Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 834 What is Faith and Righteousness?

Previously, Zhang Yanling had caused a great disturbance in the south, and even Qian Neng, a local power that had been entrenched in the southwest and Yingtian Prefecture for decades, was wiped out by Zhang Yanling.

Now that Zhang Yanling has led his newly trained troops, armed with guns, to Datong Prefecture, no matter how powerful the local officials and gentry are, they dare not easily go against Zhang Yanling.

This is also related to the fact that Zhu Yong, the Duke of Baoguo, cooperated with Zhang Yanling in handling affairs...

With the emperor's backing, the assistance of local military and political officials, and the support of military force, the local gentry in Shanxi chose to remain silent for the time being.

Seeing that Qin Chang remained indifferent and silent, Li Rong had no choice but to say, "Once His Majesty learns of Wang Shichang's actions, he will surely issue another decree to reprimand him, or even directly revoke his military power. But the Zhang family's young imperial brother-in-law is turning a blind eye to this, which is quite unusual."

Qin Chang said, "Didn't His Majesty consult the young imperial uncle before? He still hasn't given His Majesty a definite answer?"

"It seems that it was submitted as a secret memorial, and it is said to have been sent directly to the palace by express courier, reaching His Majesty, but the specific content is unknown."

Li Rong replied cautiously, "Since then, His Majesty seems to have stopped paying too much attention to matters in Yansui!"

Qin Chang frowned slightly and asked to himself, "It's true that the Zhang family's young imperial brother-in-law and Wang Shichang are in cahoots, but when it comes to fame and fortune, how could they possibly be truly on the same page?"

Li Rong said, "Look, didn't Wang Shichang and Wang Zhi reach a compromise on interests before?"

"That makes sense, but..."

Qin Chang first gave a casual reply, then looked surprised and asked, "Are you saying that Wang Shichang will follow the lead of the Zhang family's second brother-in-law... As the Vice Minister of War and a famous general of our time, he is actually being driven by a teenager and controlled by others at every turn?"

Li Rong said helplessly, "Eunuch Qin, you were a witness to the incident of Wang Yue being granted a title during the reign of the late emperor, so you should know his character very well. I shouldn't say more, but I think... the power of the young imperial uncle of the Zhang family now is probably even greater than that of Wang Zhi back then, isn't it?"

"This one……"

Qin Chang couldn't say for sure for the time being.

No matter how powerful Wang Zhi was, he was still just a eunuch. As a royal servant, if he failed to perform his duties, he would directly lose the emperor's trust.

Zhang Yanling, however, was a relative of the imperial family...

Zhang Yanling was far superior to Wang Zhi in terms of invention and creation, but Wang Zhi was far superior to Zhang Yanling in terms of knowledge and application of methods.

Zhang Yanling's actions in the south do not necessarily indicate that he had sufficient means and ability to deal with local officials who were obstructing him.

Zhang Yanling and Wang Zhi took completely different paths, but neither of them obtained their status and position through legitimate means; they both rose to power through their relationships with the emperor.

Qin Changdao said, "It's obvious that people in the court are trying to cut off the military funds for the Northwest, and His Majesty is having a headache over this. But our Imperial Father-in-law Zhang seems to have forgotten about raising funds. Instead of going to the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue to lobby the relevant officials, he went to contact minor officials in the local areas... Could this also be part of the Zhang family's plan for the Northwest?"

Li Rong asked with a blank look, "You mean... the young uncle of the Zhang family wants to raise money and grain through local connections?"

"The local areas don't have much money or food to supply the Northwest front."

Qin Chang shook his head and said, "What Zhang Xiaoguojiu might want is the support of scholars across the land for His Majesty's military campaign! The officials in the central government all refuse the court's use of troops in the northwest, but the situation may be different among the lower-ranking officials."

Li Rong said, "This... could Zhang Laizhan have other intentions? Something other than this? Is it possible that he's openly... soliciting bribes? Or forming a clique?"

Qin Chang asked curiously, "Look at Zhang Guozhang since he entered the court. Has he shown any intention of forming cliques or engaging in corruption? Moreover, the Zhang family has contributed more than one million taels of silver to the court in the past year or so. Would they be interested in the pittances offered by local officials?"

"That's true."

