Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 654 Undercurrent
After the new grain came into the market, food prices finally stabilized.

Zheng and Huaben were the main sources of corn in Bianzhou. During the Yuanhe period, they supplied 15 Dendrobium millet to Chang'an every year.A few months ago, it rose to [-] yuan a bucket, but now it has finally dropped slowly, but it still costs [-] or [-] yuan a bucket.

Wheat is a little more expensive.After the news of Songzhou's attack came, the price skyrocketed, and it would slowly fall back like corn.

Rice was mainly produced in the seven prefectures of Bian, Chen, Xu, Cai, Bo, Shou, and Guang, especially Cai, Shou, and Guang, which were either severely damaged by the war or had already fallen, so the price of rice rose the most.

However, the overall situation is actually good. The grain with the largest output in Henan is millet, followed by wheat. The impact of the shortage of rice is not too great.

"Judge Pei, the harvest of grain and beans has dropped a lot this year." It's already September, and some farmers in the fields have already started sowing in autumn. Xiao Fu quietly looked at the busy farmers and said with emotion: "The summer thief has entered Danzhou again." , if this continues, I don’t know when it will end.”

"This year, I was caught off guard, which made Xia's thieves feel like they had entered a land without people. If they were prepared, the thieves wouldn't be so rampant, right?" Pei Di is not a warrior, so he made a judgment in line with his own cognition.

"It's not that simple." Xiao Fu smiled, but he didn't want to say anything deeply.

In his opinion, Shao thief is very good at using soldiers.It's not the kind of military use where the two armies confront each other, each out of their own way, and fight each other, but start from the overall situation.

He is like a skilled chess player who takes a move first to see the effect, and then takes another step to accumulate advantages little by little.And very good at picking pieces, not using pieces.

Zhu Jin in Yanzhou also had a lot of cavalry, and they once gathered to harass the Liang army's grain road, but they always fought head-on, head-to-head, and the effect was not very good.

In the Battle of Shanzhou, the Yanzhou cavalry was overwhelming, sometimes harassing the grain roads, sometimes attacking the marching Liang army, but they always returned in defeat.After Liang Jun formed the formation, he rushed forward and tried again and again, but the infantry was tenacious and did not move, and finally lost patience and stormed the infantry formation.The result is obvious, fiasco, "single ride away".

Shao thief will not force it, although Xia thief Flying Dragon Army has the capital to force it, but it always avoids the truth.You come to Zhengzhou, I go to Huazhou, you chase after Huazhou, I run to Caozhou, harassing everywhere.During the period of the Civil War, there were many grain transportation teams and Tutuan village braves among the states and counties.

The most important thing is that they have many horses and mules, most of them are heavily armored infantry, which is far inferior to Zhu Jin's cavalry.

Whether you can dismount and fight on foot is extremely important.

It is not difficult to encircle and intercept [-] cavalry, but it is difficult to encircle and intercept [-] cavalry and infantry.

"Xiao Shijun, can't you beat the thief Qi Bizhang?" Pei Di asked.

"If Xia Thief is willing to fight, it would be easy." Xiao Fu shook his head and smiled, "I won't talk about that anymore. I ask Judge Pei to take care of the dispatch of the grain ship to Biankou. Pang Dutou is in a hurry , 15 dendrobium grains and beans must be stockpiled before winter.”

"Will there be a big battle over Pang Dutou?" Pei Di frowned. Zheng and Hua had just calmed down. If they were invaded again, the impact would be too bad.

"After the big river freezes, the Xia thief will definitely come." Xiao Fu said without hesitation.

Pei Diruo realized something.The Xia bandits had just breached Guanghe Town a while ago, out of thousands of garrison troops, only a few evacuated by boats, most of them were killed by the bandits.

This group is still attacking Banzhu City. I heard that the situation is very critical, and the city wall has been damaged in many places.The navy transported troops and materials for repairing the city wall several times to save the crisis.But the reinforcements had already been attacked by the Xia Thieves once, and the losses were serious. If the attack continued, Banzhu City would be in danger.

