There are more than a dozen state capitals in the south of the Yangtze River. Only Yangzhou Prefecture has been the most prosperous city in the south of the Yangtze River since ancient times. It is known as the first state capital in the south of the Yangtze River and has always been a must-win for all forces. There was a saying that circulated a long time ago, controlling Yangzhou Prefecture is equivalent to controlling the entire Jiangnan, which is equivalent to owning half of the country.
When the war broke out in the previous dynasty, various aristocratic families in the capital and the aristocratic families in Jiangnan planned to rob Yangzhou. Unfortunately, they were not strong enough and were no match for the rebels and rebels.
At that time, the rebels from the previous dynasty occupied Yangzhou Prefecture. They were very powerful and it was difficult for any force to confront them.
Decades ago, the Zhao family's rebel army led by the late emperor was not very powerful, but the Zhao family's rebel army had captured many cities in Guanzhong.
At that time, the Zhao family rebel army led by the late emperor faced two difficulties. The first is to continue heading north and attack the capital Chang'an. The second is to go south and attack Yangzhou Prefecture. As long as Yangzhou Prefecture is captured, other state capitals in the south of the Yangtze River can be recovered.
At that time, the previous dynasty had not yet been destroyed. All the forces of the imperial court were gathered in the capital, and there were hundreds of thousands of troops in the capital. If they want to go north to attack the capital, it will be very difficult for Zhao Yao's rebel army, and there is still no chance of winning.
If they want to invade the capital, the Zhao family's rebel army had better first capture Yangzhou Mansion and obtain money and food from Yangzhou Mansion, so that they can have the strength to attack Chang'an.
It is easier to capture Yangzhou Prefecture than to attack the capital. The late emperor and the advisers around him suggested attacking Yangzhou Mansion first.
In fact, it was difficult for the late emperor and the emperor to capture Yangzhou Mansion at that time, but they had to do so. With the concerted help of counselors and soldiers, the Zhao family's rebel army finally captured Yangzhou Prefecture. However, it took a lot of time in the beginning.
Back then, the reason why the Xie family of Zhenguogong Mansion assisted the Zhao family's rebel army was because the Zhao family's rebel army captured Yangzhou Mansion.
At that time, as the top wealthy family in the capital, the Xie family was not having an easy time in the capital. Because of the war, the court had no money or food, so the previous emperor raided various aristocratic families. If the aristocratic families don't give it, they will only have one end, and that is death.
Before the war broke out, the last emperors of the previous dynasty had been coveting the money of the noble families and persecuting them in various ways. Until the last emperor, he even more intensified his efforts to plunder the belongings of the aristocratic families, which made the aristocratic families in the capital miserable.
As the top wealthy family at the time, the Xie family was naturally the focus of the previous emperors and officials. The Xie family's vitality was severely damaged by being robbed. If they continue to be robbed arbitrarily, the Xie family may not be able to bear it. At that time, the head of the Xie family thought of a way out and took the idea to Yangzhou Prefecture, but unfortunately he failed.
As the world becomes more and more chaotic, the lives of the aristocratic families become more and more difficult. If no solution is found, the Xie family will disappear sooner or later in the chaotic world.
When the head of the Xie family saw that the Zhao family's rebel army had captured Yangzhou, he thought of marrying the Zhao family to provide the Zhao family with money, food, grass, and people.
After the Zhao family's rebel army captured Yangzhou Prefecture, they received a lot of money and food, but without the help of the Xie family, it would be difficult for them to successfully capture the capital.
The Xie family helped the Zhao family capture the capital and solved their predicament, but the Xie family was far worse than before. The head of the Xie family made plans to go to Yangzhou Mansion again. He originally thought that the Xie family helped the Zhao family and asked the Zhao family for the Yangzhou mansion, and the Zhao family would agree. Unexpectedly, the Zhao family did not agree.
