Chapter 1033
: The Situation in Jiangnan Changes Suddenly
Chapter 1033: The Situation in Jiangnan Changes Suddenly
As the saying goes, there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below, which refers to the beautiful scenery of the world. Suzhou and Hangzhou have the best of both worlds. In addition, the soft Wu dialect of Jiangnan and the famous "skinny horses" of Yangzhou make it a world-famous place. It can be said that Jiangnan alone has all the wealth in the world.
Suzhou, now in summer, is even more prosperous. As evening approaches, the streets of the city are crowded with small vendors and hawkers. In addition, the academies are closed, so the streets are crowded with people. Talented men and beautiful women meet up, and scholars in brothels drink and chat, all of which show the flourishing literary style of Jiangnan.
In Suzhou West City,
In a restaurant box, this is the reception banquet specially arranged by Jiao Xiong, the commander of the Jiangnan camp, for the King of Dongping and the King of Chu. The reason why they came so late is that the camp was delayed for so long in deploying troops and preparing for battle.
In addition, today the Yangzhou Army and the Jinling Army, the two generals led their troops into Suzhou City, so they simply joined together and held a banquet.
In the tent of Jiangnan Camp in West City, the King of Chu had already bathed and changed his clothes, and sat lazily in the seat at the east end. The Prince Mu in the main seat and General Jiao sitting calmly opposite him had changed into ordinary people's clothes. The thoughtful expressions on their faces made King Zhou Long of Chu narrow his eyes. Who were they waiting for?
Thinking about today, the Prince of Dongping got up very early, and even General Jiao got up even earlier. As for what they were busy with, although they didn't say it, everyone could see the government troops being mobilized in the camp. It can be seen that the government troops from Nanjing and Yangzhou have arrived.
"General Jiao, didn't you say you were going to have dinner at that restaurant in Suzhou? Why haven't you left yet?"
As the lazy voice came to his ears, Zhou Long almost half-lay on the chair, moving his body a little, appearing to be more comfortable.
"Don't be anxious, Your Highness. Good food is never too late. Today, I have specially prepared famous dishes from the south of the Yangtze River in Suzhou West City, so that Your Highness can have a good taste of the southern flavor. Besides, we are waiting for General Leng and General Xiang. The two generals are bathing and changing clothes in the tent. Otherwise, it would be impolite to be sweaty."
Jiao Xiong still had a smile on his face. He stood up and bowed gracefully, explaining that since the prince had issued a strict order, the government troops that were still staying in Jinling had quickly reorganized and marched south within two days. They had already rested in the camp for half a day. However, the two generals seemed to be worried, so they didn't ask too many questions.
"Oh, you're here. I heard that the Jiangnan army is extremely arrogant. Even to mobilize troops, they don't need the imperial court's order."
It seemed that he was asking, who gave the order for the Yangzhou army to march north to Jinling City, or was there someone plotting something? Although it was not a question, the deep meaning in it also shocked Jiao Xiong's heart, and he looked at Prince Mu worriedly.
Fortunately, the Eastern King waved his hand and explained;
"Your Highness, the matter of Jiangnan still needs to be discussed in detail. The Yangzhou Prefecture Army received the order from Eunuch Yang, the seal holder of the Ministry of Construction, but Leng Dandong, the commander of the Jinling Prefecture Army, refused the order. I think the matter here is just a coincidence. When the two of them come, we will ask them one by one."
This was also something that Mu Shi had not figured out. Why would Yang Chi only mobilize the government troops far away in Yangzhou instead of those from nearby Jinling City? Was it because they could not be used or because he wanted to avoid suspicion?
At this time,
outside the house,
The generals of the Yangzhou Prefecture Army, Leng Dandong and Xiang Zhengsu, who had already bathed and changed their clothes, stood outside the main hall, looking at the dark brown door. They were both a little uneasy, especially General Xiang of the Yangzhou Prefecture Army. He had offended Luo Yunhou some time ago, and now he was caught in the vortex in Jinling City. He was caught in a dilemma. How could his face be good?
"Brother Leng, I still put you first. After entering the house, please say a few kind words to me, Brother Leng."
Seeing General Xiang's flattering face, Leng Dandong did not react much, but replied in a cold voice,
"General Xiang, making mistakes is not scary. The scariest thing is making mistakes without knowing it, and making mistakes over and over again. The waters of Jiangnan are so deep, how could you get involved with those civil servants? Once you enter the house, I can only protect myself. You can only tell the truth and take care of yourself."
