Zhang Zhou, the "director" of the Ming Dynasty Ordnance Factory, originally planned to go to inspect the cannon around noon, but early in the morning, Li Rong came with the factory guards to give gifts.
With a smile on his face, Li Rong flattered Zhang Zhou and told Zhang Zhou about setting up an ambush in Huamachi to win.
"The results are remarkable, but compared to the previous battles Mr. Zhang, as you know, His Majesty has high expectations for the northwest battle now"
Li Rong and Zhang Zhou entered together On the way to the palace, he also explained the current situation.
Probably, the emperor's expectations were too high. An ordinary victory could no longer make the emperor feel that it was a "great victory." However, killing 1,800 people was actually enough to convince the minister. He was bragging in front of him, otherwise Zhang Zhou would not have been allowed to follow Li Rong into the court today and enjoy the "glory of victory" together.
The Meridian Gate is in sight, and the ministers who were waiting in advance have entered the palace. Zhang Zhou is the last person in the last batch.
Zhang Zhou looked at the palace gate and said, "The war is not over yet. I'm afraid it would be inappropriate to celebrate the victory prematurely. After all, the little Tartar prince has brought tens of thousands of soldiers and horses. Maybe he will have reinforcements arriving in the future. By then, The outcome is hard to predict."
Li Rong said with a smile, "The outcome is not hard to predict, it just depends on the outcome. Mr. Zhang, this is not your first day in the Ministry of War knowing about the war in the Ming Dynasty. , do you still need us to explain it to you in detail?"
Zhang Zhou did not answer the call.
In the northwest of the Ming Dynasty, before Zhang Zhou, almost every "good news" was made with the blood of Ming soldiers. A good news that killed dozens of people might be the result of the Ming Dynasty. The losses were several times that of the Tatars.
What Li Rong means is that we have already lured the Tatars into the urn, and the result will definitely be to kill a lot of Tatars. As long as we only report the good news and not the bad news, no matter how much our own losses are. , just increase the number of enemies killed.
Zhang Zhou was embarrassed to say it.
Am I that kind of person?
Besides, the war in the northwest was not fought by me personally. If I have anything to hide, I can tell who loses. Decide who loses.
Outside the Fengtian Palace, the ministers arrived very early, but they were never summoned into the palace, and the court meeting did not begin.
It seems to be waiting for someone.
The ministers have already circulated the northwest battle situation obtained last night through some "gossip", and the fact that Yang Yiqing led his troops to set up an ambush in Huamachi to win is like every minister's worst nightmare. The same thing quickly spread among them.
"It turns out that I came from Huamachi. It seems that the Ministry of War made arrangements early in the morning, otherwise I wouldn't be so precise and waiting for work in Huamachi"
The scene was regarded as a target of public criticism They are Xiong Chong and Xiong Xiu, two ministers of the Ministry of War.
Because the ambush must have been arranged in advance, it can be assumed that it was actually Yang Yiqing or his generals who had foresight.
But it was related to the fact that the emperor and Zhang Zhou had previously started a mystery in the capital about "where did the Tatars come from?"Discussions led to the belief that the Ministry of War had prepared a complete plan in advance, but did not notify the DPRK and Central Ministers of the news in detail.
Xiong Da and Xiong Er were silent at this time. Although they already knew a little bit of the inside story, the emperor and Zhang Zhou did not let them talk. Even if their hearts were towards the traditional civil servants, they still had to pretend to be deaf in front of others. dumb.
"What are you waiting for? Will there be news of war?"
Many people can't wait.
This group of ministers during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty had actually been "spoiled" by Zhu Youtang. Everyone felt that they were the pillars of the country. Even standing there waiting for a while, they felt that they were being mistreated by the emperor. own.
Originally Fu Han was the candidate to succeed the Minister of Rites, and later they planned to transfer him to Nanjing to be the Minister. However, after the final recommendation, Fu Han voluntarily gave up the opportunity to go to Nanjing to become the Minister, preferring to continue working in the capital. Consumption.
In his opinion, it seemed that being the Zuo Shilang of the Northern Ministry of Rites was better than going to Nanjing to be the Minister of Rites.
Xie Qian looked around with a smile and said, "Just look at who hasn't come."
Who hasn't come?
Before the court meeting, you should come. Basically everyone is here. If there is a very conspicuous person who is not here, it is naturally the Minister of War, but he does not come often.
