The Prosperous Era of Longwan

"This matter should be reported to your majesty. Please order the Jinyi Guards to thoroughly investigate those who are involved in the Japanese, and they must be severely punished.

At the same time, he informed the Nanyang Navy to prepare for going south.

I heard that most of the Japanese pirates are now hiding on the islands in the South China Sea. The Nanyang navy used to roam near the coast. It is time for them to go to sea to practice. "

Wei Guangde did not remain silent. Although he did not directly answer Zhang Juzheng's proposal, he also expressed what he meant.

"What Shandai said is true, but now the court is raging with people demanding that Yu Dayou be punished.

After all, he is the admiral of the Nanyang Navy and has the unshirkable responsibility to protect the Jiangnan provinces.

This time, Zhejiang was invaded by Japanese pirates again. He was more or less responsible. He left Zhejiang and went north, but did not arrange the defense in the south of the Yangtze River. "

Zhang Juzheng did not answer Wei Guangde's words, and both of them started playing Tai Chi with each other.

Wei Guangde also heard that Zhang Juzheng seemed to have good intentions, but he just wanted to appoint Yu Dayou, but he actually wanted to replace him with someone Zhang Juzheng liked to take over Yu Dayou's responsibilities.

If you want to replace a general, you must first report the fault and implement it. First, confirm that there is a fault, and then add a little more fuel to the flames, and there will be no room for change.

In this case, Wei Guangde felt that his attitude should be tougher. Only by protecting the people below would they truly obey orders.

Yu Dayou's purpose of going north this time was originally to escort the grain and sea transportation, but it just happened that he participated in the task of transporting Ji Zhen's army to the east.

Moreover, Yu Dayou's position is related to the Nanyang strategy planned by Wei Guangde. Naturally, he will not accept anyone blaming him or even intending to replace him.

Wei Guangde was worried when others went up.

It can only be said that he still has a superstitious view of the famous generals of this era in his previous life, and they have all experienced war, so they are naturally worthy of trust.

Yu Dayou, in particular, was quite good at both land and water warfare. This was why he sent Deng Zilong to him. He also hoped that this little fellow could learn Yu Dayou's skills, and his future would be limitless.

"The Nanyang Navy's task on this trip north is not light. He took away most of the navy's warships, and most of the remaining warships patrolled the coasts of Fujian and Guangdong.

According to the current Jiangnan war report, there are no traces of Japanese pirates in Fujian and Guangdong, but only in Zhejiang. Doesn’t this explain the problem?

Someone secretly revealed the situation of the navy's mobilization. It seems that this person is very familiar with the navy's troop mobilization, and his responsibility must be quite high.

The imperial court should strictly order the Jiangnan Metropolitan Procuratorate to investigate this matter and find out those who have connections with foreign countries and bring them to justice. As for Yu Dayou's fault."

At this point, Wei Guangde hesitated slightly, but finally made up his mind and could not admit that Yu Dayou was wrong now.

So, he continued: "Let's wait until he wipes out this group of Japanese pirates, and then we can discuss how to punish them."

Zhang Juzheng knew that this was Wei Guangde's plan to confuse the matter by using the trick of overestimation.

Apart from anything else, it can be said that Liaodong's dispatch of troops to annihilate Wang Gao will definitely result in a great victory.

As a general who participated in the transportation of the army and food and wages, Yu Dayou still had some credit.

In the past, Wei Guangde had always suppressed the matter of grain transportation and did not commend him below. Obviously, this is also a credit that can be used to balance.

As for if Yu Dayou really followed the clues and wiped out this group of Japanese pirates who dared to plunder in the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court might have to reward them.

However, if Wei Guangde didn't nod, he wouldn't be able to use the authority of the Chief Assistant to suppress the matter.

If he had his hair trimmed, it would be troublesome for Wei Guangde to confront him in political affairs.

In fact, Zhang Juzheng himself is now facing a lot of pressure. That is, after he introduced the examination method, not only the officials of the six ministries of the imperial court, but also the governors below also reacted very fiercely.

Not to mention anything else, in the past they were lenient to some local wealthy gentry and allowed them to "defer" some taxes "appropriately", which not only brought benefits, but also had the effect of stabilizing the local area.

Most of these wealthy gentry are deeply entangled in the local area and have great influence.

Now that there is a law to pass the examination, the taxes on hands and feet will directly affect one's official career and official title. Naturally, I dare not let them default as before.

We have to collect taxes, but those in the local area are used to paying half and keeping the other half. They have to collect them all at once, but they are not used to it.

Therefore, the local government is looking for trouble for the governors of various places, leaving them helpless.

After all, if you can become a wealthy family, there are many people in the family who are in the officialdom. Maybe they are in the same department, how can you deal with them easily.

As a result, painful memorials from local governments were delivered to the cabinet one after another, and were placed on Zhang Juzheng's desk, putting him under tremendous pressure.

Fortunately, Wei Guangde and Lu Tiaoyang in the cabinet seemed to support the entrance examination method he introduced, so they supported his opinions on the draft, which made him feel that the rear was stable and could deal with pressure from all aspects.

