"Anyway, I've always been curious, this Luxi is also a fertile land since ancient times, not to mention the convenience of the canal, it stands to reason that it should be a rich place, Jining and other places are indeed prosperous, but why as soon as you leave the canal and walk a little inside, it immediately becomes a remote area?

And also like to rebel.

From Tang Sai'er back then, to Xu Hongru today, this place has never been stable in the Ming Dynasty. ”

Yang Xin continued.

At this time, they were almost at Liangjialou, this place is in the southwest of Yuncheng, in fact, the distance is only twenty or thirty miles, as for the modern name Yang Xin does not know, along the way are dilapidated villages, ragged and unfriendly people. Yang Xin felt like a Japanese devil walking on this land three hundred years later, and there were still people sneaking on the side of the road from time to time, and then quickly disappeared from their field of vision, if it weren't for the technical limitations, Yang Xin had no doubt that he would step on a mine if he went any further.

But this area is also really poor.

Otherwise, how could Xu Hongru be popular!

But this area is indeed fertile soil, no matter how ancient or modern, this area of Luxi is a densely populated area, Lu, Song, Wei and other famous princes of the Spring and Autumn Period are in this area.

"The rich are also canals, and the poor are also canals!"

Qi Jin said with a sigh.

Because of Yang Xin's compliment to Qi Jiguang, he still has a natural liking for Yang Xin, and more importantly, he knows Yang Xin's identity and knows how favored this person is in Wanli.

"Why do you say that?"

Yang Xin said suspiciously.

"The prosperity of Jining is due to the convenience of the canal, not to mention the cities along the canal, even those towns are just as prosperous, and the canal is indeed a blessing from heaven along the line.

But beyond the line, that's not a blessing but a curse.

The canal is closed by a series of locks and dikes to stabilize the water, and the depth of the water must ensure navigation, but the river water must not be increased due to the formation of rapids, which can also easily lead to capsizing or even bursting of the embankment. In the summer, when it rains rains, the river must open its sluices to drain the water, and in times of drought, it must be replenished with all its might, but what do the people outside the canal need? What they need is actually the opposite, they need to drain water into the canal during the summer rains, which is the largest flood channel in the whole of Luxi, and when there is a drought and water shortage, they need the canal to supply water, which is also the largest irrigation water source in the area.

Actually, it's not possible.

During each major drought, the locks along the various rivers of the canal were closed, and no one was allowed to release water from these rivers for irrigation, and the water had to flow into the canal to ensure that the boats passed through the Nanwang ridge.

And every time there is a major flood, the canal also releases water to the outside at the same time to aggravate the flooding.

Is there anything else to do? ”

Qi Jin said.

"Huh?"

Yang Xin really didn't think that the canal still had such a hazard.

The predecessor of this canal is the Si River, no matter how it was changed later, it can not change this fact, the eastern section of the canal is built on the basis of the Si River, and the Si River is the entire water system of Luxi, and it is also the core of the irrigation system.

"Why don't you switch to sea freight?"

He asked.

"It's true that shipping is possible, but do you know how many people make their fortunes off the canal?"

Qi Jin said with a smile.

"And that's not all."

The canal communicates the north and the south, and the grain from the south continues to move north, so have you thought about what the north transports to the south? Could it be that the ships went back empty? ”

He went on to say.

"Cotton?"

Yang Xin said with a flash of inspiration.

"Yes, cotton, the whole area of Luxi is growing cotton, and the gentry and landlords don't let the tenants grow anything else, it's all cotton here, and then they transport the cotton through the canal to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and the looms in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are woven into cloth and sold overseas.

But cotton cannot be eaten, and the peasants who grow cotton can only buy grain to eat, so it depends on the conscience of the grain merchants.

In fact, it's not just this area, Daming is everywhere, everywhere is farmland into cotton fields, not to mention here, even Jiangsu and Zhejiang have to buy grain from Jiangxi, from Huguang, and even from Sichuan to eat, because countless farmland in Jiangsu and Zhejiang that originally planted rice has been changed to cotton and mulberry, and I don't know if there will be a famine in the future, this cotton cloth can be eaten or raw silk can be eaten. ”

Qi Jin said like an old man who catches the words of his juniors.

Sheep eating people, which laid the foundation of the industrial revolution, became cotton eating people in the Ming Dynasty, silkworms eating people, sure enough, the East and the West are the same, before entering the new era from the agricultural era, everyone walks in the same posture, but one keeps walking, and the other is broken by the invasion of foreign races. When the man who walked down came in a shiny military uniform with a rifle with a bayonet on it, the broken leg was still lying in the mud and rotting, and he had forgotten that he had walked alongside him.

This has to be said to be a kind of sadness.

Hundreds of cavalry in front of them suddenly appeared on the wilderness.

"General!"

A pro-soldier reminded them.

The other fifty pro-soldiers quickly took out their bows and arrows.

"There's their brigade behind!"

Qi Jin said as he looked at the dust in the sky in the distance.

"How are they attacking the city?"

