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"Your Majesty, the results of the battle have been counted. A total of 633 Mongolian Tatars were killed, 82 Mongolian Tatars were captured, and nearly 300 Mongolian Tatars escaped..."
When it got dark, the results of the battle were finally tallied, and Zhang Shengde immediately found Zhao Junchen to report.
At the time of the report, Zhang Shengde's face was full of excitement that could not be concealed, and he couldn't help but said: "Master Imperial Envoy, this is a great victory! A rare great victory that has not been seen in several years! Not only is it a victory with few people, He also killed more than 700 enemies and captured more than 700 enemies. After such outstanding military achievements are reported to the court, he will definitely receive a large number of commendations and rewards!"
No wonder Zhang Shengde was so excited. In the late Ming Dynasty, fighting was not possible, but the rewards for military achievements were extremely generous. When the fire sifted into the invaders every year, the Mongols were only guerrillas and looters, and would not take the initiative to confront the Ming army head-on, so the Ming Dynasty The military's performance has always been meager.
In the past two years, the Mongolian attacks have become more frequent, and the northwest frontier army has achieved more results. It can kill tens of thousands of enemies every year, but these are the cumulative results of dozens of battles, and there is still a lot of water. It's good to have two or three achievements in the battle. In comparison, the results this time are absolutely amazing.
On the other side, Jinyiwei Qianhu Hong Gaogong's face was also full of excitement. The panic he had felt when he encountered the Mongolian attack had long since disappeared.
During the battle, Hong Gaogong didn't know where he hid, and he didn't have any injuries on his body. When the battle was over, Hong Gaogong suddenly appeared. He neither comforted the soldiers nor counted the results of the battle. He just pestered Zhao Junchen shamelessly, and kept Flattery and flattery.
Hong Gaogong's goal is very clear, that is, he hopes that Zhao Junchen can give him more military exploits. With Hong Gaogong's prominent background and such military exploits, he will surely rise to the top from now on.
At this time, after hearing Zhang Shengde's statement, Hong Gaogong rolled his eyes and suddenly said: "Did Governor Zhang forget to count? This time I also led the Jinyi guards to go into battle to kill the enemy in person. We saw it really clearly. This time, at least two thousand Mongol Tatars were killed and the siege of three to five thousand Mongol Tatars was repelled. However, the battlefield was too chaotic and many Mongol Tatar heads were trampled by war horses, so only Six hundred and thirty-three heads have been collected, but the actual results must be at least twice as high... I think we should report the real results to the court, so that we can win a higher reward. Governor Zhang, what do you say? Is that true?"
After saying that, Hong Gaogong smiled flatteringly at Zhao Junchen and said: "Of course, the most important thing is that such brilliant results are all because of the imperial envoy's command and leadership! If it weren't for the imperial envoy's exquisite tactics, we wouldn't be able to do it." It is possible that so many Mongolian Tatars were killed and wounded. If the Imperial Envoy had not personally gone to the battlefield to kill the enemy bravely, the morale of the soldiers would not have been so high. I saw it with my own eyes. You, the Imperial Envoy, personally killed the Mongolian general who led the army. , so Mr. Zhao definitely deserves the most credit for this great victory!"
After hearing what Hong Gaogong said, Zhao Junchen and Zhang Shengde immediately understood that Hong Gaogong was planning to exaggerate the results and lie about military merit.
However, this kind of thing has long been the norm in the military. Almost every general will exaggerate his own results, and even lie about victory when he is clearly defeated. According to the cumulative results reported to the court by the Jiubian Military Town, Mongolia and Houjin They have been exterminated by the Ming army at least dozens of times.
In fact, lying about military exploits and exaggerating the results are considered good things, and even killing good people and taking credit for their merits is something we hear from time to time.
Therefore, after Zhao Junchen and Zhang Shengde looked at each other, they both nodded slightly and acquiesced to Hong Gaogong's statement.
As the saying goes, if everyone carries the sedan chair, the reported military exploits will be greater, and everyone present can reap greater benefits. It can also buy the loyalty of the soldiers around him. Zhao Junchen will naturally not refuse.
So, Zhang Shengde immediately changed his rhetoric and nodded: "Hong Qianhu's statement is also reasonable. In the past, the border troops fought with the Mongolian Tatars, but only harvested a dozen heads and captured two or three enemies. , dare to report that we have killed hundreds of enemies and driven back thousands of enemies. Now we have more than 600 heads and more than 80 prisoners in our hands. Just saying that we killed thousands of enemies this time and fought back tens of thousands does not count. Exaggeration... However, if the results of the battle are too shocking, if the court is stingy with rewards, it may have to investigate carefully, and then we will run into trouble. So according to the opinion of the subordinate, we will kill the enemy by two thousand and retreat by five. How about reporting Qian's statement to the court? With so many heads and prisoners, no one will question it, and this kind of record is enough to shock both the government and the public."
