Late Ming Dynasty: So what if Emperor Chongzhen was inactive?!

Chapter 159 I am not wronged, it is my uncle who is wronged! Oh?! What injustice is there?!
In fact, these ministers were right about one thing: Zhu Youjian was a selfish man. He knew very well that what belonged to the emperor was different from what belonged to the Ming Dynasty.

As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he naturally wanted the Ming Dynasty to prosper, but given the opportunity, he wouldn't hesitate to cultivate his own direct power base. Sometimes, however, excessive moral fastidiousness can be detrimental.

To say that the emperor is rich beyond measure is to say that he has nothing at all; he is not as valuable as the millions of taels of silver in the imperial treasury or the thousands of imperial guards in the inner court.

A crane standing out from the crowd is conspicuous, and a husky mixed in with a pack of wolves also draws attention. The emperor recruited military generals from Liaoxi; Zhao Shuaijiao was a veteran commander, and Cao Wenzhao was Sun Chengzong's old subordinate. It's understandable that the emperor knew of them and valued them. However, the edict specifically mentioning Cao Wenzhao's nephew is quite intriguing, since he is currently only Cao Wenzhao's personal guard, holding only the rank of a minor officer.

Normally, these fierce generals guarded the four directions, and Zhu Youjian could not see them. Even if he tried to win them over openly, he would be obstructed by civil officials, whether intentionally or unintentionally. But now, in the special circumstances of wartime, Zhu Youjian could openly and legitimately win them over.

The generals who came to the aid of the emperor all received a private audience with him. Zhu Youjian was quite lenient towards military generals, and his favoritism made some civil officials jealous.

The late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period shattered China's moral shackles, and military men began to act unethically. The Song Dynasty went too far in correcting this, reshaping Chinese moral values ​​and restraining military generals. The Yuan Dynasty then shattered these moral constraints. The Ming Dynasty was established, reopening China and establishing the nation based on military strength, which led to the arrogance of military generals in the early Ming Dynasty and also showcased their martial prowess.

After the Tumu Crisis, the idea of ​​using civil officials to control military forces re-emerged, and the nobility was abolished until the end of the Ming Dynasty. History develops in this spiral, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right.

It's not that people never learn from history, but rather that each new dynasty is an overcorrection of the previous one, which then creates new, unsolvable dilemmas.

The ideas of strengthening the treatment of military officers, enhancing their rights, coordinating overall planning, and reducing constraints were frequently mentioned in the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty.

A country is never short of insightful people. In fact, these words were not spoken by the military to defend themselves, because it would be taboo for them to say such things themselves. These words were spoken by civil officials.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty still hoped that the country would improve. They had a scoundrel side as well as a good side. Ironically, it was the emperor himself who was always the one who liked to play the role of obstruction.

Most emperors did not have such magnanimity. Perhaps the real history that was not recorded in the annals really had many unbearable events that were only passed down orally among emperors, such as the bizarre Tumu Crisis, the strange Jiajing reign, and the unusual behavior of several emperors afterward.

Was it truly Heaven's will to destroy the Ming Dynasty, which led to a series of eccentric emperors, or was there another hidden reason? Zhu Youjian had no idea, after all, he was originally just an ordinary prince.

There were no top-notch guards in the palace, and Wei Zhongxian was not as terrifying as the folk legends portrayed him as; he was just an elderly man who was somewhat ruthless.

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were essentially low-ranking officials of the sixth rank, doing odd jobs for the emperor. Their prominence stemmed from their inherent prominence, as they possessed a string of titles and honors that outlived their own lives.

Even Dorgon, the fearsome number one butcher of the Qing Dynasty, was just an ordinary human being who looked fierce, could be easily subdued and beaten by a few men, and would scream in pain if hung up. Deifying people is merely a step too far removed from reality; once you get close enough, everyone is a living, breathing human being.

The two Cao brothers were fortunate enough to be invited by the emperor to dine in the inner court. The emperor's Qingyun Banquet was already very famous, and even people from outside the Great Wall like the Cao brothers had heard of it.

