Fenghou

In fact, Ezhou, like Jiangling Mansion, should have belonged to Jingbei Road, but Chen Qing had secretly changed the concept. Of course, Chen Qing’s reasons were also very good. Fangzhou, Xiangzhou and Suizhou in the north should belong to Jingxi South Road.

But the problem is that the capital is gone, so Jingxi South Road should naturally be abolished and merged into Jinghu North Road. If Jinghu North Road expands northward, then Jinghu South Road should also expand northward. Chen Qing took the Yangtze River as the boundary and divided Jiangling Mansion And Ezhou expanded to Jinghu South Road.

The advantage of doing this is to send a clear signal to the imperial court. From the initial encirclement and suppression of Yang Yao, to the attack on Liu Guangshi's separatist regime, to the subsequent suppression of bandits and the annihilation of private salt, he carried out within the scope of Jinghu South Road. It did not cross the red line to encroach on Jinghu North Road, which gave the court enough face and made the court acquiesce in the Western Army's control of Jinghu South Road.

Even now, when Chen Qing wanted to take Xiangyang City, he did not resort to direct force, but asked Wang Gui to surrender and occupy Xiangyang indirectly.

Yang Yuanqing led the warships to Hanshui to intercept the main force of the enemy. Jiangxia City was garrisoned by the deputy general Wang Kai with [-] troops. Hearing that King Yong was coming, Wang Kai hurried to the dock to greet him, and Ge Qinghong, the magistrate of Ezhou, also came to greet him.

Chen Qing appeased everyone, then took a carriage and entered the city under the guard of the army. Jiangxia City is not very big and belongs to a medium-sized county.

It stands to reason that this place is located in an important place, so the business should be very prosperous, but Chen Qing can't feel this, there are not many shops and restaurants, which makes Chen Qing slightly surprised.

Chen Qing asked the personal guard Zhao Yingluo to go to the Guike Inn to rest first, and he went up to the city accompanied by everyone. From the top of the city, overlooking the vast river and the cool river breeze blowing on the face, it immediately opened up people's hearts and made them feel refreshed.

"That's Hanyang City over there!" Chen Qing asked, pointing to the northern county town in the distance.

Ge Qinghong nodded, "It is Hanyang City, the geographical location is equally important, and the division of labor with Jiangxia is clear."

"What division of labor?" Chen Qing asked puzzled.

"We have Jiangxia army here since ancient times. According to Hanyang merchants, Jiangxia is the place where the army is stationed, and Hanyang is the place where merchants gather."

Chen Qing was stunned, nodded and smiled, "No wonder I feel that Jiangxia City is a bit deserted, and the business is not very prosperous. It turns out that the business has gone to Hanyang."

"There is a warehouse city over there, which is very popular among merchants."

When mentioning Cangcheng, Chen Qing's heart moved. He now wants to set up a material transfer station on the Han River. Isn't Cangcheng in Hanyang Mansion ready-made?

Chen Qing asked again: "The commercial development of Jiangxia City is not possible, is it because Hanyang has a warehouse city?"

Wang Kai said next to him: "I feel that the main reason is the lack of docks. Usually military ships are crowded, and they will not berth for merchant ships."

"And before that? What happened before the warships of the Western Army docked in Jiangxia?" Chen Qing asked.

"I don't know about this... humble job."

He really didn't know, after they came, they took up all the docks, how could they know what it was like before?

Chen Qing looked at Zhizhou Ge Qinghong again, and Ge Qinghong sighed, "It turns out that the wharf is relatively loose, but now it is really tense. The civilian boats of the people can only stop in the Jiangxia River."

"Where is Jiang Xiahe?" Chen Qing asked.

"Ten miles to the south of the city, there is a small river that can sail and moor passenger ships and cargo ships under [-] shi. If it is dredged, it can also moor ships with a thousand shi. It is full of small boats, but it is not convenient to come to the county. The road is not good. Go, and give birth to the ferry donkey.”

"What is a ferry donkey?"

"It's just that some people use donkeys to transport passengers and goods. From Jiangxia River to the county town, they can't use carts, but donkeys. Their business is still very good."

Chen Qing was a little displeased and said: "The army doesn't leave in a day or two, why not pave a road? In addition, the river should be dredged, so the thousand-stone cargo ship can come in?"

Ge Qinghong didn't speak for a while, but Chen Qing saw his worries, and said, "If you have any difficulties, tell them directly, don't hide it, because there is not enough money for paving the way?"

Ge Qinghong sighed and said: "It's not about money. I believe that as long as the road is built, many people will come to help without money. We are afraid that when the road is repaired and the river is widened, military ships will also stop in. At that time, civilian ships will really come in." There is no place to stand."

"It turns out that I was worried about this. You can solve it earlier if you say so?"

