In the Chengyun Hall of Prince Su's Mansion, the eunuch Zhenghua held his head high and waited for the thunder to fall. Palladium
When Fang Zhenghua received this mission from the emperor, he knew that his trip would probably never come back.
After all, the emperor is famous for his diligence, and in recent months, the emperor's main job is to curse people, and Fang Zhenghua has also noticed it. Now this imperial letter is probably the emperor's emotions that have not yet been vented and have nowhere to put them. .
Shaanxi's Chen Qiyu, Lian Guoshi, Hong Chengchou from the Three Sides, and Shanxi's Zhang Zongheng were all scolded. As the eunuch Bingbi ranked lowest among the ceremonial supervisors, Fang Zhenghua watched the emperor's thoughts in the Qianqing Palace every day. I think about how to get rid of all these losers.
In fact, the emperor has grown up and no longer does the business of beheading generals in battle, so he just goes through them with the knife in his heart first.
The emperor even scolded Yang Jiamo. After the scolding, he discovered that Yang Jiamo had died for his country in Gansu. He was extremely ashamed and sad. He also performed Buddhist services in the palace to pay homage to the fallen soldiers and refugees. He cried so hard that he couldn't help himself.
Then there is this letter sent all the way to Liu Chengzong. You don’t have to think about the content of the letter. There are definitely no swear words between the lines, but the lethality must be better than the swear words.
Fang Zhenghua also tried to refuse this mission, but the emperor insisted that he deliver it in person, and there was nothing he could do. After all, the emperor had shown him a real kindness in knowing and helping him. Palladium
He was too young. He entered the palace at the age of seventeen during the Tianqi period. Because of his loyal and courageous temperament and his tall and burly appearance, he was highly valued by Gao Shiming, the then Superintendent of Ceremonies, and was selected as a servant of Kunning Palace. Now he is the chief minister of the Supervisor of Ceremonies One of the pen eunuchs, in charge of Fusi in Beizhen, and has a great reputation in the inner court.
The emperor's kindness of knowing him had to be repaid. Even if the Marshal's Mansion was a dragon's pond and a tiger's den, he had to break through.
Of course, Fang Zheng had made sufficient preparations before arriving. He dismissed all the servants in the capital and wrote a suicide note.
There was nothing in the suicide note. He entered the palace because an earthquake occurred in his hometown in Shandong during the Tianqi years. The earthquake was not very destructive, but it wiped out his whole family. Naturally, there were no descendants after entering the palace. The content of the suicide note was nothing more than death. After he died, he donated his house in the capital to the nursing home, donated his property to Luo Zeyuan, and had a tomb built for him.
In addition, he asked his old boss Gao Shiming to take him to see Cao Huachun, the admiral in charge of military affairs in the capital.
They are all eunuchs who serve as the Supervisor of Ceremonies, but their qualifications are different, they are responsible for different affairs, their power is different, and their status is naturally not equal. The most important thing is that before this, Fang Zhenghua had a bad relationship with Cao Huachun.< /p>
To be precise, Fang Zhenghua did not have a good relationship with most eunuchs, because even though he was a eunuch, he always held the concept that it was nonsense for eunuchs to serve as guard eunuchs. Palladium< /p>
He told Chongzhen more than once that only extraordinary people can turn the world from danger to peace. The emperor needs to find such people from the outer court. We, the people in the inner court, are just for the royal family to send orders and envoys. They cannot take on the big task - go out of town. In this place, if you can eat all day long and do nothing, then you are already the best guard eunuch in the world.
It would be strange to say such words without offending other eunuchs.
Does Chongzhen understand this kind of truth? How many serious people are eunuchs? The threshold of this profession determines that there are no great talents in civil and military affairs. If one code is the same, the sect has to be sent.
The probability of eunuchs causing harm to the place is high, but the things that eunuchs do to the place cannot be hidden in the court. At least Chongzhen could know what happened in the place.
