Wu Wending's memorial to King Ning's rebellion: "On the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month in the second year of Zhengde, subject Wu Wending received an imperial edict: 'Promoted to Tongzhi of Chengdu, Wu Wending is now the prefectural magistrate of Anqing prefecture in Southern Zhili. On the 27th day of the ninth month, I departed for Southern Zhili to assume the post of Anqing prefectural magistrate. It has been more than two months since then.
On the twelfth day of the same month, Jiujiang's fugitive Zhen Qingkong and the others reported that the Ning Mansion was in chaos; they killed the Inspector-General Lin Jun and the Deputy Inspector Zhong Liangming. The officials of the three departments, as well as the prefectural and county officials, big and small, were all tied up; it was not known whether they were still alive or not. The official seals of all the yamen were confiscated, the storehouses were looted clean.
I was terrified, but I was also afraid that this matter involved the imperial family and their relatives, the vassal kings, so I did not dare to believe it easily. I sent scouts to investigate, but it was like a clay ox entering the sea, they did not return. At this time, as expected, King Ning sent his troops to attack. He gathered a hundred and fifty thousand troops, the banners and flags covered the sun, the command flags were like the clouds. All the Daoist generals had not received the imperial edict, they were all defending their own territory, they did not dare to disobey the order and come to help. The minister could only gather the nearby soldiers and civilians to resist stubbornly.
By now King Ning's army has been besieging the city for three days. Your subject has mobilized the troops and provisions, summoned the volunteers, gathered the scattered hearts, stirred up the spirit of loyalty and righteousness. Day and night I have patrolled the city. Fortunately, thanks to the Emperor's heavenly might, the common people's will was united like an impregnable city, so that King Ning's army could not advance any further. But King Ning's power was great, plus everywhere he posted disrespectful rumors and proclamations, falsely claiming that he was following the Empress Dowager's order, using the reason that the Emperor was not of the Zhu family's blood and flesh, he wanted to send the army to the Capital; he was able to confuse the people's mind, and many of the Jiangxi local government officials were willing to join the traitor.
The number of bandits increased day by day and the isolated city of Anqing was in grave danger. Since the Ning Prefecture was plotting a rebellion, if they failed in their advance to the north, they would certainly take Zhejiang and Zhejiang, disturb Hunan and Hunan to the south, keep the capital to cut off the north and south, and take Fujian and Guang to increase their military resources. If they did not control the situation and dispatch a large number of troops, it would be too late. Your subject prays for the swift arrival of the Heaven's troops, and for me to resolve the crisis in the Southeast. Fu Wang hoped the Emperor would not blame himself and ordered him to leave. This might not necessarily be the only way to prosper a country due to difficulties.
Furthermore, the salary of the Southern Zhili army depended heavily on the taxes of the salt merchants. Because of the Ministry of Revenue's financial difficulties, the recruited soldiers had no one to rely on, and the morale of the army might not last long. If it was delayed for several months, it would be hard to avoid ruffians stirring up trouble. If they wanted to suppress the rebels, how would they be able to rely on? I beseech Your Majesty to reconsider and come up with a plan.
Because of the rebellion of the Ning Fan, subject Wu Wending has heard of this memorial and respectfully asks for an imperial edict. "
Wu Wending's copy of the memorial was passed around among the ministers. Emperor Zhengde's face was ashen as he said, "Dear ministers, what do you suggest?"
Yang Tinghe angrily said, "King Ning has received the grace of the country for generations and is usually extremely respectful and obedient. His Majesty also trusts King Ning the most and often rewards him to show his Emperor's favor. Unexpectedly, he actually harbors evil intentions and intends to rebel. I think that the imperial court should immediately mobilize the government officers and soldiers to suppress the rebellion and strike the rebels with the force of thunder to uphold the country's law!"
