In May of the first year of Zhengde, Zou Cheng, the envoy for transporting salt from the Huaidu to the Huaihe River, also received the order from the Supervisor of Rites.
The decree required him to go to Beijing immediately after making arrangements.
Zou Cheng was panicked when he received the order.
Recently, at this juncture, he suddenly talked about going to Beijing, without saying why.
What happened?
Zou Cheng felt guilty, so after hearing the decree, he began to worry and be at a loss all day long. I always feel that the emperor is eyeing the salt class.
Now, what if something really happens?
Therefore, he was not willing to go to the capital at all, so he immediately summoned his officials and secret advisors in the government to discuss whether to pretend to be sick or not.
His staff advised him, "Envoy Zou, this would have been fine at other times, but today the Holy Emperor is the lord, and if the Supervisor of Ceremonies cannot approve it, how can the decree be conveyed? Therefore, since it is an imperial decree, if there is a deliberate excuse for not Go, but there are no three hundred taels of silver here, which attracted the attention of the Holy Emperor."
Zou Cheng was a well-known person in Yangzhou, but when he was about to go to the capital, he still panicked, so he wandered back and forth in the room, highlighting one person who was restless.
"But if I go and go to the palace and say all those words to Gu Liqing, Your Majesty turns to me and asks me, how should I answer?"
That's the problem.
In fact, if the fatuous Lord is in power, many things can always be done to save the country. For example, if this is a fight between the Chief of Ceremonies and the Outer Court, then everyone can show their talents and fight against each other. As the person below, he will hug the thigh of the court. .
But the situation has become increasingly different in the past two years.
Now this matter does not involve the factional struggle in the court. Every time the emperor tries to eliminate the signs of factional struggle in time, what he advocates is a pragmatic officialdom.
To put it bluntly, the current emperor doesn’t care who you are or who is behind you, what he cares about is the matter itself!
When things were done, of course he was tough, and the emperor sometimes defended his shortcomings. Things are not going well, and the emperor starts to make trouble for you. Who do you think you can find in the Ming Dynasty who can be effective?
However, the biggest weakness of people like Zou Cheng is the matter itself.
So he didn't want to go because he knew the emperor's style and there was really nothing he could do!
unless……
Unless it’s to cheat!
If you really deceive the emperor, then there is no danger.
The staff said: "The envoy does not need to worry too much. Gu Liqing has only been in Yangzhou for a short time. What can he find out? Moreover, he will offend countless nobles, ministers and court officials as soon as he opens his mouth. There are so many involved." As a man, is it possible that His Majesty will convict Zou Shi just based on his few words? No, Your Majesty always handles everything with careful consideration. Therefore, I conclude that Zou Shi’s trip this time was a near miss.”
Although Han Wen had already reported the matter to Qianqing Palace, Zhu Houzhao ordered all personnel not to reveal a word. In such a small area, this order really worked.
Because everyone knows that once it is leaked, it is not that difficult to investigate afterwards.
In this way, Zou Cheng and others who were far away in Yangzhou naturally did not know that such changes had already occurred in the capital. It was not that none of them were in the capital, but even if there were, they could not detect it.
From this point of view, the emperor's handling in desperation at that time can be regarded as appropriate.
After listening to his staff's words, Zou Cheng felt quite encouraged, and said as if to comfort himself: "That's right! I don't know how many people will be involved in this case. Even if Gu Liqing has the favor, he will not reach this level."
In the evening, news finally came following the order of the Supervisor of Ceremonies.
It's great news.
After reading it, Zou Cheng congratulated each other with several of his staff and was overjoyed, "The previous method of using the ministers worked! His Majesty has indeed become suspicious of him! Gu Liqing may not be able to protect himself this time!"
When their lives and interests were at stake, they must have forgotten the oath they made during the imperial examination to "worry about the world's worries first, and be happy after the world's happiness".
In any case, this way, Zou Cheng would dare to enter Beijing.
From Yangzhou to the capital, you can go all the way north along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, avoiding the bumps of land carriages.
Gu Zuo was the 'offensive party' in this incident. He was not afraid to have more contact with local officials, so he took the initiative to write a letter asking Zou Cheng to sail with him.
Zou Cheng is no longer as normal as before. He was quite proud after receiving the post from the imperial envoy: "It's hard to distinguish between right and wrong in official circles. Let's take a closer look this time!"
On the sixth day of May,
The two packed up and rented a passenger boat to go north at Yangzhou Pier.
The dock was extremely lively, because the emperor was selecting his concubine, and Yangzhou had been a popular place since ancient times, so there were quite a few people who were going to Beijing after the first round of primaries.
In the bustling crowd, Gu Zuo and Zoucheng held hands with each other, appearing polite.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is not wide, only about 20 meters long. Taking a boat northbound can give you an unobstructed view of the scenery on both sides of the river. It is spring again, with willows on both sides of the river and peach blossoms blooming from time to time. It is a beautiful scene in the world.
