Seeing Han Xiufeng thoughtfully, Cao Shuzhong said while the iron was hot: "Zhixing, Tongzi is different from other states and counties in Guizhou, Tongzi was not assigned to Guizhou until the Yongzheng period, and it has always been under the rule of Sichuan before, and there are many people in Sichuan, and the people are all in Sichuan, and there is almost no taste!" ”

"The time and place are favorable, and the people are all occupied, and it is appropriate to send troops at this time!" Du Xingyuan couldn't help but add.

"Lord Cao, Du Futai, Xiufeng thinks that the matter of sending troops to Loushan Pass still has to be considered in the long run."

"Why think about it in the long run?"

Han Xiufeng couldn't say that they were just talking on paper, so he could only patiently explain: "It is only more than two hundred miles from Anwen Town, the southernmost town of Qijiang, to Loushan Pass, and it is only four or five days' walk to put aside the peaceful years. But now it is not peaceful today, although Tongzi County has been recovered, but there are still bandits in the countryside, not to mention that Tongzi County has been lost for a hundred and thirty days!

For a radius of more than 200 miles, there is no government or royal law for 130 days, and even good people who are safe and self-respecting may become lawless. What's more, when Yang Yixi and Shu Tailor first rebelled, they really responded to every call, and the number of people under them was as high as 20,000 at most, and how many people did Tong Zi gather together? ”

Duan Dazhang reacted, frowned tightly and said, "If you dig deeper, it is estimated that six or seven of the ten households are inseparable from the bandits. ”

"So Xiufeng feels that if he goes deep alone, he is not only likely to be besieged by the remaining bandits, but he will even be falsely accused by those lawless powerful and inferior gentry, and it will only be thankless, and the gains will outweigh the losses." Han Xiufeng paused, and then said: "Besides, the group is easy to recruit, but recruiting does not mean that you can go into battle, not to mention that you have to practice for two months." ”

Thinking that Tongzi was Yang Yixi's lair after all, Cao Shuzhong felt that Han Xiufeng's words had some truth, but he was a little unwilling to give up Loushanguan like this, and couldn't help asking: "Zhixing, think about it again, is there a better way?" ”

In the ten days of his hometown in the countryside, Han Xiufeng did some homework, and when he saw Cao Shuzhong and Du Xingyuan, he wanted to make some moves to invite credit from the imperial court, so he weighed it and got up and said: "I only thought of Loushan Pass just now, but I forgot about Hongguan." Lord Cao, we can send some brave men to garrison Hongguan, which is the first dangerous pass for me to enter Guizhou from Sichuan. ”

Cao Shuzhong was stunned for a moment, and then said with a wry smile: "Hongguan is dangerous, the ancients said, 'If you go to Hongguan for nine days, if you go down to Hongguan for nine days, if you go down to Hongguan, if you descend to Jiuyuan', but that is the old yellow calendar." The official road of Sichuan and Guizhou does not pass through there, but from the hotel Ya, Hanjiadian, through the garden, and changes to climb the river. ”

"I didn't expect the adults to be so familiar with the terrain of the mountains and rivers in Guibei, but the diversion is rerouted, the ancient road into the Sichuan is still there, it is said that Yang Yixi sent hundreds of thieves to guard the Hongguan in order to prevent my Sichuan official army from entering and suppressing it. In Xiufeng's view, Hongguan must not only send brave and strong garrisons, but also defend it! ”

How could Cao Shuzhong not be able to hear the meaning of Han Xiufeng's words, and thought that it could only be like this, it was a big deal to think about how to write this piece of music when the time came. After all, those princes and ministers in the court have more or less heard of Hongguan, and Songkan, which is closer to the south and more important, has not heard of it in ten years.

Han Xiufeng thought about it and said, "Lord Cao, Lord Duan, Du Futai, we don't know anything about the situation in Tongzi now, so I think it's better to be cautious." Steady and steady, first send Yongzhuang to help Anwen, and at the same time send Yongzhuang to garrison Hongguan and Songkan, first camp in these three places, and then while practicing, while probing the thief's situation, while contacting the local officials in Guizhou, and so we have a firm foothold, find out the thief's situation clearly, and then make the next step, what do you two think? ”

Without waiting for Cao Shuzhong to speak, Duan Dazhang raised his head and said: "Zhuge is only cautious in his life, Brother Yuruo, Duan thinks there is nothing wrong with being cautious." ”

"So be it, but should these three camps be prioritized?"

