I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 49 Some are happy and some are sad

In the main hall of Renshou Palace in Xiyuan, Duke Yingguo Zhang Rong, Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong, Left General of the Rear Army Zhu Xixiao, cabinet ministers Xu Jie, Gao Gong, Li Chunfang, Minister of War Yang Bo, and Minister of War/Assistant Manager of Beijing Camp Military Affairs/Governor-General of Xuanda Jiangdong knelt in the hall in turn.

"Pull up the curtains." The voice of Emperor Jiajing came from behind the curtains in the hall.

"Yes!"

Four eunuchs pulled open the curtains that hung from the roof of the hall to the ground and hung them on the pillars on both sides, revealing Emperor Jiajing and the Crown Prince Zhu Yijun.

Emperor Jiajing was wearing a sky-blue Taoist robe, with his hair tied up in a Taoist bun, and had a stern expression.

Zhu Yijun was wearing a ochre-colored bullfighting suit and a Yishan crown, standing beside Emperor Jiajing.

"Everyone get up!"

The Jiajing Emperor's voice was intimidating without him being angry.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After expressing their gratitude, everyone stood up and saw the grandparents and grandchildren standing together. They suddenly realized that the emperor had grown older and the prince had grown taller, and looked not much shorter than the emperor.

Emperor Jiajing looked at Zhang Rong and Zhu Xizhong and asked, "Duke Ying, Xizhong, Xixiao, have you checked the results of the Xianghe victory with the cabinet?"

"In reply to the emperor, we have checked everything," Duke Chengguo Zhu Xizhong replied quickly.

He was the most trusted of the nobles by Emperor Jiajing and enjoyed great favor from the Emperor.

"How is it?" Emperor Jiajing asked with his hands in his sleeves and his head tilted.

"In reply to the emperor, the number of 3,967 heads is not wrong. It is indeed the real Tartar from the Northern Tartars."

Zhu Yijun took a glance and saw his royal grandfather, the Jiajing Emperor, with his hands clasped in front of his chest in his sleeves. He subconsciously shrugged his shoulders, raised his head, and pouted his lips. He could definitely be made into an expression pack that said "I'm very proud."

Emperor Jiajing glanced at Xu Jie and continued to ask, "Military Yang, have you also ordered?"

Yang Bo paused for a moment and answered honestly: "Your Majesty, I have counted and found that the 3,967 heads are indeed the real Tartars from the Northern Tartars."

Emperor Jiajing finally couldn't hold it anymore. He swung his wide sleeve on the right side and snorted a few times, "Aha, aha, just admit it! The victory in Xianghe has at least earned me some face, so that I won't be cursed by the people of the world. Future generations will no longer say that there have been two major changes in my reign.

Let's look at Yang Xuan, the governor of Ji and Liao. He first hid in Miyun and watched the northern barbarians wreak havoc on the capital. When the Xiajiadian battle was a big defeat, the elite troops of Jizhou Town were almost completely lost, and they ran to the capital city in a trail of black smoke, saying that they would protect the capital and swear to never let the northern barbarians disturb me.

joke!

Do I need him to protect me? The capital has Yang Bingbu, Jiang Bingbu, Zhang Rong, Xi Zhong, Gu Huan, tens of thousands of elite soldiers in the capital camp, and tens of thousands of Xuan Da Wangshi who are loyal to the king. Why do I need him, Yang Xuan, to protect me?"

Xu Jie heard it in his ears and it struck his heart.

The emperor is criticizing us.

Yang Xuan was the Governor-General of Ji and Liao elected by the court. To put it bluntly, he was a person who was elected by all the civil officials, but not someone the emperor particularly liked.

The emperor's favorites were Jiang Dong, Hu Zongxian, Tan Lun, and Qi Jiguang.

Alas, poor Yang Xuan!

You really brought shame to the scholars and officials!
Emperor Jiajing continued, "Huang Jin, read it to everyone."

"Yes."

Huang Jin's loud and slightly sharp voice sounded.

"Worry and hard work can make a country prosperous, while leisure and pleasure can lead to one's own death. To increase the number of troops and pay, to select guards and repair the walls, the people will be exhausted, and the country will be depleted."

Xu Jie, Yang Bo and others all heard that this was Yang Xuan's high spirits after taking office as Governor-General of Ji and Liao, and he submitted a memorial to the emperor listing fifteen long-standing problems in the border areas.

After Huang Jin finished reading, Emperor Jiajing glanced at everyone and spoke again.

