"I am a guard at Lingqiu. Even if I am guilty, it is not Mr. Guo's turn to take care of it!" Li Huaixin said in a gentle tone, and walked to the seat beside him and sat down.
Guo Binchang said with a cold face: "The official document from the Military Preparation Department has arrived a long time ago. Why hasn't the Defense Department sent out troops yet?"
"No pay." Li Huaixin replied coolly.
He didn't expect that Guo Binchang would have a nose instead of eyes when he arrived. This made him slightly annoyed and his tone became much stiffer.
"Didn't Xu Youcai send two thousand taels of silver as military pay?" Guo Binchang squeezed out this sentence through gritted teeth.
Li Huaixin, who was reaching for the tea bowl, paused his arm and said, "Master Guo, what do you mean by this? Do you suspect that the subordinate has embezzled this money?"
Although he took a lot of this money, he still ensured that more than 700 taels of it would fall into the hands of the soldiers of the garrison. Even if the lawsuit went to the General Military Mansion, he would be justified.
Nowadays, which military general does not eat his salary and is not greedy for money and money? Even civilian officials cannot use this reason to accuse military generals, because civilian officials are more corrupt. Less than half of the military salary issued by the Ministry of Households falls to the General Military Mansion, and the remaining half is gone. The civil officials who had been dealt with were corrupted.
Guo Binchang said with a cold face: "Since Mr. Li has received the military pay, why haven't you sent troops yet?"
"Send troops?" Li Huaixin said with a smile, "It seems that Mr. Guo doesn't know how to fight. There was a heavy snowfall last night and the roads were closed. Forcing troops to send out troops will only cause casualties before the battle. This weather is really not suitable for sending troops."
Guo Binchang didn't understand at all. He knew that what Li Huaixin said was true, so he asked again: "In that case, when does Mr. Li plan to send troops?"
Li Huaixin pondered for a moment and said, "We have to wait until the snow on the ground melts."
"Okay, I will give you ten days. Then I will see if Mr. Li has any reason to shirk." Guo Binchang flicked his sleeves and robe, stood up and walked out the door.
"I respectfully send you off to Mr. Guo." Li Huaixin also stood up and cupped his hands perfunctorily.
Chen Yusheng, who was standing on the side, said: "Sir, I'll go and see you off."
Li Huaixin nodded.
When only Li Huaixin and Wang Tong were left in the back hall, they heard Wang Tong say: "Sir, this Master Guo came out of nowhere and asked questions when he came up. Could it be that he is also thinking about the money sent by Xu Youcai?"
"Civil officials all have the same virtue." Li Huaixin snorted coldly, turned back to his seat, picked up the bowl and took a sip of tea.
Not long after, Chen Yusheng, who had gone out to see Guo Binchang off, returned to the back hall.
"Sir, I have found out clearly." Chen Yusheng said, "I asked the master next to the magistrate. Yesterday, a shopkeeper from Datong Fanji came and entertained the magistrate with Xu Youcai at the Yanbin Building. They talked about a railway company in Dongshan. That's why the magistrate came to defend the mansion today."
Li Huaixin frowned and said, "Fan Ji? Which Fan Ji? Is it the Fan Ji in Zhangjiakou?"
"Yes, that's the Fan Ji from the Fan family in Zhangjiakou." Chen Yusheng nodded.
"I didn't expect that the Fan family would focus on the Dongshan Iron Field and bring Guo Binchang and Xu Youcai together." Li Huaixin pinched the whiskers on his chin and whispered to himself.
Wang Tong on the side said: "What do you mean, sir...the Fan family is planning to open an iron yard in Dongshan?"
Li Huaixin said: "It's not that simple. The Fan family and the Xu family don't do business in a day or two. If they want to open the iron yard, they have already started. Besides, the Xu family has always regarded Dongshan as their own land and will not allow the Fan family to put their hands in."
While he was talking, a small flag walked into the back hall, knelt down on one knee and said: "Sir, a shopkeeper who claims to be Fan Ji has come outside the house and wants to see you, sir."
"As soon as Guo Binchang left, Fan Ji's people came. What did they mean?" Chen Yusheng frowned in confusion.
