Chapter 405: Mindset

Song Wenxian had long maintained close contact with Liang Tingdong, and his status had steadily risen alongside Dengzhou Garrison's string of battlefield victories. At the very beginning, Liang Tingdong would usually only have his steward or trusted aides see him; now he was a guest received in the main hall. Even when Zhang Dahui came by occasionally, Liang Tingdong would receive him in person. That upward momentum from Dengzhou had also lifted the standing of both men.

Hearing Liang Tingdong's words, Song Wenxian smiled faintly and said, "My lord Liang, this matter is not something Lord Chen can accomplish alone. Who stands to gain the most from Qingzhou entering the Deng-Lai circuit goes without saying. A man like Geng Zhongming has not yet reached the point of opposing Lord Chen. It is much like the imperial court — impeaching someone is not necessarily about truly targeting that person; perhaps each side is simply taking what it needs. This humble one spends much time in the capital, and among those who can speak before Your Lordship, there are few from Deng-Lai. If someone seeks me out to run an errand, that is all well and good, so long as they are not truly trying to move against Lord Chen. This humble one earns a little silver for his legwork, and Lord Chen will also remember the goodwill of the Minister of War. To speak plainly with Your Lordship, that is the honest truth."

Liang Tingdong murmured twice in acknowledgment. If one followed Song Wenxian's explanation, then he was a political broker. Such political brokers were not few in the capital; many were former officials leveraging their personal connections. Over the past few years, relying on Wendeng's strength, Song Wenxian had dealt extensively with various ministries. Though his connections were merely ordinary, the entanglements of interest were already considerable. A large portion of the Liaodong military tax allocated to Chen Xin's forces was funneled back through him and the money shops, making him a figure of some note in the capital.

Liang Tingdong quickly interpreted Song Wenxian's words according to his own experience: Wang Tingshi, Geng Zhongming, and Chen Xin were putting on a show together, and with Shang Kexi's impeachment of Chen Xin received yesterday, that made it a four-man performance, the goal being to create a new Regional Commander. It also involved the contest for the Regional Commander post at Dongjiang. Among them, Shang Kexi and Geng Zhongming likely had many entanglements with Wang Tingshi. The reasoning held up, but Liang Tingdong still remained skeptical.

Once this Qingzhou Regional Commander post was created, there would be a detached battalion and a mobile corps battalion under it — roughly six to seven thousand troops. Arms, equipment, and a year's military pay combined would require around two hundred thousand taels of silver. Within the Liaodong military tax, that was neither a large sum nor a small one. This share would most likely be apportioned from the major items of Liaozhen, Shanhai Pass, and the Ministry of Works. All told, it was not enough to make those men fight to the death over it, so he believed Chen Xin and Wang Tingshi had calculated this carefully.

Liang Tingdong thought for a moment, then said to Song Wenxian, "Since you put it that way, Daoist Priest, this official can hardly say much. But do also tell whoever entrusted you with this errand that hidden currents are surging in the court lately. Whether it succeeds or fails rests entirely on fortune."

"Whatever words Your Lordship Liang speaks, this humble one trusts them. But in this humble one's view, this matter only requires confirming that a Qingzhou Regional Commander will be added. Everything else will fall into place naturally. When the time comes, the Minister of War need only recommend an officer from Dengzhou Garrison. Zhou Yanru and his ilk will naturally find a suitable candidate, and Geng Zhongming is without doubt the most suitable."

"Nowadays, many Regional Commander posts have been created in the north. At times, even this official cannot remember exactly how many Regional Commanders there are. One more in Qingzhou is no great hindrance. However, this official recalls that Dengzhou still has a Liu Zeqing. Do not end up sewing a wedding dress for someone else."

"He is currently only an Assistant Regional Commander. This time he wanted to go to Lvshun, but Lord Chen did not let him have his wish. Geng Zhongming, on the other hand, may be able to later. Military merit is there for all to see. Geng Zhongming also has unrewarded military merit from suppressing bandits in Henan. No matter what, it will not fall to Liu Zeqing."

Liang Tingdong gently stroked his beard. Chen Xin was a man of outstanding military achievements, and naturally his subordinates had accumulated a heap of military merit as well. Most of Dengzhou Garrison's officers came from the Wendeng Battalion, and their combat strength now far surpassed that of other garrisons. The Emperor inevitably harbored some concern in his heart. At present, Deng-Lai was used to check Liaozhen; in the future, Liaozhen or some other place might be used to check Deng-Lai. If this was not handled properly in between, it would be easy to incur the Emperor's resentment. So having one more Regional Commander in Qingzhou was no problem; the key was who that Regional Commander would be.

