…
…
When he first came to this era, Zhao Junchen regarded Jianzhou Jurchen as a serious concern based on his superficial understanding of the historical process.
However, after Zhao Junchen carefully understood the details of the Jianzhou Jurchen, his fear actually decreased.
In the historical time and space that Zhao Junchen is familiar with, the reason why the Jianzhou Jurchens were able to take over the Central Plains was mainly due to three points. First, Emperor Chongzhen made a wrong decision and committed suicide; secondly, there was a problem of rogue bandits within the Ming Dynasty. , had too much time to take care of themselves; and finally, the Liaodong military town’s Yang bandits respected themselves and never killed them all.
Even so, if the Jianzhou Jurchens want to enter the customs smoothly, they still need Wu Sangui's "anger to become a beauty".
In fact, the threat of the Jianzhou Jurchens was not as great as imagined. Later generations regarded the Jianzhou Jurchens as the biggest threat to the Ming Dynasty only because of the success of the king and the defeat of the bandits.
To give a random example, in the historical time and space that Zhao Junchen is familiar with, according to the records of Ming history, until the funeral of Emperor Tianqi, the Ming Dynasty had always adhered to the tactic of strengthening the walls and clearing the country in western Liaoning, so that the Jianzhou Jurchens had constant logistical supplies. The result was that Jianzhou Jurchen "had a great famine in the country, a fight of rice cost eight taels of silver, and everyone could eat each other." It can be said that their vitality was severely damaged.
This tactic was highly effective, but it was too expensive. Yuan Chonghuan, who was highly controversial in later generations, believed that the Ming Dynasty should finish its work in one battle. He also presented his plan for Ping Liao to Emperor Tianqi, and also put forward the suggestion of building a fortress to trap Nurhachi to death. However, Emperor Tianqi, who was nicknamed the Carpenter Emperor by later generations, was not a vegetarian. He asked Yuan Chonghuan several professional questions in succession, but Yuan Chonghuan was speechless, so Emperor Tianqi's final conclusion was "win without talking."
It is a pity that after Emperor Chongzhen ascended the throne, he was very interested in Yuan Chonghuan's boasted Ping Liao strategy, and he also reused Yuan Chonghuan. So the Ming Dynasty began to repeatedly "send military supplies thousands of miles" to Jianzhou Jurchens. The decline of the Ming Dynasty It also started from here.
But in this completely different historical time and space, Emperor Chongzhen was a qualified emperor, and he still continued the practices of Emperor Apocalypse. Even though the Jianzhou Jurchen's ambitions remained undiminished and she worked hard, she never caused too much trouble. Big waves.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen has always had a complicated attitude towards the Jianzhou Jurchens. On the one hand, he was vigilant from the bottom of his heart, believing that trouble would sooner or later arise among the Jianzhou Jurchens. On the other hand, he felt that the court only needed to handle its own affairs and not go too far. Worried about the threat of Jianzhou Jurchen.
*
At this time, Zhao Junchen lowered his head and looked at the several memorials in his hand, and soon his brows knitted together.
There are three memorials, one from Jianzhou Jurchen, Liaodong Military Town, and Xuanfu Military Town.
The first is a letter of surrender from the Jianzhou Jurchen.
In Zhao Junchen's view, the content of this text is more like a transaction than a reduction in the list.
In short, the Jianzhou Jurchens expressed that they wanted to submit tribute to Emperor Deqing. From now on, they would no longer start a war, but the prerequisite was that the court must accept a series of conditions for the Jianzhou Jurchens.
One of the conditions is that the imperial court must support Jianzhou Jurchen with three million stones of grain and grass, 10,000 pieces of various iron tools, and a large number of cattle farming tools.
The second condition is that the two sides trade with each other, and it is not the common kind of opening a trading market at the junction of the two sides' territories, but the imperial court must allow the Jianzhou Jurchen caravan to go deep into the Ming Dynasty's territory and purchase supplies on their own in the future... Of course , based on the principle of equality and reciprocity, the Ming Dynasty caravans could also enter the Jianzhou Jurchen's sphere of influence.
