The Red Mansions

Chapter 781 Only those who dare to fight can stop the war!
Time flies, and before you know it, more than half a month has passed. On the wide official road in front of Guangzhou Fucheng, there is smoke and dust everywhere, and the sound of horseshoes is chaotic.

Teams of Tiqi rode their horses galloping on the official road, gradually approaching the city gate, and the guards on the north gate tower with knives, leaning on the crenel, looking at the figure of the red Lingti cavalry, their complexion changed suddenly, and their expressions quickly changed. City gate tower, go to the Guangdong governor's yamen and the prefect's yamen in the city to report.

Because Jia Heng first wrote the relevant yamen in Guangzhou, the officials in the city calculated their schedules for the past two days, and specially instructed the guard of the gate tower to watch the movement in the north.

"Sorry~"

Accompanied by the sound of the horse slowing down, Jia Heng reined in the reins of the military horse, and looked at the local people in Guangzhou who were wearing common clothes and pushing wheelbarrows. Yes, but as far as the eye can see are the green and eye-catching fields, which makes people feel refreshed.

Parts of Guangdong in this era had already been developed, while Guangxi, which also belonged to the south of the Five Ridges, was still desolate and remote.

The tall and majestic city is exposed to wind and rain, and Guangzhou Mansion is written in regular script on the banners. The blue-eyed foreigners drove towards the city in a carriage full of goods.

"There are many foreign businessmen hanging around in Guangzhou." Seeing that Jia Heng's gaze was on the Hongyi people, Chen Ling's eyes flickered with curiosity, and said softly.

Jia Heng turned to look at the girl beside her, and asked, "Xiaoxiao has been here before?"

That day in Jinling Fucheng, Xiaoxiao's cooking was praised by all the generals.

"Well, once a few years ago." Chen Xiaoyu paused and said in a clear voice.

"Captain." Li Shu, a hundred households in brocade clothes, stepped forward, holding the reins, and said in a deep voice, "Is the governor going to the Qianhu Office in Guangzhou? Or is he going to stay in a posthouse?"

"Let's go to the Qianhu Office." Jia Heng thought for a while and said.

After all, it is Jinyi Mansion's own yamen, and it is more convenient to live in it.

This time he went south, he brought two hundred Tiqi with him, and did not lead any other cavalry.

Accompanied by the brigade Tiqi behind him, he rolled into the city of Guangzhou. Just arrived at an inconspicuous government office in the south of the city. He went to the middle gate to welcome Jia Heng into the official office of Jinyi Mansion.

As soon as he stepped on the eaves of the corridor, suddenly there was a loud noise from the street, and he saw a sedan chair surrounded by guards holding waist knives at their waists, and got off the sedan chair on the bluestone road. Officials in scarlet robes.

Seeing Jia Heng, Shi Shuliang, the prefect of Guangzhou, suddenly smiled, and led a few staff and clerks, came quickly, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, then cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, Shi Shuliang, the prefect of Guangzhou, I have seen Yongningbo."

Jia Heng looked at Shi Shuliang and asked, "Prefect Shi, why don't you see Zhou Futai?"

In the history of Chen Han, during the reign of Emperor Taizong, a governor of Guangdong and Guangxi was set up in Guangdong to suppress the remnant forces along the coast, and he withdrew shortly thereafter.

At the moment, the highest civil servants in Guangdong are Du Yushi, the right deputy of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and Zhou Zao, the governor of Guangdong.

In addition to the Guangdong Dusi, there is also the Guangdong General who commands the navy, and the Wu family of the Guangdong General Wu Tao has a close relationship with the Jia family, and was favored by Rong Guogong in his early years.

In the original work of Dream of Red Mansions, the Wu family gave the Jia family a precious glass screen, which shows that the two families are family friends.

In addition, one of the Chief Secretary of Guangdong Province, Liu Xiaoyuan, is a good friend of Lin Ruhai's, and Jia Heng is carrying a letter from Lin Ruhai to Liu Xiaoyuan.

