Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 73 Prevention
The main hall of Ding Mansion, with Ma Jixiang and Ding Kuichu sitting in the hall

Ding Kuichu looked at the letter in his hand, but the more he looked at it, the more his brows furrowed. After a long time, he snorted coldly and put down the letter.
"His Highness the Regent seems to be planning a northern expedition. What do you think, Lord Ding?" Ma Jixiang said in a deep voice.

"Idiot dream"

Ding Kuichu sneered and put down the letter in his hand.
"Back then, the four towns in northern Jiangbei had tens of thousands of troops, all of whom were veteran soldiers from the imperial court. They were so powerful, but once the Qing army arrived, they were all defeated in just two or three months."

"Behind him was Zheng Zhilong, who had nearly 200,000 soldiers under his command. However, when the Qing army arrived, Zheng was immediately defeated and the Qing army marched straight in. Even the late emperor was captured and killed."

"Northern Expedition? What can he use for the Northern Expedition? Li Mingzhong's thousands of soldiers?" Ding Kuichu's eyes flashed with disdain.

In the ninth year of Chongzhen, he served as the governor of Hebei Province. The Qing army divided into six routes to enter the Great Wall. At that time, the elite border troops of the court still existed, but the Qing army still entered the Great Wall as if it were no man's land.
The Qing army crossed the capital and plundered all the way to Jinan, almost drinking water from the Yellow River, and finally plundered hundreds of thousands of people before returning north.
At that time, hundreds of thousands of soldiers gathered in the capital, but in the end, all the soldiers dared to retreat in the city, and no one dared to go out to fight.

Those who tried to resist were killed by the Qing army as soon as they left the city. In the end, everyone could only watch the Qing army leave with the looted people and property.

Now the imperial court's elite frontier troops have either rebelled or surrendered. The Qing court has the best areas in the north and south of the Yangtze River, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and it seems that the Mongols are about to enter the Central Plains.

Now, with only 20,000 to 30,000 troops in and outside Zhaoqing, Gui Jinguo is still thinking about the Northern Expedition. It's simply laughable.
The best way out for the Ming Dynasty now is to quickly submit to the emperor and follow the example of the Song and Liao dynasties, and serve the Qing court as their master!
In this way, the Qing army could be asked to temporarily suspend its offensive, so that the Ming Dynasty could be able to settle in the south and avoid the death of the Ming Dynasty.

Ma Jixiang nodded subconsciously upon hearing this. He had also fled all the way south from the capital. The Ming army had not won a single battle in the past few years, from north to south.

Those famous generals who had previously gained fame in the court, before they encountered the Qing army, were all in the north and south, but once they encountered the Qing army, they were almost immediately defeated and could hardly stand up to the enemy.

The best way for the Ming Dynasty to deal with this now is to quickly submit a petition and declare the legitimacy of China, so that the Qing Dynasty can temporarily stop its military offensive.
We have to hurry up. If the Qing army really invades Guangdong Province again, we may not even have the chance to ask for peace.

And Gui Jianguo was actually still thinking of launching a northern expedition. If the knowledgeable people inside and outside the government knew about this, they would probably laugh at it. It was really a joke.
Ma Jixiang was still thinking about the way out for the Ming Dynasty, and Ding Kuichu spoke again in a cold voice.

"This Gui Regent even took out Taizu's imperial edict to fight against the Mongols in the north. He even wants to compare himself to Taizu. He really overestimates his own abilities." Ding Kuichu sneered.

How could he not see where Gui Jianguo's words came from? It was just because he knew it that he wanted to laugh even more.

What kind of person was Taizu? He was a commoner who ruled the country in a dozen years. He braved the enemy's arrows and brought peace to the country when he dismounted. He was a natural saint and a hero, a hero that only appears once in thousands of years.
Taizu had many capable ministers and generals under his command, including Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen in literature and Xu Da and Chang Yuchun in military affairs. What did Gui Jianguo have under his command?

Qu Shisi, the governor of Guangxi Province whose land was held hostage by the rebel army, or Li Mingzhong, the Liaodong escapee
Gui Jianguo was just an idle prince before. He probably had never killed a chicken before. He wanted to follow Taizu's example and launch a northern expedition. What other similarities did he have with Taizu except that they both had the same surname, Zhu?
If the Gui Regent really saw the Qing army killing people, he would probably not even be able to walk.
"But from this we can see that this Gui Regent is indeed like what Eunuch Wang said, he is quite fond of military affairs. I guess he has listened to too many stories from somewhere and was suddenly praised to a high position, so he forgot his own weight and wanted to be the leader of the revival of the country."

