A few dozen miles from Lulong, Feng Ziying and his party could feel the change in the situation. Although it was not obvious, Feng Ziying had been to Hazel Town several times in the past few months and was not familiar with the situation here.
strangeness.
The land of Jidong in late autumn seems a bit empty and desolate. Coupled with the policy of strengthening walls and clearing fields, the originally prosperous Hazel Town is deserted.
Feng Ziying also deliberately walked around. In the past, the population of Zhenzi Town was about seven to eight hundred households, with about two to three thousand people. There were inns, restaurants, blacksmith shops, carpenter shops, brick and tile shops, Nan goods shops, grain shops, and oil shops.
Everything is available, and there is an endless stream of business travelers and horses traveling from south to north. You can feel the lively scene even before you get close to the town.
However, now there are only a few dozen households in the entire town, and the policy of strengthening the walls and clearing the country is still continuing. Before the government issues a notice for the Mongols to retreat, only some bold or uninvolved people dare to risk their lives and come back to seek a living.
Zhenzi Town is located about thirty miles north of Kaiping Zhongtunwei, and has close connections with Kaiping Zhongtunwei.
With the implementation of the policy of strengthening the walls and clearing out the wilderness and the outbreak of war, the garrison troops in the central garrison of Kaiping also quickly moved westward to Liangcheng in Baodi to the west.
It was an important military garrison and material center. Due to its geographical location in the south, although the Jizhen Army only had one battalion stationed here, there was also a reserve battalion stationed here. In addition, the city had high walls and thick walls, and was surrounded by the Chao River.
, the terrain is low-lying, complex, and full of swamps. This geographical environment is actually very unfavorable for the movement and residence of the Mongolian cavalry.
Liangchengsuo City also has a water gate that leads directly to the Chaohe River. It can communicate with the outside world through shipping. Even if it is besieged by the Mongols, it can not be blocked. Therefore, Liangchengsuo has become an important place in the southeast of the capital after Tianjin Wei.
When Feng Ziying's cavalry and his entourage entered Hazel Town, they attracted hidden gazes hiding in the houses in the town. At this time, a large cavalry appeared in this area swaggeringly. Apart from the official army, there were only Mongolian cavalry.
Already.
Feng Ziying and Zaisai met here a few days ago. At that time, Feng Ziying asked Wu Yaoqing to conduct a secret search of this area. Dozens of households who did not obey the government's orders continued to sneak back into Zhenzi Town.
Feng Ziying didn't pay attention at first, until Wu Yaoqing secretly reported to him that several of the people who had sneaked back were related to the White Lotus Sect, which aroused his vigilance.
The threat of the White Lotus Sect has always lingered in Feng Ziying's mind, making him dare not ignore it at all.
In the Linqing Civil War, the White Lotus Sect was just a small test of its guidance, and it set off a huge wave. If the White Lotus Sect became the leader, he didn't know what would happen under the instigation of religious fanaticism.
power, but he knew that Dazhou could only take tonics at the moment, not laxatives.
Luanzhou has always been the focus of monitoring that Feng Ziying asked Wu Yaoqing and others to monitor.
Judging from the situation that emerged from all aspects, the spread of the White Lotus Sect in Yongping Prefecture is more serious than that in Shandong, and at least more dangerous than that in Dongchang Prefecture. For this reason, Feng Ziying even wrote to her father-in-law Shen Jue to inquire. Regarding the situation of the Eastern Mahayana teaching activities in Dongchang Prefecture, Shen Jue's reply mentioned that the situation in the prefectures and counties of Dongchang Prefecture is acceptable, but it is said that the situation in Lunan is more complicated.
There are traces of the White Lotus Sect in almost every prefecture and county in Yongping Prefecture. However, the prefecture and county yamen are obviously somewhat negligent in their understanding of the White Lotus Sect, but there are indeed some difficulties in dealing with it.
Especially those who are only superficial believers. There are not many means of enlightenment in this era. It is difficult to rely solely on the squires and clan forces in the countryside to have much influence on this type of group that is itself an oppressed group. , it may even make them more united and more satisfied.
Fortunately, Feng Ziying's reminder and supervision as a fellow intellectual also made all counties start to take more or less action, especially demanding that once those wandering preachers across rural areas and counties were discovered, they should be resolutely captured and severely punished. This was to a certain extent This has somewhat curbed the spread of this momentum.
Until they left Hazel Town, Feng Ziying couldn't help but look back.
Seemingly sensing some of Feng Ziying's worries, Wu Yaoqing urged his horse to catch up, "Sir, don't worry too much. Although there are White Lotus sect activities in Zhenzi Town, there is an inspection department here, and Mr. Zhao of the inspection department is quite capable. I have already If you explain it to him, he will take it seriously."
“I hope so.” Feng Ziying was noncommittal. He still had some doubts about the professionalism of the officials below.
Wu Yaoqing smiled and said, "Master Zhao's wife runs a grain store in Hazel Town. He knows better than anyone what will happen if the White Lotus Sect gets into trouble."
“Oh?” Feng Ziying nodded. This is true. These guys will only be enthusiastic if they are tied to their own interests.
Yang Sichang and Zheng Chongjian were both curious about this man who often appeared next to Feng Ziying.
Previously, they thought that this man with an ordinary appearance and demeanor was one of Feng Ziying's long-term followers, or a servant assigned to him by Feng Ziying's father, but when they saw the conversation between Feng Ziying and him, it didn't look like that of a pure master. From the conversation, especially Feng Ziying was very serious and careful when talking to him, which made them very curious.
