The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 195 Allies Finished One by One
In the spring of the second year of Taichang, when the Kaiyuan army was fighting with the Eight Banners of the Later Jin, the Liaoxi army refused the invitation and chose to sit on the mountain and watch the fight.

Zu Dashou used the excuse of "not having received orders from the Ministry of War" to refuse to send any troops to support, and at the same time intercepted the 20,000 shi of grain and fodder allocated by the court to Kaiyuan at Shanhaiguan.

He also encouraged the surrounding Liao people to redistribute the vast tracts of fertile land in Kaiyuan, which they had "occupied since ancient times," to the Liaoxi military leaders, thus realizing Zu Dashou's dream of "setting aside disputes and jointly developing."

The relationship between Kaiyuan and western Liaoning deteriorated comprehensively.

Ping Liao Hou relied on the strong military force of Kaiyuan and disdained to take the easy approach first and then the difficult one. He had not taken any fatal action against Liaoxi before, and now he was busy attacking Hetuala.

In early March, taking advantage of the Kaiyuan army's expedition to Hetuala, the Zu family army quickly blockaded the Liaoxi Isthmus. Simultaneously, they cut off sea transport between Jinzhou, Fuzhou, and Shandong. Thus, the Liaodong-Shandong trade route, newly established by Ping Liaohou, was severed by Zu Dashou and other military leaders. This move, Zu Dashou's tactic of cutting off Liu Zhaosun's support, was clearly intended to kill him.

~~~~~
The drawbacks of Ping Liaohou's radical expansion strategy gradually became apparent.

The 5,000 troops from the headquarters, numbering 1,000, who remained in Wendeng, were effectively isolated. Commander Zheng Yishi repeatedly sent scouts to contact the main force in Kaiyuan, but each attempt was blocked by Zu's forces outside Shanhaiguan.

All six thousand headquarters were thrown into the final battle against the Eight Banners, and the two reserve divisions that had been reserved were now also thrown into the battlefield. And Hetuala, like a giant meat grinder, was constantly devouring the lives of soldiers on both sides.

Ping Liaohou had never commanded a large-scale battle involving tens of thousands of people - in fact, throughout the Ming Dynasty, there was no general who could command a corps in battle during this period - and coupled with the sudden change in the situation in Hetuala, everything was heading towards the unknown.

At the beginning of the afternoon on February 25, the second year of Taichang, Jin Yuji gave birth to a daughter in the backyard of the Wendeng County Government Office.

Fortunately, mother and daughter are safe.

The civil affairs of Wendeng were under the charge of County Magistrate Jiang Ding, assisted by County Magistrate Chen Xin.

Chen Xin, whose courtesy name was Minyou, was a native of Shandong. His ancestral home was Tianjin Wei. He grew up in Wendeng and was originally a centurion of Weihaiwei. In the first year of Taichang, he was on his way to suppress the Wenxiang Sect and unfortunately fell into the hands of Xu Hongru. He was castrated by the Wenxiang Sect (the castration was not complete). He was later rescued by Ping Liaohou. Under the "inspiration" of Ma Shiying, he chose to defect to Kaiyuan.

One thousand soldiers were stationed in Wendeng County, with Zheng Yishi as the chief officer and his brother-in-law Jin Dajiu as the military supervisor.

Zheng Yishi and Jin Dajiu were worried about revenge from the remnants of the Bailian clan, so they sent people to guard the Wendeng County Government Office.

Even if the Kaiyuan army was willing, it was unable to take care of Shandong as well.

Wenden was surrounded by enemies on all sides. They circled around Wenden like vultures, waiting for the outcome of the battle at Hetuala to be resolved.

If the Kaiyuan army is defeated, they will rush in and swallow this piece of fat meat.

The war is fierce and dangerous, and the situation is serious.

At the same time, Emperor Taichang Zhu Changluo, who had been lying in wait for a long time and was ready to attack Kaiyuan, finally waited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

~~~~~
As early as two months ago, Ping Liaohou had successfully suppressed the rebellion and led his army back to Kaiyuan. In December of the first year of Taichang, Emperor Taichang Zhu Changluo summoned the commander Xu Xianchun alone to the Wenhua Hall.

There was a strong sandstorm in the capital that day. Xu Xianchun arrived at Chongwenmen in a sedan chair. After getting off the sedan chair, he followed the young eunuch Cao Huachun, passed through the palace gates, and walked towards Wenhua Hall.

"Eunuch Cao, I wonder why the Emperor has suddenly summoned me."

