Chapter 994: Great achievements that shake the master?
Author: Snail is not a cow
Chapter 994: Great achievements that shake the master?
Lu Dachun stood behind Niu Sheng and watched Yong Ningbo's cavalry retreating away. He was filled with emotions in his heart. He was originally an unpopular little postmaster on Xuanfu North Road.
If he hadn't met Zhang Cheng and received Zhang Cheng's appreciation, he might never have been able to leave Yunzhou Fort, let alone the North Road, or even leave Xuanfu Town.
Now, not only has he walked out of the Xuan Mansion, but he has also joined the ranks of the imperial officials of the Ming Dynasty. Although he is still only a sixth-grade idle minister, his identity and status are incomparable with those in the past.
By the way, who on Xuanfu North Road doesn't envy him, Lu Dachun?
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In fact, not only were they envious of people like Lu Dachun who could enter the capital, but the military households and common people on Xuanfu North Road and East Road were now particularly envious of all Xuanfu army officers and soldiers.
Nowadays, the prosperity of North Road has become the highest in Xuanfu, and behind this prosperity is the consumption of the vast number of Xuanfu soldiers. They have sufficient military pay every month, plus the rewards they received from the battles.
It is enough to support the prosperity of Xuanbei area.
Next is the East Road, where various construction projects are in full swing. A large number of workshops have been built outside Yongning City, and many of Yunzhou Craftsman's flagship products can be produced here.
Of course, the manufacturing of guns and artillery, which is the core technology of the Xuanfu Army, is still concentrated in Yunzhou Craftsman Camp, but commercial items such as cigarettes, glass, mirrors, refined salt, as well as swords, guns, armor, chariots, horse gear, etc.
They all started manufacturing here in Yongning.
Yongning City was the fiefdom of Zhang Cheng's "Uncle Yongning". Although the Ming Dynasty had discontinued the land-based title system, Yongning had been under Zhang Cheng's control before.
Moreover, Yongning City is located in the Guishui River Basin with a large arable area. It is also the key to important places such as Sigou Fort and Heihanling Fort of Beijing Enterprises. It can also be used to control Yanqing Prefecture, so it is the main goal of Yongning.
After entering the city, Zhang Cheng began to cultivate the land deeply.
However, the East Road is not comparable to the North Road. There is also the Yanqing magistrate appointed by the Ministry of Personnel, and most of the local residents belong to the common people registered in the Ministry of Household Affairs, instead of being all military households like the North Road.
However, this did not trouble Zhang Cheng. He did not want to securely occupy this place and become a local emperor. He just wanted to make full use of the land and manpower on the East Road to support his increasingly stretched finances.
This idea coincides with the prefecture of Yanqing. Previously, Yanqing was poor and backward, and it was very difficult to collect money and grain every year. There were often arrears, which affected the promotion of the prefecture of Yanqing.
Now, Zhang Cheng actually wants to vigorously develop farming and workshops in Yanqing Prefecture, and he will naturally have a lot of power, although everyone's official authority may be reduced due to Zhang Cheng's growing reputation.
However, with his outstanding political achievements, wouldn't it be better to be able to change to a more prosperous place to serve as an official, or to go to Beijing because of this? What's more, no matter how hard Zhang Cheng goes, and regardless of whether he succeeds or not, the original promise to Zhizhou
That year will be followed correctly.
As for Zhang Cheng's surveying the fields and verifying matters in Dingkou in Yanqing Prefecture, it would definitely benefit the local area without any harm, but the potential risk is that it would offend a large number of powerful local families.
However, these are no longer the problems of the Yanqing magistrate. No matter what kind of local powerful he offended, it is also Zhang Cheng's own problem. The Yanqing magistrate can just pick peaches when the time comes. Even if he can't pick the peaches, he can still blame him for the crime.
Throw it all to Zhang Cheng, why wouldn't he do it?
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The figures of Yongningbo and Zhang Cheng's cavalry gradually disappeared from everyone's sight, and Lu Dachun's eyes fell back on Niu Sheng.