Chen Qing immediately said to Wang Kai: "After Yang Tongzhi comes back, you tell him that it is my military order that military ships are not allowed to park in the Jiangxia River. If it is an emergency and needs to berth temporarily, you must discuss it with the local government. stop!"

"Humble post obeys orders!"

……

The first thousand and 110 chapters of Hanyang

In the morning of the next day, Chen Qing took Zhao Yingluo to Hanyang County on the other side under the escort of three thousand soldiers.

Hanyang Mansion has no garrisons, and the entire Jinghu North Road has no garrisons except Xiangyang City, which has [-] garrisons. There are only a few hundred prefectural troops at most.

Of course, Chen Qing is interested in Cangcheng outside Hanyang City. Cangcheng has a circumference of twelve miles, just like a small county. also played an important role.

Now Cangcheng has no military role and is placed under local management. After the Hanyang government turned it into a commercial warehouse, it suddenly burst into great vitality. Merchants rented warehouses here to store goods, which drove the rapid development of Hanyang City's commerce.

In fact, it was not because of the arrival of the warships of the Western Army that the commerce in Jiangxia was deserted. The fundamental reason was that the Shangcang City in Hanyang had driven the development of commerce. It had developed rapidly for two years, and the warships of the Western Army had been stationed in Jiangxia for less than a month.

There is no army stationed in Hanyang Mansion, only [-] prefectural soldiers are responsible for maintaining order. When the prefect and the judge heard that His Royal Highness King Yong came to inspect, they were frightened and rushed out of the city to meet him.

Although Hanyang Mansion is under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, who would dare to neglect the arrival of King Yong?

"Li Qing, the humble magistrate of Hanyang, sees His Royal Highness King Yong!"

"The humble Hanyang general judge Zhou Lin sees Your Highness!"

Chen Qing smiled slightly: "You two don't need to be nervous. I'm just visiting Ezhou, and I'm here to see the business of Hanyang City. I don't have any other intentions!"

"Your Highness, please go to the city to rest in the government office, we will report to His Highness!"

"There's no need to go to the government office. I'll just take a look. If my subordinates don't allow me, I don't want to alarm you."

The two state officials looked at each other, and they both breathed a sigh of relief. The prefect Li Qing said: "The humble official will accompany His Highness on inspection!"

"can!"

Chen Qing took Zhao Yingluo into a carriage and drove towards Hanyang City. Outside Hanyang City, he saw a large number of shops, various foot shops, teahouses, taverns, etc., one after another, very lively and prosperous, quite It feels a bit like Jingzhao City, but just outside the city, Chen Qing feels a strong commercial atmosphere.

The carriage entered the city under the guard of hundreds of soldiers, and there was a hustle and bustle in the air. The city was full of yelling and people coming and going. The shops were dense, and various signboards were dazzling. The whole business atmosphere was extremely lively.

You must know that the Western Army and Zhang Jun's army are facing each other on the Han River a hundred miles away, and this place is so prosperous that it is not affected at all.

"Prefect Li!" Chen Qing opened the car window and shouted.

Li Qing was riding a horse, and he hurriedly urged the horse forward, "Your Highness, please give me instructions!"

"I just want to ask, the business here is so developed, how many people does the county have?"

Li Qing quickly explained: "Your Highness doesn't know something. The prosperity of commerce has nothing to do with the people of this county. Neither the buyers nor the sellers are from Hanyang Prefecture. They are all businessmen from all over the place. Many, the population of the county is less than [-].”

"I see!"

Chen Qing nodded with a smile, "If you say that, the commercial street shouldn't be long!"

"Your Highness is right. It's about a mile to the east of the city. Other places are similar to Jiangxia City, and they are relatively deserted."

After a pause, Li Qing continued: "Actually, Hanyang is not prosperous in business, but in warehousing industry. We have a warehouse city, and a large number of merchants store their goods here."

"Then go to Cangcheng to have a look!"

Chen Qing ordered: "Turn around and go to Cangcheng!"

The carriage turned around slowly, and under the guard of hundreds of soldiers, it headed for Cangcheng outside the city...

Cangcheng is on the southeast side of the Yangtze River. The waterway has been widened so that merchant ships can sail directly into the city. In addition, a north gate has been opened to facilitate the transportation of goods to the county.

Chen Qing's carriage entered Cangcheng from Beicheng. Cangcheng is very large, with a circumference of twelve miles, and it is a small county town. It also has streets and rivers, and water and land run parallel.

But Chen Qing felt that there were very few merchants on the street, and compared with the prosperity of the county town, it was much deserted.

Chen Qing got out of the carriage and walked on foot. There were huge warehouses on one side, and rivers on the other side, where goods could be unloaded at any time. Chen Qing liked this warehouse city very much.

Of course, he came for inspection because of considerations. After taking Xiangyang in the future, the Hanshui-Shangzhou Road will be opened. Most of the materials from Jiangnan and overseas can be stored here, and the materials going to Bashu will continue to be transported to Jiangling.

