In the lobby of Wenyuan Pavilion, Shen Yichen sat in the first place and looked at the several cabinet ministers in the room, since the "Shou Bing Guojun" determined the authority of the first assistant in the system, the cabinet has become more and more hierarchical, and I believe that it will soon evolve into a second assistant and a group of assistants to discuss seniority.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you must already know the reason why I convened the cabinet meeting, there was a civil war on the side of the Mongol Tatars, and the Arazhiyuan united with his brother Boyan Timur, as well as the Karaqin tribe, to rebel with the opportunity of the return of the three guards of the Jurchens in Jianzhou."

"According to the information that came from the border gates at night, this rebellion was very large, and the Tartars suffered heavy casualties, and there was even a possibility of death in the first place."

"As the saying goes, the civil war of the Mongol Khanate gave me the opportunity for the Ming Dynasty to intervene, and this time I invited you to come to discuss the Northern Expedition in advance!"

When he said the last few words, Shen Yichen obviously accentuated his tone, with an irrepressible excitement.

Waving the Northern Expedition is Shen Yichen's dream all along, and there is no one in the world who does not want to reproduce the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties, so that he can seal the wolf Juxu, Zen in Guyan, and drink Ma Hanhai!

However, the Northern Expedition has never been an easy thing, and the two generations of emperors of Ming Taizu and Ming Taizong, the founding of the Ming Dynasty, have organized as many as 18 Northern Expeditions, many of which are pro-expeditions!

Even in the period of the Orthodox Dynasty, Zhu Qizhen, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, expected his whole life to be like the previous emperors of the previous dynasties to go on the Northern Expedition and achieve the achievements of the four saints of Guangzhao Ancestors.

As a result, Tumubao overturned in World War I, and was deducted with the title of "Mingbao Zong" and nailed to the pillar of historical shame. It also led to the successive emperors of the Ming Dynasty throwing rat traps, and they did not dare to talk about the Northern Expedition easily!

The Northern Expedition requires too many resources, the risk of fighting alone outside the Cypriot army is too high, and according to historical experience, there is a high probability that there will be no gains after losing money and money, and it will be criticized and attacked by all sides.

As the son of the great tomorrow, he chose to appease and retreat, Shen Yichen is a mere courtier, what capital does he have to start the Northern Expedition at will?

It is precisely because of this truth that after Shen Yichen entered the office, whether it was the governor of Liaodong or the garrison of Southern Mongolia, he was actually making various layout preparations, waiting for an opportunity to ensure a foolproof Northern Expedition.

Now that the Mongolian Khanate is in civil war, he sees this opportunity, and Shen Yichen is unwilling to miss it!

In the face of Shen Yichen's inquiry, several cabinet ministers present all showed contemplative expressions on their faces and did not answer immediately. Objectively speaking, the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty, even the most pedantic physicists, did not reach the point of brainlessly opposing the Northern Expedition.

After all, everyone knows that civil and martial arts cannot be separated, and "expelling the Tartars" is the slogan of the Ming Dynasty, but with the failure and decline of national strength again and again, the reality has made many ministers clearly realize the difficulty of the Northern Expedition to Mongolia, and it has almost become an impossible thing to complete.

Compared with the conservative clique of the civilian bureaucracy, under the influence and influence of Shen Yichen's style, the cabinet will not take a position but decide their heads, but will look at problems with pragmatic thinking.

After pondering for a long time, Gao Gu spoke: "Shen Gongbao, it is indeed a good time for the Tartars to fall into civil strife, but now the information is very simple, and it is impossible to know the specific situation and casualties. ”

"In addition, it is still in the bitter cold period, and the entire grassland is covered with heavy snow, and even if the snow melts in the spring, there will still be a long period of mud to hinder the march. Unless it is the chieftain who also has an accident first, they will inevitably survive this crisis, and we will not have time to send troops. ”

Gao Gu is the only minister in the current cabinet during the Orthodox Dynasty, and his qualifications are far above Shen Yichen, so he is the most suitable person to open the head of this opposition.

