Although the population of Xining Prefecture, which only had 40,000 people, suddenly surged to nearly 120,000, Mr. Liu didn't think it was a big deal at all and was very relaxed.
Mr. Liu felt that as long as his second son came back from the south alive, the desperate situation would be over.
The rest is dangerous at best, and the danger has nothing to do with the population in Xining. It just means that my nephew Chengyuan is still in the south and has not returned.
Having more people is a good thing, but having no food is nothing. With so many soldiers and horses in the commander's mansion, are you still worried about running out of food?
Even in Chidi, northern Shaanxi, there are people who are not hungry at all, not to mention that in Xining, there is plenty of food.
Therefore, Mr. Liu didn't take these things to heart at all, and he must not let these trivial matters interfere with the lion's current main task, which is to select a concubine.
Liu Xiangyu did some official business in Xining City, and arranged for the refugees to reclaim land in the west of Xining step by step before the freezing weather. By the way, he had someone send some rations and farm tools to Chen Shiwen in Bajiao City.
Then he handed over the government affairs to a few students, called two of his followers to bring some food rations, and rode eastward.
The place Mr. Liu is going to is Kawakou near the ancient Shan Qianhusuo Racecourse, two hundred miles east of Xining. There is a small town two miles away. It used to be called Gu Shanbao. It is now the residence of the imperial court's Banuan Sanchuan Camp. There are officials The army numbered one thousand and forty, and the leading generals were on guard.
However, Liu Xiangyu went there not to find the camp soldiers there, but to visit a person nearby, Li Tianyu, the chieftain of Dongli in Xining.
In Dongbo Mansion, Li Tusi's ancestral home, Li Tianyu was in high spirits on the horse farm with a radius of a hundred paces, accompanied by the clatter of horse hooves.
This place is called Dongbo Mansion because Li Tusi’s ancestor had a Huining Bo. Although his title was later reduced, people in the Yuhehuang area still called Li this way.
He galloped along the horse track with his bow fully drawn, and his arrows were nailed to the wooden core grass target in the middle of the racecourse one after another. The human-shaped grass target was stabbed and slowly swayed.
Whenever an arrow struck the grass man and hit the soft ground on the opposite horse path, when Li Tianyu passed by, he would quickly lean over on horseback to pick up the arrow with the bow tip and string, and then shoot it to the target. superior.
Until someone outside the racecourse shouted through the wooden door: "Dada, a high-ranking official with a seal has entered Kawaguchi."
Li Tianyu slowly reined in his horse, and his interest was interrupted by a servant, who looked surprised: "A high-ranking official with a seal?"
There are more than a dozen nearby castles owned by Chieftain Li's family, and every household is familiar with each other. On weekdays, no outsiders will come in. Even if someone comes to visit, they should first submit a name card to agree on a time. How can anyone come so rashly?
Another report came from outside the racecourse: "Coming from the west."
Li Tianyu was relieved when he heard this, and all the doubts on his face were cleared up. Those from the west were right. The gang of rebels in Xining were the most unruly.
He chuckled lightly, without any intention of dismounting, and said: "Then please enter the family temple and wait... How old is this person?"
As far as he knew, people from the west did not have any rules. The patches on official robes could be worn on people or horses, and they did not like to wear official seals, so wearing official seals was useless.
The soldiers were all rebellious, and even the veterans of Xining Guard, Zhenhai Camp, and Fuqiang Fort were led by Liu Chengzu to contract this problem, recognizing people but not their seals.
Li Tianyu has suffered a lot. Now, as the commander of the Xining Guard, he no longer has the right to mobilize the flag troops of the Xining Guard. People only recognize Liu Chengzu's face.
So when walking in the Hehuang Valley, it's strange to have Liu Thief's official seal hanging on it. It's just a decoration.
To the west of Xining, there is no difference between recognizing people and not recognizing seals, and hanging seals or not.
To the east of Xining, people do not recognize this seal, and it makes no difference whether or not it is displayed.
"The man is nearly forty years old. He looks quite elegant..." The servant outside the door struggled to describe it. He couldn't think of any words, and finally said firmly: "Always bring a pipe!"
