Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

When Ju Ming captured Luo Luo Long, Ju Meng, the Great Ghost Lord of Baimandu, still had not sent out his army.

Ju Meng believed that with his son bringing more than a thousand elite troops and his brother Su's reinforcements, there would be no problem in holding on for a month.

He himself is still gathering troops and preparing food and fodder.

There were two barbarians in the south looking at them with eager eyes. Ju Meng had to reserve enough troops to defend them before he dared to lead his army north to attack the Han people. This requires summoning more people from the middle of the mountain. There are always many tribes that are slow to arrive, and it is considered extremely fast to arrive in half a month.

"This is the righteous man Qiao Huan, whose courtesy name is Zu Le." Zhu Ming introduced.

Qiao Huan bowed and said: "Jiazhou scholar Qiao Huan pays homage to Prefect Yuwen!"

"A righteous man does not need to be polite." Yuwen Chang took Qiao Huan's hand, "Since Zule is a scholar from Jiazhou, why did he come to this barbarian land?"

Qiao Huan didn't explain too much: "I committed something."

Yu Wenchang said: "As long as it is not a serious crime, I will report to the Ming Dynasty to find a background for you."

"Qiao" is an ancient place name, namely Bozhou, Anhui Province. The descendants of Qiaohou took the fiefdom as their surname.

The most famous one is of course Qiao Zhou in the Three Kingdoms. There are many people named Qiao in Bashu.

Although Qiao Huan did not help with suggestions, nor did he instigate rebellion against the barbarians during the battle. But he revealed a lot of important information in advance, which can be regarded as a great contribution to the conquest of the barbarians.

Qiao Huan said: "Please ask the eunuch to arrange for thirty followers to escort you. I am willing to take the mountain road to persuade the barbarians to send troops."

"Are you sure?" Yu Wenchang asked.

"I am absolutely sure," Qiao Huan said. "The ghost masters, big and small, who have surrendered can each send a son to follow me south."

Yu Wenchang praised: "You are as capable as Su Qin and Zhang Yi!"

The barbarian territories south of the Dadu River were divided into five counties in later generations. You can imagine how many barbarians there were.

It is common for various tribes to fight for people and territory. Qiao Huan was sure that he went to the south and spread the news of the Han army's victory. Those tribes who were watching would definitely rush to send troops - beat up the drowned dog!

Qiao Huan then said: "Please, the prefect and the county magistrate, stay here for a month. Don't send any more troops within a month."

Yu Wenchang instantly understood what he meant and said with a smile, "Then I'll wait for the good news from Zu Le."

One month was enough for Qiao Huan to convince several large tribes.

If Ju Meng leads his troops northward, the barbarians will unite to raid their lair.

If Ju Meng remains stationary and the barbarians confront his Chen soldiers, the Han soldiers can also attack southward.

Yu Wenchang and Zhu Mingzhen stopped advancing and took the time to build riverside fortifications. The low walls were built higher and the trenches were dug wider. At the same time, let the carpenters build more flat cannons, and the masons also polish the cannonballs every day.

Zhang Bor quickly brought the surrendered Ghost Lord Ah Fu over and said: "My lord, Boring has lived up to his command. The soldiers did not lose a single cent. He killed more than 600 barbarians and surrendered the Ghost Lord Ah Fu and the rest of his troops."

"Well done!" Ju Ming laughed.

When Yu Wenchang learned about the situation, he was also surprised. He felt that Ju Ming had so many capable people.

After careful questioning, we found out that Zhang Boring was a descendant of the famous minister Zhang Yong.

Yu Wenchang was in awe, because Zhang Yong's greatest achievement was governing Shu, and he still has a great reputation in Sichuan.

Zhang Yong can even be called the "father of Jiaozi". When he was in Sichuan, private relationships were rampant in Sichuan, and wealthy households often issued private relationships to engage in financial fraud.