When Emperor Zhengde heard this, he slammed the table and said with hatred, "Exactly, this treacherous person with a honey mouth and a sword in his heart, even I was deceived. Even if I cut open his stomach and gouged out his heart, it would still be difficult to dispel the hatred in my heart!"
Zhengde hated the people he trusted the most to deceive him, the anger in his heart was needless to say. Seeing this, Yang Ling only smiled slightly and did not say anything.
What will come will come, he was worried about him all day long. Now that he has really rebelled, Yang Ling on the contrary calmed down. Among the country's rebels, there is only one King Ning left. Without the support of Maitreya Sect in the north, plus his own experienced generals who have already set up battle formations around Jiangxi, he believed that King Ning would not be able to rebel.
He laughed only because of Yang Tinghe's words. If one did not know the details, Yang Tinghe's words were not wrong. But Yang Ling knew that he had received generous gifts from King Ning's fu. Now that he heard that King Ning had rebelled, he was afraid that he would be implicated. The hidden meaning behind these words was an ambush. Once the matter was exposed and someone impeached him, today's words would be effective. Even the Emperor had been deceived by him. He himself did not know the details, so his usual interactions naturally could not be considered a serious crime.
Grand Scholar Liang Chu was also very nervous. After he entered the cabinet, the officials in King Ning's fu had also sent him generous gifts. The gifts had not even been warmed up when half of Jiangnan was on fire. If this was not handled properly, he would be buried in this sea of fire. Therefore, he immediately expressed his loyalty and agreed with Yang Tinghe's opinion. He advocated immediately sending troops to suppress the rebellion.
Old Jiao Fang's face, which was covered with age spots, was as calm as an ancient well without ripples. King Ning had rebelled, of course they had to suppress it. Were they waiting for him to attack Beijing? Wu Wending's memorial was an urgent report from nine days ago. Now whether Anqing City was still in Wu Wending's hands or whether King Ning had already attacked Nanjing was still unknown. How to send troops and who to send troops were certainly still to be discussed. The old man would not easily express his opinion.
The Six Ministries Ministers were also present. They looked at each other and did not have any good ideas to offer. Some people were nervous and could not help but think of the old matter of Prince Jing of Yan. What was the difference between this and the current situation? It was also the young Emperor, and it was also the Imperial Uncle who rebelled. However, Prince Yan fought from the north to the south, while King Ning fought from the south to the north. Was the world really going to change masters?
The Minister of Revenue, Liu Zhong, was worried. He had been worried ever since he took office. Now his face was full of memorials. Everything needed money. He was in charge of money. Wu Wending's memorial said, "South Zhili's army's pay depends on salt merchants' taxes. Recently, because the Ministry of Revenue's cash flow is not efficient, the recruited soldiers have no one to rely on. The morale of the army may not last long. If it is delayed for a few months, it is inevitable that ruffians will cause trouble. If we want to suppress the rebels and suppress the rebellion, what will we rely on? "
The Minister of War, Lu Wan, kept staring at Liu Zhong. There was a saying, "Before the troops and horses move, the provisions and fodder move first." There was another saying, "The Emperor does not send hungry soldiers." Now that the Emperor wanted to send troops, he was in charge of the troops, but where was the money? Without money, how could he fight a war?
Yang Yiqing's eyes flickered. He stared steadily at the calm Yang Ling and suddenly seemed to understand something. When Yang Ling transferred Li Sen, Bai Zhongzan, Min Wenjian, and He Bingwen to the prefectures around Jiangxi, in the name of suppressing the White Shirt Bandits. At that time, he, who had just become the Minister of Appointments, felt that it was a little excessive. In reality, most of these generals had not even fought with the White Shirt Bandits.
Now that King Ning's rebellion had happened, looking back at the military deployment and the appointment of generals, it was completely targeted at Jiangxi. The whole of Jiangxi was clearly completely surrounded by these brave generals. As long as South Zhili could be defended and not be occupied by King Ning or advanced north, then they could only retreat to Jiangxi and endure the powerful attacks from all directions.
