On March 29, the third year of Dashun, Shao Shude arrived at Yanchuan County, Yanzhou, under the escort of Tielin Army.
He specially found Wu Rong, the magistrate of Fushi County.
"Does Zihua have a new work?" After asking Xiao to stay in the carriage to take care of Yu Niang, Shao Shude got out of the carriage halfway, looked at Wu Rong, who was wearing a green robe, and asked with a smile.
Wu Rong became the magistrate of the first county in Yanzhou, and his demeanor became much calmer. He no longer had the extreme and arrogant attitude he had before.
"I heard that when the commander-in-chief returned from Luozhou, he wrote an old composition called "The Book of Passing Mianchi"." Wu Rong replied with a smile.
"Yin come."
"The half-remaining foundation of Mianchi City..."
Shao Shude listened quietly, while Mianchi Ling Jinsuo, who was standing behind him, was weeping.
"This is..." Seeing an old man crying in front of him, Wu Rong was a little surprised and asked.
"The order of Yanchuan of Yanzhou is gold, and the order of Mianchi of Luozhou." The old man wiped his tears and bowed his hands.
Wu Rong also returned the favor.
"How do you feel about Zihua being the Marquis of Baili for more than a year?" Everyone had left the main road and was walking on the bank of the Yellow River. Shao Shude climbed up a high slope and looked at the other side of the river and asked.
"You just know that things in the world are not easy." Wu Rong replied: "If you are not in your position, you will not seek to govern. I usually think about simple things, but once I get started, I find that it is not that simple."
"If you can govern a county well, you will have the foundation to do great things." Shao Shude said: "Nowadays, there are endless wars in the world, people are displaced, and talents are scarce. I have been recruiting people outside. If there are suitable talents in this town, I will naturally not hesitate to do so.
Very useful."
Wu Rong responded repeatedly.
"I didn't bring you here today just to enjoy the scenery of the river. Have you seen that group of caravans?" Shao Shude pointed to a place down the mountain, where dozens of donkeys and mules were trudging forward carrying goods.
"Commander, this is a merchant from the river." Jin Suo was not sure yet, but Wu Rong still knew: "One hundred and eighty miles northeast of Yanzhou to Yanchuan County (today's county), and another 40 miles to Dahe.
There is Yanshui Pass. Cross the river to Yonghe Pass on the other side, sixty miles east to Yonghe County (today's County), and sixty miles east to Xichuan County (today's Xi County), Lisuo, Xizhou."
"Also, we traveled eastward from Yanzhou for more than 120 miles to Yanchang County (today's county), followed the Yanshui River Valley, and reached another ferry on the river bank for 35 miles. Crossing the river is Mamen Pass. This pass is the Pu
The place where the water enters the river is south of Yonghe Pass and 30 miles north of Mengmen Stone Channel. After exiting the pass, walk along the Pushui River Valley for about 70 miles to Daning County (today's county), and more than 70 miles northeast to Xichuan County.
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"Zihua has worked hard." Shao Shude praised and said: "The east-west roads in Yanzhou are a bit dilapidated and need to be repaired."
"I obey the command of the commander-in-chief." Wu Rong and Jin Suo saluted together.
Weibei Town had not been under the rule for a long time, and there were war expenses, so the local road system was dilapidated. Even if people were recruited to build roads, they would usually be mostly north-south roads, with very few east-west roads.
Shao Shude was quite satisfied with these two ferries in Yanzhou, because there was a city on the other side. After they were captured, they could rely on this to ensure smooth flow of traffic on both sides of the river and a guaranteed retreat.
But how can I put it, this is still an extremely risky operation. Just relying on a city gate seems to be insufficient. The ferry must be included, and several forts must be built around it to barely support it.
It is really dangerous to cross the river to fight on the enemy's territory. Once failed, there will be no escape.
Beyond Yanzhou, there are several ferries leading to the river.
