Just two days after Liaodong reported victory, Lubu came to Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen was discussing with Chen Xinjia, Minister of War, and other cabinet ministers to commemorate Yang Guozhu, the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town, and Hong Chengchou recommended Zhang Cheng to take over as the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town.
The imperial censor Fang Tongzhou's impeachment memorial against Zhang Cheng was sent in. After Emperor Chongzhen read it, he became so angry that he threw Fang Tongzhou's impeachment memorial on the imperial court.
Emperor Chongzhen's excitement due to the report on the Liaodong war immediately faded away. He looked gloomy and said in a cold tone: "Check. Check for me, what is Fang Tongzhou's intention? Who is instigating him behind the scenes?"
The eunuchs and concubines who attended the East Pavilion of Qianqing Palace also knelt on the ground, but no one dared to speak out to dissuade him.
All the ministers who were present in the cabinet were shocked. They left their seats and knelt down one after another, begging Emperor Chongzhen to calm down his anger, take care of himself, and put state affairs first.
Wang Dehua, the eunuch in charge of the ceremonial department and the admiral of the East Factory, climbed up on his knees and whispered softly: "The emperor's dragon body is related to the safety of the country. Please put the state affairs first and don't let your anger hurt your body!"
Emperor Chongzhen raised his head and glanced at him. His anger was no longer as fierce as before. He hit the imperial case with his hand and said in a deep voice: "Take it. Take it and show them where Fang Tongzhou has the confidence." , How dare you talk about the generals of the imperial court?"
At this time, Fan Fucui, the chief assistant of the cabinet and the official minister, had returned home in May of the 14th year of Chongzhen. The position of the first assistant was taken over by Zhang Sizhi, the minister of the Ministry of Rites and the scholar of Dongge University.
Zhang Si knew that he had suffered from worsening ulcers, was very ugly, and was greedy for money and immoral. He had been in the cabinet for four years and had done nothing. After less than a year in the position of chief minister, he was impeached and resigned and returned home.
This man was immoral, not only because he was doing nothing in the court, but also in order to seize the family property, Zhang Sizhi deceived his younger brother into drunkenness and secretly pressed his fingerprints, causing his younger brother Zhang Siwei to leave home in anger.
He was even more incompetent in educating his son. His son was arrested and killed by a county magistrate named Yao in his hometown during the Wanli period because of his neglect of discipline and neglect of discipline. However, he spread his grievances against the local officials, gentry and people, causing trouble in the countryside.
In the glorious Ming Dynasty, such a person came to the palace to worship the prime minister, colluded with the eunuchs at home, controlled the court affairs externally, suppressed dissidents, and accepted bribes. How could he inspire the government, fight against the powerful externally, and surrender the traitors internally?
As Wang Dehua sent the impeachment memorial to Zhang Sizhi, the chief minister of the cabinet, he leaned over to take it with a respectful expression and unfolded it to look at it carefully.
It turned out that it was the censor Fang Tongzhou who impeached Zhang Cheng for three major crimes in the memorial:
First, Zhang Cheng was impeached for seizing military farmland on Xuanzhen North Road, oppressing military households, privately collecting commercial taxes, and greedy for money and goods;
Second, Zhang Cheng was impeached for killing Xue Liangqing, the military attache of Kaiping Guards on the North Road in Xuanzhen, and Zhang Guowei, the deputy commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town;
Secondly, when Zhang Cheng was impeached to assist in the suppression of Henan, he stayed behind and took concubines before the battle, which resulted in Luoyang falling into the hands of thieves and sealing the vassalship in trouble.
At the end of the impeachment chapter, Fang Tongzhou also concluded that Zhang Cheng was loyal on the outside but treacherous on the inside. He was the first crime responsible for the fall of Luoyang and the disaster of Fu Fan. If he did not kill such a vicious, lustful and money-seeking person, it would not be enough to anger the people!
After reading it, Zhang Sizhi shook his head gently and said lightly: "The views of a scholar are just the words of a corrupt Confucian."
Chen Yan, the cabinet minister who had remained unchanged for thousands of years, took the impeachment seal from his hand, and passed it to Wei Zhaocheng, the scholar of Dongge University, without saying a word.
Finally, it was passed to Chen Xinjia, Secretary of the Ministry of War. When he first saw Emperor Chongzhen being furious after seeing the impeachment chapter, he thought it was Fang Tongzhou who acted daringly or impeached His Majesty for the sake of reputation.
