Without investigation, there is no right to speak. Geng Zhanghua and Geng Zhangguang saw the situation in and outside Zhangjiakou with their own eyes.
Therefore, Geng Zhanghua proposed to build a fortress capable of garrisoning hundreds of troops at the location of the mutual trade, so that this fortress could become a barrier for Zhangjiakou and a permanent location for the mutual trade.
Perhaps other soldiers would not dare to stay in such a fortress outside the mouth, but Huang Yi would definitely be happy to do so.
Shanxi, Xuanfu, and Datong have border walls that are more than a thousand miles long. Building the Great Wall, building fortresses, and improving the defense system continued from the beginning of the Ming Dynasty until its demise.
This is actually the responsibility of Governor Xuanda.
For Geng Ruqi, it was easy to issue an order to build a border fort like Baihusuo or Qianhusuo, but it was easier to build a city than to defend it.
If it cannot be maintained after it is completed, it will be a stain on the governance of Governor Xuanda. If it can be maintained and it still plays a role in the war, it is of course a political achievement.
The father did not hide his concerns in front of his son, but confessed his concerns.
Geng Zhanghua vowed to express his stance with the support of the entire Xuanda University and Shanxi Province’s manpower, material resources and military strength.
With Huang Yi's men holding on and his 2,000 men supporting him, there was no way that the fortress, which was less than ten miles away from the north gate of Zhangjiakou, could be breached by the Tatars.
At this time, Shanxi and Xuanda had not encountered any attacks by slaves, and they had not considered that the Jin army would also kill here. They had been dealing with harassment and plunder by the Mongolian tribes.
Building another military fort will not only enhance the security of Zhangjiakou, but also gain a longer warning time. This is possible.
In fact, the border wall under Xuanda's jurisdiction was in dilapidated condition and should have been overhauled long ago. However, the court had no money and could not even pay the border troops' monthly salary.
Just building a military fort, how big a deal is it?
It doesn't matter if the court doesn't give money, is Governor Xuanda just a decoration?
Geng Ruqi could definitely persuade all the merchants resident in Zhangjiakou to donate dozens or hundreds of taels of silver.
Not only can he get some project money, but he can also gain a good reputation for working hard. Why not?
Finally, with a stroke of his pen, the name of the planned border fort appeared on the paper - "Dongshan Fort", which means that he will make a comeback and build a fort to show off his power.
Common names such as Dongshan, Xishan, Nanshan, etc. often appear near cities with mountains. Therefore, such place names must indicate Xishan, Dongshan, etc. of a certain place.
There are mountains in the southeast, northwest and northwest of Zhangjiakou. It doesn't matter whether there were place names like Dongshan and Nanshan in the past. From now on, the mountain closest to "Dongshan Fort" is Dongshan.
Although Geng Ruqi had not met Huang Yi, Huang Yi's name was already well known.
He was still frightened by the ordeal he suffered, and he often dreamed at night about being in the prison where the sky and the sky were not responding, and the earth and the earth were not working.
He knew that the main reason for being able to turn over was not just the efforts of Geng Zhanghua and Geng Zhangguang, but the finding of Huang Yi, a brave and resourceful man.
In addition, Geng Zhanghua, Geng Zhangguang, Fourth Concubine, Geng Da, and Geng Qi made Huang Yi as if there was nothing in the sky or anything on the earth.
Geng Ruqi really wanted to support Huang Yi both in public and private affairs, thinking that Huang Yi could become his son-in-law.
He once asked about Huang Yi's origin in detail and found out that Huang Yi's ancestral home was Yangzhou Prefecture, that he was born in Franji Kingdom and had no relatives or friends in the Ming Dynasty.
I feel that people who have no branches to rely on will naturally rush to the high branch of the Geng family.
Therefore, after consulting his wife's attitude, he made the decision to recruit Huang Yi as his son-in-law, so that his most beloved daughter Geng Yueru would not have to leave home.
As for the concubine Geng Yueling?
It’s only fourteen after the New Year, what’s the rush? Will she still be satisfied if she can be given a chance to be elected in a while?
The master's words are true to his word, who dares to be presumptuous? Fourth Yiniang was even more afraid, and the matter was settled like this.
How did they know that this was just a unilateral decision, and Huang Yi had no idea at all.
When Huang Yi and Geng Zhanghua met again, they had been separated for nearly two months. They were both very happy, and naturally they drank and chatted. They were accompanied by Li Weida, Yang Shihu, Liu Chuanzong, Geng Qi and Li Guanshi.
Geng Da did not come to Zhangjiakou, so he stayed with Geng Ruxi to guard him and train the hundreds of young men who had just arrived from his hometown.
These young people are carefully selected by the clan leader. Most of them are strong, loyal and reliable. In time, they will definitely become servants who dare to sacrifice their lives for the family master.
Geng Zhanghua's main purpose of coming to Zhangjiakou was to meet Huang Yi, give him his official seal and official uniform, and try to persuade him to join the customs.
However, Huang Yi still insists on developing outside of his mouth, and his attitude is firm.
Geng Zhanghua then stepped back and talked about it. The governor decided to build a castle with a circumference of two miles here - Dongshan Fort for mutual trade.
"Build a city here?" Both Li Weida and Manager Li understood that this was probably a reciprocation from Governor Xuanda, and it was built specifically for Huang Yi, who was unwilling to enter the customs.
Both of them are confident about Huang Yi's future. They all thought that after the Dongshan Fort was built, the Li family would definitely occupy the best market entrance in the fort.
They were all secretly glad to have good friendships with Huang Yi, and they had been doing their best to help Huang Yi.
They both came to the store early to wait for Huang Yi, and had been chatting with Huang Yi for nearly an hour before Geng Zhanghua arrived.
During this period, Huang Yi made an unkind request, asking them to help buy a woman. The requirements were not high, and she did not have to be beautiful. Any healthy woman between the ages of thirteen and twenty-five would be fine.
Li Weida, whose face was already red from drinking, approached Manager Li and whispered: "Remember to remind me about buying some women as Master Huang told me!"
Shopkeeper Li nodded and said: "Understood! The war is in chaos. It is said that in the disaster-prone areas of Shaanxi, not a woman can exchange for a bushel of millet!"
"There is no need to go to Shaanxi. There are a lot of refugees in Shuntian Prefecture and Yongping Prefecture. Our family does not engage in shady business. We offer one stone of wheat for a woman!"
“Isn’t this bid a bit high?”
"You can only select people if the bid is high. Mr. Huang has always emphasized quality. Of course we have to do this beautifully.
Besides, Mr. Huang is not buying women for any unscrupulous business, but for the widowers and hustlers in the base area to get wives. It is a good deed that we help. "
"A family that sells its daughter or daughter-in-law will definitely not be able to survive. If they have a stone of wheat, they might be able to survive.
If you sell your daughter or daughter-in-law to us, no one will force you to do such dirty business. We are indeed accumulating virtue! "
"So we have to do this beautifully."
"Do not worry!"
Huang Yi knew the history of the late Ming Dynasty and saw Yi Zi eating it more than once from the data.
We know that cannibalism did exist in ancient times of trouble and disaster, and the first people to be eaten were women and children.
The reason why he entrusted Li Weida to arrange for their business to help buy women.
It is because of the imbalance in the ratio of men to women in the base area that there are now more than a thousand young and middle-aged men who are unable to form a small family.
