It was almost the first month, and the court's reply was late.

The reply was also very simple, so naturally he would do his best to encircle and suppress the Japanese pirates without giving them any chance.

The court's reply did not exceed the expectations of Hangzhou Prefecture officials.

After receiving the reply, Wei Guangde's mission was completed at this point, and he also ordered his entourage to pack his bags and prepare for the return journey.

When they came, they took the Grand Canal, but it was only January and the canal had not resumed its same flight. Naturally, they could not wait until March to set off, so they could only take the land route.

Since we chose to return to Beijing by land, we set out from Hangzhou. The first stop of Wei Guangde and his party naturally chose Nanjing. From there, we crossed the Yangtze River and walked north along the official road next to the canal.

He walked this road when he went to Beijing to take the exam. His current identity is different from the past, but he can just relive it.

It was already February of the 39th year of Jiajing, and Wei Guangde and his group headed towards Nanjing City with light cars.

However, when the group approached Nanjing City, they unexpectedly learned a piece of news, which made Wei Guangde and others hesitate and dared not continue moving forward.

At the beginning of the year, a plague swept across the southeast, and even major cities such as Nanjing were seriously affected.

The fools in human history have encountered countless plagues, some of which are particularly serious, and have a huge impact on human offspring: plague, smallpox, influenza, cholera, malaria, etc.

From the perspective of modern people, plague is caused by infectious diseases caused by some strong pathogenic substances, such as bacteria and viruses. However, after repeated research by many ancient doctors, "Warm epidemics are diseases, neither wind, cold, nor heat, nor dampness, but it is felt by a different kind of qi in the world."

If you believe that the anger is material, you can use medicine to subdue it.

Although the anger "is invisible to find, without images to see, and even silent and odorless, how can you see it?", it is an objective substance, and further pointed out that "things can control qi are medicines."

The anger invades the body through the mouth and nose. It is believed that "evil comes in from the mouth and nose" and is also infected with the anger. "One day, it is infected, and even though the feeling is different, the disease will be the same."

Wei Guangde naturally would not explain too much. Plague is still very profound for him, a non-medical student. It cannot be said that it is caused by virus infection. How to explain the virus then?

Faced with the plague, Wei Guangde and his group simply stopped at the post station and did not dare to continue north.

Half a month passed this stay, and it was not until the news of Nanjing that the plague was over and the journey was set off again. When I entered Nanjing, it was almost late February of the 39th year of Jiajing.

When entering Nanjing City, Wei Guangde clearly felt that the atmosphere was not right. Unlike the depression of all industries after the disaster, pedestrians on the road were like the wind, as if they were trying to minimize their time outside. Soldiers wearing Ming army mandarin duck battle jackets could be seen stalking on the street in groups of three or five on the street.

The Ming army soldiers had strict regulations, just as soldiers in later generations spent most of their time in the military camps, so they were absolutely not allowed to enter and exit the military camps at will. You can go out, but you must get the consent of Shangguan.

But what Wei Guangde and his group saw when they entered Nanjing was that the soldiers wandered around the city, as if they completely regarded the Ming military law.

In the past, the city inspector had already brought the soldiers of the city defense camp to arrest all the soldiers with disorganized disciplines, but today in Nanjing, Wei Guangde did not see such a situation.

After relocating the entourage, Wei Guangde took Zhang Ji and his servants to the Duke of Wei's mansion directly. It would be too rude if he didn't go to his father-in-law, Duke of Wei, Xu Pengju, to show his respects.

Because we were just passing by, Wei Guangde did not send anyone to Nanjing City at the beginning, so when Wei Guangde asked to open the gate of the Duke of Wei's Mansion, the concierge in the mansion was surprised.

Of course, the Duke of Wei knew that Wei Guangde had gone to Su and Hang Mansions, but he didn't expect that Wei Guangde would come to Nanjing City at this time. After all, the city caused a plague that even the powerful and powerful people could not avoid.

Xu Pengju, Duke of Wei, received Wei Guangde in the main hall. Wei Guangde took a seat to start chatting. When he knew Wei Guangde's purpose, he also heard that Wei Guangde planned to cross the Yangtze River and return to the capital to report his life. He immediately shook his head and said, "Son-in-law, if you want to go north, it is recommended that you wait a little longer. In this season, it is difficult for you to cross the river even if you are by the Yellow River. Moreover, the plague in Jiangbei has not yet passed, so it is not convenient for you to go on the road at this time."

Wei Guangde and his group left the post station and entered Nanjing City because they heard that the plague in Nanjing City had passed and no one died in recent days. Only then did they dare to come into the city. Now they heard that the epidemic in Jiangbei has not yet ended, so they naturally chose to follow the rules. They planned to go back and ask Zhang Ji to support him and let the entourage rest in Nanjing City for a few days.

