There was a cool breeze blowing in the city, and the heat of the day was gone. The two were silent for a long time. Chang Yu glanced at Wang Jiayan, who was still ashen-faced: "Master Wang, go have a drink." Wang Jiayan was hesitating and Chang Yu said again: "No need. How about going to the Yamen and finding a tavern?"
Wang Jiayan nodded, and the two of them walked towards the city, but they saw a Dongchang fan rushing towards him: "Report to the factory master, Changping Commander-in-Chief Ma Ke has come to the city to ask for an audience, and is waiting at the Yamen."
Chang Yu came so slowly, Chang Yu said oh, and said to Wang Jiayan: "It seems that we should go to the Yamen to drink. How about we invite a few more guests?"
Wang Jiayan frowned slightly: "Let's take it easy for a while. The factory director has official duties, so let's wait for another day." Chang Yu nodded slightly. His original intention was to take this opportunity to let Wang Jiayan get acquainted with his subordinates and other generals. , there was a tacit understanding that they would fight side by side later, but it was obvious that Wang Jiayan's sense of superiority as a civil servant made him unable to bear the shame of being brothers with those rough guys, let alone going to the Yamen of Dongchang.
A middle-aged man was sitting in the lobby of Dongchang Yamen outside the imperial city. The hot tea was steaming on the table next to him. The man was looking out of the hall uneasily.
This person is Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Changping. In the afternoon, he received news that he would come to Beijing to discuss matters. This was the most common thing on the eve of the war, but it was seriously complicated by Ma Ke, because the person who came to report was someone from Dongchang, and this yamen, which was hated by people and ghosts, made him tremble when he heard about it.
Why was it not a decree from the emperor or a military order from the Ministry of War? Why was it someone from Dongchang? Ma Ke still didn’t know that Chang Yu was ordered to supervise the troops in the capital. He secretly wondered if he had committed something. Could it be that he failed to snipe the enemy the day before yesterday or was it the Tatars the day before yesterday? They besieged the capital and did not go to the rescue, but can you blame me for this? Previously, I only had five thousand soldiers and horses, how could I defeat tens of thousands of Tatars? Furthermore, when the Tatars besieged the capital, he did not receive any news at all.
Sometimes I feel that if something is really committed, Dongchang has already started to arrest people, and not just two or three people will come to deliver the order, but who knows that they are not trying to trick me out of the city and then arrest...
Ma Ke was sitting on a pincushion as he was worrying about gains and losses. He spent nearly an hour in ink and finally gritted his teeth and left the city. His life had been too depressing in the past few years, so he could do whatever he wanted. He had not been killed before when he fled outside the customs without fighting. However, he has done meritorious service and has not made any big mistakes at the moment. I don't believe he can still be sentenced to prison.
Even so, after entering the city, Ma Ke first contacted his acquaintances in the court to inquire about some information. Only then did he find out that all the soldiers and horses in Gyeonggi Province were under the supervision of Dongchang at this time. The real person in power was the little eunuch who had heard about it. At this time, he was summoned. Entering Beijing is supposed to be just to discuss military affairs.
Ma Ke finally calmed down and went to the Dongchang Yamen to ask for a meeting. Fanzi took him to the lobby and made tea and asked him to wait, but no one was seen again. .
But this Dongchang Yamen is really not a good place. The gloomy atmosphere is extremely depressing, and there are faint screams from time to time, which is particularly scary. Even a man like Ma Ke, who has been on the battlefield for a long time and is used to big scenes, still feels in his heart. I feel chills, and there are rumors in my heart that this place is a hell on earth, but it is not entirely false, there is some truth to it.
As the inner drama continued one episode after another like a TV series, there was movement outside. A eunuch came in. Marco quickly asked: "My father-in-law, dare I ask when the factory supervisor will be back?"
The eunuch glanced at him and said, "He's back."
"Then please let me know, father-in-law, and tell me that Ma Ke wants to see you." Marco said quickly, a little nervous in his heart. He had heard about the eunuch's reputation for a long time. He heard that he was brave and good at fighting. He was named the God of War when he was tired of suppressing bandits and killing Tatars.
