Chapter 387 The eager generals of the Song Dynasty
At the foot of Tiandu Mountain, there is gurgling water, green grass, and countless herds of cattle and sheep strolling at the foot of Tiandu Mountain.
Liang Yibu led the horse and came to a mountain peak accompanied by the guards.
On this mountain, there is a solemn royal temple called Fayan Temple.
The abbot of the temple led all the monks to greet him at the gate of the temple early.
"Amitabha!"
"The poor monk respectfully welcomes the Prime Minister."
Liang Yibu was also a devout Buddhist and quickly returned the gesture by folding his hands.
Then, under the guidance of the abbot, we entered the Fayan Temple.
This Fayan Temple is not only the royal temple of Dabai Gao Kingdom, but also the place of Longxing of the Liang family.
It was here that Yizong and the Queen Mother of Daliang first met, got acquainted and got to know each other.
Therefore, starting from Liang Yibu's father Liang Yimi, every time the Liang family came to Tiandu Mountain, they would come here to offer incense and pray to Buddha to bless the Liang family's prosperity.
The Buddha is indeed worthy of the Liang family and worships him year after year.
God bless Liang indeed!
Now, Bingchang is dead, the little Wuzu is less than four years old, and the Liang family's empress dowager is in charge of the affairs behind the curtain.
The only fly in the ointment is that the southern barbarians in the south refuse to agree to give the Liang family any annual gifts.
Not to mention the same three million strings as the Northern Dynasties.
Even if it's one million dollars, I won't give it to you.
They only agreed to start market research and allow Dabai Gao's green salt to enter Shaanxi for sale. This would give Dabai Gao another shop in Bianjing City.
This greatly disappointed Liang Yibu.
Wei Mingjia and other wealthy families have been discussing it privately these days.
Therefore, Liang Yibu had to win over the wealthy and nobles on the one hand and offer more benefits to appease those people.
On the other hand, he could only build up his troops, accumulate food and grass in the Tiandu Mountain area, and wait for the opportunity.
As soon as he had the opportunity, he led his army southward and fiercely captured the Southern Dynasty to establish his prestige.
This is also the tradition of Dangxiang.
Victory can heal everything.
Money can appease everyone.
Liang Yibu led his people into the Main Hall, where monks were already there and had prepared incense.
Liang Yibu came forward holding the incense, knelt on the futon, and prayed eloquently to the Buddha statue with downturned brows.
At this time, a young attendant hurriedly came to the main hall.
When he saw Liang Yibu praying, he quickly stopped and waited quietly for Liang Yibu to finish praying.
Liang Yibu had noticed him in advance.
He bowed his head again to the Buddha statue, then stood up and inserted the incense stick into the incense burner.
The attendant slowly walked up to him and reported in a low voice: "Prime Minister, Jie Wachan, the son of Qingyi Jieguizhang, the chief leader of Tubo Hezhou, has been sent to the palace by the envoy."
Liang Yibu was extremely happy.
He looked at the solemn Buddha statue, bowed and worshiped again: "Believe me, Liang Yibu, thank you Buddha for your blessing!"
Jiewachan is Qingyi Jieguizhang's favorite eldest son and his chosen heir.
Since October last year, Liang Yibu has been in continuous contact with Ali Gu of Tibet.
However, Na Ali was stubborn, and no matter how much he tried to persuade him, he would only agree verbally. As long as the Dabai Gao Kingdom took action against the Southern Barbarians, he would lead the Tibetan army south to support and contain them.
Aligu was asked to send a proton as proof of trust between the two countries, but he refused.
It can be said that there is no sincerity!
If you really believe Ali Gu, you may turn around and if the war goes wrong, Ali Gu's army will not go south, but towards Xingqing Mansion.
All Party members are well aware of this.
Each of the six Tubo tribes in the Qing and Tang dynasties is counted as one.
From Wen Puqi, Li Lizun to Xisiluo to Dong Fei and now Ali Gu.
They are all little people whose hearts and lungs were pecked out and eaten by crows.
Before the founding of the country, Dangxiang had been repeatedly stabbed and hurt by him.
After the founding of the country, he was even more hurt and burst into tears.
Especially the Battle of Zongge River is still the biggest defeat that the party members have ever suffered.
Even Jing Zong (Yuan Hao) almost died in Zong Ge River.
The army that followed the expedition was not even one out of ten.
Therefore, Liang Yibu didn't believe Ali Gu's words at all. He only thought that this guy was two-faced and a completely sinister villain.
If you believe his lies, you may not even know how you died.
At the time of the stalemate, someone in the delegation that came to Xingqing Mansion for negotiations on behalf of Aligu quietly contacted Liang Yibu and came to discuss with Liang Yibu a joint military expedition in the name of Qingyi, the leader of Hezhou.
