After such a devastating defeat, the Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces was forced to commit suicide. Logically, the Mu family should have been stripped of their titles, demoted from their positions, and punished.
There have been precedents before. For example, Qiu Fu, Duke of Qi, who had sworn to follow Emperor Yongle until death when he was still the Prince of Yan, made great contributions in the Jingnan Campaign and was awarded the title of first-class duke. However, in the seventh year of Yongle, when he was on a northern expedition against the Tatars, he was greedy for merit and acted rashly, resulting in the annihilation of his entire army. Qiu Fu died on the battlefield, shedding his last drop of blood, in an extremely tragic way.
Emperor Yongle lost his beloved general, but defeat is defeat, and the responsibility must be investigated and rewards and punishments must be clear. The ministers impeached Qiu Fu, who died on the battlefield. In order to give an explanation to the ministers and the annihilation of the Ming army in the north, Emperor Yongle reluctantly stripped the Qiu family of their hereditary duke title and exiled the Qiu family to Hainan Island.
The once prosperous top family in Beijing fell into decline and never recovered.
Because Qiu Fu's entire army was annihilated, along with a group of famous generals under him, such as Li Fang and Huolihuozhen, almost half of the famous generals of the Jingnan Campaign were killed in this defeat. Emperor Yongle therefore made up his mind to guard the country's borders and personally fight against the Tatars.
Emperor Yongle was a heroic ruler who was ready to seize the world. Since there was no one capable of fighting, I would do it myself.
Now Mu Sheng's southern expeditionary army was almost wiped out, and even the Minister of Defense Liu Jun committed suicide. The losses were almost equal to those of Qiu Fu's northern expeditionary army. Therefore, many ministers wrote to impeach Mu Sheng and demanded that he be stripped of his title and step down. He couldn't even defeat the bandit Chen Jikuan, so he shouldn't continue to harm the Ming army and send himself to death in vain.
Looking at the memorials on the desk, the cabinet scholars of Emperor Yongle's secretariat drafted the imperial edicts for stripping officials of their titles and positions, and waited for the emperor's nod before sending them to the Imperial Household Department for stamping.
Everyone thought that the Mu family was doomed to fail, and like the Qiu family, they were exiled to Hainan Island. From then on, they lived a miserable life in the secular world, and they made a living by farming and weaving. Now they went to the southern islands to plant mangoes and sugarcane.
Emperor Yongle hesitated. Although they were both first-class dukes, the Mu family and the Qiu family were different. Qiu Fu had a poor foundation and was granted the title of duke by virtue of his meritorious service to the emperor.
Therefore, the golden book and iron scroll that conferred the title Duke of Qi on the Qiu family had the words "Follow the will of Heaven and quell the rebellion with loyalty".
The golden book and iron scroll that conferred the title of Duke of Qian on the Mu family reads "founding the country, assisting the government and promoting sincerity." We are different.
The Mu family has been a noble family for three dynasties. The title was obtained through the accumulated merits of generations of Mu family men. Starting from the first generation, Mu Ying, Duke of Qian, the Mu family has shed blood for the Ming Dynasty. He was the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition and also the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition. It can be said that Yunnan was conquered by Mu Ying.
Mu Chun, the second Duke of Qian, completed the Ming Dynasty's 2.5 million immigration project, which transformed Yunnan from a primitive and uncivilized country into the southwestern gateway of the Ming Dynasty and incorporated it into the Central Plains civilization.
The third generation of Duke of Qian, Mu Sheng, followed Mu Ying and Mu Chun to fight in various battles when he was young, and was a pillar of stability in Yunnan. The Mu family ruled Yunnan for generations, which was a basic national policy set in the era of Emperor Gaozu. The Mu family had great prestige in Yunnan, and no one could replace the Mu family.
If the Mu family's title is stripped and the whole family is exiled, Yunnan will be leaderless and there will be chaos, right
However, if the Mu family were to be let off like this, wouldn't it be unfair if Qiu Fu was stripped of his title after his death in battle and his entire family was exiled to Hainan Island
I'm afraid it will hurt the hearts of the famous generals who participated in the Jingnan Rebellion in the court.
When Emperor Yongle was in a dilemma, Mu Chun relied on A Lei's reputation to enter the palace and asked to see the emperor.
