"We're out of food."
The Dongjiang rebels were trapped in Chou City, and Li Yingyuan's words were even more frightening.
The Guangrao they currently occupy is not a big city, and the surrounding area is even more desolate. The supplies for tens of thousands of troops could not be supplied even after Guangrao was robbed.
When marching and fighting, logistics comes first.
Without food and grass, everyone knows what the consequences will be waiting for Dongjiang Town.
"Captain, what should we do?"
Chen Yongfu's eyes rolled around, obviously his will was not very firm anymore.
The generals were all in gloom, and no one noticed this.
Kong Youde crossed his legs, took the last puff of dry cigarette, and reluctantly pinned the cigarette pot to his waistband.
"You can't go back to the east, and you can't go to the west either. In my opinion, let's go south."
He is the commander-in-chief, and he directs every battle. Therefore, at this time, he can only make the decision.
"Going south?"
Li Jiucheng looked over.
"Yes, go south."
Kong Youde became more and more enthusiastic.
"We have no food, but to the south is Yidu, where Qingzhou Prefecture is located, so there must be plenty of food and grass. As long as Yidu is captured, we will have the capital to survive."
Mao Chenglu couldn't help baring his teeth.
"Yidu is a big city. If we can't defeat it, then if Zuo Mengeng comes to outflank us, we will die without a place to die."
The previous attack on Laizhou left a deep shadow on the rebel generals.
Kong Youde was full of energy.
"Confused. We still have a chance to survive if we fight Yidu. If we don't fight, we will starve to death immediately."
The generals were suddenly stunned, and then they came to their senses. Whether to fight Yidu or not, there is actually no choice.
"Listen to the commander-in-chief and attack Yidu."
Li Jiucheng also made up his mind.
Everyone in the rebel army knew that this time it was really a matter of life and death, and their enthusiasm was very high.
In the afternoon of the same day, the entire army set out, and at night they attacked Linzi, the north gate of Yidu. They burned, killed, and looted, and collected a considerable amount of supplies.
On the morning of the next day, the rebels surrounded Yidu.
Regarding the arrival of the rebels, everyone in Qingzhou Mansion was in panic.
Apart from quickly ordering the city gates to be closed and summoning the young men, there was no other way.
Nowadays, all parts of Shandong have no military strength. Yidu seems to be where the government is located, but in fact it is empty.
Lying on the city wall, watching the rebels setting up camp in the distance, digging trenches, and deploying cannons, the prefect Zhao Jiang was shaking like chaff.
"Everyone, what has happened so far...what can we do now?"
Zhao Jiang was born in the top three Jinshi in the first year of Chongzhen. It stands to reason that just six years is not enough time to serve as the prefect of a state.
But who said that the Ming Dynasty had lost too many officials in recent years, and it also gave rising stars the opportunity to quickly rise to power.
Zhao Jiang was originally quite happy to succeed Wang Qiaonian as the prefect of Qingzhou and felt that he had a bright future.
Unexpectedly, a rebellion soon broke out in Dongjiang Town, and he went back and forth in Qingzhou Prefecture several times, causing considerable damage to the surrounding areas of Yidu.
Zhao Jiang wrote several times to the imperial court and the province, hoping to strengthen the defense of Yidu, but all of them fell silent and there was no response.
Unexpectedly, this time the rebels really came.
When it comes to defending the city, all the officials of Qingzhou Mansion, big and small, are all glaring.
Everyone is a master at tasting tea, discussing Taoism, drinking wine and having sex with prostitutes.
fight……
When did you read "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu?
After not getting any advice for a long time, Zhao Jiang almost cried.
Jiang Yumin and Zhao Jiang, who were both acquainted with each other, were Jinshi in the same subject and were originally very unconvinced by Zhao Jiang.
Why are we all top three, you are the prefect, and I am just a co-prefect?
But now that the soldiers are approaching, everyone is just a grasshopper on a rope, and they can't care about that much.
Jiang Yumin racked his brains and finally got a little clue.
