Ming Dynasty: Moral blackmail? I, Emperor Chongzhen, have no morals!

Chapter 87 Past Events! Yuan Chonghuan and Mao Wenlong

A few days later, the sun shone brightly on the sea in Xiyuan, and the spring breeze made the weeping willows sway. Zhu Jian, dressed in casual clothes, stood on the shore, throwing fish food into the sea.

Within ten paces of Zhu Jian, there were also many Imperial Guards and eunuchs.

An eunuch from the Imperial Household Department approached Zhu Jian three steps away, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, Gao Qiqian has besieged the county in Shanxi affected by the epidemic, and also has a commander of a thousand men from the Taiyuan garrison! As of the time I returned, Gao Qiqian has executed over five thousand commoners and gentry! The number is still rising!"

After listening, Prosecutor Zhu continued to throw the fish food into the sea: "How's the situation?"

"The situation is temporarily under control! Gao Qiqian has massacred the villages around the affected county where infections occurred!"

"What about the army?"

"The bodies were killed using firearms and burned on the spot with oil; no one has been found to be infected with the plague so far!"

Zhu Jian nodded slightly: "I understand! You may go back!"

"This servant takes her leave!"

Zhu Jian threw all the remaining fish food into the river, placed his hands on the white marble railing, and stared blankly at the koi carp scrambling for food in the water.

As for the situation in Shanxi, Prosecutor Zhu only needs to maintain stability and prevent the spread of the virus! As for what Gao Qiqian should do, he has no good solutions.

Shortly after the eunuch from the Inner Factory left, Wang Huamin, the Inner Factory Director who had rushed back from Southern Zhili, also arrived three steps away from Zhu Jian!

He bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, the matter has been resolved! The sons of several prominent families in Jiangnan are currently vying for their inheritance!"

The heads of several gentry families in Jiangnan died unexpectedly one after another within a month due to various problems, without leaving any words. Now, the different branches of the family are fighting each other for their inheritance.

Of course, these people were all unexpected by the internal factory, and what Prosecutor Zhu wanted was the chaotic state of commerce in Jiangnan.

"How was Yang Sichang dealt with?" Prosecutor Zhu asked softly.

"Grand Secretary Yang is currently unable to make a decision! He has not even considered making one! But he has accepted all the gifts from everyone! Before I returned, some of the silver had already been loaded onto carts and transported north!" Wang Huamin said truthfully.

Yang Sichang sensed that the deaths of these people were not simple. He had some suspicions, but no evidence. Therefore, in Yang Sichang's eyes, it was best for these gentry and commercial families to continue their chaos. As for the gifts that were offered to them, they should not be refused! They could be sent to Beijing to fund the army!

"knew!"

"Go and rest!"

"This servant takes her leave!"

After Wang Huamin left, Zhu Jian also slowly walked to the Wuying Hall, which is now the highest power center of the empire.

Zhu Jian came to the table, picked up the military memorials and began to read them. One of them, from Dengzhou and Laizhou, particularly interested him!

This memorial was submitted by Zheng Sen, the naval commander of Dengzhou, who said that the number of 5,000 naval troops was too small and he wanted to expand the force by 3,000 reserves, for a total of 8,000 men.

The reason is that newly recruited naval personnel need at least a month of training to avoid seasickness... and if there are casualties, it's difficult for the army to quickly replace them with a new navy...

Zhu Jian thought for a moment. Currently, there are three people in Dengzhou: Zheng Sen, Li Dingguo, and Ai Qineng, plus five thousand soldiers! There are also thirteen small warships, two medium warships, five medium cargo ships, twenty small cargo ships, and four fishing boats, for a total of forty-four ships!

After calculating the combat strength, Zhu Jian gave a wry smile, remarking that the Ming Dynasty navy was indeed "small and exquisite."

He then began writing the imperial edict....

In the evening, Zhu Jian finished writing down the list of imperial edicts, put them in a box, and then summoned a messenger: "Send this edict to Dengzhou tonight!"

"As you command!"

