Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 225: Benevolent Government and Aiding the Enemy

Since entering Liao, Yuan Yingtai had only seen Xiong Tingbi slamming the table and scolding others, but he had never been scolded by Xiong Tingbi so harshly. Therefore, he was stunned on the spot for a moment, even the hand that was originally holding the pancake was suspended in the air, not knowing what to do.

Yang Lian wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but he racked his brains for a long time and couldn't find the right words.

Xiong Tingbi held the piece of cake that he had snatched from Yuan Yingtai tightly in his hand. He glared at Yuan Yingtai, as if he didn't want him to eat.

Just as the situation was becoming increasingly delicate and about to erupt into a fierce conflict, He Shixian lost his composure and whispered, "The Tatars are not impossible to tame. Most of my 1,200 retainers are Tatars. They're quite capable of fighting."

As soon as he heard He Shixian speak, You Shigong immediately moved his butt away from him, fearing that Xiong Tingbi's saliva would splash on his face.

Xiong Tingbi turned his head towards He Shixian, but to You Shigong's surprise, he did not curse He Shixian, but said, "Oh?"

To curse without reason or evidence is a sign of mental disorder. Xiong Tingbi had a bad temper and did not follow the basic rules of officialdom. He often questioned people by name, earning him the nickname "Xiong Manzi." However, Xiong Manzi was not a crazy bear.

"I just say what I think. There's no other meaning." Although Xiong Tingbi didn't have any more expressions or words, He Shixian was still stunned by such a gaze.

"Actually, I think it's not impossible to bring in the Tatars as aid," Yang Lian interjected. "To the west, Hudun Tuhan of the Chahan tribe and Chaohuaxian of the Hanha tribe both express interest in fraternizing with the Ming. Not long ago, didn't Hudun Tuhan send envoys and letters of credence to the capital through the Guangning checkpoint, expressing his willingness to help suppress the Jiannu? I wonder if Hudun Tuhan's envoys have arrived in Beijing yet."

Yang Lian was simply trying to change the subject. Yuan Yingtai's proposal and Ligdan Khan's sending an envoy to Beijing were two completely different things.

Although the Mongols who migrated to Liaodong and gathered around Liaoyang and Shenyang numbered in the tens of thousands, they were all members of small tribes. Major Mongol regimes, such as the Borjigin Lindan Batur of Chahar and the Borjigin Shuhak Zhuoliktuhong Batur of Inner Khalkha, were nominal leaders of these people, but these regimes showed no concern for their lives and offered no relief.

Xiong Tingbi, seemingly irritated, refused to let the issue go. "The Emperor will have the final say on matters concerning the Chahan and Hanha regions," he said, interrupting Yang Lian without further comment. Instead, he bowed southwestward. Then, turning to He Shixian and returning to the original topic, he asked, "How long have you been keeping those 1,200 Tatar servants?"

"Score. The ones who have lived the longest have been with me since I became a captain, and the most recent batch were recruited before the Battle of Sarhu in 1947." He Shixian was a general who rose from the grassroots, with no starting point. He served as a servant in his youth, joined the army in his youth, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General of Yizhou under Li Chengliang through his bravery and military achievements. He was an officer who cut his own sword and spear. He Shixian and You Shigong both participated in the Battle of Sarhu, but were spared death because they were assigned to Li Rubai's army.

"That's it," Xiong Tingbi said, shoving the half cake he had snatched from Yuan Yingtai back into his pocket. "Maintaining and deploying troops isn't a one-time thing; this kind of thing requires long-term planning. Spring brings warmer weather, and there will undoubtedly be a major war. Now's the time to stuff Tatars into important cities who might not obey. You think Liao and Shen are too strong, don't you?"

Xiong Tingbi's eyes held only rational indifference. "Of course the Tatars can be tamed, but it'll take time. Our Minister Yuan and Governor Yuan are kindhearted, offering timely assistance, but I don't think the snow is heavy enough right now." Xiong Tingbi was practically saying, "The Tatars will have to die some more."

He Shixian and Yang Lian remained silent, and the atmosphere fell into silence again.

Sun Chuanting didn't move, but sat upright in his seat, looking around and observing everyone's expressions. He had been thinking about the discussion just now and had basically understood everyone's attitude.

Yuan Yingtai, embracing the philosophy of benevolence, wanted to provide relief to the Tatars suffering from disaster and famine, as he had done in Shandong. He Shixian, drawing on his own experience, agreed with Yuan Yingtai's proposal, believing that recruiting the Tatars as reinforcements was feasible. Although You Shigong remained silent, he had a number of Tatar cavalry under his command. When He Shixian left the city to engage the Jiannu cavalry, You Shigong had brought his cavalry to meet him. Therefore, Sun Chuanting believed that his attitude likely aligns with He Shixian's.

