Chapter 6: Forced March
Zhu Yuhuan rested in the princess's mansion for a night. She thought for a moment, wrote another memorial, and asked Han Guilan to return to the palace to present it to the Empress Dowager.
The next morning, Zhu Yuhuan got up, changed his armor, and went to meet Liu Yongcheng early.
Although it had been a long time since the master and disciple had patrolled the border together, the tacit understanding had not faded. Liu Yongcheng had assembled his troops, but before anyone could send a message, someone reported that Princess Shunde had arrived.
The imperial censor Wang Qiang standing by was quite surprised. Although he knew that Princess Shunde was different from ordinary princesses, she was of royal birth and a woman, so she should be treated with more respect.
But if you think about it carefully, Princess Shunde was in charge of pacification, and in the imperial edict she was the "military supervisor". In addition, she had patrolled the border twice, so it was normal for her to be different from others.
Zhu Yuhuan entered the room in his usual green armor. Liu Yongcheng and Wang Qiang immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Princess Shunde."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded slightly and said, "General Liu and Censor Wang, please stand up." She glanced at Liu Yongcheng, Wang Qiang and the Tartar officials and generals in the room, and soon saw Toghto Boluo.
Tuotuo Boluo's father was appointed Left Commander-in-Chief, so it was quite normal for him to join the Imperial Guard. After all, the position of Imperial Guard had become a reward in Zhu Zhanji's hands. Even painters like Shang Xi were granted the title of Imperial Guard, not to mention that these Tartar officials had their own soldiers under their command, so serving in the Imperial Guard was a normal thing.
However, there was a difference between the ruler and his subject, so naturally the two could not talk freely like they had done during the previous archery competition.
Liu Yongcheng bowed and said, "Reporting to the Princess, the imperial army and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have all assembled. Each man has been provided with fifteen days' worth of rations, an extra bushel of wheat, and all necessary clothing and footwear. I have already enforced military discipline, and we will depart immediately."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded, turned to look at Wang Qiang, and said, "My great-grandmother has instructed that Censor Wang explain the matter of pacifying the people to me on the way, and I must not forget it when we rest during the march. I have already asked Mr. Dan'an. Censor Wang is from Baoding Prefecture and has some knowledge of Zhangde Prefecture. If General Liu and I have any misunderstandings about the local situation, Censor Wang will be happy to correct us."
Wang Qiang quickly saluted and said, "I understand."
Zhu Yuhuan then said to Liu Yongcheng: "The entire army will set out."
"yes."
Compared to the two previous border patrols, the Zhangde patrol was superior due to the relatively smooth and safe roads, greatly increasing the speed of the march. The troops marched south without changing their equipment, reaching Shunde in just nine days. While the journey wasn't exactly day and night, they didn't dare slack off.
Because Shunde and Zhangde are not far apart, and officials had already received orders to allow the rebellion-suppressing troops to station and rest there, and to inform them of the latest military intelligence.
Therefore, Liu Yongcheng ordered the army to stay in Shunde for a night and continue marching the next day.
Zhu Yuhuan's originally tense nerves finally rested for a while. He asked Wang Qiang and Liu Yongcheng to check the military situation together and discuss the matter of pacifying the people. Xu Gong and others were guarding outside the tent.
Zhu Yuhuan sat at the head of the table. After reading the entire military report, she spoke: "Zhang Puxiang and his bandits have occupied Cizhou and scattered counties and towns around it. They haven't taken the entire Zhangde Prefecture, and they haven't taken any further action. They must be exploiting and plundering the common people's wealth. It's been less than a month since the military report arrived in Beijing and the court sent troops to suppress the bandits, but the bandits have occupied very few areas. This shows that there are not many people who responded, and the bandits they have gathered are mostly ordinary people. They can't do anything."
Zhu Yuhuan pondered for a moment and said, "Military reports have arrived from the capital. His Majesty has ordered Commander Cao Tai of Zhangde and others to mobilize the imperial army to attack the bandits. Parts of Zhangde Prefecture have been re-administered by the imperial court. The two armies will soon unite and be unstoppable. I'm sure the bandits will be terrified upon hearing of the imperial decree to suppress them. They'll undoubtedly lay siege to places like Cizhou."
Liu Yongcheng was very pleased to see her logical analysis of the military report and agreed, "The Princess is absolutely right."
Wang Qiang didn't know this princess before, but today, seeing that she understood the situation so clearly and thoroughly, he couldn't help but feel secretly impressed.
No wonder the Empress Dowager dared to send a royal princess. It turned out that this princess was indeed talented. No wonder Yu Qian, who was a contemporary of his, also had contacts with this princess and praised her.
Wang Qiang and Yu Qian were both Jinshi in the 19th year of Yongle, and both had strict and upright personalities. Knowing that Yu Qian's evaluation of a person was rarely influenced by power, his praise for Princess Shunde must have been sincere.
