The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 502 Meeting guests at the outer door
Along the Yellow River.

The pass fortress of the Ming Dynasty was destroyed by the Tatars from the inside, creating a gap hundreds of meters long. The Tatars seemed to be very experienced in destroying the city walls of the Ming Dynasty. During the destruction process, both the surrounding defenders and the soldiers from the rear None of the Ningxia border troops who were chasing him tried to stop him.

Yang Yiqing knew very well that the 7000 troops under his command had lost the qualifications to fight the Tatars. What he had to do now was to watch the Tatars leave the country.

Before the Tatars had completely left the gap, Zhang Nu first went to see Zhang Shun, the censor of Shaanxi Province, and then came over to express some concerns to Yang Yiqing: "The local officials may still impeach Yang Junmen."

Yang Yiqing nodded and said: "I know that if we fail to stop the Tatars and let them withdraw like this, it will inevitably lead to criticism."

"Yes." Zhang Xun said, "But there is no need to pay attention to those local officials. What do they know? They are saying that as long as we can block it with all our strength, when the other troops, especially the Baoguo Gongsuo troops, arrive, we can encircle or even It is to destroy the troops of the little Tartar prince... Why don't they go to heaven? Do you think the war will be fought casually and everything will be according to their imagination? The lives of our soldiers are not our lives? "

Originally, eunuchs like Zhang He were not the main fighting party, so Zhang He understood Yang Yiqing's behavior of "watching" the Tatars leave.

Zhang Xun then looked at Yang Yiqing and said: "But Yang Junmen, in this way, you are equivalent to fulfilling the truth. The credit can be counted, but the fault cannot be completely exempted. It still depends on whether you can get it." Your Majesty and Zhang Shangshu from the Ministry of War have given their support."

Yang Yiqing was silent.

Just as he was talking, Guo Jun came over with dozens of horses. He stopped at a distance and jumped off his horse. He then led the horse to the front and said: "Sir, all the Tatars have been defeated. I heard that the Cui Prince Consort on the other side of the river was on the way. We chased and killed dozens more Tatars. Now there are about one to two hundred Tatars who have fled north. People from various guard posts in Ningxia are searching for them. Patrol teams have also been sent out from each fortress."

Zhang He said with a smile: "The Tatars on the north bank were unable to join their large army, and they were desperate to escape. That's good, that's good. Yang Junmen had the foresight to send people across the river to assist Cui Prince Consort. This is a strategic consideration. It doesn’t matter if you don’t accept Yang Junmen.”

Guo Jun also smiled and said: "Yes, in this way, we have a share of the credit for chasing and killing the enemy. We are the only people who fought in all three battles and won consecutive battles."

Yang Yiqing seemed very calm and sober, and said: "After the Tatars withdraw from the pass, defenses must be strengthened everywhere to prevent their comeback. Ningxia's local border defenses are slack, and I will also ask the court to increase the number of guards in Yansui and other departments. The army will assist in defense and at the same time increase food, grass and expenses."

"No rush, no rush." ​​Zhang He said with a proud look on his face, "It will be impossible for the Tatars to come back for a while."

Yang Yiqing said: "That also depends on whether it can be a deterrent. For the current plan, it is best to leave some of Baoguo Gong's men to garrison, at least until autumn, and then send them back to their original garrison. "

Zhang Xeng said: "Okay, let our family tell Yang Junmen that there is someone in the court who can do things easily. Yang Junmen should also know that our family and Eunuch Li Rong, who is currently in the court... Haha, it's good for you to know."

What Zhang Xu means is, regardless of your background, I also have a background.

Moreover, my background is not Xiao Jing, Wei Bin and Chen Kuan, but Li Rong, a veteran in the palace. Don't think that I have to rely on you for support in everything. You may have to rely on me at critical moments.

Yang Yiqing looked at the sky in the distance and said: "It's time for the soldiers to have a good rest. After being tired for many days, no one probably has the energy to fight again. I think the good news of the third battle will soon reach the capital. Fortunately, the Tatars were not allowed to cross the river. , but I wonder if all this was also expected by Cai Guogong?"

"That's for sure." Zhang He said with a smile, "Cai Guogong can send out surprise troops and let Cui Prince Consort come to the northwest. It seems that everything is planned."

Yang Yiqing said: "But as far as I know, Cui Yuan can perform well because Bao Guo Gong does not know how to recognize people, or even because Bao Guo Gong is jealous of talents."

