Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 835 Taking Responsibility and Holding Back

In the Qianqing Palace, a high-level meeting convened by the emperor is ongoing.

Upon hearing Xu Pu's reply, Zhu Youcheng nodded as if he had no opinion of his own, saying, "Wang Yue's expedition to the Hetao region may seem to have boosted the morale of the Ming army, but it was more out of consideration for his own gain of fame and fortune. Moreover, it wasted a lot of money and grain from the court, and its symbolic significance outweighed its actual benefits."

Xu Pu felt relieved and quickly agreed: "I think so too. Wang Yue, seeking fame and fortune, took it upon himself to send troops... He did not safeguard the vital interests of the Ming Dynasty, but was driven more by selfish motives."

"Of course, we must also see that the so-called submission of the Tatars is nothing more than a pretense, a temporary show of weakness, and they will soon be knocking on our gates and harassing us again... After all, when winter comes, some Tatar tribes will find it difficult to survive and will resort to crooked means. Their first choice will be to plunder southwards to spend the winter. When peace ends, the blame will fall on the Tatars, and it will not be too late for the court to send troops."

Zhu Youcheng said approvingly, "Hearing Grand Secretary Xu's words has made me understand a lot. What do you think of this... Since the Tatar prince has said he is willing to submit to the Ming Dynasty, I will let him come to the capital to receive his investiture. If he dares to come, I can legitimately keep him here until he has been somewhat tamed in a year or two before letting him leave..."

Xu Qiong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty's move is very clever and highly feasible. It immediately reveals whether the Tatars are truly subjugated..."

"When two countries are at war, envoys should not be killed. As a nation of propriety, the Celestial Empire must act with a just cause. Detaining a monarch without cause may damage the reputation of the Ming Dynasty."

Wang Shu retorted, clearly expressing his opposition.

"Warfare is based on deception!"

Yu Zijun shook his head: "Minister Wang, there's no need to rush. It's alright to occasionally test the reaction of foreign tribes! Because the Tatars have no intention of submitting, Batu Mongke simply doesn't dare to come!"

"Not necessarily. I didn't detain him last time; in fact, I gave him quite a few rewards."

Zhu Youcheng first nodded to Yu Zijun, then said to Wang Shu, "I will use the utmost sincerity to ensure that the Ming Dynasty does not tarnish its reputation as the ruler of all under heaven. If the Tatar prince is willing to come, then everything will return to normal; if he does not come... there is no need for the border market to continue operating!"

Xu Pu warned: "Once the border markets are cut off, the Tatars might become desperate and resort to desperate measures."

Zhu Youcheng shook his head: "During the reign of the late emperor, the Tatars' authority to pay tribute and trade at border markets was cut off for several years, and the Tatars did not take any extreme actions. On the contrary, Wang Yue and others have repeatedly achieved victories against the Tatars! If they choose to submit now, it can be said that they have formally accepted the imperial rule of the court. This is due to the legacy of the late emperor's civil and military achievements, and I dare not take credit for it."

Xu Qiong quickly said, "Your Majesty inherited the late emperor's will and used both kindness and force to make the Tatars submit. You are truly a model of a filial and wise ruler."

"Grand Secretary Xu, please don't say that."

Zhu Youcheng waved his hand, "Compared to the wisdom and prowess of the late emperor, everything I have done is insignificant. Moreover, I have strictly forbidden Wang Yue from sending troops to advance recklessly. He is only leading troops to do some management in the Hetao region. Before the winter arrives, as long as the fortress cannot be built, he will definitely withdraw his troops! In that case, there is no need to take it too seriously."

Zhu Youcheng explained that he inherited Emperor Chenghua's determination to conquer the grasslands, and also expressed his intention not to send troops to the grasslands directly this winter... in order to appease the ministers present.

……

……

The imperial court then issued an edict, urging Wang Yue to withdraw his troops from the Hetao region while agreeing to the request of the Tatar prince Batumonke to come to the capital to pay tribute and submit.

