Just when Zhao Tong received the report of the Xuanzhou battle, several long short letters entered the hands of the heads of the major gentry clans in Jiangning.
Some of these aristocratic families are local to Jiangning, while others come from Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yuezhou and other places. They all fled to Jiangning before Fang La's army attacked the city.
Jiangning is the largest city in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is also the cultural center of the south of the Yangtze River, a place where gold and powder gather together.
If the gentry in Jiangnan want to avoid disaster, their first choice is Jiangning, because Jiangning is not only a large and deep city, but also safer than other places. More importantly, they have been operating here for many years. They have good information and well-connected connections, and can influence the government and influence government orders. , and even advance and retreat in a controlled manner, no matter what, you will not fall into the hands of thieves.
So as soon as they received the news from outside, they immediately gathered together and began to discuss countermeasures.
The content of the letter is similar to the military information received by Zhao Tong. Fang Qifu's army of more than 100,000 went northward and approached Xuanzhou.
After the discussion, these people all came to the same conclusion. The bandit army's attack on Xuanzhou was to clear obstacles, and the real goal was Jiangning.
After this conclusion came out, everyone looked unhappy, especially those local nobles in Jiangning.
Many of these noble families are the remnants of the noble families that were not wiped out during the turbulent times of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The noble families have always had long-term plans and strong vitality. Once the world is at peace, they will come back step by step.
So-called:
Five generations have been separated from each other,
Once the clouds clear, the sky will appear again.
The grass and trees are covered with fresh rain and dew for a hundred years,
Traveling thousands of miles from ancient times to ancient times.
Once the world was at peace and the people were once again clothed in fine clothes, another group of newly emerging noble families married into the remnants of these ancient aristocratic families and became a new gentry group.
Prime ministers from father and son, prime ministers from brothers, prime ministers for the third generation, and rulers for the fourth generation. These famous families controlled the lifeblood of most people in the north and south.
The people are still the same people, they just have a different name and a different name.
The Wang family of Shuzhou, the Fan family of Huayang, the Cai family of Xianyou, the Han family of Xiangzhou, the Zeng family of Jiangyou, the Wang family of Linchuan, the Lu family of Shouzhou, the Fan family of Wujun, the famous Fan family, the Lu family of Lansi, the Yuan family of Siming, The Zhu family in Shezhou... are too numerous to mention.
Take the popular allusion of the Hedong Lion’s Roar as an example. The protagonist is Chen Jichang, and his father is the famous Chen Xiliang.
Why is it famous?
Song history records that Chen Xiliang was a solitary child who loved to learn. At the age of 16, he became a disciple. His brother was in trouble and asked him to pay more than 300,000 yuan in interest. Xiliang summoned all those who took the money, burned their coupons and left.
Chen Xiliang was eager to learn since he was a child, but his parents died young and he lived with his elder brother. When he was sixteen, he decided to study abroad and become a teacher. His elder brother was intolerant and wanted to take the opportunity to embezzle the property that his parents had given him before their death, so he only used the land as a tenant farmer. The bills they borrowed from the Chen family, totaling more than 300,000 yuan, were handed over to him, which was regarded as a separation of the family. However, Chen Xiliang found all the debtors, burned all the bills in person, and then went out to study.
Chen Xiliang later managed to transfer Caoshuai all the way, but he did not say what his official reputation was. He only said that before he went out to study in his youth, he burned a total of more than 300,000 yuan with interest. The more than 300,000 yuan here is three hundred thousand yuan. More than 100,000 strings.
This was almost an astronomical figure in the early days of the Song Dynasty. At that time, the exchange ratio of copper coins to silver was about one to one, and the annual military expenditure of the Song Dynasty was about more than 30 million taels.
This amount of money is equivalent to one percent of the military expenditure in the first year of the Song Dynasty. Such a large amount of money was not wanted at all, and the accounts and IOUs were burned at any time. This shows what Chen Xiliang's family background was.
But even if Chen Jichang comes from such a family, he is still afraid of his wife to death. But is he really afraid of his wife?
His wife's surname is Liu, and this allusion is called Hedong Lion's Roar, precisely because his wife was born in the Liu family of Hedong, a family that has been in the family for generations.
What he was afraid of was the family behind Mr. Liu, not his wife.
Chen Xiliang had a grandson named Chen Shunyu, who was also a famous minister. This man married a wife who was the daughter of Fan Zhongyan. Fan Zhongyan's family was a three-pronged family, and his two sons were both prime ministers.
Chen Shunyu had a son named Chen Yuyi. Later, during the Shaoxing period, he also served as a political advisor.
The prime minister takes turns to do it, and this year he came to my house.
This is the gentry clan, and it is still a new gentry clan, but at the same time, it has intermarried with those thousand-year-old clans and become one, controlling all the powers of the Song Dynasty.
Now, when these Jiangnan nobles saw the contents of the letter, they immediately judged that the rebel army was going to attack Jiangning. After some discussion, most of them decided to evacuate immediately, either to Hongzhou or to cross the Yangtze River north to Yangzhou.
