Riding and cutting the imperial pirates of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 589 Gongsun Zan's Last Counterattack
Two days later, the Jizhou mission arrived in Shouchun. Wang Zheng led the ministers of civil and military affairs, various guards of honor, and two thousand elite tigers to welcome them out of the city ten miles away.

There is no way, if it is an ordinary mission, Wang Zheng doesn't need to be so condescending, but since it seems that Yuan Benchu's "illegitimate son" is here, it is not a bad thing to be polite.

After all, the current Wang Zheng really doesn't want to have a direct conflict with Yuan Shao, because this is not in line with his strategic policy.

From a distance, I saw hundreds of people driving and urging their carts. The carts were like flowing water, and the horses were like swimming dragons. There was a young man sitting on a tall horse with big ears, a dignified appearance, and a tall figure. Temperament, I think it is that Yuan Fang.

With the rattling of cars and the sound of horseshoes, all kinds of movements and sounds are mixed together. It is really smoke and dust, and the ear-splitting noise. The distance between the two parties is getting closer and closer without knowing it. Wang Zheng waved his hand, Shouchun is like this All the ministers dismounted from their horses and sedan chairs one after another, and Wang Zheng also walked a few steps forward with a smile, waiting for the driver on the opposite side.

When they were approaching, the Jizhou mission group also fell off their horses one after another. The young man walked forward broadly, cupped his hands and smiled from a distance: "It's an honor to have Lao Wangzhou Mu to welcome you."

Wang Zheng smiled slightly, and said loudly: "It's really a great honor to have a distinguished guest here, if you don't greet him from afar, wouldn't it be impolite."

Yuan Fang turned around and introduced the members of the mission one by one.Wang Zheng also introduced the accompanying civil and military officials to them, and the two sides inevitably exchanged greetings and respected each other for a long time.

Shouchun's side attracted the most attention from the missionaries, and of course Guo Jia was the first one.

On the one hand, it is because Guo Jia is the number one conspirator under Wang Zheng's command, and has gained quite a reputation in recent years, especially in Jiangdong Fengyun not long ago. For his advice and suggestions, his reputation will naturally be even greater. I dare not say that women and children know it, at least it is known all over the world.

Of course, the most important thing is that Guo Jia served Yuan Shao before. Because of this, Yuan Fang couldn't help but look at him a few more times. Seeing that Guo Jia was wearing white clothes today, he looked more chic and handsome, and he couldn't help but Secretly sighed, "Father didn't reuse this person back then, it was really a mistake."

After meeting each other, Wang Zheng ordered the ceremonial guards brought by Wang Zheng to call. The two thousand elite soldiers were divided into two teams. The first 500 men cleared the way, and the rear 500 men lined up. There were nearly 3000 people entering it, including guards of honor.The momentum is huge, let's go to Shouchun.

Although it has entered the winter season, but because the New Year is approaching, the city is still very lively, and there is an endless stream of pedestrians on the road.

Even if the people in the capital don't know Wang Zheng, most of them know his personal guard armor, chariots and horses, and everyone shows respect at the moment, and some people even kneel down to worship, no matter on the road or in the field, there are quite a few of them People, kowtowed heavily, raised their hands high, and then lowered their heads deeply.At first glance, it is sincere, and it is by no means perfunctory.

Seeing this scene, Yuan Fang's eyes flickered, and if he was thoughtful, he said with a smile: "Wang Zhoumu is very popular with the people."

Wang Zheng pretended to be modest and said: "Speaking of winning the popularity of the people, how can I compare with General Yuan?"

There is still a long journey from the outside of the city to the inner city. Along the way, the two of them drove side by side, chatting with each other. Yuan Fang praised Wang Zheng, and Wang Zheng put a high hat on that Jizhou shepherd calmly. , Others also each sought out members of the mission to accompany and talk, or toil on the road, point out the scenery, and talk about local customs.The laughter continued, and the atmosphere presented seemed very harmonious.

However, from time to time, it would happen that Yuan Fang secretly looked at Wang Zheng, and was discovered by Wang Zheng; or when the people from Shouchun's side were talking to the members of the mission, they were both thoughtful and absent-minded, and the questions were not answered. Case.

Beneath the harmonious surface, everyone harbors evil intentions.

Around dusk, Wang Zheng personally led the members of the mission to the Shouchun embassy. The room had already been packed, and the luggage and other things brought by the members of the mission were settled first, so there was no need to mention it for the banquet that night.

Singing and dancing to add to the fun, punching and guessing, and a lively drinking session until midnight.

Regardless of Yuan Fangchang's handsome appearance, he looks like a scholar, but he can drink a lot. A small cup is replaced by a large bowl, and a large bowl is replaced by a large bowl. The more he drinks, the more sober he becomes. Even generals like Wu Sheng and Wang Xiong are not his opponents.Almost invincible, it was not until Huang Zhong came out later that he barely fought to a draw with him.

