In the inner courtyard of the General Military Mansion.
Following Shu Liang's departure and the Supreme Emperor's exit, Tao Jin was immediately surrounded by a group of elders who had just arrived.
"what is going on?"
"What do you mean by what Eunuch Shu just said?"
"What happened to the Supreme Emperor? What happened in the palace?"
Questions hit Tao Jin like cannonballs, making him feel overwhelmed.
However, whether it was Du Ning, the minister of Dali Temple, Li Xian, the minister of rites, Geng Jiuchou, the minister of punishment, who was in charge of military affairs, or Zhu Jian, the envoy of the mission, they were not characters who could be offended casually.
So, Tao Jin had no choice but to be patient and recount everything that happened after he arrived. As for what happened before he arrived, although Tao Jin had some guesses, he didn't tell them at all. He only said that he didn't know clearly.
So actually, there wasn't much he could say.
It was simply that he saw Shu Liang dispatching Jinyi guards to surround the mansion, and then led his troops to arrive. He happened to see Shu Liang capture the Mongolian guards, capture Liu Yongcheng with the imperial edict, and then send a message on behalf of the emperor, hoping that the emperor could go to Tumubao to offer sacrifices.
There were many people present at that time, so Tao Jin did not dare to make up random things, and explained every detail clearly.
After listening, the faces of the elders were quite complicated.
Like Tao Jin, after learning what Shu Liang had done, they immediately thought of the fight between the Tian family.
Shu Liang alone is not terrible. What is terrible is that behind Shu Liang is the emperor!
The court officials recognized that Eunuch Shu was a ruthless person who spoke softly but also knew how to be measured.
If he said that there was no instruction from the emperor behind his wanton behavior today, everyone would definitely not believe it.
After looking at each other, Du Ning spoke first.
"Today's matter, it is certainly inappropriate for Eunuch Shu to block the official's audience. However, it is also for the safety of the Supreme Emperor. However, it is too much and has caused misunderstanding. Afterwards, we will inform Eunuch Shu and ask him to remove some of his guards."
As the person with the highest official position present, the moment he opened his mouth, he set a general tone for the matter.
Major issues to minor ones out!
So, Geng Jiuchou nodded and said, "Okay, I will go with General Tao to contact Eunuch Shu later."
Tao Jin was a little reluctant to meet Shu Liang again, but she opened her mouth but said nothing in the end.
Now, it's time to wrap things up.
Geng Jiuchou took him there for a visit, which was actually a disguised form of easing the relationship.
After all, it is definitely not a good thing to have a grudge with Shu Liang, one of the top three people in the inner palace.
Therefore, the little emotions in my heart can only be suppressed.
An agreement was reached on this matter.
Immediately afterwards, what happened in the inner courtyard.
There was another moment of silence, and Li Xian, the Minister of Rites, considered his words.
"Eunuch Liu has long been famous for his prowess and prowess. Although Eunuch Shu has His Majesty's decree, he still needs to be on guard if he wants to capture him. It is understandable that he leads people into the inner courtyard. Since he has not offended the Supreme Emperor, then, report to His Majesty
, how about just reprimanding me?"
Thanks to Liu Yongcheng as a target, otherwise it would be difficult to find an excuse.
Everyone knew very well that Shu Liang's actions must have been mentioned by the emperor. The so-called reporting and reprimanding were just words for the occasion.
However, sometimes, all that is needed is conversation.
Du Ning nodded: "Yes."
Geng Jiuchou also followed closely behind and said: "Then I'll trouble Master Li to write a memorandum, and then I and Du Siqing will append it together."
Therefore, this matter is considered to have been revealed.
Glancing at the empty door, Zhu Jian spoke at this time.
"If that's the case, the Emperor's personal bodyguards should also be rearranged. However, we need to ask the Emperor for instructions on this matter. I wonder what your lords' opinions are?"
Everyone tacitly agreed not to mention the matter of the more than twenty Mongolian guards.
Obviously, one of the purposes of Shu Liang's coming this time was to take care of the Mongolian guards.
Thinking of the conflict outside Datong, let's look at the scene now.
Everyone has some guesses about the twists and turns involved.
However, some people are not allowed to speculate at will, so it is better to just talk about the follow-up processing and not make random comments.
So, after being silent for a while, Li Xian took the lead and spoke cautiously, saying.
"Outside the city of Xuanfu, the Supreme Emperor has already issued a decree, and only ordered Eunuch Shu to be responsible for the outer guard. It might be inappropriate to change the order every day. What's more, at this time, the Supreme Emperor is afraid and unwilling to let Eunuch Shu be responsible for the personal guard."
After the words fell, everyone's eyes couldn't help but fall on Tao Jin.
After all, when it comes to who can mobilize the most troops in Xuanfu City, it is of course him, the chief military officer.
Everyone present actually had the same purpose, to ensure the safety of the Supreme Emperor and to properly send this ancestor back to the capital.
If what happened today happened again, everyone's hearts would not be able to bear it.
