As we all know, Gao Gong, the chief minister of the cabinet of the Longqing Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, was originally from Hongdong County, Shanxi.
Zhang Siwei, who succeeded Zhang Juzheng, a famous minister of the Wanli Dynasty, as the chief minister of the cabinet, also had a military background in Puzhou County, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi. His family had a strong background as a salt merchant.
Similarly, Wang Chonggu, who served as governor of Sanbian and Xuanda during the Longqing Dynasty, was also a native of Puzhou County, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi, and his family also had a strong background as a salt merchant.
Then, Zhang Siwei was related by marriage to Yang Bo, Wang Guoguang and others.
Yang Bo, a native of Puzhou County, Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi Province, served in the Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli dynasties, serving as an official to the Ministry of Civil Service, Shangshu and Taifu; Wang Guoguang, a native of Yangcheng County, Zezhou Prefecture, Shanxi Province, served three Ming emperors like Yang Bo , held important positions such as the Secretary of the Ministry of Households and the Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel.
Their families also belong to the merchant line in Shanxi.
In addition, Governor Wang Chonggu's father Wang Yao, uncle Wang Xian, eldest brother Wang Chongyi, younger brother Wang Chongxun, uncle Shen Tingzhen, brother-in-law Shen Jiang and others are also businessmen.
Zhang Siwei's uncle Zhang Xialing, younger brother Zhang Sijiao, father-in-law Wang En and others were also well-known Shanxi businessmen. Zhang Siwei's official career was inseparable from their strong support, so that he could reach the high position of chief minister.
Zhang Siwei's family is married to Wang Chonggu. Zhang Siwei's mother is Wang Chonggu's second sister, so Wang Chonggu is also Zhang Siwei's uncle.
Wang Chonggu's eldest sister married Shen Jiang, the eldest son of Shen Tingzhen, a salt merchant who lived in Puzhou. At the same time, Zhang Siwei's three younger sisters-in-law came from the Wang, Li and Fan families of Shanxi's giant businessmen at that time.
One of Zhang Siwei's daughters-in-law was the granddaughter of Yang Pu, the chief minister of the cabinet in four dynasties. Zhang Siwei's daughter was married to Ma Chun, son of Ma Ziqiang, a cabinet minister in the Wanli Dynasty and Minister of Rites, and Ma Ziqiang's brother. Ma Zixiu is also a famous businessman in Shaanxi, and his family is also a major business gang in Shaanxi.
Such a complicated relationship is just the tip of the iceberg, it is enough to spin people's heads, and there are more than tens of millions of big businessmen in the world today?
These aristocratic families established by marriage were perfectly integrated through political and business marriages. They used money to support official activities and promotions, and then used official power to open the way for merchants to do business, and also acted as a protective umbrella.
Shanxi merchants have already extended their hands to all directions. They have a network of stakeholder relationships in the three towns of Xuanda, and even in the capital, the court, and the palace.
It can be said that when one side suffers, all parties support, and when there is difficulty elsewhere, they support!
…………
In history, for example, during the Longqing Peace Conference, Shanxi's Shanxi merchant family asked Wang Chonggu and Zhang Siwei, who were closely related to it, and even persuaded the current cabinet minister Zhang Juzheng and others.
Strongly opposed the hardliners led by Wu Shangxian, Ye Mengxiong and others, and blocked the idea of military attack, and advocated a good relationship with Mongolia instead of taking military action. Afterwards, through mutual trade, the Shanxi Merchant Group once again gained huge wealth, and its power became increasingly powerful. Strong.
It is precisely because of such a huge power and carefully woven network of relationships that the Eight Shanyou Families entrenched in Zhangjiakou are confident and do not take Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng seriously.
Of course, if you think about it deeply, Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku and other eight people on the right side of the mountain may not be the spokespersons of the interests of the forces behind them. They are like modern white gloves.
"There are too many traitors, and their connections are wide. Killing them all the way, I'm afraid there will be rivers of blood, and there won't be many officials and generals left in Xuanda San Town..."
Putting down the love documents in his hand, Liu Minshen said something worried. It was obvious that he was worried about Zhang Cheng.
Yes, if we really kill them all the way, no matter how we defend ourselves in the end, we will be framed by people with ulterior motives. They can openly declare that "Zhang Cheng rebelled"!
In this way, Uncle Yongning will immediately become a rebellious official and traitor of the Ming Dynasty, and he will also lose his reputation as a righteous man and become accessible to everyone to punish him.
There are also three Ming princes in Shanxi, namely King Jin who was sealed in Taiyuan, King Dai of Datong, and King Shen of Luzhou.
The Ming Dynasty raised the feudal lords like pigs. Therefore, when they were bored, in addition to vigorously cultivating future generations, they also made money everywhere. Many industries in Xuanda, especially Shanxi and Datong, had their interests. shares.
Even participating in border trade smuggling is not a problem. For them, the country belongs to the emperor, and it is the emperor's business to resist foreign enemies. They only care about making money and don't care about the life and death of the country.
