Now that Guo Tongpan has found out the truth, Li Chengzhong will no longer go to other places. Jiedu Mansion has no extra money and food, so it is useless for him to ask for it. But this trip was not in vain for Li Chengzhong.
After having a general understanding of the military system and knowing the bottom line of Jiedu Mansion, he rushed to Zhou Zhiyu's Mansion to communicate with his superiors.
As soon as Zhou Zhiyu returned to the house, he immediately began to plan various matters for the southward march. As the newly appointed commander of the rear army in Hebei and ambassador to the grain station, in addition to gathering soldiers and horses from various states who had been incorporated into the rear army, he also had to worry about grain and grass matters.
When he was in Pingzhou, Zhou Zhiyu already had some staff under his account. In the past few days after arriving in Youzhou, many civil servants took the initiative to serve under him, either through entrusting people to recommend them or taking the initiative to send famous invitations. Zhou Zhiyu is currently busy with everything.
I'm busy and can't control too much. Anyone who comes to use it should be used first. As for whether it is reliable, we can only check it in detail in the future.
Now that the imperial court has declined and the feudal towns are strong, the scholars at the bottom have lost their way to enter the temple. A large number of scholars have to find another way out and join the command of the commander-in-chief of the feudal town one after another. However, the number of people recruited by the Jiedu Mansion is limited, so the various officials under the commander-in-chief are
Generals and high-ranking officials have become another choice for the scholars. It is conceivable that today, the news of Li Chengzhong's new appointment has spread, and it won't be long before those scholars who have been unable to serve until now will also come in droves.
Zhou Zhiyu established a government office in his house, and the seven or eight new staff members arranged copywriting in the main hall. At this moment, following Zhou Zhiyu's instructions, they began to draft various orders and official letters.
There are many things that need to be done. The first is to recruit the familiar staff from the Pingzhou camp to form a command team for the rear army. He also needs to issue deployment orders to the military envoys from various states who have been assigned to his jurisdiction, so that each state can suppress the army.
Report within the deadline. At the same time, we must promptly negotiate with the Jiedu Prefecture, the magistrates, the detainees, and the Peking Order Office to collect the food and wages needed for the army, and recruit the civilians and vehicles to escort the food and grass. We must also carefully study the advance of the rear army.
Route and date. Grain marching is no different from ordinary marching. Where the route is flat and suitable for grain trucks to pass, where the terrain is open and conducive to garrisoning troops, and where the terrain is critical and transfers can be established, all need to be considered one by one.
Various affairs were complicated, and Zhou Zhiyu discussed carefully with the new staff and planned hard at the same time. Fortunately, he has been in the army for many years, from the lowest-level soldier to the current General Xuanwei.
They are all very familiar and seasoned. Although they are not handling it with ease at this moment, they are still flawless.
When he heard that Li Chengzhong had arrived, Zhou Zhiyu temporarily put aside the affairs at hand and met his most important officer in the study.
Li Chengzhong explained everything he had learned from Guo Tongpan in the magistrate's room, and told Zhou Zhiyu Guo Tongpan's suggestions. After hearing this, Zhou Zhiyu said: "These things were expected. In that case,
, let’s not bother Jiedu Mansion. Now I don’t know how many pairs of eyes are staring at us. We should be more cautious. This time, the Pingzhou Army received a strength of 5,000 soldiers, but Jiedu Mansion did not give any money.
Everything is entirely dependent on Pingzhou's own financing. Now that I am the leader of the rear army in Hebei, half of these five thousand people must be brought to the rear army. This is what I promised to the commander-in-chief, and it is also the reason why the commander-in-chief allowed us to expand the army.
Of the remaining 2,500 people, I will give 500 to Yuguan and leave another 500 in Pingzhou Camp. Therefore, I can only give you an establishment of 1,500 people. The salary of these 1,500 people
It will be supplied by the Pingzhou Governor's Office. Since Lao Guo said that both Guizhou and Jizhou are privately recruiting sergeants, then we should follow suit. However, the Pingzhou Governor's Office cannot provide the cost of these private soldiers. Lao Zhang said that five thousand people will be supplied.
