Jin Yiwei is not popular in border towns like Yansui, Ningxia, but it does not mean that they really cannot get any information, especially the information that there is no way to strictly conceal. The Ming Dynasty did not have a system of rotation of border troops.
Generations of young generals have been living in this place for generations, and the imperial salary alone is simply not enough to fill the gap. During wars, they killed herdsmen and even their own people to gain credit. During the years of peace, strategic materials such as salt, iron, and
Silk jewelry and other luxury goods were exported to the outside of the Great Wall. This was a tacit deal between the top and bottom. As the head of Fusi in Beizhen, Ye Guang did not dare to touch this minefield rashly, so he ordered thousands of households to be guarded by Jinyi.
When the office and branch offices reported this kind of thing, all he could do was suppress it for the time being.
If the water is extremely clear, there will be no fish. If the water is so turbid that no fish can be seen at all, it is questionable whether to reach out.
"Ningxia is not as good as Jiangnan, or even as good as Huguang and Bashu. The land of Shaanxi is originally barren, and no matter how many farmlands there are, it can't equal the income of half of the farmland in Jiangnan and Huguang. In this case, relying on mountains to eat mountains and relying on water to eat water, originally
There is nothing wrong with that." When Xu Xun said this, he stared at Li Zeng and asked word by word, "I just ask you, most of the generals above will participate in these private trades, how do the soldiers below live their daily lives?"
Li Zeng originally thought that Xu Xun didn't know the stakes. He had just revealed the relationship between Prince Qing and Ningxia Zhenjun, hoping that Xu Xun would stop pursuing the previous matter. However, he didn't expect that Xu Xun would reveal the truth in the blink of an eye. A more serious problem came. But at this moment, it was too late to regret. He glanced at Deng Guang secretly, and seeing that his expression was not much better, he could only bite the bullet and said: "Most of the generals in Ningxia Town are... There is a lot of land, although it is not as productive as the fields in the capital and the south, but it is worse than nothing. Most of the time, the soldiers below are tending the land of these generals. As for those who are bolder and more alert...cross the Yellow River It’s not like there are no people reclaiming wasteland for farming in the Hetao on the east bank..."
Recovering the Hetao and establishing thousands of miles of land was the central theme discussed by Xu Xun and Yang Yiqing in several months of correspondence. However, he was quite happy to know that many border residents had done this before. However, he knew that many sergeants had done so.
The reason why he did this was because the high-level generals were taking advantage of their services and not doing their jobs properly. He would really not be happy if he treated them like tenant farmers.
Thinking of this, he stood up slowly. He nodded to Zhang Yong and Miao Kui and said, "Eunuch Miao and Eunuch Zhang, please ask them more about the situation in Ningxia Town. I'll go out for a walk. Yes.
Well, during my stay in Ningxia Town, it would be troublesome if I stayed in the General Military Mansion. When I entered the city before, I saw a Guandi Temple to the east of the Commander's Mansion, so I requisitioned the Guandi Temple!"
The city of Ningxia is not that big. However, there are seven or eight palaces including Prince Qing's Palace, Prince Anhua's Palace, Prince Shouyang's Palace, Prince Zhenning's Palace, Prince Fenglin's Palace, Prince Gongchang's Palace, Prince Hongnong's Palace, etc., plus Cong Bing's Palace.
The deputy general of the army went to guard the eunuch's mansion, which actually occupied nearly half of the entire Ningxia city. The general's mansion, commonly known as the commander's mansion, was where the generals gathered to discuss matters, and the commander-in-chief Jiang Han
Then he built a house next to it to live in. The Guandi Temple that Xu Xun mentioned is further east, in the northeast corner of Ningxia City, next to the Desheng Gate of Beiguan, and only two streets away from the Guarding Eunuch's Mansion.
After Xu Xun ordered his entourage to move in first, he left his subordinates to pack up and settle down, but he changed into casual clothes and took only Cao Mi with him, letting Ye Quan and two Yansui Jinyi guards lead the way, and quietly went to Ningxia
The Jinyiwei branch in Yansui Town. However, the undefended situation of the Jinyiwei branch in Yansui Town had already shocked him. When he stood outside an alley with sewage flowing across it, it was really hard to believe that in the
The Imperial Guards who could squeeze into the Qianbu Corridor and the Five Prefectures and Six Ministries in the capital city were actually reduced to such a situation in Ningxia City...
