It is more difficult for Qiu He to recruit troops and borrow food from Jingzhou. Even if you recruit all the military here, there will only be 20,000 people.
Yang Guang gave him the will, but the person who carried it out was himself.
This is like a group company. The chairman tells you where to develop business and how to develop it is your business. The chairman only wants results.
"The Xiangyang navy is quite large now, with more than six thousand people and five large ships," Qiu He said to Murong Sanzang at the Jiangling Prefecture:
"Why do they still have refined weapons? Du Zha, the governor of Xiangyang, although his son Du Ruhui serves in the East Palace, does he have such a high reputation?"
Murong Sanzang has been sitting in the position of Jiangling County Sheriff for more than ten years. He was supposed to be replaced a long time ago, but he has an old relationship with the prince and the annual filial piety to the East Palace is not less, so the Ministry of Personnel did not touch him. .
Murong Sanzang laughed and said: "The Xiangyang Navy was originally supported by the prince. From the inside out, they are all the prince's people. Du Zha is nothing. How can he control the Xiangyang Navy."
The two were old acquaintances and had worked together before. Qiu He frowned and said, "So, it is almost impossible for me to recruit these six thousand people?"
"Don't look at Xiangyang Cavalry Mansion Zhou Zhongmo, he is just a Cavalry General, but in Jingzhou territory, no one can appoint him," Murong Sanzang said:
"But you can give it a try. Zhou Zhongmo was detained by Feng Xuan when he attacked Liuqiu. He has some issues with the Feng family. If he is willing to help, the prince will not say anything."
Qiu He sneered and said: "I am a county prince, but I still need to say good things to a military general who is not on the stage? Isn't this the same as lowering my status? I am in the capital, and the prince still respects me. Zhou Luohu's concubine, count what?"
Murong Sanzang smiled and said: "Be polite, after all, we are the prince's people."
Qiu He snorted coldly: "Just because he is the prince's son, I sent someone to Xiangyang to find him. Otherwise, just because I came to Jingzhou and he didn't come to visit me, I could dismiss him on the spot."
What they said is right, he does have this right, because he came here with integrity and has the right to temporarily dispatch officials from various counties in Jingzhou.
But Jingzhou is a special place. The prince once served as the general manager here. Many officials are attached to the East Palace. If the backstage is too strong, it will definitely be much more arrogant than other places.
At this time, an announcement was made outside the door that Zhou Zhongmo was here.
"Let him in," Qiu He said calmly.
Not long after, Zhou Zhongmou came in wearing a military uniform. He didn't know Qiu He, but just by looking at his official uniform, he knew he was a second-rank official.
"Zhou Zhongmou, who holds a humble position in Xiangyang Hussar Prefecture, pays homage to the Duke of Pingcheng, the general."
Qiu He nodded and said, "Please get up and take a seat."
After Zhou Zhong sat down, Qiu He said: "Xiangyang Husband's Palace, in the early years, it was left to the left to lead the left and right mansions, and now it is Zuo's garrison. I am not your general."
Qiu He is the general of the Zuoyu Guard, and the Zuotun Guard is currently Yang Hao. Yang Hao himself cannot control the Xiangyang Navy.
Zhou Zhongmo was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, I haven't offended you, so why did you give me such power as soon as you came up?
"You are the humble general, the great general of the Sui Dynasty military system, the Twelve Guards and the Four Prefectures. You are the general in charge of the world's troops. There is nothing wrong with the title of humble title."
The corners of Qiu He's lips curled up slightly, and after glancing at Murong Sanzang beside him, he continued:
"You have dealt with brothers Feng Xuan and Feng An. What do you think of these two people?"
Zhou Zhongmo is a military personnel, so it is appropriate to call Qiu He's military position, rather than the higher-ranking county prince, military general, from the second rank.
Just listen to him say: "Back to the general, I think Feng An is still reliable. Although his loyalty to the court comes from self-preservation and safeguarding the interests of the Feng family in Lingnan, he is still close to the court, but he The eldest brother Feng Xuan somewhat regards Lingnan as his own backyard and does not want the court to interfere too much in Lingnan affairs, and the military power in the Guangzhou area is in Feng Xuan's hands, which is really worrying."
Qiu He nodded: "Feng Xuan is the eldest son, the head of the Feng family, and it is normal for him to hold military power. However, Feng An's control over the Guangzhou area is definitely greater than that of Feng Xuan. The illusion that the older brother is stronger than the younger brother is just for the court. You see, Feng Ang knows best how to hide one's strength and bide one's time."
Murong Sanzang got straight to the point and said: "Your Majesty has decreed that the Duke of Pingcheng County recruit troops from Jingzhou and station them in Guiyang County to prevent changes in the Feng family. There are six thousand naval troops under your command, plus one thousand from the Huqi Mansion. Two hundred people are all on the recruiting trail, shouldn't you prepare early?"
Murong Sanzang was of high rank, the prefect of Jiangling, and the Duke of Hanoi County, but his last words brought a question mark.
This is a smart person. He is also following the prince and eating in the same pot as Zhou Zhongmo.
After hearing what the other party said, Qiu He obviously frowned. Are you really a grandson? Do you need to talk like this to a hussar general? It’s okay for you to curry favor with the prince, but are you so polite to even such a small official under the prince?
Zhou Zhongmo pondered for a moment and said: "The Xiangyang navy is equipped with light armor suitable for water battles. If it is a land battle, it will not have an advantage. However, since it is His Majesty's will, I must obey the general's orders."
When Qiu He heard this, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, this man nodded. Isn't there 7,000 people?
It's quite a compliment.