Li Rong originally thought that Qin Chang was over-interpreting Zhang Luan, saying that Zhang Luan was trying to win over local officials in order to gain their support for the emperor's military campaign in the northwest.
That sounds absolutely ridiculous!
However, it immediately occurred to him that if Zhang Luan was contacting local officials to solicit bribes, it would be normal for others, but for Zhang Luan, it was completely inexplicable.

Qin Chang said, "And have you ever seen Zhang Guozhang accept bribes?"

Li Rong shook his head: "Apart from what Li Zisheng gave him, he doesn't accept anything from others. Moreover, Li Zisheng would take even more from Zhang Guozhang... What he gave Zhang Guozhang was nothing more than personal favors. Even the female relatives of convicted officials sent to him from places like the Jiaofangsi were all from legitimate sources, not ordinary bribes."

"Isn't that okay?"

After pondering for a moment, Qin Chang said with a solemn expression, "Perhaps in the next two days, someone in the court will seize this opportunity to attack Zhang Guozhang. We must make our stance clear and tell His Majesty that Zhang Guozhang has put in a lot of effort for the war in the Northwest. We must stand firmly on His Majesty's side and not waver."

"understand."

Li Rong immediately understood.

The emperor had elevated the Zhang family to an unprecedented level.

Even if they understood Zhang Luan's actions and were convinced that he was abusing his power for personal gain, they would still tell the story in the direction of Zhang Luan's selflessness, so that His Majesty would think that they also admired Zhang Luan greatly.

It seemed that only in this way could they gain the emperor's trust and avoid following in Huai En's footsteps.

……

……

A secluded courtyard outside the city.

Zhang Luan returned with a sense of relief. As soon as he arrived, he quickly asked Qi Niang to prepare dinner, and then he wolfed down his food.

Qi Niang poured Zhang Luan a cup of tea and asked curiously, "Master, are you so busy with official business that you haven't even had lunch?"

"I didn't even have time to eat breakfast."

Zhang Luan said while shoveling rice into his mouth, "It's not for official business, it's all about meeting with those local officials... It wouldn't be a big deal if we didn't meet them, but meeting more than a dozen a day... Even a piece of iron couldn't take it!"

Qi Niang asked in confusion, "It's just receiving guests, you don't have to be picky or carry anything, and you don't even have to use your brain... How can you not keep up with this, sir?"

Zhang Luan put down his chopsticks and said earnestly, "Can you understand? The people I've met these past few days, I'm just talking to them, and they're talking to me! No matter what I say, they act like they don't understand! And what they tell me are all trivial local matters, it's a complete waste of time!"

"Then, sir..."

Qi Niang tentatively asked, "How much benefit did you receive from them?"

“I didn’t take a single penny.”

Zhang Luan shook his head and said, "They did bring gift lists, mostly gold and silver jewelry, and some brought antiques and calligraphy that were easy to sell, but I didn't accept any of them."

Qi Niang asked, "Then... why didn't you accept it, sir?"

Zhang Luan said, "If you take someone's money, you have to do their bidding. If I can't do their bidding, what's the point of taking their money?"

"..."

Qi Niang suddenly realized that the master she was serving was an idiot.

You clearly have power and influence, and you've spent a great deal of energy meeting with many local officials. They've also wisely given you generous gifts. It would be perfectly reasonable for you to accept them. If you didn't, you would seem out of place. But you insist on being that eccentric idiot.
Zhang Luan sighed, "I'm puzzled too. They say this will help me build connections and improve my standing in court... but why haven't I seen any benefits?"

Qi Niang thought to herself, "You didn't let me go."

If I go, it will definitely be more effective than if you go alone.

"My lord, how about... you take me to try it next time?"

Qi Niang bluntly stated, "Or we could arrange to meet at a nearby place, with you remaining silent while I handle the conversation? With your immense power, I only need to borrow your authority to make them... sensibly send over what you require."

"What do I need?" Zhang Luan asked.

Qi Niang rolled her eyes at Zhang Luan and said, "What the master wants is the respect of the world, and... women!"

……

……

After the court assembly concluded that day, Zhu Youcheng summoned Wang Shu, the Minister of Personnel, Yu Zijun, the Minister of War, along with three cabinet ministers, Xu Pu, Liu Jian, and Xu Qiong, to a meeting in the Qianqing Palace.