After Zhang Yong reported to the Ming court, he began to rectify the Jiaozi market. Select 16 issuers, grant them franchise licenses, and regulate Jiaozi's principal reserves. At the same time, illegal intercourse was banned, and Sichuan's commercial and financial environment was rapidly stabilized.

"Unexpectedly, it is Mr. Zhang who is going to have a drink today." Yu Wenchang was very happy.

However, Zhang Bor raised his hand and said, "The governor forgives us for leading the troops on an expedition, but it is really not appropriate to drink."

Yu Wenchang liked it even more after hearing this and praised: "You have the air of a general!"

Zhang Bor defeated and surrendered the ghost leader Ah Fu, and the Han soldiers' food route was stabilized. Although there were some small tribes in the mountains along the way, the barbarians did not dare to go down the mountain.

Yu Wenchang sent people to the rear to appease them, and one after another several little ghost masters came to seek refuge with hundreds of barbarians.

Lin Xuan was sitting in the capital city, feeling quite impatient because news had been cut off for many days.

I was drinking that day when I heard a follower say: "My lord, there is military information coming from the front."

"Invite him in!" Lin Xin said quickly.

A messenger soldier walked into the room, knelt on one knee and took out the letter.

Lin Xuan read it quickly, clapped his hands and exclaimed: "What a great Yu Wenchang, what a great Zhu Ming, what a great battle." He then asked the messenger, "Have all the grain ships returned?"

The messenger said: "It has docked at the dock outside the city, and is escorted by more than a hundred troops."

Lin Xin immediately called Hu Cao to join the army: "Move another thousand stones of grain and send it to the army ahead."

Ju Ming has seized a lot of food, and there is no shortage of food for the time being. Asking for these thousand stones of food is nothing more than another insurance policy.

…

Luo Luo Cong, where Ju Ming garrisoned troops, was only eighty miles away in a straight line from Pugu Cong where Ju Meng was.

Counting the twists and turns of ravines and river valleys, the actual distance is no more than 150 miles.

It's very close, and even if the valley is inconvenient for walking, it can be reached in three or four days.

Seeing his son come back in embarrassment, Ju Meng was shocked and angry: "I gave you more than a thousand elite soldiers, but why are there only 800 left?"

Piao Li couldn't explain clearly: "Uncle has thousands of soldiers, and he occupies a favorable terrain. I handed over the remaining soldiers to him, and I led eight hundred elite soldiers around to attack at night. In only half an afternoon, Ah My uncle was defeated somehow, and his Luoluo cage was also occupied by the Han people."

Ju Meng asked: "How many Han people have come?"

Piao Li said: "There are only a few thousand people, and many of them are unarmed."

The father and son stared at each other, unable to understand what was going on.

Two days later, Buyu finally led hundreds of remnants out of the mountains and arrived at Pugulong.

When they met, Ju Meng asked, "How did you lose your village?"

Buyu did not think it was his own problem. He explained: "The Han soldiers had a weapon made of wood that could throw stones very far. Most of the stones were as big as heads, and a few were as big as millstones. The tribesmen were frightened and thought The Han soldiers are protected by ghosts and gods. When I was fighting desperately, many soldiers surrendered to the Han people and actually turned towards me."

"A stone as big as a millstone?"

Ju Meng thought hard and couldn't understand, and muttered: "Even Qing Mi Liang Qiang's cannon can't throw such a big stone."

Qingqiang and Miqiang lived in Shimian County, Jiulong County and Mianning County in later generations. They belong to the Qiang tribe that was integrated into Tubo, so they are also called the "Tubo race".

These Qiang people have learned how to make catapults, which are called "cannon seats".

Qingmi Qiang is very difficult to mess with, he is good at raising horses, and his bidding is very high. Wars often broke out with other tribes over competition for the horse trade. In order to appease them, the Han officials had to buy their horses at a higher price.

These two Qiang tribes aggressively attacked Lizhou during the Southern Song Dynasty because the government did not give money to buy horses. They also pulled in the Wu tribe barbarians and Qiongbu Sichuan barbarians and tried to besiege the officers and soldiers from all sides. The Chengdu Fulu Transport Envoy relied on spreading money to pacify the remaining barbarians, and then concentrated all his efforts to fight back the Qing Mi Qiang.

