Chapter 163: The eagle is the king, why not capture the tribe

There are no factions in the court, and all kinds of ideas are strange.

Officials have a long history of accepting dual leadership, one requiring loyalty to the monarch, the other requiring loyalty to the ruler.

The former has remained unchanged for thousands of years, while the latter has finally been revealed to a considerable extent after the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

Another meaning of a certain degree of enlightenment is that there is still a deep-rooted foundation.

Especially military generals.

In Qi Jiguang's heart, his two sponsors, Hu Zongxian and Tan Lun, held a pivotal position, and it was no exaggeration to say that they were like teachers and fathers.

Let’s just talk about the latter.

When Tan Lun was the governor of Ji-Liao, he brought Qi Jiguang to Ji-Liao to serve as the general.

After all, the airborne operation was different from the southeastern region that Qi Jiguang had managed for many years. Tan Lun was a civil servant and was not restricted in his work, but a military officer would inevitably be troubled.

This is simple. Tan Lun waved his hand and wrote directly to Emperor Muzong, asking Qi Jiguang to be under the control of the governor only.

The late emperor was quick to follow the advice and said, "Officials of prefectures, counties and districts shall not obstruct it. Those who violate the rules shall be punished according to the emperor's report."

Since it was already like this, Tan Lun simply took the initiative and issued a clear order to the army, "All the officers of the town, including the deputy chief and the general officer, who were under the control of the governor, will also be under the control of Jiguang."

Dual leadership belongs to yes.

But Qi Jiguang was only a general, and he was given such a high position. How could he control other generals if they did not obey military orders?
Therefore, Tan Lun made another memorial to the late emperor, and innovatively granted Qi Jiguang the title of "Prime Minister" of the military affairs of the four towns, and transferred Guo Hu, the general of Jizhou.

The personnel problem has been solved, but what should we do about the poor combat effectiveness of Ji and Liao?

Tan Lun added, "China's advanced technology is nothing like firearms. We want to train 30,000 soldiers. Now that autumn is approaching, please select 3,000 Zhejiang soldiers to help us out in the short term."

So Qi Jiguang openly took his 3,000 former private soldiers from Zhejiang to Ji and Liao.

This shows how much Tan Lun trusted and respected Qi Jiguang.

Correspondingly, Qi Jiguang naturally respected Tan Lun very much.

As soon as the emperor met them, he mentioned Tan Lun and entrusted him with something, which immediately made Qi Jiguang, who was still in a state of confusion, feel very close to him.

There was concern about Tan Lun's health, but also a strange sense of being adopted.

So much so that he took it for granted that he was dragged away by the emperor.

Zhu Yijun greeted him with ease: "Is the telescope I sent you useful?"

When Qi Jiguang heard the emperor mention this, he quickly replied: "It's useful! Very useful!"

"Your Majesty, a telescope can see very far, and is very useful for scouting, guarding passes, and observing battle formations from a distance."

Qi is not trying to flatter me, the telescope is indeed useful.

Fighting a war is not about showing off your strength and confronting each other. Understanding the enemy's movements is one of the keys to victory.

Even if it's slightly helpful, it's a good thing, not to mention being able to see the enemy from a distance.

Easy to use is already the highest praise.

Zhu Yijun was also very satisfied with this. He smiled and nodded: "We can still make some by the end of the month. I will have someone send you a batch."

When Qi Jiguang heard this, he naturally expressed his gratitude profusely.

Zhu Yijun also asked some irrelevant questions about family background, military strategy, daily life at the border and so on.

Qi Jiguang answered cautiously and step by step.

The atmosphere between the two became increasingly harmonious.

Zhu Yijun walked in front, looking back frequently with a look of surprise: "I saw you for the first time today, and I felt that you don't look like a warrior at all... Other foreign generals have many scars on their faces and necks."

Qi Jiguang had a square face, regular features and a beautiful beard under his chin. He did not show the air of a warrior, but rather had a scholarly air.

According to Zhu Yijun's idea, once he took off his clothes, he would be covered with scars, and shout something like "Your Majesty has shed blood", which would give him the feeling of being a veteran of the battlefield.

Qi Jiguang was held by the emperor's hand and could not bow, so he had to raise his head and said: "Your Majesty, except for the first battle in the 34th year of Jiajing, when I faced the invaders directly, I have never suffered any disaster or injury in the other hundreds of battles by land and sea in the north and south."

