As soon as Zhang Zhou arrived at the port, the affairs were very busy.

That night, after Zhang Zhou had dealt with a lot of official business, and before he even had time to rest, he came up again to report that the lord in charge of assisting in guarding the port, Xinningbo Tan You, came to visit.

Tan You is in his fifties, he looks like he is in good spirits, he has the demeanor of a martial artist, Zhang Zhou also knows that this kind of old man belongs to the court, Tan You had the opportunity to follow Zhang Mao to the northwest, but on the eve of the transfer of troops, he was sent to the port by the emperor.

The name is to assist Zhang Zhou, but in fact, this kind of lord has no power at all when he arrives at the port, and the total number of soldiers who can be mobilized by his subordinates is less than a hundred households, and they are all confined to a corner of the city.

"I've seen Cai Guogong."

Tan You also understands the humility of etiquette, and when he came up, he greeted Zhang Zhou.

Immediately, the two of them went to the small hall on the side, and in the candlelight, tea was delivered to the table, but it was obvious that Tan You did not come to drink tea at night.

"Who else?" Li Dongyang just came in from the door and couldn't help asking.

……

……

Li Dongyang took advantage of Cheng Minzheng's absence and said bluntly: "I'm afraid that Yu Qiao's case will have a result today." ”

Zhang Zhou smiled.

This also shows that no matter how high the status of a lord is, in fact, he still does not have much say in the decision-making level of the DPRK and China.

Zhang Zhoudao: "The British public said that he is not suitable for the bitter cold and dry weather in the northwest, but I think he may not be able to adapt to the wet and cold climate here when he arrives here. It is better for Xin Ningbo to convey his meaning to him for me, his dispatch is not under my control, if he has any opinion on the errand at hand, let him just play and ask His Majesty to make the decision for him. ”

……

It's like when Zhang Zhou was in Beijing, not all the lords had the opportunity to meet Zhang Zhou alone, how difficult it was to enter Zhang Zhou's mansion, the lords in the capital were obvious to all, and now because he was working in the port, he would visit late at night.

Zhang Zhou summed up one point here, that is, don't even think about it if it doesn't belong to you, and fight for nothing.

The Ming Dynasty has been developing firearms for several years, and as the northern border army is gradually equipped with advanced artillery and firearms, the local soldiers can only sigh with admiration.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Xin Ningbo's words are loud, but I don't know if I use this as a performance? ”

Zhang Zhou just smiled.

When the lord also knows how to see the wind and steer the rudder, Zhang Mao used to be able to fight against Zhang Zhou, but now Zhang Mao is not worthy of lifting shoes for Zhang Zhou.

What's the use of just telling me this?

Zhang Zhou said: "Xin Ningbo really doesn't have to worry about this, I can only stay here for a month at most, and I still have to worry about the training and other things in the city recently." Why don't we go to the school tomorrow and see how the sailors are doing? ”

Then Li Zhang left first, leaving the little eunuch to wait for the guide to lead the three to the Qianqing Palace where they were given.

Zhang Zhou smiled.

Zhang Zhou said: "The deployment of soldiers and horses everywhere does not need to worry about you Xinningbo. They all prepared some military rations for themselves, and as for the baggage, etc., the court would allocate it, and the city would also allocate it, and someone would transport it over at that time. As for the soldiers who arrived, they could camp outside the harbor. ”

After greeting and complimenting for a while, Tan You said: "I heard that the Marquis of Anbian and the Marquis of Jingshan came here with Cai Guogong, but they want to be assisted by the two of them to guard the town here?" There are a lot of military affairs in his hands, and he has not been able to get a reply after repeated performances, so he can only visit rashly. ”

Li Zhang said: "Lu Shilang from the listening office, as well as the two Shangshu from the Ministry of Rites and the Criminal Department, are also the people in the ceremonial prison. ”

"Understood." Li Dongyang said, "We shouldn't have defended Yu Qiao, but instead fought for him, so that Your Majesty felt that this matter was not instructed by us." ”

Tan You said again: "Even if Cai Guogong is unwilling to take the lead, we are also willing to support Sheji, and this matter is incumbent." ”

"You mean ......"

Xu Li, the Duke of Wei, after retiring from the post of garrisoning Nanjing, has been doing Jinghai in Hainingwei.

"Oh. Is it? ”

Li Dongyang did not answer.

This dispatch of local troops and horses to Liaodong was also a kind of change of war.

The lord who sat in the camp from Beijing was transferred to the port, and he had great expectations, but when he arrived, he found that this was really Zhang Zhou's land alone, and everyone else was a foil here, and no matter how awesome his reputation was, it was in vain.

Liu Jian was worried instead: "If it's Your Majesty, I'm afraid that there will be prejudices about this." ”

……

Although nothing he came to say to Zhang Zhou, it seemed that he was "looked at differently" by Zhang Zhou.

