Lao Zhu had nearly one million dan in stock, and Zhang Ximeng's grain bank had similar stock. Zhu Jiajun was so extravagant that he even raised fattened pigs in batches.
A mere three hundred thousand dan is really not much.
But looking around the world, the only one who can say this is Zhu Jiajun.
Every other force suffers from food shortage.
Liu Futong, Tianwan Emperor Xu Shouhui, needless to say.
Is Yuan Ting very relaxed?
Before the Red Turban Uprising, four million shi of grain had to be transported from the south to Dadu every year to support the high-ranking officials and the troops in the court.
Together with the Red Scarf Army, first of all, the grain supply was too low and they had to rely on sea transportation. The amount was only 1.6 million shi, not even half of it.
Food prices suddenly more than tripled.
And they go to war frequently, quickly depleting their inventory.
The Yuan Dynasty was already short of money. Why did Tuotuo wait until October before he dared to go south? Why did Tuotuo wait for the harvest in the north and barely replenish some stocks?
They tried every possible means to mobilize 1.5 million shi of military rations to supply the army going south.
Tuotuo claimed to have an army of one million, but in fact there were only 400,000. They moved south along the canal to save costs and reduce consumption as much as possible.
But even so, the food that could be transported to the front of the army was less than 1.2 million dan. After repeated battles and consumption, the food in Tuo Tuo's hand was only over 500,000 dan, of which 300,000 dan was stored in Huai'an.
, as the general granary of the entire army.
According to Tuotuo's intention, he hoped to capture Gaoyou as soon as possible, open the canal, and obtain grain supplies from the south of the Yangtze River.
However, Gaoyou failed to defeat it, and instead lost Huai'an, hundreds of thousands of troops, and only less than one month's rations left.
At this point, although we are not at the end of our rope, we are still close to being desperate.
When Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng received this news, they were both cheered up. The most critical fighter opportunity had finally appeared. Regardless of whether the strategies could succeed or not, the lack of food alone was enough to kill Tuotuo.
"Quick, call everyone together to discuss countermeasures immediately!" Zhu Yuanzhang shouted excitedly, and soon all the civil servants and military generals from more than a thousand households arrived.
This is also the status that the military commander has won for himself after several discussions on military affairs.
After everyone heard the situation, they were all excited. A God-given opportunity really appeared.
"Your Majesty, I think we should save the food supply in Huai'an and immediately send our troops north to assist Marshal Peng and the others." It was Fei Ju who spoke. He was eager to get this job right away.
But Xu Da remained silent and thought slightly.
The distance from Liuhe to Huai'an is almost five hundred miles. Even at the fastest speed, it will take seven or eight days to get there. The battle line is so long, and there are still weak links like Tianchang in the middle. If the Yuan army kills again from Gaoyou
If you come here, you may destroy the entire army.
"It's better to ignore Huai'an and march to Gaoyou!" Xu Da suddenly spoke.
Entering Gaoyou?
As expected of you!
Xu Da, you are too courageous.
Tuotuo's main force of more than 300,000 people is still in Gaoyou. If we attack Gaoyou at this time, wouldn't it be like hitting a stone with an egg?
Xu Da suddenly stood up and fought for a long time, already showing his uniqueness.
"Higher position, although there are many soldiers and horses in Tuotuo, the people are not united and it is difficult to control. If the wind goes smoothly, it will be fine. However, if we encounter setbacks, chaos will inevitably occur. There are many soldiers in Gaoyou, but there may not be many who can be separated to fight with us.
How much. Coupled with the lack of food and grass and the unstable morale of the army, if we attack Gaoyou at this time, we are 50% sure that we can break the Yuan army's blockade, rescue the trapped soldiers and horses in Gaoyou, and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop!"
After Xu Da's analysis, many people were stunned. At present, Zhu Yuanzhang could only gather all the troops and horses, but there would be no more than 50,000 people to break the siege of Gaoyou. Does he really have a chance of winning?
Everyone was talking about it. People like Feng Guosheng, Tang Shengzong and others were opposed to Xu Da's idea. What's interesting is that Hu Dahai fully supported it.
