Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 632 Not Conservative

After Huai En came out of the Qianqing Palace, he immediately returned to the cabinet duty room. When he didn't find anyone, he immediately sent someone to call Tan Ji.

At this time, Qin Ji had already received the emperor's oral instructions and was about to leave the palace to guard Zhang's mansion, asking Zhang Luan to give his opinion as soon as possible.

"Houfang, do you know what Zhang Guozhang is up to?"

Wynn asked gloomily.

Qin Ji nodded and replied, "I know. Didn't Zhang Guozhang want Li Zisheng to cooperate with a meritorious official to manage the army in the northwest? And His Majesty did not say that Li Zisheng would be given the authority of a general governor or governor, but it is very likely that he would be given the title of Chief Censor to facilitate his leading the troops."

Wynn asked coldly, "Do you think this situation is acceptable?"

"This... I... am an old man, so I have no opinion. I will just wait for your Majesty's orders and act accordingly."

Qin Ji hesitated and tried to avoid the question as tactfully as possible.

Huai En said with a dark face: "Your Majesty has never paid attention to the military affairs of the northwest before... Hou Fang, I want to ask you, when Your Majesty was in the East Palace, did you also care about military tactics and strategies, as well as military management and military affairs?"

Qin Ji thought about it carefully and shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty seems to have never touched upon this topic... At least I have never seen Your Majesty read any relevant books."

"That's strange. Your Majesty has never cared about these things before, so why is he able to listen to Zhang Guozhang's advice this time and care so much about raising troops?"

Huai En asked in confusion.

Tan Ji said with emotion: "Perhaps after becoming the ruler of a country, Your Majesty was impressed by the great achievements of the previous emperor in resisting foreign humiliation, and thus paid more attention to the military affairs in the northwest. Of course, I don't know why exactly."

Qin Ji was also helpless.

When you encounter problems that you can't solve, you always come to ask me. Then who should I ask?
In my opinion, the little emperor was a benevolent monarch who was as obedient as a good boy. Not to mention deploying troops and commanding battles, he was even indifferent to the daily training of the soldiers in the Beijing camp who were nearby.

God knows why he suddenly became so passionate about military affairs?

Given the little emperor's usual cowardly character, he really doesn't seem like someone who would engage in militarism!

Huai En frowned and reminded: "This matter must be quickly informed to the ministers in the court, so that there is a chance to stop His Majesty and Zhang Guozhang from doing it..."

The meaning was to let Qin Ji find an opportunity to leak the news, at least to let Xu Pu, Liu Jian and other civil officials know about it, so that they would quickly submit memorials to express their objections.

Qin Ji shook his head and said, "The Tatars have repeatedly invaded. If the court does nothing, perhaps there will not be any major chaos in the northwest, but it will eventually damage the morale and morale of the soldiers in Xuanda and the three border garrisons. Eunuch Huai, in my opinion, the court has done something, even if it has not achieved any results, it is better than doing nothing, right?"

The language is amazing!

Huai En was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the sincere eyes cast by Qin Ji, and suddenly felt that his awareness seemed to be not as high as that of Qin Ji, the old man in the East Palace.

Did the emperor do all this because he really hoped that Li Zisheng, Tan Chang and a potential military hero could achieve some brilliant results in the northwest?

not necessarily!

The little emperor clearly wanted to show off to the Northwest soldiers:

As an emperor, I am very concerned about the difficult situation you are facing. Although I know that the court is short of soldiers and food and cannot afford to fight a major war, I still sent a special envoy to lead troops to deliver food, military uniforms and cloth to you. I also let the special envoy lead troops to attack the Tatars and support you.

This is a clear expression of "I always stand with you" to the soldiers on the front line, and it is an action that quickly wins people's hearts.

Qin Ji continued, "If everything goes according to procedure, and we have to wait for the court to decide who will lead the troops and debate who is suitable, then with only a few days left until the end of the year, won't things be delayed until after the New Year? By then, will everything still be in time?

"No matter what, the soldiers on the northwest front also want to have a good New Year and hope to survive this cold winter. Let's put ourselves in their shoes!"

