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

Chapter 281 This can be said

Pei Yuan smiled and said, "Oh, by the way. I forgot to inform you. This time General Cheng followed me north and was very dedicated. He also made great contributions. I have recommended him to the court as the commander of Tianjin. After entering Beijing and completing the formalities at the Ministry of War in two days, he can take office."

As Pei Yuan spoke, he motioned to Cheng Leixiang to say hello to his two former colleagues.

Cheng Leixiang also laughed and said, "I am where I am today thanks to the cultivation of the captain. Besides, whether you are a commander or not, you are still doing errands for the captain. I, Cheng Leixiang, will say this. As long as the captain sends me and needs me, I will come back immediately and work like a slave for him."

Cheng Leixiang then said to Sikong Sui and Tantai Fangtu, "You two centurions are senior members of the Qianhu Office, and you work for Qianhu Pei. Whenever you stop by Tianjin Wei to rest, it will be like you are at my doorstep, and I will definitely treat you well."

Sikong Sui finally figured out what was going on. His eyes went dark and he almost fell down.

A group of personal guards rushed forward to support him, "Captain Sikong, Captain Sikong. What happened to you?"

Sikong Sui struggled to get up, his lips trembling, and he didn't know what to say.

Seeing Cheng Leixiang, the commander-in-chief who was inferior to himself, Sikong Sui felt more uncomfortable than eating shit.

Tan Tai Fang Tu asked incredulously, "How did this kid get promoted to commander? Is he worthy of it?"

When Cheng Leixiang heard this, he just laughed and didn't say much.

Chen Toutie helped explain, "He was indeed almost there. It was because he had made such great contributions to the suppression of the bandits, and he was indifferent to fame and gain, so he simply helped Cheng Leixiang and gave the credit to that kid."

"Pacify the bandits?" Tan Tai Fang was stunned.

This matter has only been reported to Beijing, but has not yet spread widely below.

Chen Toutie then helped to explain what had happened before.

After hearing that Pei defeated an army of 20,000 bandits, which was twenty times his size, with only a thousand men, and beheaded them all, Tan Tai Fangtu was completely speechless.

According to what Chen Toutie meant, Captain Pei could not even be described as the chief meritorious official at that time.

He achieved that situation entirely by his own efforts.

So Tan Tai Fang Tu had some understanding of how Cheng Lei Xiang, the commander of Tianjin Garrison, came to be.

If his merits are real, let alone asking the court for a commander-in-chief, even asking for more would be no problem.

But Tan Tai Fang Tu was still puzzled. He stared and asked, "Why didn't the captain want the credit for himself and gave it to Cheng Lei Xiang?"

Chen Toutie recalled what Captain Pei said, that Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui were Captain Han's spies, and said vaguely, "That's hard to say."

I heard someone behind me say, "You can say that."

When they looked together, they saw Pei Yuan standing sideways, looking up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, his eyes full of affection.

Chen Toutie immediately remembered that Captain Pei had been regarded as the most affectionate person in the Ming Dynasty by Gu Dayong and Xiao Yan, and he immediately sighed, "At that time, Captain Xiao and Eunuch Gu also asked the same question."

Of course Chen Toutie knew that even if he could speak, he couldn't be straightforward and expose Pei Qianhu's ugly face of loving beauty. He could only speak in a Spring and Autumn style.

"Captain Pei told them that he was loyal to Captain Han and would never betray him. He wanted to serve under Captain Han all the time, so he would rather give up the opportunity to be a baron than leave the Captain's Office."

Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui were both stunned when they heard this.

They thought they had some understanding of this bastard Pei Yuan.

But, that is an opportunity to become a baron.

Even if Pei Yuan was coveting Han Qianhu's body, the fact that he was willing to give up his title of Earl for this was enough to shock the two of them.

Pei Yuan's own character does not stand up to scrutiny.

Chen Toutie only nodded slightly, then interrupted, "Alright, alright, it's just a small matter. At the beginning, Gu Dayong or Xiao Yan actually instigated me to use this opportunity to ask the emperor for a marriage."

"You must be joking! I have so much respect and admiration for Han Qianhu. Han Qianhu is a fairy from heaven, how could I offend her in such a rude way?"

Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui were stunned again.

If you think about it carefully, with such great contributions, if you don't want a reward and just ask for a marriage, will the emperor help you?
Absolutely!

Then if Pei Yuan just coveted Han Qianhu's body, wouldn't he have a chance to take advantage of the situation?
Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui both thought it was too absurd.

Could this shit be true love?

The reason why Pei Yuan said this shamelessly was naturally that he wanted to take the opportunity to pass a message to Han Qianhu.

Ever since I used the "Qiubebude" straight ball attack in Huai'an, I found that there didn't seem to be any serious consequences if I let myself go.

