mesbooks Chapter 1101 Three Letters
Chapter 1101 Three Letters
He continued walking forward and asked several more sentries.
The situations are largely the same.
The youngest claimed to be thirty-one years old and had been guarding the border for nine years.
In his thirties, he was definitely a veteran in the Fengtian Army, and was likely a former convict.
However, he was already the youngest soldier in the Northwest Army.
Li Che walked to a corner of the city wall, where the view was open and he could see the dark wilderness outside the city.
The night wind was biting, making people's robes flutter loudly.
Li Che leaned against the cold battlements and remained silent for a long time.
The shortage of grain, the obsolescence of military equipment, and the severe aging of soldiers... weighed heavily on his heart like heavy stones.
He turned around, the firelight flickering behind him, illuminating Ma Jing's somber face.
"I believe that the Northwest has never been short of food, supplies and military equipment. Although I cannot review every single allocation from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, I have a general idea of the amount."
“The situation in the Northwest should not be what I see today.”
"Where did all that food, weapons, and the pay that should have been used to recruit new soldiers go?"
Ma Jing's body trembled slightly, and a look of struggle flashed across his face.
Finally, he avoided the emperor's gaze and lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty, this matter involves far-reaching implications."
“Then let’s start from the beginning,” Li Che said softly. “The soldiers in the Northwest have waited for so many years, and tonight we will make it clear.”
Seeing the emperor's resolute decision, Ma Jing gritted his teeth and said, "The grain and fodder will be transported from Guanzhong, passing through Jing, Yuan, Wei, and Qin prefectures before reaching Longyou."
"The military equipment was transported from Hedong, which was a long way, and although the money was allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, it still had to go through various provinces."
“Every joint, every layer that has been handled…”
He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Li Che's eyes suddenly turned icy cold.
Layer upon layer of deductions!
Pluck feathers from a passing goose!
He was not unaware of the deep-seated problems within Daqing's bureaucratic system, but he never imagined the situation would become so serious!
An army shouldering the responsibility of protecting the western front of Daqing had only three months' worth of grain left in its granaries, its armory filled with old and worn-out weapons and armor, and its city walls were covered with white-haired old soldiers!
This is no longer just withholding money.
This is undermining the border defenses and shaking the very foundation of the nation!
"Who are they?" Li Che's voice was forced out through clenched teeth. "How dare they do this?!"
Ma Jing raised his head, his eyes bloodshot: "Your Majesty, I am not entirely unaware, but it is taboo for border generals to interfere in local financial and grain affairs."
"I have also sent letters to urge them many times, but the replies are all about the damage during the journey and the difficulty of dispatching... They are passing the buck to each other, and I have no concrete evidence."
"And..." He hesitated for a moment, his voice even lower, "and some matters involve the court. I fear that if I make a move, I might alert the enemy and cut off the already meager supply."
In fact, if the emperor hadn't come in person, Ma Jing would have even suspected that the emperor himself had given the order, and that it was aimed at their Northwest Army.
But Ma Jing had met Li Che once, and that meeting left a deep impression on him.
Ma Jing couldn't believe that the wise emperor would do such a thing.
Li Che slowly inhaled the cold air, suppressing the raging anger surging in his chest.
He knew Ma Jing's concerns.
It is extremely risky for a border general to report on internal affairs of the imperial court without solid evidence.
This also explains why Ma Jing invited him in this way.
He needed to let Li Che see the reality for himself, and only Li Che had the ability to thoroughly investigate and rectify the situation.
"Good, very good." Li Che suddenly smiled. "I understand."
He stopped looking at Ma Jing and instead gazed into the boundless darkness outside the city, as if trying to see through all the demons and monsters hidden in the darkness.
"Ma Jing, let's put aside the past for now. I will clear away your concerns from all these years today."
"From now on, you will do two things for me!"
"First, report to me in secret all the details you know. Don't be afraid of being implicated. I'll take care of it if the sky falls."
"Secondly, I will give you the new blood of the Northwest Army."
"Tomorrow, I will discuss with you in detail the new laws on conscription, land reclamation, and rotation of troops. As for the money, grain, and military equipment that have been withheld..."
"I will make them return the money to me with interest. Whatever the Northwest Army has lost in the past few years, I will make them make up for it double, not a single penny less!"
Although that's what he said, Li Che knew it would be very difficult to do.
This corruption did not begin after he ascended the throne, but rather existed during the reign of Emperor Qing.
After assuming the throne, he purged the court and the people, and the main culprits were likely already executed.
However, I must show my attitude in order to put Ma Jing at ease.
As expected, Ma Jing trembled violently upon hearing this and knelt down again:
"Your subject, Ma Jing, on behalf of the 100,000 soldiers of the Northwest, kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's divine grace!"
. . . . . .
It was already past midnight when they returned to the temporary palace.
The chill deepened, and the stars seemed frozen in the sky.
The palace was brightly lit, and Qiu Bai had already ordered people to prepare charcoal.
Li Che did not rest immediately, but hurriedly took off his clothes, which were still damp with cold air.
The panda Xiao Han, who was standing nearby, also noticed that its owner was in a bad mood. For once, it did not make a fuss and instead curled up obediently on the thick blanket by the charcoal brazier and took a nap.
"Prepare paper and ink."
Qiu Bai dared not delay and immediately tidied up his desk and prepared the thick ink.
