Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 523 is back, the real Jinyiwei is back

The commander-in-chief of Shandong Dusi, this is almost the most perfect role in Pei Yuan's imagination.

Because the Shandong military garrisons had little power left due to the dismantling and control of various military commissions, the commander-in-chief held on to the little remaining power very tightly.

Under such circumstances, it is not an exaggeration to say that the title of Shandong Dusi is just an honorary title.

This is just the right way to avoid the power struggle within the Dusi.

But the Duzhi Tongzhi was the second-in-command of the Dusi, and his status was there, so he could solve many troubles just by relying on his status.

Moreover, once the time is ripe, as long as the commander-in-chief is killed, the deputy commander-in-chief can take over the position very easily. The procedure is much smoother than direct airdrop.

But Pei Yuan was greedy and wanted to seek more policy support for Luo Jiao.

He said to Zhu Houzhao, "Chen Toutie is from the Jinyiwei. If he rashly takes up the high position of Shandong Dusi, I am afraid it will cause controversy."

"Besides, this empty title will only have limited effect. It would be better for him to find a garrison in Shandong and take up a real position. This will make it easier for him to carry out his work. I mean, it will be easier for him to be accepted by local officials."

After this period of military training and frank conversations with his adopted sons, Zhu Houzhao already understood how rotten the garrisons were. He did not take Pei Yuan's suggestion too seriously and asked directly, "Which garrison is suitable?"

Pei Yuan did not answer immediately.

Zhu Houzhao felt a little strange. He stopped and looked back, and saw Pei Yuanzheng looking thoughtful.

Later he said, "Many followers of the Luo Cult have spread to the canal workers and transport troops. If we want to ensure that there is no risk of error and to provide insurance for the situation in Shandong, there are only two suitable places."

"One is Linqing, and the other is Jining."

"Both places are important towns on the canal. Many goods are stored and dispersed here. Similarly, a large number of canal workers and transport troops converge here."

"If anything goes wrong, the consequences will be disastrous."

"There was originally only one Zhongzuo in Linqing. Later, in order to strengthen the defense, Jining Zuowei was transferred there to assist in the defense. In this way, together with the five Zhongzuo, Zhongzuo, Qianzuo and Houzuo of Jining Zuowei, a six-zuo David was formed."

"The troops here were defeated when the Bazhou army invaded Shandong, which led to the burning of Linqing."

"The situation of Jining Guard is similar. They also experienced the destruction and burning of the city by the Bazhou Army. However, Hou Gong, the commander of Jining Guard, was still temporarily in charge because of his merit in ambushing Liu Qi."

"But to be honest, it was Pei Yuan who injured Liu Qi. There are former Governor-General of the River and Right Censor-in-Chief Wang Ding, former Jining Governor Fan Bi, former Caopu Military Governor Zheng Du, and the Bazhou Sword I took from Liu Qi as evidence."

"I can clearly say that Hou Gong, the commander of Jining Guard, did not contribute an ounce of merit in this matter."

Zhu Houzhao had already heard Pei Yuan's inclination, "So, you would prefer him to serve as the commander of Jining Guard?"

Pei Yuan answered cautiously, "Jining Zuowei and Jiningwei have long been in name only after experiencing the defeat of the Bazhou Army. Strictly speaking, no matter which one you choose, there is not much difference."

"But since the emperor has asked me about the affairs of the army, I should do my best to make some contribution."

"I think that Linqing has the Weihe Shipyard nearby, where the soldiers of Xuzhou Zuowei are stationed all year round to build ships. Your Majesty can authorize Ding Hong, the commander of Xuzhou Zuowei, to use the Linqing arsenal. In this way, the soldiers of Xuzhou Zuowei can assist Jining Zuowei in blocking the canal's northbound passage at any time. In this way, Linqing will naturally be worry-free."

"Jining Guard is already in ruins, but Jining is an important place for storing food and fodder. Many guards in Shandong, Henan, and Northern Zhili have to go to Jining to withdraw food. If we don't work hard to consolidate it, the consequences will be disastrous. I think it would be better to let Chen Toutie go to Jining Guard."

Zhu Houzhao was moved and said, "If everyone in the court could be like Pei Qing, what would I have to worry about?"

Zhu Houzhao also remembered the battle report from that time, and knew that Jining Guard and Jining Left Guard were indeed half-disabled, so he said straightforwardly, "In that case, arrest Hou Gong and let Chen Toutie concurrently serve as the commander of Jining Guard."

After saying this, he waved to a eunuch in a dragon robe in the distance.

The eunuch hurried over and asked respectfully, "Your Majesty, why do you want me to do this?"

Pei Yuan glanced at the eunuch. He thought that the old servant was being a little modest. He seemed to be only in his forties.

The eunuch seemed to notice Pei Yuan's gaze and smiled at him.

Zhu Houzhao saw this and asked in surprise, "Do you know each other?"

