Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 279 Determining Yan Song's Governing Direction

"Take over the Hetao region?"

Yan Song took the memorial, read a section of it, and then raised his eyebrows.

The Hetao region has been a strategic location since ancient times. Surrounded by the Yellow River on three sides, it has flat terrain and abundant water and grass. Any cavalry from the grassland tribes that could use it as a base could quickly move south and invade Shaanxi and Shanxi.

Now that the capital of the Ming Dynasty is in the north, it can be directly threatened.

If the Ming army could control the Hetao region, it could build a defensive line relying on the Yinshan and Helan Mountains, making it difficult for the Mongol cavalry to break through and greatly reducing the pressure on the northern border.

Of course, the Hetao Plain should have been under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, but unfortunately, when Zhu Qizhen launched the coup and became emperor again, the three leaders of the Tatar tribe, Maolihai, Aluchu, and Boluohu, also entered the Hetao Plain during this period and seized control of it.

When Emperor Xianzong ascended the throne, he hoped to take back the Hetao Plain from the Mongols and launched the "Suppression of Hetao" campaign. Unfortunately, it was all talk and no action. The problem of corruption and depravity in the army became more and more prominent, and the army was powerless to deal with the repeated invasions of the Mongols.

Then, when Emperor Wuzong ascended the throne, he personally led an expedition and fought a battle against the young prince Dayan Khan (the outcome is uncertain), which was the famous Battle of Yingzhou. The outcome of that battle will not be discussed for now, but it did not stop the Mongol tribes from encroaching on the Hetao region.

By the time of the Jiajing era, control over the Hetao region had become merely nominal.

This led to Zeng Xian, the Vice Minister who later served as the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions, requesting the recovery of the Hetao region as a prerequisite.

That became a dead end for Xia Yan and Zeng Xian.

The one who ruthlessly killed him was Yan Song.

Of course, Xia Yan is no longer taken seriously by Yan Song, and Zeng Xian has yet to make a name for himself, but Hai Yue has already put forward this concept.

"receive……"

Yan Song was very astute; his focus wasn't on the Hetao region, but rather on figuring out the meaning of "collection."

A strategically vital location that should have been part of the Ming Dynasty's territory was instead described as being "taken over." Who is responsible for this?

Emperor Yingzong? Emperor Xiaozong? Emperor Wuzong?

None of them can escape responsibility.

The real culprit was Emperor Yingzong, who went to study in the Oirat Mongols, but Emperors Xiaozong and Wuzong, who lived closer to the Oirat Mongols, seem to bear more responsibility.

Therefore, if the Jiajing Emperor could reclaim the Hetao region and drive away the Tartars entrenched there, it would be more like resolving the troubles left by the previous two emperors.

Yan Song knew that perhaps because he had been forced to acknowledge Emperor Xiaozong as his biological father, the current emperor had no goodwill towards Emperor Xiaozong.

He also felt no gratitude towards Emperor Wuzong, who passed the throne to him. The initial slogan of the Jiajing New Deal was to rectify the chaos and change the ills of Emperor Wuzong's reign.

To reclaim the Hetao region.

Leaving aside its strategic value, from an emotional perspective, the emperor would certainly be very interested.

However, Yan Song hesitated for a moment, his brows furrowed slightly, and he tapped his knuckles lightly on the table a few times. He said slowly, "Jiaozhi has just been annexed, and its wounds have not yet healed. If we start another war, I'm afraid the national treasury will be empty and the people will be exhausted!"

Haiyue was very pleased to hear such words from the person in front of her.

The current Yan Song is a chief minister with principles.

If it were Yan Song ten years later in history, once he realized that a certain action could please Jiajing and consolidate his position, he would absolutely not consider the harm to the country and the people.

However, Haiyue did not explain.

"Well……"

Yan Song looked further and realized that Hai Yue had clearly taken his concerns into account.

Because the recovery of the Hetao region was not just a slogan, but also a "Strategy for the Recovery of the Hetao Region".

There are eight of them, specifically—

Establish a court order, set up discipline, train soldiers, prepare provisions and pay, clarify rewards and punishments, manufacture weapons and equipment, strengthen border defenses, and recruit spies.

