Chapter 1106: Integrity Exchange!

Seeing Zheng Jie's hesitation, Zhang Qinghe continued:

“Zhao Wanxian’s birthday is October 9th, so he is thirty-eight now, and Sun Jing’an has just taken office as the governor of Youyan. Even if it is a stopgap measure, it can be delayed for at least six or seven months. In this way, Zhao Wanxian will be thirty-nine by then, which means he will be forty years old if rounded up…”

"Forty years old is not considered old for a governor, but it is not young either. Look at Ye Hao from Yunbing. He is only in his early thirties this year, but he has already been appointed as the governor of Yunbing by the Marshal. This time, he almost became the governor of Youyan!"

"And don't forget, when the Marshal made an exception and promoted Zhao Wanxian to the post of Liaoyang Governor, Zhao Wanxian was only 35 years old!"

"Age and experience have never been a big problem for our commander!"

Hearing this, Zheng Jie nodded slightly, agreeing with Zhang Qinghe's idea. Seeing this, Zhang Qinghe changed the subject and continued:
"Of course, this is just my guess. Who knows what our commander-in-chief is thinking? Maybe Lord Sun Jing'an will sit back and relax. Brother Zheng, just listen to it for fun and don't take it too seriously!"

Zheng Jie smiled and said:

"Brother Zhang, I understand. This is just a casual chat between you and me!"

"That's right! That's right! Let's drink! The squirrel fish cooked in Chunhua Tower today is really good, Brother Zheng, you should try it..."

After a while of drinking, when the two of them were almost done, Zheng Jie seemed to have made a decision and asked Zhang Qinghe:
"Brother Zhang, I heard that you have a good relationship with Minister Cui of the Ministry of Justice?"

Although Zhang Qinghe had drunk a little too much, when he heard Zheng Jie asking about Minister Cui, he still said cleverly:

"I have a pretty good relationship with Minister Cui. Brother Zheng, what can I do for you?"

Zheng Jie smiled and said:

"I've long heard that Minister Cui is an unparalleled talent, so I've always had a spiritual connection with him, but it's a pity that I've never had the opportunity to get to know him better!"

"So if there is a chance, Brother Zhang, you might as well introduce me to someone!"

Although Zheng Jie spoke very subtly, Zhang Qinghe understood the meaning of his words. He knew that Zheng Jie wanted to curry favor with the Cui family in order to seek a transfer to another place in the future!
Although he understood Zheng Jie's meaning, Zhang Qinghe did not give an immediate reply. Instead, he picked up the teapot beside him and poured himself a cup of tea. While drinking the tea to sober up, Zhang Qinghe slowly said:
"Brother Zheng, everything else is easy to deal with. I will definitely not refuse anything I can do, but this matter is not easy to handle. You know there have been some rumors in the court recently, saying something like forming a clique for personal gain!"

“Minister Cui, although Minister Cui and his son are upright and have nothing to fear from their own shadows, they are upright and honest, but some people throw dirty water on them. Brother Zheng, you know that people’s words are scary. Some people just have evil intentions and are always looking for trouble. So Minister Cui is also very careful about this point…”

Seeing that Zhang Qinghe did not refuse outright, but emphasized the difficulty of this matter, Zheng Jie was not clear about his purpose and said:
"I heard that your nephew Du Chen, Brother Zhang, is interested in opening a cargo station outside Yijing?"

Seeing Zheng Jie coming up, Zhang Qinghe nodded and said:

"That's right. Recently, more and more people have come to Yijing to make a living. With more people, there are more and more goods. The original cargo station in Yijing is no longer enough. So in order to make life more convenient for the people around Yijing, my useless nephew is thinking of building a large cargo station outside the city!"

Zheng Jie smiled and said:

"Brother Zhang, your nephew is just as patriotic as you are. Du Chen's idea is very good. If the new cargo station is built, it will definitely facilitate the lives of the people of Yijing. This is a great thing. I think the people of Yijing are also very willing to see the completion of this new cargo station!"

"Our Chief Secretary is here to help young and promising people like Du Chen who care about the people's concerns and worries! This is a good deed!"

After that, Zheng Jie and Zhang Qinghe smiled at each other. Zhang Qinghe raised his glass and said to Zheng Jie, "Brother Zheng, for your passion to serve the people, let alone a third-rank governor, I think it's not a bad idea for you to be a vice minister in the future!"

