Datong.
Wang Shouren, accompanied by Wang Xi, the commander-in-chief of Datong, came to Datong to take over as governor of Datong.
Zhang Zhou asked Wang Xi to come with him, plus a thousand soldiers from the Beijing camp and a thousand soldiers who accompanied Wang Shouren on the expedition to Weininghai, which also demonstrated Wang Shouren's prestige to the greatest extent.
Xinke Jinshi became the governor of Jiubian Town in his first year as an official. It was still during the war, and it was difficult for Wang Shouren to gain a foothold in Datong without resorting to extraordinary measures.
When Wang Shouren entered the city, no officials came out to greet him. Obviously Hong Han was still worried about his resignation as governor. He used the reason that the border was not stable yet and did not come out to greet him. He, the previous governor, did not come out to greet him. In addition, he was still the governor. The local officials would rather risk offending Wang Shouren than offend Hong Han after being transferred back to the capital.
When Hong Han returns to the dynasty, he will most likely become a minister of the Six Ministries or a minister of the five temples. Even if he is not worthy, he will be transferred to Nanjing as an official.
Why do you want to lick Wang Shouren at this time and let yourself offend a minister-level official who is about to return to the court and "promote"?
Wang Shouren didn't pay attention to these situations. After entering the city, he lived directly in the General Military Mansion.
That night.
Wang Xi brought him the latest information on the grassland.
"...The internal fighting among the Tatars came to an abrupt end. It is said that the leader of the Yongshebu tribe, Yibu La, took the initiative to make peace with the little Tatar prince, and was willing to cede part of the pasture on the right wing in exchange for the left and right wings living in harmony. Later, both sides withdrew their troops , there are currently signs of moving closer to the Ming border..."
Wang Xi was still very cautious when he said this.
From his perspective, although Zhang Zhou's planned surprise attack on Weininghai was an absolute victory, it seemed to have both advantages and disadvantages for the changes in the grassland situation.
Wang Shouren spoke with dignity and said in front of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Kuang Yue and others: "This is the great fortune of the Ming Dynasty."
Wang Xi asked: "Will the Tatars unite because of this and attack and harass our Ming border?"
At this time, Wang Xi and other generals seemed to understand why Hong Han was so awesome and refused to cooperate with the handover even though he had resigned as governor and was transferred back to the court. He even refused to perform basic etiquette like coming out to greet him. Is it because Hong Han still Confident.
You Wang Shouren are very good at fighting, but do you have the ability to govern Datong?
Furthermore, it is clear that there is internal fighting in the grassland, so you planned a sneak attack tactic to get the Tatars to unite against the Ming Dynasty. You agreed to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. Now a few tigers have stopped fighting among themselves and even attacked. United together... In terms of grand strategy, this is the failure of Ming Dynasty!
Wang Shouren said calmly: "The Tatars seem to be harmonious, but undercurrents are surging. The one who should be most worried about being attacked now is not our Ming Dynasty border gate, but the once arrogant Manchu tribe. The current fire sieve, But he was really roasted on the fire!"
When the generals in the General Military Mansion heard this, they suddenly seemed to be enlightened.
The breath becomes smoother.
Think about it too.
The Ming Dynasty made a surprise attack on Weininghai and almost killed and captured half of the people in Huoshan. Just like this, we are still worried about the Tatars! ?
The Mongolian left and right wing, who were at war with each other on the grassland, suddenly made peace. Now they dare to go against the general trend and invade the border areas of Ming Dynasty? They don't even dare to enter the Loop now!
The wall fell and everyone pushed, and Fire Sieve has now become a soft persimmon on the grassland. Originally, Fire Sieve occupied the most fertile grassland on the right wing of the prairie, making both the Mongolian right wing and the Tatar headquarters jealous, but now... Fire Sieve is probably like a bereaved dog. , everyone wants to harvest him till not a hair is left.
"Everyone, the Japanese official is going to see Hong Zhongcheng tomorrow, so you don't have to go. I can complete the handover on my own."
Wang Shouren didn't think Hong Han dared to cause trouble.
His appointment as governor of Datong seemed to be Zhang Zhou's idea, but after all, it was the emperor's order, and he is still very confident now.
Wang Xi took the initiative to invite Ying and said, "General, I am willing to go with you."
"No need, I still have many things to discuss with Hong Zhongcheng, and you will be intrusive if you are around. However, Datong Town currently has mining operations and other important tasks to provide for the people, and they have to fall on your shoulders. Specifically, I will be here in the next few days. I’ll list it out for you in detail…”
…
…
A huge wave inside the grassland seemed to be "resolved" by Zhang Zhou.
When Hong Han first heard the news, he thought it would be possible for him to return to the northwest as a errand, but after he met Wang Shouren, he realized that the problem was not simple.
