Chijin City began to stabilize, in the middle of May of the fifth year of Chongzhen, the students of the academy selected by Wang Qinian, a political officer in Shaanxi, also rushed to Chijin City, Xu Liang according to the suggestions in Wang Qinian's letter, arranged corresponding positions for these scholars, and assigned them to Chijin City and the surrounding six small cities to serve.

In the process of accommodating the locals of Chijin City, Luo Baiguan found a very influential figure in Chijin City, known as the Han man of the Lord Bayi, who was a silk merchant in the City of Chijin, and the business was very large, and there were three shops in the City of Chijin alone, in addition, the Lord of Bayi also established a school of his own nationality in the City of Chijin. And it is the Chinese language that is taught.

After seeing that the Ming army had actually gained a firm foothold in Chijin City, this Bayi lord took the initiative to come to the city lord's mansion to ask to see Xu Liang.

For such a person, Xu Liang naturally couldn't ask for it, and immediately met him warmly.

In the living room of the City Lord's Mansion, Bayi Chao smiled and bowed his hand to Xu Liang: "Lord Xu, the grass people were originally from Daming Henan, and in the early years of the drought in Henan, my father fled here with his clansmen, and it has been more than 20 years. ”

Xu Liang gestured to Bayi for tea and chuckled: "Mr. Bayi, this official's army has just occupied Chijin City, and the city lord Luo Rucai is from the army, and he is not proficient in governing the city-state, Mr. can stand up to help us, this official is very grateful." ”

Bayi stroked his beard, looked at Xu Liang with a smile, and then looked at Luo Rucai, the city lord of Chijin, and said: "My Ba clan has been based in Chijin for more than 20 years, and this road can be described as difficult, and the original city lord Yeha has been oppressed in many ways, and the life of the clan is very difficult. Now that the Governor is able to conquer Chijin City and take Chijin City away, I am willing to lead my people to support Lord Xu's rule. It's just ......" Bayi said embarrassedly: "It's just that my Ba clan has been oppressed by Yeha for a long time. Generally not rich, in terms of money, food and silver, I am afraid that I will not be able to help adults. However, I know that City Lord Luo has ordered that all schools in Chijin City should teach in Chinese, and now City Lord Luo is recruiting teachers who know both Chinese and Turpan. I think we Ba clan can do something about this. ”

"Oh?" Xu Liang and Luo Rucai, Luo Baiguan couldn't help but be overjoyed when they heard it. In order for Chijin City to be integrated into the rule of the Liang army, the first thing is to unify the language and writing. And because of the natives of Turpan, there are very few people who can speak Chinese, and even fewer who can write Chinese characters, Luo Baiguan is struggling to raise so many teaching gentlemen, and he can't imagine that there is a person who can help a lot in front of him.

Bayi saw that his proposal really aroused the interest of Xu Liang and others. I couldn't help but feel a little proud, and said leisurely: "My Ba clan was originally a scholarly family, although life is difficult, but I have not relaxed the work of educating children for a moment, and now among my Ba clan, there are no less than twenty people who meet the teaching qualifications proposed by the City Lord's Mansion!" ”

Xu Liang suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "This is very good. ”

Then, Bayi introduced the situation of the Ba clan to Luo Baiguan. He even expressed his loyalty to Xu Liang and resolutely supported the rule of the Ming army.

Bayi was so sincere in supporting the Ming army. Xu Liang felt that he should also express what he said, and after thinking about it, among the several subordinate institutions under the city lord's mansion, the city defense battalion is related to the safety of the whole city, and the inspection department is also an extremely important authority agency, these two major institutions. It must be in the hands of the city lord Luo Rucai, and it should not be handed over to others easily. After thinking about it, Xu Liang thought of putting another important department of authority under the city lord's mansion, the head of the tax collection department happened to be vacant, and the bayi in front of him was just right.

So Xu Liang enthusiastically got up and walked in front of Bayi. Chao Bayi said: "Mr. Ba, the sincerity of the Ba clan is very touching to this official. As the head of the clan and a good businessman, I would like to appoint Mr. Ba as the head of the tax collection department of the Chijin City Lord's Mansion, I don't know if Mr. Ba is willing to give in? ”

Bayi's eyes rolled when he heard this. Although Bayi supports Xu Liang in his heart, he is first and foremost the patriarch of the Ba clan, and many things are more in the interests of the family.

Listening to Xu Liang open his mouth and throw out the position of the head of the tax department, he vaguely remembered that in the Ming Dynasty, the chief seemed to be an official of five or six grades, but Chijin was different from the Ming Dynasty, and the highest management body here was not called the prefect's yamen or the governor's yamen, but what was the city lord's mansion, and what was the status of the head of the tax department in the city lord's mansion, Bayi didn't know anything, Bayi's eyes were rolling, and he was thinking about the gains and losses.

