More than a hundred naval warships went up the river, with sails lined with mighty sails on the river. They traveled all night and arrived at Sanmenxia at dawn. They did not use trackers to cross the rolling waves of the gorge, but docked on the north bank of the Yellow River downstream of Sanmenxia.
, thousands of soldiers abandoned their ships and landed, and the lightly-armed soldiers quickly headed north, heading straight for the pass of Zhongtiao Mountain.
Su Dingfang had prepared for this march in advance, and the preparations were detailed. Therefore, the whole army moved like a rabbit, and the force was like thunder. Thousands of troops moved like arms and fingers, even faster than the Luoyang official who went to the Hedong Saltworks to report the news...
*****
The moonlight shines on the salt pond, which is like a vegetable patch, and the salt brine blown by the breeze ripples slightly, making the waves sparkle.
The salt ponds that have been producing salt for hundreds of years and supplying it to the world are peaceful and quiet. Even in the most turbulent times, they have not stopped, but today they have all stopped production, gaining a rare peace.
A fast horse galloped from east to west. The rapid sound of horse hooves shattered the silent night. Like rolling thunder, it arrived at the official residence where Fang Jun lived. The knight on the horse flew off his horse. Soldiers had already opened the door to welcome him into the courtyard.
I saw Fang Jun sitting in the hall wearing armor and a big horse with a golden sword. Dozens of soldiers were scattered everywhere, either guarding him or standing guard in the courtyard. Their swords were unsheathed and their arrows were cocked, with murderous intent.
The knight took two steps forward and knelt down on one knee: "Commander, the vanguard has arrived thirty miles east of the salt pond and will arrive here in about an hour."
Fang Jun nodded and said warmly: "Thank you for your hard work. There is no need to go back to recover. Just take a rest here. If there is anyone blind who wants to come and take my life, then join me in the fight!"
This is the official residence of the salt farm. The account books of the salt farm's transactions over the past decades are all in the brick-walled building next to it. Some people jumped over the wall and came here to burn the account books out of necessity.
The knight flushed with excitement and said loudly: "I am willing to die for the commander-in-chief!"
To this day, Fang Jun is the "Emperor" and "Commander-in-Chief" of the navy. This invincible division created by him spans the seven seas and is invincible, making Fang Jun's prestige unparalleled. Every captain and soldier is full of enthusiasm.
Infinite admiration, to have the opportunity to fight side by side with Fang Jun is simply a blessing!
Fang Jun nodded, waved his hand and said, "Go down and have a rest."
"Here!"
Fang Jun wiped a horizontal sword with a white silk handkerchief. The blade was sharp, the back was broad, the blade was straight and curved to the tip, the lines were simple, and the shape was clumsy. It was not similar to the Japanese swords of later generations, and it was more conducive to battle formations.
Slash and kill from above.
It's a pity that I didn't bring enough firearms and ammunition when I came out this time. Otherwise, it would be more than enough to hold the yard until the reinforcements arrived, but now it must be a lot of trouble.
It had been a long time since he had charged into battle. At this moment, instead of being nervous or fearful, his blood was racing all over his body and he was extremely excited.
He put down the knife, took a sip of tea, and asked around: "What time is it?"
"Commander Qi, the Yin period is over."
"Be prepared, and no matter what, you must keep the account books in the house before reinforcements arrive."
"Here!"
…
In February and March, although the ice and snow melt and the south wind is warm, the nights are still inevitably cool. However, the temperature at this time is the most suitable. The temperature is slightly cool, and it is most comfortable to sleep wrapped in a thin quilt.
But since the news came that the navy troops were stationed in Luoyang, Wang Fukiao had trouble sleeping these days, tossing and turning.
What is the purpose of the navy stationed in Luoyang?
Prevent Pei Huaijie from taking risks after being tried and convicted, causing turmoil?
Why did the imperial court instigate an interrogation against Pei Huaijie in Luoyang at the same time that Fang Jun triggered the Hedong Saltworks strike and production shutdown, which had such a huge impact?
Is the imperial court really confident that it can control the turmoil caused by two huge events at the same time?
At a certain moment, he suddenly had the thought of whether the sudden arrival of the Navy was aimed at the Hedong Saltworks, but this thought was quickly discarded.
The saltworks are now on strike and production has stopped. Even if the army comes, what's the point?
Let the soldiers and lieutenants replace the salt collectors and the civilian laborers to dig canals to release brine and shovel salt in the salt fields that look like vegetable patches? It’s not impossible to do this, but no matter how hard-working the soldiers are, how can they be compared to the skilled salt collectors? Civil servants
Woolen cloth?
It is absolutely impossible to increase the output by increasing the number of workers. After hundreds of years of verification, the current production system of the salt farm is the most reasonable. Disrupting these procedures will not only not increase the output, but will also make it worse.
The order of the entire salt field was in disorder, and the gains outweighed the losses.
Wang Fukiao felt that Fang Jun would not fail to understand this truth, but he was still worried about the navy troops stationed in Luoyang City who were crossed by Meng Jin...
Wang Fukiao felt sleepy, turned over, put the quilt between his legs, and fell asleep.
The next moment, there was a faint vibration in his ears, which woke Wang Fijiao up.
He raised his head, looked around, and listened for a moment. He didn't notice anything unusual, but the vibration just now was very clear. He put his ear against the pillow again. He was startled, jumped down to the ground with bare feet, and put his head on the ground.
