King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 634: Luzon Seeks Help
Seeing that Zhu Jinghong didn't say anything, Baochai stood up and came behind him, massaging his shoulders and asked, "Of course...if something can't be done, don't force it!"

"You have too high a reputation in the army. It would be inappropriate for you to be too active at this time!"

Nodding slightly, Zhu Jinghong said in a deep voice: "I will find a chance to find out what the old man thinks!"

"The people he wants to keep, Lao Liu can't defeat them. The people he wants to abandon... I'm afraid I can't protect them either!"

Sighing, Baochai replied: "It's good that you understand these!"

…………

In a blink of an eye, another two days passed, and the cabinet gave its draft opinion on the censor's impeachment memorial.

According to convention, the cabinet asked the Ministry of War to investigate the matter, and the Ministry of War then submitted a memorial on its own, suggesting that the generals involved be dismissed first and then the case be handed over to the Ministry of Justice for review.

The Ministry of War suggested dismissal, which was tantamount to fulfilling its duty. On the one hand, it prevented the Cabinet from finding fault, and at the same time, it passed the hot potato to the Ministry of Justice.

The Cabinet immediately drafted a new bill, agreeing that the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice would jointly handle the case, and the bill was again issued after being approved by the Imperial Household Department.

While the ministries and agencies were arguing with each other, the generals involved were also identified. In addition to the generals who had previously participated in the war in the northwest, there were also generals who followed Zhu Jinghong to invade Korea last autumn and winter.

There were more than 30 people impeached on both sides this time. Their common point was that they were promoted with Zhu Jinghong and were all middle and low-level generals.

The highest-ranking person among them was only a lieutenant general of the Beijing Camp, and his official rank was only the fifth rank.

But it must be said that choosing these people as impeachment targets is a very wise and pragmatic approach.

Firstly, these people hold relatively low positions, so dealing with them is less difficult; secondly, these people are Zhu Jinghong's confidants, and dealing with them can not only clip Zhu Jinghong's wings, but also greatly shake his prestige.

To be honest, the fact that Lao Liu chose to impeach these people this time is much more serious for Zhu Jinghong than the slander and defamation he had suffered before.

This time, the real test is whether Zhu Jinghong can protect people.

If he can protect it, then his prestige will not decrease and may even increase. But if he cannot protect it... then don't blame the people below for becoming suspicious.

Su Ran will not be able to completely defeat Zhu Jinghong with just this one attack, and it will also be a heavy blow to him.

February 13th, Cunxin Hall in Prince Xiang’s Palace.

"Master Thirteen, several brothers in Beijing came to my house yesterday, crying and telling me about their grievances..."

"Those people are really picking on us, we can't let them bully us!"

The person who spoke was Hou Jing. He had returned to Beijing a few years ago and had visited Zhu Jinghong before, but Zhu Jinghong had not met him.

He came here today and finally didn't leave empty-handed.

Sitting in the main seat, Zhu Jinghong remained silent and listened quietly to Hou Jing's speech.

After a long speech, Hou Jing said, "Thirteenth Master, the brothers are in a state of panic and have come to me for advice!"

"I have already reported this to Grandfather, and he said he would do his best to help. However, the Imperial Censor is coming with such force this time, he is not completely sure that he can resolve the situation!"

Hou Jing's grandfather, Hou Xiaokang, is currently the Left General of the Front Military Governor's Office, an official position that has reached the highest level of military officers.

Being at the top, one certainly has the vision to match, so Hou Xiaokang knew that this matter was not a simple matter of enforcing military discipline.

The fight involving the legitimate prince was not something that could be decided by a man named Hou, even though he was a military commander of the highest rank.

"So... I can only come to ask Master Thirteen for a charter!"

Zhu Jinghong said solemnly, "I already know about this matter. You can tell them to rest assured. I will not sit idly by and watch them being framed!"

No matter what the truth is, Zhu Jinghong believed it was a frame-up, and this was his core argument for "resolving" the matter.

Hou Jing understood the implication. Just as he was about to respond, he heard Zhu Jinghong continue, "We are in the northwest, facing the cold wind and artillery fire, licking blood on the edge of a knife, and the line of life and death... Only then did we gain peace in the world, but now we are being slandered by villains. How can we tolerate this!"

"Even if I really have to go to court, when I get there... I have to speak out my anger in a dignified manner!"

Venting out the anger is not just about releasing emotions, but also doing it for the generals who are not involved. Even if you can't make these people unite against the enemy, gaining some sympathy is a great thing.

Hou Jing has now been promoted to the position of Associate Commander of the Beijing Camp, and is already a mid- to high-level general, but he is still a young man after all, and couldn't help but get emotional when he heard these words.

Thinking of those times when they risked their lives on the battlefield, and considering that they might be picked on in the future, he felt very uncomfortable.

"I understand. I will make it clear to them!"

Then the two of them chatted for a while, and then Hou Jing said goodbye and left.

