The night was falling, the autumn wind was getting cold, and when the candle was lit in the room, the fifth girl entered the door with a bamboo tube, "Da Ming'an asks for help." ”

Li Congjing didn't read the letter for help, but just asked the fifth girl to file it. Because no matter what Da Ming'an said in the letter, he would not change the existing plan, and he also knew the progress of the Buyeo war very clearly, so there was no need to look at the exaggerated narrative in Da Ming'an's letter.

Turning to Tao Yao, Li Congjing asked: "How is the war in Bashu?" ”

Tao Xiao, who was buried in the pile of books, turned out a stack of sorted books, and said without raising his head: "The momentum is like a bamboo." ”

"Where are the soldiers?"

"Deer Head Pass."

Li Congjing nodded secretly and didn't ask any more. With the current national strength of the Tang Dynasty, with the destruction of Liang and the remnant of the Wei Shu army, and Guo Chongtao as the actual commander, it is logical to attack the Shu State like a bamboo. Lutou Pass is the last gateway to Chengdu, and once Shu loses Lutou Pass, it means that the country is about to die.

In the following time, Li Congjing had three major events in no particular order. First of all, Li Yanchao and Peng Zushan's attack on Liaodong was in full swing, followed by the fanfare of "turning thieves into people", and thirdly, moving the core supply point of the whole army to Yingzhou.

The first thing was almost step-by-step, after Lu Longjun and the new army started from Yingzhou, they fought all the way to Jian'an. When the news of Yelu's invasion of Yingzhou came back to Yelu Abaoji's ears, Li Yanchao and Peng Zushan had already arrived at the city of Jian'an, and the speed of the army's action was very fast, in order to try to take Liaodong quickly before Yelu Abaoji made countermeasures.

Yingzhou is the front line, and it stands to reason that the logistics supply point should not be located in Yingzhou, but should be placed in a slightly later place, such as Jizhou and Pingzhou. However, the Youzhou Army is going north, and the current front line will soon become the rear. In addition, Li Congjing's conquest of Yingzhou was to seize land, and he wanted to permanently turn it into a Tang mirror, and various civil affairs such as "turning thieves into the people" in Yingzhou were also being carried out, and placing the supply point in Yingzhou was also an attitude of support for civil affairs.

In all matters of civil affairs in Yingzhou, "turning thieves into people" is the top priority, and it is also the most difficult of the difficulties. In order to accomplish this, after Mo Li came up with a program, the clerical group headed by Du Qianshu first began to count the people in Yingzhou. The purpose of counting the people is to count the cultivated land, and the cultivated land in Yingzhou is naturally insufficient, so the next thing is to survey and demarcate the reclamation area. Not only that, Li Congjing also transferred a large number of farm tools and grain seeds from Lulong for the people to cultivate.

When these things were almost dealt with, the main body of "turning thieves into people" went out of the mountains one after another, and mountain people, rebels, horse gangs, thieves, etc., walked out of the mountains and forests in batches and came to Yingzhou City.

Prior to this, Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, Lu Junyan and other people who had accepted Zhao'an in advance and had become the main generals of the Youzhou Army, holding Du Qianshu's handwritten and scribes' transcription of Zhao'an's documents, accompanied by a group of scribes, went deep into the mountains and down to the counties and townships, and appeared to explain the law and appease the "thieves-people".

Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, and Lu Junyan used to be just a thief king, and there were only hundreds of people under their command, and there were only 800 people together. Such a temptation is undoubtedly fatal to those "thieves" in the mountains, who is not trying to achieve fame and majesty? Rather be a small official, not the king of the green forest. This is the reality of this era.

Moreover, Li Congjing's prestige has already spread all over Lu Long, not to mention the hope of returning to the wind, after weighing the pros and cons, those who are a little sober can recognize the situation.

Therefore, as soon as Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, and Lu Junyan walked back, they brought out thousands of people.

Back in Yingzhou City, Li Congjing summoned the three of them, and Haosheng praised them, but did not mention the merits.

However, after all, human nature is complex and people's hearts are unpredictable, but it is said that at the reception banquet that day, there were arrogant people who played postures, held their own identities, and were disrespectful to Li Congjing.

Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, Lu Junyan and others, seeing that person was so arrogant, immediately displeased, annoyed and ashamed, but fortunately, Master Li Congjing had a large number of them, and they didn't care, and they all responded to that person's request. Huang Zong and the others were puzzled and couldn't say much, the man was triumphant, his nostrils were facing the sky, and his arrogance was fully displayed.

After five flavors of food and three rounds of wine, Li Congjing asked Huang Zong seemingly casually, "General Huang has recruited displaced people for my Tang Dynasty this time, and he has made a long journey, which can be described as hard work, and bringing back thousands of people, which can be described as a high achievement." I don't know the people in the mountains, but all the tricks have been lifted out of the mountains? ”

Huang Zong first humbled himself, and then said sincerely: "There are still some mountain people who are reluctant to go out of the mountain. ”

"Oh? Why? Li Congjing asked seemingly puzzled, "But Ben Shuai's policy of soothing the people is not generous and affordable enough, and it can't make the mountain people warm and well-fed?" ”

"The generosity of the military marshal to care for the people is rare in ancient times, and the people such as us regard it as a rain, warm clothes and food, and live and work in peace and contentment!" Huang Zong told the truth, paused, and his face was a little complicated, "However, some mountain people are stubborn and difficult to change, they are really ugly!" ”

"Stubbornness is hard to change" Li Congjing thought deeply, muttered, and turned to the consultant, "What is stubbornness?" What is stubbornness? ”

