In the Yangtze River water system, a knee-deep stream during the dry season can become a large river during the wet season. The lush reeds on both sides of the river channel cover many rivers and lakes. The labyrinthine river provides an excellent hiding place for water bandits.

Changzhou at night. Ten Houhu flat boats, which are common on the Yangtze River, swing out of the small river bay. In order not to be obtrusive, all the boats did not hang their sails and sailed with only two rows.

Liang Xiaobai sat in the warehouse without intention, walked out of the canopy built by the reed mat, and looked up, the moon was obscured by dark clouds, providing a good cover for tonight's trading.

The flotilla made a few turns in the river and sailed into the wide river. On the opposite bank, in a hidden bay, four river boats are moored.

On the code incision, Liang Xiaobai walked into the other party's cabin, looked up, but found that the person who came did not know.

"Why didn't Brother Leng come?"

"Gongding was asked by the boss to do something else, and this time the transaction with Brother Liang will be in charge of us."

"Brother's surname?"

"Liu, Brother Liang can call me into Qing."

Liang Xiaobai nodded slightly and said, "A total of 800 stone summer grain, please count it with Brother Liu." ”

Liu Jinqing smiled and signaled that there was no need to do it, he handed over a leather bag, "2,000 taels of silver, Brother Liang, please take it." ”

Liang Xiaobai took a step back, "This is the military rations that my family donated to the soldiers, I don't need money." ”

Liu Jinqing shook his head and said, "Brother Liang, the boss specially asked me to let Brother Liang accept this money." Donation is not a long-term solution, business is the foundation of our long-term cooperation. ”

Liang Xiaobai's face changed slightly, "I'm not a person who makes a fortune. ”

Liu Jinqing said: "Brother Liang, this is not a difficult fortune. The boss said you are our friend and we never let our friend suffer. The boss said that only when friends are well developed, can they fight the enemy as an important means. ”

Liang Xiaobai still wanted to refuse, but Liu Jinqing had already slammed it to the ground, "Please Brother Liang must accept it." Liu knew that Brother Liang was raising food in the occupied areas of the Tatars and risking it in our hands, and the hardships were not enough for outsiders. If you don't accept this silver, let Liu be at ease. ”

Liang Xiaobai was silent, and for several months, he had been running around and almost out of shape. Because of the extensive cultivation of cash crops, there is no surplus of grain in Jiangnan. In previous years, grain prices basically remained at a high level of two taels of silver with one stone, and since the rise of the southern army, they have risen steadily. It is only recently that the summer grain has been on the market and has declined. In order to collect more than 800 stones of grain, Liang Xiaobai worried a lot.

The two walked out of the cabin side by side, and the boatman had already begun to transfer the ship's grain. A bag of rice weighs more than 100 kilograms, and the boatman carries a bag on his back each time, walking between the gangplanks of the boat, and the speed of transfer is very fast. Liu Jinqing looked at the hourglass, it would definitely be finished before dawn.

"Brother Liang, don't come in person next time. Find an unwitting middleman, even if you pay a little more. ”

Liang Xiaobai nodded, "It's hard to find the right person, let's do our best." ”

Liu Jinqing: "Chongming got the news that the Tatars will open a township test in Nanzhili in October. The first township test Tartar will not be too strict, and the status of the first batch of people will be relatively high. Please ask Brother Liang to endure the humiliation and participate in this township test. It would be more beneficial for our cooperation if there was a cover for the identity of a Tartar official. ”

Liang Xiaobai sighed slightly, "Please rest assured, boss, I will definitely pass this township test." ”

Since the fall of Nanjing, Liang Xiaobai's mood has risen and fallen. If a month ago, he had been asked to take the Tartar township test, he would have scolded the person who made the suggestion. But the recent situation has changed quickly, first Hangzhou was lost, King Lu of the prison country was captured, and the woman from Hangzhou was escorted all the way to Nanjing by the Eight Banners, wailing endlessly. Then the Jiangnan rebels swarmed, but under the brutal suppression of the Tatars, they were extinguished one after another. Liang Xiaobai quickly understood that this war could not be ended in the short term, and it was necessary to persevere with perseverance and perseverance.

