Ruan Dacheng hurriedly walked into the inn where Pang Yu was staying, and Pang Yu quickly asked him to sit down. The chubby Ruan Dacheng looked ashamed. Seeing that there were other officers in the room, he pulled Pang Yu's sleeves aside and said, "Then Zhizhou still refuses to show his face.
He didn't even answer the letter. He said that because of the looting by Shandong soldiers, too many people fled into the city.
There is not enough food in the city. I talked it over with Mr. Zhou several times, and finally agreed to leave the city with two hundred shi of food."
In fact, a group of officers from behind also heard this, and they immediately looked at each other. The Anqing army took the initiative to serve the king, but they couldn't get the grain they bought. Mr. Zhou was Zhu Dadian's secret comrade, and he didn't even bother to come. Two hundred shi of grain was just
Twenty thousand kilograms. Pang Yu's army here is only two thousand people, and there are thousands of civilians. They can only eat for seven or eight days if they save food. There are more than a thousand war horses, and there are more than a thousand transport mules and horses pulling the carriages.
and marching horses
He doesn't have time to eat grass slowly, he must eat beans, and his daily consumption is staggering.
Ruan Dacheng was almost Pang Yu's last straw, but he only got two hundred stones, which was not as much as Pang Yu had consumed in the past ten days.
Pang Yu closed his eyes for a moment and said, "Two hundred stones are fine, but I don't know when I can get it?" "The governor promised to let the grain leave the city tomorrow, but the soldiers and horses cannot enter the city. They can only be transported out from the north gate by the people in the city.
, when the city gate is opened, Anqing soldiers and horses stay at the south gate. If the soldiers and horses move around, the north gate will be closed, and the city gate will be closed when the stored grain is shipped out.
Afterwards, the Anqing frame will be shipped to Beimen, Pang Xiaoyou will explain clearly to the soldiers."
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Ruan. The Anqing soldiers and horses will not leave the camp before noon." Pang Yu was slightly relieved. The food and grass were barely available, but it was still far from enough for the whole battle. But if we talk about the entire northward march to King Qin, it was still not enough. Even if the army
By the end of December, as estimated by the discussion, he still had more than half a month to go without food.
Not counting the return trip, Beizhili was in a mess at that time, and it was impossible to get replenishment. It was estimated that the only way back was through Shandong.
After thinking about it, he said to Ruan Dacheng, "Can I buy more from Xuzhou and deliver it as usual?"
Ruan Dacheng had a troubled look on his face. Pang Yu guessed that there was really no oil and salt in Zhizhou. Ruan Dacheng might not be able to bear it, so he didn't force him at the moment. At any rate, he still got two hundred stones.
"Mr. Ruan can come to Xuzhou during this time of war and chaos, which is already a big help, but I still have to trouble Mr. Ruan to go to Huai'an on his return trip. This is a matter of Yinzhuang." Pang Yu did not mention Caobang, Huai'an is an important canal town.
, where Feng Du is stationed, the canal is the lifeblood of the capital. In the eyes of the imperial court, the wharf here is more sensitive than anywhere else on the river. The wharf in Huai'an cannot be forced, only
It can slowly penetrate. "Don't worry, Xiaoyou Pang." When it comes to matters in Huai'an, Ruan Dacheng is obviously more confident, "Not only in the Caodu Yamen, but also in the Lianghuai Salt Transfer Department, I also have many connections, not to mention the Huai'an branch.
It will definitely make the salt merchants
Know the benefits of Yinzhuang."
"There are also stamps. Huaiyan salt mostly circulates along the river. Mr. Ruan must have told them that it is safest and more convenient to use Yinzhuang."
After Ruan Dacheng agreed, Pang Yu said to him again, "Sir, you are traveling all the way. There is no need to be busy with your schedule. Let's rest in Xuzhou for a few days."
Ruan Dacheng shook his head repeatedly, "Mr. Zhou was returning to Huai'an from Fengyang. The trip to Xuzhou was delayed a lot. He has important matters in Huai'an. I should accompany him back. Pang Xiaoyou is busy with military affairs, so I won't bother you."