The imperial edict strictly ordered Batu Mongke to come to the capital in person, not to accept any form of tribute on his behalf, and to send envoys every year in accordance with national etiquette. He was also required to accept investiture from the Ming Dynasty, just like Korea and other countries, and even for each new emperor to come to the capital of the Ming Dynasty to pay homage to the emperor.

It was essentially putting pressure on the Tatars.

Didn't you want to show your allegiance to the Ming Dynasty so that you could stabilize the precarious external situation and facilitate your internal unification?

Then I will grant your request and allow you to come to the Ming Dynasty in person. In this way, the court can easily detain you with any excuse and you won't be able to return for a while.

The reason you were allowed to return safely last time was because the Ming Dynasty had not yet formulated a detailed conquest plan. Now, the Ming Dynasty has sent Wang Yue to govern the three border regions, which is clearly aimed at you. Let's see if you dare to come at this critical juncture.

The news sent a great stir among the people of the Ming Dynasty.

As for what Wang Yue thinks, it seems no one cares...

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the emperor's move was more of a strategic retreat, and it was highly likely that Batu Mongke would not dare to come to the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

If they could come, that would be wonderful. The Ming Dynasty could subdue the enemy without a fight; there's nothing wrong with that.

Conversely, anything is possible.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Luan appeared very anxious, as it was completely different from his original plan.

To verify this matter, he was too embarrassed to go directly to the palace to find the emperor's son-in-law, since he had been slacking off for too long. So he went to Xu Qiong's residence to ask his sister and brother what was going on.

Because he had to deal with government affairs overnight, Xu Qiong originally planned to spend the night at the Ministry of Personnel and attend the court assembly early the next morning. He did not intend to go home, but when he heard from a servant that Zhang Luan was waiting for him at his residence, he had no choice but to patiently hurry back home.

He had assumed Zhang Luan had some important matter to discuss with him, but when he learned that Zhang Luan was merely inquiring about the court's strategy for sending troops to the grasslands, he became somewhat impatient:

"If you have questions, why don't you go to the palace to seek His Majesty's answers? His Majesty has summoned you several times, but you have not come to see him. Now you come to me to inquire about information? Do you think I know more than you do?"

Xu Qiong was clearly also seething with anger.

He originally thought that with Zhang Luan absent, he could act on Zhang Luan's behalf, or even on behalf of the emperor's will... But the ideal was far from reality. He found it difficult to accurately guess the emperor's intentions, and the emperor was unusually weak when dealing with civil officials and those forces that opposed him. Sometimes he didn't even know which of the court's decisions were the emperor's true intentions.

Xu Qiong had served in Nanjing for a long time and did not have a high status or position in the court. After being forcibly pushed into the cabinet by Zhang Luan, he was suppressed by Xu Pu and Liu Jian. He finally managed to regain some ground by virtue of his position in the Ministry of Personnel. Now he cannot openly show the emperor's reliance on him in the court. It would be strange if he was not depressed.

You, Zhang Luan, actually have the nerve to come to my door and ask me about important matters of the court?

Zhang Luan, with a shameless air, said: "Isn't this a special situation... I haven't been to court these past few days, so I don't know the specifics... But why did the court agree to the Tatars paying tribute? If the Tatar prince really comes, then the plan to pacify the grasslands will have to be put on hold?"

Xu Qiong said, "Lai Zhan, you have to ask His Majesty about this yourself. Or perhaps your son Yanling knows more about it... Even I don't quite understand the decision His Majesty has made so far, so it's not appropriate for me to explain it to you."

Zhang Luan nodded: "I also feel that His Majesty's attitude on this matter seems not resolute enough! Logically speaking, the new army is now fully trained, firearms have been manufactured, and Wang Shichang has been sent to the Northwest. There is no reason for him to back down at the last minute. So I wanted to suggest that we find some people to jointly submit a memorial to His Majesty, urging him to make a decision as soon as possible. What do you think?"

