Chapter 285: Military affairs make money, and everything is unfair

It took only ten days to travel back and forth from Xinyang Town, Qingzhou Prefecture, Shandong Province. If the ship was on the wind, it would be faster. Emperor Chongzhen's decree would come down at the end of November and approved the memorials of the people in Nanzhili. At the same time, the Ministry of War issued a document to allocate Shandong troops to Huaihe to support it.

This kind of mobilization of troops that are not related to the overall situation is a reasonable request, so the court will naturally not be inaccurate. However, now the mobilization of troops from all over the country is the following text, but the generals and leaders may not be so obedient. The court repeatedly transferred the troops of Liu Zeqing, the general of Caozhou, to the Northern Zhili to guard the Northern Zhili, and asked him to delay and shirke him with various reasons. If Li Meng said that his military salary was not complete and the troops were exhausted, he would have no choice but to deal with him.

During this imperial edict exchange, the pirates who had supplemented the supplies patroled the area around the entrance of the Huai River in Ganyu and did not attack this time. But if they walked around like this, someone would dare to work here, and they would have been scattered.

The salt merchants in Lianghuai were afraid that Li Meng would shirk responsibility and were already preparing to spend a lot of money to buy it. Who would have thought that the court ordered the imperial decree, and Li Meng did not hesitate at all and immediately sent troops south.

Among the new recruits, the Qingzhou Army and the Yanzhou Army each dispatched 2,000 people, and the Xinyang Water Camp drew 1,500 people. The proportion of new recruits and veterans was 1,000. In February of the 13th year of Chongzhen, it was transferred to Haizhou and Huize areas to garrison. If you pay attention to the establishment of the Jiaozhou Camp, you will find that a new establishment of the Jiaozhou Camp has appeared this time - the Water Camp.

The person who led the troops this time was Zhang Jiang, the Qiang General of the Old Camp of Jiaozhou. Because of his steady behavior, loyalty and diligence, he was promoted to the garrison of Huaibei and led 5,500 combat soldiers. The old camp included a total of twelve battalions in the personal military camp. The Qiang General of each battalion was a reserve team for senior generals. Zhang Jiang was the best performer among them, and this time he was considered to be superior.

The Xinyang Water Camp is relatively independent, managed by the Yimin Yang Si and three deputy commanders of the Water Camp, and is responsible for the defense and defense of the coastal areas of Huaibei. These Xinyang Water Camps are said to be the latest recruitment of young and strong people from Qingzhou Prefecture and Laizhou Prefecture. They are all young people who are determined to serve the country. They are the first water troops of Jiaozhou Camp and have also been sent to the Haizhou area to station and guard.

The determination and positioning of these organization was something that could not be completed around February of the 13th year of Chongzhen. In fact, after the second attack on Haizhou, Li Meng returned to Jiaozhou City from Xinyang Town. At that time, it was basically confirmed that Yang Si's group of pirates in Huaibei had achieved the necessary goals.

The next step is to pre-arranged official activities, which require the use of your brain instead of a knife.

Moreover, according to the itinerary, Liu Fulai should have arrived in Jiaozhou City. The relationship between Li Meng and Liu Fulai is used with each other. The central officials have the outer town as their support. The generals of the outer town take the central officials as their backers and rely on each other. This is the norm in the officialdom. However, Li Meng has no relatives, and he is not even from this era. Liu Fulai has also entered the palace since he was a child and has no support to his current position.

Although both parties met by chance, since they recognized their relatives, they cherished it and maintained the relationship.

Of course, some people may say that after the old eunuch left office and lost his post, Li Meng still maintained his previous attitude towards the old eunuch, and wanted to rely on the old eunuch's wise mind and rich experience and insight. Liu Fulai treated Li Meng close because he was helpless and afraid of his previous revenge and needed to find a place to protect him.

Perhaps, there is also some true love in the world...

On November 21, the eunuch Liu Fulai who was traveling all the way finally came to Jiaozhou City. When Liu Fulai learned that Li Meng sent someone to welcome him to Jiaozhou, his desolate and bleak mood was wiped out. On the way to Jiaozhou, he said that he had been busy with business for so many years and had no time to travel around the mountains and rivers. Although it was already autumn and winter, it was still a pleasure to take this opportunity to enjoy the scenic spots along the way.

The people who accompanied and escorted Jiaozhou Camp naturally would not have any objections. Li Meng's order was that the old man asked for anything, and as expected, he did so. As a result, he traveled all the way and was very interested. He didn't arrive until today.

Li Meng is now based in Lijia Manor. It is only more than twenty miles away from the county town. Moreover, Fengmeng Town is so prosperous that it is many times more prosperous than that day. All needs can be solved in Fengmeng Town. The old eunuch is his family and Lijia Manor is his mansion, so he naturally has to be brought here to live.

