The military situation was changing day by day, but Shao Shude was not too anxious.
On the second day of May, he left Longchi Palace with his own soldiers, the Tielin Army, accompanied by dozens of civil servants including Song Le, Lu Siye, Du Guangyi, Chen Cheng, Zhao Guangfeng, and Zuo Feng'an Army who stayed behind in Anyi...
His two sons also followed him, learning along the way.
On this day, the army camped in the mountains west of Yuan County, and Shao Shude and his son stayed at the inn.
"See you, Marshal." Outside Gaoluo Post, the post general bowed and saluted.
"You are..." Shao Shude subconsciously felt that this person looked familiar. After thinking about it, he said, "Could it be Liu Dayou?"
"The commander actually remembers me?" Liu Dayou was a little excited.
"On the first day of the first year of Wende, I went to visit Huang Silang's house and met you and others. There was also a man named Jin San?" Shao Shude thought for a moment and remembered these two people.
"Jin San is from the Wuwei Army, and he is a post general in Yuancheng Post." Liu Dayou said repeatedly: "The commander is really convincing. He still remembers me after six years."
"Of course I remember, they all fought for me." Shao Shu pulled Liu Dayou to sit down and invited him to drink Mengding tea together.
"Why did you become a post general?"
"After joining the team, I was injured while asking for Wang Ke. I couldn't recover, so I retreated."
Shao Shude sighed when he heard this and said, "Where is Jin San?"
"He lost an arm in Liaowu and can no longer draw a bow and shoot arrows." Liu Dayou said, "But since I am disabled, I can receive a grain gift every month, so I don't have to worry about the expenses."
"Can the food gifts be distributed on time?"
"Sent."
"I want to see."
Shao Shude got up and entered the house. Liu Dayou pointed to a bag of light yellow "wheat" in the warehouse and said, "That's it."
Shao Shude grabbed a handful of "wheat grains", smelled them carefully, and said, "Is this highland barley?"
Liu Dayou had an expression of admiration on his face and said, "It's highland barley."
"It looks pretty good." Shao Shude said, "Did the county issue it directly?"
"It was sent by Li Zheng himself."
"Who is here?"
"He is also a soldier in the army. He is forty this year. He said that he has been fighting for the commander for more than ten years, but he can no longer fight. The warrior worked hard and went to where he was. After beheading Wang Ke, he became a pawn in the village.
Li Zheng."
Shao Shude nodded.
Several counties in Shaozhou were built almost from scratch. The country's system of roads, states, counties, townships, and li required a large number of local administrators with many positions.
Although Yuan County has existed for a long time, the countryside is dilapidated and uninhabited, and it is no different from the newly established one. Officials at the township and li level are not strictly officials appointed by the imperial court. They are filled by local wealthy families according to national and imperial regulations. But it is dilapidated.
Where can the rich families come from in Yuan County? The shogunate probably has nothing to do, so it might as well just use retired warriors to hold these positions. They are loyal anyway, so they can make do with it.
"There are many Tibetan people in the countryside and they don't understand each other, so it's probably not easy to manage them, right?" Shao Shude asked, and he laughed again after asking. Isn't this obvious?
"There are always a few people who can speak Mandarin." Liu Dayou said: "There is a person in my post station who doesn't want to farm, so he came to cut meat for me."
"How many acres are there in the post field?"
"One hundred and fifty acres, and there are 40 acres of sloping land. I asked the Tibetan people for some donkey-like bean seeds and planted them."
"Can you grow it?"
"Plant extensively and harvest little, and you will be rewarded as much as you can." Liu Dayou said, "I have raised six horses, and the county also subsidizes fodder and beans every year."
"Compared to what you did in the military, do you make more money?"
"There are many troops coming and going, so Pao Ze won't make things too difficult for us. A few days ago, a lame horse was replaced by the county. After the lame horse was slaughtered, the skin was taken away and the meat was left at the inn." Liu Da
Someone said: "If the civil servants who stay here are not of high grade, they will also be given money for food and drink. These idiots don't dare to mess with us."
Shao Shude laughed.
When generals and officials come and go, they must stay at the inn. But unless they are on a business trip, they have to pay. Even if they are on business, the treatment of each grade of officials is different. For meals and rooms that exceed the prescribed requirements, they will also have to pay. For example, if someone wants to drink.
I'm eating meat, and I don't want to just eat corn rice. Of course, the inn provides it, but you have to pay for it.
As for personal correspondence, it is certainly not free.
Zhiguan Road, connecting Hezhong and Heyang, is a very important transportation route. This will be a war period, and you may not make much money, but in peacetime, you will still make some money. Post generals are hereditary, and this is a job that can be passed down.
