Governor Wu's intention to summon Xu Liang was something that Xu Liang could guess with his toes. After the last edict asking Xu Liang to send troops to Jingning Prefecture, Xu Liang did nothing, and then aggrievedly filed a complaint against Zhang Fengqi, the prefect of Pingliang, for maliciously defaulting on the reward. Governor Wu summoned Xu Liang to send troops to Jingning Prefecture.

The soldiers of the governor's yamen naturally recognized this commanding and powerful Pingliang Tongzhi, and respectfully saluted and let him go. Xu Liang entered the governor's palace, asked Dai Yingying and eight Tsing Yi guards to wait in the front yard, straightened his crimson official robe, took a good posture, took a solemn demeanor, and entered the governor's study lightly.

At this time, the remnant sun was like blood, shining through the window lattice on the thin back of the three-sided governor Wu Zhiwang who bowed his head and pondered, although the governor Wu was wearing a new official robe of a second-grade court official, but it was difficult to hide the loneliness and loneliness of the governor Wu.

Governor Wu heard the sound, raised his head from his contemplation, saw Xu Liang with a respectful face, smiled, and the deep wrinkles on his face slowly stretched out like a spring breeze.

"Guozhong, you're here." Governor Wu said in a hoarse voice.

Xu Liang heard the word Guozhong, and when he heard the word Guozhong, he felt sick to his stomach for a while, but the respectful look on his face remained the same, and he hurriedly took two steps forward and gave a deep salute: "Xiaguan Pingliang knows Xu Liang, please meet the governor!"

Governor Wu hurriedly raised his hand lightly and said with a smile: "Guozhong doesn't have to be polite, just sit down." ”

"Master Xie." Xu Liang thanked him, picked a chair close to the desk, sat down gently, looked at Governor Wu with a respectful face, and waited for Governor Wu to speak.

Governor Wu called his subordinates to serve tea again, and seeing Xu Liang's respectful look, he said with a smile: "This is not the Yamen Hall. Guozhong does not have to be inhibited. There are no trilateral governors here, and there are no Pingliang Tongzhi. I'm Wu Zhiwang. You are Xu Guozhong, two year-old friends chatting. That's all. ”

Xu Liang smiled and said, "I haven't been able to listen to the teachings of adults for some days, and when I first saw adults, I became nervous for no reason. ”

Governor Wu sighed, "Yes, we haven't seen each other for almost three months, right?" ”

"It's not that long." Xu Liang said seriously: "It's only been two months and nine days. After saying that, Governor Chaowu winked mischievously.

Governor Wu suddenly laughed, and pointed his finger at Xu Liang, "You! ”

The two laughed. Xu Liang looked at Governor Wu's pale temples, and said with emotion: "My lord, you are old and have lost weight......

Governor Wu was silent for a while, and laughed at himself: "The old man is seventy-three years old this year, so he is naturally old. Seeing Xu Liang's concerned look, Governor Wu felt a burst of warmth in his heart, and beckoned Xu Liang to use tea, "This is the dragon well before the rain given to the old man by an old friend in Fujian." Guozhong, you taste it. ”

Xu Liang took two or three sips of the cup.

Governor Wu asked expectantly, "How does it taste?" ”

Xu Liang smacked his lips and muttered, "It doesn't make any difference." ”

Governor Wu scolded with a smile: "You are a cow drink, and you have to taste tea and tea, that is, you have to taste it slowly in small sips." in order to taste the taste. ”

Xu Liang said with a smile: "The vulgar people of the lower officials are used to drinking cold water in a big bowl, and the adults want to go down to the officials to taste tea." But it's a bad tea. ”

Governor Wu smiled helplessly again. After a small talk, Governor Wu spoke highly of Xu Liang's new soap paste factory in Pingliang. really praised Xu Liang's economic acumen.

After talking for a while, Governor Wu brought the topic to the matter of sending troops to Jingning Prefecture.

"Guozhong. The old man also heard about the excerpt you went on. Governor Wu stroked his snow-white goat's short beard and said slowly: "Although Guozhong's move is angry, it will inevitably damage face in the eyes of his colleagues in the DPRK and China. ”

Xu Liang said secretly, in this Ming Dynasty court, he knows no more than 30 so-called colleagues, and there are tens of thousands of officials in the Ming Dynasty.

However, this kind of idea is naturally not on the table, Xu Liang showed an aggrieved look, looked at Governor Wu, and said: "My lord, my lord, the lower officials are really forced to do this." Since receiving the order of the lord to send troops, the lower officials convened a meeting of the generals of the Liang army to discuss the dispatch of troops, however, the shape is stronger than the people, and the generals in the army heard that not only did they not get the reward silver, but also won the pension silver, and the more than 5,000 soldiers who died in the battle were not cold, and the governor's palace wanted the Liang army to go on the expedition...... At that time, there was a quarrel in the chamber of the lower officials, and the lower officials talked a lot of truths, and all the good things were said, but none of them were willing to lead the troops to the battle! ”

Governor Wu choked, looked at Xu Liang's expression, and said for a while: "Guozhong, it is said that the old man in the Liang army, as the governor of the three sides, should not interfere. However, Guozhong, you are the general of the Liang army, leading the troops, don't pay attention to the prohibition of individual orders, as long as Guozhong insists on sending troops, I think the other generals in the Liang army, even if they have opinions, they will never dare to disobey the military order. ”

Xu Liang thought in his heart, what did Governor Wu mean by this? Did he suspect that I was deliberately dragging my feet and not sending troops?

