The wind at night was very cold, and it felt chilly on my body. The window was not closed tightly, and it swayed gently in the cold wind, hitting the window frame.
Jiang Min sat in front of the table, frowning. The tea next to it has gone cold and there is no trace of heat.
When she came back that day, Jiang Min seemed to be seriously ill. He didn't think about food or drink every day, and rarely talked. In a few days, he had lost weight. The soldier couldn't help but worry. He went to see a doctor, but he didn't have anything wrong with him.
After a long silence, Jiang Min raised his head and looked through the information on the table carefully. These days, Jiang Min sent people out to carefully investigate the customs and customs of Shenshan County. Today, we finally arrived at Eucalyptus.
Shenshan is a small county, and it has been ravaged several times by the Jin soldiers, so its population is already very small. At the height of Xuanhe's reign, the county's population was less than 2,000 households. Now, there are less than 500 households, most of which are located in mountainous areas.
Shenshan County is located among mountains, and cultivated land is mainly distributed beside rivers such as Laohe River and Dihe River, as well as in the alluvial plains at the foot of the mountains. Although the Jin army only came to more than a hundred people this time, the damage was huge. They came from Jinzhou along the Lao River and killed almost everyone along the way. The town of Shenshan County was destroyed. There were nearly 300 households in the city, and only about 30 people were left. Wang Xiaolie counterattacked, and because he deliberately blocked the Jin army's return route, the remaining people fled south and massacred the villages along the Dihe River. After this catastrophe, the richest place in Shenshan County was almost turned into a white land.
Jiang Min put down the eucalyptus roll in his hand and sighed heavily.
I was still too young to realize the cruelty of this war. After deciding to establish a base in Shenshan County, he led his people to choose a suitable place to build a base, without being prepared for the Jin army in Jinzhou. He was suddenly attacked by the Jin army and was caught off guard.
After the destruction by the Jin Army, the current population of Shenshan County has withered and is no longer enough to support Jiang Min's army. There is empty land around, but no one is cultivating it, so where will the food come from? Without food, it is impossible to build an army.
The geographical location of Mount Kailash is superior. Over the mountains to the west is Jinzhou, which will pose a greater threat to the Jin army after it develops. Surrounded by mountains, it is easy to defend. It can be said to be a place that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Crossing the Yangjiao Mountain in the south, you will enter the Fen River Valley, where supplies can be easily obtained. If you can't find a foothold in Shenshan County and search all over Hedong, it will be difficult to find a place like this again.
Standing up, Jiang Min walked to the door and looked at the night outside.
I have brought more than 500 people with me, and there is no replacement. These people will not be of great use. And with the current Shenshan County, even these 500 people cannot be supported. How can we talk about development? Just these five hundred people, all working on the land, can't grow much food.
After standing there for a long time, Jiang Min felt confused and confused. I want to retreat, but I am unwilling to do so. If you don’t retreat, it will be difficult to take root here.
Suddenly I thought of Du Wu. This man has never done anything good in his life, and everyone in the village looks down upon him. But for the sake of his only grandson, he could endure the pain, follow him all the way, endure all the hardships, and finally die silently on the road. But the grandson he was looking for became the prey of Jin Jun. How many other tragedies in the world can compare to this?
When Xiangyang established the Yamen of the Envoy, Wang Xiaolie sat behind his bed and read the letter written by Jiang Min.
As soon as he arrived in Hedong and before he could gain a foothold, Jiang Min was suddenly attacked by the Jin army. Although the Jin army was finally annihilated, Shenshan County also suffered serious losses. The population is too small now, and it is difficult to support the establishment of a base there.
Putting the letter down, Wang Xiaolie laid the map of Hedong Road on the eucalyptus and looked at it carefully.
Generally speaking, the terrain of Hedong Road is a series of mountain basins sandwiched between the Taihang Mountains in the east and the Luliang Mountains in the west. The most essential places are the Taiyuan Basin and the Fen River Valley in the south. Together with the Datong Basin in the north, it was the essence of Shanxi Province in later generations.
