I studied in modern times

Chapter 1042 The Guiyi Army (1)

When Guo Gui arrived at Nanguanbao, it was almost noon.

Once inside the city gate, he noticed that Nanguanbao seemed somewhat unusual today.

The streets were filled with armored and armed warriors from various tribes.

"Could it be that war is about to break out?" Guo Gui's mind immediately became excited.

War is what the Han and non-Han people of Xihe yearn for most now.

The invasion in the first year of the Yuan You era, a joint invasion by the Qinghai-Tibetan and Tangut peoples, resulted in a great feast for the people of Xihe.

Countless people broke free from the constraints of their class and origin, transforming themselves into superiors.

The rewards bestowed by the imperial court afterward, in recognition of merit, dazzled countless people.

Even the Han and Tibetan youths who had never been on the battlefield and were only transporting grain in the rear received a reward of several hundred fine iron coins!
Those who went to the battlefield and beheaded the bandits?
That's incredible!
There were many like Guo Gui who rose from a local militia soldier to a low-ranking, unranked officer in the field army.

Although most of them did not even hold an official position.

He's at most a temporary worker.

However, the local clerks did not hold official positions.

But that didn't stop them from running rampant in the village!

Moreover, as long as those in power do not embezzle, steal, or monopolize the military merits of those below them, the path to promotion in the military has always been the smoothest in the world.

There are absolutely no class restrictions or discrimination.

Just like in the Han and Tang dynasties, it was not impossible for someone to rise from the ranks to become a general.

Unfortunately, the current Xihe Road is due to the economic situation of Mianzhuang.

The high-ranking officials and generals at the top couldn't be happier than the murderers below, who would risk their lives for fame and fortune, and fight to the death for their cotton fields and hired laborers!

After the newly appointed military commissioner, Lord Lü, took office, he further tightened the relevant discipline.

This gentleman's temper is still as volatile as it was back then!
Not long after taking office, he began to investigate the military achievements of the various prefectures of Xihe.

Several typical cases were arrested, including even a civil official who served as a sub-prefect.

He was severely punished with "suspension of residence and relocation to Xiuzhou".

This essentially ruined the future of that scholar-official who had already been transferred to a new post!
The rest were beheaded, and their heads were displayed in various villages as a warning!

As a result, everyone was solemn and respectful, and even the civil officials were trembling with fear and dared not make any unusual moves.

Under such circumstances, the Han and Tibetan soldiers and civilians in Xihe Prefecture were actually thirsting for more, and their eyes were green with envy as they looked towards Qinghai-Tibet and Tangut!

Everyone is yearning for war!

Because only through war can one rise above others, bring glory to one's ancestors, and become wealthy!

Especially those who benefited greatly from the last war.

Guo Gui was no exception.

Therefore, when he saw a large number of armored and armed barbarian soldiers appear in Nanguan Fort.

His first thought was: "Could it be that bandits have invaded? Or has the Grand Marshal given the order?"

If this is the case...

"I have to go find Wang the prison guard right away!"

"We must ask him to take me with him when he goes to war!"

He hurriedly arrived at the military command post of Nanguanbao. Because he often came here, the guards only asked him a few simple questions before letting him in.

Upon entering the government office, Guo Gui found Wang Dafu's office with practiced ease.

As soon as Guo Gui entered, he saw a dozen or so scholars in the government office surrounding Wang Dafu, seemingly talking about something.

Guo Gui immediately stopped and waited at a distance.

After Wang Dafu finished talking about his business.

He knew that the current Wang Dafu was not the same as before!

Since the beginning of the year, Wang Dafu has returned to the capital with the generals of Xihe, changed his official title at the Privy Council, and received the formal imperial decree appointing him.

He was promoted to Left Attendant (rank 9) for his accumulated merits, appointed as Military Supervisor of Nanguan Fort, and concurrently served as Inspector of Didao.

From then on, he was no longer the honest and simple fellow villager he once was.

He was not a military official of the Song Dynasty!
Moreover, he is a future military leader!

Perhaps in ten or twenty years, Wang Dafu and his descendants may become a prominent military family in this Xizhou region!
It was truly remarkable that Wang Dafu was given the post of military supervisor.

