Yang and mouth.
That day, Wang Shouren finished arranging military affairs after nightfall and went to see Zhang Zhou. The purpose of his inquiry was to understand two things. One was to find out what his own mission would be next, and the other was to understand the relationship between Zhang Zhou and Huo Si. How are we going to resolve the confrontation?
After all, Yanghekou is just a pass of the Ming Dynasty. It is just a military fortress. For Zhang Zhou, it is far less comfortable than Xuanfu.
Most of the soldiers set up camp within the pass, so it would be good if he could have a roof over his head.
"Brother Bo'an, can you have something to eat?"
Zhang Zhou was still writing something. Wang Shouren thought Zhang Zhou was writing a memorial, so he didn't bother him too much.
But Zhang Zhou pointed to the food on the table, which included wine and meat. Wang Shouren was stunned when he saw this scene. Zhang Zhou's living environment in the army was quite luxurious, and he said to himself that if you want to enjoy life, don't come here.
Zhang Zhou finished writing what he had on hand, and then called Sun Shangqi in and said, "Send it back to the capital."
Only then did Wang Shouren notice that it was not a memorial, but more like a personal letter.
When Zhang Zhou walked towards Wang Shouren, facing Wang Shouren's suspicious eyes, he smiled and explained: "As a doctor, I have to write a prescription for people. After entering Yanghekou, I asked for some mercury and arsenic and got some new medicine... …”
Naturally, it was prepared for the one from Li Dongyang’s family.
Zhang Zhou promised to improve the arsenic agent, and he kept his word. Anyway, he was not very interested in a decisive battle with Huoshi now, so he set up camp in Yanghekou while returning to the state of being in the capital... Anyway, he knew all kinds of things. Do.
Wang Shouren did not ask Zhang Zhou for whom he prepared the medicine. In his opinion, Zhang Zhou did not look like a soldier, doing everything part-time.
Then Zhang Zhou invited Wang Shouren to the dinner table.
"Commander Yanghewei, Song Xian, sent it to me. Don't insist on giving it back. As a general military officer of Xuanda, after I take office, officers and generals everywhere want to cling to me. It's very annoying." Zhang Zhou Sighing.
Only then did Wang Shouren understand why Zhang Zhou was on the front line and lived in a mediocre place, but was so "fine-minded" about food.
It may be said that it is sophisticated, but it is probably incomparable to the comfortable life in the capital.
"The wine is gone, let's have a meal together." Zhang Zhou said.
Wang Shouren said: "No need, I already had dinner before coming down."
Zhang Zhou nodded and said: "Okay, let's finish talking in advance. I'll be eating later. Brother Bo'an is here to send troops to Mao'erzhuang?"
"yes."
Wang Shouren had previously proposed a strategic plan to Zhang Zhou, mentioning how to conduct a sneak attack, including a head-on duel with the fire sieve, etc., but then he did not receive a reply from Zhang Zhou. He actually knew that Zhang Zhou meant to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, but He always felt that this was a missed opportunity to put out the fire sieve.
Zhang Zhou said: "I have seen it, and you have made a good point. We are not afraid of all parties gathering together to fight head-on. We can even use his retreat. But you have to know that now it is not whether we want to fight or not, but whether we want to fight or not. It is a matter of fire." Eighty-nine will not fight with us.”
Wang Shouren nodded and said: "But if there is no delay in sending troops, the troops will be screened out of Datong Town by fire, or the imperial court will be criticized."
"hehe."
Zhang Zhou smiled.
As if suddenly, Wang Shouren understood the "essence" of running an army in the northwest.
That is, no matter what the strategic situation is, whether we should fight or not, that is not the point.
The point is not what you, the frontline general, think, but what the monarchs and ministers in the DPRK think. Once you do something different from what the DPRK, the monarchs and ministers expected, they will criticize you, even find fault with you, remove you from office, or even hold you accountable. your sin.
If the Tatars invade the territory, you do not send troops, but sit back and watch the Tatars plunder and flee. This is a serious crime in the eyes of the ministers of the court.
"It's okay. The fire sifters are in Mao'erzhuang. They don't mean to knock on the door and come in. No matter how much others criticize, they can't say anything. Who let Bo'an have your good news in front of you? How can we be so well-founded?" Zhang Zhou Still smiling.
Unlike in the past when the Tatars Chen Bing were outside the pass, this time Zhang Zhou was in the northwest, and the people in the court seemed not to make irresponsible remarks about it.
Zhang Zhou's fighting style was unique, and he seemed to have special privileges when it came to Chen Bing's formation.
