In today's Song Dynasty, there is a proverb that says, "all the nobles and nobles in the dynasty are from the Siming Dynasty." Shi Miyuan quoted his fellow villagers, recruited party members, and already occupied key positions in the court.
Everything that Shi Xiangqin ordered to be done must be done vigorously and resolutely, ten times faster than normal court affairs.
Just a few days after Shi Xiang recovered from his illness, the officials heard that Ying Chunzhi died of illness due to official duties, so they felt sad and mourned, issued an order to increase his official position, and sent Secretary Xuan Zhen, the young eunuch, to Yangzhou to make sacrifices and prepare a timely plan. Well, the posthumous name is Zhongjing.
Xuan Zhen took the order and arrived in Yangzhou in just a few days.
As soon as he arrived at the ferry, the news spread to Yangzhou, not to mention Jia She who was still thinking about his past behind closed doors. Jia She thought that when Xuan Zhen came, he would naturally represent Shi Xiang and negotiate terms with himself, who vaguely represented Zhou Guogong. He quickly summoned his officials and staff to greet him at the Shili Pavilion outside the city. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, no one showed up.
Not long after, the servants reported that Xuan Zhen had left Yangzijin and walked directly around the city to the military camp in Shugang in the north.
The officials were agitated for a while, and many of them whispered, but they did not dare to say more to Jia She.
Jia She's complexion changed slightly.
Of course he understood why. Ever since Jia Sidao's true identity was revealed, Jia She's status in Yangzhou has become a bit embarrassing, because no one knows whether this once popular deputy envoy was from the Ding Navy or the Song Dynasty. .
Therefore, the merchants were unscrupulous and kept in touch with him, but the officials inevitably became more distant. Even those who took a lot of money from him as bribes were not as close as before.
This is human nature, so there is no need to be harsh on it. The key is that Jia She himself is a little confused and doesn't know what his identity is.
Let's say he is from the Song Dynasty. In the past two years, he has poached the corners of the Song Dynasty to an outrageous degree. His family members have also been resettled in Tianjin Mansion a long time ago. It can be said that he is from the Northern Ding Navy. Guo Ning actually did not ask him to do anything.
His ancestors were civilians who obtained official positions because of their studies. His father was a loyal minister of the Song Dynasty. Although he was wronged and died, after Jia She's ten years of hard work, the case was overturned. He had complaints about the Song Dynasty, but also felt gratitude; he was disappointed, but also had a little expectation, so he had no motivation to overthrow the Song Dynasty.
The current corruption matters are not so much in accordance with Guo Ning's will as they are the instincts that Jia She has honed after living in troubled times for many years.
He has been an official for more than ten years, and he has always been like this. Otherwise, what will happen to the whole family? Otherwise, when you are fighting for your father's injustice, how can you please those high-ranking officials who can speak for your father?
It's just that because of the booming business, he has naturally grown bigger and reaped benefits that he had never dreamed of before.
He asked himself, he was really a simple and bright person, adhering to the principle of serving as an official for thousands of miles, only for wealth, and other than that, he would never be easily distracted. Even if they teamed up with Yang Miaozhen to kill Yang You and Ying Chunzhi half a month ago, it would still be a passive response. If those idiots hadn't plotted against him, he would never have been like this.
Therefore, although he secretly went to the north, met Zhou Guogong, and assisted Ding Haijun in defrauding the Kaifeng court, he actually served as the deputy envoy of the Song Dynasty and did not slack off in handling official affairs.
After Jia Sidao's identity was revealed, he also stayed behind closed doors and kept silent, as if waiting for disposal.
He has been wavering, but he is really unwilling to abandon his identity as a Song Dynasty; in the eyes of outsiders, he is just a cunning and cunning local official. Until now, when he summoned officials from inside and outside Yangzhou City to greet the angel, the officials still followed him.
However, if Xuan Zhen, who came on behalf of the imperial court, did not see him, what would it mean?
Jia She was able to overthrow Ying Chunzhi and Yang You because of the force of the Zhongyi Army. At this moment, Xuan Zhen went directly to the camp of the Zhongyi Army. What does that mean?
Although Yangzhou is located in the north of the Yangtze River, it is an important town in the Song Dynasty that has been in operation for hundreds of years. There is no doubt about people's support for it, and the people in Jiankang and Zhenjiang are coming day and night!
