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Shui Rong raised his eyebrows after listening to Wang Ziteng's report. The Daqian Dynasty had been established for nearly a hundred years, and people's hearts were unsettled. It was normal for military discipline to be lax and for corruption to occur.
However, this surplus has resulted in a shortage of more than 40,000 soldiers in the Beijing Camp, which is really exaggerated. In addition, there are those "old and weak soldiers" who are probably relying on their contributions to the court and are therefore receiving high salaries in the Beijing Camp.
As Wang Ziteng said, the roots of the Beijing Camp are rotten. This shows the harm that the military heroes did to the Daqian court. No wonder in the original novel the four kings and eight dukes had their property confiscated or were exiled. It was not unfair at all!
But this Wang Ziteng is really cunning. He pushed all the responsibility away with just one sentence, "I was not able to do it." But Shui Rong could understand it. After all, the Wang family's background is indeed not enough in the capital city which is full of powerful people.
Thinking of this, Shui Rong asked in a deep voice: "Uncle, can you be more specific?"
Wang Ziteng felt relieved when he saw Shui Rong had no intention of blaming him. In addition, since Shui Rong called him uncle, he did not hesitate to tell him about the situation in the Beijing camp.
In the Rongguo Mansion, in the warm room of the suite.
Daiyu sat alone on a brocade cushion, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
The maid Zijuan came in and saw that the girl was sad. She approached and comforted her, "Young lady, this is not the first time that Master Bao has quarreled with you. You don't have to take it to heart. It will be fine tomorrow."
Daiyu trembled when she heard this, and felt a little sad in her heart. She had just said a joke, but she got angry again and embarrassed her, and this was not the first time or the second time, which made Daiyu feel even sadder.
Seeing that the girl was getting more and more angry, Zijuan tried to persuade her again, "Girl, why are you still crying? Didn't the eldest lady scold Master Bao?"
When Baoyu dropped the jade before, Yuanchun was also present. She knew the situation. It was clearly a naughty joke between sisters, but Baoyu got mad and dropped the jade for no reason. Yuanchun, who was sensible, did not vent her anger on Daiyu, but scolded Baoyu instead.
Daiyu wiped her eyes and sighed, "Big sister is sensible, but everyone else thinks it's my fault. I don't know how much wrath I will have to endure."
Zijuan had nothing to refute when she heard this. In the past, whenever the young lady and Master Bao had a quarrel, regardless of right or wrong, it was always the young lady's fault, and she had suffered a lot of anger for this. Now that Baoyu was being scolded for the first time, she didn't know how angry he would be.
Thinking of this, Zijuan felt that it was not a good topic to continue, so she changed her topic and said, "Speaking of which, I saw the prince today. I can't even describe his temperament. He and the young lady are really a perfect match. Girl, what do you think?"
Previously in Yuanchun's courtyard, these maids were also serving there, but as maids, that was not the place for them to speak.
Daiyu raised her slightly drunken almond eyes to look at Zijuan, nodded slightly and said, "That prince is indeed rare, he seems quite easy-going."
Seeing that Daiyu's mind was diverted, Zijuan smiled and said, "That's right. If it weren't for the prince, the third young lady would have been in trouble for what happened to Aunt Zhao today."
Speaking of the Third Miss, Zijuan couldn't help but sigh and said sadly, "The Third Miss is also pitiful. She is obviously a phoenix, but she has an old hen as her mother. If the Third Miss was born to the Second Wife, it would be a big deal. But now the Third Miss has to accompany the eldest daughter to the Prince's Mansion. Seeing the Prince's gentle temperament, he will definitely protect the Third Miss, and she won't suffer in the future."
The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. Tanchun has a miserable life, and so does she. However, now Tanchun has someone protecting her, but no one knows where the person protecting her is.
Chapter 84 Shui Rong: I will organize the Beijing camp myself
Imperial City, Qianqing Palace.
The eunuchs and palace maids were silent as cicadas, not daring to make the slightest sound, and the atmosphere in the palace was as frozen as ice.
Emperor Yongkang sat behind the imperial desk, with the memorials in front of him in a mess. He looked stern and sneered, "It has been five days since the Jia family first decided on the ceremony, and Wang Ziteng has not come to see the emperor yet. What does Little Sixteen mean by this?"
Emperor Yongkang expected that Wang Ziteng would most likely ask Yu Shuirong on the day of the initial ceremony, and according to Shuirong's idea, he should support this matter. However, Emperor Yongkang was waiting for Wang Ziteng's audience with great hope, but he was nowhere to be seen until today. This made Emperor Yongkang feel angry.
Prince Zhongshun, who was below, saw that Emperor Yongkang looked stern, and said carefully: "My royal brother, please don't be angry. With Xiao Shiliu's temperament, he should understand the importance of the Beijing Camp and would not delay. Perhaps Wang Ziteng has not yet informed Xiao Shiliu of this matter. Please don't be anxious, my royal brother."
