A group of people were drinking heavily from their bowls. They were all rough Qiu Ba. They had the meat and wine in front of them, so they didn’t need to greet them. They stretched out their chopsticks and claws and began to chew according to the situation.
Su Jin took a piece of green vegetables and put it into his mouth, chewed it and swallowed it. He gave a clear cough. Everyone knew that the envoy was about to speak, so they all calmed down and looked at Su Jin.
Su Jin smiled and cupped his hands and said: "Brothers, we are old acquaintances. There are more than a dozen brothers here who followed my envoy to the Bagong Mountain to suppress the bandits. I should have invited you to a meal a long time ago, but it is true that
I don’t have time to spare. If you hadn’t come here today, we wouldn’t have had the chance to get together.”
Pan Jiang stood up and bowed and said: "What are you talking about, the envoy? After the bandits were suppressed, the brothers all received a lot of rewards, and the pensions for the brothers who died in the battle were also very generous. I heard that the rewards from the imperial court have not yet come down. This is the special envoy."
Your Majesty has paid for it out of your own pocket, and my brothers and I are still talking privately about finding an opportunity to thank you, Your Majesty the Special Envoy."
Su Jin laughed and said: "It's easy to say, brothers risk their lives, and I should do this. Without everyone's help, how can I, Su Jin, a scholar, destroy the bandits and regain the food?"
All the soldiers in the chamber felt happy when they heard this. The words of Mr. Zhuanzhi were so pleasing to the ears. Although Master Zhuanzhi entered the tiger's den alone and stirred up the internal strife in the bandit's nest, only then could there be a chance to attack the outside; but the person who said these words felt warm in his heart.
Yes, it is interesting to follow such an adult.
"But what Commander Pan just said was wrong. The reward was not advanced by the envoy on behalf of the imperial court. The reward from the imperial court will still be sent to you in large sums, but the reward I gave is a small thing for the envoy.
.”
The soldiers were stunned, and suddenly cheered loudly, and some people clapped their hands. I didn't expect that the special envoy would be so cunning, and he would actually pay for the reward from his own pocket. It had nothing to do with the imperial court's reward. He should be a human being and act like a special envoy.
Above, it can be regarded as the most benevolent and righteous thing.
Suddenly everyone stood up and toasted to Su Jin, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.
Su Jin stretched out his hand to block the wine bowl that Pan Jiang held up as a gesture, and said with a smile: "Don't panic, it's still early, so we don't have to worry. We won't get home until we get drunk today; but before that, I want to toast someone with a bowl of wine.
To express my respect."
Everyone looked at Su Jin, not knowing who he was referring to. They saw Su Jin pick up the wine bowl and turn to Song Xiang who was sitting blankly aside and said: "Your Excellency, I would like to offer you a bowl of wine."
Song Xiang pointed to his nose and said, "Respect me?"
The soldiers also pointed at Song Xiang and said, "Respect him?"
Su Jin smiled and said: "My lord, this is how I respect you. Without your help, how could Su Jin have time to drink and chat with you all here? If my lord had not immediately opened the warehouse to stock up on food, what would happen to the people of Yangzhou?"
Can we wait until today when the sun shines brightly? If Master Fu Zun had not seconded Commander Pan and other generals to me, Su Jin, how could we have overthrown the bandit nest in Bagong Mountain in one fell swoop? Although Master Fu Zun has never gone to the battlefield to fight, he has.
He is worthy of being called the hero behind the scenes. I heard that the Lord of the Palace stayed up all night and suffered a lot in those days, so Su Jin would like to express his gratitude to you with this wine."
After Su Jin finished speaking, he raised his neck to drink up the wine and turned the wine bowl with the mouth of the bowl facing down so that no wine leaked.
Song Xiang was flattered and quickly picked up the wine bowl and drank. The unhappiness in his heart disappeared. It was Special Envoy Su who gave him face. He was already marginalized. When he was embarrassed, Special Envoy Su came over with a bowl of wine. How much?
This allowed me, the prefect, to save some face and dignity.
Erpan was a little unhappy. After all, the envoy and the prefect were officials protecting each other, and they called themselves brothers and sisters. He did not forget to flatter the prefect. He had to put down the wine bowls raised by several people and sat down to eat the food.
.
Su Jin saw this in his eyes and turned around and said: "Everyone, regarding today's matter, from a fair standpoint, I would like to speak to you from my heart. In fact, you have wrongly blamed the Lord."
Pan Jiang drank the wine bowl and said loudly: "Why did you wrongly blame the Song Prefect? I worked hard for seven or eight years to get to this position. I don't want to talk about the hardships, but the only thing is that I have no merit.
Is there also hard work? The prefect rushed to suspend us without saying hello. If I, Pan Jiang, misbehaved, it would be fine, but I committed some crime of deducting soldiers’ pay. Isn’t this rubbing sand into our eyes? This
It has become an unwritten law in the military camp of the Song Dynasty. It has been established for many years. It has been more than two years since the Song magistrate came to Yangzhou. Why didn't he talk about this matter earlier? Why did he pick the moment when we wiped out the gangsters in the village in blood?
It chills the hearts of the brothers."
