Chapter 172 Change of Impression

the next morning.

Xie Yuan went into the city to accompany Xu Jin to inspect the military farming affairs.

In fact, Xie Yuan didn't want to accompany Lord Xu. He had a lot of things to deal with. Spring plowing had entered the final stage. Next, he had to prepare for the training of the soldiers, renovate the garrisons, and build pig pens, sheep pens, stables, etc. in each garrison.

In addition, you have to liaise with the owner of Jinxiufang and select suitable girls to enter Jinxiufang to learn embroidery.

All the plans made by Yang Zhengshan have to be implemented by him, so he is really busy now.

However, accompanying Xu Jin on patrol was Yang Zhengshan's order, and he could not refuse.

After dozens of people left the city, Xie Yuan rode to the carriage and asked, "Master Xu, where should we go first?"

Since I am accompanying Xu Jin, today's itinerary will naturally focus on Xu Jin.

Inside the carriage, Xu Jin still had a solemn expression on his face. He said in a low voice, "Dong Yandun!"

"Dongyandun!" Xie Yuan was stunned. "Master Xu, isn't Dongyandun too far? Why don't we try a closer one?"

Dongyandun is a fire road pier to the east of Anyuan City. It is more than a hundred miles away from Anyuan City. If you ride a horse at full speed, you can go back and forth in a day. If you take a carriage, you should be able to make a round trip.

Xie Yuan felt that Xu Jin didn't need to suffer this. Riding in a carriage for more than a hundred miles non-stop would be enough to make a person fall apart.

But Xu Jin didn't think so. He felt that since they had to inspect, they should inspect the places that were most easily overlooked. Dongyandun was the farthest from Anyuan City, and it was just a small fire road pier, which could easily be overlooked.

"No need, let's go to Huuludun!" Xu Jin rejected Xie Yuan's kindness without giving him any face.

Xie Yuan's expression slightly changed. He glanced at the closed curtain and said, "Since Lord Xu is determined to go, then let's go!"

After saying that, he ignored Xu Jin and rode his horse to the front of the team.

This old man was obviously looking for trouble, so why should he make himself miserable?

Watch what you want to watch, check what you want to check.

Isn’t it Dongyandun?
They are really not afraid of being investigated!

Except for the official road, the other roads in Chongshan Town are basically bumpy. You can imagine what it feels like to ride in a carriage on such a road.

Not to mention a carriage, even if you park a car here, the speed cannot exceed twenty per hour.

Since Xu Jin took a horse-drawn carriage, it took them more than two hours to reach Dongyandun.

When Xu Jin got off the carriage, he almost fell to the ground. Fortunately, his followers helped him up, otherwise he would have fallen to the ground.

But he did not feel embarrassed about it. After standing firm, he looked around.

The small fire road pier looked very dilapidated. A section of the outer wall made of gray soil had collapsed. Through the gate, one could see the dilapidated adobe houses inside.

Shabby was his first impression.

He frowned slightly and looked at the surrounding farmlands.

The fields had obviously been cultivated.

He walked to the edge of the field with unsteady steps and started digging with his hands.

He wanted to see whether the seeds were really planted or just plowed casually.

When Xie Yuan saw this, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. This Lord Xu was really meticulous.

To be honest, this was the first time he had seen such a meticulous military commissioner. No, it should be the first time he had heard of him.

In the past, the assistant military governors would also inspect the military farms, but their inspections were more like a formality. They would usually go to Shaling Fort for a big meal before finishing the inspection.

Xie Yuan had never heard of a military commander like Xu Jin who ran so far and even dug up the soil himself to confirm the facts.

Xu Jin is indeed a very careful person, but his carefulness is forced upon him by others.

When he first came to Chongshan Town, he inspected the military farming for the first time and saw a cultivated field. He was very satisfied with the inspection and felt that the military farming officer did a very good job.

But just a few months later, when he passed by the field he had inspected before, he was shocked to find that the field was deserted. There was not a single wheat seedling in the field, only lush weeds.

At first he thought he had remembered it wrong, but after investigation, he was sure that the abandoned field was the military farm he had inspected before.

In order to cope with his inspection, the garrison turned over the fields overnight and pretended that wheat seeds had been planted.

That would have been fine, but they still didn't plant any seeds afterwards, leaving dozens of acres of farmland go to waste.

learn from mistakes.

From then on, every time he inspected the land, he would not feel at ease until he saw with his own eyes that there were grain seeds in the land.

Just as Xu Jin was squatting by the field digging, three soldiers in tattered jackets ran out from Dongyandun.

They came in front of Xie Yuan and the others, looking very nervous. One of the older soldiers trembled and bowed, "I greet you, gentlemen!"

"Well, no need to be polite. Don't be nervous. I am Xie Yuan, the governor of Anyuan Prefecture!"

"Greetings, Sir Xie!" The three soldiers bowed again.

At this time Xu Jin also dug out the grain seeds. Looking at the grain seeds in the ground, he slowly stood up.

"Are you a small flag officer?" Xu Jin asked, looking at the older soldier.

"This, isn't it?"

"Where is your little flag officer?" Xu Jin frowned slightly.

The man stumbled and said, "Sir, two days ago Lord Yang came over and chopped off our little flag officer!"

"Master Yang!"

Xu Jin was stunned.