Seeing this, Xu Liang chuckled lightly and said as if explaining: "Mr. Ba probably doesn't know the weight of the head of the tax department, so the official might as well explain it to Mr. Ba." At present, the Chijin City Lord's Mansion has jurisdiction over the surrounding six cities, and after Shazhou is captured, Shazhou City will also be included in the management territory of Chijin City. The city lord's office consists of the city defense battalion, the inspection department, the tax collection department and other institutions, among which the city defense battalion is in charge of the city defense, the inspection department is in charge of the local security inspection, and the tax collection department is in charge of the collection and allocation of commercial taxes, local taxes and customs duties in Chijin City, and the director of the tax collection department is the person who presides over the work of the tax department. ”

Bayi was overjoyed when he heard this, and secretly said that the head of the tax department turned out to be the God of Wealth of the Chijin City Lord's Mansion. Xu Liangxue was afraid that Bayi would not know, so he pointed to Luo Baiguan on the side and said: "For example, this Luo Baiguan, his position is the Shaanxi Governor Yamen Taxation Department, responsible for the taxation of Shaanxi Province!" Master a money-saving grain. ”

Bayi's eyebrows fluttered when he heard this, and he arched his hand towards Xu Liang and said, "Lord Xu doesn't need to explain more, the grass people understand." Ahem, since Lord Xu sincerely invited, Ba Mou was disrespectful. ”

"Haha, good!" Xu Liang smiled happily and said to Bayi: "Then from today on, Bayi, you will be the head of the Tax Department." You and Luo Rucai have to work together. ”

Bayi nodded again and again, "Don't worry, my lord, grass people...... Oh no, his subordinates will fully cooperate with the work of City Lord Luo. "This Bayi's role changed quite quickly, and as soon as the position of director arrived, he immediately changed his words and claimed to be a subordinate.

After accepting Mr. Bayi, Xu Liang was in a good mood. Until the news from the Shazhou front came back.

"What? He Huchen suffered a defeat? What's going on? Didn't you say that you were about to capture Shazhou City? Xu Liang reported that two days ago, He Huchen was flanked by the army of Tulupan, and although he had the support of the flying eagle artillery, he still had to retreat twenty miles.

"My lord, originally General He led our army to attack for several days. Seeing that the city of Shazhou was about to be captured, it was not expected, an army of more than 20,000 people suddenly appeared in the rear, and attacked the rear of General He. Had to retreat. The sergeant who reported the message said.

Xu Liang's face was ugly, and he commanded in a deep voice: "Find out, where did this support soldier come from!" ”

Luo Rucai suggested: "My lord, do you want your subordinates to lead 10,000 Liang troops to support?" ”

Xu Liang sent troops to Tulupan, a total of more than 60,000 people, and now He Huchen has taken away 40,000 soldiers, and Luo Rucai's troops guarding Chijin are only more than 20,000 people. 20,000 people looks like a lot, and if they are scattered to Chijin City and the surrounding six small cities. But there are not many. Moreover, these forces must also prevent Tulupan from taking the opportunity to counterattack Chijin City, and they cannot be mobilized easily.

Xu Liang waved his hand and said, "Don't panic, let's see the situation first." ”

Xu Liang immediately spread out the military map and checked the forces around Tulupan. Judging from the map, the only people who can give aid to Turpan are Tatar in the north. Tatar Tumut to the south and Elibari to the west.

After a day, the identity of the support soldier was finally revealed. The result surprised Xu Liang greatly, it was actually the Tumut Department in the south of Turpan. I don't know what benefits Sutan of Turpan gave to the Tumut Ministry, so I asked the Tumut Ministry to send troops to support Sutan.

At this time, there were still 30,000 Tulupan soldiers in Sutan and Yeha in Shazhou City, plus 20,000 soldiers and horses from the Tumut Department, a total of more than 50,000 people confronted He Huchen's nearly 40,000 Ming troops. Although the Liang army's thirty flying eagle cannons gave the enemy a great deterrent, a large number of cavalry troops from the Turpan and Tumut divisions attacked and harassed. It also brought great difficulties to the Ming army. The two sides went back and forth outside the city of Shazhou, fighting several times, with casualties on each other, and the battle was once in a state of hanging.

This situation is extremely unfavorable for Xu Liang. Xu Liang originally thought. With the support of the Flying Eagle Cannon, it should be very easy for He Huchen to seize Shazhou, but the truth was beyond Xu Liang's expectations. In the military report reported by He Huchen, He Huchen gave a detailed description of the war in the past half a month, and from He Huchen's description, Xu Liang understood that Shazhou City was related to the territorial integrity of Tulupan, and the reinforcements brought by Sutan in Tulupan this time were the most elite troops in Tulupan, and it was not so easy to defeat them.

In the Chijin City Lord's Mansion, Xu Liang briefly told the news of the Shazhou front line to Luo Rucai, Luo Baiguan, and the newly appointed head of the Taxation Department, Bayi. When several subordinates heard this, their faces were worried.

