Ming Dynasty: I, Yan Maoqing, am truly radiating auspicious energy!

Chapter 191 Father Sang, the cherry blossoms in our hometown are blooming? [Seeking monthly votes]

"This proves that I am of limited talent and learning. I humbly request Your Majesty to grant me permission to retire and return to my hometown."

Yan Maoqing immediately followed Zhu Houcong's lead and kowtowed again to make his request.

"What did you say?"

Zhu Houcong's eyes widened even more, almost glaring at Yan Maoqing, and he shouted angrily,

"You even want to command the Warriors Battalion? How dare you set your sights on my Imperial Guards! What exactly are you trying to do?!"

"???"

Yan Maoqing was taken aback and looked up at Zhu Houcong with surprise and doubt.

He naturally knew what the "Warrior Battalion" that Zhu Houcong had inexplicably mentioned was.

Currently, the Imperial Horse Administration is in charge of two battalions of imperial guards, namely the Four Guards Battalion and the Warriors Battalion.

The four guard camps were named after the Wuxiang and Tengxiang Left and Right Guards, respectively.

The Warriors Battalion was an independent unit, even ranking above the Four Guards Battalion.

During the Xuande era, these two battalions of imperial guards had another well-known title: "Yulin Three Thousand Households." The name "Yulin" alone was enough to demonstrate their unshakeable status as the emperor's personal guards.

and so……

Yan Maoqing knew better than anyone else that he dared to set his sights on the Warriors' Camp.

Especially during the reign of Emperor Zhu Houcong, who was extremely sensitive to power and lacked a sense of security, what does this really mean!
The problem is that he didn't say anything at all, and he didn't even think about it!

Zhu Houcong suddenly brought up this matter in a nonsensical way, like a mentally ill person experiencing auditory hallucinations. What exactly is he trying to do now?!

"???"

Huang Jin also glanced at Zhu Houcong in surprise, unable to hide his shock.

what does this mean?
Could it be that His Majesty has suddenly decided to appoint Yan Maoqing to replace the Imperial Horse Administration as the commander of the Warriors Battalion?
In the past, the Western Depot was supervised by the Imperial Horse Administration and also commanded the Imperial Guards of the Warriors Battalion and the Four Guards Battalion. This formed the complete and fearsome privileges of the Western Depot.

Now that Yan Maoqing has the privileges of the Western Depot, but has no troops or manpower, he can hardly be considered a complete head of the Western Depot.

However... you must know that there is a difference between inside and outside, Your Majesty!
After the Tumu Crisis, the three major battalions of the capital were almost completely wiped out, and the Oirat cavalry rushed straight to the capital. It was only by relying on the Warrior Battalion and the Four Guard Battalions to take the initiative to attack at Xizhimen and Zhangyimen that the siege of the capital was relieved.

After that, in order to rebuild the three major camps, successive emperors had to implement the "Tuanying" system.

In this process, the system of the Twenty-Six Guards, originally established during the Yongle era, was gradually eroded and controlled by the outer court.

The only imperial guards still under the emperor's control are the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Wuxiang Guard, the Tengxiang Left and Right Guards (the Four Guards Camps), totaling five guards, plus a Warriors Camp.

Among them, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was commanded by Lu Bing, who was the emperor's closest confidant, while the Four Guard Battalions and the Warrior Battalion were commanded by the Imperial Horse Administration.

If the Emperor were to hand over another battalion of warriors to Commander Yan Maoqing at this point, it would be tantamount to further weakening his own military power, by at least 30%...

Most importantly, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has always belonged to the outer court and is very different from the inner court.

Furthermore, the duty of the Imperial Household Department was to assist the Crown Prince. When the Emperor entrusted the Warriors Battalion to the Imperial Household Department as its commander, it was tantamount to handing over military power to the Crown Prince as well.

In this way, the emperor may face two major hidden dangers in the future:

Firstly, this could very likely become a customary practice, which could then be exploited by civil officials in the outer court.

No matter how loyal Yan Maoqing is now, there is a great possibility that the Warriors Battalion will be infiltrated and controlled by the outer court after him, leaving the Ming emperor with one less guard.
Secondly, while the crown prince is indeed the foundation of the state, a foundation that controls the military is actually an extremely dangerous and unstable factor, as evidenced in historical records...

Therefore, in Huang Jin's view, the matter that the Emperor mentioned at this moment was by no means a wise move!

Huang Jin really doesn't understand...

He had served this emperor for over twenty years and knew only that the emperor was cautious, suspicious, and had a strong desire for control. This was truly the first time he had ever seen him make such an impulsive decision that seemed to have been ill-considered!
Moreover, he had reason to believe that the emperor, with his keen intellect, would likely understand even better the two major hidden dangers he was currently worried about.

This made him even more unable to understand what this emperor was really thinking...

"Your Majesty, please be wise. I only said that I am not very knowledgeable and have no knowledge of the imperial guards. I did not mention anything about the imperial guards!"

Having finally regained his senses, Yan Maoqing had no choice but to immediately kowtow and clarify.

“Eunuch Huang has been here the whole time. He heard every word clearly and can testify for me!”

