weaving

In the troubled times of the late Ming Dynasty, families who still had the ability to read and write were naturally by no means ordinary military households. Even if they were not from a prominent family in the local area, they must be from a middle-upper-class family, with a certain right to speak, and could even influence local affairs.

Just imagine, if Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng can take these people under his command, or join his shogunate, or disperse them as officials in various places, or incorporate them into the army as generals, it will be equivalent to completely integrating the Xuanzhen people's connections, which will be stable They can work together to fight against external enemies.

In fact, Zhang Cheng also knows very well in his heart that no matter whether he has the strength or not, it is impossible to kill all those who oppose him. The best way, and the only feasible way, is...

Kill the most determined enemy, unite all other forces that can be united, and make them work for yourself!
Of course, if Zhang Cheng doesn't even have the courage or the ability to use the people, property and property in Xuan Town for his own use, then his road will come to an end.

There is no need to keep fighting forward!
The reason why he ignored this matter was not because he didn't pay enough attention to it, but recently his whole mind was on planning to eradicate the profiteers. After all, this matter could affect the whole body, and there was no room for error.

At this moment, after being reminded by Sun Shixiang, Zhang Cheng realized his mistake and should not neglect the method of winning people's hearts. His face tightened and he said to Sun Shixiang: "Mr. Sun is absolutely right. Xuanzang Town is a talented person. , we are all sincere disciples, and we must not despise everyone’s hearts.”

He looked at Sun Shixiang and said, "Mr. Sun, I sincerely wish to personally hold the reins for you. Can you follow me back to the Commander's Mansion today and talk all night long?"

"Old man, it's better to be respectful than to obey."

…………

There is a courtyard in the east wing of the central hall of Zhenshuo Mansion, which has been unused until now. Now Zhang Cheng ordered people to clean it up and turn it into a living place for his staff.

The east wing of the central hall is used as a place for staff to work and discuss matters. Previously, counselor Wang Yuanjing, counselor Liu Minshen and others also conducted official business here, which was quite convenient.

In the inner room of the east side hall of the central hall, Zhang Cheng and Sun Shi were sitting across from each other. He was holding a teapot and filling the tea cup on the table in front of Sun Shi. He said: "There are talented people in Xuanzhen, sir, and they should be better than me." I know you well, can you recommend me something?"

"Let's not talk about the distance, but there are three people right in front of us."

"Oh. Sir, please speak frankly."

"The old dog is not confused and has no time to spare. Although his talents are not high, he is still useful. Furthermore, Hu Yiwen, a scholar from the south of the city, named Gongqiao. Although he is not in his weak years, he is erudite and knowledgeable, and is especially talented in eloquence."

"Please."

Zhang Cheng said to Zhang Mingyuan, who was surrounded by people, without hesitation: "Quickly take Mr. Sun's name card and go to invite some great talents to come to the commander's house to meet you."

"Uncle, in addition to this, you can also post a list to appease the people, and select talents from all over Xuan Town. There is no limit on civil and military skills, and no limit on form. Anyone with a certain skill can apply.

There is no restriction on the region, no matter the north or the south, young or old, as long as they have talent, they can come to the town to apply. Regardless of whether they are selected or not, they will be given a return scholarship to express encouragement, and there will be a lot of applicants.

In this way, we can recruit talents from all over the world to help my uncle. Why worry about not being able to level off the thieves internally, stabilize the people, fend off the captives externally, and strengthen our border defense. "

"it is good!"

"Guerrilla Wen Hui colluded with profiteers and procured slaves, causing people in the town to be in panic all day long. I have long wanted to issue an announcement to calm the people. Since Mr. Sun also has this intention, why not draft the announcement on my behalf. How about it?"

"It's a trivial matter. I'll draft the list of people's peace later and ask my uncle to read it."

"Okay." Zhang Cheng said with great satisfaction.

"Uncle, I have one more thing to say. I wonder if I should say it?"

"Sir, you have something to say, but there is no harm in saying it."

"'You will be outside, and your orders will not be accepted'"

Sun Shixiang suddenly said this out of the blue, and in Zhang Cheng's confusion, he continued: "My uncle is not what he used to be. He has many officers and generals under his command. There are more than [-] chiefs and deputy generals in the seven camps of the Yongyi Army. This does not include the duties of guards in various places and thousands of households.

And with the entire Xuanfu under his control, the uncle's subordinate deputy generals, deputy generals, guerrillas, commanders of various guards, garrison of each fort, thousands of households added together, more than a hundred?

By then, many of them would be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from my uncle. How could they ensure that they would only be loyal to his uncle and not obey the imperial court? "

Zhang Cheng was stunned when he heard this, his face tensed, and a trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes...

"Uncle, don't be anxious."

But Sun Shixiang didn't look surprised. He sat firmly on the couch and continued with a smile: "Since Shi Xiang has decided to follow my uncle, naturally he will consider everything for him. He must tell everything he knows before him. You can talk about everything, but as for how to speak outside, you have to be measured, and you will definitely keep your mouth shut."

