The governor distributed grain and the governor raised grain. Hou Anyong seemed to have seen the light of day, so he only pestered Tang Shunzhi.
"What's the plan? Futai, you didn't bring more people here." Hou Anyong also looked to the north, "Since we are raising food, why didn't we divide it with Datong Governor Salary Langzhong and Jibei Road before? Should we discuss it with the Councilor, the Minister of Inspection, and the Deputy Military Envoy?"
"I still want to go back to Datong, there's no rush." Tang Shunzhi tasted the town's sea carp happily.
Hou Anyong, He Xun and another friend of Tang Shunzhi, Yan Yinghe, looked at each other in shock: They are only twenty years old, why do they feel that the city is already so deep?
"Futai, the magistrate of Yingzhou came to the post station to pay a visit."
Yi Cheng came to report in person, and Tang Shunzhi said "Yes": "Please come here quickly. It's a coincidence. This is such a big fish. I can't finish it. Don't let it go to waste."
Hou Anyong and Yan Yinghe stood up first after hearing this.
Yingzhou is affiliated to Datong Prefecture. The Zhizhou is from the fifth rank, and they are just staff and have no official positions.
After a while, three green robes entered.
Zhizhou, Tongzhi, and judge. The top three civil servants in Yingzhou all came to this inn in person.
Tang Shunzhi was the uncle of Jingbian and the governor of Xuanda. The governor had no direct subordinate officials, but the local civil servants in Xuanfu and Datong and the civil servants from Beijing, in addition to the governor and the foreign censor, were all his subordinate officials.
A twenty-year-old local official.
Tang Shunzhi was qualified to set this record, and he met with the officials below while eating.
This seemed rude, but it also made the three giants of Yingzhou feel happy: a friendly signal! Stay out of sight! Go straight to the wine shop, how great!
Faced with Tang Shunzhi, the unheard-of recipient of the greatest Ming Dynasty imperial examination dividends, the three giants of Yingzhou took turns to fight. From winning the title of Three Yuan in Lien to winning the first prize in the system science, from becoming a uncle at the age of 20 to being directly appointed as the governor of Xuanda, from being praised for his number one scholar article to the poetry and anecdotes that have been circulated.
Even Hou Anyong and Yan Yinghe, two aides with mere academic backgrounds, were pulled by them to sit down at the top.
Tang Shunzhi always maintained a kind smile.
Then he first asked the magistrate of Yingzhou: "Brother Xinzhai, have you received the official documents from Deputy Ambassador Chen and Min Tongpan? Now we are busy with recruiting and buying grain and grass. I am passing through Yingzhou, and I don't want to disturb you."
"Don't worry Futai, our Datong Prefecture County recruits and buys grain and grass every year. It has been a long-standing practice. Although Futai is busy with official duties, he is uneasy when he comes to Yingzhou and cannot welcome him into the city for Yingzhou to listen and learn. How can he Why don’t you come to see me in person?”
He was even more happy when he heard Tang Shunzhi call him by his nickname.
Tang Shunzhi was very modest: "After all, I don't have enough experience. In Datong Town, we have to rely on brother Xinzhai and other state and county officials for everything. Fortunately, there are Wangdutai, Loulangzhong, and vassals. Now that the troops and patrols are in place and Datong Mansion is here, I feel a lot more at ease. Now I will walk around various places and do my duty first. When Huai Lai has surveyed the place over there, I will also feel at ease. You can safely supervise the construction of the ordnance park there."
Yingzhou Zhizhou understood and smiled even more respectfully: "Don't worry about Futai! What an important place for border defense is Datong Town? I serve here, and I don't dare to neglect it! Futai has concerns, but Please give me your instructions."
"No, no!" Tang Shunzhi shook his head repeatedly, "I am inspecting Xuanda University, so I naturally want to walk around while I still have some free time. Everything has its own rules, but I can't easily point fingers. Brother Xinzhai specializes in Come here, I'm afraid I have to rush to Yingzhou City, so I won't talk to you much. Everyone in Yingzhou can just go about their business with peace of mind."
