Ming Zuo

Chapter 544
Without Zuo Menggeng's stimulation, Chongzhen's paranoia would continue.

Just like in the original history, making mistakes constantly and throwing the pot away, eventually led to the betrayal of relatives.

All the great lands and mountains were lost.

But Zuo Menggeng suddenly appeared, and the point of the blade had already forced him to the throat.

At the time of life and death, the young emperor finally made a little bit of progress after repeated setbacks.

Knowing that things can't be done, he just wanted to fight and kill, and even tied up all the courtiers.

Does he know the result of doing so?

Of course he knew.

And what he asked for was not to burn jade and stone together.

This trick...

It is called advancing as retreating.

As the most domineering and irritable founding monarch in history, Zhu Yuanzhang firmly imprinted his character on this dynasty.

Zhu Di learned everything from his father again, which once again strengthened Daming's character.

As a person who would rather bend than bend, and be strong when encountering the strong, Zhu Yuanzhang felt that people in the Ming Dynasty must not be without integrity.

Especially civil and military officials, as the pillars of the country, if they lack integrity, Daming will not be able to stand up.

Therefore, he has been focusing on shaping this integrity.

As a result, in the next two hundred years, loyal ministers and righteous men of Ming Dynasty emerged in endlessly.Even at the time of the death of the Ming Dynasty, there are still countless people who choose to sacrifice their lives for righteousness.

But what Zhu Yuanzhang didn't expect was that this practice brought great trouble to future generations.

The dispute over the Great Rites certainly strengthened Jiajing's imperial power.But in the same way, the courtiers who would rather bend than bend began to separate from the emperor.

Especially when dealing with state affairs, if anyone is a little weak to the outside world, he will be criticized immediately.

From reputation to body, utter destruction.

Politics, however, cannot be blindly rigid.

Politics is the art of compromise.

Whether it is internal or external, means are the way to safeguard national interests.

For example, at the beginning of Chongzhen's succession to the throne, if he could really save his face, he would adopt a policy of appeasement towards Hou Jin.

Spit on one's face and do one's work, lie on one's salary and taste one's courage.

Concentrate on solving the civil unrest in the northwest first, and then devote all our efforts to the whole country after we have no worries about the future.

However, the Emperor Chongzhen was a good face, and the courtiers of Ming Dynasty were too hard-headed, so they did not allow him, the emperor, to show weakness.

As a result, Da Ming was forced to live in a cocoon, as if he was trapped in a quagmire.

This time, the crisis brought by Zuo Menggeng made Chongzhen truly feel the disaster.

He had to think about how to get out of the current siege on all sides?
Through the intelligence of Gao Qiqian, Zuo Liangyu, Wang Zhilong, and Jin Yiwei, Chongzhen knew very well that among these opponents, although Zuo Menggeng was a rising star, his strength was also the most terrifying.

It is logical that the strategy of first easy and then difficult is the optimal solution.

But he thought of the virtues of the Ming officials, and knew that once he showed his intention to compromise, there would be crowds who would attack him and set him on fire.

These officials are not capable of handling affairs, but they can play first-rate lip service.

How to solve this situation, Chongzhen thought thoroughly during the moment when he pretended to be in a coma.

The way he thought of was to lead the courtiers to the fire together, assuming that they would die together.

He knew very well that these courtiers were actually greedy for life and afraid of death in their bones.

If you really want these people to go out with him and go to the battlefield in person, it is guaranteed that many people will try their best to stop him.

In this way, the person who chose to make peace with Shandong changed from the emperor to these courtiers.

No matter what the result is in the future, no matter whether it is infamy or not, he does not need to bear it.

Chongzhen's move of four or two moves was very beautiful, and all the officials were in the game.On the contrary, he was lucky enough to feel that he had saved the crisis.

"Your Majesty, after discussions with the ministers, Zhang Sima, Zhang Duyuan and Fu Shilang are the candidates for Cangzhou."

Zhou Yanru and Wen Tiren joined hands to seek an interview, and reported to the above list.

They are Zhang Fengyi, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, Zhang Yandeng, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Fu Shuxun, the servant of the household department.

Zhang Fengyi is the minister of the Ministry of War, so he should be in charge.

Zhang Yandeng is the head of the officials of the Kodao, and his name is the deputy second. In fact, he is the supervisor, and he is also used to block the mouths of the officials.

As for Fu Shuxun, the servant of the household department, it was for the [-] taels of tax silver.

Now the imperial court is in a difficult situation, the sky is big and the earth is big, the biggest thing is money.

