The emperor did not shy away from the placement of the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the army, as they were his own eyes and ears.
Without eunuchs supervising the army, and without civil officials who look down upon military commanders as inferior, and without any other supervisory constraints, it would have been possible for warlords to form.
However, the emperor also strictly defined the duties of the Jinyiwei, not interfering with the command of the generals, and only managing money and food, and military discipline.
This, to a large extent, eliminated the generals' resistance. Since ancient times, the imperial power has always had some constraints on the military leaders, which is a very normal thing.
As long as the emperor does not withhold military pay, does not act arrogantly, and does not interfere with command, it will not have any impact if he places spies there.
Moreover, this not only reassured the emperor, but also reduced the possibility of many court officials making false accusations and framing him.
If he met someone who was easy to get along with, like Gou Zhenhuai, Mao Wenlong would really save a lot of worries.
It doesn't hinder your achievements, nor does it overstep your bounds to gain power. It can even reveal some long-lasting thoughts in seemingly casual words. That's great, really great!
So, it was normal for Mao Wenlong to show concern when he heard that Gou Zhenhuai was going back to Beijing to report. If this had happened to someone who was difficult to get along with, it would have been really troublesome.
In response to Mao Wenlong's doubts, Gou Zhenhuai smiled and said, "I may not return to the Pacification Division. I don't know what position the other assignment is for."
Mao Wenlong was silent for a moment, then said with emotion, "I'm very pleased to work with General Gou. If General Gou is transferred, I wonder who will replace him and whether he will be a good match."
Gou Zhenhuai looked ahead, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Marshal Mao is worrying too much. With your high standard of knowing people and assigning them to positions, how could he not be very selective?"
After a pause, Gou Zhenhuai suddenly asked, "Marshal Mao, what do you think of Earl Ning Yuan?"
Ningyuan Bo was Li Chengliang. During the 30 years he guarded Liaodong, he led the Liaodong cavalry to ten great victories. His military achievements as a border commander were unprecedented in the past 200 years.
Mao Wenlong was certainly familiar with Li Chengliang. It was said that he had served as a junior officer in Li Chengliang's army.
But when Gou Zhenhuai asked this question, Mao Wenlong knew it was not a simple matter, so how could he dare to answer it easily?
After pondering for a while, Mao Wenlong roughly guessed the meaning of the question and said, "Ningyuan Bo has great military talent and great military achievements. He is truly admirable."
Gou Zhenhuai pursed his lips slightly and remained silent, knowing that Mao Wenlong would definitely have something else to say.
As expected, Mao Wenlong changed his tone and continued, "However, the prestige of the Ningyuan Earl has grown, his extravagance has become excessive, and he has even falsely reported his military achievements, which is indeed a stain on his reputation."
Gou Zhenhuai still did not interject. If this was all Mao Wenlong knew, he would have to advise His Majesty to carefully consider the selection of the Liaodong border commander.
Mao Wenlong emphasized this, saying, "Especially in his later years, Earl Ningyuan had close ties with the old slaves, often shielding them. He would recommend them for official positions as long as they showed loyalty, even offering them land as bait. Earl Ningyuan cannot escape responsibility for the rise of the Jiannu."
Gou Zhenhuai smiled slightly and nodded, saying, "Since Marshal Mao has such insight, he will surely not repeat the same mistake. To nurture an enemy for personal gain, hey, how is that any different from nurturing a tiger to cause harm? Earl Ningyuan is old and senile, relying on his old slaves. It's said that he has ambitions to use the troops of Jianzhou to invade and seize Korea and establish his own kingdom."
This—Mao Wenlong was horrified. He hadn't expected the Emperor to have such a bad opinion of Li Chengliang. Fortunately, there wasn't a big problem with what he said, otherwise…
Gou Zhenhuai continued to talk, but for Mao Wenlong, it was a warning.