And Gao Qian's words are justified and well-founded, as the saying goes, the soldiers and horses go first before the grain and grass are moved, and the Northern Expedition does not have half a year for the preparation period of materials and soldiers and horses, and it is easy to have a shortage of logistics at that time.

Emperor Yingzong personally conquered, and he took 200,000 troops to the expedition in three or five days, without considering the logistics problem at all, until he was besieged in Tumubao and could not even guarantee the most basic drinking water, so that the whole army was annihilated.

The lessons of the past are there, coupled with the unfavorable natural conditions, and when everything is ready, it may be a few months or even half a year, and the Tartars may have put down the rebellion, and there is no time for the Ming Dynasty to intervene.

With Gao Gu taking the lead, Yang Hongze, who has always been more stubborn, also said bluntly: "Shen Gongbao, the resettlement of the soldiers of the Southern Expeditionary Army spent millions of taels of silver this time, although the annual income of the first year of Ming Liang exceeded 30 million taels, which was nearly 10 million taels higher than the early years of Jingtai, but the imperial court's expenditure on disaster relief and people's livelihood also rose. ”

"Not to mention that you also designated the plan of Zhongguo Gongshi Heng's expedition to the west, some soldiers and horses in the Beijing camp and the Xuanda border army have begun to prepare for battle, should they stop and give priority to the Northern Expedition, or does Shen Gongbao plan to start a war on two fronts?"

Yang Hongze's tone of remarks, if he was any cabinet chief assistant who held great power in the middle and late Ming Dynasty, it is estimated that he would feel offended and intolerable. But in the Wenyuan Pavilion at this time, everyone's faces were very calm, and there was no trace of the smell of gunpowder in a tense atmosphere.

Even after Shen Yichen heard it himself, only a surging smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he didn't care.

The reason is that after working together in the past few years, everyone knows that Shen Yichen is public and private, and he can rest assured that he can discuss and refute boldly on government issues, he will never use his power to suppress him, and he can say whatever he wants.

In addition, Yang Hongze is this stereotyped and stubborn character, even if he already agrees with many of Shen Yichen's ideas in his heart, he is still unwilling to submit to softness and bow his head on the surface, and there is always a bit of a gun and a stick between the words of the two people.

"Shen Gongbao, I also agree with what Gao Gao Tang said and Yang Zhongtang said that the Ming Dynasty is not ready for the Northern Expedition, and it is very risky to rush to send troops, and the financial aspect cannot support the two-front battle."

Shang Yu knew that Shen Yichen always wanted to go on the Northern Expedition to completely remove the Mongols, the enemy of the world every year, so that the nomads in the north would no longer be a threat to the Central Plains Dynasty. But no matter how good the relationship between the two is, they still can't show favoritism in official affairs, and he also stands on the opposing side.

In addition to Shen Yichen, three of the five cabinet ministers have clearly expressed their objections, and the remaining Wang Yining hesitated for a moment, but finally echoed in a low voice: "I also think that it is not suitable for the Northern Expedition for the time being, and Shen Gongbao should think twice." ”

The way in which Wang Yining's eunuch introduced him made him always lower than the normal ministers, and with the death of Emperor Jingtai Zhu Qiyu, the original internal officials and allies were scattered, and there was no backer in the palace.

In most cabinet deliberations, Wang Yining will choose not to talk about it, let alone stand on the opposite side of Shen Yichen, so as not to get into trouble. This time, it was too risky for the Northern Expedition to capture the Tartars, and three more ministers clearly opposed it, so he rarely expressed his opinion.

Seeing this kind of scene, Shen Yichen was speechless for a while. He knew that there were too many things to consider in such a matter as the Northern Expedition, and at the same time, there would be great obstacles in the DPRK and China, and even the cabinet might not reach an agreement.

