Chapter 88: Vanguard of King-Saving

The eunuch spoke in a hazy way, while Zhang Gui just smiled without saying a word.

Anyway, he returned to the land to change his mood, originally having nothing to do, and had plenty of time to play the "riddle man" game.

The two chatted for a long while.

Chu Tuantuan suddenly asked Zhang Gui:

"Dudu Zhang, do you have any grudges with the Shuanghu Rong family?"

Zhang Gui's heart moved. He originally wanted to pretend to be confused and probe a few words, but seeing Chu Tuantuan's serious expression, he pondered for a moment and nodded lightly,

"I just gained power a few months ago, and I was a bit proud and reckless.

When I returned home in glory, I was heavily humiliated by a guest of the Rong family in front of distant relatives and close neighbors.

As a result, I couldn't suppress the anger in my heart for a moment, and seized the handle of that person saying 'a mere eighth-rank military officer is not worth putting in the eyes of the Shuanghu Rong family,' and squeezed him into meat paste on the street.

At that time, our Song Ming had just fought the Yuan Mountain Kingdom, and the situation was special, so the Rong family swallowed their anger.

Originally, I felt that as long as the war situation didn't change, it would be fine.

Not to mention, to say something that shouldn't be said, the current situation is not as good as the beginning.

Although I am low in rank and position, and a local militia officer not worth mentioning, I am also a commander with a seal.

The Rong family making things difficult for me at this time is, to put it bluntly, ignoring the big picture for a small reason.

Even if the blame is ninety-nine percent on me, they definitely won't get any good out of it.

So they shouldn't act rashly."

"You are truly a smart person, and you thought exactly right.

It's just that human calculation is not as good as heaven's calculation.

His Majesty acted recklessly, and for the sake of a mere one million bolts of fine cotton cloth, provoked a border dispute with the strongest country in Dongsheng.

Someone will 'ignore' the big picture he wants to maintain because of anger.

When the time comes, you will be counted as a party to these people, and you will be killed arbitrarily."

Zhang Gui's eyes widened, he pondered carefully for a moment, stood up, bowed respectfully to Chu Tuantuan,

"Brother Tuan Tuan, your trip to Zhihai Stockade saved me from a great disaster.

It was my own wishful thinking before.

My position is not high enough, so I can't see far enough.

I thought that apart from the two or three provinces in the north that were suffering from disasters and occasionally had riots, our Ming Song court was quite peaceful.

Now it seems that it is quite different from what I thought."

Chu Tuantuan said in a low voice:

"The Dudu is after all from a wealthy family, even if it is the least valuable branch descendant, food and clothing are always guaranteed.

So you can't imagine how cruel it is for the so-called 'two or three provinces in the north suffering from disasters and occasionally having riots' to shake the foundation of the country!"

"Sorry, I said the wrong thing.

As long as there is one citizen who is willing to work hard and support his family but cannot survive, the country's foundation cannot and should not be stable."

"Your words are really pleasant to hear, making people feel comfortable even knowing they are fake.

However, you thanked me too early just now.

I am in the Longmen Berth Trading Bureau, as long as I pay attention, many messages can pass through my ears.

But I have no power or influence to change anything."

Zhang Gui said seriously: "This is already enough.

Planning is like fighting a war.

Knowing the opponent's actions a moment earlier makes it ten times easier to resolve.

Not to mention that from the information you told me, I can also analyze many other things,

guiding by the trend, turning danger into safety, and even turning bad luck into good luck are all possible."

Chu Tuantuan didn't ask more about how Zhang Gui planned to deal with the crisis.

Nor did he specifically say what the situation was with the case where the Shuanghu Rong family intended to implicate him and put him to death.

After chatting for a while, he walked away.

And that evening.

The eighth-rank bandit-suppressing colonel of the Siyang Commandery Military Prefecture of the Eastern Yue Sea Province;

Zhang Gui, the Dudu of military and civil affairs in charge of "Zhihai Stockade," led more than four hundred soldiers, drove two hundred-liao warships along the sea route.