God knows how panicked they felt when they learned that Shu Liang had surrounded the General Military Mansion.
If something happens to the Supreme Emperor in the Xuan Mansion, all of them, from top to bottom, will have to take responsibility.
Therefore, no matter what, the safety of the Supreme Emperor cannot be entrusted to Shu Liang.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Tao Jin also hesitated.
However, before he could speak, Geng Jiuchou, the admiral of the Xuan Mansion, said.
"The officers and soldiers in Xuanfu City are all frontier troops. They are responsible for guarding the city and guarding the captives. Unless there is an emergency, they cannot be mobilized without purpose. Eunuch Shu did not do anything radical today, but General Tao mobilized the officers and soldiers without authorization.
It is really inappropriate to break into the palace, I will report the truth to the Ming court."
So, Tao Jin swallowed the words when they reached his lips.
He didn't care about reporting it to the court or anything like that.
Not to mention there was a reason for what he did today, even if there was no reason, as the commander-in-chief, he also had the power to mobilize troops temporarily.
After all, this is an important town in the Xuanfu, the first line of resistance against the bandits. The military situation is so fierce that it is impossible to wait for the court to decide everything.
Tao Jin could make his own decision on the deployment of troops below 3,000 men. He only needed to explain the situation afterwards.
When he came this time, he only brought more than a thousand people with him, so it was not a big deal.
Naturally, Geng Jiuchou would not be unaware of this.
Therefore, what he really wants to say is, in the first half of the sentence, the officers and soldiers of Xuanfu are border troops and are responsible for guarding the city and keeping captives at bay. In other words, they are not allowed to leave Xuanfu without permission.
It is true that they all hope that the Supreme Emperor will return to the capital safely.
However, when it comes to things like personal protection, it's better not to get involved if you can.
This reason is considered to be tenable.
Then, there was another moment of silence, then Du Ning turned to Zhu Jian and spoke.
"I remember that the mission has its own escort, right? When it left the capital, it was carefully selected from the Beijing camp. Now that the Supreme Emperor has returned with the mission, it is natural that the mission should be responsible for the escort. Since
Neither Eunuch Shu nor Chief Tao are suitable, so I'm afraid this burden will fall on Mr. Zhu."
In the current situation, there is really no other choice.
Therefore, Zhu Jian thought for a moment and looked sideways at Li Shi and Luo Qi inquiringly. Seeing that they had no other opinions, he nodded and said.
"In that case, let's report this to the Supreme Emperor."
Logically speaking, the loose ends that need to be sorted out have basically been discussed, and this impromptu meeting should be disbanded.
However, after finishing speaking, several elders did not leave with a tacit understanding.
There was another moment of silence, and finally, Li Shi spoke.
"Everyone, as Eunuch Shu said, please ask the Supreme Emperor to pay homage to the officers and soldiers who died in the Tumu Fort battle..."
Before he finished speaking, he stopped at the right moment, but everyone understood what he meant.
The Supreme Emperor personally paid homage to the officers and soldiers who died in the battle, which was a matter of course both emotionally and rationally.
However, there are some things that cannot be done rationally.
At least, from the perspective of the Supreme Emperor, he was absolutely unwilling to uncover this bloody scar again.
Finally, Du Ning sighed and said.
"This matter is not something we can comment on. As Eunuch Shu said, even His Majesty can only advise on this matter, but cannot force him to do so. If the Supreme Emperor is really unwilling to go, then no one can force him."
Hearing this, Li Shi frowned and said.
"What Du Siqing said is wrong. As ministers, it is our duty to directly admonish the king. Since we know that the Supreme Emperor should pay homage to him both emotionally and rationally, how can we let the Supreme Emperor follow his temper?"
That's what I said, but at this moment, no one wants to cause more trouble.
In the end, it was Zhu Jian who spoke, stopped Li Shi, and said.
"Whether there should be a memorial ceremony, the imperial court has its own arrangements, and the Supreme Emperor has his own ideas. Let me think about how to arrange the Supreme Emperor's personal bodyguards..."
After all, Zhu Jian was the envoy of the mission. In theory, Zhu Jian had been the temporary superior officer of Li Shi and Luo Qi until the mission arrived in the capital.
Therefore, Li Shi couldn't refute him anymore, but his face was obviously not pretty.
So, the discussion is over.
Tao Jin and Geng Jiuchou rushed to ask Shu Liang to lift the blockade of the General Military Mansion, while Du Ning took Li Xian, Zhu Jian and others to appease the Supreme Emperor and asked him if he had any dissatisfaction with the security arrangement.
But in fact, there is no possibility of dissatisfaction.
No matter how powerful Tao Jin is, he can't take back the people who have already been in Shu Liang's hands, so these Mongolians are determined to get these fifty pieces.
Of course, to avoid causing too much trouble, I wouldn't kill him, but losing half my life and being unable to get out of bed for a month or two is easy.
Therefore, it is simply impossible to rely on this group of people for protection.
