Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Zhu Youjian did not stay in Tsinghua University until October. He returned at the end of September.

The reason for this is that the news of the Yongning Battle finally reached the capital:
The main force of Shean was destroyed.

This was the first message Xu Bengao sent back using a carrier pigeon. He was afraid that the court would not believe it, so he sent it three times in succession. In addition to the subsequent detailed battle reports, he had almost used up all the remaining carrier pigeons.

Combining these pieces of information, it can be said with certainty that the main forces of She Chongming and An Bangyan had been annihilated by the imperial army in the Battle of Yongning.

It is only a matter of time before the She'an Rebellion is completely quelled.

An Bangyan has been confirmed dead. Although there is still controversy as to whether She Chongming is dead, it is impossible for him to cause a big chaos.

After this battle, neither the Shuixi An clan nor the Yongning She clan had the ability to stir up chaos again.

This is the best news Zhu Youjian has received this year.

It was only because the official report had not come, otherwise Zhu Youjian would have definitely offered sacrifices to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and told his ancestors the good news.

He also announced to the world that one year after he ascended the throne, he had achieved another achievement that was worth mentioning.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Zhu Xieyuan fought really well. The Battle of Yongning can be called a rare victory in the southwest!"

After returning to the palace and seeing the original message sent by Xu Bengao, as well as the news about the Battle of Yongning compiled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zhu Youjian said several good words and was delighted by this unexpected surprise.

And he had a completely new respect for Zhu Xieyuan, who was commanding this battle.

This is a true commander, the talent the court needs most.

Although the message sent back by Xu Bengao mentioned the controversy regarding the credit of this great victory.

But in Zhu Youjian's view, Zhu Xieyuan's contribution is nothing to dispute:

Zhu Xieyuan, who was in charge of the overall planning, undoubtedly deserves the greatest credit.

It was his deployment of troops that allowed She'an's main force to come out for the decisive battle. Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun were only there to deliver the final blow.

Although this last attack was very beautiful, if Shean's main players did not come out, they would have no chance at all.

Therefore, Zhu Youjian attributed the first merit to Zhu Xieyuan, followed by Hou Liangzhu, Liu Kexun, and Xu Chengming who carried out the mission of luring the enemy.

Even in his heart, Xu Chengming, who resolutely carried out the mission of luring the enemy, deserved greater credit.

It was just that Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun fought brilliantly with 13,000 men against 100,000. If such merit was not rewarded, no one would fight bravely in the future.

Therefore, these two people must be rewarded heavily and ranked second in terms of merit.

However, he was very skeptical about Hou Liangzhu and Liu Kexun openly giving the credit for killing An Bangyan and She Chongming to his son.

Regardless of whether it is such a coincidence or not, there is still some controversy as to whether She Chongming is dead.

Zhu Youjian was very unhappy with such things that might mislead the court.

In his heart, he labeled the two of them as "use with caution" -

He dared not use such civil and military officials who colluded to deceive the emperor. If the two of them continued to work together, they might become vassal states.

So he had already planned to transfer Liu Kexun, and Hou Liangzhu would stay in the southwest, using the reputation he gained from this battle to continue to quell the She'an Rebellion.

As for Zhu Xieyuan, Zhu Youjian planned to transfer him from the southwest.

First, the main force of She'an had been eliminated, so there was no need for Zhu Xieyuan, a talented commander, to stay there.

Second, Zhu Youjian felt that Zhu Xieyuan’s strategy toward Shuixi was problematic.

Even if he wanted to persuade An Wei to surrender, he should have led a large army to approach him, and take advantage of the opportunity when the main force of Shuixi An clan was destroyed to cut off the branches of Shuixi An clan.

It would be a bit too hasty to surrender right after winning.

What if Anwei decisively surrenders? What can the court do?

We must seize this opportunity to transform most of Shuixi into an independent state, so that the An family of Shuixi will completely lose the ability to rebel.

Combined with Hou Liangzhu's dissatisfaction with Zhu Xieyuan, and the fact that the Sichuan and Guizhou soldiers were already competing for merit, Zhu Youjian decided to let Zhu Xieyuan and Xu Chengming come to the capital to offer their captives, while Hou Liangzhu stayed in the southwest to fight.

After thinking about this, Zhu Youjian summoned Yuan Keli and other nine ministers and grand secretaries to inform them of this matter.

When Yuan Keli and other ministers heard the news of the miracle in the southwest, they were a little skeptical at first. But after seeing the messages sent back by Xu Bengao, they admitted that the story was true.

Such a detailed battle report, including the characters, time, and place, does not seem to be fabricated. Even if it was a letter sent by carrier pigeon, it would still be credible.

Therefore, ministers such as Huang Liji, Yuan Keli, and Han Yu congratulated the emperor in unison.

All the ministers in the court knew the significance of this great victory to the emperor.

If the achievements of pacifying Chahan and recruiting pirates were a bit of a trick, then suppressing the She'an Rebellion was a real achievement.

The commander-in-chief of this war was replaced by the emperor after he ascended the throne, and he even changed the system of mourning in order to allow Zhu Xieyuan to take office.

