novelSusiti Chapter 22 Prime Minister Sun, you're so aloof, you're amazing!
Chapter 22 Prime Minister Sun, you're so aloof, you're amazing!
"Our emperor is now thinking ten steps ahead for every one step he takes!"
An elderly man, well past sixty, with a full head of snow-white hair and a face deeply lined with wrinkles, sat upright with his back straight as a bell.
He was dressed in a military officer's uniform, with faint dark red bloodstains visible on his cuffs. Holding a copy of the Tianqi Daily, he spoke with emotion.
"Brother Ninghai, the Emperor is already twenty-two years old, and it is the perfect time for him to assume personal rule."
Sun Chengzong sat opposite the old man, his eyes unusually bright, his voice deep and steady.
That old man was none other than the famous General Shen Yourong, the commander of Dengzhou and Laizhou.
Ninghai is his pen name.
He is exactly seventy years old this year.
He joined the army at the age of seventeen and served under five emperors: Jiajing, Longqing, Wanli, Taichang, and Tianqi. He fought against Japanese pirates, suppressed pirates, and recovered Penghu!
Of course, that was at the end of the Wanli era, when he led his army to drive out the Dutch and recover Penghu in one fell swoop.
Now everyone in the world knows that there is a large island in Fujian that is occupied by the Japanese, and Shen Yourong dreams of conquering it.
Sun Chengzong was sixty-four years old, six years younger than Shen Yourong, but his temples were also gray.
During his four years as military governor in Liaodong, he oversaw the construction of the Ningjin defense line and promoted a number of generals, including Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou, making him a pillar of the Tianqi era.
I had just returned to Beijing with Wang Tiqian a few days ago and finished reporting to Zhu Ming. Taking advantage of my free time, I came to chat with Sun Chengzong, the Grand Secretary.
At this moment, the two veterans, one a pillar of the navy and the other a valiant defender of the land forces, sat facing each other, the aroma of tea wafting through the air.
"Brother Zhisheng, I have been adrift at sea for half a year and have only just returned to the capital to report on my duties."
Shen Yourong smiled, then suddenly fell silent, her gaze becoming deep. "This time when I came back, the capital had changed drastically."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the window.
Outside the window is an old locust tree in Sun Chengzong's mansion, its branches and leaves lush and verdant, sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves and casting dappled shadows.
Last year, the emperor reinstated him and ordered him to train the new Ming navy and rebuild the naval defenses along the southeast coast.
At that time, he felt that this emperor was probably not as weak and cowardly as he had been before.
Sun Chengzong picked up his teacup and gently blew away the foam on the surface: "How is it?"
"First, the three major battalions have changed. I went to the drill ground and saw that the Shenji Battalion's firearms have been replaced with new ones, with a range twice that of the Japanese pirates' arquebuses; the Shenshu Battalion's warhorses are now equipped with horseshoes and saddles, and the Sanqian Battalion has also developed some kind of 'rapid response' system, which is said to be able to leave the city to fight in half an hour."
Shen Yourong slowly explained, "I heard that this is because Brother Zhisheng is very skilled at training troops!"
"This is all His Majesty's will," Sun Chengzong nodded. "His Majesty personally issued an edict to dismiss three generals and thirteen adjutants, and promoted a large number of junior officers. Otherwise, how could I train troops so easily?"
He paused, his voice calm yet resolute, "His Majesty said that the three major camps have long suffered from deep-seated problems, and that they cannot be reformed without being destroyed."
"Brother Zhisheng, don't be modest. Everyone knows your reputation as the Jiliao Commander-in-Chief for 'eliminating deserters, enforcing military discipline, reorganizing the troops, and strictly enforcing the duties of officers and soldiers'."
Shen Yourong said with a smile, then paused and changed her tone, "But, Brother Zhisheng, you are not fair. You set up Brother Gao and the others in the court."
Shen Yourong was referring to the imperial court's fundraising for the reconstruction of Wanggongchang. Sun Chengzhong first donated one hundred taels of silver, and then donated five thousand hectares of fertile land.
