Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 279 Jizhou
On the sixth day of May, Commander Baoxiedao sent the main force of Zhang Yanqiu's army out of the mountain to the north of Nanzheng County.

"The last general came later than the commander in chief. I'm really ashamed." Zhang Yanqiu said with embarrassment as soon as he arrived in the city.

Shao Shude now lives in a separate courtyard of the Zhuge family.The neighborhood is Fangshi. This morning, Shao Shude was sitting on the attic, looking at the market that had resumed business.

Xingyuan Mansion is still quite prosperous.

Big cars and small cars come in and out, inside and outside the walls of the square, it is difficult to move due to congestion.The carts are loaded with commodities such as rice, porcelain, tea, salt, and silk, and are sold in the West Market inside the square wall.I heard that there is a larger market in Changliudian, more than ten miles north of Fucheng, where silk, tea, medicinal materials and other commodities from Hanzhong are collected and distributed, and shipped to Guanzhong and even Guanbei for sale.There are also many Guannei Road merchants who drive livestock to Changliudian for trade, and they all make a lot of money.

A trade that benefits both parties is a trade that can last for a long time.

In fact, Shao Shude now has a vague idea, that is to build a unified market within the jurisdiction.

The business system of Guochao is relatively fragmented due to the separatist rule of feudal towns and the state and county systems, with many checkpoints, and the cost of doing business across state borders is extremely high.Establishing a unified market is not only conducive to business development, but also conducive to strengthening the central authority.Shao Shude was afraid that he would forget, so he had already written it down in a bound booklet, and planned to discuss it with someone when he went back.

Of course, to develop business, there is also a currency issue, which is a headache.

When looking for mines in Lanzhou, the people below happily reported that they had found silver and a small amount of gold, but what about copper?
Moreover, the amount of silver found is too small. I don't know if there are thousands of catties a year.If this little silver is thrown into the market, there won't even be a splash.

Later generations of Spaniards conquered America and established the two colonies of New Spain and Peru.The gold from the Trial Court District of Mexico City, the silver from Guadalajara, the gold from Santa Fe Bogota, the silver from Santiago, and the astonishing Potosí Silver Mountain, were shipped back to Cadiz by ship after ship, 1000 a year More than ten thousand pesos (one peso is less than 30 grams).

Because the Spaniards dug the treasure mountain out of thin air, they lay flat and did not work, and used the gold and silver to buy things from other European countries.A huge amount of gold and silver flowed into France, England, the United Provinces, and the Baltic countries, which eased the money shortage and facilitated commerce, and the Spanish orders promoted the development of the handicraft industry.Moreover, the Spaniards had too many orders, so they had to use the factory system of centralized production to continuously improve the machines and increase production efficiency.

A virtuous circle begins here.

If there is not enough currency that is conducive to circulation (such as silver dollars), it is impossible to monetize industry and commerce. If you still want to engage in an industrial revolution, that is nonsense!Not only was the industrial revolution impossible, but even business was stumbling, and it was limited to a low level and could not be improved.

In the future, we have to think of a way to solve the problem of money supply.

"General Zhang is not slow to come. Although the Bao ramp is close, the road is not easy to walk, especially for heavy vehicles and horses. What's more, the hanging plank road, if you don't pay attention, you will fall to the bottom of the valley." Shao Shude motioned Zhang Yanqiu to sit down , Said: "General Zhang can rest in Nanzheng for a day or two, and then move his troops eastward, leave the city, and attack Yangzhou."

"The last general can leave today." Zhang Yanqiu said: "The 2000 pioneers have taken a small road to the northwest of Yangzhou. Commander Zhu on the Luogu Road has conquered Zhenfu County, and the pioneers have also reached the north of Yangzhou. Yang Shouzhong had to go from here The eastern front mobilized troops to return to aid, and the commander of Wuzang on the Ziwu Valley Road followed him westward, encircled on three sides, and Yangzhou would be destroyed. If we go late, we may not be able to make it in time.”

Shao Shude laughed out loud.The morale of the generals is high, and the first goal of the Southern Expedition will soon be achieved.I just don't know how Yang Fugong, Yang Shouzhong and his son are feeling now.Don't run away again at a critical moment, right?

