Fu Shanhe

Chapter 213
Wuchang Mansion.

Zhu Jingyi, who had successfully cut costs, soon encountered a boomerang. The strict discipline that Xu Wenyue had worked so hard to create was completely ineffective when it came to him.

After receiving the military order, the various departments did not take action immediately, but instead asked for travel expenses.

"Bastard thing!"

"They are all selfish, only calculating small profits, and totally disregarding ..."

After a round of cursing, Zhu Jingyi calmed down and quickly realized that the situation was not good.

In the past, the Dayu army also had the tradition of asking for travel expenses, but their appetite was definitely not this big.

In emergencies, generals would ask for money from their superiors while working.

The situation this time is special. The troops below seem determined not to take action until they get the departure fee.

He had just taken office as governor, and his subordinates dared to do such a thing, which clearly showed that they did not take him seriously.

If Xu Wenyue had not been so anxious to leave, he would have suspected that Lord Xu was unwilling to resign and took his anger out on him.

After all, there are not many people who can get the departments to act collectively.

The possibility of the troops receiving the order acting spontaneously and trying to deceive him together is too low.

"Master, who do you think is behind this?"

Zhu Jingyi asked with concern.

When his subordinates jump out to bargain while carrying out orders, it is a blow to his authority.

If he fails to find out who is behind this and deal with it, and others follow suit, he, as the governor, will become a joke.

"Master, there are only a handful of people in Dayu who can influence the military forces of Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces at the same time, and most of them are in the capital.

There is no need for anyone to trip you up for no reason.

It can make them ignore the overall situation, unless doing so can bring them huge benefits. "

Master Zhou said uncertainly.

He couldn't be sure if there was a mastermind behind this. After all, what his master did after taking office was indeed very hateful.

Everyone's funds were opened right from the start, so it was understandable that the people below were resistant and caused some trouble.

However, since his master had mentioned the mastermind, he could only follow up on the conversation. Whether the inference was correct or not was not important, the key was that the emotional value must be provided.

"The battle to enter the cabinet!"

“It seems that I am blocking the way of some people. They don’t want me to secure my position as governor, so they resorted to despicable means.

The person behind the scenes is really vicious.

Besides me, there are six or seven other people in the court who are qualified to join the cabinet.

It is difficult to tell who wrote it at the moment.

After all, the warriors below are all loyal to whoever feeds them. It doesn’t take much effort to incite them to cause trouble and ask for money.”

Zhu Jingyi spoke to himself.

After deducing the answer, his mood not only did not improve, but became worse.

The position of governor is already difficult to hold, and now someone is holding you back, making it even more difficult.

“My Lord, maybe it’s not that bad.

Although those people's methods are impressive, their influence in the military is actually not that great.

It's okay to incite secretly, but if they really want to reach out to the military, they don't have the ability to do so.

As long as we strengthen our control over the military, we can prevent similar incidents from happening again.”

Master Zhou said with a bit of embarrassment.

Theoretically speaking, as the Minister of War, Zhu Jingyi's influence in the army should be very strong.

However, during his tenure as Nanjing Minister of War, Zhu Jingyi wasted his time and his mind was not on military affairs at all.

Our knowledge of the military forces in each province is limited to official data.

The generals in the army who wanted to visit him were often tormented. If we really talk about influence, it is mostly notorious.

"You're right. There's really no need to take these petty people too seriously. They only use some unpresentable means.

But the trend of demanding military pay must not be allowed to grow!
According to past practice, the amount of silver per person was no more than three taels.

This time they are asking for exorbitant prices. The Yunnan and Guizhou coalition forces are asking for seven taels, and the Guangxi side is even more aggressive, asking for fifteen taels. They are simply insatiable!"

Zhu Jingyi immediately scolded.

No matter how much he slacked off, he was not the Minister of War for nothing. He was very clear about the basic common sense of the army's march.

Hitting him on the head with a stick is simply seeking death.

"Master, there's no need to get angry over a bunch of soldiers.

To dare to report such a high amount of silver so openly, the matter is definitely not simple.

If the students guessed correctly, I'm afraid everyone from top to bottom got a share of the money.

Why not record the account first, and settle it with them after the war is over."

Master Zhou immediately persuaded.

During the war, the people below are needed to fight for their lives. If they fall out at this time, it will inevitably affect the cause of suppressing the rebellion.

Theoretically, Zhu Jingyi, the Minister of War, Governor-General and Imperial Commissioner, has the power to dismiss or even execute the generals below him, but this is only in theory.

Both the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Forces and the Guangxi Front Army were hundreds or thousands of miles away from his position and could not reach him at all.