"Xiaguan would like to listen to Futai's instructions. Then...Xiaguan and others will not disturb Futai's rest."
Tang Shunzhi smiled with a smile on his face: "Ying He, give it to Brother Xinzhai for me."
Hou Anyong looked at their backs and looked at Tang Shunzhi in confusion: Don't you do something?
When Yan Yinghe came back, he said calmly: "I left three hundred taels of silver, five fine cashmere jackets, and one piece of beautiful jade."
Hou Anyong stood up with his eyes widened: "Futai!"
"Keep the accounts first. I have a neat guard of honor and march all the way to the west. I pass through the prefectures and counties without entering, and if I can accept their wishes, they will feel more at ease." Tang Shunzhi motioned to him not to get excited, "I am young, and what they are most afraid of is I am a strong-willed person who is not rash, and a Futai who is willing to accept gifts will be an easy-to-talk Futai. Isn’t it better than a stupid young man who is afraid of me and thinks of me as someone who might do something bad?"
"...You are so generous as soon as you make a move!" Hou Anyong was indignant.
"Bian Town." Tang Shunzhi's smile gradually faded. "All provinces are reforming government offices, but Border Town has not yet been reformed. In such a large prefecture and county, there are only two or three people or even one person who makes the decision. When I arrive in Shuozhou , I can probably receive a total of three to four thousand taels of silver, right? It’s enough to buy ten thousand shi of food.”
Hou Anyong was a little surprised: "Futai wants to use this money to buy food?"
"Why not buy it? Otherwise, where would the food and salary for Yu Zhifu's training come from?"
"...Don't Futai not care about the distribution of food and salary?"
Tang Shunzhi took it for granted: "Is this a food and salary distribution? This is a personal friendship between Zhifu and I. I gave it to him! The guy should have received some for himself, right? If there are twenty thousand shi of food in total, It is enough for him to support two to three thousand people for a year."
"...Futai, is this how you break the situation?"
"How can we talk about breaking the situation?" Tang Shunzhi continued to lie, "But when I finish this circle, there will be some clues."
…
Governor Xuanda walked slowly to Shuozhou, eating, drinking and having fun along the way.
Behind him in Datong Mansion, Guo Xun seemed very upright.
"Don't do this with me, Lord!"
The person in front of Guo Xun now is Zhu Xingjun, the manager of Huangmingji Datong branch.
"I also have shares in Huangmingji!" He glared, "Why can't you guys manage the construction of Xuanning's Five Fortresses? Is it because Datong can't recruit workers, or will I short-change you? If you are afraid It’s dangerous. I have sent Li Jin to guard the North Road. His reputation is known to all the Tatars, so how can they dare to invade easily? Besides, these five forts are within the border wall!"
Zhu Xingjun looked at him with a melancholy look on his face: "Master Hou, it's not that there is no one in the labor service bank, and I'm not worried about money or danger. In fact... the two guards in front and back of Datong are always responsible for this matter, how can we, Huang Mingji, interfere? Have the Marquis discussed this with the Dutai, the Grain Controller of the Household Department, and the Deputy Envoy of the Northern Hebei Army?"
"Who is the chief military officer of Datong Town?"
Zhu Xingjun looked at him strangely when he heard this: "Master Marquis, I am not being disrespectful. Although you command the Datong army, military orders must be obeyed by the governor, and food and military preparations must be obeyed by the governor's grain doctor and deputy military commander. You have already said that you We are also shareholders, so we can’t harm Huang Mingji.”
"..."
Guo Xun also knew the way of balancing civil and military affairs. It was indeed the former governor Zhang Wenjin who was leading this matter.
Now that Zhang Wenjin has returned to Beijing to resign, and the new governor Tang Shunzhi has gone to Shuozhou to familiarize himself with the situation, then won't Xuanning Five Forts be repaired?
He just didn't want to leave this matter to Datong's two defenders.
After sending Zhu Xingjun away, he walked around the room irritably.
Wang Xianyuan was in his arms, Tang Shunzhi ran away again, and Yu Dayou was in Shuozhou.
