After the high-level military attachés of Liaodong Town in the tent voted with a show of hands, the final result was...
2:3
Of course Shi Cheng raised his hand to express his support, because this proposal was beneficial to him.
After Gan Cheng hesitated for a moment, probably considering that he had no serious conflicts with Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng, he also raised his hand to express his support.
However, except for Shi Cheng and Gan Cheng, Li Zehe, Xu He, and Li Shijie all had expressionless faces, motionless, and no intention of raising their hands.
For Li Zehe, he had already completely offended Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng, and it was difficult to resolve the conflict. It could be said that he had no intention of turning back. At this time, he naturally did not want Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng to join the game;
As for Xu He, he believed that he already had the ticket to victory and was unwilling to see the variable Ximen Sheng appear;
For Li Shijie, even putting aside his personal conflicts with Shi Cheng, he did not want a relatively strong figure like Ximen Sheng to take over the position of commander-in-chief;
Therefore, even though Zhao Junchen had clearly explained all the pros and cons, the three of them still expressed their opposition. They only considered their personal interests and were still unwilling to take into account the overall situation.
In fact, even Gan Cheng and Shi Cheng, who expressed their approval, did so entirely out of self-interest at this time.
As a result, the number of opponents was greater than the number of supporters, and Zhao Junchen's proposal was resisted for the first time and could not be passed smoothly.
This is natural and has been expected for a long time.
If these high-level military attaches in Liaodong Town were all willing to compromise, and seeing the powerful foreign invader Wu family in Shanhaiguan approaching, they would have compromised and united long ago. Why would they be so controversial and unable to reach a consensus as they are now?
Do you want an outsider like Zhao Junchen to step forward and take charge of the situation?
If these high-ranking military attachés in Liaodong Town were aware of the general situation and understood the overall situation, Liaodong Town, which clearly has the upper hand, would not have allowed the situation to deteriorate to the point where it is now.
Furthermore, if these high-level military attachés of Liaodong Town could abandon their selfishness and take the overall situation into consideration, Zhao Junchen would have no room to interfere in making trouble and would not dare to provoke Liaodong Town from the beginning.
Regardless of whether it is ancient or modern, at home or abroad, whenever there is a building that is about to collapse, or internal and external troubles, all parties are willing to abandon their own interests and overcome the difficulties. After all, there are only a handful of situations. Like in Liaodong Town, everyone is based on actuarial self-interest.
Holding each other back, watching the building collapse, and everyone perishing together, is the norm in the world.
Therefore, when Zhao Junchen saw that his proposal failed to pass, he was not surprised at all, but a trace of irony flashed in his heart.
*
But on the surface, Zhao Junchen only expressed regret and did not force it. He shook his head and sighed: "Since you do not agree with this proposal of this cabinet, let's skip this item and go directly to the last basic principle."
While speaking, Zhao Junchen gave Shi Cheng a wink, hinting that he had a backup plan and asking Shi Cheng to calm down.
Shi Cheng had reached the limit of his patience at this time and felt that the deal between him and Zhao Junchen was completely worth the loss. He first cooperated with Zhao Junchen to control He Bandit and others and took away the military power of He Bandit and others, and then watched helplessly
Zhao Junchen took the opportunity to implement Liao's salary reform, but he himself failed to achieve any of his goals.
Shi Cheng had already begun to consider flipping the table. He had now contacted his supporters in the military and had the capital to flip the table. However, when he noticed the look in Zhao Junchen's eyes, he finally held back again.
Feeling anxious, I decided to wait and see if Zhao Junchen had any other options.
At the same time, Li Zehe couldn't help but interrupt and explain: "Zhao Gechen, I hope you can understand. Bei Gong and others are not deliberately going against you, but Bei Gong and others have more concerns..."
Obviously, Li Zehe was worried that his opposition would offend Zhao Junchen.
But before Li Zehe could finish speaking, Zhao Junchen had already waved his hand and interrupted: "I have already said that the five basic principles proposed by me are just suggestions after all, and we will not force you to agree! I will not force you to agree.
I just want to reduce the disputes between you and help you reach a consensus as soon as possible. If you are unwilling to support my proposal, I will not waste time arguing and just move on to the next proposal..."
After shaking his head again, Zhao Junchen continued to talk to himself: "As for the last basic principle proposed by this cabinet, it is 'the capable ones should be selected'! The selection of the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town is of great importance, and he is the most important person in our dynasty.
An important pillar of border defense, Liaodong Town is now facing various internal and external troubles, so it must not be allowed to be stolen by an incompetent person!
According to past practice, whenever there is a replacement of the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town, specific candidates are always recommended by Liaodong Town internally before submitting a memorial to the central court to express its attitude. There is a high probability that the central court will agree with Liaodong Town.
