Those Things in the Ming Dynasty Part 4 Whitewashing the Peace _ Chapter 10 The Hidden Elite
three other people
In Yan Shifan's eyes, there are only three talents in the world, but it turns out that although this man is smart, he is not very good at counting, because he only counted half of them correctly.
Yang Bo, Lu Bing, and Yan Shifan are indeed outliers among all living beings. They are witty and good at calculation, and they can be called unparalleled geniuses. But God really likes excitement. Just when Yan Shifan thought that the world was in his hands, God...
Three other people were brought to the drama, three more terrible people.
According to Mr. Yan Shifan's logical numbering, the fourth person's position should belong to Xu Jie. After withstanding countless tests, he already has the strength to compete in the world. But Yan Shifan did not realize this. In his eyes,
This little servant is just an insignificant person.
Xu Jie is still hiding himself. When the time comes, he will take off his veil and give Yan Shifan a big surprise.
The fifth person is called Gao Gong.
If Yan Shifan only despised Xu Jie, then he might have never heard of the name Gao Gong.
It's no wonder he has it, because the high arch is so inconspicuous.
Gao Gong, born in the seventh year of Zhengde (1512), was born in Xinzheng, Henan (now Xinzheng City, Henan). He ranked first in the provincial examination of Henan Province in the seventh year of Jiajing (1528), passed the Jinshi examination in the twentieth year of Jiajing (1541), and was assigned to the Hanlin Academy.
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And when Yan Shifan was talking about the world's talents, Mr. Gao Gong's professional title was only the editor of the Hanlin Academy, and he was just a small scribe in the agency. Such a small role was naturally difficult for Yan Qicai to detect.
However, he will eventually become a person who shakes the world.
According to the rules of film and television dramas, the most powerful person always appears last, and this time is no exception. The first person to discover this wizard was Xu Jie.
After Xia Yan stepped down (he had not yet been killed), Xu Jie was in a miserable situation. People who had previously treated him respectfully saw that he had no backing, and they turned against him with the speed of turning books.
In addition to the cold reception from his colleagues, Xu Jie was also unlucky in the Ministry of Personnel. The newly arrived Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wen Yuan, did not like Xu Jie and always found fault with him.
Xu Jie, who offended his boss and couldn't survive, had to find another way out. Fortunately, he had a good relationship with the big boss (he was good at writing Qing Ci), so the Emperor arranged a new unit for him with a wave of his brush:
"You go to the Hanlin Academy!"
This decision changed the fate of countless people.
At the end of the twenty-sixth year of Jiajing (1547), Xu Jie came to the Hanlin Academy and became a bachelor of the Academy. His first mission was to educate the Shujishi who had just been admitted last year.
Shujishi are the elites of the Ming Dynasty. The training of Shujishi is roughly equivalent to the current pre-job training. After completing here, the students will enter the Hanlin Academy and become an ordinary Hanlin official.
Of course, everything after that will be determined by fate. If you have experienced life-and-death fights and intrigues ranging from a few years to decades, you have not been beheaded, exiled, or demoted. Your face will become thicker and your heart will become thicker and thicker.
Black, you will most likely enter the cabinet and become the true ruler of this empire.
Generally speaking, the chief bachelor of the Hanlin Academy will not pay attention to the sage. At most, they will meet him when he enters the school, give him a few words of instruction, say that everyone should study hard and make progress every day, and then leave with a pat on the back.
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But Xu Jie still maintained his traditional style. Although these newcomers had no background and were unremarkable, he still took time to talk to them one by one. Of course, his purpose was not just to encourage them to study hard. Who knows what the future will bring here?
Whether there will be a few strong men of first or second grade in the meeting, it is better to establish a good relationship first.
It was during this series of conversations that he met the man who would accompany him throughout the rest of his life, struggling endlessly and becoming famous throughout the ages.
Although Shujishi was already an elite among the elite, this man still left a deep impression on Xu Jie. His conversation, knowledge, and unparalleled intelligence all amazed Xu Jie.
"May I have your name?"
"Zhang Juzheng."
Zhang Juzheng, I will write down this name.
Xu Jie completed his conversation with satisfaction. There are still many years to come, and he has enough time to observe this young man carefully.
