In the following period of time, Xiao Ruxun signed a number of orders, ordering the navy to prepare forty or so warships to prepare for battle, and to prepare three thousand marines for training and combat preparations, as well as to transport supplies and firearms, and to be ready to set sail at any time.
This time, Xiao Ruxun would personally go to war, defeat Spain, and then negotiate with them.
Negotiation was the goal. As for expelling Spain, it was not the time yet.
Xiao Ruxun knew that the imperial court would definitely approve his request to attack the Philippines, not for anything else, but for the 100,000 taels of silver.
In the middle of September, news came from Guangdong that the imperial court would send an envoy from Guangdong to Myanmar by ship to deliver the edict to Xiao Ruxun. After hearing the news, Xiao Ruxun immediately sent a ship to Guangdong to welcome the envoy. He also ordered his subordinates to land in Siam and take the envoy to Myanmar through Siam.
After all this trouble, the envoy finally arrived at Bogu City on the fifth day of the tenth month. Along the way, Xiao Ruxun entertained the envoy with good food, drinks, carriages, and horses. The most important thing was that the envoy was not allowed to casually come into contact with the real situation in Myanmar.
Xiao Ruxun mainly asked his subordinates to look for the desolate roads that had just been repaired. They passed by the most desolate places, so that the envoy would have the impression that Myanmar was still so desolate.
The prosperous areas in the south of Myanmar could not be known to the imperial court officials now. Xiao Ruxun still needed more time to develop his strength. For the time being, he did not want those rats to target Myanmar's commercial tax. Otherwise, those guys would have 10,000 ways to turn Myanmar into their cornucopia.
On the sixth of October, Xiao Ruxun welcomed the envoy outside Bogu, and then went with the envoy to Marquis Zhennan's Mansion.
"This desolate land of Myanmar is really desolate. I was born in the northwest, and even though I'm used to seeing desolate places, I never thought that this thousands of miles of uninhabited land in Myanmar really existed. Xiao Zhennan has really suffered! In the beginning, I also looked down on those who were jealous of the virtuous and capable. They actually sent a general of the imperial court to guard such a place. It's like killing a chicken with a butcher's knife! "
In the car, the envoy indignantly defended Xiao Ruxun. When these words stopped in Xiao Ruxun's ears, he was a little surprised — this was an official who sympathized with him?
Xiao Ruxun knew that her military exploits were outstanding. Although it made many civil officials uneasy, there were also many civil officials who admired her. Back then, when they were deciding whether or not to let her guard Myanmar, the officials in the imperial court had a big discussion. Those who supported and those who opposed argued until their faces were red with anger, and the only thing that didn't happen was a fight.
Many civil officials supported him leaving Ji Town or Liaodong Town, because they felt that with his ability, he would be able to successfully contain the Jurchens and Mongols within three to five years, and within ten years, he would be able to successfully counterattack and completely solve the problem at the northern border.
You have such a great general, but you don't make use of him. You actually put him in a small place like Myanmar to guard the southern border. Can't you see which is more threatening, the southern border or the northern border?
Of course, with the support of the Empress Dowager and Wang Xijue, Xiao Ruxun still left Burma. Since he was stationed in Burma, he had lost the legal possibility of returning to the Central Plains, which made a lot of officials sigh.
In recent years, every time something happened to Ji Town and Liaodong Town, someone would suggest that Xiao Ruxun be transferred back to the Northern Frontier. Some even suggested that he be permanently stationed in Liaodong Town. With a change of guard, the Northern Frontier of the Great Ming Dynasty would be free of worries. However, such an idea was somewhat naive. Regardless of whether the cabinet supported it or not, Li Chengliang would never allow such a situation to happen.
In recent years, whenever this kind of voice appeared, Li Chengliang often jumped up and down to make connections and oppose it. He did not know that what he did was exactly what Xiao Ruxun wanted. Xiao Ruxun had been doing so well in Burma. Once he moved, everything would be destroyed and he would have to start all over again. He did not have so much energy and time.
Now, guarding the situation in Burma was what he needed. Here, the Emperor was far away, so that he could develop his strength well.
He really did not need to worry about being exposed. Not to mention that Burma was a place that he did not need to pay attention to at all. If the monitoring power of the imperial court was really so strong, those local corrupt officials and tyrants would really be finished. If the Imperial Bodyguard was really as horrible as the civil officials said, would the country fall Daming?
As the saying goes, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. With the current traffic conditions, the news received was truly lagging behind. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the East Faction Guards were indeed terrifying, but up to this point, they were mainly used to deal with the civil officials. Xiao Ruxun was a noble, and the two were in different states.
After figuring this out, Xiao Ruxun could farm in Burma with peace of mind. After the envoy came, he could fool them and let them go back and spread a little bit of the bitterness of Burma, which could also dispel the vigilance of many people.
This was the time that Xiao Ruxun had to fight for. Last time, he fought for another three years of tax exemption. This time, he did not know if he could fight for it again.
But no matter what, he fought for the right to send troops.
The incense burner table and the tributes were prepared. Xiao Ruxun knelt down to receive the imperial decree. He was officially given the right to send troops to attack the disobedient officials and 100,000 taels of silver as military expenses.
When Xiao Ruxun counted the silver, he was surprised to find that this silver was not tampered with. It was the real 100,000 taels of silver.
This was a strange thing. Qi Jiguang and Zhang Juzheng were so close, but they could only get 70% to 80% of the military expenses. In the imperial court, he only had Song Yingchang, the Minister of Justice, as his spy. How could he get the full military expenses?
The envoy saw through Xiao Ruxun's doubts and told her about His Majesty the Emperor flying into a rage because of this matter. He also said that the Emperor had personally summoned him and wanted him to follow the silver all the way here. If he was missing even one tael of silver, his head would fall to the ground. After that, he asked Xiao Ruxun to write a letter to him as proof, lest the Emperor wanted his head when he returned.
At the welcoming banquet, Xiao Ruxun invited the senior officers and senior civil officials of the Zhennan Army to accompany him. He invited Yuan Huang, Yuan Yan, his son, and Chen Longzheng to flatter the envoy. He asked the three most educated people under his command to drink with him. Naturally, he had a lot of fun.
"Myanmar is poor. The welcoming banquet can only be like this. Please don't blame me."
Seeing that the situation was more or less settled, Xiao Ruxun personally poured wine for the envoy to apologize. The envoy was in high spirits, so he laughed and expressed that this was nothing. No matter how bitter the days were, he had been through it, so it didn't matter.
Yuan Huang and others immediately flattered him. They flattered him so much that he almost couldn't tell north from south.
When the envoy was about to leave, Xiao Ruxun gave him a tray with hundreds of taels of silver in it.
"Myanmar is poor. I don't know what I can offer. I can only thank you with 500 taels of silver. Please don't think it is too little."
The envoy looked at Xiao Ruxun with a righteous face and refused resolutely.
"Myanmar is so poor. Xiao Zhennan still doesn't forget the kindness of the country and serves the country faithfully. Such actions are better than countless good-for-nothings in the capital. How can I accept Xiao Zhennan's silver? Xiao Zhennan, please take back the silver and comfort the soldiers for me! "
After saying that, the envoy wiped a few drops of tears, turned around, and left in the carriage.
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