June, Shanxi, Lu'an, Zezhou. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

Cai Maode felt that he couldn't sleep, tossed and turned, and recited Buddhist scriptures for a while, and then he lay down and was hazy for a while, and the rooster crowed and woke him up.

Looking out the window, it was almost dawn, Cai Maode got up to freshen up and eat breakfast.

Occasionally, he read the comments on "Sunrise in the East" in this issue of Xuanzhen Times, and compared to the comments of many literati and officials in the Ming Dynasty who like to read the "favorite Golden Plum Bottle", he prefers Sunrise in the East, and feels full of high-spirited spirit.

Satisfied, he put down the newspaper, there was not much leisure time a few days ago, and he brought a few staff guards, and he hurried out, and the sky was brighter.

Outside, the mottled stone and earth pavement and the gray walls and tiles on both sides complement each other, mixed with all kinds of human voices, the streets of Zezhou, at this time have been covered with carts and horses transporting grain, coming and going, and there are many people pushing wheelbarrows, heading south, some village warriors wearing uniforms to escort them.

In order to ensure military needs, the imperial court ordered grain to be transported everywhere, especially Shanxi, which is adjacent to Henan, and suffered a large amount of grain and salary.

Cai Maode, who was the governor of Shanxi, came to Zezhou, Lu'an Prefecture, from Taiyuan and personally supervised it.

The city of Zezhou is quite large-scale, Cai Maode climbed the south city tower, and at the end of the plain in the distance, a scene of overlapping mountains unfolded.

Although Zezhou City is located in the basin, but the southeast and southwest are not far from Taihang, Wangwu Ershan, known as the gateway of Shanxi traffic Henan, has the reputation of "Pinghan in the Central Plains, Xiongzhen in the south of Hebei", the Dadan River and the Xiaodan River meander southward, inject Qinshui into Huaiqing Mansion in Henan, and then flow into the Yellow River.

Cai Maode looked at it for a while, and in recent months, he has entered the southbound road of the mountains. Whether it is by water or land, from morning to night, it is full of people.

He turned his head. On the city, there were also some armor soldiers, all of whom wore bright helmets and long armor. In particular, some bird guns also wear a full set of cotton armor with nail leaves inside.

Compared to the localities, those wore red tasseled hats. The mandarin duck battle jacket is covered with a crotch, or waist-high armor, or there is nothing in the local garrison, which is much more elite, but it is the regular barracks soldier of Zhou Yuji, the chief soldier of Shanxi.

After Zhou Yuji took over the general army of Shanxi, he came to office and eliminated the old and weak soldiers. repairing weapons, with the support of Cai Maode, a regular barracks was trained by him, and this was still the case when Li Yunshu took away some of the soldiers in the barracks.

After returning to Shanxi. Li Yunshu served as the deputy commander-in-chief, and the backbone was the soldiers of the original barracks, who had experienced the bloody battle in Jinzhou, and their combat effectiveness could stand the test, and after participating in Wang Dou's action, they received a lot of money and grain, and the grain, grass and equipment could be guaranteed in peacetime, and they were now a well-known strong army in Shanxi Town.

Because the Henan Mansion opposite is a heavy place for thieves, his strange barracks are stationed in Pingyang Mansion.

And Zhou Yuji, at present, there are more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 1,000 cavalry in the barracks, and the backbone is the hundreds of family members he brought.

Footsteps sounded, a general, with a few guards, walked up from under the city, he was wearing a cloud-winged bronze helmet, below is a waist-high armor and armor skirt, a bow and arrow and a sword hanging on the belt, when walking, the nail leaf clanged, but it was Zhou Yuji.

Zezhou is an important place for Shanxi grain and grass to be transported to Henan, Cai Maode personally rushed to supervise, and Zhou Yuji was also ordered to come from Ningwuguan.

After all, there is no room for loss here, opposite Henan, Huaiqing Mansion and Weihui Mansion in the territory, there are now a lot of thieves rampant, some, even break into the army, only rely on the local officials and generals in Zezhou, I am afraid that they will not be able to protect the safety of grain and grass.

