The days when I ransacked the house in Jinyiwei

Chapter 368 Wang Xun is both a warrior and a man.

Chang Feng felt that the two decrees of Emperor Zhengde were strange.

At the same time, Datong was seven hundred miles away. Wang Xun, the commander-in-chief of Datong, also encountered a strange thing. He received a strange official letter.

This official letter came from the capital, and the messenger who came to deliver it was the Royal Horse Supervisor.

The general content of the official letter is: Lao Wang, you must train your troops well in Datong and step up preparations for war. Fulfill the responsibilities of a general in the border towns of the imperial court, protect the people, and make contributions to the imperial court.

They are all words of encouragement.

If this letter comes from the Minister of War, the Minister, or a father-in-law from the Royal Horse Prison, then the content of the letter is not surprising at all.

The strangest thing about the letter is the signature - "Governor-General Military Affairs, Mighty General, Chief Military Officer, Zhu Shou."

After all, Wang Xun was also the first and second-rank military attache of the imperial court. Although he was a rough man with little money in his belly, he was not an ignorant countryman.

He had never heard of this official position.

As for the name Zhu Shou, he had never heard of it.

Wang Xun called his aide Zhuge Ren: "Look at the signature on this letter. I have never heard of this official position."

Zhuge Ren was confused after reading it: "That's weird. The Ming Dynasty only had a governor for military affairs in a certain place. There has never been a governor for military affairs and a general, and a general military officer was added at the end."

Wang Xun asked: "Is it possible that the imperial court restored the old official positions? Didn't you tell me before that when Taizu was still King of Wu, he had many prominent military positions. For example, the governorship of the governor's office was later abolished."

Zhuge Ren said: "Let me check the actual records."

An hour later, Zhuge Ren returned to Wang Xun's study: "Commander. I looked through the records of the Wu Palace and the Hongwu Dynasty. There is no such official position!"

Wang Xun said: "Is that a newly established official position? That's not right! If the imperial court establishes a new military attache position, it will be the governor, general and military officer combined into one. It will definitely be reported in the official newspaper. I can't possibly not know. "

Zhuge Ren echoed: "Yes, is it possible that someone is playing tricks on you, Commander-in-Chief?"

Wang Xun said: "The person who came to deliver the letter is the messenger from the Royal Horse Supervisor, and he has an official badge. It doesn't look like a prank."

Zhuge Ren said: "That's strange."

Wang Xun added: "Also, this man's name is Zhu Shou. There is absolutely no such person among the generals above the commander's office of the Fifth Army Commander's Office. There is also no such person among the generals above the commander-in-chief of the 12th regiment's camp. The commander of the frontier army also I know of no such person."

Zhuge Ren said: "The surname is Zhu. But the name only has one character, and there is no royal character. This person is definitely not a clan member. Could he be a noble?"

Wang Xun was confused: "Xungui, your surname is Zhu?"

Zhuge Ren said to himself: "Could the nobles named Zhu be from the lineage of Zhu Neng, Duke of Chengguo?"

Wang Xun waved his hand: "Impossible. When I went to Beijing to report on my work, I had a drink with Zhu Fu, the fourth generation Chengguo Gong. There is no one named Zhu Shou among his nephews."

Zhuge Ren received Wang Xun's annual salary of three thousand taels of silver. If he couldn't even figure out the origin of a letter's signature, he could just pack up and get out.

Zhuge Ren said: "Yes! Since the letter comes from the capital, if you want to find out the origin, you have to ask someone who is familiar with the officialdom of the capital."

"Gao Qianhu of Jinyiweixuan Daqianhu Office lives in Tieshihutong in the north of Datong City. It's better for the town commander to ask him."

Gao Qianhu’s real name is Gao Wenze and he is originally from Datong. In the early years of Hongzhi's reign, he worked in Jinyiwei as a steward of thousands of households. Thirty years later, he is already seventy years old.

Chang Feng took care of him the year before last and transferred him to Xuanda University.

Gao Wenze, the nominally highest official of the Xuanda Qianhu Office, actually did not do anything. He only received a salary and retired in Datong City.

