Chapter 299 Kidnapping

When you are in the officialdom, you will inevitably have friends and opponents. (っ◔◡◔)っSometimes friends become opponents, and sometimes opponents become friends.

When this happened at home, it would be impossible for Wang Ziteng to say that he did not suspect that someone was secretly playing tricks.

When he went to Linjing Hall to plead guilty, Li Zhi was very friendly to Wang Ziteng. After a few words of conversation between the monarch and his ministers, Li Zhi comforted him and sent Wang Ziteng away, who was "very nervous and terrified".

The emperor of the time intended to be lenient, but the punishment was still necessary. When the guests of the palace heard the punishment measures from above, they just said lightly, "For not managing the family strictly, you will reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors and deduct half a year's salary", and finally put their worries at ease.

Discussing the affairs of the royal family, such a serious crime that can reach the sky? It was raised so high and fell so lightly, which was really the best result.

These guests were celebrating and thanked Li Zhi for his kindness. Wang Ziteng was very upset. His face was full of dark clouds, and even outsiders could see his anger.

One or two staff members with good eyesight saw Wang Ziteng's expression and couldn't help asking, "Are you worried about the commander-in-chief of the bandit suppression?"

Wang Ziteng nodded and shook his head. His facial features were firm, and he was so deliberately silent that people didn't dare to ask too much.

The people in the study suppressed their excitement and took the initiative to think about the problem from Wang Ziteng's perspective, and immediately understood why Wang Ziteng was angry.

To put it bluntly, everyone in the court knew that the current wealth of the Wang family was mostly due to the power of the Jia family.

Otherwise, Wang Ziteng would not have repeatedly married his own women into the Jia family. But the Wang family, who had reached this level and was already in charge of the Five Military Commandery, still lacked the most important thing.

That was the title that only the Jia family had.

What an honor it was to have two dukes in one family. Counting only the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, the baronial title of the Wang family is still two generations behind that of the Jia family.

This is the innate deficiency of the Wang family in the eyes of the nobles of the whole court. It is also the reason why the Wang family cannot form its own faction and become a towering tree.

During the first border war, Li Zhi rewarded the three armies, and even Xin Geng got the title of Baoning Marquis for Xin Suzhao's contribution. Only Wang Ziteng was suppressed, and there was no other reward except the official position and gold, silver and jewelry.

It looks like a small title, but it is very different in the eyes of outsiders. The Nine Provinces Inspection and the Five Military Commander's Office are the glory of you, Wang Ziteng, but not the glory of your Wang family.

You, Wang Ziteng, will retire, and there will be a day when you die. At that time, will you let a group of dukes and marquises gather under the door of an earl's family?

Don't dream, although the officialdom emphasizes human relationships and worldly affairs, it also emphasizes that a person will be forgotten when he leaves.

Wang Ziteng wanted the Wang family to be a successor for generations, but Li Zhi just didn't give him this opportunity. If Wang Ziteng is allowed to supervise the battles in the border war, he will be rewarded and promoted afterwards.

Since there is no more title to be given, Li Zhi will not let Wang Ziteng go.

Li Zhi has grown up and his generals are also capable. Li Zhi left a loyal and shun prince to supervise the overall situation and intended to train a group of nobles for himself. Naturally, he would put Wang Ziteng on the table.

When the news of Zhen Mansion came to the capital, Wang Ziteng was a little tempted. When the military rations were robbed and Xue Pan disappeared in Ping'an Prefecture, Wang Ziteng felt that the opportunity was rare.

Now that His Majesty's confidants are all at the border, who else can be the most knowledgeable person in the capital except himself?

Wang Ziteng intends to use the bandit suppression to complete the last step of the Wang family's transition from baron to marquis.

At such a critical juncture, he was secretly shot with a cold arrow. How could he be willing to give up?

"Sir, do you think someone is behind this?" An aide asked Wang Ziteng after figuring out the situation.

As soon as this was said, everyone was furious. Who dared to pinch the tiger whiskers of the Wang family?

"Well." Wang Ziteng finally spoke. But he couldn't help sighing in his heart: What a pity, it's really a pity. If you miss such an opportunity, where can you find it in the future? ?

"Does the master have a candidate in mind?" A retainer asked. This person's face was even more angry, and he wanted to catch the culprit and chop him into pieces.

Wang Ziteng did have a few suspicious candidates in his mind, but after thinking about it carefully, he was not completely sure.

