Chapter 57: Stepping on the South of the Five Ridges in Three Months
After Xue Juzheng left Shu, he returned to Bianjing without stopping and reported everything to Luo Youdu.
"Your Majesty, the Lord of Shu, Meng Xuanzhe, is very humble to his subordinates and behaves like a leader of a small country."
Luo Youdu didn't find it strange that the imperial court in central Sichuan was occupied by a group of corrupt officials, but being able to become a corrupt official was also a skill, so he wouldn't do it rashly.
"So that's how you responded?"
Xue Juzheng said: "This subordinate is an envoy of the higher country, so he maintains the court style and is arrogant."
Luo Youdu laughed: "What a arrogant person. What I want is to be arrogant. The small country of Sichuan and Sichuan, as well as the great Central Plains, don't take it to heart at all. Only in this way can they have the courage to make trouble on Tai Sui's head."
He pointed to the stool beside him and said, "Xue Qing, sit down and explain slowly. I want to hear what you have experienced along the way."
Xue Juzheng pondered for a moment and said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the situation in Shu can be described in five words to describe the two worlds of rich and poor. When I enter Shu from the Three Gorges, my first stop is Kuizhou. The people here are poor and contented, and they admire us in the Central Plains."
Luo Youdu was greatly surprised and said, "How do you say this?"
Xue Juzheng said: "The taxes on the people in Shu are extremely heavy and the people are in poverty, but Kuizhou borders our Xiazhou. Merchants from the two places continue to pass through Kuizhou, so the people in Kuizhou mainly use the coins of our dynasty, and are affected by this. Kuizhou
The people of Kuizhou have enough food and clothing, and often communicate with the people of Xiazhou. They have a certain understanding of the tax situation of our country. Most of the people in the territory yearn to live like the people of Xiazhou. Therefore, it often happens that people of Kuizhou flee eastward."
Luo Youdu nodded to express his understanding.
Xue Juzheng continued: "After passing Kuizhou and heading west along the Yangtze River, we will reach Kaizhou. From here on, the people gradually bartered and traded without using coins. Especially the mountain people in Daba Mountain, they only accepted
We do not accept any currency for bartering, and we have had many conflicts with local merchants for this reason."
Xue Juzheng talked about the situation in each state. When he talked about Chengdu, he couldn't help but shake his head and said: "When I entered Chengdu, I was amazed by the sights I saw. This Chengdu lives in the Chengdu Plain. Affected by Li Bing's flood control in the past, the Chengdu Plain
The water canals are crisscrossed, agriculture is developed, and the products are rich. It is called Tianfu. But because of Mrs. Huarui's words, Meng Chang directly went to the fields forty miles around Chengdu to plant flower beds."
"The official who greeted me proudly told me that I came at the wrong time. He said that if I arrived in Chengdu in April or May, I would see hibiscus in full bloom for forty miles along the city, as if it were paved with brocade. It is called Chengdu.
For Furong City."
"I was shocked when I heard this. I really don't understand. Is this matter worthy of praise?"
Xue Juzheng continued: "When we entered the city of Chengdu, the scene in the city was astonishing. The streets were filled with the aroma of wine. This is still in the midst of national war. If it were not for national war, I am afraid that the wind of feasting would be even more rampant."
"I have seen and heard along the way and dare to assert that the people in Shu have been waiting for Master Wang for a long time."
Luo Youdu suddenly felt enlightened as he listened to Xue Juzheng explaining what he had seen and heard along the way.
Understand why Shu is so difficult to attack, and the Song Dynasty was able to destroy Shu in sixty-six days.
Understand why the rebellion in Shu continued, and even Zhao Kuangyi, the God of Sorghum River Chariots, had the idea of abandoning Shu.
The people of the Shu Kingdom lived in dire straits due to Meng Chang's arrogance and extravagance. He had long lost his popularity and reputation in the Shu Kingdom, and the surrounding prefectures except Chengdu were looking forward to a savior to save them from the misery.
In the end, what came was not a savior, but a group of demons.
Under the leadership of Wang Quanbin, the Song army raped, looted, and trapped Shu soldiers in Shu, which completely aroused public outrage.