"Haha." Zhang Xun continued to laugh, with ridicule in his laughter, "Then all this should be Master Zhang's plan, otherwise how can he be called a god? Yang Junmen, let's make it clear. The situation is that there is no way out if you stand with others, so you must have a good relationship with Master Zhang Xian no matter what."

Yang Yiqing glanced sideways at Zhang Xu.

Everyone here has begun to call Zhang Zhou the "immortal master", which shows that Zhang Xun is now determined to join Zhang Zhou's camp.

Yang Yiqing knew that this should be his political inclination, but he had always been an orthodox civil servant. He had never thought about seeking refuge with anyone before, let alone becoming a "near fawn" who was close to the emperor. People all the way.

But he also understood that, as Zhang Xun said, if he didn't stand with Zhang Zhou now, what would be his way out?

Should he go back and join the lineage of orthodox civil servants?Suicide?

……

……

The outcome of the Battle of the Yellow River is still on its way to the capital.

Qin Hong was the first to learn about the situation. He was still shocked when he learned that the Ningxia frontier army had three victories in three battles. In the third battle, they even defeated a large number with a small number at the Yellow River crossing, thwarting the Tatars' plan to cross the river to plunder.

"The best is better than the old." Qin Hong said with emotion.

Wang Hong, an aide on the side, said: "Old Zhutai, are you talking about Yang Zhongcheng or Cui's consort?"

Qin Hong smiled and said: "Of course this is about Cui Maoren. He was unknown before, but when he arrived on the battlefield, he was like a hungry wolf. Speaking of which, Zhang Bingkuan still has a sharp eye and picked out such a resolute and brave general at a glance."

Wang Hongdao: "From my perspective, this may not necessarily be the case. The effect will probably be the same no matter who you are, but by chance, this opportunity fell on Prince Consort Cui. It may also be that His Majesty deliberately gave Prince Consort Cui a chance."

Is Zhang Zhou Bole?
Many people thought so before, but as the war progressed, Zhang Zhou used so-and-so to be awesome...

This will make many people think that it would be fine if it were me. The key is to have artillery, firecrackers, sky gunpowder and Zhang Banxian's strategy to support you. Otherwise, no matter how awesome you are, you will not make any difference on the battlefield.

Wang Hong continued: "Look, Old Platform, just for the two battles of Huamachi and Shigou City, the imperial court has clearly placed the place where the battle will take place. Even if the Tatars have a numerical advantage, they will not I know that all the Ming forces will surround them, forcing them to choose between hastily fighting or withdrawing their troops. If you, the old manufacturer, lead the troops yourself and use the artillery carriages we have just remodeled to fight, you will definitely be defeated. The Tatars fell in one fell swoop.”

"No need to compliment me." Qin Hong smiled and waved his hand, "I originally wanted to send Uncle Ping Jiang to rush for help, but Uncle Ping Jiang's horse hooves ran slowly. Who should blame me? Maybe I have to plead guilty to the court. Please help me find out how to write this memorandum of apology."

Wang Hong said with a smile: "Are you still worried about the imperial court's blame? In this battle, the land of Yansui is as stable as ever, the Tatars retreated in defeat, and the morale of the Ming Dynasty officers and soldiers is as high as the rainbow. You have made all the plans, and it can be said that you have made outstanding achievements. The ones who are worried about being held accountable now should be Duke Baoguo and his supporters, I’m afraid they can’t even sleep well now.”

"Haha."

Qin Hong also laughed when he heard this.

If he wins, there is nothing to worry about. Qin Hong is already old, and his mission at the border is to block the Tatar advance.

It is unrealistic to go into battle in person, after all, due to his age, unless he is forced to do so.

In addition, the location of the Tatar attack was not in Yansui Town where he was stationed. He promptly sent Chen Rui and his troops to rush for reinforcements. As a result, Chen Rui was not able to eat meat and drink soup in time. Can you blame me, Qin?
"Even if Your Majesty allows me to go back and take care of my old age, I will gladly accept it. It will be a great comfort to see the Ming army so powerful in my lifetime. Zhang Bingkuan was not the only one who managed the army in the Ming Dynasty. He really has a successor."

Of course, I can't do it just by myself, Mr. Qin.

It's not safe to rely on Zhang Zhou.

Now under the leadership of Zhang Zhou, a group of powerful military leaders have emerged, and each of them can fight in a battle that even Qin Hong was amazed by. So what is there to worry about?