“Lai Zhan, it’s good to do this, but aren’t you afraid…” Xu Qiong perked up immediately upon hearing this. It seemed that Zhang Luan was about to do something and show his strong side.

But aren't you afraid of offending those conservative civil officials in the court?

It seems that apart from me, from the cabinet ministers to the six ministers, no one would tolerate you doing this!

You've always been lukewarm and insincere with everyone, so others don't bother with you. But once you become assertive, you'll become the target of everyone's criticism.

Zhang Luan said, “I have considered this matter repeatedly at home… His Majesty may need a more resolute force in the court to stand up and support him!”

Xu Qiong continued, "But His Majesty has already decreed that the Tatar prince will soon come to the capital to pay tribute and submit. Isn't what you're doing... a bit too late?" Zhang Luan asked curiously, "Isn't it too late?"

"We should at least wait until the Tatars break their promise and fail to fulfill their petition before taking action against them. This is the only righteous and honorable way," Xu Qiong advised.

Zhang Luan waved his hand: "I think there's no need for that! You should know that as long as there is a firm force in the court that opposes the Tatars' submission and takes a stand to fight them, when the news reaches the grasslands, the Tatars will feel tremendous pressure, making them even more caught in a dilemma regarding whether to submit or not!"

Xu Qiong said, "Are you trying to put pressure on the Tatars in this way?"

Zhang Luan said, "Isn't it good that His Majesty realizes that there are people in the court who support his military strategy? I just don't know how many people he can contact at once? How many officials can sign a joint memorial?"

"If that's really the case..."

Xu Qiong thought for a moment and said, "There are probably not many officials in the capital right now. I estimate there are about forty or fifty people above the rank of principal officer in the Six Ministries. If you add the officials around Shuntian Prefecture, the number should barely exceed one hundred."

Zhang Luan asked curiously, "Are there that many?"

Xu Qiong said, "Now that everything is being rebuilt, many of the previous orders have been disrupted. Seeing that His Majesty has the hope of inheriting the late emperor's will and pacifying the grasslands, only a pedantic person would sing a dissenting tune at this time."

Zhang Luan smiled and said, "If that's the case, then I'll trouble you, Shi Yong, to help make the contact. As for the memorial, you can draft it yourself."

"Lai Zhan, you know how to sign your name, right?"

Xu Qiong asked, "And is it the one in charge?"

Zhang Luan frowned and said, "Of course. I was the one who brought this up, how could I just sit idly by?"

Xu Qiong finally breathed a sigh of relief, because he had seen too many unreliable aspects of Zhang Luan and was afraid that Zhang Luan would abandon his responsibilities at a crucial moment. So he said, "Then I will draft a memorial in the next two days and give it to you to review first. After you and I have discussed it, we will show it to the other officials in the capital."

"well."

Zhang Luan responded with a smile.

The estrangement between the two eased at this moment, and Xu Qiong finally saw the shining points in Zhang Luan.

Xu Qiong said, "Lai Zhan, I'm not trying to criticize you, but His Majesty entrusts you with important responsibilities because he hopes that you can stand up for him at crucial moments and boost the morale of the court officials. There are many things that His Majesty cannot say, so you have to figure them out, convey them to the court officials, and then bring them up at the court meeting to create a situation where everyone responds to your call."

Zhang Luan asked, "Then... Shi Yong, let me ask you, if Yanling were to be sent to Yansui to lead troops, would you support it?"

Why would you ask that?

Xu Qiong frowned and said, "Isn't Wang Shichang in charge of the troops? Yanling has always been in charge of logistics such as preparing money and supplies, and I haven't seen him have any actual ability to lead troops. If he has to accompany the army, wouldn't it be better to let him take orders from Wang Shichang?"