A small part of them didn't want to leave. Those who didn't want to leave had been operating in Jiangning for hundreds of years and had countless land and shops. They couldn't let go of it for a while. They also felt that it was impossible to break through the bandit army because of the big city of Jiangning.
But at this moment, someone jumped out and spoke directly in Hangzhou City, which shook the minds of this small group of people, and they also began to order the collection of gold and silver, taking away everything that could be taken away, and digging cellars and burying those that could not be taken away. , as for the land paving, it will be temporarily abandoned and will be discussed in the future.
But at this moment, a piece of news shocked them. Jiangning suddenly closed the city!
It’s not a symbolic city closure where half is closed and half is open, nor is it temporarily closed and reopened tomorrow.
Instead, all thirteen gates in the four cities were sealed, and the insides were blocked with bluestone strips. Even the water gate was sealed.
A notice from the Xuanfu Division was posted on the street. The thieves were marching north. In order to prevent Jiangning from being lost, the city was completely closed from now on. No one was allowed to enter or exit. Anyone who forced his way in would be regarded as a traitor and would be killed without mercy!
This is not bad. After hearing the news, the gentry seemed to explode. Xuanzhou is still some distance away from Jiangning, and there are no troops approaching the city at the moment. What does it mean to close the door and not let people leave?
Among the chiefs of these Jiangnan gentry clans, there are many court officials who have served as officials. Some even recognized Zhao Tong when they were officials in Tokyo. When they saw this, they would go directly to the Xuanfu Division to argue with him.
However, in their final discussion, they still had to be cautious about this matter. After all, they didn't know Zhao Tong's specific thoughts. Maybe they were just showing up. If they really wanted to leave, could Zhao Tong stop him? ?
So three representatives were elected, two of whom had been officials in the capital, and the other was also a local giant.
The three of them went to the Xuanfu Division to ask for an audience with Zhao Tong, but they were told that King Qin was setting up defenses in the city at the moment and they didn't know when they would be back.
The youngest of the three is already sixty-eight years old. Even if he goes to the city to look for him due to his status, no one will be able to stop him. However, Jiangning City is extremely deep and wide. All three of them think it will be easy to climb up to the outer city. Unable to bear it, but not wanting to return without success, he went to see Wang Hanzhi.
Although Wang Hanzhi was recuperating in the palace, Zhao Tao's troubles in the past few days were reported to him. At first, when he saw Zhao Tao reinforcing the city defense, building fortifications, and checking the traffic, he was still applauded in his heart. He felt that His Highness the King of Qin was worthy of being a civilized and military strategist. Putting down the chaos in Huaixi last year was definitely not luck, but real ability.
But today, when he learned that the rebels were heading north, Zhao Tong suddenly ordered the city gates to be closed. He couldn't help but be shocked and complained in his heart.
It's not that Wang Hanzhi doesn't believe that Zhao Tan can defend Jiangning, but at this moment, most of the Jiangnan nobles are gathered in Jiangning City. He knows that these people are unwilling to take any risks. Some of them came from other places to avoid the chaos. Now the rebel army is here to fight. These people Wherever a person is willing to stay, he will definitely leave.
But he began to worry when he saw that Zhao Tong's notice was very decisive and he didn't seem to consider whether these nobles would stay or leave.
He didn't know what kind of medicine Zhao Tong was selling in his gourd, and he was afraid that the gentry in the city would cause trouble. If these people made trouble, it would be no small matter. Behind each person was a force, big and small, all over the world, even if he was a high official who had been entrusting the border with the country. It's absolutely untouchable.
Three representatives of the noble clans asked for an audience outside the palace. He hurriedly invited them in, but they all recognized him. The old man in charge was Wang Congying, who had served as a Privy Council member and a bachelor of Guanwen Palace. This man had a higher official position than him before he became an official. They are all big, and there are still people in Wang Congying's clan who are serving as officials in the capital, and there are also juniors from the prefecture and the local area. When he sees them, he must also call him "Sir".
Wang Hanzhi bit the bullet and served tea to the three of them. Then he pretended not to know about the closure of the city and asked the three of them why they were here.
The three of them didn't know that he was pretending to be confused, but they couldn't point it out, so they directly talked about the Xuanfu Division's notice and the city's closure.
Wang Hanzhi muttered: "I don't know about this. The King of Qin is in charge now. If you want to leave the city, you must discuss it with the King of Qin."
When the three people saw him shirking, they all sneered. Wang Congying said: "The King of Qin is currently on the city. He is old and cannot go to the city. If you don't come to see Mr. Wang, who else can he look for?"
Wang Hanzhi was full of slander after hearing this. His secret disease was the most fearful of being dealt with. Could it be that he could go to the top of the city? But I couldn't offend these people right now, so I had to apologize and said with a smile: "Why don't you wait until King Qin comes to the city and the three of you will go look for it?"
Wang Congying twisted his gray beard and said: "We must look for it. I don't know when King Qin will come to the city. The notice clearly states that no one can enter or leave, but we must leave Jiangning. Wang Your Excellency cannot stay out of this matter, we must make a charter, and the King of Qin must also go to explain it."