But Cao Huachun was the one who came before. Not only did he come, but he also returned alive and became the eunuch who knew Liu Chengzong best in the Forbidden City.
Facing the request of the younger generation, Cao Huachun did a lot of homework for Fang Zhenghua. The eighty-page booklet included seven pages of interpersonal relationships between generals and officers at all levels in the Marshal's Mansion, and twelve pages of matters needing attention in the Marshal's Mansion.
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Among them, Marshal Liu's domineering examples only occupy a small space of 60 pages, and there is another page of Cao Huachun's own experience. Palladium
In Cao Huachun's description, Liu Chengzong was like a lazy mad dog. He had no idea when this man would go crazy, but the Liu Chengzong he saw in front of him gave Fang Zhenghua a strong sense of contrast.
He came all the way from the capital
Not only did he bring the imperial letter to Liu Chengzong, he also brought encouragement to Zuo Liangyu in Guanzhong, Zhang Yingchang in Hexi, He Renlong, Yang Yanchang, Ren Quan'er and other generals along the way.
After crossing the pass and heading west, we also saw with our own eyes the Marshal's Mansion's heavy military group stationed in Lanzhou. They built this land like a large fortress complex, with strong soldiers and generals stationed everywhere. Every camp they passed was practicing day and night, as if they were in the process of fighting.
Prepare for a new attack on Hexi.
The biggest feeling this army brought to Fang Zhenghua was not that it was a powerful force, but that the finances of the Marshal's Mansion were really good.
Because first of all, when he was in the court, what he felt was that the court was short of money, the officers and soldiers were short of money, and everywhere was short of money. On the other hand, the impression of the rebels from the court was that they were extremely poor and had no food to eat.
You can only rely on robbing.
However, what Fang Zhenghua saw was not the case. The troops of the Marshal's Mansion and the Lintao Brigade stationed on the front line of Jikou looked in worse condition, and their mental outlook was no different from that of most officers and soldiers.
But near Lanzhou, the army belonging to Wang Wenxiu, the governor of Lanzhou, was not only well-fed, but also well-fed and very well-equipped. Palladium
Fang Zhenghua is tall and strong in martial arts. He has read several military books. He likes to talk about military affairs when bragging to others in the palace, but he has never led a soldier in a war. He knows in his heart that he cannot be said to know the military, but even he can see it.
, the Marshal's Army has great potential in warfare.
Compared with this army, Liu Chengzong, who was sitting upright in Chengyun Hall, seemed not so special.
Even the Chengyun Hall looked shabby because it was occupied by Liu Chengzong. There were only six Yulin Cavalry wearing waist-length armor, four of them were holding hooks and sickles to protect them, and two of them were standing on Liu Chengzong's left and right holding golden melons...
The pomp is even worse than that of a general.
If I had to sum up my impression of Liu Chengzong, it might be that he was stable, so frighteningly stable. When he looked at the imperial letter filled with unpleasant words, he only frowned at first, and then took it indifferently, not knowing what he was thinking. p>
After a long while, he saw Liu Chengzong in the palace put down his royal letter and asked him: "Eunuch Fang, let's have a meal together?"
Fang Zhenghua was dumbfounded. You don't care about the good or the bad after reading Yu Xin. You should have some reaction, right? Just like that, you passed after reading it without saying a word?
Liu Chengzong did not think about the possibility that his invitation would be rejected, so he directly made a gesture to Yu Linqi who was standing by and asked them to prepare the throne. Palladium
In fact, it’s funny to say that although the Yulin Cavalry sent to him by his father is a valet, his responsibility is not to protect him with force. On the contrary, if an accident really happens, he may be required to protect the Yulin Cavalry.
The fighting abilities of the six valets around him are basically at the level of well-nourished recruits. For him, if they are all empty-handed, Yu Lin will be full of flaws wherever he goes. It takes one punch to defeat one, and six
One, that’s six punches.
It would be easier if they all had weapons, and they might be able to kill six without six swords.
