Chapter 67: Wang Huazhen

Toppling Wei Zhongxian and toppling Xiong Tingbi was very important to Zou Yuanbiao, Gao Panlong, and the others, but the position of Liaodong Governor was equally important.

Otherwise, even if they took down Xiong Tingbi, they might not get their hands on the position of Military Commissioner of Liaodong. If they lost the even more important Liaodong Governorship, wouldn't that be an even greater loss?

As for Wei Zhongxian, Zou Yuanbiao and the others knew full well in their hearts that a eunuch trusted by the Emperor was really not that easy to topple.

This time was only an attempt. If it succeeded, so much the better; if it failed, it would still count as planting a thorn against Wei Zhongxian before His Majesty.

This sort of thing was not new to civil officials — what had become of Zhang Juzheng back in the day?

The Donglin Faction had ample patience to wait; they had even made moves against the heir apparent. By comparison, the Liaodong Governorship was the pressing matter at hand.

Of course, attacking Xiong Tingbi on the side was also acceptable — for instance, claiming that Xiong Tingbi had caused Xue Guoyong's death.

Whether or not there was any truth to it, put the hat on first, splash the dirty water over. As long as the court began investigating, things would be easy to handle.

Using public opinion to force Xiong Tingbi to resign — it wasn't as if they hadn't done that before.

And so a vigorous campaign to topple Xiong Tingbi began once again. This time the momentum and scale were both tremendous, and ironically no one was paying attention to Wei Zhongxian anymore.

But that didn't hold things up either — after all, Zou Yuanbiao's side was still conducting the interrogation. They could wait until he finished before discussing further.

The Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Youxiao watched the raindrops outside the window. This was the first rain since he had transmigrated here, and he found himself gazing at it somewhat absentmindedly.

"Get an umbrella. Let's go for a walk outside." Zhu Youxiao didn't turn around, merely giving the order.

Chen Hong naturally dared not be negligent and hurried off to make preparations.

Holding an oil-paper umbrella, walking through the drizzling rain within the Forbidden City — though the sky was gloomy, Zhu Youxiao's mood gradually brightened.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretariat's nominees for Liaodong Governor have been submitted." Chen Hong walked briskly to Zhu Youxiao's side and spoke softly.

"Who's at the top of the list?" Zhu Youxiao didn't stop, continuing to walk.

Chen Hong quickly replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, it is Right Censor-in-Chief and Guangning Governor Wang Huazhen."

Hearing this name, Zhu Youxiao was momentarily stunned. He turned to look at Chen Hong and asked: "Guangning Governor Wang Huazhen? Wang Huazhen is still serving as Governor in Guangning?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, yes." Chen Hong quickly said, then added: "The Grand Secretariat also submitted a routine memorial from Guangning Governor Wang Huazhen at the same time."

Zhu Youxiao was taken aback, then said: "Let me see it."

The routine memorial was quickly presented into Zhu Youxiao's hands.

Unfolding the memorial, Zhu Youxiao began to read.

In the memorial, Wang Huazhen described in detail the current situation in Guangning. When he had arrived in Guangning, there were only a thousand weak soldiers there; what followed was Wang Huazhen boasting of his achievements.

The memorial stated that Wang Huazhen had gathered scattered soldiers and refugees, already obtaining over ten thousand men. At the same time, he had roused the fighting spirit of the soldiers and people, and made contact with the Mongols in the west — the hearts of the people and the morale of Guangning were both usable.

Additionally, he had distributed a million taels of gold to entertain the Mongols lavishly, so that the Later Jin would have misgivings and dare not advance deep.

Once the time came, Wang Huazhen felt he could advance together with the Mongols to attack the Jianzhou barbarians — he had already made contact with Mongol tribes such as Chahar.

Reading this memorial, Zhu Youxiao suddenly laughed. He truly didn't know whether to call Wang Huazhen naive or call him simple.

Give a million from the privy purse to the Mongols?

Didn't Zhu Youxiao know exactly what those Mongols were like? Would they keep their promises?

