In the spring of the forty-seventh year of Wanli, Shen Lian bid farewell to the garrison master, left Liaodong where the dark clouds were overwhelming the city, and embarked on the long journey back to Beijing.
At a glance, Shen Lian has been away from his hometown in the capital for three years. After passing Shanhaiguan, he is timid about hometown and has many worries in his heart. Is his mother still at home? Has your brother ever taken a wife?
When the war breaks out in Liaodong, how can my husband survive?
Mr. Liu, who was good at summoning spirits and was supported by the soldiers, was already prepared to die for his country. He just agreed to take everyone home. Could it be that he died in a foreign land in battle?
At this time, Shen Lian still couldn't understand why he had to defend this land of restraint with his life.
As for Hokusai, who the guards say is good at calligraphy and painting, who is he?
Lord Guard has always wanted to find a painter to draw the Hongyi cannon that he has been dreaming about.
However, why should we abandon the near and seek the far away instead of Liaodong? He wanted to go to the capital to find Hokusai, whom he had never met before.
The thoughts of young people are like clouds in summer, gathering and dispersing. Shen Lian is only sixteen years old this year, and he is at the age where he loves to dream.
In March in Liaodong, the sky is high and the clouds are wide. There is an endless stream of merchants carrying goods, cattle and horses. Standing on the wall of Shanhaiguan City and looking far into the distance, the capital seems to be right under your feet, but also far away in the sky.
March 12, the 47th year of Wanli, the capital.
It's snowing after the late spring cold. The ice and snow on both sides of the streets in Beijing have not yet thawed. The warm sunshine shines on the Forbidden City, and the resplendent glazed tiles shine with royal majesty.
Although the weather is not quite cold in spring, walking on the muddy streets filled with the smell of feces at this time is also a kind of torture for the officials and dignitaries of the capital.
At the beginning of noon today, the muddy and dirty streets were full of people and horse-drawn carriages were coming and going in an endless stream. It was much busier than before. I don't know where the news came from. The old emperor was going to hold a midday ceremony, and it seemed that he wanted to discuss with the officials to convict the Liaodong manager.
More than two months ago, on the first day of the first lunar month, during the New Year's Day dynasty, the Holy Emperor still excused himself from the dynasty and asked his assistant minister Fang Congzhe to lead the civil and military officials to celebrate outside the Meridian Gate. The officials were already used to this, and such "virtual" as the New Year's Day dynasty was. Emperor Wanli naturally wanted to be exempted from the duties. Starting from the 17th year of Wanli, he had to "send officials to honor him."
It was rumored that Emperor Wanli was old and frail and lame, so he could not go to court. Some people also said that the emperor indulged in women and even swallowed "wuxiang" (opium).
"Da Ming Huidian" records: Siam paid 300 kilograms of opium to the palace every time. Of course, 300 kilograms was not enough. The eunuchs in the imperial pharmacy had to go everywhere to purchase opium.
In any case, when the old emperor asked everyone to have a noon meeting, the civil and military officials did not dare to neglect and immediately rushed to the imperial city from their respective mansions.
Starting from the end of last month, the situation in the capital began to become quite delicate. The Yushi Yanguan impeached Yang Hao one after another. The future of Mr. Manager is worrying, and it is hard to say whether he can save his life.
The emperor ignored the memorial to impeach Yang Hao and asked Lu Shou to come forward and beat some officials who went too far.
Lu Shou was promoted to the post of Chief Li Supervisor, Eunuch, and Director of the East Factory last summer. He has only a few qualifications and is still in his infancy. His ability and prestige are not as good as those of his predecessors such as Zhang Jing and Chen Ju.
He was close to Wanli and knew that the old emperor was seriously ill and his time was short. At this time, he did not dare to easily offend the so-called Qingliu, whether it was Donglin, the Chu Party or the Qi Party and the Zhejiang Party. If he had offended them, he, the eunuch of the palm of his hand, That’s the end of it.
In the West Nuan Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace in the capital, the obese Emperor Wanli chatted with Fang Congzhe, the chief minister of the cabinet.
The old emperor wore a yellow robe with a coiled collar and narrow sleeves, with golden coiled dragon patterns embroidered on the chest, front and back, and a pterosaur crown on his head.
It was still half an hour before noon. For Zhu Yijun, who was addicted to spending time, going to the Huangji Palace now would be too embarrassing for his ministers.
