Liu Chengzong instinctively felt that these two things were antonyms in his mind.
Even if Chengyun nominates Wei Qian'er, who has a bad mouth, to serve as the head of the Li Yamen of the Grand Marshal's Mansion, Liu Chengzong feels that he is more reliable than Zhang Xianzhong.
But if you think about it carefully, Zhang Xianzhong can manage five or six thousand people in Xiying who are eating, drinking, eating, drinking, and marching in an orderly manner. There is only one person in charge of schools, sacrifices, vassals, death and injury awards, and even some killings.
The chicken is overkill.
Liu Chengzong believed that under the current circumstances, it was very suitable for Zhang Xianzhong to accept this official position, because he had to bring Gao Yingxiang, Li Zicheng, and He Yilong over to chat.
Back in Lanzhou, Liu Shizi told Zhang Xianzhong this idea, and Lao Zhang seemed a little shy.
Zhang Xianzhong thought he understood Liu Chengzong well before, but now, he is a little confused about Liu Chengzong's brain... What do you think of letting us be the Minister of Rites?
The reason why he thinks he understands is that since he was demoted to the Marshal's Mansion, Zhang Xianzhong fully understands what Liu Chengzong's personnel arrangements mean.
He has also recruited other little brothers and recruited a group of people. What is he most worried about? It is that he is afraid that the people under him will be disobedient and not of the same mind as him.
What should we do?
First, he would gather a group of people, then he would support a few, and finally he would catch one person and trample him to death.
Those who pull are those who are willing to obey. When someone surrenders, benefits are given first, and general benefits are given. Within the group, there will be some who are grateful and some who are not grateful. The internal divisions will collapse and they will be unable to cooperate with the outside world.
All the leaders of the Western Camp were promoted by one or even two levels, and all the soldiers were paid, provided with food and clothing, just like La.
Those who are praised are capable but wavering. In an army, capable people are like Liu Tichun, Bai Wenxuan, Feng Shuangli and other generals and junior leaders. There is no need to distinguish who is capable and who is not.
They are different from the official army. At this time, the Ming army was full of generals. Of course, those people were very capable, but their communication skills accounted for a large part of the overall strength. On the contrary, under the rebel system, especially Xiying,
This small group of rebels who have not been able to establish a government, and those who can become small leaders are desperadoes, and they will not be able to survive now if they have no ability.
Zhang Xianzhong knew that these people would be sent by Liu Chengzong to do some seemingly difficult but actually very simple tasks in the future, and they would be praised in various ways for their success.
For example, send Feng Shuangli to Uzang and Bai Wenxuan to Mobei.
It is indeed difficult to advance into Uzang, but the difficulty is not in fighting but in marching. How the army reaches Uzang is the problem, but how to fight in Uzang is not a problem at all. Zhang Xianzhong said: Forget about those chieftains' little forts, Feng Shuangli
That donkey ball has followed me to break into cities and plunder countless counties. As long as the troops are at the city, fighting is nothing.
Bai Wenxuan went to Mobei, that sheepherding boy. It sounded scary, but it was actually the same situation. He had Yang Qi's gang on top of him. The defeat was their fault. No wonder he brought five hundred people there.
Bai Wenxuan, even if he loses the battle, as long as he can bring his troops back, he will be praised.
As for stepping on it, Zhang Xianzhong knew very well that he, the leader with great prestige in Xiying, did not have to do anything and just sat on the bench.
When the old subordinates of the past worked together, they all did very well. Others could only be the commander-in-chief with him, but became the general-counselor with Liu Chengzong, and his prestige as the old leader in the past also declined.<
/p>
They are all murderous military leaders. Who can be a good man and a faithful woman? You, Liu Chengzong, are the only one who has ideas. We, the Eight Great Kings, are just fools?
As for the basic operation, we, Lao Zhang, are just pretending to be stupid and don't care. I will accompany you to perform for the time being. We have real skills and will be useful sooner or later!
Of course, Zhang Xianzhong is not willing to fight with Liu Chengzong on the one hand, but on the other hand... He has lived in Lanzhou City for more than ten days. These days have not been easy, and he really has no energy to fight.
More than four years have passed since Zhang Xianzhong's uprising. There are only a handful of days he has spent in the city, in his house, and sleeping on a wooden bed. Now he has no worries about food and clothing. He eats fine food every day and is clean.
Lying on the soft bedding, I always fall into a deep sleep at first, but the quiet nightclub cannot let me sleep properly.
Every night, those peaceful and peaceful dreams that flash back to childhood are always shattered by sudden bursts of gunfire and fighting cries. Every midnight dream comes back, Zhang Xianzhong, sweating profusely and soaked all over, looks out the window and reaches out.
The city of Lanzhou, with no fingers visible and the sound of a needle dropping, was as quiet as if a large army of officers and soldiers were lurking, and there were warning signs and dangers everywhere.
He couldn't live this day, he couldn't sleep, he was going crazy.
It wasn't until yesterday that he got back a job from Chengyun, named Zhang Kewang. Children who grew up in the war saw little of everything, so everything they saw was normal. In their eyes, the bloody and cruel life of a bandit was normal, peaceful and peaceful.