Don't be ridiculous — surrendering and then rebelling again, hadn't the Mongols done that plenty of times?

This wasn't even asking a tiger for its skin anymore — this was directly courting death!

If war really broke out, those Mongols might well turn around and stab you in the back, then occupy Guangning. This Wang Huazhen was simply stupid to the extreme!

Recruited over ten thousand men? That could be called an army?

In Zhu Youxiao's view, the reason these people joined Wang Huazhen's forces was very simple — it was to get a meal.

They weren't soldiers, and they didn't want to fight. They just wanted to fill their bellies. These people were really just refugees.

Handing the memorial back to Chen Hong, Zhu Youxiao turned around and said: "Let's go back!"

Zhu Youxiao's mood was now terrible. The Donglin Faction truly excelled at empty talk but were incompetent at action, fitting Zhuge Liang's words from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: "Though the pen has a thousand words, the breast holds not a single plan."

First they produced a Yuan Yingtai, who lost Liaoyang and Shenyang, and then they produced a Wang Huazhen, who was even worse than Yuan Yingtai.

At least Yuan Yingtai, though stupid, had finally dared to commit suicide — but what about Wang Huazhen?

Look at him recruiting over ten thousand men — doesn't this operation look familiar? It was damn well the same thing Yuan Yingtai did in Shenyang and Liaoyang.

Zhu Youxiao wanted to curse. How could he have forgotten? That good-for-nothing Wang Huazhen was still squatting in Guangning!

Also, saying he was worse than Yuan Yingtai wasn't because Yuan Yingtai dared to commit suicide, but because Wang Huazhen had done something truly remarkable — he had betrayed the Donglin Faction.

One should know that Wang Huazhen's status in the Donglin Faction was not low — he was Ye Xianggao's disciple. As for Ye Xianggao, needless to say, he was a bona fide big shot of the Donglin Faction.

This Wang Huazhen was not skilled in military affairs, had insufficient understanding of the Later Jin, belittled the great enemy, and loved to boast. He wouldn't listen to a word of advice from civil and military officials, and clashed especially violently with Xiong Tingbi.

He delusionally hoped that Li Yongfang, who had surrendered to the Later Jin, would serve as his internal agent, and he believed the Mongols' words that Lindan Khan would send four hundred thousand reinforcements, thus hoping to win a complete victory without fighting.

Lindan Khan had four hundred thousand troops?

If he had four hundred thousand, he would have long since destroyed Nurhaci and marched south to attack the Great Ming — would he listen to your Wang Huazhen's words?

Furthermore, all matters such as troops, armor and weapons, provisions, and camps were set aside without any attention. Wang Huazhen only spoke big words to deceive the court.

With the Donglin Faction in charge of the court, when Wang Huazhen and Xiong Tingbi fell out as Governor and Military Commissioner, Xiong Tingbi naturally had no one supporting him.

At that time, Wang Huazhen had already recruited one hundred forty thousand troops in Guangning, while Xiong Tingbi at Shanhai Pass did not have a single soldier — he only had the empty title of Military Commissioner. The two men resented each other and quarreled over everything.

This was the famous discord between the Military Commissioner and the Governor. Xiong Tingbi advocated defense, believing that the people of Liaodong could not be trusted, the Mongols could not be relied upon, Li Yongfang could not be believed, and that Guangning was full of spies causing concern.

Wang Huazhen was the complete opposite, never mentioning defense, saying that once we crossed the river, the people east of the river would surely serve as internal agents. Moreover, he sent urgent dispatches to the court, saying that by the eighth month you could sleep soundly at ease upon receiving news of his victory.

In the end, in that battle Sun Degong and Assistant Regional Commander Bao Chengxian led the flight, the forces at Zhenwu and Lüyang were consequently defeated, Liu Qu and Qi Bingzhong died in battle at Shaling, and Zu Dashou fled to Juehua Island.

The defending general of Xiping waited for reinforcements that never came, and died in battle along with Assistant Regional Commander Hei Yunhe. Guangning fell, and everything happened exactly as Xiong Tingbi had predicted!