Guo Xun, who was alone in Datong, gradually felt the invisible network around him. It was he who ordered strict drills and constant preparation for war, so both the front and rear guards of Datong came up with reasons: regular soldiers need to drill, and garrison troops need to harvest wheat. Of course the fort will be repaired, and manpower will not be available until the wheat harvest is finished in May.
Recruiting civilian husbands? Then you need to prepare money, money and food.
I asked Huang Mingji Labor Service Company to do it, but they said it was inconvenient to interfere with the tasks that the military usually undertakes.
"Control your anger, control your anger!" he muttered, "Calm down, Guo Xun, calm down."
He came to Datong to test his ability.
I had already talked with Yu Dayou on the way, I had talked a lot with Wang Xian since I arrived, and I had a lot of discussions with Tang Shunzhi.
He knows the general direction, but how to grasp the right balance to lure the enemy deeper without causing collapse?
After walking around the room for almost a thousand steps, he finally thought of a way.
"Come on! Get your horses ready, I'm going to patrol the border walls and forts! Let each guard station prepare their records. I'll know how many soldiers we have in Datong that can fight!"
So the chief military officer of Datong Town also left Datong. He first went to the Zhenlu Guard and Tiancheng Guard areas in the northeasternmost part of Datong Town, and then went west along the border wall to check the family's assets.
The governor was on the southern line, and he was on the northern line. Chen Qisheng, deputy envoy of the Shanxi Inspection Department of Jibei Province, who was stationed in Datong Prefecture, and Lou Qiongyu, the governor of the Ministry of Household in Datong, frowned.
How many combatable soldiers are there in Datong? Can you count them? This is adding to the chaos!
They first sent a letter to Wang Xian, and then continued to be busy collecting and warehousing grain from the fields.
Bianzhen is a special existence. Datong Prefecture is part of the Shanxi Chief Minister's Office. There is a branch of the Chief Minister's Office here, and he wants to collect private grain taxes. Similarly, the Inspectorate of Envoys in Datong is also divided into patrol roads and military preparation roads. Soldiers and horses, money and food, justice, infrastructure, and even the deployment of troops, military preparation, and patrol patrols are not small.
Food and wages are the lifeblood of the frontier army. Although it has not yet been customized, the Ministry of Household Affairs is in Datong, and there are also dedicated salary supervisors and chiefs. In addition to reviewing the monthly ration distribution for border troops, they also participate in the management of farmland, warehouses, and procurement of grain and grass together with the local government. When there is a war, you can also participate in military decision-making.
As for the Shanxi Xingdu Division located in Datong, these military generals were actually subject to the control of civil servants in everything.
Since it has to be controlled by civil servants, the situation in Bian Town has been quietly changing over the years, especially in the years since the great victory in Yingzhou, when Bian Town has stabilized a lot.
After Lou Qiongyu returned to his official office, he listened to the chief's report and said with a stern face: "Why are you so anxious? Didn't you just issue so much money before? Now there are more than 10,000 mouths in the arms. The supervisor has strict orders, don't do it." Short of rations over there!”
"...Rate Supervisor, the commanders of all the guards have reported. Marquis Guo has been supervising so hard that the officers and soldiers are training more than three times as hard as before. It is no different from marching to war. The training is tiring, and people are eating their horses' chews. There are already complaints. . They are all asking for a ration of food, and the subordinate officials dare not neglect it. Should we invite the supervisor to come to Datong to discuss it?"
"These soldiers!" Lou Qiongyu gritted his teeth, "Don't you know what the situation is now? Are you used to being exhausted in the past? Asking for food after just practicing?"
"...Li Jin, the deputy commander-in-chief of the left army, also came with a letter, saying that Marquis Guo has allowed him to come out of the border wall to burn wasteland if he finds an opportunity. What about his food supply over there?"
"Burn the wasteland?" Lou Qiongyu was shocked and angry, "How come I don't know about this? Does Wang Dutai know about it?"
"...How can I know this?"
"Damn it! He even went to patrol the border!"
Just as Lou Qiongyu was about to send someone to Huai Lai, news from the capital also reached Datong.
