The boat was sailing on the river, and the wind blew the waves. Liu Zhi stood facing the wind, his crown and hair scattered by the cold wind.
Liu Zhi left Jiangning on the 11th and went up the river. The official ship had a deep draft and set sail to take advantage of the wind. The speed was very slow. On the 12th, he met Lin Xuwen in Caishi. He only reached Dangtu at dusk on the 14th.
The troops of the She family were eager to return to manage Jiangzhou and establish a firm foothold in Jiangxi. From the sixth day of the lunar month, they began to withdraw their troops from Chizhou and return to the west. As the water camp moved westward, the Huaidong Army entered Yijiang and Qingyang.
The number of soldiers and horses increased to 40,000. Yue Lengqiu was in Qiupu, and Shicheng also had more than 30,000 troops. However, due to the constraints of supplies and the turbulent situation in Jiangning, they were unable to advance westward and recapture Jiangzhou in a short period of time.
However, as the Huaidong water camp moved westward, the Dongting Lake bandits and the rebel navy were expelled from the Yangtze River from Qingyang down. Most people were still in fear and wait-and-see after the war, but they also had a sense of smell
Sensitive merchants had already organized merchant ships to purchase grain from Luzhou, Juchao and other places upstream and transport it to Jiangning.
Although there were not many grain ships, they encountered quite a few along the way, which made Liu Zhi feel that the Yangtze River had regained some vitality. This was indeed the end of the war...
Liu Zhi was traveling slowly up the Yangtze River. First, the official ship could not move quickly, and second, Liu Zhi did not want to arrive at Juchao too early.
Yue Lengqiu had already handed the apology document to Jiangning. When Lin Xuwen left Qiupu, Zhang Yan also returned north in anger. When the emperor heard the news, he would probably be furious. If he had rushed to Juchao in the emperor's anger, he might have
His head was really chopped off, so Liu Zhi kept his speed on the Yangtze River, but sent another person to sneak into Juchao County to find out the news, and waited until the time was right before entering Juchao to meet the saint, so that he would be more confident.
Besides, Lin Fu also has a lot of things to do in Jiangning City, so he won't be too late for a few days.
At this time, two paddle boats came from behind, flying the flag of the company. In the past few days, I have been seeing supply ships or warships flying the Huaidong military flag passing by. This is the first time I have seen commercial and civilian ships passing by from Jiangning.
When they came over, Liu Zhi sent someone to stop the ship and inquire about any new news from Jiangning in the past two or three days.
Liu Zhi waited in the cabin for a while, and Zhou Yuanqiao, the eunuch who was accompanying him, ran in and said: "After I left Jiangning, there was a lot of excitement in Jiangning city..." Let me tell you in detail about the riots in Jiangning Rice Market, "
Mr. Zhang is really selfless and dares to offend Duke Pengcheng. Gu Tianqiao is the clan brother of Duke Pengcheng. He was whipped thirty times in the cold night, and the Dongyang people were forced to bow their heads. This grain merchant will have good luck in the future.
When rice enters the city, 30% of it must be purchased to the officials at a low price. Households in the city can purchase one pound of low-priced grain every three days with their registration records. As soon as the official notice was posted, the price of rice in Jiangning City dropped accordingly, and the price dropped overnight.
It’s down to 600 yuan per dou…”
"Six hundred dollars for a bucket of rice is a huge profit. I hope it can return to normal in three to five months," Liu Zhi sighed slightly. As for the thirty lashes Gu Tianqiao received, he didn't want to comment in front of Zhou Yuanqiao.
Zhou Yuanqiao was a minor official who had followed Liu Zhi in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. When Jiangning was in chaos, he did not flee west with the emperor. Instead, he stayed in the imperial city to deliver prison meals to Liu Zhi, which was considered loyal. Liu Zhi came out this time, naturally.
He regards Zhou Yuanqiao as his confidant, but he may not be able to understand some things even if he talks about them. If he talks too much outside, he will cause more trouble.
Gu Tianqiao received thirty lashes. To put it bluntly, Lin Fu wanted to calm people's hearts, not only to calm the people in Jiangning City, but also to let everyone in Luzhou know that Jiangning City had not yet reached the point where Huaidong could cover the sky with one hand - Liu Zhi
Smiling slightly, he thought: It is always a good thing that Duke Pengcheng can bear his temper. He also thought that Chen Huawen and Sun Jingxuan, who were sent to Shouzhou by Lin Fu, should also meet Dong Yuan and Liu Tingzhou, right?
***************
It has just entered mid-December, and Shouzhou has also entered the cold weather.
These days, Dong Yuan sent sentries out west along the Huaihe River every day because he was worried that the Huaihe River would freeze over like last year.
On the north bank of the Huaihe River, the villages and fortresses in the counties around Woyang were gradually cleared after the onset of winter, and the people evacuated into the forts. The strong walls and clearing the fields could effectively prevent the Yanlu cavalry from infiltrating and advancing, but the strong walls and clearing the fields were extremely harmful to farming.