"Naturally, it should be divided, Xiufeng feels that Songkan should be the main thing, stability is second, and Hongguan is again." Han Xiufeng thought for a while, and then said: "It's enough to stay five or six hundred brave and strong, Hongguan is dangerous, three or four hundred brave and strong are enough, and the remaining three thousand are stationed in Songkan to guard the 'gateway to northern Qianbei'." ”

Songkan town is 60 miles away from Anwen, and sending Yongzhuang to Songkan is to take Songkan as the gateway to the Qijiang River, and then think that Songkan is not only the traffic artery of Sichuan and Guizhou, but also an important land and water wharf for Sichuan salt to enter Guizhou and tea and other Guizhou native products into Sichuan, Wu Junxiang felt that it was better to send Yongzhuang to garrison Songkan than to garrison Loushan Pass so far away, and couldn't help but echo: "This plan is very wonderful, Junxiang thinks that as long as I can hold Songkan and Hongguan, my Qijiang and even the entire eastern Sichuan will sit back and relax." ”

Cao Shuzhong realized that the young Baturu in front of him would never fight an uncertain battle, and said conclusively: "Okay, that's it!" ”

Daotai said so, and Du Xingyuan, the prefect of Chongqing, couldn't say anything, so he could only smile and say: "Then it's how to recruit young people, Zhixing brothers, train and lead the troops, you are better than us, we want to hear your opinions." ”

"I can't talk about high opinions, but I have some shallow views."

"But it doesn't hurt to say it."

"There is nothing outside here, with all due respect to Xiufeng, my Ba County and even my Chongqing Mansion are now having both external and internal troubles, so I might as well take this opportunity to take care of both. Xiufeng thought that he could recruit 3,000 young men from the two gangs of porters in Sichuan Cha who fought at two ends in order to make a living in three days, the slender men stranded at various docks, and the Huguang refugees who continued to pour into Ba County. ”

"It's good in this way, don't they like to fight and make trouble, give them food to eat, let them go to Guizhou to suppress thieves and quell the chaos, and save themselves from gathering here to cause trouble." Cao Shuzhong thought so.

Han Xiufeng smiled and continued: "The remaining 1,000 are recruited from the street regiments, fang regiments and township regiments in each county, not only to recruit the regimental people, but also to recruit the supervisors and regiments. As long as those civil and military prisoners are willing to come, we can not only give them a banner, but also give them the opportunity to make contributions. ”

Cao Shuzhong also wanted to send those regiment leaders who were becoming more and more unseemly and less and less obedient to the government's greetings to Guizhou, and couldn't help laughing: "Since the tree is big and easy to attract wind, then we will no longer recruit and train 'Yu Yong', whether it is against the top or externally, it is said that the regiment of Ba County, Bishan and other places will be summoned to help Qijiang to prevent blockage, and then at the invitation of local officials in Tongzi and even Zunyi Prefecture, go to Songkan to help suppress the thieves and quell the chaos." ”

"Isn't that a bit of a mess?" Duan Dazhang asked in a low voice.

"Uncle, Xiufeng thinks it's better to be chaotic, and there are more banners, it sounds chaotic, and it will save a lot of trouble in the future." Han Xiufeng paused, and said meaningfully: "Four thousand brave and strong, how can you get thirty or forty regiments, there are many names, and the banners are different, so it is a great achievement to let this plate of loose sand 'self-bringed' food and ordnance to help the officers and soldiers to prevent blockage, and such a dispatch of troops not only reassures the princes and ministers of the court, but also does not have to worry about the brave and strong being transferred around by an official document." ”

Cao Shu Zhong was happy, and couldn't help but say: "This idea is good, but in this way, aren't you going to be annoyed to death?" ”

"It's better to be annoyed than to be criticized or make a wedding dress for others."

Han Xiufeng sat down, thought about it and said helplessly: "Xiufeng is also doing this for my Chongqing Prefecture Fourteen Prefecture and County Dispersal Hall, and also for my eastern Sichuan." After all, it is not easy to recruit and train so many brave and strong, if you end up because of the criticism of recruiting people or are transferred to other places to quell the chaos, if something happens to eastern Sichuan in the future, it is too late to recruit and train, and second, where does this salary come from? At that time, we can only levy grain and increase consumption, and it is the hometown parents who suffer. ”

"What Brother Zhixing said is extremely true, we should put our hometown first." Wu Kuixiang couldn't help but arch his hand.

