Two days later, the garrison camp arrived at Taihu County, accompanied by Shi Kefa.
Shi Kefa was worried that Pang Yu's first battalion was weak in strength. Anqing's sentry horse confirmed that the direction of Qianshan was safe. Shi Kefa arrived at Shipai a day late. Of course, his standard general Pan Keda was also indispensable. Pi Yingju organized the defense of Fucheng.
Pang Yu was waiting for news from his headquarters' sentinels in Shipai. He was delayed for just one day and reunited with Shi Kefa.
When Shi Kefa inspected Shipai, Pang Yu made a lot of efforts to continue to win Shi Kefa's support for his long-term garrison in Shipai, and also specially accompanied him to visit Liu Ruozai's ancestral home.
During the day of waiting, Pang Yu's sentry riders rarely caught a person alive. He was a servant of the Sweeping King's unit. It was determined that this group of bandits came from Taihu Lake. There were not many people, and the Sweeping King's camp was not among them.
.
This group of bandits went directly to Susong without passing through Taihu County, mainly to grab food. This bandit got lost while collecting food in Susong, and was caught without resistance by the sentries.
The direction they were going was Huangmei. At the same time, they asked from the mouth of the servant that they had heard the master in charge say that there were still people coming out of Taihu Lake, but they didn't know how many people there were.
Combining the scattered information about the fleeing people, Pang Yu temporarily concluded that the troops were just passing through the border, and those passing in front were either a small group of people, maybe a vanguard, or maybe just a group going out to grab food.
The scale of the latter is unclear. If the main force of the Sweeper King comes out of Taihu, the garrison camp will not be able to attack Susong directly. Otherwise, [51 Novel www.51xs.info] will expose a huge loophole in the direction of Shipai, and if the rogue bandits
If you want to go to Anqing, you won't go around as big a circle as Susong to play stone cards. Pang Yu's idea is to secure the city. As for the direction of Susong, it is already dilapidated anyway. If the sweeper destroys it, it will be like that. So after confirming the information, he will defend the city.
The battalion chose to march towards Taihu Lake and arrived at Taihu County in the afternoon of the second day.
The closer we get to Taihu County, the more dilapidated the nearby villages become. Many villages are deserted, with wild dogs occasionally roaming among the ruins. The fields that have been abandoned for nearly a year are covered with weeds.
When he went to Susong to coerce Chen Shifu at the beginning of the year, Pang Yu once passed by here. The earthen city in Taihu Lake was still there, with traces of collapse everywhere. When facing the rogue bandits, if there were no military guards, this earthen city would be almost as good as without a city wall.
The newly appointed magistrate of Taihu County was greeted outside the city. The ceremony was quite cold. There were not many followers around him. The nearby government officials did not even wear Qiqing jerseys. Only the water and fire sticks in their hands could identify their identities. Behind him were several gentry and officials.
There were some people near the road watching from a distance.
The county magistrate's name was Yang Zhuoran. When Shi Kefa dismounted, he was already waiting respectfully aside. When Shi Kefa turned around, he led the officials to kneel down in greeting.
Shi Kefa asked Yang Zhuoran to stand up, while Pang Yu watched. Yang Zhuoran looked a little haggard, probably because he had been troubled by bandits in the past two days.
Shi Kefa looked at it for a while and then said gently, "I heard that Youxian (Yang Zhuoran) was a Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen."
Pang Yu secretly pouted from behind, and Pan Keda next to him also made slight movements. Pang Yu knew that he was not too comfortable either.
Before Shi Kefa came over, he specifically asked Pi Yingju about the situation of officials in the four western counties. In the world of civil servants, imperial examination status is the most important, so it is natural to ask about these situations. But what he said at this time was to imply that Pang Yuhe
Pan Keda, these two warriors, the magistrate of the county was a Jinshi, and they wanted to meet with them with the following official courtesy.
Both Pang Yu and Pan Keda have higher grades than the county magistrates, but when faced with civil servants who rely on imperial examinations, their grades are as useless as the Tucheng in Taihu Lake. Especially those with Jinshi status have a very bright future, and they can win at any time.
It is true that no martial artist can afford to offend him once he soars into the sky.
Although this has always been the case, Shi Kefa's hint was a little more explicit, showing that he particularly valued his status as a Jinshi.
