The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

The news that Liu Yu was captured by Jin Yiwei was still a secret to the local area and had not spread in Beijing.

But some gossip still spread like wildfire.

Li Dongyang had just returned to his villa in Xijiang Mixiang that day. He planned to take a rest first and go to the Ministry of Industry to discuss river affairs before nightfall, but his plan was blocked by Ma Wensheng's temporary visit.

"You mean... Zhang Bingkuan went and captured Liu Yu?"

When Li Dongyang learned what Ma Wensheng was going to tell him, he looked very surprised.

Ma Wensheng said helplessly: "It was the Jin Yiwei who took action. Almost all the governor's people were captured, and we don't know where they are now."

"What is he going to do?" Li Dongyang couldn't figure out Zhang Zhou's tactics at all.

The target was Liu Yu, a person who was nominally a member of Zhang Zhou's faction. After all, Liu Yu had sent troops to Jizhou and had cured Zhang Zhou's wish to complete the local governance of Yongping Prefecture. The emperor also intended to promote this person, which also caused Liu Yu to be Think of it as Zhang Zhou's local power.

Ma Wensheng said: "I don't know."

Li Dongyang looked at Ma Wensheng and said, "Brother Futu, has Liu Yu had any dealings with you recently? For example, has he secretly sent you letters?"

"what?"

Ma Wensheng was also startled.

Then he understood what Li Dongyang meant.

Could it be that Zhang Zhou chose to attack Liu Yu because Liu Yu had changed his mind?

You know, Zhang Zhou was not the only person in the court who "appreciated" Liu Yu. Ma Wensheng had always admired Liu Yu, thinking that he was a breath of fresh air in the army, and even spoke for Liu Yu many times.

Li Dongyang said: "That means no?"

Only then did Ma Wensheng understand. He sighed heavily and said: "Binzhi, do you think I would have any unusual dealings with a feudal official? I recommended him before because of his ability. As for other things... it's really nothing. An extraordinary place.”

"Or does Zhang Bingkuan think he has any intentions behind it? Brother Futu, you have to know that sometimes things may not happen. Even if someone intends it to happen, it is still a sin."

Li Dongyang was reminding Ma Wensheng again.

Liu Yu's being liquidated by Zhang Zhou does not necessarily mean that he has any substantial dealings with you. Even if Liu Yu attempts to jump horizontally repeatedly, it is still a sin.

"Really? Then I don't know." Ma Wensheng was also speechless.

Liu Yu has never had any contact with me. If you have to say that he intends to have contact with me, then you have to ask Liu Yu. Where could I have gone before the incident happened?

Li Dongyang no longer struggled with this issue. He said: "Zhang Bingkuan dared to go to the local area to capture a feudal censor. It can be said to be extremely dangerous. He has never thought that this person might jump over the wall in a hurry?"

Ma Wensheng said: "Did you hear anything?"

"Yes." Li Dongyang no longer concealed anything and nodded, "You may not know that Liu Yu has been impeached by the local government many times for his evil deeds, and he is very powerful in the local area. He never stopped searching and looting wherever he went. Zhong Ye was made a mess by him. If he is guilty and should be punished, it seems that Zhang Bingkuan should not be the one who took action."

Ma Wensheng thought for a while, frowned and said, "But what I know is that wherever he has been, the officials have been quite clean."

"Brother Futu, the appearance of an official is two different things from the inside. Yan Guan has a deep understanding of local affairs. Even if there is something suspicious happening, there won't be so many Yan Guan here. Slander him alone."

After all, Li Dongyang is a cabinet minister. You can basically see Guan Bai's transcript of the following memorials for participating in the impeachment. He will know more about Ke Dao's participation in the impeachment.

Even though Ma Wensheng had a high status in the court, he never interfered with the science and education. Naturally, he didn't know about Liu Yu's involvement in the impeachment.

Ma Wensheng said: "If this is really the case, then it makes sense. A fly will not bite a seamless egg."

Li Dongyang frowned and said: "But I still don't understand why Zhang Bingkuan took action against Liu Yu? Even if this person has some bad deeds, he still relies on him. Logically speaking, this person can do things for Zhang Bingkuan. If this is the case If we capture this kind of person, who will dare to seek refuge with him in the future?"

Ma Wensheng said: "The one who took action was Jin Yiwei, not Zhang Bingkuan himself, or he just happened to be in Jizhou Town."

Li Dongyang asked: "Then why did he go to Jizhen?"

Ma Wensheng was also asked.

There were some things that Ma Wensheng couldn't figure out, just like he couldn't figure out whether Liu Yu was strictly speaking a member of the traditional faction or the Zhang Zhou faction.

Liu Yu's matter can be regarded as subverting his values ​​​​of Ma Wensheng.

