Wang Chengen saw that Emperor Chongzhen had no intention of stopping him, so he continued: "Guanyong Ningbo's performance since he was King Qin for the eleventh year, he repeatedly fought against slaves and thieves, and was not afraid of cowardice. He fought against giant deer, killed Ma Zhan and Yue Tuo, which shows that His bravery is indeed 'the best among the three armies'.
He returned to Xuan Town, trained elite soldiers, and was ordered to assist in the suppression of Henan, save the prince of Fu Domain, and relieve the danger of sealing. Wherever he went, rogue bandits gave way and the people were peaceful, which shows his ability.
Next, he sent aid to Liaodong, and repeatedly won the victory before the generals. He even killed the slave king Duduo in battle. He fought for many years. Not only did he not complain, but he also took the lead bravely and made special achievements many times, which shows his loyalty! "
Emperor Chongzhen looked thoughtful after listening to Wang Chengen's words. After a long time, he softly uttered a sentence, which almost made Wang Chengen paralyzed to the ground.
"Someone told me that Zhang Cheng might have 'the heart of An Lushan'!"
When Wang Chengen heard this, he couldn't help being startled. He also shuddered slightly in his heart. Just now, he had personally praised Zhang Cheng's "loyalty, courage, and ability", but in the blink of an eye, he was slapped in the face by Emperor Chongzhen.
It is a matter of life and death, isn’t it a trivial matter?
Wang Cheng'en, the eunuch who was the Supervisor of Ceremonies and the Admiral of Dongchang, had been with the emperor for a long time, so he knew Emperor Chongzhen's temper and temperament very well. Although he was still kneeling on the ground, not even daring to breathe, but in his mind But it's running fast.
First of all, he felt that Zhang Cheng was indeed a man who was loyal to the emperor and served the country. Although there were rumors that he was quite arrogant and domineering, but what capable person didn't have a little temper?
At least he, Zhang Cheng, behaved well in front of the emperor and himself, and could resolutely and thoroughly carry out the emperor's orders. What's more, he and Emperor Chongzhen just saw Zhang Cheng outside the Meridian Gate with their own eyes, and he still did not forget to kowtow and thank him.
This shows that he is still very afraid of the emperor's authority and etiquette, unlike some people who pretend to be very obedient and obedient in front of the emperor, but return to normal as soon as they go outside, and they can deceive others.
With this in mind, Wang Chengen cautiously opened his mouth to defend: "Your Majesty, according to my observations, Uncle Yongning is still loyal to your Majesty. How can he be compared with a treasonous traitor like An Lushan?"
When he said this, he stopped talking and did not continue. Instead, he peeked at Emperor Chongzhen's face. When he saw that he had no expression and his face remained the same as usual, and there was no change, he felt a little at ease.
Wang Chengen also guessed from this that Emperor Chongzhen was not dissatisfied with Zhang Cheng in his heart, but Zhang Cheng had indeed risen too fast in the past few years, and Emperor Chongzhen could not help but be secretly worried about this.
And if anyone talks nonsense in front of the emperor at this time, the consequences will be terrible!
Thinking about it now, Wang Chengen finally wanted to understand why when the emperor met Uncle Yongning today, although the emperor treated him as favorably as before, with generous rewards and sharing meals, his expression was quite cold, and his words There are also some knocking words.
After careful consideration, he roughly guessed that it must be several senior ministers in the cabinet who were dissatisfied with the fact that Zhang Cheng, as a military general, was awarded a title for his military merits. This was the crux of the civil-military dispute.
Since the Tumubao Incident, the strength of the martial arts hero group has been greatly reduced, while the civil servants have become increasingly stronger. The result is that "civilians are respected but military officials are inferior", and it is no longer rare to see knighthoods based on martial arts merit.
Even Qi Jiguang, the military god of the Ming Dynasty, only moved to the position of Zuodudu, Shaobao and Prince Taibao based on his military exploits. Although he was given the posthumous title "Wu Yi" after his death, he had no chance of being awarded a title.
Although Li Chengliang was named Ning Yuanbo because he had been in Liaodong for a long time and his martial arts were extremely prosperous, it was like a flash in the pan after all and could not represent the improvement of the military general's status.
The titles of Shi Heng, Zhang Fu, Zhang Shi and others had nothing to do with their military achievements. They were all awarded for planning and launching the coup to seize the gate and supporting the restoration of the Yingzong.
During his lifetime, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, had already stipulated that "No titles will be granted unless they have meritorious military service, and no title will be granted unless it is for special purposes."
Therefore, in the Ming dynasty, there were very few cases where civil servants were ennobled. It is precisely because of this that after civil servants gradually gained power, they tried their best to prevent military officials from being ennobled because they were not allowed to do so, and continued to suppress the status of military officials, thus This allowed the civil servant group to control the state affairs.