The ministers in the court also seemed to understand that Zhang Zhou's military strategy cannot be judged by common sense. The pattern of the Ming Dynasty and the grassland tribes has been reversed. Now to attack Zhang Zhou... Zhang Zhou will give you a victory later, that is to himself. Blackened face.
No one wanted to come close to Zhang Zhou and let Zhang Zhou slap him in the face.
"I have the idea to send troops, but the current shortage of food, grass and baggage. If we use light troops to attack sneakily, the advantage will not lie with us. It is better to maintain a stalemate like this, giving the soldiers around Datong a sense of urgency, and at the same time, it is easier to communicate with the imperial court. You are arguing up and down." Zhang Zhou made his words very clear in front of Wang Shouren.
"Bullshit?" Wang Shouren frowned, the word didn't sound very formal.
It doesn't sound like it comes from a northwest military commander.
Zhang Zhou sighed: "It's just bullshit. Brother Bo'an, you also know that if this victory is reported according to the previous standards in terms of merit and rewards, the imperial court will not be able to come up with so much money to reward the three armies. Our Xuan Mansion is opening an iron mine. No progress has been made yet. If you want to stabilize the morale of the military, you need financial support, but do you think the DPRK and China have so much money to transfer to it now?"
"It's difficult." Wang Shouren also knew that if Northwest wanted to use troops, it was not simply a matter of whether the emperor and his ministers agreed.
It also depends on whether the Ming Dynasty can afford to use troops for a long time.
The opposition of the ministers was not simply because they were afraid of trouble, but because once large-scale preparations for war in the northwest were to be made, it would involve a waste of people and money. However, the civil servants of the Hongzhi Dynasty, especially the cabinet ministers after Xu Pu, all focused on one thing. "Peace the people."
To stabilize the people, we must reduce expenditures, which is contrary to the grand strategy of using troops in the northwest.
"Without the fire-sifting army, I would not be able to reach out to the imperial court for money. I also know that the imperial court will not meet our needs, and we cannot reduce expenditures. The only way is to increase revenue. But the method of increasing revenue will inevitably be different from the existing methods of the imperial court. There is a conflict with the system, so I can take this opportunity to apply to His Majesty."
Zhang Zhou once again showed his side that is different from ordinary people.
Wang Shouren, who came from a traditional civil servant position, would naturally find it unacceptable when he heard such words.
If this were the case before, if Zhang Zhou said such things in front of him, he might just walk away.
You, the general secretary of Xuanda, are actually thinking about how to plot against the imperial court?
But it's different now...
It is precisely because of the importance of firewood and rice that Wang Shouren led his troops to the grassland. After returning to Yanghekou, he deeply felt the bad situation in the northwest. The fact that Hong Han did not send troops to rescue in time almost cost him his life. in a meadow.
And all of this comes from the conservatism and paranoia of the civil servants in the DPRK and China.
Wang Shouren asked: "If we have to prepare for the war for many years, the money spent will probably be huge. If we don't rely on Beijing's reserves and rely solely on the accumulation of the Xuanfu in the past few years, it will only be a drop in the bucket."
"Yes." Zhang Zhou nodded, "So my strategy is to take advantage of the current stable situation in the northwest to strengthen the military garrison. Then, by changing the grain expenditure to medium, let merchants come to garrison the fields, recruit soldiers and civilians to reclaim wasteland, and at the same time step up mining. .After all, His Majesty gave me authority, we must make good use of it."
"Go back to Xuan Mansion?" Wang Shouren frowned.
When Wang Shouren thought about it, Zhang Zhou said he wanted to open mines, which meant opening iron mines around Zhangjiakou Fort, some of which were outside the Great Wall.
But if you and Chen Bing are in Yanghekou, why are you talking about mining?
"No, no, there's no need to go back to Xuanfu. It's good to stay in Datong Town. If I can't open an iron mine, I'll open a few coal mines first. It just so happens that I have accumulated some experience in Xishan and can be familiar with the road." Zhang Zhou laughed. said.
Wang Shouren was stunned for a moment.
Your way of mining is very magical.
Originally, it was about opening an iron mine. Not to mention the entire imperial court, even if the Tatars knew your intention, they all thought that your focus was on Xuanfu. But then you turned around and went to Datong to open a coal mine?
Do you think there are mines everywhere in the world, and you can open them wherever you want?
Wang Shouren said: "With the existing coal mines around Datong Town, it will not be easy to open a new mine."
Zhang Zhou smiled and shook his head and said: "On the contrary, it is very easy. The coal mines around Datong are rich in reserves. You know that I am good at Feng Shui... It is easiest to use Kanyu Xuankong's method to find minerals. I have asked Your Majesty to let you If you stay in Datong Town as the governor, I will leave the local coal mines to you."
"..."
Wang Shouren was speechless.
