Chapter 51: Chang Xu in front and Mu Lan behind

Chapter 51: Chang Xu in front and Mu Lan behind

Chapter 51: Chang Xu in front and Mu Lan behind

"Your subordinate greets Lord Dingyuan." Lu Yunyi then bowed and saluted with a respectful look on his face.

Wang Bi nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned his gaze to the sand table again.

The hollow and hoarse voice of Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, sounded at this time, accompanied by two dry laughs:

"What are you doing rushing here in the middle of the night?"

Seeing Lu Yunyi's gaze lingering on Wang Bi, Changxing Hou smiled calmly:
"It doesn't hurt to just say it."

Lu Yunyi nodded, calmed his thoughts, concentrated his mind, took out a booklet from his arms, walked over quickly, and handed it over:

"Lord Changxing, I suddenly learned the other day that there have been cases of missing soldiers in the Qingzhou Central Guard in recent years.
This involves my own soldiers, so I have been so hasty in investigating the case. I beg the Marquis of Changxing to forgive me."

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Yunyi spoke again:
"After much investigation, and with the help of the government office, I have already found out the truth. Lord Changxing, please review it."

A trace of surprise flashed in the eyes of Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing. He slowly put down the teacup and took the booklet.

He looked at Lu Yunyi with interest, chuckled, and then opened it to take a look.

The more he looked at it, the more solemn his expression became. It recorded the casualties of the soldiers over the years, as well as the preliminary causes of death.
Finally, it also records why they died.

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, had a solemn expression on his face, anger flashed in his eyes, and he snorted coldly and slammed the booklet on the table:
"You are a traitor and you deserve to be killed!"

After a moment of relaxation, he asked, "Where is the murderer? Who caused the deaths and injuries of these soldiers? Why is it not written down? It can't be that Ding Xianzhi did it alone."

Lu Yunyi paused, sighed, and spoke in a deep voice:
"Reporting to Lord Changxing, the murderer is not just one person. Some have been executed, and some are still in the army. I don't know what to do."

"Did these dead and wounded soldiers discover something fishy in the grain transport convoy and wanted to report it, and were therefore killed?" Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, looked profoundly.

"Reporting to the Marquis, the transportation of food and grass for the Qingzhou Central Guard is the responsibility of the Central Thousand Households.

After the soldiers learned about this, they did not dare to report it to the army.

So I informed the Qingzhou government office about this, but."

A complicated expression appeared on Lu Yunyi's face. He took several deep breaths to calm his breathing, and then spoke:
"But the former governor Sha Shoufu was in cahoots with the people in the army.

Instead, he disclosed the information of the informant to the Gyeongju Jungcheon-seo, asking them to deal with the informant.
And this Sha Shoufu was executed along with his entire family last year for failing to supervise grain supply during the army's northern expedition, and there is no concrete evidence to prove it."

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, had a majestic aura. He just sat there silently. His old face made the whole military tent look solemn.

After a long time, his voice came slowly:

Lu Yunyi pursed his lips and spoke in a deep voice:
"Gyeongju Commander Ding Xianzhi has been captured and confessed to his crimes. As for the other murderers, Lord Changxing, please forgive me. I don't know what to do."

"Why?"

“There are too many murderers.”

"who is it?"

"Gyeongju Central Thousand Households Office."

As soon as these words came out, it was shocking.

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, fixed his gaze. Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, who was standing on the side, straightened up slightly and looked over.

Liu Heiying and Guo Quan's faces changed drastically. They lowered their heads and kept silent.

The two looked at each other silently, their eyes full of horror.

They are not fools and know what this means.

Those who died were loyal and righteous people, and those who survived were ordinary people.

All of them participated in the trade of old grain for old grain.

Therefore, Gyeongju Central Defense has been a solid block all these years, and no one has been able to uncover the truth.

The loyal and righteous people who tried to uncover the truth had already been enveloped by darkness and were being stared at by those pairs of eyes filled with dirty murderous intent.

The atmosphere in the military tent became increasingly solemn. The dim candlelight flickered gently, casting the figures of several people at the edge of the tent in total darkness.

After a long time, the voice of Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, came slowly:
"What else did you find out?"

Lu Yunyi's body stiffened and his pupils suddenly contracted.