The third condition requires the imperial court to reduce the number of troops in Liaodong military towns. Of course, the Jianzhou Jurchens will also reduce the number of troops they deploy on the Liaodong front line to create mutual trust conditions for a truce between the two sides.
The fourth condition is that the imperial court and the Jianzhou Jurchens will not invade each other's sphere of influence in the Mongolian grassland. The Jianzhou Jurchens will recognize the Ming Dynasty's rule in the Hetao area and will not interfere with the imperial court's military operations against the right-wing tribes of Mongolia. However, the imperial court It is also necessary to recognize the leadership of the Jianzhou Jurchens over the left-wing tribes of Mongolia.
And so on, there are a dozen conditions in total.
Seeing these contents, Zhao Junchen only felt angry and funny. He thought that the conditions of the Jianzhou Jurchen were really greedy and wishful thinking, but at the same time he was in a dilemma.
The reason why Zhao Junchen was in a dilemma was due to the two memorials from Liaodong Military Town and Xuanfu Military Town.
Because Jianzhou Jurchen took the initiative to surrender, the Liaodong military town also submitted its opinions to the imperial court.
The opinions of the Liaodong military town can be described as contradictory. On the one hand, they strongly opposed the imperial court's acceptance of the surrender of the Jianzhou Jurchens. On the other hand, they suggested that the imperial court could agree to limited conditions for the Jianzhou Jurchens, such as opening up a mutual market in Liaodong. , allowing both sides to engage in limited trade; on the one hand, it was a sworn guarantee that the Liaodong military town would not be afraid of any attack by the Jianzhou Jurchens, so that the court did not have to worry about the Jianzhou Jurchens’ reaction, but on the other hand, it once again cried out to the court for money, food and supplies. supplies.
The suggestions of the Liaodong Military Town seem to be contradictory, but if one understands the self-respecting mentality of the Liaodong Military Town in supporting the bandits, these contradictions can be explained.
For Liaodong Military Town, once the imperial court agrees to Jianzhou Jurchen's surrender, it will inevitably reduce the military resources, money and food of Liaodong Military Town. This is completely unacceptable to Liaodong Military Town, but because Liaodong Military Town The raised bandits respected themselves, and it was inevitable that they would have secret contacts with the Jianzhou Jurchens, probably because they received benefits, so they also suggested that the court agree to some of the Jianzhou Jurchens' requests.
However, the combination of these two contradictory suggestions makes people laugh or cry. On the one hand, they do not want the court to accept the Jianzhou Jurchen's request to surrender and become a vassal, but on the other hand, they hope that the court will agree to some of the Jianzhou Jurchen's demands. Since he wants the court to pay benefits, but he also doesn't want the court to gain any benefits, does this mean that all the Gonggun princes in the court are considered fools?
It was precisely because he understood the position of the Liaodong military town that Zhao Junchen was in a dilemma, because once the imperial court rejected the surrender of the Jianzhou Jurchens, the Jianzhou Jurchens would become angry and start another war, and the court would also There is no longer any reason to refuse Liaodong Military Town's request for money and food.
But according to Zhao Junchen's thinking, the annual military expenditure of Liaodong Military Town already accounts for more than 20% of the national treasury expenditure, and it is really not suitable to increase it further.
At the same time, Xuanfu Military Town sent an emergency military report, stating that the Jianzhou Jurchen army began to appear frequently north of Datong Military Town. The real purpose of the Jianzhou Jurchen army is not yet known, but the Xuanfu Army Zhen had just repelled the Mongolian right-wing troops not long ago, and then mobilized some troops to participate in the court's battle to regain the Hetao. However, the defense force was somewhat insufficient, and he also hoped that the court could provide some support.
This information also made Zhao Junchen wary.
