Chapter seven hundred and sixty sixth Jiangdu situation
Jiangdu City is still prosperous. After Zhu Si occupied Jiangdu City, it basically did not affect the operation of business. Zhu Si originally wanted to increase the commercial tax to 10%. After Liu Sigu's repeated persuasion, Zhu Si temporarily gave up on this idea of killing the goose that lays the egg.
However, a large amount of the new money created by Zhu Si was imported into Yangzhou. Yangzhou merchants resisted at first, but could not withstand the pressure of power, and finally had to accept it with pinched noses.
The Yangzhou merchant was unwilling to give up and offered a very low price for the new money. Only 1,300 new coins could be equivalent to 1,000 old coins.
Although Zhu Si did not touch Yangzhou's business, he firmly controlled the salt field and forecourt, and controlled the salt tax. This was also an important reason why Zhu Si coveted Yangzhou. He wanted to obtain Yangzhou's salt tax, and the generous salt tax was given to him.
It gave him the capital to support his army.
Jiangdu Palace was a palace built by Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Jiangdu Palace was preserved and became a palace for the Tang emperors to visit the south of the Yangtze River.
Now Jiangdu Palace has also become Zhu Si's palace. Jiangdu Palace is located in Shugangzi City, where various government offices are concentrated.
In the temporary imperial study room of Jiangdu Palace, Zhu Si was discussing the plan to attack Jianghuai with Liu Sigu. As Guo Song guessed, Zhu Si's shipbuilding in Jiangdu was just a cover-up. His next target was Wu Shaocheng in western Huaihe.
Although Wu Shaocheng ostensibly surrendered to him, Zhu Si was not the Tang Dynasty. He would never tolerate the emergence of separatist vassal towns in his territory. Of course, he could not accept a warlord like Wu Shaocheng who was a vassal but actually independent. He had been waiting for an opportunity.
Kill this person.
"Your Majesty, Wu Shaocheng's 30,000 Huaixi Army is still left by Li Xilie. It is very powerful. We must not underestimate the enemy."
Zhu Si nodded. He admitted that the opponent had elite soldiers and Liu Sigu's caution was correct. The opponent could not afford to lose, and they could not afford to lose either. If they lost, Yangzhou might not be able to defend it.
"Teacher, continue!"
Liu Sigu cleared his throat and continued: "Secondly, Wu Shaocheng has always been eyeing Yangzhou. If we capture Yangzhou, he will definitely be dissatisfied. We heard that he has gathered a heavy army on the western border of Yangzhou, so we will send out a large army to contain his main force first.
Then the army from Xiangyang to the west attacked his lair from behind. If his lair was captured, his military morale would inevitably be shaken and his morale would be unstable. Our chances of winning would be greater. This is the best way to destroy Wu Shaocheng."
Zhu Si walked a few steps with his hands behind his back: "I believe the military advisor also understands that what I want more is his hundreds of warships. I would rather attack his lair later than seize the ships first."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The minister has made arrangements and his warship cannot escape our grasp."
Zhu Si knew that Liu Sigu had sent someone to secretly bribe Wu Shaocheng's navy lieutenant. He nodded and said, "Then take advantage of the fact that Guo Song is busy moving the capital and has no time to take care of us, and seize Huaixi as soon as possible."
"Wei Chen understands!"
"In addition, how much is the salt tax inventory now?" Zhu Si asked again, which was also the main reason why he came to Yangzhou for inspection.
"There are three million coins, which have been loaded on the ship and are ready to go at any time!"
Zhu Si rubbed his hands and said with a satisfied smile: "Then go north with me to avoid being robbed along the way."
In the afternoon of that day, Zhu Si led an army of 30,000 people to the north, accompanied by thousands of ships carrying 3 million yuan of silver and copper coins from the salt tax, heading towards the Huaihe River in a mighty manner.
...........
When Zhu Si came to Jiangdu, he mainly stayed in Zicheng and did not go to Luocheng. He was only interested in Yangzhou's wealth and salt tax, but he was not concerned about the prosperous Yangzhou business.
The people of Jiangdu did not know that Zhu Si had come to Jiangdu, and whether Zhu Si came or not had no impact on them. They still regarded themselves as people of the Tang Dynasty, and they still only cared about daily necessities, rice, oil, salt, and whether business was prosperous.
There is a Gaosheng Inn on Jiangdu East Street. Among the hundreds of inns in Jiangdu City, it ranks among the top twenty. It occupies a large area, with a three-story building and more than a dozen small courtyards.
Gaosheng Inn is the branch of Chang'an Gaosheng Inn in Jiangdu. The proprietor is Li An. Li An actually takes over other people's shops. He is not really interested in inns. However, the fact that inns are spread all over the country is favored by Jinwei Mansion.
He took over and brainwashed the shopkeepers and clerks from all over the country. Gaosheng Inn became the intelligence point of the Jin Wei Mansion all over the world.
This is the important reason why Li An obtained the title of county duke. He made a great contribution to the Jin Wei Mansion, while Zhang Leide obtained the title because he sold wine and sold Zhangye wine to various parts of the Tang Dynasty, which solved the early military expenditure difficulties of the Hexi Army.
