"You asked me three questions, and I only know the answer to the last one." Teng Jite looked at Zhang Gongji with a smile.
"Then tell me."
"No hurry," Teng Jite's smile disappeared, "I want to use this information to exchange for some food. I wonder how much I can get?"
"How much food do you want to exchange?" Zhang Gongji asked back.
"Two thousand koku."
"Impossible," Zhang Gongji shook his head, "This news is indeed valuable, but not worth two thousand dan of grain."
"Then how much can you give?" Teng Jite asked.
"At most 500 dan of grain." Without waiting for Teng Jite to refute, Zhang Gongji began to explain: "In order to avoid casualties, these grains can only be 'robbed' by you during transportation."
"There are three types of grain transport carts in our Ming Dynasty. A four-wheeled cart requires two oxen and can carry 30 dan of rice; a two-wheeled cart requires one ox and can carry 15 dan of rice; and a small cart requires a mule and horse and can carry 6 dan of rice."
"That is to say, in addition to giving you 500 dan of grain, I will also need to bring 17 four-wheeled carts and 34 cows."
"If we convert all the grain, livestock, and grain transport ships into silver, it will be a huge sum!"
Teng Jite thought about it and said, "Okay, it's better to have something than nothing."
He was not loyal to the Jiannu.
Now one piece of information can bring you so many things, why not do it?
The two sides then engaged in lengthy negotiations over whether to provide information first or food first.
They are all afraid that the other party will break the promise after getting what they want.
In the end, both sides took a step back.
Teng Ji first told Zhang Gongji the news, and Zhang Gongji paid him several hundred taels of silver in advance.
Then use the silver to exchange for supplies.
After the war began, grain from Liaodong became a strategic material.
In many places, money is no longer useful and food is the only hard currency.
Within one month, Zhang Gongji needed to deliver the food to the designated location.
Teng Jite was not afraid that Zhang Gongji would break his promise. Firstly, he had received the silver, and secondly, as the war progressed, Zhang Gongji would still need him in the future.
After the agreement was made, Teng Jite said with a smile: "Aren't you afraid that I will deliberately tell you false news?"
"Of course they are afraid, so you have to take them around the city and then go to the places where food and grass are stored. My people will be able to tell the authenticity of the news!" Zhang Gongji said, pointing at the two Jinyiwei behind him.
"I don't have that obligation!" Teng Jite refused.
"I can add more money! When I deliver food and fodder to you, I'll give you an extra set of armor."
"No need. Jirgalang gave me several hundred sets of cotton armor."
"A brand new set of dark armor!"
"Deal!" Teng Jite looked down at the dirty and worn armor on his body and agreed without hesitation.
In the next three days, Teng Jite took two Jinyiwei to visit the military camps inside and outside the city.
Since it was done in the name of borrowing food and fodder, no one was suspicious.
During another drill three days later, two Jinyiwei took the opportunity to leave Teng Jite's team and join Zhang Gongji.
After receiving the news, Zhang Gongji did not rush back to Dalingh Fort, but instead found the people living nearby to verify the authenticity of the news.
After confirming that the news was correct, he returned to Dalingh Fort overnight.
Arriving outside a small courtyard, he said to the guards on duty: "I want to see His Royal Highness Prince Ding."
Prince Ding Zhu Cijiong was not idle after arriving in Liaodong.
On the contrary, he is very busy every day.
Because all the big and small matters of the Liaodong Jinyiwei had to be reported to him.
Not only did he have to deal with these matters, he also had to report them to Chongzhen who was far away in the capital in a timely manner.
Yanran has nominally become the commander of the Liaodong Jinyiwei.
After communicating with each other, the two went to meet Wang Yongji together.
Wang Yongji, the governor of Ping Liao, was very happy about the two's arrival. After they sat down, he asked first, "Your Highness Prince Ding must have good news by coming here in person, right?"
"Yes," Zhu Cixiong nodded, "The Jinyiwei has already discovered the deployment of Jiannu's troops."
"Oh?" Wang Yongji was immediately delighted. "Your Highness, please speak."
Zhu Cijiong looked at Zhang Gongji beside him and said, "You did this, so tell us yourself."
"Yes," Zhang Gongji saluted and said to Wang Yongji, "Jirgalang now has a total of about 80,000 troops, of which about 10,000 are deployed in Yizhouwei. Except for a small number of Eight Banners, the rest are Mongolian soldiers."
"In other words, Jirgalang deployed 70,000 troops in Guangning Wei?" Wang Yongji asked.
"I don't know." Zhang Gongji replied.
"Huh?" Wang Yongji was stunned. "Jirgalang has a total of 80,000 troops, of which about 10,000 are in Yizhou Guard. Aren't the remaining 70,000 in Guangning Guard?"
"We only checked the situation near Yizhou Wei and did not investigate Guangning Wei. So... strictly speaking, we are not clear about the specific military strength of Guangning Wei." Zhang Gongji answered very cautiously.
"Well, the Pacification Division is really serious and rigorous in its work!" Wang Yongji couldn't help but sigh.
"Anything else?" Wang Yongji asked.
"Yes," Zhang Gongji glanced at Zhu Cijiong and continued, "The food reserves of the Yizhou garrison were not stored in a centralized location, but were stored in the camps of various units and in the hands of nearby tribal herdsmen."
"In other words, we can't send special forces deep behind enemy lines to burn food supplies and create panic?" Wang Yongji asked again.
"That's what it looks like at the moment." Zhang Gongji nodded.
"Thank you," Wang Yongji nodded slightly towards Zhang Gongji.
Zhang Gongji clasped his fists in return, then turned around and left very tactfully.
Only Wang Yongji and Zhu Cijiong were left in the military tent.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Wang Yongji bowed deeply to Zhu Cijiong, "With this information, the next battle will be much easier."
"You're welcome, Governor Wang," Zhu Cijiong stood up with a smile, but showed no intention of leaving.
"Your Highness, do you have anything else to say?" Wang Yongji asked very experiencedly.
"There is indeed something that I need Governor Wang's help with."
"Hey," Wang Yongji waved his hand, "Your Highness is too polite. If you have something to say, just say it directly."
"really?"
"really!"
"Then I'll have to trouble Governor Wang to prepare 500 dan of rice for me, as well as the grain carts and livestock to transport the grain, plus a brand new set of dark armor."
Wang Yongji was somewhat surprised and asked, "What does your highness need these things for?"
"This is the material that we promised to give to the other party when we were gathering information. We cannot break our promise."
"Who is the other party?"
"Mongol!"
Wang Yongji frowned immediately. "This... the war is imminent. It might be inappropriate to send supplies to the Mongols at this critical moment, right?"
"There's nothing I can do about it," Zhu Cijiong shook his head helplessly, "There's a price to pay for getting information, that's the rule."
"I can't hide this from others. I'm afraid that if the news gets out, it will cause a smuggling trend!"
"Why did Governor Wang say that?"
"Since Your Highness can exchange supplies for information, then others can do the same. Otherwise it would be unfair, right?" Wang Yongji looked solemn.
"The news from the Royal Guards is all true!"
"The information from other people is also true! After a long time, some people will use the name of gathering information to conduct smuggling, and then we won't be able to investigate!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