The food and salary are already his current bottom line...
Well, you just said that Lao Guo suggested that we go to Zhazi to exempt Pingzhou's money from food and gifts this year? Then let's go to Zhazi. No matter whether the Jiedu government agrees or not, we don't have to hand over a penny this year. If we start a lawsuit, someone will
Come on! We in Pingzhou need to raise our own food and wages to supply an army of 5,000 people. This reason is valid everywhere!
By the way, you must have got a lot of good things after occupying Liucheng and Yanjun. There is no need to send these things to a certain place. You can keep them yourself. Yingzhou is located outside the customs. There is no danger to defend. I am afraid that there are 1,500 people.
It’s too much to handle... Just use the money to recruit sergeants privately... How much can you raise?"
Li Chengzhong thought for a while and said: "We can raise another thousand people." In fact, he just ransacked the mansions of Dalang Jun Tuli and two die-hard elders, and the money he got to recruit three or five thousand people was not a problem, but
Of course I can't be so honest now.
Zhou Zhiyu nodded and said: "Then you hurry up and recruit. Fortunately, we have secured Yingzhou. Don't worry about the thousands of war horses that were promised to the commander that day. Just delay them as long as you can. Don't go to war without permission just to fill this gap. When the time comes, it will be the end of the war.
You have lost Yingzhou. The most important thing is to manage that territory well. Being able to establish a firm foothold in Yingzhou is the biggest credit. No one can find fault with you! After I went on the expedition, Pingzhou was empty, and Yuguan was peaceful.
There is almost no soldier left in the state camp. It will take at least three months to re-recruit soldiers and train them. The safety of Pingzhou depends on you. It is self-sufficient. Your burden is not light."
With Zhou Zhiyu's permission and acquiescence, Li Chengzhong was relieved of the last shackles on his body. Li Chengzhong was inexplicably moved and said: "General..."
Zhou Zhiyu sighed deeply and said: "Zicheng, this time I returned to Youzhou, I really saw clearly that these days, having soldiers in hand is the way to go. If you firmly hold the military power, then no one can do anything to you.
There are some rules that you don’t need to be too cautious about. It’s easy to follow them. I’m waiting for you to send good news from outside the customs! Five-year plan... Haha, I’m looking forward to it too!”
Li Chengzhong saluted deeply: "General, it is my blessing, Li Chengzhong, to meet the general!"
Zhou Zhiyu smiled: "Having the help of Zi Cheng is also a blessing for me!"
Li Chengzhong said goodbye. He had decided to leave for Liucheng the next day. This visit was also to say goodbye to Zhou Zhiyu. Zhou Zhiyu walked Li Chengzhong to the door, patted him on the shoulder, and went back without saying much.
Facing Zhou Zhiyu's back, Li Chengzhong bowed deeply again.
Neither of them expected what kind of twists and turns they would experience when they met again!
…
Zhang Zhai has already begun to tidy up his family. The Yameni's move to ask Zhang Jingshao to propose marriage frightened this small family. Under Li Chengzhong's suggestion, he prepared to move his family to Pingzhou. If Zhou Zhiyu moved to his home, it might cause Jiedu
The government is paying great attention to them, but the Zhang family, an old man who cannot lift a knife, and a young man who is now the head of the Pingzhou Army... no one will pay attention to them.
Because time was short, we packed it up in a hurry. We had nothing but money and valuables. The house was entrusted to Lao Dutou's former subordinate, Master Chen, who sells wine at Mingyue Restaurant, to take care of it, and all the household furnishings were left behind.
——There was no time to pawn the sale, so I just packed two wooden boxes, together with the gift box that Li Chengzhong didn't send out, and loaded them on the cart coming from Pingzhou.
Because Li Chengzhong, Zhang Xingzhong, Wang Dalang and the four soldiers all rode horses, they went to the carriage and horse shop to buy a mule cart and let Lao Dutou, his wife and Lan'er ride in the cart. The driver was also Liu Ba. In this case, it could be done.
Try to save time on the road. Liu Ba bought the car. When he came back, Liu Ba looked solemn and reported to Li Chengzhong: "General, someone is watching us outside. When I went out, there were two people guarding outside the alley.