Will the attitude of so many officials and garrison troops inside and outside Yangzhou toward Jia She change because of this?
Jia She heard someone beside him sneer.
That was Li Jue laughing.
In the past few days, when he was in the city, people sent by Jia She took turns to keep an eye on him, which was like being under house arrest. At this moment, he cheered up.
Jia She stood still and thought deeply, not looking at this guy's face. After a while, he said easily: "Mo Xiao, the governor of the government, you have to continue to be the border minister, just like I have to stay in Yangzhou for a long time. It is best for the two of us to cooperate with each other and be harmonious."
Li Jue was stunned, then laughed angrily: "Do you think those Qiu Ba of the loyal army will always support you? Even if they are stunned, what does this small force mean in front of the Song Dynasty?"
"What are you talking about? The Zhongyi Army is originally the army of the Song Dynasty! What's more, the Zhongyi Army is not supporting me. In this world, they will only support themselves, just like me, Jia She, and you, Li Jue, are trying their best to support themselves .”
Li Jue shook his head: "It's too late for you to make excuses for yourself now! Shi Xiang will never make such a big fuss..."
"What happened in Yangzhou? It's just that a certain commander was kidnapped by the rebels and made trouble. The rebels have been suppressed and the commander is dead. Yangzhou is peaceful and peaceful as in previous years. Can you tell me, what happened?"
Jia She patted Li Jue on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Zhifu, Zhifu, Prime Minister Shi can see clearly above this... Something happened in Yangzhou, but nothing can happen in Yangzhou, so nothing happened in Yangzhou ...Do you understand? Because Mr. Shi supports only himself."
At this point, Jia She laughed and left.
Li Jue stared blankly at his figure. After a while, he noticed that several of his companions were approaching him cautiously.
During the few days that Jia She was under house arrest, these companions were nowhere to be seen. Now it seemed that they all looked good and had not suffered any hardships.
Li Jue shouted angrily: "What do you guys think I'm doing? Hurry to Shugang in the north of the city and see the movements of the loyal army! If there is any unusual movement, report it immediately!"
There was no movement from the loyal army.
Outside the military camp, although the atmosphere was fierce and the people were quiet; inside the military camp, Yang Miaozhen held a banquet to entertain Xuan Zhen.
In the past two years, the Chuzhou Zhongyi Army had been dealing with Liu Quan and Guo Yao'er. At this time, she stepped forward to entertain them, and then stood on the stage formally.
Xuan Zhen really didn't expect to see Yang Miaozhen in person so soon, let alone that Yang Miaozhen was so young and so heroic. There were women in the Song Dynasty who were exposed to the public and engaged in business, but there was absolutely no one who could lead troops to fight in modern times.
He was surprised and respected Yang Miaozhen very much. After asking about Yang Miaozhen's experience from north to south at the banquet, he repeatedly raised his hands and praised her. He kept saying that he was lucky to meet such a heroine. After returning to the court, he would have to push Yousi to give Yang Miaozhen the title of county king. .
At this banquet, the wine was new and good wine bought from the city. Compared with Lin'an cuisine, the dishes are inferior and far inferior to those enjoyed by high-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou city. But Xuan Zhen didn't show off, and took Liu Quan to drink a few drinks, and then took Guo Yao'er to toast each other. Soon he became a little drunk and his tongue became louder:
"It is really easy for our two families, the North and the South, to arrange some spies on the opposite side. In the early years of the Song Dynasty, the value of Huizi was devalued, and there were endless exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. There were always farmers in Huainan who had no way to make a living and fled to the north in large numbers. Later in Dajin There are wars and wars in Kuoa, and tens of thousands of people flee south from Shandong every year. Not to mention that trade has been booming in the past two years, and there are countless merchants coming and going. It is not difficult to plant a few spies among them. But... …”
Xuan Zhen took the wine glass and looked at Yang Miaozhen, then at Liu Quan and Guo Yaoer: "However, it is easy to place spies, but it is difficult to do other things. It is even harder for people from the south to directly seize benefits by force. Just like Yang You, it is really his own fault."
Liu Quan laughed loudly: "Fortunately, we are different from Yang You. Poor rats like us who are struggling to survive, if we don't have food to eat from the court, how can we have any force? How can we dare to think of any benefits?"
