Xiangyang.

Generalissimo Zhu Ming and prefect Li Hanzhang are gathered in front of a map.

Zhao Fengji pointed to the line segments and circles outlined on the map and said: "The lake and marsh area north of Gangneung is the easiest to manage, and there are many people in the countryside, so construction can start next year." The altar masters of those village altars were either killed by us or taken away by Zhong Xiang, and they should be re-established to protect the armor. Let the chief of the village lead the villagers to dig aqueducts, some lakes are left to store water, and some lakes are built into polders. In this way, the stagnant water in the swamp can be drained, and the lake can be drained to fight drought, and the diversion canals along the way can also be used for irrigation. ”

Those lakes and marshes are man-made, and they are not considered to destroy the wetlands.

Li Hanzhang said: "In recent days, some wealthy families have come to complain, all of whom are landlords who have fled from the vicinity of Jiangling. Their land was taken away, and now that Zhong Xiang is gone, these landlords want to get the land back. There are also some merchants in Gangneung who want to get their shops back. ”

"Since the peasants have obtained the land, it is easy to cause chaos if they interfere with it," Zhu Ming said very tactfully, "There is wasteland everywhere, so let the gentry continue to reclaim the land, and at most reduce taxes a little more in the first three years." As for those merchants, there is just a shortage of people in Gangneung City, so let them take back the shops. ”

When Zhong Xiang withdrew his troops, although he promised not to take the people away, thousands of soldiers were recruited from the city, and they moved away with their families, and they also quietly took many craftsmen with them.

As for the shops, the small shopkeepers and small traders were actually not attacked by Zhong Xiang, and they were still doing business under the rule of the Chu State.

It was all big businessmen, and it was difficult for these people to return to Gangneung, because of the lack of funds and goods, even if they got the shops, most of them could only rent them out. Moreover, large shops and restaurants are not always able to find tenants.

Li Hanzhang didn't think about attacking the big landlords, but he didn't want to recreate chaos, and agreed with Zhu Ming's approach: "This year, we will first compile a baojia to appease the people of Jiangling and prevent the remnants of Manichaeism from causing chaos." When the rainy season is over next autumn, I will organize the people to manage the lakes and marshes. ”

"How to do it, you go and arrange, I don't interfere too much in the place. Let's get busy. Zhu Ming still remembers the agreement with his father.

Li Hanzhang and Zhao Fengji left, and Zhu Ming took out the translated secret letter.

Juming also sent Hosaku to Tokyo, but he could only obtain general information.

Li Bangyan sent first-hand information from the high-level, such as Ma Kuo's report that the Jin people were training troops at the border, and no more than 20 people could get this news.

What's even more nonsense is that the remnants of the Liao State there were starving and fleeing the famine a few months ago, and agricultural production was almost completely abandoned. The Great Song Dynasty transferred the money and grain from Hebei and Shandong to the relief, and the replanted wheat was about to be harvested, and the Jin people suddenly took back the prefecture and county, and organized the people rescued by the Great Song Dynasty to serve as soldiers.

If the Great Song Dynasty did nothing and allowed the remnants of the Liao State to starve to death, the Jin people would not be able to explode their troops quickly.

Historically, the Jin people went south the year after tomorrow, and I don't know if it will be advanced now.

"Marshal, the two ladies of the breeder and the Zhejia have arrived," Bai Sheng came in to report, "The first batch of Northwest War Horses has also been delivered, and there are also two righteous men from Longxi." According to the horse buyer, these two are very famous in Lanzhou and Longxi, and the one named Li Xiaozhong has also changed his name to Li Yanxian, and he has been sent by the horse buyer to find out his real name. ”

"Lee what?" Zhu Ming looked up sharply.

Bai Sheng said: "Li Xiaozhong. ”

Zhu Ming got up and said, "I mean his pseudonym." ”

"Li Yanxian." Bai Sheng repeated.

"The mainstay." Zhu Ming muttered and walked out.

The mainstay of the Yellow River is in Shaanzhou, and Li Yanxian defended Shaanzhou and finally committed suicide by jumping into the Yellow River. His title as a "mainstay" is well deserved.

