Zhu Pingjian's views are completely in line with He Youyi's intentions.

"The son of the world is unparalleled! This is the meaning of Weichen! He Youyi lost no time in complimenting, "Guangyuan, Bazhou, Dazhou, and Kuizhou cities are connected by avenues, and the thieves entered Sichuan last year, which is the way they took." Therefore, the occupation of this line is not only necessary to defend against the local tyrants in the north, but also to defend against the enemy from the east! ”

Zhu Pingjian's bamboo stick focuses on the name of Bazhou: "Bazhou must be taken back!" Otherwise, this first line of defense will be interrupted in the middle! Not only that, but the local rioters will also move south from the gap in Bazhou and harass our Baizhang Pass (now Wangcang County), Cangxi, Langzhong, Nannan, Yilong, Yingshan, and Quzhou Zhuzhou County Pass. Thousands of miles of embankment, collapse in the anthill, Bazhou is the deadly anthill! ”

"This is where the ministers dare to argue!" He Youyi suddenly knelt down. Liu Mingsheng and the others next to him were dumbfounded, and they didn't know why he was.

"Why is Mr. He like this?" Zhu Pingjin hurriedly helped He Youyi up, "Is this son a faint monarch who doesn't listen to his loyalty?" "The king of Shu is the feudal monarch of Shu, so Zhu Pingjin can call himself the king.

After some politeness, the two sat down again.

He Youyi said: "The minister knows that the prince thinks of thousands of people in Shu and is bent on suppressing the thieves in the north of Sichuan. However, this is not the best time!

One is that our caravan has few major generals and is poorly equipped. Although the local tyrant has a soil character, it cannot be compared with the bandits of Niujiaozhai. Many of the thieves have served as officials and soldiers, and they have been fighting reckless men for a long time, and they have been licking blood for many years. And our caravan was built not long ago, and there was no major battle formation, although it was practiced every day, after all, the battle formation was negligent. Rushing into battle, the odds of victory are still inconclusive!

Second, Bazhou is far away, thousands of miles away, and the supply of grain and grass is very difficult. At present, the price of grain in Boryeong Province has risen to 3421 stone, and the army has come out, making it extremely difficult for the local government to purchase grain. If there is no food, the minister is worried about this military discipline......

The three officers and soldiers gathered here a lot. Those officers and soldiers can't suppress thieves, but they are good at disturbing the people. The minister is worried that once the two sides clash, it will ruin the plan of the world!

On the other hand, in the areas of Luzhou, Xufu, and Jiading in southern Sichuan, they were either poisoned by thieves or attacked and harassed by chaotic people. The slaughter of the gentry in Luzhou, the dilapidation of the two guards of Luzhou and Hunan (Note 1), the displacement of the people, and the basil of the fields are all over the field, which is the perfect time to vigorously expand the Wangzhuang Wangdian. Therefore, the minister asked the prince to transfer to the south of Sichuan and lay out the Yangtze River! If so, from the provincial capital to Meizhou, Qiongzhou, Yazhou, Jiading, Xuzhou, Luzhou, Chongqing, along the Min River to the Yangtze River. Half of the rivers and mountains of Shu are all in my hub! ”

He Youyi was very far-sighted. The chief of staff selected by Zhu Pingjin is very capable, which is one of the reasons why Zhu Pingjin reuses him. He not only knows the geography of Sichuan's mountains and rivers well, but also has a clearer grasp of the layout of the overall pattern. Zhu Pingjin knew that at present, southern Sichuan, especially Luzhou, where the whole city was slaughtered, is just like Renshou County at the beginning of the year, which is a vacuum area for government forces. The rapid layout of southern Sichuan can achieve low-cost entry and strategic bottom-taking. Moreover, Zhu Pingjin also knew that southern Sichuan was the base of the Ming Dynasty to resist Zhang Xianzhong and the Qing army in history. Relying on southern Sichuan and even Guizhou, Yunnan and Guizhou behind it, the Ming army fought tenaciously until the Kangxi period before finally defeating.

Zhu Pingjin stood in front of the map, weighing the two directions of northern and southern Sichuan. He pondered for a long time before he spoke.

"Boryeong, the land of Mr. Honga. He Youyi's proposal to defend the north and attack the south is well understood, which is respectable and lamentable! The matter of southern Sichuan still needs to be discussed!

