Hu Hai's journey was bumpy.
The carriages and horses traveled day and night, and arrived at Yingshou in one day and one night. Then they transferred to a large boat and entered Yunmengze, went straight down to the Xiangshui River, and then changed to a small boat and entered Lingnan from Lingqu. As soon as they stepped onto the ground of the South China Sea, Hu Hai obeyed Ren Ao With the suggestion, he arrived in Panyu, but was told that Zhao Tuo and other generals had rushed to Xiangdi a few days ago.
If Hu Hai wanted to see him, he could only go to Xiangjun.
After ten days of turbulence, Hu Hai arrived at Linchen, the administrative office of Xiangjun, one early morning.
This is a small remote town with a completely different look from the Central Plains.
Low brick and stone houses are arranged crookedly, and there are two narrow streets, which are also winding. Water flows by the streets from time to time. Under the scorching sun, there are only a few city residents walking on the streets, but there is no one. It's not that he wears straw sandals, short clothes, and is bare-chested and dark. It's just that compared to other places, he has a huge bamboo braid.
This kind of bamboo weaving is locally called a bamboo hat!
Hu Hai's team of hundreds of people and cavalry were just shuttling through the streets.
On both sides of the small street, there are several small shops with at most two or three rooms spread across. They are piled with all kinds of strange bamboo utensils, as well as all kinds of red and yellow curved objects. The dilapidated door panels and chess pieces of each shop are painted with various kinds of things. Colorful and slightly mysterious images such as snakes, fish, turtles and elephants.
But most of them cannot be discerned at all.
Hu Hai was sitting on the carriage, looking at the different views on both sides of the street, but his expression was very ugly.
He was a dignified young master of the Qin Dynasty, and was originally scheduled to live in Panyu.
As a result, Zhao Tuo and others said that there was a situation here in Xiang County and they needed to be stationed. Without consulting him at all, they directly told him to go to Linchen. After the bumpy journey, Hu Hai had long lost interest in playing, and he was extremely dissatisfied. .
boom!
Hu Hai lowered the curtains and said in a cold voice: "Zhao Tuo is so brave. I finally came here. Not only did I not make any arrangements in advance, but he also asked me to come to such a bad place. If I hadn't received the order, otherwise I would have He just turned his back and left."
"It really pisses me off."
Hu Hai cursed in the carriage.
Zhao Gao's eyes moved slightly and he said with a smile: "Master, please don't be angry. After all, the South China Sea has not calmed down for a long time. The environment is harsh. The Baiyue people are dissatisfied with the imperial court. From time to time, they lead people across the border to provoke. General Zhao Tuo ignores the hard work and sits on the border. It is really for the sake of the empire, the young master is doing this to reward the army, how can you lose a big thing because of a small thing?"
"Master, let's tolerate him for once."
Hu Hai looked at Zhao Guo coldly for a few times, but finally said nothing.
But the dissatisfaction on his face is visible to the naked eye.
soon.
Hu Hai arrived outside the army's camp.
As soon as he stepped into the stone gate of the Qin Army shogunate, Hu Hai's face became even more ugly.
Not only was it the strong smell of herbal medicine that could be smelled everywhere, nor was it the sad expressions of the soldiers and officials who were rushing in and out, but the rough and simple way the shogunate greeted him made him feel extremely humiliated. The army camp was actually made of rocks. The walls were made of rough stones and shards without a single piece of wood. It was just a large cowhide tent held up by large and small bamboo poles.
The soldiers who greeted him were even more terrifying.
They are all lean and dark, with horrifyingly large eye sockets, horribly high cheekbones, and horrifyingly big mouths. They are not at all as stocky and strong as the Xianyang Old Qin people. Even the soldiers around them don't have leather or iron armor, and they don't have that arrogant look. They wear iron armor and military crowns, and their upper bodies are wrapped in black cloth with a hakama splayed to one side, which is indescribably weird.
In Hu Hai's eyes, these people in front of him were not elite soldiers of the Qin army at all, but poor refugees struggling to make a living.
Not even as good as a refugee.
Hu Hai stepped into the shogunate's tent with a gloomy face.
Zhao Gao and Ren Ao followed closely.
Entering the military tent, generals immediately came forward to greet him.
"The last general, Zhao Tuo, meets the young master."
"Your Majesty, Lu Jia, meets the Young Master."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Yang, is here to see you, Young Master."
"."
Nearly ten generals were present.
Hu Hai said with a cold face and dissatisfaction: "Zhao Tuo, it's so hard for you to let me go. I told you long ago that I was coming to Panyu. Why didn't you go? Instead, you had someone lead me to Xiangjunlin. Chen? What are your intentions?!"
Hu Hai was not used to it at all and directly expressed his dissatisfaction.
Hear the words.
Zhao Tuo said with an aggrieved face: "My lord, I am really aggrieved. It turns out that Baiyue leader Jie Jun attacked the three counties of Nanhai, Guilin and Xiangjun in the past few days. There were a lot of damage in various places, and I am in the end." Last month, I requested an order from His Majesty to re-conquer the Ouluo army led by Jie Jun in the near future, with the intention of completely defeating the Yue people and completely stabilizing the South China Sea."