Under Meng Chang's rule, he could at least survive.
Once the Song army arrived, there was no way to survive.
This is not against the Song Dynasty, but against whom?
Luo Youdu said leisurely: "It is easy to destroy Shu, but difficult to govern Shu!"
Xue Juzheng said seriously: "In fact, it is not difficult, but we must imitate the example of Emperor Zhaolie when his army crossed the border in autumn and did not invade. We should cultivate kindness and kindness, and the land of Shu will return to its heart."
Luo Youdu frowned slightly and said: "It sounds easy to say, but it is not easy to do it."
Today's military discipline is much better than before.
In the past, the army was just regular gangsters. Now, after two generations of self-governing the army, the atmosphere of the army has been greatly changed.
But the sky in Shu is high and the emperor is far away. Someone really needs to be dizzy and do something.
It was not easy for Luo Youdu, who was far away in Bianjing, to save the situation.
Xue Juzheng also knew this and said: "If your Majesty goes to the expedition in person..."
Luo Youdu waited for this sentence and said: "Ai Qing's words are reasonable."
Xue Juzheng was dumbfounded and didn't know how to recover. He just made a casual suggestion...
Luo Youdu looked at Xue Juzheng and said mysteriously: "Don't tell anyone about this matter."
Xue Juzheng felt like he was on a pirate ship and silently agreed.
In the following time, the institutions of the Central Plains imperial court began to operate at high speed.
The allocation of military pay and the movement of grain and grass.
Officials at all levels are busy working on the war effort.
In addition to the effectiveness of the frontline soldiers and generals, the outcome of the battle is also extremely important in terms of rearrangement.
All kinds of military supplies were transferred south.
There were two waves of supplies, one gathered in Yangzhou and the other in Jiangling.
Cao Bin had already arrived at the Yangzhou front line, but he did not start the war in time.
It has been snowing heavily in the south of the Yangtze River in the past few days. Most of his soldiers have come to the northern part of the Central Plains and are somewhat unfamiliar with the water and soil of the south of the Yangtze River.
It is not suitable to go to war in this bad weather.
Therefore, he prepared for war in Yangzhou and waited for the heavy snow to pass.
Pan Mei also arrived at Hengyang and took over Hengyang's defense. He was not in a hurry to attack Guiyang, but planned to wait for Li Zhong to attack Wuling and eliminate Zhou Xingfeng before marching south.
The Southern Han Dynasty also saw Pan Mei's intention and planned to take advantage of Pan Mei's lack of troops to attack Hengyang again to avenge its previous humiliation.
The result is obvious, under Luo Youdu's training, Pan Mei is even better than in history.
Pan Mei, who was in a defensive advantage, swallowed up the attacking troops of the Southern Han Dynasty and did not return even a single horse.
That day in the court hall, Luo Youdu took out the memorial written by Pan Mei and gave it to all the civil and military officials in the hall to read.
Luo Youdu laughed and said: "Pan Zhaoping envoy found out the reality of the Han Kingdom in Lingnan on the front line. He said that the puppet emperor Liu Yunyong of Lingnan was cowardly and incompetent, did not know how to govern the country, and was extremely suspicious. He did not trust the ministers and entrusted all major affairs of the country to the eunuchs.
Gong Chengshu, Chen Yanshou and Lu Qiongxian among the maids. He felt that the ministers all had families and would not be loyal to them in order to take care of their descendants, so he made a special decree that if they want to be reused, the ministers must leave the palace."
There was also a chuckle in the hall. They had also heard about this, but it was too unbelievable, so they all regarded it as a rumor or joke.
After all, rumors stop only for the wise. Whoever believes this kind of thing is a fool.
The reality turned out to be more absurd than the rumors...
Many officials could only hide their embarrassment.
Luo Youdu said solemnly: "What a strange person and strange thing. How dare you call such a person a loner?"
He glanced at the courtiers and said: "Pan Zhaozhi asked the imperial court to send troops to conquer. He said that the Southern Han Dynasty was ridiculous and vulnerable. He gave him tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, and he could conquer Lingnan in three months."