Liu Tingzhou was hoisted up to the top of the Xuzhou city on a big bamboo basket. He looked at the generals all over the city wall. They were in ragged clothes and had sallow complexions. If it weren't for the swords, guns, swords and sticks in their hands and the tattered armor on their bodies, they would be worse than beggars. Their eyes were blurred and they looked at their clothes.
Yue Lengqiu, who was still in order, made a long bow to apologize: "I have failed to lead the army to rescue because I have failed to lead the army to help. I am ashamed of the soldiers and people of Xuzhou!" He felt ashamed and ashamed, and tears were streaming down his thin cheeks.
Come down.
After Taochun broke out of the city, Yue Lengqiu was trapped in Xuzhou for more than a month. During this period, although he sent people to break out several times, they were all intercepted and killed by the refugee army, and they had no idea how the situation outside would develop.
Since Tao Chun broke out to rescue, Yue Lengqiu has been trapped in Xuzhou for more than a month. There is no news from inside and outside, and he has no idea about the development of the external situation.
Seeing Liu Tingzhou hanging on a bamboo basket on top of the city, tears streaming down his face before he spoke, Yue Lengqiu's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Huai'an City had been destroyed and Liu Tingzhou was captured and surrendered.
Yue Lengqiu felt desolate and secretly sighed: It's over, it's over now. Liu Tingzhou can still be surrendered, but he is the governor of Jianghuai, but there is no room for surrendering the bandits. Even if he surrenders the bandits, he can only survive a few days and suffer a lot more.
It's just an insult.
Liu Tingzhou wiped away the tears on his cheeks and said: "Although I have not been able to lead the army to come to the rescue, the siege of Xuzhou is not without improvement. At this time, I have a secret matter to report. I would like to ask the commander-in-chief to temporarily send away the irrelevant people..."
Yue Lengqiu became more and more convinced that Liu Tingzhou had come to ask for surrender. He drew his sword angrily and shouted: "You old man, you surrendered a thief yourself, but here you come to humiliate me. I would rather die than surrender to a thief!"
"Ah!" Liu Tingzhou was startled, and immediately understood that Yue Lengqiu had misunderstood him. He also felt that Yue Lengqiu was a man of integrity and loyal to the court, which was beyond the comparison of the little thief Lin Fu. He bowed and prostrated again, and said, "Commander Commander-in-Chief
I misunderstood and resigned. The Zhizhi envoy, Mr. Lin, led his troops to recover Suining in the middle of the year. The cities in Huainan were also in good condition. However, after the Zhizhi envoy regained Suining, he had no intention of making progress. He intended to make peace with the bandits and recruit them to surrender. Jiangning had no intention of making progress.
People who can resolve this matter sent people to the capital to request the order. The request for the order in the capital was delayed for a long time. The official asked the bandits for a way to go to Xuzhou to discuss the idea with the governor..."
"What, it's been half a month since Suining was recovered?" Yue Lengqiu turned from sadness to joy. Unexpectedly, it was this news. He was a little confused for a moment, and he stood there not knowing what to say; all the generals on the left and right were also confused.
Surprised and delighted.
"Indeed." Liu Tingzhou said.
Yue Lengqiu immediately invited Liu Tingzhou to go to the south city gate tower to discuss matters, and only allowed the three or five trusted generals and the prefect of Xuzhou Yao Sicheng to be present. However, halfway through the discussion, Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng ran over.
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu and Emperor Qingyu were cousins. They were the distant uncles of Emperor Delong and the current emperor. He served as the Zongren's imperial magistrate and had a high reputation in the royal family. Emperor Qingyu died after being assassinated, and he came to Xuzhou to seek refuge.
Fan, never returned to Beijing again.
Liu Tingzhou immediately told everyone in detail the latest situation in Huaisi in the past few days. In order to avoid unnecessary complications, he did not mention Lin Fuyu's attack on the Ma family.
"This guy is abominable. He had the opportunity to destroy the thief, but he allowed the thief to return to the mountain, made peace with the thief, and deliberately raised the thief to respect himself. What is the difference between him and Liang Cao?" King Chu was in his sixtieth year, and when he spoke, his gray beard was
Trembling, he put his hands on his hips and glared angrily, "We will never fulfill his wishes..."
In his early years, the King of Chu presided over the clan's palace in Beijing, and he was considered to be a rare capable person among the kings. Since Xuzhou was besieged, the King of Chu personally led the royal guards to the top of the city to fight against the refugee army.
Although the royal guard only had a small number of people, the King of Chu was able to take the lead and was not afraid of arrows, swords and spears. He was more able to boost the morale of the soldiers and civilians defending the city than Yue Lengqiu's presence at the city gate.
Yue Lengqiu didn't say a word. He put his hand on the saber at his waist and thought secretly.
It was not just today that he recognized Lin Fu. During this time in Huaisi, the elites in Lin Fu's hands were the only ones who could determine the direction of the battle. Lin Fu didn't want to fight. No matter how much dirty water was poured on his head, it would be useless.