Pei Yuan was stunned and quickly explained, "I have never seen this eunuch."

The eunuch replied respectfully, "I just heard about Captain Pei's great reputation."

Zhu Houzhao smiled strangely and said, "Oh, that matter."

The eunuch said politely to Pei Yuan, "I am Yin Sheng, a eunuch in the Imperial Household Department."

Pei Yuan immediately realized why Yin Sheng smiled at him.

The two sides do have some friendship.

First of all, Yin Sheng is Lu Ting's follower, and Lu Ting is his political ally. In a nutshell, they are all one of his own.

Secondly, before, Zhang Song had been very dishonest and had helped those candidates from Shandong to get Beijing debts, and the backer of one of them was this Yin Sheng.

In order to do his best to show his favor, Chen Xinjian even went to Lu Ting to ask for it.

Strictly speaking, I still owe Yin Sheng a favor.

Pei Yuan immediately said, "I have heard of your reputation for a long time. I admire your calmness when you suppressed the rebellion in Bazhou. I will ask for your advice in the future."

Yin Sheng smiled and nodded slightly, and said no more.

Pei Yuan's words might seem like ordinary courtesy to outsiders, but to the two of them, it was Pei Yuan telling Yin Sheng that he remembered his favor and wanted to have a drink with him when he was free.

Zhu Houzhao asked Yin Sheng, "Is there any good vacancy in Shandong Dusi?"

Yin Sheng thought for a moment and replied, "The officials of Shandong Dusi are not satisfied. There is only one official in each position. Among them, the commander-in-chief Gao Dai and the deputy commander-in-chief Di Gongtang were defeated by the bandits when they were suppressing the rebellion. Both of them have been exiled. Now these two positions have not been filled and are vacant."

Zhu Houzhao saw that it was not the answer he wanted, so he asked directly, "Where is the deputy commander of Shandong Dusi?"

Yin Sheng said, "The chief commander of Shandong Dusi is called Yin Zeng. He has not been implicated and is currently in charge of Shandong Dusi."

Zhu Houzhao felt a little regretful when he heard this, "Is it such a coincidence?"

Then he looked at Pei Yuan and said, "How about letting Chen Toutie be the commander-in-chief or the deputy commander-in-chief? Or let Chen Toutie and Yin Zeng be the deputy commander-in-chief?"

The officials of each Dusi Wei Suo, from the commander-in-chief down, all relied on hereditary succession, that is, bloodline inheritance to become officials.

But when you reach the level of Dusi, you are just a temporary official.

Whether it was the commander-in-chief, the deputy commander-in-chief or the assistant commander-in-chief, they were all officials appointed by the imperial court.

As the positions of Dusi were gradually hollowed out, many of these high-ranking officials became mere figureheads, with only one or two people filling the positions.

According to the rules, there can indeed be two deputy commanders in the dusi.

However, Pei Yuan asked Chen Toudi to take a step back and be appointed as the deputy governor of the capital in order to avoid the infighting in the officialdom and at the same time to have a better position to wait for an opportunity.

How could he let someone share this position with Chen Toutie? So Pei Yuan immediately said to Zhu Houzhao, "Your Majesty, when the two sides are facing each other and the two armies are fighting, how can it be that the commander-in-chief, who is the superior, and the deputy commander-in-chief, who is the subordinate, are both defeated, while the commander-in-chief is safe?"

"Yin Zeng is disloyal to his superiors and fails to lead by example. He seems to be timid and unwilling to make progress."

"I request that Yin Zeng be investigated and punished, so as to demonstrate the majesty of the national law."

Yin Sheng, a mere passerby, gasped when he heard this. This Pei Yuan was truly a treacherous minister!

In order to squeeze out a vacancy, they even tried to dismiss people from office.

As the emperor, Zhu Houzhao was shocked and couldn't help but sigh.

It’s so authentic, the flavor of Jinyiwei is so authentic!

Presumably, Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong relied on such Jinyiwei to frighten the court and the public and make everyone submit to them.

He’s back, the real Jinyiwei is back!
Zhu Houzhao paused for a while before instructing Yin Sheng, "Let Yin Zeng succeed as the commander-in-chief of Shandong Military Region, and let Chen Toutie be the deputy commander-in-chief of Shandong Military Region, and concurrently the commander-in-chief of Jining Guard."

Zhu Houzhao's imperial edicts were not very effective for civil officials, but they were very convenient for the military system.

Because military officers do not have to be threatened by public opinion, they do not care about moral kidnapping.

Moreover, the power of military officers has been gradually hollowed out, and the literati cannot lead the troops themselves, so they simply do not interfere in the personnel issues of military officers.

Anyway, there is the Censorate above and the Military Preparation Department below, so the military men can't cause any trouble.

Once Zhu Houzhao issued this decree, the matter was basically settled.

