pjbooks Chapter 406 General Mutiny and Deputy General
Chapter 406 General Mutiny and Deputy General
Emperor Chongzhen was an impatient and stubborn man. Wen Tiren had served this master for eight years, from the beginning of Chongzhen's reign as Minister of Rites to the third year of Chongzhen's reign as Grand Secretary, and had thoroughly understood his temperament. When he heard Chongzhen ask this question, he knew that Chongzhen had already made up his mind and had only called him in to fill in the gaps and help him refine his idea.
If it weren't for Lin Tianming's letter and ten thousand taels of silver, Wen Tiren wouldn't have cared about the fate of a mere military officer in Qiongzhou Prefecture, Guangdong. Since the emperor wanted to transfer a military officer to the capital, he'd let him be happy; there was no need to spoil the emperor's mood over such a trivial matter. However, to win over Lin Tianming, he couldn't ignore the demands in his letter: besides seeking the position of governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, he also wanted to ensure his future son-in-law's promotion to general in his current location. But this went against Chongzhen's intentions.
Wen Tiren could understand the thoughts of Lin Tianming and his son-in-law. Although being a high-ranking official in the capital was prestigious, it didn't compare to the prestige of being a local official, except for the reputation. Even if one wanted to make money, it was more convenient to be in the capital than in the provinces. Except for high-ranking officials like ministers, most officials in the capital didn't have much illicit income and lived relatively austere lives. The same was true for military officers. If they joined the capital's military garrison, they would be completely controlled by nobles and officials. It was nothing like the carefree life of drawing a salary without working in the provinces.
How could he dissuade the emperor from his idea? Wen Tiren fell into deep thought.
Seeing that Wen Tiren did not answer for a long time, Chongzhen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Does Changqing disagree with my opinion?"
Wen Tiren snapped out of his reverie and quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I wholeheartedly agree with this approach. Since there are such talented individuals in the region, they should be transferred to the Shenji Battalion to serve the court. Wouldn't it be a waste to keep them as mere assistant commanders in Qiongzhou?"
Emperor Chongzhen was pleased. "You agree with my idea? Then you will draft the decree. Immediately transfer Liu Ye to the capital. His official rank will remain unchanged for the time being. If he truly has the ability to improve the Shenji Battalion, it will not be too late to appoint him as a deputy general."
While pondering, Wen Tiren replied, "Your Majesty, before drafting the decree, I have a few words I'm unsure whether I should say them or not."
Emperor Chongzhen waved his hand: "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; believe only one side and you will be misled. Speak freely."
"This Liu Ye was transferred to the Shenji Battalion with only the rank of a lieutenant general. The officers in charge of the battalion are all nobles. It's already a miracle that they don't ostracize him. So how can they talk about training the Shenji Battalion?"
Emperor Chongzhen was speechless for a moment. After thinking for a while, he said, "How about we make an exception and promote him to the position of deputy commander of the Divine Machine Battalion?"
"Including the Shenji Battalion, the generals and deputy generals of the three major battalions have always been nobles and have never been appointed to other positions. If this arrangement is made, Liu Ye will definitely become the target of everyone's criticism."
Emperor Chongzhen's expression darkened: "Those with low official ranks have no influence, while those with high ranks are resented. So what do you suggest I do? Should I purge all three major camps and replace all the commanders in charge?"
Wen Tiren lowered his head, avoiding Chongzhen's gaze: "That's naturally impossible. To purge the three major camps for an unknown soldier would be tantamount to an earthquake..."
Even if he hadn't said it, Chongzhen knew it was impossible. Although the Beijing Garrison had been weak for a long time, its personnel relationships were intricate and involved most of the nobles and important officials in the capital. Even as the emperor, he couldn't simply purge them if he wanted to.
Emperor Chongzhen grew agitated and paced back and forth. "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Seeing that Chongzhen was wavering, Wen Tiren seized the opportunity to offer a suggestion: "Actually, Your Majesty's idea is excellent, but it is not the right time to transfer Liu Ye to the capital. It would be better to reward him according to his merits in suppressing the rebellion in Shandong, promote him to a higher rank, let him hone his skills in the local area, accumulate more merits, and build up his seniority. When his battle record, military achievements, and seniority are all impeccable, then he can be transferred to the capital. It will be a natural process, and no one will dare to gossip."