Wang Shouren seemed to be just a new scholar, but he was very impressive and even went to the meeting alone.
After Wang Shouren and Hong Han analyzed the current grassland situation and made Hong Han understand that the Ming Dynasty was now completely in control, Hong Han still hoped that the traditional civil servants in the Hebei Dynasty would cause trouble for upstarts like Zhang Zhou and Wang Shouren and drive them away. Out of the northwest military and political system.
"Bo'an, as the Prime Minister, you shouldn't act like a sycophant of the Ming Dynasty."
Hong Han came up with great principles and wanted to persuade Wang Shouren to draw a clear line with Zhang Zhou.
Wang Shouren shook his head.
If he could have cut ties with Zhang Zhou before going to Xuanfu, now he had to stand with Zhang Zhou.
The first is the issue of repaying gratitude. Zhang Zhou helped him achieve so much credit, but he turned his face and broke up with Zhang Zhou?
Furthermore, without Zhang Zhou's support, how could he realize his ambition and stay in the northwest to shine for the Ming Dynasty? He, Wang Shouren, has a passion for military affairs, and he is still in his prime now. He does not have the mentality of those senile heroes who only want to eat and die.
"Mr. Hong, the use of troops in the northwest is an order issued by His Majesty. I am just following orders and have no selfish motives. I hope you can understand."
He was nearly sixty years old in the Hong Han Dynasty. He was a Jinshi in the eighth year of Chenghua. He was earlier and older than Wang Shouren's father, Wang Huazhong, who was a Jinshi.
Wang Shouren can be considered polite now.
Seeing that he could not be persuaded, Hong Han seemed to think that Wang Shouren had gone astray, and said: "After returning to the capital, I will definitely visit your father when I have the opportunity. Young people like you should stay in the capital for training, in the northwest. There are so many jackals, tigers and leopards, and one mistake can easily lead to catastrophe. I have been in the northwest for many years and have a lot of experiences... You have to take it seriously!"
Wang Shouren disagreed.
You have no ability, you are just a conservative old minister who follows the old ways and has no enterprising spirit. It does not mean that others have no ability.
The situation in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty is not like what it was when you came. The Ming Dynasty has already gained the upper hand in side affairs. If you are still here to badmouth us, I am afraid that even the soldiers below who are afraid of death will not believe your words.
…
…
In this way, Wang Shouren successfully took over the military and political affairs of Datong.
at the same time.
Zhang Zhou's people were in Yanghekou, and as soon as they sent Zhu Hui's troops away, they received two "memorials", or "state letters" similar to those sent to vassal states.
One copy was given to the court by the little Tatar prince Batu Meng, expressing his respect for the Ming Emperor and offering to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty.
"...The list of tributes is listed, including 500 horses, cattle, sheep and furs, etc., which shows that these are gifts that should be paid as tribute by ministers. They do not ask for any reward from the court, but only ask for Ming Dynasty to be able to pay tribute. Datong has reopened the horse market..."
Tang Yin is now a civil servant under Zhang Zhou, and he will deliver any documents or the like.
Because Yanghekou is not an important fortress, the biggest official here was Song Xian, the commander of Yanghe Guard. After Wang Shouren and Zhu Hui led their troops away one after another, the soldiers and horses left behind were led by Zhang Zhou, and their subordinates suddenly became deserted. After coming down, apart from Tang Yin, only Zhang Heling, who wanted to start mining with Zhang Zhou, was left.
"Very good, very good." Zhang Heling sat on the side with his legs crossed and said with a look of ease on his face.
Zhang Zhou said: "Opening the horse market is to exchange supplies with the grassland tribes. What do we need from them now? War horses? Or cattle and sheep? If we want to open the market, let them send troops. If we win, we will listen to them! No need to talk about responsibility."
"Hey!"
Zhang Heling said, "Zhang Zhitai, it seems that this kind of thing is not decided by you, right? Then it must be decided by... Your Majesty anyway."
Zhang Heling is very supportive of the opening of the market.
Because he will be profitable after the market opens, it is rare for him to come to the northwest to work as the deputy commander-in-chief. Only with power can he be qualified to use power for personal gain.
Zhang Zhou was too lazy to pay attention to him. The decision was nominally made after discussion between the emperor and the ministers, but Zhang Zhou's proposal to the emperor was very important. As long as he, Zhang Zhou, did not support the opening of the northwest horse market, there would probably be no need to discuss it even with the imperial court. Yes, the emperor must listen to Zhang Zhou.
"The next one." Zhang Zhou said to Tang Yin next to him.
Tang Yin took out the second copy, and his expression became much more relaxed: "Fire sieve on the table, hoping to submit to the Ming Dynasty."