Between Danzhou in Weibei Town and Cizhou in Hezhong Town, there is the Mengmen Stone Trough. The river bank here is very narrow, like an incised stone trough. It is rumored that it was the place where Dayu controlled the water with stone barriers to guide the river. The difference between the upper and lower levels of the river is large.
The suspended water flows like a waterfall, and fish and turtles cannot swim.
Downstream of Shicao, eighty miles east of Yichuan County, Danzhou (today's Yichuan), there is Wuren Pass on the bank of the Yellow River. You can cross the river to Caisangjin on the other side. There is a city nearby, built by Yao Xiang, so it is named Yao Xiang City.
, "It borders the Yellow River to the west, controls the Dragon Gate, is in danger of the Meng Gate, and is the place where Zhou and Qi compete."
This city was once a town during the imperial dynasty, but it is probably abandoned now.
For a unified dynasty, a city like Yaoxiang City built at a dangerous crossing was really unnecessary. But for a separatist regime, it was an important place that could be fought to the death.
Fifty miles east of Yaoxiang City, you can reach Lisuo Jichang County (today's Jixian County) in Cizhou.
Wuren Pass, south of Caisangjin/Yaoxiang City, is the famous Longmen Pass.
There is a ferry fifty miles northeast of Hancheng County, Tongzhou (today's Hancheng City), which leads to Longmen Pass on the other side of the river. This pass is one of the central passes of the country and is extremely dangerous. After leaving Longmen Pass, you can reach Jiangzhou Longmen more than twenty miles southeast.
county.
If there is someone on the other side to help you, crossing the river will be easy.
To the south of Longmen Pass are the famous Pujin Pass Three Cities. There are pontoons built there, which are the first key to entering Guanzhong from the east of Hebei and the west of Hebei.
In other words, there are five crossings from Weibei Town to the middle of the river. If Jiangzhou can be secured, it will be much safer for the army to cross the river.
"Repair the east-west roads as soon as possible. It will be of great use to me."
"As commanded."
After sending the two old men aside, Shao Shude went to the carriage again, took Zhao Yu's hand, and helped her down.
Mrs. Xiao was also supporting her.
"Look, the other side is the middle of the river." Shao Shude pointed to the two opposing cities across the river and said, "The river is surging and the mountains are steep. It has always been an important place for military strategists."
"Your Majesty only sees fighting and killing. I feel that there is an endless stream of merchants and travelers crossing the river. The people on both sides of the river are all happy, which only adds to the atmosphere of the world." Zhao Yu, with his belly puffed out and a thick fur wrapped around his body, said with a smile:
"Why did the Wang family in Hezhong offend you and insist on taking away their inheritance?"
Shao Shude was speechless.
"A gentleman is not guilty, but he is guilty of carrying a jade." The soldiers brought a beech bed, Shao Shude hugged Zhao Yu and sat down, saying: "Wang Chongying has no way to teach his son. Wang Yao found me in private. What can I do?"
Zhao Yu squeezed Shao Shude's hand helplessly, with both smile and worry in his big eyes.
"Don't worry, I will choose the right time. Wang Chongying has recently begun to reorganize his troops and strengthen drills. He must have felt a crisis." Shao Shude added: "In the past, when Wang Chongrong was still there, the Hezhong Army could still fight. It was head-on with Huang Chao's army.
A bloody battle could shake his position and give Li Keyong and his Shatuo cavalry an opportunity. However, times have changed and it is an internal struggle for power, so I am afraid they will not be able to fight. After Wang Gong died, Wang Chongying's physical condition was not as good as before, so this opportunity should be used
It’s not too far.”
"Wang Ke is Li Keyong's son-in-law, how can Jinyang just sit back and watch?"
"How can there be no war without taking risks? Just like when I use troops, I have always been cautious, but if I look for it carefully, there are still loopholes and risks. When an opportunity arises, if you don't seize it, you might as well hide in Lingzhou with Yu Niang in your arms.
, giving birth to children all day long.”
Zhao Yu finally couldn't bear these words anymore, and shook his head with a chuckle.
Mrs. Xiao stood aside, slightly jealous.
