Dawn of the Empire

Chapter 198: I Don’t Dare To Zhang Shi (3)

To the east are Huashan, Wangshun, Lishan, Yaoshan across the Yellow River and Luoshui, to the south are Taibai and Zhongnanshan, to the west are Qishan and Chencangshan, and to the north are Yaoshan and Huanglongshan.The majestic mountains are stretching and winding, like a natural city wall surrounding Qinchuan for eight hundred miles.This place is the essence of Guanzhong, with flat terrain and vertical and horizontal ditches, known as the granary. Two-thirds of the grain in Guanzhong is produced in the plain centered on Chang'an.

After Xia Guo’s industrial and commercial prosperity, more than [-]% of the workshops were in the narrow area of ​​Gyeonggi-do with Chang’an as the center. There were canals and roads extending in all directions. Porcelain, weapons, agricultural tools, and artful things are exported to all sides, white stacked cotton from the Western Regions, charcoal dried meat from northern Shaanxi, mink fur and sheep's wool from northern Mobei, brocade tea from Shu, salt from Qingtang, Bianluo The porcelain and silk from China and the "medicinal" spirits from the Liao Kingdom all gathered here, and either entered the workshops, or continued to be transferred to various parties by caravans.

A hundred years of accumulation has restored the confidence of Guanzhong people to look at the world. Among the people, skilled craftsmen can be found everywhere. They are proud of eating meat, drinking, drinking and talking loudly. It is better for women to be plump and fat. In addition to reviewing twice a year, he also formed a bow and arrow club, a sword club, and an iron cavalry club.The imperial court has not used troops in the Guandong for a long time, but the argument of restoring the glory of the Han and Tang Dynasties has been brewing.Chang'an was dissatisfied with the status of the Eastern Capital, and urged the royal family and the five governments to move eastward several times. The troops stationed in Guanzhong did not fight any battles, and they practiced non-stop at four o'clock, grinding their minions like a tiger trapped in a cage.

Guanzhong is adjacent to the Great Song Dynasty, and Hangu is naturally dangerous to the east, and 15 soldiers in the Luoyang camp are threatening Guanzhong.It also caused the people in Guanzhong, especially the sergeants in Guanzhong, to have a faint psychological hostility towards the Guandong.From generals, captains to ordinary sergeants, many of the Iron-Bone Army had close contacts with businessmen in Chang'an, and some even bought bonds from large commercial firms to pay interest on their debts.

Before the sky was clear, Zhou Tingzhi, the head of the Dongshi Chamber of Commerce, rushed to the Iron Bone Army camp in Weinan County where Qiu's workshop was located in the starry night.Most of the infantry in Lu Dejing's battalion are Mo Dao fighters, who are known as the elite in the Xia army. That is killing a chicken with a sledgehammer.

"Thank you, Colonel Lu, for helping Dade today, I am grateful to the Dongshi Chamber of Commerce, and there will be rewards in the future." Zhou Tingzhi's eyes were filled with gratitude from the bottom of his heart.Thousands of Chamber of Commerce city guards formed by the guards of various workshops surrounded Qiu's workshop, but the combat power of the city guards was really worrying. Cowardly, he took the opportunity to negotiate with the chamber of commerce about the conditions for going into battle with great fanfare.Now the workers in all the workshops are faintly unstable, and the owners of the workshops even came to Zhou Tingzhi, wanting to transfer the guards from the workshop back to suppress the workers.

"There is no need for such a generous report," Lu Dejing said with a smile. "Although the workshop is the area of ​​the Chamber of Commerce, it is also in Weinan County, the eastern capital where our camp is stationed. It is also our duty to maintain the peace of the place." He ordered, Put on your helmet and armor.

Outside the barracks, the iron armor clanged, and the sergeants in the battalion rode out of the camp quickly after receiving the order, and informed half of the sergeants stationed in Weinan County to return to the camp quickly and prepare to go out to quell the chaos.Although there are 8000 to [-] rebel workers, and there are workshop walls to rely on, but in Lu Dejing's eyes, these untrained mobs, a few archers in the battalion and the city guards will shoot several rounds of volleys. Kill some of the stubborn ones, forcing the front to collapse, and then the heavily armored Mo Dao hand came forward to chop melons and vegetables, crushing all resistance.

