Li Yanqing and his entourage left Jiangdu County at noon that day and continued southward, but they walked very slowly, and the fleet had not yet reached the Yangtze River for half a day.

This is also normal, they now need to find a few more ferries to cross the Yangtze River to transport their soldiers and war horses across the river, so at least tomorrow will not be able to set off.

That night, Li Yanqing met Zhang Shun, who had just rushed back, on the passenger ship, and Zhang Shun had actually crossed the Yangtze River yesterday morning, but he was not in a hurry to go to Jiangdu to report to Li Yanqing, and he had to wait for news from several other subordinates from Jiangning Mansion.

"Qiyu Dutong, as soon as he got the news, Red's fleet is waiting on the river outside Jiangning Mansion, they must be waiting for Dutong and want to intercept it on the river."

Li Yanqing nodded, turned his head to Cao Sheng on the side and said with a smile: "I got the news of Yan Qing at noon, Xiang Zongliang, the head of the Xiang family, appeared in Jiangning Mansion, and now Jiangning Mansion has gathered 80,000 troops, what do you think they want to do?" ”

Cao Sheng's face changed, "Could it be that they are ready to raise the flag and rebel?" ”

"I guess so! But it can't be called a rebellion, it should be called Qingjun's side, or called Kuang Fu Sheji, I heard that the Xiang family found a three-year-old clan disciple Zhao Bogui in Hangzhou, if they can't set up the king of Daning County, it is estimated that they will set up this child as the new king. ”

"Are they going to target you first?" Cao Sheng asked worriedly.

Li Yanqing smiled faintly: "After catching me, they will raise troops, I think it should be like this!" ”

"So what do we do now?"

Li Yanqing thought about it for a while, and then asked Zhang Shundao: "Is there a way to solve this naval army?" ”

The navy is across the river, although it can also be bypassed, but the line from Jiangning to Runzhou is an extremely important strategic point, even if you bypass it yourself, the material ships and grain ships cannot bypass, and it is the solution to solve this navy once and for all.

Zhang Shun smiled slightly and said, "Can you know why Lei De doesn't dare to expand his power to the middle reaches of the Yangtze River?" ”

"Why?" Li Yanqing was puzzled for a while.

Mo Jun next to him suddenly smiled: "Could it be that they are afraid of the Jiayu County Water Army?" ”

Li Yanqing suddenly remembered that he had left a local navy and township soldiers in Jiayu County back then.

"Is that really the case?" Li Yanqing asked curiously.

Zhang Shun nodded, "Red wanted to expand westward twice, but he was folded in the hands of the Jiayu County Water Army, and his younger brother Lei Wu died in Jiayu County. ”

Li Yanqing was overjoyed, he really didn't expect that the naval army he founded still existed, and he hurriedly asked: "How many people and how many ships are there in this naval army now?" ”

"Back to the capital, this naval army is now renamed the Ezhou Naval Army, which is the township soldiers of Ezhou, with a number of about 800 people and about 150 large and small ships."

Li Yanqing frowned, "Just now you said that Red has expanded its army to three thousand people, trained troops in Taihu Lake, and has hundreds of ships, and the strength of the Ezhou Navy can now fight with them?" ”

"With Red's current strength, it's indeed a bit difficult, but I can find some friends on the road to join, plus the lowly old department, I can fight with them."

Of course, Li Yanqing knew what Zhang Shun meant by the above-mentioned person, that is, referring to the water thief, although he could be informal, but he had to make some principled issues clear.

"Of course I'm very grateful that your friends are willing to come to help, but I don't want to be caught by officialdom opponents in the future, do you think they have any chance of recruiting An?"

Zhang Shun thought for a while and said: "They were recruited by the imperial court in the past, but later the imperial court did not believe in their words, and said that they were recruited, I am afraid that they will resist in their hearts." ”

Li Yanqing's heart moved, and he hurriedly asked, "Could it be that they used to be Liang Shanjun?" ”

Zhang Shun nodded, "It is the old department of the Liangshan Army, led by the three brothers, surnamed Ruan." ”

Li Yanqing laughed, "Could it be Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu and Ruan Xiaoqi?" ”

Zhang Shun was stunned, "Do you all know them?" ”

"Of course I know, especially Ruan Xiaoer, who has an old relationship with me, where are they now?"

"It's in Chuzhou!"

Chuzhou is just north of Yangzhou, you can arrive on horseback for a day, Li Yanqing immediately wrote a military order, ordering his subordinates to hurry to Ezhou to send a letter to transfer troops, and he ordered Hu Qing'er to lead fifty female soldiers to stay in Yangzhou to protect the two emperors, let Cao Sheng assist Zhizhou Han Baolin to stabilize the situation in Yangzhou, and he himself and Zhang Shun led three hundred cavalry to Chuzhou overnight.

..........

Chuzhou from the Sui and Tang dynasties because of the opening of the canal prosperity, the increasingly developed canal economy makes Chuzhou thousands of sails to connect, four times continuous, so Bai Juyi has a poem it is 'the first state in the southeast of Huaishui'.

