It was the morning of the ninth day of February in the twelfth year of Hongzhi.
The ministers were summoned at the last moment and hurriedly entered the palace and headed towards Fengtian Palace.
Due to the emergence of major military situations in the northwest, a noon court was added that day. Civil servants of all Yazheng and above grades in Beijing basically had to attend this noon court. The imperial censors did not need to go, and Wu Xun also had to perform his duties. He is not included in the palace to attend the noon court.
"...Is there really a fight in the northwest?"
When entering the palace, Ma Wensheng, the Minister of War, became the target of inquiries from civil servants.
But Ma Wensheng adhered to the emperor's principle of not talking too much. No matter who asked, he pretended not to hear. Even if Zhou Jing, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, took the opportunity to ask him something, he did not say anything.
In front of Fengtian Hall.
All the civil servants lined up to finish, and two cabinet bachelors also came from the cabinet duty room. Li Dongyang, who was always good at planning, did not appear at the scene because he was presiding over the examination of the Ministry of Etiquette.
Immediately after they arrived, someone wanted to get information from them.
"Someone will explain it to you after you go in. We still know very little now..."
Xie Qian is relatively talkative, and he has set the tone for the cabinet, which is not to express opinions outside the court on the situation in the northwest.
All the ministers were basically here, and I thought the court meeting was about to begin.
But it was Xiao Jing who came over to inform: "Everyone, Your Majesty still has some matters to deal with first, and will discuss it later. Please be patient..."
…
…
Inside Qingning Palace.
Empress Dowager Zhou had just finished worshiping the Buddha and stood up with the support of the palace maid.
Jiang Lu hurriedly came in from outside. He had something to report but was speechless.
"Everyone, stand down."
After Empress Dowager Zhou had screened away all the irrelevant people, Jiang Lu revealed the news he knew: "...His Majesty took Jianchang Bo into custody last night and sent him to Fusi, Jinyiwei North Town."
"Really? Magpies are chirping early in the morning, which makes me happy."
Empress Dowager Zhou smiled.
Jiang Lu said: "But I found out from Dongchang that when Jianchangbo entered Fusi, Beizhen, he brought people in. For some reason this morning, His Majesty ordered Dongchang to take Jianchangbo's mansion into his hands. Everyone was driven away. They also strictly ordered no one to visit."
Empress Dowager Zhou narrowed her eyes and said with a profound meaning: "It's rare to be able to send someone to prison. The emperor has changed his gender. Isn't he afraid that the queen will give him problems? Where is the emperor?"
"We are in Kunning Palace." Jiang Lu said, "There will be a noon court meeting today, and I just heard Eunuch Xiao, the admiral of Dongchang, mention that the Tatars from the northwest are coming out in force, and something big may happen in the northwest."
Queen Mother Zhou looked worried.
She was someone who had personally experienced the Tumubao Incident. She would get nervous whenever she heard about anything happening in the northwest.
"There was only one Wang Weining in the Ming Dynasty, and he was dismissed from his post and lived in Beijing..."
When the country was in crisis, the Empress Dowager Zhou, like her grandson, remembered that there was another Wang Yue in the world who might be of great use.
Jiang Lu said hurriedly: "Eunuch Xiao said that His Majesty has made arrangements for this. For more than a month, Wang Weining may have gone to the northwest to make arrangements. It seems...it was Zhang Gongsheng who gave His Majesty the warning."
"Oh, no wonder then."
As soon as Queen Mother Zhou heard that Zhang Zhou was involved in this matter, she seemed to suddenly realize, "That Zhang Bingkuan has unpredictable abilities. He asked Wang Weining to go to the northwest in advance. I guess your majesty is prepared for things in the northwest. It is because of the many people in the Ai family." Heart. Also, the one who can cure the Zhang brothers in this world is not the Zhou family, but Zhang Bingkuan."
Empress Dowager Zhou sighed with emotion, suddenly thought of something, and asked: "Is Zhang Bingkuan also here for this court meeting?"
Jiang Lu said: "Empress Dowager, the examination is in progress now, Zhang Gongsheng should be admitted to the Gongyuan Academy."
"Haha, he is still a Gongsheng student. He is only concerned about the exams... Family and national affairs are not more important than temporary fame? It seems that the emperor has other expectations for him and wants him to be listed in the imperial class. Okay. Let's go see the emperor again. How are you talking to the queen over there? Please report the news in time."
"yes."
…
…
Inside Kunning Palace.
Before Zhu Youtang went to attend the afternoon meeting, he came over and explained to his wife the "urgency" and "necessity" of Zhang Yanling's measures.
"...It's not that I deliberately made things difficult for Yanling. You don't know, Queen. Now the battle in the northwest is just as Bingkuan suggested. The Tatars came out in force, but they happened to hit the Piantou Pass where Wang Shichang was stationed. . What’s even worse is that Shaanxi and Ningxia launched earthquakes, and everything happened just as he expected. How could he deliberately cause trouble for Yanling in such a matter?"
When Zhu Youtang said this, he didn't know how confident he was.
In the past, whenever he treated the Zhang brothers slightly poorly, Zhu Youtang felt that he had done something wrong.
