Qianqing Palace.
Members of the Shangting Office in Beijing, Li Dongyang, Ma Wensheng, Zhang Mao and Wei Bin, participated in this inner court discussion.
Xiao Jing, as the eunuch in charge of the ceremonial department, is no longer in the Shangting Department. Li Dongyang still serves as the cabinet representative in the Shangting Department.
Zhu Youtang asked Wei Bin to hang a map of the north in the Qianqing Palace for a few people to see clearly. He also asked Wei Bin to roughly mark the direction of Wang Shouren's march on the map... This also made several people at Shang Ting Chu The members knew how Wang Shouren took a detour behind enemy lines and how he would force the little Tatar prince to retreat.
Wei Bin marked several points on the map at the same time and explained: "...the Tatars deployed heavy troops in Xuanfu, Pianguan, Yansui and other places, with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, to defend themselves. The Ming Dynasty's frontier army marched northward..."
"The main force of the little Tatar prince on Ningxia West Road has been determined to be between 40,000 and 50,000 soldiers and horses. Xinjian Bo leads 6,000 troops. It is estimated that the schedule has passed Yidu. This is where the little Tatar prince Chahar's troops are stationed. The surrounding defenses are empty..."
Yidu is not an unfamiliar term to the Ming Dynasty, although in the past hundred years, the Ming Dynasty's army has basically not reached this far.
But this is the place where Zhu Di, the king of Yan, went to the north to recruit and surrender in the 23rd year of Hongwu.
From what Li Dongyang and others heard, Wang Shouren had fought all the way to the hinterland of the grassland, even to Mobei. He was taking too big a step and was easily pulled, and he was afraid that he would never be able to regain his foot.
After Wei Bin explained, Li Dongyang said bluntly: "If we go so deep, I'm afraid six thousand soldiers and horses won't be enough to retreat completely."
Zhu Youtang asked: "Li Qing's family, are you worried that Uncle Xin Xin's six thousand soldiers and horses will be isolated and helpless?"
Li Dongyang said: "This is exactly what I mean."
Zhu Youtang sighed: "In the past, I didn't agree with going so far alone, but I remember Bingkuan said that since we want to fight with the grassland tribes, we must hit the vital points of these jackals with every whip. In this way They are the only ones who are afraid. If they wield the whip every time and let Ming dodge, they will not know how to be afraid, and they will not sincerely tame the king's way."
Li Dongyang obviously didn't want to hear whether he should focus on offense or defense.
For civil servants, what they want is stability and everything must be kept within control, rather than going deep into adventurism alone.
"Your Majesty." Li Dongyang said seriously, "Even though most of the Tatar forces are close to the Ming Pass, if the movements of Xin Xin Bo Yu in the hinterland of the grassland are discovered by the Tatars, the Tatars from all walks of life will definitely rush north to help. There is the main force of the young Tatar prince in front of Xinjian Bosuo, and various Tatar reinforcements are in the south. If we retreat to Liaodong, we will encounter the interception of the Duoyan guards. Six thousand soldiers and horses can easily fall into a tight siege."
"At this time, the Xuanfu, Datong, Pianguan and other places of the Ming Dynasty were unable to mobilize additional troops and horses in a timely manner when they did not know the movements of people on the grassland and the location of Xinjian Bo's headquarters."
Zhu Youtang asked: "So Li Ge always wants to say that Ming Dynasty's six thousand soldiers and horses will never come back?"
Li Dongyang cupped his hands and stopped saying any unpleasant words.
In order to prevent the emperor from thinking that he was deliberately playing a different tune and antagonizing Zhang Zhou.
Zhu Youtang said: "Then what's the strategy now? Let me send people to recall Uncle Xin Xin?"
Li Dongyang said nothing.
It was too late to say anything now. Since the emperor had ordered Wang Shouren to lead troops into the grassland, he should have considered all the adverse consequences.
"What I can do now is to keep the front line of Xuanda open all night to spy on Tatar intelligence. If we notice that the main Tatar force is heading north, we will send troops from all directions to form a deterrent to ensure that Xinjianbo can return safely with his troops."
Zhu Youtang was obviously not unprepared.
Since you think Wang Shouren may be isolated and helpless, give him reinforcements.
As long as the various forces of the little Tatar prince retreated, the Ming Dynasty would follow suit. The two sides would start a tug-of-war based on the Ming Dynasty Pass. In this way, Batu Meng would not have the intention to devour the six thousand soldiers and horses of Wang Shouren.
Zhang Mao came out and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Li Dongyang originally thought that Zhang Mao had something to say, but he never thought that it was such an unconstructive speech. He was about to say something more, but he saw that Ma Wensheng had also walked out among several people.