This made Liang Yibu overjoyed!
Qingyi Jieguizhang was the leader of one of the six tribes of Tubo.
Although he is inferior to Ali, his own strength should not be underestimated.
More than ten years ago, it was this man who defeated the Southern Barbarian army at the foot of Tabai City, killed the Southern Barbarian general Jing Sili and others, and stopped the Southern Barbarian expansion momentum.
It was precisely because of that battle that he became famous all over the world.
Even the late emperor of the Southern Barbarians was said to have lamented the defeat at Tabaicheng and had no choice but to confer an official title on him.
Today, he is the training envoy of Ganzhou regiment granted by the Southern Barbarians.
But his hostility towards the southern barbarians was obvious to all in the northwest.
It is said that the head of the Southern Barbarian general Jing Sili who was killed by him was kept in his mount's bag to show off his military exploits.
For Liang Yibu, if he could form a ghost chapter alliance with Qingyi, he could form a pincer attack on the Nanman Xihe Road.
Qingyi formed a ghost chapter to attack Xizhou, and he attacked Lanzhou.
The southern barbarians were told that the head and tail should not care about each other.
Therefore, in the past few months, Liang Yibu has been in close contact with Qingyi Jiegui Zhang.
Finally, now, these connections are bearing fruit.
Qingyi Jie Guizhang sent his eldest son and heir Jie Wachan as a hostage.
Sincerity is already full.
Liang Yibu's suspicions and speculations about Qingyi Jieguizhang disappeared immediately after Jiewachan was sent to him.
He knew very well that for the Tubo people.
How rare it is to have an adult son who is chosen as an heir.
It is no exaggeration to say that once there is someone, there will be no adult heir.
His tribe will inevitably be in chaos, and all kinds of careerists will emerge.
Especially considering that after the death of Dong Fei, the Tubo people were in chaos in the country.
Although Ali Gu killed all the bloodline of Jisiluo.
But there are side branches, making noise and gathering crowds in their country.
Among them, Wenba Creek, which occupies Xige City, is the most dazzling.
Wenba Xi is the descendant of Zhensiluo's elder brother, Zhenshiyonglong, and also has the blood of Tubo Zampu, but his prestige is not as good as that of Zunsiluo.
Now, I will die if I die, and I will run away if I can.
Wenbaxi seized the opportunity and rebelled. According to the intelligence obtained by Liang Yibu, Wenbaxi's rebellion was suppressed by Qingyi Jieguizhang and his army.
But Wenba Creek is not dead.
He led his troops into the mountains in the southwest and won the support of the local Tubo tribe and Qiang people.
Therefore, under such a situation, Qingyi Jie Guizhang sent his heir to Dabai Gao Kingdom as a pledge, and his sincerity was beyond imagination.
Because, once Jie Wa Shi is lost, the land of Jiuqu in Henan that Qingyi Jie Guizhang finally obtained may be recaptured by Wenba River.
With such joy, Liang Yibu immediately went down the mountain and saw the man Jie Wachan who had been sent as a proton in the palace in Tiandu Mountain.
He was a young man in his twenties, wearing the traditional round-necked red robe of the Tibetan people, with slightly red skin and very bright eyes.
When he saw Liang Yibu, he immediately stroked his chest and said, "Jie Wachan has met the Prime Minister of Dabai Gao Kingdom."
Liang Yibu stepped forward, took his hand, and said enthusiastically: "Prince, you don't have to be polite!"
"The prince is a distinguished guest of Dabai Gao Kingdom, and he is also the most distinguished guest of Liang Yibu!"
For Liang Yibu, the arrival of Jiewachan was tantamount to announcing that war could be prepared.
It takes half a year to a year to accumulate strength, food and grass, and recruit troops.
Then he and Qing Yi joined the ghost chapter to launch a war against the southern barbarians.
Dabai Gaoguo attacked Lanzhou, Qingyi and Guizhang attacked Xizhou and Hezhou.
He must be called the Nanman, and he suffered heavy losses!
…
It will be March soon.
Xiang Zonghui rode his horse along the ancient Didao. He was accompanied by dozens of Xizhou officials who accompanied him out of the city for inspection.
The Tao River flows forward quietly, with countless kapok fields stretching as far as the eye can see on both sides of the river bank.
The kapok seedlings in the field are growing vigorously.
Those gardeners and farmers who had planted kapok, hired from Bianjing City or even from Lingnan at a high price, said it was really incredible.
This kapok actually grows better in the bitterly cold Xihe River than in Bianjing or Lingnan.
Moreover, there are fewer pests and diseases and fewer weeds here.