"I believe that after Minister Cui knows your feelings, he will definitely be willing to meet you. We are all friends!"

Zheng Jie also picked up his glass and said with a smile:

“Brother Zhang, you are too kind. Let’s make progress together. Don’t forget each other when we become rich and powerful…”

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Guanzhong, Luoan

After Ye Mingsheng announced the relocation of the capital, a large number of princes, nobles and aristocratic families of the Great Zhou had no choice but to surrender under the swords of the Fengwu Army and immediately left their homeland in Guanzhong and headed for Yijing in the east.

The departure of these princes, nobles and aristocratic families did affect Luoan's economy for a time, but as the political, economic and military center of the Three Kingdoms for hundreds of years, Luoan still has its roots. With the implementation of the new policy in Guanzhong, the ancient land of Guanzhong is also exuding new vitality.

The Fengwu Army used swords and guns to force the princes and nobles and the aristocratic families to give up their land, which gave the people who had been oppressed and exploited a sense of direction again. They now had their own land and their own production materials.

Although this won the Fengwu Army the support and support of countless grassroots people, it also made the Fengwu Army hated by many people. The arrival of the Fengwu Army made their extravagant lives completely turn into bubbles and history!
There is a Dexing Marquis Mansion in the east city of Luoan, but it has been requisitioned by the Fengwu Army and is currently the residence of Guo Zhiping, commander of the Second Army of the Fengwu Army.

Just after noon, Guo Zhiping finished his meal at home and came to the Luoan parade ground in Dongcheng to observe the morning exercises of the soldiers of the Second Army!
According to the training regulations of the Fengwu Army, morning exercises do not involve much military skill training, but simply running, shouting slogans, and exercising. The training will last for about an incense stick of time, and then breakfast will be served...
However, the soldiers training on the parade ground today are somewhat special compared to other soldiers of the Second Army. They belong to the 15th Division of the Fengwu Army, which was established less than a month ago!

Although the 15th Division of the Fengwu Army was established very shortly, it can be said to have a very special historical significance in the combat sequence of the Fengwu Army!
Before the establishment of the 15th Division, there had never been a unit in the Fengwu Army that could directly recruit soldiers from the local area in an organized manner, but with the establishment of the 15th Division, this history was broken!
More than half a month ago, after receiving Ye Mingsheng's order, Guo Zhiping began to form the 15th Division!
According to Ye Mingsheng's order to organize the 15th Division into 30,000 people, Guo Zhiping transferred about 5,000 people from the 2nd Division and the 8th Division under the 2nd Army, and then recruited 25,000 people from the repatriated former imperial guards. He put these two groups of people together to set up the 15th Division!
Because the matter was urgent, Ye Mingsheng allowed Guo Zhiping to act according to his discretion in forming the 15th Division. For example, regarding the appointment of the general, deputy general, lieutenant general and other military officers of the 15th Army, Guo Zhiping could make the appointments temporarily and then report to Ye Mingsheng for approval!

In the appointment of the main generals, Guo Zhiping promoted Zhang Hui, the former deputy general of the Second Division, to the general of the Fifteenth Division, and Ye Dayong, the former lieutenant general of the Second Army, to the deputy general of the Fifteenth Division.
Guo Zhiping's appointment of Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong was quite standard. These two were also veterans in the Fengwu Army and had made countless contributions to the Fengwu Army. There was no problem with their qualifications or merits, and there was basically no objection to their promotion in the military!
However, in addition to Ye Dayong, Guo Zhiping boldly promoted another deputy general, Cai Yaozu. Unlike Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong, who were both members of the Fengwu Army, Cai Yaozu was the former commander of the imperial guards. He had fought against the Fengwu Army many times in Yunbing and was captured by the Fengwu Army in the battle of Wei Pass!

Later, when the Fengwu Army conquered Guanzhong, Ye Mingsheng released many soldiers from the imperial guards who were not members of the Shangguan family in order to appease the people and also because the development of the economy and people's livelihood required a large number of young and strong people. As a result, Cai Yaozu returned home and became unemployed!

This time, in order to form the 15th Division, Guo Zhiping invited Cai Yaozu out and granted him the important position of deputy general of the 15th Division!
Guo Zhiping's appointment of Cai Yaozu also caused considerable controversy within the Second Army. Many Second Army generals, including Second Army Commander Zhang Feng, believed that Cai Yaozu was a surrendered general who had made no contribution to the Fengwu Army. The Fengwu Army always valued military exploits, so letting Cai Yaozu serve as the deputy general of the 15th Division was tantamount to violating the past rules of the Fengwu Army.

