change. Even if it knew that the native official system had too many disadvantages, it endured it.

But now Zhu Youtang feels that with Zhang Zhou around, he can confidently let go and do it.

Xiao Jingdao: "But Your Majesty, isn't the focus of the Ming Dynasty's military affairs now all in the north?"

"So, let's start with Liaodong first." Zhu Youtang seemed to take it for granted, "This is to serve as a model for the Southwest, so what if you are as fierce as the Jurchen? Or you have to accept the changes in the Ming system, and the Jurchen will also be relocated. Their tribe merged with the Ming Dynasty, and they no longer have the power of a small court outside the imperial court, let alone allow them to have their own army."

"I want to change the situation of those tribal native officials in the southwest, who respond to everyone. It can be said that the people on the southwestern border only know that there are native officials but not the imperial court. How can the border of the Ming Dynasty achieve long-term stability?"

Zhu Youtang looked very high-spirited.

Xiao Jing had mixed feelings in his heart.

"Why, you have thought about those civil servants now, and you want me to know in advance, how will the court ministers explain this to me when they learn about it?" Zhu Youtang asked in a cold tone.

Xiao Jing hurriedly said: "I dare not."

Zhu Youtang said: "You have to know how to measure. Although I have seldom checked the memorials recently, I also know that many proposals will be adopted. I am also afraid that in the future the court will not know me, but only the cabinet."

"Slaves deserve to die." When Xiao Jing heard this, he knew that the emperor was blaming him, but in his capacity as the eunuch in charge of the ceremony, he basically followed the cabinet's opinion in Zhu's approval. In the emperor's view, this was almost a kind of disloyalty.

"stand up."

Zhu Youtang's tone became calm and said, "Bingkuan is not in court, and I am a little lazy about court affairs. Maybe like the prince, I need some advice from Bingkuan, so that I can be more thoughtful about court affairs."

Xiao Jingxin said.

When Zhang Bingkuan was in power, you didn't even bother to take care of the government affairs. Maybe you wanted to leave all the affairs of the court to Zhang Bingkuan?

"Hurry up Bingkuan. I want him to come back sooner. How long will it take to fight one cottage after another?" Zhu Youtang seemed to be in a waning mood, as if he was no longer interested in looking at the scenery, and wanted to go back to rest.

Xiao Jingdao: "Your Majesty, the Liaodong army has already dispatched troops, and the Liaodong governor Lu Wan personally leads the troops."

Zhu Youtang said: "Try to ask Bingkuan for his opinion. If there is really no need to continue the fight, let him return to Beijing as soon as possible. Recently, my body has always been weak, and I want him to come back for treatment."

……

……

On the ground of Jianzhou, Wang Shouren went to fight one by one in the cottages.

He seemed to have forgotten his original goal of Hetuala, and Duobi City to rush to rescue Tang Yin, as if that was not important anymore, his task was to level up gradually.

What I do every day, apart from marching and fighting, is to study a reasonable attack plan based on the terrain of the nearby cottage.

Because of the existence of yellow gunpowder and artillery, it will get twice the result with half the effort when attacking the stronghold, especially when blowing up wooden fences and earthen cities, the effect is more obvious, so what Wang Shouren is worried about is not whether he can take it down, but how much he can do. Fight quickly and economically. It is best that after a battle, Daming will not suffer any losses.

"Major General, there is a letter of appeal for help from Master Tang from Duobi City."

On the tenth day of March.

Wang Shouren had just brought down a cottage, and he still divided his troops into battle. The four thousand soldiers were divided into two groups, and the other side was still attacking another small cottage.

He got a request letter written by Tang Yin himself from Li Ling.

Wang Shouren said with a smile: "The news can be sent out, which means that the pressure has been greatly reduced. It is estimated that in ten days and a half a month, he will be able to lead his troops to fight out of Duobi City. What help?"

At first Wang Shouren also felt that Tang Yin should be saved from fire and water.

But as time went by, when he found that this leveling method was easy except for slower efficiency, he no longer resisted and repelled, and concentrated on enjoying this steady fighting style, building layers upon layers. State guard advances in the hinterland.

What about Hetuala, for Wang Shouren, it is no longer an obsession, but a dispensable embellishment.

Anyway, he didn't want to attack Jianzhouwei's lair, so he let those bastards of Jianzhouwei worry.

……

……

As Wang Shouren fought more and more smoothly within the boundary of Jianzhou Weidi.

Lu Wan personally led [-] soldiers and horses, and from another direction, that is, the northwest side of Jianzhouwei, they killed under the acropolis of Talumwei.

