Returning to the iron field, Huang Huai walked in alone, feeling extremely flustered. The news that the government was about to suppress the bandits was always swirling in his mind.
Although there were more than a thousand bandits in Hutou Village, he did not think that the bandits in Hutou Village could survive the government's encirclement and suppression.
During the Wanli period, there were not many natural and man-made disasters. The people had full confidence in the government that represented the Ming Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty officials had full confidence in the Ming Dynasty and would never believe that the Ming Dynasty would perish in twenty years.
Although the Donglu in the east won the battle in Sarhu, in the eyes of many Ming officials, the Donglu were just a scabies disease, and Liaodong would be destroyed in a short time.
Many officials of the Ming Dynasty believed from the bottom of their hearts that the Eastern captives were far inferior to Dayan Khan, who had repeatedly entered the pass to plunder, and that the northern captives were the focus of the Ming Dynasty's defense.
"Huang Zhanglu, did you just come back from the mountain?"
Huang Huai, who was walking towards the house, suddenly heard Chen Daqing's voice coming from behind him. He panicked and almost fell to the ground with a guilty conscience.
Huang Huai stopped, turned around slowly, and said, "It turns out to be Chen Tou, are you leaving?"
"Huang Zhangluo doesn't seem to want to see me." Chen Daqing narrowed his eyes slightly, making his whole person feel even colder.
Huang Huai put a smile on his face and said, "Chen Tou was joking. I just came back from the mountain and was a little tired. I was about to go back to my room to rest."
Chen Daqing nodded and said with a smile: "Then I won't disturb Huang Zhangluo's rest."
"Okay, if Mr. Chen has something to do, just go and do it. I'll go back first. I'm really tired." Huang Huai said a few words with a smile and walked quickly towards the house.
Chen Daqing looked at Huang Huai's back and rubbed his chin repeatedly with his fingers.
………………
"Sir, the official document from Mr. Bingxian has been out for several days. Should we go out of the city to Hutou Village to suppress the bandits?" The speaker was a military general wearing a blue robe and official uniform, with pictures embroidered on his chest. It is a thousand households.
Li Huaixin, who was sitting behind the official case, frowned and said: "How can we send troops without pay? Should you pay for it or should I pay for it? Just a piece of official document wants me to send troops. Just wait, when will we get it together?" Pay, when will I send out troops?"
The official document on the koan, which was stamped with the seal of Bingbeidao, was thrown aside by him.
Unlike most generals, Li Huaixin studied and read since he was a child, and passed the scholar examination, but unfortunately he failed. Later, the eldest son of the family died of illness, and he was the only son left in the family. He inherited thousands of hereditary families and came to Lingqiu to serve as a garrison.
Wang Qianhu grinned and said, "I have no money as a lower official."
"You can't talk nonsense if you don't have money." Li Huaixin spat.
Their local garrison is the same as the garrison, and they are the least popular. This garrison is under the command of the General Army of Datong and belongs to the battalion soldiers. They are paid on a monthly basis. Now they are in arrears of pay every three to five days, and their life is not as good as that of a thousand-year-old garrison in the garrison. household.
Wang Qianhu said: "It is said that it is an official document issued by the governor to suppress bandits and prepare troops to march. If we receive the official document and ignore it, we will be easily blamed by the governor in the future."
"The emperor is not short of hungry soldiers. He hasn't seen pay for two months, so he's killing the bandits with nothing." Li Huaixin cursed, "You are really stupid to think that I am. That old man Xu Youcai is not willing to give money, but he wants to let people I worked hard for him, and it was Guo Binchang, the idiot county magistrate, who fell into the trap of that old man."
"Sir, please calm down." Wang Qianhu said, "This time is different from the one Xu Youcai sent. Even if we are dissatisfied with the official document sent by Xu Youcai, we will go out to suppress the bandits."
