Zhang Xutuo guards Qi County and is responsible for keeping an eye on the four counties of Wuyang, Qinghe, Pingyuan, and Bohai.
This person is very pragmatic. After becoming the envoy, he knew that this job was not easy to do, so he contacted local wealthy businessmen early to raise money and recruited a team of 2,000 people. The weapons and horses were also supplied by local families.
As a result, the number of soldiers he can mobilize now, including the military guards, is as many as 4,000.
He personally trains troops every day. Although the Qi County area complains a lot and calls him a cruel official, it has to be said that precisely because of his existence, the four southeastern counties of Hebei are currently relatively stable.
Four thousand people train every day, which costs a lot of money. After all, people who work and don't work have different appetites.
In order to ensure the supply of food and grass for the guards, Zhang Xutuo initially charged him with random charges and ransacked the homes of three wealthy businessmen in the Qijun area, swallowing 80,000 shi of food in one go.
Large and slow, they can be plundered by the people; small and urgent, they can be plundered by merchants.
Now, the remaining aristocratic families were frightened. When Zhang Xutuo went to negotiate with them again, it was much easier and everyone became more proactive.
After all, he was the envoy, so it was impossible for the locals not to be afraid of him.
Chijie holds the banner, the banner is a flag, used to reward, the festival is a copper stick, used to kill, so Chijie is also the prototype of the later Jiedushi.
However, there were so many envelopes to sue Zhang Xutuo, but Yang Ming and Yang Jian turned a blind eye to them.
Zhang Xutuo was right to do extraordinary things in extraordinary times.
There is an old saying: Father and son go into battle. Why is this saying? Because many famous generals in ancient China took their sons into battle.
Yang Su has led him, Shi Wansui has led him, He Ruobi has also led him, and even more so Li Yuan.
Because having his son by his side will increase his sense of security. After all, he is already old when he becomes a father.
Zhang Xutuo only had one son, Zhang Yuanbei, who is now also a powerful general.
At the county guard's office, Zhang Yuanbei sent an urgent military message to Zhang Xutuo.
The lieutenant of Rao'an County in Bohai County killed the county magistrate and welcomed Gao Yingnian's rebels into the city. The capital of Yangxin County, Cheng Gaochu, privately detained the county governor Gao Shengdao, echoing Gao Yingnian.
Zhang Xutuo slammed the table and said angrily: "How can such traitors and rebels commit such a treasonous act after depriving themselves of the emperor's salary?"
"What does father think? At present, Bohai County is captured by the rebels without any bloodshed. If we can't go north to suppress it, I'm afraid the King of Qi will be held accountable." Zhang Yuanbei frowned and said, "But we went. If there is another rebellion in Qinghe County, what should we do?"
Zhang Xutuo's face was gloomy and scary, and he said in a deep voice: "The rebels must have a plan to attack the Bohai Sea. Recently, fishermen have reported that Goguryeo ships are often seen dragging in the sea. They are afraid that they have collusion with the rebels. There is a serious foreign matter, so we must send troops." .”
Zhang Yuanbei asked: "What about the sea? Do we care about it?"
"Inform the governor of Donglai and ask him to send navy to drive away the ships at sea. Don't fight unless it is absolutely necessary," Zhang Xutuo ordered.
Donglai County is located in the Yantai and Weihai areas of Shandong Province. It is the largest coastal naval base in the Sui Dynasty, with more than a hundred warships.
The navy of the Sui Dynasty had a problem, that is, there were not many ships at ordinary times. Only when they planned to launch a war, they would build some temporarily. When the war was over, they would not spend a lot of money to maintain them, so that the navy of the Sui Dynasty was in name only. .
The few ships in Donglai County were also built when Yang Liang conquered Goguryeo in the 18th year of Emperor Kaihuang's reign. The navy chief at that time was Zhou Luohou.