Led by Yang Shen, the right minister of the Ministry of Revenue, seventeen officials from the capital knocked on the que and asked to stop building the Huailai Ordnance Park and the Guanting Reservoir.
His Majesty's response: Royal staff.
All seventeen people were injured and bedridden.
This is not the most important thing, the most important thing is: Minister of State Shi Yue resigned.
He is old, but at this moment, his resignation has been approved. Not only the capital, but also Lou Qiongyu is now shocked.
Then he met Chen Qisheng and others again: "You also know, right?"
"Yang Shilang, the hero of the new law, the prince's guest, why..." Chen Qisheng did not dare to think too deeply, "Shi Gong became an official, this..."
Thinking of Guo Xun who was patrolling the border, and Tang Shunzhi who was wandering around as if he were just having fun, Lou Qiongyu murmured to himself: "What on earth is Your Majesty going to do in Xuanda..."
Chen Qisheng's eyes flashed with light: "After Wu Dinghou took office, the complaints from Datong guards became more and more intense. Huailai built a lot of construction projects and announced that large grains and salaries would be given priority. The border troops were even more dissatisfied. Now they still have to burn wasteland and lighten the roster of soldiers... No way. , you and I, the civil servants of Datong, should jointly submit a petition to impeach Marquis Wu Ding for destroying Datong’s border defenses, fearing that he might provoke a mutiny and provoke a large-scale invasion by the northern barbarians!”
"Unless Wang Dutai and Tang Futai also signed up!" Lou Qiongyu shook his head, "Even Shilang Yang has been punished by the imperial staff. If you and I jointly sign up, we will only transfer others. Since Wu Dinghou has been ordered to guard Datong, how can he Will the order be changed in the morning and at night? If the civil and military affairs are not in harmony, Wang Dutai will not move, what about you and me?"
"Have you forgotten that Tang Futai and Shuozhou Yu Dayou jointly signed a petition to fight?" Chen Qisheng's face was gloomy and uncertain. "Wherever he goes, he is not frightened? As for Wang Dutai, if he signs a joint petition, he will There is a big problem in the town, so what if His Majesty is angry?"
"... Datong cannot be in chaos." Lou Qiongyu murmured to himself.
"How about..." One of them, wearing a battle armor, spoke up, "I send people out of the border wall again?"
There was an eerie silence in the room, and no one spoke.
…
"What are you shouting for? Marquis Guo will arrive at our Yunchuan Guard in a few days. If the Marquis is angry, you are the only one who will ask me, the commander!" The commander of the Yunchuan Guard shouted to the soldiers who were practicing in the school field, "We just sent out After getting paid, you killers are complaining about being tired and hungry! If you build an ordnance park in Huailai, why don't you have better soldiers and armor in the future, so as not to die on the battlefield? General Li goes out to burn wasteland, why don't he also need to raise food? Let's get through this month first. , don’t let Yunchuan Wei’s reputation fall in front of the Marquis!”
On the school grounds, many dark and thin men gritted their teeth, with angry and worried eyes.
"Don't worry about the crops in the fields. This commander has arranged for people to help you harvest them! You won't miss a grain of wheat!"
After saying this, some people's eyes became even more angry, but they didn't dare to do anything.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be your Marquis properly? Just stay well in Datong and come to the guard station when there is a military order, right? Why come to count the soldiers?
Over at Jingping, Liu Kai was also preparing for Guo Xun's inspection.
He was a little worried that if he did this now, it would be too late. What if there was a real commotion?
Afterwards, his private general came over excitedly: "General! There is a letter from Datong. Wang Dutai impeached Marquis Wu Ding and ordered the burning of wasteland and provocation!"
"What?" Liu Kai stood up in shock, "Seriously?"
"It's absolutely true! Deputy Ambassador Chen and Mr. Lou were face to face. Wang Dutai was so furious when he heard the news that he wrote a bulletin on the spot!"
"Okay! Good, good, good! Hahahahaha!" Liu Kai heard that Chen Qisheng and Lou Qiongyu were also present, and knew that the news could not be false.
Some people in the capital felt that this was a disorderly act, and even forced a minister of state to leave. Of course, the Ordnance Park and the Reservoir should not be repaired, but that is just a pretext. The real thing to persuade His Majesty is to change something in Xuanda?
