When the elders and Tong Huan hurried to the imperial study, they were quickly summoned by Emperor Deqing.
When everyone entered the royal study, Zuo Lanshan looked proud with his head held high and his steps brisk, completely losing his timid and cautious attitude.
In fact, perhaps because the situation in the past few days was too frustrating, Zuo Lanshan was not only extremely proud at this time, but also a little carried away.
After meeting Emperor Deqing, Zuo Lanshan ignored the more senior Shen Changmao and the more senior Zhou Shangjing and reported loudly: "Congratulations to Your Majesty, news of the Great Victory on the Weishui River has come from Shaanxi and Gansu again. !”
Regarding Zuo Lanshan's performance, the other pavilion elders couldn't help but frown, thinking that Zuo Lanshan was a villain.
On the other side, after hearing Zuo Lanshan's report, Emperor Deqing also raised his head from the pile of memorials on the imperial case, but frowned slightly and said: "Oh? Zhao Junchen has received good news again? This time Isn’t the good news about the news vague again?”
This was already the third good news that Zhao Junchen sent to the imperial center. The first good news was that Zhao Junchen encountered thousands of Mongolian cavalry raids when he just entered Shaanxi and Gansu. In the end, Zhao Junchen only relied on hundreds of people around him. The guards relied on the terrain to completely defeat the Mongolian cavalry, but the results of this victory report were so unbelievable that it naturally aroused many doubts; the second victory report was a memorial about the Xiaochuan River battle, but it was unclear and had no details. Circumstantial evidence has also attracted a lot of criticism.
In short, Zhao Junchen's first two good news reports caused countless debates after they were sent to the capital. Emperor Deqing also doubted whether they were true or false, and he also spent a lot of energy mediating the fierce debates among officials. Therefore, Emperor Deqing After hearing Zuo Lanshan's victory, there was not much joy on his face, but he felt a faint headache.
Seeing that Emperor Deqing's expression was not too happy, Zuo Lanshan realized that he had not explained the matter clearly, and quickly said: "Report to your majesty, this time it is about Mr. Zhao personally leading the Shaanxi-Gansu border army and the Mongolian coalition forces in the Wei River. The victory of the decisive battle on the south bank. After this battle, Mr. Zhao has completely annihilated the 100,000 Mongolian coalition forces that invaded Shaanxi and Gansu. In total, he captured nearly 30,000 enemy heads, captured more than 13,000 prisoners, and captured a total of eight war horses. More than a thousand horses, countless military resources, and the Mongolian coalition coach Bagan was captured alive! It can be said to be conclusive evidence! The evidence is solid! Especially with so many prisoners, and even the Mongolian coach was captured alive, these things are definitely not false. We’ll find out when the time comes!”
After saying that, Zuo Lanshan glanced at Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao from the corner of his eye, and then said: "I think the reason why Mr. Zhao's last success report was vague is because after the Xiaochuan River War ended He had to rush to the south bank of the Wei River to prepare for the decisive battle, so he did not bother to count the results of the battle. The victory report was naturally not detailed enough, which is enough to show that what Mr. Zhao did during this period can definitely be regarded as a dedication. , I have worked so hard! But I didn’t expect that just because the good news was vague, it would attract countless suspicions and criticisms, which is really chilling. Now that the truth has been revealed, I don’t think anyone will say weird things anymore!”
As Zuo Lanshan finished speaking, Shen Changmao and Cheng Yuandao suddenly turned pale.
On the other side, after hearing Zuo Lanshan's detailed report, Emperor Deqing was stunned for a moment, then stood up suddenly, stared and asked loudly: "What did you say? Zhao Junchen wiped out 100,000 Mongolian coalition forces?"
And captured the leader of the Mongolian coalition alive?"
Seeing Emperor Deqing's dumbfounded look, Zuo Lanshan smiled even more and said, "That's true! According to Mr. Zhao, after this battle, the Mongols have been severely weakened and can secure the northwest frontier.
Peace for the next ten years! Your Majesty, this is a great joy!"
