Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 790 Retract and release freely
Night fell at Xu Pu's residence.

Ma Wensheng visited late at night.

As a potential candidate for the trilateral co-chairmanship, Ma Wensheng went with Qin Chang, Li Rong, and others to watch the artillery drill during the day and quickly came to inform Xu Pu of the details.

Clearly, Ma Wensheng was still willing to share important military and political matters with Xu Pu, the head of the civil service.

Although in the eyes of traditional veterans like Ma Wensheng, Xu Pu, who rose to a high position as a rising star, was weak-willed, wanted to please the emperor and unite with civil officials, and was suspected of trying to please both sides, especially since he could not decisively stop the emperor's "impractical" ideas, and felt that he was not doing his job properly.

But no matter what, given the Prime Minister's status, Ma Wensheng had no choice but to lower himself and communicate with him.

"The new cannon is several times more powerful than the previous one. Whether it's the range or the large-scale damage caused by the fireballs after they land, it's incomparable to previous firearms..."

Ma Wensheng exclaimed sincerely, "I have served in the Northwest for many years, but I have never seen such a powerful weapon. It is truly awe-inspiring!"

Xu Pu asked doubtfully, "Who modified the firearms? Were they all made by members of the Zhang clan? Is that possible?"

Just as the civil officials had previously suspected the Zhang family, doubts still lingered.

The development of such a powerful firearm must have been guided by a master, and it couldn't have been solely the work of the Zhang family father and son... At most, these two were using the resources controlled by Li Zisheng to claim credit for others' achievements.

Ma Wensheng shook his head and said, "This matter has been investigated for a long time, but there has been no explanation... There may be something fishy about it."

Xu Pu frowned and asked, "Are the cannons any stronger than when His Majesty and his civil and military officials went to the training ground to inspect them last time?"

"Ah."

Ma Wensheng said with a solemn expression, "The power has increased many times over, but most of the cannon makers are not from the capital. Many of them are temporary workers. It is still unclear what role they play in this."

"However, at present, I must hurry up and write a military strategy and submit it overnight."

Xu Pu asked in surprise, "Fu Tu, you intend to go to the Northwest to serve as military governor? Is it really necessary?"

"The court has a need, and I cannot stand idly by... However, with such a powerful weapon, I doubt His Majesty will be content to hold onto it."

Ma Wensheng analyzed, "Once His Majesty orders a military campaign against the grasslands, the Ming Dynasty may need to mobilize the entire nation's resources to raise funds and provisions. This will inevitably lead to a waste of manpower and resources, and the soldiers will probably not be willing to sacrifice their lives for a vague and uncertain goal... These are all major problems."

"Ah."

Xu Pu immediately understood why Ma Wensheng had come to see him that night.

He told him that the new firearms were very powerful, but also warned him that he had to find a way to make the emperor give up his idea of ​​conquering the world by force, and that he should not think that he was invincible just because the court's firearms were powerful.

Since ancient times, the cavalry tactics of nomadic tribes on the grasslands have been a headache. Even if they win one or two battles in direct combat, as the battle lines are stretched out, the supply of food and provisions becomes a major problem. There's no other reason than that logistical supply units can hardly withstand the harassment of cavalry with their huge mobility advantage. Once the front lines run out of food, everything is over.

In Ma Wensheng's view, the Ming Dynasty would probably need several generations of accumulation before it could have any chance of pacifying the grasslands.

……

……

Xu Pu met with Ma Wensheng, but did not linger. He immediately set off to see Liu Jian to discuss countermeasures.

Liu Jian was surprised that Xu Pu would come to his door in the middle of the night. After being told about Ma Wensheng's praise for the new firearms, Liu Jian's face turned gloomy: "It seems that His Majesty came prepared this time."

The implication is that the emperor's appointment of the governor-general of the three border regions was by no means unfounded.

It was precisely because the emperor was so confident and felt that with the support of powerful firearms, the Ming army would be able to win every battle that he thought of appointing a commander who was familiar with firearms.

Once the time is right, he will order the troops from the three border regions to take the initiative and challenge the Tatars.

Previously, they could only defend themselves in a frustrating manner, waiting for the Tatars to breach the pass. This was indeed very frustrating for the emperor who considered himself to have the world at his feet.