"The enemy has no cavalry, so it's a pity to use the elite Mo Dao hand." Lu Dejing thought, while 'licking' her lips. The Guan Zhongjun hadn't seen blood for a long time, and there was a feeling of excitement in her bones.

The battalion of 500 people assembled very quickly. The Qiu's workshop was only two miles away from the camp. The school captain Lu Dejing did not ride a horse. On his back, he walked towards the workshop where the noise was getting louder and louder.

Almost at the same time when Lu Dejing's battalion arrived at Qiu's workshop, Yuan Xingzong, the order of the Relief Department, also arrived on horseback. He cupped his hands at Lu Dejing on the horse and said, "Prime Minister Liu has issued a government order to grant the subordinate officials full authority to deal with the workers and apprentices here." In case of chaos, please Captain Lu to rein in the troops, stay safe and don't be rash." Behind Yuan Xingzong, Chen Yuyi, Fu Zhiren and other ten or so subordinate officials followed, except for some with swords around their waists, almost none of them had weapons.

Lu Dejing frowned and took the pigeon book from Yuan Xingzong. It was impressively sealed with the urgent official letter from the prime minister's office. If it was forged, Yuan Xingzong would have committed a capital crime.Liu Yi served as two generals in Anton and Anbei. He made great military achievements and became a general. He was one of the ministers he admired the most in his life. "In that case," Lu Dejing said in a deep voice, "I will stay with you for a while, and wait and see how Master Yuan will deal with it." He handed the pigeon book back to Yuan Xingzong, turned around and ordered, except for the sergeants who were on guard, all the sergeants in the battalion should wear Iron armor, sit on the ground.

Zhou Tingzhi became anxious when he saw it, and came forward and said, "Saving lives is like putting out a fire, Mr. Yuan, what are you talking about? Did you see that shopkeeper Luo and other guards were hijacked by these unscrupulous people?" Scurrying around like a headless fly, seeing Chang'an Ling Cui Ganqing who had arrived a moment earlier, he jumped over as if he had a savior, and wailed, "Master Cui, Master Cui, you must decide for us!"

Chang'an ordered Cui Qianqing's complexion to be uncertain, but he did not expect that the prime minister's mansion directly ordered Yuan Xingzong to handle the matter.According to the practice, the prime minister cannot directly interfere with certain functions and powers of state and county officials. Although this incident of workers' chaos is not within the scope of the practice, Cui Qianqing feels ashamed.He took a step back and cupped his hands to Zhou Tingzhi: "Don't worry Zhou Huishou, the Prime Minister's Office has issued an order, this matter will be entrusted to Mr. Yuan to take full responsibility. I also believe that Mr. Yuan will handle it properly." Cui Qianqing was already ready. He issued a call-up order, mobilized 5000 regiments from the counties around Chang'an Prefecture to train troops, implemented martial law throughout the prefecture, and controlled the "chaos" with a thunderous force, and only had to ask eleven protectors of the prefecture to jointly sign.After learning that Yuan Xingzong would handle the matter, he immediately hid the official conscription letter, with the idea of ​​watching it coldly.

Although Yuan Xingzong, the commander of the Relief Department, was authorized to deal with the "disturbance" of workers and apprentices, the only people he could count on were the twenty or so subordinate officials of the Relief Department around him. .Tan Huikai, the magistrate of Weinan County, had a nervous expression on his face, like ants on a hot pot, pacing back and forth non-stop. Seeing Yuan Xingzong and Cui Qianqing arriving, he hurried up and asked, "My lords, when will you make peace?" 'chaos'?"

"Ping'chaos'?" Yuan Xingzong's eyes froze slightly, and he asked in a deep voice, "Why did this matter happen, have you figured out the reason?"

"Well," Tan Hui said in a low voice, her expression froze, "those people from the Kanto shouted that Mr. Qiu's family in the workshop defaulted on the wages of hundreds of expired apprentices. When they were arguing about wages, the nursing home Panicked, he shot an arrow and killed one person, and then the chaos became uncontrollable. Now the workers want their boss, Qiu Dorui, to speak out, and the court promises to send them to Shishan to collect the land grant, otherwise..." He Some hesitation.