The foundation of the family.
But then again, if the peace lasts for a long time, even officials with personal contacts may want to take advantage of the inns and get free food and accommodation. But after the hardship, in order to reduce expenses, the inns of the imperial dynasty slowly turned to private ownership.
It is impossible for the post generals to make concessions without a bottom line. Unless the government increases subsidies, they will not be able to continue.
"I feel relieved now that your livelihood is secure." Shao Shude said, suddenly thinking of the dissatisfaction in the military caused by the move, he was still a little depressed.
Liu Dayou quickly went to the kitchen to prepare food, and Shao Shude took his son to the wild to have a look.
Under the setting sun, the sun sets over the long river, and the mountains and rivers are magnificent.
It has been more than a year since Yuan County was rebuilt. Five thousand households of Tibetan people have settled here. Basically, they have harvested a crop of grain, either highland barley, millet, wheat, or soybeans.
After the Spring Society Festival, spring sowing began one after another, and most people planted wheat or highland barley. The green wheat seedlings broke out of the ground, and it was very gratifying to see them.
There are still a lot of wastelands in the wild, and most of them are hilly and mountainous areas.
Shao Shude held Chengjie's hand, and Siwu's men watched casually in the afterglow of the setting sun.
"This is Diyu." Shao Shude pointed to some flowers and plants on the ground and said, "Sheep like to eat them, but they can't fertilize the fields. The one over there is Donkey's Hidden Bean. It should have been brought over by the Tibetan people, and it has no effect of fertilizing the fields.
, but can grow on mountains with very poor soil quality. Just as people are different, the soil is also different. In some lands, it is impossible to grow food, beans, and even some pastures, but donkeys like
Beans can grow and yield a lot, and livestock also like to eat them. I will ask agronomists to give you lessons in a while, so you don’t want to be deceived in the future. For the same 100 acres of land, the yield of the upper field, middle field, and lower field will be very different.
On the other hand, if someone tells you that there is very little cultivated land in a certain county and there is too much useless wasteland, you have to be careful. Look at that piece of rotten land. Alfalfa cannot grow, but there are acres of burnet and donkeyxi beans.
It was obviously grown by people and cut to feed livestock."
"Grandpa, are you saying that someone will lie and deceive?" Shao Chengjie thought thoughtfully.
"Not only that." Shao Shude gently touched his son's shoulder and said: "Under my father's rule, it is actually different from other vassal towns in the Central Plains. People often ridicule me for being half Hu and half Han. Why? How could the son of the Han family ever conquer one third of the people?
Farmland is used to grow pasture and raise so many livestock? They don’t drink milk, cheese, or physalis, which is very different from our customs. But how many children in Lingzhou have never drank milk or goat milk? Why?
What the Father wants to say is actually more important than you being deceived."
"What?" Shao Siwu asked first.
"Don't be biased." Shao Shude said: "In this world, there are many countries and many city-states. We in China will be one step ahead, but we must not look down on the foreign Tibetan people. In the past, when Tubo was in its prime, we went to Tianzhu and Hezhong.
They plundered the land and captured many craftsmen. The tools, techniques and styles they made were very different from those of the Tang Dynasty, but the quality was very good, not inferior to the armor, swords and spears of the Central Plains. The Sogdians were good at doing business, and the Long family were good at looking at horses.
, raise horses, the Uighurs raise very good sheep, the Persians have good musical instruments, and the great cannibals have translated many arithmetic books, just like the ones Master Mani taught you. The world is huge, with hundreds of people of all kinds.
There are also people with outstanding intelligence in foreign Tibetan countries, so we must not underestimate the heroes of the world. There are no donkey-like beans in the Central Plains, but there are many in Kangju's homeland. They grow on barren mountains and their yields are not inferior to those in the country.
Dawan alfalfa, but Dawan alfalfa needs good land to cultivate, but Luixidou does not."
"The pasture is like this, and so are the people." Shao Shude said: "The Tibetan people have outstanding talents, and they can be used. We can't be biased against them just because An Lushan rebelled. Li Guangbi, the first hero in quelling the rebellion, was a Khitan.
, Pugu Huaien, Bai Xiaode, Li Baoyu and others are not Han Chinese. An Lushan's confidants Gao Shang, Yan Zhuang, Zhang Tongru and others are Han people, and generals Cui Qianyou, Wu Lingxun, Tian Chengsi, Li Guiren and others are also Han people. It should be thought that
The question is why An Lushan was given a chance to rebel. If he was not given a chance, would Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi become famous border guards? Different systems, good people can become bad people, and bad people can become good people. Hexi, Longyou
, there were so many barbarian soldiers and generals in Shuofang's three armies, some of whom did not even want to be kings, but came all the way to fight for the Tang Dynasty to quell the rebellion. Pugu Huai'en was forced to marry off his two daughters to the Uighurs to get married, and borrowed soldiers and horses to fight against the rebels.
