Yanghekou.
On this day, Wang Shouren finished arranging military affairs after nightfall and went to see Zhang Zhou. The purpose of his inquiry was twofold. One was to make some insinuations to figure out what his next task was, and the other was to figure it out. How are Zhang Zhou and Huo Si going to resolve the confrontation?
After all, Yanghekou is just a pass of the Ming Dynasty. It is just a military fortress. For Zhang Zhou, it is far less comfortable than Xuanfu.
Most of the soldiers set up camp within the pass, so it would be good if he could have a roof over his head.
"Brother Bo'an, have something to eat"
Zhang Zhou was still writing something. Wang Shouren thought Zhang Zhou was writing the memorial, so he didn't bother him too much.
But Zhang Zhou pointed to the food on the table, including wine and meat. Wang Shouren was startled when he saw this scene. Zhang Zhou's living environment in the army was quite luxurious, and he said to himself, "You must enjoy life." Don't come here either.
After Zhang Zhou finished writing what he had on hand, he immediately called Sun Shangqi in and said, "Send it back to the capital."
Only then did Wang Shouren notice that it was not a memorial. More like a personal letter.
When Zhang Zhou walked towards Wang Shouren, facing Wang Shouren's suspicious eyes, he smiled and explained, "As a doctor, I have to write a prescription for someone. After entering Yanghekou, I asked someone for some mercury and arsenic." , got some new medicine."
Of course it was prepared for the one from Li Dongyang's family.
Zhang Zhou promised to improve the arsenic agent, and he kept his word. Anyway, he was not very interested in a decisive battle with Huo Si, so he set up camp at Yanghekou while returning to the state of being in the capital. He can do all kinds of things.
Wang Shouren did not ask Zhang Zhou who prepared the medicine for him. In his opinion, Zhang Zhou did not look like a soldier leader, doing everything part-time.
Then Zhang Zhou invited Wang Shouren to the dinner table.
"Song Xian, the commander of Yanghewei, sent it to me. Don't insist on giving it back. As a military officer of the Xuan Da General System, after I take office, officers and generals everywhere want to cling to me. It's annoying. It’s so annoying.” Zhang Zhou sighed.
Only then did Wang Shouren understand why Zhang Zhou was on the front line and lived in a very ordinary place, but was so "fine-minded" about food.
It may be said that it is sophisticated, but it is probably incomparable to the free life in the capital.
"The wine is gone, let's have a meal together." Zhang Zhou said.
Wang Shouren said, "No need. I had dinner before coming down."
Zhang Zhou nodded and said, "Okay, let's finish talking in advance. I'll tell you later." I'm having dinner. Brother Bo'an is here to send troops to Maoerzhuang."
Wang Shouren had previously given Zhang Zhou a strategic plan and mentioned how to attack by surprise. Including a head-on decisive battle with Huo Si, but he did not get a reply from Zhang Zhou. He actually knew that Zhang Zhou meant to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, but he always felt that this was a missed opportunity to extinguish Huo Si.
Zhang Zhou said, "I have read it, and you have made a good point. We are not afraid of gathering people from all walks of life to fight head-on. We can even use his retreat. ButYou have to know that it's not whether we want to fight or not, it's the Fire Sieve that will most likely not fight us.
Wang Shouren nodded and said, "But if we delay sending troops, we will have the troops screened out of Datong Town by fire, or the imperial court may be criticized." ”
“Haha. "
Zhang Zhou smiled.
As if suddenly, Wang Shouren understood the "essence" of running an army in the northwest.
That is, regardless of strategy What the situation is like, whether we should fight or not, that is not the point.
The point is not what you, the frontline general, think, but what the king and ministers in the court think. Once what you do is in line with the expectations of the king and ministers in the court. If you are different, they will criticize you, even find fault with you, remove you from office, and even hold you responsible for your crimes.
If the Tatars invade the country, you will not send troops and just sit back and watch the Tatars plunder and leave. It seems like a serious crime for the minister of the DPRK.
"It's okay. Fire-sifting people in Mao'erzhuang doesn't mean knocking on the door and entering. No matter how much others criticize, it won't break the law. Who can let you be safe? The good news is ahead of us, we are so well-founded." Zhang Zhou was still smiling.
Unlike the past when the Tatars Chen Bing were outside the pass, this time Zhang Zhou was in the northwest, and the people in the court seemed to I won't make irresponsible remarks about this.
Zhang Zhou's fighting style is unique, and he seems to have special privileges in Chen Bing's formation.
The ministers in the DPRK also seem to understand that common sense cannot be used. To speculate on Zhang Zhou's military strategy, the situation between the Ming Dynasty and the grassland tribes has been reversed. If you attack Zhang Zhou now and Zhang Zhou wins the battle for you, it will be a discredit on your own face.