If they were all transported to Jiangling, and then turned around and transported to Xiangyang, the distance would be much longer, and after the Han River passed through Xiangyang, they would not be able to take the Wanshi sea ship, and would have to change ships in Xiangyang, which would be a bit troublesome.

It's better to use Hanyang's warehouse and put the goods directly in Hanyang, but this involves another issue, that is, safety.

If he wanted to be safe, he had to garrison the army, and at the same time, he had to have a dedicated warehouse. Once the army was garrisoned, it would cause unnecessary trouble with the court, and he was not willing to mix it with other merchants' goods.

Of course, Chen Qing didn't want to drive out all the merchants in order to monopolize Cangcheng. When he was vigorously encouraging business, it was best not to do this kind of thing.

"Is Cangcheng fully rented?" Chen Qing asked.

"More than half of it has been rented out."

Chen Qing was taken aback, "There are so many, where are the merchants renting them?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, there are Jingnan South Road, Jinghu North Road, Huaixi Road, and merchants from the Central Plains. They come from all states and counties. The main reason is that the ships are short, so their goods are stored in the warehouse, and they will be transported slowly when there are ships. go back."

"I see!"

Chen Qing didn't have the heart to look any further, it was obviously unrealistic to rent a warehouse in Hanyang Mansion.

On the return boat, Zhao Yingluo said with a smile to Chen Qing: "Actually, my husband can consider building a warehouse group in Xiangyang. The Wanshi sea ship directly transports the goods to Xiangyang, unloads the goods, and then transfers them to Shangzhou with a fleet, and then uses camels and large ships to transport the goods to Xiangyang. The trucks are transported to Jingzhao, and there is another advantage of building a warehouse in Xiangyang, that is, it can take care of the Central Plains."

Chen Qing nodded and said: "After unloading part of the cargo, we still have to continue to Bashu, and take an extra section of the Han River."

Zhao Yingluo pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Actually, the impact is not that big, since thousands of miles of sea are already gone, do you still care about walking hundreds of miles of water?

In addition, it is also possible to divide the goods at the source, put the cargo ships going to Jingzhao together, and put the goods going to Sichuan Road or Jinghu South Road on another large ship, and send their own goods separately, so that there will be no unnecessary mistakes. . "

Chen Qing smiled and said: "You're right, you have to travel tens of thousands of miles by sea, and you don't care about taking hundreds of miles of river roads. All the goods will be sent to Xiangyang, and then a transshipment office will be set up in Xiangyang, and the transshipment office will decide where to send the goods? Anyway, there will be fleets of Jinghu South Road and Sichuan Road delivering goods, and the fleet will carry the goods to Jiangling or Hengyang on the way back, and the problem will be solved.”

"Husband means that the materials from Sichuan Road will also be transported to Xiangyang by water, and then sent to Jingzhao, making a circle of thousands of miles?"

Chen Qing nodded, "You don't know how difficult it is to transport goods on the Shu Road. After all the hardships to get to Hanzhong, you have to cross Zhongnan Mountain again. It takes more than a month for the camel team to go all the way, and thousands of them die from exhaustion every year." Camels, and bulk materials such as copper coins and grain are not easy to transport.

If it takes more than a month to go by water, you can transport the goods from Chengdu to Shangluo County in Shangzhou by water, and then transport the materials from Shangluo County to Chang'an by camel or cart. The land is much shorter and the road is flat. In fact, it is the best transportation route. "

Zhao Yingluo smiled thoughtfully, "I just now know why your husband is trying to take Xiangyang by all means?"

The first thousand and 110 chapters and seven summons

In Lin'an, Zhang Jun's report on the impeachment of Wang Gui was sent to the emperor Zhao Gou's case.

In the report, Zhang Jun added another crime to Wang Gui in addition to the three crimes of counselor Wang Jingxiu, and cooperated with the Western Army to gather ships on the east bank of the Han River so that they could cross the river without boats.

The situation was a bit serious, and Zhao Gou, in a rage, immediately summoned several prime ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Qin Hui bowed and said: "Your Majesty, I agree with Zhang Jun's impeachment. In fact, the reason is very simple. So many of Yue Fei's troops surrendered to the Western Army. It is impossible for Wang Gui's army to compete with the previous army. There are countless connections. First of all, there are many family members of Yue Fei's army in Xiangyang, and Wang Gui didn't drive them away. Based on this, Wang Gui can't distinguish his relationship with the Western Army.

