Guangzong Yaoming

Chapter 122 Appointment Announcement, Deployment of Troops

Another month passed after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the Ministry of Personnel finally "completed" the performance evaluation of all the officials in office during the Ming Dynasty.

This means that large-scale by-elections are finally about to be implemented.

After the new regulations were set, the "cabinet power" increased greatly.

The plan for exchange and rotation of salt transport and the arrangement of salt tax are ultimately based on the opinions of cabinet ministers.

When the emperor consults on matters at court meetings, most court officials who want to express their opinions are now more cautious.

Because there are some matters where the emperor still has doubts about the opinions of the cabinet ministers, who knows whether the emperor will take out the secret memorial of someone as a basis for discussion with the cabinet ministers?

To criticize someone face to face is to be upright, but to oppose loudly in secret will inevitably make people feel that you are harboring personal grudges.

What should I do if I am then retaliated against by cabinet ministers?
At the court meeting on the first day of the month, the emperor ordered: The by-election of officials in the two capitals has already resulted in the Ministry of Personnel's recommendation and the cabinet has also drawn up a list of candidates. The appointment of personnel is important and the list will be made public for seven days. If you think that the candidates still need to be considered, please submit a memorial.

You guys haven't seen this trick yet.

In the past, they would debate face to face during the nominations by the ministry and the court, and finally submit a short list of at least two people for the emperor to choose.

Now the cabinet first selects the final candidate from the long list, then makes it public for seven days, and then reports the opinion secretly to the emperor, and then the emperor considers it?
This approach of trusting cabinet ministers while being wary of them at the same time made the court officials feel uneasy.

This concerns the many vacancies for officials in the capital besides the Ministry of Personnel which has already been filled!
This one important event today was enough to keep them busy. After the court was dismissed, Zhu Changluo first attended the imperial lectures which were changed to be held twice a month. In the afternoon, he summoned all the new meritorious officials who had arrived in Beijing and the officials who were about to take up their posts.

Zhu Changluo also changed all the expressions of thanks and farewell to the emperor to be done in private.

In front of them, Li Chengliang, Yu Zigao and Qi Zuoguo were in the front row, and Chen Lin, Ma Gui, Liu Jing, Xiao Ruxun and Dayun were in the back.

After giving thanks, no seat was given.

"I am not going to beat around the bush with you guys, just in case some of you don't understand."

After saying this, Liu Jing felt a little embarrassed: He had been waiting in the capital for the past two months, and he often did not understand what was said during the court sessions.

Li Chengliang clasped his fists and said, "I respectfully listen to your majesty's instructions!"

"Good! When Ningyuan Hou went to work that day, he understood that I would still have to train and use troops in the future, otherwise why would I need to train the Beijing camp?" Zhu Changluo said seriously, "Now it is my turn to issue military orders."

Then Li Chengliang took the lead and knelt on one knee: "I obey your orders!"

"The Grand Marshal has already started to clean up the abuse and occupation of labor together with Xiong Tingbi, the Right Attendant of the Military Department. Yao Jike, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, has already drawn up a plan to renovate the barracks." Zhu Changluo looked at them one by one, "Li Chengliang, you lead Liu Jing, Xiao Ruxun, Yu Zigao, Qi Zuoguo, as well as the Duke of Yingguo, Ma Lin and the other lieutenant generals and guerrillas to select young and strong men and recruit new soldiers! In September after the fall, when the camp is set up, I will personally inspect it!"

"The last general takes command!"

After several people finished speaking, Zhu Changluo nodded and said, "Go ahead. From now on, the emperor and his subjects will be straightforward in dealing with matters in the capital."

Zhu Changluo supported all the generals that Li Chengliang, Liu Jing, Xiao Ruxun and others wanted to use.

Yu Zigao said that he was originally preparing to take the military examination, but he had never actually led troops, so he needed to practice.

The same goes for Qi Zuoguo.

Now, except for Duke of England Zhang Weixian, Yu Zigao, Qi Zuoguo and others, the rest of the generals in the Beijing camp are brave generals who have emerged after several battles of the Ming Dynasty. As long as the salary is guaranteed, Zhu Changluo believes that he can still motivate them to compete with each other.

Only Chen Lin, Ma Gui and Dayun were left in the hall.

"East Li and West Ma, you must not lose your reputation when you go to Liaodong." Zhu Changluo looked at Ma Gui again, "I will restrain the old general of Ningyuan Marquis and make him obey your orders. I have also arranged food and wages. When you go to Liaodong, you must do two things first. First, enforce military discipline. I will execute anyone who harms border soldiers and civilians. I will allow you to suppress anyone who mutinis! Second, protect border markets and do not exploit merchants and travelers. The Shanhaiguan uprising and Ma Lin are precedents."

"The last general takes command!"

After he got the title of earl, he went to Li Chengliang's old lair and became famous. How shameful it would be for him, Ma Gui, if he was ridiculed as not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath?

It has to be said that the emperor's decision to send Ma Gui to Liaodong put a lot of pressure on him.

Neither of these two things is simple, and each of them can show whether he can really control the brave generals and soldiers of Liaodong.

Ma Gui left and was about to take up his new post.

And then there is Dayun.

Zhu Changluo smiled at him and said, "I summon you to the capital. From now on, you will be my personal guard general."

Dayun was stunned for a moment: "General of the Royal Guards?"

Zhu Changluo nodded and said, "Under the Imperial Horse Administration, the four guard camps will be streamlined into the Yongwei Camp, and you will be the commander. Five thousand elite soldiers will be divided into five camps, one for you, Xiliang soldiers, one for Bozhou white-pole soldiers, and another for you, the Honor Guard. Another two camps will be selected from the four guard camps."