Pei Yuan has decided to attack Han Qianhu piecemeal and start a long-range attack.

Facing the matter between the two superiors, Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui were at a loss as to what to say. Tan Tai Fang Tu could only change the subject and asked Chen Toutie in confusion, "Even if Qian Hu is willing to give up the credit, it's not good to let Cheng Lei Xiang take all the credit. I remember that your qualifications are not inferior to Cheng Lei Xiang's."

Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui were not present at the time, so they naturally could not shamelessly ask why we were not given some as well.

I could only ask Chen Toutie who was also present.

Then Chen Toutie said with a smile, "The captain said that he can't do without me for the time being. When the opportunity is right in the future, give me a position as the deputy commander of the capital to suppress Cheng Leixiang."

Tantai Fangtu and Sikong Sui wanted to use their years of social experience to criticize Chen Toutie, "You silly boy, the thousand households painted a pie for you, and you took it seriously!"

But Cheng Leixiang really became the commander of Tianjin!

Who could give up his own merits and allow a little brother to become a third-rank commander?
It’s him, Captain Pei!
Therefore, even though they knew it was just an empty promise, Tan Tai Fang Tu and Si Kong Sui suddenly felt that Chen Toutie was not far from his position as the commander-in-chief.

As a result, their already bad mood became even worse.

The two of them couldn't help but think sourly that if they were there at the time, they might have gained some benefits just by being a witness.

Unfortunately, they were short-sighted at the time and only wanted to avoid Pei Yuan's troubled waters. They wanted him to promise to let them go back after arriving in Huai'an.

As a result, I have traveled a lot but haven't gotten any benefits.

The two have been busy for half their lives, and are still only sixth-rank centurions. But that bastard Cheng Leixiang followed Pei Yuan south as a seventh-rank small flag officer a year ago.

When he returned to the capital, he had already become the third-rank commander of Tianjin Guard.

Comparing the two, the gap in their hearts was really hard for the two old guys to accept.

Cheng Leixiang did not forget his hosting duties and enthusiastically pulled the two centurions into the city for a drink.

He followed Pei Yuan south, and with the help of various spoils and rewards, he had several hundred taels of silver in his hands.

A few meals and drinks were still within his reach. After several of his men left in a noisy manner, Pei Yuan had nothing better to do, so he decided to give Gu Da some extra strength.

So he went to find Gu Dayong again and brought up the last incident with him.

Gu Dayong was immersed in the mood of being proud of returning to the capital, and was a little hesitant about Pei Yuan's plan for him last time, which was to force the commanders and the chief commanders to write letters of certification for him.

Gu Dayong hesitated and said, "Now that I have made contributions to Shandong, no one in the court can touch me. Is it necessary to do such a thing?"

Pei Yuan had suggested that Gu Dayong send his confidants to secretly meet with the generals, deputy generals, and even the commanders in the army, and ask them to write letters to praise Gu Dayong's contributions and hard work and to plead for him.

Otherwise, Gu Dayong would repay them for all the losses they had suffered on the battlefield over the past year.

At the beginning, this was a helpless act of Gu Dayong's last-ditch struggle. Now that the situation has improved, Gu Dayong certainly doesn't want to do such a dishonorable thing.

When Pei Yuan heard Gu Dayong say this, he shook his head and turned away.

Perhaps it was because Pei Yuan left too decisively, or perhaps Pei Yuan's journey had left too deep an impression on Gu Dayong.

Seeing Pei Yuan's behavior, Gu Dayong became uneasy again.

He quickly stopped Pei Yuan and asked guiltily, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

Pei Yuan looked at Gu Dayong and said angrily, "I never expected that Eunuch Gu would have such childish ideas. If that's the case, what else can I say?"

Gu Dayong was silently scolded by Pei Yuan.

Fortunately, he was used to it, so he quickly asked, "Then Captain Pei, can you tell us where we went wrong?"

Pei Yuan looked at Gu Dayong and asked seriously, "Do you still remember the scene when Yanggu divided the spoils?"

See Gu Dayong nodded.

Pei Yuan sighed, "At that time, we three families shared the merits and wealth equally while chatting and laughing. How happy it was. However, will the accounts be divided in the same way when we get to Beijing?"

Gu Dayong was stunned for a moment and asked Pei Yuan, "What do you mean?"

Then Gu Dayong seemed to realize something and said angrily, "Do they dare to go back on their word?"

Pei Yuan pressed him, "It was just empty talk at the beginning. If Xiao Yan regrets and wants to compete with Eunuch Gu for credit, how will Eunuch Gu cope with it? Even if Xiao Yan doesn't regret it, there will definitely be a master and a servant in the future of suppressing the rebellion in Yanggu. Can't Xiao Yan, who has become the Left Commander-in-Chief of the Central Army Commander's Office, compete with you, an idle eunuch?"

