Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 419 Mission
In the Jinshen Hall of the Guangdong Provincial Palace, Zhu Lang sat at the top in a bright yellow dragon robe, while Qu Shisi, Jiao Lian and others had also changed into official robes and sat at the bottom.
There was an envelope on the table, with the words "Top Secret" written in large red characters on the cover. Zhu Lang opened the wax-sealed envelope and took out the memorial.
After reading the contents of the letter, Zhu Lang ordered Li Guoyong to deliver the memorial from Zhejiang Province to the lower level. The memorial was passed around among the military ministers and soon returned to the throne.

The battle of Ningbo lasted for a month, during which the armies of Ming and Qing fought several battles around Ningbo.
But at this time, the memorial only contained a few sentences, such as the Siming Mountain righteous army lured out the Ningbo Qing soldiers, the righteous gentry in the city captured the city, and the Zhoushan navy defeated Ningbo.

Zhu Lang glanced at the memorial on the table, a hint of complacency flashed across his face, and he said

"When I was selecting the governor of Nanzhili, I said Zhang Yuanzi could be used, but you said he was too young and wanted to select an experienced official. What do you think now?"

"Your Highness has a keen eye for talent, and I admire you."

Seeing the smug look on Zhu Lang's face, Qu Shisi, Lu Daqi and other cabinet ministers also had a hint of helplessness in their eyes, and they could only stand up and praise the wise

Xingming Times boasts every day that His Majesty is one of the few wise and holy rulers in the Ming Dynasty since Emperor Taizu. Others have seen this so many times that they just think that Xingming Times is flattering.
However, Qu Shisi and other cabinet ministers felt that their emperor was indeed a benevolent ruler.
To Lü Daqi, He Wuzhuo and others, whether this emperor is benevolent or not is not the point, but he can really be said to know people and assign them to the right positions.

On the side of Wu Chen, Jiao Lian was originally just a deputy general, Li Mingzhong was a wolf soldier commander, Ma Bao was a surrendered general and a slave of three surnames, and Li Dingguo and Li Guo were even more of a group of rebels and bandits.

These people were previously considered unusable and untrustworthy by the court, but Your Majesty used them anyway, and once they gained power, they immediately stood out.
Even though the Qing invaders denied it, they still regarded the Ming imperial guards as famous generals of the enemy country and the greatest enemy of the time.

On the civil officials side, cabinet ministers such as Qu Shisi and Lu Daqi were already well-known in the court and the country during the Chongzhen period. When Hongguang ascended the throne, they used Qu Shisi's group of people, and when Longwu ascended the throne, they also used this group of people.
If it is natural to use famous officials such as Qu Shixi, then the young officials appointed by the Guangdong Province after the establishment of the government can show that Your Majesty is good at judging people.

Since His Majesty took over as regent, he has appointed a large number of young officials to the court, including Zhang Tongchang, Zhang Jiayu, and Zhang Huangyan. Most of these young officials are only in their early thirties, and the oldest, Zhang Tongchang, is only just forty. However, all of them have now become governors and are in charge of their own regions.

Zhang Jiayu and the other two are now called the Three Zhangs by some gossipers in the court. There are even rumors in the court that His Majesty likes to use people with the surname Zhang, and as long as the people with the surname Zhang can be favored by His Majesty, they will be used by His Majesty.

Some officials surnamed Zhang who did not know the truth believed it and tried every means to submit petitions to the court, hoping that their names would be read by the emperor so that they could rise to prominence overnight and be appointed as prime minister.
Lu Daqi and others have been in the court for a long time, so they naturally know that the rumor that His Majesty likes to employ people with the surname Zhang is just a rumor.
Although the three Zhangs all have the surname Zhang, His Majesty employs more than just Zhang people. The Governor of East Guangdong, Chen Bangyan, and the Governor of Yunnan Province, Yang Weizhi, are also people His Majesty has vigorously promoted.

Your Majesty is not only able to identify talents and dare to employ them, but also these people have made achievements after taking office, which is enough to be called a capable minister.

Zhang Tongchang was a loyal minister to the emperor. When he stayed in Hunan, he deployed defenses in Hunan and Guangxi, forcing Ma Jinzhong, Hao Yaoqi and others not to retreat and had to defend Hengzhou to the death. Only then did he wait for the imperial court to return and defeat the rebellious army of Kong Youde and the other three kings.