Unable to get Yangzhou Prefecture, the Xie family decided to go to Jinling Prefecture. Compared with Yangzhou Prefecture, Jinling Prefecture is much inferior. Furthermore, Jinling Mansion was destroyed in the war. Since the Xie family wants it, then give it to the Xie family.
Not long after the late emperor gave the Jinling Mansion to the Xie family, he gave the Suzhou Mansion to the Xuanping Marquis Mansion. In fact, what Xuanpinghou wanted at that time was Runzhou Mansion.
Runzhou Mansion is above Jinling Mansion. As long as you get Runzhou Mansion, you can suppress Jinling Mansion. The late emperor did not agree to Xuanpinghou's request.
The late emperor's idea at the time was to use Runzhou Prefecture to balance Jinling Prefecture and Suzhou Prefecture, so the governor of Runzhou Prefecture was an official sent by the imperial court. Officials are not the prince's people, nor are they the king's people.
In recent years, most of the governors of Runzhou Prefecture have been members of the Meng family.
Although Mr. Meng lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests during the previous dynasty and only engaged in worldly affairs, it does not mean that he was a loner without any relatives. On the contrary, the Meng family was once a big family, and it has been a scholarly family for generations. Otherwise, the Meng family would not have cultivated a great scholar like Mr. Meng.
I don’t know if the Meng family has exhausted all their literary talent or luck in order to cultivate a great Confucian like Mr. Meng. The Meng family has become worse than the last generation since then.
The late emperor asked the Meng family to serve as the prefects of Runzhou Prefecture. The Meng family was grateful for this and was not in a hurry. They have been guarding Runzhou Prefecture conscientiously and preventing it from falling into the hands of the prince or the acting king.
As long as Mr. Meng is here, the Meng family will be fine in Runzhou Mansion. All the forces in Runzhou Prefecture did not dare to act rashly.
Ever since Mr. Meng became seriously ill, the prince, the people acting on behalf of the king, and the aristocratic families in Runzhou Mansion have become ready to take action. In the past few months, they have been secretly planning, waiting for Mr. Meng to return to the west.
After Mr. Meng died of illness, they couldn't wait to take action. The prince and the people who acted for the king were fighting each other on the Runjiang River. As for the Meng family in Runzhou Prefecture, they were fine for the time being. The prince and the people acting on behalf of the king did not dare to kill the Meng family now, after all, Mr. Meng had just passed away. They planned to wait for their people to rob Runzhou Mansion before dealing with the Meng family.
After Zhao Yao listened to what his second uncle Liang Run said about Runzhou Mansion, his expression was very complicated.
"It turns out that the big thing is to rob Runzhou Mansion."
"The situation in Runzhou Prefecture is very complicated. What I just said are trivial matters." Liang Run didn't know much about the situation in Runzhou Prefecture. "Whether it is the prince or the acting king, they are bound to win over Runzhou Prefecture." . In the past, when Mr. Meng was here, the prince and the people acting as king were still wary, but now that Mr. Meng is gone, they have become more confident."
Zhao Yao frowned and had a delicate and beautiful face.
Liang Run saw Zhao Yao's solemn expression and asked hurriedly: "Yao Yao, is there something wrong?"
Zhao Yao came back to his senses and said: "I didn't expect the situation in Jiangnan to be so complicated. I thought only Yangzhou's situation was complicated. I didn't expect other state capitals to be the same as Yangzhou back then." The situation in Jiangnan is really worse than in the capital. It’s complicated and difficult to do.
"Although the aristocratic families in the south of the Yangtze River are not as good as the aristocratic families in the capital, these aristocratic families have been entrenched in the south of the Yangtze River for hundreds of years, some even for thousands of years. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are emperors of the earth." Liang Run said, "Do you think the aristocratic families in the south of the Yangtze River will be willing to join us? The imperial court? Do you think they would be willing to hand over water transportation and salt to the imperial court?" The Jiangnan aristocratic families mainly rely on water transportation and salt to make money. If the imperial court wants to take back water transportation and salt, it is tantamount to killing the parents.
