The Prosperous Era of Longwan

No one would think about how the Xu family could get so much salt in Bian Town. Everyone was not fools, they must have been influenced by Mr. Xu Ge.

No one would blame Mr. Xu Ge. He devoted all his energy to the court, and there was also a lack of discipline for the unruly sons in the family.

For a time, the voices criticizing Zhang Qi became quieter, while the voices calling for development for Mr. Xu Ge grew louder.

However, some officials who had planned to follow the example of Yang Bo and Huo Yi silently rushed to the General Affairs Department and took back their memorials.

Exculpation is a last resort.

People with official status can get more or less salt as long as they have good connections.

Naturally, it doesn't seem like a big sin for Xu Ge Lao to get some salt.

Now that Mr. Xu Ge is gone, shouldn’t it be time to share the salt and salt that the Xu family had exclusively with everyone?

In the Ming Dynasty, the profits from selling salt were too great. If you wanted to get the real salt, in addition to the share of the clan nobles, you had to be a powerful official. If you smashed the Ministry of Household and Salt Transportation Department and other yamen, you could only get the share of the remaining salt.

Although the officials in the capital usually regard money as dirt, their ability to settle accounts is still first-class, and they can think of many things almost instantly.

With the attraction of money, who cares whether Xu Jie stays or goes?

Xu Jie also heard about this at home, but he just shook his head gently with a sarcastic smile on his face.

For some things, when you get an official position, you will naturally have these benefits, and you don't have to fight for them at all.

If you don't get an official position, even if you are good at dancing, you won't get anything.

Zhang Qi sent the memorial to the palace, and Emperor Longqing immediately gave instructions, "Since Qi has received money and violated the law, he ordered the Jinyi guards to arrest Qi's father and son and the famous people in Shu, and send them to the town and Fusi to hear the truth."

A few days later, Xu Jie packed up his belongings and left the capital. The cabinet was led by Li Chunfang, and almost all the main officials of the six ministries went to see him off, including Wei Guangde, Yin Shizhen and others.

Time quietly entered August, and news came from Shaanxi. Wei Taiqing, a Shaanxi citizen, led a group of more than 500 people to march to Jiangzhou, Xiangning, and Taiping in Shanxi. They refused to injure the officers and soldiers and sought to cross the river.

Someone in Shaanxi finally rebelled by killing officials. Although the opponent only had more than 500 people for the time being, the officials in the capital also knew that if the local area was not peaceful, the number of rebels would soon grow like a snowball, so the Ministry of War quickly sent troops to Shaanxi. and the surrounding guard posts must quickly pursue and suppress the rebels.

Because the patrol censor Song Jian had reported this matter before, the cabinet meeting under the leadership of Li Chunfang quickly made a decision and reported it to Emperor Longqing, Shanxi Branch River Patrol Officer Wu Yiping, and Pingyang Prefecture Inspector Zhao Shizu , each deprived of one month's salary; Song Yingchang, the magistrate of Jiangzhou, questioned the crime; Shaanxi Fuqian strictly enforced arrests and punished the owner of the nest.

After the court meeting on the 15th day of August, Wei Guangde came out and saw a figure walking out from behind. His figure was elegant and unrestrained, with a hint of heroism, which was very extraordinary.

Wei Guangde knew that that person was Tan Lun.

It has been more than half a month since Tan Lun entered the capital and joined the Ministry of War. Wei Guangde had met him twice before. One was a banquet held by the Ministry of War, so that he could get familiar with the officials in the capital as soon as possible so that he could get started with work as soon as possible. The second time was at the court meeting on the first day of August. .

Perhaps it was his first time to go to court, and Emperor Longqing was also very concerned about him. After all, Wei Guangde had previously recommended that he be the prime minister to review matters, so he called him out during the court meeting.

At this time, the surrounding officials were bustling, either alone or in groups walking towards the Yamen. Wei Guangde simply hurriedly caught up with Tan Lun.

"Brother Zili, why are you leaving so fast? Is it because the Ministry of War is busy with official duties?"

