Daming talker

Chapter 692 How Can No One Impeach?
After explaining everything, Lin Tailai said to Li Rusong: "I will return to Shunan to meet up with Ma Gui and Dong Yiyuan.

The aftermath of Pyongyang and the future southward affairs are all entrusted to you. You can communicate directly with Liaodong Governor Hao Jie on the issue of food and fodder."

Seeing that Lin Jinglie was about to "leave the team" so soon, Li Rusong did not think much about it. He just thought that Lin Jinglie acted decisively and vigorously, and would not be fussy once he made up his mind.

When Li Rusong escorted Lin Jinglue out of the city gate, Lin Jinglue suddenly asked, "Have you calculated the casualties of our army?"

Li Rusong replied: "Five hundred and two were killed and one thousand three hundred and forty-six were injured."

Hearing these numbers, Lin Tailai felt slightly relieved.

In his memory, the number of casualties when the Ming army attacked Pyongyang in history should have been around 800, but in this time and space the number was reduced to around 500.

He built shield carts, taught the Japanese soldiers about their tactics, and personally went up to the gate to break through as soon as possible. All his efforts were not in vain, as the number of casualties was reduced by 37%.

Seeing that Lin Tailai was lost in thought and silent, Li Rusong asked in confusion, "Why are you hesitating, General?"

After Lin Tailai came to his senses, he said in an unfathomable manner: "You are not capable of breaking through the city first, and you are even less capable of writing a battle report."

Li Rusong: “?”

We're all about to leave, why are you still keeping us in suspense?

Lin Tailai pointed out: "How did you come up with the number of 502 killed in action? Wouldn't it be better to change it to 499 killed in action?

One looks like more than 500 people, and the other looks like more than 400 people. The difference in perception is huge.”

Li Rusong: "."

Even if 499 looks better than 502, it cannot erase the three people who died fighting for the country.

Lin Tailai continued to instruct, "As for the three people who were removed, they are all considered to be seriously injured and cannot be cured, so they will be classified as the wounded first.

Anyway, the final result is the same, no one is wronged and no one is wiped out.

How to write a war report to the court? There are many tricks involved, so learn it carefully!
Don't be unconvinced. As the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Expedition, you also have to write a report to the court. Apart from the casualties, what else will you write? "

Li Rusong replied: "It's nothing more than the words: the command was proper, the officers and soldiers were dedicated, they fought bravely and achieved great success. How else can I write it?"

Lin Tailai shook his head and said sympathetically, "It really won't work. How can you write like this?"

Li Rusong was stunned. This was an all-round victory with less than 2,000 casualties and at least 15,000 enemy troops killed. A big city was captured in one day. What else could he write in the report except bragging?
"Forget it, forget it, I'll write it for you." Lin Jinglue said, "I'll send it to you when I'm done."

After finally sending Lin Jinglie away, General Li, who had finally gained independence, returned to the city.

He breathed in the free air deeply and felt it was so sweet.

The smell of thousands of burnt Japanese soldiers filled the entire city. General Li suddenly began to doubt whether Lin Jinglue had left decisively because he would feel more comfortable living in Shun'an.
In Lin Jinglue's Third Battalion, Wu Weizhong's Battalion and Ye Bangrong's Battalion continued to participate in the siege and temporarily stayed in Pyongyang for two days to rest.

The Dayun Camp only followed Lin Jinglie himself in climbing the city wall and breaking down the gate, and then rested from the afternoon to the early morning.

So he still had plenty of energy at this time, and he escorted Lin Jinglue back to Shun'an, more than 40 miles north.

The two corps of Ma Gui and Dong Yiyuan, which crossed the river behind Li Rusong's corps, totaling 19 columns and 27,000 people, have also arrived in Shunan.

Upon hearing the news of the great victory in Pyongyang, Dong Yiyuan of the Third Corps remained calm, but Ma Gui of the Second Corps was so anxious that he could not sit still.

The two families, Li in the East and Ma in the West, always compete for the limelight whenever they have the chance.

No matter who commanded the Pyongyang victory or who deserved the credit, Li Rusong and the Li family generals were involved, while Ma Gui did nothing!
Moreover, judging from the casualty ratio of the Pyongyang victory, the Japanese soldiers' combat effectiveness was just so-so.

Then Li Rusong, with his 27 columns and nearly 40,000 troops, might be able to sweep across the north and south.

Then what does General Ma have to do with it? Did he come to North Korea for tourism?

So when he heard that Lin Jinglie had returned to Shunan, Ma Gui immediately took Dong Yiyuan with him to the shogunate to pay a visit and ask for a fight.

Li Rusong's Corps was too tired from fighting in Pyongyang and could rest for a few more days. Their Ma Gui Corps could take over and march south.

"No, the mission of your Corps and Dong Yiyuan's Corps is not to go south, but east!" Lin Jinglue said firmly.

As the commander-in-chief of the corps, Ma Gui had heard some rumors long ago, but he was a little reluctant at this time.