However, Yu Qian's praise for Zhu Yuhuan at that time focused on farming. Wang Qiang just thought that Princess Shunde was kind-hearted and sympathized with the hard work of the farmers, which was why this happened. After all, the current Empress Dowager Cihui had established a charity and helped many poor people.
But Wang Qiang heard Zhu Yuhuan's analysis of military intelligence in an orderly manner, which showed that this eldest princess not only had a kind heart, but also had great abilities.
Zhu Yuhuan didn't know what Wang Qiang was thinking, so he just asked, "What do you think, Censor Wang?"
Wang Qiang immediately said, "Your Highness's words are reasonable. I believe that once the bandits learn that Your Highness is a disciple of the Heavenly Master and has personally visited Cizhou, as long as you issue a letter of pacification and treat the people involved in the rebellion leniently, the bandits will surely surrender, and we can capture Cizhou and other places without bloodshed."
Most of these people were deceived by Zhang Puxiang and others with the so-called Buddhist teachings. Now that they see the government troops attacking the city, they must be very frightened. As long as we patiently persuade them to surrender, perhaps we can protect the ordinary people in Cizhou City.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at him, smiled slightly, and asked, "What Censor Wang said is quite good, but if the bandits fight to the death, the already imperiled civilians in the city will be even more vulnerable. When weapons clash, bloodshed is inevitable. Only in this way can our measures to deter the bandits and appease the civilians be truly effective."
Zhu Yuhuan pulled out another copy of the military report and handed it to Wang Qiang to read carefully. He said, "Before leaving the capital, I wrote to the Empress Dowager, pleading for grain to be transferred from the granaries in Shunde Prefecture and Baoding Prefecture to provide relief to the people who followed the rebellion. The Empress Dowager has approved it, and the grain will be sent soon."
This document states that the report from the current Prince of Zhao, Zhu Zhanhan, arrived in the capital after Zhu Yuhuan and others set out. It briefly described the situation in Zhangde Prefecture, and compiled the reports from previous years on disasters in Zhangde Prefecture and other places. It can be seen that the reason these people followed Zhang Puxiang was probably because the harvest was too poor, and the local government probably did not stop collecting land taxes as required by the court, which led to the people following Zhang Puxiang in rebellion.
However, the local censors and the Jinyiwei were unaware of this act of lip service, or they did not intend to "notice" it and did not report it, which led to the accumulation of public resentment and thus triggered this uprising. It can be seen that the local administration needs to be properly rectified.
For the common people of this era, as long as they had something to eat and drink, they probably wouldn't consider rebelling, which could lead to fatal disasters.
If you don't rebel, you will die. If you rebel, you will also die. At least you can die with a full stomach. No one would sit and wait to die.
Zhu Yuhuan asked Huai En to take out a booklet and compare it with the other memorial. He then continued, "In addition, the Empress Dowager has also approved my opinion. The cabinet has issued an order to treat the surrendered people as landless refugees. Those with land in their original place of origin will be sent back. Those without land in their original place of origin will have land re-allocated to them for cultivation in prefectures, counties, and cities such as Zhangde and Baoding. No tax grain will be levied for two years. Single households with only 50 mu of land for cultivation will have their land tax reduced."
Wang Qiang nodded repeatedly, feeling somewhat annoyed. He said, "I had never thought of this. After all, these people participated in the rebellion, and being able to save their lives is already a blessing..."
Once involved in the rebellion, as long as there was even a slight connection, they would inevitably die, not to mention the ordinary people who really followed Zhang Puxiang to resist the government troops. He only wanted to save their lives as much as possible, but he did not expect the court to be so tolerant and generous.
Zhu Yuhuan saw through Wang Qiang's inner thoughts and explained, "With the new emperor inheriting the throne, it's time to demonstrate his benevolence. Furthermore, Your Majesty, taught by our father, is determined to rule the world with benevolence. How could you have the heart to execute these deceived people?" She remained calm and said, "Even though the people have abandoned you, how can you allow them to die? Only by bringing the culprit to justice is justice."
Wang Qiang immediately responded, "Your Highness is right. I am narrow-minded."
Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand and said, "The laws of the country are strict. Your Majesty is handling today's matter only out of consideration for the people. If anyone else dares to rebel in the future, they may not be dealt with so leniently."
This was because Zhu Qizhen had just ascended the throne, and Empress Dowager Zhang hoped that Zhu Qizhen could secure the throne as soon as possible and have a reputation for being benevolent and magnanimous, so she dealt with it leniently. If this matter had happened a few years later, I am afraid that none of these people would have been left alive.
Wang Qiang also understood this and said, "If the people knew the emperor's great grace, they would surely be filled with gratitude."
He couldn't help but secretly sigh in his heart that the eldest princess had dared to anticipate this and make so many preparations in advance.