Therefore, it can only be implemented on the north bank. If the south bank is also cleared after winter, at least 30 to 40% of the year's harvest will be lost. With the current situation in Huaixi, how can it withstand such losses?
If the wilderness is unclear, once Huaidong freezes over, the Yanlu cavalry will easily infiltrate. If Huaixi lacks cavalry, the losses among the people will be difficult to control.
The most important thing for Huaixi soldiers and horses after winter is to prepare for Huaihe. As for the chaos in Jiangning, everyone in Huaixi has felt it, but the feeling is very short-lived, so it cannot be said to be very profound.
Emperor Yongxing abandoned Jiangning on the 25th and marched westward. On the 27th, Jiangning fell. On the 4th day of the lunar month, the Huaidong Army regained Jiangning. The entire Jiangning chaos occurred in only eight or nine days. In addition, the letter was sent in
Delays on the road - the news of the fall of Jiangning was blocked by the Dongyang Mansion and did not reach Shouzhou until the second day of the Lunar New Year. The Huaidong Army regained Jiangning and reached Shouzhou on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Therefore, it gave people in Huaixi the feeling that a chaos in Jiangning had occurred.
The time is only four or five days.
When they first learned that Jiangning had fallen, Shouzhou was also panicked. Before the panic had passed, news came from the south bank of the Yangtze River that the Huaidong Army had won frequent victories and recovered Jiangning. Such three to five days were only enough for General Dong Yuan.
The soldiers outside Shouzhou City gathered together, and there was no more time to make other reactions.
Yu Xinyuan also rushed to Shouzhou on the sixth day of the lunar month. His original intention was to persuade Dong Yuan to lead a force of troops to Luzhou to protect him, and to join forces with the Jiangzhou army to attack Jiangning from the west in order to divide the power of Huaidong. Who had ever
Unexpectedly, as soon as they arrived in Shouzhou, news came that Huaidong had regained Jiangning.
Yu Xinyuan was also beaten with a stick, and Dong Yuan even happened to rush to Guoyang to patrol before Yu Xinyuan arrived in Shouzhou City. Yu Xinyuan wanted to rush to Guoyang to see Dong Yuan, but Ding Zhiru entangled him in Shouzhou and couldn't escape.
Although Liu Tingzhou and Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng could be seen, Dong Yuan did not show up, so nothing could be discussed. The night before yesterday, news came that the Queen Mother had returned to the court, and the attitudes of Liu Tingzhou and Chu Wang Yuan Hancheng were also blurred.
It wasn't until Chen Huawen and Sun Jingxuan came to Shouzhou that news came from the north that Dong Yuan had returned to the Xia Shishan camp.
**********
The north wind is blowing, Dong Yuan is busy with military affairs, so he invites Yu Xinyuan and Chen Huawen to meet at the Xiashishan camp.
Xiashi Mountain is located on the bank of the Huaihe River, with the north and south mountains sandwiching the river. It is the most dangerous part of the Huaihe River. The upper reaches of Xiashi Mountain is the best crossing point in the middle reaches of the Huaihe River, and below is the Feishui River entering Huaikou - the situation in Shouzhou is nearly half
Landed on Kip Shek Mountain.
Dong Yuan reorganized Shouzhou's defense at Huaihe River and spent most of his energy on the Xiashishan Camp.
Ding Zhiru accompanied Yu Xinyuan and Sun Jingxuan in a car; however, Chen Huawen was used to military life, and the cold wind was biting, so he also traveled on horseback. He looked far away at the Xia Shishan camp, with strict military fortresses and hunting flags.
From Shouzhou City to the north, all the way to the south bank of the Huaihe River, along the road for twenty or thirty miles, most of the land is farmland. After Dong Yuan's one year of operation, it has begun to take shape. The weather is cold and the color is white, but the wild wheat seedlings are green and the wind cannot blow.
fold……
Yu Xinyuan felt sad: Dong Yuan's intention was to show his bargaining power in front of Sun Jingxuan and Chen Huawen.
Yue Lengqiu had submitted a confession to Jiang Ning in Chizhou, and Yu Xinyuan's heart was almost completely cold, but there was still some reluctance and luck, and now he was even colder and stiffer...
Jinghu and Xiangtan are too far away, and the distant water cannot save the nearby fire. Yue Lengqiu and Dong Yuan are bargaining with Huaidong. Emperor Yongxing has a righteous reputation, but after the Queen Mother returns to the court, the bargaining capital is almost the same.
Lost completely.
Who is Chen Huawen, and who is Sun Jingxuan? One is just a general who rose to prominence, and he is an old subordinate of Dong Yuan. The other is from the Hui Gang, and was sentenced to exile in Chongzhou in his early years. Just because they came to represent Huaidong, Dong
The chariot prepared for them turned out to be just like him, the censor of Zuodu of the Metropolitan Procuratorate...