Li Huaixin glanced sideways at Wang Tong and said, "Don't think that I don't know about your relationship with the Xu family. If you want me to go out of the city to suppress the bandits, you can tell that old man Xu Youcai that I will send troops immediately after you get the money. "
He doesn't have the slightest fondness for the Xu family.
He had led troops to Hutou Village to suppress bandits several times before, but he failed to return because the Xu family reported the news in advance. Later, the Xu family's caravan was robbed, and Xu Youcai approached the garrison to ask him to send troops to suppress bandits, but he failed continuously. He couldn't bear to part with the two pieces of silver and wanted to use the soldiers and horses of his garrison in vain, which made him even more dissatisfied with Xu Youcai.
When the matter with the Xu family was mentioned in public, Wang Tong showed embarrassment on his face.
Li Huaixin looked at him and said, "Go and tell Xu Youcai to take out two thousand taels of silver, and I will immediately lead troops out of the city to suppress the bandits."
"Isn't it too much?" Wang Tong said with a grimace.
Li Huaixin sneered: "His Xu family is not short of such a little money."
"Then I will go and discuss with the Xu family right now." Wang Tong excused himself and walked out.
Li Huaixin, who was sitting behind the publican, said to Wang Tong's back: "By the way, I'm telling Xu Youcai that although I don't run an iron yard, I still know about Dongshan."
"I understand." Wang Tong responded.
After Wang Tong left the public house, Chen Yusheng, another member of the Qianhu household, said, "Sir, will the Xu family agree to take the money?"
Li Huaixin curled his lips and said: "It doesn't matter if you don't take it. If you don't take it, I won't send troops. Let's see who can outlast whom. At most, I will be an official elsewhere. Could it be that Xu Youcai can let me, a hereditary family of thousands, be handed over to the court?" take away."
"Of course you can't." Chen Yusheng said, "What is going on at the Dongshan Iron Field, sir? Why did Wang Qianhu tell the Xu family specifically?"
Li Huaixin said with a smile: "Dongshan is very lively now."
Chen Yusheng on the side looked puzzled.
…………
Wang Tong left the garrison mansion on horseback, galloped along the main road in the city, and soon arrived at the gate of Xu's house in Xicheng.
The concierge of the Xu family knew that Wang Tong was a member of the Qianhu House in the garrison. He did not dare to delay and hurried to the backyard to report the news.
Not long after, Butler Xu came out to welcome him.
"Wang Qianhu, please come in quickly. Our master is in the study." Butler Xu let Wang Tong in and walked with him to the north courtyard.
Without saying a word, Wang Tong followed Butler Xu to the study room in the north courtyard.
As soon as he entered the room, he saw Xu Youcai practicing calligraphy behind the desk. He frowned and said immediately: "Mr. Xu, you still have the mind to practice calligraphy here. Now that the bandit suppression documents from Bingbei Road have arrived for several days, Li Huaixin No troops have been sent over there, so don't worry."
"There's no rush." Xu Youcai shook his right wrist, finished writing the last stroke, then straightened up and said, "Li Huaixin can still disobey the governor's order. He will send out this soldier sooner or later."
"You, Mr. Xu, are so generous." Wang Tong said, "The garrison office has not received any pay for two months, and Li Huaixin has not received any pay. Even the military commander cannot force him to send troops to suppress the bandits."
"That's your yamen's business, what does it have to do with me."
Xu Youcai put down his brush, cleaned his hands with water, picked up the silk cloth beside him and wiped them dry, walked to the Taishi's chair and sat down, picked up the tureen beside him and took a sip of tea.
Wang Tong walked to the other side and sat down and said, "It seems that you are really not in a hurry, so why should I be anxious for you?"
"Master Wang, please have some tea." Butler Xu brought a cup of hot tea.
Wang Tong took it, lifted the lid of the bowl, put it to his mouth, blew on it, took a sip, put it aside, and said, "Li Huaixin asked me to tell you that he will only send troops to suppress the bandits if he gives you two thousand taels of silver. "
"What? Two thousand taels, he's crazy!" Xu Youcai's eyes widened.