Zhu Yuhuan nodded gently and instructed: "When Censor Wang writes his article on appeasement, he must mention these measures to pacify the people."
"I understand."
Zhu Yuhuan motioned Huai En to come forward, and Huai En took out a blueprint and said, "This is the blueprint of the hydraulic farm tools that Your Highness brought from Wunong Temple."
Zhu Yuhuan then continued, "Although the government funds the manufacture of farm tools at a low cost, the quantity is too small to benefit all the people. Therefore, I have asked the Empress Dowager for permission to release the blueprints and make them public. This way, wealthy people, or villagers who pool their money, can ask local agricultural officials for blueprints and make their own farm tools. They can use the tools themselves or rent them to fellow villagers. Self-made farm tools must be registered and numbered with the government. If they don't have a number, they will be confiscated by the government, and local officials will be required to send personnel to verify and inspect them."
She said seriously, "As for water-powered farm tools, such as water mills and water saws, they can also be used for agricultural work. We can recruit these refugees, provide them with subsidies, and offer them work in lieu of relief. This will give them the financial backing they need to make a living, and prevent them from returning to their old ways."
If simply providing disaster relief and food could solve the problem, then many uprisings in history would probably not have happened. This approach of treating the symptoms but not the root cause is far from enough.
After listening to Zhu Yuhuan's words, Wang Qiang came back to his senses after a long time. This time, he was truly convinced by the princess. He said respectfully, "Your Highness is absolutely right."
As an imperial censor, Wang Qiang excelled at finding flaws in people. When it came to matters of government, he was more critical than anyone else, and his sharp tongue had offended many. But now, facing the supposedly aloof Princess Shunde, who seemed indifferent to the suffering of the people, Wang Qiang could not help but admire her empathy for the common people.
Liu Yongcheng noticed that Wang Qiang had something in mind, and he exchanged a glance with Zhu Yuhuan. He then arranged for the rest of the people to take turns to rest and continue the march tomorrow.
After everything was arranged, Zhu Yuhuan returned to the camp to rest. Xu Gong escorted Zhu Yuhuan back to the camp and was about to leave to arrange for other people to take turns. Zhu Yuhuan waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to worry about him and said, "Just ask them to come in and give them the orders. I'll also listen."
Xu Gong responded after hearing this and continued with his arrangements, but he could always sense Zhu Yuhuan's gaze behind him, staring at him motionlessly.
Xu Gong was not born into a high-class family. His parents died early, and he had to rely on his uncle's house to grow up in hardship. Living under someone else's roof, he was often scolded by his elders. It was when Saihazhi followed Taizong to war that he was recruited from the local area into the Jinyiwei, and only then was he able to settle down and build a family in the capital.
Because of this, Xu Gong considered Saihazhi his mentor and didn't hesitate when Saihazhi urged him to protect the princess. However, he was puzzled as to why Saihazhi prioritized Princess Shunde's safety. It wasn't until he and Zhu Yuhuan toured the border twice and became a Taoist priest that Xu Gong finally grasped an answer. Zhu Yuhuan's recent arrangements only confirmed his suspicions.
Princess Shunde has her own way in mind as she was able to make plans for these people in advance. This way is not a simple way, but a way of loving the country and the people. No wonder Saihazhi appreciates and loves Princess Shunde so much.
However, it is precisely because of this kindness that Princess Shunde needs guards.
Seeing that he had settled down, the others left. Zhu Yuhuan left Xu Gong behind and asked, "How is Commander Liu Mian?"
Xu Gong had not expected Zhu Yuhuan to ask this. Although he was confused, he answered truthfully: "Commander Liu is devoted to his country and has fulfilled his duties conscientiously."
Zhu Yuhuan sneered and said, "You are such a conscientious person. Why did you delay the Zhangde incident until it became unmanageable before reporting it to the emperor?"
Xu Gong had been merely being polite, but Zhu Yuhuan's expression suddenly changed. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Commander Liu was indeed negligent in his duties this time, but the local officials and the censor are also responsible."
It wasn't that he was trying to exonerate Liu Mian, but the incident wasn't entirely Liu Mian's fault. He was probably deeply apprehensive, and dismissal was a light punishment. If His Majesty pursued other charges, Liu Mian would be in great trouble. Xu Gong was of similar age, and while he hadn't risen as fast as Liu Mian, he still sympathized with his superior, so he spoke a few words in his defense.
Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly before saying, "Although the harm caused by Zhang Puxiang's rebellion this time is not as great as the White Lotus Sect during the Yongle period, this incident happened just after the new emperor ascended the throne. The commander-in-chief cannot escape blame. I'm afraid dismissal would be a lenient punishment."
Xu Gong also understood this and said, "Your Highness is right."
Zhu Yuhuan then stated his purpose, saying, "The position of commander will be vacant. Are you interested?"
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