Although he has now become the butler of Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng in the Earl's Mansion in the capital, in fact, the person who can safely represent Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng in the capital is still the unofficial Mr. Niu Shengniu.
.
Although Niu Sheng is now just the chief shopkeeper of Jingxi Yuan Longchang, no one calls him the chief shopkeeper. Instead, they all refer to him as "Master Niu" or "Uncle Niu".
Because almost everyone in the capital already knows that the boss behind Yuan Longchang is none other than Zhang Cheng, the deputy commander-in-chief who has risen in Xuanzhen in recent years. He has a backing in the court, and even the current emperor has
Very appreciated.
Seeing that Zhang Cheng had gone away, Niu Sheng turned around and clasped fists with everyone and said: "Master Yu, Master Yuan, Master Wang, Master Ma, Master Liang, please go back to the courtyard to rest for a while. When I tell you to prepare the chassis, I will send a few more masters back."
Mansion."
Yu Shangyou and others had frequent contacts with Niu Sheng and Wang Zhaozheng. Since Niu Sheng and Wang Zhaozheng did not hold official positions, they usually addressed each other as "master". Over time, they began to call each other this way in informal situations.
Several people walked back talking and laughing. They were all very excited. Everyone felt that they had found the right backer this time, and they were all very happy that Zhang Cheng was awarded the title of Yongning Bo at such a young age.
After a while, several exquisite sedan cars were prepared, and some new year's goods were prepared for several gentlemen in the car. Yu Shangyou and others were very happy.
What's important is not the value of the New Year's goods, but the fact that these are special products shipped to them from the Xuanfu area under the orders of Uncle Yongning. This is not the value of them.
Uncle Yong Ning’s thoughts and having them in Uncle Yong Ning’s heart is the greatest reward for them!
After seeing off Yu Shangyou and several others, everyone returned to the courtyard to the west of the racecourse, where Wu Jinkang, a doctor from the Ministry of Industry, had been waiting here for a long time.
Wu Jinkang is different from Yu Shangyou and others. He is a real relative of Zhang Cheng, and his wife is also the great matchmaker of Zhang Cheng's wife Zhengfang. This relationship is naturally far beyond what outsiders can compare with.
Now, the reason why he stayed here and never left was because there was another important matter to discuss.
Sure enough, after everyone sat down, Niu Sheng said first: "Mr. Wu, the marshal ordered us to escort Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu, and accompany Mrs. Tang from the Yongning Mansion to Chicheng to celebrate the New Year.
I wonder if Mr. Wu has any other instructions, when can we set off?"
Wu Jinkang twisted his beard and said, "It's okay for my wife and young lady. They can get ready in just one or two days. I don't know when it will be cheaper for the little Mrs. Tang from Uncle Yongning's house to leave."
When Niu Sheng heard this, he immediately looked at Lu Dachun and said, "Guan Lu, please go back to Yongning Uncle's Mansion immediately. First, please say hello to Mrs. Tang, and then make your itinerary."
He looked at Lu Dachun and said to him: "Lü Dachun, except for the several groups of guards left by Uncle Que, the rest of the servants, servants, and maids in the Earl's Mansion are all people placed by the palace, in order to prevent the Dongchang hidden among them.
Fan Zi, don’t trust anyone.
This point is the most important, you have to remember it for us."
Lu Dachun couldn't help but break into a cold sweat when he heard this, but he still replied firmly: "Don't worry, Mr. Niu, Dachun has memorized everything."
Niu Sheng added: "Although the people in my uncle's house are not trustworthy, at most they are spies from Dongchang. They will not endanger my uncle's safety for the time being. You only need to observe secretly everywhere, but you can't teach them to see."
Get some clues."
"Yes, Dachun has remembered it."
"We also have two hidden piles not far from the Earl's Palace, just in case. You don't need to know where they are hidden. Just remember that if there is danger, someone will rescue you out of the city.
." Niu Sheng ordered.
"Dachun has memorized everything."
