The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 486 The outcome is up to him
Zhang Zhou, the "director" of the Ming Dynasty Ordnance Factory, originally planned to go to inspect the cannon around noon, but early in the morning, Li Rong came with the factory guards to give gifts.

With a smile on his face, Li Rong flattered Zhang Zhou and told Zhang Zhou about setting up an ambush in Huamachi to win.

"The results are impressive, but compared with the previous battles... Mr. Zhang, you know that His Majesty's expectations for the northwest battle are... quite high..."

On the way into the palace with Zhang Zhou, Li Rong also expressed the current situation.

It probably means that the emperor's expectations are too high. An ordinary victory can no longer make the emperor feel that it is a "big victory". However, killing 800 people is actually enough to brag in front of the ministers. Otherwise, today Zhang Zhou would not be allowed to follow Li Rong into the court to enjoy the "glory of victory" together.

The Meridian Gate is in sight, and the ministers who were waiting in advance have entered the palace. Zhang Zhou is the last person in the last batch.

Zhang Zhou looked at the palace gate and said: "The war is not over yet, so it would be inappropriate to celebrate the victory prematurely. After all, the little Tartar prince has brought tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. Maybe he will have reinforcements arriving in the future. The outcome will be unpredictable. "

Li Rong smiled and said: "The outcome is not hard to predict, it just depends on how big the victory will be. Mr. Zhang, this is not the first day you have known about the war situation in the Ming Dynasty in the Ministry of War. Do you still need us to explain it to you in detail?"

Zhang Zhou didn't answer.

In the northwest of the Ming Dynasty, before Zhang Zhou, almost every "good news" was made with the blood of Ming soldiers. A good news that killed dozens of people may have caused the Ming Dynasty's losses to be several Tatars. Times as much.

What Li Rong means is that we have already lured the Tatars into the urn, and the result will definitely be to kill a lot of Tatars. As long as we only report the good news and not the bad news when the time comes, no matter how much our own losses are, we will kill as many enemies as possible. Just lift it up.

Zhang Zhou was embarrassed to say it.

Am I that kind of person?

Besides, the war in the northwest was not fought by me personally. What do I need to hide?Let’s talk about winning and losing, whoever loses more will lose.

……

……

Outside the Fengtian Palace, the ministers arrived very early, but they were never summoned into the palace, and the court meeting did not begin.

As if waiting for someone.

The ministers have already circulated the northwest battle situation obtained last night through some "gossips", and the fact that Yang Yiqing led his troops to set up an ambush in Huamachi to win was like every minister's worst nightmare, and it soon came to their mind. It spread among them.

"It turns out that he came from Huamachi. It seems that the Ministry of War made arrangements early in the morning. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so precise and waiting for work in Huamachi?"

The people who were targeted at the scene were Xiong Chong and Xiong Xiu, the two ministers of the Ministry of War.

Because the ambush must have been arranged in advance... It can also be assumed that Yang Yiqing or his generals had foresight.

But they also contacted the previous discussion between the emperor and Zhang Zhou about "where did the Tatars come from" in the capital, so that they now believe that the Ministry of War had prepared a complete plan in advance, but did not notify the ministers of the DPRK in detail. That’s all.

Xiong Da and Xiong Er were silent at this time. Although they already knew a little bit of the inside story, neither the emperor nor Zhang Zhou allowed them to tell. Even if their hearts were with the traditional civil servants, they still had to pretend to be deaf and dumb in front of others.

"What are you waiting for? Could there be news of war?"

Many people can't wait.

During the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, these ministers had actually been "spoiled" by Zhu Youtang. Everyone felt that they were the pillars of the country. Even after standing there waiting for a while, they all felt that the emperor had treated them badly.

Xie Qian walked over to comfort everyone and said, "Everyone, I think your Majesty has something urgent to deal with."

"Handling affairs? Shouldn't it be in the court?" Fu Han, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, said.

Originally, Fu Han was the candidate to succeed the Minister of Rites, and later they planned to transfer him to Nanjing to be the Minister. However, after the final recommendation... Fu Han voluntarily gave up the opportunity to go to Nanjing to become the Minister, and would rather continue to work in the capital.

In his opinion, it seemed that being the Zuo Shilang of the Northern Ministry of Rites was better than going to Nanjing to be the Minister of Rites.