Wang Xun and Zhuge Ren came to Iron Lion Alley.

The white-haired Gao Wenze was sitting on a lounge chair in the yard, rubbing walnuts, while a handsome little maid helped him beat his legs.

Gao Wenze looked at the little maid's pretty face and thought mockingly: What if we could go back thirty years. What I am kneading now is not walnuts, but Nunoko! Alas, I can’t accept it anymore! Back then, I peed three feet in the wind, but now my shoe is wet in the wind.

At this moment, Wang Xun and Zhuge Ren entered the courtyard. Zhuge Ren was carrying a small box in his hand.

Zhuge Ren smiled and said: "Gao Qianhu, our Wang Zhenshuai came to see you getting old."

Gao Wenze quickly knelt down and raised his hands: "The last general, Gao Wenze, has met Wang Zhenshuai."

No matter how prominent the Jin Yiwei are, they are still in the rank of the Ming Army. Thousand households should pay due tribute to the general.

Wang Xun hurriedly helped Gao Wenze up: "Oh, how can I bear this bow from Lao Qianhu! You have served under Marquis Tishuai Jin'an for many years, and you are a veteran in the capital!"

Gao Wenze smiled and said: "I don't dare to take the word veteran seriously."

Wang Xun said: "My ancestors have been Datong frontier soldiers for five generations. I am a real fellow villager with Lao Qianhu. We live in the same hometown and have never been close to each other."

Gao Wenze said: "I have admired Wang Zhenshuai for a long time. It's just that he is busy with military affairs and has never paid a visit."

Wang Xun asked: "The ancestors of the old Qian family were also members of the Datong frontier army, right?"

Gao Wenze replied: "Exactly. My great-grandfather has been guarding Datong since the Hongwu Dynasty. In the autumn of the 14th year of the Zhengtong Dynasty, Datong soldiers came to Beijing to serve the king. My father made outstanding contributions and was awarded the post of Imperial Guard."

The civil servants walked around to pay homage to the pier. When they came up, they first asked which subject they had studied in, their rank and origin, and who their teacher was.

When the military attache walked around the pier to pay his respects, he first asked about his military status and hereditary military position.

Wang Xun said: "I wonder which frontier army in Datong the ancestors of this old family belong to?"

Gao Wenze replied: "My ancestor served in Qianhu, the forward of Huwei Youying Camp in Datong Town, and the general flag is hereditary."

Wang Xun exclaimed after hearing this: "Ah! My ancestor also served in the Huwei Right Camp forward Qianhu. It is a hereditary Baihu."

"Our ancestors may have stirred the same pot with a horse spoon. If you think about it, Lao Qianhu and I are close brothers! I should call you Gao Laoge."

After speaking, Wang Xun winked at Zhuge Ren.

Zhuge Ren quickly handed over the small box in his hand and opened the lid. Inside are two ingots of gold and silver.

Wang Xun smiled and said: "I have no respect for you, but I would like to present you with a hundred taels of gold and silver as a gift. Brother Gao will keep it for now. We will have more contacts in the future."

Gao Wenze declined: "How can I get the money from the commander-in-chief?"

Wang Xun is good at fighting, and he is also good at being a good person. He immediately showed a worried expression: "You and I are just like our closest relatives. If you refuse, you are out of touch!"

Gao Wenze had no choice but to hand over the silver. After working in Jinyiwei for fifty years, Lao Gao is not an easy man.

He knew very well that Wang Xun must be asking for something from him. Otherwise, why would the local emperor of Datong, a dignified commander-in-chief, condescend to give him a gift to a semi-retired Qianhu?

Gao Wenze asked tentatively: "What difficulties has Wang Zhenshuai encountered recently?"

Wang Xun clapped his hands: "Hey! My brother Gao Shi is so good at predicting things! To be honest, I did encounter something, but it was not a difficult thing, but a strange thing."

"Someone in the capital sent me a letter. The official signature on it made me, the monk Zhang Er, confused."