At noon, three women on horseback arrived at Gaosheng Inn. The three women were all very tall, wearing green warrior uniforms, pointed hats and hats, and carrying long swords at their waists.
One of them is about thirty years old and has a very hot figure, while the other two are immature, about sixteen or seventeen years old.
The three of them were Ying Caihe and her two apprentices. She went to Yuezhou to look for her parents, but both of them died early, leaving only one brother. But the brother was very snobbish, and the sister-in-law even talked harshly to them, turning them into
Be a beggar.
Ying Caihe was greatly disappointed by the attitude of her brother and sister-in-law. She left Yuezhou and returned to Chang'an after leaving a thousand taels of silver for her brother.
She was passing through Jiangdu and came specifically to see Gaosheng Inn. The owner told her that Gaosheng Inn was an intelligence point set up by the Jinwei Mansion all over the world. The owner also said that if he had anything to do with her, he would leave a message at Gaosheng Inn in Jiangdu.
Ying Caihe and his apprentice got off their horses and walked into the inn. A fat innkeeper greeted them, "Hey! These are three heroines, are you staying in the inn?"
Ying Caihe asked calmly: "I would like to ask if there is any message from me here? It was sent from Chang'an."
The shopkeeper was startled, "May I ask your girl's surname?"
"My name is Li Ying, from Chang'an."
Li Ying was the name Guo Song changed for her. The original Ying Caihe was dead.
The shopkeeper hesitated and said, "Does the girl have any other proof?"
Ying Caihe took out a round gold medal from his arms, with the words 'Jinweifu' on the front and 'offer' engraved on the back. This is the gold medal offered by Jinweifu. It is divided into three types: gold, silver and copper. The gold medal is of course the highest.
level of worship.
Ying Caihe also deserves to be enshrined with a gold medal. Her martial arts skills, abilities, and various assassin experiences are among the best in the world. Even Dou Xianlai, who is known as the best martial artist in the world, died in her hands. I am afraid that except for Guo Song, all the martial arts in the world are top-notch.
There are few people who can surpass her.
The shopkeeper's expression changed, and he immediately said respectfully: "Girl, please sit inside, someone is waiting for you!"
Ying Caihe followed the shopkeeper to the backyard, opened the door of a room, and saw a middle-aged man sitting in the room, looking at her with a half-smile.
Ying Caihe raised his eyebrows and said, "It's you!"
The middle-aged man in the room was none other than Song Tian, who she had worked with in Chengdu.
Song Tian smiled slightly and said, "Miss Ying, long time no see, please sit down!"
Ying Caihe entered the room and sat down. Two apprentices stood behind her, one on the left and one on the right. Song Tian glanced at the two of them.
Ying Caihe said calmly: "They are my disciples and the people I trust the most. There is no need to avoid them."
"Okay! Please read this letter first. It is given to you by His Highness Prince Jin."
Ying Caihe perked up and found that the master had indeed left a message for her. She quickly opened the letter and read it carefully. The letter gave her a task, but it did not go into details. She just asked her to cooperate with Song Tian.
Ying Caihe asked: "What is the mission that His Highness the King of Jin is talking about?"
Song Tian pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Burn down Jiangdu's official shipyard!"
.........
Ying Caihe then stayed at Gaosheng Inn, and Song Tian asked the shopkeeper to arrange a private courtyard for the three of them. They didn't have to worry about eating, so they could live comfortably and wait patiently for the news.
There are five shipyards in Jiangdu, four of which are private shipyards, specializing in building passenger ships and tank ships of less than 500 stone. Their technical capabilities are limited and they cannot build large ships of more than 1,000 stone.
The only one that can build a thousand-stone ship is the Yangzhou government-run shipbuilding factory, which is currently Zhu Si's warship building workshop. It is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River and covers an area of several thousand acres. It can build ten thousand-stone warships at the same time.
That evening, in the Hongxing Restaurant on the commercial street outside Jiangdu City, Song Tian was entertaining a man in his thirties. This man was called Li Run, a police officer from Jiangyang County.
Not far from Jiangdu County and close to the Yangtze River, Yangzhou government-run shipbuilding is located in Jiangyang County.
An si is a relatively high-ranking civil servant in the county government, but no matter how high the rank is, he is still a clerk, not an official. In the officialdom of past dynasties, the difference between officials and officials is equivalent to the difference between the wife of the principal wife and the concubine.
Promoting an official to an official position is as difficult as getting a concubine straightened up.
Li Run is only thirty years old, but he has been working as a petty official for eight years. In an economically developed area like Yangzhou, Li Run has a lot of money and a lot of money. His family is also very wealthy in business and is never short of money. The biggest desire of him and his family is still him.
It is his dream to be an official, even a ninth-grade official.
Song Tian then gave Li Run his most anticipated promise. Once the King of Jin captured Yangzhou, Li Run would be granted the title of County Magistrate of Jiangyang County. At present, the premise was that Li Run had to make contributions.
The first task Song Tian gave him was to obtain a detailed map of the Yangzhou shipyard.
"When can you give it to me?" Song Tian asked.
Li Run pondered for a moment and said, "I will hand it over to the manager in three days."
"Okay! We will meet here again three days later, at this time."