turmoil

The Marquis of Dingbian acted resolutely, ordered his soldiers and horses the night before, and took people out of the customs before dawn the next day.When he got up, he had tried his best to keep his hands and feet as light as possible. Zhang Jingche, who was on the couch, turned over, suddenly stretched out his hand, and hooked Yang Fan's sleeve in a crooked manner.

"Don't go," Zhang Jingche was so sleepy that he couldn't open his eyes, he said vaguely, "Don't go!"

The sky was twilight outside the window, and Yang Fan climbed onto the bed inch by inch, and leaned down, covering Zhang Jingche in his own shadow again.He rubbed Zhang Jingche's head, pressed him into the pillow, and gave him some intimacy: "Be good and wait until I bring back that old boy Tumen's head for you to drink."

Zhang Jingche covered his head with the quilt, and said angrily, "I don't want it! It's bloody and messy, it's disgusting to look at! If you dare to bring it back, you don't have to enter my door!"

Ding Bianhou laughed dumbfounded, pulled off the quilt, and pinched Zhang Jingche's face.

The Northwest Army's actions were secretive, and 2 people left the customs without causing a splash.Zhang Jingche slept until daylight, washed up briefly, and lazily entered the handsome tent.

It was already September at this time, and the autumn wind was gradually rising in the capital, and the places outside the Northwest Pass were even more bitterly cold.There was a bonfire in the tent, and Zhuo Jiusi cooked a pot of milk tea with fried brown rice in it.

"Mr. Zhang sent a batch of cattle and sheep a while ago. I took a look and found that some cows had just given birth to calves. The milk was abundant, so they decided to stay," Zhuo Jiusi said with a smile, "This brown rice tea is It’s not worth a lot of money, but it’s mellow and delicious, so please try it, my lord.”

The barracks did not have enough food. Thanks to Zhang Jingche's support, the soldiers did not run out of rations.Even if it is a handsome tent, it is just a barbecue and bread, plus a few plates of mixed vegetables, it is the best feast.

Zhang Jingche was not picky, and ate the barbecue meat wrapped in bread, when he suddenly let out an "oops", showing annoyed expression.

Zhuo Jiusi was concerned: "What, but the food is not to your liking?"

Zhang Jingche shook his head: "I just thought that Yuan Zhou's going deep into the grassland this time would definitely not taste good or taste good...Yesterday, he should have someone slaughter a few more cattle and sheep, make them into dried meat overnight, and let him carry it with him. "

Zhuo Jiusi: "..."

General Zhuo's eyes were blank, and for a moment, he really wanted to drag Zhang, who abused dogs in public, out and chop him up.

The royal court of Beile went deep into the grassland, and no one knew what troubles the Marquis of Dingbian would encounter during his trip. After breakfast, Zhang Jingche wrote two letters one after another, one to Huihe and one to Kaipingwei.

Zhuo Jiusi knew that Zhang Jingche's business was all over the world, but he didn't expect that he even planted hidden stakes in Kaiping: "Mr. Zhang, you, you are..."

"The grassland is the territory of the Beile people. Although Yuanzhou is brave enough to win the three armies, it is still a strong dragon that can't overwhelm the local snake." Zhang Jingche said without raising his head, "I can't help you with marching and fighting. Busy, I can only create more trouble for the Beile people, so that Tumen can't take care of his lair for a while."

Zhuo Jiu said thoughtfully: If you "can't help me much", should we still live?

Zhang Jingche planted a hidden stake in Kaiping'an. It was not a spy from Youyunwei, but a local border dweller.The Kaiping Guard went deep into the grasslands, and most of the local people made a living by grazing animals. Zhang Jingche once sent people into the grasslands to inquire about the military situation in the northern border in the name of businessmen.In the past two years, the grassland encountered a rare snowstorm, and many cattle and sheep died on the frontier. Thanks to Zhang Jingche's use of his business network, he transferred the grain from the south to the northern border and bought cattle and sheep in large quantities, which solved the urgent need of the northern border .

This transaction was carried out under the eyes of the imperial court, and the commanders and envoys stationed at Kaipingwei were completely unaware of it.The border residents have lived outside the Great Wall for a long time, and they love and hate clearly. Whoever helps them is their friend.Zhang Jingche promised them that whenever there is a disaster in the future, he will allocate grain to buy cattle and sheep.This move was in the hands of the border residents. They regarded Zhang Jingche as a life-saving benefactor and volunteered to act as his eyes, ears and eyes.

Zhang Jingche's letter to Kaiping Guards was very simple, just asking them to spontaneously organize a militia to cooperate with the local guards to fight Beile, and must drag the footsteps of Beile people in the Kaiping area.The border residents didn't know why, but they agreed without hesitation. They believed that Zhang Jingche had his own intentions and would not let himself die in vain.

At the same time, Zhang Jingche's letter to Huihe was much more troublesome. Ding Ru'an scanned it all at once, his brows knuckles visible to the naked eye.

