In early spring and February, the weather in Datong Town has not completely warmed up yet, but the snow has already melted.
Datong Town Jingping City Counselor Liu Kai's official position is not low, and he is also a senior officer in the entire Datong Town.
According to the system, Datong Town has one chief military officer, who is stationed in Datong town; one deputy general soldier on the left, who is stationed in the left guard city. After that, there are nine separate garrison generals. Among these nine people, except when Datong has a special governor
The model battalion will be set up with the general on the left, and the other eight people will be stationed in various places. Below it, according to the defense arrangement, there are two guerrilla generals, four guerrillas in the guard, two officers in the camp, and another guard
Thirty-nine people guarded various castles.
Last year, when the Beibei invaded Bian Shuo Prefecture, General Liu Kai and the guerrilla general Li Jianxian, who defended the west route, "contributed" to the defense of the fort, and in the battle of Heye Mountain, they served with reinforcements and encircled Shuozhou. Although their official positions have not changed now, they are both
Each of them was awarded some additional titles and received additional salary.
If it weren't for Zhu Zhen's transfer to the Zuo Army Governor's Mansion, then it would be a good outcome that I have been liking for many years.
"General, there is a letter from the He family asking about the ponytail fur..."
As soon as Liu Kai got up from his concubine's bed in Jingping City, his housekeeper was waiting on him and asked for his opinion.
"Tell them not to worry." Liu Kai sat quietly, waiting for the girl next to him to clean his face before uttering these words.
"Last year's war, the money allocated by the imperial court and the reward money have almost arrived." The housekeeper pretended that the girl did not exist, and continued to say, "There are two forts guarding, and hundreds of households in the two piers have sent people to ask questions.
Small one, the silver...and everyone knows that there is such a large sum of money. Besides, after the spring, rations, grain seeds, and the goods we need to prepare here are sold separately... Over there in Datong, Zhu Chi and General Zhenguo
Zhu Junliang has sent a letter, and all the trading houses in Datong, especially Huangmingji, are waiting for our news."
Liu Kai grabbed the girl's hand and made him stop. Then he looked at the housekeeper: "Did Zhu Chi say this?"
"Here's the letter!" The butler's eyes flashed, "General, Commander Zhu's intention is that everything remains as before."
"You go down first." Liu Kai sent away the girl who was helping him wash up, and took the letter in his hand first.
Zhu Chi is Zhu Zhen's clan brother and has always taken care of some chores for him.
This letter was indeed Zhu Chi's handwriting. Without Zhu Zhen's nod, of course he would not dare to write to Jingping, saying that everything was ready in Datong.
"Go and call An Xingkui. I want to ask about what's going on with the Tatars."
In the Ming Dynasty's border defense military system, there were two special arms, one was called the Dun Army, and the other was called the Night Guard Army.
The pier army is a very small group that guards the enemy tower and relays beacon fire. There are ten people on the big pier and five people on the small pier. They are always at the forefront. They have to eat and drink. It is the most difficult part of the frontier army.
Soldiers.
The one who made as much concessions as them was the Night Guard. This unit was actually a patrol and sentinel. Because they did not return to camp at night, they were called Night Guard.
These two arms are collectively called the Dun Sentinel Army. Under normal conditions, there are about 5,000 generals in Datong Town who are organized into the Dun Sentinel Army. They are responsible for patrolling and exploring the outermost parts of the hundreds of miles of defense line that Datong Town is responsible for.
Military intelligence investigation.
Regarding the living conditions of the Dun Sentinels, during the Hongzhi period, a minister visited Datong and reported: The sergeant was running in the wind and frost, his face was sallow, and his armor and clothes were not brown. His wife lived in a mud house with half no fireworks.
There are still men and women aged seven or eight who are naked and facing the sun.
In the West Road area of Jingping, there are only two Dunjuns commanded by hundreds of households. Now Liu Kai's steward mentioned it, and they all came to ask Dunjun about the silver payment.
Because the Dun Army was the most difficult, the court gave them subsidies. In addition to the Dun Army's fixed salary of two dan per person per month, Datong Town also provided an additional subsidy of one person for every two people to the Dun Sen Army.
heart of.
Nowadays, food and salary have been increasingly converted into silver. According to the current price of food in the border town of Datong, one stone of food is between two and three taels. According to regulations, the monthly food and salary of the Dunshao Army is a full ten thousand to several thousand taels.
Yes. The imperial court clearly paid adequate treatment to the Dun Sentinels for their hard work. However, how much of this silver, especially the postal silver, fell into the pockets of the soldiers?
An Xingkui's official position is Deputy Qianhu, and he is now in charge of the Xiludun Sentinel Army located in Jingping.
When he met Liu Kai, the first thing he asked was: "General Liu, when can we get the salary and payment for our West Route Dun sentry troops? The brothers below are all waiting eagerly."
"What's the rush? Datong has to sort it out. Besides, Lord Guo hasn't arrived yet." Liu Kai looked at him, "Let me ask you, after the Tatars suffered losses last year, is there any movement in the north now that spring has begun?
