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

Chapter 203 Would you call yourself a young person if you weren't impetuous? [Seeking monthly votes]

At the same time, Huang Jin was even clearer about what was going on.

When the emperor uttered the eight words "swift and decisive, undaunted by power," what level of praise and admiration did he express?
"Swift and decisive" can be equated with "capable".

"Not afraid of powerful forces" can be equated with "a loyal minister".

The emperor has always favored capable and loyal ministers, such as Zhang Cong, Gui E, and Yan Maoqing.

Even Xia Yan and Yan Song, no matter what they have become now, had some connection to the past, which is why they were promoted and given important positions so quickly.

So... is Yan Shifan's ancestral graves about to emit auspicious smoke this time?

Oh right, Yan Song and Yan Shifan shared the same ancestral grave. If auspicious smoke were to rise from it, both father and son would be blessed.

If that's really the case, the Yan family should really thank Yan Maoqing, this benefactor.

If it weren't for Yan Maoqing's consideration for their kinship, not only protecting Yan Shifan when the Yan family was in dire straits, but also giving Yan Shifan this opportunity to prove himself, Yan Shifan would probably never have had the chance to gain the Emperor's attention and evaluation in his entire life.

Also.

Huang Jin couldn't help but suspect that Yan Shifan's change in appearance was also related to Yan Maoqing.

After all, Yan Maoqing possesses such a magic, always able to influence others without them realizing it; the closer one gets to him, the deeper the influence becomes…

"By the way, how far has Yan Maoqing's recruitment and training of soldiers progressed?"

Zhu Houcong's voice pulled Huang Jin back to reality.

Huang Jin quickly bowed and truthfully recounted everything he knew:
"I heard that Yan Maoqing entrusted this matter to Shen Kun and Gao Gong. The two of them are currently posting notices in the outer city to recruit soldiers, and they have already recruited more than four thousand people."

"Hmm? Didn't he say that two thousand soldiers would be enough?"

Zhu Houcong looked doubtful.

"I heard that his plan this time is to first recruit 6,000 soldiers, and then eliminate the bottom performers during the training process until only 2,000 are eliminated."

Huang Jin replied.

"No...no."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Houcong suddenly thought of a problem he had previously overlooked, and frowned as he spoke.
"Yan Maoqing only planned to train two thousand elite soldiers, but when he went to the Armory, he asked for two thousand five hundred muskets in one go."

Even taking into account the wear and tear during training and use, these muskets are enough to ensure that each of the two thousand soldiers has one.

"What kind of army is he planning to build? And will such an army actually be able to fight on the battlefield?"

"Are you sure this bastard isn't just making things up out of pure conjecture?"

"This……"

Upon hearing these words, Huang Jin suddenly realized the problem.

Even though he had never led troops, he was familiar with the troop composition of the three major battalions. The Shenji Battalion was ultimately only used as a supplementary firepower unit and could not be considered the main force.

This applies not only to the three major camps, but also to the four guard camps and the warrior camp under the command of the Imperial Horse Administration, as well as the garrison troops in the nine important border towns.

Although this was not a rigid system of the imperial court, it was an experience gained by many generals in countless past wars.

However, neither of them suspected that Yan Maoqing might be using this matter to line his own pocket.

Because this scoundrel is different from ordinary corrupt officials.

He seemed to disdain such petty theft, and he always openly discussed the division of profits with Zhu Houcong, which was incredibly audacious and unlike that of a subject!

However, Huang Jin could also see that this was probably the very thing that Zhu Houcong trusted most about Yan Maoqing.

Being angry is one thing, being furious is another.

But someone as open as Yan Maoqing is actually easier for him to see through and control.

It's better than others who deceive their superiors and subordinates, deliberately mess things up for their own selfish gain, and leave the other person completely clueless about where things went wrong...

"Yan Maoqing has never led troops before. Shen Kun and Gao Gong are his classmates, so they must have never led troops before either, right?"

Zhu Houcong pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked again.

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

Huang Jin replied,

"However, as far as I know, Shen Kun and Gao Gong's ancestors were both from military backgrounds, but I don't know how much they actually know."

"That means they don't understand anything..."

Zhu Houcong frowned even more deeply, weighing his thoughts for a long time before finally speaking.

"I remember that a few days ago, Zeng Xian, who was ordered to go to Shandong for inspection, submitted a memorial requesting the court to allocate funds to build the outer city walls of Linqing and Dezhou in order to prevent the Tatars from going south and plundering the interior."

"This matter can be put on hold for now. Let's draft an imperial edict ordering him to return and report."

"I suspect that Yan Maoqing and his fellow young men, who have no experience in leading troops, probably don't even understand how to transport military supplies and provisions."

"Perhaps they haven't even considered this issue, and even if they have, they probably can't do it perfectly. Let Zeng Xian go and ensure they have military supplies and provisions this time."

