But in the night in the military city of Pingyi in the southern part of Weizhou, there was a bright fire. The snow powder and cold weather made Cao Xiang stand on the low city gate, with a solemn look at the army horses busy carrying supplies. In the meantime, someone ran back and forth and shouted:
"Don't rush, pick out craftsmen, scholars and officials first, and escort them away together..."
"Others are just to drive away, not to kill indiscriminately, not to be hard, not to be stranded, and only take light goods and horses;"
"What you can't take is burned on the spot, no greed and nostalgia, no selfish affairs, no secret entrainment, or slashing!"
"Which workshops and warehouses must be burned first, and all the excess armor materials are chipped into ice and thrown into wells, river protections, and ponds..."
"There are three hours and five quarters left. After the fifth ring of the golden plate, the last batch of carts and horses and pack teams must be on the road.
"Pass the order on the left and right wings, first carry part of the grain and discard it along the way...and set up flagpoles as a mark..."
"Stay in command, these Wei Boqiang soldiers are just so..."
A general with snow particles on his beard and hair sighed loudly
"Don't take it lightly. The people here have always been sturdy, and Wang Hua has been rejected for a long time. If it weren't for the preparedness and unpreparedness, I am afraid that it will take a lot of trouble..."
Cao Xiang shook his head and said:
"Now Wei Bo should have received the news and reacted to it. The distance between this place is only thirty-four riel. If you don't see it, you will accept it. When Wei Bo's main formation arrives, I am afraid that everything will be lost. !!!"
The place where Weibo Town is located has been recorded since the Han Dynasty. There is also a proverb saying: "Weijun, Qinghe, God is helpless!" to describe the arbitrariness of the local wealthy surnames and family lords. Therefore, after the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms, Emperor Wu of Jin completely abolished the prefectures and soldiers, and gradually reduced the power to the hands of local wealthy surnames. Officials of the past dynasties regarded these places as a fearful way to become officials.
Since the mid-Tang Dynasty, the three towns of Heshuo have been separated and supported each other, relying on the local Tu nationality households to form large and small rural warriors and Shibing groups, breaking away from the imperial kingship and becoming a self-contained entity. Relying on abundance without having to bear the taxes and duties of the imperial court, on the contrary, the imperial court rewards and special care were often required; therefore, the tendency of people's minds has long been different from other places.
"It's a pity which cities, Wei Bo's rich, Youjiahe Shuo three towns!"
Another minister came over and sighed:
"If you can't have enough military power to occupy it for a long time, what is the use of more cities and populations, it's just a drag?"
Cao Xiang shook his head more and said:
"What is the purpose of our battle this time? It is not to try our best to reduce and weaken the power of Weibo Town; to make it exhausted and unable to live through the winter, so that it will not be the trouble of the spring famine in the coming year. It is not the desire to stop looking at Shu, but to make it internal Donate the previous suspicions, hold together and work together to the outside world!!"
"Leave a good command..."
"Retaining the coach is foresight..."
Both left and right were convinced:
However, in the compliments of many subordinates, Cao Xiang did not have much joy and contentment. Because these basic analysis and judgments of the three towns of Heshuo and even the northern towns are only part of the many knowledge and knowledge he has gained in the south; he was also able to rebuild the structure of the Tianping army in a broken state. .
But the more he did here, the inevitably more confused and lost in his heart. Because the problems he encountered in the Northland were almost never beyond the scope of what he had seen and known; in other words, he wanted to stick to his original ideas and goals, and was determined to make some changes to the Tianping Army. We have to learn more and imitate some of the practices of the Taiping Army, and we must constantly face those people and things that have become obstacles.
This feeling that everything is in the grasp and calculation of others is not very pleasant. But already in it, he had to bite the bullet and walk on, otherwise, even if he had the reputation of Cao's governance of the balance and the hope of saving people in trouble, he would not be able to escape the death on the spot or the result of the death of the dead.
After all, in the process of rebuilding the power structure of the Tianping Army, since he has gradually abandoned and eradicated the foundations of the old days, he can't give up the followers and new foundations that he has replanted and cultivated now. . Therefore, as he became more able to act arbitrarily and heavier, his reliance on and reliance on the South did not decrease as a result, but increased even further.