Xu Liang thought about it, and then said to Luo Baiguan: "The war in Shazhou is blocked, we must be prepared for a long-term battle, Luo Baiguan, you quickly return to Shaanxi, and raise enough grain and grass for three months to send to Chijin City." He looked at Bayi again and said, "Bayi, your tax collector should hurry up and collect this month's tax collection and purchase grain and grass for emergencies." ”

"As for Luo Rucai, you are responsible for dispatching 10,000 Liang troops to aid Shazhou." Xu Liang arranged them one by one, and the three subordinates nodded again and again.

It was the first time for Bayi to participate in the meeting of the City Lord's Mansion, and he had the intention to show himself in front of Xu Liang, so he stepped forward and suggested: "My lord, my subordinate has an immature idea. ”

Xu Liang and the others all looked at Bayi, and Xu Liang encouraged him: "Ba is in charge, but it doesn't hurt to talk about it." ”

Bayi was deeply encouraged, so he raised his voice slightly and said: "My subordinates think that whether it is Sutan's army or Tumut's reinforcements, they are not the local army of Shazhou, and the supply of grain and grass alone cannot be satisfied by Shazhou alone, and the army of Sutan and Tumut must not be able to hold on in Shazhou." Now that the war is wrenched, no one can take advantage, you might as well transfer General He to Chijin City, rest for a while, and wait for the army in Shazhou City to lack food and the army's heart is unstable, and then wave the army westward, and you will be able to succeed in the first battle. ”

Xu Liang looked at Bayi and said, "You have some truth in what you said. However, there is one thing you said wrong, the Sutan army and the Tumut reinforcements in Shazhou City, the grain and grass were given difficulties, in fact, the grain and grass of our Liang army mainly had to be supplied from Shaanxi Province, and it could not be consumed for a long time. ”

Bayi listened, thought about it, and said tentatively: "My lord, since this is the case, then my subordinates think that there is not only one city in Shazhou around Chijin City, and now that Shazhou City is heavily defended, why don't you temporarily withdraw your troops and attack other cities?" ”

Xu Liang thought for a while, shook his head regretfully, and said, "Bayi, you don't understand, the importance of Shazhou City to our army is even more important than Chijin City. Our army is determined to win Shazhou City. ”

In the territory of Tulupan, the most important nitrate and sulfur mines are distributed around Shazhou, Xu Liang launched this war, and his main purpose was to rush to the nitrate and sulfur of Tulupan, how could he give up easily. However, these words were Liang Jun's top secret, and only a few high-level officials knew about them, so it was inconvenient for Xu Liang to disclose them to Bayi.

Seeing Bayi's face scornful, Xu Liang smiled and said, "However, Bayi, you have reminded the official." The army of Shazhou City Sutan and Tumut Department was given difficulties, and if this official sent a flexible team out to specifically destroy the grain and grass supply in Shazhou, it must have been even worse for Sutan and Tumut Ministry. ”

The more Xu Liang thought about it, the more he felt that this plan was feasible, and he immediately rejoiced, and ordered Luo Rucai to lead 10,000 Liang troops to support He Huchen, and transferred Cao Bianjiao's cavalry battalion back from the front line.

Cao Bianjiao returned to Chijin City from the front line in a daze, he was very surprised by the changes in the city, and when he entered the city lord's mansion and saw Xu Liang, Cao Bianjiao sighed at Xu Liang's clever plan to calm the people, and asked Xu Liang about his intention to call him back.

Xu Liang chuckled, pointed to the military map hanging on the wall, and explained to Cao Bianjiao: "Bianjiao, this official has already inquired clearly, Turpan Sutan is firmly guarding Shazhou City, and his grain and grass will be directly transported from Wangcheng Turpan to Shazhou for the Shacheng defenders to eat." The task I gave you is to take the 5,000 cavalry battalion to the west of Shacheng City, and destroy the enemy's grain and grass supply lines as much as possible. In short, we can't let grain flow into Shazhou City! I have already brought a message to He Huchen about this matter, and he will cooperate with your actions. ”

Cao Bianjiao was deeply influenced by his uncle Cao Wenzhao, and he knew a lot about military strategy, and immediately understood Xu Liang's intentions, deeply agreed, and got up with great interest and said: "Don't worry, my lord, the last general will guarantee that not a single grain of grain from Tulupan will reach Shazhou City!" Let the defenders in Shazhou City eat sand! ”

Cao Bianjiao's cavalry battalion rested in Chijin City for a day, and the next day hurried to destroy Sutan's lifeline of grain and grass. Xu Liang has already arranged everything that should be arranged, and the next thing is to wait for the news, and he doesn't want to surprise Xu Liang with a panicked report.

"What? Prince Chakosi was assassinated? Dead or not? (To be continued.) )