Your Majesty, Chen Qing has seized Jingbei Road, even if he is not in a hurry to seize Jingbei Road, then Jingbei Road must be under his control. Wang Gui may only be loyal to His Majesty in name, but in fact he has already taken refuge in Chen Qing secretly. "

Zhu Shengfei also said: "My minister finds it strange that there has been almost no salt tax income on Jingbei Road in the past two years. It is impossible for the people not to eat salt, so where does their salt come from? It turns out that the salt tax on Jingbei Road has been seized by Chen Qing Now, how could Wang Gui not know about such an important event? I specially checked it out, and the time when we lost the Jingbei Road Salt Tax coincided with the period when he became the military commander, so I can almost be sure that it was him The official salt from Sichuan and Shaanxi was introduced into Jinghu North Road."

Emperor Zhao Gou actually had a good impression of Wang Gui. He felt that he could resist Chen Qing's temptation and defend Xiangyang for himself. [-] troops guard Xiangyang. If there is no accident, by the end of the year, Zhao Gou will be promoted to be the governor of the capital.

But Zhao Gou's biggest problem is that his ears are soft, his position is easy to shake, and he is more likely to listen to slander. Zhang Jun's impeachment letter is well-founded and well-organized. With a rational analysis, Zhao Gou completely believed it.

He walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then turned to ask Xu Xiantu, "What does Mr. Xu think?"

Xu Xiantu said indifferently: "We don't wrong any good person, and we will never let go of those who betrayed the court and His Majesty. The humble suggestion is to use the old method. Xuan Wanggui went to Beijing to report on his duties, and then temporarily put him under house arrest and sent people to investigate the situation. If it is true, then Wang Gui will be questioned, and forgive him for not being able to escape."

"Weichen also agrees with Mr. Xu's opinion!"

Qin Hui said from the side: "If Wang Gui has no regrets in his heart, he should go to Beijing calmly. If he has ghosts in his heart, then he will inevitably find various reasons to shirk. At this time, His Majesty will authorize Zhang Jun to find a way to relieve him." Wang Gui's military authority, escort him back to Lin'an for trial."

Zhu Shengfei also said: "My minister also agrees to call him to Beijing to report on his work!"

Zhao Gou made up his mind and nodded, "That's good! Pass on my will, and immediately call Wang Gui, the governor of Xiangzhou, to come to Beijing to report on his duties!"

……

Zhao Gou used the gold medal to deliver the gold medal quickly, traveling day and night, traveling three hundred miles a day. Five days later, the imperial decree calling Wang Gui to Beijing to report on his duties was sent to Xiangyang City.

At noon, Lieutenant General Tang Huai walked into the Tanxi Restaurant located in the west of Xiangyang City. He came to the elegant room of Haitang Room and met Xu Mu who was waiting for him. The day after Xu Mu met Cai Rang, he visited Tang Huai again. .

Tang Huai and Xu Qing had a very close personal relationship, Xu Mu handed Xu Qing's letter of persuasion to Tang Huai, and Tang Huai was moved by Xu Qing's persuasion, and Xu Mu handed Chen Qing's letter to Tang Huai in time, Tang Huai Huai finally made up his mind to join the Western Army.

Of course, Chen Qing would not hang himself from a tree. He wanted Xiangyang, not Wang Gui. If Wang Gui refused to surrender, then Tang Huai's surrender would be the same thing.

"Counselor Xu, today the imperial court sent someone to send the emperor's edict, and the emperor summoned Wang Tongzhi to return to Beijing to report on his duties."

Xu Mu quickly asked, "When did it happen?"

"Just now, half an hour ago."

Xu Mu pondered for a moment and then asked, "Then what is Wang Gui's attitude?"

"Wang Gui didn't say anything, and locked himself in the big tent."

"Then did he summon Cai Rang?" Xu Mu asked again.

Tang Huai shook his head, "He didn't summon anyone."

After a pause, Tang Huai asked in surprise, "Could it be that Cai Rang also pledged his allegiance to King Yong?"

Xu Mu smiled slightly and said, "The Cai family is the head snake in Xiangyang. Do you think they will be loyal to the imperial court or King Yong?"

Tang Huai said lightly: "Lin'an is too far away, King Yong's power is just a few feet away from Xiangyang, the Cai family may not be as good as an ant in the eyes of the emperor, but in the eyes of King Yong, at least they are still reliable local snakes, of course the Cai family will choose King Yong!"

"That's right, King Yong promised the Cai family that if things come to pass, Cai Rang will be appointed as the general judge of Xiangzhou. Similarly, regardless of whether Wang Gui surrenders to King Yong, King Yong will appoint General Tang as the commander, and Xu Qing, Yue Yun and Zhang Xian are at the same level."

Tang Huai was touched and said: "The Son of Heaven regards us as rebels, only King Yong valued us so much, King Yong's kindness... Hey! I only regret that I didn't decisively defect to His Highness King Yong last year."

Xu Mu comforted him with a smile and said, "It's God's will. God wanted King Yong to get Xiangyang, so he kept you here. So many things are not about leaving early, but about leaving wisely."