The Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 81: Temporary meeting

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"The court meeting? I haven't participated in any court meeting. I am a commander of the four military battalions, that is, an instructor, what kind of court meeting?" Zhu Youjian was very upset. He glanced at Zhou Yufeng and said to her in his heart that he would come back tonight. Pack you up.

Zhou Yufeng is not as gloomy as he: "His Royal Highness, the court meeting is usually held in the morning, and now a temporary meeting is held in the afternoon. There must be a major event in the court. His Royal Highness should prepare early." Zhou Yufeng waited on Zhu Youzhen to wash his face and let him. Wang Mujiu brought some soldiers from the special forces. She knew that soldiers were not allowed to enter the palace, but she was still worried, even if the soldiers were waiting outside the palace gate.

"Yeah." Zhu Youjian couldn't think of any major events. It seemed that there was still a lack of institutions like Jin Yiwei around him. At any time, it is very important to have first-hand information.

Zhu Youjian led Wang Mujiu and his party, trotting all the way to the imperial city, and stopped in front of the palace gate. Wang Mujiu and the soldiers waited outside the palace gate. Zhu Youjian walked alone, through the Meridian Gate, and then through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, into the Taiji Hall.

There were already more than 20 courtiers in the Tai Chi Hall. Because the number of people was not large, the emperor gave everyone a seat. Zhu Youjian was the last to arrive. The little eunuch also brought him a chair and took a seat at the end. .

Zhu Youjian secretly looked at it and found that the ministers and heads of various ministries had come. Zhu Youjian also knew some of them, but most of them had no friendship. The one who knew him best was Li Chunye of the Ministry of War.

Zhu Youxiao sat on the dragon chair with a serious expression, not knowing if the Chao Hui had affected his personal hobbies. Wei Zhongxian stood behind Zhu Youxiao, holding Buddha dust, lowered his eyebrows, and looked like a fool. Zhu Youxiao first glanced at the ministers, and then began to speak: "Everyone, Aiqing, the imperial meeting is held temporarily because something major has happened in the northwest. Cui Aiqing, you read Cao Aiqing's memorial again."

"Chen Zunzhi." Cui Chengxiu stood up from her seat, took the memorial handed over by the eunuch, and read it aloud:

"The minister Cao Erzhen enlightened his majesty. In recent days, bandits have repeatedly crossed the Yellow River and attacked prefectures and counties with arms. The minister conducted investigations and found that they were all bandits in Shaanxi. Today, they found:

"In the fifth year of the Apocalypse, Wang Er, a farmer in Baishui County, Shaanxi, led the local people to publicly kill the magistrate Zhang Douyao and conspired. In October of the fifth year of the Apocalypse, Wang Jiayin, Wang Daliang, Gao Yingxiang and Wang Zuogua in Mizhi County, Shaanxi, led the local people. Nearby peasants rebelled. Soldiers from various guards also responded. Today, the Shaanxi Bandit Army has no less than 200,000. Most of Shaanxi’s northwestern prefectures and counties are occupied by bandits. Weinan in the southeast is also occupied by bandits. Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi, is also occupied by bandits. Threatened."

"The ministers governing Shanxi have no advantage in patrolling Shaanxi. However, the bandits repeatedly attacked the prefectures and counties of Shanxi. Rebellion is a great rebellion in the world. Therefore, the ministers dare not conceal the crime, and beg your majesty to forgive the minister for transgression."

"The peasant uprising?" Zhu Youjian was shocked, this was Daming's reminder. He has always had no liking for the peasant uprisings in the late Ming Dynasty. The reason for the demise of Ming Dynasty, in the final analysis, in addition to the corruption in the late Ming Dynasty, the peasant uprising also objectively consumed Ming's national power and made Ming Dynasty fight on two fronts.

When the city of Beijing was broken, there was still the strongest army guarding Shanhaiguan, preventing the building of slaves from crossing the Great Wall. When the Ming Dynasty fell, the Manchu Dynasty did not enter the Pass. After the Manchu Dynasty entered the Pass, the real culprit was the peasant rebel army.

"All Aiqing, talk about your thoughts." Zhu Youxiao's face was expressionless, his body moved slightly.