This was different from what he expected. At this time, the real culprit had been exiled, and only some small fish and shrimp were left, which could be dealt with easily.

But now, Marquis Changxing seems to be determined to get to the bottom of things.

Lu Yunyi's thoughts raced, and a trace of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Although he knew that the big shots knew the whole thing, he still felt nervous when a small person like him said it out loud.

"If you have to fart, just fart now. What's the point of dithering?"

Wang Bi on the side cursed, then came and sat down in front of Lu Yunyi, his dark face revealing a solemn look.

Lu Yunyi bowed slightly, bowed gently to the two marquises, and said in a deep voice:
"Please ask the two Lords to dismiss the attendants."

Changxing Hou looked calm and waved his hand gently: "You guys go out first."

After hearing this order, Liu Heiying and Guo Quan were not unaware of the doubts about the case.
Instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. The more you know about some things, the more helpless you become.

But when Liu Heiying left, he glanced around vaguely, with a hint of worry in his eyes.

When there were only three people left in the military tent, Lu Yunyi felt that the huge stone on his body was much lighter. He spoke loudly:
"Reporting to the two Lords, I have learned from investigation that
From the 15th year of Hongwu to the 20th year of Hongwu, Ding Xianzhi took advantage of his position as commander-in-chief.

He did something in the grain transport team, exchanging old grain for new grain to earn money.
According to the soldiers in the city and the head of Manchunlou, the soldiers of Qingzhou Zhongwei were very generous in their spending.

The military pay and rewards were not enough to support such expenses.

Therefore, I infer that all the soldiers of Qingzhou Central Guard are involved, and if anyone does not conform, they will be killed by everyone. "

"What else?" The voice of Marquis Changxing sounded again without a trace of emotion, making the military tent feel even colder.

Lu Yunyi's face was stern. He was still unwilling to give up even at this point?

Lu Yunyi sighed inwardly, it seemed that he had to be the knife in someone else's hand this time.

"I have another guess in my mind, but it is just my personal opinion and there is no actual evidence. Please treat it with caution, my Lords."

"Tell me about it." Marquis Changxing said coldly.

"I suspect that Ding Xianzhi is colluding with Nahachu to sell military rations." Lu Yunyi simply stopped hiding it and spoke in a sonorous and powerful voice.

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, looked gloomy, while Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, looked relaxed. He looked at Lu Yunyi and nodded slightly.
"Tell me how you made the inference."

"Reporting to the two Lords, the profit from the new grain and the old grain is no more than 50%.

But if you want to sell the grain and grass to the grassland, you can make more than ten times the profit.
After the defeat of Nahachu last year, there were no more casualties in the Zhongqianhu Suo of the Qingzhou Zhongwei, so I inferred that.
The person Ding Xianzhi sold grain to was Nahachu or one of his nobles from the grasslands.”

Marquis Changxing and Marquis Dingyuan looked at each other quietly and nodded slightly.

Marquis Changxing said, "I know about this matter. You can go down. I will record your merit for this matter."

It was not until this moment that Lu Yunyi let out a long sigh and bowed, saying:

"Thank you, Lord Changxing. I will take my leave."

Lu Yunyi slowly turned and left. Dingyuan Hou Wang Bi looked at his back with interest and chuckled:
"It's exactly as written in the military household register. You are so scheming."

Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, who was standing by, lost his previous solemnity and gave a dry laugh.
He poured a cup of tea and handed it to Wang Bi, then drank it slowly himself.

“Smart people will consider the pros and cons of doing things and will think ahead and behind.

This amount of silver was still too much for a soldier from Gyeongju, so it was understandable that he was afraid.

But this man is quite courageous. I originally thought he would only investigate the casualties of the soldiers.
He didn't mention anything about the military rations. Now it seems that I underestimated him."

Wang Bi on the side snorted coldly and glanced at him:
"What's the point of bringing up the past? The person has already been punished, why are you still holding on to it?

He is nothing more than a third-rank commander. We can just find a reason to arrest him. Why go to so much trouble?"

A trace of confusion appeared on Changxing Marquis Geng Bingwen's face, and he slowly shook his head:

"News came from the capital that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was not satisfied with the handling of this matter, and so was His Majesty.