Zhu Yijun, who is fifty-seven years old this year, is like a strong pig, or a pig is strong.
He is old and obese, suffers from gout, has difficulty moving, and has a slight limp in his left leg. He is now slumped in a pear wood armchair, gasping for air.
When talking to Fang Congzhe, the old emperor's tone was not coherent, and he gasped for air after saying a few words.
There were several copper animal-head charcoal stoves placed in the room, in which the charcoal was burning brightly. A palace maid knelt and sat beside the charcoal stove, adding charcoal to it from time to time.
Compared with the muddy and difficult streets outside the palace, the Xinuang Pavilion where Emperor Wanli lived was truly as pleasant as spring.
"Your Majesty, we can't delay any longer. The war in Liaodong is still ongoing, and reports from Jizhou are coming one after another. Chai Guozhutang, the commander-in-chief of the Shanhai Army, reported that when Huduntu from the West saw that the slave chiefs had invaded Fushun and Qinghe, they also took advantage of the fire to rob them. , threatening that if the reward was not given, he would secretly enter the customs and rob the Shanhaiguan area! Since Yang Hao was unable to manage Liaodong, he had better discuss a replacement quickly..."
Fang Congzhe, who is sitting opposite, is also in poor health. He is sixty-eight years old, ten years older than Wanli. Although he has been in the cabinet not long ago, due to recent overwork, his beard and hair have turned white, and all his teeth have fallen out. He always leaks when talking. Already senile.
Fortunately, he was the only one left in the cabinet last year. Due to the old emperor's neglect of government, everyone else resigned due to illness. Among the six departments, there was no minister or assistant minister in the Ministry of Personnel, and Li Ruhua, the Minister of Household Affairs (over seventy years old), also signed it. There was no minister or minister in the Ministry of War, and Xue Sancai, the Minister of Rongzheng, acted on his behalf. There was only Li Ruhua in the Ministry of Household Affairs, and there was no minister on the left or right.
Fang Congzhe once gave advice to the old emperor, to the effect that his energy was declining and he could no longer work. Why would Your Majesty entrust the safety of the whole world to this sick man?
At that time, he repeatedly urged the emperor to recruit people quickly and replenish the cabinet. Wanli just asked him to take care of himself, and said that if the country was peaceful, the number of civil servants should be reduced.
Speaking of which, Mr. Fang Ge also wants to thank Nurhaci of Liaodong.
If Yingming Khan had not caused trouble in Liaodong, the emperor would not have urgently replenished the cabinet and found some helpers for Fang Congzhe.
Fang Congzhe is not a workaholic like Zhang Juzheng and Shen Shixing, and he does not want to die of overwork in his position as the elder.
Fang Congzhe coughed violently. Zhu Yijun glanced sideways at Mr. Ge and subconsciously covered his nose.
"Take care of yourself, Sir. The country is in dire straits right now. Lu Shou has a weak foundation and is unreliable. We have to rely on your cabinet!"
Take care of yourself again.
Fang Congzhe sighed slightly.
"What do these barbarians like Hu Duntu think of my Ming Dynasty! How dare they threaten me like this!"
Wanli took a long breath, and the palace maid quickly brought him a cup of hot tea. The old emperor took a sip, and after his breath calmed down, he said Congzhe:
"Fang Aiqing, give it a try. This is the best product newly harvested from Wuyi Rock this year. It is called white cockscomb. It is the most nourishing."
Fang Congzhe respectfully took the teacup from the palace maid's hand, took a sip, placed it next to the table, and continued:
"Your Majesty, the officer of the Military Science and Technology Department gave Zhao Xingbang some advice during the matter, saying that the Liao army was defeated and the country was in critical condition. For the current plan, the only two things to do are pay and employ people..."
Zhu Yijun waved his hand to interrupt, with some displeasure on his face:
"I have told you a long time ago that the internal funds have been exhausted. The officials and censors don't know it. They ask me for money every day. How come your cabinet is also making noises! Fang Aiqing has a good tea."
Fang Congzhe had known the emperor's attitude for a long time, but he refused to give up. He picked up the tea cup and took a sip, and then said:
"Your Majesty, I recommend a person to replace Yang Hao and conduct military operations in Liaodong. He may be able to turn the tide."
