In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 618 Playing Both Sides, Zola Strikes Again
Duan Zhengze left the left wing room, which was Lu Yunyi's office, with a gloomy expression, and turned back to his own office.

At this time, some people were already waiting inside.

Upon seeing him enter, everyone stood up.

The two leaders were Tan Wei and Wei Qiwen, assistant officers of the military command, who were in charge of training and administration, respectively.

The following,
These were the officials of all ranks within the military command.

Tan Wei was an elderly man in his fifties, with a white beard and a face full of wrinkles.
There were also some frostbite lesions that had already turned black.

He asked impatiently:

"How about it?"

Wei Qiwen is relatively younger.

She looked to be under forty, but her face was also full of worry.
"Yes, Brother Duan, what exactly is the situation?"

Duan Zhengze walked to the chair with a gloomy face, sat down dejectedly, and looked extremely depressed.

This left everyone present exchanging bewildered glances; it was obvious without asking that the conversation was not pleasant.

Tan Wei paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back:

"He started arresting people at will as soon as he arrived at the capital. I wonder if he even cares about us anymore."

Since he refuses to release them,
"Then let's go to the government office and bring them back!"

His voice was loud and clear, which made Wei Qiwen's expression change drastically. He quickly ran to the door and closed it.

"Lord Tan, a new official always makes a strong impression, let alone someone who has just arrived."

Let's be patient for now; a step back will open up a whole new world.
We can't afford to fall out with Lu Yunyi just because of Kuang Xiaofei.

At this moment, Duan Zhengze, who had been silent all along, chuckled and shook his head helplessly:
"Kuang Xiaofei? You're still thinking about him!"

They didn't even consider Kuang Xiaofei a threat!

"What do you mean?"

Tan Wei's expression changed, and he quickly stepped forward to ask.

"Yes, Brother Duan, just say what you have to say, and we'll figure out a solution together."

Wei Qiwen also said in a deep voice.

Duan Zhengze sighed heavily, leaned back in his chair, and gave the crowd a gloomy look, a strange smile playing on his lips:

"Lu Yunyi told me to hand over the land reclamation affairs to the newly appointed Liu Heiying."

"what?"

These words caused an uproar in the room.

Tan Wei's pupils suddenly contracted, and he seemed somewhat at a loss.

Wei Qiwen, however, remained relatively calm, slowly sitting down with a wry smile on his face.
"I knew it. The people sent from the capital are no ordinary people."

"They've only just arrived and they're already making such a big fuss; these are truly troublesome times."

Stop sighing and complaining here!

Duan Zhengze's gaze sharpened, and he gritted his teeth fiercely:

“They’ve come to bully us right at our doorstep. If we just give in, they’ll only push their luck further.”

Tan Wei's eyes darted around.
The fierce look on his face vanished instantly, and he suddenly said:
"I suddenly remembered that I have some matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

After saying that, without waiting for anyone inside to stop him,

He then left in a hurry.

The door opened and closed again, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, making everyone in the room more alert.

Soon, the other adults also made excuses to leave, without any attempt to hide it.

This made Duan Zhengze's face turn as black as the bottom of a pot.

Once everyone had almost left, Duan Zhengze looked at Wei Qiwen sitting to the side, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes:
"Brother Wei, you're truly a loyal friend."

A bitter look flashed in Wei Qiwen's eyes, and he inwardly groaned, letting out a heavy sigh:

"Brother Duan, I am in charge of the affairs."
Many documents in the Bureau of Records require the official's signature and seal.

Kuang Xiaofei has now been arrested.

If Lu Yunyi really investigates further, I'll be in trouble myself.

"What are you afraid of!"

Duan Zhengze frowned:
"That old coward Tan bullies the weak and fears the strong; he doesn't dare to oppose Lu Yunyi, but we do!"

"No no no."

Wei Qiwen quickly waved his hand:
"Brother Duan, don't drag me into this, I wouldn't dare."

Duan Zhengze's face stiffened, and he slowly turned his head to stare at Wei Qiwen:
"Brother Wei, are you afraid of even me?"

"Lord Duan, you must know who Lu Yunyi is."

