Piantou Pass, inside the town.
The military meeting was still going on after dark. That night, the city was heavily guarded. Sentries inside and outside the city were shuttling through the streets and fortresses at night, giving the city a sense of tension that a war was imminent.
But the main generals in the city knew that this battle seemed impossible to fight, because the two sides were just testing sexual harassment and showed no signs of getting ready for a decisive battle.
"... Huo Si sent three groups of men one after another to harass more than a dozen earth forts around Piantou Pass. Although no one had been reported as being kidnapped, more than a dozen animals had been lost. There was also news from two scouts after they left the city. Nothing. If you continue to sit idly by and ignore it, you will be in the same situation as my father encountered in Yulin Guard, and Di Yi will get worse..."
Zhu Feng presided over the military meeting. Next to him, Wang Qiong, the governor of the border gate, was also listening. In addition, there were Liu Jin, the eunuch who supervises the army, and two deputy chief soldiers, Xiangcheng Bo Li Ao and Wu Ping Bo Chen Xun.
Li Ao and Chen Xun have been following Wang Yue to guard Piantou Pass. They are very familiar with the local situation. If someone else is appointed as the chief military officer, they will definitely be dissatisfied... Why should the death of the general not be allowed? Are our two knowledgeable lieutenants in charge?
But now Zhu Feng is here...
The ministers looked down upon Zhu Feng, but Zhu Feng still had a high reputation in Piantou Pass. Even Li Nao and Chen Xun had no objection to Zhu Feng.
Who told him that this was the young general that Wang Yue admired very much before his death?
What's more important is... Zhu Feng has a background in the court, and people with such background are what worries the northwest military circles the most.
Therefore, when Zhu Feng reached the Piantou Pass, he did not encounter the same resistance as he encountered in Ningyuan. Almost everyone in the army was willing to listen to his orders, which indirectly allowed Wang Qiong to enjoy a little convenience.
Originally, Wang Qiong thought that when she came to Pianguan, she would get all kinds of looks on her, and she would even have to wipe Zhu Feng's butt. But now she found out that she had received benefits from Zhu Feng.
After listening to Zhu Feng's opening remarks, Chen Xun said: "Marquis Anbian, it's not that the people below are pouring cold water. The Tatars are now a hundred miles north of Guansai, and their attacks are based on camps hundreds of miles away. If we push If we go out in a chariot, before the artillery can reach their camp, they will send out cavalry to harass us, putting us in a dilemma."
"I'm afraid that the Tatars will come around... Our pass is different from other places. Guarding these ruins is more important than anything else. What do you think?"
Chen Xun almost said, we don't care what kind of embarrassment your father encountered in Yansui.
Our opinion is that if you are beaten to death and cannot leave the city, no faults are merits.
Zhu Feng hesitated and didn't know what to say.
Wang Qiong said: "Now that the barbarians are invading the country, should we just sit back and ignore it? If someone is kidnapped and the court investigates it, will you all have to bear the crime and wait for meritorious service? Now Anbian Hou is just arranging a surprise attack and harassment... You also know that this pass cannot be defended, why not switch from defense to offense?"
The generals below were cautious, but Wang Qiong was not so timid. As a famous military commander in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, he would not dare to send troops within a hundred miles of Piantou Pass when the enemies were afraid. Afraid of wolves, afraid of tigers...
Will I, the king, want to return to the court and be embarrassed in the future?
"This..." Seeing that he couldn't persuade the two airborne bosses, Chen Xun turned to look at Li Wei.
Li Wei asked: "Wang Zhongcheng, I dare to ask you, is this calculated by Zhang Xianshi in the court? Can we achieve a great victory by sending troops in this way?"
"Yes, yes." Chen Xun seemed to have found the key to the problem.
Not to mention the two of them, even the other generals present looked at Wang Qiong with eager eyes.
Everyone's eyes were filled with urgency. It seemed to them that only Zhang Zhou's prophecy was the absolute "authority". After all, Zhang Zhou predicted the direction of the grassland tribe's attack twice and achieved two victories. A hearty victory, now everyone in the army is waiting to make meritorious deeds with Zhang Zhou.
Wang Qiong was truly enlightened at this moment.
No wonder this group of people were very flattering and flattering to us from the beginning. The relationship was not because Zhu Zhijie was famous, but because we were with Zhang Bingkuan. They were extremely complimentary to Zhang Bingkuan and were polite to us.
"Brother Zhang..."