But Wang Ziteng was not in a hurry. What he had to do now was to wait. He wanted to see who was the final winner.

By then, the identity of the culprit would naturally be revealed.

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Li Zhi did not have many cards to play. The slightly suitable candidates had been sent to the border to lead troops.

The remaining people in the capital are either incompetent or inexperienced.

To lead a large army, one must not only be able to fight, but also be able to convince the people.

There are still some tricks and sense among the civil officials, which can be considered in the long run. But on the battlefield where things change rapidly, the appearance of a general is far more convincing than grabbing a random person as the commander.

The most suitable candidate at the moment is naturally Xin Geng, the Marquis of Baoning, but this person is the most untouchable candidate.

It was not easy to help Xin Geng to the position of the governor of the Beijing camp. If Li Zhi gave such a force to any outsider, he would not be able to sleep at night.

After crossing out Xin Geng's name, the only people who can be mobilized are the four kings and eight dukes.

How to choose? Who should be chosen? The battle in front of the army can be handed over to Shi Ding to command on the battlefield. Then who will replace Shi Ding to coordinate the personnel in the army and the local areas?

Li Zhi couldn't think of a better candidate for a while, so he summoned Lin Ruhai to ask him alone. This was Li Zhi's favorite counselor and also his most trusted minister.

After discussing the difficulties between the monarch and his ministers, Lin Ruhai recommended someone whom Li Zhi had not expected.

"Ruhai, you won't forget that he is from the Yangxin Palace."

Li Zhi didn't understand how Lin Ruhai could do such an insane thing because he always had a plan.

Lin Ruhai answered quickly and said without thinking: "Your Majesty, this is why he can be so handsome."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi immediately understood what his adviser meant. If you really want to use this person, it can be considered a masterful move.

In terms of title and family qualifications, the other party is indeed worthy of being the commander-in-chief. After all, when the other party's father was alive, there were many disciples and former officials in the army.

Just by doing this, the person from Yangxin Hall will have military power again.

Do you really want to take the risk? Is it worth it? Li Zhi's eyes fell on Lin Ruhai. The monarch and his ministers had known each other for more than twenty years.

The doubts about the other party's loyalty only stayed in Li Zhi's mind for a short time and then disappeared. He began to think seriously about his ministers' recommendations. After a long time, Li Zhi asked him.

"Are you sure?"

Li Zhi asked how likely it was that the other party would be able to establish a separate kingdom with Wang Ziteng once he became powerful.

"Your Majesty..." Lin Ruhai bowed in his position and actually mentioned another matter, "A few months ago, the magistrate of Songjiang Prefecture asked me to inquire about a person for him."

"Who?" Li Zhi asked the fellow magistrate of Songjiang Prefecture. No matter what kind of local magistrate, he dares to summon his own ministers.

Li Zhi couldn't help but laugh when he thought about the candidates for this official position. My son-in-law is my son-in-law, so why go through such a big detour.

Lin Ruhai was also a little surprised and didn't know what Li Zhi was so happy about. Thinking that the other party was asking Chen Heng about the candidate, he hurriedly took out a memorial from his arms and presented it.

Li Zhi sat on his throne and took a closer look. He didn't know what was written on it, and the expression on his face gradually became serious. After a long time, he gritted his teeth and said, "Okay, okay, they are just a bunch of rats in the night, and they are very careful to hide themselves."

Lin Ruhai listened silently to Li Zhi's curse for half a quarter of an hour before Li Zhi shouted at him and asked, "When did you know the news?"

Lin Ruhai answered cautiously, and finally explained: "This child rarely asks me for help. When this happened suddenly, Wei Chen wrote a letter to him.

At first, I thought it was because he had a conflict with Mr. Shi. The more I thought about it, the more something was wrong, so I ordered people to secretly investigate again and again... It is difficult to distinguish the truth from the truth. Please ask His Majesty the Sacred Heart to rule. "

Li Zhi closed his eyes for a long time, and then said angrily: "You son-in-law did a good job. Since we don't know whether it is true or false, let's give it a try."

"Go." Li Zhi sternly ordered to the people around him, "Xuan Beijing Wang Shuixin has entered the palace."

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Wang Ziteng never expected that the person to take over his position would be Beijing Wang Shuirong. But if you really think about it carefully, no matter the official title or the seniority of the family, the other party is a candidate that cannot be faulted.

