If the negotiation fails, we can first attack Anda's prestige.
When the Han people were defeated, it was the Great Khan who helped the Tumote tribe regain their face.
But if the Han court really has such big worries, he still needs to return to the Khan's court, discuss with the other Bo-fronted shamans of the Great Khan, and divine good and bad luck, and then use the method of answering to call for wind and rain, and pray for an update. The weather was conducive to the cavalry's southern expedition.
At this time, whether it was Anda or Bodi, they were trying their best to collect information through various channels such as the private market, fleeing to join the Han people, and the Maitreya White Lotus Congregation.
In Beijing, the imperial court was still brewing thunder in the summer.
The appointment of a minister of state and a minister of rites to official positions has many chain reactions, and the same is true for the change of generals in Jizhou.
Sichuan's Left Chief Envoy Zhang Bi was promoted to Shandong Governor, Mao Bowen was appointed governor of Liaodong, Guangdong Tax Department Chief Zhai Luan was promoted to Zhejiang's Left Chief Envoy, Zhejiang's Left Chief Envoy Sun Xiu was transferred to the position of President of the Weaving Bureau, Qi Jingtong was transferred to Guangxi's Chief Military Officer, Huo Tao was promoted to the position of Chief Envoy to the Right in Shandong, and Fang Xianfu was promoted to the position of Chief Envoy to the Right in Sichuan...
Driven by Zhang Fujing, who had just become the Minister of Civil Affairs, and on the eve of the new law being truly implemented in the provinces outside the border towns, and on the eve of the official levy of grain taxes from the gentry and wealthy households in the autumn according to the re-cleared land and land records, the Ming Dynasty because of Shi Yuan and the Minister of Rites were undergoing a large-scale official adjustment from top to bottom.
At the same time, preparations for the autumn provincial examinations in each province, which have been changed to once a year, are also underway. Yan Song, the Minister of Rites, is making arrangements for the Ministry of Rites to set the questions and send out the examiners.
This means that in today's round of adjustments, many seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade official positions that have been vacant due to the adjustment of subordinate staff and officials in many places will be eagerly awaited to see if any of the candidates who have passed the new examination this year are willing to take up official positions. Or the desperate scholar is willing to "condescend" to start from the ninth rank.
Xu Jiusi, an official with a jinshi background, passed the system department and was promoted to the fifth rank of the Ministry of Industry's Camping and Renovation Cleaning Division. He specialized in supervising the engineering projects purchased by the Ministry of Industry. This was already an example of someone who was not a jinshi and was quickly promoted.
As the emperor reaches his prime, the new generation of Ming Dynasty is rising, but what about the old ministers who are gradually withering away? It seems to be vaguely standing at both ends.
On one end is the emperor, on the other end are Fei Hong, Yang Yiqing, and Yang Tinghe.
Tang Shunzhi was impeached again - this time by Zhang Jing, the military chief, for accepting bribes but privately giving them to Yu Dayou for training troops. Even if it's not for personal use, doesn't it mean he's just accepting a bribe?
Jingbian Boxi mentioned that the punishment for seizing a title and being demoted was that since he was not married yet, his unborn son would temporarily start from a country title.
But Tang Shunzhi's current official position has not been damaged after all.
Yu Dayou also had a hard time, and Liu Kai, the general guarding the Datong West Road, also accused him of treating his soldiers harshly, recruiting and training new soldiers without authorization, and treating them differently in terms of food and salary, which caused constant complaints from the Shuozhou Guards and the Datong West Road troops.
The emperor's reaction was - Shuozhou was specially set up to guard Qianhu Station. Yu Dayou's official rank remained unchanged, and his official position became a separate guerrilla general. His Qianhu Station, which was directly under Guo Xun's jurisdiction, actually had a full capacity of two thousand. household.
What is more important is that Yang Tinghe impeached Xia Yan. After he was impeached in Nanjing, he still allowed the censors of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate to impeach Nanjing government officials, which was not conducive to unity and stability.
But Xia Yan is good, he likes to mention the governor of Zhejiang - to give Yang Tinghe a face, Nanjing needs to start to stabilize, but Xia Yan's appointment as governor of Zhejiang is obviously entrusted with an important task. Ningbo's Shipping Department has been reopened, and the maritime ban has been opened. .
