Bi Dusi led a group of trusted soldiers and ran out of the city at lightning speed. Yang Ling heard the meaning behind Bi Dusi's words. He had already sent people to the Courier Station to snatch the rations. He could not care less about the pain in his crotch and hurriedly got on his horse, galloping towards the Courier Station.
The small official who had pulled his sleeve just now rode beside him and said anxiously,""Milord, you shouldn't have agreed to give him rations. What should we do now?”
Yang Ling was shaking like a puppet, but he still couldn't help but shout,""Why not? Could it be that the soldiers were going to fight on an empty stomach? Deducting military rations was a great crime that could be beheaded in any dynasty!”
"Sir, how could petty officials like us dare to take away military rations?" the official said with a bitter smile. They did not bring enough food and pay, who could they blame?”
" Nonsense," Yang Ling said angrily." There are two warehouses of rations, enough for ten days. How dare you lie to me?"”
The small official said," How would I dare? Although there is surplus grain in the granary, it belongs to the main soldiers. These reserve soldiers only brought those grains. What does it have to do with us?" Milord, even 30% of the rations of Commander Sun are transferred from the rations of the main soldiers.”
" Slow down, slow down," Yang Ling asked." Tell me slowly. What happened?"”
The minor official explained to Yang Ling in detail as he hurried over. It turned out that among the five battalions of soldiers under He Can's command, the ones stationed in the three cities in the east, west, and south were his trusted aides. They were the main soldiers in the Huailai area, and they were the troops permanently stationed there.
Among the two battalions that had charged out of the city, Sun Dazhong's army was called the guest army, which was the soldiers from other provinces. Although they had been permanently transferred to the local area due to the need to be stationed, their food and fodder, manpower replenishment, and even the supply of horses, knives, and spears were still in the charge of the original Henan Province.
Bi Chun's soldiers were called reserve soldiers. They were temporarily transferred from the Zhejiang Guard Office. They were only there for a few months every year when the Mongolians were most likely to invade the border. After that, they would have to return.
This time, the Tartars attacked more than ten relay stations in several neighboring counties at the same time. The beacon fire spread to the capital. The Xuanfu General Army sent three generals to aid Zhuolu, Huailai, and Chixian. They also sent two guerrilla generals to maneuver. The army left in a hurry. The supply camp was the direct troops of the Yongning General, so they naturally had to transport their own troops first, so Sun Dazhong and Bi Chun's troops didn't even bring enough rations.
Although Sun Dazhong's troops were guest troops, because they were permanently stationed, it was not a big deal to temporarily transfer some supplies from the main army. He could just report it to the treasurer of the prefecture to deduct it from the money and grain shipped from Zhejiang. However, the reserve troops were randomly selected and had to return to their original encampment after spring. At that time, transportation was inconvenient, and the local officials were inefficient. It was common for them to shirk responsibility and delay payment. If they were transferred back to the local area before they could pay off their debts, who could bear the responsibility for the deficit?
Yang Ling felt that it was a little unbelievable after listening to the small official's explanation. An important department like the army could not manage the money, food, and military pay. He really did not know which idiot had designed such a rigid and impractical military supply system. It was no wonder that he had seen the uniforms of the soldiers, the specifications of the weapons, and the quality of the weapons varied from one camp to another.
At this moment, he also knew that he had promised too much, but if the soldiers could not even eat their fill, how could they guarantee their morale? Moreover, Bi Chun's supplies had not arrived in time. As long as he could write to the treasurer of the prefecture to adjust the accounts of the various armies in time, it would not be a problem. Yang Ling felt more at ease when he thought of this.
The sun was already setting in the west. The post office was covered in white snow and bathed in the cold sunlight. Every twenty steps, a lantern of a faded color hung on the passageway beneath the Eastern Mountain wall, swaying gently in the wind.
The five carriages stopped on the gentle slope of the passageway. The people in front were noisy, all with southern accents. There were more than forty people holding swords and guns, and they looked murderous. In front of the post station, more than a dozen post soldiers were holding up their sticks. Under the leadership of a small official, they were blocking the entrance of the post station and arguing with them like cockfighting.
Seeing this, Yang Ling was like a spring that had been wound, and he quickly rushed over and shouted,""All of you, stop. If there's anything, tell me!”
Bi Dusi's trusted aide, Zheng Dapeng, stood beside a general with his sleeves rolled up and a ring-headed machete on his shoulder. The man's face was filled with killing intent, like a butcher. Zheng Dapeng whispered a few words to him, and he cast a sidelong glance at Yang Ling. He waved his hand, and the soldiers instantly quieted down.
When the small official guarding the door saw Yang Ling, he quickly jumped up and shouted,""The deputy has arrived. Sir, these soldiers want to rob the army's rations! Hehe, I just crawled out of a pile of dead bodies, why would I be afraid of you big-headed soldiers?”