I don't know if it was a warning or a reminder, I took a step forward, knocked on the door and walked in.
As the door rang,
Two middle-aged men with sturdy builds and dressed in tight clothes walked in with solemn faces.
The King of Chu, who had been waiting anxiously in the room, glanced at the two of them and immediately questioned them without waiting for them to pay their respects.
"Who is General Leng from Jinling, and who is General Xiang from Yangzhou?"
The two of them were shocked and felt something was wrong. They bowed and saluted.
"Your Highness, I am Leng Dandong, the commander of the Jinling Army. I am here with 5,000 soldiers at your service."
With one person answering, Xiang Zhengsu dared not neglect it, and immediately followed up with a reply, saying;
"Your Highness, I am the commander of the Yangzhou Prefecture Army, Xiang Zhengsu, with 3,000 troops at your disposal."
"Oh, you are the commander of the Yangzhou army. You don't look that brave, do you? Let me ask you, how did you lead the army to Jinling City? Did you get an imperial order or a document from the Ministry of War, huh?"
King Zhou Long of Chu had sat up straight this time, staring at General Xiang. Although he was strong, he had a square face and looked very honest. He didn't look like a treacherous or evil person. General Leng next to him didn't look like a treacherous person either. Unless he was extremely loyal but looked like a traitor,
"Your Highness, I have not received any orders from the court or the Ministry of War, but I have received orders from the Textile Bureau and a handwritten order from Eunuch Yang, saying that I am to lead 5,000 soldiers into Jinling City and go to the five counties in northern Jiang to supervise the safety of the jade mines. In addition, I am also responsible for escorting some officials when they go to the fields."
At this moment, Xiang Zhengsu also knew that he could not get involved in this muddy water any longer. Thinking of General Leng's words, sweat broke out on his forehead.
"What's the matter with going down to the ground?"
This was asked by Mu Shi. Xiang Zhengsu could no longer hold back and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
"Your Highness, Prince, it's about converting fields into mulberry trees. Many officials in Jiangnan are going to check the number of acres of land. The Inspector General's Office and the Jinling Prefect's Office have transferred soldiers and horses under my command for protection. As for the rest, I don't know."
I have already regretted it in my heart. If I had known earlier, I would not have gone. Even if I had gone, I would have gone straight to the five counties in Jiangbei. Why would I stay in Jinling City?
"It's been so long since the weaving bureau's matter was resolved," Mu Shi frowned slightly. It has been almost a month since the imperial court issued the decree, and it is still dragging on.
"Your Highness, it has not been resolved. The entire Jiangnan region has been destabilized by this incident. In addition, the Xinbei dike has burst and flooded. Isn't this matter going to be resolved in the long run?"
Seeing that the prince was somewhat confused, Jiao Xiong, who knew what was going on, quickly interrupted to explain. It was strange that the originally prosperous Jiangnan area had been turned into a mess by these people, with the fights between the two sides going on endlessly.
But these arguments are really untenable. The inside story should not be that simple.
"It's really interesting. I remember that Jiangnan has always been stable. Why is it so unsettled now? The Xinbei dike collapsed at this time instead of earlier. I felt it was strange when I was in the capital. Leng Dandong, what do you think?"
Mu Shi's tone was somewhat cold. He ignored Xiang Zhengsu who was lying there, and instead asked General Leng who was still relatively calm. However, he didn't know that this question had already shocked Leng Dandong's mind. His knees softened and he knelt on the ground.
"Your Highness, I do feel something is wrong. At that time, the Jinling prefectural government and the inspector's office both sent me transfer orders. I felt uneasy and refused them all the time. Later, General Xiang led his troops here, and I pushed all these things to General Xiang. I felt much more at ease. Later, the Xinbei dike breach was man-made, involving the prefectural government, and it was witnessed by the lieutenants under General Xiang's command. Until today, after the incident, someone went to Chunyang County to sue Ma Guangcheng, the magistrate of Jinling."
After swallowing his saliva, Leng Dandong knelt on the ground again and said;
"The matter was reported to the government office, the inspector's office, and the provincial governor's office. The Chunyang County Magistrate Xu refused to give in and said he would take the case to the capital. This alerted the officials. It was not until the government office held a meeting that the Supervisory Envoy Su and the Chief Censor Lan jointly took over the case. They have detained several officials in the government office in the Imperial City Prison. As for the rest, I don't know."