Xie Qian hinted clearly that the emperor must be discussing official business with Zhang Bingkuan now. Zhang Bingkuan alone represents our civil and military officials.
Unconvinced
Who let Zhang Bingkuan make the right bet this time?
But before Xie Qian could finish his words, Zhang Zhou followed Li Rong. , coming at a brisk pace.
Originally, not many people among the traditional civil servants wanted to see Zhang Zhou, but today when they saw Zhang Zhou, it was like seeing a rare guest. They all turned around and paid attention, as if they all knew that Zhang Zhou was the protagonist today. .
Zhang Zhou joined the waiting class.
The people who came to say hello to him were basically neutral people. Wu Xun had no chance to come over to say hello.
Not long after Zhang Zhou arrived, after Li Rongtong passed the message, the ministers were able to enter the Fengtian Hall.
The emperor came in person and the court meeting began.
Come up.
Zhu Youtang asked Li Rong to read the victory report of Yang Yiqing and other Ningxia local garrison generals. Originally, the emperor wanted to cheer up the ministers present, but because the ministers had already known the news in advance, so As for the atmosphere after the victory announcement was over, the atmosphere was not too warm.
"My lords, this battle can be said to be a success." Zhu Youtang used an exciting tone, trying to add a festive atmosphere to the good news in the court.
Liu Jian wanted to come out and raise some questions, but after looking sideways at Zhang Zhou, he finally decided not to come out.
But his eyes seemed to be hinting at something.
Then the ministers saw Zhang Zhou walking out of the courtroom.
"Bingkuan, are you okay?" Zhu Youtang was still very curious.
According to the past routine, Liu Jian and others should come out to pour cold water on this meeting and sing the opposite. I have already prepared for it. Why did Bingkuan come out today?
Zhang Zhoudao said, "Returning to Your Majesty, I have learned that the Tatars have now entered the Ming Pass and are looting everywhere. The Ming army is now unable to stop their front, although there are also people from all walks of life who are gathering towards Ningxia. , I am afraid that in the next few days to ten months, the Tatars will continue to wreak havoc."
When the ministers heard this, they were a little unresponsive.
It is Zhang Zhou himself who is the naysayer today
Or maybe he wants to excuse himself in advance and cut off the Tatars’ escape route. It was probably Zhang Zhou who proposed it. Someone must be held responsible for the losses suffered by the army and the people by leading the Tatars into the Ming Dynasty's passes.
Zhu Youtang said, "The Tatars knocked down the pass, and their wolf ambitions are clearly exposed. Now that they have suffered a new defeat, their morale must be low. At this time, if all the troops in the border army can work together, they will definitely be able to defeat them." The Tatars are trapped in an urn, then..."
The emperor almost blurted out the strategic significance of "Shigou City", but like the previous story about Huamachi, Zhu Youtang also knew it. If you can hide it, hide it first.
What if the Tatars don’t go to Shigoucheng?
It’s better not to talk too much in advance.
This made the ministers waiting to hear the details anxious, and they all thought about what would happen. Your Majesty, you have made it clear.
Zhang Zhoudao said, "Your Majesty, at this time, we should strictly order the three armies not to give in. We must fight for every inch of territory. If we encounter an enemy who cowers and refuses to fight, it will be regarded as delaying the opportunity to fight. Even if we win, we will be held accountable." "
"That makes sense." Zhu Youtang and Zhang Zhou seemed to be singing in harmony, and said in tacit agreement, "Now that the Tatars have entered the pass, there are still people who are concerned about the life and death of the people. If you ignore the situation of the war and retreat before the battle, I will definitely not let you go."
Xie Qian finally couldn't help but walked out and said, "Cai Guogong, based on your intention, someone is expected to cower."
Zhang Zhou said, "I don't know who I am, I just want to say something ugly in front of others."
Xie Qian narrowed his eyes and said, "Perhaps Cai Guogong thinks that someone may be afraid of moving forward, so he just points it out in the court." Ming."
Just tell us the name of Duke Zhu Hui, so that we can know who you are targeting.
Zhang Zhou asked curiously, "Could it be that Mr. Xie Ge has the same idea as me, thinking that someone will miss the opportunity to fight? If Mr. Xie Ge doesn't mind, he can also tell his name, and it will be good in the court." Doing some detailed research, or reminding him quickly, can be regarded as a slap in the face."
