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Volume 13: Reviving the Ming Dynasty Chapter 613: The turning point

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    Time has come to the beginning of March in the sixth year of Chongzhen. The weather this year is much better than last year. Entering March, the climate feels like spring, and the flowers and trees in the back garden of the Anping Marquis Mansion have also begun to revive.  At this time, Tang Feng and his two wives were in the pavilion in the garden, laughing and watching the three children playing, while chatting softly.

    This was the normal situation after Tang Feng returned from Liaodong and regained the power of the Jinyiwei. Although the Jinyiwei was once again under his control, he did not interfere too much in government affairs, as if he planned to live a long life.  As for the chaos in Shaanxi, it seems that he has nothing to do with him. He spends the whole day either accompanying his family on outings or resting in his own garden. The original scenery and pride are gone, so he has been paying attention to his movements and thinking about it.  The ministers of the DPRK and China who had read several of his books had no chance to make a move.  [bsp; Looking at the two brothers Ke Qing and Ke Man stumbling behind their sister, chasing around with several servants like an army fighting, a wry smile appeared on Tang Feng's face.  In fact, in his heart, he really wanted to go to the battlefield again and eliminate those thieves for the country, but now is obviously not the time.

    More than half a month ago, there was news from Shanxi that rebel troops had broken into their territory from Shaanxi.  However, in the end, they were held back by the officers and soldiers there, and I heard that the losses of the rebels were not small, which boosted the morale of the entire court.  At this time, the officials all became Zhuge Liang, saying that this time the rebellion could not cause a big wave. As long as the court could transport sufficient food and wages to various places and stimulate the enthusiasm of the officers and soldiers in the guards, the rebellion would be quickly extinguished.  Thus the world will be at peace.

    Tang Feng had reservations about this. The entire Ming court was now in a state of depression. Officials were either doing it to make money or for fame, and few really did anything for the people.  Under such circumstances, it was almost impossible for the people not to hate the imperial court. It was only because the time was not there that there were no troubles in various places.  However, as long as the situation in Shaanxi drags on for a few months, rioters will gradually appear in other provinces, and then the entire Central Plains will really be in chaos.

    This kind of judgment was not only seen by Tang Feng, but also by many knowledgeable people in the court, but no one dared to say such a thing to Chongzhen.  As the length of his reign increased, Chongzhen's prestige grew, but the backbone of the scholars was broken as early as the eunuch. No one dared to say such depressing words to the emperor on this matter, because the emperor was sure of this.  The chaos will be settled soon.  As for Tang Feng, I wonder if the emperor is wary of him. He has not been allowed to enter the palace for two months, so it is even harder for him to speak.

    But no matter what, Tang Feng already knew that his status in the emperor's heart was not as good as before.  Because he had made great achievements several times, he already had the intention of surpassing the master with his great achievements. Moreover, after the Jin man's troubles before, the emperor was naturally wary of him.  And I don¡¯t know how it happened. His report that he wanted to reduce the clan¡¯s expenses was also known. Many of the seventh and eighth aunts of the Zhu family hated him and often spoke about Tang Dynasty in front of the emperor or other people in the palace.  Feng's fault made him even less popular with the emperor.  In this case, it would be better to simply not see Jia Jia. This would not cause any contradiction.

    However, Tang Feng is still very concerned about the current situation in the Ming Dynasty. What he cares about is no longer the Zhu family's court, but the people of the world.  He knew that once the world was really in chaos, even if the Jin people were unable to take advantage of the situation due to the internal chaos, the harm to the people would be great.  But sometimes he also thought that only after chaos broke out, could he really make a difference and do the things he had always wanted to do but couldn't do.

    Looking at the fight between his two sons and daughter, so many things flashed through his mind, and he didn't even listen to what Dayuer and Da Yuer said to him.  He didn't come out of his thoughts until Liu Hui shook his arm a few times and said, "Mr. sir, he's here again."

