Nevertheless, it was shocking enough when the young emperor clearly pointed out that factional strife was detrimental to the country.
Because legally speaking, officials who form cliques will be beheaded, their property confiscated, and their relatives exiled, and the punishment is extremely severe.
In other words, if the young emperor wanted to severely punish those who formed cliques for personal gain, he had legal grounds to do so, and it was not a reckless act.
As for the upright gentlemen of Donglin, don’t you have any idea whether they have formed a clique for personal gain or ganged up on those who are different from you?
"Party strife harms the country, the army is in disarray, the finances are insufficient, the powerful are corrupt..." Wen Zhenmeng thought intently, reviewed the question again, and nodded as if he had understood something.
In his opinion, the shortcomings listed by the emperor were not excessive, but rather careless. However, this was not because the emperor did not understand or was not clear about the situation, but because he did it on purpose to test the candidates' insights.
For example, if you want to start with the disorganization of the army and write down your suggestions for rectification, you have to know what malpractices there are in the army, such as officers drawing salaries without working, withholding wages and food, and encroaching on the land of garrisons, etc.
For example, if the finances are insufficient, you need to understand what taxes the court levies, including agriculture, commerce, industry, mining and other tax sources, and where to reform them in order to increase fiscal revenue.
In short, you can't just talk without substance, you have to have reasons and evidence.
This requires candidates to have a certain amount of social experience and life experience, and to be able to see through the accumulated problems, so as to find practical and feasible methods to promote benefits and eliminate disadvantages. Otherwise, it will be empty talk.
After thinking it over again and again, Wen Zhenmeng began to write a draft, preparing to start with the embezzlement and corruption of powerful officials, stating his own views and writing his own suggestions.
"Eliminate the old and weak, punish corrupt generals, suppress the powerful, train strictly, and provide sufficient food and wages..." In another dormitory, the talented candidate Lu Xiangsheng also began to write, and wrote down the key points he wanted to discuss on the draft paper.
………………
Party strife is a sensitive topic, and the revolving lights in the court often hide dark secrets, unspeakable deals and conspiracies.
For example, the three major cases in the Ming Palace were actually a struggle for party interests.
Through the "Palace Move Case", the Donglin Party gained the favor and reuse of Emperor Tianqi, and its overall popularity surpassed that of the Zhejiang, Qi, Chu, Xuan, and Kun parties.
Then they fabricated and investigated the "Red Pill Case", forcing the Prime Minister Fang Congzhe to resign. Fang's cabinet collapsed, and the Donglin Party was able to take control of the country.
These petty conspiracies and shady dealings are not something that the candidates taking the imperial examinations can know.
The Donglin Party's purges of dissidents were all carried out under the pretext of high-sounding slogans. The ornate rhetoric and the guise of "clean stream" deceived many people, who praised and admired them.
Obviously, many people do not fully understand, or even do not realize, the harm that the Donglin Party has done to the country.
This kind of political atmosphere made Zhu Youxiao feel depressed, lonely and angry.
At noon, the young emperor listened with a gloomy face as his ministers discussed the Liaodong war. The discussion was lively, but to no avail.
If we had waited for the outcome of your court deliberations before mobilizing the army to launch an operation, Guangning would have been destroyed long ago.
Well, it won’t be long before I give you a song called “Liang Liang”.
Zhu Youxiao adjusted his posture on the throne, supported his chin with one hand, and looked at the guys below with interest, as if he was watching a wonderful drama.
The urgent news from Liaodong finally arrived this morning, causing a sensation and shock.
Xiping Fort fell, and 3,000 defenders were killed in the battle; tens of thousands of reinforcements were defeated in Shaling; Xiong Tingbi gathered the defenders of the surrounding forts and defended Guangning to the death; Wang Huazhen's confidant Sun Degong rebelled and was captured when he attempted to retake the city; Wang Huazhen was imprisoned and detained, awaiting conviction by the court.
Upon receiving the urgent report, Zhu Youxiao immediately summoned civil and military officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital to hold court at noon in the Qianqing Palace.
"Even if Wang Huazhen failed to supervise, how could Xiong Tingbi have the power to imprison the provincial governor?"