After confirming the news again, Emperor Deqing finally showed ecstasy and laughed loudly: "It is indeed a great thing! The 100,000 Mongolian army was completely wiped out, and the Mongolian coach was even captured alive! Even Taizu did it back then.
It is rare to have such great achievements! I was able to achieve such great military exploits during my reign, which will definitely be recorded in the annals of history and passed down for thousands of years. I will finally be worthy of my ancestors! Where is the good news? Bring it to me quickly!"
Emperor Deqing was an emperor who loved great achievements, and he was extremely concerned about his evaluation of himself in the history books a hundred years later. However, he had not left any achievements worthy of boasting in the decades since he ascended the throne. This has always been in Emperor Deqing's heart.
Unfortunately, now that he suddenly received the actual battle report of the victory on the Weishui River, Emperor Deqing's first reaction was naturally one of endless joy.
However, when Emperor Deqing received the good news and read it carefully, the smile on his face gradually became forced.
*
The content of this victory report is certainly based on solid evidence. Whether it is the 30,000 prisoners or the capture of the Mongolian coach Bagan, there is no falsehood. It only takes an investigation afterwards to distinguish the true from the false. Therefore, Emperor Deqing no longer
I suspect that Zhao Junchen lied about his military exploits this time.
However, what Emperor Deqing couldn't accept was that the victory report only mentioned Zhao Junchen's remarkable achievements in personally leading the Shaanxi-Gansu frontier army to annihilate the Mongolian coalition. It was obviously taking the most credit, but there was no mention of it at all.
Mention Liang Fuchen’s name!
At this time, Emperor Deqing still didn't know about Liang Fuchen's kidnapping. Zhao Junchen's last secret only said that Liang Fuchen fell seriously ill after entering Shaanxi and Gansu. However, Emperor Deqing believed that Liang Fuchen had gone through this period of recuperation.
His condition should have improved after that, and Liang Fuchen was a man of firm will and dedicated to his duties. When faced with such an important battle as the Weishui Decisive Battle, he would actively participate in it even if he was ill, even if he could not personally command the battle on the front line.
, will also stay in the rear to take charge of the overall situation, and coupled with Liang Fuchen's status as the imperial envoy, Liang Fuchen's name should be mentioned in this victory report anyway.
Liang Fuchen was a core member of the "Emperor Party" and his loyalty to Emperor Deqing was unquestionable. Emperor Deqing had always had great trust in him, so Emperor Deqing naturally hoped that this illustrious military exploit could be attributed to Liang Fuchen.
As long as Liang Fuchen's name is mentioned in this victory report, Emperor Deqing will attribute the first credit to Liang Fuchen. Zhao Junchen can only get a secondary credit at most. The court will also deliberately publicize this victory in the future.
Highlight Liang Fuchen's role and let the world ignore Zhao Junchen's achievements. In this case, Zhao Junchen will not benefit too much in the end. At the same time, after Liang Fuchen has such outstanding military exploits, he will take over as the chief minister of the cabinet and help Emperor Deqing control
The cabinet's plan came naturally.
But the reality is cruel. Liang Fuchen obviously did not play any role in the war, so the victory report only mentioned Zhao Junchen's achievements, but did not mention Liang Fuchen's name at all, as if Liang Fuchen did not exist at all.
Such a battlefield victory that is rare in a century is naturally a good thing, but if all the credit for this victory goes to Zhao Junchen, it may not be a good thing for Emperor Deqing.
In the eyes of Emperor Deqing, Zhao Junchen was just a chamber pot used to attract public and official grievances. When the new emperor ascended the throne, he was just a fat pig to be killed to establish his authority. But if Zhao Junchen was allowed to monopolize such great military exploits,
, wouldn’t it mean that his reputation would be completely reversed, and he would even become a famous minister recorded in the annals of history?
In this way, how could Emperor Deqing still use Zhao Junchen to attract resentment between the government and the public? How could the next emperor still kill him to establish his authority?
The most important thing is that Zhao Junchen is only in his mid-twenties, but he is already a second-rank official in the imperial court and one of the powerful officials in the temple. If he is allowed to have such illustrious military exploits, wouldn't it be a disaster?