The elderly should go back to take care of themselves and not occupy the pit.

As for who represents the new forces and who represents the old faction, these don't seem to matter in front of an enlightened veteran like Qin Hong.

Wang Hongdao: "Although the people promoted by Cai Guogong are capable, they lack qualifications and seem to lack some experience in dealing with people. For example, Uncle Xinjian, who was favored by others before, is now heard to be in a quarrel with the court over money and food." , I’m afraid he won’t be able to serve as the commander-in-chief of military affairs for too long.”

"is it?"

Qin Hong smiled and seemed not to agree with Wang Hong's statement.

Wang Hong continued: "Since the end of the grassland war last year, His Majesty left Xinjian Bo in Datong and took charge of Datong's military affairs. He has been asking the imperial court for money and food. Based on the current calculation, he has prepared money, food and materials for more than a year. These have exceeded their normal use. Even if he wants to have some reserves, it should not be when the imperial treasury is stretched thin. Everyone knows that natural and man-made disasters have occurred in various places in the past two years, and the situation is not good. "

Qin Hong waved his hand and said: "Wang Boan asked the court for money and food in order to stabilize the situation in Xuanda and win the war. It is not enough to have good soldiers, but more importantly, enough food. Now His Majesty will focus on the northwest defense , moving to Xuanfu and Datong, I don’t think there is any problem at all.”

Wang Hong said: "This is your Majesty's indirect reduction of your power."

Qin Hong said with a smile: "Have the Tatars come from our side? After I go down, who will replace me? I still recommend Wang Bo'an. Unless Zhang Bingkuan can come to the northwest in person, no one can replace him."

Wang Hong lowered his head and said, "I'm afraid that the soldiers below will not accept it."

Qin Hong said with a serious face: "We both serve the imperial court, why should we separate from each other? The factions in the northwest have divided the army. Everyone has their own wishful thinking. How can we resist foreign enemies like this? I think, Your Majesty should clean up the northwest and unite the hearts of people everywhere, even if they are all under the control of Zhang Bingkuan, it will be good."

Wang Hong didn't say anything. It was obvious that the people below were not as open-minded as Qin Hong.

In other words, the generals below have poor vision and focus more on self-interest.

Qin Hong said: "The memorandum of apology should be submitted together with the memorial meeting of resignation. At the same time, military policies should be put forward, and the meager strength left by the old man should be used. As for who should be used and who should not be used, I will not go into details. , so as not to be slandered. As for the character of the people Zhang Bingkuan uses and whether they are suitable to lead the army, His Majesty will consider it himself, so there is no need for you to worry about it!"

"Yes."

Wang Hong naturally knows that he does not have a high say.

Since Qin Hong is determined to retire, he must find someone capable to replace him, otherwise Qin Hong will not be relieved.

But now, even if Wang Shouren and others seem to have "disadvantages" in some aspects, such as their lack of qualifications and focusing on immediate interests, Qin Hong can't care about it. He wants the horse to run, but also wants the horse not to eat grass. how can that be possible?
……

……

The capital is Cai Guogong's mansion.

Zhang Zhou came home before dinner that day, and the family sat down to finish dinner. There was a full schedule for the evening.

The original plan was not to disturb him even if the King of Heaven came, but the problem is... with his current status, even if he comes home to have his wife and children on the hot bed, he will be picked up, and it's still the same kind of thing. Gather again and again.

The first person who came to see him was Zhu Feng, saying that he had something important to do, but Zhang Zhou knew that this boy had nothing serious to do, so he ignored it and sent someone out to inform Zhu Feng that we would talk about it tomorrow if there is anything else, or you can wait for now.

Then until it was close to the second watch, Zhu Feng was still waiting in the front hall, and Li Rong came in person again, this time to directly ask questions on behalf of the emperor.

But even Li Rong had to wait a while. The person who went in to inform Zhang Zhou had been gone for a long time, and Li Rong didn't see anyone coming out to receive him. "Eunuch Li, have some tea." As a guest in the house, Zhu Feng was also responsible for greeting Li Rong.

Li Rong looked curiously at this visitor to Zhang's residence and said, "What is the big deal for Anbianhou that he has to come all night? You should have many opportunities to meet Mr. Zhang in normal times, why..."

