Emperor Zhengde

Chapter 165 Ma Wensheng Resigns

The Wuying Hall is now the temporary location of one of the four headquarters and one court of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Guards.

In a hall that has been converted into a meeting room of the Guards General Staff.

More than ten golden nanmu chairs had been placed around a large nanmu round table by the officials, and tea cups had been placed on the table. In addition, a map of the entire Ming Dynasty was hung on the wall near the door of the round table.

The Kunyu World Map did not appear until the Wanli period, so the current map of the Ming Dynasty is obviously just a map formed by artificial proportions. The entire world is centered on the Ming Dynasty, with the Tartars in the north, the South China Sea, the Japanese in the east, and the foreigners in the west surrounding the Ming Dynasty, which looks a bit weird.

But fortunately, the general direction is correct. After all, this was the era when the great geographical discoveries had just begun, and it was impossible for the maps of the Ming Dynasty to have progressed to a level similar to that of later generations.

On the wall side of the round table, a blackboard was painted on the wall of the conference room in advance.

However, now there is nothing around or on the blackboard, and nothing to remember, except a box of chalk placed on a high table.

Zhu Houzhao walked in first and sat at the top, followed by Ma Wensheng and Xu Jin. Along with them came a large number of civil and military officials in red or blue robes, who all took their seats one after another.

However, the atmosphere of sitting at the same table with the emperor made them feel very strange and uncomfortable, but at the same time they were also a little excited, as if it was more intimate. They felt that they could brag about it for four or five years. After all, they were now at the same table with the emperor in the General Staff of the Guards.

Especially for a military officer like Qiu Yue, when he thought that the person sitting above him was the Emperor and opposite him were civil officials such as the Prime Minister and the Minister of War, he felt as if he was not qualified. He felt very uncomfortable sitting there and felt awkward no matter what.

Therefore, fearing that he would be impeached by the censors, he stood up and said, "Your Majesty! I'd better stand."

Other military officers also stood up one after another, as if they were embarrassed to sit with the emperor and the civil officials present.

Zhu Houzhao frowned and said, "Everyone, sit down! Today is the Imperial Guards' court meeting to discuss military matters. Let's put aside the distinction between the emperor and his subjects for now. Here we only have the distinction between the commander-in-chief and the generals! How can we discuss matters if we don't sit down? This is not a martial arts training ground. I want you to compete in martial arts!"

Having just experienced a great purge, Zhu Houzhao's imperial power had risen again, to the point where a single look from him could make an official tremble. Therefore, when he looked stern, the military officers were so scared that they sat down and looked at Zhu Houzhao.

Ma Wensheng, Xu Jin and other civil officials present did not say a word when they saw this, but they all guessed that His Majesty wanted to develop both civil and military affairs and no longer advocate civil affairs over military affairs. They were or are civil officials who led troops and were not averse to military affairs and had no opinions on them. Moreover, they did not dare to go against Zhu Houzhao's will now.

"As you all know, the main combat mission of our Imperial Guards is to recapture Hetao! I have also read your proposed mission to recapture Hetao. It is nothing more than mobilizing the border troops and the Imperial Guards to form three armies and march from Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Xuanfu. Do you think we can definitely recapture Hetao in this way?"

Zhu Houzhao stood up and just as he spoke, all the civil and military officials present stood up as well. At Zhu Houzhao's order, they sat back down obediently and gradually got used to this way of holding court meetings.

Zhu Houzhao did not say much when he saw this. He knew that it would take some time for the officials of the Ming Dynasty to adapt to the change from the inefficient way of officials presenting suggestions and the emperor adopting and issuing them to this efficient way of collective discussion and immediate decision-making. This was understandable.

At this time, the Minister of War Xu Jin stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I cannot guarantee this! The Tatar cavalry is always hard to find, and they come and go without a trace. I am afraid that we will spend countless money and food to gather several armies, but in the end we will get nothing! Instead, we will be easily attacked by the Tatar cavalry and defeated one by one!"

"If that's the case, do you disagree with the combat plan drawn up by the General Staff?" Zhu Houzhao asked directly.

Xu Jin was embarrassed to answer because he knew that the current Prime Minister of the Cabinet, Ma Wensheng, was the Minister of the General Staff. If he directly said that he disagreed, it would be tantamount to not giving Ma Wensheng any face, and he himself could not think of a better strategy.

"Your Majesty! What the Grand Marshal said is true, but the General Staff has no other solution. After all, the Tartars are not easy to annihilate! They are mainly cavalry, and they can harass everywhere. Our soldiers in the Central Plains can only cope with them! However, now that the imperial treasury is overflowing, the soldiers are well-trained and the food is sufficient, we can afford to send a large army to recapture Hetao."

Seeing that Xu Jin was embarrassed to answer, Ma Wensheng, the chief minister of the cabinet and minister of the general staff, answered the question himself.