This group may not understand the overall situation of the art of war. He is purely greedy for success. He wants to attack wherever the Yuan army is numerous.
It's really interesting that the most sane person and the most irrational person actually stand together.
Their debate has not come to a conclusion, but one thing has gradually reached a consensus, that is, Huai'an is too far away, and they can only let Peng Zaozhu and Miao Daheng play their part. The main force of Zhu's army can only attack other positions to contain the Yuan army and give them a blow.
Peng Zaozhu supported.
However, to directly attack Gaoyou is still too challenging for everyone, and they have been unable to make up their minds.
At this moment, Zhang Ximeng suddenly said: "Huai'an is too far and Gaoyou is too strong. Can we capture Yangzhou?"
Yangzhou!
Everyone was startled, then thought about it for a moment, and felt more and more that it made sense.
There are not many Yuan troops in Yangzhou, they are close to each other, and they guard the canal. The geographical location is more important than Gaoyou.
Regardless of whether Yangzhou can be captured or not, the Yuan army will be mobilized and fighter planes will be created.
Zhu Yuanzhang showed a satisfied smile on his face, "Huai'an is too far, Gaoyou is too strong, and Yangzhou is impartial. It's just right! What do you think?"
Xu Da was startled, stood up hurriedly, bowed and said: "I think it's just right!"
Fei Ju and others also stood up, "Come on, don't hesitate, send troops immediately!"
"good!"
Zhu Yuanzhang immediately said: "Fei Ju, Hua Yun, you lead three thousand infantry and cavalry to Zhenzhou, return to Feng Guo for mobilization, set off from Zhenzhou, and march directly to Yangzhou. Xu Da, you lead the front camp troops and horses, and march directly from Liuhe."
Taking Yangzhou, if you encounter the Yuan army moving south, you must adapt to circumstances and handle it appropriately."
Xu Da's ability is enough to stand alone.
Zhu Yuanzhang's arrangements were very appropriate.
The army was mobilized, and he and Zhang Ximeng led the main force and marched towards Yangzhou as a reserve force for the entire army.
It can be seen that Lao Zhu was not completely sure of winning Yangzhou. He did not put all his capital on it, but tested the reality before making arrangements.
Attacking Yangzhou was indeed a brilliant move.
The entire Lianghuai battlefield was completely ruined.
Tuotuo, who was in Gaoyou, got all the bad news.
A few days ago I was in sight of victory, but in the blink of an eye I was in despair.
His younger brother Timur was defeated first, and all 20,000 men and horses were wiped out. Even his whereabouts are unknown.
Xuexue's 30,000 households were all ruined, and Xuexue was still missing. Of the 30,000 people, less than 1,000 came back. These soldiers who were lucky enough to escape were extremely frightened, and they all said that the red thieves were powerful, like soldiers from heaven descending to earth.
.
These two disastrous defeats have left Tuotuo very anxious.
But compared to the news that followed, it was nothing.
A group of red thieves deceived the gate of Huai'an and raided the granary.
After Tuotuo heard this, he almost vomited blood!
How can the important land of Huai'an be lost!
He immediately summoned his subordinates to discuss countermeasures. After some wrangling, he ordered to assemble five thousand households and asked Shandong troops to go south to kill the Huai'an red bandits together.
The continuous disastrous defeats have scared Tuotuo away from sending 20,000 to 30,000 troops. Only 50,000 or more can guarantee safety.
But before these troops could officially set off, another bad news came. The Red Thieves were attacking Yangzhou again. There were so many troops and the situation was critical...
Holding the letter asking for help from Yangzhou, Tuotuo was stunned.
Liuhe, Tianchang, Huai'an, Yangzhou... what on earth is going on? Gu
Where did so many red scarves come from?
What grows from the ground or falls from the sky?
Why didn't anyone tell me?
Until now, Tuotuo had not figured out how big the Zhu family army was. Lao Zhu's slow move to become king was really effective.