After reading the detailed strategy, Yan Song's brow furrowed with doubt: "Since there is such a comprehensive plan, why not present the war preparation strategy first, instead of rashly proposing to recover the Hetao region?"

At this critical juncture, having just finished the war against Annam, proposing to take back the Hetao region would certainly provoke opposition from many officials. It would be better to first prepare a war strategy and then proceed gradually, which would be a more logical and reasonable approach.

"Your Excellency is wise and will not lie to you—"

Hai Yue explained this time, and it was a very direct reason: "This humble official believes that His Majesty's interest in martial arts far surpasses his interest in civil administration!"

Yan Song instantly realized what was happening, his eyes widening in surprise, and he inwardly exclaimed in admiration: 'This young man truly understands the Emperor's heart!'

Similarly, with change and a new phase, there should be a new direction for governance.

In the grand scheme of things, nothing surpasses civil administration and military achievements.

The two complement each other and neither can be dispensed with.

If we were to truly compare, civil administration is the foundation of the nation and the basis for its long-term stability; in fact, it is far more important.

However, the drawback is that it is difficult to see a clear result in a short period of time.

Especially during the middle period of a dynasty, when it was in a state of near-death.

No matter how well the government is governed, it is unrealistic to expect people to live and work in peace and contentment, or for the country to be prosperous and the people to be at peace.

At best, there will be fewer local rebellions and the people will not be under as much pressure.

The manifestation of martial arts skills is quite direct.

Look at the war in Annam. Taking advantage of the internal strife in the Mo family, the Ming army recovered Jiaozhi in one fell swoop. Whether it can be completely incorporated into China's territory in the future is still uncertain, but this achievement has already allowed Jiajing to rightfully worship his ancestors and send his father into the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

This is the deterrence and glory that martial arts bring.

Therefore, Haiyue's entry point must be the acquisition of the Hetao region, which is more interesting to the emperor and yields increasingly obvious results.

However, in practice, the "Futao Strategy" falls under the category of civil administration and can even be combined with the initially drafted "Assessment and Performance Law".

Yan Song immediately understood the hidden meaning and began to look at the person in front of him with new respect.

Hai Yue was penniless back then, merely an ordinary student in the Imperial Academy, yet the Emperor bestowed upon her a courtesy name, and she later achieved the second-highest rank in the imperial examinations. She furthered her studies and cultivated her reputation in the Hanlin Academy, and made meritorious contributions during the Emperor's southern tour. Her reputation was always held in the Emperor's heart, which was by no means a fluke.

This is a genius who can understand the emperor's mind!

"We hope that Scholar Hai will prioritize national affairs and fully express his strategic acumen!"

As a result, Yan Song's attitude became more serious.

They no longer regarded him as a junior, nor as someone who made empty promises; they began to seek his advice carefully.

"I dare not! These are just my humble opinions, and I hope you can enlighten me, Your Excellency!" Hai Yue stepped aside to return the greeting, showing her humility as a junior, before beginning to explain in detail.

At this stage, he is also willing to offer advice to this person.

Yan Song's temperament was quite different from Zhang Cong's.

Zhang Cong was a ruthless reformer. In addition, he had just ascended the throne in the early years of the Jiajing Emperor's reign and needed to work hard to consolidate his imperial power. The emperor and his minister hit it off and started a new policy. Despite repeated setbacks, they did not back down.

Yan Song, however, did not have such a firm belief. He was now willing to take on the responsibility of the new policies because only in this way could he become the Grand Secretary. With the cause and effect reversed, his conviction was naturally far less firm than the former.

Despite facing opposition from court officials and slander from scholars, Zhang Cong never considered backing down, much less abandoning his new policies.

When it came to Yan Song, he would definitely back down, and even consider whether he could drag Jiajing down with him to abandon the new policies.

Therefore, the first arrow must be shot far and high.

thus.

Haiyue formulated a new policy plan spanning five years, centered around the strategy of taking over the Hetao region.

Yan Song kept asking about the details, while also adding his own supplementary information.

This conversation lasted for several hours.

