In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 871 A Winding Road and a Mutiny in the Army
Inside the conference hall, Zhou E's arrival invigorated everyone.
Many drowsy officials sat up straight and looked at him strangely.

What shocked everyone even more was that Pan Jing, as the commander-in-chief, neither got angry nor made any sarcastic remarks.

Instead, they stood up to greet him in a very friendly manner.

His attitude was as amiable as that of a subordinate official, not a superior.

Upon seeing this, many people in the hall frowned slightly.

Although he was not entirely satisfied with the new commander-in-chief

But what Lord Zhou did was a bit too much.

Zhou E calmly sat down.

Pan Jing took the opportunity of sitting down to scan the surroundings.
Seeing the unusual look in the eyes of you gentlemen, I am very satisfied.

In this world, most people still sympathize with the weak!

Pan Jing waved his hand, and the clerks distributed the documents they were holding to the officials in the room.

"My lords, please take a look at the document in your hands. His Majesty and the court have already approved the road construction!"

"It can be built, and unprecedented support has been given. A total of 100,000 taels of silver will be allocated!"

These words caused an uproar throughout the entire conference hall.

The adults, who had initially dismissed the issue, all lowered their heads.
He opened the document in disbelief and began to read it carefully.

It is indeed 100,000 taels of silver, which will be delivered to Liaodong after the New Year!

"hiss--"

Some adults who had been staying in Liaodong for a long time gasped in shock.
One hundred thousand taels of silver!
Even when Liaoyang City was being built, the imperial court didn't allocate this much money.
They simply brought in a lot of laborers as support and reduced taxes by one or two percent.

Now they're building roads.
Some adults seemed to be deep in thought, pondering the necessity of building this road.

If my calculations are correct, the bulk of the 300,000-plus taels of silver needed for road construction has already been determined.
The imperial court took a portion, and the Northern Pacification Commandery took a portion.

The Liaodong Military Command only needs to take a small portion of the money for the entire road.

But everyone also knew that construction couldn't wait until all the money was raised before starting.

They usually start work first, and then raise money as they go.
If you have money, work fast; if you don't, work slowly.

Such a situation, where the money arrived before the commander had even made a decision, had never happened before in the Liaodong Commandery.

This also indirectly confirms the importance that the imperial court and His Majesty attach to this matter.
Given this, many people are having second thoughts.

They would never dare to oppose the imperial court.

After a few moments of complex emotions in the conference hall, Pan Jing spoke with great satisfaction:
"My lords, I presume you have all read the document."
As long as the funds from the military headquarters are in place, the completion of the road construction is a foregone conclusion.

Even if the commander has no spare money, it doesn't matter.

Once the imperial funds arrive, we can begin repairs while simultaneously raising more money.

Then we'll let the merchants and wealthy landowners of the military commander's office see it.
The completion of the road will greatly benefit the connection between Daning and Beiping.

When that time comes, it won't be as difficult for the commander to raise money as it is today.

"Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on this?"

The prefect of Liaodong Prefecture was an elderly man in his fifties, tall and stout, named Zhai Yunxi, who had previously served in the military.

He looked at the document in his hand and tentatively asked:

"Lord Pan, now that the imperial court's money is arriving, when will the money from Da Ning arrive?"

Upon hearing this, Pan Jing smiled slightly:

"Lord Zhai, road construction is a matter of paramount importance for the Commandery, a project that will last for centuries. As officials who govern the people on behalf of Heaven, we must take it to heart."

This was already mentioned in the road construction plan that I issued a few days ago.

Since Lord Zhai has forgotten, I will explain it here.

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yunxi's face flushed red.

He'd long since forgotten about that plan.
Who would have thought that the imperial court would agree so readily?

The adults who had similar experiences looked embarrassed and listened quietly.

"The Beiping Military Command's donation of 100,000 taels of silver is not intended to be given to the Commander himself."
Instead, the Daning Prefecture government organized manpower to carry out the work according to the project quota.