"Listen, everyone, listen, it's so well written! As soon as this memorial was published, everyone in the court praised it, saying that Yang Xuan was a pragmatic and capable minister who would definitely be able to eliminate the long-standing problems on the Ji-Liao border.

What was the result? Haha, what was the result? "Emperor Jiajing spread his hands and asked loudly with a sneer, the teasing and mocking meaning in his words almost overflowing.

"The memorial said that the Ji-Liao border troops were lax in their training, so how many times did he preside over drills? It also said that the Ji-Liao border outposts and passes were in disrepair, so how many did he inspect? How many did he repair?"

Emperor Jiajing showed his harsh temper to the fullest today.

When Yang Xuan was elected as the Governor-General of Ji and Liao, Emperor Jiajing also agreed.

After meeting him twice in person, he praised him highly.

When he received the memorial that listed fifteen long-standing problems in the frontier regions, he also praised it highly and ordered the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue to carry out the memorial with imperial approval.

Now all of them denied it, as if it was all the ministers in the court who forced him to appoint Yang Xuan as the Governor-General of Ji and Liao.

But these words must never be said.

Xu Jie and Yang Bo felt so miserable!
Zhang Rong, Zhu Xizhong, Gao Gong and Li Chunfang still remembered the public nomination of Yang Xuan the year before. They knew that Emperor Jiajing had turned his back on his promise and was taking the opportunity to shift the blame and criticize the civil servants.

Seeing that everyone was holding their breath and not daring to speak, Emperor Jiajing scolded Yang Xuan a few words, then put his hands back into his sleeves, clasped them in front of his chest, and asked with his head slightly tilted.

"Where's Yang Xuan?"

Zhu Xixiao quickly replied, "In reply to the emperor, the Jinyiwei has been ordered to arrest Yang Xuan, Xu Shen, Lu Yi, Feng Zhao, Hu Can, Yan Zhan and others, and put them in the imperial prison, awaiting trial by the three judicial departments."

"Well." The Jiajing Emperor cast a cold gaze on Xu Jie and Yang Bo, "You examine them carefully and show me the results."

"Yes." Xu Jie responded helplessly.

He knew that Yang Xuan could not be saved and this guy was doomed.

Now he has to do his best to protect Yang Bo.

Although Yang Bo was a member of the Jin Party, he and Xu Jie did not have much party prejudice and they cooperated well in military armaments.

Besides, many of the court's military armament decisions in recent years were formulated and promoted by Xu Jie, with Yang Bo cooperating in their implementation.

Yang Bo has fallen, and there are many things he cannot clean up. If we trace back to the past, Xu Jie cannot escape either.

It was reasonable for Xu Jie to know that he had to do his best to protect Yang Bo.

But how to protect it?

Xu Jie had been with Jiajing for many years and knew the emperor's mind. Today in the palace, he cursed Yang Xuan and secretly pointed his sword at Yang Bo.

In the emperor's mind, he probably thinks that Yang Xuan's big backer is Yang Bo.

Yang Xuan failed to fulfill his duties and harmed the country. Can Yang Bo escape responsibility? Can I escape responsibility?
Once you are targeted by Emperor Jiajing, there will be no good ending.

Xu Jie thought for several turns and suddenly saw Zhu Yijun standing silently next to Emperor Jiajing.

How could I have forgotten him!

The Emperor Jiajing continued, "The Governor of Ji and Liao was dismissed, the Governor was dismissed, the General of Jizhou Town became a deserter and was also dismissed. The elite soldiers of Jizhou Town were lost in Xiajiadian and were also dismissed!
A bunch of useless people, all useless! But the hundreds of thousands of northern barbarian cavalry outside the pass are still alive and may march south at any time. What should we do? Ji-Liao border affairs, as well as Jizhou Town, I ask you what to do? "

The ministers did not answer.

"What should we do? Tell me!
My trump card can only be used once, it won't work the second or third time. Besides, I have to make all the decisions, what else do I need you officials for?"

At this point, Xu Jie, the chief civil official, had no choice but to step forward, kneel on the ground, and answer with a stiff upper lip: "Your Majesty, we failed to supervise, made inappropriate recommendations, and watched mediocre officials ruin the country. We deserve death.

We respectfully request the Emperor to make clear how to deal with the Ji-Liao border issue!"

The other noble ministers also knelt on the ground and said in unison: "We have failed in our duty and disturbed the emperor. We deserve to be put to death!"

Seeing that the leader of the civil officials Xu Jie finally surrendered and bowed his head, Emperor Jiajing smiled with satisfaction and showed the same proud expression as before.

(End of this chapter)