The Capital of the Ming Dynasty, the Forbidden City, in the Hundred Flowers Hall of the Imperial Garden.
Emperor Chongzhen showed a hint of joy on his face and blurted out: "What can Uncle Yongning do to resettle the common people?"
"Your Majesty, the people are actually the subjects of my Majesty. They are not willing to be thieves. It's just that the drought and locust plague have been going on for a long time. They have to do this in order to get a bite of food to survive."
Zhang Cheng did not get up this time. He sat firmly behind the food table, clasped his fists and saluted, and continued: "My lord, I have obtained a lot of grain from the raids on profiteers. Because of the need to send troops to Henan Province, I withheld it as military rations. From Xuanfu, Datong, Shanxi, to northern Henan.
I believe that although these grains are not enough to house hundreds of thousands of thieves, they may be able to alleviate some of the urgent needs, and the lack of grain in the imperial court does not mean that there is no grain in the Ming Dynasty..."
When Emperor Chongzhen heard this last sentence, his face showed surprise, and he quickly asked: "Uncle Yongning, why is it that the imperial government has no food, but I, the Ming Dynasty, have food... What does this mean?"
"Your Majesty, just like everywhere else, the official treasury of the Xuan Dynasty does not have much food, but the profiteers in Shanyou can hoard tens of thousands of dan, or even hundreds of thousands of dan, and even use it to smuggle slaves. "
When Zhang Cheng said this, he paused briefly, and after observing the change in the expression on Emperor Chongzhen's face, he continued: "So, I just said that the court has no food, not because I, the Ming Dynasty, have no food."
"Snapped……"
After Emperor Chongzhen heard this, he hit the food table in front of him hard and said angrily: "The profiteers are harming the country!"
"Your Majesty, I have requested that the gentry and officials of Henan Province donate money and grain to the imperial court in exchange for honors and titles. This will alleviate the urgent needs of Henan Province and save the imperial court the burden of transferring money and grain."
Zhang Cheng saw that Emperor Chongzhen hesitated for a while after hearing this, and then added: "Your Majesty, if you give him an official title, it should be a virtual title, not a real job. Although there is something wrong with the court etiquette, it can solve the urgent need." .
In the future, when the world is stable and the Ming Dynasty is revived, everyone in the world will praise Your Majesty's merits. Who else will remember such trivial things! "
When Emperor Chongzhen heard Zhang Cheng's words about "the peace of the world and the resurgence of the Ming Dynasty", a bright light flashed in his eyes, but he cherished his reputation very much and couldn't help but hesitate in his heart.
Seeing this, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng spoke again and said: "If your Majesty feels that this method is insulting to the dignity of the court, you might as well give the right to reward merits to your ministers, and let them do it conveniently in Henan Province and collect grain on the spot.
In this way, everyone in the world thinks that Zhang Cheng has abused his authority and will not insult the majesty of the Tian family! "
"Bold..."
Emperor Chongzhen's face was full of anger, and his eyes were glaringly looking at Uncle Dingyong Ning, which made Zhang Cheng's heart jump. He quickly stood up from his seat, came to the middle armrest and knelt down and said: "Your Majesty, I have no other intentions. I am sincere and all my thoughts and concerns are for my sake, please give me your Majesty’s advice!”
After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen sighed and said calmly: "That's all...that's all. I think of you as being sincere and loyal to the country, so I won't forget your sin of making a mistake."
After Zhang Cheng kowtowed and thanked him, he still knelt on the spot and did not get up. Upon seeing this, Emperor Chongzhen asked: "Zhang Cheng, what else do you want?"
"Your Majesty, I have one more request. I hope your Majesty will grant it."
"Say it."
"My lord, I boldly request your majesty to appoint Sun Chuanting as the governor of the three sides to rectify the military affairs of Shaanxi and prevent the bandits from escaping back to Shaanxi."
"It's Sun Chuanting again..."
After Emperor Chongzhen muttered, he leaned on the throne and closed his eyes to rest, ignoring Zhang Cheng and Chen Xinjia. It took about a puff of smoke before he opened his eyes and said: "Sun Chuanting is indeed a rare person who knows the military. , in the previous battle at Tongguanyuan, several generals were killed in rebellion, what a pity..."
Seeing that Emperor Chongzhen was ready to relent, Zhang Cheng hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "Your Majesty, although Sun Chuanting is a bit stubborn, he is indeed talented, especially good at military affairs. I would like to ask your majesty to appoint Sun Chuanting as the governor of the three sides and return him to Shaanxi. To rectify the Shaanxi army, first guard Tongguan to prevent the bandits from escaping, and when the time is right, we can join forces to encircle and suppress the bandits."
"Zhang Cheng, you strongly recommended Sun Chuanting, but you accepted a bribe from him, or maybe you have some other secret?"
There was a cold air in Emperor Chongzhen's words. Even Chen Xinjia and Wang Dehua on the side felt frightened, but they did not dare to come forward to explain Zhang Cheng, so they could only sweat secretly.
Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng kowtowed to the ground, as if pounding garlic, and argued hurriedly: "Your Majesty clearly knows that Zhang Cheng is loyal and loyal to the country with his life. He dare not hide any selfishness from your majesty. Even the grain obtained by Xuanda's inspection is not allowed." Dare to conceal anything, now I have reported it to the emperor, and I am more willing to use it to settle the hungry people in Henan Province.
Kuang Chen and Sun Chuanting had no other interactions except for being under his command during the eleventh year of King Qin. Even if he wanted to bribe his way to get resurrected, he could just go to the cabinet ministers, but no matter what, he couldn't find his ministers! "
Although Zhang Cheng guessed in his heart that Emperor Chongzhen would not take his life because of this at this moment. After all, he was still of great use to the country. However, he knew very well that Emperor Chongzhen was self-willed and self-willed, and he was also afraid that he would act impulsively. Take your own life.
At this time, he didn't even dare to raise his head, and then kowtowed and said hurriedly: "Your Majesty... I am purely recommending talents for the country, and there is absolutely no selfish intention... Your Majesty... Ming Jian... Your Majesty..."
"Okay, get up!"
The light in Emperor Chongzhen's eyes was gone, his face was completely relaxed, he showed a faint smile, and said with gentle words: "I know Uncle Yongning's loyalty to me, and I also believe that your recommendation of Sun Chuanting is indeed out of public interest. .
only……"
He pondered for a while and then said again: "Let's not discuss the matter of Sun Chuanting for the time being. I would like to ask you, how confident are you that this time we march into Henan to suppress the bandits? You can tell me the truth."
Zhang Cheng had already stood up in compliance with the order, but before returning to his seat, he bowed and saluted and replied: "Your Majesty, I dare to ensure that Kaifeng is safe. However, the thieves are cunning and have no fixed abode. They come and go like the wind." , it can plague several provinces for more than ten years and cannot be eradicated overnight.
We can only rely on the strong city of Kaifeng to dampen its vigor and try our best to cut off the stubborn bandits in its old camp, and then strengthen the defenses in Jinan, Shandong, Shanxi, Nanzhi, Huguang, Sichuan and Shaanxi, etc., to try to trap the bandits in Henan, and slowly plan for them. "
After hearing this, Emperor Chongzhen's eyes immediately dimmed. The only extravagant hope he had in his heart was shattered to pieces by Zhang Cheng's ruthless blow.
However, he also knew that everything Zhang Cheng said was true. Even if the invasion of Henan province went well and the thieves were successfully defeated by the high walls of Kaifeng City, they still could not be wiped out in one fell swoop.
"Yong Ningbo's words are indeed words to seek for the country."
Emperor Chongzhen sighed and said softly: "It's me... I'm asking too much..."
Seeing that the emperor no longer asked questions, Chen Xinjia and Zhang Cheng sat obediently on their chairs, not daring to move a little, and could only wait quietly. Zhang Cheng sat as steady as a mountain, and Chen Xinjia suffered. He only had less than five One-third of the buttocks are sitting firmly on the chair.
After a long time, Emperor Chongzhen came back to his senses and said calmly: "Kneel down, I am tired!"
…………
"Zhang Cheng, you were so rash just now."
As soon as the two of them left the palace, Chen Xinjia couldn't wait to scold Zhang Cheng: "I think you were a reckless person in your past behavior. Why are you suddenly so reckless today?"
Seeing that Zhang Cheng didn't answer, he continued to scold: "Zhongchen, you don't know the consequences of your nonsense. Why do you talk so much for Sun Chuanting?
If this displeases the Emperor Long Yan, it will not only bring disaster to you alone, but also to your relatives. Even I will be implicated by you. From now on, please be careful not to talk nonsense in front of the emperor and cause trouble to others. "
"My soldier cares deeply about Zhongchen, and what he said makes sense. Zhang Cheng was indeed a little reckless today."
Zhang Cheng's face was a little cold, but he continued in a gentle tone: "Sun Baigu is different from the wine bag and rice bag. He has real skills in dealing with bandits. I will never forget the name of 'Tong Guanyuan'." Fight.
Furthermore, since Zhang Cheng is loyal to the country, he is willing to accept the emperor's punishment, and he is responsible for one person's work. How can this affect my soldiers? Please don't worry about this. "
How could Chen Xinjia not hear the hint of impatience hidden in Zhang Cheng's words? He couldn't help but be stunned, but saw that Zhang Cheng did not stop and actually walked slowly in front of him.
His face was full of surprise and anger, but he did not dare to break out here. After all, Chen Xinjia, Minister of the Ministry of War, was experienced in officialdom for a long time. He quickly realized that he did not throw a fit on the spot, but quickly chased after him.
"Uncle Yongning, why are you so urgent, why are you walking like a cloud?"
"ah!"
After hearing this, Zhang Cheng immediately stopped and stared at Chen Xinjia as if he had just woken up. After a moment, he clasped his fists apologetically and said: "Zhang Cheng was only thinking about aiding Yu, but he didn't know when he had crossed over to our troops. , please forgive me!"
