Recalling the tragedy of the Liao soldiers' crossing and the misery of their lives, the Yangzhou officials looked miserable, shook their heads and sighed one by one.

"The so-called raising soldiers for a thousand days is used for a while. What the people are afraid of is that when a military disaster strikes again, the officials and soldiers abandon the city and leave, and the people will be ravaged in vain. Zheng Bin sighed and asked instead, "I have heard for a long time that Lord Zhao has a good way of governing the army, his troops are strong and brave, and if the South China Sea Naval Division is stationed in Yangzhou, I don't know how many men and horses will be left to guard the camp." We in Yangzhou smashed pots and sold iron, and we also tried our best to help the water replenisher's salary. ”

Other Yangzhou officials had a look of anticipation on their faces. Most of the forbidden troops are military households with their families, and if they go out to fight, they can't go fast with their families at all, and it's not bad to walk one or twenty miles a day. Therefore, most of them will leave a lot of men and horses to guard the camp and protect their families. For example, the Huaixi army is known as a 100,000-strong army, and if you want to go on an expedition, it is good to be able to send 50,000 horses. The imperial court hoped that the more soldiers and horses they would go out to fight, the better, but for Yangzhou, Zhao Xingde's troops have always had a reputation for being able to fight habitually, and the more men and horses left to defend the camp, the better.

"The imperial court only gave 15,000 posts to the sailors," Xu Xiaoyun hesitated, "If there are too many soldiers, I'm afraid it will be ......."

The most important in the army is inferior and humble, and it is quite unusual to speak in front of the commander. Zhao Xingde's face was still as usual, but Zheng Bin glanced at Xu Xiaoyun and recognized him as the iron-faced imperial history who caused a sensation in the world. Xu Xiaoyun acted as if nothing happened, and he couldn't see the depth. I don't know if his words represent the meaning of the military department. The South China Sea Navy Division should focus on the South China Sea, and the state capital where its home port is located should also be garrisoned by the Zhenguo Army, the Henghai Navy and the Huaixi Army, so that the armies can check and balance each other, so as not to be overpowered.

Zhao Xingde nodded and said: "The Great Water Division should not be underestimated, the main force of the Water Division is all on the expedition, and the troops may not be enough." ”

The Yangzhou officials present showed a look of disappointment on their faces, and Zhao Xingde changed his words and said with a smile: "But we can help Yangzhou train soldiers and horses." It is better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish. The naval division will have a battalion of soldiers and horses to stay at Yangzhou Port, and the officers and regimental officers of Yangzhou regimental training can take turns to train in the port area. However, for the training of our army's heaviest firearms and guns, bow and crossbow battalions, spear battalions, and sword and shield battalions, the Yangzhou regimental training can ask the Huaixi Army and the Henghai Navy for a lesson or two. He took a sip of tea and looked at the Yangzhou officials present with a smile. Zheng Bin and others were happy, Xu Xiaoyun, Zhou He and others were thoughtful, but Zhao Xingde's words were not leaky, even if people with a heart couldn't grasp his handle.

"It's better to teach people to fish than to teach people to fish," Zheng Bin arched his hand, "The people of this side of the official generation thank you Lord Zhao." ”

"General Zhao's command is all one for ten," Xie Lingyun said excitedly: "How about the general training three thousand soldiers for Yangzhou?" ”

"It is the duty of this general to protect the territory and the people," Zhao Xingde put down the teacup and said with a smile, "It should be, why worry about it." ”

Tan Zicheng and Xie Lingyun tacitly exchanged glances, and arched their hands: "If the sailor needs anything locally, the adults only care about the words, but the Yangzhou Mansion can do it, and we will never delay, we will do our best to do things for Lord Zhao." Xie Lingyun patted his chest and said: "Yangzhou is a small place, no matter whether it is a big or small matter, but I listen to Lord Zhao's dispatch." When he spoke like this, he didn't look like a court official, but like a person in the rivers and lakes, and Xu Xiaoyun frowned when he heard it.

"The sailor is a guest from afar," Zhao Xingde also smiled and said politely: "Then there will be all the adults." ”

In just a few words, he already felt that the magistrate was much less pedantic than before. In the past, the magistrates of Zhizhou were appointed by the Ministry of Rites, and the scholars were not allowed to be in their hometowns as shepherds, and they were appointed as officials for a short time, and they moved every three years. Therefore, the Liao army is unanimous, and there are many people who abandon their officials and flee, and there are few mainstays. Nowadays, the magistrates are all elected by the local gentry, and the state and county are the land of mulberry, and their interests are closely related to them, no matter what the purpose, they are much more eager to do things, and they really regard the land of one state and one county as their own foundation in management.

Tan Zizai arched his hand and said: "The lower official has a reluctant request. ”

Zhao Xingde nodded and said, "Lord Tan, please speak, if Zhao can do it, he will never shirk it." ”

As Lord Zhao saw, although the current situation is full of devastation and a hundred wastes waiting to be rebuilt, these are visible losses, and the invisible distant worries are even more worrying. With the mountains and the sea at its back, Yangzhou has always been an important town for transportation and maritime trade. Now the north is withering, and it can't recover in a short time, the center of the imperial court has moved south to Ezhou, and the Xia State has occupied Luoyang, and if the capital is moved back to Bianliang, it will be attacked on both sides. Therefore, in a few decades, it will be difficult for the north-south Cao Yun to return to the grand occasion of the past. And the trade at sea was cut off because of the rebellion of the Great Eaters and the Sea Bandits. These two ways can't go through, so all industries withered, and the rich businessmen and tycoons couldn't see any hope, and gradually they would leave here, and Yangzhou would completely decay. So......" He looked at Zhao Xingde and stopped talking.

"So what?" Zhao Xingde asked, vaguely guessing in his heart.