Xu Xianchun is the grandson of Xu Congcheng, the son-in-law of the emperor. He has some knowledge of literature and was a military scholar in the 46th year of Wanli. Together with Tian Ergeng, Sun Yunhe, Yang Huan, Cui Yingyuan and other four people, they are known as the "Five Tigers" of the East Factory. They are considered to be Wei Zhongxian's right-hand men. His current position as the commander of the Jinyiwei was also given by Eunuch Wei.

There have been rumors circulating in the capital lately about Wei Zhongxian. Some gossipers have written inscriptions on the imperial gazette, insinuatingly attacking the Ninth Prince, saying that Wei Zhongxian accepted three million silver coins from Liaodong, three carts of treasures, and over eighty beautiful women from Jianzhou...

This matter caused a sensation in the capital. Xu Xianchun was ordered to investigate thoroughly and arrested several poor scholars in a row. After interrogation, he could not get to the point. The person who could describe the Liao salary accounts so clearly was obviously not an ordinary person. Seeing that the mastermind behind the scenes was at large, Wei Zhongxian was furious and ordered to capture him within a certain period of time, otherwise he would throw Xu Xianchun into prison.

Cao Huachun glanced back at Xu Xianchun, his eyes narrowed into a line, and said meaningfully: "Mr. Xu thinks too highly of me. I'm just a waiter beside the Emperor. How can I know about those military and national affairs that determine life and death? Hahaha."

Xu Xianchun heard the hidden meaning in his words, and when he reached the corner of the palace wall, he quickly pulled Cao Huachun aside, took out an egg-sized pearl from his sleeve, and said with a smile:

"Eunuch Cao is too modest. We are all good brothers from the East Factory. Eunuch Cao has been serving the emperor at such a high level that he is on par with the Ninth Prince. Now that he has risen to prominence, he must not forget us old brothers."

As he said this, he stuffed the Dongzhu into Cao Huachun's hand. Cao Huachun declined for a moment, but seeing that no one was around, he quickly hid the bead in his sleeve. The frown that had just been furrowed suddenly relaxed, and he patted Xu Xianchun's shoulder:

"Mr. Xu, what's the point of saying this is a great opportunity? It's nothing more than a gift from His Majesty. If you seize this opportunity, you will soar to the sky. His Majesty is eagerly waiting for Mr. Xu in Wenhua Palace."

Xu Xianchun pressed on, "Good news?"

Cao Huachun smiled mysteriously: "Of course it's a good thing!"

……

Emperor Taichang asked about the affairs of Ping Liaohou.

Xu Xianchun said, "Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei have discovered that the Marquis of Ping Liao eats two or three liters of food a day. Those in the army who have been fined twenty or more are all self-reflective, hugging women left and right, reveling every night, and have no sense of self-control."

Zhu Changluo laughed and said, "Liu Zhaosun eats so little, yet works so hard, and is still addicted to women. How can he possibly live a long life?
Xu Xianchun echoed, "Your Majesty is wise. Liu Zhaosun just recovered from a serious illness a month ago. Jinyiwei Zhu Ba heard from a blind fortune teller from Liaodong that Liu Zhaosun had consulted him and was told that he would not live past thirty."

Zhu Changluo was overjoyed: "He really is dying. Let him remain Marquis of Ping Liao for a few more months!"

Xu Xianchun echoed, "Our emperor is wise and powerful. If he kills this traitor, the Ming Dynasty will be forever secure."

"My father was angered to death by Liu Zhaosun. I will not let this villain die so easily."

"Xu Xianchun," Zhu Changluo looked up at the deputy commander.

"The minister is here."

"Do you want to take it a step further?"

Zhu Changluo said, raising a sword:
"This sword is the Sun and Moon Sword. There are two of them, one male and one female. The late emperor once gave the female sword to Wei Zhongxian, allowing him to take charge of the Imperial Household Department. Unfortunately, this thief colluded with foreign officials and brought disaster to the world..."

Xu Xianchun's eyes kept changing. He looked around and whispered:

"Your Majesty, rumors in the capital are spreading that Wei Zhongxian and Liu Zhaosun have divided up Duke Yansheng's fortune, not even sparing the maids of the Confucius Mansion, and embezzling Liao military funds..."

Zhu Changluo interrupted with a wave of his hand: "That's not a rumor, it's true."

Xu Xianchun was stunned.

Emperor Taichang continued, "I asked Eunuch Cao to spread the news."

Xu Xianchun opened his mouth wide but didn't dare to speak.

"I have been on guard against them for a long time!"

"To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the country. A traitor disguised as a loyal person is exactly what Wei Zhongxian is all about! First, eliminate the traitor within the family, then deal with the cabinet, and finally execute Ping Liaohou."