"But the Gui prince is cunning. From what I have seen from his recent actions, I can see that he is a smart man. I underestimated the Gui regent before, but now I have to be on guard."

Ding Kuichu spoke softly, with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
He recently looked back at what had happened in the past few days and found something strange. Although the old man Qu Shisi was behind the series of actions, the cooperation of Gui Jianguo was also indispensable.
Although Gui Jianguo was a playboy, he was born into a royal family and had some political skills. He was also very cunning and sometimes he could even make all the ministers speechless.
At this time, he had already determined that these recent events must have been planned by Qu Shisi and the King of Gui.
Qu Shisi was the mastermind, in order to seize his power in the court.

The King of Gui also had his own thoughts. In order to cooperate with Qu Shisi in the Northern Expedition, which came from nowhere, he took the opportunity to control the army in the court.
Now that he had the army in hand, he could not wait to jump out and prepare to carry out his delusion of a northern expedition.

But the King of Gui is too ignorant. If the Qing army was really so easy to defeat, would it be your turn to be the regent and lead the Northern Expedition?
Is it true that people in previous dynasties didn’t know that they should march north to become the ruler of a revived dynasty?

Now that several dynasties have been destroyed, they still don't know how to wake up. They are really stubborn and unrepentant.

He, the King of Gui, can die if he wants, but he must not take his Guangdong soldiers with him, as they are the basis for his future wealth and glory.
With these 20,000 Guangdong troops in hand, Ding Kuichu will always have a place in the South or the North, in the Qing or the Ming!
Thinking of this, Ding Kuichu also felt a little alert and said

"Don't take it lightly. From what I see, Gui Jianguo is very likely to use the Northern Expedition as an excuse to interfere with the military power of the Guangdong Army. These 20,000 elite Guangdong Army soldiers of mine are not for him to waste and play with."

"If the Ming Dynasty did not have these 20,000 Guangdong troops to suppress it, I am afraid that it would immediately fall into chaos. I shoulder the responsibility of protecting the country and its people. How can I let them play with me?"

Ding Kuichu's expression turned cold, he looked at Ma Jixiang below, and continued to speak

"Commander Ma, what will the Guangdong Provincial Army do after the banquet ends?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Li. I have ordered secret agents from the Imperial Guard to keep an eye on the gate of the Governor's Mansion. There are 32 generals and officers from the Guangdong Army attending the banquet today."

"After the afternoon banquet, all 32 officers came to Yan Yuncong's residence, and no one was absent," Ma Jixiang replied respectfully.

"These people are quite sensible and know who pays them." Ding Kuichu's face relaxed slightly when he heard this, and he snorted coldly.

"This Gui Regent is still a wealthy prince after all. He actually wants to win over our Guangdong military generals with a few empty letters of appointment. It is really too naive."

Ding Kuichu's eyes flashed with contempt, and he said

The reason why Gui Jianguo was able to win over Li Mingzhong's 6,000 men was because Li Mingzhong was a guest general from Gui Province and had no roots in Guangdong Province. In addition, Li Mingzhong wanted to maintain control over his generals and was unwilling to join his own army, so he had no choice but to join the Gui Wang.
As for Jiao Lian, it goes without saying that he had saved the King of Gui before, and now that he saw the King of Gui acting as regent, he naturally rushed over to join him. Didn't you see that he was a deputy general before, and suddenly became a super marquis in the blink of an eye?

Looking back at the history of the Ming Dynasty, how many people could be given such a generous title? Naturally, Jiao Lian was also devoted to Gui Jianguo.
But the Guangdong Army under his command was different. He had led the army for several years, and almost all the generals in the army were promoted by him after the Jingjiang Prince Rebellion. Although he inevitably received some money during the promotion process, others could not find a way to give him money!
The Guangdong Army is full of Ding Kuichu's confidants, and he controls the money and food of the Guangdong Army. How can Gui Jianguo win over the people of the Guangdong Army?
To put it bluntly, what Gui Jianguo could give to the Guangdong Army, Ding Kuichu could also give, and what Gui Jianguo could not give to the Guangdong Army, he could also give!
He really thought that if he became a regent, others would obey him. It's ridiculous.
Ding Kuichu thought of the play mentioned in the letter in the Imperial Garden, and his heart trembled again.

