Mianzhou, an important frontier town in the northwest of the Southern Song Dynasty and the seat of Rongsi on Lizhou West Road, is located in the area adjacent to Shaanxi, Gansu and Sichuan. It is known as the hub of Qin and Shu and the link between Shaanxi and Gansu. For thousands of years, it has been regarded as a battleground for military strategists and merchants. The place of convergence.
Mianzhou is the bridgehead of Sichuan, bordering Jinjing in the north, reaching the Longxi Plateau in the west, and going straight to the Hexi Corridor in the northwest; you can also take advantage of the danger of Mianzhou, go eastward out of Dashan Pass, and go straight into the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province, forming three passes and five states. The first fortress.
In early winter in Mianzhou, the air was damp and cold, ice floes could already be seen on the river bank, and the military camp on the west bank of the city was crowded and extremely lively.
Two years after the war between the Song and Jin Dynasties, overnight, the deserted Mianzhou camp seemed to be full of vitality with people coming and going.
A few days ago, the Lizhou Dutong Secretary issued an official document, ordering all the border troops in Junzhou under his rule to gather at the Mianzhou camp and wait for the Lizhou Dutong Secretary's review.
Fortunately, the Song and Jin Dynasties stopped their troops, and there was no incident at the northern frontier. Fortunately, the military prefectures on Lizhou West Road were only a hundred miles away from Mianzhou, and they could arrive in a few days at most, which did not delay the troops from gathering on time to complete the review.
On the high platform of the teaching ground, Cao Youwen was sitting in the middle, taking his duties as his duty. Guo Zhengsun, the pacifying envoy of Lizhou West Road, Gao Jia, the magistrate of Mianzhou and the transfer envoy of Lizhou West Road, and other civil servants of Lizhou West Road. Among the generals, there was only one Wang Jian. Sit on one side.
Guo Zhengsun, the pacifier of Lizhou West Road, is fair and fair, completely different from the tall, black and strong Gao Jia, the magistrate of Mianzhou. However, these two people are honest officials and have political voices, so they complement each other.
In history, when the Mongolian army invaded Shukou, Guo Zhengsun, who was the pacifier of Lizhou Road at that time, retreated with 100,000 soldiers and civilians, and was massacred by the Mongolian army.
It was also the Mongol army that invaded and conquered Mianzhou, and the governor of Mianzhou, Gao Jia, died for his country.
Gao Jia is the leader of the Wei Gao family in Pujiang, a famous family in Sichuan. In terms of seniority, Gao Dingzi, the commander-in-chief of Sichuan, was Gao Jia's biological brother, and Wei Liaoweng, the minister of war, was Gao Jia's cousin. They were full of scholar-bureaucrats.
For Guo Zhengsun, the pacification envoy of Lizhou Road, Cao You was a little unhappy when he heard the arrival of this disciple of the emperor. After all, the military power had fallen by the wayside and was in the hands of a warrior. One can imagine his disappointment.
However, the general was domineering and did not listen to the instructions, which gave him a headache. Now that Cao Youwen has taken over the military power, he is somewhat relieved and feels much more relaxed.
A letter from Cui Yu, the new Sichuan envoy, told him overtly and covertly not to interfere in the military, and he was at ease.
He also wanted to see how these upstarts of the emperor could appease the arrogant soldiers in the frontier army?
Cao Youwen looked at the Huanghuang scholar-bureaucrats on both sides with their wide robes and long sleeves, and couldn't help feeling a little emotional.
Once upon a time, he was worthless in the eyes of these scholar-bureaucrats. Now, he can be on an equal footing with them.
The emperor's kindness, the love between teachers and students, and the righteousness between the emperor and his ministers, he could only repay the emperor's kindness with all his heart and mind.
"Xianggong Guo, Xianggong Gao, and all my colleagues, thanks to your majesty's personal kindness, will come to the northwest frontier to reorganize the military equipment and train the new army. They will dedicate themselves to their work, work conscientiously, and live up to your majesty's trust. I also hope that you will have more support in financial, food and government affairs. . I’ll thank you all at the end!”
Cao Youwen spoke first. All the civil servants faced each other, and Guo Zhengsun spoke first.
"Don't worry, General Cao. Reorganizing the border troops is a major matter of the country. We will do our best to support the general!"
"The defense at Shukou is in vain. Your Majesty manages the northwest with a far-sighted vision. If there is a need for money, food and service, we will do what we can."