Will he directly enter the cabinet to govern? Judging from Zhao Junchen's age, he will have at least 30 to 50 years to run the government and the public. Wouldn't he be more terrifying in the end than Zhou Shangjing today? By then, will the Ming Dynasty's surname be Zhu?
Or is your surname Zhao?
From this point of view, Emperor Deqing would rather let Zhou Shangjing get this military honor. Although Zhou Shangjing is wily and powerful, and has been fighting openly and secretly with Emperor Deqing for decades, he is more than seventy years old after all. Sooner or later,
He will leave the core of the temple to retire and return to his hometown, but he does not have as many hidden dangers as Zhao Junchen.
After this battle, will the attitude of civil scholars and ordinary people towards Zhao Junchen change? After Zhao Junchen personally led the Ming army to annihilate the Mongolian coalition, will he be supported by the army's lieutenants? With such a distinguished figure
After the military exploits, will the influence of the "Zhao Party" expand rapidly?
Emperor Deqing was well aware of the emperor's thoughts and was most sensitive to changes in political power. However, at this time, he thought of these things in an instant, and became even more wary of Zhao Junchen.
I originally thought that I just had a domestic cat that I could control at will, but suddenly I found that this domestic cat turned into a tiger that could eat people at any time. This was probably how Emperor Deqing felt at this time.
*
While his thoughts were changing, Emperor Deqing slowly raised his head, and the smile on his face returned to its original state, as if he was now wholeheartedly happy for this great victory.
"Zhao Junchen was worthy of my trust in them. He annihilated the Mongolian army of 100,000 men and captured the Mongolian coach Bagan alive. It really made me proud!" After a pause, Emperor Deqing hesitated for a moment.
Then he said: "Of course, although Liang Fuchen's name was not mentioned in this victory report, it was only said that Zhao Junchen personally sat on the front line to direct the battle, but I think Liang Fuchen, as an imperial envoy, also had the credit of staying behind to command the overall situation!"
Emperor Deqing did not want Zhao Junchen to take all the credit, so he still planned to use Liang Fuchen to divide Zhao Junchen's achievements.
After having such irrefutable military achievements, Zuo Lanshan was emboldened. After seeing Emperor Deqing's statement, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, Zhao Junchen has always understood the rules. As long as he
It was Mr. Liang Ge who played a role in this war, so he would definitely be ranked first. However, Mr. Liang Ge's name was not mentioned at all in this victory report. In addition, Mr. Zhao mentioned it in his last secret message.
The fact that Mr. Liang Ge is seriously ill is obviously because Mr. Liang Ge remained in the rear to recuperate before his illness recovered and was unable to play any role!"
After Zhou Shangjing's eyes fluctuated for a moment, he also said: "Your Majesty, I also think that Mr. Liang Ge may not have played much role this time. Mr. Liang Ge is a practical and upright veteran, and his character has always been This is something that the old minister admires in his heart. If he is allowed to receive salary without merit and enjoy his success, I am afraid it will only embarrass him."
As Zuo Lanshan and Zhou Shangjing expressed their opinions one after another, Shen Changmao, Cheng Yuandao, and Li He next to them also expressed their agreement after hesitating for a while.
Of course they don't want Zhao Junchen to take all the credit, but they all understand that Emperor Deqing wants to push Liang Fuchen to become the chief minister of the cabinet and then control the cabinet, so they don't want Emperor Deqing to take the first credit for this victory. It's on Liang Fuchen's head! After all, the battles between the major factions in the temple are ultimately internal disputes among the officials. Either the east wind overwhelms the west wind, or the west wind overwhelms the east wind. It is not a big deal for Zhao Junchen to be proud for a while. There will be opportunities in the future. To win back the game, but if Emperor Deqing were to control the cabinet, the nature would be completely different.
Seeing several pavilion elders refuting his attitude, Emperor Deqing's eyes flashed with anger.
Especially when I saw Zuo Lanshan's attitude of actively fighting for Zhao Junchen's interests, I was even more annoyed.