Zhou Yuji looked respectful, bowed his hand, and said to Cai Maode: "I've seen my lord." ”

"General Zhou doesn't have to be polite."

Cai Maode said with a smile and went to support him with his own hands, but Zhou Yuji still insisted on giving a salute.

For Shanxi Governor Cai Maode, Zhou Yuji is out of the heart of respect, Cai Maode is good at Buddhism, thrifty and self-disciplined, humble gentleman, kind, Zhou Yuji does not read much, so on weekdays, the most respectful to readers, especially Cai Maode such a true character of the reader, is regarded as a mentor and friend.

The two looked at the city and spoke.

"When Chongzhen was three years old, the Shaanxi thieves plundered Shanxi, there were 36 battalions, and the number was 200,000, and the court did its best to drive them out of Jin. At present, the thieves are in Henan Daxing, Shanxi and Henan, but a river apart, especially in winter, the Yellow River is frozen, thieves can cross at any time by solid ice, can be crossed anywhere, the Yellow River defense, not simple. ”

Cai Maode sighed: "Preventing the river is to prevent the whole Jin, and preventing the Jin is to defend Shenjing, the relationship is the most important, but the thief is erratic, easy to defeat, and difficult to suppress." With Jing Nanbo, Ning Nanbo's bravery, it still can't be completely encircled and exterminated. What's more worrying, Fang Liang Liu thief, the thief's henchman, if Wang Gong can't determine the affairs of Henan Province, he can take advantage of a flaw, and the thief can cross the river to the north, and Jinzhong has nothing to rely on, and there is a tendency for the land to collapse. ”

Zhou Yuji also looked solemn, the Henan Mansion opposite the southwest is the place where the thieves train the new army, and they also divide the fields and land, which is quite divided, although Cao Bianjiao and others defeated Liu Fangliang, but they quickly rushed into the mountains, and the main force was not lost.

If the officers and men retreat and return to the old outlook, it will put serious pressure on Shanxi's defense.

Especially in the winter season, the Yellow River is frozen, in the past, there were a small group of thieves, secretly crossed the Yellow River, entered the territory of Shanxi, came and went, the officers and soldiers were difficult to prevent, along the Yellow River line, Shanxi was very poor, the beard sold his wife, the people's hearts were turbulent, and there was a very good foundation for thieves.

He said angrily: "I have read poetry and books since I was a child, but I know the truth of being loyal to the country, as long as there is a certain person, I will definitely protect the territory and the people, so that the villagers and elders will be harassed by bandits." ”

Cai Maode was very pleased with Zhou Yuji's attitude, he said: "The most important thing is to get rid of the thieves of the Jin, but to first appease the poor people of the Jin, but it is difficult to ......."

He muttered: "The Sanjin Commercial Bank is now collecting the displaced people in the three towns, perhaps, it can reduce the hidden danger of thieves in the Jinland......"

Zhou Yuji admired: "Marquis Yongning, it's amazing. ”

He went south with the army from Beijing, and then went north from Huguang, and witnessed the tragic situation of the victims, if they could all be fed and clothed, who would want to rebel from the thieves? Of course, those who are coerced are not counted, but in this way, the basis of the rogue is greatly reduced.

Cai Maode said: "Indeed, if there are a few more Yongning Marquis in the Ming Dynasty, state affairs will not be like this." ”

Regarding Wang Dou's opinion, Cai Maode maintained a fair attitude, and also believed that many officials and gentry were unfair in their accusations against Wang Dou.

He changed the subject and said, "I heard that General Zhou is interested in Xuanzhen to buy bird guns and sub-medicines?" ”

Zhou Yuji said: "Yes, their bird guns and sub-medicines are really good, and they can't be made." ”

He said: "A few months ago, the Marquis of Yongning gave a certain thousand-rod bird gun and 30,000 rounds of medicine, but the soldiers in the army wanted to have more, so they had to buy it. ”

Cai Maode had to think about it, the food and salary supply of the Ming Dynasty was generally after the military salary was issued, and under normal circumstances, most of the weapons and equipment, horse training, etc., were determined by the generals.