The Li Family Manor is actually a small fortress, but Li Meng was empty and the large enough house was empty. The three brothers of the Sun family, Sun Hedou, were already following the Weapon Manufacturing Bureau. He is currently planning and planning to build the site next to Laiwu County. He must know much more than Guo Dong. This time he is the person responsible for this time.

As for Sun Hejing, Sun Heding taught the public school in Tuntianzhuang, Yanzhou Prefecture. Yanzhou Prefecture has two saints, Confucius and Mencius, and it is also a wealthy place in Shandong. The atmosphere of academic research is quite strong. There are already some bankrupt scholar Tong Sheng and the like in Tuntianzhuang. Sun Hejing and Sun Heding have a family background. They claim to be Gongsun Moumou in the farm. They really have some fame. They communicate with scholars inside and outside the farm and look like a Qingliu school.

The Yanzhou group was later called "Yan Party" because it was homophonic to the eunuch party, which was also a joke.

The house that the Sun brothers had vacated was opened by Li Meng. After careful repairs, more than a dozen smart and sensible boys were specially sent to serve the old eunuchs among the craftsmen and military families. In addition to doing some work as servants, these boys also had learning tasks.

It was November, and the end of the year was almost the end of the year. Except for the military generals guarding outside the Jiaozhou Camp, the other civil servants had already arrived at the Li Family Manor. They, together with Zhou Yang and Ning Qiangui's staff and accountants, calculated the harvest expenses for this year and determined the budget for next year.

Today, these prominent figures were pulled out to welcome the old man home.

In fact, this is just a ceremony. Last night, the old eunuch arrived at Jiaozhou City and was first placed in Li Meng's house in the city to rest. Li Meng had already gone to the city to accompany him. Today, he came to Fengmeng Town together, which meant that he was serious.

Everyone took such etiquette as a break for intense accounting, and there were also cavalry communications between Jiaozhou City and Fengmeng Town. Everyone knew that it would be half an hour before they could come. Although it was early winter, the sun was still good, and everyone was chatting and laughing outside.

When Jiaozhou Camp was still a small group, there was no difference in identity. Everyone gathered together lively, and now there are more and more people. The Shandong general and the Salt Administration stationed in the Jiaozhou Inspection Office have the meaning of Shandong center, and this identity and status have become something to pay attention to.

Zhou Yang and Ning Gangui stood in the forefront, and a servant in the manor brought them chairs and hot tea, but the two still stood and talked.

The other staff members, tents and others were behind them, gathering together according to their respective work and hometowns, and chatting in a low voice. The tents and tents of the villages in the military farm have their own circles, and they exchanged their harvests and specific work on resettlement of refugees.

The personal soldiers of the Li family manor and the military generals of the Jiaozhou Old Camp were in the same circle, standing quietly on the side. Li Meng had a very strict requirement for his subordinates, that is, the military appearance and posture must be maintained at all times, which is actually a reflection of maintaining the quality and quality of the soldiers.

Many staff members and accountants were talking to each other and were watching Zhou Yang and Ning Gangui, waiting for their orders at any time, and were also full of envy.

Zhou Yang is just a master of the middle-aged man. Ning Gangui is a destitute scholar. Today, it is called "Zhou Buzheng, Ning Shangshu". This is truly awesome and wealthy.

However, Zhou Yang and Ning Gangui did not notice the people behind him, but were just talking in a low voice. With the accounting and accounting at the end of the year, the financial situation next year will become clearer.

"It was in the past few days that the salt prices, which had been stagnant for a long time, suddenly began to rise. The shopkeeper in Jiningzhou came back and said that many people in the south and west wanted to buy salt in large quantities. The salt fields of Laizhou and Dengzhou were already preparing to let them rest and go home for the New Year, but it seemed that they could not stop."

Hearing Ning Gangui's words, Zhou Yang nodded. He used to be accustomed to writing saints, but now he has to calculate it every day and asks:

"How much income can salt goods give us?"

"This time the demand came suddenly, and the accounts below were all clearing the New Year's accounts. I couldn't give a certain number in a hurry, and I guess it would be at least 30% more than the previous year."

Because the impact of the famine in recent years has gradually emerged, the salt goods revenue of the year before last was the highest in recent years. At least 30% more said, Zhou Yang was stunned, put his hands together and said slowly:

"This is really.... There will be a gap in April next year, and the gap is not that big. We adults really have a way!"

Ning Gangui lowered his voice and said:

"I heard from those people from Lingshan Trading Company that the salt merchants in Huaibei don't know what happened. If there is trouble with salt, we will come to Shandong to buy it."

