In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 674 Military Secrets and Merchants as Bait

The atmosphere inside the yamen was silent, with the heat from the stove constantly billowing out, making the room stuffy and hot.

Lu Yunyi pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice:

"A large-scale troop deployment could not be concealed."
Therefore, I intend to bring up the matter of Longwei Mountain.

They're openly deploying troops, using that as a cover, only the objectives are different.

Liu Heiying kept thinking about the pros and cons.

The two of them have always been like this.
One person raises the problem and proposes a solution, while the other person fills in the gaps and implements the solution.

Liu Heiying searched through the documents and quickly found one concerning the rotation of garrison troops in Daning City.

He opened it and carefully examined the records inside.

At the same time, they opened the secret order from the capital.
Recalling the many details of the warehouse fire a few days ago.

His thoughts gradually deepened, finally settling on Narisu, who was still imprisoned and awaiting execution this autumn.

Liu Heiying said in a deep voice:

"Brother Yun'er, there are only about a thousand people on Dragon Tail Mountain."

A large-scale mobilization would still attract some attention.
"Why not add another layer of protection and involve the white pine section as well?"

"The news of attacking Baisong tribe cannot be leaked yet, otherwise chaos will break out in the city."

Baisongbu served as the first transit point on the grassland.

For the commander, this is still very important.

Lu Yunyi reminded him.

A sly glint flashed in Liu Heiying's eyes:
"Since the Taiji of the Baisong tribe has paid a visit..."

"Why not take advantage of this situation and do business with the Bai Song tribe, quickly completing the first transaction?"

At this point, a ruthless glint flashed in Liu Heiying's eyes:
"If you want to cover your tracks, then do it thoroughly."

Using the army to transport goods is a sign of goodwill!

"The first layer of cover-up at that time will be the matter of Dragon Tail Mountain."
The second layer of cover was the smuggling by the Baisong tribe.

Our real purpose
It then passed through Baisongbu, headed east, and went straight to Liaodong.

In this way, our troop deployment is perfectly reasonable.

As soon as Liu Heiying finished speaking, he picked up a blank document from the table.
He was writing and drawing while looking thoughtful.
It is clear that the feasibility of this matter is already being verified.

Lu Yunyi sat in the chair, tapping his fingers on the table, making a "tap tap tap" sound.

It must be said, this was a very good plan.

It can be done in a way that makes sense and deceives everyone.

However, this matter has significant hidden dangers and risks.

Liu Heiying spoke thoughtfully:
"His Highness the Crown Prince's secret order is known to no one else, and using the army for smuggling is a major taboo."

If this fails, we will not only bear the charge of unauthorized military action,

To be further accused of smuggling seems like a really bad deal, doesn't it?

Lu Yunyi thought for a moment, and finally spoke decisively:
"Add another layer of cover!"
Starting tomorrow, the food and charcoal supplies at the South and West Gates will be reduced by half.

And they publicly claimed that there wasn't enough money for road repairs.
This makes my change of heart seem reasonable.

Even if something happens, there's something to explain, so we won't be in a passive position all the time.

"No, no, how much does it cost to eat and cook charcoal? That won't convince the public."

Starting tomorrow, the ex-factory price of white sugar from Wanshou Sugar Workshop will increase by 20%, and the selling price will increase by 30%.
We need to let the powerful and wealthy in the city know that we're broke; that's the right approach.

Furthermore, the No. 45 sewing machine, which had just been successfully tested, should also be brought out.

No, no, no. Take the previous semi-finished products.
We should cooperate with that Shi Yu, make him pay for the technology, and make sure it's high-quality and inexpensive, so he can make a fortune.

As a result, even Beiping (Beijing) knew that the Daning Military Command was short of money.

Using the army to transport goods at this point is a last resort due to our lack of funds.

Liu Heiying blinked, scratching his head somewhat blankly:

"Brother Yun'er, you're so heartless!"
These merchants and powerful figures must hate you to death; you've squeezed another layer of fat from them.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand, his face full of disdain:

"It doesn't matter. Can merchants really turn the world upside down?"
They won't do this business; plenty of others will!