As a native of Bianjing, and with ancestors who had served in the Imperial Guard, Guo Gui was very familiar with the military system of the dynasty.

The position of military supervisor is a high-ranking official position for those considered to be among the future generals of the dynasty.

Whether or not a military officer has served as a military supervisor is, in the Privy Council, a standard by which to measure whether a military officer is qualified to lead an army independently.

Because the duties of the military supervisor were not limited to fighting battles.

They were also in charge of garrisoning, training, soldiers, armor, and servants.

Simply put, the Military Commander just needs to be reckless.

Besides commanding battles and leading troops into battle, the military supervisors were also responsible for other duties.

They were also responsible for the garrisoning and farming of local troops, the training of field soldiers, the maintenance of armor and weapons, and the logistics, supply, and transportation.

Therefore, generally speaking, those who could serve as military supervisors were all from military families.

People who aren't from families with generations of military backgrounds simply don't understand these things, nor can they handle them!

All I can say is that Wang Dafu is lucky!
He gained the favor and attention of his family!
However, Xiang's family also needs a member of their own who can look after the interests of Xihe Cotton Plantation for them in the future.

Therefore, they dare to allocate any resources.

Just like the scholars surrounding Wang Dafu now, Guo Gui knew that they were all Wang Dafu's patrons, Xiang Zongji, who had now been promoted to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Xizhou Army, and had spent a lot of money to invite them from Bianjing City.

They were all advisors to a certain remote prefect or personal guards who followed a certain general.

These people would never have come to Xizhou to assist a mere ninth-rank envoy.

Unfortunately, the Xiang family's influence was simply too great.

It was precisely because of the assistance, advice, and suggestions of these people that Wang Dafu was able to carry out his duties as military commander steadily and reliably.

There have been almost no mistakes!
That's incredibly rare!

This proves that Wang Dafu was capable of consuming the resources provided by the Xiang family.

Therefore, Guo Gui often visited Nanguanbao whenever he had free time.

He knew very well that this was a valuable asset.

We must hold on tight!

……

Wang Dafu had noticed Guo Gui long ago. After he finished talking with his staff, he walked up to Guo Gui with a smile and asked, "Has Dalang had lunch yet?"

He still takes good care of his younger brother's friend.

He took special care of me, especially after I returned from Bianjing.

Because he confirmed that his younger brother, Big Gun, did indeed have such a friend, and their relationship was quite good!
So help if you can!

"If I were to return to prison, I would have come in a hurry and hadn't had time to eat yet..." Guo Gui answered honestly. "Then join me for some wine and meat!" Wang Dafu said generously.

He then led Guo Gui to his side room.

The cook hired by the government had already prepared Wang Dafu's food and placed it on the table—a large plate of mutton and a pot of warm wine.

The two sat down, and Wang Dafu began to eat heartily.

Guo Gui didn't stand on ceremony and picked up the cooked mutton to gnaw on.

The mutton from Xizhou is the most tender and juicy.

Simply boil it in well water and sprinkle some salt on it.

While eating, Wang Dafu asked Guo Gui about his purpose for coming.

Guo Gui didn't hide anything and explained his purpose for coming.

After listening, Wang Dafu smiled and said, "This is simple. I'll ask someone to go to Zisheng Zen Temple and invite a Dharma Master to preside over this place..."

"As for the tribal nobles... I happen to know one, and I can ask him to be a witness!"

The abbot of Zisheng Zen Temple and the nobles of the Tibetan tribes actually enjoyed participating in similar activities.

The senior monks, in particular, are highly motivated by anything that can squeeze the living space of the Tibetan shamans and sorcerers.

After all, the competitors deserve to die the most!

The nobles, especially the young nobles of the various tribes, were keen on this in order to build their prestige.

Guo Gui quickly thanked him.

Wang Dafu waved his hand and said, "You and my brother are brothers, there's no need for such empty words!"

"There is one thing I must remind you of, eldest son!" Wang Dafu looked at Guo Gui seriously.

Guo Gui quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "This humble servant will listen attentively to the prisoner's instructions!"

“You must discipline your brother-in-law properly, so that such a thing doesn’t happen again!” Wang Dafu said sternly.

