After crossing Dongting Lake, Li Gang and Ma Erren took a boat down the Xiangjiang River and went straight to Hengshan.

Sitting on the boat and going up the river, there is less bumps in the carriage and horses, it is more comfortable and very fast, and it is the best choice for long-distance travel by boat.

Standing on the deck, you can see both sides of the Xiangjiang River.

Although after crossing Dongting Lake, Hunan is not richer than Hubei, but because when Qin Shi Huang conquered Lingnan, he went down the Xiangjiang River, and then dug a spiritual canal to cross the Wuling Mountains and connect the Xiangjiang River and the Li River in Guilin.

It is precisely because of this passage into the south of the Lingnan, although Hunan is remote, but along the line of the Xiangjiang River is still developing well, the Central Plains Dynasty has established many cities on this passage line, moved many people, and also stationed a lot of soldiers and horses.

This kind of linear development is exactly the usual method of the Central Plains Dynasty for remote places, especially in the south, to establish a transportation line with points, and then it can radiate the surrounding areas. This was true in the earliest Hunan, later in Yunnan, and later in Guizhou.

First dot and then line, and then connect into pieces.

I have to say that the Chinese ancestors were full of wisdom and relied on this way to constantly open up southern Xinjiang.

Hengshan County is in the upper reaches of Hunan water, and is named after the Hengshan Mountain in the territory. Hengshan is connected to Luling County in Jiangxi on the left, Lingling County on the right, Changsha County to the north, and Guiyang to the south.

In addition to the Xiangjiang River passing through the territory, there are several large rivers of Leishui, Chungshui and Laishui that flow into the Xiangjiang River.

"Hengshan County is ahead."

After several days on the Xiangjiang River, because it was still in the middle and lower reaches, it was still smooth sailing, and there was no need to pull the fiber. On this day, Ma Zhou was still reading in the cabin when he heard the boatman's reminder.

After seeing a lot of scenery on both sides of the strait on the deck, he felt that it was all the same, and he lost his freshness, so Ma Zhou simply studied in the cabin, and he didn't expect to enter Hengshan County so soon.

Hengshan County is the northernmost city of Hengshan County, just on the border with Changsha, and Hengshan County is Hengyang City at the confluence of Leishui and Xiangjiang River, and there is a Wushui River in the west that also joins the Xiangjiang River.

"So soon?" Ma Zhou put down the book and walked out of the cabin.

At this time, Li Gang was already on the deck one step ahead.

The two looked at a city located on the riverside in front of them, "This is Hengshan." ”

"Hengshan County doesn't look big."

"It's a little small."

"Compared with the county towns on the Xiangjiang River in Baling, Changsha and other places, it is much smaller."

From just one county seat, the two rebelled out of Hengshan County, which is indeed relatively backward.

"King Bin has figured out how to burn these three fires after he arrives?" Li Gang asked, rubbing his beard.

"What are your plans, sir?"

"Tell me your plans first!" Li Gang said.

Ma Zhou looked at Hengshan County in the distance, "The students think that Hengshan County is remote and backward, but there is also the Xiangjiang River leading to Lingnan, although now the imperial court has opened up the sea route, from Guangling to the South China Sea, Jiaozhi is convenient, but after all, it is far away, especially for Jingxiang Bashu Pass, you must first go to Guangling at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and then go to the sea to go around thousands of miles to Lingnan." At present, Jiangdong and Jiangxi are still in the hands of the feudal towns, so the newly recovered Hunan will make the Xiangli Road re-unimpeded to the land of Lingnan, which is our rare opportunity. ”

Ma Zhou's plan for the development of Hengshan is to rely on the Xiangjiang River, dredge the Xiangjiang River in the territory, and remove some dangerous shoals. Then use this way to communicate Hunan and Lingnan. Nowadays, the development of Lingnan is good, especially the South China Sea and Jiaozhi two ports, is already an important commercial port, if you can do this trade road, relying on the Xiangjiang River waterway, Hengshan, Xiangtan, Hengyang and other cities of Hengshan County, you can usher in development opportunities, trade, transportation, but also the development of handicraft, and even drive the sales of some local minerals and native products.

