With the scorching sun above my head and the biting cold wind facing me, it's too much to say that the two worlds of ice and fire are too much, but the feeling is indeed unpleasant.
A troop of more than a thousand cavalrymen galloped on the official road. Chang Yu, who was in the lead, looked tired and dusty. He looked up at the sun and saw that it was already noon. He reached out and took out a water bag from the shore, raised his head and drank a few sips, and threw it to
Next to him is Wu Mengming.
"Qin Xing, how far is it to Datong?" Chang Yu frowned and looked north.
"There are still more than twenty miles to go back to the factory." Qin Xing was the only Dongchang stall Chang Yu took with him when he returned to Beijing this time. He led the Jin Yiwei to be responsible for the investigation and peripheral security work along the way.
"Speed up and have lunch in Datong!" Chang Yu shouted, riding his horse and whipping his whip.
Chongzhen's order to him was to set off immediately. Although he did not set off immediately, he did not dare to delay on the road. To be precise, it was not that he did not dare, but that he could not bear it. At this time, the movement of the main force of the intruders was unknown, and Liu Fangliang was still on the east road.
While he was ravaging the Central Plains wantonly, he wanted to go to Beijing as quickly as possible to face the saint, and then he wanted to seize the military power and come back to kill these gangsters. If he delayed for a moment longer, the common people would suffer more.
As soon as Chang Yu and his entourage arrived at the south gate of Datong City, they saw Wei Jingyuan leading a group of civil and military officials to greet them, and even the crown prince himself came to greet them.
"Congratulations to the factory governor on your triumphant return. We welcome all the soldiers to the city." Wei Jingyuan, who had been notified early by the Jinyi Guards, was full of joy and even looked at Chang Yu with excitement and cheered loudly.
Although the government and the public don't know much about Chang Yu, there are a lot of scoldings, and except for those nobles and a few people with evil intentions, there are still some people who agree with him.
Wei Jingyuan is one of the few big bosses who has had contact with Chang Yu. Although Chang Yu was in Taiyuan for a short period of time, he was resolute and decisive in killing. He checked accounts, killed Jiang Yu, appeased people, and cut through the mess quickly.
, he is not sloppy at all, and he dares to do something, for which Wei Jingyuan admires him very much.
Datong and Taiyuan are not far apart. From the beginning to the end of the war, Wei Jingyuan paid close attention to Chang Yu's actions and received all kinds of news from the road and the gossip. It only took less than a short time to go from secretly surprised to extremely shocked.
Half a month.
At this time, when the little eunuch who had a childish and fair face appeared in front of him again, he was already calm and intimidating, and his aura was indifferent but with murderous intent that made people shudder.
Only those who have overcome mountains of corpses and seas of blood are the only ones.
This person will not be a thing in the pool in the future
Wei Jingyuan thought to himself.
"Master Wei, please come back and be fine. Are your old feet feeling better?" Chang Yu grinned, and Wei Jingyuan felt as if he had been in another world for a while. Isn't this still the same little eunuch? He's just darker and rougher, but he's also strong.
A little more.
"Your Majesty, the factory supervisor, is very concerned about me. The little old man's feet are much better!" Wei Jingyuan was filled with joy and a smile.
"Mr. Factory Governor, my father is preparing a banquet at the palace to celebrate your success. I would like to congratulate you on your triumphant return." The expression on the crown prince Zhu Yixin's expression was much more respectful than when he sent Chang Yu out of the city to Taiyuan.
Chang Yu clasped his fists and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I happen to have something to discuss with you." He made a gesture of invitation and then entered Datong City with Wei Jingyuan and others.
The only people who entered the city were Chang Yu and Wu Mengming, as well as more than fifty attendants led by Li Tiezhu and Fan Jiaqian. As for the others, they were all outside the city, making fire and cooking on the spot. Of course, the food and drinks for the prince's palace had already been prepared.
Entering the city again, I suddenly felt that things are different and people are different. I thought back to when I was a rookie who rushed for several days overnight and entered Datong City exhausted. At that time, there were hidden murderous intentions everywhere. I had to fight Jiang Yao in a battle of wits and courage. If I was not careful, I might be killed.
Everyone was in good company, and at that time there were other forces watching the fight between the two of them with cold eyes. Even ordinary people did not have a good impression of him as a dead eunuch. Even after he killed the local bully in Datong, he did not change his mind.
However, at this time, as soon as he entered the city, he received a warm welcome. People waved and greeted him from time to time along the street. Although many people did not recognize him, they babblingly shouted congratulatory words such as the general was powerful. I think these people just heard it.
The general who was guarding Taiyuan was returning to Beijing and passing through Taiyuan. He was invited to the Prince Dai's Mansion as a guest. As for which general he was, they didn't know.
Why are these people so enthusiastic? The simple reason is that if the rebel army breaks through Taiyuan, Datong will definitely be the next target. Therefore, no one in Datong, from the officials to the common people, wants their homeland to suffer.
