Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 79 Death of Yan Song, generals fight to the death!
In the 40th year of the reign of Emperor Jiajing, Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan, who had been in charge of the government for 20 years, were beheaded, and all 96 members of their family were implicated.

Due to various complicated and ambiguous relationships, Xu was overthrown instead of Xu Jie, and "630 people of the Xu family in Songjiang were beheaded, and Jie was granted retirement and an annual salary of 100 dan of rice."

Dozens of Yan and Xu's core followers, including Yan Maoqing, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, who had caused trouble for the imperial court, were convicted and exiled, and the trend of extravagance, corruption and plunder was curbed.

Prince Yu Zhu Zaihou was seriously ill.

Ok Hee Palace.

After washing, Hu Zongxian's face looked even darker, thinner and more haggard. He bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I, the guilty Hu Zongxian, kowtow to you."

Zhu Houcong lowered his head slightly, looked at the person who had been kneeling for a long time, and sighed: "I didn't ask you to see Yan Song off for the last time. Do you feel resentful?"

Before Yan Song's death, he wrote letters requesting an audience with the emperor, but was rejected. Hu Zongxian also wrote letters requesting to see Yan Song again, but was also rejected.

Not to mention that Yan Song pleaded for Hu Zongxian's life with the words "When a man is about to die, his words are good", Hu Zongxian really did not let Yan Song down.

Even Zhu Houcong felt a little jealous of this master-disciple relationship.

"I know that the emperor is doing this to protect my reputation." Hu Zongxian was very smart.

Battle of Taozhu.

More than half of the Japanese pirates at sea were destroyed.

As an accurate predictor of the main battlefield of this war, Hu Zongxian made a great contribution.

The cabinet also submitted a letter to request credit for Hu Zongxian, Qi Jiguang, Yu Dayou, the generals in the southeast, and the southeast army.

but.

Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were planning to attack the Japanese pirates' lair at sea, the Japanese stronghold, so their achievements were recorded first, and they were prepared to reward them according to their merits after the sea was completely pacified.

However, Zhu Houcong ordered the Jinyiwei to deliver the bounty for killing the Japanese pirates first. Although the total number of Japanese pirates killed or captured alive was less than 50,000, it was counted as 50,000.

The Jinyiwei entered the southeastern army and distributed the bounties directly to specific soldiers. In order to prevent the generals from exploiting the soldiers' bounties, the Jinyiwei provided a service that could deliver the bounties to the soldiers' homes.

Southeast morale boosted!

Hu Zongxian's merits were enough to earn him a title of nobility and a position as prime minister, but they were not enough to save Yan Song's life, and were far from enough.

During the twenty years that Yan Song was in charge of the central government, he made too many mistakes and did too many things that harmed the country and the people. Even if Hu Zongxian had destroyed the Japanese pirates at sea alone, it would not have been enough to save Yan Song.

Citizens of the world need an outlet!

He was responsible for the court's excessive spending and rampant corruption among officials in the previous twenty years.

As a subject or a commoner, one dares not criticize the emperor or father who is as bright as the sun, so one can only investigate further. Yan Song and his son Yan Shifan are just the right people.

Therefore, the emperor did not allow Hu Zongxian to meet Yan Song in order to prevent people in the world from scolding him for being ungrateful and not even offering to help his mentor.

Just like Shan Xiongxin and Qin Qiong in the late Sui Dynasty and early Tang Dynasty, Shan Xiongxin and Qin Qiong had a very good personal relationship. When Qin Qiong was down and out and had to sell his mace and horse, it was Shan Xiongxin who helped him.

When Qin Qiong was celebrating his mother's birthday, it was Shan Xiongxin who notified the heroes of the green forest to go and pay their respects, which led to the sworn brotherhood of the forty-six friends of Jia Liulou.

This infinite friendship came to an end. Shan Xiongxin was executed by Qin Wang Li Shimin, and Qin Qiong was transferred to Hongtao Mountain in advance. Shan Xiongxin raised his wine at the execution ground and could not see Qin Qiong. Everything was self-evident.

The fact that Hu Zongxian could get to where he is today, and become the governor-general of Zhejiang and governor of Zhejiang, was not only due to his own abilities, but also inseparable from the support of Yan Song.