Zhang Juzheng was the sixth person. At that time, he had not yet had the opportunity to step on the stage and participate in the competition.
In this turbulent era, these six talents will be intertwined into a knot of death, using their wisdom and will to compete for the highest reward - power. The loser will become a victim of the knot and be ruthlessly strangled. Only
Only the most talented, shrewd, cunning and determined people can end this cruel game and untie the knot.
And this final winner will become the ruler of the world.
But having said that, at least at that time, the latter two could not be counted on. Comrade Gao Gong was still working as his scribe, and classmate Zhang Juzheng was still studying hard in the training class.
So Xu Jie can still only rely on himself.
Yan Song is a very vigilant person. He is very aware of the relationship between Xu Jie and Xia Yan. He is not unprepared for this person, but the problem is that this Xu Shilang does not seem to pose any threat to him.
As a deputy minister, he can't say anything in front of the emperor, and he can't make big trouble.
So being on guard was all about being on guard, and he didn't take Xu Jie seriously.
Yan Song's judgment was very accurate. Now Xu Jie is an out-and-out little guy. Even if you put the knife in his hand, he doesn't know where to start.
But the world is constantly changing. In the 29th year of Jiajing (1550), Xu Jie ushered in his first opportunity.
Ironically, this opportunity was kindly provided by Mr. Qiu Luan from Yan Song's camp.
Mongolia can be regarded as the old enemy of the Ming Dynasty. They have been going back and forth for two hundred years. Both sides are full of energy. No matter how tired or miserable they are, they can just take a bath and sleep and get up and continue working.
Things have changed over time, and the Wara of that year have ceased and been replaced by Tatars. After the little prince, the tribe has another outstanding leader who is good at killing people and setting fires - Anda.
I won’t go into details about this brother’s deeds. All you need to know is that he is a man who is very capable of killing, robbing and destroying.
In June of the 29th year of Jiajing (1550), this man, probably because his family was short of things, led tens of thousands of cavalry to attack the Ming Dynasty. His target was Datong.
The Ming army was unable to withstand the enemy, and the whole army was defeated. After a melee, the commander-in-chief Zhang Da was killed in the battle, so Datong reported to the court that the commander was dead and the snake could not survive without a head. Please send another one immediately.
Datong General Soldier is a very high-level official rank, equivalent to the commander of the border defense army. Normally, if you can fill this position, it is the blessing of your ancestors. But going to Datong at this juncture can only be said to be that your ancestors' graves were buried in the wrong place.
The Mongols are still outside the city. Even if they repel the enemy, it may not be a success, but if they lose the important town of Datong, they will kill them without mercy. Moreover, the sword has no eyes, and it does not recognize your official rank. As a general soldier who unfortunately died for the country, you can only be counted.
Bad luck.
This was the legendary scapegoat, and no one wanted to take the blame, but when everyone was trying to shirk the blame, Yan Song stood up and told everyone happily that he had a suitable candidate who would definitely be able to defeat the enemy.
The person he was talking about was Qiu Luan.
To be honest, Yan Song was also taken advantage of in this matter. He originally thought that Qiu Luan, a famous general, would not be as good as Zeng Mian, so he recommended Qiu Luan, hoping that this person could make new achievements.
But Mr. Qiu Luan is really rare. Although he has been a military general for many years, he can't even know it for a while. When he heard that Yan Song recommended him, he was like a thunderbolt. But the matter has come to this, and he has to be promoted even if he is not good. Qiu Luan mustered up his courage.
Went to Datong.
It seemed that General Qiu was very lucky. As soon as he arrived, he learned that An Da had completed the robbery and retreated. Qiu Luan, who was in high spirits, immediately became energetic. He immediately wrote to the Ministry of War, expressing his sorrow that he had not been able to fight An Da.
, it is really a pity to bring glory to the country.
It doesn't matter, Mr. Qiu Luan, there are always opportunities.
In July, I came again.
In fact, this is no wonder An Da, his tribe has no handicraft industry or light industry, so he has no other way except robbing.
Qiu Luan is facing a serious situation now. If he loses the battle, not to mention his official position, his head will not be saved, but he also knows very well that defeating An Da with his few brushes is nothing more than a dream.
