Jingming

Chapter 471: Crown Prince Battle Exercise?

In the face of such a major issue as the prince in danger, issues such as Tubo, Ryukyu, and Japan have to be dealt with later.

Lu Bing said that the prince must be safe and sound, because he arranged the people who secretly protected the prince.

If he says "it's hard to say", the sky will really fall.

But Guo Xun was extremely nervous now. He was walking back and forth outside the gate of Qianqing Palace.

It's already been this long, why does Your Majesty need to comfort that Ryukyu envoy first?

He had a terrible suspicion in his mind, and he didn't know if the emperor had thought of it.

In the Xinuan Pavilion, Yan Song said to Mao Longyin and Shang Yuan: "Have you heard it? Your Majesty has spread all over the world, so the affairs of Ryukyu cannot be ignored. But now, the first thing is to find out the actual situation in Ryukyu before making a decision. These Things can’t be rushed.”

Mao Longyin knelt there and kowtowed, and Shang Yuan now mechanically did what Mao Longyin taught him.

"Your Majesty, the life or death of our king is uncertain, and the situation in Ryukyu is as critical as fire. The Japanese pirates are in full force, and the foreign ministers are determined to return home and lead their troops to defeat the enemy. No matter what the truth is, Ryukyu has long been blessed by the king's grace, and everyone is united. All they owe is Jingnan's army. Now Except for Shuri, Ryukyu has no generals and no soldiers. They are just like fish and meat. The Japanese pirates are entrenched inside and outside Shuri, burning, killing and looting, but they have enough soldiers. Please be kind to your Majesty and lend him hundreds of good soldiers and two or three warships from foreign ministers. , we can wipe out the bandits. Everyone from Ryukyu to the rest of the world is grateful for God’s grace!”

While Zhu Houcong was thinking about Zhu Zaicheng, he said: "I am not disobeying it, but it is just like the invasion by the Portuguese in the past years. Although the Ming Dynasty wanted to help, after all, it was thousands of miles away and Haijin was dangerous. It was only after careful preparation that one fell swoop Congratulations. Now that Ryukyu is suddenly suffering from this calamity, the root cause is the endless wars in Japan and the banditry that has caused harm to other countries. It is naturally a small matter that the Ming Dynasty only borrowed a few hundred troops, but if the source of the disaster is not eradicated, will it be permanently stationed in Ryukyu from now on? "

Mao Longyin froze, and then immediately said: "This time the bandits attacked, Ryukyu was not well prepared, and this disaster happened. After driving away the bandits, Ryukyu naturally organized its troops to prepare for war and strengthen coastal defense. As for the source of Japan's disaster, let's go up. If the country is willing to attack it based on the sentiments of the Eastern vassals, Ryukyu should do its best to protect it."

"If I want to send a large army to help the Ryukyus, it is best to teach Japan a lesson along the way. It is not a matter of hundreds of elite soldiers." Zhu Houcong looked at him, "The incident happened suddenly. Can you take the decision on behalf of Shangqing?" ?”

"...Foreign Minister...Foreign Minister..."

"When the troops and horses are mobilized, food, grass, pensions, rewards..." Zhu Houcong continued, "Although the Ming Dynasty is rich and powerful, I have tens of thousands of people, so I also need to be careful about budgeting. I know you are anxious, but this matter cannot be rushed. You need to think about it carefully. As for countermeasures, I also need to make a comprehensive plan and consider the pros and cons."

"Yes." Yan Song continued to persuade, "This happened suddenly, how can we make a decision in a hurry? You two should go back to Datong Hall first. His Majesty has already ordered Zhejiang, Fujian, and Taiwan to investigate the real situation in Ryukyu as soon as possible. If there are Ryukyu people They fled to Ming Dynasty and were ordered to settle down first."

Mao Longyin and Shang Yuan left Qianqing Palace in despair.

"Father, aren't you willing to help?"

"How can I help?" Mao Longyin answered in a daze, "It's easy to borrow troops, but how can I return them? Your Highness, I feel so unworthy of the king's kindness that he fell into the hands of bandits, and his life or death is uncertain..."

He could hear the implication of the Ming Emperor's words.

When it comes to food, compensation, and rewards, it means that the Ming Dynasty did not help the vassal country just for the sake of the great country.

To consider gains and losses is to consider interests.