"Very good, prepare as soon as possible. We are just going to Guiyang to keep an eye on Feng An. We may not start a fight," Qiu He said:
"Even if it's light armor, it's still refined steel, and it's far beyond what those barbarians in Lingnan covered with rattan can resist."
Although it is difficult to cut wood with a good knife, the vine armor of the Lingnan soldiers is not thick at all. If it is thick, it will be too heavy to carry. Furthermore, the main battle weapon of the Sui Dynasty is a spear, which can penetrate the vine armor. , one stabbed to death.
It can be said that the stabbing weapon is specially designed to defeat rattan armor.
Zhou Zhongmo nodded and said: "General, don't worry, the Xiangyang Hussar Mansion only needs three days to prepare and can follow you south at any time."
Qiu He was in a good mood and said with a smile: "No wonder the prince put you here. You are quite good at leading troops. By the way, I heard that you have a good relationship with the Shen family?"
Of course it's good. The Shen family is a supporter of the prince, and Zhou Zhongmo is a member of the prince, so they get along very well on weekdays.
Shen Lun went from being a lieutenant of Jiangling County to being a lieutenant of Jiangling County, and Shen Qu went from being a lieutenant of Xiangyang County to being a lieutenant of Xiangyang County now. They were all promoted from the county level to the county level, which was a big jump.
There are also many other children of the Shen family who have become officials in the Jingzhou area. The Shen family is currently the richest in Jingzhou.
Qiu He had to find food. Having soldiers but no food was like having a car but no oil.
Zhou Zhongmo nodded and said: "Beizhi is still close to the Shen family. Both of Chen's sons are married to daughters of the Shen family."
His two sons, Zhou Qing and Zhou Tian, were vigorously trained by Yang Ming in the capital, participated in the Battle of Goguryeo, and now hold important positions in the left guard, and they are both married to daughters of the Shen family.
The daughter of a big family in Guanzhong, even if she is a concubine, would not look down on him.
And Zhou Zhongmo's hometown is Jiujiang, so he is definitely still willing to find a southern girl for his son.
"Please introduce me to her. I will use Prefect Murong's treasure house to hold a banquet tonight. Please help me invite Mrs. Shen to the banquet," Qiu He said.
"The humble position must be properly arranged," Zhou Zhongmou said.
Treating Shen was different. Qiu He had to give her face because he heard from Murong Sanzang that Shen came to Beijing last year and stayed in the East Palace for two days. The prince and princess personally received her.
I didn't even get this kind of treatment in the East Palace.
That night, Shen came with Shen Lun, the prime minister of Jiangling County.
Shen Lun is very convinced of his sister-in-law now. If it weren't for his sister-in-law, their family would not be what it is today, so he is very relieved to leave all family affairs to his sister-in-law. Shen has the final say on how to spend the money.
"Madam, please take a seat quickly," Qiu He said very enthusiastically, completely different from when he faced Zhou Zhongmo.
"This is Shen Juncheng, right? I've admired you for a long time. Please take a seat."
Shen Lun hurriedly said: "Mr. Qiu is too polite. It is my honor to meet Mr. Qiu today."
"If you don't say such outlandish things, just sit down and sit down."
Qiu He also has experience in governing in the local area. He knows the ways of officialdom very well. As the saying goes, you don't pay for your life by coaxing someone to death. The superior officials coax and deceive the inferior officials, so that the other party can do things for you, not Just like in movies and TV shows, he yells and insults at every turn.
After everyone was seated, Qiu He said with a smile: "I heard that Mrs. Shen brought your son to Beijing to take the exam last year. I wonder what the result will be?"
Shen's two sons have been arranged, but after she came back, she said nothing to the outside world. This is how she lives a low-key life. At that time, Murong Sanzang saw only Shen coming back, and made insinuations and inquiries, but no one said anything.
But Qiu He was different, his level was too high.
So Shen said honestly: "The eldest son, Shen Tong, did not enter the palace examination and is now just a minor official in the Ministry of Rites. The second son, Shen Shu, luckily entered the palace and is now serving as a military officer in Wannian County."
Qiu He subconsciously looked at Murong Sanzang, dumbfounded.
This was obviously arranged by the prince himself. Although he is just a minor official in the Ministry of Rites, it is completely impossible for your family to enter the Ministry of Rites.
As for Wannian County Government and Chang'an County Government, these are the two largest counties in Jingzhao County and belong to Beijing officials. Beijing officials are much higher than local officials of the same level.
What's more, you still have the prince as your backing, so your future is bright.
"The prince really treats you well," Qiu He sighed:
"When you first become an official, it is most suitable to serve as a military officer, because military affairs are relatively simple. After staying in the county government for a long time, you will naturally become familiar with other affairs of the officers, which will facilitate future promotions. The ministerial province is not something ordinary people can enter. , my eldest son is currently in charge of your majesty, and although some of the remaining sons are in the Shangshu Province, their positions are not high."
Mrs. Shen hurriedly said: "The dog is just a fluke. Mr. Qiu must not be humble. You are an important minister of the country, and your descendants will treat you well."
After everyone exchanged some polite words and drank for three rounds, Qiu He got straight to the point:
"According to His Majesty's order, I sent troops to Guiyang, but unfortunately there is insufficient food and grass. I would like to borrow some food from my wife. I wonder if my wife will be in trouble here?"
Shen said without thinking: "I don't dare to refuse to share the country's worries. The Shen family will do their best. Qiu Gong will provide food and grass for you, and the Shen family is willing to shoulder the responsibility."
Qiu He was stunned. He didn't expect that the other party would be so happy. He slapped the table and stood up and said:
"The prince's kindness to the Shen family is not without reason. Madam Qiu admires her for sacrificing herself to serve the public."
