There are three counties to the west of Jiangdu, Zhongli County, Huainan County, and Yiyang County. These three counties are currently Xiao Mian's territory.
Among them, Shouchun County, the capital of Huainan County, is now Xiao Xian's hometown, but it is only temporary.
His goal was Jingzhou, and he did not want to stay in Jiangnan and get involved with Du Fuwei.
The Tongji Canal is a life channel. Materials and military supplies from the north will be sent to Jiangdu through the canal. The dividing line between the three counties occupied by Xiao Mian and the counties in the north is the Huaihe River. The Huaihe River is connected to the canal, but it is a pity.
The meeting point is in Jiangdu.
In other words, Xiao Mian couldn't intercept the canal supplies, so he could only go west and enter Jingzhou.
After Dong Jingzhen captured Jiangxia, Xiao Mian's main follow-up army had already set off and headed for Jiangxia by land.
When he came to Jiangnan, there were only 30,000 people under his command, but now it has grown to 200,000.
It sounds exaggerated, but it is true. It is not easy for the government to recruit 200,000 guards, but it is very easy to gather a group of rebels.
Because there are too many rules and regulations among the officers and soldiers, they are not profitable, and they are very restrictive. Everyone does not want to be drafted, but the rebels are different. In the early stage of development, as long as you grab something, hand over part of it, and you can share the rest.
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To put it bluntly, one has a bottom line and the other has no bottom line.
Officers and soldiers plunder civilians only when they have no choice but to do so, but rebels plunder anytime and anywhere.
Xiao Mian just deceived the people of the three counties and took hundreds of thousands of people with him, planning to go to Jingzhou for development, where they could still afford to pay taxes to the court. It can be seen that the landlords had surplus grain at home, and they were all prepared for me.
The decisive battle in Liyang County took place at the end of March. After absorbing the Jiangning rebels, Laihu'er, with a total force of more than 40,000, began to forcefully cross the Yangtze River under the cover of the Xiangyang Navy.
The large ships are like city walls. The parapets and crossbow windows on the high-rise ships are like rain of arrows, and the crossbows are firing to suppress the rebels on the other side.
After successfully crossing the river, the officers and soldiers launched a decisive battle with Du Fuwei's main force.
Lai Hu'er took charge of the central army, dragging Du Fuwei's main force in the wilderness, while his general Fei Qingnu made a big detour and stormed Liyang County.
For a time, the Liyang Plain, surrounded by the Chu River and the Yangtze River, was filled with fierce fighting, and the fighting was extremely fierce.
Chushui, renamed Chu River during the Tang Dynasty, is a first-class tributary on the left bank of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. It flows through Anhui and Jiangsu and merges into the Yangtze River, with a total length of 265 kilometers.
This is a river that is very prone to flooding among the tributaries of the Yangtze River. Liyang County is so flat because of the impact of it and the Yangtze River.
In Chinese geography, many plain areas are formed by the impact of rivers. The North China Plain, Northeast Plain, Huanghuaihai Plain, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Plain, and the Pearl River Delta Plain are all impact plains.
Why is Hebei so prone to flooding? Because the water in Shanxi and Henan enters the sea from Hebei.
Heavy rains and floods occurred in Shanxi, and Hebei was affected. Of course, Henan could not escape. Therefore, in ancient times, when there was a flood in the north, people from Hebei and Henan would run to Shanxi.
Anyway, there are four thousand cavalry under Lai Hu'er's command. In the plains and wilderness, the cavalry equipped with refined weapons is equal to invincible.
After finally fighting a rich battle, Lai Huer used the cavalry to the extreme and almost exhausted these people to death.
But the result was good, Du Fuwei was defeated, withdrew from Liyang and returned to Xuancheng County.
At the same time, Lai Hu'er received the news of Xiao Mian's westward march, and was worried that Yang Jian would steal his credit, so he hurriedly sent his son Lai Kai to lead 6,000 people northward to receive Xiao Mian and leave behind three counties.
If successful, it would be equivalent to Lai Hu'er stationed in Jiangdu for a month and a half and taking back eight counties. On paper, this is a pretty impressive record, although both Xiao Xian and Du Fuwei are still doing well.
Of course, Yang Jian would not leave such a huge advantage to Lai Hu'er. He had already sent Cui Hongjun to lead an army of 20,000 men to enter Shouchun County in Huainan County in advance, and ordered Lai Hu'er to continue to hunt down Du Fuwei.
Lai Hu'er replied directly: The soldiers are exhausted from the continuous battle and need to rest their armor and repair, so it is not suitable to enter the army.
This is the truth. After playing for a month and a half, you must take a break. Human physical strength is limited, and uncontrolled abuse will cause problems.
"Haha... He really doesn't take me seriously. Are my general orders just plain words?" Yang Jian said angrily in Jiangdu: "The enemy's morale has declined, and it is time to pursue the enemy.
If you come to protect your child and delay the military flight, you should act according to military law."
Wei Xuan curled his lips and said nothing.
Wei Yunqi said: "In such a short period of time, military law can no longer take credit for communicating with Yuhang, opening up the Jiangnan Canal, and recovering Liyang and Danyang."
"How did he take it back? Colluded with the rebels!" Yang Xian snorted coldly.
Wei Yunqi raised his eyebrows and said: "I'm telling you, King Qi, you can't blame me randomly? The prince proposed the policy of recruiting peace, and His Majesty also approved it at the time. How come it's collusion with you?"
Yu Wenshu also hurriedly said: "Okay, okay, the results are good. The Xiangyang navy has received the prince's order and has gone west to rescue Jiangxia. Zhao Yuanke and Zhao Yuankai immediately led the Jiangdu navy to station in Liyang. Rong Gong's logistical support.