Emperor Chongzhen stopped in his tracks and sighed deeply: "Alas, Changqing is right. But how much time will this waste? Time waits for no one! I wish I could train the Beijing Garrison this year and send them out to suppress bandits and fight the Tartars. You know, those local military officers are all eager to demand pay, but when it comes to fighting, they make excuses and give all sorts of reasons. If I could train 100,000 elite Beijing Garrison troops, why would I have to put up with the nonsense of these military men?"
Wen Tiren breathed a sigh of relief. This feint had finally diverted the emperor's attention and dispelled his idea.
"Your Majesty understands your difficulties, but haste makes waste, and some things cannot be rushed."
Chongzhen sat back down in his chair and asked, "So, according to you, how should Liu Ye be rewarded? Since he needs to accumulate seniority, why not just transfer him to Beizhili as a sinecure general? That would make it easier for him to be transferred to the Beijing Garrison in the future."
“I think this is inappropriate. The reason why Liu Ye has been able to train troops and make a name for himself is mostly because he was not constrained in the remote Qiongzhou Prefecture. As the saying goes, ‘Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, but those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges.’ If we rashly place him in Beizhili, he may become just an ordinary person. It would be better to appoint him as a general and keep him in Qiongzhou.”
After thinking for a moment, Emperor Chongzhen made a decision: "He cannot be promoted to general directly, otherwise there will be no room for future rewards. Let's hold him back for now and only give him the rank of deputy general. When we need to transfer him to the capital in the future, I will personally issue an edict to reward him. This will not only make him feel the emperor's favor, but also deter the generals in the capital garrison—his official position was personally appointed by me, who would dare to disobey!"
This is the art of imperial maneuvering: to manipulate one's ministers, first suppress them and then praise them, making them grateful and ingratiating, while simultaneously announcing to all ministers that this is the man I have chosen, and that you must all cooperate with him and not secretly sabotage him.
Wen Tiren sighed helplessly, thinking to himself: Lin Tianming, this is all I can do for you. The Emperor wants to control your son-in-law, and I am powerless to do anything about it. To try to dissuade him at this point would be tantamount to being ignorant of the consequences.
He thought this in his heart, but said aloud, "Your Majesty is wise and it is only right."
After discussing this matter, Chongzhen remembered another matter in the memorial. Since the Grand Secretary was here, he might as well ask for his opinion on it as well.
"Now that the rebellion in Shandong has been quelled, the position of governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou is vacant and needs to be filled. Does Changqing have a suitable candidate?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Tiren perked up and answered without hesitation: "In my opinion, Lin Tianming, the Imperial Inspector of Shandong, has made meritorious contributions in assisting the suppression of the rebellion and is also familiar with the local conditions in Dengzhou and Laizhou. He is the best candidate."
Emperor Chongzhen scrutinized Wen Tiren, and seeing that Wen met his gaze without flinching, he nodded secretly. As emperor, his greatest fear was that his ministers would collude, forming a united front against imperial power. Wen Tiren was a "lone minister," while Lin Tianming was a censor; the two should have no connection whatsoever. This recommendation must have come from the public good. Zhu Dadian, Lin Tianming, and others had rendered meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion and were originally to be rewarded. Since the Grand Secretary had also recommended this man, then it was settled.
"The draft decree states: Zhu Dadian is promoted to Vice Minister of War for his skillful command of troops, and remains Governor of Shandong; Lin Tianming is appointed Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and concurrently Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shandong, and Governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou for his meritorious service in assisting in the suppression of the rebellion; Liu Ye is promoted to Vice General and concurrently Governor of Guangzhou for his meritorious service in beheading the rebel leader Li Jiucheng and intercepting the rebel navy, and remains stationed in Qiongzhou; the Ministry of War shall reward the remaining troops according to their merits."