He was a trusted confidant of the palace and enjoyed the deep trust of many commanders of the Five Military Commissions.

People like this, once they arrive in Daning, won't stop until they've turned the place upside down.

I am just a junior official. Even if I have some powerful backers in the court, I still have to obediently bow my head in front of him.

Moreover... he has many soldiers under his command, and the Three Guards of Doyan are also under his control.

They can't compete in terms of background, ability, or even the number of soldiers they have.

Lord Duan, please heed my advice.

That's the end of it; everything stops with Kuang Xiaofei.

That way you can keep your official position, even if it's just a sinecure. The court's salary will still be plentiful!

Duan Zhengze stared at Wei Qiwen in shock and disbelief, as if he were meeting him for the first time today.

“Brother Wei, you didn’t say that before he came.”

"We agreed to stand together through thick and thin, why have you changed your mind now?"

"Lord Duan, the situation is beyond our control."

Now that Kuang Xiaofei has been arrested, has he confessed anything? Who has he named?

Duan Zhengze fell silent, his whole demeanor becoming even more gloomy.

Wei Qiwen's pupils dilated slightly:
"He confessed?"

"How could I not confess under such severe torture? My name is the first one listed!"

"What? What did you say?"

"I said he was making baseless accusations, but Lu Yunyi said the facts still needed to be verified and that the Duoyan Three Guards should be sent to wipe out the Baisong tribe and find out the truth!"

Wei Qiwen suddenly stood up, his expression shifting rapidly, before finally speaking decisively:

"Lord Duan, this matter cannot be delayed any longer. We cannot let Kuang Xiaofei continue to say this."

If the Bai Song tribe is wiped out, we'll all be exposed!

"He's just arrived, how can he mobilize the Three Guards of Duoyan?"

Duan Zhengze had some doubts, but still harbored a sliver of hope.

"He's the one who dealt with the three guards of Duoyan; they still haven't recovered."

Do you think the three guards of Duoyan will listen to him?

Wei Qiwen paced back and forth in the room, his handsome face full of anxiety:
"Brother Duan, why don't you just give in? This job of farming is tough enough as it is."
How about we hand it over and exchange it for peace of mind?
Lu Yunyi came from the capital.
I believe he won't go so far as to kill them all.

"fart!"

Duan Zhengze blushed and stood up abruptly:

"Brother Wei, you are a scholar, there are some principles I won't explain to you."

But you must understand, if we just surrender like this, he'll think we're easy to bully, and then we'll truly become fish on a chopping board.

Taking a deep breath, Duan Zhengze tried to keep his voice calm:

"I'm planning to go see Lord Zhou, are you going?"

Wei Qiwen's expression changed several times, and finally he sighed heavily:

"Since we're in the same boat, let's go together."

"Walk."

After Duan Zhengze finished speaking, he looked at his trusted confidants in the room and reminded them:
"Be careful during this time, or you'll regret it!"

"Yes!"

"By the way, if anyone asks you for documents or asks you to do something, just stall them!"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment:

"Yes!"

Inside Lu Yunyi's office, Wang Shen stood before him.

Compared to when he was in Yingtian, Wang Shen's complexion had become dark, and he looked as if he had aged more than ten years in an instant.

Why do you look so much older?

Wang Shen scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly:
"My lord, the South has plenty of moisture. When we are in Yingtian, we all feel that we have become younger and our skin is no longer dark."

Unexpectedly, after returning to Daning, things went back to the way they were before.

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded:
"No wonder everyone is heading south; the difference is indeed significant."

How's the map coming along?

Wang Shen quickly handed over the documents in his hand:
"My lord, the topographical map of the entire Daning City has been completed."

However, when the new city of Daning was built, most of the ground was leveled, and many terrain features were not obvious.

My subordinate wants to take some men for a stroll outside the city.

Draw a complete topographic map.

"Go outside the city? It's freezing cold now, going outside the city is just courting death, isn't it?"
If you get lost, you might never find your way back.

Lu Yunyi glanced at him and said indifferently.

Wang Shen smiled sheepishly:
"My lord, although I don't have your skills, I can still tell directions without any problem."

