lcionline Chapter 729: Driving the tiger and swallowing the wolf
Chapter 729: Driving the tiger and swallowing the wolf
Emperor Chongzhen agreed, arguing that Li Zicheng's power was indeed great, but his development was hasty and his foundation unstable, so he might not be a major threat. On the contrary, Zhang Xianzhong and others should not be underestimated. They should not be allowed to keep one problem under control and give Zhang Xianzhong the opportunity to grow stronger.
"Changqing's words make sense. However, Li the traitor has already reached Beizhili. What good strategy do we have to repel the enemy without having to mobilize Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting to go north?"
Wen Tiren said confidently, "There is a strong army in Lingnan. As long as we send it north to join forces with the army in Beizhili to attack from both the north and south, Li will surely be defeated!"
Lingnan?
Emperor Chongzhen frowned, and his officials exchanged bewildered glances. Wasn't the only truly powerful army in the south the Qionghai Army, the very force that had caused them so much trouble?
Yang Sichang couldn't help but retort: "What makes you say that, Grand Secretary? Liu Ye has previously acted rebelliously by sending troops to besiege the capital, and later he has shown his disloyalty by seizing Liaonan and spying on the capital from across the sea. We are already too busy guarding against such a person, and to send him north would be like inviting a wolf into the house..."
Wen Tiren calmly replied, “The so-called siege of the capital does indeed have the air of insubordination, but it was not without reason. If it weren’t for the fact that merit was not rewarded and instead put to death, Liu Ye would not have been forced to take such a risk. Moreover, the fact that he was able to withdraw his troops in time proves that he still has a sense of awe for the court. As for attacking Liaonan, it may not have been to threaten the capital across the sea, but more likely it was out of greed for fame and fortune, wanting to be remembered for eternity. Such people are greedy for wealth and power. Even if they are unruly, they can be used. As long as they are properly managed, they will be a blessing to the court. If we only guard against and suppress them, the harm will be even greater than that of the likes of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. I urge Your Majesty to think twice.”
In fact, Wen Tiren had wanted to say these things for a long time, but it was inconvenient to say them when the capital was besieged and people were in a state of panic. He also didn't have the opportunity to say them when Yang Sichang urged the emperor to send troops north to defend the capital. Now that Li Zicheng has risen up and posed a great threat to the capital, the powerful enemy is pressing in, which is a great opportunity to clear Liu Ye's name.
Chongzhen's eyes darted around as he fell into deep thought. Could this thorn in his side, who made him feel like he had a thorn in his back, really be trusted and given important responsibilities?
Seeing Chongzhen hesitate, Wen Tiren pressed his advantage: "Your Majesty, no matter how arrogant Liu Ye is, he is still an official soldier receiving a salary from the court. We can offer him fame and fortune. But Li Zicheng is treacherous and has proposed not paying taxes, which is an attempt to overthrow the court. Such a person must be eliminated no matter what. Besides, Li Zicheng was once a subordinate of Gao Yingxiang. Liu Ye personally captured Gao Yingxiang, and the grudge between the two cannot be resolved. Enemies meeting are bound to be extremely hostile. As long as we can persuade the Qionghai Army to go north, the two tigers will fight, and one of them will surely be injured. This will be absolutely beneficial to the court!"
The officials' eyes lit up upon hearing this. "That's right!" they exclaimed. "Liu Ye killed Gao Yingxiang, and Li Zicheng, both personally and professionally, must avenge Gao Yingxiang. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Whether through deception or bribery, as long as we can get the two to clash, regardless of who wins or loses, it will be good news for the court." Everyone looked at Wen Tiren with admiration. "No wonder he became the Grand Secretary," they thought, "his vision and perspective are truly exceptional."
These words moved Emperor Chongzhen; this plan of using one enemy to devour another was very much to his liking. The Qionghai Army was not to be trifled with, and the bandits were no pushovers either. Wouldn't it be delightful to let the two sides fight it out while he sat back and watched them battle?