Now, most of the court elders in the dynasty are jealous of Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, and have further committed crimes against Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng.
In fact, in the final analysis, it was still a factional dispute within the civil service group, because Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, was only a civil servant, not a Jinshi, and he was not even a Jinshi.
And which of the elders in the court was not a Jinshi? Just because of their background, they collectively looked down on Chen Xinjia. Not only did they strongly oppose and prevent Chen Xinjia from joining the cabinet, but they even blocked Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng, who Chen Xinjia had supported. I hate it in my heart.
In order to attack Chen Xinjia, they wanted to find a breakthrough in Zhang Cheng, so they compared Zhang Cheng to An Lushan, a rebellious official of the Tang Dynasty, in front of Emperor Chongzhen.
In the eyes of these bastards, all talk of family and country, loyalty to the king and patriotism are all fucking bullshit. Only the power in their hands and the interests of their family are the most important.
They don't care whether Zhang Cheng is the pillar of the country, or what impact it will have on the Ming Dynasty if Zhang Cheng is really forced to rebel?
Anyway, the Ming Dynasty belongs to the Zhu family, and the world belongs to the people of the world. Only the power in their hands and the interests of the family belong to them!
How could Wang Chengen not understand the little thoughts of these decadent literati?
However, some words are difficult to say clearly in front of Emperor Chongzhen, and it also depends on the emperor's mood and whether he likes to hear it before he can continue.
Now that he saw the emperor reacting like this, Wang Chengen felt a little more confident. He thought about it secretly in his heart, and then slowly said: "Your Majesty, Yong Ningbo is young and has little experience in the civil and military circles of the Manchu Dynasty. After all, he suddenly Obtaining a high position will inevitably arouse jealousy in some people, leading to slander."
Wang Chengen's words were very clever. He did not mention whether Zhang Cheng was loyal or traitor at all, but very cleverly shifted the focus of the problem to the jealousy of the cabinet ministers, and the malicious slander caused by jealousy.
Sure enough, after hearing Wang Chengen's words, Emperor Chongzhen couldn't help but turn around and look at Wang Chengen who was kneeling on the ground with doubtful eyes. After a moment, he said calmly: "Wang Daban, get up and talk."
After hearing these words, Wang Chengen felt a big stone fall in his heart. He had been with the emperor for many years, so he naturally knew the temper of Emperor Chongzhen. Now that he could call him up, he had listened to what he just said.
He also knew that today's conversation was very crucial. Although it might not be able to decide the life or death of Yong Ning Bo and Zhang Cheng, a little carelessness might completely affect his honor and favor in front of the emperor.
Although Wang Chengen has been with Emperor Chongzhen since he was a child, he has entrusted all his body and mind to Emperor Chongzhen. He is loyal to him and does not care much about his own honor and favor.
But regarding the matter of Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng, if he was not careful, a mishandled matter would be related to the fate of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, he did not want to see the ill-fated Ming Dynasty and deepen the suffering.
Because, all of this will eventually fall on his master, Emperor Zhu Youjian of the Ming Dynasty, which is what Wang Chengen cannot tolerate the most.
Although Emperor Chongzhen only told him to stand up, the meaning behind his words was very obvious. Even if he was asked to continue speaking, Wang Chengen would not show any pretense in front of the emperor and he would stand up immediately.
But because he had been kneeling for a long time, his legs were slightly numb. The moment he stood up, he unconsciously fell to the ground again. He quickly realized what was going on and knelt down to the ground again, kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty." , please forgive me for saying this bluntly, because I am not a Jinshi, I have always been looked down upon by the cabinet ministers. Not only have I been constrained in political and military matters, but I have also been sarcastic and critical of my decisions from time to time."
Although Wang Chengen had already received a hint from the emperor to let him continue speaking, he was still cautious. He would pause slightly after every sentence to observe the changes in Emperor Chongzhen's face.
It can be seen that there is a reason for being able to stay with the emperor for a long time and for the unfailing grace of the emperor. Not only must one try to figure out the holy heart, but one must always pay attention to the emperor's face and the tone of his words.
At this moment, he saw that the emperor was not unhappy, so he dared to continue: "Your Majesty, these are state affairs, especially those involving employees. I shouldn't say much, but they are slandering Zhongliang and deceiving the Emperor. I dare not remain silent."
Emperor Chongzhen looked at Wang Chengen with gentle eyes. After hearing this, a ray of light suddenly shot out from his eyes and he said in a deep voice: "Who are they? Where are they framed? Where are the deceptive words?"
Although Emperor Chongzhen's questions seemed aggressive, Wang Chengen was not panicked at all, because he knew that the initiative had been taken back by him, and the following things would be easier to handle.
