In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 870 Great News! You are in me, and I am in you.

The heavy snowfall in Liaodong Commandery was even more intense than in Daning.

The snow in the mountains and forests was as tall as a person, and the trees were covered with white frost, making the whole world look white.

Liaoyang City was also covered in snow.

Thanks to Pan Jing's efforts over the past few days, the roads in the city have seen some improvement.
Although there was still dirt and grime mixed with fallen snow,
But with more than a dozen people constantly cleaning, the road became less muddy and much easier to walk on.

Not far away, Pan Jing, the commander of Liaodong, was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and a dog-skin felt hat.

Looking at the scene before me, I felt a surge of satisfaction.

After such a long and drawn-out struggle, this commander-in-chief finally accomplished something.

This also means that the seemingly impregnable government offices are beginning to loosen.

He believes that, given time...

Once he has cultivated enough loyal followers, he will inevitably seize power.

At this moment, the guard hurriedly approached and whispered:
"My lord, the imperial edict has arrived, and Lord Lu of Da Ning has also sent a letter."

"Oh?"

Pan Jing turned around abruptly, his joy instantly fading, and he let out a heavy sigh.

He was now somewhat afraid to hear news from the capital and Daning.
Because he was too slow in regaining power.
It's been almost two months, and he's only managed to get a few hundred taels of silver.

The 100,000 taels of snowflake-patterned silver have not even materialized.

The two documents that followed would inevitably mention the road construction.

"There's always a way out."

Pan Jing muttered to himself and waved his hand:

"Return to the yamen."

The group of people quickly left the market and returned to the office of the Commander-in-Chief.

The government office remained as lifeless as ever, devoid of any vitality.

Pan Jing felt uneasy every time he came.

Inside the yamen, Pan Jing took off his outer garment, sat behind the desk, and opened two documents to examine them.

The first document was sent by the Governor's Office.

As he expected, the court agreed to the road construction, and it was strongly promoted by a group of court officials.

Pan Jing remained unmoved and turned to look at another letter from Da Ning.
The above contains some excited remarks, as well as inquiries about when the road construction would begin and whether the funds had been received.

In addition, such a major undertaking as road construction required meetings between the two military commanders, along with a group of craftsmen and accountants, to thoroughly plan and prepare for the work.
Da Ning was also urging them to meet the agreed time.

Upon seeing the letter, Pan Jing did not hide his emotions and let out a heavy sigh.
He rested his head on his fist and remained silent.

After a long while, he finally put the two letters away and gave the instructions:

"Go and invite Vice Commissioner Xu over."

"Yes!"

The guards quickly left.

During this period, he and Xu Cheng were truly brothers in misfortune.

The same rapid promotion, the same lack of real power.
They happened to have mutual friends, which brought them very close.

Before long, Assistant Commissioner Xu Cheng entered, stood before the desk, and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Lord Pan."

"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy, bring some tea."

Xu Cheng sat down, and the guards served each of the two officials a cup of hot tea before quietly leaving.

The door closed, and Pan Jing, looking somewhat tired, leaned back and sighed:
"Lord Xu, the official documents from the capital have arrived."
The imperial court has approved the road construction in Liaodong and allocated 100,000 taels of silver, which will arrive early next year.

Xu Cheng sat up straight immediately, his face showing surprise:
"Really?"

Pan Jing nodded with a wry smile and handed over the document:

"have a look."

Xu Cheng took the letter, quickly read it, and then shook his head and sighed:
"Things went so smoothly? With so many government departments supporting us."

Pan Jing's bitter smile grew even wider:
"Now everything is fine. The imperial court and Da Ning are all ready. Now we're the only ones left to join in. How's Lord Xu's fundraising going?"

Xu Cheng's face stiffened, and his expression became somewhat unnatural:
"The Commander wants to pay 100,000 taels?"

Pan Jing nodded.

"Is three thousand taels enough?"

Xu Cheng rattled off a figure, representing the amount of money he had raised over the past two months.
As a result, I wore out a pair of shoes.

Pan Jing slumped back into his chair, deflated, his eyes lifeless, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips.
"What can three thousand taels do? They can't even finish the initial preparations, are those wealthy families really that stingy?"

"The wealthy merchants and landowners in the city all followed the five major clans."
They don't take any money, and others only dare to take a little, for fear of being criticized.

However, Lord Pan, don't be discouraged. After this period of contact...

There are still some people who want the road repaired.
They run many businesses and have long been dissatisfied with this terrible road.

Now that we have this letter, the five major clans have no reason to shirk their responsibility anymore; they should at least contribute some money.
If each family pays 10,000 taels, that's 50,000 taels.
If you just piece it all together, it'll be about right.

Xu Cheng didn't continue to attack him, but instead waved the letter in his hand.

"Ten thousand taels per family?"

Pan Jing, however, was not so optimistic:

"Lord Xu, you know how difficult it is to earn ten thousand taels of silver in Liaodong."
Even mining takes several months, so how could it be taken out so easily?

In my opinion, if each family could contribute five thousand taels, that would be considered a great favor to the imperial court.