King Zhongshun had no idea about this matter, but based on his understanding of Shui Rong, he thought it would not be the case.
Emperor Yongkang snorted coldly. As the saying goes, one can judge a person by his appearance but not his heart. Perhaps the Sixteenth Little Prince had other thoughts after seeing the marriage with the Jia family.
After muttering in his heart, Emperor Yongkang breathed a sigh of relief. Although he suspected Shui Rong, his identity made it difficult for Emperor Yongkang to tell Prince Zhongshun.
King Zhongshun didn't say much when he saw this situation.
Not long after, the eunuch reported that Wang Ziteng was here to see the emperor. This made Emperor Yongkang's eyes light up, and he ordered someone to see him.
Wang Ziteng walked into the hall and saw King Zhongshun standing beside him, who was stunned. However, this was not the time to be polite, so he went straight to pay his respects and said, "Your Majesty, I, Wang Ziteng, kowtow to you. Long live the emperor!"
Emperor Yongkang looked down at Wang Ziteng with awe-inspiring eyes. He had some expectations about Wang Ziteng's purpose and asked in a deep voice, "What is the purpose of your audience, Lord Wang?"
Wang Ziteng bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I know that Your Majesty is worried about the selection of candidates for the Nine Frontiers. As the saying goes, one who eats the salary of the emperor should bear the worries of the emperor. I am willing to go to the important town of the Nine Frontiers to share your worries."
Hearing this, Emperor Yongkang was slightly delighted. It seemed that Shui Rong had made a choice after all, which was very much to his liking.
Thinking of this, Emperor Yongkang's expression eased, and he smiled and said, "Wang Qing is indeed a loyal minister to me. I agree to this matter."
Seeing Emperor Yongkang's kind attitude, Wang Ziteng understood what was going on. After thanking His Majesty, he took out a memorial from his sleeve, raised his hands above his head, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this is a summary of the defense of the Beijing camp. Please take a look at it."
Emperor Yongkang was slightly surprised when he heard this, and had some vague guesses in his mind. After the eunuch presented the memorial, Emperor Yongkang opened it and read it. It recorded that the Beijing camp had eaten up the vacancies and that the old and weak soldiers had occupied the Beijing camp's pay.
Emperor Yongkang could not help but look at Wang Ziteng with deep eyes. As for the lax military discipline in the Beijing Camp, he had a scale in his heart. Although he wanted to rectify it, it would affect the whole body, so Emperor Yongkang could only turn a blind eye. Now Wang Ziteng reported everything about the Beijing Camp to him. What was his intention?
"Has the military system of the capital camp become so corrupt?" Emperor Yongkang asked in a cold voice with an unhappy look on his face.
Prince Teng bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I am the governor of the Beijing camp and I have failed to supervise the situation. Please punish me."
Regardless of whether the problems of the Beijing Army were due to its own shortcomings or not, as the governor of the Beijing Army, he had an unshirkable responsibility.
Emperor Yongkang looked at Wang Ziteng thoughtfully. Could it be that Wang Ziteng wanted to shirk all responsibility for the Beijing camp?
Regardless of Wang Ziteng's intention, since he had already achieved his expectations, there was no need to investigate further, so Emperor Yongkang said coldly: "I will not investigate the matter of the Beijing camp for the time being. Wang Qing, go to the nine borders to investigate the defense. If you mess up the task, I will punish you for multiple crimes and will not show any leniency."
Wang Ziteng felt relieved when he heard this. He was not sure about reporting the matter of the Beijing camp this time, but after all, it was the prince's order.
Seeing that Emperor Yongkang did not blame him, Wang Ziteng kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, the military discipline of the Beijing Camp has been lax, and I have an unshirkable responsibility. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to rectify the Beijing Camp to atone for my sins. After the Beijing Camp is resolved, I will follow your order to inspect the border."
Emperor Yongkang looked at Wang Ziteng coldly, thinking about Wang Ziteng's intentions. After a moment, the corner of his mouth slightly raised, and he said calmly: "I agree to this matter. You are fully responsible for the rectification of the Beijing Camp. After the rectification of the Beijing Camp is completed, Wang Qing will go to the Nine Frontiers to take up his post."
Upon hearing this, Wang Ziteng bowed and said solemnly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
After Wang Ziteng left, Emperor Yongkang picked up the fragrant tea on the imperial table and sipped it, looking slightly happy.
The look in the eyes of Prince Zhongshun below changed slightly, and he stepped forward and said, "Royal brother, Xiao Shiliu is the same, causing so many troubles."
