Chai Shao had inquired in advance before coming. The head of the Xiao family was a woman named Xiao Yinyin. Unexpectedly, it was a middle-aged man who came, which made him slightly startled.
He immediately realized that the head of the house was a woman and did not want to see outsiders easily. He also raised his hands in greeting and said: "I am Chai Shao from Chang'an. I have taken the liberty to come to disturb you. I wonder if the head of the house is here?"
"My sister is in poor health and is bedridden. It is inconvenient to see guests. My Excellency, Xiao Yanqin, would like to welcome General Chai to the Xiao Mansion."
In a few simple words, he told his identity and position in the Xiao family. Chai Shao didn't ask any more questions. The two sat down as guests and hosts. Chai Shao leaned over and smiled and said: "This time I have been ordered by King Jing to assist Jiangling."
, who is temporarily in charge of Jiangling's military affairs. I was supposed to visit your mansion yesterday. I was really busy with business, so I'm sorry!"
"The general is so polite. The general arrived in Jiangling yesterday. It is an honor for the Xiao family to come to the Xiao family today. The Xiao family is willing to share the worries of the general."
Xiao Yanqin said polite words, and quickly thought about Chai Shao's purpose of coming. Generally speaking, the purpose of his visit was to stabilize the situation in Jiangling City, but if he wanted to stabilize the situation, he should not forcefully recruit civilians. Another possibility is
We want to make all the major families bleed.
Sure enough, Chai Shao exchanged a few words, changed the topic, and got down to business. He sighed and said: "Now the Sui army is coming fiercely, trying to invade the whole territory of Jingxiang. The battle of Jingxiang is related to the fate of the entire Tang Dynasty, and the court also
We attached great importance to it and dispatched 150,000 troops to defend Jingxiang, forming two fronts in Jiangling and Xiangyang. I was ordered to lead an army of 70,000 to protect Jingxiang. I was also protecting everyone's lives and property. We had already prepared the rations for the 70,000 army.
There is no need to trouble the local wealthy families, but if 50,000 civilians participate in defending the city, it will also cost a lot of money and food. The army is already stretched thin, so it can only come to ask for help from various wealthy families, and the army and the people can work together to ensure the safety of Jiangling."
Chai Shao's words were very clear. He asked everyone to contribute money and food. After saying that, Chai Shao looked at Xiao Yanqin with a half-smile. There were some things he didn't need to say. What would be the consequences if he didn't pay for food? Catch him.
The civilian husband spared the Xiao family.
Xiao Yanqin pondered for a moment and then said: "As a citizen of the Tang Dynasty, it is our duty to support the imperial army, and the Xiao family is bound to do so."
Xiao Yanqin spoke very beautifully. He first expressed his willingness to support the Tang army with money and food, but then he changed the topic and said: "The Xiao family mainly focuses on inland trade. The money is left outside. We will collect the money as soon as possible these days, but the food can
Give it first."
Chai Shao narrowed his eyes and smiled. He didn't need to ask how much food was provided. The Xiao family should know well that if there was less food, they would suffer. This was tacitly understood by everyone.
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao. I'll take my leave then. Please give my regards to the head of the family."
Chai Shao stood up and said goodbye, and Xiao Yanqin returned to the secret room of the inner house with deep thoughts. Several people were still waiting for him. As soon as he entered, Xiao Yanqin said: "It's a little troublesome. Chai Shao came to ask for money and food."
Xiao Yinyin frowned, "How much food does he want?"
Xiao Yanqin sat down and shook his head, "He didn't say anything. He probably wanted to wait for us to take the initiative to express our position."
Xiao Yinyin thought for a long time, then turned around and asked her nephew Xiao Mao, the accountant next to her: "How much food does our Xiao family have in Jiangling City?"
"Reporting to the head of the family, I have 10,000 taels of gold, 50,000 taels of silver, 500,000 taels of money, and more than 20,000 dan of grain."
"There are so many?"
Xiao Yinyin became a little worried. She was afraid that Chai Shao would raid the Xiao family and steal money. If she had known, she should have transferred the gold and silver in advance.
Xiao Yanqin suggested: "Master, the Sui army has not yet crossed the river to attack, and the city's defense is not yet so tight. We can bribe the guards and leave the city by water at night. We still have five ships in our house that can transport the gold and silver."
.”
Xiao Yinyin nodded, "You can give 20,000 shi of grain to Chai Shao. If you don't give the money, you can keep it in the treasury to save your life. In addition, all children under the age of twelve in the Xiao family will follow the boat out of the city tonight.
What a high price, I must leave the city tonight."
.........
At two o'clock that night, the south water gate of Jiangling City was opened. This is the water gate through which Jingshui River flows out of the south city. Jingshui River crosses Jiangling City from north to south and finally flows into the Yangtze River.
The night was deep, and on the stone steps next to the water gate, more than a hundred patrol soldiers held torches and watched the Xiao family's five hundred-stone cargo ships sailing past their eyes.
In the light of the hunting fire, Yu Shouren, the guard on duty at the city gate tonight, stood on the steps, watching five hundred-stone boats approaching from afar with gloomy eyes. Yu Shouren is also a native of Jiangling. After all, the Xiao family is the number one in Jiangling.
As a rich man, he couldn't refuse this favor, and more importantly, he agreed to do this favor after receiving two thousand taels of silver from the Xiao family.
Fortunately, the Sui army had not yet begun a large-scale attack, Jiangling City had not yet entered a state of combat readiness, and the defense was still relatively lax. He could take advantage of the opportunity. If it had been two days later, he would not have dared to let the Xiao family out of the city privately.
