Chapter 208 207 Learning

Three days later, Wei Guangde saw the latest urgent report from the Datong Army on the Juyongguan City Tower. More than 20,000 Datong Army members had passed Weizhou and were rushing to Huailai.

The wind was strong on the city gate, and Weng Pu fell ill two days ago. In the past two days, he had been leaning on the bed temporarily moved from the city tower. His main work was on Wei Guangde, and he allocated the food and grass transported from various places. In addition to allocating a batch to Yongning and Yanqing, Huailai also needed to prepare some for the arrival of Datong Army.

At the same time, the food and grass that were supposed to be transported to Xuanfu were also transported from Huailai to Baoanzhou in batches. After all, the access from Yanqing to Baoan has been cut off by the Tartars.

The strategic value of Huailaiwei is also highlighted at this time.

"Guangde."

At this time, Weng Pu on the bed had already put down the documents in his hand. He had been sleeping for a while before, and after he woke up, he read the urgent report sent by Datong, so he called Wei Guangde to come over.

"When will the security guards arrive?"

Because the food and grass sent were all transported from Tongzhou to Shunyi and Changping, they did not arrive at the same time. When Weng Pu asked at this time, Wei Guangde thought he had forgotten the matter that had been sent two days ago, so he hurriedly explained.

"What I asked about was the food and grass stored in Huailai. Most of the previous batch was transported to Baoanzhou for the Xuanfu Army. Huailai was not much left behind. According to this military newspaper, the vanguard could arrive in Huailai in about eight or nine days. If there was no sufficient food and grass there, I was afraid that there would be chaos again."

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

"You have done a good job here in the past two days, but it looks a bit."

Weng Pu continued with a smile.

Before, Weng Pu's main job here was to transport and distribute food 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 any mistakes.

"Sir, it's over-reputable."

Wei Guangde thanked Weng Pu's praise in a low-key manner, but he was guessing what Weng Pu said in his heart.

"I have discussed the general idea of ​​this battle I planned with you. It's very good. I can hear it between the lines. What you think is similar to mine.

The main thing I do here in the future is to allocate logistics supplies. You can do it well. I will go to Huailai in two days and then go to Baoanzhou."

Weng Pu suddenly said something again, which surprised Wei Guangde. It was not good yet. What is Lord Weng going to do?

The Xuanfu Army was indeed a little afraid of the enemy and was afraid of the battle. The military newspaper sent by him recently was still blocked by Altan's troops and was unable to continue moving forward.

Nearly 5,000 reinforcements transferred by Xuanfu this time have arrived in Baoanzhou, but it is said that they dare not take any action against nearly 10,000 Taurus cavalry.

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

After all, two consecutive military newspapers did not mention that they carried out a tentative attack, but the Tartar cavalry appeared in front of them, so they remained silent.

"Sir, it's not safe for you to go to the security guard at this time, let alone your health has not been healed now."

Wei Guangde said.

"Haha, Guangde, do you think if I don't go to Baoanzhou to supervise the war, the Xuanzhou Guards dare to send troops to fight the Tartars?"

Weng Pu sneered and said, "You are from Jiujiang Guard. Now it seems that the only garrison in Jiangnan that is still capable of fighting and dares to fight is Jiujiang Guard.

Although the border army is known as the world's strong army, I don't think it is much stronger than Jiujiang Wei."

Wei Guangde understood that Weng Pu was afraid that he would still be a naughty person, so he reminded himself not to contact Jiujiang Guard because he was in contact with Jiujiang Guard, so he thought that the Tianxia Guard was just like Jiujiang Guard and would still retain the power of a battle.

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

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

Wei Guangde took it and took it over and saw it, and he was instantly creepy.

This is a document he wrote yesterday when he was sleeping when he was sleeping after taking medicine. It was to be passed on to Changping and Yumei Institute for the recent caravan records.

Although the conversation with Weng Pu a few days ago did not involve Shanxi merchants, Wei Guangde still had this suspicion. This time, Altan's invasion might be just for looting and other matters, not for invading the Ming Dynasty and attacking the capital.

Since he suspected that the Shanxi merchants were involved, Wei Guangde naturally had to find someone to investigate first. Investigating the recent situation of the caravan border is the first thing to do.

But I didn't expect that the official document I issued yesterday would appear here intact and hand it back to my hands.

"I understand your thoughts, but now I want to repel Altan's troops and drive them out. It is not easy to have any troubles. People leave names and geese leave voices. As long as they do it, they will investigate it privately when the matter here is settled, ahem."

Weng Pu said lightly, then started coughing violently again.

"But, I'm worried that time will be delayed."

Wei Guangde said after Weng Pu stopped coughing. Obviously, Weng Pu guessed his thoughts, and maybe he had this idea, but he just kept it hidden.

"If someone really involved this matter, they are the frightened birds now. At least they would not take it lightly before Altan's army withdrew from the Great Wall. If you send someone to investigate, there will be no result. Instead, you will startle the snake."

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

Weng Pu said that he looked at Wei Guangde here, and then he continued to say: "There are many things involved in this, and it is not something that can be explained clearly in a short while, but you have to understand that as long as the trouble starts, it will inevitably involve the collision between two forces in the court. Are you ready?"

