The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 344 New Choice

After the Duke of Protectorate finished speaking, he continued to drink his tea. The guards came forward to fill the cups in front of everyone and then retreated.

No one spoke, and Yang Hao, Kang Yingqian glared at each other.

Sun Chuanting coughed lightly, stood up first, saluted the Duke of Protectorate, and said slowly:
"In my early years, I traveled to Shanxi and Shaanxi. There have been refugees from Shanxi and Shaanxi for a long time, but during the Jiajing and Wanli periods, there was no such commotion. Now, there are many alarms in the north and south, and the land is full of gangs. She Chongming was just executed, the southwest is still unsettled, and Shaanxi is rising again. I heard that the White Lotus Sect in Yunyang, Huguang is also showing signs of resurgence. If we sit idly by and allow Shaanxi to grow stronger, the bandits will inevitably implicate other provinces..."

Ma Shiying, who was sitting next to Kang Yingqian, stood up and interrupted Sun Chuanting before he finished speaking:

"Inspector Sun, aren't you exaggerating too much? What's the point of implicating entire provinces? They're just a few petty thieves. Can they break through Tongguan to the east and flee to Henan? Or break through Wuguan to the south and flee to Huguang? Are they going to attack Mongolia to the north? Hahaha! The autumn harvest is approaching. Once the fields are harvested, those refugees will naturally retreat. Why mobilize a large army?"

Yang Hao snorted lightly, showing an expression of disdain.

Kang Yingqian's expression remained unchanged as he listened to Ma Shiying continue speaking.

"As Prime Minister Yang has said, the officials in Qin are of low moral character and talent and cannot be trusted. The collusion between officials and bandits has been going on for a long time. Although I know very little about military affairs, I do understand the principle that a spent crossbow cannot pierce a thin silken cloth. The Kaiyuan army has been fighting for six months and is now exhausted and in urgent need of rest. The new army is also not up to the task. The water in Shaanxi is deep, so it is best not to wade in it! Let the bandits fight each other, and they will calm down after winter."

Sun Chuanting loudly refuted:
"Ma Zhizhou has been an official for many years, yet he actually uttered such a dream talk, which astonishes me! Wherever the bandits go, they are like locusts passing through a border, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil. They destroy villages, burn farmland, and force innocent people to become bandits. Even if the common people are lucky enough to escape, they have no livelihood, no permanent property and no perseverance, so they will eventually join the bandits and become cannon fodder for the bandits to capture cities and territories. Banditry is like a snowball, growing larger and larger. The rebellion of refugees in Jingxiang during the Chenghua period and Tang Sai'er's rebellion during the Yongle period were both similar."

"If we abandon Shaanxi, the people will surrender to the bandits, bolstering their power and losing their hearts. Even the natural fortresses of Tongguan and Wuguan will be useless. Magistrate Ma, do you truly not understand this?"

Sun Chuanting looked righteous as he turned around and looked at Liu Zhaosun.

"Qin territory must be rescued. If we sit back and allow the rebels to cross Tongguan, the Central Plains will be left defenseless. Then, if we attempt to block it from all sides, the cost will be even greater. We must send troops to the rescue immediately. The Duke of the Protectorate will personally lead the army. Like a lion attacking a rabbit, we will wipe out the rebels and exterminate them completely. This will not only win over the people's hearts, but also deter the scoundrels and prevent the surrounding people from harboring rebellious thoughts."

The Duke of Huguo nodded slightly and waved his hand for Sun Chuanting to sit down.

Since the last attack in Hetuala, Sun Chuanting's thoughts on slaughtering the people have been somewhat restrained, but it seems that he has not fundamentally changed and still kills everyone at will.

Ma Shiying had no grudge against Sun Chuanting, but seeing him humiliate him in public, he immediately said angrily:

"Send troops? What are you going to use to send troops? I'm afraid it's just talk. Does the capital still have soldiers capable of fighting? Are you going to ignore the danger to the Protectorate and transfer the troops defending the capital to Shaanxi to quell the rebellion? Shaanxi is a long way away and supplies are scarce. We are at odds with the armies of Xuanfu and Datong. Is Inspector Sun trying to get supplies from the border troops? The Protectorate has just recovered from a serious illness, and you are instigating a long expedition. Do you think the Protectorate can still do it? You are so selfish and heartless! Do you still have a conscience?"