Thinking of this, Yang Yiqing's anxious mood relaxed. The only thing he was curious about was why Duke Wei had made such arrangements so early. Thinking of the close relationship between Yang Ling and the Three Commissariat, Yang Yiqing could not help but feel relieved. Duke Wei must have received many clues about King Ning's rebellion long ago. It was just that the matter involved vassal kings and they had all heard of it, so he did not dare to report it to the Emperor. That was why he used this method as a precaution.
The Minister of Ministry of Rites, Wang Hua, saw that Yang Yiqing's eyes were in a daze and thought that he was thinking hard about countermeasures. He coughed and said, "Sir Yang, what do you think?"
Yang Yiqing was startled by the call and came to his senses. He smiled slightly and said, "Duke Wei has just returned from Jiangnan to exterminate the White Shirt Bandits. I believe you have the best understanding of the situation in Jiangnan, so I would like to hear Duke Wei's opinion first."
As he said this, everyone's gaze turned to Yang Ling in unison. Even those officials who were muttering in their hearts calmed down. That's right, this ever-victorious general has not lost a battle yet. With him here, what is there to be afraid of?
Yang Ling calmly cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I think that King Ning's rebellion is nothing but a clown. Your Majesty can annihilate him with a flick of your finger. There is no need to worry at all."
"Oh? King Ning has gathered one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers. He cannot be underestimated. Why do you say so? Quickly tell me. "Zhengde was happy and immediately asked.
Yang Ling frowned and said, "When Cao Cao fought against the allied forces of Sun and Liu, he claimed to have one million soldiers. In fact, it was several times more exaggerated. King Ning deliberately planned to restore the Three Guards and used the opportunity of suppressing the bandits to plant his trusted aides and eliminate dissidents. Now it seems that he has long had the intention to rebel and has long been prepared. But it is impossible for him to gather one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers in a few days. In my opinion, his total military strength will not exceed one hundred thousand.
Last year Southern Zhili fought against the pirates and this year suppressed the bandits. After a series of battles, the army has rich experience and its military strength has increased. In addition, Your Majesty has great foresight and sent Xu Tai and Jiang Bin to guard Nanjing. With them, I believe that King Ning may not be able to smoothly attack Nanjing. Then we can calmly arrange and order the armies of Huguang, Liangguang, Fujian, and Zhejiang to advance and nibble away at King Ning's power.
The Jiangnan Navy is already stationed on the Yangtze River. King Ning's warships will not be able to advance north. They can't go north, and they can't attack Nanjing. Their rear is surrounded and suppressed by the armies on all sides. Their only choice is to retreat to Jiangxi. How difficult would it be to destroy them in such a small place?
The only thing to worry about is the military's pay to support the war. The soldiers are bathing in the battlefield. If they can't even pay their families, the morale of the army will be disturbed. That will give King Ning an opportunity to take advantage of. If they can be destroyed as soon as possible, it is fine. But if there is any delay and the war is delayed for several months, it will be difficult to handle.
