Chapter Eighty-Four: The Plan to the South, the Return of Hexi

After listening to Ouyang He and Chen Yufeng's words, Zhang Zhimu did not speak, he knew that because of his arrival, Huang Taiji did not launch a new attack in Shanhaiguan, nor did he overwork, so he lived a few more years. Now the situation on the Manchu side is just following the original trajectory, and it has been pushed back for a few years, and the basic trajectory has not changed. The changes in the Ming Dynasty are too great, Li Zicheng not only did not enter Beijing, but also did not even keep the old nest in Shaanxi. But would the Manchus march in a big way? It is estimated that it will not, because the power of Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty has not been completely destroyed by Li Zicheng, not to mention that our Yaogang people continue to support them, their strength has not been weakened, and it is still increasing. Because we have sheltered them from all the wind and rain, the court has been slowing down in recent years. However, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will not be idle anymore. Dorgon will definitely take advantage of his power to make a difference. The original history is that this Dolgon commanded the Qing army to enter the customs. So we can't afford not to pay attention to this aspect yet. He must not be allowed to influence our entire plan.

Zhang Zhimu didn't speak, and the other people in the room didn't bother him. Zhang Zhimu suddenly found that he was distracted again, and immediately smiled and said, "There will be no movement on the Manchu side this year." Because they had to spend time on funerals, Dorgon also needed time to consolidate his power. They just want to attack and they need to prepare. Besides, we won't spend two million taels of silver a year in vain. Even if the Manchu Qing Dynasty attacked, the emperor should also make some efforts. ”

Chen Yufeng said: "We can't be careless, Zhou Yuji hasn't left yet, the cavalry on their side can't relax, once something happens, they can react quickly." ”

"I don't think we have to worry about them," Mr. Zhang said, "militarily speaking, we don't have to be afraid of them at all." I just want to deal with them after I finish solving the Central Plains, and I don't want them to disrupt our overall plan of action. ”

"Then in addition to paying more attention to intelligence, we must be prepared to support Shanhaiguan," Ouyang He said, "In fact, there is no need for any other weapons, I think we can just give them some to defend the city by capturing Li Zicheng and their **." However, we will not give it until the emperor asks us for help. ”

"Hmm!" Chen Yufeng nodded and said, "Good idea, those things are enough to deal with the Manchu Qing." ”

"I don't think we will worry about the Manchu Qing Dynasty for now," Mr. Zhang said, "and our next target will be Henan, Huguang, and even the entire vast area north of the Yangtze River." Because there are no obvious obstacles in that area, like the border on the Shaanxi side. Therefore, when we attack, it is absolutely impossible to only attack Henan or Huguang in some areas. We must consider the whole of Jiangbei in an all-round way. I have already asked Li Mao to recruit more cadres over there. We will also continue to train managers. ”

"Mr. Zhang, although the emperor still urges us to attack south, but if we attack south, I think the emperor is already worried about it. They have repeatedly strengthened the defense forces of Taihang Badao, which shows that they are no longer at ease with us. Ouyang He said, "We must solve the matter on the other side of the Qinshui River in a short time." Before going south, solve the worries of Datong in that direction. At the same time, those officials who returned to Shanxi and Shaanxi were strictly guarded, and those who did not follow the rules were directly sent to prison. We have to keep them down, or they'll get us in a lot of trouble. For those former officials, officials and the like, if there is any dissatisfaction, there is no need to be polite. There must be strong means. ”

"What Mr. Ouyang said is," Zhang Zhimu said, "those people sent back by the imperial court this time must be prepared." However, in this world, we rely on strength to speak, and the bottom line of the court is that we dare not and do not want to fall out with us. So we still have to remove distractions and do our own things well. ”

"Regarding the matter of going south, Mr. Chen and I have been researching." Ouyang He said, "We now have a unified view that it is better to go both ways. One way out of the Qinling Mountains from Wuguan, the other road along the Luohe River to Luoyang, the two roads go straight to the Yangtze River. This is the general idea, and the specific line of advance will have to be studied in detail, and it will also be determined according to the situation in the entire south when we attack. ”