Hearing the characteristics of the pipe, Li Tianyu made a thump in his heart. Knowing that Liu Xiangyu was coming, he immediately got off his horse and walked over quickly: "Please go into the study and wait, go and watch the clock, I will be there in a quarter."
Even though he knew it was Liu Xiangyu, Li Tianyu still had to make people wait. For no other reason, he knew what Liu Xiangyu was here for: asking for food.
It is no secret that a large number of Mongolian prisoners and surrenders are pouring into Xining now. With the population booming, no method can solve the food shortage.
But just two months ago, the imperial court sent troops to Lanzhou. Li Tianyu had just paid the chieftain tax of 1,500 shi of autumn grain to the imperial court. Now Liu Xiangyu came to him to ask for grain. Li Tianyu had it, but he didn't want to give it and couldn't help it. So Liu Xiangyu must be asked to wait.
Wait a little, lower his expectations a little.
After all, the less you can give, the better.
Mr. Liu was not in a hurry at all. He was determined to win this trip. When he entered Dongbo's mansion, he heard that he was asked to wait in the study. He smiled and agreed: "I have been here for two days, so I won't miss this moment."
Then he followed the servant into the study and sat down, leisurely standing by the window and looking at the pavilions and pavilions of Dongbo's mansion. This chieftain's mansion looked more aesthetic than the marshal's mansion he built for his son.
In the back hall, which is more than a hundred steps away from the study room, Li Tianyu stood in front of a bronze mirror with his arms outstretched. The maidservants walked back and forth, wearing clothes one by one.
This bronze mirror is the treasure of Li Tianyu. It is a translucent mirror from the Han Dynasty. It is different from the sand casting method used in recent mirror casting. It is cast using the ancient and costly mold casting method. The quality is excellent. The mirror surface is rubbed with tin and mercury. The mirror is carefully polished with white felt, and because the mirror surface is ground extremely thin and the thickness of the copper cast is uneven, the light hitting the mirror surface can reflect the pattern behind it on the wall.
It's just that at this time, the owner of the bronze mirror had no intention of admiring the strange sight of light transmitting through the mirror. He only looked at the bronze mirror and talked to himself, thinking how to avoid complaining.
After a moment, the servant came to the door holding a brass egg clock and said: "Dada, it's time."
Li Tianyu's grandfather was the first Wu Jinshi in Qinghai. During the Wanli Dynasty, he first served as a minister of the Jinyi Weinan Town and later took charge of the East Sifang. This brass egg clock belongs to an early Western clock and is an imitation of the emperor's gift at that time. A needle is not very accurate in timing, but it is of extremely high value as a reward.
Hearing the servant's words, Li Tianyu took a deep breath and said in his heart: There is no way to avoid what is coming.
Then he smoothed out the folds of his robe, stepped out of the room, and walked towards the wind and rain corridor.
His gait was unhurried until he approached the study, then he took a few steps quickly. Without waiting for the servant waiting outside to open the door, he pushed the door open and went in. With a warm smile, he stepped forward and prostrated: "Oh, my master is here to visit in person, but Why don't you send someone to inform me that you will be a junior after breaking the evil spirit, and you will go to Xining City to listen to the teachings!"
Taiye is an honorific title, generally used to address other people's fathers, and is also used as an honorific title for parents and officials in a place.
Liu Xiangyu knew that the chieftain's enthusiasm was all fake, and he probably wanted to sweep him away, so he didn't get up, lightly knocked on his pipe, took a puff, and said with a sneer: "General Li's words are serious, old man." I heard from Quanzi that the general has never been to Xining Guard since the war began in the south."
Li Tianyu stood up with a smile, thinking that Xiningwei recognizes people but not seals, why should I go there? If your good son hadn't taken away all the power of the Xining Guard, I would have collapsed the commander's chair of the Xining Guard without even moving my butt.
Li Tianyu didn't answer anything that he knew very well. He stood up and put a teapot on the table to fill a cup for Mr. Liu. Then he asked: "Master came here today. Could it be that something happened in Xining?"
"General Li, there is no need to be polite to me. Mr. Liu is not a bad visitor. Please sit down and retreat and have a detailed chat."