Seeing Ma Wensheng come out, Li Dongyang knew that it was no longer convenient for him to come forward and object.
Ma Wensheng said: "Your Majesty, in this battle, the elite troops of the newly built Boyinuer Gandu Division marched westward to the grassland, and they brought a large number of new cannons and flint muskets. If they rush to reinforce with other troops, I am afraid they will be returned by the little Tatar prince." The soldiers of the Ming Dynasty, Xuanda, Sanbian and other places are not suitable for direct confrontation with the Tatar main force on the grassland."
Zhu Youtang looked over and said, "Ma Qing's family, do you want to say that you should just sit back and watch Uncle Xin Xin being surrounded and ignore him, letting him and his six thousand soldiers fend for themselves?"
Ma Wensheng looked determined and said: "You can't lose the whole thing if you lose one corner."
I am probably saying, I mean what your Majesty said, if you give up Wang Shouren's people, you can't let all the people in the Ming Dynasty suffer along with them.
Zhu Youtang's face was gloomy, obviously angry.
Zhang Mao immediately spoke again: "I want to come here, I think, what Shangshu means is that Xin Xinbo has the strength to break out of the encirclement and go south on his own, without the need for reinforcements from other people. If there are too many reinforcements, it may be a hindrance."
Now even Zhu Youtang frowned and looked at Zhang Mao.
You old man Zhang, you flattered me just now and caught me off guard. Now you are defending Ma Wensheng, and you seem to be very sensible.
Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know you should have a clear stance?
Zhu Youtang said: "I believe that when the Tatars retreated, people from all walks of life in the Ming Dynasty took the initiative to attack to show that the Ming Dynasty had the ambition to level the grassland. Gains and losses in one corner are indeed irrelevant to the overall situation, but if Uncle Xinjian cannot retreat intact, , in my opinion, it’s a small gain but a big loss.”
In fact, Zhu Youtang didn't want to say that.
Saying this is tantamount to admitting that if Wang Shouren's group suffered heavy losses, the overall strategy would still be lost.
If Wang Shouren goes deep alone, he will definitely be surrounded by several groups of Tatars, and there is no guarantee that Wang Shouren can escape unscathed.
But the emperor still could not give up Wang Shouren and his 6,000 elite soldiers.
Ma Wensheng asked for instructions: "Your Majesty, if Xinjianbo is attacked by enemy invaders several times and is in a stalemate, the army will suffer huge losses and even be unable to break through and return to the Ming Dynasty. Who should bear the responsibility?"
Zhu Youtang frowned and said: "Ma Qing's family, you and Bingkuan worked together in the Ministry of War in the past. I think you are a sensible person. Although you and Bingkuan have conflicts in some details, their ideas are not inconsistent. Now you are Do you want to stand against Bing Kuan?"
The emperor saw it.
Ma Wensheng is taking the initiative.
In the past, the vanguard of the fight against Zhang Zhou were Min Gui, Yuan Shouzhi, and Bai Ang. When they jointly participated in the impeachment of Zhang Zhou, Tu Yu jumped out.
Now that this group of people have retreated, Ma Wensheng, who had always been estranged from Zhang Zhou, seemed to be the vanguard against Zhang Zhou.
In the past, Zhu Youtang was very polite to Ma Wensheng. Even when the cabinet and Zhang Zhou were fighting fiercely, Ma Wensheng remained neutral in terms of face... But now Ma Wensheng seems to have been "offended".
Ma Wensheng said: "It has always been a taboo for military strategists to advance with light troops. The veteran has recently studied Xin Xinbo's march route in detail and believes that the Chinese dynasty has never made such a rash advance and disregarded the retreat since ancient times when fighting against grassland countries. The strength of the soldiers and horses is far away. It is unwise to take a detour behind enemy lines even if we are unable to do so.”
Zhu Youtang asked: "Do you mean in the Ma Qing family that someone wants to push Uncle Xin to die? No one in China has such courage since ancient times?"
Ma Wensheng argued rationally: "Even the champions and others in the Han Dynasty marched into the grassland with sufficient preparation, and all the people and horses could coordinate. However, like today, they attack more with less and take the initiative with less troops." It is indeed unprecedented in ancient times to seek to be besieged by the main Tatar force and form a deadlock.”
"Um."
Zhu Youtang did not refute, he nodded and asked, "Then the Ma Qing family, and other Qing families, let's judge together. Since ancient times, has there been anyone like Bingkuan who can produce heavenly gunpowder and powerful cannons? ?Even if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes, you should have heard about the power of these two killing weapons, right?”
Ma Wensheng said: "No matter how powerful the Ming Dynasty's firearms are, someone should bear the consequences for improper strategy."
There is no point in discussing whether firearms are powerful or not without discussing it with a partial emperor like you.