Shi Shuliang accompanied him with a smile and said, "Uncle Yongning, forgive me, Mr. Zhongcheng has gone to Lianzhou for business these two days."

Upon hearing this, Jia Heng asked in surprise, "Such a coincidence?"

He felt that the statue of Governor Zhou of Guangdong was hiding out on purpose.

"The lower officials have already sent people to inform the several adults in the feudal affairs. Uncle Yongning, please stay calm." Shi Shuliang dared not answer, but said softly.

Jia Heng nodded, smiled and said: "Shifutai, this is not a place to talk, how about going to the yamen to have a cup of tea first, and then talk slowly?"

In Guangdong in October, the weather was still unbearably hot. The prefect of Guangzhou had sweat beads the size of soybeans on his forehead and temples. Jia Heng stood there for a while, and his body was also sultry.

"Uncle Yongning, please." Shi Shuliang stretched out his hand to invite.

While speaking, surrounded by a group of Jinyi Tiriders, Jia Heng stepped into the Guangzhou Thousand Households of Jinyi Mansion, and the two sides were divided into guests and hosts.

Jia Heng picked up the teacup, took a sip, looked at Shi Shuliang with cold eyes, and asked: "Shifutai must have read the official documents, the purpose of this official visit is to inspect the defense of Guangdong, and to specialize in Haohai." Mirroring the lease, the imperial court is very concerned about this matter."

Shi Shuliang smiled, and in front of Jia Heng, an important military official, seemed a little cautious, and said, "Uncle Yongning, I don't know what the imperial court thinks about the Haojing lease agreement?"

Jia Heng put down the teacup and said: "Since the Emperor Taizong's reign, Hongyi has occupied Haojing for dozens of years in the name of commercial leases, and it has been 15 years since the last lease. Whether you are safe in Haojing, I have to listen to the opinions of local officials in Guangzhou."

Shi Shuliang heard the words, considered his words, and said: "Uncle Yongning, I think that if the imperial court wants to take back the Haojing, it is necessary to be cautious. A lot of barbarians came from China and lived here, but the population of our Han people has been greatly reduced, and the land of Haojing is like a country within a country."

Jia Heng asked: "Did the Guangdong side mention the lease to Hongyi in these years? Or recover Haojing and expel Hongyi?"

When Shi Shuliang heard the words, bitterness appeared on his face, and he said: "The Hongyi have occupied the relevant area for decades. If the imperial court wants to regain it, I'm afraid there will be a war. This matter..."

Originally, I wanted to say that this was a big matter that needed to be discussed by the important ministers of the court, but suddenly I realized that the person in front of me was the military minister of the court.

"I don't know what the court thinks about this matter?" Shi Shuliang asked boldly.

Jia Heng pondered for a moment, then said: "The imperial court is also discussing Haojing Hongyi's attitude towards my big man and the need to renew the contract. Hongyi officials in Haojing clashed, can the Guangdong Navy win this water battle?"

Only those who dare to fight can stop the war.

Shi Shuliang's heart skipped a beat when he heard the words, the sweat from his forehead flowed down his cheeks, he hurriedly took a handkerchief to wipe it off but didn't dare to wipe it off, he hesitated and said: "This is a big matter, the lower officials don't know the details, whether Uncle Yongning and Zhou Your Excellency, Commander Wu, and General Wu discuss this matter together? The officials really dare not speak nonsense."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then said: "Then it won't be too late to discuss this matter when the governor of Guangdong, the commander of the capital and the general of Yuehai arrive."

After thinking for a while, he looked at Qianhu Jiao Ke, who was in Jinyi Qianhusuo. , The details of the sailors and soldiers are compiled into a book, and I will check it out myself later.”

Jiao Ke quickly cupped his fists and said, "Yes, Dudu."

Shi Shuliang was slightly startled when he heard the two talking.

While the few people were talking, a Jinyi mansion guard came striding from outside the courtyard, and said, "The governor, Mr. Miao, the chief envoy of the feudal government, Mr. Liu who participated in politics, Mr. Lu, who is in charge of the yamen, and the commanding envoy of the Guangdong capital." Master Fang, come here and ask to see the governor."