“I know!” Guo Gui nodded: “I’ll have Xia E quit his job at the cotton farm and send him to work as an archer in the patrol office…”

"Yes!" Wang Dafu nodded, then sighed, "Dalang is also from Bianjing!"

"It is only natural to know that the servants of the farm have a hard life, so we should treat them as kindly as possible if we can..."

"Besides, our hired laborers are our precious treasures, the ones who work the land and earn money for us!"

"If we don't hire workers, where will we find our wealth?"

As a native of Bianjing, Wang Dafu still manages his employees in the same way that Bianjing landlords manage their workers.

Therefore, the workers he hired in his cotton plantation were treated very well.

Not only were the wages generous, but the food and accommodation were also quite good.

He would even give his employees medicine if they fell ill.

They were simply following the example of their employers in Bianjing.

As a result, the workers in his cotton plantation were extremely grateful to him.

Everyone says he is a living Bodhisattva.

Even the teachers at the Xizhou State School praised him, saying that he was "benevolent" and could "cultivate his spirit and gather righteousness".

The Grand Master of Ceremonies (Libationer) even sent him a handwritten copy of "Zheng Meng".

It contains many wise words of wisdom from Mr. Zhang Zai.

It specifically teaches people how to cultivate their inner strength and righteousness.

Wang Dafu only half understood what he was reading, so he had to ask someone for help before he could barely understand it.

During this process, Wang Dafu heard that among the nobles of the non-Han tribes in Xizhou, there seemed to be another interpretation of Mr. Hengqu's "cultivating one's spirit and gathering righteousness".

According to these people's explanations, why was the cotton plantation owner able to own the cotton plantation?

Because they are kind, not only in this life but also in their past lives.

Therefore, by cultivating their inner strength and righteousness, all the good things in the world will naturally gravitate towards them.

Why can't the hired workers just be hired workers?

Because they have impure thoughts in their hearts and their character is not good enough.

One must eliminate distracting thoughts and cultivate a righteous mind during work.

At the same time, we must also respect and venerate 'good people' like them.

Only in this way can we cleanse ourselves of evil thoughts and cultivate sincerity and righteous intentions.

In that case, I can be a good person in my next life.

Enjoy wealth and luxury just like the cotton plantation owners!

The teachers at the state school were furious when they heard about these things, and they are now searching everywhere for the people who spread these 'fallacies and heresies'.

But the employees below, upon learning of these claims, all believed them.

Guo Gui listened to Wang Dafu's lecture and readily agreed.

Wang Dafu nodded. By this time, he had almost finished eating, so he picked up a cloth and wiped his hands and mouth.

Seeing this, Guo Gui knew that Wang Dafu was going to the yamen again.

He then mustered his courage and asked, "Guard, when I entered the city, I seemed to see many armored and armed tribal warriors..."

"But... is something wrong in the state?"

Looking at Guo Gui's appearance, Wang Dafu shook his head and laughed, "You rascal, you're quite the schemer!"

"But I must tell you, there is no war..."

"But the Grand Marshal is coming to Nanguan Fort!"

"The warriors from all the tribes all want to show their faces in front of you, sir, which is why they have gathered here in droves!"

The current Grand Chancellor is different from the previous Grand Chancellor Zhao.

This official doesn't seem like a civil official; he's more like a military one.

Since taking office, he has been touring extensively, seeking out military officials and tribal leaders for talks.

It is said that he also once summoned the chieftains of the tribes of Xige City and Miaochuan City in Lanzhou.

He selected over a hundred warriors from among those brought by these chieftains to serve as his personal guards.

This made warriors from various tribes eager to gain the favor of this military governor.

"The Grand Marshal!" Guo Gui exclaimed in surprise, "Why is he here?"

"But it was by imperial decree that I was to go to Mount Mobang to enshrine the Buddha's tooth relic and to bestow upon Master Puji Huai'en an imperial staff in recognition of his meritorious teachings!"

"In addition, there are also descendants of the Guiyi Army from the old Hexi region who were just redeemed from the Western bandits..."

"The Guiyi Army?" Guo Gui swallowed hard.

Who in Bianjing City doesn't know Zhang Yichao's story?
Unexpectedly, the imperial court redeemed the descendants of the Guiyi Army, who had been trapped by the barbarians for a long time.

(End of this chapter)