Although the officers and soldiers of each battalion of the Yongyi Army implemented a rotational holiday system during the New Year holiday, the officers and soldiers who went to Liaodong to participate in the war basically also got holidays.
Depending on their personal military exploits, each of them will have ten, fifteen, or twenty days off. After all, after the Chinese New Year, the army will go to war again, and it is always best for them to stay with their families for a few more days.
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Because Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng has lived in Chi Castle for a long time, it has become the center of the entire North Road and East Road. Thousands of households, guards, merchants, etc. from all over the castle, as well as Longmen Guards, Huailai Guards, Security Guards, Yanqing Guards, etc.
All the commanders and other officials of the guards came to the Red Castle.
Even if they fail to enter the core of the Yong Yi Army, they are still trying to squeeze into this circle, for fear that they will be excluded from Yong Ningbo's influence.
Once this happens, not to mention that he will not be able to take the fast track to promotion, and there is no telling when he will be replaced by the people around Yong Ningbo.
It is normal for the officials and generals of the Xuanfu who are in Zhencheng or in other areas to feel the oppression brought upon them by Yongning Bo.
But on the North Road, the officers and generals on the East Road have experienced this firsthand. Zhang Cheng is no longer the same as when he first entered the North Road. Now he can even change the garrison of thousands of households in the forts at will without even saying hello.
If any short-sighted guy dares to question Yong Ningbo's decision, he will definitely face the result of a forced change of position by soldiers, and there will be no way to complain.
Not to mention these officers and generals in the Xuanfu Town Guard System, even the two magistrates of Baoan Prefecture and Yanqing Prefecture, how arrogant were they back then?
Zhang Cheng, who was still the deputy commander-in-chief, had never taken a serious look at him, but now he is also attracted to Uncle Yongning. This is not only because Zhang Cheng's identity has changed from what he used to be!
The most important thing is that they benefited from Zhang Cheng. Let's not talk about anything else. The imperial court's money and grain taxation is the first performance assessment of local officials.
If this alone is possible, it is enough to obtain an "excellent" evaluation, let alone other aspects such as public security, lawsuits, corvee, etc., which are not very important.
Nowadays, famines are common throughout the Ming Dynasty, people are severely expelled, and large tracts of land are barren. Almost few prefectures and counties can collect enough money and food.
However, Yanqing Prefecture and Bao'an Prefecture, because of Zhang Cheng's support, not only the local stability, but also the full amount of money and food was turned over to the Ministry of Household Affairs every year, making their evaluation in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen stand out from the crowd.
Now that it's the New Year's Eve of the fourteenth year, how dare they not come to Chi Castle to pay their respects to Uncle Yong Ning?
This is actually Zhang Cheng's brilliance. He did not hide all the money and food he received like other generals, and became a brave man who only ate and did not poop.
"Silver can only reflect its value when it flows!" This is Zhang Cheng's belief and a famous saying he left to the world.
…………
"The sound of firecrackers marks the end of the year, and the spring breeze brings warmth to Tusu. Thousands of households always replace old talisman with new peaches."
On the first day of the first month of the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the streets in the Red Castle were full of people dressed in red and green, all with cheerful faces, stepping on the thin white snow and gathering outside the gate of the General's Ceremony.
Almost the whole street was filled with soldiers and civilians. Although there were many people, it was not very crowded. Everyone gathered in an orderly manner, all to wish Uncle Yongning New Year.
Zhang Cheng did not dare to neglect after hearing the report. He specially put on Yong Ningbo's court clothes, opened the ceremonial door and walked out. Behind him were eighteen adopted sons' personal guards wearing bright armor.
"Uncle..."
When people on the outer street saw Uncle Yong Ning, they all knelt on the ground. The snow on the ground was instantly covered by the crowd. They kowtowed and shouted auspicious words loudly.
"Uncle Yong Ning has a thousand years of peace and prosperity!"
Suddenly, an unknown person shouted loudly, and immediately they became one, shouting "Yongning Bo's Thousand Years of Peace", which resounded throughout the entire West Chongning Street.
It was noisy for a while, and then the people who gathered to pay their respects to Uncle Yongning gradually dispersed reluctantly.
…………
Nowadays, Uncle Yongning and Zhang Cheng are the only ones in the Red Castle. Not to mention that the military and food supplies are currently vacant, and there are no new appointments in the court. Even if they are in the castle, they are destined to come to pay their respects to Uncle Yongning.
say hello.
Things are different now!
When Zhang Cheng was still the deputy commander-in-chief, he had already fully controlled the military and political power of the North Road. At that time, He Chongwu, the military commander, and Qin Shizheng, the grain commander, were almost like decorations.
