Because of the military situation in the northwest and Zhu Youtang's inner objection to his wife's cover-up of his brother-in-law, Zhu Youtang did not go to Kunning Palace after nightfall in the past two days.
The couple is having a bit of a cold war.
Zhang Heling came to the palace that day and asked Empress Zhang about his brother's imprisonment. He especially mentioned to Empress Zhang that his brother's situation was not very good now, and he had asked someone to take him out many times.
"... Yanling has made it clear that if his brother-in-law forgives him, he will definitely change his ways. Sister, why bother him? He hasn't grown up yet..."
Zhang Heling said how pitiful his brother was and how remorseful he was.
Empress Zhang said: "You don't need to come to me about this matter. It doesn't matter if I say it."
Zhang Heling whispered: "Then sister goes to brother-in-law to beg for mercy? Isn't brother-in-law always the most obedient to you?"
The older sister rolled her eyes at her younger brother and blamed him for talking nonsense.
Finally, Empress Zhang said: "In the past, if I told your brother-in-law anything, your brother-in-law would listen to me first. But it's different now. He listens to Zhang Bingkuan on everything!"
"Zhang Bingkuan?" Zhang Heling shuddered when he mentioned this person.
"He Ling, it seems I can't count on you for anything, right?" Queen Zhang said with an annoyed tone.
The purpose of mentioning Zhang Zhou to her brother was to let Zhang Heling find an opportunity to teach Zhang Zhou a lesson and let Zhang Zhou know the difference between superiority and inferiority.
Zhang Heling swallowed and said with a hint of fear: "Sister, you don't know, this person is really evil. That Li Guang used to be powerful, but he is nothing in front of him. To say he can control the wind and rain is an understatement. , it is said that he can even bring out earthquakes, and people in the Governor's Mansion are still rumoring that how the Tatars send troops is all within his plans... Some people say that he is the living Kong Ming."
"Asshole! Boss, are you trying to boost other people's ambitions and destroy your own family's prestige?" Queen Zhang couldn't stand listening anymore.
She originally had a strong opinion of Zhang Zhou.
She thought that by calling her brother here, she could discuss with him how to deal with Zhang Zhou, but in the end, her brother also praised Zhang Zhou in front of her.
"Sister, don't worry, even if he is very capable, he doesn't have to be against us, right? Just like Li Guang back then, wouldn't he still listen to us in everything? Even if Yanling and I are in the palace... If something like that happens, won't sister still let him do things?"
When Zhang Heling said this, he was still a little proud.
Previously, the Zhang brothers went to the palace for a banquet. They drank too much and played with Gun Mian wearing Zhu Youtang. They also wanted to bully the palace maid. When the eunuch He Ding saw them, he wanted to beat them with gold melons. At that time, Zhu Youtang only listened to his wife and killed He Ding. After being imprisoned, Queen Zhang even instigated Li Guang to kill He Ding with a cane in the imperial prison.
No matter how awesome Li Guang was in the past, he still knew the rules of master and servant. In front of the Zhang family, Li Guang was like a loser. He was not like Zhang Zhou who could "stand on his own".
Queen Zhang said coldly: "It would be okay if Zhang Bingkuan could obey orders like Li Guang, but he has repeatedly made trouble for my Zhang family! I cannot tolerate him in this palace!"
Zhang Heling said strangely: "Sister, have you met Zhang Bingkuan, right? My brother, I have met him too. This man is very kind and polite. Although he helped Zhou Bingkuan rebuild the Qingning Palace. Family, but it’s not too much, why does my sister feel that she can’t tolerate him?”
"What did you say?"
Queen Zhang was also a little puzzled.
These two younger brothers were the most incompatible in the past. Why did they look at Zhang Zhou in a different light?
Zhang Heling said: "Sister, that Zhang Bingkuan is too powerful, it is better to accept him for our use rather than just turning against each other like this. What do you think?"
"..."
Queen Zhang was even more speechless.
Is your brother being incited to rebel?
"Sister, what do I think? If there is an earthquake because of the second brother's incident, and those civil servants keep talking, and the brother-in-law wants to be punished, then what the brother-in-law is doing now is actually to protect the second brother and wait until the matter is over. Just release the second brother later. What do you think?"
"Okay! Are you helping me, or are you helping an outsider?"
"I don't help with marriage."
"..."
Empress Zhang almost wanted to say, are you stupid or insane? You do evil every day, and you have to be your sister to wipe your butts. Now it's better to pretend to be an open person in front of your sister, and do you want to help her? You should both be struck to death by lightning!
"I'll go see him later and see what he means. If he is really shameless, my brother has a way to make him submit. Isn't he just a tribute student? If you give him any benefits, he must be begging for mercy..."
Zhang Heling looked confident.
He felt that Zhang Zhou could be won over, but he still looked down upon Zhang Zhou to a certain extent. Furthermore, he felt that Zhang Zhou's abilities were to their liking.
If Zhang Zhou could listen to them and let them call the shots... Zhang Heling probably wasn't stupid, just a bit nagging.
Empress Zhang sneered: "Don't let the eagle peck you in the eye, and you will be the one begging for mercy."