"That's true. Let's do it that way then."
I will now order someone to announce the arrest of the chief of Longwei Mountain, and then issue a warrant for his arrest.

"Um"

"By the way, Brother Yun'er, am I going to Liaodong this time?" Liu Heiying asked.

"You will take command at the military headquarters, and I will lead the men there."
When the garrison of Daning City is rotated, two thousand men will be transferred from Qingzhou Guard to prevent any unrest in the rear.

"Okay, I'll go prepare it right away."

Liu Heiying suddenly stood up, already having some plans in mind.

After Liu Heiying left, Lu Yunyi sat down in a chair, looking somewhat tired, and gently rubbed his temples.

External enemies are easy to deal with, but internal enemies are much easier to handle.
Just covering it up took a lot of effort.

This made him feel that the battle was truly frustrating.

However, this state was fleeting, and Lu Yunyi called out towards the door:

"Yunfang, go and call Wu Su'an over here."

"Yes, my lord."

Feng Yunfang responded from outside the door, and soon hurried footsteps could be heard.

Before long, Wu Su'an, looking hurried and with dark circles under her eyes, rushed in carrying five or six documents and placed them on the table.

Lu Yunyi's face darkened: "What is this?"

"My lord, these are the regulations of the Commandery for handling the various military farms in the spring and summer this year."

I have already ordered some of these fields to be remeasured, and I request that Your Excellency review them.

"anything else?"

"There's also the matter of replacing the weapons of the Xinchengwei, Daningqianwei, Zhongwei, Qingzhou Zuowei, and Yingzhou Zhongtunwei."
Involving 16,000 pieces of military equipment,

Some of the large siege weapons also need to be replaced.

"The Northern Yuan has fled, so what use are they for large-scale military equipment?"

"Alright, alright, just put it here."

Lu Yunyi made a comment, but didn't say anything more.
Regarding the distribution of weapons to frontier garrisons
The Ministry of War and the Governor-General's Office have set quotas, which cannot be changed without authorization.

Wu Su'an obediently placed the documents on the table.

"Why has Your Excellency summoned me?"

"There's something I need you to do. You know about the new sewing machine that the weapons workshop has developed, right?"

Wu Su'an glanced at him cautiously and said respectfully:

"Reporting to my lord, I understand."
Old Lu brought a document with him the day before yesterday.
The list above contains valuable materials; purchasing them all would likely cost several hundred taels of silver.

"That's not it. When you last contacted Shi Yu, you told him that the Commandery would cooperate with him. Now you can go find him."

Oh, and call Hu Chongyi over too, and inform him as well.

When the time comes, you can get a sample of machine number 27 from Old Lu and show it to them.

Let them decide for themselves how much money they would need to jointly establish the business.

"Shi Yu, Hu Chongyi, Unit 27, Old Lü."

Wu Su'an repeated it to herself and quickly nodded:

"Yes, my lord."

After a pause, he tentatively asked again:

"Sir, how much do you think is appropriate?"

"This time it's not about money."

Lu Yunyi glanced at him, noticing the confusion in his eyes, and explained:
“You are one of our own, so I will tell you directly what you want to do.”

Wu Su'an was stunned for a moment, then suddenly felt a surge of joy, and her face turned red instantly.

Our own people.
With this saying in mind, how far away will promotion and wealth be?

Lu Yunyi continued:
"In this transaction, the price of cooperation should be kept as low as possible, a few thousand taels of silver will suffice. We should deliberately create the illusion that the Commander is short of money."

It wasn't an illusion; the military headquarters was indeed short of money.
In short, we must make them feel like they've gotten a great deal, and also make them feel that the commander had no other choice but to do so.

Although Wu Su'an didn't know why she had to do this.
But he felt it was better to obey orders.

"Yes, my lord!"

Wu Su'an asked softly,
"Could we tell them that the commander is short of money?"

