Chapter 220 Being used, the incident happened

Chapter 220 Being used, the incident happened

Chapter 220 Being used, the incident happened

After a sleepless night, the rising sun sprinkled its rays, melting the darkness of the night.
The sounds of insects and birds chirping are endless, creating a lively scene.

At this moment, Lu Yunyi was in the camp, holding a military report and map in his hand, looking through it carefully, frowning slightly.

As the noises outside gradually became louder, my mind became more and more confused.

With a light sigh, Lu Yunyi put down the map, stood up, washed his face and walked out of the military tent.

The rising sun emits orange-red light.

This made Lu Yunyi, who had not slept all night, a little surprised. If it weren't for the wrong direction, he might have thought it was evening.

In the front parade ground, more than 500 soldiers had not rested all night.
After a night of inspection, all the shoddy backpacks had been picked out, a total of 1,310.

The difference in weight is mostly between three and four taels.

From this, it can be concluded that the more than 1,300 backpacks that were replaced were all made of waterproof sheepskin and redundant cowhide.

Lu Yunyi stared at the scene in front of him, thinking about it last night.
He could already conclude that this was not done by Yu Tongyuan and others, but by some other people with ulterior motives.

At this moment, Li Jinglong, in a hurry and with a serious look on his face, walked quickly into the front scout camp.

The originally wrinkle-free luxurious clothes now had some wrinkles and dirt, and the hair was a bit messy, but the tall figure still had a strong sense of nobility.
His appearance attracted countless soldiers' attention.

Li Jinglong's heart tightened for no reason and he couldn't help but straighten his back. He felt a sense of openness in his heart, more refreshed than ever before!
I am the commander-in-chief of the Southwestern War, Duke of Cao of the Ming Dynasty. Although I am not good at fighting, I can do what I can for the Southwestern Army!

Thinking of this, a smile appeared on Li Jinglong's lips.
At least on this day, he thought that he was a useful person, not just living a muddle-headed life like before!

Soon, he came in front of Lu Yunyi and saw the dark circles around his eyes.

Lu Yunyi also saw the dark circles under his eyes.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but smile.

Lu Yunyi turned around and went back to the military tent, and Li Jinglong followed him.

Inside the military tent, the two men sat next to each other, with a long square table in the middle, on which was last night's cold tea.

Li Jinglong was not polite at all. He picked up the teacup and poured himself a cup. He drank it all in one gulp.

Then he recounted what happened yesterday:
"After a night of investigation, the Royal Guards have initially determined that it was the No. 6 Weapon Workshop under the Ministry of Industry that did it.
The leaders were in collusion with each other, and every time they made weapons, 10% of them would be defective.
Some craftsmen also participated in this activity and then passed inferior products off as good ones to make personal profits.

Yesterday, I interrogated a workshop manager because this was the first time they were making new military supplies.
So they became bolder and made two moves.

Among the weapons of the front-line scouts that were sealed up yesterday, 10% were defective and were used as substitutes for the good ones."

Lu Yunyi just listened silently with a calm expression.

The weird feeling in my heart didn't diminish at all, but became even weirder as the truth was revealed.

What a coincidence! This matter was not discovered earlier or later, but just when they were about to go to the expedition, and it appeared in the front army scout unit.

Lu Yunyi couldn't help but feel a little strange in his heart, and he said to himself silently:
“Isn’t it possible that someone is taking advantage of me?”

Lu Yunyi was unusually sensitive to this kind of thing, because he was also good at it.

He is also good at focusing on the details of the military and seeing the big picture from the small.

Maybe someone knew about his vigilance and deliberately mixed up the matter of the No. 6 Weapon Workshop of Yi Zi, betting that he would find out.

The more Lu Yunyi thought about it, the heavier his heart became. He looked at Li Jinglong and said in a deep voice:

"How does the court intend to deal with this?"

Li Jinglong's eyes flashed with ruthlessness:
"All of these people will be punished according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty. The main culprit will be beheaded and his family will be exiled, and the accomplices will be exiled!
Last night, the Imperial Guards arrested a workshop manager.
When the weapons workshop is changing shifts during the day, the rest of the people will be arrested."

There was a hint of hesitation in Lu Yunyi's voice:
"Is this matter over with?"

Li Jinglong fell into silence, and the anger on his face disappeared in an instant, replaced by gloom and depth.

