prosperous age

The tense situation in the capital came to an end in such a dramatic way, which no one had expected before.

Just a year ago, the cabinet was headed by Chen Yiqin, assisted by Yin Shizhen and Wei Guangde, and the three-person clique almost controlled all affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

But just over a year after Gao Gong returned to the court, this three-person clique collapsed, and power fell into the hands of Gao Gong, who had just returned to the court.

This year, the court has undergone tremendous changes. Gao Gong not only seized the power of the cabinet, but also gathered people's hearts and placed people in the six departments, completing the layout of the court. The next step is to work hard to realize his ambition.

On this day, Yang Bo, a veteran minister who had become an official, finally dragged his old body back to Sijiu City. That night, Gao Gong took the lead and united with the important ministers in the court to pick him up.

Everyone was chatting and laughing at the banquet, and there was no clue that Yang Bo had actually done a great job in the reverse arch operation.

As for the protagonists during the banquet, in addition to Gao Gong, the chief minister of the dynasty, and Yang Bo, the new minister of the Ministry of War, there was also Zhang Siwei, the right minister of the Ministry of official affairs. He fluttered between the banquets like butterflies among flowers, enlivening the atmosphere of the banquet.

The guests gradually dispersed after midnight, but Gao Gong never left.

In his position, if he doesn't want to drink or get drunk, there are really not many people in the court who are qualified to persuade him to drink, so at this moment, he is just drunk, but his mind is still clear.

Yang Bo, on the other hand, is old enough and senior enough, and there are not many people who can drink with him.

In addition, due to health reasons, he only had a brief taste of today's drinks, so he was not as drunk as most of the other officials.

"As promised, I'll have fun today."

Gao Gong asked Yang Bo.

"The chief minister and all my colleagues have worked tirelessly to help this old man clean up his dust. I can't thank you enough. How can I not be happy about it, haha."

Yang Bo touched his goatee and said happily to Gao Gong.

"Please make an appointment to return to the DPRK this time. It is actually a troubled time for the DPRK."

Gao Gong's eyes were already slightly red, not because of emotion, but because he was starting to get drunk, but he still tried to keep his mind clear.

"Everyone said that with the Datong Peace Conference, the threat from the north of Ming Dynasty has been eliminated. However, I am still frightened and walking on thin ice."

"Why?"

Yang Bo was not sure what Gao Gong meant and asked hesitantly.

"How could I not know that the Tartars are ambitious, but the imperial court is corrupt from bottom to top and the officials are ignorant. I want to rectify it, but if the Tatars invade the border at this time, how can I deal with it with peace of mind?"

Gao Gong said in a low tone.

"What Mr. Chief Assistant said is that the imperial court is in urgent need of rectification, and side affairs cannot be relaxed."

Yang Bofeng greeted.

"Spend some money and buy some time for my Ming Dynasty."

Gao Gong looked at Yang Bo and said seriously: "I ask you to come back because I want to trust you with all my affairs. You are an old soldier and have more experience in this area than me."

"Sir, it's okay to say so."

Yang Bo had always been worried that Gao Gong had other motives for asking him to return to the capital, such as finding a reason to deal with him. After all, even if Gao Gong wanted to retaliate as an official, he had to get the emperor's approval.

Emperor Longqing may not necessarily become an old official because of this.

Now looking at Gao Gong's seemingly heartfelt remarks, although Yang Bo has dealt with it carefully, he probably has his own judgment in his heart.

"I have reported before that the Ministry of War wants to increase the number of two ministers, which are actually reserved for border ministers.

The original system had one minister, one left minister and one right minister. In the troubled times of the border, border affairs were complicated and unpredictable. The old personnel establishment of the Ministry of War could not handle the complicated border affairs and could not adapt to the complex border situation. "

As Gao Gong spoke, Yang Bo kept nodding, seemingly listening to everything.

"A minister of the Ministry of War was added to serve as the governor's choice and to support timely and border affairs.