I came to talk to you about sending troops, but you told me that I want to stay in Datong and help you mine?
Although what Zhang Zhou said was in line with his expectations for running the army, being the governor of Datong would give him a huge stage to achieve his ambitions.
Less than half a year after he entered the court, Wang Shouren didn't expect to achieve much as an official in the capital. He couldn't get into the Hanlin Academy, so he might as well stay in the northwest and run the army for a long time. At least this was his hobby... As for studying, there was also work. Opening academic forums and giving lectures were his hobbies in his middle and later years.
"Originally I planned to keep you in Xuanfu, but Ma Zhongxi is a bit stubborn in temper, but he still has abilities. People who are capable, even if they have different temperaments from ordinary people, can do things better than those who do nothing. , the Ming Dynasty’s military failure in the northwest in the past few decades was due to the inaction of many people!”
Although Zhang Zhou did not directly criticize Hong Han, the governor of Datong, he derogated Hong Han to the point of being useless in every word.
After Wang Shouren heard this, in addition to empathizing, he also felt a sense of "admiration".
He was also thinking that Zhang Zhitai looked young and was still considered a sycophant in the eyes of others. He had previously seemed competitive and wanted to argue with Ma Zhongxi, but he was also open-minded. It was clear that Ma Zhongxi had regarded him as a sycophant, so he also Although he was clearly qualified to replace Ma Zhongxi, Zhang Zhou was still tolerant.
Instead, it was Hong Han...
This kind of inactive official, even if he flatters and fawns over him again, he will still be ordered to get out early.
Originally, Wang Shouren was not very confident about being the governor of the northwest, but seeing Zhang Zhou's determination, he was encouraged and thought that he could do something big.
"As for sending troops to Maoerzhuang, forget it." Zhang Zhou said, "Unless we can transfer a large number of artillery and gunpowder from the side pass, this does not meet the strategic needs. Now I just want to see what Fire Sieve can do Tricks.”
Zhang Zhou was very relaxed and content.
Wang Shouren also obeyed.
It was obvious that after Zhang Zhou arrived in the northwest, he did not fight a tough battle in person. He even talked and ran errands, but he did not go into battle in person. He avoided the battle when he clearly had the opportunity to fight Huo Si. However, Wang Shouren was convinced by Zhang Zhou.
Wang Shouren said: "No wonder Marquis Weining made many recommendations to His Majesty before his death, saying that the future of military affairs in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty lies on the shoulders of Zhang Zhitai."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "Bo'an, you don't have to compliment me. We will work together from now on. How long can I stay in the northwest? You may not be able to return to Beijing in the next few years. It is more appropriate to say that the burden is on your shoulders. Let's work hard together."
"Um."
Wang Shouren didn’t say he should be humble.
Wang Shouren is also happy to accept the idea of working together.
…
…
As Zhang Zhou expected, a report came without warning at night, saying that Huoshi had withdrawn his troops from Maoerzhuang and was leaving in a hurry.
The reason for the withdrawal is also very simple...
Zhang Zhou sent two thousand cavalry out of Yanghe Pass. Instead of going north, they just went west along the north side of the Great Wall Pass to Fangshan. Huo Si fled in despair.
When Wang Shouren received the battle report, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Doesn’t this match what Zhang Zhou predicted?
It's not whether Ming Dynasty wants a decisive battle, but the fire sieve...the confidence has been destroyed.
In other words, even if Huo Si is still confident, Huo Si should know how to assess the situation. Why should the soldiers under his command have the confidence to fight against the Ming Dynasty?
It is clear that the grassland is being annexed internally, and most of its tribes and people are still captives. Are they going to fight against the Ming Dynasty on behalf of the grassland? Even without the rise of Zhang Zhou, without yellow gunpowder and those advanced artillery, the Ming Dynasty would have far surpassed Dayan Khan in power...
Now that Zhang Zhou is here, Huo Si is even less likely to take the initiative to touch the eggs with the stones.
Then an edict was sent to Yanghekou.
Zhang Zhou was promoted to the imperial censor of the left capital of the Imperial Inspectorate and the right minister of the Ministry of War. He was also promoted to the right governor of the rear military governor's office. While leading military affairs, he also controlled Xuanfu, Datong, Pianguan, Yansui, Ningxia, Shaanxi, etc. Military affairs in various places... The emperor just wanted to hand over all the important towns on the nine sides to Zhang Zhou.
Zhang Zhou was temporarily promoted to the second rank in civil service and the first rank in military service, which meant that he suddenly became the most powerful man in the northwest.
