In the Xuanzheng Hall.
The news of Wang Shouren's victory made Zhu Houzhao extremely happy.
Although Zhu Houzhao had already given Wang Shouren the title, he felt that it was not enough.
In the Battle of Datong, Zhu Houzhao saw Wang Shouren's outstanding talent in war. He made a prompt decision and acted decisively. Moreover, what Wang Shouren did struck a chord in Zhu Houzhao's heart.
The Tartar Kingdom had always been a disaster. Zhu Yuanzhang defeated the Yuan Dynasty, and the Yuan Dynasty retreated to the grasslands, forming many countries. The Tartar Kingdom was one of the largest countries.
For more than a hundred years, the Tartars had always been a great threat to Ming.
The emperor guarded the country gate!
Where were they guarding?
They were guarding Youzhou!
Who was he guarding against?
They were guarding against the Tartars!
In the Battle of Datong, Wang Shouren flooded seven armies and defeated the Tartars. After this battle, the Tartars were unable to go south for thirty years.
Could this Wang Shouren be my Zhang Juzheng?
In the court, Zhu Houzhao was scrutinizing all the officials. Emperor Hongzhi had left him four important ministers: Iron Dipper God Marquis Zhu Budian, Chief Assistant Minister Liu Jian, Second Assistant Minister Li Dongyang, and Minister of War and East Pavilion Grand Scholar Xie Qian.
Among the four, Ironguts was ambitious, Liu Jian was decisive, Li Dongyang was scheming, and Xie Qian argued.
Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and the others formed a cabinet. If the Emperor did not attend court or preside over the government, they would make the decisions for most of the government affairs in the court.
Li Dongyang was a person who did not offend anyone. Other than handling the court affairs, he was also good at writing and reciting poems. He did not have any conflicts with anyone and was a smooth person.
In the Imperial Court, be it the officials, eunuchs, or relatives, everyone was on good terms with Li Dongyang.
Cao Zhengchun was like fire and water with all the officials in the court. The officials looked down on Cao Zhengchun, and Cao Zhengchun scoffed at the officials. However, Cao Zhengchun was on good terms with Li Dongyang.
Cao Zhengchun often drank with Li Dongyang in the tavern in the southern suburbs, talking about the past and the present.
In Cao Zhengchun's mansion, there was a piece of calligraphy that Li Dongyang had given him hanging in his living room: "Don't compare the difficulty of painting bamboo to the difficulty of simplicity. Look at the rustling leaves, the wind and rain in the hall are too cold.”
When Emperor Hongzhi was still alive, he often let Li Dongyang enter the palace to accompany him. Since ancient times, kings were lonely. The only person who could chat with the emperor was Li Dongyang.
Perhaps it was because of this carefree attitude that Li Dongyang's career was smooth sailing. The officials in the court changed like a lantern, and only his position remained stable.
Liu Jian and Li Dongyang had completely different personalities. Liu Jian made enemies everywhere. Whether it was the ministers or the eunuchs, they all kept a respectful distance from Liu Jian.
Liu Jian, the chief assistant of the cabinet, was smelly and stubborn. He did not make friends with anyone outside the court. It was extremely difficult for any official to have a relationship with Liu Jian.
Liu Jian's good friends could be counted with one palm.
However, it was precisely because Liu Jian was resolute and decisive that Emperor Hongzhi trusted him. Before he died, Emperor Hongzhi instructed Liu Jian to assist Zhu Houzhao well.
Zhu Houzhao had just ascended the throne, and the 300,000 strong army of the Tartars had gone south. Without being able to see the emperor, the cabinet chief dispatched troops to aid Datong without any hesitation.
Among the cabinet members, Liu Jian and Li Dongyang were not the most talented. The most talented person was the Minister of War and East Pavilion Grand Secretary Xie Qian.
Xie Qian is upright and understanding, intelligent and sensitive, and good at holding opinions.
Together with Liu Jian and Li Dongyang, he was an assistant emperor and had outstanding achievements. At that time, people said,"Li Gongmou (Li Dongyang's strategy), Liu Gongduan (Liu Jian's prompt decision), and Xie Gong was especially good at arguing (Xie Qian's eloquence)." He was one of the three sages in the world at that time.
……
Zhu Houzhao stared at the court officials.
Among the civil and military officials in the court, there were loyal and treacherous people. If he wanted to sit on the throne, he needed to promote those who were loyal to him and push those who were incompetent down.
The news of the defeat of the Tartar army excited all the civil and military officials in the court. Emperor Zheng De issued a number of decrees, each of which hit the nail on the head. His Majesty's military strategy was impressive.
A month ago, when Emperor Zheng De ascended the throne, all the officials in the court were worried about the Emperor. They were worried that the Emperor was young and was bewitched by the eunuchs.
Who would have thought that the Emperor would see through the eunuch's bewitchment and kill Liu Jin in a fit of rage?
Now, after Wang Yangming defeated the Tartars and His Majesty issued a decree, all the officials in the court finally realized that Emperor Zheng De was a hero!
Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, Xie Qian, and the others were in tears. The wise ruler they had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Zhu Houzhao looked at the ministers and said,""The Tartars have been defeated, and the siege of Datong has been lifted. I am very pleased, but I don't dare to rest for even a moment. I am afraid that if I rest for a moment, there will be villains brandishing their sabers over my head!”
Zhu Houzhao's voice echoed in the hall like the collision of metal and stone. It was so deafening that no one dared to speak.
Zhu Houzhao walked down from the dragon throne and into the imperial court. Many officials bowed.
"I killed a group of eunuchs and confiscated twelve million taels of property! Twelve million taels! The Great Ming Empire's tax revenue was only four million taels of silver, but the property that these eunuchs embezzled was actually three times the Great Ming Empire's tax revenue!”
"Your Majesty is wise…" the officials in the court shouted.
Whoosh!
Zhu Houzhao raised his hand up high and then swung it down.
"Enough! If I wanted people to flatter me, I wouldn't have killed these eunuchs. They know how to flatter me better than you!”
"I know that some of you are greedy for more silver than these eunuchs! I also know that some of you are buying and selling official positions!”
"We dare not!"
"You don't dare? There's something you don't dare to do? This country is my country. The people of the world are my people. I'm telling you today that I will investigate thoroughly! Investigate thoroughly! Malfeasance! Greedy! Buying and selling official positions! I will make sure he never reincarnates!”
Zhu Houzhao suddenly turned around and strode back to his throne. The ministers in the court were sweating.
Although the Emperor was only lecturing in the court, to some of the officials, it was like the sky had collapsed!
If His Majesty were to investigate thoroughly, these officials would die without a burial place!
Zhu Houzhao glanced at Liu Jian and Li Dongyang. After giving a few instructions to the eunuch beside him, he stood up and left the court.
"Retreat!" the eunuch shouted.”
All the civil and military officials wiped the cold sweat on their foreheads with their sleeves. The few words the Emperor had said in the court had almost caused them to fall on the main hall.
All the officials in the court walked out in an orderly manner.
Liu Jian and Li Dongyang were walking out when the eunuch stopped them and said,""My lords, His Majesty has decreed that after the court session, the three lords will go to the Palace of Heavenly Purity to see His Majesty…"
The three ministers were surprised and did not dare to guess the emperor's will. They followed the eunuchs to the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
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