"Don't hide it from Lord Zhao, the sum of my Huainan and Huainan accounts is only a million or hundreds of thousands, but the taxes paid to the imperial court are in the forefront of all roads, thanks to the benefits of industrial and commercial prosperity. Now although Huaidong suffered from the military disaster, but most of the family members avoided the disaster as soon as possible, after the Liao soldiers retreated, many people returned to Huaidong, everyone wanted to revitalize the land of Sangzi, so they worked together to think of a way. Tan Zizai said with a sincere face, "The sailor patrols the South China Sea, Yang Fan is thousands of miles, and my merchants in Huainan are ready to raise funds to buy ships full of Great Song Dynasty products, chase after Lord Zhao's tail, and take advantage of Lord Zhao's tiger power to go to the South China Sea to reclaim land and trade with the vassal states, and hope that Lord Zhao will be successful." ”

"Oh?" Zhao Xingde asked, "How many boats do you have?" How many people? ”

"More than twenty boats, about two thousand people." Tan Zizai saw that he did not refuse, and said: "Lord Zhao, don't worry, the supply of the merchant fleet will be solved by yourself, and there is no need for special care from the sailor, as long as the lord allows the merchant fleet to follow behind the sailor's fleet, the villains will never cause trouble to the sailor." Tan Zizai said smoothly, Xu Xiaoyun's face changed slightly, presumably this person must have interests in the merchant fleet, he looked at the people around him, Liu Wengu and Ma Yuan smiled with a smile in their eyes, and did not think it was wrong, Xu Xiaoyun took a deep breath, and did not stand up and accuse him of taking the opportunity to do it for personal gain.

"Escorting merchant ships is the duty of sailors." Zhao Xingde smiled, "I'm afraid that I won't take care of it properly." ”

"Well said, well said." Zheng Bin said with a smile on his face, "Lord Zhao is humble and open, how can we not know what to do?" Everyone in Yangzhou smiled, and the atmosphere suddenly became a lot more relaxed. Tea in the commercial war, porcelain and silk in the workshop have long been piled up, and for them, it is the most important thing to reopen trade as soon as possible.

For Zhao Xingde, the South China Sea Sailor expedition was barely enough, but there was a lot of kung fu outside of the war. The merchant fleet should borrow the momentum of the sailors, and the sailors should not borrow the momentum of the merchant fleet. Out of the open sea, the soldiers and the people are one, but this charter for going to sea needs to be agreed upon. Nowadays, the sea is treacherous, it is said that the South China Sea is full of pirates, even ordinary Song merchant ships will carry dart masters, and the sailors are all strong people, if this force is slightly rectified, it can greatly enhance the strength of the South China Sea sailors.

Xu Xiaoyun's brows became heavier and heavier, and he glanced at Zhao Xingde, trying to see what he had in mind, but he couldn't see through it. Zhao Xingde's eyes are upright, obviously out of public intentions, and there are no words and deeds that make people grasp the handle. However, the 100,000 elite men and horses under his command have been separated from the imperial court, controlling thousands of people in the east of Henan. The Nanhai Navy Division has formed a strong alliance with the southeastern state capital with interests as a link. Even if there is no such thing as Xia Guo, Zhao Xingde's own power is enough to make people worry. A domineering general like Jin Sai is like a jackal to a tiger compared to him. Such a person, the emperor's mental trick must be to kill him to get rid of future troubles, and now Chen Shaoyang still relies on him so much.

No matter how suspicious the imperial court is of Zhao Xingde's power, for them, tangible interests are the most important. The military discipline of the South China Sea Naval Division was strict, and Zhao Xingde Yang Fan went on an expedition and promised to train the army for them, without any intention of interfering in the local area. For Yangzhou, the lesson of the last time the forbidden army fled without a fight was too profound, and almost everyone did not have much hope for the Huaixi army, and almost unanimously believed that the protection of the territory and the people also depended on the training of the local regiment. Chuzhou Yanding is the best example. Huainan has always been a place to use, and it is also a place to send elite soldiers, and with the help of Zhao Xingde, the Liao soldiers also have the power to resist when they go south.

The two sides of the Nanhai Navy Division and the Yangzhou local government had a very pleasant conversation, and the topic gradually entered the "not very important" matter.

"Yangzhou City has been completely demolished by the Liao, and the state capital is preparing to build a new city," Zheng Bin took a sip of tea and said in a consultative tone: "I heard that Lord Zhao once built a Nanshan City in Liaodong, and the 3,000 people blocked the 100,000 army of the Liao. For the way of building and defending the city, Lord Zhao must have a unique idea, can you give advice and guidance? ”

"My lord has won the award," Zhao Xingde didn't answer immediately, and asked, "The Liao soldiers have been retreating for a long time, why are they still ruined?" ”

Zheng Bin, Tan Zizi and the others exchanged glances, and said with a wry smile: "Don't hide it from Lord Zhao." The state is devastated, people are displaced, and no drop of oil or water can be scraped even if they try to loot. Most of the wealth was supported by local clans and wealthy merchants. The taxes of the imperial court are good to say, the circumference of the city wall is twenty miles, and if you want to repair it, you need not a little money and food, and this money is not so easy to get the local clans and merchants to pay for it. ”

"yes." Tan Zizai also sighed and echoed Zheng Bin's statement, "It's good to be able to complete the two taxes of the imperial court." "Last time, the official army abandoned the city and left, and the gentry who stayed behind were all poisoned, and now most of the gentry in Benzhou have the intention of fleeing from the wind, where will they pay to build the city wall. Zheng Bin and the others were all elected by the gentry, and it was impossible to tear their faces to offend people, so they had to drag it on like this, Zheng Bin asked Zhao Xingde for advice on the method of building a city, but it was just polite.