Chapter 266: Eat people with a soft mouth and short-handed people
Author: Silent
Chapter 266: Eat people with a soft mouth and short-handed people
Piantou Pass, inside the town.
The military meeting was still going on after nightfall. That night, the city was heavily guarded. Sentries inside and outside the city were patrolling the streets and fortresses at night, giving the city a tense feeling of an imminent war.
But the main generals in the city knew that this battle seemed impossible to fight, because the two sides were just testing sexual harassment and showed no signs of getting ready for a decisive battle.
"...Huo Si sent three groups of troops one after another to harass more than a dozen earthen forts around Piantou Pass. Although no one had been reported as being kidnapped, more than a dozen animals had been lost. There was also news from two scouts after they left the city.
Nothing, if you continue to sit idly by, it will be the same as what my father encountered in Yulin Guard, and Di Yi will get worse..."
Zhu Feng presided over the military meeting. Next to him, Wang Qiong, the governor of the border gate, was also listening. In addition, there were Liu Jin, the eunuch who supervises the army, and two deputy generals, Xiangcheng Bo Li Ao and Wu Ping Bo Chen Xun.
Li Ao and Chen Xun have been following Wang Yue to guard Piantou Pass. They are very familiar with the local situation. If someone else is appointed as the chief military officer, they will definitely not accept it... Why should the general's death not be left to his own devices?
Are our two knowledgeable lieutenants in charge?
But now Zhu Feng is here...
The ministers looked down upon Zhu Feng, but Zhu Feng still had a high reputation in Piantou Pass. Even Li Wei and Chen Xun had no objection to Zhu Feng.
Who told him that this was the young general that Wang Yue admired very much before his death?
More importantly... Zhu Feng has a background in the imperial court, and it is people with such background who worry the most in the northwest military circles.
Therefore, when Zhu Feng arrived at the Piantou Pass, he did not encounter the same resistance as he encountered at Ningyuan. Almost everyone in the army was willing to listen to his orders, which indirectly allowed Wang Qiong to enjoy a little convenience.
Originally, Wang Qiong thought that when she came to Pianguan, she would be looked down upon and even had to wipe Zhu Feng's butt, but now she found out that she had received benefits from Zhu Feng.
After listening to Zhu Feng's opening remarks, Chen Xun said: "Marquis Anbian, it's not that the people below are pouring cold water. The Tatars are now a hundred miles north of Guansai, and their attacks are based on camps hundreds of miles away. If we push
If we go out with our chariots, before the artillery can reach their camp, they will send out cavalry to harass us, putting us in a dilemma."
"I'm afraid that the Tatars will come around... Our pass is different from other places. Guarding this ruined wall is more important than anything else. What do you think?"
Chen Xun almost said, we don't care what kind of embarrassment your father encountered in Yansui.
Our opinion is that if you are beaten to death, you will not leave the city, and if you have no fault, it is merit.
Zhu Feng hesitated and didn't know what to say.
Wang Qiong said: "Now that the barbarians are invading the country, are we going to sit idly by and ignore it? If a person is kidnapped, and the court investigates it, will you all have to bear the crime and wait for meritorious service? Now Anbian
Hou is just arranging a surprise attack and harassment... You also know that this pass cannot be defended, why not turn from defense to offense?"
The generals below were cautious, but Wang Qiong was not so timid. As a famous military commander in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, he would not dare to send troops within a hundred miles of Piantou Pass when the enemies were afraid.
Afraid of wolves, afraid of tigers...
Will I, the king, want to return to the court and be embarrassed in the future?
"This..." Seeing that he could not persuade the two airborne bosses, Chen Xun turned to look at Li Hao standing aside.
Li Wei asked: "Wang Zhongcheng, I dare to ask you, is this calculated by Zhang Xianshi in the court? Is it possible to achieve a great victory by sending troops in this way?"
"Yes, yes." Chen Xun seemed to have found the key to the problem.
Not to mention the two of them, even the other generals present looked at Wang Qiong with eager eyes.
Everyone's eyes were filled with urgency. It seemed to them that only Zhang Zhou's prophecy was the absolute "authority". After all, Zhang Zhou predicted the direction of the grassland tribe's attack twice and achieved two victories.
It was a hearty victory, and now everyone in the army was waiting to make meritorious deeds with Zhang Zhou.
It was at this moment that Wang Qiong truly understood.