Xie Qian looked around with a smile and said, "Just take a look and see who hasn't come yet."

who didn't come?
Before the court meeting, everyone who was supposed to come had basically come. If there was a very conspicuous person who didn't come, it was naturally... the Minister of War, but he didn't come often.

Xie Qian hinted clearly that the emperor must be discussing official business with Zhang Bingkuan now. Zhang Bingkuan alone represents our civil and military officials.

Dissatisfied?

Who let Zhang Bingkuan make the right bet this time?

But before Xie Qian finished speaking, Zhang Zhou followed Li Rong, walking briskly.

Originally, not many people among the traditional civil servants wanted to see Zhang Zhou, but when they saw Zhang Zhou today... it was like meeting a rare guest. They all turned around and paid attention, as if they all knew that Zhang Zhou was the protagonist today.

……

……

Zhang Zhou lined up among the waiting class.

The people who came to say hello to him were mostly neutrals, and Wu Xun had no chance to come over to say hello.

Not long after Zhang Zhou arrived, after Li Rongtong passed the message, the ministers could enter the Fengtian Hall.

The emperor came in person and the court meeting began.

Come up.

Zhu Youtang asked Li Rong to read out the victory report of Yang Yiqing and other Ningxia local garrison generals. Originally, the emperor wanted to cheer up the ministers present, but because the ministers had already known the news in advance, after reading the victory report, The atmosphere at the scene was not too warm.

"My lords, this battle can be said to be a success." Zhu Youtang said in an exciting tone, trying to add a festive atmosphere to the good news in the court.

Liu Jian originally wanted to come out and raise some questions, but after looking sideways at Zhang Zhou, he finally decided not to come out.

But his look... seemed to be hinting at something.

Then the ministers saw Zhang Zhou walking out of the courtroom.

"Bingkuan, are you okay?" Zhu Youtang was still curious.

According to past routines, Liu Jian and others should come out to pour cold water on this meeting and sing the opposite. I have already prepared for it. Why is Bingkuan stepping out today?
Zhang Zhou said: "Back to Your Majesty, I have learned that the Tatars have now entered the Ming Pass and are looting everywhere, and the Ming army is now unable to stop their front. Although there are also people from all walks of life who are gathering towards Ningxia, only I am afraid that in the next few days to ten months, the Tatars will continue to wreak havoc."

When the ministers heard this, they were a little unresponsive.

Is it Zhang Zhou himself who is the naysayer today?
Or does he want to excuse himself in advance?After all, the idea of ​​cutting off the Tatars' retreat was most likely proposed by Zhang Zhou. He led the Tatars into the urn and brought the Tatars to the passes of the Ming Dynasty... Someone must be responsible for the losses of the army and the people.

Zhu Youtang said: "The Tatars knocked down the pass and their ambitions were clearly exposed. Now that they have suffered a new defeat, their morale must be low. If all the troops in the border army can work together at this time, they will definitely be able to trap the Tatars in a urn." By then... um."

The emperor almost blurted out the strategic significance of "Shigou City", but just like the previous plot of Huamachi, Zhu Youtang also knew whether to hide first or not.

What if the Tatars don't go to Shigoucheng?
It’s better not to talk too much in advance.

This made the ministers waiting to hear the details anxious, and they were all thinking, what will happen then?Your Majesty, you made it clear.

Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, at this time, we should strictly order the three armies not to give in. We must fight for every inch of territory. If we are afraid of the enemy and do not move forward, it will be considered as delaying the opportunity to fight. Even if we win, we will be held responsible."

"It makes sense." Zhu Youtang and Zhang Zhou seemed to be singing in harmony, and said in tacit agreement, "Now the Tatars have entered the pass. If it is a matter of life and death for the people, there are still some people who ignore the war situation and retreat from the battle. I will definitely not be lenient."

Xie Qian finally couldn't help but walked out and said, "Cai Guogong, do you think that someone will be afraid to move forward?"

Zhang Zhou said: "I don't know who I'm going to target, I just want to get the bad news out of the way."

Xie Qian narrowed his eyes and said, "Maybe Cai Guogong thinks there is someone who may be afraid of moving forward, so he can just point it out in the court."

Just tell us the name of Zhu Hui, the protector of the country, so that we can know who you are targeting.