But Qiu Luan is really an amazing person. He actually came up with a way to solve the problem. Not only can he drive away An Da, but he doesn't have to go to war.
Mr. Qiu is a person who understands the law of value. He clearly realized that I was just trying to rob something. As long as I gave him money and left him satisfied, everything would be fine.
So late one night, he secretly sent an envoy to Anda and sent a lot of money, hoping that he would take the money and leave without hindering his ability to become an official.
If you want to say that Brother Anda is really good at doing things for money, he immediately said, please don't worry, General Qiu, I will withdraw the whole army right now.
Qiu Luan was satisfied, he didn't have to fight so hard, and he sent away the God of Plague. There was no better result.
But General Qiu, who thought he was smart, ignored the key point - I only said to retreat, not to withdraw home.
Soon after, Lieutenant General Datong reported that Anda had withdrawn. Qiu Luan was very happy, but before preparing to celebrate, he suddenly remembered something and asked one more question:
"Where did I go after I retired?"
"Jizhou." The subordinate replied.
When these two words reached Qiu Luan's ears, he almost fainted on the spot:
"Something bad happened!"
Jizhou is the gateway to Beijing.
When Anda conquered Jizhou and broke through the wall to enter Changping (today's Changping District, Beijing), he was surprised to find that his cavalry did not encounter any resistance. Food, property, and people were all placed in front of him.
Waiting for him to plunder.
Naturally, he would not be polite. After robbing Changping, he fled to Miyun and Huairou, robbed all the way around Beijing, and had a down-to-earth tour around Beijing.
After killing and looting enough, An Da did not leave. He stayed in Tongzhou and peered at this majestic capital city. Because he had been keenly aware that there seemed to be some unspeakable hidden behind Ming Dynasty's show of weakness.
human reasons.
In fact, things are not as complicated as I thought, and the reason is very simple - there are no soldiers.
It's funny to say that the capital city at that time was really empty. During the Battle of Beijing a hundred years ago, at Yu Qian's suggestion, the three major battalions in the capital that had lost their combat effectiveness were transformed into 12 regiment battalions, with the strength reduced to 140,000.
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Ordinarily this number is quite large, but when Ding Rukui, the Minister of War, counted the number of people in preparation for battle, he was surprised to find that the so-called army of hundreds of thousands was actually only more than 50,000!
What's even more troublesome is that many of them are old enough to go to nursing homes, and they just stand in the queue holding a spear to make up for their injuries.
In fact, Ding Rukui was not surprised. This kind of phenomenon is completely normal. This is the legendary number one trick of military corruption - short-paying (over-reporting the number of people and falsely receiving wages).
Master Ding is familiar with the unspoken rules and does not want to fight against corruption, but the problem is that the enemy is at the door, and you have to find a way to send people away.
Naturally, it is impossible for the emperor to give Anda any more gifts and ask him to go back and fight against the enemy.
At the same time, in desperation, Mr. Jiajing had to issue a general mobilization order and ordered the surrounding troops to come to serve the king.
The first one to arrive was Qiu Luan, the commander-in-chief of Datong.
He came here with all his strength - he couldn't do it without all his strength. You must know that the reason why the emperor was so embarrassed and blocked in the city was entirely his fault. If he didn't come here in time, there would be no guarantee of peace between my brother and the emperor.
When negotiating or haggling, you won’t suddenly say something like this: When Mr. Qiu negotiated with me, the price was...
Qiu Luan, who was covered in cold sweat, rushed to Beijing with 20,000 cavalry. Jiajing was moved by his enthusiasm. Instead of doubting him, he told him with great trust:
"The defense of the capital will be left to you."
It was completely over now. Qiu Luan was so sad and angry that he was ready to jump into the moat, but he was pulled back by his subordinates. Datong was already in such a mess, let alone the capital city?
At his wits' end, he thought about it and found an old method - negotiation.
He once again sent people out of the city privately and found An Da. When the visitor explained his intention, even Mr. An Da, who had been on the battlefield for a long time, was surprised. Just after talking in Datong, General Qiu arrived in the capital again and actually ran faster than himself.
The speed is really amazing.