"The sage has long said that if there is no agriculture, no stability, no work, no wealth, no business, no life, if Hengshan County just buries its head in life, it will not be able to live a good life with this condition, so it can only use the Xiangjiang River waterway to develop industry and commerce."

Li Gang nodded again and again when he heard this, and the young man was really different.

"But there is a question you have ever thought about, this place is originally a Chu land, and it is the most worshipping witch and ghost. Even now, there are a large number of barbarians living there, and these people are not good people. They do not obey the king, do not pay taxes, worship witches, and sometimes are even robbers at all. ”

It is common for the barbarians to plunder the trade routes, they live in the mountains, if they can't remove these threats, it is difficult to vigorously develop the Xiangshui trade route.

"Then change the land and return to the stream, destroy the obscene shrine, and encircle and suppress the bandits." Ma Zhou said bluntly.

The imperial court will also recognize and canonize some immortals, such as Guan Yu, the Dragon King of the Four Seas, and some mountain gods and water gods, but not much. The rest of the folk all kinds of immortals, in fact, the court does not recognize, these are regarded as obscene shrines by the court, especially those mountain spirits and ghosts, which are expressly forbidden.

Obviously, now Ma Zhou is going to take these more prominent obscene shrines in Hengshan first, which can be regarded as unifying his thoughts first.

"Let's stop in Hengshan County."

Ma Zhou said to the boatman.

The fleet stopped at the wharf in Hengshan County, Ma Zhou and Li Gang disembarked, and the two battalions of government soldiers on the flotilla also disembarked, and stayed on the ship for many days, and they were bored.

"The two commanders, Li Taishou and Ma Juncheng, and the soldiers of the two battalions, all changed into armor and weapons, and were fully prepared to go ashore."

"There's a fight? Could it be that there are people in Hengshan County who rebel? A battalion commander asked.

Li Gang and Ma Zhou came to Hengshan County to take up their posts this time, and Qin Qiong specially assigned two battalions of guards to the two of them, and came to take up their posts with a thousand elite government soldiers, which is the greatest support and confidence.

"Deterrence is deterrence." The visitor said with a smile.

"Oh, I thought someone was so bold that they dared to make a mess. I understand deterrence, rest assured, we are good at this. The commander laughed and summoned his chiefs.

"Did you hear the words of Taishou and Juncheng, we are now on the territory of Hengshan County, and this will be the station of our two battalions in the future. Go back to the cabin, wipe the armor and weapons, remember to scrub your body clean, and clean it up, no one can disgrace our Li Taishou and Ma Juncheng, we must show the momentum of the dragon and the tiger, and we must surprise and shock everyone up and down Hengshan City! ”

The generals all smiled and said, "No problem, we are the heroic troops of the southern and northern wars!" ”

The sudden arrival of such a large fleet at the wharf in Hengshan County shocked the small county seat, and many people came to the wharf to watch.

When they saw two officials in scarlet robes appear, and then a group of bright red-robed soldiers came down from the boat behind them, they were stunned for a moment, and then exclaimed, but they scattered in an uproar, and there were not a few left.

Ma Zhou and Li Gang laughed when they saw this, "It seems that we scared them." ”

The two battalion commanders were very proud of each other.

The team assembled on the dock, and then escorted Ma Zhou Li Gang to the city gate.

But the gates were shut.

The battalion commander sent Dugu Yanyun and Gongsun Wuda forward.

Dugu Yanyun clapped his armor and clanged.

"The commander of the Zuo Xiao Guard Battalion has asked Dugu Yanyun to escort Li Taishou and Ma Jun Cheng of Hengshan County, and the people in the city are not ready to open the door to greet them!"

At this time, a head finally poked out from the head of the city, but it was a suspicious look.

"Well, you want to rebel when the city is closed? I have dozens of sounds, and if I don't open the door, I will attack the city directly, and I will attack the city, but you are welcome! ”

"Bookmark for easy reading"