The imperial court erupted in chaos.
Those upright officials from Donglin, like Gao Panlong and Huang Suzun, were like CPUs that were completely overheated.
The Grand Secretary first donated 100 taels of silver to lure people into a trap, then turned around and donated 5,000 hectares of fertile land—what are they supposed to do?
Should we donate as well?
They don't have five thousand hectares of fertile land.
Not donating? That would be disloyal to the court and the emperor.
As a result, those Donglin gentlemen who usually shouted "the nation and the world" emptied their pockets one by one with tears in their eyes.
"I have only contributed my meager efforts to rebuilding the Great Ming Armory!" Sun Chengzong said slowly, picking up the lid of his teacup and gently stirring the foam.
His words were clear: he would donate his share, and how others donated was none of his business.
"I want to know, what exactly are you up to?" Shen Yourong rolled her eyes and said with displeasure, "Don't forget, we're all from the Donglin faction..."
"Brother Ninghai, you've gone too far!" Sun Chengzong quickly interrupted him, "We are both His Majesty's subjects!"
Shen Yourong was taken aback.
This statement carries considerable weight.
He opened his mouth, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Fine! Very good! Chief Minister Sun, you're aloof, you're remarkable."
He was speechless, looking at his old friend who had once fought alongside him, and suddenly felt a little estranged. "Now you can ignore the scholars of Donglin."
Sun Chengzong had previously maintained close ties with members of the Donglin Party; Gao Panlong, Zhao Nanxing, and Zuo Guangdou were among his old acquaintances.
For this reason, when Wei Zhongxian was in power, he became a thorn in the side of the eunuch faction and almost got dismissed from office.
But he changed after being transferred back to the capital last year and promoted to Grand Secretary.
The biggest change was keeping their distance from Gao Panlong and his group.
When Yang Lian and others were imprisoned, he remained indifferent; when members of the Donglin Party were attacked in court by remnants of the eunuch faction, he did not utter a word in their defense.
Shen Yourong was holding her breath.
Sun Chengzong put down his teacup, crossed his hands on his knees, and looked into the void, ignoring Shen Yourong's mockery, as if he were recalling something.
After a long silence, he slowly said, "His Majesty wants to rebuild Wanggongchang. Do you know what those people are saying in their memorials?"
Shen Yourong calmed down a bit, realizing she had spoken too harshly, so she suppressed her temper and asked, "What do you mean?"
"The Ministry of Revenue says there's no money or grain, the Ministry of Rites says it's against regulations, and the Ministry of Personnel says there's no one to make arrangements!" Sun Chengzong continued. "Some even say that the eunuch faction is causing chaos, the emperor is immoral, and the disaster is a warning that reconstruction is not advisable!"
He paused, then slightly raised his gaze: "Throughout the entire memorial, not a single person mentioned how to quickly provide disaster relief or how to handle the aftermath."
"..." Shen Yourong opened her mouth, then closed it again, listening silently.
"The cabinet is piled high with such memorials, it's shocking to see them," Sun Chengzong's voice finally showed a hint of emotion. "In the past six months since I joined the cabinet, I have finally come to understand why I never received the court's support when I was building cities and fortresses and promoting generals in Liaodong."
"It's not that the imperial court doesn't support us. It's those civil officials who are messing around, delaying, shirking responsibility, and making excuses."
He took a deep breath: "That's how the strategic deployment in Liaodong was gradually worn down."
Shen Yourong remained silent.
Sun Chengzong continued, "After the Tianqi Explosion, the disaster-stricken areas needed relief, and Wanggongchang needed reconstruction. This time, I've truly witnessed just how despicable those upright civil officials really are."
He turned his head and looked intently at Shen Yourong: "I used to think that as long as the court was of one mind, what was there to worry about in the Jurchens not being destroyed? Now I realize that achieving unity of purpose is the most difficult thing."
Shen Yourong understood the meaning behind his words.
