Every move of a superior person has a profound meaning. Although this statement is not entirely accurate, it is not far off.
Except for the sudden arrival of Ma Dai and the relatively casual handling of these affairs handled by Wang Yu's class, all other actions had far-reaching consequences.
After bidding farewell to the Ma Dai brothers and sisters in Changle, Wang Yu led his army to continue marching eastward. They all encountered cities along the way. They all followed the example of Yecheng. The whole army was dressed in uniforms and marched in full force. After hearing the news of victory first, he also saw it with his own eyes.
Seeing such majestic lions, the morale of the people naturally increased, and some doubts in their hearts dissipated.
Ordinarily, the news of success had already spread, so there was no need for Wang Yu to mobilize so much troops and troops. Although a ceremony similar to a military parade did not cost much, maintaining order and organizing the people required a lot of effort. With the great name of the Hussars, it felt a bit unnecessary.
But in fact, Wang Yu's move was also well-targeted. During the Northern Xinjiang War, rumors had been secretly surging.
At the beginning, the rumors mainly focused on the success or failure of the war. As the overlord of the grasslands, Xianbei was still very loud in the Central Plains, especially in Hebei. One hundred thousand Xianbei cavalry, coupled with Wuhuan's support, and Youzhou
Its own strength, in terms of numbers alone, far exceeds that of the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Qingzhou's New Deal included the provision of enlightening the people's wisdom, but after all, the implementation time was too short, and rumors still have a considerable market even in the 21st century, so it is difficult to completely eliminate them.
The army is marching north, the homeland is empty, the enemy is powerful, and foreign enemies are around. These factors are enough to make the people in the territory panic. If the New Deal did not also include measures to open government affairs, there might really be some trouble or something.
Although the war had twists and turns, the progress was much faster than many people expected. Before the first month of the year, the latest good news came back. Normally, those previous rumors should have been self-defeating and they should have disappeared.
As a result, the rumors kept pace with the times and changed to another tone. First, they said that although the Hussars won the battle, they were outnumbered and suffered considerable casualties. Then they mentioned the situation in the Central Plains. If
There are hints that the war in the Central Plains is imminent, and the Hussars may not even have time to rest and recuperate before fighting against a superior enemy again. The prospect is very dangerous and unpredictable.
These contents are considered mainstream. There are also some contents that are different, but the correlation is not small. For example, how Cao Cao's strength expanded after he captured Guanzhong, how powerful the Xiliang rebels and Qiang Hu were, and how powerful Sun Ce was from Jiangdong.
Cao Cao captured Guanzhong and took over half of Dong Zhuo's direct troops, as well as the Guanzhong garrison under Duan Xuan. Rumors say that almost all of them were.
The strength of the Xiliang army was explained by the rumor. In the past few decades of the late Han Dynasty, Guanzhong had been in constant turmoil. At its worst, the imperial court was already discussing the issue of giving up the third assistant. You must know. Discussion
When this question was asked, the Yellow Turban Rebellion had not yet begun, which shows how strong the Xiliang army was.
As for Sun Ce's might and strength, it is easier to explain. Now that Jiangdong's army is fighting vigorously in Jiangxia, Huang Zu has no place to stay and abandons Jiangxia. Isn't this awesome? The people who spread the rumors also specifically explained that
, Jiangdong Army's attack on Jingzhou was from the downstream to the upstream, which was very difficult.
Of course, the Intelligence Department has taken precautions against this, but these rumor-mongers are very professional. They have adopted a segmented rumor-mongering model. Even if the Intelligence Department personnel find clues, it is difficult to directly judge whether the initiator's intention is to spread rumors or simply spread rumors.
Many people follow what they say and talk about these current events as gossip.
The New Deal includes an item on open speech. Although it is helpful to enhance social vitality, it has become an obstacle in dealing with rumors.
Of course there is nothing we can do about it. There is no policy in the world that is perfect or comprehensive. Wang Yu’s squad came back and marched with great force. On the one hand, it allowed the soldiers to enjoy some welfare benefits, enjoy the cheers and cheers of the people, and enhance their honor.
On the other hand, it is to deal with these rumors.
One of the rumors is correct. The war is imminent, and the situation facing Qingzhou is indeed very tense. In fact, if the Xiliang army had not suddenly slowed down its attack for unknown reasons, and the senior officials were very aware of current affairs, maybe the army would have
They have already entered Bingzhou and fought against the Xiliang army.