Zhu Feng said: "That's it. The eldest princess of Yongkang asked someone to find me and said that she wanted to apologize to Brother Zhang. She also said that this matter was of great importance. I figured I couldn't delay the eldest princess's affairs, so I came over to discuss it with Brother Zhang. Brother said there is something urgent, so I probably can’t get away yet.”

"Ha ha."

Li Rong smiled bitterly while thinking, it's been so long, what big thing can Zhang Zhou do?
Zhu Feng looked at no one waiting outside, stood up and said, "How about I go down and help Eunuch Li urge me?"

"No need." Li Rong said, "Don't worry, we have plenty of time. We can do it before tomorrow morning."

Said and yawned.

It means, I don't mind waiting, but I do mind if I can find a place to rest first, so as long as you, Zhang Bingkuan, give me a confirmation tomorrow morning before the morning meeting.

Zhu Feng said: "If the matter is not very urgent, Eunuch Li can go back first and I will inform Brother Zhang."

"No." Li Rong was polite to Zhu Feng, "His Majesty ordered that the report must be answered before tomorrow morning."

"Oh."

Zhu Feng stopped talking, but still glanced at Li Rong from time to time.

At this time, Zhu Feng was also wondering, is Eunuch Bingbi, the chief eunuch of the Bureau of Ceremony who oversees the East Factory, so approachable?When can I get the same treatment as Brother Zhang?

……

……

Zhang Zhou was not in a hurry and was still in his room.

Even Jiang Pingyu couldn't help but urge: "Sir, Eunuch Li and Marquis Anbian are already impatiently waiting outside. Why are you still so... not in a hurry?"

Zhang Zhou said: "Aren't important matters of human relations more important than their little things?"

Jiang Pingyu struggled to explain: "Marquis Anbian has a close relationship with me. He can wait, but I'm afraid Eunuch Li can't wait. He said he came out of the palace for matters related to the Tian family."

"Ha ha."

Zhang Zhou disagreed and said with a smile, "It seems rude to neglect the envoys of the Tian family, and may even be hated by others. But with my current status, if everything follows the rules, I am afraid that there will be no one in the government and the public. gain a foothold."

Jiang Pingyu said: "Did the master deliberately make them feel grudge?"

Zhang Zhou then got off the bed, straightened his front a little, and said, "Everything you do in the palace is based on your majesty's thoughts. If I follow your instructions in everything, I will be able to handle everything as soon as anything happens." , I will greet each other with courtesy, so what is the difference between me and the ministers in the government and the public?"

Jiang Pingyu said hurriedly: "You don't need to take a woman's opinion seriously."

"It's okay." Zhang Zhou said, "Bring me your coat...Forget it, change to a thin one. It's starting to get hot. It's been warm and cold recently, so you should pay more attention to your health."

Jiang Pingyu also quickly put on her clothes and went to help Zhang Zhou tidy up his clothes.

Zhang Zhou opened his arms, enjoying the privileges of being an ancient great master, and said leisurely: "You still have to distinguish priorities. In your Majesty's eyes, I am a busy man and do not need to be always available. Also, I am different from the ministers of the court. , I never like to be sent to that situation... Personality is very important. If I have to change my personality, in the eyes of the superiors, they may think that I am trying to win people's hearts and do evil things."

Having said this, Zhang Zhou shrugged: "Forget it, you can just take care of the affairs inside the house. I have my own rules for things outside the house."

……

……

When Zhang Zhou came out, Zhu Feng was still waiting in high spirits. He was entrusted with a loyal job and seemed very responsible.

Li Rong, on the other hand, seemed to understand the twists and turns better. He had already leaned on the back of the chair, closed his eyes and remained motionless for a long time. Even Zhu Feng thought that Li Rong was asleep.

Zhu Feng was even still wondering, are the servants in this palace so tired?

You are so old, you have to walk around late at night, and you even come to see ministers on the emperor's orders, and you still need to rest at any time?
"Two."

Liu Gui appeared at the door of the main hall and said respectfully, "The Duke will come out soon and has passed the middle gate."

Li Rong immediately opened his eyes and stood up to greet him as if nothing was wrong. This posture was a bit like welcoming a saint. Perhaps for Li Rong, having served someone for half his life, he was already familiar with it.

Zhu Feng also hurriedly stood up to greet him.

Sure enough, Zhang Zhou appeared in front of the main hall door not long after.

