After formulating the national policy of immigrating to the real county and opening up sources and reducing expenditure, the strategy for the next three or even six years of the Chu State was basically formed.

In the future, if there is no major external force to influence, Lu Yuan will basically not change the national policy.

However, it is now the end of the year, and the six years of Shenwu are about to pass, and even if a national policy is formulated, it can only be implemented slowly after the beginning of spring next year.

Therefore, Lu Yuan only communicated with Cui Changqing and other heads of the three provinces and six ministries, clarified the specific policies with each other, and then asked those ministers to go back first and start to make preliminary preparations.

As for the rest, I can't take care of it for the time being.

After the winter solstice, it will soon be the wax moon, and the sky of Chu will become colder and colder.

Since entering the wax moon, this day has become more and more abnormal and terrifying.

First there was a cold wind, then a heavy snow, then a cold rain, and then a storm of snow, as if they would not give up until the creatures of heaven and earth were destroyed.

The fields on both sides of the Yangtze River are full of white expanse, and the snow covers a thick layer, and the height can even reach people's knees.

The cold wind was blowing in the north, the goose feathers were snowing, and the heavens and the earth seemed to be silent under this cold.

The streets are sparsely populated, and even in the bustling city of Yibaling, there are not many people on the street at this time.

The terrible cold wave and snow caused countless people to huddle at home, huddled around the quilt and fire, in order to resist the boundless cold.

Seeing this situation, Lu Yuan sent an order to inspect all parts of the city, check all the squares and alleys, and if it was found that there were people whose houses were crushed by the blizzard and had no homes, the government would immediately provide relief.

Don't really say it.

After the king's officials and soldiers walked around the city, they found dozens of crushed houses in a year, and hundreds of them froze to death, while the rest were scattered to nearby houses, gathering together to struggle for survival.

When Lu Yuan received the reward, he couldn't help but attach great importance to it.

So he ordered his disciple Zhuang Hua to lead his soldiers and horses to assist the government, and the ordinary people in the city cleared the snow and rescued the affected people at the same time.

The other party is now Zhijinwu, ranked Jiuqing, in charge of the four thousand Zhijinwei in the city, responsible for the security of the city.

With these 4,000 people, plus the officials of the city, it was enough to deal with this snowstorm.

It's just that in Baling City, as the foot of the Son of Heaven, the snow disaster here is easy to solve.

But in other counties and counties of Chu State, as well as the villages, towns and countryside below the prefecture and county, it is a little difficult for the people there to survive the snow disaster.

"After the catastrophe, I am afraid that tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of people will be killed or injured in the country. Wind and snow together, everything withered, this natural disaster, really beyond the ability to resist. ”

Lu Yuan climbed the high-rise building of the palace city, overlooking the entire Baling City, looking at the white expanse, and couldn't help but sigh.

For example, the temperature between heaven and earth, when it is extremely cold, has reached minus 10 degrees.

This kind of cold, with his current innate grandmaster and immortal Dao cultivation, he can't last for a long time in the wilderness. It is even more difficult for the local people who have no support and can only rely on thatched houses to carry their burdens.

If the house is sturdy, not afraid of wind and snow, and has a large amount of firewood, it can barely withstand this cold wave.

But if the preparation is not enough, the houses are not strong enough, and the firewood is not enough, then the wind and snow will be enough to kill people.

"I don't know if this world also has a so-called glacial climate.

In recent years, the weather has been cold from day to day, and the winter wind and snow have been heavier than the year.

I remember when I first crossed over, although there was wind and snow in the winter in this land south of the Yangtze River, the wind and snow were not big, and the coldest time, the heavy snow was only just covering the surface of my feet.

Even in Lingnan, there is no snow in winter.

But in the past two years, I heard that there was also a lot of snow on Nanhai City.

I don't believe that this weather is so abnormal that it is not an ice age. ”

Looking at the falling snow in the sky, Lu Yuan reached out and took a snowflake, feeling the cold touch of his fingertips, and couldn't help but feel a trace of worry in his heart.

If there is really an ice age, it will definitely be a disaster for the people of the ten regions of Kyushu.

The place of Yangzhou in the south of the Yangtze River is good, located in the south, although it is also affected by the cold wave, but it is somewhat acceptable.

But in the northern states, close to the northern underworld, it is already cold. Now affected by this cold wave, I am afraid that most of the people, horses and livestock will freeze to death.

Especially in the grasslands of the Northern Regions, the Gobi Desert in the Western Regions, the snowy plateau, the Xuanyu Snow Forest and other areas that are already frozen all year round, they will be greatly damaged under this cold wave.

