Back to Daming to be a genius

Chapter 103

(PS: The power outage lasted until [-]:[-] this afternoon, so there was no update yesterday. Please forgive me, and I will try to update another chapter today.)
When leaving Shanhaiguan, Young Master Zhang left two ideas for Gao Di, one was aimed at Mongolian Lin Danhan, and if Lin Danhan, who was more inclined to the Ming Dynasty, wanted to get any benefits from Gao Di, he could agree. But Dayuer’s natal Mongolian Horqin tribe must be killed, or the heads of Jiannu with pig tails on their heads must be exchanged for food, no matter young or old, young or old.Another idea is aimed at Mao Wenlong in Pidao. Mao Wenlong’s military salary and rewards are given as usual, but he does not give orders at ordinary times. The only order is that after the main force of building slaves is away from their lair, Mao Wenlong’s army will sneak attack on the hinterland of Jiannu—as for when to make a move However, Young Master Zhang didn’t ask Gaodi to set the rules for Mao Wenlong, because Young Master Zhang knew that Mao Wenlong was a smart man, and he definitely knew when the best time to make a move would be, and he would not just sit back and watch Jiannu break through Jinzhou and have the energy to return to the defense nest***** **Wen Long is a smart man, and Young Master Zhang is also a smart man, and he also knows very well that a frail scholar like himself and a notorious eunuch running dog wants to make Man Gui and Hei Yunlong, two equally brave generals under Man Gui's command, and Hei Yunlong Ma Dengyun's heartfelt convincing to himself is definitely not something that happens overnight.So after replacing Man Gui's four thousand cavalry with eight thousand elite soldiers in the city of Ningyuan, although Man Gui never gave Young Master Zhang a good face, Young Master Zhang still cheerfully greeted him, bowed and bowed, and said with a smile : "General Man Gui, I have admired my name for a long time. My official Zhang Haogu is in charge of Jinzhou soldiers. From now on, we will fight side by side to protect our family and the country. If you don't mind General Man, you can call me Brother Zhang, or you can call me directly." My name is fine too, I can also be called General Man as Big Brother Man, is that okay?"

The famous Mongolian general Man Gui is quite tall and burly, almost half a head taller than the slender Young Master Zhang, with a black face and beard, and his arms are probably thicker than Young Master Zhang's thighs. He looks like a very bold standard Mongolian Man, but he spoke to Young Master Zhang in a very cold tone, "Master Bingbei, you are welcome, let us use official taboos." After finishing speaking, Man Gui led Hei Yunlong and Ma Dengyun away from Young Master Zhang, commanding The Guanning iron cavalry unit formed by himself personally escorted the convoy brought by Young Master Zhang, and continued northward to Jinzhou.

Of course, there is a reason why the straightforward Man Gui treats Young Master Zhang so coldly. The main reason is that Young Master Zhang proposed the Haizhou Liaodong strategy that was captured before the beginning of spring. The Jiannu army did not fight many times, but they also knew very well how strong the fighting power of the Jiannu Eight Banners was, and even more clearly that the so-called strategy of Young Master Zhang was completely nonsense, so Man Gui couldn't help feeling sorry for Young Master Zhang who didn't know how to pretend to know how to command. Disgusting, extremely contemptuous.And after Yuan Chonghuan returned to Ningyuan from Shanhaiguan, Yuan Chonghuan's entourage often described in front of Man Gui and others how stupid and ignorant Master Zhang was, how arrogant and incompetent he was, and how his future would be hopeless if he fought with Master Zhang. In this way, Man Gui, who was emphasized to serve under Young Master Zhang along with his direct lineage, was naturally very angry, worried that the direct line army that he spent countless efforts to build and train by himself would be ruined in vain by this stupid pig like Young Master Zhang.

After all, Man Gui is Young Master Zhang's subordinate, no matter how much he doesn't like Young Master Zhang, he has to deal with Young Master Zhang. When it gets dark, the transportation team stops to camp and rest. Contemptuously, Man Gui deliberately asked vaguely: "Dare to ask Mr. Bingbei, how will the sentries be arranged tonight? How far are the sentries? How many people are there? How will the brigade rest?"

