lcionline Chapter 670 Strategy and Determination
Chapter 670 Strategy and Determination
Wen Tiren shook his head and sighed, "Only you would dare to do this, and you even managed to incite the Shanxi and Xuanfu garrisons to support you, which is quite an achievement. Tell me, what conditions do you want the Emperor to grant you before he will withdraw his troops? Let me make it clear that the Emperor is going to protect Yang Sichang. You think it's impossible to take his life this time. Moreover, it's too shocking for a military general to threaten the Emperor into beheading the soon-to-be Minister of War. I advise you not to be so ostentatious."
Liu Ye smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and asked in return, "What conditions did the Emperor offer? Please tell us, Grand Secretary."
Wen Tiren replied, "The position of General of Qionghai Town remains unchanged, the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies Commandery is changed to the Left Commander-in-Chief, and he is granted the title of Marquis of Pingnan, the title of Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and the title of Jianwei General of the First Rank. What do you think?"
“These are all empty titles with no real substance,” Liu Ye asked with dissatisfaction. “Your Excellency, do you understand what I want? It’s the territory of Shandong and Guangdong, and unlimited military power! Even if these two regions cannot become states within a state, they must at least maintain a semi-independent status, so that the court cannot penetrate them. I almost lost my life; is it too much to ask for such a small request?”
"Please calm down," Wen Tiren reassured him. "These things can only be discussed slowly. You should bring them up yourself; I can't possibly bring them up in court, can I?"
"Very well, I'll trouble you to go back and tell the Emperor. Besides these honorary titles, you must grant me three requests: First, my direct army can expand without restriction, and the Ministry of War must not interfere. Also, my troops cannot be conscripted without my permission. Second, I can make free decisions on any military action against bandits or Tartars without seeking permission, and I can execute first and report later wherever I go, and mobilize local garrisons for reinforcement. Third, I have full jurisdiction over the troops in Shandong and Guangdong. Except for local criminal cases and imperial examinations, I can interfere in other matters such as taxation, mining, and commerce."
Wen Tiren gasped. These three points were even more radical and specific than the previously mentioned "abolishing the Shandong governor and the Guangdong-Guangxi governor-general," and any one of them could drive the emperor mad. It was one thing to accept titles but not orders, but to meddle in local military power was already sensitive—even if it was for dealing with the Tartars and bandits—but to interfere in local military affairs, taxation, mining, and commerce was practically a replica of the early Ming dynasty princes, even with greater power!
He hesitated and said, "To put it bluntly, no matter how you look at it, this is just you preparing for a rebellion. Do you think His Majesty will agree to it?"
"Heh, no emperor would agree to this. But he has no choice," Liu Ye chuckled. "If he refuses my request, after noon I will blast open Chengtian Gate, slaughter the four Tengxiang Guards, and go directly to the Golden Palace to ask the emperor face to face why he is persecuting meritorious officials and destroying his own defenses. I will also bring Pan Da, the Tianjin Military Commissioner, and Wang Hong, the Tianjin General, along with them to tell the civil and military officials how Yang Sichang secretly ordered them to burn down the granaries, refused to send troops, and deliberately let Abatai escape. In addition, he has repeatedly targeted Qionghai Town, which has made great contributions. This is enough to prove that this soon-to-be Minister of War is going to collude with the enemy. Such a traitor deserves to be killed by everyone. The emperor may be confused, but I am not. I am willing to personally kill this villain! If he still protects Yang Sichang after all this, what use is such a fool? It would be better to give way to a more worthy one!"
Wen Tiren was stunned. It took him a while to come to his senses. He asked, "Zhiwen, are you sure you want to be so ruthless? The most rigid are easily broken, and the highest good is like water. Why can't we keep a low profile and be more moderate? What good will it do to offend His Majesty so badly?"
"Hehe, if I said that without my and Qionghai Army's intervention, the Ming Dynasty would surely perish within ten years, and the emperor would just be a handful of yellow dust on Coal Hill, would the Grand Secretary believe me? Since the Ming Dynasty is about to fall, why bother to bide our time and conceal our strength?"
Wen Tiren hesitated and said, "Although the Ming Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles, its foundation is still intact. The prediction that it will perish in ten years is a bit too far-fetched..."
Liu Ye waved his hand and said, "Whether the Grand Secretary believes it or not, this is what I think. Rather than being soft-hearted and letting the bandits destroy the Ming Dynasty and the Tartars sit on the throne, it's better to be ruthless now, remove the rotten flesh, and ensure that the country remains in the hands of the Han people. However, whether future emperors will be surnamed Zhu, no one can guarantee..."
Wen Tiren sighed, knowing he could no longer persuade his ally.
“Very well, since Zhiwen insists, I will convey your words to His Majesty verbatim.”
After Wen Tiren left, Liang Xiaoming was the first to walk over and ask, "What did you and the Prime Minister talk about?"
Liu Ye recounted the conversation that had just taken place.
Liang Xiaoming asked, puzzled, "Your conditions are too harsh. It's hard for Chongzhen to agree. Even if Yang Sichang is accused of treason, it might not be what you want. Even if he reluctantly agrees, you will become a thorn in Chongzhen's side. Although I don't advocate using violence to solve all problems, we've come this far. Why not just kill Chongzhen and take his place instead of dragging our feet on negotiations?"
Liu Ye did not answer him directly, but asked instead: "During the Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng detained Chiang Kai-shek. Mao Zedong had the opportunity to shoot him, and there was a strong call from the Red Army to execute Chiang Kai-shek. Why did Mao Zedong release him?"
Liang Xiaoming scratched his head and hesitated, saying, "To be honest, I also find this decision hard to understand. If we get rid of Chiang Kai-shek, wouldn't there be no more ten-year civil war?"
"Mao Zedong's strategic vision and political wisdom are beyond doubt, and his reasons for not killing Chiang Kai-shek were quite valid. Simply put: First, Chiang Kai-shek was the nominal leader of the country at the time, and the Red Army was too weak to replace him. This would have led to armed separatism among various warlord factions, plunging China into complete division, allowing Japan to take advantage of the situation and defeat the Red Army piecemeal. Second, with Chiang Kai-shek drawing the main force of the Japanese army, the Red Army could gain space and time to develop, laying the foundation for its eventual victory. Do you understand my decision today?"
Liang Xiaoming suddenly realized: "I understand. The Qionghai Army is just a local warlord now, without any legitimate cause, and their forces are limited. They can't control the entire country. Even if they kill Chongzhen, they can't take his place. Instead, they'll be seen as rebels by the gentry and the common people, and the country will only descend into chaos. Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Huang Taiji will take advantage of the situation. Letting Chongzhen live for now allows us to use him as a target for both sides. We can use this opportunity to strengthen our forces, and then, after Li Zicheng storms into Beijing, we can use the pretext of avenging Chongzhen to clean up the mess?"
Liu Ye nodded. "That's why I told you before that we should secretly support Li Zicheng. Let him be the villain, and I'll be the good guy. We'll have the support of the people and the righteous cause, and our strength will grow. Everything will fall into place naturally, so why rush it?"