No wonder this group of people were very flattering and flattering to us from the beginning. The relationship was not because of Zhu Zhijie's reputation, but because we were with Zhang Bingkuan. They complimented Zhang Bingkuan to the extreme and were polite to us.
"Brother Zhang..."
Zhu Feng is an honest and good boy. When faced with the problems faced by Li Er and other generals, he does not want to hide anything.
But Wang Qiong interrupted Zhu Feng's words and said: "This is indeed said by Zhang Shijie, and it was also arranged by Zhang Dudu, the governor of the Houjun Governor's Mansion. Do you have any doubts?"
"Ah?" Zhu Feng was surprised at first.
However, he was smart enough to understand that Wang Qiong said this deliberately to cheer people up.
So Zhu Feng will not expose Wang Qiong.
"That's good, that's good. Did you all hear it? We will have another chance to make great achievements!" Li Nuo looked excited.
The generals surrounding the sand table were also talking a lot, with happy faces on their faces.
It seemed that with Zhang Zhou's guidance, their military exploits were at their fingertips.
Chen Xun said with some doubts: "Even if we send troops, should we wait until Mr. Qin reaches Pianguan? I heard that he is already on his way here."
Wang Qiong said: "The opportunity must not be missed before it comes again. We must send cavalry to attack the Hulu before they have a stable foothold, and then prepare with artillery array. Only by driving the Hulu out of Pianguan for 200 miles can we ensure the stability of Pianguan. Don't
Wait for the Hulu to arrive before we can defend... We must take the initiative to attack. This is His Majesty's instruction."
Li Hao happily clasped his fists and said: "General, I will obey the order!"
Chen Xun was startled. Normally Li Hao could evade it better than him, but this time it looked like Li Hao had been given a shot of blood. He seemed to understand that everyone in the army was waiting to take credit, so he could only accept the order quickly.
So as not to fall behind others.
…
…
The military meeting then decided on the strategy of sending cavalry that night to surprise the Huo Si tribe camp a hundred miles away.
After the meeting, Zhu Feng was a little upset because Zhang Zhou didn't give him too much advice this time, which made him feel unsure.
"Knowing the truth."
Wang Qiong came back with instructions from Li Wei, who was in charge of leading the troops, and saw Zhu Feng sitting there, looking like a depressed big boy. Wang Qiong was actually speechless.
You have already become the commander-in-chief, why are you still like an eggplant beaten by frost?
"Wang Langzhong." Zhu Feng raised his head and looked up, but still couldn't cheer up.
Wang Qiong said: "Zhijie, as the commander-in-chief, you should have some momentum. Do you see how highly you are respected by everyone in the army after you arrive at Pianguan? Everyone regards you as Wang Weining's second best, and they are waiting to go on the expedition with you.
On the battlefield, why are you still so depressed?"
Zhu Feng sighed pitifully: "Maybe... I'm not the material."
"Alas!" Wang Qiong was helpless.
Zhu Feng really dares to think and say that now that the army is about to go into battle, you actually say that you are not the material to be a general officer?
But for some reason, Wang Qiong couldn't feel the unyielding hatred towards Zhu Feng.
Wang Qiong thought for a while, probably because although this kid talks like a melon, he is not vague when it comes to fighting. In addition, his attitude is sincere, what he pursues is an ordinary and simple life, and he has the purest goodness in his heart.
One can't help but feel hatred toward him.
To put it bluntly, this guy is too honest.
Be honest to the point of being endearing, rather than making people hate you.
"Mr. Wang, each of the cavalrymen this time only brought bows and arrows and firecrackers. The firecrackers can only fire one shot, and there are only three thousand cavalrymen. In case the main force of the Chinese army is over there, will there be three thousand cavalrymen?"
Maybe there is no return?" Zhu Feng said, "If I, the chief military officer, do not lead the troops, and the front line is damaged, I am afraid that the court will pursue it."
Wang Qiong said: "Don't worry, your task is to guard the Pianguan Fortress. As I expected, the Tatars are just putting pressure on us. Next, they will prepare more for internal disputes in the grassland. At this time, we are strong
, they must be weak...How do they know how powerful the firearms we brought over are?"
Zhu Feng was startled and asked: "That means... you are going to scare them this time?"
Wang Qiong sighed: "How about we let them harass around the pass every day and increase their ambition to destroy our prestige? We do this, even if there is a slight loss, but in order to knock down the mountain and stern the tiger, the bows and arrows brought by the soldiers and
After firing a fire cannon, it is not necessary to directly knock down the bird, but as long as the cannon is fired, the bird will wake up and fly away, and the intention will be achieved."