At that time, these regional forces, which were also driven by the cold wave and instinctively approached the warm area, were afraid that they would go even more crazy and desperately migrate towards the rich and warm land of Kyushu.

"Especially on the snowy plateau, those plateau people.

In the early autumn of this year, they were affected by floods, and countless cattle and sheep were killed and injured.

Now affected by the snow disaster, the already difficult days are afraid that they will be even worse.

It is estimated that the Tibetan tribes on the plateau may freeze to death one-fifth, or even one-third of the population. And most of those cattle, sheep and livestock may freeze to death.

At that time, there will be no cattle and sheep, and the Tibetan people who can't survive can only choose to go down the plateau and make up for the nearby rich Zhou Hexi and Longxi counties, as well as the Xiliang Kingdom in the west of Yongzhou.

In the land of Yongzhou, in the next few years, or even more than ten years, I am afraid that it will not stop. ”

At this time, Lu Yuan couldn't help but think of being close to the Chu State, and it could even be said that it was a snowy plateau bordering the Chu State.

The snowy plateau covers a vast area, and the place is no less than the entire Yangzhou, and may even be several times larger.

Anyway, from ancient times to the present, few people can say the territory of the snowy plateau.

It's just that although this snowy area is large, there are not many areas suitable for human survival.

Most of these habitable areas are concentrated on the Qinghai Plateau, near Yongzhou.

Qinghai is the largest lake on the snowy plateau, and it is said that the area is large enough to be worthy of several Dongting lakes, which is a first-class land with abundant water and grass.

Not only can cattle and sheep be grazing, but even grain can be cultivated.

Relying on this fertile land, millions of highland Tibetans depend on it for their survival.

In addition to Qinghai Lake, on the plateau, there are dozens of other lakes of different sizes, large and small, as well as more than a dozen large rivers, which also support many Tibetan people.

However, most of these rivers and lakes are distributed in the north and west of the plateau, and the east and south areas of the plateau close to the Chu State do not have any large lakes and rivers.

Although there are some Tibetan tribes in Xichuan County and the adjacent plateau areas of Zhuyi in the southwest, they are all small tribes of thousands or tens of thousands of people, and they are not at all climate-like.

On weekdays, these Tibetan tribes only stay on the plateau, occasionally taking their horses down the mountain to trade with Xichuan County and the Yi people, and basically dare not make trouble.

Therefore, Lu Yuan, who had already occupied Xichuan County, did not have to worry about being invaded by the Tibetans like Zhou State.

That's a blessing.

Otherwise, if he came to face the Tibetan people, he would have a headache when he thought about it, and even felt heartbroken.

Although no one has made statistics on the Tibetan people on the plateau, with the area of the snowy plateau several times that of Yangzhou, there are countless lakes and rivers.

Even if a large area on the plateau is unsuitable for survival, it is estimated that there are at least more than 10 million people on the plateau based on some information collected by Lu Yuan and the records of historical classics.

Tens of millions of people, plus the size of several large states, this is enough to become the foundation of an empire.

That is, because the plateau is too large, and the lakes and rivers suitable for settlement are scattered too fragmented, it is too difficult and difficult for the Tibetan people on the snowy plateau to unify, so that it is almost impossible.

Otherwise, when this force is gathered, the strength it can exert is enough to shock the world.

But even if they can't gather and unify, with the existing strength of the Fan people on the plateau, even if they just instinctively launch a raid and invasion against the Zhou State and the Xiliang State, it is enough to make these two Yongzhou powers eat a pot.

Especially in the Xiliang Kingdom, although it occupies three counties, the land in the west of Yongzhou, just like the southwest Zhuyi region that Lu Yuan is conquering, is close to many foreign regions and has always been barren.

The land of the three counties of Xiliang Kingdom, according to rumors and classics, is not as good as the southwestern Zhuyi, not only is there very little land suitable for reclamation, but it cannot feed too many people.

It is also surrounded by many different races such as Fan, Di, Hu, and Qiang, and there is a Zhou State in the east, which is under great pressure to survive.

Therefore, although the special environment has created a strong force in the Xiliang Kingdom, its own national strength is actually not strong.

The total population of the three counties of the country is only three to four million, and although the policy of half peasants and half soldiers has also provided for four or five hundred thousand troops, it will not be able to last for a long time after all.

"If this war caused by the cold wave can end in two or three years, it will be over.

If it drags on for five or six years, or even longer, the national strength of the Liang Kingdom in the west will definitely not be able to support it.

