Wu Fang, the chief registrar of Yangcheng, Yan Qing remembered this person.

He was a good friend of Guo Youning's classmate when he was young. He later became an imperial censor, Zhongcheng, but his excessive words aroused the emperor's dissatisfaction. He was later found by mistake and sent to northern Xinjiang.

Originally, the guilty minister was exiled, but Xu Xiangfeng begged for his favor. The emperor looked at Xu Xiangfeng's face and made a favor, allowing him to work as a minor official in the Yangcheng government office.

It's funny to say that Wu Fang was probably the first official in history who followed an imperial edict and worked as a minor official in the prefecture's yamen in frontier towns.

Later, Guo Youning was grateful for his friendship with his classmates when he was a child. He couldn't bear the fact that his former friends were not recognized for their talents, and he was depressed all day long. He also felt that it was a pity that his talents were buried, so he wrote to the emperor to intercede for him, and he took the person to his side and became the chief bookkeeper, responsible for the paperwork processing of all major events in Guangcheng.

, and even had a foot in the Zhenbei Army's military affairs.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was a half-strategist brought up by Guo Youning based on favors.

Wu Fang does have some abilities. Although he relies on human kindness to handle big things, he can actually get things done. He can even give some just right suggestions to solve the problem that Northern Xinjiang has to spend a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to solve every year.

Ordnance repair problem.

Northern Xinjiang is too cold in winter and not hot in summer, so the temperature difference between day and night is large. Large ordnance cannot be collected and stored in storage. It is exposed to the cold wind all year round and is corroded by wind and frost. If it is not repaired in time, it will be disadvantageous for city defense.

Wu Fang selected ordnance materials and improved the styles of ordnance based on the climate of northern Xinjiang and the damage status of advanced ordnance, and suggested that Guo Youning write to the emperor to obtain the right to manufacture his own ordnance in northern Xinjiang.

The reason is that the special climate in northern Xinjiang has caused serious wear and tear on ordnance in northern Xinjiang, which has greatly increased the pressure on the state treasury.

If northern Xinjiang is allowed to use local materials and use materials native to the northern Xinjiang that are native and cold-resistant to make ordnance, the erosion of ordnance by frost can be reduced to a great extent.

Naturally, a large sum of money for repairing ordnance damage is left, which can be spent elsewhere; the number of permanent troops stationed in Northern Xinjiang can also be reduced by one-tenth, and this part of the population can be invested in farming to promote the economy of Northern Xinjiang.

improvement.

Moreover, after Northern Xinjiang manufactured its own ordnance, the imperial court no longer needed to transport ordnance from the mainland to Northern Xinjiang.

The expenses along the way will naturally be saved.

Accordingly, the imperial court could send people to northern Xinjiang to supervise ordnance manufacturing and control the use of ordnance consumables.

At the same time, every time Northern Xinjiang manufactures a batch of ordnance and pays taxes that year, it will need to pay a high additional ordnance tax to the court.

The euphemistic name is because this special exception was only granted in the northern Xinjiang. It might cause dissatisfaction among the generals of the other three Xinjiangs, so they increased taxes to show fairness.

In fact, it was just to ask Guo Youning to lose money and avoid disaster.

It was a big taboo to hand over the power of ordnance manufacturing to border generals. The emperor, who was sitting high in the temple, was of course afraid that the border generals would manufacture a large number of private ordnance, strengthen their troops, raise troops to rebel, and disrupt his country.

But if there is not enough money to stay in Northern Xinjiang, even if Guo Youning has armed the Northern Xinjiang army to the teeth, he will not have enough money to feed his men, and naturally he will not be able to accumulate a large number of troops.

Then there are the constraints of Eastern Xinjiang and Western Xinjiang. Even if the troops in Northern Xinjiang are well-equipped, it is difficult for them to become rebels.

In addition, Guo Youning personally submitted a letter to propose this matter, which to a large extent dispelled the emperor's doubts, and the emperor approved the matter.

