Chapter 335 Chen Xinjia's righteous words

The Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue were the ministers in the court with the most powerful real power. Since the Chongzhen year, the Ministry of War was the leader of various ministries. Emperor Chongzhen relied on it as his confidant. Although the person in charge was under the cabinet, he was close to the head of all ministers.

In addition to being reflected in official positions, the power of ministers in the court is also reflected in the amount of contact with the emperor. Why are eunuchs in the inner court more in the status than ministers in the outer court? When meeting the emperor every day, they will naturally have much greater ability to make decisions.

Since the Year of the Tianqi period, the border troubles in the Ming Dynasty have become more and more serious, and the chances of the Minister of War have been summoned to the right, and the power has become increasingly greater.

Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, knew how to take advantage of this advantage. Emperor Chongzhen was famous for being partial and permissive. He would never doubt anyone who trusted him. No matter how big the other party made a mistake, Chongzhen would even find reasons to explain to the other party himself.

As for the current situation in the world, there are chaos, and Chen Xinjia doesn't even need to find reasons to ask for a meeting by himself. Emperor Chongzhen would take the initiative to summon him to discuss it.

Although Kaifeng City is temporarily safe, the Li and Luo coalition forces swept across Kaifeng City and Guide Mansion. In the Henan province, except for Wei Hui, Zhangde, Guide, and Guide Mansions, Kaifeng City and the north bank of the Yellow River in Kaifeng Prefecture, the rest are all the territory of the Li and Luo coalition forces.

Zuo Liangyu, He Renlong and the other governors gathered officers and soldiers to prepare for a decisive battle in Henan. This decisive battle was not because of the right time and place, but the smell of a broken can. The Li and Luo coalition forces expanded like snowballs in Henan and became increasingly uncontrollable. The later the battle was fought, the harder it was to fight.

Zhang Xianzhong, the eight kings who were originally killed by firearms, began to appear in the sight of the world after Zuo Liangyu returned to Henan, leading his army to move towards the eastern part of Huguang. He prepared to move towards the Zhili movement in the south, repeating the local things he had done a few years ago.

Outside the pass, Songshan, Jinzhou, Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou could not even send out documents for help. Both cities were blocked by trenches and long encirclements, and they were beaten back several times.

The court could no longer organize troops to come out for rescue, and the situation was also critical, and the world was full of war. Emperor Chongzhen didn't care about the first month of the Spring Festival. On the fifth day of the lunar month, he summoned the Minister of War Chen Xinjia to enter the palace to discuss matters.

"Your Majesty, Shaanxi Governor Wang Qiaonian has led He Renlong and other Qin generals out of Tongguan to join forces with the left general of the strife to fight against the bandits. This time the imperial army gathered is the largest in the past thirty years. Please don't worry, just wait for the good news in the Central Plains."

Emperor Chongzhen, who was sitting behind the desk, became thinner and thinner, but the redness on his face never faded, and his breathing was a little rapid. His eyes were covered with blood and his face was full of anxiety.

Hearing Chen Xinjia's confidence, Emperor Chongzhen was still worried, but he was relieved after all. He wanted to breathe a long sigh, but he was afraid of losing his composure in front of his ministers.

But Emperor Chongzhen was so cunning that he was so cunning. Chen Xinjia, who was there, saw the emperor's body leaning forward to leaning against the back of the chair, knew that Chongzhen had become much more relaxed and his mood improved.

Poor Emperor Chongzhen, he grew up in palace maids since he was a child, surrounded by eunuchs, and the outside world he contacted after ascending the throne were all the outside world described to him by court officials and eunuchs. He had never seen anything with his own eyes, had no intuitive impression, and did not trust what eunuchs told him.

As a result, the ministers in the court spoke the only source of information. Unlike the eunuchs who rely on the imperial palace and cannot do without imperial power, the interests of eunuchs and the interests of imperial power are the same. But the court officials are different. The court officials have their own interest groups and their own representative places.

When the imperial power is strong, these interest groups are surrendering and obedient, but after the imperial power is weak, these groups will turn over and oppress the imperial power.

For example, in order to make up for the financial gap in its own land, the court used various means to collect taxes in the world. However, the income of the industries he collected taxes would be damaged. The owners of the industries were local gentry and wealthy families, and they must have opposed it.

They objected, and their representatives in the court, that is, those court officials, must object. Many times, they are the owners of those industries, and when they touch their own interests, how can they fight without reason?

