Meng Xide's death became the key to the division of the Jiangnan Society, hearing that his brother was killed by the Jiangnan Society, Meng Haigong jumped like thunder, immediately raised the banner of rebellion, proclaimed himself the king of Wu Yue, personally led 30,000 troops to Yuhang County, crossed the Zhejiang River in two days, and the 3,000 defenders of Fuyang County surrendered, Meng Haigong immediately beheaded more than a dozen children of the Jiangnan Shi clan in the surrendered army, and sacrificed their heads to his brother.

This move shocked the Jiangnan Shi clan, but also made the Jiangnan Society extremely panicked, but Shen Faxing had expected this result, at the same time as Meng Haigong raised troops, he sent the general Zhang Feng to lead 6,000 troops to the south of Yuhang County, and took the first step into Yuhang County to govern Qiantang County, Qiantang County is today's Hangzhou, is the starting point of the Jiangnan Canal, there are 500,000 stone granaries and countless armor and ordnance in the city, it is a place where soldiers and soldiers must fight.

Meng Haigong then led a large army to Qiantang County and began to storm the county seat, and fierce battles broke out between the two sides in Qiantang County, which kicked off the civil strife in Jiangnan

The civil strife in the south of the Yangtze River has just broken out, but the battle of the Xu army and the Wagang army in Xuzhou has been fought for more than half a year, by the Wagang army of 200,000 troops against the 60,000 Xu army, although the strength is at a disadvantage, but the predecessor of the Xu army is the most elite Xiaoguo army in the Sui army, most of them are the children of Guanzhong, well-equipped, extremely strong combat effectiveness, with 60,000 against 200,000 troops, not falling behind.

Both sides were red-eyed, no one could take a step back, the two sides fought more than 50 battles large and small on the land of Pengcheng County and Xiapi County, the battle was extremely bloody, neither side left prisoners of war, the wounded soldiers and prisoners of war of the other side were all executed, more than half a year of bloody meat grinder-like bloody battles made both sides suffer extremely heavy losses, 60,000 Xu troops only left less than 20,000 people, and 200,000 Wagang army only left more than 70,000 people.

Not only did most of the soldiers suffer casualties, but also the hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in the two counties were also wiped out, the soldiers on both sides burned and killed ****, looted food, and hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes to the Jianghuai region in the south and Langya County and Donghai County in the north.

The biggest evil result of the people's flight gradually showed up after the summer, the originally rich Xiapi County and Pengcheng County became thousands of miles of red fields, the cities were empty, and the grain output plummeted by more than eighty percent, only Yu Wenhua and the 'capital' where it was located, that is, there was still a little wheat field near Pengcheng County, and the land in the rest of the counties was all barren.

But a little near Pengcheng is far from enough for Yu Wenhua and his own profligacy, not to mention military rations, Yu Wenhua had to order to kill horses and feed on war horses, but this still cannot solve the increasingly urgent problem of military food and soldiers.

In Yu Wenhua and the empty imperial study, several important ministers were arguing fiercely about the direction of grabbing food and conscription, Yu Wenzhi said: "Your Majesty, now it seems that only Qian County can solve the urgent need, the war horses have been killed, and the military food can only last for ten days, if you can't find food after ten days, there is really no other way than to use people as food." ”

Hearing that people are food, Yu Wenhua couldn't help but be excited, due to excessive indulgence, Yu Wenhua's eyelids became very puffy, and his eyes were red, like a toad with albinism, his fierce red eyes swept towards Yuan Min, "What about Yuan Xiangguo's opinion?" ”

"Weichen agrees with General Yuwen's suggestion!"

Yuan Min tried to find an excuse to leave Yu Wenhua several times, but they all failed, Yu Wenhua and already had suspicions about him, if it wasn't for Yu Wenzhi and tried his best to protect him, Yu Wenhua would have killed him as soon as possible, Yuan Min has since looked forward to Yu Wenzhi and the head of the horse, and Yu Wenzhi and what he said he agreed to.

Yu Wenhua knew that it was useless to ask him, and his eyes fell on Cui Zhao, the household servant, and said in a hoarse voice: "Cui Aiqing is the household servant, and it is Cui Aiqing's duty to raise food, I want to hear Cui Aiqing's opinion." ”

Cui Zhao bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Weichen sent someone to Qian County to investigate, last year's Central Plains disaster, Qian County was also seriously affected, so far there has been no recovery, Dou Mi 500 Wen, most of the people who fled to Jianghuai have not returned, and now there are more than 100,000 people in Xuzhou who fled to Qian County, Wei Chen thinks that it is unlikely to get food from Qian County, but there is a source of soldiers." ”

As soon as Cui Zhao finished speaking, Yuwen Zhiji next to him asked viciously: "Since you said that Qian County is not good, then where do you say it can?" ”

Cui Zhao said slowly: "In fact, there is a place where there is grain, and it is a granary, which has at least more than 100,000 stones of grain in it, and it is only a hundred miles away from Xiapi County. ”

Yu Wenzhi's eyes lit up, and then dimmed again, and he snorted: "You mean the granary of Qishan County in Donghai County!" That's Jang Hyun's territory, and it's useless. ”

After an interception of the Huai River, they were already extremely afraid of Zhang Xuan, although they knew that the main force of the Sui army was conquering Goguryeo, but they never dared to cross the border, for fear of Zhang Xuan's retaliation.

