Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

Yang Sichang was still able to squeeze out 150,000 taels for the Beijing camp, but he felt very uncomfortable.

He remembered that more than two months ago, it was this kid who stole the military equipment and uniforms prepared for him by the court, not only the military equipment and uniforms, but also the food and fodder of the Ministry of Revenue.

The last incident really made Yang Sichang angry, and this time this guy came to him to ask for money again. Yang Sichang was so furious.

In fact, he was quite resentful towards Emperor Chongzhen. Why could Zhang Shikang take away his money, food, and military equipment? Would it ever stop?

Although he did not dare to vent his dissatisfaction to the emperor, it did not mean that he was afraid of Zhang Shikang, just a playboy.

Earlier, this kid had made fun of the banquet right from the start, but now he is returning the favor.

"It's your mother's head!" Zhang Shikang threw the chopsticks onto the table, splashing soup onto everyone.

"This is the order of His Majesty. Do you dare to disobey it?"

Zhang Shikang was indeed irritated by this fat man. His father donated money out of kindness, but it would be fine if you didn't donate, but you even dared to try to drain the pond for fish.

He felt that Yang Sichang was shameless and thought that he was easy to bully just because he was a little more civilized. It was really hateful!

Wang Chengen and Lu Xiangsheng lowered their heads and pretended not to hear such vulgar curses. Yang Sichang had witnessed Zhang Shikang's rudeness two months ago, but he was not angry.

On the contrary, Hong Chengchou and Zhang Shikang, who saw it for the first time, were stunned. Except for Wang Chengen and Zhang Shikang, all the others present were Jinshi graduates, so they had naturally seen the scoundrels who cursed in the streets before.

But this was the first time they had seen anyone dare to curse Yang Sichang, the then Minister of War, Commander-in-Chief, and Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, and curse him in such harsh words.

Hong Chengchou squinted his eyes as if he was thinking about something. His eyes were originally long and narrow, and when he squinted they became a slit.

Sun Chuanting's dislike for Zhang Shikang was written all over his face. He had always been dissatisfied with Yang Sichang, but in just a short while, he felt that his dissatisfaction with Zhang Shikang had surpassed that of Yang Sichang.

He spoke rudely, behaved rudely, was sarcastic and unreasonable. I had heard earlier that Zhang Shikang was a playboy, and now it seems to be true.

Yang Sichang didn't have any good intentions either, and his words were sarcastic. These two people are really... worth watching.

Although he didn't say anything, he held a handkerchief in his right hand and kept wiping his left sleeve. Zhang Shikang had just dropped his chopsticks, splashing oil and water there. This was also one of the main reasons why Sun Chuanting disliked Zhang Shikang.

"I remember that my uncle once said that a general is not bound by the orders of his sovereign when away from the court." Yang Sichang was unmoved and even tried to retaliate against the man in his own way.

Zhang Shikang was so angry that he almost laughed. He was always unreasonable on weekdays, but now he finally understood why scholars were so hateful.

If he was not good at talking, he would be choked by the other party and would not know how to respond, but Zhang Shikang was not afraid.

"You're trying to get me like this, right? Fine! I'll fight you. If you don't give me money, you'll have to eat and drink in this military camp."

This time, including Lu Xiangsheng's troops, there were almost 22,000 people. Although the number of soldiers was not large, there were as many as 12,000 war horses.

In the past, the cavalry of the Beijing Camp could only have one horse per person. At that time, Zhang Shikang even envied Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. After all, the elite of the bandits could have two horses per person.

Although there are only 3,000 cavalrymen in the Beijing camp, there are 12,000 war horses, which means one person can ride four horses. They are not much inferior to the Jiannu.

The consumption is just too horrible.

But now that we've arrived at Fatty Yang's residence, even if the money doesn't come, at least you have to provide us with food, right?

He knew that it would be difficult to get the silver, so he came to Yang Sichang for two purposes: one was to get the silver, and the other was to supervise the war situation.

Although Yang Sichang was the main force, Zhang Shikang did not fully trust his military ability. Although he was not under his control, if the war really reached a critical juncture, the Beijing camp troops would also have to go.

He is not high-profile and knows how to prioritize.

When Yang Sichang heard Zhang Shikang's words, he knew that the other party was beginning to act like a rogue. He was already furious and was about to scold him, but Hong Chengchou stood up and said, "Let's stop the fight."

"My Lords, please do not be angry. The war situation is treacherous now. It is time to unite. As His Majesty's capable men, how can you attack each other?"

