Chapter 572: Ginger is still spicy with age
When Sun Shaozong heard that Dai Quan wanted to summon him, he suddenly became uneasy.
Could it be that it’s Prince Yizhong’s business? Is there something left that needs to be dealt with that requires me to be sent to clean up the mess?
Although Sun Shaozong had just been thinking about finding out the secrets behind Prince Yi Zhong's sudden death, he had absolutely no intention of getting directly involved.
However, his boss had given the order, so no matter how reluctant he was, he could only be careful, think of countermeasures, and follow the little eunuch step by step to the doorway on the right.
After entering, he saw Dai Quan leading two young eunuchs standing in the darkest place in the middle. Sun Shaozong hurried forward and was about to step forward to greet them, but suddenly found that the atmosphere was inexplicably weird.
The first thing that makes people feel weird is Dai Quan’s state at this time.
He had taken off his three-peaked hat, revealing a head full of gray hair. He was hunched over, looking at his hands, with cloudy and lifeless eyes and a lazy and bleak expression. If he hadn't been wearing a brocade robe and jade belt, his temperament would have been no different from that of an old farmer in the country during the slack season.
As the head of the eunuchs, he was always known for his majesty. In terms of his powerful aura, even the ministers and generals were inferior to him.
Today, for the first time ever, he looked so tired, as if someone had pulled away the thing supporting his spine.
What was even more strange was that, faced with Dai Quan's condition, the two young eunuchs beside him neither tried to avoid the issue nor said anything to comfort him. Instead, they stared at Dai Quan blankly with their eyes wide open.
At first Sun Shaozong thought that one of these two people was named "Zuo" and the other was named "Si", but after a closer look, he found that this did not seem to be the case.
The two men had a mixture of trepidation and fear on their faces. They were obviously aware of the situation, but they kept staring at Dai Quan intently, which was simply a mouse playing with a cat.
But they still stared intently, as if... they were acting according to someone's instructions.
Thinking of this, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but become more horrified. In the entire imperial palace, the only one who dared to send people to monitor Dai Quan so blatantly was Emperor Guangde!
Could it be that the death of Prince Yi Zhong yesterday actually implicated Dai Quan?
But this shouldn’t happen!
Dai Quan had followed Emperor Guangde for decades, and was unique in the palace in terms of closeness to him. Since he took charge of the Northern Pacification Office, he had been involved in countless secrets.
After going through so many ups and downs, what else could have caused him to be under close surveillance overnight?
With a thousand thoughts in his mind, Sun Shaozong only paused for a moment, then bowed and said as if nothing had happened: "Your humble servant Sun Shaozong greets the commander!"
After more than ten seconds, Dai Quan finally replied faintly, "Let's go, follow me to the Qianqing Palace to see the emperor."
As he spoke, he picked up the three-peaked hat with gold thread from the desk next to him and put it on his head carefully.
When he tied the red velvet rope around his neck, his back straightened up again, and he took steady steps as an official, seeming to have regained some of his former authority.
But Sun Shaozong, following behind him, always felt that Dai Quan's back was tinged with desolation in the late autumn.
But right now, he couldn't think about it too much.
Since it was Emperor Guangde who summoned him personally, the aftermath that needs to be dealt with will surely be much more troublesome than previously imagined!
And now it seems that even Dai Quan has fallen, how dare he wade into this muddy water without knowing the depth of the situation?
But if the emperor really arranged the dirty work himself, who could refuse?
"You wait outside."
Just as he was wondering what kind of assignment he would be assigned today, he suddenly heard Dai Quan in front of him giving an order. Sun Shaozong then realized that he had unknowingly arrived outside the imperial study in the Qianqing Palace.
Seeing Dai Quan go in to report, he quickly gathered his thoughts, tidied his appearance, and prepared to receive the emperor's summons.
Not long after, a rhythmic voice was heard from inside: "Your Majesty has ordered that Sun Shaozong, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture, be summoned to the court."
Sun Shaozong hurriedly stepped forward, leaning forward, and crossed the threshold that was more than half a foot high. He turned over and knelt down to chant "Long live the emperor" while stealing glances at the situation in the imperial study.
Unexpectedly, in addition to Emperor Guangde and Dai Quan, there were five other important ministers in the imperial study.
The person at the top was none other than He Tiren, the Second Minister of the Cabinet, who had been imprisoned and whose son's hair was dyed green with green.
The two sitting at the end were Zhao Hong, the Minister of Revenue, and Lu Yanbin, the Minister of War.
Due to the angle, the faces of the other two people could not be seen clearly, but judging from their positions, they should also be cabinet ministers without a doubt.
In this way, except for the Prime Minister who was recuperating from illness, and Xu Furen, who had submitted his resignation but had not yet completed the procedures, the three grand secretaries were all present.
Plus the two officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War...
Sun Shaozong's anxiety was immediately relieved.
Because no matter how you look at it, this lineup doesn't look like they are going to discuss the secrets of the imperial palace.
Judging from the fact that the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War attended the meeting together, while the other four ministers did not participate, the content to be discussed at this meeting is most likely related to the rebellion of the Wuxi barbarians.