"I heard that the Shao bandits are patrolling Heyang, can we mobilize a large army to the north to gather and wipe them out?" Pei Di asked again.

"It's difficult. If Wei Bo doesn't want to send troops, this matter is useless." Xiao Fu didn't want to continue talking about this matter, so he decisively ended the topic, saying: "Please trouble Judge Pei."

"It's a matter of duty." Pei Di reluctantly replied with some concerns.

After parting with Pei Di, Xiao Fu rode back to the city.

He stopped as he passed a village.

The village was doing ceremonial affairs, and they sent someone to inquire. It turned out that two brothers died in battle in Banzhu City, Hebei.

The elder brother was a Bianzhou state soldier who died as a garrison guarding the city. The younger brother was a Tutuan villager in Kaifeng County who was enlisted for reinforcements.

awful!The dead body has not been found, and the funeral is unspeakable.

"Sun Erlang, you have also been a martial artist for many years. From your point of view, is Xia Bandit feared in the army?" Xiao Fu asked, turning his head to look at a certain follower.

Sun Erlang is the commander of the Bianzhou State Army, and has been in the army for more than ten years. When he saw Xiao Fu's question, he froze there, as if he was thinking about how to answer.

"To be honest, can I still harm you?" Xiao Fu laughed.

Sun Erlang was also a straightforward person, so he stopped hesitating and said, "Fear is out of the question. If Bandit Xia stood in front of us, he would still dare to fight. There is a saying in the army that Bandit Shao uses troops to make us weak. So, encountering Xia bandits is always a bad thing. In the past when the Baosheng army encountered Xia bandits, the flagpole was broken for no reason. Pang Du attacked Heqing with his head, and the sky seemed to be poked into a hole. It rained continuously for days, and the soldiers couldn't even eat a hot meal. Many people got sick and had to retreat. This year in Caizhou’s war, Cui Hong defected and almost lost the three cities of Caizhou.”

Xiao Fu frowned in thought.

This trend is not good.If this statement is allowed to spread, it may damage morale.

"What else to say?" Xiao Fu asked again.

Sun Erlang hesitated for a moment, and said: "When the army's robes were having a private drink, someone bet that if the bandits come again this winter and summer, someone will turn against them."

"What do you guys think?"

"Some people say that Hu Zhen wants to surrender."

Xiao Fu's expression changed.Sun Erlang was so frightened that he repeatedly pleaded guilty.

"It's none of your business." Xiao Fu comforted: "Just remember not to spread these rumors."

"Of order." Sun Erlang replied honestly.

Xiao Fu sighed.There are some things that spread too much, and what is false can easily become true.

These warriors really dare to say anything when they return home on leave!
But, why is there such a saying that Hu Zhen wants to surrender?

He is from Jiangling Mansion, his family is well-off, he learned riding and archery as a young man, and is famous far and wide.Later, the family helped run a county magistrate, a proper local tyrant.

Huang Chao couldn't stand in Henan, so he was forced to turn to the south, and Hu Zhen joined the gang.Then he moved to various places, entered Chang'an, and stayed with Liang Wang anyway, and then went out to Xuanwu, until now.

In the second year of Guangqi (886), Liang Wangbiao Hu Zhen served as Xuanyi Jiedushi. This is a manifestation of Xinzhong, and maybe it is also a precursor to problems?
Alas, King Liang's old problem is gone!

Use newcomers to overwhelm the old, gradually weaken the influence of the senior and prestige Yuan Cong generals, and ensure that he is the only voice in the Xuanwu Army.Hu Zhen has gradually become unknown, and he doesn't seem to be dissatisfied, but is there really no dissatisfaction?
Xiao Fu didn't know.

He only knew that such rumors could not be allowed to pass on, otherwise he was afraid that the falsehood would become true.

