In the early morning of June 28, the eighth year of Jinghe, the newly appointed garrison secretary of the concurrent government, Lord Li, got up and set off from the Jiangdu County Ya to the school in the city.

The school yard of the Yangzhou Garrison Division used to be located in the south of the Salt Transportation Division in the new urban area, with an excellent geographical location, very close to the Xiaoqinhuai River and several commercial streets. But this has brought several undesirable consequences, on the one hand, the nearby families are noisy with the barracks, and on the other hand, the surrounding Huahua world is too tempting for the barracks.

Under the operation of various parties, the garrison division school field was relocated to the southwest corner of Fucheng, away from the prosperous areas such as Gongchen Gate, Qianguan, Xiaoqinhuai, and Dongguan Street.

When Li You arrived, Xin Garrison led his subordinates to greet a total of seventeen commanders and sentinels, all of whom were pointed round helmets, lined with official robes, and covered with cotton armor.

"You are in armor, so you don't need to be polite." Master Li waved his hand lightly, neither enthusiastic nor indifferent, and spoke first to avoid the knees of the military attachés.

All the military attaches clasped their fists together and saluted: "I've seen the calmdown!" ”

Li You was slightly stunned by this new title, and expressed his condolences to Xin Shoubei with his eyes, in order to find a suitable name for this official, it is really difficult for you.

In other words, Lord Li's unprecedented official title is really distressing, and all those that already have fixed meanings, such as the ministry, the ministry, the system, the military gate, the Futai, the town, the town, the army, the supervisor, etc., cannot be applied.

Xin Shoubei invited a few old masters to work behind closed doors for two hours yesterday before he invented a title of pacification, which means guarding the place and caring for the army and the people.

The military attachés surrounded Master Li through the Beiyuan Gate and ascended to the general platform built on the edge of the school grounds. Looking from above, the battalion soldiers were already lined up on the racecourse at this time.

Li You sat down on the chair steadily, looked around the audience and ordered: "Let's start!" ”

After the fourteen sentinels saluted with their fists, they trotted back to the team, and only Xin Shoubei and the three chief attendants stood on the stage and accompanied Lord Li to watch.

Immediately the drums sounded, there were flag-waving, trumpeting, the battalion soldiers in the field each held weapons, there were points and combinations of formations to advance and retreat, for the martial arts, Master Li is a layman in the layman, he can't understand at all, the main energy is to study the battalion soldiers' clothing and armor style and several heads, but this does not affect his wordless pretense. It is better not to speak and appear unfathomable, so as not to show timidity as soon as you open your mouth.

It wasn't until the end of the performance that dozens of representatives came out of the firearms battalion and went to the distant shooting range to demonstrate the muskets, which aroused the interest of Master Li again, but unfortunately he still didn't understand, and only heard the sound of ping-pong was quite lively.

Now it is almost the hottest time of the year, and seeing that his head is gradually rising, Master Li thoughtfully ordered: "The horse team will not look at it, and at this point, they will all disperse." ”

More than 1,000 soldiers said loudly: "Thank you for calming down!" ”

Then everyone on the stage walked out of the school and walked into the garrison office, but they saw that there was also a plaque hanging elegantly in the lobby, with three big characters "White Tiger Hall" written on it.

It's a familiar name... Master Li sat down unceremoniously in the front seat, picked up the roster and took the roll call, and the military attachés also took off their armor and went to the hall to meet them.

From the first time they saw each other just now, Li You felt that there was one less person. Under the garrison, there should have been three generals in the battalion, and fifteen sentinels under his command, a total of eighteen military attachés, but he saw only seventeen. When the roll call was over, sure enough, there was a sentry named Hou Bing who had not arrived.

Could it be that there are people who don't know life and death who want to call out? Li You asked Xin Shoubei next to him quietly: "Where is this person?" ”

"I found out that he was missing this morning, and I have sent someone to look for him." Xin Shoubei replied respectfully.

Li You put down the roster, but said something else, "The official just inspected the battalion soldiers, the number of soldiers doesn't seem to be right, there should be more than 1,800 soldiers, how can there be hundreds of less, could it be that the company has a salary?" ”

Xin Ming said in a panic: "Zhen Fuxiu has to misunderstand, how dare you dare to find such a serious crime!" We don't have to eat empty pay! ”

It turned out that if this military attache wanted to eat empty salaries, he had to condone the sergeants to flee first, so that he could vacate the head of the white-collar salary, silver and rice grain. In recent decades, the population of the original guards has grown, land has been tight, and there has been no war in the interior for a long time, so serving abroad as a battalion soldier has become a good way out. Every year, I still have a few taels of silver to get when I am full, and I may have a chance to become a small leader.

The sergeants don't run away, and they don't talk about empty salaries if they want to, but it doesn't matter, military attaches have another way to make money, which is more and less risky than eating empty salaries. Especially in a big place like Yangzhou Mansion, it is even more easy to use.