Zhou Yang shook his head, thinking that day he went with Lao Ning to persuade Li Meng to increase revenue and reduce expenses. Li Meng asked about the gap, and said that the problem will definitely be solved in the New Year. It seems that it is applied here. However, civil servants are not allowed to participate in confidential military affairs, and they are not easy to ask each other. I believe that they will know what is going on by that time next year.

During that admonition, Li Meng promised to resolve this gap next year. Zhou Yang and Ning Gangui also thought that how could such a joke be done in military and national affairs? Who would have thought that this Shandong general always had such magical features. He is really a talented genius.

"The convoy is here."

Someone shouted at the other side at the top of his throat, and everyone quickly lined up on both sides of the road, which was to express the respect of the Jiaozhou Camp. Zhou Yang also sorted out his clothes a little, but his mind was still running. For some reason, from the talented genius just now, he thought of the word "destiny". Thinking of this, Zhou Yang quickly shook his head and did not dare to continue thinking.

The convoy from Jiaozhou City was walking very slowly. Li Meng rode his horse and followed the carriage. The old eunuch stopped and stopped inside the carriage with Li Meng next to him. In addition to the carriage's hands, the personal guards were far away from here, but they also knew that the two were chatting and laughing.

"Don't be surprised, this incident was caused by the mine supervisor Ding Xu?"

Since Liu Fulai will live in his own house in the future, his actions and actions are completely under his control, Li Meng has no shyness. He has described what he has done during this period to the old eunuch in its original form. When talking about Laiwu Iron Mine, he mentioned the mine supervisor Ding Xu.

Speaking of this person, Eunuch Liu immediately reacted and understood the whole story immediately. He said that he had resigned from his job must have been because of Ding Xu, the mining supervisor.

At present, Liu Fulai was quite open-minded. He invited himself to the eunuch in Nanjing as the eunuch of the Sili Supervisor. This was his attitude of self-demolition and living a leisurely life. He was demoted to serve the people this time and thought he would die of miserable old age, but who thought that Li Meng would actually support him.

Liu Fulai, who had been lonely for a lifetime, had the attitude of Li Meng. He felt that his life was not wasted. Instead, he was disrespectful to the loss of the position of eunuch in Nanjing. When he came to Jiaozhou, Li Meng came to greet him in person. He was completely a polite style of his son and nephew. The old eunuch felt that he was very happy and that the framed thing was completely left behind.

Li Meng talked about everything that happened recently. The old eunuch had a wide range of knowledge and immediately connected it, but he had no complaints in his heart, just smiled and explained the matter to Li Meng.

But Li Meng was extremely surprised when he heard Eunuch Liu's analysis. He thought it was just a matter of wealth. The two sides bargained, and it was a conflict between him and Ding Xu, the mining supervisor. How could it be so wide that he actually let the garrison official dismiss his post? It would be a bit of a big deal.

After Li Meng expressed his doubts, Eunuch Liu laughed in the carriage, which sounded as if he had nothing to do with him. After laughing, he explained slowly:

"You are a military general, but how can you know the thoughts of our eunuchs? The world is as lucky as our family. After all, there are a few people who have elderly care. The rest have no children and relatives, and they just focus on money. If you touch his source of wealth, how can he not try his best to do the right way to you?"

Li Meng immediately bowed and spoke solemnly:

"It was a trivial matter for my nephew, but I didn't expect it to involve my uncle. I'm really sorry."

Eunuch Liu laughed again and replied with a relaxed look:

"It's okay, it's okay, our family feels that it's a blessing in disguise. With your kindness, official position and power are not that important. There is something to ask you, how do you deal with the mine supervisor Ding Xu?"

Li Meng pondered for a while and said slowly:

"Ding Xu is a bit brave and is decisive and ruthless in his work. Under his management of the Laiwu Iron Smelting, such a year can still be maintained. Moreover, his blacksmiths and miners, although I offer high prices, are unwilling to come here. This is also a bit of skill to win people's hearts. I think..."

With the mind of Eunuch Liu, he could naturally figure it out. After saying so many words of praise and the advantages of Ding Xu, he must have the intention of using it in his own hands. But how dare the emperor's slaves, others, use it? This matter can be raised to the height of a serious crime of corruption with a little bit of exercise. Liu Fulai also felt something was wrong. Just as he was about to persuade him, he heard a whistle sound in his ears, and then there was a loud gong and drum, and he couldn't hear clearly.

The family members with loud voices were shouting at the top of their voices:

"Welcome to the old man back home!!"

The carriage had already stopped, and Li Meng turned over and got off the horse. A servant put a wooden bench wrapped in cotton cloth next to the carriage. The coachman flashed aside and lifted the curtain of the carriage. The silk cotton robe worn by Eunuch Liu was surprised to see the huge noise outside.

