The Great Liang Dynasty officially entered the festive season from the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.
Many departments of the court were already preparing for the final cleanup and sealing for the New Year.
At this time, after a long period of production and transportation, the Northern Frontier Army received clothes from the capital.
"Report..." Inside the military camp, a swift horse galloped, dismounted at the camp gate, and ran quickly towards the central military tent.
The news that the winter clothing had arrived was reported to Yu Guogong, Yu Zilong, the commander of the Northern Frontier Army.
Yu Guogong's heir, Yu Changqing, said happily, "Father, the winter clothes are here."
Yu Guogong was stunned and fell silent for a while before saying, "They're really here?"
His tone was full of disbelief.
Yes, he couldn't believe that the items had arrived.
According to the court's usual speed, if he requested anything, it would take at least a month or two.
So, although he had submitted a request for winter clothes this time, he hadn't really taken it to heart.
He thought they wouldn't arrive.
So he was also trying to figure out how to help the soldiers get through the harsh winter.
However, he was merely a military general and was not skilled in business or civil affairs.
At most, he could only seek help from his father-in-law, the Wen family.
They were also trying to help him.
However, the sheer quantity of 300,000 winter clothes was indeed difficult.
"Marshal, they've really arrived," the soldier who delivered the message couldn't hide his excitement, his small eyes sparkling.
He had seen it with his own eyes, and it was definitely not fake.
Yu Changqing, seeing his father distracted for the first time, immediately said, "Father, why don't we go and see for ourselves?"
Yu Guogong nodded, "Alright, let's leave the camp." Rather than guessing here, it was better to see it in person.
A horse was either a mule or a horse, and it would be clear once it was taken out for a run.
The three of them rode their horses to ten miles outside the camp, where all the winter clothes were currently stored.
Because the road ahead was difficult to travel, and it was a military restricted area, unauthorized personnel whose identities had not been verified were not allowed to approach.
When the father and son arrived, they saw piles of clothes stacked like mountains in the spacious area.
They were all neatly packaged in oil paper and stacked in order.
The official responsible for escorting this batch was a Langzhong from the Ministry of Revenue, and the person responsible for the specific tasks was a manager sent by He Qiulei.
The two of them stepped forward to greet them, introduce themselves.
Yu Guogong nodded at them, feeling a little puzzled, thinking to himself why the Ministry of Revenue was escorting this time.
Didn't the Ministry of War usually do it?
However, he couldn't bother with these details at the moment and immediately waved his hand, loudly ordering, "Come, unpack them and take a look."
He was eager to see what kind of goods this batch was.
Because of the corrupt officials in the Ministry of War of the court...
Given their past practices, he really dared not have too much hope for this.
Because the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Like last year, they looked resplendent with colorful packaging, appearing very noble and high-class.
But when they opened them, they found that the outer layer of the winter clothes was coarse hemp cloth that was not warm.
He cruelly cut open one and found that the filling was old cotton wadding, dark and clumpy.
Some even had no cotton at all, only stuffed with cattail fluff and scraps of cloth.
He was furious at the time and submitted a memorial impeaching the Ministry of War, but the emperor only punished a minor Langzhong from the Ministry of War.
In fact, such important matters were not decided by a small Langzhong.
It was the ministers and vice-ministers of the Ministry of War who had embezzled money and committed such shameless acts.
Thinking about the whole operation last year, it still took nearly three months.
From when he requested winter clothes in November to February of the following year, when spring was about to begin, they finally delivered them.
So, calculating the time this time.
It had only been twenty days since he sent people to rush back to the capital to request clothes.
According to estimates, the delivery of the letter, traveling day and night, could be ignored.
But escorting 300,000 winter clothes from the capital to the Northern Frontier, a distance of over a thousand li, would take at least ten days.
This meant that the production of these clothes only took ten days.
Ten days!
In nearly a hundred days, they only produced such messy things.
Moreover, this time it only took ten days.
Yu Guogong stated that he didn't want to look anymore.
He was afraid of being greatly disappointed.
So, as the packaging was opened, Yu Guogong turned his face away.
Appearing unwilling to look further.
But in his heart, he couldn't help but feel curious, or rather, he still held a sliver of faint hope.
People always need to hold onto hope, otherwise, what's the point?
Yu Guogong directly ordered his eldest son, "Changqing, you examine them for me."
Yu Changqing understood his father's thoughts, cupped his hands, and replied crisply, "Yes, Father Marshal!"
Then he strode forward, took the clothing that the Ministry of Revenue Langzhong had personally opened, and spread it out in his hands.
Uh, how to say it, it felt so light.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Yu Changqing's young and handsome face.