This gentleman, although he won the support of the soldiers and the people, was unwilling to be with the civil ministers and military generals. He was too upright, offended the civil and military officials and did not say anything, and offended Zhao Gou by refusing to accept the position of pacification envoy. In this way, how could any friendly army come to his rescue?

Humble and arrogant, completely opposite to normal people.

In comparison, Yue Fei can bend and stretch and withstand all kinds of wretched qi.

Zhu Ming went to see the war horses that were transported, and the horse buyer called Qu Shouxin, and bowed and said: "Generalissimo, I am fortunate to not be dishonored, and I bought back a total of 165 good horses." One horse died of illness halfway through, and a few more got sick, but it should be fine. ”

"Okay, Your Excellency has made a great contribution!" Zhu Ming did not hesitate to praise and decided to upgrade this person to a higher level, and everyone who participated in the horse purchase was rewarded.

Most of the more than 100 war horses in front of him belong to Ganqing horses, from Qinghai and Gansu, which are also called Tubo horses in the Tang and Song dynasties.

The Western Xia cavalry also used a large number of Ganqing horses, and selected and bred their own unique war horses (Western horses).

The West Horse is a hybrid descendant of the Ganqing, Mongolian and Dawan horses, and can fight on the plains, climb mountains and mountains, and even endure hunger and thirst, and can cross small deserts.

The more Zhu Ming looked at it, the more he liked it, and asked someone to bring the cornucopia.

The cornucopia was very happy to see his little friend, and he got into the herd and rubbed it around.

Qu Shouxin also introduced: "These two are Northwest heroes, the taller one is called Li Yanxian, and the shorter one is called Yan Ping. ”

"Meet the Generalissimo!" The two stepped forward to salute.

"What a strong man!" Zhu Ming praised.

Li Yanxian is more than 1.8 meters tall, and Yan Ping is also about 1.75 meters, and he observes mountains and rivers and robberies on the frontier all year round, which naturally creates a kind of rebellious temperament.

They are not subject to the control of power, and if they are not happy under Zhu Ming, they will resign even if they are in a high position.

Zhu Ming dragged the two of them in to talk, and he didn't care about the daughter of the farming family and the folding family at all.

"What do you two think of the Songxia border?" Zhu Ming exchanged a few words of greeting, and then began to ask about the military.

This is just in line with Li Yanxian's character, he doesn't like to come to the void, and immediately replied: "After the Great Song Dynasty occupied Hehuang, the war horses and population that could be requisitioned by Western Xia decreased sharply. Moreover, the domestic political situation in Western Xia was unstable, and the grain harvest had failed for many years, and the army's combat strength had long been much worse than before. At this time, the Han people only had to take every step of the way, and every time they occupied a new piece of land, they would build a walled fort and settle for immigrants. Within ten years, the Western Xia border was full of Han land. Not to mention the great Song monarchs and ministers who were anxious for quick success, even if they newly occupied a piece of territory, the reclamation was extremely bad, forcing the border guards to flee one after another. ”

"Have you ever been in the Western Army?" Zhu Ming asked.

Yan Ping said: "Not only did he do the Western Army, but he also did a deserter of the Western Army. The elder brother has a temperament, is easy to offend Shangguan, can't stand the bird's anger, and runs away in less than half a year. ”

Li Yanxian said: "I don't know about other places in the Great Song Dynasty, only about the armies of Shaanxi. Whether it is the forbidden army, the box army, or the village army archers, the biggest problem is that the rewards and punishments are unclear and the food and salary are deducted. Those who are generals should share weal and woe with their soldiers. Even if you can't do this, you should have clear rewards and punishments. In today's Western Army, it is difficult for meritorious service to be rewarded, and those who make mistakes are not punished. For a long time, military discipline did not exist, and they disobeyed military orders from top to bottom, and only knew how to save their own lives when fighting. ”

"And in the land of the river, despite the fact that the soldiers' military fields have not yet been cultivated, they wantonly levy exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes. The military salaries that the soldiers could receive were not enough to pay taxes to the border states and counties, and there was not a single border guard left in those years. Later, the old man was demoted to be the Taishou of Xi'an Prefecture, and then he went through the river to vigorously rectify military discipline and reduce excessive taxes and taxes, which made the soldiers who escaped fewer. ”

