Fu Shanhe

Chapter 115: Journey to Beijing

The next day, Li Mu got up early in the morning.

Today's schedule is a bit tight.

According to the Dayu law, military generals who came to the capital to report on their work had to first report to the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commandery before they could move freely in the capital.

After visiting two government offices in the morning, he had to visit his old boss, Marquis Wuyang, in the afternoon to thank him for his recommendation.

Although he obtained the position of acting lieutenant general due to special reasons, it was Marquis Wuyang who openly recommended him to the court.

Recommendation in official circles is a great favor, and according to the unspoken rules, one must visit the person in person as soon as possible.

The Marquis of Zhenyuan is a relative, so we can visit him in the evening.

Although others may not care about these things, as the parties involved, you must understand the rules.

The most important personal connections must be maintained at the first opportunity to show how much you value them.

It's not just the first day that is busy; the schedules for the following days are all fully scheduled.

His superiors and colleagues in the Ministry of War and the Five Military Commission all needed him to find time to visit them.

According to the unspoken rules of officialdom, officials must present Yangzhou "local specialties" prepared in advance according to their respective ranks.

If you don’t have any “local specialties”, you can also give money directly.

According to official statements, this is called filial piety.

It is an indispensable procedure for foreign officials to enter Beijing.

Superior officials need to go in person to deliver the gifts, while officials at the same level or lower can just send someone to deliver the gifts.

Only after all the relationships are settled can we all be considered family.

Things are not given for free, after receiving the gifts.

If we encounter some minor problems in the officialdom in the future, everyone will help to bear the responsibilities if they are able to do so.

Of course, the prerequisite is that you understand the rules and don’t let others work for nothing.

In addition to these connections, you also need to visit the elders from each branch of the clan and former colleagues.

Li Mu felt a headache when he thought of these complicated interpersonal relationships.

"Mr. Lan, are you ready?"

Li Mu asked with concern.

There are always troublesome little devils in the yamen. These guys can't kill you, but they can make you sick.

If you don't manage your relationships properly, you will easily run into trouble later.

“My lord, please rest assured.

Silk is hard currency in the capital and is the most popular among the ladies in the imperial harem.

The students sent someone to inquire and found out that the price of silk in Beijing is much higher than that in Yangzhou.

The value of these silks in Beijing is higher than the prevailing ice and charcoal standards, so there will be no problem."

Lan Linjie immediately assured.

When managing a relationship for the first time, the most important thing is to avoid any problems.

Although he is a person with connections and most people don't dare to cause trouble for him, it doesn't mean that maintaining relationships with higher-level authorities is not important.

"Um!

After I report this, you must immediately arrange for someone to deliver the items.

Some officials in important positions, please go there in person, Mr. Lan, it would be best if you can take the opportunity to establish a connection with them."

Li Mu said slowly.

The local troops were mainly responsible for providing financial support, and the imperial court did not allocate much money and grain, but even a small amount of money was still money.

Moreover, in addition to military pay, daily replenishment of military equipment also requires support from higher-level authorities.

Compared with ordinary armies, Li Mu’s training is more rigorous, and the corresponding consumption of weapons and equipment is also slightly greater.

Especially the consumption of gunpowder. He used up the annual quota in just a few months.

Previously, they requested reinforcements from the Ministry of War under the pretext of suppressing the rebellion.

As the situation stabilized, there were no longer so many rebels to suppress in Yangzhou, so if one wanted to obtain more supplies, they could only rely on connections.

No matter what, it is always cheaper to get supplies from the court through connections than to get it yourself.

……

In the palace.

"Have all the officials from various places who came to report on their work arrived in the capital?"

Emperor Tianyuan asked with concern.

According to Dayu law, local officials need to take turns to report to the capital.

When local officials come to Beijing, they not only have to report on their past work achievements, but also have to elaborate on their future governance concepts.

Usually at this time, the court would carry out a round of personnel adjustments.

Those who do a good job will be promoted or transferred, those with average results will be retained at the same level, and those who cause trouble will be held accountable according to the severity of the circumstances.

"Your Majesty, everyone is here.

These are all letters from officials above the third rank, asking to see you."

Zuo Guangen replied slowly.

I didn't add any superfluous words, nor did I express my own opinions without authorization.

Having followed Emperor Tianyuan for many years, he knew very well how strong his monarch was in this regard.

"Just arrange a time for you to meet them on my behalf.

It's already this time of year and there's still no snow in Beijing. This is probably a bad sign.

Guangen, please help me keep an eye on it and don't let any trouble happen again at the end of the year."

