Chapter 500: No one loses in this deal

The winter in the north was already cold, and the teaching ground on the outskirts of Xuanfu City was unsheltered, and the winds from all directions seemed to converge here, and the howling cold wind seemed to completely cover the shouts and cheers of the soldiers during the exercises. The wind swept the sand into the necks and sleeves of the people, adding another layer of torture to the cold. Even so, the tens of thousands of soldiers on the teaching ground did not dare to slack off in the slightest, and each of them sold enough strength to practice the military formation; And the civil and military officials on the high platform are all standing, with the Taishi chair in the center and the Nanmu chair on both sides of the empty greenhouse.

Because Wu'an Hou Zheng Heng didn't mean to sit down at all, and Lu Feng, who came to watch on purpose, didn't sit either, and even Zhang Yue, who was said to have come with a sick person, stood there motionless, so not only did the officers have to stand with him, but even the eunuch crown guarding the town was not good enough to sit alone and enjoy the blessings, and he had to stand outside the greenhouse to blow the wind.

He has been in Xuanfu for several years, in addition to the big reading in the teaching field every three years, there are also a lot of small readings in Pingsuri, but there are usually seats, where do you have to stand and shiver in the cold wind like today? Even though he tried his best to wrap the big piece on his body, he still felt that his whole body was shivering from the cold. He glanced at Lu Feng hatefully, wondering if he had just said that standing and watching could boost morale, why did he stand and suffer like those officers? and Zhang Yue, he still expects people not to sue a Diao!

And Zhang Yue had the kung fu to pay attention to the eyes of others, and the first time he saw the teaching field of this Xuanfu, he even forgot that he was a patient who had not yet recovered from his illness. He had also heard of the so-called four absolutes outside the mouth, but he didn't take it to heart, but when he heard that this teaching field was forty miles long and ten miles wide, he had to admit that the name of the first in the world was worthy of its name. It's just that even if his eyesight is not the best, he finds that except for the front few phalanxes, the military appearance at the back is really not neat.

"Compared with the previous two northern expeditions, the soldiers of Xuanfu are getting worse and worse!"

Zheng Heng frowned slightly, but he didn't compare himself with the time when he was guarding Xuanfu. Seeing that the flag officer on the tower on the side changed his flag and began another round of interspersed drills, he said to several commanders next to him: "When the northern expedition next year, the emperor must be indispensable to the big parade, if you see the so-called Xuanfu soldiers like this, I don't know how to be angry!" There is a way to practice in summer and winter in winter, all in all, this is absolutely not good! From tomorrow, the soldiers and horses in each town will take turns to teach, and at least there must be a male soldier! ”

When the commander said this, although several senior officers secretly complained about their grievances, they did not dare to disobey, and all of them repeatedly said that they did not agree. At this time, Zheng Hengfang turned to talk to Zhang Yue, but they all discussed the regulations for reviewing and training after the review. The discussion between the two of them was half an hour, and a group of pro-soldiers formed a semicircle like a benchmark, just blocking most of the cold wind, and others were not so lucky. Even Lu Feng, who was dressed thick and warm, felt stiff and cold when he stood on his feet at this time, however, when he saw that the crown had to rely on the support of two little eunuchs, he raised his eyebrows and scolded angrily.

"The soldiers below are all practicing hard, and everyone else above is standing well, Lord Xiao Zhang is more energetic than you even if he is sick, and you have to be supported by someone as a town guard, what's going on?"

The crown has been almost sideways in Xuanfu all these years, where has anyone ever been so unkind to him? Seeing that the officers around him had looked over, he shook off the two people who were supporting him, and was about to go back with a glare, Leng Buding remembered what Hai Shou said to him before he set off from Xuanfu to Xinghe, so he forced down the words, but said with a smile: "Father-in-law Lu, don't be surprised, these two little guys are used to it, and they forgot what occasion this is." Our family has been in Xuanfu for many years, so naturally we can still stand! ”

Isn't it just a comparison of standing skills? He wanted to see how long Lu Feng, a pampered eunuch in the Forbidden City, could last!

A group of officers had already become human spirits, and seeing that these two eunuchs seemed to have some-for-tat meaning, no one wanted to get involved in such a mess of troubled waters, so they naturally leaned towards Zheng Heng's side. At this time, the conversation between Zheng Heng and Zhang Yue also came to an end, as if neither of them noticed the movement on the other end, and their eyes were just on the sidelines. It wasn't until the end of the morning parade that Zheng Heng glanced at it lightly, only to find that Lu Feng and the crown were so frozen that even their expressions were wooden.

It is said that it will be a whole day of proofreading, but if it is really a place where people can freeze to death all day long, not to mention that the sergeants can't stand it, even the chief officers can't hold on. After all, there is a saying that it is easy to fight a war and difficult to train troops, and winter training has been a mere formality in Xuanfu for many years, and it is impossible to arrest it immediately at this time and a half. So, Zheng Heng quickly ordered the people of each town to go back to rest, and when the teams of people and horses returned to the camp, a group of big people on the high platform also got on their horses and went back one after another.

Thinking of the pain of running back to the city on horseback, many people complained to Zheng Heng, the Marquis of Wu'an, who ordered him not to sit in a sedan chair, half to death. And the crown, which was almost frozen into ice, was easily put on the back of the horse under the push and pull of the two little eunuchs, and when he saw that Lu Feng's action on the horse was not much better than his own, he grinned and ordered a word.