Xu Cheng remains optimistic:

"Sir, something is better than nothing."
Five thousand taels per household, five households would amount to twenty-five thousand taels.

With the addition of some merchants and powerful figures, they could easily scrape together 50,000 taels.

At this point, eighty percent of the funds for road construction had been raised; the commander couldn't possibly refuse.

Pan Jing pondered for a long time, then nodded slightly:

"You're right. If we had over two hundred thousand taels of silver on hand, we could at least get the repairs started."

"The construction site will be right there, and with public opinion overwhelming, the commander-in-chief will certainly not create any obstacles."

Pan Jing seemed to be convincing himself.
Moreover, he silently muttered to himself:

"We must seize this opportunity and take the chance to reclaim some power."
This road served as my springboard and the foundation for my leadership of the Liaodong Military Command; it was a win-win situation!

Taking a deep breath, Pan Jing took the letter and said in a deep voice:
"I will first summon all the heads of households so that I may discuss this matter with them."
After obtaining their promises, we can then discuss the matter with the officers of the Commandery; this would be the safest course of action.

"Yes, I will arrange the meeting immediately."

"Wait, send a letter first explaining our purpose, and also send the news that the court has approved the road construction."

"Yes!"

East of Liaoyang City, Dongwang Street

Unlike other parts of Liaoyang City, the snow here had been swept away completely.

A dozen or so servants, each holding a broom, waited to the side.
As soon as the snow starts to accumulate, they immediately go forward to clear it, exposing the bluestone slabs underneath.

Inside the mansion, it was as warm as spring all year round.

The earth dragon runs across the entire mansion from front to back and from left to right, extending into every room.
The snow that falls into the courtyard melts in an instant.
The whole earth was warm, and the chill in the air was somewhat dispelled.

In the main hall, Liu Yanchen, the person in charge of the Liu family, lay on a recliner, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Through the door, I quietly watched the snowflakes falling outside, lost in thought.

A small square table sat nearby, steaming hot tea.

Once the heat dissipates, a maid will come forward to change it.

After an unknown amount of time, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door. Liu Hongzhong, the commander of the Dingliao Left Guard, rushed back.

"Grandpa, something terrible has happened."

Liu Yanchen slightly opened his eyes, looked at Liu Hongzhong whose cheeks were red from the cold and who looked hurried, and asked in a hoarse voice:
"what happened?"

"Grandpa, the imperial court has agreed to repair the official road between Liaodong and Daning."

Furthermore, 100,000 taels of silver have been allocated from the Governor-General's Office, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of War as support, and it is expected to arrive early next year.

Liu Yanchen's eyebrows twitched slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his face:

"So smooth?"

Liu Hongzhong nodded solemnly:

"Yes, this news has taken Commander Du's expectations by surprise, and the yamen is in an uproar."

"Hehe, how did Lord Zhou react?"

He probably didn't expect the court to be so agreeable.

Liu Yanchen chuckled twice, a playful look on his face.

Liu Hongzhong moved closer and whispered:
"Grandpa, I heard from the officials that Lord Zhou was furious and threw today's documents everywhere." Liu Yanchen nodded in satisfaction.

"It's only natural. It seems that our Lord Pan is really about to make a name for himself."

Liu Hongzhong took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over:

"Grandpa, look, this is a letter from Lord Pan to you."
We hope you can go to the government office to discuss the road repair project together.

Liu Yanchen took the letter, flipped it over, chuckled, and tossed it into the brazier.
"So impatient? It seems our Lord Pan is really in a hurry."

"Grandpa, what's wrong? Aren't you going?"

"Go, how can I not go? Lord Pan is the highest-ranking officer in the Military Command."
Since I've been summoned, I have to go.
Go and tell the accountant to fetch ten thousand taels of silver.

"It just so happens that shopkeepers from all over have recently arrived with silver, so we have some spare cash at home."

As Liu Yanchen spoke, he slowly sat up, and Liu Hongzhong quickly went to help him.

"Grandpa, ten thousand taels? That much?"

"They've personally asked, how can we refuse?"

As for how much to give, that still needs to be discussed.
Those kids are short-sighted; they don't have their father's abilities, and they might even foolishly try to lower the price.
"Then our Liu family will not stand out; we'll follow the crowd and prepare the horses."

"Yes!"

An hour later, in the Commander's reception room,

Pan Jing sat at the head of the table with a gloomy face, staring at the empty chair, gritting his teeth and even cursing:
"These bastards, I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget one day!"

Things went much as he expected.

These wealthy families kept passing the buck, especially those families led by young people.
They were even more shameless, saying things like road construction was of no benefit to the military commander.

Pan Jing swore that this was the first time he had ever seen such a shameless person.

At this moment, Xu Cheng hurriedly walked in:

"Sir, everyone has been seen off."

Pan Jing took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and said:

"Lord Xu, have the wealthy families in Liaodong always acted this way?"

How shameless! They only think about taking benefits, not about spending money.

Xu Cheng sighed helplessly:
"Sir, these wealthy families have always been lawless and unruly."

When the Sanwanwei was established last time, the Commander-in-Chief wanted to raise some money to build the official road from Tielingwei to Sanwanwei.