Yang Zhuoran said respectfully: "Master Daotai, I am a Jinshi in the fourth year of Chongzhen. I am ranked 28th on the third list."
Pang Yu glanced at Yang Zhuoran again. Shi Kefa was ranked twenty-sixth on the third list of the first year of Chongzhen. Yang Zhuoran said that his ranking was just two places lower. This not only hinted that there was a gap between him and Shi Kefa, a Shangguan, but also narrowed the distance.
, it seems that this Xinzhi County is also quite sophisticated.
Sure enough, Shi Kefa's smile became more cordial, and Yang Zhuoran took the opportunity to bring the topic to the imperial examination circle. At this time, the imperial examination was indeed a single-plank bridge with thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. After all, there were only a handful of high school scholars. This road required years of hard work, and most people had something in common.
His own mental journey, and at the same time, he is also a human resource in the officialdom, so there are many topics that can be discussed.
The last time Pang Yu accompanied Shi Kefa and Pi Yingju in Tongcheng, he learned that Shi Kefa and Pi Yingju were also in the same year. The intimacy between the two was not much worse than that of brothers. They couldn't stop talking about it. They even went to visit Liu Ruozai together when they returned to Anqing.
's mansion.
Sure enough, the two people quickly chatted about the two people who were in the same year. They talked about several familiar people and exchanged information about the promotions of these people. In a short time, they became much closer.
Naturally, Pang Yu didn't know anyone in the imperial examination circle, nor had he even heard of anyone. Pan Keda next to him was probably the same. From the corner of his eye, Pang Yu noticed that Pan Keda wanted to yawn several times.
Neither of them dared to disturb the two civilian officials, and the more than a thousand troops behind them were waiting on the official road.
In fact, it didn't take long, but when Pang Yu heard that he wanted to doze off, Shi Kefa began to introduce the rescue generals. Pan Keda and Pang Yu faced a seventh-grade county magistrate, and they performed the official ceremony in a formal manner. Yang Zhuoran
He accepted it calmly, but his posture was not high and his tone was very humble, which slightly changed Pang Yu's impression of him.
After Yang Zhuoran helped Pang Yu up, he looked at Pang Yu a few more times. He had obviously heard of Pang Yu's reputation.
Then Yang Zhuoran introduced the assistant official of the county government, and the six-room clerk behind him skipped and introduced several gentry representatives who were welcoming him. Shi Kefa was very experienced in handling this kind of scene, and the host and guest chatted happily.
After the ceremony, the two of them walked into Taihu City together. Although Taihu County only had earthen walls, the six gates were made of bricks, and each gate had a gate tower. The gate towers were quite standard.
The group was preparing to enter the city from the south gate. Shi Kefa walked around and looked at the nearby Tucheng. He put away his previous relaxed mood and said to Yang Zhuoran in a low tone, "Taihu was invaded at the beginning of the year and the killings were brutal.
Now that the rogue bandits have come out again, I am very worried when I see such a wall today."
"Your Excellency is so concerned about the country and its people that I have ordered my subordinates to admire Wu Nei. It is indeed as your Excellency said, without a city there is no defense.
Since Xiaguan took office, he has been thinking very hard about how to preserve the remaining vitality of Taihu Lake. The first thing is to build a city. Only with a city can the people be strengthened and gather their morale."
Shi Kefa shouted "Hello", stopped and said excitedly, "I coincidentally coincided with my official first. Looking at the changes at the beginning of the year, those who have the city will be saved, and those without the city will suffer. Yin's lesson is not far away.
Not only is it necessary to build a city for the county government, but also wherever the people gather, they should form strongholds to protect themselves. The rogue bandits have nothing to gain from plundering, so they should retreat after knowing the difficulties..." Pang Yu knew that Shi Kefa was going to say his big talk about forming strongholds to ensure peace.
, he had said many times when he was in Tongcheng that he hoped that all towns and villages in Tongcheng would build their own forts.
From the perspective of a local official, this may make sense, but as a military chief overseeing a large area, victory cannot be achieved by building strongholds alone.
Based on Pang Yu's guess, Yang Zhuoran probably got some information from Fucheng, so that he could hit Shi Kefa's heart as soon as he opened his mouth.
