Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 785 Candidates

The audience with the emperor continued.

Liu Jian looked at Yu Zijun, the Minister of War standing to the side, and said, "Minister Yu is the most suitable."

Without even considering whether the emperor's suggestion was feasible, they directly appointed the Minister of War as the commander-in-chief of the three border regions, which seemed to be the best option at the moment.

Yu Zijun hurriedly declined, saying, "This old minister is old and frail and I am afraid I am not up to the task... I recommend Ma Wensheng, the Left Censor-in-Chief, who has outstanding military and political abilities and has been managing affairs in the Northwest for many years, which is enough to deter the Tatar barbarians."

They immediately recommended two candidates.

Upon hearing this, Wang Shu felt a chill run down his spine, for he was terrified that the emperor would turn his attention to him next, and even considered sending him to the northwest to lead troops.

Since the emperor wanted to show that he valued this matter, he would definitely send a highly respected minister. Although Wang Shu had no experience in governing the army in the Northwest, he had served as the Minister of War in Nanjing and was quite capable in military affairs. More importantly, everyone in the court respected him.

Sending a powerful minister who can keep the situation in check would be most appropriate.

Moreover, given Wang Shu's understanding of the emperor, his presence might affect Zhang Luan's promotion. Temporarily sending him to the northwest would free up the emperor's attention to promote Zhang Luan to the position of Left Vice Minister, and he might even have the opportunity to become one of the Six Ministries Ministers.

Zhu Youcheng said, "Mr. Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Pu cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, the court's finances are currently stretched thin. Is it really necessary to wage war in the Northwest at this time?"

Clearly, Xu Pu wasn't considering anything about enhancing my country's prestige. Everyone knows that we cannot tolerate or encourage the Tatars' evil deeds and arrogance, and they certainly deserve a profound lesson. But we also need to carefully consider the cost of strengthening the border towns' military equipment.

Xu Pu now considers himself the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the chief steward of the court.

As the head of the household, the first thing to consider is the financial situation. The government must be able to operate normally, rather than engaging in extravagant military campaigns for the sake of appearances, especially unnecessary and futile efforts.

Zhu Youcheng said, "Mr. Xu, my intention is simply to find someone to oversee the military affairs of the three border regions. As for whether to wage war against the grasslands, we will have to see the movements of the Tatars."

"Even if we were to launch an attack, it would mainly be a small-scale, localized battle. The goal would be to dampen the Tatars' arrogance and curb their ambitions, just like the battle at Piantou Pass led by Li Zisheng. It was a point-to-point engagement, nothing more."

Xu Pu naturally had to ponder the emperor's words.

Does the emperor intend to recall Li Zisheng and appoint him as the governor of the three border regions? What about river management then?
Knowing that one small thing could have far-reaching consequences, Xu Pu's mind raced, and he didn't take the initiative to continue the conversation.

Finally, Zhu Youcheng looked at Wang Shu and asked, "Who does Minister Wang think is suitable?"

After careful consideration, Wang Shu calmly suggested, "Your Majesty, how about sending Zhang Luan, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to go?"

Upon hearing this, the three people beside him looked at him with strange eyes. Even Li Rong and Qin Chang, who were standing behind the emperor, found it unbelievable.

You, Wang Shu, don't think the Emperor summoned you to make these arrangements because he intended to send his father-in-law to the Northwest to establish military merit, do you?
Really not!
Don't get the wrong idea!

Li Rong and Qin Chang were both pondering that if His Majesty wanted Zhang Guozhang to lead the troops, he would certainly not have allowed Zhang Guozhang to retire and rest at home.

Furthermore, Zhang Guozhang, who went to the Northwest to manage military and political affairs, could not be considered a competent minister. He was more like someone who had been banished from the center of power, causing the emperor to lose his trusted advisor.

"not good."

Zhu Youcheng refused decisively this time, saying, "My father-in-law is seriously ill and almost didn't make it before. He urgently needs to recuperate and is really not suitable for a long journey... Let someone else go instead."

