GBP Chapter 405 Long-awaited Good News
Chapter 405 Long-awaited Good News
Meanwhile, inside the Qianqing Palace in the Forbidden City of Beijing, the highest ruler of the Ming Dynasty was reviewing several memorials forwarded by the cabinet.
Emperor Chongzhen carefully examined the memorials in his hand. His previously furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and a smile gradually appeared on his face. The eunuch Wang Chengen, who was standing beside him, observed the changes in Chongzhen's expression and thought to himself that this was most likely good news; otherwise, the emperor, who had been tormented by bad news from all over the country and unable to eat or sleep, would not be in a good mood.
His prediction proved correct. After reading the memorial, Chongzhen slammed his hand on the table, shouted "Good, that's great!", and then got up from his chair, pacing back and forth in the hall, clearly unable to hide his excitement.
Wang Chengen asked at the opportune moment, "Why is Your Majesty so happy? This servant has not seen Your Majesty so happy for some time."
Even a comedian needs a straight man. After reading the victory report, Emperor Chongzhen, who was eager to share his joy, smiled and said, "Wang Banban, lately I've only heard bad news, and the ministers in court can't come up with any good ideas. Now I've finally heard some good news. Don't you think I should be happy? Why don't you guess where the victory report came from?"
Wang Chengen thought for a while and replied carefully: "There won't be any good news from Datong and Xuanhua for the time being. As for the bandits in Henan, there is only bad news right now. The only place where the fighting is still going on and there is progress is Shandong... I dare to speculate that the suppression of the rebellion in Shandong has yielded results?"
Emperor Chongzhen laughed heartily, his originally pale face flushed with excitement. He pointed at Wang Chengen and jokingly scolded, "You must be a dog, your nose is as sharp as a dog's. It's indeed a victory report from Shandong: Zhu Dadian says that Dengzhou has been recovered, the rebels in Shandong have been completely annihilated, the bandit leader Li Jiucheng has been beheaded, Kong Youde is missing in the chaos of war and is very likely to have perished at sea, and the rest, such as Wang Zideng, have been captured alive. This battle is a great victory!"
Wang Chengen was both surprised and delighted, and quickly replied, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The rebellion in Shandong has been quelled, which means that the hidden danger in the heartland has been eliminated. The troops in Hebei and Liaodong can now be freed up to deal with the Tartars and bandits."
Emperor Chongzhen sighed, “Yes, the likes of Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde have been causing trouble for two years, and in such a crucial place as Shandong, they have tied down too many troops in Beizhili. Even Liaodong has sent its elite troops, leaving the border vulnerable, which is why the Tartars were able to take advantage of the situation. If the situation in Shandong had not improved, I would have already planned to arrest Zhu Dadian and punish him. Fortunately, he did his best and achieved a great victory, thus saving his life.”
The "Tartars taking advantage of the situation" mentioned by Emperor Chongzhen refers to the fact that in July of this year, Huang Taiji of the Later Jin personally led a large army in four routes, with the Datong and Xuanhua areas as the main attack direction. They broke through the passes and penetrated deep into western Shanxi and northern Hebei. This was the second time the Tartars had entered the pass. The first time was in the second year of Chongzhen's reign, when Huang Taiji led an army of over 100,000, bypassing Ningyuan and Jinzhou, and divided his forces into three routes, breaking into the pass through Longjing Pass, Hongshan Pass, and Da'an Pass, capturing Zunhua, and directly threatening the capital. This event is known as the "Jisi Incident." At that time, the Later Jin army fought all the way to the capital, killing tens of thousands of Ming soldiers, including the famous generals Man Gui and Sun Zushou, before finally leaving. This left a deep psychological scar on Emperor Chongzhen.
Fortunately, during this incursion, the Tartars did not launch a large-scale attack on cities or show any signs of attacking the capital. According to reports from local officials, the Tartars "did not attack cities, but only looted villages and fortresses," primarily targeting wealth and people. This relieved Emperor Chongzhen and his court officials. However, allowing the Tartars to plunder unchecked was not a good idea. Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen dispatched generals such as Cao Zhao, who were suppressing bandits in Henan, to lead troops to Datong in the north to resist the Tartars. The direct consequence was that Gao Yingxiang, Zhang Xianzhong, and others, who were already surrounded by government troops, seized the opportunity to break out, ruining a promising situation.