No. People are willing to come over and let Zhang Zhou slap him in the face.
"I have the idea of sending troops, but the current shortage of food, grass and baggage will not give us the advantage if we use light troops to attack. , it is better to maintain a stalemate like this, giving the soldiers around Datong a sense of urgency, and at the same time making it easier to argue with the imperial court. "Zhang Zhou made his words very clear in front of Wang Shouren.
"Bullshit" Wang Shouren frowned, the word didn't sound so formal.
It didn't seem to come from From the mouth of a northwest military commander
Zhang Zhou sighed, “It’s just bullshit. Brother Bo'an, you also know that for this good news, if we follow the previous standards in terms of merit and rewards, the imperial court will not be able to come up with so much money to reward the three armies. Our Xuan Mansion has not made any progress in opening iron mines. I want to stabilize the morale of the army. , It requires financial support, but do you think the DPRK and China have so much money to transfer over?"
"It's difficult. "Wang Shouren also knew that if the northwest wanted to use troops, it was not simply a question of whether the emperor and his ministers agreed.
It also depends on whether the Ming Dynasty can afford to use troops for a long time.
The opposition of the ministers also It is not simply because they are afraid of trouble, but because once large-scale war preparations are needed in the northwest, it will involve the problem of wasting people and damaging money. However, the civil servants of the Hongzhi Dynasty, especially the cabinet ministers after Xu Pu, all focused on "pacifying the people."
To stabilize the people, we must reduce expenditures, which is contrary to the grand strategy of using troops in the northwest.
"No.With the fire-sifting army pressing down on the territory, I can't reach out to the court for money. I also know that the court will not meet our needs. We can't cut back on expenditures, so we can only increase revenue. However, the open source method will inevitably conflict with the existing system of the imperial court. It is just in time for me to apply to His Majesty. ”
Zhang Zhou once again showed his side that is different from ordinary people.
Wang Shouren, who comes from a traditional civil servant position, will naturally feel unacceptable for a moment when he hears such words. .
If this were the case before, if Zhang Zhou said this in front of him, he might just walk away.
You, a general secretary of Xuan Da, would actually think so. How to scheme against the imperial court
But it’s different now
It is precisely because you don’t know how valuable firewood and rice are when you are not a family member. Wang Shouren led his troops to the grassland and after returning to Yanghekou, he deeply felt The situation in the northwest was so bad that Hong Han almost lost his life on the grassland because he failed to send troops to rescue him in time.
And all of this came from the conservatism and paranoia of the civil servants in the DPRK. < /p>
Wang Shouren asked, "If we have to prepare for war for many years, the money spent will probably be huge. If we do not rely on Beijing's allocation and rely solely on the Xuanfu's accumulation over the past few years, it will only be a drop in the bucket. ”
“Yeah. "Zhang Zhou nodded, "So my strategy is to take advantage of the current stable situation in the northwest to strengthen the military garrison, and then change the grain supply to a medium level to allow merchants to come to garrison the fields, recruit soldiers and civilians to reclaim wasteland, and at the same time step up mining. After all, His Majesty gave me authority, and we must make good use of it. "
"Return to Xuanfu" Wang Shouren frowned.
When Wang Shouren came, Zhang Zhou said he wanted to open mines, which meant opening iron mines around Zhangjiakou Fort. Some of the locations were outside the Great Wall. .
But if you and Chen Bing are in Yanghekou, why are you talking about mining?
"No, no, there is no need to go back to Xuanfu. It's fine to stay in Datong Town. You can't open the iron." Mine, I opened a few coal mines first. It happened that I accumulated some experience in Xishan and was able to be familiar with the road. "Zhang Zhou said with a smile.
Wang Shouren was stunned for a moment.
Your way of mining is very magical.
Originally, when it comes to mining iron ore, Mo Talking about the imperial court, even if the Tatars knew your intentions, they all thought that your focus of mining was on Xuanfu. But you turned around and went to Datong to open coal mines
You thought that the world was full of mines. Open it wherever you want
Wang Shouren said, “With the existing coal mines around Datong Town, it is not easy to open a new mine. ”
Zhang Zhou smiled and shook his head and said, “On the contrary, it’s easy.” The coal mines around Datong are rich in reserves. You know that I am good at Feng Shui and it is easiest to find mines using Kanyu Xuankong's method. I have asked your Majesty to let you stay in Datong Town as the governor. The matter of opening coal mines in the local area must be handed over to you. You got it. "
""
Wang Shouren was speechless.
I came to talk to you about sending troops, but you told me that I would stay in Datong to help you mine.