Secondly, there are many people who have made great military achievements within the Second Army. These people are qualified for the duties of deputy general of the 15th Division.
Even if Cai Yaozu could play some role in the Sichuan-Shu war, letting him command a battalion of soldiers was already a great recommendation for him. There was no need to use a surrendered general to snatch the position of one of their own people!
Guo Zhiping was also very aware of the voices of his generals, but after much thought, as the commander, he still went against the majority and promoted Cai Yaozu to the position of deputy general of the 15th Division!
Guo Zhiping naturally had his own purpose in doing this. First of all, although Cai Yaozu did not hold a very high position in the Imperial Guards, he was only a sixth-rank commander with a small number of troops, only about five thousand, and he did not have any outstanding achievements in the Imperial Guards.

However, Cai Yaozu had a reputation for loving his soldiers like his own sons and being extremely righteous. The most well-known thing about him was that when the Luoan court attacked Sichuan, the war was initially very unfavorable and encountered stubborn resistance from the Sichuan army. The imperial guards who first entered Sichuan suffered heavy casualties!

Cai Yaozu's troops were the first imperial guards to invade Sichuan. Not only did they face resistance from the Sichuan army, but they also had to contend with the difficulty of the road to Sichuan, which meant they couldn't keep up with their logistical supplies!
In such a harsh situation, Cai Yaozu did not enjoy the special treatment as a general like other imperial guards generals. Instead, he chose to share the joys and sorrows with ordinary soldiers, and when food was about to run out, he killed his beloved horse to feed the soldiers...
In the middle and late stages of the Sichuan-Shu War, the finances of the Luoan court were increasingly in deficit and could no longer provide pensions and rewards to the soldiers on the front line. However, Cai Yaozu sold his ancestral 50 acres of paddy fields and a shop in Luoan to pay pensions to his injured subordinates.

Cai Yaozu's actions were also widely spread among the imperial guards, although many imperial guards generals sneered at him, thinking that he was seeking fame and winning people's hearts!
However, many lower-level soldiers were very impressed by Cai Yaozu's style and believed that Cai Yaozu was the most worthy general to follow in the imperial army!
Guo Zhiping doesn't care whether Cai Yaozu really loves his soldiers like his own sons and is loyal to his country, or whether he is just trying to gain fame and win people's hearts, but he needs Cai Yaozu's good reputation among the grassroots soldiers!
The 15th Division was formed hastily under the command of the Marshal, and was about to be sent to Sichuan, so the soldiers lacked the necessary time to get used to each other!
You should know that among the 30,000 soldiers of the 15th Division, only 5,000 were drawn from various units of the Second Army, and the remaining 25,000 were all former imperial guards!
Just half a year ago, both sides were enemies fighting each other to the death, but now both sides are about to go to Sichuan to meet the enemy together. To be honest, Guo Zhiping is very worried that the 15th Division will have internal problems!
Therefore, under such concerns, Guo Zhiping believes that Cai Yaozu's existence becomes very important. Guo Zhiping needs Cai Yaozu to use his good reputation among the imperial guards to help Zhang Hui solve the problem and ease the conflict between the two sides in case of any problems, so as to prevent the conflict from escalating and splitting the 15th Division!
In addition to taking advantage of Cai Yaozu's good reputation, Guo Zhiping promoted Cai Yaozu to the position of general of the 15th Division for another very important reason!

The reason is that Cai Yaozu, as one of the first generals of the Luoan court's attack on Shu, participated in almost all the battles of the Luoan court's attack on Sichuan and Shu.

Therefore, Cai Yaozu has a certain understanding of Sichuan's topography, the combat effectiveness of the Sichuan army, and the customs and habits of the people, and this is exactly what Zhang Hui and Ye Dayong lack!
According to the plan, the 15th Division will be dispatched to Sichuan in three days. Guo Zhiping has high hopes for the 15th Division's battle in Sichuan this time, so Guo Zhiping hopes that Zhang Hui, Ye Dayong, and Cai Yaozu can unite, cooperate sincerely, and fight together for the court!

However, just in case, the commander Guo Zhiping still came to the parade ground today. He had a few words to tell his men...

(End of this chapter)