There, one of them followed XX to the carriage shop. XX pretended not to know, and when he came back, he entered the alley from the other end, and there were two people guarding him there. One of them, XX, he knew, was a gangster under Zhang Jiusheng."
Li Chengzhong also realized that something was wrong. To dare to stalk an officer's house so blatantly, even if the officer was just a general, was not something these ruffians dared to do. But he and Liu Ba had different considerations. Liu Ba was thinking
Did Liu Shouguang want to stand up for Zhang Jiusheng in the yamen? What Li Chengzhong was thinking about was whether the yamen wanted to find an opportunity to rob him secretly after failing to propose marriage.
He and Li Chengyue agreed to go to Mingyue Songfeng Pavilion to take out Wanzhi in the evening. He would not be away from Zhang's house for a while, so he told Zhang Xingzhong and Wang Dalang about this and asked them to take four relatives with them.
Wei was on guard at home and asked everyone to keep their swords close to their bodies. Of course, he did not believe that Liu Shouguang really dared to come to Zhangzhai to rob people at open fire. After all, he was no longer the same as before, but a high-ranking general in the Lulong Army.
Nothing happened in the afternoon. I just received a military letter from Zhao Jinglai, the new commander of the camp behind the mountain, asking the generals to return to their respective passes to prepare. It is planned to hold a military meeting in Jizhou on the sixth day of next month to discuss the deployment of the Khitan attack. Count the days.
, there is less than a month left.
A while before dinner, both Li Chengyue and Gao Xingzhou came to Zhang's house, first to bid farewell to Li Chengzhong, and secondly to help him pick up Wan Zhi. Wang Sili and Rhee Chengwan followed, ready to listen.
The future will be arranged by the Lord, so go back and make preparations early.
Li Chengzhong's eyes lit up and he ordered his soldiers to order meals at a restaurant outside and bring them to Zhang's house in the evening. He wanted to serve wine in the yard and talk to everyone.
Li Chengyue smiled and said: "Brother Zicheng will go to Yingzhou tomorrow. Today, I have made an agreement with the third brother. The third brother will be the host. Let's go to Mingyue Songfeng Pavilion to have a good meal and drink, and take out the Wanzhi by the way.
!”
Li Chengzhong told the story about someone watching outside the house, and told the two of them his guess. Li Chengyue said angrily: "This is too much! Brother Zicheng, don't worry, I will go back and arrange for someone to be there now, so that Zhang's house will be safe!"
"
Li Chengzhong stopped him and said: "It's not clear whether it was the yamen's fault. Maybe it was just Zhang Jiusheng who wanted to seek revenge. If you go out and blast the person away, then he comes back with another person. It's not good. We still
Just pretend you don't know. Anyway, the family will move out of Youzhou early tomorrow morning, so of course nothing will happen by then."
Li Chengyue had already noticed that Zhang Zhai looked like his family was moving, and asked quickly: "Lan'er is also going to Pingzhou?"
Li Chengzhong talked about his worries and said: "Tonight we will serve wine at Zhangzhai and we will have dinner together. I also took the opportunity to accept Lan'er as my adopted sister, and also asked everyone to be a witness. By the way, Dejian
, how did you go back and talk to the adults at home this afternoon?"
When he mentioned this matter, Li Chengyue was happy and said: "Although the adults in the family did not express their opinions, they did not reject it either. The adults said that they would think about it again, and it seems there is a way! Hehe! I have to thank Brother Zicheng for his great kindness!"
Since Li Juncao's attitude has changed and he no longer refuses blindly, it at least shows that Li Chengzhong's method is feasible. It also reflects Li Chengzhong's current status in the entire Lu Long Army - it has been greatly improved, but it has not yet reached its peak!
Gao Xingzhou comforted Li Chengyue at the side: "Second brother, don't be anxious, take your time. Lan'er can avoid a lot of trouble by following brother Zicheng to Pingzhou. This is also for the benefit of second brother."
Li Chengyue naturally understood Li Chengzhong's hard work and nodded: "Don't worry, I will step up my efforts!"