The reputation of the old King Beijing in the military was not inferior to that of the two princes of the Jia family. Back then, the old King Beijing was able to take over the leadership of the Beijing camp after Ning Guogong passed away. He relied on his reputation with real swords and guns.

Will the person who secretly shoots cold arrows be water-soluble? Although Wang Ziteng wanted to be sure, thinking of Shui Rong's respectful face, he didn't dare to be completely sure that it was the other person.

Suddenly learning that he had become the commander-in-chief of suppressing bandits, Shui Rong could only thank him again and again. After leaving the palace, the first thing he did was to visit Wang Ziteng at his home.

The Supreme Emperor told him not to bother the Wang family in the future, but Shui Rong knew that this matter could not go around Wang Ziteng, let alone the Jia family behind Wang Ziteng.

Just after entering Wang's house, Shui Rong walked up to Wang Ziteng with a face full of anxiety and caution, and said in a panic: "Shibo, what should we do? What should we do?"

Seeing that his expression didn't seem to be fake, Wang Ziteng, who had already received the news, said falsely: "Why is the prince so flustered? What big thing happened outside?"

Shui Rong didn't even bother to sit down. He stood next to Wang Ziteng and said with a more respectful attitude than when he saw the Supreme Emperor: "His Majesty suddenly summoned me to the palace today to ask questions. He intends to let me take charge of the suppression of bandits in Ping'an Prefecture."

Hum, Wang Ziteng sneered in his heart, but said happily on his face: "This is a good thing. The old prince has been a soldier all his life, fighting for the country in the north and south, and has made many military exploits. The prince is now about the same age, and it is time for him to go out and do something. To repay your kindness and carry forward the old prince’s ambition.”

"But my nephew has never commanded an army, how can he take on such an important task?" Shui Rong showed a little timidity, and even dodged his eyes under Wang Ziteng's gaze. He leaned over and begged, "Please help me, uncle."

Looking at the young prince bending respectfully in front of him, Wang Ziteng fell into silence for a long time.

He really couldn't believe that someone who dared to seek his own position would be such a lecherous thing.

Could it be that it was just a coincidence?

After letting it sit in the water for a long time, Wang Ziteng finally stood up, held up the young prince's body, and sighed: "I just remembered when the old prince left. Alas, before I knew it, my old friend had...

Before the old prince left, Zeng Qian warned and asked me to wait for the old man to take good care of the young prince.

Now that the young prince is favored by your majesty, if I sit back and watch, I will have no face to see the old prince in the future. "

"Uncle Shi..." Upon hearing this, Shui Rong was also moved by the situation. He directly hugged Wang Ziteng's arms with his hands and said emotionally, "When my father passed away, he repeatedly warned his children to treat Shibo as their elder."

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." Wang Ziteng gently stroked his beard and said warmly, "I still have one or two capable staff in my house who can be used by you."

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The intrigues in the capital have not yet stopped, and Songjiang, which is already in a whirlpool, is also experiencing constant incidents.

Shi Dingcai returned to Songjiang from Yuhang and ordered the local civilians and soldiers to get on the road as soon as possible.

His arms could not hold his thighs. Even if Chen Heng intended to wait until the summer harvest was over, the prefect Liu Yanzhang was the first to surrender.

It is easier to ask the gods than to send them away, since Shi Ding intends to take the food, grass, soldiers and horses with him on the road. Liu Yanzhang naturally begged Chen Heng not to go against the bull, and it would be best to send the imperial envoy away as soon as possible.

It was mid-July, and the summer harvest prayers were in full swing in the mansion. However, Chen Heng could only take the civilian husband and leave Songjiang Mansion first.

There were many people who came to see him off that day, so there was no need to mention the people on both sides of the street. Among the people who came to see Chen Heng off were the Xue family brothers and sisters, Du Yunjing and other close friends.

People like Xiao Ping want to stay and manage the affairs of the two counties. Pan Youan has to maintain business affairs, and the only people who can accompany Chen Heng are Xinda, Yan Xiaoer and others.

When everyone gathered at the city gate, the long queue of people was still passing through in an orderly manner. The bustle and bustle under the bright sun was accompanied by a somewhat indescribable parting.

Chen Heng, who had just finished saying goodbye to his wife at home, took Lao Du and Xiao Ping's hands and told them, "If anything happens to the county government, you can discuss it with Mr. Du."