Halfway through the banquet, most of the people were drunk, and Yuan Fang even lay unconscious on the table. Seeing this, Wang Zheng asked him to stay in the palace, personally helped him into a side hall, and arranged for two The charming maidservant waited on her personally. After washing up, she was about to turn around and leave when a voice suddenly sounded from behind: "Wang Zhoumu, stay here."

Wang Zheng paused, turned around and saw that Yuan Fang had sat up at this time, the drunkenness on his face suddenly disappeared, and his eyes were shining brightly. It was obvious that he was just pretending to be drunk. , After they closed the door, they looked at Yuan Fang, and said in a nonchalant way: "I didn't expect this sober soup to be so effective, Mr. Yuan woke up now?"

Hearing this, Yuan Shu laughed, picked up the teacup and took another sip: "Wang Zhoumu, you are indeed extraordinary. You can tell your intentions at the banquet with just a glance. No wonder only a few thousand people are able to invite you in Cao Mengde. It has risen from under the nose, and in just two or three years, it has become what it is today."

Wang Zheng has heard this kind of flattering talk a lot in the past few years, and there is no disturbance in his heart, and he knows that this is just the other party's opening remarks, so he doesn't answer, just leans down, looks at Yuan Fang with a smile, and waits for his words. Something else.

Yuan Fang raised his glass and meditated for a while, then suddenly asked: "Does Zhou Mu know what Gongsun Bogui did before he set himself on fire in the watchtower?"

Wang Zheng shook his head. The battle between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao had just ended. He was thousands of miles away, and Jizhou didn't have many people deployed. How could he know anything at this time?
Yuan Fang snorted coldly, with indescribable hatred in his tone: "This dog is truly insane. Not only did he destroy all the salt farms in Youzhou, but he even killed his general Zhao Yun before our army besieged Yi Jing. dispatched, lurking in the Yuyang area, and suddenly attacked the Bohai Sea at a critical moment, and most of the salt farms were burned by it! When my uncle and I received the news, it was too late."

what?
Wang Zheng was startled for a moment, but immediately realized, he was secretly overjoyed, well done!

Gongsun Zan would rather set himself on fire than surrender, which shows that he is a strong man, and it is not surprising that he can do this. Knowing that the situation is over, he naturally wants to disgust Yuan Shao when he is dying.

So what to do is the best way to block the enemy, Wang Zheng thinks differently, destroying the salt field is indeed a clever move.

Jizhou has nine counties and hundreds of towns, with a population of one million households. It is the largest state in the north, and its population, economy, and products are far better than Xuzhou and Yangzhou under the king's politics.

However, Jizhou is not without its shortcomings. As an inland county, there are few rivers and lakes in its territory, so it will naturally face a problem. Most counties do not have the ability to produce their own salt, and all rely on Bohai County, which is the only seaside county in Jizhou, to supply it.

But in fact, the Bohai Sea alone is not enough. In the past, Jizhou often needed to buy salt from nearby Youzhou, Qingzhou and Guanzhong. The cost of obtaining salt is too high, so since Yuan Shao took control of Jizhou, most of the sources of salt are to rely on his own Bohai Sea and Qingzhou's Beihai.

Of course, buying it all the time is not as good as taking it for your own use. This is also whether it is now or in the original history. Yuan Shao's first step after defeating Gongsun Zan was to go to Qingzhou and attack Beihai.

But now Beihai has fallen into the hands of Wang Zheng. Although the trade between the two places has not been cut off on the surface, the situation of the salt industry in Beihai is no longer what it used to be. The salt farms controlled by several families are now owned by the government. Can private salt be the same price?
Originally, Yuan Shao thought that seizing Youzhou would alleviate this problem. After all, Youzhou was not only rich in war horses, but also benefited from fishing and salt because of its proximity to the seashore. However, Gongsun Zan's drudgery before his death dealt him a heavy blow.

Not only destroyed several large salt fields in Youzhou, but also let Zhao Yun go to the Bohai Sea, is this not troublesome?

Once Wang Zheng learned of this, he ordered Beihai to cut off its salt road, which would be like cutting off its foundation. The salt price in Jizhou would soar in an instant, and the lives of the people would be miserable.
Under such circumstances, Yuan Shao had only two options, one was to find a way to buy salt from Guanzhong and hold on, and the other was to immediately attack Beihai and take this place into his own hands first.

However, these two methods have great hidden dangers. First of all, when buying salt in Guanzhong, the loss along the way is huge, or you have to pass through Bingzhou, which means you may be robbed by Xianbei people, or you have to pass through Yanzhou. That was Cao Cao's territory, and the other party might let Tongxing go, but how could it feel good to have his life in someone else's hands?
Besides, attacking Beihai is also very troublesome, because it means that it must be taken as soon as possible!
If Kong Rong was in charge of the Beihai Kingdom, it might not be difficult, but now that Beihai has changed its surname to Wang, is it still so easy?
Wang Zheng's current strength on the surface is at least [-] tigers, coupled with his outstanding achievements in the past few years, no matter how arrogant Yuan Shao is, he probably knows that if he wants to defeat such a powerful enemy, he must be well prepared. Only by fighting hard can we have a chance of winning and be sure.