After Zhu Xieyuan took office, the emperor bestowed him with the Imperial Sword, giving him full power.

This is how the reward for the miraculous victory in the southwest came, and the She'an Rebellion was about to be put down.

This declares to the world that the current emperor is a wise emperor.

Moreover, this emperor has capable and battle-hardened generals under his command.

It can be said that after this great victory, the emperor's prestige will be further enhanced.

Whether court ministers or local officials, they would be more cautious when facing the emperor's orders.

The victory in the southwest was a timely relief for the emperor, allowing his reputation as a wise emperor to be recognized by more people.

Anyone who faces such an emperor's will must weigh his own circumstances.

Therefore, the court officials who understood the significance of this war were surprised by the emperor's eagerness to recall Zhu Xieyuan:

Isn’t the emperor worried that the recurrence of the war in the southwest after Zhu Xieyuan’s transfer would damage his prestige?

Yuan Keli is inclined to maintain the current situation in the southwest.

"The terrain of Shuixi is rugged, and it is difficult for ordinary people to figure it out."

"To completely pacify Shuixi, we still need Zhu Xieyuan."

"I am afraid that replacing the governors of the five provinces at this time will cause the war to recur."

Zhu Youjian nodded and said:
"I also know this. Logically speaking, Zhu Xieyuan shouldn't be transferred here so quickly."

"But the court does need him!"

"The post of the Great Wall Governor is still concurrently held by Minister Qin."

"His health is not good. If he continues like this, I am worried that he will get exhausted again."

"Zhu Xieyuan has made great contributions. I feel more at ease with him at the Great Wall!"

This made Yuan Keli ponder and he began to understand the emperor's intention.

In fact, the flaws in the Great Wall defense in the Ji-Liao area were something that almost all knowledgeable ministers knew.

Sun Chengzong pointed out more than once that Lin Danhan could not be trusted and could not be expected to help the Ming Dynasty defend the grasslands. This year, the looting of the Chahan tribe's former homeland in the Xing'an Mountains proved this point without a doubt.

Lin Danhan and others did not dare to resist when the Jianlu were looting their ancestral land. Who would dare to believe that they would do their best to contain them when the Jianlu attacked the Ming Dynasty.

Once the Jianlu bypassed the Ningjin defense line and attacked the Great Wall in the Ji, Liao, Xuan and Da areas through the grassland, the entire capital would be threatened.

Therefore, the emperor left the governor of the Great Wall vacant and let Qin Shiwen, the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War, take the concurrent post, which won the approval of Yuan Keli and others. Because they were also worried that the Jianlu would bypass the Ningjin defense line and break through.

Now the emperor wants to transfer Zhu Xieyuan from the southwest to serve as the governor of the Great Wall, which makes people realize that the emperor is worried about the Great Wall defense line and trusts Zhu Xieyuan.

This means that the important task of defending the Great Wall will be completely handed over to Zhu Xieyuan.

Being promoted from the southwest to the vicinity of the capital was a promotion for Zhu Xieyuan, and blocking it might make him an enemy. In addition, the defense of the capital was indeed important, so Yuan Keli was speechless for a moment.

Faced with this situation, Grand Secretary Han Yu said:
"The outcome of the war in the southwest has been decided. Even if the people we replace are slightly inferior, it will not affect the overall situation."

"I think Zhu Xieyuan can be transferred, and Fu Zonglong and Yuan Chonghuan can both take on the important task."

It is recommended to choose one of Fu Zonglong and Yuan Chonghuan to serve as the governor-general of the five provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou and Guizhou.

After discussing with the ministers, most of them agreed with this view, so Zhu Youjian issued an order:

"Zhu Xieyuan resigned as the governor-general of Sichuan, Guizhou and other five provinces, and was appointed as the Minister of War to supervise the border affairs of Xuanda, Ji and Liao, and was allowed to return to Beijing every month."

"The post of Governor-General of Sichuan, Guizhou and the Governor of Guizhou will be taken over by Admiral Fu Zonglong."

"Fu Zonglong's post as admiral will be concurrently held by Yunnan Governor Yuan Chonghuan."

Let the cabinet draft an order to transfer the positions of the three people.

The officials looked at Han Yu and admired him even more. Not only did his student Yuan Chonghuan get promoted, but Zhu Xieyuan also came to Beijing and divided Yuan Keli's power.

After all, the emperor said that Zhu Xieyuan was supervising the army as the Minister of War, and was allowed to return to Beijing to take charge of the Ministry of War.

The powers of Yuan Keli, the Minister of War, were divided again.

This made the ministers who understood the subtleties of the matter admire Han Yu.

However, Zhu Youjian still trusted Yuan Keli very much and had no intention of deliberately suppressing him. He asked:
"Are there any vacancies for the generals around the capital now?"

Yuan Keli thought about it for a moment and replied:

"Changping General Guo Qin was dismissed for treason."

"The position is currently being taken over by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Xu Zhendu, so it can be said that it is vacant."