Zhang Cheng's face softened slightly after hearing this, and he said to him: "'It is only natural and right for you to serve as a soldier and eat food.' As long as the money and food are in my hands, are you afraid that they will go to heaven?"

"Uncle, what you said is wrong. You are not the only one who has money and food, the imperial court can also have it!"

Sun Shixiang continued: "What's more, the imperial court has more than just money and food. It also holds the title of 'great righteousness', and can be promoted to officials, honorable family members, or even granted a wife and son, and honor the ancestors. How great is the temptation?

Uncle, you must be on guard! "

Zhang Cheng's words are indeed reasonable. Although he still has a secret hall to monitor his officers and generals, he dare not say that he is foolproof. Compared with the imperial court, he does have a great deal of "righteousness". lacking.

It's okay to say that at the moment, although the generals have independently led the army, they are almost all by their side and have not been away for too long. However, in the future, when they each defend their own side, they will face the "righteousness" of the court and the "showing of honor by high-ranking officials." With the temptation, can you still keep your heart and be loyal to yourself forever?
Perhaps it will always remain a mystery!

Zhang Cheng actually has another way, which is to establish his own martial arts branch, instill his consciousness and ideas into the officers and generals under his command, and even follow the example of a mysterious eastern country and build a branch in the General Department. In grassroots units.

However, Zhang Cheng also knows how ridiculous it is to put aside reality and talk about ideals!

Today's national conditions and people's conditions are hundreds of years different from those of later generations, and the people's wisdom has not yet been enlightened. Compared with later generations, they are more willing to believe in the theory of ghosts and gods, believe in the theory of retribution in reincarnation, and believe that the contemporary emperor is the true dragon and emperor. Reincarnation.

How wonderful is the saying - magic can only be defeated by magic!

As for what is this magic that can defeat magic?
I am afraid that only people living in this era, those truly knowledgeable and knowledgeable scholars of the time, can know this. Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but ask: "In my opinion, how should we prevent it?" "Although the national destiny of the Ming Dynasty is still there, , it is far from the time of national subjugation, but now it is indeed a year of great strife, with bandits and thieves fleeing, causing chaos alternately, internal and external troubles are constant, military leaders everywhere are determined to preserve their strength and are unwilling to use their lives, and the country's affairs are worrying.

And like Uncle Yongning, who started in war and became an uncle because of his merits, the army officers and soldiers are the foundation for Uncle Yongning to stand in troubled times. There is no room for mistakes, and the court and the emperor must also know this.

In the future, Yongning Bo will fight hard on the battlefield, suppress bandits internally, and fend off bandits externally. He will make new achievements and be granted the title of Duke and Marquis soon, or even in the end, he will probably be unable to do so.

At that time, all the powerful armies in the world were under the command of Uncle Yongning, which would definitely arouse the suspicion of the imperial court. Although he did not dare to do anything to him, there was no guarantee that the famous imperial weapons would not be used as bait to lure the generals away from Uncle Yongning and turn to serve as commanders. The minions of the imperial court, in turn, became a weapon to check and balance the uncle. "

Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng listened to what he said. It was true. He couldn't help but nodded frequently and looked at Sun Shixiang sincerely, wanting to hear what he would say next.
"Uncle, there is no other way to control and balance this technique. It has been around since ancient times. It is just used here."

Although Zhang Cheng had knowledge that was hundreds of years beyond that of the people in the Ming Dynasty, he really didn’t know the ancient methods mentioned by Prime Minister Sun. He immediately asked: "What ancient methods are there?"

"Like the 'proton' in the Spring and Autumn Period..."

"Wait... 'Proton'?"

Zhang Cheng abruptly interrupted Sun Shixiang's words and blurted out: "I remember that during the Warring States Period, countries would send 'protons' to each other."

"Exactly."

When Sun Shi saw that Zhang Cheng knew about the Warring States Period, he was surprised, but he didn't take it seriously and just listened to him continue: "Long before the Warring States Period, during the Spring and Autumn Period, there had been incidents of sending princes to pledge themselves.

At that time, King Ping of Zhou moved eastward, the royal family declined, and the princes expanded. In order to appease Duke Zheng Zhuang, King Ping held Prince Zhou's son hostage in Zheng. In order to avoid suspicion, Duke Zheng Zhuang also held Prince Zheng in hostage in Zhou Dynasty. This set the precedent for the pre-Qin princes to exchange hostages and accept hostages. .

From then on, when the two countries were at war, the loser begged for peace and had to send the prince as a pledge; and when the two countries formed an alliance, they also had to give each other the prince as a pledge to show their sincerity; when an enemy country came to attack, they surrendered without a fight in order to gain the enemy's trust. If you want to send a proton; if you ask for help from other countries, you also need to take a proton; if you ask other countries for help in revenge, you must send the prince as a pledge before you can get permission.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, countries accepted protons from each other as an oath of "alliance with heaven", which was not enough to strengthen their agreement. When morality collapsed, they could only rely on accepting protons to win each other's trust.

