"Pang Xiaoyou, the most eye-catching thing about this park is the Taihu stones."
Pang Yu looked in the direction of Ruan Dacheng's finger with an envious look on his face. Ruan Dacheng's Stone Nest Garden consists of two rooms on the first floor and a garden. There are small bridges and flowing water in a clear pool. There is a rockery in the pool. Taihu stones are dotted around the pool.
The scenery, grass and trees, have a unique Jinling flavor, especially the odd-shaped Taihu stones, which were all shipped from far away and were very expensive. Ruan Dacheng wanted to show off.
Because he had been bombarded with information from his previous life, he was no longer surprised by most of the landscapes at this time. The look on Pang Yu's face was probably exaggerated. However, at this time in Nanjing, having such a landscape garden really made people happy.
He is envious.
Ruan Dacheng has been in Nanjing for more than a year. He is plump and well-kept, with a big beard, like a Maitreya Buddha who has returned to secular life. He enjoys Pang Yu's surprise. However, the weather in Nanjing at the end of July is not good under the shade of the trees in the garden.
It was extremely hot and sultry. The fat Ruan Dacheng couldn't bear it. Beads of sweat hung on his beard and eyebrows. He then called Pang Yu into the study. A maid brought in two pieces of ice, while the other two maids fanned the fans respectively. After closing the window, they briefly
has improved.
Pang Yu looked around the study room. It was similar to Ruan Dacheng's study room in Tongcheng, but the light in the room was better. Several window leaves were covered with crystal clear light. When the sunlight from outside filtered in, it showed vaguely colorful colors.
This is the Li shell window used by wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River. Li shells are moon shells. They are thinned by hand and then pieced together on the wooden window frame. In terms of light transmittance and heat insulation, it is better than kraft paper and white cotton paper.
But the cost is also much higher. Because it is extremely labor-intensive, the price is high. Only wealthy families in Jiangnan can afford it. In order to integrate officers and soldiers, Pang Yu still uses paper windows in his garrison. He didn't even ask Beike
The price of windows.
Ruan Dacheng wiped his face with a cotton handkerchief, and when he saw Pang Yu looking at the Li shell window, he smiled and said, "I have never seen a window with glass in Baimen (Nanjing). This time, the one sent by Pang Xiaoyou is square and wide, and the small one is small."
You are interested."
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were already a large number of glass craftsmen in Jiangnan, producing various types of lenses, glasses, lantern shells, prisms and other products, but glass windows had never been seen before. Pang Yu asked Bo Yu to try to make a batch of them, with different formats and transparency. The light quality is far inferior to that of later generations, but it is worse than the shells used by Ruan Dacheng. An area that can cover four shells has been said by Ruan Dacheng to be spacious, and it is even better than the novelty. The first floor of Dajiang Yinzhuang will be entirely made of glass, which is huge. Yu misappropriated a batch this time to give Ruan Dacheng a taste.
"It's not a big deal to be careful, but if you are going to use it in the bedroom, you'd better add a curtain inside."
Ruan Dacheng asked Pang Yu carefully about how to make curtains, and then thanked Pang Yu.
Pang Yu said politely, "Since the opening of Dajiang Bank, my husband has taken care of me many times and introduced relatives and friends to deposit money. I should have paid a visit to my husband long ago to express my gratitude. However, I am busy with military affairs. Every time I go to Nanjing, I come and go in a hurry. The Stone Nest Garden is completed
I apologize for not being able to congratulate you in person."
Ruan Dacheng knew that Pang Yu was hiding from him, but naturally he would not expose it at this time. He shook his head and said, "Although this Stone Nest Garden is called a garden, it is actually just a shelter. There is no wild scenery in Kusifang.
I can't create a grand garden, so I can barely count it as a small family. I didn't celebrate it in a big way, but I just invited some close friends to join in the fun. Especially when summer comes, it gets even hotter than a furnace. When the Niushou Mountain Villa is completed, I will be there.
At this time of year, I go there to spend the summer. Wherever I go, the wind that blows is always hot like in Jinling City."