His subordinates only operate within a ten-mile radius outside Daning City.
Moreover... if the adults really want to build the Great Wall, they should not only conduct surveys when the weather is fine, but also consider it more carefully when it is snowy.

I heard that the Great Wall built on the Yanshan Mountains required a lot of surveying and mapping work.

It took two years to finally settle on it. "Ten miles? That's not far."

Okay, bring more people and supplies, and make sure nothing goes wrong.

Even if the Great Wall were to be repaired, it wouldn't be built outside of Daning City. Consider this trip as gaining experience.

"Oh, and have Black Hawk assign a squad of soldiers to accompany you. It's been so long since you've operated in such icy conditions; let them get used to it."

"Yes!"

Wang Shen looked excited and quickly agreed.

"Alright, go ahead."

If you're tired or sleepy, take a rest; there's no rush.

Lu Yunyi lowered his head, looked at the map of Daning City, and said calmly.

"Yes! I'm resigning!"

Wang Shen carefully opened a crack in the door and slipped out.

Lu Yunyi glanced at it indifferently, smiled, and then continued to look at the map, lost in thought.

To his left was a pile of documents from the Daning City Garrison.
The record shows how much farmland in Daning has been cultivated, and how much farmland is available for cultivation.

Further to the left were the records in the Fish Scale Yellow Register, which he had already read.

The two are not entirely different, but they are quite different.

According to the Yellow Register of Fish Scales, there were at least 8,000 mu of farmland around Daning that could be used to grow grain, while the records of the Military Command only show 5,500 mu!

Moreover, this number is after the decrease over the past two years.

When the Daning Commandery was first established, the recorded area was 7,600 mu, which is not much different from the record in the Fish Scale Yellow Register.

In just two years, 1,100 mu of land has been lost.

If these 1,100 mu of land were turned into fertile farmland for military settlements, that would be one thing.

After all, Daning is located outside the Great Wall, and land reclamation is difficult. The people have to work almost desperately to farm, and most of the land is cultivated by soldiers.

But ironically, these more than 1,000 acres of land did not enter the military settlement and simply disappeared into thin air.

Moreover, the 20,000 mu of land used for military settlements near Daning City has also decreased by 20% in the past two years, a reduction of 4,000 mu.

Military settlements and farmland decreased by 5,000 mu in just two years.
Even if reclamation and planting are difficult, it's not worth giving up so much land all at once.

Lu Yunyi shook his head and sighed.
Instead, they produced the accounts they had seized from the Bureau of Experience.

In the past two years, Da Ning has been purchasing more and more grain from Beiping, which must involve money and power transactions.

On the one hand, they seized reclaimed farmland and military settlement land, and on the other hand, they bought grain from Beiping at high prices. The amount involved was huge.

"They really are far from the emperor's reach, enjoying the benefits of both sides."

"That's how it is in Da Ning City."
The situation will only be worse in other cities and garrisons; it's tough.

Lu Yunyi sighed deeply.
The situation in Da Ning was worse than he had imagined.

This is partly due to its distance from Yingtian, but more importantly...

Located outside the Great Wall, Daning was largely ignored by officials and soldiers alike.

Just let things slide.

They also thought the court wouldn't pay attention to the encroachment on their land.

At this moment, Feng Yunfang quietly opened the door and said in a deep voice:

"My lord, Commander Tan requests an audience."

Lu Yunyi raised his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He put away the fish-scale yellow registers and military settlement documents, then spread the map of Daming on the table before saying:

"Invite him in."

"Yes!"

Not long after, Tan Wei, the deputy commander of the Da Ning military command in charge of the soldiers' training, walked in.

Upon seeing the person behind the desk,
He froze on the spot, then rubbed his eyes.

After confirming that everything was correct, I sighed inwardly:

"Wow, she's so young! How can she be so young?"

Standing still inside the room, Tan Wei took a deep breath and bowed respectfully.
"This humble official pays his respects to Lord Lu."

At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, as if he were bowing to his son at home.

"Please sit down, General Tan, there's no need to be so polite."

Lu Yunyi stood up with a smile, his face warm, and pointed to the chair next to him.