But after thinking it over carefully, he realized that his own standing largely came from Deng-Lai's military achievements. It had been this way since the Wendeng Battalion days, especially during the defeat at Dalinghe, when Dengzhou counterattacked into Liaonan and improved the Liaodong situation in one stroke, which was what allowed him, the Minister of War, to keep his seat securely. So although he had misgivings in his heart, he still decided to push this matter forward. Only after a moment did he say, "With Geng Zhongming's impeachment coming first, Zhou Yanru's faction, harming others without benefiting themselves, putting forward this Geng Zhongming as Qingzhou Regional Commander is also within reason. When the time comes, this official need only oppose it with full force. That Zhu Daichun from Henan this time is a good candidate."

Song Wenxian laughed and said, "Exactly. Your Lordship Liang is truly worthy of being called a man of outstanding talent. The more fiercely Your Lordship and the venerable Mr. Wen oppose Geng Zhongming, the more certain this matter is to succeed."

Song Wenxian fell silent after speaking. This was something he and Chen Xin had gamed out. From intelligence analysis obtained by the intelligence station within the palace, Chongzhen had some misgivings about Dengzhou Garrison, but his overall assessment was still highly appreciative. His nature was also quite suspicious, and he was very fond of using checks and balances. This was where the importance of intelligence became apparent. Song Wenxian and Chen Xin had formulated their plan based precisely on Chongzhen's attitude. Wen Tiren's faction now held a complete advantage in court power, and Chen Xin was a staunch member of the Wen faction. Then whatever the Wen faction firmly opposed was most likely to pass with the Emperor, because Deng-Lai checked Liaozhen, so this Qingzhou Regional Commander could be used to check Chen Xin — and the candidate would be Geng Zhongming.

Song Wenxian had separately arranged for someone to act as Geng Zhongming's representative, seeking out a genuine political broker, and the path he asked him to find was Liu Yulie. This man was a major figure in Zhou Yanru's faction, currently serving as Vice Minister of the Ministry of War. It was merely a matter of spending silver.

As long as Liu Yulie proposed Geng Zhongming, then Liang Tingdong's group could vehemently oppose it. Thereafter, even if something happened with Geng Zhongming, it would have nothing to do with them. So the whole matter was divided into two stages: confirming the addition of a Qingzhou Regional Commander relied on Liang Tingdong, while deciding on the candidate for Regional Commander relied on Zhou Yanru. On Zhou Yanru's side, there was certainly no one who could compare to Geng Zhongming, because Geng Zhongming's Henan military merit had not yet been rewarded. As long as Wang Tingshi brought him along at Lvshun, no one would be more suitable than him.

Liang Tingdong would not ask about the manipulations behind Song Wenxian. He merely sighed and said, "Daoist Priest, you often come and go in this official's service and are clear about court affairs. One cannot afford to be incautious. If one speaks of someone truly trustworthy, it must be Commander Chen. Though he does not often come to the capital, that regard of his is ever present."

Song Wenxian said in a low voice, "Once Lord Zhou bravely retreats from the rapids, there will still be a seat in the Grand Secretariat. Your Lordship Liang has toiled and exhausted your mind and strength for many years; entering the Grand Secretariat should be beyond question. With Your Lordship's learning and talent, leaving a name in the annals of history hereafter is a certainty. Some days ago, General Chen even mentioned to this humble one that Your Lordship Liang is truly the man in court who understands military affairs. In the future, should Your Lordship grow weary of the court, he would still like to invite Your Lordship to visit Deng-Lai for a short stay. He could also seek your instruction in person."

Liang Tingdong shook his head at Song Wenxian and said, "Discussing military matters with Commander Chen is one of life's great pleasures. Regarding this Qingzhou matter, this official understands. If Daoist Priest is returning to Lvshun soon, bring Commander Chen a message: this official will help him keep an eye on court affairs, and there is some assurance regarding Qingzhou. He need only focus on holding Lvshun well. Also, do not personally lead every charge. Whether office or wealth, they are only useful if one's body is healthy."

"This humble one understands. Lord Chen also sent a letter yesterday. He asked this humble one to pass on a word to Your Lordship: when two tigers fight, it seems one must emerge the victor. Gambling on the big or the small is better than not gambling at all."

Liang Tingdong laughed heartily. His tearing off all pretense of civility with Zhou Yanru today stemmed from his judgment of the recent situation, in order to secure a more powerful position within the Wen faction. And the intelligence from this political broker Song Wenxian was quite important to him. He had not yet realized that behind Song Wenxian stood a crack force providing support; he merely assumed this broker had scurried about and ferreted out the information himself.