After seeing Gai Zhang, he calmed down and secretly cursed the censor named Fang Tongzhou for being ignorant of current affairs.
Today's Ming Dynasty is in the midst of internal and external troubles. Although the treatment of generals has not been significantly improved, the court's attitude towards them is extremely ambiguous.
I want to put some pressure on you, but I am also afraid that the slap will be too harsh and will lead to the serious danger of alienation. Therefore, the disposal of the generals in charge of the troops in various places has always been a top priority. How can I allow you, a little censor, to fiddle with right and wrong.
Unless a general made a big mistake, or his troops were completely defeated, he would become a victim used by the imperial court to scare the monkeys.
Not to mention, tens of thousands of Zhang Cheng's orthodox troops are currently fighting for the imperial court on the front line of Jinzhou, and have repeatedly achieved special honors. At this critical moment for the imperial court to employ people, not to mention how to comfort and encourage you, you, a little censor, are impeaching Zhang Cheng at this time. ?
Furthermore, the three items of impeachment have already been concluded by the imperial court. Not only the ministers in the cabinet are aware of it, but even the current emperor is aware of it and has made the conclusion in precise words.
You said that you, a little censor, dare to come into this muddy water and think about overturning the emperor's opinion. Not to mention the authenticity of the impeachment content, as long as Zhang Cheng is punished at this time, who can guarantee that it will not affect the Jinzhou front line? of that war.
What's more, if Zhang Cheng is being criticized at this moment, wouldn't it mean that Emperor Chongzhen would have to admit that he had misjudged the situation and made the wrong decision?
This matter may involve the face of the Tian family, and a slight negligence will endanger the prestige of Emperor Chongzhen, and even put the Ming Dynasty, which is already in danger...
Chen Xinjia did not dare to think about it anymore. He held the impeachment seal tightly in his hand, bowed and said carefully: "Your Majesty, the current war in Liaodong is at a critical moment. Loyal and brave soldiers are bleeding on the battlefield. You must not let your loyal ministers and good generals die. The heart of serving the country with great devotion.
emperor! "
The more Chen Xinjia talked, the more excited he became, and he knelt down and knelt down repeatedly.
At this moment, Emperor Chongzhen's anger had subsided a lot, and the light in his eyes was no longer there, returning to its former dullness. He ignored Chen Xinjia, who was kneeling on the ground, and instead turned his attention to the first assistant, Zhang Sizhi, and the second assistant. Chen Yan.
Zhang Sizhi naturally knew that he couldn't escape this time. He glanced at Chen Yan, the second assistant beside him, with the corner of his eye, but saw that he lowered his eyebrows and looked down, as if an old monk was in trance.
As the chief minister of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Sizhi also knew that he had to express his position at this moment. After he had just read the memorial to impeach Zhang Cheng, he was thinking about it in his head, but he still dared not decide whether this Fang Tongzhou was the His own disciple?
Or maybe one of my fellow countrymen? Does he have anything to do with me?
But the reality did not allow him to think too much. How could Zhang Sizhi dare to keep Emperor Chongzhen waiting for a long time? He hurriedly knelt on the ground and said: "I think that Fang Yushi made arrogant comments on military and political affairs, deliberately disrupting the morale of the army and damaging our military in Liaodong. "
When he said this, he suddenly continued: "I suggest that this scholar and madman be taken to the prison of the Zhenfu Division and tortured severely to see if he has any remaining members in the court and whether he has any connections with the bandits outside the Great Wall!"
After hearing what he said, Wang Dehua's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became frightened. If he hadn't been by the king's side, he might have rushed up and beaten Zhang Sizhi.
He gnashed his teeth with hatred and thought to himself: How long has it been since you didn't know how to lead the trouble to the outside, but you dumped the blame on the East Factory? I think you, Zhang Sizhi, are also tired of living?
Everyone knows in their hearts that since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the practice of introducing people to get guilty has been frowned upon. Many censors and officials spoke openly in front of the emperor, but they really had the intention of betraying themselves and seeking glory.
But even so, how many people were imprisoned in Dongzhen Fusi because of it?
Even the powerful Eunuch Wei Zhongxian never dared to directly bring the Yanguan Yushi who had petitioned for impeachment to the prison of the Zhenfu Division for torture and torture. He only had to take him down on other pretexts before he could be disposed of.
