Listening Place

Author: Silent

Listening Place

Zhang Heling and Lu Wan were transferred to Liaodong.

Empress Zhang found herself suddenly alone. How she ended up in this situation, she still doesn't understand.

Is Zhang Zhou tricking her?

Zhang Zhou was obviously helping her with everything, and was still helping the Zhang family brothers. It cannot be said that Zhang Zhou was involved in this matter. It can only be said that Zhang Zhou's appearance made the emperor no longer only at her mercy. Many things seemed to be accidental. But it seems inevitable.

It was past noon today.

Xie Qian was summoned by the emperor and followed Xiao Jing to Qianqing Palace. He didn't understand what the emperor asked him to do. He was also curious why the emperor only recruited him this time and not Liu Jian and Li Dongyang.

"Eunuch Xiao, it should be something that is not too urgent, right?"

Along the way, Xie Qian seemed to be a chatterbox, trying his best to get information from Xiao Jing's mouth to prepare himself.

But Xiao Jing didn't seem to understand this.

The two of them arrived in front of Qianqing Palace together, but saw Zhang Mao already standing there.

"Mr. British? What a coincidence." Xie Qian laughed.

Zhang Mao and Xie Qian exchanged brief greetings, and then both looked at Xiao Jing. Zhang Mao asked, "Do you want to go in and pass the news?"

Xiao Jing said: "There is still one more person to wait for."

"who?"

Xie Qian asked and found that it was redundant.

Because he had already seen Zhang Zhou coming with the young eunuch from the Li Supervisor's study room, and waved to them from afar.

When Zhang Zhou came closer, Xie Qian frowned and looked at Zhang Zhou: "Are you here?"

The implication is, are you going to Liaodong now? Or are you going to carry out some big secret mission? Even if you don't go to either of these two, then you should be recuperating at home, right?

Zhang Zhou sighed and said, "Thank you so much for your relationship with Mr. Ge. My illness has improved a lot. It's nothing. I came to the palace to help with the details."

"hehe."

Zhang Mao is smiling.

Xie Qian thought to himself, you are really a sentimental kid, who cares about you?

You should be concerned, and you should also be concerned about why you haven’t died of illness yet!

…

…

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youtang was sitting there, looking quite good. Zhang Zhou had recovered from his illness.

The four people came in, and Xie Qian found the biggest difference from before. Xiao Jing did not come in to communicate, but seemed to be summoned. The young eunuch who had previously sent a message to let them in then left. At this time, only the four of them were left in the Qianqing Palace. people.

This structure...

Xie Qian was a little confused.

"Sit down." Zhu Youtang said.

Chairs had been prepared for them early, and there was a table in front of them, but there were only three tables and chairs. Xiao Jing looked more like a servant being ordered around in front of them.

After Zhang Mao, Zhang Zhou and Xie Qian sat down, Zhu Youtang asked Xiao Jing to present the three transcribed battle reports in front of them.

"This is just obtained. The battle situation north of Jiliao. The little Tatar prince used 50,000 vanguard troops to attack the Taining Guards stationed in Wuning. He used this to detour to the south and gradually pushed the three Duoyan Guards northward. ... The three Duoyan guards gathered their troops and fought against the little Tartar prince. The location of the battle was unknown and the outcome of the battle was unknown. However, the three Duoyan guards then went south and approached Shenyang Zhongwei. At this time, they were more than 620 miles away from Shenyang Zhongwei..."

Xie Qian was listening to Xiao Jing's explanation in the narration.

While reading the battle report on hand, I roughly understood that this was a summary meeting about the war situation in the north.

However, he looked at the time of submission of the memorial and guessed that the news had probably reached the capital in advance. It did not come temporarily. Since it came in advance, it should be said in the court. But the emperor did not do this. Summon them to discuss with the inner court.

But they did not find Liu Jian, Ma Wensheng, or Li Dongyang, a minister who was recognized as a wise man.

This puzzled Xie Qian.

Zhang Maodao: "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the war between the three Duoyan guards and the little Tatar prince has come to an end. The three Duoyan guards didn't even hold on to their own fiefdom, so they basically lost. It is estimated that the number of people who moved south is not large. , or you can send envoys to collect them."

Since the emperor asked them to come to the inner court and mentioned this matter, Zhang Mao was there to offer his opinions and suggestions.

Xie Qian glanced at Zhang Mao and said to himself that Zhang Banxian, who can pinch and calculate, hasn't spoken yet, why are you joining in the fun here?

Regarding matters at the decision-making level, when will it be your turn, Wu Xun, to fool around here?

Normally, Xie Qian was quite respectful to Zhang Mao, but when it came to specific family and country affairs, the quarrel between civil servants and military officials would not be eased in any way because of their personal relationship.

Zhu Youtang said: "I thought so at first, but after all, the specific results of the battle are still unknown, and the further movements of the little Tatar prince are also unknown. If the Tatars also guide the Bingfeng sword, the Ming Dynasty Liaodong's defense will suddenly become tense, and I am unable to make a decision, so I came to you to ask."

It sounds reasonable. It was precisely because the emperor was hesitant that he came to ask them.