    After smiling apologetically at the two wives, Tang Feng left the pavilion and returned to the study accompanied by Qie Qian.  At this time, in the study room, a man dressed as an ordinary vegetable vendor was standing there, quietly waiting for Tang Feng to be received.  This person was none other than Han Kemu, a Qianhu member of the Jinyi Guards. During these days, he would report major events inside and outside the court to Tang Feng every few days.  However, in order not to arouse the suspicion of others, he would disguise himself every time he came to the Anping Marquis Mansion so that no one would know his true identity.

    "Has anything happened in the court recently?" Tang Feng asked after sitting down without much greeting.

    After Han Kemu saluted Tang Feng, he began to talk about the recent events in the court.  Which official had a conflict with someone, what was the emperor interested in recently, what were the taxes in various places, etc., etc., he reported all the information that Jin Yiwei could grasp to Tang Feng without missing a beat.  In the eyes of these Jin Yiwei, Anpinghou was much more important than their superiors, and nothing could be hidden from him.  This is also the impact that Tang Feng's thunderbolt methods have brought to them several times, making these people completelyHe turned to Tang Feng's side.

    After nodding in approval, Tang Feng spoke out the question he was most concerned about: "Will the chaos in Shaanxi get better? What I heard from the people outside and in the newspapers was that our officers and soldiers won a great victory.  News, is this really the case?"

    Seeing Tang Feng staring at him carefully, Han Kemu was greatly impressed. Anpinghou was Anpinghou. He was much more sober than many officials in the court and knew that the chaos in Shaanxi was not that simple.  He nodded and said: "What the Marquis is worried about is that those rumors and what was written in the newspaper were all about the situation more than half a month ago and are no longer accurate. The situation in Shaanxi is already very unbearable. My court has no control over Shaanxi."  The province has completely lost control, and the rebels have even taken action against the surrounding Shanxi and Sichuan provinces. The reason why these situations are not known to people is just because they are afraid of causing unrest. Now the court is limited to a few important cabinet ministers  It¡¯s just the Six Ministers, everyone else thinks that the situation in Shaanxi is getting better now.¡±

    "What about the emperor? Does he know the bad situation in Shaanxi now?"

    "Of course the emperor knew it, and no one dared to hide it from him. For this reason, the emperor even killed several chamberlains in the palace." Han Kemu hurriedly gave the most detailed answer.  Now Jin Yiwei has absorbed many people from the palace, so that they are more informed, and even major events that happen in the palace cannot be hidden from them.

    Tang Feng frowned slightly, why would Chongzhen do such a deceitful thing? The chaos in Shaanxi will soon be revealed. Can the problem be solved by just blocking the news?  Or does he have other plans?  Thinking of this, he asked: "Does the emperor have any countermeasures for this? How does he plan to deal with this growing chaos?"

    "Of course the emperor wants to send a large army to quell the chaos, but even many officers and soldiers from the guards in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Sichuan have joined the anti-military formation. Now the emperor also doesn't trust the local officers and soldiers. But Beijing  The garrison cannot be mobilized at will, so the emperor is so manic and kills several servants who have done small things wrong."

    "It seems that I will be able to lead the troops to fight again soon." After hearing this, Tang Feng smiled slightly.  Now the officers and soldiers in Beijing cannot be moved, and the emperor cannot trust the officers and soldiers of other guards regardless of their loyalty or combat prowess, so the only option is to use Liaodong's army.  Indeed, in history, when the peasant uprisings in the Central Plains grew larger and larger, it was through the mobilization of border troops from Liaodong that the situation was slightly stabilized.  However, it is precisely because of this that the Jin people were able to develop and grow in the end, and finally took over the Central Plains.

    "If the Marquis leads the troops, those thieves with mud-legged backgrounds will certainly be vulnerable." Han Kemu also said jokingly.

    Tang Feng ignored his flattery, but said: "During this period, please ask brothers to watch carefully. Once His Majesty intends for me to lead troops to quell the chaos, see who opposes the most fiercely, and write them down for me."  ¡±

    "Yes!" Han Kemu responded, and withdrew without any other instructions.

    Tang Feng sat on the chair, closed his eyes and thought of things.  Under today's circumstances, only through change can we truly save and revitalize the Ming Dynasty.  However, the huge bureaucracy will definitely not allow his changes to be implemented. He just proposed a reduction in clan expenses, and he is already hated by others. If he infringes on the interests of other people, he will still be hated to death.  ah.  Moreover, as the emperor, Chongzhen would never allow himself to do this, and he might even kill himself when the time comes.