Zhu Feng is an honest and good boy. When faced with the problems faced by Li Er and other generals, he does not want to hide anything.
But Wang Qiong interrupted Zhu Feng's words and said: "This is indeed arranged by Zhang Shijie, and it was also arranged by Zhang Dudu, the governor of the Houjun Governor's Mansion. Do you have any doubts?"
"Ah?" Zhu Feng was surprised at first.
However, he was smart enough to understand that Wang Qiong said this deliberately to cheer people up.
Therefore, Zhu Feng will not expose Wang Qiong.
"That's good, that's good. Did you all hear it? We will have another chance to make great achievements!" Li Nao looked excited.
The generals surrounding the sand table were also talking a lot, with joy on their faces.
It seemed that with Zhang Zhou's guidance, their military exploits were at their fingertips.
Chen Xun said with some doubts: "Even if we send troops, should we wait until Mr. Qin arrives at Pianguan Pass? I heard that he is already on his way here."
Wang Qiong said: "The opportunity must not be missed before it comes again. We must send cavalry to attack the Hulu before they have a stable foothold, and then prepare with artillery array. Only by driving the Hulu out of the two hundred miles around Pianguan can we ensure the stability of Pianguan. Don't Wait for the Hulu to arrive before we can defend... We must take the initiative to attack, this is His Majesty's instruction."
Li Hao happily clasped his fists and said, "General, I will obey your order!"
Chen Xun was shocked. Normally, Li Hao could evade better than him, but this time it looked like Li Hao had been injected with chicken blood. He seemed to understand that everyone in the army was waiting to take credit, so he could only accept the order quickly. So as not to fall behind others.
…
…
The military meeting then arranged the strategy of sending cavalry that night to make a surprise attack on the Huoshan camp a hundred miles away.
After the meeting, Zhu Feng was a little upset because Zhang Zhou didn't give him too much advice this time, which made him feel unsure.
"Knowing the truth."
Wang Qiong and Li Wei, who was in charge of leading the troops, told him to come back and saw Zhu Feng sitting there, looking like a depressed big boy. Wang Qiong was actually speechless.
You have already become the commander-in-chief, why are you still like an eggplant beaten by frost?
"Wang Langzhong." Zhu Feng raised his head and looked up, but still couldn't cheer up.
Wang Qiong said: "Zhijie, as the commander-in-chief, you should have some momentum. Do you think that after you arrived at Pianguan, how much did everyone in the army respect you? Everyone regarded you as Wang Weining's second best, and they were all waiting to go on the expedition with you. On the battlefield, why are you still so depressed?"
Zhu Feng sighed pitifully: "Maybe... I'm not the material."
"Alas!" Wang Qiong was helpless.
Zhu Feng really dares to think and say that now that the army is about to go into battle, you actually say that you are not the material to be the commander-in-chief?
But for some reason, Wang Qiong couldn't feel the unyielding hatred towards Zhu Feng.
Wang Qiong thought for a while, probably because although this kid talks like a melon, he is not ambiguous when it comes to fighting. In addition, his attitude is sincere, what he pursues is an ordinary and simple life, and he has the purest goodness in his heart. One can't help but feel hatred toward him.
To put it bluntly, this guy is too honest.
Be honest enough to be endearing, not hateful.
"Mr. Wang, each of the cavalrymen this time only brought bows and arrows and firecrackers. The firecrackers can only fire one shot. There are only three thousand cavalrymen. In case the main force of the Chinese army is over there, will there be three thousand cavalrymen? Maybe there will be no return?" Zhu Feng said, "If I, the commander-in-chief, did not lead the troops and the front line was damaged, I'm afraid the imperial court would investigate him."
Wang Qiong said: "Don't worry, your mission is to guard the Pianguan Fortress. As I expected, the Tatars are just putting pressure on us. Next, they will prepare more for internal disputes in the grassland. At this time, we are strong , they must be weak...how do they know how powerful the firearms we brought over are?"
Zhu Feng was startled and asked: "That means... you are going to scare them this time?"
Wang Qiong sighed: "How about we let them harass around Pianguan every day and increase their ambition to destroy our prestige? Even if we do this, there will be a slight loss, but the purpose is to knock down the mountain and frighten the tiger. The bows and arrows brought by the soldiers and After firing a fire cannon, it is not necessary to directly knock down the bird, but as long as the cannon is fired, the bird will wake up and fly away, and the intention will be achieved."