The king loved Zhao very much, but he had no pity for himself, and could even be called rough. Those few nights at Xingdeok Palace were not so much a favor, but rather a enjoyment and play.
The proud daughter of the Xiao family is not proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, poetry, song and dance. She doesn’t know how much energy she has spent on this since she was a child. She doesn’t even want to recall too much about the painful learning process.
She was so beautiful that the queue of suitors would probably fill up Zhuque Street. Even after she followed her father to Hewei, there were still people coming to propose marriage.
But when he arrived at Heungdeok Palace, the first thing he did was to take off his clothes and kneel before the king to serve him.
While he was feeling sorry for himself, suddenly there was a strong burst of force, and he was hugged by Shao Shude and sat on his left side.
Zhao Yu smiled and moved to the side.
It was her own idea and the family's idea to make friends with Mr. Xiao.
As people age and their beauty fades, even if the king misses his old love, how many more years can his favor last? After giving birth to this child, his appearance will probably become even worse. The concubine in the mansion, she and the Feng sisters are considered older. The hero is growing old.
, beauty grows old, and no one can escape it since ancient times.
In the prince's palace, the major families cut their heads and filled them with young, beautiful and talented women, all of whom had figured out the king's preferences.
Xiao's daughter was raised according to the standards of an imperial concubine since she was a child. She has a graceful figure, is good at singing and dancing, can calligraphy and painting, and can distinguish the music of the piano. When she first came to Xingde Palace, she also brought a volume of poems written by herself.
The handwriting is beautiful and the poems are beautiful, quite similar to Qi Liang's beautiful poems. It is said that he has studied with Han Donglang for several years. In front of such a beautiful and talented woman, the king could not control himself.
"Your Majesty, how can you get anything out of studying poetry all day long?" Looking at the surging river, Zhao Yu asked with a smile: "Dai Niang is good at poetry, why not let her taste it."
Shao Shude was stunned, Zhang Dashuai was possessed by his soul and almost chanted.
I think back then, Zhang Zongchang also asked the number one scholar to teach him how to read and write poems, and everyone knew his level.
Marshal Shao asked his concubine to teach him how to write. He also studied poetry with Feng Wei, Huang Tao, and Wei Zhuang, but he always felt that their poetry style was not quite right, too graceful, and he could not learn from it.
After holding it in for a long time, after pondering hard, I still remembered a song. Then I looked at the majestic river and chanted: "It only takes a moment to pour down the Milky Way. It only takes a moment to stir up the turbid waves. There are more dangerous waves in the world.
It is said that the Yellow River is afraid of the road."
Zhao Yu glanced at Shao Shude, and Mrs. Xiao was also a little surprised.
This poem does not use gorgeous words, nor does it have any pretense of profound allusions. It just says one thing straightforwardly. Could it be that it was really written by the king?
Shao Shude's face had been so damaged by the wind, sand, rain and snow that nothing could be seen. He just said "I am humble" and said: "I have gained something occasionally, but I still need to ask the two ladies for advice tonight."
Mrs. Xiao has a well-proportioned figure, but her body is very large at the front and back. Zhao Yu is pregnant, so naturally she has no choice but to ask Mrs. Xiao for advice.
After hearing this, Ms. Xiao didn't know whether she was really scared or something else, her body trembled reflexively, which aroused Marshal Shao's desire even more.
While they were joking, Lu Ming, the tenth general of the army, came to report: "Deputy Envoy Chen is here."
Chen Cheng arrived soon and panted: "Commander, you are taking your beauty to the mountain to enjoy the magnificent view of the river. Little do you know that we are still gossiping with the Bei Division Lieutenant, we are tired!"
Shao Shude laughed and said: "Dai Niang, hurry up and prepare tea. Chen Dalang is my confidant, just like a family member."
"I can't do it, I can't do it." Chen Cheng said quickly.
Mrs. Xiao had already stood up and saluted: "I have always heard that Deputy Ambassador Chen has the wisdom of Zhuge and the talents of Wang Zuo. He often comes up with clever plans in battle formations and his achievements are as great as those of the generals in the army. It's just tea. Please wait a moment."