As soon as he left, Baochai, who was hiding behind the screen, appeared and said with emotion: "This matter...even if you can't control it, you have to take care of it!"

"Yeah...there's no way out. We have to take care of it even if we can't!"

He was promoted by the generals below him. These people are his base. If he can't protect others, he is nothing.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed, the wrangling between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War ended, and in the end a very outrageous result was reached.

The Ministry of Justice brought in the Censorate and the Dali Temple on the grounds that the case was complicated.

After several families pushed the case back and forth, the task of trying the case finally fell to the censor of the Censorate.

The reasons of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of War and the Dali Temple were very sufficient. The case was brought up by the censors of the Censorate, so they had the deepest understanding of the case and it was most appropriate for them to conduct the interrogation.

What’s even more outrageous is that this outrageous proposal was discussed in the cabinet for more than an hour and was finally passed.

The verbal sparring between the three cabinet ministers on this matter also made the cabinet secretary on duty miserable.

On the afternoon of February 14, Zhu Jingyuan was meeting with officials in the study outside the Cunxin Hall in the Prince Rui's Mansion.

This man's name is Zhang Rulin. He is only thirty years old this year. He is currently serving as the Censor of Gansu Province. He was involved in this impeachment.

Among the ten censors who jointly impeached, Zhang Rulin was the youngest.

Because they are young and lack experience, they are more likely to suffer losses.

For example, other censors who participated in the impeachment were either sick or had urgent matters at home. In any case, they all had reasons why they could not handle the matter, so the task of trying the case in the Censorate was finally handed over to Zhang Rulin.

In other words, if any illegal acts were committed by the generals in the Northwest and Korea, Zhang Rulin would be the first judge.

At this moment, Zhu Jingyuan was encouraging this person in order to make him do his job better, so he kept praising him.

"A role model for scholars all over the world", "a wise man who upholds justice", "a capable minister who supports the country"...

These words, spoken from the mouth of Zhu Jingyuan, a wise king known throughout the world, really made Zhang Rulin's heart surge.

Unlike Zhang Rulin, Zhu Jingyuan was very unhappy at this time.

It was because all the censors whom he had placed high hopes on were cowardly at this time, so he could only use Zhang Rulin.

Therefore, even though Zhang Rulin took on the job of presiding judge, he would still try to urge others to serve as jurors and give advice to Zhang Rulin.

"The case will be heard on February 16th. All the civil and military officials in the court will be paying close attention. The scholars hope that your reputation will all depend on this one move!"

"I will not let your Highness down. I will do my best to uphold justice... and seek justice for the people of the Northwest!"

The two chatted for a while, and Zhang Rulin said goodbye and left. Zhu Jingyuan had just gone to the inner house and had not spoken a few words to Chen Zhi when an eunuch came to report that the Ministry of War had issued a new document.

He thought it was related to the trial, but the eunuch reported: "Sun Shaozu, the former deputy commander of the Anxi Xingdusi, has been promoted to deputy commander of the Andong Xingdusi!"

Zhu Jingyuan's face suddenly turned cold and he only uttered three words, "I know."

After the young eunuch left, Chen Zhi immediately dismissed his attendants.

She knew that Zhu Jingyuan was already in a bad mood, and hearing this news would only make him even angrier, so she wanted to give this gentleman a chance to vent.

Sure enough, after everyone left, Zhu Jingyuan smashed the teacup and said angrily: "Sun Shaozu, a dog-like thing, made those big mistakes back then. Not removing him from his post is already a great favor from the emperor..."

"How many contributions has he made? Why has he been promoted repeatedly in the past two years? Is there still justice in this world?"

While Zhu Jingyuan was furious, Zhu Jinghong had already been summoned into the palace.

This time the audience was not held in the Qianqing Palace, but on the east side of the imperial palace, in the Longwu Hall inside the Donghua Gate, which was actually a small parade ground.

Under the guidance of the eunuchs, Zhu Jinghong came to the training ground and saw the emperor shooting arrows.

The last time Zhu Xianming hunted, he killed a lion and a tiger, which gave him a great sense of satisfaction.
So recently, Zhu Xianming has been eager to practice archery, and today he finally made it happen.

Zhu Jinghong entered the field and did not wait patiently like ordinary officials. Instead, he stepped forward and gave instructions: "Dad...you have to relax a little. It's hard to shoot accurately if you are tense!"

With a "whoosh", the arrow flew out of the string and hit the target in the distance.

It is not surprising that he can hit the target at a distance of more than ten meters. After all, not everyone can be like Zhu Jinghong, who can easily hit the target at a distance of more than thirty meters.

At this time, Zhu Xianming turned around, looked at Zhu Jinghong coldly and said: "Boy...you are not the only one in the world who can draw the bow and shoot arrows!"

Zhu Jinghong leaned over his waist and replied, "Dad, you are right. I am indeed lacking in ability and I often fail to think things through!"

"It's really rare to hear these words come out of your mouth!"

