Add Bookmark | Recommend this book | Back to the book page | My bookshelf | Mobile Reading

Free Web Novel,Novel online - All in oicq.net -> Historic -> Journey to the Ming Dynasty

Volume 1: Dragon Trapped in the Shoals Chapter 148: The Power of the Emperor

Previous page        Return to Catalog        Next page

    Chapter 148 The Power of the Emperor

    Yang Hao and Ma Gui walked almost side by side from Deoksugung Palace where Zhu Changluo was. After exiting the palace gate, Yang Hao turned around with a chuckle, looked at Ma Gui and said: "General Ma, think about what the eldest prince analyzed just now.  It is already very clear, and General Ma also agrees. At present, the commander-in-chief is still arranging money, food, troops and horses in Liaodong. North Korea can only count on the two of us for military affairs. As His Royal Highness the eldest prince said, Japan will not be fully mobilized when our Ming army has not yet been fully mobilized.  Before coming to Korea, we must intensify our onslaught in order to gain the upper hand. And what we have to do is to do our best to hold off Japan during the period before the Governor enters Korea, and strive to ensure that there is no or less loss in Korea."

    Sighing, Yang Hao shook his head slightly, with a look of concern for the country and the people: "If I'm not afraid of the general's ridicule, although I am the manager of North Korea, the general also knows that I have a civilian background, and I am very good at marching and fighting.  , naturally cannot be compared with the general. Therefore, I leave it to the general to handle the battle ahead. I will be behind the general and do my best to allocate grain and other resources to ensure that the general has no worries. "

    Ma Gui nodded expressionlessly, naturally knowing Yang Hao's thoughts in his heart. It would be enough to go to the front line and survive and survive, and successfully resist the Japanese attack. The old fox would definitely get a share of the credit for that, but if he loses ground on the front line, I would like to think about it.  This old fox will be the first to jump out and accuse him of improper command so that he can escape responsibility.

    However, although he knew Yang Hao's thoughts, Ma Gui had no good solution. After all, he knew that he was not favored like Li Rusong, so he could ignore the advice.  In the situation where the Ming Dynasty was generally rich in wealth and low in military power, as a military general, the only thing he could do was to try his best to fight every battle well, not seeking merit, but seeking no faults.

    "Please rest assured, my lord, even if the general is risking his life and wealth, he will definitely stop Japan's northward advance until the governor's army arrives." Holding his fists at Yang Hao, Ma Gui suddenly had an idea, what if  If I can become a trusted general who is valued by the emperor, maybe I can be more handy in the front line. Can His Highness the eldest prince become the heir apparent?  I was transferred to North Korea this time. Is this an opportunity?

    Ma Gui did not dare to think about it anymore. He was afraid that he would not be able to help but participate in the prince's fight for the crown prince. It was an extremely dangerous matter. Although he would be more prominent if he succeeded, if he failed, the new king would not be able to  Let yourself go. You have the entire Ma family behind you. You should be cautious about this kind of thing.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the capital, in the palace at this time, Zhu Yijun had already received the 800-mile urgent message from North Korea. Even though he had not seen the ministers for a long time, he was extremely excited as soon as he received the urgent report.  A rare oral decree summoned the cabinet ministers and the Minister of Household Affairs Yang Junmin and the Minister of War Tianle Wenhuadian to discuss matters.

    As the newly promoted Minister of War, although Tian Le has become one of the six Ministers, to be honest, in the more than 20 years since Zhu Yijun ascended the throne, the number of times he has seen the emperor can be said to be only a handful.  The same was true after becoming Minister of the Ministry of War.  He remembered clearly that after he was promoted to Minister of the Ministry of War, he could not even see the emperor when he entered the palace to thank him. This time he entered the Wenhua Palace to discuss matters, it could be said that it was his first time to meet the increasingly unhappy emperor at close range.  The emperor of the palace.

    In fact, Zhu Yijun was very willing to meet with ministers in the early days of the Guobin War, and he was almost never absent from the early court meetings. It can be said that at that time, in the eyes of ministers, he was still a very diligent and caring emperor.  However, since Tian Le became a high school scholar in the first year of Longqing, he has been serving as an official abroad. In the early years of Wanli, he was appointed as Liangyong Bingdao and stationed in the far northwest, so his visits to Beijing became even less frequent.  Although he was later promoted to the governor of the three sides due to his outstanding military exploits, at this time, due to the intensification of the war between the country and the country, Zhu Yijun basically did not see the ministers in order to seek peace of mind, so even Tian Le had a heavy army.  The high-ranking officials came to Beijing more often, but they had the most contact with the Ministry of War and the Cabinet, and they almost never saw the emperor.