In contrast, Yu Xinyuan came empty-handed, and behind Sun Jingxuan and Chen Huawen were dozens of ships loaded with grain and fodder destined for Huaixi.
Jiangning was unable to collect taxes for the time being, but the military support of Huaixi could not be cut off for a day. Before Sun Jingxuan and Chen Huawen came over, the Empress Dowager Liang's decree came out that the food and fodder for Huaixi soldiers and horses next spring would be temporarily provided by Huaixi.
East advance support.
But obviously, if Sun Jingxuan and Chen Huawen came over and had a bad conversation, dozens of ships of grain and grain would be parked in Dongyang Mansion at any time.
What is a bargaining chip? This is a bargaining chip!
****************
Before Chen Huawen, Sun Jingxuan, Yu Xinyuan, and Ding Zhiru, Liu Tingzhou and Chu King Yuan Hancheng entered the Xishan Camp to meet Dong Yuan.
Dong Yuan's tent was quite simple. The chairs and tables were unpainted and planed, revealing the rough growth rings of the logs. The stove was burning brightly, shining with red-hot firelight. Liu Tingzhou and Yuan Hancheng sat with solemn faces, patrolling.
Dong Yuan, who had returned from the camp, opened the door and came in. He took off his shirt, went to the stove, and saluted the King of Chu, Liu Tingzhou, who stood up: "Call the prince, Mr. Liu has been waiting for a long time..."
"I'm not busy..." Yuan Hancheng asked Dong Yuan to sit down and discuss the matter, and said, "Master Yu and the people from Huaidong are on their way to the camp. What are you thinking in Master Dong's heart?"
"What are you thinking, Your Majesty and Mr. Liu?" Dong Yuan calmly kicked the ball back to Yuan Hancheng and Liu Tingzhou.
Liu Tingzhou sighed softly and said: "The situation is like this. Jianghuai cannot be in chaos, otherwise it will only be taken advantage of by the Yanlu..."
Jiangning was recovered from the fall. In just seven or eight days, Huaixi was unable to respond, and the Yanlu troops between the Hehuai and Huaihe rivers had no time to react. However, if Jianghuai fell into a long-term split, the Yanlu troops would never be able to react in time.
reaction.
Huaixi was in ruins and could not be completely restored in just one year; without the support of Jiangning's grain and fodder, Huaixi could not stand alone against the Yanlu army!
Now Huaidong has invited the Queen Mother to come out and ask the Emperor to return to the court. She has a righteous name. Even if Liu Tingzhou is loyal to the imperial family, he knows that the situation in front of him does not allow them to make more choices. Besides, Liu Tingzhou is loyal to the imperial family and to the court.
"What if the emperor is unwilling to return to Jiangning?" Dong Yuan asked.
Now Emperor Yongxing is parked in Juchao County, south of Luzhou City, and has not even entered Luzhou City. Although the imperial navy accompanying him is not many and their combat power is not strong, it can be said that Emperor Yongxing has some courage to stay.
I have the confidence not to return to Jiangning in Juchao.
King Yuan Hancheng of Chu also sighed helplessly and said: "With the Queen Mother's family law, it will be impossible for the emperor not to return to Jiangning."
The Queen Mother represents the imperial family law, but in the country and the world, in special circumstances, the Queen Mother can nominally overwhelm the Emperor. Emperor Yongxing was immoral and forced to stay in Luzhou without returning, so the ministers were abolished by the Queen Mother's order
It is also in line with etiquette and law to establish a new emperor.
The emperor had lost his virtue before, so deposing the emperor and replacing him did not violate Liu Tingzhou's principles of loyalty and filial piety.
Dong Yuan nodded. Under the circumstances, the best choice at the moment was for Emperor Yongxing to issue an imperial edict to return his sinner to the court. The second option was to depose the emperor and establish another one. The Jiangzhou Army, Huaixi Army and Huaidong Army established a new King of Lu.
The 20,000 imperial troops and water camps in Chaoxian County will not be able to survive at all. Once the food and grass are cut off, they will probably scatter like animals.
After reaching such a consensus, the next thing to discuss is to restrict Huaidong's monopoly or to obtain more benefits for Huaixi...
Huaidong gave up the news control, and the news about Jiangning in the past few days quickly spread to Shouzhou. However, Huaidong's tricks are to stabilize the people below, so Dong Yuan, Liu Tingzhou and Yuan Hancheng will not be confused.
However, these tricks of Huaidong are not useless. After Huaidong regained Jiangning, it was not in power and regarded the Yuan family as Zhengshuo. If the Huaixi and Jiangzhou troops wanted to fight against Huaidong, they would lose their reputation as a righteous person.
Ask yourself to renounce yourself internally first. After all, most people still don’t want to end the division.