Zhang Jiayu's merit in protecting the emperor. When Your Majesty was trapped in Guangzhou, this man was unemployed at home. He only gathered more than a thousand soldiers and dared to attack Zengcheng, an important logistics base of the Qing army, and finally burned the Qing army's food and grass, which led to the court's great victory in Guangzhou.
Zhang Jiayu later went to northern Guangdong and managed the Nanxiong defense line in an orderly manner.
In this Ningbo battle, Zhang Jiayu laid out the overall situation in the Qing territory and made connections with the left and right, which further demonstrated the ability and means of a local governor.
The least famous of the three is probably Zhang Huangyan. Outsiders only know that he was suddenly entrusted with an important task and became the governor of Yunnan Province. He eventually cooperated with the imperial army to quell the rebellion in Yunnan Province.
Your Majesty likes to employ people with the surname Zhang, and many things are related to Zhang Huangyan. Zhang Huangyan was just a juren, but when he was in Fujian Province, Your Majesty suddenly asked him to leave the side of Lu Jianguo. Only one year later, he was suddenly promoted and became the governor of Yunnan Province.

When Zhang Huangyan was appointed as the governor of Yunnan Province, he was only 28 years old. Since Emperor Taizu, there has never been a provincial governor under the age of 30. What other reason could it be except that Your Majesty likes to employ people with the surname Zhang?

In the eyes of the court officials, Zhang Jiayu has the talent to be a frontier warrior and will definitely be of great use in the future, while Zhang Huangyan just followed His Majesty on the expedition and caught up with good luck, which is why he rose to prominence.
But Lu Daqi and others knew very well that Zhang Huangyan's position in His Majesty's mind was probably no less than Zhang Jiayu's.
The court officials thought that Zhang Huangyan would stop in Yunnan Province after His Majesty returned to the court, but Qu Shisi and others knew that Zhang Huangyan would definitely return to the court in the future, and it would not be long before this happened.
Others thought that the new system of seven dou was first implemented in Chaozhou and Huizhou, but Lu Daqi and other cabinet ministers knew very well that the first place to try out the new system was not Chaozhou and Huizhou in Guangdong Province, but Lin'an Prefecture in Yunnan Province.

It's just that Yunnan Province is too far away, and Your Majesty didn't want people to know about the situation in Lin'an, so he suppressed the news, making people mistakenly believe that the new system of seven dou originated from Guangdong Province.

When Chaohui implemented the new system, the proportion of each county's starting and retaining funds, and the system of expanding the number of officials in the county government were all tried out by Zhang Huangyan in Lin'an Prefecture. If this new system of seven buckets can really be implemented throughout the country in the future, then this person will definitely enter the cabinet in the future.

Zhu Lang put down the letter in his hand, and he was in a very good mood. He said

"We received news from Fujian Province that the Qing government is sending an envoy to Zhejiang Province to question the Ningbo incident. Who do you think the court should send to deal with it?"

The Ming and Qing dynasties had just signed a ceasefire agreement, and Ningbo was captured. Of course, the Qing court had to send people to question them.
However, it is not appropriate for Zhang Jiayu to contact the Qing court as an envoy. Zhang Jiayu was the one who instigated the Ningbo war. If he were to contact the Qing court as a special envoy at this time, it would be like stepping on the Qing court's face and forcing it to go to war.
After Qu Shisi and Lu Daqi and others discussed in a low voice for a few words, they spoke

"Since the court is staying out of this matter, it is not appropriate to send important officials from the central government to go, otherwise it will show a guilty conscience."

"Since this incident happened in Zhejiang Province, why not order Zhang Zaining to go to the border of Zhejiang Province together with Liu Zhongzao, the governor of Zhejiang Province, to deal with this matter."

Zhu Lang nodded slightly after hearing this. Zhang Kentang was the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces, which was a high enough position in itself. He was also one of the few people in Fujian and Zhejiang who knew the inside story of the Ningbo War. It was just right for him to deal with the Qing Dynasty delegation.
Chen Zizhuang below thought for a moment, then suddenly said

"Although the imperial court used Zhoushan as a cover-up this time, the Qing invaders still suffered a great loss. Will the Qing invaders take this opportunity to start a war again?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Shisi and the others frowned slightly. The Qing invaders had just signed an armistice agreement last year. Although Qu Shisi and the others believed that the Qing invaders would not be so impulsive, no one knew what the Qing invaders were thinking, so they had to be on guard.
Before Qu Shisi and the others could speak, Li Dingguo on the right suddenly spoke.

"I think the Qing invaders will not start a war at this time. The Qing invaders have always been rude and overbearing. If they want to fight, they will probably gather their troops and march south directly. Why would they only send an envoy to question us?"

"The Qing sent an envoy at this time, which shows that the Qing obviously does not want to fight."

"Compared to the Qing invaders going to war with the imperial court, I think the Qing invaders might take the opportunity to attack Zhoushan. After all, they always pick on the weak first."