Cao Wenzhao realized this was an opportunity; a guerrilla commander who didn't want to be a general wasn't a good adjutant. He fared relatively well under Sun Chengzong, but later became somewhat unhappy under Zu Dashou's control.

He despised veterans like Zu Dashou who dared not step forward in the face of national crisis. Despite being a general of the Ming Dynasty, he prioritized personal gain and betrayed his allies without feeling any shame.

Although he wasn't certain that Zu Dashou was a spy for the Jurchens, his ambiguous relationship with them couldn't be cleared up; wasn't this just fostering a bandit to enhance his own power?

Even after all this, this guy still has the nerve to impeach Mao Wenlong and Yuan Keli for harboring bandits and seeking personal gain. As a border general, he's involved in the court's factional struggles. This guy is too complicated. Cao Wenzhao is ashamed to associate with him.

These Liaoxi bumpkins were quite happy to be going to the capital this time, after all, the emperor was very generous in recognizing their merits and promoting them, even though the military ranks in the Ming Dynasty were being severely degraded.

For example, a general should theoretically have a large army of more than 10,000 men under his command, but in reality, many generals only have three or four thousand men. They can't even muster a battalion of personal guards and servants, and they are in dire straits.

Contrary to the common belief that military guards were the private armies of military officers, supported by embezzling military pay, the fact that the Ming Dynasty openly mentioned the group of personal guards in official documents indicates that the court recognized these individuals. Furthermore, military officers' personal guards were required to report to the court, which would allocate corresponding funds and provisions.

In fact, the Ming Dynasty court was not so rigid. Many policies were flexibly changed. If bad things could be prevented, they would be prevented; if they could not be prevented, they would go with the flow.

The demise of the Ming Dynasty had a certain element of chance. In the last few years before its sudden collapse, the Ming Dynasty was still able to collect taxes and organize an elite army of over 100,000 men to fight the Jurchens.

During the severe drought that struck seven northern provinces in the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, when the drought in the Ming Dynasty reached its peak, Hong Chengchou still managed to stockpile hundreds of thousands of shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain in Songshan, and there was no shortage of food in the army.

From the Tianqi era to the end of the Chongzhen era, the fighting capacity of the Ming army gradually improved and recovered.

Under such circumstances, it would be too biased to say that all the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty were corrupt, greedy for life and afraid of death.

The demise of the Ming Dynasty was never caused by a single isolated event or a single group, but rather by a combination of factors including natural disasters, man-made calamities, plagues, and foreign enemies.

It's not entirely wrong to say that Heaven was destined to destroy the Ming Dynasty. After all, even modern civilized countries wouldn't be able to survive the various crises that the Ming Dynasty faced. In the event of a true drought, even if rain-inducing bombs blew up cannon barrels, there would still be no rain.

I've heard that the Qingyun Banquet is not only a way for the emperor to show favor to his ministers and to win them over, but also a test.

Cao Wenzhao, who had not trembled even when charging against the Jurchen army on the battlefield, couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He guessed that the emperor's test would be nothing more than military matters, such as asking him how to quell the Jurchens and recover Liaodong.

He didn't know the answer to this question. After fighting for so many years, his comrades were getting fewer and fewer, while the Jurchens seemed inexhaustible, growing stronger with each battle.

If the old servant hadn't gone mad before his death and wiped out a large number of people, the Jurchens would be even more troublesome now.

Cao Wenzhao was an honest man who never liked to boast. He wasn't afraid of the Jurchens, but he was indeed very wary of them.

Everyone says the Liao soldiers are good at running away, but what can they do if they don't? The fools who stayed behind to fight to the death all died. During the Battle of Hunhe, the Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Shandong soldiers all died, but they survived.

If you keep winning, it will definitely boost your confidence. If you lose more than you win, who would want to fight the Jurchens? And that's how the Jurchens' unwavering confidence was cultivated.

Objectively speaking, the Jurchens were not invincible, but they were incredibly audacious. They dared to venture deep into enemy territory with only a few dozen men, and they dared to charge into a Ming infantry formation of over a thousand men with just a hundred or so. This confidence was built up over more than a decade of fighting against the Ming.