The governor of Donglai was Shi Yun, the younger brother of General Zuo Xiaowei Shi Xiang. This man had a good relationship with Zhang Xutuo.
Next, Zhang Xutuo began to organize his army. All the soldiers from several military offices were recruited, and a batch of grain and grass was quietly sent to Sunjia Town in Gaoyuan County (Zouping City) in advance for hiding.
Gao Yingnian's rebel army is not easy to fight, so Zhang Xutuo believes that it will probably not be wiped out quickly, so sufficient food and grass must be prepared.
At present, the nobles and common people in Qi County are scrimping on food and clothing, but only the four thousand people in the military mansion are well fed.
Five days later, Zhang Xutuo personally led his army northward.
.......
The left and right Yiwei are the two largest military mansions of the Sixteenth Guards. They have the highest quality soldiers and the best equipment, with a full strength of 36,000 people.
Yu Wenshu was anxious. He knew that this mess in Hebei had to be cleaned up as soon as possible. Who knew that he and Yang Jian were already tied to the same rope?
So he petitioned Yang Guang, hoping to switch places with Lai Hu'er. He would go to Zhuojun and Lai Hu'er would go to Jinyang.
Yang Guang is right.
So Yu Wenshu took the 36,000 reorganized elites and marched quickly to Zhuojun.
After receiving the news, Yuan Hongsi, the governor of Zhuo County, directly dispatched 10,000 troops from the border and went south, heading straight for He Ruomi's tribe in Hejian County.
After he leaves, there will be a short vacuum period in Zhuo County. It will take about ten days before Yu Wenshu can arrive with his army.
It’s not that he wasn’t cautious enough, he actually calculated the time well. After all, if Goguryeo wants to invade the border, it must first attack Liaodong County and cross the Hexi Corridor. Goguryeo will not be able to enter within half a month. Even if it does come, Yuwen Shu’s The army also arrived.
At the moment, He Ruomi has not left in Hejian County. Although he has recruited some civilians who ran down the canal and gathered thousands of people, he is no longer able to go to Changlu County to harass them. He stays here to monitor Zhuo County. movement.
The main reason is that he can't run anymore. Now he is waiting for the pursuers to kill him, and then he can run away from the opposite direction. He can't run around now, lest Xilihutu and Wei Fengnian collide directly like last time. superior.
Yu Juluo, Qiao Zhongkui, and Shi Huaiyi joined forces in Xindu County and sent out scouts to find out information about the rebels.
"He Ruomi is still in Hejian County. Gao Yingnian and Hu Lu Shanye went to Bohai. It seems that King Qin's guess is correct. These rebels should have colluded with Goguryeo." Shi Huaiyi pointed to the map and said, "That Gao Yingnian Nian claims to be the orphan of the old Qi clan and the great-grandson of Gao Shi, King Kangmu of Gaoyang. I don’t know whether it is true or not, but now someone with a high surname dares to misidentify his ancestors."
"So what if it's true? It's really more worthy of being killed," Qiao Zhongkui looked at Yu Juluo and said, "The Duke of Gaotang (title) thinks that if the rebels went to the Bohai Sea, will Zhang Xutuo send troops?"
After Yu Juluo pondered for a moment, he nodded and said: "Probably, the current rebellion in Hebei will only leave Gao Yingnian. After wiping out this thief, if it takes another month and a half, the canal will be completed. The three of you and me will be the only ones left." It’s time to hand over the job.”
Shi Huaiyi said: "Then should we move eastward as soon as possible and attack Zhang Xutuo from the north and south?"
Yu Juluo nodded and said: "Now that the decisive battle has been completed, the rebellion will be suppressed within the month. Huaiyi and I will lead five thousand people eastward to the Bohai Sea. Zhongkui will lead the troops northward and wipe out that He Ruomi. .”
"The last general takes orders!" Qiao Zhongkui said.