Qiu Luan put forward conditions, as long as he did not attack the city, everything was easy to discuss.
My answer is unambiguous, it’s fine if you don’t attack the city, just let me pay tribute.
Although Qiu Luan has decided to do it at all costs, this request is unacceptable to him.
The so-called tribute is just a dignified way of saying that you act recklessly and trample on the national integrity. If you agree to this condition, Anda can send his envoys to the Ming Dynasty's territory to forcefully impose various harsh conditions.
This is a matter of national image. In other words, even if we can afford money, we cannot afford to embarrass people.
Qiu Luan didn't dare to believe what he said, so he could only report it to Jiajing immediately.
Even Taishang Laojun could not solve my problem, so Taoist priest Jiajing put on a yellow robe and held a cabinet meeting.
Among the attendees were Yan Song, Li Ben, Zhang Zhi, cabinet academicians, and Xu Jie, who was the Minister of Rites at the time.
The emperor was also panicked. He took the tribute letter sent by Anda and asked the ministers what they should do.
Li Ben didn't speak, and Zhang Zhi didn't speak either, because in the cabinet, their words didn't count.
Yan Song, who was always eloquent and true to his words, suddenly became mute and stood motionless and silent.
But the emperor’s salary was not in vain. Jiajing asked Yan Song directly:
"Now how to do?"
Mr. Yan Song can neither manage an army nor a country. His major is flattery and bullying. But Mr. Anda wants to be economical. If he doesn't do this, there is nothing he can do.
But he still said his "method":
"These are just a bunch of hungry thieves. They will leave naturally after looting. Your Majesty, don't worry."
This is a very shameless answer.
In Mr. Yan Song's logical system, retaining one's official position and enjoying wealth are the most important. As for the people outside the city, they can rob them and kill them. It has nothing to do with them anyway.
Xu Jie was angry. Putting aside his personal grievances, he simply couldn't believe that these words were actually spoken by the chief minister of the imperial court. Although it was not his turn to speak here, he could no longer bear it:
"The enemy has already reached the city. They are killing people and setting fires. They are doing all kinds of evil. How can we call them a group of hungry thieves!"
Yan Song turned around in surprise and looked at this inconspicuous Minister of Rites. He finally realized that he seemed to have underestimated this person's energy.
Jiajing, who was sitting on the throne, suddenly stood up. He looked at Xu Jie, nodded approvingly, and then changed his face again, staring coldly at Yan Song, who was greedy for life and afraid of death:
"Where is the tribute letter I answered?"
Yan Song hurriedly took out the documents and prepared to submit them to the emperor.
Jiajing waved his hand. He did not intend to study the documents. He only asked one sentence:
"What are you going to do?"
Under Jiajing's glaring gaze, Yan Song regained his composure and answered calmly:
"This is a matter for the Ministry of Rites."
The so-called affairs of the Ministry of Rites are Xu Jie's affairs. In the eyes of ordinary people, this is just a sentence to shirk responsibility, but in fact, this sentence is extremely sinister and contains murderous intent. No matter how Xu Jie answers, he will get into trouble.
My answer to paying tribute is ultimately a diplomatic issue. Yan Song recommended it to the Ministry of Rites. Although it was not very righteous, it was reasonable and reasonable. If Xu Jie refused, the emperor would naturally not be able to spare him.
But if Xu Jie fully agreed, disaster would surely be imminent, because the issue of tribute was also a very embarrassing political issue. Jiajing did not want to agree at all, but was forced to discuss it with the ministers because of the situation. If he dared to make a contract at this time, he would wait until
As soon as I leave, I will settle the accounts later in the year, and naturally I will not be able to escape the death penalty.
Yan Song understood Jiajing's thoughts, and he was quietly waiting for Xu Jie to enter the trap.
Xu Jie was stunned for a moment and immediately answered without thinking:
"This matter is the responsibility of my Ministry of Etiquette, and I am willing to shoulder it with all my strength!"
However, before Yan Song smiled, Xu Jie said the second half of the sentence:
"But the matter of paying tribute is a national matter, and everything is left up to the emperor. The Ministry of Rites will definitely comply with the order!"
Yan Song felt panicked for the first time. The Minister of Rites standing in front of him turned out to be a more cunning opponent than Xia Yan.