If the army goes like this, the rumors may not all be eliminated, but the audience will definitely be much smaller.
With the continuous implementation of the New Deal, the proportion of those who suffer losses within the territory is also gradually decreasing. After all, the New Deal is based on public benefits, and only those wealthy and aristocratic families will be harmed. Even the latter, if they are willing to put down their airs, be humble and arrogant
If you take a good look at the reality with your head, you can also find a way to integrate into the new era.
Those stubborn people are in the minority after all, and only these people are so happy to gossip about Qingzhou.
Of course, Wang Yu's response measures are not limited to this. The Intelligence Department is now making arrangements intensively. On the one hand, it is strengthening internal supervision in order to extinguish the rumors as soon as they start to appear. On the other hand, it is stepping up the investigation.
See who is causing the trouble behind this.
The investigation has yet to produce results, but the general scope should be determined, and it must be a certain faction of princes, among which Cao Cao is naturally the most suspected.
"It's rude not to reciprocate. Cao Cao has done so many little things, so naturally we have to repay him. Send a message to Wen He and Zizhong that the economic war should be upgraded!"
When Wang Yu met Diao Chan in Fanyang, the first words he uttered were not the gentle words of a husband and wife reunited after a long separation, but a murderous military order.
"As ordered." Diao Chan didn't take it seriously. She bowed and accepted the order like an ordinary staff member.
Frankly speaking, this is not the married life she imagined. When she was in Wang Yun's house, her highest dream was to have better luck, not to be given to an old man like Wang Yun, nor to be given to a reckless man who didn't understand the beauty of beauty, but to be given to an old man like Wang Yun.
It is a blessing from heaven to give it to a well-educated scholar.
As for whether a singer who is given as a gift and who is not even as good as a concubine can enjoy the harmony of the piano and the sound of the piano and the singing of the husband and the wife as mentioned in the book, that is not within the scope of her consideration. She cannot control her destiny at all.
How can we think so long-term here? What is the use of thinking so long-term?
After meeting Wang Yu, her fate took a strange turn. Step by step, she became what she is today, which she had never imagined. Diao Chan was very content and cherished. Before meeting Wang Yu, she was just Wang.
The product in Yun's hands was a high-end plaything of the scholar-bureaucrats, and now, she was a human being, a member of the family of the Han hussar general Wang Yu.
In this kind of work, Diao Chan feels that her life is more valuable. She no longer relies on her appearance, figure, and various skills to please men, but relies on her own mind, handling of documents, and analysis of intelligence.
He deserves his place in this general's mansion.
What else is there to be dissatisfied with?
"Does the Secretary of Commerce still need to cooperate this time? Should there be a complete blockade?"
Qianqian Sushou, who used to play the piano and play the piano, now picked up a pen and ink. Diao Chan wanted to turn Wang Yu's orders into words, and asked while writing. With their current status as a couple, it is difficult to completely distinguish between housework and government affairs.
It turns out that Zhuge Liang's duties in the army were performed by Diao Chan at home, and Cai Yan was here to perform them as his wife and secretary.
The work of monopolizing the salt market had already been planned when Wang Yu first recruited Mi Zhu. At that time, it was for profit. But later, Wang Yu defeated Yuan Shao and gained most of Jizhou. He had enough resources to implement the New Deal. After the Salt Policy,
Things have become trivial and I can't take care of them for the moment.
The benefits of salt and iron, even in later generations, are still the mainstay of the economic field, and they are hugely profitable commodities. Wang Yu has never taken care of housework, so he is naturally more concerned about steel casting and smelting. However, although the Mi family has many businesses, the foundation of its origin is not
On top of this salt.
In later generations, there was a saying that Lianghuai salt was popular all over the world, which refers to the huge profits of the salt business in the Lianghuai region. Mi Zhu's hometown, Donghai Qu County, was one of the important strongholds of the Lianghuai salt merchants later.
Starting from this, Mi Zhu took this task very seriously. Although Wang Yu put this matter behind him and threw a lot of things at him, which made him breathless, Mi Zhu never forgot to integrate salt.
The political affairs have been advancing.