This is called "buying spare money" also. For example, as long as the battalion soldiers of the Yangzhou Garrison Department pay two yuan of silver to the battalion officer every month to buy spare money, and no longer receive rations and monthly silver, they can go to the city to work or do small business while retaining their military status and accepting the call at any time. In a high-wage area like Yangzhou, even if you work part-time, you can earn two taels of silver per month.

Therefore, the high-risk way of eating empty salaries is too old-fashioned, and a win-win risk-free way to eat and buy spare money is the mainstream way.

Xin Shoubei patted his chest and said, "Please calm down!" Those soldiers who buy idle camps will never go out of the city, once something happens, as long as they send light cavalry to blow horns along the streets, they can quickly return to the barracks, and they can use the same! ”

It's really knowledgeable everywhere when you pay attention... Master Li asked again, "How many people are out of the house?" ”

Xin Shoubei waited for a moment before he reluctantly replied: "There are more than 400 people in the 3rd battalion of Fucheng, and more than 100 people in the 2nd battalion of Gaoyou. ”

Li You took the whole number and calculated it silently, there were about two hundred and fifty taels of silver every month, and the income of one hundred and fifty stone rice grains was equivalent to a total of four hundred taels of silver at the official price, which added up to almost five thousand taels for the whole year.

How much money is not the matter, but Li You felt that Xin Shoubei was a little hesitant when answering this question just now, which was not at all like the usual crispness.

Lord Li is a delicate person who can't rub sand in his eyes, and Xin Shoubei's hesitation has a more serious idea, are you afraid that this official will get a piece of the pie? deliberately asked: "How is this money divided?" ”

"Every month, one hundred taels will be sent to the governor's yamen, one hundred taels will be retained for lowly posts, one hundred taels will be taken from the total points, and one hundred taels will be divided among the sentinels."

Li You sighed in his heart, he really couldn't see that a garrison with only 3,000 people actually had more than 1,000 taels of extra money every year, which was about the same as the regular silver income of his acting magistrate.

He wanted to take the opportunity to check the character of Xin Shoubei, so as to judge whether it could be used in the future, or how to use it, so he tentatively asked: "From now on, what is the share of that official?" ”

Xin Shoubei said to Lord Li with an expressionless face: "Humble position is at the command of the lord!" ”

Hearing this, Lord Li was very dissatisfied, how could he say that? It's the equivalent of saying no!

It has always been the subordinates who take the initiative to be filial, and if there is more or less, then say another, how can there be a reason for the boss to be cheeky and talk about the number?

Xin guards such a polite person, how can he not understand this, it turns out that he is really worried that he will take away his silver, is this how to be a villager.

In fact, this is Li Zhenfu's inconsiderate people, he feels that the money is immeasurable, and he doesn't take more than a thousand taels to heart, but for Xin Shoubei, this is all his income, how can he not value it?

The original system was that the governor was in charge of the garrison department, and the prefect controlled the local area. Now it has become a three-level model of governor, Li Zhenfu, and garrison department, in other words, it is one more boss who pays a penny. If it is counted according to one hundred taels of filial piety, then the number of military attachés in the garrison department will be reduced by one-third.

I don't want this person to look free and easy, and be so greedy for money and stingy under temptation... Li You was about to use some method to knock the Xin garrison when suddenly a drunken officer staggered into the hall.

Master Li frowned and was silent, but when he saw the drunk man walking in front of Li You, he also squinted and pointed: "Where did the little official come from, he is really good..."

Li You hadn't suffered such humiliation for many years, and he was furious, and the faces of the three generals who were still in the hall also changed greatly, and Xin Shoubei stepped forward and scolded: "Hou Bing! Are you crazy? ”

Hou Bing? It turned out to be the absent sentinel... Master Li, who was really angry, stared at him fiercely, thinking about how to kill this guy, and said to Xin Shoubei: "How to deal with military law?" ”

Xin Shoubei replied: "You can be heavily blamed for eighty military sticks, please calm down if you can do it." ”

"Hit first!"

Immediately, a small colonel on duty held Hou Bing down and dragged him to the courtyard to start the execution.

Listening to the screams when he was executed outside, Li You was angry. Suddenly, I heard a commotion again, and the school on duty quickly ran in and reported: "It's not good! There are soldiers making a fuss in front of the yamen! ”

Why did you encounter anything strange today... Li You asked, "What is the reason?" ”

"It's all Hou Bingming's grievances!"

"Bastard! How is this possible! Master Li scolded the case.

Xin Shoubei hurriedly explained: "Hou Bingnai is an old man in the camp, and he has always been promising, so it's not surprising that some people are not convinced after beating him. ”

Li You got up and walked out of the lobby, he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

Dozens of sergeants gathered outside the courtyard gate, and all kinds of voices were mixed together and boiled in a noisy manner. Seeing Li You coming out of the lobby, the crowd seemed to be even more angry, and they poured into the courtyard to surround him.

