prosperous age

Chapter 208 Chapter 207
Three days later, Wei Guangde saw the latest urgent report from the Datong Army on the tower of Juyongguan. More than [-] troops of the Datong Army had passed Weizhou and were rushing to Huailai.

There was a strong wind at Chengguan, and Weng Pu fell ill again two days ago. For these two days, he was leaning on the temporary bed on the city tower, and the main work fell on Wei Guangde, distributing the grain and grass brought in from various places. Yongning and Yanqing dispatched a batch of foreigners, and Huailai also needed to prepare some for the upcoming arrival of the Datong Army.

At the same time, the grain and grass that should have been transported to Xuanfu were also transferred from Huailai to Baoan Prefecture in batches. After all, the road from Yanqing to Baoan had been cut off by the Tartars.

The strategic value of Huailaiwei was highlighted at this time.

"Guangde."

At this time, Weng Pu on the bed had already put down the documents in his hand. He fell asleep for a while before, and after waking up, he read the urgent report sent by Datong, so he called Wei Guangde over.

"When will the food for Huailai and Baoan arrive?"

Because the food and grass that were sent were all transported from Tongzhou along the road of Shunyi and Changping, they did not arrive at the same time. When Weng Pu asked at this time, Wei Guangde thought that he had forgotten about the batch that had been sent two days ago. Hastily explained.

"I'm asking about the grain and grass stored in Huailai. Most of the previous batches were shipped to Baoan Prefecture to supply the Xuanfu Army. There were not many left in Huailai. According to the military report, the forward speed probably We can reach Huailai in eight or nine days, if there is not enough food and grass there, I am afraid there will be chaos again."

Weng Pu is still a little weak at the moment. He suddenly developed a high fever two days ago. Although the fever has subsided by now, he is not in good health.

"You have done a good job coordinating here in the past two days, and you look a little bit better."

Weng Pu smiled and continued.

Previously, Weng Pu's main job here was to transport and distribute grain and grass. Wei Guangde was not an idiot, so he naturally followed suit. Even if Weng Pu fell ill, he could continue to operate according to the distribution principles formulated by Weng Pu without any mistakes. .

"Your Excellency is overrated."

Wei Guangde thanked Weng Pu for his praise very low-key, but he was guessing what Weng Pu meant by saying this.

"I have discussed the general idea of ​​this battle I planned with you, it's very good, I can hear the lines in the words, you think the same as I do.

The main thing to do here in the future is the distribution of logistics and supplies. You can do it well. I will go to Huailai in two days, and then go to Baoanzhou. "

Weng Pu's sudden words made Wei Guangde a little surprised, this is not good, what kind of trouble is Master Weng going to do?
The Xuanfu army is indeed a bit afraid of the enemy and fights timidly. The military report sent recently was still blocked by the Ida Department, unable to move forward.

Of the 5000 reinforcements dispatched by Xuanfu this time, nearly [-] people have already arrived in Baoan Prefecture, but it is said that they dare not make the slightest move in the face of nearly [-] Tartar cavalry.

Mr. Weng Pu Weng is a little suspicious of the report from the Xuanfu?
After all, the two consecutive military newspapers did not mention that they carried out a tentative attack, that is, if Tartar cavalry appeared in front of them, they would not move.

"My lord, I'm afraid it's not safe for you to go to the security guard at this time, not to mention that your body is not recovered yet."

Wei Guangde still said.

"Hehe, Guangde, do you think that if I don't go to Bao'an Prefecture to supervise the battle, the Xuanzhou Guard would dare to send troops to fight the Tartars?"

But Weng Pu sneered and said: "You are from Jiujiang Guard, so now it seems that the only guard in the south of the Yangtze River that can still fight is Jiujiang Guard.

Although the frontier army is known as the strongest army in the world, I don't think it may be much stronger than Jiujiang Wei. "

Wei Guangde understood that Weng Pu was afraid that he would still be a stunned young man, so he reminded himself not to think that the Tianxia Guard is the same as Jiujiang Guard because he only came into contact with Jiujiang Guard.

"And this, take it back and burn it."

While speaking, Weng Pu took out a document from the inside of the bed and handed it to Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde picked it up out of curiosity and took a look, instantly horrified.

This is an official document he wrote yesterday when he watched Weng Pu fall asleep after taking medicine, and it is to be sent to Changping and Yumei to check the records of the recent caravan.

In the conversation with Weng Pu a few days ago, although Shanxi merchants were not involved, Wei Guangde still has this suspicion. This time, the invasion of the Anda Department may be just for looting and other things, not to invade Daming or attack the capital.