Just so happens that entering Nanjing City is much more convenient than staying in the countryside stations.

"By the way, my father-in-law, this time I came into the city, why are there soldiers wandering around the streets? It seems that there is no discipline. Are they all sent out patrol soldiers?"

Wei Guangde remembered the scene he saw when he entered the city and asked out loud.

"The people in Zhenwu Camp are making trouble for the payroll, so do the Ministry of War. It's not a surprise that those who are in the army don't make trouble."

Xu Pengju shook his head and said with a smile that he was of course concerned about the trouble caused by the Ministry of War. As the garrison of Nanjing, he would certainly pay attention to the trouble caused by the Ministry of War. After all, if the soldiers really make trouble, he, the soldier, would not be able to escape.

But he really didn't want to get involved in this matter.

"The Nanjing Ministry of War will not even be able to pay this little military salary. Zhenwu Camp is an important force in Nanjing City. It seems that it is because of that matter that the newly formed Japanese army."

Wei Guangde had a vague impression, as if he had seen it when he was reading the Tangbao. In order to prevent the Japanese pirates from coming to Nanjing again, Zhang Yang, the then Minister of War of Nanjing, was formed to prepare for the Japanese pirates to attack.

However, after that incident, the Japanese pirates never entered Nanjing again, so such an army naturally became a decoration.

"This is a long story"

As a local snake in Nanjing, Xu Pengju didn't know what happened inside and outside the city. In addition, he was a local official and knew much more than the people in the city. At this time, he talked to Wei Guangde, talking about the causes and consequences of the Zhenwuying riot.

Zhenwu Camp was a Japanese army recruited by Zhang Liang when he was appointed Minister of War in Nanjing. It was composed of local athletes and belonged to Nanjing Jingying.

According to the old system, Nanjing soldiers who have wives will receive one stone of food and salary per month, and those who have no wives will receive six dou. In the middle of spring and mid-autumn, each stone will be 5 cents of silver.

Such treatment is naturally acceptable for soldiers who have known the old examples. As for some unspoken rules in the officialdom, they are also acceptable, and they were considered peaceful at the beginning.

However, as the northern border troops stopped their food and salary, they rushed to rush to get sparks.

Fang Dun, the Minister of War at that time, demolished the east wall and repaired the west wall. He asked to transfer the military supplies from Nanjing to the north and transfer the food and wages that should have been supplied to Nanjing to the border army first, resulting in a serious shortage of storage in Nanjing.

When Ma Kun succeeded as the Minister of Revenue in Nanjing, he proposed to reduce the monthly military pay for soldiers from Zhenwuying in Nanjing due to his shortage of reserves, and changed from 5 cents to 4 cents. The soldiers of Zhenwuying in Zhenwuying have since complained.

In fact, the monthly military pay of 5 cents is actually less than half. For those with a wife, it is not enough to make a living. Now they have to lose one cent, which is a complete arousal of dissatisfaction among the soldiers in Zhenwu Camp.

Fortunately, the soldiers knew that although their military pay was deducted by 20%, they were just privately annoyed and dared not be arrogant.

Shortly after Wei Guangde went south last year, Jia Yingchun, the Minister of Revenue, suffered a serious illness and was forced to resign and return to his hometown to recuperate. Ma Kun was appointed as the Minister of Revenue in Beijing, and Jia Yingchun was replaced by Cai Kelian, the successor, and the elderly and weak were sick. The army's food and salary was maintained by Huang Maoguan, the Minister of the Supervisor.

The famine around Nanjing was in trouble last year, and even more plague broke out this year, with many deaths, and some soldiers who died of illness were not removed from the army.

In view of the insufficient food and salary, Huang Maoguan strictly checked the number of deaths in the Nanjing army. The food and salary of the sick soldiers stopped paying directly, completely angering the rest of the soldiers.

You should know that at this time, the price of grain in Nanjing was already eight cents per stone of rice, while the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue only paid the salary for four cents per stone of rice.

At this time, many soldiers who died of illness were still waiting for the money to make a living. They have overcome this difficulty, but now they have stopped directly, which naturally makes many soldiers feel sad.

"The reissue of food and salary was often delayed in the past few months, which has made the soldiers below dissatisfied. The military salary that should have been paid in early February has been delayed for more than half a month and there has been no sign of reissue. The soldiers are now reluctant to go to the military camp, so they stroll in groups in the street market all day long, and they don't know that the Ministry of War will make a fuss until that time."

Speaking of later, Xu Pengju sighed with some concern.