But this kind of God-given opportunity, Shen Yichen did not expect that there would be a scene of opposition from all the cabinet members, and it can only be said that the change of the civil fort became a brand in the hearts of the ministers of the Ming Dynasty, making them remember what serious consequences would be caused by insufficient preparation for the expedition.

Daming must not attack rashly, and also open a two-front battle!

The cabinet meeting was not passed, although Shen Yichen could rely on his status as the first assistant to forcibly stamp the emperor on the seal of the Yuan Pavilion, but presumably it would be very difficult for the courtiers and the celebrant to approve the red pass.

Of course, Shen Yichen can also use the title of Emperor Shi to encourage Emperor Zhu Jianqing of Mingliang to issue a holy edict to wave the Northern Expedition. But the Mongol Khanate is not a cat or a dog, it is a century-old enemy of the Ming Dynasty, and it has also established a super empire.

Without the cooperation of the Manchu Dynasty and the mobilization of all the resources of the Ming Dynasty to the west, unless the Heavenly Sage Khan also died in this rebellion first, the entire Mongol Khanate would have a chance of opportunistic success, otherwise the Northern Expedition was very likely to fail!

Shen Yichen knew this in his heart, but power could easily make people swell, and he felt that he was omnipotent. At that time, Ming Yingzong Zhu Qizhen was afraid that this was the mentality that would lead the 200,000 Beijing camp to go out at will, and he would not listen to any objections.

Thinking about this, Shen Yichen forcibly held back the movement in his heart, nodded and said, "Since all of you in the middle hall think that the Northern Expedition is not feasible, then this matter will wait and see how it changes for the time being." ”

"However, we can't sit idly by, wait for the ice of the Kaichun Canal to be lifted, and then requisition the southern rice grain to supplement the Beijing division and Tongzhou Dacang, and the soldiers of the Southern Expeditionary Army who are willing to continue to enlist will suspend their return to the garrison and go north with the army to Beijing to standby!"

In recent years, the granary reserves in Beijing and even in the northern region have been in a state of abundance on the whole, but whether it is the Northern Expedition or the Western Expedition, a large amount of grain and grass is needed as a reserve, so it is necessary to start transporting grain from the south in advance.

In addition, with the five military battalions and some soldiers and horses of the Xuanda Border Army marching westward, there will be a shortage of troops in the direction of the Beijing Division, and the soldiers of the Southern Expeditionary Army are at their peak after a hundred battles, so letting them come to the north to stand by is the best choice to deal with changes.

Hearing Shen Yichen's arrangement, several cabinet ministers had no objections, but on the contrary, they breathed a sigh of relief. They were even more worried that Shen Yichen would not listen to his opinions, and that the cadres would arbitrarily choose to send troops in a tough way, and that would be a kind of crisis.

After the cabinet meeting was over, Shen Yichen summoned Zhao Hongjie as soon as possible, and asked him to send as many Jinyi guards as possible to find out what happened in Yuanshangdu and what happened to Tiansheng Khan.

In history, he first died in this double rebellion of his subordinates and clansmen, but this time Shen Yichen had a premonition that this heroic figure who had not been born in the grassland for a hundred years would not be so mediocre as to completely lose his sense of crisis under the premise of the existence of his own threat.

The ultimate winner of this civil war on the steppe is likely to be born Khan first!

Just as Shen Yichen deduced, the ruins of Yuan Dadu, which had been through the flames of war, were once again densely packed with corpses, and the snow had been dyed a dazzling bright red.

Tiansheng Khan also had a blood-stained horizontal knife on his face, and three heads were placed in front of him, namely Arazhiyuan, Karaqin leader Xiaolai, and his younger brother Boyan Timur.

Next to these three heads, there was a man kneeling down, and behind him were endless soldiers.