    This is the key to Tang Feng not getting involved in foreign affairs these days. He doesn't want to be caught and questioned later.  In fact, not long after returning to Beijing, Tang Feng felt a little regretful. Without military power, wasn't he being manipulated into life and death?  But at that time, the world was not in chaos, and it was not the time to support the army and stand on its own feet.  But it's different now. As long as you seize the opportunity of this world chaos, you may not be able to change the existing system and make Ming Dynasty move in a better direction.

    But all of this has to wait for the emperor's permission, otherwise I can only stare from the side.  This made Tang Feng start to worry about gains and losses. He didn't know if Chongzhen would really use the defenders of Liaodong, and he didn't know if he would be the one leading these elite soldiers into the battle.

    At this time, Chongzhen, who was in the palace, was also extremely embarrassed.  He deeply understood the incompetence of the officers and soldiers at various health stations.  These people couldn't even defend their own land, and many of them defected to the rebels. How could he safely let officers and soldiers from other provinces go to quell the rebellion?  But if they are not needed, where else can we use the troops?  The three major battalions of the capital were the last barrier to defend the city of Beijing and could not be mobilized at will. Only the border troops in Liaodong were considered the most elite troops of the Ming Dynasty.

    But the Liaodong Army also has something that makes Chongzhen worried, that is, they also have the responsibility of guarding Liaodong to prevent the invasion of the Jin people.  If the Jin people find out that the Liaodong defenders are attacking in vain, I am afraid that Ming Dynasty will be attacked from both sides  Moreover, the military discipline of those border troops may not be good. Even other officers and soldiers of the guard station may take advantage of the situation, let alone them.  Unless there is someone who can handle the situation to lead these people.

    With this, a name suddenly flashed through Chongzhen¡¯s mind¡ªTang Feng.  But Chongzhen was not as relieved about him as before. Who knows if those rumors are true, and whether he will support his troops and respect himself?  It was difficult to recruit Tang Feng back to the capital last time. If he were to lead the troops again this time, it would be another adventure.

    After much hesitation, the current situation was finally more important. Chongzhen decided to test Tang Feng's loyalty to him before considering whether to let him lead troops to quell the chaos.  So on this day, after more than two months in Shige, he issued an order announcing that Tang Feng would enter the palace to see him.

    After walking through the familiar road and looking at the yellow and red Forbidden City, Tang Feng no longer had the awe he had in the past.  He could guess that this time would be his chance to take control of the military again, and it would also be a turning point in changing the fate of himself and Ming Dynasty.

    It was still a set of etiquette between a monarch and his ministers. The emperor also pretended to be concerned about Tang Feng's daily life. In fact, he was very aware of all Anping Hou's actions.  To this, Tang Feng agreed casually, and then unknowingly, the emperor brought the topic to the chaos in Shaanxi.

    "Now the rebels in Shaanxi are becoming more and more powerful. The imperial court has sent troops to encircle and suppress several times but all ended in failure. I wonder what Anping Marquis can do?" Chongzhen asked, but his tone no longer had the original intimacy.  and trust.

    Tang Feng pretended to be surprised and said: "What? I have always heard that my court has controlled the situation in Shaanxi. How come the rebel forces suddenly become stronger?"

    "ThisI will tell you in detail later. Now the officers and soldiers in Shanxi and other places are losing consecutive battles. I am afraid that these places will be invaded by rebels in the near future, and the country will not be able to survive. I once thought  We have mobilized the defenders of Liaodong to quell the rebellion. After all, in terms of combat strength, we in the Ming Dynasty do not have a single force that can surpass them. I am just worried about the Kingdom of Jin, but I don¡¯t know what you think.¡±

    Tang Feng pondered for a while and then said: "In terms of combat power, Liaodong's cavalry are indeed far behind the local guards. They are elite divisions that can fight on a tie with the Jin army. However, His Majesty is also very worried.  Logically speaking, Liaodong is the choke point of our Ming Dynasty. We must not give the Jin people any chance, otherwise if Liaodong is lost, Beijing will be in danger.