The crowd was raging, how dare Master Li put himself in danger, and hurriedly avoided the lobby. Fortunately, there was a small colonel with a knife, holding the door.

In the house, Li You gritted his teeth angrily, this incident was definitely premeditated and organized! Someone is definitely planning against him! Then he turned his head and scolded: "Xin Ming, how can you be a guard!" Get out there and calm things down! ”

"Obedience! Please calm down and wait in peace. Xin Shoubei replied and strode out.

Li Zhenfu waited left and right, I don't know how long he waited, and secretly scolded this Xin Ming embroidered pillow, and he was really ineffective at the critical moment! Even a few dozen soldiers can't be even.

Just as he was thinking about it, he saw a figure flash at the door of the room, and Xin Shoubei walked in.

Li You, who was full of anger, was about to scold, but suddenly there was another person behind Xin Shoubei, who was dressed in black yarn and wrapped in a jade belt around his waist, and was more than forty years. Looking closely, it was actually Luo Zhifu.

Master Li was so surprised in his heart that he forgot to salute, "How did the Mansion Zun get here?" ”

Luo Zhifu smiled and said sarcastically: "I heard that Li Beijia caused a mutiny, and this government naturally wants to come to suppress it." ”

Li You suddenly realized that today's chaos has nothing to do with him! He asked Xin Shoubei again: "You invited Fuzun here?" ”

Xin Ming didn't dare to look at Master Li, bowed his head and said, "The incident is very special, and it will be honored by the Mansion." The mansion is the main hall of the house, what should not be asked in the house? ”

This must be a partnership between Xin Shoubei and Luo Zhifu! Li You's face was gloomy as water, I thought that you were courteous and would ask for something, it turned out to be to paralyze the master's vigilance, but I didn't expect that your thick eyebrows and big eyes were actually an evil spirit, you are the first person to look away from the master, you are very honored... This is all to blame for Lord Li being a high-ranking civil servant for a long time, but he despised the military attachés and only regarded them as tools that should be obeyed, but they also have their own joys, sorrows, and sorrows.

As a result, Li You forgot a little bit about it, he himself got the errand of the garrison division of the mansion, and the biggest loss was not the Luo Governor's Mansion, but the Xin garrison who had an extra boss out of thin air and handed over the seal talisman!

Xin Shoubei kept saying yesterday that he was going to hand over the seal letter today, but after Lord Li arrived at the Garrison Division today, Xin Shoubei never mentioned this matter, if Lord Li was careful, he should be able to detect this sign!

Ginger is still old and spicy... The prefect Luo Xingye rebuked Li You with a bit of pride, "When Lord Li first arrived in the barracks, he was arrogant, atrocity, and abuse of officials and soldiers, almost causing a mutiny, and openly asking for bribes!" You are really not worthy of being in charge of military affairs, and this government and the garrison department want to impeach you! ”

The crime of causing a mutiny is not small, Li You defended with a gloomy face: "It was that Hou Bing was drunk and couldn't get it, and he was rude first." ”

Governor Luo replied preparedly: "Hou Bing is not a mistake, he went to the government to discuss the payment of grain and salary, and the official just left him to drink a few glasses of wine." By the way, now that it is calm outside, Li Beijia can go back to the county office. ”

It's been smooth sailing for too long, it's really paralyzing! Li You kept blaming himself in his heart, and his gaze slowly swept over the people in the room, fixed on the three seven-rank generals. Then I thought of a question, Xin Shoubei is willing to use a sentry officer, but also refuses to use a general, does it mean that he is not sure?

Thinking of this, Li You let out a long sigh and said to the three generals: "Patrol and anti-smuggling are not good, this official originally planned to send battalions to the major checkpoints in the east to check for smuggled salt, and the three of you will take turns to patrol." Now it seems that this idea is about to die. ”

The three of them hung up on their own business, and it could even be said that they were inclined to drive Li Zhen away, after all, no one wanted to let their two hundred and forty taels a year be reduced by one-third. But when he heard the word "private salt" come out of Lord Li's mouth, his eyes lit up.

Lest a few elders not be able to settle the accounts, Li You muttered in his mouth: "Huaiyan has an annual output of 50,000 catties, of which Huainan Salt Farm produces 40,000 catties, and the export must pass through the boundary of Jiangdu County." If this is the case with official salt, how much private salt transits? I'm afraid there will be 20,000 or 30,000 catties. According to the profit of five cents per catty of private salt, it is one or two million silver! I can find out if an achievement is worth one or two hundred thousand silver! The entire garrison department only has 5,000 taels of extra money every year, and it's ridiculous to wait for this bit of silver! ”

Compared with five thousand taels, one or two hundred thousand taels of silver is indeed huge... Li Youqing heard it clearly, and the breathing of the people in the room gradually became thicker.

(To be continued)