But if Yu Dayou and Wei Guangde really break up over a trivial matter, it will be troublesome if he becomes a villain in the cabinet and fights against him in the future.

"Okay, let's see again."

Zhang Juzheng smiled and said, "However, Shandai still needs to send people to the Metropolitan Procuratorate and Kedao to talk about it. If this matter continues to be reported, I can't turn a blind eye here."

Zhang Juzheng may not be kindly reminding him, because in his opinion, Wei Guangde's attempt to dissuade this group of scientific practitioners will inevitably make some people dissatisfied with his intervention.

When the time comes, rumors will spread throughout the government and the public that Mr. Wei Ge favors his subordinates, which will have an impact on his reputation to some extent.

In recent years, Wei Guangde has rarely done anything that offends others, so the courtiers have a good impression of him.

Appropriately weakening his influence is also a good thing for Zhang Juzheng.

Gule City in Liaodong Province was already on fire, and raging fire was burning in the city.

In the open space outside the city, hundreds of young Jurchens were escorted here to wait for the fate of the Liaodong Army. Many of them were wounded, and they were all dejected at this moment, knowing that they were about to die soon.

However, what worried them most was the old, young, women and children in the city. It seemed that the Ming army did not take them away from the city at all.

But at this time, they also knew that even if they tried their best, they might not be able to avenge their families. The gap in strength between the two sides was too big.

"Commander, the eldest son has sent someone back to report the news."

Li Chengliang sat on his horse and admired the wonderful expressions on the faces of these "dead people".

These are all his achievements, one by one, and now he is missing Wang Gao.

If Wang Gao could be captured and these people were sent to the capital, it would be enough to hold a grand prisoner sacrifice ceremony.

In the minds of many people, it seems that the two things of war and etiquette are unlikely to be connected.

But in fact, China can be called a country of etiquette, and that is definitely not just at the level of life. In cruel wars, the ancients also paid attention to etiquette, and the etiquette of military battles was also quite formal and solemn.

Military etiquette is the etiquette for division and brigade drills and conquests.

"The Rites of Zhou, Chunguan, Da Zongbo" says: "We use military etiquette to unite the state." This means that those rebellious princes must be obeyed and harmonized with military etiquette.

The military etiquette mentioned in "Zhou Li" includes the following contents: the etiquette of the master is to use the public; the etiquette of the great equalization is to show sympathy to the public; the etiquette of the large field is to be simple for the public; the etiquette of the great battle is to accept the public; the etiquette of the great seal is to treat the public. Hezhong also.

"The gift of the master" refers to the conquest of the army; "the gift of the great balance" refers to the equalization of land and the collection of taxes; "the gift of the field" refers to regular hunting; "the gift of the great battle" refers to civil engineering such as construction and construction; The "gift of great enfeoffment" refers to the demarcation of enfeoffed territory and the erection of boundary markers.

In the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang naturally set strict military standards. To put it simply, there are nine strict etiquettes for military warfare, namely: personal expedition, sending generals, offering sacrifices, accepting surrender, presenting tributes to prisoners, discussing merits and giving rewards, and reading Wu, Dashe, Jiu Ri and Beat Drums.

The first is the personal military ceremony, which means that the emperor personally leads the military expedition. He must first ask the Ministry of Rites to formulate a set of sacrificial rituals for the expedition, and then send officials to perform the sacrificial ceremony.

The troops on the expedition must perform sacrifices wherever they pass through mountains, rivers, and the standards for sacrifices are relatively strict. One type of standard is called Tailao. Three types of livestock, cattle, sheep, and pigs, are used for sacrifices. Generally, they pass through some large mountains and rivers. There will be such a grand ceremony.

Next is Shaolao, which only uses sheep and pigs for sacrifices without cattle.

The last type of sacrificial ceremony is also a relatively low-level sacrificial ritual, called special animal sacrifice, in which only one kind of animal is used for sacrifice.

Then there is the ceremony of sending generals. History records: "The king sends his generals to punish the guilty and eliminate the harm to the people."

The emperor must personally wear the Wu Bian uniform for special occasions, and then go to Fengtian Hall. If he is to be awarded the title of general, the person who has been awarded the title must go to the west steps of Fengtian Hall, and then kowtow four times and receive the general title. Da Yin does not have enough qualifications to lead troops, he still has to accept the Jie Yue issued by the emperor, and then take the Jie Yue to command the troops outside the Meridian Gate, and then he still needs to go to the Wucheng King Temple to worship in person. After the worship is completed, Only then can we go on an expedition.

The harem sacrifice is also a kind of military etiquette. Before the general goes on an expedition, he and the emperor must fast for a day accompanied by the sacrificial officer. This fasting etiquette is called the harem sacrifice.

Surrender means that the troops who went out to fight have won the war and surrendered the enemy leader, and a ceremony will be held.

