Shunjin City is more than 200 miles away from Songyang Caochang. It is the capital city of Yingping County. Among the four northeastern counties, its size and population are only second to Liaoyang City where the Duhufu Government Office is located.

Liang Zongyi, the governor of Yingping County, has just turned 40. Like many important officials in the four northeastern counties, he was born in the Liaodong Army. His ancestors were also brave generals who followed Emperor Wuzong in the Bohai Sea expedition. Four years ago, he was captured by the Duhufu and the Liaodong Army.

Recommended to serve as county governor.

When Yu Wen Huaiqian, the head of the Armaments Department, saw Liang Zongyi, he had been waiting for more than an hour, from dusk until dark. It was not because Sheriff Liang was out, but because the Sheriff had official business to deal with, so Yu Wen Huaiqian was there.

He waited in the living room and said he would be summoned in a moment. However, it was not until dark that someone came over and asked Yuwen Huaiqian to come and see him.

Yuwen Huaiqian was ten years older than Liang Zongyi. After entering the study, Liang Zongyi did not stand up to greet him. He just sat on the big chair behind the case and watched Yuwen Huaiqian enter the room. After Yuwen Huaiqian bowed and bowed, Liang Zongyi smiled.

He said: "Master Yuwen, please take a seat. I have too many official duties at hand, which will make you wait for a long time without realizing it." He ordered: "Come here and serve tea!"

"Sir, it's not easy for me to come here and disturb you." Yu Wen Huaiqian looked heavy and sighed: "But the Armament Department has encountered a huge difficulty and there is really no other way, so I came here to beg you for help."

Liang Zongyi picked up the tea cup on the table, used the tea lid to stir up the tea foam, and said with a smile: "What's the matter?"

"Your Excellency should already know that the silver carts sent from the pass were robbed by bandits." Yuwen Huaiqian said with a bitter smile: "The Arms Department is counting on the silver to purchase military supplies. In addition, Long Ruijun's side has also come to pay wages.

Now that the money is gone, the Armaments Department is in big trouble."

Liang Zongyi smiled and said: "I already know about this matter. However, the incident happened in Liaoxi County and has nothing to do with Yingping County, so I will naturally not get involved. In addition, your Arms Department was established independently by the sage's decree and is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs in Kyoto.

, even the Governor's Office has no right to interfere with the affairs of the Armament Department, and I, the County Governor, naturally cannot interfere. Therefore, although I know that such a big case has occurred, it is really not easy to ask more questions. By the way,

Is there any news about this case? Has Liaoxi sent someone to investigate?"

"I heard that Master Gongsun has sent people to investigate, and Long Ruijun has also sent people to the scene." Yuwen Huaiqian walked over and sat down on the chair with a solemn expression: "But it seems that the whereabouts of the silver car have not been found."

Liang Zongyi said: "Lord Yuwen should also know that the people in the Northeast are ruthless. Many unscrupulous people turn into bandits when their lives are not satisfactory, robbing homes and houses everywhere. Although the Liaodong Army has wiped out many bandits, to be honest, there are bandits even in the prosperous Jiangnan area."

How can the bandits in this bitter cold land be wiped out easily? After they robbed the silver car, they would hide the money in secret places and disappear for a period of time. It is really difficult to find the whereabouts of them and the money.

easy."

"That's true." Yu Wen Huaiqian nodded and said, "So I came here today to beg you, sir, if you can allocate a sum of money to the Arms Department in the name of the county governor's office? The silver car was robbed, so the Ministry of Revenue must

The next amount of silver will be raised quickly and sent over. Whether the lost silver is found or the silver from the customs is delivered, the Armaments Department will immediately repay the borrowed money in full."

Liang Zongyi asked in surprise: "Allocate money from the Sheriff's Mansion?" He shook his head and smiled: "Master Yuwen, every tael of silver spent by the Sheriff's Mansion must be recorded in the book, and it must be checked with the Duhu Mansion at the end of the year.

