Chapter 524: Opening up the Southern Border (Big Chapter)
In Zhuti County, Jianwei County, Meng Da led more than 7,000 soldiers and horses, falsely claiming to be 30,000, and stationed in the camp near Zhuti Mountain.
Now Jianwei County is basically the battlefield of civil strife in Yizhou. On one side are the Xichuan forces of the Shu lords, on the other side are the southern Yizhou County, the Nanzhong clan in Zanggan County, and the Nanzhong tribes in Yongchang County...
The so-called "Southern Barbarian Invasion" is actually not an invasion, but a civil strife. Most of the sources of the "Southern Barbarians" are within the map of the Han Dynasty, that is, the southern part of Yizhou, but their influence is not the same.
It did not spread, and once the war broke out and the dynasty declined, it became even more difficult to realize that this was the territory of the Han Dynasty.
More than a hundred years ago, Yongchang County had not yet entered the territory of the Han Dynasty. It was the place where the ancient Ailao people lived. More than 130 years ago, the Ailao King attached himself to the Han Dynasty. Although there were rebellions later, the Han Dynasty succeeded.
Counterinsurgency.
The so-called Ailao Kingdom is also a real tribal alliance.
More than a hundred years ago, King Ailao brought more than 500,000 people to the Han Dynasty, and these more than 500,000 subjects were entrusted to a total of 77 kings. It was very similar to the early Shang and Zhou dynasties, when there were often hundreds of kings.
Feel.
The so-called king of the city actually ruled no more people than the people who had to be coordinated under the rule of the pavilion chief.
A few years later, the next generation of Ailao kings, probably feeling that they had not gained much benefit, began to rebel vigorously as soon as they "assumed their posts". The Eastern Han Dynasty was still relatively strong at that time, and the rebellion was easily quelled, and then the remaining Ailao people
They moved westward and became the present Shan State. The Shan State was the predecessor of the Nanzhao State in the Tang Dynasty, and the Nanzhao State was the predecessor of the Dali State in the Song Dynasty...
There is a large and famous city in the north of Qianwei County, where Zhang Ren's main force is now located - Jiangyang.
Jiangyang is close to Lu River, so it had another name, Luzhou in later generations.
It is not "Luzhou" in Hefei, but "Luzhou" in Luzhou Laojiao. Zhuti County, where Mengda is now located, is also named after Zhuti Mountain. Hundreds of miles southwest of Zhuti Mountain, there is
A more extraordinary mountain - Niulan Mountain.
By following the division of wine flavors, we can know the general trend of Nishikawa's response to Nanban.
Nowadays, the Southern Barbarians in the real Han Dynasty are basically in Maotai...ah, no, it is the "expensive" part of Yunnan and Guizhou. Most of the "Yun" part was only incorporated more than a hundred years ago, and there is still a part that has not yet been incorporated.
, which is now the Shan country.
But just like the original Ailao, it was just a tribal alliance.
Faced with this kind of southern barbarian invasion that was actually a "civil strife", Xichuan's bottom line was Lushui, and its target was Jianwei County. As for Yizhou County, Yongchang County and Zangda County... that's about it.
Therefore, Jiangyang was the base camp for suppressing the rebellion in Xichuan, and Mengda, for example, had already led troops alone to Niulan Mountain south of the Lushui River, which was considered to be deeply occupied by the enemy.
In history without the White Rabbit Effect, when Zhuge Liang pacified the Southern Barbarians, he also used Lushui as the dividing line...
And Zhuge Liang did it very thoroughly, or rather... let go very completely.
From crossing the Lu River to the south to quell the rebellion, half a year later, we have returned north from the Lu River. The whole process is very fast and can be said to be clean and tidy - even if it is not done in a convenient way, after all, the disaster of the Southern Barbarians in history happened to Liu Bei
When he just died.
If Zhuge Liang had not quickly suppressed the Southern Barbarians, I am afraid that the Shu Han would not be able to rest in peace in the future. Not only would other major tribes from all over the country see the "feat" of the Nanzhong tribe, but if the situation lasted for a long time, it would also mean that Prime Minister Zhuge could not convince the public!
However, Zhuge Liang's crispness is not without hidden dangers...
Why is it that Baitu has the technology to crush and greatly increase productivity as a bargaining chip? It took seven or eight years to conquer Shanyue, and only then has today's "naturalization rate", while Zhuge Liang has nothing and brought tens of thousands of Han troops south.
, conquered the Southern Barbarians in the next six months?
The secret lies in Zhuge Liang's "submission" but not "acceptance".
In fact, after Zhuge Liang led his troops back to the north, his achievements were not complete, but he completely transferred back all the Han troops south of Jiangyang.
On the one hand, the rebels were beaten into submission, and on the other hand... they gave the Nanzhong clan greater autonomy.
That is to say, tactical problems were solved at the tactical level, and strategic problems were "solved" by Zhuge Liang at the same time.
Not only were the rebels defeated, but also because after Liu Bei knelt down, he felt that the Xichuan forces had no future and did not want to die, but at the same time they wanted to strive for greater interests, so the Nanzhong clan was making trouble everywhere. After they were able to govern themselves,
As long as they hand over taxes and troops every year, they can feel at ease as the "Tu Emperor". Even if the Xichuan regime falls, they can join the next employer and naturally stop causing trouble.
In fact...it's a bit similar to the bottom line Shixie fought for at the beginning.
It's completely different from the way Bai Tu moved people down the mountain and built a city to become a citizen.
Now that Jiaozhou is also undergoing large-scale development, Xichuan is still hesitating where to draw the bottom line when facing the Nanman.
More importantly, this "Southern Barbarian Invasion" is completely different from the one in history!
Now on the tactical level, the "Southern Barbarians", who are the main force of the rebel army, were driven north by the Chu State. On the strategic level, the Nanzhong clan is now making noise, mainly because Chu goods, or middlemen, are squeezing them.
Their Shu Brocade is mainly a well salt business.
Yizhou is not short of food, and with the "leadership" of the Chu State, it does not follow the example of the Chu State in converting it into people's health, that is, converting it into meat, or converting part of the fields to vegetables and fruits... It just blindly
With the increase in grain production, a large number of people in Yizhou began to withdraw from agricultural production, mainly focusing on the Shu brocade and well salt industries.
Regardless of the tactical level or the strategic level, Nishikawa is not a problem that can be solved.
Therefore, it is now much more difficult for Zhang Ren to quell the rebellion than it was for Zhuge Liang to quell the Southern Barbarians in history. He can only suppress the influence south of Jiangyang.
After all, the so-called Southern Barbarians of Yizhou were not actually a rival to the Han army in terms of strength. They just took advantage of the geographical convenience - the cost of marching and garrisoning in the "barren land" were astonishingly high, not to mention the miasma and plague.
Chen Gong, the Wuxi Independent Division led by Shamoko also brought a reorganized epidemic prevention military doctor before they dared to go deep...
However, if they really defended north of Lu River, on the plains with abundant supplies, the Han army would still have an absolute advantage.
Zhang Ren, who is now sitting in Jiangyang, is naturally not satisfied with just "suppression". After all, he cannot analyze the essence. To him, this is just a larger-scale rebellion involving hundreds of tribes.
That's why Zhang Ren sent some of his generals, including Meng Da, to the south of Jiangyang in batches... At least he didn't want to give up on Zanggao and the northern part of Yizhou County.
However, the dilemma Zhang Ren faces now is that he wants to completely quell the chaos, but there is no follow-up support. Even if he wants to negotiate with the Nanzhong clan, no one in Xichuan is willing to stand up and take the blame - after all, like Zhuge Liang, he is completely free.
Decisions are not something everyone can make.
What's more... there are still people who are worried about the market in Nanzhong and don't want to give up, and want to continue to use low-priced salt in exchange for gold and silver in Nanzhong, and these people still have a great influence on the policies of the Shuhou Mansion!
It is a pity that although Zhang Ren was very dissatisfied with some decisions of the Shuhou Mansion and some important ministers, he did not change his loyalty.
After all, Zhang Ren is also the senior brother of Zhang Xiu and Zhao Yun - all three of them studied under Tong Yuan, a master of gun arts.
Although Zhang Ren has never met his junior brother Zhao Yun, he is acquainted with Zhang Xiu.
However, this affection did not have the effect of instigating rebellion. There were members of the Enlightenment Department who were eager for success before, but Zhang Ren saw through it and beheaded it in public...
At this time, Zhang Ren was in the commander's tent again, playing with the sand table in front of him. Judging from his expression... he was not in a good mood.
Not long after, someone came to report that a scout had returned, and it was the scout Zhang Ren had sent out more than two months ago!
Zhang Ren heard the sound and immediately replied: "Quickly pass!"
I saw a veteran general staggering into the commander's tent. After seeing Zhang Ren, he excitedly said: "General! Fortunately, the last general has lived up to his command and found the location of the Chu army! It's a pity... with the last
The two brothers who are going with me..."
Seeing this, Zhang Ren went up and patted the scout general on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of their families!"
In comparison, Zhang Ren's appearance is closer to that of Zhao Yun, and even...in terms of appearance, he is younger than the rugged Zhang Xiu.
"General Xie, I will go deeper..."
"Let's talk before we come to the sand table." Zhang Ren interrupted, and led the scout to the sand table where he was playing.
This sandbox is very rough, because the scale is too large, covering the entire southern Yizhou in a broad sense, and it is impossible to conduct detailed tactical simulations.
The scout stepped forward and deliberately made some changes first, moving some landmarks - after all, the sand table was actually passed down from Chu State. The principle is very simple. Technology... There is no technology. It mainly depends on the mastery of information.
degree!
In the past, whether it was the Han Dynasty government or the Yizhou Prefecture, the surveys of many terrains in Nanzhong were actually inaccurate...
After first correcting one or two, the scout was much closer than Zhang Ren expected, pointing out the scope of the Chu State's influence!
Many tribes south of the Liujiang River, including the Dianchi Lake area, have begun to accept the arrangements of the Chu State.
Moreover, Leujiang River is in the south of Xangqi County, and Dianchi Lake is almost in the north of Yizhou County!
The Dianchi Lake area is less than two thousand miles away from Jiangyang, and less than a thousand miles away from Zhuti Mountain...
"Where's Xiangxi? How about Yongchang County?" Seeing this, Zhang Ren asked with a more solemn expression.
"Almost all the tribes in the eastern part of Yongchang County can see the Chu people, even more so in Zangzhou and Yizhou counties. The generals do not dare to go deep." The scout general explained with a guilty conscience.
In other words, the situation in the west is even more serious, and even... the Chu army, the main force attacking the southern barbarians, is heading west!
In fact, considering the topography of the two counties of Zanggao and Yizhou, the distance of one or two thousand miles is already quite far.
This is not the concept of "driving for half a day or a day" in later generations, but the concept of "a march will take two or three months, and various accidents may occur along the way."
However, you must know that what Zhang Ren is worried about now is not a direct attack by the Chu army. Those who are attacking Xichuan now are only some of the Southern Barbarians who were "driven out" by the Chu army.
The distance of only one or two thousand miles means that outside this distance, most of the southwest departments are probably intimidated, and some who are dissatisfied... have also been driven within the range of this two thousand miles.
Zhang Ren was also very puzzled. How many people did the Chu army send? It actually disturbed the southern border and caused the barbarians to move northward one after another?
With so many people in southern Xinjiang, how much supplies are needed? In that kind of place... how much transportation is consumed?
"No wonder there are so many barbarians this time... Thank you for your hard work, please have a good rest later." After Zhang Renqiang calmed down, he comforted the scout and asked him to rest.
It can be seen intuitively from the sand table that the original settlement area of hundreds of tribes in Nanzhong has basically been swept away!
In the far south, and in the area of Yongchang County in the west, which were originally the places with the lowest degree of Chineseization and the lowest influence of the Han Dynasty, even scouts could no longer penetrate.
Among them, those who resisted the rule of Chu State, after being defeated, went northward one after another, and were compressed within two thousand miles of Xichuan, and colluded with the Nanzhong clan who were recently dissatisfied with the Shu lords...
Of course, if Chen Gong heard about Zhang Ren's speculation, he would definitely seek justice and correct it now.
It was not the Chu State that drove them away. This was just the normal development of the Chu State, which respected the will of each tribe. But... if someone took the initiative to attack the Chu army, it was always okay to fight back, right?
If the tribes attached to the Chu State ask for help from the Chu army, they cannot ignore it, right?
Chen Gong dares to say that what he does can withstand the scrutiny of the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Punishment, and there is no problem!
At the same time, even the successful experiences of Chen Gong and Samoko in southern Xinjiang are now used as advanced examples to promote to the mountainous areas of Danzhou, Yizhou, and Baiyue in southern Yangzhou.
In the past few years in southern Xinjiang, Chen Gong has figured out a process for implementing "Chu transformation" in an area with complex terrain, numerous tribes, and difficult to be controlled by a unified force.
In addition to the independent divisions, Chen Gong also "requested" many land reclamation troops from Chu State. Compared with overseas land reclamation, the land reclamation troops actually felt more at ease when they came to southern Xinjiang.
Every time they arrive at a place, they first station a part of the army on the spot, and then the land reclamation army goes through the process of surveying and developing resources - relying on the mountains to eat, relying on the water to draw water, digging if there are mines, and reclaiming the land that is slightly flat...
At the same time, the independent division continues to send scouts out to explore the land piece by piece. When encountering tribes, try not to cause conflicts, and just mark them and reply in time.
Then, where there are tribes, professionals from the land reclamation army will contact them. Where there are no tribal activities, surveyors will be contacted directly...
In short, we must strive to find the "profitable" place in the unit of hundreds of miles, no matter how barren and harsh the land is, even if the poisonous spring is located, the composition of the poisonous spring must be analyzed!
For Chu State, although the "poison springs" are poisonous, some of them are just not drinkable, but they are all treasures.
It is really impossible to do this. No matter how you calculate the resources, if the existing conditions cannot survive, then you can delineate the "no man's land". At the same time, you need to ensure that the "no man's land" must be surrounded by "development zones".
The "development zone" is developed to its fullest, and in order to bring resources in and out, it is natural to build as many roads as possible - it doesn't matter if it's a loss, as Chu State will subsidize it.
Chen Gong's idea is very clear. First, he uses Chu's productivity advantages to "raise" more Chu troops on the same land, and even turn losses into profits.
Even if it is the same fishing, hunting, and farming, Chu's tool and theoretical advantages are obvious, and it also has the advantage of group operations during the land reclamation stage.
Moreover, there are many resources, which are treasures for the Chu State, but are useless or even a burden to the tribes in Nanzhong.
As for the tribes encountered, after initial contact, they can be roughly divided into two categories - one is those who are willing to cooperate with the Chu State and develop southern Xinjiang together, and the other are those who are unwilling to cooperate, but are willing to coexist and trade...
When facing the former, the land reclamation army naturally cooperates sincerely. When facing the latter, they are also very welcoming and will actively draw "boundaries" that will not bully others.
A tribe that is unwilling to coexist, violates borders, and attempts to use the interests of hundreds of tribes in South and Central China as a stepping stone for its own ambitions?
Either they were wiped out in their original place, or they were forced to move north, move north, move north again...
As for those who are not willing to be too involved with the Chu State, but are still willing, or can only accept coexistence, it will not take long to find that the surrounding areas and the familiar "neighbors" begin to gain far more in all aspects.
For myself, more importantly, I put in the same manpower, but the harvest is far more than myself, and I am also open to trade...
These tribes often, over time, either transform into cooperation, or... move north, move north, move north again...
The Chu State did pay high subsidies, and there were few development zones that were truly profitable. However, roads were built, prototype cities were built, and people... gathered together.
Some uninhabited areas that are still unavailable are guaranteed to be surrounded by development zones, which naturally means that there is no "peach blossom garden" and everything is gradually under control!
And if we look at it as a long-term investment, Nanzhong will be able to turn its losses into a profit once the paths that are narrow and rugged due to geographical conditions are at least accessible to wheelbarrows and carts.
It is much easier to develop Nanzhong now than in later generations, or even in the Tang and Song Dynasties - there are fewer people, and the need for living resources is also not high.
By allowing the land reclamation army to rely on fishing and hunting to survive to a certain extent, military expenditures have actually been reduced...
Now this set of boxing combinations that Chen Gong has figured out is gradually being promoted in Baiyue, south of Yangzhou, and even overseas.