Chapter 331 Want to take advantage of His Majesty?
Chapter 331 Want to take advantage of His Majesty?
Once, Liang Chu said to Zhang Fuking: On the day of success, the pawn who crossed the river will become a general.
Zhang Fujing thought that his achievements were in Jiaozhi, but he was so grateful for the emperor's trust in him: when the three-year period was up, he received the title of Minister of Rites and the title of Governor-General of Shandong.
Three years later, Zhang Fujing, who was already fifty-three years old, took the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
It seems that he is old enough. However, he has only been an official for six years.
The same is true for Yan Song.
In the 16th year of Zhengde, two middle-aged men in their 40s came into the sight of the 15-year-old emperor and skyrocketed from there. This is a story that belongs to the emperors and ministers of the Jiajing Dynasty.
The new ministers have finally entered the center of the court steadily, but the old ministers are withering away.
In midsummer, in July, Zhu Qi, the Marquis of Funing, arrived in the capital at the same time as Yan Song, who entered the capital late.
When they entered the city, the Dingguo Palace was completely deserted. At about the same time, news of the deaths of Liang Chu and Gu Dayong reached the capital.
What a coincidence.
Mao Cheng died of illness in the second year of Jiajing, and now three more people have died in this scorching summer. At this time when the situation of "the emperor and his ministers fighting for power" in the Ming Dynasty was beginning to emerge, among the important ministers who supported the emperor and welcomed the emperor, now only Yang Tinghe is left
In Nanjing, Cui Yuan was at the center.
Oh, and there was also Zhang Jin who played a big role at that time.
Yan Song, who had just become the Minister of Rites, the first thing he did was to decide on a posthumous title for Duke Ding and Prince Liang.
Of course Duke Ding wanted to be given a posthumous title, but Liang Chu was once demoted to the people for his crimes, and now giving him a posthumous title is a sign of the emperor's respect for his veteran officials, and a recognition of Liang Chu's contribution to helping Zhang Fuking try out the new law.
But the Minister of Rites has more than one thing to be busy with.
In early July, after the envoy sent by the Khan Court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Bilge Zhagarin, arrived at the border, with the permission of the emperor, troops were sent from Jizhou Town to escort his delegation of nearly a hundred people to the capital.
"It's really rude! Even if we still need to wait for your emperor's time, you are just the right minister of the Ministry of Rites here. I am an envoy sent by the noble Khan and a servant of the world's ruler, Changshengtian! We are not prisoners!"
The right minister of the Ministry of Rites is Liu Long, Cui Yuan's relative.
Liu Long was appointed as the right minister of the Ministry of Rites from the original Hanlin Academy, and he was still the third rank.
But Liu Long still adheres to his official philosophy: it is better to be cowardly, and you will not make mistakes if you are cowardly.
Zhagarin is a wizard in shamanism who conveys divine instructions and is also the think tank of the Lord of Beiyuan. It is said that he is good at divination and "magic attacks".
Now facing Bileg, the envoy of the Great Khan of the Northern Yuan Dynasty, Liu Long just said patiently: "How can the Celestial Empire be rude? But I, Duke Ding of the Ming Dynasty, and Duke Liang Shunde, the chief minister of the cabinet at that time, passed away, and the Ministry of Rites was really too busy.
"
"That is not a reason to neglect my Khan! If the Lord of the Han people is unwilling to listen to the greetings and suggestions of the Lord of the Grassland, then let me go back and tell the Great Khan such a result, instead of letting us stay in this small place like prisoners.
You can’t go out in the small courtyard!”
"Where are you talking about Zhagarin? This hall is so big, there are no foreigners now, and we are entertained with good wine and good food every day, so why should we neglect it? Just wait for two more days, and don't be impatient."
"Is the wine and meat on the grassland bad? I am here to discuss important matters with the owner of the land to the south on behalf of the Great Khan!"
"I have already submitted the credentials brought by Zagarin, so why rush? For such a major matter, does Zagarin think that a clear attitude will be discussed soon?"
Bileg stared at him for a while, then laughed loudly: "Even if the detailed content cannot be clarified, can't you even decide the attitude? Could it be that whether to continue fighting on the border as in the past, or to negotiate peace, your Majesty the Emperor can't even do this?
Can’t you make your attitude clear?”
Liu Long frowned, a good old man also had a temper, and said coldly: "If I remember correctly, we seemed to have suffered a big defeat in Shuozhou last year."
After the interpreter carefully translated the words, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Bileg's guards screamed. Without translation, just by looking at their expressions, one could tell that they were cursing, but some of them were cursing.
Disdainful, some people are angry.
Bileg also said in a sinister manner: "So you thought that the heroes of the prairie broke into your home, the land and your family were ravaged, and in the end you could cheer for victory just by looking at our leaving figures."
"Oh? What about the fact that General Li wiped out a small tribe that often invaded my Ming border town?"
Bileg was not angry, but nodded as if he suddenly understood: "It seems that the Tumut Ministry gave you the courage. In this case, the Khan's good intentions may be misunderstood by you as a request for peace talks after the defeat.
I think there is no need for me to stay."
"Aren't you here to ask for peace talks?"
A voice came in from outside the door, and a moment later, Yan Song, wearing his new official robe, walked in with steady steps.
Liu Long immediately saluted: "Grand Uncle."
Bileg looked at Yan Song and asked solemnly: "Who is your honor?"
"The Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, Yan Song."
He slowly sat down on the main seat, straightened the hem of his official robe, and then looked at Bileg: "Sending envoys to ask for tribute, what is tribute? Only when I, the Ming Dynasty, are the masters, is it called tribute! Although Zhagarin
If you don’t read my Celestial Classics, the Lord of the Northern Yuan Dynasty and his ministers should understand what tribute is, right?”
"You!" Bileg was ridiculed by him for being ignorant and incompetent, and then snorted, "That's just to facilitate your understanding! The Great Khan made it clear in his credential that it is a brotherhood! I heard that the Ming Dynasty
His Majesty the Emperor is twenty-one this year, which is close to the age of the Great Khan!"
Yan Song laughed: "So, the Great Khan of Beiyuan wants to call himself his brother?"
"Since I am older, I, Bei Yuan, will naturally be my brother!"
Yan Song put away his smile, stood up and saluted in the direction of the Forbidden City: "According to your Majesty's oral instructions, I have come to convey a few words to your envoy."
Since he was conveying the emperor's oral message, Bileg had to show some respect: "Please speak."
Yan Song frowned: "The Holy Edict must be listened to on one's knees."
Bileg couldn't hold himself any longer: "I am the envoy of the Great Khan, how can I kneel down and listen?"
"Your Majesty is just a messenger, not the Lord of Beiyuan himself. Don't you kneel down when you arrive in front of the emperor? Shilang Liu, didn't you teach them the etiquette of the Celestial Dynasty?"
The first two bachelor's degree companions in the Royal Study Room are now in the same department. But between him and Uncle Yan Dazong, there is already a sadly thick barrier in the form of Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Rites.
Now Liu Long could only answer with a grimace: "Of course I have been taught, but the envoys are unruly..."
"If you send an envoy without knowing the etiquette, the Lord of the Northern Yuan Dynasty has sent you an inhumane person!" Yan Song looked at Bileg coldly, "If you don't follow my Ming Dynasty etiquette, please come back."
"You!" Bileg raised his head, "I am the servant of Changshengtian, the ruler of the world, and I only kneel to Changshengtian and the son of Changshengtian, Khan!"
Yan Song waved his sleeves simply: "Please go back."
"Is this the way the emperor of the Han Dynasty, known as a land of etiquette, treated guests? He actually humiliated the envoy of the Great Khan in this way. Prepare to welcome the wrath of the Immortal Heaven!"
Bileg's purpose for coming here was very flexible, and he simply started to make harsh words and prepare to withdraw.
And just when they walked out of the lobby and were about to go back to the bedroom to pack their bags, another group of people hurriedly rushed into the hall.
Bileg's eyes paused on the leader's hat for a moment, and then his steps stopped - according to his understanding of Han Chinese officials, the more vertical lines on the hat, the bigger the official.
"Zhang Guowu, why are you here?"
Sure enough, when he saw the dragging Minister of Rites, he had to walk out of the room and salute to this person.
The person who came over was Zhang Zilin. He now saw the expression on the Beiyuan mission and asked, "Wei Zhong, what's going on?"
"I want to read out His Majesty's oral instructions. This envoy from the Northern Yuan Dynasty did not kneel down to listen according to the etiquette, which shows that he did not come to ask for peace sincerely. As the Minister of Rites, I cannot lose the authority of the emperor, so I ordered him to return to the north. If the Lord of the Northern Yuan Dynasty still intends to ask for peace.
, you should send someone else who knows etiquette."
Zhang Zilin was surprised: "Your Majesty gave an oral order? The State Council is still deliberation, and your Majesty gave an oral order?"
"How dare I pretend to be so?"
These few sentences were not translated by the interpreter from the Ministry of Rites.
But there was naturally a translator in the Beiyuan mission, and Bileg understood it, with a strange look in his eyes.
"...What does the oral instruction say? I am in charge of the etiquette department, so I should know."
"When there are questions about state affairs, the lower officials will naturally answer them."
Yan Song solemnly saluted the emperor again, "Your Majesty said that Bo'er Jijin Bodi wanted to take advantage of Your Majesty because he was two years older, and used this title to make Beiyuan the country of his elder brother. It was really a childish move.
, also appears to be of small size.”
"...This is a humiliation to the Great Khan!" In front of everyone, Bileg gave a proper response to Zhu Houcong's comments about the Great Khan of Beiyuan.
Zhang Zilin's brows furrowed, but Yan Song didn't pay attention to the reaction of the Beiyuan mission.
