Volume 1 Chushan Bandits Chapter 5: A Military Camp on the Huai River and Chu Mountain
The Baijian River gathers many streams from the deep . The lower reaches flow through a flat and open valley basin, and finally merge into the Huai River, which flows from west to east, passing through the gorges and valleys between the Tongbai Mountains.
This basin, located on the steep terrain on the north bank of the Huai River, has nearly a thousand households in Huaiyuan Town, which are mainly distributed in the open valleys on both sides of the Baijian River above the Huai River.
In addition to the horse trail that runs across Tongbai Mountain and passes through the street market of Huaiyuan Town, there are four or five dirt roads extending into the depths of the mountains and valleys on the left and right. The Baijian River and the Huai River meet at the bottom of the valley, and the water surface is relatively wide. There are a total of six or seven ferry docks connecting the roads cut off by the river.
There is no county in Huaiyuan. Apart from a small military camp built at the west end of the street, there is no city wall surrounding the street.
The girl Wang Xuan sat in the carriage and entered the street market. Seeing the dense crowds of people on the bluestone main street and the rows of shops on both sides, she believed what Lu Xiong said on the way: Huaiyuan Town was as prosperous as Xinyang City. It was hard to imagine that they had not met many business travelers along the way from Xinyang.
However, it is not difficult to understand if you think about it carefully.
Huaiyuan Town is closer to Xinyang County, Guangzhou, but at that time, checkpoints were set up between different states and counties to collect taxes, and rural residents were strictly prohibited from moving across counties at will. Huaiyuan Town was naturally more closely connected with the Biyang County under its jurisdiction.
Even if large quantities of commercial goods were to be shipped out of the mountains to the prefectures and counties in the west of Huainan in the east, they would usually be transported by boat after the Huai River rose in late spring, which would save manpower.
After passing through the streets on the east bank of the Baijian River and arriving at a ferry, Xu Wujiang called for a ferry and carefully pulled the carriage onto the boat, preparing to cross the Baijian River, which was more than thirty feet wide.
At the ferry crossings on both sides, in addition to seven or eight ferries, there were also many ragged coolies waiting in groups of three or five for work.
This is mainly because there is no waterway to Tangzhou, Dengzhou and other places on the southwest road to Beijing. The horse trail in the western section is rugged and difficult to travel. Bulk commercial goods can only be transported with the help of animal power, or even by hiring young and strong laborers to carry them on their shoulders.
Cross the river to the west bank and you will find the military camp.
The stone city is three hundred steps square, and the five characters "Huaiyuan Inspection Office" are engraved on the gate facing the river. Local people usually call it the military camp, and it is also called Huaiyuan Inspection Camp in official documents.
In addition to the inspection office and barracks, there is also a post station in the military camp.
Xu Xin'an is two years older, and Xu Huai is still two months away from turning sixteen, but Xu Wujiang still keeps them by his side.
The Inspection Office relies on the local authorities for all matters, so Deng Gui will not be too harsh on his subordinates like Xu Wujiang, and there is no shortage of food for Xu Huai in the military camp.
At this moment, Xu Wujiang arranged for Xu Xin'an and Xu Huaixian to send Wang Bing and others to the post station:
"The post station is just ahead. Xu Xin'an, you and Xu Huai will escort Mr. Wang and his men there first. I will return to the yamen to report to the yamen, and then I will go to meet Mr. Wang!"
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The post station occupies a small area, about three acres, and weeds grow on the top of the courtyard wall.
Entering from the main gate, the first courtyard you enter is the post station official's residence.
The postmaster Cheng Yi was not in the yard. There were only two old postmen who were former soldiers sitting in front of the porch basking in the sun. Xu Xin'an thought the postmen were too slow, so he asked Xu Huai to help unload the cart and ran to find Cheng Yi.
Wang Bing held no official position, but he was demoted to Tangzhou and stayed there, which was meant to be a place of local surveillance. After all, it was not exile or military service.
After he left Beijing, he had to report to Tangzhou within a certain period of time, and the local government of Tangzhou was responsible for supervising him and taking care of his daily life. On the way to Tangzhou, the post station had also to provide him with shelter and reception.
Cheng Yi, the postmaster, was in charge of welcoming and seeing off guests. He was a minor official of low rank. He had to endure the officials and gentry who passed by, all of whom showed off their power. And when demoted officials stayed overnight at the post station, he would not neglect them.
Cheng Yi liked to drink a little wine on weekdays, regardless of the time. He would put the wine in a pot of tea, read, write, and paint, and take a sip when he had free time. He asked Xu Xin'an to come over and take the official letter from Wang Bing first.
Xu Huai unloaded the cart and parked it in the front yard. He was about to lead the horse to the stable behind the post station when he glanced at the official letter stating that Wang Bing was demoted and exiled to Tangzhou for the crime of "disrespect".
