Chapter 49

Zhang Juzheng let You Qi pass the words to Qi Jiguang. Qi Jiguang already knew that Wang Chonggu was going to bring the Capital Battalion officers and soldiers who collided with him.

Qi Jiguang felt it was unnecessary. It was just a few words of dispute. Why make such a big fuss?

Qi Jiguang said quite definitely, "It's just a small matter. There are many disputes between the border army and the capital army. The commander and the commander should deal with it according to military law."

Qi Jiguang meant to let people live. The capital army would deal with it. Whether to hit hard, hit light, or put a thick cushion, it was all the responsibility of the Capital Battalions, and he wouldn't watch.

There were many nobility in the Capital Battalions. If they were really beaten to death, he, a border army commander, would probably have many more enemies in the court. The Duke of Cheng, Zhu Xizhong, and the commander, Wang Chonggu, would be offended immediately. After all, these people were their people.

Zhu Xizhong revealed a few smiles. Face is given to each other. Qi Jiguang was willing to give this face, and everyone would have face in the future.

"General Qi is truly a gentleman." Wang Chonggu couldn't help but sigh, looking at the hundred-household officer and the platoon leaders, kicked them hard, and said sharply, "Why don't you hurry up and thank General Qi for sparing your dog lives!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Qi, for sparing my life! Thank you, Grandpa Qi, for sparing my life!" The hundred-household officer knelt on the ground, kowtowing constantly. Although he was tied up and couldn't move well, he still finished the kowtowing action, completely losing the arrogance he had at the city gate before.

They never expected to cause such a big trouble. Before, when the border army entered the capital, they didn't bully them less.

Chen Dacheng, a general of the Southern Army who followed Qi Jiguang back to the capital, felt it was not worth it for his commander. How could he let these people go so easily? If he entered the capital again in the future, the group of small people would still harass him.

But the Qi Family Army had strict military discipline. A soldier's duty was to obey. He didn't oppose Qi Jiguang's approach.

Qi Jiguang chose to forgive this hundred-household officer, these two platoon leaders, and three soldiers. He was very magnanimous. He didn't want the soldiers to fight each other, which was detrimental to the Great Ming and inconsistent with his aspirations.

When it was time for the curfew, Qi Jiguang heard the news.

Wang Chonggu beat people to death.

Offending superiors, one hundred strokes. If these one hundred strokes were hit firmly with force, without any cushion, it would only take ten or so strokes to beat a person to death. But if you use clever force and put a cushion, it is just a loud sound, and it won't kill anyone.

"The person died?" Qi Jiguang's assistant general, Chen Dacheng, heard the news and immediately clenched his fists.

This civil official, Wang Chonggu, didn't want the Capital Battalions and the border army to be in harmony at all, and directly beat people to death. In the eyes of the Capital Battalions, this became Qi Jiguang's lack of capacity!

"Sigh." Qi Jiguang heard the news, and for a moment, he felt quite sad. All kinds of emotions turned into a heavy sigh, and there was an unresolved sorrow in the sigh.

He was indeed General Qi in the three towns. Under his command, no one dared not to obey. Military discipline was extremely strict, and he could fight and win.

There were many contradictions in the army.

He brought six thousand Southern soldiers, who were his left and right hands. But Jizhou, Shanhai, and Yongping were all Northern armies. The Northern army looked at the Southern army and felt that the Southern army was General Qi's executioner, supervisor, and executioner.

And the Southern army looked at the Northern army and felt that they were lazy, did not respect military discipline, and had loose military preparedness. The North-South contradiction also had many differences such as customs, accents, habits, and daily life. The conflict was extremely intense.

There were serious contradictions between soldiers in the army.

In the Great Ming, soldiers specifically refer to the volunteer groups, which were the volunteers recruited by Qi Jiguang to pacify the Japanese pirates, which was the recruitment system; while the army refers to the military households, the guard soldiers, hereditary farming.

Qi Jiguang's recruited soldiers had military pay of three cents and three li of daily rations, and if they marched, they had one cent and two li of travel rations. The military pay consumed in a year was about eighteen taels of silver. Qi Jiguang personally watched this part, which was the foundation of his guarantee of military discipline. If the military pay was enough, they could win battles.

The military pay of hereditary military households was the guard system, which was the way for everyone from assistant generals to small flags to drink soldiers' blood and get rich. Qi Jiguang tried to investigate corruption several times, but it was all in vain. Cutting off people's wealth was like killing their parents.