    "Tian Le, how is the recruitment of the Ministry of War?" Zhu Yijun first gave an urgent report that Japan has started a full-scale war in Korea, so that the ministers who came to discuss the matter could understand the issues summoned to them today, and then listened to Shi Xing's general introduction.  Then he asked Tian Le, Minister of the Ministry of War.

    Tian Le raised his head, looked at the emperor who had begun to gain weight, and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, according to the plan drawn up by the Ministry of War and the Cabinet, this time the anti-Japanese resistance will mainly be from Fujian, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Henan, Shandong,  Shaanxi and Hebei are recruiting troops and horses. Due to different routes, the troops and horses and grain and grass recruited by Shandong and Hebei have already entered North Korea. The troops and horses and grain and grass recruited by Henan and Shaanxi have also been sent to Liaodong. Only Fujian, Zhejiang and Sichuan are too far away because of the distance.  ,still on the way."

    Zhu Yijun frowned, feeling a little dissatisfied with Tian Le's answer. He knocked on the dragon case and raised his voice: "That's it? It's ridiculous. This is a military and national matter. It's an eye-catching incident."The first priority at present, without any sloppiness or shirk, is what I want is a detailed and specific answer. Have the soldiers and horses mobilized from Shandong and Hebei arrived in North Korea?  Where have you been?  When can we go to the front line?  Have the troops from Henan and Shaanxi arrived in Liaodong?  Where did you go to Liaodong?  When can I leave for North Korea?  There are also soldiers and horses from Fujian, Zhejiang, and Sichuan. Where are they now?  What I want is not something on the road. What I want is details. I don¡¯t want anyone to play tricks on me in this war.¡±

    Although Tian Le is a civilian official, he can be said to have been a soldier all his life. He has always held military power. He is quite majestic in the northwest. He has experienced numerous large and small wars and many bloody scenes.  But now that he saw the emperor being angry, he was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. He fell to his knees and shouted: "Your Majesty, forgive me for my negligence"

    Zhao Zhigao was extremely happy when he saw this situation. Tian Le was recommended by Shi Xing and has always been close to Shi Xing. Now that he has made the emperor unhappy, he has no reason to rejoice in his misfortune.  Curling his lips, the former chief minister of the cabinet said something sarcastic: "Please do not be angry, Your Majesty. Lord Tian has been in the northwest for a long time. He may not be used to it when he first entered the capital as an official. The Minister of the Ministry of War is the king of the country."  One of the important centers is related to weapons and the safety of the country. Mr. Tian has been guarding the border. I think he just joined the center and has no clue. As long as it goes by for a while, I believe Mr. Tian will be a good minister of the Ministry of War. "

    "Foolish old thief Zhao" After hearing Zhao Zhigao's seemingly helpful words to Tian Le, Shi Xing cursed secretly, not to mention how uncomfortable he felt.  He understood very well that Zhao Zhigao obviously said a few nice words to help Tian Le, but when he thought about it carefully, was he helping?  This is simply adding insult to injury. If these words were spoken during a time of peace, they would indeed be helpful, but what time is it now?  There are several turmoils in the country, and North Korea has to mobilize a large number of troops and generals. How can a Minister of War be allowed to slowly become familiar with government affairs?  This old boy is so insidious. He wants to take this opportunity to kill the people he promoted.

    Sure enough, as soon as Zhao Zhigao finished speaking, Zhu Yijun became even more unhappy. He stared at Tian Le who was kneeling on the ground and asked: "Tian Le, if I remember correctly, you have been in charge of the military department for more than three months, right?  What? You haven¡¯t gotten familiar with the Ministry of War yet?¡±

    Tian Le was sweating more now, and he was even more in a dilemma. If he was already familiar with the Ministry of War, his answer just now was inappropriate. What's more, if he was asked more questions by the emperor or Zhao Zhigao, his answer would be inappropriate.  , isn¡¯t it the crime of deceiving the emperor?  But if he had said that he was not familiar with the government affairs of the Ministry of War, looking at the emperor's current posture, he might have been dismissed on the spot.

    Shi Xing is now the cabinet minister, and the division of labor is to organize the Ministry of War. In addition, Tian Le is one of his own. Seeing Tian Le's situation at this time, he has to help Tian Le out: "Let me tell you, Your Majesty, I have something to say."

    "Oh?" Zhu Yijun glanced at Shi Xing and said slowly: "What? Do you also want to intercede for Tian Le? Or do you have different opinions on the Ministry of War you are sorting out?"