Since the Shanxi merchants were suspected, Wei Guangde naturally had to find someone to investigate first. Checking the recent border situation of the caravan was the first thing to do.

It's just that I didn't expect that the official document I signed and sent out yesterday would appear here intact and be handed back to me.

"I understand what you're thinking. It's just that now you want to repel the Ministry of Defense and drive them out. It's not easy to cause trouble, and people have left their names and geese. As long as they do it, wait for the matter here. Just investigate further, cough cough."

Weng Pu said lightly, then coughed violently again.

"However, I worry that time will drag on for a long time"

Wei Guangde continued to speak after Weng Pu's cough stopped, obviously Weng Pu guessed what he was thinking, maybe he also had this idea, but he just kept it secret.

"If someone is really involved in this matter, they are the ones who are scared now. At least they will not take it lightly until the Alta Department withdraws from the Great Wall. If you send someone to investigate, there will be no results. Instead, you will startle the snake."

Weng Pu glanced at Wei Guangde, and continued: "Since you can think of this, I think you should also know that there are businessmen secretly smuggling in Shanxi."

Weng Pu said that he looked at Wei Guangde here, saw him nodding, and then continued: "There are a lot of things involved here, and it can't be explained clearly in a short while, but you have to understand that as long as there is a commotion, it will inevitably involve the court. Are you ready for the collision of the two forces in China?"

"What two forces?"

Wei Guangde was very puzzled, even if Shanxi merchants were found to be smuggling, or even attracted Tartars to invade, it would only affect Shanxi, and the merchants were still the main ones. What court.

"Hehe, you, you should have seen something in the Imperial Academy, so you have this guess, but have you thought about the reason behind it?"

Weng Pu looked at Wei Guangde and suddenly laughed.

"When an official does something, you have to think deeply about why it happened, why someone pushed it, and what they are for, otherwise you will never know the interests involved behind the incident.

You only think that someone may smuggle goods, but have you ever thought about it? Some officials reported this matter many years ago, but has the court ever made a big move? "

Wei Guangde lowered his head and recalled that he did not see follow-up processing in those memorials. Most of them wrote "strict investigation", as if it was an established procedure.

"It seems that you don't know the background at all."

Weng Pu looked at Wei Guangde, then shook his head and said, "Then let me tell you, Shanxi merchants made their fortunes because of the salt administration, because they received a lot of salt from China and France, and then became a big salt merchant. You may not have been to Zhejiang, I He is from Zhejiang, and I know that many big salt merchants there are actually closely related to Shanxi, some have family branches in Shanxi, and some are from Shanxi."

"Your Excellency, you mean that the current salt administration is caused by someone taking action against the original salt merchants and robbing them of their profits?"

Wei Guangde knew the elegant meaning after hearing the string song, so he immediately speculated.

"The Hongzhi Dynasty began to change the method of accepting grain from China to accepting silver to open China. Although it solved the shortcoming of the imperial court's lack of money, it made the situation in the border towns deteriorate sharply. The main reason is that the grain and grass in the border towns need to be transported by the imperial court. All meet their needs.

At the same time, due to changes in the salt administration, the merchant villages acquired by Shanxi merchants in various ways lost their value. They chose to give up the merchant villages and instead paid for the salt directly. The price of salt has also risen. This is only for those big merchants. arrive.

Small merchants were unable to resist, so they chose to start trade outside the customs, or smuggling business.

In the past, they often provided food and grass for the border towns, and they had a good relationship with the generals of the frontier army, and sometimes they made things easier for them.”

Having said this, Weng Pu sighed and did not continue.

"However, even so, the imperial court cannot allow them to do such things that violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

Although Wei Guangde was a little surprised that there was such a bizarre story behind the smuggling by Shanxi merchants, he still did not agree that such a thing happened.

Everything has pros and cons. When the pros and cons are weighed, continue if the pros outweigh the cons, and change if the pros outweigh the pros.

Shanxi merchants cannot be allowed to poach the country's corners to make up for losses just because the interests of Shanxi merchants have been damaged.

"The interests involved in the salt administration are so great that they and the forces behind them have to bow their heads, but the fish will die and the net will be broken. This is the result of a compromise."

Weng Pu continued: "How many fertile fields are there in Shanxi? Let me tell you, most of them are from the original military settlements, and finally they can be in the hands of Shanxi merchants. You should understand who is standing behind them."

"The big merchants in Shanxi completely transformed into big salt merchants, and small and medium merchants started smuggling into Mongolia?"

Wei Guangde asked in a low voice, "Is this the result of their negotiation?"

