Chapter 1208: Insufficient Money and Food
General Zhendong, who stayed at the Zhongduhu Mansion but had never been to court before, took the initiative to request to enter the palace to meet the emperor for the first time, and it was not before going to court.
Secretary Zhang’s eyes fell on the envelope on the desk.
General Guan glanced at her, said nothing, and continued to dress himself.
Secretary Zhang glanced at General Guan, walked to the desk, and turned to look at General Guan.
General Guan was fastening his belt and did not look at her.
Secretary Zhang reached out and picked up the letter, then turned to look at it.
General Guan was putting on his outer robe and did not look at her.
Secretary Zhang opened the letter. There were only a few words in the letter:
"The military affairs of the government are under the supervision of the fine king, and I will bear all the consequences."
Isn’t this just nonsense!
Who doesn’t know that General Zhendong was left to guard the Central Protector’s Mansion and to oversee the military affairs in the Mansion?
But Secretary Zhang couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief.
It is only four sentences and fifteen words, but it gives people an inexplicable sense of stability.
The letter didn't seem to say anything, but Alang had people work hard to send such a few nonsense words back, which is enough to explain everything.
Secretary Zhang raised the letter in his hand and finally showed some relief on his face:
“Sister, how could Alang know about Bingzhou so quickly?”
Logically speaking, the news should have just been sent to Caoqiao Pass.
Even if he flew, Alang would not be able to send the letter back immediately.
General Guan stretched out his hands and clasped the copper buckle at his waist.
“Click!
A handsome and handsome young man appeared.
Slender and tall, with arms and waist, a calm and resolute face, and eyes like deep ancient pools.
He is paired with purple clothes that only important officials in the court are qualified to wear. A long sword is hung on his waist. The hilt of the sword is wrapped with gold thread and inlaid with jade.
In this outfit, walking on Zhangtai Street will attract countless women to watch.
General Guan held the long sword at his waist with his left hand and said:
"I don't know. But I think someone at Bingzhou should have sent the news in advance."
If it were General Guan herself, she would do the same thing.
Deng Zhi is a right-guard general, so he doesn't even have this sensitivity.
He can send the news to Chang'an, and naturally he can also find a way to send the news directly to Alang.
As one of the few remaining old ministers of the Han Dynasty, Deng Zhi did not need to be afraid of Wei Yan, nor did he need to worry about what the palace officials thought of him.
A loyal veteran in his sixties, who has worked tirelessly over the years and has been leading troops to defend the country's borders. What else do you want from others?
If you really want to return to Chang'an and enter the palace to see the emperor, the emperor has to stand up to greet you and ask you to sit down.
This is the benefit of seniority.
“Open the gate, swing the car and drive!”
The gate of Zhendong General's Mansion, which has always been closed, heard a rare rumble today, and the heavy door was slowly opened.
General Zhendong stepped out of the gate, climbed down the steps, took the horse rein from the guard, and got on his horse.
“Drive!”
"Da da da!"
The cavalry guards who had been waiting for a long time escorted General Zhendong towards the palace.
Many people living nearby not only saw the Zhendong General's Mansion open for the first time, but also saw the Zhendong General for the first time.
When there were women or girls, when they saw the face of General Zhendong clearly, many of them immediately felt like deers, and some even had their cheeks flushed red unconsciously.
"Is that General Zhendong? I heard that he is more beautiful than women in the world. He is called Hua Guansuo, and his name is indeed true to his name!"
Looking at the retreating formation, I felt that the nobility that had just come over me was still condensed and lingering for a long time.
Some people couldn’t help but grit their teeth and stamp their feet:
“Such a good son of the Han family, who is hard to find in the world, actually took advantage of a barbarian girl! Damn it! Damn it!”
He twisted the silk cloth in his hand so hard that it almost broke.
General Zhendong came to the gate of Weiyang Palace and handed over the talisman to prove his identity.
Responsible for leading the small yellow gate, he also couldn't help but glance at General Guan several times.
Because before he was sent here, he saw the words "beautiful appearance" written on it in the notebook recording the appearance of General Zhendong.
At first I was a little curious, thinking about what kind of outstanding person General Zhendong was to deserve these four words.
At this time, after seeing the real person, I finally felt enlightened, and then I felt that it was natural—only this kind of person deserved those four words.
"General Guan, please come this way. Your Majesty knew that the general was going to enter the palace, so he had already asked the villain to wait here for a long time."
General Guan nodded slightly: "Thank you."
Go around the front hall used for court meetings and follow the small yellow gate to the Xuanshi Hall.
Xuanshi Hall is the place where the emperor personally handles important affairs and summons important ministers.
“Xuan, General Zhendong, come to see me!”
General Zhendong took off his sword and shoes, stepped in, kowtowed and saluted:
"Chen Suo, I would like to pay my respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live long and live happily forever!"
Adou, who was sitting on it, stretched out his hand to help: "Get up!"
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“General Zhendong, please sit down.”
Jiang Wan, Fei Yi and Dong Yun, who were on duty at the central government office in the front hall of Weiyang Palace, had already arrived early.
