After this incident, no matter how stupid Ning Tong is, he still knows the identity of the person inside.
But she couldn't understand why Zhang Zhou would arrange such a "hot potato" for her. She wanted to ask Zhang Zhou, but Zhang Zhou might not have appeared in the courtyard for a long time after he left.
It’s almost the end of the year.
The reward for military service in Liaodong was still being debated between the court and the central government. However, the troops led by Wang Xian, Ma Yongcheng and Peng Quan finally entered Shanhaiguan after stumbling. The blank looks and cold treatment they encountered along the way were regarded as Wang Xian's contention. However, because of Zhang Zhou's face, the soldiers in various cities in Liaodong no longer wanted to see them, but still provided them with necessary food, grass, etc.
After Tang Yin arrived in Shenyang, he embarked on the road to North Korea.
On this day, Zhang Zhou entered the palace to see Zhu Youtang.
But next to Zhu Youtang stood a boy with an angry face. It was Zhu Houzhao who came to Zhu Youtang to take the exam.
"Bingkuan, I just got a report from Tang Yin, saying that he has passed Shenyang. If we count the days, he should enter North Korea in the next two days without encountering any obstacles on the way."
When Zhu Youtang said this, he probably felt that Tang Yin had outstanding abilities.
But after all, Tang Yin went to North Korea as an envoy of the Ming Dynasty. Even Jianzhou Guard and other local guards did not dare to do anything to the envoys of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhang Zhou said: "Your Majesty, I estimate that this battle will begin after the year."
Zhu Youtang sighed: "It's a bit slow on the road."
Obviously Zhu Youtang was a little dissatisfied with the progress of this battle.
At that time, Tang Yin was given a set time to arrive in the capital of North Korea within a month, but now it is only four days short of a month. The news has just shown that he has passed through Shenyang. Even excluding the time spent on delivering news on the road, the most he can do is set foot on the ground of North Korea. That’s pretty good.
Then discuss the details of sending troops, and the two sides will mobilize their troops... It will take more than a month for this to happen.
Before Zhang Zhou said anything, Zhu Houzhao on the side said: "Father, we have won so many battles this year, do you still care about this two battles? The soldiers must be tired too. It's time to start fighting next year, so it's a good start. "
"Um."
Zhu Youtang quite agreed with his son's words.
The victory that had already been achieved that year had come to an end. There was really no need to engage in a war with unpredictable results or a New Year's Eve war before the end of the year.
Might as well leave some suspense for the coming year.
"But." Zhu Houzhao changed the subject and said, "Using troops in Liaodong is not a big skill. When you can kill the little Tartar prince, that is the real skill. Those crooked people in Liaodong really don't understand this. What kind of grudge does Mr. Zhang have against them? Is it just to show off the majesty of the Ming Dynasty? Are you looking for someone to fight, or someone powerful?"
"Nonsense, is this your place to talk?" Zhu Youtang shouted sharply.
Zhu Houzhao turned his head to one side and glanced at Zhang Zhou with his peripheral vision. His expression was that of a resentful little harem.
If you say something nice, you will nod in agreement. If you say something unpleasant, it will become like this is not my place to talk?
"Double standards." Zhu Houzhao muttered.
"What did you say?" Zhu Youtang found out that his son was talking back. He was naturally unhappy, but he really didn't understand what the word meant.
Zhu Houzhao said: "No, I am just thinking about how to win this battle."
I was still secretly proud of myself.
I'm scolding you, you don't even know what I'm talking about... By the way, I learned these words from Mr. Zhang... Damn it, Mr. Zhang didn't hear what I said and explain it to my father by the way, right?
Then he quickly glared at Zhang Zhou with a fierce look, roughly meaning, if you dare to betray me, I want you to look good.
Zhang Zhoucai was too lazy to argue with a naughty child. He said: "Your Majesty asked me to predict the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty. I discovered that the biggest threat to the Ming Dynasty is not those hungry wolves on the grassland."
"Who is that?"
"who is it?"
Zhu Youtang and his son asked almost at the same time.
Those who were emperors and princes were most concerned about the future of the Ming Dynasty. If the ministers were professional politicians, they could still be officials after the death of the country. The emperor was still very concerned about his own industry.
Zhang Zhou said: "In Liaodong."
"No wonder." Zhu Youtang nodded, with some killing intent in his eyes.
He usually looks like a melon, but when it comes to the fight for the country, he can still show his decisive side.