He continued: "The Ming Dynasty has abolished the system of paying tribute several times to the ministers. If Bo'er Jijin Bodi wants to trade with the Ming Dynasty, there is no need to play the trick of claiming brothers and paying tribute. The Ming Dynasty ironware, cotton cloth, silk,
It is not that tea and many other good things cannot be traded with the Northern Yuan Dynasty, but the price needs to be discussed. Things that are rare are more expensive. It is not that furs and horses have no origin in the Ming Dynasty. On the contrary, it is the grassland that needs the Ming Dynasty, so it should come up with suitable ones.
Price."
The core is actually the same meaning: Ming Dynasty no longer plays the trick of saying tribute and giving gifts. It can trade and negotiate a good price.
But inside and outside the words, he not only mocked Bodie, but also made clear his attitude that the grassland needs help from others.
Zhang Zilin's expression suddenly changed: "How can I give iron tools to others? The State Council is discussing the exchange of cloth, tea, salt and other goods with Beiyuan. Why does your majesty relent and agree to trade iron tools?"
"Then it depends on whether Bei Yuan can afford the price." Yan Song did not avoid Bileg now, but said directly to him, "Have you also heard your Majesty's decree? The Ming Dynasty and Bei Yuan have been enemies for more than a hundred years.
There is no need to mention the alliance. If the Lord of Beiyuan really wants to end the war, he must come up with a suitable price and start with a trustworthy and mutual trade. What do you think? Can we continue to negotiate a fair price? "
Bileg's face looked ugly.
A fair price? There is a price in the private market, but the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty made it clear that the Ming Dynasty did not lack much of the furs, horses and other things that the grassland could provide. This price can be compared with the Ming border troops in the private market who bribed for peace.
Will the price come?
What's more, if the Khan Court really negotiates with the Ming Dynasty like this, it will completely follow the Ming Emperor's pace and act in accordance with the Ming Emperor's intentions.
Zhang Zilin shook his head at the side: "There is no need to talk about ironware! Since Your Majesty wants to abolish the old system of paying tribute to the Northern Yuan Dynasty, we can only negotiate a mutual market price. Is this envoy named Bileg? Your Majesty may represent the Northern Yuan Dynasty.
Will the Lord of the Yuan Dynasty negotiate the terms of mutual trade? Our Majesty, the Ming Emperor, is kind-hearted and cannot bear the bitter cold in Mobei where the grassland herders live. Maybe he can make a slight concession on the price to show his sincerity in the friendship between the two countries. But the Lord of the Northern Yuan Dynasty intends to stop the war.
Please also do not condition the Northern Yuan generals on not raiding the border. Now that the Ming Dynasty's border defenses are stable, the border generals will gain new military exploits. If your envoys use this as a coercion, it will only excite the border generals and dissatisfy them."
"Zhang Guowu! No matter how benevolent your Majesty is, he must put the welfare of the people of Ming Dynasty first. This mutual price cannot be compromised!"
Bileg pondered the meaning of his words and watched Yan Song and Zhang Zilin singing together.
Although it is common for one person to play a different role during negotiations, he had to distinguish whether this was just their negotiation strategy or whether the conflict between the Ming Emperor and some ministers had intensified in front of him.
In any case, he will see the current reaction first and remember it.
"His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty humiliated the Great Khan, and I will report it truthfully!" Bileg said with a straight face, "Since the Ming Dynasty despised the Khan's court because of its small victory over the Tumote tribe, and even misunderstood the Great Khan's good intention to ask tribute for becoming a vassal, then that's right
There’s nothing left to talk about.”
The man was called Zhang Guowu, and Bileg had already guessed who he was: in the newly-established State Palace of the Ming Dynasty, after Shi Yue also became official and left, he was the third-ranking Minister of State after Fei Hong and Yang Tan.
.
He not only asked Bei Yuan not to stop raiding and plundering border towns as a condition, but he also said that he could make some concessions on price - in the name of the Emperor's consideration for the grassland herdsmen.
But the emperor of Ming Dynasty humiliated the master of the grassland like that. Did he really care about the people under the command of Bodi?
These are not enough for Bileg to really think that the differences between the emperors and ministers of the Ming Dynasty have reached this level, but during the few days he has been living here in Huitong Hall, the "Ming Pao" can be taken back.
The front page of this issue published an article by a writer named Hou Anyong, who was a member of Lingqiu Juren in Datong. He enumerated the many times he had experienced Beibu invaders in Datong, and also listed the events since the Tumu Revolution.
In particular, the Tatars' invasion of the Ming Dynasty was carefully sorted out after they drove away the Oara.
Bileg still needed to think about the purpose of this, but it was Funing Hou Zhu Qi who once again "escorted" the delegation from the Ming Dynasty.
Along the way, he knew why. Outside the Santun Camp where the general army of Jizhou Town was stationed, he and Zhu Qi were separated because Zhu Qi was going to take over as the chief army officer of Jizhou Town - the Jizhou border town of the Ming Dynasty was also
The general has been changed, and the new commander-in-chief is a trusted minister of the emperor.
As soon as they came out of the border wall, Bileg sent out several of his guards: "Spread the news first! Because of the defeat of the Tumut tribe, the Han emperor humiliated the Khan, despised the Khan's court, and even disdained to see the Khan.