Counting the Hongzhi period, the emperor and his ministers have been seriously governing the country for nearly twenty years. There are countless fertile fields along the canal, and the green and yellow color is equally shocking.
"The Holy Emperor is coming to the court, and the world is familiar with each other. I am congratulated for this situation!"
Gu Zuo thought to himself, it's useless for you to pat the emperor's horses again. The emperor is just like Emperor Taizu, he either doesn't do it or he doesn't do it at all. Since the matter of the Salt Law has been mentioned, it must have a beginning and an end, and it will definitely not end in an anticlimax.
"Ambassador Zou, does he know why the imperial court suddenly announced our entry into Beijing at this time?"
On the deck, Zou Cheng's expression changed slightly, but he already knew what was going on in the palace, so he only had some doubts for a moment. He immediately had a plan in his mind and said: "The Holy One has always been thoughtful, and the qualifications of the subordinates are mediocre, except for Gan. Serve the king and don’t think about anything else.”
Gu Zuo knew the details of this guy. He was obviously full of greed, but he could be so honest on the surface. It was really shocking to him to be so thick-skinned.
The capital, in the imperial palace.
The situation of the eunuch in charge and the maid of honor of the Shangshan Supervisor that Zhu Houzhao met earlier has been sent over.
The eunuch in charge was named Zheng Zhou. He was thirty-four years old and had been in the palace for twenty years. The Shangshan Supervisor was in charge of matters such as the emperor's and palace meals and banquets, and was basically a marginal role.
But it doesn't explain anything. According to what this person said at the time, he had a relative in Yangzhou who asked him for help. People outside the palace no matter what your position is inside, they just think that after so many years, you may have the opportunity to get in touch with the emperor.
And You Zhi’s movements are considered fast.
The investigation starts with the people around him. A place like Shangshanjian involves some purchasing matters. Zheng Zhou usually has problems such as deducting, embezzling, and embezzling money. Moreover, after so many years, the amount should not be high. Small.
Since he loves money, Zhu Houzhao cannot rule out the possibility of someone setting up a trap.
So he made up his mind and ordered the Jin Yiwei to capture Gu Zuo after he entered the capital.
Although I still don’t understand why Han Wen suddenly came up with this memorial, there are indeed too many people involved in the Salt Law. Back then, he sacrificed Wang Hua for Zhejiang’s eucalyptus, but now Gu Zuo needs to be protected.
And Han Wen is already over seventy years old,
Firstly, he is highly respected and has a deeper foundation than Gu Zuo. Secondly, a strong man is already in his twilight years. If he is too old, he will always give way.
At the same time, in the northern border of Ming Dynasty.
The soldiers of Datong are completely in the desert.
The overall situation is that Ma Rong leads the vanguard with 3,000 cavalry, and Zhou Shangwen leads 20,000 cavalry in the rear. When they first entered the desert, the distance between them was about five days' journey, but now it has been shortened to three days. , it can be said that the deeper you go, the closer you get.
After all, although spring is the season for grazing on the grasslands, Dayan Khan is not a weak leader. Even if he encounters one of his troops, it will be a fierce battle.
Among Zhou Shangwen's 20,000 soldiers, 19,000 were cavalry and the remaining 1,000 were grain transport teams.
The money given by the court this time is sufficient, so in addition to pickles, there will be some bacon. Although it is unpalatable, it is a great happiness to have meat to eat while marching on the grassland.
The Ma Rong tribe had to work harder. They had dry food, wild vegetables, and water collected along the way. This was their food for more than ten days. Basically, birds were about to burst out of their mouths.
The troops captured two cattle that had been raised. Many soldiers were wondering if they could kill Dada Yaji, but no one dared to say.
Ma Rong looked at the four people under his command. His eldest brother was not suitable, he was impulsive and not steady, so he said to the older Qianhu, "Liu Qianhu, take the three of you back the way you came and go and fight with him." General Zhou reported the situation here and asked them to speed up their march a little."
"Got the order!"
On the grassland, there may be enemies in all directions.
Which direction to go depends entirely on fate.
Ma Rong looked at the guide. The guide's surname was Lu and his given name was Zuyun. He was squatting on the grass to check.
"If there is nothing wrong, it should be Yebula from the Yongxie Bubu tribe," the guide wiped off the papa-like thing on his hand with straw. "Yibula is one of the three lords of ten thousand households on the right wing of Mongolia, and the enemy of the little prince. .”
Dayan Khan, known as the little prince by the Ming Dynasty, had three main enemies at this historical point in time, or what could be called the right-wing Mongolia, namely the Yongshebu tribe, the Ordos tribe and the Tumed tribe.
"How can you be sure that there are people from the Yongxiebu tribe around here?"
The guide said an answer that Ma Rong could not question, "I have been there."
Been to...
