Chapter 748 Wu Huaiyu’s Three Shots Defeat Lingnan
After passing Meiguan and descending to Daquling, Wu Huaiyu did not stay in Shaoguan.
He led tens of thousands of horses along the water to Guangzhou. His eldest brother Wu Huaiyi, the governor of Guangzhou, came to Qingqi Town, Sanshui to greet him.
Qingqi is a peninsula between the Xijiang River and the North River. Its eastern end is adjacent to the famous Sixianjiao. It is surrounded by water on three sides and has beautiful scenery.
Standing on the bank of this beautiful river, you can still see the prosperity of iron smelting in Foshan Town to the southeast. Countless iron furnaces are burning brightly and a large amount of smoke clouds are gathering in the sky.
Qingqi Town is an idyllic and peaceful town, but Foshan Town is noisy and bustling.
One movement and one silence.
"In four years, just four years, Foshan has transformed from the suburbs of Guangzhou into the busiest workshop city in Guangzhou today. Do you know how many iron workshops there are?"
Huaiyi stood by the river with his brothers and looked at Foshan in the southeast.
Foshan is like an engine for Guangzhou, driving Guangzhou's prosperity to a higher level in recent years.
The turbulent river in front of us is one of the many blood vessels in Guangzhou.
With access to the river and the sea, Guangzhou’s trade conditions are great.
"The Maritime Silk Road is really about to emerge. The Xijiang River connects with the Li River and connects to the Ling Canal to Jingxiangyang to Guanlong. The Beijiang River connects to Meiguan Road to the Ganjiang River to the Yangtze River to Wuyue Central Plains. Starting from Guangzhou Port, you can reach all the seas by sea. You
Do you know how big the trade volume of Guangzhou Port is now?”
Huaiyu smiled.
"It's big and getting bigger,"
Huaiyi, who is the governor of Guangzhou, nodded, "Before I came to Lingnan, I always thought that Lingnan was a miasmatic wilderness and a terrifying promontory. Only after I came here did I realize that gold and silver are flowing here."
Huaiyu also nodded, "Yes, there are opportunities everywhere here, so the sage took a fancy to Lingnan and asked us to go south and vigorously develop it. If the Tang Dynasty wants to move forward, Lingnan is absolutely indispensable."
"Lingnan is indeed full of opportunities, but there are also many problems. First of all, it is the problem of slang and barbarism, and they are not convinced by the king. Then there are too few people here, and even fewer Han people. In such a vast land of Guangjiao, the population is not as good as
A Guanzhong Gyeonggi." Huaiyi sighed. Being a governor here is full of challenges and passion.
"I came here this time to conquer those raccoon beasts first,"
"How long will it take to pacify it?" Huaiyi asked. His views on Lingnan were different from those in the court who were far away from Lingnan. In the eyes of Wei Zheng, Wen Yanbo and others, they may think that Lingnan is too remote, and the Tang Dynasty should still regard Guanzhong as
, the Central Plains should be the basis, strengthen the trunk and weak branches, and try to do as little as possible in remote areas. This can also concentrate more efforts on strengthening the core area.
Some ministers even think that places such as Lingnan, Xiyu, Nanzhong, and central Guizhou, and possibly areas outside Yanmen Pass, can all implement the jizi system, which means that local chiefs will be given hereditary autonomy, as long as they nominally submit to the central government.
I don’t want their household registration and I don’t want their taxes.
But how can a truly knowledgeable person view Lingnan like this?
Wu Huaiyi has stayed in Lingnan for a long time and has seen Lingnan more clearly, but there are indeed many problems in Lingnan now.
The powerful Han people who migrated south, and the local Baiyue slang and barbarians, these forces, large and small, were difficult to command.
In the past, the Central Plains dynasty practiced tyranny and even an agent system over Lingnan.
Now the emperor wants to directly rule Lingnan, and Wu Huaiyu wants to conquer it by force.
He was worried that if the war of conquest lasted too long, it would disrupt the relatively stable situation in Lingnan. If it completely became chaotic, it would be difficult for Lingnan to develop.
"Fighting is necessary. Only by fearing power can one be virtuous. Only by defeating one can one speak of benevolence, righteousness and morality. Otherwise, no one will take your words seriously."
"You have to be careful." Huaiyi reminded his brother, "Tan Dian and other officials are not very powerful, but they occupy a dangerous mountainous area, and it is not easy to attack them. What we need to be even more careful about are wealthy families such as Feng Chen Ningxian.
These people are respectful on the surface, but in fact they are different..."
"I know this very well,"
Huaiyu smiled and patted his brother's arm, "Don't worry, I'm not just traveling around, I've been keeping an eye on the situation in Lingnan.