Although the forces of the Tibetan people on the snowy plateau were scattered, more than 10 million Tibetan people gathered together and dispatched millions of troops. Moreover, there are also many strong people among the Tibetan people, and there are definitely more than ten people above the innate grandmaster.

With this strength, even if it is against the Zhou State, he must be frightened and go all out.

The destruction of a Xiliang country, let alone that. ”

Lu Yuan remembered the news that had been transmitted from the Yongzhou region by the Imperial City Wai Si in the past few days.

Since a few months ago, after a major flood on the snowy plateau.

There are twenty-seven tribes on the plateau, and they have gathered 500,000 soldiers and horses, including three innate masters.

This force went down the mountain to plunder the two county capitals, which was not at all something that the local Zhou border army could resist.

After the Tibetan people descended the mountain, the two counties of Hexi and Longxi of the Zhou State were attacked in an instant. In particular, Hexi County directly lost half of the county, and even the county seat was surrounded by the Tibetans.

In just a few days, the western border of Zhou was full of smoke, the flames of war were burning, and the two counties of Hexi and Longxi seemed to be worried about falling.

And if these two counties are lost, then the western gateway of the Zhou Kingdom will be opened with a bang. Those who went down the mountain could directly attack Guannei County.

Guannei County is where the Zhou State is located in Gyeonggi, and in terms of its status, it is equivalent to Dongting County in Chu State and Linhai County in Ning State, which is the real foundation core.

How could it be possible to let the enemy in such a heavy area?

Therefore, the two counties of Hexi and Longxi must not be lost.

After the news of the Tibetan people descending the mountain was transmitted back to the Beijing division of the Zhou State, Emperor Zhou immediately ordered the formation of the Pingxi army.

With Sima Zhengde, the general of the Western Zhu State of Zhou, and the two great generals of the Zhu State on the left and right as the deputy commanders, he led 200,000 soldiers and horses to the west to conquer the two counties of Longxi and Hexi as the rebels.

In addition, the Zhou State also successively dispatched soldiers and horses stationed in various counties, and constantly gathered in the Pingxi military camp to recruit the Tibetan people.

Obviously, even Lu Yuan, who was thousands of miles away, could realize the horror of those Tibetan tribes.

The Zhou State, which was close to the Tibetan people and was attacked by them every year. Naturally, they are more aware of the strength of the other party.

Now the Tibetan people who are raging in the two counties of Hexi and Longxi seem to be huge.

But in fact, compared to the entire Fangren tribe on the plateau, it is only a small one.

Far from being the main force.

At this time, if they don't exert all their strength, they will strike hard and beat back the people of all the tribes who have gone down the mountain.

Then after they take advantage of the victory and win, the news will be transmitted back to the plateau, and maybe it will make more of the Tibetan tribes above think that the Zhou State is a soft persimmon and can run to take advantage.

If that's the case, then when countless Tibetan tribes flock in, and millions of Tibetan armies are overwhelming, in the face of this terrible force, even if the Zhou State can withstand it, after this battle, it will also be greatly damaged.

At that time, the losses will be so heavy that the surrounding countries will see it, who can not resist taking a bite?

I'm afraid that when the time comes, Zhou Guo will die directly.

In order to prevent this kind of thing from happening, Zhou Guo naturally had to punch hard at this time, and he was afraid of those people in one go.

Killing them with absolute force was rolling in their heads, killing them to the point that their hearts were cold, and they never dared to provoke Zhou again.

Only in this way can the western border of the Zhou Kingdom be stable for a long time.

"The news came that in early September, Zhou Guoping's western army arrived in Longxi County.

In the same month, Sima Zhengde, the general of Zhou Xizhu, led his army to break the army of Fan in Longxi County, killing 100,000 enemies and capturing more than 100,000 enemies.

Then the Pingxi army continued to advance westward, and successively broke two large armies of Tibetans, annihilated 200,000 enemies again, and relieved the siege of Hexi County.

However, the three big victories before and after, although they also eliminated a large number of Tibetan people, but for the innate grandmasters among the Tibetan people, they did not kill a single one.

This is normal, after all, not everyone has the strength of mine to easily kill the Innate Grandmaster.

But such a victory, which only departs its wings and does not behead it, cannot completely destroy the enemy.

After fleeing back to the plateau tribe, the few Tibetan people who had been defeated by the army gathered more than 200,000 soldiers and horses again.

