Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 476 Loyalty and treachery are separated by only a single thought

As long as he could resolve this incident and reduce his own political risks, Wang Lin was unwilling to offend a powerful local military leader, especially one capable of defeating Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong. He didn't care about Xu Hongji's obvious bias; as long as someone else took the blame, that was enough. He nodded and said, "The Duke of Wei is right. General Liu acted righteously and thwarted Chang Kun's conspiracy. He is not only without fault but also meritorious. I will include these in my memorial."

This is blatant lying, but Wang Lin spoke without batting an eye, as if stating an undeniable fact. This is also one of the basic qualities of an official; those who can sit in the position of Minister of War are not simple.

Liu Ye wasn't stupid; he knew how to reciprocate. He said righteously, "The discovery of Chang Kun's crimes was all thanks to the Duke of Wei and Lord Wang. I'm just an outsider who happened to be there. How dare I take credit for it?"

Wang Lin and Xu Hongji exchanged a knowing smile; it was so refreshing to talk to such intelligent people. In this way, they not only successfully defused the crisis but also turned a bad situation into a good one. As for the unfortunate Chang Kun, they considered him a dead man and didn't bother with him. Wang Lin ordered his men to drag him back to the garrison eunuch's residence, then stationed troops to guard it, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. The authority originally belonging to the garrison eunuch was to be exercised by the Ministry of War and the Duke's Mansion until the imperial edict to deal with Chang Kun was issued.

With the backing of the two powerful figures, Liu Ye's forced entry into the city was thus averted, and all responsibility for the conflict with the Shenji Battalion would fall on Chang Kun. Liu Ye was quite satisfied with this outcome; it felt good to have someone clean up the mess after causing trouble. He was only concerned with one thing: where was the Qionghai Army stationed?

Xu Hongji patted his chest and said, "Leave this to me. Whether it's the Chihe Camp in the north of the city or the Shenji Camp or Zhenwu Camp in the south, you can choose whichever location you like, and I'll make it available."

Liu Ye humbly replied, "I dare not trouble the brothers of the Beijing Garrison. As long as there is a place, I will leave it to the Duke of Wei to arrange."

Xu Hongji glared and said, "What do you mean by 'causing trouble'? You've driven away the bandits and returned in triumph, so you deserve to be treated well. Chang Kun is right about one thing: those guys from the Shenji Battalion are a bunch of useless trash. They couldn't even last an incense stick's time under your command. In my opinion, let them vacate their place for you to stay."

"Hehe, the Divine Machine Battalion is still quite capable. They advance and retreat with great skill, coming and going like the wind. We won by luck." Liu Ye chuckled. As for whether "coming and going like the wind" was an allusion to their astonishing speed during the escape, that remains unknown.

Xu Hongji didn't mount his horse, but instead warmly took Liu Ye's hand and walked together, whispering as they went, "Let's not talk about these unpleasant things. Um... I have a favor to ask, brother. Your firearms are quite different from the arquebuses of the Shenji Battalion. I'm quite envious. Could you sell me some to train the personal guards in the manor?"

Liu Ye calmly withdrew his hand and replied, "How can Wei Guogong mention selling calligraphy? I'll have two hundred pieces delivered to your residence later!"

Xu Hongji grinned broadly, "Brother, you're a straightforward man, and you excel in battle. I admire you. From now on, let's not address each other by official titles or ranks; let's just call each other brothers! If you ever come to Nanjing and need anything, just come to me. There's not much I can't handle here!" Although their ranks differed greatly, in terms of official positions, one was a duke in charge of the Nanjing Military Governor's Office, while the other was a general and concurrently the Right Commander-in-Chief of the Beijing Five Military Governor's Office. Calling each other brothers was, to a degree, somewhat acceptable.

Liu Ye smiled slightly: "Then I thank you in advance, brother." Having more friends means having more options. As the number one noble in Nanjing and the garrison commander of Nanjing, it's never a bad thing to be on good terms with the Duke of Wei. These two hundred Qionghai-style rifles are excellent value for money.

After watching the two depart, Wang Lin suppressed his smile, turned back, got into his sedan chair, and said in a deep voice, "Return to the Ministry of War."

Back at the yamen, Wang Lin went straight to his study and began writing a memorial. Although today's events had ended satisfactorily, the accusations were ultimately baseless and blatant misrepresentation, riddled with flaws. This memorial needed careful consideration to ensure it was watertight, and it had to be delivered to the capital before Chang Kun, creating a preconceived impression on the emperor. Once the emperor believed Chang Kun to be a corrupt official who had abused his power to amass a fortune and had arbitrarily deployed the capital garrison for personal vendettas, no amount of explanation from Chang Kun afterward would be of any use.

The first half of the memorial was basically what Wang Lin had told Xu Hongji and Liu Ye: to shift all the blame onto Chang Kun, and that the three of them were not only innocent but also meritorious. However, when he got to the part about the evaluation of Liu Ye and the Qionghai Army, Wang Lin paused and pondered.

Wang Lin observed the impressive performance of the Qionghai Army and witnessed Liu Ye's every word and action. The Qionghai Army's fighting prowess was undeniable; while the defeat of the combined forces of Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong was still debatable, their easy victory over the Shenji Battalion was beyond dispute. The Ming army within the Great Wall had long been weak, and the emergence of such a powerful force should have been a cause for celebration, reducing reliance on border troops like the Guan Ning Army. However, the seasoned Wang Lin still saw a problem: the commander-in-chief of this army, Liu Ye.

If it were any other military general, being blocked outside the city by Chang Kun's machinations, even if they felt wronged, they would at most complain to their superiors and then bypass the city. They would never dare to send their troops into Nanjing—this was the capital of the Ming Dynasty, not some ordinary prefecture. Liu Ye, however, seemed to have completely disregarded the political consequences, brazenly entering the city. His first reaction upon encountering resistance was to fight, showing no regard for himself as a government official or any concept of hierarchy. Although Chang Kun later appeared as a scapegoat, resolving the crisis, and Liu Ye's behavior afterwards underwent a complete transformation, offering a way out for both sides, this only demonstrates his flexibility, shrewdness, and adaptability; it does not prove that he was a loyal general to the court.

Imagine if Chang Kun hadn't appeared; would it have been the Chihe Battalion and Zhenwu Battalion that went to war with the Qionghai Army, instead of the Shenji Battalion? And Wang Lin and Xu Hongji's fate might not have been any better than Chang Kun's. Thinking about this, Wang Lin felt a chill run down his spine.

After a long silence, he finally decided on his words and wrote: "The Qionghai Army is exceptionally powerful, having previously defeated bandits and now sweeping through the Shenji Battalion with its ferocity. The court's possession of such a strong army is a blessing for the Ming Dynasty and a boon for Your Majesty. However, Liu Ye is unruly and cunning, his loyalty and treachery separated by a mere thought. If he advances, he will be a pillar of the nation; if he retreats, he will become a warlord in a chaotic world. I dare to suggest that he be summoned to the capital and given a sinecure, a nominal promotion but a demotion in disguise, stripped of his military power. In this way, the Qionghai Army can be fully utilized by the court. With proper training, it can become one of the strongest armies in the Ming Dynasty. However, this move is quite risky. If one is not careful, it could force Liu Ye to rebel, making him a major threat to the court, far more devastating than the likes of Zhang Xianzhong. I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully."