Xi Xunqiao was less than thirty years old. Because of the bad relationship with his father Xi Zhen, he never had any real power in the clan. It was his father who died at the bank of Lujiao River under the sword of a Tanzhou general that made him do that.
In an embarrassing situation, he inherited the position of chieftain of Xi clan, and was later trapped in Longqiao Village for a month, and then he was forced to surrender and imprisoned in Furong Garden in Qianyang.
After being released from house arrest, I had just settled in Linjiang County, which was newly settled and still desolate, for two days. Suddenly a group of people came over and said that the state Sima Han Qian wanted to see him. Xi Xunqiao could only bid farewell to his wife and children in panic, and changed into a long gown.
Go into the mountains with others.
The site of Linjiang County is still desolate, but if you walk along the Shahe River to the depths of Dawankou, you can see that the newly built homes and houses are getting denser and denser. Large areas of grain fields have been cultivated on both sides of the Shahe River, and lush crops are growing.
Shaoqingzhuang is digging new irrigation branch canals, and it seems that they want to transform the entire Dawankou area into irrigated land.
Xuzhou has a vast territory and sparsely populated areas, with many mountains and little land. In particular, large and small villages have cultivated a large number of grain fields, but most of them are in the mountains and there is little irrigated land.
In the past two years, the governor Han Daoxun first taught the Hakka people in Qianyang County to use the gentle slopes of the mountains to build terraced ponds, step by step to transform the dry land in the mountains into irrigated fields, and even plant rice in the mountains.
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Before reaching the foot of the mountain, Xi Xunqiao also saw the new canal connecting Wuliu Creek and Shahe River, as well as the diversion weir and overflow weir of Wuliu Creek.
Although after the completion of these water conservancy projects, those who stand on high places and have a little knowledge of the art of making a difference in the world can see the truth clearly. However, the new canal is located in the hills outside Longya Mountain, and the terrain is somewhat uneven.
, within three or four months, the new canal is dug out in sections at once, which actually means that the height difference of each section of the canal has been calculated in advance.
Xi Xunqiao also claimed to be a learned man, but he didn't know how the Han family and his son achieved this.
In the new canal, a culvert with a length of more than 300 steps was built, passing through an earthen hill.
This earthen mountain is only thirty to forty meters high and only three to four hundred meters wide from east to west, but it is five to six miles long from north to south. It is the natural dividing line between Shahe River and Wuliu River.
To bypass this earth mountain, the amount of new canal work would have doubled, and it was not practical to dig an open channel from the earth mountain. Finally, the well canal method was used to connect the new canals at both ends.
This is also unimaginable complexity before Xi Xunqiao, and I secretly feel that perhaps the method of building weirs in the Central Plains is indeed superior.
Entering the mountain along the widened post road on the west bank of Wuliu River, twenty miles away is the renovated Longya City. Having seen the crowds of soldiers and horses in Longya City, Xi Xunqiao can imagine the Jiming Village and other Chenzhou in the north.
The pressure that Da Xing endured in his heart.
Being brought into the village hall, Xi Xunqiao saw a huge table in the center of the hall. Han Qian was tying the skirt of his robe to his waist and climbed onto the table. He was comparing the pictures in his hands with the river sand.
The water mixed with an unknown substance was shaped into the shape of a landscape, which vaguely looked like the Yuan River flowing through the terrain of Chenzhou.
The smooth-faced and beardless Supervisor Zhang Ping, the sallow-faced Tian Cheng, Feng Liao and Mrs. Xi, who had long been famous in Xuzhou, stood aside, looking at the shapes of the mountains and rivers on the huge case with interest, and the sand table forts.
The topography of Chenzhou is displayed more intuitively than the map. Several key entry routes, passes, and the gathering points of the troops of Chenzhou's powerful forces are also clear at a glance.
When Han Qian saw Xi Xunqiao being brought in, he pointed to the seat next to the wall and said, "You sit down and rest first, and I'll finish this in advance."
Xi Xunqiao bowed and stood aside, not daring to sit down without permission.
After a while, Han Qian finished what he was doing, climbed down from the sand table, called Xi Xunqiao to come closer, and said straight to the point: "You must have heard about the death of Wang Liang Ran, the governor of Chenzhou, due to the epidemic.
,Do you have any idea?"
Xi Xunqiao was slightly startled and thought to himself, is this something he should be concerned about at this time?
Zhao Ting'er brought water over. Han Qian washed his hands and said to Xi Xunqiao: "The imperial court plans to remove Ma Yin from the post of Tanzhou Jiedushi this winter to prevent changes in Tanzhou. The secret decree has my father and son ordering Xuzhou troops.
Horse, so that we can send troops from Xuzhou to attack Tanzhou at that time - I heard that Mr. Xi is familiar with military books, but I wonder how Mr. Xi thinks we can effectively suppress Tanzhou in the current situation? "
Xi Xunqiao opened his mouth for a long time, not knowing what to say.
Seeing the military supervisor Zhang Ping and Han Qian standing together, he could naturally guess that Zhang Ping conspired with the Han family and his son to set a trap to lure the four surnames to attack Yingyu Village, but he never thought of the real reason, which turned out to be this
!
Han Qian continued to ask: "Chenyang County Magistrate Xiying is of the same clan as Master Xi. How likely is it that Master Xi thinks Xiying will obey the imperial decree?"
The Chenzhou Xi Clan was a branch that split off from the Xuzhou Xi Clan more than a hundred years ago. The forces currently developed in Chenzhou are even more powerful than the Xuzhou Xi Clan. Currently, Jiming Village in the north of Longya City and
As far as Chenyang City on the bank of the Yuanshui River, they are all within the sphere of influence controlled by the Chenzhou Xi clan.
Han Qian doesn't have to worry about just one Xi clan. After all, the Xi clan in Chenzhou controls 13,000 or 4,000 people. It is already the limit to organize more than a thousand elite soldiers. But currently, the number of soldiers gathered in Jiming Village has reached two.
Thousands of people, in addition to more than a thousand soldiers gathered in Chenyang City.
For the time being, the native surnames of Chenzhou did not dare to bear the charge of assassinating the governor Wang Liang and rebelling, so they did not openly recommend Xiying to be the governor of Chenzhou. However, at this time, the three thousand soldiers gathered in Chenyang County were commanded by Xiying.
It is a confirmed fact.
In addition, Tanzhou gathered more than 5,000 soldiers and horses in Wuling.
Xiying may not welcome Tanzhou soldiers and horses into Chenzhou at this time, but if he formally attacks Jiming Village and Xiying finds that he cannot resist it, he will definitely welcome Tanzhou soldiers and horses to go south to help defend.
Even if Tanzhou's soldiers and horses gathered in Wuling went upstream, it would only take four or five days to reach Chenyang County over a waterway less than 400 miles away. At this time, Han Qian was not yet confident that he could double his troops in four or five days.
With insufficient troops, the heavily defended Jiming Village was captured.
Han Qian was thinking about whether he could divide the powerful forces in Chenzhou from other aspects.
After all, the time that Han Qian and others took root in Xuzhou was too short, and Feng Xuan and others had a low status in Shanyue Fanhu before, and the level of contact was not enough. They had to deal with people like Xi Xunqiao and Xiying and other Chenzhou fans.
The chief's understanding may be deeper.
Only then did Xi Xunqiao realize why Yang Zaili and Xiang Jianlong were left at the mouth of the Shah River, but he was brought to Longya City?
In the final analysis, regardless of whether Yang Zaili, Xiang Jianlong and others knew the secret order, they did not dare to resist the Han family and his son on the surface, but deep down they wished that Xiying could gather soldiers in Chenzhou and inflict heavy losses on the Han family and his son as soon as possible.
, expel the Han family father and son or directly annihilate them. Even if they have to be attached to Xiying and bow to Xiying, they can still restore their status as chiefs with common surnames if Xuzhou restores the old concept of separation of natives and guests.
As a local emperor who could control the lives of thousands of village slaves and rule dozens or even hundreds of villages, he was much more powerful than the rural eunuchs who worshiped the governors after seeing them.
But, is this what he wants to see?
Regardless of anything else, even if Chenzhou sends troops to drive away the Han family and his son, and Xuzhou restores the old concept of separate clans of natives and guests, can his brothers subdue him and allow him to secure his position as the leader of the Xi clan in Xuzhou?
When the Xi clan in Xuzhou is seriously divided, will it repeat the tragic fate of the Xi clan more than ten years ago?
Xi Xunqiao came back to his senses and saw the military supervisors Zhang Ping, Tian Cheng, Feng Liao, Mrs. Xi and Han Qian all staring at him with glaring eyes. Only then did he suddenly realize that he had been silent for too long.
"More than a hundred years ago, the Xi family split into two branches. One moved to Chenzhou and the other moved to Jingzhou. However, they have not had close contact with each other in these years. Xunqiao really doesn't know whether Xiying showed favor to the court."
Xi Xunqiao said slightly panicked.
It had only been fifteen years since the founding of Da Chu, and it had only been five or six years since the rule over the Chenxu states had been restored in name. Even if the court was kind and kind, it was impossible for the powerful forces here to feel it.
Seeing that Xi Xunqiao was unwilling to say anything, Han Qian did not force him and said, "I'm tired from the journey. Lord Xi, please go down and rest first."
Han Qian had no intention of letting Xi Xunqiao leave Longya City for the time being. Instead, he asked Feng Liao to arrange a courtyard for him to live in temporarily.
Seeing Xi Xunqiao leaving with Feng Liao, Zhang Ping said with emotion: "Xi Xunqiao still has a lot of worries!"
"Of course, I used deception to lure the four surnames and Tanzhou soldiers and horses to lose, and then controlled the situation in Xuzhou. In the eyes of others, it was purely a trick. Xi Xunqiao didn't think we had any foundation in Xuzhou. At this time, he
Help us and don't worry that we will be expelled one day and he will be purged?" Han Qian said with a smile.
Han Qian's reaction to Xi Xunqiao was not surprising. If Xi Xunqiao was too active at this time, it would make him feel nervous. As a cold piece of idle chess, Xi Xunqiao can play a better role. If he can't, it will be better.
Nothing to lose.
Furthermore, he left Xi Xunqiao in Longya City, more or less calling Yang Zaili, which made Xiang Jianlong more fearful, at least at this time he did not dare to do anything behind his back.
"When are we going to attack Jiming Village?" Tian Cheng asked. He didn't think there was a possibility of Xiying surrendering without a fight, and he hoped to make preparations to attack Jiming Village and send troops into Chenzhou.
Han Qian shook his head and said, "Let's look at the preparations in Ezhou first!"
Han Qian thought that the imperial court would cut down the vassalage of Tanzhou first, and the prince's government would first send troops to Yuezhou in Ezhou. In this way, the main force of Tanzhou would be contained on the northern front, and he would then send troops to attack Jimingzhai, which would give him greater certainty.
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Otherwise, he would have sent troops too early to welcome Tanzhou soldiers and horses into Chenzhou, and they would not be able to capture Jiming Village and Chenyang City at the first time. Does Xuzhou have the qualifications to fight a war of attrition?