It's not that Zhang Luan was incapable of the task, but simply that he was not suited for the arduous journey.

The gist is that when the time is right in the future, I will still let my father-in-law go to the frontier to try it out, and it might even be the best option.

But that's definitely not the case now.

Zhu Youcheng said, "Alright, gentlemen, after you return, discuss this carefully, and then make a court recommendation and deliberation at tomorrow's court meeting. Selecting the right people as soon as possible will reassure the soldiers at the front... I also hope that there will be no major changes in the situation on the northwestern border. We must seize the time and not be negligent!"

Xu Pu asked, "Your Majesty, have you consulted Scholar Zhang?"

"Mr. Xu, are you referring to my father-in-law?" Zhu Youcheng shook his head and said, "I don't want to disturb his rest... The court can handle this matter itself, why bother him?"

Xu Pu thought to himself, "What kind of talk is that?"

Ask him if he has any suitable candidates, so we can avoid making a mistake. Wouldn't that be better?
Whoever he supports, we can just oppose them together.

We can accept anyone else as long as it's not someone he recommended who gets promoted.

Zhu Youcheng said, "The Ministry of Revenue should indeed allocate a batch of funds and provisions to assist in the mission, especially the military pay for the Yansui army. Some soldiers haven't received their pay for two or three years, and their families are living in extreme poverty. The previously issued back pay is severely insufficient. Mr. Xu, if you have the time, please urge the Ministry of Revenue to expedite the process..."

I'll give you, Xu Pu, the authority to serve as an advisor to the Ministry of Revenue, making you more like the prime minister of the Ming Dynasty.

As the saying goes, "If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." Look how much I trust you, so shouldn't you refrain from causing me trouble? Especially, help me quickly gather the funds and provisions to prepare for the possible great battle ahead.

Xu Pu then asked, "Your Majesty, if you were to appoint a commander-in-chief for the three border regions, what specific conditions would be required? Would the appointment be made from the central government or local authorities? Would priority be given to those with military experience, those with outstanding coordination and logistical abilities, or... those who can command respect, defend against enemies, and are skilled in building fortifications?"

I only ask you, do you want to send your trusted confidant from the capital, or promote the governor or the left provincial governor to do it locally?

Or, to put it another way, do you need someone who excels at defense, or someone who is good at seizing opportunities, winning battles, and prefers to take the initiative? You need to give me some direction, right?
Unfortunately, the emperor never gave a definitive answer. He essentially said that everyone should make their own recommendations until he was satisfied.

After the group came out of the Qianqing Palace, Wang Shu hurried a few steps to catch up with Xu Pu and asked, "Shiyong, what do you think His Majesty's intentions are? Does he want to station heavy troops in the northwest for defense? Or does he want to use capable people to prepare for any eventuality?"

He wanted to figure out whether the emperor intended to wage war and expand his military power, or whether he was preparing to cultivate his own people to take control of the military.

When an emperor does something, he always has a purpose. We need to know what his goal is before we can make the next steps.

Xu Pu smiled and said, "The question of princes is a bit beyond my scope... His Majesty did not give any prior notice, perhaps because there has been unrest within the Tatars and he wants to take the opportunity to stabilize the border. Let's discuss the matter of nominations at tomorrow's court meeting."

Wang Shu asked, "Then what is His Majesty's purpose in summoning us ahead of schedule?"

He didn't actually think that the emperor's work was futile. Rather, the emperor wanted them to provide candidates and plans in advance, or to give some guidance so that they could select people in that direction.

However, it seems that none of them understood the emperor's intentions, or perhaps some understood them but were unwilling to recommend a candidate due to differing political views.

But... if the emperor simply greeted them and said he wanted to select a commander-in-chief for the three regions, there was absolutely no need to summon them separately in the Qianqing Palace.

Xu Pu shook his head, indicating that he did not know.