"Xu...Master Xu." Ye Quan was not used to this title, and he finally said it out loud. He said in a low voice, "I haven't been here for several years. Maybe I don't remember clearly. Otherwise, I
Let me go in and explore the way for you first?"
Seeing that even though Cao Mi had darkened a lot, his handsome face showed some vigilance, Xu Xun waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to be nervous, nodded slightly and said: "Okay, you go in first and take a look, we are on the opposite side
The teahouse is waiting for you.”
Although Qi Laosan and Zheng Aniu brought by Ye Guang are not from Ningxia, the Yansui accent is not uncommon in Ningxia. As they sat and talked in the teahouse, those curious eyes gradually disappeared. Xu
Xun Xun knew that he would definitely have a different accent when he spoke, so he just drank tea quietly without speaking. Not to mention the uncomfortable feeling of Qi Laosan and Zheng Aniu who were forced by him to gossip about everyday things in front of a group of people.
A high-ranking and powerful person in the capital is talking about trivial matters, and you have to be careful not to let the topic get out of hand. It is almost like being tortured!
After finally enjoying a cup of tea, Ye Quan finally hurried back. After entering the teahouse, he nodded and sat down across from him, and then lowered his voice and said: "Master Xu, after Wan Liufang died,
The subordinates below have failed to replace hundreds of households, and the Qianhu Office in Xi'an Prefecture has been uncertain, and people's hearts have been scattered. Now the person in charge is General Banner Cui Si, and there are only three people below. None of them are here now. I heard...
I heard that in the past few days, I crossed the Yellow River and went to the east to farm."
At this moment, Xu Xun couldn't sit down anymore, stood up and walked out without saying a word. Seeing Cao Mi hurriedly following him, Ye Quan quickly took out a few copper coins and threw them on the table, then took Qi Laosan with him
He and Zheng Aniu followed. However, he was so worried that he did not dare to say anything to persuade him, so he could only follow step by step until Xu Xun almost circled the entire Ningxia city for a small half circle, and suddenly stopped and entered a house.
Cao Mi also followed him into the old book store. He was stunned for a moment and then stopped in front of the door.
"Boss, we won't follow..."
"Look at the situation outside. The master is in a bad mood. Don't go in and get into trouble!"
Xu Xun was indeed in a bad mood. He saw that the second-hand book shop was deserted, but the four characters "Heshuo Xiongfeng" on the plaque were vigorous and vigorous. He was attracted in unknowingly. He also ignored the man sitting behind the counter and dozing off.
The old shopkeeper was looking through the old books by himself, and suddenly he found a set of books that he was familiar with on a cabinet in the middle.
"Xiang Min Ji..."
Xu Xun remembered that the word "Xiang Min" was Wang Yue's posthumous name, not to mention that he had such a set of books at home. He was stunned for a moment and took out one of the books and flipped through it. Sure enough, he found that it was the name of Xiang Min that he had read before.
The first volume of "Xiang Min Ji" was written by Wang Yue. He then flipped through the others. He suddenly discovered that there were seven or eight sets of Wang Yue's "Xiang Min Ji" on the shelf. He looked over at the dozing shopkeeper over there. He hesitated for a moment.
He walked forward. He was about to knock on the bookshelf next to him with his hand, but before he could knock it down, the old shopkeeper suddenly woke up. A sharp look flashed in his eyes, but then it returned to normal.
He looked like he was old and drowsy.
"The customer wants to buy a book?"
"Why are there so many Xiangminji of Prince Wang here?"
"Oh?" The old shopkeeper looked at Xu Xun in surprise. Then he laughed dryly and said, "I didn't expect that the young master, a foreigner, actually knew about the former Wang Taifu. There was no other reason. When Wang Taifu passed away in Ganzhou, he followed the military academy to collect his legacy.
As a result, the co-workers produced this set of Xiang Min Ji, and only a few hundred sets were printed in total. Except for the ones that were collected by themselves and distributed to relatives and friends, the rest were sold to bookstores for consignment. It was just that the tea was cool when people left.
.There’s still so much left.”
"The tea will be cool when you leave..."
Xu Xun sighed, but Cao Mi on the side suddenly couldn't help but said: "If Taifu Wang was still here, how could the Ningxia town be in such a smoky state! Yan Guan only knew how to impeach Taifu Wang and take credit for it, but these
With so many coaching changes happening every year, who can be as capable as Taifu Wang? Not to mention expanding territories, very few can maintain success!"….