Now that they are almost done fighting, it's time for me to take action."
We had a meal with Huaiyi in Qingqi Town. Huaiyu did not go to Guangzhou City and led his troops directly up the Xijiang River. Before leaving, he gave his concubine Forresta to his brother to take care of in Guangzhou.
"Afu is pregnant and has severe morning sickness. It is inconvenient for me to take her with me. I asked her to settle in Guangzhou first. After she gets there, she will buy a house there and some people. Then she may do some business in Guangzhou.
, you help me take care of one or two."
Huaiyi smiled and said, "We, brothers from the same mother and father, are doing these kind words. In the past few years that I have been in Lingnan, haven't you always helped me take care of your sister-in-law and the others in the capital?"
"You really don't need me to go with you?"
"I still have some useful soldiers in my hand now,"
The Central Plains imperial court had always had relatively strong control over Guangzhou. The first stop on the way south to Lingnan was either Guizhou or Guangzhou, and Guangzhou must be the most important base camp in Lingnan because of its port and maritime trade.
Previously, the imperial court had not many troops stationed in Lingnan, but there was one in Guangzhou.
"I have 35,000 elite soldiers here, and there are still 15,000 in Guizhou. Do you think I am short of major generals now? I don't think that is too much. Otherwise, I will put 5,000 troops in your town of Qing Navy in Guangzhou.
, leave it directly to you?”
"Let's wait until this battle is over. You are the mighty Prime Minister, so don't capsize in the gutter." Huaiyi said with a smile.
Forresta was very reluctant to leave Huaiyu, but her pregnancy reaction was indeed severe. She vomited severely, and she couldn't smell oil fumes or eat meat. This made her very uncomfortable, and she couldn't adapt to the march.
"You just stay in Guangzhou. Guangzhou is very lively. My brother is also here. I will return to Guangzhou after the war."
“I don’t know what’s going on this time, I’m feeling unwell in every way,”
"Stay in Guangzhou with peace of mind to raise your baby. I have written some prescriptions for you. You can take them after arriving in Guangzhou."
When Forresta heard the word "another pregnancy", no matter how reluctant she was to leave, she had no choice but to stay.
"What should I do, Alang? I will bring these young maids around to serve you. They are all good, tall and beautiful. Although they are Hu Ji, even if they are placed in the famous Hu Si in Chang'an,
, and it is definitely popular.”
"I'm going to fight next. It's not convenient to have a woman with me, not to mention you need someone familiar to take care of you,"
After bidding farewell to Huaiyi and the others, Wu Huaiyu accelerated his march.
Enter Kangzhou via Duanzhou and descend to Longzhou.
Pang Xiaotai, the governor of Duanzhou, also arrived early and came to greet him early this time, willing to serve as a vanguard for Wu Huaiyu.
After resting for a while at Yunjidong by the Luoding River in Longzhou, Wu Huaiyu led his army to attack Douzhou.
At this time, the main force of Douzhou's barbarian rebels had basically gathered in Luo Doudong, the southern state city, and was still surrounded by Feng Zhidai's army. The two sides were in a stalemate, and neither was willing to fight hard and both sides would lose.
The conditions made it impossible for the rebels to surrender, so they could only continue in a stalemate.
At this time, no one expected that they would be stuck on the road forever, as if they would never reach Wu Huaiyu in Lingnan.
After reaching Meiling, it will suddenly accelerate.
The main force is in the south, in the Douzhou Mountains near Longzhou. There are still many savages, but the majority are old, weak, women and children.
No one could have imagined that tens of thousands of elite Tang troops, who looked like wolves and tigers, would come from the north and fight in a mighty manner along the river valleys and mountain roads.
In a few days, almost the entire Douzhou was swept away.
Either surrender, organize households and bring order to the people,
Or perish.
Those who resisted were directly wiped out. After the stronghold was breached, the young men were pulled out and eleven were killed, and one out of every ten was killed on the spot.
Then eleven slaves were picked, and one out of ten was demoted to be a slave.
And the families of these two people, old and weak, women and children, were all demoted as slaves and taken away.
Their property, stilt houses, fields, cattle and pigs, etc. were all confiscated.
If the village leader dares to resist, the young men will be executed directly, and the rest will be made slaves.
Those who take the lead in surrendering will be exempted from drawing lots, and their lives and property will be guaranteed to be safe. They will even be rewarded with fields and land. After the village is organized into a township, they will also be appointed as township officials, serving as chiefs, village chiefs, etc.
They quickly defeated Douzhou,
Going down the Dongjiang River, we came to Luo Doudong.
The city of Douzhou.
At this time, Luo Doudong was still surrounded by Feng Zhidai and others, struggling to hold on.