However, the bandits in Nanba have always been a big trouble for my Shu people! Baoning Mansion is an important town in northern Sichuan, with eight counties in two states and countless people, and it is a place that cannot be abandoned, and must not be allowed to run rampant by local tyrants! If we can't attack militarily, we will defend it; If we can't keep a line, we will keep a point; If a county town can't be defended, we will guard a town and a Zhuangzi! In short, we must be prepared in advance and smash a solid iron nail in Boryeong Province in advance. Preset elite soldiers, hoard grain and grass, and use it as a base for us to enter and suppress bandits in the future! It's best to fight the tyrants, accumulate some combat experience, and let those soldiers see blood! Mr. He, first of all, tell me about your Zhuangzi. ”

When Zhu Pingjin said this, he issued a decision to the General Staff to fight. He Youyi understood that the prince had adopted his advice and determined that the main direction of the future expansion of the palace would be the line of the Yangtze River in southern Sichuan. Shizi also made it clear that the reason why he insisted on using troops in Baoning Mansion in northern Sichuan had the meaning of laying out in advance, but there were mainly two things:

The first is military training and training of generals.

The second is to politically compete with local governments for the hearts and minds of the people.

After He Youyi lost his father, he went south and north to do business, and he was very familiar with the situation in northern Sichuan. The prince commanded, and he immediately told the story.

"There is no Zhuangzi in Baoning Mansion, that is Wang Zhuang!" He Youyi first solemnly stated to Zhu Pingjin, and then said: "This village is at the southern foot of Baita Mountain on the south bank of the Jialing River. Baita Mountain is named after the white pagoda on the top of the mountain. Standing on the top of the White Tower, across the river, the city of Boryeong is in full view. To cross the Jialing River, you have to take a ferry. If it is the dry season in autumn and winter, the pontoon bridge on the river is erected (Note 2), you can detour to the foot of Jinping Mountain, and enter the city through the pontoon bridge on the Nanjin Pass, but it takes more than ten miles. This village was originally very small, only more than 190 acres of cultivated land, more than 500 acres of mountain and woodland, about 60 households, about 300 mouths, of which Ding Zhuang was less than 50 people. Ding Zhuang is mostly a family left by my ancestors, so the surrounding people call it Hejiazhuang. ”

Zhu Pingjin said with a smile: "Mr. He not only has a He family village, but also brought out a He family soldier. That's good! ”

He Youyi said: "This is the work of the minister's grandfather and father, and the minister does not dare to be praised by the son." ”

If you don't dare, you'll choose a place! Put all the nests of the future Langzhong Municipal People's Government, Zhu Pingjin said in his heart. But he was still smiling on his face, waiting for He Youyi to continue.

"This village is now guarded by He Yongnian and his son. After the minister entered the palace, he once wrote to him, asking him to learn the law of the son of the world and collect and donate widely. After a few months, the results have been quite fruitful. There are more than a dozen Zhuangzi around Hejiazhuang, and when they heard that they had paid only one percent of the rent to the palace, they all came to the door. In less than two or three months, Hejiazhuang has expanded more than ten times, and the existing cultivated land is nearly 3,000 mu. The minister told He Yongnian that in addition to the donation fee, there is also a condition attached to the acceptance of the donation, that is, each Zhuangzi must draw one out of five! When the farm is slack, it is necessary to practice, and when the thief comes, he must send troops to protect the village. The minister also told He Yongnian that there are many displaced people in northern Sichuan, and they will be taken as Ding, and they will practice diligently......"

The mobilization rate of the population is close to 10%, which is the limit in this era of low productivity. If the strong men are transferred for a long time, it will inevitably affect agricultural production. Zhu Pingjin was thinking about it, but saw He Youyi leave his seat and knelt down and said: "The minister accepts and surrenders in the name of the palace, and the crime deserves death!" ”

Damn, feudal society is like this, you have to kneel and talk at every turn. But it can't be like this, otherwise why would this son sit here at the age of fifteen?

Zhu Pingjin said with a false gesture: "Mr. He is already a retainer of my palace. Mr. accepted the offering, so naturally he collected it on behalf of my palace. Sir has no fault, please get up quickly! ”

He Youyi was relieved, returned to his seat and said, "It's just that the minister recently got a letter from He Yongnian. He Yongnian said that Zhang Jimeng, the prefect of Baoning Prefecture, learned that our palace had accepted the people's contributions, and he lost his temper with Langzhong Zhixian. Now Langzhong County is afraid and does not dare to register the land and population transfer for my palace! ”

"Zhang Jimeng?"

