Chapter 4: Urgent Report from the Border

Early the next morning, Li Mu sent someone to deliver a visiting card.

In recent days, he had made up for a lot of etiquette knowledge.

According to the customs of the Great Great Dayu officialdom, guests must send someone to deliver a card to set a time before visiting, to avoid the host not being at home and making a wasted trip.

If the host finds an excuse to decline and does not set another time, it proves that the friendship between the two parties is not deep enough, so there is no need to visit.

Those who bring a card to visit and wait in line for the host to receive them are subordinates seeking an audience with superiors.

Li Mu was going to continue the friendship, so naturally, he couldn't make this mistake.

He didn't wait for the result in the Marquis's mansion; after breakfast, he took several retainers and a servant from the Marquis's mansion and went out.

Coming to the capital for the first time, he definitely had to walk around.

The bustling crowd and the endless stream of carriages and horses all told of the prosperity of this city.

"Eight-hundred-li urgent report, move aside!"

"Eight-hundred-li urgent report, move aside!"

……

As if they had practiced, upon hearing the sound, whether they were dignitaries or commoners, they all avoided to both sides as quickly as possible.

A road wide enough for four horses to walk side by side instantly appeared before Li Mu's eyes.

After the courier left, the street returned to prosperity, only with more material for conversation.

At the foot of the capital, political sensitivity is unusual.

Even ordinary people have the habit of caring about world events, and they speculated about what had happened.

"Fubao, the scene just now is rare even in the capital, right?"

Li Mu asked.

The eight-hundred-li urgent report is the highest-level communication method of the Great Great Dayu; unless something earth-shattering happens, it is impossible to enable it.

Anyway, when he was in Hanzhong, he had only seen three-hundred-li urgent reports.

"Young Master Mu, you are joking.

Eight-hundred-li urgent reports, I have only heard of them in dramas before, and this is the first time I have encountered one personally.

If you are interested in the content, you can go to the tea house at the city gate to sit; people from all walks of life gather there, and there is news about everything.

However, most of it is hearsay; no matter how well-informed the news is, it cannot be faster than an eight-hundred-li urgent report.

When the Marquis comes back tonight, you can ask him personally, and perhaps you can get the answer."

Hearing Fubao's answer, Li Mu smiled slightly.

"Lead the way, I happen to want to see the tea houses in the capital."

If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up first.

If you are not in that position, don't seek political affairs; taking advantage of the leisure time to understand the capital is the right path.

The Wucheng Military and Horse Division is nominally an army, but in reality, it does the work of armed police, public security, and urban management comprehensive administrative law enforcement.

It is mainly responsible for patrolling and catching thieves in the capital, clearing street ditches, and matters of prisoners and fire bans.

In the early years of the founding, the Central, East, West, South, and North Wucheng Military and Horse Command Divisions were established, and later, because of complicated matters, the personnel establishment was gradually increased.

Developing to the late stage, in order to strengthen management, five Thousand-Household offices were established.

If you want to stand firm in the Wucheng Military and Horse Division, not only do you have to sort out the relationships of all parties, but you must also have enough understanding of the capital.

"Alright!"

……

"Your Majesty, an eight-hundred-li urgent report from the border!"

Hearing this news, the officials in the court who were originally arguing instantly became silent.

"Present it!"

Emperor Tianyuan ordered coldly.

No matter how hard he tried to remain calm, the trace of worry that flashed between his brows exposed his inner panic.

From the moment it was born, the eight-hundred-li urgent report represented disaster.

Every time it was enabled, it would bring bad news, definitely reporting worries and not joys.

"Trash!"

"All of you are a bunch of trash!"

During the angry scolding, Emperor Tianyuan couldn't help but slap the dragon chair, and the intense pain allowed him to regain rationality.

"Bad news from the border.

Five days ago, the Divine Machine Camp and the Three Thousand Camp, together with the Liaodong border troops, attacked the old nest of the Northern Barbarians, but encountered continuous heavy rain.

