Taiyuan City
After Jia Heng dealt with the commander-in-chief Wang Chengyin and the deputy commander-in-chief Shang Zhonggang, he assigned the generals from the capital camp to lead troops to suppress the situation in the city, took over the soldiers in Taiyuan City, and reorganized and trained them.
After the generals were dismissed, the governor Gu Binghe, the envoy Luo Jingwen, and the prefect of Taiyuan Jiang Yan were left alone.
This actually made the three of them a little worried. Although they knew that the young Marquis Wu in front of them would not be able to kill local officials like them, they still felt a little strange in their hearts because of the fierce atmosphere just now.
Jia Heng said: "Three gentlemen, the imperial garrison in Taiyuan is about to send troops to Datong. More than 100,000 soldiers and horses from the Beijing camp have gathered in Taiyuan. They need to prepare food and grass for at least three months, about two million shi. The imperial court transfers them from Shenjing, but still We hope to be able to handle military supplies on the spot, and Shanxi has always been a major grain-producing province, so will the government treasury still have plenty of grain?"
Now that he has seized the military power of Taiyuan Town, the current number of soldiers and horses is about 120,000. When the 60,000 infantry soldiers from the Beijing camp arrive later, there will be 180,000 soldiers and horses. These soldiers and horses are chewed and fed every day. Not a small amount.
And after Datong, together with Datong's troops and horses, there were more than 200,000 troops and horses, and this general who conquered captives was a bit like a general of the country.
When Gu Binghe heard this, he looked at Luo Jingwen and Jiang Yan and said, "Master Luo and Master Jiang have been handling this matter recently. Master Luo introduced the situation to the general."
This is to introduce to the big leader that someone is specifically responsible for this. This move can also free him from the role of a subordinate. If he is held accountable, it will also be easy to pass the blame.
Luo Jingwen had a troubled expression on his face and said in deep thought: "General, the lower officials and the prefect of Chiang Kai-shek had previously approached the local rice merchant Kang Yisheng, who was willing to raise rice grains for the court, but Lin Butang, who oversees the military grain management from the Ministry of Household Affairs, has not yet arrived. I wonder how the imperial court purchases grain?"
Jiang Yan added, "The Kang family is a wealthy merchant in Linfen and has many warehouses. If they fully assist the army in raising rice and grain, they will have no trouble raising grain and fodder."
Jia Heng pondered and said: "The imperial court is sending troops, and the Ministry of Household Affairs has allocated millions of taels of silver. Of course, I am willing to spend money to buy grain, but the price of grain must be purchased at par."
Luo Jingwen said: "Buy it at a reasonable price?"
Jia Heng nodded and said: "Even if you buy it at a low price, because of the huge quantity, the merchants will still have room to make profits. But as far as I know, when the merchants in the city hear that the army is coming, they often take the opportunity to hoard goods and raise prices. Do the three adults know about food prices and other matters?"
Gu Binghe said: "The price of rice seems to have risen a lot recently. Prefect Chiang, as the prefect, have you ever interviewed a few rice and grain shops?"
"Lord Zhongcheng, the underground officials have just learned about this, but the rise in food prices in the city is mostly caused by food shortages. In the past, official food was used to calm it down," Jiang Yan said.
Gu Binghe frowned and reprimanded: "If the price of rice is allowed to soar, the people will be miserable. We require all rice merchants not to increase prices."
Jiang Yan said: "I will handle this matter when I get back."
Gu Binghe looked at Jia Heng and said: "General, the key problem in the city is the lack of food. Even if food prices are stabilized, it will not be a long-term solution."
Luo Jingwen said: "General, if these Shanxi merchants see that there is no profit to be made, I'm afraid they won't be willing to obey orders."
Jia Heng said coldly: "Purchasing military rations is not only a business for merchants, but also a matter of national interest. How can we allow you to hoard goods and make a fortune from the national calamity?"
When Luo Jingwen heard this, his heart trembled. He looked at Gu Binghe aside and saw some solemnity in his eyes?
If the young Marquis Wu had his temper just now, would he also sacrifice his butcher knife to the merchants?
Jia Heng's face was cold and he said in a deep voice: "Master Luo, please tell the Kang family that the country's military plan is related to the country. The court will not let those merchants suffer losses, but it will not allow unscrupulous merchants to drive up the price of rice and let their merchants suffer." Take the overall situation into consideration.”