Chang Mao might be stripped of his title, but it's not what we thought.
I will go out and hide for a few years before coming back, so I'd better do it cleanly. Everyone on this line must be cleared out. "Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi's face was moved, and then there was an incredible expression:

“Has the situation become so serious?”

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, sighed:
"It's even worse than before. Since the Queen's death, Your Majesty's thoughts have become more and more unpredictable.
We old brothers have been criticized a lot, and Chang Mao's seizure of the title is a foregone conclusion."

"It shouldn't be that serious. Your Majesty still has our old friendship in mind." Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan, still couldn't believe it.

"It is because Your Majesty is too concerned about our old friendship that Chang Maoxing is allowed to act so boldly.
The family has a lot of money, but they still do such things.

It would be fine if he did it, but it was so crude that anyone with a discerning eye could see the clues. I think he is just relying on your Majesty's old friendship!"

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, shook his head slightly, with a look of emotion on his face:

"This person is afraid of comparison.
Last September, the Governor's Office received news that Si Lunfa of Luchuan had made unusual moves.

They may mobilize troops and commit acts of rebellion this year.
Mu Ying immediately prepared for war after noticing this, and submitted a memorial before the New Year.
We are planning to march into Luchuan at the beginning of the year. If we calculate the time, we should have set out by now.
If he wins this battle, Chang Mao will be stripped of his title.

We are both second generations, why is there such a big gap? "

Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, suddenly felt a little depressed, and his old face was full of regret.
In his early years, he followed Chang Yuchun in his battles and had a deep relationship with him. Chang Mao was his nephew.

If possible, he would not want to see the son of an old friend being stripped of his title.

Wang Bi, the Marquis of Dingyuan, shook his head slightly.
"General Mu is just young, not the second generation. His abilities are no worse than ours.

In the eleventh year of Hongwu, I followed General Mu with the general to attack the Dogan chieftains and the eighteen tribes of the Western Regions.

At that time, General Mu was just over thirty years old, and his way of fighting and formations was deeply influenced by the essence of the late King Ninghe and Your Majesty, which made me sigh in admiration.

As for Chang Mao, he was well versed in the Kaiping Wang family school, but he didn't learn much, but he was still as arrogant and domineering as ever.

I heard that some people in Beijing still call him Master Mao? They don’t know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is. "

After a pause, Wang Bi sighed with some emotion:
“It’s a pity that Prince Kaiping’s skills were wasted, but fortunately there is a great general who can carry forward Prince Kaiping’s battle tactics.

When I came here and saw the camps on both sides, I was in a trance for a moment, and I thought I was back in the tent of King Kaiping."

Perhaps because they were talking about old things, the atmosphere in the military tent became more relaxed.

Marquis Changxing smiled and nodded:

"It is said that Chang and Xu were the twin pillars of the Ming Dynasty. Now both of them have passed away early.

But then Mu Lan and the other two appeared, one in the south and one in the north.
Even if all of us old guys die, the Ming Dynasty will have no worries either north or south."

Wang Bi also showed emotion and nodded slightly:

"We old guys have been killed or injured, and it's time to quit.

After we defeat the Northern Yuan Dynasty in this war, some military affairs will be handed over to them. I think that's what Your Majesty means.

I just don’t know what the general thinks about Chang Mao, after all, the general is his uncle.”

Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, shook his head: "I don't know."

"I don't know?"

Geng Bingwen smiled helplessly and nodded again:
"I just don't know, he has been busy with the Northern Expedition these days.

Official documents in Beijing must be processed as quickly as possible even if it takes a sleepless night.
But he ignored the letters. Last time I checked, there were no less than a hundred of them.

He must have known about Lu Yunyi's investigation in Qingzhou.
But he did not stop, agree or oppose it, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking. "

For some reason, Dingyuan Marquis Wang Bi suddenly felt relieved and said with emotion:
"Fortunately, the general did not interfere in this matter, otherwise, given the general's temper, he would have made this matter very embarrassing."

Geng Bingwen laughed out loud, not knowing what funny thing he was thinking of:
"Hahaha, let's not dwell on the matter of Chang Mao anymore. With His Royal Highness the Crown Prince here, the title won't go away. At most, it will be given to Chang Sheng."