Liu Mingsheng added information in a timely manner: "Zhang Jimeng, the word Bogong, Fufeng people, Jinshi in the last years of Wanli, Zeng Zhiwei County, and Yang Lian, Gao Panlong and others are all members of the Donglin Party. The apocalypse was included in the traitorous party, and Chongzhen resumed in the second year. The Prophet's Mansion in Guangxi, and then to Boryeong. The third son of Zhang Shaotong, the current superintendent. ”

Zhang Shaotong, the current deputy envoy for education, is the champion of Wanli, in charge of Sichuan Province's schools, student assessments, imperial examinations and other affairs, known as the great master. He is noble and plain, has an excellent face, and does not like to make friends. Although he does not cling to the palace, he never causes trouble. How could his son take the initiative to oppose the king's house?

"It turned out to be the son of the Great Grandmaster, no wonder! Mr. He went to tell Master Li about it. The sponsorship fee of this Baoning mansion, the palace is not good to pay to the governor's yamen! Write another letter to He Yongnian. Tell him that if Governor Zhang sends someone to my Wangzhuang to collect taxes and call back to this son, he will not die! Okay, please continue to talk about Zhuangzi. Zhu Pingjin commanded with his eyes closed. At present, the contacts sent by Zhu Pingjin and Liao Daheng are He Youyi and Master Li.

"Obey! The minister thought that although Langzhong was a government city, it was not conducive to our troops, and it was too dazzling under the nose of the government. If you want to smash down an iron nail, it will be used as a base for future troops. There is a place for the prince to consider. ”

"Mr. He, please speak." Zhu Pingjin opened his eyes.

"The new deal dam in the southern county of Boryeong Province!"

Why choose New Deal Dam in Southern County? He Youyi explained that he had a good friend, Wu Tai, the second son of Wu Yuying's concubine in the Hu Ke Affair. Wu He's two families belong to Lizhou Weijun, and Wu He's two families were originally world friends. Wu Yuying became friends with his father when he was a teenager. Although the Wu family is a military member, it is a scholarly family for generations. Wu Yuying himself was born in the first year of Chongzhen. At the beginning of the year, Wu Yuying returned to his hometown, and Wu Tai returned home.

A few days ago, Wu Tai came to the provincial capital and had a drink with He Youyi. While half-drunk, Wu Tai criticized all kinds of images of the death of the country. When he heard that He Youyi had entered the palace to do things, he was surprised at first, but when he heard that the prince was doing all kinds of things, he couldn't stop being fascinated. Wu Tai's mother was originally a maid of the Wu family, and she died after giving birth to Wu Tai. Xingxu's Wu family gave some money, and his mother's family also bought a hundred and ten acres of land in Xinzheng Dam in Nanfang County. It's a pity that his mother's family is thin, and Wu Tai's uncle died of illness recently, leaving only his aunt and little daughter, and the Xinzheng Dam field is unmanaged. ”

"Wu Tai wants to dedicate his land to the palace on behalf of his uncle's family?" Zhu Pingjin asked.

"Exactly! The New Deal has been there many times. This place is on the left bank of the Jialing River, and it is a dry dock. It is only 70 miles away from the southern county seat, and it is there after crossing the Jialing River. The Jialing River stretches from Zhaohua County (Note 3) to Hechuan County, with a thousand miles of river, wide water and flat beaches, and a soothing river flow, which is an ideal place for boating. Starting from the Xinzheng Dam, you can go up the river to the southern county town and Boryeong Mansion; Going down the river, you can go to Pengzhou and Shunqing Mansion, and the New Deal Dam is just in the middle of the two prefectures. Along the mountain road north for about 100 miles, you will arrive at Yilong County. About 200 miles to the north, you will reach Bazhou.

The terrain around the Xinzheng Dam is flat, and there are more than 10,000 acres of fertile land around, which is enough to supply grain and grass for the garrison. Surrounded by mountains outside the field, if you set up a fort, it is enough to protect yourself. Several local gentry such as Li and Zhou have been repeatedly attacked and harassed by bandits, and they have been continuously disturbed for many years. They also invited soldiers to suppress thieves, but the government ......"

"The location of the area is excellent, and it can be in the middle; Control the river, self-production is abundant, and the supply is cheap. The terrain is dangerous, which can save the defensive force. This is a geographical advantage. Far away from the rule of Boryeong Prefecture, it was supported by the local gentry and common people. This is a person and a ......," Zhu Pingjin moved his fingers to count the benefits of the New Deal Dam. At this time, he did not realize that after hundreds of years, the new Zhengba would become the new county seat of Yilong County (Note 4).