Since it is my Bingkuan who has said that you group of Tatars in Liaodong are a threat to our Ming Dynasty, you should be destroyed in advance... You don't have to worry about moral issues and etiquette. If you want to be destroyed, you can be destroyed. What else do you want?
Zhu Houzhao said disapprovingly: "Just them? Are they worthy?"
Zhang Zhou said: "The threat may not be great at the moment, but their expansion ambitions have already emerged. They currently dare not fight against the country, but they have begun to encroach on the borders of other tribes. They are not even afraid of North Korea. This is why North Korea wants to send troops. The reason why we fought with him but didn’t dare to send troops.”
Zhu Youtang nodded and said: "In fact, whether it was during the time of the late emperor or later when I discussed the military situation with the ministers of the DPRK, they all believed that some Jurchens in Liaodong had already had different intentions and needed to use their internal contradictions to suppress each tribe. Only the number of people and horses can be contained. Once the number of tribesmen and horses is too large and the balance is lost, there may be a big disaster in Liaodong. "
Zhang Zhou cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
"Okay Bingkuan, you don't need to flatter me. What I have seen is far less than you." Zhu Youtang still seemed very pious in front of Zhang Zhou, "It's just that there are heavy troops in Liaodong now, and there are still vassal countries that are willing to If you join the Ming Dynasty in sending troops to build the state defense, then just listen. It's a pity that you are not in front of the formation, otherwise you will be more able to dispatch them."
Zhang Zhou said casually: "It's the same for me at the rear. Just leave it to the soldiers at the front to complete it."
…
…
Zhu Youtang chatted with Zhang Zhou for a while and then sent Zhu Houzhao away.
Zhu Houzhao originally wanted to stay and have a meal together, and by the way, he asked Zhang Annian to teach him, but his father did not give him this opportunity.
After Zhu Houzhao left, Zhu Youtang took out a local memorial and handed it to Zhang Zhou: "It came from the palace of Prince Xing. Prince Xing said... his concubine is pregnant."
"oh?"
Zhang Zhou took it over and looked at it.
Sure enough, it was the memorial written by Xing Wang Zhu Youqi after he became a vassal.
In addition to some necessary compliments, Zhu Youqi asked the emperor to give him more fields, and even asked for more security guards... This is a necessary routine for ordinary vassal kings, especially for the brothers of the current emperor. After passing this village, This store no longer exists.
Zhang Zhou calculated the time and found that Zhu Youxi's eldest son, Zhu Houxi, was born in June of the 13th year of Hongzhi. He should have been pregnant for two or three months now. After receiving this "good news", Zhu Youyi immediately wrote to his eldest brother and asked for help. When it comes to giving birth to a son, there are some advantages to talking to your eldest brother...
Zhang Zhou wanted to say, are you Zhu Youqi sick?
Your eldest brother himself has few children. If you want to have a son, what do you think is a good thing for your eldest brother?
If something happened to your eldest brother and his son, wouldn't the news of the emperor's death be transferred to you and your son? Even if it is adopted... it is your son adopted... History has also proved that Zhu Houxi died five days after he was born, and when Zhu Youji had his next son, it was already seven years after the eldest son was born.
"Your Majesty, this is your family matter, and I should not interfere with it." After Zhang Zhou read it, he handed the memorial back to Zhu Youtang.
Zhu Youtang raised his hand and pushed back all the eunuchs who had been standing there.
After only the monarch and his ministers were left, Zhu Youtang said: "Bingkuan, you once mentioned to me that in the future... the prince will have very few heirs. This matter has always been on my mind."
Zhang Zhou instantly understood why Zhu Youtang cared so much about the pregnancy of his brother's wife.
Zhu Youtang said: "Then can you tell me what will happen in the future?"
"It's hard for me to say," Zhang Zhou said, "Isn't it true that Your Majesty will soon have a dragon heir?"
"Is he his son?" Zhu Youtang looked expectant.
Zhang Zhou shook his head: "I don't know, no matter you are a prince or a princess, this is just the beginning. Your Majesty, won't you be able to relax in the future?"
In Zhang Zhou's mind, it doesn't actually matter whether the woman outside your palace gives birth to a son or a daughter.
The point is to prove that you can still have children. In other words, the problem lies with your wife, Queen Zhang. The Ming Dynasty must continue. If you can't give birth to a son, you will still want to continue to have children... As long as you are willing, you will have a chance in the future.
