Fu Shanhe

Chapter 304 Good News
Capital.

The Battle of Jinan was still going on, and a political purge movement against the invasion of the northern barbarians began in this ancient city.

The first to bear the brunt of the attack was Xuanda Governor Li Zhihong, who had died in prison before and could no longer attract fire.

Zhong Jingming, the Liaodong chief minister who was also responsible, suddenly became the person primarily responsible and attracted the attention of all officials.

The first to fire at him were officials from Shanxi, Shandong and the capital, followed by a response from officials from provinces south of the Yangtze River.

Everyone blamed him for the worsening situation and the damage to his hometown.

At this moment, regardless of party affiliation, everyone wanted to tear him into pieces.

The Qingliu Party members who had supported Zhong Jingming in the past became the main force in liquidating him.

As the calls for reckoning grew louder, Emperor Yongning, who already had a grudge against Zhong Jingming, directly sentenced him to death by slicing.

In the general environment where generals and ministers do not humiliate themselves, there are only a handful of officials in the entire history who can enjoy such treatment.

In the past, when such things happened, all officials would plead for mercy and advise the emperor to be lenient.

However, this time was an exception. From the people to the court, everyone was calling for war and killing. This was the first time in the Dayu Dynasty.

As soon as the sky got bright, a large crowd of onlookers gathered at Xisi Pailou.

Today is the day when Zhong Jingming will be executed by slow slicing, and no one wants to miss this scene.

The prison van moved forward with difficulty. Zhong Jingming had attracted too much hatred, and countless people wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

If the soldiers had not stopped him, he would not have been able to reach the execution ground.

Compared with other prisoners, Zhong Jingming was undoubtedly much cleaner, and it was obvious that he had never been tortured in prison.

There is no need to try a case like this where the death penalty is inevitable.

Given his level, he must have a lot of dirty information about the officialdom.

If an interrogation were to be carried out, the information revealed would be enough to turn the court upside down.

The current Jinyiwei is not what it used to be. They cannot withstand the pressure from the officials in the court and have no intention of launching a major case.

"Injustice!"

On the execution ground, Zhong Jingming couldn't help but cry out in injustice.

The situation is deteriorating, but it's not just his fault.

The main reason was the court's strategic misjudgment, thinking that the Northern Tartars would just loot at the border and then withdraw automatically.

No active response measures were taken at the first opportunity.

He waited until the situation got out of control before issuing an edict to defend the king, giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage.

The purpose of expanding Liaodong Town was to facilitate the smuggling trade.

Many officials in the court benefited from this, so why should he be the only one punished?

Unfortunately, someone always has to take the blame.

Previously, the Shandong noble families were confiscated and some officials were implicated, including some high-ranking officials in the court, but that was far from enough.

As the commander-in-chief of Liaodong, he was to blame for allowing the northern barbarians entrenched in Liaodong to invade.

Against the backdrop of the imperial court's strict ban on smuggling, he, the governor of Liaodong, did not hesitate to use a borrowed knife to kill and eliminate dissidents in order to provide convenience for smugglers.

No matter from which angle you look at it, it was not at all unfair for him to be held accountable by the court.

His former partners cut ties with him early on.

As the execution began, cheers broke out in the crowd.

It can be seen that the people in Beijing hate him to the core.

Even after the corrupt officials were purged, the situation in the court did not stabilize. Instead, the struggle became more intense because of Zhong Jingming's death.

The first person to be affected was the Minister of War Wan Yuxuan.

The Ministry of War was to blame for the terrible performance of Yu's army on the battlefield, and the Governor's Office was also responsible.

However, compared with its peers, the noble faction became one of the few bright spots on the battlefield and saved a point for the Governor's Office.

The Ministry of War was in trouble. The troops under its command were either crippled or refused to obey orders.

Although the previous decisions were made by everyone together, when it comes to accountability, the Ministry of War still has to bear the responsibility.

No matter how hard he tried to pass the buck, it was Emperor Yongning who made the final decision.

Under normal circumstances, there was no problem in making a few sarcastic remarks in a memorial, or directly scolding the emperor in the court.

But throwing such a big pot onto the emperor would be beyond the duty of a subject.

The most important thing is that the final decision-making power lies in the hands of the emperor. The matter is not over just because the people below say that the emperor is responsible.

As the feudal system has developed to this day, imperial power has been extended indefinitely.

If you anger the emperor, the consequences will only be more serious.

Earlier, Wan Yuxuan proposed that letting the noble leaders go to the local area to lead the suppression of the rebellion would be a positive self-rescue action.

After the Governor-General's Office is adjusted, the Ministry of War cannot be mobilized.

There are only two government offices in the Dayu Dynasty that are the highest decision-making body in charge of military affairs. It would be very dangerous to make personnel adjustments at the same time.

If you are not liquidated in the short term, there will be a chance to save the situation later.

The Ministry of War is linked to war. As long as we fight well on the battlefield, the previous problems will not be a problem.

Unfortunately, the military generals collectively opposed it, and the nobles were worried that the civil officials had a conspiracy and did not want to give up their voice in the court, so his plan came to nothing.