Hong Chengchou's words were sincere. He was the governor-general of the three borders of Shaanxi. Although he was nominally under the control of Yang Sichang, in fact their rank was the same, so his words still carried weight.

Seeing that the two of them were silent, Hong Chengchou thought for a moment and then said:

"The court sent a lot of money and food a while ago, and I think your majesty's order should still be obeyed.

However, Yang Gebu was responsible for the safety of all the soldiers in the entire military camp, so he had to act with caution. Fifteen thousand taels of silver was not a small amount, and if he just gave it out like that, the people below would be dissatisfied.

I heard that the Lord captured a lot of Jiannu horses in the battle of Jiazhuang. The cavalry in the Beijing camp has only 3,000 people, and it must be difficult to raise so many horses.

The reason why we have not been able to fight a decisive battle yet is because our army has more infantry and fewer horses. It would be better if My Lord could give up some horses.

This will not only increase the strength of the border troops, but also reduce the food and grass pressure on the Lord, and at the same time it will be easier for Yang Gebu to give explanations to his subordinates.

This way, we can achieve three goals at once. What do you two think? "

After Hong Chengchou finished speaking, he sat back in his chair, squinting his eyes and waiting for their reply.

This idea seems selfless and good for everyone, but Hong Chengchou's real intention is not so.

He knew Yang Sichang very well and knew that this man was narrow-minded and could not stand others taking the lead in front of him, especially in the current situation.

He knew very well that the more he did this, the angrier Yang Sichang would become, and the more he would refuse to give in or back down.

On the other hand, war horses are such precious supplies that no army, let alone the Beijing camp, would give them up easily.

After all, as long as there are enough war horses, even if you can't defeat the enemy, you can still run away. The reason why the bandits have been defeated repeatedly for so many years and the imperial court has been unable to completely eliminate them despite mobilizing troops many times is precisely because the bandits' elite are all cavalry.

Hong Chengchou probably knew that although the number of cavalry from the Beijing Camp was small in the Battle of Jiazhuang, they played a key role. It seemed that the commander-in-chief of the Beijing Camp should know the importance of war horses.

Therefore, the more he said this, the less likely Zhang Shikang would give up the war horses. If he did not give up the war horses, Yang Sichang would definitely not agree to mobilize the silver.

These two people will definitely have more intense and more irreconcilable conflicts, and this is what Hong Chengchou wants to see.

The irreconcilable conflict between the Prime Minister and the Governor of the Beijing Camp was not good for the court, but it was good for him.

It is also beneficial to the Donglin Party.

This move of his was an open conspiracy, which seemed good for everyone, but he calculated that neither side would compromise, which would only lead to more intense conflicts.

Wang Chengen glanced at Hong Chengchou with a grateful smile on his face. He did not want Zhang Shikang and Yang Gebu to get to that point.

Sun Chuanting frowned after hearing what Hong Chengchou said, with a hint of anger in his eyes. Wang Chengen didn't understand military affairs, but he knew his immediate superior and was probably not up to good intentions.

But among those present, he had the lowest official rank, and he didn't have much good feelings towards Yang Sichang and Zhang Shikang. The reason he was angry was simply that he felt it shouldn't be like this, but he didn't interrupt.

Seeing that Yang Sichang was finally angered by him, Zhang Shikang was ready to have a fight with the fat guy.

However, Hong Chengchou's words made him frown. Not only him, but the anger on Yang Sichang's face also quickly dissipated.

The two looked at each other, and saw a hint of vigilance in each other's eyes.

After a moment's silence, Yang Sichang burst out laughing and said:

"Master Hong is right. I shouldn't act on impulse at this moment. You can send someone to get the 150,000 taels of silver before dark."

Zhang Shikang also looked like he was learning something. He bowed to Hong Chengchou and said:

"This admiral is also worried about having too many war horses! Lord Hong really came up with a good idea.

I just wonder if the Yangge tribe really needs war horses? This stuff is so edible, and Beijing can’t afford it!”

"Of course it is needed. The more the better." Yang Sichang stroked his beard, feeling very happy.

"Then I will give Yang Gebu... 3,000 horses, how about that?"

"That's great. Thank you, sir."

Yang Sichang thanked him on the surface, but in his heart he was cursing Zhang Shikang for being stingy.

"No matter where you are, I am doing errands for your majesty."

Hong Chengchou was stunned for a moment when he saw the two of them singing the same tune, but he was afraid that others would find out what he was thinking, so he just held the teacup and drank water awkwardly.

……