After Zhu Changluo finished speaking, he handed the sword to Xu Xianchun personally.

"Xu Qing, you and your father are both loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty, true confidants. Today, I offer you this majestic sword as a reward. Can you grasp it?"

Xu Xianchun was overjoyed: "Your Majesty, I have it under control, I have it under control! I am grateful for your appreciation, and I will go through fire and water for you!"

Two days later, in the inner hall of the Dongjishi Factory.

Wei Zhongxian held incense in his hands and bowed three times reverently to the statue of Yue Fei.

"I just got back from the Imperial City! The Emperor is cursing the Marquis of Ping Liao! Last year, he took Wendeng and then went to Qufu to kill people! He even killed the Duke of Yansheng! He slaughtered an entire family! Last month, without an order from the Ministry of War, he attacked Hetuala again. The Emperor is furious and wants to hold me accountable!"

"Master, please calm down. There is no need to get angry with this military man. He has caused so many troubles that no one would believe that he is not rebelling! Why should you speak for him again?" Xu Xianchun smiled and brought up the hot tea and handed it to Wei Zhongxian.

The factory manager was furious and slammed the teacup heavily on the table. Thinking of the emperor's vicious look, he still felt a chill.

Jiu Qiansui looked back and saw Xu Xianchun’s face was pale.

"Face, what's wrong?"

"The wind is blowing, and the sand is blowing hard outside..."

"Why is it yellow again?"

"It's so cold it's waxing."

Wei Zhongxian didn't ask any more questions. He held the teacup and opened the lid. Xu Xianchun stood respectfully beside him, glancing at the teacup.

Suddenly, Jiu Qiansui remembered something and put the teacup down again.

"Has Li Kuilong returned to the East Factory?"

Xu Xianchun's body swayed slightly, and he said quickly: "My Lord, I haven't seen Captain Li."

"Where's Shen Lian?"

"Zuo Guangdou and his accomplices are still being tried in the imperial prison."

Wei Zhongxian said "oh" and raised his teacup again.

"The Emperor summoned me to the Qianqing Palace today to question whether I had accepted bribes from Liu Zhaosun, and to inquire about the current whereabouts of the Yansheng Duke's antiques. He also wanted to investigate the rumormonger. How are your investigations going..."

Xu Xianchun knelt down and said, "I'm investigating and have found some clues...it seems to be one of Lord Fang's staff..."

"Lord Fang?"

Wei Zhongxian carefully studied Xu Xianchun. "Several of our adopted sons have been sent to Nanzhili. A few days ago, a censor from Nanzhili accepted money from Liu Yijing and impeached merchants under Ping Liaohou for bullying the market in Jiangnan and reselling antiques, claiming they looked like treasures from the Yansheng Duke... We want that censor to die."

"Hey! This Ping Liao Hou, not only did he rob the Yansheng Duke, he also openly sold the Kong family property... Isn't this embarrassing for our family? We pledged our loyalty back then!"

Xu Xianchun echoed, "Nine Thousand Princes treated him with great kindness, yet he fought against the White Lotus Sect and the Jian Nu without even notifying the Factory Guild. He's truly heartless..."

Wei Zhongxian's expression was grim, and Xu Xianchun stopped talking.

"The current emperor is gifted with great power and is blessed by the gods. Elder Fang is about to step down, and the new Prime Minister is at odds with us. Be careful what you do! Don't let anyone get hold of you!"

"I understand, Factory Master!"

Xu Xianchun glanced at the teacup on the table and slowed down his tone: "Boss, there's something I want to tell you. I'm not sure if I should tell you."

"What about Shen Lian?"

"Master, please be kind. He was having an affair with Zuo Guangdou in Yongping. For the sake of Zuo's daughter, he even injured a capable soldier under Master's command. Then he came back and drank all day..."

"We know all this, but he's also a tough kid to tame!"

"Master, there's one more thing. Last time we went to Yang Lian's house to search his property, Shen Lian used the excuse that he didn't go. He was going to see the guards Liu Zhaosun, the three people who gave money to Liu Yijing."

"Marquis Ping Liao is giving money to Liu Yijing?" Wei Zhongxian's face suddenly turned gloomy.

"Exactly! I, the humble servant, also find it incredible, but it was indeed seen by the guards. There were three of them in total, one of whom was the head servant of Liu Jing."

"Pei Dahu."

Wei Zhongxian had an ugly expression on his face.

"Xu Xianchun, how do we treat Captain Shen?"

"The factory owner treated Shen Lian with great kindness, even closer than his own son. He paved the way for him, helped him achieve merit, and favored him in every way. However, Shen Lian acted recklessly and offended many people in the North and South Pacification Office..."

