Chapter 942 1031 Divide and Conquer


Chapter 942 1031 Partition

The Ming army captured Wang Gao and held a prisoner ceremony, which was understandable. However, Wei Guangde's requirements were a bit high, and both Zhu Heng and Tan Lun had to object.

That is, Wei Guangde was planning to execute Wang Gao as an enemy chief, not the Confucian way. In the end, a benevolent monarch should pardon the enemy chief's guilt and let him go.

Whether it was Zhu Heng or Tan Lun in the end, after the Ming army won the battle of Liaodong, they were not as happy as Wei Guangde.

In their view, defeating the Jurchen tribe is a matter of course and not worth making a fuss about.

It would be strange and unacceptable if we lost the fight.

They don’t know how ferocious the Jurchens will be in the future, so it’s normal to have such a view, but Wei Guangde can’t.

He knew that during the most difficult time of the Ming Dynasty in the future, the Jurchen tribe stabbed the Ming Dynasty in the back, directly ruining the Han family.

As for whether Wang Gao is considered a rebel chieftain or an enemy chieftain, Wei Guangde actually prefers the latter.

The Jurchens have always only surrendered on the surface, but deep down they have no sense of belonging to the Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, Wei Guangde chose the highest-level prisoner gift this time, and also killed people, in order to deter those with ulterior motives in the Jurchen tribe.

In fact, it was Li Chengliang who brought Wang Gao back to the capital this time, and he left Qi Jiguang in Liaodong because he was planning to directly let Qi Jiguang take over the duties of the commander-in-chief of Liaodong after rewarding Li Chengliang here.

The task given to Qi Jiguang is to capture Wang Gao's sons, Atai and Ahai, and to completely cut off Wang Gao's lineage.

Eradicating the roots is a hatred for the Han people, and it is also a very ruthless deterrent to the Jurchen tribe.

In fact, after the "Chenghua Liting", the Ming Dynasty did not eradicate the children of the Jurchen tribe leaders. As long as they were willing to surrender, most of them were granted the original position to reflect the emperor's grace.

However, Wei Guangde knew that it was useless to just show kindness. He had to kill the source of the trouble in order to make other Jurchen tribe leaders surrender and did not dare to easily launch a war against the Ming Dynasty.

They cannot afford the consequences.

“The prisoner gift can be carried out according to the specifications of the rebel chieftain, but Wang Gao must die.”

Wei Guangde suddenly figured out that what he wanted was to execute Wang Gao. There is actually no need to argue about holding a prisoner dedication ceremony in a standard manner.

"Shan Loi, if he is killed on the battlefield, he will be killed, but if it is ordered to be killed by His Majesty, then"

Zhu Heng hesitated and said, "If Wang Gao must be executed, we can ask His Majesty to issue an order at the ceremony and forward it to the Ministry of Punishment, which will sentence him to death."

"Not good."

Wei Guangde was very surprised. Answer directly : "Your Majesty is twelve years old. He is not even a child. He should be murderous."

But Wei Guangde said something that made Zhu Heng and Tan Lun widen their eyes. Not only did he want to kill, but he also wanted to kill. Emperor Zhu Yijun personally issued the order.

“That’s not right.”

Tan Lun said immediately.

“I am not only a cabinet minister, but also the emperor’s master. Your Majesty must not only learn to handle government affairs, but also act decisively. When encountering war, you must not hesitate. Fight when you should, and kill when you should.

As for you There is no need to worry. Uncle Zhang yelled at him for The way of the king, what are you worried about?

What I can teach is actually his way of doing things.

Zhang Shuda's education is mostly about ideas, but lacks practicality. If things go on like this, it will only be good. It will make His Majesty good at thinking but short-sighted.

Let him issue an order to execute the enemy chief, exercise his courage, and also allow him to think about the difference between killing and not killing earlier. "

Wei Guangde said, "I will talk to Your Majesty about this matter, and I will also explain it to the Queen Mother. "

In fact, Wei Guangde looked down on these civil servants. For their own selfish purposes, they wanted to make the emperor a caged bird without any deterrent.