The thieves were raging, so Taiyuan was protected and the thieves fled far away. They were so excited that they spontaneously took action upon hearing the news.
Because of the lessons learned from the past, the army was dispatched and the scouting horses went first. When Chang Yu set off from Taiyuan, the Jinyiwei's exploring horses had already spread out fifty miles away. Therefore, when he was still more than fifty miles away from Datong, Dai Wang had already received the news.
The banquet has begun to be arranged.
Although it is still a little rushed, it is rich enough, and the wealthy gentry in the city are invited to accompany them. This is Chang Yu's favorite group of people and the most urgently needed connections at the moment.
But Zhu Chuanji, the acting king, didn't know if he suddenly had an enlightenment or not, and he actually did what he wanted.
As soon as the banquet started, everyone's questions focused on the battle of Taiyuan and the movements of the intruders. Chang Yu made a long story short: the intruders were defeated and fled, and their whereabouts are unknown, but they will never appear outside Datong City.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Chang Yu didn't want to talk about this topic, so they focused their attention on Wu Mengming. This guy loved to show off, and he loved to be in the limelight. He attracted everyone with just one mouth.
This was the effect Chang Yu wanted. After eating a few simple meals, he signaled to the acting king Zhu Chuanji for a private chat.
Immediately, in a study room, Zhu Chuanji, Zhu Yixin and Chang Yu began to talk secretly.
I don’t want money, I want food. I want as much as I can and send it to Taiyuan as soon as possible to deal with the upcoming food shortage.
As soon as Chang Yu spoke, Dai Wang and his son's faces changed.
Chang Yu had borrowed a lot of money and a lot of grain before, saying he would repay it soon, but the thunder was loud and the rain was light. When we first met, he barely said a few words and asked for grain again. He was so shameless.
It's so thick, even though Dai Wang was mentally prepared, he was still embarrassed by Chang Yu's direct actions.
And the prince even wanted to fall out.
Observing the words and demeanor, Chang Yu knew that the father and son were extremely unhappy. It was not surprising. After all, it would be uncomfortable to blame anyone for this matter. When fighting in Taiyuan, you did not go to the King of Jin, but instead borrowed money and grain from the Prince of Dai.
After the war, when there was a food shortage in Taiyuan, it was really unreasonable for me to provide food supplies. I was the acting king of Datong, not the Jin king of Taiyuan.
"On behalf of the king, as the old saying goes, I am borrowing money from you or not. I am only making temporary arrangements for you on behalf of the imperial court. It is a matter of national affairs and the imperial court will naturally not do anything like that. As for the 200,000 yuan I lent you before,
It has already been repaid, and within half a month as originally agreed upon."
Previously, Chang Yu borrowed 200,000 taels of silver and 100,000 shi of grain from King Dai. Together with Wu Mengming and Wei Jingyuan, they jointly pledged to repay it within half a month, so King Dai agreed to borrow it.
In order not to break his promise, Chang Yu once sent a secret message to Chongzhen asking him to transfer money from the capital to repay the 200,000 silver in advance. As for how long the food issue could be delayed.
Later, because Chang Yu had made a lot of black gold in Taiyuan, Chongzhen did not go all the way from the capital to repay the money. Instead, he asked Chunxiang to repay the 200,000 yuan when he passed by Datong with his salary.
The king was a little surprised by this, but more pleased, and of course dissatisfied. Why didn't the food be returned?
But the war in Taiyuan was urgent, and he did not dare to collect debts at this moment. Chongzhen would be angry and would not be able to kill him, and the public opinion would drown him.
"Mr. Factory Supervisor, although the money has been repaid, the one hundred thousand stones of food have not yet been..." As soon as Chang Yu finished speaking, the prince couldn't help but speak.
"Shut up! You're talking nonsense!" Zhu Chuanji shouted angrily, and the prince quickly kowtowed to Chang Yu with his fists clasped.
"The factory supervisor shouldn't blame the child for talking nonsense!"
Chang Yu smiled slightly, with murderous intent looming in his eyes: "It doesn't matter."
The prince accidentally met Chang Yu's eyes and couldn't help but trembled.
He realized he had said the wrong thing.
After all, the prince is just a young man, not deeply involved in the world, not familiar with the ways of the world, let alone the way of getting along between kings and ministers.
It was the imperial court that owed the prince's food, and it was not Chongzhen's who owned the imperial court.
Whose world belongs to Chongzhen?
In short, if I lend you money, I may or may not pay it back. I will pay you back for the sake of my reputation, but I may not pay it back right away. I can delay it, but you must not rush it!
Collecting debts is like slapping Chongzhen in the face. Secondly, when the country is facing a crisis, if you do nothing but add fuel to the fire, isn't this seeking death?
Therefore, Zhu Chuanji could refuse to donate food or even borrow food, but he would never dare to urge the court to return the food. He knew that raising the matter at this juncture would offend Chongzhen, and he would have a hundred ways to destroy the palace.