Another possibility is that Yang Zhuoran really wants to build the city. After all, he has just taken office and there is no guarantee that he will not be invaded by rogue bandits during his few years in office.
Looking at the situation in Taihu Lake, it is good to have an earthen wall, which can reduce a lot of earthwork workload. Susong and Qianshan do not even have earthen cities. They rely on manpower to build cities from the ground. Not only do they need a lot of money and food support, but also
a long time.
But even for Taihu Lake, wrapping bricks with rammed earth is a huge workload and cannot be completed in a short period of time. When bandits may appear at any time, it is a fool's errand to build a city wall. At the same time, Pang Yu does not think that Taihu Lake's current economy can support such a project.
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Pang Yu didn't want to repeat the "City in My Heart" thing again and did not participate in the conversation between the two civil servants.
I heard Yang Zhuoran continue to say to Shi Kefa, "What your Excellency said is absolutely true. The mountains to the north of Taihu Lake are vast, and bandits come and go. After taking office, the first priority is to prepare for the bandits. They will resume farming, feed and die of hunger.
Exploring horses, training the people's courage, and inspiring the people's hearts can be described as numerous and complex, but the first thing is to prepare for the construction of the city.
At the beginning of the year, bandits suddenly arrived, and Taihu Lake collapsed because there was no city.
A few days ago, rogue bandits came out of Yingshan, and the whole county was once again panicked. I thought I should use offense as defense, so I led the people to bravely attack the bandits at night, which made the bandits frightened and fled. However, I told the truth to you, it was just a bluff and a surprise victory.
, can it be done once and again?
The art of war must be both upright and surprising. If we want to stabilize the foundation of Taihu Lake, we still need to build a city. Fortunately, the emperor's grace exempts Taihu from paying taxes for seven and eight years, and there is still some spare energy needed for building the city. As long as the city building is completed, it will not only be stable
Taihu Lake can also prevent the Yingshan bandits from invading Anqing, and can help Master Daotai with his meager efforts. I feel that I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a subordinate."
Pang Yu and Pan Ke glanced at each other and immediately looked away. Yang Zhuoran fully explained his contribution in a few words, establishing an image of being responsible and decisive. In the middle, he thanked the emperor for his favor and continued to agree with Shi Kefa.
Strategically, his attitude as a subordinate is even more impressive. He is so good at talking, so it’s no wonder Shi Kefa doesn’t like him.
Sure enough, Shi Kefa's face was full of admiration, "I have to guard Taihu Lake first. The people of Taihu Lake are very lucky."
Yang Zhuoran was very modest at this time, "I don't dare to be an adult and make false praises. I have often thought before that if I have been poor for more than 20 years, is it like a black veil?"
I had a bad past in my official life, but when I arrived at Taihu Lake, I heard that the former magistrate of the county, Mr. Jin, knew that the bandits were coming and he sat in the lobby. He had no sword in his hand but still hit the thieves with stones. The brutality of the death was shocking.
Only then did the official realize that the purpose of the imperial examination was not to become an official, but to cultivate a useful person so that he could report the emperor's favor and protect the people. Since his enlightenment, the official had recited Zhang Zai's words "The Four Welfares of Hengqu". In the past, it had taken shape.
Today I really understand, that’s all.”
Shi Kefa's eyes flashed with tears, "Okay, okay, Jin Yingyuan's past events, and his heartfelt words today, this is the essence of the 'Hengqu Four Actions' and the deep meaning of the imperial examination.
I can conclude that once the city of Taihu is completed, it will serve as a strong barrier to the northwest of Anqing, and there will be nothing we can do about it despite the thousands of troops."
Pang Yu didn't expect that after walking for a while, the two of them were already chatting so impassionedly. Just listening to the conversation between the two of them was indeed upright and upright. After coming to the Ming Dynasty, Pang Yu heard this kind of rhetoric a lot and didn't have much interest.
What he wanted to know most at this time was whether the city of Taihu had been repaired in the original history of the late Ming Dynasty, and what the final outcome would be.
At this time, he had arrived at the south gate. Pang Yu looked up and saw the two characters "Fumin" engraved on the door. The last time he passed by, Pang Yu only passed outside the city. After entering Fumin Gate, he looked around and saw a group of people in the city.