But if he is empty-handed and the Yulin Cavalry has a weapon, he will have no choice but to run away. The same is true for the guard's ability to protect him. How can someone in the Marshal's Palace wear armor and hold a weapon and touch him?
Therefore, relatively speaking, it is actually good for the Yulinqiu to have these Yulinqi from the Children's Camp as valets. They are all educated. Not only the senior generals of the Marshal's Mansion, but also the senior generals of the Marshal's Office who work around him are at least Huben.
The junior officers of the battalion can learn a lot.
On the other hand, you can also do something around him, without wasting money and food like in a children's camp. When do people not learn? As long as you have learned the culture and have a foundation, with the same level of effort, practicing martial arts is better than having no culture.
People learn quickly.
The young Yu Linqi in the palace was moved upon hearing the sound, and quickly started to arrange a banquet hall in the palace. The architectural layout of the Ming Dynasty did not have a special banquet hall, and it was usually arranged in the main hall when needed. Palladium
Yu Linqi had received Yang Dingrui's education in etiquette. When he was not studying in Xincheng, he often helped Liu Xiangyu by hosting banquets for the families of the generals in the Marshal's Mansion, so he was very comfortable with tasks such as decorating banquet halls.
Because the Marshal's Mansion was so big and there was a need for banquets, the Baigong Bureau specially made a batch of furnishings for the banquets and sent them to Prince Su's Mansion before Liu Chengzong arrived in Lanzhou.
Soon, a simple banquet for two
The hall is arranged in the Chengyun Hall, with a total of two sets of public seats.
The public seat is also the seat in the banquet. The furnishings are very simple, including four pieces: a floor, a screen, a koan, and a seat.
The ground is the base. If conditions are unavailable, tapestries, carpets or even felts can be used. If conditions permit, a low table slightly higher than the ground can be used.
The screen is a simple landscape painting, placed behind the seats; the koan is a long case for handling official business, and a red moiré brocade table surround is hung; the seats are simple armchairs, and the tables and chairs are not made of precious wood, but are all ordinary
of elm.
The tableware on the koan is a little more exquisite. The bowls, plates, cups, and cups are all made of plain-glazed Xining kiln porcelain. This was the kiln factory established after the Marshal's Palace entered Qinghai. It was originally used to house the kiln workers from the Han Dynasty Palace.
All are the craftsmanship of Yaozhou Kiln. Palladium
While Yu Linqi was decorating the banquet hall, Liu Chengzong sat in the hall without saying a word, thinking about the letter written by the emperor.
In this letter, Liu Chengzong could see Chongzhen's anger through the paper, but the emperor did not mention a word about what happened in Gansu. All his anger came from the city rewards outside Xuan Dakou and the death of Yang Jiamo.
He was angry that Liu Chengzong gave the city reward to the Three Khans of Mobei.
Apparently, matters outside the border were so critical that Chongzhen turned a blind eye to Gansu, which was farther away. He sent eunuchs to deliver the message all the way, scolding Liu Shishi, and frantically venting his panic.
Liu Chengzong's feelings about this letter were a bit complicated. On the one hand, he felt that he should be angered, but on the other hand, could he be blamed for what happened outside the Xuan University?
Whoever is your problem should be solved by you. Xuanda Bianwai in Shanxi Province has nothing to do with me. Can the problem be solved by scolding me?
If the emperor scolded him about the incident in Gansu, he might become really angry. Palladium
But the emperor scolding him about Xuanda couldn't break Liu Chengzong's defense at all, it could only make him feel confused.
Another thing mentioned in the letter was the death of Yang Jiamo. Liu Shizi also felt very sorry for this. Not only did you, Chongzhen, offer sacrifices to the monks in the palace, I also offered sacrifices to the fallen soldiers outside Gaotai City.
Therefore, Liu Shizi was not angry at all about the letter. He just stood up from the palace and sat opposite Fang Zhenghua. Then he raised his hand to signal Fang Zhenghua to sit down and asked, "Xuan Dabianwai, is there a fight?" p>
Fang Zhenghua, who had just taken off his hat and sat down, instinctively responded. Just when he was about to explain, he realized that what he was doing was wrong and he simply stopped talking.