When Luo Jingwen heard this, his face was solemn, he cupped his hands and said: "General, I will definitely bring the words to you."
Jia Heng said: "Master Gu, I will stay here soon and will send troops to Datong. I also need to arrange food and pay for you. If there is no shortage of supplies, I will ask the Holy Spirit to ask for help from Master Gu." achievement."
As a governor, it was naturally impossible for him to kill and intimidate Wang Chengyin as often as he did against Wang Chengyin. In fact, this Gu Binghe was still a member of the Qi Party.
When Gu Binghe heard this, his heart moved slightly and he cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Marquis Yongning, I will do my best."
The person in front of me is a popular person in front of the emperor. If I can get his recommendation, maybe I can go one step further?
However, he belongs to the Qi Party. After Yang Ge Lao left, Qi Ge Lao went dormant.
As Gu Binghe and Luo Jingwen left, the entire General Military Yamen fell into silence again.
Chen Xiao held the embroidered spring knife and came slowly from the side. His face was as quiet and beautiful as frost, and he said softly: "They are now intimidated by your previous methods."
Jia Heng said: "Now is the time when my power is at its peak. They can only submit."
Now he not only has Shang Fang's sword in his hand, but also has a heavy army. It can be said that he is powerful and can be used for his own purposes. The emperor has clearly tasted the sweetness of Henan's peace and gave him full autonomy.
"Let's go eat first. I'm a little hungry now." Jia Heng said, taking the girl's hand.
Chen Xiao snorted coldly, but dodged away, his face as clear as frost, and whispered: "Shuai Ya Jie Hall, please don't let yourself wander."
Jia Heng: "..."
No one is there at the moment.
Jia Heng underwent plastic surgery to regain her beauty, and returned to the living room of the back house with Chen Xiao. At this time, dinner was prepared in the kitchen and dishes were placed on the table.
Chen Xiao sat down, with a thoughtful look on his face, and whispered: "You have dealt with Wang Chengyin. I am afraid that some officials in the capital will cry out and impeach you."
This is inevitable. The emperor said that he should make decisions when the opportunity arises, kill first and then report later, but there are always some people who will say strange things.
"In an emergency, you should do something extraordinary. Whether it is the emperor or the ministers in the court, they will only praise you. Moreover, Wang Chengyin is greedy, cunning, and has rebellious intentions. The evidence of his crime is conclusive, and he deserves to die." Jia Heng washed his hands and said He gently wiped the water stains on his hands with a towel, picked up the chopsticks, looked into those cold and scrutinizing eyes, and said: "Okay, these are not important. The key point is that I killed military generals and not civil servants. I can't tell." Some people call him a capable minister in governing the world."
Dare to kill people and be tough, this has always been the behavior of a capable minister.
If he kills the governor or the chief envoy without permission, it goes without saying that Nian Gengyao's proper behavior has already laid the foundation for future troubles.
But to deal with a military leader who is greedy for military pay and has a self-respecting army, if he is a civil servant, he will have been praised by the censor. For example, Li Zan went to Peiping to take charge, and now he is quite prestigious among the scholars.
This can be written in the history of Qing Dynasty, "When the Duke arrived in Taiyuan, he immediately seized the military power of Wang and Shang, criticized their wrongdoings, and beheaded them for favoritism. As a result, the border troops were alert and did not dare to neglect the war."
Chen Xiao stared at the young man with his clear eyes under Liuye's slender eyebrows, and whispered: "If you kill two generals today, I'm afraid that the Shanxi merchants will also be on alert, and the people in Datong will be afraid if they get the news."
Jia Heng shook his head and said: "Even if we don't kill the two generals, the Shanxi merchants will still be vigilant. Now they are just too scared to try the law again. As for Jiang Zining, he is different from Wang Chengyin. He is a founding hero and has received numerous favors from the country. The family members are still living in the capital, and as long as there is a chance of survival, they will not betray the country and join the Jurchens."
Compared with the Jiang family of Jiang Zining, the grandson of Pingyuan Marquis, he was actually a little worried about Jiang Gu, the general of Xuanfu. If he was really related to the Ming Dynasty in parallel time and space, his surrender to the Manchu Qing Dynasty did have some problems with his political integrity.
Jia Heng's expression paused and he said, "Okay, let's not talk about this for now. Let's eat first."