"You have seen it." The eunuch smiled. Marco raised his eyebrows and was stunned. Then he woke up and his face was full of horror. The eunuch was strong, but he was so young. He couldn't help but said in surprise: "Mako, a low-ranking official. I have met the factory governor."
"General Ma, I have long admired your name." Chang Yu smiled slightly, walked to the table and sat down, raised his hand to signal Ma Ke to sit down, and looked at him. He was about forty years old, tall and strong, and his twinkling eyes showed that he was extremely intense. disturbed.
The two of them sat down and looked at each other and exchanged greetings. Chang Yu praised Ma Ke's past glory and recounted his great achievements in those years. Ma Ke was a little surprised. It was not difficult for Dongchang to investigate his own history, but why was this young factory supervisor so kind? Completely different from the sinister Dongchang eunuch in my impression. Could it be that he is a smiling tiger?
While feeling surprised, he casually chatted with the young eunuch and asked about the recent war in the capital. Chang Yu also answered all questions without reservation, including the withdrawal of troops from the Tartar siege and the news of the capture of Tongzhou city. , even the plan was revealed.
"Lord Factory Superintendent, are you preparing to pursue and intercept us? The Tatar cavalry are good at fighting in the field... This battle must be difficult enough." Ma Ke looked very worried, Chang Yu smiled lightly and said: "If it wasn't a difficult situation, why would we invite General Ma here? General Ma has many years of experience fighting the Tatars outside the customs. At this time, he should give advice to our family. Let’s work together to push the Tatars back.”
"Factory Supervisor, don't ridicule your humble position. I have no shame to mention those years of war. The defeated general is not brave enough to offer advice to the Factory Supervisor." Ma Ke looked very embarrassed. More than two years had passed before and after the Songjin War. Ming Ming The army was passive and suffered heavy casualties in the final defeat. Ma Ke also escaped without fighting during the most intense period and was almost beheaded. After various pleas, he was allowed to write a letter of guarantee to plead guilty and meritorious service. At this time, Chang Yu mentioned the past, and he was embarrassed. .
Chang Yu said seriously: "Winning or losing is a common thing for military officers. As long as you don't die, you will rise again. Whether we are officials or generals, we are all serving the court, the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor. Every man is responsible for the national calamity, let alone protecting the family." Soldiers who defend the country, General Ma, must not be knocked down by a single defeat. Stand up and let us join hands to kill the enemy and protect the Ming Dynasty."
Ma Ke's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. The little eunuch in front of him seemed to be good at boosting morale, but he had long been disheartened and had lost all his ambition and lofty ideals. However, it was not due to a single defeat. As the little eunuch said, victory Defeat is common for military strategists. He was not defeated in the first battle. In fact, he lost confidence in the Ming Dynasty. No matter how heroic and lonely he was, nothing could be changed. The Ming Dynasty was already on its last legs due to natural disasters and man-made disasters. Don't talk about him. The fact was There are still a few people in the government and the public who have confidence in the Ming Dynasty. Aren't they all waiting for his downfall and a new master? Although the emperor recently had a little eunuch who knew how to fight, he did win a few battles and relieved some of them. It's a crisis, but who can guarantee that it won't be a comeback?
In the final analysis, it’s not that Marco has lost confidence in himself, but in this country!
In fact, how could Chang Yu not know this kind of mentality? Except for a few people in the court, everyone was eating and waiting for the new master to change. The soldiers leading outside were all self-respecting, watching the fire from the other side and waiting for the price. This is the current Ming Dynasty. The cruelest reality.
But what can he do if he knows, Chang Yu can't just stab everyone to death with a knife. It won't take a day to freeze three feet, and it will take time to thaw. At the moment, he can only target and pick up those who are not seriously ill. And it’s also useful to fool around for your own use.
Obviously Ma Ke is still useful. After all, he was a fierce general back then. After all, he has rich experience in fighting the Qing army and is an excellent helper. As for his lifeless virtue now, Chang Yu also knows that words alone are not enough to cheer him up. Let him see some practical achievements, and I believe that it will ignite the fire in his heart that has not yet been completely extinguished.
The two were chatting, and there was a faint noise outside. Chang Yu smiled slightly and said, "Here we come." He stood up and walked out the door. Although Marco didn't know who was coming, he quickly followed him out.
Set a small goal first, such as remembering in 1 second: Shukeju