After a long time, he showed some helplessness:

"The staff at home speculated that this incident was not aimed at the front army scouts.

Instead, some people were taking the opportunity to express the court's dissatisfaction with three consecutive years of war.

The real blame finally fell on Yun Gong, after all, he was the one in charge of the military equipment supervision."

Lu Yunyi's gaze also became profound. In the final analysis, it was still a battle between civil and military affairs!
He learned a thing or two from Xu Zengshou about the difficulty of Xu Yungong's succession to the title, and that he was trying to make things difficult for him at every turn.

He was now certain that
The front-line scouts were taken advantage of, and their cautiousness was exploited to find out the problems in the ordnance, which were then made public, making the matter a big deal and making it known to everyone.

Lu Yunyi turned his head to look at Li Jinglong with deep eyes.
Perhaps Duke Cao was also part of the plot.

After a long sigh, Lu Yunyi asked:
"Nearly 30,000 people's weapons were issued yesterday, and we are the only ones who found the problem?"

Li Jinglong was stunned, shook his head bitterly, and then nodded gently: "Yes."

"So is there something wrong with their weapons?"

Li Jinglong shook his head gently: "No."

As soon as the words fell, it was as if a huge rock was thrown into the peaceful lake of my heart.
Lu Yunyi's heart was in turmoil and he no longer had any doubts.

The atmosphere in the military tent suddenly became solemn. Li Jinglong's somewhat hollow voice came out, accompanied by a sigh:
"Although I can't see the situation clearly, my family's staff speculate that you and I are both being used.

Taking advantage of your cautiousness and my power and status,

They were even more rampant. We had nearly 30,000 men and their equipment, but only the front scout unit had problems, leaving us with nowhere to escape and no choice.

The Yizi No. 6 Weapon Workshop is nothing more than a discarded pawn. Their actions should have been discovered long ago, but they were only used today."

Lu Yunyi looked deep in the eyes and sneered, his voice was also hollow:

"It's really obvious..."

For some reason, Li Jinglong suddenly became angry, his facial features became ferocious, and he started to curse loudly, and the teacup in his hand was thrown heavily to the ground:

"Traitors! They are all traitors!"

"How has your majesty and the crown prince decided to punish me?"

Lu Yunyi asked abruptly, and Li Jinglong's anger gradually dissipated, replaced by complexity.

"Your Majesty has ordered a thorough investigation of all weapon workshops in the capital, and ordered the Royal Guards to investigate the people behind it.

Chen Guangsong, the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works, is at home reflecting on himself. Qin Kui temporarily takes over the post of Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Works and is in charge of the repair of the Yingtian city wall. "

Hearing these words, Lu Yunyi was very impressed by the bravery of the emperor.
In the face of internal and external troubles, he still chose to strike hard.
Chen Guangsong, the right vice minister of the Ministry of Works, was disgraced and would never return to the court, but he managed to retain some dignity.

Li Jinglong suddenly laughed at himself:
"It's a good thing that we still think about the overall situation and keep this matter quiet, trying to make a big deal out of a small one.

But Your Majesty is still the same Your Majesty as before. He has not grown old, and he is still able to take action against those parasites in the country.

Some people want to take advantage of your majesty's old age to stir up trouble. They have made a wrong calculation."

Lu Yunyi fell silent after hearing this, and spoke after a long time:
"When will the damaged backpacks and weapons be replenished?"

Li Jinglong was stunned at first, then smiled calmly:
"Yun Yi, you are indeed different from others. In the past, when I talked about court affairs with others,
They all pricked up their ears, hoping to get some court secrets from me, but you only thought about fighting."

"Everyone in the Ming Dynasty has his own duties. I am a soldier, so I am naturally concerned about military affairs.

I don’t understand the politics of the court, and I don’t want to get involved in it.”

Li Jinglong laughed, his eyes becoming more profound:

"Yun Yi, if everyone can do their job well like you, then the Ming Dynasty will prosper.

Don't worry, the backpack has been made overnight by the No. 1 Weapon Workshop, and will be delivered to you by express horse after it is completed.

Those standard weapons are easy to deal with. They have already been transferred from the Beijing camp. If nothing unexpected happens, they are already being loaded onto the ship."

"Has Jinglong checked it?"

"Don't worry, no one dares to cause trouble at this critical moment."