Li Dongyang was slightly relieved: "Yu Qiao's popularity is okay, except for the listening office, no one wants to put him guilty at present." If His Majesty had decided according to the agreement and only heard the above arguments about Qiao's guilt, then Yu Qiao should have gotten away from this matter. ”

Tan You's efforts were also in vain.

Zhang Zhou asked: "The British public has been pampered for a long time, so let him go here, but I'm afraid he won't be able to adapt to it." Does the new Nimber want him to replace you? ”

"Got it."

But Zhang Zhou is different, he is not only a minister in the governor's mansion, but also a secretary of the military department, and an absolute wise trust of the emperor.

Li Dongyang said: "Then what kind of argument does Wang Yongjing have?" This sin...... If you really want to talk about it, I'm afraid ......"

made his steps seem very light when he said goodbye and left, and it felt like he had found the second spring of his life.

Working in the port did not gain much power, but because he was working under Zhang Zhou, this was actually a political resource.

It's like saying that you're asking too many questions, and that's not what you should be concerned about.

The emperor sat behind the desk, because the room was heated, the emperor was in good spirits, and several ministers would feel a little hot after coming in.

Every year, the emperor would give his ministers a holiday on New Year's Day, at least ten days.

Light in front of me?

If you don't play it directly to tell the emperor, it sounds like to me.

Li Dongyang also talked to Wang Shi very simply, and it didn't seem to be involved in the case with Xie Qian, but he tactfully expressed that Wang Shi should look at it himself and not follow the crowd.

Twenty-fourth of the lunar month.

Obviously, Xie Qian did not do something right, he can be considered guilty, or he can be considered innocent, but the people in the court and the people in the court except for the upper hearing office, they all felt that Xie Qian was not guilty, what is this in the emperor's opinion? Doesn't it mean that the people in the DPRK and China all wear a pair of pants?

This is to show him that the two are of the same heart, which is equivalent to a way of showing loyalty.

Tan You was speechless for a while.

"Very good, very good."

If the northern border army is allowed to dominate, even if the Beijing camp is also trained, it is still an unstable factor in the Ming Dynasty, once the border army is in chaos, then the so-called "King Qin" will be meaningless, because the combat strength of the local soldiers of the Ming Dynasty is still far from the steppe Tatar cavalry, let alone compared with the border army equipped with advanced weapons.

Tan You thought for a moment.

Tan You continued: "Xie Ge usually goes up to the court, and there are many people who make gags, and many times they rely on the old and sell the old, but I never thought about how this would affect the court. When using troops in the north, they are good at discussing the way of military and political use of troops, and do not care about the safety of front-line soldiers. ”

If it is big, it is a capital crime, and if it is small, it will not be effective.

Liu Jian said: "Don't deliberately instruct, let him decide on his own, with him in the court for so many years, is it possible that as the secretary of the criminal department, he doesn't even have this bit of proportion?" Before going to the Qianqing Palace, just give him a little hint, and don't give too much advice to leave a handle. ”

Tan You got up and said: "Not only is it down, but also many colleagues in the army have this opinion, and there are already many people in the Governor's Mansion who have taken this as an example, and the officials are not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the march." If Cai Guogong can come out to preside over the overall situation and take the lead in the joint name, it would be the best. ”

Tan You sighed, but he seemed to want to shine, and said eagerly: "Cai Guogong, there are also some old friends between Zai Xia and the British Duke, but he said that he was in Ningxia, but he asked someone to find him, and said that he must tell you about his situation if he has the opportunity." He was old and fright, and he wanted to go back to the capital on an errand, or this place of port, or as he wished to come. As long as it's the same as Wei Guogong. ”

Tan You sighed: "I also know that the British Duke is a little ...... It's hypocritical. If you change to an ordinary person, it is also a blessing to be able to go to the northwest to lead the troops. ”

Zhang Zhou shook his head and said: "This time, soldiers and horses have also been mobilized from Jizhou Town, if anyone really dares to make trouble, they will not let it be like this." It is said that in addition to the border army in the north, the local soldiers are rarely equipped with firearms, and even if they make trouble, they will not make too much trouble. ”

"This ......," Tan You said, "Speaking of the war in Liaodong, I heard that tens of thousands of soldiers and horses will be dispatched here from Beijing, Shandong and other places recently, and cross the sea from here to the east, but at present, there are too few places in the city to place these soldiers, and there are few people who can be dispatched in Xia, so it is really not helpful." ”

Liu Jian said: "Except for the listening office, no one thinks Yu Qiao is guilty?" ”

"Hmm." Li Dongyang nodded, "In the end, it's all about face." ”

Tan You also gave up the distance and came directly to Zhang Zhou to inquire.

