Seeing the change in Zhu Youjian's expression, Wang Chengen immediately stood up and retorted.
"Isn't what you're saying a bit too alarmist, sir?"
"The Ming Dynasty belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. How can those officials arbitrarily force the emperor to abdicate?"
"If they dare to overstep their bounds, His Majesty the Emperor may kill them."
“Hehe…” Gao Qingyun chuckled upon hearing this: “When Wei Zhongxian was alive, Emperor Chongzhen had not yet officially ascended the throne and changed the reign title.”
"Then, the new emperor arbitrarily kills court officials right after ascending the throne. What are you going to say about that?"
"Is the situation in North Korea still worth it?"
"The vast Ming Dynasty still needed someone to manage it. Moreover, Emperor Chongzhen was an emperor who came to power halfway through his career, and he didn't have any of his own people in the court."
"If he dares to kill, the court will definitely be thrown into chaos."
"This would hasten the demise of the Ming Dynasty even more than killing Wei Zhongxian."
Wang Chengen: "..."
He opened his mouth to refute Gao Qingyun's words, but found himself unable to do so.
In the end, he could only shut up and couldn't say a word.
Zhu Youjian was also deep in thought at this moment. After Gao Qingyun's analysis, he knew that Gao Qingyun was right.
Wei Zhongxian really shouldn't be killed.
Thinking back to how he had been gloating over his victory over Wei Zhongxian, he couldn't help but feel a sting of embarrassment.
However, considering that this was his first achievement as emperor, he still wanted to argue his point.
"As the gentleman also said, Emperor Chongzhen is about to ascend the throne."
"At the same time, he did not have his own faction in the court."
"Then we must establish our authority even more."
"Killing Wei Zhongxian is undoubtedly the best choice."
"If Wei Zhongxian isn't killed, what difference is there between him and him facing the Donglin Party alone?"
Yes, this was Zhu Youjian's biggest reason for killing Wei Zhongxian: to establish his own authority.
He became emperor halfway through his career, without any foundation in the court. If he wanted to have a voice and have powerful ministers listen to him, he had to demonstrate his strength.
Wei Zhongxian, as the most powerful treacherous minister in the court at the time, single-handedly suppressed all the officials, making it difficult for them to breathe.
Undoubtedly, targeting him is the best option.
“Little brother, you still don’t believe me when I say you don’t understand politics.” Hearing Zhu Youjian’s rather unconvinced tone, Gao Qingyun shook his head again.
"Prestige is never gained by killing a person."
"During the Tianqi era, civil and military officials had long suffered under Wei Zhongxian. Although Emperor Chongzhen's ascension to the throne and killing Wei Zhongxian could indeed win the favor of civil and military officials and gain their support."
"However, we cannot rule out the possibility that there is an element of pandering involved."
"Killing Wei Zhongxian to establish authority is absolutely the lowest level of tactic."
"From God's perspective, Emperor Chongzhen became a knife in the hands of civil and military officials."
"They removed the obstacles for them."
"Is this something an emperor should do?"
Zhu Youjian: "..."
Hearing Gao Qingyun compare himself to a tool for helping others eliminate dissidents, he was immediately filled with anger.
"According to what you've said, is there an even better way to establish authority?"
"Of course," Gao Qingyun said with a smile.
"As an emperor, to establish your authority, it is never about what you do, but about what you have in your hands."
"As long as we hold military power, who would dare to disobey us?"
"Who would dare to show their face now?"
Military power?
Upon hearing this, Zhu Youjian immediately thought of the Jingying garrison, which guarded Beijing.
The Jingying (京营) consisted of the Shenjiying (神机营), the Wuqianying (五千营), and the Sanqianying (三千营).
However, starting with the Jiajing Emperor, the number of personnel in the Beijing Garrison was only a little over 50,000, many of whom were old, weak, sick, or disabled soldiers.
Relying on such a group of people to establish his prestige? Zhu Youjian felt that if he were really dragged out, it would be a good thing if he didn't laugh his head off.
Filled with deep doubt, Zhu Youjian asked, "When you speak of military power, are you referring to the Beijing Garrison?"
"Pfft..." Gao Qingyun couldn't help but burst out laughing again when he heard Zhu Youjian say that the military power he was referring to was the Beijing Garrison during the Chongzhen era.
"Of course it couldn't be the Beijing Garrison."
According to the History of Ming, the Beijing Garrison during the Chongzhen era was even worse than that during the Jiajing era.
"There was corruption and embezzlement inside, with false reports of personnel and the collection of salaries without actual staff. Officials in various departments were appointed as guards of their own families."
"Although the History of Ming does not clearly record the number of people in the Beijing Garrison during the Chongzhen period."
"But according to various data comparisons, there were probably only more than 20,000 people in the Beijing garrison at that time."
"And they were all elderly, weak, sick and disabled people."
Upon hearing Gao Qingyun's description of the current situation within the Beijing garrison, Zhu Youjian clenched his fists so tightly they cracked.
However, remembering Gao Qingyun's earlier mention of military power, he had to temporarily suppress his anger and asked, "If it's not the Beijing Garrison, then I wonder where you're referring to military power, sir?"
"Although the Liaodong Guan Ning cavalry is strong, they cannot be mobilized casually. They still need to guard the border and guard against the Jurchen invasion."
"The same applies to the armies in Xuanfu Town, Datong Town, Liaodong Town, Jizhou Town, and the three border regions of Shaanxi."
"Furthermore, if Emperor Chongzhen wanted to mobilize the army, it would be impossible for the officials in the court not to notice."
"They will definitely do everything in their power to stop it then."
"I'm afraid that in the end these soldiers will either die on the road to defending against foreign enemies or die at the hands of their own people."
Gao Qingyun listened to Zhu Youjian's analysis with a look of surprise on his face. He said, "I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about the military deployment in the late Ming Dynasty."
"The situation you described does indeed exist."
"But the military power I'm referring to here doesn't mean the large-scale mobilization of troops to the capital."
As the saying goes, "The quality of an army is not its quantity."
"Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Soldiers are the best choice."
"The Pacification Commissioner of Shizhu?" Upon hearing Gao Qingyun mention Qin Liangyu and the White-Spear Soldiers, Zhu Youjian immediately thought of this person.
“That’s right, it is Qin Liangyu, who succeeded her husband Ma Qiancheng as the Pacification Commissioner of Shizhu.” Gao Qingyun nodded, but a look of great respect appeared on his face.
"She was a famous general in the late Ming Dynasty."
According to the History of Ming, after her husband Ma Qiancheng was killed, Qin Liangyu took over her husband's duties because her son Ma Xianglin was too young.
"Later, Qin Liangyu led his brothers Qin Bangping and Qin Minping to participate in battles such as resisting the Qing army, the rebellion of She Chongming, and the rebellion of Zhang Xianzhong."
"She was renowned for her military achievements and was granted the title of Second-Rank Imperial Lady."
Emperor Chongzhen even composed four poems to praise Qin Liangyu.
"After her death, many poems and lyrics were written in her praise. For example, Bing Xin in modern times was highly praised by Guo Moruo."
"Furthermore, the patriotic general Feng Yuxiang once said: In commemorating Hua Mulan, we should learn from Qin Liangyu."
"After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, the Southern Ming court posthumously honored Qin Liangyu as the Marquis of Loyalty and Chastity."
"In the history of each dynasty, female celebrities were recorded in the biographies of exemplary women, but Qin Liangyu is the only female hero in history to be recorded as a famous general of a dynasty in the biographies of generals and ministers in the official history."
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