If he hastily started a war after fighting Gongsun Zan for several years, he would face Wang Zheng and start a full-scale war.
Leaving aside who wins the game, at least in a short period of time, it will be difficult to determine the outcome!

And once Beihai cannot be taken as soon as possible, the predicament of salt shortage in Jizhou cannot be improved. Wang Zheng doesn't even need to take the initiative to attack. He only needs to use Beihai and Xuzhou as defense areas to continuously replenish the resources of the two prefectures and nine counties to the front line. Slowly consumed, in less than a year and a half, Yuan Shao's soldiers and horses were exhausted, and when the soldiers in the army were weak due to lack of salt, they attacked in one fell swoop.
The more Wang Zheng thought about it, the more excited he became. After analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of this, as long as Yuan Shao is not dizzy, he will not choose to use force to seize the salt of the North Sea. Then the purpose of the Jizhou mission is clear. .

But why did Yuan Fang take the initiative to tell him?Isn't this self-exposure?
Thinking of this, Wang Zheng looked at Yuan Fang with great interest, and asked with burning eyes: "Young Master Yuan told this general, and why? You don't have to worry."

"worry about what?"

Yuan Fang heard the words and said in a deep voice: "The state shepherd will know about this matter sooner or later, it is better to be open and honest, besides, you are an outstanding person in the world, and you have a reputation for benevolence. When you know that the people of Jizhou are in danger at this time, you will solve their worries and help them. That's right, could it be possible to take advantage of others' danger and take advantage of the fire to rob?"

Forehead.
Wang Zheng didn't know how to explain this, so he coughed dryly and laughed without saying a word.

"What's more, what kind of person is my uncle and what kind of mind is he, Wangzhou Muli has also heard about it." Yuan Fang said leisurely: "If someone tries to take advantage of the opportunity to make trouble or threaten him, I'm afraid it will only backfire."

Wang Zheng's heart moved, and he thought to himself that Yuan Shao's character is indeed not a forbearing person. In this case, it is really possible to choose the two plans that do more harm than good for the sake of face. is for?"

"The mission here is naturally for business."

Yuan Fang laughed, "It takes a long time for the salt fields in Bohai and Youzhou to go from repairing to reopening. In a short period of time, Jizhou is bound to be short of salt, and Beihai is rich in salt under Zhou Mu's rule. If so, I can't wait to see what I can do." Needs, of course, we are not rich in money and food, on the one hand, we need the state shepherd to reduce it as appropriate, on the other hand, how can we make up for it with war horses?"

In this regard, Wang Zheng has no objection. On the one hand, he is not short of money, and on the other hand, he doesn't care about money. He doesn't need to take the opportunity to raise the price of salt, and he doesn't mind the other party using other materials to offset the money. Mutual non-aggression", this favor Wang Zheng is actually willing to help.

But how can the other party guarantee it?

Seeing that Wang Zheng's eyes were shining brightly, and he groaned silently, Yuan Fang was not an idle person, he looked at his appearance, and seemed to have seen the other party's concerns, suddenly smiled and said: "If Zhou Mu is willing to help this time, he will definitely do so when he returns next time." Do your best to remonstrate with your uncle, make an alliance with Zhou Mu, and work together to cultivate the good of Qin and Jin."

The Han Dynasty valued faith and righteousness, and they were not far away from the Spring and Autumn Period. The covenant was still binding to a certain extent. Under normal circumstances, there would be no voluntary repentance. Yuan Shu acted presumptuously, intending to proclaim himself emperor, but he lost the righteousness. In fact, he didn't have a good excuse to tear it up.

So upon hearing Yuan Fang's words, Wang Zheng raised his head and looked at him intently for a while, then said calmly, "Then how sure is Mr. Yuan of this matter?"

"If the state animal husbandry can increase the price and open up business, at least [-]% of it will be achieved."

Sixty percent?

Wang Zheng frowned slightly, and shook his head directly: "Not enough." His attitude was very firm.

Just kidding, if Yuan Shao is unwilling to give a 100% promise even in the verbal agreement, let alone set the price, he will order to directly cut off the passage of Beihai salt to Hebei tomorrow!

Anyway, if you want to fight, why not force Yuan Shao to fight him to the death now!

Although the Heavenly Army is now a long-weary army and is also not suitable for war, but there are tens of thousands of absolutely loyal and extremely brave system soldiers under him, Wang Zheng has the confidence to last longer than Yuan Shao!
"If you guessed that this is the case before you do something, the state shepherd can't rest assured."

Yuan Fang nodded slightly, got up slowly, cupped his hands to Wang Zheng and said, "So it's better to make a plan for Zhou Mu as soon as possible. If you want to give me something, I'm [-]% sure to convince my uncle."

Wang Zheng was startled when he heard the words, and asked in surprise, "What is it?"

Yuan Fang smiled, and said word by word: "Chuan Guo Yuxi!"

(End of this chapter)