"Do the sergeants think that summer thieves will attack in winter?" Xiao Fu asked.

"Everyone thinks that we must come." Sun Erlang replied, not daring to say another word, for fear of causing complications.

Xiao Fu nodded and said, "Go back to the city."

Pei Di hasn't seen clearly yet!

He only saw a lot of soldiers and horses deployed on the south bank of the river, thinking that they could deter the thieves from going south.But in the eyes of Datoubing, an opponent like Xia Bandit is extremely ferocious and extremely murderous, and it is abnormal for him to cross the river.

Xiao Fu entered Bianzhou before the city gate was closed.

The Double Ninth Festival is approaching, and the city is still very lively.Many people are buying holiday items, and the merchants are beaming.

But there is also a discordant side.

There were tax collectors from shop to shop urging tax money, and the merchants greeted them with smiles on their faces and offered them goods, but when the tax collectors left, they cursed again.

Xiao Fu has seen this kind of scene a lot these days.

After years of fighting, many soldiers were killed and injured, and this pension will be issued.In order to complement the establishment, new recruits must be recruited, which is another large expense.

In fact, the establishment of some troops has not been completed until now.

Wei Boluo Hongxin was ungrateful, and he reduced the money, food and silk for the offering on the pretext of being harmed by Li Keyong this year.Liang Wang was relieved on the surface, but in fact his anger was welling up. If it wasn't for the wrong timing, he might have sent troops to invade Weizhou, and then teach those killers a lesson.

Financial planning is difficult, and taxes have to be raised!
Du Hong voted for Shao bandits, Luo Hongxin reduced his offerings, Hua, Zheng, Shan, Song and other prefectures were also invaded by bandit troops, and many farmlands delayed the spring sowing of millet and wheat, so they had to rush to plant some miscellaneous grains, and the harvest was affected.

Xiao Fu seemed to hear some kind of overwhelmed breaking sound.More and more cracks have been revealed on the body of Xuanwujun, a behemoth.

After returning home, he abandoned his wife and children, and went into the study by himself.

After sitting quietly for a while, he removed a cabinet, and took out a copy of the report from under a movable floor tile.

"Doctor Tianzhi is endowed with beauty, and Shuanggui is full of virginity. Weier Fangyou, who is valuable when he sees use; he is awe-inspiring and straightforward, and can finally be jealous of evil... The former official lost his way and devoted himself to the road of righteousness, eliminating confusion forever Aspirations can be rewarded for good looks... to carry out poor governance on behalf of others, to retain talented people, to comfort the tiredness of the four counties, to observe the poor neighbors (kuāng ráng).

Shao Shude issued it to him in the name of the imperial court. Once he surrenders, he can serve as the military envoy of the probation army and lead the four prefectures of Xu, Su, Hao and Si.

Xiao Fu never agreed, nor did he want to betray King Liang, but he left this confession by accident.

Occasionally thinking about this matter, a thought always pops up in my mind: King Xia keeps his word, he asked you to be a Jiedu envoy, even if he is reluctant, he will fulfill his promise.

Xiao Fu has carefully analyzed his heart, and he has to admit that the gradual rise of Xiao Yun and Xiao Yun brothers in King Xia's military and political system eventually had an impact that cannot be ignored.

I can't write two Xiao characters in one stroke, and King Xia must have seen this when he came to me.Xiao Fu smiled wryly.

Liang Wang kept a close eye on Hu Zhen, Zhu Zhen, Pang Shigu and other generals in command, but he was very tolerant of him, a food envoy who had no soldiers.His daughter married Xie Yanzhang, but the father and son Ge and Xie didn't have a high status after all, they always led the teacher and were not stared at.

Find me to win over, Xia Wang is really a good way.

Xiao Fu sat for a long time, and wanted to burn the confession several times, but he couldn't make up his mind, so he had to hide it again.

Just wait a little longer.

(End of this chapter)