The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Zhang Mao had to prepare to send troops.

But he was still worried about the outcome of his son and Ma Yi's expedition, and he seemed to know very well that the victory or defeat of this battle was related to the fate of his family.

Finally, in the afternoon, Zhong Decai and a general here hurriedly came to report the news to Zhang Mao: "My lord, we have won, we have won..."

"Yes...really?"

Zhang Mao's voice trembled, "How much will the victory be? How many enemies will be killed? Hurry... tell me in detail."

Zhong Decai said: "I don't know the specific situation yet. The young master has already led his troops to Pianguan. I'll tell you the details after he comes back."

Zhang Mao seemed to have a spring breeze on his face and said: "Let the soldiers pack up and leave the side pass tonight. Leave before dark!"

With the victory in hand, Zhang Mao didn't want to give it to Ma Zhongxi, especially since this guy had just scolded him and was rude to him.

Now I seem to be in the spotlight.

……

……

News of the former army's victory soon spread among the army.

Originally, the lieutenants of the army were unwilling to march in such a hasty way, but as the good news came, the mentality of the soldiers also changed. As expected, they also set out to leave Pianguan before dark. Although they were stationed less than ten miles away, it seemed like this. The passers-by have nothing to do with the garrison soldiers at Pianguan.

Inside the governor's office.

Ma Zhongxi was writing something when an official came in to announce Zhang Mao's march.

"It's better to leave. Who does he think he is? The Tatars invade repeatedly. Even if he can defeat the Tatars, isn't that his duty? I still want to impeach him! An honorable minister who doesn't understand the rules, Sooner or later, he will become a person who brings disaster to the country and the people! Bring me my seal!"

Only then did the subordinate officials know that after Ma Zhongxi entered the city, the official duties had not been handed over clearly, so he was busy intervening in the impeachment of Zhang Mao.

It seems that Ma Zhongxi's purpose in becoming an official is not to get promoted and make a fortune, but to gain a sense of presence and to fight against all injustices in his eyes.

I don't know if it's good or not, but in the eyes of subordinate officials, he is just a jerk.

……

……

Zhang Mao didn't rest for two days and one night, but he was still in good spirits. He sat in the Chinese army's tent and waited for his son to come back.

It was not until nearly midnight that Zhang Rui's troops finally met up with his Chinese army.

"It'll be good to come back." Zhang Mao sighed, as if he could see his son return safely, and his goal would be achieved.

Then he hurriedly asked his son to come to the Chinese army's tent to talk.

"Father, we won!" Zhang Rui summarized first, and then went into details, "When we arrived with our troops, the Tatars were already preparing to retreat. They were not the main force of the Tatars, but they were well-trained. We just They were able to catch up with their rear army, and the two sides did not engage in large-scale fighting..."

"To highlight the point, how many enemy leaders have been killed and come back?" Zhang Mao asked eagerly.

"Six!" Zhang Rui said, "In addition, more than 200 livestock were captured, plus four women and children, a total of...ten people. They have fled to the northwest."

Zhang Mao couldn't help but frown after hearing this.

Is this called winning?

Why does it sound so shabby?

"Only six were killed? Why didn't you pursue them? How can you report this feat to the court?" Zhang Mao was also anxious.

"Father, after leaving the pass, the situation is no better than inside the pass, and it is already approaching the cold winter. The soldiers are also complaining. After marching at night, if we encounter an enemy ambush again, our army will suffer too much loss, and it will be even more difficult. Communicate with the imperial court." Zhang Rui explained.

Zhang Mao said with a look of annoyance: "I haven't learned anything else, but you are very familiar with the rhetoric used by civil servants to recommend appointments. Let me ask you, why don't you pursue it?"

Zhang Rui said: "Don't chase after poor bandits."

"Ugh!"

Zhang Mao resented his refusal and said angrily, "You traitor, didn't you realize something was wrong? Didn't you realize that the results you achieved were no different from the achievements Zhu Hui reported at the beginning? Then? What fate he got, do you still need me to remind you?"

Only then did Zhang Rui understand why his father was so upset.

Zhang Rui said: "Father, after all, it is military merit. Today is not the same as then. Father should not be worried about it at all."

"Hmph!" Zhang Mao said, trembling with anger, "I'm afraid that the people in the court don't think so. They will compare me to Zhu Hui and think that we are both useless. Then someone will intervene, and then I will I need to explain to that group of people, and even look at the faces of His Majesty and Zhang Bingkuan..."

Zhang Rui quickly lowered his head and said: "You are too cautious. If you had known this, you should have led your troops to charge forward without hesitation."

