Xie Qian was released from prison.

The emperor still did not go to the court, but just sent a decree from the palace to Jinyiwei, asking Xie Qian to go back to the house to live idlely, claiming that he was sick, in fact, people with a discerning eye know that Xie Qian's political career has ended, because according to the previous emperor's decision, Xie Qian is about to return to his hometown.

It was only because Xie Qian had just come out of the edict that in order to avoid others from associating with the causal relationship between the two things of "going to prison" and "returning to his hometown", he would first let Xie Qian live idle for a period of time, and finally let him return to his hometown on the grounds of old age and illness.

It's all old operation.

Even if Xie Qian dies in these days, it will be a few days before the mourning happens.

The world knows the connection between these two things, but because of the face of the monarch and the minister, he still has to pretend to come out.

On the day Xie Qian returned home, Li Dongyang entered Xie Qian's house from the main gate to see Xie Qian, without the slightest concern about the relationship with the emperor, etc., Li Dongyang still wanted to make it clear that even if Xie Qian was not in the court in the future, he was still a firm part of them.

"Yu Qiao, take a look."

When Li Dongyang saw Xie Qian, he didn't just want to express comfort, he wanted to do something.

He took out a copy of the impeachment note, and when Xie Qian took it in his hand and read it, his old face was full of wrinkles.

"Why bother?" Xie Qian put the music down.

Li Dongyang took it back and said: "Participating in the impeachment of Zhang Tingmian is a strategy we set early on, you went to the imperial prison once, and suffered so much, now it is very likely that you will not be able to serve the society in the court, will this be merciful?" ”

This recital is exactly what Zhang Mao impeached.

Just when Zhang Mao was trying to find a way to befriend Wenchen, Wenchen would not show mercy to him.

Just like the crisis that Zhang Mao felt early on, since the success of the northern war was in Jizhou Town, which was obtained by Cui Yuan and Zhu Feng, then he Zhang Mao had to bear the end of returning in vain as the commander-in-chief.

Li Dongyang said: "Even this time, Zhang Bingkuan can still face the results with a smile, but for those who have no merits, waste money and food in vain, and make the soldiers run around in vain, they will also have to bear the price." Your business is all because Wang Bo'an transferred troops to Zhang Mao, both of them have done nothing this time, so why be merciful to them? ”

Xie Qian said: "What we are targeting is Zhang Bingkuan early in the morning, do we have to let Zhang Tingmian and Wang Boan bear something for this?" ”

"Yu Qiao, why are you so kind-hearted?"

Li Dongyang frowned, he began to understand Xie Qian's mentality very well.

Obviously, we are advancing and retreating together, and now we are also helping you correct your name, but you seem to be very kind now, and you want to be a good person?

Xie Qian shook his head and said: "I know what you mean, now Zhang Bingkuan is still in the limelight, we can't move, so let's move Zhang Tingmian and Wang Bo'an first, especially Zhang Tingmian's side, his position in the Governor's Mansion is deep-rooted, he has a conflict with Zhang Bingkuan, and uses his old department to target Zhang Bingkuan...... But this will cause civil strife in the court! This will be the time when the Governor's Mansion is united, so it will cause a big twist and turn, and give the Waiyi an opportunity to take advantage of? ”

Li Dongyang said with a straight face: "What do you mean?" ”

Xie Qian said: "I have thought a lot in prison, and I have also reflected on what we have done in the past few years, it seems that we have done too radically, and the current discord between the generals and commanders is afraid that it will cause chaos in the military and politics." It's better to ......."

"Smack!"

Li Dongyang slapped the table, looking very angry.

Before the change, no matter how good the relationship between the two was, this was the mansion of the master Xie Qian, and Li Dongyang couldn't just make a table in front of Xie Qian.

But now the situation is different, Xie Qian, as a cabinet minister who is about to become a minister, cannot be compared with Li Dongyang's status no matter what.

"Yu Qiao, your kindness will harm others and yourself!"

Li Dongyang almost gritted his teeth and said, "It is true that we can't do anything about Zhang Bingkuan now, and his momentum is increasing day by day, but if we don't do anything, and just watch him control the situation in the world, where will we be placed?" Many ministers, now they want to restore the clarity of the court, not let one family dominate, even if you want to go back to the south soon, you should also think about these people who stay in the court! Don't you think about the future of those who are in the Xie family who are in office? ”

Fighting against Zhang Zhou, benefiting the country and the people, for the sake of the Ming Dynasty's thousand-autumn foundation.

It is also for those who are officials to return to the original order, especially the order we have formulated, rather than obeying him Zhang Bingkuan.

Xie Qian smiled bitterly.

