Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Chapter 754: Two scholars provide help in times of need
While Cao Changzuo killed the supervisor Dao Cheng Xiangfeng in Chengdu Mansion and raised his troops, Zhu Xuan, the supervisor of National Day Fu Wang, ordered Guangping Marquis Chen Jian and general Zhao Youyan to lead one thousand troops each to garrison Qiongzhou and Meizhou respectively. He led more than six thousand troops. Come to Chengdu to kill. When I arrived in Chongqing Prefecture, I received the news that Cao Changzuo was dead. I couldn't help but put my head in my hands and shouted for the blessing of my ancestors.

"Your Highness, General Cao sent an envoy to invite us to enter Chengdu." Commander-in-Chief Liu Yao ran over to report with a face of joy.

"Tell Cao Changzuo that Gu's army will be here soon and ask him to greet them at the west gate of Chengdu," Zhu Xuan said calmly while trying to stay calm. The king has royal principles. Since he is the supervisor of the country, it is the duty of his subordinates to go out to the outskirts of the city to greet him. By the way, it can also wipe Cao Changzuo's loyalty. If he surrenders in vain, he will not dare to leave the city.

The capital of Chengdu is composed of Chengdu and Huayang counties. Although it has become desolate due to the war, the city is still tall. If Cao Changzuo really surrendered, he went out to welcome him ten miles away from the city. As soon as he saw King Qingfu, he dismounted and knelt down to perform the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers. "At the end of the day, I will see His Royal Highness King Qingfu, the prisoner."

"General kills thieves and does justice. His hard work is of great merit. Please come up quickly." Zhu Xuan was very satisfied with his obedience. He dismounted and helped him up with both hands, praising him in every possible way.

The monarch and his ministers entered Chengdu Fucheng talking and laughing loudly. Zhu Xuan ordered his subordinates to take over the city defense and seal up the treasury. He was surprised to find that there were only 5,000 taels of silver and 6,000 shi of grain in the treasury. I couldn't help but feel worried. I thought that Gao Minzhan, the governor of Sichuan in the Qing Dynasty, was overhauling Dujiangyan and preparing to move to Chengdu. The treasury must have enough money and food to recruit troops here. Unexpectedly, there was only so much belongings. How does this expand the army? The war is in chaos, and it cannot be done without a small army.

"Your Highness, you know that Chengdu has experienced wars for a long time, the city is dilapidated, and military supplies are insufficient. Most of the food and grass needed by the general's subordinates depend on transportation from Shaanxi. Although Gao Minzhan, the governor of the puppet Qing Dynasty, wanted to move to Chengdu, but There was no money or food, and the money to rebuild Dujiangyan was all raised from donations from the officials." Cao Changzuo was afraid that Zhu Xuan would misunderstand that he was committing theft, so he quickly explained.

Zhu Xuan nodded, "It doesn't matter if we are short of money and food. Fortunately, Dujiangyan can barely irrigate, and the land in Chengdu is fertile. We will organize military and civilian reclamation this year, and there will be a good harvest next year. As for military pay, I still have some assets in Chongqing Prefecture, and they have all been sold. It can solve a temporary need." The first sentence is true. Chengdu is a land of abundance. As long as irrigation is solved, food production will not be a problem. The second sentence is a bluff. As an ordinary prince, he actually does not have much resources to support the army. He said this purely to stabilize the morale of the army.

"Your Highness, Ouyang Zhi, a doctor in the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty, and Shen Yunzuo, a judge, want to see you." Just as he was worried, his personal guards came to report.

"Oh, please invite the two gentlemen into the palace." Zhu Xuan was overjoyed. There were many military generals who defected to him these days, but there were not many civil servants. Now two of them finally came. He had actually heard of these two famous names. They were both counselors to King Shu Liu Wenxiu. Ouyang was a direct official and became a doctor in the Ministry of War; Shen Xunwei was the son of Shen Yunzuo, a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty and the magistrate of Huayang County, with many literary talents.

"I'm waiting for you to see His Royal Highness King Fu, who is in charge of the National Day." The two of them were worthy of being civil servants. When they met, they bowed politely and with thoughtful etiquette.

"As the saying goes, 'Wen can govern the country, and military force can ensure the country'. There are many military generals around Gu, but there are not many advisers. Two gentlemen are invited to be Xiao He and Zhang Liang," Zhu Xuan said sincerely.

Ouyang Zhi and Shen Xunwei looked at each other and secretly thought that King Qingfu was very ambitious. He actually compared the two of them to Xiao He and Zhang Liang. Could it be that he wanted to be the emperor of the Han Dynasty? However, after Emperor Yongli fled to Burma, the two of them had lost hope in the emperor. After all, King Qingfu was a descendant of the old Zhu family. If he could save Ming Zuo from the chaos, what harm would it do to become the emperor of the Han Dynasty?