Liu Jian, standing beside him, added: "Your Majesty has unique insights into military and political affairs, but since ancient times, there has never been a trivial matter in military affairs. We must adhere to the court's principles for selecting personnel... Given the current financial difficulties of the court, it is simply not suitable to launch an offensive. The border should be defended as the priority, and personnel selection should also give more preference to this aspect."

Regardless of who the emperor originally intended to choose, as long as we follow our own principles and only recommend the ideal candidates in our minds, we don't need to consider the emperor's needs at all.

Wang Shu nodded without saying anything.

But in his heart he was thinking, "You people from the imperial academy are really daring. The emperor genuinely treats you as teachers, but you use your own methods to weave a huge net to restrict imperial power. You're really something."

Whether it succeeds or not depends entirely on your abilities.

……

……

The news that the imperial court was to appoint a governor-general of the three border regions stirred up a lot of excitement in the capital. Whether they were retired officials with experience in governing the northwest border regions or brokers for governors and provincial treasurers in the capital, they all hoped to use their connections to secure the position.

After all, being appointed as the commander-in-chief of the three border regions would mean becoming a confidant of the emperor, and upon returning to the capital, it would be easy to become the Left Vice Minister or even the Minister. This was a shortcut to promotion from the local to the central government.

However, many people believe that this position was actually tailor-made by the emperor for his father-in-law, Zhang Luan.

After learning the news, Shen Lu did not go to see Zhang Luan immediately. This time he was smarter and went to see Zhang Yanling instead.

At this time, Zhang Yanling had already led a group of people to test the new cannons in the western suburbs. When he heard that Shen Lu was coming, he gave him face and arranged to meet him in a pavilion not far from the artillery training ground.

It was springtime, and the scenery in this area crisscrossed by lakes was quite beautiful. Zhang Yanling sat down there, admiring the lush greenery, and immediately felt refreshed.

Shen Lu immediately explained his purpose upon meeting him.

"...Today alone, quite a few people have come to my residence to visit, hoping to use your father's connections to see if they can obtain this position."

Shen Lu patiently explained the situation, "I said that your father has no interest in court affairs and should not covet that position, which seems to be exactly what they want."

Zhang Yanling asked, "What do you mean?"

Shen Lu stepped forward and said, "The consensus in the court and among the people is that His Majesty wants your father to go to the three border regions to lead troops, but some discerning people know that your father does not want to travel long distances and suffer hardships on the frontier. Besides, as a high-ranking minister, your father has no need to go to the Northwest to prove anything. It would be better for him to stay in the capital and enjoy a few days of peace."

"hehe."

Zhang Yanling smiled.

Many people in the court were adept at assessing the situation and had accurately judged the intentions of the emperor and Zhang Luan.

Some narrow-minded people even thought that the selection of the three-sided governor was a grand drama orchestrated by the emperor and his father-in-law, unaware that the two had never considered this possibility at all.

Even though Zhang Luan was given a sinecure, Zhu Youcheng was afraid of tiring his father-in-law, so he still thought of sending him to the Northwest.
Zhang Yanling said, "So, Uncle's purpose is actually to ask who His Majesty favors, or whether he is lobbying for someone and preparing to do some work to secure this position?"

"This one……"

Shen Lu cautiously said, "Actually, I understand that very few people are capable of this job. Not only do they have to pass His Majesty's test, but they also have to face the difficulties from the court officials. In fact, it is very difficult to get approval from both sides."

"Ah."

Zhang Yanling poured tea for Shen Lu.

Shen Lu quickly stood up, took the teapot from Zhang Yanling, and said, "Yanling, you don't need to be so polite. You have done so many practical things for the court. I am the one who has bothered you. Here, let me pour you some tea."

After saying that, he actually filled the teacup in front of Zhang Yanling with tea, and then filled his own cup as well.

“Uncle, it’s only right for a junior to pour you tea, why are you being so polite?” Zhang Yanling said modestly for a moment, then asked, “Uncle, do you have anyone you would recommend?”