From the minister to the governor, from the governor to the army, there are more troops at home and abroad, and the border talents are self-sufficient.

The chief assistant is a great man, this intention is sincere and feasible. "

Yang Bo waited for Gao Gong to finish speaking before he concluded, and couldn't help praising him.

The sedan chair was carried by everyone, Yang Bo also spoke beautifully, and his ability to flatter was naturally first-rate, otherwise it would be difficult for him to thrive in the Jiajing Dynasty.

Next, Gao Gong told Yang Bo several things, which he thought Yang Bo would start to take care of after taking office.

Secondly, Gao Gong suggested careful selection of military officers.

The Ministry of War Division Officers refer to the officials such as Lang Zhong, Yuan Wai Lang, and Principal Officers in the Military Affairs Department, the Staff Department, the Chai Chai Department, and the Arsenal Department, which are subordinate to the Minister of War and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the officers of the Ministry of War have been frequently transferred and appointed in general terms, making it difficult to select people with real talents and practical knowledge. In the long run, the officials under the Ministry of War have not taken their duties seriously and have been passive in dealing with matters, which has seriously restricted the functions of the Ministry of War. play.

Chief Assistant Gao Gong recognized that the division officer was an important part of the Ministry of War, and he should pay enough attention to the division officer of the Ministry of War. He strictly stipulated that subordinate officials should not participate in the rotation of general duties and could only be promoted within the Ministry of War system.

This is actually the decision he made after thinking for a long time. This is the so-called professional cadre. Let professional people do professional things.

Gao Gong believes that the subordinates of the Ministry of War must serve for a long time so that they are familiar with military matters and cannot be transferred at will. In this way, the shortage of border troops can be solved.

The internal and external dispatch of the governor and ministers can make up for the shortage of ministers, and the military commander can make up for the shortage of military preparations on the border. This forms a virtuous circle, which can not only solve the problem of no one available on the border, but also make the military commander more capable. Be familiar with national military regulations and rules, and be familiar with the principles of handling affairs of the Ministry of War.

Gao Gong even suggested to Yang Bo that when selecting subordinates of the Ministry of War, they could consider selecting people who know the military from the frontier fortresses. After all, they have practical experience and are much better than Jinshi who only know how to read.

Finally, Gao Gong mentioned being considerate of border ministers and imposing strict rewards and punishments.

The border areas have always had a harsh natural environment and bitter cold. During the Jiajing and Longqing years, there were rapid incursions by ethnic minorities in the frontier areas, and the border areas were extremely dangerous.

The governors and ministers have been guarding the border for a long time and worked hard, which shows the great responsibility and great danger.

Gao Gong thought that the border governors had been working hard in the bitter cold for a long time, so he proposed to Emperor Longqing to implement a flexible vacation system for border governors to ease the hard work of border governors and enable border officials to recuperate.

This is actually related to his original report to increase the number of ministers in the Ministry of War. He hoped that the border ministers could rotate back to Beijing to rest and join the Ministry of War to become ministers.

Yang Bo listened carefully to Gao Gong's words, and his eyes changed slightly when he looked at him.

He knew that these words had probably been considered for a long time and were by no means an impromptu idea.

Gao Gong was able to think in his position and sympathize with the governor's hard work, which shows his thorough planning and meticulous handling of affairs.

Although Yang Bo actually valued the power of the official department more, after this night's exchange with Gao Gong, he also knew that if he wanted to really get there, he had to fully cooperate with his political reforms and gain his trust. .

Otherwise, don't even think about getting involved in the official department.

If you are unable to take charge of the Ministry of Personnel, it is almost impossible to jump from the Ministry of War to the Cabinet.

With Gao Gong's reforms, Yang Bo already had a vague feeling that he was going to launch a large-scale anti-corruption storm in the officialdom, so the officials would never let go easily. A few days later, Zhu Heng finally received Wei Guangde’s letter.