If Jia Heng was only the governor of Jinyi, or just ordinary martial arts, these civil servants obviously would not rush here in groups, but this is a military minister who has been awarded the title of Prince and Taibao, even in the ranks of civil servants. status.

Not to mention, he is also a close minister next to the emperor.

In a short while, Miao Rui, the governor of Guangdong, Liu Xiaoyuan, who participated in politics, Lu Xian, the inspector, and Fang Jun, the commander of the capital, came to the courtyard. When they saw the boy in python standing under the eaves of the corridor, they took a few quick steps and bowed their hands in salute. Said: "I have seen Uncle Yongning."

Jia Heng bowed his hands and saluted, calling out: "My lords are here just in time, let's go into the official hall to talk."

A group of officials exchanged pleasantries with Jia Heng and sat down one after another, all looking at the boy in python suit.

Jia Heng said: "My lords, I just talked about the purpose of my visit with Master Shi. Apart from patrolling the coastal defense, I also want to go to Haojing for business. You are all local officials in Guangzhou. I think you know the situation in Haojing very well. In the past few days, I still hope to actively make suggestions, and if it is beneficial to the imperial court's plans, I will definitely ask the Holy One to ask for rewards for you adults."

"Don't dare, dare not." A group of Guangdong officials said politely, their hearts moved slightly.

At this time, Shi Shuliang smiled and said: "My lords, it's getting late, it's already noon, why don't we have lunch together, and then talk about other things?"

Among all the officials, the prefect of Guangzhou was the lowest in rank, so he was responsible for receiving Jia Heng.

As he said that, he looked at Jia Heng and invited him with a smile: "Uncle Yongning, I have held a small banquet at Shuiyunxuan, the largest restaurant in the city, and I would like to invite all my lords to go over and talk about it."

While everyone was talking, they went to Shuiyunxuan Restaurant.

On the second floor, private rooms, after three visits of wine and five flavors of food.

At this time, Miao Rui, the chief minister of Guangdong, put down the wine cup and asked, "Uncle Yongning, forgive me for being stupid. The governor of Hongyi in Haojing now writes in the Guangzhou Yamen and asks to renew the lease contract during the reign of Emperor Taizong. I don't know how to discuss it." I went to the office a few times, but the military planes of the imperial court and cabinet all failed to respond, so I don’t know what the intention of Jingzhong is?"

Jia Heng said: "The ministers in Beijing are still discussing this matter, and this official came to investigate this matter by the emperor's order."

As he said that, he looked at Fang Jun, the commander of the capital not far away. This is a gray-haired veteran who is over fifty years old. After drinking two glasses of wine, his beard and hair are all swollen, his face is flushed, and he is obviously attractive.

"Commander Fangdu, now that Hongyi is in Haojing, how many soldiers are there, and how many boats are under his command?" Jia Heng asked in a deep voice.

Fang Jun looked solemn, and said in a low voice: "The Hongyi navy has about 2000 people. There are not many ships, but most of them are sea-going ships, and the firearms are far superior to my Guangdong navy."

Jia Heng said: "People from Hongyi came from afar, but their firearms are stronger than my navy?"

Fang Jun's heart moved slightly, and he asked tentatively: "My lord, is the court going to start a war with those Hongyi?"

Jia Heng pondered and said: "It's not a trivial matter to start a war, but Guangdong has to be prepared in the face of the great power of the Red Barbarians. One should be on guard.”

As he said that, he looked at Fang Jun, the commander of the Guangdong capital, and asked, "Commander Fang, the Guangdong side should step up their drills, regardless of the navy or infantry."

Fang Jun said: "The lower officer obeys the order, but the navy's training has always been in charge of the Yuehai General."

Jia Heng asked: "I will consult General Wu, why is General Wu not in the city?"

"General Wu went to the Guangdong Navy to supervise the training." Fang Jun's eyes flashed, and he said in a low voice.

Perhaps it was the arrival of Jia Heng, a military minister who is famous for his whole army, that made Wu Tao, the Guangdong general in charge of the navy, feel a little uneasy, and went to the navy camp these days.