"My son is just telling the truth. Speaking of this matter... my son still wants to apologize to you!" Zhu Jinghong replied with his waist bent.

Putting away the bow, Zhu Xianming turned around and asked, "Apology? What is your crime?"

Zhu Jinghong answered frankly: "Recently, I heard that an imperial censor was entangled in military discipline at the front line and discovered that some generals had committed illegal acts. At that time, I was leading troops in the northwest!"

"My subordinates made mistakes, and my son failed to correct them all. First, I am guilty of negligence, and second, I am guilty of lax military discipline!"

Zhu Xianming replied calmly: "This matter... has been handed over to the Ministry of War for investigation and will not involve you!"

Zhu Jinghong didn't respond, but said to himself: "It's just these things... my son still has something to say!"

"You said it!"

After organizing his words, Zhu Jinghong said in a deep voice: "In the battle on the front line, we must act according to the emergency. We must correct military discipline, but we must also be flexible..."

"And the past is a foregone conclusion... If we bring up the past, I think it will chill the soldiers on the front lines!"

In fact, his words are contradictory. For example, at the beginning he admitted his guilt and accepted the punishment, but now he says that bringing up old issues will make people feel discouraged.

Distorting facts during a conversation is generally known as sophistry, and Zhu Xianming was well aware of this.

Walking to the chair, Zhu Xianming handed the bow to the eunuch beside him, looked at Zhu Jinghong and said, "You have said both good and bad things, so... should you be punished for your crime?"

"Well...this..."

Sitting on the chair, Zhu Xianming took the teacup and asked slowly, "Do you know what crime the censor impeached you for?"

"This... my son doesn't know yet!" Zhu Jinghong answered honestly.

"During the Northwest War, more than 20 generals who were impeached all committed acts of cruelty to local herdsmen and civilians, and there is irrefutable evidence for each of them!"

With a "pop", Zhu Xianming put down his teacup and angrily shouted, "The imperial army is the king's army. They were disgraced by these people. What crime should they be punished for?"

Hearing this, Zhu Jinghong was not intimidated at all. After a brief thought, he immediately retorted: "Dad... this is impossible. The cruelty to the herdsmen and civilians must have been done by the Junggar and Zasak rebels!"

"Didn't you hear clearly? I said the evidence is conclusive!"

"That must be a frame-up!"

"You mean, the censor of my Ming Dynasty framed his own generals?" Zhu Xianming asked coldly.

Zhu Jinghong immediately replied: "It was the Junggar and Zasak rebels who framed our Ming army and wanted to throw dirty water on the court!"

Just as he had planned, he refused to admit the accusation instead of arguing with others foolishly.

"Dad, the imperial censors have been deceived. If we let them do whatever they want and convict our people... I'm afraid that not only will the soldiers on the front line be disheartened, but the people in the northwest will also believe that the king's army is a tyrannical and unjust group, which is not conducive to maintaining stability!"

Here, Zhu Jinghong turned the judicial issue into a political issue.

This time, the emperor really listened, so he became a little hesitant.

To be honest, the truth is not important to him. What is most important is how to maximize his benefits.

But as an emperor, he must not be influenced by his ministers, let alone by his incompetent little son.

So Zhu Xianming did not express his opinion on this matter immediately, but chose to change the subject.

"I asked you to come here today because I have two more things to tell you!" Zhu Xianming said in a deep voice.

At this time, Zhu Jinghong did not persist. In such a sensitive and important matter, he had to abide by the emperor's rules of the game, so as to demonstrate his political maturity.

"Please give me your instructions, Father!"

"First, it's about the negotiations. They're going to start on the 20th of this month. The cabinet has drawn up a few requirements. Please check if there are any omissions!"

The peace talks proposed by the cabinet were of course very comprehensive and appropriate. The fact that the emperor also sought Zhu Jinghong's opinion at this time was enough to show that he had great trust in him.

In addition, Zhu Xianming specifically summoned Zhu Jinghong to discuss this matter because he wanted him to understand his intentions so as to avoid going in the wrong direction during the peace talks.

This matter was discussed for half an hour, and Daming asked for a summary of only four points.

First, the Rakshasa Kingdom withdrew from Dzungar; second, Dzungar disbanded its army; third, Dzungar handed over its new king who had usurped power; and fourth, Dzungar offered a total of one million cattle, sheep and horses.

These requirements are certainly very demanding, but negotiation is similar to doing business. To put it bluntly, it means asking for a high price and then paying the low price.

Only by setting an outrageous price can you get the desired result.

"Dad, the second thing is..."

"Early this morning, the Taiwan Military Command sent an urgent message, forwarding the report of the King of Luzon, saying that the Western Barbarians had occupied their port and wanted to..."

To put it simply, Luzon was suddenly attacked by the Spanish fleet, its ports were occupied and its maritime trade was blocked, so it had to ask the court for help in this way.

"What do you think about this?"

(End of this chapter)