The next day, the generals went to Li Zhijunzhong to observe the firearms demonstration.
Li Zhi still demonstrated it to the generals with a hundred smoothbore flintlock guns, and also quoted a high price for the artillery without revealing his family background.
The firearms displayed by Li Zhi were very ordinary, which made the generals less interested. Although the generals suspected that Li Zhi had another way to defeat the enemy, now that Li Zhi was a proud soldier, even if he did not reveal his secret method, the other generals would not be able to do anything.
Only Huang Degong admired Li Zhi's tactics so much that he begged for a smoothbore flintlock gun, saying that he would take it back to the capital to imitate it.
These days, flintlock guns are no longer considered a secret, so Li Zhi left Huang Degong's cottage alone.
After demonstrating the firearms, Xiong Wencan's newspaper was also written, and he quickly headed to the capital to report. Li Zhi said goodbye to Xiong Wencan, abandoned Anqing with eight thousand troops, and returned to Tianjin.
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On this day, Emperor Zhu Youjian of the Ming Dynasty was talking to Queen Zhou in Kunning Palace.
Empress Zhou came from the common people and was originally chosen as Princess Xin during the Tianqi period. Later, Zhu Youjian succeeded his brother and became the emperor, so the Zhou family was named empress. Empress Zhou was beautiful, and she had been educated and educated since she was a child. She was also diligent and thrifty in managing her family.
Favored by Zhu Youjian.
There was nothing to do on this day. Zhu Youjian sat in front of the round table in Kunning Palace with a copy of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" and flipped through it at will.
"Queen, it's been a long time since I've been to the theater. How about putting on a play and singing on the palace stage tomorrow?"
Empress Zhou said: "The people are suffering, and I cannot bear to be extravagant."
"It doesn't cost much money to sing "The Story of the Hosta"."
Empress Zhou said: "It would be better to save the money from singing and raise more soldiers to fight against the thieves."
Zhu Youjian smiled and was about to speak when he saw Wang Chengen running in from the front in a panic.
"Wang Chengen, why are you panicking?"
Wang Chengen knelt in front of the emperor, handed over Xiong Wencan's newspaper, and said: "What a great victory! Your Majesty, what a great victory! Xiong Wencan defeated six families of thieves and beheaded 36,000-level thieves! There is no more great thief in South Zhili!"
"
Zhu Youjian smiled, took the memorial calmly, and said with a smile: "I knew there would be a great victory!"
Empress Zhou spat: "How does the emperor know? Could it be that the emperor has no foresight?"
Zhu Youjian looked up at Queen Zhou and said, "I don't know why, but from the moment Li Zhi was recruited to support the suppression, I felt that this victory was secure."
Queen Zhou blinked her eyes and said nothing.
Zhu Youjian shook the memorial with both hands and read it carefully. Soon, he saw Li Zhi's achievements.
"Fanjiazhuang guerrilla Li Zhi led 8,000 servants and single-handedly defeated Luo Rucai and other 20,000 thief troops. He killed the leader of the thief "shooting the sky Li Wanqing" in formation. He fought another 10,000 thief and horse troops, defeated the enemy, and killed the thief's righteousness in formation.
Zi Zhang Kewang fought fiercely before and after, and captured and beheaded 14,500 thieves in total."
Seeing this, Zhu Youjian said curiously: "This Li Zhi actually has eight thousand servants. How can he afford it as a guerrilla?"
Wang Chengen thought for a while and said: "Li Zhi is rich in property in Fanjiazhuang. He probably raised his servants with his private property."
Zhu Youjian nodded and said: "If you really use your family property to raise soldiers to serve the country, then you are a wise minister who relieves the country's worries. In this battle, Li Zhi's gains were almost half of Xiong Wencan's entire army, and he also killed two bandit leaders.
It can be seen that Li Zhi was the mainstay. Most of the other generals' military exploits were captured and killed when the rebel army was defeated."
Wang Chengen said: "Your Majesty, the Holy Ming!"
Zhu Youjian read all the way down, saw the bottom of the memorial, and said: "What did Xiong Wencan think? He actually said that Li Zhi would be the deputy general in Fanjiazhuang. Fanjiazhuang must be a small town, wouldn't it be inappropriate to have a deputy general?
If you want to promote Li Zhi to deputy general, just promote him to Tianjin deputy general!"
Zhu Youjian took the memorial, shook his head and said, "What does this mean?"
Wang Chengen said carefully: "Your Majesty, I think the meaning of this memorial is that Li Zhi has property in Fanjiazhuang and is unwilling to leave Fanjiazhuang!"