Niu Sheng said again: "There is an antique store, a silk and satin shop, and a pawn shop on Qipan Street. These are all properties that are officially in the name of our lord. From tomorrow on, you will be the one to represent the lord."
Take care of.
From now on, if you have anything to do, you can go to Tongchun Tower to discuss with the shopkeeper Wang. If it is not an urgent matter, there is no need to come to the west of the city to find me. Only when it is urgent, you can go straight to the west of the city."
"Dachun has kept everything in mind, please rest assured, Mr. Niu."
The few people here talked about some miscellaneous things, and Wu Jinkang, Lu Dachun, Wang Zhaozheng and others got up and left.
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It turned out that Zhang Cheng had already guessed that the reason why Emperor Chongzhen would so readily reward himself with the beautiful palace maids around him must have a deep meaning.
He just wanted to use Tang Chunru as a spy beside him, not only to spy on whether he was really loyal, but also to win over himself. If Tang Chunru was favored, he could use this to control Zhang Cheng.
In addition, you can also test whether Zhang Cheng is really as lustful as the rumors say?
How could Zhang Cheng not see these tricks, but "seeing through but not exposing" is the true meaning of life, especially when you face the king of a country, this is even more important!
Now, even if Zhang Cheng knew that Emperor Chongzhen actually gave him a beautiful concubine, which actually had a deeper meaning, he could not refuse, and he would be like a hungry wolf in lust. For this reason, he refused to go out, and spent the whole day indulging in the boudoir with Tang Chunru.
happy.
While Zhang Cheng was playing music, singing and dancing day and night, and having endless banquets with Tang Chunru, he also faced everyone who came to visit and decided how to receive them based on the number of congratulatory gifts he delivered. He looked like a military man who was greedy for money and lust.
Doesn’t Zhang Cheng not know the principle of “high achievements shake the master”?
However, he knew that the Ming Dynasty was already in a precarious state and there was not much time for him to act slowly, so he did not hesitate to destroy his reputation in an attempt to win the trust of Emperor Chongzhen.
Therefore, this time Emperor Chongzhen asked him to leave Beijing as soon as possible and return to Xuanfu. The purpose was naturally to hope that he could reorganize his army and send troops to Henan as soon as possible to help suppress the Caoliu thieves.
However, there was another seemingly insignificant sentence in the emperor's oral instructions. Emperor Chongzhen asked Zhang Cheng to take Tang Chunru back to the Xuan Mansion so that Tang Chunru could fulfill his filial piety in front of the old lady.
This seems to be a great favor from the current emperor, but in fact he wants Zhang Cheng to take this little spy given by the emperor with him to monitor his every move and see what Zhang Cheng is thinking in his heart!
Zhang Cheng had no reason to refuse Emperor Chongzhen's kindness. Although he led the escort to leave the capital on the grounds that the emperor's order was urgent, he did not dare to leave Tang Chunru alone in the Earl's Mansion.
That's why he turned to Jingxi Racecourse after leaving the city. In addition to meeting with everyone and making arrangements, he mainly made arrangements for Tang Chunru's trip to Xuanfu.
Coincidentally, a few days ago, the Wu family's aunt received a letter from Zhang Cheng's mother and aunt, inviting the Wu family's aunt to go to Chicheng again. It happened that Yongningbo's wife Ji Xuanzhu also missed Miss Wu's family very much, so she invited her to come with her.
gather.
Now, Tang Chunru, the young lady of the Yongning Mansion, happened to be traveling with the Wu family's aunt and daughter to the Red Castle, so it was convenient to arrange for accompanying guards.
From now on, Lu Dachun will stay in the Yongning uncle's house. In addition to taking care of the internal and external affairs of the uncle's house, he will also observe the people in the house closely. If he finds anyone behaving strangely, he will secretly note it down and observe it carefully.
In fact, it is difficult to discover the real Dongchang spies. They are just like ordinary people, engaged in their own work in their respective positions, and rarely contact their superiors. They only secretly report their observations on a regular basis.