Zhu Youjian immediately ordered:
"Xu Chengming, the general commander of Bijie and other places in Guizhou, was transferred to Changping as the general commander."

"And Qin Liangyu's white-pole soldiers will also be transferred to the capital."

"Let Zhu Xieyuan, Liu Kexun, Xu Chengming, Qin Liangyu and others select elite troops to enter the capital and hold a grand ceremony to celebrate the victory and present the captives."

It was decided to hold a grand ceremony to boost the morale of the people in the capital.

It also lets the world know his achievements as an emperor.

Then he arranged:
"Hou Liangzhu, the Sichuan general, is given the title of deputy governor."

"Yin Yizi, the commander of the Jinwu Guard, told him to fight well."

"If you can build a few new garrisons, I will not hesitate to make them hereditary commanders or even hereditary titles."

"All meritorious soldiers in the southwest can serve as officials in the new garrison."

"The reward standards for hereditary officers and hereditary sergeants must be informed to the soldiers on the front line."

This was a reward for meritorious soldiers in the southwest, and it was also the reason why he transferred Zhu Xieyuan back.

If Zhu Xieyuan followed his approach and quickly persuaded An Wei to surrender, how would he reward the meritorious soldiers who put down the She An Rebellion?
Even if the fighting in Shuixi continued for a few more years, Zhu Youjian would still open up a few new garrisons and reward meritorious soldiers.

However, he was not without vigilance against Hou Liangzhu. After transferring Liu Kexun back to the capital, he thought of Jiang Qilong, the deputy general of the army to aid Shu, to whom he had bestowed the silver seal, and gave the order:
"Jiang Qilong was actually appointed as the deputy general of Sichuan, and he was asked to assist Hou Liangzhu."

"Select capable officials to serve as the commanders of the guards, and don't let this kind of competition for merit happen again."

Then he asked his ministers to formulate corresponding rewards for those who had made outstanding contributions to the southwest.

Although most rewards have to wait for the official report to be received, the contributions of Zhu Xieyuan, Hou Liangzhu, Liu Kexun and Xu Chengming have been basically confirmed.

Zhu Youjian's opinion was to make Zhu Xieyuan's son the hereditary commander-in-chief, Hou Liangzhu's son the hereditary associate commander-in-chief, and Liu Kexun and Xu Chengming's sons the hereditary assistant commander-in-chief.

The ministers were a little puzzled by the emperor's eagerness to reward Zhu Xieyuan and others. After all, it was unreasonable that no official report had been received.

But they also couldn't pour cold water on the emperor at this time and tell him that such a great victory could not be rewarded.

After more than a year, all the officials understood the emperor's emphasis on military affairs. Especially after the list of Purple Pavilion Meritorious Officials was released, the officials knew that the best way to become a Purple Pavilion Meritorious Official was to establish military merits.

The emperor's reward to Zhu Xieyuan can be seen as a reward for their future.

Any minister who wanted to gain merit and be rewarded would not cross him.

Moreover, after the victory in the southwest, Zhu Xieyuan could be considered a candidate for the Purple Pavilion. As long as he did not make any big mistakes in the future, it was highly likely that he would be included in the Purple Pavilion.

In this way, his descendants may become local princes.

Of course, the ministers had to show some respect to Zhu Xieyuan.

Anything related to him must be handled with extreme caution.

Otherwise, he might become a negative character in Zhu Xieyuan's biography, or even be hated by the Zhu family and create a family feud.

Most officials would not do such useless things, which is why they did not object to the emperor transferring Zhu Xieyuan to Beijing.

The Earl family of Chengyi was able to survive even after the feud with the Donglin Party. They were even reused by the emperor and became the governor of the Yangtze River.

The descendants of nobles with fiefdoms are definitely more feared.

Therefore, these rewards were distributed smoothly.

Zhu Youjian asked the Grand Secretary to draft an edict, urging Zhu Xieyuan to come as soon as possible after handing over the southwestern affairs.

After all, according to history, the Jisi Incident will take place in October next year. If the handover is quick, Zhu Xieyuan will be able to enter the capital early next year.

This way he had more than half a year to familiarize himself with the defense of the Great Wall.

If it's any later, he will have less time to get ready.

When facing the invasion of Jianlu, there is a possibility of omissions.

As the second year of Chongzhen approached, Zhu Youjian, who attached increasing importance to the defense of the Great Wall, urgently needed Zhu Xieyuan to take office as soon as possible.

The victory in the southwest, which was nearly a year ahead of schedule, gave him ample time to transfer elite troops from the southwest, and let Zhu Xieyuan, a talented commander, be in charge of the defense of the Great Wall.

It can be said that after more than a year of planning, Zhu Youjian gradually resolved the wars in all directions, allowing the court to have enough energy to deal with the Jianlu.

Next year, the Year of Jisi, will be a test. Will we be invaded by the Jianlu like in history and be completely destroyed, or will we be able to defend ourselves against the Jianlu and even launch a counterattack?

This is extremely important to Zhu Youjian and the Ming Dynasty! (End of this chapter)