Li Dongyang waved his hand and said: "It has happened. I can't wait to rescue you. Especially Brother Lingtu, sometimes you still have to learn to watch the fire from the other side, even if Liu Yu is indeed someone you admire. Just watch them...dog eat dog." .”

Ma Wensheng smiled bitterly.

How does this become "dog eat dog"?

However, Ma Wensheng seemed to understand that the cabinet represented by Li Dongyang was indeed at loggerheads with Zhang Zhou, and they began to slander him in private.

……

……

northwest.

Zhang Mao marched thousands of miles hard, but before he reached the Yulin Guard station in Yansui Town, he was already unable to hold on any longer. The daily marching speed dropped from seventy miles per day to less than fifty miles, and the mood of the team began to become depressed.

It was also because the army learned that a group of troops had been sent from Yansui, and that the trilateral commander-in-chief Wang Qiong was personally in charge of the army.

This also means that Zhang Mao is no longer the commander-in-chief of all the people in the northwest. In other words, in this war, Zhang Mao is at best a participant, probably just a bystander, and the status of his people has declined rapidly. It seems that the imperial court There was no expectation that Zhang Mao would win this battle.

"Father, I have just received a secret report from Datong. It is said that Uncle Xinjian has led troops to Weininghai and has not appeared for many days, or that he has sent troops from Weininghai into the grassland."

When Zhang Rui reported the news to Zhang Mao, there was some nervousness in his words.

Zhang Maoben was still eating. He was not enjoying the hot soup because he was out on the march and there was only a small bench and a small table in the tent. Hearing this, he slapped the table and even some of the soup spilled out.

"Father……"

When Zhang Rui found that hot soup fell on Zhang Mao's hand, he wanted to step forward and help clean it up.

Zhang Mao, however, seemed to feel no pain and sighed: "I was still tricked by Zhang Bingkuan."

Zhang Rui said: "Why did my father say such a thing? As a minister of the Ministry of War, how can he plot against the honorable ministers and generals in the court? Even if he has His Majesty's support, he should abide by his duty, and the child believes that Cai Guogong is not seeking personal gain. Man, he must have other arrangements. Judging from the current situation, all groups of people attack at the same time, which will be a greater deterrent to the Tatars. If we are the only one going this way..." "You want to say that being a father is not enough to deter the Tatars. Tatars. In other words, in the eyes of Tatars, a father is a soft persimmon and can be manipulated at will, right?"

Zhang Mao was also angry.

On big issues of right and wrong, forget about muddying the waters. Now it's clear that his son is siding with Zhang Zhou.

How could Zhang Mao not be angry?

His elbows are turned outward, but he is still his eldest son and the person who will inherit the family business in the future. This is equivalent to being divided and disintegrated by Zhang Zhou.

Zhang Rui lowered his head and said nothing else, because recently when talking to his father about Zhang Zhou's problems, some unfavorable results always occurred, and neither father nor son could convince the other.

"Wang Dehua has sent troops, right? How is the status of his troops?" Zhang Mao calmed down and asked coldly.

"I don't know yet."

Zhang Rui said, "Father, you should also know that the focus of the Tatar invasion is still in Ningxia and other places, which are also some distance away from Yansui. Wang Zhongcheng's troops did not leave from Ningxia, but only marched to Hetao and other places. They were previously in It seems that some of the Tatar tribes in the Hetao have all withdrawn from the Hetao because of the Ming Dynasty's troops. There are rumors in the army that the next step is that our government will build more cities and fortresses in the Hetao and relocate the people there. , to ensure the progress of farming and other matters."

Zhang Mao sighed: "The Hetao is a good place after all. The water and grass are very good. Even if there is a desert, it is still not to the point where no grass can grow. If the Ming Dynasty can build a fort within the Hetao, the local people can also get some rest." ”

"Father, you..."

Zhang Rui seemed confused.

Why did my father suddenly change from a person who only cared about his own selfish interests to a "good man" who was considerate of the people and worried about the country and the people?

Zhang Maodao: "Do you think that my father doesn't have some responsibilities in his heart? It's a pity that in the past few decades, my father has not had the opportunity to come to the Northwest in person. This time, I have a lot of feelings. If it were not for Zhang Bingkuan... then... alright."

Zhang Rui was suddenly speechless.

The thinking in my father's head seemed to be very wild.

However, it also made Zhang Rui realize that his father seemed to be really old, and he was thinking more about the family's future and destiny, and he was no longer as evasive as before.

The fate of the family seems to have reached a crossroads.

"The three armies are ordered to rest for two hours and continue their journey tonight. They will arrive at Yulin Guard the day after tomorrow. After recruiting troops and horses, they will quickly go to Ningxia... If there is any further delay, I'm afraid... alas!"