Yan Maoqing now only knows that no matter what kind of swine fever Zhu Houcong is causing, or what his intentions may be.

He had to completely deny everything about this matter; otherwise, even if he wasn't a eunuch, it would be as if he had been forcibly dragged into the palace by Zhu Houcong.

Otherwise, not only will there be no chance of retiring and returning to one's hometown in the future, but one may not even have the chance to retire in a few decades. One must not be careless.

"Uh……"

Meeting the gazes cast upon him by Zhu Houcong and Yan Maoqing, Huang Jin was immediately caught in a dilemma.

Can I hear clearly?

This was a problem of paramount importance to him, not because he was deaf, but because of the Emperor's true intentions in his words.

However, at this moment, he was completely unable to fathom the Emperor's will. I...

I'll just kneel down and pretend to be a bronze chime, so you can't see me, can't see me, can't see me.

Huang Jin immediately knelt down, like an ostrich, wishing he could bury his head in the tiny, tightly sealed gaps between the bricks of Beijing.

As a result, Zhu Houcong insisted on using him as part of a game, and even squinted at him to interrogate him:

"Huang Jin, do you think I'm as blind and hard of hearing as Yan Maoqing?"

"The slaves dare not!"

Huang Jin instantly understood Zhu Houcong's meaning, and immediately kowtowed, speaking with unwavering conviction.
"Your Majesty is discerning and perceptive. Yan Maoqing was indeed incredibly audacious just now, daring to attempt to take command of the Warriors Battalion. I fear his intentions are malicious. Please, Your Majesty, see the truth!"

"Eunuch Huang?"

Yan Maoqing's heart skipped a beat. He felt like he'd been framed by a professional group without any security cameras present. Even someone as quick-witted as him couldn't defend himself. He immediately burst into a tirade of curses.
"My lord, yet another treacherous minister has emerged, a truly wicked villain!"

"Your Majesty, I hereby report that Eunuch Huang has deceived the Emperor and slandered me. I implore Your Majesty to bury Eunuch Huang in the eunuch's tomb tonight..."

"presumptuous!"

Zhu Houcong finally slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, interrupting him as he stood up and rebuked him.

"You are the one who deceived the emperor and slandered the loyal and virtuous; you are the greatest traitor of this dynasty!"

"What you just said, Huang Jin heard it, and I heard it too. How dare you deny and argue? You are the one who should be buried in the eunuch's tomb!"

"Father..."

Yan Maoqing was utterly speechless, his heart filled with a grievance comparable to that of Dou E.

From now on, two more lines of text must be added to the inside of his coffin lid:
[Pass this down! Zhu Houcong was morally corrupt, colluding with the eunuch Huang Jin to extort money from loyal officials through staged accidents. This is a typical example of how a corrupt leader can lead to a corrupt one, and should be recorded in the "Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty" to warn future generations!]

"That's it!"

Zhu Houcong shook his head and sighed deeply, feigning helplessness, and said...

"Now that treacherous officials are in power, they are manipulating the system and abusing their authority. Although I am unwilling to accept this, I am powerless as a ruler and my ministers are too strong. What can I do?"

"Since you have already asked to come out, how can I refuse? How dare I refuse?"

"From this day forward, the Warriors Battalion will be under your command. From now on, I will be like Emperor Xuan of Han to Huo Guang, constantly feeling like I have a thorn in my side..." "..."

Hearing these words, Huang Jin was even more speechless than Yan Maoqing, his heart clenching into a fist.

At this moment, how could he not understand that Zhu Houcong was determined to force the Warriors Battalion onto Yan Maoqing?

However, these words that reversed the natural order and turned black into white, along with this pretentious and hypocritical manner, were entirely in line with Yan Maoqing's shameless style.

After all...

Ultimately, the Emperor was influenced by Yan Maoqing without even realizing it, and the influence was immense.

Otherwise, how could he have uttered the words "If the ruler is weak and the minister is strong, what can be done?" He didn't want Yan Maoqing to lose, so he wanted Yan Maoqing to study hard.

"..."

Yan Maoqing was also speechless at Zhu Houcong's "shamelessness".

The phrases "treacherous officials in power" and "abusing power and manipulating authority" are clearly meant to subtly criticize him!

Didn't they just recently deceive three dukes and set up the Jixia Academy?

These things shouldn't be considered as imposing imperial decrees, since Zhu Houcong never officially issued one.

Besides, he did try to "help his good-for-nothing godfather out of trouble."

The palace garden was used to establish the "Jixia Academy," which was also for the use of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and it was also related to the exercise of the Western Depot's privileges.

How is it "treacherous officials in power, abusing their authority and manipulating the system"? And you even said, "How could I not give it to you? How dare I not give it to you?" By putting it this way, you are forcing me to say, "I can't refuse it, I dare not refuse it."
It’s over, it’s over, it’s over…

Zhu Houcong has learned most of my skills for making a living. How can I expect to have a good future?
Also.

Yan Maoqing suddenly thought of two people: Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

If he remembered correctly, both Wei Qing and Huo Qubing held official positions before they actually led their troops to the north to attack the Xiongnu.