Construction began in Daning City and continued until all 100,000 taels of silver had been spent.

"What? This won't do!"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yunxi immediately spoke up!
Pan Jing's cold gaze pierced through them.

"Oh? Lord Zhai has remembered what was written in the plan?"

Zhai Yunxi did not answer directly, but instead stated frankly:
"Lord Pan, why is Da Ning required to participate in the road construction in Liaodong?"
Moreover, if the Beiping Metropolitan Administration were to spend this money itself...

There's no guarantee where the flowers will be planted or what the roads will look like.

Pan Jing chuckled lightly and replied calmly:

"The Northern Pacification Commandery already has experience in road construction."
This official believes they have the capacity to cover the expenditure of 100,000 taels of silver.
There won't be any situation where a road is built halfway and then left unattended while someone rushes to leave.

"My lord! You can't judge a book by its cover!"

"Alright, it's their money, they can spend it however they want."

If Lord Zhai can get the silver back,

I will write you a document right now.
"You are permitted to leave Liaodong and go to the Northern Pacification Commandery, what do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Zhai Yunxi's face turned extremely ugly.

But he was still somewhat resentful that such a large sum of money had fallen into the hands of others!
Taking a deep breath, Zhai Yunxi said in a deep voice:
"My lord, we must try our best no matter what."

If we could allocate 100,000 taels of silver,
With everyone working together, perhaps 200,000 taels of silver will be enough, and the Commander won't need to spend any more money.

His words resonated with many adults, who nodded in agreement.

But some adults who had seen the plan,

His brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of absurdity flashed in his eyes.

Xu Cheng spoke at this moment, his expression indifferent and his voice hoarse:
"Lord Zhai, I believe..."
You can think about the contents of the planning document first before you speak.

To the outside world, we said it would cost 400,000 taels of silver.

As the adults probably know, the plan is to spend 300,000 taels of silver.

The budget for this plan was based on the cost of road construction in Beiping Commandery.
In addition, calculations show that the terrain of Liaodong presents significant challenges.

While not foolproof, it's the lowest possible cost.

If anything goes wrong within the military command, the amount will only increase.
There's absolutely no reason why something could be settled for 200,000 taels of silver.

At this moment, a document was handed to Zhai Yunxi from behind.
He could tell at a glance that this was the plan from a few days ago.

He immediately opened it to take a look, and quickly browsed through it; some adults were doing the same thing as him.

The conference hall fell silent, save for the soft rustling of pages turning.

A short while later, Zhai Yunxi spoke suspiciously:
"Does it really have to be this cement and concrete? Can't we use ordinary paving methods?"

"call"

Pan Jing sighed deeply, his face filled with worry. This time, he didn't give Zhai Yunxi any face and spoke frankly:
“If we were to use the old methods to build the road, a road that is 700 li long and wide enough for 20 horse-drawn carriages to travel side by side would cost more than 600,000 taels of silver.”

"Lord Zhai has served as an official in Liaodong for many years; has he never overseen any road repairs within the military command?"

Zhai Yunxi's face flushed red, and she looked embarrassed.

"Sir, then... then could we not build this cement workshop, but instead purchase it from the Beiping Military Command?"

Upon hearing this, even Zhou E raised his head.
A hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes as he looked at him. He sighed softly and said:

"Lord Zhai, such a unique skill cannot be bought by others even if they spend ten thousand gold pieces."

These days, the expertise and experience are given away for free. Where in the world can you find such a good deal?
There's no reason to push it away.

Alright, Lord Zhai, please take a closer look at the documents.

Such complicated matters should be left to those in the government office who are knowledgeable in them.

Zhai Yunxi was overwhelmed with shame, her eyes darting around before she finally nodded dejectedly.

"Yes, my lord."

Seeing that he was no longer speaking, some of the adults who had objections remained silent.

Zhou E glanced around, looked at Pan Jing, and said with a smile:
"Sir, does that mean the Commander only needs to raise 100,000 taels of silver to start construction?"

