On the tenth day of June in the fifteenth year of Zhengtong, the day after Zhu Jinghong returned home, he and Baochai went into the palace to pay their respects to the queen.
Of all the children born to the queen, he was the only one who was delayed in the imperial mausoleum and failed to pay respects in time.
As for the Prince Consort's mansion, Zhu Yunsheng was sitting in the back garden, raising his head slightly and looking at the pond in front of him. Two dragonflies were chasing each other on the water.
Between her and her side were some respected wives, whose ranks were basically second grade or above.
These women were chatting quietly at the moment, complimenting Zhu Yunsheng inside and outside their words, but unfortunately the latter did not listen at all.
Even at this moment, Zhu Yunsheng not only didn't want to listen, but also found these people annoying, because the main content of their chat was about things that need to be paid attention to when giving birth.
Zhu Yunsheng has been married for more than a year and is still not pregnant. The queen was also worried about this, so she sent these women to give her advice.
Otherwise, these people would not dare to say these sensitive things in front of Zhu Yunsheng.
"Okay... If you have nothing else to do, please go back to your home!"
"My place is small and I can't entertain you all!"
< p>Even though these people came on the order of the Queen, Zhu Yunsheng did not give them much face and said these words directly.She is the legitimate princess. Even if everyone suffers an unreasonable disaster, they can only laugh and say goodbye at this moment.
When everyone bowed and left, Zhu Yunsheng sat on the wicker chair, staring at the direction of the pond without moving, ignoring these people from beginning to end.
She was actually anxious about giving birth, so she needed someone else to give her some advice.
But this kind of thing cannot be rushed, so the queen's excessive concern made her feel uncomfortable.
While she was sitting alone and sulking, a maid hurried into the garden.
"How is it?" Zhu Yunsheng asked.
"The boys have inquired. His Royal Highness Prince Xiang returned to Beijing last night and entered the palace early this morning!"
Nodding, Zhu Yunsheng ordered: "Immediately Prepare the car, I'm going to see Brother Thirteen!"
"Yes!"
When Zhu Jinghong returned to Beijing, Zhu Yunsheng happened to be unwell, and Zhu Jinghong left after two days of delay. Jing, so that her biological sister could not go to see her.
Zhu Jinghong is back today, and Zhu Yunsheng must go there.
When Zhu Yunsheng wants to travel, he not only needs to prepare a car, but also arranges guards and retinues. He also has to contact the Wucheng Military and Horse Department to recruit additional soldiers...
With these news, Prince Consort Liang Yi I was alarmed, and upon asking I found out that it was Zhu Yunsheng who was going out.
"I'll go with you!"
Liang Yi is an arrogant person. Although he has accepted the fact that he and Zhu Yunsheng are husband and wife, he still does not want to rely on the royal family for authority. Be a blessing.
So when Zhu Yunsheng went to the East Palace or Prince Rui's Mansion, he avoided most situations to show that he had no intention of clinging to them.
Zhu Yunsheng said with a smile: "Today is weird, why do you want to see Brother Thirteen!"
"I won't hide it from you, I want to ask for a job!"
Zhu Yunsheng smiled and said: "Then your efforts are in vain. The imperial court regulations are such that the prince-in-law enjoys the honor and does not need to be a consul!"
Sitting next to Zhu Yunsheng, Liang Yi said: " The court does have regulations, but for His Majesty Prince Xiang, these things can be exceeded!"
"Don't think that since you are my husband, my thirteenth brother will make an exception for you!"
p>"You have to give it a try, just in case it works!" Liang Yi replied.
"What job do you want to do?" Zhu Yunsheng asked calmly.
Liang Yi replied: "His Royal Highness King Xiang will go to the northwest to command the troops, and I am willing to go with him!"
"You go to the northwest... What can you do if you go? "
"Make a great contribution!" Liang Yi said firmly.
"Making great achievements? You only read a few military books...and you think you are Bai Qi Weihuo?" Zhu Yunsheng sneered.
Liang Yi didn't say much about this. He had been familiar with the art of war since he was a child and was full of confidence in himself.
Zhu Yunsheng said angrily: "If you want to go, go ahead, it will be in vain anyway!"
So he and his wife set off together, packed up and rushed to Prince Xiang's Mansion Go.
As for Zhu Jinghong, he and Baochai went into the palace to pay homage to the queen. After a while, he was called away by the emperor.
In the main hall of Qianqing Palace, court discussions are currently taking place.
The cabinet bachelors, Liubu Hall officials, and several governors of the Fifth Army Governor's Mansion are currently discussing the northwest battle.
In general, almost everyone does not agree with starting a war in the second half of the year, even if Zhu Xianming has explained the reasons clearly.
"Zhao Qing... tell me about it!" Zhu Xianming looked at the chief minister.