Arresting someone with just a single order only exists in plays.

The Dayu army was composed mainly of military generals and their servants, and the general's own orders were far more deterrent than those of the governor.

Unless special means are taken to trick people out of the army, convicting them would be a joke.

"Humph!"

"If we really wait until after the war and they are all regarded as heroes who suppressed the rebellion, and the court punishes them again, wouldn't that be like abandoning the donkey after it has done its work?
Look at the reasons they wrote: transportation is difficult, losses are high, and food prices are high.

The price of rice in Yunnan and Guizhou is one and a half taels per dan; the price of rice in Guangxi is as high as three taels per dan.

When did the price of rice in Dayu become so high!

By the way, what is the price of food outside now? "

Zhu Jingyi suddenly asked.

He acknowledged that transportation was difficult in Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, as they were mountainous. He could also accept the rise in grain prices during the war, but only within limits.

In normal times, the price of rice was five cents per stone, but it suddenly soared to three ounces, which was a bit too much.

Except in extreme cases of rebel siege, it should not occur.

"Master, the price of grain in Wuchang Prefecture has also risen sharply. Now each stone of brown rice costs about eight cents of silver.

When shipped to Yunnan and Guizhou regions, the price rises to one and a half taels, which should be considered a normal level.

Guangxi was severely ravaged by the rebels, and the people were seriously short of food. In the newly recovered inland areas, it might not be impossible to get one stone for three taels of rice.

Why not let the Jinyiwei investigate to see if they are lying."

Master Zhou reminded gently.

In addition to being affected by transportation costs, food prices are also affected by supply and demand.

It is not uncommon for food prices in a certain place to skyrocket in a short period of time due to war.

Guangxi is the best example. Although the government tried to find ways to transfer grain, what was shipped there was mainly coarse grain.

With the end of the war, the price of cheap grain in Guangxi continued to decline and gradually stabilized, but this did not include rice.

The high price of rice is not only due to the merchants' pursuit of profits, but more because of the instinctive behavior of Dayu officials.

Officials and businessmen collude to deliberately create scarcity, and prices naturally go up.

"it is good!

Let the Jinyiwei investigate, and if I don’t believe them, they will be innocent! "Zhu Jingyi said coldly.

Making this decision is actually equivalent to making a concession.

The Jinyiwei investigation would take time, and the army had to be mobilized before that, so he still had to distribute the silver first.

Of course, you can also choose to distribute food, but this will take longer.

By the time the food was collected and transported over, the rebels had already arrived.

……

Guilin Prefecture.

Not knowing the uproar caused by asking for silver for departure, Li Mu was looking at the map of Dayu on the wall.

The rebels kept deploying troops, and more and more troops gathered together. It was obvious that the enemy wanted to make a big move.

Faced with the assembled rebels, no one dared to take it lightly.

Judging from the actual situation of the various encirclement and suppression armies, no one dares to guarantee that their troops can single-handedly defeat the rebels.

Once the enemy chooses a target to attack, it means that someone will be in trouble.

"Commander Li, the Governor-General has issued a strict order that we must recapture the entire Guangxi region within ten days, and then work with the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition forces to recapture Yongzhou Prefecture."

Guangxi Governor Zhang Sihan said with a serious expression.

It would be fine to persuade the entire Guangxi region, as that was already part of the plan; the trouble was sending troops to Yongzhou.

The main force of the rebels is gathering there at the moment, and the limited number of troops from Guangxi alone may not be enough to defeat the enemy.

If we suffer a defeat, all the previous achievements will be wasted.

"Governor, we are not yet ready for a decisive battle with the rebels. Now is not a good time to recapture Yongzhou.

The three-province coalition sounds good, but in reality everyone knows how difficult it is to conduct a joint command.

The Yunnan-Guizhou coalition has been operating together for such a long time, but has been fighting on its own until now. If we join in, it will only make the situation more complicated.

As for the Governor, you should try to fool him for now. The worst that can happen is that he will be impeached. Anyway, the court will not easily change people at this time."

Li Mu's answer made Zhang Sihan very angry.

The Minister of War also serves as the Governor-General and may enter the cabinet at any time. He is a member of the imperial decision-making level and is no pushover.

How can such a master be easily fooled!

"The worst that can happen is impeachment", that's even more ridiculous. If the Governor-General really reports him, his position as Governor-General will be in danger.

Even if the imperial court does not replace him now, he will be held accountable for disobeying orders after the war is over.

It is tragic enough that a provincial governor cannot command the troops under him, and now he has to take the blame for Li Mu. This is too frustrating.