Seeing this, Jia Heng secretly remembered what happened next time, so he didn't say any more.

During the dinner, he took a look at Liu Xiaoyuan, who had an elegant face and a silent smile, but did not immediately take out Lin Ruhai's letter.

After Jia Heng had lunch accompanied by Guangzhou officials, he came to rest in a mansion prepared by Jiao Ke, a thousand households in Jinyi, Guangzhou. Chen Xiao sat beside him, holding a purple sand pot, pouring a cup of tea, and drinking it lightly .

Jia Heng sat down, picked up the Guangzhou Qianhu Office and flipped through the books that recorded the resumes and social relations of Guangdong officials, and asked: "Xiaoxiao, let them prepare some hot water, and you can take a bath later. It looked dusty along the way."

At this moment, Chen Xiao was wiping the sweat off her cheeks and temples with a handkerchief, and said in a clear voice, "This Guangzhou local official doesn't seem to welcome you here."

Jia Heng put down the book in his hand and said, "No one wants to have more than one mother-in-law on their head."

"You just let out the words of war in front of the prefect of Guangzhou, for the Hongyi people?" Chen Xiao lowered her voice, handed Jia Heng a glass of water, and asked.

Jia Heng took the teacup, looked up at the girl, smiled and said: "Xiaoxiao is more and more intelligent now, she can go to the hall and go to the kitchen, she is also a good wife."

Now the girl can not only act as a confidential secretary, but also cook and cook, and besides, she can make suggestions by his side.

Hearing this, Chen Xiao squinted her clear eyes under her willow eyebrows, circling back and forth in her heart were the words "up to the hall and down to the kitchen", with a sneer on the corner of her mouth, "I don't know how to sew autumn clothes for you."

Jia Heng: "..."

After peeping and eavesdropping in the dark, he would come over and choke him at every turn.

One day he will have to choke on it.

As Jia Heng said, he pondered and said: "I came to the border of Guangzhou, except that the officials in Guangzhou were worried about the earthquake in the officialdom. I have doubts, and when the Guangdong navy trains and prepares for war with great fanfare, the Hongyi side will send envoys to Guangzhou City to negotiate."

Previously, he had sent officials from the Jinyi Mansion and Military Weapons Supervision to Haojing to investigate, but when his intention was leaked, Hong Yi in Haojing had actually taken the initiative.

"The Yuehai Navy has been out of battle for a long time, and their combat power is overwhelming. They may not be able to defeat the Hongyi, and these Hongyi naturally know it." Chen Xiao reminded with a serious face.

Jia Heng said: "No matter how weak the Guangdong Navy's combat power is, the Hongyi are in our country, and their military supplies are all dependent on our country. If they can't attack across the ocean, they can only be forced to the negotiating table."

Thinking of the Guangdong Navy, I couldn't help but think of General Wu Tao of Guangdong. If you don't come to greet him at this time, what are you doing in the water village?
When Jia Heng mentioned this point, he frowned and said: "The general of Guangdong went to the navy camp, and the governor of Guangdong. The two seem to have made an appointment."

At this moment, a Jinyi mansion guard came from outside the eaves of the corridor, clasped his fists and said: "Commander, General Wu Tao of Guangdong, go to the Flower Hall to meet you."

Jia Heng paused, and exchanged a glance with Chen Ling.

This Wu Tao, what kind of medicine is sold in the gourd?

When Jia Heng and Chen Xiao came to the front hall, they happened to see a middle-aged military officer in his 30s, with a plump body and a fair complexion, sitting on a nanmu chair, sipping tea.

"I have seen Uncle Yongning." Hearing footsteps, Wu Tao seemed to have a spring under his buttocks, jumped up from the chair, bowed his hands to Jia Heng, and said respectfully.

Jia Heng stretched out his hand to support him, and said: "General Wu, there is no need to be polite, please sit down."