"I haven't received the news of Jiannu sending troops yet, so let's arrange it according to the usual sentry distance of ten miles." Young Master Zhang also knew that Man Gui was testing himself, so he immediately replied: "Send four teams in each of the four directions. A team of ten small flags, arranged with three lights and one dark. In addition, four hundred soldiers were divided into two groups, divided into teams according to small flags, half of which were stationed and mobile, and took turns patrolling in the upper and middle of the night. Whenever there was a military situation, the gold alarm was immediately called, and the convoy Get together in a group, civilian husbands and soldiers circle around the car to rest, and the soldiers sleep with their arms in their clothes—Brother Man, do you think my arrangement is appropriate?" Man Gui was a little surprised, but he saw that Young Master Zhang was still standing next to Sun Chengzong One of the right-hand assistants, Mao Yuanyi, Man Gui immediately subconsciously assigned the credit to Mao Yuanyi, and after clasping his fists in agreement, he immediately went down to make arrangements.

After the sentry horses were sent out, it was completely dark, and bonfires were lit around the convoy. The peasants and soldiers took out the food they carried with the army and began to cook the food. The night air was soon filled with the smell of food. fragrance.Man Gui, who personally led Hei Yunlong and Ma Dengyun on patrol, purposely walked around the tent of Young Master Zhang, but was surprised to find that Young Master Zhang and Mao Yuanyi were eating the same rough food as ordinary soldiers. He greeted Man Gui: "Brother Man, come and eat together, there are too many people to eat better." Man Gui shook his head, excused that his own soldiers were ready, and quickly led Hei and Ma away.

"Hey, I can't tell that that little dog can share weal and woe with us." Hei Yunlong murmured, "I heard from Mr. Yuan that that little dog seems to be from a wealthy family in Shandong, and he can eat us as soldiers." I ate sorghum rice and pickled vegetable dumplings."

"Maybe it's because he's used to big fish and meat, and occasionally eats some sorghum pickles to change his taste and clean his oily intestines." Ma Dengyun said disdainfully: "Just like Mr. Yuan, he ate the same sorghum rice as us at the beginning to pretend , I can’t take it in a few days, so I hide to eat white rice and Dongpo pork.”

"If he can really be like Mr. Yuan, I can breathe a sigh of relief." Man Gui sighed, looking around at the direct line army in the camp, worried, and all he imagined in his mind was how the ignorant and incompetent Young Master Zhang made himself live together. A dead brother will pay all his money.

To the surprise of Man Gui and others, they were still behind. That night, Young Master Zhang actually led Wu Liuqi and a group of soldiers to patrol the night twice to check whether the guard post patrols were in place, whether any night watchmen were lazy and took a nap, and took a nap on the spot. The sleeping sentry gave twenty whips, and after discovering that several soldiers were sleeping in the open due to insufficient tents, Young Master Zhang immediately asked for his own tent to be given to the soldiers, while he squeezed into a tent with his servants and staff.In this way, although Man Gui is still unwilling to take the initiative to get close to Young Master Zhang, his impression of Young Master Zhang has changed greatly, knowing that Young Master Zhang may have the talent of a famous general—of course, when he thinks of Young Master Zhang's stupid strategy However, Man Gui still quickly removed the title of 'Future Famous General' from Young Master Zhang.

They walked for a few more days without saying a word. On the ninth day of October, after successfully crossing the Xiaoling River, Young Master Zhang, Man Gui and his party finally arrived at the destination of the trip - Jinzhou!What surprised Young Master Zhang was that the situation in Jinzhou is better than he imagined. Although the city towers and the weed-covered city walls are still dilapidated, Ma Shilong has dredged the moat that Mao Yuanyi hadn't had time to dredge. The Ling River was filled with water, and quite a few houses in the city were repaired, which was beneficial for the soldiers and civilians in the city to hold on through the winter.Young Master Zhang couldn't help but praised excitedly: "Mr. Sun Ge didn't use the wrong person. Although this Ma Shilong suffered a small defeat in Liuhe, he still has skills and a sense of responsibility. If he doesn't do anything in Jinzhou, he will just eat and drink. If I die, I will be in trouble."