Could it be that this time, Uncle Yongning really wanted to kill these feudal kings?
If they really kill all the generals all the way, there may not be many officials left in the Three Kingdoms of Xuanda. If this is the case, Zhang Cheng will be the life and death enemy of countless privileged classes. Perhaps all the gentry and officials of the Ming Dynasty will regard Zhang Cheng as Bi Chuang. Thieves and thieves are more terrifying enemies.
From now on, if he is slightly careless and makes a mistake, he will be dead and his entire clan will be wiped out!
Wu Zhizhong stood up suddenly, shook the iron hook in his right hand, and said angrily like an island captain: "Afraid of a ball, are these traitors more fierce than the Tatars?
Who else in the world is the opponent of my brave army? Rather than leaving these dirty guys to cause trouble for us, it would be better to kill them all now and rest in peace in the future. "
After he finished speaking, he added: "Just as the commander-in-chief said when he was in Yongning City, only with the power of thunder can we break the clouds and sun and restore the prosperity of Xuanfu."
Lin Fangping also stood up and said loudly: "Yes, the general agrees with General Wu's opinion. Kill these traitors as soon as possible so as not to worry about them."
Veterans Guo Yingxian and Wei Zhice both shook their heads, and Guo Yingxian even said: "It's still justifiable to kill only a few military attachés. If you kill an official of the imperial court, it's tantamount to 'rebellion.'"
Counselor Liu Minshen also stood up and saluted, and said: "Uncle, there is a saying that 'if the name is not correct, the words will not be correct'. At present, the uncle is only the chief military officer of Xuanzhen. He cannot control Shanxi and Datong in the first place, not to mention that there are many other places involved." local officials.
If we stretch our hands too long, we may be criticized by others. If this reaches the ears of the emperor, wouldn't it make the emperor suspicious of the uncle? It seems that the gain is not worth the loss! "
He continued: "One bite will not make you fat after all. It is better to make a big announcement slowly. The urgent task at hand is to try to narrow the attack area and only target the profiteers such as Fan Yongdou and Wang Dengku in Zhangjiakou."
As for the complex network of relationships behind them, if there is no fierce confrontation with our Yongyi Army head-on, it would be better not to leave them alone this round. After I have successfully managed the Xuanzhen area, I will then make plans for Datong and Shanxi towns. There is no need to act impatiently and disrupt our strategy. "
Wang Yuanjing also stood up and echoed: "Uncle, Yuanjing also very much agrees with Counselor Liu's proposal. We already have conclusive evidence in our hands that the profiteers in Shanyou are collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country. What's more, they even privately imitated the military tickets of our Yongyi Army. For this alone, our counterattack is a matter of course because we are famous.
As for the people behind the profiteers in Shanyou, it is not too late to try to deal with them in the future. Today we have in our hands the evidence of their collusion with the profiteers and slave traders. In the future, we can move forward or retreat as we please, and we will have the initiative. Always in our hands. "
Wei Zhice shook the intelligence document in his hand and said: "Even targeting the Shanyou profiteers who only target Zhangjiakou is still very difficult. Although most of them are in the Zhangjiakou fort, their roots are in Taiyuan Prefecture, Fenzhou and other places in Shanxi. But it is not a place that my brave army can actually control.
If we want to take action this time, we need to cut through the mess quickly. We need to capture the core figures in one fell swoop before they can react. Otherwise, the network behind them will definitely fight back with all their might, which will also be detrimental to us. , after all, what these officials and businessmen are best at is confusing right and wrong. "
Wang Dou just nodded. Everyone's reactions were completely as he expected. Although he had already made a decision, he still wanted to hear everyone's opinions.
At this time, the Chief Governor He Biao also spoke: "The traitorous businessman committed slavery and harmed the country. We will bring him to justice. Although it is inconsistent with the regulations of the imperial court, it is still justified.
However, if the officials and generals of the three towns of Xuanda involved are dealt with without reporting to the governor's Yamen, they may be suspected of being arrogant, so please think twice. "
Everyone said something to each other, and the atmosphere in the hall became more and more solemn. It was not a big deal to kill the traitors and profiteers. However, as He Biao said, the officials and generals behind these profiteers were difficult to deal with. Especially in Shanxi and Datong, we need to be more cautious.
Zhang Cheng had a solemn expression on his face. He waved his hand to call Zhang Chengfang and said to him: "This is a letter from General Wang Datong, please show it to everyone."
"Yes, handsome father."
As Zhang Chengfang spoke, he took out a lacquered letter from his arms and handed it to the chief governor He Biao who was sitting at the head. After he took it, he briefly read the beginning and then read it for everyone.
It turned out that Wang Pu had been advising his family member Wang Dayu not to follow Fan Yongdou, Wang Dengku and others to fight against Yong Ningbo. Others may not know Zhang Cheng's strength and temperament, but he, Wang Pu, knew it all too well.