"...Your Majesty wants me to summon a thousand soldiers from Xiliang from Gansu?" Dayun was shocked.

"You and your subordinates' private soldiers are all my private soldiers." Zhu Changluo nodded, "Write a letter and send it back, Cheng Jing, then you will take Xiliang Bo to the Four Guards Camp." "...I obey your orders!"

Dayun was wondering what this general of the personal guard meant, but the emperor was not afraid of him and his generals bringing their family soldiers into the camp, which meant that he must have enough confidence to guarantee their loyalty.

Of course, as a foreigner who was granted the title of earl and now enjoyed such high trust from the emperor, Dayun had no intention of being disloyal.

In the end, only the veteran Chen Lin was left.

He is almost seventy years old.

"Pingyi Bo, you have the heaviest burden."

"Your Majesty, if you have any orders, I will obey them!"

"Stand up and take a seat." Zhu Changluo said solemnly, "I want you to go to Nanjing. What you have to do is simple, but you must spend a lot of energy to deal with the officials in Nanjing."

Of course, let him be the admiral to command the river.

As for the Yangtze River Navy, the current situation is in all aspects.

From military discipline to warships and the constraints of Nanjing officials, it all requires someone with sufficient experience to preside over it.

The previous Xiangcheng Earl Li Chenggong could only maintain it symbolically, allowing the Yangtze River Navy to exist by inertia.

But now Zhu Changluo has different expectations.

"The additional 200,000 taels of gold and silver will be delivered to the capital by the reformed Zhayang General." Zhu Changluo looked at Chen Lin, "but in the end, it will be decided that 100,000 taels will remain in Nanjing. The Xiaoling Guard will receive 30,000 taels, and the Yangtze River Navy will receive 70,000 taels. With this amount every year, the Jiang Censors will keep an eye on whether you have made the Yangtze River Navy look brand new, and they will also be afraid of the Yangtze River Navy being brand new."

"...I will...do my best."

"There are not many brave generals who understand naval warfare." Zhu Changluo looked at him, "It is also extremely important to pass on this skill."

"I understand!" Chen Lin is so old, how could he not understand what this means?
He didn't know what method the emperor would use. Would the people in Nanjing watch helplessly as the emperor allocated 100,000 taels of silver every year for military affairs in Nanjing?
Zhu Changluo told him about some of the arrangements that had been made previously for Xu Hongji, Duke of Wei, and chatted with him for about three quarters of an hour before arriving in Beijing to express his gratitude and bid farewell to the emperor, Yuan Keli and Li Ruhua.

Yuan Keli is forty years old this year, and Li Ruhua is seven years older than him.

Zhu Changluo had a different approach towards civil officials.

"The Khanate moved eastward, the Jurchens fought in chaos, and Korea restored its country." After Zhu Changluo finished his polite words with them, he began to talk business. "The threat of the barbarians in the Ming Dynasty now only exists around Liaodong."

"After I came to Beijing, I heard that Your Majesty has been conferring honors and training the Beijing army, and he is still eager for war and merit." Li Ruhua said cautiously, "It is really not appropriate to use troops hastily now. Moreover, Korea has always been loyal and obedient, and the Jurchens dare not cause trouble to the Ming Dynasty. Why does Your Majesty compare them with the Khan's captives?"

"It's better to be prepared. I have already issued a clear order, you don't have to worry too much." Zhu Changluo said, "However, Liaodong is the gateway to the Eastern Division. Now the border generals are domineering, there are many deserters, and merchants are repeatedly exploited. In front, there was the rebellion of the bandits in Gushanbao, and in the back, there was the rebellion of the Shanhaiguan people. If Liaodong continues to be corrupted, then the loyal foreign vassal today will suddenly become ambitious."

He looked at the two again and said, "I heard that you are surveying the land in your hometown. If Liaodong is lost and the capital is unstable, how can we govern the country and keep the south of the Yangtze River safe?"

The two of them were moved and thought of Qi Jiguang's posthumous title.

Yuan Keli bowed and said, "I understand. Since you have the king's order, I will obey it."

He did not obey all the emperor's orders. Wasn't he dismissed from his post in the past because he repeatedly angered Zhu Yijun?

Now we can only see some clues. Whether it was the emperor's request for his reinstatement first, or the three cabinet ministers' request later, or the current discussions among the court and the public, it all showed that the emperor was preparing for something bigger.

If Liaodong continues to deteriorate, the capital may indeed become unstable.

If the capital is unstable, Nanjing and Jiangnan will become more important.

Only the nine borders that are stable enough can weaken the importance of Jiangnan.

Zhu Changluo believes in their abilities, but has not yet established enough mutual trust with them.

"I'll leave Liaodong to you."

Now he just stood up and bowed to express his respect for these two people.

Xing Jie was the governor of the entire Ji-Liao region. Now that he was old, he had long wanted to retire.

In Liaodong, Li Ruhua was actually in charge of military and civil affairs, while Yuan Keli was actually responsible for impeachment.

The emperor expressed his expectation for their taking up the post. The two men, who were known for their integrity and honesty and had their own aspirations, were still pleased with the emperor's behavior.

After all, he has shown himself to be much more respectful and strategic than the previous one.

After arranging the affairs of the Beijing camp and Liaodong, Zhu Changluo could finally focus on the next matters with peace of mind.

Seven days later, after the list of by-elections for officials in the two capitals was officially decided, the Ming Dynasty government finally completed its deployment!
(End of this chapter)