Chapter 54 Between the Emperor and His Ministers
Zhu Qiyong was feeling somewhat worried when Han Guilan, who was beside Zhu Yuhuan, asked, "Why haven't you served tea to the Prince of Xiang yet?"
"yes."
The palace maid responded softly and went forward to pour tea for Zhu Qiyong according to the procedure.
Zhu Qiyong glanced at Zhu Yuhuan and saw that she seemed not to have heard anything and was just looking at the contents of the letter. He then knew that the female official had suddenly spoken with the emperor's permission, and he felt a little relieved.
He was just beginning to lose focus when he heard the faint sound of a piece of letter being folded again, and he quickly came back to his senses.
Zhu Yuhuan had already understood Zhu Zhanji's hidden meaning and handed the letter to Han Guilan for safekeeping. He said, "Prince Xiang is far away in his vassal state. He knew that the capital was in danger, but he still sent his son to the capital to deliver the letter. He cares about state affairs and is thoughtful."
Zhu Qiyong immediately stood up and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, thank you for your compliment."
Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand to signal him to stand up and said, "Since the Crown Prince is here, why not stay in the former Prince Xiang's Mansion for a while and get to know Prince Qing better."
Zhu Qiyong was stunned for a moment, then said obediently, "I obey your order."
"It's just right. The Wala will retreat soon. Let Prince Qing take you on a tour of the capital."
Zhu Qiyong was surprised that Zhu Yuhuan wanted to keep him for so long. He then said, "Your Majesty, I am honored to accept your kindness. I am just worried that it will cause trouble for Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled faintly and said, "Gansu Inspector Liu Yongcheng has been sent to Hami as an envoy. Right Censor-in-Chief Wang Qiang, who guards Shaanxi, has also led an attack on the Oirat to relieve the siege. The Oirat will likely take several days to get word of an attack from their rear. By then, Shi Heng, the current General of Datong, will lead the frontal attack, attacking from both sides. If we can capture all the Oirat generals led by Yesen, that would be perfect. The Wulingha will contain Toghtobukha in the east to prevent him from returning to support Yesen."
The Oirat had been developing for years, and Zhu Yuhuan had no intention of completely wiping them out. It would be better to leave Toghtobuha Khan, who had been supported by Yesen, on the grasslands, figuring he wouldn't be a force to be reckoned with for a while. Furthermore, the Khanship was like the imperial seal in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: anyone who touched it would be the target of public criticism. The Ming simply needed to sow discord among these tribes to prevent them from colluding and uniting, thus ensuring peace on the border for at least another twenty or thirty years.
By then, the Ming Dynasty would have restored its military strength through recuperation and could send troops to the north at any time to pacify the northern border.
When Zhu Qiyong saw that she was confident, he knew that the emperor's plan was already a sure success.
The emperor at that time was also so confident when he went out to patrol the border, but he was like throwing a meat bun at a dog and never came back. It was also fortunate that the current emperor had a record of conquering Luchuan, otherwise the ministers would not have obeyed her orders so easily.
Zhu Yuhuan suddenly sighed and said, "But there is still one thing I have to worry about."
Zhu Qiyong immediately felt anxious and asked cautiously, "I would like to share your worries, Your Majesty."
Zhu Yuhuan narrowed his eyes slightly, raised the corner of his mouth, and said, "It's not something to worry about. It's just that the Oirat Mongols have disturbed our borders and disturbed Emperor Taizong's peace. Letting them off so easily would be too easy for them, and it would be even more difficult to wash away the humiliation suffered by the Ming Dynasty."
Zhu Qiyong was startled and asked cautiously, "Your Majesty, what do you mean..."
"I will go there myself. I want to see if my good brother will accompany the Wala to deceive people on the border. If he is fake, I will never forgive him."
Zhu Qiyong glanced at the cold smile on her face, and when he heard that she did not mention the consequences of "if it was true", he had already reached a conclusion in his mind.
Regardless of whether the Ming emperor held hostage by the Oirat Mongols was real or fake, the emperor who has now ascended the throne will never let him go easily.
