Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 54 In-laws
In the Governor's Office, outside the door, Jiao Lian took a deep breath, looked at his brand new Qilin martial arts uniform, pushed the door open and walked into the room.
As soon as Jiao Lian entered the room, he saw a young man sitting behind a table, holding a red brush and reviewing memorials.
"Your Highness, I, Jiao Lian, Marquis of Wu'an, greet His Majesty the Regent."

Jiao Lian bowed respectfully, but just as he bent down, he heard footsteps, and then a pair of arms held him firmly.

"The general is finally here. I have been waiting for a long time."

Jiao Lian looked up and finally saw the young man in front of him. He was wearing an ochre-yellow dragon robe, tall and handsome. He was truly a noble from a royal family, with an outstanding appearance.

However, when Jiao Lian looked at the handsome young man in front of him, he suddenly panicked, because he found that even if he really met the Regent Gui Wang now, he still couldn't remember where he had seen this Regent Gui.

Because he saved the emperor, he was promoted to marquis, but he didn't even remember what the emperor he saved looked like. If he told others about it, no one in the court would believe him. Thinking of this, Jiao Lian felt more and more guilty.

The young man above didn't care what Jiao Lian was thinking. After helping Jiao Lian up, he took two steps back, seemingly sizing up the middle-aged general below.

Jiao Lian's heart suddenly tightened. He didn't remember His Highness. Could it be that His Highness didn't remember him either?

Just as Jiao Lian was feeling anxious, the young man above him suddenly spoke

"I haven't seen you for many years, but you have become more and more muscular and more handsome," the young Regent sighed softly.

"No, Your Highness is now more heroic and more dignified than before."

Jiao Lian felt a little relieved, secretly saying thank goodness, and then quickly said
"General, you are too polite. When I was trapped in the bandit city, I was in a state of panic the whole day. When I was rescued, I must have looked pale and trembling. How could I have any dignity?" the young man said with a smile.

"But I still remember the general's heroic demeanor that day. He was sitting in the government office, issuing orders, and all the generals in the hall followed his orders and left in an orderly manner. A chaotic city was pacified in the blink of an eye. He really had the demeanor of a famous general in ancient times."

The young man recognized this confidant whom he met for the first time. After confirming that he would not recognize the wrong person in the future, he thought about it and said:
Jiao Lian's heart tightened when he heard the young man's words. He became more and more certain that he had really saved the King of Gui, because he really remembered the scene the King of Gui described.

After entering Yongzhou that day, he immediately led his men to occupy the city government office, taking the credit for being the first to enter the city. He then arranged for a group of generals to guard the gates of various government offices before continuing to pursue the rebel army.

The fact that the King of Gui could describe this scene meant that he was probably brought to the court after being rescued. However, I was so focused on instructing my subordinates to defend the city and rushing out of the city to pursue the enemy that I never noticed the King of Gui.
After being reminded by the young man in front of him, Jiao Lian suddenly felt that he had indeed seen a tall figure in the hall that day, and then the figure suddenly overlapped with the appearance of the young man in front of him.
He felt that he seemed to have really remembered that he had really seen the person in front of him in the city that day.
Jiao Lian's mind was spinning as he was thinking about how to reply to the young Regent without revealing his true identity. However, before he could open his mouth, the young man above him spoke.
"General, why are you standing? You and I have a special bond, so please don't be polite. Please take a seat."

The young man sat back at the table, and Jiao Lian thanked him and sat on the chair below.

Although Jiao Lian sat down, his body was still straight, not daring to relax at all.

"General, has your journey of thousands of miles been smooth sailing?" the young man asked with a smile after taking a sip of tea.

"Yes, thanks to your grace, although we came here in a hurry, the prefectures and counties along the way took good care of us. On the 12th, all 3,000 soldiers in the camp arrived in Yuecheng Township. Now all the soldiers in the camp are stationed in Yuecheng Township," Jiao Lian said with a serious expression.

"The army is on the march, but is the road still peaceful?" Zhu Lang said again.
"This time, I have received your grace and entered the imperial court. I dare not insult your reputation. All the soldiers under my command have done nothing wrong and have never disturbed the local area." Jiao Lian's expression became serious, and he stood up and bowed to the young man above him.
"I told you not to be so reserved. I was just asking casually."

"That day when I was in the hall of the chaotic city, I saw that the soldiers in the general's camp obeyed orders and I knew that the general's troops must have strict military discipline. They can still maintain such military discipline after a thousand-mile march. The general is indeed a famous general of the country."

The young man waved his hand and pressed it down, signaling Jiao Lian to sit down.

"I dare not. I only want the soldiers in the army to know the court's kindness and to train hard every day so that they can serve the court as soon as possible."

Jiao Lian bowed to the young man above him again, and then sat back in his seat.

"Great! It's great that you know how to be grateful and serve the court. If everyone in the court can be like General Jiao, then there is no need to worry about the Ming Dynasty's prosperity."

The young man sighed softly, but this sentence seemed a little familiar, as if he had said the same thing to someone in a study room before.