Never suffered a disaster... Zhu Yijun couldn't help but look Qi Jiguang up and down.

I couldn't help but praise him: "No wonder Tan Lun said that you are a famous hero in the world, and there is no one better than you."

In the 30th year of the Jiahuang Emperor, a whale flew across the thin sea. The waves kicked the universe, and the momentum was about to tilt to the southeast.

Qi Jiguang's great reputation in the southeast was truly earned through victory after victory.

Just because of this sentence, he has never suffered any disaster. It is really cool.

Otherwise, why would he grab Qi Jiguang's hand right away?

With his current stable position, there is no need for him to be pretentious in his actions and words towards his subordinates.

This is especially true for Qi Jiguang.

Does he need to perform before Qi Jiguang will be loyal to him?

Thinking like this is an insult to the emperor and to this famous general.

It's all done spontaneously as I feel like it. I've been dreaming of it for a long time and I'm so happy.

But Qi Jiguang didn't know that the emperor admired him, so he quickly declined: "My strengths are just the four words of discipline. Even if I have some shallow merits, it's just because of the wisdom of Zongxian Hu Gong and Tan Lun Tan Gong."

"Even though Ji and Liao were repeatedly invaded last year, we were able to hold on without losing them, all thanks to Governor Liu's proper command."

Zhu Yijun smiled and looked at the effort of flattering his superiors. Why would he need to put in any effort?

This is a pure loyal minister!
He grabbed Qi Jiguang's hand and finally got down to business: "The Ministry of War has informed you about the military pay, right?"

Qi Jiguang looked at the emperor's short figure, and in his mind he was grateful to Tan Lun, the imperial lecturer, the late emperor, and so on. "Your Majesty, the Ministry of War said that the grain and grass were withdrawn from the warehouses in Ji and Liao with written documents, and the firearms, clothes, boots, and horse grass were escorted by the Ministry of War. The reward silver was the grace of the emperor."

"Your Majesty, God's grace is great..."

Zhu Yijun interrupted Qi Jiguang's flattery and said helplessly: "Okay, okay, there is no such thing as heaven's grace or not. I have 1.2 million taels of gold and silver every year, which one is not the people's blood and sweat? I just don't want to leave it to the eunuchs and officials to embezzle."

Qi Jiguang seemed moved: "Your Majesty is benevolent."

Zhu Yijun shook his head: "It's not benevolence, it's your military discipline."

"That is, when I distributed the reward money the year before last, I secretly found out that your department offered the least discount, so I wanted to hand it over to you personally, hoping that you would take it from the people and use it for the people. Otherwise, I would rather use it to build the palace."

When Qi Jiguang heard the word "military discipline", he opened his mouth and looked at the emperor seriously.

He suddenly understood why the emperor was so enthusiastic about him.

Can win battles? There are many people who can win battles, including Qi Jiguang.

Is it related to Tan Lun? Who in the court doesn't have some connection?

At this time, Qi Jiguang finally came to his senses.

He has nothing else to be proud of over the years. The only thing worthy of praise is military discipline!
There are many generals who play a role in winning a battle, but a troop that can "stand still from morning till sunset" is truly unique!
It turns out that the emperor was impressed by this point in him.

Although Qi Jiguang knelt and kowtowed to the civil officials without any burden, he was actually a proud man at heart, he just cared about different things.

And proud people are most touched when they are praised for their proudest things.

Having said that, an emperor who values ​​military discipline must be a good emperor!
He looked at the emperor and said seriously, "The late emperor showed his favor and granted me the position of the chief military officer in charge of the four military trainings and the rectification of military discipline. This is my responsibility."

Zhu Yijun rarely criticized Emperor Muzong this time. Instead, he nodded with emotion and said, "The emperor has treated you very well indeed."

"The father's kindness is returned to the son. This time, you must do your best to fight against the Duoyan Guards."

Although Muzong was a little mediocre, he was very good to his confidants and focused on trust.

This was the case with Gao Gong, this was the case with Tan Lun, and this was also the case with Qi Jiguang.

If you don't believe it, tell Sejong instead that you want to transfer 3,000 of his former troops from Zhejiang to a place 200 miles outside the capital and see how he reacts.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang immediately expressed his opinion: "I dare not disappoint the two dynasties' high hopes."

