After the new grains came on the market, grain prices finally stabilized.
Zheng and Hua were originally the main sources of corn in Bianzhou. During the Yuanhe period, 150,000 dendrobium millets were supplied to Chang'an each year. A few months ago, it once rose to 300 qian a dou. Now it has finally come down slowly, but it still costs 50, 60 qian.
A bucket of money.
The price of wheat is slightly more expensive. After the news of the attack on Songzhou came, the price skyrocketed, and like corn, it will slowly fall back.
Rice is mainly produced in the seven prefectures of Bian, Chen, Xu, Cai, Bo, Shou and Guang, especially Cai, Shou and Guang. They were either greatly devastated by the war or had fallen, so the price of rice has risen the most.
But the overall situation is actually pretty good. The grain with the largest output in Henan is millet, followed by wheat. The impact of the rice shortage is not too great.
"Judge Pei, this year's grain and bean harvest has been reduced a lot." It was already September, and farmers had already started autumn sowing in the fields. Xiao Fu quietly looked at the busy farmers and said with emotion: "The summer thieves have entered Shanzhou again.
, if this continues, I don’t know when it will end.”
"This year, we were caught off guard, causing the Xia thieves to be in an uninhabited land. If we had been prepared, the thieves wouldn't have been so rampant, right?" Pei Di was not a warrior, so he made a judgment that was in line with his own knowledge.
"It's not that simple." Xiao Fu smiled, but did not want to go into details.
In his opinion, Shao Thief is very good at using troops. It is not the kind of using troops where two armies confront each other and each comes up with strange plans to kill each other, but starts from the overall situation.
He is like that clever chess player who makes one move first to see the effect, and then makes another move to accumulate advantages little by little. He is also very good at selecting chess pieces instead of using them.
Zhu Jin in Yanzhou also had a lot of cavalry, and they once gathered together to harass Liang Jun's food road, but they always fought head-on, head-on, and the effect was very bad.
In the Battle of Shanzhou, the Yanzhou cavalry was overwhelming. They harassed the grain roads and attacked the marching Liang army, but they always failed. After the Liang army formed a formation, they charged and tested repeatedly, but the infantry was tenacious and unmoving.
, finally lost patience and stormed the infantry formation. The result was obvious, a disastrous defeat, "riding alone to escape".
The Shao thieves did not force their way in. Although the Xia thieves and the Feilong Army had the capital to force their way in, they always avoided the reality. You come to Zhengzhou, I will go to Huazhou, you will chase Huazhou, and I will go to Caozhou and harass everyone. It is worth it.
During the Civil War, there were many grain transport teams between states and counties. The local groups were brave, eating when they could and leaving when they couldn't, without any sloppiness.
The most important thing is that they have many horses and mules, most of which are heavily armored infantry, which Zhu Jin's cavalry is far inferior to.
Whether you can dismount and attack the enemy on foot is extremely important.
It is not difficult to pursue and intercept five thousand cavalry, but it is difficult to pursue and intercept five thousand mounted infantry.
"Xiao Shijun, can't you defeat the thief Qi Bizhang?" Pei Di asked.
"If Thief Xia is willing to fight, it will be easy." Xiao Fu shook his head and smiled: "Let's not talk about this anymore. Judge Pei is also asked to take a lot of trouble in dispatching grain ships to transport grain and grass to Biankou. Pang Dutou is urging him urgently.
, we need to collect 150,000 dendrobiums of grain and beans before winter comes."
"Will there be a war over there at Pangdutou?" Pei Di frowned. Zheng and Huazhou had just calmed down. If they were invaded again, the impact would be too bad.
"After the river freezes, the summer thieves will come." Xiao Fu said without hesitation.
Pei Diruo realized something. The Xia thieves had just captured Guanghe Town a while ago. Of the thousands of garrison soldiers, only a few relied on boats to evacuate, and most of them were killed by the thieves.
