Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

What?

Sun Chuancheng was shocked when he heard this.

This has nothing to do with your psychological quality. It's like the company leaders are in a meeting and ask you to destroy the richest man in the country in order to solve the funding problem.

Absurd and outrageous.

"Marshal, something bad will happen if we do this." Sun Chuanting said in horror.

Sun Chuanting knew that Shanxi merchants had done many bad things in secret for money, even selling out military intelligence.

As the governor of Xuanda, Lu Xiangsheng naturally knew this, so the two did not ask why immediately, but reminded them of the consequences of doing so.

This is probably what the last years of a dynasty were like. Everyone knew that there were problems at the court, and many people even knew where the problems lay, but no one had the ability to change them.

Shanxi merchants are such deformed monsters. Although they are just merchants, they use money to pave the way for everyone, from court officials to generals in border towns to their own hometowns. Their relationships are complicated and intertwined.

They are protected by officials in the imperial court and certain generals in the border towns. Even in their old nests, the neighbors who benefit from them will speak for them.

To touch the Shanxi merchants is like stirring up a huge hornet's nest.

If you are not careful, you might be stung to death by them, then stepped on by ten thousand feet and spat on by the thousand-year-old phlegm.

It was also for this reason that Lu Xiangsheng had to turn a blind eye to certain things during his tenure as Governor-General of Xuanda.

There is no way. In the court, if you want to do something for the people, the first thing you have to learn is to compromise.

“Yeah, I know, that’s why I asked you two to do it.

The court needs the silver in their hands, and you need it too.

Therefore, we must cut the Gordian knot quickly, and take away what should be taken away and destroy what should be destroyed before anyone can react. " Zhang Shikang said sharply without beating around the bush.

Sun Chuanting immediately understood what Lu Xiangsheng had just said.

The young general was indeed using dandy and rogue tactics, but he was able to hit the nail on the head and get to the heart of the matter.

But it was still too reckless.

"Marshal, in fact, if you just give me and Lord Lu some time, I think we can handle this matter more safely." Sun Chuanting thought for a while and said.

These people have done a lot of work on the surface, and it may be difficult to collect enough evidence in a short period of time.

But these people are always not clean. If we just take some time to find a breakthrough, perhaps we can avoid most of the trouble.

But from what the Marshal said, it seems like he is trying to frame someone with false charges.

"Oh, I want to give you some time, but who can give me some time?

Go ask those soldiers whether their military pay can be paid next year?

Or ask Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong if they can wait two years before making trouble again?" Zhang Shikang said helplessly.

He was not dissatisfied with Sun Chuanting. In fact, it was very rare for these two people to be able to sit here with a calm mind after hearing his orders.

With a sigh, Zhang Shikang said:

“Since ancient times, every dynasty that wanted to reform has always encountered huge resistance.

why?

It is because the so-called reform is, in a sense, nothing more than a redistribution of benefits.

How could those vested interests give up their own interests?

They will just say that those things were earned through hard work.

They will never admit that the fact that the common people work hard all their lives and cannot even get enough food has anything to do with them.

In a word, justice lies in the hearts of the people.

You two don't need to feel any psychological burden because of this. If anyone blames you, just say it was my military order.

I will take care of everything. If things don't work out, we still have Your Majesty.

In short, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.”

Having said this, Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Chuanting looked at each other, stood up and bowed to accept the order.

“Marshal, although these Shanxi merchants have their roots in Shanxi, most of their business is in several checkpoints near Zhangjiakou.

I think there must be many border troops colluding with them, so for safety's sake, we should split our troops into two groups."

Since he had already decided to accept the order, Lu Xiangsheng immediately expressed his opinion.

The attacks from court officials were mostly impeachments, forcing the emperor to remove them from office and convict them, but the generals in the border towns would not be so lenient.

If their crimes were truly proven and they were forced into a corner, it would not be impossible for them to flee far away and surrender to the enemy.

"You two can discuss how to do it specifically. There is only one goal: to make money!" Zhang Shikang said nonchalantly.

The only person who could talk about cheating people out of money so lightly was probably His Excellency the Grand Marshal. After thinking for a while, Zhang Shikang said:

"In fact, it doesn't have to be that troublesome. Look at our court. As soon as we say we want to investigate corruption, the warehouse will definitely catch fire.

Your Majesty is not stupid, so he knows there is something fishy going on here, but what can he do? They destroyed all the evidence, right?

If they can do it, why can't we?

I remember that Saint Lu once said that corrupt officials are cunning, and if you want to deal with them, you have to be more cunning than them.

I think, there is no need for me to teach you how to do this, right? "

Zhang Shikang recalled a movie clip from later generations and felt a sense of empathy.

Lu Xiangsheng and Sun Chuanting felt relieved. They had a brief discussion on the specific details of the action, and then got up to make arrangements.

Sun Chuanting walked to the door of the big tent, and suddenly turned around and asked:

"Marshal, I have a question that I cannot help but express."

Zhang Shikang frowned.

"Why did the Marshal choose me?" Sun Chuanting asked seriously.

This problem has been bothering him for two days. Many generals from various places have come to this battle, some brave and some wise, but the marshal chose him.

According to his military achievements in this battle, it was unlikely that he would be the one to be knighted, but he happened to be one of them.

However, his superior Hong Chengchou, who had made similar contributions, just did his job perfunctorily.

And today, the Marshal handed such an important matter to him, as if he had never treated him as an outsider.

He didn't understand where this trust came from.

Zhang Shikang's face immediately turned black when he heard this, and he thought to himself, you old arrogant man, look at Master Lu, he never asks such boring questions.

He thought about it for a moment, looked at Sun Chuanting and said with a smile:

“No reason is needed.

If you need that, it's probably... you're pretty."

So Sun Chuanting left with a dark face, and he felt the hairs on his body standing up as he left.

"Hahahaha!"

After Sun Chuanting walked away, Zhang Shikang finally couldn't hold back his laughter.

After arranging the affairs of the military camp and having lunch, at a command from Zhang Shikang, the 40,000 Beijing troops broke camp and set out for the capital city after being away for more than a month.

Because they had to take care of Brother Chongzhen, and because of the group of old men in the cabinet, the army did not move very fast.

Zhang Shikang fell asleep in the imperial carriage of Emperor Chongzhen. He slept soundly, but Emperor Chongzhen still opened the curtains to look at the mountains and rivers outside the carriage.

However, compared with the anxiety he felt when he first came, Emperor Chongzhen felt much more at ease.

A few dozen steps behind his carriage were the carriages of the cabinet ministers, including the Minister of Personnel Zheng Sanjun and the Chief Minister of the Cabinet Liu Yuliang.

They were very dissatisfied with this journey and believed that Your Majesty's appointment of Zhang Shikang was the biggest mistake of the Celestial Empire.

As soon as he returns to the capital, he will gather all the officials to come up with ideas and plans, and he will definitely restore order in the court.

Old people sleep less. Liu Yuliang looked at the servants outside the window and suddenly said to Zheng Sanjun:

"Yong Zhang, why is there one less servant in your house?"

Zheng Sanjun was resting with his eyes closed. He raised his eyebrows when he heard the words, but he did not open his eyes in the end.

"Oh, I just remembered that there was something I forgot to tell you, so I asked him to go back and tell you."

……