Chapter 883
Chapter 883
He was a newly appointed nobleman, while Zhu Mian was...
Chen Huai's eyebrows twitched, and he felt a breath stuck in his chest, unable to exhale for a long time.
Zhu Mian was a descendant of an old noble family.
Zhu Mian's father, Zhu Rong, the Earl of Wujin, followed Mu Ying, the Prince of Qianning, in his campaign against Yunnan, and also followed Zhang Fu, the Duke of Yingguo, in his campaign against Jiaozhi. He served four emperors: Hongwu, Jianwen, Yongle, and Hongxi.
Because his father had served under Mu Ying and Zhang Fu, he maintained good relations with the Mu family in Yunnan and the Duke of Ying's mansion in the capital. In addition, he was a rare capable person among the old nobles and had been guarding the border for a long time, so he was very prestigious in the circle of old nobles.
The Duke of England wanted both the old and new nobles to support Kwong Ye's reform of the military system.
But why was he chosen to stay in Datong as Kuang Ye's deputy?
Zhu Mian once served as the commander-in-chief of Datong, and Guo Deng succeeded him. Logically speaking, wouldn't it have been better for Zhu Mian to stay in Datong after Guo Deng's death?
Chen Huai's heart pounded. Could they be trying to make an example of him and keep him around as the scapegoat?
Although he did commit a crime, he has already been punished, so we can't bring up the past, right?
Once a prisoner has served his sentence, his sins are considered atoned for. How can they be arrested and sent back to prison whenever they feel like it?
Chen Huai immediately felt that staying in Datong was not a good thing. He frowned at the group of indignant military officers and said, "Stop making trouble. Lord Kuang is very suitable to be the commander-in-chief of Datong. It is an honor for me to be his deputy. I want to return to the capital like you."
All the generals: ...
Everyone looked at him with a mixture of envy, jealousy, and disdain.
This group of people were all officials accompanying the emperor, both civil and military, and all of them were guilty of crimes.
Didn't you see that Prince Cheng heavily relied on Yu Qian, Shi Heng, and other veteran officials? Have they already moved from the first tier to the second tier?
However, this is not the most difficult part.
What's even more difficult is that after returning to Beijing, it will be necessary to clarify responsibilities.
Wang Zhen was naturally the one most responsible, but he's dead;
His Majesty……
Leaving aside the Empress Dowager, would the Prince of Cheng allow the late Emperor to bear such a grave crime?
Moreover, His Majesty is truly dead, and died in the enemy camp, captured and humiliated before his death...
They felt a chill run down their spines just thinking about how history would record this event.
Those who died in battle still have a reputation for loyalty and righteousness, but those who survived will likely have their families implicated.
The appointments of Kuang Ye and Chen Huai indicated that their futures were clear. Although they were both demoted, at least they had protected themselves and their families.
Their future is uncertain.
However, Yang Hong was in the most danger.
“The Prince of Cheng intends to continue employing Yang Hong. Yang Jun died in battle, and Yang Hong has made great contributions. Therefore, Yang Jun’s crimes will not implicate the Yang family. It can be considered that the merits and demerits cancel each other out,” Liang Cheng said in a low voice. “The Prince of Cheng is magnanimous. He can be lenient with Yang Hong. He shouldn’t make things too difficult for us, right?”
"The key to this matter does not lie with the Prince of Cheng, but with the Empress Dowager."
Everyone was silent.
Empress Dowager Sun was always gentle. Apart from some criticism regarding the deposition of Empress Hu, she never openly interfered in politics, whether during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong or the reign of the current emperor.
She appears to be very understanding, gentle, and virtuous.
However, her decision to issue an imperial edict establishing the Prince of Cheng as emperor while simultaneously requiring the emperor's eldest son to be made crown prince reveals that she was not as magnanimous as she appeared. Even if the emperor had a son at that time, let alone one who was childless, the heir would certainly be young.
The youngest son ascended the throne, raising concerns about a weak ruler and powerful ministers;
When an emperor abdicates and becomes the retired emperor, and a new emperor ascends the throne, he appoints the retired emperor's eldest son as the crown prince. Isn't this sowing the seeds of chaos for the country?
