nashuaworldcup Chapter 672 General
Chapter 672 General
Upon seeing the expressions on the faces of the emperor and his minister, Wen Tiren knew he had struck their weak point and they could no longer get aroused.
The accusations of treason and secretly aiding the enemy were merely fabricated by Liu Ye. Yang Sichang only intended to negotiate peace and secretly sabotaged Liu Ye's plans; there was absolutely no possibility of him colluding with the enemy. The problem was that with witnesses who burned the granaries and released Abatai, coupled with Yang Sichang's repeated and unprovoked attacks on Liu Ye, who had made great contributions, it didn't make sense from a common-sense perspective. Everyone's thoughts were easily led in this direction, and since Yang Sichang couldn't conveniently reveal his peace negotiation plans, the charge of treason was pinned on him.
Yang Sichang pondered the matter. Unless he told everyone that he was going to negotiate peace with the Tartars and that everything he did was for the greater good, he couldn't escape this smear campaign. A vice minister of the Ministry of War, burdened with the crime of colluding with the Tartars and secretly aiding the enemy, would at best have his political career end and retire in disgrace. Of course, if the emperor was willing to endorse his actions and take responsibility, that would be a different story. The question was, was that possible? He secretly observed Chongzhen's expression, shook his head, and dismissed this unrealistic fantasy.
At this moment, Chongzhen was thinking that he must not expose the peace negotiations, lest it tarnish his image.
After weighing the options, Chongzhen stood up and said, "Changqing and Wenruo, come with me. The rest of you, stay in the hall and wait."
Wen Tiren thought to himself, "They're about to have a secret meeting. It seems the Emperor is wavering."
In the side hall, Chongzhen said to the two men, "You two should think of a way to prevent Liu Ye from talking nonsense, but also not to agree to all his conditions. What should we do?"
Wen Tiren had already prepared his speech, saying, "Your Majesty, Liu Ye has gone all in this time and has no intention of turning back. If we don't agree to his demands, it will be difficult to end things. After all, he has just made a great contribution, but not only has he not received any reward, he almost died under the cannon fire. He has walked through the gates of hell. No one would let this go easily. I believe that the court is in the wrong first, and with the army pressing in, it would be better to agree to his demands and get through this difficult situation first."
Emperor Chongzhen said unwillingly, "Even the princes of this dynasty do not have such great power. Even before the Yongle era, the princes only managed the military affairs of their fiefdoms. If I agree to his request, how can I face my ancestors?"
"Your Majesty, why don't you consider this from a different perspective? If a mere general interferes in local military and political affairs, it would indeed cause the court to lose face, and everyone in the world would know that the court is powerless against a local military commander. But why not do the opposite and give him a proper title?"
Chongzhen was somewhat bewildered. "Title? What title?"
Wen Tiren said solemnly, “Your Majesty should reward Liu Ye for his merits and announce it to the world, authorizing him to control the troops of the three provinces and assist in the administration of government affairs, setting him up as a model for resisting the Tartars and bandits, and calling on all civil and military officials to take him as a role model, spur themselves on, work together to resist foreign aggression, and revitalize the Ming Dynasty! In this way, the court can turn the passive situation into the active one, from being coerced to actively rewarding meritorious officials, thus preserving the face of the court.”
Emperor Chongzhen was stunned. These words seemed to make sense—sacrificing substance for saving face—but something still felt off. He subconsciously asked, "We've already proposed to bestow upon him the title of Marquis of Pingnan and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince. What further reward is there? What exactly is this title you're referring to?"
"Your Majesty, we may follow the ancient system of the Han Dynasty and appoint Liu Ye as Grand General!"
"The Great General?" Both Chongzhen and Yang Sichang were stunned.
"Exactly. During the Han Dynasty, in order to check the power of the prime minister, the Grand General could lead the entire country's army to fight in times of war, and could attend court to assist in government affairs in peacetime. In reality, he was the leader of all officials in the court. Of course, Your Majesty can establish this position only in name, without him commanding the entire country's army or attending court. He can simply be appointed to govern the three provinces in the name of the Grand General."
Yang Sichang couldn't help but refute: "Your Excellency is mistaken. The so-called position of Grand General would allow him to legitimately seize territory and command troops, which would only further embolden Liu and aid and abet the wicked."
Wen Tiren spread his hands and replied, "Otherwise what? If neither of us can persuade him to withdraw his troops, are we just going to wait for him to storm into the Golden Palace, personally kill the 'traitorous ministers,' accuse His Majesty of being a foolish ruler, and make His Majesty and the court lose face? Or even worse, he might unleash his ferocity, slaughter all the officials, massacre the palace, rebel against his superiors, and install a new emperor?"
Emperor Chongzhen shuddered at the thought and waved his hand to stop Wen Tiren from continuing, saying, "Don't say any more." The possibility was too terrifying for him to bear. But if Liu Ye were to lead his troops into the Golden Palace, his extreme arrogance, coupled with the unfair treatment he had suffered before, would indeed make him capable of anything.
Wen Tiren and Yang Sichang both stopped and looked at Chongzhen, waiting for his decision.
Emperor Chongzhen closed his eyes and thought for a long time. Then he opened his eyes and said to Wen Tiren, "As Changqing said, you go out first and draft an imperial edict for me..."
Wen Tiren breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys the decree." He then withdrew from the side hall.
Yang Sichang asked unwillingly, "Your Majesty, do we really intend to submit to the traitor Liu, and to do it so thoroughly?"
"If we don't do this, how can we resolve today's situation? Should we let him go to the palace and accuse you of treason and aiding the enemy, or say that I am a foolish ruler who misjudges people and protects treacherous officials? Or should we slaughter everyone in the Golden Palace?" Chongzhen asked bitterly. "If you hadn't failed in your duties last night and not blown him up with a cannon, how could things have turned out like this?"
Yang Sichang protested, "I am innocent! Everything was under control, but Princess Kunxing suddenly appeared, carrying His Majesty's edict, and entered the camp. She was then taken hostage by the traitor Liu. The army was hesitant to act, which allowed Liu to escape..."
"A handwritten edict?" Chongzhen was stunned. He recalled the scene last night when Zhu Meichu came to ask for the edict. Now, thinking back, Zhu Meichu's appearance and actions seemed somewhat abrupt. When he connected this with what Yang Sichang had said, a terrible thought surfaced in his mind: Could it be that Liu Ye's influence had already reached into the palace, and even the princess had been bewitched by him?
Thinking of this, Chongzhen said to Wang Chengen, who was standing at the entrance of the side hall, "Wang Chengen, after the troops have retreated from outside the city, send someone to fetch Kunxing for me."
Wang Chengen replied, "This servant obeys your command."
Wen Tiren was very efficient. By the time Chongzhen returned to the Golden Palace, the imperial edict he had drafted was already written and was just waiting for his review.
Emperor Chongzhen glanced through the list and found it essentially echoed Wen Tiren's earlier suggestions: granting Liu Ye the position of Grand General, thus whitewashing the coercion as a court-initiated reward for a meritorious official, and saving face for himself. He sighed and instructed Wang Chengen to fetch the imperial seal for use.
The stamping of the seal, which read "By the Mandate of Heaven, May Your Reign Be Long and Prosperous," signified the imminent peaceful resolution of the coup crisis and witnessed the birth of a great general unlike any seen in the Ming Dynasty.