Zhu Youjian was stunned when he heard this, looked at the memorial again, frowned and said, "Does this Li Zhi regard Fanjiazhuang as his private property?" After thinking about it, Zhu Youjian asked: "Wang Chengen, does this Fanjiazhuang have any property?" How many people are there?”
Wang Chengen said: "Your Majesty is worried that Li Zhi has the intention of separatizing the region?"
Zhu Youjian nodded and said: "This Li Zhi is staying in Fanjiazhuang and won't leave. I'm afraid he won't be able to lose his tail!"
Wang Chengen said: "I don't know how many servants there are in Fanjiazhuang. Your Majesty wants to know, so I invite He Shishou, the minister of the Ministry of Rites, to come and ask."
Zhu Youjian nodded and said: "Go to Qianqing Palace and call He Shishou!"
Half an hour later, He Shishou, the Minister of Rites, hurried into the Qianqing Palace to meet the emperor.
Zhu Youjian knew that Li Zhi was promoted by He Shishou. The emperor was satisfied with Li Zhi and also had a good impression of He Shishou. He sat behind the imperial case and asked politely: "He Qing, how big is Fanjiazhuang in Tianjin?" city?"
He Shishou was stunned for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "It's a small town with more than 10,000 people."
After hearing this, Zhu Youjian felt relieved and glanced at Wang Chengen.
Wang Chengen smiled and said: "Your Majesty, after all, this Li Zhi is a craftsman and martial artist with no ambitions. He is guarding a small town and refuses to move. I'm afraid most of the people in Fan's Village are his craftsmen, so he doesn't want to leave. !”
He Shishou cupped his hands and said, "It's true. Half of the people in the city are craftsmen hired by Li Zhi. Then Li Zhi cares about Fanjiazhuang very much."
Zhu Youjian nodded and said: "In this way, I feel relieved." After thinking about it, Zhu Youjian said again: "But this Li Zhi was promoted too quickly and made too many meritorious deeds. If he is made a deputy general this time, I don't think he will." Soon there will be no official title left."
He Shishou imitated Wang Chengen and flattered him and said: "The emperor has a clear lesson!"
Zhu Youjian said: "He doesn't want to leave Fanjiazhuang, so I will make him a sub-defendant general. Open a new road in Tianjin, call it Tianjin West Road, and let Li Zhi station in Fanjiazhuang as a sub-defense general!"
Wang Chengen said: "Your Majesty, Xiong Wencan guaranteed him to be a deputy general, but your Majesty only promoted him to a staff general. I am afraid that Li Zhi will be disappointed."
Li Zhi asked He Shishou: "Are Li Zhi's parents here? Are they married?"
He Shishou said: "Li Zhi's father has passed away, but his mother is still alive and married."
Zhu Youjian thought for a while and said: "No problem, let's promote Li Zhi to the second rank of Zhengdu Commander, and give him the rank of 'General Longhu'. Li Zhi will be given his wife, and his mother will be the second rank of Zhengming. He will also give Li Zhiyin a son, Jin Yiwei Bai. The household is hereditary."
Casual officer is an honorary official title in the Ming Dynasty. It is awarded by entering the stream and passing the examination, and is adjusted accordingly according to changes in duties. Generally speaking, a second-grade military attaché can only be awarded to a hussar general at the beginning. After passing the three-year general assessment, he will be promoted to General Jinwu. It would take another three years to pass the assessment before being awarded the title of General Longhu. In other words, a second-grade military attaché needs to serve as an official for six years, and only after passing the assessment twice can he be awarded the title of General Longhu. But the emperor opened his mouth and directly awarded Li Zhizheng a second-grade military attache. The highest ranking official in the army is General Longhu.
Mrs. Gaoming is an honorary title for the wife and mother of an official. With this title, the wife enjoys the treatment of officials of the same level in terms of etiquette. Low-level civil servants and military generals even have to bow down and salute when they see the high-ranking Mrs. Gaoming. The wives and mothers of officials must be granted the title of Mrs. Gaoming. , is also a great honor.
In the end, it was an arrangement for Li Zhi's descendants to have Li Zhi's son be hereditary to one hundred households of Jin Yiwei. With the hereditary inheritance of one hundred households of Jin Yiwei, Li Zhi could have no worries about his future.
A large number of rewards were enough to offset Li Zhi's regret of not being promoted to deputy general.
Wang Chengen and He Shishou cupped their hands and sang: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
After hearing the emperor's words about the reward, He Shishou withdrew. Zhu Youjian and Wang Chengen said: "I am happy today! Let the theater troupe enter the palace to sing! I haven't seen a theater in several years!"