"That's great. No matter how rotten the meat is, it has to be rotten in the same pot. It can't be given away to others."

After leaving the central military camp, Lu Yunyi returned to the front scout camp with a serious face.
After entering the military tent, he did not say a word, but just sat there silently.
This caused Liu Heiying and Guo Quan to look at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Finally, Liu Heiying thought about it and asked tentatively:

"Brother Yun'er, are we just going to let this go?"

Lu Yunyi's face was solemn, and he shook his head slowly:

"Some things are not as heavy as a pound, and they cannot be weighed down even if they are weighed a thousand pounds.

The matter of colluding with foreign enemies to sell grain and grass has been brought to light. No matter what, it will not be let go.
But now there are many things involved, and I haven't figured out how the two marquises will deal with those people in the Central Thousand Households Office?"

Liu Heiying couldn't help but shudder. This major case involving more than a thousand people was shocking enough for Gyeongju.

But Guo Quan didn't care about it. He had seen much bigger scenes in the capital. He just shrugged his shoulders:

"Sir, I think you are worrying too much. There are only a thousand people. You can deal with them as you see fit. At worst, you can just kill them all."

"That's easy to say. We are at war now. Killing people won't affect morale, and it won't sound good if it gets out."

Liu Heiying became furious and stretched out his arm to nudge Guo Quan.

Guo Quan then kept silent. After all, Liu Heiying had been promoted and was his superior's superior.
Lu Yunyi frowned, looking thoughtful.
After a while, he looked up at Guo Quan and said:

"Go to the prison now. If Ding Xianzhi is dead, report the matter to Lord Changxing.

If Ding Xianzhi is not dead, then we can check again tomorrow.
When he dies, you will report to the Marquis."

Guo Quan was stunned for a moment, blinking his eyes slightly, and soon he understood, and exclaimed:

"Someone wants to kill him?"

Lu Yunyi shook his head slowly: "It was suicide. At this point, if we continue to investigate, too many people will be involved.
The Marquis of Changxing also intends to stop here, so he must die, go quickly. "

Guo Quan was inspired and understood some things, and nodded repeatedly:
"I understand, sir. I will go now."

After Guo Quan left, Liu Heiying moved closer:
"Is this the end of the matter? We haven't checked where the millions of taels of silver went."

Lu Yunyi sat at the table, gently raised the candlelight beside his head, and his face flickered:
"This matter ends here. As for the whereabouts of the silver, it's better for you not to know. The death of a commander can also give Chen Jingyi some explanation."

Seeing Lu Yunyi's secretive look, Liu Heiying was also a little frightened.
But for some reason, he still said something inexplicably:
"But Brother Yun'er, so many people died, are you just going to let it go? The real murderer will not be punished? And who is he?"

Lu Yunyi stood up gently, took a deep breath, and patted his shoulder again:

"The real murderer has been brought to justice. He will die when the matter is completely over. Do you really want to know?"

For some reason, Liu Heiying felt a chill running from the soles of his feet to his forehead.

It was as if a cold snake was winding back and forth on his spine. He shook his head repeatedly:
"No, no, no, no. I don't want to know. I still want to live a few more years."

Lu Yunyi nodded and said: "Tomorrow the soldiers will resume training after the rest period.
Instruct the clerks and military discipline officers not to watch so closely.

The New Year is coming soon, so it is normal for soldiers to desert. Don't be too harsh on them. You should be relaxed and tense in moderation when marching and fighting.

By the way, the army will give out some money before the New Year.
Then use the money to buy some food and clothing for the soldiers.
Tell your dad to buy something that is easy to store.

The soldiers themselves might not want to eat it, so they would save it and take it home after the battle is over."

"You want my dad to go shopping?" Liu Heiying was stunned. This was a lucrative job.

Lu Yunyi patted his shoulder:

"We couldn't make the decision on this matter before, but now that we've been promoted, we don't have to report this to our superiors."

At this moment, faint footsteps sounded outside the military tent:
"Is Lord Lu here?"

There was a hint of surprise in Lu Yunyi's eyes. He frowned and walked out, and saw two soldiers standing in front of the military tent.

"What's the matter?"

"The general asked Lord Lu to go to the central military tent to discuss matters."

"I'll go right away."

(End of this chapter)