How could Mo Li not know Li Congjing's thoughts, and immediately said angrily when he heard the words: "Among the mountain people, there are many thieves, who kill people and oversell goods, and there are fish and meat in the township, called mountain people, but they are actually mountain thieves!" The people of this generation gather in the mountains and forests, lose their conscience, and harm one party, which is really not a generation of people! ”

Mo Li said angrily, and when Li Congjing heard it, he was immediately even more indignant than him, and he took the case, his face full of anger, "How can this be reasonable!" There were many generals of the Hundred War Army present, he pointed at these people, and said bitterly: "I and other Tang Dynasty soldiers, in order to protect the peace of the border and allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment, they have worked hard to fight with the Khitan barbarians over the years, how many hot-blooded children, blood spilled on the battlefield, and horse leather shrouds!" For decades, until today, there has been a move to Keping Prefecture and the resumption of the state! During this period, how many loyal souls are buried in other places, pitiful and uncertain riverside bones, still like people in the dream of spring! And now, here, there are such wolf-hearted and unconscionable people, killing my compatriots, harming my siblings, and messing with my homeland, where are they Tang people, they are clearly barbarian thieves, and they are the internal response of the Khitan! If it weren't for that, how could I stab my army in the back and do such a thing of betraying our ancestors! ”

The more Li Congjing spoke, the more excited he became, his hands couldn't help but tremble, and he seemed to be unable to restrain himself.

Li Shaocheng, Meng Ping, Meng San and others glanced at each other, got up and left the case one after another, bowed down and stood in the hall with a golden sword, and said with a fist: "Please give an order from the military commander to exterminate such thieves who harm the country and the people!" ”

The three of them are bloody tiger generals, and they drank in unison, and the killing spirit was fully revealed, and then, the generals of the hundred battle armies in the hall came out together, angrily asking for their lives, and for a while, the violent qi filled the palace, and immediately made the "thief king" who had just returned to the palace stunned.

Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, and Lu Junyan were dumbfounded, they never thought that things would suddenly turn out like this. They are also from bandits, although they have the name of a "righteous army", but the facts are the facts, seeing that Li Congjing and the generals of the Hundred Battles Army are so faced, they are all indifferent.

Li Congjing's anger did not diminish in the slightest, and after the generals asked for their lives, he waved his hand, "Meng Ping listens to the order!" ”

"The last general!"

"The bandits, the sin is unforgivable, so I order you to lead the people of the headquarters to leave the camp and enter the mountains to destroy the thieves!"

"The last general commands!"

"Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, Lu Junyan!"

Huang Zong and the others had not yet recovered from the shock, and when they heard the shock, they immediately got up and obeyed the order.

Li Congjing's eyes swept them coldly, "You are familiar with the terrain of Yingzhou, and I order you to wait to assist General Meng and exterminate the bandits, there must be no mistake!" ”

Huang Zong, Xu Boxian, Lu Junyan and others did not dare to slack off and sang loudly.

The change came too suddenly, until Li Congjing's military order to exterminate the thieves was issued, and many of the "thieves" in the palace couldn't believe it. The arrogant and demanding leader was now as pale as paper. He was terrified and extremely puzzled in his heart, didn't he say that Li Congjing was lenient and treated the people like a son, why was he so violent?

The military order was issued, Li Congjing's anger seemed to have calmed down a lot, he waved his hand to let the generals sit down, and then looked at the "thieves" in the palace, "Protecting the border and fighting thieves, this is the overall situation of Lu Long, and the overall situation of my Tang Dynasty. Those who mess with my overall situation will be my enemies, and I will destroy them! ”

Everyone was frightened, but they could only echo it.

Li Congjing was very satisfied with everyone's reaction, his face softened slightly, smiled, and raised his glass again: "Of course, all of you here are my Lu Long heroes, you can lead the troops to accept Zhao'an, from now on for the good people, help me Lu Long to protect the territory and the people, is my hero of the Tang Dynasty, I will treat him well!" ”

When he said this, he drank a sip of wine, and the "king of thieves" here felt a little at ease. The previous leader, who had relied on his subordinates and was arrogant, was now in a state of confusion, and was eager to immediately repent, and retract the demands he had made.

This banquet made these unruly thieves know who Li Congjing was for the first time.

Many days later, when Meng Ping returned with countless heads, these "thieves" and "thieves-people" finally realized that from now on, there will be no more thieves in this place of Yingzhou!

Li Congjing's policy of "turning thieves into people" is to treat those who follow the good and punish the stubborn. He needs an absolutely stable rear, so he doesn't allow half of the bandits in Yingzhou, nor does he allow the mountain people who accept Zhao'an, and what other thoughts are there.

In the final analysis, the civil affairs of Yingzhou are for the purpose of conquering the Khitan. Just like the civil affairs of Youzhou, it is also serving the military at the moment. The military and the civilian population are like fish and water, interdependent and inseparable. Rigidity and softness, the way to the long-term.

To turn a place into one's own territory, the most important thing is not to garrison it, but to let the people here share the glory and disgrace with oneself. In this way, even if there is an invasion by a foreign enemy, when will it not be possible to get thousands of troops? Li Congjing turned the thieves into good people, gave them land, gave them homes, and let them take root here, so that they could keep the land for themselves, because by this time, their interests were already aligned.

After "turning thieves into people", considering that there was still a shortage of people, Li Congjing still migrated some people from Lulong to enrich the population and reserve defense forces of Yingzhou.

Just when Li Congjing was about to leave Yingzhou and start a decisive battle with Yelu Abaoji, the Tang Dynasty's campaign to conquer Shu was also in the final stage.