With that said, he picked up a piece of Mushu meat and put it in Chen Xiao's bowl, and said warmly: "Xiaoxiao, you've had a hard journey, please eat more."
Add more protein, don’t starve and lose weight.
Chen Xiao's clear eyes reflected the young man's profile, and as he picked up chopsticks to eat, a warm current surged deep in his heart.
After the two of them finished eating in silence, Jia Heng put down his chopsticks, rinsed his mouth, poured two cups of tea, came to the desk, sat down, picked up the books on the desk, and started reading.
It records the composition of soldiers and horses in Taiyuan Town.
Wang Chengyin had a cavalry army of 7,000 men, which could be called elite. In addition, there were more than 60,000 infantrymen in the town army, which were originally divided into five guards.
In fact, many of these are military households. It is obvious that some of them need to be eliminated and then reorganized.
The reason why there are so many troops is because Taiyuan is an important town in Guanzhong.
Chen Xiao poured a cup of tea, handed it over, and said, "I'll go keep an eye on Shanxi merchants tomorrow."
Jia Heng nodded and said: "Well, five of the eight Shanxi merchants have temporary residences in Taiyuan Mansion. These people are under surveillance first. Jinyi Mansion is still collecting evidence of their crimes and is interrogating the generals first. None of them helped Shanxi merchants smuggle in weapons."
The Jinyi Mansion doesn't have much evidence of smuggling by these Shanxi merchants. The evidence of smuggling to the Jurchens will probably have to be collected by Sun Shaozu.
Chen Xiao walked closer and asked, "Is your father-in-law Lin coming over soon?"
"I was in Linfen a few days ago, and I should be coordinating a batch of grain and grass to arrive in Taiyuan tomorrow." Jia Heng closed the book and whispered.
When Lin Ruhai went to Linfen, it was natural that he could not be alone. There were guards from the Jinyi Mansion in plainclothes accompanying him for protection.
Chen Xiao said: "The Kang family in Linfen should be in the city now. This family is the richest among the eight families."
"It's not easy to find evidence of guilt."
Now it is not like the salt merchants in Yangzhou who colluded with Duduo, who waited for an open fire to fight and annihilated them directly, but now they still have to fish.
"Captain, the military pay that has been tortured by the Division has been delivered." While the two were talking, the voice from outside came, and it was the voice of Jinyi's personal guard Li Shu.
Jia Heng stood up, walked out of the door, looked at Li Shu, a hundred households in Jinyi, took the book from his hand, and started to read through it.
In recent years, Datong border generals have embezzled as much as six to seven million taels of military pay from Mo.
Jia Heng asked again: "Have Wang Chengyin and Shang Zhonggang's homes been ransacked?"
Li Shudao: "Back to the Governor, I have already copied and inspected it. Now the clerks in the Experience Department are still counting the belongings, but a rough estimate is that it should be over one million."
"We cannot let go of some properties in the city. All land deeds and house deeds are illegally stolen money and will be recovered together." Jia Heng said in a deep voice.
After the money was copied, there was money to buy grain.
Li Shu responded, and then reported: "Captain, the latest news from the grassland."
As he spoke, a bamboo tube was delivered from the armhole.
Jia Heng stopped reading and said to Chen Xiao beside him: "The Sunit tribe has been defeated, and the Jurchens, Aohan, and Naiman Mongolia are forcing Keshiketeng."
Chen Xiao said: "The situation is becoming more and more urgent."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "Tomorrow you will lead the Jinyi Palace Guards to investigate Shanxi merchants. I will stay here for a day and then go to Datong."
Chen Xiao responded.
…
…
On the other side, in the study at the back of the governor's Yamen
Under an orange light, Gu Binghe finished the memorial and handed it to his staff Fang Bangzhe, who copied and polished it. The light reflected his face, and his mind could not be calm for a long time.
"Lord Zhongcheng, this Yongning Marquis is really decisive in killing." Fang Bangzhe, an aide to the governor's Yamen expedition, said in a low voice.
Another aide, Yu Jianchun, said with emotion: "Zhongcheng, this is a popular figure in front of your Majesty. I heard that he is known for his ruthless methods in Henan and Jiangnan. He killed people and ransacked his house as soon as he came here. It's hard to deal with him." and."
Gu Binghe twisted his beard with his hand and whispered: "Don't worry about this. This Yongning Marquis is not a military commander. Although he is a cruel official, he is not a person who tortures and kills indiscriminately."
