Shuhan

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, more than a month has passed quietly.

The time had come to August 25th of the third year of Tianming.

In the four states of the Han Dynasty, this war machine specially created for war has already started to operate at full power.

A steady stream of supplies and personnel began to gather at the border between Han and Wei.

Similarly, upon learning that Han's five-pronged attack on Wei was not just talk, Wei also began to mobilize the entire country, and the Wei war machine that occupied the Central Plains also started to operate.

The eyes of the world are focused on this battle.

If we win this battle, the fate of the world will be decided.

As for the Wu Kingdom in Jiangdong, no one thought that it could unify the world.

The victor who could accomplish the important task of unifying the world could only be Wei or Han.

As for the aristocratic families, they naturally prefer the Wei Kingdom to unify the world.

Because Wei's attitude towards the aristocratic families was better than Han's, and it was willing to cede power to the aristocratic families, it could be said that it shared the world with the aristocratic families.

But, this is their wish after all.

Although their family has a lot of say, it is not so powerful that they can control the situation in the world.

They can only influence the situation in Wei State.

It would be best if Wei won.

If the State of Wei lost, how could they guarantee their own wealth and the eternal power of their family?

People on the grassland live by following the water and grass, while the aristocratic families live by following the power.

In other words, they help whoever wins.

This is also the reason why the Han State’s military commander was able to obtain a lot of intelligence from the Wei State.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows, and the aristocratic families of the Wei State have already begun to make arrangements in advance.

Whether Han or Wei wins, they will be invincible.

Eat both ends.

now.

Hedong County.

Xiang Chong was wearing armor, and beside him was Yang Qianwan, a Di people from Qiuchi Mountain.

The task of passing Yubi, going through Hedong, climbing over Zhongtiao Mountain and heading straight to the north bank of Luo River was finally led by Xiang Chong.

This is both an opportunity and a test.

Yubi City is indestructible and cannot be conquered without a large force.

There are many aristocratic families in Hedong County, and there are not many common people in the prefectures, counties and towns. Most of the people live in the aristocratic families' strongholds.

If these forts are not removed, they may affect the subsequent supply of food and fodder and logistical support for the Han army.

But if you remove it.
I don’t know how much time and cost it will take.

Aristocratic quagmire.

That's what I'm talking about.

"I wonder what Guanglu Xun thinks?"

Xiang Chong was the commander-in-chief of this expedition to Hedong.

But it can also be said to be a pioneer.

He only has 20,000 men under his command.

The military advisor was Guanglu Xun Pei Jun.

As for why he is both a pioneer and a coach.

If Hedong is the main attack direction, the 20,000 men under his command will be the vanguard.

But if he is not on this route of the main attack, there will be no follow-up reinforcements, so he, as the vanguard, will naturally be the commander-in-chief.

"According to the news from the Military Affairs Department, Yubi City is strong and cannot be attacked rashly. Most of the fortresses of the noble families in various places are strong and cannot be taken without a large number of troops. If we attack by force, it may cause resistance from the Hedong nobles, which is not a wise move!"

Pei Jun talked freely.

He was born into the Pei family of Wenxi, and was a direct descendant of the family.

He is a brother of Pei Qian, the current head of the Wenxi Pei family.

There are two brothers in the same family, serving two countries respectively. No matter who wins, the Wenxi Pei family will not be completely destroyed.

of course
The reason why Pei Jun was able to become Guanglu Xun, one of the Nine Ministers in the Han Dynasty, was not because he suddenly ran to the Han Dynasty from the Wei Dynasty.

If this were the case, he would not be valued by the Han State, and could not serve as a military advisor for the army attacking Wei.

It should be noted that the importance of a military advisor is second only to that of the commander-in-chief.

If this person cannot be fully trusted, and a traitor is allowed to be the military advisor of an army, then this entire army will be doomed to failure.

He may lead you into a trap and you may not even know it.

It was actually a matter of fate that enabled Pei Jun to serve as an official in the Han Kingdom.

At that time, Pei Jun's brother-in-law was the chief historian of Shu County, and Pei Jun sent him there. He was more than ten years old at the time, but he encountered the great chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty and never returned.

When he grew up, he became famous and was highly respected by the Han State.

In this campaign to attack Wei, as for the management of Hedong County, Pei Jun, who was born in the Wenxi Pei family, stood out from a group of competitors. He was first promoted to Guanglu Xun, and then appointed as the military advisor of the Hedong Road Management.

"Then from Fengxian's point of view, what should our army do?"

Fengxian is Pei Jun's courtesy name, which is indeed the same as the courtesy name of an old friend.

"May I ask, General, what is the most important thing in Hedong County?"

"Yubi City is the most important to Hedong County." Yang Qianwan answered without thinking.

"It's definitely not Yubi City. For Wei State, Yubi City is very important, but for Hedong County, the Salt Lake is the most important."