Someone should be found to take the blame for Wang Shouren's lone army. It can't be said that I was targeting Zhang Zhou... The main thing is that Zhang Zhou went too far. If you do such an egregious thing, the army will be defeated. , only Wang Shouren, who leads the troops, will be responsible, and there is no telling what tricks he will play in the future.
Zhu Youtang asked: "Do you, the Ma Qing family, object to sending troops this time?"
"I have no way to object." Ma Wensheng said, "But this proposal was not made by me."
Zhang Mao said with emotion: "Your Majesty, I seem to understand what Master Ma means. This injustice has its owner."
"British Sir, please pay attention to the occasion!" Zhu Youtang seemed to be polite when he spoke, but in fact he almost cursed.
You old man Zhang, you are very capable of muddying the waters. What do I mean by using you to remind him of Ma Wensheng? I know it all in my heart.
The person surnamed Ma just wants me to regulate Bingkuan, so that the "defeat" he may encounter in this battle can be used to regulate Bingkuan's unrestrained military plans in the future, so as to avoid the situation like today where he rushes in lightly.
"I have no objection."
Zhu Youtang said, "It is true that Bingkuan is making suggestions for this battle, but having said that, if Uncle Xinjian can escape unscathed and even get enough military honors, what should we say?"
Ma Wensheng cupped his hands and said, "If this is really the case, I would be willing to recommend the best to the best."
"Um?"
Now even Li Dongyang frowned and looked over.
Are you, Ma Wensheng, targeting Zhang Bingkuan? Or give Zhang Bingkuan a chance?
Or... both?
Ma Wensheng said in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "This battle is extremely dangerous. If the strategy is right, Xinjianbo can achieve brilliant results in the hinterland of the Tatar tribe, and can successfully withdraw to the Ming Dynasty. It will definitely make the Tatars fearful, and the border areas of the Ming Dynasty will be in danger in the next few years." Get stability. The old ministers are old and there is no need to stay in the court anymore. They should be given to young and promising people."
"If not, the old minister is also willing to give up his position, but your majesty please choose another talented person, and you don't have to limit yourself to Duke Lai. The Ming Dynasty is far superior to the Tatars in terms of national strength and military strength. If you rely on trickery every time To win, there will always be a situation where improper strategy leads to wet shoes, and I really don’t want to see such a result.”
If we win, I will give up the title of Minister of War to Zhang Bingkuan.
If he loses, I will give in, but instead of giving it to Zhang Bingkuan, His Majesty should promise to choose someone else.
It’s not that I just don’t like Zhang Bingkuan.
But Zhang Bingkuan never follows the rules, and always plays tricks that make people's hearts beat... This kind of trick is okay once or twice, and he plays it every time... Daqing has the advantage of national power, doesn't this mean that every time Are you giving the Tatars a chance?
Zhu Youtang said: "Ma Qing's family, you said that the Ming Dynasty's national strength was superior, and I don't refute it. After all, the country has a vast territory and abundant resources. But you said that the Ming Dynasty's military strength was superior, and I can't agree. Before the success of Pianguan is reported, even if In the Battle of Helan Mountain, the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars were unable to maintain a stalemate on the frontal battlefield. They always had to win by cleverness. The stability of the past few decades was not achieved by advancing troops, but more by relying on passes to control the enemy. Raging persistence. This is not what I want to see."
Ma Wensheng lowered his head and expressed everything he wanted to say. At this time, the emperor wanted to convince him, but he pretended that he had heard nothing.
At such times, there is no use trying to reason with people.
Just like the difference between Wang Yue and Ma Wensheng, Wang Yue advocates attacking, while Ma Wensheng advocates standing firm.
The two sides have ideological differences.
Ma Wensheng was half buried in the ground, his thinking had long been solidified, and even the emperor could not persuade him with reason.
Zhu Youtang said: "Now Bingkuan has exchanged nine-sided military advantages for the Ming Dynasty, and even created a good opportunity for the Pingjing Grassland that has not been seen in decades. I want to seize the opportunity and make good use of him to completely solve the Ming Dynasty's northern troubles." .in this way……"
At this point, Zhu Youtang originally wanted to say that the victory was Bingkuan's fault, and I will bear the responsibility for the loss.
But it seems that Ma Wensheng is using his own future to make the final fight against Zhang Zhou.
Zhu Youtang's words came to his lips, but he couldn't say them out.
No matter how good Bingkuan is, there is only one... And Ma Wensheng and others are also people who have dedicated their lives and shed blood for the Ming Dynasty. If you don't care about their feelings at all, you are not helping Bingkuan, but bringing hatred to Bingkuan.
