Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 243: Border Town Needs Strong Men
Big brother actually scratched his face himself!
When she learned the truth, Zhu Ying couldn't believe her ears. But she thought again and felt that this made sense. After all, she didn't know what the soldiers' uniforms looked like, but she had seen countless helmets used by middle and senior officers since she was a child. And for her eldest brother's expedition, her grandmother even found a helmet that her father had used when he first inherited his father's position.
As far as she knew, the helmet could cover the entire face of the eldest brother, except for the eyes, all other vital parts were firmly protected. Therefore, unless the eldest brother's helmet was knocked off, his left cheek would definitely not be injured.
It turned out that the eldest brother had scratched his face himself, and his face, which had been hidden under the helmet, was indeed unrecognizable by most soldiers. In addition, because of the scar, the eldest brother was able to get away with it safely!
She had been holding onto Zhang Shou's arm tightly, but now, she was so excited that she lost the energy to hold onto him. Her legs could not even support her body, and she leaned on Zhang Shou. If she had not had such a solid support, she even doubted whether she, who always prided herself on being strong, would fall down.
Next, Zhu Tingfang succinctly recounted how he was treated as a slave, how he was selected by pretending to be knowledgeable about firearms, how he discovered the merchants who sold saltpeter to the northern barbarians in the firearms camp, how he contacted the insiders who had infiltrated the camp a long time ago, and how he finally contacted many slaves and worked together with a special force of the Duke of Zhao to wipe out the firearms manufacturing camp.
The emperor shook his head as he listened. When Zhu Tingfang finished speaking, he sighed and said, "Zhu Dalang, how can I say that you and your son are good? When the army goes out to fight, it is better to be safe. Why take such a risk? Has your father never thought that if there is a problem in any link, not only will you lose your son, but he will also be involved?"
This was also a question that Zhang Shou couldn't figure out, so he naturally looked at Zhu Tingfang, waiting for his answer. However, what he saw was Zhu Tingfang suddenly kneeling on the ground, with deep anger on his face.
"Your Majesty, the nobles who followed the late emperor, starting from my father, have not commanded the army since the early years of Yongchen. At that time, everyone said that the world was at peace and it was time to put the horses in the mountains and put the weapons in the warehouse. Over the past twenty years, my father has gone from being in the prime of his life to a man with muscular legs. People like the Duke of Chu, the Marquis of Nanyang, and the Marquis of Huaiqing have also grown up in the capital and are no longer as brave as they used to be."
"The border towns seem to be peaceful, but in fact, officials and businessmen are colluding with each other, and smuggling is rampant. Not to mention weapons, even saltpeter, which is strictly prohibited by the court, is sent out! Father originally tried to be cautious, but he didn't know the seriousness of the situation until he came to Datong. If it weren't for the fact that my father still had a few old subordinates leading the troops in the Three Guards of Datong, perhaps the outcome of this war would have been even more dangerous!"
He paused for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "Duke Chu also killed several people in Xuanfu. Your Majesty may have heard of this news, but you don't know that these people were relatives of the wives or even mothers of the generals in Xuanfu, but they were colluding with the enemy. Father said that he had interrogated the two generals who did not help the dying and were also smuggling frequently. Does Your Majesty know what they said?"
"They said, why can the officials and nobles in Jiangnan make huge profits from maritime trade, while they can only guard the border with great difficulty? Moreover, if the northern barbarians have no firearms and are vulnerable to attack, then in the minds of the officials in the court, are the important border towns still necessary to exist? They are not betraying their country for profit, but just for their own survival."
As soon as these words came out, not only did the emperor's face suddenly change, even Wu Ge Lao, who was always considered to be a representative of the cabinet who never showed his emotions , couldn't help but reveal his anger. Zhu Ying couldn't help but curse: "How can there be such shameless and greedy people! Compared with those soldiers who charge into battle, they have already enjoyed enough!"
Zhang Shou sneered in his heart, thinking of the salary distribution plan in the company that could never satisfy everyone. As the head of the human resources department, you think that some departments have no benefits and no achievements, so you want to cut people's benefits, but they are not convinced at all, thinking that they have no merits but have worked hard, so not only should their benefits not be reduced, but their bonuses should be increased!
If we compare today's army to companies in later generations, ordinary employees are like ordinary sergeants, middle and low-level managers are like middle and low-level officers, divisional executives are equivalent to generals, while the general manager and heads of human resources and other major departments are equivalent to the ministers and university secretaries. As for the chairman who holds more than 99.99% of the shares, he is naturally the emperor.
