Zhang Ying couldn't walk ten miles away from the east gate. He suddenly heard the sound of a gong and shot out countless men and horses from both sides. He first held a three-pointed two-edged knife. It was Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling. Zhang Ying knew that he was not Ji Ling's opponent. , Did not dare to meet face-to-face, and fled, Ji Ling led his army to a big fight from behind, and then returned to Yinling to celebrate his achievements.
Three days later, Ji Ling led a large army to appear under Shouchun City. However, Shouchun is far from the Yin Tomb. The city wall is nearly half higher than the Yin Tomb. There are also 20,000 defenders in the city. Many people recruited by the county, and this is Liu You’s last fortress. He will not give up easily. Even if he adopts the method of siege, it is impossible for Liu You to abandon the city.
Ji Ling, Lei Bo, Chen Lan, and Liu Bei surrounded the city of Shouchun and attacked four gates. This fortified battle was much harder than the attack on the Yin Tomb. It lasted for half a month, day and night. After tens of thousands of horses, Shouchun City still stands still.
The warm spring flowers and the breezy sun are a good time for outings. On the vast Taihu Lake, a huge boat floats slowly on the lake without any destination. It just floats like this. In the cabin on the top floor, Liu Xin was lying on a special wooden chair with a smile on his face, enjoying the brisk dance in front of him, with a beat in his hand from time to time, as leisurely as the boat he was riding on.
Liu Xin does have this leisurely qualification. Although he is in troubled times, he has a lot of talents. He only needs to set a general strategy and direction for everything. There is a lot of civil and military to take care of specific affairs.
Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were located in Xiapi and Guangling counties in Xuzhou. Neither Cao Cao nor Yuan Shu dared to act rashly. Instead, they had a large amount of money and food collected from the big families in Xuzhou City, and they were treated by the masters of Chen Gui and his sons. Reason, the people’s sentiments in these two counties have been completely stabilized. The battle in Danyang County has long since subsided. Gan Ning and Zhou Tai each led a fleet to block the Yangzhou navy forces in that water village. There was an isolated city in Wanling. Although Zhang Xi was siege and did not attack, Yu Mi still did not dare to open the city gate. Everything seemed to be under Liu Xin's control.
At this time, the dance in the middle of the cabin had ended. The little dancing man happily jumped in front of Liu Xin and asked with a smile, "Goddaddy, how did Ling'er dance?"
Liu Xin touched Lu Qiling’s little head and nodded in praise: “Yes, it turns out that a famous teacher has made great apprentices. In time, your dancing skills may surpass your master.”
Lu Qiling received Liu Xin’s praise and couldn’t help smiling. Diao Chan was also full of joy as a master. When she turned her head, she saw Liu Xin’s brows wrinkled slightly, and a trace of worry flashed in her eyes. She couldn’t help asking: "Master, you have What's up there,"
Liu Xin smiled and said: "It's nothing, this cabin is a bit boring, you sit here, I will go outside for a walk,"
As Liu Xin’s pillow, Diao Chan can clearly feel that Liu Xin has been worrying about something lately, and she often silently trances when she lay down in the middle of the night. It must be something difficult to resolve in military and political affairs, but Diao Chan understands that even Ma Yun has started to stay away from military and political affairs intentionally or unintentionally. These things are not something she can interrogate. Therefore, when Liu Xin's words were prevarication, Diao Chan stopped asking questions, but signaled Lan Nier to offer Liu Xin. A cup of fragrant tea,
Diao Chan had heard Liu Xin say that tea, which can reduce fire and dryness, refreshes the mind, seems to be right for Liu Xin's current situation, and Lan Nier’s fragrant tea is made by Yu Fan according to Liu Xin’s teaching method. The new tea made is scented in the mouth, even Diao Chan himself likes to drink it.
Liu Xin took the tea bowl offered by Lan Nier, knowing that she was a little uncomfortable these days, and her thoughts made Diaochan see it, and couldn't help being moved by Diaochan's care and consideration. Liu Xin waved his hand. , Let Lan Nier retreat, standing alone on the deck looking at the hazy Gusu Mountain in the distance, slowly relaxed, but when he opened the bowl lid and smelled the tangy fragrance , The thick eyebrows gradually tightened again,
It has been more than two months since leaving Xiangyang. According to the latest news, the snow and ice in the north have begun to melt, and the road to the Western Regions blocked by the heavy snow has gradually cleared up, but he is still dragged in this Jiangnan. I can’t move, of course. No one insists that he stay here and are not allowed to leave. However, Liu Xin knows very well that so far his real enemies are still the two powerful lords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, as long as the two families of Cao and Yuan do not go to war. , He can’t handle the affairs of the Western Regions with confidence. Although the Western Regions are far away, they are related to Liu Xin’s pocketbook. If the Silk Road is not opened up, the silk, porcelain, and tea that will be mass-produced in the future cannot be exchanged for large amounts from the West. Real money and even food,
Silk has been an important commodity in China’s foreign trade since ancient times. Now Liu Xin has vigorously promoted the cultivation of mulberry and sericulture in the three counties of the south of the Yangtze River. The output of silk will definitely double this year. Since last winter, the porcelain production base in the western suburbs of Xiangyang has been It has gradually moved to Yuzhang, where there are cheaper raw materials that are more suitable for making porcelain, and more, cheaper, and better-quality porcelain can be produced. Silk and porcelain must be compared this year. Good way out,
Because of the limited production, there is no need to worry about the sale of tea at present. The tea Liu Xin currently drinks are all wild tea trees collected from the mountains. Although Yu Fan has built a large number of tea trees in some areas suitable for tea trees in the south of the Yangtze River according to Liu Xin’s layout. Tea gardens, but it is foreseeable that there will not be too much tea production this year and the next two years. However, in two or three years, the situation will be very different. Everything must be prepared in advance. Liu Xin wants to advertise for tea early. Just like it did to the Huns, the tea was sold to the West before it was produced in large quantities.