Indeed, they should never harbor hope for the Ministry of War, or for the court.
It had to be admitted that this was no longer the case before the twenty-fifth year of Emperor Xingzhao's reign.
Since Emperor Xingzhao fell ill, they, the soldiers stationed on the frontier, had lived miserably.
If this continued, the frontier would not be able to be held!
Yu Changqing felt disappointed and distressed. He didn't want his father to see it.
He loved his soldiers as his own children, and seeing this would only make him more upset.
Yu Guogong called out to him, but received no response.
He could no longer hold back, rushed over, and snatched the piece from his palm. When he held it, he realized that the clothes were very light, without the weight of ordinary cotton clothes.
He was immediately furious and roared, "Guards, tear them open!"
He had never opened clothes in front of court escort officials before.
Thinking that he would still need to get money from them to purchase provisions in the future, he at least wanted to save them some face.
But now he couldn't stand it.
How could such perfunctory work be tolerated?
Yu Guogong was naturally heroic. Having been stationed in the sand-swept land of the Northern Frontier for many years, his skin was thick, his face was resolute, with thick eyebrows and big eyes.
Once he became angry, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and the muscles in his face trembled.
"Wait, wait. Marshal Yu, please calm your anger." Xu Yiping, the Langzhong of the Ministry of Revenue, quickly intervened.
He had also been in the Ministry of Revenue for many years.
He had heard about the Ministry of War's usual practices.
Moreover, before coming, Minister Xu and Right Vice-Minister Du had given him instructions.
He must prevent Yu Guogong from opening the clothes.
"Why are you obstructing me?" Yu Guogong glared with furrowed brows.
"Replying to Marshal Yu, there's no other reason. These are winter clothes for the soldiers, a total of 300,000 pieces. If you damage one, you'll have one less, and I won't be able to account for it, nor will you have extra clothes for the soldiers to wear."
Xu Yiping explained calmly and steadily.
He was very confident that the clothes this time had been personally inspected by his uncle, and there were definitely no problems.
Yu Guogong paid no attention to him and cut them with his hand.
This time, he wanted to slap the faces of these officials who had come.
He didn't care if they were from the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War; anyone who shortchanged his soldiers was not a good person.
With great anger, Yu Guogong's hand swept across, and the back of the clothes was directly torn open, and soft down feathers scattered everywhere.
"Ah... no, no, these are good clothes. Oh dear." Xu Yiping was heartbroken.
Benefiting from this assignment, Xu Shijie specially gave him one piece to wear.
He relied on it for protection against the cold and frost on the way.
Such good clothes were ruined.
It was his fault, his fault for not stopping him in time.
He immediately took off his outer garment, revealing the same down jacket underneath, and shouted,
"These are good clothes, good clothes, very warm, if you don't believe me, Marshal Yu, try them yourself."
As he said this, he took off his down jacket and put it on Yu Guogong.
After cutting, Yu Guogong was also stunned to see the fine down feathers flying everywhere.
What were these?
Were they cattail fluff?
They didn't seem like it.
He reached out to catch a piece; it was soft and tender.
It looked like a good thing.
With hesitation in his heart, he did not refuse the clothes that Xu Yiping was putting on him.
He even cooperated by extending his arms.
After putting it on, hey, it was really warm!
Yu Guogong was quick to react and immediately ordered, "Someone, quickly, quickly gather all these feathers."
Yu Changfeng watched his father in bewilderment throughout the process.
But executing orders was the duty of a soldier.
Despite his confusion, his mouth was not idle. He immediately issued the order.
He even personally helped to pick up the feathers.
His father's scissors had cut right in the middle, causing these things to fly everywhere.
Yu Guogong patted the clothes on his body, his expression of disbelief still present, but he couldn't help but praise:
"Good, good, these clothes, what are they called?"
"Replying to Marshal Yu, these are down jackets."
"Yes, yes, yes, these down jackets are so warm."
He put it on and didn't take it off, hurriedly ordering people to transport all the clothes into the military camp.
"Quickly, quickly, while the weather is good today, move all the clothes in. I'll distribute them to you shortly."
Yu Guogong said, mounted his horse, and left, leaving Xu Yiping, who had taken off his down jacket, shivering alone in the wind.
Yu Changqing looked at Xu Yiping with some sympathy, then quickly took off his own cloak and gave it to him.
He knew his father's personality best. He probably felt that he had cut open one piece of clothing and was afraid of having fewer.
So he intended to keep Xu Yiping's clothes and not give them back to him.
After all, in his father's eyes, these court officials were not as important as the soldiers under his command!
His father did this, but he had to clean up the mess!