The emperor gave Yang Tinghe a face, but although the official status of the impeached person remained unchanged, how could the Youdu Yushi of the Nanjing Metropolitan Procuratorate be compared with the Governor of Zhejiang?
We must not forget that Xia Yan was the first person to be promoted after the new emperor ascended the throne - Xia Yan, who had made great contributions to the military affairs department and assisted in the resettlement of the three major battalions.
Although Xia Yan can only follow Yan Song to take over Zhejiang now, he must be working hard to get things done in Zhejiang and looks forward to returning to Beijing three years later. The next step is to become a real adviser based in the capital.
There may be a layer of mystery surrounding other matters, but the official transfer information cannot be faked.
On Fengzhou Beach, I was furious: Bodi actually played this trick and attributed the failure of negotiations and the humiliation of the Ming Emperor to the fact that the Tumote tribe was defeated last year and burned this year.
In the Khan Court over Chahar, Bodi and his trusted ministers were analyzing all aspects of information.
Among them, there are also northern Han people like Shi Tianjue who have surrendered or have long been naturalized.
"This "Ming Pao" is extremely powerful!" A knowledgeable person said, "In the past, although the emperor was respected, he still needed the help of the gentry to govern the world. The merits and demerits all came from the words of the gentry. Where is this "Ming Pao" now? Ming Bao Xing, There are also other enterprises established by the Ming Emperor, which are mainly managed by the emperor and his relatives and speak for the emperor!"
Bodie nodded slightly and looked at the pieces of paper in his hand.
"The commander-in-chief of Datong is Wu Dinghou, the commander-in-chief of Jizhou is Funinghou, and the commander-in-chief of Xuanfu is Fu Duo, who was newly awarded the Zhenshuo general seal by the emperor. Except for Fu Duo, Datong and Jizhou are all new generals. They have just taken office, and there are many The problem needs to be solved.”
"The young emperor was using this article in Ming Pao to remind the people of the Ming Dynasty of their hatred of country and family, and to agree with the emperor's intention to conquer the north." Bileg also said, "But what Zhang Zilin meant was that, in fact, they Someone in the State Palace wanted to negotiate the terms of the mutual trade. Their emperor deliberately sent the Minister of Rites to convey humiliating words. Great Khan, after hearing such words, how could I still stay there to negotiate with them? "
Bodie had a sullen face: I am older than you, but am I younger than you? The container is also small...
"Judging from the news coming back from Xiaozuo, almost all those who took the good positions this time were newcomers promoted by their emperor after he ascended the throne. The most conspicuous among them, Jingbian Bo and Wu Zhuangyuan were both impeached. Both of them were impeached. They suffered punishment, but they still stayed in Datong and did what the emperor asked them to do. These are the two people who suggested the emperor's northern expedition together last year!"
Between your words and my words, Bodie only asked: "If there is a war, how sure is it that there will be problems between the southern monarchs and their ministers, between the frontier troops and the rear, in the transfer of food and wages, and in the deployment of marches?"
"No matter what, Anda must use all his strength to win, otherwise his reputation of being so despised by the Southern Emperor after one defeat will spread throughout the grassland! The two brothers Jinong and Anda on the right wing can only attack Datong or Ximian. Yong Xiebu is not of the same mind as me now. Ten thousand households in my central government can either attack Xuanfu with them or attack Jizhou. Great Khan, the key is Hua Dang’s attitude."
"...Hua Dang." Bodi gritted his teeth, "This swaying old fox, if the Khan's army goes south, he will probably talk to the southerners first before talking about increasing the tribute amount. That guy also has the title of the Han Emperor. Where is the officer!"
Huadang, the owner of Duoyan, was once beaten into submission by his grandfather Dayan Khan, but he relied on Dayan Khan to threaten the southerners and repeatedly obtained benefits from the previous emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
"Great Khan, the emperor of the Southerners is too proud. He said that he would no longer give tribute as he did in the past. Hua Dang must have been dissatisfied for a long time. Even if he wanted to seek benefits from both sides, he would only be the same as he was twelve years ago. , fight the Southerners first, and then talk to the Southerners. When his son killed a Southerner general, didn’t the Southerner’s Minister of War, Wang Qiong, say that his son must pay with his life? As a result, his son went as an envoy. Not only did he not die, but he also brought back so many tribute goods!"