The Jianzhou Jurchens sent a large number of troops to the west at this time. Are their targets the Mongolian right-wing tribes that suffered heavy losses? Or is it the imperial army that is showing signs of exhaustion?
If the tribes on the Mongolian right wing have lost their troops during this period and are attacked by the Jianzhou Jurchens, the Jianzhou Jurchens may take the opportunity to annex the Mongolian right wing. At that time, the Jianzhou Jurchens will really become the imperial court. I'm in serious trouble!
If the Jianzhou Jurchens' target is the imperial army in the Hetao area, then the court's efforts to regain the Hetao may fail. Once the court directly rejects the Jianzhou Jurchens' surrender, it will also give the Jianzhou Jurchens an excuse to start a war. .
According to Zhao Junchen's plan, after the imperial court severely damaged the Mongolian right wing, it was natural for the Jianzhou Jurchens to turn their attention to the west. However, Zhao Junchen still hoped that the pace of the Jianzhou Jurchens' westward expansion would be as slow as possible, and it would be best to delay it until the Junggar Khan The country's army will make a comeback and once again set out to conquer the Mongolian grasslands. At that time, the two tigers of the Junggar Khanate and the Jianzhou Jurchens will be able to fight, and the court can sit back and watch the tigers fight.
But it is obvious that the Jianzhou Jurchens are very eager to expand and will not take actions according to Zhao Junchen's expectations.
This is another reason why Zhao Junchen feels in a dilemma!
Deep down in his heart, Zhao Junchen did not want the court to pay a series of prices in exchange for a nominal surrender from the Jianzhou Jurchen.
But if they do not accept the Jianzhou Jurchen's surrender, the court will not be able to influence the Jianzhou Jurchen's next move, and there will be too many variables.
*
While Zhao Junchen was thinking secretly, the argument between Cheng Yuandao and Li He continued.
But they each have their own ideas, but no one can convince the other.
In the end, Shen Changmao became a little impatient, turned his eyes to Zhou Shangjing, and asked, "Mr. Zhou Ge, what do you think?"
From the beginning to the end, Shen Changmao did not look at Zhao Junchen. He obviously believed that Zhao Junchen had just entered the cabinet to assist the administration, had little experience, was young and energetic, and was not qualified to discuss such military and national affairs.
Zhou Shangjing's thoughts were similar to Zhao Junchen's. He also considered the pros and cons of different options. He was a bit in a dilemma. He did not answer Shen Changmao's question directly, but slowly asked: "Your Majesty, does he have any opinions?"
Shen Changmao shook his head and said: "As far as I know, these memorials were delivered to His Majesty yesterday evening, but His Majesty thought about it all night and still did not make a decision. He did not mention anything at the meeting today. Obviously, I can’t make up my mind, and I want our cabinet to take the lead in coming up with a charter.”
Zhou Shangjing nodded lightly and said: "With your Majesty's temperament, you are obviously inclined to accept the Jianzhou Jurchen's surrender. After all, this is a flattering thing, but your Majesty must also consider the financial and food situation of the Ministry of Revenue. The Jianzhou Jurchens’ repeated attitudes, as well as the attitude of the Liaodong military town, made it impossible to make up their mind.”
Having said this, Zhou Shangjing turned to Zhao Junchen and asked, "Junchen, what do you think?"
After hearing Zhou Shangjing's inquiry, both Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao looked dissatisfied.
On the other side, Li He had some expectations - based on Zhao Junchen's experience in the Ministry of Household Affairs and Shaanxi-Gansu Province, on the one hand, he did not want the national treasury to suffer a deficit, and on the other hand, he was also a hard-line militant, so Li He He believed that Zhao Junchen would be inclined to refuse the surrender of Jianzhou Jurchen.
But Zhao Junchen's attitude was different from that of Cheng Yuandao and Li He.
After Zhao Junchen pondered for a moment, he slowly said: "There are two points, one is to talk! The other is to delay!"
