Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 251 Father-in-law, I’m okay again!

Pei Yuan's words made the soldiers even more enthusiastic.

There is a huge difference between having someone to help you when you encounter problems and having someone to help you.

Especially, when they are making a killing.

Although these are cavalry, they are not particularly special in this team.

Basically, he ate and slept together with other Xuzhou soldiers.

Each of them knew exactly how much property they had.

What these cavalrymen were given was not small change like Pei Yuan's, but a large amount of copper coins and scattered gold and silver objects.

With such a bulging bag on their person, anyone with a keen eye could easily discover their windfall.

By then, there will be military officers like Xiao Yan and Xu Feng above him, and thousands of other soldiers below him. It will not be easy to eat alone.

Pei Yuan knew that if he said anything else at this time, it would easily backfire.

Some things can only be seen more clearly when they happen.

Pei Yuan instructed Ding Hong, "Tell them to drag the bodies out of the camp and set up camp here tonight."

Ding Hong, who had been tricked, felt extremely resentful, but he could only consider himself unlucky and hurried to arrange what Captain Pei had ordered.

Pei Yuan found his warhorse, jumped on it, took the spear from the hitch, and carefully patrolled outside the camp several times.

After the camp was almost cleaned up, Pei Yuan didn't hesitate to ride his horse in for a while and marked out a campsite for his men.

The area Pei Yuan chose was relatively dry, and there were some relatively intact tents that could be borrowed directly.

After Pei Yuan had encircled the land, the Xuzhou cavalry gathered together to discuss for a while, and then set up their camp in front of the camp designated by Pei Yuan.

then.

Pei Yuan saw those people consciously starting to search for usable materials and build tents.

Judging from the situation, he must be trying to hide the windfall before the main force arrives.

only……

When we are about to break camp tomorrow, what will these people do under the watchful eyes of everyone?
Not to mention the valuables they later found from the bodies, the two tents that Pei Yuan found alone contained several boxes of stuff in each.

These amounts of money would look conspicuous if put together, but wouldn't they be conspicuous if they were scattered among different people?
These Xuzhou cavalrymen will soon face the scrutiny of their poor brothers who also came from Xuzhou Guard.

Will they be able to go back to the days when they happily moved wood and hammered nails together?

Pei Yuan already had the answer in his mind.

When the camp of the Xuzhou cavalry was almost set up, Pei Yuan asked Ding Hong to select a few people to patrol and guard outside the camp.

In addition to preventing the defeated Bazhou bandits from returning, they were also worried that at this time, they would attract the main force of the bandit "Little Wu Song".

According to the captives captured earlier, the total size of "Little Wu Song's" gang of rebels was over a thousand people.

The first wave of ambush troops that were scared away had nearly two hundred people, and the camp that they just raided also had a population of three to five hundred.

Considering the account book alone, the number of manpower that "Little Wu Song" has that has not been put into combat should be around three to five hundred.

And there is another thing to consider.

In the previous two battles, not many manpower was destroyed.

When Ding Hong raided the ambush in the forest, he only killed a dozen people. Most of the rest fled because their leader was injured.

Pei Yuan raided the camp of the Bazhou bandits this time, killing and hacking them fiercely, but the total casualties caused were less than 200.

Now, there are only dozens of cavalrymen guarding the camp. Not to mention the manpower of "Little Wu Song" that has not been put into battle, even if the two groups of people who have just been defeated come back, Pei Yuan dare not fight again.

If that were the case, Pei Yuan could only rely on the mobility of the cavalry to evacuate as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, as the sun set, Xiao Yan was the first to arrive with a team of a hundred soldiers.

Xiao Yan greeted Pei Yuan and expressed his gratitude to him.

Pei Yuan estimated that his monopoly would be exposed sooner or later, so he simply did not take advantage of the situation.

The two men exchanged a few brief greetings and let the arriving vanguard troops check into the camp first.

Then the atmosphere in the camp became secretive at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Pei Yuan watched silently, waiting for changes to occur.

The daytime is relatively short and before we know it, it gets dark.

The slow-moving brigade finally arrived before nightfall.

Although we walked more today than usual, we didn't have to set up camp and there was food to eat when we arrived, which made many people feel that it was not bad.

Pei Yuan went to see his woman and money first.

Well, that's all good.

After settling down in the camp, Pei Yuan briefly told the three general flags about the subtle changes in the Xuzhou cavalry.

Chen Toutie and Cheng Leixiang also roughly understood why there were a lot of soldiers camping so close.

Pei Yuan showed up in front of his people, then went outside to the camp and called Ding Hong out.

Ding Hong lost a lot of points today and was reflecting on his actions in the tent.

When he heard Pei Yuan calling him, he hurried out to meet him.