"Great Khan, this is definitely a rare opportunity! Don't worry about the Xuanfu. As long as the new general has not yet established a foothold in Jizhou, gather the troops of Yongxiebu, Chahar and Duoyan to attack Gubeikou again. The southerners are being forced. We have agreed to trade with each other at Gubeikou, and then we just have to let the southerners compete with the Anda brothers in Datong all year round."
"I am the sect master. If I cannot restrain the right wing, trading will stop."
Bileg's eyes flashed: "Then I'm destroying the interests of the entire grassland!"
Bodie only felt that the picture in front of him gradually became clearer, and finally his eyes became brighter and brighter: "Would you like to go there and meet Hua Dang?"
"Don't worry, Khan!"
"Time is running out, it's almost winter!" Bodie's blood was surging. "It's best to wait until the season when the southerners harvest food! If there is a war, they will desperately press for the delivery of food. It is best to let them face the internal rebellion at the same time. !”
He didn't know yet whether there would be a rebellion in the Ming Dynasty.
But on the Mid-Autumn Festival in the sixth year of Jiajing, Wei Bin sent a bombshell message from Guangdong to Beijing.
More than three months ago, the newly enthroned King Anxing of the Cochin Kingdom went a step further and accepted the Zen throne of Emperor Le Gong of the Le Dynasty of Cochin, established the Mo Dynasty, changed the Yuan Dynasty to Mingde, and Emperor Le Gong was deposed as the King of Thailand.
When the news reached the capital, Emperor Le Gong and Queen Mother Zheng Thi Luan had already "committed suicide" together.
"Wei Bin did not report in a hurry. Huang Mingji and the foreign factory have repeatedly confirmed that the matter is true." Zhu Houcong said in a deep voice, "Now, I have not heard of any Li Dynasty clan coming forward. But I think Mo Dengyong will soon. Send an envoy here. When the envoy arrives, the Ming Dynasty must be the new victor over the Northern invaders!"
"...Your Majesty, Duoyan and the three guards, it's better to comfort him. Hua Dang has over 10,000 strings. If he really attacks Jizhou or plunders Liaodong, it will be very bad."
There are already signs that Beilu has fallen into the trap, but Yang Yiqing shoulders a heavy responsibility and is worried about gains and losses.
"I heard that Bodi sent an envoy. Didn't he also send his grandson here? He will help whoever wins. Sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight. If both armies are tired, it will be a good time for him to take action." Zhu Houcong sneered. , "General Staff Yang, don't worry too much. I transferred Zhu Qi here. He is called the General Soldier, but he only supervises a battalion of soldiers who have been suppressing bandits in Guangxi for many years. The suppression of the rebellion in Huguang only restored the world certificate, and still had to be demoted. . But I will reward you for your merits. This battle is a battle for the title of Duke. What should Zhu Qi do? What should Li Quanli do?"
In this impromptu meeting held in Yangxin Hall, only Fei Hong and six ministers of state participated, as well as Yang Yiqing, Cui Yuan, Gu Shilong, and Wang Shouren.
Zhu Houcong stood up and said seriously: "My lords, the most important half year of the Ming Dynasty is coming. It has been planned for so long and under the pressure of border troubles, whether the new law can be implemented truthfully and whether the border towns can find a time to reform the abuses will depend on It depends on the concerted efforts of all the ministers. This battle is a great victory, and the emperor and his ministers will dedicate the victory to the Imperial Ancestral Temple together!"
…
In the six months since he came to Shuozhou, Yu Dayou was a destroyer.
He broke the rules and did not recruit servants, but because of Guo Xun's protection and the emperor's favoritism, he was able to recruit new soldiers, as well as the grain bought by Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou with bribes.
He did not deduct monthly rations or give out money, but gave out real grains. His reputation as a martial arts champion indeed attracted many young men who came from far and near to admire his reputation.
He practiced new methods for his soldiers and practiced strange battle formations. Not only that, his Qianhu Guard Station also contained strange weapons that Guo Xun transferred directly.
Yu Dayou didn't care about the interests of Shuozhou Weituntian.
But many border generals and officials on Datong West Road also knew that the emperor was actually thinking about the issue of border towns and farming. Otherwise, why would Tang Shunzhi have the same job as Wang Xian in managing food and wages in the first place?
But after all, Datong did not face any punishment, only "30 big blows each", and both the bribe-receiver and the bribe-giver were punished.
Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou were reduced in power, while others were fined.
In comparison, Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou were punished more severely. It seemed that the emperor made more concessions when the courtiers were worried about the instability of the border town.