"Haha." Xie Qian shook his head with a strange smile, without even taking a step forward.
FirstXie Qian's previous words, even before he left the court, were tantamount to questioning Zhang Zhou on the spot.
Zhu Youtang said in peace, "I understand the thoughts of all the noble families. If there is someone who shrinks when encountering the enemy, resulting in an unfavorable battle situation, I must pursue it to the end. Dear noble families, this time of flowering Although the credit for Ma Chi's victory lies with the Ningxia soldiers, the credit for the planning still lies with Bingkuan." Finally, the point came to the point, and all the ministers present held their breaths and concentrated.
The emperor was planning to promote Zhang Zhou again, but there was no way he could be promoted.
Zhang Zhou said, "Your Majesty, I dare not take credit. This battle is the result of your Majesty's wise decision. I just proposed the idea of Tatar invasion and pointed out the weaknesses of the northwest defense. Who knows that the Tatars People really came from Huamachi."
It's a real show of force.
I made a casual calculation, and then I hit the target
At this time, Li Rong said: "Your Majesty, two days ago, news of the hailstorm around Shuntian Mansion came. Because various places were prepared in advance, Although the hailstorm was violent, the local people and animals were basically unharmed. This all relied on Zhang Butang's early warning. Zhang Butang was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, both for military affairs and for people's livelihood. "
< p>Liu Jian and others stared at Li Rong.It seems to be saying, you old eunuch, you don’t know that it is against the rules for you to speak like this
Just say what you say, why do you have to add your own opinions? What kind of loyal minister is he in the Ming Dynasty? Apart from him being a loyal minister, what are we?
But after Zhu Youtang heard these words, he was very useful. This is the difference between Li Rong and others. In following the emperor In other words, no matter what kind of personal opinions you add, the emperor will think that you are "very good at getting things done." On the contrary, if you encounter something that the emperor doesn't like to hear, even if you only add a little bit of opinions, the emperor will think that you are overstepping.
Zhu Youtang nodded and said, "If you have merit, you should be rewarded."
Zhu Youtang then looked around at the ministers present and said, "But it's still early to give rewards. We will discuss it in detail after the war in the northwest subsides. Bingkuan, you have to pay more attention recently. Although it is a long way from the capital to Ningxia, it is inconvenient to transmit information, but with your ability to predict events, you can give early warning for many things. The imperial court depends on you."
Zhang Zhou quickly said, "Your Majesty, how can I be so virtuous that I dare not take on such an important position?"
Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "You don't dare." Who dares to hold an important position?"
This seemed to be asking Zhang Zhou, but also mocking the ministers present.
Although the opposition voice of the ministers to Zhang Zhou today was very low, and even Xie Qian came out to make a few jokes, the emperor could still sense that those traditional civil servants had strong opinions. Now the emperor has made it clear, you Those who are dissatisfied can stand up, and those who think they can replace Zhang Zhou can also stand up.
If not
then shut up.
"By the way, Bingkuan, how do you think the war in Ningxia will progress in the future? In front of all the ministers, it doesn't matter."
Zhu Youtang was fine in the end.As if he understood the ministers present very well, he saw that all the ministers in the court were kept in the dark, and asked Zhang Zhou to explain to everyone.
"Back to Your Majesty, I believe that the morale of the Tatars is low at this time, but the little Tatar prince is absolutely unwilling to withdraw from the territory of the Ming Dynasty. He will definitely plunder the border and wait for an opportunity to withdraw northward. The passers-by should work together to force them to a point of no return and form an encirclement." Zhang Zhou analyzed the battle situation.
When Zhu Youtang heard this, his eyes were a little red, and he almost shouted "Okay" in public.
Because this is the result he pursues.
It would be his ultimate dream if he could annex the little Tartar prince and his 30,000 troops at once, so that he would not even have to lead the troops into the grassland himself.