Cui Ganqing asked sharply: "Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise they will kill the shopkeeper and foreman of Qiu's workshop and go back to Kanto." Tan Huikai said angrily.Even if this sentence was repeated once, he would feel ashamed.

"How bold!" Cui Qianqing's face was livid, "How dare you threaten the court!" He flicked his sleeves, turned to Yuan Xingzong and said in a deep voice, "Master Yuan, how do you deal with this matter!"

Zhou Tingzhi next to him also begged: "My lord, please don't let these lawless people succeed. Now because of the 'chaos' here, the nearby workshops are a little unstable. If you let them fulfill their wish , the other 'treacherous' gangsters followed suit and competed to blackmail the proprietor, which would inevitably lead to the decline of all industries and shake the foundation of Guanzhong, and the consequences would be disastrous."

Yuan Xingzong glanced at him, and said coldly: "I have my own discretion," and asked, "The workers and apprentices on the one side of the incident are all in the workshop, but where is Qiu Dorui, the owner of the workshop on the other side?"

"This," Zhou Tingzhi hesitated.Tan Hui next to him said: "Proprietor Qiu has gone back to Kanto to urge the goods." Seeing Yuan Xingzong's face changed slightly, he explained, "I came to this county to handle the customs clearance document before leaving."

Yuan Xingzong nodded, and said in a deep voice: "The top priority is to calm down the 'chaos' and not to intensify. Everything will be judged by the law. I have a heavy responsibility for the court to coordinate this matter. If so, I will send someone to come forward Go and speak to the workshop, if those apprentices have grievances to report, the official can come forward to listen to them, and if there are other requests, they can also report to the official in person."

Zhuang from Weinan County trotted forward and shouted at the wall of the workshop with a big horn made of thick paper. After a while, news came from the front that the workers wanted to see the representatives of the imperial court.But the Relief Department ordered Mr. Yuan to take two servants to listen outside the wall, and the officers and soldiers beside him were not allowed to step forward, otherwise they would shoot people with arrows.

"This group of tricky lazybones are too arrogant." Someone said bitterly.Tan Huikai also persuaded: "Master Yuan, these 'disorderly' people are said to have killed two foremen, so go away from danger."

Yuan Xingzong smiled slightly, and bowed his hands to Chang'an Ling Cui Qianqing who was beside him and said: "They are afraid of the officers and soldiers, and they know how to plan for themselves. They are not the generation of madness, so what's the matter if I go up and listen." Chen Yuyi accompanied him to listen to the speeches of the Kanto workers, while Fu Zhiren stayed in place to preside over the overall situation. If something unexpected happens, he must hold it back, and never cause a tragedy that shocks the world.

"Those workers have already detained more than a hundred people including the shopkeeper. If there is a fraud, you must not go to the dangerous place lightly." Fu Zhiren also stopped him.

Yuan Xingzong smiled slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Zizhan has two words in writing, do what you should do, and stop what you have to do." He paused, looking at Cui Qianqing, Tan Huikai, Lu Dejing, Fu Zhiren, etc. The official said: "Today's events affect the fate of the people in the world. The hatred or hope left for future generations is all in the mind of you. This official is going to do something feasible, and it will save our people from suffering. Toxic." He looked up at the bloody scarlet cloud in the sky, and sighed: "Humans are not beasts, no matter what happens, everyone should remember Mr. Zizhan's last sentence, and stop where it is necessary."

Yuan Xingzong and Chen Yuyi both went there on foot. The summer robes looked extraordinarily thin in the morning wind, but their bodies were straight.At this time, the school lieutenant Lu Dejing also received the military order from the Marching Division, and was about to lead the battalion back to the camp, but she was still watching the backs of the two civil servants, Yuan Xingzong and Chen Yuyi, who looked extraordinarily tall and dazzling in the morning light.In the sky, the morning light is projecting from the horizon, and the morning glow is like a tumbling spring tide, turning into countless phantoms, and it looks like thousands of troops are rushing forward.