Chapter 279 Ping Japanese (13) Main Battle and Main Peace
Japan's memorial requesting surrender reached the capital. Wu Dui, the Second Assistant to the Cabinet, asked Zhou Yong, Minister of War, for his opinion. Zhou Yong replied that war and peace were acceptable, but if he wanted to avoid future troubles, he should continue to use troops.
Wu Dui looked worried and said: "Recently, there has been another major disaster in the Central Plains. More than ten counties have been affected by the Huanghuai flood, and it is likely to continue to spread to a wider area. After the disaster, famine is likely to spread. Although Da Situ is here,
Urgently deploy supplies, but you also know that there have been frequent wars at the border in recent years, and the army is fighting hard in North Korea. If this continues, the national strength may be unsustainable.
Now, continuing to use troops can naturally drive away the Japanese pirates and avoid future troubles. However, I am afraid that the court will not be able to support it and will be given the reputation of being militaristic. Not to mention the disaster is raging, how will the people survive, and the country will be in danger. Siyang, you are also a prudent person.
Man, what do you think?"
At this time, Zhou Yong didn't know whether Wu Dui was calling for war or peace, so he didn't dare to answer casually, so he said: "Mr. Ge is thoughtful and considers everything for the sake of the country and the country. He is really mature and prudent. It's just that the Japanese pirates are cruel and cunning. They haven't stopped this time.
I'm afraid it will happen again in the future... But now it is true that a major disaster has occurred and the court is also in difficulty. I wonder what Mr. Ge's plan is?" Using Tai Chi, he kicked the ball back to Wu Dui.
Wu Dui said sincerely: "If the Japanese pirates' request to surrender comes true, our army can win without a fight, return to the court, save expenses, do all it can to provide disaster relief, recuperate, and the national treasury can be filled again. If the Japanese pirates attack again in the future, the Ming Dynasty will be able to
Sufficient national power can be wiped out in one fell swoop.
Think about it, the country is the most important thing, and you need to find out in detail whether the Japanese pirates' request to surrender is true. The emperor should summon the cabinet to discuss this matter with you in the next few days, so you must be prepared." Zhou Yong accepted the order.
Sure enough, Zhu Yijun quickly summoned the cabinet chief assistant Shen Shixing, the second assistant Wu Dui, the group assistant Gao Pragmatic and the Minister of War Zhou Yong to come to see him. Zhu Yijun took out the memorial and put it aside, saying: "There are Japanese pirates who want to surrender, but Song Yingchang opposes it. This matter
All my dear friends are aware of this, and I came to you just to hear your opinions."
Shen Shixing said: "I think Song Yingchang's words are reasonable, but our army also has many difficulties, and the Japanese pirates' request to surrender needs to be verified."
Zhou Yongzhuo, Minister of the Ministry of War, said: "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates have invaded North Korea and are trying to conquer the Ming Dynasty. Now they are in trouble and cannot protect themselves. They have to ask for surrender and beg for canonization and tribute. I think if this is true, I can allow it."
Shen Shixing asked: "Since the Japanese pirates are also on the verge of desperation, they should be annihilated with all their strength. What's more, the Japanese pirates are cunning and there is no way to slow down the attack. How does the Ministry of War judge that this request for surrender is genuine?"
Zhu Yijun also asked: "Yes, I also have this question, how can I judge that the request to surrender is genuine? If it is a fake request to surrender, wouldn't it fall into the enemy's trap? Song Yingchang was leading the troops in North Korea, and he must have a better understanding of Japanese affairs, so he insisted on continuing to fight.
.”
Zhou Yongzou replied: "Your Majesty, Yuan Fu, this matter only requires reasoning. After my army entered North Korea, the enemy in Pyongyang relied on the fortified city but suffered more than 10,000 casualties and fled the city. The powerful weapons of our army made the enemy
They were so frightened that the enemy troops collapsed and retreated to Hanyang.
In the battle of Bitiguan, Li Rusong was invincible, which made the Japanese pirates realize that they could not win even if they defeated the few with a large number. Song Yingchang burned the Longshan granary, and the Japanese pirates ran out of food, so they had to retreat to the south.