When Wang Yu was pointing east and west in Xuzhou, showing great power, Mi Zhu's commercial department personnel followed behind to enclose the land. The Mi family prospered because of salt, and there were many people in the family who were good at this. Not only was he an expert, but even Mi Fang
There was also in-depth research on this. Led by the latter, the team scanned the coastal areas for the most suitable places to build salt fields.
In Jizhou, Gongsun Zan valued his face and didn't care about the merchants at all. Mi Zhu negotiated casually and reached an agreement. Just when Wang Yu sent his army to the north and fought in Youzhou and beyond the Great Wall, Mi Zhu
The layout of the salt policy has been completed quietly.
As long as a person does not eat salt for a few days, he will become weak, and no matter how long the time lasts, he will suffer from various diseases. It is a very important material. With the monopoly of all the salt fields north of the river, the commercial department's ability to make profits will naturally increase significantly.
Such a big movement, not to mention Guoyuan and others who stayed in Gaotang, even Jia Xu, who was focusing on military affairs, and Tian Feng, who was traveling abroad, were startled. They turned their attention back and sent a message to Mi Zhu to ask what was going on.
One thing.
When Mi Zhu explained, everyone suddenly realized and exclaimed that the Lord was far-sighted and had such a far-reaching plan long ago. At the same time, they were also amazed by Mi Zhu's silent method of moisturizing things.
Everyone is a well-educated person. Of course they have read Huan Kuan's Theory of Salt and Iron. Of course they are aware of the importance of salt and iron. However, Wang Yu's advance arrangements are too early, and Mi Zhu is integrating salt affairs.
In the process, almost no power of the shogunate was used, and it was accomplished quietly, which made people extremely surprised.
Guoyuan and others are quite satisfied with this. In the past few years, Qingzhou has been conquering the north and south. It is difficult to be prestige, but only stewards like them know the hard work involved. There is a saying: once the army moves, gold
Wan Liang, in a sense, the Hussars' prestigious reputation puts equally huge pressure on finances.
Wang Yu trained his troops diligently, and the Hussars' military supply was quite generous. Coupled with various sophisticated equipment, the absolute number of the army was not amazing. There were only 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers in total, but the cost was huge.
It is more terrifying than an army of 200,000, or even 3,500,000.
Will there be a tendency to popularize iron armor in the ordinary army? Not to mention full-body plate armor and horse armor equipped with iron cavalry equipment. Compared with these two big heads, what are the powerful crossbows, ballistas, sea ships, weapons and so on?
There is no need to even mention paper armor or anything like that.
Sharp soldiers and armor are the guarantee of victory. Guoyuan and others are aware of the general situation and will not complain randomly. However, the financial pressure is real and everyone must work hard to develop financial resources.
Salt and iron have always been the most profitable. The supply of Qingzhou iron has basically been consumed by the army and farmland. The subsidies are not enough, so how can we talk about income? But salt is completely different. The cost of this item is extremely low, and it is only the beginning of construction.
There is some consumption in the salt farm. It will only require some labor later, but it will be a huge profit when it is sold.
But Jia Xu and Tian Feng's vision goes beyond that. They are keenly aware that this salt can also be used to make many articles, such as restricting shipments and increasing prices.
Salt is not only produced in coastal areas, it is just that salt in coastal areas is cheaper and more suitable for large-scale production. In any era or region, an increase in the price of this daily necessity will have an impact on social stability. This will increase people’s
cost of living.
Jia Xu and Tian Feng are not ordinary scholars. They are also familiar with Guan Zhong's three strategies for promoting Qi. Of course they know how to conduct economic warfare. Wang Yu and Mi Zhu have already laid out the plan. Wouldn't it be a waste if they don't use it?
Everyone unanimously wrote to Wang Yu, asking him to order the use of salt as a weapon to impose economic sanctions on Cao Cao's territory, mainly to increase the export price of salt.
Wang Yu was naturally no stranger to economic warfare. He immediately waved his hand and told Jia Xu to go ahead and do whatever he wanted. In this type of war, the first people to suffer would of course be the common people, but Jia Xu was not an ordinary person. He was once called a poisonous man.
, had no such scruples at all. Orders were issued like a stream of water, causing a heavy blow to the economy of Luoyang and other areas under Cao Cao's jurisdiction.