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Unless something major is discovered or a major change occurs, he will not hesitate to expose his identity and urgently send a message to his superiors.
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Just as Yongning Bo Zhang Cheng, Datong Commander-in-Chief Wang Pu, and Shanxi Commander-in-Chief Li Fuming embarked on the return journey, a bloody fight was going on in the hinterland of Zhongzhou in the Ming Dynasty.
It's the fourth day of the twelfth lunar month in the fourteenth year of Chongzhen. The battle between the Cao Cao rebels and the siege of Nanyang has been going on for the tenth day. Both sides are attacking and defending, and the sound of cannons is booming every day.
Before noon that day, Yao Yunxi, the magistrate of Nanyang, was supervising the defense of the city in Beicheng. Unexpectedly, he was hit by the masonry stirred up by a stray bullet. He fainted on the spot and was rushed down to the city.
Fortunately, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Liu Guangzuo arrived in time to stabilize the defense of Beicheng, and the bandits were unable to break through the city.
However, Mengruhu and Liu Guangzuo had been defending Nanyang for nearly ten months. In May of this year, the rebel army had besieged Nanyang City. Fortunately, Baoding Governor Yang Wenyue led an army to come to the rescue, and the rebel army retreated.
Now the Chuang Cao army has returned with greater momentum, but the city's food supplies are insufficiently prepared and are now running out. With no reinforcements and food supplies, the army's morale is unstable and morale is low, making it difficult to defend the city.
Finally, on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, Nanyang East City was breached by the Cao Cao bandit army. With the continuous influx of most of the bandit troops, Nanyang City was in danger and it was difficult to continue to hold on.
However, at this time, the commander-in-chief, who was as fierce as a tiger, and the deputy commander-in-chief Liu Guangzuo were hungry and exhausted, but they still fought hard under the leadership of the two of them.
When Meng Ruhu came down from the west city where he was responsible for commanding, there were only more than 200 soldiers and servants left around him. He led these people to fight in the streets to stop the rebel army, while retreating towards the Tang Palace.
His idea was to retreat into the palace city, protect Tang Wang Zhu Yurong, and take advantage of the chaos to escape from the city and seek refuge elsewhere.
But at this time, all three gates of Nanyang City were destroyed, and the rogue cavalry had already rushed in and intercepted him halfway. He was still some distance away from the Tang Palace, but there were only dozens of soldiers left around him.
At this moment, the war horse under his crotch was suddenly hit by an arrow and ran forward, causing him to fall to the ground. Although it was as fierce as a tiger and was injured in many places and covered in blood, it refused to surrender.
He still yelled and fought on foot with his sword in hand, and rushed towards the palace of the Tang Dynasty. The remaining ten or so soldiers behind him were also like him, holding spears and shields, fighting to the death, but no one was timid.
Just when there was still a stone's throw away from the palace of the Tang Dynasty, hundreds of intruder Li Zicheng's bandits suddenly came out and surrounded them tightly.
At this time, the fierce tiger knew that he had no way to escape. He roared, fell down and knelt down towards the north, knocked his head vigorously, and roared in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, I have tried my best..."
After prostrating, the fierce tiger went crazy, brandished a big sword, roared and charged into the bandits' formation without hesitation.
After a long time, the shouts of killing gradually subsided. The tall and fierce body of the tiger stood against the wall, and a stabbing spear penetrated his heart. The barrel of the spear could not help but tremble, and blood could not stop dripping from the red tassel on the head of the spear.
fall.
A generation of Ming Dynasty's fierce generals passed away in anger, with loyalty and regret in their hearts.
On the other side, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Liu Guangzuo was also in the melee and was missing. No one knew whether he died in the battle or had escaped out of the city. There was also Ai Yuchu, the deputy garrison counselor, who greeted Yang En and taught Yang.
Qi Kai and other officials all died fighting after the city was broken.
As Nanyang City Guards officials died in battle, sporadic fighting in the city gradually stopped, but another bloody killing continued...