So if you want to find it, you can find it now.
But the situation is not that simple.
Ma Rong dismounted and said to his general: "Brother, Luo Qianhu and Xiong Qianhu, the Mongolian right wing and the left wing are at odds with each other, and they are also at war with each other. According to Zhou Zongbing's instructions, if we encounter the right wing tribe, we must Find out the situation first, and then choose whether to attack or not. The main thing is to see if there is a possibility of unity."
Ma Sheng was a little impatient. After searching for so many days, he finally met someone, but he still refused to charge. He couldn't accept it in his heart, "They are all Mongols, what's the difference? Just kill them all!"
"It's definitely not possible to kill them all. This is General Zhou's military order. Do you want to disobey it?"
The guide surnamed Lu came over at this time and said: "General, in fact, there is something happening recently in the Yongxiebu tribe on the right wing that the general would like to know."
"What is it?" Ma Rong turned around and asked.
"At the beginning of this year, Dayan Khan sent his second son Urus Borot to the right wing to serve as a farmer."
Jinong, equivalent to the deputy khan, is the assistant of the great khan. His duty is to govern the right-wing government affairs of Mongolia in accordance with the will of the great khan.
To put it bluntly, a common supervisor is assigned to the three right-wing Wanyong Xiebu, Ordos and Tumote to exercise power on behalf of the Han people. Jinong is generally the eldest son of the Han people (the eldest son of Dayan Khan died early), which is equivalent to the Han people. The prince.
Therefore, Dayan Khan sent such a person to actually recruit all the 30,000 households on the right wing.
Ma Rong instantly captured the key point, "Although the 30,000 households on the right wing openly respect Dayan Khan as their co-owner, they have not been subdued. At this time, it may not be that simple to send farmers."
Then he thought quickly, "If this Urus Borot died on the right wing, Dayan Khan would be furious. Even if he was a temporary British lord with a broad mind, people like Yongxie Bubu would be afraid of this. "
Although Lu Zuyun was just a guide, the person who ate his meal must have a bright mind, so he originally wanted to make this suggestion. This was what his boss had told him before he went on an expedition with the Ming army.
But as soon as the words came out, before he had time to sell them, the young general in front of him was already aware of them.
Ma Sheng was excited after hearing this, "The little prince's son must be a high official! Let's go and catch him! He escaped from the fire sieve last time, but we made him a joke!"
This is talking about the dispute between Yang Shangyi and Zhou Shangwen at that time. Yang Shangyi led the emperor's hard-earned cavalry, but in the end he could not catch up with a fire sieve.
On the side, Luo Qianhu said: "No one has ever seen this Ulus Bolut. Even if we win, how will we know if we have captured him correctly?"
The guide could only shake his head at this time, "I have never seen such a high official in the tribe."
Ma Rong frowned at first, then curled his lips, "Actually, there is no need. I guess that the three ten thousand households on the right must want to kill Dayan Khan's second son, but they are afraid of Dayan Khan's power, so they don't dare. , wouldn’t it be perfect if another party could take action at this time?”
"This requires communicating with them beforehand."
"No, they will be surprised if we come so far and suddenly get some ventilation. They won't be surprised if we suddenly appear and want to beat them. Besides, if these people really intend to kill Urus Borot, as long as the Ming army appears, they will be surprised. They will come to their door. After all, Dayan Khan is in front and we are behind, so what choice do they have?"
Two days later, Zhou Shangwen rushed over.
What surprised Ma Sheng was that his second brother, who he thought was too stable, suggested that Zhou Zongbing send troops to attack the Yongxiebu tribe!
Zhou Shangwen didn't understand, "You said you want to fight the right-wing tribe?"
"The final general thinks that there is no problem with the imperial court's decision to unite the right wing, but the Mongols will not be willing to unite with the Ming army without a fight."
"But how can we unite after a fight?"
"Instead of killing the leader, just capture and release him. As long as Dayan Khan's second son can be killed, the leader who is released will be Dayan Khan's trouble, because he will definitely lobby the other two tribes to fight with him Let’s fight against Dayan Khan together.”
Just like when the Mongols brought Emperor Yingzong back, the result was that the entire Ming court was left and right, and it was extremely uncomfortable. In fact, the imperial court was indeed violently turbulent because of this. This move is so powerful.
Zhou Shangwen was a little hesitant.
Ma Rong continued to persuade: "General Zhou, there is the second son of Dayan Khan on the right wing at this time. The leaders of the 30,000 households on the right wing will never easily join forces with the Ming army in front of him. They have not connected with us to this extent. , after all, they are all Mongols, and we are the foreigners, so we can’t simply stop the troops and ask for peace.”
"Okay!" The warrior was not so shy and entangled, "Then let's fight! Divide the troops into two groups and attack the Yongxie Bubu from both sides!"
After receiving the approval, Ma Rong clenched his fist instantly.
...He is sure of this battle!
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