Although Zhang Zhou has not received the title yet, everyone seems to know that Zhang Zhou can get the title when he returns to the capital. The reason why Zhang Zhou is not given the title now is just to facilitate Zhang Zhou to control the northwest military affairs as a leader of civil servants. If he becomes a military officer, then Maybe Zhang Zhou would have to listen to Qin Hong's orders.
This is a matter of priority.
Although the emperor could also issue an edict to let Zhang Zhou control the northwest military affairs as Wu Xun, it would set a bad precedent, just like when Wang Yue was promoted to Wei Ningbo in Chenghua, he had to step down from the post of Minister of War.
The emperor is trying his best to silence others.
Wang Shouren was promoted to be a doctor in the Ministry of Punishment, a censor of Zuoqiandu, and in charge of military affairs in Datong.
Hong Han, the former governor of Datong, was dismissed on the spot and transferred to the capital to serve...
Everything was done under the premise that Zhang Zhou had never met Hong Han.
After the decree is issued, the next step is to perform their duties.
Fire Sieve withdraws troops, and Zhang Zhou currently does not have enough firearms to send troops. What Zhang Zhou needs to carry out is mining and reassuring the people, which requires someone to help him carry out... Pianguan is more similar to a military base, and there is no way to mine around it. There was no way to go to farm, so the task of reassuring the people basically had to be left to Wang Shouren.
Zhang Zhou immediately wanted to bid farewell to Wang Shouren and send him to Datong Mansion to take over.
"You're not in a hurry, are you?" After Tang Yin learned about it, he seemed a little annoyed.
I'm obviously Zhang Banxian's junior brother, why do all the good things happen to others?
The head of the Sixth Department also came here, so why was he promoted to governor?
Next to him, Wang Shouren seemed to feel that even if he was the governor of Datong, he did not have to go to Datong to perform his duties. The situation in Datong was different from that of Xuanfu. As an important town in Shanxi, Datong Town itself integrated urban functions such as economy, culture, and military. .
Being the governor of Datong is much more complicated than being the governor of Xuanfu or Pianguan.
Wang Shouren felt that he was powerless when it came to communicating with local officials and other yamen.
He is confident in the military, but to manage such a complex system as a new scholar like him, no matter how confident you are, if you can't do it based on seniority, you just don't have enough confidence.
Zhang Zhou said: "Bo'an, I will ask Sun Qianhu, the Jinyi Guard, to accompany you there. At the same time, I will mobilize a thousand troops from the Shenji Camp of the Beijing Camp and a thousand soldiers from the Xuanfu Town. I will try my best not to cause conflicts after you go there. Wait until everything settles down. After that, these people withdrew one after another.”
In addition to considering Wang Shouren's political pressure, Zhang Zhou also had to consider his personal safety.
When a young governor takes office and carries out rectification and reform, he will easily suffer the dissatisfaction of local bosses.
These two thousand soldiers and horses are regarded as Zhang Zhou's personal soldiers for Wang Shouren. It is easier to do things if there are talents around him.
Wang Shouren also understood that Datong was now a dragon's pond and a tiger's den for him. He would not refuse to accept it like a stupid young man. On the contrary, he might feel that... two thousand people were a bit too few.
"In addition, I will give you another ten thousand taels of silver." Zhang Zhou said, "This is the starting capital. You can allocate it by yourself. Don't worry, this silver is all mine and self-raised. It does not involve the allocation by the court. You can use it however you want. "
It was Wang Shouren's turn and Tang Yin next to him were speechless again.
Tang Yin asked: "Zhang Zhitai, didn't you give the court more than 10,000 taels of silver in salary notes before?"
Zhang Zhou said: "At that time, I almost contributed all my wealth, but recently I have made a lot of money from the coal mine in Xishan, and the workshop business in the capital is also very good. I have made a little more and used it."
Tang Yin frowned.
He wanted to say that he had seen others move money from the court to their home, but he had never seen you move money from your home to the court like this.
"If there is no investment, there will be no return. Ten thousand taels of silver is not enough to do much. The focus is to recruit some people and open the coal mine. I will find someone to communicate with you about the specific location. I will go there myself when I have free time."
Zhang Zhou continued, "As for the reward for military merit, the imperial court is already implementing it. If the first merit is not enough, it will be cashed in salt, farmland, houses, military positions, etc., which are not within the scope of the use of this ten thousand taels of silver. Within. If it is really not enough, after the mining is opened in the future, part of the income from the mining will be used to give some rewards to the soldiers. Make the best use of everything."
Tang Yin said: "Does the imperial court allow us to raise our own rewards for military merit?"
Zhang Zhou shrugged and said, "We may not need to raise funds ourselves, so we owe it first? It's not good for us to run the army because we owe it. The treasury is short of money, so we can help find a way to stabilize the army. There's nothing wrong with it."
(End of chapter)