After speaking, Wang Xun took out the letter and said, "Brother Gao Shi, please give me a long eye."

After reading the letter, Gao Wenze was greatly surprised: "Governor, Mighty General, Chief Military Officer, I have never heard of this official position. But it was the current emperor who gave himself the alias Zhu Shou!"

Wang Xun was cold: "You said Zhu Shou is the current emperor?"

Gao Wenze nodded: "Exactly! When the emperor opened a shopping street in Xiyuan, he pretended to be a down-and-out man selling straw sandals. His name was 'Zhu Shou'."

"At that time, Master Chang, ah, now the Marquis of Jin'an, sent people from Jin Yiwei to the Buying Street to act as common people and traders. I was also among them." "My tofu stall was right next to the emperor's straw sandal stall. Therefore, we know that Zhu Shou is the emperor."

Wang Xun was overjoyed: "Ah! So that's it! Brother Shi is a young errand in Beijing, and he is really knowledgeable."

Zhuge Ren asked from the side: "What about this mighty general and chief soldier?"

Gao Wenze said with a smile: "The emperor is very eclectic in his actions. He always likes to make up some official positions and assign them to himself. In the past, the emperor even designated himself as the 'General Banner of Royal Guards to detect prostitution and adultery'!"

Lao Gao is really an old fox.

High emotional intelligence: Act in an eclectic way.

Low EQ: Doing things poorly.

Wang Xun's eyebrows were filled with joy: "So, the emperor wrote me a letter of advice?"

Gao Wenze was full of New Year's greetings: "In my humble opinion, the emperor personally wrote a letter to Wang Zhenshuai, indicating that he values ​​you. You will definitely rise in the future."

"Like Qiu Yue in Ningxia, he might even be granted the title of earl!"

Wang Xun smiled and said: "Then let me borrow my old brother's good advice!"

He thought to himself: These one hundred taels of gold and silver are really worth it. Otherwise, is there someone in the court who can do things easily? Lao Gao is not considered a powerful person in the court at all, he is just a Qianhu who has retired from the Imperial Guard.

Thinking of this, Wang Xun said: "Gao Laoqianhu has served Jin'anhou for many years. I should have a deep relationship with him. I have admired Jin'anhou for a long time. Can you write a letter to introduce me to Jin'anhou?"

"I will prepare a generous gift for Marquis Jin'an with this letter."

Gao Wenze waved his hands repeatedly: "No need. You don't understand the character of Marquis Jin'an. If you are a general with real ability and can win great battles, he will be willing to make friends even if you don't give him gifts."

"When encountering problems, he is also willing to lend a helping hand."

"If you are a mediocre general who loses the battle. If you send him some money, he might let the Jinyi guards charge you with bribery."

"Ah, Wang Zhenshuai is a fierce warrior. I think Marquis Jin'an is willing to make friends. I can write to you to introduce him."

The reason why Gao Wenze agreed to Wang Xun's letter of recommendation was because he wanted to get another generous sum of money from Wang Xun for his retirement.

Wang Xun is a sensible person, and he quickly said: "I am willing to give Brother Shi another five hundred taels of silver to polish his pen!"

Gao Wenze pretended to be frightened: "How is this good?"

Wang Xun smiled and said: "Please don't refuse. We are close brothers! Hahaha!"

Gao Wenze said: "Then I'll ask you to call me my second brother?"

Wang Xun cupped his hands: "Brother."

The two burst into hearty laughter at the same time: "Hahaha!"

After a moment, Gao Wenze suddenly stopped smiling: "It's still strange."

Wang Xun asked: "Oh? Where is the strange thing?"

Gao Wenze said: "According to what the emperor said in his letter, it seems that there is going to be a big war in the north."

"It doesn't make sense! According to the intelligence from our Jin Yiwei side, the little Tatar prince has no intention of going south to join the invaders recently."

Wang Xun said: "How should the elder brother respond to the younger brother?"

Gao Wenze said: "According to what the letter said, just train your troops well and prepare for war! If we really fight, you have to perform well and impress the emperor!"