Gao Jia, the transfer envoy of Mianzhou Zhizhou and Lizhou West Road, followed.
"Don't worry, General! We will do our best!"
"I will definitely do my best!"
When Guo Zhengsun and Gao Jia opened their mouths, all the officials turned away.
The new rich man in front of the emperor, besides being a military man, would help if he could, it was just a matter of favor.
"Thank you all!"
Cao Youwen thanked him in return.
The reason why the civil servants were polite was because of the emperor's face, and he knew it well. However, Guo Zhengsun and Gao Jia were honest officials, and Lizhou West Road's political affairs were smooth, which also relieved him from many constraints.
"The general has gathered all the officers and soldiers of Lizhou Rongsi here. What is the purpose?"
Guo Zhengsun asked, seeming to understand.
"Dashanguan, Tianshui Army, and Xihe Prefecture are all important border towns. The officers and soldiers gathered in Mianzhou rashly. What should we do if a border incident occurs?"
Gao Jia frowned and said bitterly.
"My two ministers, your majesty has given your Majesty's great entrustment to the general to rectify the border troops. If the border affairs cannot be improved before your majesty inspects the border fortress, wouldn't the general be indebted to the emperor's favor?"
Cao Youwen looked at everyone, his expression unchanged.
"My two gentlemen, there is no need to worry. If there is a war at the border, I will shoulder the full responsibility."
The emperor's earnest instructions are as if it were yesterday. How could he get away with a major national event?
What Cao You heard made Guo Zhengsun and Gao Jia speechless for a moment. The two looked at each other and said nothing.
Since the emperor has a purpose, let Cao Youwen do whatever he wants.
In the cold wind, looking at the crowded teaching field, Cao Youwen nodded gently to Wang Shixin and others.
"let's start."
Check the pay, eliminate the old, weak, sick and disabled, and reshape the frontier army. Ten thousand years is too long, just seize the day.
"Got the order!"
Wang Shixin, Ma Zhong and other generals clasped their fists in salute and entered the queue one after another.
"Name, officer and soldier of that department?"
Wang Shixin stood in front of a sergeant and asked coldly.
"Return to the general, the villain Zhang San, the officers and soldiers of Xihe Prefecture."
The sergeant replied with a smile on his face and a calm demeanor.
"Who is your superior? How many years have you been in the army? How many people are there in the army?"
Wang Shixin asked sharply.
"me……"
The sergeant looked panicked and was speechless.
"Pull out!"
The impostor was pulled out, dejected, and stood at the front of the queue.
"How old are you? How many years have you been in the army? Which army?"
Ma Zhong stood in front of an officer in his forties.
"Return to the general...jun, villain...Li Si, who has served in the army for seven years, and then dispersed the customs officer...jun."
Ma Zhong was majestic and powerful, like a mountain. The officers and soldiers were a little panicked and stumbled in response.
"Seven years? The palms are smooth and there are no calluses at all. You are a liar! Take it off!"
Another "imported product" was dragged out.
"How old are you? Whose name is it? How is your fish stall business doing?"
Standing in front of a fishy-smelling sergeant, Cheng Xin's eyes widened and he put his hand on the handle of his knife.
With his decades of military experience, this guy is an imposter at first glance.
At this time, both Wang Shixin and Ma Zhong found out a lot of "fake products". If he found nothing, it would inevitably make Cao You suspicious.
"General, spare your life! Commander He asked the villain to come! If the villain didn't come, he would have smashed the villain's fish stall!"
The dishonest fishmonger had never seen such a scene before. He hurriedly knelt down and began to kowtow.
"Pull out!"
Cheng Xinxin cursed secretly.
Idiot He Tao, he recruited these farmers and traders to make up the numbers without even screening them. He is really stupid and audacious.
"Start practicing!"
The sergeant began to divide into teams for drills, and soon, all those Xibei guys who knew nothing about drills were pulled out.
Counterfeiters were uncovered one by one, and there were as many as two or three thousand people in a dazzling array. Cao Youwen, who was on the high platform, watched coldly and remained calm.
"General, almost all armies have vacancies, especially the Tianshui army, which mostly has vacancies in Dasanguan. Both of them have about a thousand people."
Ma Zhong and Wang Shixin stepped forward to report. Cao Youwen nodded lightly with a solemn expression.
"Thanks for your hard work!"
Not to mention the 20% empty pay, even if these soldiers, old and young, go to the battlefield, how much real combat power do they have?