This man is Aixin Jueluo Dong Shan, the leader of the Jianzhou Jurchens, at this moment his boundless fear makes him tremble uncontrollably, Dong Shan never thought that the mediocre Tiansheng Khan in the past few years is also the first, and he still maintains the bloody nature and bravery of the year, and he relied on the cowardly Xue Jun and the Zhuluo tribesmen to complete the Jedi turnaround and kill!

"Dong Shan, do you know what kind of punishment you will suffer for violating the oath of the Mongolian Nine White Gifts?"

also looked at Dong Shan, who was kneeling in front of him, and questioned in a cold tone.

"The Great Khan spares his life, I have no intention of violating the Jiubai oath, it was the Arazhiyuan who threatened the lives of the Jurchen people, so I had to obey him!"

Even if the temperature was extremely cold, the cold sweat on Dong Shan's head still flowed down, and it was indeed the idea of the Elder Governor that he set up an ambush first, but this had nothing to do with coercion.

On the contrary, Dong Shan's ambition is not small, otherwise he would not have chosen to betray the Ming Dynasty and return to North Korea. The invitation of the Arazhiyuan gave the Jianzhou Jurchen Sanwei the bargaining capital to avoid being completely reduced to a vassal of the Mongols.

As for this repeated betrayal of the three family slaves, Dong Shan does not have the slightest sense of moral guilt, and the barbarians do not pay attention to this set.

"Really? Where are your people now? ”

Faced with Ye Xian's inquiry, Dong Shan hesitated.

You must know that the chaos of the grassland tribes pays attention to a complete outright law of the jungle, without the slightest affection.

Now in this situation, he also asked about the whereabouts of the Jurchen Sanwei clan in Jianzhou first, Dong Shan was very suspicious that the other party wanted to exterminate the clan to vent his anger.

Jianzhou Jurchen Sanwei is the foundation of Dong Shan, if it is gone, even if he survives, it will not make the slightest sense. On the contrary, as long as you can hide and get through this outlet, your children will not have a chance to make a comeback, and they will surrender to the Ming Kingdom again!

Thinking of this, Dong Shan's eyes showed a hint of resoluteness, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Great Khan, this matter is purely my personal ghost, and it has nothing to do with the Jurchen people, if you want to kill it, you have to deal with it!" ”

Dong Shan was already determined to die at this moment, wanting to exchange this for the chance to live for his clansmen.

It's just that what he didn't expect was that the person sitting on the standing horse also heard it first and then laughed, and the empty grassland and this scene of corpses and mountains of blood made this kind of laughter feel creepy.

"Dong Shan, do you think Ben Khan wants to exterminate the clan?"

"Don't worry, you have broken the oath of the Nine White Gifts, and Ben Khan will not break it. In such cold weather, how many people do you think they will have to die to see the grass sprout? ”

"Tell their location, Ben Khan swears in the name of Chang Tiansheng that he will accept the clansmen of the Jianzhou Jurchen Sanwei!"

This passage completely surprised Dong Shan, and he didn't expect that the other party would swear by Chang Tiansheng.

Indeed, as I said earlier, the snow-covered grassland is not suitable for the survival of the Jurchens, who mainly fish and hunt, and it is okay to hide for a while, but if you hide for a long time, you will freeze to death and starve to death many people.

The weight of Immortal Heaven in the hearts of Mongolians, Dong Shan is still clear, in front of so many people, he should not break his oath first.

So he slowly raised his head and said, "Great Khan, the clansmen are settled in Alu Korqin, and the small ones and the clansmen will always submit to the Heavenly Saint Khan!" ”

After that, Dong Shan planned to bow down again, but his body fell prostrate, but his head flew to the side. After learning the location of the Jianzhou Jurchen Sanwei, he did not hesitate to cut off his head.

"Ben Khan promised to keep Jianzhou Jurchen's life, but he didn't promise to spare your life."

He first said this sentence with a hideous face, and then looked at the rebels who were kneeling down, and roared angrily: "This is the fate of the betrayer!" ”

Some people died, but not completely......