Thinking about it carefully, holding a military meeting at this time is indeed a good way to calm people's hearts - at least it can show that the emperor is wise and does not care too much about Prince Yi Zhong's "national mourning" treatment.
Of course, in this case, a result must be discussed today. Otherwise, if such a big fuss is made during the national mourning period, and in the end there is not even a sound, wouldn't it make the ministers outside suspicious for no reason?
As expected.
After the ceremony, Emperor Guangde said, "Sun Zhizhong, please repeat to the others what you said in Jingren Palace that day."
Sun Shaozong hurriedly responded respectfully, and then recounted in detail his battle plan of using a small number of elite troops to select the weak tribes among the Wuxi barbarians as a breakthrough point, launch an asymmetric surprise attack, and then provoke civil strife among the Wuxi barbarians.
This was originally an idea that I came up with at the last minute, but after thinking about it over the past few days, it has naturally become much more perfect than the original version.
After he spoke out against it, the five important officials in the imperial study gave four different responses.
Zhao Hong, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, nodded happily.
The Minister of War Lu Yanbin hurriedly said "absurd" and "nonsense".
The two university scholars who finally showed their true faces were looking at each other with their eyes and noses, as if they had understood it all, but also seemed not to have understood it at all.
As for the Second Assistant Minister He, at first he nodded his head as if he agreed with what he said, but when he finished speaking, he saw that he was still lowering his head from time to time.
This old man...
Could it be that he was dozing off?
"His Majesty."
While Sun Shaozong was still trying to figure out whether He Ge Lao was dreaming or awake, the Minister of War Lu Yanbin stepped forward decisively and said, "The Wuxi Barbarians have no fewer than 30,000 adult men. Moreover, they have captured prefectures and counties and slaughtered officials of the imperial court. Their morale is high now, and they will certainly be on guard against retaliation from the government troops."
"At this time, we should mobilize a great army and suppress it with thunder and lightning. How can we rely on the courage of a few hundred people?"
"If things go wrong, the rebels will take advantage of their two victories, while the government troops will be weakened and exhausted. I am afraid that the entire province of Huguang will be ruined!"
As he spoke, he bowed and clasped his fists, saying, "How can a mere child like you know the dangers of war? Your Majesty, please do not listen to his empty words, lest you ruin the military and national affairs."
"Ha ha!"
Before Emperor Guangde could speak, Zhao Hong, the Minister of Finance, sneered twice, flicked his sleeves, and said disdainfully: "Since Lord Sun took charge of the capital's public security and criminal justice, he has solved countless cases, big and small, and is known for his shrewdness and courage. How can you call him a mere brave man?"
As he spoke, he also stepped out of the line and saluted Emperor Guangde, saying, "Your Majesty, I think Lord Sun's strategy to fight the enemy is not entirely unreasonable. Why not give it a try..."
"absurd!"
Lu Wenbin also swung his sleeves and almost slapped Zhao Hong in the face: "Those who live in the deep mountains and swamps are not only numerous but also famous for their bravery. The government troops have come from afar and have no advantage in terms of time, place, and people. How can we be sure of winning the battle?"
"This is not yet..."
"but."
Zhao Hong was about to retort, but Lu Wenbin rushed in and said, "If you, Old Zhao, are willing to guarantee him with your life and property, I will have no objection."
Zhao Hong was suddenly speechless. Although he tended to support Sun Shaozong, he still had no confidence in fighting one against a hundred.
If Lu Wenbin stopped at this moment, it could be considered a victory.
But in the past two years, the Ministry of War has been in dispute with the Ministry of Revenue countless times over the issue of food and wages, and Lu Wenbin has been bullied by Zhao Hong time and again. Now that he has finally gained the upper hand in his professional field, how could he just give up?
I couldn't help but sneer again: "It would be fine if it was normal, but now it involves military and national affairs, but Lord Zhao is still only concerned with calculating the petty profits. It seems that he really has a family background."
Zhao Hong was able to become the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and his merchant family background was helpful, but he hated it most when others brought up the "lowest of the four classes" as an issue.
So his neck immediately thickened, and he refuted with a red face, "Petite? That's easy for you to say. Right now, the six kingdoms in the southern border are unstable, and 80,000 troops are stationed in Yun and Guang. In the north, the Heishui Mohe are in chaos, and the court has to send 50,000 more troops to Liaoxi. And Wang Ziteng, in order to suppress bandits, has imposed a maritime ban in the southeast, and has also seized tea and silk, causing the court's annual revenue to drop by 25%."
"With all these things going on, who doesn't need food and money?!"
"It is all thanks to your majesty's kindness and frugality, who often uses the treasury to subsidize the government, and my Ministry of Revenue has also worked hard to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, that we have been able to barely maintain the situation."
"Now, you, Lu Wenbin, are opening your mouth and want to raise an army again! We still have to go to those barren mountains and swamps to hunt down those mountain barbarians!"
"Let me ask you, if we cannot quickly put down the rebellion, where will we get the food and money? How will we replenish the military equipment?!"