When the soldiers heard this, they immediately clamored again. Yang Ling hurriedly raised his hands and shouted,""Be quiet, this Brother Qiu must have already passed on Bi Dusi's orders. Soldiers, please do not make any noise. Please come forward and calculate the amount of grain used with this deputy. You can receive it after signing your name."
The officer standing next to Zheng Dapeng walked out and said,""At least you know what's good for you. We're risking our lives in front, but there's food stored here, yet you're making us starve. Do you think we're easy to bully?”
The small official stammered,"Sir, you can't give them this grain without permission. They are…"
Yang Ling interrupted him." I know. They are reserve troops and guest troops. Their supplies haven't arrived yet!”He glanced at everyone and said in a clear voice,"At the same time, I also know that they are brave soldiers and the saviors of this county. When Jiming Posthouse was in danger, they were the ones who rushed to the front and chased away the Tartars, saving the lives of the elders in the city."
"If I'm not mistaken, that musket squad is the soldiers of your camp, right?" he asked the soldiers.”
"Not bad!" The officer looked proud. He looked around proudly and said loudly,""There are too few musketeers in the northern army. Only our southern army is equipped with a specialized musketeer team!”
Yang Ling nodded." Yes. Now that the enemy has retreated, everyone in this county, including your parents and wives, can have a good meal and a good night's sleep. Why? With these brave soldiers guarding the city wall for us, the Tartars won't dare to harass us again!”
He said loudly," Tell me, why should we not pay for the food in the warehouse? Are we going to let these soldiers who are charging into the enemy lines guard outside the city with hungry stomachs? The heroes are bleeding for us. We can't let the heroes bleed and cry!”
These words were too provocative. In that era, who cared what these soldiers thought? Who really cared about their role? It was an era where the merits of a hundred battles were not as good as a beautiful article.
The soldiers quietly put down their swords and spears, and the hostility on their faces was swept away. They were proud and touched, and their eyes were moist. The butcher-like officer's face was trembling.
Yang Ling's tone changed, and he said," Besides, what do we have to worry about? They came from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, which were the land of fish and rice. Seventy-eight percent of the world's annual taxes came from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Huguang. In such a rich place, they were not afraid of not returning the grain they borrowed.”
"That's right, I, Guan Shouying, guarantee with my head that when our rations arrive, I will return them to the treasurer first.”Being praised and praised by Yang Ling, the officer felt like a national hero. He patted his chest loudly and agreed loudly.
Yang Ling let out a sigh of relief and shot a look at the petty official guarding the warehouse, shouting,""Aren't you going to open the granary?" He then smiled at Guan Shouying and said,"General Guan, I'm really sorry for delaying our brothers 'meal. However, the warehouse is an important place. I hope that General will take care of all of you. Wait for my men to pass the scale before moving the grain. Don't mess up the rules."
Guan Shouying beamed with joy when he heard him call him General. He quickly agreed,"No problem, no problem.”He glared at his soldiers and shouted,"" Brothers, behave yourselves. Don't embarrass our Zhe Army."
The soldiers agreed in a hubbub. Guan Shouying patted Yang Ling's shoulder heavily and said with a smile," This brother is the captain of Sir Bi's personal guards. Deputy Yang, I shall befriend you."
The personal guards were only responsible for the personal safety of the general. When they stood, they also served as the supervising team. Although this captain's position was not high, he was indeed Bi Chun's confidant. Yang Ling naturally bowed to him. He casually said the words of a few soldiers of the people, and Guan Shouying felt as if he had met a friend and was even more amiable.
Yang Ling finally managed to answer the question correctly before he returned to his house. It was only then that he felt his entire body ache, and his bones felt as if they were broken. He entered the house, collapsed on the brick bed, and let out a long sigh.
Seeing his tired face, Young Madam Han quickly took off his boots and lifted his legs onto the brick bed. She sat beside him and gently massaged his legs."Husband, are you tired? Let's rest before we eat."
The bed was warm, and Young Lady Han's hands were so gentle. Yang Ling felt so comfortable that he felt a wave of fatigue, and he was too lazy to even open his eyes. He leaned against the quilt contentedly and muttered," Young miss, I'm so tired. My entire body aches."
Han Yuniang changed from pounding to pinching, and started to gently massage his sore muscles from his calf. She gently smiled and said,""Young mother, give hubby a massage. If only there was some medicinal wine. I guarantee that it won't be sour at all tomorrow."
A comfortable and ticklish feeling came from his calf. Yang Ling let out a comfortable grunt and relaxed his body to enjoy her gentleness. After a while, he suddenly thought of something and quickly opened his eyes."My body is too weak. I have to train it in the future. Oh right, I saw your staff technique on the city wall today. What kind of staff technique is that?"
Young Miss Han blushed and massaged his legs shyly."They are all country bumpkins. Why is husband asking about this?”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]