The young man looked at the middle-aged man who wanted to stand up and thank him again, waved his hand to stop him, and then asked

"How many soldiers did the general bring this time? What is the situation in the army?"

"I am bringing a total of 3,000 soldiers this time, including 2,500 infantry and 500 cavalry, all of whom are veterans of the rebellion of the deposed king of Jingjiang last year."

"Among them, 2,500 are mountain people from Guangxi Province. Guangxi Province is full of mountains, and the mountain people are also good at climbing mountains and crossing ridges, so they have outstanding endurance. These 2,500 people have been trained for three years, and they should be able to fight."

"There are also 500 cavalrymen in the army. These 500 cavalrymen are supported by me with all the financial resources of Guilin Prefecture. However, the southern provinces are short of horses, so the horses used by the army are all Yunnan horses. However, Yunnan horses are short and have good endurance, but they are no more than four feet tall and cannot show their power."

"I once served as a general in Jin Province. Northern horses are taller than Dian horses. The cavalrymen under my command are all elite soldiers in the army. I believe they are not inferior to others. However, the horse's strength is the first factor in a cavalry charge. If we want to use this to fight against the Eastern Tartars, I'm afraid we still need to switch to northern horses," Jiao Lian replied respectfully.
Zhu Lang listened to Jiao Lian's words, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes.
Guangxi Province is a land of dense hills and its people are brave and brave. It has been an excellent place to recruit soldiers since ancient times. Jiao Lian recruited local mountain people as soldiers and trained them day and night. The 2,500 infantrymen should be elite mountain infantry.

As for the problem of horses, he had no good solution for the time being.
Now the Ming Dynasty only has the southwestern provinces left. If these provinces want to squeeze out silver, they can squeeze out some, but if they want horses, I'm afraid only Yunnan Province has some horses available.

Jiao Lian was stationed in Guangxi, which was the closest province to Yunnan, so the only horses available were from Yunnan.

But according to Jiao Lian, the Yunnan horses were short, only four feet tall, which means they were only about 1.2 meters tall. Such horses were obviously difficult to use to fight against the tall horses of the Qing Dynasty.

Zhu Lang had actually paid attention to the issue of horses a long time ago, but the terrain in the south is not suitable for raising horses. This is not a problem that can be solved by forced promotion.

Since raising horses is not feasible, why not buy them instead of making them like artillery?
This is not feasible either.
According to Zhu Lang's understanding, Liaodong horses are not particularly expensive in the north. You can buy one for seven or eight taels of silver.

But if Liao horses were transported to the south, they would cost 20 to 30 taels each, so it would be impossible to build a cavalry army purely by purchasing them.
Zhu Lang was thinking about the warhorse, and Jiao Lian below did not interrupt him. Zhu Lang saw Jiao Lian below who had been silent, so he put the warhorse aside.

Now his primary task is to defend Guangdong Province. If he cannot defend Guangdong Province, then there is no need to think about building a cavalry.
If Guangdong Province is lost, he will have no choice but to retreat to Guangxi Province. Guangxi Province has many mountains, and the power of the cavalry is difficult to exert, and the reliance on the cavalry will be greatly reduced. Zhu Lang thought about the Qing army entering Guangdong, pondered for a while, and said

"Now that the ceremony is over, the general and his soldiers no longer need to stay in Yuecheng. When you return, you can order the army to station outside the city."

"However, there are still soldiers from the Guangdong Provincial Governor's Office stationed in the city. The circumstances are complicated and require time to coordinate. I am afraid that the general's imperial guards will not be able to enter the city for the time being."

"General, you may as well set up camp outside the city next to General Li Mingzhong. Li Hou is also a military official loyal to the country, so General Jiao can set up camp without any worries."

"Yes, I understand. When I return, I will order the imperial guards to come to the court and coordinate with Lord Li on the camp matters."

Jiao Lian nodded slightly. He had arrived in Zhaoqing for several days and had a general idea of ​​the situation in the city. He knew that there had been many disputes between His Highness and the Prime Minister Ding Kuichu.
Although His Royal Highness the Regent did not say it explicitly, he also understood what His Royal Highness meant. Ding Kuichu was once the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Zhaoqing was once under his jurisdiction. The soldiers stationed in the city were naturally from Guangdong Province. Ding Kuichu was now powerful and would probably not easily give up the right to garrison in the city.
The second sentence from His Royal Highness the Regent was to tell him that Li Mingzhong was also a trustworthy person. There were only two armies inside and outside Zhaoqing. One was the soldiers from Guangdong Province under the Governor's Office, and the other was the troops of Li Mingzhong and Jiao Lian.

His Highness asked him to station beside Li Mingzhong's camp so that he and Li Mingzhong could work together to deter Ding Kuichu's Guangdong troops.
Seeing that Jiao Lian below did not hesitate at all, Zhu Lang agreed directly and nodded in appreciation. He was good at fighting and was willing to obey orders. He was the best general in any dynasty.

Thinking of this, Zhu Lang became more determined to tie up Jiao Lian.

