The reason why these pirates have such ambitions is not to blame on them, but to blame the Yuezhou officials for being too useless.
If they hadn't been hesitant and careless, they wouldn't have been defeated by the pirates in three counties in a short period of time.
If it were a little more careful, it wouldn't be as bad as it is today. It just so happened that at this time, a war broke out in Jiaozhou, and it was known to the six princes who were also from the three southern states.
Therefore, I asked Nanzhou Shepherd Gu Hua to ask Su Qian to support Yuezhou. As for him, he had to preside over the war in Yuezhou and could not leave at all.
The situation in Yuezhou is probably like this. On the surface, it looks okay, not as bad as the defeat, and there is still hope for a comeback.
But in fact, according to Su Qian's analysis, the reality is probably more severe than it appears on the surface.
Apart from anything else, it is difficult to say whether the Dongzhou soldiers can hold off the pirates who have divided their forces.
You must know that among the pirates who attacked Dongzhou, there were also a large number of Japanese pirates involved.
Don't underestimate these Japanese pirates. They really have some skills when it comes to fighting.
In terms of tactics, in some respects, they are not inferior to Yu Daliang's army.
Looking at the way this attack on Yuezhou was carried out, it can be seen that these pirates are not bandits, but a ragtag group of people, swarming up.
Whether it is sending troops to investigate in advance, hiding in secret, or being taken away from one county later, and sticking to two counties to wait for reinforcements, there are some rules and regulations, and it can be seen that they have been trained.
This is only part of it. If the officers and soldiers of the two states can work together to defeat this group of pirates, it shouldn't be a problem.
But the reality is that even though the two states of Dongfang and Yue are located in the coastal zone and connected by borders, in fact, the internal conflicts between the two states are not small.
Basically, there is no communication. Even if there is a pirate invasion, everyone will fight on their own.
To talk about sending troops to support can only be a dream. The reason why there is such a stalemate is that in the final analysis, they all believe that the other party has not fulfilled its defensive responsibilities.
Let the pirates and Japanese pirates run amok, each accusing the other of not doing enough, and each wanting to enjoy the benefits.
Even if a few state shepherds were changed over this matter, it would be of no use. Even if it came to the court, they would just stare at each other and make all sorts of quarrels.
No matter how fierce the quarrel between the two states is, the imperial court has only one request: don't let these pirates and Japanese pirates enter the hinterland of Daliang.
Otherwise, the state pastors of the two states should raise their heads to see each other. This is not only a warning to the two coastal states, but also to Jiaozhou, Xizhou, and Nanzhou in the southwest. Do not let the barbarian natives enter the hinterland of Daliang.
To put it bluntly, it is still the same sentence, you can solve the problems you cause by yourself. If these border barbarians and Japanese pirates are allowed to come in, the royal family will directly deal with the pastors of various states without any courtesy.
Such a strict punishment also provides the greatest delegation of power.
This is why, no matter how big the trouble is caused by the state shepherds who sit on the border, as long as it is not rebellion, the court will turn a blind eye.
They have to rely on them to suppress and resist these barbarian pirates. Only in this way can the royal family have the energy to face the threat of Da Rong in the north.
This is also the reason why Great Liang has stationed heavy troops in the north and northwest all year round. No matter where war breaks out, it cannot compare with the threat of Great Rong in the north.
This kind of compromise, this kind of policy, has advantages and disadvantages. On the bright side, if you meet a good state pastor, like Gu Hua, the development of Nanzhou will be obvious.
But it is a pity that most of them are like Li Kang and Tang Feng. They use the power in their hands to turn the states under their jurisdiction into their own territory and become the overlord of the separatist party.
It is impossible for these royal families not to know, but there is no way at the moment. Compared with these state pastors who have ambitions to separate one side, Northern Dayong is the biggest threat.
Once Da Rong's invasion is successful, Da Liang will face the disaster of national subjugation. In order to ensure the safety of Su Liang's royal family, there are some things that can only be turned a blind eye.
This method of drinking poison to quench thirst has no solution after all, and Su Qi'an has no solution.
He shook his head and put the thoughts behind him, no longer thinking about things that had not happened. He returned to the cabin and waited quietly for arrival in Yuezhou.
Xie Cang, who was accompanying the group, did not disturb Su Qi'an. He knew that every time before a war, Su Qi'an would find someone to comfort him.
Quiet environment, think hard, and rest well.
The large transport ship traveled smoothly. The sun rose in the east and set in the west. Soon, the ship slowed down and approached a large dock.
Feeling the speed of the ship, Su Qi'an, who was resting in the cabin, noticed something and walked out of the cabin directly to the deck.
Xie Cang also appeared together. The two of them looked at a group of people waiting on the pier in front.
The leader was an official. Judging from his official robe, he should be the Prime Minister of Yuezhou.
Behind him, followed a large number of soldiers. They stood quietly. As they boarded the ship and approached, they could feel the smell of blood emanating from their bodies.
It seemed that these people had experienced some battles before waiting.
The leader, Zhou Cheng, bowed his hands to Su Qi'an and Xie Cang with great respect after boarding the boat.
"The lower official is Zhou Tai, the acting governor of Yuezhou. He has been given the order of the Sixth Prince. He is here to assist the Marquis of Dongshan and Lingdong."
"I'm here, I would like to thank you two princes for your help to Yuezhou. I would like to express my gratitude to you on behalf of the people of Yuezhou."