"As the Chief Secretary, don't you know how to talk to the Secretary of the Sei-Cang, and now he is the decision of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue. If the soldiers below make money and cause mutiny, can he bear this responsibility?"

Knowing the whole story, Wei Guangde couldn't help but worry.

Today, when Wei Guangde saw the mental state of the soldiers in the street market, he felt deeply worried.

Don’t prepare for the Japanese, but in the end you will turn into Japanese pirates and burn, kill and loot.

"Who knows what they think? I guess the Zhenwu camp's military salary will not be paid. I can't say that I have a close relationship with the one in the capital."

Xu Pengju shook his head and said, "He wanted to reduce the military pay for the military camp at the beginning. After all, it was a newly formed army. Unlike the old garrison, it cannot be abolitioned at will.

Cai Kelian occupies the position of Minister of Revenue in Nanjing. In fact, he is waiting for his next successor to step down and return home, without caring about the affairs in the yamen.

However, as far as Huang Maoguan did not make things difficult for the Sizang official Fang Youshan, the people from the Ministry of War only mentioned the news and did not make a fuss. Some tacit understanding should have been reached within. Ma Kun, Huang Maoguan, and Fang Youshan should all be insiders, and they did it on purpose."

"What if there is a mutiny? I went to the city today and saw those soldiers, I'm afraid it's."

Wei Guangde just mentioned a little, but after all, he was the capital of Nanjing. No matter how brave the soldiers were, could they still make things worse? There were many troops stationed around him and were eyeing him. If they really had a big splash, they would be suppressed in an instant.

Thinking of this, Wei Guangde suddenly felt that he was worried.

"I think I have to be careful about this reminder of a son-in-law."

Speaking of this, Xu Pengju unconsciously stood up and walked back and forth in the house twice. Finally, he muttered, "I will immediately give orders to the left-behind right guard, Hu Ben right guard and Wude Guard to prepare them to be prepared and prevent Zhenwuying from running out to cause trouble."

"It shouldn't be that. I just said casually before. Now I think about it, I must be overly worried. After all, there are many guards in the city of Nanjing. Even if Zhenwu Camp eats Xiongxin and leopard courage, he should not dare to cause trouble."

Wei Guangde hurriedly explained when he heard Xu Pengju's words just now.

"You don't know that there are many garrisons in and outside the city of Nanjing, but most of them have become places where the children of various noble families make money through military merits. They are not as good as those garrisons. At least they can bring out a single group of people. Many of those garrisons cannot even build empty spaces."

Xu Pengju shook his head and explained to Wei Guangde, "A few years ago, dozens of Japanese pirates dared to run to the city of Nanjing to show off their power. If people could really be born in the garrison, even if there were only a few thousand people, they could destroy the dozens of Japanese pirates with one rush forward, but no one would be there."

When Wei Guangde heard this, he unconsciously widened his eyes and looked at Xu Pengju with disbelief.

I thought to myself, the soldiers in Nanjing are so powerful that you, the Nanjing garrison, are really incompetent.

"Those three wards before"

Immediately, Wei Guangde remembered the names of the three garrisons reported by Xu Peng. Could it be that the only remaining garrison in Nanjing City has combat power?

"That's the territory of my Xu family. The camp either has the surname Xu or the generals of my Xu family. They can finally bring out some people, so they won't be completely empty."

When Xu Pengju talked about this, his rare old face turned red.

No wonder.

Wei Guangde was speechless. The garrisons left behind in Nanjing were really divided up by the nobles who were left behind. The family divided into one or two garrisons for profit. The Xu family was the largest in Nanjing, so they were divided into three garrisons.

Then, when the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue knew the details, he was unwilling to provoke the garrison controlled by these nobles, he simply wanted to recruit new troops and wanted to pull some wool from them. No wonder those people were so brave that they didn't return to the military camp and wandered around the streets in Nanjing.

Indeed, the treatment is unfair.

Other soldiers in Nanjing can receive military pay, but Zhenwuying seems to be born as a stepmother. Not only can't receive money on time, but there is also the risk of being cut by military pay, which no one can stand.

"Zhenwu Camp, it's actually true. In name, it's under the Ministry of War. In fact, they are all supported by the Ministry of Revenue with money, so they listen to the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of War is not willing to intervene at all. When it was first established, there were some noble children in the camp. However, since the Ministry of Revenue withdrew military pay, those people were transferred away one after another.

Why are you staying there? The soldiers below are clamoring for money every day. They can't get any money themselves. Who is willing to trek into this muddy water? They are all connected. It is easy to transfer from the Ministry of War to the transfer order to other garrisons to make money.

So to now, Zhenwu Camp is actually the Ministry of Revenue management, and the Ministry of War does not interfere, haha”
Chapter completed!