The horn blew, and an army came out to greet them. In contrast to the Shanhaiguan army that almost made Gaodi sit on the ground in fright, the morale of this army coming out of Jinzhou City was obviously low. The movement is weak, and it looks depressing.After Ma Shilong, the former general soldier of Shanhaiguan, and Jun Jiyong, the eunuch supervisor, left the city, and just after Young Master Zhang reported his identity and name, Ma Shilong immediately asked, "Master Zhang, has the official letter of resignation been approved by Senior Supervisor?" ?”

Young Master Zhang looked at Ma Shilong carefully, and found that this short, stocky middle-aged man had a gloomy complexion and bloodshot eyes. He was only in his thirties, and his hair was already a little gray. It can be seen that the pressure and mental shock he has endured these days How huge, and how helpless and helpless the heart is.After sighing sympathetically, Young Master Zhang said: "General Ma, don't worry, we can talk about things after entering the city, okay?" Ma Shilong nodded, and then led Young Master Zhang into the city.And the relationship between Young Master Zhang and the eunuch has always been a natural affinity. It was the first time they met without saying a few words. Be active a little bit.

After entering Jinzhou City, Young Master Zhang and his party directly lived in the former Jinzhou magistrate's yamen in the middle of the city. As soon as they sat down in the court, Ma Shilong couldn't wait to propose handing over the city defense and the army.Ma Shilong held the official account and said in a muffled voice: "Master Zhang, the military preparation, Jinzhou, Youtun and Xiaolinghe, there are a total of 850 troops and more than 12 shi. , there are more than [-] people, here are the household registers, military rosters and inventory lists, Mr. Zhang please check them over."

"General Ma, don't worry." Young Master Zhang said with a smile, "I just arrived in Jinzhou. I'm not familiar with the place here, and I haven't seen any generals at all levels. How can I take over the city defense and the army at once? I'd better invite General Ma." After a few days of hard work, you have brought me to familiarize myself with the various situations in Jinzhou, and it will not be too late to hand over."

"The last general is being presumptuous and careless again." Ma Shilong didn't force it, but asked in a low voice: "Then please tell me how long it will take for the final general to hand over the city defense to Mr. Zhang and resign and return home?"

"General Ma, what do you mean?" Young Master Zhang suddenly raised his voice, put away his smile and asked sternly: "I am in charge of Jinzhou's military equipment, and I have just arrived in Jinzhou. Both of them are smeared. As an official of the imperial court and the former guard of Jinzhou, not only did you not actively cooperate with me to understand the situation and integrate into the role, but you repeatedly urged the handover of defense, and threatened to resign at every turn. What are you trying to do? Could it be that , do you look down on me?"

Young Master Zhang suddenly became angry, and the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Ma Shilong was silent, and after a while he said in a low voice: "Master Zhang misunderstood, the general does not despise you, but the general is seriously ill and wants to resign sooner." Go back to your hometown to recuperate."

"What if I don't let you go?" Young Master Zhang said viciously, "To tell you the truth, someone in the court planned to ask you to step down and leave, but Mr. Gao, the envoy of Liaodong Economic Strategy, has already adopted my suggestion and resisted the pressure of the court. Your resignation request has been rejected! Your punishment has also come down, you will be demoted by two ranks and your salary will be fined for half a year, and you will be appointed General of Jinzhou!"

Young Master Zhang really has nothing to do, Man Gui, Hei Yunlong and others are okay with dissatisfied with Young Master Zhang for the time being, they are the main force in the battle, Young Master Zhang still has more than two months to calmly buy people's hearts and make them work for themselves.But Ma Shilong and Jinzhou soldiers and civilians are different. They are the main force of construction. If Master Zhang wants to consolidate the city defense and actively prepare for war, he must win the hearts of Jinzhou soldiers and people as soon as possible. Shortest way.

Although Young Master Zhang's abacus is good, but Ma Shilong has obviously been crushed by his own psychological pressure. Whether it is Young Master Zhang's soft words to comfort him, or his anger to change his face, Ma Shilong always looks listless and dejected, and replies weakly: " Thank you, Lord Bingbei, for your kindness in saving me, but I have already made up my mind to go, so I can only live up to Lord Bingbei’s good intentions. I’d like to ask Lord Bingbei to make another statement, and let go of all the official positions of the last general.”