Knowing that Cao Mi had been so angry before, Xu Xun did not stop the little guy from complaining. When the old shopkeeper heard this, he looked at Cao Mi in astonishment, then shook his head and said with a bitter smile: "Shou Cheng, what else can you do?
...Not to mention anything else, Zhenyuan Pass, which is 240 miles northeast of Ningxia and to the west of Helan Mountain, the General Military Mansion believes that there are not enough guards and it is not easy to transport food and pay. They plan to abandon this place and move Zhenyuan Pass and Heishan Camp to the south.
Move... Well, I think Wang Taifu said at the beginning that the place where Zhenyuan Pass is located is the most dangerous, and the Black Mountain Camp is at the northeast end of Helan Mountain, shaped like a tiger crouching, drinking from the Yellow River. It is the most dangerous place for military strategists, Zhenyuan Pass is even more
On the North Great Wall. Now we have to abandon the defense and retreat south just because the deployment is not continued... Alas!"
Such military information came from the mouth of the old shopkeeper of such a second-hand bookstore. Although Cao Mi was greatly shocked, Xu Xun couldn't help but look at the old shopkeeper thoughtfully. And for the first time, the old shopkeeper made such a call.
Feeling that he was talking too much, he immediately changed his smile and said: "Since the guest is familiar with military affairs, if he wants to read this set of Xiang Min Ji by himself, just give him a few dollars and take it. It can be regarded as a close friend of this book. When the book was put out
When it was consigned here, someone else had already paid for it."
"I have a set of this book at home, and I printed a few sets to give away. I'm sorry to take advantage of you."
Xu Xun said with a smile, and then looked at the old shopkeeper whose expression changed a little and said: "The reason why I came in just now was because I saw the four words "Heshuo Xiongfeng" on the signboard in front of the door. It is really extraordinary.
Okay, I didn’t expect to see Taifu Wang’s Xiangmin Collection when I came in. I just want to ask, are those four words written by Taifu Wang himself?”
When Cao Mi saw Xu Xun making such an association, his eyes widened for a moment, while the old shopkeeper was even more unprepared. After being stunned for a while, he hurriedly shook his head and said: "No, no, I am the person with the name of the brand, how could it be possible?"
The plaque was inscribed by Taifu Wang himself?"
"Oh? In that case...Cao Mi!" Xu Xun suddenly called out. Seeing Cao Mi quickly walking up to him and bowing deeply, he said lightly, "I remember I brought him this time
I got a scroll written by Taifu Wang himself. Go get it quickly and compare it here!"
Seeing that Cao Mi had agreed and was about to leave, the old shopkeeper suddenly stopped in front of Cao Mi. He stared at Xu Xun and asked, "Master, what do you want to do?"
"Don't do anything! Do you think it's insulting to admit that you are Wang Taifu's former subordinate?"
"You..." The old shopkeeper suddenly became angry, his eyes widened, and for a moment, Xu Xun refused to look at him. After a long time, he sighed dejectedly and said, "Young Master, don't be joking.
Well, I am now living in this old bookstore in my dying years. If I continue to say that I am Taifu Wang’s old relative, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to Taifu’s great reputation?”
Xu Xun was just cheating out of curiosity. When he saw that the other party admitted it, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and said: "So, you are really Wang Taifu's old subordinate?"
"That was all ten years ago... Since Taifu Wang passed away in Ganzhou and his subordinates dispersed one by one, I am nothing to a mere hundred households, so I simply reported illness and was temporarily relieved of my military duties. I took the money raised by my colleagues and signed the
I bought 20 sets of Xiangmin Collection and opened a second-hand book shop in this city in Ningxia. After so many years, I have only sold a dozen sets. There are still so many that no one cares about."
The old shopkeeper shook his head and sadly returned to his seat and sat down, muttering a few words to himself. Then he raised his head and said decisively: "Young master said that he had Taifu Wang's books at home, and he also printed two sets to give away. Come to think of it.
He must be a descendant of a noble family, why do you want to play with me, a useless person in his dying years? But I have something to say first. Even if the Emperor and I come, I will never give in to the four-character plaque of Heshuo Xiongfeng. If you have this idea, then you are looking for a mistake.
People!”….
"Since you are here, what's the point of asking for a plaque? Isn't that just buying a coffin for a pearl? Since you just mentioned Zhenyuan Pass, I will go there to investigate in the near future. Are you willing to go with me?"