Pei Yuan glanced at him and said to him, "Let's go, I'll take you to see Eunuch Gu."

Ding Hong was slightly surprised and followed Pei Yuan's footsteps.

When he saw Gu Dayong, Pei Yuan gave him a slight signal, and Gu Dayong immediately understood and dismissed his attendants.

Pei Yuan then brought Ding Hong to meet Gu Dayong.

Gu Dayong had met Ding Hong once during the day and had made some empty promises to him. When he saw Pei Yuan bringing him here, he was very puzzled.

Pei Yuan said bluntly, "I think this person is a talent, but I don't think he can be used by you. I wonder if you can give him a good way out."

Gu Dayong was speechless after hearing this. He himself has lost his power now, so what promise can he make to this person?
Gu Dayong said nothing.

Ding Hong also looked at Pei Yuan in front of him with some suspicion, wondering if this was just empty talk.

But Pei Yuan seemed to have guessed Ding Hong's expression. He turned his head to look at him and said calmly, "Be patient."

Ding Hong said hurriedly, "I dare not."

Gu Dayong pondered for a moment and keenly felt that there might be a trap here.

Could it be that Pei Yuan used his name to grant official titles and make promises to others?

This is really unreasonable!

Gu Dayong didn't want to be used by Pei Yuan and make empty promises to others, which would ruin his reputation, so he just told the truth.

"When we returned to the capital this time, the imperial edict said, 'The army was humiliated, the soldiers were exhausted, and the people were exhausted but to no avail.' What to do next depends on the emperor's will. Now that I can barely take care of myself, how can I take care of others?"

After Gu Dayong finished speaking, he didn't feel too embarrassed. Instead, he unexpectedly felt healed.

Sometimes it feels really good to put aside your pride and speak your mind.

Eunuch Gu had no scruples in his mind, so he just stood by and watched, wanting to see how Pei Yuan would fulfill his promise.

Gu Dayong spoke so bluntly, Pei Yuan's expression did not change, but Ding Hong could no longer bear this subtle atmosphere.

In fact, he didn't care much about Pei Yuan's wish for an official title.

Ding Hong has been in the officialdom for some time.

He had seen many people like this, who made big promises before risking their lives, and then pretended to be dead and kept silent after risking their lives.

This Captain Pei looked young, and probably had little experience in the world. He was so innocent that he pulled me along, and saw Gu Dayong bringing up the matter again.

What now?

That's embarrassing.

Damn it, you even embarrassed me.

Am I really following you just to make a wish for you to give me an official position?
I'm afraid of being beaten to death by you!

Do you understand?!
Ding Hong had no desires or requests before he came, but now he was afraid that Pei Yuan would be too impetuous and think too much.

So he quickly helped to give Pei Yuan a way out, "I serve the Qian Hu because it is my duty and it is natural. Secondly, I admire the Qian Hu's style and I am willing to do it. How can I be the kind of person who pursues fame and fortune?"

Pei Yuan looked at Ding Hong in confusion and scolded, "Do you have the right to speak here?"

Ding Hong remained silent.

What the hell!

Pei Yuan continued to turn his head and look at Gu Dayong.

Gu Dayong was very clear-sighted and saw Ding Hong's kind attempt to resolve the situation and Pei Yuan's overreaction.

Seeing Pei Yuan coming to see him again, he decided to teach this little brother who had lost control a lesson.

Today's Eunuch Gu focuses on the truth.

Unexpectedly, the questions Pei Yuan asked were even more sharp than Gu Dayong's truth.

Then Pei Yuan asked, "I haven't asked in detail yet. Was the admonition received by Eunuch Gu an imperial decree or an imperial order from the emperor?"

The imperial edict was jointly approved by the emperor and the court, which was basically equivalent to the consensus between the emperor and the cabinet.

The imperial edict only represents the personal opinion of the emperor and has no endorsement from the court.

In terms of authority and recognition, the imperial edict is undoubtedly the most effective.

Gu Dayong listened and said calmly, "It's an imperial decree from the court."

He is fearless even when he is playing badly.

Pei Yuan nodded, his expression becoming more confident, "Eunuch can do it."

Before Gu Dayong could object again, Pei Yuan asked, "Since it was an imperial edict reprimanding him, and it also mentioned the words 'the army was humiliated, the soldiers were exhausted, and the people were exhausted but achieved nothing', then when Eunuch Gu returns to the court, he will inevitably be held accountable by the cabinet, right?"

Even though Gu Dayong had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a little embarrassed when asked this question.

Looking at Pei Yuan's mysterious expression, Gu Dayong even suspected that Pei Yuan was doing this for revenge and wanted to drag him down to embarrass himself in front of that captain.

He replied sullenly, "Not bad."