"A brief discussion is fine; you can decide how to say it yourself. You could also say that this is their way of repaying the Dusi for supporting its development."

Wu Su'an thought about it carefully in her mind and felt that this matter was not too difficult, so she nodded emphatically:

"My lord, I understand."

"Okay, go ahead, and also call Lord Duan over for me."

"Yes!"

Before long, Duan Zhengze, beaming with joy, swaggered in.
With a beaming smile, he excitedly began to speak:
"My lord, you are unaware of this."
The city and its surroundings are now filled with joy and celebration.
Many people were shocked by the commander's extravagant spending.

They probably didn't even expect that the commander would actually spend real money to repair the road.

Lu Yunyi was used to his habit of announcing good news as soon as he entered the door, so he gestured for him to sit down.

After Duan Zhengze sat down, Lu Yunyi spoke in a deep voice:
"Lord Duan, such a grand occasion within the Commandery does not come without a price."

Lu Yunyi pointed to the numerous documents on the table:
"Look. This is all the money we'll need to spend this year."
The commander still owes nearly 70,000 taels of silver for road repairs, a sum that is truly giving this official a headache.

The cost of simply replacing the weapons is unknown.

A hint of doubt flashed in Duan Zhengze's eyes, but he wisely spoke up:
"My lord, the fundraising for the roads outside the city is about to begin."
"At that time, I will subtly suggest that they donate more to alleviate the situation."

Lu Yunyi was also taken aback, not expecting the person in front of him to be so pragmatic. He waved his hand and said:

"I've summoned you here today because I have a matter I hope Lord Duan can convey to the many officials in the city."

After all, you have some connections with Huang Huai and Wang Ze.

Duan Zhengze's lips twitched slightly. These two people, whom he had tortured severely, did indeed have some connection with each other.

Although he was reluctant, he still said respectfully:
"Please give your orders, my lord, and I will do my best to comply."

Lu Yunyi smiled:

"That's right, because people in the city bought some icing sugar for the New Year."
As a result, Wanshou Sugar Mill's production capacity could not keep up.

So in the next few months,

The price of white sugar produced by Wanshou Sugar Mill will increase by 20%.

However, when sold at Kang Le Trading Company, the price will increase by 30%.

That's 65 coins per jin.

Duan Zhengze's expression remained unchanged, but his hand, hidden under the table, clenched tightly as he cursed inwardly:
"Damn it, I knew it wouldn't be good!"

If I were to do something that offends people, I don't know how many people would curse me.

However, Duan Zhengze didn't take those merchants seriously; he was just a bit of a coward.

He first showed a hint of shock, then realization, and then admiration, his voice tinged with excitement:
"Lord Lu is wise! Fifty coins a pound of sugar is far too cheap."
The unscrupulous merchants from within the city flocked there.

"They've been blocking Anhe Street like crazy all day long; they should have been dealt with a long time ago."

"Then I'll trouble Lord Duan to inform them of this matter."

"No hard work, no hard work."

Although Duan Zhengze was cursing inwardly, he still wore a fawning smile on his face.

"I would like to trouble Lord Duan to call General Tan over for me."

"Yes!"

Fifteen minutes later, Tan Wei, who looked old, walked in with hurried steps.
There was still some snow on him, indicating that he had rushed back from outside.

"Sir, you are looking for me."

Compared to Duan Zhengze, Lu Yunyi's attitude was much better.

He stood up and pointed to the seat opposite him:
"The reason I summoned General Tan back so hastily is because I have important matters to discuss with you."
"Please have a seat. Let me pour you a cup of tea."

Lu Yunyi walked to the side, took a bamboo cup, poured a cup of hot tea, and placed it in front of Tan Wei.

Tan Wei was flattered and quickly stood up to accept it:

"Thank you, sir. May I ask what brings you here?"

Lu Yunyi sat down with a smile and slowly explained his plan to take action against Dragon Tail Mountain, adding at the end:
"General Tan, this time I will be leading troops out..."
Please take good care of things inside the city, and make sure nothing goes wrong.

