In the spring of the third year of Chongzhen's reign, the trees showed new green and the grass sprouted. The land of northern Shanxi was a prosperous scene.
Wulan City will be built soon. By then, the Yun Mansion will add a strong city to the Hanhai Grassland, which will play a decisive role in controlling the Hanhai Grassland. Since the defeat of the Khalkha tribe and the surrender of the Ouar tribe, there is no longer a stronghold in the northwest of the Hanhai Grassland.
Hidden danger. The caravans from the south passed through Zhangbei, Ulan City, and Guining City and crossed Langshan to Urg. The road became smoother. This also led to more prosperous trade in northern Shanxi. Countless caravans went to northern Shanxi to barter, especially
Zhangbei and Zhangjiakou have become the most prosperous places in northern Shanxi.
The prosperity of northern Shanxi is in sharp contrast to the bleak scene in other parts of the Ming Dynasty. Most of the commercial functions of Zhangjiakou in northern Shanxi have been replaced by Zhangbei, but it is still a place where caravans come and go for enjoyment. There are streets full of pedestrians.
On the way, there was a lot of traffic. It was about to pass, and the cheers of the vendors spread throughout Nancheng, and a motorcade slowly entered the city.
This convoy consists of three carriages, followed by a dozen men on horseback nearby. At the front are two middle-aged men in green shirts. One is quiet and the other is rough. They are Shang, the second general of Hengha under Mao Wenlong.
Ke Xi and Geng Zhongming.
Along the way, Geng Zhongming kept paying attention. He found that since he passed Xuanhua Town, the people looked better the further north they went. Now when he came to Zhangjiakou, he found that the prosperity of business here was actually better than that of Jizhou City. Such a prosperous scene is very strange.
It’s hard to imagine that this is the northern border of the Ming Dynasty. As the head of the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty, Xuanhua Mansion should not be the place with the heaviest pressure. Before coming, Geng Zhongming thought that this place should be inferior to Pidao. It is close to the Mongolian ministries and is deeply disturbed.
, years of military disasters, most of the people have been displaced and miserable.
When I arrived at Xuanhua Mansion and took a look with my own eyes, I realized how wrong I was. Zhangjiakou is far more prosperous than Jizhou. I heard that Zhangbei is even more prosperous than Zhangjiakou. What kind of scene is that?
Originally, I was a little reluctant to be transferred to Xuanhua Mansion. After working hard under Governor Mao for nearly twenty years, I finally made a name for myself, but I was transferred to Xuanhua Mansion and had to start everything from scratch. Who would be willing? But
There are some things that he, Geng Zhongming, cannot decide. Since Governor Mao has died and Governor Sun has taken office, he will naturally have to find a way to integrate the various ministries in Liaodong. As the old department of Governor Mao, he has always had rifts with the various ministries in Liaodong. In order to avoid making mistakes in the future, Governor Sun can only
Sacrifice some people.
It was impossible for Governor Sun to transfer away Liaodong local snakes such as Zu Dashou and He Kegang. He could only transfer Governor Mao's old department. Speaking of which, Governor Sun had good intentions. Although he was transferred, he could avoid future problems.
Conflict. Geng Zhongming knew very well that if there was a conflict in the future, it would be these former commanders of Mao who would suffer. In the end, they would still be transferred to other places.
Instead of being a coward in Liaodong, it is better to find another way out. I heard that Tie Mo is a student of Governor Sun. When he came here, Governor Sun said that he would not be in trouble for himself, Shang Kexi and others. I just don’t know if he will be as good as Sun.
The Superintendent said that after all, what the future holds after coming to Xuan Mansion depends on General Bing Tie’s ambition. He is not worried about the abilities of his own monk Ke Xi and others. He is just afraid that he will not be welcomed in this strange place and be treated poorly.
People suppress it. This is not a leather island, and we don’t have our own soldiers and horses.
Not long after walking forward, a middle-aged man with an elegant appearance came up with someone. He stared at it, cupped his hands and said, "The person here is Geng Zhongming from Liaodong, two generals like Shang Kexi?"
Geng Zhongming and Shang Kexi used to work under Mao Wenlong, who was also a powerful one. This time they took their family and defected to Xuanfu, which was like starting over from scratch. Before Shang Kexi could move, Geng Zhongming had already dismounted and quickly returned the salute, "It's me.
Wait, I wonder who your brother is?"
"Wang Zuogao of a certain family is currently a staff member of the Yunfu garrison. Due to the urgent military situation in northern Shaanxi, General Tie went to Zhangbei in advance, so Wang was ordered to receive you two here! I wonder if the two family members can come together? Wang
It’s easy to arrange a house for someone!”
Wang Zuoguan bowed, as if waiting for the other party's answer. Shang Kexi looked at Wang Zuoguan, his nose twitched, and his face showed displeasure. He came all the way to seek refuge, only to be greeted by a staff member. It was really disrespectful.