Haven’t you seen that Xu Jie’s student Zhao Zhenji, who is known as the “Two Zhens of the Southeast” together with Hu Zongxian, is still serving as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing.

This is what it means to have a good teacher.

Yan Song was not worthy of the people of the world, but he was worthy of Hu Zongxian. Talking to a smart person always saves effort. Zhu Houcong said bluntly, "Hu Zongxian, your contribution cannot be erased by anyone. Tell me, what do you want?"

“Your Majesty, I have been the governor of Zhejiang for five years, and later served as the governor-general of Zhejiang until now. Counting the years, I have been in Zhejiang for seven years.

The only thing I cannot leave is the Japanese invasion. Now, the Japanese invasion in Zhejiang has been barely cleared, but it is not completely gone. I want to go back to Zhejiang and work with Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou to eliminate the Japanese pirates and clean up the sea. As for after that..."

Hu Zongxian paused here and said, "Du Fu once said, 'A name is not made by writing, and an official should retire when he is old and sick.'

It is time for me to rest in this state of my health. When that time comes, I will submit a petition to the emperor requesting sick leave and recuperation. I hope the emperor will grant my approval.

When I return to my hometown, I think I will never leave again in this life.

I will let future generations judge my past merits and demerits. I don’t care. It’s useless to care. What I care about is that the people of Zhejiang don’t scold me after I leave.”

Tears of blood.

Hu Zongxian wanted nothing, he just wanted to return to Zhejiang to wipe out the Japanese pirates, and then ask for an imperial decree to allow him to take sick leave and recuperate.

"Are you no longer going to do anything for the Ming Dynasty and the people? After I destroy the Japanese in the south and the Tartars in the north, I can grant you the position of Governor of Ji and Liao."

Governor of Jiliao.

That is, he was the governor of military affairs in Ji, Liao, Baoding and other places, and was also in charge of food and wages.

Responsible for managing the three prefectures of Shuntian, Baoding and Liaodong, and the four towns of Jizhou, Changping, Liaodong and Baoding.

From Shuntian to the northeast, the Governor-General of Ji and Liao was the highest military and political official other than the emperor, and even the cabinet could not be easily shaken.

After serving as the Governor-General of Ji and Liao for three years, Zhu Houcong was able to transfer Hu Zongxian to the Ministry of War as Minister, appointed him as Grand Secretary, and entered the Cabinet as a Cabinet Elder.

Hu Zongxian was silent for a long time before he gently shook his head and said, "I am old and weak, and I am afraid I can't handle the general affairs of Ji and Liao."

Is Hu Zongxian old?

of course not.

Born in the seventh year of Zhengde, he was only 49 years old. He was in the prime of his life in the cabinet and the six ministries. Hu Zongxian's words were just an excuse to show that he had made up his mind to leave.

"Are you still thinking about Yan Song's kindness in recognizing your talent?" Zhu Houcong asked with a complicated expression.

Hu Zongxian shook his head again: "Your Majesty, I just don't want to take myself too seriously."

Zhu Houcong was stunned.

Hu Zongxian added: "Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou can already hold up a piece of the sky on their own in the southeast of our Ming Dynasty. As for the northern border, I heard that Zhang Ge Lao promoted Li Chengliang to the deputy commander-in-chief. In several encounters with Altan, he never lost the upper hand. He is truly a pillar of the country.

"I have met Li Chengliang once. Please forgive me for my presumptuous behavior. I have the ability to look at others with an eagle's eyes and a wolf's gaze. I hope Your Majesty will use him with caution and not let him take sole control of the Northeast."

One is in the southeast and the other is in the northeast. It is impossible for Hu Zongxian not to know Li Chengliang, a young general who has risen to fame. He also knows that he is a powerful general, but somehow, Hu Zongxian has a bad impression of Li Chengliang.

But speaking of this in front of the emperor at this time sounded like he was interfering behind the scenes, so Hu Zongxian stopped talking briefly.

"In that case, I will not keep you any longer. You are still waiting in Zhejiang." Zhu Houcong looked at him deeply.

Hu Zongxian kowtowed and said, "I'm leaving now!"

Watching Hu Zongxian leave, Zhu Houcong always felt that Hu Zongxian was just saying his last words, and he said thoughtfully: "Let the Jinyiwei guard Hu Zongxian secretly."

"Yes." Huang Jin replied.

(End of this chapter)