    "But I think that the threat of the Jin people to our Ming Dynasty is far less than before. In the past, there was even a fratricidal chaos within the Jin Kingdom. Even now that Huang Taiji has reconsolidated his power, the Eight Banners of the Jin Army  However, less than half of their combat strength is left. Moreover, they still have the vanguard of their defeat at Ningyuan last time, so the Jin people would not dare to start the battle without permission."

    "Having said that, the Jin people are still a foreign enemy of our Ming Dynasty. We must not underestimate them because of their temporary defeat." Chongzhen still said uneasily.

    "I also have an idea about this. In fact, our Ming Dynasty does not only have to defend this road. We can also attack and defend, so that the Jin people do not dare to use troops against me in Liaodong." Although Tang Feng secretly thought, if you had been there as early as last year  You agreed to my request to seize the opportunity to pursue the victory and enter the Kingdom of Jin. How come you are in such an embarrassing situation now?  But in front of the emperor, he still couldn't be so presumptuous, so he had to find another way.

    "Oh, what else can you do? How can we use offense as defense?" Chongzhen asked with interest.

    "Then we need to use some people, one is the Mongolians in the north, and the other is the Mao Wenlong tribe of Pi Island. Our Ming Dynasty has had a lot of benefits from border trade with Mongolia over the years, but the Mongols have not yet made any  There will be a corresponding reward. We can use this to let the Mongols send troops to the west of the Jin Kingdom and focus their attention there without daring to take any action. In addition, Mao Wenlong, the commander-in-chief of Pi Island, and his tens of thousands of troops,  They are all eating the food and wages of the Ming Dynasty, but they have never made any contributions to our Ming Dynasty. As long as the emperor issues an imperial edict to let them continue to harass the coastal areas of the Jin Kingdom, they can naturally contain part of their troops. In this way, there is a threat from both sides.  , the Jin Army is internally unstable, and even if it knew that Liaodong was empty, it would not send troops to attack."

    Chongzhen was convinced when he heard this. He had indeed never considered these two groups of people, but for now, these two groups of people who were not actually under the control of the imperial court were indeed the best helpers.  Seeing that the emperor had changed his mind, Tang Feng said again: "It's okay for the Mongols. After all, they still rely on our Ming Dynasty's border trade to prosper. The Mao Wenlong tribe, in addition to showing great justice to them, the court must also show some respect."  .¡±

    "You mean to grant them some benefits?" Chongzhen asked with some embarrassment.  After the chaos broke out in Shaanxi, the hinterland of the Central Plains became restless, and the money and food available to the court were not too much. Now if we send some to the people in Pidao, the court's expenses will be stretched again.

    Tang Feng nodded and said: "Exactly, except for some promotions in official positions,, the court should also give them some benefits, otherwise I am afraid that Mao Wenlong's Ministry may not follow the orders.  However, you can only give some of these benefits, and wait until the other things are completed.  "

    "But the imperial court does not have much money and food left, and once Shaanxi and other places are leveled again, there will be a lot of silver needed."

    "I have thought about this. In fact, my country still has potential to be tapped. For example, many cities along the coast have not yet opened up. As long as some cities are opened like Suzhou, my income will be more. And my country can still do it.  Organize your own fleet to sell my silk and other goods to the feudal states, and collect the money you earn from it."

    "I can't make the decision on this matter. It needs to be discussed with the cabinet before it can be decided." Chongzhen was quite satisfied with Tang Feng's response. He couldn't see any dissatisfaction on his part, so he finally made up his mind and said, "The Liaodong Army is brave.  It¡¯s true, but they are warriors after all, and I need someone who can make them obey. Is Anpinghou willing to take on this important task?¡±

    After hesitating for a while, Tang Feng said: "It has always been my wish to be able to share your Majesty's worries and serve the Ming Dynasty as a minister. I will definitely not let down your Majesty's trust and respect, calm down the chaos as soon as possible, and give peace to our Ming Dynasty."  !¡±

    Friendly reminder, today is April Fool¡¯s Day, don¡¯t believe anything you say!  !  !  !  !  !  !  !
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