"I remember asking the General Staff of the Imperial Guards to determine that the current combat mission of the Imperial Guards is to recover the Hetao area. It did not say that it is to annihilate the Tartars. The Tartars are like roving bandits, with no trace. Even if the Ming Dynasty deploys a million troops, it will be difficult to annihilate them all. Instead, it will cost countless money and food, and increase the burden on the people.
Therefore, my intention to recover Hetao is to recover Hetao. The purpose is not to annihilate the Tartars, but to nibble away at their territory and turn their land and even the people enslaved by the remaining powerful people of the Yuan Dynasty into the land and people of the Ming Dynasty! "

Zhu Houzhao pointed to the artificially drawn map of the Ming Dynasty and said:
"No matter where the Tartars are, we will first choose a strategic location near the Hetao area in the border town as a city, and send the Royal Guards to occupy this strategic location! Immigrants will settle on the border! Distribute land to the military and civilians! In this way, the military and civilians will definitely defend to the death! Then build a city! Build a county a year, and a prefecture in ten years. Within thirty years, the Hetao area will be the territory of our Ming Dynasty, and the Tartars will have no place to survive in the Hetao area. Moreover, there is no need to send troops on a long expedition and waste money and food. All we need is a group of elite soldiers, a number of officials, and a volume of the Yellow Book of Fish Scales!"

"Dripping water wears away stone, and a rope saw cuts wood. Your Majesty's policy is indeed a good one for expanding our territory. It just cannot produce immediate results. But at least it does not cost the people money and time, and may even benefit the people!" Ma Wensheng, the chief minister of the cabinet, agreed immediately. He thought that Zhu Houzhao wanted to recover Hetao in one fell swoop to achieve his own imperial career and surpass the achievements of the previous emperor. Otherwise, he would not have worked so hard to increase the treasury revenue after taking power.

Now, he discovered that his Majesty the Emperor was not simply ambitious. Although he had great ambitions, he was also kind to his people. He was also quite far-sighted and could think of distributing the acquired land among the people. This was a move that benefited the people and benefited the Ming Dynasty's eternal foundation.

"In this way, there is no need to recruit a large number of civilian workers, mobilize troops from various border towns, and raise a large amount of food. Most of the advance military expenditures can be saved. Your Majesty, I think this is the best policy." The Minister of War Xu Jin also echoed. As the Minister of War, he naturally knew how much manpower and financial resources would be consumed if several armies were dispatched.

Other civil and military officials also agreed.

Seeing this, Zhu Houzhao said, "Well, the General Staff of the Imperial Guards should redraw up the battle plan and think about where the Ming Dynasty should build the first city."

Zhu Houzhao then adjourned the meeting and summoned the Minister of War Xu Jin to his presence, instructing him:

"The officials in the Ministry of War's Geomancy Department make very poor maps. Send an official who is willing to learn to the Imperial University of Peking to learn about mathematics and scale from Wang Wensu. I will teach him in person when I have time. Let him be in charge of the geomancy work of the Guards General Staff. How can we fight a war with such a map? We can't even tell the height of the terrain!"

Zhu Houzhao pointed to the map on the wall without contour lines.

"I obey your command!" Xu Jin didn't expect that His Majesty would have such high requirements for maps, but he didn't dare to ask more questions. He just bowed and replied.

At this time, Ma Wensheng suddenly handed a memorial to Zhu Houzhao: "Your Majesty! I resign from my post!"

Resign?!
Zhu Houzhao was quite surprised by Ma Wensheng's sudden request to resign. He asked, "Why do you suddenly want to resign?"

"I am old and lack the energy and strength, and I cannot be strong enough to run the cabinet, so other ministers think that the cabinet is weak and incompetent. I am really unworthy of your Majesty's trust, so I ask to resign to avoid being suspected of clinging to power and to avoid being criticized by later generations," said Ma Wensheng.

After hearing this, Zhu Houzhao read his memorial again and said: "I understand that you are more suitable to work with a monarch like the late emperor. You can give up the position of Prime Minister, but you cannot resign from the position of Minister of the General Staff of the Imperial Guards!
Hamiwei was recovered by you. I believe that you can help me recover Hetao! So, now the entire Imperial Guards, including me, don't know much about the terrain of the Hetao area. You are knowledgeable about military affairs and geography, and you are also the Minister of the General Staff of the Imperial Guards. I want you to be the commander-in-chief and inspect the three borders for me to choose a suitable place for the Ming Imperial Guards to march into Hetao and build a city in the future. What do you think? "

"I obey your order!" Ma Wensheng immediately bowed and agreed.

"In that case, the battle plan of the General Staff of the Imperial Guard will not be drawn up yet. We will draw it up after you come back. I will give you one year. After you go to the border town, coordinate the civil and military officials of various border towns. You must do the following things:

The first is to reclaim the unowned land and give it to the people;

The second is to store grain, build border walls and high forts, and train local soldiers;
The third is to strike down the powerful and eliminate those who collaborate with foreign enemies;
The fourth is to send people to study the geography of the Hetao and Sanbian regions, down to the height of each mountain and the depth of each river;

I will let Zhang Cong from the Imperial University go with you. He has learned how to survey and map at the Imperial University! I will give you one year. After one year, I will transfer you back to Beijing to make a more detailed and accurate plan. "

"I understand! Your Majesty, please rest assured!" Ma Wensheng replied.

Zhu Houzhao also nodded, patted Ma Wensheng on the shoulder, and asked Ma Wensheng to go to the border town first to make preliminary preparations for recovering Hetao. He was relieved. After all, Ma Wensheng had stationed troops in the border town before, and many civil servants and generals in the three borders were his disciples and old friends. It would naturally be more efficient for him to coordinate the entire border affairs.

Ma Wensheng was good at cultivating land and raising troops.

As for why Zhu Houzhao asked Ma Wensheng to reorganize the border defenses before recovering Hetao, it was naturally to prevent the little prince from attacking his rear when he sent troops to march into Hetao.

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(End of this chapter)