Li Tianyu followed the good example and dismissed the servants and maids in the study. He sat down and still said with enthusiasm on his face: "Master, please speak."
Liu Xiangyu put out his pipe and said seriously: "Since the Hailu rebellion, a large number of people have poured into Xining. Now there is a shortage of food. General Li must also know it. This is why Liu came here."
"Hey, is this the reason, Master?"
"This issue……"
Li Tianyu pretended to be thoughtful for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, stood up and clasped his fists, saying: "I, the Li family, have been loyal to the imperial court for generations. I should not be involved in the affairs in the west. But today, the master is here in person. The younger generation must not lose their etiquette. However, I have just paid taxes and grain to the imperial court." , In this way, five hundred stones of clean noodles can be transported to Xining within one month."
Liu Xiangyu didn't say anything, but looked steadily at Li Tianyu, his face unwavering, and he didn't know what he was thinking in his heart.
Li Tianyu slowly put down the hand he was holding, and sighed: "There are more than ten chieftain families in Xining, and the Marshal's Mansion is short of food. Your Majesty, you can't just catch me and ask for it, right?"
"There are 30,000 households in Hehuang, half of them are surnamed Li, and the price of food in Xining is determined by General Li." Liu Xiangyu rolled his eyelids, looked at Li Tianyu and said, "If Liu doesn't go to General Li, who else can he go to? ?”
Li Tianyu laughed heartily, sat down again, and said, "There are many people with the surname Li in Hehuang, and indeed many of them are of the same clan as me, but they have all been out of the fifth server for a long time, not to mention that even if they are a family, I can't go door to door to find them." They want food."
After saying that, Li Tianyu changed the subject and said: "I have a way, please listen to it and see if it works... I wonder how much food and grass I lack?"
Liu Xiangyu's face didn't change, his heart didn't beat. He raised his hand and stretched out two fingers on the table and said: "One hundred thousand stones."
One hundred thousand stones?
Li Tianyu was so choked that he couldn't say the next words. He took a breath and then glared: "This junior is sincerely trying to find a way for me, please don't play tricks on me. How many people can I use to support a hundred thousand stones of food and grass?"
Li Tianyu had known for a long time that there was a food shortage in Xining. Sooner or later, one of the four Liu family members, Liu Xiangyu, Liu Chengzu, Liu Chengzong, and Liu Chengyun, would come looking for him.
So he specifically calculated the food crisis in the Marshal's Mansion. In fact, according to his calculations, it was not a crisis this time. The grain stored in the Marshal's Mansion should be enough.
Because he also had a share in the warehouse built by Liu Chengzong in Xining City, he probably knew the amount of grain stored in it. The Liu family had good management skills in occupying Xining. Normally, it would be enough for them to survive next year.
Li Tianyu made a conclusive analysis: "80,000 Pan-Mongolians poured into Xining. Taking into account 40,000 for the large mouth and 40,000 for the small mouth, the big mouth eats three dou of rice per month and the small mouth eats one dou of rice and five liters. To last for the next autumn harvest, rice grains are needed. One hundred and eighty thousand stones."
Liu Xiangyu looked at Li Tianyu with eyes full of approval. Li Tusi was also very talented. The big mouth and small mouth he mentioned refers to adults and children, and the food intake is a very high standard of disaster relief rations.
This kind of disaster relief food can already support the victims to do some work, and the living standard of nearly four kilo of food a year is actually higher than the living standard of many original people in Haixi and Haibei.
It's just that because the calculation is for disaster relief rations, the rations mentioned here are processed rations. If calculated as raw rations, it would be about 230,000 dan.
Li Tianyu spread his hands and said: "Xining has a lot of grain reserves. Even if we include the rations for 10,000 soldiers, it is almost enough. How can there be a difference of 100,000 shi?"
"General Li made a good calculation."
Liu Xiangyu nodded very candidly, and then said: "However, the Xining Mansion's army is not ten thousand, and there are craftsmen to feed it, so I am not talking about it like a lion, but I am just being honest. The shortage of food is indeed one hundred thousand dan."
"Then, then..."