Zhu Yuhuan naturally would not hide the fact that he planned to confront Wala head-on, but this matter sounded quite dangerous to his ministers.
The reason is simple. The last person who said he wanted to patrol the border has disappeared. If this time is the same as last time, the Ming Dynasty will really be finished.
Zhu Yuhuan certainly understood these people's concerns, but she also had her own considerations.
It is an undeniable fact that Zhu Qizhen and a group of soldiers were sent away for nothing, but the whole pot of soup cannot be spoiled because of a rat. If she does not go out in person, the ministers will probably use the example of Zhu Qizhen to persuade the emperor when the emperor wants to go out again in the future.
No matter how the future of the Ming Dynasty will develop, Zhu Yuhuan at least hopes that future generations will not simply give up.
However, if there had been a system like constitutional monarchy at that time, Zhu Yuhuan would not have cared.
The emperor must disappear.
"Your Majesty, it has been less than a month since Datong's garrison commander Shi Heng began recruiting soldiers. It would be too dangerous for you to personally lead the troops."
"Lord Xu is right. Your Majesty should put yourself first. The country can no longer withstand any setbacks."
Several people from the cabinet originally came to report matters to Zhu Yuhuan. The most important one was naturally the matter of Zhu Jianshen being adopted by Zhu Yuhuan. Although it was nominally opposed by many people, Zhu Jianshen's adoption into Zhu Yuhuan's name would hardly change anything. He was still the eldest prince and still called Zhu Jianshen. Even the eldest prince's biological mother, Zhou Yingying, who was now promoted to a noble concubine by Zhu Yuhuan, had no objection. The opposition of several imperial censors was of no use.
Although there has been no progress in name, Zhu Yuhuan has already asked the Imperial Astronomical Observatory to calculate an auspicious day in order to complete the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the ancestors.
Now, when several people heard Zhu Yuhuan's decision, they all disagreed with it. Only Xue Xuan, who had joined the cabinet to fill the vacancy caused by Ma Yu's death, said nothing.
Zhu Yuhuan asked Han Guilan to distribute Liu Yongcheng's military report and repeated his general plan. Then he said, "Don't worry, I won't go into battle myself. I will only be in charge of the defense on the city wall."
Xu Yun immediately understood what Zhu Yuhuan meant. She wanted to restore the emperor's authority in commanding the army, and also to "verify" whether Zhu Qizhen in the hands of the Oirat was real or fake.
There are both advantages and disadvantages to doing this. The advantage is that it can wash away the stigma left on Zhu Qizhen's identity as the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, it can also take this opportunity to indirectly and completely eliminate Zhu Qizhen, who is most likely still alive and leading the way for the Oirat. The disadvantage is that once this incident comes out, Zhu Yuhuan will inevitably be associated with terms such as "killing his brother" and "rebellion".
Yu Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty's considerations are valid. Soldiers from Nanjing's Jingying and other areas have arrived, and the remaining three battalions in Beijing have been reorganized. We simply cannot allow the Oirat to continue roaming the border and harassing the surrounding towns and garrisons in Zhili. Moreover, a victory is crucial. It will not only boost morale but also stabilize public sentiment."
Zeng Heling pondered for a moment, then said truthfully, "But I'm afraid the battle during the previous border patrol was too brutal, so it's inevitable that the ministers have some concerns..."
"Leave Prime Minister Zeng Heling, Minister of War Yu Qian, and Vice Governor He Yong in Beijing to lead the troops. Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, and Marquis of Dingxi, Jiang Gui, will accompany me to Datong. We will bring 20,000 soldiers and three battalions of 3,000 men." Zhu Yuhuan's tone left no room for argument. "The rest of you will remain in the Beijing camp. Any urgent matters will be handled by the Empress Dowager Cihui."
Everyone understood that establishing the emperor's majesty was very important to Emperor Zhu Yuhuan at this moment, so they all agreed.
Those sitting here now are Zhu Yuhuan’s trusted subordinates, and are also people who are deeply bound to Zhu Yuhuan.
As king and his subjects, there was only one thing they could do, and that was to protect each other.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