Just pay attention to composting and fertilizing. Everyone says that this year's kapok harvest will be good.
Thinking of a good harvest, Xiang Zonghui couldn't help but lick his tongue.
The petty official's family promised him the benefit of giving him a piece of Jibei cloth.
However, he has already asked the farmers invited from Lingnan.
They all said that one piece of Jibei cloth in Lingnan requires about four kilograms of kapok.
And one acre of land in Lingnan can produce about sixty or seventy pounds of kapok.
I'm afraid it can reach a hundred catties here in Xihe, or even more.
Of course, to weave Jibei cloth, you also need tedious processes such as trimming, spinning, and weaving.
But what do these things have to do with him?
He only needs to plant kapok, harvest it, and package it back to Bianjing City.
The money can be sent directly to his home.
Xiang Zonghui calculated in his mind that he cultivated about 10,000 acres of land last year and another 5,000 acres in the spring of this year.
Due to seed problems, only about 10,000 acres of kapok were planted this year.
The rest can only be planted with crops such as beans, alfalfa, and vegetables.
Based on the average minimum price of 60 kilograms of kapok per acre, a small official should give him 15 guan per acre of land. Ten thousand acres is 150,000 guan!
And how much did he invest?
The land was free, and the government directly issued a decree allowing him to cultivate it at will.
labor force?
Except for the gardeners and farmers hired from Bianjing and Lingnan, which are a little more expensive.
The local Tibetan people are horribly cheap.
As long as they take care of food and housing, a few hundred iron coins a month is enough.
Moreover, they are not picky eaters at all and can eat whole grains very deliciously.
The 10,000 acres of cotton fields that Xiang Zong returned to now employ nearly a thousand workers, and the monthly wages plus food, salt, tea and other miscellaneous expenses are only two to three hundred copper coins.
This place means that ironware is a bit more expensive.
But unfortunately, among the things that Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji were in charge of were the ironware and Duzuoyuan on Xihe Road.
Therefore, iron farm tools and the like can basically be obtained at cost price.
If they had a darker heart and simply engaged in prostitution for free, no one would be able to gossip about them.
This is what the Song Dynasty’s relatives are like!
Eat wherever you go!
The Imperial Guards in Bianjing City even dared to melt down the guy they were eating, exchange money for it, and then report the damage to their superiors.
But neither Xiang Zonghui nor Gao Gongji engaged in prostitution in vain.
It's not that they don't want to, it's that they have a sense of proportion.
The petty officials have already given them so many benefits, and if they try to push themselves further and become greedy, it will be too ugly to look at them.
Moreover, once someone finds out.
Where to put the face of the two palaces?
Therefore, these two guys have been on Xihe Road for so long, and they have always been neither greedy nor occupying.
Even in the lucrative horse-buying business, there is little effort to mop up the profits.
The officials on Xihe Road thought that these were not two relatives, but two contemporary Bao Xiaosu!
However, as time went by and people were exposed to it for a long time, everyone discovered it.
How can these two not be greedy?
Obviously he doesn't like that little oil star.
They took the generals from Xihe Road to cultivate wasteland and plant kapok everywhere.
Then, gradually some people found out.
Gao, I came to Xihe with my two relatives, and that was according to the decree.
The purpose is to let them plant kapok.
This is the grace given to them by the officials.
A piece of Jibei cloth will give you a consistent amount of money!
After asking again, these guys also knew, how much kapok can be grown in one acre of kapok land?
At least sixty pounds!
According to the price given by the government to the two relatives, the kapok per mu of land could be sold for at least a dozen guan!
As a result, the military officials up and down Xihe Road all had red eyes.
The six prefectures of Xihe are cold and poor, and they don't get much oil and water every year.
In addition to rewards for military exploits, there is only a small salary.
The salary alone is not enough to support the family!
If it were to happen in the past, everyone would just hold their noses and endure it.
Now, two foreign relatives came with an opportunity to make a fortune.
Only a fool would let it go?
As a result, everyone gathered around Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji.
Everyone said that as long as the two countrymen are willing to give us a chance to grow kapok, we will definitely obey the orders of the two countrymen.
After all, the military officials of the Great Song Dynasty were all very simple.
In addition to being loyal to the emperor and patriotism, and bravely killing the enemy.
All they have left is a simple personal hobby of making money.
Xiang Zong replied that Gao Gongji was annoyed by these people, so he agreed to give them some seeds after this year's kapok harvest.
Immediately, the whole Xihe Road was crowded with two foreign relatives of Xiang and Gao, and thousands of families were living Buddhas.
However, this also brings about another problem - next year, if the generals in the six states of Xihe all grow kapok and harvest Bianjing wool.
I'm afraid there won't be enough manpower.