At the same time, he used the money and grain collected from the two counties of Longxi and Hexi to contact and buy a large number of Tibetan tribes, and invited them to send troops together to attack the two counties in the west of the Zhou State again.

After floods and snowstorms, there are many tribes on the plateau who can't survive.

Many people accepted the invitation directly in order to survive.

Now the Tibetan people have gathered more than 600,000 troops, and the number of innate grandmasters has increased to six.

Although due to heavy snowfall, these Tibetan people were temporarily unable to send troops.

But when the snow melts in spring, it is foreseeable that a major war in the western border of Zhou will be inevitable. ”

When Lu Yuan thought of this, a smile appeared on his face.

Those Tibetan people went down the mountain to survive.

Under the flood and snowstorm, they have no cattle and sheep, and if they want to survive, they can only rob the Zhou people.

This is a battle for survival that is not robbed or killed, and it is not something that can be solved by how many people Zhou killed and how many wars he won.

As long as the snow disaster does not stop, then after the winter every year, those Tibetan people will have to go south to grab food.

This kind of large-scale war for grain is fine for one or two years, once or twice.

If this is the case every year, it is invaded by tens of millions of people every year, even if the strength of the Zhou State is strong and the foundation is behind, it will not be able to stand it.

"It doesn't take long, this kind of snow disaster war only needs to last for three or five years, and the Zhou State will be constantly bloodletting, and its strength will be greatly damaged.

At that time, the forces and resources of all parts of the Zhou State will be concentrated and sent to the west to support the war, and the local defense forces will naturally become weaker.

At that time, my Dachu had also been repaired, the three armies were complete, the first soldiers were sufficient, and the grain was abundant.

At that time, only one general will need to be sent to lead 100,000 elite soldiers, and Hanzhong can be easily captured and completely filled the defensive gap in the northwest. ”

Lu Yuan thought in his heart.

For Hanzhong County, he has coveted it for a long time, and he is bound to get it.

To the west of this county is Xiangyang County of Chu State. To the south, is Xichuan County of Chu State.

The state of Zhou relied on this county, and could go down the river to the west and threaten Xiangyang. To the south, you can be condescending and threaten Xichuan.

In order to guard against the Zhou army in Hanzhong County, Lu Yuan had to station 40,000 forbidden troops at Jianmen Pass north of Xichuan. In Xichengfu, west of Xiangyang, 20,000 forbidden troops were stationed.

In addition, in Xiangyang and Xichuan of Chu State, 20,000 forbidden troops and 10,000 county soldiers were prepared respectively, ready to support the Hanzhong front line and resist the invasion of Zhou at any time.

This adds up to more than 100,000 soldiers and horses, who were dragged by Hanzhong County of Zhou and couldn't move.

For such a thorn in the eye and a thorn in the flesh, Lu Yuan naturally hated it very much, and nowhere in his heart was he wanted to take this county back to solve the border defense worries on the northwest border of Chu State.

As long as this county is taken, then the state of Chu can build a northern defense line here, relying on the poor mountains and mountains of Hanzhong County, and use a small number of soldiers and horses to guard the pass and block the threat from the north.

The soldiers and horses of Xichuan and Xiangyang counties can also be free-handed to deal with the pressure of neighboring countries with all their might.

At the same time, with Hanzhong County, Xichuan and Xiangyang counties can be connected by this, relying on Hanshui, so that the goods of the three counties can circulate, vigorously develop people's livelihood, and increase taxes.

Not to mention, if you take Hanzhong, you can also get 5,000 miles of mountains and rivers and millions of people, which further increases the national strength of Chu.

With so many benefits, Lu Yuan naturally thinks a lot.

Therefore, after learning the details of the war between the Fan people and the Zhou State on the snowy plateau, he ordered the spies of the Imperial City Outer Division to immediately send additional personnel to the two counties of Hexi and Longxi of the Zhou State to make in-depth layouts, so as to know the local situation in time.

In this way, when the strength of the Zhou State drops greatly in the future and gradually becomes a little unsupportable, the Chu State can also make preparations as soon as possible to lay the foundation for the Northern Expedition to Hanzhong in advance.

However, with the strength of the Zhou State, even in the face of a large-scale invasion by the Tibetans, there will be no problems in a short period of time, and it will definitely be able to support it.

Therefore, this matter can only be paid attention to temporarily, and there is nothing that Chu can do at present.

It's just right.

Now that Lu Yuan has set the general direction of recuperation, he can use this time to prepare for the future Northern Expedition.

Hanzhong County, let's put it in Zhou State first.

When the opportunity is right, the state of Chu will take it away again.