Han Hai Tang Ergui

Chapter 373 Salt

Yanzhou, of course, is named after salt. Among the three treasures of Dingbian in later generations, the first one is raw salt.

Not to mention now, even during the period of the later Republic, the salt ponds in Dingbian were the raw salt production bases in Shaanxi province.

Most of the salt in Shaanxi, northern Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia is supplied here.

In ancient times, salt was the most effective magic weapon used by the government to control the population. Before Zhang Zhao traveled, he often saw the protagonist cancel the official salt in time travel novels, and regarded this as a good governance. Zhang Zhao felt his scalp tingling.

In this era when imperial power does not go to the countryside, salt is almost the only means by which the emperor and the imperial court can fully control the local rich and powerful.

The abolition of official salt can only feed the local tyrants and make life more difficult for the common people, while the imperial court has lost an extremely useful weapon of centralization.

And Yanzhou and Xiazhou are next to each other, from Wuyuan, the state city of Yanzhou, to the state city of Xiazhou, only more than [-] miles away.

With such a close location, the Dingnan Army will definitely not let go of this piece of fat.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, someone from the Li family of the Dingnan Army served as the Yanzhou defense envoy and other officials. Although under the fear of the Central Plains court, they have not completely taken Yanzhou, but they have almost infiltrated.

Therefore, when Zhang Zhao's army arrived at Anlechuan (Shanshuihe, Lingwu County), more than two hundred miles away from Yanzhou, they were immediately spotted by Dangxiang cavalry.

But intentionally or unintentionally, Zhang Zhao recruited a large number of Yi Cong Xiaoqi from Huizhou. They were also familiar with this place. With the advantages of numbers and horses, all the party rangers who came to spy on the army were basically captured and killed.

And Qiong Re Duo Jin also took Zhang Zhao's three hundred Ba Shimi's personal guard Xiaoqi, together with two generals of the Lingwu Army sent by Zhang Xichong, to Yanzhou to deceive the defense envoys.

. . . .

Xiazhou, Shuofang City, if you want to talk about the famous cities in the northwest, whose situation is the worst, Shuofang City is the second, absolutely no one dares to recognize the first.

The city was built with three-component clay mixed with rice milk. The historical founder was Helian Bobo, a descendant of King Zuoxian of the Huns. The original name of the city was even more resounding, it was called Tongwan City!
During the later period of the Republic, although all the cities in the Northwest had declined, at least some of them were counties. Only Xiazhou became a small village called Baichengzi.

The biggest reason is that in the fifth year of Chunhua (994), after the army of the Northern Song Dynasty broke through Xiazhou City, Song Taizong feared that Tongwan City would not be penetrated by a knife, and that it would be so strong that arrows and stones could not be hurt.

This destruction was never repaired until Xixia destroyed the country.

Just when Zhang Zhao's army had arrived in Lechuan, Xi'an, beyond Yanzhou, Xiazhou's Dingnan Army Office was still hesitating about the affairs of Qingzhou.

It's not a discussion about whether to fight Gyeongju, but whether to continue to increase troops.

As early as March, there was a riot in Gyeongju, and after the envoy of the Dingnan Army was killed, Li Yiyin immediately ordered to send 3000 troops to cooperate with the [-] people in the north of Gyeongju, and a total of [-] went straight to Gyeongju City along Malianshui.

Originally, according to Li Yiyin's vision, as soon as his 6000 people arrived in Gyeongju, Li Yuanzai was about to leave the city and bow his head to admit his mistake.

As far as Li Yuan has a total of more than [-] herdsmen, he can draw more than [-] cavalry in the sky.

Note that these cavalry are not fully armored cavalry, but knights who can only be called armed herdsmen.

They are definitely not Xiazhou's opponents who wear cowhide armor and a small number of armored cavalry, not to mention the three thousand cavalry from northern Gyeongju.

However, things soon went beyond Li Yiyin's expectations. Li Yuanzai even summoned his troops to guard Qingzhou City to the death, annoyed the cavalry of the Dingnan Army who were only going to punish them, but they stormed for more than a month. He couldn't get in, so he had to send people to Xiazhou to ask for reinforcements.

At this time, Li Yiyin, the governor of the Dingnan Army, was a big fat man. It should be said that he was extremely flexible and powerful in combat.

Although the weight is too large, it is not conducive to galloping immediately, but the method of stepping is extremely proficient in practice.

It was also in his hands that the Dingnan Army underwent a qualitative change, from a Dangxiang tribe who only wanted to defend the four prefectures of Xia, Sui, Yin, and You, to an official warlord who focused on the Central Plains.

In the hands of Li Yiyin, the Dingnan Army would take advantage of anyone in the Central Plains who rebelled.

Historically, after the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Yiyin originally formed an alliance with the Northern Han Dynasty, but when he saw that the Song Dynasty had a tendency to dominate the world, he immediately turned his face and refused to recognize anyone, and began to help Zhao Kuangyin attack the Northern Han Dynasty. For three days, he chased after Xia Wang.

Such an old fox is naturally not a simple person, and he also smelled something unusual from the events in Gyeongju.

Li Yiyu, who was next to him, was still yelling that he wanted to lead troops to Qingzhou to cut off Li Yuanzai's head, but Li Yiyin shook his head slightly.

"This time, the Xifeng family personally led the troops to go out. I didn't intend to kill Li Yuanzai, but just asked him to explain and compensate some cattle and sheep. Why did he react like this?