Pang Yu knew that Ruan Dacheng was timid. Although Xuzhou was far away from Jiannu, bandits wandered nearby from time to time, and the conditions outside the city were very cramped. Ruan Dacheng lived a sophisticated life and was unwilling to stay for a long time. He saw Ruan Dacheng touching his sleeve again.
He took out an envelope and said, holding it up in front of Pang Yu, "Little friend Pang, don't worry too much about Xuzhou's food. When I arrive in Huai'an, I will ask the Caodu Yamen to send some warships to transport food to Xuzhou. I will definitely not let Pang Xiao
My friend, the strong army in my hometown is short of food. It’s just that the officials in various prefectures and counties are more guarded against soldiers than thieves. If we go further north into Shandong, it will be even harder to get food and grass. I wrote a letter here
letter."
Pang Yu quickly took it, "Mr. Ruan also has old roots in Shandong?"
"I dare not say anything else. Gujiu Mantianxia exists. Maybe you also know this person."
Pang Yu was surprised and said, "I don't know anyone in Shandong official circles."
Ruan Dacheng waved his hand and smiled, "I must know him. He is Zhang Bingwen, the township party member of Tongcheng, the political envoy of Shandong Zuobu. You had dealings with him during the civil revolution." Pang Yu suddenly realized that Zhang Bingwen was Fang Kongzhen's brother-in-law, and Zhang Bingwen was also a township party member at that time.
He is a low-key official and does not attract much attention when he comes to the county government. However, his younger brother Zhang Bingcheng and Pang Yu are very familiar with Zhang Ru, one of the thieves in the Tongcheng Civil War.
, is Zhang Bingcheng's domestic slave. After Fang Kongzhen gathered the gang at that time, Zhang Bingcheng designed to arrest Zhang Ru, and then lured Huang Wending down the mountain, giving Pang Yu the opportunity to adventure in Yunji Temple. The one who traded with Fang Kongzhen
At that time, in exchange, Fang Kongzhengte
He deliberately asked Zhang Bingwen to be included in the application details as a capital for his future comeback, so Pang Yu was deeply impressed. He did not expect to become the chief envoy so soon.
"Is Chief Fang in Jinan?"
"He is in Jinan, but he can manage local states and counties. If he could speak, it might be easier to provide food to the local area."
Ruan Dacheng didn't dare to tell the truth. Pang Yu knew Ruan Dacheng's character. The situation in the north was turbulent now. He was able to come to Xuzhou to help, which was a great honor. This bearded man would never go to Jinan in person. The role of letters
It is much lower. Even if it is sent to Jinan, Zhang Bingwen may not buy it. Even if he buys it, the effect is likely to be limited. Although the chief envoy can manage local government affairs, when the war is in chaos, can the prefecture and county give him face?
It’s hard to say. The Xuzhou in front of us is a ready-made example. Even the governor’s words may not be easy to hear. Shandong is closer to the war zone, and the states and counties will only be more wary. Ruan Dacheng said again, “If we go to Zhili through Linqing,
The place is even more difficult to deal with. There are many high-ranking officials in the capital, and those who are not high-ranking officials may not have power. The state and county officials can find people to take refuge in if they spend a little effort.
Go, I'm afraid it won't be easy to meet the civil and military officials. Even Mr. Feng, who can help me in Zhuozhou, if you have to go to Zhili, you really need to bring more food and grass with you."
Ruan Dacheng stood up. Pang Yu knew that he was busy leaving, so he immediately stood up and said, "It's not peaceful around Xuzhou. If Mr. Ruan takes the land route, I will send some people to protect him." Ruan Dacheng did not refuse, and looked at Pang Yu politely.
He said, "I'll leave after dinner. There are a lot of military affairs here, so I won't send you off personally. I have two more words to say. Pang Xiaoyou is a young hero, and he is admirable for his dedication to the king.
But the road is not easy to travel, and there is a shortage of food and other supplies. If the Ministry of War does not send a military order, it means that King Qin has enough troops, and Pang Xiaoyou may not be in such a hurry to go."