"It's not entirely your fault." Zhang Mao suddenly wanted to understand something, and his anger was not as full as before. He sighed softly, "The current situation is like this. Who would have thought that the Tatars would suddenly come and leave suddenly? What on earth is it? Which way? What is their purpose outside of Pianguan?"

Apparently even Zhang Rui couldn't answer this question.

Zhang Mao said: "Didn't they capture several Tatars alive? Why didn't they torture them thoroughly?"

Zhang Rui said: "They are just a few women and children. They don't know anything. They only know that they are not the little prince of Tartar's men and horses, and they entered the Hetao as a whole. It seems that they have nowhere to graze, so they want to go to the Hetao before winter." I came here to spend the winter, but it happened..."

Zhang Maoyi waved his hand and said: "No, how could the Tatars not know that this place is close to the Piantou Pass? They must have ulterior motives. Yes, that's it. It was me who sent troops to attack and repel them. This prevented their conspiracy from happening. If you succeed, as for killing the enemy and capturing the enemy bandits, it is just a side job, defeating the Tatar conspiracy is the main topic."

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Rui found that his mind was a little unable to keep up.

My father really knows how to find a breakthrough.

How could he be brought back by his father and take credit for himself?

"Father, if you say this, would your Majesty... believe it?" Zhang Rui asked.

"Humph, don't you understand? What does His Majesty want? Face is more important than anything else. As long as we can save His Majesty's face and give Him the capital to brag to the ministers in the court, then everything will be fine. Otherwise, nothing will happen. You got the credit, but you didn't speak too nicely of the reported matter, and His Majesty didn't earn any face, so no matter how much you do, it will be in vain."

Zhang Mao seemed to understand the emperor's thoughts very well, and was trying to persuade his son.

"Father, would this be... disrespectful?" Zhang Rui asked.

"Will you report me as a father? Between father and son, what's the harm in telling you this? I'm afraid you have empty ambitions but don't even know how to be an official. How can you, as a father, stand tall in the court these years? Not falling? Are you just relying on catering to the Holy Will and eating and drinking with those colleagues? "

Zhang Mao suddenly became tough at this time.

Zhang Rui cupped his fists and said, "You have learned a lesson!"

Zhang Mao said: "Hurry and prepare pens, inks, paper and inkstones for my father. I will report it right away, so as not to be taken advantage of. There are some things that should be prejudged. The latecomers will be considered by your majesty as excuses. My father must also be careful about that surname. Horse’s hand.”

"Father, Ma Zhongcheng is also a responsible civil servant after all. How could he..."

"You know what the heck, you haven't seen his attitude when he met me today. He almost wanted to kill me! This kind of person, for the sake of his reputation of being honest and self-sufficient, dares to make enemies in the world. I believe him. ! You also need to go back and organize yourself quickly. We will send out troops early tomorrow morning and pick up all the people along the way. The most important thing along the way... is to go fast!"

Zhang Mao seemed to have summed up the "secret" to victory at this time. In other words, regardless of victory or not, the march should be stepped up, so that even if he did not encounter the main force of the Tatars after running around the northwest, the emperor would think that he had tried hard.

If you want to "play it steady", then Zhu Hui is his role model. This is how Zhu Hui fell into trouble.

……

……

Imperial Palace, Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang received the memorial from the northwest, Zhang Mao's memorial asking for credit, and Ma Zhongxi's memorial impeaching him were sent to the capital almost immediately.

Zhu Youtang read two almost completely different memorials and said nothing. He just asked Xiao Jing to keep the two memorials first.

"Your Majesty, I feel that the British Lord seems to be eager to show off himself. In fact, he may have missed the opportunity in this battle." Xiao Jing said.

Zhu Youtang looked impatient and said: "Do you really think he encountered the main force of the Tatars? The Tatars have been mainly active around Ningxia recently, and the reports of the enemy situation around Ningxia are also very urgent. He is not in a hurry. If Ma Zhongxi hadn't forced him to send troops, or he wanted to delay his departure for a few days."

Xiao Jing said: "Then should His Majesty issue an order to urge him?"

Zhu Youtang said with disdain: "How he fights this battle is up to him. I only care about the results. Do you want me to teach him how to fight? Isn't that what I have prepared for him before?"

Xiao Jing was also a little confused and asked: "Your Majesty, this battle..."

"Don't ask what you shouldn't ask!" Zhu Youtang also lost patience with Xiao Jing.

Xiao Jing quickly lowered his head and retreated.

Zhu Youtang said: "Looking at you lately, you seem to be absent-minded. Let's go back and rest for a few days. Let's leave the errands of the Supervisor of Ceremonies to Chen Kuan for the time being. You... ugh!"