"As long as the commander has made the decision, construction can begin now."

After all, the initial preparations will take a long time.
The establishment of the cement workshop, the recruitment of personnel, and the gathering of laborers all took time.

Pan Jing smiled gently, appearing quite composed.

He now understands that if he goes with the flow, there is a high chance that the matter will pass smoothly.

Zhou E nodded and asked:
"So, what does Your Excellency mean? To repair it or not?"

"I have been in the military command for nearly two months, and this is the only thing I have been busy with. How could I not fix it?"
His Majesty's seal is now engraved on the memorials; even if we don't repair them, it's not permissible.

"That's true. Since the imperial court has already given its approval, then the Commander should make proper preparations."
"Once the money arrives, we'll begin work immediately. What do you think, Lord Pan?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Pan Jing's eyes; he was somewhat taken aback by Zhou E's easygoing manner.

However, a sense of joy quickly followed.
They believed that their external approach to breaking the deadlock had worked.

"Of course, the government needs to raise funds and provisions to begin preparations for road repairs."

I will write a letter to Lord Lu of the Northern Pacification Commandery.
Please ask him to send someone to help build the cement workshop and do some engineering calculations.

Seeing the displeasure on someone's face, Pan Jing sneered inwardly and added:
"The Northern Pacification Command is ultimately a pioneer; we should learn from them and avoid taking detours."
The task of coordinating with the people from the Northern Pacification Commandery will be entrusted to Lord Xu.
"It just so happens that you are acquainted with people in Da Ning, which will make things easier."

Pan Jing looked at Xu Cheng and settled the most important matter of negotiation in a few words.

Xu Cheng was somewhat surprised, but he did not refuse. Instead, he quickly spoke:
"Yes, my lord!"

At this moment, someone wanted to speak, but Pan Jing raised his hand to stop them:
"The commander still has a lot to learn about road construction."
Gentlemen, you must be prepared in the coming days; this is a huge undertaking.

Once construction proceeds smoothly, Liaodong will also usher in a period of prosperity.

With smooth trade and commerce, it might just become a "Jiangnan beyond the Great Wall"!

Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Pan Jingmei arrived at the military headquarters with a smug look on his face.

Looking at the red lanterns hanging above the door, he smiled with satisfaction.

These three days were the most comfortable three days he had experienced since arriving in Liaodong.
This feeling of being able to control something perfectly.
It was the first time he had ever experienced the power and authority of wielding great authority!
So much so that he felt the cold of winter was no longer important, and he even felt younger.

No wonder people often say that power makes you younger!
Pan Jinggang stepped into the yamen, preparing to brew a pot of hot tea and enjoy this rare moment of tranquility.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

A messenger covered in blood rushed in.

He staggered to Pan Jing's side and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"My lord, something terrible has happened! The Liaoyang Central Guard and the Garrison Guard have mutinied!"

Before Pan Jing could react, he felt a buzzing sound in his head.
As if struck by a heavy hammer, his originally rosy complexion instantly turned ashen white, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

He grabbed the messenger and roared in a shrill voice:

"What did you say? Mutiny?"

"What happened? How could there be a mutiny?"

The messenger, panting heavily and with a look of terror on his face, said:

"Sir, the soldiers said..."

They had no supplies for the winter and were shivering from the cold.

The weapons and armor were also dilapidated, many of them broken and unusable, and the commander kept delaying the replacement.

And the military pay has been owed for several months; everyone's family is waiting for the money to survive.

As a result, someone leaked the news.

They said the commander was going to spend 400,000 taels of silver to repair the road, completely disregarding their lives.

This completely enraged the soldiers, and they immediately rebelled!

Pan Jing felt a sudden dizziness.
He almost lost his balance, and his bodyguards rushed forward to support him.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down:

"What's the situation now? How many people participated in the mutiny? Are there any casualties?"