The rain soaked the gunpowder, all the firearms in the army misfired, and the enemy took advantage of the situation.

In this battle, the Divine Machine Camp and the Three Thousand Camp were nearly wiped out, the border troops acting together lost more than half, and they also lost hundreds of firearms they were carrying.

Liaodong Governor Duan Wenhong died for his country, Divine Machine Camp Commander Shu Chisong died for his country, Three Thousand Camp Commander Wu Yichu died for his country, Liaodong Regional Commander Cao Quanlong died for his country...

My 150,000 troops are gone!

Everyone, discuss, how to save the collapsing situation in Liaodong."

The bad news came too suddenly, and the main persons in charge all died for their country.

According to the Great Great Dayu convention, the dead do not need to bear responsibility.

Unable to find anyone to be responsible, this big black pot was also strenuous for the Emperor to carry.

Theoretically speaking, the Great Great Dayu Dynasty possessed a million troops, and losing 150,000 troops could just be supplemented.

Unfortunately, the gap between armies is greater than the gap between humans and dogs.

These troops lost in Liaodong were the elites of the Great Great Dayu Dynasty, far from being comparable to the farmer soldiers in the guard stations.

Losing this main force, for a long time in the future, the Great Great Dayu would be at a disadvantage in the Liaodong region.

With the style of the Northern Barbarians, they would definitely not give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Your Majesty, the top priority is to appease the morale of the Liaodong army, abandon some unimportant passes, and concentrate troops to guard several key fortresses.

At the same time, draw elite troops and fierce generals from all over to strive to reinforce Liaodong in the shortest possible time!"

Duke of Cheng, Jing Jing Guoliang, was the first to provide a plan.

Perhaps everyone was frightened by the earth-shattering bad news, or perhaps they didn't want to bear responsibility, the officials who were usually good at infighting were rarely silent this time.

"Since everyone has no other opinions, then do as the Duke of Cheng proposed.

The Cabinet should send people to appease the morale of the army as soon as possible, and the Ministry of War should immediately draft a document for mobilizing troops, drawing elite troops and fierce generals from all over.

The Ministry of Revenue should take out two million taels of silver, and the inner treasury should take out one million taels as compensation for the fallen soldiers.

In addition, the Ministry of Revenue should raise another three million taels of military pay and 500,000 shi of grain and grass in case of need.

From now on, everything is prioritized on saving the situation in Liaodong.

Anyone who dares to sabotage the overall situation will be killed without mercy!"

At the critical moment, Emperor Tianyuan showed his decisive side.

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has no money!"

Minister of Revenue Wan Henian refused with a stiff scalp.

There were too many places for the imperial court to use money, and since a hundred years ago, the Great Great Dayu's finance had had problems.

During this period, reforms had been carried out many times, but they only played a temporary role.

The Great Great Dayu's system was like a coiled giant beast, and no matter how much money there was, it could be swallowed up.

This situation lasted until Emperor Tianyuan ascended the throne, and the imperial court finally ushered in a fiscal balance again, and even had a fiscal surplus of 200,000 taels last year.

However, with the completion of military reform and the imperial court's start of military action against Liaodong, the national treasury fell into a deficit state again.

Suddenly having to take out such a large sum of money was also a heavy pressure on the Ministry of Revenue.

"I don't want to hear excuses!

No matter how difficult the Ministry of Revenue is, this money must be taken out.

If there is no money, think of a way to raise it.

If you can't solve the problem for the imperial court, what use do I have for you?"

Facing Emperor Tianyuan's stern reprimand, Wan Henian could only secretly complain.

The Emperor had spoken to this point, and there was no room for him to continue refusing.

……

You can cast monthly tickets, let the tickets go.

Monthly tickets, recommendation tickets are all welcome, and it's even better if there are rewards!

Coding is urgent, no more nonsense.





(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====