"Bang!" Zhang Heling slapped the table.
Zhang Zhou and Tang Yin in the room were both looking at him.
Why are you making such a fuss here, you idiot? I just asked you to come and listen, but it seems that you are more excited than others?
Zhang Heling said excitedly: "Huo Si joined the Ming Dynasty. This battle we fought was not in vain."
"Ahem." Zhang Zhou cleared his throat and said, "Marquis Shouning, please understand that this battle was fought by Wang Bo'an, the current governor of Datong, and not by us."
Zhang Heling protested: "As if you and I have no credit? Zhang Zhitai, your ability to disrupt trouble is really..."
Suddenly, Zhang Heling also felt very powerless.
It was obvious that he was already very arrogant and domineering, but when he met Zhang Zhou who was even more domineering, he still had no choice but to do anything, which made him feel very angry.
But he can't show it on his face, because he has to follow Zhang Zhou to mine and make a fortune. How can he offend this awesome person who can easily detect mineral veins? Besides, Zhang Zhou is the superior and he is the subordinate, so he still wants to follow Zhang Zhou to gain military merit.
For the first time, Zhang Heling felt that besides the emperor, there was someone who could make him lose his temper and accept his anger.
"However," Tang Yin said, "Huo Si proposed that the Ming Dynasty would give him all the grasslands around the Weining Sea and release his people. In return, he would help the Ming Dynasty build cities in Weining Sea and other places and establish a grassland Guard. And pay taxes and tribute every year. He also hopes to be protected by the Ming Dynasty soldiers and horses to ensure that his tribe will not be retaliated by the Tatar tribes."
"hehe."
Zhang Zhou couldn't help laughing after hearing this.
Zhang Heling asked: "With so many conditions, do you want to reject them all and let him submit unconditionally?"
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "No, I just think that Huo Si has finally begun to understand the current situation. He knows that he can't survive within the Tatars and needs to find a strong backer to support him."
"Tch!" Zhang Heling said, "You brought all the wives, children, parents, and clan members of this family to the Ming Dynasty. If they don't submit, they will have to return as well?"
Zhang Zhou pointed at Tang Yin and said, "Bohu, what do you think?"
"I?"
Tang Yin was a little frightened in front of Zhang Zhou and Zhang Heling, but he still made an analysis, "This should be related to the suspension of the internal Tatar annexation war that he learned before. The strength of the Huosi tribe has been greatly reduced, and he He occupied too much pasture before, and the other tribes will not let him go."
These are all things at the most superficial level, and Zhang Zhou doesn't think Tang Yin has made much progress.
But at least Tang Yin has begun to learn to analyze now.
"Thousands of people beat the drum, but he didn't know what to do before." Zhang Zhou said, "We can't make the decision when it comes to such matters, leaving it to your Majesty. As the commander-in-chief of Xuanda, the northwest military affairs are also under my control. , the necessary opinions still need to be raised, Bohu, please help me draft them..."
"I?"
Tang Yin thought to himself, if you want to submit the memorial, you can just write it yourself. Why do you want me to help you draft it?
Zhang Heling said with a smile: "Otherwise, why are you doing in the northwest? Do you want to eat for nothing? Working for Zhang Zhitai will be boring. When you finish drafting, go over to me for a drink, and I will bring some jars of good wine! Zhang I won't ask you to make the table, because I know you are busy with official duties."
"Um."
Zhang Zhou nodded.
Tang Yin met a "noble man" when he went out. Others did not appreciate Tang Yin. On the contrary, Zhang Heling, the worm of the Ming Dynasty, Shouning Hou, began to favor him.
Even Zhang Heling began to make friends with civil servants... Zhang Zhou seemed to feel that the world of the Ming Dynasty was beginning to change.
…
…
In the capital city.
The changes in the grassland situation were also the first to be reported to the capital. Unlike Zhang Zhou and Wang Shouren who could tell at a glance that the fire screen was going to suffer, none of the four eunuchs and eunuchs in charge of rituals on Zhu Youtang's side could tell.
The information about the grassland reached the capital in the afternoon, and the emperor did not summon the ministers.
At first glance, Zhu Youtang was also a little unhappy.
Why did Bingkuan help the Ming Dynasty achieve such a great victory, but it made the Tatars put aside their prejudices, and they instead joined forces to fight against the Ming Dynasty?
So was this battle fought correctly, or was it superfluous?
Xiao Jing said next to him: "Your Majesty, the Tatars have all withdrawn from the Hetao area. It is expected that the gathering to invade the territory will not happen now."
Xiao Jing didn't finish his words.