However, Xie Qian felt that there was something wrong with this statement... When the emperor had something to do, didn't he always consult only Zhang Zhou? Why did he also consult three ministers and the eunuch Bingbi, the chief of etiquette, at one time?

As long as Dai Yi and the others were there at this meeting, Xie Qian wouldn't think much about it.

"You gentlemen, if you have any opinions, it doesn't matter." Zhu Youtang seemed to be very polite to these people.

Xie Qian first looked at Zhang Zhou and found that Zhang Zhou did not take the initiative to express his desires. He was probably also guessing that Zhang Zhou's predictions on certain matters did not conform to the direction of the war. Zhang Bingkuan had fallen out of favor?

Xie Qian had no answer in his mind, so he spoke first: "Your Majesty, such important matters should be discussed in the imperial court."

Zhu Youtang said: "Such a major military matter should be made known to everyone in the government and the public, and even be discussed privately by all ministers?"

"this……"

Xie Qian hesitated for a moment, as if there was really no need to make the matter in front of him known to both the government and the public.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "I want to come. Mr. Xie Ge's intention is to invite Mr. Ma Shangshu, who knows the military affairs, and Mr. Liu Ge and Mr. Li Ge, who are in control of the overall situation, to come together and discuss it together."

Xie Qian frowned and looked at Zhang Zhou.

Does this mean Zhang Zhou understands himself better?

no.

What Zhang Zhou said is just the simplest truth.

Zhu Youtang nodded and said: "I should have been like this, but with so many things going on in the government and the public, I shouldn't have made the Ming Dynasty worry about wars that did not occur in the Ming Dynasty and were not directly related to the Ming Dynasty. After all, government affairs still have to be the top priority."

When Xie Qian heard this, he was thinking in his heart, if even the little Tatar prince's intention to annex the three guards of Duoyan is not considered a government affairs of the Ming Dynasty, then what is?

Zhu Youtang continued: "In the past two years, there may be more and more military affairs in the north. If the ministers and ministers often come to the inner court for discussions, it will also have an impact on the court affairs."

"And I can't always listen to Bingkuan alone. I also have to solicit the opinions of all ministers and workers. So what I want to do is to establish a special yamen in the next few years when it comes to border town affairs. From the cabinet , the Supervisor of Ceremonies, the Minister of the Six Ministries, the Yanwu Hall and the Governor's Mansion each select one or more people to participate in the mid-term."

Zhu Youtang finally revealed the purpose of summoning several people today.

Xie Qian immediately objected: "Your Majesty, such a major matter should not be decided rashly."

Not saying that I object to it, I just say that the decision is too hasty.

By establishing such an yamen, you are simply trying to sideline the imperial cabinet and the six ministries. In doing so, you don't even have the patience to discuss it with the ministers. How can you convince ministers from both the government and the public?

Zhang Mao on the side straightened his back, suddenly feeling like he had turned from an errand boy into a talker, and suddenly became a core decision-maker.

Zhu Youtang said: "This yamen does not set up any public offices inside or outside the palace. It is just that when there are border town affairs, I need to listen to opinions temporarily. It does not involve reviewing any memorials or any yamen in the court." Affairs, including the drafting of cabinet votes and the actions of the six ministries and departments, etc., will not be affected. Do I need to obtain the consent of others even to adopt your opinions?"

Xie Qian frowned.

What the emperor said sounded quite reasonable to him.

The emperor has recently been very concerned about the affairs of the border towns, and even wanted to use this to establish Pingping Grassland, raise military supplies in the northwest, and even sent people to explore Liaodong.

In this case, there is no big problem for the emperor to set up a temporary "advisory team".

Zhu Youtang continued: "I did not find the chief minister of the cabinet, nor did I find the six ministries and seven ministers, in order not to interfere with the operation of the court, and I cannot affect the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty with my personal likes and dislikes."

Xie Qian said: "But Your Majesty, when it comes to border town affairs, it is closely related to the operation of the imperial court."

They say it doesn't matter, but how can it not matter?

Zhu Youtang asked back: "Mr. Did you mobilize the troops and mobilize the masses every time?"

Xie Qian felt that this time he was a scholar meeting a soldier, and he couldn't explain why.

"Furthermore, what I mean is that all the members in this yamen are not fixed, and there is no distinction between the first and the last. Regardless of seniority, even if he is just a new scholar or an official, or even a commoner, his opinions will help If the Ming Dynasty uses troops in border towns, they can be recruited."

"I will never give him a special official position. As long as the original yamen is busy with official duties, he can be replaced first. If he makes a mistake, he can also be replaced and dismissed. Who can be recruited or supplemented temporarily depends on the person's ability. The qualifications and prestige of the DPRK and China are not considered."

"I will not give him a rank other than that of the government and the public, nor will I give him any power other than that of the government and the public. It will only be convenient for me to ask for advice and will not involve anything else."

Zhu Youtang expressed his thoughts all at once.

Of course, all of this came from Zhang Zhou’s suggestion.

Xie Qian stared at Zhang Zhou.

He seemed to understand why Zhang Zhou did what he did.
To be continued...