Mu Chun and Emperor Yongle had the same idea. Whether the Mu family could keep their title was secondary. The more important thing was that once the Mu family withdrew from Yunnan, some ambitious chieftains in various places might follow Chen Jikuan of Jiaozhi to rebel and take advantage of the situation, and Yunnan would surely be in chaos.
During the Jingnan Campaign, Mu Chun and Hu Shanwei were the heroes behind the scenes, so they should be given face. Emperor Yongle secretly met with Mu Chun and brought the Crown Prince Zhu Zhanji with him.
Mu Chun had experienced the ups and downs of three dynasties and knew that no matter how powerful a noble family was, it would be defeated if they were not careful. So he asked Emperor Yongle to give the Mu family a chance to redeem themselves from their crimes.
Emperor Yongle was still hesitating. After this disastrous defeat, could the Mu family stand up again so quickly? Would it be too risky to bet on the Mu family again
Emperor Yongle looked at the Crown Prince, who was sitting beside him, his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, and asked, "What do you think, Grand Prince?"
Zhu Yuanfang, no, it was Zhu Zhanji who said, "Your Majesty, the Mu family has been loyal for generations. It goes without saying that Prince Zhaojing Mu Ying made great contributions. My second uncle, Duke Chengguo's wife, is also a daughter of the Mu family. There is also the son-in-law, Duwei Mu Xin, who made great contributions in supervising the construction of the Taoist temple in Wudang Mountain. My grandson has seen Mu Sheng's previous battles, and he has almost never failed. He has always won big. Now that Mu Sheng has suffered a heavy blow, it is not because the Ming army is not strong, but because Mu Sheng underestimated the enemy. During the Ming's southern expedition, Minister of War Liu Jun was the deputy commander. Although Liu Jun died for his country, as the deputy commander, is it not the fault of greed for merit and recklessness?"
"My grandson dares to make a suggestion, and asks the emperor to give the Mu family a chance to make meritorious service. However, the Ming Dynasty will march south again, and the commander-in-chief must be changed. The commander-in-chief of the Annan Campaign, Duke Ying, Zhang Fu, can be appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Expedition to the Barbarians to preside over the overall situation, and then the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department can be sent to supervise the army to ensure that Mu Sheng will not make the mistake of being reckless again."
Zhu Zhanji's words were very sophisticated, worthy of being the second crown prince. He first played the emotional card, saying that his second uncle Xu Zengshou's wife, Mu, was Mu Sheng's sister, and the son-in-law Mu Xin was Mu Sheng's brother. The Mu family and the Zhu family were relatives with deep feelings, and they were helpful relatives. He hinted that Emperor Yongle should show leniency to the Mu family.
Then he proposed a feasible solution. Aren't you worried that Mu Sheng is not good enough? Then change the commander-in-chief and let Duke Ying Zhang Fu take charge. You are worried that Mu Sheng is eager to turn defeat into victory, "long-term illness relapses", and is greedy for merit and reckless, so send your trusted eunuch to the front line to supervise the army.
Zhu Zhanji knew Emperor Yongle too well, and he never mentioned Mu Chun throughout the whole process - because Mu Chun was his teacher, and if he mentioned Mu Chun's contributions, it would be suspected of favoritism, and Emperor Yongle would not listen to his advice.
Moreover, both publicly and privately, Zhu Zhanji felt that the Mu family should not follow the old path of the Qiu family. Duke Qiu Fu of Qi was a die-hard supporter of Prince of Han Zhu Gaoxu. When the crown prince was not yet decided, Qiu Fu wrote several letters to the emperor to make Prince of Han the crown prince.
Later, the prince became lame, and Qiu Fu also wrote a letter to the emperor to "depose the prince."
The Mu family is different. They have never participated in the fight for the throne. Both Mu Sheng and the son-in-law Mu Xin have remained neutral and have always respected the crown prince towards the Eastern Palace.
The King of Han was powerful, while the Eastern Palace was weak. The Mu family never took advantage of others' misfortunes and were content with the situation after the Eastern Palace was besieged on all sides several times.
Therefore, in Zhu Zhanji's view, if the Qiu family loses, it loses, but the Mu family cannot lose. Now that he has the opportunity to save the Mu family, why not do it
People's hearts gradually come together. Donggong saved the Mu family this time. There will be no changes in the Mu family on the surface, but can they remain indifferent in their hearts
Zhu Zhanji has a mind as cunning as a hornet's nest and strives to maximize his benefits.