Chuzhou inland river network is dense, there are Hongze Lake and Sheyang Lake such a big lake, there are large tidal flats by the seaside, it is currently an important salt production area of the Song Dynasty, the lifting tea and salt division of Huainan East Road is located in Chuzhou, there are not only official salt fields here, more is the salt fields of the people, the Song Dynasty encourages private capital to enter industry and commerce, so that the salt industry is very developed, but since ancient times, the salt is monopolized by the imperial court, and the salt is also purchased by the imperial court at present, and then resold to the salt merchants, and the difference in the middle is the salt profit collected by the imperial court.

"The current public identity of the three Ruan brothers is the owner of the big salt field in Chuzhou, who owns thousands of hectares of salt fields, but only we insiders know that these three brothers are behind the Chuzhou Little Salt Society."

There are two salt societies in Chuzhou, respectively called the Big Salt Society and the Small Salt Society, the Big Salt Society, also known as the Salt Chamber of Commerce, is a spontaneous organization of the people, mainly salt merchants, under the jurisdiction of the Tea and Salt Division, strictly speaking, it belongs to the half-official and half-civilian organization, and the Small Salt Society is also called the Salt Gang, which is actually the organization of private salt dealers, and it is also called the Salt Boss in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and Zhang Shicheng is a famous leader of the Salt Gang at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

"Since it's an organization of smugglers, it must be armed, right?" Li Yanqing asked with a smile.

Zhang Shun nodded, "Yes, it is a naval army of 800 people, 300 large and small ships, it is said that the three Ruan brothers brought it out from Liangshan, this naval army is very good at fighting, but they did not rob houses and houses, nor did they block the road and rob merchant ships, and more importantly, the government can't beat them, so the government also turns a blind eye to them." ”

"So what does this navy usually do?"

"The main thing is to protect property, and there is also to escort some important salt gang ships in and out of Chuzhou."

Li Yanqing nodded, "Are the three of their brothers all on the beach now?" ”

Zhang Shun pointed to the county seat of Baoying in front of him and said with a smile: "They are now living in the county seat in front of them. ”

Seeing that Du Tong was a little puzzled, Zhang Shun explained with a smile: "The mother of the three Ruan brothers is not in good health, and it is not suitable for the old lady to live by the sea, and the three brothers are all filial people, so they built a big mansion in Baoying County, and the three brothers lived here as the owners of the big salt field." ”

At this time, Li Yanqing already had a plan in his heart, he smiled, and accelerated his horse speed to run towards the county seat in front.

..........

Baoying County is a small county, but it is close to the canal, the canal economy is also quite developed, mainly warehousing, ship repair, inns, restaurants, brothels and other industries and shops, Zhang Shun did not enter the city, but stopped at about three miles north of the county, here the green willows are shady, the environment is quiet, a small river leads directly to the canal, there is a large mansion with white walls and black tiles by the river, covering an area of at least more than 20 acres, just repaired for a few years, the door is a wharf, and seven or eight small boats were parked on the wharf.

"Dutong, this is it!"

Zhang Shun turned over and dismounted, stepped forward to knock on the door, Li Yanqing asked the cavalry not to approach, so as not to misunderstand the other party, he also slowly stepped forward, only to see a plaque hanging on the door, on which the word 'Ruan Fu' was written.

At this time, the side door creaked open, and an old man looked in, "Who are you looking for?" ”

"Uncle Wen, don't you know me? I'm Ah Shun! ”

The old man immediately recognized Zhang Shun and said with a smile: "It turned out to be Brother Shun, I haven't seen him for several years, and I can't recognize it." ”

He looked at Li Yanqing again, "This is—"

Li Yanqing said with a smile: "I am an old acquaintance of the second master, come and visit him." ”

"It turned out to be a friend of the second master, please come in!"

Li Yanqing and Zhang Shun walked into the courtyard, and the housekeeper looked around again, and then closed the door.

"Come with me, two of you!"

The housekeeper walked towards the guest hall with the two of them, and Zhang Shun asked with a smile, "Are the three masters all?" ”

"The second and fifth masters are at home, and the seventh master has gone to the salt farm, but he should also come back today."

The two walked into the guest hall, the housekeeper invited them to sit down, and asked the maid to serve tea, he smiled and said: "The two of you sit for a while, I will go to report to the fifth and second masters!" ”

At this time, Zhang Shun asked in a low voice: "I heard that Dutong also participated in the extermination of the Liangshan army, is it true?" ”

Li Yanqing smiled and nodded, "The rout of the Liangshan army is half of my reason, what, is there a problem?" ”

"The main reason is that the imperial court reversed itself at that time, and I was afraid that they would not have trust in the imperial court."

"This can only be talked about."

At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside, and someone laughed urgently: "Which fragrant wind blew King Shunlong?" ”

I saw a burly man walk into the guest hall, his skin was slightly dark, he had a square face, and his eyes were blazing, Li Yanqing recognized him at a glance, it was Ruan Xiaoer.

Ruan Xiaoer walked into the lobby, laughed and hugged Zhang Shun, and then looked at Li Yanqing, he couldn't help but be a little stunned, and asked with a smile: "This friend seems to be a little familiar, where have we met?" ”