Chapter 964
Shi Heng
Pan Yue was startled and looked up, and sure enough, he saw Shi Heng standing not far in front of him.
Shi Heng came to escort his son, Shi Hong, to participate in the selection for the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Given Shi Heng's official position, he could easily grant his son preferential treatment, but at this time, he was investigating military farmland and corruption within the army, and he did not want to give anyone cause for criticism. Besides, his son was not incompetent.
I had just dropped my son off when I turned around and saw Pan Yun.
The two looked at each other silently for a moment, and then Pan Yun nodded slightly to him.
Shi Heng shifted his gaze expressionlessly to the person standing next to her.
When she saw that besides her three junior disciples, Pan Yue was also by her side, her eyes flickered slightly.
Didn't everyone say that Pan Yun's spiritual realm had improved, her kinship had been severed, and her relationship with her family had become distant?
She returned to Beijing several times, but never met the Pan family.
His gaze shifted between the two men, and after a moment he gave a mocking smile.
Pan Yun said to Pan Yue, "Brother, why don't you take Miaozhen and the others to watch the competition?"
Pan Yue glanced at Shi Heng, then turned and left.
Pan Yun stood still, while Shi Heng paused for a long time before stepping forward with a half-smile: "Why is the Imperial Preceptor here to watch this little competition? Does someone in your family also want to take the exam for the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Pan Yun raised her chin towards the opposite table and said, "Come see them."
Shi Heng turned his head and saw the foreign envoys on the stands. He remained silent for a long time before saying, "The Oirat didn't come this year."
Pan Jun: "After all, we just finished a war. I heard that Esen killed Toghtoa Bukhari and officially became Khan. He's probably busy suppressing the disobedient tribes right now. How could he have the mind to come over here?"
Shi Heng was startled: "When did Esen become Khan?"
Pan Yun turned to him and smiled, "Last night."
Shi Heng was speechless for a moment. Pan Yun actually knew about what happened on the grassland last night.
The news spread so quickly...
Shi Heng instantly thought of the radio station he had seen before.
Shi Heng's eyes flickered slightly: "The border..."
Pan Yun looked north and said softly, "At this time, Kuang Ye's army should have left the city."
Shi Heng, his heart pounding with excitement, asked, suppressing his agitation, "What does Your Majesty desire?"
“As the Grand General of the Oirat, Darhan, the Grand Tutor of the Prince of Huai, and the Chief Minister of the Central Secretariat, appointed by the Ming Dynasty, he dared to murder the emperor and declare independence. Naturally, the Ming Dynasty must restore order and maintain peace and stability for the Oirat.” Pan Yun said, “If we do nothing now, are we going to wait until he has pacified his internal affairs and is united in purpose before we act?”
Shi Heng: "The national treasury..."
"Chen Xun said that the national treasury is not a problem."
Shi Heng thought to himself, "At this point, the national treasury is no longer a problem."
But he also agreed with this method and really wanted to go to the battlefield himself, but...
He looked up at Pan Yun, pursed his lips, and said, "Grand Preceptor, are you not afraid of causing unrest in the army by inspecting military farms at this time?"
He suggested, “At this time, we should focus on external affairs, quell the external rebellion first, and then investigate matters within the army.” Pan Yun replied, “If the general guarding Datong were Guo Deng, I would agree with your suggestion. Or, if the Datong army were still the same as it was a year ago, I would also suggest that Your Majesty first deal with external threats and then pacify the internal situation. But now, the Datong army is completely transformed. The farmland, soldiers, and exiled convicts that were occupied by generals, local officials, and gentry have all returned to their rightful places. The army’s morale is high, and even the convicts who were exiled last year because of the personal campaign have joined the army and received rigorous training.”
Shi Heng's chest heaved, his face darkening as he suppressed his anger and said, "If the Grand Preceptor had served in the military, he wouldn't have turned his sword against the army first. If corruption in the world accounts for two-tenths of the military, then civil officials and local officials account for five-tenths, and the remaining three-tenths are in the royal family. Whether it's for wealth or power, it shouldn't start in the military."