"The war is approaching, how dare the generals stay away?"
"It's just that I have neglected the young master. I really don't dare to argue."
"Please forgive me, sir."
Zhao Tuo's tone was very low.
Hearing Zhao Tuo's words, Ren Ao seemed to have thought of something and said in support: "Sir, what General Zhao Tuo said is indeed true."
"I heard something some time ago. Three years ago, the imperial court captured Lingnan and established three counties in Lingnan: Nanhai, Guilin, and Xiangjun. However, the Yue people have been fighting back. They crossed the border many times to attack and kill soldiers, and the Yue people I am very familiar with the terrain of the three counties, and if I don’t pay attention, I will let him hide in the dense forest, and the soldiers of Nanhai will not tire of it.”
"Because of this, the imperial court ordered the third expedition to Baiyue, intending to completely conquer Baiyue and completely wipe out the Ouluo area where Yue people gathered."
"General Zhao Tuo is probably busy with military affairs, so he neglected the young master."
Hear the words.
Hu Hai's expression softened slightly.
It’s just that I’m still a little embarrassed.
He is a dignified young master of the Qin Dynasty, but he has people pointing fingers at him. How does this make sense?
See this.
Zhao Gao smiled at the side and said: "General Zhao Tuo is busy with military affairs as he should be. This time we went south, we did come uninvited. It is reasonable for the general to be unable to get away for a while. Now that the young master has arrived in Linchen, in fact, I didn’t really take it to heart, I was just bumpy on the road for a long time and felt a little irritated, so I made some inappropriate remarks.”
Zhao Tuo cupped his hands and said, "The war in the south is about to begin. I wonder why the young master is here?"
Hu Hai had a gloomy look on his face, but in the end he did not lose his temper anymore, and said: "I came here this time to reward the army. I originally brought some royal wine with me to reward the army, but the road was bumpy and I didn't have enough soldiers with me, so I brought some royal wine with me." They all stayed in Panyu."
Hearing Hu Hai's words, Zhao Tuo had a strange look on his face. He looked at Hu Hai suspiciously, his eyes uncertain.
He was very curious, why was it Hu Hai who rewarded the army?
Shouldn't it be Fusu normally?
Could it be that something happened in the DPRK?
Although he was full of surprise and doubt in his heart, Zhao Tuo still said gratefully: "It is the last general who has made the young master work hard. I will stay in Panyu for the time being. It will not be too late to drink when the army returns from victory."
"I will thank you on behalf of the five hundred thousand soldiers in Nanhai."
The other generals all bowed.
Hu Hai looked at Zhao Tuo and the others, with a sneer on his lips, and said, "You don't have to be so hasty to thank me. I did not bring the royal wine this time, but I did bring other things. General Zhao Tuo led his troops to guard the South China Sea, and his hard work has paid off." , the soldiers also worked very hard. The imperial court was grateful for the hard work of the soldiers and specially mobilized millions of money and grain to reward the army and use it to cash in the reward for the expedition to the South China Sea."
One word fell.
Not only was there no surprise in the venue, but it fell into an eerie silence.
See this.
Hu Hai frowned.
But he was a little puzzled by the reactions of Zhao Tuo and others.
The imperial court distributed so much money and cloth to the army, shouldn't it be happy? Why can't I see any excitement?
Don't they want the imperial court to issue a monetary reward? !
Zhao Tuo lowered his head and looked at a man behind him with squinting eyes, thick lips and a round face. There was a trace of panic and uneasiness in his eyes, but Zhao Tuo quickly calmed down and said in a deep voice: "The last general will replace the general." I would like to thank your majesty, the court, and the young master for the reward, just..."
"It's really inappropriate right now."
"What's wrong with giving out monetary rewards?" Hu Hai looked displeased.
Zhao Tuo gave a wry smile, cupped his hands and said: "Young Master must have also seen the situation on the Lingnan side along the way. The soldiers are so skinny that they are completely different from when they were in the Central Plains. The environment in Lingnan is too bitter. Compared with the money, the generals in the army are Bu, what I want more is to return home."
"More than three years ago, the imperial court captured the three counties of Lingnan. At that time, the imperial court recruited 500,000 merchants, corvees, and Qin people to come to Lingnan. Although they did not say it outright at the time, most of the army officers and soldiers were aware of it. The imperial court probably wanted to send them to Lingnan. Staying in Lingnan, their morale was greatly weakened, which slowed down the progress of annihilating the Ouluo area."
"After several years of relief, the soldiers in the army have gradually let go of their homesickness. If a monetary reward is given at this time, the soldiers may once again doubt that the imperial court really wants to abandon them. By then, the military's morale may not be suppressed. The war is imminent, I really don’t dare to take such risks.”
"The reward of millions of dollars brought by the young master, I think it should be distributed in other names."
At this time.
Ren Ao puzzled: "General Zhao Tuo, why did the imperial court ever think of giving up on soldiers? In recent years, the imperial court has recruited hundreds of thousands of people and relocated many people in Guanzhong, just to calm the people. If the imperial court really wanted to give up, how could it be like this? A lot of trouble? How did this rumor among the military come about?"