They didn't pay a single cent.

But after it was finally built, they said there were also iron mines near Sanwanwei, and the roads there were used more than the government offices.

Moreover, their iron mines were all registered under the names of local government offices and garrisons.

No taxes need to be paid.

When it came time to start mining, the government would send people to help, and afterwards they would buy the ore at a high price.

If you were unaware of this matter,

You would then see the bizarre story of government offices paying out of their own pockets to buy the ore they themselves mined.

"Absurd! Absurd! These are parasites on the nation! Don't Mei Yi and the others think about doing anything about it?"

Pan Jing burst into curses, abruptly stood up, and paced back and forth in the room.

As a government official in the capital, this was the first time he truly realized...

The collusion between local officials and powerful figures was surprisingly close.

"My lord, Mei Yi also wanted to intervene at first."
However, once the regime was established, rebellions broke out everywhere. The Jurchens raided the borders, and even Goryeo (Korea) showed signs of unrest.

Left with no other choice, they could only quell the rebellion and appease the surrounding areas.

Once everything is settled, and you try to intervene again, rebellion breaks out once more.

Over time, even the government offices dared not interfere.
And so we drifted along, each existing within the other.

"This is where everything in the world goes wrong!"

Pan Jing spoke forcefully, his heart filled with extreme frustration.

"Sir, please calm down. No matter how bad things are, there has been progress."

You should strike while the iron is hot and promptly inform the officers of the Commandery about this matter.
Otherwise, things might change if we delay.

Xu Cheng had always harbored some distrust towards the officers of the Commandery.

They especially believed that the other party would stop at nothing to obstruct the matter.

Pan Jing nodded solemnly:
"You're right, delay will only lead to complications. Let's gather all the officials now and hold a meeting in the conference hall!"

"Yes!"

Two quarters of an hour later, the commander and a group of officials from the prefectural government gathered in the conference hall.

The room, which was originally a bit chilly, became warm and cozy when there were many people around.

The warmth emanating from the surrounding stoves caused the adults to take off their outer garments as soon as they entered the room.

They sat on either side, their expressions grave.
Some people looked puzzled, not knowing what had happened.

Soon, Pan Jing and Xu Cheng rushed over, and a group of adults stood up to greet them and bowed respectfully.

"Sit, sit, sit, sit down."

Pan Jing waved as he walked to the head of the table, noticing that the first seat on the left was empty.
His brows furrowed instantly, and a surge of dissatisfaction welled up inside him.

After he sat down, Pan Jing glanced around and said in a deep voice:
Where is Lord Zhou?

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Lord Zhou is currently handling documents in the yamen and said he will be here shortly."

An official spoke respectfully.

Pan Jing's face immediately turned ugly. He snorted coldly in his heart and sat down silently.

"Since Lord Zhou is busy with official duties, then we'll wait."

Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged glances, looking on with expressions of anticipation.

Inside the inner office, Zhou E stared gravely at the letter in his hand.

The above describes the central government's handling of the road construction issue in Liaodong.

It is much more detailed than official documents.

Something above was bothering him.
Because of the opposition to moving the capital, the officials in the court unanimously supported building roads in Liaodong.

If he were to create obstacles at this time...
He would likely have to make an enemy of the entire court, and there would be no further opportunities for advancement.

But if this road is successfully built...

Pan Jing will inevitably vie for power and profit in this.

By then, his power will have greatly diminished, and the possibility of him advancing further will be minimal.

Dilemma!

Zhou E frowned deeply, his face etched with deep wrinkles like furrows.

At this moment, Bai Wenzhao hurriedly walked in, his face filled with anxiety:
"Sir, all the officials from the Military Command have arrived, except for you."

"understood."

Zhou E's expression was grave as he continued pacing around the room, clearly not intending to leave immediately.

This made Bai Wenzhao even more anxious.

"My lord, the assembled officials have been waiting for a quarter of an hour."
If you don't go, you'll probably have to wait there forever.

"If they're willing to wait, then let them wait!"

Zhou E looked impatient and pondered a solution in his mind.

Once the 100,000 taels of silver arrive, even the strongest opposition will be powerless to change anything.

This route benefits both the imperial court and the common people, and it is most advantageous to Liaodong.
The big winner has already been revealed.

If Liaodong continues to be ungrateful, it will easily provoke public anger.

"What should we do? What should we do?"

Zhou E never expected that, at such a time of economic hardship, the imperial court would approve the construction of such a road in Liaodong.

Bai Wenzhao stood to the side, seeing him as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and whispered:

"Sir, how about we just let this matter slide for now?"
Anyway, the imperial funds won't arrive until after the New Year, so there's still time.

Zhou E glanced at the time, seemed to be deep in thought, and said in a deep voice:
"After the meeting, have someone from the household registration department come to see me."
In addition, all garrisons and guard posts should report any shortages of military equipment and winter supplies.

Bai Wenzhao was taken aback, then nodded:

"Yes!"

"Let's go to the conference hall."

Zhou E took the cloak, walked out of the yamen, his steps heavy.

(End of this chapter)