    "I am reporting to your Majesty that I am not pleading for Lord Tian, ??nor do I have any opinion about the military department. I am asking for forgiveness for myself, and I am asking the Emperor to give me leniency for the sake of my long-term loyalty." Shi Xing knelt down.  He fell to the ground, but his expression showed no guilt or fear of having done something wrong.

    Zhu Yijun's interest was aroused now, and he couldn't help but ask: "What is your crime? Tell it truthfully. For the sake of your many years of merit, I can consider it."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm afraid." Shi Xing kowtowed and said, "Thanks to the Emperor for promoting me to the cabinet to manage the government. I am grateful to you. The emperor also knows that after I joined the cabinet, I organized the military department, and thanks to the Holy Grace, let me  I am responsible for the campaign in Korea. Since I received the Holy Grace, I have been fearful and conscientious every day, walking on thin ice. I know that I am stupid and fear that I will betray the Divine Grace. In addition, since I joined the cabinet, the post of Minister of War has been vacant.  , he informed the emperor and submitted it to the cabinet to examine suitable candidates, so that he could have a helper in charge of the Korean War. Mr. Tian has been an official in the northwest battlefield for many years, and has also been the governor of the three sides for many years. He is naturally familiar with the war.  We are very familiar with him, and the cabinet believes that Mr. Tian is a suitable candidate for Minister of War. After reporting to the emperor, the emperor also recognized the cabinet's opinion, and Mr. Tian came to Beijing as an official."

    After kowtowing again, Shi Xing continued: "However, after Mr. Tian entered the capital, I felt that Mr. Tian had been an official in the local area for many years and it was a place with many battles. He must be very familiar with logistics and food, so I personally took charge of it.  Soldiers and horses from various places were mobilized and recruited, and Mr. Tian was specially responsible for the logistics, food and salary collection. This time, the emperor attached great importance to the Korean War. The ministers also knew that the Korean War was related to the national destiny and could not tolerate any sloppiness. So Mr. Tian put down all the affairs of the Ministry of War and specially supervised  The food and salary brought to the court from various places were collected, so I went to Beijing to become the Minister of the Ministry of War and have been busy with this matter. I also ask the emperor to forgive me, but I was negligent and did not consider that Mr. Tian wanted to coordinate the overall situation of the Ministry of War, so he did such a stupid thing. The emperor was far-sighted.  ,?Observing every detail, he noticed the mistake he had committed at a glance, and asked the emperor to remind him that he was negligent in order to fight for North Korea and did not take into account Lord Tian's feelings, so he asked the emperor to punish him.  "

    "Haha" Zhu Yijun laughed, pointed at Shi Xing and said: "Hey Shi Xing, are you asking for credit? Or asking for punishment? Why do I feel that if I punish you for this matter, wouldn't you be suspected of being a coward?  ? Okay, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be pitiful. Get up. I know that you have been in a lot of trouble in the past few months because of the recruitment of troops and horses and food and wages. I have seen all these things. I will wait for North Korea.  , I will judge your merits and reward them, and your first merit is indispensable."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty, for being considerate of this humble minister. Even if I am a wretched man, I will never be able to repay Your Majesty for your kindness." Shi Xing knelt on the ground and bowed his head. He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He finally came to terms with Tian Le, and it was unexpected.  It was an unexpected surprise that it was recognized by the emperor.

    "And you," Zhu Yijun nodded slightly with his chin in the direction of Tian Le, who was kneeling on the ground: "Get up too. Since you have become Minister of the Ministry of War, it is good and the first priority to concentrate on the war in Korea. However, you cannot  When you put down other matters in the Ministry of War, you must not let any omissions occur in the Ministry of War. Taking into account that there will be no mistakes in the Korean War, it is also your top priority to straighten out the affairs of the Ministry of War. Have you written it down? "

    "I would like to thank the Emperor for his teachings. I will always keep them in mind, bear in mind my responsibilities, and live up to the Emperor's trust." Tian Le didn't bother to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, kowtowed quickly, and replied with fear.  Since ancient times, it has been said that accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. He has truly experienced it today. It seems that if he has been sitting in a high position for a long time, he has indeed neglected some things that should be vigilant. In the future, he must bear in mind today's lesson.

    Zhao Zhigao felt a pity in his heart. Such a good opportunity actually allowed this old boy Shi Xing to pass by in a few words and a few words. He missed the good opportunity to cut off his gang members. It seems that the emperor really trusts him now.

    "Shi Xing, since you said that you are personally supervising the recruitment of soldiers and horses, then I would like to ask you, how is the progress of the recruitment of soldiers and horses in the Ming Dynasty? What is the current war situation like? Do you know anything about it?" Zhu Yijun actually has something in his heart.  The Korean War was very clear, and the reason why he asked this was to pave the way for what would happen next.