Seeing that Fang Congzhe would not ask him for money for the time being, Wanli felt relieved and said impatiently:
"who?"
Fang Congzhe's cloudy old eyes suddenly became bright:
"Xiong Tingbi."
Wanli's eyes moved as if he was recalling a very distant past event. Fang Congzhe entered trance like an old monk. Due to a stroke last year, the corners of his mouth could no longer close, and drool would overflow if he didn't speak for a long time.
After waiting for who knows how long, the old emperor was finally ready to speak.
At this time, there was a sound of footsteps outside, and a eunuch came in to announce that Lu Shou was here.
"This matter will be discussed later,"
Fang Congzhe wanted to speak, but Lu Shou, wearing a beam crown and a red t-shirt, came and knelt down in front of the imperial case.
"Lu Shou, why are you so urgent? I wonder if I and Mr. Ge are still discussing matters?"
Zhu Yijun took a sip of tea and looked a little unhappy. He had said so much today and was already a little tired.
"Your Majesty, the title of the Liaodong Classic has been sent to the cabinet. The cabinet has not drafted it, and I have never read it. I want to let the emperor read it as soon as possible. It seems to be a good news!"
Fang Congzhe, who just sat still like an old monk, snorted and expressed his dissatisfaction to the eunuch, the eunuch in charge of the ceremony. What does it mean to be inferior to the draft? You didn't show it to me at all!
"Bring it here."
Lu Shou knelt and moved forward a few steps, raised his hands high and presented the memorial. A eunuch next to him took it and placed it in front of Wanli.
The palace maid handed a pair of Western reading glasses to the emperor early. The old emperor put on the glasses tremblingly, unfolded the newspaper, and read it carefully.
While Wanli was reading, he said to the eunuch kneeling in front of him:
"Lu Shou, get up. You are not as domineering as Feng Bao, and you are not as vicious as Zhang Jing. I will put you to good use and work well in the future. How have you been doing in Dongchang recently?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. When I return to Your Majesty, I have asked the Dongchang stalls to conduct a thorough investigation separately. They should be found soon. That person dared to frame Yang Jinglue for treason and collusion with slave-building. He is so outrageous!"
Lu Shou stood up, stood sideways, and raised his hands to Mr. Fang Ge next to him. Fang Congzhe pretended not to see him and turned his head to the side.
Wanli turned a few pages and started reading directly from the last line.
"I would like to join forces with Governor Ji Liao Wang Keshou and Governor of Liaodong Zhou Yuchun to report this to the Ministry of War."
Since there was no signature from Chen Yuting, Wanli felt a little boring.
He began to search for all the numbers that appeared in the newspaper, and soon made a discovery:
"...Liu Zhaosun led the southern troops to behead 1,895 levels of Zhenyi warriors, captured five Niulu Zhen people alive, and wrapped 3,500 Aha people..."
Seeing this, Wanli breathed rapidly, and the palace maid quickly stepped forward to wipe the sweat from the emperor's forehead.
"Looks like a real good news,"
Zhu Yijun then flipped the Tang Bao to the front and started reading from the first line:
"The emperor ordered Yang Hao, the right minister of the Ministry of War, to go out to the town of Liaodong, to report to you that Liu Wei's army defeated the slave bandits Xianglan Banner and killed the leader of the Xilan Banner, the second slave bandit Beile Amin. I would like to convey this message at starry night and listen to the Holy Judgment. "
"Kill the owner of the blue flag? Then I can't reward him with eight thousand taels of silver?!"
The joyful look on Wanli's face gradually faded, and the wrinkles on his forehead were like frostbitten bark, dry and squeezed together.
"...Liaodong news spread that both the West and North Route troops were defeated by the slave thieves. Generals Du and Ma did not know whether they were alive or dead, or it was said that North Korea had surrendered to the slave establishment. Various rumors spread, and the military morale was shaken... Chen Supervising the formation in Shenyang, he strengthened the southern troops and talked about the war in Liaodong. How could the husband live in vain?! The husband strategized and the manager did what he did... It was also thanks to the emperor's divine force, the three armies were ordered to use their lives, and the east route army stationed troops in Hunjiang River. , confronting the slaves, Liu Zhaosun, the adopted son of Liu Wei, was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the East Road. He was generous and chivalrous, and had a magnificent appearance. He was admired by the soldiers. He met the slave thieves Xianglan and the Zhenglan Banner with 30,000 dead soldiers in the Hunjiang River. The situation was like a dangerous egg. Liu Zongbing Shouting: Are you bullying me because the Han family has no sons? Liu Zhaosun shouted, this is the time for us warriors to repay the emperor's favor! It was Ye Qin who led the warriors to attack the slave camp and captured the heads of hundreds of real barbarians... ···The next day in the grand battle, Liu Zhaosun broke into the battle and suffered fifty-six wounds. You raised his arms and shouted: How happy is it to kill slaves for the country! The slave thief was frightened, so he killed the slave chief Amin..."