After saying that, he waved his hand and drove out the two maids who were shaking the fans, and then lowered his voice and said, "I have been friends with Pang Xiaoyou for many years, so I don't want to go around in circles anymore. I heard that someone in Nanjing city had bad intentions a few days ago, so I often
I was worried about my little friend, so I went to Yinzhuang to leave a message with Liu Ruogu. Although I didn’t think those evil people could succeed, I was afraid that my little friend would be distracted by this and miss the emperor’s plan to eliminate the thieves.”
"Sir, you are right. There are indeed some villains who have their own thoughts. This is also the reason why I came to Nanjing to stay this time."
"A few days ago, someone told me that Liu Ruogu was in contact with various brokers, and I became more and more worried. Pang Xiaoyou's new entry into the officialdom is somewhat different from the battlefield." Ruan Dacheng paused and said, "Actually, I have already made a new marriage.
The poetry club is called Qun Club, and it is full of old officialdom. If Pang Xiaoyou often interacts with them, he can learn things that are difficult for ordinary people to learn, and they will often ask me about you."
Pang Yu understood what Ruan Dacheng meant, and he wanted Pang Yu to join his group before he would help him.
"I naturally yearn for Sir's poetry club, but the Emperor dislikes people forming cliques the most. If a martial artist joins a group club, and someone who cares about it tells the Emperor in front of him, it will only bring him a bad reputation as a personal military attaché."
Ruan Dacheng waved his hand casually, "Pang Xiaoyou is right, but there is no harm in talking about war and swords. I have been in officialdom for a long time, so I am sure of this."
Pang Yu knew that Ruan Dacheng had to pay something back, so he had the idea of resting on the sidelines. From the current point of view, both Zhang Guowei and Fushe are crucial to the development of Yinzhuang in the south of the Yangtze River, but their influence in Nanjing is not
Very limited, and Fushe is still likely to collapse now. He urgently needs a new backer in Nanjing. If Ruan Dacheng can help make friends with Zhangyin Nei Guards, and only participates in group activities without joining the society, he will not offend Zhang Guo too much.
Peacekeeping and restoration of society should be worth a try.
"Wan Sheng should obey Mr. Wang's recommendation. And Wan Sheng can promise that if Mr. Sir has a border, I will definitely send capable men to assist the general in training his troops and horses. They must be as elite as a garrison."
As soon as he heard the word "Fengjiang", Ruan Dacheng stood up excitedly and walked a few steps in a hurry. It seemed that he had returned to officialdom. After a while, he said angrily, "The generals are bloody in the north of the Yangtze River, but there are people in the south of the Yangtze River who are plotting against the heroes. I
How can you just sit back and watch?"
Ruan Dacheng's expression calmed down again, "There are countless brokers in this city, but there are very few who can speak in front of the guards. It is easy to hand in money, but it is extremely difficult to withdraw."
Pang Yu agreed in his heart. This is also the reason why he has never gone to a broker. The broker is only for money, and the political power in Nanjing is complex. Once this starts, all the people will be like sharks smelling blood. If they all
We have to spend money to solve the problem, and Baishuntang's income is not enough to deal with it.
He sat up straight and said respectfully, "I am a newbie in the officialdom. The only one I can trust in the officialdom is Mr. Sir. Please give me your advice."
"Young man, you are just in the middle of the game. People in the market often describe the officialdom as a vegetable market, thinking that they compete with each other based on money. This is the view of peddlers and pawns. The most important thing about being an official is to use your power to exert force. General Pang is a rookie in the army, and his tentacles
The power you can borrow is a hundred times better than those of the brokers." Ruan Dacheng walked slowly in the room with his hands behind his back, his shiny face full of confidence, "When doing things in the yamen, only look for the important person, and don't divide your troops into multiple directions.
, the one who has the final say in the city of Nanjing is the inner guard Liang Hongtai. In Nanjing, others look at his face and look for him if they want to find him. To be honest, I can talk to him, so I have to spend money that should be spent.