Zhang Luan sighed, “This is the real reason I came to see you today. That brat Yanling has always told me that to achieve great things, one must be at the forefront of battle. I didn’t think much of it then… But now, the war in the Northwest seems… to be getting closer and closer! If I continue to allow him to stay in the Northwest, or even gradually get closer to Wang Shichang and lead his troops north… Alas, if anything happens to him, my Zhang family…”

Xu Qiong said, "The Zhang family is now regarded by His Majesty as the pillars of the Ming Dynasty, irreplaceable by anyone. What is Yanling plotting? What encouragement did you give him before that made him have such thoughts?"

Zhang Luan shook his head: "He was the one who devised all the development plans for my family! So I don't know what he's thinking... He's very obsessed with it!"

"Does Lai Zhan mean that, in addition to firmly supporting His Majesty's military campaign in the Northwest, we must also prevent... Yanling from leading troops on the front lines?"

Xu Qiong asked, "Have you discussed this matter with His Majesty? Has His Majesty agreed to let Yanling lead the troops?"

Zhang Luan said, "I am even more worried because I know His Majesty will agree and push Yanling to the front line. Swords have no eyes... I am in the capital, and in just two years, I have almost been killed several times... Sigh! If he goes to the battlefield... I can't even imagine how dangerous it will be."

Xu Qiong comforted him, "You don't need to worry too much. It's easy to dodge a spear but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. In the capital, you'll be facing petty villains who will launch sneak attacks, which is completely different from the environment Yanling will face. If you really try your best to bring him back... Yanling won't... blame you, will he?"

"I……"

Zhang Luan was also having a headache.

On one hand, she wanted to keep her son out of danger, but on the other hand, she hoped he could achieve great things. She also knew that she had no real skills and didn't want to hold her son back...

She was worried about her son and afraid something might happen to him, but at the same time, she didn't dare to offend him.

Zhang Luan was the one who was most conflicted.

Xu Qiong said, "I understand. If we tell Yanling about this, he definitely won't agree to return to the capital. He has to participate in the war in the Northwest, and he wants to lead troops on the front line. Don't you want him to know that you're... making things worse behind my back?"

"Correct."

Zhang Luan nodded.

Xu Qiong understood and said, "In that case, let's create an environment that makes His Majesty think that Yanling has no actual experience in leading troops, and that pacifying the grasslands is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and that one battle cannot determine the final outcome. It would be better to let Yanling accumulate more experience and prestige in the army... It would be inappropriate to directly summon him back to the capital, so let's leave him in Xuanfu or Datong, not on the front line!"

Zhang Luan asked, "You mean...?"

Xu Qiong laughed and said, "Think about it, would Wang Shichang gladly agree to let someone else be above him? Especially your youngest son, who is still so immature as a brother-in-law of the emperor?"

"Of course he refused."

Zhang Luan said with certainty.

“Yes, I think so too. Wang Shichang’s unauthorized deployment of troops to the Hetao region is enough to show how eager he is to make a name for himself,” Xu Qiong said. “Now, apart from His Majesty, no one else will easily agree with Yanling leading troops into battle. Even you, as his father… didn’t you…”

“I just want to protect his safety. Yanling is very capable, but anything can happen on the battlefield. For example... before Zhao Kuo actually led troops, everyone thought he was a master of military strategy, but he was exposed as a fraud as soon as he went to the battlefield. I don’t want him to follow in his footsteps.”

Zhang Luan tried to justify his behavior.

It's not about holding things back, it's just about considering the bigger picture.

Xu Qiong said, "As long as the people in the court know that His Majesty intends for Yanling to govern the army in the Northwest instead of going to mine... then, without you or me taking action, someone will naturally pull him back. When the time comes, you can then mention to His Majesty that he should gain some experience in Xuanda instead of going to the front line. When war breaks out again in a few years, it will not be too late for him to step forward and take up arms."

(End of this chapter)