"I won't interfere in military matters, you and Uncle Chen can watch it." Zhang Zhimu said, "But we may take Hanzhong a little earlier." After we take Hanzhong, can the west road start from Hanzhong, so that we can advance along the Han River, our naval warships can completely provide cover along the Han River, and military grain and grass materials can also rely on the Han River to transport. ”

"Huh!" Chen Yufeng said with a smile, "It seems that Zhimu is going to transfer water from the Jialing River to really do it." If that's the case, of course. However, I always feel that giving Li Zicheng a year is not enough time for him. If we send troops to Hanzhong too early, it will involve the energy of the prince. ”

"The initiative in this matter is ours, and before I act, we will evaluate the pros and cons." Zhang Zhimu said, "We can even tell Li Zicheng that we took Hanzhong for the water diversion project." Send him a reassuring pill. ”

"Mr. Zhang is also an expert in strategy!" Ouyang He exclaimed, "In short, the initiative is in our hands. Now all sides do not understand our delay in making a big move, and only we know where we are missing. We still have to be steady in this matter. It's a great idea to get a place down and it's our rear. We're going to stick to it, piece by piece. ”

"Li Zhi and Li Mao are also very effective in their work, and in Henan and Huguang and other places, we basically control the military deployment of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong." Chen Yufeng said, "The next thing is that Qin Peng and they need to make a more detailed plan." The fact that we are so successful in Shaanxi is the result of our careful planning. However, during this period, our army not only fought well in the Hehuang area and the Hexi Corridor, but also pacified and governed the people very effectively. I think that the dual-chief official system we have practiced is still effective, and many of those political cadres have participated in the work team, and they all have experience in working in local areas for a short time. I think I still have to use this method. In the next step, Shaanxi will hold local elections and other work, and we can also organize military cadres to participate. It's a workout for them. It will be beneficial for them to participate in local governance in the future. ”

"Uncle Chen is right, we have time to prepare cadres step by step in some places, and we can take over after the fight. In the future, not all places will be able to follow our plan. Zhang Zhimu said, "It is very likely that there will be many places where our army will be defeated and the army will be managed." Therefore, our army must be able to fight the world as well as rule the world. Now Uncle Chen and Mr. Ouyang are mainly focusing on training officers and studying the matter of going south. ”

"You can rest assured that a lot of things are already being done." Ouyang He said, "Through the westward expedition, our team has been tempered, and we are also summarizing the shortcomings. We also feel that there is still a lot of work that needs to be improved. For example, the use of artillery by our infantry is still at a very simple level, and these need to be strengthened in the course of future training. ”

When Yan Boju and his party returned to Yaogang, it was already September. They took a boat from Lanzhou, and after arriving in Baotou, they took the train directly back to Yaogang.

Zhang Zhimu, Chen Yufeng, Ouyang He and others all went to the train station to pick them up.

As soon as the train stopped, Yan Boju was the first to get off. Zhang Zhimu and the others greeted him. At a glance, you can see that Yan Boju and they have traveled a lot of places in the past few months, and they have become tanned. But the spirit seems to be exceptionally good.

Seeing that everyone was coming, Yan Boju squeezed his little eyes and said with a smile: "Hehe! We're all here, and I've asked you to pick us up. ”

"Uncle Yan has worked hard! How many miles have you come this way? Zhang Zhimu went over and held Yan Boju's hand and said.

"Hey, hey! It's hard work, but it's happy. Yan Boju said, "Seeing that all the good places are ours, my heart is beautiful, if I don't think about my family." We still want to walk around. ”

After greeting Yan Boju, Zhang Zhimu shook hands with Lu Chengxiang, Lu Bingyi, and Yan Xing, who got off the car behind.

Zhang Zhimu saw that everyone was a little dark and thin, but they were all in excellent spirits. In fact, Zhang Zhimu still wanted to see Xiao Hongyu, but it was not his turn, so Xiao Hongyu was picked up by Huang Yukun and Yang Yulin. Xiao Hongyu: This time, they brought the families of the generals who had surrendered from the Dashun army on the Hexi side. Huang Yukun and Sister-in-law Xu were responsible for the placement of the family members.

Although Xiao Hongyu accompanied those family members along the way, she also introduced them to a lot of kiln gangs. But the things introduced by Xiao Hongyu are far beyond their imagination, and it is difficult for them to understand. From making a ship to taking a train, it was a novelty for them. When they arrived at Yaogang, if it weren't for the fact that Xiao Hongyu, who was already familiar with them along the way, accompanied them, they would be even more confused.

