Zhao Wu made a cup of hot tea and handed it to Zhao Yutu. ,
Liu Heng held his big teapot in one hand and said: "Pi Island has been occupied by General Mao. What we have to do is to make good friends with him. We must not only prepare food, but also prepare some soldiers."
Zhao Yutu looked puzzled.
Liu Heng said with a smile: "Phi Island not only poses a threat to Houjin, but also not far from it are Kuandian and Tieshan. Now our shipyard on Dayu Island needs big wood for shipbuilding, and these two The most indispensable thing in this place is big trees.”
After a pause, he took a sip of tea from the teapot, and continued: "Don't underestimate Pidao. As long as Mao Wenlong can gain a foothold here, many people from Liaodong will defect to it, but Pidao is a place where We can’t feed too many people, so this becomes our opportunity.”
"The master means population?" Zhao Yutu's eyes lit up.
The Tiger Character Banner has a great demand for population. The people in Lingqiu and surrounding areas have been utilized to the maximum extent by the Tiger Character Banner, but the population is still not enough.
Even if there are several combat teams, the 3,000-man team is still not full due to lack of manpower.
Nowadays, what their Tiger Flag lacks most is no longer money, but people. The lack of population has become a shackle limiting the development of the Tiger Flag.
Liu Heng said: "Many people are unwilling to go to Dayuan Island, and we cannot forcefully take the people of Datong there, but the people of Liaodong who fled to Pi Island are different. These people have lost their homes. As long as we give them Promise to help them build a new home on Taiyuan Island and give them land. I believe many people will be willing to go to Taiyuan Island with the ship."
Zhao Yutu nodded in agreement.
He understood very well the Ming people's desire for land. If the Tiger Character Banner helped these Liaodong people survive and gave them land, there would definitely be many homeless Liaodong people willing to go to Dajuan Island to seek life.
"One more thing." Liu Heng said, "General Zhang from the General Military Mansion sent a letter asking us to send someone to the General Military Mansion. He wants to make peace with Li Kaiyang for us."
"Li Kaiyang surrendered to Mr. Zhang?" Zhao Yutu said doubtfully.
Liu Heng said: "It is a good thing for us to be able to shake hands with Li Kaiyang and make peace. I am going to send you there. If Li Kaiyang really shakes hands with us and makes peace, we can share some benefits with him in the grassland smuggling business in the future and win him over. If we come to our side, all the officers and soldiers in Datong will be attracted by us, and it will be difficult for Xu Tong to use the officers and soldiers of Datong to deal with us in the future."
Zhao Yutu asked: "When will you leave?"
"After preparing the food, you can leave for Datong." Liu Heng said, "However, you must be more careful when you arrive in Datong. At the same time, I will arrange for our secret spies in Datong to assist you."
"Okay." Zhao Yutu agreed.
He had been to the General Military Mansion more than once, and it was quite familiar to him. The only people who were threatening were Xu Tong and the governor's Yamen.
Liu Heng added: "In the past, Huang An belonged to Li Kaiyang. General Zhang tried to get him away several times but failed. This time, Huang An turned to Xu Tong, which is considered to have completely offended Li Kaiyang. As long as we go to Tongbing again." With Bei Dao's relationship, we can get Huang An away from Lingqiu."
Zhao Yutu sarcastically said: "Huang An turned to Xu Tong. He is simply digging his own grave. He is a military general. Even if Xu Tong is willing to help him and wants to be promoted here in Datong, he still needs the nod of the commander-in-chief. Otherwise, he will pass through the Ministry of War. relationship, it will also be a position in name only in the future.”
Zhang Huai is the commander-in-chief of Datong. Many things involving Datong military commanders cannot be bypassed by him, especially since he is a general. The court is not willing to offend a commander-in-chief who is a general. The nine sides still rely on these generals to guard the country.
"How are things going in the field?" Liu Heng asked about the matter in the field.
Zhao Yutu said with a smile: "This time Xu Tong's reminder to pay the white list has helped us. In the past, some people were unwilling to sell their land even at a high price. Now, when the white list is called, many families are forced to sell their land. With the help of This time, we acquired a lot of land in Guangling, but most of it is poor land and dry land."