At that time, Cao Cao really didn't care about causing trouble in Qingzhou or guarding against Qingzhou's invasion. Instead, he pushed forward the strategy of Chang'an with all his strength, and joined forces with Sun Ce and Yuan Shu to conquer Jingzhou. However, he was unexpectedly kicked by Jia Xu's trick.
On the heart, both eyes turned black at that time.
Cao Cao's political ability is not bad. Although he is not as big as Qingzhou, he is also in farming in Luoyang, Yingchuan, Chenliu and other places. It is the most stable place outside Qingzhou, and the social order is even better than that of Jiangdong.
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Sun Ce was great at fighting, but his political ability was mediocre. In addition, Jiangdong has been experiencing constant wars in recent years. He led a large army to attack Jingzhou and beat Huang Zu to pieces. He was very majestic, but behind him were Liu Yao, Xu Gong, and Yan Baihu's remnants.
Not to mention making trouble, there are also Shanyue from various places who come out to harass from time to time, which is quite chaotic.
As a result, as soon as the economic war in Qingzhou began, various places under Cao Cao's jurisdiction suddenly became uneasy. This is the same as later countries' strict control of grain prices. The price of pork can rise. At worst, everyone will become vegetarian, but the price of grain will not be the same as that of pork.
If prices rise at the same rate, there will definitely be trouble.
The importance of salt and grain are very similar.
Cao Cao's farm households were not independent like those in Qingzhou, but were similar to serfs, dependent on the army. All the grain they produced had to be handed over in exchange for the basic supply of life.
As soon as the price of salt increased, Cao Jun's purchasing volume naturally dropped. Many of the people responsible for purchasing relied on their positions to make a living. The price of salt suddenly increased two or three times. If they continued to buy in sufficient quantities, wouldn't they be bankrupt?
In fact, many officials responsible for purchasing stopped purchasing after discovering that the price of salt had skyrocketed. They went around to inquire about the reasons for the price increase and tried to find new supply channels. As for the supply from the farmsteads, they were just serfs anyway.
Let's make do, I still had some inventory before, so if I use it sparingly, I can still hold on for a while.
Of course, other supply channels cannot be found. Otherwise, how would it be called a monopoly?
Of course, channels are not completely absent. Jiangdong is also a coastal area. Although there are no large-scale salt farms, there are many people who make a living by boiling salt on the seaside, but the price is slightly higher. However, Jiangdong’s salt is sold outside, mainly through the Yangtze River waterway.
, Sun Ce and Huang Zu fought fiercely on the Yangtze River, and the waterway was almost cut off. Even Jingzhou was buying salt from Qingzhou, not to mention Cao Cao?
Even if the salt from Jiangdong could be transported to Jingzhou, when the three families' strategy of dividing Jingzhou gradually emerged, Liu Biao, who sensed Cao Cao's ill intentions, would not let the salt from Jiangdong pass through the border happily.
This delay lasted for more than a month. The original inventory was quickly exhausted. Cao Cao was busy with military affairs, and the purchasing officials failed to report it in time. By the time Cao Cao finally noticed it, signs of unrest had begun to appear in the farm.
Wang Yu didn't know Cao Cao's mood at that time, but it was inevitable that he would break out in a cold sweat and his heart would be trembling. In troubled times, the farm in the field was the guarantee of food and salary for the army. Once something unexpected happened, Cao Cao could gather as much as he could.
Even the troops and horses could not escape the fate of total collapse.
That is to say, Cao Cao made a quick decision and directly arrested the procurement officials who had deceived their superiors, announced their charges, and sentenced them in public. Only then did they appease the farmers who had no salt to eat.
Killing Yanguan could only delay the crisis, but it could not really solve the problem. When Cao Cao began to face up to this problem, he discovered that it was Wang Yu who he had always felt was not good at conspiracy, and this move directly hit his vital point.
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He hated him so much that he gnashed his teeth and cursed. Wang Yu also didn't know, but spending nearly three times the price to buy salt, even if it couldn't injure Cao Cao, it was still a blood drain for him.
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This economic war even forced Cao Cao to change his strategic plan.
Originally, Cao Cao's plan was to advance westward with all his strength. After Xiahou Yuan's defeat at Sanhuting, he changed his plan and bluffed on the western front. The main force, Chen Bing, was in Nanyang, always ready to cooperate with Sun Ce's offensive and go south to capture Xiangyang. However, due to the salt price crisis.