Tuotuo thought a lot. He even suspected that it was Emperor Tianwan Xu Shouhui who sent reinforcements.
But no matter what, his situation took a turn for the worse.
He has to save Huai'an. If he doesn't save Huai'an, the whole army will be short of food. It will fall apart in less than a month... What about Yangzhou? Let alone ignore it. If Yangzhou falls, even if Gaoyou is captured, what will happen? If Yangzhou is besieged again, the same will happen.
Do it a second time?
And the most embarrassing thing for Tuotuo is how many red scarves are there on the opposite side? It seems that these people will even attack Gaoyou!
Tuo Tuo did not dare to give orders casually, so he immediately called his confidant Gong Bosui, who joined the army, and Ha La, the deputy envoy of Hakka Province. These two people did not have high official positions, but they were Tuo Tuo's confidants and military counselors. They were somewhat similar to Zhang Ximeng's role under Zhu Yuanzhang.
Faced with the situation in front of them, these two people couldn't figure it out.
After all, it’s this group of Chuzhou Red Turbans, which is really weird.
Huai'an and Yangzhou are both places that must be saved, and Gaoyou cannot be given up.
Even though the Yuan army had 400,000 troops, only about half of them could fight. They had already lost a lot in the attack on Zhang Shicheng.
Another 50,000 yuan was lost in the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang. At this moment, two troops were sent out to rescue. At least 100,000 troops were sent out. Those who stayed in Gaoyou were a group of old, weak, sick and disabled.
Not to mention whether the Red Scarf Army comes to kill, what should we do if Zhang Shicheng breaks through?
After continuous analysis, I still have no clue.
Tuotuo could only look up to the sky and smile bitterly, "I assist the emperor, govern all nations, compile history and regulate rivers, quell rebellions and pacify the people...Has today, Gaoyou City become my burial place?"
Tuotuo hammered the table hard and roared: "With an army of more than 300,000, it is controlled by others everywhere. How can I show my face to the world!"
The two men lowered their heads with fever on their faces, but Gong Bosui had more ideas. He thought for a while and said: "Prime Minister, the only way to mobilize the troops in Jiangnan at the moment is to make the red thieves retreat!"
"Jiangnan!" Tuotuo paused, and a glimmer of light appeared in his eyes. Yes, Jiangnan still has so many soldiers. Hold on, as long as Jiangnan launches an attack, everything will be fine, everything will be fine...
Tuo Jian ordered Tu Jian from the south of the Yangtze River to tie up the horses and others and immediately cross the river to launch an offensive.
After waiting for the order to be given, Tuotuo sat down on the chair, panting.
The situation was too difficult. He had to hold it all by himself. He didn't know how long he would be able to hold on until.
Free from mental and physical exhaustion, the days are like years.
It's just that in the eyes of outsiders, especially the people in Dadu, they don't feel the difficulty of Tuotuo at all. On the contrary, they feel that Tuotuo has an army in his hands, bossing around and giving orders, which is simply not very satisfying.
It has been almost three months since the troops were dispatched, and the red thieves have not been completely wiped out. Is the army of one million just a decoration?
Needless to say, Tuotuo must be to encourage the bandits to respect themselves. Otherwise, how could they not be taken down?
It is really difficult for these people to understand the complex situation on the battlefield. The most they know is one million versus fifty thousand. I have the advantage!
People are criticizing Tuotuo more and more, and the imperial censors have impeached them one after another. Not to mention, a poem has appeared in the world. Some people say that it is suitable for Tuotuo brother to become the emperor. Some people also explain that Tuotuo brother is the emperor.
Only by getting rid of the treacherous ministers and traitors can Dayuan be safe and sound.
Zhang Ximeng's first card worked.
And a group of Jianghu people from Haozhou and other places set up a stage to perform in Dadu for free, which also aroused public opinion in Dadu.
In this era of depression, frustration, and precarious life, everyone is in great need of some literary and artistic products.
Especially this kind of free service is very popular and people flock to it.
At Wu Datou's first show, more than 10,000 people came.
By the second show, there were 40,000 people.