Although Wang Dehua felt uneasy, he had been with the emperor for a long time and naturally understood Emperor Chongzhen better than others. Although his emperor was mean and ungrateful, he was extremely concerned about his reputation.
Therefore, he guessed that the emperor would never send Fang Tongzhou, the censor, to the prison of Zhenfusi for torture just because of such an impeachment letter. But even so, he was already jealous of Zhang Sizhi.
Wei Zhaocheng, the minister of the Ministry of Industry and a scholar of Dongge University, saw that Chen Yan, the second assistant, was still in meditation. It seemed that everything that happened in Dongge had nothing to do with him. He couldn't help but admire his concentration in his heart, but At the same time, a hint of contempt arose.
The atmosphere in the East Pavilion was extremely dull. Although he didn't want to show up, Wei Zhaocheng didn't have Chen Yan's inhuman determination. He always felt that His Majesty the Emperor was staring at him, but he was only uneasy in his heart. Dare to look up and take a look.
"Your Majesty, I feel that most of the things that Fang Yushi impeached Zhang Cheng are based on rumors. Although Zhang Cheng is not very old, he is mature and capable, loyal and diligent in the king's affairs, drove away captives and bandits, and made many military exploits.
Such a fierce general is a talent that is urgently needed by the Zhengguo Dynasty. Today, the division is aiding Jinzhou and has made new achievements. In order to make Zhang Cheng brave in front of the battle, he should be commended.
The minister suggested that Zhang Cheng should be succeeded as the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town, so as to correct his name, make him serve his orders in front of the battle, and become a model for the three armies! "
After listening to Wei Zhaocheng's words, Emperor Chongzhen's complexion gradually recovered, no longer as flushed as before, and returned to a sallow color.
Chen Yan still lowered his eyebrows and lowered his head, but he seemed to understand everything. It was only then that he opened his mouth and said: "Your Majesty, I think that the most urgent task is to comfort the officials and generals in Liaodong. As for what Fang Tongzhou said about impeaching Zhang Cheng, I think it is groundless and there is no need to pay attention to it." he is the one."
Emperor Chongzhen nodded gently, his tone returned to normal, and he said softly: "Everyone, get up and talk."
The ministers quickly thanked Huang Enhao and stood up one after another, but they did not dare to take their seats for a while.
Chongzhen ignored them and said: "Hong Chengchou commanded well, dispatched in an orderly manner, and combined with the generals in Liaodong to take orders in front of the battle line, this great victory can be achieved. Regarding rewards for meritorious personnel and compensation for fallen soldiers, the Ministry of War will discuss it as soon as possible. Delay!"
Chen Xinjia hurriedly stood up and kowtowed: "My lord, I obey your order!"
"The consecutive victories in Liaodong show that Hong Aiqing is indeed a loyal and diligent king. I am very relieved. I hope that he can inspire the morale of the army and take advantage of this great victory to rebuild the slaves again to break the Jin siege."
"My lord, I obey the order."
After that, we discussed some military matters in Liaodong and the local suppression of bandits in Henan and Huguang. In the end, we returned to the issue of grain, grass and money. There was war everywhere, and money and grain were demanded everywhere. The Ministry of Household Affairs was already in dire straits and was unable to maintain...
In this way, no one mentioned Fang Tongzhou's impeachment letter against Zhang Cheng again. Everyone knew that the emperor neither wanted to deal with Fang Tongzhou, nor would he convict Zhang Cheng because of Fang Tongzhou's impeachment letter.
In fact, Zhang Cheng bought Fang Tongzhou's impeachment seal with his own money.
"Every tree that is beautiful in the forest will be destroyed by the wind!"
How could Zhang Cheng, a man of two generations, not know this truth? That's why he sent a secret letter to Yu Shangyou, the censor, asking him to find someone to impeach him. Money is not an issue.
This kind of self-defeating thing has been used by many great talents in history. Zhang Cheng naturally knows that it is just the imitation of others, and Handan's learning is just like this.
If you use it well, it’s a joke; if you use it well, it’s a boost!
…………
At noon today, the Ministry of War's memorandum and imperial edict were delivered to the Songshan front line at the same time. Apart from commendations, the only substantive content was that Zhang Cheng temporarily took over the post of commander-in-chief of Xuanfu Town and unified command of Xuanfu Town's troops and horses assisting the Liao Dynasty.