, but if you only know how to spend money when entering the yamen, you will fall into the cliché, and you may not be successful in the end, you have to do what he likes."
When Pang Yu heard this, he almost took out his notebook to take notes, and then listened carefully.
"The appointment and dismissal of the emperor is decided by the internal eunuchs. The external officials can't say a word, and even the chief assistant is useless to him. What does Liang Hongtai care about most?" Ruan Dacheng's eyes were bright, and he didn't even know that sweat was dripping down his beard.
"It's the Emperor. The only one Liang Honglie wants to please is the Emperor. What matters to the Emperor is what matters to him. At this juncture, what is the most important thing to the Emperor?"
"Thieves..." Pang Yu's eyes suddenly lit up, "They are slaves who have joined the bandits."
Ruan Dacheng stroked his beard and nodded to Pang Yu with a smile, "Tell General Pang again, the Caodu Department has dispatched the deputy commander-in-chief Liu Liangzuo to go north, preparing to go to the capital Qinwang, who is also the governor of Southern Zhili. My friend, do you think Zhang Guowei is anxious?
Not urgent?"
Pang Yu said in surprise, "I was in Jiangpu three days ago. How come I never heard Zhang Duye mention the matter of Liu Liangzuo? If so, Zhang Duye may be in a hurry."
"This is the news from yesterday." Ruan Dacheng was very proud, very proud of his well-informed information, "Zhang Guowei has Anqing, Jiangpu and Liuhe in the Jiangbei area. They are thousands of miles apart and the soldiers and horses cannot communicate with each other. Now the thieves are infested in Chaofeng.
During this time, it was inconvenient for him to mobilize troops anywhere. Since Fengyang, the capital of Zhongdu, was here, Zhu Duye had 3,000 soldiers from Zhejiang Province in addition to local recruits, as well as Mou Wenshou. Liu Liangzuo's troops and horses were specially mobilized.
The presence of Liu Liangzuo will not harm the overall situation. Zhang Guowei is naturally anxious and is about to ask the right counselor Feng Yuanbiao to lead more than a thousand troops to serve the king. The troops and horses are at various camp heads, and there are hundreds of Pang Xiaoyou in your camp. Not only is it time-consuming to mobilize, but there is no source of money and food. You
Is he more anxious?" (Note 1)
"Mr. Ruan is aware that it takes a long time to mobilize troops from the south of the Yangtze River to the capital. By the time we get to the north, I'm afraid the slaves will have already left the country. What's the use of wasting food and pay?"
"General Pang doesn't need to worry about the use. Leading the troops north is useful in itself. It reflects the wishes of the ministers. Even if Zhu Dadian didn't go to Qinwang, you should go. Feng Yuanbiao's troops came from five battalions, but they were just pieced together.
, How can it be compared with General Pang's soldiers who fought in hundreds of battles? Compared with Liu Liangzuo's strange army camp, Zhang Guowei is still inferior to Zhu Dadian."
Pang Yu made some calculations in his mind. On that day, Zhang Guowei wanted to wait for King Qin's order to arrive, and he also prepared to mobilize Pang Yu. Unexpectedly, Zhu Dadian did not respect military ethics and went to King Qin without a military order. Suddenly, Pang Yu had already
After leaving Jiangpu, Zhang Guowei tried to find himself but couldn't find him for a while, but the main reason may be that Zhang Guowei was still worried about the social atmosphere in Anqing. There were frequent gangsters around Anqing. King Qin's deployment was likely to go wrong in half a year, and the garrison battalion was lost in Jiangnan.
Quite seriously, Zhang Guowei did not know the actual number of soldiers in the garrison. On the premise of ensuring Anqing first, he could not exceed Zhu Dadian's number. Zhang Guowei was in a dilemma.
Pang Yu studied the imperial newspapers over the years. Judging from the activity patterns, bandits rarely move on a large scale in the hot summer weather. Before the autumn harvest, they often choose to hibernate in various mountainous areas to spend the summer. At least before September, the garrison camp should have some
The troops can be used for maneuver. As for after September, Pang Yu can continue to expand the army. At most, he can spend more money and save a few cities.