This group is still attacking Banzhu City. I heard that the situation is very critical and the city wall is damaged in many places. The navy has shipped soldiers and materials to repair the city wall several times to save the crisis. However, the reinforcements have already been attacked by Xia thieves once, and the losses are not light.
If the battle continues, Banzhu City will be in danger.
"I heard that the Shao thieves were inspecting Heyang. Can you mobilize the army to go north and annihilate them?" Pei Di asked again.
"It's difficult. If Wei Bo doesn't want to send troops, this matter will be useless." Xiao Fu didn't want to continue talking about this matter, so he decisively ended the topic and said, "I'd like to trouble Judge Pei."
"It's your job." Pei Di was a little worried and reluctantly replied.
After parting with Pei Di, Xiao Fu rode his horse back to the city.
When passing a village, he stopped.
The village was doing some business, and when they asked someone, it turned out that the two brothers had died in the battle in Banzhu City, Hebei Province.
The elder brother was a soldier from Bianzhou Prefecture and died as a garrison guarding the city. The younger brother was a Tutuan countryman from Kaifeng County and was sent to reinforce the army. As a result, when he was getting off the ferry, he was attacked by Xia cavalry troops. The whole army was in chaos and died in the river.
What a tragedy! The body was never recovered, and the funeral was an unspeakable experience.
"Sun Erlang, you have been a warrior for many years. In your opinion, are the Xia thieves afraid of the army now?" Xiao Fu turned to look at a certain follower and asked.
Sun Erlang is the commander of the Bianzhou Prefecture Army and has been in the army for more than ten years. When he saw Xiao Fu asking a question, he paused, as if thinking about how to answer.
"To tell the truth, can I still harm you?" Xiao Fu said with a smile.
Sun Erlang was also a straightforward person. He no longer hesitated and said: "Fear is out of the question. If the Xia thieves stand in front of us, we still dare to fight. There is a saying in the army that the Shao thieves use troops to make us weak.
Envoy, encountering Xia thieves is always bad. In the past, when the victorious army encountered Xia thieves, the flagpole was broken for no reason. Pangdu attacked Heqing, and the sky felt like a hole. It rained for days and the soldiers couldn't even get a hot meal.
Many people fell ill and had to withdraw their troops. In the Caizhou War this year, Cui Hong defected again and almost lost three cities in Caizhou."
Xiao Fu frowned and thought.
This trend is not good. If this statement is allowed to spread, it may damage morale.
"Any other explanation?" Xiao Fu asked again.
Sun Erlang hesitated for a moment and said: "When the army was having a private drink in Paoze, someone made a bet as to whether someone would switch sides if the thieves came again this winter or summer."
"What do you think?"
"Some people say that Hu Zhen wants to surrender."
Xiao Fu's expression changed. Sun Erlang was so frightened that he accused him repeatedly.
"It's none of your business." Xiao Fu consoled him, "Just remember not to spread these rumors."
"As ordered." Sun Erlang responded honestly.
Xiao Fu sighed. Some things, if spread too much, can easily become true if they are false.
These warriors really dare to say anything when they return home on leave!
But why is there such a saying that Hu Zhen wants to surrender?
He was from Jiangling Prefecture, and his family was well off. He learned riding and shooting as a young man, and was famous far and wide. Later, his family helped run a county official, and he became a local rich man.
Huang Chao could no longer stand in Henan and was forced to move to the south, where Hu Zhen joined the army. Then he fought in various places, entered Chang'an, and joined forces with the King of Liang, and then left the town of Xuanwu, until now.
In the second year of Guangqi's reign (886), King Liang appointed Hu Zhen as the envoy of Xuanyi Jiedu. This was a sign of trust, and perhaps it was also a precursor to problems?
Alas, King Liang’s old problem has returned!
The newcomers suppressed the old, gradually weakening the influence of the senior and more prestigious Yuan Cong general, ensuring that he was the only voice in the Xuanwu Army. Hu Zhen gradually fell into obscurity, and he showed no signs of dissatisfaction, but was he really not dissatisfied?