Wendong and Wuxi, General Zhendong did not sit in the same row as them, but walked to the opposite side of them and prepared to take a seat.
Just before sitting down, he glanced at General Guan Xing, who was sitting below him, without leaving any trace.
General Zhendong's figure stagnated slightly.
Guan Xing: Look at the nose with eyes, look at the heart with nose, and sit upright.
When General Guan sat down, Adou managed to squeeze out a smile:
“As soon as the urgent report from the Shangdang arrived, I thought about sending someone to the Central Protectorate. Unexpectedly, General Zhendong sent an invitation to the palace first, which saved me a lot of trouble.”
Hearing this, General Guan leaned forward in his position and said slowly:
"I have been entrusted by the Central Protector to stay at the Central Protector's Mansion. I dare not neglect any major military and state affairs."
The voice was neither urgent nor slow, but it made the smile on Adou's face become more awkward.
The originally round and fat face has actually lost some weight due to the restless sleep and eating these days, and even the face looks a little haggard and gray.
The little fat man before now no longer looks as happy as before.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Adou coughed and began to raise issues:
“Everyone must know about the Shangdang matter. This time, I summoned you here because I want to ask you how to retreat from the enemy now.”
As Adou spoke, he glanced around.
But in the position of generals, Guan Suo, Guan Xing, Zhao Guang...
There is no one who is not afraid of the younger generation, and there is no one who is old.
Thinking about the current situation of the Han Dynasty, the only ones who can still lead the army at their old age are Wei Yan and Deng Zhi.
The next ones are Chen Dao and Wu Ban.
It’s just these four people who can be generals but difficult to be commanders.
Remembering that before the death of Xiangfu, he trusted Feng Mingwen instead of Wei Yan, which was indeed a foresight.
I regret that I should have tampered with my father-in-law’s arrangements!
While Adou reflected, he turned his attention to Jiang Wan, the eldest minister.
Jiang Wan looked at General Zhendong and said:
"The Governor of the Central Protectorate is in charge of the internal and external military affairs. Although the Central Protector is not here now, General Zhendong is staying in the mansion. I wonder if General Zhendong has any good ideas?"
General Zhendong shook his head:
"Not yet. The change in Shangdang was too sudden and hasty. I can only guess that the thieves were probably well prepared."
At this point, she sighed, "Wei Wenchang's move, in my opinion, is too greedy."
On normal days, General Guan's words would have been a bit rash at most.
But it was already at this point, how could she still think about saving some face for Wei Yan?
It would be polite not to call him by his first name!
When Adou heard what General Guan said, his face changed slightly and his body leaned forward subconsciously:
“General Zhendong means that General Wei’s actions were inappropriate?”
General Guan glanced at Adou and said calmly:
“I don’t know whether it’s appropriate or not. Maybe Wei Wenchang has other plans.”
"Anyway, if I change my position, I will only shrink my troops at Gaoping Pass and try to protect the passage from Hedong to Shangdang, waiting for reinforcements."
“If you are like Wei Wenchang, who does not want to give up Gaodu, but also wants to recapture the eldest son by himself, it will only cause the troops to be too scattered.”
It is both necessary and necessary. How can there be so many good things in the world?
Isn't this too greedy?
At this point, General Guan emphasized his tone:
"Judging from the current situation, Sima Yi may have been plotting to join the party for a long time! Wei Wenchang has been attacking Gaodu for several months and is already exhausted as a military teacher. Now he is in a hurry to go to his eldest son."
General Guan snorted and stopped talking.
General Guan stopped talking and everyone understood what she meant. Many people's expressions changed slightly.
Only a voice with hint of anger was heard:
"Wei Yan was arrogant and unwilling to submit to others. He was attacked and lost to the party. With his temperament, he naturally refused to wait for the imperial reinforcements to arrive."
Adou followed the sound and saw that it was Jiang Wan who also spoke:
“In the Battle of Guanzhong, Sima Yi was still able to escape unharmed under the attack of the Prime Minister and the Central Protector.”
“Looking at Guo Xun’s incident again, we can see that this person is not an easy person to deal with. He is actually a very scheming person... ahem, a very scheming person.”
Speaking of this, Jiang Wan glanced at General Zhendong and continued:
"There is a saying in the art of war: know yourself and the enemy, and you will never be in danger in a hundred battles. Sima Yi is a man who is good at commanding troops. If this person really wants to do what Zhendong said, he has already had a conspiracy against the upper party."
"Then Wei Yan leads the army back to his eldest son, is it possible that he is also part of his plan?"
Jiang Wan is a tolerant person and rarely has disputes with others.
At this time, General Zhendong still called Wei Yan Wei Wenchang, but he simply called him by his first name.
There is even a hint of disgust in his tone and demeanor that is not easily noticeable.
It can be seen that Jiang Wan was extremely angry that Wei Yan had lost Shangdang due to his carelessness.
Seeing that neither of the civil and military leaders was optimistic about Wei Yan, Adou's originally gloomy face became a little more panicked:
“From this point of view, we should send people to Shangdang for rescue as soon as possible.”
He must be saved, otherwise everyone comes to Xuanshi Hall just to chat?
But how to save?