Xiong Tingbi, on the other hand, seemed to agree that the Tatars were viable, but he absolutely disagreed with bringing them into the city immediately. Sun Chuanting was puzzled by Yang Lian's attitude. If anything, Yang Lian seemed like a peacemaker, indifferent to the discussion itself. He appeared to be siding with Yuan Yingtai, yet he never explicitly expressed his support and even steered the conversation towards Beijing, clearly attempting to smooth things over.

After thinking for a moment, Sun Chuanting came up with an idea. He swallowed the dough in his mouth, looked at Xiong Tingbi, and asked, "Master Zuo Tang, may I have a few words?"

"Just say whatever you want to say." Xiong Tingbi's face once again showed that kind, fatherly smile that gave Sun Chuanting goose bumps. His expression changed so quickly that it was as if he hadn't just been glaring at Yuan Yingtai.

But it’s worth mentioning that Xiong Tingbi is two years older than Sun Chuanting’s deceased father Sun Yuanzhen.

"Thank you, Master Zuotang," Sun Chuanting said, clasping his hands in thanks. "The Tatars have been gathering around the major cities and border forts, causing quite a bit of trouble. Right now, the villages are able to protect themselves by setting up sieges and banding together soldiers, but when the weather warms, the people will inevitably leave their villages to farm. If we don't clear out these scattered Tatars in time, they'll take advantage of the spring plowing season to kidnap and rob, disrupting farming."

The people or the masses are the foundation of a stronghold. One of the main reasons the court invited Liao people back to Liao was to restore production, improve Liaodong's self-sufficiency, and reduce supply pressure. Xiong Tingbi had mentioned military settlements in his memorial to the emperor, but he knew that with the ongoing war in Liaodong, military settlements were only a small part of the solution; civilian settlements were the key.

"." Upon hearing this, Yuan Yingtai's eyes changed, becoming more flickering and solemn. In his opinion, if he continued to say this, he would be resorting to violence.

But Xiong Tingbi still maintained that smiling face. "Do you want to send troops to disperse them?" Xiong Tingbi asked.

"No." Sun Chuanting shook his head and said, "I think we can find a flat depression outside the city to round up the roaming Tatars, send people to guard them, and distribute food to them. The reserves in Liaoshen are enough to feed them. But remember not to give too much, only give them enough rations to maintain basic physical strength. In this way, we can provide timely assistance and maintain the reputation of benevolence of our Ming Dynasty, and also prevent these Tatars from making trouble and affecting farming during the spring plowing and sowing, and..." Sun Chuanting glanced at Yuan Yingtai and did not finish the last point.

"Brother Dalai, it seems our Sun Boya is thinking the same thing as you." Xiong Tingbi changed the way he addressed Yuan Yingtai. He was no longer as sarcastic as before. "Since everyone thinks so, I have no choice but to follow their lead."

Yuan Yingtai was taken aback for a moment, then exclaimed cheerfully, "Zuo Tang is very wise." This truly surprised him. Although Xiong Tingbi had nothing to do with being truly arrogant and domineering, he had always been a man of his word. For him to be so willing to accept advice was undoubtedly a rare event. "I'll arrange this matter as soon as I return to Liaoyang."

"Wait. We can't set up camp and distribute food now, and these Tatars will still starve." Yang Lian knocked lightly on the table, and the sudden noise attracted everyone's attention to him.

"Why?" Yuan Yingtai still had a relieved smile on his face.

"Yuan Youqian overlooked an important issue," said Yang Lian.

"Any other questions?" Yuan Yingtai asked again.

"Look," Yang Lian explained. "As Xiong Zuotang just said, Liaodong's military rations were brought in from all over the country by the Ministry of Revenue under the Emperor's order. While the General Administration Office has full authority to mobilize them, the censors in Beijing will certainly speak out."

Yuan Yingtai held the title of Chief Censor, but he had never worked as a censor for a single day. Yang Lian, however, had until recently been a full-time censor in the military department, and he knew all too well what kind of people censors were: they were always willing to take action.

Although the emperor dismissed Yao Zongwen, along with Yang, Feng, and Gu, from office, it was because they had made vehement and unfounded accusations. If Xiong Tingbi had indeed distributed food to the Tatars without authorization, it would have given him ammunition. The censors would surely have objected. Yang Lian reasoned that, without knowing anything, he would have submitted a memorial raising questions himself.