Your Excellency is extremely incorruptible and cannot make a mistake of even one tael of silver. Especially when it comes to the expenditure of silver, there are rules for every tael of expenditure. Since the establishment of a county in the Northeast, there has never been any talk of the county governor's office borrowing money from outside."

"I understand," Yuwen Huaiqian said sincerely, "If I hadn't been in a difficult situation, I wouldn't have dared to say this to you."

Liang Zongyi pondered for a moment, then said: "What you said is true. But even though I am the county guard, I can't make the decision on this matter. Well, I can send someone to the Governor's Mansion to report it to the Governor.

If Lord Protector personally orders this matter, I can help, otherwise I really don’t dare to open this gap. You go back and wait, I will send someone immediately and work hard day and night. The round trip only takes four or five days. But Protector

I can't guarantee whether your Excellency can give the order immediately, or whether it will be delayed for a few days due to busy official duties. Anyway, I will send someone to tell you if there is any news."

"My lord, to be honest, the Armament Department has run out of money. Long Ruijun's military salary must be sent within two days. I really can't wait that long." Yu Wen Huaiqian was very anxious.

Liang Zongyi was calm and composed, and said with a look of sympathy: "It is a state-owned law, and I cannot break it. Lord Yuwen, I actually sympathize with you, but... I can't help you in this matter. I am an official."

Integrity, if I have money, I am really willing to lend it to you to tide over the difficulties." Then he shook his head and said with a smile: "Having said that, I really want to have money, but I don't dare to borrow it. The gap of tens of thousands of taels of silver is just a small amount for me.

Even if the county guard sells me iron, he can't make up for it. The money in the Armaments Department must be allocated by the Ministry of Household Affairs and transported from the south of the Yangtze River. Even if I can find merchants in the city to transfer tens of thousands of taels of silver, I can't send it to the Arms Department.

ah."

Yu Wen Huaiqian smiled bitterly and shook his head, and Liang Zongyi sighed: "With all due respect, the imperial court may have made a mistake in allowing the Armament Department to exist independently. We usually don't see it, but if we are really in trouble, we won't dare to help even if we want to."

At this moment, a report was heard from outside: "Sir, someone from the Armament Department came to see Chief Yuwen, saying that he had something urgent to report."

"Oh?" Liang Zongyi said to Yuwen Huaiqian: "Sir Yuwen, it seems that your Arms Department has urgent official business, so I won't let you eat."

Yu Wen Huaiqian stood up hurriedly, saluted Liang Zongyi, hurriedly exited, and went straight to the front yard of the Sheriff's Mansion. He saw Fei Xin waiting anxiously. Jian Yu Wen Huaiqian came out and immediately greeted him, handing over a letter saying: "Master

Sir, the Master will send an urgent letter."

Yuwen Huaiqian immediately took the urgent letter, opened it, glanced at it a few times, his solemn expression relaxed, and said happily: "God bless...!" Just as he was about to say something, he seemed to realize something,

He looked around and saw guards from the county governor's office in the courtyard. He put away the urgent letter and said to Feixin, "Let's go back to the Yamen first. We have something to discuss." He hurriedly left with Feixin.

Liang Zongyi waited in the study for a while, and then he saw someone hurried in. When Liang Zongyi saw the person, he hurriedly said: "Jingshan, do you know what it is?"

The man bowed and said: "Sir, Feixin from the Armament Department brought an urgent letter. Qin Xiao sent someone to deliver it. After Yuwen Huaiqian read the letter, he looked happy, as if there was some good news, and he also

He said, 'Heaven bless you,' but he seemed to be afraid that we would find something, so he didn't say much and left in a hurry with Feixin."

"Good news?" Liang Zongyi frowned and said, "Qin Xiao is at the end of his rope, what good news can there be?"