"This time, I will use the troops against Duoyan Guards. I will issue a military order! I will cut off Dong Huli's head and present it to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yijun stood still after hearing this, and shook Qi Jiguang's hand, saying, "Everyone says you are a trustworthy person. Your words are enough for me."

Qi Jiguang was moved and was about to bow down.

Zhu Yijun supported him and said, "Don't let the empty formalities delay the important work."

After saying this, Zhu Yijun finally let go of Qi Jiguang's hand and walked towards the side hall.

Qi Jiguang quickly followed.

……

The two of them walked all the way to the side hall of the Huangji Palace.

Inside the hall, several large boxes were placed in the middle. The boxes were not closed, revealing the naked silver, which sparkled brightly.

Zhu Yijun walked to the box and knocked on the edge of the box with his fingers, making a few muffled sounds.

He looked at Qi Jiguang and said, "Here are two hundred thousand taels of silver. I will send someone to deliver it to your residence later."

"You must make sure this money is distributed to the soldiers."

"If anyone dares to reach out to you during this process, you can just chop him off on the spot. If anyone wants to cause trouble, just tell them that it is my order."

Qi Jiguang was stunned.

I don't know if the emperor was just saying this for show or if he really wanted me to do this.

Zhu Yijun said seriously: "Don't think I'm joking. If you can't keep this reward, you will be sorry to the soldiers and sorry to me."

Qi Jiguang pursed his lips and bowed suddenly: "I obey your order."

For a moment, Qi Jiguang even had an impulse to reveal all the officials he knew who had embezzled military pay and to give them a good rectification.

After hesitating for a long time, Qi Jiguang sighed silently and did not dare to act rashly.

Qi Jiguang was a very good general and a very prestigious commander.
He is also a bureaucrat who knows how to behave.

Even the emperor was helpless about it, so Qi Jiguang was only impulsive for a moment and then disappeared in an instant - he should just do his job well.

Zhu Yijun casually threw an ingot of silver back into the wooden box and clapped his hands.

"When deploying troops against the Duoyan Guard, there are some key points that the cabinet and the Ministry of War need to consider. I will give Lord Qi some instructions."

Qi Jiguang listened attentively.

"First, this war is only to stop the war, to use the Duoyan Guards to scare the monkeys, to suppress the Tatars for a while, and everything is only to free up our hands to sweep away the Japanese pirates along the coast."

"So, don't be too greedy and rush into things, or else you will set the fire on Tuman Khan."

In two years, according to history, Tuman Khan would convene a kurultai assembly of 60,000 people in an attempt to unify Mongolia.

When he is given the title of "Zasaktu Khan", it will be inevitable that tens of thousands of cavalry will march south.

During this window period, Tuman Khan would not want to start a war easily. He had to maneuver between Changshengtian and the Living Buddha, and fight openly and secretly with Altan Khan, so he had no time to take care of the Ming Dynasty.

Because of this key point, Wang Chonggu was ready to take the opportunity to clean up the Duoyan Guard. To maintain restraint, both sides need tacit understanding, so Zhu Yijun had to repeatedly tell Qi Jiguang not to cause trouble.

When Qi Jiguang heard this, he was filled with doubts.

He was surprised and said, "The court wants to use military force against Duoyan Guards. Isn't it to eliminate Tuman Khan's spies and prepare to wipe out the threat from the north?"

Although the Duoyan Guards made many intrusions, they did not pose a major threat to Ji and Liao.

They exist more as the eyes and ears of the Mongolian left and right wings.

If we just take action against it, it would seem unnecessary.

He once thought that this was a sign that the imperial court was preparing to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Tatars - if not immediately, then at least they were planning to do so.

He even wrote memorials to the emperor - Qi Jiguang always loved to present strategies. In the first four years of the Longqing reign, he successively submitted memorials such as "Four Matters Requesting Troops to Defeat the Enemy", "Debate on Requesting Troops", "Memorial on Establishing a Plan for the Temple to Ensure Peace and Rebellion", "Memorial on Military Training", and "Memorial on Military and Political Affairs".

As a result, the emperor now said that the central government raised troops only to stop the war.

This was beyond Qi Jiguang's expectations.

Zhu Yijun looked at Qi Jiguang and shook his head solemnly: "It is true that we are eliminating the Tuman Khan's spies, but we are not preparing to wipe out the northern threat at this time. We want to make them quiet down for a few years and not to involve our dynasty, so that we can save energy to deal with the Japanese threat."