Zhu Kongge, the patriarch of Tarumwei, hurried out of the city with the generals in the city, and personally went to Lu Wanjun to "make amends". Ming, so he did not dare to be an enemy of Daming.

Coupled with the fact that Ming sent [-] troops directly this time, Zhu Kongge knew that he was incapable of fighting against Ming, so he surrendered faster than others.

Lu Wan personally met Zhu Kongge, and after the meeting, asked Zhu Kongge to go into the city and take all the soldiers out of the city so that the Ming army could take over the city.

"Why did it drop?"

Zhang Yong didn't go to meet Zhu Kongge, after hearing the news, he specially ran from the rear army to the front line. After walking down the mountain road for more than ten miles, Zhang Yong was also a little tired.

Lu Wandao: "Not all tribes dare to turn against Daming. Maybe they thought that as long as they submit, they can continue to rule here as before."

Zhang Yong was surprised and said: "Did you tell Lu Zhongcheng that he and his people will be relocated in the future?"

"Relocation?" Lu Wan asked, "Where did the news about Eunuch Zhang come from?"

"Isn't it?"

Zhang Yong was surprised.

Lu Wandao: "In the territory of Ming Dynasty, how can there be so much land to settle so many border people? At most, some upper-class people from the tribes who have been beaten to the bone and marrow are moved to Daming, and they are guarded. As for these people, they still live Here, Daming re-raises the army here, completes the garrison change, and then kills those who are disobedient."

Zhang Yongxin said, it's up to you to be ruthless.

Zhang Yong asked: "Does Your Majesty have any relevant orders to convey?"

Lu Wan's expression was a little unkind, and he shook his head, as if the emperor didn't trust Lu Wan in governing Liaodong for a long time to come.

He, Lu Wan, was more like a governor temporarily transferred to take charge of the war, rather than to govern one side.

Lu Wan sighed: "Actually, His Majesty did not intend for me to govern these people of other races. I had written to ask Duke Lai for his opinion before."

Zhang Yong asked: "Isn't it inappropriate for Lu Zhongcheng to write to Mr. Zhang alone?"

"What's wrong with asking about the strategy of using troops?" Lu Wan asked rhetorically.

Zhang Yong felt resentful.

He began to realize that the concerns of those civil servants in the court were justified.

Judging from the rise of Zhang Zhou, in a short period of time, Da Ming has obtained huge benefits. After winning battles on the border, Da Ming is no longer a sleeping army, but more like a tiger descending from the mountain.

But in the long run, because of Zhang Zhou's great achievements, whether it is the generals of the Beijing camp, or the guards and governors of various places, they have gradually begun to get used to asking Zhang Zhou for advice. If this continues... Zhang Zhou will be in power In the grasp, there will gradually be an overhead of the imperial court...

If Zhang Zhou has a close relationship with the emperor, or if Zhang Zhou can always gain the trust of the emperor, then everything will be fine.

But I am afraid that there will be rifts between the monarch and his ministers.

"The meaning of Lai Guogong seems to be that there is a person with such ability who stayed in Liaodong to govern the border people and gave a strategy for the governance. I don't know who it is." Lu Wan said with a sigh.

"Who could it be?"

Zhang Yong directly expressed the doubts in his heart.

Lu Wan just shook his head.

Those who fought wars belonged to those who fought, and those who ruled the people belonged to the people. Lu Wan felt very confused about his personal future, and he didn't even dare to say that he was Zhang Zhou's direct descendant.

It is precisely because of his close relationship with Zhang Zhou that he feels uneasy, so he pays more attention to establishing a good personal relationship with Zhang Zhou.

This is also due to Lu Wan's character.

……

……

Tang Yin, who was in Duobi City, had a pretty good life recently.

Before the fifth day of March, the soldiers in the city were dying every day, and the North Korean side slaughtered their horses early to eat meat and soup, but later found that...the number of enemy troops stationed outside the city was getting smaller and smaller.

Several attacks have achieved good results.

Although they could only decapitate a single-digit number of heads at most each time, and they didn't completely drive away the Jurchens who were besieging the city, but at least the defenders in the city were safe to go out for the "tooth-beating sacrifice".

As the situation in the city became less severe, the hungry stomach seemed to be less hungry.

The food that was originally not enough, obviously did not grab back much, but it seemed that people could not die of hunger.

It also surprised Tang Yin... After staying in this ghostly place for two months, no one died of starvation... Except for some wild vegetables, he didn't eat bark and soil.

It still seems to be able to mix it up.

"Bohu, shouldn't we make a plan and push the soldiers and horses out? We are always hanging like this, and we have no food." Xu Jing's face has obviously lost weight twice from hunger in the past two months, and he is thin and thin.