As the governor of Shaanxi, Zhang Shengde was already familiar with similar matters and dealt with them every year, so he immediately found the most feasible plan.
Zhao Junchen nodded lightly and said noncommittally: "In this case, it is up to Governor Zhang to report the merits to the court. As for the order of military merits, Governor Zhang must be well aware of it, so I don't need to say more. It's written. After you report your meritorious service, give me another copy, and you and I will submit the memorial to the court together, so it will be more credible."
Zhang Shengde nodded repeatedly and said: "Please rest assured, your Majesty the Imperial Envoy, just leave this matter to your subordinates. I will never disappoint the Imperial Envoy."
Zhao Junchen's expression became more serious and he asked again: "So... what are our casualties?"
The excitement in Zhang Shengde's expression subsided slightly, and he sighed and shook his head: "There were heavy casualties. One hundred and thirteen cavalrymen from Shanxi Town were killed and 22 were seriously injured; ninety-two cavalrymen from Guyuan Town were killed. Eleven people were seriously injured; fifty-four Jin Yiwei also died in the battle, and eleven were seriously injured. Eight of Master Zhao's guards also died in the battle... Eleven more people are missing, and it is not known that they took advantage of the opportunity. They escaped in disorder or were captured by the Mongolian Tatars... On the other hand, among the senior staff around Mr. Zhao, only one was killed and one was injured. The master named Su Xiqing fell down and was injured on the spot. He just passed out and didn't wake up until the war was over, which was extremely lucky."
After hearing Zhang Shengde's report, Zhao Junchen's expression was quite solemn and he said: "Go ahead and order all the soldiers who died in the battle to be buried alive, and the injured soldiers to be taken care of carefully... They have done great service and must not be treated poorly. .”
Zhang Shengde nodded quickly and said: "Imperial envoy, don't worry, I will definitely settle them down well."
Zhao Junchen shook his head and sighed: "The hard battle this time was really brutal. Although it was a great victory, it also cost nearly 400 casualties. The situation was once precarious. Looking back, it is really scary. "
Zhang Shengde also nodded in agreement and sighed: "Yes, in recent years, regardless of the border troops or the Mongolian Tatars, as long as the casualties exceed two, they will be defeated. It is not like today, both armies suffer casualties. More than half of the time, the fighting was still going on... Such a tragic battle has not been heard of for many years."
On the other side, Hong Gaogong took advantage of every opportunity and flattered him again: "This is all because the imperial envoy took the lead and went to the battle to kill the enemy in person. Seeing the heroic appearance of the imperial envoy, the soldiers naturally fought bravely to be the first!"
Zhao Junchen ignored Hong Gaogong, but a cold light flashed in his eyes, and asked again: "Those captured Mongolian Tatars... have any information been revealed through interrogation?"
This time, Zhang Shengde shook his head blankly and said, "Mao Baihu and Zhao Dali are specifically responsible for interrogating the prisoners. The lower officials do not know the details."
Coincidentally, as soon as Zhang Shengde finished speaking, he saw Mao Jiadong and Zhao Dali coming with a Mongolian prisoner.
In this bitter battle, both Mao Jiadong and Zhao Dali took the greatest credit. If Zhao Dali had not led the troops to attack and kill the enemy bravely, Tushan would have been captured by the Mongolian cavalry long ago. If it were not for Mao Jiadong's decisive command and timely defeat of the enemy. , our side may not be able to hold on for long.
At this time, both of them were covered with bruises. Zhao Dali's injury was particularly serious. He was stabbed hard on the shoulder. The wound was so deep that the bones were visible. However, after the battle, neither of them rested. They only took care of the wound a little. , he began to clean up the mess, appease the soldiers, tally the results of the battle, and interrogate the prisoners. He has been busy until now.
In contrast, Hong Gaogong, who suddenly disappeared during the war and only wanted to take credit after the war, is inevitably despised.
It's a pity that Hong Gaogong is still the highest-ranking officer. Taking into account various factors, he is still ranked high in the petition for merit submission to the court, second only to Zhao Junchen and Zhang Shengde, and maybe even above Mao Jiadong. , as for Zhao Dali, because he is not an official, his ranking is much lower.
After seeing Mao Jiadong and Zhao Dali appear, Hong Gaogong stepped forward and asked before Zhao Junchen could ask, "Do you have something to report to the Imperial Envoy?"
Zhao Junchen keenly discovered that Hong Gaogong was vaguely wary of Mao Jiadong, apparently because he was worried that Mao Jiadong would compete with him for war rewards.
Before the petition for meritorious service was confirmed, Mao Jiadong was Hong Gaogong's competitor, so Hong Gaogong did not want Mao Jiadong to have too much contact with Zhao Junchen. This was the real reason why Hong Gaogong shamelessly stayed with Zhao Junchen.