Jingshan said: "My lord, there is no need to worry. No matter what news there is, it won't take long for the Armament Department to get the news."

"Yeah." Liang Zongyi nodded and said, "You keep an eye over there personally. We have people in the Armament Department. As soon as there is news, we will definitely report it. If you get the news, come and report it immediately."

Yuwen Huaiqian returned to the Yamen Office of the Armaments Department and ordered

Feixin summoned all the officials in the government office.

The Arms Department's Yamen Office is located in Shunjing City. However, the Yamen Office is not large and its location is very remote. There are actually not many officials working here. There are only about thirty people in total, and half of them are brought from Kyoto.

of the staff, and the other half are officials transferred from the local area.

After all, the Armaments Department was established by a decree issued by a saint himself, and the decree also ordered local officials to cooperate as much as possible. Therefore, during the initial establishment, Liang Zongyi was very cooperative and recommended some officials to the Arms Department.

It is somewhat unrealistic for all the officials of the Armaments Department to be transferred from within the customs. After all, this is on the ground in the Northeast. It is an independent government office. If there is not even one local official, it will inevitably be even more marginalized. Without local officials,

Help, many things are simply impossible to start with.

For example, purchasing military rations, bed linens, and clothing, etc., is already a very difficult task if there are no local officials to contact you.

When I first arrived, I had to take advantage of the local officials to run errands for the Armaments Department, which was inevitable.

There are six Cao officials under the Armament Department, and there are also six Cao officials, each in charge of a stall. Some are responsible for the purchase of food, some are responsible for the uniforms and bedding of the soldiers, and some are responsible for the accounts. Although the yamen is not big, each of them has its own responsibility.

Cao is still in good health.

"Everyone knows that the silver cart brought from the pass has been robbed." Yuwen Huaiqian saw that Cao Cao's officials had all arrived, so he asked people to close the doors and windows, and said softly: "Our Arms Department is the yamen that ensures the logistics supply of Long Rui's army. Here

Without the money, Long Rui's army's food, grass and military pay will be cut off, and the consequences will be disastrous." He sighed and said, "Just now I went to the county governor's house in person, hoping that the county governor could help solve the problem, but the county governor has his own ideas.

Difficulties cannot be helped by love."

"Sir, there is less than two thousand taels of silver left in the warehouse." Cao Guan, who was in charge of the accounts, said distressedly: "Under normal circumstances, the day after tomorrow is the day for payment, and the payment must be sent early tomorrow morning at the latest.

The required salary and silver reported are at least 40,000 taels, and the difference between our treasury and the required military salary is huge."

Yu Wen Huaiqian said with a smile: "I know, but don't worry yet. Just now, General Zhonglang sent someone to send an urgent letter, and we are solving this problem." He glanced at everyone, and then said: "General Zhonglang sent a letter to the pigeon a few days ago.

, I sent an urgent letter to Jiangnan. After the Lin family in Jiangnan learned about it, they discussed with the Jiangnan Household Department Cleaning Department to urgently allocate a sum of money from Youzhou to go out of customs. The name of the Lin family here must have been heard, it is Huitong

The great master of Baofenglong in the world has many branches in Youzhou. Within a few days, they should be able to collect 100,000 taels of silver in cash. Once the money is collected, it will be sent over immediately."

All the officials present had different expressions. Some people already breathed a long sigh of relief and said: "If this can be done, that would be great."

"Sir, you must be careful this time." Someone said: "Say something you shouldn't say, and don't make any mistakes on the road this time."

Yuwen Huaiqian smiled and said: "Don't worry, Youzhou has sent two hundred elite soldiers in disguise this time to escort them, and they will definitely be able to deliver the money smoothly." Then he turned his face and said solemnly: "Everyone here knows about this, and you must not tell anyone about it.

The thieves had just robbed the silver car and thought that there would be no chance of any more money coming through the pass in a short period of time, so as long as the news was not leaked, they would never take action."

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Chapter completed!