Although what Zhang Zhou said was in line with what he felt aboutYu Zhijun expected that being the governor of Datong would give him a huge stage to perform, just in time to realize his ambition.
Wang Shouren had just entered the court less than half a year ago, and he didn’t expect to achieve much as an official in the capital. If he couldn’t get into the Hanlin Academy, he might as well stay in the northwest and run the army for a long time. At least this was his hobby. Scholarship, as well as conducting academic forums and giving lectures, were all his hobbies in his middle and later years.
"Originally, I planned to keep you in Xuanfu, but Ma Zhongxi is a bit stubborn in temper, but he still has ability. A capable person, even if he has a different temperament than ordinary people, can do things. It is better than those who do nothing. The military affairs in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty in the past few decades are due to the inaction of many people."
Although Zhang Zhou did not directly criticize Datong Governor Hong Han, he read between the lines. They all devalued Hong Han to the point of being worthless.
After Wang Shouren heard this, in addition to empathizing, he also felt a sense of "admiration".
He was also thinking that this Zhang Zhitai looked young and was still regarded as a sycophant in the eyes of others. He had previously seemed competitive and wanted to argue with Ma Zhongxi, but he was also open-minded. It was clear that Ma Zhongxi had already He treated him as a traitor, and he was clearly qualified to replace Ma Zhongxi, but Zhang Zhou was still tolerant.
On the contrary, it was Hong Han
Even if an official like Hong Han failed to do anything, he would still be ordered to get out early even if he fawned over him again.
Originally Wang Shouren was not very confident about being the governor of the northwest, but seeing Zhang Zhou's determination, he was encouraged and thought that he could do something big.
"As for sending troops to Maoerzhuang, forget it." Zhang Zhou said, "Unless we can transfer a large number of artillery and gunpowder from the side pass, this does not meet the strategic needs. Now I want to see it Let’s see what tricks the fire sieve can do.”
Zhang Zhou was very relaxed and content.
Wang Shouren also obeyed.
It was obvious that after Zhang Zhou arrived in the northwest, he did not fight a tough battle in person. He even talked and ran errands, but he did not go into battle in person. He avoided the battle when he clearly had the opportunity to fight Huo Si, but Wang Shouren was I am sincerely convinced of Zhang Zhou.
Wang Shouren said, "No wonder Marquis Weining made many recommendations to His Majesty before his death, saying that the future of military affairs in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty lies on the shoulders of Zhang Zhitai."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Uncle An, you don’t need to compliment me. We will work together from now on. If I can stay in Northwest as long as you can, you may not be able to return to Beijing in the next few years. It is more appropriate for us to work together to shoulder the burden."
" Hmm."
Wang Shouren didn't say he should be humble.
Wang Shouren is also happy to accept the idea of working together.
As Zhang Zhou expected, a report came without warning at night, saying that Huo Si had withdrawn his troops from Maoerzhuang and was leaving in a hurry.
The reason for the withdrawal is also very simple
Zhang Zhou sent two thousand cavalry to exit the pass from Yanghekou. They did not go north, but went west along the north side of the Great Wall Pass. When they arrived at Fangshan, Huo Si ran away in despair.
When Wang Shouren got this battle report, he alsoHe couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Isn’t this all in line with what Zhang Zhou predicted?
It’s not that Ming Dynasty wants a decisive battle, but that Fire Sieve’s confidence has been destroyed.
In other words, even if Huo Si is still confident, Huo Si should know how to assess the situation. How can the soldiers under his command have the confidence to fight against the Ming Dynasty?
It is clear that the grassland is being annexed internally, and its Most of the tribesmen are still captives, and one of them will represent the grassland to fight against the Ming Dynasty. Even without the rise of Zhang Zhou, without the yellow gunpowder and those advanced artillery, the power of the Ming Dynasty would have far exceeded that of Dayan Khan
< p>Now that Zhang Zhou is here, Huo Si is even less likely to take the initiative to touch the eggs with the rocks.Then an edict was sent to Yanghekou.
Zhang Zhou was promoted to be the censor of the left capital of the Imperial Procuratorate and the right minister of the Ministry of War. He was also promoted to the right governor of the Dudu Mansion of the Hou Army. While leading the military affairs, he controlled Xuan Mansion, Datong, Pianguan, The military emperors of Yansui, Ningxia, Shaanxi and other places almost handed over all the important towns on the nine sides to Zhang Zhou.
Zhang Zhou's civil service was temporarily promoted to the second rank, and his military position was promoted to the first rank, which is equivalent to becoming the most powerful man in the northwest.