"Commander Li, you are kidding!
The Governor has issued a death order. If I do as you say, someone will die!"

Zhang Sihan said unhappily.

At this time, Governor Zhu did not dare to touch the powerful military generals, but he could still easily control the civil officials.

If he causes trouble to someone, they can impeach him to the court and execute him first and then report to the court.

When civil officials put aside their moral principles, fabricating charges is just a basic operation. If Governor Zhu is willing, he can accuse them of a hundred crimes.

"Governor, please calm down for now!

Judging from Governor Zhu's style, he likes to unite civil officials and attack military generals.

So even if there is a crime, it will be against me, the commander-in-chief, and you will not be implicated."

Li Mu complained immediately.

Under normal circumstances, such words that undermine unity should not be said.

However, the current situation is special. The rebels are making big moves, and the army that is suppressing the rebellion will definitely be in trouble next.

No matter who these unlucky people are, they will eventually implicate Governor Zhu. At the very least, he will be reprimanded by the court, or even dismissed from his post.

Li Mu personally felt that there was a greater chance that he would lose his job.

After all, it is impossible that the rebels made such a big move just to take over bad places like Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. They must be targeting Huguang and Jiangxi provinces.

Both places are indispensable to Dayu. No matter which province is lost, the imperial court will not let him, the commander-in-chief, go.

Given Emperor Yongning's style, he would most likely take immediate action and put him in jail.

If they were to suffer a terrible defeat on the battlefield, they might even have to use his head to intimidate the officials.

A boss who is about to get into trouble, so it doesn't matter if he is offended, since what he said is the truth anyway.

After Governor Zhu took office, the overall military expenditure of various departments was reduced by nearly 20%, with Guangxi being cut the most. Even the tacitly approved floating expenditure increased by 10%.

If the imperial court had no money, we could all live a hard life together and still endure it.

However, the reality is just the opposite. The soldiers below have to bear all the pain of military spending cuts, while the income of civil servants has increased instead of decreased.

There is nothing wrong with sacrificing the interests of others to consolidate one's own base.

But as the victim, Li Mu could not stand it. He did not lead his troops to cause trouble directly, because he was considering the overall situation.

Governor Zhu’s orders must be implemented selectively.

If nothing unexpected happens, other powerful generals with high autonomy will also take similar actions.

No matter how much power is used to suppress, it will not stop the people from pretending to obey but actually disobeying.

The military generals wanted to fool the people, but relying on those civilian officials who knew nothing about military affairs, any order would become unrecognizable when it came to execution.

"Master Jia, you are the military supervisor appointed by the court. Please persuade Commander Li."

Seeing Jia Bo eating melons and watching the show on the side, Zhang Sihan couldn't help but speak.

"Governor, I think Commander Li is right. Let's just make do with it for now!

The battle of Wuzhou has already begun. It will not be a problem to end the battle within ten days. The task assigned by the Governor is also half completed.

As for the attack on Yongzhou, we can completely take a detour through Guangdong and join forces with the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition forces to attack the rebels.

It's just that the time is a little late. As long as we can successfully recover Guangdong, I think the Governor-General will not mind. "

Jabo said with a smile.

In the past, he often urged the dispatch of troops because the governor was his own boss and as a younger brother he had to carry out the boss's will.

Now that the governor has been replaced, he has become the governor of Guangxi and gives priority to local interests when considering issues.

If Governor Zhu wants to be held accountable, there is still the governor in front of him, so he can take it easy without any pressure.

"you……"

Zhang Sihan glared at Jia Bo fiercely, and felt that he had made a mistake. He had originally been looking for someone to help him, but he had never expected that Jia Bo, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would actually cause more trouble than good.

With the support of the governor, Li Mu felt more confident not to send troops.

"Governor, calm down!"

"The main force of the rebels is gathering in Yongzhou, which is the best time for us to retake Guangdong.

If we don’t take this credit that has been delivered to our doorstep, it will be a bargain for Fujian.”

Guilin prefect Chai Jingcheng followed suit and advised.

No one wants to take on the hard stuff when there are soft persimmons to squeeze.

Anyway, the two places are far apart, so even if they pretend to obey but actually disobey, Governor Zhu will be unable to do anything about it for a while.

Once they successfully recovered Guangdong, they became great heroes of the imperial court.

By then, even if Governor Zhu was filled with hatred, he would pretend that nothing had happened and even commend them for their achievements.

After taking a quick look at the officials present, Zhang Sihan instantly understood what they meant.

It was obvious that no one wanted to take the risk of provoking the main force of the rebels.

(End of this chapter)