"Thank you, sir!"

Tan Wei smiled, his eyes showing surprise.

The Lu Yunyi before him was not as arrogant and imposing as he had imagined; on the contrary, he was quite gentle.

Lu Yunyi walked to the side, took out a bamboo cup, put in tea leaves, filled it with water, put on the lid, and brought it over:
"General Tan, please sit down and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."

"It's so cold in Da Ning."

Tan Wei did not sit down immediately, but instead accepted the cup with an awkward smile.

He only sat down after Lu Yunyi had taken his seat.

He looked at the bamboo cup in his hand with some surprise, then revealed an expression of interest:

"Lord Lu, is this a bamboo cup?"

"That's right, it was brought from Yingtian, and it's quite a novelty."

When I first met him in Yingtian, I was quite surprised.

Lu Yunyi laughed heartily.

Tan Wei stared blankly at the cup in his hand, muttering to himself:

"Yingtian has so many novel things."

"To be honest, sir, I've been in the north for almost ten years, and the last time I responded to the emperor was five years ago."

"Oh? Where is General Tan from?"

Lu Yunyi asked in surprise.

"Songjiang Mansion."

"That's quite close to Yingtian."

Tan Wei held the teacup, his eyes somewhat vacant:
"Yes, it's close to Yingtian, but far from Daning."

I haven't been back to my family's house for so many years, I don't even know if it's collapsed.

"Did General Tan's family also come to Daning?"

"here I am."

"Where your family is, that's where your roots are."

"General Tan can return to his hometown of Songjiang Prefecture for a visit sometime in the future."

Lu Yunyi spoke eloquently.

A strange light flashed in Tan Wei's eyes, and he sighed:

"To be honest, Lord Lu, I have come today to ask you for a favor."

"General Tan, please speak."

Tan Wei pursed his lips, hesitated for a long time, and then said in a deep voice:
"Lord Lu, you came from the capital, so you must have seen the desolation along the way."

I am already fifty-one years old. I have submitted memorials to the Governor-General's Office many times, hoping to be transferred back to Zhili, but I have not heard anything.

I have come today to earnestly request Lord Lu's assistance.
"Transferring me back to Southern Zhili will allow me to return to my hometown when I can no longer travel."

Lu Yunyi, still smiling, asked:

"Why not ask Lord Zhou for help?"
"With just a word from Lord Zhou, General Tan can return to Zhili."

Tan Wei sighed heavily:
"My lord, you may not know this, but Daning is located outside the Great Wall, and no one wants to come here."

If I leave, and another official takes over, who knows what kind of mess he'll make of things.

Lord Zhou was also afraid of trouble.
So they've been refusing to release him.

Lu Yunyi slowly shook his head:
"I'm sorry I can't help it. Since Lord Zhou won't release him, there's nothing I can say."

Otherwise… how should I, as an official in the same government office, get along with my colleagues?

A hint of disappointment flashed in Tan Wei's eyes. He pursed his lips slightly and gritted his teeth.
"Lord Lu, if you are willing to help, I will do my best to assist you in the affairs of the Da Ning Commandery."

Lu Yunyi suddenly smiled and nodded thoughtfully:
"General Tan is joking. The merits and demerits of the Da Ning Military Command are..."

It requires our collective effort; there's no question of one person helping another.

Tan Wei slumped down, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes were full of disappointment.

Lu Yunyi changed the subject and said calmly:

"However, General Tan is getting on in years and it is indeed not suitable for him to stay in this snowy place for long."

Let's wait until next year, after the Northern Expedition is over.

General Tan can return with the army.

A sudden, intense light flashed in Tan Wei's eyes. Overwhelmed with joy, he was speechless with excitement:

"My lord, really?"

Lu Yunyi nodded with a smile:

"Of course, there are generals like General Tan who defend the country's borders..."

"I'm getting old and want to go home; the imperial court shouldn't refuse."

Tan Wei suddenly stood up straight.

He walked up to Lu Yunyi and bowed to him.
"Thank you, Lord Lu."

This kindness will be forever etched in my heart!

"If you have any instructions, please speak freely, Lord Lu!"

(End of this chapter)