Without this sum of money, the entire imperial court would be shut down, and without Zuo Menggeng calling, I'm afraid it would be disbanded immediately.

However, this list full of profound meaning is actually dispensable in the eyes of Chongzhen.

He has already left the problem to the officials, but it doesn't matter who he sends to Cangzhou.

"allow."

Zhang Fengyi, Zhang Yandeng and Fu Shuxun, carrying the hope of civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty, left the capital with the spirit of wind and water, and went south to Cangzhou.

They didn't know what was waiting for them in Cangzhou, so they even wrote a suicide note.

It's not that they are not afraid of death, but that in many cases, death is already the easiest.

After they die, they can still retain their names after death, and their families can also be preserved.

Otherwise, it will really be wiped out and left behind forever.

The situation suddenly became weird.

It was obvious that any rebellion would threaten the capital, but on the surface the court was calm and never mentioned any crusade.

As if there was no such thing as treason.

Only the core figures in the court knew that Chongzhen had sent a secret decree to Hong Chengchou, the governor of the three sides, and ordered him in the strictest tone.

Limiting Hong Chengchou must wipe out the Northwest bandits in Shanxi within this year.

Jiangnan, Suzhou.

On a tree-lined path full of peach blossoms, a scribe ran fast and finally rushed into a cottage.

"Mr. Ximing, the Northern Emergency Report."

Inside the hut, Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai are sharpening their articles.

From the fourth year of Chongzhen to today, the debate between Fushe represented by them and Liu Zongzhou, Huang Zongxi and others has intensified, and the rhetoric of both sides has become more and more explosive.

Zhang Pu and Zhang Cai quite enjoyed this kind of debate.

Because this made the two of them more and more famous, what they want most now is to win the battle, and then advance to Tianxia Wenzong.

Seeing Ji Yingzhong running in, the two couldn't help but stop writing.Don't ask, just wait.

Ji Yingzhong was out of breath from running, and he calmed down for a while before explaining the whole story with a blue face.

"Shandong Zuo Menggeng expelled local officials for no reason, and appointed another official to treat Shandong as private property. Now that the news is out, the world is in an uproar."

Zhang Pu was startled, his face turned a strange mellow red due to excitement.

His health has not been very good, especially in winter, he would cough continuously, and he almost couldn't survive several times.

It will only get better in spring.

But at this time, his body was still very weak, and he was still shocked when he heard such a big event suddenly.

Seeing that he was unstable, Zhang Cai quickly supported him and spoke out for him.

"How is such a move different from conspiracy? I don't know if the court has a judgment, has it already sent troops?"

Ji Yingzhong shook his head dejectedly.

"No troops were dispatched."

Zhang Pu had already recovered, and said anxiously after hearing the words: "Why didn't the imperial court send troops? What's the reason for sitting and watching the rebellion and disaster in Shandong?"

Ji Yingzhong was speechless and unable to answer.

He is just an ordinary scholar, and he is far away in the south of the Yangtze River. He has heard a lot about the situation of the imperial court and doesn't know the details.

On the contrary, Zhang Cai interacts with high-ranking officials on a daily basis and knows more.

"The soldiers and horses of the imperial court are now either in Liaodong or Shanxi. There are really no soldiers to send."

Thinking of the location of Shandong, Zhang Pu felt venomous and terrified.

"In this way, if Zuo Menggeng sent his army northward, wouldn't it mean that His Majesty and the court are in great trouble?"

Zhang Cai and Ji Yingzhong were as silent as a stone, obviously already thought of this situation.

Zhang Pu couldn't sit still, and at the same time felt that this was a golden opportunity.

"Scholars of my generation were educated by the sage Mu and received the grace of the Emperor Ming. Since the day I studied, the way of loyalty has been my flesh and blood. Now that the Ming Dynasty is at stake, how can we not throw our heads and sprinkle our blood? Cherish this body?"

After being impassioned, he shouted: "Come here, get ready to drive, I will go to Nanjing now, and talk to you adults."

Zhang Cai quickly grabbed him and asked, "Is there a clever plan?"

Zhang Pu said righteously: "Since the imperial court is short of major generals, we in the south of the Yangtze River have to take on the important task of protecting the country. We should use all the troops in the south of the Yangtze River to go north, and fight against Zuo Menggeng to protect the court."

When Zhang Cai heard this, his heart was beating wildly.

Just relying on those remnants and weak brigades in the south of the Yangtze River...

Can you really fight?

(End of this chapter)