Shu Zhengqing bowed and said: "Back to the general, there are two mountains to the east from here, one is Yushan and the other is Dangshan. There are fierce bandits in each mountain. The bandit leader of Dangshan is called Lu Mingxing, and some people say he is Lu Mingyue.
Brother, his real name should be Lu Mingxing, and most of his bandits are Lu Mingyue's old men. After Lu Mingyue was wiped out by the court, these remnants occupied the mountains and became bandits, robbing homes and homes, causing harm to their neighbors, and occasionally attacking people passing by on the canal.
Ships. The iron ropes in front of the general's fleet must have been laid by them. Most of these people are from the north and cannot pass the water. They usually only set up ambushes on both sides of the bank and use bows and arrows to force the ships to submit."
Da Leng nodded and asked, "Where did the gangsters from Yushan come from?"
Shu Zhengqing's face became solemn: "General Qi, the bandit leader of Yushan is a dark man with an unknown name. In the previous dynasty, in order to ensure the smooth flow of the canal, many people were moved from various places and made to live along the river. They were responsible for dredging the river on a daily basis.
, pulling fibers and moving goods. There have been frequent wars recently, and these people have no means of living, so they, led by the big black man, gathered in the mountains and forests. Those well-dressed men who jumped into the water just now were them. What happened to the two gangsters in Yushan and Dangshan?
There were fights, and there were frequent fights in the future. They must have had evil thoughts when they saw the general's three official ships being luxuriously decorated, and there will definitely be another ambush ahead."
Daleng frowned and said, "Since we know the location of these two groups of ruthless bandits, why don't the local officials send troops to eliminate them?"
Shu Zhengqing sighed and said: "The general doesn't know. This place is the junction of the three counties. If the soldiers and horses from Liang County come, they will escape into Qiao County. When the soldiers and horses from Qiao County come, they will
They would flee to Pengcheng County again. When Pengcheng County's soldiers and horses got the news, they had already hid in Liang County. Lu Mingxing's men also fought in more than ten counties back then, and went into the mountains and forests, like mud cows into the sea, leaving no trace. And the fish
The bandits in the mountain are originally local people, and they have the best information. Before the officers and soldiers arrived, they had already fled, or simply hid among the people. However, this group of bandits never harmed the local people, and only stared at the passing ships. "
Liu Ziqiu heard what he heard so clearly in the cabin, and his face couldn't help but sink. According to Shu Zhengqing, the local people had a good impression of the gangsters in Yushan, and even the government sympathized with them. But they didn't know that although these gangsters did not harm the local area
The common people, but attacking passing ships will affect the north-south trade routes connected by the entire canal. Liu Ziqiu, who comes from later generations, knows very well that this canal will become a golden water vein for a long time to come and will bring economic benefits to the country.
It has a huge effect, but no one can be allowed to destroy it.
Thinking of this, Liu Ziqiu decided not to hide in the cabin anymore, but opened the door curtain and walked out.
Daleng was about to salute when he saw this, but saw Liu Ziqiu wave his hand and said to Shu Zhengqing: "I think you responded appropriately and your conversation is extraordinary. You must have read a lot of poetry and books."
When Shu Zhengqing saw Daleng being respectful to Liu Ziqiu, his heart couldn't help but shrink. Since he joined the army, he naturally knew what the position of Commander-in-Chief was. Even the Commander-in-Chief must respect him, so he was obviously a big shot. Shu Zhengqing suddenly became cautious.
He stood up, bowed deeply, and said: "Returning to your lord, I have been studying since childhood, but it happened to be troubled times, and I had no choice but to join the army."
Although Liu Ziqiu has continuously improved the treatment and status of soldiers since he came to power, not everyone in the world is willing to join the army. After all, the idea that traffickers and foot soldiers are inferior has been deeply ingrained since ancient times. It can be heard from Shu Zhengqing’s words,
He became a centurion out of desperation.
This situation cannot be changed in a short time. Liu Ziqiu was not critical of Shu Zhengqing's thoughts. He nodded and said: "You should read poetry and books and understand the laws and regulations. Whether it is the common people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait or the merchants passing by,
, they are all my Han people, and they should be protected by the imperial court, so how can we allow bandits to cause chaos? If I had predicted it correctly and hadn’t seen the official sign on the ship, I’m afraid you wouldn’t have come up to reinforce us so quickly!”
When Liu Ziqiu told him what he was thinking, cold sweat broke out on Shu Zhengqing's forehead. Although the young man in front of him was similar in age to him, he gave people an invisible pressure. This kind of pressure could not be seen or explained, but it was real.
Shu Zhengqing didn't dare to lie at all. Shu Zhengqing suddenly knelt down on the deck with a "plop", bowed his head and said: "Your Majesty, it's clear! Although the bandits in Yushan plundered merchant ships, they only took the goods.
No human life will be hurt casually. Although the villain has the duty of patrolling the river, if he is forced too hastily, it will only increase casualties. Besides, those merchants are so treacherous that they live in strange villages and exploit the people. This is also a lesson to them!"
Shu Zhengqing is not the only one who has this kind of prejudice against merchants. In fact, if merchants have disputes with other people, local governments will often make judgments that are unfavorable to merchants when hearing the case. Because of this, many merchants
Only then would they choose to seek refuge with major aristocratic families in order to find a solid backer.