"How could it be?" Zhang Heling said with a smile, "Don't worry, sister, I heard that this person is also very greedy for money and lustful. If you throw in a little benefit, he will definitely lure him over!"
Queen Zhang frowned.
She didn't seem to understand what her brother said.
If Zhang Zhou was really the kind of person who was motivated by wealth and had no knowledge or skills, just like Li Guang, could he capture the emperor's heart in such a short period of time?
She may not have any other knowledge, but she still has some understanding of Zhang Zhou's character. People who can win the trust of their husbands must not only be outstanding in ability, but also be principled and moral. Otherwise, why How dare Zhang Zhou go against the Zhang family?
…
…
At noon on February 11th, the first session of the examination began.
Zhang Zhou came out relatively early.
Sun Shangqi and his people were waiting outside the Gongyuan early in the morning. When they saw him coming out, Sun Shangqi hurried forward to greet him.
"Sir, the carriage is ready. Are you going back home, or..."
Sun Shangqi also knew that the candidates would return to Gongyuan before dark to prepare for the second exam.
At that time, he would still have to take advantage of the fact that it is more convenient for Jin Yiwei to grab a seat and wait at any time, while Zhang Zhou could change his mood a little.
Zhang Zhou asked: "Didn't you hear what the people who appeared earlier were talking about?"
Sun Shangqi asked in confusion: "What did you say, sir?"
"Just like vending questions or something."
Sun Shangqi thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "I haven't heard of it."
"Um."
Zhang Zhou nodded.
Those who can usually hand in their papers and leave around noon on the third day are usually those with good academic skills. Some people may not hand in their papers until the sun sets. Those who have opinions on the exam questions are mostly those who appear later in this group. people.
"I'll go back first and prepare some food and drink expenses."
Zhang Zhou was about to leave.
A guard in golden clothes came over and said something in Sun Shangqi's ear. Sun Shangqi said: "Sir, please don't rush back home. Eunuch Xiao has something to see you here."
Zhang Zhou complained slightly: "I'm just going to take a test, and come out to lighten my mood in the middle. What's the point of doing this? Lead the way."
…
…
Xiao Jing asked someone to take over a floor in the teahouse, prepared tea, etc., and waited for Zhang Zhou to come over.
After meeting Zhang Zhou, he was even more enthusiastic.
"...Mr. Zhang, we have some clues about what's going on in the northwest. Here are some battle reports. Can you take a look first?"
Xiao Jing was afraid that he could not explain clearly or made any omissions, so he compiled the battle reports in the northwest in advance, including the battle reports about Dayan Khan on Ningxia West Road, Huo Si at Piantou Pass, and Duoyan Sanwei at Liaodong, etc. All clearly listed.
"Oh, it's begun."
Zhang Zhou quickly read through the compiled battle report.
Xiao Jing said: "In the past two days, the fighting at Piantou Pass suddenly stopped. Why do you think this is?"
Zhang Zhou asked curiously: "Your Majesty will not discuss this kind of matter with the ministers in the court? As a veteran general with many battles, Ma Shangshu is so familiar with the affairs of the Ministry of War. With him here, I have nothing to do."
"You can't say that..."
Xiao Jing thought to himself, what's the use of just knowing how to do this kind of thing?
It depends on whom your Majesty believes.
Even if Ma Wensheng can make ridiculous statements about the situation in the northwest, and what you say is fallacy, His Majesty will still listen to you and not to him.
What's more, your analysis of the northwest war situation may be more thorough than Ma Wensheng's.
The person who can predict the movements of the Tatars in advance... This is not an ordinary person, he is a god!
"It is estimated that the decisive battle will take place in these two days. I have also said that if there is a war in the northwest, I will probably be in the Gongyuan and will not be able to participate." Zhang Zhou laughed.
Xiao Jing said hurriedly: "That means Wang Weining really wants to fight to the death with the Tatars?"
Zhang Zhou smiled and said, "Can anyone stop me?"
"Uh... Mr. Xie Ge also said this during the court meeting the day before yesterday..."
"Mr. Xie Ge, it seems that his and I have somewhat similar opinions. What an honor."
Xiao Jing thought about it again.
The words seem to say that it is an honor for you to have similar opinions to Xie Yuqiao, but why do you now feel that it is an honor for Xie Qian to have similar opinions to you?
Things in this world are really unpredictable.
"How will this battle go?" Xiao Jing seized the opportunity and naturally didn't want to let it go, so he asked eagerly.
Zhang Zhou said: "If it were anyone else, I could guess a thing or two, but if it were Wang Weining, he would not follow common sense in his use of troops."
"Why don't you follow common sense?"
Xiao Jing became nervous.
Not following common sense is not a compliment when it comes to using troops, especially the situation in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty. It is inherently defensive. Not following common sense may mean taking the wrong approach, and some of the disastrous defeats in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty were mostly due to not following defensive tactics. Caused by rules.
"It's hard to say. Did His Majesty ask me to analyze it?"
"yes."
