Chapter 524: A small partial hall determines the world's strategy

For the world, the next step is how the world is allocated and what the trend will be. For Shandong, the next step is to take over Beizhili and Henan as soon as possible, digest these territory and population, and prepare for the next battle. For Jinan, the first major event at present is the funeral of the old eunuch Liu Fulai.

During the Spring Festival, the Duke of Qi’s Mansion did not want this funeral to disturb everyone’s interest, but the whole city still couldn’t see any atmosphere of the festival.

Even if you want to celebrate the New Year, you will go to your own manor outside the city or the relatives of other mansions to join in the funeral. The Duke of Qi in the city is holding a funeral, so who dares to celebrate the New Year happily?

The butler Luo Xi took the lead, Shandong Governor Yan Jizu and the governor Liu Qingsong were responsible for the handling, and even the people in charge of etiquette from the Confucius Mansion came to help and held the funeral together. The old eunuch Liu Fulai was nominally Li Meng's uncle, and Li Meng's status at this time was already indescribable.

If you really follow the rituals and other words, this funeral will be held incredibly grand and grand funeral, but Li Meng has a strict requirement to complete it within three days and not be too ostentatious.

If you want to make this ceremony not to lose the face of Shandong, you will not waste time. It really made these people rack their brains. However, Sun Chuanting said that it is the current position of Duke Qi, and some things are for the people of the world to see, and the scene needs to be passed.

With this sentence, the Lijin Bureau immediately allocated money, and the scene was finally settled, but it shortened the time.

From the first day to the seventh day of the first lunar month, they were originally going to celebrate the New Year at home. Zheng Zhibao, who had a high status in their own family, and Fang Yingren stayed in Jinan and did not go back. The elders and immortals went there. These juniors who were close to the family always came to fulfill their responsibilities as their relatives.

Needless to say, the Zheng family on the sea and the Fang family on the two Huaihe Rivers are all rich people who have rank famous in the world, so naturally they don’t care about silver and money.

In fact, even though this is a funeral, the representatives of the Zheng family and the Fang family were quite excited. In this situation, it is difficult to find a chance to give money. The Duke of Qi is a very disciplined person. He may have the opposite effect when giving money and gifts. Today, he finally had this opportunity and took the opportunity to move forward and get close. Wouldn't that be great?

Zheng Zhibao and Fang Yingren were both rich men at sea and wealthy businessmen in Yangzhou Prefecture. They ignored their status and face and helped the Duke of Qi all day long, as if they were relatives and children, just to get close.

Unfortunately, the Duke of Qi had already made plans and the funeral was held for only three days. Otherwise, the longer the time would be, the relationship would be closer and the Duke of Qi would have a good impression.

Li Meng knew that there would be a large number of unrelated people coming to join the house for weddings and funerals. Now it is the important time for the northern strategy. It is really unwise to involve energy on his own private affairs.

But he still underestimated the level of the people around him. After the funeral on the third day of the first lunar month, the old eunuch Liu Fulai was buried by Li Meng on Lishan next to Jinan City.

But the crowd who gave gifts and greetings did not have peace until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Needless to say, the wealthy families and gentry families in the six prefectures in Shandong were all sent their envoys. Henan, northern Zhili, and the two Huai Rivers all had some relationship with Shandong.

Then there were also officials and nobles from the capital. The gifts and posts of these people were sent openly. The nobles and officials in Nanjing also sent gifts and posts, but they were sent secretly. Generally speaking, the governors and generals of the provinces in Jiangbei clearly stated that they wanted to surrender, while those in Jiangnan had to do more secrets.

According to this calculation, I am afraid that guests will continue to visit after the first lunar month, but Li Meng is too lazy to go to receive the guests. After the fourth day of the first lunar month, only the housekeeper Luo Xi and the personal commander Huang Ping were responsible for receiving the guests. Anyone who gave gifts and greetings would record them in a booklet, and ensure that the name on the list would definitely be seen by the Duke of Qi.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, after having a reunion dinner with his family, Li Meng began to discuss the next matters with Sun Chuanting.

In the side hall of the inner study room, Sun Chuanting still carried iron faces. His whole family was captured from Shandong. He only had his wife and eldest son beside him. His second son was already serving in the personal army brigade. He was still deserted at this age, so he might as well come to the Duke of Qi's Mansion to take charge of government affairs.

The two sides met in the side hall in the early morning, and Li Meng's face was gloomy. Sun Chuanting stood up and greeted him, and then began to focus on the topic. Shandong's clerk work was very efficient. At the beginning, Sun Chuanting was not used to this kind of work that was all-out. Officials from the Ming Dynasty were calm in their work, so they were as diligent as a businessman.

But over time, Sun Chuanting became quite accustomed to such a system and changed it to make it more adaptable to the Jiaozhouying system.