In such an occasion, the other party took the initiative to report something to Feng Ziying. Although it was difficult to hear clearly due to the distance and the distance of the horse, it could be felt from the change in Feng Ziying's expression that Feng Ziying attached great importance to his words.
Wu Yaoqing was also very knowledgeable. After he finished speaking, he quietly retreated. Only then did Yang Sichang ask: "Ziying, your long follower seems to be very capable. I think you have to ask him to ask any questions you have? Did you invite him?"
Staff?"
Unlike Yang Sichang and others who were officials in the capital, Feng Ziying could already be regarded as a high-ranking official. In Yongping Mansion, a large mansion with a population of one million, there was one person under one person and more than ten thousand people. There were staff and even a team of staff.
, not surprising.
Young officials like Yang Sichang, in the six departments of the imperial court or the Metropolitan Procuratorate, mostly focus on doing things. It is rare to really plan and make decisions, so basically no one will ask for staff, but they will accompany them personally.
One or two are more common, but as a personal follower, you can't talk about making suggestions for the master, but more like running errands and doing chores for the master.
"Wen Xiu, I'm just a colleague, why do I need any staff? Yao Qing was my father-in-law's former attaché. Later, before my father-in-law passed away, he was entrusted to me to help me with some things." Feng Ziying said lightly.
.
Yang Sichang was stunned for a moment and then realized that the father-in-law Feng Ziying mentioned was not the father of Shen's daughter, Shen Jue, who is now the prefect of Dongchang Prefecture, but the father of Lin's daughter, Lin Hai, the former Salt Censor of the Lianghuai River, and the Salt Censor of the Lianghuai River.
Being in charge of the salt administration of Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers, he is indeed qualified to support a group of staff and attachés. This should be the most capable person among them, and he was just entrusted to his son-in-law.
Yang Sichang smiled and nodded: "It's better to have Ziying, who also has the third wife. Even if the father-in-laws have any good things, they will always think of Ziying."
"Wen Ruo is joking. Your Majesty is now patrolling Yunyang, so he will definitely need a real staff team. The management of the refugees in Jingxiang is not simple, especially now that the chaos in the southwest has emerged. The imperial court is also preparing for a rainy day by letting Lord He to patrol Yunyang."
Feng Ziying cleverly brought the topic to Yang He, and Yang Sichang did not ask further questions. Instead, he became worried about his father, "Ziying, Bozhou is still dormant, but the contacts with the surrounding chieftains are getting closer and closer.
It is estimated that the company will take action in the near future."
Yang Sichang's somewhat gloomy tone showed that he was not optimistic about the situation in the southwest, "Master Geng is training the Minzhuang New Army over there in Chongqing. He hopes that the Ministry of War can provide him with muskets. Ziying, I heard that Foshan Village is here in Yongping."
While mining and smelting iron, we also co-operated with the War Bureau and the Ordnance Bureau to set up a firecrackers workshop to make firecrackers. How is the progress going?"
Yang Sichang's question made it difficult for Feng Ziying to answer. This is not a secret, but the War Bureau and the Ordnance Bureau currently say that they are still making preparations, but in fact, some firecrackers have been trial-produced in the early stage, mainly to supply the new army and
To offset the firepower that Zhuang Ji promised to Liaodong.
After pondering for a while, Feng Ziying replied: "Wen Ruo, to tell you the truth, Zhuang Ji will be able to produce firecrackers when the Mongols withdraw from the border wall. There must be some problems with quantity and quality in the early stage, but next year, they will definitely be able to produce firecrackers."
It can get back to normal, but I'm afraid it's too late for Brother Chucai, but it's too late for the firecrackers. The Military Warfare Bureau and the Ordnance Bureau of the army still have some swords and guns. I thought the Ministry of War can transport them to Chongqing first. If all hopes are pinned on
Commander Denglai, I'm worried something might go wrong."
Yang Sichang asked, "The meaning of Ziying...?"
"I don't mean anything else. The Denglai Army has just been formed. The soldiers are all from Shandong and Xuzhou. They may not be able to adapt to the mountains and climate of the southwest. Moreover, if they have no battle formations, it would be a joke if they don't become another Beijing camp.
.”
There seemed to be no problem with Feng Ziying's explanation, but in fact Yang Sichang always felt that there was something unfinished in it, "Wang Ziteng is a veteran general, can they consider these situations? Moreover, the Denglai Army has been stationed in Huguang, so to speak
Climate adaptation is almost done, right?”
"I hope so. I would suggest that the Ministry of War should think more carefully. Can the troops from the three sides be mobilized? If it is difficult to mobilize troops from Gansu and Ningxia, what about the troops from Yulin and Guyuan?"
Feng Ziying did not argue. He had always been wary of Wang Ziteng's Denglai army. He always felt that the other party went to Huguang so easily. He was afraid that he had some intentions, but he couldn't tell what the specific problems would be.
But Jia Yuanchun...
“Soldiers from Guyuan Town?” Yang Sichang hesitated for a moment, “Guyuan Town’s troops are thin, and they were originally used as reserve forces for Yulin and Ningxia towns...”
"Since it is a reserve team, why are the preparations different? If we move to Xi'an and Yunyang, it will not cost more food. It is better than staying in Guyuan all the time, right?" Feng Ziying asked back: "Wen Ruo, you should suggest to Mr. Chai
one time."
This chapter has been completed!