"Mr. Zhang, you are here. Please come inside. I have just received a jar of sorghum wine with the tiger character flag. Mr. Zhang must have a few drinks with me in a while." A third-grade military general enthusiastically welcomed Zhang Wenhe into the room. middle.
Zhang Wenhe stepped into the house and saw several generals from the Fubiao Camp sitting around a table eating.
Seeing this scene, he frowned and said, "General Xu, you are so elegant!"
General Xu who was accompanying him saw the unhappiness on Zhang Wenhe's face and hurriedly explained: "Mr. Zhang, please don't get me wrong. This is not because the governor is sending Fubiao Battalion to Daliang Mountain to suppress bandits. I will send all the generals from Fubiao Battalion to Daliang Mountain." The officials all gathered together to discuss the matter of suppressing the bandits."
Zhang Wenhe glanced at the table.
At this time, the generals sitting around all stood up and stood respectfully beside the table.
Even though Zhang Wenhe was not an official and had no rank, his status as a civil servant and as a governor's staff was enough for these generals to serve him carefully.
"Is this how you talk about things?" Zhang Wenhe raised his hand and pointed at the various foods on the table, with a look of dissatisfaction on his face.
There is plenty of chicken, duck, and fish on the table. There is also a large pot of meat in the middle, all of which are mutton with bones. There are two wine bottles on the side. There is a wine cup in front of each person, and they are all filled. Got wine.
The dishes on the plate were still quite complete. It was obvious that the meal had just begun and these people had just started to use their chopsticks.
General Xu explained with a smile: "It's almost noon. I thought that everyone had been discussing for a long time and still didn't have time to eat, so I asked someone to prepare such a table. You must have a full stomach before you can continue to discuss the suppression of bandits." matter."
Zhang Wenhe nodded.
It was indeed almost noon when he arrived, and it was normal for these people to sit in the house and eat at this time.
"Mr. Zhang, why don't we sit down and have something together? We haven't used our chopsticks yet." A military general standing at the table strongly invited.
"Mr. Zhang, please take a seat." As he said that, another general opened the seat at the head.
General Xu said with a smile: "I know that Mr. Zhang likes wine, so I have prepared sorghum wine, and it is a stronger sorghum wine that is rarely sold in Tiger Character Banner. Mr. Zhang must try it."
With that said, he moved Zhang Wenhe to the empty seat at the top, and he sat in the seat at the bottom on the left to accompany him.
There was a general nearby who filled the wine cup in front of Zhang Wen's body.
"You guys should sit down too!" Zhang Wenhe waved his hand to the generals at the table, gesturing for them to sit down.
Several generals took their seats one after another and sat in a circle around the table.
"Mr. Zhang, try this cup of sorghum wine. The taste is different from ordinary sorghum wine. I went through a lot of trouble to get this wine." General Xu pushed the wine cup on the table with a smile on his face. .
"No rush." Zhang Wenhe waved his hand and said immediately, "Since General Xu has been discussing with others for such a long time, how are the preparations for suppressing the bandits going?"
"This..." General Xu hesitated.
Zhang Wenhe frowned and said, "Several days have passed and we still haven't seen soldiers and horses from Fubiao Camp dispatched. Is it possible that General Xu is unwilling to suppress the bandits?"
As he spoke, he looked at the generals on the table, and finally his eyes fell on General Xu's face.
None of the generals on the table spoke. Instead, they lowered their heads and looked at the wine cups and bowls and chopsticks in front of them, as if there was something attractive on them, making people unable to take their eyes away.
Seeing the looks of these people, General Xu knew that he could only come forward, so he said: "Mr. Zhang misunderstood. It's not that I don't want to go to Daliang Mountain to suppress the bandits as soon as possible. It's actually that the Fubiao camp has not been paid for several months. The following is People have been dissatisfied for a long time, and I have tried my best to suppress these dissatisfactions. If we send troops to Daliang Mountain now, it is very easy for a mutiny to occur on the way and disturb the place. That is why we have not been able to send troops."
"Yes, Mr. Zhang, the general and others have not been paid for several months."
"The general sentries under the general wanted to pay them several times, but the general had to go through a lot of trouble to appease them."
"Mr. Zhang, see if you can get the governor to pay everyone some money, so that the general and others can have an explanation to the following."
Several generals sitting at the same table complained to Zhang Wenhe.
Zhang Wenhe, who was sitting in the front seat, his face darkened and he scolded: "No matter what the quarrel is, do you still want to rebel?"
Several generals were immediately speechless.
General Xu said with a smile on his face: "Mr. Zhang, please calm down. We are all forced by wages. The superiors have not paid us wages, and those of us who lead the troops are having a hard time."
"Having a hard time?" Zhang Wenhe raised the corner of his mouth and said sarcastically, "General Xu just bought fifty acres of fertile land and a shop not long ago. It doesn't look like he is having a hard time."
Hearing this, General Xu had a smile on his face.
When he is an official at this stage, he naturally has no shortage of money, and he does not rely on the military salary to live. Especially as a military general, he does not need to cherish his reputation like a civilian official. Naturally, he can make money as much as he wants. Military attachés love money. He can be said to have performed incisively and vividly, and the court will not dismiss him from office because he loves money.
Although the generals present here are not as profitable as General Xu, they can earn a lot of income every year just from taking free money and collecting rents to open shops, and they are never short of money.
Zhang Wenhe said with a calm face: "It is the governor's order for you to go to Daliang Mountain to suppress bandits. Could it be that you don't even take the governor seriously?"
The words became harsher as he spoke, and there was a hint of coldness in his voice at the end.
"The general will not dare to wait."
All the generals sitting on the seats stood up with their fists clasped and bowed, even General Xu was no exception.
"Don't dare!" Zhang Wenhe said coldly, "I think you are very brave, otherwise why haven't you seen the soldiers and horses of your Fubiao Camp going to Daliang Mountain for so long?"
"It's not that the general and others are unwilling to send troops, it's just that they don't have pay..."
Before he could say anything, Zhang Wenhe looked at the military general who was speaking with cold eyes, frightening him into hastily stopping.
General Xu next to him said with a smile on his face: "Mr. Zhang, the governor has collected a lot of banditry tax money. Do you think you can use part of it as military pay for the Fubiao Camp? As soon as the money arrives, I will Send troops to Daliang Mountain immediately."
Zhang Wenhe turned his face, glanced at him, and said calmly: "If the governor doesn't give me money, will you not send troops to suppress the bandits?"
General Xu lowered his head and did not answer, acquiescing to his words.
"So you guys also mean this?" Zhang Wenhe looked at the other people.
These few people, like General Xu, lowered their heads one after another and did not respond or speak.
"Okay, I understand what you mean." Zhang Wenhe said, "I will report this matter to the governor. As for whether the governor will give you part of the banditry tax money to use as military pay, that is not something I, a staff member, can do. It’s decided.”
General Xu said with a smile on his face: "Mr. Zhang is joking. Who doesn't know that Mr. Zhang is the right-hand man of the governor. The governor will discuss any important matters with you, Mr. Zhang. As long as Mr. Zhang is willing to help the Biao camp." I’ll urge you to pay the governor, and I’m sure the governor will agree.”
"I'm not that shameless." Zhang Wenhe stood up and said, "I will tell the governor your appeal, just wait!"
After saying that, he turned around and walked outside the house.
General Xu on the side hurriedly chased after him and said, "Mr. Zhang, why don't you go after eating, or else I will have wine delivered to Mr. Zhang's house?"
"No need."
Zhang Wenhe waved his hand and walked out of the house without looking back.