"Then recruit young people first, and first tell the regimental supervisors and regiments of the regiments and companies in each county, as long as they are motivated and willing to serve the imperial court, then give them a chance to make contributions. Not only can they come with a banner, but they can also receive a regiment of brave men when they come, and they don't have to worry about ordnance and food. ”

Cao Shuzhong thought for a while, then turned around and smiled: "Brother Du, it is estimated that there are many people who want to donate civil and military supervisors, but this time is different from before, and you can only donate in full!" ”

"Lord Cao, the lower officials thought that those regiment leaders wanted to come to serve under the command of Brother Zhixing, and wanted to make meritorious contributions and seek a half-official position, so they had to donate enough to those who didn't donate. For example, a constitution can be drawn up, and only ten percent of the civil supervisors can serve as the supervisors of the new regiment, and only ten percent of the military supervisors can serve as the supervisors of the new regiment. ”

"Yes, yes, those who didn't donate enough before have to donate enough!"

What the imperial court lacks most now is military salaries, although the donation is not included in the performance appraisal, but it is as important to local officials, Cao Shuzhong thought about it and looked back and smiled: "Zhixing, since you are not afraid of trouble, then you might as well add another thirty-four regiments." For example, Ba County has to convene more than ten or twenty regiments, and it is reasonable to convene a hundred or ten regiments in several counties not far from Tongzi. ”

One hundred regiments means that there must be one hundred supervisors and one hundred regimental supervisors, which means that there must be one hundred civil supervisors and one hundred military supervisors.

Thinking that those who want to make contributions have to donate enough to donate enough, and after those civil supervisors and martial supervisors who have donated enough to be the new regimental supervisors and regimental supervisors are gone, those who want to replace them and stay in the local area to be the supervisors and regimental supervisors have to donate again, and they also have to donate ten percent of the civil supervisors or ten percent of the martial supervisors first, Han Xiufeng couldn't help but say: "Lord Cao, Xiufeng can't take care of a hundred regiments even if he has three heads and six arms." ”

"This is easy to do, I have alternate officials in Sichuan East Province, and now is the time to use them, so I can appoint them on a mission, let them follow you to help organize the regimental training, and assist you in commanding the regiments."

"Dare to ask how many adults there are, and can they do the errands honestly?"

"I can't remember exactly how much has been distributed over the years, one or two hundred should be available, as for whether they can do a solid errand, it's up to you." Cao Shuzhong smiled and said: "Besides, it is the regimental people who are recruited, and it is a regimental exercise, not necessarily those alternate officials sent by the officials, the officials who are registered in Ding Wei can also use it, as long as it is a local gentry who have donated a top belt." ”

Without waiting for Han Xiufeng to speak, Du Xingyuan actually smiled again: "Lord Cao, do you think that as long as the gentry who have donated the title of lord or county can receive two to three regiments, and those who have donated the rank of magistrate can govern two to three lords or county princes, how about commanding eight to nine regiments?" ”

Cao Shuzhong looked at Han Xiufeng with a smile and asked, "Zhixing, what do you think?" ”

Han Xiufeng realized that they not only wanted the gentry of each county to donate civil and military supervisors, but also wanted the gentry of each county to donate their official titles, and said without thinking: "Lord Cao, Du Futai, Xiufeng thinks that this is probably inappropriate, first, this is a march to fight and not to do anything else, and the incompetence of the general will really exhaust the three armies." The second is that we have to give hope to those regimental and prison officials, if everyone has a superior, and a superior, who is willing to use his life. ”

"Then set up a hundred and ten regiments at once, can you manage it?"

"Didn't Xiufeng be ordered to bring back ten civil and military officials from Zhili, you can let them help lead the regiments first, the officials who are in Ding Wei or the sons and nephews of the officials who have returned to their hometowns, although there are not many, they know the roots and know the bottom of the trust, and like Xiufeng, they all want to keep their hometown safe, as long as they help to lead a hundred and ten regiments, it is not very troublesome."

"Okay, that's it, do you want to arrange it in your hometown, it will take a few days...... In order to be stable? ”

"There's nothing to worry about in my hometown, it's just that Xiufeng has to ask clearly about this ordnance and food salary, if the ordnance and food can't be helped, it's useless to go."

"You can rest assured that the food and salary, 90,000 taels a year, will never let the brave men meet the enemy empty-handed, let alone let the brave men serve hungry."

"Xiufeng thinks that 90,000 taels may not be enough."

"I almost forgot, the gun is not within these 90,000 taels."

"Lord Cao, it's not enough to have guns and gunpowder lead, Xiufeng still wants cannons, wants to hold Songkan, and ensure that I'm foolproof in eastern Sichuan, so I can get thirty mountain splitting cannons."

Cao Shuzhong weighed it, gritted his teeth and said, "Thirty is thirty, but it takes time to cast a cannon, how about giving me three months?" ”

"That Xiufeng will go to Qijiang early tomorrow morning, go to Anwen Town in Qijiang and others, wait for food, wait for the adult's cannon!"