, Besides, Xuzhou has been surrounded for too long.
Before Liu Tingzhou came to Xuzhou, he also firmly believed that he would fight, but when he saw the situation in Xuzhou City, he hesitated. The soldiers at the city head were sallow and thin, like beggar soldiers; the city head had collapsed in several places, and almost all the refugees' siege platforms were destroyed.
The southern city was surrounded; the city below had turned into a large lake, with dark roofs and tile eaves floating on the water. It was almost impossible to see a place to stay. It was hard to imagine how long Xuzhou could hold on.
At that moment, they were talking about recruiting and surrendering, and the bandits took the opportunity to adjust their deployment. Xuzhou might as well take this opportunity to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Now it seems that the bandits are willing to accept recruitment and surrender, which is also an expedient measure," Liu Tingzhou said, "Jiangdong County Governor also wants the Yue Governor to stand up and take charge of the overall situation..."
"Then surrender." Yue Lengqiu said.
"How to attack? How can thieves outside the city be willing to be attacked?" King Yuan Hancheng of Chu asked.
This is a problem. The bandits were not beaten or maimed, and they even had an advantage in the situation. Without enough benefits, how could they be willing to accept the recruitment? However, since the bandits sent Liu Tingzhou to the city, it means that they are still willing to accept the recruitment.
of.
"Let's talk about official appointments and rewards first. Let's see how much appetite they have..." Yue Lengqiu said. As the governor of Jianghuai, he has the power to handle recruitment matters. He doesn't have to wait for an order from Beijing before he can talk about it.
Recruitment.
"Xiaguan has no other abilities, just running around and being a sounding board is fine." Liu Tingzhou said.
"There is no rush. Mr. Liu is here to rest for a night before going outside the city to recruit bandits." Yue Lengqiu said, and then said to his subordinates, "When you go out to encourage the soldiers, you will say that Wang Shi has repeatedly broken the bandits.
Bandits, we have wiped out tens of thousands of enemies, defeated Suining, and will lead our troops to Xuzhou in the near future. Don’t reveal anything else about it, so as not to weaken the soldiers’ will to defend the city.”
Since Liu Tingzhou entered Xuzhou, he has eaten and lived in the South City Gate building, and the command post is also in the South City Gate building. After the others dispersed, Liu Tingzhou asked about Tao Chun's situation: "Why didn't General Tao come here with Mr. Liu?"
"When Siyang was besieged, General Tao was seriously injured. He was recuperating in Shanyang and was unable to travel." Liu Tingzhou took out three secret books from his arms and handed them back to Yue Lengqiu, "Yue Du's three secret books
Folding, but I couldn’t use it after all..."
"It's fine if nothing happens, it's fine if nothing happens," Yue Lengqiu said as he took the folded book that was yellow with sweat, flipped through it for confirmation, then put it on the corner of the table, and said, "Become an official and reward me with a noble title.
It may not be able to satisfy the appetite of the bandits. The bandits are greedy for Xuzhou. Does Mr. Liu also think that Xuzhou can be ceded to them?"
"If the Zhizhi envoys want to raise troops in Huai'an, I'm afraid they are also trying to raise thieves in Xuzhou," Liu Tingzhou said helplessly, "I'm afraid that the Zhizhi envoys will have illicit connections with thieves, and they are even more unscrupulous here!"
"I'm afraid that may not be the case," Yue Lengqiu opened the third secret book, crossed out Huaidong and added the word "Xuzhou", "Mr. Liu, go talk to the bandits about recruitment and security, and see how Xuzhou makes envoys."
Can it satisfy its appetite..."
"Are you really going to make their wishes come true?" Liu Tingzhou asked.
"What can be done?" Yue Lengqiu opened his eyes and looked at Liu Tingzhou and asked.
"Liu An'er is not a submissive person, and his strength has not been damaged. If he wants to raise thieves, he is afraid of causing serious trouble!" Liu Tingzhou said.
"I'm afraid not necessarily," Yue Lengqiu said with a slight sneer at the corner of his mouth, without elaborating, "the bandits may not be willing to just stop and sit down to talk about recruitment and surrender. I can bear to give up Xuzhou temporarily, but the bandits need to give up the southwest passage
, ensure that our army can safely exit Xuzhou and cross the Surabaya River. Give Xuzhou to the bandits, and our army will set up camp on the east bank. However, it is not too late to sit down and slowly talk about recruitment..."
"If we surrender Xuzhou to the bandits before we have reached an agreement on recruitment, I'm afraid the bandits will not give in easily!" Liu Tingzhou dissuaded.
"I can only make a decision. Otherwise, it is not enough to win the trust of the thieves." Yue Lengqiu said, "I will also send people to Shanyang. Lin Fu is unwilling to lead his troops to fight, so our army crossed the Surabaya River and formed an alliance on the east bank.
When setting up camp, he would never be stingy about lending me a few boats!"