"What two forces?"

Wei Guangde was very puzzled. Even if he found out that Shanxi merchants were smuggled and even attracted the invasion of Tartars, the only one that affected Shanxi was still dominated by merchants. Even if these people had some fame and honor in their families, what court could they affect?

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

Weng Pu looked at Wei Guangde and suddenly laughed.

"As an official, you have to think deeply about why this is happening, why some people push, what they are doing, otherwise you will never know the interests behind the incident.

You just think about someone who may be smuggling goods, but have you ever thought about it? Some officials reported this matter many years ago, but has the court ever made a big move?"

Wei Guangde lowered his head and recalled that he did not see any follow-up treatment in those memorials. Most of them wrote "strict investigation", just like a 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 fortune because of the salt administration. They obtained a large amount of salt intake because of the grain production, and became a big salt merchant. You may have never been to Zhejiang. I am from Zhejiang. I know that many big salt merchants over there are actually close relationships with Shanxi. Some of their family branches are in Shanxi, while others are from Shanxi."

"My sir means that the current salt administration is caused by someone taking action against the original salt merchants and robbing interests?"

Wei Guangde knew the elegant meaning when he heard the string song, and immediately speculated.

"The Hongzhi Dynasty began to turn the food and food collection into the food collection of Chinese and French. Although it solved the disadvantage of insufficient silver and money in the court, it caused the situation in the border town to deteriorate sharply. The main reason is that the food and grass in the border town needs to be transported by the court, and how could the court meet their needs?

At the same time, due to changes in the salt administration, the Shangtou that Shanxi merchants had obtained through various methods lost their value. They chose to give up Shangtou and directly recruit silver to grab salt. The salt price also increased. This was only achieved by those big merchants.

The small merchants were unable to resist, so they chose to start trade outside the customs or smuggling business.

In the past, they often provided food and grass for border towns, and had a good relationship with border generals and officers, and sometimes they gave people some convenience."

Speaking of this, Weng Pu sighed and did not continue.

"But even so, the court cannot let them do such a thing that violates the Ming Dynasty's laws."

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

Everything has its pros and cons. If the pros and cons are weighed, if the pros and cons are greater than the disadvantages, if the disadvantages are greater than the disadvantages, if the disadvantages are greater than the advantages, it will be corrected.

We cannot allow Shanxi merchants to dig out the country's corners to make up for the losses just because the interests of the Shanxi merchants are damaged.

"The salt administration involves great interests, so great that they and the forces behind them have to bow their heads, but the fish will be killed and the net will be broken, which is the result of a compromise."

Weng Pu continued: "How much fertile land is there in that place in Shanxi? Let me tell you that most of them are the original military camps. In the end, you can reach the hands of Shanxi merchants. You should understand who is standing behind them."

"The big merchants in Shanxi have completely transformed into big salt merchants, and small and medium-sized merchants have begun to smuggle Mongolia?"

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

Seeing Weng Pu turning into an old monk at this time and not speaking anymore, Wei Guangde understood that what he said was afraid of was the truth.

Wei Guangde stopped talking. He had already kneaded the documents in his hand into a ball and planned to burn them out in a while.

Now that he has thin arms and legs, he may not even be able to withstand the forces behind Shanxi merchants. Not to mention a more powerful force than them, if he takes action, he will be afraid that he will instantly turn into ashes.

"In the future, you must first understand the truth behind it, so as not to be exploited by others. Sometimes you don't know what will happen if you offend people."

Weng Pu saw Wei Guangde's actions and then spoke up to remind him again.

"Guangde has been taught."

Wei Guangde hurriedly bowed and said, "He now knew that Weng Pu intercepted the documents he sent out, but actually saved his life."

He issued an investigation document at this time. If there was something he guessed, the other party would keep staring at it.

If you are exposed yourself, you will inevitably be silenced. Now is the time of war, and there is no better time than this.

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

Weng Pu can still control the place when he is sick. He thinks he is sleeping, but in fact everything is under his control.

This may be the old world.

Wei Guangde remembered what he knew before. After Weng Pu passed the imperial examination, he was sent to be a county magistrate, then returned to the Ministry of Personnel, and finally governed Huguang and Jiangxi. He was really a skillful method.

"Jiangxi is a good place. I have been there for more than five years, and it is the longest place I have been since I became an official."

Weng Pu smiled at Wei Guangde.

"Sir, I still don't understand why I can't move the illegal businessmen in Shanxi now."

After Wei Guangde smiled, he still asked about his curiosity.

"Salt administration, the net is broken."

Weng Pu stared at Wei Guangde for a while before he spoke two words.

It was only at this time that Wei Guangde understood why by the end of the Ming Dynasty, Shanxi merchants had made a lot of money by smuggling by Jiannu. Even if the Shanxi officials were powerful and they had many court officials who had made friends with each other, they should be just fattened pigs.

Wei Guangde was very surprised in the past, why no powerful people in that era attacked them, slaughtered them, and plundered the wealth they accumulated.
To be continued...