The contradiction in the front army was undoubtedly that the airborne dragon across the river, Duke of Zhao, Zhu Jing, swung his sword at the local tyrants who had become powerful. Even though the local tyrants had irrefutable evidence of their crimes, they still refused to accept it, because their goal was to emulate the local tyrants in the south of the Yangtze River who had a more comfortable life and a higher degree of freedom! Compared with those guys who sold out the company if their demands were not met, the two arrogant generals were similar.
Therefore, when Zhang Shou found the emperor looking at him , he said frankly: "Your Majesty, Yingying's scolding is reasonable, but for these people who are used to abusing their power for personal gain, scolding will not wake them up. Only an iron-fisted approach like that of Duke Zhao can remove these rotten abscesses. However, now that I think about it, it was not just a matter of life and death before."
Elder Wu, who always put the emperor's will first, sighed for the first time and said, "Yes, I didn't expect that it would be in danger of being overturned at any time."
The emperor narrowed his eyes, looking a little irritated. "I had anticipated this when I removed the Datong and Xuanfu generals because of the defeat. I never expected that the situation had become rotten to the core! Without a strong and upright person in charge, it seems that it will be difficult to eradicate the stubborn disease!"
"If the emperor wants a capable person, I actually have a candidate to recommend." Zhang Shou spoke thoughtfully, but he saw Zhu Tingfang suddenly glanced at him with disapproval in his eyes. He knew that Zhu Tingfang felt that he was not in a position to make decisions, but he just pretended not to see it and said nonchalantly, "I think if we talk about strengths, no one can compare to Wang Dayin of Shuntian Prefecture."
As soon as Zhu Tingfang had no time to react, Zhu Ying jumped up and rushed forward, shouting, "Your Majesty, Ah Shou is a perfect candidate!"
The emperor glanced at Zhu Ying with a half-smile and said, "If Wang Jie is not in the capital, it won't be as easy as it is now when you encounter something in Shuntian Prefecture."
Knowing that the emperor was referring to himself and the Duke of Zhao's Mansion for frequently blaming Wang Jie, Zhang Shou could only pretend not to understand and said in all seriousness: "If a strong person like Wang Dayin stayed in the capital, at best he would just serve as a warning to the royal family and the wealthy and powerful, and make the people of the capital live a more comfortable life. But if he were to stay in the border town..."
Zhu Ying immediately followed up Zhang Shou's words with a tacit understanding: "With Wang Datou in the border town, the good days of those arrogant and brave generals are over! I don't believe that the army can be rotten from the generals on down to every soldier. Isn't it better to promote a few good ones and kill the corrupt and incompetent ones?"
"Girls, don't keep saying kill, kill, kill."
The emperor glared at Zhu Ying unhappily. Seeing that she showed no sign of repentance, but turned her head to look at her elder brother with a face full of pity and concern, he said in a deep voice: "Okay, Xiao Zhu, you can get up. I have heard your petition and advice. I live in the deep palace, and many things can only be reported by my subordinates. Once my ears and eyes are blocked, I can hear nothing."
Seeing Zhu Tingfang standing up, Wu Ge Lao regretted that he had joined in the fun and caused such a big mess. However, when the emperor began to lament that he was not well-informed, as a cabinet elder, even if he was not in the middle of the ranking, the leadership responsibility was previously borne by others, but now that he was the only one there, he had to bite the bullet and said, "Your Majesty, this is a negligence of our ministers as assistants."
"You don't have to say anything." The emperor waved his hand to interrupt Wu Ge Lao, and then asked with a smile, "Mr. Wu, what do you think if I appoint Wang Jie as the governor of Xuanda?"
Even though he had already vaguely guessed it, the fact that the emperor brought it up so quickly made Wu Ge Lao hesitate. Wang Jie's ability had been witnessed by all during his tenure as a local official, and Wang Jie's character and integrity could be confirmed by his strong attitude when he was the governor of Shuntian Prefecture. However, he was really worried that this might be too much of an overreaction.
According to Zhu Tingfang, Duke of Zhao Zhu Jing had already killed a group of people. If Wang Jie ran over and killed another person, there would be a lot of heads rolling...
Thinking of this, Lord Wu couldn't help but glance at Zhang Shou with some resentment - why did you propose such a troublesome candidate?