Xuan Zhen glanced at him: "Old Liu! Don't worry, listen to me!"
"You can't get it by force, but it doesn't mean there are no benefits. For example, the elite soldiers and generals in our Song Dynasty army were often reformed people at that time. For decades, it was thanks to them to defend and fight hard that the country was in peace. The money and wealth provided by our Song Dynasty is valuable , not a few either.”
"If the Song Dynasty can trust us, we will naturally defend and fight to protect the Song Dynasty."
"Of course Da Song can trust you all!"
Xuan Zhen slapped the table, and the wine spilled on the sleeves of his robe, as if he didn't realize it.
"How can you not believe it? The officials of the Song Dynasty were generous and the governors were wise. They always regarded those who surrendered as innocent children. There was absolutely no suspicion at all. This time Yang You caused trouble in Yangzhou, so much so that Huaidong Economic Strategy appeased him to death. There were many concerns in the court about this Guess. But the Prime Minister sent me here to tell you that the imperial court can trust you, and the imperial court will never be deceived by those nonsense! Chuzhou and Zhenzhou are still the bases of the loyal army, and the imperial court will not allocate a penny of money or food. Young Master! You will nominate the rulers of the two places yourself, and the imperial court will definitely agree! You can rest assured!"
Having said this, Xuan Zhen looked around at the generals, who then turned to look at Yang Miaozhen.
Yang Miaozhen seemed to be a little distracted, and it took a long time to notice the generals' eyes.
She smiled, turned to Xuanzhen, and said slowly: "The Song Dynasty court trusts us. This is a supreme honor. We are naturally relieved and willing to serve the Song Dynasty court. In the future, there will be another traitor like Yang You in Huainan. Thief, we will still suppress him mercilessly, and the court can rest assured."
"Hahaha, great! Great!"
There was a thorn in the words, and Xuan Zhen seemed unaware. He laughed happily, laughed for a while, and then his expression suddenly calmed down: "No matter where the rebels come from, the loyal army will wipe them out, right?"
Yang Miaozhen also laughed.
Two years ago, she couldn't understand the meaning of Xuan Zhen's call, let alone playing riddles with each other. Fortunately, she is completely different now than she was two years ago.
According to her cold temperament, she was originally unwilling to get involved in military affairs. When the Red Coat Army was at its peak, she was only known for beheading generals and breaking flags. Unexpectedly, her brother died in battle, and so many people gathered around her with expectations, as if she were their sustenance. She had to take responsibility and respond to people's expectations.
Over the past two years, although she could not be said to lead everyone, she had understood the thoughts of tens of thousands of men and women in the remaining Red Coat Army.
Their origins are complicated, including landless poor people, bankrupt merchants, thieves, deserters, local tyrants, officials and many other backgrounds in Shandong. Each of them has different wishes. Back then, Yang An'er gathered them by throwing away money and then tempting them with lavish wealth. As a result, less than half a year after enjoying wealth, the Red Coat Army failed. Looking back on the past, these people thought of the experience of uprising, recruiting peace, and revolting again and being betrayed in the past ten years. They had no trust in outsiders at all.
Not to mention the higher-status soldiers, who were all marshals, generals, and military governors under Yang An'er. They all once built mansions and established themselves as heroes of the land. Although they are now in a state of poverty, they are still very high-spirited. They would rather be chicken heads than cow queens, and they are absolutely unwilling to work for others.
For them, Huainan is an excellent place to stay after the failure in Shandong.
To the north, you can rely on the Song Dynasty to fight against the Ding Navy; to the south, you can use your own force to intimidate the Song Dynasty; internally, you can rely on the large number of reformed people to slowly take root, and externally, you can assist the commercial exchanges between the north and the south and continue to gain benefits... …
Is there any better place in the world than Huainan?
Such a good place is a rare haven in troubled times. No one can take it away! No matter who dares to introduce foreign forces, it will immediately trigger a violent backlash from the rest of the Red Coat Army!
Just like Yang You, speaking of which, he is Yang An'er's nephew, the famous Nine Kings. If the Han Dynasty established by Marshal Yang had continued to this day, Yang You might even have become the crown prince.
But is it useful?
