Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Qingxi County.

Li Baozheng was sitting in the city tower having a drink with the county magistrate, and his attitude was quite polite: "Since you are the same age as the prince, why are you still the magistrate?"

Wu Bo smiled: "Provincial civil servants suppress the powerful."

"Then it's true that he can't be promoted." Li Bao suddenly realized.

Fujian was a major imperial examination province in the Song Dynasty. Just in terms of the number of Jinshi, Putian ranked first, Ouning second, Xianyou third, and Nanping fourth.

In the year when Zhu Ming took the imperial examination, Nanping County produced five Jinshi, among whom Wu Bo ranked the best.

However, until his death, from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, from selecting people to being officials in the capital, he always served as county magistrates in various places, and even if he was promoted, he would be demoted quickly.

He is not active in collecting taxes at all, but he likes to attack powerful people. It is strange that he can be a high official.

Although his official position was not high, he became very famous after becoming an official and was respectfully called "Zi" by Fujian scholars.

Wu Bo drank a glass of rice wine, pointed to the mountains and rivers in the distance and said: "Fujian is very mountainous, which is very suitable for growing corn and sweet potatoes. As soon as I arrived in Qingxi County, I recommended planting two crops. Now the people in the mountains rely on them to survive."

Li Bao praised: "If your majesty and the prince knew about it, they would definitely be very happy."

"It's no use!"

Wu Bo shook his head with a serious expression and said: "There are very few upper fields in Fujian, and even middle fields are not much, and they are occupied by gentry and monasteries. Poor people can only have lower fields, and the harvest of ten acres is less than one acre of land in Jiangnan. During the Ming Dynasty, If you want to achieve great governance in Fujian, you must suppress the powerful and destroy the temples, otherwise no matter how good the food is, it will not be able to benefit the people."

Li Bao smacked his lips, knowing what he should do.

Recommending this Wu Bo to the prince will definitely please the prince.

Wu Bo stood up on the tower, put his hands behind his hands and said: "If I become the governor of Quanzhou, and I have the power to do things for my own convenience, just give me three years, and I can eliminate even one temple in Quanzhou!"

"Just wait." Li Bao was very confident in this. He had worked with Ju Ming for many years and knew Ju Ming's thoughts very well.

A Jinshi who passed the imperial examination in the same year as the prince and had similar political philosophy, Li Bao felt that this person could join the cabinet and become the prime minister in the future!

Perhaps the biggest gain in this cross-sea raid on Fujian was not the destruction of Tong Guan, but the encounter with Wu Bo in this mountain county.

Of course, Ju Ming has to bear the pressure and support him all the time. Otherwise, with Wu Bo's radical methods, he would have no choice but to be demoted soon after being promoted, as in history, and eventually become "Wu Zi" recorded in the county annals.

A small boat came from the north, quickly arrived at the water gate under the city, and waved its flag crazily towards the city.

Li Bao said: "Here we come."

Wu Bo knew little about military affairs and asked, "If there are no people outside the city, will the enemy be alert?"

Li Bao said: "Xin Xingzong has sent troops to plunder many times. I'm afraid he has long been accustomed to the lack of people outside the city and thought that the people were scared away by him."

"Indeed." Wu Bo felt it made sense.

Xin Xingzong led his troops outside the moat and saw that there was no one at the dock and there were no people in Fuguo Street. He said with regret: "It's probably because someone escaped from the Qingyang Iron Works and scared the people of Qingxi County into hiding in the city. I’m afraid we have to attack the county seat.”

Xin Yanzong suggested: "Let's just go around the city and go straight to Quanzhou. What's there to grab in a small county in the mountains?"

"Alright, we must go to Quanzhou as soon as possible to grab a sea ship, otherwise we won't be able to go to sea." Xin Xingzong nodded.

In a few words, they decided to ignore the city and became more determined to go to sea.

Even the small counties in Fujian did not accept the Shengjie Army. What good situation could there be if they went to Guangdong? I'm afraid we have to conquer one city after another, so it's better to just go to sea and make a living.

As for the miasma on the island, just kidnap some more doctors and accompany them.

The Penghu Islands have already been cultivated by a large number of Han people. You can first establish yourself there and then slowly move to Liuqiu Island for development.

It was getting late at this time, so Xin Xingzong did not march anymore, but retreated two miles to camp, and by the way sent people to the Fuguo residential area to demolish some houses to make firewood.

Li Bao looked helpless as he watched the enemy retreat: "Setting up an ambush won't work. We have to kill them."

Wu Bo said in surprise: "Aren't you going to attack at night when it gets dark?"

Li Bao smiled and said: "How can a group of frightened birds use a night attack?"

Wu Bo watched Li Bao leave the city wall and felt that this man was too arrogant and conceited, and he might get into trouble due to carelessness in the future.

The Shengjie Army captured some miners at the Qingyang Iron Farm, and they naturally let the miners do things like setting up camp and chopping firewood.

Moreover, Xin Xingzong was too lazy to build a strong fortress. Firstly, the terrain was narrow and difficult to maneuver, and secondly, he was not afraid of the defenders in the city coming to kill him.

They even deliberately attract troops from the county, and maybe they can counterattack and invade the city.

The Shengjie army has indeed become useless, and its morale has been low along the way, but it is not afraid of the local troops and can be invincible with its excellent soldiers and armor.

More than 20 miners, led by soldiers, rowed boats to demolish houses in residential areas outside the city.

Before they even landed, they heard the sound of drums, and a large number of soldiers walked out of civilian houses and gradually gathered in formation on the street.

"There is...there is a Ming army!"

The soldiers of Shengjie were startled, and then ran away in terror.