But Ryukyu, which was suddenly in disaster, could get any benefits from asking Ming to take action?

And in what capacity could he, a minister and a prince who had not succeeded to the throne, make decisions for the King of Ryukyu, who did not know whether he was alive or dead, and negotiate with the Ming Dynasty?

In the Xinuan Pavilion, Zhu Houcong said: "Let's put it off for now. This matter can achieve at least two purposes. One is to create a righteous momentum for conquering Japan in front of envoys from various countries, and the other is to use Ryukyu as a model to let some small vassal states know the choices. .”

Yan Song nodded: "I understand."

The purpose is still the same: the Ming Dynasty conferred vassals so that the heads or leaders of the vassals could protect the territory and the people.

In the past, it was natural to say that the Ming Dynasty could only adopt the policy of restraining the vassals, but this was not the case. But now, with the Ming Dynasty’s military strength, convenient transportation, and the large number of scholars selected through the imperial examination, there is actually another choice.

This is the general trend that stands in front of the vassals: the days of the local emperors in the past are gone forever.

With the advancement of navigation technology, communication between small countries on the ocean has become much more convenient than in the past, and there will be a lot more friction.

This is true on the ocean, but what about neighboring countries bordering on land?

The Ming Dynasty used its supreme resources to put forward the goal of hoping that the people of the vassals could live and work in peace and contentment and have an increasingly prosperous life. This in itself stood on the basis of righteousness.

However, if the vassal leaders and dignitaries who are already accustomed to plundering the people for their wealth and whose ideas, means, and strength are backward, if they cannot keep up with the needs of the Ming Dynasty, why not be regarded as enemies and punish the people?

Liuqiu asked for help here, but Ming Dynasty could first ask how they protected the country and the people.

This is something Yan Song has to worry about. He left Qianqing Palace and saw Guo Xun restraining his anxiety at the door, and just nodded.

Guo Xun didn't say anything to him. When the emperor finally let him in, he first knelt down with a courtesy and then kept silent.

Zhu Houcong frowned: "What have you committed?"

"...I...I would like to have a solo."

Zhu Houcong thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Huang Jin, let them all go down."

Now the accompanying bachelor in the royal study is not here, only Huang Jin and the other eunuchs and maids are around.

Guo Xun still said that, and Zhu Houcong had already guessed what he was going to say.

After asking him to get up and sit down, Zhu Houcong first said: "Do you want to talk about another possibility of the prince's danger?"

Guo Xun gritted his teeth and knelt down again: "I can't say for sure, but the prince is of great importance, and I feel that I must be on guard! Your Majesty, currently the Assets Bureau, Chen, Jin Yiwei, and the Ministry of Commerce are all secretly investigating the southwest. Duke Qian I have not yet replied to my letter, but the King of Yue has been living in Kunming for a long time..."

Zhu Houcong stared at him from there.

Guo Xun could think of this with his head, so how could Yang Shen and the others not think of this possibility?

Although very few people know about the prince's travels, who can say for sure that no one knows about it?

Zhang Juzheng's reputation was not small to begin with, and Qi Jiguang's father Qi Jingtong also had a different official career. As the prince traveled around, there was also the possibility that some people would guess the identities of the three of them.

And when it comes to high positions, what if, driven by human nature, someone really dares to be so bold?

Even if Zhu Zaiyan may not know anything about it, what about people like Mu Shaoxun and Yang Bo who have a better relationship with the King of Yue? Is it possible to create a situation that will change the situation of the future crown prince?

Even if people like Mu Shaoxun and Yang Bo didn't participate, would they turn a blind eye and use Qiu Luan and other people with even worse brains to make knives?

The matter involves a big position, and it is hard to overestimate how complicated it can be.

"Your Majesty!" Guo Xun continued, "Although Commander Lu asserts that His Highness the Crown Prince is safe and sound, it has been eight days since the incident on Shuangyu Island. With His Highness the Crown Prince's wisdom and Zhang Shuda's cleverness, how can he not understand the seriousness?" The commander ordered Qi Jiguang to exchange news with the secret guards every day, but I am really worried that there is no news from them..."

Zhu Houcong's face was solemn: "I'm afraid what you are worried about is what Zhang Juzheng is worried about!"

Guo Xun looked at the emperor blankly.