Fragments of walls are in ruins, and the dark marks of the fire can still be seen everywhere. Only about 30% of the houses have survived. There are few pedestrians on the street. Some people do not kneel down when they see officials, but just stare in the street.
Yang Zhuoran wanted the government officials to teach him a lesson, but Shi Kefa immediately stopped him. He was also watching the tragic situation of Taihu Lake along the way. At this time, he said to Yang Zhuoran, "The construction of the city must not be delayed. How are the preparations in advance?"
"We have been preparing for the official position for a long time. After the disaster in Taihu Lake, the gentry from far and near eagerly discussed the construction of the city. In addition to the county seat, there are two villages and five forts. At present, 40,000 yuan has been raised..." (Note 1) Pang Yu originally still
Looking around, when he heard this, his eyes suddenly turned around and fell on Yang Zhuoran, who was talking endlessly. His eyes were as sharp as a tiger seeing a fat pig.
...Five days later, a strict formation was formed outside the Fumin Gate, and the garrison camp was arranged in two lines, but the wilderness opposite was empty.
During the intervening four days, the garrison camp defended along the official road. At Xiaochiyi, forty miles west of the city, it easily defeated a group of more than seventy bandits and captured one member of the guard team. After interrogation, it was revealed that he belonged to the sweeper king's team.
The troops were divided, and there was no large force behind them.
Afterwards, the Sentinel Cavalry went to the direction of Yingshan to investigate for 30 miles, and captured a small number of people walking together. It was confirmed that the Sweeping King's troops had gone out to hunt for food, and that the Sweeping King's Laoying and other troops had already headed west, and their destination was the Macheng area in Huguang.
Anqing does not need to face the main force of rogue bandits for the time being. This is consistent with Pang Yu's judgment. The rogue bandits should not pass through the same area repeatedly in the short term. First, the place is dilapidated and it is difficult to obtain food. Second, the people are all soldiers. If there is any rumor, they will run away, just like
In places like Taihu and Susong, bandits won't be able to steal much if they come, but places like Huangmei are more dangerous.
After the warning was lifted, Shi Kefa prepared to lead his troops back to Fucheng, because another warning came from the direction of Tongcheng, still coming from the direction of Shucheng. The news was vaguer than last time, and the authenticity could not be determined yet, but Anqing had to make some preparations, and the army also
Need to return to the base to rest.
Before returning to the army, Pang Yu suggested conducting a drill to demonstrate Anqing's military power and boost public sentiment in Taihu.
Pang Yu naturally had the selfish motive to expand his own credibility by doing this, but Shi Kefa could not understand these things and happily approved the operation, which was jointly carried out by the garrison battalion and the pacesetters.
Shi Kefa and other officials occupied the city tower, while the earth city was crowded with nearby people, and everyone was in high spirits.
The garrison battalion arranged two lines of battle formation. The first line was composed of six rounds of combat troops, the second line was composed of reserve soldiers and personal troops, and the two wings were cavalry.
For the first time in the first six rounds, the first line formed an offensive formation. Each team formed two columns, with four rows of spears behind the first row of swords and shields. Each round was assigned ten archers, five on each side, and the entire formation was five columns deep.
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Some sentry riders walked in front, simulating confrontation with the opponent's zero riders. From time to time they galloped past the formation and shot some light arrows into the wilderness.
After changing the command cannon, Pang Yu waved the command flag on the tower, and the earthen walls fell silent, waiting to see the next drama.
With a loud noise, white smoke erupted from the center of the formation. Bo Yu's bronze cannon fired a five-pound iron bullet. When it landed three hundred steps away, smoke and dust flew everywhere, and the earthen walls burst into cheers.
After another shot, the barium snail sounded, and the whole army sang "kill" in unison, and the atmosphere of killing suddenly rose.
The officials on the city tower also became excited and whispered among themselves.
Then the drums of the central army sounded, and each bureau recognized the flag and leaned forward. The six bureaus in the first line moved forward to the drum beats, with neat footsteps booming and dense spears shaking rhythmically.
Shi Kefa became excited and took two steps forward. From the corner of his eye, Pang Yu saw Yang Zhuoran lagging behind, preparing to follow.