The ministers in the palace nodded slightly when they heard this. The imperial court had 40,000 to 50,000 troops stationed in Fujian and Zhejiang. If the Qing court wanted to start a war, it would have to mobilize all its troops to attack. The Qing court might not have such great courage at this time.

It would be much easier for the Qing Dynasty to attack Zhoushan. Zhoushan is close to Ningbo and weak. If they can conquer Zhoushan, they can also regain face. It is indeed a better target for revenge than the Guangdong Provincial Court.
"Mr. Li is right. We must be on guard. Order Zhou Hezhi to lead the Fujian Navy and Zhang Kentang to Zhejiang to negotiate."

"Since the Qing invaders dare not start a war, then they are not even allowed to attack Zhoushan!"

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and spoke again.

"Zhang Jiayu has recruited 5,000 naval forces under Huang Binqing in Zhoushan. Please ask the court to send a general to serve as the commander of the Zhoushan camp. The Ministry of War and the Five Military Commanders' Office can nominate candidates after they return."

Chen Zizhuang was in charge of the military department. When he heard what Zhu Lang said, he frowned and said

"The commanders of each battalion have always been selected by the Ministry of War..."

Chen Zizhuang was interrupted right after he finished speaking. Zhu Lang waved his hand and said

"I have said before that we should consult military officials for their opinions on military affairs. This matter has been decided. The Ministry of War and the Five Military Commands will each nominate their own candidates, and I will make the decision."

"The minister obeys the order"

Jiao Lian, Ma Bao, Li Dingguo and others looked at each other and immediately stood up to receive the order. Chen Zizhuang and others saw that the military officials had all stood up, and although they were a little unwilling, they had to bow and receive the order.
In Ningbo West City, the sign of Zhejiang Provincial General's Mansion has been taken down and replaced with the sign of Ninghai General's Mansion
Everyone knew that this was the General's Mansion of Zhejiang Province, but no one dared to question it at this time. Three thousand Ninghai soldiers were stationed at the four gates of the city. Chen Tianchong said that this was the General's Mansion of Ninghai. This was the General's Mansion of Ninghai.

In the back hall of the mansion, Chen Tianchong, who had seized the Zhejiang Provincial General's Mansion, was not happy at this time. Chen Tianchong's face was gloomy. He looked at Zhong Mo below and said

"Have you sent him away?"

"They have been sent away. The people from Zhoushan were not present at all. "Even if the court investigates in the future, at most these people got wind of it and fled when the city was not prepared. It has nothing to do with us."

After Chen Tianchong led his army to recapture Ningbo, Xie Sanbin, who had disappeared, suddenly jumped out again and reported the city's gentry to the government office.
Hua Xia started an uprising on the city wall in front of everyone. There were many witnesses in the city. Wang Jiaqin and Hua Xia had always been on good terms. These two people could not stay in Ningbo.

When the Ming army withdrew that day, Hua Xia and his men had already retreated to Zhoushan with the Ming army. Hua Wang and his men withdrew, but Lu Yuding and his men hid in secret and continued to stay in the city.

Lu Yuding and his men were not exposed this time. The capture of the city had already proved that Lu Yuding and his men were loyal and useful. Zhang Jiayu therefore kept Lu Yuding and his men in the city for future use.

But no one expected that Xie Sanbin, who suddenly appeared, would directly destroy Zhang Jiayu's plan.
At this time, all the important matters in Ningbo were decided by Chen Tianchong and Sun Zhixiu. Soon after Xie Sanbin reported Lu Yuding and others to the government office, the government office passed the news to the general's mansion.

After Chen Tianchong found out, he immediately contacted Zhang Jiayu. With Chen Tianchong's secret assistance, Lu Yuding and his men successfully retreated to Zhoushan.
Chen Tianchong was relieved when he heard that Lu Yuding and others had evacuated safely, but then a stern look flashed across his face and he said

"What did Sun Zhixiu say? When will he take down Xie Sanbin?"

"Sun Zhixiu denied this matter, so let's not touch Xie Sanbin for the time being."

Chen Tianchong frowned when he heard this. After learning about Xie Sanbin's situation, Chen Tianchong decided to get rid of him.

Chen Tianchong didn't care whether Xie Sanbin surrendered to the Qing Dynasty or not, nor did he care if he reported the pro-Ming gentry in the city, but he was too dangerous.

Xie Sanbin was a high-ranking official in the Lu Regent Court, and was also familiar with the Ming court officials in Zhejiang Province and Zhoushan.

Chen Tianchong will certainly have many contacts with the imperial court in the future. If the person sent by the imperial court is recognized by Xie Sanbin, then the next time Xie Sanbin reports him, it will be Chen Tianchong.