Hereditary military households watched the volunteer Southern soldiers eat well and drink well, and eighteen taels of silver were received in their hands every year, so they naturally held grudges. If they didn't worry about scarcity, they worried about inequality. Before, everyone suffered, and nothing could be seen. Suddenly, they knew that they could be soldiers like this, and conflicts immediately appeared. The contradictions between soldiers were complex and difficult to resolve.

The army was full of military contradictions. Because the Southern soldiers obtained a large amount of reward silver for pacifying the Japanese pirates, these silver coins became military equipment because of the frequent battles of the Southern soldiers. The military preparedness in the three towns was loose, and the guns used were still made in the Yongle period, while the Southern soldiers had bird guns. This daily training naturally caused disputes between the North and South soldiers.

Multiple contradictions influenced each other, checked each other, and promoted each other. In the end, the contradictions became irreconcilable. Therefore, even in the army, Qi Jiguang was regarded as a wart, redundant and useless.

And now, Wang Chonggu beat a hundred-household officer, two platoon leaders, and three soldiers of the Capital Battalions to death. This grudge was completely formed. In the future, there would be another contradiction between the Capital Battalions and the border army.

Under such contradictions, can Qi Jiguang still win battles? This is what a person with military talent can do whatever he wants on the battlefield.

Qi Jiguang believed that all contradictions were not problems. As long as they could win battles and always win battles, all contradictions would be directed at the enemy, not at themselves.

The next morning, the haze of the past few days was swept away. The sun jumped out from the east, spilling the morning light on the earth, making the capital and the North Earth City full of light from their sleep.

The people in the suburbs of the capital began to carry hoes and shoulder poles to work in the fields. The workshop gates in the city slowly opened, and the streets became noisy, with shouts one after another.

The steamer on the breakfast shop was steaming, the waiter selling breakfast was busy cooking tea soup, and his posture was flexible, flashing and moving to prevent the soup from splashing.

The storyteller in the teahouse told legendary stories. The stories were twists and turns, and occasionally the gavel was patted, drawing bursts of applause from the audience below. Just when he was in the mood, the storyteller suddenly said "listen to the next breakdown," which caused a piece of booing.

Qi Jiguang changed into his court clothes early, took his assistant general Chen Dacheng, and rode his horse to the Deshengmen. The Deshengmen was the military road. Qi Jiguang should enter the city from the Deshengmen.

The Minister of War, Tan Lun, the Vice Minister of War and Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Liu Yingjie, and the Vice Minister of War and Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, Wang Daokun, were surrounded by people and brought a group of court officials to greet him.

Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang were old friends. They pacified the Japanese pirates together in the south. When they arrived in the north, Tan Lun was the commander of military affairs in Jizhou, and Qi Jiguang was the commander of Jizhou. The two cooperated extremely tacitly.

Qi Jiguang dismounted, greeted each other, and then the group changed their carriages, followed the Deshengmen to the Imperial Road of the Left Changan Street, to the front of the Chengtian Gate. Qi Jiguang stepped off the carriage and stepped into the Imperial City, walking into the gate hole.

Suddenly enlightened.

Left literature and right martial arts. The square on both sides was full of capital officials and military nobility. The embroidered uniform guards wore fish-scale clothes and carried embroidered spring knives, holding hook-sickle spears, standing straight along the road, solemn and solemn.

The melodious horn sounded, the war drum sounded in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, and the musicians of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices began to play music and dance.

Qi Jiguang walked step by step to the bottom of the Nine Dragon Dan Steps, waiting for the emperor's summons.

Zhu Yijun was going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for the morning court for the first time. He got up at the fourth watch. Just putting on clothes took two quarters of an hour. The crown clothes specially customized for the ten-year-old ruler, the twelve-chapter crown clothes with the sun and moon on the shoulders, and the twelve-tassel crown were the emperor's formal clothes.

This set of formal clothes was troublesome to put on and troublesome to take off. Whether it was sacrificing to Heaven or the Ancestral Temple, it had to be worn. Zhu Yijun couldn't put on this set of clothes himself, so he had to be carefully served by the palace maids. Just the more than ten kinds of small accessories on his body were enough.

Fortunately, Zhu Yijun usually walked in four-square steps, steady and steady, otherwise, when walking, these accessories would collide and make a sound.

Morning bells and evening drums. At the fifth watch, the bronze bell of Jingyang Tower began to wake up the entire capital under the impact of the firemen, and the opposite side of Jingyang Tower began to beat drums, inspiring people's hearts.

The Ming followed the Tang system. In the morning, the bell was struck first and then the drum was beaten. At curfew, the drum was beaten first and then the bell was struck.