Tan Lun, courtesy name Zili and Erhua, was from Tanfang, Yihuang County, Jiangxi Province, and was a fellow villager of Wei Guangde.

"It's a charity loan."

Tan Lun turned sideways and saw Wei Guangde, slowed down, and the two of them moved forward slowly.

"You know, I am in charge of the defense of Jizhen in the Ministry of War. This is the autumn defense soon. The Tartar tribes often attack the Jizhen Pass at this time."

"Tuman" actually refers to the later Chahar tribe. "Tumen" refers to "Tumen", the leader of the Mongolian Chahar tribe, who is also Zasak Tuhan. Ming people often called their tribe Tuman tribe. Sometimes the word "Tuman" is directly used to represent the entire tribe.

Dayan Khan unified Eastern Mongolia and established 60,000 households: Chahar, Khalkha, and Uliangha on the left, Ordos, Tumed, and Yongshebu on the right. His grandson is what the Ming Dynasty calls Anda Khan.

The Chahar Tribe is one of the most famous tribes of the Mongolian people and was known as the Ten Thousand Households in the Central Mongolia in history.

In the Northern Yuan Dynasty, it was a tribe directly subordinate to the Great Khan of Mongolia. The lords of Otok have always been inherited by the descendants of Tulu Borot, the eldest son of Dayan Khan, and Oqil Borot, the sixth son of the "Golden Family".

In the twenty-sixth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, Dalai Xunkuden Khan of the Chahar tribe was afraid of being annexed by Anda Khan. He led one hundred thousand troops to move eastward and moved their herds to the southeastern half of the Daxingan Mountains, filling up the vast land between Liaodong and Jizhen. power vacuum.

As a result, the Ming army fought with the Tuman tribe in Liaodong and Jizhen almost every year, becoming a new threat to the Ming capital after Ada Khan.

"I heard that you have some objections to Guo Hu, the chief military officer of Xianji Town. Do you want to replace him?"

Wei Guangde asked casually.

"Nothing."

Tan Lun denied it and said that he had just arrived in the north and did not want to offend the commander of Jizhen as soon as he arrived.

In any case, Guo Hu is now his general. If the generals are at odds, this war will not be fought in the future.

"I just heard someone say that you want to transfer Qi Jiguang to your staff."

Wei Guangde smiled.

He had confirmed this news, and Tan Lun at the Ministry of War did have this intention.

"Shandai, you know that I have spent most of these years fighting Japanese invaders in the south of the Yangtze River. I am familiar with Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang, so I want to put some familiar generals to use. I have no dissatisfaction with Guo Hu."

Tan Lun explained.

At this time, Wei Guangde and Tan Lun had already left the palace gate, and there were only a few people around them. He simply pulled Tan Lun aside and whispered: "Actually, Qi Jiguang will be under your command soon, so you don't need to specifically bring this up." thing."

"Um?"

Tan Lun was a little strange. Qi Jiguang came to visit him at home after he arrived in the capital, so he knew very well that Qi Jiguang was now the deputy general of the Shenji Camp.

Blinking, Tan Lun was a little surprised and said: "Could it be that His Majesty intends for me to approve the military affairs of the Beijing camp?"

When Qi Jiguang came under his control, he could only go to Jizhen or increase the power in his hands.

After he came to the capital, he quietly visited Zhu Heng and knew that the imperial court had temporarily allowed him to take charge of Jizhen. It was only temporary. According to his work performance, if he did well, the soldiers and horses in Baoding and Changping would soon be placed under his control. .

Now that I have just taken over the official duties, naturally I will not pass the assessment so quickly, so the only thing that increases my power is the errand that the Minister of War often holds concurrently, and is responsible for the military affairs of the Beijing Camp.

"Yes, but."

Wei Guangde said directly, but he still managed to get away with it.

"Shandai, we are all fellow countrymen. Just say whatever you want. He told me at Zhu Zhenshan's house before that you have better information in the capital than he does, and you are close to His Majesty. He asked me to interact with you more.