"Since Lu Bing said that, it is natural that there was news before the incident, so his safety is not in danger. Although there are only Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng around the prince, their residence is next to the dock, and the boats with secret guards are on standby at any time. When the incident happened at night, Zhang Juzheng Ju Zheng and Qi Jiguang know that the stakes are high and they will never join in the fun. Instead, they will definitely think of ways to protect the prince as soon as possible. The worst-case scenario you can think of, Zhang Juzheng will definitely think of it too!"

Guo Xun didn't know why the emperor had so much confidence in Zhang Juzheng.

Zhu Houcong's face turned ugly: "The bad thing is that Lu Bing already asked and knew that when the incident happened, the secret guards rushed to protect him without Qi Jiguang's order!"

"...Your Majesty is saying?"

"In a chaotic night, as long as he feels temporarily safe, Zhang Juzheng dares to trust those secret guards who rush to protect him without being dispatched?" Zhu Houcong paused and sighed, "They are probably hiding first. Now, You probably only trust me, Lu Bing. If the secret message reaches the capital at the normal speed, it will be much slower."

"Did you consider the worst-case scenario and make a secret message agreement before leaving Beijing?"

"Of course." Zhu Houcong nodded, "Don't be anxious, and there is no need to make a big announcement. The secret guard commander found the local officials in Ningbo out of desperation, which was his second mistake!" "...I see."

"Why are you looking for three young people in such a mess..." Zhu Houcong rubbed his eyebrows, "Lu Bing has already gone there in person. The secret order is faster. Just wait."

The emperor and his ministers deduced the most likely situation, but until accurate news came back, they still could not say that they were really safe and sound.

At this moment, Lu Bing was working day and night, and his horse was almost reaching Huai'an.

Secret orders issued earlier were only half a day ahead of him.

Over in Zhejiang, Liang Guangfeng, deputy Qianhu of the Jinyiwei Special Qinqianhu Office, had just seen Fei Maozhong rushing to Ningbo.

"Confused!" Fei Maozhong was so angry that he couldn't care less about being polite when he spoke, "How can you be so grand!"

Liang Guangfeng still didn't realize there was anything wrong with his decision, and said anxiously: "Fei Dutai, the top priority is to find His Highness! It's already the eighth day, how could His Highness not know that the general is anxiously looking for him? If he is safe, he should send a message to me I'm the!"

Fei Maozhong stamped his feet: "You are the one I am guarding against!"

Liang Guangfeng was stunned: "What do you do to prevent the general? The general is the person who is ordered to protect you secretly. He never makes any mistakes along the way..."

"Oops!" Fei Maozhong pointed his finger at him anxiously, "It is a matter of great importance, and there is a Japanese rebellion. How could His Highness be so cautious! If you are reliable, why didn't you accept the order and go to escort him?"

"The dock was in chaos at that time, how could the general be delayed?"

"There are so many military orders! Look what this is!" Fei Maozhong threw out the secret order that arrived first, "You are like a headless fly. Commander Lu's secret order couldn't be handed over to you immediately, so I had to We found the governor first."

Over and over again, this was the secret order sent by Zhu Houcong and Lu Bing after reading the first report submitted by Liang Guangfeng overnight.

Liang Guangfeng opened it and took a look and stayed on the spot.

"I don't know how you reported the report. In short, when Your Majesty and Commander Lu saw your report, they knew that you might have made a mistake in a hurry and asked for help from Zhejiang. As expected, I knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was in the two sides. Yugang, we received another secret order from His Majesty! Liang Qianhu, Liang Qianhu, you make mistakes again and again!"

Liang Guangfeng was watching the boss of Jinyiwei reprimanding him for taking the initiative to rescue Qi Jiguang without getting his password.

He remembered that those were the words he said in order to show his loyalty to his duty or to shirk responsibility when he reported: There was chaos at the dock, and he immediately rushed to escort the boat.

Now a heavy cold sweat was streaming down his forehead.

"You're anxious, that's your duty, it's human nature! But His Royal Highness is traveling incognito to increase his knowledge, isn't it for safety reasons? He must be able to truly understand the sentiments of the people, but not be taken advantage of by petty things. Now it's better, suddenly there is a big chaos, You rushed to rescue me without getting orders, what do you mean?"

Liang Guangfeng still didn't quite understand: Is it wrong to be loyal to the driver?