Wanli's face became more and more gloomy. He had not read such an exaggerated memorial for a long time since Li Chengliang died.
"If you survive fifty-six wounds, you will not be able to survive as a god descending to earth!"
Just as he was about to reach out and throw Yang Hao's memorial into the stove, he heard Lu Shou say:
"Your Majesty, here is another letter from the imperial censor Chen Yuting."
Wanli grabbed the memorial and said angrily:
"Why don't you show me this letter first, but Liaodong Economic Strategy has given you a benefit!"
Lu Shou quickly knelt down and hurriedly shook his head to explain. Emperor Wanli glared at him and asked him to get up.
"I am guilty. I thought Yang Jinglue had died for his country..."
Wan Li waved his hand impatiently, telling Lu Shou not to interrupt, and tore open the Tang newspaper sent to him by Chen Yuting and continued reading. Next to him, a eunuch and a chief minister of the cabinet looked at the emperor nervously, not daring to say anything.
After a while, Wan Li showed joy on his face, looked at Lu Shou with satisfaction, and praised:
"A small general can actually behead more than a thousand people and capture five Niulu people alive. If the Ministry of War verifies it is true, this will be even more exciting than the Chenghua Liting Palace! In the past two years, the imperial court has spent three to four times of Liao's salary. One million taels, but I don’t know where the money has gone? If everyone is like Liu Zhaosun, why worry about establishing slaves and not destroying them!"
Having said this, Wanli paused, took a breath, and looked meaningfully at the two people around him.
"Jin Song and Ma Lin deserve to be killed! And Li Rubai and Li Chengliang are unreliable, let alone his son! Who recommended Li Rubai in the first place? Fang Aiqing, immediately asked the public prosecutor to impeach this person. The commander-in-chief has made such a great contribution in a small way. , deserve a reward!"
Wanli gasped for air, took a sip of tea, and calmed down after mentioning the reward.
Lu Shou and Fang Congzhe next to them did not dare to speak.
"Although Amin was killed, his body was not captured. It doesn't matter after all. The reward of eight thousand taels of silver is waived. Since he is alive, let him be promoted to guard first, and then we can discuss rewards after his military merits are verified. I like this. man!"
When he thought of Liu Wei who died in the battle and the fleeing Liao army, Wanli's face darkened again.
Fang Congzhe saw that Wanli's expression was wrong, so he quickly said:
"Your Majesty, the Eastern Route Army is short of food and grass, and Yang Jinglue has worked hard to manage it. Just..."
"I know, and I'm ordering Ji Zhen and Xuanda to raise more supplies and deliver them within a day! There must be no mistake!"
"Order Li Rubai, the guilty general, to assist the Southern soldiers and guard Kaiyuan and Tieling without any mistakes!"
"The Ministry of War rewarded Liu Zhaosun, subsidized Liu Wei, and rewarded him with five thousand taels of silver in accordance with the regulations. Yang Hao has made great contributions in planning and planning. The merits and demerits are equal and will not be investigated for the time being! He was born as a dignified scholar. In the future, the memorials will be used as snacks. If Liu Wei had been alive, he would have written everything Better than him!"
Wanli finished speaking in one breath, half of his life was gone. After resting for a long time, he waved and said:
"Go to court! Fight with them!"
Fang Congzhe wanted to say something else, but the emperor picked up a stack of memorials on the impeachment of Yang Hao from the desk and threw them directly into the carbon furnace.
The rice paper written all over the Tai Pavilion crackled and burned, and the firelight reflected the "Diligence, Love and Virtues" plaque hanging on the Xinuan Pavilion, and gradually turned into wisps of smoke in the rickety figures of the three old people.