—Jianzhang Academy!

What was the Jianzhang Supervisory Office for?

That was the Jianzhang Cavalry, the private imperial guards of Emperor Wu of Han.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Jianzhang Cavalry was renamed the Yulin Cavalry. Because many of its members were orphans of border soldiers, they were also known as "Yulin Orphans" in popular parlance.

Today, the Warriors Battalion and the Four Guards Battalion are also known as the "Three Thousand Households of the Imperial Guard".

and so……

After treating him like Heshen, Yan Song, Wang Zhi, and Liu Jin, Zhu Houcong now intends to treat him like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.

However, this made Yan Maoqing feel that his status in Zhu Houcong's eyes was too complicated. Could the notorious traitors and eunuchs like Heshen, Yan Song, Liu Jin, and Wei Zhongxian really be confused with national heroes like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing?
Didn't Zhu Houcong feel awkward at all? Was he sure this wasn't a huge joke?

the most important is.

You, Zhu Houcong, are not Emperor Wu of Han!

I, Yan Maoqing, am not worthy of being treated like Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; we are worlds apart!
Big Fool Zhu, are you crazy?
Thankfully, I haven't gone crazy yet; I'm a perfectly clear-headed and normal person!

“Your Majesty, I cannot obey your command. A treacherous minister like myself, who abuses power and manipulates authority, should retire and return to my hometown as a warning to others…”

Yan Maoqing immediately frowned, tears welling up in his eyes, as if he was about to wail.

"Hehe, don't be in such a hurry to refuse. Read these two secret letters first."

Zhu Houcong, who had been looking miserable just moments before, immediately let out a cold laugh.

He then took out two secret letters whose contents even Huang Jin was unaware of, and personally moved to Yan Maoqing's side, gently patting him on the forehead.

"..."

The mist in Yan Maoqing's eyes vanished instantly, and his furrowed brows relaxed as he took the secret letter and opened it to read.

He had already sensed a hint of danger.

Or perhaps Zhu Houcong was very likely to forcibly place him in an even more dangerous situation, which is why he suddenly forced military power upon him, giving him some power to protect himself.

The answer must lie in these two secret letters!

Therefore, whether or not he can relinquish military power is not the key issue; the key issue is the dangerous situation he will face next...

After a while.

Yan Maoqing finally understood Zhu Houcong's current predicament and fully grasped Zhu Houcong's thoughts.

Zhu Houcong probably intends to send him to Datong again!
These two secret letters were sent back from Datong by Guo Xun and Yan Song, respectively.

Both Guo Xun and Yan Song encountered great obstacles in their work in Datong, to the point that things have now reached a point of great difficulty and even stagnation.

This obstacle came not only from the border troops and officials, but also from the Prince of Dai, a member of the Ming imperial family enfeoffed in Datong, and his clan, and even from the shadow of the White Lotus sect, which is now most rampant in Shanxi...

Furthermore, it's impossible that Zhu Houcong and Yan Maoqing were unaware of this.

In fact, the imperial court's civil officials and local powerful families and merchants were also constantly stirring up trouble and trying every means to prevent the Great Harmony project from being completed.

Because once this matter is accomplished...

These aristocratic merchant families, who previously enjoyed a monopolistic advantage by profiting from both the Ming Dynasty and the Tatars, are bound to suffer losses.

If Zhu Houcong were to seize this opportunity to gain control of some financial and military power, it would certainly not be what the civil service group of the court wanted to see, so why would they sit idly by and watch it happen?

at the same time.

Guo Xun and Yan Song were both traditional bureaucrats, and neither of them were without flaws.

This further constrained their actions, making it difficult for them to remain unhindered, leaving them with the desire to achieve great things but lacking the ability to do so...

“Go, eradicate the White Lotus Sect that has been entrenched in Shanxi for many years, and completely clear your name of suspicion.”

Zhu Houcong looked into his eyes. He clearly had many things he wanted to say, yet he only mentioned this one.
"You wouldn't want people to keep harping on this matter, causing rumors to spread and forcing me to eventually give in to the prevailing trend, would you?"

"..."

Meeting Zhu Houcong's gaze, Yan Maoqing finally began to struggle internally.

He knew that there was a good chance that Zhu Houcong would be forced to conform to the "general trend" and the "will of the people," and that many things in the current dynasty had happened in this way.

But what he knew even more clearly was...

Whether the Datong project can be accomplished, and what impact it will have on the entire country and the people of the north.

This group of scoundrels is definitely not just trying to sabotage the establishment of the carbon tax office; their ultimate goal must be to disrupt the tribute system, provoke trouble, and cultivate their own power.

Only in this way can Zhu Houcong not easily touch them, making them safer and their interests more stable!
In this way, the "Gengxu Incident," in which the Tatars invaded southwards and looted and burned, eventually reaching the outskirts of Beijing, would certainly still occur a few years later...

After struggling for a long time, Yan Maoqing finally managed to utter a sentence with an extremely awkward accent:

"Father Sang, are the cherry blossoms in our hometown in bloom?"

(End of this chapter)