Xin Xingzong heard the movement two miles away and immediately said to his cousin: "You take your soldiers on board the ship to assist, and I personally lead the troops to form formations on the shore. In such a narrow terrain, our army has the danger of water and land, which is the golden army." Don’t be afraid even if you come!”

Sheng Jiejun was lying lazily on the ground, bragging and chatting with each other to pass the time.

When the urgent bugle sounded, they thought it was the soldiers from the city who were coming to kill them, so they stood up slowly and followed the officers to form a formation.

They are really not afraid when they encounter the Xiang army!

The soldiers who demolished the house to collect firewood quickly rowed back and said in horror: "It's not the Xiang army, it's the Ming army in front. They all wear armor and have different weapons. There is no mistaking it!"

Xin Xingzong was shocked: "How could the Ming army be in the front?"

He felt that Li Bao had killed Tong Guan and there was still a lot of mess in Fuzhou, so it was impossible for him to move out so quickly.

The soldiers of Shengjie, who were originally calm and leisurely, talked and laughed and formed a formation to fight with the Xiang army. At this time, the troops standing close to Xin Xingzong suddenly became frightened when they heard that the enemy in front was the Ming army.

They fought with the Jinzhou soldiers under Zhang Guangdao!

Although the main battle was a water battle, the Jinzhou soldiers' artillery left a deep impression on them.

As the Ming army swept across the north and heard that it had repelled the Jin army, these victorious troops became even more frightened, thinking that they would definitely not be able to defeat the Ming army.

They faced the Xiang army like wolves and tigers, but faced the Ming army but were timid before fighting.

Seeing the Ming army marching along the river bank, Shengjie's soldiers looked to the left and right, trying to find confidence from Pao Ze.

The two armies were getting closer and closer, and Li Bao began to divide his troops to climb the mountain, hoping to occupy the top of the mountain first.

Xin Xingzong was also dividing his troops to occupy the hilltop, but...

After the soldiers he separated climbed halfway up the mountain, they actually raised a white flag and kept waving it. It was unknown when the white flag was prepared.

At the same time, the Shengjie troops on the mountain broke their arrows and shot them towards the Ming soldiers.

Showing the white flag is called "raising the white flag", and breaking off the arrow is called "no golden arrow". Both behaviors represent surrender.

When Xin Xingzong saw the white flag waving wildly, he was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood.

However, the morale of the victorious troops at the foot of the mountain and in the river plummeted, and some flag soldiers quickly pulled out white cloths from their arms and hung them up.

Then another officer from the Victory Army shouted: "Kill Xin Xingzong! Kill Xin Yanzong!"

The soldiers who had decided to go to sea with the Xin brothers immediately changed their minds when they encountered the Ming army, and even their own soldiers began to rebel.

Seeing Sheng Jiejun fighting on his own, Li Bao suddenly felt bored.

It seems that since the attack on Hangzhou, they haven't even fought a decent battle yet. Compared with the army of the Song Dynasty and the Puppet Chu army of Prime Minister Zhong, they are simply two extremes.

The Puppet Chu army even fought desperately in the streets after the city was broken. After the defeat, Li Bao was unwilling to forcefully attack the city and increase casualties, so he changed his strategic plan to attack the small southeastern court first.

But the basic quality of the victorious army was still there. It was not as chaotic as the Battle of Minjiang. Order was restored in about two quarters of an hour, and the organized troops threw away their weapons and surrendered.

By the way, brothers Xin Xingzong and Xin Yanzong were also kidnapped.

An officer knelt down and shouted, crying bitterly: "Please forgive me, General. We just want to return home alive..."

The other soldiers also wailed, and the grievances they had held in for a long time burst out together with homesickness.

Tong Guan's selection of soldiers was very strict at that time, and the physical fitness must be excellent, so most of the soldiers in the victory army were from good families. As a son of a good family, he has relatives and friends. The further away from home, the more he misses him.

Li Bao called an officer to him and ordered: "Load all the soldiers and armor onto the ship, and divide the five hundred soldiers to escort the baggage into the city. The rest of the soldiers will stay here for the night, and I will not send troops to guard you. If you want to come back alive, Home, just be honest and obedient. If one person in a team of ten commits an offense and the whole team sits together, they will never return to the north in this life!"

The seemingly rough and careless handling made these homesick soldiers settle down instantly.

Li Bao asked them to camp on the spot and did not even send troops to guard them, indicating that he had no intention of killing the prisoners. Fujian is too far away from Shaanxi, and they don't want to run away. As long as they can survive, they are all willing to be honest and obedient.

Even more obedient than when he fought with Tong Guan and Xin Xingzong!

Wu Bo, the magistrate of Qingxi County, couldn't help but come to check. When he learned about Li Bao's handling, he couldn't help but sigh: "The general is rough but fine. He is well aware of the changes in people's hearts. He is indeed a famous general in the world."

Li Bao smiled and said: "How can so many people be so particular? A group of northern soldiers who have been away from home for many years. The emperor of the old Song Dynasty is gone, and the coach who recruited them is also dead. What can they do? As long as they promise to let them go home "

"Indeed." Wu Bo nodded in agreement.

Li Bao said: "If there is still a war, I will even allow them to carry armor and drag these soldiers directly to the battlefield. In order to go home, to perform meritorious service, and to avoid guilt, they will become brave and fearless, even better than those under my command. Kuizhou soldiers are not afraid of death."

Wu Bo praised: "I have learned that governing the people and controlling the army are actually the same principle."

These victorious troops plundered the people everywhere, and their hands were stained with blood, but Li Bao had no idea about it.

All he had to do was bring the surrendered troops back to the north and hand them over to the court.

If he didn't feel that his credit was too high, Li Bao would even want to take these victorious troops to take down Guangdong and Guangxi, and then let them attack Zhong Xiang from Guangxi.