Yang You was leaning against Shi Miyuan and was too deeply involved with the Central Committee of the Southern Dynasty. He himself wanted to be the dog of the Song Dynasty, so that was fine. He wanted to overpower the loyal army and all of them to become the dogs of the Song Dynasty, so he immediately betrayed his relatives and left. Yang Miaozhen hooked his fingers, and Yang You's cronies shot their leader alive into a hedgehog.
The Zhongyi Army has a good reputation, but the Zhongyi Army will only be loyal to itself.
As the leader of the Zhongyi Army, Yang Miaozhen must act according to the wishes of the Zhongyi Army as a whole, otherwise the leader of the Zhongyi Army will be replaced immediately.
Yang Miaozhen doesn't mind the substitution. She never felt that being the leader of tens of thousands of men and women was enjoyable or satisfying. But this group was left to her by her brother Yang An'er. This is the last trace left behind after the power established before his brilliant brother collapsed.
So Yang Miaozhen will not let go, and cannot let go.
She stood up solemnly and saluted Xuan Zhen: "As the old man said, no matter where the rebels disturb Huainan, the loyal army will definitely wipe them out."
Xuan Zhen came north on horseback. Although he appeared to be relaxed and at ease, in fact he was already very nervous and the robe on his back was soaked through.
After all, the Zhongyi Army is not the Dingjun Army that is about to replace Da Jin. In the final analysis, they are all desperate people with few scruples. However, their force comes from Yang An'er, who once controlled Shandong and founded the country and proclaimed himself emperor. The Jin Kingdom fought fiercely with heavy troops.
Although Shi Xiang was confident and felt that nothing big would happen, Xuan Zhen was inevitably doubtful.
After all, Shi Xiang was sitting in this position. There were some things he didn't know and others didn't dare to tell them directly. Therefore, although his judgment was sharp, he always overestimated the military power of the Song Dynasty.
During Xuan Zhen's trip to the north, he came to understand just how bad the Song Dynasty's border defense was.
This kind of border defense had already been ravaged by the thirteen captains of the Kaifeng imperial court, and several captains could not recover their strength within three to five years. As for the naval forces along the river, they were bribed and infiltrated much earlier.
The loyal army either rebelled on their own, or they colluded with the Ding Navy to the north to expand their influence along the canal. Xuan Zhen was very sure that the Song Dynasty's official army would not be able to restrain them. And if a larger army is mobilized, at least half of the country will be disturbed and countless military resources will be consumed.
Outside the battlefield, the finances must first be unable to withstand it; if the finances cannot withstand it, the battlefield cannot support it; the battlefield cannot support it; then central political struggles break out. The Song Dynasty court will soon be unable to hold on to the situation, and will be stepped on repeatedly by this group of soldiers and gangsters!
Therefore, when Xuan Zhen came to Yangzhou this time, he actually had no confidence at all. It was not until he heard Yang Miaozhen's personal promise that he suddenly felt relieved.
In any case, as long as the Zhongyi Army does not collude with Ding Haijun and make the mess in front of them bigger, it will be a good thing. What else are you asking for?
He stood up quickly: "It's a deal!"
Yang Miaozhen suddenly slapped his forehead in fear, and said with a smile: "I forgot, there is one more thing that must be done..."
"Fourth Lady, just tell me!"
"The imperial court originally allocated food and salary to the Loyalty Army based on fifteen thousand personnel. However, Sir, I have also seen that our army has more than this number, and there are more than a thousand cavalry..."
Xuan Zhen had been to Zhenzhou several times and had seen Yang You's troops, but he had never been to Chuzhou. He had no idea how many loyal troops there were in total. Moreover, if the food and wages for 30,000 people are released, this army will become more and more difficult to control, and it will definitely cause trouble in the long run. But after weighing the pros and cons, Prime Minister Shi had already decided to frame the situation, so why should he question it?
At that moment, he smiled bitterly: "When I return to the court, I will definitely push you to review the number of your army and give you 20,000... No, the Prime Minister is the most generous and will give at least 30,000 people food and salary!"
"I've seen officials in the Song Dynasty these days, and most of them are perfunctory. I'm afraid there are also some traitors in the court who are trying to hinder their lives..."
Xuan Zhen said sternly: "Don't worry! The Prime Minister will definitely agree. If I'm watching personally, who dares to stand in the way?"
Everyone at the banquet was happy, and they all picked up their wine glasses and said, "We've settled on the business, let's drink, drink."