None of them understood the emperor's intentions.

Xu Pu and Liu Jian thought that the emperor might want to wage war in the northwest again. After all, if the matter to be discussed could be discussed openly, it could be brought up in public during the previous court meeting, without having to hold this kind of small-circle meeting.

Zhu Youcheng then instructed Li Rong to give several people a memorial written by the Tatar prince Batumonke for them to read.

After everyone had finished reading, Zhu Youcheng said, "Gentlemen, you have all read it. The Tatars are very nervous about the fact that Wang Yue, the General of the Three Borders, has led his troops to garrison the Hetao region. The Tatar prince has even submitted a memorial directly, expressing his submission to the Ming Dynasty and his desire to accept investiture from the Ming. What are your thoughts, gentlemen?"

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, ethnic minorities in eastern Liaoning, as well as countries such as Korea, have all expressed their submission to the Ming Dynasty.

While the nomadic tribes would occasionally send letters to the Ming Dynasty under the guise of tribute, most of these were in exchange for rewards from the Ming, and some even directly demanded the opening of border markets.

This is the first time that the nominal ruler of the Tatars has expressed submission to the Ming Dynasty, as is the case now.

Xu Qiong, as a newly appointed nobleman, stepped forward and said in a firm tone: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Tatars are wolves in sheep's clothing. They are only expressing their submission because of the current situation. But as soon as we relax our threats, they will immediately abandon their promises and intensify their attacks on our borders."

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Only if our Great Ming maintains continuous pressure on the grassland tribes can the Nine Borders usher in true peace, rather than relying on the Tatars to voluntarily give up their weapons."

His words may seem to represent the cabinet's attitude, but in reality, only he himself thinks this way.

From the perspective of traditional civil officials, it's better to avoid trouble. They should be resting and recuperating, and taking measures to ensure the people's well-being. Now that the back pay owed to the soldiers in the Northwest over the years has been paid, there's no hope for this year's pay, and the Ministry of Revenue has no intention of approving it.

Isn't it a great thing that the Tatars chose to submit at this time?

This is a perfect opportunity to stop the fighting and allow for rest and recuperation!

Zhu Youcheng nodded: "What Grand Secretary Xu said is very true. In fact, there are some things that do not need your reminders. I know that the Tatars are uncivilized barbarians. What they say is not worth taking into consideration. We should treat them with caution and be on guard against their betrayal at all times."

Xu Qiong said, “We must be wary of our allies’ betrayal, but the Tatars have always been our enemies. Where is the trust in them? Moreover, the Tatars will not feel ashamed of breaking their promises. They will even be proud of it and take pride in successfully deceiving the court.”

Zhu Youcheng frowned and asked, "Is that what you all think?"

The ministers present were all wondering what the emperor and Xu Qiong's statements meant.
They didn't mention it at the court meeting, but insisted on discussing it privately.

Xu Qiong's words clearly reflected Zhang Luan's intentions, and the military policies and strategies currently being implemented by Zhang Luan and his son were all in accordance with the emperor's instructions, or rather, were consistent with the emperor's thinking.

That means……

Does the emperor also believe that the Tatars are afraid? Should the court continue to show a tough stance, and even press on and break out of the Hetao region to fight the Tatars to the death?
Wang Shu asked, "Your Majesty, now that the Tatar prince has submitted such a memorial, will you send another delegation to pay tribute to the court?"

Zhu Youcheng shook his head: "It wasn't clearly stated whether tribute was required, and didn't they just come here at the beginning of the year? The border market is still open, and the Tatars can freely sell cattle, sheep, and cheese, and buy grain, wine, salt, tea, and other supplies. This is the greatest goodwill the court can offer them."

If Wang Yue's expedition to the Hetao region was intended to seize an opportunity to fight the Tatars, the imperial court's attitude towards the nomadic tribes remained somewhat ambiguous.

The fact that the border market has remained open indicates that the imperial court allows the nomadic tribes to trade with the Ming Dynasty, exchanging goods to make up for their lack of daily necessities... If war were to break out, their source of goods should be cut off immediately, forcing them to obtain goods only through plunder.

Once the Tatars start looting, regardless of whether they succeed or not, the Ming Dynasty will at least have a reason to start a war.