The recommended candidate! But today is different from the past. The crises faced by Liaodong Town are all extremely difficult, so the candidate for the next commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town is extremely critical and must be carefully chosen!"
At this point, Zhao Junchen's expression and tone became more serious: "Therefore, I believe that the next person recommended by Liaodong Town should be the acting commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town, not the official commander-in-chief!
The acting commander-in-chief has the same power as the official commander-in-chief, and can also command all the soldiers in Liaodong Town. However, Liaodong Town does not have to rush to report its position to the court and fight for his official appointment as before, but has to observe for a while.
Time will determine whether the acting commander-in-chief's abilities and methods are sufficient for the position of commander-in-chief.
If the acting commander-in-chief can successfully solve the various crises in Liaodong Town, that would be the best. Liaodong Town will also submit a memorial to the court to support him formally taking over the position of commander-in-chief, but if the acting commander-in-chief can
If the soldiers are unable to solve these crises, they must be replaced in time, and talented people must be recommended and the capable ones can take over. Otherwise, everyone will be in danger of being overwhelmed!"
*
As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, the expressions of the high-ranking military attaches in Liaodong Town changed drastically once again.
Obviously, although Zhao Junchen's previous proposal failed to pass, it was still just a foreshadowing. Zhao Junchen's last proposal was the real focus!
According to Zhao Junchen's proposal, the next person Liaodong Town will recommend is just the acting commander-in-chief!
If the acting commander-in-chief cannot solve the various crises in Liaodong Town, he must be replaced immediately!
And the real next commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town must be a capable person!
There are probably three crises that Liaodong Town is currently facing. One is low internal morale and unstable military morale. The second is the coveted annexation of the Wu family in Shanhaiguan. The third is the Jianzhou Jurchen outside Fushun Pass is eyeing!
These three crises are all extremely difficult and difficult to overcome.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen has just said that if Liaodong Town cannot unite Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng, it will inevitably be unable to solve the various crises faced by Liaodong Town, so there is the former item of "uniting everyone to reduce risks"
"Proposal.
Zhao Junchen's statement is very reasonable, but the high-ranking military attaches in Liaodong Town have already rejected Zhao Junchen's proposal out of self-interest!
Under such circumstances, no matter who is elected, after losing the support of Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng, they are not very sure that they can successfully solve the various crises faced by Liaodong Town, and they may soon be forced to
If you abdicate, you can only become a scapegoat!
As a result, everyone in Liaodong Town has more variables to consider. Their faces are changing, their eyes are flashing, their hearts are racing, and they are constantly thinking about the pros and cons.
Do you want to support Zhao Junchen’s proposal?
For me, does this proposal have more benefits? Or does it have more disadvantages?
If he agrees to Zhao Junchen's proposal, should he directly compete for the position of commander-in-chief?
Or should we temporarily suppress our ambitions, elect a scapegoat first, wait until this scapegoat cannot successfully resolve various crises, and then wait for an opportunity to find a better opportunity to compete for the top position?
Zhao Junchen's proposal undoubtedly adds a lot of variables, and it is difficult to figure out the pros and cons in a short period of time.
But Zhao Junchen still didn't give them more time to think, and said directly: "It's still the old rule, the minority obeys the majority, let's vote by a show of hands."
Hearing Zhao Junchen's urging, Xu He's expression became more urgent, and he quickly winked at Li Zehe, Xu He, and Li Shijie, indicating that they must not agree to Zhao Junchen's proposal.
At this time, Xu He still thought that Li Zehe and Gan Cheng would fully support him in taking the position. He believed that he had the ticket to victory. Naturally, he was unwilling to agree to Zhao Junchen's proposal, otherwise he would have to be elected as the acting commander-in-chief.
It is impossible to secure the position of commander-in-chief once and for all.
However, Li Zehe, Xu He, and Li Shijie all showed no reaction, as if they were completely unaware of Xu He's hint.
In fact, Li Zehe, Xu He, and Li Shijie not only ignored Xu He's hint, but after a moment of silence, they all raised their palms and agreed to Zhao Junchen's proposal.
At the same time, Shi Cheng also raised his hands in agreement.
In the end, Xu He was the only one who did not raise his hand and expressed his opposition.
4:1.
This situation was still within Zhao Junchen's expectation.
Because of the sudden incident, although Li Zehe and Gan Cheng both wanted to compete for the position of commander-in-chief, they were both ill-prepared, that is, they did not think they had the winning ticket like Xu He, and Zhao Junchen's proposal
It undoubtedly bought them more preparation time, allowed them to win more allies and supporters, and also gave them more room for maneuver.
As for Li Shijie, due to the suddenness of the incident, he has been unable to get in touch with the general Li family. He can only act without permission. Naturally, he also wants to gain more time to communicate with the general Li family.
In this way, although Zhao Junchen's proposal caused countless variables, it also gave them more opportunities.
