Chapter 1485 A long talk between Xin Zijuan and his son
The capital city in midsummer has become a bit cooler in the evening. A rare rain has fallen. Although it is just a drizzle and the ground has not even gotten wet, it still makes people feel much better.
The drought in the Northland has become more serious this year, making people worried about the autumn grain harvest.
"The drought in Shaanxi is much more severe than that in Beizhili. Except for the low-lying areas along the rivers and ditches and irrigation canals in Gansu and Ningxia, it is said that the harvest in other places is almost complete..." Feng Ziying accompanied her father on a stroll behind the house. small garden.
"Oh? You mean the reason why the soldiers in the four northwest towns are unwilling to accept layoffs has a lot to do with the drought in Shaanxi? Food prices?" Feng Tang is very keen. There is no such problem in Liaodong, but if you go to the three sides, you have to Don't face it.
"Well, the price of food has increased by 20% compared with this time last year. This is still the wholesale price at the Zhangjiawan pier in Tongzhou, the capital. In Shaanxi, it should have increased by 30%..." Feng Ziying nodded, "The abolished sergeant Back home, the severance pay remains unchanged, but food prices have increased by 30%, and may double or even be higher by the end of the year. Isn’t that equivalent to their severance pay being halved or even less? Who would accept it? If it were me, I will never accept it.”
Feng Tang looked solemn. This is a problem, and it is a big problem.
The big-headed soldier is not stupid.
Most of the soldiers in the four northwest towns come from Shaanxi Province, which means that they are basically the battalions recruited locally in the four northwest towns or transferred from the local guards. Everyone knows that drought and food prices will rise, which is an eternal fact. The truth is, how will they live back home, and how will their family live?
No matter what happens in the army, military rations must be guaranteed, which means that their bellies are safe. But if they can't even fill their bellies when they go back, how can they be willing to go back?
Moreover, in Feng Ziying's opinion, after returning home, she would not have enough to eat, and faced with weak local defenses. These veterans of the powerful army who had been fighting the Mongols to death for so many years in border towns, if there were one or two more ambitious people, Adding fuel to the flames, especially if something else happens within the imperial court, will they have some ideas that they shouldn't have?
Feng Tang naturally hadn't thought that it was that far away, but Feng Ziying had already thought of it, especially when he thought about the physical conditions of Prince Yi Zhong, several princes and Emperor Yonglong, as well as the ambitions of the Jiangnan gentry, it would really be a mess once it broke out. , careerists may all appear one after another.
The people of our country have always believed that princes, generals and ministers should be contented with this principle. Isn’t it the same with Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty and Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty? Who wouldn’t want to give it a try once a fish leaps and turns into a dragon?
Thinking of this, Feng Ziying felt more and more that her father would have to go to the northwest as soon as possible, and he would try his best as soon as possible to avoid the unrest caused by the dismantling of the four northwest towns at this critical moment. At least he should find a way to delay this year, observe the situation, and then do something. Decide.
He judged that it might not be until the end of the year, and he was afraid that there would be trouble within the Zhou Dynasty. It was unclear whether the northwest frontier army would need to be disbanded by then, or even re-expanded.
"Ziying, I feel like you are very worried about the situation in the court in the second half of this year? It's not just the problem in the northwest, right?" Feng Tang put his hands behind his back and said in a low voice: "I know Liu Dongyang, ambitious, local Wenxiu and Xu The emperor is also a rebellious person, Liu Baichuan can be used..."
Feng Ziying turned her head in surprise and hesitated: "Father, Liu Baichuan...?"
At the beginning of the Ningxia rebellion, the four major rebel leaders were Liu Dongyang, followed by Liu Baichuan, and then Tu Wenxiu and Xu Chao.
Tu Wenxiu and Xu Chao both followed Liu Dongyang and had a close relationship with Liu Dongyang, but Liu Baichuan was quite independent, and his prestige in Ningxia Town was not much lower than that of Liu Dongyang, but Liu Dongyang was the deputy commander of the branch, and his position was higher than that of Liu Dongyang. Baichuan also controlled more troops than Liu Baichuan.
Liu Baichuan was not willing to rebel, so he took the lead in surrendering to the counter-rebellion army in the end. As a result, Liu Dongyang finally had to accept the court's recruitment conditions and set out to the west to recapture Shazhou and Hami, which were controlled by the Mongols and Mughals in the West Sea. Conditions of atonement.
"Well, Liu Baichuan is a useful talent. I originally thought that I would take over as the governor of the three sides at that time, and I intended to let him serve as the deputy commander-in-chief of Guyuan Town. Unexpectedly, the court asked me to go to Liaodong unexpectedly, and there was no time to arrange many arrangements. …”
In front of his only son, Feng Tang had nothing to hide, and some of his secret thoughts came out.
Feng Ziying felt heavy in her heart. This was the thought of a military commander. From the perspective of the court, it was natural that he would be punished. But from the perspective of a military commander, if he did not do this, he would be an idiot.