"Your Majesty, since the number of bandits in Shaanxi has reached 200,000, why don't you see the Shaanxi governor Hu Tingyan reported?" Dong Kecheng, Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry, first asked his own question.

"Your Majesty, the minister has not seen Shaanxi's letter in March. The minister also feels strange. He has already asked people to inquire about Shaanxi, and he will reply soon." Wang Shaohui, the official secretary, said to the hearts of the ministers. Chills. The governors of the provinces, no matter what is going on, will play in January to report safety. There was no messenger from Shaanxi Province to Beijing in March, and the fear of banditry was not light. So everyone no longer entangled the bandit with no problem, but how to solve the problem.

"Shaanxi is a strong frontier defense, and there are Tatars in the north. Once Shaanxi bandits collude with Tartars outside Guanwai, Shaanxi will be in danger. The ministers ask your majesty to quickly send heavy troops to encircle and suppress." Xue Fengxiang, another minister of the Ministry of Industry, is one of the few in the court. The many Donglin Party has gradually become the leader of the Donglin Party. He knows that the weak underbelly of the Eunuch Party lies in the military, and the Eunuch Party has no military commanders. If the court sent troops to rescue Shaanxi, it would be a good opportunity for the Donglin Party to seize power.

"Your Majesty, there are mountains in Shaanxi and the Yellow River obstructs it. It is really not easy to mobilize heavy troops." Xu Zhaokui, the Shangshu of the Criminal Ministry, immediately objected. Since Xue Fengxiang made the move, he had no reason not to accept it.

"Master Xu, can we let the bandits bring trouble to Shaanxi? Do you want Shaanxi?" Wang Yongguang, another man from the Ministry of War, is also of the Donglin Party. He understands what Xue Fengxiang means. This is indeed an opportunity for the Party. If the imperial court sent troops to Shaanxi, the military commanders of the Donglin Party would be used.

"Master Wang, the important frontier defense in Shaanxi, the four towns of Guyuan, Yansui, Ningxia, and Gansu have more than 300,000 government soldiers and soldiers. Why don't you adjust the Shaanxi army, but want to stay close and seek far?" Xu Zhaokui is a famous impatient He doesn't need support. It seems that he wants to single out the Donglin Party.

"If the 300,000 sergeants of Shaanxi were still there, how could the bandits raid the entire territory of Shaanxi? Didn't Mr. Xu hear the memorials of the governor of Shanxi Cao Erzhen? The soldiers from the various guards in Shaanxi responded." Hubu Shangshu, Donglin Party member Li Qiyuan is not hurried, he wants to use wheel warfare to first solve the castrated party pioneer Xu Zhaokui.

Xu Zhaokui is not so easy to admit defeat: "Cao Erzhen is far away in Shanxi, so he can't believe what he said. Moreover, mobilizing heavy troops to Shaanxi will inevitably cost a lot of money. May I ask Mr. Guo, can the household department have enough money?"

"Master Xu, although the household department currently has a small amount of money and food, it is a military salary for Liaodong, which is absolutely untouchable." Another Shangshu official from the household department, Guo Yunhou, is also an eunuch. Xu Zhaokui asked for help. Of course, he could not ignore it.

"I don't know if Master Li has a personal storage of grain?" Xu Zhaokui got even more vigorous with Guo Yunhou's help. He opened his mouth and laughed at Li Qiyuan triumphantly, completely forgetting the military sentiment in Shaanxi.

"Although the Huhu only has the military pay of Liaodong, but there is no war in Liaodong, Jiannu has already returned to Shenyang, and can temporarily pay for the army to conquer Shaanxi, and it is OK to make up after the spring harvest next year." Li Qiyuan is also the Huhu. Shangshu is also very clear about the family background of the household department and how the household department demolished the east wall and supplemented the western wall.

"Your Majesty, on the front line of Liaodong, how can it be child's play to build slaves with gaze?" Xu Zhaokui moved his soldiers to the emperor again.

"Master Xu is in charge of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs and is not clear about the affairs of the Ministry of Households and the Ministry of War. Let me ask Mrs. Xu that the Ministry of Households now owes a lot of payment. Which army does not owe payment, but Liaodong can't owe it?" Li Qiyuan never paid attention to Xu Zhaokui. , If it hadn’t been for Wei Wei as his father, which turn would it be for him to be the official book of the Criminal Ministry

Xu Zhaokui was speechless for a while, his face flushed red, but his eyes were extremely wide, as if he could kill Li Qiyuan with his eyes. "Cough, cough." Wei Zhongxian coughed without losing the opportunity, still like a little daughter-in-law with low eyebrows.