Jia Heng's original "Resignation List" won him a lot of reputation as a scholar. Although he turned to the path of martial arts, his reputation for bloodshed and cruelty spread to the outside world.
"I am thinking about another thing. Marquis Yongning is in Yangzhou to punish the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou and recover their property. Will he attack Shanxi merchants?" Gu Binghe said, looking at the two aides, his eyes seemed cold. move.
The county magistrate who broke up the family, the governor who exterminated the family. As a provincial official, he knew the methods of people in the officialdom. The merchants were just a piece of fat waiting to be slaughtered.
Yu Jianchun pondered and said, "Zhongcheng, that's probably not the case. When Marquis Yongning was in Yangzhou, he left four families behind and did not do anything like that."
"Didn't that mean four families were ransacked and exterminated?" Gu Binghe said in a low voice.
After finishing polishing, Fang Bangzhe put down his pen and ink and asked, "What is your plan?"
"What plans can I have? Now, I just have to wait and see what happens." Gu Binghe picked up the tea cup, took a sip and said, "The Chief Secretary may not be happy to see this."
Since Mr. Yang Ge returned to Beijing, Mr. Qi Ge was unable to support himself in the capital. He should also make some political achievements so that he could move around in Beijing. This campaign to conquer the North was his opportunity.
As the governor of a province, although he is said to be in charge of civil affairs and is also responsible for food and wages, he is actually quite constrained in Shanxi because of veteran generals like Wang Chengyin who guard one side.
But now that Wang Chengyin was beheaded, Gu Binghe had no sympathy in his heart, and his authority has greatly increased since then.
"Lord Zhongcheng, there is a rift between Marquis Yongning and Prime Minister Yang." A staff member on the side reminded.
Gu Binghe said calmly: "These are just small details. Let's finish our errands first. The court should have an explanation."
If the Marquis of Yongning really wanted to avenge his personal revenge, he would not become Privy Councilor.
…
…
Kang family
As the night falls, the lanterns are turned on. Above an attic, the lights are as bright as day, and the sound of silk and bamboo orchestral music rises loudly.
Kang Yisheng was meeting with Kong Wenjun, the head of the Kong family in Taigu, Fan Hongqing, the head of the Fan family, Chang Boxing, the head of the Chang family in Yuci, and Hou Qinyi of the Jiexiu family, all of whom had other businesses in Taiyuan.
Kang Yisheng looked at a few people with a smile and said: "The imperial court's northern expedition army wants to purchase food for the army. The conservative estimate is two million dan. This business involves not only rice and food, but also medicinal materials and fish. As long as these are handled well, Not only can you win the favor from the court, but you can also earn profits."
Kong Wenjun was in his early thirties. He had the elegant demeanor of a scholar on his face. Compared with the fat head and big ears of ordinary businessmen, he had a delicate face and a green beard under his chin. He smiled and said: "Mr. Kang's family has more than one million yuan of rice." A stone, one person can eat this amount of rice, why are you calling me?"
Chang Boxing said calmly: "Brother Kang, since the court has found Brother Kang, Brother Kang will take full responsibility."
Among the eight Shanxi merchant families, the Kang family was the richest, and some merchants present were not completely convinced.
Kang Yisheng put down the teacup in his hand and said, "Even my Kang family can't afford such a large amount. I don't think this war will be over in a while. The court will continue to purchase grain and rice."
If his family were to provide so much rice, they would probably attract the attention of the court. If the Dora family, especially the Kong family, the back branch of Yanshenggong's lineage in Shandong Province in Jin Province, the court would become malicious. , the emperor Shilin is bound to criticize him with words and writings.
Marquis Yongning, who had repeatedly massacred Yangzhou salt merchants in the south, must be somewhat fearful.
"I wonder how much rice and grain cost per stone?" Fan Hongqing, the head of the Fan family, asked.
Kang Yisheng said: "The imperial court hasn't quoted the price yet, but it won't cause us to suffer any loss."
In fact, during the military campaigns during the Taizong and Longzhi years, the court was relatively fair in seeking merchants to purchase rice grains. Of course, this was also related to the official support behind these merchants.
"The master is not good." At this moment, a servant who looked like a steward entered the attic.
At this time, Kang Yisheng's son Kang Zexing showed anger on his face and said, "What's wrong with Hun? What happened?"