He felt that Li Dongyang was obviously fighting in the party, if it weren't for Wenchen's party, he Xie Qian might not have been imprisoned for so long, making him go through so much hardship.

"What is Zhang Tingmian? blindly connived at Zhang Bingkuan before, and in the end he bullied him...... This may be our future! Now Zhang Bingkuan is only staying in the one-acre and three-point land of the Ministry of War, but do you know that His Majesty has long intended to mention him as the secretary of the Ministry of Officials? Li Dongyang was very angry.

After all, Xie Qian had been his staunch ally, but now this ally seemed to have changed his attitude.

Xie Qian said: "With Zhang Tingmian's current loneliness, is there a chance to use him to sing against Zhang Bingkuan?" ”

Li Dongyang said: "You don't need to pay attention to this, and I don't need you to provide advice, just to inform you that there is such a thing!" If it is feasible, I also hope to stay in the court, if you retreat, the cabinet will definitely have another incident, and now Zhang Bingkuan may only be promoted to the secretary of the ministry, and then the next step...... When he enters the cabinet, there is no place for me and Liu Zhongtang to stand! At that time, everyone in the court will only scold him, and the Ming court will really be finished! ”

"Ahem......"

Xie Qian coughed twice.

Closing his eyes, he didn't even want to delve into this issue with Li Dongyang.

In his position, he Xie Qian had just come out of the edict prison, and as a quasi-retired courtier, he knew that these things were far away from him.

As Li Dongyang said, this matter was just to inform him, telling him that now Wenchen wants to target Zhang Mao, let Zhang Mao use the relationship to physically eradicate Zhang Zhou, and he Xie Qian only needs to listen, and there is no need to mix in any opinions, if he says something that he doesn't like, Li Dongyang will blow his beard and stare at him first.

……

……

The battle of the Guanshan Grassland, after two days and two nights, basically came to an end.

The people of the Ming Dynasty retreated.

Zhang Rui and Ma Yi, the two generals who led the troops deep into the grassland, deeply experienced for the first time what it was like to lead the troops to win the battle independently, which was different from the previous obedience to Wang Shouren or those civil servants who governed the army.

"Little grandfather, great victory...... It's really a big win...... Let's kill the enemy on both sides...... It's over 10,000! ”

When Ma Yi saw Zhang Rui again, her voice changed.

Husky.

The eyes were not bloodshot, but red, which seemed to be a desire for merit, because with this merit, it was enough for them to get the opportunity to be crowned marquis and worship the generals, and they could glorify their ancestors.

Zhang Rui said: "Yes...... Is it over 10,000? ”

Ma Yi nodded and said: "We have led the troops into the grassland more than a year ago, and we have achieved great achievements, we have a total of 6,000 soldiers, but we have pursued and killed the foreign Yi for hundreds of miles, and the grassland is full of blood. It is precisely because of the cold winter that the Tatars did not expect us to appear here that they have won today. ”

"First ......"

Zhang Rui is now starting to think about the way of merit.

Like Ma Yi, Zhang Rui is also very excited in his heart, but no matter how excited he is, all Zhang Rui hopes for is to preserve the reputation of the British Duke, after all, he is already the son of the Duke of the Kingdom, and he will still be a British Duke in the future, as the head of the Ming Dynasty, do you still want to surpass your father to be unique?

And Zhang Rui also knows very well that it is Zhang Zhou who is now pressing on the head of the British government.

But when Zhang Rui mentioned Zhang Zhou, he was not full of hostility, but full of respect, after all, he was a meritorious person who had saved his life and brought changes to the military and political affairs of the Ming Dynasty.

Ma Yi said: "If you have killed more than 10,000 enemies, it is estimated that there are not many heads that can be brought back, but there are eight or nine thousand ears, and together you can exceed 10,000 ......"

Zhang Rui nodded and said: "It's just that many of them are old and weak women and children, compared to the battle of Xinjian Bo Grassland, we are inferior." ”

Ma Yi was stunned.

He was still thinking, how could he be promoted to marquis with such a great achievement this time, right?

Now Zhang Rui poured cold water on him, and also told him that when Wang Shouren led his troops into the grassland, even if the number of people who won the first merit was not as good as them, but the people who were killing were all Tatar young and middle-aged men.

And this time......

The Tatars are basically fleeing for their lives in a hurry, and the vast majority of the people killed are the old and weak women and children who can't escape, so you make up 10,000, and there is no one to be beautiful.