"Even if Wang Huazhen is guilty, he should be allowed to make amends for his crime. Xiong Tingbi seized the troops and occupied the city, which is slandering Yue and should be severely punished."
"Guangning City has been besieged by bandits. There are conflicting reports from both inside and outside. How can we assign responsibility?"
"The merits and faults of the governor are one and the same. Wang Huazhen failed to supervise, and Xiong Tingbi cannot escape blame either."
"Although Xiong Tingbi is the governor, he has no troops or generals and is ordered to garrison in Shanhai. The Guangning War is entirely the responsibility of Wang Huazhen, and he should be severely punished."
"The Ministry of War obliged Wang Huazhen to every request, repeatedly suppressed Xiong Tingbi, led to the defeat of Guangning, and the devastating situation in Xinjiang. Doesn't it bear no responsibility?"
…………
What are these guys discussing? Don’t you know they’ve gone off topic? Zhu Youxiao became increasingly disappointed, but he said nothing.
Anyway, this is also a show. Liaoxi, Tianjin, Denglai and Dongjiang have all been arranged. The Governor of Ji and Liao, Wang Xianggan, has also moved his headquarters to Shanhai. It depends on how these guys jump up and down, and we can better distinguish between good and bad guys.
If Wang Huazhen was convicted, the Donglin officials who supported him would also be implicated, and it would be reasonable for them to defend him.
The anti-Wang faction wasn't a good bunch either. The remnants of the Five Parties, squeezed out by the Donglin Party and suffocated, were simply taking this opportunity to stir up trouble and vent their anger.
Is it true that no one cares about the war, the safety of Guangning, and the lives of the remaining Ming troops and hundreds of thousands of Liao people?
"Your Majesty, I impeach Xiong Tingbi for exceeding his authority..."
"I impeach Xiong Tingbi for betraying the emperor. As the governor of Liaodong, he used the excuse of restraint..."
"I accuse Wang Huazhen of disrespecting the enemy and deceiving the emperor with his slanderous words."
"I accuse Wang Huazhen of being dull and stubborn, untrained in military training, and trusting the traitorous general Sun Degong, which led to the defeat at Shaling. He should be imprisoned and punished."
…………
Facing the upright civil servants, Zhu Youxiao straightened his posture slightly and waved his hand, saying, "Wang Huazhen has been suspended pending investigation, and Xiong Tingbi has been ordered to defend Guangning for the time being. If you have any accusations, please submit a memorial. Today is the day for the court to discuss military affairs. Come up with a countermeasure to save Guangning and Liaoxi."
Only after the emperor set the tone did the ministers shut up, but they began to argue again about how to act.
"The defeat at Shaling has caused heavy losses to the Guangning Army, leaving Liaoxi empty and potentially endangering the mountains and seas. The most urgent task is to ensure the closure of the border and prevent the Jiannu from disturbing the capital."
"Guangning City is high and has a wide moat, making it difficult for the Jiannu to attack. We can dispatch officers and soldiers from Dengzhen to cross the sea and harass the enemy from behind, forcing them to retreat."
"Dengzhen is newly established and lacks combat power. Simply harassing the enemy won't necessarily cause the Jiannu to retreat. We should send Dengzhen across the sea to Juehua to reinforce Ningyuan's defenses and prevent the Jiannu from attacking."
"I request that Wang Xianggan, the Governor of Ji and Liao, be transferred to Shanhai to ensure the safety of the border crossing."
…………
No one mentioned Mao Wenlong. Everyone thought that after the defeats in Zhenjiang and Tieshan, even if Mao Wenlong had some remaining soldiers and generals, they would be useless.
Zhu Youxiao turned his gaze to the Minister of War Zhang Heming, waiting for this guy who had once supported Wang Huazhen with all his strength to come out and report.
How did you support Wang Huazhen when he was boasting about his achievements? Now that Wang Huazhen has done something bad, let's see how you will respond and how you will arrange it.
Zhang Heming was filled with remorse and secretly cursed Wang Huazhen for harming him, but seeing the emperor's gaze fixed on him, he had no choice but to step out and make his report.
"I am deeply troubled, having mistakenly believed Hua Zhen's boast." Zhang Heming apologized, then added, "I have requested to be sent to the border to stabilize the situation in Liaoxi and secure the Shanhaiguan Pass."
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