"In the final analysis, Eunuch Gu is just a stray dog ​​who returned to the capital in a panic. The ones who were actually ordered to lead the troops to escort Eunuch Gu back to the capital were Xiao Yan and Xu Feng, the commander of the Hangzhou vanguard. What can Eunuch Gu, who doesn't even have the power to command the troops, use to fight?"

Pei Yuan pointed out Gu Dayong’s situation incisively and accurately.

Although both he and Xiao Yan gained their achievements for free, Gu Dayong really had nothing to do with the whole thing.

From the beginning to the end, Gu Dayong was just a dialogue mechanism used by Pei Yuan and Xiao Yan to reconcile conflicts.

After Pei Yuan and Xiao Yan joined hands, Gu Dayong's role became even more insignificant.

Pei Yuan said it very clearly. Gu Dayong had made great contributions to the whole thing, but if he fought with Xiao Yan, he would only bring disgrace upon himself.

Gu Dayong was shocked and angry. "We agreed on this at the beginning. In front of the censor, Xiao Yan also admitted that it was our command that contributed to this."

Pei Yuan asked, "What if Xiao Jing is not satisfied? Political struggle is a life-and-death struggle. What if Xiao Jing, who is behind Xiao Yan, wants to take advantage of the opportunity to suppress Eunuch Gu and take all the credit? How much of the detailed thinking of the whole battle can you tell, Eunuch?"

"And what if they avoid talking about Shandong and directly ask about the suppression of the rebellion in Bazhou over the past year?"

"I!" Gu Dayong wanted to express his attitude in a tough manner, but he found that if he really came to a confrontation in class, he was afraid that he would not be able to explain the reason.

Gu Dayong was originally happily waiting to return to Beijing, but suddenly he became anxious again.

Pei Yuan gave a very considerate suggestion, "So Eunuch Gu really needs some persuasion."

Pei Yuan accompanied Gu Dayong in his imagination, "If there really is such a day, Eunuch Gu, imagine that right in front of the emperor, those political enemies showed their ugly faces and pressed on to ask Eunuch Gu about the military arrangements for the past year or so."

"They want to make Eunuch Gu speechless and greatly disappoint the emperor."

Gu Dayong's heart became increasingly heavy as Pei Yuan thought about it.

To be honest, when he first learned that he would have to return to Beijing to be questioned, he had imagined such a day.

Because of this, the old eunuch didn't sleep well for several days.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, the situation took a turn for the better. Pei Yuan pointed far away, as if there was a desk there.

"Eunuch Gu, who had been prepared, took out letters one by one from the generals, deputy generals, and even the commanders of various routes praising Eunuch Gu."

"Eunuch Gu, imagine..."

Before Pei Yuan could imagine the content, Gu Dayong's mood suddenly brightened. Damn it, I'm going to brag about it for the rest of my life!
Seeing Gu Dayong's emotional change, Pei Yuan stopped trying to persuade him.

"So, does Eunuch Gu understand what to do now?"

"I understand, I understand!" Gu Dayong was now even impatiently waiting for someone to persecute him.

Gu Dayong hesitated again after he finished speaking, "It's just that I don't have that many reliable people to handle this matter now!"

Pei Yuan smiled when he heard this, and said, "Eunuch Gu must also know that some of my men have just come here. Many of these people have been with me through thick and thin, and are very reliable. Eunuch Gu can let my men do this."

Pei Yuan said, and to make it more convincing, he added, "We are now on the same boat, and it is better for all parties with interests to have a balanced strength."

Gu Dayong didn't think too much about it, but he couldn't help but feel touched when he saw Pei Yuan coming up with both ideas and people.

"Pei Yuan, we thought our family was doomed this time. I didn't expect that it was all thanks to you that we were pulled out of this quagmire. I won't say anything more. As long as we survive this, you can come to me if you have any problem."

Pei Yuan smiled hypocritically and said, "We have only just begun. If it weren't for Eunuch Gu bringing me into the officialdom, how could I have known Captain Han? Without Captain Han, what would be the meaning of my life? Once I have settled the affairs of my subordinates, I will do my best to help Eunuch Gu restore the West Factory!"

Gu Dayong felt even more emotional when he heard Pei Yuan say this.

He is indeed worthy of being the most affectionate man in the Ming Dynasty.

Gu Dayong felt even more guilty, and asked sincerely, "I know you don't want those rewards, but can I do something for you?"

Pei Yuan thought about it and slightly revealed his intention to sell favors, "I'm going to take a concubine next month. Can Eunuch Gu bring some people to help me support the occasion?"

Gu Dayong: “?”

(End of this chapter)