"Is the master also going out?"

Tan Wei was somewhat stunned. Was it worth being so cautious about a band of over a thousand men?
"Go out and stretch your muscles. The last few times we tried to raid these bandits, they always got wind of it and ran away in advance."
This time, I will personally lead the troops; we must annihilate them no matter what.

"Then you must be careful on your journey, sir. These bandits are extremely cunning."

As for those within the city, please rest assured, I will handle everything well.

"By the way, for the next troop rotation, I would like to transfer two thousand troops from Qingzhou Guard to relieve the troop. I wonder which unit General Tan thinks is best to send?"

Lu Yunyi's expression was gentle, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Tan Wei's smile froze, and a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes. So this was what they were waiting for him.
He knew very well that once the troops from Qingzhou arrived, they wouldn't leave.

By then, it will be uncertain who will control the city's defense forces, and his power will be greatly diminished.

Although he was unwilling...

But the thought of returning to Yingtian this year...
Tan Wei suppressed his lust for power and nodded with a smile:

"My lord, I will hand over the troop rotation arrangements to the Bureau of Records, and you will make the decision at that time."

Lu Yunyi smiled slightly, another matter resolved.

He looked at Tan Wei and asked:

"Where does General Tan plan to take up his post after returning to the capital?"

When I return this time, I will write a letter to Yingtian.

If General Tan has any places he wishes to visit, please let him know, so that we don't have to make the trip back to the capital.

Tan Wei froze on the spot, his mind going blank for a moment, staring at him in disbelief.
It's as if they're asking, "Can we still choose the location?"
Lu Yunyi maintained a smile throughout.

This made Tan Wei realize that he wasn't joking.

The overwhelming surprise left him dizzy and disoriented, unable to calm his mind for a moment.

I originally thought that being able to leave Daning was already a great thing, but I never expected that I could choose where to go.
Lu Yunyi thought for a moment:

"How about going to Huguang? The mountains and rivers there are beautiful, and the people are outstanding. It's just that you might have to quell rebellions from time to time, which would be quite arduous."
"Then let's go to the Zhejiang Military Commandery? That's a good place too."

Tan Wei was terrified by what he said; these were the local magistrates.
It was far more valuable than the Assistant Commander of the Da Ning Military Command.

If even one position is vacant, people within the Governor's Office will be fighting tooth and nail.

"My lord, it's already excellent that you can return to the south to recuperate."
"How could I possibly ask for anything more? Lord Lu, you needn't go to such trouble."

Lu Yunyi smiled and waved his hand:

"Go ahead and mention it. The governor of the governor's office and I have made so much money together."
They wouldn't feel at ease unless they were asked to do something for us.

"My lord, I do not wish to go to such high-ranking and powerful places."

That place is bound to be filled with many conflicts.

I am already old and only wish to rest and recuperate.

I wonder if I could find a leisurely job in Beijing.
I take a walk every day and look after my grandson.

"The capital." Lu Yunyi looked thoughtful.

"Alright then, I'll ask the officials of the Governor's Office to help you find a military officer position in Puzikou City, with the rank of Assistant Commander-in-Chief."
People don't need to go; they can just stay in the capital.
However, he had to go to the military camp from time to time to give lectures, explaining to the many soldiers from Beijing the various matters related to training troops outside the Great Wall.
Is that alright?

"Gudong!"

Tan Wei felt his lips go dry; he had heard of this kind of excellent work before.
This honor is reserved for very senior players.

The military officers stationed at Puzikou City were generals who had fought in the north and south during the founding of the nation.

"That's settled then. Take some time to think it over."
While I'm away, please take good care of Black Hawk and handle the affairs of the Commander.

Don't let any wicked or malicious people take advantage of the situation.

Tan Wei's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stood up and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:
"Thank you, sir. I will certainly do my utmost to assist Lord Liu."

(End of this chapter)