Just work hard to defend the Lord."
Wei Xuan nodded: "Of course I don't dare to neglect."
"The prince secretly transferred the Xiangyang navy to protect his son and turned a blind eye. What on earth are they doing?" Yang Jian said with a sullen face: "If you want to tear me down, it's not something as big as suppressing the rebellion. Haha, I knew it.
The prince doesn’t want me to monopolize the credit for pacifying Jiangnan, as it will hold me back, but it’s a pity that I still took back eight counties.”
Zhao Yuanke hurriedly said: "King Qi Yingwu."
Wei Yunqi was dumbfounded, good guy, you will take credit for yourself without doing anything. Did you hit him?
Wei Xuan coughed dryly and said: "First of all, we have to quickly send ships along the Jiangnan Canal to Yuhang County, and Chen Leng's navy needs to recruit military supplies from the southeast coast to replenish Jiangnan. There is no food in Luoyang.
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"It's almost April, and it's time to collect last year's taxes. How could Luoyang be short of food?" Yang Jian said.
Yu Wenshu replied: "The granary in Luoyang is distributed to the whole country. We are not the only ones who eat it. People in Hebei and Shandong are also hungry."
"To help the emergency rather than to help the poor, we should mainly protect Jiangnan at the moment," Yang Jian said: "How much food can be found in those rotten places in the southeast?"
The rotten place he was talking about...is Fujian. The food production is indeed not good, and the people in this place, like Lingnan, are particularly difficult to manage.
Wei Yunqi said: "Xu Gong is now the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and he doesn't agree. How can we get this food? Even if Xu Gong agrees, there is still a prince in Luoyang."
"Wei Yunqi, don't you think I dare not kill you?" Yang Jian raised his eyebrows and said, "The son of a guilty minister is acting strangely in front of this king. Who do you think you are? Come here, tie me up.
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"I wonder who dares!" Wei Yunqi stood up angrily: "Crime minister? My father was rehabilitated by the Second Sage during the reign of Emperor Kaihuang. Now that you are here, he has become a sinner? I am the Duke of Yangcheng County, General Hussar.
, the rank of this general is not something that the prince can dispose of at will."
Yang Jian was furious: "Are you talking to me about your rank? Come here, give me twenty sticks."
Then, several guards came over and prepared to torture Wei Yunqi.
Yu Wenshu said directly to those people: "Get down!"
The guards looked at Yang Jian and then at Yu Wenshu, not knowing what to do for a moment.
Yu Wenshu continued: "King Qi, there is no need to be angry. Yun Qi is just like this. If you have anything to say, please tell me."
Yang Xian smiled ferociously and said, "Let me ask you, if the prince was being tortured today, would you dare to stop him?"
"Of course Mr. Xu doesn't dare," Wei Xuan said with drooped eyelids: "The prince is a king, and the prince is a minister."
Yang Xian gritted his teeth. He already felt that he had no binding force on these big bosses. In other words, he was almost a puppet. If these people were willing, they could take him out at any time.
At this time, a guard came in to report that it was an official document from the Ministry of Etiquette of the Capital. The content of the official document temporarily relieved the tense atmosphere in the lobby.
Shi Wanshou knelt down and cried bitterly, and Wei Yunqi hurriedly stepped forward to help him.
It is etiquette for the eldest son to kneel to the eldest son after the second son. Shi Wanshou is the eldest son of the family, and he also supported his two younger brothers. Now that the eldest brother has passed away, Shi Wanshou is naturally extremely sad.
The relationship between brothers in ancient times was very strong, because there was no unfair distribution of parents, or over-protection of one of them. In ancient times, everything belonged to the eldest son, and no one else would have any idea of competing.
Conflicts between brothers and sisters mostly come from unfair treatment by their parents. This phenomenon did not exist in the Sui Dynasty under the eldest son inheritance system.
Yu Wenshu also sighed sadly: "Tai Pinggong has been exhausted for decades, and Yin Chen has been through the rugged and dangerous obstacles. Now he rides on the dustpan and disappears, and the Kongjiao sheds tears for the hero."
There was dead silence in the lobby.
Thinking about himself and others, Yu Wenshu was older than Shi Wansui. Now that he heard that Shi Wansui had passed away, he thought that he was already in his twilight years despite his heroic life, and naturally he felt a sigh of relief.
Wei Xuan was even worse, he was four years older than Yu Wenshu.
After Shi Wanshou saw the official document prohibiting his eldest nephew from taking advantage of love, he hoped that he could return to the capital to arrange his brother's burial.
Yang Jian did not dare to refuse, and Yu Wenshu also agreed.
After all, it's the same whether he or she is here. It's a matter of breaking human relations to prevent others from attending the funeral for their eldest brother. The emperor dares to do it, the prince dares to do it, but no one else dares.
Therefore, Shi Wanbao, who was in Luoyang, had already left for Beijing, because the role of the two brothers could not be compared with Shi Huaiyi.
Shi Huaiyi is now the Duke of Xiangguo. He is responsible for presiding over the rebellion in Shandong. He has great responsibility. He can completely suppress Zhang Xutuo, but Yang Ming's arrangement is for him to assist Zhang Xutuo.
Why can others suppress him? Because Zhang Xutuo was originally Shi Wansui's man. If he hadn't changed his family and joined Yang Ming's family, according to normal procedures, Shi Wansui would have died and he would have taken refuge with Shi Huaiyi.
Once you have identified a family, you cannot change the family easily. Shi Wansui was Zhang Xutuo's guide and mentor.
The four words "respecting teachers and respecting Taoism" are one of the best traditions in China since ancient times.