Lu Yunyi's face was calm: "That means there was no inspection. Let's go and check the weapons together on the south bank."

Li Jinglong was stunned, and Lu Yunyi explained:

"In the art of war, victory or defeat can be reversed in an instant.

Just like climbing a mountain, when you reach the top, you are about to win, but it is also the time when you are most likely to fall and die.
So we must be vigilant at all times. Before the results of the battle are known, we must prepare for the worst. It is better to check it out. "Li Jinglong's face was solemn. He wrote down all the words, clasped his hands together, stood up and bowed respectfully:
"Yun Yi, Jinglong thanks you for your teaching!"

Lu Yunyi quickly stepped forward and helped him up:
"I will be leaving for war tomorrow, so I will go to Yingtian to visit my master and say goodbye.
Jinglong, what gift do you think I should bring?

"Master?"

Li Jinglong was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted: "Liu Sanwu?"

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded, sighing slightly in his heart. It seemed that this matter had spread widely.

"Under the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to visit Tantanong."

Li Jinglong looked at Lu Yunyi in surprise.
In his impression, Yun Yi was a meticulous person and would not have failed to figure out the trouble caused by his last visit to Liu Sanwu.

Lu Yunyi pretended to sigh, his face solemn:

"Even if the situation is tense, I should still pay him a visit. After all, he is my father's mentor."

Li Jinglong blinked his eyes and laughed happily:

"Yun Yi, everyone says that you are a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty. Today, I see that you are indeed the case.

Well, I have a famous painting by a Northern Song Dynasty master at home, I'll ask someone to fetch it, let's go together."

"This thing is precious, how can you take it so easily?"

Li Jinglong smiled and said frankly:
"We are now all from the Beijing Army, going to the southwest to make achievements together, we are all family members.
If you go alone, it will inevitably cause dissatisfaction. Although I am uneducated, my title still has some deterrence. Don't be polite to me."

In this case, Lu Yunyi did not refuse and smiled calmly:
"Thank you very much, Jinglong."

Li Jinglong immediately smiled and said, "Let's go across the river and check the weapons first."

In a corner of Yingtian City, there is the No. 6 Engineering and Weaponry Workshop.
This place is not only an important place for the Ministry of Works, but also a place that craftsmen in Beijing yearn for, because they can earn enough money here.

At this moment, when the day and night shifts are changing,
The two groups of people gathered in the small courtyard, making the atmosphere in the small courtyard of the weapons workshop somewhat solemn.

On one side of the courtyard, there is a gathering place for some well-dressed and arrogant craftsmen.

They pride themselves on their close relationships with their superiors and often show off the "benefits" they have gained from special channels in the workshop.

At this moment, they are still gathered together, about ten people,

He sneered at the craftsmen who worked silently, his words full of disdain and contempt:

"Look at you all, you're all working like dogs, but in the end you're still working hard to earn those few dollars.

Look at us, we can easily get three taels of silver."

The leading craftsman, named Zhang, had a smug smile on his face, and the silver ingot in his hand sparkled in the sunlight, extremely dazzling.

At the other end of the workshop, there were more craftsmen dressed simply, about fifty or sixty in number.
Their faces were full of traces of time and they looked timid.

Whenever they heard those mocking voices, they just lowered their heads silently and ignored them.

As craftsmen, they produce weapons and armor used by the elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. They are naturally proud of themselves and disdain to do anything that is in cahoots with the crowd.

But there are still some people with flashing eyes and angry faces.
Some of them were new craftsmen, others were apprentices who inherited their fathers' jobs, and they would often quarrel with them.

In front of them, there was a short, somewhat slovenly craftsman, about forty years old, with wrinkles all over his face and dark spots.

He looked back and forth, smiled softly, and said comfortingly:
"I learned a saying a few days ago: A thousand-foot-high wall stands firm, and a lack of desire makes one strong.

I have been manufacturing weapons at No. 6 Yizi since the founding of the Ming Dynasty.
If you want to make good weapons and armor, you must be respectful and not greedy.

We take what the court gives us, and we don't take what the court doesn't give us.

Although the work of a craftsman is dirty, the court gives us one tael of silver every month, which is much better than the common people in Beijing and is enough to make a living.

If you lose your head because of embezzlement, it would be a loss.

You should keep your hands off and not get involved in this corruption."