Mao Jiadong turned his head and glanced at Hong Gaogong, frowning with disgust in his eyes.
After the battle, Mao Jiadong was determined to join Zhao Junchen's disciples, and he no longer concealed his disgust and contempt for Hong Gaogong.
Therefore, Mao Jiadong ignored Hong Gaogong and reported directly to Zhao Junchen: "Your Imperial Majesty, when I was interrogating the prisoners, I discovered a suspicious person. After being identified by the other prisoners, I discovered that this person was not a Mongolian, but a Mongolian." Han Chinese! This time the Mongols suddenly attacked, and this person was responsible for leading the way."
After speaking, Mao Jiadong waved behind him and said, "Bring him here!"
Following Mao Jiadong's order, two Jinyi guards escorted a young man dressed as a Mongolian cavalry in front of Zhao Junchen.
Although this young man looks embarrassed and gray-faced, it can still be seen that he comes from a pampered and wealthy background, with fair skin, fine facial features, and a somewhat sinister look in his eyes.
Zhao Junchen took a deep look at the person and was about to ask, when Zhang Shengde, the governor of Shaanxi next to him, suddenly pointed at the person and exclaimed: "It's you!"
Seeing Zhang Shengde's horrified look, he knew that the man in front of him had an extraordinary origin.
Zhao Junchen frowned and asked, "Does Governor Zhang know this person's origins?"
Zhang Shengde looked serious, nodded and said: "Although I have only met this person once, I will never admit his mistake."
Zhao Junchen asked coldly: "Who is this person?"
Zhang Shengde took a deep look at this man, then turned to Zhao Junchen and asked, "Mr. Zhao, do you know who is responsible for the current trilateral defense of Shaanxi and Gansu?"
Zhao Junchen nodded and said: "I heard that Wang Zheng, the governor of the three sides, has been seriously ill recently, so the defense arrangements for the three sides of Shaanxi and Gansu are all handled by an aide named Wang Gong. This Wang Gong is Wang Ming, a big businessman in Shaanxi and Gansu. His younger brother, he is deeply trusted by Governor Wang Zheng because he single-handedly arranged the defense of Shaanxi and Gansu. Some people say that this Wang Gong is the real Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu... I heard that a secret plan in the northwest officialdom is this Wang Gong proposal!"
At this point, Zhao Junchen's eyes became colder, and he vaguely guessed the truth, and asked again: "Is this person related to that Wang Gong?"
After hearing Zhao Junchen mention the words "secret plan", Zhang Shengde's expression changed slightly, and then he nodded solemnly and said: "I hope the imperial envoy knows that this person's name is Wang Shun, and he is Wang Gong's cousin. , I met him once and would never admit his mistake.”
"That's it! This makes sense! No wonder the Mongolian cavalry passed through Jingbian and Dingbian counties silently, and suddenly entered the hinterland of Yulin Guard to intercept and kill me. If the defense of Shaanxi-Gansu is responsible for the people behind the scenes, It is naturally not difficult to do this... Haha, you are really going to do it without stopping, and your methods are ruthless!"
Zhao Junchen said with a sneer, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
On the other side, Wang Shun originally had a calm expression, but after hearing Zhang Shengde identify himself, his expression changed drastically, and he quickly denied it loudly: "I am not Wang Shun, and I don't know who Wang Shun is." Who! I, I’m not Wang Shun, don’t identify me randomly..."
However, Wang Shun's panicked denial made Zhao Junchen completely sure of the authenticity of Zhang Shengde's identification.
Zhao Junchen glanced at Wang Shun coldly and said, "Don't you want to be implicated in the Wang family? But it's already too late! Compared to your denial, I still trust Governor Zhang more! ... Since we are on the wrong team , you will definitely pay the price! No matter how much you deny it, it is already too late! Wang Ming, Wang Gong, and the Wang family must all pay the price!"
After saying that, Zhao Junchen turned to Mao Jiadong and ordered: "Now that I know this person's identity, I am no longer interested in questioning him. I will take him down for strict interrogation and force him to reveal all the information he knows!"
However, before Mao Jiadong agreed, Hong Gaogong next to him quickly said: "Master Zhao, let me leave this matter to the humble official! In terms of fighting, Mao Baihu may be more capable, but in terms of interrogation and extorting confessions, Mao Baihu It’s far inferior to a humble position!”
Zhao Junchen glanced at Hong Gaogong, nodded and said: "Forget it, I'll leave this matter to you."
When Hong Gaogong and his men escorted Wang Shun away, Zhao Junchen drove away everyone, leaving only Shaanxi governor Zhang Shengde.
Then, Zhao Junchen looked directly into Zhang Shengde's eyes and said, "Originally, I didn't want to go straight to the point, but now that things have come to this, I have to have an honest talk with Governor Zhang about the northwest border defense."
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A big chapter of 4,000 words, the first update!
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