"General Zhang is brave and courageous, and I think I will be successful." Shao Shude said: "Go eastward along the Han River, the road will be smooth, and the recovery of Yangzhou will be just around the corner."

Yang Shouzhong had only [-] soldiers, and he temporarily recruited some young men to get [-] soldiers, but there were many mobs.Previously, there were two battles fought in Huangjin Ancient Garrison and Xixiang County, and hundreds of soldiers were lost.Afterwards, the mountain people of the Yi Cong Army continued to climb over the mountains and launched offensives. The two armies lost thousands of people in the back-and-forth, and even some young men fled.

Another 2000 people were lost in the battle of Baoxie Road Xijiangkou and the battles of Luogu Road and various passes.Now he has retreated to Yangzhou City with no more than [-] soldiers, of which there are only a few hundred Yamen soldiers, and a thousand state soldiers.

On the seventh day of May, Shao Shude visited Zhuge Shuang again.Marshal Zhuge's complexion was getting worse day by day, his eye sockets were sunken, and his complexion was sallow, as if he just got up and looked at things in the past few days.

After sitting down and talking, Shao Shude took his leave.

He is about to reorganize his troops and go south to Jizhou.Zhuge Zhongbao was so arrogant that he repeatedly sent troops from Bizhou to plunder Jizhou.Zhuge Zhongfang led his troops to the south and was defeated. In the end, Commander Zhuge returned from Xingzhou. In the battle of Nanjiang (Nanjiang), he defeated Zhuge Zhongbao, beheaded more than [-] ranks, and captured thousands of people. Stopped the attack of Tongzhou soldiers.

But after the marshal became bedridden, Zhongbao came back to conquer Damu and other counties, and cut off the connection between Xingyuan Mansion and the southern states. Peng, Ba and other states are swallowed up, so that they can advance, attack, retreat and defend.Even if Xingyuan Mansion successfully completes the transfer of power, the seven prefectures of Tong, Kai, Bi, Guo, Qu, Peng, and Ba are invincible.

On the eighth day of May, Shao Shude led the Tielin Army, Tianzhu Army, Baosai Army, part of the Yicong Army and some Xingyuanfu troops to the south. The whole army of more than [-] people went straight to Jizhou.At this time, outside Yangzhou city, the same army gathered, and the final attack against Yang Fugong, Yang Shouzhong and his son was about to start.

On the tenth day of May, Zhuge Zhongbao led his army to Damu County.

"Has Lu Ji not responded yet?" Zhuge Zhongbao asked.

Lu Ji is the governor of Bazhou. He originally had [-] state soldiers. Recently, he was recruited into the army, and his strength has greatly increased.After Zhuge Zhongbao attacked Zhanbi and opened the two prefectures, he aimed his spearhead at Ji and Ba prefectures again, and repeatedly raised troops to advance. If Zhuge Shuang was not defeated in Nanjiang, it is estimated that these two prefectures would also fall.

The strong attack failed, Zhuge Zhongbao tried to win him over again.The governor of Jizhou was Zhuge Shuang's old man. He simply beheaded the envoy who came to surrender, and sent the letter and head to Xingyuan Mansion to show his attitude.

Lu Ji, the governor of Bazhou, has a taste of both ends of the first mouse.He didn't agree to Zhuge Zhongbao's wooing, but he didn't refuse either. The goods sent over were accepted as expected, but when it came to real things, such as sending troops to help the war and changing the flag, he pushed back and forth.

Slick warlords in troubled times!

"Back to the general, not yet."

"Don't worry about him, let's set up camp first." Zhuge Zhongbao ordered.

This time he brought all the best soldiers he could fight, the whole army was about [-] people, trying to defeat the main force of the army led by Shao Shude in the battle of Jizhou.

The reason for this is actually a combination of many factors.The news that Yangzhou was besieged by the army has come, and it will be a matter of time before it falls.Moreover, they set up a stronghold in the south of Yangzhou, built weapons, and may go south along the Lizhi Road at any time to attack Bi, Kai and other states.