"Have you forgotten that when Yang Ge was here, the courtiers made many criticisms? The root cause is that they were dissatisfied with Yang Ge's exclusive favor and were jealous, so they did this.
Now, the same is true for my soldier Chen Xinjia. He ascended the throne and entered the cabinet as a minister, and was favored by the emperor. What should all the cabinet ministers think?
They couldn't find the reason for Chen Xinjia, so they poured out their resentment and resentment on Uncle Yongning, falsely accusing Uncle Yongning of being the Anlu Mountain of the Tang Dynasty. Then who were Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and others, and who was Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty? "
Wang Chengen boldly spoke out the words in his heart in one breath. Although he had no intention of getting involved in the factional disputes among the courtiers, when he went to Liaodong to supervise the war, he also exaggerated his sincerity and bravery in front of Emperor Chongzhen. .
Especially when he just spoke highly of Zhang Cheng's "loyalty, courage, and ability", but at this moment Emperor Chongzhen said that classic saying, asking him how he could not do it for Zhang Cheng. Are you arguing?
If Wang Chengen did not argue for Zhang Cheng, then he would be suspected of dereliction of duty in supervising the battle in Liaodong, and he could not explain the praise he just gave to Zhang Cheng.
The most important thing is Wang Chengen's true feelings. He has deep thoughts about several ministers in the imperial court, so he has such actions and words.
However, his words did capture the key points and the pain points of Emperor Chongzhen, especially the sentence "Who is Tang Xuanzong again?"
Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was Li Longji, the Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. He was the grandson of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in history. His biological father was Li Dan. He was not only the founder of the Tang Dynasty's prosperous age, but also the initiator of the Tang Dynasty's transition from prosperity to decline!
Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty worked hard to govern the Tang Dynasty in the early days. He appointed Yao Chong, Song Jing and other sage ministers, and made great achievements. In one fell swoop, he created the "Kaiyuan Era" known as the most prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty.
These are actually in line with Emperor Chongzhen's wishes. If Tang Xuanzong's life ended at this time, maybe he would also become a reference template for Emperor Chongzhen's life goals.
However, in the later period of his reign, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty favored his imperial concubine Yang Yuhuan, indulged in pleasure, became extremely extravagant in life, and became politically corrupt. He neglected government affairs and favored the treacherous ministers Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong as prime ministers.
He even reused An Lushan and other ethnic generals outside the Great Wall in an attempt to use them to stabilize the Tang Dynasty's borders, which resulted in the "An-Shi Rebellion" that later occurred.
In the end, the Tang Dynasty ushered in eight years of war, which depleted the national destiny and popular sentiment accumulated during the prosperous Kaiyuan era, causing the Tang Dynasty to turn from prosperity to decline, laying the groundwork for its final demise.
When Tang Xuanzong himself was on the run, he was forced into the palace by his son Tang Suzong and became the "Top Emperor" of the Tang Dynasty. Although he returned to Chang'an from Chengdu after Anlu Mountain was annihilated, he was still under house arrest in the Ganlu Hall of Taiji Palace. He was depressed and joyless all day long until he died of illness.
Wang Chengen knew in his heart that Emperor Chongzhen had always compared himself to Yao and Shun, so how could he be willing to be framed as Tang Xuanzong who turned the Tang Empire from prosperity to decline?
Sure enough, after Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he was immediately furious. His wide eyes were bloodshot, and he gasped and asked sharply: "You... you say... who is Li Linfu, who is Yang Guozhong, who... Who is Tang Xuanzong again?"
Wang Chengen knew that today's incident had been avoided. He fell to the ground, kowtowed like a chicken pecking at rice, and kept saying: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, Your Majesty, please spare my life..."
After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief. He sighed and said, "I can't blame you for this. Please get up first."
Wang Chengen was prepared this time. He stood up slowly with his hands on the ground. He first let his legs get some relief before standing up completely. Even so, he still felt that his legs were numb and shaking, but he could only He tried his best not to fall down again.
He looked at the extremely emotional Emperor Chongzhen and suddenly felt a sadness in his heart. He couldn't help but said: "Your Majesty, when the country employs people, it should be said that people should be employed without doubt and those who are doubtful should not be used. You must not make loyal and brave generals bleed and shed tears." !”
At this time, Emperor Chongzhen gradually regained his composure. He had just been reminded by Wang Chengen and felt a sudden enlightenment. Now Wang Chengen's words made him feel like he was enlightened.
But at this moment, he still kept a straight face and said nothing, and walked into the Qianqing Palace with long strides. Wang Chengen had to follow closely behind him, and they entered the main hall of the Qianqing Palace together.
Emperor Chongzhen stopped at the imperial desk, turned around suddenly and said, "Chen Xinjia is here to see me!"