But now he can straighten his back and punish Zhang Yanling with his wife. The reason is... he is not demonstrating the law, but the "law of heaven".
I can throw aside the laws of the court, but I can’t care less about God’s will, right?
"Your Majesty, can this... be true?"
Empress Zhang used to protect her two younger brothers in every possible way. No matter how unreasonable the matter was, she would dare to mention it directly to her husband and force him to agree.
But this time...
She herself is a bit timid.
Even when he spoke, he seemed unsure.
Zhu Youtang said: "Queen, don't worry, if nothing happens by the time limit, I will let Yanling go back. If he doesn't cause trouble in Beizhen Fusi, I won't embarrass him..."
Empress Zhang almost cried, and said with a sad face: "This child has never suffered much since he was a child. I'm afraid he won't be able to bear it."
As a sister, it seems that she also feels that it is a bit difficult to support her younger brother now.
Still the same old problem.
His opponent is not a human being, but God!
How to fight?
Zhu Youtang stretched out his arm to take his wife over and said: "Actually, I have always wanted him to learn a lesson. Even if he is the prince, I will not show mercy when he should be punished, but Heling and Yanling... alas! If this goes on, Sooner or later something will happen.”
"Your Majesty, if the day passes and there is no earthquake or other signs from heaven, will Zhang Zhou be punished for the crime of deceiving the public with his monstrous words?" Empress Zhang looked at her husband longingly and said in an almost pleading tone.
"ah?"
Zhu Youtang was still holding his wife, but when he heard this, he even let go of his hands.
Empress Zhang also did not expect that her husband would have such a big reaction when she proposed to convict Zhang Zhou.
"Queen, don't you understand? It was my repeated indulgence in prolonging my life that caused God to warn me. If I did something and the warning didn't come, can I blame Bingkuan?"
"Bingkuan has never said anything bad about Yan Ling in front of me. He just gave God's will and happened to have Yan Ling happen to..."
"Then your Majesty would rather trust Zhang Zhou than Yan Ling?"
Queen Zhang suddenly became confused again.
Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "Queen, are you still stubborn? This is a major matter involving the country and the country, not a child's play! Forget it, I still have to discuss with the ministers about sending troops to the northwest. You can think about it first. !”
When the emperor discovered that his wife was too petty, she only cared about the interests of her own family and could even put aside God's will.
He immediately lost his temper, left his wife aside, and hurriedly took Dai Yi and others to the Fengtian Palace to attend the court meeting.
"His Majesty……"
Empress Zhang was about to cry but had no tears at this time.
"Your Majesty usually obeys my advice, but since that Zhang Zhou appeared, everything has changed, but he still can't do anything... Everything is God's will and destiny, how can I explain this?"
Empress Zhang now hates Zhang Zhou in her heart.
But looking back, it seems that Zhang Zhou can't be blamed for this, because Zhang Zhou was just a magician who conveyed God's will.
Could it be that by pressing down Zhang Zhou, God's will can be changed?
…
…
Noon morning at Fengtian Hall.
After the simple courtesy from the monarch and his ministers, Zhu Youtang didn't waste any words and immediately asked Dai Yi to make the current situation in the northwest public to the public.
"...Although the Tatars have been harassing all over the Nine Borders in the past few days, and even Duoyan tribesmen have been recruiting troops in Liaodong and other places, it was not until yesterday afternoon that the troops did not stop at Piantou Pass. Dozens of miles away to the north, a Tatar team of more than 10,000 riders was found, and then the various earthen forts at Piantou Pass were put under martial law..."
"...I just got the news that the Tatars had harassed the Piantou Pass before nightfall yesterday, and used artillery to knock down the pass. More than ten earthen fortresses along the north and south of the Piantou Pass were destroyed. If the Tatars If Tao keeps moving forward, he may be surrounded by Piantou Pass today and tomorrow..."
Dai Yi's news shocked the ministers present.
Even when the Tatars re-entered the Hetao area before, they were not as aggressive as they are today.
Xu Guan, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, asked: "It's only the middle of February, are the Tatars trying to invade? This seems to be unreasonable."
The Tatars always stayed on the offensive, and the Ming Dynasty stayed on the defensive.
There is nothing wrong with this in itself.
However, the Tatars came out in force and attacked Piantou Pass, which was a bit unusual in the eyes of many ministers.
Ma Wensheng came out and said, "This is a trick used by Di Yi during the Zhengtong years."
Xu Guan looked over, but he didn't understand what was going on.
Ma Wensheng explained: "Di Yi's move is not to forcefully capture the city gate, but to intimidate. If I don't have enough troops to defend the Piantou Pass, I will take the opportunity to withdraw troops elsewhere, and Di Yi can capture the city gate without any effort. And destroy the city gate, and then use it as a basis to attack the important towns in our gate. By then, there will be no danger to defend..."
As Minister of the Ministry of War, Ma Wensheng is knowledgeable.
