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

Chapter 208 Retiring and Returning Home is Also My Wish [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Xia Mansion.

"Take care, Father-in-law, I'll go see you off."

After ordering someone to properly see off the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial decree, Xia Yan turned and went to her study. After closing the door, the smile on her face gradually faded.

The emperor ordered him to rejoin the cabinet in an imperial edict.

However, he was not reinstated to his original position; he was merely restored to the titles of Minister and Grand Secretary. Like Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi, he was a cabinet minister, but he did not yet assume the responsibility of Grand Secretary.

But for Xia Yan, it really made no difference.

Zhai Luan, Xu Zan, and Zhang Bi were not even worth his attention. If the emperor could rely on them, he would not have reinstated them so quickly.

The Emperor summoned him back this time so that he could quickly take charge of the cabinet's affairs.

As for not being reinstated as Grand Secretary, this was probably the Emperor's way of controlling people, clearly telling him that he would observe his performance before deciding on his future.

So what is the matter that Your Majesty urgently needs to resolve now?
Even though Xia Yan wasn't in the imperial court, he still had some understanding of what was happening there.

The Imperial Household Department has already begun recruiting and training soldiers. In a few days, Yan Maoqing will lead his troops to Shanxi to suppress the White Lotus Sect... This is the most important matter at present, and it is also the matter that the Emperor is most concerned about!

What Wang Tingxiang could see clearly.

Having served as a cabinet minister for many years and once shouldered the important responsibility of Grand Secretary, Xia Yan naturally saw things more clearly.

After all, he started as an advisor and rose to become one of the Six Ministers in less than a year, an unprecedented speed of promotion, a record that was only broken when Yan Maoqing appeared.

After all, he was Xia Yan, who was once able to stand on equal footing with Zhang Cong and had repeatedly caused Zhang Cong to suffer in silence, even leading to Zhang Cong's demotion and dismissal.

After all, he was capable of quickly writing memorials or responding to imperial edicts to compose eulogies, and he was good at catering to Emperor Shizong's views on political affairs. Therefore, he was the emperor's favorite for a long time.

Shanxi, Datong!
Guo Xun, Yan Song!
Tonggong, the carbon tax office!
Without even expending much brainpower, Xia Yan knew from the start what Zhu Houcong was planning to do.

"After many years, the Emperor's gambling instincts have quietly resurfaced, and are even stronger than before."

"The one who started all of this is none other than Yan Maoqing..."

"Alas, from now on, the political situation will become increasingly unpredictable, and the struggles will become increasingly fierce. I will not be able to see through the fog and understand the trend. I do not know how to remain unscathed in this great upheaval."

"This time, Yan Maoqing is ordered to go to Shanxi to handle affairs. Whether it is the Prince of Dai's lineage, the border generals, the aristocratic families, or the Shanxi merchants, they will certainly not sit idly by and wait for death, and easily give up their interests to the Emperor."

"The forces in the southeast, seeing that the Emperor has designs on Shanxi, will surely feel threatened by the loss of their own territory and will inevitably try their best to prevent this from happening."

"In this way, all forces inside and outside the court will likely be mobilized, and Yan Maoqing will face unprecedented pressure."

"Even Guo Xun and Yan Song, I'm afraid..."

"Guo Xun is easy to talk to. He is Yan Maoqing's godfather. The two share the same fate, and can advance and retreat together."

"Yan Song has been demoted to the position of county magistrate, and now is the time for him to make a great effort to seek a reinstatement."

"If Yan Maoqing were to go to Datong this time and accomplish what he couldn't, it would reveal his incompetence and make him worry about being abandoned by the emperor, and that he would have no chance of being reinstated in his lifetime."

"Therefore, given Yan Song's nature, he will most likely change his stance, turn against him, and secretly prevent Yan Maoqing from succeeding."

"In this way, he has also pledged his allegiance to the Shanxi and Southeast forces. As long as he does not become the emperor's discarded pawn because of this incident, he will still have the opportunity to rise to power with the support of the Shanxi and Southeast forces."