While on guard outside Taihu City these days, Yang Zhuoran was accompanying Shi Kefa. Pang Yu had not yet been able to speak to Yang Zhuoran alone. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Pang Yu took a step sideways and bowed to Yang Zhuoran, "Master Yang."
When Yang Zhuoran saw that it was Pang Yu, he immediately took a step over and said, "General Pang is such a talented general. He has trained like a tiger and wolf in several months."
Pang Yu quickly humbled himself. In the past few days, the garrison camp had been very disciplined, and he had brought his own food and fodder. He had negotiated with Pan Keda's subordinates and had an excellent reputation among the Taihu Yamen and the people. Now he has demonstrated his superb combat power.
But in fact, he knew that when practicing, it was like a person practicing boxing routines alone. It looked good, but when he actually fought with others, most of them turned into shrew punches, which didn't look so good.
People around him came closer to the city wall to watch the advance of the camp, but no one paid attention. Pang Yu took the time to get straight to the point and said, "Master Yang has worked hard to build the city of Taihu Lake. This is a matter of great merit. However, it will take time to build the city, and rogue bandits are inevitable in the process."
Damn it, the money and food raised by the adults are not necessarily safe if they are stored in the county town."
Yang Zhuoran showed a vigilant look. A warrior mentioned that his yamen's money and food were indeed worthy of vigilance.
"What does General Pang mean..." "Don't get me wrong, Mr. Yang, I have a familiar acquaintance who owns Dajiang Bank in Anqing, Tongcheng, Huaining, and Wangjiang. All the pre-levied money and grain are distributed at this bank.
Because there is no city in Taihu Lake, the large amount of money and food used to build the city is stored in the county seat, as if traveling at night with wealth in mind. The bandits are the best at using spies. If they find out about this, those who did not come in the first place may come. I am planning for the people of Taihu Lake.
It will take a long time to build the city, and the money and food will not be used up overnight. The money can be deposited in the bank, so that no one will covet it and it can be used for profit by the people."
Yang Zhuoran felt a little relieved after hearing this, but after all, Pang Yu was a martial artist, so he was not so relieved and still hesitated.
Pang Yu continued in a low voice, "Your Excellency, you can rest assured that when the interest is granted, it is backed by the contract. When signing contracts in other counties, Mr. Chen, the general magistrate, guarantees the middleman."
After hearing Chen Shifu's guarantee, Yang Zhuoran was immediately relieved. He was the second official of the government office, and his credibility was naturally far better than that of Pang Yu.
But he is an experienced person, and at this moment his eyes are moving slightly, already thinking about other aspects.
"The acquaintance introduced by General Pang is naturally trustworthy.
There are rules for granting interest, and I originally didn’t care about trivial things like interest, but the money and food are raised by the people, so I have to ask questions before making a decision."
Pang Yu said matter-of-factly, "Business is business, adults should naturally ask.
In other counties, the annual interest for advance grain collection is one cent and eight cents, but the other interest is one cent."
Yang Zhuoran looked unmoved. He had been a Jinshi for four years in Chongzhen and had spent several years in other positions. Although he was not a court official, he had some understanding of the yamen's loans. In the late Ming Dynasty, when silver was becoming increasingly tight, Pang Yu, a man named Pang Yu,
The interest rate on money is somewhat low.
He nodded and said, "Then I will have to discuss it with the gentry before I can make a decision."
Pang Yu knew that this sentence was a rejection, and there was nothing more to say. The reason was still the low interest rate.
But he is also under tremendous economic pressure and can no longer use funds with such high interest rates in the short term.
At that moment, he said with an unchanging expression, "Other banks may be able to give you more interest, but there are some things they can't give you."
After saying that, he waved his hands to the back, and the drum beat became more intense. There were shouts of kill from below, and they were already rehearsing the battle.
Pang Yu looked into Yang Zhuoran's eyes and said, "If the bandits invade Taihu Lake, you need to go to Anqing first to ask for reinforcements. You can run as fast as you can in one day to report the news, and you need to wait three days to dispatch troops in Anqing."
The rogue bandits are advancing very fast. It is possible that several groups of bandits may invade Susong, Taihu, Wangjiang, and Qianshan at the same time. They can do a lot in four days. It is difficult to save Anqing from the fire that is far away, and adults have the responsibility to defend the land. This is a dilemma.