"Aren't they afraid at all that the aristocratic families in Yangzhou were eradicated by their father?"
"The aristocratic families in other prefectures are naturally afraid. After all, they are far different from the aristocratic families in Yangzhou, but the aristocratic families in Jinling and Suzhou are not afraid because behind them are the princes and kings." Liang Run said to Jinling and Suzhou He still knew a little bit about the situation in the mansion, so he was very puzzled, "Yao Yao, why did the late emperor give Jinling Mansion and Suzhou Mansion to Zhenguo Gongfu and Xuanpinghou Mansion? The aristocratic families in these two places were behind their backs. It is the prince and the acting king who have become more arrogant and domineering."
"It's very simple, let them bite dogs." Zhao Yao said with a deep look on his face, "Of course the most important thing is that the emperor and his family could not suppress the aristocratic families in Jiangnan at that time. After all, Jiangnan is far away from the court, and the mountains are high and the emperor is far away."
He added: "My father has been planning to get rid of the aristocratic families in Yangzhou for many years. Although Jinling Mansion and Suzhou Mansion are not as good as Yangzhou Mansion, the aristocratic families in these two places are not as easy to deal with as the aristocratic families in Yangzhou. They are just like the aristocratic families in Yangzhou." Difficult to deal with. Letting them dog eat dog is the best way to deal with them."
Liang Run nodded suddenly: "I see, but in recent years, the aristocratic families in Jinling Mansion and Suzhou Mansion have done a lot of evil things." He said, letting out a heavy sigh, "They can do it in these two places. It’s said that one hand covers the sky.”
"They can't be proud for long."
"Yao Yao, what are you going to do next?" Liang Run said, "Although the crown prince and Dai Wang's people are robbing Runzhou Mansion, it does not mean that Jinling is safe. Dai Wang must have someone in Jinling, and maybe Jinling will be there in a few days. Something happened."
"There are people from the Queen and Seventh Brother in Jinling." When the secret guards following Zhao Yao were investigating Zhao Yao's people before, they found out that Queen Xie and King Jing had arranged people in Jinling City. "My imperial brothers dare not fight openly in the capital, but they kill each other in the south of the Yangtze River."
Liang Run said with a look of disgust: "They regard Jiangnan as a battlefield and don't care about the life and death of the people in Jiangnan."
"Second uncle, let's stay here to check the situation and leave in a few days." Zhao Yao thought about his third uncle still staying in Jinling and was worried about his safety.
What on earth is Third Uncle going to do if he stays in Jinling? Is it related to what happened in Runzhou Prefecture? Do you want to save the Meng family in Runzhou Prefecture?
If his guess is correct, the Meng family may have been controlled, but their lives will not be in danger for the time being. Besides, my father would not let anything happen to the Meng family.
With his father's insidious temperament, it was impossible to just let the aristocratic families of Jinling Mansion and Suzhou Mansion fight dog-eat-dog. There must be some other plan behind it.
By the way, there is also that uncanny person that Third Uncle and Mr. Meng mentioned. Who is it?
On the surface, this person seems to be the prince's person, but in fact he is not the prince's person, and certainly not the king's person. He manipulates everything behind the scenes, not to help anyone, but for fun.
Whether it was the prince's people or the people acting for the king, they were all manipulated by him, and they didn't even know it. He could also predict his father's plans. Could it be that he was competing with his father in a battle of wits and courage? Or is he provoking the court?
If this is true as he suspected, then the next imperial examination will cause a bloody storm.
I thought that with the plot smoothed out, it would be much easier to write next, but I didn’t expect that the writing was still stumbling.
This chapter was rewritten and rewritten.
In the end, I was too embarrassed to ask for monthly tickets. When I update more, the veterans will give me more monthly tickets.