"Can I... recommend someone?"

Shen Lu's eyes lit up.

I originally just came to ask who is more likely to get close to this position, and then I'll try to get closer to that person and maybe benefit from their connections.

As for me stepping in to plead the case...

As a mere fifth-rank official in the Office of Transmission, what right do I have to speak?
Zhang Yanling smiled and nodded, saying, "Uncle, why don't you try recommending him?"

Shen Lu said, "Actually, recently, some suitable people have come to me, but I know that it's not appropriate for me to rely solely on my connections to pry this position from your father. But there is one person who has an unusual enthusiasm for this and has come to see me several times already."

"Taking the initiative to request an audience?"

Zhang Yanling asked with a smile, "So that means this person is in the capital, but not a court official, yet possesses sufficient ability and qualifications? Who is it?"

Shen Lu thought for a moment and said, "He is indeed not an official now, but he has a great reputation... It is said that it was your father who requested His Majesty to summon him back to the capital to live in seclusion. This man is none other than Wang Shichang, who has made great military achievements. He has been back in court for two or three months, but has not had the opportunity to enter the court. He is currently active in various places."

Zhang Yanling said, "Wang Weining has a good reputation. Although he is no longer a criminal, if he is appointed as the commander-in-chief of the three border regions at this time, people in the court will definitely have objections."

Shen Lu said, "So that means this person is not suitable?"

"hehe."

Zhang Yanling laughed and said, "There is no question of whether he is suitable or not. If you really want to say that he is unsuitable, it may not be entirely true... What His Majesty wants is someone who can intimidate the various Tatar tribes and also obey orders. He must be loyal and capable. How many people in the court can do this job?"

"loyalty?"

Shen Lu pondered the word carefully.

Clearly, the question of loyalty should not even be on the list of requirements for selecting officials.

After all, everyone should prioritize loyalty. How can you be disloyal and unfilial and still want to be an official? Let alone becoming an official, in this feudal era, killing him wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However, this definition of "loyalty" is clearly not the ordinary loyalty to the emperor and the country; its implications are worth pondering.

Shen Lu continued to explain what he knew: "To be honest, Wang Shichang showed a lot of sincerity. He said that he really wanted to hear your father's teachings, and that he had heard that under your father's guidance, Minister Li had achieved a great victory in the Northwest. He was very envious and said that if he could get your father's guidance, perhaps he could sweep across the grasslands again and make unparalleled contributions to the Ming Dynasty."

"Isn't that a bit of an overstatement?"

Zhang Yanling smiled and asked, "Does my father really hold such a high position in his eyes?"

"Who knows? That's what he said anyway."

Shen Lu actually knew that Wang Yue was just saying nice things.

Who doesn't know that Wang Yue likes to curry favor with people?
His abilities were truly formidable; no one would dare to object to calling him the God of War of the Ming Dynasty. His power was such that he was a great demon king capable of stopping even the most distraught children on the grasslands from crying.

However, he also had a very prominent flaw: he was too fond of currying favor with the powerful and could not resist the powerful. You should know that he was not a military officer, but a civil official who passed the imperial examination and rose to the position of Minister of War. This made him look down on by scholars all over the country.

You, a Confucian official, are so shameless, fawning over the powerful and wealthy?

Zhang Yanling said, "In that case, perhaps we should really meet with Wang Weining and hear his views on the defense of the northwest border."

"Your father still thinks..."

Shen Lu asked cautiously.

“It can’t be me, a young man, going to meet them, can it?” Zhang Yanling laughed. “At my age, I can’t command respect.”

Shen Lu sighed, “Although your father holds a high position and wields great power, in fact, he still listens to you, my dear nephew, on many matters. Yanling, if you think it’s appropriate, it’s not impossible for me to introduce him to you.”

Zhang Yanling said, "Let's see how things go tomorrow... There's no rush."

(End of this chapter)