This Daizhou Cheng named Zhou Tai kept his attitude very low.
This low posture made both of them a little uncomfortable.
In terms of grade, Zhou Tai is not much lower than them. Even Daizhou Cheng is around the fourth grade, while Su Qi'an is still a third-grade marquis. If you really want to convert the grades, he is still lower than Zhou Tai, which is fifth grade. Xie Canggui is a first-class marquis, a third-rank man.
Even if the two of them sent troops to rescue them, they would not let the Prime Minister of Yizhou have such a low profile.
Seemingly aware of the two's confusion, Zhou Tai said softly, "You two princes don't have to be like this. The war in Yuezhou is urgent. You two can travel thousands of miles to help each other. As Yuezhou officials, you should express your gratitude."
"Of course, this official is doing this because he is hiding his own selfish motives, and I would like to ask the Marquis to lend me a step."
Su Qi'an and Xie Cang understood, and the three of them came to the corner of the deck together.
Zhou Tai first bowed his hands to the two of them, and then said, "I wonder how much the two marquises know about Yuezhou officialdom."
Zhou Tai's sudden question surprised the two of them. They really didn't know much about Yuezhou officialdom.
"Is Yuezhou different from other states?" Xie Cang asked.
Zhou Tai nodded and then said, "Lingdong Hou is right. Yuezhou many years ago was no different from other states. It also had a state pastor, a state prime minister, and a state captain, who had full authority to manage all matters in Yuezhou."
"It's just that many years ago, with the frequent invasions of pirates and Japanese pirates, Yuezhou gradually stopped setting up state pastors."
"Why is that?" Su Qian was a little confused.
Zhou Tai gave a wry smile, "Of course, some military operations went wrong in the fight against the invading pirates and Japanese pirates. As the highest official of Yuezhou, Zhou Mu will naturally be punished. There have been several times when he was unfavorable in fighting against the pirates and Japanese pirates. It was common sense that the state pastor should be dismissed. Gradually, everyone was avoiding the position of Yuezhou pastor. In the end, more than ten years ago, after the last Yuezhou pastor was dismissed, Yuezhou became the No state pastor has been established yet.”
As soon as these words came out, both of them looked shocked. This was the first time they knew that such a strange thing would happen in Yuezhou.
The governor of a state can be said to be a high-ranking official in the border area. He can be said to have unlimited glory when guarding a place. It is a position that many people will never reach in their entire lives.
But in Yuezhou, it is really strange that such a supreme official position is avoided by people.
But then I thought about it, Yuezhou is close to the sea and has been harassed by pirates and Japanese pirates all year round. As a shepherd in Yuezhou, in addition to having unlimited glory, it will also bear responsibilities.
In Yuezhou's fight against pirates, Yuezhou suffered heavy losses several times. The most dangerous ones were that pirates occupied four counties, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they occupied half of the state.
When something like this happened, the person who performed the surgery was naturally the highest official of Yuezhou, Yuezhou Mu.
Over time, everyone knew that Yuezhou Shepherd was a high-risk profession, and only those with a clear head would take it.
Without the post of Zhou Mu, Yuezhou's military and government affairs were handled by Zhou Wei and Zhou Cheng.
The military and government do not interfere with each other. In wartime, the state captain leads the troops. In peacetime,
This model, in which the state prime minister manages the development of the state, has produced good results.
For this reason, the imperial court did not set up the position of state pastor for Yuezhou. However, this model was only suitable for the special situation of Yuezhou, and other states must not copy it.
Although the up and down orders were smooth and the command could be unified, Su Qi'an still saw a long-term hidden danger.
That is, as time goes by, the state captain who holds the military power of the entire state will, at some point, be much more powerful than the second-in-command state prime minister.
Even if you have selfish motives, you can cover the sky with one hand in wartime. After all, with soldiers in hand, even if you occupy Yuezhou, it is not impossible.
Listening to the hidden dangers pointed out by Su Qi'an, Zhou Tai nodded and said, "As expected of Dongshan Hou, he can see the shortcomings at a glance, and this is what the official wants to say."
"In today's Yuezhou, all military power is in the hands of the state captain Xiang Yan. During the current war, even His Highness the Sixth Prince does not pay attention to him."
"In the previous battle of Yuezhou, according to His Highness the Sixth Prince's plan, he did not intend to fight head-on. However, Xiang Yan insisted on going his own way. Although he recaptured a county, the Yuezhou soldiers suffered over 10,000 casualties. This was not a victory at all, but a tragic victory."
"Xiang Yan is so dictatorial. Can't His Highness remove him? After all, His Highness is also a prince. As long as he writes to the court, it shouldn't be difficult." Su Qian said.
Zhou Tai shook his head helplessly, "Master Su, you underestimate Xiang Yan. Xiang Yan has served as a state captain for at least ten years. To put it bluntly, at least half of the 50,000 Yuezhou soldiers are his. .”
"And among the aristocratic families in Yuezhou, the Xiang family is the largest. Once he is withdrawn, the Yuezhou soldiers will definitely rebel. Maybe even Xiang Yan will rebel."
Zhou Tai's words made the two of them realize the seriousness of the problem. If this is true, then Xiang Yan is really a troublesome person.
At this time, Xie Cang suddenly said, "Yuezhou is the fiefdom of His Highness the Sixth Prince after all. After all these years, His Highness the Sixth Highness is still unable to overthrow a small state captain?"