It’s just that I have just arrived in the capital, and I have to deal with all kinds of documents from Jizhen every day, and I am very nervous. "

Tan Lun complained.

"Did Ji Zhen find any problems?"

Wei Guangde asked with a smile.

"I have read the documents. You have also inspected the Jizhen Great Wall. Don't you know this?"

Tan Lun curled his lips and said, "As far as I can see, the troops of the Jizhou and Changping generations are less than 100,000, and most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled, and they are scattered on the 2,000-mile Great Wall. Once the enemy attacks concentratedly, the Ming army will Will be defeated individually.

In the past, the Tuman Tribe and the Anda Khan Tribe had repeatedly broken through the border and entered like this. How to deal with it? Now I have a big head. "

"The army in Ji Town can only be ordered to drill strictly and be vigilant at all times. We can then plan for it slowly after they stabilize."

Wei Guangde said.

"Yes, it's not possible to train new recruits without weeding out the old and the weak."

Tan Lun answered, "What you said earlier was that you wanted me to support the military affairs of the Beijing camp?"

Although they had gone around in a circle, Tan Lun still remembered the conversation between the two, so he naturally asked more questions.

Wei Guangde nodded, "I do intend to let you take charge of the capital camp."

"Isn't this what you recommended?"

Tan Lun made inquiries before and after he came to the capital. It was Yang Bo's people who recommended him to the capital, but there was nothing about the capital camp.

"Hey, Master Tan is really clever."

Wei Guangde smiled.

"You'd better stop hurting me. I can't go anywhere in Beijing. That place is full of dynasties. Maybe you're the only one who can do something if you go to the Prime Minister."

At the beginning, the civil servant group did have plans to re-train the capital camp to surround the capital, but they soon discovered that it would not work because Xungui's strength in the capital camp was deep-rooted and unshakable.

Even after passing through Tumu Fort, many of the school captains who came in were in chaos with the Xungui Group.

Therefore, although the civil servants have the right to approve and manage the Beijing camp, they rarely rectify the Beijing camp, because the civil servants and nobles have reached a tacit understanding not to interfere with each other.

Naturally, Tan Lun didn't want to poke trouble at Lou Zi and take care of the Beijing camp.

"it has to be you."

Wei Guangde guessed from the beginning that Tan Lun might not be willing to intervene in the Beijing camp, but he had already proposed the parade ceremony in front of Emperor Longqing, and he felt uneasy without finding a stable and reliable person to handle it.

If things go wrong, you won't get any benefits.

"You may have to temporarily serve as the governor of Jingying for a year, and then you will serve as the governor of Jiliao and control the troops of the three towns."

Wei Guangde got to the bottom of it and told him that he would not be allowed to take charge of the Beijing camp for a year at most.

"One year?"

Tan Lun frowned, "What do you want to do?"

There was no one around them. This place was remote and they were not afraid of anyone eavesdropping.

From Zhu Heng, he knew that the current situation of Jiangxi officials in the officialdom was not very good, so they must unite sincerely.

He couldn't think of a reason for Wei Guangde to harm him, so he didn't worry too much.

"I recommend you and Qi Jiguang in front of His Majesty to organize the grand parade next year."

Wei Guangde gave the answer directly?

"Dayue?"

Tan Lun frowned deeper. Of course he knew what Dayue was, but when was Dayue?

Either a large army is sent out for war, or a victory is returned to the court. What kind of grand parade is held for no reason?

"In the eighteenth year of Yongle, envoys from more than 20 countries visited our country, accompanied by envoy Chen Cheng. At that time, Emperor Chengzu held a grand parade in Huailai in the name of hunting.

Elites from the Fifth Army Battalion, Three Thousand Battalions, and Shenji Battalion were carefully selected to practice cavalry outflanking, infantry assault, infantry and cavalry combined attack and other projects.

In addition, the coyote soldiers and white pole soldiers transferred from Guangxi, Yunnan, and Sichuan practiced infantry crossbow volleys, spear infantry assassination and other events, which opened the eyes of envoys from various countries and made them feel inferior. "

Wei Guangde said casually.