But Wu Ge Lao's hesitation did not last long. After just a moment, he had made a decision. He raised his hand solemnly and bowed, then said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I think Wang Dayin is a very suitable candidate. However, the governor of Xuanda is an important position, but it is also the most complicated and difficult position. I think Wang Dayin should bring a few more helpers."
As he spoke, he glanced at Zhang Shou and said meaningfully, "I heard that a student that Dr. Zhang taught in Rongshui Village was highly appreciated by Wang Dayin. In just a few months, he was promoted from a white-robed clerk to a household clerk. Such a good candidate who is proficient in mathematics, why not let him follow Wang Dayin to take up the post?"
Seeing Zhang Shou was slightly stunned, he spoke the next words rapidly without waiting for the other party to react.
"Most of the students in Jiuzhang Hall come from humble backgrounds and have no achievements. Why not select two or three people to follow Wang Dayin to gain experience? Of course, the time doesn't have to be too long. They can rotate every two or three months. This kind of experience is always better than working behind closed doors!"
Lord Wu has already said so much, even someone like Zhu Ying who is unwilling to use her brain has understood his implication, let alone the Emperor and Zhu Tingjie?
However, the emperor was impressed that Wu Ge Lao had done his best to drag Zhang Shou, who recommended Wang Jie, into the water. As for Zhu Tingjie, he only realized now that his future brother-in-law, who was already recognized by his grandmother and stepmother, had already formed his own small power and was gradually becoming a force to be reckoned with.
"Your Majesty, I agree with Elder Wu's suggestion!"
Zhang Shou said this with a smile, and nodded slightly to Wu Ge Lao. Seeing that Wu Ge Lao's expression suddenly became a little stiff, he said nonchalantly: "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Moreover, if you only do those topics that are out of touch with reality and cannot apply what you have learned, then even if the emperor supports Jiuzhangtang, others will think behind your back that it is a waste of money and grain."
Because today's mathematics is not like classics and history, it is impossible to do only theoretical research.
"Well, then, let's do as Wu Qing and Zhang Qing say."
Seeing the emperor's final decision, Wu Ge Lao couldn't help but feel like he had shot himself in the foot. He was very unsure whether his recommendation fulfilled Zhang Shou's wish or caused trouble. As a native of Datong, Shanxi, even if he was born into a small landlord family, he knew what kind of people some generals and local businessmen were.
At the moment, he could only say helplessly: "In this case, I will take my leave first."
Seeing that Wu Ge Lao was about to leave with a heavy heart, Zhu Ying couldn't help but gently pull Zhang Shou's sleeve, but Zhang Shou gave her a look that told her to keep quiet. Sure enough, the next moment, the emperor suddenly asked, "By the way, Wu Qing came in with these juniors, do you have something to say to me?"
Wu Ge Lao was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but secretly curse himself for being so confused that he forgot his own business while listening to others' talk! He quickly turned around and bowed again with some embarrassment, saying, "I am in charge of the Ministry of Rites. I am here to report on the selection of concubines for the first and second princes. The twelve girls who were finally selected are currently learning etiquette. It's the New Year..."
Before Wu Ge Lao finished speaking, the emperor said with a smile: "After all, this final selection is not the final selection after my review, and it coincides with the Chinese New Year. Send them back first and let them reunite with their families for the New Year. Well, send the palace maids and eunuchs assigned to them by the Queen Mother to accompany them, so that they can watch over them more."
Wu Ge Lao had a lot to say about this topic, but at this moment he was unwilling to say a word, and hurriedly left to digest the news that Wang Jie, the evil star, was about to visit his hometown. As soon as he left, Zhu Ying completely relaxed, and immediately hurried to the emperor's side.
"Your Majesty, my elder brother is willing to take such risks and make great achievements. You must reward him well!"
Zhu Tingfang's face suddenly turned red, and he subconsciously stopped her, "Yingying, stop talking nonsense!"
Zhang Shou just thought it was fun to tease this seemingly cold future brother-in-law. Seeing Zhu Ying winking at him, he interrupted and said, "Your Majesty, before at the Qing'an Hall in the Zhaoguo Mansion, Auntie Nine saw through Master Zhu at a glance..."
Before he could finish his words, Zhu Tingfang shouted angrily: "Zhang Shou, stop meddling in other people's business and stop talking nonsense! I know my own affairs better than anyone else..."
"You know, but I don't." The emperor raised his lips slightly, and then ordered without question, "Liu Feng, call Chen Yuanshi from the Imperial Hospital for me! Just tell me... well, just tell me that Yingying has a headache!"