The more he spoke, the more excited he became, and he almost spit on Lu Wenbin's face.
Lu Wenbin took a half step back in disgust, but he refused to give in and sneered, "Food and wages are the business of your Ministry of Revenue, and our Ministry of War is only responsible for fighting."
"you……"
"alright!"
Zhao Hong was about to chase him and continue his attack, but Emperor Guangde couldn't help but scold him, "You two are at least second-rank officials. How can you be so unruly in front of the younger generation?"
Since the emperor had spoken, the two men could only confess their crimes in unison, return to their original positions, and repay each other through thin air.
Emperor Guangde's eyes fell on He Tiren, who was at the top of the group. He didn't care that he was dozing off like a chicken pecking at rice, and he directly called out his name, "Lord He, what do you think?"
He Ge Lao was startled, and at first he uttered two confused "ahs". Then, seeing that everyone was looking at him, he asked slowly, "My ears have been a little out of tune lately. May I ask, Lord Lu, you just said that you wanted to raise an army, right?"
"Exactly."
After receiving Lu Wenbin's affirmative answer, he slowly turned his attention to Zhao Hong: "Lord Zhao, what you mean is that the court is in financial difficulty now and cannot afford to send a large army into the mountains to suppress the bandits, right?"
"That's right."
Zhao Hong also responded respectfully.
He Ge Lao nodded, then turned his gaze to Sun Shaozong, grinned and asked: "As for Lord Sun, I think I heard correctly that he is so loyal and brave that he puts his life and death aside and is determined to share the worries of the country."
This time, without waiting for Sun Shaozong to answer, Emperor Guangde became impatient and half-seriously scolded him, "What are you doing, old man? I want to ask you, which opinion do you agree with?"
"His Majesty."
Then Lord He bowed and said calmly, "In my opinion, what the three adults said makes sense, and I agree with them all."
As he spoke, he flexed his fingers and calculated everything: "This army is bound to be prosperous..."
"Lord! The food and money..."
Zhao Hong couldn't help but want to refute when he heard this, but then he heard Elder He change the subject: "But it's not necessary to send so many people. Let Lord Sun select three to five hundred elite soldiers first..."
"Lord! I'm afraid this is..."
This time it was Lu Wenbin's turn to be furious, but he heard Elder He say again: "Then he will serve as the vanguard of the army, and he will explore the nearby terrain to pave the way for the 100,000 troops behind."
"If Lord Sun does not fail in his mission and truly achieves extraordinary feats, then there is naturally no need to trouble the imperial army."
"Even if things don't go well, with Lord Sun's wisdom and courage, and the elite soldiers under his command, it should not be a problem to kill several times the number of barbarians."
"When the time comes, we can find a way to withdraw troops. This will not only not weaken our momentum, but will also cause the enemy to misjudge the strength of our army. They might surrender before our army even arrives."
At this point, he bowed to Sun Shaozong again and said, "But if this happens, I'm afraid it will be unfair to Lord Sun. Not only will you not be able to carry the royal flag and control the local area, you may even have to be demoted to an ordinary fifth-rank captain."
As the saying goes, old ginger is still spicy.
He Tiren solved the problem with just a few words.
The main reason why Lu Wenbin strongly opposed it was that he was worried that if the imperial court's troops sent to quell the rebellion suffered heavy casualties again, it would completely shake the morale of the people in Huguang, and then the Wuxi barbarians would take the opportunity to expand their power.
But if the imperial court's troops sent to quell the rebellion were changed into scouts of the main army, the situation would be very different.
Even if Sun Shaozong was really defeated and killed, from the perspective of Huguang, it was just the loss of an unknown general and a few hundred stragglers, which was not worth mentioning at all compared to the tens of thousands of troops behind them.
What's more, with Sun Shaozong's bravery and the fact that his men were all selected elites, even if the plan failed, killing 2,000 enemies and losing 500 of his own men should not be a problem.
In this way, instead of undermining morale, the officials and people of Huguang will have more confidence in the subsequent army.
This might even cause the Wuxi barbarians to misjudge the strength of the government army.
At that time, whether we really send a large army to conquer or wait for an opportunity to send people to recruit and divide the people, it will only add help and will not do any harm.
The only person who would suffer from this plan is probably Sun Shaozong - others who were sent out of Beijing were promoted one level, but he was demoted one level.
As for the inability to control the local area, it has both advantages and disadvantages for Sun Shaozong - at least he does not have to share the responsibility of defending the territory.
But no matter how much of a loss he suffered, how could he retreat even a single step at this moment?
He immediately turned over and knelt down, and promised generously: "Your Majesty, Lord! Although I am not very knowledgeable, I still understand the principle of 'serving the country with life and death, and avoiding and driving away wives because of misfortune and fortune'! Not to mention the fifth-rank commander, even if it is a seventh-rank or eighth-rank military post, I will also be happy to take it!"
"good!"
Emperor Guangde immediately slammed the table and praised: "What a great saying, 'A man's life and death are the basis of his country, and his wife is the basis of his fortune and misfortune'. Just this sentence will make your name go down in history!"
Uh~
It seems like I accidentally plagiarized something.
