pappabearbooks Chapter 5 The Young Emperor's Methods Are Truly Excellent
Chapter 5 The Young Emperor's Methods Are Truly Excellent
The Forbidden City, the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Qianqing Palace.
On the chessboard, black and white pieces crisscrossed, and after only twenty or thirty moves, the battle had already become fiercely contested.
"One hundred taels! One hundred taels! When I heard my mentor announce one hundred taels in court, I almost burst out laughing. But it was truly a brilliant move! ...Six of three, Double Swallows."
Zhu Ming's voice carried a hint of ambiguous laughter as the black piece landed with a crisp sound.
Sitting opposite him was Sun Chengzong, a Grand Secretary of the Eastern Pavilion and the Governor-General of Liaodong, who is now the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.
Sun Chengzong is sixty-three years old this year. He is tall and robust, with a beard like a halberd. When he sits there, he looks like a mountain.
This imperial tutor was a veteran official who served three emperors. He became a Jinshi in the 32nd year of the Wanli reign and was appointed Minister of War and Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion in the 2nd year of the Tianqi reign. He volunteered to oversee the troops outside Shanhaiguan and single-handedly constructed the Guan-Ning-Jin defense line.
He was a man of the Tianqi Emperor, which sounds strange, but it is true: Sun Chengzong was on good terms with some members of the Donglin Party, but never really joined them; the eunuch party hated him to the bone, but he held military power and had the protection of the Tianqi Emperor, so even Wei Zhongxian had to think twice before taking action against him.
In September of the fifth year of the Tianqi reign, Wei Zhongxian seized the opportunity of Ma Shilong, a general under Sun Chengzong, suffering a setback in the Battle of Liuhe, and launched a massive impeachment against Sun Chengzong, trying to force this pillar of the border to retire from the army and return to his hometown. As a result, in October of the same year, he repeatedly submitted memorials requesting retirement.
Of course, since Emperor Tianqi (Zhu Ming) has traveled through time, how could he let these old folks run away with their buckets again!
He immediately appointed him as the Grand Secretary.
"This old minister is penniless; donating one hundred taels of silver is the limit I can offer."
Sun Chengzong stared at the chessboard for a moment, then picked up a white piece and slammed it onto the board with a resounding thud, the sound of the piece landing even deeper than the emperor's shout.
"However, Your Majesty's double-flying swallow technique is going to leave this old minister at a loss. Seven or eight, long."
Zhu Ming smiled, a smile that held both youthful cunning and imperial insight: "One hundred taels of silver plus five thousand hectares of fertile land—those purists who want to accuse you of seeking fame and fortune will find no grounds for doing so, and those who want to praise your noble character will feel something is amiss. Teacher, that's a brilliant move."
"Nine out of eleven, sticky."
Zhu Ming made another move, speaking casually.
When Sun Chengzong announced his donation of 100 taels of silver in the imperial court that day, the Donglin Party members thought they had found a lifeline.
After they finished shouting, Sun Chengzong shouted again that he would offer 5,000 hectares of fertile land in Liaodong, once again putting those Donglin Party officials and literati on the moral high ground to be roasted and simmered.
After all, those fertile fields were cultivated during his four years as military governor in Liaodong.
The imperial court's accounts clearly state: 110,000 soldiers trained, 400 li of land expanded, 5,000 hectares of farmland established, and an annual income of 150,000.
These are all real achievements, not some empty boasts.
What Sun Chengzong donated was not farmland, but the culmination of his four years of hard work.
Taking this opportunity, all of it was transferred to Emperor Tianqi (Zhu Ming) in order to better implement Zhu Ming's next plan.
"Your Majesty's method is truly brilliant," Sun Chengzong said, picking up a coin and pondering for a moment. "Erecting a monument and inscribing names, letting the people of the world see... this move is more effective than anything else. The Donglin Party cares most about their reputation. If they donate too little, they will be ridiculed by the world. Your Majesty is truly putting them on the spot!"
The so-called donation and monument erection simply means that all those who donated to the reconstruction of Wanggongchang, regardless of the amount, will have their names, places of origin, and donation amounts inscribed on the monument, to be forever remembered by the people and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.
Sun Chengzong pictured the scene: on the day the merit stele was erected, tens of thousands of people gathered there, pointing and commenting.
If a certain official donated fifty taels, another official donated one hundred taels, and a certain eunuch faction donated ten thousand taels, what would the common people think? What would the soldiers of the border army think?
What would those gentlemen of the Donglin Party who touted themselves as upright officials, those censors who constantly talked about "integrity," and those scholars and officials who were ashamed to associate with the eunuch faction choose?