Jiajing didn't have Yan Song's thoughts. He just wanted to solve the problem:
"Is there anything you can do?"
Xu Jie finally waited for the opportunity and began to talk:
"In my opinion, the enemy troops are approaching the city. With the current defense of the capital, we can neither fight nor defend."
"so what should I do now?"
"The only way at the moment is to delay, wait for reinforcements to arrive, gather strength, and then launch a counterattack against Anda."
Jiajing nodded happily, but also raised a practical question - how to delay time.
Xu Jie smiled, picked up the humiliated tribute document, and confidently told the frightened Emperor that the solution was in this tribute document.
Diplomacy refers to the method of dealing with relations between countries, but it also has another popular explanation - using the most polite way and saying the dirtiest words.
If the latter explanation is the standard, then Xu Jie is an extremely skillful diplomat. He keenly discovered a problem in An Da's documents - only Chinese, not Mongolian.
According to convention, diplomatic documents require two languages, but this is just a formality and no one follows it seriously.
However, the Ming Dynasty decided to carry out the procedures carefully this time, so Anda's envoy learned that he wanted to take the tribute letter back and re-add the Mongolian content.
After hearing what the messenger said, I was a little confused. Although he was a good fighter, his ability to play politics was really far behind. After thinking about it, this man didn't know what the problem was with writing only in Chinese - can you see
Isn’t it enough to understand?
Anda was puzzled and worried that he was uneducated and did not understand diplomatic etiquette and would be laughed at. He actually went to find a group of people to prepare official documents, but before he could finish the paperwork, his new neighbor arrived.
King Qin's army from the North Zhili area arrived in time. The number of Ming troops outside the city had reached more than 80,000, and Ida finally understood that he had been fooled again.
The Mongolian army, which had lost its spirit, was about to retreat. Anyway, they had looted enough and killed enough, so they returned home with a full load.
But Jiajing in the city was not a fool. Although he did not understand military affairs, he was an extremely smart man. The changes in the situation could not escape his eyes, so he summoned Ding Rukui, the Minister of War, and ordered him to prepare a counterattack against the Tatar army.
Ding Rukui accepted the order, but before launching a counterattack, he had to visit Yan Song.
In many books, Yan Song is described as an extremely vicious character. He is more cunning than mountain bandits and more cruel than perverted murderers. He does everything from corruption and bribery, murder and arson to spitting, and promiscuous relations between men and women.
, can be described as the scum among scum.
But if you analyze the historical data objectively, you will find that this dear man is actually a very timid person. His principle throughout his life is to hide when he can, and push when he can. As long as his official position and power remain unchanged, the people will live and die, and the country will rise and fall.
It has nothing to do with him and he doesn't want to care about it.
This kind of behavior is described in today's legal terminology, which is called "administrative inaction", also known as occupying the toilet without shit, working as a foreigner, etc. Yan Song is such a person. He is unwilling to cause trouble or take care of things. He only cares about himself.
interests. It should be said that he is indeed a timid person.
But the timid Yan Song is still the scum among scum.
Because it was his indifference and selfishness that led to the slackness in government affairs, the corpses of ministers, and the unscrupulous enemies who burned, killed, and looted. The emperor is practicing Taoism, and your chief assistant doesn't care, so who else cares?
However, Mr. Yan Song's unwillingness to care does not mean that he doesn't care. As long as it concerns his interests, he will never sit idly by and ignore it.
Ding Rukui understood this. He knew very well that if he acted without permission from Lord Yan, Xia Yan would learn from his mistakes.
He informed Yan Song of the emperor's order and raised his own question: What should we do now?
Yan Song thought for a moment and then gave an unexpected answer:
"Don't launch a counterattack."
Looking at the bewildered Minister of War, Yan Song gave an explanation for his answer, an extremely shameless explanation:
"If we launch a counterattack, we may be defeated. If we are defeated at the border, we can pretend to be victorious and claim credit. But if we fail under the emperor's feet, he will definitely know about it. Then it will be difficult to deal with it. It is better to let me plunder. Soon
Then we will remove ourselves and we won’t have to take any responsibility.”