The three parties were relatively friendly. There seemed to be no bad blood between Zhang Zhou and Li Rong, and Li Rong didn't mind waiting outside at all. On the contrary, Zhu Feng felt as if she had been left out and was a little disappointed.

"Forgive me, Eunuch Li. I still have some things to do in the inner courtyard. I've been a little absent-minded lately. I want to sort out my mood and make some plans."

Zhang Zhou didn't even try to find a perfect excuse for being late.

Just say, I am minding my own personal matters inside and have no time to talk to you.

Li Rong smiled and said: "Sir, you are busy with court affairs, and you are still so diligent after dark, which is admirable."

Zhu Feng glanced at Li Rong, as if to say, are you mocking him?

In order to prevent Li Rong from overthinking, Zhu Feng also wanted to help Zhang Zhou to lie, and asked: "Brother Zhang must be calculating the secrets of heaven, right? Many things depend on timing, especially the heavenly aspects. After a certain period of time, you can't The test doesn’t work.”

Zhang Zhou smiled without saying a word.

Are you, Zhu Zhijie, the only one who talks a lot?
There are some things that you just need to know well and there is no need to make excuses.

……

……

The three were seated.

Li Rong talked about his affairs first, because he came on the emperor's order and everything had to be done in advance.

Li Rongdao: "It's like this. After the battle report of the battle in Shigou City came, Qin Hong, the Qin Laobu Tang, who was in charge of the military affairs of Yan, Gan, Shaanxi and other departments, wrote a memorial saying that he was old and frail and wanted to beg. After Lao Guitian, he also recommended to Your Majesty that with his talents, he can be qualified to take on the heavy responsibility of the general military affairs in the northwest. He also mentioned that in the Ming Dynasty, there were ministers of the Ministry of War who also took charge of the general military affairs. "

At this point, Li Rong showed Qin Hong's memorial to Zhang Zhou.

Obviously, Qin Hong's mentality of resigning did not wait until the war in the northwest was completely settled. When Qin Hong found that his position in the northwest was becoming more and more dispensable, he would naturally feel slack.

Not everyone wants to be arrogant, but we also need to pay attention to the actual situation.

Especially now that the military affairs of the DPRK and China are all based on Zhang Zhou's leadership and Qin Hong himself is a marginal figure, Qin Hong will also feel very depressed when doing things in this context.

Zhang Zhou took it, opened it and looked at it carefully.

Zhu Feng said: "The person who is in charge of military affairs, even if he is the Minister of the Ministry of War, is not a real official title? In the capital, the Minister of the Ministry of War has a very heavy errand, and many things are inseparable from Brother Zhang's planning."

Li Rong smiled and said: "Marquis Anbian is right, so your Majesty would like to ask Mr. Zhang's opinion. Your Majesty also mentioned some candidates to replace Qin's old ministry for Mr. Zhang's reference, so that he can analyze their strengths and weaknesses... In His Majesty's heart, the one who can rival Mr. Zhang the most is Wang Qiong, the current Minister of Household Affairs."

The emperor wanted Wang Qiong to succeed Qin Hong.

Not Wang Shouren.

This was within Zhang Zhou's expectation.

After all, Wang Qiong's qualifications and experience will be relatively deep. In addition, Wang Qiong has proven his strength in Shangtingchu, and Yu Yanwutang has also done a good job as the chief instructor, which will make the emperor feel that... Wang Qiong is Zhang Zhou. The first horse.

"Such things should be discussed at the top," Zhang Zhou said.

Positions such as the Trilateral General System must be recommended by the court. The emperor thinks Wang Qiong is suitable, but the traditional civil servants in the court will definitely recommend others.

Li Rongdao: "Sir, you rarely go to court recently. Your Majesty wants to ask you what you want, but it is inconvenient for others to come, so we have to ask in person. We also want to discuss and be prepared."

Zhu Feng nodded and said: "Shilang Wang's ability is worthy of recognition. Brother Zhang thinks so too, right?"

Zhu Feng still admires Wang Qiong very much and seems to support Wang Qiong as the successor to the trilateral system.

Zhang Zhou said: "I think it is better to wait for the outcome of the battle in Ningxia before discussing this matter. Talking too early will make people think that His Majesty is trying to bring order to chaos, or that His Majesty is eager to clean up the officialdom in the northwest. Even if the war has just ended, one must keep one's mind stable. Mr. Qin's high moral character and respect are still very important for stabilizing one's mind."

(End of this chapter)