Xu Pu said, "I have drafted a memorial here. Please take a look."

As he spoke, Xu Pu handed a manuscript to Liu Jian.

Liu Jian took the lamp, read the contents carefully, and nodded, saying, "Perhaps more people will be needed to persuade His Majesty to abandon his unrealistic ideas."

"However, the best course of action now is to find someone who is not willing to take risks easily to take charge of the military affairs of the three border regions... This military strategy must adhere to the bottom line."

As long as no one is willing to take the lead for the emperor and rashly launch an attack, even if it's just a temporary pretense to show the emperor that they will take the initiative to attack once they are fully equipped, that's acceptable.

Those who can "adhere to principles" after going to the Northwest and disobey the emperor's orders when serving in the field are the role models that our civil officials admire.

Xu Pu said, “I think Fu Tu came to see me with the intention of taking on this important task. With his reputation accumulated in the army over the years, if he goes to the three border regions, he may be able to maintain order in the army and prevent situations where people act rashly and use force without thinking.”

Liu Jian nodded and said, "Then in the next two days, no matter who is mentioned in the court's recommendation, we will do our best to support Ma Futu to serve as the Chief Censor of the Northwest."

"However, I've heard that Wang Shichang also has his own thoughts on this... His Majesty kept him in the capital before, perhaps precisely because of this situation."

“Wang Shichang? He has enough prestige, but he is still a criminal. His Majesty has only recently ascended the throne. If he is reinstated and given important responsibilities now, it will surely attract a lot of criticism.”

Xu Pu said confidently, "Besides, even if he wants to take up a post in the Northwest, I have ways to thwart his hopes."

Although he appeared confident, he didn't tell Liu Jian the specifics of how he would stop Wang Yue.

……

……

There will be a meeting the next day.

All officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital gathered. Xu Pu and Liu Jian were ready to recommend Ma Wensheng for the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Three Border Regions, but the emperor delayed in mentioning the matter.

It wasn't until the court session was almost over that Zhu Youcheng casually mentioned, "I heard that many ministers went to watch the artillery demonstration yesterday, so they must already have their own ideas on how to use firearms in actual combat."

"I never thought I would send troops to the grasslands one day, so let's put aside the speculation that I will take the initiative to provoke a war with the Tatars."

This statement seems to have silenced some people in advance.

Many people were baffled, since the selection of the commander-in-chief of the three border regions and the emperor's next strategic intentions were too far removed from them. Few people in the court paid attention to them, and the common people did not hear any voices about them.

Then Qin Chang stepped forward and said loudly: "Wang Yue, the former Censor-in-Chief, Minister of War, and Earl of Weining, has presumptuously speculated on the Emperor's intentions and is suspected of overstepping his bounds. His Majesty has decreed that he be punished and sent home to reflect on his mistakes. So be it."

The ministers found it even more unbelievable.

It turns out that the emperor said that some people were secretly discussing the selection of the commander-in-chief of the three border regions, and that the emperor appointed this person in order to lead an expedition to pacify the grasslands. He was referring to Wang Weining.

This guy is a bit clueless about when to back down!

He himself is not even a court official, yet he dares to express his opinions so casually?
Since he knew that submitting a memorial was risky, what was his purpose in insisting on doing so?
Was it so that he could get the emperor's attention?

However, Wang Yue was bold and decisive. Despite being a convict, he intended to compete for the position of commander-in-chief of the three border regions and even tried to persuade the emperor to accept his fallacious theory of taking the initiative to attack. He was a real man.

"All right."

Zhu Youcheng waved his hand and said, "The discussion on this matter can be put to a halt for now. The selection of the commander-in-chief of the three border regions will be decided after further discussion. That's all!"

We're not going to talk about it anymore?
You're the one who made this suggestion. You've already had your subordinates discuss it, and even the court has gone through several rounds of selection, but each time a suitable candidate hasn't been chosen. Now, just because Wang Yue is lobbying for this matter behind the scenes, you want to stop it?

From the outcome, it seems like a good thing, but none of the ministers present could understand what exactly happened in between.

……

……

The court meeting has ended.

Just as Xu Pu was about to leave, Wang Shu came over, bowed to him, and seemed to intend to start a discussion.

Xu Pu looked around and shook his head, saying, "This is not the place to talk."