.When the queen has time, I can also play the harp here, and enjoy the magnificent scenery of the river for the king and Deputy Chen to spend their time."
The Xiao family had a private discussion with him before he presented his daughter. There were too many Qiang and Hu women around the king, and the power of the Zhe family was also a little too strong, so they had to be balanced. Judging from the commander's intention, he seemed to have acquiesced to this.
, this is very good.
As a handsome man, what kind of woman can't be obtained? If you offer a girl, they may not accept it. Since the handsome man enjoys it, he must have his own considerations.
"Commander, I have two things. Liu Jishu came in person and said that Shipu secretly sent his eldest son to bring 3,000 people to the court a few months ago. They detoured to Yan, Yun, Wei, Lu and other towns and have now arrived in Jiangzhou. The court originally did not know.
I just learned that there are a lot of discussions at court and there is no end to the debate. Some people want to get this elite soldier, while others are afraid of offending Quan Zhong, so they are still undecided."
A few months ago? Shao Shude secretly calculated the time. Didn't he just defeat Zhu Quanzhong, capture and kill ten thousand people, capture a large number of people, and not long after the money and food returned to the west? It seems that the news soon spread to the east. Er Zhu and Shi Pu were very worried about this war.
Very concerned!
Everyone knows that Quanzhong cannot enter Guanzhong now, so at a time when life and death are at stake, is sending a son to the court a perfect way to preserve the family bloodline?
"Ask the master of the Shi family to come to Yanzhou as soon as possible. I'll wait for him here." Shao Shude ordered.
"Yes." Chen Cheng responded: "The second thing is that the gold merchant Li Xiang can no longer go out to attend to affairs. More than a month ago, he summoned the generals into the dormitory and asked everyone to support his son Li Bai as the gold merchant's governor and to send him to the army.
Send an envoy to Chang'an to explain this matter."
Li Xiang...
Shao Shude's thoughts suddenly drifted back to the war-torn years ten years ago.
At that time, Li Xiang was dressed in military uniform, smiling and talking to Yan Yan, and Wang Yu stood behind him, looking very majestic.
Li Bai, who seemed to be a military general back then, was like a shadow beside Li Xiang, so inconspicuous, but now he is expected to be a retainer.
"Li Xiang and I have an old relationship, and I will take care of my old friend's son." Shao Shude said, "It doesn't matter if he calls me uncle, I will protect his wealth."
"Commander, the gold merchant is so important, why not let Li Bai move the town and seize the opportunity to seize his land?" Chen Cheng suddenly suggested.
Mrs. Xiao came over with tea and poured tea for the two of them.
After Chen Cheng thanked him, he added: "It seems that Li Kan in Kuixia is not very capable now. He has to settle in several prefectures in Kuixia. The big towns in Jingnan are separatist one after another and cannot be conquered. It is better to let Li Bai go to Jiangling and serve as the governor of Jingnan."
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"It's not very appropriate." Shao Shude shook his head and said, "After I return, I will discuss it with the generals and come up with a strategy."
"Yes." Chen Cheng thought for a while and realized that he was indeed not very kind. Li Bai was a little poorer in Jinshangqiong, but he was relatively stable. Although Jingnan was relatively wealthy, Li Kan was so easy to talk to? In addition, the old man was in good health.
It's a bit strange, and it's actually still alive and kicking.
Of course, Li Kan couldn't control Jingnan at all. The barbarian Lei Man occupied the southern states of Li and Lang and fought endlessly with Zhou Yue of Hunan. If Li Kan wanted to control this town, he had to send troops to destroy Lei Man.
During the conversation, Zhao Yu was illuminated by the warm sunshine and actually fell asleep. Shao Shude took off his cloak and carefully covered her body. Then he held the hilt of his sword, stood on the high cliff, looked at the scenery on the other side, and said
: "Next, the focus is on the gold merchants in the river. How to act specifically requires long-term planning."
