"Where...are you going?" Cui frowned again after hearing this, feeling uneasy.
Ye Yongjia smiled easily: "Suidi. Discuss with Dong Congming and make plans for the next step."
Ms. Cui looked at him a few more times, then her face changed slightly: "You have not recovered from your illness, and your body is weak and you need to rest. It's such a cold place on the border, and there are often strong winds. If something happens to you, you should How can I be born well?"
Ye Yongjia looked at her melancholy for a long time, and suddenly took her arm gently: "Miss Cui, you are not living for me. You have your own personality and your own thoughts. This is something given to you by nature. You You shouldn't give them to others. So, you should value yourself the most, because if I..."
This will be followed by the word 'die'. But Ye Yongjia didn't have the courage to say it. He slowly put down Cui's hands, swallowed his sadness, said goodbye with a long bow, turned around and walked out of the house. When he was about to close the door, he saw Ms. Cui bowing her head and crying. He couldn't help but froze in place, with his lips trembling.
"Has your sister... ever hated you?" He still stared at the picture and asked Cui Yi next to him.
Cui Yi replied: "I probably hated it at first. But she didn't take it to heart, so she just followed my wishes and went with the flow."
"It would be great if she could hate me. Maybe I would be relieved." After that, he wiped the corners of his eyes and walked away.
On this midwinter night, it rained and snowed all over Suidi Town, quickly covering the entire camp, making the coldness at the border even worse. The soldiers quickly fetched lanterns, put on lampshades, and illuminated the few people who were walking in the snow from a distance - the leader was Ye Yongjia, the Minister of War, who was wearing an old mink robe and led Dong Sheng and Cui Yier. People came directly to the tent.
"You all should step aside," Dong Sheng said, "Master Ye and I have something to discuss."
The soldiers obeyed the order and left, and Dong Sheng invited the two of them into the tent and sat down by the campfire.
"Is there nothing going on here?" Ye Yongjia brushed off the snow water on his clothes, some of which even turned into ice slag.
Dong Sheng sighed: "With Mr. Cai's death, Party Chen must be arrogant. There is nothing we can do about it. I also heard some rumors here."
"What's the news?" Cui Yi asked urgently.
"Some people who came back from the capital recently said that the imperial court seemed to intend to disband the new army. Since the Fanshang business was cut off, it has become increasingly difficult to equip the army with firearms. If they are made by themselves, it will have a great impact on the expenditure of the national treasury."
"Yes," Ye Yongjia nodded, "Since the beginning of spring this year, famine has occurred in many places, and relief is urgently needed. The Ministry of Household Affairs does not know how to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, leaving a mess."
"If the Ministry of Household Affairs cannot afford the money, it will inevitably expropriate it wantonly, and the people will suffer in the end." Dong Sheng stared at the burning flames in front of him and said, "Why don't we just follow their disarmament and let the people of the world take a breather."
Ye Yongjia was hesitant, while Cui Yi stood up and said: "Dong Jianjun, your words are too weak! The court's lack of moral governance and rotten ethos have caused today's situation. What does this have to do with firearms? Ruoyi For this plan, why not tear down all the border walls and not pay a cent of military pay, which can make up for the shortfall! This is already one of the few good governments today. If we don't fight to the death to preserve it, we will really have nothing left."
After hearing this, Ye Yongjia was greatly touched. He retracted his hands from the fire and said firmly: "I will not give up. When the storm subsides a little, when I return to the capital, I will fight to the death with the emperor."
"How many plans do you have?" Dong Sheng asked.
"I don't know," Ye Yongjia wrapped his mink robe tightly and shook his head, "But...since there is only one road in Huashan, just keep your head down and go."
"What are you going to do?" Cui Yi's eyes rolled and he asked tentatively.
"This matter is so important that the officials alone cannot make the decision. It can only be left to the province for discussion. Minghui is only involved in politics there and is the right-hand man of Prime Minister Su Zongshan. He can interfere in decision-making through him."
"Can I let you take charge of the situation?" Cui Yi asked.
"Don't play such tricks in front of me," Ye Yongjia glanced at him coldly and immediately replied, "We are facing a powerful enemy. We need to work together as one. Let's put aside the grudges of the past."
Cui Yi said hurriedly: "Brother-in-law, don't forget, I am still responsible for wooing Zeng Liang. He Minghuiguang knows nothing about this, how can he take charge of the overall situation? What if there is progress over there? If you don’t know how to cooperate and work on your own, how can you defeat the Chen Party?”
"They're all excuses. He's in the Criminal Department, isn't he also your superior? Can't you just report everything to him?" Ye Yongjia looked a little angry, "Also, when discussing official business, you are not allowed to refer to each other as relatives!"
Cui Yi was so scolded by him that he didn't dare to speak out, but he was not very convinced. He followed him out of the camp, still thinking about the matter in his mind. Ye Yongjia and Dong Sheng walked in front, choosing a suitable barracks for accommodation. They walked to the new army camp without realizing it. Several soldiers guarding the gate immediately saluted and said: "See you, Mr. Ye!"
Ye Yongjia came to them, looked at them carefully, and laughed bitterly: "Have you seen me before?"
"Ye Gong's name is like thunder in our ears. Although we have never seen his face in person, we have always heard people describe it, so we can recognize it at a glance." One of them said.
Another person said with a smile: "Mr. Ye collected a lot of money for us, and also gave us firearms, so that we can kill the enemy and serve the country, and often perform meritorious deeds, how happy it is!"
The rain and snow have not stopped yet, and the fierce cold wind is blowing over and over again, but the soldiers still stand upright, clutching their shotguns, and staring at the surroundings. Even though their legs are frozen and stiff, they do not move even half a step, like pine trees. Generally upright. Thinking of the uncertain future of this team, Ye Yongjia couldn't help but feel ashamed, and even couldn't bear to tell them the news of the disbandment.
'I'm afraid the more things I do, the more sin I bear,' Ye Yongjia suddenly had such a decisive thought, 'it would be better to fall in this boundless snow, maybe it would be a good ending. After all, it is like Picturesque scenery...'
He slowly walked up to the soldier, looked at the weapon in his hand, and seemed to be murmuring: "What a good blunderbuss..." Before the man could react, he grabbed the muzzle of the blunderbuss and leaned down. Lower body, aimed at his own head, his eyes filled with cold air: "What would happen if you fired a shot here?"
The soldier's face turned pale with fright: "S-Sir, sir, I don't dare."
"Don't dare, don't dare..." Ye Yongjia muttered these two words repeatedly and sneered softly, "Is there anything in the world that people don't dare to do? Hateful! Hateful!" After saying that, he shook his head and walked straight away. Dong Sheng was afraid that he would be irritated again and did not dare to disturb him, so he followed him silently.
"Master Dong, you'd better make time tomorrow. I have to discuss something with you," Cui Yi said while waiting for an opportunity. "It's related to our life and death."