Li Dongyang said, "If everything is true as Cai Guogong said, and the little Tatar prince led his troops to collapse within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, then the Tatars will be in turmoil within the next few years or even more than a dozen years." In the next few years, the Tatars may no longer be able to deal with the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Youtang smiled and said, "Mr. Li Ge, what I want is not to cut off their wings, but to kill them completely like a jackal. The Tatars. I also know that it is not easy to catch the cunning wolf of the little Tatar prince, but it depends on human nature. Since he took the initiative and threw himself into the trap, I think this opportunity should not be missed. ”
Li Dongyang continued, “But Your Majesty, this battle is taking place within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, which may harm the people. If there are any flaws in the war, it will threaten the peace of the people in Guanlong, Pingliang and other places.”< /p>
Zhu Youtang immediately looked displeased and said, "Now that the defenses are tight, what else can be done? Do you want me to conquer it personally? Or Li Ge has a better strategy."
Li Dongyang did not expect that , he just reminded the emperor that a routine memorial could arouse such strong feedback from the emperor, so he could only keep silent.
"Okay."
Zhu Youtang said with finality, "This battle is still in progress. Today's victory is just to boost the morale of the Ming army and the people. Everywhere in the northwest You can tell me what are the deficiencies in the precautions and the difficulties in transporting grain and grass. What I want is an overall victory." Ma Wensheng said, "Maybe Datong can send troops all the way to disrupt the situation. "In the rear of the Tatars."
Ma Wensheng wanted to create some pressure on the rear of the Tatars, and the one who had this ability was naturally Wang Shouren, who had raided the grasslands many times before.
Zhu Youtang raised his hand to interrupt Ma Wensheng's words, and said very decisively, "I have my own judgment on the matter of marching and dispatching. I will discuss it with you as appropriate."
Zhu Youtang almost wanted to say, just give me your opinion on logistics and supplies. As for how to mobilize troops, you don't need to mention it, and I won't listen. After all, Bingkuan is here.
After I finished speaking, I felt it was inappropriate, so I said we would discuss it as appropriate.
Negotiation is nonsense.
I won’t listen to Bingkuan, and I won’t listen to you. Do I have no brains?
At this time, if I listen to you, the final battle will be endless.As expected, whose responsibility is it?
Zhu Youtang originally intended for Zhang Zhouquan to preside over the war and the Ministry of War to take the lead. He did not think that Ma Wen would be promoted to the official minister. He is qualified to interfere in the military affairs of the northwest.
The meeting ended.
As expected, under the envious and jealous gazes of everyone, Zhang Zhou went with Zhu Youtang to the Qianqing Palace to discuss matters.
The monarch and his ministers have important military matters that need to be discussed secretly in the inner court. In the past, many people would have jumped at the idea of not discussing it with the ministers, but now everyone knows it well. In the past few years, What exactly happened, and we also understand how indispensable Zhang Zhou was to the military and administration of the Ming Dynasty.
"Mr. Liu Ge, do you think you can win this battle?"
Zhong Zhong, Shangshu of the Ministry of Revenue, walked up to Liu Jian and asked in a low voice.
Liu Jian was originally talking to Ma Wensheng about the inspection of the capital by the Ministry of Civil Affairs. When he heard this, he looked over.
Liu Jian didn’t say anything. Xie Qian smiled and said, “The victory is Zhang Bingkuan’s credit, and the defeat is also his responsibility. Isn’t it great?”
Shifting the blame is top-notch. .
Zhong Zhongdao said, "The money and food used by the Ministry of Revenue for river construction this year is much less than usual. I am afraid that His Majesty intends to use troops in the border towns. If this continues, I am afraid."
"If you have anything to do, you can bring it up." Xie Qian said, "River engineering is the foundation of a country. People in the Central Plains see it. If they don't use river engineering but use it for military and political affairs, this is a harbinger of militarism. Confucianism and Legalism are the foundation of a country. This is It’s just giving up the basics and chasing the weak.”
“I still have to mention it”
Zhong Zhong frowned.
For upstarts like Zhong Zhong, they thought that the current civil servants were adhering to the principle of appeasement, probably not to confront Zhang Zhou head-on, and not to challenge the emperor's enthusiasm for military and political affairs.
Everything seems to be negotiable.
But now Xie Qian has made it clear that the principles of Confucian officials cannot be abolished, and we must be tough when we should be tough.
Liu Jian said coldly, "If the foundation of the country is really messed up, the Ming Dynasty will decline. This is unbearable for benevolent people. There are no victorious generals on the battlefield, let alone some who have never been on the battlefield." To achieve meritorious service, he must have divine help."
The implication is that Zhang Zhou will always stumble.