Zhao Tuo's eyelids twitched.
His eyes narrowed into slits and he sighed: "Because I miss my hometown."
"It's hard to leave the homeland. Many of the soldiers from Lingnan have been here for nine years. Over the years, the imperial court has been committed to relocating households. This migration is not based on cattle, sheep, carriages, horses, goods and wealth in the past, but on the population of the army. Going south, the treatment of women has been greatly relaxed. Isn’t the goal just to get these hundreds of thousands of soldiers to have families in the South China Sea?”
"The court has already decided on this matter."
"Some veterans have been in the military for many years and have already understood this."
Speaking of which.
Zhao Tuo sighed and said: "In a sea border with mountains and rivers, if the army wants to be stationed for a long time, it is fundamental to have a stable life. From ancient times to the present, if a man has a daughter, he will be at home. Without a daughter, everything will have no roots."
"After the imperial court took some measures, many people have noticed it, so the morale of the army has been greatly shaken. In the past few years, our generals and other generals have been working hard to stabilize the morale of the military. If the imperial court suddenly distributes monetary rewards, many soldiers may be discouraged. Once the feeling of returning home is born, it will be really difficult for the general to predict what will happen in the army."
"The general is also considering the stability of the army."
It was quiet inside the tent.
Regarding Zhao Tuo's words, Hu Hai instinctively felt that there was something wrong. Although he did not grow as fast as Fusu, he had made some progress under the influence of his ears and eyes. How could he not notice anything wrong with it?
As Ji Heng said, the world is bustling for fame and fortune.
How can it be said that soldiers do not love money?
What made him even more confident was that he knew the court's follow-up and knew that the court would allow the soldiers to go back, but there were more or less conditions. He had seen the difficult conditions in Lingnan, but he believed even more that if the court allowed the soldiers to go back, Even if they go to Kanto, they will be very happy.
Because Lingnan is so miserable!
Hu Hai shook his head and said directly: "I'm afraid this won't work. I, Hu Hai, came to reward the army on your Majesty's order, and I also distributed money rewards on your Majesty's order. How can I change my mind? If this was spread to the court, wouldn't it be necessary? To be charged with disobeying an order? I, Hu Hai, will never disobey His Majesty's orders."
"General Zhao Tuo."
Hu Hai was thinking about asking Zhao Tuo to mobilize the soldiers, but then he felt it was inappropriate. After all, a war was imminent. If something happened, he might be in danger. He didn't want to risk himself, so he turned to look at the people who were coming with him. Ren Ao asked, "Ren Ao, tell me, how should we distribute the rewards to the soldiers now?"
Ren Ao pondered for a moment and then said: "The lower official believes that the army should be ordered to distribute according to the specifications of 'exposing the head'. There is no need to mobilize a large number of soldiers, or the soldiers should be rotated, and one batch should be distributed first, and then one batch after another." Distribute, but this may take a lot of time, so I think it is better to distribute the reward directly, but it must be announced to the whole army, and no corruption can be condoned."
"Anyone who dares to take bribes and bend the law will be dealt with according to military law!"
"Kill without mercy!"
Hear the words.
Zhao Tuo's face looked a little ugly.
He gritted his teeth and said: "Sir, if it causes homesickness in the army, I may not be able to suppress it."
"Master, please think twice."
Hu Hai curled his lips and said disdainfully: "General Zhao Tuo, I think you are worrying too much. Even if the soldiers are homesick, money is real when they have it. Now they cannot go home, but they can send these money cloths back. , and the environment in Lingnan is difficult. With these money cloths, the lives of soldiers will be greatly improved. Isn't this a good thing?"
"I think it'll be okay!"
See this.
Zhao Tuo did not persuade him again.
But his eyes became more and more gloomy.
Not long after.
Zhao Tuo and other generals all left, leaving only Hu Hai and a few people in the tent.
Hu Hai did not sit on the ground.
Instead, he urged Zhao Gao to burn some mugwort to drive away mosquitoes and flies.
The environment in Lingnan is sultry and there are many mosquitoes and flies. When passing through a puddle, Hu Hai saw a cloud of mosquitoes like black clouds. At that time, Hu Hai's face turned pale. This was the first time in his life that he saw so many mosquitoes and flies. Now, staying in this small and hot shogunate, I feel like there are countless mosquitoes around me.
soon.
Zhao Gao lit up the mugwort.
There was a fresh fragrance in the big tent, which also made Hu Hai's complexion soften a little.
He slowly sat down on the fur, looked at Ren Ao and Zhao Gao, and asked curiously: "I think there is something wrong with what Zhao Tuo said just now, what do you think?"
Ji Heng only asked him to do what he was told and not to interfere in other matters. But the situation has obviously changed now. In order not to cause too much trouble, he also decided to discuss it with Ren Ao and Zhao Gao, at least to keep it in his mind. Be sure to avoid causing any big problems.
He didn't want to get into trouble this time.
(End of chapter)