"General Ma, don't say that, Mr. Zhang also has good intentions." Although he doesn't like the character of Young Master Zhang, Man Gui still appreciates how Young Master Zhang tried to protect Ma Shilong in front of Gaodi, and couldn't help but help Young Master Zhang say.But Ma Shilong still shook his head, and said in a low voice: "General Man, you don't need to say anything, this time Liuhe was defeated, and the court sent me to jail for questioning, I might feel better. But now..., alas."

"Ma Shilong! Do you think I protect you in front of Mr. Gao Digao just to save you?" Young Master Zhang roared, stood up and slapped the official account book in Fei Ma Shilong's hand, pointing at Ma Shilong's nose and yelling He said: "What is your surname Ma? It is worth my Zhang Haogu to protect you against the pressure of the court and the criticism of the official Yushi? Let me tell you the truth, the person I saved was not you, but Sun Chengzong and Sun Ge! If It’s not because of Old Sun Ge, not to mention that the imperial court sent you to prison for questioning, even if they dragged you to Caishikou to be beheaded with Wang Huazhen, Zhang Haogu, I wouldn’t frown!”

Ma Shilong was naturally stunned by Young Master Zhang's unruly scolding, and generals such as Man Gui and Hei Yunlong were also taken aback. He is more flexible and has seen big scenes, so he quickly stood up and persuaded him: "Master Zhang, you have something to say, and it's not worth getting angry about it."

Young Master Zhang replied bitterly: "Grandpa Ji, you are wrong, this useless man surnamed Ma is not worthy of my anger for him-I am angry with Mr. Sun Ge! Mr. Ge, who has a clear name all his life, actually promoted him by himself. For a waste like Ma Shilong, it’s fine if he loses his job after losing the battle in Liuhe. I spent so much effort and thought to keep this general whom he personally selected. , making contributions on the battlefield, saving face for the old man, proving to the world that the old man is right, and laying a solid foundation for the old man to come out again! But no one would have thought that the general he single-handedly selected by the old man would be such a No responsibility, no guts, a coward who is greedy for life and afraid of death, and useless! Looking at it now, the old man Sun Ge is really old and blind, and he misjudged the wrong person!"

Every word and every sentence of Young Master Zhang hit Ma Shilong's heart, and the dejected expression on Ma Shilong's face gradually disappeared, gradually turning from gray to white, and then from white to red.Master Zhang looked at his words, waved his sleeves deliberately, turned around with his hands behind his back, and said coldly: "Ma Shilong, get out! I accept your resignation request, and you don't need to hand over the army and city defense. The situation in Jinzhou is naturally different. Eunuch Ji, the supervisor of the army, took me to get acquainted with him—at least, although Eunuch Ji is an eunuch, he is a hundred times better than you! Get out of here immediately! I don’t want to see you again!”

Being scolded by Young Master Zhang to be worse than a eunuch, Ma Shilong's violent temper suddenly returned to him, he gritted his teeth, knelt down on one knee to Young Master Zhang, blushed and cupped his fists and said, "Master Bing Bei, you scolded me so badly!" Yes, the general knows his mistake! The general is willing to take back his resignation letter, assist you in guarding Jinzhou, resist Jiannu, redeem your sins with blood on the battlefield, and win back this face for your mentor Sun Ge!"

A smile appeared on the corner of Young Master Zhang's mouth, but his tone was still cold. He turned around and said coldly, "Don't say such face-saving words, you still want to kill Jiannu just like you? How can I believe that you won't relapse when you get to the battlefield?" crime?"

"The general is willing to prove it with blood!" Ma Shilong yelled with a livid face, pulled out his waist knife with a choke, stretched out his left index finger, and swung the knife to cut his mark!Young Master Zhang quickly grabbed his arm and said with a smile: "Okay, General Ma, I believe you, there is no need to cut off your fingers, you should save your strength and fingers to cut off Jiannu's head on the battlefield. And from now on, Brother, I entrust you with so many things, how can I be willing to let you get hurt before the battle?"

(End of this chapter)