Zhang Zhou asked curiously: "Could it be that Mr. Xie Ge has the same idea as me, thinking that someone will miss the opportunity to fight? If Mr. Xie Ge doesn't mind, you can also tell the name, or you can do some research in the court. Or you can remind him quickly, which can be regarded as a slap in the face."

"Haha." Xie Qian shook his head with a weird smile, without even taking a step forward.

Xie Qian's previous words, even before he left the court, were tantamount to questioning Zhang Zhou on the spot.

Zhu Youtang said in peace: "I understand the thoughts of all the lords. If there is someone who shrinks when encountering the enemy, resulting in an unfavorable battle situation, I must pursue it to the end. Dear lords, the victory in Huamachi this time is due to merit. Among the soldiers of Ningxia, Bingkuan is still responsible for planning."

Finally coming to the point, all the ministers present held their breath and concentrated.

Is the emperor planning to promote Zhang Zhou again?There is no way to get promoted.

Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, I dare not take credit. This battle is the result of your Majesty's wise decision. I just proposed the idea of ​​Tatar invasion and pointed out the weaknesses of the northwest defense. Who knows... the Tatars really followed Huamachi is here.”

It's a proper show of force.

Just made some random calculations, and then you hit the mark?
At this time, Li Rong said: "Your Majesty, two days ago, news of the hailstorm around Shuntian Prefecture came. Because various places were prepared in advance, although the hailstorm was violent, the local people and animals were basically unharmed. This all relied on Zhang Bu. Tang sent a warning in advance. Zhang Budang was not only for military and political affairs, but also for people's livelihood, and he was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty."

Liu Jian and others stared at Li Rong.

It seems to be saying, you old eunuch, don't you know that it is against the rules for you to speak like this?
Just say what you say, why do you have to add your own opinions and say he is a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty?Apart from him being a loyal minister, what are we?
But after Zhu Youtang listened to it, these words were very useful. This is the difference between Li Rong and others. In terms of following the emperor's wishes, no matter what personal opinions you add, the emperor will think that you are "very good at doing things." , On the contrary, if you encounter something that the emperor doesn't like to hear, even if you only add a little bit of opinions, the emperor will feel that you are overstepping.Zhu Youtang nodded and said: "If you have merit, you should be rewarded."

Then Zhu Youtang looked around the ministers present and said: "But it's still too early to give a reward now. We have to wait for the war in the northwest to subside before making a detailed decision. Bingkuan, you have to worry a lot lately. Although you have to go from the capital to Ningxia Thousands of miles away, it is inconvenient to transmit news, but with your ability to predict events like a god, you can warn many things in advance, and the court must rely on you."

Zhang Zhou hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, no matter how virtuous or capable I am, I would not dare to hold such an important position."

Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "You don't dare to take on important positions, who dares?"

It seemed like he was asking Zhang Zhou, but also like he was mocking the ministers present.

Although the opposition voice of the ministers to Zhang Zhou today was very low, and even Xie Qian came out to make a few jokes, the emperor could still sense that the traditional civil servants had strong opinions. Now the emperor has made it clear that if you are dissatisfied, you can stand up and think that Those who can replace Zhang Zhou can also stand up.

if there is not……

Then shut up.

"By the way, Bingkuan, how do you think the war in Ningxia will progress next? In front of all the ministers, it doesn't matter."

In the end, Zhu Youtang seemed to understand the ministers present very well. Seeing that all the ministers were kept in the dark, he even asked Zhang Zhou to explain to everyone.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the morale of the Tatars is low at this time, but the little Tatar prince is absolutely unwilling to withdraw from the Ming Dynasty. He will surely plunder the border and wait for an opportunity to withdraw north. All people should work together to bring the They were forced to the point where they had no way to advance or retreat, forming an encirclement." Zhang Zhou analyzed the battle situation.

When Zhu Youtang heard this, his eyes were a little red, and he almost shouted "Okay" in public.

Because this is the result he is pursuing.

It would be his ultimate dream if he could annex the little Tartar prince and his [-] troops at once, so that he wouldn't even have to lead the troops into the grassland himself.

