Kuang continued: "If the Mongol Tartars sell their horses to my Ming soldiers, then what else can they rely on? ”

"The words of the lord, the lower officials heard it like an enlightenment," Yang Muyun said: "But there are many tribes in Mongolia, aren't there some tribes who privately trade horses with my Ming Dynasty?" ”

"Of course there is," said Nakalu Yulin, the official of the Ministry of War, at this time, "but the horses traded in the horse markets in the various border areas are horses that can neither ride nor fight. ”

"Why is that?" Yang Muyun asked puzzled.

"Because all the good horses have been taken away." Lu Yulin said.

"Then the lower official, may I ask Lord Lu, who collected these good horses?" Yang Muyun then asked.

"It's the Mongolian Taishi Huai Wang Yexian," Lu Yulin said: "He collected all the good horses from all the ministries and didn't say anything, and also instructed the ministries to pull the old and weak horses to the horse market to trade with my Daming." ”

"Old and weak horses can be traded?" Yang Muyun said strangely.

"Not only is it a transaction, but the price is extremely expensive," Lu Yulin glanced at Yang Muyun and said: "During the Hongwu period, thirty-six catties of tea could be exchanged for a good horse, but now ......" He paused and said: "1,186 catties of tea can be exchanged for a horse, and it is also a weak and inferior horse." ”

"How so?" Yang Muyun's eyes widened in surprise.

"Master Yang has been working in Jinyiwei for a long time, so he naturally doesn't know the mystery," Lu Yulin said: "Fanren traded bad horses with my Daming, but my Daming had to buy them at a high price," Seeing that Yang Muyun's face was even more puzzled, he smiled bitterly: "The border forts that refuse to trade inferior horses are all attacked by the cavalry of the Tartar brigade without exception, and once the fortress is broken by the Tartars, all men, women and children will be spared." ”

"Lord Lu means that the border fort that traded inferior horses with the Mongols was actually spending money to buy peace from the Tartars." Yang Muyun said suddenly.

Lu Yulin nodded, but did not answer.

"Temporary peace is not a long-term solution," Yang Muyun frowned and looked at Kuang, "Could it be that the military department has allowed this situation to continue?" If he is stronger, he will be stronger, if I am weaker, once the other party is difficult to fill and attacks in a big way, how can I resist it? ”

"The emperor's strategy is to stabilize the southwest first, and then try to desert the north," Kuang said in a deep voice: "Before the southwest is completely pacified, all sides of the northern border will take a defensive position, deal with the arrogance and provocation of the Mongolian people, and temporarily forbear, and now the army, horses, grain, grass and soldiers are constantly being transferred to the southwest, and the current military strength of the northern border is also unable to attack the outside of the fortress. ”

Yang Muyun was silent, speechless for a while.

"In the battle with the Mongolian people, you should put the military horses first," Kuang looked at Yang Muyun solemnly, "I invited Director Yang to come this time, I want you to go to the Imperial Horse Prison and ask for 10,000 military horses from the Palm Seal Admiral Xing'an's father-in-law." ”

"Ten thousand military horses?" Yang Muyun's face changed, "Xia Guan has just come to the Ministry of War, how can he take on this great responsibility?" ”

"Otherwise," Kuang said with a smile: "Director Yang is a person who can be relied on and trusted by the emperor's side, and besides, you also have the identity of a thousand households in Jinyiwei, which is very different from the rest of the military department, if you can come forward, Father-in-law Xing'an will not be dismissed." ”

"But Xia Guan has never met with Xing'an's father-in-law, how can he contact my head of the first district and six products for such a major matter?" Yang Muyun hesitated.

"Chief Yang," Lu Yulin stepped forward and said, "It is a routine matter for the military department to transfer military horses, can't you let Lord Shangshu come forward in person?" By the end, the tone had gradually increased.

"Then the next official will have the right and give it a try," Yang Muyun didn't dare to shirk it anymore, bowed down and said: "If it doesn't work, I hope that Lord Shangshu will not blame." ”

......

Looking at the back of Yang Muyun leaving in a hurry, Lu Yulin said to Kuang: "Lord Shangshu, do you think Yang Muyun can do this by going this way?" ”

Kuang glanced at Lu Yulin meaningfully, "If this matter can be done easily, why do you need him to go?" ”

"Then what does Lord Shangshu mean by this?" Lu Yulin was a little confused when he heard him say this.

"The emperor's general's horses and horse farms were handed over to the Imperial Horse Supervisor of the Inner Court, which was intended to check and balance our military department, even if the old man came forward and could not get the emperor's will, he would not want to extract 10,000 military horses from Xing'an." Kuang said indifferently.

"Then how can Yang Muyun do this?" Lu Yulin was even more puzzled.