"Should I try to persuade Huihe to send troops, harass Beile from the flanks, and divert Tumen Khan's attention?" He said to himself, "Master really gave me a big trouble."

The new Uighur queen had followed Zhang Jingche for many years, and she was familiar with Ding Ru'an, but this friendship was far from influencing the state affairs of Uighur - once Uighur sent troops, it would mean completely tearing up the alliance with the Beile people.It would be fine if the Central Plains won, but if not, with Tumen Khan's nature of vengeance, he must turn west and find Huihe to settle the score.

Mei Niya didn't want to confront Beile hastily, it was a colossal beast dominating the grassland, once it showed its minions, even the vast land of the Central Plains would be terrified.Mei Niya asked herself that she was inferior to anyone in terms of wisdom and tactics, and finally suffered from her shallow foundation. She gradually won the initiative in the tug-of-war with the Huihe officials, but she still couldn't control the court by herself.

"I understand what Mr. Ding means, but I am not the only one who has the final say on this matter." Menia is well versed in the way of evasion, practicing Tai Chi calmly, "After all, I am a woman, even if I am the king of the country , is still a soft-spoken person, this matter depends on the wishes of the veterans..."

Mei Niya's reaction was not what Zhang Jingche expected, and Zhang Jingche gave her a good plan early in the morning for what she might say.Hearing this, Ding Ru'an was neither sullen nor angry, but just smiled slightly: "Your Majesty...do you want to hold the Huihe government in your hands?"

Menia was taken aback: "Sir, what you mean is..."

Ding Ru'an poured himself a bowl of wine, and sighed comfortably in the mellow mare's milk: "Your Majesty's inability to control the court situation is not because you are inferior to others in wisdom, nor is it because you were born a woman, but because your foundation is still shallow, and you are still young." I didn't have time to hold the Huihe army in my hand."

"You don't know in your heart that Beile is a vicious wolf, and he may bite someone back anytime and anywhere. Compared with them, although the Central Plains people are a little pedantic and weak, they are more suitable for an open and sincere alliance."

Meniya lowered her eyes and pondered, without speaking.

"In this case, I have a compromise." Ding Ru'an read the emotion from the Huihe Queen's silence, and narrowed his eyes secretly. Supplementary tariffs in the commercial way are a drop in the bucket after all...Since this is the case, Your Majesty may wish to recruit people with lofty ideals from the people...and even the army to form a volunteer army, and send troops to the grassland in the name of the people spontaneously to suppress Beile! "

Rao Mei Niya was very knowledgeable, and she was stunned by Ding Ruan's unconstrained remarks. She rarely showed shock on her face, and she couldn't recover for a while: "What, what? In the name of the people's initiative?"

"That's right!" Ding Ru'an smiled, "Since ancient times, people have died for money and birds for food. As long as the military pay is generous, there will naturally be ordinary people who can't survive...even the soldiers of the army volunteered. In the name of 'civilian voluntary' These people were recruited and sent to the grassland after a simple training. If they win, it is Huihe who 'understands righteousness'. The emperor of the Central Plains received the favor of you, the queen of Huihe. If they can't win, it is the volunteer army' self-assertion ', in the future Beile blames you, you can put the blame on these people and soldiers, with the Central Plains watching, Tumen Khan will not tear up the covenant with Huihe."

Mei Niya has followed Zhang Jingche for many years and learned a lot of methods of "handling wealth without righteousness", but she was still shocked by shopkeeper Ding's shamelessness.After a long time, Queen Huihe came back to her senses with difficulty, pondered for a moment, and finally realized that this was a deal with no profit at all.

"Using the money and rations from Huihe to recruit generals from Huihe will solve the crisis in the Central Plains in the end." Mei Niya almost laughed angrily, "Mr. Ding's calculation is too smart!"

Ding Ru'an calmly said, "You don't have to pay for the money and food, I will bear it all by myself, but to the outside world, His Majesty can admit that it was paid out of his own pocket."

Mei Niya frowned slightly: "What does this mean?"

Ding Ru'an lowered the corners of his eyes meaningfully: "The money and rations are paid by His Majesty, and it is naturally His Majesty's kindness to recruit soldiers to thank... When the victory comes back, the rewards for the results of the battle must be even richer. At that time, even if these soldiers are not His Majesty's direct descendants, they will be in their eyes. There will be no one else in my heart.”

Mei Niya put these words in her mind for a while, and finally figured out Ding Ru'an's plan.

Ding Ru'an spent money and food, but sent this favor to Queen Huihe. The recruited generals ate the queen's food and took the queen's money, and naturally became Mei Niya's direct descendants.In the future, when the army returns from victory, these elite soldiers will become the confidence for Menia to challenge the officials. She can get an armed force not inferior to the regular army without spending a single coin.

Why not be generous with the generosity of others?

