The Prosperous Era of Longwan

Three days later, Wei Guangde saw the latest emergency report from the Datong Army on the tower of Juyongguan. More than 20,000 Datong Army troops had passed Yuzhou and were rushing to Huailai.

There was a strong wind at the city gate, and Weng Pu fell ill again two days ago. During these two days, he leaned on the temporary bed moved to the city tower. The main work fell on Wei Guangde, distributing the grain and grass shipped from various places, in addition to sending food to the city. Yongning and Yanqing allocate a group of troops, and Huailai also needs to prepare some for the Datong army that is about to arrive.

At the same time, the grain and grass that should have been transported to Xuanfu were also transferred from Huailai direction to Baoan Prefecture in batches. After all, the access from Yanqing to Baoan had been cut off by the Tatars.

The strategic value of Huailaiwei was highlighted at this time.

"Guangde."

At this time, Weng Pu, who was on the bed, had already put down the documents in his hand. He had fallen asleep for a while. After waking up, he read the emergency report from Datong and called Wei Guangde over.

"When will the food and fodder sent to Huailai and security arrive?"

Because the grain and grass were shipped from Tongzhou via the Shunyi and Changping roads, they did not arrive at the same time. When Weng Pu asked about it at this time, Wei Guangde thought that he had forgotten about a batch that had been sent two days ago. He hurriedly explained.

"I'm asking about the grain and grass stored in Huailai. Most of the previous batch was shipped to Bao'an Prefecture to supply the Xuanfu Army. There is not much left in Huailai. According to the advancing speed of the Datong Army, according to this military report, the forward is about We can reach Huailai in eight or nine days. If there is not enough food and grass there, I'm afraid there will be chaos again."

Weng Pu is still a little weak at the moment. He suddenly developed a high fever two days ago. Although the fever has subsided now, his health is not good.

"You've done a good job coordinating here these two days, it's quite impressive."

Weng Pu smiled and continued.

In the past, Weng Pu's main job here was to transport and distribute grain and grass. Wei Guangde was not a fool, so he naturally followed suit. Even if Weng Pu fell ill, he could continue to operate according to the distribution principles formulated by Weng Pu without making any mistakes. .

"Your Excellency, you are exaggerating."

Wei Guangde thanked Weng Pu for his praise in a low-key manner, but in his heart he was guessing what Weng Pu meant by this.

"I have already discussed the general idea of ​​this battle I am planning with you. It is very good. I can also hear between the lines. You have similar thoughts to me.

The main thing we will do here from now on is the distribution of logistical supplies. You can do it well. I will go to Huailai in two days and then go to Baoan Prefecture. "

Wei Guangde was a little surprised by Weng Pu's sudden words. It's not over yet, what kind of trouble is Mr. Weng going to make?

The Xuanfu army is indeed a little afraid of the enemy and timid. The military report sent recently was still blocked by the Anda Department and was unable to continue to advance.

Of the 10,000 reinforcements mobilized by the Xuanfu this time, nearly 5,000 have arrived in Baoan Prefecture. However, it is said that they did not dare to make any move in the face of nearly 10,000 Tatar cavalry.

Lord Weng Puweng is a little suspicious of the report from the Xuanfu?

After all, two consecutive military reports did not mention that they conducted a tentative attack. Even if the Tatar cavalry appeared in front, they stood still.

"Sir, I'm afraid it's not safe for you to go to security at this time, not to mention that you haven't recovered yet."

Wei Guangde still said.

"Haha, Guangde, do you think that if I don't go to Baoan Prefecture to supervise the battle, the Xuanzhou Guards will dare to send troops to fight the Tatars?"

Weng Pu said with a sneer: "You are from the Jiujiang Guard. It seems that the only guard in the south of the Yangtze River that can still fight is the Jiujiang Guard.

Although the frontier army is known as the strongest army in the world, I don't think it is necessarily much stronger than the Jiujiang Wei. "

Wei Guangde understood that Weng Pu was afraid that he was still a fool, so he reminded himself not to think that just because the people he came into contact with were all Jiujiang Guards, he should think that the Tianxia Guards and the Jiujiang Guards still had the ability to fight.

"And this, you can take it back and burn it."

While talking, Weng Pu took out a document from the inside of the bed and handed it to Wei Guangde.

Wei Guangde took it out of curiosity and took a look, and was instantly horrified.

This is an official document he wrote yesterday while watching Weng Pu fall asleep after taking medicine, and he wanted to send it to Chang Ping and Yu Mei to check the records of recent caravans.

Although the conversation with Weng Pu a few days ago did not involve Shanxi merchants, Wei Guangde still had this suspicion. This time the Anda tribe may have joined the invaders just for looting and other things, not to invade the Ming Dynasty and attack the capital.