Zhu Yijun came to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The dragon chair was lifted to the platform. Zhu Xixiao swung the clean whip. The gathered officials began to enter the hall. After the three shouts of long live, they stood firm. Qi Jiguang had already arrived at the bottom of the Nine Dragon Dan Steps of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The time was just right.

The Minister of Rites, Lu Shusheng, did not make trouble with the rites. Since it had passed the court discussion, making trouble again was just looking for unhappiness.

Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said calmly, "Proclaim General Qi."

"Proclaim the commander of the three towns, Qi Jiguang, to see the emperor!" Feng Bao, the eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, heard the emperor speak, immediately stood up straight, and shouted loudly with his voice hanging.

The two teams of young eunuchs standing in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony kept shouting the emperor's imperial edict, two passed to four, four passed to eight, and then sixteen people, thirty-two people shouted the emperor's heavenly language one after another.

Qi Jiguang folded his hands, lifted his hem, picked up the steps, and walked into the Hall of Supreme Harmony step by step.

"Commander of Shanhai Pass, Yongping, and Jizhou, Qi Jiguang, pays respects to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, long live, long live, long live!" Qi Jiguang entered the hall and performed the great ceremony of five bows and three kowtows, shouting long live three times.

"Commander of the three towns, Qi Jiguang, receive the decree." Feng Bao swung his whisk, walked forward two steps, and two young eunuchs pulled open a one-zhang-long, one-foot-wide imperial edict woven with black rhinoceros horn axis, auspicious clouds, and auspicious cranes.

"The Emperor, by the grace of Heaven, decrees:"

"I, with cool virtue, am in the position of the treasure at a young age. I am always afraid of failing the trust of my ancestors and the service of the people. I only take the succession as the weight, and the foundation of the ancestral temple and the state is the priority. The foundation of the ancestors is extremely heavy. I am afraid that I will not be able to bear it day and night. I still rely on the civil and military relatives and sages to plan together. The transformation and management have reached all directions, and the people have auspicious rest, and start anew with the people."

"Since the Renyin year, the captives have sought tribute and trade every year. Our country wants to stop the war and rest the people, and the intention is quite sincere. However, if we do not clarify the reality of war and defense and prepare for it, the barbarian horses will drink in the suburbs, and the killing and smell will be heard in the city gates. Then they will threaten with soldiers and seek, and we will respond with exhausted plans, and make a covenant under the city walls. Is it not a humiliation?"

"The late emperor heard that Jiguang was well-versed in literature and martial arts, and was brave and resourceful; he could get people, know people, love people, and control people. He discussed with the court officials and ordered you to command Jizhou and Liaoning and specifically train border soldiers."

"Now I hear that Dong Huli knocked on the official to ask for a reward. You set an ambush at Beigukou, General Tower, Sister Tower, and Xifengkou, and repelled the thief leader Dong Huli of the Duoyan Guard. The first merit was more than two thousand five hundred, and then repelled the thief soldiers, captured Dong Huli's nephew Buha Chu alive and sent him back to the capital. I am very pleased."

"Record the merit of breaking the northern captives. Specially promoted to the Right Commander of the Central Military Governor's Office and concurrently the Crown Prince's Grand Guardian. Discuss the merit of pacifying the Japanese and resisting the enemy, conferred the title of Earl of Qian'an, with an annual salary of eight hundred stones. The loyalty of the threads can only be seen by Heaven!"

"The constitution of the successive dynasties, spreading virtue and bestowing grace, is announced to the world, so that everyone can hear it."

"Respect this."

Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "Beloved minister, rise."

Qi Jiguang kowtowed again and said loudly, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great grace."

The Hall of Supreme Harmony was a bit terrifyingly quiet, because the Emperor suddenly, unexpectedly, conferred a title of Earl on Qi Jiguang. Although no hereditary certificate was granted and it was only a flowing title, it was enough to make people feel terrified.

Who instructed this? Was it Zhang Juzheng for his subordinate dog?

What does the Emperor want to do?

Is the Emperor going to rebel!

"If you have anything, come out of the class and play early. If you have nothing, roll the curtain and retreat." Feng Bao swung his whisk and shouted loudly with his voice hanging.

The Minister of War, Tan Lun, stepped out with one foot and took it back. Whoever wants to oppose, let them oppose. Anyway, Tan Lun is not prepared to oppose.

The Minister of Personnel, Yang Bo, looked left and right, his expression complicated. Finally, he shook his head, stepped out, and bowed, saying, "Report to Your Majesty, your subject has a memorial to play."