The Datong Basin has never belonged to the Song Dynasty. It is now the center of the Jin Dynasty's West Road and mainly controls the grasslands in the north. Taiyuan Mansion was the headquarters of Hedong guard Wanyan Yinshuke, and there were many Jin troops. When establishing a base on Hedong Road, these two places do not need to be considered.
For Wang Xiaolie, what is really meaningful is the Fen River Valley in the south.
According to the division of the Song Dynasty, Jiezhou in the south, which was later known as Yuncheng, belonged to Shaanxi. After the Jin army invaded the south, they regarded the land north of the Yellow River as their own, and established the puppet Qi regime south of the Yellow River. The current Fen River Valley area actually belongs to Hedong Road.
The location of Shenshan County is very special. Although this county is small, with barren land and a small population, its geographical location is very important. It is surrounded by mountains and a valley in the middle. As long as the north and south intersections are guarded, it can be said to be impregnable. It's not too far from Jinzhou, an important town in the Fen River Valley. It can be reached by climbing over the mountains to the west and there are mature roads.
After looking at the surrounding terrain, Wang Xiaolie took a picture on the map.
This is a natural place to establish a base, and there is no place more suitable than here. It is very close to Jinzhou and can contain the Jin army. Go south over Yangjiao Mountain, not far from Yuanqu County, and you can get your own support.
After picking up Jiang Min's letter and reading it, Wang Xiaolie looked at the map and thought.
Shenshan County is very poor. Relying only on the resources of the county, even if all the people are soldiers, they cannot support an army of 10,000. It is no longer easy to support thousands of people in that place. However, if support is obtained, especially the passage through Shenshan, Yicheng, Jiangxian and Yuanqu, it should not be underestimated. With 10,000 regular troops on Hedong Road, they can run rampant.
After thinking for a long time, Wang Xiaolie lowered his head and looked at the southernmost point of the map, Xijing Luoyang City.
In terms of strategic value, Luoyang is far more important than Kaifeng. The Luoyang Valley itself is fertile, surrounded by many forts and has a dangerous geographical location. More importantly, Luoyang controls Shaanxi to the west, Hedong to the north, and Nanyang to the south. For the Central Plains, this is a key place. If you control Luoyang, you can rely on Dengzhou and Xiangyang to threaten Shaanxi and Hedong.
The Puppet Qi's strategic focus is on Hebei and Jingdong, and it does not pay much attention to Luoyang. Meng Bangxiong who guards Luoyang is just a local tycoon, and he is not as good as Wang Xiaolie who traveled around in the past. The only trouble is that if you occupy Luoyang, you will have to face the attack of the main force of the Jin army.
After thinking for a long time, Wang Xiaolie shook his head helplessly. Now is not the time to fight the main force of the Jin Army. It is not the best time for the Northern Expedition to attack Luoyang. It can only be seen.
For the time being, I can only support Jiang Min through Ruzhou and Dengfeng, via Gong County to Jiyuan, and then either from Yuanqu County or Qinshui County to Yicheng County, and then to Shenshan Mountain. Although this road is more rugged, longer, and more expensive, it is within my control.
After thinking for a long time, Wang Xiaolie knocked on the table and said, "Sister-in-law, what if I spend more money? As long as I take root in Shenshan County, half of Hedong Road will be in the palm of my hand! I have to spend the money I earn, and spend it on Here, it’s worth it!”
small book booth
He made up his mind to support Jiang Min at all costs in establishing his base in Shenshan County. If there is no food, then transport it. It is nothing more than spending ten kilograms on the road to transport one kilogram, and the price is just higher.
Ruzhou is on the other side of the mountain. There is no waterway to Xiangyang, so food cannot be transported. Rather than storing it in the warehouse, it would be better to use it to support the base area on Hedong Road. As long as we can gain a firm foothold on Hedong Road, no matter how high the price is, it will be worth it.
During Jiang Min's first one or two years on Hedong Road, Wang Xiaolie had to spend a huge amount of money to support him. As long as Jiang Min develops, these costs will be worth it. In the past year or two, it has been a different story.