He just analyzed the battle situation. Since the victory of the Weining Sea in the northwest, the Dayan tribe was so frightened that they withdrew from the Hetao area. He said that they put aside their prejudices in order to attack the Ming Dynasty... This is a bit far-fetched. Of course, the Tatars cannot be sure. Is it a delaying tactic? That's why he proposed it, not right now.
Whether it comes later is another matter.
Dai Yi also smiled and said: "Yes, Your Majesty, now that Mr. Zhang is in charge of the northwest, the Tatars are self-conscious."
"Yes." Zhu Youtang nodded with satisfaction.
Wei Bin said from the side: "But it is a pity that the internal reconciliation among the Tatars failed to lead to internal fighting."
Zhu Youtang shook his head and said: "Because of the internal reconciliation of the Tatars, the hidden danger of their discord still exists. It is a good thing to form checks and balances for the Ming Dynasty to reserve troops, horses and food for the future. If they really complete the annexation, who will have the advantage then?" , just two words."
"Yes, Your Majesty is wise."
Originally, Wei Bin planned to give Zhang Zhou a little stumbling block, but he didn't expect that after the emperor was briefly displeased, he suddenly figured it out as soon as he turned his face.
The question is not whether it is better for the snipe and the clam to fight within the grassland, or to continue to maintain the status quo... You can say anything ambiguous. The key now is that the emperor trusts Zhang Zhou extremely. Since Zhang Zhou's farts are delicious, then the emperor Naturally, I feel that...as long as the results achieved by Zhang Zhou are good, they must be good!
Xiao Jing said: "But Your Majesty, tomorrow I will go to court. I estimate that all the ministers will have some... complaints about this."
This is considered to be a reminder to Zhu Youtang in advance.
Don't be too optimistic.
Your Majesty, you can understand that the current situation in the grassland is beneficial to Ming Dynasty, and we eunuchs can also be persuaded by you, but the problem is that those ministers are likely to take the opportunity to cause trouble.
"Then go and say hello to them first." Zhu Youtang said, "It just so happens that the reward based on merit should be implemented in detail. The Ministry of Household Affairs has not yet allocated a penny of reward to urge them."
"Yes." Xiao Jing responded.
He then looked up at Dai Yi.
This is also a request for instructions. The emperor asked us to communicate, who is going to go?
Dai Yi twisted his head to one side, "You Xiao Jing suggested it for nothing, so you can do it yourself. I don't care."
…
…
Cabinet value.
Contrary to Xiao Jing's worries, the three people in the cabinet can't even understand the basic situation of the grassland.
"Everything is going according to Zhang Bingkuan's expectations."
Xie Qian looked a little annoyed.
Even he couldn't directly deny Zhang Zhou's achievements in this battle.
Winning on the battlefield boosted the morale of the military and also boosted the confidence of both the Ming Dynasty and the public. This was already rare.
More importantly...even the Tatars are afraid. They were originally going to complete the internal annexation and unification and twist into a rope to oppose the Ming Dynasty. But now...they don't dare to engage in internal fighting in extraordinary times.
It is a good thing for the Ming Dynasty that the Tatars are afraid. If they turn a blind eye to the Ming Dynasty, that should be what the Ming Dynasty court is worried about.
Li Dongyang frowned and said: "What role did Huo Si play after this battle? He led the troops to withdraw from the battlefield in advance. Was he involved in the reconciliation?"
Liu Jian nodded and said: "What Binzhi asked is exactly what I want to know. Now the balance within the grassland has been broken. Huo Shi was originally a big force on the right wing of the grassland. After these few battles, he is no longer worthy. As for the title of the steppe hero, whether the Tatars want him to continue to rush forward and become enemies of the Ming Dynasty, or whether they want to take the opportunity to annex him...it’s hard to say.”
Xie Qian smiled and said: "Listening to your analysis, I think it is time for Huoshii to move his troops westward."
Li Dongyang obviously did not agree with Xie Qian's statement. He said: "Nearly 20,000 people were captured and killed. If we still want to move west, where can we move to?"
Xie Qian continued to smile and did not answer such questions.
Immediately, someone came to announce at the door that Xiao Jing was here.
…
…
The three of them invited Xiao Jing in.
Xiao Jing said frankly and honestly: "I hope that tomorrow, the three cabinet ministers should inspire the hearts of the government and the public, instead of... haha."
Xie Qian smiled and said: "It is a good thing that the Ming Dynasty's military power is demonstrated. What else can it be if it is not inspiring?"
"Oh, that's it."
Xiao Jing's character is that he doesn't cause trouble and is a good old man.
He seems to be resourceful, but most of the time he does not compete with others. This is why he, as one of the ministers responsible for Emperor Hongzhi's orders, was quickly stolen by Liu Jin and lost power.
His opinions on the cabinet have always been very weak, and he felt that he needed to rely on these three people to stabilize the government.
(End of chapter)