To sell these products to the West, one must go through the Silk Road, and the Western Regions are an important node on the Silk Road. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, the imperial court established the Western Regions Protectorate, but it was abandoned and built for hundreds of years. Until a few years ago, the Western Regions Protected Mansion had existed in name only, and the two great powers of the Western Regions, Wusun and Dawan, completely broke away from the Western Regions Protected Mansion two hundred years ago. Recently, their power has extended to other small countries in the Western Regions. It made it more difficult for the Han Dynasty to rebuild the Western Regions Duhu Mansion than ever before.
In order to ensure that the products of the Han Dynasty can be sold to the West smoothly, Liu Xin of the Western Regions must be rebuilt, but in the process of rebuilding the Western Regions, it is inevitable that there will be some conflicts between the Han Dynasty and other forces in the Western Regions. , And even a war of medium or above scale is very likely. Now, the Han Dynasty itself is still in a state of division. At this time, the reconstruction of the Western Regions Protectorate naturally needs a stable and stable rear.
Originally, Liu Xin's plan was to force Yuan Shu to expand northward and to have a fierce war with Cao Cao. Under such circumstances, Yuan Shao would definitely think that he had a chance to take advantage of it, so he would go south and attack Cao Cao's rear. Yuan Shu must not be able to please his strength. It is very likely that he will be eaten by Cao Cao in turn. At this time, the protracted war between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao is inevitable, and Liu Xin can take advantage of the intense fighting between the two of them. , Let go to solve the problems of the Western Regions,
"The soldiers and horses are not moved, the grain and grass go first," everyone knows this sentence, but no one understands it more deeply than Liu Xin. In Liu Xin's eyes, the grain and grass here do not only refer to the grain, forage, and fodder directly handed over to the war. Various munitions such as clothing, equipment, etc., as well as the large sums of money, food and materials needed for the aftermath of the war, for relief and reconstruction, that is to say, the war is still money in the final analysis.
After solving the problems of the Western Regions and opening up the Silk Road, Liu Xin can obtain a stable source of financial resources. With money, it will be easy to go back and clean up the defeated Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
But what Liu Xin could not think of was that Yuan Shu would not be able to attack a small Jiujiang for a long time. Now Yuan Shu’s army was dragged under the city of Shouchun, with a dilemma. If this war continues, even if Yuan Shu can conquer Jiujiang, He will also be greatly injured. In a short time, he will not be able to challenge Cao Cao, and Cao Cao and Yuan Shao have many clever men under them. They will not let Cao Cao and Yuan Shao easily commit the "snipe and clam fight, the fisherman gains profit." "This is wrong,
Although Liu Xin and Cao Cao have concluded a two-year peace agreement, and he will try his best to abide by this agreement, but he does not believe that Cao Cao will sincerely abide by this agreement, if his progress in the Western Regions is not smooth , It is possible to be restrained, who can guarantee that Cao Cao will not perform another good show like the last time he attacked Xiangyang, especially the lonely corner of Xiapi and Guangling counties, which is just convenient for Cao Cao to start, but let Liu Xin take the initiative Give up these two counties, shrink the line of defense to the south of the Yangtze River, and use the natural line of defense of the Yangtze River, but it is not Liu Xin's style of life and work. It is precisely because of this that Liu Xin frowned.
Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps on the gangway, and Jushou walked over and said with joy: "I’m sorry, I heard news from the front."
Liu Xin was also overjoyed and said, "Why, Yuan Shu has broken Shouchun,"
Jushou was taken aback, then shook his head, and said, "It's not the news of Shouchun, but the entire Yangzhou navy army has surrendered."
This is good news, but it’s not surprising. The Yangzhou naval forces are huddled in the water village. The river is full of warships of the Dahan naval forces patrolling day and night, and Zhang Ren’s troops cut off the retreat on the shore. In this case, They can’t even get supplies. How can they hold on to it? It’s not easy for the soldiers of the Yangzhou Navy to raise the flag and surrender after so many geniuses.
Liu Xin felt a little disappointed, and said indifferently: "It won't affect the overall situation if they don't surrender now. Let the order go on and let them all disarm and return to their fields."
Jushou understands what Liu Xin is entangled with now. He is also racking his brains and thinking about this matter these days. Seeing Liu Xin frowning, he couldn't help but arched his hands and said, "Lord, it's really impossible. Let us lurking in Shou Spring’s people can help."