Pang Yu knew what Ruan Dacheng was implying, that King Qin was doing a thankless job and the Ministry of War did not transfer him, so he simply didn't go. Pang Yu nodded quickly, Ruan Dacheng was really interested this time, this person is quite snobbish and unusual.
To be honest, if I had asked Pang Yu before, I would have asked Queen Qin to include his name in the official document, but this time she didn’t even say that.
He said that he was probably really worried. Whether it was out of consideration of continuing to rely on Pang Yu or because they actually had a friendship, Pang Yu felt a little moved.
I took a closer look and saw that there was a hint of worry on Ruan Dabeard's face, and he didn't seem to be in good spirits.
He couldn't help but think of the public announcement that Jiang Fan mentioned last time. The public announcement has not been released, but Fushe has been working in Nanjing. There seem to be twenty or thirty people at present. Among these people, only one Wu Yingji and Pang Yu are familiar with him. Pang Yu
After thinking about it, the people in Fushe have been grudged against Ruan Dacheng for a long time. It seems that I really can't help in this matter. Even Wu Yingji may not be able to persuade him, and it may not be possible for twenty or thirty people to write an expose.
What does it do?
So in the end I didn’t ask for an exit.
After giving a banknote to Mr. Zhou outside the door and arranging guards to escort the two of them, Pang Yu watched Ruan Dacheng's figure heading south on the street.
After a while, Pang Yu walked back to the lobby. Now that there were no outsiders, several officers suddenly started to curse. When the Anqing camp planned to Qinwang, they referred to the experience of Huguang and thought they could buy some along the way. Little did they know that the Huaihe River Basin was so dilapidated.
, but at least Xuzhou is on the canal line and there is no shortage of food. I never expected this kind of treatment.
You can't buy food even with money.
Wu Dacai first looked at Pang Yu's face and then tentatively said, "How about sending some money to that Zhizhou."
Jiang Guoyong rubbed his forehead and asked, "How much?"
Wu Dacai looked at Pang Yu again, "One, one thousand taels?"
Pang Yu didn't object, but the Zhizhou didn't show up at the city gate, and it would take a lot of trouble to send the money in. Xuzhou Zhizhou was by no means easy to deal with, and even an old man like Ruan Dacheng couldn't stand it. Zhuang Chaozheng said in a low voice
, "It's not impossible to send money, but in the original plan, Xuzhou was the transit point for King Qin. If it was difficult to buy grain in Shandong, the baggage team and the people would have to come back to reload. How can we continue to do this now? It's impossible."
Cheng sends money to Zhizhou every day."
Chen Rulie pounded the table hard, "It's not like he wants to know about the state's grain. Why should we not be allowed to leave the city if we buy the grain ourselves? Let's fire cannons at the city gate!"
Zhuang Chaozheng didn't speak this time, just looked at Pang Yu. Pang Yu considered himself to have seen the world, and the people he dealt with in his previous life were not kind people. He usually didn't get angry when dealing with people, but he led his troops out several times, and encountered things
His blood pressure soared many times, and he wanted to agree with Chen Rulie.
Let the artillery blast all the city gates in Xuzhou, and then capture the Zhizhou man and behead him in public.
However, he also knew that he could only think about it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Unless it is absolutely necessary, we cannot conflict with the state or county. Let all the officers from the 100th General and above come here for military discussions and find ways to come up with countermeasures."
Wu Tat Choi raised his hand and said, "Sir, could you please let the canal gang members who are accompanying the army come? Some of them have run on canal boats before. They have walked a lot in the canal, and they may be able to come up with a solution."
"This is a good suggestion. Let the people from the Cao Gang come, as well as the people in charge of the Dunbao. Let's work together to find a way. Whoever comes up with a way to solve the ration problem will be promoted to a higher level and will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver."
...In the afternoon of that day, the lobby of the inn was noisy. There was not enough room in the lobby. Many people could only lean against the walls or pillars, and some squatted on the ground to smoke. It was like a meeting in a clan ancestral hall in the countryside. Pang Yu sat at the top and didn't care.