"
An Xingkui shook his head: "My subordinates have been waiting for the whole night. They have already gone to the various accounts and asked. They only asked when the private market can be opened. They have horsetails and furs ready in winter."
Liu Kai was a little annoyed: "Last year we asked for cast iron hoes, iron plows, and rakes, but the pots were missing! Did they say why they suddenly launched a large-scale invasion of border areas?"
It was those thousands of riders heading south that broke the tacit understanding of the past few years.
"Then they can't be the masters. They are all small tribes."
"Small tribe?" Liu Kai sneered, "The appetite in Fengzhou Beach is getting bigger and bigger. Have you forgotten that Liu Gui was beheaded in the eleventh year of Hongzhi? How can the private market be so grand! I want something.
, why not just send envoys to ask for tribute!"
"General Liu, let's not talk about this. According to my subordinates' reports, there has been no further call from the Tatars. I have suffered a loss. I must also know that it is best to respond as usual. He wants to fight for supremacy on the grassland, but
The private market here in Xuanda cannot be separated from us. Send an envoy to ask for tribute? Is he worthy of being a lord of ten thousand households? "
General Liu Kai also smiled disdainfully, as if he was not the one who cowered in fear in the Jingping Castle in front of An Da's cavalry last year and did not dare to go out.
After he had finished his talk, Liu Kai said: "Let's get down to business. I have won the trust. I will go out all night to ask questions and arrange the days when Dun Jun will be on guard. When will the private market open? I will wait for it again.
Ask the commander-in-chief."
"General Liu Shen, please make it clear! Now, the general is still the commander-in-chief, and the soldiers are all looking forward to it! Last year, we lost some sentry troops, and those who are replacing them now are all going to the private market.
It’s best to get the matter settled before Marquis Guo comes. If the private market opens once, there may be no more trouble this year, and the general will also help Marquis to straighten out Datong’s border affairs!”
"I understand, you have to make arrangements first so that there will be no mistakes on the Tatar side."
On the border between the Ming Dynasty and the Northern Yuan Dynasty, which were like mortal enemies, the generals, generals, middle-level generals and even lower-level soldiers guarding the border seemed to have other feelings for the "Tatars" in their mouths.
This tacit friendship has lasted for nearly a hundred years, and it has become increasingly "closer" since Juigong.
Even in the eleventh year of Hongzhi, Liu Gui, the commander of the Datong avant-garde, was beheaded for secretly selling weapons to the Mongols, but this did not prevent the "deepening" of this friendship at all.
Not long after An Xingkui left, Liu Kai welcomed another acquaintance.
"Commander Zheng, why did you come to Jingping?" He looked at the commander of the Shuozhou Guard, Zheng Minghui, in astonishment.
"Have you not read the official document yet? The Ministry of War ordered me to go to suppress the guards." Zheng Minghui's expression was not pretty.
Liu Kai also looked a little ugly. It is true that he had not read the official documents that had been sent to him recently, but the reason for his ugly face was not because of this: "Why?"
"Why?" Zheng Minghui patted the table, "There is no other reason, because after that bullshit champion of martial arts, Shangshu, asked for a battle and was reprimanded by the emperor, he asked Shangshu to guard the border! He was a dignified champion of martial arts, and I became the deputy of the Quanzhou Guard.
Thousands of households, so we have to come to Shuozhou, which was destroyed last year, to take my place!"
"...Wu Zhuangyuan? To Shuozhou?" Liu Kai's expression turned even uglier. So how should he, the West Branch Guard General in Jingping, treat a stupid young man?
The problem is that he is not just a stupid young man, he is the Wu Zhuangyuan appointed by His Majesty. He is the first Wu Zhuangyuan in the Ming Dynasty who has passed the palace examination and officially submitted himself.
"You know how much trouble there is." Zheng Minghui looked at Liu Kai, "The fort was broken here and a lot of people were robbed. I will accept it if I am sent to suppress the prisoners. However, the Shuozhou Guards are the most powerful in the field.
Jue the entire Datong Town, when Yu Dayou comes to take charge of the Shuozhou Guard, is General Liu Shen ready?"
Among the many health clinics currently in Datong Town, the scale of newly added farmland in Shuozhou area in recent years is the largest.
During the Zhengde period, the Shuozhou Guards here only had more than 1,500 hectares of farmland, the Pinglu Guards only had 600 hectares, the Mayi Qianhu Station where the guerrilla general Li Jian was located only had 250 hectares, and the Jingping Guards had only 250 hectares.
At first, there were basically no farms in Yuqianhu Station.
But now, in just ten years or so, with the "efforts" of General Ren Xilu, Shuozhou Guard's farmland has exceeded 5,000 hectares, Pinglu Guard has more than 3,000 hectares, and Jingping Guards has thousands of households.
It basically grew from nothing to more than 2,000 hectares of farmland.
Needless to say, farming is done by soldiers and military households.
The newly added farmland was naturally “all cultivated”.
But when Zheng Minghui asked Liu Kai if he was ready, Liu Kai felt a little creepy.
Last year, except for border towns, all the southern provinces were clearing land.
Therefore, the imperial court actually still looked at the figures from the Zhengde period as to the size of the military garrison in Datong Town, especially in Shuozhou.
