When the weather cooled down after the rain, Xu Ping and Zhizhou Cao Keming sat at the stone table in front of the Yongzhou Governor's Hall, with a pot of strong tea on the table, and the two chatted while drinking.

After more than a year of running-in, the initial contradiction between the two has disappeared, and the cooperation has become more and more tacit. When Xu Ping arrived, Cao Keming also rose to a higher level, which can be regarded as owing Xu Ping a favor. Wuchen's promotion is much slower than that of Wenchen, unless he has major military exploits, and he is even more incomparable with Xu Ping's Jinshi background. According to the current situation of Yongzhou's development, Cao Keming may still be able to finish the promotion of the envoys here and touch the side of the Yao County officials. For the veteran, this is something that he would never have dreamed of before.

Since the beginning of the year, the two have had a rough division of labor. Xu Ping took Ruhe County as the foundation and was responsible for the area of Zuojiang Road, mainly building roads and bridges, building embankments, reclaiming farmland, and increasing money and grain for Yongzhou. Cao Keming was in charge of Youjiang Province and its two major counties, and the most important thing was to open roads upstream along the Youjiang River. With the help of gunpowder provided by Xu Ping, the road from Yongzhou to Wuyuan County was leveled and could pass large vehicles, and Lechang County, which was sandwiched in the middle, was withdrawn and merged into Wuyuan County due to the lack of development of households.

The two gossiped and got to the point.

Xu Ping said to Cao Keming: "A few days ago, I had a familiar man there, because he still had relatives in Zhongzhou, and when he went back to visit, he was sold into the Huang family, and he almost caught fire. Chungju is connected to Ruhwa County by road, and it is convenient to come and go, but I am afraid that this kind of thing will become more and more in the future. ”

"What does the general judge think about dealing with Chungju? It's not always the way to go. ”

Xu Ping nodded: "It's true that you can't let the Huang family do anything wrong in Zhongzhou anymore." Not only that, but this year, Shendong also planted sugarcane, and some of the land was intertwined with Chungju, and I don't know how many fights took place. Judging from this year's situation, next year's sugarcane land may have to be expanded to Guwanzhai, and I can't keep staying in Ruhe County. In addition, there are no big mountains in Chungju, and it is also a good land to open up. ”

"What does the general judgment mean - is it to remove Chungju?"

Xu Ping shook his head: "It's not good to withdraw it directly, once Zhongzhou is withdrawn, there is no hope for Shangsizhou, Qianlongtong, and Simingzhou in the back, for fear that they will lead Jiaozhi as foreign aid, but instead lead the wolf into the room." Chungju Zhizhou Huang Chengxiang is not the eldest son in the family, he also has an eldest brother Huang Chengji. Huang Chengji has a weak temperament, and he has been pressed by Huang Chengxiang, and he will not be very satisfied with his brother in his heart. This person's heart is for the imperial court, and if he is in power, he should not cause us any trouble. ”

Cao Keming said with a smile: "It turns out that the general judgment is to let them fight, and we will benefit from it." However, I heard that Huang Chengxiang's methods are ruthless, and his brother is only afraid that he will not be able to fight with him. ”

"That's why we need to help. I have sent someone to contact Huang Chengji's son, Huang Congfu, who I have dealt with before and is easy to talk to. However, his temperament is the same as his father, and he can't be counted on, and he still has to rely on us to help their father and son take the throne when the time comes. ”

Cao Keming pondered for a while before asking Xu Ping: "The general judgment is going to use force against Huang Chengxiang?" ”

"There is no other way, this person does not eat soft and hard, he is used to running rampant around, with him in Chungju, the surrounding places are not peaceful. In another month or two, the rainy season will pass, and it's a good time for us to get started. What I mean is to let Huang from the rich center respond, give us a reason to attack Chungju, and then go straight out of Chungju with heavy troops, lion fight rabbit, and strike with all his might. Be sure to succeed in the first battle, fight quickly, and don't give Huang Chengxiang a chance to move around. Afterwards, let Huang Chengji and his son take the position, and we will support it later, and Ruhe County will have no worries. ”

Cao Keming closed his eyes and pondered, and after a while, he asked Xu Ping: "There are about 600 to 800 soldiers in Zhongzhou who can fight, but the barbarian soldiers don't know the battle formation, they don't know the banner, and they can't compare to the regular army." The general judgment is, how many people do we have to send over to ensure that nothing goes wrong? ”

Xu Ping smiled: "This kind of thing, didn't Zhizhou ask me if I made a fool of myself?" Zhizhou has been fighting for decades, who knows better than you? I can only prepare for this matter in advance, and as for how to mobilize people, I have to listen to the arrangements of Zhizhou. When it's time to send troops, I will send someone to fly back to Yongzhou, you just have to take people to Pingzhongju, and I will prepare all the grain, grass and rewards afterwards. ”

Cao Keming smiled and took a sip of the teacup, moistening his throat before saying, "Since the general judgment is afraid of causing panic in the rest of Zuojiang, the movement can't be too big." In this way, in the name of changing the army, I will transfer a thousand troops from the state city and other places, and arrange them to be in the inspection village for the time being. The food and grass shelters of these van troops must be arranged one by one. Don't leak the news, let him wait there, Chungju Huang Chengxiang was held by us, and he went straight out of Chungju from the inspection village, and he arrived on the same day, and broke his walled city for dinner! ”

In front of Xu Ping, the veteran, the only thing he can be proud of is the ability to lead the army to fight.