The atmosphere around them suddenly became tense, and Xie Guangkun Senti hurried to smooth things over.

Dongguan boy is all smiles:
"My dear superiors, please don't offend the harmony. The Duke of Protectorate just said that we are only discussing whether to send troops or not..."

Xie Yang also said: "Whether or not to send troops, the Civil Affairs Department will fully support it. The shop also has more than a dozen branches in Shaanxi, although they have all been robbed by bandits now."

Kang Yingqian and Yang Hao looked at each other, obviously not listening to what the civil affairs officer and the disciplinary officer were saying.

Kang Yingqian stood up and saluted the Duke of Huguo, glanced at Yang Hao, and said slowly:
"What Inspector Sun just said, like a lion fighting a rabbit, striking with all its might to eliminate a major disaster before it occurs, is truly wise advice for statecraft, and I agree with it."

When Kang Yingqian said this, everyone around him was shocked. Liu Zhaosun's eyes changed slightly, his gaze tightened, and he stared at the old sly guy.

"However, I agree with Magistrate Ma's suggestion and will not send troops for now. Why? Simply because the Ming Dynasty is not the Sui Dynasty, and the Protector of the Country is not Yang Guang. The Protector of the Country is a powerful army, holding Liaoxi and Liaodong, Japan and Korea to the east, the Mongolian tribes to the west, Shandong to the south, and Kuyi Island to the north. He has 50,000 elite soldiers and a multitude of brave generals. However, there are too many cities and numerous checkpoints, and even a million soldiers would find it difficult to defend them."

Everyone looked up at Kang Yinggan. When Liu Zhaosun heard this, he knew what Kang was going to say next, so he just lowered his head and continued drinking tea.

"I've heard that because the Shandong 12th Army hasn't yet been fully trained, Wendeng County is currently guarded by only thirty soldiers. Wendeng is a strategic location in Dengzhou, and last year there were 1,200 soldiers left. This year, all of these soldiers have been transferred to Japan and Korea. If Wendeng is in such a state, one can only imagine the situation in other counties. If the White Lotus rebels again, how will Shandong respond?"

"Right now, conscription in the north has reached its limit. The entire Kaiyuan Army is like a taut bowstring. If it breaks, it will collapse completely. If the Shaanxi bandits flee into Shanxi, should we strangle them? If they flow into Huguang? Should we send more troops? How many troops can we mobilize?"

Everyone was silent, and Sun Chuanting was speechless for a moment.

At this time, Yang Hao suddenly said:

"How can there be no troops to mobilize? Man Gui, the governor of Ji, has a close relationship with the Protector of the Nation and could be a strong reinforcement. Could it be that Inspector Kang has forgotten about him?"

Kang Yingqian laughed heartily.

"Man Gui is a Hu person! Letting him enter Shaanxi would be like drinking poison to quench thirst. I don't need to say much about the military discipline of Jizhen. During the Wanli reign, they were the ones who caused the most mutinies in the Nine Border Areas! Besides, Shaanxi has no foreign troops to supply. Letting Jizhen compete with the Kaiyuan army for food?"

"This is another example of General Kang's ignorance and fearlessness. You're really a former military inspector, but you know that most of Man Gui's troops are Mongolian cavalry. The supply of cavalry is very different from that of infantry. A Mongolian cavalryman with three horses can travel 500 miles round trip without consuming a single grain of rice along the way."

·······
The two sides were on the verge of a fight, neither side willing to give in.

Military generals such as Deng Changxiong, Wang Erhu, and Wang Zengbin remained silent and did not join the fight between the civil officials.

Liu Zhaosun glanced at everyone and signaled Kang Yingqian and Yang Hao to calm down.

As a superior, he did not express his opinion immediately, but said calmly:
"I understand what you all mean. Supervisor Kang advocates not sending troops, while Elder Yang advocates. Supervisor Qiao, what do you think?"

Liu Zhaosun looked up at Qiao Yiqi.