The Han people were once just as brave. One Han soldier could fight against five barbarian tribes, and more than 10,000 Tang cavalrymen could suppress dozens of kingdoms in the Western Regions. They could destroy whomever they wanted. Besides their technological advantage, the most important factor was their accumulated invincible belief. People don't know how powerful they can be until they try.

There are many schools of thought in military strategy, among which the most unsolvable and powerful is the military situation. So even though the Ming army's combat strength has recovered and the quality of its armor, swords, and firearms has improved, it still can't help but feel apprehensive when facing the Jurchens, always feeling that it can't win, and every time it goes into battle, it is with the certainty of death.

From the governors and generals at the top to the soldiers at the bottom, no one had the confidence or even the desire to win. They felt that it would be good enough if they could withstand the Jurchens' attack and survive.

What the Ming army lacks most right now is confidence, and confidence is built up through victories. Therefore, the Ming army lacks a major victory in a direct field battle against the Jurchens.

Zhu Youjian felt himself getting poorer and poorer, to the point that he only had money and grain left. As was his habit, he wanted to send something to the officials in charge, but he couldn't find anything suitable for the time being. He had sold off the luxury goods in the palace, and now the furnishings in the homes of the powerful and noble in the two capitals of the Ming Dynasty were probably more luxurious than those in the palace, and their styles and designs were all against regulations.

Only practical items were left in the palace. If copper could be used, gold and silver were not used; if wood could be used, metal was not used; if cork could withstand the test, precious wood was not used; and since bamboo was cheaper than wood, bamboo could be used as a temporary substitute.

Nowadays, the imperial palace follows a minimalist approach. What does it matter if clothes are washed again? If it weren't for the fact that dragon robes can't be sold, he would have replaced them with plain clothes.

In terms of enjoyment, Zhu Youjian only retained the desires for sensual pleasures and food; everything else was gone. For an emperor to reach this point is truly heartbreaking and brings tears to the eyes of those who hear it.

Returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes at night; Zhu Youjian, being so frugal, certainly wouldn't hesitate to publicize it. Confucianism emphasizes inner cultivation of virtue; surely he wasn't a complete fool? While there may be people of such high moral character, Zhu Youjian was not; he transformed all the hardships he endured into practical and useful rewards.

He subtly instructed the palace eunuchs and maids to leak the emperor's miserable life to the outside world in order to gain the sympathy of officials and common people. Perhaps some nobles and officials would privately mock him as a fool, but there would always be some fools who would believe it to be true.

It wasn't that Zhu Youjian was deceiving them; he just had impure motives. But everything he did was genuine. Even if it was an act, if he acted for a lifetime, it would be real. A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions.

"Come on, come on, drink!"

Seeing Cao Bianjiao curiously examining the palace's furnishings, Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "General Cao, do you think this palace is quite different from what you imagined? It's not even as luxurious as the mansions of the local gentry, is it?"

Cao Wenzhao lowered his head slightly, then stepped under the table and stomped on his stupid nephew. Cao Bianjiao looked puzzled, while Cao Wenzhao felt helpless. This silly child, before coming here, he had repeatedly told him not to run around, look around, or talk nonsense.

His nephew is good in every way. He is even more brave than his uncle, and he has mastered the skills of leading troops into battle. He has even surpassed his uncle. It's just that the Ming Dynasty is currently in a bad period. If he had been born in the Han Dynasty, he would have been a figure no less than Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion.

Cao Wenzhao himself did not hold a high military rank, so he could not arrange for his nephew to be placed in a higher or better position. He was also afraid that his nephew would be harmed by others if he left his side. Although he was an uncle, he worried about him like an old father.

Even worse, after years of military service, and with his coming-of-age ceremony approaching, he still hadn't found a wife. He truly felt he had let his elder brother down. "The gentry's mansions are not as large as Your Majesty's," Cao Bianjiao gestured, "I believe Your Majesty's frugality is not very useful. If you want to improve military strength, sufficient provisions and clear rewards and punishments are enough!"

"Damn it, this unlucky kid!" Cao Wenzhao's expression changed. He suddenly stood up, kicked Cao Bianjiao in the butt, and forced his head to kneel before the emperor.