In addition, the Korean army attacked everywhere. Under the pressure of the Ming Dynasty, the Japanese pirates suffered from defeat and lack of food. They had to concentrate their troops and defend them. They could not win, and they were short of food. It was natural for them to surrender. Song Yingchang was in the army.
, bear the responsibility of victory or defeat, worry about the war day and night, and inevitably be frightened and doubtful, so they urge us to fight again."
After he finished speaking, Wu Dui seconded the proposal.
Shen Shixing then reported: "Although it is difficult for the Japanese army to defeat our army, after all, their strength is several times greater than ours. Song Yingchang and Li Rusong cannot withstand repeated attrition. If they continue to attack, it will be difficult to start a war with their current military strength. Although North Korea has already
Recover the north of the Han River, but most of this year's spring plowing has been missed, and it will take until next year to restore grain production. Such a stalemate will increase the burden of food and wages. If I want to fight, I will fight quickly, and then send reinforcements to annihilate them in one fell swoop.
There will be no future troubles."
Wu Dui immediately expressed concern: "Although Yuan Fu's plan is good, the army is currently short of food, the enemy is outnumbered, and the war situation is changing rapidly, so it is difficult to guarantee a quick victory."
Zhou Yong was advised by Wu Dui and came here to advocate for peace, so he played again: "The army is short of soldiers and food, so it is really difficult to start another war. It happened to be that the Japanese pirates asked to surrender, so today's proposal was made. I think Yuan
What Fu said is exactly what happened to the army, but if the Japanese pirates know about it, things will change. Therefore, before the enemy notices it, the best strategy is to use troops that can defeat the enemy without fighting."
Zhu Yijun said: "If there is any need for food and salary for the reinforcements, I will definitely allocate it. If there are any rumors or rumors in the DPRK about impeaching the front line, I will ignore it, because I know that when facing the enemy in a war, I should give the general the power to make arbitrary decisions.
I have gathered the best troops from all over the world to Korea in the hope that they can restore the lost territory of Korea, drive out the Japanese pirates, and promote our divine power. I will not let down the entire army, and naturally I do not want unnecessary casualties. If my request to surrender is true, then
The situation of the battle will change...Zhou Yong, you haven't answered me yet, how can you tell that this is not a delaying strategy?"
Zhou Yongzou replied: "What the emperor said is absolutely true. If the Japanese pirates surrender, our army will be able to regain the entire territory of North Korea without any bloodshed, making an immortal contribution, and our army's predicament will be solved. North Korea will also be grateful to the emperor, and the Japanese will also be grateful."
Surrender from now on.
As for how to determine the truth and falsehood, we can ask the Japanese envoys to come to Beijing to ask for surrender, and we can naturally tell the difference. At the same time, the Ministry of War will send detailed work to closely monitor the changes in the Japanese situation in North Korea, and make arrangements immediately if there are any abnormalities." Wu Dui seconded the proposal again.
Shen Shixing felt that everyone seemed to be inclined to accept the surrender, but Gao Pragmatic, who had a strong say in both war and finance, remained silent for some unknown reason.
But Shen Shixing has no time to think so much now. His initiative to lead the war is naturally not that simple. It is now that there are floods in the Central Plains that he wants to continue the war even more, because the main responsibility for the war lies with the Ministry of War, and the main responsibility for disaster relief lies with the Ministry of Household Affairs. Both parties
They are all bottomless financial pits. As long as none of them refuses to give up, the real school will bear the ultimate pressure.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Undoubtedly, Wu Dui Zhuhe was also worried about this. He was worried that the real school, which controls financial power and military power, would be under too much pressure, and no matter which aspect would eventually fail
If there is a problem, they will inevitably be scolded by the officials, and even be considered by the emperor as a mistake in assisting the administration.
Shen Shixing thought for a moment and said: "The veteran's sincerity towards the Japanese pirates can never be assured. It's okay to interrogate the envoy carefully before determining the authenticity. However, during this period, we can't just leave Nanshan. Song Yingchang can be ordered to go to the fields to reserve military rations.
Grain and grass also need to continue to be transported in batches, and the cabinet will monitor the actual situation in each province from time to time.