The soldier took the box without delay, quickly left the Wuying Hall, spurred his horse out of the capital, and galloped towards Dengzhou and Laizhou!

A few days later, a thick fog blanketed Dengzhou. All those who had been sent by sea to deliver the imperial edict had come ashore to rest. Zheng Sen, Li Dingguo, and Ai Nengqi were drinking at the base when Li Dingguo put down his wine cup and suddenly asked, "The memorial I submitted to His Majesty a few days ago regarding the expansion of the army—will His Majesty approve it?"

These past few days, Li Dingguo had been restless. He kept feeling that since they had surrendered, the emperor wouldn't allow them to lead many troops... especially since they were still so young...

Young Zheng Sen pondered for a moment, then said, "His Majesty will grant it!"

"How so?" asked Ai Nengqi, who was standing to the side, out of curiosity.

"Your Majesty is going to war with the Jurchens! The navy is an indispensable force in re-establishing Dongjiang Town!" Zheng Sen said.

"Dongjiang Town!"

"That's a great place! Not only can it restrain the Jurchens, but it can also control a lot of commerce! Liaodong's furs, ginseng, deer antlers, and other goods are all valuable!" Ai Nengqi sighed.

Ai Nengqi believed that as long as they could gain a foothold on Pi Island with the support of the imperial court, they could earn more money through commercial means. At that time, the imperial court would have to rely on them to restrain the Jurchens in the rear!

"Why do you think Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong back then?" Li Dingguo, sitting to the side, chewed a couple of bites of mutton and looked at Zheng Sen and Ai Nengqi with curiosity.

In Li Dingguo's view, with the loss of Dongjiang Town, the Jurchens faced no threat from the rear, and the pressure was entirely on the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line, which allowed the Jurchens to break through the Great Wall defense line and repeatedly march south. From a strategic point of view, this was not good for the court. He felt that if he could see this, Yuan Chonghuan, who had been through many battles, could not possibly not see it!

There's another layer of meaning: could he and Ai Nengqi become the second Mao Wenlong, executed by the court in the same way... after all, he and Ai Nengqi were originally peasant army generals who surrendered!

Zheng Sen was taken aback when Li Dingguo suddenly mentioned Yuan Chonghuan and Mao Wenlong. He looked at Li Dingguo and replied, "Didn't Yuan Chonghuan accuse Mao Wenlong of twelve crimes, including falsifying troop numbers, wasting provisions, colluding with the Jurchens, and supporting bandits for personal gain?"

Zheng Sen only recently learned about the events surrounding Yuan Chonghuan and Mao Wenlong after the emperor and Li Dingguo mentioned their intention to re-establish Dongjiang Town. These events were all explicitly stated in the imperial edicts, and he was unaware of the specific details.

Ai Nengqi waved his hand after hearing this: "These kinds of things, which army of the Ming Dynasty hasn't done them? Take Zuo Liangyu, who fought with us in Huguang for so long, for example. His subordinates even killed innocent people and claimed credit for it. Didn't they also go to Shaanxi with Hong Chengchou?"

After drinking a cup of wine, Li Dingguo put down his glass and continued, following Ai Nengqi's words, "Speaking of Zuo Liangyu, if His Majesty hadn't directly stripped him of his autonomy and sent him to Shaanxi under Hong Chengchou, he would have become a warlord in no time!"

"As for Xiong Wencan, the premier of the five provinces, he has absolutely no control over Zuo Liangyu!"

"So, Hong Chengchou can handle this?" Zheng Sen asked.

"Hong Chengchou has some tricks up his sleeve, otherwise Li Zicheng wouldn't have suffered losses at his hands!" Li Dingguo said.

Ai Nengqi disagreed: "I think it was Hong Chengchou's army and military pay that suppressed Zuo Liangyu! If Hong Chengchou didn't have an army and military pay, he, like Xiong Wencan, wouldn't be able to control Zuo Liangyu!"

After saying that, Ai Nengqi curled his lip and said, "If you ask me, he's not even as good as Mao Wenlong!"

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