Therefore, under Zhao Junchen's urging, they all expressed their support without having time to consider more factors. Only Xu He expressed his opposition. Naturally, he was alone and looked ugly.
While raising their hands in support, Li Zehe and Gan Cheng, who had been secretly arguing before, looked at each other and seemed to have taken this opportunity to reach some tacit understanding.
In this way, Zhao Junchen's last proposal was approved again.
After seeing the voting results, Zhao Junchen nodded lightly, walked back to his seat, sat down, and concluded: "The five basic principles proposed by this cabinet are 'non-infringement' and 'all benefits'.
'If you give up, you will get something', 'Unite everyone to reduce the problem', and 'Those who are capable will live in it'... In addition to the one of 'Unite the people to reduce the problem', the other four basic principles have all been recognized and supported by everyone!
Next, you can continue to discuss things. If you encounter unresolved disputes again, handle them according to these basic principles, which will definitely help you reduce a lot of stalemate time!"
After saying that, Zhao Junchen remained silent and handed over the occasion to everyone in Liaodong Town, allowing them to continue discussing the various details and procedures for the election.
But this time, the person recommended by Liaodong Town is no longer the official commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town, but the acting commander-in-chief.
It has to be said that with these basic principles proposed by Zhao Junchen as guiding principles, Liaodong Town’s consultations were able to reduce a lot of disputes and stalemates, and save a lot of time and energy.
In other words, because of the basic principles proposed by Zhao Junchen, everyone in Liaodong Town had no intention of arguing at this time, and quickly agreed on the process and details of the election.
In short, the voting will be open to the public. Shi Cheng and Ximen Sheng are not allowed to participate. Only Li Zehe, Gan Cheng, Xu He, and Li Shijie have the right to vote. The person elected will immediately become the substitute.
The commander-in-chief has all the powers of the commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town.
At the same time, if the acting commander-in-chief is still unable to solve the predicament and crisis in Liaodong Town, another person will have to be selected and elected as the acting commander-in-chief. However, the specific process and details will not be known during the next election.
Need to discuss again.
During this period, Li Zehe also took the initiative to express the hope that Zhao Junchen could also participate in it, vote to help Liaodong Town elect a qualified acting general soldier, and obviously wanted to take the opportunity to further develop a closer relationship with Zhao Junchen.
Regarding Li Zehe's statement, the others also agreed, and even Shi Cheng did not object.
However, Zhao Junchen directly rejected the "goodwill" of everyone in Liaodong Town.
The main reason why Zhao Junchen refused to participate in this matter was because he was worried about Emperor Deqing's reaction.
In the eyes of all those who don’t know the inside story, Zhao Junchen’s experience of inspecting the Liaodong region this time was more than just running into obstacles. It was a narrow escape from death! Not only was he under house arrest for a time, but he was also affected by a mutiny. He was lucky to be able to save his life.
, did not get any benefits at all. Even if it was a coincidence that the reform of Liao's salary was promoted, it was mainly because Liaodong Town took a proactive stance under the threat of the Wu family in Shanhaiguan. In the end, it was the center of the imperial court that benefited the most.
Under such circumstances, as long as Zhao Junchen did not directly interfere with the internal affairs of Liaodong Town, Emperor Deqing's suspicion of Zhao Junchen would not deepen much.
But if Zhao Junchen directly interferes with the selection of the next Liaodong Town Commander-in-Chief, Emperor Deqing will understand that Zhao Junchen has begun to interfere with Liaodong Town's military power, and Zhao Junchen will surely fall into a big trap soon.
, maybe you will never be able to get up again.
Therefore, Zhao Junchen naturally wanted to thank the people in Liaodong Town for their goodwill gestures.
After everyone in Liaodong Town saw Zhao Junchen's firm attitude when he refused, they did not force it. In addition, they had already agreed on various details and specific procedures, so they quickly started voting.
In the end, it was Xu He, the commander-in-chief of the South Road Defense Area, who "got his wish" and was elected as the acting commander-in-chief of Liaodong Town.
However, after seeing such a result, Xu He showed no joy at all and his expression was extremely ugly.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen spoke again and said: "Congratulations to General Xu... No, it should be congratulations to Acting General Xu! Logically speaking, a grand ceremony should be held at this time, but time is running out and Wu Yingxiong will appear at any time.
Show up, so it’s better to skip this step and continue to discuss business! Now, I would like to ask General Xu to sit on top, come forward to preside over the situation, and issue military orders to the soldiers of Liaodong Town!"
As Zhao Junchen finished speaking, several other high-level military attaches in Liaodong Town also stood up and saluted, and said in unison: "I would also like to ask General Xu to take charge of the overall situation and issue military orders. The humble officers and others will obey orders and do their best to
go!"
In this way, with the support of everyone, Xu He sat on the main seat in the tent with a pale face.