nucmednet Chapter 640 It's Better to Make a Fortune in Quiet
Chapter 640 It's Better to Make a Fortune in Quiet
Liu Ye didn't reveal the truth about the rebellion, and Wen Tiren was happy to play dumb. The two then discussed how to achieve their goal of controlling Guangdong, Guangxi, and Shandong.
"Zhiwen, in my opinion, your request is too outrageous. His Majesty would never agree to it."
"It's alright, I have a backup plan. As long as the emperor cherishes his reputation and doesn't want to be called a tyrant, I'm not afraid he won't agree."
Wen Tiren asked curiously, "What means could threaten His Majesty?"
Liu Ye chuckled and revealed all the speculations about Chongzhen and Yang Sichang's secret peace talks and what had happened in Tianjin.
"Now you understand why Yang Sichang wanted to kill me even with the Tartar army pressing in, right? He was afraid of being exposed, afraid of being branded as a traitor and being infamous for eternity, yet he didn't want to be blackmailed by me, so he chose to silence me. However, I ended up driving the Tartars away, disappointing him..."
Wen Tiren was speechless. For a general to threaten the Minister of War and the Emperor in such a way was unprecedented. But thinking about it carefully, given the Emperor's pride, he might actually fall for it.
He thought for a moment and advised, "Since you don't seek official titles and only want practical benefits, listen to my advice: there's no need to abolish the positions of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and Governor of Shandong. Let's save face for the Emperor. The proposal to govern the people with the military can also be disguised to avoid provoking him. Just make a fortune quietly..."
"Oh? Then please teach me, Your Excellency."
"According to you, the Governor of Guangdong, Mu Tianyan, has a very close relationship with you..."
"He's my wife's maternal uncle," Liu Ye prompted.
"That's right. Lin Tianming, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, is your father-in-law. The governors of Guangdong and Dengzhou and Laizhou are your own people. You can do whatever you want in Guangdong and Dengzhou and Laizhou. The orders of the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi won't leave Zhaoqing, and the orders of the Shandong Governor won't leave Jinan. Whether or not these two positions are abolished is irrelevant, and there's no need to use words like 'using the military to govern the people' to provoke His Majesty. Didn't you arrange for your confidant to serve as the commander-in-chief of Dengzhou and Laizhou? Why not make this request: the commander-in-chief of Qionghai will concurrently serve as the commander-in-chief of Dengzhou and Laizhou, controlling the troops in Guangdong and Shandong. He can train his own army, and the number of troops will not be limited by the Ministry of War. Any excess troops will not require the court to provide rations. In addition, any action to deal with bandits and Tartars will not require orders from the Ministry of War, nor will it need to be approved afterward."
Liu Ye pondered for a moment and realized that this meant obtaining the authority to conduct large-scale open military training and to take military action freely. Although it was possible to do so secretly now, it was ultimately not legitimate and faced many obstacles.
He thought for a moment and said, "That's not enough. I need the Ministry of War to grant me the authority to temporarily mobilize troops. If I can mobilize the Tianjin General's troops in time, along with reinforcements from Baoding, I'm 90% confident I can keep Abatai's head. It's a pity Wang Hong refused to send troops, missing a golden opportunity..."
"This is a bit of a dilemma," Wen Tiren said thoughtfully. "The matter of military power is, after all, too sensitive. His Majesty will surely summon me to discuss your matter, and I will act accordingly then..."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Your Excellency," Liu Ye said, still wanting to continue. "It's a pity that without mentioning governing the people with the military, some things become inconvenient. For example, my plan to establish military settlements and cultivate land in Shandong is difficult to implement..."
Wen Tiren sighed: "You're so smart, how could you be so blinded by a single leaf? Aren't training troops and farming also a means of training soldiers? Do you expect the government to agree to it, or are the weapons in your hands just for show?"
Liu Ye broke out in a cold sweat. When the old man got into a rogue state, he seemed even more unreasonable than he was. But thinking about it, it really was true.
"Then I'll leave these matters to you, Your Excellency."
The next day, at the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Chongzhen looked at Yang Sichang kneeling on the ground with a complicated expression: "Wenruo, you have been wise all your life, how could you be so foolish for a moment? You said to cut off the grain supply to Tianjin and not allow the local troops to provide assistance, so that Abatai could escape. I have approved all of that. But when the Tartars arrive outside Yongding Gate, you openly attack Qionghai Town. Aren't you giving them a handle to use against you?"
Yang Sichang raised his head and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. I did not do this out of selfishness. Although Liu Ye has rendered meritorious service in killing the enemy, he is treacherous and lawless. The greater his ability, the greater the harm he poses. If he is not eliminated sooner or later, he will endanger the Ming Dynasty. At that time, the troops who came to the aid of the emperor were gathered at Yongding Gate, which was a golden opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to take action against him in the future..."
"Hmm, what did he do to make you make such a judgment?"
Yang Sichang replied, “Your Majesty, he has arrested the Tianjin Military Commissioner and the Tianjin General, claiming that I am a witness to have negotiated peace without authorization and secretly colluded with the barbarians. He also claims that the barbarians’ burning, killing, and looting in the capital region are the result of my leniency. He even said he would expose these things to the world and make me a sinner condemned by everyone!”
Emperor Chongzhen's eyelids twitched. He had tacitly approved of everything Yang Sichang did; now Yang was a universally condemned sinner, and he himself would be dragged down with him, unable to escape the label of a tyrant. Liu Ye's move was truly ruthless.
With a loud bang, Emperor Chongzhen slammed his hand on the table and said angrily, "I appointed him to a military post, granted him a title, and bestowed upon him an imperial edict, yet instead of thinking about how to serve the court and share my burdens, he has committed such a treasonous act..."
Despite the criticism, the matter still needed to be addressed. Chongzhen said to Wang Chengen, "Summon Changqing over so we can discuss a solution together."
During the day, Wen Tiren was on duty at the Wenyuan Pavilion, and he could arrive quickly if summoned. Before long, he followed Wang Chengen to the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Chongzhen asked, "Changqing, have you heard about what happened outside Yongding Gate yesterday?"
"I have heard that the Tartar army was utterly defeated in the battle outside Yongding Gate. The commander-in-chief, Ajige, is now missing. This is an unprecedented victory. Even during the more than twenty years of the late emperor's reign, there was no such achievement in civil and military affairs. Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
When Chongzhen and Yang Sichang heard this, they felt that the topic had been steered off course, but what he said was true and they couldn't refute it.
Emperor Chongzhen coughed twice, and said somewhat awkwardly, "What Changqing said is true, but the reason I called you here today is not to discuss this matter..."
Wen Tiren asked in surprise, "What could be more important than defeating the Tartar army in a fair and square manner? Shouldn't we reward the meritorious officials and encourage all the troops in the country to work together to resist the Tartars?"
Yang Sichang couldn't help but speak up: "Your Excellency, let's put aside the matter of bestowing titles for now. Although General Liu Ye of Qionghai Town is indeed skilled in training troops and fighting battles, his intentions are treacherous, and we must be wary of him."
Wen Tiren said "Oh," and looked at Yang Sichang: "What exactly is it? I would like to hear the details."
Yang Sichang repeated what he had just said to Chongzhen, saying, "Your Excellency, a military general who dares to detain an official appointed by the court and threaten his superior is a person who has no loyalty to the emperor or his father. Shouldn't he be punished?"