In his opinion, it is useful for him to express his position, so that Zhang Zhou feels that he is trustworthy, otherwise why would Zhang Zhou give him the right to participate in military training and military exercises?

This means that in addition to the three cabinet members who were invited and summoned by the inner court, there are also Lu Wan, Lin Han and Wang Shi, and then the current three celebrants, namely Chen Kuan, Li Zhang and Wei Bin.

This is to fight for power for yourself.

……

This is to show that he is of the same heart as Zhang Zhou, and Tan You actually took the initiative to demean Zhang Mao.

Tan You said: "I think that Xie Ge is guilty of dereliction of duty and talking about the military and politics without permission, and is suspected of disrupting the dynasty. ”

Or do you think too highly of yourself and ask me such a question? Do you know that I won't even talk about it in front of the people around me, let alone a half-baked person like you?

"Official business, Your Majesty didn't let me participate in it, whether Elder Xie Ge is guilty or not, or how guilty he is, has his own court judgment. It's none of my business. "Zhang Zhou snorted.

The affairs of the port itself are in charge of the Ministry of War, and Zhang Zhou, as the secretary of the Ministry of War, is equivalent to Tan You's top boss, and he is still higher than him in terms of title and military position, so he has to obey orders.

……

Only then did he know that Tan You did not come to him to listen to the truth, but to express his position with him.

The emperor asked the various yamen in the court to discuss Xie Qian's crime, but he did not involve the matter in the governor's mansion, perhaps in the emperor's opinion, it was a bit absurd for a group of warriors to discuss the conviction of a civil minister, so this matter was not intended to be discussed by the military attache at all.

Tan You was very happy.

I said I didn't care about this matter, and you actually asked me to come out and take the lead in the joint impeachment of Xie Qian?

Although the emperor let each yamen negotiate on their own, the cabinet is powerful, and each yamen has its own people, because each yamen cannot be decided by the person in charge, and internal discussions must be conducted, and finally the results of the internal deliberations of each yamen will also be truthfully transmitted to Li Dongyang's ears, and Li Dongyang will inform Liu Jian of this.

Outside the Qianqing Palace, several people who were summoned were waiting to enter.

On this morning, Liu Jian came to the cabinet duty room early, but before the three existing cabinet members arrived, Li Zhang personally came over to spread the word, saying that the emperor had summoned the cabinet to meet the current three people.

Li Dongyang nodded, as if he already had a number in his heart.

Li Dongyang also seems to feel that there is something wrong with it.

"This ......"

Tan You seems to know very well that he is a soy sauce maker in the port, if he can't help him win power while Zhang Zhou is there, when Zhang Zhou is gone, he won't be able to mix here.

It wasn't until after Lu Wan arrived that the emperor notified a few people to come in, and Cheng Minzheng followed behind Li Dongyang, reminding intentionally or unintentionally: "Are you sure you can suppress things this time?" ”

Several people entered the meeting together.

Liu Jian said: "Even if the ministers of the DPRK and China say the same thing, you and I can't be too laissez-faire. ”

Tan You said: "Jingzhong is now talking about Xie Gelao's case, I don't know if Cai Guogong, what is your opinion on this?" ”

"I can't help it, I don't know if Your Majesty asked about this matter today, if you really want to ask, maybe you can let Wang Yongjing come forward and have a different tone, so the voice is different, and it also makes Your Majesty relieved." Liu Jian is politically conscious and knows that this will not be a public opinion.

But because there is Xie Qian's case to deal with at the end of this year, the ministers of the DPRK and China are also very anxious about this.

Zhang Zhou asked, "Your Majesty has the Governor's Mansion involved in Xie Ge Lao's questioning?" ”

"This ......"

Liu Jian asked, "Is there any unfavorable news everywhere?" ”

"If you set up camp...... Will it affect the order in the city? In the following sense, if this foreign sergeant cannot enter the city, it is not good to judge what is wrong outside the city. Tan You continued to pull.

Zhang Zhoudao: "Your Majesty sent Xin Ningbo here for its deep meaning, as for the Marquis of Anbian and the Marquis of Jingshan, they are both here for the war in Liaodong, and they will not stay here for a long time." ”

This day is also usual, approaching the end of the year, the emperor also did not go to the court because of illness, the big and small affairs in the court can basically be solved internally, for the minister is not a court discussion, in fact, the difference is not big, after all, most of the things have been decided before the year, more is to stay up until the end of the year and wait for the spring holiday.

After the monarch and ministers saw the salute, Zhu Youzhu immediately waved his hand and asked people to prepare chairs for everyone present except for the eunuchs to sit down.

Zhu Youzhu got straight to the point and said: "I invite you to come, there is something that has been unresolved, and there should be a result." Go, take out the results of the deliberations in the various public offices in Beijing, and I want to see what they think about it, and this matter should be settled before the end of the year. ”

(End of chapter)