One bloodstain lay on top of another, crossing like ruts.
Whipping is a kind of guard punishment.
The guard station is a military institution, unlike the civil institution of the county government. If there are crimes, small bamboo sticks or big wooden sticks are used to serve the officers. When sergeants make mistakes, they usually do not have small bamboo sticks, and whips are common.
Gu Zhengchen underestimated the pain of being whipped. After ten lashes, the corners of his mouth were bleeding. If it weren't for Zhang Pei's support, he would have been unable to stand, but Zhao Hailou had to hold back his strength.
There were 5,600 sergeants in the Jurong Guard. Every sergeant saw the process of Gu Zhengchen being whipped, and their impression of Gu Zhengchen changed for the fourth time!
When they saw Gu Zhengchen for the first time, most people were disdainful, dissatisfied, and unwilling to accept him.
Gu Zhengchen is too young. There is nothing wrong with being young. At least you are as strong as Mu Ying and can lift a spear weighing more than ten kilograms and wield it.
But how do you think Gu Zhengchen is a weak scholar? This kind of pretty boy with no flesh on his arms is worthy of being a comforter and giving orders?
But when Gu Zhengchen began to speak, angrily scolding everyone for being stupid and brainless, and telling Jurong Wei's mission, everyone began to look squarely at the young man in front of them.
Obviously, Gu Zhengchen is not a person who knows nothing. He knows how the guardhouse operates, how to set up camp, how to warn and enforce martial law. He has even calculated the time required for each section of the road. He is not someone who doesn't know anything but gives orders. The civil servants did not rely on their status as governor to yell.
But as soon as the second impression was established, Gu Zhengchen showed his majestic side and used Zhao Heng and others to gamble to establish his authority.
An army's neutral power does not burn fire, but blood.
If he can't find the problem, he will send dozens of killing sticks if he finds trouble to confirm his absolute authority and tell everyone what will happen if they disobey him. If you find the problem, it won't be a killing weapon. You can even kill someone.
Zhu Yuanzhang was strict in running the army. When he was conquering the world, the army violated discipline. Even if the generals violated discipline, Zhu Yuanzhang would kill at will without mercy. For example, Hu Dahai's son Hu Sanshe was killed by Zhu Yuanzhang because he violated the prohibition on alcohol and made profits by privately brewing wine.
This method of killing people to establish authority and rules is naturally of the same origin. In addition, it takes a short time and has quick results. Many generals like to use it.
Everyone thought that Gu Zhengchen would use certain parts of the bodies of Zhao Heng and others to gain a foothold like other generals, but no one expected that Gu Zhengchen actually let Zhao Heng go and chose to accept the prison sentence instead!
It was just a guarantee for the punishment, but the generals and sergeants were involved. But who would have thought that the weak Gu Zhengchen was also involved and resisted ten lashes!
This kind of generosity under the majesty, this responsibility under the loyalty, this heavy breathing of sharing the fate with all the soldiers, greatly touched the 5,600 soldiers of the Jurong Guard, and they were all moved to tears. eyes.
Before Gu Zhengchen, there had never been a general who received punishment together with all the soldiers. Some generals even did not regard the soldiers as their own people at all, but as servants, calling and drinking.
Same bond, same whipping, same breathing, same fate.
People are united!
At this moment, the Jurong Guard sergeant completely returned to his heart and recognized from the bottom of his heart Gu Zhengchen’s identity as the top commander of the Jurong Guard!
Zhang Xiwan cried.
Looking at Gu Zhengchen who was lying on the bed with his back covered with scars, he felt heartbroken and kept cursing Zhao Hailou for being such a cruel person to his husband.
"Well, he is even worse. Because he beat his husband, he knows he is guilty and received ten more lashes."
Gu Zhengchen forced a smile.
Zhang Xiwan wiped the corners of her eyes and took the ointment handed over by Xiao He: "It's all my fault, I shouldn't mention Jurong Wei."
Gu Zhengchen wanted to turn sideways, but ended up pulling on the injured area. He took a deep breath and said to Zhang Xiwan who quickly comforted himself: "I am the governor of Jurong Guard. Even if you don't tell me, I will go. These rough guys It’s not easy to subdue, but these ten lashes are not a loss at all.”
"If someone is killed by a high-ranking official, do they still dare to disobey their husband's order?"
Zhang Xiwan gently applied the medicine.
Gu Zhengchen felt a coolness on his back and it was not that painful. He said easily: "They dare not openly disobey orders, but without the support and prestige of the people, it is easy for my husband to be the pacifier. If I say something in the future, it is inevitable that someone will disobey the order." , the order was greatly compromised. As far as guarding the camp is concerned, Zhao Hailou and Wang Liang, two thousand households, warned all sergeants to obey military orders and prohibit drinking and gambling while on guard duty at the camp, but what is the result? "
"You have to know that the sergeants of the Jurong Guard were drawn from various guards in Jinling. They are a patchwork of new guards. Zhao Hailou and Wang Liang belong to a thousand households, and their words are ignored. Even if the husband shouts to break his throat, he will not How much can we make them listen? We don’t need any special methods. If the people are dissatisfied and the military orders are blocked, then Minghe Mountain is full of loopholes. If something goes wrong, no one can afford it."
Zhang Xiwan understood this truth, but looking at the scars and bruises on her husband's body, and some places were black, this method was too painful.
Gu Zhengchen had no other option. Simply establishing his power and killing people by chopping off his hands was not necessarily the best way. Just endure some hardships. At least the effect was good so far.
"Uncle, the Prime Minister of Luo County wants to see you."