Salt pond?

Yang Qianwan was stunned for a moment, and Xiang Chong's eyes flickered, as if he understood something.

The Salt Lake is a treasure bestowed by nature to Hedong County. It has been an important strategic resource since ancient times. It is related to the national economy and people's livelihood, and plays an important role in the birth and growth of Chinese civilization.

It can also be seen from the growth process of the Hedong family that the salt lake plays a vital role in the accumulation of wealth of the Hedong family.

The so-called Hedong families mainly refer to the Pei family of Wenxi, the Liu family of Jiexian, and the Xue family of Fenyin.

These three families are also known as the "Three Famous Families of Hedong". The reason why they became famous families is closely related to the salt lake.

It can be said that a considerable part of their wealth accumulation comes from the salt lake.

Since the Han Dynasty, the central government has implemented a salt and iron monopoly. The reason why the salt lake could become a source of income for the "Three Famous Families of Hedong" was that the Wei Emperor Cao Pi ordered Hedong County to "relax the ban on mountains and swamps" and abolish the salt monopoly. However, the abolition did not benefit the people, but instead "the rich and powerful among the people monopolized the use of the salt, while the poor and weak did not benefit from it."

As for why he wanted to "relax the ban on mountains and swamps" in Hedong County, it was naturally to let the Hedong families contribute, so Cao Pi chose to give in.

"The Salt Pond is very profitable and is controlled by aristocratic families. If the general occupies the Salt Pond and uses the profits from the Salt Pond to win over the people's hearts, he can gain the support of many people in Hedong County."

Historically, the emperor who issued the decree to "relax the ban on mountains and swamps" was not Cao Pi, but Emperor Xianwen Tuoba Hong of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Among the three famous surnames, Liu lived next to the salt pond and was the first to benefit from it. Pei and Xue also wanted to get a piece of the pie.

Emperor Xiaowen abolished the salt monopoly, not wanting to compete with the common people for profits, but the salt profits went to the wealthy families.

Emperor Xiaowen had no choice but to issue another decree to establish the Salt Bureau and restore the salt monopoly.

In his later years, Emperor Xiaowen lifted the ban on the salt lake and shared it with the people. The reason was still "not to compete with the common people for profits."

However, the profits from salt "arise from the Tianchi Lake, and there is no way to obtain it, because it is either protected by the powerful or guarded by the locals," and the profits from salt were once again divided up by local powerful people.

As for the rest of the people, "they came from afar in lowly circumstances, in detached despair."

The current situation is actually not much different from that during the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The Liu, Pei and Xue families fought for power and profit over the salt lake.

If the Han Kingdom could control the Salt Lake and lure them with the benefits of the Salt Lake, it might be possible to win over one or two noble families and make them work for the Han Kingdom.

"What Fengxian said really makes sense."

Xiang Chong approved Pei Jun's plan. "What should we do if we want to control the salt pond?"

"Wherever the army arrives, the salt ponds cannot be operated and are naturally controlled."

"In that case, Commander Yang, you lead your troops to build a defense line along the way and stabilize the position. I will lead a group to Yanchi to prepare to open up the situation in Hedong."

Xiang Chong instructed Yang Qianwan.

"promise!"

Yang Qianwan immediately accepted the order.

The Han aristocratic families are as cunning as foxes and difficult to deal with. He would rather kill the enemies on the battlefield than have any connections with the aristocratic families.

Besides
Those noble families were so arrogant that they didn't take him, a foreigner, seriously at all.

He couldn't be killed, nor could he be scolded. So, going to Yanchi would only bring trouble upon himself.
It would be better to stay here and do nothing, and when the situation changes, lead the troops to achieve success.

When Yang Qianwan is granted the title of marquis and appointed as a general, I will see if you, the useless families, still dare to look down on me.

Then
What noble family girl?

All of you should serve as my maids, Yang Qianwan, and keep my bed warm!

"We are all serving the country. This time you and I will work together. His Majesty said that whichever route can open up the situation will be the main force. If we can become the first to enter Luoyang, what a great achievement it will be. Not to mention being made a marquis, even being made a king would not be a bad thing."

"This principle will naturally become clear to me."

Yang Qianwan patted his chest and said, "General, don't worry that I'm upset. I don't want to go to that damn place called Yanchi! It's just right for me to stay here this time."

If people's morale is low, it will be difficult to lead the team.

The 8,000 Di soldiers under Yang Qianwan can be said to be the major shareholder of the Han Dynasty's Hedong Road troops.

If he developed a rebellious heart and intended to fight against him, then it would be impossible to achieve success in the direction of Hedong Road.

"Then I'll feel relieved."

The matter of managing Hedong can be described as extremely urgent. Xiang Chong found a way and could not sit still.

The next morning.

Xiang Chong and Pei Jun led 5,000 elite soldiers and headed towards the Salt Lake.