When all the grain was transferred, Liu Jinqing said: "The boss left a manor for Brother Liang in Nanyang as an additional gift of 10,000 taels of shares for Brother Liang's stake in the Taiwan Development Bank. If Brother Liang feels dangerous, don't hesitate to go to sea immediately. Brother Liang, please always remember that you have many friends in Nanyang. ”

……

There are many transactions like Liang Xiaobai's in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

As far as the order is concerned, the grain of the South Seas will not be able to go north until the southerly wind next year. For most of the year between now and then, we must hoard as much food as possible.

The radiation effect of the Yangtze River is obvious, and the orderly procurement in Chongming at any cost has stimulated the grain trade on both sides of the river, and the local government can only control the county seat, and the countryside cannot be tightly controlled. Since the late Ming Dynasty, the gentry like the Liang family have controlled areas outside the county seat through local grassroots governments such as the Inspection Division. At this time, Jianyu did not have an organized sailor, and it was impossible to monitor the complex water system and labyrinthine waterways along the Yangtze River.

As long as you can make money, there will always be someone to do the business of killing heads. Some merchants would transport grain to Chongming, some traded in Jiangwan and Hu, and some traded openly in the market with the tacit or even support of Jianyu officials.

The same is true of the population. The captives and the surrendered army were plundered everywhere, and the army carried more than 100,000 men and women. Most of them were sold at the market, and some lucky ones were bought back by their families. Some women, because of the three holes in their ears, are like the Tartar women with three clamps in one ear, rather than the Han women with one clamp in one ear or only one drop. According to the fugitive law, no one dared to take in these female slaves who had already belonged to Jian. If anyone takes him in, he fills the door, and the whole family is enslaved. However, the officers and soldiers of Jianzhou urgently needed to sell people for silver, which bred a huge black market for the population. Many buyers in the market have direct or indirect connections with Chongming Island,

For Jianyu, there are too many women who have been taken captive now, and there is too little silver in his hands. In general, the selling price is low. Therefore, in some places, although they may have been aware of the final flow of population, the Jianyu, especially the Eight Banners, did not do anything about it. For no other reason, the price of the orderly opening is higher.

In Liaodong back then, the Eight Banners carried Huang Taiji to engage in sea smuggling, but now they are just restarting their old business, and they are very skilled. In comparison, the Green Flag soldiers are timid and can't let go.

……

Chongming Island, inspected the refugee camp in an orderly manner. Several towns in Chongming County have been vacated by Shen Tingyang, and now they are being vacated to accommodate new immigrants. If there is a shortage of housing, it will be solved with tents. The Southern Ming army was scattered, and a lot of baggage was abandoned in the north and south of the Yangtze River, and scattered to the people.

The orderly focus is on the acquisition of military tents. There are enough tents for hundreds of thousands of troops to use, and only a small part of the transactions to Chongming can roughly meet the needs of immigrants. Among the new immigrants were also very skilled in knitting, and they handed them old and broken tents, which were quickly repaired.

Today, most of the refugees on the Daishan and Daqushan islands are also living in tents, where trees are being cut down and stone building materials are being stockpiled for new homes to be built in the future.

The Ming army stationed between the refugee camp and Chongming County was Zhang Pengyi's department, because the three views really did not agree, Zhang Pengyi could not fight with Li Shilian and Zhang Guozhu, so he withdrew to Chongming in advance.

Shou Xian came out of the refugee camp and went directly to find Zhang Pengyi. He has a plan that needs Zhang Pengyi's cooperation.

"General Bojiu."

"Lord of the Kingdom." Zhang Pengyi let Shou Xian into the big tent and served a cup of tea.

Shou Xiang looked around, unlike the general local tyrant Ming who likes to use all kinds of messy things to decorate, Zhang Pengyi has no superfluous furnishings in the tent, which is very simple.

Zhang Pengyi's food was temporarily supplied by Shen Tingyang, and he came to ask him for a favor.