"Zhenyuan Pass!" The old shopkeeper was stunned when he heard this, and repeated these three words word for word. Then he stood up, raised his head, and asked solemnly, "May I ask who the young master is?"
"At least he's not someone who would abandon an important pass just for the sake of transportation!" Xu Xun smiled slightly, and then added, "I think that if Mr. Wang was still alive, he would ask you one more question, Lian Po.
You are old, can you still eat?"
"Natural can!"
The old shopkeeper finally pulled off the felt hat on his head, replied viciously, and then turned around and walked straight inside. Cao Mi was stunned for a moment and wanted to chase, but Xu Xun stretched out his hand to stop him.
.
"Sir, wouldn't he just give you a few words and then run away?"
"No, since he has been with a life-long hero like Wang Xiangmin, he will definitely not do such unsavory things. As long as he agrees, he will come out later. Wait patiently. I should not be wrong.
people."
The master and the servant waited for a long time in the second-hand bookstore, and finally a person came out. At first glance, Cao Mi could hardly recognize that the person was the old shopkeeper with a gray beard, but he only saw that his sheepskin coat had been replaced by a gray-bearded old shopkeeper.
He was wearing a black military robe that had been washed white, thick black leather boots on his lower head, and an embroidered spring knife on his waist. Seeing such a sword that was usually only given to Jin Yiwei unexpectedly appeared on an outsider, Xu Xun was shocked
I know that my harvest today is extremely rich.
"I hold the humble position of Ningxia Vanguard Hundreds Mo Feng, I dare to ask you your name!"
Seeing that the other party had performed a military salute, he asked him this question directly. Xu Xun then replied with a smile: "I have been ordered to patrol the northwest borders and pacify Xu Xun, the Northern Bodhisattva."
Until he followed Xu Xun all the way back to the Guandi Temple, Mo Feng still felt confused and almost couldn't believe it was true. However, watching many generals coming in and out of the huge Guandi Temple, the order
Jingran, there wasn't even anyone coughing loudly, so he gradually believed the truth. So, when Xu Xun called him into a room, he followed him in without hesitation.
"What did you do under Taifu Wang?"
"My humble job is to serve as a sentry." Mo Feng answered bluntly. Seeing that Xu Xun seemed hesitant, he said, "Taifu Wang used to be the most important sentry. As the saying goes, if the sentry is unfavorable, he will be ambushed and defeated in the second."
All the hard work is in vain, and the three masters are easy to make a small profit. Therefore, the most important thing is that Taifu Wang is the one who scouts and interrogates. That year, when I came back from the scout on a snowy night, Taifu Wang was drinking around the stove, and prostitutes were playing the pipa in front of him.
, after clarifying the situation of the enemy, Taifu Wang not only gave me wine with golden pigeons, but also rewarded me with golden pigeons. He also gave me a beautiful concubine. And I was not the only one under Taifu Wang to receive such a favor. Therefore, the sentry detective
Although it is the most dangerous thing, no one from top to bottom will refuse to do so!"
This is simply a method used by the ancient heroes to win over people's hearts. It is no wonder that merit is high and rewards are low, and scholars are undervalued. It is not just because Wang Yue has friends with Wang Zhi, Li Guang and others - let me ask if the officials in the court reward people.
The function can be more fair. Why would Wang Yue, a serious civil servant with a Jinshi background, flirt with two powerful eunuchs?
It's a pity... The restoration of the Loop and the relocation of Hami were almost completed, but ten or twenty years later, the situation at the border has become even more corrupt!
"I don't dare to compare with Taifu Wang, but when it comes to employing people, I am confident that I can be more eclectic. I will go to Zhenyuanguan tomorrow. You can stay with me and I will allocate ten primary schools to you. You don't want to
They underestimated them. The previous great victories after the defeat at Yutailing were achieved by them following Jingyang Bo and me. Cao Mi, you take him down to rest first, and then go to Ningxia guerrilla general Qiu Yue.
!”….
Xu Xun had previously said that he would first patrol around the city of Ningxia before going to Zhenyuan Pass and other places. Everyone in the General Military Mansion breathed a sigh of relief, so even if Xu Xun commandeered the Guandi Temple.