The 5,000 elite soldiers under his command were all veteran soldiers who were good at martial arts and righteousness, and now they belonged to the Southern Army of the Imperial Guard.

These people are veterans of hundreds of battles, and their weapons and equipment have all been upgraded by the Academy of Sciences. They can be said to be the best of the best.

Although there are only 5,000 people, it is no problem for these 5,000 people to deal with more than 10,000 Wei troops.

If they were to face the retainers of aristocratic families, there would be tens of thousands of them, so these five thousand people would be no match for them.

"drive!"

With lightning speed.

It took only half a day, and by dusk, Xiang Chong's troops had already reached the salt pond.

The salt pond is called a pool, but it would be more accurate to describe it as a lake.

If you look down from the sky, the salt pond looks like a crystal gem inlaid between the vast sky and earth.

At first glance, the surface of the Salt Lake Lake is sparkling and boundless, as if it is connected to the sky and blends into the endless blue.

On this vast lake, the white brine crystals are the most eye-catching sight. They are densely packed and stacked like snowflakes falling in winter, but more crystal clear and dazzling than snowflakes.

Under the sunlight, these crystals sparkle with brilliant light, as if they were works of art carefully crafted by nature, emitting charming brilliance.

Salt and iron. Salt and iron.

In this era, salt is a necessity of life and is extremely expensive.

This is a mountain of gold!

It is still a gold mountain that can never be exhausted.

"Set up camp first!"

Five thousand elite soldiers of the Han army rushed to the Salt Lake like a torrent, and the sound of their iron hooves shook the land.

The Shijia Salt Brewing Manor beside the salt pond seemed unusually quiet at this moment, and the air was filled with tension and fear.

With the arrival of the Han army, people in the manor had different reactions.

When the people in several manors saw the army approaching, they were terrified and packed up their belongings and fled immediately.

Their figures hurried in the dusk, as if they were fleeing not only the Han army, but also a trick of fate.

Other estates chose to close their doors tightly, as if this could keep fear and danger out.

Inside the manor, the teachers who were boiling salt looked at each other, at a loss as to what to do.

"Why did the Han army come to Yanchi? Aren't they going to attack Yubi City?"

"What do you know? The salt pond produces salt every day, and I don't know how much profit it makes in a day. Of course, they are here to ask for military funds this time!"

"We are just boiling salt. The Han army will not want our lives, right?"

Normally they only know how to boil and sell salt. How could they have ever seen such a scene?

Fear spread through their hearts like a chill.

The Han army set up camp outside the manor, with bonfires burning and war horses neighing.

The soldiers were busy setting up tents and preparing supplies, their armor flashing coldly in the firelight.

All this seemed particularly dazzling in the night, as if it was a silent deterrent to the people in the manor.

Inside the manor, the teachers gathered together and talked in low voices.

Their faces were filled with worry and their eyes revealed helplessness and confusion.

"We can't go on like this. We need to see what the Han army's purpose is in coming here!"

The person in charge of the salt pond, Liu Bai, a descendant of the Hedong Liu family, could no longer sit still.

"Han and Wei are at war. The Han army must be here to covet the benefits of the salt pond. Boss, we can't go out. If we go out, we will definitely die!"

The pale-faced steward next to him hurried forward to stop him.

"What do you know? If the Han army really wants to deal with us, do you think we can hide here and rest easy? Do you think this salt-boiling manor is the fortress of my Liu family?"

Liu Bai's eyes flickered.

The war between Han and Wei was like a fight between gods.

As mortals on earth, they naturally don't want to be affected.

"If you want money, that's great. If you want help from others, that's also fine."

The Liu family is naturally aware of the benefits of the salt pond.

If the Hedong Liu family wants to grow and become stronger, they must not give up the benefits of the salt lake.

The camp had not been built yet, but the main tent of the central army had already been set up.

Xiang Chong sat upright in the main seat, and Pei Jun also looked calm and composed.

In front of them were already account books of the salt pond's production.

"Pei Shiwu, the annual income is only 100,000 kilograms of salt?"

The Hedong Pei family naturally also has a share in Yanchi.

Pei Jun was also a member of the Pei family. As soon as he arrived, he raided the Pei family manor in Yanchi.

For Pei Jun, although the salt lake brought huge profits, it was not as good as the power in the court.

With power, how could there be less benefits like Yanchi?

"The manor has only added manpower in the past few months and stepped up production. It is not easy to produce 100,000 kilograms this year."

Pei Jun nodded without commenting.

Just as he was about to continue asking, the personal guards outside the tent came to deliver the message.

"General, there are disciples of the Hedong Liu clan outside the door who want to see you."

Hearing this, Xiang Chong suddenly perked up.

Can the purpose of this trip be achieved?
Hedong Liu, can you be of use to me? (End of this chapter)