This is the so-called 'qualifying one's beloved son to burden one's heart'. "

After listening to what he said, Zhang Cheng became confused: "Sir, accepting a pledge means using the son as a pledge. Doesn't this kind of operation chill the hearts of the soldiers?"

"My uncle's concerns are not unreasonable."

Sun Shi understood Zhang Cheng's concerns very well, but he went on to say something reasonable: "But everything has its own method. When we use the method of protons, we can not mention the actual nature of the protons. That's it. It’s the reality of getting a pledge, but there’s no suspicion of accepting it.”

"How about it?"

"I heard that Uncle Yongning founded the 'Gong School' and the 'Lecture School of Martial Arts' on Beilu. He ordered all officials and generals. All the men of the right age in the family should study in these two schools. If they succeed in their studies in the future, they might as well become uncles." Potency.

Nowadays, Uncle Yongning's reputation is at its peak, and the officials will naturally have no other concerns and happily accept it. The uncle can also consider the children's qualifications and include them in the Gong and Wu Halls respectively.

In the future, those who are not important can be sent out to work in workshops, or sent to various places to serve as officials, or they can be assigned to various battalions as generals; and those children who are important can be kept by their side as relatives when they grow up. Soldiers guard.

In this way, it does not have the name of a proton, but it can have the effect of a proton, and there is no suspicion of forcing officials to accept the pledge. Isn't it the best of both worlds? "

Before Zhang Cheng could express anything, Sun Shixiang continued rather mysteriously: "Furthermore, the children of these important officials and generals have grown up with my uncle. They must have been influenced by my uncle and have great admiration for him." .

In the future, if he is sent to the army or returns to his father, he can become his uncle's eyes and ears and serve him loyally. If his father has evil intentions, he can also be his son. "

Zhang Cheng was quite satisfied with the method suggested by Prime Minister Sun to gather the descendants of generals and officers under his command and use them as personal guards, and he nodded in approval frequently.

Sun Shi also showed a look of joy on his face when they saw each other, and he said again: "Uncle, now the generals in each battalion have guards of varying numbers, but they are different from the generals in other towns. They are not He is his private servant.

The Prime Minister believed that all generals and officials were like Uncle Yong Ning's humerus, so they should be taken more care of. Therefore, the Prime Minister suggested that the uncle should select loyal men with excellent martial arts skills from each camp and build a personal guard.

The number of guards can be unlimited. From now on, the guards of each general will be filled by loyal and brave soldiers in the guard. They will be replaced regularly, and they can also be promoted to the military academy of each battalion.

In this way, these guards have been with the uncle for a long time, and they are naturally loyal to him. When they serve as guards for the generals, they are thinking of the uncle and can do their best to protect the safety of the generals.

And the generals will be grateful for the uncle's love and care, and they will not dare to betray the uncle! "

"Well, Uncle Ben did not consider the matter of guarding a bit."

Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng continued: "According to the regulations of our Yongyi Army, each battalion has a fixed number of guards for the generals and deputy generals. However, before, only loyal and brave men were selected from each battalion to serve as guards for the generals. Now after listening to what Mr. , there is indeed something wrong with it.”

He stood up and came to the window, looking at the willow branches moving in the wind outside the window, and said: "I only have this group of adopted sons and dozens of people around me. Now that I think about it, it is really not enough to use."

He turned back to look at Sun Shixiang and said to him: "It is better to listen to Mr. Sun's words than to read ten years of books. I want to keep Mr. Sun by my side and listen to his teachings sooner or later. I hope you will not refuse."

Sun Shixiang also stood up when he heard the words. He bowed and saluted and said: "I am already half buried in the loess. Uncle Meng will not give up. He even came to see each other before he came three times to invite you. This is the kindness of knowing each other. Prime Minister Sun should repay you with a spring of water."

It was after this conversation that Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng formally formed the "White Armor Guards" who only obeyed his orders!
The White Armor Guard is the personal guard of Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng. Its official number is [-] cavalry. It belongs to the personal guard of Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng. Its members are one person and three horses, and they are equipped with uniform armor and equipment.

Because the armor they wear is all silver-white, even the muskets each person is equipped with are painted white, and the horses they ride on are mostly silver-white, so they are also called the "White Armored Guards"!
However, since the day it was formed, the number of White Armor Guards has been more or less constantly changing, and has never been stable at full strength. Its actual number has always been a mystery.

Of course, these are all things for later...

…………

Since then, local scholars and students of Xuanfu, represented by Sun Shixiang, his descendants Buhuo and Sun Buxia, and Hu Yiwen, have all devoted themselves to Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng.

This move also became an important symbol of the transformation and transformation of Yongning Bo Zhangcheng's armed group. It also represented an important event in the basic formation of the prototype of a local warlord group headed by Yongning Bo Zhangcheng and centered on local literati and military generals in Xuanfu. (End of chapter)