"This..." Xu Tong hesitated for a moment and then said, "Okay, I'll tell you straight away. ℃∮八℃∮八℃∮Read ℃∮Book,.⌒.o≈"
"Master Xu, please speak."
Xu Tong said: "The army is short of pay. As long as the pay and silver are replenished, we can naturally send troops to suppress the bandits, right?"
The eunuch of the royal palace nodded.
Xu Tong continued: "The officers and soldiers to suppress the bandits do not need to dispatch a whole town of soldiers and horses. They only need one to two hundred cavalry and about a thousand infantry."
The eunuch of the royal palace nodded again.
Xu Tong added: "The Ministry of War's salary needs the approval of the cabinet, and the Ministry of Household Affairs allocates the money. Even if the money reaches the Ministry of War, it cannot be distributed to Datong Town immediately. It will take a while."
Hearing this, the eunuch of the palace said impatiently: "Master Xu, just tell me what you want to do. There is no need to go around."
"Well, I've just said it." Xu Tong said, "This salary is expected from the court, and it will definitely not be available for a while, but His Highness Dai Wang is anxious to suppress the bandits. How about this, His Highness Dai Wang can take it out first How about putting the money on the mat and waiting for the soldiers to pay you, and I will return it to His Highness, King Dai?"
As he spoke, he looked at the eunuch in front of him.
"This is impossible." The eunuch of the royal palace refused without even thinking.
If Dai Wang's palace really paid this amount of money and used it as payment, what awaited Dai Wang must not be the court returning the money, but the imperial court's decree to cut down the vassalage and punish him.
The imperial court will never allow a vassal king to touch the army. Whoever dares to violate this rule will definitely be cut off from the vassal. How to punish the crime depends on the decision of the senior officials in the court.
"Then I have no choice." Xu Tong shook his head and said, "Without the money, we can't send out troops to suppress the bandits. I'm afraid His Highness Daiwang will have to wait a little longer for sleepless nights, but I know him. A few full-time doctors who can't sleep at night, although not as good as the imperial doctors, still have some skills, maybe they can cure the illness of His Highness. 〖∈八〖∈八〖∈Read〖∈书,.2∞ 3.↓o”
"No need." The eunuch of the royal palace said, "Master Xu does not need to use these words to deal with our family. We are just messengers. We have also brought the prince's words, so we will not disturb Master Xu."
After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around and walked out.
At this time, he still didn't understand that Xu Tong had no intention of suppressing the bandits at all. Otherwise, how could he have said that His Highness Dai Wang would pay the money.
Xu Tong is also a dignified governor of Datong. He has been an official for many years. How could he not know the power of this? But still saying this is obviously perfunctory and evasive.
"My father-in-law, please go slowly, I will see you off." Xu Tong's attendant hurriedly caught up to see him off.
Xu Tong narrowed his eyes slightly.
Naturally, he had to raise funds, first to appease the officials who had suffered losses. As for how much of the funds raised would be used to suppress bandits, that was up to him.
"Sir." Zhang Wenhe walked in from outside the house.
Xu Tong said with a smile: "Mr. Zhang came just in time, I am about to send someone to find you."
"I wonder what you can do with your students?" Zhang Wenhe asked.
Xu Tong said: "Recently, banditry has occurred in various places. Just now, the Prince's Palace sent people to me to inquire about this matter. Originally, I wanted to solve the banditry issue after the year. Now it seems that there is no need to delay. We need to collect payment immediately to use it." Suppress bandits."
"My lord, what you mean is..."
Xu Tong said with a smile: "Eradicating banditry is also to maintain local peace, which is good for those businesses and shops. But how can we suppress bandits without money? Naturally, we have to collect wages from these people."
"Students understand." Zhang Wenhe bowed.
"Also." Xu Tong said, "Not only do we need to collect wages from various shops, but also merchants traveling to and from Datong also need to collect wages. Datong has been peaceful, and it is safer for them to travel to Datong than before, so they naturally have to pay a share. Pay money will do."
"What your Excellency said is absolutely true." Zhang Wenhe agreed.
Xu Tong thought for a while and then said: "Shops related to Prince Dai's Mansion and shops related to General Zhang will not be levied wages. The rest of the people, no matter who is behind them, will all be levied wages."
"Yes." Zhang Wenhe agreed and immediately said, "How will you arrange for the salary collected to be sent to your Excellency?"
Xu Tong said: "The salary is divided into three parts. I will keep 60% here, 30% will be sent to the General Military Mansion, and the remaining 10% will be used as military salary."
"Do you want to prepare another copy for Prince Dai's Mansion?" Zhang Wenhe asked.
"No need." Xu Tong waved his hand and said, "I didn't ask for payment from Dai Wang's Mansion because it was because of Dai Wang's face."
"Yes, the student will prepare the notice now, and at the same time arrange for the Yamen's servants to go from house to house to collect wages." Zhang Wenhe bowed and prepared to leave.
He was very active in the matter of collecting wages. When the money was collected, it had to pass through his hands first, so he would naturally get a share of the benefits.
"Wait." Xu Tong called to Zhang Wenhe who was about to leave.
Zhang Wenhe turned around and said respectfully: "Do you have any other instructions, sir?"
Xu Tong said: "The matter of Baibang has also been done together. You go and notify the states and counties to urge the payment of the Baibang owed over the years. Let the states and counties know the prefectures and county magistrates. Don't be polite to the people who owe the Baibang. They are all some Diao Min, whichever county receives the most white papers in the future, I will give him a top grade in the performance appraisal."
"Yes, the students will draft the official document when they get back, and then give it to the adults for sealing." Zhang Wenhe said.
Xu Tong said: "In the future, an additional tax will be levied to suppress bandits. Only when I came to Datong did I realize the seriousness of banditry in Datong. In the past, Governor Liu was too kind, which led to the frequent occurrence of banditry. Now, as the governor of Datong, I must Let the place be peaceful and the banditry be eliminated."
"What your Excellency said is absolutely true." Zhang Wenhe said, "The bandit suppression tax is levied for the benefit of the people. The imperial court needs to pay for the troops. Now that your Excellency is suppressing bandits for the people of Datong, the people of Datong will naturally have to pay the bandit suppression tax."
"Well, okay, you go make arrangements!" Xu Tong felt that it was almost done, so he asked Zhang Wenhe to prepare various matters.
He picked up the bowl and took a sip of tea.
The banditry incident that originally caused him some anxiety suddenly became an opportunity for him to make money.
……………………
General Military Mansion.
Li Kaiyang came to see the commander-in-chief Zhang Huai angrily.
"My lord, please punish East Route Commander Li Huaixin."
Zhang Huai frowned and said frankly: "Deputy General Li, I wonder where General Li has offended you? I want to punish a general when I come up. Even I don't dare to punish a general at will." .”
"Li Huaixin did not offend the official." Li Kaiyang said, "A village in Tianchengwei was attacked by bandits. They were bandits from Daliang Mountain. The official clearly remembers that when the commander-in-chief reported his merits to General Li Shen, there were The matter of eradicating the banditry in Daliang Mountain."
Zhang Huai said disapprovingly: "In a place like Daliang Mountain, it is normal for banditry to occur. Even if General Li Shen wiped out the bandits on the mountain, after so long, it is inevitable that there will be other grassroots bandits who have gone to Daliang Mountain." 11
