Master Ling came to Runing Mansion City quietly. Regarding the matter of negotiating with Wu Shigong, a small garrison, the governor of Henan will definitely not make a big fuss, and he can't afford to lose this person.

Wu Shigong didn't embarrass Master Ling. Knowing the arrival of Master Ling, Wu Shigong also immediately rushed to the garrison yamen and met Master Ling at the first time.

It was impossible for Wu Shigong to lead Master Ling to his own residence in the Runing Camp. In the end, there are more than 2,000 soldiers of Wu Shigong in the Runing camp, and it is always a prudent practice to not let the outside world know his true strength.

After greeting each other as soon as they met, Master Ling and Wu Shigong started an old friendship: "The student hasn't seen Wu Shoubei for many years, but I didn't expect Wu Shoubei to still have such a dragon and horse spirit!" ”

Wu Shigong replied with a smile: "The gold and jade are outside, and they are just ruined." The body is very weak, and he has been tired from many years of fighting and has been sick and bedridden. It's just that today I learned that my old friend was visiting, and I mustered up my spirit to meet Mr. Ling! ”

Master Ling looked at Wu Shigong, who was full of red light, and couldn't help but smile and shake his head and said, "I didn't see that Wu Shoubei fought bravely and was so eloquent." Don't tell lies in front of real people. This time the students came to ask Wu Shoubei to go on the expedition. And before the students came, the governor also knew about the suffering of Wu Garrison, so as long as the Runing battalion went out this time, it was understandable that some of the governors would ask for it. ”

"Oh? Then what conditions did the governor give us to let the Runing battalion go on the expedition? ”

"That's not a good word." Master Ling smiled again and shook his head, "Lord Governor will not be coerced by the Runing Battalion to meet any of Wu's requirements. The governor just cherished his subordinates and did not want to see the expeditionary soldiers suffer. ”

Master Ling's words made Wu Shigong laugh all of a sudden. This is clearly an act of bribing his own Runing battalion to go on the expedition, but in Master Ling's mouth, it has changed its word. This literati really wants to save face!

Wu Shigong didn't want to debunk Master Ling's statement, and then asked, "Then Mr. Ling, what can you say?" ”

"This time the students came to Runing Mansion, and the governor also said that he knew that the military salary of the Runing battalion was low, and the grain and silver tax returned to Dewei was also a little high. When this natural disaster comes, no one will have a hard time. The governor is merciful, starting next year, the military salary of the Runing battalion will be 70% of the rated rate, and the grain and silver tax returned to Dewei will be 80% this year. ”

As soon as Master Ling came up, he gave Wu Shigong a hollow rice ball to eat. This condition seems to have given Wu Shigong some benefits, but if everything goes well next year, the governor of Henan will have to be transferred to the capital as a waiter, and this account has to be calculated by Wu Shigong and the new governor of Henan, and the current governor of Henan does not need to worry about anything at all.

However, the governor of Henan and Master Ling didn't know that they thought that the transfer of Wu Shigong's Runing camp was the idea of the first assistant Zhou Yanru, and they didn't know that this matter was caused by Yangzhou's salt transportation envoy Guan Yin and Yangzhou's salt merchant Qijia behind their backs.

Therefore, the governor of Henan and Master Ling only thought that this time they were just mobilizing the Runing battalion to fight in Liaodong. They didn't know at all that no matter whether Wu Shigong's Runing battalion was won or defeated, Shoufu Zhou Yanru would not let Wu Shigong's Runing battalion return to Henan.

However, Wu Shigong passed Guo Zeng'an's whistleblower and knew the ins and outs of the whole matter, so Wu Shigong immediately heard that Master Ling was eating hollow rice balls for himself. Wu Shigong's reason is a little different from Master Ling, he thinks that he basically can't go back to Henan in the first place, so whether it is to increase military salaries or reduce grain and silver taxes next year, it will be a kind of promise in the air.

Therefore, for Wu Shigong now, catching cash and pocketing it is the most haode choice. However, hearing that Master Ling's conditions were too insincere, Wu Shigong was still ready to dry Master Ling first.

So Wu Shigong lifted the teacup and said, "Mr. Ling is tired from the journey, let's go back and rest first." This official is also unwell now, and this time Mr. Ling's trip to Runing Mansion will end here. ”

Wu Shigong's categorical refusal surprised Master Ling. He hurriedly asked, "Wu Shoubei can also say anything if he has anything to say!" Some things are not difficult to talk about. ”

Wu Shigong smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Ling is also too unhappy. Everything is hidden and pinched, but I don't want to say anything real to the official. If you continue to talk about it like this, it will be a waste of time. ”

"How can you say that? Didn't the conditions of the student's talent give Wu Shoubei a great benefit? ”

"What's the good thing about that? Our Runing battalion's military salary should have been seventy percent. This grain and silver tax returned to Dewei was originally the most paid, and eighty percent of this year's tax will be paid next year, which is still more than that of other guards. How does this show Mr. Ling's sincerity? ”

"What does Wu Shoubei mean?" Master Ling breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the additions and subtractions are still in these two places, it still has no effect on the current governor of Henan, so Master Ling decided that if Wu Shigong's conditions were not too excessive, he was also ready to agree immediately.