"Talk? Delay?"
After hearing Zhao Junchen's statement, several cabinet ministers were thoughtful.
Zhao Junchen waved the surrender form in his hand and sneered: "On the surface, the Jianzhou Jurchens are asking for surrender, but in fact they want to gain benefits from the imperial court! As Mr. Li Ge said, the Jianzhou Jurchens have been The situation is very difficult, and there are also constant natural disasters. It is said that tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians have starved to death in the territory, so they took the initiative to ask for surrender, and begged the court to support them with money, food and materials, but their conditions are too greedy, we cannot Maybe they all agree! So, let’s not refuse directly. Since the Jianzhou Jurchen is demanding a sky-high price, of course we have to pay it back on the ground and negotiate slowly... This is negotiation! Since it is us who want to negotiate, the Jianzhou Jurchen will also There is no reason to fall out!
Looking at the intelligence from Xuanfu Military Town, the Jianzhou Jurchens saw the endless war between the imperial army and the Mongolian right wing in Hetao, and they obviously wanted to get involved. At that time, whether the Jianzhou Jurchens would help us fight the Mongolian right wing, or they would help us. Watching the Mongolian right wing attack us, or sitting on the mountain and watching the fight between tigers and tigers, will be an unpredictable variable! Therefore, during the negotiation, the imperial court also forced the Jianzhou Jurchens to withdraw their troops and leave, and they were not allowed to act without authorization! ...This is dragging! As long as the war in Hetao is over, the court will not have to worry about the variables of Jianzhou Jurchen. Even if they fall out in the end, they will not have to worry about the pressure of a two-front battle. The initiative will be in the hands of the court! "
Shen Changmao was not very optimistic about Zhao Junchen's suggestion and asked instead: "Do you think the Jianzhou Jurchens will agree to the court's negotiation and delay? Especially if you want to use this negotiation to make them withdraw their troops, how can the Jianzhou Jurchens do this? Compromise easily and obey orders?"
Zhao Junchen said categorically: "The Jianzhou Jurchens will definitely compromise! The reason why the Jianzhou Jurchens sent troops to the direction of Hetao is because they think that the imperial court may not agree to their surrender. This is also a way for them to gain negotiation space for themselves. They want to force us to agree to their surrender, and then ask the court for food and supplies! Of course, if the court refuses their surrender, they can also take the opportunity to cause trouble as revenge... Hey! This method is considered smart!
But for the Jianzhou Jurchens, the most important thing now is to solve the food shortage problem. However, there is no food in the Hetao area, and there is no food in the right wing of Mongolia. Only after the court's autumn taxes this year are collected into the national treasury can some surplus food be released! Therefore, even if they take the opportunity to seize the Hetao from the imperial court or conquer the Mongolian right wing, it will not help them solve the problem of food shortage at all! Instead, they have to divide their troops to garrison Hetao, or support hundreds of thousands more Mongolian right wingers. This is a burden they cannot bear! Therefore, as long as the court takes a tougher stance and shows some sincerity, they will definitely compromise. They have no other choice! "
Li He asked further: "If we want to talk, we must study the bottom line between the imperial court and the Jianzhou Jurchen. What can be talked about and what can't be talked about? That is, there can't be too many concessions, and there can't be too many concessions." Let this negotiation break down easily, I'm afraid these things will be very difficult to handle!
Also, if this negotiation is really concluded, what should we do then? Do we really have to accept the surrender of the Jianzhou Jurchens and let the Jianzhou Jurchens recover? If the Jianzhou Jurchens surrender first and then rebel as before, it will definitely damage the face of the imperial court. Who will be responsible then? "
Li He's question is very reasonable, especially his last sentence, which is the key.
For any decision, you must first consider the person who will bear the responsibility.