.
Geng Zhongming coughed and quickly winked at Shang Kexi, telling him not to talk nonsense. Geng Zhongming didn't mean to look down on Wang Zuogao. The other party said he was a staff member of the garrison, and he seemed to have a low status. But in Geng Zhongming's view,
Staffing is a very special profession. It is either held by someone who is close to the superior and has outstanding abilities, or it is a temporary job to earn a living.
Obviously, Wang Zuoguan belongs to the former group. Can a staff member who is close to General Tie be an incompetent person? Such a staff member is more powerful than the deputy guard of Yun Mansion. Moreover, this person just spoke seemingly casually
, is actually full of temptations.
Geng Zhongming was glad that he came to Xuan Mansion with his family, otherwise, others might have thought too much. He thought a lot in his mind, but remained calm on his face. He turned around and pointed to the carriage behind him, "Hey, this time I
I came here to join General Iron, and I was just waiting for General Iron to give me a meal. Naturally, I brought my whole family with me. Otherwise, I won’t bother Brother Wang about settling down... I’ll wait.
There is still some surplus..."
Wang Zuogao relaxed his brows and said with a hearty smile: "What did General Geng say? Commander Tie personally ordered this residence. How can I let you find it by yourself? Don't worry, Wang has already purchased the residence.
I wonder if we should go to Zhangbei now or continue our journey tomorrow morning?"
"Brother Wang, if nothing happens, let's go to Zhangbei now. There are too many things in the carriage, and it will be very troublesome to get up and down. Moreover, Geng has admired Tie Shou for a long time and is really looking forward to it. In the future, he will have to ride in Tie Shou.
I have to ask Brother Wang to take care of my work under the command of the General Soldier!"
Geng Zhongming pulled Wang Zuoguan's hand, turned slightly sideways, and stuffed a small box in. Wang Zuoguan narrowed his eyes and pushed the small wooden box back, "General Geng, Wang knows that you are worried. In fact, it's okay
No need. As long as you are capable and loyal to General Tie, no one can block your way. Wang can tell you that General Geng is easiest to display his talents under General Tie. As for these things, I think
Just skip it, you really don’t need it.”
Wang Zuoguan's voice was sincere and did not seem to be fake, which surprised Geng Zhongming. He did not force it. He took back the small wooden box and said with a smile: "It's true that Geng overthought it."
Soon, the group left from the north gate and headed towards Zhang Bei. Along the way, Geng Zhongming and Wang Zuoguan kept chatting, but Shang Kexi rarely interrupted.
"General Geng, you may not know that Governor Sun wanted to transfer you to Dengzhou at the beginning. It was my Iron Chief who relied on his relationship with Governor Sun to ask him to come." Wang Zuozhang said calmly
Smiled.
Geng Zhongming's brows furrowed in surprise, and he turned around and asked, "Is there anything else?"
"This is absolutely true. When Commander-in-Chief Tie was talking to Commander Sun, Wang was standing by. Governor Mao had passed away. Commander-in-Chief Tie knew that these old troops would be in a very embarrassing situation. He knew that they were all very capable people.
That's why I tried my best to transfer you to Liaodong. So, you don't have to worry about having nothing to do when you get here, the commander-in-chief will definitely put you to good use."
Geng Zhongming's heart trembled when he heard it. Of course, he wouldn't believe it all. These words were probably half true and half false. However, there was a very important information revealed here. Wang Zuogao's status was probably higher than he imagined.
important.
"Brother Wang, you have to know that we are all the old subordinates of Governor Mao and are not welcome by others. Now that we have arrived at Xuanfu, we are new here and we don't dare to have too many thoughts!" Geng Zhongming lowered his body and smiled wryly.
.
Wang Zuoguan smiled secretly in his heart, this Geng Zhongming was really shrewd and his words were impeccable.
"General Geng is overly worried. Do you know where Mr. Wang comes from? Compared to you, Mr. Wang is much inferior. Last year, Mr. Wang was still a grassroots bandit. He also followed the Shaanxi rebellious party and fought with the imperial soldiers.
Come and go. Not only Wang, but many people in the Yun Mansion are not very good. Two generals, Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing, were once under Wang Ziyong."
At this time, not only Geng Zhongming was surprised, but even Shang Kexi, who had been pretending to be mute, couldn't help but say, "Is there anything else? Generals Liu and Li were once under the command of the thief Wang?"
Nowadays, Liu Guoneng and Li Wanqing are no longer unknown people. Their names are resounding throughout the North, especially in the battle of Liaodong last year. Now Li Wanqing also went to Liaodong with Governor Sun to take on the responsibility of
The position of commander of personal guards. Geng Zhongming and others had been in Liaodong for a long time. They only knew that these two people were from the lower class, but they did not know that they had actually been bandits.