The Marshal's Mansion is not surprising to them either.
Death is so commonplace that it is so common that it becomes numb. Unlike his adoptive father, Zhang Kewang is not afraid of death secretly. Zhang Kewang is not afraid of death. He lies on the big soft bed, feels comfortable for a while, and snores.
The sound was loud.
After putting Zhang Kewang to sleep in the connecting room outside the bedroom, Zhang Xianzhong in the back room finally had a sound sleep.
Just after solving one problem, another question came up - Zhang Xianzhong wanted to know what Liu Chengzong wanted to do.
We, Lao Zhang, have been prepared to sit on the bench for a year and a half. It has only been a few days, but you, Marshal Liu, suddenly changed the script and asked me to appoint the Minister of Etiquette for me to do. What do you want to do?
Zhang Xianzhong rolled his eyes and understood. He praised him highly, but actually assigned a job that he was not good at, which was exactly the opposite of his subordinates, increasing the effect of suppressing his prestige.
Liu Chengzong was quite puzzled as to why he told Zhang Xianzhong about this matter. This guy didn't speak for a long time, with a dry smile on his face and his eyes rolling around, which made him impatient to wait, so he said: "Brother is worried about this matter."
,Speak directly if you have anything to say."
"Commander, I'm not worried."
Zhang Xianzhong came back to his senses and said with a smile: "There are many talents in the Shuai Mansion. Even if there are no ready-made officials, it would be difficult to find a Jinshi to be the Minister of Etiquette. No, wouldn't it be easy to be the head of the Li Yamen? The humble position is just a rough man, marching and fighting, then in
No excuses; this is a major event for the Li Yamen..."
Having said this, Zhang Xianzhong leaned forward slightly and said mysteriously: "Does the commander want to go to the imperial court in a lowly position and hack the Pig Emperor to death with an ax in the Golden Palace?"
"Hahaha, do you dare to go?"
Liu Chengzong clapped and laughed, but he felt like a mirror in his heart. Although Zhang Xianzhong did not read much and his personal conduct and quality were not high, he was really not a rough man.
A rough man cannot say this.
Liu Chengzong laughed, and before Zhang Xianzhong could think of an appropriate response in embarrassment, he waved his hand and said seriously: "No need, the affairs of the Li Yamen are indeed heavy, but they are not heavy enough to require the principal to go to Beijing to assassinate the emperor, handsome
The government has been fighting for years, and the six yamen have not yet been completed. While we are in Lanzhou, I need your help to set up the yamen of the Ministry of Rites."
"As for what you said about finding a Jinshi, the prime minister starts from the state department and the general is sent to the army. People who study more may not be able to accomplish things. People who can achieve things can also study more." Liu Chengzong said: "Brother, take Xi
The camp is well managed, and it shouldn’t be a problem to be in charge of the yamen.”
Although Liu Chengzong's words were sincere and serious, Zhang Xianzhong was still suspicious and asked: "The commander-in-chief, the successor to the Commander-in-Chief of the West Brigade?"
To his surprise, Zhang Xianzhong originally thought that this would be the main point of dispute between him and Liu Chengzong, but he did not expect that Liu Chengzong answered naturally and easily: "You can do both, being a brigade commander will not delay you from being the chief of the ceremonial office. We are in the northwest.
Nothing can be separated from the military affairs, and the same is true for the Li Yamen."
Liu Chengzong doesn't care.
The official position of Commander-in-Chief of the Western Brigade is Liu Shishi's selling out to Zhang Xianzhong to save face, which means that you are not demoted as generals, but that you are surrendering and setting a high standard of status and treatment. But in terms of real power, how many people are left in the Western Brigade? p>
Furthermore, the Marshal's Mansion itself is a regime with a strong military background. Zhang Xianzhong does not have a family like his father Liu Xiangyu, teacher Yang Dingrui, or younger brother Liu Chengyun. He does not have a military position. Even if he is the director of the ceremonial office, he will inevitably work in Hehuang.
Being looked down upon.
In fact, it’s not to blame Zhang Xianzhong for being suspicious. From the beginning, he felt that Liu Chengzong treated him strangely.
Those general officers who were in charge of tens of thousands of Ming troops eating, drinking, and sleeping under their command were surrendered as soon as they were surrendered, and were raised in Hehuang. They were activated when it was time to use them without worrying at all; other leaders, the Sky Monkey Liu Jiusi
Back then, Zhang Xianzhong's momentum was even greater than that of Zhang Xianzhong. If he said we would join forces, we would join forces. Now that he is assigned to the Kangning Mansion, it is as easy as his fingers.
It's Zhang Xianzhong's turn. We don't have many men and horses, and our record is not strong, so why are we so defensive? The only thing we can do is capture a few cities, and we don't hesitate to play tricks, but for this... Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan
, Who in the world has as many huge cities as you, Liu Chengzong?