After Chen Tianchong knew that Xie Sanbin had a rich family, he planned to use this as a lure to get Sun Zhixiu to get rid of this person.
At this time, the Ming army had just broken into the city, and everything in the city was under the control of Chen Tianchong and Sun Zhixiu. In such a chaotic time, it would be effortless to get rid of a squire.
Sun Zhixiu had already been tempted, but for some reason he suddenly changed his mind.
Chen Tianchong looked at Zhong Mo below and was about to ask, but at this moment, a personal soldier suddenly walked in and said

"Sun Daotai asked the general to go to the government office, saying that he had important matters to discuss."

Chen Tianchong frowned slightly, but did not hesitate, and quickly rushed to the government office with more than ten guards.
In the back hall of the government office, Sun Zhixiu was sitting in a loose Taoist robe. When he saw Chen Tianchong coming in, he casually said
"Last year's pre-rain tea, a good thing I just found, come and try it, brother Chen."

Sun Zhixiu opened the teacup and took a sip, but his eyes narrowed slightly, with an intoxicated look on his face.

When Chen Tianchong entered the room, he walked upstairs and sat down next to Sun Zhixiu. However, Sun Zhixiu did not care and was still immersed in the fragrance of tea.
Chen Tianchong took a sip and then said directly

"Sir Sun, Xie Sanbin's family is very wealthy, the most wealthy in Ningbo. We had already agreed on this before, why do you suddenly want to let him go? Is there anyone in Ningbo who dares to go against us now?"

Sun Zhixiu heard this and a trace of regret flashed across his face. He said

"Brother Chen, you know that the imperial delegation is coming, right?"

Chen Tianchong nodded slightly when he heard this. He knew about this. Ningbo's important frontline was suddenly breached. It would be strange if the court did not send people to come.
He not only knew that the imperial court was going to send an envoy, but also knew that the envoy would not only negotiate with the Ming court, but also investigate the fall of Ningbo.

Seeing Chen Tianchong nod, Sun Zhixiu spoke again

"Although Xie Sanbin is a shameless villain, he does have a wide network of friends. He not only informed the government office of the Ningbo rebels' collusion, but also sent letters to other places."

"I have learned that this person has contacted the deputy envoy of the delegation, Li Ruolin. Li Ruolin has already known about the Ningbo rebels, so Xie Sanbin cannot move at this time."

"Li Ruolin?"

Seeing the doubt on Chen Tianchong's face, Sun Zhixiu also spoke up.

"Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a capable general under Lord Feng Quan, a big shot."

Although Sun Zhixiu was talking about an important person, there was not much fear on his face. Chen Tianchong frowned slightly when he heard this and said

"Eunuch?"

Feng Quan is now a Grand Secretary of the Hongwen Academy of the Qing Dynasty, and is one of the few Han Chinese officials in the Qing Dynasty.
But this person is more famous for being the leader of the eunuch party. Such people are well-known in both the Ming and Qing dynasties. Sun Zhixiu was not surprised that Chen Tianchong knew this person.

Sun Zhixiu heard what Chen Tianchong said, but he chuckled and said

"We dare not call it the Eunuch Party. The Regent does not like the term Eunuch Party. He even lost his temper over it a few years ago. Let's call it the Northern Party."

Chen Tianchong didn't care about the eunuch party or the northern party at this time. He just wanted to solve the trouble of Xie Sanbin. Chen Tianchong looked stern and said

"Minister Li is a big shot, but he is a minister in the court and has no control over Zhejiang Province. Why should we be afraid of him?"

Sun Zhixiu heard this, but shook his head slightly and said

"If it was before, it would be fine. Although Li Ruolin is the Minister of Rites, I am a frontline official, so I don't necessarily have to be afraid of him."

"But this time it's different. I've received news from the court that the North and South parties are fighting fiercely at the moment."

"This time, the people of the Northern Party know that Ningbo was lost because of the traitor Tong Ming, and they seem to be using this to attack the people of the Southern Party. Xie Sanbin now has the news about the traitor Tong Ming. The two sides are fighting in the court, so we should not get involved."

Seeing that Chen Tianchong was about to say something else, Sun Zhixiu interrupted him with a wave of his hand and said

"Okay, let's leave it at that for now, Brother Chen. The most urgent task now is to get the court to recognize our great achievement of retaking Ningbo."

"Li Ruolin is the deputy envoy of the delegation after all. Don't lose the big picture for the small one."

Upon hearing this, Chen Tianchong had to put the matter aside for the time being. As Sun Zhixiu said, the most important thing at the moment was to first establish the great achievement of capturing Ningbo. This was the most important thing.
The undercurrent in Ningbo gradually subsided, and in this calm, the Qing Dynasty delegation finally arrived in Ningbo.
(End of this chapter)