Five Jinzhou on the 12th month of the fifth year of the Tianqi Dynasty

The heavy snowfall of goose feathers has been falling for two consecutive days, and the entire Jinzhou is shrouded in a white world of ice and snow. There is no one else on the entire Jinzhou city wall except for a few rotating soldiers.

In the lobby of the Supervisor's Mansion in Jinzhou City, more than ten basins of burning charcoal fires were placed around the lobby, making the temperature of the entire lobby warm. Dozens of generals gathered together and laughed loudly. Here are some of the deputy generals of Jinzhou, Zu Dale, who had the loudest voice, but he suppressed the voices of the generals around him. However, if you look carefully, you can notice that although the generals were talking, almost everyone's eyes were secretly aiming at the back of the lobby.

Looking at the generals chatting around, Zu Dashou, the vanguard general sitting in front of the first seat of the lobby, looked at the empty first seat of the lobby, and turned to ask the deputy envoy of military preparation beside him. Right-sponsor Yuan Chonghuan said, "Mr. Yuan, the supervisor has always been punctual, why has it been delayed today? Could it be that he was delayed by important matters?"

Yuan Chonghuan shook his head: "I don't know either, but I just heard someone say someone is coming from the capital, and the governor is talking to the visitor in the inner hall."

"Are people coming to the capital?" Zu Dashou's face was happy, "Is the food and wage transportation for next year coming?"

Yuan Chonghuan smiled slightly: "I don't know this, but it should be that I am not in line with the tenth."

"That's great!" Zu Dashou happily slapped the armrests of the chair and laughed. "In previous years, our court always pushed the food and salary and paid out the food and salary, either they didn't give it enough or they had to delay it for several months before they were sent out, which made the soldiers complain. It was rare to give it so happily this year. It seems that the soldiers can have a good New Year this year."

"It's true." Yuan Chonghuan also smiled and stroked his beards, "But I heard that there is a reason why the court gave the money so happily this year."

"Oh? There is another reason?" Zu Dashou asked in confusion: "Can there be any hidden secrets in this food and salary?"

Yuan Chonghuan shook his head: "There is no hidden information, but I heard that the food and money escorted by the court this time were not issued by the Ministry of Revenue, but from the internal treasury."

"Silver of the Treasury?" Zu Dashou was shocked. The emperor actually used the Silver of the Treasury?

What is the silver for the treasury? Simply put, it is the emperor's private money. Now the emperor has used his private money to pay the soldiers in Liaodong. This is a rare thing. Zu Dashou asked again: "Mr. Yuan, our annual food and salary in Liaodong is more than 1.3 million taels of silver. All of these silvers are paid for the silver for the emperor's treasury?"

"That's right!" Yuan Chonghuan rubbed his cheeks and said in confusion: "Mr. Yuan doesn't know where the emperor got so much money, but for our Liaodong soldiers, having money is a good thing after all."

Zu Dashou also said with emotion: "Yes! This war is ultimately about money. Nothing can be done without money. We..."

"The Grand Secretary of the Dongge, the Young Master of the Prince, the Minister of War, and the Liaodong Governor Sun Chengzong arrived!"

A shout interrupted Zu Dashou's words. As the sound came, Sun Chengzong, wearing a big red official robe, a jade belt, a black gauze hat on his head, and a pair of thick-soled official boots on his feet, walked out of the inner hall, and followed him was a middle-aged eunuch wearing eunuch clothes and a white face without beard.

Seeing Sun Chengzong come out, the generals in the lobby bowed and shouted in unison: "The last general will meet with the governor!"

"The generals are exempted from gifts!"

As Sun Chengzong's voice sounded, the generals stood up.

Sun Chengzong looked at the generals in the lobby and said, "Everyone, you all gathered together today. Obviously, you already know why I want to call you to discuss matters today, right? That's right, just today, our salary has arrived!"

“Hahaha…”

Everyone in the lobby laughed, and many people looked at Sun Chengzong with hot eyes. Whether they were officials or soldiers, wasn’t the day they most looking forward to every year?

Seeing the generals who were laughing in a bunch of laughter, Sun Chengzong said again: "Okay, don't laugh anymore. Before that, you have to thank the eunuch Cao, the eunuch Cao, who is beside me. The salary this time was from Eunuch Cao who came here in person."

"Thank you, Eunuch Cao!" Hearing Sun Chengzong say this, the generals bowed to Cao Dazhong and thanked him.