After a great victory in the first battle, the situation seemed to be very good. We could recapture the two capitals of Kaesong and Seoul in the south, which was a great honor.

What can we do to the east? Go into the mountains and forests? That's not right either. It is said that North Korea has more rocky mountains than forests.

Lin Tailai didn't waste any words and said directly: "This department will go with you personally and cross these hundreds of miles of mountainous areas!"

Like Li Rusong who first heard the news, Ma Gui was also shocked! He subconsciously said: "How can this be possible? How can the general take such a risk?"

If only Ma Gui took the risk, if something went wrong, there would be someone to save him.

But if Lin Jinglie goes with him and something unexpected happens, who can save Ma Gui?
Lin Jinglue continued in a sonorous voice: "How can we put all the responsibility for such a risky march on your shoulders?
"I will personally accompany you all on this mission! If we fail, the responsibility will be borne by me alone!"

Ma Gui could only admire Lin Jinglie sincerely, as not every general would dare to lead by example and be so fearless of risks.

Besides, even Lin Jinglie gave up the "glorious road" of going south to recover the "Three Capitals" and was willing to accompany me into the mountains. What else can I say?

If you are still being pretentious and reluctant, then you are being ungrateful.

Seeing that Ma Gui had been convinced, Lin Tailai said earnestly: "Old Ma, the eastward advance of the Second and Third Corps is an important strategic decision of the shogunate, and its significance is equally great.

Kato Kiyomasa on the eastern front was a famous military commander of Japan, nicknamed Tiger Kato, and his subordinates were also the elite of the Japanese army.

If we can kill or capture Kato Kiyomasa alive, it will be more intimidating to the Japanese pirates than ten Konishi Yukinagas!"

Ma Gui saluted and said, "General, there is no need to say more, I will save it!

Then Kato Kiyomasa must be the most powerful general in Japan, and the Kato Corps must be the most elite army in Japan. If the general says it is, it must be!

In order to quell the Japanese rebellion in Korea, we must first defeat Kato Kiyomasa and annihilate the Kato Corps!
Therefore, I understand the importance of advancing eastward to intercept and annihilate Kato Kiyomasa, and I must convey this to each column as soon as possible!"

Lin Tailai: "."

I have to say that Lao Ma has a higher EQ than Li Rusong.

Even Ma Gui was convinced, and the honest Dong Yiyuan had even less to say.

So Lin Jinglue officially issued an order: "First, you two corps will rest for another day, and all soldiers should be mentally prepared for a seven-day march in the mountainous area.

Second, the headquarters will issue a special reward of one tael of silver to each person. Third, all troops marching east must bring 30 days' worth of dry food.

Fourth, each column is equipped with at least one interpreter to immediately collect talents and assign them. It does not matter whether it is a Chinese who knows Korean or a Korean who can speak Chinese.

5. The hundreds of monks under Master Wei Zheng all have experience in crossing this mountainous area and will be dispersed into various columns to serve as marching aids and guides.

6. Carry as many heavy artillery pieces weighing more than 100 pounds as possible, without causing much impact on the march, and try to carry as many as possible, and ensure that there are 100 of them.

Seventh, make good preparations for the cold and ensure that everyone has cotton-padded clothes. "

Ma Gui and Dong Yiyuan obeyed the order and returned to their camps to make final preparations.

The news of the absolute victory in Pyongyang City reached Liaodong two days later, and then reached the capital a few days later, attracting the attention of the imperial court.

This Eastern Expedition may be the largest-scale troop mobilization of the Ming Dynasty in the past hundred years. More than 70,000 people have been deployed so far, not to mention the follow-up.

The estimated military force of at least 100,000 and the huge expenditure of at least 3 million taels of silver within a year were a concern for the entire court.

After the news of the great victory in Pyongyang spread to the court, officials were excited but at a loss for words.

The city was captured in one day, and 15,000 enemies were killed at the cost of 400 to 500 casualties. From any angle, this victory was impeccable and there was nothing wrong to criticize.

It is very uncomfortable to be unable to be criticized, as it is not in line with the political correctness of the Ming Dynasty court.

Of course, it may also be that Lin Tailai’s deterrent power is too strong and his lethality is enormous.

Unless they are absolutely sure or have sufficient evidence, many censors would not dare to carry out politically correct impeachment attacks under the guise of "speaking based on hearsay", otherwise the backlash would only be more intense.

Gu Xiancheng, who returned to Beijing from his hometown of Wuxi last month, saw this situation and wondered whether he should stand up and "make a call."

After Gu Xiancheng finished his mourning period, he finally waited until Lin Tailai left the capital for a long time, so he returned to Beijing to seek reinstatement.

Logically speaking, one should be reinstated to his original position, but Gu Xiancheng's original position was Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Examination.

But now the Ministry of Personnel has changed, which means Gu Xiancheng can't go back, but he is unwilling to accept other official positions.