Chongzhen pulled out another memorial from under the one reporting the victory, waved it in his hand, and said to Wang Chengen, "Do you know what this memorial says? In addition to the news of the victory, Zhu Dadian wrote a separate memorial, requesting merit for a Guangdong military officer named Liu Ye, and suggesting that the candidate for governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou be determined as soon as possible in order to stabilize the situation in Dengzhou."
Wang Chengen said, "Appointing a governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou is a matter of course. Dengzhou is an important town in Shandong, and it cannot function without a leader. But why is Zhu Dadian, a governor of Shandong, asking a Guangdong military officer for credit?"
Emperor Chongzhen tossed the memorial back onto the table and explained, "This Guangdong military officer was transferred by the Ministry of War. It is said that he was summoned to the north by the navy to prevent Mao Long's former troops from Dongjiang Town from rushing to Li Jiucheng and Kong Youde's aid by sea, just in case."
Wang Chengen was still puzzled: "This servant serves Your Majesty day and night, and accompanies Your Majesty in reviewing memorials. I have never heard of any changes in Dongjiang Town. This means that the Guangdong naval force has not been put to use. Is it necessary to submit a separate memorial to request credit for him?"
Emperor Chongzhen said meaningfully, "This Guangdong military commander is no ordinary man. Although his navy failed to intercept the warships of Dongjiang Town, it annihilated the fleeing rebel fleet near Dengzhou. Kong Youde disappeared in this battle, and Wang Zideng was captured alive at the same time..."
Wang Chengen suddenly realized: "So that's how it is..."
"That's not all! They not only have a navy, but also a land force, all armed with muskets. They once fought against the rebels in the wilderness, using infantry against cavalry, and were not at a disadvantage at all. Li Jiucheng died in this battle from their muskets."
Wang Chengen understood. This temporarily dispatched adjutant had made great contributions at the last moment in suppressing the rebellion. He not only killed Li Jiucheng, but also annihilated the rest of the rebel army at sea. No wonder Zhu Dadian had specifically requested credit for him.
"This Zhu Dadian knows how to cherish talent, and he even knows to ask the Emperor for credit and make recommendations!"
Chongzhen's focus, however, was elsewhere. He muttered to himself, lost in thought, "The military commander of Qiongzhou Prefecture? How could such a powerful army be trained in such a remote and desolate place? Why has no one reported this to me?"
He paced back and forth for a while, then suddenly stopped and asked Wang Chengen, "Wang Banban, do you think this Guangdong military commander Liu Ye is good at training musket soldiers? Could he be transferred to the Shenji Battalion to revive the glory of the Beijing Garrison?"
The Shenji Battalion, one of the three major battalions of the Beijing Garrison, was a special force in the Ming Dynasty army specifically in charge of firearms. It pioneered the use of firearms in military units worldwide. Established during Emperor Yongle's campaign against Jiaozhi (Vietnam), it played a crucial role in the campaign against the Mongols, working in conjunction with cavalry and infantry. However, after the Tumu Crisis, all three battalions suffered heavy casualties and never recovered. By the late Ming Dynasty, they had become mere stepping stones for the sons of nobles to gain prestige, lacking any real fighting capability. Emperor Chongzhen longed to revitalize the Beijing Garrison, restoring its former glory during the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Yongle, and transforming it into a powerful armed force under his direct control. However, he lacked a suitable candidate for this important task, and the matter remained unresolved.
When it came to the Beijing Garrison, Wang Chengen dared not answer easily. Firstly, the Beijing Garrison was directly controlled by the emperor, and topics related to it were very sensitive; secondly, the current Beijing Garrison was filled with sons of nobles who were just coasting along and accumulating seniority, and a careless answer could offend these nobles. He could only avoid the main point: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? The commanders of the various battalions of the Beijing Garrison are all sons of nobles in the capital; ordinary people cannot enter the Beijing Garrison."