Cui Zhao spread his hands, which meant that he had no choice.

Yu Wenhua didn't say anything, pacing back and forth in the room with his hands in his hands, he turned around and asked Cui Zhaodao: "Is there really no food in Qian County?" ”

Cui Zhao nodded, "Weichen sent people to all the counties in Qian County, there is not a grain of grain in the official warehouse, and I saw hungry people peeling tree bark for food along the way, if we have food in our hands, we can quickly recruit tens of thousands of troops in Qian County." ”

At this time, Yu Wenhua is like a gambler who has lost a red eye, as long as there is a glimmer of hope to turn the book, he will never give up, although Zhang Xuan is terrible, under the threat of destruction, he can no longer take care of the main force of the Sui cavalry in the Jiangdu area, and then ordered Yu Wenzhi and He Yuanmin: "The general and Xiang Yuanguo can lead the six thousand troops stationed in Xiapi County to attack Donghai County and seize the granary of Qishan County, there must be no mistake!" ”

Yuwen Zhihe and Yuan Min glanced at each other, and the two of them were helpless, so they only bowed down and agreed, "Weichen obeys the order!" ”

At night, the city gate of Pengcheng County was closed, in order to prevent spies from entering the city, Yu Wenhua was not allowed to open the city gate a few months ago, and only those with special pass tokens could enter and exit the city.

Pengcheng County is also a county in Xuzhou that has not been affected by the military disaster, but the surrounding refugees are not allowed to enter the city to escape the war, not only that, in order to reduce food consumption, Yu Wenhua also ordered half of the residents to move out of the county, so that there are only more than 30,000 residents left in the city, only the former three percent, the city is very empty, almost all the open space is planted with beans and vegetables.

But the harvest was lost to the inhabitants, all the food was scavenged, and strict food rationing was imposed in the city, and the meager gruel that each inhabitant received every day was barely enough to survive, and if he fell ill, it could mean death.

Not only are the residents hungry and skinny, but even Cui Zhao, the head of the household, is also full of vegetables.

Cui Zhao is one of the few ministers who follow Yu Wenhua, although Yu Wenhua and named him the king of Boling County and the prince, but Cui Zhao did not have the slightest joy, on the contrary, he spent every day in fear.

Cui Zhao has already been removed from the position of head of the family by the Boling Cui family, not only that, just two months ago, all the elders of the Cui family unanimously agreed to expel Cui Zhao from the family in the ancestral hall, completely severing the relationship between the Cui family and the culture and culture of killing kings and thieves, but Cui Zhao does not know about this matter, but Cui Zhao himself also knows that his fate will be very miserable, and it is a luxury to be able to live in seclusion for the rest of his life.

Cui Zhao lived in a mansion covering an area of ten acres, but he only had one retinue who had followed him for twenty years, the whole mansion was empty and dusty, and all his possessions were only a few dozen books and a thin horse, which was his treatment as a county king, and he could ride a horse.

Under the light of the bean big day, the study was very dim, Cui Zhao stood by the wall with his hands, squinting at a painting on the wall, that he himself painted a picture of a solitary fishing in the green mountains, the painting of the green mountains is like Dai, the river is like a blue, the wind and drizzle, the weeping willows are still clinging, an old man wearing a hat and a cloak is sitting on the boulder fishing, his expression is leisurely, Cui Zhao looked at the old man on the painting blankly, that is himself, he longs for the second half of his life to be as plain and calm as the old man in the painting.

But can he do it? Cui Zhao is also the same as Yu Wenhua at this time, as long as there is a glimmer of opportunity, he will not let go, as the head of the household, he did not agree to Yu Wenzhi and the plan to go to Qian County to grab grain, but suggested that Yu Wenhua and go to rob the big granary of Donghai County, which is his last life gamble.

Cui Zhao turned around, picked up the exit token on the table and handed it to his entourage and said: "I will give you an official document, you pretend to go to Xiapi on business, but you are actually going to the Huai River, there should be Sui troops stationed there, you tell them that Yu Wenhua has decided to send 6,000 troops to attack Donghai County, ride my horse and leave immediately." ”

The attendant nodded silently, "Don't worry, master!" I'll send the message. ”

(To be continued.) )