The messenger said, his voice trembling with tears:

"My lord, the Liaoyang Zhongwei garrison has already become one with the enemy."

Many soldiers were armed and killed anyone they saw.

Chaos also broke out at the garrison outside the city, with many people rushing into the city.
The exact details are still unclear, but the number of people involved is definitely large!

Pan Jing felt dizzy and lightheaded. He gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes, and shouted:

"Prepare the horses! Gather the men and follow me to quell the rebellion!"

Soon, Pan Jing led a group of men and hurriedly headed towards the Liaoyang Zhongwei garrison.

Throughout the journey, he felt heavy-hearted, constantly pondering how to cope.

If this mutiny is not handled properly,

Not only will his future be ruined, but the entire Liaodong Military Command will also be thrown into chaos.

Especially at such a critical juncture!

Pan Jing even harbored some unpleasant thoughts.

Why did they have to rebel now of all times?
Even he himself wouldn't believe it if you said there wasn't something fishy going on!

When they arrived at the Liaoyang Zhongwei garrison, the scene before them shocked Pan Jing.

Flames soared into the sky within the encampment, and shouts of battle were deafening.

Soldiers, armed with swords and spears, slashed and killed indiscriminately.

Some barracks have been set on fire, billowing thick smoke that blots out the sky.

Many corpses lay scattered on the ground.

The blood stained the ground red and quickly froze into ice.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood.

Pan Jing reined in his horse, looking at the chaotic scene before him, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He took a deep breath and shouted:
"Stop right there! I am Commander Pan Jing! Are you trying to rebel?"

However, his shouts were insignificant amidst the cacophony of battle cries, and no one paid him any attention.

Suddenly, an arrow shot out from the crowd.

It flew past Pan Jing's ear with a "whoosh".

His bodyguards were so frightened that they drew their swords and shielded him in the middle.

At this moment, a group of mutinous soldiers discovered Pan Jing and his men.

"Where is that thief Pan!"

"kill him!"

They roared and charged towards them, brandishing their weapons.

Pan Jing was startled and quickly shouted:

"Prepare for the enemy! Prepare for the enemy!"

The guards quickly formed a human wall, protecting Pan Jing behind them, and fought fiercely with the charging soldiers.

In an instant, swords flashed, blood splattered, and screams filled the air.

Pan Jing watched the battle unfold before him, feeling both shocked and furious.

He hadn't expected these soldiers to be so reckless, completely disregarding the consequences.

"The city defense troops! Why haven't the city defense troops arrived yet!"

"Don't be so stubborn!"

"I know you have been wronged. I am new here and unaware of the situation. Let's talk things out."
Such a violent conflict will only harm yourself and your families!

"Those who rebel shall have their entire families exterminated!"

Just then, a tall, bearded soldier stepped out from the crowd.

He charged forward menacingly, wielding a large knife, and roared:
"What you say sounds nice, Pan! Where were you when we were freezing and starving?"
Where were you when we were waiting for our military pay to support our families?

Now you say you want to discuss it with us? Where were you before?!

"Kill the thief!"

Pan Jing looked at the angry soldier in front of him and secretly thought that something was wrong.

If we cannot stabilize these people, the consequences will be unimaginable.

He tried to make his voice sound calm:
"I know you are in trouble, and the government is not indifferent to your life or death."

As for winter supplies, weapons, armor, and military pay,

I will resolve this matter as soon as possible and give everyone an explanation.

Just then, a sharp point of light suddenly appeared in the vast crowd.
The arrows whistled through the cold wind, pierced through the vast expanse of white snow, and headed towards Pan Jing!

"careful!"

Xu Cheng had just arrived when he saw this scene, and his eyes widened in fury!

Pan Jing also noticed the arrows, and his expression turned serious.
He used all his strength to twist sharply to the right.

"Puch!"

The arrow pierced Pan Jing's left shoulder, and with a scream, Pan Jing fell from his horse to the ground.
"grown ups!"

(End of this chapter)