"Your Majesty..." Xiao Jing immediately knelt down.

The emperor has laid him off.

Although he had expected such a result, Xiao Jing did not expect it to come so suddenly. He was still reporting the matter to the emperor, but he was punished by the emperor just because he said a few words about Zhang Mao?

Zhu Youtang waved his hand and said, "Come back after you think it through. Wait for my summons. Get back!"

"I obey." Xiao Jing almost wanted to burst into tears.

This ups and downs happened so suddenly. From being the eunuch in charge of rituals to being an idler, he lost everything he had before. Although there might be a chance for him to make a comeback in the future, it was obvious that the emperor was tired of him now.

Once this happens, when the emperor thinks of him in the future, will he think of his goodness?

The relationship between master and servant seems to be coming to an end.

……

……

In the room of the Supervisor of Ceremonies.

Li Zhang also learned of the news of Xiao Jing's departure temporarily. He was still not sure of the situation, so he hurried back to the check-in room to find Chen Kuan and Wei Bin to find out.

Because Li Zhang had something in mind, that is, as the chief eunuch Bingbi, once Xiao Jing retires, he should be the one to take over as the chief eunuch, eunuch Si Li.

But when he arrived at the supervising room for ceremony, he did not see Wei Bin. Only Chen Kuan was sitting there. It seemed that he was acting on behalf of the emperor Zhu Pi, but in fact he was just sitting there in a daze.

"Eunuch Chen, what happened? Wasn't everything fine before...?" Li Zhang asked.

Chen Kuan said: "You are in charge of Dongchang and you have more information than ours. You want to ask ours?"

Li Zhang said with emotion: "I heard that Eunuch Xiao was sent out of the palace with gifts. Now it seems that he has...retired temporarily."

"Alas!" Chen Kuan sighed, "This is the situation, and there is nothing we can do about it. But our family has no way of knowing the specific reason. Not that Eunuch Wei has already gone out to inquire about the news, or it is difficult to find out now. Even We don’t know, who would know?”

Li Zhang said: "I don't know if that is..."

"You want to ask who will take over the position of Palm Print, right? We don't know. If it were you, you..."

Li Zhang hurriedly said: "No matter how virtuous or capable someone is, Eunuch Chen, you are the most virtuous and respected."

"No, everything has to follow the rules. If everything is normal, it should be you, and we people should listen to you. But for now, you have to wait for the news."

……

……

Li Zhang didn't find out the news and went out immediately.

Not long after, Wei Bin also came back.

Wei Bin's face looked a little uncomfortable.

"How is it?" Chen Kuan hurried over to ask.

Wei Bin said: "Eunuch Xiao was indeed kicked out of the palace, which means...for the time being, he has lost power."

Chen Kuan said anxiously: "Then we... will just follow... and suffer disaster! Li Zhang came in before and said he came to ask about the situation. Who doesn't know what he is thinking?"

Wei Bin said with an unpredictable look: "Guess what? I just got the news. It came from the Royal Horse Prison. It was not connected with today's events. Now it seems that maybe It’s…a big connection.”

"Please speak." Chen Kuan also became nervous.

Wei Bin said: "I heard that Yang Peng came back from Liaodong, and guess what the first thing he did when he entered the city was to see Cai Guogong! He didn't even pay homage to His Majesty, so he went to see Cai Guogong!"

Chen Kuan frowned and said, "Is this wind coming from the Royal Horse Prison?"

In Chen Kuan's view, no matter whether Yang Peng returned to the capital or who he went to see, it was impossible for the people in the Royal Horse Prison to know. Even if someone knew, they would not dare to gossip about it.

Wei Bin said helplessly: "This is the situation. Whether it is really like this is hard to say. I am afraid that the next step will be for him, Yang Peng, to be promoted to the position of palm seal and ride on the two of us."

Chen Kuan thought for a while and sighed: "If it's Yang Peng, it's not a bad thing, but it's best not to be...Li Zhang."

"Yeah." Even Wei Bin seemed to feel the same way.

Chen Kuan said again: "When Eunuch Xiao loses power, the two of us will suffer the most. If we lose our foothold in the future, we will lose everything in our hands in about half a year. Have you thought of a way out?"

Wei Bin shook his head.

"It's too late to curry favor with Cai Guogong now. Yang Peng had the foresight to follow Li Guang at first, and later he followed Cai Guogong. Only those like him... who can be treated like dogs can prosper, but we Both of them work for His Majesty, how can they be like him?" Chen Kuanduo was helpless.

Wei Bin said: "I'm afraid what your Majesty wants is only someone who can help Duke Cai." (End of Chapter)