If you donate too little, the figures on the monument will tell them that you're not even a fraction of the eunuch faction's contributions. What right do you have to call them the eunuch faction? They've donated real money, and what have you done?
Donating too much will only cause more trouble. Aren't you supposed to be an upright official? Aren't you supposed to be incorruptible? Where did you get so much money?
Moral blackmail.
This is true moral blackmail.
Moreover, they tie you up so tightly that you have no right to say anything, because this is for the Ming Dynasty, for the people, and for the border soldiers. Anyone who opposes it is disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust.
Thinking of this, he placed his piece: "18 of 11, Ban."
"Master, is this a test of my bottom line?" Zhu Ming glanced at the chessboard, his finger resting on the chess jar, and slowly raised his head.
"Your Majesty, this old minister dares to say—the Donglin Party members are not corrupt officials. They don't covet money; what they covet is their reputation. If Your Majesty asks them to donate money, they would rather empty their coffers than compromise their honor."
"I know," Zhu Ming smiled, then decisively placed another piece. "Whether they donate or not won't affect my next plan. Seventeen out of ten, capture."
Zhu Ming's meaning was blunt: this is what they mean by being obsessed with saving face at the cost of suffering. This is the Donglin Party, this is the Qingliu civil officials. I've got them all under control, even the Jade Emperor couldn't stop them! I said it.
Sun Chengzong shook his head.
He looked at the situation on the chessboard. The black pieces were aggressive, and the person playing the pieces was sitting opposite him. The emperor, who was in his twenties, had changed a lot in the past year: his features still had the delicate features of a young man, but the things in his eyes were no longer those of a young man.
He seemed to understand why Gao Panlong and others, who had been dismissed and demoted, were invited back to the court last year!
It seems that Zhu Ming wanted the Donglin Party to continue to restrain the eunuch party, while also putting pressure on these so-called upright officials and squeezing them for their own benefit.
It turned out to be the case.
Sun Chengzong looked at the young man opposite him again and suddenly a word came to mind.
He had never said this word to anyone before, but it was churning intensely in his mind at that moment.
With the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, and the countenance of the sun and moon.
Zhu Ming is demonstrating this ability at this moment.
It wasn't because he was smart, but because he was clear-headed.
He knew what cards he had, what he wanted, and how to get there step by step.
Such a person, in his twenties, would be terrifying in any era.
"I am old," Sun Chengzong said slowly, his voice carrying an indescribable emotion, like sadness, but more so a sense of great relief, "Three out of fifteen, damn it."
"Who said that?" Zhu Ming laughed, a smile tinged with youthful playfulness and affection. "My mentor still has to keep an eye on the court and Liaodong for me! Besides, without my mentor, the three major camps in the capital would continue to decay. In just over two months, you've brought them back to their proper order! Only then could my grand military review proceed smoothly! Nine out of eleven, invading."
"Your Majesty is wise!" Sun Chengzong said, carefully choosing his words while thinking about what had happened a few months ago.
The Ningyuan Victory.
In February of the sixth year of the Tianqi reign, under the pretext of the great victory at Ningyuan, the Ming dynasty planned to hold a grand military review in the capital to inspect the three major battalions.
The imperial decree caused an uproar throughout the court.
Everyone knew perfectly well what kind of people the Three Battalions were—corrupt, decadent, and lacking in discipline; they were more like beggars than soldiers.
There are also various issues related to receiving salaries without working.
Zhu Ming then issued another order, stating that the issue of empty salaries could be temporarily overlooked, but if any mistakes were made during the grand military parade, he would not hesitate to kill indiscriminately!
If they perform well during the parade, then all past mistakes will be forgiven!
Immediately, the old, weak, disabled soldiers and generals of the three major battalions were extremely grateful, and the officials and nobles of the court dared not stop them any longer, and fully cooperated with the Tianqi Grand Military Review.
At this point, it would be a natural progression for Sun Chengzong, a veteran general from Liaodong, to step in and train the troops and reorganize the three major camps...
Sun Chengzong couldn't help but admire the young emperor's skill and courage!
"My mentor only took a little over two months," Zhu Ming said, his voice filled with gratitude and admiration. "In just over two months, he transformed the three battalions completely."
Sun Chengzong shook his head: "I merely did my duty. The one who truly exerted effort was probably Wei Zhongxian!"
Wei Zhongxian, in order to curry favor with the Ming Dynasty and ensure a successful military parade, spent several months visiting the three main military camps, employing all sorts of thuggish tactics that sent chills down the spines of even the most meritorious generals...