This is the governing philosophy of the chief minister of the Ming Empire's cabinet. It can be said that he is a hooligan to the extreme.
But after all, Ding Rukui had been in the officialdom for many years and was not so easy to fool. He knew very well that the emperor's order was to counterattack. If he followed Lord Yan's words, he would be beheaded if the emperor held him accountable.
However, Yan Song patted his chest and assured him:
"Don't worry, with me here, everything will be fine!"
Ding Rukui went home and slept peacefully. He believed that Chief Yan would not deceive him.
Facts have proved that Mr. Yan Song's guarantee is indeed not worthless - it can be sold as waste paper for fifty cents a pound.
In the next few days, the Anda troops outside the city looted wantonly and began to pack and prepare to take them away. Those who could not be taken away were set on fire. However, the garrison inside the city not only did not go to the Mongols to settle accounts, they did not even pay for the service.
Dare to accept them, but just watch them walk away.
Anda finally left, Jiajing was finally angry, and the Mongols left in a swagger, just as they came in a swagger, taking away not a single cloud, but taking away property, food, and countless people of the Ming Dynasty.
He urgently summoned Ding Rukui and interrogated him sternly:
"Why don't you go out to fight?!"
Ding Rukui was silent. This was his only choice. At this point, even if Yan Song was exposed, he might not be able to escape guilt, and he would lose all escape routes. In any case, he could only believe in Chief Yan.
Jiajing, who couldn't get an answer, became furious and ordered the soldier to be killed.
The minister was put in prison.
Yan Shoufu seemed to be quite interesting. In prison, Ding Rukui continued to receive instructions from Yan Song, telling him to stay in jail with confidence and hold on, and there would be a solution.
Ding Shangshu persisted in this way and endured all the way to the execution ground.
When the bright Ghost-headed Sword shone in front of Lord Shangshu, Ding Rukui realized that he had been sold and was still counting money for others.
At this point, he could only look up to the sky and shout:
"Traitor Yan Song, you deceived me!"
But after being reprimanded, he finally realized his sin. He saw scorched earth and desolate lives. Although Yan Song was the mastermind, he was also an accomplice.
So he asked the people standing aside one last question:
"Where is Wang Langzhong now?"
The so-called Wang Langzhong, that is, Wang Shangxue, the doctor of the Ministry of War, was roughly equivalent to today's General Staff. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, if the plan was wrong and the battle was defeated, the chief of the military department, Langzhong, would have to take the blame.
Those with leadership responsibilities (the poorest, busiest, and have to take the blame, so no one goes).
It should be said that Ding Rukui is quite interesting. He repeatedly stated in prison that the incident was done by himself alone and had nothing to do with the department.
So when he learned that Wang Shangxue had escaped death and was sent to the army, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and left his last words:
"At the beginning, Wang Langzhong repeatedly urged me to go to war, but I was misunderstood by Yan Song and did not listen to his advice. This is my fault!"
The turmoil in the 29th year of Jiajing (1550) ended with Ding Rukui's sigh. In this disaster, the Ming Dynasty suffered a tragic defeat. The capital was besieged for a week, and the suburbs of the capital were in chaos. I answer
They burned, killed, and looted under the eyes of the Ming Dynasty, and no one could stop them.
All things were lost, and all face was lost. This rare shame since the founding of the People's Republic of China was called the "Gengxu Change" by later generations, and it will be recorded in the annals of history forever.
But amidst the whining, something is quietly changing.
Xu Jie is undoubtedly the winner. In times of crisis, he stepped forward and shouldered important responsibilities, which left a deep impression on Jiajing's heart. This unnoticed supporting role finally took the center stage of the colorful stage.
But along with the opportunity comes danger, because that pathetic loser and coward has realized the horror of this new political star. In the days to come, he will go all out to kill this person who can threaten him.
strangled in the cradle.
Although he is a coward when it comes to national affairs, as long as personal interests are involved, he will become braver than Mr. Zhao Zilong.
Xu Jie, keep walking. The further you go, the more you will feel the cruelty of this game. Waiting for you ahead are more cunning opponents and more insidious traps.
Of course, in addition to subtle changes in the political situation, the Ming Dynasty was not without gains.