After all, it is too easy to be a domineering, extravagant, and desperate military commander. Even if it is broken by the Tianping Army and dedicated to one person, even Ze and his relatives are more than enough; this is also the main normal state of the world. But if you want to protect the land and the people, it is not so easy to protect one side.
Not only need to be able to cope with the coveted and temptation of neighbourhoods (towns) in order to reconcile the source of the source or close and close attacks, but also to be able to comfort the many internal army generals, guard the family soldiers, and strike and eliminate the signs of restlessness as a shock. As the respected commander, he can never show too much weakness and weakness, otherwise he will lose his position and be expelled overnight, and even the death of the clan will be a matter of time.
However, if those who want to treat the people well and improve people's livelihood, it will be an extremely difficult and rugged road. There are many forces in this world that are known as strong vassal and rich towns, but they can be found in one corner. There are hardly many that can truly achieve people's livelihood and rest, or they have not existed for a long time.
Because under the numerous vassals and towns of the past and the invading and attacking of the court and the rebels, almost no one can take care of themselves; there is no more spirit and spare energy to seek the people's livelihood. Instead, we must do our utmost to squeeze and include the people, thinking that by supporting the army and the Yingshi treasury, can we be prepared to deter and resist the coveting of others, or plan tactics, and maintain the regional balance, and even our own. Wealth and authority.
As a result, under the steadfast rewards and treatments, a large number of local generals and soldiers who want to fill up but are rebellious have been provided. If the new commander wants to change the power structure or be kind to the people, he will inevitably violate the interests of this generation and suffer all kinds of backlashes. This is also due to the many roots of the world's feudal vassals since dynasties.
Only those with savvy methods can weigh the internal and external relations and balance. On the basis of the blood and tears and bones of hundreds of people, they can establish the long-term wealth and stable authority that has been inherited from generations of people. For example, Lu Long, Chengde, and Wei Bo represent the Heshuo Fanzhen, which is the best example. But the people under his rule are not miserable.
If it is those military towns that are loyal to or inclined to the imperial court, they will pay more taxes to the country than those self-reliant and semi-self-reliant vassals, as well as the (irregular) declaration and reconciliation of the Emperor Ouchi (Regular) local tribute; there is also a (introductory) court ambassador who manages the factions inside and outside the country, and connects the ministers or the court officials. Otherwise, it is possible that a paper edict will fly in and give others a chance to replace it.
And these numerous supply and operation fees also have to go through the hands of local officials, and they fall on the common people in an increasing amount. Why did the Huangchaos rise up under the rule of the Tianping Army when the Central Plains was in a drought of thousands of miles? It is not the result of thinking that the four states of Tianping have been the result of the deprivation of the people's livelihood and the exhaustion of manpower.
Therefore, at that time, Xue Neng, the Tianpingjieshuai, who was born at a high school but was extremely incompetent, was destroyed by the grass thief who came into the city. As a Zizhou governor, Cao Quanzhu, he was appointed to the Tianping army to set things right. .
And when Cao Xiang was able to return Yunzhou alone among the thieves, he was also determined to make a different situation. Of course, this side is to repay and sympathize with the suffering of the local people, on the other hand, it does not mean to act in this way and secretly separate from the peaceful thieves
Although the Tianping Army that he was finally able to take over, only an isolated city in Lizuo Yuncheng was defeated by the Wei Bing; most of the troops in the town, including most of the dental soldiers, also collapsed on the bank of Ohyeze when they took the initiative to fight. . But it also gave him more leeway to overthrow and recreate the situation in the midst of waiting to be revived.
At the very least, he no longer needs to send the imperial court and entrust him to the Da Nei, nor does he need to maintain the high munitions and rewards of the Tianping Army in the past. He can be self-sufficient for a while only through the Laimin cultivating. Then he led the remaining troops, and in the process of recovering which old Rizhou counties, through the liquidation of the so-called "collaborating enemy" and "converted thieves" homes, he successively obtained military supplies.