He told the general about all recent events in detail. When he was about to leave, his deputy general heard the news and rushed up to report. He was preparing for this audience. I don't know if he had prepared for the general.
I glanced at him and saw Xiang Zhengsu lying there, sweating profusely, his hair sticking together. It seemed that he didn't know what was going on.
Not to mention what the two people kneeling on the ground were thinking, the three people sitting in high positions all had gloomy faces. Although they still didn't know what happened in Jinling City, they knew one thing: such a big case had just begun. If all the officials of a prefecture were arrested, how many people would be implicated, involving the Textile Bureau, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and finally whether the prefectural army could be involved, it was still unknown.
His eyes fell on the two people kneeling in the hall. They were so stupid that they had delayed important matters.
A hint of sternness flashed across Mu Shi's eyes, but he instantly regained his composure.
"Your Highness, General Jiao, as the saying goes, when the rain comes, the wind blows. It's only been a few days, and Jiangnan has been in turmoil. The Xinbei dike burst, which is a major case. If it weren't for the two religious bandits, Jiangnan would not know how to deal with it. Now that someone has started it, it's impossible for us to stay out of it. As General Leng said, since the captain of the government army saw it with his own eyes, the confession in court needs to be improved. I wonder what the old general thinks?"
This was also a test of the waters. If Marquis Luo Yun pacified the south of the capital, the court's attention would inevitably be focused on the south of the Yangtze River again. At that time, no one would be able to escape.
Jiao Xiong's face looked a little ugly. He reached out and touched his chin. Looking at the two people in the hall, he felt a little disappointed. Especially Xiang Zhengsu, he was an old acquaintance. How could he be so unwise? But when he thought about what happened when Luo Yunhou came here before, it might not be the prince's instigation. But it was too difficult for them to get out of it. They could only take it one step at a time.
He stood up, bowed to the King of Chu and Prince Mu, and offered sincere advice;
"Your Highness, Prince, we need to stabilize the morale of the army and hold the canal defense line tightly to prevent the White Lotus rebels from crossing the canal in desperation. This is the most important thing. As for the case in Jinling City, the two generals, as the main generals, are entangled with local officials. They should be reprimanded. As for the generals, they left the station without the imperial order. Even if they have a warrant, they cannot escape the blame. Please ask your Highness and Prince to buy the whole story of this matter, interrogate them carefully and write down the files to prevent any future actions. If they are really guilty, they can make meritorious contributions. If they are not guilty, it will be good to prove their innocence."
This strategy of retreating to advance was the best solution Jiao Xiong could think of in a hurry. Since one foot had already stepped in, it would still be covered with mud when pulled out. So whether to rush in or not would depend on the prince's intention. Prince Mu, who was sitting on the seat, had flickering eyes, looking at the two people kneeling on the ground, thinking. Leng Dandong was a slick man, with many people relying on him. He seemed loyal, but in fact he was the least loyal.
Only Xiang Zhengsu, although not very smart, is a loyal man in Jiangnan. He led the army to intercept Luo Yunhou last time, which shows how brave he is. If he rescues him, he will also be famous. Thinking of this, he turned his head to the seat of the King of Chu and asked;
"Your Highness, the war is fierce now. Although there is a natural barrier of the Grand Canal and the Canal Transport Guards patrolling, it is unlikely that the White Lotus Sect will cross the river on a large scale. However, it is still possible for them to sneak into Jiangnan. After the flood in Nanjing, there will be unrest. Therefore, I think we should focus on steady defense and hold Suzhou, Yangzhou, and Tangjun. If the enemy army makes any movement, we can extinguish the source."
The King of Chu narrowed his eyes and looked back at Prince Mu, wanting to save the two.
"Prince Mu's words make sense. When facing a powerful enemy, we should focus on stability. Since General Jiao has said something, we should be careful. I just don't know how the Imperial City Department is handling the case. If a major case is uncovered, even if we explain it clearly, we will still be held responsible."
The King of Chu unconsciously placed his hands on the table and tapped them gently. If the case was in their hands, it would be fine, but the case was in Jinling City and involved the interests of all parties. Even if they wanted to protect it, it would not be an easy task.
I always feel uneasy. Could it be that the cabinet has made some mistakes, or that Prince Mu in front of me has also made some mistakes?