The first thing Chen Yufeng said when he saw Yan Boju was, "Old thing, this time you are so beautiful that you are in the sky." Did you encounter any good horses? ”

"That's less, the Western Regions have produced good horses since ancient times." Yan Boju said, "Li Kui and Ning De both promised to help me get a good horse." ”

The first thing Lu Chengxiang said when he saw Zhang Zhimu was, "Mr. Zhang, we didn't go in vain this time, Hexi and Hehuang areas are definitely not a simple desolate place." It's a treasure land that can produce a lot of silver. ”

Zhang Zhimu said to everyone: "Everyone, let's talk slowly, you see, your family is waiting for you." Let's go home and make arrangements first, and we'll talk about it in detail after drinking together in the evening. ”

Chen Yufeng also said: "Yes, yes, you see, your family is in a hurry. This walk is a few months, and the family has long thought about it. ”

Several giants in Yaogang haven't gotten together for a long time to drink, and tonight they finally got together again.

However, Yan Boju was the first to find out that Qiu Laodong's family did not come, "Hey, I said Zhimu!" Why isn't that old Qiu owner here? ”

Zhang Zhimu smiled and said, "You are not at home, Old Uncle Qiu has gone to Qinshui by himself." ”

"What! Are they starting to make trouble? Yan Boju knew that something was likely to happen over there.

"Yes, those guys and the officials sent back by the imperial court want to make some small moves. We looked into it, and since they can't wait, we don't have to wait until after the tax to settle them. Old Qiu's family brought people over. Zhang Zhimu said.

"Huh! Old Qiu's family is old and spicy enough, enough for them to look at. Yan Boju nodded.

Chen Yufeng interjected: "It's been a few months, and the old owner Qiu hasn't done it, so I don't know what it means. However, when he was leaving, he said, "You can't rush him, but follow his rules." We never asked him about it. ”

"It's okay," Ouyang He said, "We have Yang Jing over there following Qiu Laodong's house, and we also went to an infantry regiment and a cavalry regiment. With our current strength, no one dares to help us. Don't worry. Let's talk about your journey west. ”

Chen Yufeng also said: "Yes, yes! Let's talk about you. ”

Yan Boju said: "We left Xi'an and went through Guyuan to Lanzhou, first to Xining in the Hehuang region, and then to Jiayuguan. Then I came back to Lanzhou, took the boat to Baotou, and then took the train and came back. Yan Boju said very simply.

"You old thing, it's over in a few months?" Chen Yufeng was not satisfied.

Lu Bingyi smiled and said: "This way has come, and I can't finish it in a few days." ”

Zhang Zhimu asked: "Why can our ship get to Lanzhou now?" Didn't you say it would take the end of the year? ”

Lu Bingyi said: "Now the river is still narrow, and after our tugboat arrives in Ningxiawei, we can only reach Lanzhou with a few barges." Our engineer regiment is now widening that section of the river, and the tugboat will be able to climb normally. ”

"That's great, you should tell Li Yunhe that you have to transport the two megawatt generators and boilers and other large things that Li Kui and Ningde want to Lanzhou before they freeze, and when they freeze, they can use a climbing plow to transport the equipment over." This means that they can get electricity a year in advance. Zhang Zhimu immediately thought of the fact that Li Kui and Ningde both asked to build a power plant.

"I agree with Mr. Zhang's opinion, I read it, we have to give them electricity as soon as possible, and the telegraph phone must also be installed." Lu Bingyi said, "In that case, our western border passes can not only be defended well, but also built well." ”

"Mr. Lu, you still tell me what are the results of your investigation of the Huangshui and Datong rivers over there?" Zhang Zhimu is very concerned about the water transportation problem over there.