Liang Tingdong said to Song Wenxian with considerable meaning, "If Lord Zhou indeed bravely retreats from the rapids, then the situation at court will certainly differ from before. In this official's view, in truth, this may not be entirely a good thing. Becoming Senior Grand Secretary makes one the biggest target. Those censors and supervising secretaries will fix their gaze on you relentlessly. His Majesty will also become more pressing on certain matters. If everyone is to live comfortably, the subtleties within — Chancellor Wen understands them, and General Chen should understand them as well." …

"There are not many who can think it through clearly." At the Lvshun water fortress, Chen Xin smiled faintly at Yang Yunnong before him. "Huang Long is a muddle-headed man. Though he also fights the Jianzhou bandits, he can never see the situation clearly. He was mutilated by mutinous soldiers, his ears and nose cut off, yet still he has not learned his lesson. This time, although he has come ashore, he headed toward the Tieshan direction, not toward Lord Wang's direction. When the time comes, we need only watch for his head. Submitting a memorial impeaching him after the battle is unavoidable. Both Shang Kexi and Mao Chenglu are stronger than Huang Long. This time, since Mao Chenglu agreed to use pay tickets to issue troop pay, he can be considered one of our own from now on. Shang Kexi is even better. He besieged Huanggu Island Fort twice; even if he did not take it, his eagerness to fight is clear at a glance."

Yang Yunnong wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead. "It is exactly as Your Lordship says. On this trip through Dongjiang, Shicheng and Guanglu were the warmest toward me. Shen Shikui on Pi Island was also acceptable. Only at Huang Long's place was it neither cold nor warm. Since he adopts such an attitude, he cannot blame us for not accepting his ginseng and furs. His subordinates on the island are quite critical of him."

Chen Xin smiled and said, "Do not withhold his regular supplies. The people on the island all need to eat. Writing off thirty percent as lost at sea according to custom is enough; no need to let the islanders starve and defect to the Jianzhou bandits. However, privately, spread some word that it is because Huang Long, for the sake of his own pride, refuses to deal with Dengzhou Garrison, and therefore goods and supplies cannot move to and from the island."

Yang Yunnong bowed and said, "This humble official understands."

After speaking, he stole a glance toward the front at Lvshun. Over there, gunsmoke rose in waves, and the rumble of cannon sounded from every direction; the fighting was clearly still fierce. Chen Xin had not brought him to the front lines, but he heard that the Jianzhou bandits had already dug into the horse-blocking trench. The two sides could even hear each other speaking. Those booming explosions were the fire mines of both sides. Dengzhou Garrison's porcelain mines were being consumed very quickly, and now they were also using crude fire mines as substitutes.

"Vice Director Yang."

Chen Xin suddenly spoke, startling Yang Yunnong, who hurriedly gathered his wits. He heard Chen Xin say, "This time, were the Koreans respectful in their attitude toward you?"

"Respectful, extremely respectful. This humble one originally only planned to stay on Pi Island a few days, contact that Korean officer stationed on the island, and then return. Who would have thought that officials of the Joseon court from Xuanchuan and Tieshan would come in person to invite me? So this humble one made a trip for propaganda purposes. Joseon's praise of Your Lordship is like a rising tide. Before, Tatars came and went freely in places like Tieshan and Xuanchuan; now they have all fled back across the river and ordinarily dare not cross. The Koreans all say it is the merit of the Heavenly Troops, and foremost among them is Dengzhou Garrison."

"Have the matters of this year's tobacco leaf and ginseng all been settled?"

"Settled. However, Joseon wanted to sell directly to us, but as Your Lordship instructed, this humble one still had them go through Pi Island, letting Shen Shikui have a little of the broth. For other specific affairs, the trading company will negotiate on its own; this humble one could not interfere."

Chen Xin smiled and said, "Their side from the royal capital can send ships directly to Jinghai Guard. That can be agreed to. For the north, it is still better to go through Dongjiang. That way, the money shop and trading company can gain a firm foothold on Pi Island. If you earn all the money, what dealings will you have left with the Dongjiang troops on Pi Island?"

"This subordinate will remember."

From the front at Lvshun came a dense wave of explosions; plumes of white smoke rose from the central position. Chen Xin drew a breath, then said to Yang Yunnong, "Vice Director Yang, on this trip back, pay more attention to Qingzhou. The next main task for your Foreign Affairs Department will be in that place."

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