As for Wang Ziteng, King Zhongshun understood that this must be Shui Rong's intention. Otherwise, Wang Ziteng would not have proposed to reorganize the Beijing camp at this time.
Emperor Yongkang rolled his eyes at Prince Zhongshun and said unhappily, "Old Eighth, stop pretending to be confused in front of me. I don't believe you don't know what Little Sixteen is up to."
Prince Zhongshun smiled bitterly. He had roughly guessed Shui Rong's intention. The reason why Wang Ziteng delayed his visit for five days was probably because Xiao Shiliu asked him to summarize the situation of the Beijing camp and report it to Emperor Yongkang.
Emperor Yongkang did not care about Prince Zhongshun pretending to be confused. Instead, he said leisurely: "Little Sixteen is very good. On the day of his wedding, I will reward him handsomely."
Prince Beijing's Palace, front hall.
Wang Ziteng came to visit Prince Beijing's Mansion as soon as he returned from the imperial city. At this time, Wang Ziteng was talking to Shui Rong about the audience.
Shui Rong was not surprised to hear that Emperor Yongkang agreed to reorganize the Beijing Camp. Since Emperor Yongkang wanted Wang Ziteng to inspect the border in accordance with the emperor's order, he knew that reorganizing the Beijing Camp was imperative.
According to Emperor Yongkang's intention, Wang Ziteng was ordered to inspect the border, and the position of Jiedushi of Beijing Camp became vacant. At this time, he would appoint other personnel to reorganize the defense of Beijing Camp and place his confidants in posts.
However, all the people in the Beijing camp are meritorious officials, so in order to avoid causing any major incidents, they can only proceed slowly.
But now the Beijing camp is being reorganized under the intention of Prince Beijing's Palace, so Emperor Yongkang can stay out of it and sit back and relax. In other words, Shui Rong will remove all obstacles and Emperor Yongkang won't have to take action.
Shui Rong knew very well that the Beijing Prince's Mansion was now related to the Jia family by marriage, and all the former members of the Jia family, who were originally leaderless, had come to rely on him. Since Emperor Yongkang wanted to reorganize the Beijing camp, Shui Rong could not stand idly by, lest he lose the support of the people. So Shui Rong simply reorganized it himself. On the one hand, he reorganized the Beijing camp to have the initiative and not be caught off guard, and on the other hand, he eliminated those who came here upon hearing the news.
As for worrying about Emperor Yongkang's fear, there is no need to worry about it, because even if Emperor Yongkang wanted to reorganize the Beijing Camp, it would be impossible for him to remove all the meritorious officials one by one. Not to mention that he would chill people's hearts, even with a business as big as the Beijing Camp, Emperor Yongkang would have no one to fill it. In the end, he would still have to employ meritorious officials, which was not contrary to what Shui Rong did.
The purpose of Emperor Yongkang's reorganization of the Beijing Camp was nothing more than to control the Beijing Camp's voice so that it would not be controlled by others. Shui Rong had already helped him do this, so there was no need to worry.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor has given me full authority to reorganize the Beijing camp. I wonder what your plan is. Please give me your instructions."
Wang Ziteng saw that Shui Rong remained silent, so he started asking. At this time, he had already taken over the task of reorganizing the Beijing camp. If the task failed, he would be the one who would be in trouble.
Shui Rong raised his eyes to look at Wang Ziteng, and said with a smile: "Uncle has been in the military for half his life, and he knows more about military affairs than I do. How should we rectify it? Uncle, why don't you tell me your opinion first."
Relatively speaking, Wang Ziteng was born a military general and had been in the military for half his life. His experience was certainly beyond the reach of Shui Rong, so Shui Rong planned to ask his opinion first before making any plans.
Wang Ziteng felt relieved when he heard Shui Rong's intimate inquiry. It was obvious that the prince did not treat him as an outsider. These few calls of "uncle" almost made him lost.
After a moment's silence, Wang Ziteng bowed and said, "Your Highness, I think there are only two points to rectifying the Beijing Army. One is to thoroughly investigate the officers and soldiers in the Beijing Army who are eating up the vacancies, and the other is to lay off the old and weak soldiers."
As he spoke, Wang Ziteng looked embarrassed and sighed, "It's just that although it's simple to say, it's really hard to do. The officers and soldiers in the Beijing Camp are eating up the vacancies. Without the permission of the governor, the subordinates dare not do anything recklessly. If we investigate this matter thoroughly, we will inevitably offend those governors. And the reason why those old and weak soldiers can stay in the Beijing Camp is that they have made great contributions to the court or are related to the court. They rely on the salary to make a living. Once the army is laid off, it will be difficult for their families to make a living."
It's not that Wang Ziteng hadn't thought about reorganizing the Beijing camp, but it was too offensive. Moreover, once the old and weak soldiers who were laid off were instigated by someone with ulterior motives, they might cause trouble on the streets of the capital. He couldn't afford it then.