Who is going to save?
Where to send troops to rescue?
Does the treasury have enough money and food?
These must be discussed in advance.
As the great steward of the Han Dynasty, Jiang Wan was the first to feel a headache.
The soldiers and horses have not moved, but the food and grass go first.
He sighed and said:
“The former Zhongduhu led the army to the battle, and had already used the last grain stored in the treasury. Fortunately, the summer grain was put into the treasury, which can be regarded as making up for it.”
Jiang Wan glanced at Adou and continued:
"I'm afraid that the treasury will be empty again if we send out troops this time. Your Majesty, it's only July and there won't be any grain left in the treasury. I'm afraid it won't work."
When Adou heard this, all the color drained from his face:
“Chiang Gong’s intention is that there is not enough food and grass to support the army’s expedition?”
Jiang Wan rubbed his temples, with a sad look on his face:
“Your Majesty, this year the Han Dynasty has deployed troops three times in a row, and it has never stopped. If we add this time, it will be the fourth time.”
Wei Yan attacked Gaoyang, Zhang Bao led the southern army to station in Hedong, and Zhongdu **** attacked Caoqiao Pass.
Money and food are spent like water.
This does not include the costs of restoring production in Hedong, Guanzhong and other places, and building water conservancy projects.
Jiang Wan looked at Adou and said seriously:
“Your Majesty, no matter how rich the treasury is, it cannot afford such expenses!”
That is to say, the Han Dynasty is now rich and powerful. If it were replaced by the time when the prime minister was there, there would be no time when he would not dare to send troops without careful calculation and calculation.
Jiang Wan didn't say it, not to mention it was Adou, even everyone hadn't realized it yet.
Upon hearing this, everyone present suddenly felt that the money spent on food this year was indeed too much.
“What should we do? Are we just going to abandon the Party and ignore it?”
Adou finally couldn’t sit still anymore:
"Mr. Jiang, there is still some money and food in the palace's internal funds. If you think of a way, you have to raise more food and grass."
Jiang Wan smiled bitterly:
“Your Majesty’s current plan to collect food and grass is to increase revenue and reduce expenditure.”
"The current situation puts the upper party's war as the priority, so in my opinion, it is best to notify the Central Capital to protect the troops as soon as possible."
“In this way, not only will there be enough troops and horses to rescue Shangdang, but the saved food and grass can also be used for Shangdang’s war.”
Speaking, he glanced at General Guan.
General Guan nodded: "What Mr. Jiang said is very reasonable. I also think that it would be most appropriate for Your Majesty to immediately issue an order to have the Central Protector return to the army as soon as possible."
Adou said hurriedly: "Okay, okay, I will give the order now."
Let his brother-in-law lead the army back to the army, which was exactly what Adou had in mind.
But seeing him on the spot, he orally dictated the imperial edict, Dong Yun wrote it down, stamped it with the emperor's seal, and had people send him out of the palace as quickly as possible.
Then Adou asked again:
“Besides asking Zhongdu to protect the army, do you have any other suggestions?”
Jiang Wan said again:
“Your Majesty, even if we ask the Zhongdu Guards to return to rescue the Shangdang, it is just a cost-cutting move, and we still need to increase revenue.”
Adou was a little confused: "But where can we get money now? We can't temporarily increase taxes, right?"
"It is impossible to increase taxes!" Jiang Wan firmly objected, "Your Majesty has just moved back to the old capital not long ago. If you don't reduce taxes to win over the people, how can you increase taxes and disappoint people!"
“Where will the money and food needed come from?”
Jiang Wan slowed down his tone, looked at Adou meaningfully, and said:
“Your Majesty, the Central Protector was going to lead the army on an expedition a few months ago. The old minister also discussed the lack of money and food in the treasury with the Central Protector, and proposed a plan with the Central Protector.”
When Adou heard this, he was immediately excited:
“Chiang Gong is talking about expanding the number of seats in the Joint Reserve Board?”
"Exactly." Jiang Wan emphasized his tone and persuaded, "Your Majesty, the party is in urgent need of help!"
“If you want to collect enough money in a short period of time, expanding the number of seats in the Joint Reserve Board is the best and fastest way!”
Since the news of the expansion of seats in the Joint Reserve Bureau came out, in the past few months, no matter whether it is the Central Protector's Mansion or the Jiang Mansion, countless people have come to inquire about this matter.
It is a pity that this matter got stuck at the last minute and the progress was not satisfactory.
Because the Royal Family, as one of the major shareholders of the Reserve Board, supports the expansion of seats.
But he has been hesitant about how many seats to expand.
To be precise, the royal family has not yet decided how much benefit it will give up.
This made Jiang Wan, who was already somewhat dissatisfied with certain actions in the palace, even more annoyed.
At this time, I have a good opportunity, so I am not polite, of course I am happy to add insult to injury.
Adou's lips were trembling a little, he really didn't know how expensive firewood and rice were when he was not a master!
No wonder that when my father-in-law was still alive, he often warned himself not to be too extravagant.
Thinking about the time when the big man was in danger, I don’t know how Xiangfu managed to survive with only that little money and food.
(End of this chapter)