"I agree with the Ma Qing family's proposal. This battle will serve as a touchstone to test Bingkuan's strategy. If he wins, I will transfer him back to Beijing to entrust him with important tasks. If he loses, he will still stay in Nanjing. I will not transfer him back within two years."
Zhu Youtang finally came to a conclusion.
…
…
Zhu Youtang finished his words.
The main hall of Qianqing Palace fell into silence for a while.
The monarch and his ministers seemed to be angry, and they seemed to be making a bet, and the bet was Zhang Zhou's future... If he won, he would be "entrusted with an important task", possibly to the Minister of War, but it is not ruled out that he would be allowed to join the cabinet.
If he loses, let Zhang Zhou stay in Nanjing.
As a "spectator", Li Dongyang could probably understand what the emperor meant.
He thought that if Bo'an was defeated, Zhang Bingkuan might not have the face to come back in a short time, and various places in the north would inevitably enter a state of entrenchment. Whether Zhang Bingkuan, the main attacker, would return to the capital would not make much difference, unless the Ming Dynasty could cast enough If there are more firearms, then Zhang Bingkuan can use them.
But if he wins, Zhang Bingkuan will have a reasonable and legal basis to take charge of the Ming Dynasty's military affairs.
However, both sides are not completely without leeway. After all, this was raised during the inner court discussions.
Even if Zhang Bingkuan wins, the ministers of the DPRK can deny it; conversely, if Zhang Bingkuan loses, the emperor can also refuse to pay.
But at least it can be regarded as a certain relaxation of the tense relationship between the monarch and his ministers.
"Several lords, I will inform you as soon as possible about Uncle Xin Xin's advance in the army. Regarding the use of troops in the north, I rely more on the Shangting Department... Bingkuan can still be considered a member of the Shangting Department now. , so if anything happens, I will send someone to notify him."
Zhu Youtang had previously resigned from Zhang Zhou's official position and only retained the title of Duke of Lai.
Later, Zhang Zhou was restored to his official position as Minister of War and Bachelor of Attendance, but the matter of "walking on the listening place" was not mentioned.
Now the emperor has made it clear that even if Zhang Zhou lost all his official positions at that time, because he was not an official position in the first place, I have never deprived him of it. He still has the qualifications to participate in the planning of major military events... So I have not broken the rules. I adopted his opinion before and sent troops to the grasslands from northern Liaoning under the new prince Shouren. It was also reasonable and legal.
For that matter.
Li Dongyang also has no temper.
It's probably like... you can decide who your Majesty wants to listen to. You don't need to ask us. If something happens, just find the person who gave you the suggestion and take the blame.
…
…
The inner court meeting ended.
Li Dongyang, Zhang Mao and Ma Wensheng came out, and the young eunuch led them away.
The three of them were surprisingly quiet on the road, and even the chatty Zhang Mao didn't say a word.
After the three of them separated, Li Dongyang went to the cabinet to check in. He told Liu Jian and Xie Qian about the matter. Liu Jian seemed very annoyed and slapped the table and said: "I don't think Ma Futu is restricting Zhang Bingkuan, but he intends to help." .”
Xie Qian chuckled and said, "But his help is reasonable, right?"
Li Dongyang said: "You can't say that. Ma Futu was very angry about Zhang Bingkuan's use of troops in front of His Majesty. Maybe he didn't think that Bo'an would be able to return smoothly this time. Or he intended to ease the relationship between the emperor and his ministers. Disgusting."
There is a rift between the king and his ministers, and these words coming from Li Dongyang's mouth are almost like making a conclusion.
In the past, even if ministers knew that the emperor had opinions about civil servants, they would always deny it, or in other words, they would remain silent.
But now Li Dongyang has nothing to shy away from.
There is a estrangement between the monarch and his ministers, why should we deny it? The emperor now trusts Zhang Zhou alone and does not trust the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty. If we cannot face up to this problem, this problem will become more and more serious.
Liu Jian looked at Li Dongyang and said: "Binzhi, what do you think is the chance that Uncle Xinjian will send troops smoothly and withdraw successfully in this battle?"
"Ninety percent!"
Li Dongyang made no secret.
Liu Jiandao: "So you also think that Zhang Bingkuan is not aimless, and even... he will not do anything that is uncertain?"
"Yeah." Li Dongyang nodded.
Xie Qian smiled and said: "Then Binzhi, do you still think that Ma Futu is on our side? Or maybe he just wants to retreat, but always suppresses it and shows that he is in step with us. But in fact, he In my heart, I don't know how much I want Zhang Bingkuan to gain momentum... Wang Bo'an marched into the grassland and followed the passes of the Ming Dynasty, but he actually dared to go deep into the hinterland... Zhang Bingkuan was fearless, why didn't he go in person? Wang Bo'an didn't care. ?"
(End of chapter)
