Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 41, Conquering Yancheng

Halfway across.

Suddenly, a cannonball hit and cracked the side of the ship that Feng Tai was on!

Feng Tai was shocked.

Followed by.

A large number of official ships emerged from both sides.

Countless artillery pieces fired at the same time, smashing Feng Tai's fleet into pieces.

……

Thunder roared and spring rain fell.

The blood spilled in Yancheng gradually faded away under the spring rain.

The Yancheng prefect, the salt inspector, the salt transport historian and other officials were all executed.

Different from the way other cities were handled, Yancheng was the main economic support for Fang Yong to confront the imperial court in the future. Fang Yong had to ensure his absolute rule in Yancheng.

Therefore, the method is inevitably a bit cruel.

Fang Yong is a kind-hearted man. It is not convenient for him to handle such matters personally, so the execution process is handed over to Wu Yuan, and he takes Daiyu to have a look outside the city.

After the rain, new buds sprouted on the branches of the trees.

A little boy climbed up the tree trunk, picked the tender buds from the branches one by one, and put them in a cloth bag hanging around his neck.

Fang Yong was passing by with Daiyu and happened to see this scene.

"What are you doing?" Fang Yong asked.

When the little boy saw Fang Yong and Daiyu dressed in luxurious clothes and followed by soldiers, he quickly jumped down.

"My Lord, I am picking buds from the trees for food."

The little boy said with some fear.

Daiyu asked in surprise: "Can I eat this?"

The little boy said: "It's OK, but it's a little bitter..."

Daiyu thought for a moment, took out a piece of cake and said, "Can I exchange this for some of your twigs?"

The little boy's eyes widened when he heard this and he agreed without hesitation.

He couldn't wait to take out all the branches and buds in his cloth bag, for fear that Daiyu would change her mind.

Daiyu took only one and said, "One is enough."

As she spoke, Daiyu handed the pastries to the little boy.

The little boy held the cake in his hands as if it were a treasure. The sweet taste made him unable to resist taking a small piece and putting it in his mouth.

Sweet, fragrant and delicious!

The little boy couldn't think of many adjectives.

In his mind, the taste of this cake was not much different from the delicacies eaten by the gods in his grandmother's stories.

On the side, Daiyu also put the small piece of tender green bud in her mouth, chewed it slightly, and then spit it out.

"too bitter."

Daiyu said.

Fang Yong said: "Of course, this is not for human consumption."

Daiyu was slightly stunned. She looked at the little boy with a little more pity in her eyes.

At this time, Daiyu discovered that the little boy did not finish the cake, but held it carefully in his hands.

Daiyu couldn't help asking:
"Why don't you finish your cake?"

The little boy said, "I want to take it home for my parents and sister. My sister is sick and hasn't eaten for a long time."

Daiyu was silent for a moment and then said:

"Can you take us to your house?"

The little boy nodded.

Fang Yong and Daiyu then followed the little boy back to his village.

A very run-down village.

Some farmers were working in the fields.

The boy introduced that this was the landlord's land, and working for the landlord could earn one person six taels of grain a day, but the landlord only wanted someone who was strong and could do the work of two people.

Continuing walking, Fang Yong arrived at the boy's yard. From a distance, he could smell the aroma of meat...

"wrong!"

Fang Yong stopped Daiyu and did not let her go any further.

The boy rushed in excitedly, and the scene in front of him made him drop his precious cakes on the ground!

"Sparrow!"

A cry of grief.

The woman who cooked the meat explained palely: "The bird died of starvation..."

However, the boy could no longer listen to anything. With red eyes, he picked up the knife. "I am a mother!"

The woman said.

There was a trace of struggle in the boy's eyes, but he finally put down the knife helplessly.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, picked up the knife again, rushed out the door, and rushed towards Fang Yong and Daiyu.

"It's you, it's all your fault! If it weren't for you nobles, Que'er wouldn't have died!"

As the boy spoke, he rushed towards Fang Yong and Daiyu.

Unfortunately, the boy was pinned to the ground by Fang Yong's soldiers before he could even reach Fang Yong.

The woman chased out and said:

"No, sir, please spare Tiewazi, he has been stimulated and has gone mad, please spare him!"

Fang Yong said softly: "It's okay, just be careful in your next life..."

