Chapter 230: Shandong Drought People Are Rich II
"How many people are you looking at?"
Kong Yinzhi and Kong Yinren stood on the east city wall together, looking at the dust in the distance and the cavalry on the black spots: "Come, prepare things, open the city gate, and prepare to welcome the golden cavalry."
Leading the way were more than 3,000 Guangning cavalry led by Wang Xiaojie, all of whom were wearing armor. They were as good as the Guanning cavalry of later generations.
When his team arrived outside Qufu City, Kong Yinzhi, who had already set up the incense table, led a group of Qufu officials and disciples of the Kong family to kneel behind the incense table.
Wang Xiaojie was stunned. What the hell does this mean?
"Quickly report to the Duke..."
Chen Cao was also puzzled. Through his telescope, he could clearly see a man in his forties kneeling behind the incense table. There were also many Ming officials and scholars dressed as children.
Wang Xiaojie rode his horse forward, and when he reached the incense table, he heard someone shouting: "The sect of Qufu Yan Shenggong Kong family welcomes the arrival of the golden and heavenly soldiers..."
silent...
Kong Yinzhi lowered his head and didn't dare to look. He had heard about Jiannu killing people without blinking an eye. At this moment, the other party didn't speak. How dare he raise his head randomly and break the rules.
So he shouted loudly again.
Chen Cao had just galloped closer and heard clearly, so he turned to look at Sun Chuanting and said: "Bo Ya, do you see it? This is the Yanshenggong of our Ming Dynasty. The Yanshenggong sect of the thousand-year-old family, this Jiannu Before the call actually came, people had prepared things to welcome the Dajin Heavenly Soldiers. We don't look like Jurchen barbarians. Come on, Duke Yan, get up. I can't bear your kneeling... "
Kong Yinzhi was startled, and immediately looked up. In front of him, riding a horse in front of him was a young man wearing the same official uniform as himself. He blushed with embarrassment and quickly stood up and dusted himself off.
Sun Chuanting sighed with difficulty. Even the scholars who paid homage to Yan Shenggong were so afraid of death. The scholars of the Ming Dynasty were really hopeless. What's more, there were many officials and scholars behind him who actually greeted Jiannu so blatantly: "Mr. Yansheng, you have really disgraced the face of my Ming Dynasty scholar."
Kong Yinzhi was so ashamed that he felt ashamed, but now he was too embarrassed to leave directly, so he hesitated for a few words, and then said loudly, "I don't know which lord it is in front of you."
Zhao Xin rode forward and said, "This is my Duke Liang..."
"Chen Cao?" Kong Yinzhi was surprised, and then changed his mind: "Why are you here?"
Chen Cao laughed, then lay on his horse and taunted: "I heard that Qufu is plotting to welcome the slave-building army. I came here to see if it is true. It seems like intelligence. It is better for me to call Sun Guozhen, the governor of Denglai of the Chinese Army. How about we come and watch this great show too?”
Kong Yinzhi wanted to curse, but he felt that he was completely wrong. Besides, he was caught doing something wrong now. With so many people watching, it was difficult for him to get over it, so he handed over his hands in embarrassment: "Dong Liang, you and I are both lords of the country. We have all received the teachings of the saint, so how about we expose it in the face of the saint?"
"Don't..." Chen Cao said with a smile: "The saint did not teach me how to surrender to the alien race. Although I am not a good person, I also know how to be loyal, filial, and honest..."
One sentence made Kong Yinzhi want to find a place to get in. Upon seeing this, Kong Yinren stepped forward and handed over his hand: "Dong Liang, I am the magistrate of Qufu County. Duke Liang has come from a long distance and is tired of the army. It is better to enter the city and go down." Officials are also good at joining the friendship of landlords..."
"Okay..." Chen Cao agreed readily, but Kong Yinzhi didn't expect that he would have the last sentence: "Jinyiwei, record the incident of Duke Yansheng kneeling down to welcome Jiannu today. After I signed it, I sent it to the capital... ."
Although Qufu County is not big, because it is where Confucius is located, the incense and commerce are extremely developed.
"By the way, Qufu is also the hometown of Saint Confucius. Why are there more brothels and Chu pavilions than Jinling? There is actually an Elephant Aunt Pavilion?"
Chen Cao's endless sarcastic words made everyone here named Kong feel uncomfortable: "Wouldn't Duke Yan also like Long Yangzhi, right?"
Kong Yinzhi's face was ashen, and when Sun Guozhen saw this, he quickly spoke up and said, "Don't worry about it, Duke Yan Sheng. This time Duke Liang also went north to King Qin in accordance with the imperial order. When passing by Denglai, he heard that the slave-building army had arrived in Yanzhou, so he I will lead Xiaguan non-stop to relieve the siege of Yanzhou..."
Naturally, Sun Guozhen didn't know what happened at the city gate earlier. His governor's pacesetters were rubbish and were placed at the back of the army by Chen Cao.
Kong Yinzhi never thought that Chen Cao would let him go, but after all, he was second only to the emperor in the Ming Dynasty. It was really uncomfortable and the worst possible outcome was that he and Chen Cao would die.