Xu Ping agreed casually, and did not mention his own opinions. Cao Keming has been in the army for decades, most of his years have been fighting against these Xitong barbarians, and he is extremely experienced, even if Xu Ping comes up with some small tricks, it is just icing on the cake, and it has no impact on the overall situation, so why bother to say it to annoy this old general? Zhongzhou is not comparable to other barren mountains and mountains, less than a day's journey from the garrison of the army, and there is a direct road in the valley, which cannot be slapped to death with one palm, Cao Keming's battle for so many years has been in vain.

Xu Ping accompanied Cao Keming to drink tea for a while, and said: "Speaking of patrolling the village, when Zhang Rong and his subordinates arrived at the change, I heard that they were going to be transferred to Jingnan. Two days ago, I also told him that he should not be transferred at all, and everyone would settle down in Yongzhou in addition to their military registration. We have been prosperous here for the past two years, there is no shortage of money and food, and the soldiers are no worse than serving in the army even if they go to the fields to plant sugar cane. They have been in the army for many years, and I will assign them a position as a native soldier and subsidize some money, so that I can keep a lot of people in the future. ”

"That's a way to do it, too. Recruiting people from Fujian Road, as if they owe them, every time they send someone to them, the chief will say three things or four, and we will give them white sugar, I don't know what to rely on. We will directly leave the guards here, and let Fujian Road recruit again, so that they don't have to owe them favors! ”

Speaking of this, Cao Keming became interested, as a governor, most of the gossip fell on him, and he had heard enough of the various complaints in his letter from the governors of Fujian, and he couldn't take the money from selling sugar home.

"Speaking of the Xiang army from Fujian, not only Zhang Rong's one, Yongzhou has a whole command, there are many states on Guangxi Road, and there are more than 2,000 people who change guards every year, and they all stay! We don't have to recruit people on Fujian Road, there is no money in the account, I have seen them come to Yongzhou for two years! ”

Cao Keming said with great vigour, but Xu Ping was startled, and opened his mouth wide and said: "This-more than 2,000 people are such a big deal, how can the Privy Council not agree, right?" ”

Cao Keming waved his hand: "Let the third division go and tell them, we just need to mention it." This year, two million catties of sugar will be raised from us, how many soldiers can't support it? The forbidden army can also raise tens of thousands! We suffer and suffer here, and we have to be gossiped about, and they get the credit, how can there be such a good thing? ”

Having said that, if it is a normal situation, with the current situation of the privy envoy Zhang Qi, who dares to oppose the third division, he will definitely be drowned by the saliva of the ministers of the DPRK and the central government.

The problem is that the current dignitaries of the Third Division are not much better than Zhang Qi.

The third envoy Kou Xuan, Ding is the rest of the party, and no one looks at him pleasing to the eye. Zhang Ruogu, the deputy envoy of salt and iron, depends on Zhang Shixun's promotion in his career, Zhang Shixun is not in the phase, not to mention, it is Cao who uses the rest of the party, and the Empress Dowager Liu and some ministers of the central government are jealous. Tang Su, the deputy envoy of the Du Branch, is also a person who has a relationship with Ding Wei, although it is not a remnant party, the close relationship is not fake. Without exception, the network of bureaucratic relations on which they had previously relied became a burden, and it was only through down-to-earth officials that they remained in that position. The only remaining deputy envoy of the household department, Zhong Lijin, is considered to be innocent, and his family recites Buddhism.

As far as these few people have the right to speak, in Xu Ping's mind, it would be good to be able to leave hundreds of people in Yongzhou, but he didn't expect Cao Keming's appetite to be bigger than him, and he wanted to cover all the more troops on Guangxi Road.

The price is all over the sky, and the money is paid back on the ground, whatever, this kind of thing still gives the upper side a headache. Xu Ping just co-signed with Cao Keming to report Yongzhou's idea, and Wang Weizheng, the transfer envoy, went to find the third division and the Zhongshu, and they discussed with the Privy Council what to do, and a local petty official like himself should not worry about that.

Cao Keming said to Xu Ping: "General judgment, if we want to raise it like this, we have to have confidence in our hearts." You give me a thorough idea, how many catties of sugar can be produced in the state this year? If you can't get two million catties, don't mention it to be embarrassed, or honestly wait for punishment. ”

"Don't hide it from Zhizhou, the sugar didn't receive Curry, who would dare to say it to death?"

Hearing this, Cao Keming's face sank.

Xu Ping smiled: "But then again, now that the squeeze has begun, there is roughly a number." Last year, there were more than 5,000 acres, and this year it can be harvested, and it will not be worse than last year. More than 16,000 acres of new plants were planted, and the time was different, and it would take until the spring of the next year to squeeze them all. There is a mess planted in Shendong, and there are no numbers, even if it is used as an additive, it is not counted in it. Zhizhou, do you calculate how much there is? ”

"What did I do? How much can you receive? ”

"In my opinion, at least three million catties, we have confidence in the three divisions."

Cao Keming sighed: "That's good, as long as it is not less than two million catties, the third division has an explanation, and we have confidence in whatever we say to the above." If there are really three million catties, and hundreds of thousands of catties are sacrificed, who dares to gossip about us? This is all real money, and in those wealthy places in Jianghuai, how much money and grain are paid to the imperial court in a year? Our Yongzhou is equivalent to paying taxes all the way, what is the important person! ”

Xu Ping smiled and did not speak. Sometimes it's not like that, it's okay in the first two years, but the third division has so much more money in his hands, and he is on the rise, how to say it. After a few years of getting used to it, this will become the money that the court deserves, and the reward will be replaced by a board for fear that it will be replaced, how can you talk about confidence? But at that time, I was no longer in Yongzhou, so naturally the next one would have a headache.

Isn't it all like this? Sugarcane is not as sweet as the two ends, the first one is happy, and the later one has to taste the dregs.