Xie Yuan who was standing beside him explained, "Lord Yang inspected all the fire towers and beacon towers two days ago. The small flag officer at Dongyandun sold the grain seeds, so Lord Yang got angry and killed him!" He knew about this, but it was not Yang Zhengshan who told him, but the garrison officers below reported it to him.

Not only the small flag officer here, but even the garrison officer above was reprimanded by Yang Zhengshan and beaten with ten military sticks.

Therefore, the garrison officer transported another batch of grain seeds to Dongyandun overnight.

Xu Jin fell silent. He really didn't expect that Yang Zhengshan had come to inspect before. No, he didn't expect that Yang Zhengshan would inspect the fire road pier and beacon tower.

Before, he was somewhat disgusted with Yang Zhengshan, thinking that Yang Zhengshan was arrogant and inactive.

Now he realized that he was wrong.

"No new flag officers have been appointed?" Xu Jin asked again.

"Probably not." Xie Yuan frowned. He was the officer in charge of the garrison. Although all the garrisons, fire road blocks and beacon towers were under his jurisdiction, it was impossible for him to be in charge of every fire road block.

This kind of matter should naturally be handled by the lower-level garrison officials, so there is no need for him to handle it personally.

Xu Jin didn't take this matter too seriously, he just asked casually.

"Let me go take a look around!"

After saying that, he walked towards the soldiers who were working in the fields. He went forward to check the grain seeds, and nodded with satisfaction when he found that they were not moldy.

In the following two days, Xu Jin inspected the fire piers with Xie Yuan every day. Unlike Yang Zhengshan who inspected all the fire piers and beacon towers, he only inspected those places that were more easily overlooked.

The results of his inspection were similar to those of Yang Zhengshan. There were many problems with the fire piers and beacon towers, but they were all left over from the past, and none of these problems could be blamed on Yang Zhengshan.

He also learned from Xie Yuan about the plans made by Yang Zhengshan, and realized that Yang Zhengshan was not the official who was just sitting there doing nothing as he thought.

Therefore, his impression of Yang Zhengshan became much better.

After the inspection, Xu Jin came to the garrison office again to look for Yang Zhengshan.

But this time his attitude towards Yang Zhengshan was different.

"Master Yang, do you have any problems that need my help?"

After the two of them sat down, Xu Jin took the initiative to ask.

Yang Zhengshan's eyes lit up. It seemed that this Lord Xu was not so annoying after all.

"Haha, there are no other problems, but I do lack a lot of food and fodder!"

"Lord Xu may not know that I plan to train the garrison troops and renovate the garrison, which will cost a lot of money!"

He is not complaining about being poor on purpose; he is really poor.

The food and fodder he requested from Songzhou Wei last year had long been consumed. There was still a lot of food and fodder left in the batch that Wang Sheng transported, but it had to be reserved for the garrison camp to pay food and wages and could not be moved easily.

Originally, he was thinking about whether he should go to Songzhou Wei to ask for some food and fodder, but now Songzhou Wei had no commander, so he couldn't find anyone to ask for food and fodder.

Although he was the commander-in-chief of Songzhou Guard, he really had no say in this matter.

Now that Xu Jin has taken the initiative to bring it up, he naturally cannot let go of this opportunity.

The Bingbeidao was also responsible for money and food. Although the Anchasi had no food and fodder, the Bingbeidao could directly ask for food and fodder from the Dusi Yamen.

If Xu Jin is willing, he should be able to help Yang Zhengshan get some food and fodder from Chongshan Pass.

Yang Zhengshan didn't know whether Xu Jin had such ability, but there was no harm in trying.

Xu Jin thought about it and said, "I can try, but there shouldn't be too many!"

He himself was not sure, so he could only give it a try.

"Then I'll trouble you, Lord Xu!" Yang Zhengshan smiled brightly. "Lord Xu, you came just in time. We just bought a fat sheep today. Don't leave at noon. I'll have a drink with you, Lord Xu!"

If someone is willing to help, we can’t just refuse to provide them with a meal!
"Forget it! I have official business to attend to." Xu Jin refused without even thinking.

"It's just a meal, it won't take too long!"

Yang Zhengshan enthusiastically pulled Xu into the restaurant next door.

How could an old man like Xu Jin resist Yang Zhengshan's pull? Yang Zhengshan pulled the old man to the restaurant next door with just one hand.

It is called a restaurant, but in fact it is just a small hall with an octagonal table and a tea table. It is where Yang Zhengshan entertains guests.

However, he didn't have many guests, so this small hall was not used very often.

Xu Jin really couldn't refuse, so he had to stay and wait for Yang Zhengshan's arrangements.

Soon, the food and wine were served, and with Yang Zhengshan's enthusiastic invitation, the two of them toasted each other, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

It is indeed easy to get closer at the wine table. After a few drinks, the two of them started to call each other brothers.

Of course, this is subject to certain conditions.

At this time, Xu Jin had a much better impression of Yang Zhengshan and was willing to make friends with Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan also thought that this old man was a good person. Although he looked difficult to get along with, he was actually a serious and responsible person.

There are relatively few officials like Xu Jin in Chongshan Town.

Compared with those corrupt officials, Yang Zhengshan prefers to interact with officials like Xu Jin.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Yang Zhengshan wanted to be a good official, so he also wanted to get in touch with good officials.

Under this premise, the two people can get along so harmoniously.

If Yang Zhengshan had invited Xu Jin to dinner at the beginning, Xu Jin would definitely not eat it, even if he was forced to.

(End of this chapter)