Zhang Rui said: "I heard that there are still many people in the army who have not withdrawn, but we can no longer stay here, and we don't have much food left." ”

"Yes." Ma Yi nodded and said, "Fortunately, I grabbed a lot of it this time, otherwise, it would be a problem whether the rations are enough to support us to return to the customs." In that case, then, little grandfather, shouldn't we also discuss the matter of asking for credit? ”

"Please play it truthfully." Zhang Rui said, "Mr. Ma has experience, and it is best for you to play." ”

Ma Yi smiled, because the muscles on his face may have frozen, and the look on his face was very unnatural under the pull, and then he quickly returned to his original solemn color and said: "Then we will hurry up to Datong, I have also imagined the way back to Guannei, we will bypass the north bank of the Yellow River, do not take the Hetao, and return to Guannei from Datong, what do you think?" ”

"What?"

Zhang Rui frowned.

Ma Yi said: "This is close to the land of Ningxia, but the road in the middle may not have been walked in the past hundred years, and the middle way is all sand dunes and deserts, and even the Tatars are walking through Huamachi, to bypass this no-man's land!" If we go south, the journey may be even more difficult. ”

Zhang Rui shook his head and said: "Then we will withdraw from Huamachi to the Guannei, why should we be willing to go far and far?" ”

Obviously, Zhang Rui wanted to let his father know that he had achieved meritorious service as the first step, and let his father use this to ask for merit to the emperor.

On this issue, he and Ma Yi obviously have different opinions, Ma Yi is now the general of Datong, and the soldiers under his command except for a very small number of people led by him Zhang Rui, the rest are also Datong people, of course, people have merit because they want to get from Wang Shouren.

Ma Yi was slightly puzzled: "I'm afraid that the brothers don't want to." ”

"Why is that?"

Zhang Rui seemed to ask a very layman's question.

Ma Yi smiled bitterly, but still replied seriously: "Entering the customs from Huamachi is equivalent to entering the territory of Ningxia, this time the soldiers of Ningxia have not achieved any merits, we bring the head, human ears and goods into the customs, can they not exploit us?" From Huamachi back to Datong, along the way to pass through Yansui, Biguan and other places, every place needs to be dotted, I am afraid that this trip down ......"

Zhang Rui had an epiphany.

Ma Yi personally led the soldiers and horses of Datong, and the place where he got the credit was in the north of Ningxia.

If you go back to Datong directly from the grassland to enter the customs, the credit will be counted as one, and it will definitely not be snatched away by others.

But if he enters the customs from somewhere else, he Ma Yi, as a general soldier of Datong, will be exploited by those commanders and governors, and the credit may not be brought back, and the troubles encountered by the soldiers will be doubled along the way.

Ma Yi said: "Little grandfather, I know your difficulties, but can you not know what happened to Ling Zun in the northwest?" Who else helped him but the king? ”

Zhang Rui was also silent.

If Zhang Rui is thinking about the problem from Zhang Mao's standpoint, and thinking about joining forces with his father after entering the customs, you might as well think about what Zhang Mao has experienced along the way.

The emperor asked Zhang Mao to be the commander and asked him to transfer troops everywhere, but everywhere he tried every means to deduct it, and the soldiers were not fully equipped, and even food and materials were not enough, and even Wang Shouren transferred 6,000 soldiers and horses, and was impeached.

Even Zhang Mao, a martial artist of prestige and energy, has such an encounter in the northwest, and it is reasonable that Ma Yi does not want to face so many bad things.

Ma Yi is not as good as Zhang Mao, and she can't deal with those big guys.

Therefore, people's choice is very simple, that is, they do not go around, even if they lead troops horizontally on the grassland, they must enter the customs from Datong, not from Ningxia or Yansui.

"Hmm."

Zhang Rui nodded.

In fact, he had no choice.

This time, he nominally has a share in Zhang Rui, but in fact, the main credit is still on Ma Yi, and he only participated in this war by chance, and Ma Yi also gave him face and gave him the right to transfer troops.

If Ma Yi had to take the military merits alone, he could be kicked out of the way.

Maybe Ma Yi doesn't have this kind of energy, but Wang Shouren will help Ma Yi, and then he Zhang Rui will only be a participant, and he will not receive credit as a decision-maker, and he will not achieve Zhang Rui's goal of helping the British government.

"That's what I'm writing below, and tonight the little grandfather will also help you take a closer look, you are a scholar, and you are deeply educated, unlike me...... I don't know a few big characters. Ma Yi saw that Zhang Rui was very good, and the last estrangement between the two sides seemed to have been eliminated.

Zhang Rui nodded and said, "I also want General Ma to teach me a lot." I heard that Zhang Shangshu of the Ministry of War admires you very much. ”

"Where is it, just do a little thing, Zhang Shangshu is considerate, saying that if Zhang Shangshu hadn't been in the first place, how could he be in the next today? Zhang Shangshu is a benefactor below, this kindness, I'm afraid it won't be over in this life! ”

(End of chapter)