Liu Jian said, "Although the Tatar prince paid tribute at the beginning of the year and even came to the capital in person to witness the power of the court's cannons, after he returned, the Mongols were in turmoil, which seriously affected the stability of the Ming Dynasty's borders. Furthermore, there were constant reports of Tatar tribes attacking, indicating that his submission was more of a superficial act."

"Ah."

Zhu Youcheng nodded, "I was also thinking that the Tatar prince's actions were simply an attempt to gain the support of the court so that he could quickly quell the unrest within the grasslands."

"The Mongol tribes have been divided for a century. If given stable external conditions, they may be able to achieve internal unity. If they invade again, they will surely unite as one, which will be extremely detrimental to the defense of our Ming Dynasty's borders."

Liu Jian nodded: "That's what I think too."

Yu Zijun and Wang Shu couldn't help but look at Liu Jian.

Judging from what Grand Secretary Liu said, it seems that the cabinet has really reached a consensus? That means the emperor has persuaded the cabinet to fully cooperate with his military campaign?

Yu Zijun said, "Your Majesty, should we send the troops from the three border regions northward, cross the Yellow River, and put pressure on the Tatars?"

Zhu Youcheng asked, "Gentlemen, when Wang Yue led his troops to the Hetao region, he submitted a memorial proposing to build cities and fortresses there and organize immigrants to garrison them. At that time, there was a great deal of controversy in the court, and many people directly impeached him. Now, less than a month has passed, and he has changed his previous strategy. Is this inappropriate?"

The emperor was quite polite, speaking to his senior ministers in a consultative tone.

Yu Zijun sensed something was amiss and immediately turned his attention to Xu Pu, since Xu Pu, the Grand Secretary who truly represented the cabinet, had not yet spoken out.

Wang Shu spoke first: "Since the Tatars are willing to submit, and our Great Ming has no ability to eliminate them, why not take the easy way out, feign compliance for now, and make a decision when the time is right?"

Clearly, Wang Shu did not support sending troops.

Among the people present, Wang Shu, as a veteran who had served four dynasties, was considered the most mature and prudent, and was widely regarded as the strategist of the Ming Dynasty.

In court, his words always carried great weight, and the emperor seemed willing to adopt his opinions... But as people get older, they have more concerns, and their biggest characteristic is conservatism.

In other words, the conservative faction in the court was led by Wang Shu.

As for the radicals...

Zhang Luan was probably the only one who maintained a moderate attitude, while everyone else was more inclined to be conservative.

Zhu Youcheng asked, "What does Grand Secretary Xu think?"

Seeing that Xu Pu was pretending to be deaf and dumb, the emperor couldn't help but ask him a question.

Xu Pu said, “I have heard that Your Majesty once issued an edict reprimanding Wang Yue, telling him to restrain himself while serving in the three border regions. Not only did he not listen, but he also made offensive moves, which is very inappropriate. The Tatars’ petition to submit to the Ming Dynasty may not be out of fear of the Ming military, but rather to test the court’s attitude.”

Zhu Youcheng asked, "You mean they are testing whether the Ming Dynasty is determined to send troops? How should we respond? Should we show a tough stance, maintain the status quo, or order Wang Yue to withdraw his troops?"

Xu Pu said, "The strategy of not getting too entangled in the Hetao region was set by the late emperor. It was also because the Hetao region is vast and sparsely populated, with no natural defenses and large areas of desert unsuitable for cultivation. If Ming border residents were stationed there, it would only make it easier for the Tatars to plunder. On the other hand, cultivating and grazing on the border requires a large number of troops for protection, which would lead to a significant increase in the amount of money and grain allocated by the court!"

The implication is that, putting aside everything else, our late emperor seemed very ambitious. During the Chenghua reign, he fought so many major battles, winning more than he lost, which can be considered quite an achievement.

But the problem is, the late emperor didn't say that we should manage things after the war... Basically, it was over as soon as the war was over!

The reason for not occupying Hetao, Weininghai and other places for a long time was mainly due to financial pressure considerations... Just like when the Ming Dynasty abandoned Daming as a northern fortress, the allocation of money and grain was too difficult, which would needlessly increase the pressure on the court, and strategically it was impossible to maintain pressure on foreign barbarians for a long time.

It's really worth it.

This is the reason why the late emperor gave up.

(End of this chapter)