Chapter 60 Distrust
Yang Pu looked at her eyes that revealed a bit of determination, and the admiration he already had in his heart increased a little bit, and he became more convinced that he had not made a mistake in choosing her.
Ordinary people all said that Princess Shunde was kind-hearted, and officials knew that Princess Shunde was versatile and resourceful. Some people privately thought that Princess Shunde was cunning and scheming, with a sweet mouth but a sharp tongue.
For those in high positions, kindness, wisdom, and cunning are all indispensable, and they must be just right, never more or less. Furthermore, one must be ruthless, never willing to trade sheep for cattle; otherwise, great things will be difficult to achieve.
Zhu Qizhen naturally agreed very much and said, "According to Mu Ang's proposal, we will recruit troops from the Huguang, Sichuan and Guizhou areas to attack Luchuan. I will appoint Jiang Guipei as the General of Suppressing the Barbarians and make him the commander-in-chief. Wang Ji will be in charge of military affairs. Tuotuo Boluo will be the lieutenant general of guerrilla warfare and lead 3,000 Tatar army flags (official soldiers from various Tatar tribes who defected to the Ming Dynasty) to attack Luchuan together."
Jiang Gui and Wang Ji were self-evident, and Toghto Boluo, though young, was a man of sound conduct and a true talent. These three had previously defeated the Tatars in the north, achieving notable military success, and now being dispatched to the southwest, they could be considered old partners.
This configuration not only proves that these three people are capable enough, but also implicitly illustrates another thing.
——Zhu Qizhen had no one else to use, and only trusted these three people. Even towards those nobles, Zhu Qizhen still remained vigilant.
Among these three people, one is a general, one is a civil servant, and the remaining one is brave and good at fighting but not reckless. Together, they can put the generals in a good place.
There is only one problem, that is, if Jiang Gui and Wang Ji are transferred to the south, what will happen to the Wala who are eyeing them covetously in the north?
As expected, someone soon raised this point, and several others came forward to add to this view, and the seemingly simple issue suddenly became more complicated.
Zhu Qizhen originally thought that this matter could be finalized in one day, but as soon as there was a slight gap, civil servants would take advantage of the situation and swoop in, making Zhu Qizhen feel even more constrained.
Wang Zhen was closest to Zhu Qizhen, so he naturally sensed the annoyance in his heart and immediately whispered to him, "Your Majesty, why don't you force me to issue an order..."
Zhu Qizhen was about to nod when he remembered that Zhu Yuhuan was still beside him. He subconsciously looked at her, but saw Zhu Yuhuan drinking tea calmly, looking relaxed and leisurely, as if he was not affected at all by the noise of the officials around him.
Zhu Qizhen said, "Let's stop here for today. You can all leave." He paused and continued, "We will convene the other officials from the six ministries for a court meeting tomorrow."
"yes."
The officials withdrew one after another. Zhu Qizhen then looked at Zhu Yuhuan and asked, "Why didn't you say anything just now, big sister?"
Zhu Yuhuan had already put down his teacup and simply looked at Zhu Qizhen and asked, "Your Majesty, don't you think that the dedication of these court officials is a blessing to the Ming Dynasty?"
Hearing Zhu Yuhuan say this, Zhu Qizhen was stunned, and then muttered: "They look so timid, how can they behave like court officials?"
"Fighting a foreign enemy is no small matter. Furthermore, the Ming Dynasty hasn't mobilized such a large force to fight an enemy in years. How could it be wrong to be cautious?" Zhu Yuhuan smiled faintly and said, "He Wenyuan is a civil official in the court, so naturally he doesn't have much understanding of frontier military affairs. That's why Your Majesty established the military examinations and founded martial arts schools to select talented individuals and give them the opportunity to serve the country with loyalty, isn't it? Once the Luchuan crisis on the border is quelled, people will naturally understand the wisdom of Your Majesty's actions."
Zhu Qizhen was young and full of energy, and he didn't like the chattering and preaching of people around him, let alone something he had already made up his mind about. But after hearing what Zhu Yuhuan said, his original resentment subsided a lot.
Zhu Qizhen sighed, but couldn't help asking, "Isn't it because I look young that they are deliberately blaming each other to fool me?"
Zhu Yuhuan hadn't expected Zhu Qizhen to care about this matter. He was stunned for a moment, then walked over to Zhu Qizhen, raised his hand and gently pressed Zhu Qizhen's shoulder, saying soothingly, "Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, young and promising. Besides, Your Majesty will eventually rule the country. How could any court official be so foolish as to dare to deceive Your Majesty?"
Zhu Qizhen was used to the feeling that everything went smoothly and naturally, and Zhu Zhanji had repeatedly warned him not to let his guard down, so once he encountered setbacks, Zhu Qizhen always felt suspicious.
Especially at the beginning of his reign, there was a rumor that Prince Xiang had come to Beijing to succeed to the throne. This news happened to come from court officials. The feeling of a young ruler and a country in doubt was the most unbearable for the proud Zhu Qizhen.
Zhu Yuhuan's words were like still waters running deep, easing Zhu Qizhen's restlessness. He responded and then asked, "Today, my eldest sister took my second sister and Yu'er out to look at the site for the mansion. Have you chosen one yet?"
Talking about such a lighthearted topic, Zhu Yuhuan's face lit up with a smile as he said, "The sites submitted are all excellent. Tongtong and Yu'er had already chosen them. It's just that the matter happened so suddenly that they are still dining outside the palace."
"As long as they are satisfied."
Zhu Yuhuan sighed inwardly, then said, "What the officials said today was not false. Jiang Gui will be transferred to fight in the southwest, and the northern border must be guarded more strictly. The Oirat people are cunning and insidious, and they may have bribed certain officials to gather state intelligence. Sending a large army to attack Luchuan is a major event that everyone in the country knows about, and the news will inevitably leak to the Oirat people. Your Majesty must be even more cautious."
When Wang Zhen, who was standing nearby, heard Zhu Yuhuan mention Wala, his heart tightened and his throat became dry.
The eunuch Guo Jing, who guarded Datong, had connections with the Oirat and had approached Wang Zhen with the intention of smuggling weapons and valuables. Wang Zhen certainly wouldn't miss this opportunity to make money. The logistics of the Luchuan expedition inevitably had to go through Wang Zhen's hands, making it easier for him to profit from it. This was much easier and faster than extorting officials who came to Beijing to report on their work.
But now Zhu Yuhuan suddenly pointed this out, Wang Zhen was not sure whether Zhu Yuhuan knew about these things, and he couldn't help feeling a little scared.
Although the emperor trusted him, he also trusted the eldest princess. In this respect alone, he was far inferior to the eldest princess, the emperor's blood relative.
Zhu Qizhen nodded in understanding and said, "If we can't handle it properly, I'm afraid those ministers will start nagging again."
Zhu Yuhuan couldn't help but smile and said, "After all, it's for the sake of Your Majesty and the country. Your Majesty is so tolerant, and the court officials must be grateful."
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