But these people still have the right to speak. The ministers in the court, local scholars and envoys sent by the tax supervisors, mining supervisors and other courts were extremely conflicted, but the tax collectors were often portrayed as shameless people who were extremely vicious and levy, while those who resisted taxes were regarded as heroes who begged the people.

Since the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, there has been a very strange phenomenon. What should the country do? Obedience is ridiculed by the people of the world. If they resist and do not comply, they will be praised as having a strong character.

However, these famous scholars who were pleaded for the people and were full of wealth in their families, but the court was weaker day by day. In order to maintain it, they could only collect taxes on the poor and ordinary people, making the poor and the conflicts more intensified.

Emperor Chongzhen received information about the land in the court, which was provided by these famous ministers and traitors, and they were completely distorted, but he still believed it.

After just talking about the situation in Henan, Chen Xinjia had a rough idea. It seems that Emperor Chongzhen's summoning this time will not have much to do with Songshan.

During the day, urging Hong Chengchou to accelerate his troops, although he did make suggestions, the secret decree was issued according to the emperor's will, and it was not an exaggeration to say that it was the emperor's own claim. If the responsibility was held accountable, it would definitely be Emperor Chongzhen who was blind, and the emperor would not make any trouble, especially Chongzhen, who was so proud of himself.

Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, cleared his throat and said loudly again:

"The bandit Zhang Ni was chased by the imperial army to Huguang. He was at a loss and was fleeing towards the east of Huguang. The army of Nanzhili was ready to fight to annihilate this beast."

Originally, the situation in Nanzhili was dangerous, but Chen Xinjia changed his words and immediately gave people a different feeling. Instead, the officers and soldiers deliberately created this situation, waiting for Zhang Xianzhong to come to him.

Hearing Chen Xinjia say this, Emperor Chongzhen was even more happy. He nodded repeatedly, and suddenly his face darkened again. He said with a deep thought:

"There has been no news from Songshan for many days. They are all loyal officers and soldiers of the court. I cannot ignore it like this..."

When talking about Songshan, Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, was calm and calm, but he still felt his back tight. He swallowed and spitted, but did not make a sound. Could it be that the emperor was going to hold him accountable today? Seeing Emperor Chongzhen's face gradually becoming darker, Chen Xinjia was a little anxious.

Unexpectedly, it was Emperor Chongzhen who spoke first. Chongzhen sighed and said:

"The Tartars are so vicious. I heard Yang Wenruo say that the Ming Dynasty's national strength is in decline and natural disasters are coming. You should not rashly raise troops. There is chaos inside and outside, and you should not fight at the same time, so as not to be attacked from both inside and outside. You should first focus on one side. Yan Jizu of Shandong also said, 'You must first calm the internal situation when fighting against foreign countries'..."

As he spoke, Emperor Chongzhen's eyes were on Chen Xinjia, but he stopped talking. Chen Xinjia felt a little sweat on his forehead. He knew that the emperor was unwilling to say something. He had to wait for himself to speak, and looked at the Hanlin who wrote daily notes beside him. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart and said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, the human nature of the barbarians is like a wild beast, and they are straightforward and rough. If someone is sent to explain the righteousness, the Tartars will probably know that the court is full of magnanimity and will never launch any more weapons."

When he said this, Wang Chengen, who was standing behind Emperor Chongzhen and the Hanlin who wrote daily notes, both opened their eyes and listened. They also knew that Chen Xinjia's words were instructed by Emperor Chongzhen, but it was incredible to do such things in the past few hundred years of the Ming Dynasty.

Seeing Chen Xinjia revealing the words, Emperor Chongzhen nodded with satisfaction and said encouragemently:

"Chen Aiqing's words are a meticulous statement. Since that's the case, you can handle this matter. Remember, don't let others know, so as not to make any noise. Have you heard it?"

At the end of this sentence, he spoke to the eunuchs and Hanlin who were accompanying him in the study. Of course, Wang Chengen and the Hanlin did not dare to say anything more, and obeyed the order.

Although everyone was silent, their hearts were like storm. After three hundred years of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, even if Emperor Yingzong was captured by the sect and the capital was surrounded, the Ming Dynasty was united in fighting against the enemy. But now Emperor Chongzhen actually wanted to negotiate peace with the Tartars. If this matter spread, it would definitely cause a sensation in the world.

Chen Xinjia was even more bitter, but if the peace talks should not be taken down in this situation, I am afraid that the blame for Songshan's defeat will be held accountable soon.

But after thinking about this situation, there is only one way to discuss peace. But whoever proposes it will take care of it, the curse in the world will definitely fall on this person in the future.

Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, calmed down and said:

"I have another thing to report to Your Majesty. Shandong General Li Meng has made great contributions in recent years. I believe that the court should give heavy praise to inspire the hearts of meritorious soldiers, and let people all over the world see the court's rewards and punishments clearly."

When Emperor Chongzhen heard the Shandong General Li Meng, he thought about it for a while and was a little irritable and said impatiently:

"Didn't you give me the title of General Zhendong? How can I reward you? I don't know how to advance and retreat..."

When Chen Xinjia heard Chongzhen say this, although he was secretly happy, he still stood up and bent down seriously and said:

"Your Majesty, General Li does have all kinds of unruly behaviors, but his military achievements are really good. Now it is the time to use people. When rewards and punishments are clearly distinguished, it demonstrates the magnanimity of the court, and also gives a comparison to the heroes who are willing to serve the court. General Li from Shandong is indeed not rewarded enough."

This kind of upright minister's accent is what Emperor Chongzhen admires the most, and Chen Xinjia is very good at grasping the position, and what he said is something that Chongzhen did not care about.

Emperor Chongzhen had just made up his plan to negotiate peace with the Tartars, and felt much more relaxed. When Chen Xinjia said solemnly, he couldn't help but sit up a little. The room looked like a wise ruler and important minister. Wang Chengen lowered his eyebrows and stood behind Emperor Chongzhen with a whisk.

When he heard Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War, so "righteous" he could not help but look up. Who is Chen Xinjia? The eunuch Wang Chengen knew what he was. If he was a straightforward minister, he would give him about 50,000 taels of silver every year, it would not be something he could earn from his salary.

Such a character, after being smashed by the emperor for a chore today, did not go back to think about the camp, but instead spoke out to the emperor for advice. Although he was a cunning and deep figure like Wang Chengen, he couldn't help but look at the sky outside, thinking that the sun was still coming out from the east today.

"Is the reward light? Such a martial artist actually said with red mouth and white teeth that the two vassals were lost. The blame was Yang Wen's weak, such a loyal minister, and this reckless man dared to say this. If it weren't for his great achievements in rescuing Kaifeng City, he would have long been blamed for the arrest of the officials, and he would have been able to remain until today!"

Chen Xinjia, Minister of War, stood in front of Emperor Chongzhen. His waist was straight and his face was full of righteousness and said loudly:

"Your Majesty's words are inappropriate. Then Li Meng is just a rude martial artist. Apart from leading troops to fight, he doesn't know any decent rules. But the more such a person is, if the court gives kindness and rewards, these people will definitely serve the court wholeheartedly and be willing to be driven by the hawks and dogs."

After the conversation today, Emperor Chongzhen, who had always been worried, felt quite relaxed, so he could also listen to Chen Xinjia's advice and immediately changed his mind. He asked warmly:

"What I said is reasonable, but the court has already added the title of General Zhendong to him. After so long, I rashly gave him a reward. Instead, it made people all over the world laugh at it."

Emperor Chongzhen acted entirely based on his own likes and dislikes, but he was always afraid that he would be laughed at by the world. In order to protect his face, he often did things even more wrongly. This is what is called absurdity.

"Your Majesty, I am in the Ministry of War. I heard from the chief officials and doctors that Shandong soldiers have not paid any food and pay for four years, and I must have lost all their poverty. I think that the Shandong soldiers should pay for the next year's food and pay for less, and then Shandong soldiers will inevitably become more loyal when they have a drought and rain for a long time."

When Chongzhen heard this, he was a little unnatural. No matter how Shandong soldiers were not liked by him, they were the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. After all, they had no silver in four years. They couldn't make any sense. They coughed and said:

"The bandits and the Eastern Captains are the major troubles of the country. Shandong has always been peaceful, so what kind of money is needed... Well, Chen Aiqing, I will issue an order later to ask the Ministry of Revenue to collect the money for Shandong for a year and pay it as soon as possible!"

Chen Xinjia, Minister of War, kowtowed and said gratefully:

"I thank Your Majesty for your wise grace for your majesty. With Your Majesty's intention, the soldiers in the world will definitely work hard."

Emperor Chongzhen smiled when he said this, and Chen Xinjia stood up and struck while the iron was hot:

"Your Majesty, since you are kind enough to win, you simply do things in a good manner. Since you are approving the number of people to pay military salaries, but Li Meng was rewarded only by the imperial court. However, the general Li's subordinates did not receive the favor of long live his life. It is better to choose the one who has made merit and grant him an official position."

Since Emperor Chongzhen felt that Chen Xinjia was justified, he heard from every sentence he said later, nodded and said loudly:

"Wang Cheng'en, I'll write down what Chen Aiqing said and issue it to the cabinet later, so that Zhou Yanru can take the lead in doing it!"