There was a large desk in the side hall. Li Meng sat facing south and north. Sun Chuanting and several guards came to the door. Several guards walked in with rattan boxes, put them down one by one in front of the desk, saluted Li Meng and retreated.

When he brought it to the door, Sun Chuanting bent down and took out the papers from the vine box and placed them on the table. Li Meng has been thinking about Liu Fulai's words and actions these days. After coming to this era, this is the first person close to him to die. This reminds Li Meng that now is also a real world, and people around him also have birth, old age, sickness and death, and will leave.

The old eunuch Liu Fulai helped him so much, but he suddenly left like this when he saw that he was about to become rich and noble. Li Meng felt uncomfortable.

The half of the book case was quickly covered with the document. Sun Chuanting took the ink and grinded it a few times on the inkstone, lifted the brush, and was about to start today's schedule.

Li Meng pondered for a while and said:

"Mr. Sun, take off the iron face of the ruthless face on your face. I've been so stuffy for so long that I won't have to bring it in the future."

Hearing Li Meng's words, Sun Chuanting's body stiffened, then bowed and clasped his fists in a very slow movement:

"Thank you for your grace, Lord Duke."

With Sun Chuanting's idea, he was secretly born. Although he could be a secret counselor for Li Meng and was a prime minister, he probably wouldn't be able to see people in his true face in his life. After all, he was brought out from the imperial prison by Li Meng using shameless means.

Unexpectedly, Li Meng told me today that he could meet people with his true face. In Jinan, there are really a few people who have met Sun Chuanting, such as the governor Yan Jizu. Sun Chuanting's mask had just been taken off, but hesitated and asked:

"Duke Duke and Governor Yan have met the officials once. Will there be any inconvenience?"

"It's okay, it's okay. If you do so many things for me, so what if you show your true face? People in the world will only envy your luck, so how can you say more about you?"

Sun Chuanting shook his head, smiled bitterly, and placed the iron mask on the table. Because of wearing this iron mask for a long time, Sun Chuanting's face turned pale, and his temples and hairline were also white. Of course, this was not because of insufficient light. Sun Chuanting directly picked up the right-hand document, opened it, and asked:

"The news should not be known about the eighth day of the first lunar month. The officials speculated that the first thing that all officials in Nanjing should do is to promote the crown prince Zhu Cilang to ascend the throne. Chongzhen should have had similar plans back then. After all, Liu Zongzhou was already in office as Minister of Rites, and Ma Shiying went to serve as Minister of War, and the airings were almost all set."

Li Meng lowered his head and pondered, and said:

"We must let Ma Shiying go to the position of Minister of War and tell the Fang family in Yangzhou not to be afraid of spending money and to move all the relationships... The news is also released. I am not interested in Chongzhen's wife and children, nor do I want to do anything about them. I am peaceful and peaceful. Maybe he is a marquis and a rich man in Taiping. I can still give him a gift."

Sun Chuanting smiled. Things in Nanjing and Jiangnan were not a problem at all, but just did it step by step. He commented a few comments on the document, then picked up another one and continued:

"The military newspaper of General Ma of Pingnan said that the army was the fleet that the army went to Kaifeng, plus the ships of the merchants of Lianghuai, was enough to cross the river. After February 15 this year, you can cross the river and attack at any time."

"Arranging Hou Shan to Jiningzhou and Lianghuai to supervise this matter. The fleet was his back then, and this time he did it."

Sun Chuanting finished annotating this one again. When he picked up the third one, he thought about it and asked:

"Duke, the Northern Zhili is now under the control of our Shandong Province. The capital is the leader in the world. It is better for the Duke to go and take charge early."

Li Meng took the third document, heard this, shook his head and said:

"It's still early. I don't want to encircle myself in that imperial city now. If people stay in it, they will become stupid. There are so many things to do. The Yanding and the guard team in Beizhili should be expanded as soon as possible and pass on the orders to the general Zhang Jiang, the general of Hebei. For those defeated soldiers who are harming the place, they will kill them and do not have to be lenient."

Sun Chuanting had already started recording the blank paper. Li Meng continued the topic and said:

"Gao Di, the general of Shanhaiguan, probably after learning the news, he should think of surrendering. I only have one condition here, and become a civilian. One of his soldiers gave him one tael of silver. The original property did not move. If you want to disagree, just let the Hebei army kill him directly. Wu Sangui handled it accordingly, and I have no intention of playing with them."

Sun Chuanting finished writing quickly, but thought of this question:

"Duke, when Chongzhen dies, what year should we use now? Based on our current situation, it is not appropriate to use the Ming court's reign title. Why not take this opportunity to decide the future of our Jiaozhou Camp..."

"...It's not possible in the AD... China has been used for thousands of years, so just use this "Hua" as the name!"
Chapter completed!