Fang Yong took Daiyu back.

Daiyu asked, "Are you going to kill them?"

Fang Yong shook his head: "No, I am helping them escape from hell."

After taking Yancheng, Fang Yong quickly gathered the surrounding land, recruited young and strong people, attacked the landlords, and developed military settlements.

During this period, Wu Yuan formulated an additional reward and punishment system in response to the military settlement system implemented by Fang Yong.

This system mainly rewards and punishes those who are responsible for farming in military settlements.

Simply put, those who grow good crops will be rewarded, and those who grow poor crops will be punished.

Wu Yuan believes that this reward and punishment system will motivate people and lead to better harvests.

After reading this system, Fang Yong shook his head and rejected Wu Yuan's proposal.

Wu Yuan’s proposal is good in essence, but the problem is that there are too many constraints in the system and the regulations on rewards and punishments are too detailed.

Fang Yong read it through and found that it even listed the specific operating methods for how to apply fertilizer and how to transplant rice seedlings. Such a detailed system would not only fail to inspire the enthusiasm of farmers, but would restrict their hands and feet when they work.

Fang Yong was born into a peasant family and has personally experienced the difficulties of farming, so he knows better what farmers need.

Fang Yong called Wu Yuan to discuss the matter and asked, "Does Yuan Hao know Guo Tuotuo's technique?"

Wu Yuan thought for a moment and said, "We should follow the nature of things and not force them, only then can we accomplish things and keep the people safe."

Fang Yong nodded and said, "You should ask the farmers for their opinions on this system and then give it to me."

A few days later, Wu Yuan came back with another copy of the system.

This time the system has been greatly simplified. It no longer restricts farmers' specific farming practices, but only rewards or punishes them based on the results.

After Fang Yong looked at it, he felt that there was no problem and approved the system.

After occupying Yancheng, Fang Yong quickly completed control of the surrounding counties and towns.

According to the plan made by Wu Yuan, the next step should be to capture the Yangzhou area.

However, at this moment, news came that no one expected.

Duke Shanguo has captured the Southern King Feng Tai alive and is currently clearing out the remaining White Lotus rebel forces.

Wu Yuan was shocked.

The speed at which Feng Tai was defeated was completely beyond Wu Yuan's expectations.

How long had it been? From the time the Duke of Shanguo arrived in Nanjing, less than a month had passed, and nearly 300,000 soldiers under Feng Tai were gone just like that?

Originally according to Wu Yuan's plan, Feng Tai could rely on his troops and Nanjing in his hands to fight with Shanguogong for at least a few months. During this time, Fang Yong could take the opportunity to develop and capture Yancheng and Yangzhou.

Shanxi and Liaodong in the north have both suffered severe disasters this year. Other branches of the White Lotus Sect are already preparing for an uprising there. Once unrest breaks out in the north, the court will certainly urgently summon Duke Shanguo back to the capital, and Fang Yong will be able to control the Lianghuai region without any effort.

But Wu Yuan had calculated everything, but he never expected that Feng Tai was so incompetent.

Now Fang Yong has only taken Yancheng but not Yangzhou, and the north has not yet started an uprising, but the Duke of Shanguo has already wiped out Feng Tai. The next focus will inevitably be on Fang Yong. This is trouble!

Wu Yuan took out the map and looked at it anxiously. After thinking for a long time, he said to Fang Yong:

"General, there are only two options left. One is to retreat to Hongze, rely on the lake to resist the government troops, and wait for Shanxi to fall into chaos."

Fang Yong did not panic and asked:
"What about the second way?"

Wu Yuan said: "Take the initiative to attack, take back Huaizhou, and cut off the retreat of the Duke of Shan Guo!"

Fang Yong did not hesitate.

"Go back to Huaizhou!"

Wu Yuan said with some concern: "Duke Shan has a large number of elite soldiers and generals, and he himself has made great achievements in battle and is an extraordinary commander of troops. My lord, you must not underestimate the enemy!"

Fang Yong didn't say much, he stood up and said:

"Pass on my military order and march to Huaizhou!"

[Talent: Military Strategy (Mastery)]

【Progress: 4/1000】

【Effect: Command with confidence, as if pointing to the palm of your hand. 】

(End of this chapter)