Luo Yueniang personally inspected the doors and windows to ensure they were safe.
Yue Yun, Ma Zhong, and others stood solemnly under the porch outside the gate, on guard together with the guards.
Everyone knew Li Che's temperament; seeing the Northwest Army in such a state, it would be strange if he didn't take action.
I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep tonight.
Li Che sat down behind his desk, pondered for a moment, and then wrote with lightning speed.
He wrote extremely quickly, and three angry letters soon appeared on his desk.
The first letter was sent to the capital, and the recipients were naturally Prince Yan, Li Lin, and the cabinet ministers.
Li Che did not elaborate on the tragic scenes he witnessed in the Northwest, as that would be too slow and too sentimental.
He directly listed what he needed:
50,000 sets of winter clothing, commonly used medicinal materials for treating frostbite, standard-issue knives, spears, crossbows, arrows, muskets, and cannons...
And most importantly, a special fund was allocated to procure urgently needed supplies locally and to resettle wounded and disabled veterans.
He demanded that the cabinet immediately coordinate with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War to procure all supplies with the highest priority, and that no one be allowed to withhold or reduce supplies for any reason.
Wang Sanchun was appointed to be in charge of escorting the shipment, and all prefectures and counties along the route were required to provide unconditional assistance.
The funds were directly allocated from the imperial treasury and transported directly to the Northwest after procurement.
At the end of the letter, he wrote:
The decay in the Northwest did not happen overnight; it was caused by the proliferation of pests that gnawed at the very foundation of the nation.
I have seen the festering sores; they are very bad.
However, after treating the sores and removing the toxins, one must wait for the body to recover somewhat.
The urgent task now is to replenish qi and blood and strengthen the foundation.
All ministers in the central government, you must understand my will and act swiftly!
Do not rely on conventional theories, nor be disturbed by unfounded rumors.
Upon my return to the capital, I will surely settle accounts with these corrupt officials one by one!
The second letter was sent to Sichuan.
The recipient of the letter was the Prince of Jin.
He ordered the Shu region to immediately select elite soldiers aged between twenty and thirty from the newly formed army, with a provisional quota of 10,000.
Led by Yu Daliang, the army set off immediately, carrying surplus grain, salt, and cloth from Sichuan as supplies for the march.
The third letter was sent to Qin Province.
This letter is the most subtle and reveals the deepest thoughts.
Qin Province was a supply base leading to the Northwest, and also the source of many losses.
Li Che did not accuse him, but instead began writing in a relatively peaceful tone.
He demanded that Qin Province immediately open up local government granaries and allocate grain and fodder according to the list attached to his letter.
The local government organized a caravan of laborers to transport the goods directly to several military towns on the border of Longyou.
At the same time, the Qin provincial treasury advanced a sum of money to purchase some winter clothing and iron materials in Guanzhong.
Li Che promised that all allocated supplies would be settled in full by the Ministry of Revenue within three months at a price 10% higher than the market price, with no delays.
If a prefecture or county handles the matter effectively, the presiding official and the clerk in charge will be rewarded for their merits.
Li Che was not without doubts about the situation in Qin, but the most urgent task was to immediately procure military provisions.
Having food in hand gives one the confidence to reassure the soldiers.
Otherwise, could he have dismissed the resentment of the Northwest Army for more than 20 years with just his words?
Dreaming!
By the time the three letters were finished, the sky outside the window was already turning a pale gray.
Li Che put down his pen, rubbed his throbbing temples, and felt a chill in his fingertips.
The fire in the charcoal brazier had weakened, so Qiu Bai quietly added more charcoal.
"Have the Embroidered Uniform Guards deliver them in separate routes, changing horses but not riders along the way." Li Che put the three secret letters into waterproof oilcloth bags, sealed them with sealing wax, and handed them to Qiu Bai, who was standing to the side.
"Here you go!" Qiu Bai took it with both hands, turned around and quickly left to make arrangements.
The study returned to silence.
Li Che leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, but the scene he had witnessed that night still lingered in his mind.
He simply couldn't blame Ma Jing.
Ma Jing faced a double dilemma in his position: external pressure from the Tibetan Empire, and internal pressure from aging soldiers and the exploitation of supplies at every level.
As a border commander with 100,000 troops under his command, he was merely one of the emperor's loyal followers.
If he truly harbored even the slightest disloyalty, he could have secretly incited his subordinates to resent the court and shifted all the blame onto the court.
In this way, it would be easy to transform the loyalty of 100,000 soldiers in the Northwest Army from their loyalty to the imperial court to their dependence on Ma Jing personally.
In remote border regions, far from the emperor's reach, it is not difficult to establish a popular base for separatist movements.
At that time, he could either advance by amassing an army and demanding more power and resources from the court, or retreat to establish a regional power base and wait for a better price.
However, Ma Jing did not.
He chose the most dangerous path: risking suspicion, he invited himself to this devastated land, laying bare the most unbearable truth before him.
"Ma Jing is a loyal subject," Li Che thought to himself.
Perhaps it is somewhat conservative, but I have a clear conscience regarding the country, the emperor, and border affairs.
Such a person may not go far in officialdom, but he is the best candidate to guard the country's borders.
Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, but Li Che knew this was just the beginning.
"Yingbu, I'll take a short rest. I'll summon Ma Jing and the others after dawn." Li Che opened his eyes. "We should discuss how to revitalize the Northwest Army."