Since he suspected Shanxi merchants, Wei Guangde naturally wanted to find someone to investigate first. Checking the recent situation of the caravan at the national border was the first thing to do.

I just didn't expect that the official document I signed yesterday would actually appear here intact and be returned to my hands.

"I understand what you're thinking, but now we need to repel our troops and drive them out. We don't want to cause trouble. We will leave our names behind and leave our voices behind. As long as they do it, wait until the matter here is settled, in private. Just investigate further, cough cough."

Weng Pu said calmly, and then coughed violently.

"But, I'm worried it's taking too long."

Wei Guangde continued to speak after Weng Pu stopped coughing. Obviously Weng Pu guessed what he was thinking. Maybe he also had this idea, but just kept it secret.

"If someone is really involved in this matter, they are frightened now. At least they will not take it lightly until the Anta Department withdraws from the Great Wall. If you send people to investigate, there will be no results. Instead, it will scare the snake."

Weng Pu glanced at Wei Guangde and continued: "Since you can think of this, I think you should also know that there are businessmen secretly smuggling in Shanxi."

Weng Pu said, looking at Wei Guangde and seeing him nodding, he continued: "There are many things involved here. It cannot be explained clearly in a short while, but you have to understand that as long as there is a quarrel, it will definitely involve the court. Are you ready for the collision between the two forces?"

"What two forces?"

Wei Guangde was very puzzled. Even if Shanxi merchants were found to be smuggling and the Tatars invaded because of it, the impact would only be in Shanxi, and it would still be mainly businessmen. Even if these people have some famous people in their families, they would still be affected. What court?

"Haha, you probably saw something in the Hanlin Academy, so you came up with this guess, but have you ever thought about the reason behind it?"

Weng Pu looked at Wei Guangde and suddenly laughed.

"When you are an official, you have to think deeply about why this is happening, why someone is pushing it, and what they are doing. Otherwise, you will never know the interests behind the incident.

You just think about the possibility of someone smuggling property, but have you ever thought about it. Officials reported this matter many years ago, but did the court ever make a big move? "

Wei Guangde lowered his head and recalled that he did not see follow-up treatment in those memorials. Most of them said "strict investigation", as if it was an established procedure.

"It seems you don't know the background at all."

Weng Pu looked at Wei Guangde, then shook his head and said: "Then let me tell you, Shanxi merchants made their fortunes because of the salt policy. Because they received a lot of salt from the Chinese government, they became big salt merchants. You may have never been to Zhejiang. I He is from Zhejiang, and I know that many big salt merchants there are actually closely related to Shanxi, some have family branches in Shanxi, and some are from Shanxi."

"What do you mean, sir, is that the current salt policy is caused by someone taking action against the original salt merchants to rob them of their profits?"

Wei Guangde heard the song and knew its elegant meaning, so he immediately surmised it.

"The Hongzhi Dynasty began to change the law of accepting grain and opening the country into the method of accepting money. Although it solved the shortcomings of the court's lack of money, it made the situation in the border towns deteriorate sharply. The main reason was that the grain and grass in the border towns needed to be transported by the court, and how could the court do it? All meet their needs.

At the same time, due to the changes in the salt policy, the merchant villages that Shanxi merchants had previously acquired through various methods lost their value. They chose to abandon the merchant villages and directly pay for the salt. The price of salt also increased. This was something only the big merchants could do. arrive.

Small businessmen were unable to resist, so they chose to engage in trade outside the customs, or smuggling business.

In the past, they often supplied food and grass to the border towns, and they had good relations with the border army generals, and sometimes they made things convenient for people."

After saying this, Weng Pu sighed and did not continue.

"But even so, the court cannot let them do such things that violate the laws of the Ming Dynasty."

Although Wei Guangde was a little surprised that there was such a bizarre story behind Shanxi merchants' smuggling, he still did not agree that such a thing happened.

Everything has pros and cons. After weighing the pros and cons, if the pros outweigh the cons, continue, and if the cons outweigh the pros, change it.

Just because the interests of Shanxi merchants have been damaged, we cannot allow them to poach the country to make up for their losses.

"The interests involved in the salt policy are so great that they and the forces behind them have to bow their heads. But if the fish dies, the net will be broken. This is the result of a compromise."

Weng Pu continued: "How many fertile fields are there in Shanxi? Let me tell you, most of them were originally military camps. In the end, they were in the hands of Shanxi businessmen. You should understand who is standing behind them."

"The big businessmen in Shanxi completely transformed into big salt merchants, and the small and medium-sized businessmen started smuggling from Mongolia?"