Although Zhang Zhou has not yet received the title, everyone seems to know that Zhang Zhou will be able to obtain the title when he returns to the capital. The reason why Zhang Zhou is not given a title now is just to facilitate Zhang Zhou to control the northwest military affairs as a leading civil servant. If he becomes Wu Xun, then Zhang Zhou may have to listen to Qin Hong's orders.
This is a matter of priority.
Although the emperor could also issue an edict to let Zhang Zhou control the northwest military affairs as Wu Xun, it would set a bad precedent, just like when Wang Yue was promoted to Weiningbo in Chenghua, he also had to The same is true for retiring from the post of Minister of the Ministry of War and other positions.
The emperor is trying his best to silence others.
Wang Shouren was promoted to be a doctor in the Ministry of Punishment, a censor of Zuoqiandu, and in charge of military affairs in Datong.
Hong Han, the former governor of Datong, was dismissed on the spot and transferred to the capital.
Everything was done without Zhang Zhou ever meeting Hong Han.
After the decree is issued, the next step is to perform their duties.
Huo Si withdraws his troops, and Zhang Zhou currently does not have enough firearms to send troops. What Zhang Zhou needs to carry out is mining and reassuring the people. This requires someone to help him carry out the partial pass, which is more similar to a military station. There is no way to mine or farm in the surrounding area. The task of reassuring the people basically has to be entirely left to Wang Shouren.
Zhang Zhou immediately wanted to bid farewell to Wang Shouren and send him to Datong Mansion to take over.
"Don't be in a hurry." After Tang Yin learned about it, he seemed a little disgusted.
Obviously I am your junior brother Zhang Banxian, why do all the good things happen to him?
It was also the head of the Sixth Department who came here, so why was he promoted to governor
p>
Wang Shouren next to him seemed to also feel that even if he became the governor of Datong, he did not necessarily have to go to Datong to perform his duties. The situation in Datong was different from that of Xuanfu. As an important town in Shanxi, Datong Town itself has brought together the economy and culture. and military and other urban functions.
Being the governor of Datong is much more complicated than being the governor of Xuanfu or Pianguan.
Wang Shouren felt that he was powerless when it came to communicating with local officials and other yamen.
He is confident in the military, but to manage such a complex system as a new scholar like him, no matter how high your confidence is, if you can't do it based on seniority, you just don't have enough confidence.
Zhang Zhou said, "Bo'an, I will ask Sun Qianhu, the Jinyi Guard, to accompany you there. At the same time, I will mobilize a thousand troops from the Shenji Camp of the Beijing Camp and a thousand soldiers from the Xuanfu Town. Try not to get up after passing there." Conflict. After everything settles down, these people will withdraw one after another."
In addition to considering the political pressure of Wang Shouren, Zhang Zhou also had to consider his personal safety.
When a young governor takes office and carries out rectification and reform, he will easily suffer the dissatisfaction of local bosses.
These two thousand soldiers and horses are regarded as Zhang Zhou's personal soldiers for Wang Shouren. It is easier to do things if there are talents around him.
Wang Shouren also understood that Datong was now a dragon's pond and a tiger's den for him. He would not refuse to accept it like a stupid young man. On the contrary, he might feel that two thousand people were a bit too few.
"In addition, I will give you another ten thousand taels of silver." Zhang Zhou said, "This is the start-up capital, you can allocate it yourself. Don't worry, these silvers are all mined and raised by me, and they do not involve the allocation by the court. Use it however you want."
It was Wang Shouren's and Tang Yin's turn to be speechless again.
Tang Yin asked, "Zhang Zhitai, didn't you give the imperial court more than 10,000 taels of silver as salary?"
Zhang Zhou said, "At that time, I almost contributed all my wealth." Yes, but I have made a lot of money from the coal mine in Xishan recently, and the workshop in the capital is also doing well. I have made a little more, so I can use it."
Tang Yin frowned.
He wanted to say that he had seen others move money from the court to their home, but he had never seen you move money from your home to the court like this.
“Without investment, there is no return. Ten thousand taels of silver is not enough to do much. The key is to recruit some people and open the coal mine. I will find someone to communicate with you about the specific location. I will also do it when I have free time. Go in person."
Zhang Zhou continued, "As for the reward for military merit, the imperial court is already implementing it. If the first merit is not enough, it will be rewarded with salt, farmland, houses, military positions, etc. Cashing out is not within the scope of this ten thousand taels of silver. If it is not enough, some of the proceeds from the mining may be used to reward the soldiers."
Tang Yin said, "Does the Imperial Court even ask us to raise the rewards for our military merits by ourselves?"
Zhang Zhou shrugged and said, "We may not need to raise it by ourselves, so let's treat us first." The army is in trouble. The treasury is short of money. We will help to find a way to ensure the stability of the army. "Please remember to bookmark the latest and fastest anti-theft free reading