“Your Majesty, my nephew has spoken out of turn. It is due to my failure to properly instruct him. I beg Your Majesty to punish me,” Cao Wenzhao said loudly.

Zhu Youjian was also somewhat taken aback. Although he hadn't broken his guard, he couldn't help but feel speechless at Cao Bianjiao's straightforwardness. It seemed that capable people liked to pull this kind of stunt on him. The Xiong Manzi, whom he had never met, had killed him with his foul mouth. Sun Chuanting's emotional intelligence wasn't much better, and now there was Cao Bianjiao.

Logically speaking, someone who can fight shouldn't be that unintelligent. If it were purely a contest of physical strength, a brute would be outmatched by a highly intelligent fighter, even in a one-on-one duel, let alone when leading troops into battle.

They call him an unlucky kid, but Cao Bianjiao isn't young anymore; he's a year older than him. Does this mean no one is perfect? ​​Does God give someone a talent only to cut off another ability, deliberately creating flaws for them?

Zhu Youjian could only console himself that being straightforward had its advantages, and it was truly exhausting to have subordinates playing mind games with him. Since Cao Wenzhao had gone to such lengths and given him a way out, Zhu Youjian didn't mind cooperating and playing along. So he got up, walked over to the two Caos, and helped them up.

"Haha, General Cao is quite a man, honest and straightforward. I like you very much. However, you have misunderstood me. I did not intend to wear tattered clothes and patch my dragon robe to show my frugality and discourage the extravagance of the officials. I actually sold all the valuable items in the palace and used the money to send grain and hay to your front lines."

As for clear rewards and punishments, have I failed to do so? General Cao, are you dissatisfied with me? Tell me what merits you have made that the court has failed you! Zhu Youjian said sarcastically.

Cao Bianjiao glanced at the footprints on his shoes with lingering fear, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw his uncle's dark and sour face. He couldn't help but move away from Cao Wenzhao, but after swallowing hard, he still mustered up his courage and said, "I am not speaking out for myself, but for my uncle."

Cao Wenzhao's expression was one of utter despair. His eyes seemed to be filled with sand, and he blinked incessantly, but Cao Bianjiao ignored him. Cao Wenzhao's back bent involuntarily, and his face turned gloomy. "So, he's grown up and his wings have hardened, huh? When we get back, I'll definitely call my hundreds of personal guards to have a one-on-one fight with this unlucky nephew of mine, and let him see who's really in charge of this family!"

"What grievance does General Cao have? If he has a grievance, why don't you lead your troops to deal with him?!" Zhu Youjian asked Cao Wenzhao.

"I have no grievances. It is my nephew who is talking nonsense. Your Majesty is overthinking it!" Cao Wenzhao said helplessly.

“It won’t do if there’s no injustice. If you cry foul even when there’s no injustice, that’s a crime of deceiving the emperor!” Zhu Youjian said sternly.

"Death penalty!"

"I forgive you for your innocence. Fine, if you don't want to speak, then General Cao will speak." Zhu Youjian turned to look at Cao Bianjiao.

At this moment, Cao Bianjiao was also a little nervous. He knew that he had been too willful and had made a big fuss, and now it was difficult to clean up the mess. But he couldn't be blamed for it. His uncle always thought he was stupid, but he was not stupid at all. Today's performance was taught to him by General Man.

When all the generals gathered at Shanhaiguan, Cao Bianjiao was bored, so he secretly picked up a gun and fought with Man Gui without his uncle's knowledge. In the end, Man Gui won by a small margin.

Cao Bianjiao was unconvinced and said that if it were a fight to the death, he would have killed Man Gui long ago. Man Gui was not angry, but rather liked Cao Bianjiao very much. So he said to him, "You are not young, but I am already quite old. In another three to five years, I will no longer be your match."

"Kid, I have high hopes for you. Why don't you and your uncle come work for me? What's the point of hanging out with that bastard Zu Dashou? You're just making yourselves sick with anger."

Faced with Man Gui's attempts to win him over, Cao Bianjiao was indeed tempted. Everyone in Guan Jinning knew Man Gui. Every time he met someone, he would wear that scarlet flying fish robe. Even when he was wearing armor, he would wear a flying fish robe over it, making it look like a civil or military robe. He was just a general, but he dressed more extravagantly than the governor-general, just to show off that he was deeply trusted by the emperor and had a bright future.