    "Your Majesty, there are now more than 8,000 troops left in Korea after the first anti-Japanese war. Korean manager Yang Hao, admiral-in-chief Ma Gui, and guerrilla generals Yang Yuan, Chen Yuzhong, Mao Guoqi, etc. came from various places.  So far, more than 30,000 North Korean soldiers and horses have entered the Korean front line. In addition to the escort of His Royal Highness the Great Prince and the 5,000 Liaodong cavalry sent by the Emperor to protect His Royal Highness, the total number is more than 45,000. North Korea  On the other hand, the King of North Korea has kept the emperor's teachings in mind and actively prepared for war and expanded the army. According to them, North Korea alone has about 500,000 soldiers and horses available." When he said this, Shi Xing smiled unconsciously.

    At this time, not only Shi Xing, but also Zhao Zhigao, who had a big feud with Shi Xing, curled his lips. Obviously, no one, including Zhu Yijun, had any special thoughts about North Korea's self-proclaimed army of 500,000.  An army of 100,000 people, well, they could indeed gather 500,000 people, but only 500,000 people.

    The corners of Zhu Yijun's mouth also curled up, and he waved his hand, indicating to Shi Xing to continue.

    "In addition, there are about 60,000 troops recruited from various places that have not yet arrived in North Korea. The Governor-General Xing Jie is currently in Liaodong, personally coordinating the troops from all over the country and the logistics and food for entering North Korea. It is expected that he will command all the troops gathered next month.  The army is entering North Korea to fight. As for the current war, according to intelligence from the front, Japan has accumulated nearly 200,000 troops in Busan, North Korea. The troops are currently divided into two groups and slowly advancing towards Seoul, the capital of North Korea. The leading troops are now expected to have arrived.  We met the Ming Dynasty's vanguard garrison, but the outcome of the war had not yet been reported. Before the Governor Xing Jie led the army into the DPRK, we adopted a steady and steady strategy and tried our best to defend every position.  The city delayed Japan's attack, and only waited for Xing Jie's follow-up army to arrive, counterattack Japan, and drive them into the sea in one fell swoop." Shi Xing explained.

    Zhu Yijun nodded. The steady and steady defense mentioned by Shi Xing is the safest strategy at present. After all, excluding the nearly 10,000 troops protecting Zhu Changluo, the number of troops entering the DPRK that can be mobilized at will is more than 30,000. This is for Japan.  For an army of nearly 200,000 people, it is obviously a bit difficult, so it is more correct to hold on steadily.  As for North Korea's so-called half-million-strong army, it was not within the scope of Ming Dynasty's consideration from the beginning. The biggest purpose of those so-called armies is to build up their momentum, or to reluctantly escort grain and grass in the rear. If there is a war well, it's the same sentence.  In other words, it's just a strong momentum, and the combat effectiveness can be ignored. It is estimated that when you hear the sound of the cannon, you will be frightened and lose your bearings.

    "Since the current situation is a bit serious, let's move the five thousand guards of the eldest prince to the front line for emergency response." Zhu Yijun finally said what he had been planning for a long time. He really didn't want to.I want my son to be in the limelight again, so I need to remove the soldiers and horses around him, so that he won't run around casually, right?  After all, North Korea is now in a state of chaos, and with only two thousand guards around, it is impossible to accomplish anything.

    "Your Majesty, you must not do it." As soon as Zhu Yijun finished speaking, Zhao Zhigao objected eagerly: "Your Majesty, Korea is currently at war. Japan is watching with eager eyes. It leaves less than 2,000 guards for His Royal Highness. It is really dangerous, Your Majesty.  Don¡¯t forget the last attack on His Royal Highness the eldest prince in Seoul, the emperor must think twice.¡±

    "Your Majesty" Shi Xing also opened his mouth to object. It was rare that he had the same opinion as Zhao Zhigao.

    "No need to say it." Zhu Yijun interrupted Shi Xing's words: "I understand what you all mean, but the current situation in North Korea is unfavorable. As the prince of the Ming Dynasty, I should be the first to stand up. What's more, I also always remember the eldest prince.  His safety is in danger, so what I mean is that for the time being, the eldest prince should stay in Deoksugung Palace arranged for him by the King of Joseon without going out. I think there will be two thousand guards to protect him, and the King of Joseon will definitely send a certain amount of troops.  There should be no problem in terms of security. Of course, this is only temporary. Once Commander Xing Jie¡¯s army arrives next month, the guards will be returned to the eldest prince. There is no need to discuss this matter again.¡±

    Zhu Yijun not only took away Zhu Changluo's troops who wanted to make a difference during this period, but also indirectly placed them under house arrest.
Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report