A gust of autumn wind blew by, causing the mirror-like water in the pond to wrinkle slightly, and the stone bridge reflected in the water to sway. Two figures broke in, and the water in the pool was like a frightened child, daring not to move.
With his crutch lit on the stone steps, an old man in his sixties stood on the bridge with his feet raised, looking at the scenery of the pool. The red-red leaves of the Double Ninth Festival trees on both sides spread like two flames.
"Sheng'er, you really shouldn't be so impatient."
The old man's long hair is already black and white, but his complexion is ruddy and his energy is bright. He does not look like a man of sixty years old.
Guo Sheng, who was in his forties, had an angry face. When he moved his mouth, the scar on his right cheek moved: "Father, the new county magistrate doesn't understand the rules. If he doesn't beat him early, he will definitely go to Hezhuang." Go investigate.”
Guo Dian raised his crutch and knocked on the stone steps: "Investigate, just investigate, let him go. Liu Boqin, Zhao Doubei, and Chen Zhong control the county government, and there are also a group of officials and government servants who are our eyes and ears." , are you afraid that he will turn the world upside down?"
Guo Sheng lowered his body and supported Guo Dian: "According to Liu Boqin and others, the new county magistrate has some skills and is good at winning people's hearts. Zhou Mao was originally Liu Boqin's henchman, but now he has switched to Gu Zhengchen's sect. And Liang Bin, when Gu Zhengchen asked him whether he had committed corruption, he was almost scared to death and went to Chen Zhong to complain."
"Father, if we don't use any means, it's hard to say who has the final say in this county government. If it is really up to this person named Gu, then who among the people will not dare to go to the county government to submit the petition? If the county magistrate knows what happened in the mountains, he will force If we want to investigate, our Guo family will be in catastrophe. We should deal with such people sooner rather than later, and send them away as soon as possible."
Guo Dian walked towards Shiqiao with a bit of worry in his eyes: "But have you ever thought that it would not be good for us to be hostile to Gu Zhengchen?"
Guo Sheng sneered: "Father, he is just a county magistrate. He is already in trouble, but he cannot threaten us."
"What did you do again?"
Guo Dian looked at Guo Sheng with cold eyes.
Guo Sheng puffed up his chest: "It's nothing, it just paralyzed the county government."
Guo Dian said nothing, walked into the pavilion and sat down.
Paralyzing the county government means that everyone will stop working.
This is a way to draw out the firepower. No matter how capable Gu Zhengchen is, no matter how much he wants to do things, he can't do everything himself. He only has two minions around him, plus Zhou Mao at most.
Four people cannot support the operation of the county government.
Gu Zhengchen had no way to solve this dilemma. It was impossible for him to report the matter to the court. Once he did so, it would mean that he had no ability to control him and his official career would come to an end.
With all his paths blocked, Gu Zhengchen had nowhere to play his chess game.
Guo Dian thought for a long time, nodded slightly to Guo Sheng, and his tone became cold: "Since we have done everything, let's do it thoroughly, solve it once and for all, and let him leave Jurong completely! Gu Zhengchen blatantly pretended to be the emperor. Giving money to the common people will cost him his life. Tell this to the censors in Jinling who are good at hearing about it, and they will help us take him away."
Guo Sheng looked at his father with admiration. He was still very old.
Dusk comes, and the sky slides into darkness.
Like an invisible abyss, so long that no light can be seen.
The door of Chengfa's room was pushed open.
Sun Shiba walked in with a lantern. After lighting the candles, he looked at Gu Zhengchen who was following him: "Don't worry, sir, I will stay here."
Gu Zhengchen scanned the room. The space here was not large, slightly larger than the newsstands of later generations. There was a bed, a chair, a stool, and a shelf, that's all.
"Many things in the county government can be stopped, except for the housing acquisition. If the documents arrive, you can call me immediately."
Gu Zhengchen arranged.
Sun Shiba nodded in agreement.
At this moment, the crisp sound of horse hooves came from the road outside the door, and the galloping horse stopped outside the Chengfa House.
Sun Shiba opened the window and looked at the messenger coming from the darkness.
"If there is a letter from Jinling, please notify Gu Zhengchen, the magistrate of Gu County, and ask him to come out and receive the letter!"
The voice was deep and rough.
Sun Shiba turned sideways, and Gu Zhengchen revealed his head, squinting at the person coming from the darkness.
The post messengers always deliver documents to the delivery room. There are cases where the magistrate is directly called to pick them up in person. This is not an imperial edict.
"Mr. Gu?"
The visitor was stunned, and the figure walked out of the darkness.
Gu Zhengchen's eyes widened and he exclaimed: "You, why are you here in Jurong?"
Zhou Zong held the horse, grinned, and took out a letter from his arms: "This is not official business, but a private message. His Highness sent me to go there in person and take away the letter to reply."
Gu Zhengchen took the letter and rubbed his eyebrows, Zhu Dalang, you are too willful. In order to deliver a letter, you even sent out all the people with swords around you. You can just find someone...
"It's tomorrow to go back. Let's go to the county government office."
Gu Zhengchen was very happy with Zhou Zong's arrival. He was about to lead the horse when he walked out of Chengfa's room. Zhou Zong stretched out his hand to block it, took a step back, stared coldly at the door of the county government office, put his left hand on the waist knife, and shouted in a deep voice: "Who is peeping here, get out!"
Gu Zhengchen looked over and saw Zhou Mao running out and said quickly, "It's me."
Zhou Zong looked at Gu Zhengchen. Gu Zhengchen's eyes froze slightly, nodded and said to Zhou Zong, "This is Zhou Mao, the official's office."
"Official office? Mr. Gu, where are the officials here? Why didn't they come to pick them up? Also, Sun Shiba is your servant, right? Why do you have to live in the Chengfa House? Where have the officials here gone?"