"Why do you have to wait for orders? I shouldn't say this, Liang Qianhu, have you seen His Highness along the way? Did His Highness trust you before?"

"...How can I not believe that the general will be able to take on this important task..."

"The bad thing is that you act rashly!" Fei Maozhong waved his hand, "Hurry up and withdraw all your subordinates and guard them safely. The governor came here to order everyone in Ningbo to pretend not to know. Commander Lu is on the way. On the way, now only if Commander Lu arrives in person, His Highness the Crown Prince will probably show up. I will explain the reason to you slowly and in detail."

The battle for the crown prince is a very scary topic.

But now, the King of Yue has been living in Yunnan for a long time, and something like this happened again. Liang Guangfeng broke into a cold sweat after hearing this.

It turns out that if you accidentally act without permission, you will be suspected of "possibly being bribed by other princes and taking the opportunity to assassinate the prince"?

This is the worst possible scenario.

He felt so wronged.

What if this were not the case, what if His Royal Highness was really in danger that night?

Are we just going to wait like this?

Fei Maogong decisively dispelled his worries: "When you arrived, there were no signs of fighting in His Royal Highness's hotel. Doesn't this explain the situation? The ones that Haiphong Road rushed to the east sea and captured were real Japanese pirates. They also He just robbed four boats and several shops at the pier and escaped. A dozen of the bandits who took the opportunity to rob him that night were also arrested. Under severe torture, they just took advantage of the chaos! The current situation can only prove that the prince was reading Being smart and alert, you must make a decisive decision and eliminate the worst-case scenario first!"

"...In this case, he should also be able to see that he has settled down now. It is indeed just a small chaos caused by the Japanese pirates' attack. Why don't you show up?"

Fei Maozhong said leisurely: "Whether it was an accident or not, Zhang Shuda took His Royal Highness the Prince to Shuangyu Island. It coincided with the Japanese rebellion, and the Prince's travel incognito ended here. He had to return to Beijing anyway, Naturally, it was a road to the end. Even if His Majesty punished him, he was extremely cautious after all and protected His Highness the Crown Prince back to the capital safely. At least under the circumstances that night, his prompt decision was not wrong. "

Liang Guangfeng looked at Fei Maozhong speechlessly and aggrievedly.

Is it just me who co-authored something stupid?

Why is the reading companion next to His Royal Highness so thoughtful?

Fei Mao's center was on fire, and he gritted his teeth and said: "If Liang Qianhu is unwilling to give in, why not help the governor to plow Shuangyu Island! Over the years, maritime trade has flourished, and gangs are everywhere in Ningbo's docks! If there is any cause for chaos, You were so audacious that you took the opportunity to fight and rob the territory, pretending to be a Japanese pirate and plundering! Your Majesty is furious, this is your only chance to make amends!"

Liang Guangfeng didn't know that in Lu Bing's eyes, he was only brave but lacked intelligence. When Fei Maozhong said this, he immediately said: "Whatever the governor's plan is, the general will definitely contribute!"

"Okay! We need the help of the Jinyi Guards! I'm afraid that the Ningbo Public Security Department has been fed too much and things can't be done cleanly! No matter what, Shuangyu Port must be cleaned up!"

At this moment, a small silk shop on Shuangyu Island has a layout of front shop and backyard.

The shop owner's daughter's face was red, but she pursed her lips and stood aside, looking at the young man playing chess leisurely in the courtyard.

She didn't dare to look at the other one.

Zhang Juzheng smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, it seems that I am making a mountain out of a molehill."

Zhu Zaiyi shook his head: "My father asked me to take the North Korean royal family as a lesson. The situation at that time should be safe. You don't have to worry, I will make it clear to my father."

Qi Jiguang stood aside and watched the chess game, sighing in his heart.

It turns out that wherever Zhang Juzheng goes, he uses his talent and grace to flirt with local girls first, just to have a place to hide in case of emergency.

If something like this happened, he would reveal his identity without any concealment and hide here very safely.

Just the situation that night, does it really warrant making such a fuss?

Do you really come to Shuangyu Island just to see the sea trade?

Qi Jiguang glanced at Zhang Juzheng and felt that this guy was thinking deeper.

You can't offend him in the future.

　The previous chapter was later deleted a lot, not just because of the sensitive words. I also have to consider adjustments to the subsequent plot.

　　

　

(End of this chapter)