The total number of Qiang and Tubo tribes in the six prefectures is less than one million.
Excluding the old, weak, women and children, there are only three to five million available for the young and strong.
Some of these people are already border archers recruited by the government.
Some of them were cavalry and archers in the garrison of the Song Dynasty.
The remaining population cannot satisfy everyone's desire to make a fortune.
Maybe, the wages at Xihe Road will go up next year.
Thinking about the situation now, it is probably impossible to ask people to work for a few hundred iron coins a month.
As a result, everyone's eyes involuntarily looked toward Hezhou, Huangzhou, and Minzhou in the southwest.
There are also Xithi Zhuoluo and Nan, Xishou Baotai, Jingsaijun and other places opposite Lanzhou.
Everyone is a little ready to move.
Seeing an opportunity, in front of Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji, he began to secretly promote the theory of the threat of Western pirates and the threat of Tibet.
There are always people who are alarmist.
Just like now, a military general riding a horse and following Xiang Zonghui whispered: "Mr. Jingzhi, recently the Wenba River in Tubo has been coming from Bubu and other places to warn us in Hezhou and Taozhou. The words are
Qingyi from Xige City is a ghost chapter, and he wants to do harm to me."
"Xiangong should remind Zhao Jinglue of this matter to prevent the Western bandits from colluding with the Tubo and attacking our country!"
"Yes, yes!" Other military ministers agreed one after another: "Tubo, Miaochuan, Wenxixin and others also sent many police reports, saying that the Tibetans and the Western bandits were intensifying their collusion."
"You must guard against the ambitions of those wolves in this generation!"
Xiang Zong listened, laughed, and said: "Zhao Jingluo plans and makes decisions on these side matters. The relevant side reports are also sent to the capital. The emperor and the Cisheng of the two palaces also make their own decisions."
"Just keep guarding the border and train the soldiers."
Of course he knew that in the past ten days, the Song Dynasty had been receiving intelligence reports from within Tubo.
Since the beginning of the year, Wenba Xi has been sending people to inform them almost every day - Ali Gu is going to rebel! Uncle Han's family must make preparations in advance.
Wen Xixin also sent people every now and then to report that the traces of Ali's bones might not be known yet.
However, Qingyi has been preparing for war under the Ghost Chapter, so those around the Han family should be wary.
Once or twice, Xiang Zonghui might still take it to heart.
But after so many times, he has long been desensitized.
A few days ago, Ali Gu sent an envoy to Xizhou to request tribute horses to enter the court, and also requested that the court canonize him as the queen of Wuwei County.
Xiang Zonghui almost felt that Wenba Xi and Wen Xixin were deceiving the Song Dynasty.
The reason is also very simple, these two guys have a mortal feud with Ali Gu.
However, preparations must still be made.
The preparation of related supplies and weapons is also proceeding in an orderly manner.
After all, what if the Tubo people really join forces with the Western thieves?
It’s better to believe that this kind of thing exists than to believe that it doesn’t exist!
This is what Xiang Zonghui’s life experiences over the past few decades have taught him.
Of course, he can only do these things.
Dispatching troops, uniting the army, fighting and planning are the affairs of Zhao Xi.
he?
He was just a relative who came to grow cotton to make money.
Xiang Zonghui knows this clearly.
All the generals were a little disappointed when they heard Xiang Zonghui's answer.
They have been thinking about instigating Xiang Zonghui or Gao Gongji to lead them to strike first.
It's hard to deal with the Western bandits, so it would be good to deal with the Tubo.
In the past, people were reluctant to go to Tibet, mainly because it was poorer and colder than the Six Prefectures of Xihe.
Even if you win, you won't make much money, and you will have to suffer and suffer.
But now, everyone really wants to go to the Tibetan people.
The main reason is that they are afraid that the Tubo people will abuse those poor Tibetan and Qiang serfs!
What era is it?
There are still people who take people as slaves?
It’s really unforgivable!
Those poor people must be rescued.
Free them from death, hunger, and cold.
Unfortunately, Xiang Zonghui and Gao Gongji refused to let go.
As for the new Xihe manager Zhao Xi who really controls the entire Xihe military power?
He was even less willing.
Zhao Xi is a veteran, and what he likes most is defensive counterattack.
He is currently busy building a moat in Lanzhou City and a fort outside the city!
There is a kind of posture that will not stop until Lanzhou is built to the point where the Western thieves even don’t want to touch it.
Thinking like this, the generals sighed in their hearts.
Now they began to miss Li Jinglue.
If Li Jinglue were here, he would definitely understand everyone, and he would definitely lead everyone to rescue the poor serfs who were enslaved by the Tubo people.
"There is no one in the court!" all the military officials lamented.