Jiang Han didn't pay much attention to living in the General Military Mansion. But that evening, when Qiu Yue hurriedly came to report that Xu Xun was going to Zhenyuan Pass the next day, he was a little dumbfounded. Although Zhenyuan Pass is the first pass in the north of Ningxia
, but because the terrain is too dangerous and there is not much oil and water, it has always been a hard job. The hundreds of households guarding it have not been replaced in twenty years, so now the number of defenders is getting smaller and smaller. It is even impossible to make up for it, Montenegro
There are even more fishy things in the camp. If Xu Xun wants to go to investigate, he has to make arrangements immediately to make up for it. But who would have thought that this person would suddenly have to go tomorrow!
"Tingwei. You know the situation at Zhenyuan Pass. If Uncle Pingbei gets angry, you must give him some advice." At this moment, Jiang Han could only consider this aspect and patted Qiu Yue's arm affectionately.
Then he said in a deep voice, "I will go back and discuss it with Prince Qing, and we will see how to make amends when Uncle Ping Bei comes back."
"Yes. The general will retire first."
After leaving the General Soldier's Mansion, Qiu Yue only felt that one was the head of the two and that Yang Yiqing was kind to him and promoted him. Therefore, it was Xu Xun who promoted him in disguise, and many people in the General Soldier's Mansion were very kind to him back then.
Those who have found a favor cannot just sit back and watch all these people get raped after the incident - a normal imperial envoy would not be so radical, but the problem is that Xu Xun's actions are so unpredictable that he doesn't know that this can almost be regarded as a crime.
What on earth is the young powerful man who has his own son thinking?
After asking Qiu Yue to tell General Jiang Han that he was going to Zhenyuan City, Xu Xun summoned Ye Quan again. Seeing that his face was full of apprehension that he had not accomplished anything before, he ordered: "
Ye Quan, what are your long-cherished wishes now?"
"Long cherished wish?"
"It's just something I want to do but has never been able to do."
Ye Quan was stunned when he heard this, and hesitated for a long time before he stammered: "Beizhi has always wanted Qi Laosan to take over Beizhi's position and be transferred back to Xi'an Mansion for retirement... Beizhi can tolerate being humble, so it's just such a trivial thing.
Wish, please..."
"Okay, if this matter can be handled well, I will tell Jin Yiwei Ye Dushuai that not only will you be transferred back to Xi'an Mansion, but I will also give you a promotion immediately, so that you can join Beizhen Fusi!"
Ye Quan's eyes widened for a moment, and Xu Xun just ordered, "This time you and all your subordinates will stay. Even if you dig three feet of ground, you will give me all the people from the Ningxia Jinyiwei branch."
Find them all, and then secretly search for King Anhua for me."
Seeing that Ye Quan stayed there for a while, Xu Xun pointed to Cao Mi who was standing next to him and said: "I'm leaving Cao Mi here. The Prefectural Army's Military Intelligence Bureau also has some people in Gansu Town, and they can all be put to use. But you remember
Come on, if the news of this matter leaks out, then you are the only one I want to ask!"
From being surprised and happy to being surprised and frightened, it just happened in a blink of an eye. Although Ye Quan has never been a very ambitious person, what Xu Xun promised was really hard to resist, and he would not disobey it.
There was no room for him, so after deliberation for a long time, he finally knelt down on one knee and lowered his head and agreed: "I humbly accept my order!"
"you go!"
After Ye Quan retreated, Xu Xun called Cao Mi to the front, pressed his now extremely solid shoulder, and then whispered: "This matter is extremely important, more important than the inventory of Ningxia's armaments and gunpowder, etc."
It is even more important. You must be fully attentive and not careless in the slightest. But more importantly, you must not alert the enemy! Anyone who often comes to Anhua Palace, you must write down all of them, and then let them go to find out the root cause. You know
In addition to you and Ye Quan, the people who look after King Anhua include at most the local general banner who has never been able to take over the position of Baihu. I don't have time to see him again. You might as well give him something generous, and the others too, don't
Be stingy with rewards! After the thing is done, try to bring all these people under your control! Since the Jin Yiwei can't work here, your military intelligence bureau will take action!"
As Cao Mi listened, he felt extremely excited. Finally, he responded in a deep voice: "Don't worry, sir, I will certainly live up to my humble duty!"
"I always trust you when doing things. In addition, after I leave, you should pay attention to the rumors among the Ningxia generals. Rumors are rootless trees, but if there are too many people who tell them, they will become a tiger!".