The reason why these two people were sent to personally handle the screening at Dashan Pass and Tianshui Army was because they were famous black-faced generals who were fair and strict.
Cao Youwen secretly marveled. Without the "intelligence" provided by the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Division, he would not have been able to prescribe the right medicine and purge the border troops so quickly.
"Bring me up!"
Cao Youwen immediately issued a military order.
Dealing with such things, cutting through the mess quickly and catching the arrogant and powerful generals off guard, he had no time to waste.
"What are you going to do? Let me go! Mr. Guo and General Cheng are unjust!"
"Why are you arresting me? Let me go! Mr. Gao, please say something!"
As the soldiers watched in surprise, two disheveled officers were escorted over. The officers struggled and shouted loudly, but were held down by the sergeants.
Cheng Xin saw it clearly and was shocked.
"General Cao, did you make a mistake?"
The two officers tied up in Wuhuada were both border army generals on Lizhou West Road. One was Gao Yifeng, the commander of the Tianshui Army, and the other was He Tao, the commander of Dashan Pass. These two people have a close friendship with him and are considered his confidants.
Unexpectedly, soldiers from all the military states on Lizhou West Road gathered together, and these two men were captured without any sound.
"General, we need to get to the bottom of this. We can't unjustly accuse good people."
Guo Zhengsun frowned and advised softly from the side.
He Tao, the commander of Dashan Pass, has a good relationship with him on weekdays, and the two are somewhat related. Although He Tao is greedy for small profits, he is generous, generous and righteous, and has a good reputation among the border troops.
Take it directly, isn't this a bit too fussy?
"General, be careful. These two are both generals of the border army. They must have real evidence, otherwise the morale of the army will be unstable."
Gao Jia was also surprised.
Gao Yifeng is a branch of the Wei Gao family in Pujiang. In terms of seniority, he has to call Gao Yifeng "uncle".
Why did Cao Youwen perform surgery on Gao Yifeng as soon as he came up? Isn't this a way of giving him a blow?
"Xiangong Guo, Xianggong Gao, General Cheng, colleagues, and Gao Yifeng, the commander of the Tianshui Army, committed fraud, paid empty wages, and even raped women. He Tao, the leader of Dasanguan, tortured and killed the people, and used public services for personal gain. The evidence of the two men's crimes It is confirmed that the Sichuan Anti-Corruption Branch conducted an overt and covert investigation, and this general has already reported it to the emperor."
Cao Youwen looked at the two generals who committed crimes in the audience, sat down at the table, and took out a stack of papers.
"Everyone, I didn't mean to embarrass my generals. Just take a look."
Gao Jia and Guo Zhengsun were both dubious. They took the paper and looked through it. Gao Jia's face turned red and he slapped the paper on the table.
"The crime is so heinous that you deserve to die!"
After reading He Tao's charges, Guo Zhengsun smiled coldly, shook his head and put it on the table.
No wonder Cao You dared to be so tough upon hearing this, it turned out to be well-founded.
"General Cheng, please."
Cao Youwen took the petition and handed it to Cheng Xin.
Cheng Xin took the paper and read it, his face turned pale and his hands trembled slightly.
Cao Youwen secretly shook his head. This former battlefield general seems to have lost all his heroic spirit under the influence of wine, sex and wealth.
I don’t know why Cui Yu, the envoy of Sichuan, thought he could be used by him?
"Everyone, how can you lead troops to fight if you deduct military pay, drink soldiers' blood, oppress the common people, and have a bad conscience? It's not that the general is cruel, but that he has to do it. To organize the border troops in preparation for the war, the general cannot take any responsibility. Holy grace, you have lived up to His Majesty’s great trust!”
Cao Youwen said it lightly.
For these worms, who want to unite against themselves for their own little selfish interests, they should first face the wall and think about life.
However, it seems they have no chance.
"General, how do you plan to deal with them?"
Cheng Xin's fingers trembled slightly as he handed the paper back.
According to the pleadings, it is inevitable that Gao Yifeng and He Tao will be punished with death. This young Shangguan wouldn't kill someone, would he?
"General Qiankun makes his own decisions and upholds the laws of the country."
"General, don't worry about us, just deal with it according to the law!"
Guo Zhengsun and Gao Jia, one behind the other, replied solemnly.
The laws of the country are ruthless and no one can overstep them. Moreover, Cao Youwen heard that the emperor was standing behind him, killing chickens and frightening monkeys, it was obvious at a glance.
What else can they say at this time? What else do you dare to say?