The rewards and pensions for meritorious generals will be unified and assessed after the war, and then rewards will be awarded based on merit.
However, the reason why the eunuch who delivered the edict only arrived was because he had brought 20,000 taels of silver with him, so it was difficult to travel. The imperial edict stated that the silver was used to reward meritorious sergeants.
Another thing is to urge the battle!
Both the imperial edict and the Ministry of War's memorandum had only two contents. In addition to the reward, it was to urge the war. Hong Chengchou was required to boost the morale of the army, take advantage of the victory, and quickly relieve the siege of Jinzhou.
Therefore, Hong Chengchou hurriedly summoned all the officials and generals to receive the imperial edict. After that, everyone first congratulated Zhang Cheng on his promotion to the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town.
Although it was only a temporary replacement, everyone knew very well that after the Songjin War, the position of the chief military officer of Xuanfu Town was destined to be Zhang Cheng's.
Xuanfu Town is known as the head of the Nine Borders. It has always been a battleground for military strategists and its strategic position is very important.
Ming Cheng Daosheng said in "Nine Side Maps": "The mountains and rivers of Xuanfu are disputed, and the land is dangerous and narrow. The generals built in separate villages are twice as large as other towns. Therefore, they are known as easy to defend because of their strong momentum. However, it is only four hundred miles away from the capital. Wherever the lock and key are sent, the vital point can be known.”
Xuanfu Town has a chief military officer who guards Xuanfu, stationed in Xuanfu Town, and the chief military officer of Xuanfu is also one of the few generals with seals in the Ming Dynasty.
Among the nine important towns, there are only six who are truly qualified to be called generals. They are:
The chief military officer of Datong is called the general before the expedition to the west;
The chief military officer in Liaodong is called the former general who conquered the captives;
The chief military officer of Xuanfu was called General Zhenshuo;
The chief military officer of Gansu is called General Pingqiang;
The chief military officer of Ningxia is called General Zhengxi;
The commander-in-chief of Yansui is called the General of Zhenxi;
Among the nine major towns, there are only six who are qualified to be called generals. Among these six military towns, only two can be named with the word "zhen" as their generals. Their specifications are obviously higher than The names of generals starting with the characters "Zheng" and "平".
Just say that there are now more than a dozen generals of the Ming Dynasty gathered on the front line of Songjin in Liaodong. Only Yang Guozhu, Wang Pu, and Zu Dashou, who are trapped in Jinzhou City, are the real guard generals with the title of imperial court. .
Besides, Zhang Cheng was originally the Deputy Chief Soldier of the Xuanfu Town, and when Henan was suppressing bandits, he had already been granted the title of Chief Soldier of the Support and Suppression Forces. Now, although he is temporarily acting as the Chief Military Officer of the Xuanfu Town Guard.
But everyone knows very well that this position basically belongs to Zhang Cheng, unless he sacrifices his life for the country in Liaodong, or he makes a big mistake, or shrinks from the battle and is afraid of the enemy.
But everyone knows in their hearts, how could these situations happen to Zhang Cheng?
Unless Liaodong's military collapses, but if that happens, who will not retreat? If they don't retreat, they are likely to die in this battle. After all, life is more important to them.
In fact, if it really comes to that point, it doesn't matter whether the soldiers are in charge or not. After all, only by living can you realize your ambitions, eat well, drink hot food, and enjoy the pleasure of a beautiful wife and concubine!
After the officials respectfully sent the angel off to rest, and after congratulating Zhang Cheng on his promotion to the commander-in-chief, they all walked into the main hall of the governor of Jiliao in Songshan Fort City.
Although everyone's rewards have not been received yet, everyone knows in their hearts that everyone's contributions have been recorded in the books, and they are waiting for the unified rewards after the war, so they naturally feel happy.
Of course, there are cases like Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming who failed to advance in the previous war and were not recorded in the merit books, but who can be blamed for this?
His own troops were weak and lacked training, so naturally he would not be able to make a difference in the war. Fortunately, he was sent to take care of the food, grass and baggage. As long as the Liaodong war was not a huge defeat, he would suffer a huge defeat.
His job of guarding the grain road will bring some military merit to him!
There are also some lucky people, such as Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan Pass. He regained Rufeng Mountain without any effort. He was simply following the Tatar thieves and gained military exploits for nothing.