After Ding Rukui's death, Wang Bangrui, the minister of the Ministry of Personnel, temporarily took charge of the affairs of the Ministry of War and began to clean up the mess.
During the work of sorting out defense, he accidentally discovered that a book called "Preparing An Da Strategy" was widely circulated in the army. The book recorded various strategies for dealing with An Da, which was very insightful and consistent with the art of war.
Wang Bangrui immediately called his subordinates:
"Who is the author of this book? Any official?"
His subordinates told him that this man was a hereditary general who went to Beijing to take the martial arts examination. He temporarily participated in the war due to Anda's attack. At that time, he was the chief flag officer of the nine gates of the capital. After the war, he had been transferred to Jimen.
Wang Bangrui was filled with emotion. After repeatedly reading the book and inquiring about this person, he wrote this record in the files of the Ministry of War:
Qi Jiguang, a native of Dongmou, Shandong Province, was a hereditary commander of the Dengzhou Guards. He was young and intelligent, ambitious and good at riding and shooting. Comment: General Talent.
trap
Since the "Gengxu Incident", Xu Jie's life has been getting better and better. Although he did not enter the cabinet, he enjoyed the treatment of a cabinet member. He was named the crown prince's Taibao (from the first rank), and was often called to Xiyuan to accompany him.
His Majesty the Emperor chatted and drank tea and became a popular figure in the court.
Xu Jie was a little carried away. The changes in his circumstances gave him the illusion. The emperor's favor and the favor of his colleagues all made him believe that victory seemed no longer far away.
In fact, the real opportunity has never come, and his level is still far from enough.
The sudden blow that followed quickly woke him up from his sweet dream.
This matter started with a dead person. Not long ago, Empress Xiaolie died. It was supposed to be that she died. A memorial service was held to bury her. However, Mr. Jiajing became addicted to etiquette. The following was sent to the Ministry of Rites, requesting that this person be allowed to die.
The queen enters the ancestral temple (the technical term is the ancestral temple).
This was against the rules of etiquette. Mr. Xu Jie, who insisted on his principle, immediately wrote a memorial stating that the queen could not enter the temple and could only be placed in the Fengxian Hall.
When Yan Song heard the news, he immediately clapped his hands and cheered because he knew that Xu Jie was about to be in trouble.
Yan Song was right, Xu Jie quickly paid the price for his principles. Mr. Jiajing was furious and immediately called Xu Jie in and cursed him angrily.
If this scene were placed on Xia Yan, the next scene would definitely be a scolding. Mr. Xia has always been fearless. Fighting with the emperor for the sake of principles is commonplace.
Xu Jie, like Xia Yan, was also a principled person, but this familiar scene did not appear. Xu Jie just lowered his head and listened to the emperor's unreasonable rebuke.
He still remembered that this was how Xia Yan died. The scene of his head falling to the ground was reflected in front of his eyes.
So, under Yan Song's eager gaze, Xu Jie made a decision:
"The Emperor's Holy Ming!"
It is not enough to sacrifice dignity. If you want to have the last laugh in this cruel game, you must also deviate from your principles, because the opponent in front of you is an unprincipled person.
And the only way to defeat an unprincipled opponent is to give up all principles.
Whether it's proclaiming yourself an ancestral clan or having a ancestral temple, even if you proclaim yourself the Jade Emperor, or even if you put your own wet nurse and servants into the ancestral temple, I don't care.
This is the price that must be paid before the time comes.
Xu Jie sensed the coming danger in time, agreed with the emperor's opinion, and escaped disaster. However, he did not expect that one of his unintentional actions had caused a big disaster, and what was even more unfortunate was that Yan Song had been arrested.
Caught this loophole.
One day after this, Jiajing met Yan Song alone in Xiyuan. The two parties started chatting intentionally or unintentionally, and as they chatted, the topic turned to Xu Jie.
Surprisingly, when Yan Song talked about Xu Jie, he was full of praise. He repeatedly praised this man for his diligence in political affairs, his hard work, and his good writing of Qing Ci. After his words, Jiajing nodded repeatedly.
Of course, it is unrealistic if you expect Mr. Yan Song to suddenly go insane. The exciting part is later:
"Xu Jie is indeed not lacking in talent," Yan Song sighed and added the most crucial sentence, "It's just that he is a little too careless."