Song Xiang opened his mouth to speak, but Su Jin quickly caught him and said with a smile: "This is the misunderstanding. Does the magistrate want to cause trouble for you at this time? He doesn't want to either; as far as I know, yesterday
I came up with an article this morning, and it was for the internal rectification of the Imperial Guards in various places. It was originally inconvenient to disclose it to you, but since it has caused a misunderstanding, of course I have to say it, and you will not blame me, Mr. Fu Zun."
No matter how stupid Song Xiang is, he knows that this is Su Jin's excuse. This is a fabricated official document to shift the responsibility to the higher-ups. As for who the higher-ups are? No one knows. And it is impossible for the soldiers to go and find out if there is such a secret.
Writing.
"Yes, yes, if you don't believe it, I can show you the written text later, but I have no choice." Song Xiang said.
Su Jin took over the conversation and said: "Yes, not only are you here, the cavalry army I led is also investigating. That Longzhen deducted military pay. Now the evidence is conclusive. I intend to deal with it according to law and will never tolerate it;
Comparatively speaking, you are lucky."
After Su Jin finished speaking, he glanced at Zhao Dutou, who was minding his own meal.
Zhao Dutou was so smart that he quickly nodded in agreement and said, "It's true. No wonder the envoy asked me about the payment of military pay this morning. He thought it was a casual question because of his humble position. I didn't expect this to be the reason."
Pan Jiang and others suddenly became much more angry. Even the eldest son's Imperial Guards were investigating, not to mention his own little aunt's soldiers. But all in all, the imperial court's tactics were really unconvincing.
Pan Shiyi couldn't help but said: "May I ask the envoy, what is the purpose of the imperial court's move? Doesn't this make the military morale unstable?"
Su Jinxin said nonsense: "I don't know the specific situation, but it is said that the deprivation of food and wages on the northwest front caused a mutiny among the soldiers in the capital, and all the commanders were killed. After hearing this, the emperor became furious and ordered strict investigation everywhere.
That's why there is such a hand in the payment of salary. Of course, this is a rumor that has been spread through the grapevine. I am just talking about it. You can just listen to it and forget it after hearing it. It cannot be taken seriously. If it is spread out, I will never admit it.
"
Song Xiang listened to Su Jin's nonsense and thought to himself: This guy is so daring that he dares to fabricate such rumors casually. But compared to him, he opened a warehouse to provide military supplies to the people, and single-handedly provoked the incident of the bandits' nest.
To put it bluntly, these things are as small as sesame particles and not worth mentioning.
Both Pan Jiang and Pan Shiyi believed it to be true, and Pan Jiang cursed: "Who the hell is this? He must have been severely deducted. All soldiers in our army take the initiative to pay their respects. We don't put this money in our pockets. It's not like that."
Buying wine and meat for everyone to eat and drink, if there is a wedding or wedding in someone’s family, the money for gifts and paper comes from here, is this considered a deduction? "
Pan Shiyi also nodded and said: "Yes, what Brother Pan Jiang told is the truth. We didn't take any of it home. It was said to be filial to both of us, but it was still used on the brothers and taken from the people.
Use it for the people.”
"Take it from the soldiers and use it with the soldiers!" Pan Jiang corrected.
Su Jin couldn't help but want to laugh. Qiu Bala's text was so nondescript that he coined the phrase "take it from the army and use it in the army".
Su Jin said: "Do you think these things are on the governor's mind? It is precisely because of this that they were only given a short break from their duties. Who knew you would actually start a quarrel and not accept the governor's permission at all?
A gesture of protection."
"Meaning to protect you?" Pan Jiang and Pan Shiyi were dumbfounded. Suspension can be regarded as a sign of protecting them. This is a strange thing in the world.
Su Jin frowned and said to Song Xiang: "Master Magistrate, it seems that your good intentions have been misunderstood. You just show your charming eyes to a blind man, which is a complete waste of emotion."
Although Song Xiang didn't know how Su Jin was going to excuse himself, he could only play a supporting role at the moment and cooperate with Su Jin to carry out the play, so he sighed vaguely and got along.
Pan Jiang and Pan Shiyi were as if they were lost in the clouds, having no idea what Special Envoy Su was talking about.
"You are smart in small things but confused in big things. I will not hesitate to criticize you. The imperial court clearly knows that there are such shortcomings in the army, but it still wants to issue this sentence. Isn't it afraid of shaking the morale of the army? But since it has issued this sentence, what does it mean?
It is necessary to organize a group of people vigorously and resolutely, and at least have an explanation to the Holy One, and the magistrate has racked his brains for you to come up with this best-of-both-worlds strategy, but you... ugh!"
Su Jin sighed and shook his head, looking like he hated iron.
"This... the special envoy, please explain it a little more clearly. I am too stupid to hold such a low-level position, and I don't know what I mean." Pan Jiang and Pan Shiyi looked at each other and said at the same time, cupping their hands.
Su Jin said: "Forget it, I will tell the two of you what Mr. Fu Zun wants. Of course it is not convenient for him to say it himself. If it spreads, it will be suspected of protecting his own shortcomings. It will damage the reputation of Mr. Fu Zun. It is my envoy who should say it on his behalf.
.”
Su Jin raised the wine bowl and touched it with everyone one by one. He tilted his neck and drank the wine in the bowl. Two blushes appeared on his fair cheeks as he breathed out the smell of wine and spoke.dd