Chapter 90: The military pay is too high, the general is dissatisfied

The training ground suddenly became quiet.

Zhu Shitai and Zhang Yuangong were also confused.

Today is the day for paying salaries. I heard that after the Hangzhou Prefecture confiscated the property of the criminal officials, they also prepared a large amount of food, fodder and military equipment to be brought along with the military salaries.

It should have been a happy day.

Why is General Qi still angry?
Could it be possible that a general would complain that the salary given by his superiors is too high?

Zhu Shitai and Zhang Yuangong looked at each other, then hurriedly stood up and went outside the central army tent to inquire about the news.

The officers and soldiers under their command were also alert, and the captains present led everyone to leave in a line.

The originally bustling Qi Family Army training ground suddenly became quiet.

At this time, the sound from the central army tent finally gradually dissipated.

In front of the tent, two personal soldiers were guarding with swords.

From time to time, disputes broke out in the tent.

When the door of the tent was opened, inside the main tent of the Qi Family Army, there was a geomancy map of the coastal defense of Zhejiang Province, as well as correspondence and urgent military reports from the Qi Family Army.

Xu Wenbi, the future Duke Dingguo of the Ming Dynasty, sat in a corner with several military clerks. Perhaps because of General Qi's dissatisfaction, they all lowered their heads.

This future duke of the imperial court is now treated as a sentry commander in the Qi family army.

And in the field.

An official from the Zhejiang Provincial Governor's Office and a general from the Zhejiang Provincial Commandery were looking at a young general above them with difficulty.

This man was none other than the Lieutenant General of the Three Prefectures of Zhejiang Province and the Commander-in-Chief of the Zhejiang Anti-Japanese Army, Qi Jiguang.

Because he led the army, ate, lived, trained and walked with the officers and soldiers under him, Qi Jiguang had a dark complexion. His square face was angry without being imposing, and he had a short beard.

But at this moment, Qi Jiguang's face was full of anger and dissatisfaction, and his eyes were full of confusion.

Today was supposed to be the day when military pay was delivered, so he delayed the subsequent combat plans for this reason.

Originally, Qi Jiguang was grateful for this.

The imperial court knew the difficulties faced by the troops fighting against the Japanese invaders on the front lines, and was able to confiscate the property of criminals to finance military expenses.

Before today, Qi Jiguang had already made preparations. Once the military pay and supplies were received, he would immediately lead the entire army to attack, seeking to continue the decisive battle with the Japanese pirates and strive to wipe out the Japanese pirates in Zhejiang Province in one fell swoop this year.

In this way, I repay the trust of my superiors and the court.

but.

Now, the military pay and supplies have arrived.

A lot of silver, a lot of food and fodder, and brand new weapons.

But Qi Jiguang was not happy anymore.

Mainly because of the military pay and military supplies sent from Hangzhou today...

That’s really too much!

There were so many of them that Qi Jiguang had the illusion that the Ming Dynasty was already covered with mountains of gold and silver.

There is no general in the world who would complain about receiving too much military pay.

Even when he just learned about it today, Qi Jiguang was only surprised and shocked, but he felt that he could just repay his superiors and the court with a beautiful decisive battle.

But what really made him dissatisfied was that along with the arrival of this batch of military pay and supplies, new demands also arrived.

"You two, it's not that I, Qi Jiguang, am ungrateful and want to go against the will of the emperor. The court and the superiors have increased the military pay and military supplies. Qi Jiguang will remember the five internal organs and will do his best to wipe out the Japanese bandits and repay the court for its kindness."

Tan Lun, who represented the Zhejiang Governor's Office this time, also nodded.

There was nothing wrong with Qi Jiguang's attitude.

Even he felt that this request was a bit... inappropriate and unreasonable.

Qi Jiguang continued, "The anti-Japanese army will have another 4,608 soldiers this year, and will be trained and formed before this winter. I would like to thank the court and the superiors for their trust and for entrusting me with this important task.