, I am very considerate of this."
In this sentence, the bargaining chip is Pang Yu's garrison. Especially after showing his combat power, Yang Zhuoran has formed a reliance in his heart. Regardless of whether the construction of Taihu City is completed or whether there is military rescue, the safety of Taihu Lake is
Critical.
Yang Zhuoran wants to establish a personal relationship with Shi Kefa, and also hopes that Shi Kefa can rescue Taihu first in an emergency. After all, his life is tied to Taihu.
For a magistrate like him, the most difficult thing is the saying that it is the duty to defend the land. According to the current imperial court's policy, deserting a city and fleeing is a capital offense. Even if it is a city without walls, those who stay will still be killed by rogue bandits.
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Yang Zhuoran has been in such a dilemma since the day he arrived in Taihu Lake.
And what Pang Yu just meant was that if the money was not deposited in Dajiang Bank at the interest rate of one penny, the garrison camp would never rescue Taihu, turning the issue of interest into a matter of life and death.
Yang Zhuoran immediately showed hesitation. His situation was completely seen through by the opponent. From Pang Yu's two lives, he established a rule. As long as he grasps the opponent's weakness, there is no need to go around in circles and he will never show mercy.
There were urgent shouts of killing outside the city, and all the spectators were very enthusiastic. Little did they expect that another fight without smoke was going on on this small city tower.
Pang Yu gave Yang Zhuoran a moment to digest, then looked around and said, "Today I saw Mr. Yang's hard work for the people of Taihu Lake, and the lower official was also quite impressed. Out of respect for Mr. Yang, the garrison camp can consider moving closer.
There are troops stationed in Taihu. If there are police in Taihu, they can arrive at Taihu within two days. I don’t know if the interest is enough."
Yang Zhuoran has reached a new level, and at the same time, the bargaining chip thrown by Pang Yu is also very heavy. Of course, he does not know that Pang Yu originally planned to garrison troops in Shipai, but at this time, it was packaged as a bargaining chip specially provided for Taihu.
"If there are police officers in the four counties at the same time..." Pang Yu said calmly, "I will say below that if there are police officers in Taihu, they will rescue Taihu. It only involves Taihu."
Yang Zhuoran got the answer he wanted, and looked at Pang Yu for a while, "Is the garrison General Pang is considering in Taihu Lake, or somewhere close to Taihu Lake?"
Pang Yu couldn't help but laugh. This Yang Zhuoran was really wise. At such a moment, he could still think that the garrison could not be in Taihu Lake, because stationing in Taihu Lake might end up being a local supply of money and food, and he would have to worry about military disasters. This may not be beneficial to Yang Zhuoran's work as a shepherd guard.
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"It's not far outside Taihu Lake. It's within a two-day trip. We don't need money and food from Taihu Lake on weekdays."
Yang Zhuoran rolled his eyes for a moment and then stared at Pang Yu, "One day trip."
Pang Yu felt relaxed at this time. It was much better to bargain like this than to go round and round. He couldn't help showing a gentle smile, "It depends on people. If the soldiers move faster, it will only take one day."
Yang Zhuoran thought for a while and then affirmed, "Yang thinks General Pang is right. Storing a large amount of money in a city without walls is not a long-term solution. Your friend's bank is a good place. The general is stationed near Taihu Lake."
On that day, General Pang will be asked to introduce him on his behalf."
Pang Yu cupped his hands and said, "It's a deal."
At this time, horses' hooves rumbled outside the city. The drill had come to an end. The garrison battalion and the pacesetter's cavalry were dispatched to pursue the remaining enemies. The two people who faced each other smiled at each other.
... Note 1: Qianlong's "Taihu County Chronicles": Yu Di Zhi: "(Taihu City was built) at the beginning of the war, and the people respected Yin Rao and strived to help the public service, so the funding of 60,000 yuan was extraordinary and no public funds were spent."
The construction work started in September 3rd and 4th April in Chongzhen, and most of the financial preparations should have been completed by the end of the eighth year.
Note 1 of the previous chapter: Kangxi's "Anqing Prefecture Chronicle", city: Shipai, a hundred miles west of the city, Tongqian Taisu and Wangsi Yi.