"Ningyuan Bo and General Qi had different ways of managing their troops. General Qi relied on systems, while Ningyuan Bo relied on his personal prestige, rewarding his officers generously and motivating them with wealth and glory, but this was difficult to sustain in the long run. Therefore, after his officers achieved wealth and glory, they often became complacent and lost their ambition to make further progress."
"Previously, the warriors on the battlefield were cowards at first, then concealed their defeats as achievements, killing innocent people and claiming credit for their achievements. It is not surprising that their achievements declined from their peak."
"In the 34th year of the Wanli reign, the Earl of Ningyuan abandoned the six forts of Kuandian, where the population had grown to over 64,000 households, because they were 'isolated and difficult to defend'..."
Gou Zhenhuai's detailed narration made Mao Wenlong feel awe-inspiring, and he remembered it firmly, not daring to forget it.
Although Gou Zhenhuai's words could not fully represent the emperor, they were a warning to Mao Wenlong, because emperors since ancient times had indeed been very cautious about these things.
Look at what happened to Yue Fei, who commanded the "Yue Family Army". If you, Mao Wenlong, were to guard Liaodong, do you still want to create a "Mao Family Army"?
Let's look at Ningyuan Bo Li Chengliang, who was truly ambitious. He nurtured the enemy and placed his cronies in positions of power, leading to the Jiannu's rebellion against the Ming and the fall of Liaodong. He is undoubtedly to blame.
As for the phrase "the land is isolated and difficult to defend," it's actually a sign of fear and cowardice. How can the Ming territory be abandoned lightly? The emperor once said, "You, Mao Wenlong, had better not offend me."
While feeling alert, Mao Wenlong was also secretly glad and even a little happy.
After hearing Gou Zhenhuai's warning, it was obvious that the Emperor wanted to give him the important task of guarding Liaodong and hand it over to Dongjiang Town.
"Marshal Mao." Gou Zhenhuai stopped talking, glanced at Mao Wenlong, and said with a smile: "Now, the Holy Emperor is on the throne. It is truly a blessing for us and the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty."
"General Gou is absolutely right." Mao Wenlong bowed and said, "Long live the wise emperor. Only then can we have no worries and will repay the emperor's grace with our lives."
Gou Zhenhuai also bowed and said to Mao Wenlong with a smile, "It was so difficult for Li Chengliang to be conferred the title of Earl of Ningyuan! The current emperor values both civil and military talents, but Marshal Mao is luckier than Earl of Ningyuan."
Mao Wenlong was overjoyed, as being granted a title was the highest wish of a military general, and it was an unattainable luxury.
Li Chengliang's military exploits were remarkable, and he was successively promoted to the titles of Left General, Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, and Hereditary Commander of the Guards. When no further titles could be bestowed upon him, he was granted the non-hereditary title of Earl of Ningyuan. Two or three years later, after further great achievements, he was granted a hereditary title and an annual salary of 800 dan.
In addition to his outstanding military achievements, Li Chengliang went through many channels and spent a huge amount of money to get the civil officials in the court to approve the title.
Gou Zhenhuai's words made it very clear. You are a military commander, just fight your battles well. Merit will naturally be rewarded. There is no need for you to scheme for personal gain. The Emperor knows this very well.
As for Mao Wenlong's current rank, he's not even at the level of a hereditary guard commander, and he's still one level shy of being conferred a title. But since His Majesty has this in mind, you should work hard!
"The Emperor's grace is immense, and His Majesty is wise. How could he be so stingy as to bestow a title of nobility?" Gou Zhenhuai gave Mao Wenlong a meaningful look and said, "The pacification of Liao is within reach, but destroying the Sinhistoris is a matter of days and nights. His Majesty doesn't consider the Nurgandusi to be 'isolated and difficult to defend.'"
So that’s how it is. Mao Wenlong nodded vigorously.
As long as the imperial court is willing to invest and ensure that the army has sufficient food and wages, it will not be too difficult to occupy the entire Nurgandusi area.
In other words, there will be many opportunities to make achievements in the future, and being granted a title of baron or duke is not just a daydream.
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