"We're all colleagues, what's there to be afraid of?"

Wang Shu replied dismissively, then said with a worried expression, "It is said that Wang Weining has submitted several memorials in recent days to explain his military strategy, and seems to have many doubts about the military strategy in the Northwest in recent years."

"He has angered the Emperor so much that he seems to have lost his mind, but it is undeniable that many of his suggestions may be adopted by the Emperor in a roundabout way."

At this moment, Liu Jian approached and asked in surprise, "Didn't His Majesty just issue an edict reprimanding Wang Shichang? How can you tell that he appreciates Wang Shichang?" "Alas!"

Wang Shu sighed heavily.

Obviously, some things cannot be said directly.

At this moment, Ma Wensheng also came forward, cupped his hands and said, "I heard that there was a joint memorial today, requesting Your Majesty to restrain yourself in military and political affairs, and to use this to win over the hearts of the army and focus on developing people's livelihood...I wonder if this is true?"

Liu Jian shook his head and said, "Unknown."

Since the emperor has given up appointing a commander-in-chief of the three border regions and has not shown any signs of militarism, it is worth discussing whether it is still necessary to jointly advise the emperor.

People can't pay for things that didn't happen, can they?

Moreover, the object of his affections was the emperor!

Wang Shu said, "I always feel that if we keep trying to stop His Majesty from advancing his policies in certain matters, the result will only be counterproductive."

These words were like a wake-up call.

It seems that the emperor can't get anything done without Zhang Luan in the court.

We may seem to have won this debate, but in reality, we lost miserably.

The emperor now possesses powerful firearms and, like his ancestors, harbors ambitions to conquer the grasslands. You can't stop him with just a few words.

Is it possible that the emperor felt isolated and helpless, and was also disappointed in his former teacher, and only wanted to wait for Zhang Luan to recover and return to court, so as to use Zhang Luan's influence to facilitate this matter?
At that time, perhaps it will no longer be Wang Yue or Li Zisheng who will lead the troops in the Northwest, but Zhang Laizhan himself?
……

……

The matter seemed to have come to a temporary end, but the emperor was not in a bad mood.

Because everything is under control.

Now that the decision has been made to attack the grasslands, the first thing to do is to test the ministers' attitudes, and then use some means to push things forward...

Appointing a trilateral coordinator or formulating an expedition plan are both too one-sided.

Even Zhu Youcheng himself knew that the number of firearms was far from sufficient.

To pacify the grasslands in one fell swoop, we need to build up our resources; it's not time for a decisive battle with the Tatars yet.

"Qin Daban, please go and talk to your father-in-law. If his condition improves, ask him to help investigate the military officers in Beijing and see who is suitable to lead troops."

Zhu Youcheng gave the instructions.

Qin Chang asked, "What does 'leading troops' mean... is being able to act entirely according to Your Majesty's wishes?"

Zhu Youcheng smiled and said, "If my father-in-law doesn't understand, he will naturally ask Yanling... Qin Daban, in fact, there is someone who knows better than me what kind of talents I want, or what kind of generals I need... I will even listen to him."

Qin Chang immediately understood; this person was naturally Zhang Yanling.

The plan to pacify the grasslands seemed more like a "conspiracy" devised by the brother-in-law and brother-in-law themselves.

As for how to proceed and when the results would be achieved, only Zhu Youcheng and Zhang Yanling knew. Even Zhang Luan, who was deeply trusted by the emperor, was kept in the dark about this matter.

As for Qin Chang, he has even less right to know.

"spring is coming."

Zhu Youcheng suddenly said, "The weather is quite good. I hope this year will be blessed with favorable weather and no disasters on the Yellow River. I hope the court can reduce its expenditures and raise some money and grain for the future."

"Oh, by the way, the salt tax revenue is much higher than expected. It's time to let the people in the court live a better life. While you're at it, discuss with your father-in-law about paying off the officials' back pay as soon as possible! I don't want to be harsh on those around me."

……

……

The emperor suddenly halted the selection of the three-border governor, and the person who was most upset was Wang Yue.

He originally thought he had the victory in his grasp and finally had a chance to regain his former glory. At worst, he could win a few more battles and regain his title. He wouldn't have to supervise his descendants' studies like the civil officials. He could just wait for the hereditary title and enjoy wealth and honor.