"Shandong has been experiencing droughts since the first year of Tianqi. From five years to today, there have been severe droughts. The areas close to the Yellow River and the canal are slightly better. In places like Qingzhou, Denglai, and east of Yanzhou, all the refugees have gone to South Zhili. ;
However, although there is a severe drought in Shandong, the people who should be rich are all rich. "
Chen Cao looked at Kong Yinzhi meaningfully as he spoke: "Yan Shenggong has been a scholarly family for thousands of years, and even after Taizu descended, for more than two hundred years, it was not said that the country was as rich as the enemy. I believe it is still possible to fund some military expenditures, right? ..."
Sun Guozhen felt that Chen Cao must have been kicked in the head by a donkey. Not to mention the rights of scholars, the Kong family, who was also a duke, was famous for being a small family in Yanzhou Prefecture. Emperors of all dynasties did not ask Yansheng Gong's family for money. On the contrary Only the portion given during the annual festivals.
Sun Guozhen, who was about to see the joke, stared at Kong Yinzhi. Unexpectedly, before Kong Yinzhi spoke, Kong Yinren spoke first: "Hahaha, this is what Duke Liang is worried about. It's just a joke. Although my Kong family's property cannot be Compared with the country, but after hundreds of years of farming, the family wealth is actually quite rich. Even if the tyrant Yuan came to power, my Kong family has never been affected, but on the contrary, we are treated with courtesy."
The meaning of this is very simple. My Kong family is rich...
Kong Yinzhi did not refute because he was really embarrassed and could only let his brothers who were also members of the Kong family speak.
Kong Yinren continued: "My Kong family is willing to contribute one million taels for military expenses."
Sun Guozhen almost spit out the wine he drank. What do you mean? Is this big boss of the Kong family willing to pay one million?
However, Chen Cao's next words made Sun Guozhen completely confused.
"Hahaha..."
Chen Cao raised his head and laughed: "Mr. Yansheng is really polite..."
Hi...
I told you I wanted money, these are just small things...
Even Kong Yinzhi cupped his hands with a smile. Just when everyone thought they were happy, Chen Cao said another earth-shattering sentence.
"One million is not enough..."
The words were spoken calmly, and the atmosphere of the banquet suddenly froze. Everyone looked at Chen Cao who said this quietly.
Sun Guozhen really wanted to talk, because he felt that it was a big deal that the Kong family could offer a sky-high price of one million. You, Duke Liang, just said "not enough" and offended everyone.
Kong Yinzhi looked at Chen Cao with a cold face: "I wonder how much Duke Liang thinks is enough?"
"Lord Sun has invested one million taels in military expenses for me to come south. I am still short of four million taels in the military force."
"Four million," Kong Yinzhi exhaled: "Is Duke Liang's appetite too big?"
"Is it big?" Chen Cao frowned and looked at Sun Chuanting beside him: "Bo Ya, do you think it is big?"
Sun Chuanting didn't speak, and just sighed.
Sun Guozhen was such a sophisticated person, but he immediately sensed something was wrong in the atmosphere. He guessed that the Kong family must have some leverage in Chen Cao's hands.
"It only took two days for Jiannu to arrive at Yanzhou Fucheng from Caozhou, and only an hour from Yanzhou Fucheng to Qufu Kuaima," Chen Cao said and stood up: "Since I can't raise the military expenses in Qufu, I'm sorry. We need to withdraw our troops now, and I will ask the Jin Yiwei to report truthfully what happened..."
This is the threat of Chiguoguo.
"Wait a minute..."
Kong Yinzhi agreed: "Dong Liang, everything is easy to discuss. This is the hometown of saints throughout the ages. It must not be invaded by war..."
Chen Cao chuckled, then sat down again, and started bargaining with Kong Yinzhi like a market rogue. Sun Guozhen, who was listening on the side, had a dark look on his face...
What exactly happened here?
After the banquet ended, everyone was happy. Kong Yinzhi finally succeeded in persuading Chen Cao with a military expenditure of three million and fifteen taels.
In the post house in Qufu, Chen Cao looked at the carts of money being transported in, and immediately felt that the Kong family had a lot of money.
"I just like this resolute style of doing things. It's also a good thing to give money immediately after making an agreement."
Xin Zhao walked into the lobby and interrupted Chen Cao, who was talking to a group of civil and military officials: "Master, please count clearly. The total of gold and silver totals 3.5 million taels, which is not a penny."
"Have you seen?"
Chen Cao wanted to brainwash him again, especially to Sun Chuanting: "This is the family of Confucius, a family with a family of farming and studying. It has only been less than an hour. Since it is faster than the Ministry of Household Affairs, 3.5 million taels Silver is not a small sum of money."
"Uncle..."
A messenger came into the house and handed over the news: "The Yanzhou forward sentry sent word that the Jiannu army has arrived in Yanzhou, and a part of it is heading towards Qufu. The number is no less than 10,000. Our army's forward sentry has withdrawn."
Chen Cao regained his composure: "Jiannu doesn't know what we are doing in Qufu, so why not just hit them hard here?"
.
Those who went south to Shandong to plunder were Daishan and Mang Gurtai. They led 40,000 cavalrymen from the Eight Banners and the Eight Banners of the Han Army all the way from Dongchang Prefecture. They surrounded and annihilated the 20,000 troops mobilized by Shandong Dusi.
The Battle of Caozhou severely damaged the army of Shandong Dusi. Now Dusi troops only dared to huddle in Jinan Prefecture. Kong You, the minister of Dusi Qian, because he was a member of the Kong family, personally led two Manchu garrison troops southward into Yanzhou Prefecture. Still on the march.