He then asked.

"Basically, they can't take any guarded city unless it's an accident."

Yang Xin said very simply.

"Go back immediately and report to General Tong, just say that the thief wants to cross the canal eastward, we can't sit back and watch him leave, and prepare to meet the enemy!"

Qi Jin pulled out his knife and shouted.

The soldier immediately turned around and returned to Juye.

And the rest of the family began to urge the war horses, and Yang Xin also picked up his whistle stick.

Qi Jin looked at this funny weapon with some blankness.

"This stuff actually works pretty well!"

Yang Xin said.

Qi Jin just smiled.

Immediately after the fifty-two cavalry rushed forward, the cavalry on the opposite side turned around and left, Yang Xin and Qi Jin pursued directly, and soon a village appeared in front, those cavalry quickly rushed into the village, Qi Jin glanced at the family next to him, who immediately took off the spare torch from the saddle and quickly lit it on the horse. The other horsemen also lit the torches they carried, and the fifty horsemen quickly dispersed and rushed to several straw huts on the edge of the village, throwing the torches to the roof without hesitation, and soon the fire began to spread in the village, forced by the wind. As the fire spread, a large number of Smelling Incense cultists hiding in the village ran out in a hurry, and some people panicked, and even ran outside the village facing Yang Qing.

"Kill!"

Qi Jin shouted.

Fifty of them quickly raised their bows and arrows, and shot at the cultists on their galloping horses.

At the same time, the cavalry that lured them back in front, Yang Xin rushed straight over with a sentry stick, Qi Jin was a little speechless and raised his sword to follow, and those family members also turned to meet the battle, and the two cavalry quickly encountered.

Yang Xin, who suspected that riding a horse was hindering his performance, stood up directly on horseback, and jumped up the moment he met an enemy soldier, the latter's spear suddenly pierced the air, and the whistle stick that fell in mid-air smashed on his head, and the cavalryman's head disappeared at once, and then he fell down with the man and the horse. Yang Xin, who landed on the ground, turned around and swept away, and the head of a passing cavalryman flew forward directly, Qi Jin, who was originally preparing to fight, watched in amazement as this thing flew over his head, and then looked down with a shocked face, looked at Yang Xin, who jumped up again, and directly knocked the oncoming cavalry upside down and flew out with a whistle stick......

"Mah, is this a serious injury that has not healed?"

The old man scolded from behind with a hurt expression on his face.

But he didn't care about it then, for thousands of cavalry appeared in the distance, and behind the cavalry, there were also countless infantry in formation.

"Brother Yang, retreat!"

He yelled without hesitation.

Yang Xin quickly turned around and jumped on his war horse in a few steps.

The rest of the family quickly gathered, and none of the fifty horsemen died, but there were dozens of Smelling Fragrance Cultists killed by them.

The rest has already been defeated.

But the cavalry of the brigade over there did not attack, and after receiving the disciples who returned to this side, they formed a formation on the opposite side and marched eastward, and behind them an endless stream of incense-smelling disciples formed a formation to the east.

"At least fifty thousand!"

Qi Jin took a deep breath and said.

"In the past 20 years of preaching, more than 50,000 believers have gathered in Cao Pu and the two prefectures alone who are willing to fight to the death.

Yang Xin said.

"They eat real money!"

Qi Jin sneered.

Yang Xin suddenly urged his horse forward, and those family members looked at Qi Jin, Qi Jin shook his head, and watched Yang Xin rush forward to cover the Smelling Fragrance Sect in the wasteland, but soon Yang Xin stopped twenty zhang away, and the cavalry opposite him all raised their bows and arrows to aim

"Xu Hongru, come out and fight grandpa and I'll go it alone!"

Yang Xin howled hatefully.

The cavalry on the opposite side quickly separated, and then a man in his fifties appeared, he was wearing an ochre yellow robe, with a yellow Luo umbrella cover on his head, and a strong man next to him held a banner holding aloft a banner, with five big characters on the book Xingfuling Emperor and a banner next to it that said Dacheng Xingsheng......

"I'm going to give myself a nickname before I die!"

Yang Xin was stunned.

It is obvious that Xu Hongru has already been proclaimed emperor.

"Wuna demon monkey, Your Majesty wants to be lucky in Yanzhou, and I will spare you today!"

Xu Hongru shouted with the appearance of a great general.

Yang Xin immediately made a momentum, and those cavalry quickly closed, and countless bows and arrows pointed at him.

Yang Xin immediately turned around and returned to ......

"Gong Qi is here for you!"

He said to Qi Jin.

"Where are you going?"

Qi Jin was stunned.

"The thief army crossed the canal to the east, and it will inevitably attack Qufu, Yang is favored by the Holy Duke of Yan, and he must not make the tragedy of Mengfu repeat, please tell General Soldier Tong that Yang will go to Qufu to protect the Holy Duke of Yan, and there is still some property in Juye, even if Yang gives it to Duke Qi!"

Yang Xin said righteously.

With that, he urged his horse to gallop eastward.