Now, he has become a high-ranking earl with high status. Not to mention the small military preparation and food supply, even the governor and governor have to come forward to pay homage to Zhang Cheng.
On the first day of the year, many officers and generals were waiting in the front hall of the General's Office to pay New Year greetings to Uncle Yongning. Many of them were not even allowed to enter the second hall. Only Wang Yuanjing, Yan Qingrong, Liu Minshen and others accepted the gifts on their behalf.
And the family members of Wei Zhice, Zhang Guangda, Zhang Guodong, Chen Zheng, Jin Xinpeng, Yan Qingrong and others are now in the inner house in the back hall, chatting and laughing with the old lady, madam and others.
Zhang Cheng, Bo of Yongning, was in the hall of the middle hall, receiving Qi Yuchu, the military commander of Huailong, Huang Daozhong, the magistrate of Yanqing, Deng Rongxun, the magistrate of Baoan, and others. His aide Liu Minshen was accompanying him.
After Liu Minshen received Zhang Cheng's approval, he could not wait for a moment. He hurriedly handled the government affairs at hand. Before the new appointment was made by the court, he made the handover with the county prime minister Duan Zhishen, signed the seal and left.
It is strange to say that the moral integrity of ancient literati is really a mystery. Some of them tended to follow others and were cunning and cunning; however, there was no shortage of people with noble moral integrity and good character.
More often than not, when they don't agree with each other for a moment, they hang the official seal high on the beam of the government office lobby and walk away.
In fact, from Zhang Cheng's perspective, this behavior is irresponsible and an act of evading responsibility. However, in people's perception at this time, this is not the case!
Many people at the time viewed this approach as a sign of the character and integrity of the literati, a resistance against collaborating with the treacherous villains, and a resistance to the shortcomings of the current officialdom.
However, no matter what, Zhang Cheng still admired Liu Minshen's integrity, so he did not blame him for it. Instead, he kept him by his side to observe his abilities up close.
Huang Daozhong, the magistrate of Yanqing, and Deng Rongxun, the magistrate of Baoan, sat together on the left side of the lower head, while Liu Minshen, the aide of Yongning Bo, sat opposite them and was talking softly with Qi Yuchu, the military commander.
Huang Daozhong looked at the former subordinate across from him with very complicated eyes. There was both envy and a hint of contempt. His heart was full of mixed emotions. He couldn't help lamenting: "I cling to a martial artist. I am really a scum of gentleness. I have lost all my civility."
The face of a man!"
However, there was a slight smile on his face and he said to Liu Minshen: "Brother Shen, if you follow Uncle Yongning from now on, you will definitely be able to use what you have learned in your heart to display your ambitions. When you are prosperous in the future, don't forget the truth.
"
Liu Minshen's face remained unmoved and he simply said: "Master Huang is joking. Minshen was a late student and was the magistrate of Yongning County. He was always under the care of the master. How could a student dare to act arrogantly in front of the master?"
Now, even though Min Shen has resigned and recommended himself to serve under my uncle, he is also loyal to our great Ming Dynasty. I hope that Mr. Huang can take care of his students as he did in the past."
"Where, where..."
Huang Daozhong saw that his words were neither humble nor arrogant, and he didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he could only respond vaguely with a slight embarrassment.
They came here, firstly, to pay New Year greetings to Uncle Yongning, and secondly, to pay taxes and money to the court. After a brief greeting, they exchanged greetings for a while, and then got down to business.
In fact, the reason why Zhang Cheng paid the taxes on their behalf was simply to control the land in the two states in this way. Although he had taken some actions before, he had only cultivated some abandoned fields.
"Tax money..."
When Huang Daozhong and Deng Rongxun saw Yong Ning Bo speak, they both looked at him nervously, fearing that the next words would be a bolt from the blue.
You must know that they paid the full amount of taxes to the court last year and received an "excellent" evaluation. If they fail to pay the full amount of taxes as scheduled this year, not to mention that their achievements last year will be lost, or even worse, they will be scorned by their colleagues.
Criticize.
"...It's not impossible to follow the method last year."
The words that Yongning Bo and Zhang Cheng seemed to say carelessly were extremely attractive to Huang Daozhong and Deng Rongxun, and they immediately waited nervously for the next step.
Just when the two of them were anxious, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng continued: "It's just that my army has been awarded the title of 'Brave Army' by the emperor, and now it has been expanded to six battalions, and the money and food required are very huge.
"
After Zhang Cheng glanced at the two of them, he continued: "As for Yanqing and Baoan Prefecture, although the land is quite vast and fertile, the grain produced is not enough to offset the tax. I lost money last year."
Many of them are probably unsustainable now.
unless……"
"Unless what?"