As the party struggle escalated, the Ministry of War was suddenly drawn into it.

Not only was Wan Yuxuan impeached, but many cabinet members also became targets of the censor.

"I will not read the impeachment memorials."

Looking at the mountains of memorials, Emperor Yongning, who had always been diligent in his work, had no choice but to give up.

I can’t approve them all, I really can’t approve them all.

There are so many civil and military officials in the court, but there is only one emperor like him.

The number of daily official memorials alone is huge, and if hundreds of impeachment memorials were added, it would be even more terrible.

"I will have someone withdraw the impeachment memorial right away."

As he was speaking, two clever eunuchs stepped forward and were about to take action when Emperor Yongning interrupted him, saying:

"never mind!
I'd better take a look to avoid missing anything."

Even if you are in a bad mood, you still have to do your work.

Determined to be on par with Emperor Taizu, he would not allow himself to slack off.

However, this high spirit did not last long, as Emperor Yongning was defeated by various bizarre impeachments.

According to the contents of the memorial, none of the senior officials in the court were clean and all of them could be dragged out and beheaded.

Regardless of whether the content is true or false, it is impossible for him to take down so many officials at once.

"You guys, help me with some advice. How should we deal with the current situation in the court?"

Emperor Yongning asked with a hint of helplessness.

As a man well-read in the books of sages, he hated eunuchs interfering in politics and could not understand why the previous emperor had relied on eunuchs.

After several years of reigning as an emperor, Emperor Yongning's ideas had changed unconsciously.

From despising the late emperor to understanding him, what he wanted most now was to become the late emperor.

No matter how bad the reputation of the eunuchs in the previous emperor's dynasty was, those people were acting according to the emperor's will and could implement the emperor's policies in a timely manner.

With the addition of a group of eunuchs, the enthusiasm of officials in doing their work will be much higher than it is now.

After experiencing the Yin Zuo incident, Emperor Yongning no longer trusted civil officials as much as before.

Many civil servants who were subsequently appointed made a mess of things, which further exacerbated the distrust.

The Shandong Shijia case and the Liaodong smuggling case have pushed this distrust to a new level.

He did not trust the civil servants, and he did not dare to use the nobles.

Compared with the decline of the nobles before, the nobles group of the Yongning Dynasty once again took control of the local armed forces.

Moreover, the armed forces of the nobles have become the main force for the imperial court to suppress rebellions, and will continue to be strengthened in the future.

Under such circumstances, nobles must not be allowed to interfere in political affairs, otherwise the power balance will be unbalanced.

For the emperor, consolidating imperial power is always the top priority.

As a last resort, he could only turn to the eunuchs for advice on state affairs.

"Your Majesty, according to our ancestral system, eunuchs are not allowed to interfere in government affairs!"

Xu Zhongen was the first to respond.

As the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, he was not sure whether Emperor Yongning was asking sincerely or testing him. For the sake of safety, he decisively chose to give a conservative answer.

He could definitely be right by taking out the ancestral rules to prove that he was law-abiding.

The rest of the eunuchs followed suit.

No matter what they thought in their hearts, no one wanted the emperor to think that they were ambitious.

For eunuchs, personal ability is secondary, the key is that loyalty must be guaranteed.

"I asked you to say that the rules left by our ancestors were broken as early as the previous emperor's reign.

Today is different from the past. I think what the late emperor said is right. There is no ancestral rule that is immutable. "

Emperor Yongning waved his hand and said.

The ancestral system has always been a tight ring for officials to restrain the emperor. Anyone who wants to go beyond the ancestral system will immediately be cursed by both the court and the public.

An emperor who can withstand the pressure from all officials and change the ancestral system is not an ordinary person.

In order to relieve political pressure, Emperor Yongning decisively chose to push the previous emperor to take the blame.

Anyway, Emperor Tianyuan had done many things that undermined the ancestral system, and the officials' ability to withstand pressure had been trained.

Not to mention the eunuchs interfering in politics, they were directly appointed as regents, and all the officials accepted it.

In comparison, he only consulted the eunuchs on government affairs in private, and the two are completely incomparable.

"Your Majesty, I feel that stability should be the top priority in the court right now.

The Northern Tartars are retreating, and no one can guarantee whether they will launch a counterattack.

The White Lotus rebels in the south have now become powerful, and suppressing the rebellion will be the next important task for the court.

Before the situation stabilizes, it is not appropriate to start a war in the court."

Xu Zhongen said with a serious look.

These are all true words. The current Dayu Dynasty cannot withstand any turmoil.

Perhaps there are various problems among the top leaders in the DPRK, but no one can guarantee that those who are replaced by those who are removed from office will be able to do a better job.

This has been confirmed many times in previous personnel adjustments.

The current cabinet team is far inferior to the team of ministers left by the previous emperor, both in terms of prestige and personal ability.

But since it involves imperial power, everyone tacitly forgot about this issue.

The situation has deteriorated to this point. Even if Emperor Yongning wanted to invite back the team of ministers left by the previous emperor, it is too late.