After Cai Maode was appointed governor, because Wang Dou confiscated the real objects of various profiteers, after fighting, he stayed in Shanxi a lot, and after Wang Dou's cleaning, there were many fewer political obstacles, so he concentrated on craftsmen and also wanted to create a part of the sharp bird guns, as well as the mighty medicine.

It's just a product, and it can't be compared with Xuanfu Town.

Of course, Cai Maode does not have the consciousness of institutionalization and standardization, in fact, there are few such consciousness among Ming officials now, and Wang Dou's use of the weights and measures standards stipulated by Taizu in the early Ming Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty is also a secret, and it has not been disclosed to the public since the Shunxiangbao era.

For the officials of the Ming Dynasty, for hundreds of years, they have been accustomed to all kinds of bad habits such as big fights and small fights, big and small rulers, and different standards, and suddenly want to correct their concepts, and this thinking cannot be changed for a while.

It's already very good not to deduct the cost, for them, the weapon is almost good, but they don't know how bad it is.

Therefore, even if there are a lot of craftsmen in Shanxi, the bird guns that are played are of different specifications, and the quality is good and bad, look at such products, and then look at the bird guns of the Jingbian Army, the call to make it is better to buy has become the mainstream, and the newly established military factories in Shanxi Town have become difficult in a blink of an eye.

Besides, at present, the Marquis of Yongning has a friendly attitude towards Datong Town and Shanxi Town, and the price of a bird gun is only seven to ten taels, and it is also equipped with ten rounds of Weijin medicine, silver, grain, minerals, and native products, all of which can be paid.

Sometimes what I think is worthless, on the side of Xuanfu Town, can be topped up, and only fools make it themselves.

Cai Maode faintly felt that something was wrong, and he didn't know what was wrong, so he had to respond to the call of the official and buy weapons from Xuanfu Town to equip the sergeants in the town.

The speed is even faster, after all, the weapons in Xuanfu Town are famous, and many people want to buy them, and the products are in short supply, and they are afraid that they will be gone when it is late.

The two discussed the purchase of weapons.

Zhou Yuji heard that the current Wang Dou army began to be equipped with self-generated firearms, and he also wanted to buy some, but unfortunately, they did not sell them for the time being, and the artillery of the Jingbian Army, unfortunately, they were not sold to the outside world.

……

In June, more and more reinforcements arrived in Kaifeng, banners were everywhere, and dense camp tents occupied the ground along the Yellow River.

Of course, most of these troops who came to help wore red tasseled felt hats, mandarin duck battle jackets, crotch or waist-length armor, walking bands, and bast shoes.

There are very few people with bright armor, or bright armor, which also proves that there are not many cavalry, after all, in the Ming Dynasty, generally only cavalry has armor, that is, copper and iron helmets and long body armor, and more elite soldiers have arms and hands.

And more and more armies have also raised serious questions about the supply of grain and grass, after all, if there are more than 100,000 people, how much grain will the army consume in a day? How much forage? How much do you need to be allotted? How many livestock, vehicles, and so on?

So much manpower and material resources, now Henan is unbearable, so from Shaanxi to transfer grain, from Shanxi grain, as well as grain, are constantly transported, on the Yellow River, the whole day grain team gathered, moving grain husband and service.

On this day, Yang Wenyue, the governor of Baoding, led the general army Hu Dawei, as well as the well-known Baoding car battalion, and Jiang Mingwu, the deputy general of Tongzhou under his control, had reached the north bank of the Yellow River and was about to cross the river.

However, the superintendent Ding Qirui led the troops of several towns such as Zuo Liangyu, Yang Dezheng, and Fang Guoan to go from north to south, and they were far from reaching the outside of Kaifeng. (To be continued.) )