Whether it is changing the current situation in the border town or changing the strategy against the Northern Lu.
Although the top civil and military scholars who signed the petition were reprimanded first, why were they all sent to Xuanda University? One was an unheard-of person who became the commander of the guards at the first appointment, and the other was an unheard-of 20-year-old uncle, governor Xuanda, who was also in charge of food and salary together with the governor.
Those who knocked on the door and those ministers of state who resigned were all silent protests against the emperor who had already stabilized his authority and was now so happy with his success!
Further north at Fengzhou Beach, Anda looked at a piece of paper with a strange expression.
"...the prosperity of Kaiyuan and the Anshi Rebellion were all under the rule of Xuanzong?" He read softly.
"Khan! Zhang Wenjin is familiar with the situation in Datong. He has already made it clear that the generals in the border towns may rebel? There is an allusion here..."
"Descendants of Tian Khan, I know this story." An Da interrupted him, and said with a half-smile, "Wu Dinghou is not a champion, and Jingbian Bo is not Ganluo. Your Majesty is becoming more and more like Sui Dynasty." Emperor Yang? But Huo Qubing? Is that Yang Guang who dug the canal and conquered Goguryeo three times?"
"Khan is familiar with the history books of the Southern Ming Dynasty, and I admire him." Shi Tianjue flattered him.
Ida put down the piece of paper: "This is strange. What was said in the Han Emperor's study was seldom spread before. This time, even I knew it so quickly."
He laughed: "I want to cheat again, so don't care about him. The Yuan army is pressing down on the country and the country is being destroyed. All tricks are useless. I want to see what he can do? Do you still want to imitate the Yingzhou battle?" I'm still young, how can I easily get into his pocket?"
"...Khan means that this is the strategy of Nanming's monarchs and ministers?"
"It's so clumsy." I replied with a smile, "You also said that the reservoir is impossible to build. As for the Ordnance Park... Although I am not tempted, Bodie is even more moved. Of course it would be better to have more craftsmen. But we, the heroic soldiers on the grassland, still have to rely on horses and bows and arrows in our hands!"
"Khan, what if Prince Nanming really caused chaos in Xuanfu Datong?"
"Wouldn't that be better? If all the armies advance together at that time, who knows the terrain of Datong Xuanfu better than my Tumut tribe? All these years of fighting in the grass valley have been in vain?"
"Khan! Khan!" Someone rushed into the tent, "A pasture in Wutai was burned down, and a tribe of people was almost wiped out. The flag that the people who escaped saw was that Li Jin!"
Ida's smile froze on his face, and his eyes were filled with anger.
"How brave! I have to fight back and teach them a lesson! I just made a good deal in the private market, but I went back on my word again!"
Ida said with a stern face: "Is it Li Jin who goes to the accounts of various clans to trade privately? Go and give some horses and sheep to Wutai! Now is not the time."
"Khan!"
"Shut up!" An Da stopped an angry general, "Didn't you hear the rewards before? The Xuanfu transferred a lot of troops to their west and south roads. What lesson should be taught? How many people should be killed? What if? If you want to grab some food, slaves, and iron tools, do you want to go deep into Datong? So many people went there last year, and what was the result? I have already said it, they want to lure us to fight, and provoke us to fight! If only we, the Tumut Department, , they are happy, and several other households will be happy too!”
The truth still needs to be explained, and after he finished speaking, he said: "Remember this bloody account first! The emperor of the Han people is betting with me, how can I be fooled? Now their own people are starting to make troubles, some are fake, and some are real. If you wait, the fake things will become real! Until then, let’s settle the accounts together!”
Guo Xun, who had just arrived in Jingping, also heard the news about Wang Xian's impeachment. Now he didn't have much thought to count the number of soldiers guarding Qianhu Station in Jingping. He ran to Shuozhou in surprise and found Tang Shunzhi and Yu Dayou.
"What's going on? Why does Wang Xian want to impeach me?"
Tang Shunzhi looked at him and blinked: "What is Marquis Guo afraid of?"