Feng Zhidai was actually holding on hard, and the situation on the besieging side was actually not easy. The governors and generals of the Feng Xian family kept clamoring to withdraw their troops.
They were unwilling to attack forcefully and fight to the death with Fu San and the others.
Feng Zhidai was not willing either.
"Woo!"
Feng Zhidai was startled when the sound of the horn sounded north of Luo Doudong.
He was looking at the map in the military tent and hesitating, he quickly left the tent.
"Could it be that reinforcements from the rebels have arrived?"
"The rebels don't have any reinforcements. Are they going to fight to the death and call all the old, weak, women and children from the rear?"
When they are still hesitating,
A knight in bright armor came riding up, holding a red flag high in his hand.
"What an elite knight."
Gao Liangjun couldn't help but marvel.
Feng Zhidai looked at the knight and flag with a surprised expression.
"That's...that's the Imperial Imperial Guard's Knight of the Imperial Guard,"
When another knight appeared, the flag he was holding unfurled under the rising sun.
A big flag with the word Wu.
"Xianggong Wu is here." Feng Zhidai exclaimed in surprise. He didn't expect that his father-in-law, who had been looking forward to coming, would suddenly arrive.
Sure enough, more knights appeared the next moment,
There are a large number of infantry behind,
Even on the Dongjiang River, there are countless boats rowing down the river.
The barbarians in the Luo Doudong Walled City also blew horns of panic.
The thunder-patterned frog drums also sounded one after another, and the decadent rebels crowded onto the city wall uneasily.
Because Feng Zhidai and the others had already surrounded the stronghold, the rivers surrounding the stronghold on three sides could not prevent the officers and soldiers from landing at this time.
Soon, Wu Huaiyu also arrived in front of Luo Doudong Walled City.
Countless elite Tang troops, with dazzling swords and spears, were full of killing intent.
The battlefield suddenly became quiet.
Wu Huaiyu came to the gate of the city walled by a group of soldiers and stood fifty steps away.
"I am Fu San, the governor of Douzhou, who is coming down from the city?" Fu San shouted at the gate of the city wall.
Wu Huaiyu looked at the barbarian king and said,
He raised his three-eyed gun and said, "I will count to three and Kaicheng will surrender, otherwise I will kill you without mercy!"
Fu San looked at the man's dazzling and gorgeous armor, and listened to his arrogant words, knowing that the man had a lot of background.
"Who are you? Prime Minister Wu is in the formation. I want to talk to Prime Minister Wu."
"one!"
"two!"
"three!"
After Wu Huaiyu counted three, he used the match rope wrapped around his wrist to light the fuse at the small hole of the three-eyed blunderbuss. Then he held the blunderbuss rod under his arm and aimed directly at Fusan, who was still talking nonsense.
boom!
There was a bang and a burst of smoke rose.
Fifty steps away, at the gate of the city wall, Luo Dou, who claimed to be the governor of Douzhou, was holding Fu San and was shot in the face.
The lead bullet hit the front door, and Fu San screamed and fell down.
Killed on the spot.
The barbarian rebels on the walled city were shocked at first, and then someone shouted ghosts and gods. They thought Wu Huaiyu had used the power of ghosts and gods to kill Fu San.
Because of the loud noise, the smoke and the fire,
Not a bow, not a crossbow, not a slingshot,
It was something they couldn't understand, with endless fear of the unknown.
Besieged for a long time and already on the verge of collapse, many of these raccoon rebels collapsed immediately.
But there are still fierce people who dare not give up,
There was a fierce general who drew his bow and arrow and aimed it directly at Wu Huaiyu.
"boom!"
Wu Huaiyu held the three-eyed blunderbuss and lit another blunderbuss tube, still fifty steps away, killing the barbarian who was aiming with the arrow.
More exclamations came.
A Taoist leader drew his sword and chopped at the panicked barbarians, trying to stabilize the morale of the soldiers.
next moment.
The bang sounded again,
The three-eyed gun in Wu Huaiyu's hand sounded again, and the leader also fell.
The three-eye blunderbuss can be loaded with three rounds of lead in advance, and the gunpowder and fuse are installed in the small holes. This can save loading time when using it. After shooting one blunderbuss, you can immediately continue to light and fire the second blunderbuss, and you can shoot three shots in a row.
three guns,
Wu Huaiyu killed the three dong masters in the Luo Dou City Walled City.
The camp was blown up,
The rebels are completely desperate. What is this?
Someone opened the village gate in despair,
They surrendered.
More people surrendered.
Because they had been surrounded like iron barrels for a long time, and there was already famine in the walled city. Now the Tang army has come with so many elite reinforcements, and they can also use the magic of ghosts and gods.