He had to mobilize troops from Nanyang and go north to Hedong to attack Yuncheng.
Yuncheng is the place where Wang Yu led the Baibo Army to attack Weijiawu Fort. Behind Weijiawu Fort is a salt water lake. It is the largest salt production area in Sili Prefecture and even in the Central Plains.
Cao Cao plotted against Guanzhong and Jingzhou at the same time, and also had to deploy troops to defend Lu Bu in the Chenliu area. His military strength was already quite limited. It didn't really matter whether he fought in Hedong or not. After Dong Zhuo was defeated, it was basically determined by word of mouth.
But being forced by the economic war in Qingzhou, Cao Cao had no choice but to postpone his move south, and instead adopted a strategy of secretly wooing Jingzhou.
There was no way, Dong Zhuo's troops were greatly reduced. However, there was still a troop of Hu Zhen's troops in Hedong, and they were guarding the Salt Pond - salt is money, and Fatty Dong was not stupid either. Hu Zhen must have defended it to the death.
If Cao Cao wants to fight for it, he can only fight head-on, divide his troops in three directions, and fight everywhere. What better way? He can only give up the attack on Xiangyang temporarily.
In this sense, Wang Yu effectively restrained Cao Cao, but in the entire process, including himself, all participants felt that their participation was limited and refused to take credit.
Wang Yu just mentioned it casually and never asked about it afterwards; Mi Zhu believed that he was acting according to orders, doing what he was good at, and achieving small results was the result of his lord's ability to recognize people and employ them appropriately; Jia Xu did the same
I thought that I was just following the trend, and at most I just reminded the lord. If I want to take credit for this, it would be too much.
As a result, this credit became a muddled account, and no one was willing to raise it in public. Cao Cao simply did not have such a high-level spy who could spy on the attitude of Wang Yu and other Qingzhou senior officials, otherwise he would have sprayed blood all the way, and the whole country would have been destroyed.
If the call gives birth to feathers, how can there be any movement?
I've been so exhausted, but in the end, you didn't come to mess with me seriously, but you just accidentally plotted against me? You really don't regard bean bags as dry food!
The acquisition of Yanchi, or even Guanzhong, will not help alleviate the salt shortage in Luoyang. After all, Yanchi is just a saltwater lake, not a sea, and its output is limited. Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, it could barely supply the entire territory of Hedong, let alone the entire territory of Hedong.
Silizhou is here.
What's more, now that hundreds of thousands of Xiliang troops have joined in, the salt shortage will only expand, not the other way around.
Wang Yu thinks about it, unless Cao Cao finds a new supply of salt, he should not play any tricks with him before a full-scale war. He is not afraid that he will increase the price again, or even impose a complete blockade like Diao Chan proposed.
?
Thinking about it this way, it may not be Cao Cao who spread the rumors. Qingzhou is very stable internally, and the damage of rumors is limited. How could a man as shrewd as Cao Mengde engage in such a strategy that outweighs the gains and losses?
"A total lockdown is not necessary."
After pondering for a moment, Wang Yu waved his hand: "With the current conditions, it is too difficult to completely prevent salt from leaving the country. If the profits are high enough, some people will take risks. If nothing else, we cannot control everything in the Guangling area. Through the Huainan Army
territory,
Salt from Jiangdong and Guangling can still be transported to Yingchuan, and it costs a lot to move around in the middle. But again, as long as there are enough benefits, people will flock to it. Instead of a complete blockade, it is better to estimate and see the room for price increases.
How big."
"I know." Diao Chan only asked for confirmation. After hearing the explanation, she didn't have much thought, so she responded and continued to write furiously. But if Mi Zhu were here, she would definitely praise him and feel like a close friend.
A total blockade would be a lose-lose situation, while the price increase would benefit Qingzhou. Cao Cao would continue to lose blood, so he had to figure out the secrets here.
"If it wasn't Cao Cao, who would it be?" Wang Yu also had no complacency. He lowered his head and wandered his eyes over the map on the desk. If it wasn't Cao Cao who spread the rumor, it would be a bit troublesome. On the surface, it would be a bit troublesome.
The enemy is not scary, the most dangerous thing is someone watching secretly.
His eyes wandered uncertainly, until he finally stopped when he saw a certain place, and his brows gradually frowned.