"Yes, sir." Xiao Ping quickly agreed. Du Yunjing on the side said: "Zhixing, you don't have to worry. We are here in the state capital, so we guarantee that there will be no trouble. But you should be extra careful when you go."

Chen Heng nodded lightly, then looked at Xue Biao and Xue Baoqin not far away, smiled bitterly and said to them: "I originally wanted to have a drink before you return to Yangzhou. It seems that this glass of wine can only be found later. Good opportunity.”

"Brother, don't worry." Bao Qin obviously had a worried look on his face, but he comforted Chen Heng and said directly, "I made a promise to my brother last night. When you come back, we will go back to Yangzhou."

Chen Heng did not expect that there would be an unexpected surprise. He looked at Xue Biao and said happily: "Are you serious about this?"

"Knowing that you are going away this time, I will definitely not be worried about my family." Can handle Qin'er's shop."

No matter how you say it, it’s a big favor.

With these two people here, Daiyu and Yinglian would have someone they could discuss with them on any important matters at home.

Chen Heng thanked all his friends and colleagues again and again before turning over and riding on the horse led by Xinda. He held the reins and clasped his fists at everyone and said: "Everyone, please say goodbye first. If there is anything important, just send a letter to the army." Tell me."

The words before leaving were the most lengthy. Chen Heng was determined not to dwell too much on the love between his children. He turned his horse around and chased towards the bloody setting sun.

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This time the five thousand Songjiang Guards were dispatched, but they wanted to follow Shi Ding first. The civilian men led by Chen Heng had to escort military supplies. Although we are all on the same path, there are differences when we set out on the road.

Dayong's military camp was the same as that of the previous Ming Dynasty, divided into combat soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, and civilians. Most of the soldiers were military households, and they also had armor, horses, and weapons issued by the imperial court. Most of the auxiliary soldiers are selected from the local braves and regiment training, and they are also proficient in some ordnance. Every time there is a war, these people will obey the orders of the military commander.

Only the matter of civilian husbands was personally managed by local officials. There were many state capitals that responded to the call this time, but there were only a few county magistrates like Chen Heng who personally led the team. Most of them are county lieutenants or bookkeepers who act on their behalf.

Be so careful and cautious rather than randomly choosing someone to do it. Just because the food and fodder that everyone escorted was really too important.

Chen Heng had experience in the Ministry of War and had seen many examples.

There are confused officials who only care about raising food but not delivering it. On the road, it is not easy for brave civilians to steal the good stuff and secretly pass it off as good stuff to make some money.

It’s the petty officials from various prefectures and counties who pick up drivers from all over the country, and they directly ask for food and cards.

It is one thing that people often say that transporting grain will cause damage and the road is dangerous. Someone among them is up to something, which is also a reason that cannot be ignored.

There is no way, this money is really easy to make. As long as they are brave and ambitious, many people will make a fortune in one go.

In this way, we arrived at the military camp and met with the quartermaster. The other party didn't care about the difficulties and obstacles on the road, but someone still secretly cheated.

The document stated the number of loads of grain and grass. As long as the loss exceeded 20%, they would be refused entry into the warehouse.

Even if this lawsuit goes to the imperial court, it will be the fault of the local officials.

Of course, there is no need to say much about what will happen in the evaluation if the prosecution is unfavorable and the performance is negligent.

After walking on the road for more than twenty days, at the end of August, Chen Heng finally arrived at the border of Ping'an Prefecture.

Shi Ding, who had already arrived quickly, ordered people to set up camp here early. Chen Heng was still sizing up the camp on horseback, when a man poked his head out of the carriage following closely behind him.

Jia Baoyu, who had been locked all the way, finally leaned against the car window and said repeatedly: "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law Chen, good brother-in-law. Just let me out for some air."

Seeing that the opponent had already spread his wings and could not escape, Chen Heng nodded to Xinda who was driving the car, and then comforted Baoyu: "There is no need to run around, there are many ruthless bandits here. No one knows which forest will suddenly burst out. The villain will kidnap you immediately."

tie? You still have the nerve to say tied up? Jia Baoyu was furious when he heard this, but now he really didn't dare to ask him to compete with Chen Heng.

Now living under someone else's roof, Jia Baoyu could only take one step at a time and said: "Hey, I can save it. My brother-in-law is caring..."

I’ll pass on one chapter first, go have dinner, and then come back and code the second chapter.