However, Zhang Yue was left behind by Zheng Heng, and then followed this Wu'an Hou to a camp three miles away from the church. Compared to the cold and windy teaching ground, it was a leeward place, much warmer, and there were many built barracks around, but there were few soldiers. When he entered one of the barracks, he asked puzzledly: "The three guards of Xuanfu are all stationed in Xuanfu City, this barracks is only about ten miles away from Xuanfu City, and the scale is so large, what is it used for?" ”

Zheng Heng didn't answer immediately, and soon, a pro-soldier sent ginger soup up, he picked up a bowl and drank it himself, seeing that Zhang Yue was stunned, he smiled and said: "Don't be in a daze, I am old, it doesn't matter if I toss them, if I toss myself sick, the emperor will not say that I am strict with myself, but will only say that I am blind and tossed." Even the ordinary military households who participated in the school parade also had a bowl of hot soup per person, otherwise they would not be able to survive in this cold weather. Hurry up and drink it, I know your illness is not cured yet, let's talk after drinking! ”

Zhang Yue drank the bowl of hot ginger soup in one go, then put the bowl aside and looked at Zheng Heng with blazing eyes. Zheng Heng pondered for a while while with the bowl, and then said bluntly: "This barracks is reserved for the emperor's army on the northern expedition. Among the more than 100,000 people in Xuanfu, there will be no more than a fraction of them, and more soldiers will be transferred from various guards. Most of these people were brought to Beijing and went on the road together the next day, but soldiers such as Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu and others still went directly to Xuanfu to assemble. You can also build barracks here, once you get to the outside of the plug, the bitter cold...... Quite a few were frozen to death and starved to death, not at the hands of the Tartars. ”

Speaking of this, Zheng Heng paused slightly, and then smiled bitterly: "There are some things that you don't understand when they are originally said, but you have already been on the battlefield now, so I have to say it." Just remember what I reminded you that day, and now it's the most important thing. The emperor asked you to supervise the military affairs of the Xuanfu, so you will put in order what should be rectified. Before, you wrote to ask for a change in the salt law, and now you happen to be here, and that's the first priority. In the past, there were any shortcomings that could be turned a blind eye and not investigated, but this batch of open grain is military food, and some black-hearted seeds must not be corrupted! ”

Zhang Yue's expression was stunned, and he stood up immediately: "Wu Anhou, rest assured, I will definitely handle this matter with my heart." ”

"That's good!" Zheng Heng counted with his fingers, and then raised his head again, "The time for the army to march has not yet been decided, but according to the previous two times, it is February, so from this year's month to February next year, there should be no shortage of salt merchants who go to Xuanfu to collect grain and open banknotes." In previous years, salt merchants would most likely prepare 20 to 30 percent more grain to pay filial piety, but this time we must stop this trend. Hmm, that Father-in-law Lu has a good relationship with you, so you might as well fight his idea about this matter. ”

Who said that the military attache is not as scheming as the civilian official, this is simply the most cunning old fox!

Slander is slander, but Zhang Yue knows that there is no way to do it. Although Zheng Heng, Marquis of Wu'an, used to guard the Xuanfu in the past, this was seven years ago, and now this network of interests up and down may not be easy to touch, even if he, a five-rank official, is ordered to be the governor, it is not easy to come casually. However, since Lu Feng plans to move the crown and use this to make an example of the monkeys, it will be much more convenient. I can't complain that Zheng Heng is ruthless, this extra reserve of a few percent of grain is not only beneficial to the overall situation, but also beneficial to the soldiers.

The last time was to remind about the connection behind the crown, this time it was to leave it to explain the matter of military rations in Kaizhong, and after a delay of half an hour, Zheng Heng smiled and said that the carriage had already been prepared, and he ordered his own soldiers to escort Zhang Yue back. When the people left, he got up and opened the curtain and entered the back room, and said to the people inside: "If I am not mistaken, there were so many eunuchs in the palace at the beginning, and Pisheng sent a Lu Feng of the Admiral Dongchang, which is also a good calculation of the British duke, right?" ”

"Master Hou laughed, my grandfather doesn't know anything." Peng Shisan didn't follow Zhang Yue to teach today, but rushed here after finishing what Zhang Yue told him, and then said with a smile, "My grandfather said that Young Master Yue's old father-in-law taught him the right way, but he had to comprehend other ways by himself, so he was afraid that he would do something wrong on impulse." Xuanfu is an important place for military affairs, which is very different from the original Qingzhou Jiangnan, so you have to have a lot of guidance from a veteran who knows the way, and it is also the blessing of the young master. ”

"There are so many British generals, you are the best at talking, no wonder he asked you to follow Zhang Yue!"

Zheng Heng snorted angrily, and then said casually: "Mention him as a layer, and I won't do anything bad for myself." Pull a hair and move the whole body, not to mention that the roots here are probably rotten, I can't dig him or dig, only rely on others. The emperor's northern expedition is guaranteed, the imperial court has a few less big moths, Zhang Yue and I have no constraints, the soldiers have enough military rations, and Lu Feng can get a lot of property from the crown, and no one will lose money in this transaction! ”