Shui Rong understood what he said. What was the governor's permission? They were probably the ones who suffered the most blood.
Tapped the table with his fingers, Shui Rong pondered for a moment, then said, "I understand what you mean, uncle. How about this? The Beijing Camp will thoroughly investigate the issue of those who ate the empty quota. Please take the token of the Beijing Palace and tell the governors in advance that if they turn in the money they ate, they will be forgiven. If they are stubborn, uncle is a military commander and should know the military law. There is no need for me to speak out!"
The prince's face was warm, but his words were extremely cold. As the saying goes, military law is ruthless. The prince's meaning was very simple. All the governors had to obey him. If they didn't, they would all be dealt with.
Holding the token of Prince Beijing's Palace represents the attitude of Prince Beijing's Palace. Those governors will not give face to the Wang family, but they have to give face to Prince Beijing's Palace, unless they want to offend Prince Beijing's Palace.
Thinking of this, Wang Ziteng replied in a deep voice: "I understand."
When Shui Rong saw Wang Ziteng's expression, he knew that he understood what he said. The reason why these meritorious officials made Emperor Yongkang wary was that a single move could affect the entire body. However, this did not impose too much restriction on the Beijing Prince's Mansion, because the Beijing Prince's Mansion was originally a meritorious official. In short, it was a struggle among the meritorious officials. In addition, the Beijing Prince's Mansion was married to the Jia family, and the soldiers in the Beijing camp more or less agreed with the banner of the Beijing Prince's Mansion, so it was not a big deal.
Moreover, Shui Rong also wanted to test how much prestige he had as the son-in-law of the Jia family. It would be enough as long as he could retain a certain say by removing the branches and keeping the main ones.
Shui Rong then continued, "For those officers who are not employed, in addition to the income they have paid, those who are employed will be laid off, and those who can be retained will be retained. Uncle will decide based on the situation."
Shui Rong still granted certain privileges to those governors, at least leaving some dignity for them to step down, and not killing them all. As for those with lower official positions, it depends on the situation. In short, some positions must be left vacant so that Emperor Yongkang can fill them.
Wang Ziteng nodded slightly when he heard this. It depends on the situation. This also gives him a lot of authority.
Shui Rong didn't care and continued, "Give those old and weak soldiers more silver to properly settle them, and the silver they need will be deducted from the silver they have handed in."
The old and weak soldiers only want their livelihood. Considering their contributions to the court, they can be given a resettlement fee. This is the same as the resettlement fee for retired veterans. In any case, the court does not need to pay for the money, so there is no need to be frugal.
Wang Ziteng nodded in agreement and paid the resettlement fee. The old and weak soldiers did not cause any trouble. Even if there were a few, it would not cause any trouble.
After a pause, Wang Ziteng said carefully, "My Lord, do you need to report this to His Majesty?"
There is nothing wrong with reorganizing the Beijing camp, but the matter of handing over the income from idleness and distributing resettlement fees has already exceeded authority. If it is not reported to the emperor, there may be trouble in the future.
Shui Rong understood Wang Ziteng's concerns, but he didn't care. He said with a smile: "Uncle, just go ahead and do it. Since His Majesty has given you the full responsibility for the rectification of the Beijing Camp, it also represents His Majesty's intention. Nothing will go wrong."
For Emperor Yongkang, the process of reorganizing the Beijing camp was not important, what was important was the result.
Chapter 85 Keqing: The disciple is better than the master
Prince Beijing's Palace, front hall.
After discussing with Wang Ziteng, Shui Rong, as the prince, does not need to worry about it and can leave the rest to Wang Ziteng.
Wearing a long coat with a stand-up collar and a moon-shaped skirt, a paddy field vest, and a red turban around her waist, Xiangling walked in with a lotus step, holding a tray in her hand.
"My Lord, have some tea!"
Shui Rong had discussed with Wang Ziteng for a long time and was indeed thirsty, so he took the teacup and took a sip comfortably.
After taking a deep breath, Shui Rong looked at the graceful Xiang Ling and praised her, "Xiang Ling, you have been serving me well recently. It seems that you have adapted to the life in the palace."
Shui Rong asked Xiangling to come from the Xue family some time ago. Now that she has just arrived in the new environment, she naturally needs to adapt to it. She was a little clumsy when she first arrived and was often scolded by Yingluo. Now she is becoming more natural and it seems that she has learned her lesson from the scolding.
Hearing Shui Rong's praise, Xiang Ling's cheeks could not help but become slightly drunk. She stood there in a naive manner, holding the tray hanging in front of her, without saying a word.
Shui Rong chuckled and reminded, "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Put away the empty teacup. If Ying Luo sees it, she'll probably scold you again."