But the two of them were still promoting Datong, and first Li Jin burned the wasteland, and then the emperor lit the fire - the news spread around the grassland also spread back to Datong. His Majesty said that the Great Khan on the grassland was childish and small-minded.
The war has not officially come yet, but the generals can understand the atmosphere, so everyone is extremely nervous and curses in their hearts.
It's really a fight, they are the Ming Dynasty's generals! Even if he surrenders to the enemy, will he be able to live better under the leader of the captives? On the contrary, when people come to kill them, they don't care that in the past, everyone actually had a tacit understanding of the private market - no matter who is replaced as a side general, they will probably make profits through the private market.
Now the emperor was thinking about their past "sins" and just fined them some salary first.
Liu Kai had already scolded Yu Dayou many times, but he could only ask An Xingkui, the general of the Xiludun Sentinel Army from time to time: "Is there any movement?"
"It's food! It's food! General Liu Shen can't save anything now!" An Xingkui only opened his mouth to ask for food.
Liu Kai cursed again in his heart: "It won't be short! Something is wrong this time, very wrong! After Wang Dutai took over the food and salary affairs, I don't know where so much silver came from in Datong! Huang Mingji's food store, that Zhenguo General Zhu Junliang He came forward, and he bought a full 60% of the guards' harvest this year, and made a lot of money from Wang Dutai! The Wang family, the Ma family... they were all willing to sell it for some reason. "
"...Probably because of the Zhejiang Shipping Company's qualifications to do business on the sea, they got some promises."
"In short, Wang Dutai still has a huge sum of money in his hands! So Tang Shunzhi walked around Xuanda University, and he was actually collecting food! Don't look at them impeaching each other, they are actually in the same group!" Liu Kai He was frightened and said, "Why did your Majesty humiliate the Nalu chief? A war is really about to begin! Whether you can detect the enemy's situation early depends on you, Brother An!"
"...Why fight? What if we lose?" An Xingkui cried sadly.
"If we lose the battle, the Ming Dynasty will be in chaos!" Liu Kai once again recalled the fear of cowering in Jingping Castle last year. "I was so angry that I won't hold back this time! If we lose the battle, I'm afraid you and I will die." !Even if you are lucky enough to survive, I’m afraid there will be the emperor’s wrath!”
"Then... what should I do? Surrender?"
"Can I surrender?" Liu Kai grinned angrily, "I also went to encircle you last year! Damn it, I'm afraid that only if we win this battle, His Majesty will reward us with a new achievement to atone for our old sins!"
"...This is a war between all sides! Can it be won?"
Liu Kai couldn't answer him, but Yu Dayou could answer the recruits he trained.
"We will definitely win!" He repeated again, "In this formation, the braver you get, the stronger you become! Meng brothers never give up. The swordsmen in each formation have more or less years of experience. As long as they are not timid on the battlefield, , the battle formation keeps spinning, and the Tatars can't break it! I will put the flag here, and I will defend it with my life! Practice again, and eat meat at night!"
"good!"
In the barracks at the back, Zhao Benxue looked at the small circles in the distance. Yu Dayou was practicing the mandarin duck formation created by Tang Shunzhi. With the combined efforts of the three of them, some improvements have been made based on the cavalry they will face. It was not easy for the spears to withstand the attack of the captive cavalry. The Mo Dao, the large shield and the halberd used for stabbing all came at the private expense of Wu Dinghou.
If it is a field battle, count the number of people in a circle, and the swordsman will turn and kill the horse under the protection of the swordsman, and then the halberdier will harvest the fallen enemy.
Zhao Benxue didn't know whether the recruits, who had been hastily trained for several months, would be able to achieve success, but the battle that he had not seen for many years was finally coming.
His eyes looked north, deep and expectant.
For most of my life as a hermit, I still never suppressed the passion in my heart.
Now, he was just keeping an eye on the side wall piers to see when the beacon smoke would light up.
On September 21, Li Jin, the deputy commander-in-chief of the left wing of Datong Town, got up from the bed at night and laughed wildly.
"God help me! I'm not willing to go so far and want to attack Yanghe Pass? I'm out of my mind!"
His eyes were filled with bloodlust as he looked at the beacon fire burning on the wall pier to the north of the yet-to-be-completed Xuanning Fifth Fort.
The fire burned all the way east, toward the capital.
(End of chapter)