So Zhang Juzheng gave the little emperor Wanli The instilled idea is to be kind and not to use weapons lightly.

The consequence of this is that after Emperor Wanli took charge, he was not decisive in doing things without the restraint of Zhang Juzheng.

In addition to retaliating against Zhang Juzheng for deceiving him, his methods towards other courtiers were too gentle and did not have the skills of Emperor Jiajing.

For the civil servants, such an emperor is nice, easy to bully, and will keep it in his heart when he is angry.

But Wei Guangde doesn't see it that way. After all, he comes from a later generation, and the political skills of the head of state are very important and related to the strength of the country.

He never regarded himself as a member of the civil service group. Although he enjoyed the benefits brought by his status, he knew that after the collapse of the dynasty, everything was in vain.

He hoped that the emperor of Ming Dynasty could rise up and lead the empire to a bigger stage, instead of becoming a toy at the mercy of others.

He must be acting out of consideration for himself, but he is just taking advantage of the situation and will not damage the country.

So he taught the little emperor, in addition to normal lectures, he would also teach some other things.

He heard war stories from Yu Dayou, Qi Jiguang and others, as well as some geographical knowledge and customs of the earth.

Well, in fact, he knew little about the latter, but the Ming Dynasty actually already had the foundation.

Ever since Zheng He’s voyages to the West, generations of Ming emperors have actually known that the world is huge and boundless. Although Ming calls itself “China”, it actually knows that there is land ten times or a hundred times larger than Ming’s overseas.

When Wei Guangde took out the geographical atlas found by the Ministry of War, which was said to be drawn by Zheng He and explained it to the young emperor, Zhu Yijun was surprised and asked why the Sanbao eunuchs did not establish more propaganda sites since there was such a vast land outside. Wei Division, but only the Xuan Wei Division of Jiugang was established.

Wei Guangde’s explanation for this is that today’s transportation technology limits the connection between the two places and cannot communicate well. Sometimes it is difficult for the court to respond in time, which delays major events.

Of course, what Wei Guangde said is not meaningless. The main purpose is to instill in the little emperor the idea that overseas lands should be taken as long as conditions permit.

Explaining the old port is also a move to send the navy to take the lead in Nanyang later, so that the little emperor knows that there is actually a land in Nanyang that the ancestors left behind, but that has been forgotten.

As for the overseas territories, Wei Guangde told him according to what he remembered from the Western colonies. The imperial court appointed governors, only determined the tributes to be paid every year, arranged regular visits by the navy, delivered news and transported tributes, and other Overseas governors are responsible for everything.

Wei Guangde even suggested that willing vassal kings be allowed to join the vassal overseas and be given the right to open a government office, set up a flag, and handle military and political affairs of their own.

A vassal king with such power can only occupy overseas territory and not on the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The income can only be the supply of that land. If you can hold it or even expand it, it is your own ability. If you can't hold it, you can run back, but you will lose the king's title and become a commoner.

For clan considerations, the royal family will still support them, but they are just common people.

But Wei Guangde also knew that no vassal king would be willing to go with such a suggestion.

The unknown risk is too great. Unless the imperial court sends troops to occupy it and take care of it, they may not consider it.

On the second day, after Wei Guangde handled some government affairs early in the morning, he entered the palace with Zhang Juzheng.

"Prisoners are presented as gifts, but Wang Gao must die by His Majesty."

Wei Guangde said in Zhang Juzheng's duty room.

“There is no change, which is not conducive to His Majesty’s good reputation.”

Zhang Juzheng just said.

"Wang Gao has killed too many generals, and it will be difficult to convince the public if he is not executed."

Wei Guangde continued. The military generals hoped to execute Wang Gao to avenge his colleagues, but the civil servants thought it didn't matter. They hoped that the emperor would not kill anyone.