"I can tell you the truth, sir. The garrison camp can mobilize troops. We might as well defend Anqing."
"That's very good. As long as General Pang can let Liang Hongtai reveal his name in this matter, he will be more useful than a hundred brokers. Then who will dare to touch your property."
Pang Yu suddenly felt that the situation suddenly became clear. He had been in the game since he arrived in Nanjing, and all he thought about was how to find a way out, but he did not expect that the way out was right in front of him. As long as this was done, he would naturally become involved with Liang Hongtai.
This matter was not only beneficial to Liang Hongtai, but also beneficial to Zhang Guowei. Although Zhu Dadian went northward without orders, no one dared to question it under the righteousness of King Qin. Zhang Guowei was immediately outcompeted. Currently, most of the troops stationed in Jiangpu Liuhe are new
Recruitment, especially Liuhe's 2,000 infantrymen, not to mention empty positions, are all new soldiers in the camp, and have no ability to maneuver remotely. The assembled troops and horses led by Feng Yuanbiao are indeed too shabby. If the Anqing garrison battalion is dispatched, it will be completely different.
Such an action by King Qin can benefit Pang Yu, Zhang Guowei and Liang Hongtai at the same time, not to mention Ruan Dacheng. He is well-informed, keenly aware of the opportunities, and has the resources to communicate. Not only can he capture Pang Yu's
With the money, he can also gain favors from Pang Yu and Liang Hongtai, and maybe he also wants to reveal his name.
"I understand. After reporting to Mr. Zhang, I will immediately send someone back to Anqing to mobilize troops."
"How many people can General Pang mobilize immediately?"
"Eight hundred people..." Pang Yu blurted out. This was the troops he could mobilize the fastest. They were mainly Marines and armored soldiers who were transferred back to Anqing City. They could board the ship immediately. Although other troops were assembled in the camp, they were mobilized
It will affect Anqing's defense.
"Liu Liangzuo is the deputy commander-in-chief. He has two thousand soldiers and horses, and the elite ones can only be called a few hundred. No matter how General Pang collects them, they must be in the thousands, and preferably more." Ruan Dacheng blinked, "
The people on the troop transport ship are all sailors, and they are also soldiers. Recruiting some more on the road will only look good in Zhang Guowei's memorial. I care about it here, Jiangpu Liuhe can always select hundreds of usable people, as long as General Pang's soldiers arrive
Then we can advance north without having to wait for those soldiers from the south of the Yangtze River."
Pang Yu knew that what Ruan Dacheng said about recruiting on the road was just to fill up the numbers. Although he did not intend to do that, he still understood it and said, "I understand. After reducing the number of 2,500 land and sea troops, we can also find ways to raise money and food by ourselves."
Ruan Dacheng clapped his hands and said, "Governor Yingtian has more than three thousand elites on land and water under his command, the loyal and diligent king."
"But this only relieves Zhang Duye's anxiety. How can Liang Hongtai be included in it?"
"It's all up to me. Is there anyone who wants to take advantage of Baishuntang? Liang Hongtai not only refuses to accept any money from you, but may also even meet you in person at the Inner Defense Mansion. As long as we meet you once, no one in Nanjing will dare to do so."
Move your mind."
Pang Yu looked at the smiling Ruan Dacheng. In the past, Ruan Dacheng seemed a little lonely and frustrated, but today he is completely confident and full of energy. It seems that this is the true identity of the old official. This is what a real broker should look like.
.
…
Note 1: See Zhang Guowei's "Fuwu Shucao" in the ninth year of Chongzhen's "Another Report of Reinforcements": "Reprint two hundred strong men, for a total of 1,700... At this time, I want to take measures when I wear my hair and crown."
At the time, I was suffering from the misery of having money stored away in my pocket, so I had no choice but to go to the ten prefectures and not stick to the old Liao projects, so as to provide relief as quickly as possible."