Qiao Yiqi couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out:
"Shaanxi is beyond words. Officials in Shanxi and Henan have always been ambivalent about Kaiyuan. The capital can only mobilize a thousand men at the moment. If Shaanxi is defeated, Shanxi and Henan will also revolt, thinking Kaiyuan is vulnerable. Besides, isn't there a rumor in the capital that the Protector of the Country will not live long..."

Qiao Yiqi immediately shut up.

Everyone was silent.

The Duke of Huguo sighed and said calmly:

"Indeed, I will not live long. The fortune teller said that I have committed many murders and that my fate is affected by the Ziwei star. My soul is not focused, and I have the heart of a jackal and the behavior of a wolf. This is a sign of a young death."

"Add to that the hectic military life, the lingering illness, the accumulated injuries from anxiety, anger, resentment, and pain."

"So, I can't afford to waste time. I have no choice but to fight quickly. Think about Zhang Jiangling's reforms, which took ten years to show results. Times are different now. Ten years of reform may not be enough. Moreover, I'm afraid I don't even have ten years..."

After hearing this, all the confidants looked at each other with expressions of horror on their faces.

Sun Chuanting whispered:

"May I ask which fortune teller read the fortune for the Duke of the Protectorate?"

Liu Zhaosun didn't expect him to ask this question. He thought for a while before saying:

"Outside Zuo'an Gate, there's a blind old man named Ke. His name is Ke Banxian. He's said to be very accurate in his predictions. I went there with Madam Zhang."

"Ke Banxian?"

Sun Chuanting and Shen Lian looked at each other, and Sun Chuanting said:

"What the Protector of the Country doesn't know is that Blind Ke is not blind. He said that if Yuan Zhifu pacified Liao in five years, there would be a bloody disaster within three years, with executions by slow slicing and the flesh eaten by the people. He was implying that Yuan Chonghuan would spend money to avoid the disaster."

Liu Zhaosun immediately became interested, as he had no idea about this.

It seems that the old blind man is indeed a fortune teller, but it's a pity that he was born in the wrong dimension.

Shen Lian added:
"In the 47th year of the Wanli reign, Blind Ke told Mr. Yuan's fortune. Mr. Yuan had just finished the imperial examination and was about to return home, but was stopped at Zuo'an Gate by eunuchs entering the palace, which is how he met this swindler. Blind Ke was actually just a vegetable farmer. His son died in Liaodong, so he started telling fortunes. He also told Song Yingxing that he would be extremely rich and powerful, and would reach the highest position among the ministers, just because Song Yingxing gave him five copper coins..."

Pei Dahu heard this and said angrily:

"This old fellow is so bold and wicked, he even dared to deceive the Protector of the Country. We will take him down tomorrow."

Liu Zhaosun laughed loudly.

Song Yingxing was about to go to Siberia to dig potatoes, which didn't seem like a high-ranking official at all.