"Sir, there is a saying in the art of war: before the troops and horses move, food and grass go first. If you want to defend the city, you must have plenty of money and food. In my opinion, we should quickly spend money and food and recruit warriors. This is the way to defend the city."
The promotion officer Shao Yichuan couldn't help but asked: "Now that the treasury is empty, where will the money and food come from?"
As soon as these words came out, all the officials blushed.
When Zhao Jiang took office, he saw the ruins of the government office and felt that it was damaging to the dignity of the court. So with a stroke of a pen, a sum of money was taken out of the treasury to repair the government office.
He withdrew 980 taels of silver from the treasury, and the account also showed 980 taels of silver. The actual expenditure was 426 taels...
After Jiang Yumin arrived, he saw that the tables, chairs and benches in the magistrate's sitting hall were all new, but his own was full of rotten wood, and he felt unbalanced.
After some quarrel, two hundred taels of treasury silver were withdrawn to replace office facilities. The actual cost was eighty-five taels.
Seeing that his two bosses were so loyal to the country, Shao Yichuan felt that he had to show his loyalty, so he proposed to repay the arrears of monthly salary to all officials in the yamen.
Zhao Jiang and Jiang Yumin both praised him for his kindness, and received a total of 427 taels of silver reissue.
Officials at all levels actually received two hundred and five taels, and they still praised them and respected them like gods.
Now we have to defend the city...
Jiang Yumin felt that there was still a way.
"The rebels are ferocious. Once they break the city, will they be safe? For the current plan, we can only successfully defend the city by asking Heng Fan to come forward and provide money and food to boost morale."
Everyone immediately became happy.
Yes, this country belongs to your Zhu family. If you mess it up, the loss will also belong to your Zhu family.
Doesn’t it make sense that your Zhu family doesn’t pay for it?
So Zhao Jiang, Jiang Yumin, Shao Yichuan and other officials went to Prince Heng's Mansion to ask for an audience with Prince Heng's eldest son, Zhu Youyi.
"Your Highness, where Dongjiang's rebellion has passed, there have been murders, devastation, and rivers of blood. Now that the army is approaching the city, the people of the city are in danger. I have the favor of the emperor, and I must swear to defend the city to the death. I am afraid that your highness, your body, will be attacked by the army. If it is damaged, I will die without redemption. For this plan, I implore Your Highness to think of the great favor of the country and the safety of the country, and give a little charity to fulfill the great righteousness!"
Zhao Jiang cannot fight.
He is good at flattery, threats and warnings, and extreme exaggeration.
The core meaning is just one.
If you want to defend the city, you need money.
Zhu Youyi sat upright like a bell, and immediately became solemn after hearing the situation.
"This is a matter of life and death. Since I am of royal blood and enjoy local support, how can I stay out of the matter? Come on, hurry up and get some money to help defend the city."
Seeing Zhu Youyi so happy, Zhao Jiang, Jiang Yumin and others were really overjoyed.
Isn’t it said that the princes of Lao Zhu’s family are all iron roosters?
Well, it seems that this alternate prince is younger, which is different.
But when a brilliant silver ingot was placed in front of everyone, their smiles stopped abruptly.
"Five...fifty taels?"
The plate that carries the silver is very large, more than a foot square. But the plate only contained one ingot, weighing fifty taels.
This is the generosity of Prince Heng’s Crown Prince Zhu Youyi, which moves heaven and earth!
"Your Highness, this..."
Zhao Jiang was about to cry but had no tears, only to realize that the prince of the Zhu family was indeed no different.
But Zhu Youyi really cried.
"Mr. Zhao, don't say any more. Although I don't have enough food to eat and no clothes to cover my body, I vow to live and die with the elders in the city. These silvers are Gu's savings over the years, and I originally planned to exchange them for some chaff and millet to tide over the difficulties. But when the nest is overturned, what else can we say? But we can’t care about that much.”
Seeing Zhu Youchun, who was in tears as the commander-in-chief, all the officials in Qingzhou felt like they were mourning for their heirs.
they know……
Ruined!