Therefore, Gu Xiancheng could only spend his boring days in the capital and wait for the opportunity.

Seeing the current situation, Gu Xiancheng began to consider whether he should stand up and attack Lin Tailai?

The first is naturally to gain huge prestige, and the second is to break the dead and lifeless situation in which one is in.

Even if you are condemned by thousands of people, even if you incur the wrath of thunder, it is better than being ignored by everyone!

Otherwise, how long would he have to wait for death in the capital? The most desperate thing was that the Lin Party had the upper hand in the Ministry of Personnel, and it would be difficult to break in without some extraordinary means.

On this day, Gu Xiancheng convened a gathering of his fellow townsmen. Officials from Wujin, Wuxi, Yixing and other places in Changzhou Prefecture were very respectful of Gu Xiancheng, a "true Confucian of the right path."

With many years of experience working in the Ministry of Personnel and lecturing, Gu Xiancheng's influence is by no means comparable to that of ordinary officials in the six ministries.

During the banquet, Gu Xiancheng sighed to his fellow countrymen, "I didn't expect to return to Beijing this time and see the court in a state of total silence.

This really makes people of insight feel sad and angry, and it also makes me feel that morality no longer exists. "

Everyone said together: "Mr. Gu is right. No one dares to impeach someone. This is the tragedy of the media."

Gu Xiancheng said in a deep voice: "Especially at times like this, we need someone to take the lead and stand up without fear of violence."

He would rather die a good death than live a miserable life. He wanted to be the first to stand up and stir up his stagnant official life.

The purpose of gathering fellow villagers today is to ask them to amplify the momentum of his heroic deeds and create public opinion.

Seeing that everything was almost ready and the atmosphere was gradually getting right, Gu Xiancheng was about to speak again to express his feelings.

But at this moment, someone suddenly stood up, strode into the hall, and said loudly: "I, Qian Yiben, am willing to be the one who is not afraid of violence and takes the lead!"

Gu Xiancheng was stunned for a moment, then quickly said sincerely, "It is better for a person without any official position to take the lead in impeaching Lin Tailai, which is such a dangerous thing!
As the Chief Censor, Mr. Qian still needs to remain useful and should not be easily harmed!"

Qian Yiben said excitedly: "Mr. Gu is wrong! Just because you hold an important position, do you dare not rebel against Lin?

Could it be that I, Qian Yiben, am a person who cherishes power and position and disregards the right path?"

Gu Xiancheng tried to persuade him: "I have no intention of looking down on Mr. Qian, but impeaching Lin Tailai is a very technical matter, and I am afraid that Mr. Qian will not be able to handle it."

Qian Yiben asked in surprise: "What kind of technology is needed?"

Gu Xiancheng explained: "For someone like Lin Tailai, if the impeachment is not strong enough, the angle is not precise, the content is not true, and it cannot be half-true and half-false, it will probably not attract attention, let alone ignite public opinion."

Qian Yiben thought for a moment and then asked, "How does Gu Jun plan to impeach me?"

Gu Xiancheng replied: "I want to impeach Lin Tailai for his arrogance, arrogance, and arrogance. He is like a local king in the East Country!"

No one felt much after hearing this. The memorials impeaching Lin Tailai for his arrogance and domineering behavior in recent years were probably as high as three feet.

Even though he added modifiers like "self-reliant and powerful, King of the East", he still did not escape the old pattern of being "arrogant and domineering".

Qian Yiben said: "If I were to impeach, I would impeach Lin Tailai for asking for female musicians to serve the Kingdom of Korea. When the Korean envoys refused, Lin Tailai killed two envoys and was reluctant to send troops!
Then Lin Tailai collected bribes of 630 pieces of cloth and 53 ginseng roots from the Korean ministers before he gave up his request for women and sent troops across the river.

Gu Xiancheng: "."

Damn! Old Qian, you are so detailed. I have known you for more than ten years and I didn’t know you were so capable!
Everyone in the room was shocked! How dare you, Qian Yiben, impeach Lin Tailai like this, and make it sound so real. Are you really not afraid of death?

There may be no risk with the emperor, but when Lin Tailai returns to the court, he will definitely kill you!
Qian Yiben said fearlessly: "Just tell me if it's exciting enough? Is it half true and half false? Can it attract attention?"

Someone asked in confusion: "Why 630 pieces of cloth and 53 ginseng roots? Can't we just bribe Lin Tailai directly with silver?"

Qian Yiben replied: "It is quite surprising to say that the Korean people do not recognize silver, so this is called true details.

Don’t think it’s too little, gentlemen. It’s not easy for the few Korean ministers who were displaced to Liaodong to collect this.”

Everyone: "."

Looking at his fellow villager Qian Yiben who had become the center of attention, Gu Xiancheng, who initiated the gathering, felt inexplicably depressed.

As expected, the biggest obstacle to progress often comes from within our own people.

(End of this chapter)