Because of the previous political purge, several ministers who were suffering from psychological pressure had gone to see the late emperor one after another.

There are only three people alive now, two of whom are military generals.

"If they don't make adjustments, can they clean up the mess they're in now?"

Emperor Yongning asked with a frown.

None of the eunuchs dared to take up this sensitive topic.

No one knows whether it is possible to turn the tide and save the Dayu Dynasty.

The only thing that is certain is that during the Yongning Dynasty, cabinet members changed quickly, and officials from the six ministries were like a revolving door.

After some officials took office, they didn't even have a clear understanding of the situation in their government offices before personnel adjustments were made.

The emperor was eager to change the status quo, and the pressure was directly passed on to the cabinet.

In order to cater to the will of God, everyone had to make changes.

Officials added layers of restrictions, and many good policies turned into bad policies in the end.

"Your Majesty, the most pressing issue for the court to resolve now is suppressing the rebellion, followed by the northern barbarians.

These two issues ultimately come down to military issues.

The person with the greatest ability to command troops in the court is firstly Marquis Wuyang, followed by Duke Chengguo and Marquis Zhenyuan, and then the border generals from various places.

If we want to achieve a breakthrough in military affairs as soon as possible, the only way now is to break the routine and employ those with strong military capabilities.

If you want to check and balance it, you might as well send a military supervisor. "

Wang Yifeng changed the subject.

As the head of the East Factory, he is unusually low-key compared to his predecessors.

It's not that he is low-key by nature, it's just that the current factory guards can't be that awesome at all.

All the civil and military officials in the court joined forces to suppress them.

When handling cases, government offices at all levels not only refused to cooperate, but also set up multiple barriers, making it difficult to get anything done.

If they want to break the situation, they must first divide the suppression of them by the civil and military officials in the court.

The best choice is naturally to send the noble leaders to serve in local areas.

It's easy to go down, but hard to come back.

In the eyes of the civil officials, Duke Chengguo and Marquis Zhenyuan were both eyesores, which seriously affected their control over the court.

It just so happens that these two were regents appointed by the previous emperor and had great influence in the military, so they could not be moved just because they wanted to.

If you are assigned to a local position, it will be easier to do.

It is not so easy to end the war. Even if the civil unrest is quelled, there are still a lot of foreign enemies to deal with.

A little trick can keep them in place.

After a few years, when the influence of the regent is eliminated, even if the two return to the court, they will not have the same say as they do now.

"Ok!"

"This is indeed a solution. With the help of Duke Chengguo and Marquis Zhenyuan, it can indeed speed up the progress of my uncle in suppressing the White Lotus Rebellion."

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously.

The word "uncle" immediately took on an unusual meaning when heard by the eunuchs.

In the past, Emperor Yongning simply called him Marquis of Wuyang, and uncle was a title used in front of the Empress Dowager.

However, everyone could understand that Marquis Wuyang's performance on the battlefield did win face for Emperor Yongning.

It proved to the outside world that he, the emperor, was not blind and that the officials he appointed were not all useless.

……

Jinan City.

It has been two days since the great battle outside the city, and we are now busy clearing out the remaining enemy forces.

Because the three major tribes fled separately, the Guifang cavalry who were out looting had to fight on their own and were no longer able to pose a threat to the government troops.

The current pursuit and interception are more aimed at the enemy's spoils.

Li Mu couldn't take care of the chaotic soldiers who abandoned their spoils and fled in panic for the time being.

There's no other reason, there's just too much loot.

The Guifang people are short-sighted. After losing their restraints, they want to snatch back everything.

In addition to gold, silver, cloth, grain, salt and tea, they took everything, including iron pots, tableware and clothes.

Looking at the mountains of spoils, Li Mu was secretly worried.

It’s not that these things have no value, it’s mainly because the quantity is too large.

It's troublesome to transport everything back, and there's not such a big market for processing it locally, so it can't be sold at a high price.

At the very least, it would be very troublesome to deal with that pile of clothes of unknown origin, which were suspected to have been stripped from dead people.

The most important thing is not to delay. These things must be properly dealt with before the officials from the Ministry of War verify the battle results.

If it is too late, with the support of the civil officials, the local gentry who were robbed might come to demand their lost property.

It is impossible to return it. Even if Li Mu is a man of high moral character, the current situation makes it impossible to identify the owner.

Compared with the losses of the gentry, the captured spoils were only a part of it.

If I really pay back this family but not that one, I will offend more people.

It would be better to get rid of the things as soon as possible, embellish them directly on the battle report, and leave some spoils to deal with the court.

The imperial court still owed wages to the army that was sent to support the king, and as long as the amount was not large, it would choose to offset the military wages.

"My Lord, this is the battle report compiled by statistics.

Up to now, our army has defeated 60,000 enemy troops, killed more than 20,000 enemy troops, including 13,000 heads of real enemies, and captured 4,300 enemy troops..."

As soon as he finished speaking, an artistic battle report appeared directly in front of Marquis Wuyang.

(End of this chapter)