Xiao He announced at the door.
"Let him in."
Gu Zhengchen agreed.
Zhang Xiwan frowned and whispered: "My husband is injured like this, so he can't rest more. They also don't give him any free time."
Gu Zhengchen stood up and carefully put on his underwear with Zhang Xiwan's help.
Luo Shao walked in and saluted: "I have met the county magistrate and his wife."
Zhang Xiwan put away the ointment and was a little dissatisfied with Luo Shao: "Finish this earlier, the county magistrate needs to rest."
Luo Shao quickly agreed.
Gu Zhengchen watched Zhang Xiwan walk out and smiled at Luo Shao: "Zhuo Jing loves you, Prime Minister Luo County, don't take it seriously."
"I don't dare. The county magistrate and his wife have a deep love for each other, which is enviable."
Luo Shao exchanged a few pleasantries and then got down to the topic: "The county magistrate wants to make green manure. According to the county magistrate's instructions, a suitable place was found three miles north of the city."
"Oh, tell me."
Gu Zhengchen cheered up.
Luo Shao said carefully: "There is a river there, surrounded by a forest. There is a long and narrow plot of land between the river and the forest, overgrown with grass. It is still one mile away from the nearest house and in the northeast. As long as the retting is dug there, The pond will surely produce retting fertilizer.”
Gu Zhengchen was very satisfied.
Batch production of retting fertilizer naturally requires more retting ponds, which requires water sources and a wide area with relatively good lighting conditions, which is not suitable in Jurong County.
Three miles, not too far.
"I'll go and see for myself. If it's feasible, I'll build a soybean oil workshop next to it."
Gu Zhengchen was wearing a coat.
Luo Shao quickly stopped him: "Your Majesty, it's still raining, so there's no rush."
Gu Zhengchen waved his hand: "The earlier you retting the fertilizer, the earlier it will be used. Now the farmers are preparing for spring mulberry. It will take some time to transplant the rice fields. We need to take advantage of the temperature to rise and get the fertilizer out early. If we can't catch up, For rice field farming, we must at least ensure that there is enough fertilizer available for grain production in the second half of the year.”
Luo Shao couldn't stop him.
As soon as Gu Zhengchen walked out of the door, he met Zhang Xiwan who blocked his way. Zhang Xiwan didn't like Gu Zhengchen at all and pushed him back to the room, saying that he was not allowed to go out today.
It was raining and cold outside. Gu Zhengchen was injured and had just taken medicine. If he didn't get a good rest, he would probably get cold. The two conditions combined would cause big trouble.
Luo Shao listened to Gu Zhengchen's screams in the room and suppressed a smile: "The county magistrate has a good rest. I will take the chief clerk over to take a look."
Gu Zhengchen couldn't afford to offend a woman, so he lay back again.
Zhang Xiwan asked Xiaohe to make ginger soup and fed it to Gu Zhengchen bit by bit: "If you were sick, wouldn't it take longer? You don't even know the principle of haste makes waste..."
Stir with a spoon and heat will rise.
Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip of porridge and said to Zhu Biao, who was sitting reading documents: "What did you see from Zhou Dexing's documents?"
Zhu Biao closed the document and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang: "Father, the Marquis of Jiangxia was ordered to inspect the fifteen guards including Wuchang Guard, Huangzhou Guard, Yongzhou Guard, and Yuezhou Guard. The actual number of sergeants was only 44,899. This is different from The number of sergeants reported in the Grand Governor's Mansion is 63,722, which is quite different."
Zhu Yuanzhang sneered: "It has only been seven years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and some people are actually taking advantage of the quota."
Zhu Biao was a little uneasy and asked, "Do you know who the father is?"
Zhu Yuanzhang took a sip of the soup and said: "Other than the founding nobles, who can be so bold? As for who it is, we need to investigate in detail. What else did you see?"
Zhu Biao stood up and motioned Zhu Yuanzhang to sit down: "There are only 800 war horses and more than 400 mules in the fifteen guard posts. The number of war horses for one guard is only more than fifty when evenly divided! Father, our war horses are really There’s such a shortage.”
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded heavily.
Who would have thought that the number of war horses in the Ming Dynasty would be so scarce!
Years of fighting have resulted in countless losses.
Of course, the serious shortage of war horses in the Inland Guard Station was also related to the excessive deployment of troops by the imperial court. There were always Yuan Ting cavalry causing trouble on the northern border. The horses left in the Inland Guard Station were of little use, and most of them were simply sent to the north.
Even so, the number of cavalry on the front line was still stretched thin.
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed: "Ever since Gu Zhengchen mentioned improving firearms to restrain cavalry, I have thought carefully about it. This may be a good way to defeat cavalry with foot, but the premise is that Gu Zhengchen can really come up with a weapon with a long range, easy reloading, and more power." Big firearm."
Zhu Biao looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and could deeply feel his helplessness and longing.
Helplessly, seven years after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the enemy still surrounded the Ming Dynasty from different directions all the time.
What he hopes is that Gu Zhengchen can create another way, completely change the method of cavalry restraining cavalry, and come up with a method of defeating cavalry with foot.
"Father, I believe in Mr. Gu!"
Zhu Biao said solemnly.
Zhu Yuanzhang put down the bowl and said calmly: "I also believe him. Today, the Ministry of Industry sent news that the gunpowder craftsmen, smelting craftsmen, and firearms craftsmen requested by Gu Zhengchen have been transferred to Jinling, and his family members are also on the way. Corresponding materials Preparations are also underway. I just don’t know if Gu Zhengchen can convince Tao Chengdao..."
