Wang Jing and Han Lingkun each divided their forces to capture Chengzhou and Jiezhou.
Luo Youdu led five thousand soldiers to garrison Fengzhou.
Wang Jing and Han Lingkun each assigned 2,000 soldiers from their own command to Luo Youdu, plus 1,000 soldiers from Qinzhou's Zhao Ding's command, for a total of 5,000 soldiers and horses.
This was the first time he was leading an army. Luo Youdu was a little excited, but more cautious.
The first time may also be the last time.
In this era, civil servants have too few opportunities to take charge of the army. If they perform poorly once, they will not be able to take the lead if they have the opportunity in the future.
The sense of impression substitution will affect your whole life.
After careful consideration, Luo Youdu asked Cao Bin to take over Fengzhou's city defense.
Zhang Jianxiong left by Wang Jing and Yang Yuan left by Han Lingkun are both good generals.
They are good at charging into battle, but if they want to take over the city defense and be responsible for the security of the city, they may not be as good as Cao Bin.
Although Cao Bin has never been on the battlefield, as a general, he has been involved in these military affairs. What he lacks is just experience, so it is easy to get started.
The most important thing is Cao Bin's character.
Cao Bin is unsmiling and conscientious in his work, so he is very suitable for such meticulous work.
By leaving it to Cao Bin, Luo Youdu can rest assured.
On the third day after Wang Jing and Han Lingkun left.
Luo Youdu summoned Zhang Jianxiong, Yang Yuan and Cao Bin to the Fengzhou Assembly Hall.
"General Zhang, General Yang, do you two feel aggrieved if you stay in Fengzhou?" Luo Youdu greeted Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan familiarly and asked half-jokingly.
Zhang Jianxiong and Luo Youdu are familiar with each other, and he first said: "There is a bit of grievance, and this is not directed at the governor. I have great respect for the governor as a person. It's just that my hands are itchy and I can't stay here in Fengzhou.
There is no use for it."
Yang Yuan smiled awkwardly, obviously he meant the same thing.
Luo Youdu showed a mysterious smile on his face and said: "Then if I say that Fengzhou will be the main battlefield, do you believe it or not?"
Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan looked at each other.
Zhang Jianxiong said excitedly: "Could it be that Shu sent other troops to attack Fengzhou?"
"No!" Luo Youdu said: "The people who come should be Li Tinggui and Gao Yanqian."
Zhang Jianxiong frowned and said: "The news that Duke Bao Bao received is that the two of them led a large army to reinforce Chengzhou and went to Jiezhou."
Luo Youdu stretched out his hand and clenched his fist and said: "I am 70% sure that their target is Fengzhou. The so-called reinforcements to Chengzhou and Jiezhou are just a cover-up."
Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan were skeptical.
Luo Youdu said: "How about a gamble?"
"What to bet on?"
The speaker this time was Yang Yuan, a real gambler who loved gambling as much as his life.
Luo Youdu said: "It's not big, just treat me to a drink!"
Zhang Jianxiong immediately said: "What if the Governor appreciates your face, so what if I treat you to ten drinks of wine? But this time I have to drink from the Governor's invitation."
Yang Yuan also said: "The last general also wants to drink the governor's wine, so he bets."
"Okay!" Luo Youdu put his hands together and made a snap: "It's a deal!"
He looked at the second general with burning eyes.
Luo Youdu knew that his prestige was not enough to completely convince Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan.
Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan only obeyed the orders of their superiors.
This kind of assignment cannot be prohibited by law.
Faced with Luo Youdu's order, they would probably think about it before choosing to obey or oppose it.
What Luo Youdu wants is complete obedience. Only through this bet can he calm them down and make them truly recognize his abilities, so that he can further command them.
"I won't say much else! The two generals will go back and arrange the soldiers to prepare for war. Then you and I will hang out in Cuihonglou day and night for the past few days. I'll treat you! Remember to call General Zhao. Don't tell him about our bet..."
The general Zhao he refers to is the surrendered general Zhao Yu.
It is true that Zhao Jue was a reduced general, but he was not a general promoted by Meng Chang, but an old general from the Later Jin Dynasty. He was a general from the Central Plains lineage and was not allowed to be reused. He did not have much loyalty to the Kingdom of Shu and was just living with his salary.
, compared to Han Jixun, he is still trustworthy.
However, Luo Youdu did not intend to take this risk and did not include him in it.
Zhang Jianxiong and Yang Yuan took the orders and went.
Only Luo Youdu and Cao Bin were left in the hall.
"In the next period of time, the three generals Zhang Jianxiong, Yang Yuan, and Zhao Wei and I will drink wine in Cuihong Mansion and act careless. You have become familiar with Fengzhou City Defense in the past two days, so relax your vigilance appropriately. Remember to go outside
Be tight inside and be careful. We not only want to attract the Shu soldiers, but also make them look down on me, a weak scholar."
The 70% certainty Luo Youdu said was not a random guess based on memory.
Now he has factual basis.
After dividing his forces with Wang Jing and Han Ling, Luo Youdu spent a whole day and night in Fengzhou's archives, reviewing Fengzhou's population growth rate and tax situation in the past ten years.
Twelve years before Fengzhou came to power in the Shu Kingdom, its economic situation was very good.
Meng Chang adopted the two-tax law. People only needed to pay local tax and household tax. Among them, one dou per mu of cultivated land was paid annually, and even tax exemptions were given from time to time. The situation of corvee was even simpler, that is, the number of people levied for road construction and water control.
Not much.
It can be imagined that the people of Fengzhou were very happy at this time.
But just seventeen years after Meng Chang came to the throne, that is, after the twelve years of Guangzheng, the land tax increased from one dou per mu per year to three dou per mu per year, which tripled the amount of corvee taxes.
It was more than double that of the year before last, and the project shifted from building roads and water control to renovating palaces.
The most intuitive impact is that the population growth rate has stagnated.
People's livelihood has been affected since then.
As time goes on, the tax situation in Fengzhou becomes more and more chaotic. Originally there were only two taxes, but gradually the boss's money, the warehouse tax, the agricultural equipment tax, the cattle leather and tendon tax, the import tax, the silkworm salt money, the Quyin money, and the city's regular money
Various additional tax increases emerge in endlessly.
This does not include corruption.
The corvee also got heavier every year.
Especially two years ago, Meng Chang wanted to renovate the palace, so he directly purchased high-quality nanmu to offset the tax.
Fengzhou, which is close to the Qinling Mountains, happens to be rich in nanmu. In order to pay taxes, the people gave up farming and turned to woodcutters, which triggered a famine.
Luo Youdu didn't believe that Meng Chang specifically arrested Huo Huo in Fengzhou. The situation in Fengzhou must be a microcosm of most states and counties in Shu.
You can see the big from the small, and you can know the autumn of the world when a leaf falls.
War is a continuation of politics, and economics determines the direction of politics.
What the economy does means what response measures the other party will use.
The opponent's economy is in shambles, and it is destined to be impossible to fight a protracted war with them.
Therefore, sending generals Li Tinggui and Gao Yanqian to support Chengzhou and Jiezhou respectively, and to use Chengzhou and Jiezhou to resist the Zhou army in a protracted war, was most likely a deception.
Because they can't afford it!
Attacking Fengzhou, blocking the Zhou army's rear supply route, and ending the war as quickly as possible with Xiao Bo and Da was their only choice.
Therefore, Luo Youdu determined that Fengzhou was the real goal of Later Shu.