At that time, Shao Shude went south from Jizhou, all the way from Yangzhou Xixiang County to Tongzhou, all the way to the southwest to attack Bizhou, all the way to Kaizhou, and marched in four directions. Can he resist it?Yang Shouzhong was overwhelmed by the four-way invasion. He demolished the east wall to make up for the west wall. He was defeated again and again, and he retreated to Yangzhou.

Shou, that is, die later, but in the end it is still a death.Unless there are some accidents in the middle, such as a plague in Shao Shude's army, being washed away by floods, retreating after running out of food, civil strife, etc., but thinking about it carefully, the possibility is too low to pin our hopes on this aspect.

Xingyuan Mansion, in order to pacify Bi, Tong, Kai and other prefectures, has been doing its best to prepare food, grass and equipment. Jizhou is also enlisting masters, transporting grain, cutting firewood, hoarding arrows, medicinal materials, tarpaulins and other military supplies. The second is not to give up until the goal is reached.

For the current plan, the only way is to go north to Jizhou, take advantage of the favorable opportunity when the other soldiers and horses have not yet gone south, and break through Shao Shude's road first, so that the enemy will be terrified, and all the roads will retreat without fighting.

Shao Shude is also an old soldier, so of course he understands the benefits of all soldiers marching together.But he still led his army to the south, and it was self-evident what he had in mind.

This is a silent conversation.

I will give you a chance to break the game. All the soldiers and horses will go south ahead of time, and you will also lead the troops to fight. Don't hide and hide, procrastinate until you die, kill a battle quickly, and whoever wins will take the initiative.

On the [-]th, the Dingnan Army crossed Dabaling, on the [-]th, they passed through Xiaoba Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Jiexian Mountain, and on the [-]th, they arrived at Lisuo Nanjiang County in Jizhou.

At this time, news came from the northeast that all soldiers and horses surrounded Yangzhou, fought bravely, and attacked Luocheng of Yangzhou with all their might.Yang Fugong, Yang Shouzhong and his son retreated to the inner city and resisted stubbornly.

Shao Shude read the military newspaper and fell silent.Of course Po Luo City is gratifying, but the casualties are a bit high, more than 3000 people were killed or injured.Although not all his soldiers, but also very distressed.This further strengthened his attitude towards the enemy's fortified city, evacuating the people and leaving no chickens or dogs behind!Let you hide in the fucking city, I will get everyone away, you can hide in the turtle shell and drink the northwest wind!
People are always the most precious wealth in troubled times, because human labor will create value.Cities, on the other hand, are generally for pure consumption. Without rural supply, it is a dead end.

It's just ruining your reputation!

When I was in Nanjiang County, I also received information about Henan: Qin Zongquan sent Zhao Dechen to the 38 counties of Xiang, Deng, Tang and other eight prefectures in the south of Shannan, and sent people to contact Zhu Quanzhong to express his surrender.Zhu Quanzhong hit the snake with the stick, played the imperial court, and asked Zhao Deqi to come to his side to assist him.The imperial court was not stupid, and ordered Zhao Dechen to be the envoy of the East Road in Shannan, and bestowed the title of Loyalty Army.

Zhu Quanzhong led his army to the south, broke through Xuzhou City in two days, captured and killed Yang Shouzong.Afterwards, he moved his troops to the south, defeated Qin Zongquan, and besieged him in Caizhou.

When Qin Zongquan fought, he never defended the city, and had a proper style of fighting in the field to determine his life and death.But after repeated defeats by the Xuanwu army, he was also afraid and started to defend the city.

Shao Shude sighed, when Wang Chongrong attacked Tongzhou with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, the governor Guo Zhang had few soldiers, and he dared to go out to fight in the field, and was defeated in the end.In fact, the ethos of Wufu in Guochao still likes field battles very much.Unless you have to, you will not rely on city defense to consume the enemy's strength and morale.

I just don't know if this kind of tough guy ethos who doesn't like to defend the city and likes to fight in the field will be passed on in the future.It is estimated that the legacy of the Northern Dynasties will dissipate to nothing.

On the 24th, [-] infantry from the right wing of the Yi Cong Army, acting as the vanguard, arrived in the area north of Damou County and began to set up camp.

That night, Zhuge Zhongbao sent thousands of troops to attack the camp, but they were repelled.The battle between the two sides is imminent.

(End of this chapter)