The ears are pressed tightly to the ground.
The vibrations are becoming clearer...
Wang Fijiao looked a little confused. Was it the earth dragon turning over?
But the next moment he jumped up, rushed out the door, and shouted: "There are cavalry! There are cavalry! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
As soon as he ran out of the door, he saw a group of people running towards him. The leader, Sima Yu, gasped, grabbed Wang Fukiao's hand, and said in a panic: "The scouts on guard at the top of the mountain discovered at least a thousand cavalry rushing towards them.
Come on, what’s going on?”
It is very difficult for the cavalry to attack at full strength at night. The horses cannot see the road clearly and are prone to trampling and spraining their feet. Therefore, more torches must be used for lighting, but at the same time, the enemy will also estimate the strength and speed of the cavalry based on the number of torches.
Wang Fijiao gritted his teeth and said: "It must be the navy stationed in Luoyang. Fang Er, this thief, wants to wipe us out!"
"Ah?!" Everyone's expressions changed drastically, and they were shocked and confused.
The two sides are now fighting over the ownership of the salt farm and profit sharing, but this is a struggle between imperial power and clan power. Both sides must exercise restraint and must not break through the bottom line, otherwise no one will be able to bear the backlash.
Even if Fang Jun was a stick, how could he dare to kill them all?
There are more than 3,000 people on the salt field, from officials and scribes to stewards and saltmen. How can he kill them?
Wang Fijiao stamped his feet and said quickly: "That guy is just a stick. He only wants the ownership of the salt farm and doesn't care whether the salt farm's output can be restored!"
Liu Changyun still couldn't believe it: "But the salt farm has been in the hands of our Hedong family for hundreds of years. Even if he wants to force it to accept it, there must be a reason, right?"
At all times, we must pay attention to a "clear and fair statement". Even if the true purpose is unpalatable and unsightly, there must always be a high-sounding reason made public to cover up the nature of the evil and block the world.
mouth.
Wang Fukiao was also stunned. The reason?
Immediately his expression changed drastically: "No! Everyone, bring your weapons and follow me to the accounting room!"
When he shouted, Sima Yu, Liu Changyun and others all reacted, drew their weapons one after another, chased after Wang Fijiao and rushed towards the accounting room. Along the way, there were many alerted officials and Yan Ding, and they took hundreds of people hostage along the way.
, with great momentum.
Several people in charge realized Fang Jun's intention. Didn't they want a reason to take over the salt farm?
It's very simple, greedy for ink, false accounts, concealing output, falsely reporting consumption...
As long as you hold the account book of the salt field in your hand, you can arrest all the officials on the salt field and put them in jail.
There is no account book in the world that can withstand scrutiny. Moreover, the salt field has always been controlled by the Hedong family. The share presented to the court is just an estimate. No one from the court will come to check the accounts. Therefore, the salt field account book belongs to the Hedong family.
accounts.
How could such an account book withstand scrutiny?
Check it out for sure...
Hundreds of people held torches and carried weapons, shouting and rushing to Fang Jun's official residence.
The accounting room is on the side of the official house...
Seeing that the door was closed, Wang Fijiao waved his hand: "Open the door!"
At this time, don't pay attention to etiquette and quality. Either you die or I die, let's get started!
More than a dozen saltmen rushed forward and banged against each other. They quickly broke the latch and opened the door.
Sima Yu was extremely anxious and must not let Fang Jun use the account books as a weapon to attack the Hedong family. Not to mention the losses suffered by the Hedong family, none of the salt farm officials caught in the middle would survive.
However, his arm was suddenly pulled by Wang Fukiao. Sima Yu turned around and asked with his eyes why he was holding him. Then he heard a burst of gunshots like exploding beans. He suddenly turned his head and saw that more than ten saltmen who had rushed into the door had already thrown themselves on the ground.
On the ground, several of them rolled and screamed in agony.
Sima Yu's face turned pale with fright. If Wang Fukiao hadn't stopped him, he would have been the first one to rush through the door...
With his heart beating wildly, Sima Yu said in a hoarse voice: "It's broken, this guy has been prepared for it!"
Wang Fijiao was not surprised: "Since we have planned this, how can we not know what the most important thing is?"
He raised his hands high and said loudly: "Now is the time when the family is in crisis. It is time for you to go through fire and water and go all out! Don't be afraid of firearms. There are only dozens of soldiers around Fang Jun. How many lead bullets can a musket have?"
Those who died in battle were rewarded with a thousand taels of bounty, and their children were sent to various family schools. Those who were disabled were rewarded with a reward of five hundred, and the family provided for them until they died! Everyone rushed in and burned down the accounting room!"
A brave man must be rewarded with such a generous reward. When he heard that Wang Fukiao offered such generous terms, the saltmen and civilians all became red-eyed. Their fear of firearms was dispelled by the greed in their hearts. They left a thousand taels for their wife and children with this low life.
The gold, the opportunity to enter ethnic studies, and to advance in class are all worth it.
Make a lot of money!
The salt men and peasants looked at each other, gritted their teeth, lowered their heads, and charged towards the gate.
There were gunshots inside the door, and smoke rose into the sky. Those who rushed in from the front fell to the ground, but those behind were still brave and fearless. Hundreds of people rushed into the door like a tide.