Once the surrender request is confirmed and the army is still waiting in North Korea, they can unite with North Korea to counterattack on the spot and send reinforcements to completely pacify it. If Ming Dynasty accepts the Japanese pirates' request to surrender, the Ming Dynasty will still need to put forward conditions, and the Japanese pirates will also request canonization and tribute. May I ask, Your Majesty?
What decree has come down?”
Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said: "We are a small country, so why say more! Just three points: the Japanese army should evacuate North Korea immediately after the conferment, and no soldiers are allowed to be left behind; the Ming Dynasty only conferred the title but did not allow them to ask for tribute; Japan and North Korea were reconciled, and no one was allowed to leave.
Violate again."
Zhou Yong hesitated and said: "I dare to ask the emperor why he is not allowed to ask for tribute?"
Zhu Yijun snorted softly and said: "The reason why I canonize this title is to show the emperor's grace. I am not allowed to ask for tribute because I am disgusted and disdainful of it. If Japan had not been listed as a country not to be conquered by Emperor Taizu, I would have wanted to destroy Japan with thousands of sails.
That’s good.”
Zhou Yong asked again, if the Japanese pirates asked why they were not allowed to ask for tribute, how should they reply? Zhu Yijun did not want to talk more, and said that Zhou Yong could make his own decision.
Zhou Yong received the order and said: "I obey the order. If the agreement is established, there is another thing that needs to be reported: the Japanese pirates request that at the same time as they withdraw their troops, our troops will also withdraw from Liaodong. This is because they are worried that the Ming Dynasty will renege on their promise."
Shen Shixing immediately objected to this and advised Zhu Yijun: "The veteran does not agree to withdraw to the north. The veteran urges the emperor to adopt Song Yingchang's plan. Once an agreement is reached, in order to prevent the Japanese pirates from coming back, our Ming army can stay in Korea to farm and mine, so as to save the court's food and salary.
expenditure."
Song Yingchang's suggestion was actually based on Gao Pragmatic's advice. Even before the war, Gao Pragmatic advocated setting up officials and directors in the Eight Routes of Korea and stationing them in the fields for safety. However, many courtiers opposed his opinion at the time, thinking that doing so would
It makes North Korea feel violated, which is not conducive to the maintenance of suzerain-vassal relations. In addition, it also seems that the Ming Dynasty was too domineering and greedy, and lost the dignity of the country for some petty profits.
Gao pragmatic argued hard at the time, saying that these measures were not due to greed, but that otherwise they would not be enough to defend North Korea. This move was essentially to provide military protection to North Korea, and Ming Dynasty could not and should not spend the money of its own people to protect other countries.
country, so it is natural for North Korea to pay some costs.
But even so, the matter was not settled at that time. The emperor felt that Ming Dynasty was the co-owner of the world, and it seemed uncharacteristic to dig at Soso Sou for a few grains and minerals. At the same time, he was not actually a very generous person financially, so he wanted to
It was really uneconomical to provide money to help North Korea defend its territory. Therefore, the emperor put the matter on hold at that time.
What is unexpected is that this time Shen Shixing stood on Gao Pragmatic's previous opinion and agreed with Song Yingchang's opinion at this time, which was a bit strange.
Zhou Yong said at this time: "Yuanfu, does this matter risk making the Ming Dynasty think that Ming Dynasty has the intention to annex North Korea? It is really disturbing that our army has been independent of foreign countries for a long time."
Shen Shixing laughed and said: "I am worried too much. I think Song Yingchang, Li Rusong and others are loyal to the emperor, and all the relatives of the army are in the country. Who will rebel? There are North Korea nearby, Liaodong guards in the north, Jinyiwei, and Dongchang.
We are under constant surveillance, why are you so worried?"
It’s hard to refute this. After all, Song Yingchang and Li Rusong are now considered members of the Real School. It doesn’t matter if they are placed in North Korea, because they are speaking from the institutional level, but it is not okay to say that they have the intention to rebel. Then
This means that there is a contradiction within the Real School, so Zhou Yong can only claim to have made a mistake.