Huang Jin was taken aback upon hearing this, and finally couldn't help but interject:

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is inappropriate."

"General Zeng is a man who has made military achievements. He has made great contributions to the country by suppressing the rebellions in Liaoyang and Guangning. He has a proud spirit."

"His Majesty ordered General Zeng to transport military supplies and provisions to Yan Maoqing and others. General Zeng must be very resentful and may regard this as a disgrace, which could easily lead to further complications."

If Yan Maoqing were here, he would recognize the name Zeng Xian immediately.

Because Zeng Xian was one of the famous generals during the Jiajing reign!

In addition to the previous suppression of the rebellions in Liaoyang and Guangning.

If history continues as it is, after Zeng Xian returns from his inspection of Shandong, Zhu Houcong will appoint him as the commander of Yanmen Pass and the governor of Shanxi.

Under his command, the Tatars did not invade the border for several years. Although there were internal reasons within the Tatars themselves, Zeng Xian's contribution was equally indispensable.

Later, Zeng Xian served as the governor-general of military affairs in the three border regions of Shaanxi. When more than 100,000 Tatar cavalrymen raided southwards, he dealt them a heavy blow and forced them to retreat northwards on several occasions. As a result, he made many military achievements and was praised by Zhu Houcong.

Until Zeng Xian, in order to eradicate the Tartar threat, submitted a memorial proposing "restoration of the Tartars," which caused a great uproar in the court.

That was the time when Xia Yan and Yan Song were fighting most fiercely.

In order to consolidate his position, Xia Yan brought Zeng Xian into his camp and strongly supported the re-establishment of the alliance.

Yan Song, on the other hand, was waiting for an opportunity to act. He saw that Zhu Houcong was struggling financially and knew that this matter was extremely risky, but he was caught in a dilemma and could not directly veto it.

However, he deliberately waited until Zhu Houcong had no choice but to personally veto the decision before putting on a belatedly aware act and strongly opposing it in accordance with the emperor's wishes.

under these circumstances.

Xia Yan finally collapsed completely, ending up as the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, only to be beheaded.

Zeng Xian was also falsely accused of concealing defeats, embezzling military pay, and bribing those in power. In the end, he died unjustly on the vague charge of "forming close ties with officials," and his wife was exiled.

In this miscarriage of justice, Yan Maoqing felt that the person most responsible was none other than Zhu Houcong.

If Zeng Xian made any mistake... it was getting involved in the brutal political struggle, which led to him being used by Xia Yan as a tool to hold Zhu Houcong back. And what Zhu Houcong hated most about Zeng Xian was probably the huge problem Zeng Xian presented him with.

This forced him to personally intervene, ruining the tough image he had painstakingly maintained, and explicitly rejecting the "re-establishment" proposal in front of the entire court.

Just through this one thing.

This was enough to solidify Yan Maoqing's determination to retire and return to his hometown.

The Jiajing reign was entirely composed of villains; not a single civil or military official, including Zhu Houcong, was a good person!

How can one govern a country well when working with such treacherous and corrupt officials? How can one avoid making more mistakes by doing more and less by doing less?

However, upon hearing Huang Jin's words, Zhu Houcong laughed:

"Hehehe, how could you, a mere servant, know that this isn't the reason I arranged it this way... Go and do it quickly."

"...This servant obeys the order."

Huang Jin finally stopped talking and bowed in agreement.

……

Jixia Academy.

This palace garden is located west of the Western Garden, outside the inner city of the capital.

After a period of renovation and reconstruction, the layout of this place has changed considerably.

The first half remained largely unchanged; all the courtyards and houses were vacated, and apart from a small portion being used as duty rooms for officials of the Imperial Household Department, the rest became the main body of the Jixia Academy.

The major renovations were concentrated in the latter half.

Today, this place has become an area resembling a concentration camp, integrating prisons, drill grounds, military camps, and armories.

The easiest place to set up was the drill ground. It was originally an imperial estate, and Zhu Houcong did not restrict Yan Maoqing from expanding it. He simply expanded an area, compacted the ground, and then enclosed it with wooden stakes to make it suitable for recruiting and training soldiers.

"Putting aside other aspects, that fool Zhu really knows how to be an emperor, a treacherous ruler..."

After receiving several imperial edicts personally delivered by Zhang Zuo, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Yan Maoqing made the following assessment in his mind.

The investigation of those eunuchs, including Feng Jinzhong and Cao Zhen, no longer needs to be conducted by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Zhu Houcong's intention was to have the Court of Imperial Sacrifices hand over these eunuchs to the Directorate of Ceremonial for internal handling.

Apart from the two ringleaders, Feng Jinzhong and Cao Zhen, who were beheaded and had their homes confiscated, the rest were spared and their homes were confiscated before they were sent to the clean army.

