In the Yunlin Temple, the sound of the wooden fish, the Sanskrit sound is sung, the incense of this border temple is particularly vigorous, even if it is placed in the hinterland area, it is also a first-class temple. The interior of the meditation room is also very neatly furnished, and a furnace of vegetarian incense is burning, isolating the stench that permeates the city.

When Fan Jin walked into the room, he saw a tall old man sitting upright in the room, whispering something silently. The old man is around fifty years old, and in this era, due to the problem of life expectancy, fifty years old is already considered old, and his beard and hair have turned gray, but his appearance is not angry and arrogant, and he does not look old and weak at all. Even if you don't look at his official uniform, you can conclude just by looking at his temperament that this person is by no means a country novice.

With the ability to preside over such a temple, there is naturally no doubt about his own level of communication, he knows when to say or what to do, prepares fragrant tea for the two, and quietly withdraws after changing a pot of incense. Zheng Luo only looked at Fan Jin at this time, and in a pair of slender eyes, two rays of light shot out, like two sharp swords, making people dare not look directly.

"The old man who retreated has already seen it, and he didn't go to the city gate to greet him, so he won't be surprised by retreat, right?"

"Where did the old military man say, the young people are not the younger generations, how dare they work for the golden body of the old seniors. On the contrary, it is the younger generation who first went to Datong before the sun and met the old-timers, and the old-timers should not be surprised. ”

Zheng Luo shook his head and said, "I'm not going to greet you, that's what I'm afraid of." Shilin seniority, officialdom communication. We, the old men, have been rolling in the officialdom for decades, being governed by these rules, and before we speak or do things, we have to think about whether it is appropriate to say this, and in the end, we are bound by our hands and feet, and people are as unhappy as if they are tied up by something. You're still young, don't learn these things. This is a place outside the square, although you and I are wearing official uniforms, we can still temporarily escape from the red dust and steal half a day of leisure. The border land is not as good as the belly, there are not many things worth worrying about, these things are related to the safety of the court and the lives of the people, compared with these things, those rules and etiquette are not so important. What is the use of you worshipping me and me worshipping you again? Instead of wasting time and energy like that, it is better for everyone to drink a few cups of tea here, say a few words of heart-to-heart, and see more friendship. In the yamen, I am the governor and you are the inspector, and everyone can only talk about official business. There is a bodhisattva in the temple, in front of the bodhisattva, you and I are just two ordinary people, there is no distinction between high and low, young and old, everyone can talk about the words of the confidant, so I chose here to meet with the retreat. ”

"The military has good intentions, and the younger generation is ashamed of itself."

"It's not polite, as I said, everyone is a layman here, so there's no need to be so reserved. Although the old man is in the borderland, he has long admired the name of the white bread man. I heard that you did a good job in Shangyuan, and you also abolished the Shenbo Hall and the Inner Weaving and Dyeing Bureau. This thing is done well, those eunuchs who are leviing and poisoning the people under the banner of heaven, but in the end they count all the sins on the head of Wan Sui, trapping the king with their ministers, and framing their masters with slaves, and they should be cut by a thousand knives! Just dismissing a few of their yamen, so that they have no private wealth, it is simply cheaper for them. Since the abolition of the Inner Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, this year's Xuanda New Year's Appreciation of satin, the cloth in the market is far better than in previous years, regardless of the color or quantity, it seems that the way of purchasing the court with official supervision and business is much stronger than those eunuchs weaving themselves. In previous years, with this batch of market cloth, those Tartars would be so happy that they could not close their mouths, the border gates would be peaceful, and the soldiers would have been able to sleep well. ”

Fan Jin said: "The old military gate worries about the country and the people, worthy of the national dynasty dry city, before the younger generations travel, the old Taishan also deliberately mentioned that the old military gate sat on the border, repaired the beacon side wall, and made Hu Qi daunting of the merits, which is really the national dynasty domain. The younger generation is young and shallow, and this time I came to ask for more advice in front of the old-timers and learn the art of war. ”

Zheng Luo's attitude seemed to be heartfelt, but Fan Jin would not believe that Zheng Luo would really cooperate with his work or have a good opinion of himself. The attitude he is putting on now is, first, to remind Zheng Luo that he has a heel, and ask him not to take himself too seriously; The second is also to tell Zheng Luo that although he came with Shang Fang's sword, he did not come to trouble him with Zheng Luo, but to learn from him, hoping that he would cooperate with his work next. With Zheng Luo's age and officialdom qualifications, it is impossible not to understand this, and if you still have to embarrass yourself, then you will be ruthless.