"Yes, I am about to have another child, why are I worried about this?" Zhu Youtang smiled at Zhang Zhou.
This smile made Zhang Zhou feel... awkward.
From this point, Zhang Zhou could feel that Zhu Youtang still had some evil intentions.
Could it be that……
Does the death of your brother, the eldest son, within five days have anything to do with you?
Things that cannot be verified in history are inherently impossible to explain.
But Zhang Zhou suddenly became a participant in history, but he felt as if he could change many things and participate in them. It was more about experiencing it with flesh and blood... Zhang Zhou felt that if he could record what he knew, , perhaps half of the Royal Secret History.
"I will give King Xing some more land. Next year, after he gives birth to a child and he matures, I plan to summon him to the capital. The two brothers will talk about the future of the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Youtang seems to still rely heavily on Zhu Youtang.
But Zhang Zhou felt that the emperor's intention was not that simple.
Zhu Youtang smiled and asked: "Bingkuan, do you know why I arranged it like this?"
You want to see your brother and ask me what my intentions are... Zhang Zhou probably understood what Zhu Youtang meant.
Zhu Youtang wanted to lead the expedition in person.
If the emperor wants to go on an expedition in person, he must leave his "posthumous affairs" well, just like Yingzong actually had a son before he went on an expedition, but at the critical moment he still asked his younger brother to become the emperor... This is to avoid the situation of doubting the master's young country.
Zhang Zhou said: "It would be better to wait a few more years."
Zhu Youtang shook his head and said: "Actually, I did this to have a backup plan. Who can say for sure what will happen on the battlefield?"
Summoning Zhu Youtang to the capital can even allow Zhu Youtang to live in the capital for a long time. In this way, even if the emperor has any trouble outside, Zhu Youtang will firmly control it. Zhu Youtang is not thoughtless.
Zhang Zhou cupped his hands and said, "I can't interfere. I can only try my best to raise funds, but it will take several years to prepare."
"Okay." Zhu Youtang smiled and nodded, "As long as you know what I mean. I won't tell anyone else about this. It's a secret between you and me."
Zhang Zhou thought.
Knowing the emperor's secrets may not always be a good thing.
He has been deeply bound to Zhu Youtang. If anything happens to Zhu Youtang and his son, life will probably not be easy for him.
So no matter from which perspective, he had to plan and plan for the future of Zhu Youtang and his son, and he also had to worry about the offspring of Zhu Youtang and his son...
The housekeeper and nanny of Lao Zhu's family.
…
…
Shenyang.
Lu Wan went to see the envoys from the imperial court that day and discussed military merits and other matters. Then he arrived at the residence of the garrison lieutenant in Shenyang and met Zhang Yong and Zhang Heling.
"How's it going? They're still hard to talk to?"
Zhang Heling went over and yelled at Lu Wan with an angry look on his face.
Lu Wandao: "Except for the Tang Yushi who was sent by His Majesty and Duke Lai, the other two were all selected from the imperial court. They said they wanted to handle official business."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Heling asked.
Zhang Yong smiled bitterly and said: "The so-called official business is to determine the credit based on the head. Whoever's head counts."
"Wow!"
Zhang Heling smashed a tea cup on the ground and shouted angrily: "They are so brave! My brother-in-law didn't even say that he was so determined, how dare they do this?"
Lu Wandao: "This is not random, there is precedent to follow."
"Bullshit precedent! Could it be said that after all our hard work, the final credit goes to others? Where is the man named Tang? Why haven't you seen him in the past two days? Doesn't he represent my brother-in-law and Zhang Zhou? Where is the person?"
Zhang Heling was angrier than anyone else.
Lu Wan and Zhang Yong may not care about military achievements, but Zhang Heling also boasted about Haikou, saying that he would win the title of Duke with this battle.
This is to become the Duke of Changguo.
Things were going smoothly at first, but a group of people from Jizhou came out of the sky and seemed to take away his military glory. There was nothing anyone else could do, but he had such a strong background, how could he suffer a loss?
It's always others who suffer, but when has it ever happened to someone like me?
Lu Wandao said: "The imperial censor of the Tang Dynasty has been ordered to go on a mission to North Korea."
"What...what?" Zhang Heling looked confused.
Zhang Yong was also very curious: "Isn't he asked to determine military merit? Why did he... go on a mission?"