Just like to throw your father to the third side as now, why do you take a group of arrogant soldiers? Without people like He Shixian and Liu Baichuan as his father's team, even if he received hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, he might still end up being left alone.
"Even Liu Dongyang and Tu Wenxiu, didn't they also have dealings with their fathers? But Liu Dongyang was too ambitious and exceeded his own strength. I didn't know that he was thrown to Shazhou for two years to smooth out his edges. Do you have some?" Feng Tang had a faint smile on his lips.
"Father, it seems that you have been prepared for a long time." Feng Ziying felt that she had underestimated her father. He had made plans so early. Did he expect to return to the three sides?
Probably not, but my father thought that he was going to take over as the governor of the three sides, so he started to prepare. It's just that it's two years late now, but it's not too late, even just right.
"There is no harm in being prepared for anything. Besides, this is your father's instinct. I thought I was going to stay in Sanbian. Who has ever wanted to go to Liaodong?" Feng Tang sighed, "But It’s okay now, I’ve caught up... By the way, you seem to know the situation on the other side very well, right?”
Feng Ziying also laughed, "Father, do you still remember He Zhisheng?"
Feng Tang thought hard, "Which son of Shoushan Bo's family? Is it defense or guerrilla?"
“After the First World War in Ganzhou, he performed well and kept in touch with his son.” Feng Ziying nodded, “Now he is a general in Gansu Town and is expected to be promoted, but after this incident, he put it aside.”
“Oh, you still have contact with the He family?” Feng Tang was surprised.
"He Zhisheng and I have been through adversity together. We are both from martial arts backgrounds, so we naturally have contacts. We have exchanged letters in the past two years. Otherwise, how would my son know the situation there?" Feng Ziying replied: "This Liu Dongyang and the others should have been involved in the turmoil in the northwest, but now it is not easy for the northwest to cause a disturbance like the Ningxia rebellion in the past two years, and Liu Dongyang and the others do not dare to try easily again. "
“Ziying, it seems that you haven’t relaxed your interest in the northwest. I’m a little curious, why are you so interested in the northwest?”
Feng Tang was very curious about his son's interests. It was okay to say he was interested in Liaodong. After all, he was in Liaodong, and Jianzhou Jurchens were increasingly becoming the enemy of the Zhou Dynasty. However, in the northwest, the power of the Mongols was declining, even if Tumo The tribes of the special people are now also worried about the power of the Chahar people in the east. They are increasingly less provocative and more dependent on the Zhou Dynasty, but their son is still so concerned. This is a bit disturbing. Got it.
Feng Ziying has a hard time answering. Can he say that the Great Uprising in the late Ming Dynasty in his previous life left a deep impression on him? Although it seems that the current life has not yet arrived in the timeline, history has long been deviated, and now there are signs of dismantling military towns. How can Feng Ziying not be panicked or afraid?
It is necessary to prepare for a rainy day. At least he must understand the trends of the four northwest towns, especially now that his father is also going. He does not want his father to become like Yang Sichang's father Yang He in the previous life, in the position of governor of the three sides. He was thrown into prison and eventually died of illness in the army.
"Father, the northwest is bitterly cold, the people and the land are poor, but there are many troops on the three sides. If these soldiers are withdrawn and someone instigates them, it will be a source of disaster. You have been in Yulin, and I have also been to the northwest. The northwest is a large country. Once turmoil breaks out in the Zhou Dynasty's rear, the entire Central Plains will be shaken, and the people in the northwest are fierce. The rebellion in Ningxia is fine, but it is limited to the army. If the army and the people combine, we will not be able to put it down so easily."
Feng Ziying did not answer directly, but she also explained why she was so worried about Northwest.
Feng Tang reluctantly accepted the other party's explanation. Originally, he also had some arrangements with the three sides, and now it comes in handy to go to the three sides. However, he also felt that the situation in the DPRK was a little strange. His son was in the center, so he should have noticed it. Something happened, and he was about to go to the northwest again, so now he had to figure out these situations.
"Ziying, are you aware of something? Are you worried about the princes or Prince Yi Zhong?" Feng Tang asked, "Or are you worried about the emperor's health? I originally said that I would meet with the emperor tomorrow, but it was postponed. Is it because of the emperor’s health?”
Dad's sense of smell is still up to standard. He made it clear in just a few words. Feng Ziying nodded: "There are several factors, and Jiangnan is now very dissatisfied with the imperial court's increase in taxes. However, the war in the southwest has consumed a lot of money. It can't be done without increasing taxes, so several When conflicts arise, it becomes difficult to resolve them, but as long as the Emperor's health remains stable, my son feels that there will be no problems, but he is afraid..."
This is the biggest problem. A healthy emperor has enough control over the situation of the court, but if something unexpected happens, internal and external conflicts may break out. If there is no balance rudder, something may happen.
(End of this chapter)