"Thinking about it seriously, Yuan Weng is as big as the sea, it is the jade pillar of the country dynasty, you are the east bed of Yuan Weng, you can ask for advice every day, the old man has this little ability, but he doesn't dare to show it. This is a bitter place, not as rich as Jingshi, nor as good as the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River. This tea can only be regarded as a second-rate commodity when it is taken to Jingshi, but in this place, it is an extremely rare thing, and it is only about half a catty that has been saved, and it is not the face of the old man, and he will definitely not take it out for hospitality, so he will keep it for his own use. Looking at the water again, I didn't know how many times to filter out the sediment. On weekdays, the water that everyone drinks is full of sand, and the taste is bitter and difficult, which is incomparable with the nectar of Yuquan Mountain in Jingshi. ”

Fan Jin nodded and said: "The border is hard, and the younger generation has already considered it. This time, I am also prepared to suffer. ”

"It shouldn't be like this. Hardship in the border areas is a general term, and the situation varies from place to place. The situation in Datong is much better than here, why suffer here to enjoy happiness there? Especially Miss Zhang's famous daughter, when did she suffer such hardships? If the old man's expectations are not bad, then the yamen of the procuratorate is only afraid that the eldest lady will not be used to it. ”

Fan Jin smiled: "Although Humble Jing was born in a prime minister's house, people are not so squeamish. ”

"It's not polite to think about it, and let's talk about the eldest lady, even if the old man lives in the yamen, in fact, he is like sitting in a prison of innocence, and he is not used to it at all. I, the one who leads the army, is still like this, let alone the weak quality in the boudoir? Maybe the eldest lady is still resentful of the old man's intention to make things difficult and unkind. ”

"The old military man laughed, there is no such thing."

"No, it's not a joke, it's the truth. The old man is indeed doing this on purpose, I want to embarrass myself and the eldest lady, so that you can't stand the hard work, and leave Yanghe quickly. ”

These words were originally words that were muffled in his heart, but he openly made it clear, but it made Fan Jin a little difficult to answer. I had to look at him and wait for his next step. Zheng Luo shook his head,

"The old man is not an unkind person, and the reason why he is so arranged is really his own difficulties. If you come here for the first two years, the old man will do his best to entertain you, although the environment is still like this, but it will definitely make your stay more comfortable. But now...... You didn't come at the right time, Yanghe is not a peaceful place, and I don't know when it will turn into a Shura slaughterhouse. The son of the daughter can't sit down, and at this moment, he and Miss Zhang should go to the belly to avoid trouble, instead of being frightened here. Even Datong is much better than Yanghe's situation. Retreat to the responsibility of the king's order, but the safety of the eldest lady should always be taken into account, and she should not be frightened with you. Besides, the old man didn't want to divide a team of elite soldiers to protect Miss Zhang and Retreat when he fought against Hu Cai. If you leave Yanghe now, it may be more beneficial for the whole battle. ”

Fan Jin didn't think that Zheng Luo actually had this idea, but he couldn't have a seizure, after all, the other party was thinking about himself, and if he had a seizure, he would be unreasonable. From the other party's words, he could feel that in Zheng Luo's heart, he regarded himself and Zhang Shunqing as a burden, and hoped to throw them as far away as possible.

Fortunately, after being an official for so long, self-cultivation kung fu has been practiced a long time ago, and it has not started because of this, and the surface is still a ball of harmony. It's just a little more worried, "Old Junmen, is the situation so critical now?" ”

Zheng Luo said with a serious face: "Jia Renfu didn't make it clear to Hui Si? Now that I have died, the Tartars are quite unstable. The Hu people only believed in force and did not keep their promises, and they relied on the three ladies to transit through the circle that day to ensure the peace of the border. Rao is like this, there are still small groups of rangers who have repeatedly committed crimes, and now I am dead, and the authority of the three ladies does not know how, and it is not yet known whether they can subdue the various departments. Judging from the recent invasion of small groups of rangers, I am afraid that the Tartars are ready to go south to plunder, and a big battle is just around the corner. Yanghe Fort bears the brunt of the attack, and will be destroyed by the soldiers, so when will you stay if you don't leave at this time? The old man is the governor of Xuanda, and his responsibilities cannot be separated for a while, so you can't afford to stay and take risks, so it's better to leave as soon as possible. Find a safe place, and when this battle is over, you will have time to deal with anyone or find out whose handle. ”

Fan Jin said: "Listening to what the old military said, it seems that this time it seems that there is going to be a big battle?" If so, the younger generation can not go, this is the time for the court to employ people, the younger generation came on the order of the king, how can there be a reason to avoid the war and flee for their lives, although they are weak scholars, they are also willing to do their best to defend the city. ”

Zheng Luo was not happy with Fan Jin's statement, on the contrary, his eyebrows wrinkled even tighter, and his face became more and more ugly.

"Retreat is not only for the second class, but it is excellent to learn from yourself. But the old man asks you, have you ever led your troops to war? Have you ever managed a lineman? Have you ever been exposed to military affairs? Do you think you'll know how to march and set up after reading a few military books? It's a joke! ”

His voice became extremely muffled. "The three generations of the Zheng family are soldiers, and the old man has listened to his ancestors and fathers teach the study of battle formations since he was a child, and after he came out, he had to train in the border court for many years, be in charge of money, food, and ordnance, and be familiar with these soldiers, know their temperament and temperament, and the situation of each army, before he is in charge of the army. You are new to the city, and you don't even recognize the appearance of those general soldiers and generals, how can you share my worries? Do you really think that if you hold Shang Fang's sword, those arrogant soldiers will be at your disposal? Even if they are at your disposal, do you know how to divide the troops and how to arrange the city defenses? It's useless to talk on paper, and the old man doesn't want to serve the horse here! ”

Later generations will always criticize the Ming Dynasty's civil official military system, and blame the defeat at the end of the Ming Dynasty, but ignore the Ming Dynasty for more than 200 years, since the Renxuan era after the nine-border defense system was fixed, the civilian official army has been customized. The Ming Dynasty was still as stable as Mount Tai and was peaceful and prosperous, and at the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was just a continuation of the previous system, which showed that the victory or defeat had nothing to do with whether the civilian officials were in charge of the army.