Wu Tao put on a warm smile on his chubby face, and said: "When I came back from the navy camp, I was overjoyed to hear that Uncle Yongning came to Guangzhou. I wonder how the old lady is doing in Beijing?"

"I just arrived too." Jia Heng nodded and said, "The old lady has always been in good health."

The two stopped after exchanging pleasantries and started talking about the business.

Jia Heng put down the teacup in his hand and asked: "General Wu went to the navy camp to inspect the boats and soldiers these few days, what is the unknown situation?"

Wu Tao hesitated for a while, and finally chose to tell the truth, saying: "There are 26 boats and boats, 81 warships with 98 materials, [-] patrol ships with [-] materials, and about [-] sailors and infantry. .”

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, then pondered: "According to the rules and regulations of the Dudufu of the Five Armies, the Guangdong Navy should have 48 blessing ships, 130 two warships with 150 materials, [-] three patrol ships with [-] materials, and [-] sailors. , today's warships and troops..."

Wu Tao quickly said: "That was the situation in the 15th year of Longzhi. After 30 years, the boat navy has long since lost its old outlook, and the money allocated from the Guangdong capital is only 60 taels a year. The salaries were allocated to the soldiers, and there was not much money left to repair the warships. In the past, when the Guangzhou City Ship Lifting Department was still there, and at the request of the Guangdong Metropolitan Department, the Household Department could allocate some. The Judiciary has also been abandoned."

Jia Heng looked calm, thinking about what Wu Tao said.

Most of his rectification in Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps has also reached the ears of Guangdong General Wu Tao, so the purpose of rushing to the navy camp earlier is self-evident, and he hastily cleaned up his hands.

However, this trip to Guangdong was not to rectify the Guangdong navy, but to negotiate with the Portuguese in order to obtain related manufacturing techniques for firearms and artillery.

Jia Heng pondered for a moment, then asked: "I don't pay attention to these past events, how many warships and sailors can the Guangdong Navy deploy now?"

This is what he really cares about.

Wu Tao, General of Guangdong Sea, felt his heart move slightly when he heard the words, and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Yongning, there are 1 sailors, 65 warships, and 53 patrol boats who are ready to set off at any time."

Jia Heng frowned, and pondered: "Why are there so few?"

Looking at the displeased young man, Wu Tao felt uneasy.

It can be said that after the rectification of the Jiangnan and Jiangbei Camps, the officials of the Guangdong Metropolitan Government and the navy system were all shy about the upcoming military affairs rectification.

Wu Tao said: "Don't dare to lie to Uncle Yongning, there are only so many people now, but if you need sailors, you can ask the fishermen's servants for them. As long as the guns are ready, the infantry can still board the ship and fight."

Jia Heng was silent for a moment, with a solemn expression, and said: "General Wu, tomorrow I will go to the navy camp to inspect the relevant navy soldiers."

Wu Tao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly answered in a low voice, looking at the frost-faced young man, he asked tentatively, "Uncle Yongning, is the imperial court going to recover Haojing?"

Jia Heng said: "This matter has not yet been determined, but the navy is preparing for the war, and it can be regarded as a rainy day in terms of coping with Haojing."

Wu Tao quickly said: "That's natural."

But with the combat strength of the Guangdong Navy, if they fight Hongyi, it will be a hard fight.

Jia Heng chatted with Wu Tao for a while, and asked about the situation of the Guangdong Navy.

After Wu Tao left, Jia Heng put down the teacup in his hand, looked at Chen Xiao who was at the side, and said, "I'm afraid the Yuehai Marine Division is not optimistic."

Even if it is negotiating with Portugal's Australian governor Bujialu stationed in Haojing, the navy on the Guangdong side must maintain a certain degree of threat in order to force the Portuguese to compromise.

Chen Xiaodao: "From the frontier army to the Beijing Camp, and then to the Jiangnan Jiangbei Camp, you can get a glimpse of the whole picture. The sailors in Guangdong and Hai are not as vulnerable as the Jiangnan and Jiangbei Camps because of their sailing, but they want to wipe out the Red Army. Yi, I'm afraid it won't be easy."

(End of this chapter)