"Excellent, Changqing's plan is brilliant. But who can share my burden and go to Guangdong to persuade Liu Ye?" The trend of military leaders wielding their own power and influence was growing stronger in the late Ming Dynasty. In the north, there was the Liaodong warlord represented by Zu Dashou, and in the south, there was Liu Ye's Qionghai Army. A few words alone might not be enough to mobilize these military leaders. Chongzhen was currently penniless and lacked supplies. What could he possibly use to persuade the wealthy and powerful Liu Ye to go to Beizhili to fight the bandits? Not to mention the unpleasant incident a few months ago involving the bombardment of military camps and the siege of the capital. Even Chongzhen himself didn't believe that Liu Ye harbored no resentment.
Wen Tiren suggested: "Liu Ye is ambitious for fame and achievement. Your Majesty could consider bestowing appropriate rewards upon him, such as appointing him as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. If he defeats Li Zicheng, you could promise him another title..."
Liu Ye already has a string of official titles and ranks: Grand General, Marquis of Pingnan, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, Left Commander-in-Chief, and the addition of Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince is already astonishing. If he were to be granted another title, the only one that would be Duke.
Chongzhen said unwillingly, "I was only granted the title of Marquis a few days ago. Do you expect me to be granted the title of Duke again? There is no precedent for this in our dynasty. Do you expect me to set this precedent?" Most of the people who could be granted the hereditary title of Duke in the Ming Dynasty were founding heroes. In Chongzhen's view, how could Liu Ye, who repeatedly challenged the bottom line of the court, be compared with meritorious officials like Xu Da?
Wen Tiren patiently advised, "Your Majesty, it is better to win over a military general than to let the likes of Li Zicheng overthrow the court."
Wang Yingxiong, the Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Dongge Pavilion, who shared the same views as Wen Tiren, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is wise: Li the bandit keeps saying that no one should pay taxes and that the tiller should own his land. This is no longer the behavior of a bandit, but an attempt to overthrow the centuries-old Ming Dynasty. This man is even more vicious than the likes of Zhang Xianzhong and must be eliminated. In comparison, a mere title is insignificant. As long as we can win over Liu Ye to fight hard, everything is worthwhile."
Feudal dynasties were, in essence, regimes of the landlord class. Collecting grain and taxes was the foundation of the state; if this foundation was shaken, the dynasty was not far from its demise. Moreover, most of the civil and military officials in the court were representatives of the gentry, and naturally did not want to see this happen. Upon hearing this, they all stepped forward to offer their opinions:
"Your Majesty, please reconsider and eliminate the traitor Li at all costs!"
"There are priorities. Rewarding Liu Ye is a minor matter; annihilating Li Zicheng is a major matter!"
"The foundation of the nation must not be shaken. Your Majesty, please issue the decree immediately!"
……
Faced with the advice of his ministers, Chongzhen was somewhat overwhelmed and had no choice but to make a decision. He said helplessly, "Since that's the case, then issue an edict to appoint Liu Ye as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent and summon him to the capital. If he can completely annihilate the traitor Li, he will be rewarded with additional honors."
The courtiers were very satisfied. They felt a great sense of accomplishment that their usually stubborn emperor was willing to listen to their advice, and they all flattered him, saying, "Your Majesty is wise!"
Emperor Chongzhen asked Wen Tiren, "But who will go to deliver the imperial edict and persuade him to go north? Logically speaking, you are the best candidate, but the cabinet cannot do without you..."
Wen Tiren replied, "Persuading Liu Ye is no easy task. I recommend someone who might be able to do it."
"Who?"
"Fang Zhenghua, a eunuch in the Directorate of Ceremonial. He has been to Qiongzhou several times to deliver imperial edicts and is acquainted with Liu Ye, so it is easier for him to talk to him."
Emperor Chongzhen nodded and said, "Since it is Changqing's recommendation, I trust him. I will send Fang Zhenghua to deliver the decree. If he succeeds, I will promote him to Grand Eunuch after he returns to the capital."
The current Grand Secretary is Cao Huachun, who enjoys the deep trust of Emperor Chongzhen. However, he holds multiple positions, including Director of the Eastern Depot and Chief Commander of the Beijing Garrison. Emperor Chongzhen does not want power to be concentrated in the hands of a few people. If Fang Zhenghua is truly capable and competent, he can be given the position of Grand Secretary, but the Eastern Depot will remain in Cao Huachun's hands. This would cultivate a new capable assistant, preserve Cao Huachun's reputation, and make the power structure more balanced—a win-win-win situation.