Li Dongyang said: "If everything is true as Cai Guogong said, and the Tatar prince led his troops to collapse within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, then the Tatars will fall into turmoil. In the next few years or even more than ten years, the Tatars will Maybe they no longer have the ability to deal with the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Youtang smiled and said: "Mr. Li Ge, what I want is not to cut off their wings, but to completely kill the Tatars who are like jackals. I also know that I want to catch the cunning alpha wolf of the little Tatar prince and It’s not easy, but it depends on man-made efforts. Since he took the initiative to attack and threw himself into the trap, I think this opportunity should not be missed.”

Li Dongyang continued: "But Your Majesty, this battle is taking place within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, which may harm the people. If there are any flaws in the war, it will threaten the peace of the people in Guanlong, Pingliang and other places."

Zhu Youtang immediately looked displeased and said: "Now that the defenses are tight, what else can be done? Do you want me to conquer it personally? Or does Mr. Li Ge have a better strategy?"

Li Dongyang did not expect that he was just reminding the emperor that a routine memorial could elicit such strong feedback from the emperor, so he could only remain silent.

"All right."

Zhu Youtang said with finality, "This battle is still in progress. Today's victory is just to boost the morale of the Ming army and the people. Are there any deficiencies in the prevention in the northwest, and are there any difficulties in the transportation of grain and grass? Everyone, The Qing family can speak freely, but what I want is overall victory."

Ma Wensheng said: "Maybe Datong can send troops all the way to disrupt the Tatar rear."

Ma Wensheng wanted to create some pressure on the Tatar rear, and the one who had this ability was naturally Wang Shouren, who had raided the grasslands many times before.

Zhu Youtang raised his hand to interrupt Ma Wensheng's words, and said very decisively: "I have my own judgment on the deployment of the army. I will discuss it with you as appropriate..."

Zhu Youtang almost wanted to say, you can just provide some advice on logistics supplies. As for how to mobilize troops, you don't need to mention it, and I won't listen. After all, Bingkuan is here.

After I finished speaking, I felt it was inappropriate, so I said we would discuss it as appropriate.

Negotiation is nonsense.

I don’t listen to Bingkuan, and I won’t listen to you either. Do I have no brains?
At this time, I listen to you. If the final battle situation is not satisfactory, then whose responsibility is it?

Zhu Youtang's original intention was to have Zhang Zhou fully preside over the war and the Ministry of War to take the lead. He did not think that Ma Wensheng, the Minister of Civil Affairs, would be qualified to interfere in the military affairs of the northwest.

……

……

The meeting ended.

Not surprisingly, Zhang Zhou followed Zhu Youtang to the Qianqing Palace to discuss matters under the envious and jealous gazes of everyone.

The monarch and his ministers have important military matters that need to be discussed secretly in the inner court, and they do not discuss with the ministers... In the past, many people would have jumped at this kind of thing, but now... everyone knows what happened in the past few years. What, I also understand that Zhang Zhou is indispensable to the military and administration of the Ming Dynasty.

"Mr. Liu Ge, do you think you can win this battle?"

Ji Zhong, the Minister of Revenue, walked up to Liu Jian and asked in a low voice.

Liu Jian was originally talking to Ma Wensheng about the inspection of the capital by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. When he heard this, he looked over.

Liu Jian didn't say anything. Xie Qian smiled and said: "The victory is Zhang Bingkuan's credit, and the defeat is also his responsibility. Isn't that great?"

The blame-shifting is top-notch.

Zhong Zhong said: "The money and food used by the Ministry of Revenue for river work this year is much less than usual. I am afraid that Your Majesty intends to use troops in the border towns. If this continues, I am afraid..."

"If you have anything to do, you can bring it up." Xie Qian said, "River engineering is the foundation of a country. People in the Central Plains see it. If they don't use river engineering but use it for military and political affairs, this is a precursor to militarism. Confucianism and Legalism are the foundation of a country. This is It means abandoning the basics and pursuing the weak.”

"Do you still want to mention it?"

Ji Zhong frowned.

For upstarts like Zhong Zhong, they thought that the current civil servants were adhering to the principle of appeasement and appeasement, probably not to confront Zhang Zhou head-on or challenge the emperor's enthusiasm for military and political affairs.

It seems like everything is negotiable.

But now Xie Qian has made it clear that the principles of Confucian officials cannot be abolished, and we must be tough when we should be tough.