Both of them were prefects, but Yu Juluo had the title of Duke of Gaotang County and was an envoy, so he was at least two levels higher than Qiao Zhongkui, but on the same level as Shi Huaiyi.
Because Shi Huaiyi is now the Duke of Taiping County.
The overall situation is basically settled, and it is only a matter of time before Gao Yingnian's rebellion in northern Hebei is suppressed.
In Ji County to the south, the troublemakers were purely ordinary people. The four thousand people in Yuwenhuaji were almost like bandits crossing the border. They robbed wherever they went. Wrong, they were more bandits than bandits.
The food and livestock in the people's homes were basically looted, which was called "borrowing".
And it is true that he wrote an IOU to the township. It depends on whether the township dares to ask the court to pay it back in the future.
This approach is also to block the mouths of the people above, not the mouths of the people below. The people below are not human beings.
Yu Wenji had no choice. Yang Jian didn't give him food, and he couldn't let his soldiers go hungry. If the soldiers went hungry, his own personal safety would be in danger.
As soon as he left Jijun, the back of his butt was on fire. After thinking about it, Yu Wenhuaji decided to return to Jijun to suppress the civil unrest.
Because the chaos in the north had nothing to do with him, he was not the one who started it, but he was the culprit for the chaos in Ji County.
Yang Huang, the chariot general under his command, had just massacred three villages. After returning to Yuwen Wenji, he said with a grimace:
"If we continue to kill like this, once things are revealed, I'm afraid I will lose my head in this humble position."
Yu Wenhuaji was based in Linxia Town, Tangyin County. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Remember, those people were all killed by bandits. It has nothing to do with you. All you killed were bandits."
Yang Huang was stunned and nodded quickly: "The general is right, bandits are ravaging the countryside and killing people."
Yu Wenhua knew clearly in his heart that even though he was protected by his father and King Qi, if King Qin would not let him go in the future and insisted on punishing him, the matter in Ji County might leave an excuse, so he took advantage of it To suppress the civil unrest, they also slaughtered all the villages where IOUs had been made.
This way, no one will get caught.
He didn't care at all about killing so many people, most of them civilians. It's nonsense that people are inherently good at first. If you have conscience when you are born, you have it. If you don't have it at birth, you won't have it in the future. .
At this time, a scout sent an urgent delivery, an urgent letter from home outside the Great Wall.
After Yu Wenhuaji read it, he ordered the generals in the room: "Tangyin County is almost done. Let's continue south. We will resolve the matter in Ji County as soon as possible and return to Dong County."
A general asked: "Isn't it okay if you don't tell me?"
Yu Wenhuaji nodded and said with a smile: "Xu Guogong has led Zuo Yiwei to Zhuojun. Hebei will soon stop, and there will be nothing wrong with us."
The generals were overjoyed and felt relaxed.
As long as there is no war, it is a good thing. Who is willing to take this risk?
"We only have enough rations for three days. We must leave now or borrow more," a general said.
Yu Wenhuaji waved his hand indifferently: "After so many hardships, it's not bad this few times, but remember, the tail must be cleaned up, the canal is almost completed, and the real hard days have just begun."
Yang Huang asked curiously: "Isn't it a good thing that the canal is completed? Then everyone will have no burden on them and will feel relaxed."
Yu Wenhuaji twisted his neck and said: "The King of Qin will definitely seize the chaos in Hebei. We have already got involved, and we will also be targeted by the King of Qin in the future. You should all be prepared. Remember, what happened in Ji County, If it leaks out, you will die, and no one can protect you."
When the generals heard the words, they looked at each other and felt cold all over their bodies. It was about their lives and their families, and they didn't dare to say anything outside even if they were beaten to death.
Yu Wenhuaji looked at everyone's expressions and felt relieved.
Among these people are his confidants, but there are also generals from the local military government. They must be informed of the interests and dangers to avoid getting burned in the future.
He knew that King Qin would definitely settle the account with King Qi in Hebei.