Man Gui is a rather simple person, but there are a few taboos that you can't cross. One is that you can't say he can't hold his liquor, otherwise he'll insist on dragging you to the drinking table to compete and fight to the death. The second is that you can't say he's Mongolian, otherwise he'll get angry with you.

He always claimed to be a Han Chinese from Xuanfu, but Man Gui and Man Chong were probably not related. The "Manghutai Stele" records: "The Manghuti clan is now called the Man clan." He came from the Manghuti tribe of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

However, this is not a problem. When Confucius wrote the Spring and Autumn Annals, he treated the feudal lords who used barbarian rites as barbarians, and those who came to China as Chinese. If a barbarian became Chinese, he treated them as Chinese; if a Chinese became barbarian, he treated them as barbarians.

Man Gui has clearly been pickled and pickled, acquiring the shameless traits of the Han people, such as the desire to be recognized, the enjoyment of being needed, and even the willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the country.

Everyone scorned Man Gui's ostentation, feeling that at his age, as a general, he couldn't maintain composure in the face of both honor and disgrace. But deep down, they were quite envious; the flying fish robe was second only to the python robe in rank among military officers' bestowed robes—who wouldn't want to own one and wear it?!

Speaking of the Embroidered Spring Blade of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it's easy to get one for everyone—everyone has one. But the only one who actually wears the flying fish robe is Lu Bing. He's not the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, nor is he the emperor's most loyal confidant. He wouldn't have a flying fish robe to wear; he'd be laughing all the way to the bank if he had a bullfighting uniform.

Cao Bianjiao was young and clearly believed Man Gui's lies. Man Gui imparted his experience of gaining favor to Cao Bianjiao, saying: "The emperor likes straightforward people. In front of the emperor, you should act honest and kind. It's okay to be a little offended occasionally, but you can't look cunning. Otherwise, the emperor won't trust you. This is a secret passed down from his ancestors."

In fact, Man Gui wasn't intentionally trying to trick Cao Bianjiao. This method was indeed effective for him. The stereotype in the Ming Dynasty was that these Mongol generals who surrendered were brave and good at fighting, honest and simple, and perhaps even a little silly. This might have been true at first, but that was only the beginning. The strange effect was caused by the language barrier and poor communication between the two sides.

After being under Han Chinese rule for a long time, they become familiar with the Han people and are inevitably influenced by their culture. Those who are not shrewd cannot survive. But even if you are very smart, you must hide your shortcomings. When the other party has a stereotype, the most important thing is not to change their influence on you, but to use that stereotype to your advantage. What fool would become a general and command thousands of troops?

Man Gui was nothing more than a thick-skinned, ruthless, and skilled actor. The Ming court simply liked this type of person. Even the new recruits, with their comical names like Hu Dawei and Meng Ruhu, showed the preferences of the Ming Dynasty's governors and high-ranking officials. Man Gui was considered relatively lucky.

Man Gui said it, and Cao Bianjiao believed it and even put it into practice. Now it seems that, apart from the possibility of being beaten by his uncle when he returns, he has performed well and successfully attracted the emperor's attention.

But too much of a good thing can be bad. Cao Bianjiao was both literate and skilled in martial arts, and he didn't want the emperor to treat him like a fool. Otherwise, how could he bear it if the emperor made him charge into battle every day without giving him command of troops? He was putting on an act, but everyone knew what was going on. So, Cao Bianjiao respectfully bowed to the emperor and sincerely said, "Your Majesty, my uncle Cao Wenzhao has served in the army for twenty years, and his merits have been great but his rewards have been meager. I dare to plead for him with tears in my eyes:"

During the Taichang era, my uncle followed Xiong Tingbi to defend Liaodong. During a night raid on the Later Jin camp, he killed more than 70 enemies and rescued 200 border residents. In the second year of the Tianqi era, he recaptured Songshan and Xingshan, killed the Later Jin general, and was only promoted to Qianzong (a military rank). In the sixth year of the Tianqi era, during the Battle of Ningyuan, he defended the East Gate, was wounded three times, blocked the breach and killed more than 20 enemies, and was only promoted to a higher rank. Now, my uncle is nearly forty years old and is still a guerrilla general. His salary is meager and he cannot support his family. There are many complaints under his command.

