"Damn it, don't they know what it means to be hungry?"

When Zhou Huai'an led his troops to sweep most of the territory of Annan, a news from Jiaozhou Port was delivered urgently, which immediately made him scold in public.

"It's only been a long time since the summer harvest, and tens of thousands of stones of rice have been sent back. How can it be insufficient? ”

"We are a righteous army for the people to survive, how can we do everything in order to meet the needs of those dog officials."

"I don't know why the leader is so angry."

But it was the new subordinate who joined the camp to praise (join the army), and Qiu Eun, who had gray hair and strong spirits, took the initiative to ask

"Can you make a certain leader share a worry or two?"

"Well, there's nothing you can't say about it."

Zhou Huai'an glanced at the old man who showed good vision and insight in the Jiaozhou incident.

"It's news that something has changed in Canton."

However, after he left, the left-behind division increased the amount of levies and grain several times during this period of time according to the orders of the general's palace from the front; So much so that the land was full of sorrow and bitterness; Moreover, this kind of expropriation is no exception even for those tuntians that have not been newly established for a long time and intend to be exempt from rent for three years.

This is a big problem, many of the settled households have just harvested almost one or two seasons of grain without excess oppression and scraping, and they cannot bear much risk and accident at all, so they have to hand over the grain that they have saved and have not been heated; This is simply a practice of killing chickens and eggs for the sake of the present and ignoring the long-term.

According to Wang Pan's letter, he had used the name of the commander of the Sanjiang Army to block the collection team sent by the left-behind division outside the newly built Guanzhai, and temporarily appropriated the seven or eight thousand stone Chencang rice and miscellaneous grains that were originally used for feed processing.

But the dozens of tuntian districts in the Pearl River basin have not been spared; Although there is no news of people dying of starvation for the time being, there are signs of sporadic escape, which is a bad sign for Zhou Huai'an's plans to farm in Lingnan.

And behind this news, there are more important internal facts and reasons; I am afraid that most of the rebel army and the main force of the Northern Expedition suffered a serious defeat or defeat in the battle with the local official army; It will lead to this kind of repeated transfer of resources from the rear, and even make a move to kill chickens and eggs.

After all, Meng Wei, the left-behind envoy in Guangzhou, is an out-and-out confidant general of Huang Chao, and he is basically only responsible for and obeys orders from the General Mansion of the Heavenly Emperor. Even if someone else comes, they may not be able to instruct him, let alone let him work so hard to raid and oppress the place.

"Thank you for your trust."

Qiu Yan touched his gray beard and thought for a while

"It's just that if you want to stay in Annam, I'm afraid that time is running out. Before everything is done and everything is done, it may be necessary to delay a means of delaying a thing or two."

"I don't know if you have any suggestions or ideas at this moment."

Zhou Huai'an couldn't help admiring his old vision in his heart, but he didn't shy away from it.

"The leader can know that I have a plan to lead the water to the east,。。"

Qiu Yan also said calmly.

"It's just that if you put it into play, I'm afraid that some reputation will hinder you."

"As long as we can solve the temporary difficulties of the local people's livelihood, what is the reputation and discredit of the people.

Zhou Huaian responded without hesitation.

After all, when he was unable to influence the situation on the leading side of Guangfu, he had to think of a way and countermeasure to slightly divert the attention of the left-behind division and share the pressure of some expropriation targets; Otherwise, many of the accumulated achievements of the previous operation and layout will be wasted.

Subsequently, he dictated to Meng Yan, the left-behind envoy and the left army envoy of the General's Mansion, and Lin Yan, the deputy envoy, each wrote a long letter, pointing out a target that could lead the righteous army to the east from different angles; It's good to delay for a moment or two to gain time and buffer room for his follow-up arrangement in Annan.

As for the reason why he went back with the army, and not with a small number of guards; Zhou Huai'an did not say it explicitly, and the other party obviously had no intention of asking further.

。。。。。。。

In the distant coast, in Jiaozhou Dagang, where merchants are constantly coming and going, a sea ship with a green flag is also slowly approaching the trestle bridge on the shore under the avoidance of many local ships.

Although the spontaneous gathering of business travelers, the largest port in Tiannan regained its prosperity in a short period of time after the turmoil, and on the surface it is still mostly the same, but behind the scenes, some things have been completely changed.

For example, those vacant houses in the rear city Fangqu may be the property of a new owner. There are also large and small rivers and piers that have been further widened to extend into the port area, wooden fences and earthen ditches have been erected at the planned locations of the periphery, and new fences and water checkpoints are being built.

Qu Rong, who got off the boat, also looked at the familiar scenery in front of him with a sigh, and recalled the news he got and what happened these days.

Speaking from the bottom of his heart, as one of the few remaining core members of the Qu clan, he is not unable to understand the practices of his brother Qu Chengyu; Even if he has been secretly regarded by the upper echelons of the city as a madman among the clans, he has earned the nickname of the unscrupulous "Qu Tuzi".

However, if he hadn't been crazy enough to pull down those old clans with big businesses, with the remnants of the Qu clan that were now suffering heavy damage and some influence that needed foreign aid to support him, even if he occupied the advantage of the corresponding position in Jiaozhou afterwards, he might not be able to compete for those senior clans in the long run, and the water mill work that had been accumulated for generations.

Now although the reputation is ruined, but the obstacles in the open and secret have also been removed, the re-emergence of the Qu family in Jiaozhou is inevitable, and it may even surpass the former status and power, and after two or three generations of operation, it can become the first-class family in Daluo City, and it is no longer the "local eunuch" or "local tyrant from other countries" in the mouth of others;

So he couldn't wait to see his brother Qu Chengyu, who had contributed the most and created all this, and he had too many words and thoughts to talk to the other party.

"Shichiro, here you are."

Soon he saw Qu Chengyu, who was standing in the crowd with two sturdy guards and standing tall like a sword to greet him.

"It's been a hard trip."

It's just that in Qu Rong's eyes, he looks thinner than before because of his exhaustion. Originally, as the representative of the family and the leader of all parties, the kind of luxury and glitz that he cultivated during his tenure in Jiaozhou Sima was almost gone, and only a kind of contemplation was left called capable and slaughtering.

"Big brother, big brother really worked hard for his family's career,"

Qu Rong, who was a little chubby and raised by running a business in Guangfu, couldn't wait to say something.

"Now that you are in charge of the army outside, I have also been ordered to come back and serve in the palace."

"Big brother, as long as you and I work together inside and outside, we will definitely be able to make our family prosperous again. Something even better. ”

"I've already resigned from the Fengzhou regimental training."

Qu Chengyu suddenly said to him.

"Officially transferred to the command of the rebels. Therefore, in the future, local affairs will need to be spent a lot of effort and care by Shichiro. ”

"Big brother, big brother, what are you doing here?"

Qu Rong couldn't help but smile on his face, and said in some astonishment.

"Now is the time when the family has a lot to do, why bother, big brother..."

"Do you think that the current situation of this family is based on something, and how to continue to maintain it?"

Qu Chengyu remembered the words that he had said to him, and his heart, which had been a little hesitant, became firm again, and looked at the distance represented by the sea and sighed.

"Or, should my generation's eyes only be on the corner of the thirteen states of Annan in front of us? Do you want to meet the benefits and losses between the local tyrants in the southern part of the country?"

"Now the rebels have given me a chance, which shows the opportunity to see a wider world, and I really don't want to miss it for my brother."

(End of chapter)