"You should get up first." Liu Ziqiu did not think that he had the ability to change his thinking in the short term, so he did not investigate Shu Zhengqing's wrong behavior in depth. Instead, he waved his hand and said, "Merchant Zongzhong is indeed
There are treacherous people, but there are no unruly people among the people? People are good and evil, so how can we distinguish them by profession. In this world, scholars, workers, soldiers, and merchants are all indispensable. If there are no merchants, how can we colonize with currency? How can we communicate?
North and South? You are a scholar, think carefully and understand the truth."
"But!" After a pause, Liu Ziqiu's tone suddenly became stern, "You are entitled to a salary from the imperial court, so you must fulfill your duties loyally! Since you are here to patrol the river, you must not let the bandits wreak havoc!"
Shu Zhengqing couldn't help but trembled, and said quickly: "Sir, I don't dare to neglect them. However, these gangsters are so elusive that I am powerless to stop them."
Liu Ziqiu also knew that relying on him, a centurion patrolling the river, to have more than a dozen speedboats try to wipe out two groups of bandits would be impossible, so he did not criticize him too harshly, but just waved his hand and said: "You
Retreat first and notify the governors of Qiaojun, Liangjun, and Pengchengjun, as well as the naval and local army officers stationed in these three counties, to come and see me."
Shu Zhengqing was startled when he saw his loud tone, but he still braced himself and asked, "I wonder what I call you, sir?"
Liu Ziqiu winked at Daleng, who hurriedly took out a waist badge and said loudly: "You take this as your trust, I am here, who dares not to come!"
Although the official position of the commander of the Imperial Guards is not too high, he is the person next to the emperor after all. Who dares to neglect him? Although Shu Zhengqing could not guess Liu Ziqiu's background, but based on Daleng's identity, the prefects of the three counties and those officers must have also
Don't you dare disobey.
…
After Shu Zhengqing retreated, the hatch curtain was opened again, but Gao Xiuer walked out and said softly: "Husband, do you have to stay here?"
When there was an attack just now, Gao Xiuer went down to the bottom floor to protect a few children. However, this official ship has ramps both inside and outside the cabin. Gao Xiuer has stayed in Changshan Village for so many years, and of course he understands that at this time, the further down, the more dangerous it is.
It was dangerous, so she had already brought Liu Sigen and the others up through the gangway in the cabin. Of course, when the crisis was resolved, she would always hide behind the curtain, so naturally she could hear clearly.
Liu Ziqiu nodded slowly and said: "The two gangsters Dangshan and Yushan are two cancers on the canal. They must be eradicated, otherwise there will be endless disasters!"
Gao Xiuer said with a smile: "They are just two groups of small bandits. As long as my husband mobilizes a large army, it is not a simple act to destroy them."
Liu Ziqiu chuckled and said: "The imperial court has raised so many local troops, so it is time for them to assume some roles. Moreover, it is easy to say that the bandits in Dangshan will be wiped out if they are eliminated, but the bandits in Yushan have many local people.
There is a connection, but we must deal with it carefully. Not only this area, but also the entire canal must be cleaned up with great efforts. Xiu'er, please draft a decree for me and give it to Mr. Wei, and ask him to spread the orders to various places. One is to crack down on thieves around the canal.
The second is to restore the river works of the past. But there is one thing: river workers from all over the country are strictly prohibited from forming gangs. If found, they will be severely punished!" After speaking, Liu Ziqiu sighed again: "Some things can only be understood by seeing and experiencing them with your own eyes.
It’s clearer. This trip to Jiangnan is not in vain!”
It has to be said that it was indeed a very powerful idea for Yang Guang to set up river engineering after digging the canal. After all, canals are not naturally formed. Over time, siltation and collapse will inevitably occur, which require regular inspection and maintenance by river engineering. Although Yang Guangkai
The canal may have been dug just for his own selfish desires, but the role of this canal in the country's economic and social life cannot be ignored. Liu Ziqiu certainly wanted to maintain this canal.
…
Shu Zhengqing's efficiency was not slow. Five days later, Wu Junwu, the prefect of Liang County, Min Bo, the commander of the local army, Quan Tinghe, the prefect of Qiao County, Tan Guoyuan, the commander of the local army, Du Xinhou, the prefect of Pengcheng County, and the commander of the local army.
Ji Mingliang and Commander-in-Chief Qiao Wei of the Navy came to the banks of the Xiayi Canal one after another.
At this time, three huge official ships had docked, and the guards had also set up a camp on the shore. After these guards came ashore, they immediately became lively and vigorous. Although there were only a few five hundred people, they could defend a camp impregnably.
Even with thousands of troops and horses, it is difficult to break through. The stronghold in the middle is Liu Ziqiu's imperial tent, guarded by hundreds of female guards, making it difficult for ordinary people to approach.
After the officials from the three counties arrived, they and Shu Zhengqing were all arranged in a camp on the outskirts. They were guarded by guards. No one, including their entourage, was allowed to come in or out at will. This made those officials somewhat uneasy. After all, they were receiving
When the news came, Daleng had not even been seen in person. The ones who were most worried were Wu Junwu, the prefect of Liang County, and Min Bo, the commander of the local army. After all, the official ship was attacked on the ground under their jurisdiction. If we dig deeper,
They have the greatest responsibility.
It wasn't until the sixth day that a group of guards came over and said in a deep voice: "Take off your weapons and come to see me!"