Chapter 117: Strategy for the Southwest (Part II)

Chapter 117: Establishing Strategy for the Southwest (Part II)

Time has a way of turning many secrets into common knowledge.

Some matters within the palace may have been kept strictly confidential at the time, but years later, they had long since leaked out—such as the incident where Emperor Zhu Qizhen intended to launch a northern expedition against the Oirat, only to be severely reprimanded by the Grand Empress Dowager.

That was one such matter.

Yang Shiqi had been observing Zhu Qizhen. Although the Emperor had grown much more calculating, his resolve had certainly not wavered.

Yang Shiqi had no desire to clash head-on with Zhu Qizhen. Moreover, there was a genuine need to prove to the world that the iron cavalry of the Great Ming remained as formidable as ever.

After weighing the options, he naturally knew what needed to be said.

As soon as he spoke, before Zhu Qizhen could even respond, someone stepped out from the ranks and said, "Grand Secretary Yang, that is not quite right." The one who stepped forward was Wang Zhi.

Many people assumed that the Cabinet and the Ministers of the Six Ministries held a hierarchical relationship, but in reality, their dynamic was more like a seesaw; whoever possessed more competence held more power.

According to the ancestral statutes of the Great Ming, the highest-ranking civil officials were the Ministers of the Six Ministries. The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, despite their status, could not inherently suppress the Ministers. Among the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Personnel was even known as the "Heavenly Ministry."

It was not a rare occurrence for a strong-willed Minister of Personnel to leave the Cabinet unable to save face.

From the formulation of any policy to its execution, there would inevitably be those who agreed and those who disagreed; it would have been strange if no one had opposed Zhu Qizhen.

Thus, Zhu Qizhen stood by, watching as Yang Shiqi and Wang Zhi engaged in a verbal tug-of-war.

Overall, however, Yang Shiqi’s combat effectiveness was far superior to that of Wang Zhi. Furthermore, Yang Shiqi did not stand alone; the nobility stood unanimously in his support, and among the civil officials, figures like Yang Rong and Wang Ji also backed him.

It could be said that the opinions within the Cabinet were essentially unified. Once the Cabinet reached a consensus, there was no policy they could not push through.

He Wenyuan’s memorial was also brought out for discussion, but it was refuted so thoroughly by Yang Rong in court that it was left in tatters. Even loopholes that were obvious to Zhu Qizhen could not escape Yang Rong’s notice. Yang Rong, being of a higher generation and advanced in age, carried a certain air of seniority and was exceptionally sharp in his criticism.

Zhu Qizhen even felt sorry for He Wenyuan.

Yet, He Wenyuan remained indifferent, holding firmly to one point: the mobilization of the masses. The common people had only known peace for a few years and could ill afford such turmoil.

He Wenyuan’s point was not wrong. It had only been about a decade since the withdrawal of troops from Annam in the late Xuande era. Ten years was far from enough to restore the vitality of the populace.

The opposing views of the two factions in the court were now laid bare.

The Cabinet viewed the matter from the perspective of national defense, arguing that Luchuan must be punished to serve as a warning to others. He Wenyuan, however, had long served in the provinces and understood the suffering of the people; he wished to settle the matter peacefully and avoid a major conflict, allowing the people to live and work in contentment.

He Wenyuan knew that before this court session, a consensus had already been reached. Yet, a strong sense of duty compelled him to speak out in such an arena. Otherwise, as a mere Junior Vice Minister, facing off against a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet was inherently unequal—he was suppressed from the start. Was it not because those higher in rank than He Wenyuan were unwilling to step forward? Since the matter was already decided, why bother arguing?

Zhu Qizhen saw that the discussion had reached a point where further debate would merely be a matter of pride. He even knew that after today’s court session, He Wenyuan’s days in office were numbered.

Zhu Qizhen gave a light cough.

At the sound of his cough, the ministers below fell silent.

Zhu Qizhen said, "Minister Liu, is the national treasury sufficient to support an army of 150,000 to campaign against Luchuan?"

Liu Zhongfu did not say much, only replying calmly, "It is sufficient."

Zhu Qizhen said, "In that case, draw more from the state coffers and levy less from the common people. Let us now discuss who should lead the campaign against Luchuan."

Zhu Qizhen had made the final decision. Yang Shiqi quickly added, "Your Majesty is wise; your heart for the people is rarely seen in this world."

He Wenyuan knew he could no longer argue. He bowed, though he kept his head low, unable to suppress a cold sneer at the corner of his mouth.

Why did he sneer? Was it because what Zhu Qizhen said was laughable?

When a grand army is deployed, how could it be possible not to levy laborers? Did they really believe those soldiers were paragons of discipline? Did they really think the generals, given the choice between using their own men to transport grain or using the commoners, would choose the former?