Mei Niya took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed her pounding heart. She knew that Ding Ru'an was rich and powerful, but she still never imagined that this person...or Zhang Jingche behind him was so generous that he didn't hesitate to make a loss-making business , Raise a strong army for Huihe.

"My lord once told me that any good intentions without a reason are worthy of vigilance...even if it comes from your allies," Menia said softly, "Mr. Ding is so generous...it doesn't look like you."

"No reason?" Ding Ru'an smiled faintly, "I will fight for the country with my soldiers, even if the battlefield is stained with blood. Ding is incompetent. He has nothing to do except yellow and white things. With a strong army, my soldiers will be less casualties, even if they lose their fortunes, I will be content with it."

He slammed the ground, Mei Niya couldn't help being stunned, she reacted in a moment, and sighed softly: "A daughter is easy to get, but a country is hard to find... There are such capable people but they don't know how to make good use of them. The emperor of the Central Plains is really exhausted."

Ding Ru'an disagreed: "I don't know how to govern the country. I only know how to make money. Naturally, the princes of the court look down on me, a merchant who is full of money... But your majesty, the opportunity is in front of you. Are you willing to fight for it?" fight?"

Meniya showed her real heartbeat.

Although she is a woman, she is not afraid of gambles. It is precisely because she wins the bet that she is able to return to Hejiang and climb the country step by step from the daughter of a humble slave girl.Now, the second big gamble in her life is in front of her. If she loses, everything will be over, but if she wins, she will have the opportunity to hold the huge court... and even the generals of the four realms in the palm of her hand. .

This decision was not easy to make. Meniya closed her eyes and made a difficult decision in the silence: "...the money and rations for recruiting generals is not a small amount. The war is critical now. Got it?"

Ding Ru'an calmly breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled slightly: "I already have a regulation on this point. If your majesty is not in a hurry, why don't you listen to me?"

That night, a letter eagle rose from Gaochang City and quietly disappeared into the night.The eagle crossed thousands of miles of desert, and when it was dawn the next day, it descended from the clouds and landed in the hands of Xu Shen, who got up early to patrol the camp.

Xu Shen recognized Xinying from Huihe, so he didn't dare to neglect it immediately, and sent it to Zhang Jingche immediately.A letter was attached to the letter eagle ankle ring, and there was only a simple line on it: everything is going well!

Zhang Jingche's tense shoulders relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

Although he is white, the things at hand are no less than that of the deputy general Zhuo Jiusi - to pay the army's salary, to allocate food and grass, to monitor the movement of Bei Le at any time... Lines extend from his hands, running through the Central Plains in just a few days Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, weaving an overwhelming "net" vertically and horizontally, continuously transporting "blood" from all directions to the northwest.

He moved quickly and arranged all matters in an orderly manner, but he didn't know that a storm was about to come over his head.In other words, he had foreseen this day early in the morning, so it didn't make much difference if it came early or late.

——Half a month after Dingbianhou sneaked into the grassland, the Xuanfu Mission from the capital finally arrived at the Northwest Camp.

The Xuanfu mission set off a month ago, and it should have arrived long ago, but the envoy leading the mission was an eunuch named Honglu, who, like Yuezhao, was born in the Eastern Palace's direct descendants of the emperor.As soon as he arrived in Shaanxi, he heard that there was an epidemic in Northwest Camp, so he collected a lot of herbs and good doctors, fearing that he would catch the disease if he got close, so he stayed in Baoji for more than half a month on the pretext of being unaccustomed to the environment.It wasn't until I heard that the epidemic was over and the sick soldiers were gradually recovering that they swaggered to Yumen Pass under the banner of the mission.

The eunuchs in the palace always look down on the side generals, thinking they are rough and loud, and don't know how to read people's eyes.General Bian also disliked eunuchs, who were eunuchs who were clearly serving others, but relying on the majesty of the emperor, they put on a big air, as if they were rich and precious.

But this time the situation is different: firstly, Xing Ning, who had delivered the military rations before, was intimidated by Marquis Dingbian's dismounting.Secondly, Emperor Xinglong heard that Marquis Dingbian was seriously ill, so he specially sent someone to visit him. Putting on airs at this time was against the original intention of Emperor Xinglong to win the hearts of the army and be kind to others.

Because of this, when she saw Zhuo Jiusi, Honglu smiled all over her face, flatteringly said: "Our family congratulates General Zhuo! Your Majesty heard that the soldiers in the Northwest fought bravely and repelled the barbarians in Beile. The Sacred Heart is very happy and ordered Our family came to work in the army, and brought rewards and military pay... By the way, where is Lord Hou? Why didn't you see him come out to receive the order?"

Zhuo Jiusi's heart skipped a beat, but his face did not show any emotion, and he showed genuine distress: "To tell the truth to my father-in-law, my commander-in-chief has suffered from the epidemic, which has been repeated for many days, and it has not improved yet... The military doctor told me, I can’t see the wind, I’m afraid I won’t be able to see it.”