After the enemy general surrenders, the emperor needs to go to Fengtianmen in person. The surrendered personnel must kneel and worship outside the Meridian Gate, and then send an envoy to give the surrender form to the emperor. Then the xuanzong will go to the Meridian Gate with the emperor's order. Go to declare the decree and give the surrendered people an official title. Then you can take the surrendered people into the main hall. Then when you see the emperor, you will pay four bows, and then all the cultural relic officials of the imperial court will also give congratulatory gifts.

If the outgoing troops captured the local bandit leader alive, the ceremony that would be held would be a triumphal prisoner presentation ceremony as part of the military ceremony.

At this time, the captives should be escorted outside the south gate of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and then the emperor would come in person to pay homage to his ancestors. After the ceremony, the captives would be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for processing. Then the emperor would need to wear special clothes, open the Meridian Gate Tower, and make an announcement to the world. of the edict.

"The imperial edict is spread out all over the world, and all officials wear court uniforms to listen to it. The etiquette is the same as opening the edict to pardon."

When the troops who went out to fight had won the battle and returned triumphantly, the court also needed to hold a military ceremony to reward them based on their merits.

First of all, the results of the battle must be reported to the Ministry of War and the Fifth Army Governor's Office, and then to the cabinet. The cabinet will discuss with them the reward, and finally it will be handed over to the emperor for adjudication and personal announcement.

On the day when meritorious service and reward were given, the emperor would wear a crown to meet the officers who had won the battle, and then reward them one by one.

In addition to the normal etiquette of going to war, there are also some military etiquette involved in daily life, and the Grand Parade is one of them.

The Grand Parade is similar to a modern military parade. The emperor has to go to the countryside to review the troops in person, the military governor is responsible for deploying the troops, and the relevant content of all activities is formulated by the Ministry of Rites.

The Grand Archery Ceremony is also a daily etiquette for the Ming Dynasty’s army. Historical records say: “Whenever there is a sacrifice in a suburban temple, the Grand Archery Ceremony will be held in advance, and the Ministry of Industry will make the Archery Marquis and other utensils.” Although this etiquette is mainly based on archery, it is mainly about sacrificial offerings. An entertainment item for the event.

In the Ming Dynasty, the emperor generally did not need to attend the shooting ceremony, and the officials could handle it on their behalf.

Beating drums to save the sun is a relatively unique etiquette. Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, formulated the military etiquette for saving the sun from a solar eclipse.

When this ceremony is held, it usually has to wait until the solar eclipse of the first lunar month. The emperor has to wear ordinary clothes and does not have to go to the main hall to go to court. In addition, an incense table must be set up in the Zhongshu Province. All civil and military officials have to wear court clothes to worship, and then the army The sergeants kept beating the drums until the eclipse gradually disappeared and the sun gradually became complete.

At this time, what Li Chengliang was thinking about was what kind of news his eldest son would bring to him. Would Wang Gao catch it? Would he live or die?

"Commander, Wang Gao has caught him. The eldest son is about to come back and report the matter first."

As the people came to Li Chengliang, they immediately knelt on the ground and reported to Li Chengliang.

When he heard that Wang Gao had been caught, Li Chengliang's face lit up with joy and he immediately said, "Tell me the details."

So the visitor told them how they followed Li Rusong all the way to chase Wang Gao's tribe. When they heard that Wang Gao actually chose to go to Wangtai, Li Chengliang just frowned slightly and didn't say much.

Wanhan is the king's platform.

Wan Khan's surname is Nala and his given name is Wan. He calls himself Khan, so he is called "Wan Khan".

The Ming court generally translated his name as "Wangtai" in official documents because "Tai" and "Wan" have similar pronunciations.

In fact, the Ming court translated the Jurchen leaders as "King" when they called them Khan.

For example, Wang Gao, whose surname is Xitala, whose real name is Atuhan, is just a word transliterated by Ming people. Because he calls himself Khan, he is given the surname Wang.

Therefore, many of the famous leaders of the Jurchen tribe have the surname "Wang". This is how they came to be. In fact, they have nothing to do with each other.

However, the Jurchen tribe also has high and low families. Most of the children of tribal leaders intermarry with each other, so they are also related to each other.

For example, the Aixinjueluo family that founded the Qing Dynasty actually intermarried with the two major families, Wang Gao and Wangtai, and Wang Gao was his grandfather.

Li Chengliang was relieved to hear that Wang Gao had been captured by Wangtai and handed over to his son Li Rusong, and was now being escorted to Gule City.

He glanced at the Jurchen prisoners of war in front of him and said with a smile: "These people are under custody. Let's stay alive for the time being and send them to the capital together with Wang Gao in the future."

Li Chengliang's decision gave these people the possibility to survive.

Otherwise, when the Ming army withdrew, they would not have brought so many burdens with them on the road. They would have had their heads chopped off and taken back to show their merit.

This is war, and human lives are like nothing but the merits of generals.

"How far are Qi Jiguang and the others from here?"

After Li Chengliang was satisfied, he thought of the Jizhen Army transferred by the imperial court, and then asked contemptuously.