"Business here should be very prosperous!" Zhu Pingjin looked at He Youyi and said suddenly.

"The son of the world sees thousands of miles!" He Youyi said with a smile, "Otherwise, why would a merchant who sells soy sauce and vinegar often haunt here?" ”

He Youyi said it funny, and several people in the staff department laughed.

"In the future, the CIA will also send someone to set up a point!" Zhu Pingjin straightened his color, instructed Liu Mingsheng, and then warned He Youyi:

"If Guangyuan, Bazhou, and Dazhou are the first line of defense, then the Jialing River is the second line of defense! This line of defense cannot be lost, and if any county town in the middle is lost, we must immediately counterattack and take it back as soon as possible! You must know that once the local tyrants cross the Jialing River, the poison is not a matter of a few states and counties. Do you understand? ”

Together with He Youyi, the five of them replied in unison: Understood!

Zhu Pingjin nodded. After several people said goodbye, Zhu Pingjin left He Youyi alone.

"We can't take someone else's house for nothing. To pay, it is to be paid at twice the market price. Zhu Pingjin commanded, and at the same time wrote the warrant with a quill pen, "Find Miss Luo and ask for money!" ”

"Commandment."

"The generals who lead the army, the troops dispatched, the supply of grain and grass, these military staff departments must carefully consider and write a note and present it. Fighting along the river requires the cooperation of the naval army. In addition to cargo ships carrying food personnel, there must also be lightweight, agile and fast warships! With that, Zhu Pingjin got up and took out a piece of paper from the cabinet behind him and handed it to He Youyi.

A rowing boat was drawn on paper.

"This is a sampan designed by Motoko. There are oars and rudders. Ten people paddled, one person stood on the bow of the boat to support the bamboo pole, and one person sat on the stern of the boat to steer the boat. The first one had a small cannon each, two people per cannon, and a boat with a total of sixteen people. According to the establishment of the navy, a boat is a row. ”

Seeing what He Youyi was still looking for on the map, Zhu Pingjin smiled and said: "This world is suspicious, and the cannon has not yet been drawn." Mr. He first found a boat owner outside the city to order one and experimented in Jinjiang. The position of the head and tail cannons should be weighted, and each should be equipped with 200 catties of iron. Those weapons are still hidden in the Qiongshan Mountains, and now we have no guns, and we are not enough armor and weapons. First find Mr. Cheng and Master Li, and think of buying a batch from the governor's yamen and the five guards. This son will approve another 5,000 taels, and ask Miss Luo for money, but it is not enough to come to this son again. ”

"Obey the order!" He Youyi took the warrant and was about to go out, but Zhu Pingjin hurriedly asked him not to be busy.

"That Wu Tai, if he has the ability and is willing to endure hardships, let him post and wait to see him!"

"Subordinate Wu Tai knocks on the prince!" He Youyi hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. Recommending the new deal, he can't say that he doesn't have a little selfishness.

"Lord He, please get up!" Zhu Pingjian's title made He Youyi stunned.

"This son of the world should first congratulate Lord He! Mr. Liu, a relative of the governor of Lord Liao, sent a private message and gave the prince of the world a good idea in advance. The governor yamen recommended you as the deputy envoy of the inspection of Feixian Pass, and the officials have already approved it! The official documents of the imperial court are approaching. As soon as the official document arrives, Lord Naga is a serious court official! ”

"The minister is not uncommon to see what kind of official body of the bird court, the minister is willing to follow the son of the world for the rest of his life and achieve a career!" He Youyi knelt down.

Zhu Pingjin patted He Youyi's back with great satisfaction.

"It's rare for my monarch and minister to know each other! Let's encourage you and me! ”

Note 1: Luzhou and Hunan are stationed in Luzhou and Xuzhou respectively (now Yibin City); Lizhou Wei was stationed in Guangyuan.

Note 2: The tradition of erecting the Jialing River pontoon bridge in Langzhong in winter lasted until the fifties of the last century.

Note 3: Zhaohua County is now the ancient city of Zhaohua, not Zhaohua District, Guangyuan City.

Note 4: The county governance of Yilong County has been migrated several times in the past dynasties, and since the Tang Dynasty, the county governance has always been stable in the golden town on the mountainside of Jincheng Mountainside in Yilong County, known as the small mountain city. In 2005, the county was moved to the current Xinzheng Town. Xinzheng Town used to belong to Nanfang County, and it was only assigned to Yilong County in 1978.