As long as the Emperor doesn't want Shu Liang to be responsible for his safety, he actually has no other choice.
…………
Tumu Fort is actually very close to Xuanfu. It only takes two hours to reach it by galloping on horseback. Even if it is an ordinary march, it only takes half a day, which is almost enough.
In fact, when Wang Zhen (?!) decided to station himself in Tumubao, the accompanying civil and military officials tried their best to persuade him, hoping that the army would persevere and march quickly to Xuanfu City before stationing there.
However, he was ruthlessly rejected.
Therefore, the good opportunity was missed. Tumu Fort was surrounded by Ye Xian's army that night, and it was already too late to leave.
In Tumu Fort in September, winter is approaching.
The sun hangs high in the sky, but I can't feel the slightest warmth. The north wind blows hard, like a knife, making people's faces hurt.
Time can bury all traces.
In just one year, Tumubao has returned to its former tranquility, and only tranquility!
That tragic battle left an impression on too many people that can never be erased.
Whether they are ordinary people, patrolling officers and soldiers, or even traveling businessmen, they will subconsciously take a detour when walking through the earthen fort.
No one can say clearly why this is, perhaps, it is just because, although there are no traces of bloody battles on this land.
However, the howling wind at night always seems to be telling something.
So, more than a year later, the peace of this land was broken again.
As soon as the sky dimmed and dawn broke, there was a large group of officers and soldiers, carrying all kinds of sacrifices and utensils, and began to arrange them silently.
No one deliberately directed, but everyone acted in a tacit agreement without saying a word and in an orderly manner. It seemed that when they came to this land, they felt a strong sense of sadness.
Wait until the sky gets brighter and the sun rises.
At the highest point of the earthen fort, which was once the center of the Ming army's camp and where the Chinese army's tent was, a high altar was built.
The altar is not complicated, but it is very neat. Surrounding the entire altar are military flags that are either worn out or stained red with blood, fluttering in the wind and swaying in the sky.
That is the flag of the representatives of the officers and soldiers who died in civil war.
After the Battle of Tumu, even though there were many things going on and the situation was extremely critical, Zhu Qiyu immediately ordered the surrounding passes to collect every military flag scattered in Tumu Fort.
Ming Dynasty cannot take each of them home, but it can send their banners back to the capital!
A year later, the flag is still there, but countless soldiers have become withered bones.
Directly under the altar, three people stood, facing the rising sun, silently watching the busy sergeants beside them.
One of them was wearing a python suit, so naturally he was Shu Liang, the eunuch of Dongchang.
However, on this occasion, Shu Liang did not stand in the main position, or even in a slightly higher position on the left side. Instead, he was on the right side.
The person standing next to Shu Liang has gray hair, but he can't hide his true colors. His back is as straight as a green pine, he is wearing a slightly old armor, and there is a long sword hanging on his waist. The style is simple, but
Just taking one look at it will make you aware of the evil spirit inside.
This is a battlefield killing sword stained with blood and forged with life.
Yang Hong, the Marquis of Changping, the Governor of the Zuojun Dudu Mansion, the Admiral of the Beijing Camp!
At the same time, he was also the former chief military officer of Xuanfu, the "King Yang" who once made Oara and Tatar fearful!
He, who was supposed to be in charge of the capital camp in the capital, actually appeared in Tumubao at this moment.
The sun shone on Yang Hong's old face. He just stood there, leaning on his sword, looking at the waving military flags, his expression extremely complicated.
However, even with Yang Hong's status, he did not stand in the dominant position.
The person who really stands in the chief position is none other than the long-lost person, the Shaobao Military Secretary, the Governor, the Minister of Military Affairs on both sides...
Yu Qian!
Today's Yu Qian is very different from the past. The most special thing is that he is wearing a bright red gold-woven python robe similar to Shu Liang's.
At the same time, there was also a gorgeous ceremonial sword hanging on his waist.
This python robe and sword are both gifts from the emperor!
This is one of the reasons why all the officials in the court have always been envious, jealous and hateful towards Qian.
However, Yu Qian has a low-key personality. He has never used the python robe sword given by the emperor once, but respectfully enshrines it in his mansion.
But this time, after receiving the order from Shu Liang, he ordered someone to deliver the python robe and sword overnight.
Not for anything else, just because these heroic spirits whose bones are buried here deserve him to express his respect with the highest courtesy.
Whoever loses in battle is the fault of the general!
Those who fight to the death for their country should be respected!
Unknowingly, the sun had risen high. After the officers and soldiers in charge of the arrangement arranged the altar, they lined up around the altar layer by layer, with solemn faces.
Finally, Tumu Fort, which had been silent for a whole year, made a sound again.
The speaker was Yu Qian. His tone was calm, but he could not hide his disappointment.
"Eunuch Shu, it's almost time, let's get started..."
Shu Liang did not speak, but raised his hand and pointed at the smoke and dust rising in the distance...
This chapter has been completed!