"Don't worry, Duke Protector of the State. Imperial Physician Wu said this time he's prescribing the ancient recipe Thirteen-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill from the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. It's effective immediately, and only requires two courses of treatment..."

~~~~~~
Everyone was talking endlessly.

Liu Zhaosun was mentally prepared for disagreements among his subordinates, and he would be able to figure things out as long as he considered the issue from each person's perspective.

Zhang Yan continued the family line of the Duke of Protector of the Country. In the future, Kang Yinggan will surely be a powerful figure in the new dynasty, or at least a nobleman.

If anything happens to Liu Zhaosun during this western expedition, all the patience and efforts Kang Yingqian has made over the years will be wasted.

That's why Lao Kang demands stability.

Yang Hao, on the other hand, took a long-term view. He had served as a magistrate in Shaanxi and was familiar with the local situation.

Shaanxi must not be left alone, otherwise bandits will roam around the Central Plains, and even if the son-in-law really declares himself emperor, he will face the dilemma of war everywhere.

Moreover, from a selfish point of view, Yang Hao and Wu Zhiwang had a close friendship, so he wanted to protect his old friend, otherwise, according to Kang Yingqian, Wu Zhiwang would be tortured to death.

Liu Zhaosun looked up at Deng Changxiong.

Military representatives have been silent, and it's time to hear their opinions.

"Old Deng, how many soldiers can be deployed now?"

Deng Changxiong had thought of this problem long ago, and he quickly took out a small booklet from his pocket and said to the booklet:
"Replying to the Duke of Protectorate, except for the First Guard Army, the main forces of other armies are stationed in various places to defend or suppress potential enemies. The only armies that can be mobilized in the capital are the Ninth and Tenth Armies. However, these two new armies have no actual combat experience and must assist in defending the capital. The navy is still recovering, and the cavalry battalion just returned from Mongolia and needs to rest..."

The Duke of Protectorate waved his hand and interrupted his subordinates:

"Don't waste time, just tell me, how many people are there?"

Deng Changxiong put down the booklet and replied loudly:

"We can mobilize one thousand veterans, four thousand new recruits, one thousand cavalry, five hundred artillerymen, not counting the artillery pieces. The auxiliary troops are insufficient, only one thousand. Reports say there are over one hundred thousand vagrants in Shaanxi, and three-tenths of them are border troops..."

Liu Zhaosun took a deep breath and gritted his teeth and said:

"Eight thousand against one hundred thousand, that's enough."

Seeing that Liu Zhaosun was about to lead the army in person again, Kang Yingqian could no longer bear it and loudly retorted:

"Eight thousand soldiers, most of them new recruits, with insufficient food and grass, and friendly forces taking advantage of their misfortunes. If we deploy them to more than a dozen counties in Shaanxi to fight against a hundred thousand bandits, we won't be able to make a splash. Liu Zhaosun, if you continue to insist on your own way, don't blame me..."

Everyone stared at Kang Yinggan in a daze. They were all shocked by his arrogance. No one had ever dared to speak to Liu Zhaosun like that. Everyone began to worry for Kang Yinggan.

Even Kang Yingqian felt that he had spoken out of turn and stood there at a loss.

Yang Hao turned around and whispered something to Sun Chuanting, who immediately spoke up and stabbed Kang Yingqian again.

"General Kang, what are you going to do? Were you the one who spread those rumors in the capital? Madam Zhang hasn't even given birth to the young master yet, and you're so anxious to become a trusted minister?"

Kang Yingqian shouted loudly:
"Stop slandering me! You are the treacherous ministers. Shaanxi is a dangerous place, yet you insist on forcing the Protector of the Country to take risks, Sun Chuanting! Are you thinking that being an official in the capital is too low a position, and want to return to Shanxi to become a governor?"

"shut up!"

With a clang, the goose-feather knife was unsheathed, and most of the teacup was cut off, revealing the reddish-brown Pu'er tea.

There was silence all around.

"Wu Xiao."

Liu Zhaosun looked up at the guard Wu Xiao standing in the corner.

At a meeting of this level, guards like Wu Xiao and Lin Yu certainly don't need to speak.

"Why haven't your family come to the capital yet? How will they protect themselves now that the bandits have invaded Sanyuan?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Wu Xiao slowly looking up, his eyes slightly red.

"Return, return to the Protector of the Country."

The tall Wu Xiao was stammering at the moment, and tears started flowing as soon as he opened his mouth.

Everyone then remembered that he was from Sanyuan, Shaanxi.

"My father sent me a letter last year, saying that I couldn't distinguish between evil and wickedness, and had associated with bandits. He refused to acknowledge me as a rebellious son, severed all ties with me, and had even deleted me from the Wu family tree."