When Huai En heard this, he nodded vigorously: "Hou Fang, I have neglected you. Sometimes you think more than I consider after careful consideration.

"Okay, let's do everything as you say."

Qin Ji cupped his hands and said, "Then I'll go now."

"Please."

Huai En waved his hand and said, "Just after Zhang Guozhang recommends the candidates for military honors, you have to come back and tell me the latest situation. I also want to know who Zhang Guozhang prefers in military affairs." ...

……

The first thing Zhang Luan did when he returned home was to call Chang Shun over and ask him to call his youngest son back, as if it was a matter of urgency.

"Master, the second young master has been staying at home today and has not gone anywhere."

Chang Shun replied with some surprise.

"what!?"

Zhang Luan was stunned at first, then he patted his head and said self-deprecatingly: "Look at my pig brain... My precious son, knowing that something big was going to happen today, why would he go out to do his personal business? He must have stayed at home and waited for me to come back to discuss countermeasures..."

“It doesn’t seem to be the case!”

Chang Shunshun said, "The young master seems to have given himself a holiday... The New Year is coming soon. The second young master has been resting at home for the past two days. He only goes out to meet Hui merchants occasionally, and comes back soon... Master, have we prepared all the New Year's goods?"

"What the hell is this to you?"

Zhang Luan said unhappily, "Master, am I going to miss out on your New Year's gifts? Don't be so talkative... Don't worry, you won't miss a penny if you work in my house!"

"Master, you misunderstood... Regarding the New Year's goods, the second young master has already informed the old lady, and has taken us and our families into consideration. Anyone who works in the mansion will be rewarded generously, and no one will be left out!"

Chang Shun seemed very proud and said, "Working in our house, the treatment is really good. I just want to ask, do you think our house is still short of some big goods?"

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Luan frowned.

Chang Shun smiled flatteringly and said, "Have you forgotten what my family does? The business in the capital involves land, livestock, houses and slaves. I am involved in everything. I feel that our family is large and powerful, but there don't seem to be enough people to do the work, so I want to..."

"Pooh!"

Zhang Luan spat and shouted, "You little bastard, I can see that you are doing business with your master in mind. I don't want to ask about any of your family's businesses. Even if I really want to buy these things, I don't need you. Go, go, go!"

Chang Shun made a big fuss and had to leave in disappointment.

……

……

Inner hall of Zhang’s mansion.

Zhang Luan called Zhang Yanling, who came to inquire, to his side and asked him about the selection of meritorious officials who would lead the troops.

"Your brother-in-law has made up his mind after hearing what I said."

Zhang Luan said, "Let Li Zisheng lead the troops in the northwest, and cooperate with a meritorious official. I didn't expect that your brother-in-law seemed to be indifferent to military affairs, but this time he suddenly became enthusiastic."

Zhang Yanling smiled and asked, "Does Dad think that my brother-in-law is only suitable to be a conservative emperor and has no ambition at all?"

Zhang Luan said: "Isn't it?"

Zhang Yanling thought to himself that that was really not the case.

Zhu Youtang was worthy of the title of "Emperor Xiaozong". He followed in the footsteps of his father, Emperor Chenghua, and was not conservative at all in military affairs. Since Batu Mongke's rise in the grassland around the tenth year of Hongzhi, the Ming Dynasty adopted a very aggressive strategy for several years in a row to deal with the Tatars.

It can be said that many of the military ideas of the later Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao were inherited from his seemingly honest and dull old father, or it can be said that he followed the mantle of Emperor Chenghua and was not at all ambiguous about the foreign invaders.

Moreover, in the middle of his reign, Zhu Youtang proposed more than once to lead an expedition to the grassland in person. However, he was strongly dissuaded by the cabinet's iron triangle of Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and Xie Qian, as well as Ma Wensheng, Liu Daxia and other conservative civil servants. Zhu Youtang was not as stubborn as his son, so he did not go in the end.

In Zhang Yanling's opinion, it would be a big mistake to treat Zhu Youtang as an emperor who maintained the status quo.

(End of this chapter)