But it’s not good for Yu Dayou to go anywhere. Why did he come to Shuozhou?
Now that he's here, the Shuozhou Guard actually has more than 5,000 hectares of farmland. Doesn't the emperor know about it?
"... Since you are going to suppress the imperial guards, you should first go to Datong and ask General Zhu." Liu Kai frowned, "The Tatars came from us last year, and it was because Shuozhou is not what it used to be.
Shuozhou is now the granary of Datong, so we must not let anything go wrong!"
"I just grabbed a lot of foreign potato seeds harvested last year from Taiyuan!" Zheng Minghui was depressed. "The farmland of Zhenluwei is less than 2,000 hectares! Less than 2,000!"
At this moment, Guo Xun and Yu Dayou had just made preparations to set off from the capital to Datong.
Many households in Datong Town are entering the "busy farming" season, urging soldiers and military households to take care of the winter wheat planted last year.
There was a great victory, and Marquis Wu Ding came to take charge. From Taiyuan to the north or in other directions, there were many merchants' carriages and horses on the road carrying goods to Datong.
There are even businessmen from Jiangnan here.
"I don't know how many ponytails I will receive this year, but now everyone is asking about ponytail hats."
Some people are looking forward to it. Because of the war last year, the supply of raw materials for clothes and hats decorated with horsetail hair that many people in Jiangnan and even in the capital lost. After the establishment of the group of pastoral supervisors, they now do not dare to supply as much as they did in previous years.
Now that the Tatars have suffered a defeat, there should be a lot of peace in the next few years, right?
Businessmen pursue profits on the road.
In Datong Town, in addition to various government offices, there is also a Daifan who is waiting to move to the capital.
The current acting king is the fifth generation. He is already very old and very low-key. He does not leave the palace all day long.
However, Daifan has actually multiplied on a large scale, and now the middle and lower-level clans other than the princes are also confused.
The emperor allowed them to take examinations and serve as officials, and he also allowed them to engage in business.
Some people are preparing to go to the capital with Dai Wang, but some feel that they have better opportunities in Datong.
At this time, Fengguo General Zhu Junliang was hosting a banquet for Zhu Xingjun, the manager of Huangmingji Datong Branch.
"What did the British father say?"
Zhu Xingjun smiled and replied: "Don't worry, General Fengguo. Since your Majesty has already made a decree, and General Zhu has so many connections in Datong, I have already asked the headquarters for instructions. There must be no problem with this matter. I believe it won't be long."
, General Zhu’s position as manager of the grain store will be relieved.”
"General Feng Guo, forget it!" Zhu Junliang toasted to him, "Thank you very much. I will ask you to take more care of me in the future!"
"How dare you? I am the bloodline of General Fengguo's Tian family. What's more, I am in charge of the Datong branch. This year's profits will depend on Manager Zhu."
"Get rich together, get rich together, hahahaha."
After several years, Huang Mingji's tentacles have reached more and more places, and its middle and high-level management has become more and more complex.
Now in Datong, the person in charge here is also in contact with the clan members of Dai Fan.
With the connections and channels they have accumulated over the years in Datong Town, everyone has come together because of the word "getting rich".
Winter has passed and business in the new year is about to begin.
Datong Town, which had just won a "great victory", was full of vigor and vitality.
The soldiers, barely clothed and emaciated, tended the winter wheat that had been moistened by last year's snow in the barren fields.
Outside the Great Wall, the Ming Dynasty sentry detectives were very conscientious. They stayed up all night to inquire about the enemy's situation. They were so "brave" that they even rode their horses to the tents of the Mongolian soldiers. They even dared to "confront" the Tatar cavalry face to face within ten steps.
, calling each other "talking".
In the northwest of the capital, Yu Dayou, who had seen Juyong Pass, looked at the pass, but his voice was lonely: "Beyond Juyong Pass, is this the situation in the border towns now?"
Zhao Benxue was silent for a while, and then said: "Although your Majesty is ambitious, he cannot easily solve these problems. Even you and me, without General Staff Yang, Wang Shangshu and others to analyze the real situation, how could we know that Bian Town has been so corrupted? Go!
After defeating Shuozhou Guard, you will be at the forefront of the storm."
"The arrangement for me to go to Shuozhou is indeed an important task!" Yu Dayou looked at the teacher who had become his staff, "Master Zhao, it will be difficult to go here!"
"This is your first test." Zhao Benxue stared at him, "Your Majesty has great trust in you. If you want to become a famous general, how can you be afraid of this small difficulty?"
"Yes." Yu Dayou gently pinched the horse's belly, "Come out of seclusion!"
In the capital city behind him, Tang Shunzhi had already passed the policy examination, and the next level was the imperial examination.
Perhaps in terms of pure knowledge, it is difficult to catch up with him or surpass him.
But knowledge and practice are different.
The opportunities for the count, even the marquis, and the duke are outside this pass, in the border town.
On February 12, the sixth year of Jiajing, Guo Xun, the Marquis of Wuding, and Yu Dayou, the top military scholar in Bingxu County, left Juyongguan together and rushed to Datong.