Seeing the generals thanking him, Cao Dazhong laughed so hard that he was out of sight. He quickly replied, "I dare not... I dare not, this is what our family should do, and I dare not trouble you all the generals to salute our family."

After everyone finished the ceremony, Sun Chengzong said to everyone: "Eunuch, Eunuch Cao will read Your Majesty's imperial edict to you."

After saying that, Sun Chengzong also walked to the generals and knelt down first.

"Crazy..."

Following Sun Chengzong's words, the generals knelt down and said respectfully, "I would like to invite the saints!"

"Saint Gong'an!"

As everyone fell to their knees, Cao Dazhong's face also became solemn. He pulled out an imperial edict from his sleeve and began to read it: "The emperor who followed the heavens to carry on the imperial edict: The country is kind, and the people are the leader. He also used troops for a thousand days. He once heard that the generals of the three armies of Liaodong fought bravely to kill the enemy and severely injured the enemy's chief, and shocked the enemy's courage to show his power outside the territory. The governor and the governor reported that I really praised him. Now I specially ordered the eunuch Cao Dazhong, the governor, to carry food and wages to Liaodong. The emperor's edict was ordered to be a treasure on the 15th day of the fifth year of Tianqi."

"Long live my emperor!"

After reading the imperial edict, the generals thanked each other and then stood up one after another. Then Sun Chengzong stepped forward to take the imperial edict from Cao Dazhong and handed it over to the guards behind him.

After Cao Dazhong read out the imperial edict, everyone sat down again.

Looking at the unconcealed smiles on everyone's faces, Cao Dazhong glanced at the generals curiously before turning to ask Sun Chengzong and said, "Sir Sun, sir, why haven't our family seen Nanjing General Yang Feng and Yang?"

"Mr. Yang?"

After Cao Dazhong's words finished, the lobby suddenly became silent. Many people looked at each other and no one said a word. After a long time, a voice sounded: "It's so that Eunuch Cao learned that Lord Yang had led his troops deep into the grassland the month ago and hadn't come back yet."

"What?"

Cao Dazhong only felt the muscles on his face pounding a few times, and he felt a little bad. He actually jumped up and shouted angrily: "What the hell is going on? Who asked him to go to the grassland?"

The generals were also shocked. None of them expected that Cao Dazhong would have such a big reaction.

Seeing Cao Dazhong with an angry face, many people thought he was really making a big fuss. After all, the grassland was too big, and Yang Feng's troops were basically infantrymen. It was difficult to move on the grassland, but it was certain that they were inconvenient to move. According to everyone's estimates, even if it went smoothly, it would not be possible to come out without three or four months or even half a year.

Seeing that all the generals in the lobby looked down and silent, Cao Dazhong was anxious and angry. He extended his "orchid finger" and pointed at everyone about to curse, but Sun Chengzong, who was standing beside him, was afraid that the conflict between him and the generals would intensify and said first: "Eunuch Cao, please calm down. I may explain this matter to you."

Seeing Sun Chengzong speaking, Cao Dazhong's anger eased a little, and then said, "Mr. Sun, please speak. We want to hear what Mr. Sun can give."

Sun Chengzong frowned slightly. Cao Dazhong was too ruthless. Although you were an angel sent by the emperor to announce the order (note that the angel here means the Tian family, that is, the envoy sent by the emperor, not the birdman with wings in later generations), I am a dignified Grand Secretary of the Dongge and the Liaodong Supervisor, especially the eunuchs like you.

However, as the imperial teacher of the two dynasties, Sun Chengzong naturally did not have such shallowness in his demeanor. He stroked his beard and turned Yang Feng's beard that day and felt that there were too few cavalry under his command. He asked him to go deep into the grassland or plunder or buy some war horses to form a cavalry. Sun Chengzong approved it without thinking too much, but the news has not been heard back yet.

Cao Dazhong looked at Sun Chengzong and was anxious and angry: "Oh, Lord Sun, you are confused!"

After being criticized by Cao Dazhong over and over again, Ren was a little angry no matter how well Sun Chengzong was in cultivation. His face immediately became dark: "Oh... Please give me advice from Eunuch Cao. I would like to hear it carefully!"

Cao Dazhong also knew that he had just used this tone to accuse Sun Chengzong of the important officials of the court, but he did not feel regretful about this. He only snorted: "Everyone knows that in previous years, the court always delayed the payments distributed to Liaodong again and again, but why did the payment so happily this year?"