"This person's background is a bit complicated, and you can't guess it by common sense," Kuang smiled leisurely, "Don't forget, he's a little person who can go straight to the sky." The tone paused slightly, "Sometimes small people may not be able to do big things. The old man was eager to weigh how much he had on this matter

Avenue line? ”

Yang Muyun got into a car specially provided by the Ministry of War, escorted by a lieutenant and ten soldiers in armor out of the Ya Office Street, walked along East Chang'an Avenue for a short distance, and turned north.

Sitting in the car, Yang Muyun was worried in his heart, 10,000 military horses is not a small number, how can he easily ask for a small six-grade head of the military department? For a while, I couldn't figure out what Kuang's intention was in this arrangement, and I couldn't help but have a headache.

"My lord, the Imperial Horse Warden has arrived!" The carriage stopped at some point, and the lieutenant reported from outside the car.

"The Imperial Horse Warden has arrived?" Yang Muyun stopped his churning thoughts, straightened his clothes, lifted the curtains, and walked down slowly.

The Imperial Horse Prison is in the northeast of the Forbidden City, opposite Baodafang City, and the entrance of the yamen is quite magnificent, with a pair of huge stone horses. It's just that the whole yamen seems empty, as if there is no one.

There were no guards at the gate of the Imperial Horse Eunuch, but there sat an old eunuch with gray hair, who was dressed in a gray robe and did not wear a gauze hat, so he could not see his rank.

Yang Muyun didn't dare to slack off, and stepped forward to give him a deep salute, "This father-in-law is invited!" ”

The old eunuch didn't look at him as if he hadn't heard, and said in a sharp voice, "Which yamen is it?" ”

"The lower official is Yang Muyun, the director of the Qing Officials Department of the Ministry of War, and he has something to ask to see his father-in-law in Xing'an, so please ask his father-in-law to go in and report it." Yang Muyun said in a very calm tone.

"The soldiers!" The old eunuch didn't raise his eyelids, "I'm here for the sake of military horses, right?" ”

"Exactly!" Yang Muyun said.

"The Ministry of War?" The old eunuch glanced at him, "Isn't the matter of the military horse in charge of your military department?" Why did you send you, the head of the Clearance Department of the Ministry of War? Is Kuang, the secretary of the military department, really confused? ”

Kuang Tangtang, a member of the imperial court, was ridiculed by an unknown old gatekeeper of the Imperial Horse Prison, although Yang Muyun felt weird, but he still didn't dare to lose the number of courtesies, "This father-in-law is all for the court, so what about each other, and I also bother to ask my father-in-law to inform my father-in-law of Xing'an." ”

"Since you are doing things for the imperial court, you can't break the rules, you are a military planner to mix with the military horses, did the emperor let your military department do such an errand?" The old eunuch said with a sneer.

"It's so hard to get into, it's really hard to get into." Yang Muyun's heart couldn't help but sink, but the smile on his face remained undiminished, "What my father-in-law said is that the lower officials have only just been transferred to the military department, and many joints don't understand very well, so please let my father-in-law be accommodating." As he spoke, he shoved a piece of silver into his hand.

The old eunuch checked it, stared at him with a pair of triangular eyes, and said in a strange manner: "Your military department is so big, unlike our imperial horse supervisor, you can't even send it." ”

"Father-in-law......

"That's it," the old eunuch waved his hand, "you don't have to talk to our family anymore, there is no one in the Imperial Horse Supervisor today." ”

"No one in the Imperial Horse Prison?" Yang Muyun's eyes widened in surprise, "Then where did they all go?" ”

"It's all going to get the money," the old eunuch said hesitantly: "The new regulations set by the Ministry of Household want us to go to Jingcang to receive rice and grain in person, you walk east along Dongzhimen Street, and arrive at the new Taicang in the south of the road, if you can meet the father-in-law of Xing'an, just find him there to do an errand!" ”

"Grandpa Xie!" Yang Muyun scolded secretly in his heart, gave the silver and played tricks on me, this eunuch is really a child and grandchild.

Seeing Yang Muyun returning in a hurry, the lieutenant who sent him couldn't help but wonder: "Lord Yang, ...... are you?"

"Quick, set up the car, this official is going to New Taicang!" Yang Muyun said with a gloomy face.

......

The wheels were crushing the street and hurriedly heading east, Yang Muyun sat in the center of the car and was irritable, and before he entered the door, he touched a soft nail that was not big or small, what should I do about the future? When he was upset, he suddenly felt a violent tremor in the carriage, and the horse driving it neighed.

"What's going on?" He asked, lifting the curtains.