As for the execution of the rebel chief, it depends on the emperor's decision.

Of course, the emperor was young and they were in control of everything.

"The Jurchen tribe has so many rebellious people, killing them can make them fear the imperial court."

Wei Guangde continued.

Zhang Juzheng knew that this was Wei Guangde's hope that when he saw the Queen Mother of the two palaces later, he could stand by him and support his decision.

After only a moment of hesitation, Zhang Juzheng nodded and said: "Okay."

Meeting the two empress dowagers and the young emperor today is about three things.

The first is Dongfan Island, the second is to execute Wang Gao in the prisoner ceremony, and the third is to keep Li Chengliang in the court to prevent changes in the southwest.

The empress dowagers of the two palaces were quite hesitant when they learned that the cabinet plan violated the ancestral system and wanted to recover Dongfan Island.

However, after Wei Guangde explained that the geographical location of Dongfan Island can effectively protect the Zhejiang and Fujian coasts, and there are countless resources to support the development of the navy, his attitude softened.

After all, both cabinet ministers support the occupation of Dongfan Island, so there is nothing wrong with it.

But it took a lot of effort to execute Wang Gao.

After all, the empress dowagers of the two palaces still hope that the young emperor Zhu Yijun can have a reputation for kindness and be a good emperor, so they feel that they can just imprison the rebel chief who has been caught, and there is no need to execute him.

Wei Guangde dug up the list of generals who died at the hands of Wang Gao forty years after Jiajing. Only after more than ten names appeared, from deputy commander-in-chief to guerrilla generals, did the two empresses realize that Wang Gao was People's evil deeds are obvious.

"Wang Gao was cruel by nature, disobedient to the king, and committed unforgiving crimes. The generals in Liaodong were eager to eat his flesh alive.

This time Governor Li captured him, and many soldiers wanted to execute him on the spot. , it was only because of the heinous crimes of rebelling against the chieftain that he had to be sacrificed as a prisoner.

Such a villain should have been cut to pieces with a thousand swords, but it would still be difficult to extinguish the anger in the hearts of the soldiers. "

When Wei Guangde said this, he glanced at the two empress dowagers and the young emperor above, and then continued: "However, it was His Majesty who personally issued the order to deal with Wang Gao this time. In order to clear His Majesty's name, he changed his name. The punishment of beheading is already very merciful, and it is enough to spread our emperor's holy name around. ”

Originally in history, after Wang Gaoxian was captured, he was sent to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. The final conviction was because of the relationship between Li Chengliang and Qi Jiguang and other generals. They had access to Zhang Juzheng and were finally sentenced. The most brutal punishment among ancient tortures - punishment
This kind of punishment was mainly used during the Five Dynasties period. Its execution method included first cutting the flesh and bones, then breaking the limbs, and finally cutting the throat.

It is commonly known as the method of executing enemy chieftains. Wei Guangde doesn't care much.

By beheading, the head can be circulated to nine sides, so that the leaders of various Jurchen tribes can see the consequences of rebelling against the imperial court.

Wei Guangde felt that this kind of treatment would have a more deterrent effect.

If Wang Gao's sons Atai and Ah Hai can be captured as soon as possible, the heads of the father and son will be passed down together, and the deterrent effect will be even greater.

Originally, after Li Chengliang captured Wang Gao and sent them to the capital for disposal, he let Atai and Ah Hai go. He had no intention of eradicating the roots and eliminating future troubles. Perhaps he also deliberately wanted to cultivate the bandits' self-respect.

But this time, Li Chengliang was asked to take Wang Gao to the capital, and asked Qi Jiguang to stay in Liaodong to arrest Wang Gao's two sons. The history of Liaodong has actually changed drastically.

If Li Chengliang had not raised troops to attack again a few years later, naturally there would not have been the tragedy of Nurha Chizu and his father dying in the rebellion.