After Zhao Junchen thought for a moment, he smiled and said: "In my opinion, everything can be discussed, especially the mutual trade between the two sides. There is a lot to talk about! As for Mr. Li Ge, he is worried about Jianzhou Jurchen surrendering to the imperial court. Will gradually recover, or surrender first and then cause the court to lose face, there is no need to worry, as long as the court surrenders the Jianzhou Jurchen, not only does it not harm its own interests, but it also gains from the Jianzhou Jurchen With so many benefits, these problems won’t be a problem anymore!”
Cheng Yuandao frowned and questioned: "If the imperial court recruits and surrenders the Jianzhou Jurchens, in order to show the dynasty's demeanor and sincerity, it is difficult to refuse the requests of the Jianzhou Jurchens. Even if the number is kept as low as possible during negotiations, they must be given a How can we not harm our own interests by approving grain, grass and materials, but instead gain benefits from Jianzhou Jurchens?"
Cheng Yuandao only focused on questioning Zhao Junchen, but completely forgot that his original position was to let the court accept the Jianzhou Jurchen's surrender.
Zhao Junchen smiled and said: "In the eyes of you elders, although the juniors have insufficient qualifications and little experience, they should also understand the methods of doing business! When the juniors do business, they never suffer losses! Jian This time, the Jurchens of Zhou want to surrender and trade with each other, so they just want the imperial caravan leader to march directly into their territory. This matter only needs to be left to the juniors to handle the details. The final result will definitely make the seniors happy. satisfy!"
After a pause, Zhao Junchen chuckled and said: "Jianzhou Jurchens have always been aggressive, but when an invading nation understands the benefits of farming, tastes the sweetness of doing business, and learns the fun of walking dogs and fighting birds... Can you maintain your former aggressive nature?"
As he spoke, Zhao Junchen's eyes shone with interest.
In Zhao Junchen's view, this will be a very interesting social experiment!
On the other side, Zhou Shangjing's old eyes flashed, but he looked at Zhao Junchen with an unprecedented seriousness.
In fact, after reading these memorials, Zhou Shangjing thought carefully and came up with the idea of "talk and delay". However, Zhou Shangjing did not express his position directly. Instead, he asked Zhao Junchen for his opinion, just to test A test of Zhao Junchen's overall vision and military-state decisions.
But Zhou Shangjing never expected that Zhao Junchen not only had the same idea as him, but the insight and vision shown in his last words far exceeded Zhou Shangjing's expectations.
In the end, Zhou Shangjing quickly restrained his abnormality, nodded slightly and said: "I think Junchen's statement is very reasonable. Let's draft opinions to His Majesty based on this idea."
After seeing Zhou Shangjing sealing the coffin and finalizing the decision, Shen Changmao was slightly stunned, but in the end he said helplessly: "It doesn't matter, it all depends on His Majesty's attitude."
*
Seeing Shen Changmao's follow-up statement, Zhao Junchen couldn't help but laugh a little.
After all, there are some differences between the real chief minister of the cabinet and the false chief minister of the cabinet.
"This is the difference between the Cabinet and the Ministry of Household Affairs. This is where the decision-making of the court is really affected. The Ministry of Household Affairs can only decide how much money it can give out, but the Cabinet decides whether the Ministry of Household Affairs should give out a sum of money. Where should this money be used...if the decision-making is slightly different, the people who reap the benefits and the people who lose the benefits will be completely different!"
"However, if the Jianzhou Jurchens really lower the conditions for their surrender, and the imperial court really accepts the Jianzhou Jurchens' surrender... I can fight for the task of being a negotiator and take the opportunity to avoid the limelight for some time in the future. …
The Jurchen army in Jianzhou is currently near the Xuanfu Military Town. I have also made many arrangements in the Xuanfu Military Town. I have also arranged for a large number of fleeing people to cultivate land in the defense area of the Xuanfu Military Town. It will also be an inspection tour at that time. Ichiban...
By the way, I also went to meet the current leader of Jianzhou Jurchen, that is... Aixinjueluo Xuan Ye! "
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Zhao Junchen's lips.
…
…