"I know that Qi Qing has a heart to serve his country, but before the sea transportation is unblocked, the court will not use military force against the north..."

Tuman Khan was ready to make preparations for a war, and so was Zhu Yijun.

Why can’t the North fight now?

Because if we use military force against the north, it will inevitably be a protracted war!
For a protracted war, the key is not whether or not there is money, but because it consumes too much food!

Nowadays, the loss of grain transported from Lianghuai and Liangzhe to Jizhen is staggering.

Often 40% out of 10 will be wasted!

Among them, there are countless reasons, including waste spilled on mountain roads, mildew caused by rain, and corruption along the way.

As for military farms or nearby provinces, they simply do not have the capacity to quickly make up for the wartime consumption of a major war.

Can only wait for sea shipment!
After sea transportation was opened, large ships could go directly to Jizhou from Zhejiang and Nanzhili.

At that time, food supplies and daily necessities can be easily delivered to Jizhou.

Only in this way can we support a protracted battle.

Before this, Zhu Yijun didn't even want to touch the Mongol Khan.

In order to ensure the normal operation of sea transportation, it is necessary to deal with the Japanese pirates first - having garrisons in each port is one thing, and eliminating the Japanese pirates as much as possible is another.

This is why things have different priorities.

After listening to the emperor's explanation, Qi Jiguang was silent for a moment.

Then he slowly said: "Your Majesty, when the Japanese are pacified, will I be able to use my military skills?"

Qi Jiguang only had national hatred for the Tatars.

But towards the Japanese pirates, there is more personal hatred.

As far as one can remember, the Japanese pirates have never stopped harassing Dengzhou, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities.

Since he inherited the hereditary position of deputy commander of Dengzhou Guard at the age of seventeen, he had repeatedly invaded the military farms under his charge.

It was also at that time that he wrote the words "I have no desire for a title of nobility, I just wish for peace at sea" to warn himself.

Now that we have heard the central government’s plans, how can we not want to fight wars in the south and the north?
Zhu Yijun laughed: "It depends on the effectiveness of your battle."

"If you can bring peace to the north for a few years, that's fine. If not, Ji and Liao will probably still need you."

If we can capture and kill Dong Huli, eliminate the backbone young and strong people, and then support Chang Ang, and turn Doyanwei from the eyes and ears of Tuman Khan into a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, then it will be easy.

But if Dong Huli escaped, Qi Jiguang would not be able to leave.

Upon hearing this, Qi Jiguang bowed deeply.

Zhu Yijun helped the man up and said casually, "I will continue."

"The second reason is that the Cabinet and the Ministry of War have given Duoyan Guard a position, which is to raise horses with peace of mind."

"So... don't destroy the pastures, and don't keep the cattle and sheep."

If there is no demand, create demand.

If you don't like trade, you will become obedient when you are about to starve to death.

Can Tuman Khan help? Can he feed the entire Duoyan Guard with so much food and livestock?
Will Altan Khan lend a hand? Unfortunately, the right wing is not a charity.

By then, no party except the Ming Dynasty could help Duoyanwei survive the winter.

This is an invisible chain that you have to join even if you don't want to.

Qi Jiguang hesitated a little: "Your Majesty, the barbarians mostly eat cattle and sheep. If they have no food, I am afraid that it will be counterproductive."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "So after killing Dong Huli, we will trade with Changang. The price of horses will be based on the price of Xuanda Trade, plus a 15% premium."

"The outflow of our grain, cloth, and salt must be strictly controlled, especially before winter."

Developing habits is more important than anything else.

If raising horses could lead to a good life, the Tatars would not have gone to the south to plunder so frequently.

Of course, the Ming Dynasty was not capable of really letting Duoyan Wei live a good life - their own people couldn't live a good life, let alone Duoyan Wei.

But it can create a temporary illusion.

Give it a few years to give Duoyanwei the illusion that raising horses is profitable and that they can live a good life.

When all the needs for food and clothing were controlled by the Ming Dynasty, they would be sincere in their submission.

What would it matter if they went back to raising cattle and sheep in a few years? The nobles were used to the luxurious life, and it was not easy for them to go back.

This is called first using a big stick and then giving the sweet dates.

Qi Jiguang thought for a moment and nodded, "I understand."