Li Yanxian said impassionedly: "Now all roads in Shaanxi, the people are suffering from military service and miscellaneous taxes, and the western army has long been vulnerable. The generalissimo should start his troops as soon as possible, pocket all roads in Shaanxi, and treat the people a little leniently, so that hundreds of thousands of athletes from the northwest will be willing to serve their lives. When the generalissimo sent troops, he could return to Longxi to respond, and it was not a problem to recruit three or five thousand strong men. Take Longxi, only in the evening, even Lanzhou I can also take it! ”

If he weren't familiar with history, Zhu Ming would think that this person was bragging, but in fact they were telling the truth.

Zhu Ming smiled and asked: "Don't you know how to serve the country with loyalty?" ”

Li Yanxian said: "I was born in Ningzhou, grew up in Longxi, and also thought about serving the country loyally, so I joined the Western Army. However, the generals and officers of the Western Army are mostly wine bags and rice bags, and they are very good at deducting military salaries and serving envoys, so it is child's play to let them lead the army to fight. There are a few generals who know the soldiers, but they are also constrained by eunuchs and civilian officials, and they are forced to lead troops to die. A lost battle, tens of thousands of teachers are commonplace. And once the front line was defeated, the Tangut people took the opportunity to cross the border and plunder, how many border people were ruined? This court is no longer saved, isn't it because of this that the generalissimo is raising troops? “

Zhu Ming said: "To be honest, I negotiated peace with the Song court last year, but it was really because of the shortage of grain and grass. Although this year's harvest is abundant, it is necessary to reclaim the famine in Jingxiang and Nanyang, and it is necessary to wait for next year's summer and autumn grain to be put into storage. It is also possible to forcibly occupy Shaanxi, but the cost of continuing to transport military rations from Sichuan is too great, and it is necessary to collect grain on the spot to maintain the army. The people of Shaanxi, where is there so much grain to collect? ”

Li Yanxian said: "If the generalissimo doesn't levy grain in Shaanxi, won't the Great Song Dynasty government levy it?" Simply fight as soon as possible, let the people of Shaanxi suffer for a year or two, and then they will be able to live a good life in the future. The generalissimo dragged out his troops and sat back and watched the people of Shaanxi being expropriated and extorted, which was nothing more than cherishing his reputation. ”

Is it so straightforward?

Zhu Ming finally understood how much Li Yanxian can offend people.

Zhu Ming was already familiar with the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, and he dipped his hand in tea to draw a simple map: "Can the two of you know the Kingdom of Jin?" ”

Yan Ping said: "Naturally, I know that the lord of Liao was beaten and fled, and the Xixia people have changed their masters and have bowed down to the Jin State. ”

Zhu Ming said: "The Jin soldiers are extremely fierce and can beat the Liao army so that they dare not engage in battle. And the frightened Liao army was able to beat the Song soldiers and flee. In a battle last year, 1,000 Jin cavalry, by luring the enemy, feint defeat, and set up an ambush, in the end there were only 800 people left, rushing straight to the 30,000 Western Xia array, and the elite of the Western Xia army was defeated. ”

"Is there such a thing?" Li Yanxian was shocked.

Zhu Ming also said: "This year, the Jin State trained troops on the Song-Jin border, and the intention to go south has been revealed. Or next year, at the latest, the year after that, the Jin soldiers will invade the south on a large scale, and these barbarians will be even more brutal than the Western Xia. The officers and soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty could not be stopped, and it was not uncommon for them to be killed by the Jin soldiers to Tokyo. At that time, it was time for us to send troops. Resist the foreign race to relieve the people and replace the Great Song Dynasty! ”

Li Yanxian was quite moved when he heard this, and hugged his fists and said: "Today is just the first encounter, and the generalissimo actually told him about the major events of the society, and it is rare in ancient and modern times to use people without doubt. Since the generalissimo can trust me, I will definitely bow down and die in the future! ”

Zhu Ming said with a smile: "Take you to see someone, it's the general I just subdued." He is a hero of Dongting, you are a hero of Longxi, you must be able to hit it off at first sight. ”

(End of chapter)