"Wouldn't this be killing two birds with one stone for Yan Song?"

Thinking of this, Xia Yan took a deep breath and fell into a long period of deliberation, his old eyes sometimes bright and sometimes lost in thought.

After a long while, he exhaled a breath of stale air:
"Enough, enough. Now that His Majesty's gambling instincts have resurfaced, he will probably try to implement new policies again, which will surely lead to another bloody storm in the future."

"I've reached this age. The Emperor is not only incredibly wise, but also has a cunning and ruthless minister like Yan Maoqing who is unfathomable. I have already climbed to the top of the court, so I shouldn't have any regrets."

"It would be better to take this opportunity to retire and return to my hometown, ensuring a peaceful end." "In any case, with the wealth accumulated by the Xia family over generations, it's enough to ensure that our descendants will have no worries about food and clothing for a hundred years. What is there to be so attached to?"

"The best course of action now would probably be to use my position as a cabinet minister to do Yan Maoqing a favor, thereby attracting attacks from the Shanxi and Southeast forces. This would give the Emperor the opportunity to dismiss me from my post and allow me to return to my hometown to enjoy the pleasures of family life. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing?"

"As for Yan Song, if he is reinstated, he will probably not be far from joining the cabinet."

"Yan Maoqing and Yan Song had a prior feud, and when they attacked, he was ruthless and vicious..."

"If I can find an opportunity to send Yan Maoqing into the cabinet before I am dismissed from my post and put on a life of leisure, then Yan Song will probably never have a chance to turn his life around."

"This will avenge Yan Song's previous betrayal and eliminate any fear of him settling scores with me once he gains power."

"For me, isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"

……

Two months later, at the Jixia Academy.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of Shen Kun and Gao Gong, the training progress was not delayed for a moment.

The 6,000 soldiers recruited earlier have now been reduced to 2,000 in accordance with Yan Maoqing's requirements, and outstanding junior officers have been selected from among them.

As for the self-propelled muskets used for training, they were all equipped a month ago.

After all, the armory of the Bureau of Armory already had 1,200 foreign muskets, and another 800 were recovered during the investigation of the Imperial Horse Administration. After some modifications by craftsmen of the Bureau of Armory, they were used to meet the needs of training troops.

As for the remaining amount intended for unforeseen circumstances, it is no longer in such urgent need and can be replenished gradually with the artisans working overtime.

And at this moment.

The departure date is fast approaching.

Zeng Xian finally couldn't resist and came to the training ground behind the Jixia Academy under the pretext of making contact, wanting to see what kind of soldiers the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had trained, so as to determine what role his "supply troops" should play after the expedition.

"Is this all your troops?"

Accompanied by Shen Kun and Gao Gong, Zeng Xian conducted a brief inspection before turning around and asking a question.

Shen Kun and Gao Gong greatly admired generals like Zeng Xian, following behind him respectfully like devoted fans throughout, immediately saluting when asked a question.
"Yes, General Zeng!"

"Why are your soldiers all carrying muskets? Where are there any shield bearers, spearmen, swordsmen, or cavalry?"

Zeng Xian looked doubtful.

"..."

Shen Kun and Gao Gong blushed slightly upon hearing this, and then Shen Kun forced a smile and answered.

"Reporting to General Zeng, the Heroic Battalion consists of a total of two thousand officers and soldiers, including two hundred light cavalry, two hundred artillerymen, and one thousand sixteen musketeers!"

According to Yan Maoqing's original idea, two thousand people should have been trained as musketeers.

Later, at the suggestion of Shen Kun and Gao Gong, it was changed to two hundred cavalry and one thousand eighteen musketeers.

Later, when Huang Jin took over the Armory, Yan Maoqing was pleasantly surprised to find six ready-made imitation Franconian cannons in the Armory's armory.

So it ended up being the current lineup of two hundred cavalry, two hundred artillerymen, and one thousand sixteen musketeers... a bizarre lineup that can only be described as "incongruous" in people's eyes at present.

"That's it? It's gone?"

Zeng Xian's expression immediately turned blank.

(End of this chapter)