Father can be an enemy country

Chapter 1029 Learn from each other’s strengths

After finishing his inspection in Guizhou, Zhu Zhen came to Puding Fort again. This fortress, originally used to defend the Ming army, has become an important guard post for the Ming army on the eastbound route - Puding Guard.

This spring, while establishing the Yunnan Dusi, the Ming Dynasty also formally established the Guizhou Dudu Commandery Division to govern Guizhou Xuanwei Division.

Under the Guizhou Dusi, there are eighteen guards and one thousand-household guard, basically like Puding Guard, which are distributed along the eastbound road and Wuchi Road. However, most of them were as undermanned as the Puding Guards, with only two to three thousand officers and soldiers stationed.

Although Zhu Zhen is the governor of Yunnan, due to various reasons, Guizhou has not yet established a chief envoy. The civil affairs in Guizhou, Puding, and Wusa are temporarily under his jurisdiction. Therefore, it is also his duty to inspect Puding Guards and express condolences to the officers and soldiers stationed there.

Moreover, He Rong, the commander of the Puding Guards, is also the eldest son of He Zhen...

~~

He Rong led the 2,300 officers and soldiers of the whole guard to line up at the gate of the fort to welcome the prince's arrival.

"Welcome Your Majesty!" He Rong shouted and led all the soldiers to kneel down on one knee. All the soldiers also shouted loudly: "Welcome the prince!"

"Brothers, please get up quickly." Zhu Zhen laughed and helped He Rong up, and said to the soldiers: "I have also fought in Puding Fort, and we can be regarded as comrades-in-arms."

"Yes, a year ago, the prince and the Marquis of Xiping cleverly captured Puding Fort, won the battle to defend Puding, and even conquered three cities in a row to win the victory. This has become a legend." He Rong said with admiration on his face. Pat the horse trail.

"Hahaha, that's all the credit of Marquis Xiping, I didn't do anything." Although Zhu Zhen said this, he couldn't help but smile happily. He looked up at Puding Fort and sighed: "It's only been a year, and there are no traces of the original fierce battle."

"What do you mean by His Highness?" He Rong was stunned for a moment, then suddenly said: "Women from the Puding Department?"

"They were afraid of us, so they all moved back to the mountains." He Rong replied.

"What you are saying is that the ready-made wife is right in front of you. Are the brothers too picky or are they unwilling to follow them?" Zhu Zhen asked with a smile.

As he spoke, he suddenly asked in a confused manner: "Where are you originally from? Are all the soldiers married?"

"When the general came last year, the land under the fort was still purple-red, and you could see bones and broken weapons everywhere." He Rong said quickly:

"No wonder." Zhu Zhen nodded understandingly: "After all, 70% of the men were lost in one fell swoop."

He looked around and saw no sign of the natives, so he asked, "Where are the Puding tribe who were originally here? I remember they were pardoned last year."

"That's right." Zhu Zhen sighed: "It was really a bloody battle."

"Back to Your Highness, we are from Mianyang Guard, and most of the soldiers are bachelors." He Rong said with a bitter smile: "Now that we are stationed in this ravine, it will be even harder to find a wife."

"Yes, the Puding Division has lost 70% of its men, and our Puding Guards are 80% unmarried. Isn't this a match made in heaven?" Zhu Zhen said with a smile: "Actually, it doesn't matter if we are married, and what if we have a little wife? ?We have plenty of land and can afford it!"

"It wasn't until this summer that there were continuous heavy rains that the blood stains on the fort wall were washed away."

The two walked into the fort while chatting. Zhu Zhen saw that the fort had changed drastically. A large number of private houses had been demolished, and the vacant space became a military school ground.

"To say that the girls in the Puding Department are actually pretty good. Although they are a little darker, their noses are high and their eyes are big, which is annoying." He Rong sighed and said, "Brothers, it's not like that. I thought about finding a wife locally, but after the whole family hid in the mountains, they didn’t have any contact with us. Even if they want to attract the brothers, there is no chance to secure a matchmaker. "

"That's it." Zhu Zhen said in a comprehensive manner: "Since I have encountered this problem, let me help my brothers solve the problem."

"Do you know where to find the cow beggar?" He asked He Rongdao again. "You know the leader of the Puding tribe, right?" He Rong nodded.

Zhu Zhen then said: "Go and ask someone to tell him that I want to see him."

~~

The prince summoned him and arrived quickly.

At noon, Niu Qi appeared in front of Zhu Zhen, bowed to the ground and bowed.

"Get up." Zhu Zhen waved his hand and asked someone to move him.

The cow beggar thanked him profusely and sat down with only half of his buttocks resting.

Zhu Zhen looked at the sad-looking Niu Qi and asked with a smile: "How is it? Have you officially become Ju Mu of the Puding Department?"

"His Majesty, I'll take it for granted, but the Puding Department may be gone soon." Niu Qi said with a sad face.

"What's going on? Didn't the court pardon you?" Zhu Zhen asked knowingly.

"Yes, but we don't have Puding Fort, many men have died, and there are no canonizations from the court. The surrounding tribes are all eyeing us and want to eat us." Niu Qi sighed: "This It’s a world of the weak and the strong, and those who are weak will be eaten.”

"Really, that's great... Oh no, that's too bad." Zhu Zhen said with a sympathetic face: "Anyway, you have made a contribution in the end, and I don't want you to be eaten like this. "

"Your Majesty is so kind!" Niu Qi knelt down and kowtowed vigorously: "The villain and Pu Dingbu are willing to become His Majesty's cattle and horses, and they only ask for His protection!"

"Now is the Ming Dynasty. We don't want to do the same thing as the Yuan Dynasty." Zhu Zhen waved his hands and said: "Just tell me how you want this king to help you. Make you a senior official?"

"Oh, that couldn't be better." Niu Qi said with tears in his eyes: "With the canonization of the Celestial Empire, at least no one will dare to annex us easily."

"Let you go back to Puding Fort again?" Zhu Zhen asked again.

"Are you dreaming, little man?" Niu Qi pinched himself hard and it hurt. "Now that I'm back in the mountains, I realize how good it is to live in a fort. Not only are the living conditions in the mountains poor, the land is not good, and you have to carry water for watering. There are few men, so there's no way to water it..."

"Then I'll give you some more men." Zhu Zhen smiled.

"Ah?" Niu Qi opened his mouth wide.

"They are all the best sons of our Ming Dynasty. They are all strong and strong." Zhu Zhen pointed at the soldiers who were practicing on the campus outside and said with a smile: "How about it? I am good enough to you, right?"

"This..." Niu Qi couldn't turn around. Fortunately, his mind was quite flexible, and he soon understood that he had to agree to the third item before the first two could count.

"How many wives do soldiers need?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course, the more, the merrier." Zhu Zhen said with a smile: "The soldiers have come all the way to garrison in this mountain ravine. How can a woman who knows neither cold nor heat, and mends things, be content? It just so happens that your tribe is also short of men. We can learn from each other’s strengths.”

(End of this chapter)