Zhang Mao sighed.

He seemed a bit senile, which made Zhang Rui feel a little distressed.

"Father, don't worry, the child will go and make arrangements right away." Zhang Rui hurriedly went out to deliver the order.

After Zhang Rui left, Zhang Mao put away his compassionate attitude, his eyes gradually became fierce, he pinched the soup bowl in his hand and said: "This kid was deceived by Zhang Bingkuan! Save you I don’t even care about the interests of this government! They say that if you give birth to a girl who is outgoing, I’m afraid I won’t even be able to keep this son! I’m an old man… I’m going to have to struggle again!”

……

……

Liu Yu was quickly escorted to the capital.

The news finally spread completely.

Then came the news that Wang Qiong was marching into Hetao, and that Zhang Mao was slow to march in the northwest. After leaving Pianguan Pass, his march became slower and slower. It seemed that he could not catch up with Ningxia to stop the Tatars.

After the meeting, Zhu Youtang specially called the three people serving in the cabinet, plus Lu Wan and Xiong Xiu who were on duty at the listening office, to the Qianqing Palace.

"In the past few days, I have asked people to sort out the military situation in various places in the northwest. You can take a look first."

Zhu Youtang first gave seats to a few people, and then asked Li Zhang to hand over the booklets he had prepared to the five people present.

Xie Qian is not here.

He was said to be recuperating from illness, but everyone knew that Xie Qian had already developed a rift with the emperor, and it seemed that retirement was only a matter of time.

The five of them opened the booklet in their hands and checked it. It was nothing more than sorting out the military situation. However, they found one thing in it that was different from what they had learned before, that is, Wang Shouren led his troops across the Weining Sea. Today, it has been six days since the troops were dispatched.

"Uncle Xinjian sent troops from the Weining Sea. According to the marching plan he reported before, he can march more than a hundred miles a day, or even two hundred miles a day. If everything goes well, he should have entered the grassland nearly a thousand miles, close to the Tatars. Where the hinterland is.”

Zhu Youtang's face showed some relief.

Cheng Minzheng said: "Your Majesty, I wonder how many troops Xin Xinbo will lead? If he falls into a lonely battle, will there be soldiers and horses to rush to help?"

Zhu Youtang did not answer.

Li Zhang on the side said: "Mr. Cheng Ge, it's like this. Uncle Xinjian is obviously unable to rush to help along the way. If he falls into a tight siege, I'm afraid he can only rely on himself. Everything was planned before sending out troops. As long as he leads the troops With enough artillery, muskets, and fire bombs, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Lu Wandao: "Based on the current military comparison between the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars, the Tatars can no longer compete with us head-on. If they send out troops normally, the Tatars will definitely avoid fighting. Then it is better to send troops behind the enemy's rear every time and give them a fatal blow. Only in this way can we The Tatars were forced to fight back, and our Ming soldiers were able to resist the bandits several times their size without harming themselves. With tactics like Xin Xinbo's, we are sure to succeed."

Zhu Youtang expressed satisfaction with Lu Wan's words.

He nodded: "What the Lu Qing family said is absolutely true. The question now is not whether the Ming soldiers can win in a head-on battle. But in any battle, our Ming soldiers will definitely win a complete victory. It just depends on whether the Tatars dare to fight. .At present...it seems difficult."

Li Dongyang said: "Your Majesty, if you go deep into the grassland so rashly, I'm afraid you will encounter trouble outside the battlefield. Factors such as the right time and location must also be guarded against."

Zhu Youtang asked with a smile: "Does the Li Qing family think that the Tatars are adapted to the climate on the grassland, but the soldiers of the country cannot adapt to it? In fact, it doesn't matter. During this battle, Bingkuan also suggested to me, We must use the barbarians to control the barbarians, take advantage of the internal contradictions of the Tatars, and exploit the conflicts between the Huosi, Duoyan and other tribes and the little Tatar prince, and let them send troops to deal with the Tatars."

Li Dongyang did not expect that his words would lead the emperor to reveal the "secret".

Li Dongyang took advantage of the situation and asked: "I don't know how to provoke internal conflicts?"

"Bingkuan has gone."

Zhu Youtang said, "He is going to Ji Town. At the same time, he will go north with the army to Daning to meet with the leaders of the tribes around Duoyan and arrange for them to send troops from the east. Huo Si, who had previously moved west, will also lead troops to attack from the west. . Coupled with the British Duke, Xin Xin Bo and Wang Qiong, the little prince of Tatar can be said to be attacked from both sides. I believe that this Warring States Dynasty can achieve the greatest results at the minimum cost. The subordinates of the little prince of Tatar The people of the People's Republic of China may go hungry this winter." (End of Chapter)