"Master Li, even if I have money and food, where can I transfer the army? The bandits are more than 200,000." Gu Bingqian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, went ahead. After Xu Zhaokui was defeated, Wei Zhongxian was already very dissatisfied. Although he has always been a silent first assistant, Xu Zhaokui's attempt to single-handedly challenge the Donglin Party was unsuccessful and did not get help, so he had no choice but to do it.

"The capital of the capital has more than 300,000 troops, and some of the capital of the capital can be transferred as the lead, and the troops of Huguang, Henan, and Shanxi and Shandong can be transferred as auxiliary." Wang Yongguang is a book of the Ministry of War, and he knows the layout of the army.

Gu Bingqian, the chief assistant who usually remained silent, went into battle shirtless. The other castrated party members naturally did not dare to fall behind. They all spoke in support of Xu Zhaokui and opposed the transfer of troops to Shanxi, and advocated the use of local soldiers for comfort. The East Forest Party is not as large as the Eunuch Party in terms of numbers, but each of the East Forest Party holds justice for the country and the people, saying that the world is frightened and the ghosts and gods cry.

No one can convince anyone, the court debate has heated up, and both sides are about to take off their clothes and perform Mizun Fist.

Zhu Youxiao frowned, he was not interested in the argument, nor was he interested in the result. He hopes that someone will go to Shaanxi as soon as possible to solve the chaos of the farmers in Shaanxi, so that he can leave the court and return to his own world.

Li Chunye saw that the two sides were entangled and couldn't fight for victory or defeat, but the bandits in Shaanxi were waiting for no one. But he is only one of many Shangshu. On such occasions, people are light-hearted and can't help being extremely anxious. It happened that Zhu Youxiao raised his lost eyes and saw Li Chunye. Li Chunye had an idea and tilted his head to look at Zhu Youjian.

Zhu Youxiao came to understand that Zhu Youjian was summoned by his own verbal call, and he hasn't said a word yet.

"All Aiqing, I know that you are all sharing your worries for me." Zhu Youxiao's voice was low, and all the arguments stopped immediately, as if there was a power outage while watching TV. "But up to now, there is no final conclusion, let's listen to Wang Xin to talk about his views.

Zhu Youjian stood up from the last row, knowing he could not hide. However, after listening to the quarrel between the Donglin Party and the Eunuch Party, he has a general understanding of the peasant uprising in Shaanxi.

"Brother Binghuang, Shaanxi banditry can be suppressed or suppressed. We must first look at the reasons. Why are farmers in Shaanxi willing to take the risk of killing their heads, ransacking their homes, and exterminating their clan and rebelling?" See more thoroughly and farther. After he raised this question, the audience was silent.

Just now, the Donglin Party and the Eunuch Party were quarreling, opposing each other's opinions, and obliterating each other's political attempts. They did not think about it from the perspective of the disorderly people. Even Wei Zhongxian, who was listening to the side, only hoped that his own people would win the dispute, thereby attacking the prestige of the Donglin Party in front of the emperor. As for why the peasants rebelled, that was not what he thought, he was just an eunuch.

"As far as the ministers know, the farmers in Shaanxi were rebelling because of the severe drought in the local area. The farmers had no harvest, and the farmers had no grain and changed their children to eat. If you don’t resist, you will die at least temporarily. Unless the court has a large amount of grain. Disaster relief, otherwise comforting is just empty talk." The court cannot have a large amount of food for disaster relief, and even the army is in arrears, indicating that the court is exhausted.

The impoverished court forced the officials everywhere to levy heavy taxes. In fact, the fuse of the Shaanxi peasant uprising was Zhang Douyao, the magistrate, who forced rent to complete the tax task assigned by the court when the peasants did not even have rations.

"Furthermore, most areas of Shaanxi are now occupied by bandit forces. The bandit forces have grown to more than 200,000. The time has been lost for appeasement and disaster relief methods are no longer feasible. Let me ask, who is in power in Shaanxi now? Distribute food for disaster relief?"