Yesterday to today, Zhao Yushan did not express his position personally, but what is clear is that he himself does not support the use of troops.
The reason is very simple. The imperial court has no money, and there are many other places where money needs to be spent.
After walking out of the train, Zhao Yushan bowed his waist and saluted, and then said: "Your Majesty, the others have calculated the accounts very clearly, I want to say something else now!"
As the chief minister for several years, he did many practical things, especially the re-measurement of land, forcing the gentry to pay taxes and increasing the tax base for the court.
But to accomplish these things, it takes endless effort. Zhao Yushan is getting old very quickly, and almost half of his hair is now white.
"Say!" Zhu Xianming said solemnly.
"Although I have never led an army, I have read the art of war briefly and have some limited knowledge of the use of troops!"
Everyone present, including the emperor, did not think Zhao Yushan There will be "shallow views".
"The current situation is a national war. We, the Ming Dynasty, have tens of thousands of elite soldiers outside the fortress, fighting to the death with the enemy..."
"At this critical juncture, we must No hesitation, or attack in one fell swoopTo defeat the enemy, either stay still and wait for the time to move! ”
“If you divide your troops to fight now, or use your troops in stages, even if you can win...it will be of little benefit to the overall situation! "
"We won today. If the enemy attacks fiercely, our army may be defeated again and will only repeat the same mistakes as before! ”
Zhao Yushan’s words are very simple. He believes that even if he wins in the second half of the year, as long as it is not a decisive victory, it will be almost meaningless.
Because of this situation, victory turns to defeat. In the past two years, the tug of war between the two sides has been repeated seven or eight times.
Zhao Yushan spoke very clearly, but the emperor's face became even more ugly.
But he did. Knowing that Zhao Yushan was motivated by public interest, he would risk his own life to confront him, so Zhu Xianming did not want to anger him.
Of course, at this time, he also realized that he was taking it for granted, but he couldn't do it because of his face. Taiwan.
At this moment, Zhu Jinghong appeared in the palace at the right time.
The eunuch took him directly into the Qianqing Palace, where he had been listening next door.
"Greetings to my father! "
Raising his hand to signal Zhu Jinghong to stand up, Zhu Xianming asked: "Did you hear the discussion just now? "
With everyone watching, Zhu Jinghong looked indifferent and faced the emperor and replied: "I heard it! "
"What do you say? ”
“My son thinks he deserves a beating! "
As soon as Zhu Jinghong said these words, everyone present was shocked.
Zhu Xianming's eyes lit up, secretly knowing that his son could still be relied upon at the critical moment.
So he Asked: "Then what do you think...how to fight? "
After a few breaths of silence, Zhu Jinghong said: "My son believes that since there is a fight, it should be a decisive battle directly. A small fight will not be beneficial to the overall situation!" ”
Hearing this, the smile on Zhu Xianming’s face disappeared. It can be said that it went as quickly as it came.
His words have almost the same meaning as Zhao Yushan , Either a decisive battle or no fight.
But for a decisive battle, there are more things to prepare, and it cannot be fully prepared in a short time, so there is no way to fight.
In this case. , Zhu Jinghong's purpose of "hiding from trouble" was achieved. After all, there was no absolute certainty in a decisive battle, and even the emperor had difficulty making up his mind.
Seeing that Zhu Jinghong was a friendly force, the generals and officials present were relieved. Afraid that Zhu Jinghong's head would get hot, he decided to follow the emperor's instructions.
Since then, unnecessary wars will be added. Not only will the soldiers on the front line die in vain, but it will also add to the imperial finances. A bigger burden.
"Okay, that's it for today, let's break up! ”
Zhu Xianming was unhappy and could only ask the ministers to disperse, lest he would be upset if they saw him.
Zhu Jinghong also wanted to go with him, but was called by the emperor. Live.
After everyone left, Zhu Xianming stepped down from the throne and walked out of the hall. As he walked, he asked: "Old Thirteen, how did you become like this?"So timid? "
Following the emperor, Zhu Jinghong replied: "Dad, it's not that my son is timid, there is really no need to fight him! "
"Hmph, as a leading general, you shouldn't lose your courage! "
"Dad, there are some things they don't dare to say. Son, please don't blame me! ”
“If you fart, let it go!” "
Zhu Jinghong said: "Since this year, the northwest battle has suffered repeated setbacks, which makes you unhappy! "
"You said that the general offensive in the second half of the year is to seize the opportunity for next year's decisive battle. In the final analysis... it is to burnish the court's face after winning! "
"You have spent your whole life in the military, how could you not know that... winning one or two more battles in the northwest Gobi is almost useless to the overall situation! ”
He said some truths before, but later he flattered the emperor again, just so that the emperor would not be too angry.
