Chapter 848
Side Conspiracy
"You have always opposed His Majesty's war of Luchuan because it would be extremely costly but yield little benefit. You believe that the annual tax revenue from the southwestern border region is negligible, and in years of disaster, a large amount of money and grain would have to be spent. The annual military expenses for garrisoning the region would far exceed the benefits. Is that right?"
Kuang Ye was puzzled as they were discussing the withdrawal, but he calmly replied, "Your Excellency misunderstands. We have no intention of abandoning Luchuan. We merely wish to win over the hearts of the people and use this as a means of education, allowing the border residents to benefit from His Majesty's grace..."
The Duke of England scoffed, "Without martial arts education, how can there be an opportunity for cultural education?"
"Emperor Taizong of Tang was so powerful that he commanded respect from all directions, and the people of the land submitted to him. That was because of his power. He earned his respect through his military prowess, and then the people submitted to him. He earned it with his sword and spear!" said the British official. "When Emperor Taizong of our dynasty was alive, whether in the southwest or the north, even the Japanese pirates at sea dared not come ashore. That was not because Emperor Taizong was virtuous and talented, but because he conquered the south and the north, and his power and influence were awe-inspiring!"
Kuang Ye frowned: "Governing the four directions with force cannot last. Only through education, so that the barbarians also understand loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness, can they be subdued without a fight."
"Lord Kuang is also a capable minister in governing the region, and he has also accompanied Wang Ji on several expeditions. Does he believe that one can govern with civil administration without force?"
Kuang Ye paused for a moment.
The Duke of England said expressionlessly, "Those sitting here today are not distinguished by military or civil officials. If we remove these restrictions on status, I only ask Lord Kuang, can we govern the vassal states by simply using culture and education to make them submit?"
Kuang Ye said with difficulty, "Of course not, it's just that the battle of Luchuan was extremely costly. Due to the ever-increasing military taxes, the people are living in poverty. This time, Deng Maoqi in Fujian plotted a rebellion..."
"Don't blame Deng Maoqi's rebellion on military taxes," the Duke of England said in a deep voice. "If it weren't for the excessive exploitation by local officials and their constant collection of taxes, the military taxes collected from the military and civilians in various places would have been more than enough to support ten battles in Luchuan."
Kuang Ye rubbed his forehead and said, "What you say makes sense. The court has been far less enlightened in recent years than before. The court needs to rectify the conduct of officials and the people, but Duke, is this the time to discuss this? The most urgent task is to escort His Majesty back to the capital..."
“I have no time,” the Duke of England interrupted him again, his voice deep. “I want you to know why I support His Majesty in fighting the Battle of Luchuan.”
Perhaps it was the Duke of England's resolute decision and grief that calmed Kuang Ye down, and he began to listen attentively.
The British public was comforted, realizing that his selection of him from among a group of civil and military officials had not been in vain.
Aside from Jingyuan, perhaps only Kuangye offers a glimmer of hope.
British Justice: "After the Jingnan Campaign, Emperor Taizong moved the capital to Beijing. As the saying goes, 'Heavy is in charge, light is in control,' so Emperor Taizong strengthened the defense of the north and launched five expeditions to the northern deserts during his reign."
Seeing Kuang Ye frown, the Duke of Yingguo twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "I know you will say that Emperor Taizong was too aggressive and warlike, which led to the depletion of the national treasury. He is not as benevolent and kind as the two previous emperors, Renzong and Xuanzong. However, Renzong and Xuanzong were able to govern the country peacefully because they relied on the remaining prestige of Emperor Taizong."
Now, its remaining power is waning, so chaos has broken out in the southwest and northwest. Even a small vassal state across the sea dares to send its soldiers and civilians to raid and massacre our Ming people several times.
"Perhaps to you, the Oirat invasion of the south was sudden, but to me, it was the result of more than a decade of accumulated strength, and it was just the beginning of a change."
The Duke of England stood up and put down the map that was hanging there. It was covered with many circles and arrows. Kuang Ye walked over and looked at it, and was shocked.