"The Runing battalion's military salary for next year will be eighty percent. This official is not a black-hearted person, and he doesn't want to move the benefits of other colleagues. As for the grain and silver tax returned to Dewei, I will pay 50% of this year's tax. ”

"That's a little too much, isn't it?" Master Ling pretended to think about it, and then said, "Then the student also took this risk, so he agreed to Wu Shoubei." However, ...... about the Runing battalion's expedition? ”

"The official's conditions haven't been finished yet." Wu Shigong immediately said, "This year, this official was inexplicably deducted more than 3,000 taels of military salary by Li Bingbeidao, and the governor of this matter must also administer justice to this official." ”

Master Ling frowned when he heard this. Master Ling also knew about this matter, but this matter involved colleagues in Henan officialdom, which made Master Ling a little embarrassed. This blocked Li Bingbei's financial path for no reason, and this kind of thing is also a taboo in officialdom.

So Master Ling discussed with Wu Shigong: "Now that the New Year is approaching, the government expenses have been written off. Wu Shoubei asked for silver, so why would he have to wait until next year. Seeing the anger on Wu Shigong's face, Master Ling hurriedly continued, "Don't worry, Wu Shoubei! You see, it's not going to work. This time the Runing battalion went out on the expedition, and the supply of grain and grass was given to the Runing battalion, and then some horses and armor were transferred to the Wu garrison from the arsenal and the governor's standard camp, and the students assured that the Wu garrison would not suffer a loss. ”

Hearing this, Wu Shigong's expression softened. He was also in the mood to joke with Master Ling: "Your guarantee, this official doesn't dare to be too relieved." This official has also suffered a loss from you. ”

Hearing Wu Shigong mention the last time Wu Shigong gave silver for military merit, Master Ling hurriedly explained: "This is a misunderstanding of the students. The last time Wu was guarded, the students did their best. However, the students have also explained in advance, and we can't help the governor in the arrangement of this department! ”

"Alright! All right! Wu Shigong smiled and waved his hand and said, "This official doesn't mean to blame either. The past is not to be mentioned. But this time, I hope Mr. Ling will keep his promise! ”

"That's for sure! Certain! ”

Next, Wu Shigong reached an agreement with Master Ling in detail. In addition to the above-mentioned military salaries of the Runing battalion and the grain and silver tax returned to Dewei, the governor of Henan will also allocate 500 stone of grain and 100 horses to Wu Shigong when Wu Shigong goes on this expedition, as well as a number of armor, weapons, bows and arrows. Although Wu Shigong's army did not often use bows and arrows, it was not in vain to be able to obtain bows and arrows.

Wu Shigong calculated that the value of these things was about the same as three thousand taels of silver. The main purpose of his own trouble this time is to test the bottom line of the civil officials, not to completely tear his face with the civil officials. Now that you've got the benefits, let's take it when you see it.

In addition, Wu Shigong proposed that this time the Runing battalion would march along the canal when it went north. Although it is already winter, and the water of the canal has frozen, and it is impossible to sail, because there are official warehouses on both sides of the canal to provide grain and grass for the army, Wu Shigong's dilemma of having no grain and grass last time will not happen again.

Of course, Wu Shigong will not explain to Master Ling that this time the Runing Battalion will turn around and run away as soon as he sees that something is wrong.

Wu Shigong's Runing battalion was not familiar with the terrain of Liaodong at all, and there was no map of Liaodong, so they did not know how long the distance from Shanhaiguan to Dalinghe City was. Therefore, Wu Shigong is also on the army's cart at all times, loading the army's grain and grass for a month. In case of escape, in a month's time, you can always escape from Dalinghe City back to Shanhaiguan. Otherwise, even if the army could escape, it would starve to death because of the lack of food and grass.

Regarding Wu Shigong's request, Master Ling also agreed. Last time, Wu Shigong went north to King Qin, but in Beizhili, he made a lot of trouble for grain and grass.

Until now, some state capitals in Beizhili are still fighting lawsuits with the governor of Henan over the issue of grain and grass. Although it was Wu Shigong's rogue behavior that embarrassed the officials of Beizhili at that time, most of the officials in Zuihou still put this account on the governor of Henan.

Although the governor of Henan will not be afraid of these low-level officials, it is always a troublesome matter, so this time Wu Shigong marched along the canal and no longer made trouble for the governor of Henan. How could Master Ling disapprove of such a thing?

After negotiating all this, Master Ling left a few entourages in Runing Mansion City to supervise the dispatch of troops from this Runing battalion. He immediately returned to Kaifeng City and reported to the governor of Henan. Wu Shigong also arranged some soldiers to follow Master Ling to Kaifeng City to receive the grain, grass, horses, armor and weapons that Master Ling promised to the Runing battalion.

After Master Ling left, Zhang Xuebin asked Wu Shigong: "My lord, you didn't sign any written documents when Mr. Ling left this time, what if they regretted it afterwards?" ”

"Are written paperwork useful?" Wu Shigong asked rhetorically, "Even if there is a document, when the time comes, the governor will regret it, and it may not be that the official will take this document and go to court with him?" ”

Zhang Xuebin felt right when he heard it, but he then asked: "Then the adult should also give Mr. Ling some souvenirs, so that he can return empty-handed, which is also a lack of courtesy." ”

"No need! This time, the governor was able to put down his body and talk to the official, which was to ask the official to go on the expedition. As long as the official's Runing battalion goes on the expedition, it will be the most haode gift to the governor. Besides, the governor has repeatedly let the official's Runing battalion fight, and he is no longer waiting to see the official, and no matter how much gifts he gives, he can't make up for the relationship between the official and the governor, so it's refreshing to pay the money with one hand and deliver the goods with the other! ”

So when he arrived in Zuihou, Master Ling also quietly left Runing Mansion City, and he didn't take a cloud with him when he left!