As far as the military system of the Ming Dynasty is concerned, it can only allow civilian officials to control the troops. The hereditary system of military guards has led to the fact that the officers are all hereditary generals, and the border army is not as good as the belly, and the personnel mobility is poor, and in many cases, the ancestors have taken root here and never changed. It is very easy for a certain family to take charge of the army for generations and form their own forces in the local area, even Ma Fang, a figure who was born as a fugitive slave and started as an ordinary soldier to become the governor of Zuodu, has no roots in himself, and has become a general-gate system entrenched in Shanxi, and his descendants are in charge of the army for generations and control the military power in his own area. Outsiders can't intervene at all, and even if they take the military headquarters to take the army, they may not be able to actually control the troops.

Qi Jiguang entered Jizhen and had to take his own soldiers to line up in the rain to suppress the scene, Juniper took Li Chengliang's class, and the only ones who could command were the dozens of family members around him, and he couldn't command any of the officers promoted by Li Chengliang. In this context, there are signs of warlordization, if you don't use civilian officials to restrain military generals, you can't guarantee the stability of the emperor's throne, and you can't ensure that the emperor's inheritance depends only on birth and ability.

Moreover, it is different from what ordinary people imagine. As a minister in the border area, he is not completely devoid of military experience, but he reads good books and reads military books before going out to supervise them. In fact, all civilian officials who served as governors did not necessarily have any worse military experience than military attachés. They all had a previous work experience of participating in military activities at the grassroots level, or in charge of money and food, or in charge of equipment, or they were like Fan Jin to patrol the border areas, and they had contact with the troops to understand the situation of the army.

Compared with the military attachés of the Ming Dynasty, who are generally lacking in culture at present, the civilian officials have both front-line practical experience and more advantages in theoretical knowledge. It is the management mode of a normal country to control the military with literature, and the reverse is the abnormal and barbaric backwardness. The Ming Dynasty was a unified empire that pursued stability, not a militaristic state or a tribal alliance, and it was natural for civilian officials to manage military attachés.

Civilian officials do not mean that they can't fight, like Wang Yue back then, he personally led the troops to charge, and beat the Tatars to the point of terrification in the Red Salt Pond with 5,000 enemies, and this kind of combat feats are more brilliant than the generals. Even in the case of Zheng Luo, who has been in the border for many years, although Wuxun is not as eye-catching as Wang Yue, he is also a veteran who has built a long border wall, defeated the Tartar rangers countless times, and killed thousands of Tartars. He has enough qualifications in the military field to criticize Fan Jin, who has never led a soldier.

It's a kind reminder and a sign of asserting one's authority. Zheng Luo's bottom line is very clear, he can let other places by himself, but the military must be his own land, and Fan Jin is forbidden to interfere. The latter also understood what he meant, and hurriedly said: "The old military gate has misunderstood, the student is not familiar with military affairs, so naturally he will not intervene casually to affect the old military gate's decision." The so-called modest efforts of the students are not military affairs, but other things. ”

"Then it's even more needless." Hearing that Fan Jin would not interfere in the military, Zheng Luo's face looked better. "War is not child's play, and this place is not Jiangnan. In Shangyuan, you can use moral articles to rope and ink the people, and punish the eunuchs with strategy. But pen and ink can't retreat from the enemy, and sage books can't stop the wolf's teeth. Only by fighting on the battlefield can you resist Hu Qi with blade armor. It's useless if your heart is good, staying here will only distract the old man, and leave Yanghe first, and when the old man defeats the Tartars, it's not too late for us to talk in detail. ”

"The words of the old military are exquisite, but the younger generation is not an ignorant child, and he will not be a white blade with his bare hands. This time I came to the border pass, and the younger generation not only had Shang Fang's sword in his hand, but also the reward coins and red satin issued by Long Life. There will be brave men under the heavy reward, and with this heavy reward, he can also be a little weak in war. ”

Zheng Luo snorted, "The old man already knows about the silver satin. When you turn back, you will arrange for the Chinese army to collect it, and if you do a good job of handing it over, you will get out of the city as soon as possible. Except for the military households who have lived here for generations, no one brings their families, especially officials who come on behalf of their daughters, it is even more inappropriate, and those officers and soldiers who can't marry a wife until death see your wife and beautiful concubine hugging left and right, and they will inevitably be dissatisfied in their hearts, so it is better to leave early. The old man knows what you are doing, Xue Rulong and Xiao Changce are my favorite generals, and if they are within their reach, the old man will definitely protect them. But this time...... You can't control it, so it's better not to meddle. I'm doing this for your own good, and also to take care of Yuan Weng's face, so I can't make a mistake about it. ”