However, drastic changes in the court situation were still happening at this moment and Zhu Heng had no intention of breaking the letter.

After he was bored and read Wei Guangde's letter, his face was full of bitterness.

Yin Shizhen was a man of resolute action. On the day Emperor Longqing approved him, he took his packed luggage and set off back to his hometown in Shandong.

On the same day, several of Wei Guangde's fellow villagers in Beijing also received letters from Wei Guangde, but the letters sent to Yin Shizhen's house were left behind. By this time, Yin's house was already empty.

Unlike Wei Guangde's mansion, which he bought with his own money, Yin Shizhen's mansion in the capital was awarded to Yin Shizhen after Emperor Longqing ascended the throne. Although it belonged to him in name, Yin Shizhen still returned the deed to the house to the inner court before leaving.

So even if the mansion is vacant now, no one dares to make an idea here.

But this puts the messenger in trouble. He received Zhang Ji's order to deliver the letter to several adults, but now that Yin Shizhen has left the capital, what should he do?

I had no choice but to go back to the Wei Mansion first, collect some money and then chase him to Shandong.

After all, Yang Bo has been away from the Ministry of War for some time, so although he has taken over the Ministry of War these days, he is still sorting out the first issues, especially some people, and he still has to clear them out of the Ministry of War. However, an urgent memorandum from Southwest has been sent Enter the Ministry of War.

Wei Yinbao, the leader of the Tong tribe in Gutian, Guangxi, rebelled again.

The Ming Dynasty has long advocated the idea of ​​"guarding the four barbarians" in border governance. The management of the southwest region took "guarding" as its core, took the Yuan Dynasty as a lesson, and opposed the practice of military expansion based on the southwest border.

After the Ming Dynasty conquered the southwest, faced with the reality of numerous ethnic minorities and uneven development, complex geographical environment, and harsh natural conditions in the southwest, the rulers of the Ming Dynasty neither chose to imitate the Han law in the mainland nor blindly copied it. The Yuan Dynasty's local official system understood the essence of the central dynasty's restraint policy in previous dynasties.

Ming Taizu often warned his ministers and his descendants not to use force against the southwest region. Ming Taizu believed that the "barbarians" were mostly in remote and wilderness areas. Expeditions to the southwest were a waste of people and money, and even if they were conquered, they would not gain much benefit.

This idea has always influenced the subsequent emperors of the Ming Dynasty. They always believed that using force to solve the southwest problem was not a good strategy, so they generally adopted a gentle approach.

This pattern also led to repeated rebellions by leaders of ethnic minorities in the southwest during the more than 200 years of the Ming Dynasty, and Gutian, Guangxi was one of them.

Wei Yinbao's father, Wei Chaowei, defeated the Ming army in San'e during the Hongzhi period and killed the deputy general Ma Jun and the counselor Ma Xuan. During the Zhengde period, he participated in the capture of Luorong.

During the Jiajing period, Wei Yinbao and Huang Chao violently killed the people who participated in politics. After Wu Guifang, the admiral's minister, sent Dian Shi Liao Yuan to surrender them, he promoted Liao Yuan to the chief secretary to deal with the relationship with Wei Yinbao. However, the results were weak, and Wei Yinbao was demoted several times after that.

In fact, just two years ago, Wei Yinbao was arrested by the Ming army for rebelling, but was not punished for some reasons.

In the third year of Longqing's reign, Wei Yinbao and Huang Chaomeng rebelled in Gutian. Wei Guangde, in the name of the cabinet, designated Yin Zhengmao, the envoy of Jiangxi Province, as the censor of Qiandu to patrol Guangxi.

Since Wei Guangde entered the cabinet, he has had close contacts with Jiangxi's aristocratic families and Jiangxi officials, so it is not surprising that he chose Yin Zhengmao as governor at this time.