Emperor Yongle thought for a moment and said, "The Mu family has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty. We cannot condemn them simply because of a defeat and deny the contributions of their ancestors. However, the main responsibility for the defeat in Jiaozhi this time is still Mu Sheng. First, he will be fined one year's salary, recorded as a demerit, demoted from commander-in-chief to deputy commander-in-chief, and allowed to make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence."
Mu Chun was overjoyed, "Thank you, Lord. I will go back and teach my foolish brother a lesson, don't make the mistake of underestimating the enemy again."
Emperor Yongle added: "As for whether you can go to Jiaozhi to quell the rebellion, Mu Chun, I still need to seek the opinion of another person... Come, summon Hu Shanggong."
You'll have to ask your wife.
Otherwise, what if your wife can't find me after get off work, complains to me, and quits in anger? I still have to lead the army and move the capital, so there can't be chaos in the harem.
Hu Shanwei came at the summons. She had heard in the harem that Mu Sheng was defeated and Shangshu Liu committed suicide for his country. When she saw Mu Chun entering the palace, there was nothing she didn't understand.
Emperor Yongle said, "Mu Chun volunteered to go to Jiaozhi to help Mu Sheng put down the rebellion. What does Hu Shanggong think?"
Emperor Yongle immediately denied responsibility, saying, "You see, it wasn't me who asked him to go, he wanted to go on his own initiative."
Hu Yuanfang, no, it was Hu Shanwei, looked at Mu Chun deeply. Mu Chun had fought against bandits in Jiangxi at the age of seventeen and became famous in one battle. After that, he was promoted by Xu Da, Duke of Wei, and gained experience in the Northern Expedition. Then, he joined the Southern Expedition Army and recovered Yunnan. From then on, he took root here and dedicated his youth to Yunnan. He made extraordinary achievements and was already regarded as a god in Yunnan.
But now, Mu Chun has become a retired family man who sits at the dinner table every day and waits for his wife and daughter to come home for dinner. Moreover, Beijing is not as vast and sparsely populated as Yunnan. When he was in Kunming, he could come and go freely and lived a comfortable life, but his neighbors were all beasts.
It's different in the capital, where everyone around him is an acquaintance, especially the neighbor on his left, the Mu Mansion, which was his former home. In order to avoid trouble, Mu Chun became a stay-at-home and lacked exercise. His previously clearly visible eight-pack abs were now covered with a layer of fat visible to the naked eye, and were about to merge into a piece of pork belly.
For an old couple, the most important quality is to pretend to be deaf and dumb, and sometimes even blind.
For Hu Shanwei, she would still like Mu Chun even if he became a fat man weighing 300 kilograms like the prince.
Only Hu Shanwei could accept it. Mu Chun himself was unwilling to become a middle-aged greasy man who was gradually gaining weight. From time to time, he deliberately retracted his abdomen, just like Bai Suzhen who had drunk realgar wine. He tried hard to keep smiling and was determined not to show his round belly.
Hu Shanwei could see the occasional loneliness in Muchun's eyes. In the past, they retired together and had a companion at home. They did nothing but lie in the shade of a tree and the day passed quickly. Now she was busy in the palace and her daughter was busy in the treasure ship factory. Muchun was alone at home, feeling lonely and he had to try hard to hide it in front of his wife and daughter. It was really difficult for him...
Seeing that Hu Shanwei did not respond for a long time, Mu Chun quickly spoke up, "The southwest is in trouble, I can't just sit there and watch. Now the ancestral hall built for me in Yunnan is very popular. If I don't protect them, wouldn't it be a waste of all the incense I received over the years? It's easy to be soft-hearted when you take someone's money, and it's hard to be grateful when you eat someone's money, don't you think? Don't worry, I'll be back after I put down Chen Jikuo's rebellion."
Hu Shanwei suddenly came back to his senses and said, "Of course I support you going out to defend your country. A Lei and I will be waiting for your triumphant return at home."