And anchored near Tianjin, the largest prefecture closest to the capital, to request to save the king.

Tianjin Prefecture was known as the "second largest prefecture in Ming Song."

It was only over a hundred miles away from Yanjing, known as the "best place in the world," and connected by a national road.

Ordinary people could ride a horse there and back in a day.

In the weather approaching June, the heat was rising.

The official residence of the Tianjin Prefect was a spacious and elegant five-entry courtyard, comparable to a prince's mansion.

Prefect Zhao Yueban was in the main study, soaking his fat feet in a brass basin.

Wiping his fat body with a cool towel.

He smiled and curled his lips at his most trusted advisor, Sun Duo:

"It really is 'the temple is small, the evil wind is big, the pond is shallow, and there are many turtles.'

There is an interesting thing for you to see.

Look at what this statement is written."

"'Request to fight,' what kind of opening is this, why is the font dark red?" Sun Duo put down the cool tea in his hand, picked up the statement, and muttered in surprise after taking a look.

Continuing to read, it was actually a blood letter from a militia in a border stockade hoping to save the king.

After reading the statement, he widened his eyes in astonishment and raised his head,

"There are also generals who write to save the king, but what kind of path is a blood letter!"

Zhao Yueban smiled and said:

"That's why I said, 'the evil wind is big, and there are many turtles.'

The three great 'martial families' of the court also need to have an imperial decree reply before they can raise troops,

He is good, directly running from the Siyang Commandery of the Eastern Yue Sea Province to our Tianjin from thousands of miles away.

And even handed the blood letter of the so-called request to fight to our yamen, what kind of dog-fart thing is this.

Wanting to flatter the Emperor but not knowing any rules, he slapped the horse's leg at once, I'm afraid his head is going to fall."

Sun Duo blinked after hearing this and suddenly said:

"My lord, that may not be the case."

Although the military towns of the Ming Song Kingdom were small, their locations were well-arranged, and they could not move an inch without the Ministry of War's decree.

And regardless of whether it was the "Great Star Chief" managing a small military town;

the "Thousand Commander Head" managing seven great stars and stationed in the "Thousand Commander Office";

or the "Ten Thousand Commander Head" managing the "Ten Thousand Commander Yamen" composed of seven thousand commander offices, without the Ministry of War's transfer order, leaving the yamen for a hundred miles would be beheaded without pardon.

But militia soldiers did not need to be like this.

As a local armed force with weak combat effectiveness, the original intention of its establishment was to facilitate the suppression of bandits.

Is it realistic to report to the Ministry of War and then ask the current Emperor to decide whether to send troops to fight a small bandit armed force of dozens of people in a poor countryside?

So the jurisdiction over militia soldiers is that as long as the scope of sending troops does not violate "other territories," they can act according to convenience.

And as a militia navy, "Zhihai Stockade," theoretically, as long as it stays on the sea, it is not considered invading "other territories."

Then write to the administrative yamen closest to itself that is qualified to write directly to the Emperor, expressing its request to fight to the death for the country.

It can be said to be reasonable and compliant.

Of course, if it were a navy general holding heavy troops who did the same, even if he mobilized militia soldiers, he would inevitably be in big trouble.

But a mere eighth-rank bandit-suppressing colonel, leading less than five hundred militia navy soldiers, wanting to save the king in Yanjing, which is not near the sea at all.

Even if someone had a father-killing grudge against Zhang Gui, they couldn't say he intended to be unfavorable under the name of saving the king.

Not to mention that even if someone turned black into white, even if they didn't want face and had to slander Zhang Gui.

But saying that more than four hundred militia navy soldiers could threaten the safety of the capital region is itself a huge insult to the Ming Song imperial dynasty.

Especially in the current situation of defeat in the national war, it is simply seeking one's own death.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 89 =====