“Your Excellency, as the saying goes, a clever woman can’t cook without rice. Food and wages are the basis of military preparation, recruiting militia, replenishing armaments, and training troops for battle. ……All of these need food and pay, if there is no food and pay, how can my official order military preparation? I would like to ask you to allocate rations as soon as possible so that I can prepare my troops.”
Shortly after the morning work, Zhu Pingan once again appeared punctually in the office room of the TPC lord, arching his hand and requesting for the allocation of grain and rations.
Twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, Zhu Pingan reported to the TPCA on time, requesting the allocation of rations. Today was the third day, and this was already the fifth time Zhu Pingan had come.
“Zi Hou, it’s not that I don’t allocate food and rations to you, but the court has not allocated food and rations to our Tidings and Investigation Department. ZiHou, when you were inspecting Taicang, you also know that the court’s finances are tight, just the northern military towns are barely maintained, and now that the Japanese are back, the court’s finances are even more stretched. In addition, a few days ago, the military branch in Zhu Bochen to the capital city outside the inhabitants of busy people, merchants gathered and the border is becoming increasingly eventful for reasons, please according to the former site of the earth city, the construction of the capital city, the saint has approved its play, and to start construction. This project, by the Ministry of the price of silver two hundred and forty thousand two, military, Ministry of two silver 180,000 two, a total of four hundred and twenty thousand two. During this period, whether it is the capital or local, all budgets should give way to the capital outside the city, I a few days ago to the court successive request for the regimentation of food and wages, are suppressed and not issued. To be honest, Zi Hou, I am even more anxious and on fire than you are.”
Lord Tidian explained in a particularly helpless manner after Zhu Pingan approached him for the fifth time to request for food and wages.
“My lord, we have a huge government office in the Tidings and Judgeship Department, can’t we even allocate a single grain?”
Zhu Pingan’s mouth was dry from talking at the Tidings and Pressure Division, and now when he opened his mouth, he felt a grinding panic.
“Is really no money, our Yamen is not big, plate shop but more, up and down, inside and outside all need to use money, the imperial court allocated a limited amount of money, now are tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall, barely maintain.”
The provincial governor spread out his hands, a face of helplessness said.
“Lord Rostai, then let’s tear down another wall, and also build a wall stack for this military reserve regiment of my subordinate.”
Zhu Pingan hit the snake and climbed with the pole, laughing.
When the provincial governor heard this, he couldn’t help but point at Zhu Pingan and laughed bitterly, “Zi Hou, it’s not something that can be torn down just by saying it. The Yamen really doesn’t have the money. If not, this way Zi Hou, you first levy a militia group to come, with men and horses, this official can also apply to the court for food and wages, so that since the reason is also a little more sufficient.”
“Tendai big man, the so-called soldiers and horses before the food and grass first, are food and grass first, soldiers and horses then line. My side first pulls all the way troops and horses out, if the rations application does not come down, the supply is not enough, then how can it be good? Throughout history, there have been countless mutinies and disasters caused by the untimely release of rations.”
Zhu Pingan laughed bitterly.
“Why don’t this look thick, you see what’s valuable in my house, you take it to pawn …… first.”
It seemed that Lord Tuan Tai was really out of options, reaching out and pointing to the household goods in the room, he said to Zhu Pingan.
Zhu Pingan sniffed speechless, can I pawn the household goods in your room? In the feudal society which is concerned about the superiority and inferiority, if I do this is not to be poked and prodded, is it not to look for impeachment? I’d be impeached!
Besides, these housewares in your room are not worth much, just a few taels of silver at best.
After tea time, Zhu Pingan once again came out of the room of the provincial governor with a grey head, just like the previous times.
“How is it, I told you that Chu Zi Hou would return without any success, right? Fatty Chu, willing to gamble, quickly get the silver.”
Outside within the long corridor Zhang Chufeng saw this scene and couldn’t help but smile as he reached out and pushed Chu Xiong, urging.
“Alas. Liu Bei’s three Gu flanks have all invited Martial Marquis Zhuge Liang out of the mountain, Chu little brother this is more than Liu Bei still has two Gu, surprisingly, has not yet been able to invite down the rations, really look at it all heartbreaking ah ……”
Chu Xiong smiled bitterly and took out a silver ticket of ten taels denomination from his sleeve, and heartbreakingly stuffed it into Zhang Chufeng’s hand.
“What about mine?”Zhuo Yan unsmilingly stretched out his hand.
“Alas, I have to tighten my belt again this month ……”Chu Xiong with a face of flesh pain touched out another one and slapped it into Zhuo Yan’s hand.
“Come on Chu Fatty! There is no one in our Yamen who is richer than you, Fatty Chu.”Zhang Chufeng kindly laughed.
Come on, Chu Pingan’s application for food rations has turned out to be the object of their ya betting ……
In the afternoon, Zhu Pingan went there once more and returned equally grey and unsuccessful.
In the evening, Zhu Pingan returned to the small courtyard of the assigned building hall, where Painter and Demoness Ruo Nan had already prepared the evening meal.
“Lol ……Looking at that look of yours, I know that the rations are not available again. My father, however, has already sent someone to write back, saying that they have already recruited and surrendered a mountain stronghold for you. A certain person had promised to ensure that we eat royal food and receive military pay …….Now it won’t make us drink the northwest wind.”
Seeing Zhu Pingan’s grey face, the demoness Ruo Nan could not help but roll her eyes and sneer.
“Ruo Nan, Auntie is already lost enough, and you’re still talking sarcasm there.”Painter glared hard at the demoness Ruo Nan, then attentively came forward to serve Zhu Ping An to change his regular clothes and bring water to purify his hands, while looking at Zhu Ping An worriedly, she carefully said, “Auntie, don’t listen to Ruo Nan’s sarcasm, don’t take it to heart, Painter believes in Auntie, Auntie will surely be able to do it.”
“It’s okay, she is not all sarcasm, I really have not applied for food rations at the moment.”Zhu Pingan purified his hands on the water basin at Painter’s end, smiled slightly, then looked at Demoness Ruonan with a frank face, “Don’t worry, will never let you guys drink the north-west wind, what I, Zhu Pingan, promised, I will definitely honour it.”
“I don’t care, but they can really be running to eat imperial food and receive military pay. They are not virtuous people, nor do they have the noble feelings of bowing down and dying for the country and the people, if there is no food and pay, they will definitely not do it, and they will definitely rebel at that time ……”Demoness Ruo Nan reminded.
“I know.”Zhu Pingan nodded.
“Auntie, I still have more than eighty taels of bodily goods here, as well as a lot of gold and silver jewellery, so take it all, Auntie. I know, these are definitely not enough, however, Auntie don’t worry, Miss has money, several tens of thousands of taels, there’s even more at the Master’s, the Master favours Miss the most, as long as Miss opens her mouth, the Master will agree to it ……”
Painter said while touching a purse with body temperature from her bosom and handed it over to Zhu Pingan without hesitation.
“No need!”Zhu Pingan smiled and shook his head, “I know Shu’er has money, but not ……”
“Why? It’s all silver, why not?”Painter said in disbelief.
“This regiment is the court’s regiment, not our family’s regiment, it must and can only be supplied with food and wages by the court, if I pay out of my own pocket to feed the regiment, then it will become my own private army, and that would be a big taboo.”
Zhu Pingan explained simply.