Wang Hanzhi groaned secretly when he heard this. Was he trying to drag him into the water? This is not a good thing, as it might offend both parties! His mind was racing and he said with a smile: "This is easy. Sir, the boss will ask each clan to choose a leader. I will wait for King Qin to return to the department to explain. Then you can all go over and ask King Qin for orders."
Wang Congying was a little hesitant when he heard this. He had been a court official for many years. Although he was old now, he was not confused. He frowned and said: "Each clan should choose a leader. I'm afraid if there are no more than a hundred people, the King of Qin will not like it." Bar?"
Wang Hanzhi sneered in his heart when he heard this, "Do you still know that King Qin doesn't like it?" If you don't like it, just stay in the city. If you are in such a hurry to leave the city, does it mean you don't believe that King Qin can defend Jiangning? Will King Qin be happy?
He rubbed his temples: "It's easier to talk when there are more people. Besides, King Qin has always been known as a wise king. If the war hadn't been tense right now, he might have summoned you all earlier. After all, it's not easy to get you all together."
Wang Congying thought about it and realized that the truth was correct, but he always felt that something was not quite right. Did King Qin have the reputation of being a wise king? The wise king seems to be King Yun!
But he wanted to get out of the city, and felt that Wang Hanzhi's words were not wrong. Only if more people left could the King of Qin take it seriously. Thinking of this, he stood up and said, "I will go back now. I will tell the King of Qin about it."
After saying goodbye, the three of them left. Wang Hanzhi watched them go out and hurriedly sent someone to wait in front of the Xuanfu Division. If Zhao Tong came back, he would be notified immediately.
Zhao Tong went to the city head today to preside over the defense change. He wanted to use Fang Qifu to attack Jiangning to play a big game. Although Wang Zhen was in charge of the city defense, it was safe, but after all, he was not one of his own, so he couldn't let him know many things.
Zhao Tong handed over the west city of Jiangning to Yao Pingzhong, and replaced all the troops below with the forbidden troops brought by him. Originally, none of the Jiangning defenders were used.
Yao Pingzhong naturally knew what Zhao Tong was going to do. He didn't dare to show any emotion on his face, but he was really panicked in his heart. This was an earth-shattering event. Not only could he be ruined, even the Yao family in the northwest would be implicated with him.
As for Zhao Tong as the mastermind of this matter, I am afraid that the officials will not be able to protect him at that time. However, Zhao Tong has a way out. He can go to the Uighurs to become his son-in-law. He can only follow Zhao Tong and run to the dark side.
How did Zhao Tong know that he had so many thoughts? After finishing the arrangement, he returned to Fusi. Not long after, Wang Hanzhi asked for a meeting and was invited in.
After Wang Hanzhi came in, he immediately confessed and told the story of Wang Congying and others going to his house. Except for his family's idea to send people from all their families, everything else was described in great detail.
After hearing this, Zhao Tong said calmly: "Are they so distrustful of me?"
Wang Hanzhi smiled dryly and said: "Your Majesty, my subordinates also said the same. With your Majesty in this city, everything will be fine, but they all feel as if grass has grown in their hearts and are about to leave Jiangning."
Zhao Tong picked up the tea bowl and took a sip: "Where are you going after leaving Jiangning?"
Wang Hanzhi said: "My subordinates are thinking about crossing the Yangtze River to Yangzhou or Luzhou."
Zhao Tong said: "My king also issued an order before. All ships along the Yangtze River are requisitioned. What will they use to cross the river?"
Wang Hanzhi opened his mouth. He didn't expect Zhao Tao to have such a military order, but think about it. Now that the war is in progress, the importance of the Yangtze River is self-evident. If they don't requisition it, if Fang La really comes, wouldn't it be left to him? The other party?
He hesitated: "I'm afraid I have to go southwest and go to Hongzhou to escape."
Zhao Tong was silent and said for a moment: "Go and inform them that they will come over at Xu time to discuss matters."
Wang Hanzhi felt relieved when he heard that Zhao Tan had agreed to meet, so it would be nothing to do with him. As for whether he would let these people go, or if they had any means to let Zhao Tan open the city, it had nothing to do with him.
Wang Hanzhi stood up to say goodbye. When he arrived at the side of the nobles, he saw that everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pot. When they learned that the meeting could not be held until midnight, many people sighed. After all, if they delay for a moment longer, the rebel army will be one step closer. , when we really reached the city, we couldn’t escape even if we wanted to.
Wang Congying also frowned, but he had no other way to think of. He couldn't bribe the city gate official and sneak away privately. Moreover, Zhao Tao was issuing a death order at the moment. It is estimated that no city gate official would dare to risk such a serious crime. Kaicheng.
After everyone discussed it, they decided to meet Zhao Tong in the evening. If the discussion was successful, they would leave overnight at worst.
Just when it was getting dark, a hundred or ten people all came to the Xuanfu Division meeting hall, waiting for Zhao Tong to discuss the matter.
(End of chapter)