Jiangnan is one thousand five hundred li from here. It will take more than half a month to travel by fast horse. Passing all kinds of orders from the capital will inevitably affect the progress of the war. I think Your Majesty can send a general with the Great General's seal to mobilize the officers and soldiers of Jiangnan. He will have full authority to suppress the rebellion. If we can cut the Gordian knot and quickly quell the rebellion, we can rely on the wealth of King Ning's mansion to expend military resources. "
Jiao Fang twirled her mouse whiskers and glanced at him. She slowly said, "I think what Duke said is very reasonable. Ning Wang's rebellion was nothing to be afraid of. The only thing holding the court back was grain and money. If they could send a general to deal with the rebellion at the last moment, with lightning speed, it would be easy for the disaster to be eliminated. I recommend … "
Zhengde slammed the table, startling Jiao Ge Lao, who was twirling his beard and shaking his head. He heard Zhengde shout, "Well said! King Ning is a jumping clown. What is there to be afraid of? I want to personally lead the army. I want to lead the troops of the four families and, under the orders of Great General Wei Shou, I will personally send troops to suppress the rebellion! "
"Ah?" Jiao Ge Lao was tongue-tied. His jaw almost dropped. He stammered, "I want to say …"
"You don't need to think, and you don't need to say," Zhengde said unceremoniously, "Gangsters have stirred up a mess in Jiangnan. Jiangnan's Miao, She and other tribes' chieftains have rebelled since the Chenghua period. They may take advantage of King Ning's rebellion to cause trouble. The situation in the south is very unstable. I will personally lead troops. I can intimidate people and stabilize the situation. "
He slowly stood up, his sword-like eyebrows raised. He said in an awe-inspiring manner, "Besides, King Ning slandered me for not being the Former Emperor's flesh and blood. I should not be the Emperor of Ming Destiny. This is not only an insult to me, it is also an insult to the previous Emperor. I want to stand up and use my identity as the Emperor of Ming Destiny to suppress his rebellion. I want to put a banner on his grave that says' Zhengde was here '! "
"Your Majesty, please reconsider. This action is too impulsive. It is better for Your Majesty to stay in the central command!" Yang Tinghe turned over and prostrated himself, trying to persuade him.
"What reconsider? The eyebrows are already on fire and you're still reconsidering? Let me ask you, is there a better way to calm people's hearts, a better way to boost morale, a more irresistible force, a more economical way than to personally lead troops? "
"Uh …" Yang Tinghe choked and couldn't speak. Liang Chu hurriedly knelt down and begged, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Your Majesty can't leave the central command. Your Majesty, please take back your order. You can't personally lead the troops into battle."
"I still need to reconsider? I am an urgent patient, yet I have to run into you slow doctors … "
Wang Hua lifted his robe and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. You use the name of the Formidable Great General Zhu Shou to command the four foreign armies. It is fine that you normally practice martial arts, but it is illegal and against etiquette to go to Jiangnan in this name. Your Majesty should take the lead in following etiquette. How can you break the rules? "
"Huh? Strange, strange. You are the ones who agree to quickly suppress the rebellion. You are the ones who want me to reconsider. After I reconsider, I raise my head and see that King Ning is standing right in front of me. "
Liu Zhong and the other officials knelt down together and said at once, "Your Majesty, please reconsider. Jiangnan is at peace, and it is winter. Carriages and horses are inconvenient. Your Majesty's body is priceless. It is not suitable for you to personally lead troops."
"Your Majesty, there is endless internal strife in the north. If you are not careful, the flames of war will be drawn to the walls of Ming Destiny. Your Majesty should stay in the capital."
"Your Majesty, the harsh winter is approaching. The trees are sparse and there are not many things to do in the winter. Your Majesty should take this opportunity to listen to the teachings of the saints and hold a lecture. Why bother to personally lead troops? Sending a general is enough. "
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty has taken a new favorite concubine. The two of you are in love with each other. Why …"
Emperor Zhengde listened and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of messy reason was this?
As soon as he opened his mouth, the well-trained officials shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!" He almost choked. Emperor Zhengde said angrily, "Do you think I am going to lead troops personally? Do you think I am going on a sightseeing tour? Do you think I don't care about my country? The rebellion of a vassal king is different from the White Army, the Maitreya Sect, the Wokou pirates and Frang Ji. The prince of Ming Destiny uses the excuse that I am not the son of the emperor to confuse the people and attract the officials. If I lead troops personally, many problems will be solved. Do I have to stay in the Forbidden City to be called an emperor? Humph! I have made up my mind. There is no need to say anything more. "
Yang Ling was also a little stunned. He originally wanted to make another hard trip. He didn't expect that the emperor would lead troops personally. Yang Ling didn't know how to persuade him. Zhengde glanced at him, flicked his sleeves and left angrily.
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