Zhu Feng was stunned for a while after hearing this: "It's still Wang Langzhong's foresight, I... can't do it."
"Zhijie, you can do it."
Wang Qiong said, "Not to mention Marquis Weining, even I admire you. You are a young man who dares to do things. This kind of temperament is rare in the army. Even if you want to stay in the capital and be a leisurely man in the future, I'm afraid
It’s not that easy. A capable person can do it anywhere. Even if you are sent to the capital camp, you will still be able to shine. Okay, get ready and wait for the surprise attack from tonight to tomorrow!"
…
…
Wang Qiong was very eager to fight, except that he sized up the situation and thought there was a chance.
Also because he knows that Qin Hong will arrive at Pianguan in a few days, and any strategies then come from Qin Hong. Wang Qiong’s chance of making contributions in the northwest is not that great. After all, after Qin Hong arrives at Pianguan,
, as a governor, he was mainly responsible for preparing food and supplies, so he became the one in charge of logistics.
It was a rare good opportunity, and Zhu Feng still listened to him, and Zhang Zhou's prophecy was used as a cover. He would not miss such a good opportunity.
Of course, he also knew what kind of backlash he would encounter if he lost this battle, or if the strategic intention was not achieved, and the Fire Screen troops were forced to suppress the situation... The emperor would not let him go.
It's okay, you actually dare to use Bingkuan's prophecy that I like to deceive people's hearts? Bingkuan didn't say this, and the army officers didn't know, don't I have a good background?
Therefore, for Wang Qiong, this battle can only be won but not defeated.
…
Beijing, early morning.
On the first day, the inner government discounted their salary bills, and the civil servants and military officials in Beijing received their salaries that had been owed for many years. Some received a few taels, dozens of taels, and some received hundreds or even a thousand taels.
That morning, as usual, the ministers wanted to express their gratitude.
When the ministers meet in the morning, everyone has a smile on their face. The first question they ask is usually: "How much has it been folded?"
"I only entered the DPRK last year, and I only had twenty taels."
"My place is better, more than forty taels..."
"Hahaha."
Literati all love money, but they cannot express their love for money. Now that they have received the salary that should be theirs, they have nothing to hide. Instead, they want to show off to the outside world.
Officials at the middle and lower levels have a small salary ratio and a small monthly salary. They don't get much, but it is enough for them to settle down with their families.
As for the ministers, ministers, chief ministers and other big officials in the court, they seemed reluctant to talk about this directly in front of others.
"Uh-huh, don't talk about irrelevant things." Xie Qian walked over with a straight face, saw a group of officials from the Sixth Ministry talking about salary bills, and reminded them in a serious tone.
Someone asked: "Mr. Xie Ge, how much did you exchange?"
Xie Qian glared at the man fiercely, and then walked to the front row.
When Xie Qian walked a few steps away, someone said, "Mr. Xie Ge, have you ever had enough money and salary to show such a bad look?"
“Mr.
Upon hearing this number, everyone present could not help but marvel.
Someone else commented: "If I buy a yard in the capital and buy a few more acres of land, I'm afraid I won't be able to use this much, right?"
House prices in the capital are generally only eight or nine hundred taels for a single-family courtyard house, and the location is considered good. A large house only costs one or two thousand taels. The Sanjin courtyard house where Zhang Zhou lives now can be sold for more than two thousand taels.
With a size of two, that area can be said to be the mansions of dignitaries in the capital.
When everyone heard that Xie Qian could get a mansion in the capital by exchanging his salary, they were naturally envious and jealous.
But they also know that there are only three pavilion elders in the capital, and not everyone has that much salary money to redeem.
…
…
The court meeting begins.
First, the Minister of Household Affairs, Zhou Jing, presented a thank you note on behalf of the civil servants.
Zhu Youtang said: "Everyone in the Qing family deserves it, so there is really no need to express gratitude. However, the reason why I can get a 100% discount is because...the Zhang Qing family contributed money and effort."
The ministers present all had doubts in their hearts.
The emperor clearly sent Dongchang to give him some salary notes, so how come Zhang Zhou was still involved?
Even if Zhang Zhou cooperates, your majesty, are you a little too deliberate in transferring favors to Zhang Zhou? Even if he contributes money and effort, how far can he go? Not to mention that he was greedy for a lot of money in the process, right?
?