Lu Wan wanted to say something, but when he looked at the brainless Zhang Heling on the side, he had no choice but to hold back for now. He said: "I came here to grant the title of crown prince to the King of North Korea. I was invited by the King of North Korea. "
"This guy... wait until I see him and see how I deal with him!"
Zhang Heling felt that since he knew Tang Yin, it would be easier for him to teach Tang Yin a lesson.
Lu Wandao: "Even if the calculation of military merit is still unclear, the current intention of the court is to return one code to another. The first merit does not count, and military merit must still be determined."
"What's your first military achievement?" Zhang Heling looked embarrassed.
Zhang Yong explained: "The first merit is based on the head, and the military merit is based on the overall situation. Even if the first merit is from Jizhou, our military merit is greater than them. As long as His Majesty and Lai Guo are willing to nod. , then even if they have the first merit, they will only be rewarded with some money, but it is different here."
Zhang Heling asked in confusion: "Didn't I say before that there is no reward for every achievement?"
Lu Wan smiled and said: "Don't worry, Marquis Shouning. In the previous battle, Jizhou's troops were competing for credit and missed the opportunity. This matter has been reported to the court. Your Majesty and Duke Lai cannot just sit idly by."
"That's good! The person who killed you... takes away our credit, which is a heinous crime! I'm going to have a drink, see you later!"
Zhang Heling cursed and left.
…
…
"Lu Zhongcheng, do you have anything to say?" Zhang Yongxinming was bright-eyed. He saw some clues. After Zhang Heling left, he stepped forward to ask.
Lu Wandao: "The Lord Lai Guo wants us to send troops to build a state defense."
"This... is going to send troops?"
Zhang Yong pointed outside, "It's freezing cold. Can the soldiers withstand sending out troops at this time?"
Lu Wan smiled and said: "The soldiers we use are all local soldiers in Liaodong. Now, both winter clothes and luggage are all ready. When Tang Yin came here before, he also brought a batch of heavy artillery, whether it was for destroying cities or fortifying villages, or In a head-to-head confrontation, our troops are no match for us.”
"In what name?" Zhang Yong is not opposed to fighting.
For him, fighting is military merit.
Even though he was an eunuch, he didn't seem to have much room for a reward increase, but he did have a younger brother and a nephew.
Historically, his younger brother Zhang Fu was the Tai'an Bo, and his other brother Zhang Rong was the Anding Bo. Both of them were awarded the title because of Zhang Yong's military achievements. They were both awarded the title in the fifth year of Zhengde and the sixteenth year of Zhengde. The title was removed after Emperor Jiajing ascended the throne.
Now, although his younger brother and nephew do not yet have titles, they have already been awarded the titles of Jinyiwei Commander Qianshi, Qianhu and other officials.
Most of Zhang Yong's battles only followed the soldiers for a walk, and did not rush to the front line, so he did not mind fighting a few more battles.
Lu Wandao said: "North Korea sent envoys to celebrate the Longevity Festival last year, and incidentally proposed to send troops to build state guards. His Majesty did not make any reply at that time. Now, taking advantage of the garrison in Liaodong, he sent troops to assist."
"I see." Zhang Yongdao, "That means putting North Korean soldiers first, right?"
"That's understandable."
Lu Wan smiled and said: "Your Majesty's intention is to let the Korean troops go first. After they formally ask for help from the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty will send troops to help. At that time... the two sides will surround Jianzhou Guard. But the order must also be determined. , the Ming Dynasty is the suzerain, and the Korean state cannot enter an inch of land."
"This...the outcome of the battle is the most important thing, right?" Zhang Yongdao said, "If we fight against the Jurchens, we shouldn't have to spend a lot of effort."
In Zhang Yong's eyes, he still looked down on Jurchen tribes such as Jianzhouwei.
Lu Wandao: "This is the decree of the Duke of Lai and his Majesty's decree. If we want to carry out this battle, we should still conduct it in secret, deploy troops and generals in advance, and the Jurchen tribe cannot detect it in advance. Moreover, we must prevent North Korea from betraying its trust. .”
"Do they have the courage?" Zhang Yong also looked down on North Korea.
"hehe."
Lu Wan was smiling.
Zhang Yong had fought so many victorious battles for one year with Zhang Zhou's assistance. From Lu Wan's perspective, this eunuch, who had never actually led an army, was heartbroken.
(End of chapter)