Wei Zhongxian sighed deeply, "I can't say I've been so kind to him. Whenever there's good news, he's always allowed to go first, so he can make money and achieve merit. It's a shame he was ruined by a woman. We've tried to persuade him not to be soft-hearted, but I never expected he'd let a woman ruin him in the end!"

"Factory manager?"

Xu Xianchun gestured at his neck, making a beheading gesture.

"He is my brother, I cannot kill him. First, remove him from office and wait for your punishment!"

"I will send someone to catch him right away."

Wei Zhongxian said impatiently, "Go down."

After saying that, Xu Xianchun grabbed the teacup, bowed, stared at the teacup, and slowly walked out of the hall.

Wei Zhongxian was the only one left in the conference room. The factory manager narrowed his eyes, sipped his tea carefully, and recalled very distant things, his eyes constantly changing.

"what!"

Suddenly, Jiu Qiansui screamed and felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen. He looked down at the teacup, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused. He was about to call his adopted sons to come forward when he remembered that none of them were around.

My throat felt like it was being cut by a knife, and it was so hot that I couldn't make a sound. Finally, my vision went black and I fell to the ground.

~~~
On the morning of February 18th, the second year of the Taichang reign, Beijing, after a long, cold winter, finally felt a hint of warmth. At dawn, a few clap of spring thunder rumbled, followed by a gentle drizzle. When the rain stopped, the sun shone on the bluestone slabs of Chang'an Avenue, and the weather began to warm slightly. Night watchmen, rubbing their hands, ate flatbreads at the morning market. After the fifth watch drums rang out from the towers, the capital, which had been slumbering all night, suddenly erupted in a cacophony of shouts, the clatter of sedan chairs, the clatter of horses' hooves, and the sound of greetings. On the streets leading to the imperial city, official sedan chairs of all sizes hurried past one after another. The citizens of the Taichang dynasty knew that today was another day for court proceedings.

New emperor, new atmosphere. The people in the capital all knew that Emperor Taichang was a world apart from his father, Emperor Shenzong. If it were not for the strong wind and hail, those officials in official uniforms and armor who usually lived a life of luxury would have to go to the Forbidden City for morning court every day, which was really miserable.

The clepsydra in the Imperial Palace announced the hour of the tiger, and the two heavy vermilion-lacquered doors of the Cabinet Office in the southeast corner of the Meridian Gate of the Imperial City were slowly pushed open by the doorman.

The cabinet's chief minister, Fang Congzhe, and his deputy, Liu Yijing, emerged from the hallway. The melodious and majestic sound of bells and drums echoed through the layers of red walls and green tiles. The civil and military officials attending the audience, led by officials from the Honglu Temple, had already arrived and taken their positions outside the Huangji Hall.

The warm sunlight shines on the Forbidden City, and the magnificent glazed tiles shine with royal majesty.

Xu Xianchun, the chief eunuch in charge of imperial ceremonies, approached, surrounded by a group of people. Fang Congzhe saw them and hurried forward to pay his respects. "Eunuch Xu? Is it about that Shandong incident?"

Xu Xianchun glanced at him and deliberately raised his orchid finger (because he had just become a eunuch, the orchid finger movement was not very standard): "Old Fang, what time is it now? It's still Shandong, Shandong. His Majesty is worried about Liaodong. Zhao Jingzhong said that the emperor didn't sleep a wink last night!"

Fang Congzhe took a deep breath. Wei Zhongxian died suddenly, and Ping Liaohou was provoking border conflicts in Liaodong. No matter whether it was Shandong or Liaodong, the trouble was related to him. Thinking that he was speaking for Ping Liaohou in the court not long ago, he couldn't help but feel terrified.

I don't know where the news came from, but the topic of today's morning court is to discuss how to deal with the willful Marquis Ping Liao.

A new emperor has new ministers. The three-horse team that originally worked closely together, the Prime Minister, the Imperial Household Department, and the Marquis of Ping Liao, were eliminated in a blink of an eye. Now only Fang Congzhe is left. Given Emperor Taichang's personality, he will most likely settle accounts with himself.

Second Assistant Liu Yijing coughed lightly twice and said in a neutral tone, "Marquis Ping Liao has made great military achievements. He just pacified the Wenxiang Sect in Shandong, and now he is fighting the Hejian Nu without stopping, sweeping away all the enemies and destroying the court. Elder Fang, the current emperor is very perceptive. He must clearly see the merits of Marquis Ping Liao."

Fang Congzhe was stunned for a long while before he said, "This official came to the court this morning to ask for his resignation from His Majesty..."

(End of this chapter)