He killed over a thousand enemies and recaptured more than ten cities. He had fifteen deep wounds, but was long looked down upon because of rumors about his background.

Rewards and punishments are the foundation of a nation. If loyal and brave men like Uncle do not receive their due reward, the border generals will likely lose heart.

I beseech Your Majesty to consider their merits and bestow upon them the rewards they deserve, so that the soldiers may know that Your Majesty does not forget those who have rendered meritorious service, and then the restoration of the dynasty may be within reach!
"My words are supported by the 'Liaodong Military Register' and the 'Shaanxi Bandit Suppression Record,' and every word I have spoken is true. If there is any falsehood, I beg Your Majesty to execute me!"

"Well done, Cao Bianjiao! You're trying to get a reward from me. Impressive! Of all the civil and military officials I've met, you're the first to dare to do this!"

Zhu Youjian shook his head and said, "What you say makes sense. Unclear rewards and punishments lead to unstable morale. But don't rush your dear uncle. You've made quite a few contributions yourself. Tell me, what reward do you want? How about I bestow upon you a marquisate?"

"Uh, why isn't the emperor playing by the rules? Is he really angry?" Cao Bianjiao felt a sweat trickling down his back. He lowered his head and stammered, "Your Majesty, I dare not. I have only rendered a small service, not enough to be granted a title. But Your Majesty, rest assured, once I have killed the slave chieftain Huang Taiji, I will come to ask Your Majesty for a reward!"

Cao Wenzhao, standing to the side, hung his head, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground. He felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and every word he heard between his nephew and the emperor made his heart pound with fear. At the same time, he felt a strong sense of shame. However, Zhu Youjian did not let him off the hook. Cao Bianjiao was indeed a genius, but he was a future genius. He was still lacking in talent. Cao Wenzhao was the real general who could be put to use immediately.

"General Cao, your nephew risked his life to plead for you, what do you think of that?!" Zhu Youjian teased.

Cao Wenzhao paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Both thunder and rain are acts of imperial favor. Your Majesty's rewards and punishments are fair and just, and I have no complaints."

"Is it that you have no complaints or that you dare not complain?! Alas!" Zhu Youjian sighed, then softened his tone and said, "There were indeed injustices during the Tianqi era. I was just a prince at the time, but I had heard about these matters. I know about the grievances you have suffered. I said in court that rewards and punishments should be clear, and I meant it. Cao Wenzhao, receive the decree!"

"Your subject, Cao Wenzhao, awaits the imperial decree!"

"Controlled: "
Cao Wenzhao, the guerrilla general of Youtunwei, was loyal, brave and skilled in battle, and repeatedly made meritorious contributions. He played a good role in the defense of Ningyuan and Ningjin and achieved many victories!

After the Ministry of War has assessed your merits, abilities, and character, I hereby promote you to the rank of Lieutenant General, directly commanding the cavalry of the Divine Pivot Camp in the capital, and overseeing the cavalry camps of various units in the capital region.

Admire this! "

"Your subject, Cao Wenzhao, accepts the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

Cao Wenzhao accepted the bright yellow imperial edict with both hands. Zhu Youjian raised his chin at Cao Bianjiao and said, "You are hereby appointed as a General-in-Chief with a one-year salary plus subsidies. Your salary is two thousand taels of silver. Now you can support your family and have enough to eat and drink, right?"

Cao Bianjiao's face turned bright red with embarrassment. He felt utterly ashamed. It turned out that the emperor had already written an imperial edict to promote and raise his uncle, and he, who had been making a scene earlier, now looked like a villain.

"This letter is for your uncle, and this letter is for you, but what you just said has chilled my heart. What should I do?! I'm so troubled!" Zhu Youjian said, shaking his head.

Upon hearing this, Cao Bianjiao said bitterly, "Your Majesty, I know I was wrong. Please, Your Majesty, do not make fun of me!"

(End of this chapter)