, just listening to everyone's speech. The meeting has been going on for a quarter of an hour. First, Wu Dacai introduced the current situation, and then asked everyone to think of ideas. Seven people have already spoken, which is similar to what they said in the morning. The officers are shouting about beating and killing, and Cao Gang.
Some people said they would send money to get through, and some people said they would buy grain from Huai'an and transport it to Xuzhou to replenish it. Then there were other people from the Cao Gang who said they had to go through the ship lock when coming from Huai'an.
boats, so it is not safe to buy grain in Huai'an
, it may break at any time, and there is no conclusion yet.
Pang Yu felt a little depressed. He didn't expect that instead of fighting a battle, he held a military meeting over such a stupid thing. Suddenly, he heard someone shout loudly, "The villain wants to make a suggestion."
Pang Yu took a look and saw that he was a thin man with a cotton hat on his head. He looked a little impressed, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. Wu Dacai next to him suddenly looked contemptuous when he saw this man.
Wu Dacai was the host of the meeting. At the beginning, everyone present spoke casually. He could only nod at Tan Lezi to signal him to speak. Tan Lezi stood up and bowed to Pang Yu, "I don't think I need to go to Huai'an to buy food. Here is
Along the canal, in a place like ours in Anqing, there is plenty of food on the market. It’s just because of the rogue bandits who followed the Shandong soldiers to rob them, scaring everyone around them away. But in many places outside the city, there is so much food, it will definitely be too late.
The whole thing was transported into the city. It's just that the adults didn't allow the soldiers to break down the gate and couldn't find it for a while. I dare to say that just outside Xuzhou City is like the Tang Dynasty ferry. There must be thousands of stones. Besides, transporting it inside the city
The grain must belong to the gentry and grain merchants. No matter how many people fled into the city, they would not be able to eat grain if they had no money. The grain would be useless in the city. What Zhizhou said
It’s all lies.”
Pang Yu raised his head slightly. Tan Erlin was a little nervous due to the buzz of discussion in the venue, and turned to look at the people around him.
Chen Rulie said to him, "Just tell me how to get the food."
Tan Laizi lowered his voice a little, "Let's break open the doors of those warehouses and big houses by the river outside the city. We will definitely find thousands of stones inside."
Jiang Guoyong interrupted, "Our Anqing camp does not rob the people. Besides, what if there is really nothing outside the city." "If there is really nothing outside the city, just buy it from the city. Let's tell the people on the top of the city... this is written
A big flag was shown to them, and one liang and one stone would be delivered in cash. If no one came to sell it, it would be 2 liang and one stone. Whoever wanted to sell could have it shipped out of the city on their own.
If no one comes, just three liang and one stone, and one thousand dan is only three thousand taels."
There was a loud noise in the lobby, the officers were still talking in low voices, and the people from Caogang and Dunbao were talking loudly. They said everything, some said it was feasible, and some said Tan Leizi was spending money indiscriminately. Wu Dacai did not expect that
I had an idea, but gave Tan Leizi, the most despised person, a chance. I didn't want Tan Lezi to continue speaking. After a while, he calmed down and said loudly to Tan Lezi, "Don't you know, Zhizhou controls the city?"
The doors are closed, and the grain dealers in the city can't leave the city even if they want to sell." Tan Leizi saw that it was Wu Dacai, and the tension on his face immediately disappeared. He didn't care that Wu Dacai was now the deputy chief clerk, and shouted to Wu Dacai, "Then
You just don’t know. I’ve seen the top of the city a long time ago. They were either yamen soldiers or social soldiers. When I was working as a dental officer, I knew how the yamen did things. Ask around Anqing. Who doesn’t know about me, Tan Ya, and those grains?
Shang, who doesn't collude with the yamen? It's not like there are real thieves building slaves outside the city. How can he really guard against thieves? He can get out of the city with a little money. If Zhizhou doesn't let him go, he can guard several gates by himself.
I know best what kind of goods those government servants are. As long as I pay three taels and one stone, I can transport as much grain as they can out of the city!"