But this year is a critical time for Zhejiang Province to resist the Japanese pirates. Our troops must fight fiercely with the Japanese pirates. How can we recruit more officers and soldiers and train the army?
If we want to fulfill the superior's intention, we must leave at least four guard posts with veteran soldiers and generals to lead the new recruits and train them day and night to form an army. If we do so, it will definitely hinder the current war with the Japanese pirates.

I also ask the two superiors to make it clear with Hu Butang and the superiors in the capital. After the decisive battle against the Japanese pirates this year, I will concentrate on training the troops and increasing the military preparations of the court."

According to Qi Jiguang's current view of the war situation in Zhejiang, he should concentrate his troops to attack the Japanese pirates.

At this time, there is no opportunity to separate the old soldiers to train the new soldiers.

The person coming from the Commandery frowned and shook his head.

"General Qi, this is not only the opinion of Minister Hu and the military commander, but also the opinion of Minister Yan.

General Qi should know that the reason these military pays were delivered this time was all because Yan Shidu spoke for your anti-Japanese army in Beijing.

He ordered General Qi to recruit more than 4,000 new soldiers, which also showed his trust in General Qi. By then, when the army was formed, the general would have nearly 10,000 soldiers under his command.

Looking back at the history of the country, which lieutenant general can command nearly 10,000 soldiers and horses?"

General Qi now has more than 4,000 men, and under the central army tent there are five generals leading each battalion.

Now, according to Yan Shaoting's idea, an additional 4,608 new soldiers will be added, which will give the Qi family army six more general camps out of thin air.

With nearly ten thousand soldiers and horses, there was indeed no lieutenant general in the Ming Dynasty who was so trustworthy.

Tan Lun also nodded in agreement, but he also agreed with Qi Jiguang's statement.

After all, everyone can now clearly see that the Japanese threat in Zhejiang Province will be finally resolved this year.

Could it be that the Yan Party was going to ruin Zhejiang Province’s plan to fight against the Japanese pirates?

But this kind of method is unheard of.

Tan Lun had to make this speculation.

Even Qi Jiguang had many speculations in his mind, wondering whether Yan Shidu, whom he had never met before, did this on purpose so that no one in the court could blame him and thus ruin his plan to fight against the Japanese pirates.

But he still remembered what Hu Butang had told him about Tan Lun when he came to Taizhou.

He could only bite the bullet and persuade: "General Qi is in charge of the front line, so he naturally knows the things on the front line best.

But before we came to Taizhou, Hu Bu Tang personally reminded us many times that the general must recruit more troops this year."

Qi Jiguang frowned. Without any evidence, he couldn't determine his superior's intention based on guesswork alone.

He had to soften his tone and said, "We are about to fight a big battle with the Japanese pirates, and we must go all out, which means we need to recruit more soldiers and train them. Can we wait until the battle in Zhejiang is over before training the new army?"

Tan Lun and the people from the Military Commandery looked calmly at Qi Jiguang, who was feeling troubled.

This was the idea of ​​Yan Shidu in the capital, but the approval for additional recruitment was issued by Hu Zongxian. Similarly, the establishment of the current anti-Japanese army in September of the 38th year of Jiajing was also approved by Hu Zongxian.

This is the military order.

It cannot be changed.

Seeing that Qi Jiguang was reluctant to speak for a long time.

Tan Lun sighed and took out a letter from his sleeve.

Qi Jiguang's eyebrows jumped and he looked over.

Tan Lun showed the letter in his hand and shook it towards Qi Jiguang: "This is the letter from Yan Shidu to Minister Hu. Before leaving this time, Minister Hu entrusted it to me and asked me to take it out when the general is confused."

Letter from Yan Shidu?

Was it written by Yan Shaoting, the grandson of the chief minister of the Yan Party in Beijing and a rising star in the court?

Qi Jiguang frowned, his eyes fixed on the letter in Tan Lun's hand.

Tan Lun looked at Qi Jiguang and nodded: "There is a lot written here, even I... This letter is well written and every word makes sense.

General, please be patient and wait for me to read out the contents written to you one by one."

(End of this chapter)