After meeting with Zhu Laosan in Huazhou, and sharing the weight of Wei Jun abandoned in Henan and the proceeds of plundering, he also had the first batch of start-up assets for circulation and operation. The more than 20,000 Wei Boying captured in Henan also became free labor for him to rebuild the place.
After the livestock, seeds and farm tools bought from Shannan, and rations for relief in time, the situation in the four states of Tianping Town began to improve step by step after passing through Chen and Xu Zhidi one after another. Then, he began to clean up the remnants of the old ones who were unwilling to accept change.
Although he did his best to coerce and lure, win over compensation, and even horizontally and vertically, divide and disintegrate; however, he encountered strong counterattacks and murderous assassinations several times. Because those people who are used to domineering or demanding of Xiaomin, after all the external threats that need to be dealt with, he is very dissatisfied that this section commander did not increase more treatment and rewards as usual, but instead wanted to give up. The result of benefits.
Think of him as an ungrateful, despicable villain. In the end, Cao Xiang even had to raise his butcher knife to the old tooth soldiers who had supported him most firmly at the beginning. Because they were unwilling to accept Cao Xiang's offer of redemption or replacement of other places, and gave up the large farms near Yuncheng, even if these farms were all abandoned.
Even for this reason, they secretly clamored and linked up, wanting to join forces with the private soldiers of the generals in the city, and cooperate with the inside and outside to perform the change of command, taking advantage of him to patrol the village, and push another Cao clan to the balance. Position after stay. That was also the most dangerous and difficult time Cao Xiang encountered.
Cao Xiang and his guards were trapped in the Wengcheng at the East Gate because of the betrayal by the gatekeepers he personally appointed. After a day and night on the spot, they waited for the support from the troops outside the city to reopen. The gate of the city rushed into the occupied inner city and the tooth city, and uprooted these veteran tooth soldiers and the family of generals in series.
But after this incident, his reputation among the old subordinates has also been completely corrupted, and he has faintly received the nickname of "successful". Therefore, he is now able to secure the foundations of the Tianping Army's ups and downs. These are the battalions who are grateful to him by relying on farming and granting land, and the merchant groups in the Tianping Army who have benefited from trade with the South.
The former provided him with soldiers and food, while the latter provided him with additional financial inputs and staff supplements; then, Cao Xiang secretly invited a resident caravan from the south, thinking of competition and checks and balances in disguise, and The most basic enlightenment school was established in each camp; it can be said that many initiatives in the Ping Army today are similar to those in the South.
This time when he came out in the winter, Cao Xiang heard that the Taiping Army was about to take all of Huainan territory, and the land of Henan where he was located was separated from the Wuning Army (Xu Si) Jiedu north of the Huai River. So, and decided to let go of their hands and feet to make a difference. And before he went on the expedition, the businessman's daughter whom he recently married was also pregnant.
Thinking of this, even Cao Xiang, who has always been serious, inevitably showed a casual smile. And in this repetitive memory, Cao Xiang personally led the five capitals (cavalry) who stayed behind the tail hall of the army, and in the intermittent wind and snow, one after another gave up and ignited one military city and another along the way. Fortress.
After retreating into Linhuang City and rejoining the main formation, the leading brigade had already begun to cross the frozen ice surface of the Yellow River. However, at this time, a messenger who hurried over from the other side brought him bad news:
"The former prosecutor Puzhou governor who had defected to the Wei army and the Yunzhou horse infantry general Zhu Xuan suddenly appeared in Yuncheng a few days ago; Zhang Xiao, the defender of Goulian, Du Biao, deputy envoy of door defense, and Xia Houyan, the general of the city , Raise troops to rebel against chaos!!!"
"Another big family in the city echoed it, already sinking into the inner city, and surrounding the city of Yacheng..."
At this time, it was like a good fortune, misfortune did not come alone, and a detective came from behind and shouted:
"We have found Wei Bo's traces of chasing soldiers, and there is a concealed character of music and handsome flag in it..."
Cao Xiang's mind suddenly sank. This time he brought out the only 20,000 mobile troops of the entire Tianping Army, and mobilized more than 10,000 civilians in the rear between the two sides of the strait for transportation.
Therefore, there is not much energy left in the state city. (End of this chapter)