He wondered:
Before being demoted, Wang Bing was the Chief Censor, one of the very few people in the world who was qualified to be called "Prime Minister". Logically, except for the emperor sitting on the dragon throne, he would not be accused of "disrespect" even if he angered the prime minister and kings of the dynasty.
Wang Bing would only be charged with "disrespect" if he offended the emperor or the empress dowager with his words or actions.
However, Xu Huai did not believe that the emperor of the time would send assassins to hunt down Wang Bing. If he really wanted to kill him, there was no need to do so. Upon closer thought, it was probably because Wang Bing offended a powerful figure in the court and was expelled from Bianliang because of this.
Although most of the memories in his mind have been forgotten, Xu Huai can now think about the problem in this way. He doesn't think this should be the thinking of a sixteen-year-old boy.
Perhaps I am really a lonely soul from the future who has inexplicably come to the world today?
After leading the horse to the stable with great care and adding some fodder, Xu Huaicai returned to the front yard.
It was just past noon at this time. Xu Xin'an had already taken Wang Bing and others to a small courtyard in the northeast corner of the post station to rest. The postmaster Cheng Yi was instructing an old postman to arrange meals for Wang Bing and others.
"Do you want more wine?" the postman asked reluctantly.
Different officials had corresponding reception standards when passing through the post station:
When a person of high power and status passed through the border, local officials and gentry would rush over to hold a banquet to curry their favor; when an exiled person stayed at a post station, in addition to the coarse grain rice provided to his fill, he would at most have a small bowl of pickled vegetables to go with the rice.
The lunch that Postmaster Cheng Yi prepared for Wang Bing and others included not only a bowl of bacon, a bowl of vegetables, and half a fat goose, but also a pot of warm wine. How could the old soldier not be surprised?
Xu Huai also knew that the funds for the post station came from the Biyang County Government. There was no other use for it, and some of it had to be deducted to provide drinking for Cheng Yi. It was no wonder that the people below were reluctant to give Wang Bin an over-standard reception.
"Prime Minister Wang offended the Privy Councilor Cai Ying and was demoted to Tangzhou. All the scholars in the world felt sad . But you, a jerk with a dog-eye, are so stingy with a pot of wine? Well, at worst, I will give up drinking for two days so that you can settle the account." Cheng Yi scolded.
Cheng Yi was a minor official of low rank, but he was considered a scholar.
All official correspondence between various places had to be delivered through the post station. He knew more about Wang Bing's demotion to Tangzhou than Xu Wujiang and other low-level military men.
Privy Councilor Cai Ying?
Only then did Xu Huai know who Wang Bing had offended and why he was demoted to Tangzhou.
Xu Huai was not familiar with the affairs of the court, but from the bragging of Xu Wujiang and the military soldiers of the Inspection Office, and occasional hearsay, he knew that the Privy Councilor was as respected as the left and right prime ministers who held the positions of Junior Prime Minister and Grand Prime Minister, and that Cai Ying was definitely an extremely powerful figure in the court.
Cai Ying was in charge of the military and national affairs of the court. If he really wanted to use brutal means to eliminate his political enemies, he would have more assassins at his disposal than the prime minister.
No wonder Deng Gui was in such a hurry to leave the military camp.
Deng Gui, the inspector, was usually under the control of Tangzhou and Biyang County in his work at the Huaiyuan Inspection Office. However, the selection and promotion of all military officers such as inspectors and chief inspectors across the country was directly controlled by the Privy Council.
In other words, under normal circumstances, Deng Gui would have nothing to do with a figure like Cai Ying. But if he was noticed by Cai Ying because of his closeness to Wang Bing, he could just transfer Deng Gui to some place with poor mountains and bad waters, bandits or severe border troubles, which would be enough to make his life a living hell.
Deng Gui left in a hurry because he didn't want to have anything to do with Wang Bing .
In contrast, Cheng Yi, as the postmaster, was an official of Biyang County and was not affiliated with the Privy Council system. He respected Wang Bing's character and was generous in treating him well.
"Why hasn't Uncle Seventeen come yet?"
At this time, Xu Xin'an came over from the side courtyard and asked Xu Huai in confusion when he saw him.
Xu Huai spread his hands, indicating that he had no idea.
Where in Huaiyuan Town could there be a girl with such a beautiful appearance and extraordinary temperament as Wang Xuan?
Xu Huai could see that Xu Xin'an was somewhat obsessed, but he couldn't find an excuse to stay here, so he anxiously asked about Xu Wujiang's whereabouts, right?
Xu Huai spread his hands, but Xu Xin'an didn't expect him to answer anything, and complained again: "Mr. Deng has told us to entertain Mr. Wang and his family well, why is Uncle Seventeen gone?" He dragged Xu Huai back to the Inspection Office to find Xu Wujiang...