For the third performance, we had to use the site of Huguo Temple. After the performance, it was even more lively than a temple fair.
People talked about it one after another and said that the play was good. After all, the joy of free prostitution is the same in ancient and modern times.
The reputations of Cao Cao, Huan Wen, and An Lushan were spread throughout the capital.
It became a hot topic in an instant, just like those Internet memes, it quickly became a hot topic of discussion.
As the prime minister, Cao Cao took advantage of the emperor, and eventually his descendants usurped the throne.
Huan Wen's Northern Expedition was to enhance his own prestige. In his later years, he spread rumors that the emperor was infertile and that all his heirs were produced by founding fathers. He then deposed the emperor and monopolized the power of the court.
Not to mention An Lushan, who held a large army and rebelled against the court, forcing the emperor to flee, the imperial concubine to die, the prince to ascend the throne, and the Anshi Rebellion in eight years, which devastated the Tang Dynasty.
Almost every aspect of these three plays points to Tuotuo.
It’s no good if you don’t think about it.
Almost instantly, Tuotuo was thrown into the biggest political wave in the late Yuan Dynasty.
Above the Yuan court, various forces were surging. Some attacked Tuotuo, and some defended Tuotuo to death. Some even suggested that Tuotuo should be given a yellow ax, or simply rewarded with nine tins. Only Prime Minister Tuotuo could be pacified.
Red scarf.
The entire Dadu was already in turmoil. Hama, the political minister of Pingzhang, smiled and went to see an eunuch with great pride. This person's name was Pu Buhua (I'm not making this up). He was a Korean and arrived in Dayuan at the age of seven.
The palace serves the emperor.
Coincidentally, Queen Qi was also from Goryeo, and she and Park Bo-hwa were neighbors. Now Park Bo-hwa was soaring to the sky. He and Qi joined forces, and they acted as a surrogate for each other, doing everything in the palace.
Hama found them, and as soon as he took action, it was a house.
When he handed the house deed to Pu Buhua, the dead eunuch glanced at it, smiled immediately, and hurriedly stuffed it into his sleeve, "The prime minister is so polite, let me tell you what to say!"
Hama smiled and said: "My father-in-law works hard for state affairs and allows my father-in-law to sleep peacefully. It is my duty."
Pu Buhua was overjoyed and immediately took Hama to see Qi.
After Hama and Qi met, they did not talk about the situation of the war in Tuotuo, nor did they say how much opposition the government and the opposition had. They just talked to Qi that although the crown prince was appointed, there was no reward or treasure, nor was there any sacrifice to heaven and earth.
He didn't go to the Ancestral Temple to worship... It was because he felt that the prince had Goryeo blood, but the Mongol ministers in the DPRK refused to agree!
Hama's words completely ignited Qi's anger!
The biggest Mongolian minister in the court, isn't he Tuotuo!
The Qi family did not hesitate to blow the pillow wind to Emperor Dayuan... Almost all the spearheads in the palace, outside the palace, in the court and among the people were aimed at Tuotuo.
Some people also brought up Timur's defeat in Shahe and accused Tokhtok of shielding his brothers.
Hama took the opportunity to seize the imperial censorship and installed his own people as the censorial officials. This suddenly opened up a hornet's nest, and all the things that Timur had suppressed over the years came out!
There was a raging discussion among the government and the public, and some people even threatened to kill him during the ceremony. If he did not get rid of Tuotuo, it would not be tolerated by nature!
When the matter reached this moment, Emperor Yuan could not sit still.
The person next to him forced him, and the courtiers forced him.
"Then, when the prime minister returns to the court, who can command the army?" the emperor asked thoughtfully.
Hama immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the red bandit is at the end of its powerful crossbow. He can be wiped out with a wave of his hand. All civil servants and generals in the court are qualified for this task!"
His Majesty Emperor Dayuan thought seriously for a long time, and at this moment he seemed to hear the call of a senior.
"The Grand Master's hard work has yielded great results, but he is lazy and wastes too much money. Let him temporarily lay down his military power and return to the capital to rest."