How should I put this? The eunuch himself is a person who works for the royal family. He is too accustomed to this kind of atmosphere where others give orders and he answers.
Liu Chengzong also noticed this, chuckled lightly, took the milk wine from the nearby waiter, poured a bowl and said: "Anyone can handle the matter of delivering letters. The emperor's chief ritual officer, eunuch Bingbi, came here just because you know
There are many, I ask you to answer, say what you can say, and don't say what you can't say - there is nothing that cannot be said about things outside the mouth."
Fang Zhenghua thought this was the truth, but what if you allied with the Donglu forces? He shook his head and said, "We only received the emperor's order to deliver a message, and we did not have the opportunity to report the military situation. I'm afraid there is nothing we can say to the marshal." Palladium<
/p>
"There's a lot I can say. Donglu once sent me an envoy, but I sent him back. However, I'm very interested in their army. If they weren't too far away, I would be more willing to fight with them than with Yang Jiamo.
"Tell me, who are the people on the border this year? What is the strength of the Eight Banners? And in Khalkha in Mobei, has the imperial court rewarded them with the city?"
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"Eight Flags?"
Fang Zhenghua was still persuaded by Liu Chengzong. Anyway, he didn't say these things. After a while, Liu Chengzong himself could inquire about it, so he answered, but he said I don't know what the Eight Banners you are talking about: "According to what the prisoner said,
The Donglu troops sent out this time, each Niulu sent twenty cavalry and eight guards. Based on this calculation, the number of troops sent was eight to nine thousand."
Liu Chengzong frowned and said, "Is this the number of people?"
Eight or nine thousand men is a very powerful military force, but if these troops are spread over the vast desert, it is like two handfuls of sand thrown into the sea, and they will not show up at all.
This kind of force is not in line with the force he imagined for the invasion of the Later Jin Dynasty. If he wants to attack Xuanda, without 50,000 troops, how can Huang Taiji dare to wander outside Shanxi?
But after a while, Fang Zhenghua answered his question
Doubt: "This time when the invaders invaded the border area, the Donglu and Monan tribes invaded the Han Dynasty, and the Aohan tribes joined forces, a total of 120,000 people, most of whom were from the Liao Dynasty. They also had wives and children. After taking care of the horses, there were some elite soldiers.
Sixty thousand to seventy thousand, rest three to four hundred miles away from the border, and then split into two groups to approach the border." Palladium
Liu Chengzong suddenly realized that this number was relatively reliable, so he nodded and motioned to Fang Zhenghua to continue, and then listened to what he said: "There are 80,000 people entering the Xuan Mansion, led by Wang Shixuan, Huang Shiying, and Liu Pengcao."
Wang Shixuan was from Yulin, and he was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief. He surrendered during the Jisi Rebellion; Huang Shiying, Liu Pengcao, and Liu Chengzong didn't know who they were, but they were probably surrendered generals.
"There are 40,000 people heading west to Datong, led by Ma Dengyun, Bao Chengxian, Kong Youde, Geng Lao Er and Shang Lao Si."
Liu Chengzong was a little dumbfounded. From now on, all the Han troops will be fighting in the Kingdom of Jin?
He quickly asked: "The three Khalkha tribes did not send troops?"
"Having done it, the Mobei rebels coerced the refugees and sent 100,000 troops. They did not dare to fight with the Donglu when they reached the border. They plundered Fengzhou Beach and crossed the Yellow River. They ran to the Ordos resident herdsman outside Yulin and took the imperial edict.
If you ask for a city reward from Yulin Town, the emperor might as well not give the marshal a city reward."
Fang Zhenghua became narrow-minded when he mentioned this matter. He took a long breath and raised three fingers on the public case: "Originally, the Donglu Alliance united with Monan County and Kou Xuanfu Datong Town, but now it is better, Yulin and Ningxia are not at peace either.