Yuan Chonghuan and Zu Dashou, who were sitting in the front, looked at each other and said tentatively: "It is said that the military pay was distributed so happily this time because they used His Majesty's treasury silver. I don't know whether it is true or false."

Cao Dazhong glanced at Yuan Chonghuan with a squinted look. He knew this Jinshi in the 47th year of Wanli. He snorted: "Mr. Yuan is indeed true, but you can tell that His Majesty's treasury silver was consumed as early as the three major expeditions. Why did His Majesty take out so much money to allocate it to you?"

"this……"

Everyone hesitated, they really didn't know the reason here.

As the Liaodong governor, Sun Chengzong thought about the news he received on weekdays and analyzed it based on his own experience. He suddenly said in surprise: "Is this money actually related to Yang Feng?"

Cao Dazhong gave him a look that you were not stupid enough, and then he hummed: "A few days ago, General Yang and His Majesty opened a Royal Trading Company in the Ming Dynasty. General Yang promised that this trading company would give His Majesty 50% of the profit every year.

Now half a year has passed. A few days ago, the trading company just paid His Majesty a profit of 1.8 million taels. After His Majesty received the money, he thought that the news of Liaodong this year was frequent, so he ordered our family to escort all the 1.8 million taels of silver he had just obtained to Liaodong to serve as military pay next year. He also ordered General Yang to return to the capital to report his duties. But you told General Yang that our family had not come back yet. How would you tell His Majesty to explain it to His Majesty?"

"What?"

"There is still this?"

Everyone was so upset when they heard this. No one expected that there would be such a thing. But then many people's expressions gradually changed. What did Cao Dazhong say just now? In just half a year, he paid 1.8 million silver to the emperor. Wouldn't this mean that he made 3.6 million taels of silver in half a year? What kind of profit speed is this?

Thinking of this, many people's eyes turned red. Even Sun Chengzong showed an incredible expression. He asked with some doubt: "Eunuch Cao, what you said is true?"

Cao Dazhong rolled his eyes at him: "Mr. Sun, do you think our family is still in the mood to joke with you now? Our family may be fake, but the money outside is not fake, right?"

Now that Sun Chengzong didn't believe it, he couldn't believe it. When he thought that he would let a slap from his Majesty who could pay 3.6 million taels of silver to His Majesty every year, he wanted to slap himself twice. Others didn't know, but he didn't know how much he could do if His Majesty had 3.6 million taels of silver in his hand every year, but such a person was actually let go by himself.

After sighing for a long time, Sun Chengzong said helplessly: "I am just asking for help now. When General Yang comes back, I will definitely offer him as a Bodhisattva."

"There is no future." Cao Dazhong said angrily: "If General Yang comes back this time, His Majesty will definitely transfer him back to the pass. There is no need for you to provide him with it. But what we are most worried about now is General Yang's comfort. You must know that it is already harsh winter, and it is too dangerous for General Yang to lead his troops alone."

Everyone stopped talking after hearing this. Now the weather is not the same as the army can survive, let alone fighting.

When many people thought of the danger that Yang Feng might encounter, they sighed secretly, and it seemed that the salary for the next year was not settled again.

Just when everyone was thinking differently, the door of the lobby was pushed open. An officer from the Supervisor Battalion hurriedly ran in and came to the lobby to kneel down on one knee to report: "Report to the Supervisor, several soldiers came from outside. They said they had signed the order of Nanjing General Yang Feng to report the message."

There was another uproar in the lobby. The anxious Cao Dazhong didn't wait for Sun Chengzong to speak and said, "Oh, Yang Feng has sent someone, let him in!"

Soon, a soldier wearing a big red battle jacket with a thick layer of snow on his face and a frost on his face strode in, saluted Sun Chengzong and shouted: "The villain Jiangning Army will not accept the brigade Wang Heizi at night to meet the governor."

"Get up quickly!" Sun Chengzong stood up and walked to Wang Heizi and pulled him up, asking anxiously: "Your name is Wang Heizi? What's wrong with your Jiangning Army now? Where are you Lord Yang?"

Wang Heizi said after breathing a sigh of relief: "Report to the governor, I will gather together with the tribes of the three Khalkha tribes after entering the prairie the previous month, and captured more than 20,000 prisoners. Last month, the Jurchen Tatars defeated Huang Taiji and Daishan tribes who went to the Korchin tribe to propose marriage, and then..."
Chapter completed!