He had read relevant documents before, so he knew these things very well.

Wei Guangde made it so obvious that Tan Lun still didn't understand his purpose.

After just lowering his head to think for a moment, Tan Lun looked up at him and asked, "Do you want to revive the morale of the army? Let Qi Jiguang train them for a year? Do you also need to mobilize the wolf soldiers and white pole soldiers?"

Wei Guangde had said before that he had recommended him in front of His Majesty, knowing that this matter could not be shied away easily.

If the emperor was not moved, Wei Guangde would not come to him.

“Forget it about Jiangnan, the journey is far and it’s really inconvenient.

Only a thousand elites from each of the nine sides were mobilized, and the remaining tens of thousands were selected from the Beijing camp. After that, these people formed independent camps in the Beijing camp and became the main combat force of the Beijing camp. "

Wei Guangde said that these days, he already has plans.

The soldiers in the Beijing camp are just good-looking and have no murderous intent, so they need to supplement the number of elite soldiers in the border area.

Since it is a grand parade, naturally not only the courtiers can watch it, but also people from surrounding friendly countries should be sent to watch the ceremony.

It can be said that as long as there are no problems on Tan Lun's side, he will communicate with Emperor Longqing, and then issue an order to have Honglu Temple and Siyi Hall send documents to various states to invite them to watch the ceremony.

"It's so sudden that I can't say much at the moment."

Tan Lun was a little hesitant. Dayue represented the court's reputation, so he did not dare to agree casually.

"If Mr. Tan has nothing to do tonight, you can come to my house to talk."

Wei Guangde invited.

Indeed, if Tan Lun suddenly agreed to tell him this, Wei Guangde would hesitate.

Give him a day to think about it, and then have an interview in the evening, and it seems like the decision can be made.

"Okay, I won't bother you tonight."

Tan Lun was also looking for an opportunity to visit Wei Guangde's house, and today he just achieved his goal.

"By the way, Shandai, I'll ask Qi Jiguang to go to your house tonight. How about that?"

Just when the two were about to separate and go back to the Yamen, Tan Lun suddenly said again.

"Huh? I wish I could."

It's very simple. It's better to settle things directly tonight. You can prepare early.

Notifying the surrounding countries to watch the ceremony is not like later generations, just holding a press conference.

Fortunately, there are envoys here in the capital. You can inform them. Below, ask them to send people to quickly bring the news back to the country and arrange for the envoys to visit.

For those foreign states that did not have envoys in Beijing, they had to send envoys to various places, and then send people from various places to contact them. This must be the case for some foreign states in Southeast Asia.

For example, if you want to notify Ryukyu, you have to go down to Fujian, while the Southeast Asian countries have to go down to Guangdong and Yunnan, and they will send people to notify you.

Returning to the Ministry of Rites, Wei Guangde asked Lu Bu to pay attention to the news about Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang. Not long after, the news came. After Tan Lun returned to the Ministry of War, he sent someone to Shenji Camp to contact Qi Jiguang.

Qi Jiguang had been fighting against Japanese invaders in Zhejiang and Fujian for a long time, so he was familiar with Tan Lun.

But this time both of them were transferred to the capital, so they naturally became allies, a small group led by Tan Lun.

Who told the Ming Dynasty to use civility to control military affairs? Qi Jiguang understood a long time ago that he had to find a backer from civil servants, otherwise it would be difficult to move forward in the officialdom. Yu Dayou was an example.

But it was a blessing in disguise that he was caught and brought to the capital, and he actually got on his lap.

During the Jiajing Dynasty, Jiangnan officials could still point fingers at Yu Dayou, but now in the Longqing Dynasty, Yu Dayou's status has been stabilized, and no one dares to impeach him at will.

Even if the great pirate Zeng Yiben was not brought to justice, the local government could only urge him from below, but did not dare to impeach him for this reason.

Moreover, now Yu Dayou's official duties have actually turned more to the navy, and he seems to be planning to catch all the pirates.