Piao Li said: "If it's a bigger cannon, you just need to rush closer and you won't be afraid."

Ju Meng thought about it repeatedly and decided to take the initiative to attack.

Because the surrounding barbarians are ready to move, if time is delayed for too long, the Han people are likely to join forces with the barbarians and launch a siege on the Qiongbu Sichuan barbarians.

Who allowed the Qiongbu Sichuan barbarians to expand everywhere and occupy the most fertile land?

In the past, the barbarians were afraid of their force and dared not speak out. But now that Han people are taking the lead, it is different.

Those Han soldiers must be killed as soon as possible!

A few days later, Ju Meng no longer waited for the subsequent barbarian soldiers to gather, and rushed out with more than 5,000 people, leaving only 1,200 soldiers to defend the lair.

There were even Han troops, all desperadoes who had escaped from Lizhou and Jiazhou. Most of these Han bandits were civilians at first and could not stand the oppression of the government, so they abandoned their homes and careers to join the Qiongbu Sichuan barbarians. Sometimes they even teamed up with the barbarians to rob the Han people.

After a day's march, we set up camp and made food.

More than a dozen Han bandit leaders gathered together. Sun Shu whispered: "I think Ju Meng is going to lose the battle. We can't follow him to death!"

"The officers and soldiers are weak and cannot defeat the barbarians." said a Han man named Hu Aqi.

Sun Shu shook his head: "It's different this time. Last time, the magistrate of Hanyuan came to deliver the letter in person. Have you ever seen which magistrate dared to go into the barbarian land? The magistrate is so brave, and the magistrate of Lizhou can still use him. The magistrate of Lizhou must be even more powerful. "

"What should we do?" asked another Han named Kong Daguang.

Sun Shu smiled and said: "This is our great opportunity! If you defect at the critical moment, as long as you make great achievements, you can get away with the things you committed before."

There are more than 200 Han people. They have settled in the barbarian lands and married plundered barbarian women.

But customs and habits are different, and there are always people who want to return to their hometown.

The Qiongbu Sichuan barbarians regard family as a unit, and the leader is naturally succeeded by his father after his father dies, but the lower class barbarians are descended from brother to brother.

The main reason is that productivity is too low. The younger brother inherits the elder brother's property and wife, and treats the elder brother's son as his own son, so that he can better survive.

Sometimes, the elder brother was only injured in battle. After losing his labor force, the younger brother automatically became the head of the family, and the elder brother's wife and children belonged to the younger brother.

Such customs are extremely uncomfortable for the Han people. I can understand it even after my brother is dead, but how can he be like this when he is alive?

Ju Meng continued to advance with his army. When he was still more than ten miles away from Luo Luo Long, wolf smoke suddenly appeared on the mountain. Immediately afterwards, wolf smoke started to rise one after another from the top of the mountain.

"We have been discovered, be careful ahead!" Ju Meng said to the ghost masters, big and small.

Piao Li was still the vanguard, this time leading more than 500 cavalrymen.

The number of cavalry on Ju Ming's side has exceeded three hundred, with only fifty Han cavalry, and the rest are barbarian cavalry who have taken refuge.

After receiving the Wolf Smoke message, Ju Ming personally led the cavalry across the river to find out the enemy's strength.

The two sides met on the plains of the river valley, which was relatively open and had a flat terrain four or five miles wide. It was actually mixed with many small hills, but it was considered flat land in the mountainous area.

Ju Ming ran up the hillock and took out his binoculars to observe.

Before he could decide whether to fight, Piao Li had already come over with his cavalry.

"How reckless."

Ju Ming didn't bring an iron mace. Anyway, the barbarians lacked iron armor, so it would be better to use a spear on horseback.

He complained about Liao Li's reckless character, and he was not much better. He actually put away his telescope and ordered: "Follow me to attack the enemy!"