Chongzhen disagreed: "It was not said that this person would be appointed as the commander-in-chief or deputy commander of the Shenji Battalion. He was only transferred to the Shenji Battalion to assist in training the arquebusiers."
Wang Chengen dared not say yes or no. He knew that Chongzhen was asking casually and did not really want to hear his opinion. In such sensitive personnel arrangements, no one could make the decision for the emperor. As a eunuch who had served the emperor for a long time, he naturally knew what to say and what not to say, otherwise he would bring disaster upon himself.
"Your Majesty is wise. Everything is naturally decided by Your Majesty. This servant dares not speak out of turn."
After thinking for a while, Chongzhen ordered, "Go to the Grand Secretariat and summon Wen Changqing." Changqing was the courtesy name of Wen Tiren, and Wen Changqing was Wen Tiren.
Wang Chengen agreed and arranged for a eunuch outside the palace to deliver a message to the Grand Secretariat. He then stood guard at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace to welcome the Grand Secretary, as a sign of respect.
Wen Tiren happened to be drafting memorials in the cabinet today. Upon hearing that Emperor Chongzhen had summoned him, he put down his pen and hurried over.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Qianqing Palace, Wang Chengen greeted him warmly, saying, "Prime Minister Wen, you've arrived so quickly! His Majesty is waiting for you."
Wen Tiren asked quietly, "May I ask, Your Majesty, what is the matter that His Majesty summoned me here today? Is His Majesty in a good or bad mood?"
Wang Chengen, not minding doing the Grand Secretary a favor with this information that didn't involve secrets, replied in a low voice, "Prime Minister Wen, please rest assured, His Majesty just read the victory report from Shandong and is in a very good mood. He probably summoned you here to discuss the matter of transferring a military officer from Guangdong to the Shenji Camp..."
Wen Tiren raised an eyebrow. A military general from Guangdong? Could it be him...?
Along with the good news, a letter from Lin Tianming, the Imperial Inspector of Shandong, was delivered directly to Wen Tiren's residence by his disciples. Accompanying the letter was also 10,000 taels of silver.
Although Lin Tianming did not refer to himself as a protégé like other officials who sought refuge with him, his letter was full of flattery. He claimed that Shandong was newly pacified and he was preoccupied with trivial matters, but he would definitely visit him after finishing his business. At the end of the letter, he "incidentally" mentioned that the position of governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou was vacant, which was unfavorable to the situation after the rebellion was quelled, and suggested that a decision be made as soon as possible. He also mentioned Liu Ye, the Guangdong military commander who made the greatest contribution in the suppression of the rebellion, who was his future son-in-law and wanted to stay in Qiongzhou to be promoted to general. He hoped that Liu Ye could put in a good word for him with the emperor.
Wen Tiren presented himself as a "lone minister" before Emperor Chongzhen, but in reality, he was very keen on forming cliques and indiscriminately accepted officials who sought his patronage in order to control the court and counter the Donglin Party. However, due to his poor reputation, the officials who flocked to him were of mixed quality, mostly holding sinecure positions. There were very few officials like Lin Tianming, who had "upright lineage" and a bright future, so Wen Tiren valued Lin Tianming's alliance highly. Although Lin Tianming did not explicitly call himself his disciple, leaving room for interpretation, he openly offered a bribe of ten thousand taels of silver in his capacity as a censor, demonstrating his sincerity. Wen Tiren decided to do everything in his power to help Lin Tianming.
After he entered the Qianqing Palace, Chongzhen didn't waste any words and asked directly, "These memorials have all been reviewed by the Grand Secretariat. You should know this Guangdong military commander, Liu Ye. From the memorials, it can be seen that Liu Ye is skilled in training arquebusiers and can even fight against the elite cavalry of the rebels with pure firearms. He is a rare talent. Nowadays, the Beijing Garrison is suffering from a shortage of talent, and the Shenji Battalion is declining and has lost its former glory. I want to transfer this man to the capital to revitalize the Shenji Battalion. What do you think, Changqing?"