Zhu Yijun still has some objections to Gao Pangshi's original proposal, and said: "I also think that this move seems inappropriate. This matter can be discussed separately, so I will first order Song Yingchang to station in North Korea and wait for the order. In addition, there is no need to see the Japanese envoys when they come to Beijing.
I, dear ministers, on behalf of the cabinet and the Ministry of War, will interrogate each of them to determine the authenticity, and then report it to me."
Zhou Yong saw that this was a decision and that the war in Korea was about to be negotiated, so he requested to suspend the domestic plan to mobilize a second wave of reinforcements.
Wu Chengcheng was only worried about financial problems now, and immediately said: "This matter should be as it should be. Since the victory of the expedition against Yuan Dynasty, all our ministries on the nine sides need to make corresponding adjustments to deal with threats from the northwest and support the various guards in the Chahar region."
Reset the plan. Nowadays, everything is complicated, the court has to spend money everywhere, and there are still a series of problems in moving the households in Dingkou. At this time, it is even more difficult to deploy troops everywhere. "
Wu Dui's worries are not unreasonable. The newly acquired old Chahar land is basically taken over by Daming himself. In addition to the already built Daning City, according to Gao Pragmatic's previous plan, there are still a series of defensive measures that need to be carried out, and
These include building cities, forts, border walls, etc., all of which do not require money, and all of which do not require the migration of people.
"Fortunately" Ming Dynasty suffered another disaster this year, so the original plan for relocating people could be abandoned and the refugees could be relocated directly. The pressure of people's dissatisfaction caused by forced relocation was reduced to the extreme.
However, although the pressure on people's hearts has been reduced, the financial pressure has become greater, because the original planned migration is from Beizhili, which has a short distance, food supply during and after the trip is more convenient, and the loss is small.
Some.
But now, since the victims are mainly concentrated in Henan and Shandong provinces, not only the migration distance is more than twice as long, the losses will inevitably increase, but the local area is already a disaster area, and food supply is difficult, which further increases the burden on the court.
.
Even if the vassal ban has been lifted, the court can save a lot of money and food, but it still has to consider North Korea, Bozhou is at war on both sides, and although the turmoil in the Cao army has subsided after Qi Jiguang returned south, the army still dare not withdraw immediately outside, and it is still consuming.
Grain storage. Taken together, let’s not talk about the pressure on money this year, at least the pressure on food must be huge.
Of course, Wu Dui's understanding of the economy was not as thorough as that of Gao Pragmatic, and his vision was limited to the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he found it extremely difficult to do simple calculations, because normally there would be a huge gap in food supply.
Zhu Yijun also knew that the food pressure this year was not small, so after listening to the report, he said: "Zhun Zhao, Japan has invaded our vassal country without considering its own capabilities, and wants to make the Ming Dynasty. Even if it asks to surrender now, I will be very disgusted with it. I have to deal with everything, and the Japanese envoys
Please ask Yuan Fu and the two pavilion elders to arrange the matter." Shen Shixing, Wu Dui, and Gao pragmatism stepped forward to receive the order.
So Zhu Yijun asked the cabinet to send an urgent message to North Korea, and ordered the Japanese envoys to immediately set off for Beijing with the surrender form. He also ordered Song Yingchang to lead the Ming army to station in place, closely observing the movements of the Japanese army, and guarding against Japanese raids. After leaving the palace, Zhou Yong also reported to Shen Wei I would like to send a message to him, informing him that I can take the Japanese envoy back to Beijing immediately.
However, Gao Pragmatic, who rarely remained silent during today's summons, became busy instead. The Nanning Marquis Mansion sent out several flying pigeon messages overnight, flying in all directions.
The next morning, only from the North Korean side, Song Yingchang, Li Rusong and the North Korean branch of Jinghua Trading Company each received a letter from Gao Pragmatic. After reading the content, all three parties were equally surprised.
Two or three days later, Huang Zhiting, who was far away in Dingnan, also received a letter from her husband. After reading it, she immediately summoned Gao Mengnan into the so-called Siam Palace and asked: "What is the expected grain production in southern Xinjiang this year?" ?How much food surplus is there from last year?”
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