"Today, I am hunting in the south. I am willing to follow the supervision of the country and revive the Ming Dynasty." Ouyang Zhi was the first to express his position.

"I am also willing to follow the supervision of the country. Even if the ax hits me, I will not change my ambition." Shen Xunwei also said.

"Okay! Okay! With the help of two gentlemen, why worry about failing to achieve a great cause?" King Qingfu was overjoyed. He appointed Ouyang Zhi as Minister of War and Shen Xunwei as Right Minister of Rites. He also ordered a banquet to be prepared for the two of them, including the ministers of civil and military affairs. accompany. Ouyang Zhi and Shen Xunwei, in the Yongli Dynasty, one was just a small military doctor, and the other had no official status and was only a civil servant. As soon as they met King Fu, the prisoner of the National Day, they were named the Minister of the Ministry of War and the right minister of the Ministry of Rites, and received high official salaries. It may not mean much in the eyes of loyal ministers and righteous men, but it represents the attitude of the superior. The two of them were taken seriously and felt grateful.

The guards put the food and wine on the table. Ouyang Zhi saw that each dish was just a plate of fried pork, a fish, a dish of green vegetables, a dish of cabbage, and a pot of wine. He couldn't help but be slightly surprised. He didn't expect the prison country to be so simple!
"Our army has just launched a campaign of righteousness, and the military pay is scarce. You two gentlemen, don't think it's too shabby," Zhu Xuan said with a smile. It seems like a casual statement, but it is actually an exam. My lord, I am short of money. Aren't you two counselors? Are there any good ways to get money?

Shen Xunwei smiled slightly, "The land near Chengdu is fertile, which can be used to build water conservancy projects and cultivate troops. The guards have already entered Sichuan. Your Highness cannot be attacked on both sides. You can send envoys to repair the guards. If necessary, you can even surrender to the guards. This can reduce the military pressure in the south. , and can trade with Weiguo, collect commercial taxes, and alleviate the lack of financial resources."

"Sir's method is good, but it just takes time. Right now, our army is in urgent need of recruiting troops to prevent the Qing army from attacking. We are short of pay and food, so it is difficult to move!" Zhu Xuan sighed. He is a pragmatic person and does not feel at all that surrendering to Wei Guo is detrimental to the dignity of the Celestial Empire. As long as he can revive Ming Zuo, what does it matter if he suffers a little personal humiliation? What he was more worried about was the lack of money and food to support his troops. If the army has no food, it will disperse. If the financial problem is not solved, no matter how large the army is, it will not last long.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, we are here to give you military pay." Ouyang Zhi suddenly laughed.

"Oh, Mr. Ouyang wants to donate money?"

"I'm a poor scholar from the lower official. He only has the wind in his sleeves. How can he get any money to donate?"

"Then do you have a good way to raise money?" Zhu Xuan was very disappointed. He probably would also talk about farming, trade and other methods that take time to accumulate.

Unexpectedly, Ouyang Zhi opened his mouth and made the supervisor overjoyed, "Xiaguan once followed His Highness the King of Shu (referring to Liu Wenxiu) into Sichuan. His Highness the King of Shu established civil and military officials in Qianqiuping, Hongya County, to cultivate fields and raise troops, and wanted to build Sichuan into a Counterattack on the base in the Central Plains. Unfortunately, the success was not successful, so he was transferred back to Kunming. Before leaving, he secretly ordered his subordinates to store a batch of money in Danling County, Meizhou for future recovery. Unexpectedly, the court soon lost After arriving in Sichuan, even the emperor went south to hunt. I hid in the mountains for many days before escaping the pursuit of the Qing army. I heard that your highness Xingyi soldiers are planning to revive, and I guess you will need this batch of money. I came here to give you a military salary. Coming?"

"Oh! Sir, this is a timely help! I wonder how much money is in this batch?" Zhu Xuan asked hopefully.

"The money is not too much, about 40,000 taels, but it is enough for His Highness to use for a while." Ouyang Zhi smiled slightly.

Since ancient times, wealth and silk have attracted people's hearts. When he heard that there was money available, Zhu Xuan was so poor that he didn't even bother to eat or drink. After making haste, he sent someone to get it with Ouyang Zhi and Shen Xunwei. Sure enough, he got 40,000 taels of silver, a batch of armor and weapons, and even a hundred pounds of salt, all of which were buried in an abandoned cave. Seeing this batch of supplies, he couldn't help but sigh, Liu Wenxiu was a great person with his foresight and foresight! It's a pity that the emperor refused to let this person run Sichuan, otherwise why would the country be like this!

With both silver and supplies, His Highness Jian Guo recruited troops and horses with great fanfare. The number of troops quickly grew to 20,000, and was known as 100,000. The momentum was so huge that it shocked the whole of Shu.

(End of this chapter)