The servant's face turned pale and he said in a low voice: "Sir, the chief soldier was beheaded by the newly arrived Marquis Yongning."
As soon as these words came out, the expressions of everyone in the hall changed slightly and they were shocked.
Wang Chengyin was the local emperor of Taiyuan Fucheng. Even the governor Gu Binghe and the officials of Fan Zhen were very afraid of him, but he was actually beheaded by the newly arrived general who conquered the captives?
Kang Yisheng said in a deep voice, "What's going on?"
"It is said that he was embezzling military pay and trying to incite the soldiers to mutiny. Now the heads of the deputy general and the deputy general are hanging on the flagpole in front of the general's office," the servant said.
All the Shanxi merchants in the hall looked unhappy. As a general here, Wang Chengyin had a close relationship with all the merchants.
"How can this Marquis Yongning be so ruthless?" Hou Qinyi said quietly.
Fan Hongqing said: "This is to seize Wang Chengyin's military power. Last year, Beijing sent imperial envoys to rectify military affairs, but Wang Chengyin was perfunctory. This time he encountered a hard problem."
Everyone looked at Kang Yisheng and said, "This general who conquers the captives is not someone to be trifled with. This business is not easy to do. If you want to increase the price of grain and sell it to the court, it is not possible. The price is too low, and we will suffer losses."
Kong Wenjun frowned and said in a low voice: "Last year, the Marquis of Yongning went to Jiangnan and severely dealt with the merchants in Jiangnan, forcing the eight major salt merchants in Yangzhou to recover the money they owed. Four of them colluded with the Jurchens, and they were all killed by the Marquis of Yongning. , all family property was confiscated."
Merchants have always been well-informed, and Jia Heng's various actions in Jiangnan naturally reached the ears of Shanxi merchants through some letters.
As soon as Kong Wenjun said this, all the merchants present looked unhappy. If they wanted to do business here, it was impossible not to do business with the Jurchens through Mongolia.
Fan Hongqing sighed and said, "Mr. Kang, I'm afraid this business won't be easy."
"If the imperial court purchases grain, at what price will we sell it? If we offend the Yongning Marquis and find another reason to destroy his family, how will we deal with it?" Hou Qinyi said in a low voice with a solemn face.
"You guys are over-concerned. No matter how ruthless Marquis Yongning is, he will not risk the world's disdain to rob us. As long as we do business, he can't touch us, nor can the ministers in the court. I will just sit back and watch." Kang Yisheng was also a little frightened at this moment. His previous thoughts were really inappropriate and he underestimated the Yongning Marquis' methods.
This court was so cruel to the merchants that it was really not as good as the Jurchens, who were a little more lenient towards the merchants.
Fan Hongqing cupped his hands and said, "Brother Kang, my Fan family will not be involved in this matter. I will take my leave first."
At this moment, Hou Qinyi also raised his hand and said: "Mr. Kang, our Hou family is not in the grain and rice business, so we have no involvement in this matter."
As he said this, he also wanted to say goodbye and leave.
Kong Wenjun called out: "You two, if the Marquis of Yongning forces us to collect food, which one of us can escape? The most urgent task now is to work together to survive this disaster."
Hou Qinyi and Fan Hongqing looked at each other with solemn expressions on their faces.
Kang Yisheng sneered and said: "Since the government purchases grain and we sell it to the court at a fair price, then the Marquis of Yongning has no reason to act. All that is left is to watch the battle. If the battle goes well, it goes without saying that if he loses Jurchen, someone will definitely deal with this Yongning Marquis at that time."
Since Marquis Yongning led his troops to the north to fight the Jurchens, how could the Han army win? In the event of a major defeat, the court would be in a fierce mood. Someone would take care of the young Marquis Wu without waiting for them to take action.
As Jia Heng expected, these Shanxi merchants were frightened by Wang Chengyin's fate and did not dare to confront Jia Heng over purchasing grain. They began to hibernate and wait and see what would happen.
Fan Hongqing's face remained solemn, and his heart was filled with a thick layer of gloom.
If the fate of the Yangzhou salt merchants were to be followed, those merchants who smuggled to the Jurchens would eventually end up with their families destroyed. His Fan family over the years...
No, we need to rush back to Datong and discuss it with General Jiang.
The main base of the Jiexiu Fan family is still in Datong, because their main business is smuggling.
(End of chapter)