Wei Guangde asked in a low voice, "Is this the result of their negotiation?"

Seeing Weng Pu turn into an old monk and stop talking, Wei Guangde knew that what he said was probably the truth.

Wei Guangde stopped talking. He had already crumpled the documents in his hand into a ball and planned to burn them on fire.

With his thin arms and legs, he might not even be able to withstand the forces behind the Shanxi merchants, let alone the forces that are more powerful than them. If he takes action, he is afraid that he will turn into ashes in an instant.

"Whatever you do in the future, you must first understand the truth behind it to avoid being taken advantage of. Sometimes you don't even know what happened if you offend someone."

Weng Pu saw Wei Guangde's actions and reminded him again.

"Guangde has learned a lesson."

Wei Guangde hurriedly raised his hands and saluted. He now knew that Weng Pu actually saved his life by intercepting the document he sent.

He sent out investigation documents at this time. If there is really something he guessed, the other party will keep a close eye on it.

If you expose yourself, you will definitely be silenced. Now is the war, there is no better time than this.

At the same time, Wei Guangde also felt a sense of fear in his heart.

Weng Pu was still able to control this place even when he was ill. He thought he was sleeping, but in fact everything was under his control.

Maybe this is still the old world.

Wei Guangde remembered what he had learned before. When Weng Pu became a Jinshi, he was first sent out to serve as a county magistrate, then returned to the official department, and finally patrolled Huguang and Jiangxi. He was really sophisticated.

"Jiangxi is a good place. I have stayed there for more than five years, which is the longest time I have stayed since I became an official."

Weng Pu smiled at Wei Guangde.

"Sir, actually I still don't understand why we can't touch those illegal businessmen in Shanxi now."

After Wei Guangde laughed with him, he still asked out his curiosity.

"The salt policy is a fish-dead-net."

Weng Pu stared at Wei Guangde for a long time before uttering two words.

Only then did Wei Guangde understand why by the end of the Ming Dynasty, Shanxi merchants had made a lot of money by colluding with slave smuggling. No matter how powerful Shanxi officials were and how many court officials they had friends with, they would only be one by one. Pigs that are fattened are the right ones.

Wei Guangde used to wonder why no powerful people in that era took action against them, killed them and plundered the wealth they had accumulated.

Now he understands that perhaps those powerful people value more the salt business that is long-lasting and stable, and they are a little bit cautious.

Maybe even help cover up some things, so as not to end up being a dead end.

Wei Guangde wants to understand this. As for what to do in the future and whether to check Shanxi merchants, Wei Guangde doesn't dare to think about it for the time being.

He quietly walked aside and threw the paper ball into the brazier, and then walked to Weng Pu's bed.

"Sir, you said earlier that you would go to Baoan Prefecture to supervise the war. I still suggest you give up this idea. If it doesn't work, just report it to the capital and ask the capital to send someone to take charge."

Wei Guangde thought about it and said.

"Haha, are you willing to give up such a great achievement? This time, only 20,000 Anda troops can enter the pass. As long as the army is in place, they can be expelled and our army will win."

Weng Pu suddenly laughed.

"But it is a battlefield after all, and the dangers are unpredictable."

Wei Guangde still said.

"The danger is unpredictable, it is true." Weng Pu smiled, "Stand out and look at the people fleeing at the pass. They will have to flee as long as the war drags on. Only by ending the war as soon as possible can they go home."

"Your Excellency can issue an official document and strictly order them to go to war."

Wei Guangde frowned but still said.

"It's useless. Even if you get them an imperial edict, as long as you don't keep an eye on it, they will still obey it."

Weng Pu shook his head and said: "Now is actually the time for the Xuanfu army to launch a feint attack on Anda's army. The Datong army is already on the way. If they launch a feint attack at this time, Anda's army will definitely throw a trap after learning the whereabouts of the Datong army and dare not attack here." If they stay for a long time, as long as they get out of the Great Wall, the world will be at peace."

"Um?"

Wei Guangde was slightly surprised. There was a lot of information in Weng Pu's words, and he didn't react for a while.

"After the Datong Army arrives, if our troops still don't retreat, don't stay here anymore. Go directly to the Datong Army to supervise the battle and let them fight with all their strength. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to explain when we return to Beijing."

Weng Pu then said to Wei Guangde.

"Your Majesty, what you mean is that the Datong Army will be like the Xuanfu Army and not dare to go to war?"

Weng Pu's words were similar to Wei Guangde's thoughts. It would be really funny if neither army dared to go to war if Xuan's army was in place by then.

The local garrison had to guard the city and the passes of the Great Wall. Naturally, they did not dare to mobilize and attack at will. The only ones that could be used were the mobile Xuan and Da troops.