Emperor Tianyuan said with a tired face. After the winter, his health became worse and worse, and he didn't want to move at all.

Under normal circumstances, he would personally meet with local dignitaries.

Now my body can’t bear the burden, so I have to let the people around me do it for me.

Even though he knew that doing so would let the outside world know that he was in poor health, Emperor Tianyuan still had no choice.

If a diligent emperor suddenly stops attending court and does not indulge in sensual pleasures, it is a clear signal to the outside world that he is in poor health.

Zuo Guangen was shocked when he heard Emperor Tianyuan say it was an unlucky sign.

This year has been more than unlucky; it has been downright terrible.

The natural disasters and man-made disasters in the first half of the year are nothing to worry about; these minor troubles cannot shake Dayu's foundation.

The huge explosion in Beijing in the second half of the year shook the country.

Not only did he take away a group of important officials, but he also caused serious damage to the emperor's health.

The fact that there was no chaos was entirely due to the effective response of the court officials.

Of course, the most important thing is that the imperial court has not lost its authority and still holds the gun.

The use of troops in the Huai River and Yangtze River regions intimidated the gentry and wealthy families in various places and reversed the impact of the previous defeat in Liaodong.

As long as the feudal dynasty does not incur the wrath of heaven and people and the court maintains a firm control over military power, no major problems will arise.

"Your Majesty, we can't listen to those scholars.

What bad omens? They are just to fool people.

There were so many wise rulers in ancient times, and many of them encountered natural disasters.

The theory of the correspondence between heaven and man is that it was a rumor deliberately made up by a group of scholars in order to shirk responsibility.

Delayed snowfall happens every few years.

It hasn't snowed yet, but maybe it will snow tomorrow. It won't affect farming."

Zuo Guangen immediately retorted.

Regardless of whether he believed it in his heart or not, he firmly opposed the "theory of correspondence between heaven and man" out loud.

From his point of view, Emperor Tianyuan is the modern Yao and Shun, and he will never allow any stain on the emperor's reputation.

A wise ruler is surrounded by wise ministers.

He himself is the wise minister who assists the monarch, and this is a matter of principle.

"None of this matters, I feel like winter is getting colder.

Especially in the northern provinces, the frequency of drought has increased significantly.

If this situation continues, chaos will easily occur.

For the long-term stability of Dayu, we must solve the border problems as soon as possible.

We don't expect to wipe out all the Hu people, but we must at least create 20 years of peace!"

Emperor Tianyuan said in a firm tone.

This was the first time he made clear his position on sending troops to Liaodong; before that he had only hinted at it.

“Your Majesty, rest assured that the court has increased its military investment.

All the battalions lost previously have now been replenished, and five new battalions have been added.

As the court's fiscal revenue improves, we will be able to invest more financial resources in the military next year.

Recovering Liaodong is absolutely a piece of cake!"

Zuo Guangen immediately made his position clear.

As a eunuch, his code of conduct was to always remain consistent with the emperor politically.

If there is a conflict of political views, the emperor's will shall prevail.

……

Wuyang Marquis Mansion.

"I heard that you are doing well in Yangzhou. The impeachment memorials from the censors are almost piled three feet thick."

Li Mu's face turned dark when he heard Marquis Wuyang's ridicule.

I swear to God, he did make some trouble in Yangzhou, but it was only a few times.

There are countless behaviors that cross the line, and many that violate the Dayu Law, but what he does is also done by others.

This is the kind of thing where the law does not hold everyone responsible, so there is no need to make a big deal out of it.

It is understandable to be impeached by the censor occasionally. After all, this is the job they do and they have to do something.

The impeachment memorials piled up three feet thick, which was too much, making him look like a traitor to the country.

"My Lord, please say a few good words for me.

Those censors are best at exaggerating, and they will impeach anyone who does something wrong.

The only people who have never been impeached by the censors in the Great Yu Dynasty are those corrupt scholars who only take money but do not work! "

Li Mu immediately retorted.

As a loyal minister of Dayu, he felt that the impeachment was the work of a villain and had nothing to do with him.

"Yes, you are still so eloquent, it seems that the position of lieutenant general is secure.

As for the censor's impeachment, it is just a trivial matter and there is no need to take it to heart.

If there really was a problem, the court would have sent people to investigate long ago.

What you did was not a secret at all in the eyes of the officials in the court.

The national situation is difficult, and we have no choice but to raise military funds on our own!"

Marquis Wuyang's words made Li Mu feel much more at ease.

(End of this chapter)