How can the harmony between monarch and ministers last forever?
Xie Qian smiled and said, "It is inevitable that he will think of Yuxiu Pavilion on Long Live Mountain. The way of a loyal minister lies in perseverance, while the way of a sycophantic minister lies in perseverance." The truth is that if you love flowers at the right time, they won’t last forever.”
After hearing this, Zhong Zhong felt very strange.
He really wants to say, can Zhang Bingkuan be simply summed up as a "sycophant"? How can he tell that he is a "sycophant" and that he is close to the emperor, but the problem is
The Ming Dynasty currently sees You can't live without him
But now that the cabinet has set the tone, it still has to compete with Zhang Zhou. As a civil servant of the traditional faction, he can only bite the bullet and rush forward unless he is prepared to fight with Zhang Zhou. Traditional factions are at odds with each other, and this is because his foundation is so unstable.The established upstarts cannot afford it.
He also needs Liu Jian and others to support him in the court. After all, he knows very well that the Ministry of Revenue is the next six yamen that the emperor will take into his pocket.
In the Qianqing Palace.
Zhu Youtang and Zhang Zhou sat across from each other, and there was no resentment between the emperor and his ministers. Zhu Youtang did not talk too much about the war in Ningxia, but chatted with Zhang Zhou in a normal way, talking about Zhu Houzhao. There’s more to the education side of things.
But in the end, Zhu Youtang still couldn't help but mention the border issues.
"Based on what we know so far, after Zhu Hui entered the Hetao Army, he was too timid and delayed the advance. The Shaanxi Supervisory Censor and the Prosecution Commission of Shaanxi Province have repeatedly impeached him, and even some generals in the army have I don't like him, and he is even more unscrupulous in the army. He took credit for his reward in the Hetao. If it weren't for the ongoing war, I would like to take him back and hold him accountable."
Zhu Youtangti. When I saw Zhu Hui, I was so angry that my teeth itched with hatred.
Zhang Zhou wanted to say that it was not me who caused this guy to be like this, but this guy himself is like this. Otherwise, he would not have inherited the title of Duke Baoguo. He only inherited one generation, and the next generation can only inherit a marquis. .
Among the shortest, no one is better than the other among the old ministers of the Ming Dynasty. It is meaningless to care about who is more awesome.
Zhang Zhou said, "Your Majesty, as long as Duke Baoguo can still hold the fortress crossings, there will be no big problem. This battle still depends on Ningxia Governor Yang Yiqing and Ningxia Chief Military Officer Guo Jun. These two talents "It's the key to victory."
Zhu Youtang asked, "What if Yang Yiqing found out that Baoguo Gong failed to attack with all his strength, and he himself shrank?"
"No. "Zhang Zhou is somewhat confident in Yang Yiqing on this point.
Xiao Jing, who was standing next to him, reminded him, "Mr. Cai Guo, have you forgotten that in the first year, Governor Yang didn't seem to have any substantial fighting with the little Tatar prince, but he still relied on Anbian Hou?" Deal with it."
Zhang Zhou deliberately paid attention to Zhu Youtang's reaction. From Zhu Youtang's failure to blame Xiao Jing, he knew that Xiao Jing's words clearly conveyed Zhu Youtang's usual worries. In other words, it was the hidden worries that Zhu Youtang expressed in front of them.
Before this battle, Yang Yiqing was indeed not a "positive character".
The emperor was full of suspicion towards people like Yang Yiqing who did not belong to Zhang Zhou's faction.
Zhang Zhoudao said, "What the Tatars are committing now is in Ningxia. If the subsequent war does not go well, even if the Ningxia army wins the battle of Huamachi, it will be difficult to cover up the fact of defeat. For For Duke Baoguo, this battle can be won or not, as long as the Tatars withdraw their troops, even if the Tatars rob people and animals, he can shirk responsibility."
"But for Yang Yi. For Qing, Guo Jun and others, there is no shirking the responsibility, and there is no retreat for them. Moreover, based on Chen's understanding of Yang Yiqing, he should still have this responsibility and he should know how to assess the situation and know how to advance in this battle. The strategic significance of retreat is even greater."
Zhang Zhou's words came entirely from his understanding of history, and he relied on history to summarize what Yang Yiqing was.What a person. Please remember to bookmark, the latest and fastest website is free to read without anti-theft