No wonder the Tianqi Emperor Zhu Ming did not send Sun Chengzong back to the Liaodong front to command the battle, but instead left him in the capital to oversee the rear.
As long as Sun Chengzong is the Grand Secretary, Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou at the front lines can coordinate and respond to the court's military pay and strategic measures in a timely manner, instead of being caught in the middle of the Donglin Party and the eunuch party, causing delays in military operations.
This is the emperor's chess game.
A complex emotion suddenly welled up in Shen Yourong's heart.
He was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Brother Zhisheng, I understand."
He paused, then continued, "But this is the work of the eunuch faction. Only by eliminating their influence and filling the court with upright officials from the Donglin faction can the Ming Dynasty be revitalized."
Shen Yourong knew what Gao Panlong and the others were thinking.
Gao Panlong and his ilk were single-mindedly focused on overthrowing Wei Zhongxian, eliminating the eunuch faction, and restoring order to the world.
The Tianqi Explosion was the best excuse, and the bombing of Wanggongchang was the best trigger.
"Brother Ninghai, don't you understand?" Sun Chengzong's eyes sharpened as he stared intently at Shen Yourong. "Donglin, empty talk ruins the country."
These four words were like a knife, piercing straight into Shen Yourong's heart.
He fell silent again.
Silence was the only sound in the attic at this time.
On the old locust tree outside the window, several sparrows chirped and chattered, oblivious to the hardships of human life.
"Let's talk about the Apocalypse Explosion again," Sun Chengzong's voice returned to its calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself, "You must know what they did to the people."
Shen Yourong knew, of course.
He gripped the newspaper tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
"Why--"
He let out a complex sigh, "Brother Gao and the others... are foolish."
Shen Yourong understood Gao Panlong all too well.
He possesses both talent and integrity.
But he was too impatient.
If he honestly focuses on disaster relief, fundraising, and reconstruction, no one will say anything.
But he insisted on making a fuss about the big explosion, hoping to use it to bring down the eunuch faction and blame the emperor.
This tactic has worked throughout history. When there are natural disasters or calamities, they can be attributed to the emperor, who will then have to issue an edict of self-reproach and dismiss the "treacherous ministers" around him.
But who is Zhu Ming?
The Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, the Tianqi Emperor.
Now that he has taken power, if the so-called eunuch faction and Donglin faction are still attacking each other, it is a disregard for the emperor's authority.
Moreover, the eunuch faction has now been thoroughly tamed by Zhu Ming, with Wei Zhongxian obediently making money for Zhu Ming, while other members of the eunuch faction have either changed their allegiance or been purged.
The rest were all so-called "royalists".
Those members of the Donglin Party haven't realized what's happening yet, and they're constantly walking into the line of fire.
If Zhu Ming doesn't deal with them, who will he deal with?
Moreover, Sun Chengzong has already intentionally kept his distance from them.
Shen Yourong knew perfectly well what this meant: the Donglin Party was no longer a force to be reckoned with.
If they want to stir up any more trouble, then they are going against the emperor.
"More than just confused," Sun Chengzong said with a smile.
He knew that Shen Yourong also favored Donglin, but she was a high-ranking military officer in the Five Armies Commandery, which was different from the literati of Donglin.
That's why the two of them can now sit together and chat, instead of being shut out by Sun Chengzong.
"What a pity," Shen Yourong sighed. "If Brother Gao could have been more patient, with his talent, he could have entered the cabinet."
He paused, spread the "Great Tianqi Daily" in his hand on the table, and his eyes fell on the headline on the front page.
The newspaper boldly proclaimed—
"Jiang spies infiltrated the capital and detonated the Wanggongchang explosion, causing 200,000 civilian casualties!"
Shen Yourong read it aloud, word by word, her voice filled with an indescribable admiration.
"Your Majesty is shifting the blame for the so-called natural disaster onto the Jurchens' 'man-made calamity'."
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" He looked up at Sun Chengzong, his eyes filled with admiration. "Without bloodshed, Brother Gao and his team have rendered their arguments utterly ineffective!"