Pei Yuan nodded with satisfaction when he heard this, and turned to Ding Hong and said, "Did you hear that?"

After hearing this, Ding Hong didn't know how to react.

No.

Your big plans were punctured in front of people, why are you so calm? !
Pei Yuan did not wait for Ding Hong to answer, and turned to Gu Dayong and said, "Eunuch Gu, don't you realize the wonderful opportunity here?"

"W-what?" Gu Dayong was confused by what Pei Yuan said.

A great opportunity? How did that come about?
Pei Yuan said calmly, "Since the court wants to hold you accountable, as the eunuch in charge of military affairs, and nominally the first person in charge of military affairs, does that mean you have the highest authority to interpret the war over the past year?"

Gu Dayong frowned slightly when he heard this.

Pei Yuan continued to explain what he had just said, "That is to say, even if the shit-covered Eunuch Gu cannot help someone get promoted or make money, it is still easy for him to bring someone down."

"Even if Eunuch Gu can't pull him down, it shouldn't be difficult to make him stink."

Pei Yuan stared at Gu Dayong and said seriously.

"It's hard to make a person successful, but it's easy to destroy a person. Isn't that right?"

"This is an opportunity God has given to Eunuch Gu to turn the tables."

Although Gu Dayong has lost his power now and is just a toothless tiger, a toothless tiger is still a tiger.

As a eunuch who once commanded hundreds of thousands of troops, Gu Dayong could not help but feel angry when he heard Pei Yuan insult him with such bad words.

But as Pei Yuan's words gradually entered his ears, Gu Dayong's anger instantly dissipated, and he even felt a sense of hope with a hint of surprise.

He couldn't help but urge, "Pei Yuan, if you have something to say, just say it."

Pei Yuan really spoke frankly.

"What do you think will happen to you after you return to Beijing this time?"

"This..." Gu Dayong pondered for a moment.

He thought about the meaning of Pei Yuan's words just now, and didn't dare to lie at this time. He answered honestly, "The emperor may be angry, but the feelings for him over the years are there, so he will definitely forgive me."

"But I'm afraid the court officials won't forgive me. Maybe, maybe I'll be banished to Nanjing."

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "In this case, it is a small matter. Since the emperor is willing to forgive you, as long as he has an excuse, he will stand up for you. The court officials cannot forgive each other, so as long as you cover their mouths, they will not be able to hurt you."

Gu Dayong sincerely asked, "Then what should our family do?"

Pei Yuan said, "The method is not difficult. You can have your trusted confidants secretly meet with the generals, deputy generals, and even the commanders of various routes in the army, and have them write letters to praise your merits and hard work and plead for you. Otherwise, you can arrange for them to pay for all the losses you have suffered on the battlefield over the past year."

Pei Yuan's expression, illuminated by the candlelight, was a little fierce. "You can even tell them clearly that if anyone refuses to help you, you can drag him to death with you!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Dayong couldn't help but clench his fists.

This plan... is very feasible!

What kind of face do those guys who only know how to draw a salary without doing anything have?

As long as you are willing to give it your all, what's wrong with asking them to say a few good words for you?
Eunuch Gu, the former head of the West Factory, former military supervisor, with the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the head of the East Factory as his close ally, do you want to be his enemy or his friend? !
At this moment, no one would be ignorant!

Gu Dayong's heart, which had been depressed since he was dismissed from his post, finally regained a glimmer of hope.

Father-in-law, I'm okay again!

Just when he was joyfully wanting to pull Pei Yuan to sit down and talk in detail, his eyes swept past Ding Hong who was behind Pei Yuan.

Then, the smile on Eunuch Gu’s face froze.

Ding Hong also saw Gu Dayong's death stare. He was extremely upset at the moment. His legs softened and he fell to the ground. "I will never tell anyone about this!"

"I, your humble servant, am willing to swear an oath that if anyone dares to speak nonsense, he will definitely die a miserable death!"

The smile on Gu Dayong's face gradually disappeared, and he looked towards Pei Yuan.

He remembered that this morning, Pei Yuan had easily captured this captain.

Pei Yuan indeed glanced at Ding Hong.

Although Ding Hong didn't look up, he seemed to feel the gaze subconsciously.

He was shaking with fear, desperately thinking about the possibility of escaping from Captain Pei.

Not likely!
Ding Hong became more and more frustrated.

But Pei Yuan said to him calmly, "Don't panic, I said I will protect you."

As he spoke, Pei Yuan squatted down.

He squatted down with his tall body and looked closely at the kneeling Ding Hong.

"I promised you."

"You haven't forgotten?"

Ding Hong crouched down in fear as if a ferocious beast was staring at him. "I have not forgotten. I will never forget."

(End of this chapter)