Chen Xinjia cursed him secretly in his heart: "You little beast, your wings feel stiff, do you want to fly solo?"
However, with his city, these words will only be hidden deep in his heart and will never appear on the surface. Chen Xinjia said with a smile on his face: "Hey. What did Uncle Yongning say? In fact, Fang Heng also knew that Sun Bai Gu Xiaobing He was good at strategy and had the ability to govern his subordinates. He recommended him to the emperor several times.
However, the emperor was still very angry with him and did not want to use it at this time! "
He walked side by side with Zhang Cheng, and then said: "However, I look at the emperor's demeanor. Although he reprimanded Uncle Yongning today because he strongly recommended Sun Baigu, he was not really angry. Maybe in a few days, Sun Baigu will Being able to take charge of Shanxi's military is all thanks to Uncle Yongning."
Although Chen Xinjia's words also revealed that he was also determined to help Sun Chuanting, if it happened this time, all the credit would go to Zhang Cheng alone.
His idea of bringing hatred to Zhang Cheng is already very obvious...
Sun Chuanting is indeed very capable. Judging from the current Ming Dynasty, perhaps apart from Hong Chengchou, the governor of Liaodong, Sun Baigu is a rare person who knows the military, and he is very majestic and can control his subordinates.
However, as for Sun Chuanting's stubborn temper, even if he gained the trust of Emperor Chongzhen today and could make a comeback, there was no telling what day he would make the emperor unhappy again. Removal from office would be the next best thing, and the person who recommended him might even be implicated.
Chen Xinjia's several words of praise may make short-sighted people feel complacent and even brag about their abilities in order to gain more attention and gain greater glory.
However, who is Yong Ning Bo and Zhang Cheng? He stands at the height he is today, and his knowledge is no longer what it was back then. Moreover, his ambition is not to care about his own face. What he wants is lizi.
How could Chen Xinjia's little thoughts and tricks be hidden from Zhang Cheng's eyes?
However, it is far from the time to fall out with Chen Xinjia. Although he vaguely remembers that Chen Xinjia was finally dealt with by Emperor Chongzhen, for what reason, Zhang Cheng is not sure about the details.
But now, in the battle of Liaodong, he defeated the Qing Tatars under Jinzhou City. History has been modified by him. He is not sure whether Chen Xinjia will still be dealt with by Emperor Chongzhen in the end.
Therefore, his behavior and rhetoric today were just an ambush to put some distance between him and Chen Xinjia, so as not to be further implicated by him in the end, which would be unworthy.
Now that his goal has been achieved, Chen Xinjia no longer calls him by his first name, but instead calls himself "Uncle Yongning", and he clearly feels a bit unfamiliar in his words. Naturally, Zhang Cheng has to go back to the conversation. After all, this time to support Yu The war cannot be separated from the support of the Ministry of War.
"I am joking. Zhang Cheng is so quiet and soft-spoken in front of the emperor, how can he talk to me on the same level?"
Zhang Cheng continued with a charming smile on his face: "Guang Zhang Cheng is a martial artist with rude words and perverse behavior. It is a great kindness for the emperor not to punish him. How can he decide the ministers of the border based on Zhang Cheng's words?"
As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to lift up Chen Xinjia's arm, and said very enthusiastically: "Zhang Cheng was concerned about the military affairs of Henan Province just now. He was in a daze and treated my soldier lightly. Please don't argue with us, a rough warrior. I forgive you." That’s it.”
Without waiting for Chen Xinjia to say something, he moved his face closer to Chen Xinjia, lowered his voice and whispered softly: "This time, I copied some calligraphy and paintings from the profiteers, and they all looked very shabby.
Zhang Cheng couldn't understand at all whether these things were true or false, and how much they were worth. He thought to himself that he was a master, so he brought it with him to the capital. When I got back, I would pick it up and deliver it to my house personally. Take a look and help us evaluate it. "
As a scholar of the time, Chen Xinjia was no exception. Although he already had a prejudice against Zhang Cheng, he could not refuse the temptation of antiques, calligraphy and paintings. They were all private possessions of wealthy businessmen, and each piece must be priceless. What a rare treasure!
"this……"
Chen Xinjia's voice was trembling with excitement. He forced himself to calm down and said softly: "I have to go back to the Yamen to handle some official business."
"There's no rush."
Zhang Cheng secretly chuckled in his heart, but said very sincerely: "The general will also go back to Changping to handle some military affairs. He will arrive at the house later, so there is no need for me to be in a hurry."
Chen Xinjia felt very happy when he saw that Zhang Cheng not only became polite in his words, but even lowered his status, did not mention his title, and still regarded himself as the "last general" in front of him.
"Okay, okay. Uncle Yongning will go and get busy. I'll go back to the Yamen first."
As soon as he said this, Zhang Cheng stopped talking. After saying goodbye to Chen Xinjia outside the Meridian Gate, he went straight to Dong'an Gate.
Looking at Zhang Chengzheng's retreating figure, Chen Xinjia was reluctant to leave for a long time, and felt mixed emotions in his heart: "I didn't expect that today he would become a climate..." (End of this chapter)