Wang Cheng'en bent down respectfully and agreed. The old eunuch probably understood what Chen Xinjia wanted to do. As expected, Chen Xinjia knelt down and thanked him again, and said flatteringly:

"With Your Majesty's grace, General Li and his subordinates must be grateful. The emptiness of this area of ​​the capital may also allow Shandong troops to come to garrison, which is a matter of course."

"I am also working hard for you to be loyal to the country. Today, I have to do the things I have to do with my heart. If it is done, it is not impossible to join the cabinet and take charge of the ministry..."

He joined the cabinet as a Grand Secretary and also served as a ministry official. In other words, he still served as a minister of the Ministry of War and was still a cardinal. This was a rare honor for the Ming Dynasty and was also extremely powerful.

What can be done in recent years is Yang Sichang, which is already a powerful position in the court and the country. Chongzhen and Chen Xinjia promised this, which is really a big hit.

For a moment, the dirty errands to negotiate peace with the Qing Tartars were no longer a bad idea. Chen Xinjia was filled with passion and hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to thank him.

Although Wang Chengen, the eunuch of Silijian, was quite cunning, he couldn't help laughing at this moment. He turned his head to look at the Hanlin who was writing daily notes on the side. The Hanlin also looked strange.

Wang Chengen glanced at Emperor Chongzhen in front of him. Although he had been following him for so many years, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. The emperor had no idea what was going on outside. He believed whatever the ministers and confidants said, but how could he know the mystery inside.

Of course, Wang Chengen knew in his heart, but he would not say anything more. The emperor was confused about some things, so those who were doing things had the opportunity to do it and make a big profit, otherwise he would have gained all these filial piety.

The move of "approved number of people to pay military salaries" is probably the only policy of killing local military leaders. How can the army below make money by relying on losing money? It is not just because of the loss of space. The official military officers of the court, such as the Shandong General, have to rely on this to live a good life.

If you approve the number of people, wouldn’t you want to cut off the meat of the general? It was originally claimed to be 50,000 troops, and the court paid 70,000 yuan at a discount of 70,000 yuan, and then ate the vacancy of 30,000 yuan, and raise tens of thousands of soldiers. This is normal. However, once you approve the number of people and pay 10,000 yuan according to tens of people, the military general also has to live. If you eat the vacancy, you can only pay 10,000 yuan and pay 10,000 yuan.

This time, a lot of strength was gone. When dismissing troops, they had to guard against the veterans causing trouble. Therefore, the number of people who approved the salary was also called the "Qing Army". This is not to say that the Tartars outside the pass, but Qing means cleaning.

"Choose his meritorious subordinates and grant them official positions." Although this is a high-sounding method, it is a more sinister and dirty method. To put it bluntly, it is differentiation. For example, to promote Li Meng's subordinates and give him a status similar to Li Meng. Once a person's status changes, his mood and attitude will inevitably be different.

Even if the lower-ranking person has no ambitions, the original superiors should be wary of it, and the conflict between the two sides will naturally arise. The court is just giving a false reputation, which is really simple and easy to implement.

Not to mention the means of defense adjustment. Soldiers are convenient for their local areas, collecting grain and paying locally, and supporting local forces, so they have no worries.

But if the defense is transferred to other places, it will suddenly become rootless duckweed, and logistics and supply will rely on the support of the garrison. This autonomy is much worse. The military discipline of Shandong is said to be good. I believe that it would not be like Zuo Liangyu's army who "raised" it by itself, and it would be a mess.

At present, there are only these three methods for the court to deal with those military leaders who have not lost their strength. Of course, there is a prerequisite, that is, the military leaders are not arrogant and domineering, and are still quite respectful to the court.

This Shandong general Li Meng really belongs to this kind of method. If Chen Xinjia uses these methods, the soldiers and horses under Li Meng may be in chaos and conflicts, and it is possible to damage the vitality.

Wang Chengen wondered what kind of deep hatred does this Minister of War Chen Xinjia and Shandong General Li Meng have? He actually broke up and framed them with such means, but he would not do his own business.

The Ming Dynasty has its current situation, and Wang Chengen's mentality is not one of the reasons. Eunuchs in the inner court, officials from the outside dynasty, and scholars in the opposition all have this idea. It has nothing to do with me anyway, so let's see.

Chen Xinjia planned well, but the situation in Shandong was completely different from the situation in the whole world. No one can guarantee what would happen according to his plan.
Chapter completed!