Wang Tong said from the side: "Sir, could this be a collusion between them? Let the magistrate give you a warning first, and then Fan Ji's shopkeeper will come to see you."
"I just gave you a stick. This is for Tianzao. It's interesting." Li Huaixin said to the little flag, "Take the person to the back hall."
Not long after, a middle-aged man in a cotton robe was brought to the back hall by Xiao Qi.
The middle-aged man's eyes circled around the three people in the back hall, and finally fell on Li Huaixin in the middle. He hurriedly took two steps, knelt on the ground when he got closer, and shouted: "The common man Li Weiming has seen a few adults. "
"Get up!" Li Huaixin put down his tureen and said, "What is the relationship between Shopkeeper Li's Fan Ji and the Fan family in Zhangjiakou?"
Li Weiming stood up and said respectfully: "Caomin Tian is the shopkeeper of the Fan family's shop in Datong."
"Since shopkeeper Li's shop is in Datong, what are you doing here at my garrison? I don't remember having any involvement with your Fan family." Li Huaixin put one hand on the table and yawned, looking lazy. .
I had a hard time last night. I didn't get enough rest, so I was called to the back hall because Guo Binchang had a cup of tea. Now I started to feel tired again.
"Sir, the common people are here to give you a source of wealth." Li Weiming said respectfully.
Li Huaixin's eyes lit up and he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I wonder if you have ever heard that there is an iron yard in Dongshan that produces fine iron that is comparable to Fujian Iron, but the cost is lower than Jin Iron." Li Weiming looked at Li Huaixin who was sitting in the first seat.
Li Weiming frowned and said, "Speak directly if you have something to say. I don't like beating around the bush."
"Yes, yes, yes." Li Weiming bowed his head and said, "The income of this iron factory is at least several thousand taels of silver every month, and the common people are willing to give up 10% of it to you."
After saying that, he pulled down his cuffs, stretched out his right index finger, and gestured one by one.
"How much will the magistrate and Xu Youcai take?" Li Huaixin asked with a playful look.
At this time, he was already sure that the county magistrate Guo Binchang and the shopkeeper Fan Ji in front of him had discussed in advance that they came to his garrison mansion. The reason why they gave him power was probably because they were afraid that he would speak loudly.
Li Weiming was stunned for a moment and then said hesitantly: "Because the Xu family has to manage the ironworks production, they got 50%, and the county magistrate got 20%."
"Then I also want 20%." Li Huaixin looked at Li Weiming with a smile and said, "Shopkeeper Li, no problem!"
"This..." Li Weiming looked hesitant.
He didn't expect that the Lingqiu garrison in front of him was so difficult to deal with. He had already asked the magistrate of Lingqiu to scare him. He thought that giving him 10% of his share would be enough, but he didn't expect that the other party would definitely bite 20% of his share.
It's not that he is unwilling to agree, but that the elements have been divided, leaving only 10% for Lingqiu's defense.
Li Weiming hesitated in front of him, and Li Huaixin said, "Shopkeeper Li, if I guess correctly, the iron farm you are talking about is related to the bandits on Hutou Village Mountain?"
The county magistrate Guo Binchang first came to the garrison to question the reason for sending troops to suppress the bandits. Then the shopkeeper of the Fan family came to the garrison to mention the iron yard elements. Thinking of the rumors he had heard about the Dongshan iron yard, he naturally thought of Hutou Village The bandits were at the iron yard in Dongshan.
"Your Excellency, you have a sharp eye. If you want to take over that iron yard, you really need to suppress the bandits first." Now that the other party had guessed it, Li Weiming no longer concealed it and said it openly.
Li Huaixin stretched out two fingers and said: "Two percent of the shares, if one point is missing, the soldiers in my camp will be infected with serious diseases, and it will be difficult for them to go out to suppress the bandits. Without me, you will not be able to get even one percent of the shares."
Li Weiming knew that the other party was telling the truth. He pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "The common people are willing to help you fight for an extra member."
"I am waiting for your good news." Li Huaixin said, "I am exhausted, so I will not leave shopkeeper Li."
Although he was urging Li Weiming to leave, he was really sleepy. He was walking in the middle of the night and his body was really unable to hold on.