This is the highest state of scolding in the legend - praise first and then scold, and praise and scold in one.
Jiajing put away his smile and nodded heavily. He agreed with Yan Song's opinion.
There is a reason for this sentence. In February of the 30th year of Jiajing (1551), Xu Jie wrote to the emperor asking for the early establishment of a prince.
This is not the first time he has written a letter with suggestions. There have been several times before, but Jiajing suppressed them all. In the view of Xu Jie, the Minister of Rites, establishing a prince is necessary, and it is also out of etiquette needs. Of course, it also has hidden meanings.
: You make elixirs and take elixirs every day, but one day you suddenly get food poisoning, we have to be prepared.
However, in Jiajing's view, this request has another meaning - I am not dead yet, and I am ready to start a new business.
In this way, the wily Yan Song shattered Xu Jie's good image in the emperor's mind with just one sentence, causing him to sink into the bottom of the valley again.
After that, the emperor's attitude towards Xu Jie became increasingly cold, rarely inviting him into Xiyuan, and no longer being nice to him.
Although the emperor did not express his position clearly, the perceptive Xu Jie still felt this alienation. Without asking, he knew that it was Yan Song who was responsible.
The sense of smell of his colleagues is very sensitive. Xu Jie was once a phoenix when his career was on the rise, but after his nirvana, he naturally turned into a pheasant. Everyone left one after another, and Xu Jie once again returned to the starting point of being isolated and helpless.
The cruel facts educated Xu Jie, and he finally understood that although he was favored, his status in the emperor's heart was still far behind Yan Song, and what he wanted to challenge was the Yan Party, the largest political group in the DPRK, with countless members.
Qing's network and Jin Yiwei's help. More importantly, in front of Yan Song, a political master, his skills were still far behind.
But it doesn't matter, it's not too late now, I will start again.
From then on, Xu Jie became more taciturn and no longer discussed the government affairs casually. However, Jiajing did not seem to appreciate it and was still very cold towards him. However, Xu Jie did not panic. After carefully analyzing the situation, he finally found a way to win.
.
And this path was exactly what the dead Xia Yan told him with his life.
Jiajing, who was bewitched by Yan Song, was tired of Xu Jie. However, he did not realize that the people around him had quietly changed their attitudes. They often praised Xu Jie's talents (mostly the speakers on the left and right). Over time, he slowly changed.
What are your thoughts on this person?
From a certain perspective, Xia Yan died at the hands of the eunuchs he neglected, and Xu Jie would never make the same mistake again.
In addition, Xu Jie, who was silent, began to write Qingci seriously at home and work hard on literary creation. Jiajing, who was satisfied, finally changed his attitude and often asked him to come and chat.
On the other hand, Xu Jie always praised Yan Song no matter who he was in front of or behind, and he often came to his door to contact him. Although the old fox Yan still regarded him as a rival, Xu Jie's behavior was more or less the same.
impressed him.
After all, it's just a small role, so there's no need to put in much effort. Yan Song still believes in his own judgment.
So after experiencing ups and downs, the situation in the DPRK returned to calm again, and the two sides were temporarily in a state of truce.
However, behind the silence, Xu Jie was closely watching Yan Song's every move, going to court, retreating from court, socializing, and forming groups. He patiently examined the old Jianghu's various actions. While looking for flaws, he also
Constantly learn the enemy's strategies and methods.
In day after day of speculation and observation, Xu Jie gradually narrowed the gap between himself and his opponents. He has become a resourceful and unfathomable figure.
But forbearance and silence are not ends, but means. They will eventually break out at the last moment. Although Xu Jie has paralyzed Yan Song and gained the emperor's trust, he is very clear that if he wants to win, the current conditions are not enough.
He must take the initiative to attack in order to obtain more resources and greater advantages.
The time to attack has arrived, but it cannot be a surprise, nor can it be a final showdown. What is missing now is a suitable attack target.
After careful consideration, Xu Jie finally found the target.
So after waiting for two years, Xu Jie broke the deathly tranquility and pointed his finger at the person who met the requirements-Qiu Luan.