He took two steps closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Grand Preceptor, you cannot let the soldiers risk their lives on the front lines only to gain nothing in return."
Pan Yun said expressionlessly, "The soldiers you treat like farmhands and tenant farmers are forced to go to the battlefield. Why should they sacrifice their lives for your benefit?"
Shi Heng: "Just because we don't occupy the military farmland, does that mean they aren't farmhands or tenant farmers?"
His rebellious tone was barely audible: "It's the people above who want them to be farmhands and tenant farmers!"
Pan Jun coldly looked back at him: "It is said that General Shi is well aware of the soldiers' suffering and has repeatedly petitioned to improve the treatment of ordinary soldiers in the army and reduce the burden on the people. I wonder how much of the benefits have actually fallen on the soldiers and the people?"
Shi Heng: "If I don't mention it, they won't get a single point of benefit. If I do mention it, even if I take nine points, they will still get one point of benefit!"
Shi Heng sneered, “Grand Preceptor, in the army, we are willing to leave some benefits for the soldiers, but in the local areas, those local officials and gentry not only take the benefits that the court distributes to the people, but also make the people pay out of their own pockets. Their corruption is unmatched by our army. Why don’t you deal with them?”
Pan Yun chuckled softly, "How do you know I didn't deal with it?"
After saying that, Pan Yun walked past Shi Heng.
Shi Heng was slightly taken aback. Before he could ask any more questions, he heard her voice transmission: "General Shi, Esen is not from the 'Golden Family,' and the Jurchens will not submit to him. The fact that he personally led the expedition shows how seriously the Ming Dynasty has neglected its border defense. You have been given a way out; how you choose to proceed is up to you."
Shi Heng was stunned. It took him a while to turn his gaze away from her back and look at the Jurchen general on the platform.
The Jurchen people mainly lived in Nurgan Regional Military Commission, which was a tributary system established by Zhu Di after he conquered Liaodong Regional Military Commission during his eight northern expeditions. Zhu Di used his strong power to pacify the various Jurchen tribes.
The Ming Dynasty adopted a proactive border strategy towards the Jurchen tribes, maintaining sovereignty by appointing local leaders and conducting regular inspections, without directly stationing troops or levying taxes.
The Ming Dynasty's garrison only reached the Liaodong Commandery, which had numerous guard posts and served as the gateway to the capital.
However, after the Xuande Emperor, the court reduced its deterrence and support for the Jurchens, and its border strategy shifted from active defense to passive defense.
Last year, the Oirat army marched south in three routes. The eastern route came from the Nurgan Regional Military Commission. It is impossible to know exactly how many Jurchen tribes were involved.
Shi Heng's mind raced, and he seemed to understand why His Majesty had first investigated the army.
The emperor, along with Pan Yun and Yu Qian, are attempting a comprehensive readjustment of their border strategy.
Jurchen, Jurchen...
North of the Outer Khingan Mountains, the westernmost point is Kuwu, west of the Strait of Tartary. At the southernmost point of Kuwu, there is only a narrow strait, opposite which is Ezo. In later times, that area was the northern part of Japan, but now, it is still an independent place with many tribes.
I heard that Japan has been eyeing that place covetously, and has tried to occupy Ezo several times, and has also entered Kuju from Ezo.
Xi Ze wanted to conquer Korea and then enter Jianzhou Wei from Korea.
This intelligence was collected by the Imperial Guards who remained in Japan.
Neither the Ministry of War nor these military officers took Japan's intentions seriously.
In their view, Japan was nothing more than a tiny island nation, yet it dared to dream of invading the territory of the Great Ming Dynasty—it was simply wishful thinking.
They only dare to rob and loot on the beach; would they really dare to go ashore and seize our land? (End of Chapter)