"The water tanker must keep up. Now that the weather is bad, we need to plant more beans in the barren land. Wait for two years to let the land fertilize. We also need to plant more potatoes and sweet potatoes. When the land becomes better, we can plant wheat and rice." Liu Heng explained.
Zhao Yutu nodded and said: "The Ordnance Bureau is already working on building a water tanker. Once the canal is dug, even dry fields can be turned into fertile fields."
"In the future, we cannot rely solely on buying food. It is best to produce it ourselves." Liu Heng said, "When you come back from Datong, go to Xuanfu again."
"Going to Xuan Mansion?" Zhao Yutu was stunned for a moment and then said, "Are you going to deal with the Fan family?"
Liu Heng nodded and said: "The Foreign Intelligence Agency sent back the news that Fan Yongdou has passed through Jizhen and started to communicate with Houjin since he failed to fight for business with us in Tumut."
"Fan Yongdou deserves to die." Zhao Yutu cursed angrily, "The gold and silver of Houjin are stained with the blood of us Han people, and he, Fan Yongdou, can even earn such unintentional money."
As a human being, he hated the Hou Jin of the Han people from the bottom of his heart, and he had an even less favorable impression of the businessmen who colluded with the Hou Jin.
Liu Heng said: "This time when you go to Xuanfu to take charge, you will cut off all business contacts of the Fan family through our chamber of commerce in Xuanfu, and then arrange a team of bandits to plunder the Fan family's caravan, and slowly destroy the Fan family." The family is in ruins."
"The businessmen in Xuanfu are more or less connected with the Fan family. If we force the members of the Chamber of Commerce to target the Fan family, my subordinates are worried that some people will be unwilling to do it." Zhao Yutu had a worried look on his eyebrows.
"It doesn't matter." Liu Heng's voice suddenly turned cold and he said, "Whoever doesn't want to deal with the Fan family, then deal with him together. I don't believe that the Shanxi merchants in Xuanfu have turned to vegetarianism. They can't make money from the grassland. I am willing to use my own money to help the Fan family."
Zhao Yutu nodded.
There might be Shanxi merchants from Xuanfu helping the Fan family, but he believed that there would never be too many.
Ever since the Fanji Chamber of Commerce lost to their Tiger-Character Banner on the grassland, not many Shanxi merchants in Xuanfu were optimistic about the Fan family anymore. At least compared to the Tiger-Character Banner, the Fan family was inferior.
Since the fight between the Fan family and the Tiger Flag on the grassland ended years ago, the Fan family's status in the Xuan Mansion can be said to have plummeted. Everyone knows that the Fan family has offended the Tiger Flag, and the Tiger Flag has a stronger position in the Xuan Mansion's Chamber of Commerce. The Fanji Chamber of Commerce established by the Fan family before was stronger.
Nowadays, most Shanxi merchants in Xuanfu have joined the Huzi Banner's Chamber of Commerce. They know that the business roads on the grassland are in the hands of the Tiger Character Banner. If they want to do smuggling business on the grassland, only by relying on the Tiger Character Banner can they make more money and enter the Only then can the convoy on the grassland be safe.
After seeing off Zhao Yutu, Liu Heng said to Xu Xuewu: "This time you go to Pi Island in person. The purpose is to make friends with Mao Wenlong. Pi Island is not only useful to the court, but also to us."
"Yes." Xu Xuewu agreed.
Liu Heng said with a smile: "You have been with me for a while. Sooner or later you have to go out to lead the troops. In the future, do you want to go to the grassland or to Dajuan Island?"
"Subordinate" Xu Xuewu showed hesitation.
Liu Heng smiled and said: "Don't worry, tell me after you have thought about it, but I hope you go to Dajuan Island. It is like spring all year round. It is a good place. It also needs a qualified general to lead the army."
"Then let me go to Da Yuan Island." Xu Xuewu said hurriedly.
"Don't make a decision in a hurry." Liu Heng said, "When the soldiers and food are gathered, you can personally escort them to Dagukou, and then take a boat to Pi Island."
"My subordinate understands."
Liu Heng added: "Whether you go to Pi Island or Dajuan Island, you need to adapt to life at sea. When you go to Dagukou, you should go on the boat to adapt first."
Xu Xuewu nodded solemnly. 11