At this time, Zhu Xianming stopped and looked at him coldly. By Zhu Jinghong
“No one dares to talk to me like this! "
Zhu Jinghong's words were too straightforward and in a sense offended the emperor.
Zhu Jinghong raised his waist and replied: "Dad, the prime minister's belly can hold a boat. You are The emperor... never thought he would be as knowledgeable as his son! "
With a cold snort, Zhu Xianming continued forward, walking down the steps, and asked at the same time: "Then tell me, how should the decisive battle in the northwest be arranged? "
"Since it is a decisive battle, the first and most important thing is to prepare food, grass and weapons in advance, and this..."
Zhao Yushan said, either no fight or a decisive battle.< /p>
When we were discussing the matter just now, no one, including the emperor, thought about the decisive battle in the second half of the year. The reason was that there was not enough food, grass and weapons.
It is impossible to increase these supplies within this year. It's impossible. If we start making full preparations now, we may have a chance to fight next year. Of course, it is very difficult to do this under the current financial situation.
p>
So, the emperor is really ambitious to have such urgent and radical ideas.
Zhu Jinghong talked a lot. He has participated in commanding many battles in the past few years, and he has indeed experienced it. With all his abilities, he could only analyze things in an orderly manner.
In fact, Zhu Xianming knew the situation well. Now that Zhu Jinghong said this, he could only adjust his thoughts and stop fighting.
"The decisive battle... starts preparations from now on, we can only look forward to the war starting next year!" " Zhu Xianming said with emotion.
At this moment, Dai Quan, the admiral of Dongchang, entered the Qianqing Gate and hurried towards the direction of the emperor.
"Kowtow to Your Majesty, pay my respects to the ten Third Master! "
After Dai Quan saluted, he was called by Zhu Xianming, and then he handed out a report with both hands.
Zhu Xianming did not rush to pick it up, but asked: "What's going on? thing? "
"Your Majesty, this is an urgent military report from Beizhen Fusi! ”
Li Qingxiang, the commander of Beizhen Fusi, fell down while riding with the emperor a few days ago., and is currently under the temporary supervision of Dai Quan, the Fu Division of Beizhen Town.
Hearing the report, Zhu Xianming's heart tightened and he asked solemnly: "Emergency military situation? Something happened in the northwest?"
What he is most worried about now is that the situation in the northwest will collapse. A series of serious situations will arise.
"It was sent by thousands of households in Hunan to report a group of rebels, who have now captured three counties!"
The rebels in Hunan also attacked Three counties... This shocked Zhu Xianming.
In this peaceful time, there are rebels who have captured the county town, and there are three of them...
Not to mention Zhu Xianming, Zhu Jinghong also felt outrageous, and even thought that the report was false. of.
Zhu Xianming took the report and planned to see what was going on.
After seeing the situation, Zhu Xianming felt even more uncomfortable.
The rebels who rebelled sixteen days ago and occupied three villages are the same people who now occupy three counties.
Yesterday, he mentioned to the queen that he thought these people were out of whims and could kill them casually. He never expected that such a thing would happen.
Three counties...Those are three counties, three counties in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty!
Originally, Zhu Xianming felt very unhappy because of the poor performance in the northwest and the comparison with Zhu Jinghong's victory at sea.
But now, in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty, three counties have been lost, which makes him even more ashamed and angry...
Ordinary untouchables do not know the heights of the sky and rebel. Proclaiming the emperor should have been a joke, and could be wiped out by just sending some government officials. Who knew it would turn out like this...
From the first report to the second, there was only less than five days between them. time.
In other words, it only took five days to capture three counties.
Now, five days have passed since the second report was sent. Could it be that these people have already captured one... or even two mansions?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Zhu Xianming immediately ordered: "Cheng Ying...immediately send an order to the military department, and the Hunan capital will immediately mobilize troops to wipe out the traitors within this month!"
The eunuch Cheng Ying also followed and immediately replied after hearing this: "Yes!"
"Also, the magistrates and magistrates of the prefectures and counties involved will all be dismissed from their posts for meritorious service. If they cannot be exterminated within this month Thieves, all military law is engaged!"
"Yes!" Cheng Ying responded.
Hunan has lost three counties.
Today is the tenth day of June. If the edict is delivered at an urgent speed of 800 miles, it will take about four days to deliver it.
In other words, when the local civil and military officials in Hunan received the order, there was only half a month left before they could deliver it.
"Dad, can you show me the report to your son?" Zhu Jinghong spoke up at the right time.
Zhu Xianming handed it to Zhu Jinghong, who immediately looked through it after receiving it.
After calming down a little, Zhu Xianming also wanted to hear Zhu Jinghong’s opinion.
A few minutes later, Zhu Jinghong put away the report, and then said: "Dad...thisSomething is strange! "Recent transcoding has been serious, which makes us more motivated and updates faster. Please use your little hands to exit the reading mode. Thank you