Zhu Houzhao thought about it and simply said, "Draft another imperial decree for me, and tell Gu Dayong and Wang Chang about the Luojiao matter, and let them assist and supervise it, and make sure there are no mistakes."

After that, he looked at Pei Yuan and said, "Tell Yin Daban the details."

What Pei Yuan wanted was the golden ticket of immunity from death that showed Luo Jiao a clear way out. With this decree, Pei Yuan was not afraid that any of his men would turn against him and expose the matter to the world.

Then Pei Yuan told Yin Sheng roughly what he had just discussed with Zhu Houzhao.

The more Yin Sheng listened, the more interesting his expression became.

Not to mention Yin Sheng, even his boss Lu Ting didn't know about what happened between Pei Yuan and Luo Jiao.

After hearing this, I suddenly understood. No wonder Chen Toutie was able to become a second-rank commander-in-chief. It turned out that he had made such a great contribution.

After listening to Pei Yuan's words, Yin Sheng said, "I already know what you are talking about. I will draft it right away."

Just as Yin Sheng was about to leave, Zhu Houzhao seemed to remember something and called Yin Sheng back.

Zhu Houzhao then put his hands behind his back, glanced at Pei Yuan, and said, "I order Pei Yuan, the captain of the Imperial Guard, not to be involved in the imperial prison affairs. I decree this."

Pei Yuan was a little confused after hearing this. You're clicking on me, right?

Zhu Houzhao ignored him and said to Yin Sheng, "Give it to him when you finish writing it."

Yin Sheng smiled and said, "I understand."

After Yin Sheng left, Pei Yuan smiled awkwardly and tried to save his dignity, "I don't care about the imperial prison."

Zhu Houzhao also smiled, obviously he was in a playful mood and did it on purpose.

This imperial edict was given to Pei Yuan instead of being sent to the Jinyiwei Experience Department for filing, which was of no use at all.

Zhu Houzhao felt good when he thought that the Luo Sect, which was so harmful, could be resolved smoothly and even be led in a beneficial direction.

He smiled and looked at Pei Yuan, "Although Chen Toutie has made contributions, your contributions are greater. The whole thing is inseparable from your hard work. In my opinion, Pei Qing is the first meritorious official."

After hearing what Zhu Houzhao said, Pei Yuan also felt a little sad.

In order to create the Luo Sect, to allow it to expand rapidly and sweep across Shandong, and to successfully whitewash the Luo Sect, Pei Qianhu had put in a lot of effort for a long time.

Pei Yuan said modestly, "I dare not take credit for it. I just did something insignificant."

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "No need to do that. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. Tell me, what reward do you want?"

Pei Yuan hesitated deliberately after hearing this, "That's not necessary."

Unfortunately, Zhu Houzhao had already seen through him and said with a smile, "You are so thoughtful even in rewarding Chen Toutie. I don't believe you haven't considered your own affairs."

"Pei Qing, please speak frankly. As long as I can do it, whether it is a title of nobility or a left or right commander-in-chief, Pei Qing can choose whatever he wants."

Pei Yuan took a deep breath and said to Zhu Houzhao, "I have nothing else to ask for, I just want a good marriage."

Zhu Houzhao was stunned, as if he had never thought that Pei Yuan would give him such an answer.

Then he remembered something and looked strange, "You mean, Captain Han?"

By the way, the person in front of me is the most affectionate person in the Ming Dynasty.

Emmm...

Zhu Houzhao suddenly became interested. "I remember that I once wanted to help you get married, but you declined. Why did you suddenly come to your senses now?"

Pei Yuan said shamelessly, "At that time, I was still ignorant and didn't know your majesty's kindness."

Zhu Houzhao pondered with his eyes flickering.

He once asked someone to write to Han Qianhu to ask, and at that time Han Qianhu gave a clear refusal.

Because Pei Yuan did not show a strong desire at the time, Zhu Houzhao did not mention the matter again afterwards.

Now that Pei Yuan was asking for a good marriage with his achievements, Zhu Houzhao felt a little embarrassed.

Zhu Houzhao pondered for a while and said, "I know about this matter. Let me think about it again."

The two walked slowly towards the Yongshou Marquis's Mansion.

Zhu Houzhao was the first to come back to his senses. Looking at the Yongshou Marquis' Mansion in front of him, he suddenly had an inspiration.

Since he could manage the people of Shandong by bypassing the prefectural and county officials as a Taoist priest, was there also a way to bypass the Ministry of War and directly obtain military power?
For example..., a fictional general sets up a government office and directly manages the army.

Countless thoughts flashed through Zhu Houzhao's mind. He couldn't wait to perfect his idea, so he asked Pei Yuan, "Is there anything else?"

Pei Yuan said quickly, "That's all for now. If there are any other gains, I will report to Your Majesty as soon as possible."

Zhu Houzhao said, "Then you go back first. I have important matters to attend to."

(End of this chapter)