*************
Zhang Yan entered Shanyang County on the 27th.
Although Shanyang County was responsible for raiding Ma's house, it was self-evident as to who was behind it. Zhang Yan only hoped that Lin Fu's appearance would not be too ugly.
The seized gold and silver spot was transferred to Lin Fu in the name of military loan. It was quite polite to have a detailed account book left behind. Zhang Yan wanted to pursue it, but he couldn't. It would be a big deal to file a lawsuit.
A silly lawsuit can only be used to offset the wastage of military resources in the future.
Zhang Yan's face was as heavy as water. He sat in the hall and looked through the files. Shanyang County had found a mountain of evidence. The Ma family could not stand up. He thought to himself: Prince Chu, Zhang Yan can't help you anymore? He told his surroundings: "
Chen Jian Yuan, the Ma family is involved in smuggling salt. The evidence of the crime is conclusive and cannot be denied. He violated military orders without authorization and is suspected of being a bandit. I order you to jointly try the case with Shanyang County and never spare a criminal lightly.
, and don’t wrongly accuse innocent people..."
Lin Fu sat next to Zhang Yan and narrowed his eyes as he handled the case.
When the late emperor was still in the Jin Palace, Zhang Yan was just an ordinary eunuch in the Jin Palace, but he had a good relationship with Chu Wang Yuanhan, who was the chief minister of the Zongren Palace at that time.
This was also a factor why when the King of Jin came to the throne, Zhang Yan failed to take charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and came to Weiyang to serve as the Salt and Iron Envoy to the Huaihe River.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yan came over quickly and neatly. He didn't argue on behalf of the Ma family. He just accused the Ma family and took over the case.
Of course, the case of private gangsters should be focused on the Salt and Iron Department. Moreover, even if the Huaidong system was officially established, it would only be from a fourth-rank official position, which is one level lower than Zhang Yan's fourth-rank salt and iron envoy. Lin Fu sat next to Zhang Yan
First, of course.
Liang Wenzhan, Liu Tao and the subordinate officials of the Salt and Iron Division didn't even have a seat, so they stood in front of the hall to discuss matters.
Liang Wenzhan said: "Sir Zhang, when I investigated the case of the Ma family smugglers, I found that smuggling of salt was rampant in Shanyang, Huai'an and other counties, causing the salt and silver that should have entered the national treasury to fall into the hands of the salt lords. The salt lords benefited, and then became the
He is extremely rich, but in the fish and meat village, he bullies the good and becomes a plague to the place. For the sake of the country, I boldly ask Mr. Zhang to strengthen his manpower to crack down on the private lords. If the Salt and Iron Department has a shortage of manpower, Shanyang County has two
Yingxian troops are at Lord Zhang’s disposal.”
"What a man who cares for the country. Magistrate Liang is really loyal to the court and spares no effort!" Zhang Yan stared at Liang Wenzhan with squinted eyes, but his voice was cold and sinister.
Cracking down on illicit salt is originally the responsibility of the Salt and Iron Department. The Salt and Iron Department is short of manpower and has the right to request local governments to assist in detecting illicit salt.
Liang Wenzhan jumped out to say this and actively requested to send troops to investigate smuggled salt. He was mainly anti-customer.
Zhang Yan has been in the position of salt and iron envoy for thirteen years. How come he doesn’t know what the situation is in the Lianghuai salt area and what kind of tricks are hidden there?
It’s not just the private salt merchants who share the benefits of fertilizer and salt. Among the thirteen supervisory offices of the Salt and Iron Department, all the officials below, large and small, have anything to do with salt. Who is not rich in wealth?
If Zhang Yan really wants to crack down on the private lords ruthlessly and thoroughly, his subordinates will first jump out and strangle him to rebel.
Liang Wenzhan pretended not to hear the sarcasm in Zhang Yan's words, and said with a shy face: "Serving the imperial court, a junior official would not dare to cherish this life."
"Master Lin, what do you think?" Zhang Yan turned his head and looked at Lin Fu.
"The imperial court's policy of 'salt and silver to protect grain' is a good policy that benefits the country and the people. To protect the capital's grain supply, the more salt and silver, the better." Lin Fu smiled lightly and said in an understatement, "Crack down on private interests." Salt, if you can increase salt and silver, it will naturally be good governance and good policy. How can I object to it?"
Zhang Yan sighed slightly in his heart. Shen Rong was worried in Weiyang that Lin Fu would control the private lords in Huai'an to profit from private salt, but he did not expect that Lin Fuqi was better. To combat the private lords, as long as the strategy of "salt and silver to protect food" is not Even if the situation is changed, the increased salt and silver income will still flow into Chongzhou's pocket, and it will stop the people of the world talking.
This knot is really difficult to solve. The Yantie Division did not take action to attack the private lords, while Lin Fu stood by and tested his fists, eager to give it a try.
At this time, someone came in to report that Yue Lengqiu had sent a messenger from Xuzhou.