"In that case, I can speak freely." Zhang Zhou talked eloquently, "You said that if an ordinary general leads his troops, and encounters the Tatar invaders, they will still attack the enemy in full force. The defensive power will be insufficient, and the opponent will The attack was so fierce that most of them withdrew their troops and ran away. After the bandits plundered them, they abandoned the pass and then took it back and rebuilt it..."
Xiao Jing was startled.
Why do these words sound so familiar?
Although the group of people in the court did not speak so bluntly, their suggestions were quite different.
"This... I'm afraid it will damage my Ming Dynasty's prestige." Xiao Jing said with a bitter smile.
"Yes, Wang Weining will definitely not do this, right?" Zhang Zhou said.
Xiao Jing nodded: "That means that no matter how difficult the battle situation is, Wang Weining will stick to the side pass?"
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "He is different from others. He can lead troops to attack directly. He can also rush in with light troops and use them as bait. He can even withdraw from the pass and lure the Tatars into the city. Then he can lead troops to fight back..."
"ah?"
After Zhang Zhou's analysis, Xiao Jing realized that the situation was not good.
"Eunuch Xiao, don't be surprised. For other generals, doing this is no different from committing suicide. Playing with light troops and rushing in or returning. Regardless of whether the tactics can be executed or not, countless soldiers below will definitely desert... even if it is executed by then. , the effect is also greatly reduced!”
"But if it were Wang Weining, the confidence of the officers and soldiers would be different. It is estimated that even if Wang Weining is trapped in a tight siege, the officers and soldiers will not be timid and can still fight to the death."
Xiao Jing thought for a while and nodded: "I hope so."
Zhang Zhou said: "Now that we've finished talking, can I go back to my house first? Speaking of which, I'm so smelly with sweat... I still want to take a shower and change clothes."
Xiao Jing thought to himself, do you still have the heart to take a shower and change clothes? It's a good thing if I don't take you directly to see the saint.
This is because His Majesty is extremely gracious. He knows that you are very tired from exams and will give you some time to rest.
"Your Majesty has been very worried about the war in the northwest recently. By the way, what do you think of the battle of Yizhou in Liaodong?" Xiao Jing asked.
Zhang Zhouyi smiled: "Killing good people and taking credit?"
"ah?"
Xiao Jing was quite surprised.
Earlier in the court, the three people from the northwest were so praised that they were in heaven and earth. I almost thought that if those three people joined forces, they could play a big game of chess. However, Zhang Zhou directly concluded that they were taking advantage of the merit by killing the good ones?
Zhang Zhou really didn't accuse them wrongly.
Chief military officer Li Gao, eunuch Ren Liang, and governor Zhang Yu did not do anything good in Liaodong. The last person to impeach them was Gu Zuo.
This person later became the Minister of Household Affairs in the early years of Zhengde, and is currently the right deputy censor of the capital and governor of Datong.
"Qian Jian, we need to investigate more carefully. It's inconvenient to say more. Otherwise, it will be bad if people say that I wronged Zhongliang." Zhang Zhou finished speaking, and seemed to deny that he said it.
"You...you really know how to joke."
Xiao Jing thought to himself, you already said that they might be taking advantage of the situation, and they even conformed to His Majesty's ideas. Could Your Majesty not send someone to investigate?
Zhang Zhou said: "This time...can I leave?"
Xiao Jing smiled and said: "Yes, we will send you down. By the way, Mr. Zhang, how did you do in the exam this time?"
"It's okay. When it comes to writing articles, I always think I'm good at it, but it's not easy to stand out among so many candidates in the same subject." Zhang Zhou still seemed very humble.
"You are Jieyuan from Jiangnan. Jiangnan is a place where talented people are born. I have never heard of any Jieyuan from Jiangnan who failed to become a Jinshi."
Xiao Jing sighed.
Zhang Zhou said: "It's different. I only have one chance. If I were given a few more tests, I would be quite confident."
"Sir, do you think there is any trouble over there on Ningxia West Road?"
Before Xiao Jing left, he asked casually.
Zhang Zhou said: "You should be careful. Let me think about it later. Logically speaking, there will be no war in Ningxia recently."
History mentioned the northwest rebellion in the twelfth year of Hongzhi: "...next year (the twelfth year of Hongzhi), the enemy invaded Yulin, Datong, and Ningxia. The guerrilla Wang Gao was defeated. General Qin Gong and the deputy general were defeated. If the soldiers and horses are promoted, they will die if they stay not to advance. At that time, Jiangbo Chen Rui was the commander-in-chief, and the assistant minister Xu Jin was in charge of the division. However, he had no merit for a long time and was impeached. He was replaced by Zhu Hui, the protector of the country, and Shi Lin, the assistant minister, and the eunuch Miao Supervisor Kui..."
Now Wang Yue is in charge of Piantou Pass and Datong, and Huo Si must pass Wang Yue's pass if he wants to attack.
However, Ningxia and Yulinwei obviously lacked qualified generals to take charge. Fortunately, the Ningxia War and other battles took place after April. If Wang Yue worked quickly and won, he would be transferred back. On the three sides, I guess Batu Munch doesn't need to be beaten, he can just run away with his tail between his legs.
(End of chapter)