It's strange to pay attention to him, as if he is sure that Zhang Bingzhong is the one who can do big things - that is, the generalissimo has a keen eye for recognizing talents. But where does Cao Cao's feeling of guarding against Liu Bei, this strange desire to conquer and defensiveness come from?<
/p>
This feeling of attention, affection, and precaution is not very pleasant.
If Zhang Xianzhong had known earlier that he would vote for the Marshal's Mansion, he should have told Liu Chengzong that the number of soldiers in Xiying would be reduced from 6,000 to 3,000, and he could just be a general and set up a garrison and be done with it.
Liu Chengzong gave him no excuse to refuse, so he had no choice but to accept the official position and asked: "What kind of airs does the commander need to put up with a humble position?"
"I have found a third courtyard in the city. It used to be the residence of General Su Fan's auxiliary state. It has been vacant and unoccupied. I have designated it as the yamen of the Ministry of Rites. I know that you have many staffs and many scholars around you.
”
After Liu Chengzong finished speaking, he raised his fingers and counted: "The Li Yamen has a first hall, two bureaus, and four departments."
"The department is the administrative department. It is responsible for collecting documents from various places, presenting them to the court, and issuing them to the department. The chief officer will transfer the two captains and captains."
This General Affairs Office is a structure shared by the six ministries of the imperial court. It is similar to an office. Lieutenant Zhechong is the lowest among the ninth rank of the third-class captain of the Marshal's Mansion. He is usually the commander of the Huben Camp. His previous job outside was to manage the team.
It’s Mr. Bai.
"There are two bureaus, one is the sealing bureau, and the other is the clothing bureau. The former is responsible for casting seals, and the latter is responsible for making official robes. This job is not complicated. It only requires two knights to be the chief officers."
"The four departments are ritual system, sacrifice, host and guest, and refined meals. They are the main work of the Ministry of Rites. It requires four first-class Zhuangjun captains as chief officers, four second-class martial arts captains as adjutants, and as for the officials who handle affairs
Members, it depends on how many people you need, please submit the paperwork to me."
Zhang Xianzhong wrote down these requirements one by one, thinking that this matter was not as difficult as he thought. At least Liu Chengzong's requirements were clear and he knew the department structure, which saved him from having to ask further questions.
Finally he heard Liu Chengzong say: "The first mission of the Li Yamen is to send people to contact the leaders of all walks of life, invite them to come to Lanzhou, gather with me to reach an alliance, and decide on the direction of sending troops for future wars to avoid internal strife.
It’s up to you to arrange things.”
Zhang Xianzhong responded calmly. This task may be easy to handle, but difficult to handle at the same time.
The south of the Qinling Mountains is now full of rebel kings. Cats and dogs have claimed themselves to be kings, and they have gone up and down, and even the same title has been reincarnated many times, and golden cicadas have escaped from their shells and come back to life. No one can recognize all the leaders.
But on the other hand, the name of the big leader is a golden sign. If you only need to find a few people, the mission will be half completed.
Zhang Xianzhong acted very quickly. Within a few days, he sent people to contact the rebel leaders, and at the same time completed the construction of the Li Yamen in Lanzhou and got things in order.
Liu Chengzong's life became more fulfilling. He was busy planning the locations of several yamen for officials, households, and soldiers, building an ordnance bureau and several warehouses outside Lanzhou City, and sending tiger troops to explore for mines in various places in Lintao Prefecture.
Build an iron factory and a lead factory.
The development level and population density of Lintaofu are far better than those of Qinghai. When the railway connects Xining and Lanzhou, it can use the countless tributaries of the Yellow River to build water conservancy projects and connect the entire Longxi to create a drought-resistant city.
War Machine.
But it won’t work further east. In Liu Shishi’s hometown, the Yellow River will stop flowing anytime soon.
On the third day of September, in order to prepare the military supplies for the Marshal's Mansion's army to go north to attack Liangzhou, all kinds of armaments, cannons, gunpowder, military rations and jars of grease arrived in Lanzhou from Qinghai and Gansu. Everything was going according to plan. p>
Liu Chengzong was conducting a parade at Fulongping outside Lanzhou City. Huge military formations were deployed on the south bank of the Yellow River. Suddenly he heard Yu Linqi coming to report: "Commander, someone broke into the parade ground!"
The man who broke in was slumped on the ground, wearing a Ming army cavalry armor, with disheveled hair, and his helmet was missing. Although he was not riding a horse, he could see that his legs under the skirt were bruised and bloody by the horseback.<
/p>
When such a commotion occurred, the military parade at the foot of Fulongping came to a halt and the military music ceased. Yu Linqi inquired a little and then came back: "Commander, he is a soldier from the Lintao Brigade stationed at Yankou. He is under the command of General Zhang Yunqi."
Order to report the locust plague in Shaanxi to the commander's office."
"Locust plague?" Liu Chengzong stood up and asked: "Where... No need."
He had just stood up, and there was already an inaudible sound of wind in his ears. When he raised his head again, he felt that his eyes were dark, and countless small black shadows on the horizon were connected together, like moving black clouds, and like a huge black net.
, blocked the midday sun, and then fell overwhelmingly towards Lanzhou City, filling up all the ravines outside the city in just an instant.