"General Bo Jiu, some time ago I sent a clipper ship north to look for Liu Zeqing, the uncle of Dongping, and my people brought back interesting news. Gao Jinzhong went to Yuntai Mountain, their food was almost exhausted, and they used warships to loot in Jiangbei Prefecture. ”

Zhang Pengyi snorted coldly, "Gao Jinzhong is a bastard who has not achieved enough things and has more than enough failures. ”

Shou Xuan smiled, "It's not just that, in the past few months, Gao Jinzhong has sent people to contact the Jianyu officials in Jiangbei several times, and the Jianzhu has also sent people to Yuntai Mountain twice to preach and ask him to surrender." ”

Zhang Pengyi took the case, "The thief dares!" Lord of the country, has Gao Jinzhong surrendered? ”

Shou ordered to put down the teacup, "Not yet." My people received several deserters from Gaozhen near Yuntai Mountain, and the surrender conditions between Gao Jinzhong and Jianyu had not yet been negotiated, so the Ming army flag was hung on the island. ”

Zhang Pengyi: "What is the attitude of the officers and soldiers of Gaozhen, does the lord of the country know?" ”

According to the deserters, most of the officers and soldiers on the island did not have much idea because of the lack of food for a long time, but some officers and soldiers were resolutely unwilling to surrender. This is also one of the reasons why Gao Jinzhong was unable to surrender to Jianyu for a long time. ”

Zhang Pengyi took two steps back and forth, and Shou Xuan definitely didn't come to chat with him, "What does the lord of the country think?" ”

Shou Xuan smiled: "I wonder if General Bo Jiu would like to go with me to Yuntai Mountain?" The deserter said that there were more than 7,000 officers and soldiers of Gao Jinzhong and other troops in Yuntai Mountain, and there were nearly 100 warships. ”

Zhang Pengyi: "That's right! ”

Shou Xian smiled slightly, the Ming army on Chongming Island had already seen the strength of Shou Xian at sea, which made many people emotionally stable, and cooperated with Shou Xian, but in the end, when it was really not possible, there was one more way to retreat. And sometimes the way out is hope.

Enzo's Zhenjiang went north to reconnoiter this time, and not only brought back the news of Yuntai Mountain, but he also found Liu Zeqing. Liu Zeqing, the dignified Dongpingbo, now has less than 2,000 people left, huddled in a beach wetland near Miaowan. When Enzo sent someone ashore to say that he could take Liu Zeqing away, the high-ranking general of the Ming Dynasty refused. Enzo was not reluctant, and he brought back some people who were determined not to surrender. Liu Zeqing didn't stop either. There were forty or fifty of these people, and the highest status was Lin Qingye, the former commander of the Korean naval division. Lin Qingye's status among the Korean people is comparable to Yue Fei, and he must let everyone know that resisting the Tatars is not a desperate suicide.

After learning the news of Yuntai Mountain, Shou Xuan began to prepare for this trip north. Zhang Pengyi is one of the helpers of the orderly search, to annex Gao Jinzhong's men, it is not enough to have a warship, it must be landed. And the orderly soldiers were either scattered on the ships to escort food and women, or to guard the various camps, and he could not land to deal with the more than 7,000 Ming troops.

Shou Xuan convened a meeting of allies, which was attended by Zhang Pengyi, Shen Tingyang, and the rest of Gao Jie of the Great Yellow Dragon Island. Chongming official army Huang Wuchang, this is a native of Chongming, a friend found by Shen Tingyang. In addition, there are Yang Qianqing, Jin Shiying and Xiao Yuanying's Yuan Anjie.

Before sending troops, the conditions had to be negotiated. As long as money and civilians are served, the officers and soldiers on the island are divided among several families. There are many people in Gao Jinzhong's department who are veterans in the north, and for the Ming army of all departments, veterans who can fight are very valuable resources at this time, and they are as important as money.

As a result of the discussion, Zhang Pengyi, Mrs. Xing, and Shen Tingyang each got one-fifth, and the others shared the rest of the spoils according to the proportion of troops dispatched.

Because it is necessary to keep people at home, it is impossible for all ministries to go out. In addition to the sailors, Zhang Pengyi sent 1,000 soldiers. Mrs. Xing had no sailors, out of one thousand six. Huang Wuchang is out of 500, Jin Shiying is out of 300, Yang Qianqing is out of 15, and Yuan Anjie is out of 100. Only a hundred guards were mobilized to defend the order, and the whole army was three thousand eight, and there were more than five thousand sailors.

The Filhoff was left to guard the refugee camp at Fort Chongming, the Melville was left on Daqushan Island, and the Storm was left on Chongming Island, and the two ships were used to press the platform, and the battleships Xin'an, the Labluff and the river boats were cruising on the river.

The orderly northward fleet included the Luofu, Xijiao, Jianjiang, Zhenjiang and three galleries, as well as 70 large and small warships of the Ming army.