Zhu Feng was stunned for a moment after hearing this: "It's still Wang Langzhong's foresight, I... can't do it."
"Zhijie, you can do it."
Wang Qiong said, "Not to mention Marquis Weining, even I admire you. You are a young man who dares to do things. This kind of temperament is rare in the army. Even if you want to stay in the capital and be a leisurely man in the future, I'm afraid It’s not that easy. A capable person can do anything. Even if you are sent to the capital camp, you will still be able to shine. Okay, get ready and wait for the surprise attack from tonight to tomorrow!"
…
…
Wang Qiong was very eager to fight, except that he judged the situation and thought there was a chance.
It was also because he knew that Qin Hong would arrive at Pianguan in a few days. Any strategies then would come from Qin Hong. Wang Qiong’s chances of making contributions in the northwest would not be that great. After all, after Qin Hong arrived at Pianguan, , as a governor, he was mainly responsible for preparing food and supplies, so he became the person in charge of logistics.
It was a rare good opportunity. Zhu Feng still listened to him, and Zhang Zhou's prophecy was used as a cover. He would not miss such a good opportunity.
Of course, he also knew what kind of backlash he would encounter if he lost this battle, or if the strategic intention was not achieved, and the Fire Screen troops were forced to suppress the situation... The emperor would not let him go.
It's okay, how dare you use my favorite Bingkuan's prophecy to deceive people? Whether Bingkuan said this or not, the officers and soldiers in the army don’t know. Don’t I know my family well?
Therefore, for Wang Qiong, this battle can only be won but not defeated.
…
Beijing, morning.
On the first day, the inner government discounted the salary notes. The civil servants and Wu Xun in Beijing all received the salary that had been owed for many years. Some received a few taels or dozens of taels, and some received hundreds or even thousands of taels.
As usual, the ministers wanted to express their gratitude that morning.
When the ministers meet in the morning, everyone has a smile on their face. The first question they ask is usually: "How much is the fold?"
"I only entered the court last year, and I only had twenty taels."
"My place is better, more than forty taels..."
"Hahaha."
Literati all love money, but they can't express their love for money. Now that they have received the salary that should be theirs, they have nothing to hide. Instead, they want to show off to the outside world.
Officials at the middle and lower levels have a small salary ratio and a small monthly salary. They don't get much, but it is enough for them to settle down with their families.
As for the ministers, ministers, Zhengqing and other big officials in the court, they seemed reluctant to talk about this directly in front of others.
"Hmm, don't talk about irrelevant things." Xie Qian walked over with a straight face and saw a group of officials from the Sixth Ministry talking about salary bills, so he reminded them in a serious tone.
Someone asked: "Mr. Xie Ge, how much did you exchange?"
Xie Qian glared at the man fiercely, and then walked to the front row.
When Xie Qian walked a few steps away, someone said, "Mr. Xie Ge, have you ever had enough money and salary to get such a bad look?"
“Mr.
Upon hearing this number, everyone present could not help but marvel.
Some people also commented: "Buy a yard in the capital and buy a few more acres of land. I'm afraid you won't be able to use so much, right?"
House prices in the capital are generally only eight or nine hundred taels for a single-family courtyard house, and the location is considered good. A large house only costs one or two thousand taels. The Sanjin courtyard house where Zhang Zhou lives now can be sold for more than two thousand taels. With two looks, that area can be said to be the mansion of dignitaries in the capital.
When everyone heard that Xie Qian could get a mansion in the capital by exchanging his salary, they were naturally envious and jealous.
But they also know that there are only three pavilion elders in the capital, and not everyone has that much salary money to redeem.
…
…
The meeting begins.
First, the Minister of Household Affairs, Zhou Jing, presented a form of thanks on behalf of the civil servants.
Zhu Youtang said: "Everyone from the Qing family deserves it, so there is really no need to express gratitude. However, the reason why I can get a 100% discount is because... the Zhang Qing family contributed money and effort."
The ministers present all had doubts in their hearts.
The emperor clearly sent Dongchang to give him some salary money, so why was Zhang Zhou involved?
Even if Zhang Zhou cooperates, is your Majesty's transfer of favors to Zhang Zhou a bit too deliberate? Even if he contributes money and effort, to what extent can he contribute? Not to mention that he got a lot of ink along the way, right?