Yin Zhengmao and Admiral Li Qian mobilized 140,000 local and Han soldiers, and ordered the general Yu Dayou to be the general. They first captured Niuhe, San'e and other dangerous places. The armies defeated Phoenix Village in Dongshan and approached the tide.

Liao Yuan lured the Tong tribe to kill Huang Chaomeng. Wei Yinbao was desperate and ordered his accomplices to cut off a head that looked like his and present it to the Ming army.

The Ming army successfully returned from its "conquest and suppression" campaign, and Yin Zhengmao was promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of War. The governor remained the same, and Gutian was renamed Yongning Prefecture, and deputy envoys and generals were appointed to guard it.

Soon, Jin Zhu, the Qianshi, captured Wei Yinbao, but Yin Zhengmao was not held accountable because he pleaded guilty.

The reasons for this are complicated, but it is precisely because of this that it has been secretly spread in official circles that Yin Zhengmao was so bold that he dared to deceive the emperor for money.

At the beginning, Wei Guangde did not delve into whether Yin Shizhen was deceived or really fell under the money offensive. After all, this man can do things and do good things.

So when the official heard that something was going on, Wei Guangde handed over the note and suppressed the matter.

After that, Yin Zhengmao was not punished for his military merits, and he was remembered by many caring people even if he did not pay.

This time, Gutian Wei Yinbao rebelled again, which suddenly reminded many people of what happened a year ago. Now that Yin Zhengmao's protective umbrella, Wei Guangde, was not in the court, the officials were furious, and they all petitioned to impeach him for indulging in the enemy.

The Gutian rebellion was actually not that big in scale. In Yang Bo's eyes, it could be defeated overnight as long as he mobilized elite troops from Guangdong and Guangxi.

However, the terrain in Guangxi is complicated, and without familiar people, you may still suffer a big loss.

So, Yang Bo simply went directly to the cabinet to discuss with them the candidates for counter-insurgency.

"Ordinarily, the Guangxi rebellion should be annihilated by Governor Li Qian, but I am a little worried about his military capabilities."

Yang Bo directly expressed his worries in the high-gong duty room.

"Li Qian can still cope with the coastal defense, but he may not be able to handle it if he goes to the mountains to quell the rebellion."

Zhang Juzheng also whispered on the side.

"Then change."

When Gao Gong heard what Zhang Juzheng said, he immediately set the tone and replaced Li Qian.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Juzheng just glanced at Gao Gong in surprise and said nothing more.

He could only be more careful with Gao Gong in his heart, because Zhang Juzheng could feel that when Gao Gong said to replace Li Qian, it was not necessarily because he was really dissatisfied with his ability, but more because of his place of origin.

Who said he was from Jiangxi?

"Who put down the rebellion last time?"

Gao Gong also noticed the word "you" in the memorial and knew that this was not the first rebellion.

When the rebellion was suppressed, Gao Gong had not yet returned to the court, so he did not know much about the inside story.

"Yin Zhengmao, the governor of Guangxi, wiped out the rebels two months after he took office."

Zhang Juzheng introduced.

"Yin Zhengmao, is he the one who was impeached in the past two days?"

Gao Gong asked in surprise.

"Yes, he failed in his duty and let the thief go."

Zhang Juzheng explained the cause and effect in detail. The more Gao Gong listened, the more excited he became. He did not expect that Yin Zhengmao was recommended by Wei Guangde, and it seemed that he had two brushes.

"There are rumors that Yin Zhengmao received a large sum of money from Wei Yinbao, so he pretended to be deceived and then took advantage of it."

"Needless to say."

While Zhang Juzheng was still making introductions, Gao Gong waved his hand and said, "If you don't bother the two masters, I will leave this matter to Yin Zhengmao.

If the rebellion can be quelled as soon as possible, he will be rewarded for his merit. If the rebellion cannot be quelled, he will be punished for several crimes. "

“Can be outside”

Zhang Juzheng was hesitant and glanced at Yang Bo, wanting him to help with a few words, but Yang Bo shook his head.