After all, Gui Jianguo is still a Jianguo. There are some bastards who might get carried away and really try to serve the country with loyalty. We have to be on guard!
"Starting from next month, the monthly military pay of each battalion of the Guangdong Army must be signed and claimed by the commanders of each battalion in person at the Ministry of Revenue. One person will receive the food and fodder for the entire battalion. Otherwise, these people may really forget who gave them the food and pay." "Commander Ma, after you go down, continue to send people to keep an eye on those dozens of people to see if they have contacted anyone else in private. If there is any situation, inform me immediately."

Ding Kuichu spoke softly, Ma Jixiang looked slightly surprised and also responded respectfully.
Ding Kuichu's eyes flashed with a cold light. He could control the Guangdong Army by relying on food and wages. As long as he controlled the food and grass, no one could take away these 20,000 Guangdong Army.
Loyalty? How much is loyalty worth? How many meals can it eat?
Ding Kuichu was thinking about how to continue to strengthen his control over the Guangdong Army. Ma Jixiang was hesitant. After a moment's silence, he finally spoke.
"After all, the Northern Expedition is a matter of righteousness. If Regent Gui insists on the Northern Expedition, how will you respond?"

"Northern Expedition? The two departments of soldiers and households are in my hands. What can he use to fight the Northern Expedition? Su Guansheng's tens of thousands of taels of silver?" Ding Kuichu chuckled.

He knew that the silver Su Guansheng brought with him this time must be more than 20,000 taels, but no matter how he calculated it, it could never be more than 100,000 taels. What could he do with this little silver?
Now that both the military and household departments are under his control, there will definitely be no problem if he pays the troops as usual.

But if Gui Jianguo wanted to move his camp to the north, then he would have no chance.

Not to mention the extra money, the Guangdong Army's 20,000 troops would cost 40,000 to 50,000 taels of silver for two months alone, and that's just the silver. The army's weapons, armor, food, and wages are not even included.
It is simply impossible to think of using 100,000 taels of silver to mobilize his 20,000 troops to march north.

Although the generals who drank the blood of the soldiers were often only paid half of their salary, or even no half of their salary, but the generals in the army drank the blood of the soldiers, and your court wanted to move the camp to the north, but you couldn't pay them half of their salary.

You let the brothers go north and fight hard, but you only want to pay them half of their salary. What good are you thinking? Aren't you afraid that the brothers will turn against you?
Besides, does Gui Jianguo really dare to take out these silver coins? If Gui Jianguo really takes out these silver coins from Su Guansheng, how can he support the two Gui soldiers under his command?
If the King of Gui really took out the silver on impulse, then the two armies of Gui Province would be left without food and money, and they would probably ask Ding Kuichu for help in the end. That would be a really good thing.

At that time, it is unclear whether the two Gui soldiers were surnamed Zhu or Ding.

When Ding Kuichu thought of this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he fell into deep thought.
"Then will the elder write a petition to dissuade His Royal Highness the Regent from the Northern Expedition?" Ma Jixiang asked again.

"Dissuade him? Why should I dissuade him? The Northern Expedition to Rejuvenate the country is a righteous cause. Your Highness the Regent has such great ambitions. As the Prime Minister of the country, I should fully support and help Your Highness to achieve this great cause. How can I pour cold water on Your Highness the Regent?" Ding Kuichu glanced at Ma Jixiang who looked stunned.

"However, Guangdong Province is the foundation of the country and must not be lost. Our Guangdong Provincial Army must naturally prioritize the safety of the Guangdong Provincial Center, which must not be moved."

"The Guangdong Army cannot move. We still have Li Mingzhong's Gui Army. They were originally ordered to aid Jiangxi. Now is the perfect time for them to inherit the previous order and continue the Northern Expedition."

"If Your Highness is concerned about the country, the imperial guards under Jiao Lian are also brave and courageous. It would be best if they could march north together. With the elite troops of both armies, the country will have hope of revival."

"As for the court, there are still Guangdong troops guarding it, so what is there to worry about?"

Ding Kuichu spoke softly, but his eyes became brighter and brighter.
From the fact that Gui Jianguo directly dismissed Li Yongmao during the imperial lecture, it can be seen that Gui Jianguo is also a domineering and arrogant person who will not tolerate provocation from others.
Since he wants to march north, why not let him march north? And why not put him in a higher position? It would be best if he could not get off the stage and force the Gui Regent to send the Gui troops that he can still mobilize to march north.