Xiao Fu doesn't know.
All he knew was that he couldn't allow such rumors to spread, otherwise he would be afraid that the lies would become true.
"Do all the sergeants think that the summer thieves will attack again in winter?" Xiao Fu asked.
"Everyone feels that they must come." Sun Erlang replied, not daring to say another word for fear of causing unnecessary complications.
Xiao Fu nodded and said: "Go back to the city."
Pei Di can't see it clearly before the big-headed soldier!
He only saw many soldiers and horses deployed on the south bank of the river, thinking that he could deter the thieves from going south. But in the eyes of the big-headed soldiers, opponents like the Xia thieves were extremely cruel and murderous.
Woolen cloth.
Xiao Fu rushed into Bianzhou before the city gate closed.
The Double Ninth Festival is approaching, and the city is still very lively. Many people are buying holiday items, and merchants are beaming with joy.
But there is also a disharmonious side.
A tax collector went from shop to shop to collect tax money. The merchants greeted them with smiles and offered them goods. When the tax collector left, they started to curse.
Xiao Fu has seen many scenes like this these days.
After years of fighting, many soldiers were killed and injured, so this pension had to be paid. In order to supplement the establishment, new soldiers had to be recruited, which was another huge expense.
In fact, the establishment of some units has not been completed until now.
Wei Boluo Hongxin was an ungrateful person, so he reduced the amount of food, grain, and silk provided by Li Keyong this year. King Liang was relieved on the surface, but in reality he was angry. If the timing hadn't been right, he might have sent troops to invade Weizhou and teach him a lesson.
Teach those killers a lesson.
We have financial difficulties and have to raise taxes!
Du Hong defected to the Shao bandits, Luo Hongxin reduced his supply, Hua, Zheng, Dan, Song and other states were invaded by bandits. Many farmlands were delayed in the spring sowing of millet and wheat, so they could only grow some miscellaneous grains, and the harvest was affected.
Xiao Fu seemed to hear some kind of overwhelming breaking sound. More and more cracks were showing on the behemoth Xuanwu Army.
After returning home, he abandoned his wife and children and went into the study alone.
After sitting quietly for a while, he moved a cabinet and took out a confession from under a movable floor tile.
"The doctor is gifted with Tianzhi, and the frost and osmanthus contain the purity. The beauty is fragrant, and harmony is valued every time he sees it. He is awe-inspiring and upright, and he can hate evil as much as a beetle... The former official escaped from the lost track, devoted himself to the path of righteousness, and forever eliminated confusion. Ambition can be rewarded for poor appearance...Executive clumsy administration, retaining talented people, comforting the tired and weak in the four counties, and observing the crotch of the neighbors...Please ask the Jiedu Envoy to do things."
Shao Shude issued it to him in the name of the imperial court. Once he surrendered, he could be appointed as the governor of the Guilin Army and lead the four states of Xu, Su, Hao and Si.
Xiao Fu never agreed and did not want to betray Prince Liang, but he kept this confession by some strange coincidence.
Occasionally I think about this, and one thought always comes to my mind: King Xia keeps his word. He asked you to be the governor, and he will fulfill his promise no matter how reluctant he is.
Xiao Fu carefully analyzed his heart and had to admit that the gradual rise of brothers Xiao Yu and Xiao Yu in the Xia King's military and political system had an impact that could not be ignored.
I couldn't write two characters "xiao" in one stroke. King Xia must have noticed this when he came to me. Xiao Fu gave a bitter smile.
The King of Liang kept a close eye on Hu Zhen, Zhu Zhen, Pang Shigu and other generals in charge of the army, but he was very tolerant of him, a food envoy without soldiers. His daughter married Xie Yanzhang, but Ge and Xie had a bad relationship with their father and son. After all, his status is not high enough. He is the leader every time, and he is not stared at.
King Xia is really good at finding me to win over.
Xiao Fu sat there for a long time and wanted to burn the confession several times, but he could not make up his mind and had to hide it again.