Ultimately, Empress Dowager Sun was still reluctant to give up the power of her faction.
To her, Zhu Qizhen was her biological son, while Zhu Qiyu was a son with no blood relation.
However, from the perspective of the court officials and the people, both Zhu Qizhen and Zhu Qiyu were sons of Emperor Xuanzong and were the legitimate heirs of the imperial family.
The ministers murmured among themselves, "In times of emergency, expediency is necessary. At the time, in order to stabilize the court as quickly as possible, we issued a decree in the emperor's name to mobilize troops to defend the border. Minister Yu agreed to Empress Dowager Sun's request. No one had time to think about the future then, and we never expected..."
Unexpectedly, the emperor was murdered.
The promise made to Empress Dowager Sun was nullified because the late emperor had no son. Once Prince Cheng returned to the capital, he could rightfully ascend the throne.
He was appointed to the mission in a time of crisis, and with his personal command of a large army to support Datong, he successfully kept the Oirat army outside the city. Now that the Oirat army has retreated, the battle is considered over.
Having rendered meritorious service before even ascending the throne, his position will be very secure, no less so than that of Zhu Qizhen, who ascended the throne with the imperial edict of the late emperor.
The Empress Dowager has lost her son and her power; who knows what she might do?
The emperor died before the Prince of Cheng arrived at the border, so this matter naturally had nothing to do with him, but those who accompanied him would not have a good time.
Someone couldn't help but mutter, "How could Yang Jun have died?"
If he doesn't die, Yang Hong and his son will be the first to suffer. It's better to have someone stand in front and receive the Empress Dowager's wrath than for them to kneel in front of her together.
The people's hearts were uneasy and the army was restless. Pan Yun was the first to notice. After she finished explaining the Taoist scriptures to Zhu Qiyu, she ran into Yu Qian, who had just finished his official duties and was leaving get off work.
As she passed by him, she said, "People say that when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lustful desires, and when they are hungry and cold, they think of thieves. But in my opinion, we can add another line: 'When things are peaceful, people are often selfish.'"
Yu Qian seemed to be deep in thought, then turned and went to find Zhu Qiyu, suggesting that he issue an imperial edict to appease the entourage.
"This personal expedition suffered a major defeat for various reasons. They are certainly guilty, and we must not let it slide. We must find the reasons we need to find, and we must correct our mistakes. But we should be more lenient. If we are too strict, people may become disloyal."
Zhu Qiyu nodded repeatedly: "I also have the same idea."
He laughed: "They all say that Minister Yu is strict and unforgiving, but I think Minister Yu is quite lenient. They have misunderstood you."
Yu Qian remained silent for a moment before advising, "Your Highness, I know that Pan Yun has rendered great service to the country this time, but she is, after all, a Taoist priest. While it is possible to govern a country with the help of civil and military officials, it is not advisable to rely too much on Buddhism and Taoism. You have been getting too close to Pan Yun lately."
Zhu Qiyu was slightly surprised and frowned, saying, "Why is Lord Yu suddenly speaking ill of Master Pan? Master Pan has always recommended and praised you in front of me. Cao Nai has made a big mistake and will definitely be dismissed from the cabinet. She even suggested that I put you in the cabinet, saying that you are a pillar of the country."
Yu Qian was not pleased. He said, "Whether I enter the cabinet is a decision made by Your Highness and the court. How can we listen to the advice of a Taoist priest?"
Zhu Qiyu pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Minister Yu, I trust you, so I can tell you in advance that I have decided to appoint Pan Yun as the Imperial Preceptor. I will announce this to the world as soon as I ascend the throne."
Yu Qian: ...If you're going to ban it, then ban it. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?
Isn't this asking me for my objections?
Yu Qian finally understood why Pan Yun had been present whenever there was discussion about court politics and military affairs during this period.
Previously, when Chen Huai was suggested to be the General of Datong, the Prince of Cheng clearly did not object, but after a private conversation with Pan Yun, he appointed Kuang Ye.
Although Kuang Ye was indeed more suitable than Chen Huai, Yu Qian was still somewhat uneasy about the Prince of Cheng's obedience to Pan Yun. (End of Chapter)