Wang Xun waved his hand: "Hey, I'm not bragging. My writing is nonsense, and my writing is like a dog crawling. But I have the same ability. I know how to fight and dare to fight hard!"

"If a big war breaks out, I will definitely kill all the Tatars!"

Wang Xun is really not bragging about Boyi at the top of his lungs.

This guy grew up in the border army since he was a child. When I was a child, my game was to use the heads of enemies chopped off by my father as balls to kick. After kicking him, I took the enemy leader to help my father run errands and went to the experience officer to exchange for the silver reward.

At the age of fourteen, he inherited a military position and at the age of fifteen, he saw bloodshed and killed people in battles. At the age of seventeen, he commanded a hundred households and beheaded eighty-level enemies.

For most of his life, he had no other hobbies except fighting and beheading enemies in exchange for promotion and silver rewards.

This guy's military ability is not inferior to that of Ningxia Qiu Yue.

Although he has been the commander-in-chief for a long time, he has become tainted with the sophistication of officialdom. But there is no contradiction between being a human being and being able to fight. For example, Qi Jiguang in later generations.

Wang Xun stood up and cupped his hands towards Gao Wenze: "Brother, I feel like old friends at the first sight, and it's so late to meet you."

"But since the emperor asked me to step up preparations for war, I have to return to the military camp quickly."

Gao Wenze smiled and said, "I will write the letter to Marquis Jin'an as soon as possible and send someone to deliver it to the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion."

Wang Xun followed Zhuge Ren out of the Gao family courtyard.

Wang Xun smiled and said: "There is no one who spends money in this world. I only spent one hundred taels of gold and silver to figure out the whole story of this letter."

Zhuge Ren suggested: "I think after the commander returns to camp, he should immediately prepare for war according to what the emperor's letter said."

Wang Xun nodded: "The whole army is ordered to be on guard. Those who are visiting relatives or asking for leave to go out to the camp to prostitute women will be recalled immediately."

"In addition, send a letter to the Governor's Yamen and the Datong Guard Eunuch Yamen to request the allocation of sufficient military rations, gunpowder, and arrows."

Zhuge Ren had some doubts: "Allocate military rations and artillery? The group of rotten scholars in the Governor's Yamen and the group of eunuchs in the Supervisor's Yamen may say that you have evil intentions."

Wang Xun laughed: "Thankfully your surname is Zhuge! Those who don't know better think I am your staff officer!"

"If they are talkative, just show this letter! We have the support of the current emperor, why are we worried about not getting food and artillery?"

Zhuge Ren thought for a moment: "Oh. Either you can be the commander-in-chief. Or you are wise. How could I have forgotten this letter!"

After Wang Xun returned to the town commander's mansion, he immediately summoned more than a thousand households under his command to discuss matters. Nothing else, just one thing: prepare for war!

In the near future battle with the Tatars, Wang Xun will become the most important supporting role.

As for the protagonists, they are naturally Zhu Shou, the powerful general and military officer, the governor-general of military affairs; and Zhu Houzhao, the Zhengde emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the god of war.

Let’s talk about the capital.

In the evening, Chang Feng got off work and rode to the pig head butcher shop next to the old house in Lvdiaozi Hutong, Nancheng, to cut two kilograms of pig head meat.

He rode a horse, carried pig head meat, and returned to the Marquis Mansion in Beicheng while humming a little tune. It was already the moonlight above the willow trees.

As soon as he entered the door, Liu Xiaoyan greeted him: "The emperor asked Qingyun to stay in the Leopard Room again?"

Chang Feng shook his head slightly: "No. The Han generals over there in the Leopard Room are all my former subordinates. If Qingyun stays there for the night, they will let me know."

Liu Xiaoyan said: "It's strange. This little wild donkey has gone wild somewhere. It has no home now."

Chang Feng said with a smile: "I will marry the girl from the Xu family soon. The girl from the Xu family is very powerful. Before the marriage, let Qingyun go wild as he pleases. Anyway, I won't be wild for a few more days."

(End of this chapter)