Improvements in ordnance have meant that border guards no longer have to spend so much time repairing ordnance every year. They have more free time and spend more time with their families, making every family's life better and better.

As soldiers with vested interests, their homes were peaceful, their fields were warm, their houses were warm, and their lives were free. Naturally, they gave up their previous dislike of Wu Fang for leaving his favor and taking office, and developed some respect for him from the bottom of his heart.

Guo Youning also became more involved with Wu Fang because he solved an important matter for him.

As a result, Wu Fang gradually established a firm foothold in northern Xinjiang and the Zhenbei Army.

It is said that the kindness of knowing and encountering is greater than heaven.

Wu Fang can have the right to speak in Northern Xinjiang second only to Guo Youning, and Guo Youning's promotion is indispensable.

But Wu Fang is not Guo Youning's person.

Probably the so-called kindness of knowing and meeting someone is also something that comes first, first served.

Unfortunately, Guo Youning was the one who later promoted Wu Fang.

The first person who made Wu Fang grateful for his loyalty was Xu Xianfeng.

Getting close to Guo Youning, using his friendship as a classmate to win over Guo Youning, and becoming Guo Youning's right-hand man, thus gaining enough power to control Northern Xinjiang. Monitoring Guo Youning's every move is one of his ways to repay Xu Xianfeng.

Perhaps in his view, Guo Youning's support for him was not a favor from acquaintance, but just what he deserved after his painstaking planning.

Otherwise, he would not have done what he did in his last life. After Guo Youning was trapped, he put Guo Youning's only daughter, Guo Jia, under house arrest in order to coerce the Zhenbei Army stationed in Yangcheng not to act rashly.

Later, he said that Guo Youning had an order that even if he died at the front, he would defend Yangcheng and defend the last line of defense in northern Xinjiang, so that the Zhenbei Army stationed in Yangcheng did not dare to disobey Guo Youning's military order and led his troops to support Momo.

city.

In addition, Guo Jia was in Yangcheng. Even if it was to protect Guo Youning's only bloodline, they did not dare to go to support easily before receiving Guo Youning's reinforcement order.

In fact, several letters asking for help from Mocheng and several reinforcement orders from Guo Youning were intercepted by Wu Fang's command Ma Zhi'an before they entered the Shiliting area of ​​Yangcheng.

It is worth mentioning that after Ma Zhi'an was transferred back to Yangcheng, he was promoted by Wu Fang and took the position of deputy general Guo Youning.

In the end, Guo Youning went to the front line, but let Ma Zhian stay behind in Yangcheng. It was Wu Fang's idea.

What's ridiculous is that before Guo Youning went to the front line, he knew that Wen Zhemao would most likely not keep him, an old minister who once had his heart set on King Duan, and he might never come back.

Therefore, before leaving, he entrusted Wu Fang and the two of them to protect Guo Jia no matter what. They did not seek wealth and honor, but at least allowed him to live a peaceful life.

But he didn't expect that Guo Jia had already been targeted as a chess piece.

Wu Fang asked Ma Zhi'an to use Guo Jia as a threat and Guo Youning's decree as an excuse, in order to make the Northern Army in Yangcheng Town have some scruples and not dare to easily send troops for reinforcements despite knowing that the front line was dangerous.

And the letters and reinforcement orders he asked Ma Zhi'an to withhold turned out to be evidence that after he rushed to northern Xinjiang, Ma Zhi'an was afraid of death and held back his troops, thus delaying the military situation. This gave him the right to kill Ma Zhi'an and send troops to rescue him.

Guo Youning’s position.

It was also because of this that she was able to quickly take over all military and political affairs in Northern Xinjiang after Guo Youning's death, and establish a foothold in Northern Xinjiang in one fell swoop.

But he had already calculated that even if he sent troops to reinforce Guo Youning as soon as he arrived in northern Xinjiang, Guo Youning would not be able to survive the moment when the reinforcements arrived.

This was Xu Xiangfeng's surrender to Wen Zhemao as the former leader of King Duan's gang.
Chapter completed!