Without the support of Li Chengliang, it would be difficult for him to easily stand out from the Jurchen tribe and complete the unification of the Jurchen tribes.

Wei Guangde finally said that the name of the emperor's kindness would be spread among the surrounding foreign countries, which finally impressed Empress Chen.

After Wei Guangde prayed for the Queen Mother's Holy Judgment, she just glanced at the little emperor and saw a resolute expression on his childish face. She actually understood the little emperor's attitude.

“Okay, the Ai family agreed to Wei Ge’s suggestion and executed Wang Gao.”

As for leaving Li Chengliang in the capital, neither queen mother paid much attention to it.

It was just Wei Guangde's judgment that something might be going on in the southwest when he mentioned it, that caused a look of worry to appear on the faces of the two queen mothers.

The last thing they want to face is something big happening to the court, and if there is a war in the southwest, even though it is a border area, it will also shake up the Ming Dynasty.

Hearing that Wei Guangde wanted to keep Li Chengliang on guard, he naturally agreed with both hands.

This General Li has just established his meritorious service in Liaodong. He is obviously a man who can fight. It is naturally a good thing to stay in the court as a backup.

"Since Mr. Wei Ge thinks there may be something going on in the southwest, it is better to send General Li to the southwest to take charge earlier. If there is any abnormal movement in the outer vassal, it is better to suppress it this morning."

The one who spoke was the little emperor's biological mother, Queen Mother Li.

Although they were in the harem, she and the Queen Mother Chen had not read the imperial memorials. They also noticed that it took a lot of time to get the memorials sent from various places into their hands.

Both of them are not stupid, and they figured out the reason easily.

"Queen Mother, all this is just speculation. We have to wait for the Jin Yiwei to send back the information before we can make an accurate judgment."

Wei Guangde said.

"I remember it has been a long time since Mr. Wei Ge mentioned this matter last time. Hasn't the Jin Yiwei received the news yet?"

Mobilizing the Jin Yiwei, even though Wei Guangde and Liu Shou have a good personal relationship, But I don’t dare to decide on my own.

So, this matter was reported to the Queen Mother of the two palaces, and permission was obtained, that is, Jin Yiwei could be arranged to spy on foreign affairs.

For this reason, a large number of Jinyiwei personnel have already secretly gone to Nanyang and Myanmar to spy on intelligence, and there are even arrangements for North Korea and Ryukyu.

If I were a native of Ming Dynasty, I would think that foreign vassals have nothing to do with me, but after all, Wei Guangde comes from a later generation, and history has proven the importance of intelligence, so Wei Guangde will naturally not neglect it.

In response to Queen Mother Li's words, Wei Guangde just shook his head.

“What does the cabinet think is Myanmar’s best interest for the Ming Dynasty?”

At this time, Queen Mother Chen asked.

Hearing this, Zhang Juzheng glanced at Wei Guangde and nodded to him.

When talking about this matter, Wei Guangde emphasized that since the six major Xuanwei divisions were entrusted back then, naturally according to the ancestral system, a unified Myanmar would not be in the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

“Since the Hongwu period, Taizu Gao Guangdi sent general Mu Ying to attack Yunnan and defeat the remaining Mongolian forces. Mu Ying was granted the title of Marquis of Xiping, and his descendants were granted the title of Duke of Guizhou, and he was the ruler of Yunnan.

The Ming Dynasty established six major Xuanwei Divisions in the extreme areas west and south of Yunnan, namely Meng Yang , Mubang, Burma, Babai, Che and Laos Xuanwei Division

And awarded the chieftain with the title of Xuanwei Envoy, accepted the title of the imperial court, and obeyed the three divisions of Yunnan.

I thought. The rule of the Six Divisions is the ancestral system and will remain the same in the past, present and future.”

Wei Guangde said, but what he didn't say was that the best management was to divide and conquer, and merging would be troublesome.

(End of this chapter)

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