The document listed the locations of various military garrisons, especially the northeast, northwest, and southwest regions, which were covered with illegible markings. If it weren't for the Duke of Ying's explanation, he would have almost fainted. The Duke of Ying pointed to the northern region and said, "Since Emperor Renzong neglected his distant campaigns, the Oirat leader Toghon gradually unified the various Mongol tribes; in the south, Jiaozhi's Lili began to attack and seize territory; in the southwest, Luchuan made several probing moves; and in the northeast, the Nurgan army's discipline deteriorated… However, in the preceding decade or so, the court gradually abandoned Jiaozhi, either ignoring Luchuan's probing or appeasing them with money, even allowing Jianzhou to govern itself…"
The Duke of England scoffed: "In the past ten years or so, Jianzhou and Tuohuan and Arutai have had frequent exchanges, but the court turned a blind eye and tried to win them over with money. The Oirat, Jianzhou and Japanese were greedy every time they paid tribute and asked for rewards without restraint. But the court not only did not punish them, but also kept backing down and used generous rewards to quell the conflicts."
It was precisely because of these repeated tests and concessions that their ambitions were nurtured and their courage increased, leading them to plot rebellion and ultimately to the southward advance of the Oirat Mongols.
Duke of England: "You blame His Majesty for launching the Battle of Luchuan, but I see hope in it. His Majesty is finally not like his grandfather and father, passively defending himself, but..."
He paused for a moment and then said, "He was too anxious and blindly trusted Wang Zhen."
Kuang Ye finally remembered that although the Duke of Ying had always supported the emperor in launching the Battle of Luchuan, he had also always opposed Wang Zhen's involvement in military and national affairs.
Kuang Ye's eyes flickered slightly; he thought of Wang Ji.
Wang Ji's military campaigns were not without their challenges; he was imprisoned and nearly executed.
At the time, Wang Zhen's attitude was ambiguous. Later, the Duke of Yingguo intervened, and Wang Zhen asked the emperor to release Wang Ji and let him go to Luchuan to atone for his crimes.
They always believed that Wang Ji's failure to capture Luchuan after a long siege was due to Wang Zhen's instigation.
But did Wang Ji truly listen to Wang Zhen, or was he forced to listen and made changes within his own power?
The British Duke briefly touched upon the Battle of Luchuan and then began to discuss the recent southward invasion of the Oirat Mongols.
"Frontline defense should be as ever-present as people's livelihood, not something to be neglected when peace is achieved, assuming that the world is at peace. You are scholars, so I don't need to elaborate on the idiom 'be prepared for danger in times of peace.' This southward invasion of the Oirat Mongols may seem sudden, but it was actually premeditated. And among all the civil and military officials, only Yu Qian, the Left Vice Minister of War, could have foreseen this," the Duke of Ying said in a deep voice. "You are delusional to think that you can stop the enemy outside Datong by sending just one border general. You are underestimating the enemy to such an extent. One day, you will lose everything, just like Guo Deng."
Kuang Ye was shocked, unable to believe it, yet unable to disbelieve it.
This is the Duke of England. He noticed something amiss in Datong as soon as he arrived and sent him to investigate the actual military situation in Datong. With such keen insight, could what he said be alarmist?
The British official said, "I am over seventy years old. I retired during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. What is there left for me to risk my reputation for?"
Kuang Ye then noticed that the Duke of England's lips were somewhat pale, and remembering that he had taken sick leave the day before, his eyes reddened: "Your Excellency..."
The Duke of England gently patted his hand and said, “You civil officials have integrity. Although Wang Zhen has served His Majesty for many years and is cunning, he is not very bright, especially when it comes to fighting. You can tell from his repeated commands and arrangements. I strongly advocate that you stay because I want you to be able to resist Wang Zhen’s orders.”
When a general is in the field, he may disobey the emperor's orders. As long as you can win the battle, everything else is not a problem.
Once Wang Zhen leaves, he can't possibly come back to settle accounts with you, so just heed his orders and act accordingly, prioritizing the interests of the Ming Dynasty. (End of Chapter)