"Your Highness is right, but it is up to human beings. It is not certain that the case in Jinling City will be sent here. Therefore, I think that I still need to bear this responsibility."
Mu Shi smiled slightly. Even if there was some responsibility, it was not much. This would win over the hearts of the army and kill two birds with one stone. Besides, even if those civil officials really wanted to investigate the case, wouldn't they also need evidence?
"Ahahaha, good, well said, Prince Mu is still thoughtful. In that case, the two of you should get up. General Jiao, didn't you arrange a banquet? It's getting late, are you going to eat or not?"
"Your Highness, of course you have to eat. I have specially arranged for Suzhou's Eight Treasures Noodles. It is said to be the descendant of Jiangnan Huaiyang cuisine. I don't know if it is true or not. Please go and taste it."
Jiao Xiong quickly stood up. He had put a lot of thought into tonight's banquet, so he couldn't just let it go.
"Okay, then the two of them should follow and taste it together."
After saying this casually, he stood up, lifted up his skirt, and walked out of the house. The two people kneeling in the hall quickly stood up and thanked him;
"Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Your Highness,"
When everyone went out,
The two of them followed carefully behind, and when they left the house, there was already a carriage waiting outside the courtyard. The King of Chu and his two men climbed onto the carriage. Leng Dandong and Xiang Zhengsu took their weapons and climbed onto their horses, guarding both sides of the carriage. In this way, they entered the city of Suzhou West City from the alley at the back door of the camp. It is said that Suzhou City is prosperous, and the night view is comparable to the daytime.
At night, Suzhou City seemed like another world. Night markets were everywhere on the streets, like stars in the sky. Even the brothels on both sides of Suzhou River were filled with laughter. The people walking on the streets were not dressed in fancy clothes, but they were dignified and decent. This made King Zhou Long of Chu curious. He would lift the curtain of his carriage from time to time and look out.
"Everyone says Suzhou is a prosperous city. Seeing it today, I can see that it is indeed worthy of its reputation. The richest place in the world is still Jiangnan."
Only the capital city can compare with such a market.
"Your Highness, you are too kind. The peace and prosperity here is all due to the emperor's great grace, the good governance and harmony among the various prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River, and the hard work of the people. This is the reason why we have such a prosperous time."
Jiao Xiong's face was full of joy. If it was not for the Salt Inspectorate in Yangzhou, the most prosperous place was Suzhou City. How could it be compared with it? Last time, many people were killed by Luo Yunhou in Yangzhou City. This stopped the thoughts of those people in Yangzhou. As a result, Suzhou City, relying on the Weaving Bureau, had a vague position of latecomers. The first prefecture in the world was Jinling, and the second was Suzhou City.
"Okay, well said. It seems that General Jiao is concerned about this place. But as for the weaving bureau, I heard that the former director Qin has been arrested, and the richest man in Jiangnan, Shen Wanhe, was given an official position as the director. Is that true or not?"
As soon as the words came out, the originally warm atmosphere in the car suddenly disappeared. Even the King of Chu turned his gaze from outside the car to inside. The predecessor of the Suzhou Weaving Bureau was just a weaving business under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Later, due to the prosperity of Jiangnan and the fame of silk and brocade, it was separated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and became a weaving government.
From then on, the reputation of the Weaving Bureau came out. Although it was still unclearly involved with the Imperial Household Department, it was still a government office after all. The richest man in Jiangnan, Shen Wanhe, was actually granted an official position. I seem to have heard about it from my father.
"Your Highness, this is true. The former head of Qin, Qin Sheng, was arrested by Eunuch Yang for embezzling money from the Weaving Bureau and was sent to the capital for trial. However, the Weaving Bureau sent so many looms that they could not be left unattended, so Shen Wanhe from the Weaving Bureau was pushed out."
These are all obvious facts. As for why it was Shen Wanhe, Jiao Xiong will not say more.
"Well, that makes sense. Old people are more useful. It seems that Shen Wanhe, the richest man in Jiangnan, is also a thoughtful person. I have heard of him for a long time, but I have never seen him. I heard that there is a famous dish in Suzhou called flower chicken. Even Luo Yunhou praised it after eating it. I wonder if we will have this dish tonight."
Mu Shi smiled and did not elaborate. Instead, he mentioned Luo Yunhou. His sudden change of subject revealed his inner thoughts, which made the old general Jiao Xiong feel uneasy.
(End of this chapter)