Seeing that Weng Pu became an old monk and stopped speaking at this time, Wei Guangde knew that what he said might be the truth.

Wei Guangde stopped talking, he had already crumpled up the documents in his hand, and planned to burn them on fire later.

Now that he has slender arms and legs, he might not even be able to withstand the forces behind the Shanxi merchants, let alone forces stronger than them. If he made a move, he might be turned into ashes in an instant.

"Whatever you do in the future, you must first understand what the truth behind it is, so as not to be taken advantage of by others. Sometimes you don't even know how to offend people."

When Weng Pu saw Wei Guangde's actions, he reminded him again.

"Guangde has been taught."

Wei Guangde hastily bowed his hands in salute, he now knows that Weng Pu intercepted the document he sent out, which actually saved his life.

He sent out the investigation document at this time. If there was something he guessed, the other party would have been staring at it.

If you expose yourself, you will definitely be silenced. Now is the time of war, and there is no better time than this.

At the same time, Wei Guangde also felt a trace of fear in his heart.

Weng Pu was still able to control this place even when he was ill. He thought he was sleeping, but in fact everything was under his control.

This may still be the old world.

Wei Guangde recalled what he had learned before, that Weng Pu Jinshi and Jidi were first dispatched as county magistrates, then returned to the Ministry of Officials, and finally inspected Huguang and Jiangxi.

"Jiangxi is a good place. I have stayed there for more than five years, and it is the longest place I have stayed since I became an official."

Weng Pu smiled at Wei Guangde.

"My lord, in fact, I still don't understand why those illegal businessmen in Shanxi can't be moved now."

After Wei Guangde laughed, he still asked out his inner curiosity.

"Salt administration, the fish is dead and the net is broken."

Weng Pu stared at Wei Guangde for a long while before uttering two words.

Only then did Wei Guangde understand why at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Shanxi merchants made a lot of money by colluding with slaves and smuggling them. A fattened pig is right.

In the past, Wei Guangde wondered why there were no dignitaries in that era who killed them and plundered their accumulated wealth.

Only now did he realize that perhaps those rich and powerful valued more on the long-running salt administration business, which was a bit of a trick.

Even, perhaps, to help cover up some things, so as not to end up in the end.

Wei Guangde wanted to understand this, but as for what to do in the future, whether to investigate Shanxi merchants, Wei Guangde didn't dare to think about it for the time being.

Quietly walked aside and threw the ball of paper into the brazier, and then walked to Weng Pu's bed again.

"My lord, you said earlier that you would go to Bao'an Prefecture to supervise the war, but I still suggest that you give up this idea. If it doesn't work, you can give the performance to the capital, and ask the capital to send someone to preside over it."

Wei Guangde said after thinking about it.

"Hehe, are you willing to give up such a great contribution? This time, the Anda Ministry can only enter 20,000 people. As long as the Xuan army is in place, we can expel them. Our army will surely win."

Weng Pu laughed suddenly.

"But it's a battlefield after all, and it's dangerous."

Wei Guangde still said.

"It's dangerous, it's true." Weng Pu smiled, "Stand out and look at the fleeing people at the pass. They will flee for a day after the war drags on. Only by ending the war as soon as possible can they go home."

"My lord can issue official documents and strictly order them to fight."

Wei Guangde frowned, but still said.

"It's useless, even if you invite them an imperial decree, as long as you don't stare at them, they will still obey."

Weng Pu shook his head and said: "Now is actually the time for the Xuanfu army to launch a feigned attack on our army. The Datong army is already on the way. If we launch a feint attack at this time, our army must be cautious after knowing the whereabouts of the Datong army. I dare not go here. Stay for a long time, as long as they leave the Great Wall, the world will be peaceful."

"Ok?"

Wei Guangde was slightly surprised, the amount of information in Weng Pu's words was a bit large, and he didn't realize it for a while.

"After the Datong Army arrives, if our troops don't retreat, don't stay here anymore, go directly to the Datong Army to supervise the battle, and let them fight with all their strength, otherwise we will not be able to explain when we return to Beijing."

Weng Pu then said to Wei Guangde.

"Your Excellency, what do you mean, the Datong army will be the same as the Xuanfu army, and they will not dare to fight?"

What Weng Pu said was similar to what Wei Guangde thought. It would be really funny if the two armies would not dare to fight when the Xuan Da army was in place.

The local garrison had to guard the city and the pass of the Great Wall, so naturally they didn't dare to mobilize and attack at will. The only thing they could use was the mobile Xuanda and Dawei armies.

(End of this chapter)