So when Wang Muchen arrived in Datong Fucheng, he wrote a letter as soon as possible and asked Wang Muchen to bring it to Xuanfu immediately to meet with Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng to apologize.
In the letter, Wang Pu, in addition to reflecting on some small actions of Shanxi merchants, expressed his loyalty most importantly. All actions in Datong Town were entirely decided by Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng. He, Wang Pu, had no second thoughts and would always be with Yongning Bo. Keep it consistent, with the blade facing outward.
After Wei Zhice heard this, he couldn't help but ask: "Is there any news from Li Fuming in Shanxi?"
Zhang Cheng glanced at Zhang Chengfang and motioned for him to answer this question. After Zhang Chengfang understood it, he said: "General Li has expressed his position a long time ago. Shanxi Town and I, Xuan Town, are one, share life and death, and will never back down.
However, there was a deputy commander-in-chief in Shanxi Town, Xu Dingguo, who had some elite men under his command. He was also colluding with Shanyou's profiteers, making it difficult to deal with him. "
He continued: "Previously, Commander-in-Chief Father had sent someone to contact Jiang Mingwu, deputy commander-in-chief of Shanxi Province, and he also expressed his willingness to provide convenience for our Yongyi Army. However, due to his status, he could not directly send troops to help."
Lin Fangping then added: "There is still Liu Quan's battalion in Liaozhou, which can be of great use at this time."
He then asked: "Where have the two battalions of General Chen and General Zhang gone now?"
Zhang Chengfang replied: "Looking at the days, General Chen's White Tiger Camp should arrive near Taiyuan Fucheng, and General Zhang's Qinglong Camp should also pass Xinzhou."
"Stay."
Veteran General Guo Yingxian gave a high-five and said: "With these two battalions, plus the Liaozhou battalion, Taiyuan Prefecture and Fenzhou are at a loss. As the saying goes, 'hunting rabbits with grass', it is really smooth wind and smooth water." "
Wei Zhice said with a smile on the side: "This is exactly my uncle's strategy of 'false road to attack Guo'. The reason why we passed through Shanxi to aid Henan was a foreshadowing for what happened today."
"High, really high."
Guo Yingxian said excitedly: "In this way, we can kill these profiteers at their doorstep without anyone noticing."
There was a hint of hesitation on Wu Zhizhong's face, and he said: "It's just a place in Xuanzang, how can we act properly? Profiteers have good eyes and ears. If our army makes any slight movement, they will definitely be alarmed, but how can they hide it from others!"
Zhang Cheng smiled slightly and said: "You are a clown, a traitor who commits slavery and harms the country, but he thinks he is so powerful that he can cover the sky with one hand, and he acts like he has nothing to back him up, but in fact they are all fierce and evil people.
In Uncle Ben's mind, they could only barely be considered this! "
After Zhang Cheng finished speaking, he stretched out his left little finger, waved it in front of everyone's eyes, and tilted it downwards. Everyone in the hall burst into laughter, saying "Uncle's metaphor is very vivid."
Zhang Cheng continued: "Even if they have power, power, connections, connections, and backgrounds, so what? Do you think I can't deal with traitors like him?"
The expression on his face gradually became serious, and he added: "This action is imminent and has to be carried out. The property of the traitor and profiteer in Zhangjiakou Fort and their Shanxi headquarters will be confiscated."
Didn't they use fake military coupons to buy more than 200,000 taels of supplies from me? This time I want them to pay me back everything with interest. "
He looked at the officers and generals in the hall with blazing eyes, and continued in a stern tone: "In this operation, we will only arrest profiteers who commit slavery and harm the country. In addition to those who dare to obstruct our Yongyi Army's anti-corruption campaign in person, The rest of the people are not involved for the time being.
Three days later, it will be March 15th, and the three towns of Xuanda will take action together to attack the nests of profiteers in Zhangjiakou, Datong, Taiyuan, Jiexiu, Taigu, Pingyang and other places! "
"Everyone should pay attention to the fact that military discipline must be strictly observed during operations. When entering the city to arrest profiteers, you must not harass or plunder the place..."
Zhang Cheng continued solemnly: "Of course, when arresting profiteers and searching property, anyone who dares to resist or obstruct will be killed without mercy.
From officials to generals, to civilians, anyone who dares to stand in front of the army and prevent our Yongyi army from arresting traitors and traitors to the country will be killed on the spot! "
Everyone in the hall had finally waited for this day, and everyone looked excited. Only the chief governor, He Biao, said with a worried look: "Uncle, would you like to ask the ministers and governors for instructions beforehand, so as not to be impeached by the governors?" If I overstep my authority and focus on my responsibilities, I might be disadvantageous to my uncle."
"That's something I should consider. You don't need to worry about it. Just act in accordance with Uncle Ben's military orders!"
I’m sending my daughter to college and visiting Luoyang for a week. I’m asking for leave. I’ll update in early September!
(End of chapter)