Huang Daozhong, the magistrate of Yanqing, was most concerned about this year's evaluation. Hearing that Uncle Yongning seemed to have something to hide, he couldn't help but ask questions urgently.
Zhang Cheng pursed his lips and smiled, and said calmly: "Yanqing and Bao'an Prefectures have quite a lot of land, but the amount of land under the government's name is not very large. I don't know if the same is true in the 'Fish Scale Book'."
"Fish... fish scale book..."
Huang Daozhong seemed to have some understanding after hearing this, and kept mumbling the words "fish scale book", but he glanced at the security guard Zhizhou Deng Rongxun beside him with the corner of his eye, observing the change in his expression.
I saw Deng Rongxun's hand holding the tea cup stopped in mid-air, as if frozen in the air, motionless. At the same time, his face was also uncertain, as if he was weighing something from left to right.
After a long time, Deng Rongxun, the prefect of the Security Bureau, breathed a sigh of relief. He gently put down the tea cup in his hand, without looking at the zodiac, but clasped his fists and saluted to Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng, saying: "Rong Xun is grateful to my uncle for loving me, the security people."
Feelings."
He thanked him first, and then continued: "Taxation and silver are the foundation of the country, but it is something that cannot be slowed down for a moment. However, as the parent of a state, I cannot lose money to the court, and I cannot govern the country.
The people here live in peace and prosperity, but every time I think about it now, I feel ashamed of the people of Baoan, let alone the imperial court, and the emperor."
Deng Rongxun finally added in a firm tone: "The fish scale book. I will send someone back to the security guard to get the fish scale book and hand it over to my uncle for disposal."
After Zhang Cheng heard his statement, he smiled and said nothing, but looked directly at Huang Daozhong, the magistrate of Yanqing.
After a while, Zhizhou Huang Daozhong seemed to have made up his mind, and he said: "Uncle, I will send someone back to Yanqing to get a book of fish scales and submit it to my uncle..."
"No need!"
After Zhang Cheng interrupted him, he continued: "It's the Chinese New Year, so let's not let anyone take a break. Let's leave the fish scale book matter after the New Year. There's no need to rush it. Anyway, there are still some days before the beginning of spring."
.”
As he said this, he turned to Qi Yuchu, the Huailong troops, and asked, "Really, the cavalry line?"
Although Qi Yuchu was chatting softly with Liu Minshen at the moment, he originally didn't pay much attention to what Zhang Cheng and others were talking about. However, when he heard the word "fish scale book" just now, he also paid a little attention to the conversation here.
At this time, when he saw Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng asking him what he meant, because he did not want to be involved in this unnecessary disaster, he vaguely replied: "It's not urgent, it's not urgent."
However, Huang Daozhong still felt a little uneasy and couldn't help but continue to ask: "Uncle, when will the tax money be sent to the court..."
"Ha ha……"
Zhang Cheng laughed when he heard this, and after a while, he said: "There is no hurry. I will write a divorce letter to the Ministry of Revenue, Yanqing, and the security tax money will be settled on me."
Now that the tax and money matters had been settled, there was no need for Huang Daozhong and Deng Rongxun to stay any longer. They chatted with Bo Yongning for a while, then stood up to leave and left together with Bing Xian Qi Yuchu.
…………
Beginning on the second day of the first lunar month, Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng, together with all the female relatives in the mansion, went to Ruiyun Temple in the valley southwest of Chicheng Castle under the retinue of the inner guards of the Detachment of Women.
The main reason why he brought his family members here was to avoid the frequent harassment from officials, generals, and gentry, and he also wanted to take this opportunity to accompany his relatives and experience the heat of Akagi Hot Spring.
Although Zhang Cheng is not a "devil in lust", as a normal man with a strong body, he naturally has the necessary needs!
What's more, isn't it the most normal thing to say that "eating and sex are related to food and sex" and "a gentle lady is a good gentleman?"
But people are not stones after all. As they get along day and night, their feelings will naturally continue to heat up. Especially when his wife Ji Xuanzhu gave birth to Lin's son for him, his sense of responsibility for the family arose spontaneously in his heart.
This kind of responsibility is not only to make money to support the family and create a broader living space for the loved ones around you, but also the obligation to accompany them!
In Zhang Cheng's previous life, he rarely spent time with his family due to his busy work schedule. Even if he occasionally had some time to spend with his family, it was mostly just eating and drinking.
Originally, he didn't think there was any problem with this, but after he traveled to this world, the longing for his family, especially the feeling of indebtedness to his family, tortured him greatly.
Therefore, when he gained a foothold in this strange world, the first thing that came to his mind was to spend as much time with his family as possible.
Maybe he wanted to use this method to make up for his debts in the previous life!