When it was completely dark outside, and the servants who came to inquire about the dinner party appeared three times, the two sides finally stopped, still wanting more.

Yan Song looked at the memorial.

After the outbreak of the Annam War, Haiyue presented a document called "Nine Strategies for Pacifying the Border," which systematically explained the advantages and disadvantages of the strategy against Annam, thus making his first statement in the court.

It quickly met with a lot of opposition. At that time, due to the empty national treasury, the faction that supported the Grand Rites Controversy, which advocated a quick victory, strongly criticized it.

As a result, Yan Song, who was the second-in-command, soon openly supported the "Nine Policies for Pacifying the Borders" and later gained great political prestige.

Now Haiyue submits another memorial.

However, as the Grand Secretary, Yan Song could not possibly support the proposal of a mere Hanlin scholar.

This suggestion could only have come from him.

Haiyue was equally forthcoming: "Your Excellency's teachings are like a wake-up call. This proposal is indeed flawed and is not suitable for me to submit..."

Having said that, he reached out and took back the memorial.

"Mingwei, do not underestimate yourself..."

Yan Song frowned and stopped him, suggesting, "Such a good plan should be submitted to the emperor in a joint memorial!"

Haiyue smiled: "The Hanlin Academy is a place of noble prestige, a perfect place to keep a low profile. Submitting a joint memorial would be too ostentatious. How could I, your nephew, fail to live up to your teachings, Uncle?"

"That's fine!"

Yan Song immediately dropped all pretense of politeness, his eyes gleaming as he smiled and said, "This token of my appreciation will certainly be put to good use!"

……

"The proposal to take over the Hetao region..."

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Houcong sat alone before his desk, his fingertips tracing Yan Song's memorial, his brows gradually relaxing.

He knew very well that after Yan Song succeeded Zhang Cong, he would not want to follow in Zhang's footsteps and would want to put forward his own political ambitions.

However, the strategy presented at this time still greatly pleased Zhu Houcong.

Taking a step-by-step approach, which neither undermines the foundation of the border troops nor hinders their progress, is exactly what they intend.

The emperor's lips curled slightly, and he tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, as if he had already foreseen the retreat of the barbarians.

Reclaim Jiaozhi, take back the Hetao region, and one day head north to wipe out the Tartars.

What kind of praise should I, the restorer of the Ming Dynasty, receive in the history books?

Just then, Huang Jin quietly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the officials of the Censorate and the Ministry of Justice have many reservations about Grand Secretary Yan's proposal, and their memorial has already been submitted to the Ministry of Justice."

"Oh? The crowd is in an uproar, it's lively again!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of amusement flashed across Zhu Houcong's eyes: "Hand over the memorial!"

Before long, the memorial was sent into the palace.

"The national treasury is already empty from the war in Annam, and the people are burdened with heavy taxes. If we were to provoke another border conflict, wouldn't that be like draining the pond to catch all the fish, causing the people of the country to become exhausted?"

"Instead of thinking about recuperation and development, they incite the emperor to wage war, using the blood of the people to stain their own fame and glory..."

"Using the guise of military affairs to engage in arbitrary and despotic actions, the nation is doomed to fail!"

The memorials from the court officials were increasingly scathing in their criticisms.

Zhu Houcong watched expressionlessly, but he was in a very pleasant mood.

Haiyue wouldn't tell Yan Song everything.

For example, the opposition from the court officials that Yan Song feared did indeed occur.

But it wasn't necessarily a bad thing when he first took office as Grand Secretary.

Because Zhu Houcong's sense of crisis has greatly decreased.

Yan Song's reputation among scholars was far better than Zhang Cong's.

Before he ascended to the position of Grand Secretary, he had already assembled a group of people who could rival the Grand Secretary.

Now that Zhang Cong has retired, if he gains the support of the court officials, he could become too powerful to control.

But now, Yan Song is willing to be the knife.

A sharp knife.

It can not only cut off border troubles and drive out the Tartars, but also protect the emperor from open and covert attacks from the court.

Zhu Houcong closed the last memorial with satisfaction:
"The position of Grand Secretary should be exactly like this!"

(End of this chapter)