If the Gui Regent can really order the Gui army led by Li Mingzhong and Jiao Lian to go to the Northern Expedition, it would not be impossible for Ding Kuichu to give some money and food.

As long as these two Gui armies are destroyed in the Northern Expedition, then the Zhaoqing court will be under the command of Ding Kuichu.
As for the two victorious Gui armies, Ding Kuichu had never thought about these things. Once the Xin Dynasty made any move, it would definitely attract the elite Qing troops.
That's the Qing army!
Li Mingzhong and Jiao Lian still want to defeat the Qing army?

So many famous generals in the court were defeated, who are these two?
Although Ding Kuichu still controls the largest number of Guangdong troops in Zhaoqing City, he also feels threatened after Su Guansheng and Jiao Lian entered the court. If he can really get rid of these two armies, he can rest assured.

The more Ding Kuichu thought about it, the more he felt that this plan was feasible. Even if Gui Jianguo was afraid of death and could not transfer Jiao Lian's imperial guards, it would be a good thing to transfer Li Mingzhong's 6,000 men.

And he doesn't have to pay anything, so why not? This is a godsend opportunity, he has to give it a try anyway.

The news of the Autumn Banquet spread quickly throughout the court in just one afternoon, and all parties had their own reactions.
Southwest corner of the city, the inspection office duty room
It was already time for the lights to be turned on. Censor Liu Ding was holding a brush and writing furiously under the lamp. As the government's censor, the Supervisory Office was naturally well-informed. They also knew about the autumn banquet in the afternoon at the first time.
However, as soon as the imperial censors learned about this, He Wuzuo, who was in charge of the ministry, sent a letter to the inspectors, ordering them not to discuss this matter for the time being.

In fact, even if He Wuzuo did not pass on the book to the Ministry of Books, no censor would casually submit a memorial.
This is the Northern Expedition, such a major event, and the senior officials in the court have not yet expressed their views. How can they casually submit a petition? If they are not careful, they will bring disaster upon themselves.

As censors, they know better than ordinary ministers what can and cannot be touched.
You can impeach a minister for his personal morality without any scruples, but you must be extremely cautious when it comes to such major court affairs.

If an imperial censor were to submit a memorial to the court immediately regarding a major issue, there would only be two possible outcomes:
One possibility is that the censor agrees with the court's policy and made a spontaneous report. The other possibility is that there is someone behind the censor who is planning to use the censor to spread the word or test the court's intentions.

Liu Ding was neither of the two, so naturally he would not speak out on the major policies of the court.

The Autumn Banquet incident involves major government affairs, so they can't impeach. Does that mean they have nothing to impeach? How is that possible?
Since discussing the government's major policies is risky, why not find some risk-free ammunition?

The imperial examination system is a national ceremony for selecting talents. It is so solemn and serious. How could Your Highness grant more than 50 certificates of honor in one day?

How would the scholars who are preparing for the exam think? Wouldn't it discourage the scholars all over the world? How shameful!
Liu Ding is now speaking out for the scholars of the world, asking His Highness to withdraw his order. There is absolutely no risk in this matter, and impeaching a few warriors is no big deal!
If he is really banished by His Highness and sent back home, that would be a great thing.
He, Liu Ding, was not afraid of His Highness's bullying and gave fair and honest advice to scholars all over the world. Therefore, he was dismissed from office and returned home. By then, he, Liu Ding, would be famous all over the world overnight!
Liu Ding wrote furiously, and in a flash he finished a long memorial, and then he entered the court with great anticipation.
However, after this memorial, which he had high hopes for, was submitted to the court, it fell into oblivion, just like the Northern Expedition Declaration issued by His Royal Highness the Regent. It did not cause any waves.

After His Highness issued the Northern Expedition Declaration at the Autumn Banquet, everyone in the court seemed to be unaware of the matter, and no one submitted a memorial to the emperor.

Even His Majesty the Regent himself seemed to have completely forgotten about this matter and never mentioned it. Even Ding Kuichu was a little confused about His Majesty the Regent's intentions for a while, so he could only wait and see the situation in the court.

The court seemed calm, but beneath the calm surface, waves were gradually rising in the invisible darkness.
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(End of this chapter)