Zhu Lang took a sip from the teacup, his mind turned, and then he leaned back in his chair and said

"I came to see the general today to chat about family matters and thank you for saving me that day, but as we chatted, we ended up talking about state affairs. This is really wrong..."

"It is said that after I said goodbye to General Jiao in a hurry that day, the general worked hard for the country and moved to another place. I never saw him again. I wonder if the general got married."

"Yes, I already have a wife and a concubine, and I have a son. This time my family members will come with me to the court, and they are all in the Yuecheng camp now."

"This is the general's fault. The general is now a national lord. Since his family has arrived, he should be taken to the city to settle down. How can he stay in the barracks and suffer the wind and frost?"

"Yes, I will bring my family members to the city after I return," Jiao Lian's face became serious and he replied respectfully.
Zhu Lang looked at the respectful middle-aged military official below, and his eyes were full of admiration.
He never mentioned it in the decree, but Jiao Lian took the initiative to bring his family members into the court. How could Zhu Lang not be satisfied?

According to the court regulations, military officials who led troops had their families live in the court. But rules are rules and reality is reality. Chen Bangfu also led troops outside and was also a marquis. If you ask him to send his family to the court, he will immediately find a hundred reasons to block the court's order.

This is why Jiao Lian is so precious.

Zhu Lang's mind turned, and he asked

"How old is the general's son? Has he ever been a government official or a soldier?"

"My child is still young, just over nine years old, and it is time for him to go to school," Jiao Lian replied respectfully.
"Nine years old, it's such a coincidence," the young man above exclaimed

"May I ask what is the coincidence, Your Highness?" Jiao Lian below was also very tactful and asked directly

"General, you may not know that several years ago, the royal palace was dispersed and several of the royal brothers in the palace passed away, leaving behind several orphans. I couldn't bear it, so I adopted one of them as my adopted daughter. Now she is exactly nine years old. What a coincidence."

The young prince sighed softly, but with a smile on his face he stared at Jiao Lian below.

"Yes, really? That's such a coincidence."

Jiao Lian looked at the young regent who was looking at him with a smile. He was vaguely aware of what the regent was going to say. His heart skipped a beat, but he didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he had to bite the bullet and answer.
"Yes, the general and I have such a good relationship. I never thought that the children in the mansion would also have such a good relationship with me."

"These two children are of similar age. Maybe it's destiny that determines their marriage. How about this? We can arrange a marriage for them. I can also become a relative of the general," the young regent said with a smile.
Of course there is a fate, how could it not be a fate? If Jiao Lian said that the son in his mansion was ten years old, then the princess in the palace was also ten years old. If he said that she was twelve years old, then the princess in the palace must also be twelve years old. In short, this fate must have been determined long ago.
"How can this be done? My son is a naughty boy, how can he be worthy of the noble lady of the royal family? I dare not marry the princess of the palace of His Highness."

When Jiao Lian heard Zhu Lang's words, he found that his premonition was indeed true. His heart skipped a beat and he quickly stood up and refused.

"General, you are too modest. A good father will have a good son. The general is such a hero, and the sons in his mansion must be talented. Could it be that the general does not like the girls in my mansion?"

The young prince above suddenly looked serious and said unhappily

"I dare not. The princess is a person of both virtue and talent, born with talent and integrity. It's just that my son is really..."

Jiao Lian even said he didn't dare and tried to refuse, but he was interrupted by the prince above.

"If that's the case, then let's settle this matter. If the princess knew that the princess could marry such a heroic young man from the general's mansion, she would definitely be happy," the prince above said directly.

"Your Highness, this matter..."

Jiao Lian wanted to refuse, but Zhu Lang was not ready to talk to her anymore.
"This matter is settled now. Both of them are young at this moment, so we are just going to arrange the marriage first. The general can also allow more children in the mansion to enter the palace in the future. The two of them have been together since childhood, so I believe they will definitely become a good match," Zhu Lang said directly
"This is, Your Highness's great favor. I am extremely terrified. I can only do my best to repay Your Highness's great kindness."

Jiao Lian knew that he could not refuse at this point, so he bowed deeply to Zhu Lang and agreed.
He originally thought that the reason he came to see the Regent was that he wanted to know about the situation of leading the army this time, and at most just to reminisce about their friendship that day, but he never thought that he and the Regent would become relatives in the blink of an eye.
Zhu Lang was very happy to see that the matter was settled, so he stopped talking about state affairs and talked about local customs and interesting things. However, Jiao Lian had been in a trance since the marriage was decided.

Zhu Lang saw that it was almost dark, so he stopped talking. Jiao Lian also reacted and stood up to say goodbye. Following Li Guoyong's guidance, he left the courtyard in a daze.

Zhu Lang stood at the door, watching Jiao Lian's figure going away, with a gleam of brilliance in his eyes. Jiao Lian was made a marquis for his merits, and now he is related to him by marriage. If he dares to have second thoughts, he will be condemned by thousands of people.

If Jiao Lian betrayed him, no one would dare to use him again. Only then could Jiao Lian be basically trusted.
(End of this chapter)