Li Tianyu really didn't expect this situation. He was a little panicked for a moment and shook his head and said: "I'm afraid that the juniors can't help me. I originally wanted to summon the chieftains from various families to discuss raising food to tide over the difficulties. Maybe I can raise 7,000 yuan for Xining." Stone rice grain.”
This is too much of a difference.
Moreover, the number of soldiers in the Marshal's Mansion made Li Tianyu even more panicked.
They, the chieftains, are all emperors in each territory, but in the entire Hehuang Valley, they are now living in the cracks, and the last thing they want is to see the Marshal's Mansion grow bigger.
"That's why I came to visit General Li." Liu Xiangyu said: "Li has a monopoly on the Hehuang grain market, so he must be able to buy rations. Xining can buy it."
Hearing the word "buy", the expression on Li Tianyu's face changed, and he immediately regained his composure: "My lord, you should know that the imperial court has closed the mouth of the Lanzhou River, various places have closed customs, and the population is swarming and people are panicking. Recently, the price of Xining's grain market has been one price in the morning and one price in the afternoon. price."
"Even so, there is very little grain put into the market. Hehuang Valley only has this amount of grain. No matter how much you want to buy, you can't buy it. A 10% increase in grain prices is enough to panic the people. Now there is a massive shortage of grain in the commander's mansion. In terms of procurement, the price of grain has doubled, and any more grain shipped will be bought up by the commander-in-chief..."
Li Tianyu shook his head and said, "Have you ever thought about it, my lord? The land of Hehuang is so narrow and densely populated that only three out of ten people work in agriculture. The price of food has soared, and many long-term and short-term workers, both small and large, can no longer survive?"
"It's exactly what General Li said. This is why I came to you, so that the people can live a better life."
Liu Xiangyu knew all this very well, but not only was he not touched at all, but he also felt that he had seen it all.
What he came here to ask for was not food, which was just a trivial matter in his opinion. What he wanted was Li Tianyu's people, to make the chieftain available to him, and to clear the way for the lion's troops to enter the river mouth.
He sat back and straightened his body, and said as if giving an order: "First, let one hundred thousand stones of grain and grass be transported into Xining; second, stabilize the price of grain in Xining at one or two and a half cents of silver per stone, and it cannot be changed within a year. , 150,000 taels of grain and silver will be given to you at any time."
Li Tianyu was shocked but also angry. It was difficult to get 100,000 stone grain from outside, but it was not impossible as long as he could afford the money. But he also had to get 100,000 stone grain and stabilize the grain price. It's impossible.
He turned his head and his eyes became fierce, and he gritted his teeth and said: "This junior respects the master, do you really think that Li is afraid of you?"
"The imperial court has stationed a large number of troops in Lanzhou, and General Li is naturally not afraid. There is a dangerous river in front of Lanzhou, and there is a fortified city with heavy troops. Although the country is in chaos today, and the imperial court has been in a state of decline for a long time, it is definitely not our lion that falls into the city. What we can do at this time is that the general may even kill Liu here or send him to the court."
After saying that, Liu Xiangyu changed his expression: "However, the Hehuang Valley is the first to bear the brunt. Destroying fortresses and strongholds is easy. Eternal wealth and wealth are destroyed in one fell swoop. How brave is the general to starve them?"
"It's better to do what I said and find ways to buy rice and transport it to Xining. When this is done, I can grant a nephew of the general's family to the West, and increase the honor of the general's ancestor to count. From now on, we will work together in the same boat, and the rising tide will lift all boats. Can't we do it? Lingyun’s ambition?”
After saying that, Liu Xiangyu stood up, cupped his hands, turned and walked out: "Liu has said this, and I hope the general will think more about it. The scenery in the general's mansion is very beautiful. I will stay for a few days, and then I will come when I think about it..."
Liu Xiangyu said something else. Although Li Tianyu was a little angry, he really had to think about it carefully. When he heard that Liu Xiangyu was going to stay for a few days, he was so frightened that he quickly got up and chased him away: "Master, this is not a joke. If the marshal thinks that I have robbed Master... ...I, for half a day, just half a day, I will give you an explanation!"