, 46 members of the family died in the king’s affairs, they can be said to be loyal and loyal, why were they forced to rebel in the end?”
"Why is Grandpa so sentimental all of a sudden?" Shao Chengjie asked with a smile.
"Pah!" Shao Shude rewarded him with a slap on the ear and scolded him with a smile: "I am thirty-seven this year. I have many things to do, but now even Zhu Quanzhong has not killed me. If I am lucky enough to dominate the world in the future, I am afraid it will not be long.
There is not much left. Many things must be accomplished by you. What I want to say is that you must not be complacent, arrogant, or closed to the outside world. What I want to rule is an empire, not a small vassal kingdom. A king must be broad-minded and magnanimous. First,
Shengyun said, "When three people walk together, there must be a teacher." Don't the Tibetan people have nothing worth learning? Arrogance and prejudice will only make China catch up step by step and eventually fall behind. We must learn from the good things of the Tibetan people.
Don’t be sectarian or feel embarrassed. Once you learn it, it’s your own. The arithmetic Master Mani taught you is not arithmetic, but mathematics. It’s a good example.”
The three father and son chatted while walking.
"Grandpa, why are there so many households in this mountainous place?" Shao Siwu asked suddenly when he walked to the wheat fields in the river valley.
"You must understand some common sense." Shao Shude said: "During the Kaiyuan period, the imperial court established official warehouses, free warehouses, and Changping warehouses in various provinces and states to store grain and equipment. When using troops against the Khitan, Henan and Hedong could allocate part of the grain and grass.
, but the bulk of it must come from Hebei. When we use troops against Tubo, Guanzhong can support a little grain and grass, but the bulk of it has to come from Hexi and Longyou. My father is now sending troops to Henan, so Lingxia can certainly transport some grain and grass by ship, but the bulk of it still needs to be shipped.
Hezhong, Shaanxi, Guo, and Huazhou came out. Once troops are sent to the Western Region, the grain and grass from Hezhong, Shaanxi and Guo will no longer be of use. At this time, Lingxia, Liangzhou, and Helan will have to take the lead. On the other hand, if Zhu Quanzhong is
If he wants to attack Lingxia, his money and food from Henan will be of no use, so he has to go to Hedong and Guanzhong to find a way."
"In the counties of Shaozhou, my father has established 20,000 households of Tibetan people and opened up nearly 10,000 hectares of land. In time, we can collect an annual land tax of 600,000 grains and beans, as well as a large amount of hay, leather, and cloth." Shao Shude said:
"During the Battle of Heqing, my father seized the opportunity and rushed to transport grain and grass before the navy of the Bian Army. He also seized a large amount of grain from the Bian Army in the Baiya warehouse, so he could support the army in the campaign. Now there is no such opportunity.
, can only be transported by land. Do you think it is better to transport grain from Hezhong Prefecture, or Yuan County and Wangwu County, which are closer?"
"Yuan, the royal house is closer." They both replied together.
"If I occupy Heyang in the future, I will definitely immigrate to the eight counties in Hebei on a large scale, farm and herd, save money and food, and then send my troops south to attack Luo, Hua, and Zhengzhou. The people in these eight counties will also stock up on horses to support the campaign."
Shao Shude said patiently: "Unless I can grab a big granary in Henan like this time. But I can't place my hope on this kind of thing. I plan everything before I act. I have food in my hands and I can be invincible first."
, and then we’ll see if there are any unexpected surprises, understand?”
"Understood."
"This time you two will follow me eastward and stay in the Wangwu first to feel the tense atmosphere of the war." Shao Shude said, "Just stay in Jinxian County Yamen and learn how to deal with government affairs."
Hearing this, Chengjie and Siwu winked at each other.
Shao Chengjie leaned close to Si Wu's ear and whispered: "Auntie said that Jinxian Temple is a place where filth and evildoers hide evil."
Shao Siwu was overjoyed when he heard this, and the two of them chuckled together.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Shao Shude asked a little strangely.
"We are saying that grandpa is right."
…
On the ninth day of May, the army arrived in Wangwu County. Shao Shude, with his own soldiers and three thousand cavalry, rode non-stop and arrived at Baiyacang in the evening of the same day.