After Kaiyuan gradually rose in the past two years, all the confidants under the Duke of Huguo who had families in the interior of the country had their families brought to Liaodong.

But Wu Xiao was still alone. Liu Zhaosun asked him several times in private, but he always evaded the question.

I didn't expect it to be like this.

It seems that the Wu family has a strict family tradition. When they saw the Kaiyuan army entering the pass to quell the rebellion, they regarded it as a rebellion and the so-called traitors were punishable by all.

The Duke of Protectorate sighed deeply and was about to say something when he saw Wu Xiao suddenly kneel down and kowtow, and the ground was soon covered with blood.

"I beg the Duke of Protectorate to send troops to save the Qin people and save my parents and brother!"

The two sides who were incompatible just now suddenly stopped talking and stared blankly at the guard who was removed from the family tree, the former Sanyuan Ranger.

Liu Zhaosun stepped forward to help Wu Xiao up and wiped the blood from his forehead with his sleeve:
"Everyone has a pure heart. Wu Xiao exemplifies filial piety. He loves his parents and extends his love to the people of Qin. The Book of Songs says, 'Filial sons will never be lacking, and their kind will be blessed forever.' Is this what he meant?"

"The Kaiyuan Army has been victorious in every battle because of the support of the people. Saving the Qin people is our unshirkable duty, and this is also the original intention of the Kaiyuan Army. Don't forget your roots just because your territory is large and your position is high. If you have any dissenting opinions, you are not my people, and if you are not my people, then you are my enemy!"

Seeing Liu Zhaosun acting like this, Qiao Yiqi, regardless of his own life or death, sternly advised:

"Lord Protector of the Country, things are different now! In the past, at Sarhu and Hunhe, Kaiyuan was outnumbered and vulnerable, willing to risk everything and gamble with the Jiannu. They were forced into a desperate situation. But now, the Lord Protector of the Country is the pillar of the Ming Dynasty, with millions of troops depending on him. Shaanxi is no longer a threat to the capital, and it won't threaten the capital for a year or two! If we send our troops on such a long expedition, and the old problems recur, and another Hetuala incident happens, then the Liaodong army will be drenched in blood, what will happen then?"

The Duke of Huguo grabbed the goose-feather knife.

Wu Xiao and Pei Dahu hurried forward to stop them, and Yang Hao stood in front of Qiao Yiqi.

Liu Zhaosun sheathed his sword.

Mr. Qiao, who had always followed him, now had more white hair on his temples.

"Don't worry, General Qiao. There's no need to sweep across Shaanxi. Otherwise, even 100,000 troops wouldn't be enough. We just need to fight the bandits and wipe out a few major gangs. I'm not only going to wipe out the bandits, I'm also going to use this as an opportunity to implement new policies. Therefore, Kaiyuan must take action!"

"Pass on my order."

Everyone stood up and waited for the Duke of Protector to issue orders.

"Five days later, Deng Changxiong will lead the remnants of the First and Second Imperial Guard Armies, along with Wang Zengbin's Cavalry Regiment, from the capital. The Civil Affairs and Workshops will cooperate. I will also send a report in my name to the Manchu general, asking him to lead his troops and cooperate to stop the bandits at the Shaanxi-Henan border and prevent them from escaping to Henan."

After Liu Zhaosun finished speaking, he added:

"I will also select eighty guards from my own guard corps to accompany the army. After entering Shaanxi, all of them will be under Wu Xiao's command."

He glanced at everyone and said loudly:
"I won't interfere with the daily struggles for power and profit, but if you ruin Kaiyuan's affairs at a critical moment, I, Liu Zhaosun, will kill anyone, not only the Prime Minister, but even the Emperor! Everyone, go to Shaanxi without hesitation. I, Yang Gelao, Kang Jianjun and I will stay in the capital to coordinate the deployment of all parties. Let's see who dares to stir up trouble! The day the Western Expedition returns victorious will be the day the New Deal begins! Only then will you all be true loyal subjects!"

After everyone dispersed, the Duke of the Protectorate kept Shen Lian and instructed him:
"From now on, closely monitor the movements of the Imperial Censors, search for any evidence of their crimes, and find an opportunity to eradicate them completely."

Shen Lian smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Lord Protector of the Country. These mad dogs bite people everywhere, and everyone hates them! The Pacification Office has dirt on every censor in the capital, and you can easily find it."

Liu Zhaosun said seriously:

"It has to be a fatal strike. I don't have time for a war of words with them."

The first item of the new policy was to abolish the censors.

He wanted to do it more thoroughly than Zhang Juzheng.

The Censors were a force hated by all factions.

Eliminate this group first. Apart from the emperor himself, there should be few people who stand up to oppose it.

Reform should start with the easy and then move on to the difficult, starting with defending the interests of the greatest common denominator.

(End of this chapter)