Just as many people aspire to become civil officials, just as many others, like Wang Yue, hope to obtain a hereditary title and become a military officer.

Or perhaps, civil officials all actually hoped to become hereditary officials, but the conditions simply didn't allow it.

Upon learning of the situation, Wang Yue quickly went to find Shen Lu.

But Shen Lu had no idea about this. He just felt like he had been tricked. In the end, he had no choice but to go to Zhang Yanling for advice instead of trying his luck with Zhang Luan. It seemed that only Zhang Luan could answer his questions at this moment.

When Zhang Luan heard that Shen Lu was looking for him in a great hurry, he patiently returned to the new "Shouning Marquis's Residence".

In the living room, as soon as they met, Shen Lu said, "Lai Zhan, you've really put me through a lot."

After Zhang Luan inquired about the details, he frowned and said, "Who in my family promised to make Wang Weining the commander-in-chief of the three sides? Who is harming whom? Are you sure you want to go this far?"

“Everyone thought His Majesty selected the Grand Censor in charge of military affairs on the three borders for the purpose of fighting the war. But Wang Shichang has recently spent a lot of money to smooth things over. Isn’t this just a waste of time and effort?” Shen Lu said.

Zhang Luan asked curiously, "Who did you give it to? I haven't seen a single tael of silver. How much did you take?"

He was thinking, "No wonder you, Shen Lu, are in such a hurry. It turns out you accepted a favor from someone, so now that things have fallen through, you're being asked to take it back, which is why you're saying I'm the one who harmed you."
Shen Lu said, "I only accepted a very small gift from him... just a sword."

"What sword?"

Zhang Luan frowned. "A priceless ancient sword?"

Shen Lu shook his head and said, "It was the precious sword he used to wear when he went into battle. He gave it to me as a memento."

Zhang Luan rolled his eyes upon hearing this and said, "Are you kidding me? What, a sword or something, can it turn into piles of silver? What are you trying to say?"

Shen Lu said, "I just want to ask, is there any follow-up to the matter of the Trilateral Commander-in-Chief?"

"Didn't I tell you to ask Yanling?"

Zhang Luan said somewhat impatiently, "After all this time, you come back to ask me again, and you insist that I see you. What, do you think I'm too free right now, and you're jealous? Or do you think I'm faking illness at home? Cough cough cough..."

Shen Lu quickly explained, "Lai Zhan, that's not what I meant. I absolutely did not intend to disturb you. But what your son said about the overall control of the three borders has already been decided by His Majesty... but the problem is that the current situation is clearly inconsistent with what he said."

Zhang Luan asked, "So you think Yanling's words are unreliable?"

"No... I didn't mean that."

Shen Lu hurriedly tried to explain, but the more he explained, the worse it got.

He had always thought Zhang Yanling was a child, but seeing his outstanding abilities and Zhang Luan's trust in his son, he kept seeking Zhang Yanling's advice.

But the problem is that what Zhang Yanling is saying is clearly contrary to everything that is happening in the court. How can he believe what a child says?
The reason for seeking out Zhang Luan is that Zhang Luan is not only a meritorious official of the Ming Dynasty, but also a civil official, and has served as Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Even though he is currently on sick leave at home, he can return to the court to assume his duties as soon as the time is right.

Zhang Luan said impatiently, "Although I didn't ask for the specifics, you should go and tell Wang Weining that either he has to find his own way out, or he should obediently listen to my son. Don't even think about getting a word in my mouth!"
"Hmph, I don't believe it. A person who is guilty of a crime, who hasn't even been exonerated, was only exonerated because I spoke up for him, and now he has a chance to become an official. Why does he have so many problems?"

"Lai Zhan, you..."

Shen Lu wanted to explain.

Wang Shichang had immense respect for you and your son, but he never expected that you would lose even the chance to compete for the position, which effectively dashed the Wang Shichang family's dream of revival.

Furthermore, Wang Shichang is now old and feels he doesn't have many years left to live. He also knows that once he dies, the Wang family's title will be completely out of reach.

That's why they came to me in such a hurry, hoping I could mediate.

Zhang Luan asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"..."

Shen Lu instantly sensed that his brother-in-law was telling him to leave, so he could only say helplessly, "No, I'd better go back early. They're waiting for my reply over there."

(End of this chapter)