The Emperor still did not understand what kind of world the Great Ming truly was.

However, no one noticed He Wenyuan at that moment. He was left standing in a corner, silently staring at the patched official boots on his feet.

"Your Majesty," Yang Rong immediately said, "I believe that the Minister of War, Wang Ji, should oversee the campaign, and the Marquis of Baoding, Meng Ying, should serve as the General of Pacification and Commander-in-Chief."

"The Marquis of Baoding, Meng Ying, is a famous general from the Jingnan campaign, and his reputation is renowned throughout the realm. If he is sent to command, he will certainly crush Luchuan."

The ministers were prepared for Wang Ji to oversee the campaign, but they felt it was extremely sudden to have Meng Ying lead as Commander-in-Chief. Then, recalling the favor the Emperor had shown the Meng family during the archery competition, they suddenly understood: this Meng Ying was definitely the Emperor's man.

Standing in the corner, Meng Ying could not believe his ears. Ever since the ascension of the Ren-zong Emperor, his family had been cautious, keeping their heads down and living in humility. He had already abandoned any thought of returning to the battlefield.

He had not expected to have another opportunity to lead troops today.

One must know that the Marquis of Baoding’s lineage had previously stood among the top five of the military nobility in court, yet now they stood in the corner—so much so that when Zhu Qizhen looked over, he had not even seen Meng Ying. Zhu Qizhen called out, "Marquis of Baoding."

"I am here," Meng Ying stepped out from the crowd, knelt in the court, and said.

Zhu Qizhen asked, "Grand Secretary Yang has recommended you. Do you have the confidence to pacify Luchuan?"

Meng Ying raised an eyebrow. A person's character is formed in their youth, and Meng Ying had gained fame early. In his twenties, he had followed his father to crush the Southern Army; that spirited energy still lingered in his expression. He said, "Luchuan is merely a band of local bandits. My only concern is the long distance to Yunnan. It will take some time for me to lead the main army there, but give me one year, and I will surely break Luchuan. My only uncertainty is that the area around Luchuan features high mountains and dense forests; if the Si family and his son choose to flee, I cannot guarantee I will capture them."

An old general is indeed an old general.

Meng Ying's words sounded arrogant. Before the battle had even begun, he had already set a schedule for victory. Moreover, considering the time spent on the march, it would take several months to half a year for the army to reach Yunnan.

In other words, once Meng Ying arrived in Yunnan, he would have only a few months to finish the job.

Thinking about it, one might feel it was too boastful. Yet, in the great hall, no one felt that Meng Ying could not achieve it.

Zhu Qizhen said, "Very well. Since the Marquis of Baoding has such ambition, we shall choose an auspicious day to confer the military seal and begin the expedition."

Wang Ji felt quite uncomfortable hearing this.

In the early years of the Great Ming, when military generals were commissioned for an expedition, even if civil officials accompanied them, those officials were merely subordinates to the general.

But today was no longer the early Ming. Wang Ji had already held his own in the Northwest and fought battles; his military capability was not poor. But now, with Wang Ji overseeing the campaign and Meng Ying holding the seal, the question of who was primary and who was secondary was unclear. If this were not sorted out, it would easily lead to mistakes on the battlefield.

An army can only have one master. Yang Rong understood this particularly well and said, "Your Majesty, regarding this expedition to Luchuan, between the Marquis of Baoding and Minister Wang, who shall be the primary authority?"

Zhu Qizhen thought for a moment and said, "Mu Ang has already gone to Yunnan, though it is unclear what the situation is there. Why not have the Marquis of Baoding take his own troops to Yunnan first, while Wang Ji follows behind to organize military supplies and provisions?"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Baoding, Meng Ying, immediately understood that he was to be the primary authority for this expedition, and he quickly said, "I thank Your Majesty."

Although Wang Ji was dissatisfied, he dared not say anything.

Zhu Qizhen said, "The matter of the expedition to Luchuan is thus settled. Since everyone is gathered here today, I have some questions that have been hidden in my heart for a long time. It is a good opportunity to seek guidance from you, gentlemen."

"We would not dare," Yang Shiqi said, taking the lead. "Please, Your Majesty, speak. Perhaps we may offer some humble insights to resolve your doubts."

Zhu Qizhen’s mouth curled slightly.

The formal business was finished; now it was time to introduce his own agenda.

Zhu Qizhen said, "Since the rebellion in Luchuan, I have observed that since the Hongwu era, local chieftains have risen in revolt almost every few years. Not to mention the distant past, there was the Songpan rebellion during the Xuande era, and now the Luchuan rebellion. Tracing back even further to when the Marquis of Zhenyuan guarded Guizhou, there has never been a shortage of conflicts, large and small, in that region."

"Is it easy to execute a Luchuan today? But if another Luchuan arises tomorrow, what then? Are we to launch another expedition?"