At this time, Xiao Yanqin led a carriage from the shore. Yu Shouren stepped forward and said with a smile: "Why, Mr. Xiao still doesn't trust me to do my job?"
"Where! Where!"
Xiao Yanqin ordered the coachman to unload two large wooden boxes from the carriage. He pointed at the wooden boxes and smiled at Yu Shouren: "This is five thousand coins. It is a small gift from the Xiao family to give the brothers tea."
Yu Shouren secretly praised the Xiao family for their good conduct and thoughtfulness. They could never spend their own money to appease the soldiers! In fact, this is the art of giving gifts. If you give a heavy gift to the leader, you must also prepare some benefits for the specific clerks, so that things can be done.
Be complete.
Yu Shouren chuckled and said to the captain next to him: "Take the money and divide it among the brothers in the evening. As for the folks in my hometown, don't embarrass them too much."
The captain was overjoyed and quickly led a few soldiers to carry the big money box over, thinking that he should leave the largest share for General Yu.
At this time, five boats were slowly approaching. The boats were full of children, ranging from two or three years old to eleven or twelve years old. They were both male and female. They were all children of the Xiao family. There were about fifty or sixty people. Xiao was in charge of the inner government.
Mao led the group, followed by five or six women to take care of the children.
Yu Shouren nodded secretly. The Xiao family was indeed very discerning and actually thought of sending away their young children. No matter how brutal the war in Jiangling was, as long as the children were safe, the Xiao family would have hope of revitalization.
He waved his hand and said, "Open the city gate!"
The iron gate of Shuicheng was slowly pulled up, and the five ships sailed out of the city gate, leaving Jiangling City and sailing towards the shining Yangtze River.
Xiao Yanqin watched the five ships leaving the city. He waved and said goodbye to the children of the Xiao family.
...........
Yang Yuanqing planned the battle arrangements for the whole night and did not go to bed until the third watch. However, he did not fall asleep for long. About five watch, a soldier woke him up outside the tent.
"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Yang Yuanqing suddenly woke up from his sleep. He saw that it was still dark outside the tent. He thought there was something urgent, so he asked: "What's the matter?"
"The patrol found five ships docked on the south bank. They are the ships of the Xiao family. They said that the head of the Xiao family has a letter to send to His Highness, and there are also a large group of children."
Yang Yuanqing was startled, ‘Child?’ He immediately reacted, smiled, and quickly walked out of the tent.
The Sui army's tent was stationed close to the river. The tent with nearly 60,000 people was more than ten miles long. It was so huge that the tents could not be seen. The Sui army did not conduct enough defensive camps. There were no walls.
There was no cluster of spears and guns, but thousands of sentries were sent to patrol the surrounding areas.
It was basically certain that no Tang army would come to attack. The Tang army could not cross the Yangtze River, and even if the Tang army came from the east, Gong'an County would light a beacon to report the news.
Yang Yuanqing followed the soldiers quickly to several large tents. A man in his thirties was pacing back and forth anxiously outside the tents. A soldier reminded him, "His Royal Highness the King of Chu has arrived."
When he turned around, he saw a large group of soldiers approaching a general wearing a golden helmet. He hurriedly stepped forward and knelt down, "Xiao Mao, a humble citizen, bows to His Highness the King of Chu!"
When Yang Yuanqing heard this name, he knew that he was of the same generation as Xiao Mian, so he smiled and nodded, "Please get up!"
A soldier helped Xiao Mao up, and Xiao Mao took out a letter and presented it to Yang Yuanqing, "This is a personal letter from the head of the family to His Highness. Please read it."
Yang Yuanqing opened the letter and read it. It turned out that the Xiao family was willing to help the Sui army capture Jiangling City. He couldn't help but secretly rejoiced, and asked: "How is your family master now? I have seen her once in the fourth year of Daye, and it has been more than ten years.
Haven’t seen you in years.”
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your concern. Everything is fine with the head of the family. She is very grateful to His Highness for supporting the Xiao family, which enabled the Xiao family to produce such an important official of the Sui Dynasty as Xiao Jing."
"Haha! This is the result of my own efforts."
Yang Yuanqing turned around and saw that the big tent was full of children, forty or fifty people, with four or five women taking care of them. He smiled and said, "Are these all children of the Xiao family?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, these are the children of the Xiao family. We are really afraid that the war will be brutal and Chai Shao will kill and harm the common people, so we have to move the children out first. We also have some family property. Please protect them."
Yang Yuanqing knew that this was actually because the Xiao family was afraid that helping the Sui army would be leaked and they would be massacred by Chai Shao, so they transferred the children. He nodded, "I will arrange them properly, but the military camp is not convenient. They can temporarily live on the logistics ship.
Life there is more convenient, and as for the family property, you can take it with you on the big ship."
Yang Yuanqing immediately ordered the soldiers to send them to the logistics ship to live. He looked at the eastern sky again, and there was already a slight hint of blue.
"What time is it now?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, it has just arrived at the fifth watch."
As soon as the soldiers finished speaking, the rumble of war drums immediately sounded in the Sui army camp. This was the war drum for the expedition. Groups of soldiers rushed out of the tent. The soldiers all slept with their armor and could assemble quickly. Today,
The Sui army will formally cross the river to attack Jiangling City...
At dawn, hundreds of warships loaded with Sui soldiers began to sail toward the north bank of the Yangtze River, and the attack on Jiangling City officially began.