Liu Jian said coldly: "If the foundation of the country is really messed up, the Ming Dynasty will decline. This is unbearable for benevolent people. There are no victorious generals on the battlefield, let alone someone who has never made meritorious service on the battlefield. Could it be that he really has divine help?" Can’t do it?”

The implication is that Zhang Zhou will always stumble.

How could the harmony between monarch and ministers last forever?
Xie Qian smiled and said: "I can't help but think of the Yuxiu Pavilion on Long Live Mountain. The way to be a loyal minister lies in perseverance, while the way to be a sycophant minister lies in favoring the time... There is no flower that can last for a hundred days."

After hearing this, Zhong Zhong felt very strange.

He really wanted to say, could Zhang Bingkuan be simply summed up as a "sycophant"?How can you tell that he is "nice"?The relationship with the emperor is close, but the problem is...

It seems that Daming can’t live without him now!
But now that the cabinet has set the tone and still has to fight with Zhang Zhou, then as a civil servant of the traditional faction, he can only bite the bullet and rush forward, unless he is prepared to confront the traditional faction, and this is a situation where his foundation is not stable. What the new rich cannot afford.

He also needed Liu Jian and others to support him in the court. After all, he knew very well that the Ministry of Hubu was the next six yamen that the emperor wanted to capture.

……

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang and Zhang Zhou sat across from each other, and there was no resentment between the emperor and his ministers. Zhu Youtang did not talk too much about the war in Ningxia. Instead, he chatted with Zhang Zhou as usual, and talked more about Zhu Houzhao's education.

But in the end, Zhu Youtang couldn't help but mention the border issues.

"Based on what we know so far, after Zhu Hui entered the Hetao Army, he was too timid and delayed the advance. The Shaanxi Supervisory Censor and the Prosecution Commission of Shaanxi Province have repeatedly impeached him. Even some generals in the army looked down upon him. In the army, Zhong Geng is acting unscrupulously, claiming credit in the Loop to ask for rewards... If the war hadn't ended now, I would have wanted to take him back and hold him accountable."

When Zhu Youtang mentioned Zhu Hui, his teeth itched with hatred.

Zhang Zhou wanted to say that it was not me who caused this guy to be like this, but this guy himself was like this. Otherwise, he would not have inherited the title of Duke Baoguo for only one generation, and the next generation could only inherit a marquis.

Among the shortest, no one is better than the other among the old ministers of the Ming Dynasty. It is meaningless to argue about who is more awesome...

Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, as long as Lord Bao Guo can still hold the fortress crossings, there will not be a big problem. This battle still depends on Ningxia Governor Yang Yiqing and Ningxia Chief Military Officer Guo Jun. These two talents are the key to victory."

Zhu Youtang asked: "Then what if Yang Yiqing found out that Duke Baoguo failed to advance the army with all his strength, and he himself shrank?"

"No." Zhang Zhou was somewhat confident in Yang Yiqing on this point.

Xiao Jing, who was standing next to him, reminded: "Mr. Cai Guogong, have you forgotten that in the first year, Governor Yang didn't seem to have any substantial fighting with the little Tatar prince, but he still relied on Anbian Hou to deal with him."

Zhang Zhou deliberately paid attention to Zhu Youtang's reaction. From Zhu Youtang not blaming Xiao Jing, he knew that Xiao Jing's words were obviously conveyed by Zhu Youtang's usual worries, or that they were expressed by Zhu Youtang in front of them. Hidden worries.

Before this battle, Yang Yiqing was indeed not a "positive character".

The emperor was full of suspicion towards people like Yang Yiqing who did not belong to Zhang Zhou's faction.

Zhang Zhoudao: "What the Tatars are committing now is, after all, the land of Ningxia. If the subsequent war does not go well, even if the Ningxia army wins the battle of Huamachi, it will be difficult to cover up the fact of defeat. For Baoguo Gong, This battle can be won or lost, as long as the Tatars withdraw their troops, even if the Tatars kidnap people and animals, he can shirk responsibility."

"But for Yang Yiqing, Guo Jun and others, there is no shirking the responsibility, and there is no retreat for them. And based on my understanding of Yang Yiqing, he should still have this responsibility... and he should know how to assess the situation. We know that in this battle, advancing is of greater strategic significance than retreating.”

Zhang Zhou's words came entirely from his understanding of history, and he relied on history to summarize who Yang Yiqing was.

(End of this chapter)