Chapter 439: Resolving the Dilemma in Liaodong

In Taihua Garden of the Ou Mansion, Ning Zhongze hugged this one and kissed that one, full of reluctance to leave.

Seeing this, Yue Lingshan couldn't help but ask her to stay: "Mom, why don't you stay for a while? I feel lonely when you leave."

Ning Zhongze smiled and said softly, "Now that Zang Hua is back, it would be inappropriate for me to stay here any longer. You two should spend more time together. There is no time for you to be alone! Besides, I have been away from Huashan for half a year. I don't know how your father, your brother, and the disciples of Huashan are doing now. I have to go back and take a look before I can feel at ease."

After hearing this, Yue Lingshan could no longer try to persuade her mother to stay. She could only ask the maids to prepare more things for her mother to take back to Huashan.

After Ou Zanghua learned that Ning Zhongze was going back to Huashan, he came to ask the reason. He was relieved to learn that it was because he missed his home.

Then he said, "Please ask mother-in-law to take a letter to father-in-law for Zanghua. There are some things that need his help."

Ning Zhongze was stunned for a moment, then nodded happily and said, "Don't be so polite as a family. We will definitely do our best to help you when the time comes."

"Thank you, mother-in-law!" Ou Zanghua smiled and thanked her, then looked at Yue Lingshan and said, "Lingshan can spend more time with mother-in-law tonight, Ling'er and Shan'er can be brought to my side!"

"Thank you, senior brother!" Yue Lingshan thanked sweetly.

Ou Zanghua smiled, then turned and went to the study to prepare to write a letter to Yue Buqun.

Not long after, Qu Feiyan came to the study with two maids, carrying Ling'er and Shan'er.

Ou Zanghua simply asked Hua An to bring a rocking bed and placed it next to the desk. He put one foot on the curved wood of the rocking bed and wrote the letter while rocking the bed.

Qu Feiyan stood aside and studied it, and couldn't help but said with a smile: "It turns out that Master's leg skills can be used in this way!"

"This is called applying what you have learned." Ou Zanghua said cheerfully, turning his head to glance at the two pretty little girls, and he couldn't stop smiling.

Qu Feiyan felt a surge of emotion in her heart, and said softly: "The love that the young master has for the two young ladies is truly beyond words!"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Ou Zanghua turned his gaze to Qu Feiyan, a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "Why do you feel this way?"

"Because Master Aokiji has never been treated this way!" Qu Feiyan said with a smile, "It seems that the young master has never brought Master Aokiji to the study!"

Ou Zanghua was slightly stunned. After recalling for a while, he found that it seemed to be true.

"Thank you Feiyan for reminding me, otherwise I wouldn't have realized this."

Ou Zanghua said to Qu Feiyan seriously: "I will pay attention to it in the future. Only when we treat everyone equally can we have a harmonious family and everything will be prosperous."

Qu Feiyan was confused by this, and quickly shook her head to explain: "I don't mean anything else, it's just a normal feeling, please don't misunderstand me, young master."

"No misunderstanding," Ou Zanghua smiled, then sighed and said, "Qingqing is my good wife who supports the family, but I have always enjoyed her kindness without really doing anything for her. Even the children are taken care of and taught by her with great effort. In the past, I was too busy with official duties to do anything, but in the future, I expect to have some free time, and it's time to share some of the burden with Qingqing."

Qu Feiyan felt an inexplicable feeling of being touched, and quickly changed the subject and asked, "So, are you going to Sister Qingqing's place tonight?"

Ou Zanghua looked at the night sky outside, and nodded, seeing that Liu Qing had not rested yet.

When Ning Zhongze left, Ou Zanghua and Yue Lingshan escorted her out of the city, and then one went home while the other went to the Leopard House. After the Zhengde Emperor went on a military expedition, he became much calmer and no longer believed in personal force as before.
To put it simply, you will no longer think about fighting Ou Zanghua as soon as you see him. This is a big improvement.

"Mr. Ou, please take a look. This is the memorial submitted by Mr. Peng. After I led the three thousand troops to move, the Jurchens hiding between the white mountains and black waters began to emerge, destroying the city and harassing the people."

"Peng Qing once thought about organizing a team to wipe them out, but Gui Yong said that once the imperial army arrives, these people will hide in the mountains and forests, and it will be difficult for ordinary people to find their traces."

“It’s really disgusting!”

Ou Zanghua read Pengze's memorial, which was exactly the same as the conversation between the two in Jizhou Town.

During this period, the fighting power of the Jurchens was very average, and they could even be bullied by neighboring Korea.

The leader of Jianzhou Zuowei was Tuoyuanbao, the great-grandfather of Nurhaci, who had come to Beijing to pay tribute many times. When conflicts arose between border officials and their tribes, he personally mediated between the Ming border and the Jianzhou tribes to promote peace and safeguard the tranquility of the border areas.

But obviously, he didn't do his job very well.

Ou Zanghua bowed and said slowly: "Your Majesty, I have a plan to solve the problem in Liaodong."

"Ou Qing, please continue."

"Transfer 3,000 troops to Liaodong Military Region, promote Zuo Lengchan, the Earl of Funing, to be the Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong Military Region, and send all the Songshan clique members including Lu Bai, Fei Bin, and Le Hou there. Establish the Six Gates, and offer bounties to attract people from the underworld to Liaodong and Nurgan Military Region."

"What's the reward?"

"The heads of adult Jurchen men and living Jurchen women aged 28 or above."

Emperor Zhengde was somewhat interested and asked again: "There are many Jurchens outside the Great Wall. I'm afraid that the people in the martial arts world alone may not be enough!"

Ou Zanghua said calmly, "That's why we need to send 3,000 troops to stay in Liaodong. As long as the Jurchens gather in groups, we can send 3,000 troops to destroy them."

"How much silver do you think is needed, Mr. Ou?" Emperor Zhengde said as he walked out, adding, "We just fought against Mongolia, and I don't have much savings. As for the Ministry of Revenue, it's good that they don't ask me for money."

"One million silver coins, add more after it's all spent." Ou Zanghua followed behind Emperor Zhengde and said calmly, "Your Majesty has won a great victory over Mongolia and captured a large number of Mongolian nobles. Dayan Khan will definitely send envoys to the capital to seek peace."

"Your Majesty's military expenses, border repair costs, border residents' losses, and pensions for fallen soldiers should all be paid by Mongolia, because they were the ones who started the war."

Emperor Zhengde paused and looked at Ou Zanghua in confusion. His mind began to work frantically. Has any emperor in history ever done this?
It seems that there really was, but that was all during the Warring States Period. For example, in the Battle of Changping, the State of Zhao was defeated by the State of Qin. The State of Zhao ceded a large tract of land to the State of Qin and paid a large amount of property as compensation.

In addition, after the Battle of Handan, Zhao State joined forces with other countries to defeat Qin State. Qin State was forced to return some of the land it had previously occupied and pay Zhao State a large sum of money as compensation.

Thinking of this, the doubts in the heart of Emperor Zhengde suddenly disappeared. Since his ancestors had done something similar, he could deal with it calmly. If any civil servant dared to say more, he would throw the "Zizhi Tongjian" in his face.

But soon, Emperor Zhengde thought of another problem: "What if Mongolia is short of funds?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. If Mongolia is short of funds, you can allow it to use military merit or land as collateral. For example, the Jurchen tribes in the northeast, Turpan and U-Tsang in the northwest, etc. can all be used as conditions for borrowing troops."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Zhengde nodded in satisfaction and praised, "That's great! Since Mr. Ou is the Minister of Rites, the peace talks with Mongolia will be entirely your responsibility."

(End of this chapter)