Adding the words "Welcome the old man back home", Liu Fulai felt his heart twisted and turned around. He looked at the people under the car with all the characters with a certain status, but they were all greeted with a smile. Li Meng stood under the car, but Liu Qian was about to come but was pushed away by Li Meng with a smile, and he wanted to help him personally.

From the Jiaozhou Camp to pick him up from the inn in Nanjing, to the trip along the way, although the people in the Jiaozhou Camp were extremely respectful, Liu Fulai still had a calm attitude. Except for the initial shock, he was very calm for the rest of the time.

But when he arrived in Jiaozhou, Li Meng first greeted him with his junior gifts, and then he had this situation. Until now, the last trace of worry in the old eunuch's heart disappeared, and the rest was his heart surging.

"Uncle, these are all subordinates of my nephew. Come and welcome you. My niece is in the inner house. Let's meet again at the dinner party."

The old eunuch who was helped off the carriage by Li Meng did not answer. He was stammering and couldn't speak. He ignored the elder's demeanor, and kept wiping tears with his other hand.

When the old man returned home, core figures like Zhou Yang and Ning Qiangui all came forward to greet him. Wang Hai from the personal barracks, Tang Er from the horse team, Qian Zheng from each barracks, and Hou Shan from the Lingshan Trading Company all came to greet him in turn.

Eunuch Liu really lost his composure and wanted to be with the past. Liu Fulai, who was born as a eunuch in the pen and the eunuch in Nanjing, had more or less some of the so-called prime ministerial demeanor, and naturally he would deal with it appropriately in front of these people.

But now he was so excited that he could not control himself, just wiped his tears. This was normal. Liu Fulai suddenly fell from the clouds and had a desolate mentality. At this time, he had such respect and family affection. This feeling of ups and downs actually made him unable to control his emotions.

A servant had already handed a handkerchief next to him. Liu Fulai also realized that he had lost his composure. He took the handkerchief and wiped it in his eyes, and smiled self-deprecatingly:

"This man is always a woman."

He took a breath and said sideways to Li Meng beside him:

"It was a blessing for our family to meet you by the Jining Canal that day. I don't know what kind of compassion and virtue we did in our previous life, and we were able to be today!"

Li Meng smiled and said softly:

"What's the uncle? It's natural for a nephew to be filial to his filial piety. Why do you have to say so seriously?"

Walking to the gate, Li Meng looked up and greeted a child standing by the gate. The child hurriedly ran over. The child was wearing a blue dress, but he looked like a servant, but he looked like a schoolboy. Li Meng said loudly:

"Anqi, don't kowtow to Grandpa."

The child was Su Anqi. He ate and slept well in the Li family manor, and had a superior growth environment. Now he has grown a lot taller, and he is becoming more sensible and well-behaved. He can now be regarded as Li Meng's personal servant, and his status in the Li family is quite high. Now he is still learning from Zhou Yang and Ning Qiangui. Of course, Father Federer is still a similar identity to Su Anqi.

Su Anqi hurriedly knelt on the ground, calling out "Grandpa Uncle" while kowtowing to greet her. Li Meng said in a deep voice:

"This child has been with me for a few years and is also a smart person. It looks like a study material. I have nothing to teach him. I think Liu Qian is old and would rather let this child run away if he has anything to do. In his spare time, he will learn more with his uncle. If he is with you, he will naturally benefit a lot."

The old man is afraid of being idle. It is Li Meng's intention to have such a smart and cute child as a student. Moreover, with Liu Fu's knowledge, a smart child like Su Anqi will learn a lot, which is a happy thing for everyone.

The outside was very popular, but after Liu Fu came to the mansion, he dispersed, leaving only an older person like Ning Gangui to come and chat with him. After welcoming the main hall, the housekeeper Rossi came to the main hall. After Li Meng smiled and introduced, Rossi also kowtowed respectfully on the ground. He was a slave in the inner house, so he naturally had to give a big gift when he saw the old man.

After getting up, the housekeeper Rossi explained the preparations in the mansion in detail. The old eunuch had returned to normal at this time and his face was quite calm. However, after hearing Rossi say that the house was ready, Liu Qian and several other loyal servants also had accommodation arrangements in the side courtyard of the yard, they couldn't help but smile on their faces. In such a small matter, they could see Li Meng's sincerity.

After the butler Luo Xi finished the arrangement, he led Eunuch Liu's personal servant Liu Qian to transport all the items he had with him to the yard. Liu Qian also had the title of the third general manager of the Li Mansion, which was really well arranged.

There was a family dinner in the evening. Ning Gangui said a few words and said goodbye. However, the joy on Eunuch Liu's face could not be concealed. After only two people were left in the main hall, Liu Fulai said softly:
To be continued...