But because of this, the eyes look more divine.

Tang Yin said: "The reinforcements haven't come yet."

"Wait? Wait until when?" Xu Jing was also worried, "Otherwise, let's take soldiers and horses and make a gap from the southeast, and we will go in the direction of North Korea. It will take less than ten days to reach North Korea. Turn back to Daming..."

Tang Yin asked: "Do you want to be a deserter?"

Xu Jing was speechless.

Originally, he also looked down upon this old friend, thinking that Tang Yin's accomplishments were incomparable with people like Zhang Zhou and Wang Shouren, but this time he saw what a "nest of snakes and rats" is.

They all have the same personality, and I don't know where they learned to be stubborn, but they are actually stuck in Duobi City?
……

……

After a few days of sortie operations, the effect is very obvious.

The morale of the North Korean soldiers also improved.

Park Yuanzong found Tang Yin and told him his suffering: "Mr. Tang, there is no other way. Our coach Li Kejun has mentioned to the people below many times that as long as he returns to North Korea, he will kill me. I am I can't go back to North Korea."

Tang Yin said: "You want to go into exile in Daming?"

"Yes." Pu Yuanzong said, "I can take these five thousand soldiers and horses to join Daming, as long as you give an order."

"What about your relatives?"

Tang Yin squinted at Pu Yuanzong.

For the sake of his own life, he even disregarded his family and clan?

Park Yuanzong said: "If I defected to Daming, and Daming rewarded me, the monarch of North Korea would not dare to do anything to my people. Besides, my elder brother is also a hero of North Korea. He is no longer here, and there are many people from my tribe... How can it affect them because of me alone?"

"I want to ask His Majesty for instructions on this matter, at least I have to go to Duke Lai for instructions. As far as I know, he will go to Shenyang in the next few days." Tang Yin said.

Park Yuanzong was pleasantly surprised: "Have you been able to know the news from the outside world?"

"Yes." Tang Yin replied simply, "Although there are not many, I know that the Jianzhou Jurchen has been tortured by Uncle Xinjian, and the Haixi Jurchen ministries have no intention of fighting against Daming. If the Duke of Lai comes here at this time, it will be The ultimatum, no one dares to be an enemy of Daming again."

"Yeah yeah."

Park Yuanzong was also very excited when he heard about it, "If Duke Lai comes here in person, I hope to visit him. I admire him very much."

Tang Yin thought to himself.

Are you admiring Duke Lai?Is it because you have to admire him in order to save your life?
Tang Yindao: "In fact, in the first few days, I sent a copy of your situation, together with the battle report, to Shenyang. It may take a few days to arrive, and I don't know if the journey will be smooth. You don't have to worry, those who work for Daming , Even if you return to North Korea, you will still be recognized and affirmed by your monarch."

"No, no, Tang Shangchai, you don't know that our monarch is too arbitrary and self-willed, he only believes the words of those close to him, and he is sinister..."

Park Yuanzong made sense there.

Tang Yin didn't really like to hear it.

Because he felt that Park Yuanzong was slandering his monarch, no different from a traitor.

Where can a traitor go?Can Daming trust this kind of person?
……

……

Zhang Zhou finally arrived at Zhongwei City in Shenyang on March [-]th.

Zhang Heling, who stayed behind, came out to meet him. At the same time, there were many generals and officers in the local area. Because the news was not leaked in advance, the soldiers and civilians in the city did not know about it.

After Zhang Heling brought Zhang Zhou into the city, he didn't go to the yamen, but took him to his house.

"Show you something good."

Zhang Heling excitedly wanted to come over and pull Zhang Zhou's sleeve, but Zhang Zhou stretched out his hand to stop him.

Zhang Heling smiled and said, "North Korea just sent someone over, saying that they knew that Mr. Zhang was coming, and sent ten beauties over. I've seen them, and they are all... very good."

Zhang Zhou frowned.

Is this what you, Marquis Shou Ning, care about?Have you seen it?Still used it?
Zhang Zhoudao: "I have worked so hard to come to Shenyang, and the purpose is to go to war. But I have to postpone it for two days, I am too tired!"

"Not in a hurry, right? I knew it." Zhang Heling smiled.

Zhang Zhou said that he would come, and after nearly three months of slogans, the talent finally arrived, and he felt like he had been called for a long time.

I have to take a rest when I come here, because I didn't take this battle seriously.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Now you can send orders to various places in Liaodong, saying that I, Zhang, have arrived in Shenyang, and the next step is to wipe out all the Jurchens, unless they surrendered and accepted Ming's canonization and relocation, otherwise... see you on the battlefield! "

(End of this chapter)