There is no river channel leading from the Huai River to Chaohu Lake.

Cao Shuo chose the route of passing through Wabu Lake, entering Shishui along the river, and finally reaching Chaohu Lake.

After 2,000 years, the rivers of the river did not intersect each other.

However, in this era, there was an extremely narrow passage between the two rivers.

The passage connecting the two rivers is nameless, and because it is nameless, it has gradually been forgotten.

The day after leaving Shouchun.

Cao Shuo got up early in the morning and walked onto the deck.

As soon as he reached the bow of the ship, he was shocked by what he saw.

At some point, the ship left the river and came to a lake.

The clear water of the lake is blue and sparkling in the sun.

The vast surface of the lake is as far as the eye can see, and being here is like coming to the ocean.

The cool wind skimmed across the lake, blowing on Cao Shuo's face, ruffling the hair of his sideburns.

It's cold but very refreshing.

"Childe." Zhao Yun's voice came from behind him.

Cao Shuo said: "It's only been a day, and we actually came to such a place. ”

"The navy has soldiers recruited from nearby." Zhao Yun said: "I have inquired, this place is called Wabu Lake, which stretches for hundreds of miles, and there are many products in the water, especially silverfish. ”

"Whitebait?" Cao Shuo asked, "Is it that kind of small, very delicious whitebait in soup?" ”

"Exactly." Zhao Yun replied: "Childe may not know that the boatmen of Wabu Lake will salvage whitebait, and some merchants who are not far away will buy from here and then sell them to other places, which is very valuable. ”

"If you don't say it, I don't know there's such a place right under my nose." Cao Shuo said: "I don't know if Chaohu Lake is bigger or Wabu Lake is bigger." ”

"I can't tell." Zhao Yun said: "There are many rivers in Huainan, there are also a lot of lakes, and the Jiaogang Lake outside Xia Cai City is also beautiful and fat, especially in summer, the lotus flowers in the lake are a different scenery." ”

"I'd like to see it if I have a chance." Cao Shuo smiled slightly and said to Zhao Yun: "The so-called rivers and mountains are nothing more than mountains, rivers and lakes, and we are calling back and forth, just to put these under our names." But what if it really comes to the name? Lake or lake, I'm still me! ”

"I've never heard anything like this since I followed Childe." Zhao Yun said with a smile: "The rivers and mountains are infinite, it depends on whose hands it is." Gongzi got Huainan and other places, and the people here live and work in peace and contentment, where is there still the scene of Yuan Shu in the past. ”

Holding on to the bow railing and looking at the endless lake in front of him, Cao Shuo said: "What I give to the people, they will also give it back to me." If I don't let them live and work in peace and contentment, if they don't let them recuperate, and if I don't let them multiply with confidence, where will I get the money to build up the army in the future? And where to recruit soldiers? ”

Turning back to Zhao Yun and smiling slightly, Cao Shuo said: "If each family has only one son, once the big war comes, who will send the son to the battlefield?" If the population is too small and the people are not allowed to prosper, they are destined to have no available soldiers, no available food, and no available wealth. ”

Zhao Yun nodded thoughtfully, and then said, "This is the reason why Gongzi encourages the people to have children?" ”

"Yes!" Cao Shuo said: "A place is not strong enough, people are fundamental!" With people, we can raise a large army and fight in the north and south. Now I only occupy the Xuzhou Thorn History Department and the two counties of Huainan and Lujiang. If I encourage the people to have children, how many will they have? Ten million? Million? A hundred people raise a soldier, and here I can only raise a standing army of ten or two hundred thousand. ”

"Have you ever asked, how many more days will it take to enter Chaohu Lake?" Cao Shuo asked Zhao Yun.

"If it's smooth, you'll be able to arrive tomorrow and the day after tomorrow." Zhao Yun said.

"Chao County is the hometown of Fan Zeng, the father next to Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu." Cao Shuo smiled slightly, and said to Zhao Yun: "It is said that bandits are unearthed in poor mountains and bad waters, and today's Chao County should not be too poor, how can there be water bandits everywhere?" ”

"It's quicker to loot than to make money by farming honestly." Zhao Yun said: "As long as you prepare a few small boats, and take down their ships when a merchant passes by, you can get an unknown amount of benefits from the merchant." If it were me, I would plunder instead of go to the fields. ”

"It's easy to get money, and the cost is small." Cao Shuo said: "The water bandits killed people and oversold goods, and the local government couldn't control them in the past. It has become a habit to come and go, and it is not easy to get them to let go. ”

Zhao Yun said: "That's the reason, some bandits were arrested by the local government, and the accomplices even blackmailed the government to release people in order to save people. ”

"If not, what will happen to them?" Cao Shuo asked.

"I heard that in the past, there were cases where the government did not release water bandits, so they secretly attacked the officials who worked in the government." Zhao Yun said: "As a result, many local officials have lost their lives. ”

Cao Shuo's face gradually became gloomy.

"Childe ......" Seeing that his face was not good, Zhao Yun said: "I heard that it has been fine recently......"

"Of course it's been okay lately." Cao Shuo said: "I ordered the local area to encircle and suppress the water thieves on the shore, they dare not go ashore, and they will definitely not be able to do anything out of the ordinary." ”

"That's what Childe said." Zhao Yun responded, and then asked, "If you catch the water thief, what is Childe's plan?" ”

"If it's just to live, I'm sure I'll give them a way to live." Cao Shuo said: "Actually, some local forces are not entirely bad. When the place is stable, there are things that need to be done by these people. However, once they are out of control, it is somewhat redundant to stay. ”

Looking at the lake in front of him, Cao Shuo continued: "This time I really have some expectations for leading the water army to exterminate the water thieves." I really want to see what the untrained navy can do on the water. ”

Ten warships rushed forward, and next to each warship, there were more than a dozen small guards guarding them.

The soldiers on the ship rowed hard to push the big ship south.

Standing behind Cao Shuo, Zhao Yun's expression was also very solemn.

Although there are quite a few sailors, they have really not conducted decent drills since their establishment.

Although each soldier is carefully selected and understands the nature of water.

But compared with ordinary people who have been doing evil on the water all year round, where will they be their opponents.

Cao Shuo personally led the naval army to Chaohu Lake to exterminate the water thieves, and the news spread from the moment he left Shouchun.

The merchants who often have to pass through the waters of Chaohu Lake get the news and run to tell each other.

It's just that on the shore of Chaohu Lake, the families of those water thieves are a little more worried.

In the Huainan realm, Cao Shuo has long been rumored to be a god-like existence.

They are worried that once the army arrives, their relatives who are doing evil on the water will fall to the ground......

(End of chapter)