Being assigned to the Imperial Guard could indeed be considered a favor bestowed upon them by Zhu Houcong.

This was a form of forced labor, usually involving being sent to a royal mausoleum to do chores like cleaning or growing vegetables. The only restriction was that they had to guard the mausoleum day and night and could not leave without being granted a pardon.

This was much easier than the actual border troops described in the "Great Ming Code".

For these eunuchs who lost their genitals, apart from losing power, it was equivalent to early retirement, allowing them to enjoy a peaceful and detached retirement life away from worldly affairs.

In any case, they had no offspring, and some of them didn't even have a single family member or relative left.

Going to guard the imperial tombs is undoubtedly the best outcome for them. Don't say that they can't leave without being pardoned. If they are pardoned and allowed to return to society, that would be truly cruel!
at the same time.

Instead of letting the Court of Imperial Sacrifices continue handling the matter, the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was put in charge of internal disposal.

In this way, Zhu Houcong played the good cop, doing all the eunuchs a favor.

This can serve as a way to tell them that "I remember your hard work," which can, to some extent, soothe the anxiety and fear in the palace.

Since Zhu Houcong took the red face, he naturally gave the white face to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Even if the eunuch harbored resentment afterward, it was directed at the "inhuman" Court of Imperial Sacrifices, not at the "benevolent" Zhu Houcong...

Fortunately, with Yan Maoqing's arrival, there's no fear of having an extra white face turn into a double-faced one.

Secondly, they had prepared in advance, giving themselves a chance to play the good cop in a bad cop situation.

Facing Zhang Zuo, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, whose smile was insincere, Yan Maoqing's smile was inexplicably "sincere":
“Oh dear, look at the mess this has made… I told Yan Shifan long ago that everyone is loyal to the Emperor and we are all colleagues who see each other all the time. We should always leave some room for maneuver when we do things. Young people should not be too impetuous.”

"Guess what Yan Shifan said to me?"

He actually retorted, "If you're not hot-blooded, are you even a young man?" leaving me speechless.

"Speaking of which, as the saying goes, 'If a son is not taught, it is the father's fault.' This matter is entirely Yan Song's fault. He actually raised such a clueless son who is so ill-informed that even I, his superior, cannot control him."

"..."

Looking at Yan Maoqing's face, which was only in its early twenties and still showed a hint of childishness, Zhang Zuo was truly speechless.

That's so damn hypocritical!

So much so that their hypocrisy is even more sophisticated than ours...

In fact, when he heard about Feng Jinzhong beating Yan Maoqing that day, he felt that the matter was inexplicably strange.

He couldn't possibly be unaware of who Feng Jinzhong was.

Let's put it this way: even if Yan Maoqing spat in his face, he would definitely endure it, and then use the incident to make a big fuss, taking it all to the Directorate of Ceremonial and the Emperor, instead of beating up Yan Maoqing...

Furthermore, if we're talking about youth, then Yan Maoqing is younger.

Yan Shifan is already in his thirties. How arrogant can he be? Can he be more arrogant than you, a young man who doesn't follow any rules?

However, after thinking about it to himself for a moment and being "speechless," Zhang Zuo smiled and said:

"Minister Yan, you are being too polite. It is precisely because we are all loyal to the Emperor that we should deal with such corrupt and deceitful scoundrels with impartiality. Only in this way can we be considered to be truly loyal to the Emperor."

"Therefore, even if the Court of Imperial Sacrifices does not punish them, the Directorate of Ceremonial will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly and will never tolerate evil."

"I have long heard of Eunuch Zhang's integrity and upright character, and seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved. I am truly impressed and submit to his utmost respect. I bow to him!"

Yan Maoqing immediately bowed in greeting, then said with a smile,

"Just a few days ago, Yan Shifan was worried that the eunuchs in the Directorate of Ceremonial and the palace might be dissatisfied and might try to whisper in the Emperor's ear to attack me and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He urged me to use the power I now hold to take the initiative and prevent future troubles."

"Now it seems that Yan Shifan's worries were indeed unnecessary."

"With Eunuch Zhang in charge, the Directorate of Ceremonial and the palace eunuchs will surely be able to cooperate sincerely with the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in the future, and work together to serve the Emperor faithfully."

"???"

"!!!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zuo's eyes widened instantly, and his pupils contracted uncontrollably.

The eunuchs from the Directorate of Ceremonial who were following behind him also looked up in surprise at Yan Maoqing.

What does it mean to "strike first to prevent future troubles"?

If the Emperor hadn't stopped you in time, what exactly was the Imperial Household Department planning to do?!

What kind of person did Yan Song raise? Why is Yan Shifan so young and arrogant that he even dares to set his sights on the Directorate of Ceremonial?!

(End of this chapter)