Xiao Jing then walked out and said: "This time, the salary banknotes were exchanged for a total of 4,700 taels of silver in the inner treasury. Zhang Zhou accepted 13,000 taels of pure silver. Your Majesty promised to exchange 5,400 taels of silver. …a total of twenty-three thousand one hundred and twenty-two taels of silver.”
The ministers present couldn't help but look at each other after hearing this.
We thanked the emperor for giving us money, but it turned out that we were thanking the wrong person... The relationship was that Zhang Zhou paid us his salary out of his own pocket?
What is this rule?
He...he actually has thirteen thousand taels of silver? How many days has he been in court? What kind of property is this?
Donate ten houses in the capital and give us a salary?
Liu Jian came out and said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to redeem 10% of the salary banknotes. There is really no need... to let Zhang Shi talk about spending money."
Zhu Youtang said: "Dear gentlemen, this is the personal kindness of Zhang Qing's family. Didn't you criticize me for letting him cast cannons earlier? I also gave him the coal kiln in Xishan, and you also reported it. He said that he broke the rules. I have given him many rewards, and he has not accepted bribes from others. Everything he says and does in Beijing is under my supervision."
The emperor just wanted to tell this group of people that even if Zhang Zhouzhen had any illegal income, I would acquiesce in it, and I even asked him to do it.
Don't take your time to find fault with him.
"Originally, it was impossible to make a 100% discount, but I added several thousand taels of silver, and I couldn't live up to Bingkuan's heart." When Zhu Youtang said this, he was still a little moved.
Look at you ministers, you are always picky about me and criticize Bingkuan a lot.
But at the critical moment, why don't we, the monarch and the minister, unite to pay you your wages?
But for the ministers... they will not be grateful, because in their view, it is only natural and reasonable to receive a salary for serving the court, especially those corrupt officials among them, they do not look down upon the small amount of money they receive from their salary Eye.
Zhu Youtang sighed: "I know that although being an official in Beijing is noble, it is also hard. Unlike local officials who will cleverly use names to levy envy, most of you have to rely on the salary you have. The more noble you are, the more noble you are. Hey, the situation is getting more serious. This time Zhang Qing’s family is willing to spend some money to get you some salary, so don’t pick on him too much.”
Although the ministers still had opinions in their hearts, the money they received was real.
Zhu Youtang struck while the iron was hot: "I can't take his money in vain. I am going to let him open several mines around the capital. This can be regarded as making up for his losses."
"Your Majesty..." Zhou Jing used to express gratitude on behalf of the officials, but now he also came to represent the civil officials' objections.
"Zhou Qing's family, please listen to what I have to say first." Zhu Youtang said impatiently, "The situation in the northwest is changing at the moment. What can scare Di Yi's disobedience is artillery and mighty gunpowder, and the difference between these two things Preparation relies more on the accumulation of mineral veins in mines. With the current coal and iron output around the capital, can it be enough to meet the expenses?"
Zhou Jing suddenly discovered that he, the Minister of Household Affairs, had become a model of armchair talk.
The emperor was speechless when asked.
Zhu Youtang said: "I also said that I would only give him coal and iron ore, and at most saltpeter ore, all for the preparation of firearms. And I will not give him the current mine kiln, but let him Go dig it yourself, if someone really wants to donate the mine, that’s not a problem..."
"I also discussed with him, and he agreed to use 20% of the income from these mines as additional mining taxes. The purpose of this mining tax is to give you salary money for your family... If it is feasible, in the next few years All your salary bills will be discounted by 10%."
"ah?!"
The ministers present were in an uproar.
And our share?
Originally, the people from the Sixth Division were ready to come out and remonstrate with him, but after hearing this, those people took half a step to hand over the matter and turned back. They immediately stood back and collected their minds, watching indifferently as if the matter was none of their own.
100% discount!
The salary will be at least twenty to thirty taels more per year. This is only among the general salary of about seven ranks. If it is for those who are courtiers and ministers, the annual salary will be about forty taels. If it goes up further, …
In the past, salary notes were not converted. Just like the salary notes issued six years after Hongzhi, weren't they only redeemed today?
If it was just a bad check, the ministers present would not believe it. The key point was that Zhang Zhou had already taken out more than 10,000 taels of silver to pay the salary in full for nearly six years...
Now that the salary is so much higher every year, who wouldn’t be moved by it?
Especially the noble yamen officials who were not corrupt and wasted their reputation, they felt even more excited after hearing this.
In their view, this kind of thing is "inconvenient" and they object to it.
(End of chapter)