If the Tatar cavalry wants to attack Piantou Pass, there is no need to fight to the death. As long as they assume a strong attack posture, the Ming Dynasty's army will most likely abandon their troops and run away. After the Tatars come in and loot, they will withdraw. , the Ming army occupied the destroyed city gates and rebuilt them.
After hearing this, the ministers present felt uncomfortable.
Zhu Youtang also had a bad look on his face, and he said loudly: "That was before, or the northwest was not prepared, or had such doubts. But when the new year was approaching, the northwest was already prepared, so how could it still be like this?"
When the ministers present heard it, they all tasted it.
Many people were puzzled. Thinking about it, it was true that the emperor actually knew the Tatars' movements in advance and sent people to the northwest to layout in advance?
It was previously rumored that Wang Yue went to the northwest... Wouldn't that mean that... Old Wang has a place of use?
But it seems that Lao Wang went to the wrong place, right?
Zhang Sheng, the left minister of the Ministry of Rites, said: "Your Majesty, now we should quickly mobilize troops and horses from Datong and Xuanfu towns to rush to support the Piantou Pass, and also mobilize Wang Yue, the left minister of the Ministry of War, to go to the Piantou Pass."
This proposal was simply in line with the expectations of the ministers present.
Zhu Youtang said: "No need to bother, Wang Yue's people are in Piantou Pass and have been preparing for the war for more than a month, and the report on the movements of the Tatars was made by him himself!"
"ah?!"
Most of the ministers present only knew that Wang Yue was in the northwest, but did not know that Wang Yue was at Piantou Pass.
In order to conceal the news that Wang Yue was at Piantou Pass, the emperor even did not hesitate to conceal it from the ministers during the previous court meeting.
And now...
It is equivalent to saying that all the ministers have been exposed like the Tatars...
Wang Yue, the only famous general in the Ming Dynasty who could be on the stage, actually waited for the Tatars to come to his door?
Zhou Jing, the Minister of Household Affairs, hurriedly came out and said: "Your Majesty, you must be cautious when deploying troops in the northwest."
"I second the proposal."
Wang Zongyi, the right minister of the Ministry of War, hurriedly came out and raised the wat board and said.
Zhu Youtang was originally feeling proud. By listening to Zhang Zhou, he arranged Wang Yue to the right place. Unexpectedly, before he could feel happy for a while, Zhou Jing and Wang Zongyi teamed up to pour cold water on him.
Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "What does it mean to be cautious in using troops? You mean, even if Wang Qing's family is at Piantou Pass, he will not be allowed to fight, right?"
After all, the emperor was familiar with the pissing behavior of this group of people.
In the opinion of the civil servants, it is best for nothing to happen in the northwest. Even if Wang Yue's people are at Piantou Pass, it is best to rely on Wang Yue's prestige to scare the enemy away. In this way, everyone will be happy, and they do not want Wang Yue to lead troops to fight with the Tatars. Fight with real swords and guns.
The ministers present did not directly answer the emperor's question.
Even Zhou Jing and Wang Zongyi, although they meant what the emperor said, this kind of thing... is easy to persuade but hard to talk about.
It is said clearly that our border troops of the Ming Dynasty should not fight when there is a battle, and not fight when bandits invade the territory. It is always a matter of humiliating the Ming Dynasty...
The rest is up to you, Your Majesty, to experience it slowly!
Zhu Youtang said: "Do you all think that I should issue an order to Wang Yue and ask him to stay at Piantou Pass and wait until the Tatars withdraw before making arrangements?"
Still no answer.
Zhu Youtang did not wait for others to say anything this time. Instead, he looked at Ma Wensheng and said, "Ma Shangshu, what's your opinion?"
At this time, it is better to ask the person who knows the most about military affairs in the court, someone who can even be said to be on par with Wang Yue.
Of course Ma Wensheng understood that the emperor wanted him to be on the side of the initiative to fight.
But Ma Wensheng initially agreed to let Wang Yue go to the northwest, and he had made an agreement with the emperor that Wang Yue could not be allowed to take the initiative to send troops... Although the troops sent out now were only passive battles, it still did not meet Ma Wensheng's expectations.
"Back to Your Majesty, regardless of whether Di Yi intends to engage in war or not, the surrounding officers and troops at the head turn, as well as the number of troops and horses that can be mobilized for reinforcements, all need time to be properly deployed. At this time, we can easily engage in battle. It’s too early.”
We have to wait and see what Ma Wensheng means.
Xie Qian stood there and said with a smile: "With Wang Weining's eagerness to make contributions, I'm afraid he can't afford to wait, right?"
Although Xie Qian said this in a teasing tone.
But he almost said a "reason" that was most consistent with the actual situation.
If it had been someone else guarding the Piantou Pass, or if it had been Wang Yue who was there ten years ago, this battle could have been properly deployed, and the imperial decree could have been implemented...
But now Wang Yue is unparalleled in his eagerness to send troops.
Xie Qian said reluctantly.
What's the use of your nonsense here? It’s as if Wang Weining can listen to what you say!
Wang Weining finally caught the opportunity, and he is probably going to fight for his life. Let me tell you the current situation as a courtesy. Do you really expect to be able to stop this wild horse that is running wild?
(End of chapter)