Zhou Zong's eyes are sharp and his heart is as careful as hair.
Gu Zhengchen laughed loudly and said without hesitation: "These are all small things, Zhou Mao. Send the horse to the stable and take good care of it. Let's go to the back house to catch up on old times."
Seeing that Gu Zhengchen didn't explain, Zhou Zong didn't ask any more questions. He just told Zhou Mao, who took the reins of the horse: "Use good forage and grab a handful of black beans for it."
Zhou Mao saw that he had a sword on his waist and knew that this was not an easy matter, so he quickly agreed.
The magistrate's residence.
Gu Cheng went to buy some food and wine and entertained Zhou Zong simply.
Gu Zhengchen opened the letter, read it carefully, and said to Zhou Zong with a smile: "It seems that your Majesty and the Crown Prince are quite satisfied with the effect of the physical training technique."
Zhou Zong picked up the wine glass, drank it down in one gulp, and said with a breath of wine: "I was also in the small training ground that day. I have to say that although it was only twenty days and the training was short, the physical training technique really made those two hundred sergeants better. Become even more powerful. Your Majesty is extremely satisfied with the physical training technique and has issued an order to implement it among the Beijing Army and the Border Army."
Gu Zhengchen picked up the wine flask, and Zhou Zong quickly snatched it away: "How dare I ask Mr. Gu to pour wine for me, a man with a knife and a knife?"
Gu Zhengchen couldn't refuse, so he had to stand up and pick up the wine glass. After the wine was full, he asked, "Does the prince exercise every day?"
"One day at a time."
Zhou Zong was solemn.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Zhou Zong and his expression became serious: "You have been with the prince all year round, and you must urge the prince to exercise!"
Zhou Zong saw that Gu Zhengchen was serious and straightened his figure: "The prince often quoted Zhang Jiuling's saying: 'If you can't discipline yourself, how can you be a good person?' I don't think there will be any delay in exercising, not to mention that His Majesty will always supervise."
Gu Zhengchen breathed a sigh of relief.
Although it is unrealistic for Zhu Biao to run circles and climb pits every day, it is still no problem to do push-ups alone in the East Palace and sit-ups with the Crown Princess and the two of them...
Zhou Zong looked at Gu Cheng, who was standing at the door, seemingly defensive, and frowned slightly: "This Jurong County Yamen is full of weirdness. Could Mr. Gu have encountered some trouble?"
"It's nothing troublesome. That is to say, the county magistrate, the chief registrar, and the history officer were ill yesterday. Well, there were also six and three office servants who also fell ill yesterday..."
Gu Zhengchen had a smile on his face, full of relaxation.
Zhou Zong looked at Gu Zhengchen in shock, slapped the table and stood up: "How dare these officials do such nonsense!"
Gu Zhengchen watched the wine in the wine glass spill out, picked up a handkerchief and wiped the table, and said calmly: "Don't get excited. Don't tell the prince and the emperor about this matter. I have my own way of handling it."
Zhou Zong snorted: "How can you not report it to such lawless people?"
Gu Zhengchen picked up his chopsticks and said without leaving a trace: "You don't need to report it. I guess it won't be long before someone will inform the Jinling Censor and write a document to impeach me."
Zhou Zong was quite confused as to why he would impeach you. If he wanted to impeach you, he would also impeach these useless officials.
Gu Zhengchen was careless and changed the subject: "The prince asked if there are any other strategies to strengthen the army. This is a difficult problem. However, I do have a strategy that can allow the sergeants to carry a few more days of rations."
"really?"
Zhou Zong stood up excitedly.
Gu Zhengchen frowned: "No need to be so surprised, right?"
Zhou Zong rubbed his hands and said seriously: "Mr. Gu doesn't know that the Yuan Dynasty cavalry repeatedly invaded the border. Nowadays, there are often wars in Shanxi, Shaanxi and other places. Wei Guogong and other generals went out to pursue the border several times, but they all failed because of The logistics are not sustainable and we have to return to rest. If our soldiers can bring more rations, we can chase for an extra two hundred miles and kill the Tatars!"
Gu Zhengchen understood the importance of logistics, especially after the defeat of Lingbei. The Ming Dynasty suffered serious horse losses and fewer cavalry. If he wanted to go out to fight and pursue, he must have archers, spearmen and other infantry to coordinate, and this in turn increased the number of soldiers. This increases logistical pressure, slows down the marching speed, and makes it easy to miss good opportunities.
Gu Zhengchen said cautiously: "I'm not sure whether this is feasible or not. We still need to find a sergeant in the Metropolitan Governor's Office to try it before we can know for sure. But there is something I want to say beforehand."
"you say?"
Zhou Zong asked quickly.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Zhou Zong and said firmly: "If it is really feasible, the imperial court will definitely purchase these things. I hope these things will be made by the people of Jurong and the imperial court will pay for them instead of taking them away empty-handed."
"this……"
Zhou Zong was a little depressed.
Gu Zhengchen smiled and picked up the wine glass: "These words are for the Crown Prince and Your Majesty. Of course, I will also write them in my reply."
"no problem."
Zhou Zong was relieved.
It is the emperor who makes decisions, not himself, so why bother with that? Besides, when the emperor reaches out for something, you, Gu Zhengchen, don’t dare not give it...
In the dead of night, Zhou Zong was resting in the back house.
Gu Zhengchen opened Zhu Biao's letter and read it again.
Zhu Dalang beat himself up inside and outside his words, emphasizing one point in particular: Don't be greedy and stay upright.
It is vaguely said that greed is death.
Gu Zhengchen didn't want to be corrupt, but he wanted to take the money openly and with Lao Zhu's "permission". If we don't exploit the people, why can't we "exploit" the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Household Affairs?