Duke Zhang Fu of England was in command of the expedition to the south again. Mu Chun was in the Shenji Camp, carrying the latest (copycat) Portuguese flintlock rifle made by the gunpowder factory. He was now in his forties and his physical fitness was not as good as before. Hu Shanwei was worried about Mu Chun secretly, but she did not show any fear on her face. She was worried about hurting Mu Chun's morale, as if Mu Chun was just returning to Yunnan to visit relatives. She prepared various pills from the palace for Mu Chun and said:
"This is for removing miasma, stopping diarrhea and curing dysentery, this is for nourishing the body, this sachet is for repelling mosquitoes, this is for external application on wounds, removing dead tissue and regenerating flesh... I know you won't be using it much, so it's good to give it to your soldiers."
He added: "Alei has grown up and her temperament has gradually become calmer. She is not as playful as before. You can go without worry. I can take good care of her."
Muchun also tried to show a relaxed attitude of "I'll be back soon", "With you at home, what else do I have to worry about? You two can wait for my good news at home."
They are an old couple and even though they have thousands of concerns and reluctance to part, they keep a calm face and try their best to put each other at ease.
It was different for Arei. She was too embarrassed to cry in front of her sister and brother-in-law, so she buried her head in the quilt and cried to vent her emotions. Then she washed her face and went to the dining table to have dinner with her sister and brother-in-law.
The old couple pretended to be blind and did not see Are's red and swollen eyes, acting as if nothing had happened.
The Mu family, their next-door neighbors, finally breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that Mu Sheng had been fined one year's salary and had made meritorious contributions. Before that, there were all kinds of rumors, saying that the whole family would be exiled to Hainan to grow sugarcane, just like the Qiu family of the Qiguo Mansion. The Mu family was worried.
Now that the Mu family has escaped a disaster, it is all thanks to the blessings of their ancestors. Mu Xin then took the entire Mu family to the ancestral temple to burn incense and thank the eighteen generations of ancestors.
There were tablets and three portraits on the altar in the ancestral hall. The one in the middle was of course the founder of the Fathers' Alliance, Mu Ying, and next to Mu Ying was the portrait of his first wife, Feng. Both of them were wearing bright red dresses.
The third portrait is of course Muchun, who died young and did not even have the chance to marry.
Mu Chun and Mu Ying were dressed the same, wearing bright red court robes, holding ivory tablets in their hands, and wearing five-beam crowns on their heads. In the middle of the crown was a jade cicada supported by copper wire - this was the symbol of the Duke.
Mu Xin is the only adult male in the Mu family. His two elder brothers are in Yunnan. He is the head of the family and stands at the front. After burning incense and leading the Mu family's descendants to bow three times, Mu Xin put the incense in the incense burner, turned around, and glanced at the portrait from the corner of his eye, and saw half of his eldest brother Mu Chun's face.
Suddenly, a light flashed in his mind. This half face matched the man who passed by him that day and was very familiar to Hu Shanggong's sister.
It's the eldest brother! How is it possible? Mu Xin stared at the portrait of the eldest brother, his brain was about to explode.
The next day, Mu Chun followed Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu to the battlefield. Hu Shanwei went to the palace early to work as usual. A Lei, who was unemployed at home, could not bear it anymore and ran to join the crowd to see his brother-in-law off.
Mu Chun deliberately didn't shave these days, letting his beard grow wildly, forming a natural veil. When people reach middle age, they gain weight, but they don't need a beard to cover it up. No one would associate the old soldier sitting on the artillery carriage holding a flintlock rifle and dozing with Mu Chun, the devil of the capital city, even though their outlines are similar.
Arei squeezed to the front row and handed a pack of freshly baked duck fat pancakes and a pack of braised duck heads, duck feet and duck intestines to the old soldier squatting on the artillery carriage.
In Nanjing, if you are a duck, there are thousands of ways to die.
Arei didn't say a word, what he wanted to say was all in his food. To be honest, Mu Chun had been with her longer than Hu Shanwei, and Arei couldn't bear to let her go.
This daughter was not raised in vain. Mu Chun was so excited that even his beard could not hide it. He did not dare to talk to A Lei, but just held the food and nodded to A Lei.
The father and daughter looked at each other, unaware that there was a third person staring at them. It was the son-in-law Mu Xin. After confirming through eye contact, they knew that this was the person who had been dead for thirteen years.
The author has something to say: The little brother tore off the big brother's vest to thank the little angel who cast a vote for me or irrigated the nutrient solution~
Thanks to the little angels who cast [mines]: Buddha Follower, Green Wind 1;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated [nutrient solution]:
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Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!