Xu Liang's face was even more aggrieved, and his eyes were red, "My lord, it's not that the lower officials don't have to work hard, you also know that the army under the lower officials is different from the ordinary court army, and the military salary, grain and grass are all self-sufficient and self-sufficient. The soldiers had to eat, they had to be paid, they had to feed their families, and all these things depended on that little military salary. This won the battle, raped the thieves, but did not receive the reward, how can the soldiers below be convinced? This requires the horses to run, and they have to give the horses grass. ”

Governor Wu said: "Guozhong, don't you still run several shops in your mansion, and there is a shortage of salaries in the army, so you can temporarily withdraw some of the business in the mansion." ”

Xu Liang's eyes widened, tears swirled in his eyes, and he was about to drip down, and his voice was choked: "My lord, there is a mountain of gold and silver in Xiaguan's house, and tens of thousands of people eat horses and chew every day, and after these days, they have to be emptied." ”

Seeing this, Governor Wu thought that what Xu Liang said was also reasonable, so he slowed down his tone and waved his hand: "Guozhong doesn't have to be like this, the old man also knows that you have been greatly wronged." He sighed and said, "In the final analysis, in the end, this war will be fought against the strength of the country and the silver." ”

"Ahh Xu Liang quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, nodded again and again, and said, "Your Excellency the Governor is secluded." Without money, who is willing to work for us. ”

Governor Wu paced in the study, turning in circles, his face growing more and more worried, and finally sighed and muttered, "If only the governor had a sum of money in his hand." ”

Xu Liang blinked his eyes and asked hesitantly: "My lord, you are the governor of the three sides, the second rank of the general, it is better for you to come forward, my lord, and apply to the court to transfer some silver taels to deal with the emergency, the lower official is here to assure you, as long as the silver arrives, the lower official will be able to move the generals of the Liang army, and the troops will be sent to Jingning Prefecture!" ”

Governor Wu shook his head and smiled bitterly, pointed to the tip of his nose, and said, "If it is usual, according to the book of this governor, the emperor may be able to allocate some silver." It's just that at the moment, who in the court doesn't know that the governor has already gotten his intentions, when a monk hits a bell for a day, and the recent tense situation in Liaodong, the financial resources of the court are put in Liaodong. ”

"Liaodong? What happened to Liaodong? Xu Liang asked in surprise.

"Don't you know?" Governor Wu glanced at Xu Liang and said, "Yuan Chonghuan, the governor of Jiliao, asked the court for 300,000 taels of silver to appease the soldiers of Liaodong, and Emperor Chongzhen only approved 100,000 taels. ”

Xu Liang was taken aback and asked in surprise, "What does Governor Yuan want so much money for?" ”

Governor Wu sneered and said softly: "It is said that it is to appease the soldiers of Liaodong, but in fact, Yuan Chonghuan probably has other plans. He approached Xu Liang and whispered in his ear: "It is said that Governor Yuan has a great opinion of Mao Wenlong, the chief soldier of Phi Dao, and has repeatedly threatened to deal with Mao Wenlong in private. ”

Xu Liang was taken aback again, Xu Liang was not familiar with the generals in the court, but he knew about Mao Wenlong, the chief soldier of Phi Island, one of Wei Zhongxian's parchment diamond scriptures fell into the hands of Mao generals, but I don't know if Xu Liang revealed the news to Jinyiwei to make Luo Yangxing, whether Jinyiwei got the diamond scriptures.

Governor Wu saw Xu Liang sitting in a daze, his eyes rolling for a while, so he raised his hand and smiled: "Liaodong's affairs, let's take care of what it does." Since you won't be able to send troops for a while, then go back for the time being, wait for the news, and then think of other ways. ”

"Yes. Xia Guan waited for the good news of the adults. Xu Liang got up and said, said goodbye to Governor Wu, and walked out of the study.

Unexpectedly, Governor Wu called himself this time, and he really wanted to persuade Xu Liang to send troops under the idea of being a peacemaker. Xu Liang was in the corridor of the Governor's Palace, pondering while walking, thinking clearly about Governor Wu's intentions, thinking that in order to support the army and self-respect, he actually played the drama of raising bandits to protect himself, and faintly felt that he could not trust Governor Wu, and then thought that more than 50,000 Liang troops under his command were counting on themselves to live, and Zhang Fengqi and Han Wang's group of people had a long-standing grudge with themselves, if Xu Liang did not have the power of Liang Jun in his hands, what would be the consequences, unimaginable.

Thinking of this, Xu Liang threw that little bit of guilt out of the clouds, the so-called people are not the last resort, the heavens and the earth are destroyed, in the face of Xu Liang's own safety, how much can the trust of Governor Wu be worth?

The general walked to the door of the governor's palace, and almost bumped into one of the generals who came in a hurry. Xu Liang fixed his eyes, but it was Li Ying, a guerrilla general in Guyuan.

"General Lee? What is this hurry to do? Xu Liang asked.

"It turned out to be Lord Xu." Seeing that it was Xu Liang, Li Guerrilla hurriedly bowed his hand to salute, and then snorted angrily: "In the end, I will ask the governor for silver!" The guerrilla battalion has not been paid for three months in a row, and the soldiers in the army are very affectionate, and if this continues, something will happen sooner or later. ”

Xu Liang heard that it was the arrears of military salaries, and hurriedly pointed inside: "Master Wu is in the study, General Li go quickly." ”

"Thank you!" Li Guerrilla hurriedly thanked him, and went straight to Governor Wu's study in a hurry. (To be continued......)