Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 330 Great Victory
In February in Guangzhou, the mountains and fields outside the city are already lush and green, with spring grass beginning to grow.

In the early morning, the Xiguan Ferry outside Guangzhou City was already crowded with people, and the streets were bustling with traffic. This was the hub of Guangzhou's land and water transportation. All goods and materials transported from land and water had to enter the city from here.

After the imperial court moved its capital to Guangzhou, a large number of officials from the central government moved into the city, and merchants from all over the country also gathered in Guangzhou. As a result, the materials and personnel of the entire Guangdong Province continued to gather in Guangzhou spontaneously, which made this important southern city more prosperous.
On the official road outside the ferry, a dozen cavalrymen in armor suddenly galloped towards the ferry, holding flags in their hands. The knights on the horses galloped while shouting loudly.

"Great victory, great victory. The imperial court killed 50,000 Qing invaders and conquered Huguang. Great victory, great victory..."

The dock was quiet for a moment, and then the entire dock was suddenly filled with thunderous cheers.
Now Guangzhou has become Guangjing, and the people in the city have all become citizens of the imperial capital. The more powerful the court is, the better their livelihood will be.
All the merchants and travelers on the official road made way for them, and the cavalry passed by on horseback. When the cavalry rushed into the city to announce the victory, the whole city of Guangzhou was in an uproar.
In the south of Guangzhou, in Dezhengfang, He Fu, He Wuzhu and Li Yongmao were sitting in the hall.

There were teacups and cakes on the table in front of the two men, but neither of them took any. They were talking to each other when the housekeeper suddenly walked into the hall.
The gray-clothed steward held the paper in his hand, with a look of joy on his face. He entered the hall and spoke directly:

"Master, great news. A military messenger just entered the city. Your Highness led the army to kill 50,000 men. Huguang won a great victory."

Upon hearing this, He Wuzuo immediately took the letter from the steward's hand, quickly scanned the contents of the letter, smiled, and said

"This Du Zhongjian is indeed a talented person. He managed to capture the two cities of Jing and Xiang within half a month. He fought well."

He Wuzuo handed the letter to Li Yongmao beside him. Li Yongmao looked excited after reading the copied victory report.
"Once Jingxiang is secured, the world will be divided into the north and the south. From now on, we just need to wait for the court to recuperate and accumulate money and food, and then we can send troops down the river and take the old capital directly."

"It's a pity that the court was short of food and soldiers at this time, and was unable to recover the entire territory in one fell swoop. It's really a pity."

He Wuzuo picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. He looked at Li Yongmao who was excited beside him and suddenly said

"According to the victory report, Your Highness has led the army back to Guangdong and should have entered the territory of Guangdong by now. He will be back in the near future."

"Huguang's victory is great joy, but Brother Xiaoyuan must also seize the moment." Li Yongmao took the name Xiaoyuan

Li Yongmao heard this and the excitement on his face disappeared. He said in a deep voice:

"Is there any reply from Your Highness regarding the memorial submitted by Brother Longyou?"

"Two months ago, I sent a memorial recommending Brother Xiaoyuan to the Emperor in the name of congratulations, but Your Highness did not respond."

He Wuzuo shook his head slightly and spoke again

"Brother Xiaoyuan, have you ever looked for Brother Yanruo besides me?"

"I have already looked for it. Brother Yanruo's memorial has also been sent to the imperial court, but there has been no reply either."

He Wuzuo looked at Li Yongmao, who looked ugly, and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes.
Li Yongmao had actually started mourning during the Longwu reign, and ended it in July or August last year.

Logically speaking, Li Yongmao could have resumed his official duties last year, but apparently his reinstatement did not go smoothly.

He Wuzuo recommended Li Yongmao to return to the army, but he did not respond. It is possible that the frontline military affairs were too busy for His Highness to deal with it.

But now, it is the recommendation of two cabinet ministers, He Wu and Lu Daqi. The two cabinet ministers have come forward to make a statement, and it is impossible for the front line to ignore it.

It has been nearly two months since He Wuzuo and his men submitted their memorials, but the emperor has not responded yet.

This situation can only mean one thing, that is, His Highness has read the memorial, but does not want to approve it, so he simply keeps it in the palace without reporting it.
Li Yongmao angrily denounced the eunuchs and eventually left the court. With the fall of Wang Kun and others, Li Yongmao's reputation among the scholars also soared.

During the months when Wang Kun fell from power, Li Yongmao was even regarded as a leader of the Qingliu by the literati. In order to repel the corrupt eunuch party, he even gave up his position as prime minister. If this is not a leader of the Qingliu, what is he?

The reputation of the literati is the reputation of the literati, but it is not the case at all in the central government.

Li Yongmao not only denounced the eunuch party in the court, but also scolded His Highness the Regent. It had only been a few days since His Highness the Regent took the throne when Li Yongmao pointed at his nose and scolded him as a tyrant and incompetent ruler. How could this incident not have an impact?
Li Yongmao had a good time scolding her that day, but now the backlash has come.