"Okay," Lu Bingyi said, "this time I went to Lanzhou, and I talked to the engineer commander who was in charge of dredging the river, and they also had an old boatman hired by Ningde. They are well aware of the situation of the Yellow River. After dredging the river from Ningxia to Lanzhou this year, they will continue to dredge upstream. As far back as the Han Dynasty, the upper reaches of the Yellow River could be navigated to Guide (Guide). However, I suggested that they first dredge the upper reaches of Lanzhou to the mouth of the Huangshui River, and then dredge the Huangshui. I took a look, and the problem with Huangshui is that there is too much sediment deposited and silts up the river. It needs to be dredged with a sand dredging boat, and I think it is completely possible to dredge the river to Xining, and then dredge the Datong River. The Datong River is also blocked by sediment accumulation. In this case, I suggest that Li Kui and the others immediately start to control soil erosion, and we will send a few more sand dredging boats over. It won't be long before we can take a boat from Hequ to Xining. I think there are only two sand dredging boats digging sand in the western section of the Yellow River, which is far from enough. We need to increase the capacity to build sand dredging boats, and the shipyard in the meanders will be expanded. Lu Bingyi was very excited when he said it. His words also made Zhang Zhimu very excited.

Seeing that Zhang Zhimu and everyone listened with relish, Lu Bingyi also came to the spirit, "Mr. Zhang, I visited some local old people with General Li Kui in Xining. They were very happy to hear that we should step up the construction of the western region. They made a suggestion which I thought was very good. There are two routes on our Silk Road, both of which go to Xining, to Datong and then to Obao, across the Qilian Mountains to Biandukou, and then to Ganzhou (Zhangye), and then along the Hexi Corridor to the west. So they suggested that we build this road. I also think that if we can build this road, then our road to the Western Regions will be much easier. In particular, if we dredge the Datong River, many of our goods can be transported to the Datong River by water, and from there it will be much more convenient to cross the Qilian Mountains and then to the Hexi Corridor. At that time, it was easy for goods and people on the Hexi Corridor to enter and exit. ”

"That's a great idea!" Zhang Zhimu said.

"I have discussed this matter with General Li Kui and General Ningde, and they all said that if conditions permit, we should open up this road." Lu Bingyi said, "It is said that the ancient road is really narrow, and when it crosses the Qilian Mountains from Obao to the north, 'people cannot stand side by side, horses cannot be bridled, and only a single horse can be walked.'" We need to widen the road. ”

"Mr. Lu, your suggestion can be considered. We have a lot of advantages over our predecessors to open up the road, and we can now produce in large quantities**. We can send out sappers to blow up rocks. Zhang Zhimu said, "However, the construction of Hexi side needs to be done in detail according to the priorities." ”

At this time, Lu Chengxiang spoke, "Mr. Zhang, I also followed this time." I don't think it's just a place to spend money, it's also a place where you can produce silver. Let's talk about the Hehuang Valley, as long as it is well managed, it will be a large grain-producing area, and if we give them enough fertilizer, grain production can be greatly increased. If the transportation can be done well, the cattle and sheep products there can be turned into silver. In particular, after our wool processing capacity comes up, the wool there is a treasure. This time, I plan to immediately send people to Xining, Ganzhou, and Suzhou to set up branches, and strive to open up the Silk Road. ”

Yan Xing interjected: "Militarily, after ensuring the stability of the frontier, the economic environment there can also recover quickly. However, when I come back this time, I will prepare to send some cadres there to them. I think Mr. Lu's branch will be advancing with us. In the past, everyone thought that it was a desolate and poor place, because the transportation was inconvenient, and there were good things in the local area that could not be transported, so they could not be turned into silver, and there was no silver to buy good things outside. We grasped the root and solved the problem. It quickly became rich. ”

"By the way, this time I went to see the matter of fierce fire oil. I was there and the original Tun army to find out if there was a fierce fire oil in Yumen, and they said that there was one in Suzhou (Jiuquan), and I also found that many local springs could not be drunk, because there was often fierce fire oil coming out there. Lu Bingyi said, "I talked to General Ningde about the fierce fire oil. He said to stabilize it, so he sent people out of Jiayuguan and went to Yumen to find fierce fire oil. Because now Yumen is no longer the territory of the Ming Dynasty, and there are Mongols over there. We used to need to be prepared. However, the locals know that Yumen has a lot of fierce fire oil. I see that when the transportation conditions are good, we can send people to dig wells and explore. ”

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Mt. Fuji erupted, Japan was earthquaked. --Progress of "Memories of the Southern Song Dynasty".