He often taught new apprentices in this way. Although his voice was not loud, it was full of power.

"Bullshit, I earn your lifetime earnings in one year, even if I have to be beheaded it's worth it!"

On the other side, someone made a blunt and sarcastic remark, his voice full of disdain and arrogance.

The craftsman surnamed Li shook his head:
"I hope you can be as tough as this when you chop off my head. Then I, Old Li, will respect you as a man."

Just when the argument was about to get intense,
In front of the No. 6 Weapon Workshop,

The sound of armor colliding was endless, and heavy footsteps were heard in an orderly manner. Teams of soldiers soon surrounded the government office tightly.

At this time, the leading general waved his hand lightly, and more than a hundred soldiers rushed in with bows, crossbows and long swords!

Inside the government office, the bell for the day of the funeral rang.

After finishing a night's work, the craftsman opened the door, walked out of the sealed weapons workshop, and accepted a body search by the officials.

They breathed in the morning air greedily, and at the same time exhaled hard, trying to expel all the waste gas they inhaled last night.

Seeing them coming out, the two groups of craftsmen who were sitting quietly slowly stood up.

He staggered towards the other side passage to be inspected by the clerk, preparing to enter the workshop to work.

The workshop has regulations that once you enter, you are not allowed to go out for a day and you must eat, drink, defecate and urinate in the workshop.

But at this moment, hurried footsteps and shouts sounded at the same time:
"Everyone stand still! Do not move! Anyone who moves without permission will be killed!"

Soon, the craftsmen looked back and saw soldiers rushing towards them.
They were armed with weapons, the bowstrings of their crossbows were already stretched tight, and the sharp arrows reflected the cold light of the early morning.
The long sword in his hand had already left his body, emitting a sinister and cold aura.

They couldn't help but narrow their eyes and tense up their bodies!

In an instant, the faces of the well-dressed craftsmen present turned pale.
Soon his body began to tremble like a sieve, and fear appeared uncontrollably in his eyes.

"Sir, this, this, this. This is a key area of ​​the Ministry of Industry. Who are you? You are trespassing into a confidential area!!"

A person in charge of the workshop came hurriedly, his face changed drastically, and he suddenly roared angrily.

The general took out the document from his arms and glanced at it, without saying anything more:

"Li Qi'ao, your crime has been exposed! Arrest him!"

Instantly, the officer's face turned pale, and he did not resist until the soldiers pinned him to the ground.

The sweat on his cheeks rubbed against the ground, soon forming a puddle, and his eyes were filled with despair.

As he was pinned to the ground,

There were countless craftsmen whose legs went limp and they collapsed to the ground.
Seeing this, the general snorted coldly, handed the document over and ordered:
"Arrest people according to the warrant!"

"Yes!"

One by one, the well-dressed craftsmen were pinned to the ground.
The craftsman named Zhang was a big man. He tried to run away, but two crossbow arrows shot through his calves. He fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
The silver ingot in his arms also fell out, rolled in the mud, and soon lost its original luster.

In an instant, the cry for mercy was heard endlessly.

The huge courtyard was soon filled with the smell of urine.

The craftsman, who had been so arrogant, was now like a frightened wild dog, crawling back and forth on the ground, trying to find the last bit of freedom.

On the other side, the craftsmen in slightly worn-out clothes saw this scene.
Fear flashed in his eyes and he couldn't help but take a few steps back.

But the leading craftsman surnamed Li stood quietly in place, watching their ugly appearance at this moment, and sighed:
"If I had known this, why would I do it in the first place?"

"I, Old Li, have been in this workshop for 20 years and have seen countless people like them.

When he was not caught, he was so arrogant that his nose seemed to be pointed to the sky.
After being arrested, they all cried out for justice like quails without hair."

The craftsman surnamed Li shook his head, sighed, turned around to look at the craftsmen who were showing fear, and said frankly:
"We craftsmen not only compete in craftsmanship, but also in who lives longer.

We have a stable job. As long as we can move, the court will give us a salary.
If you want to live a stable life, don't have any bad thoughts, just work hard every day."

Then, the craftsman surnamed Li shrugged his shoulders:

"If you want to try to get rich, then you don't have to listen to us and just go ahead and embezzle."

"If you are willing to work, don't just stand there, go to work, finish early and rest early. You are old now, and your waist is not as good as it used to be."

(End of this chapter)