Last year, Li Yongmao began to mobilize his students and old friends to submit petitions, hoping to serve as an official again, but it is clear that His Majesty the Regent does not want Li Yongmao to return to the cabinet.
At this time, not only did His Highness not want Li Yongmao to resume his position as Prime Minister, but Lu Daqi and even He Wuzuo and others in the court also did not want Li Yongmao to join the cabinet. The situation in Guangdong Province at this time was completely different from before.
When His Royal Highness the Regent was first established, the imperial court was in turmoil. The Qing army from Fujian Province was about to invade Guangdong Province. No one knew how long the Guangdong court could hold out.
Although the name of the cabinet minister sounds nice, if the Guangdong court is destroyed in an instant like the Longwu Dynasty, then what is the use of the cabinet minister's power?
When the Longwu court appointed ministers, many ministers refused to obey the order. This was even more true for the Guangdong court at that time.

At that time, Chen Zizhuang and other ministers entered the cabinet to assist in the administration, which was a great risk. After they chose to obey the imperial edict and enter the court, if the Qing army captured Guangdong Province, they, the so-called cabinet ministers, would immediately become the focus of the Qing army.

When Gui Jianguo was first established, which of the five ministers did not follow the court and bear huge risks?
Qu Shisi led 2,000 soldiers to Guangxi Province alone and surrendered Chen Bangfu's 10,000 rebels. Su Guansheng led his troops to the court but was almost killed by Ding Kuichu at the gate of the city.

Lü Daqi followed the regent to Guangzhou and defended the city alone. He almost died when the city was broken. Chen Zizhuang led the troops himself and rushed day and night to rescue Guangzhou.
Even He Wuzuo took the risk to guard the King of Tang. If something happened in Guangzhou and the King of Tang ascended the throne, He Wuzuo, who led the troops to guard the King of Tang, would definitely be hated by the King of Tang.

Since the establishment of the Guangdong Province, the ministers in the court have also experienced hardships and dangers. But when the ministers followed His Highness to travel and adventure, what was Li Yongmao doing? He was at home observing the mourning period.
The situation of the court at this time was completely different from that at the beginning. The court had won victory after victory and was now divided into the north and south with the Qing army.

The southern provinces have been wiped out and surrendered one after another. The Guangdong court has truly become the center of the provinces. The power of the ministers in the court has also risen. Now Li Yongmao suddenly jumped out and said that he wanted to be reinstated as prime minister. What good things are he thinking?
Although He Wu and Lu Daqi submitted memorials to the court due to their old friendship, to be honest, they were not necessarily willing to let Li Yongmao join the cabinet again.
Although He Wuzuo did not want Li Yongmao to join the cabinet, he did not oppose Li Yongmao's return to the court.
After the imperial court took over the provinces, the power of the cabinet increased greatly, but correspondingly, as provincial governors appeared one after another, the situation in the court began to become complicated.

He Wuzhuo and Lu Daqi were both old ministers of Longwu and had a very close relationship. However, after His Highness went to war and Lu Daqi stayed in Guangzhou as the second assistant, the relationship between the two sides gradually became distant.

With the return of His Royal Highness the Regent, the Prime Minister Qu Shisi will also return with him, and the situation in the court will become more complicated. If Li Yongmao can return to the court, He Wuzuo will also have an extra helper in the court.

When He Wuzuo thought of this, he also said, "Brother Xiaoyuan should make up his mind. When His Highness returns to the court, he will definitely reward people according to their merits. Personnel transfers in the court will definitely become more frequent. If you wait until the rewards from all parties in the court are determined, it will be even more difficult for Brother Xiaoyuan to return to the court."

Upon hearing this, Li Yongmao also said in a deep voice

"Your Highness has returned to the court. There are many things to be done in the court. We need to gather together to recuperate and plan for the great plan. I am also willing to assist Your Highness in the court and revive the country, but Your Highness has been slow to come back. What can I do?"

Seeing that Li Yongmao was still unwilling to give up the idea of ​​joining the cabinet, He Wuzuo shook his head and said directly:

"In terms of seniority, reputation, and achievements, there are too many people in the court who are qualified to join the cabinet. Brother Xiaoyuan previously served as the prime minister and observed the mourning period. It is impossible for him to be directly reinstated as prime minister and join the cabinet at this time."

Li Yongmao's face turned ugly when he heard what He Wuzuo said, but He Wuzuo didn't care at all and spoke again

"Zhang Zaining of Fujian Province has excellent qualifications and reputation, and has made great contributions to the restoration of Fujian. Although he still needs to govern Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, he has recommended Zeng Zhonghan to serve as the Minister of Justice."

"Your Highness has already agreed to this matter. As long as the time is right, this person can return to the court at any time to take charge of the Ministry of Justice and officially join the cabinet."

"Huguang Du Zhongjian, the capture of Jingxiang and Jingzhou this time must be the first merit of Huguang. Although this person has a poor family background, Your Highness has always employed people without considering their family background. Even Su Guansheng can enter the cabinet, let alone this person. As long as Your Highness is interested, this person may also enter the cabinet."

