On this day, Wang Xiaolie was in the Yamen, carefully discussing the current situation in Chenzhou and Yingzhou with Wang Ruohai.
Wang Ruohai said: "The forces coming to Yingzhou are Feng Changning from Chenzhou and Dong Ping from Tangzhou. Both of them are local wealthy families with many clansmen and many bankers. They have been developing in the local area for many years. , powerful. After observing Xiangyang, the army expanded rapidly. At the same time, many people in the army fled. Within a year, deserters became a new force."
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "I've heard of it. Now in Chenzhou, the strongest one is Xihua's Peng Jinyuan. It's really a confrontation between two armies. Neither Feng Changning nor Dong Ping is Peng Jinyuan's opponent."
Wang Ruohai said: "The observation is correct. Peng Jin was originally the capital of the army. He first gathered dozens of people to gather at the Yingshui River. It was not a big force. Later, many deserters defected and developed rapidly. Now Peng Jin's original foundation is In Xihua County, the strongmen in Taikang, Fugou, Yanling and other places to the north all obeyed his orders. After many inquiries, Peng Jin originally gathered more than 1,300 troops."
Wang Xiaolie thought for a while. He said: "More than 1,300 people are not a small force. When I fought in Gong County, I only had a few hundred people under my command. With so many people gathered in Xihua County, what do they eat on a daily basis? They can always go out to work in the fields."
Wang Ruohai said: "I have sent out a lot of people, and I have basically found out everything these days. There are two north-south smuggling trade routes in Chenzhou and Yingzhou. The southern trade route is in Yingshang County, which mainly faces the Jin Army's occupation. Bo, Su, Shou, Hao and other prefectures. The goods sold to the south are mainly horses and sheep, and the goods sold to the north are mainly cattle. There are many mountain and water villages in the Lianghuai area, and they are not under their own jurisdiction. There is really no way to manage them. The trade roads in the north , due to the current impassable waterway, it goes from Rufen Town to Beiwu Town, then to Xiaoyao Town in Xihua County, and then passes through Xihua and Taikang to Yingtianfu, Nanjing. The western section of this trade road is occupied by Dong Ping, and the eastern section is occupied by Dong Ping. Duan Ze was under the control of Peng Jinyuan. These two people made a lot of money relying on this trade route."
Wang Xiaolie nodded, lowered his head and thought. After a while, he said: "We have set up a smuggling shop in Xiangcheng County. The trade route runs from Xiangyang through Huyang County, then through Fangcheng and Ye County to Xiangcheng. The smuggling trade route goes all the way to Rufen Town It's just heading east, and it's a good opportunity to borrow our trade route."
Wang Ruohai said: "If this is the case, we can conduct strict checks on the road and catch these smuggling businessmen!"
Wang Xiaolie couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Consultant, we also want to make money! Xiangyang is on the north-south trade road, and I don't know how many goods are sold here every year. Some of them can be sold, and some are forbidden goods. Cut off the forbidden goods on the trade road, and you will make a lot less in a year. Money. I can only prevent military supplies from being trafficked through Xiangyang. Some unimportant items cannot be strictly controlled. For us, without this money, many things will be difficult to do. "
Wang Ruohai was startled: "Is it possible that the smuggling was tacitly approved by the observer?"
Wang Xiaolie nodded: "Part of it is true. For example, when salt is shipped from the north and our tea is shipped out, there is no strict control. The trafficking of these goods is beneficial to both the north and the south, so we just turn a blind eye."
Wang Ruohaidao sighed: "There is no need for anything else. Trafficking in tea alone is enough to support Dong Ping and Peng Jinyuan!"
Wang Xiaolie said: "Tea is the bulk of the goods smuggled to the north now. This year, the supply and marketing cooperative organized tea merchants to make brick tea in the mountains around Ezhou. There are also benefits to the local area, so the government there has given a lot of convenience. Brick tea and loose tea Tea is different. It is suitable for long-distance trafficking, mainly to the north. This is big business, both for the smugglers and for us."