Guo Xun was very depressed: Could it be that after all these years, my brain is still not enough? Am I not one of the few people who know the strategy of Xuan Da? Why didn't you tell me about this change first? Do military generals deserve to be kept in the dark by civil servants?
What do you think I'm afraid of? If we continue like this, my son will become a country prince. Will anyone feed me when I am too old to move?
Looking at Guo Xun's expression, Tang Shunzhi said: "I just learned about the incident of Minister Yang receiving the imperial cane, and the words he and Zhang Wenjin advised His Majesty were spread. I just talked with Mr. Zhifu and Mr. Zhao. See The situation has changed. His Majesty and General Staff Yang have lost a new son. How could Marquis Guo happen to be patrolling the border and not have time to tell you?"
"...Then what's the use of impeaching me?" Guo Xun couldn't figure it out.
Tang Shunzhi looked at Yu Dayou, and then took a deep breath: "If there is a war here in Datong, we can't rely on the soldiers of the guard station, we can only rely on a few elite soldiers. Guo Hou, please return to Datong quickly and supervise Deputy General Li. Let's train our troops. You can only burn wasteland once, and your Majesty will definitely reprimand you this time. As for me, I will impeach Wang Dutai and Superintendent Xian Xuanda for not doing anything for so long. Datong clearly has a lot of farmland and sufficient food and grass, but it has been asking for pay year after year. Marquis Guo might as well report the results of the soldier count to His Majesty, impeaching Wang Dutai for not inspecting the military affairs and the soldiers were sparse and drilled for a long time."
Guo Xun opened his mouth wide: "What are you talking about? Isn't that a declaration of chaos?"
"What's the chaos? It's just you and me fighting for power. Besides, how can there be any reason for the governor to also receive food and salary?"
Guo Xun looked at Yu Dayou and thought he was too young.
So he looked at Zhao Benxue: "Mr. Zhao?"
Zhao Benxue's eyes were filled with brilliance: "When gods fight, some mortals will always suffer. Unless Xuanda is really in chaos, the Tatars will not be easily fooled. To be undefeated in chaos, there can only be a few elite soldiers. column."
Tang Shunzhi looked at Guo Xun: "Marquis Guo is on the North Road, Zhifu is on the West Road, Wangdutai is at Xuanfu, and I am in Huai Lai. Marquis Guo has forgotten the three thousand strong craftsmen you ordered in Huai Lai?"
Guo Xun was still scared: "Xuanda is really in chaos, but it's not just the Tatars of Tumote who are waiting for the opportunity. There are also Tatar Khanate..."
"With the situation of national war, even the self-respecting border generals with private soldiers in the border towns will have to fight tooth and nail. After the First World War, there will be a good opportunity for the border towns to clean up the accumulated abuses."
"What about surrendering to the enemy? What if someone is too timid to fight and risk his life to surrender to the enemy?"
"I'm afraid Marquis Guo doesn't know that after you ordered your troops to leave the capital, the Military Affairs Council, the Five Governments, and the Ministry of War submitted another batch of lists to Your Majesty. When I came to Xuanda, I was just one person on the list." Tang Shunzhi stared at him, " Marquis Guo is the commander-in-chief of Datong, he only needs to take good care of Datong's military affairs and protect Datong."
"...Mr. Zhao, why don't you follow me to Datong."
"No, I will ask Yan Ran to go to Guo Hou's house." Tang Shunzhi looked at Hou Anyong, "Don't be impatient. If you see my letter, I will praise Guo Hou as ordered."
Hou Anyong saw the curtain opening and was eager to try: "Is it convenient for me to appear at Guo Hou's house?"
Tang Shunzhi smiled and said, "Why not? Soon, Marquis Guo and I will be allies in impeaching Wang Dutai."
Summer has not yet completely entered, it has just been May, invisible clouds appeared over Xuanda University, and the thunder was muffled - the four giants of Xuanda University, except Fu Duo, the chief soldier of the Xuan Dynasty, and the other three giants started to fight.
As Zhao Benxue said: When gods fight, mortals are afraid.
Who will suffer?
(End of chapter)