Seeing the reactions of Geng Zhongming and others, Wang Zuoguan knew that what he said before worked, "Haha, do you guys think it is necessary for Wang to lie about this matter? This matter is not a secret, many people in Yun Mansion know it.
.How is it? The generals should be relieved now, right?"
Geng Zhongming nodded secretly. If everything goes as Wang Zuogao said, he really doesn't need to worry. When it comes to ability, Geng Zhongming doesn't think he will lose to anyone.
.......
At Zhangbei Moon Palace, after a tiring day, Tie Mo lay on a chair and closed his eyes to rest. Xinya sandalwood was burning in the room, and Nunu obediently held up her little hands to help rub her forehead.
There have been too many things going on recently, and Tie Mo is very busy. It is inevitable to send troops, but the Yun Mansion's troops have just gone through a fierce battle. Which troops to dispatch is really a problem.
Fortunately, apart from the bad news, there is also good news. At least on the other side of the Tula River, the Khalkha Tribe has been completely split, and the Eastern Khalkha Tribe has almost become a vassal of the Yun Mansion. Hai Lanzhu sat aside and blew in the hot air.
He handed over the tea and said, "Drink it, it's just right. Let me tell you something. Yesterday, Ama's people sent a letter. Haraqin moved more than ten miles east, and the number of Jurchen soldiers and horses nearby also increased by two thousand.
There are many people. It seems that Huang Taiji no longer trusts our Horqin tribe. Amma asks you if you can support us with some food. Otherwise, under the pressure of Bulgatu, some tribes may turn to the other side."
"Huh? There have been so many things going on recently, but I have completely forgotten about things over there." Tie Mo sat up slightly, took a sip of tea, thought about it, and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, even if Huang Taiji knows that your Ama has
What about other ideas? At most, they should be restricted. Dorgon's affairs are enough to give him a headache, and he doesn't dare to intervene in Horqin's affairs at this time. As for food... that's no problem, that's it.
How to send it there is a difficult problem."
"As long as we deliver the food outside Xifengkou, Amma will have a way to take the food back to the tribe!"
"Well, I will write an order later, and you can just take people to prepare the food. From now on, you can make your own decisions on such small matters. In short, you have to take care of your Ama's affairs, so don't let me as your husband suffer!
"
Hai Lanzhu's pretty face turned red and she rolled her eyes coquettishly, "Bah, where did you get this husband from? You are shameless, and your marriage has not been settled yet, and you are still talking about..."
"Can you blame me for this? I also wanted to get married as soon as possible, but if you look at recent events, I..."
Tie Mo was about to argue with Hai Lanzhu when a loud noise came from the yard. Hai Lanzhu suddenly frowned and seemed to be a different person, "How can this be unreasonable? I have already said it."
You are not allowed to make loud noises in the Moon Palace, but we want to see who dares to make a noise here."
Opening the door, a gust of fragrant wind blew in, and a tall blonde beauty burst in. Behind her, several guards scratched their heads in distress, obviously they couldn't do anything with a woman.
Hailanzhu's face was filled with anger, and she waved her hand to signal the guards to leave. Although she didn't say anything, for some reason, the blond beauty seemed to be afraid of Hailanzhu. She just looked at each other and quickly turned her head to the side.
"Elizabeth, how many times have I told you? Do you still remember the etiquette I taught you?"
"I...I" Elizabeth pouted, gave a decent salute, and then whispered: "Didn't you say you want to improve the artillery and find ways to reduce the weight of the artillery? I'm already working hard, but I can't
I have money, so I asked Miss Chang for it, but she said she had no money and asked me to come to you..."
Hai Lanzhu's beautiful eyes rolled over, and she underestimated Chang Minyue in her heart. Chang Minyue was really shrewd, so she threw this big trouble over her when she couldn't handle it anymore.
Hai Lanzhu was also a little annoyed with this foreign woman. She asked for money whenever she met. In her life, besides cannons, money was all she wanted. Chang Minyue couldn't get the money, but Hai Lanzhu had money in her hands? Last year in Liaodong
During the war, I obtained a lot of supplies, sold them, and saved a sum of money. But now that war is about to start again, it is the time when money is needed, how can I throw it to this foreign woman?
"I don't have money. You need money every month. How much money is enough to cause you harm, don't you know how to save a little?" Hai Lanzhu refused sternly, with a cold look in his eyes.
Elizabeth tilted her head and saw Tie Mo inside at a glance. She immediately walked into the back room with her long legs and said, "Sir, you asked me to make the cannon. Do you want to pay me or not? If you don't pay me, I will let you shoot it."
Can’t shoot!”
Tie Mo squinted his eyes and looked at Elizabeth from head to toe. This foreign girl really needs to have good looks and a good figure. In the past year, her life has become more and more nourishing, and she has become more and more attractive.
"Haha, Elizabeth, do you think I can have sex? Do I still need your permission?"
Elizabeth looked confused, but Hai Lanzhu understood.