Gao Renhou was commanding the war in Heqing County and did not come, but Shao Shude still knew the situation well.
As the Bian army continued to dig trenches, the northwest camp was already semi-surrounded.
But the so-called semi-encirclement actually means no encirclement.
Their connection with Heqing County has been cut off, but Baiya Cangcheng can still send troops to provide direct assistance.
After more than ten days, the Bian Army did not actually make much progress. This may be related to the fact that Pang Shigu did not attack regardless of casualties. His strategy was the same as when he besieged Xuzhou, encircling and dividing, but the effect was not very good.
"Pang Shigu is so lazy, does he want to stalemate with me? Can he hold on?" Shao Shude looked at the battlefield situation map drawn by his staff with some surprise.
The trenches dug by the Bian army and the camps built are clearly marked on it, followed by brief records of recent battles.
In more than ten days, the two sides fought seven or eight times. The Bian army probably lost more than 3,000 people, Heqing County lost more than 500 Tibetan soldiers, and the newly stationed Tiande army infantry in the northwest camp lost more than 600 people. The outside of the camp was basically filled in.
At the end of the day, the Bian army took advantage of their large number of troops and built more than ten earthen platforms on the outside. From a high position, they fired with strong bows and crossbows day and night.
"This man is so fierce in fighting. I didn't expect him to be so precise." Shao Shude put down the map and admired Pang Shigu a little. He was able to fight step by step according to his own ideas under pressure. He had a good character.
They dug trenches to restrict the communication between Heqing County and the northwest fortress, built strongholds and stationed troops everywhere to support them, and built multiple high platforms with earth to suppress the defenders in the fortress from a long distance. The style of play was very orthodox and had that flavor.
Since the late Han Dynasty, digging trenches and building high platforms for shooting have been the two magic weapons for siege.
Shao Shude carefully deduced that according to the current situation, if the camps of the Bian army cannot be eliminated, and the earthen platforms they built are knocked down, and the fire continues for a long time, the Bian army, which is five or six times the strength of the Xia army, will have the upper hand.
A large number of Tiande soldiers must have been injured by arrows, and their morale was affected.
After pulling out this fortress, the Bian army can station here, and what to do next? Perhaps they can attack Liaowu, take advantage of the naval force, attack from both sides, and then pull out this stronghold.
In the northwest camp, Liaowu is like the left and right arms of Heqing County. Killing one can open up the situation. Capturing two will completely isolate Heqing County. Except for the westernmost stronghold of Baiya Cangcheng, the Bian army can even regain control.
Follow the same method, dig trenches and isolate the county town, prevent the defenders in the city from rushing out, and then calmly formulate an attack plan. The defenders cannot completely shrink into the city, otherwise they will probably not be able to defend it.
However, this process will inevitably cause a large number of casualties and take a long time. With repeated battles, it may even take several months. Where did Pang Shigu get so much time?
After throwing down the map, Shao Shude climbed to the highest point of Baiyacang City and looked at the battlefield situation in the east.
Just after a battle between the two sides ended, Heqing County sent out a thousand people to take advantage of the Bian army's unpreparedness and burned down a small village where they had stationed troops.
But looking at the entire battlefield, there is still a long east-west "scar" between Haqing County and the fortress.
Deep and wide trenches, as well as stockades set up at regular intervals, and a large number of grain trucks behind the trench walls, formed in formation and shuttled between the camp and the battlefield, transporting grain, equipment and soldiers.
There were more than a dozen towering earthen platforms, and from time to time there was the buzzing sound of powerful crossbows firing. The crossbow bolts fell within the Xia army's camp, and it was unknown what the casualties were.
Of course, there are high platforms in the Xia army's camp, but there are only four of them, which makes it quite disadvantageous for shooting.
"A safe way to play, this way will minimize casualties, but it is also a time-consuming way." Shao Shude thought for a while, maybe it is time to put some pressure on the Bian army and not let them continue to be so arrogant.
"Send an order to mobilize eight thousand cavalry from the Yinshan tribe and place them under the command of Gao Renhou. He should move my will." Shao Shude called Zheng Yong and asked him to go to Chen Cheng to mobilize troops.
"Yes!" Zheng Yong left quickly.
Shao Shude then looked in the direction of Liaowu. Everything was calm there. Bianjun naval battleships could occasionally be seen on the river, but they were all small speedboats for exploration, and the real big ones were not dispatched.
"This battle!" Shao Shude calmed down and went downstairs.
In this war, the frontal part is advancing slowly. It can be said that it is in a stalemate. Maybe the breakthrough will be at the rear?
It's time for the four thousand mounted infantry who retreated from the northwest camp to change places!