After Zhu Yijun finished the second point, he continued, "Third, bring along the group of martial arts students from the Beijing Guards that I sent."

"It doesn't have to be placed in a critical position. I will accept it even if it's just a small soldier. In short, it must be put on the battlefield."

The Jingwei Military Academy is similar to the Imperial Academy. Once admitted, one can become a military officer without having to take the military examination.

Most of them are small nobles.

Being selected by Zhu Yijun, he naturally had some talent and was sent to the fast track.

However, no matter how fast it is, the intensity must be guaranteed, otherwise it will be difficult to produce useful talents.

Qi Jiguang looked cautious when he heard this and advised: "Your Majesty, battle is no different from other battles. I'm afraid your life is in danger!"

Zhu Yijun asked as if it was a matter of course, "Why are the disciples of the Beijing Guards Martial Arts School more valuable than the people under your command?"

Qi Jiguang smacked his lips and didn't respond to the emperor's words for a while.

Zhu Yijun waved his hand and said, "I let them go to hone their skills, not to gild their reputations. They have already joined the army, so why should I be afraid of dying in the line of duty?"

"Please do as you please. If one or two people are killed, the imperial court will provide compensation."

He had already informed the parents before.

Qi Jiguang could not persuade the emperor, so he had to accept this offensive task with a bitter face.

Zhu Yijun couldn't help but sigh when he saw this.

No one is perfect, and Qi Jiguang is no exception - he was made too good a human being by the big dye vat of the Ming Dynasty officialdom.

Whenever he met a minister, he would kneel down and kowtow.

When he heard that it was the birthday of the literary official's parents, he would go to find the literary giant and write poems and paintings to flatter him.

Never argue when things happen, always take credit for others' achievements and blame others for their mistakes.

This attitude, which is almost flattering, is also the reason why many people feel sorry for Qi Jiguang.

Being able to behave in this way naturally has its benefits, and Qi Jiguang was therefore greatly favored by those in high positions.

For example, the then Governor-General of Ji and Liao, Censor-in-Chief Liu Tao, Imperial Censor Wu Shilai, and Imperial Censor Wen Chun, all recommended or praised Qi Jiguang even though they were not familiar with him.

Among them, Liu Tao was dismissed for corruption, and he strongly recommended Qi Jiguang before leaving.

Even literary figures such as Wang Shizhen and Wang Daokun got involved and wrote articles to spread the story.

How much of that comes from condescending reviews is unclear.

The disadvantages are also obvious.

People who are too good at dealing with others often lack the courage to stand on their own.

Zhu Yijun transferred Governor Liu Yingjie to Liaodong, but Qi Jiguang was still somewhat afraid of him.

The emperor had said that he wanted to hone the martial arts of the Beijing guards, but Qi Jiguang was still somewhat afraid of offending the nobles.

This is the official character caused by the status of military officials. Flattering superiors is almost a pass for military officials. Zhu Yijun certainly cannot blame Qi Jiguang.

But I can't help feeling a little emotional.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yijun stopped thinking, shook his head, and continued talking about business.

The fourth and fifth ones are matters related to Altan Khan and the Right Wing that Wang Chonggu repeatedly instructed.

However, the letter would be sent to Jizhen later, so Zhu Yijun only mentioned it briefly.

After talking about the draft he had prepared with the cabinet, Zhu Yijun did not end the topic.

Instead, he pondered for a moment and quietly said, "I heard that there are many Jurchens in the pastoral areas of Duoyanwei?"

Qi Jiguang was stunned for a moment, then explained: "Your Majesty, most of the Jurchens live in the pastoral areas of Fuyu, so they are one family."

Among the three guards of Doyan, Fu Yu is one of them.

Zhu Yijun stroked his chin and lowered his voice to say, "Qi Qing, when you subdue Chang Ang, tell him that if it is convenient, see if there is a Nurhaci who is sixteen years old this year."

"If I catch him, I'll give him ten horses."

This guy should not have grown up yet, just a small character.

Of course, the course of history will not be changed by the demise of an individual.

Zhu Yijun did not intend to change the overall situation, he just happened to encounter it and did it casually.

Qi Jiguang looked suspicious and didn't understand why. "Does the Central Government have any considerations about the Jurchens?"

Zhu Yijun shook his head and said frankly: "No, I just wanted to bring her into the palace to play with her."

(End of this chapter)