"Fan Yiheng from Sichuan Province, Yang Weizhi from Yunnan Province, Gao Doushu from Hunan Province, and Zhang Tongchang, who is a disciple of Lord Qu, although these people have less experience, they all have made great contributions. As long as they continue to hone their skills in various places, they will also be qualified to join the cabinet in the future."

Li Yongmao's heart sank when he heard what He Wuzuo said.

Li Yongmao suddenly realized that although he had been away from the court for only a year, the situation in the court had already changed drastically. There were so many candidates who were qualified to assist in the administration without him noticing.

The people He Wuzuo recommended were either well-qualified and well-known, or young and strong ministers with great achievements. Li Yongmao, apart from his qualifications as a minister who supported the emperor, had no advantages over these people.

Li Yongmao thought of this and said in a deep voice
"Brother Long You, what do you think I should do now?"

"Brother Xiaoyuan must not demand the position of prime minister at this time. You should return to the court and serve as an official first, and then find a way to make meritorious deeds."

"Brother Xiaoyuan now has a great reputation in the scholar community and is a loyal minister. As long as Brother Xiaoyuan can return to the court and make new contributions, it will be a natural thing for him to resume his position as prime minister."

Li Yongmao remained silent upon hearing this. He Wuzuo, who was standing by, did not urge him when he saw that Li Yongmao was silent. He just picked up his teacup and sipped the tea, waiting for Li Yongmao's decision.

He also understood why Li Yongmao was so hesitant. Li Yongmao left the court as a cabinet minister. If he returned to the court at a low position, then his former colleague like Wu Zuo might become his superior. This gap was not something he could easily accept.

Moreover, if Li Yongmao chooses to serve in a low position at this time, then in the future, Li Yongmao can only accumulate merits and rise step by step. It is impossible for him to have the possibility of directly entering the cabinet as he does now.

Li Yongmao was silent for a while, and finally spoke

"Brother Longyou, please recommend me to the court and help me get the position of Governor of Gan Province."

He Wuzuo was also stunned when he heard this. He could predict that Li Yongmao would eventually choose to serve as an official first. At this time, Li Yongmao seemed to have a chance to enter the cabinet, but if His Highness did not nod, this might really be just a possibility.
But he did not expect that Li Yongmao would choose to seek a post outside the court. The situation in the court has always been that it is difficult to find an official in Beijing. Many people would rather downgrade their ranks and want to be promoted back to the court. But now Li Yongmao has taken the initiative to choose to be sent outside the court.
However, He Wuzuo quickly reacted and understood Li Yongmao's thoughts.

Li Yongmao served as the governor of Gan Province during the Hongguang Dynasty. Several ministers in the court made contributions in border affairs. I am afraid that Li Yongmao also wants to follow this path.
He Wuzuo frowned slightly and said

"The imperial court has been at war for years, and the money and food in the court have long been exhausted. This time the imperial court did not take Huguang all at once, and that is precisely why..."

"After your highness returns to the court, as long as the Qing invaders stop fighting, the court will probably not start a war again for two to three years. At this time, the entire Gan Province is in the hands of the Qing invaders. It is probably meaningless for Brother Xiaoyuan to go to Gan Province at this time."

"I used to be the governor of Gan Province. No one in the court is more familiar with the situation in Gan Province than I am. Some time ago, I have contacted the scholars in Gan Province and learned about the current situation in Gan Province. There is a lot of room for development in Gan Province at this time."

"Gan Province will arrive before Guangdong Province. The next place the imperial court will send troops will definitely be Gan Province. It will only take two or three years. I can afford to wait. As long as the imperial court decides to send troops, I will be able to take back Gan Province for the imperial court!"

Li Yongmao had a determined look on his face. At this time, each department in the court had its own leader, but he was unwilling to serve under someone else. If he could not join the cabinet, he would rather choose to be sent out.
At this time, the Ming and Qing dynasties were fighting for the world, and the court valued frontier talents and military achievements the most. He was not short of qualifications, and as long as he could take over Gan Province for the court, he could legitimately return to the court to assist in the administration.
Looking at all the provinces in the world, Gan Province was the best place for him to achieve military merit.

Li Yongmao thought of this and did not hesitate any more. He spoke directly.

"Please help me, Brother Longyou, and let me resume my post in Gan Province."

He Wuzuo was silent for a moment, took a deep look at Li Yongmao in front of him, and then agreed.

He Wuzuo originally planned to let Li Yongmao return to the court and use him as an arm to strengthen his influence in the court. Li Yongmao had already entered the cabinet during the Longwu Dynasty and still had a considerable reputation among the group of ministers from Fujian Province who fled to Guangdong.

But this cannot be forced. After all, Li Yongmao and He Wuzuo were once cabinet ministers. If He Wuzuo forced Li Yongmao to join his army, the two sides might become enemies.

It would be fine if Li Yongmao wanted to concentrate on managing Jiangxi Province at this time. If he could really make great contributions in the future and come to the court to assist in the administration again, then he would be a reliable ally that would be of great use to He Wuzuo.
Li Yongmao has been serving in Gan Province for a long time. It is possible that he can help the court to recover Gan Province. At this time, He Wuzuo has no reason to stop this matter, both publicly and privately.

(End of this chapter)