But that wasn't the most crucial point. "It's common for censors to raise objections and doubts. If the emperor doesn't listen, it's fine. But if he becomes suspicious, that's the end of it," Yang Lian said.

"What should we do then?" Yuan Yingtai asked.

"Let's do nothing for now. Report all our considerations regarding Liaodong to the emperor. Once the emperor agrees, we can proceed. Without the emperor's approval, we can't proceed." Yang Lian added, "The victims of the Tatar disaster are different from those of Shandong. Unsuspectingly providing relief to the Shandong victims without the imperial consent of the court can be justified by claiming benevolence. But for providing relief to the Tatars, even if we aren't accused of aiding the enemy, we'll be lucky."

"No way," Yuan Yingtai asked doubtfully.

"Of course not." Xiong Tingbi smoothly took over the conversation and said, "We still don't know the emperor's attitude towards Hudun Tuhan. If the emperor and the court agree to continue the alliance with Hudun Tuhan, the issue of releasing grain in advance will be resolved. If they disagree, then releasing grain will be aiding the enemy!"

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At six in the afternoon, Yuan Yingtai left Shenyang under the escort of Mao Wenlong, his mind full of things. Along the way, he saw hungry and worried Mongols everywhere. They were like abandoned people. Neither the Ming, the Jurchens, nor even their nominal leaders were willing to use their precious or temporarily less precious food to pave a way for them to survive. Winter had passed, but spring was still cold. Yuan Yingtai knew that if he didn't have the ceremonial guard of a fourth-rank official and the escort of cavalry, those who could still function among these people would definitely rob him for a bite of food. But Yuan Yingtai still wanted to save their lives.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, as long as Xiong Tingbi didn't agree, he couldn't and wouldn't save him.

When Yuan Yingtai left Shenyang, Sun Chuanting, He Shixian, and You Shigong also returned to He Shixian's camp in the opposite direction. They still had a lot of things to do.

On the way back to the military camp, He Shixian, contrary to his usual behavior, did not pull Sun Chuanting aside to chat and gossip, which surprised Sun Chuanting. So, as soon as he returned to the tent, he asked, "General He, you seem to be worried. Are you worried about the Tatars outside the city?"

"Why should I worry about them? I'm not Man Gui." He Shixian shook his head and said, "I just think it's a pity not to use them to defend the city. Although Shenyang's city defense is much more stable than when it was first built, more people are always good. My relatives can keep them in check. It's just that I use knives to attack them when they disobey." He Shixian paused, then turned to face Sun Chuanting and said, "And I'm wondering if Xiong Zuotang wanted to help the Tatars from the beginning. In my impression, Xiong Zuotang is not a person who can be easily persuaded. Even if he could be persuaded to change his mind, he would never do so in this situation."

"Oh, why do you think so?" Sun Chuanting nodded slightly and asked.

"It's hard to say. I just have a vague feeling about it." He Shixian said, "Anyway, I've never heard the phrase 'follow good advice readily' from him."

Xiong Tingbi had been in Liao for a year when something strange happened. The officers who were not kicked out by him saw through his temper and summarized his behavior patterns.

That is, except for things that must be discussed, Xiong Tingbi will contact you in advance if it concerns you. If it concerns several people, he will contact them all at once. At this point, the person called in can present their own opinions and ideas. This is the only chance to change Xiong Tingbi's mind. If they don't express their opinions, or if their opinions fail to convince Xiong Tingbi, then the persuasion is ineffective and the matter ends there.

If you disagreed with Xiong Tingbi's decision, he would initially try to persuade you. Of course, if he failed, that didn't matter; you had to follow his instructions. Once an order was issued, it was strictly followed. If you didn't follow through, Xiong Tingbi would scold you. He would either have you ride to the military governor's headquarters to be scolded, or he would come and scold you in front of your subordinates himself.

Sometimes, a general would be called to a certain place to be scolded, but Xiong Tingbi had already moved. At this time, the general should not return to his own station, but go to the place where Xiong Tingbi went to be scolded.

That's still good. Don't forget that he holds the Imperial Sword and the Royal Flag in his hands. If you pretend to obey, or make a serious mistake, Xiong Tingbi will kill you.

Xiong Tingbi had his own set of procedures for killing people. He wouldn't just quietly execute someone. Instead, he would ceremoniously arrest them, display their crimes and evidence before a crowd, and then personally decapitate them with the imperial order. Finally, he would send the head and other items to Beijing. This was how Xiong Tingbi executed Chen Lun, Liu Yujie, Wang Jie, Wang Wending, and others.

(End of this chapter)