On August 25, the twelfth year of Chongzhen, Emperor Chongzhen finally ordered Yang Sichang to go to the front line of Huguang to supervise the troops to suppress the invaders, and gave him the Shangfang Sword.
On September 6, after some preparations, Yang Sichang entered the palace to bid farewell to Emperor Chongzhen. On that day, when he was farewelling Yang Sichang on the platform, Emperor Chongzhen presented a poem:
"Yanmei is temporarily serving as the Qiancheng, and the general will command the Xiliu Camp. The atmosphere of the bandits will be swept away and peace will be restored. We will also provide education and improve the people's livelihood."
After hearing the emperor's poem, Yang Sichang cried and worshiped on the spot, and then left the capital and embarked on his own road of no return.
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On September 7th, Ji Youqing returned to the capital with gifts prepared by Zhang Cheng and Ji Xuanzhu for his parents-in-law.
That night, in the study of Ji Mansion, the father and son talked about Zhang Cheng.
"Qing'er, from what you see, Zhang Cheng is comparable to an extraordinary general?" Ji Zhiheng asked while sitting in his chair.
Ji Youqing stood respectfully in the room and said, "Based on my observations, my brother-in-law Zhang Cheng is by no means an ordinary warrior."
"Oh, how come you see it? Let me tell my father what you saw and heard on this journey to the north."
Ji Youqing sorted out his thoughts for a while, and then said: "It has only been more than four months since he left the North Road of the town, but he is already extremely prestigious. He completely controls the military heads of all the forts on the North Road, and has raised nearly ten thousand military personnel.
, I have been working hard every day, and I have begun to gain combat effectiveness.
Looking at his words, he is not only insightful, but also has an extremely broad vision. He can see not just North Road, but the entire Xuanzhen, even Datong, Shanxi, and as far away as Henan, including Gyeonggi Province.
It's in his planning."
Ji Youqing then introduced what he saw on this trip to see off his relatives on the North Road. Starting from the first meeting with Jin Yong and Chen Zhong outside the Chang'an Mountains, he saw no less than 10,000 soldiers from the North Road along the way.
He is so energetic and fierce that his momentum is far beyond the comparison of the soldiers in the capital camp.
Moreover, Ji Youqing also saw the officers of the North Route Guards and the generals of each battalion. In his eyes, these people who were regarded as Qiuba by the officials and officials in the capital, all of them exuded a sense of vitality.
"I really can't figure it out. How did Zhang Cheng do it in less than half a year?" Ji Youqing was still full of doubts at the end.
Ji Zhiheng got up and paced back and forth in the study for a long time before he stopped and said, "Having a son-in-law like this is a blessing or a curse!"
"Father, what do you mean?"
Amidst his son's doubts, Ji Zhiheng continued: "According to what you said, Zhang Cheng can also be called a son-in-law riding a dragon. If the country is stable, he may be a foreign aid to you and Youci.
You two brothers are really helpful.
But now there are rogue bandits all over the place. The Yangge tribe just left Beijing yesterday and went south to Huguang. This trip is also a mixed blessing, with good and bad luck yet to come!
What's more, the Eastern captives are becoming more and more prosperous, and they are no longer what they used to be. They repeatedly invade the capital and come and go as they please. They have become an unstoppable force.
On the other hand, in our Ming Dynasty, it is for the benefit of all parties to be united and to defeat differences. How many people still have the heart to seek the country?"
He paused and then said: "In these troubled times, it is both a blessing and a misfortune to have a son-in-law like this.
According to your observation, Zhang Cheng will become a pillar of the country in the future. If his heart is right, we, father and son, will become the means of the imperial court to control him. If he has even the slightest deviant intention, we, father and son, will certainly not be tolerated by the imperial court."
"ah!"
Ji Youqing felt scared now, and felt a chill in his heart. He asked in surprise: "What should I do according to my father's opinion?"
"Just wait and see what happens!"
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"Cold dew is not cold, frost changes the sky!"
During the "Frost Descent" season, all things are completed and completed in Xu, the sun sinks to the ground, the Yin Qi begins to condense, and the weather begins to get colder with the Frost Descent. After the "Frost Descent", winter is getting closer and closer.
Most of the military households on Xuanfu North Road are busy. Now the autumn harvest is almost at its end, and the wheat grown in the fields has almost been harvested.
And when the frost comes, even the extremely cold-resistant green onions can no longer grow, because "the frost can't afford the green onions, and the longer they grow, the more space they need."
Zhang Cheng has been living here since he accompanied his wife Ji Xuanzhu to Chicheng Castle. The two of them wandered around the mountains and forests near Chicheng all day long as if they were on honeymoon.
Ji Xuanzhu especially likes the hot springs southwest of Chicheng Castle. In recent days, she and Zhang Cheng have stayed in Ruiyun Temple, enjoying the beauty of the hot springs and soaking and sleeping together all day long.
Ten days ago, Zhang Cheng's mother Zhang Yang, aunt Zhang Han, and the Wu family's cousin also came to Chicastle. Wu Tingyue and Zhang Lifang were called back to their mothers to give Zhang Cheng and Ji Xuanzhu enough time.
Come and create a little person quickly!
In fact, Zhang Cheng just hid in Chicheng to avoid the recent chaos on the North Road because he was accompanying his bride back to Guining.
Although Jin Xinpeng had been asked to spread the word one after another before, and the matter of monopoly and commercial tax collection had long been spread, the rumors had not really started yet.
Once it really started, the franchise was okay. It only involved the three items of salt, wine and tea, and the impact was not that far-reaching. Everyone thought that Zhang Cheng was taking the opportunity to make money, and wanted to make more money besides salt and so on.
It's just a one-time tax.
However, the increase in commercial tax has affected most of the merchants and shops on North Road. Everyone's resistance is very obvious, but this is all within Zhang Cheng's expectation.
The reason why he avoided Chicheng was because he wanted to spend his honeymoon with Ji Xuanzhu, but more importantly, he didn't want to be annoyed by the merchants who came to petition.
Soon, the Wei Si Tun Army, under the command of Jin Xinpeng, publicly arrested the storekeepers and owners of the merchants who took the lead in resisting the tax. As the stick fell, some merchants began to actively pay commercial taxes.
In fact, these people had been arranged by Zhang Cheng a long time ago, and they were just waiting for the opportunity to set an example. With their leadership, the merchants on North Road began to pay commercial taxes.
Although there are still many merchants clamoring all day long to go to Beijing to file a petition, but after clamoring and clamoring, not many of them dare to go. Even those who want to go only realize that they have already reached the north.
There is no way to leave.
…………
There is a hot spring three miles south of Ruiyun Temple. The temperature is suitable and the surrounding trees are lush. Although the branches and leaves are sparse, they are still dense and full of greenery, which is very interesting.
Nowadays, there are strong women guarding various large and small crossings around this place. They either guard the crossings in groups of three, or patrol in teams of five.
In the hot spring, Zhang Cheng was soaking in the hot spring pool with his bare arms. Next to him, beside a mountain rock, Ji Xuanzhu, wearing a Ruyi-shaped obscene garment with a wraparound front and back, and a white gauze scarf on the outside, was also there.
Enjoy the nourishment of the hot spring.
Ji Xuanzhu's personal maids, Yurui and Xiuyue, also wore obscene clothes and accompanied Ji Xuanzhu. There were faint beads of sweat falling from their foreheads and faces.
The dream-like scene made Zhang Cheng fascinated.
Zhang Cheng swallowed and shouted softly to the other side: "Madam, come over and take a bath with me in the hot spring for my husband!"