Ever since he noticed that Zhao Junchen's rise was gradually becoming uncontrollable, Emperor Deqing wanted to use Zuo Lanshan to split the "Zhao Party" and weaken Zhao Junchen's power and influence. After all, Zuo Lanshan was the second in command of the "Zhao Party" Although his apparent identity is that of a cabinet minister, he is much more noble than Zhao Junchen and is fully qualified to compete with Zhao Junchen.
During this period, the major parties took advantage of Zhao Junchen's departure from the capital to criticize the "Zhao Party" officials. However, the "Zhao Party" did not suffer too much losses from beginning to end. This was not because Zuo Lanshan could hold on. The scene, withstand the pressure, was because of the secret protection of Emperor Deqing, and Emperor Deqing did this to allow Zuo Lanshan to establish prestige within the "Zhao Party" and let the "Zhao Party" officials understand that Zuo Lanshan Lanshan can also protect them and lay the foundation for the future split of the "Zhao Party".
Emperor Deqing also hinted at this situation to Zuo Lanshan many times.
It's a pity that Zuo Lanshan is not that kind of ambitious person, and he doesn't have the courage to be an enemy of Zhao Junchen. At this time, he even looks like Zhao Junchen is showing off after making great military exploits, so Emperor Deqing can only I feel that this man is an Adou who cannot be helped up, a natural dog who only knows how to wag his tail to please his master.
"Zuo Lanshan is such a genius! As a cabinet minister, he only knows how to follow Zhao Junchen's lead, and he doesn't feel ashamed! Not only does he turn a blind eye to my painstaking efforts, he is also extremely stupid and has no vision! Could it be that he can't understand? After Zhao Junchen has achieved such achievements, it is very likely that he will enter the cabinet to assist the government, but neither I nor Zhou Shangjing, nor Shen Changmao and other cabinet ministers will tolerate the appearance of two people in the cabinet. Member of the Zhao Party? If Zhao Junchen really enters the cabinet, doesn't it mean that he will be out of the cabinet soon! This fool just can't understand this truth! "
Although secretly angry, Emperor Deqing remained calm on the surface, and did not continue to argue with everyone. He nodded and said: "This victory report is just to inform the court of the outcome of the war. As for whether Liang Fuchen had anything during the war, It is better to wait until the merit memorial is sent to the capital before making any judgment!"
Having said this, Emperor Deqing narrowed his eyes slightly and continued: "At this time, I am more concerned about two other things... The first thing is the confidential content that Zhao Junchen submitted to me some time ago.
In that secret message, Zhao Junchen swore that he could defeat the Mongolian coalition. He also believed that there would be an opportunity to further regain the Hetao after the war, so that the court could prepare early. But at that time, we, the emperor and his ministers, were not sure that Zhao Junchen would be able to lead the army.
Although the army was well prepared to defeat the Mongolian coalition, it was not particularly adequate. Now that Zhao Junchen has fulfilled his promise and has indeed wiped out the Mongolian coalition in one fell swoop, it is time for the imperial court to take action!"
As he spoke, Emperor Deqing's expression was vaguely excited.
After all, Zhao Junchen's hidden danger lies in the future. For Emperor Deqing, if he can regain the Loop during his reign, his future evaluation in history books will be much improved. After the funeral, he can even add a "holy" to the temple name.
Words to show honor.
After a pause, Emperor Deqing's eyes flashed with fear, and he added: "Of course, even if the imperial court wants to send troops to recover the Hetao, it will still have to be handed over to Liang Fuchen. Liang Fuchen is an old minister.
The situation on the side is also more familiar, and he is more stable after all... As for Zhao Junchen, he has indeed worked hard during this period, so I plan to let him return to the capital immediately. On the one hand, he will have a good rest, and on the other hand, he will be in the temple.
All matters concerning Zhao Junchen cannot be separated from him, especially the post-war military merit awards and the logistical preparations for sending troops to Hetao, all of which need his help... But before Zhao Junchen returns to the capital, the court must make up its mind as soon as possible.
How to reward Zhao Junchen for his achievements during this period!... This is the second thing!"
After hearing what Emperor Deqing said, everyone present had stern expressions, knowing that the highlight was coming!