Wang Ruohai listened and stopped talking. Now the relationship between Song and Jin is very complicated. The Kingdom of Jin continued to invade the south, and Zhao Goudong was hiding. There was no doubt that the two countries were in a state of war. However, Zhao Gou's will to resist the Jin Dynasty was not firm. Even if the front lines were fighting, he still continued to send envoys to the Jin Dynasty. Therefore, the trade routes between the two countries are not cut off, and some ordinary goods are allowed to be bought and sold. However, tea is prohibited from being sold to the north.
After a long silence, Wang Ruohai said: "In addition to Dong Ping and Peng Jinyuan, many deserters have been discovered in Chenzhou recently. These people disliked the strict rules in Peng Jinyuan's army and formed their own gangs. I am worried that they will cause trouble. "
Wang Xiaolie said: "I heard that the Jin Dynasty intends to make Liu Yu, the prefect of Jinan, the emperor and give him the territory south of the Yellow River. Next, there will be no peace in the two capitals. The place between us and Liu Yu is full of fish and dragons, big and small. It is common for a strong man to occupy a mountain and become king."
Wang Ruohai said: "Now there are no large armies in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Prefecture, Zhengzhou, Chenzhou, Yingzhou and other places. If you are interested in observing, what if you send troops to occupy it? If the Jin army comes to attack, just resist. Occupy more places, is it possible? Is it more difficult than what we are now?”
Wang Xiaolie said: "Counsellor, you are right. It will indeed be more difficult to occupy those places than it is now. The states you mentioned have been ravaged and sparsely populated. It is difficult to raise food and grass for a large army to occupy. These hundreds of miles The land is not a good place for an army.”
The question is simple. If the enemy does not occupy those states and attacks, Wang Xiaolie will fight from the inside. After occupying several states, due to the sparse population in those states, it was not easy to recover in a short period of time, so it became an external battle.
At present, Xiangyang, Dengzhou and other places have not yet developed, and there are many difficulties in external operations. A few years later, when Wang Xiaolie regained his strength and those states were still as they are now, Wang Xiaolie would send troops to occupy them.
Seeing Wang Xiaolie's resolute attitude, Wang Ruohai sighed: "We have soldiers in our hands and the surrounding states and counties are empty. How can we endure it? Although you have said many things, I still think it is always better to have a larger territory. Alas. , observe and think deeply.”
Wang Xiaolie smiled but said nothing. He leaned on the chair and was silent for a while. Said: "Zhang Jun occupied Caikou Town, what about now?"
Wang Ruohai said: "There are many forces in that area and the situation is complicated. Zhang Jun is accumulating strength in Caikou Town."
Wang Xiaolie said: "Lancheng is by the Ru River and its location is important. It is better to be placed under the rule of Shenyou. With the support of Lincheng, Zhang Jun will have the confidence to compete with Dong Ping and Peng Jinyuan. We will not interfere with this trade route. I’m always worried.”
Wang Ruohai said: "There are already soldiers and horses stationed in Yancheng, but they don't care about local affairs. If Yancheng is placed under the control of Caizhou, there will be no room for Dong Ping from Wuyang. Without Dong Ping, trade routes will be cut off. "
Wang Xiaolie said: "The trade route is a trivial matter. What I mean is that it forms a complete defense line along the Ru River, from Ruzhou to Xiangcheng, Yancheng, and then to Caizhou. Within the defense line is our core area. The enemy will never be allowed to break in. In this way, all our territories will form a whole. Whether it is governance or defense against foreign enemies, it will be much easier."
Wang Ruohai thought for a while and said: "That's fine. With the presence of Yancheng, Dong Ping's territory will be oppressed and he will be forced to move north. If he doesn't leave, he will have an army to suppress him! If the army doesn't come out, Dong Ping is a powerful force. Facing the army, it’s not worth mentioning!”
The local tyrants in these places do not have many troops, ranging from one to two hundred to three to five thousand. Just like Zhai Xing, he fought many battles with the Jin army. His orders were obeyed as far away as Taihang, and his reputation spread far and wide. In fact, Zhai Xing's core strength is only about 3,000 people. Other soldiers and horses, such as Dong Xian and others, all follow his orders and have strong independence.
Yancheng originally belonged to Yingchang Prefecture, because it was by the Ru River, and Wang Xiaolie had troops stationed there. However, no officials were dispatched, and local civil affairs were basically ignored. Transferred to Caizhou and returned to Wang Ruohai, which is equivalent to expanding the scope of rule.