How did the soldiers and horses in Gyeongju stick to Gyeongju for more than a month?Could it be that the Xifeng family was greedy for the wealth and goods in Qingzhou City, forcing Li Yuanzai to work hard? "

Li Guangrui, the son next to Li Yiyin, shook his head. The young patriarch of the Xifeng Clan was his childhood partner, and Li Guangrui knew him a little bit.

"Probably not, he is bold and thoughtful, even if he covets Qingzhou's wealth, he should do it smarter, not to mention he doesn't have the courage to disobey the adults.

Judging from his report, he had never seen Li Yuanzai at all.

I wonder if there is something wrong with Gyeongju himself?Then Li Yuanzai's second son Li Yanli followed the King of Han in Hexi to pass through Guanzhong. Could it be related to this? "

As soon as these words came out, Li Yiyin, Li Yiyu, Li Yimin, Tuoba Chongde and others looked at each other in disbelief, feeling a little uncertain.

The conflict this time was caused by Li Yuan reselling a thousand catties of Hexi refined iron to them, but from the beginning to the end, if you think about it carefully, everything is weird.

A thousand catties of refined iron, no matter where it is, is a considerable fortune. Then Li Yuanzai just had a son who brought 2000 people to the Guiyi army. How can he get so much Hexi refined iron? , and it was revealed so quickly.

Li Yiyin stood up impatiently, and he took a few steps back and forth.

"Even if it's related to King Zhang Han of Hexi, why do you do this?

He and I are both commanders-in-chief of the wilderness, my Dingnan army is from the party, and his Zhang family is just a member of the Momo, they all listen to the instructions and don't listen to the propaganda, why do you want to plot against me? "

Li Yiyin's way of thinking is actually not a problem. In the eyes of many people, Zhang Zhao still has a strong aura of a slave or a slave trapped in Tubo.

The Guiyi Army is very similar to the Dingnan Army, both are semi-independent military towns in the northwest.

According to the views of the people at the time, the Guiyi Army and the Dingnan Army should be allies who help each other and guarantee each other's semi-independent status!

"Could it be that the court has a secret order?" Li Yiyu thought for a while and said.

"No!" Li Guangrui shook his head rapidly.

"An Chongrong of the Chengde army has just rebelled, and the emperor has already brought the imperial army to Yecheng for defense. Even if he wants to move my Li family's town again, it will not be chosen at this time."

"And." Li Guangrui laughed as he spoke, "If the Zhang family in Hexi and I move the town, wouldn't it be a wish?
Liang, Lan, He, Wei, Qin and other prefectures are rich and prosperous, but they are still the hometown of our ancestors. If the Dingnan army and the Guiyi army are exchanged, the king of Han will probably be the first to jump up and make trouble. "

After hearing this, Li Yiyin also showed a rare smile, "My son is right, if we really want us to move the town with the Guiyi Army, I'm afraid that the King of Han will not do it.

Let's stop guessing here. My son will go back and prepare. November is King Han's birthday. Go to Liangzhou and see what King Han is up to?
As for Qingzhou, let the seals be sealed first and then be surrounded for a month. When the food in the city is exhausted, a certain relative will bring Li Yuanzai back to Xiazhou to have his wrists cut open. "

After everyone finished laughing and was about to disperse, there was a sound of crying and howling outside the door.

Li Yiyin's sixth younger brother, Li Yijun, was ashamed, with dried purple blood still sticking to his clothes, and he rushed in.

"Isn't Liu Lang supervising salt at Baiyanchi in Yanzhou? Who told you to run back? What happened?" Li Yiyin was shocked.

The White Salt Pond and Huama Pond are the two most important salt fields of the Dingnan Army. Every year, relying on war horses and salt, the Dingnan Army returns a large amount of supplies.

The high-quality refined white salt from Baiyanchi is a tribute to the emperor of the Central Plains.

"Brother, a group of people suddenly came from Lingzhou the day before yesterday, saying that Taiwei Zhang of Lingzhou was going to Yanzhou, and he was recruiting defense envoys out of the city to meet him, so we followed.

Whoever wanted to go out of the city for more than ten li, that group of people suddenly launched an attack, they ambushed [-] armored cavalry, directly killed Zhang Defense Envoy and seized the city.

If he hadn't run fast, he would have been beheaded outside Yanzhou City long ago. "

Li Yijun ran over and hugged Li Yiyin's thigh, and burst into tears with a wow.

"Not good! My lord, all the horse breeding land in Lingzhou is in our hands, and the Lingwu Army can't produce three hundred armored horses at all.

What's more, all the cavalry generals in the Lingwu Army have connections with us. If Zhang Xichong really wants to come to Yanzhou, we will definitely know in advance, and he will never dare to use such means. "

Li Guangrui was shocked, and looked at Li Yiyin with anger in surprise.

"Can you see clearly that it is indeed Jiaqi?" Li Yiyin asked with a pale face.

"It is indeed a cavalry, with a black leather armor and a strange-looking chain mail, with a horse spear in his hand, and a top-grade horizontal knife at his waist.

After a few dashes, Zhang Fenshi's teeth soldiers were scattered. The horses were also tall horses, much like Hexi's fold-eared horses. "Li Yijun thought for a moment and returned.

"This must be the Guiyi Army from Hexi. It turns out that this thief is trying to get the attention of our Dingnan Army!" Tuoba Chongde jumped up.

Li Yiyin was also furious, "This Yanmo thief is so bold! Hurry down and gather the tribe, Yanzhou, don't let anything go wrong!"

(End of this chapter)