Xiao Jing immediately walked out and said: "This time the salary banknotes are exchanged, the inner treasury and others exchanged a total of 4,700 taels of silver. Zhang Zhou accepted 13,000 taels of pure silver. Your Majesty promised to transfer 5,400 taels of silver.
…a total of twenty-three thousand one hundred and twenty-two taels of silver.”
The ministers present couldn't help but look at each other after hearing this.
We thanked the emperor for giving us money, but it turned out that we were thanking the wrong person... The relationship was that Zhang Zhou paid us salaries out of his own pocket?
What is this rule?
He...he actually has thirteen thousand taels of silver? He has only been in the court for a few days? What kind of property is this?
Donate ten houses in the capital and give us a salary?
Liu Jian came out and said: "Your Majesty, there is no need to redeem 10% of the salary banknotes. There is really no need... to let Zhang Shi talk about the expense."
Zhu Youtang said: "Gentlemen, this is the personal kindness of Zhang Qing's family. Didn't you criticize me for letting him cast cannons earlier? I also gave him the coal kiln in Xishan, and you also reported it.
He broke the rules like this. I have given him many rewards, and he has not accepted bribes from others. Everything he says and does in Beijing is under my supervision."
The emperor just told this group of people that even if Zhang Zhouzhen had any illegal income, I would acquiesce to it, and I even asked him to do it.
Don't take your time to find fault with him.
"Originally, it was impossible to make a 100% discount, but I added several thousand taels of silver, and I couldn't live up to Bingkuan's sincerity." When Zhu Youtang said this, he was a little moved.
Look at you ministers, you are always picky about me and criticize Bingkuan a lot.
But at the critical moment, why don't we, the monarch and the ministers, unite to pay you your wages?
But for the ministers... they will not be grateful, because in their view, it is only natural to receive a salary for serving the court, especially those corrupt officials among them, they do not look down upon the small amount of money they receive from their salary. Eye.
Zhu Youtang sighed: "I know that although being an official in Beijing is noble, it is also difficult. Unlike local officials who will cleverly use names to collect envy, most of you have to rely on the salary you have. The more noble you are, the more noble you are. Hey, the situation is getting more serious. This time Zhang Qing’s family is willing to spend some money to get you some salary, so don’t pick on him too much.”
Although the ministers still had opinions in their hearts, the money they received was real.
Zhu Youtang struck while the iron was hot: "I can't take his money in vain. I am going to let him open several mines around the capital. This can be regarded as making up for his losses."
"Your Majesty..." Zhou Jing used to express gratitude on behalf of the officials, but now he also came to represent the civil officials' objections.
"Zhou Qing's family, please listen to me first." Zhu Youtang said impatiently, "The situation in the northwest is changing at the moment. What can scare Di Yi's disobedience is artillery and mighty gunpowder, and the difference between these two things Preparation relies more on the accumulation of mineral veins in mines. With the current coal and iron output around the capital, can it be enough to meet the expenses?"
Zhou Jing suddenly discovered that he, the Minister of Household Affairs, had become a typical example of talking on paper.
The emperor was speechless when asked.
Zhu Youtang said: "I also said that I would only give him coal and iron ore, and at most saltpeter ore, all for the preparation of firearms. And I will not give him the current mine kiln, but let him Go dig it yourself, if someone really wants to donate the mine, that’s not a problem..."
"I also discussed with him, and he agreed to use 20% of the income from these mines as additional mining taxes. The purpose of this mining tax is to give you salary money for your family... If it is feasible, in the next few years All your salary bills will be discounted by 10%."
"ah?!"
The ministers present were in an uproar.
And our share?
Originally, the people from the Sixth Division were ready to come out and remonstrate with him, but after hearing these words, those people took half a step and turned back. They immediately stood back and collected their minds, watching indifferently as if the matter was none of their own.
100% discount!
The salary will be at least twenty to thirty taels more per year. This is only among the general rewards of about seven ranks. If it is for those who are courtiers and ministers, the annual salary will be about forty taels. If it goes up further, …
In the past, salary notes were not converted. Just like the salary notes issued after the sixth year of Hongzhi, weren't they only redeemed today?
If it was just a bad check, the ministers present would not believe it. The key point is that Zhang Zhou had already taken out more than 10,000 taels of silver to pay the salary in full for nearly six years...
Now that the salary is so much higher every year, who wouldn’t be moved by it?
Especially the noble yamen officials who were not corrupt and wasted their fortunes, they felt even more moved after hearing this.
In their view, this kind of thing is "inconvenient" and they object to it.