I saw that the carriage was at a crossroads, and a camel caravan came from the left side of the road to the north, because the carriage was going too fast, the camel caravan could not avoid it, and an old man leading the camel was hit by the carriage and fell to the ground.

"Are you blind, how can you walk the way, even the car of the military department dares to block it?" The lieutenant dismounted and scolded.

The old man was lying on the ground, it seemed that the collision was not light, and at this time, a strong man with a long beard came from behind, helped him up and said something, Yang Muyun didn't understand a word, and saw that they were dressed strangely, with high noses and deep eyes, not like the Central Plains people, so he asked the captain

The officer looked.

"My lord, they came from the Western Regions to do business in my Ming Dynasty." The lieutenant said to Yang Muyun.

"Oh," Yang Muyun got out of the car, came to the old man's side and asked, "Old man, this official's car is driving faster, I don't know if it can hurt you?" ”

The strong man with a full beard widened his eyes and said with difficulty, "Thank you, little old man...... It's not a big deal. It turned out to be a standard Ming official dialect.

"Can the old man speak Chinese?" Yang Muyun was slightly surprised, took out a piece of silver from his cuffs, and handed it to him, "Find a Lang Zhong to take a look, this official still has business to do, so I can't accompany you." ”

At this time, more than ten people gathered, and when they saw the old man fall to the ground, everyone looked at Yang Muyun with a fierce look in their eyes. Seeing that the situation was not right, the lieutenant also beckoned his officers and soldiers to greet him with scabbards in hand.

The old man shouted, and before he knew what he had said, the men hurriedly bowed their heads and retreated.

"Your Excellency, please!" The old man said to Yang Muyun. Then he waved his men to pull the camel away and make a way.

Yang Muyun bowed his hand to the old man, turned around and got into the car, and the carriage crossed the camel team and drove east again.

When the carriage was far away, the old man commanded the caravan to the south.

......

Not far away, a horse-drawn carriage stopped at the intersection. A young girl in Tsing Yi sitting in the car saw all this.

"Are they all gone?" A delicate woman's voice came from inside the car.

"Well," the girl in Tsing Yi bowed slightly, "Miss Hui, they're all gone, I'm really afraid that they will fight!" ”

"Silly girl," the voice inside laughed, "they are just a group of Hu businessmen from the Western Regions, how dare they do anything with the people of the government?" ”

"The official who got out of the car was so kind, not only did he say kind words, but also gave them a piece of silver!" The girl in Tsing Yi said.

"Oh?" The voice in the car said strangely: "Such an official is really rare." ”

Seeing that the girl in Tsing Yi didn't reply, she said, "Ning Xin, what are you thinking?" ”

"Miss," the girl in Tsing Yi hesitated for a moment and said, "I think that official looks so much like the master?" ”

"How so?" The voice in the car said: "I obviously heard that the group of officers and soldiers said that it was the car of the military department, and the minister was a brocade guard, how could he sit in the car of the military department?" Sneered, "Little Nizi, you think your master wants to go crazy!" ”

The girl in Tsing Yi blushed slightly, "No, but that look, that voice ......" She thought about it for a while, and said firmly: "He must be the master, and he will never be wrong." ”

The people in the carriage were silent for a moment, and Fang said, "Which direction did the carriage go?" ”

"All the way to the east, in the direction of Dongzhimen." The girl in Tsing Yi said.

"Then follow and see if it's fair."

"Yes, miss." The girl in Tsing Yi said to the coachman on the other side of the car: "Old Fang, quickly, turn east and follow the carriage of the military department just now." ”

The new Taicang is a newly built granary in the capital, not far from Dongzhimen, covering an extremely wide area, and dozens of large warehouses are connected by black pressing. It is now crowded with eunuchs of all sizes who have come to receive rice, and in front of the huge warehouse, there are green robes worn by eunuchs, and there are some red robes from time to time. Some of them are in carts, some are leading donkeys, and according to their different ranks, the means of carrying to pull rice are also different.

Two military attachés with dozens of soldiers stood in front of the warehouse where the eunuchs' rice was distributed, and carefully watched the eunuchs receiving their own rice.

The hoarders set up large scales and stacked piles of grain bags behind them.

The eunuchs lined up, waiting for the steward to read their names so that they could come forward to receive the rice.

"Shangyi Warden Du Hai." "Feng Yi, the seal of the silk superintendent." The treasurer shouted the names of the eunuchs in the order of receiving the list.

......

"Is this the new Taicang?" Yang Muyun came to the gate of the new Taicang in a carriage. I got out of the carriage and was about to enter.

The soldier guarding the warehouse gate saw that it was a six-rank official, so he stepped forward and asked, "May I ask what business your lord is doing here?" ”

"Oh," Yang Muyun said, "This official is here to find someone." ”