General Xu arrived at the door and waited for Zhang Wenhe to go away before returning to the house.
"Sir, let's forget about the payment of money. We should follow the governor's arrangements and return to camp to reorganize our troops and go to Daliang Mountain to suppress the bandits." A military general sitting at the table said.
After Zhang Wenhe left, all the generals in the room sat back on their seats, and some even picked up their wine cups and started drinking.
The people present were all generals from Fubiao Camp. They were very familiar with each other, so there were not so many details and taboos.
"I don't want any more money. You think the money hurts your hands!" General Xu turned around and looked at the general who spoke. "If you think you have too much money, you can give it to me. For me, the more money, the better."
The general grinned.
If he could really get the salary, he would naturally not be able to give it to the other party. No one would complain that the money was small, only that it was not enough.
Another military general said: "Everyone is also worried that the governor will be dissatisfied. If we force payment at this time, it will definitely cause the governor's displeasure."
General Xu said: "If you miss this opportunity, you don't know when the next pay will be."
"That's right." A military general said in agreement, "It has been several months since the last payment of wages, and the wages received are not much. If it falls into our hands, we will not save even one out of ten. Now the imperial court's wages are really getting more and more expensive. not enough."
"If the pay is missing, I have to ask our governor!" A military commander said angrily.
"What's the meaning?"
"In the past, half of the Ministry of War's salary was always left when it arrived in Datong. But since our governor took office, our Fubiao camp has lost even half of its salary. In recent months, we have even lost one tael of silver. "
Hearing this, the other generals at the table looked at him.
One of the generals hesitated and said: "You mean all our wages have been embezzled by the governor?"
"Master Xu should know best whether there is such a thing."
The general who spoke looked at General Xu.
Seeing that several people at the table were looking at him, General Xu said: "I asked someone to inquire in the capital. Datong's military pay has already been issued by the Ministry of War. As for the pay for our Fubiao camp, I'm not sure yet. .”
Snapped!
A military general slapped the table with his hand and said angrily: "This is not clear enough. It must have been misappropriated by the governor's office. No wonder the general military office has already paid the salary, but we have no share in the Fubiao camp. He Xu Tong is so distraught that even if one person monopolizes the wages of our Fubiao camp, he is not afraid of dying. "
"Hush, be silent!" General Xu glared at the general and said, "None of us have any evidence to prove that the governor of Fubiao Camp took away the salary. No one should say this again in the future."
"Why can't you say that he, Xu Tong, did such a thing because he was afraid of others telling him." The general curled his lips.
Several other generals also shared the same hatred.
All the pay and silver of the Fubiao camp were intercepted and taken away, which was equivalent to taking away the money that originally belonged to them, the generals. How could they swallow this sigh of relief.
General Xu frowned and scolded: "Is it useful for you to make trouble with me here? If you have the ability, go to the governor's Yamen to make trouble with the governor."
Several generals lowered their heads.
They are just low-ranking generals, and they still have some status in the Fubiao camp, but if they are to be placed in front of a second-rank governor, they are not enough. It is even difficult to meet the governor.
General Xu continued: "This matter ends here. Regardless of whether Fubiao Camp's salary was withheld by the governor, don't mention it again in the future."
"Sir," a military general said, "Even if there is no pay, we will not be hungry, but the people below are different. They have not received pay for several months. If this continues, the people below will have to fight for pay."
"I know." General Xu said, "This time the governor wants to suppress the bandits. This is our opportunity. As long as we can get a month's salary, the people below can be temporarily appeased."
The generals at the table were speechless.
Seeing this scene, General Xu raised his eyebrows and said, "You don't believe it?"
A general at the table said: "Sir, it's not that we don't believe it. Everyone has seen what Governor Xu has done since he has been in Datong for so long. In the past six months or so, the governor's office can be said to have tried every means to make money. Their actions are even more sinister than those of us generals. In Datong Prefecture alone, several shop owners have been forced to death. It is not easy for us to come to Fubiao Camp for payment."
"Since you don't believe it, why are you coming here today? Do you know that I have brought you here this time just to put pressure on Zhang Wenhe and get his salary through him." General Xu looked at the general who spoke.
The general said with a bitter face: "The general has to come. Without pay, the people below cannot be comforted. Without pay for three months, even the families of the general's several chief sentry officers will have a hard time." .”
"Sir, our Fubiao camp has never been without pay for three consecutive months in recent years. When Governor Liu was here, we never owed pay. Even if the pay from the Ministry of War did not come down, we would get money from other places. Pay, now that Governor Xu has been replaced, we have done a lot of work, but the pay and silver are either insufficient or delayed. The pensions of those people sent by our Fubiao camp to escort Xu Ji’s motorcade to the grassland have not been paid yet. So far, the governor’s Yamen I didn’t even give an explanation.”
Another general complained.
The other generals at the same table also complained to Governor Xu Tong without saying a word.
General Xu sat in his seat and listened quietly.
Not to mention the generals under his command, it was also the first time for him to see a governor like Xu Tong, who was as ruthless as Xu Tong. He simply refused to give others a way to survive and kept all the money for himself.
When everyone had agreed, General Xu said, "Don't worry, Governor Xu will definitely agree to pay our Fubiao camp this time."
Several generals looked at General Xu in confusion.
General Xu continued: "Governor Xu is eyeing the smuggling business with the Beibei, but if Xu Ji's convoy wants to go to the grassland, it must pass through Daliang Mountain. The last time the bandits from Daliang Mountain robbed Xu Ji's convoy and took away With goods worth several thousand taels, if Xu Ji’s convoy wants to go to the grassland in the future, it will naturally have to be on guard against the bandits from Daliang Mountain trying to attack Xu Ji’s convoy. As the saying goes, you will always be a thief for a thousand days, but you will never be able to guard against thieves every day, so The bandits in Daliang Mountain have become a thorn in Governor Xu’s side.”
A military commander on the side said: "Governor Xu communicates with Beilu. If the adults in the court find out about this, our governor will be sent to prison."
"It would be better to go to prison. Our governor has given up his face just to make money. If he really takes office, Datong will be completely filled with complaints." A military general sneered.
General Xu glanced at him and said: "Don't say these useless things. I have brought you here to discuss joint efforts to collect wages. As for other things that should not be your business, don't get involved."
"What the general said is that the top priority now is still the matter of payment." A military general said in agreement.
As he finished speaking, several generals at the table began to discuss how to get their pay.
