Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 233 Mo Yan's Ambition
"kill!!"

"Xilulu——"

Above the meadow, the sky hung low, and more than a thousand elite cavalrymen swept across the boundless sea of grass like a strong wind, shattering the silent years.

Every fortress of the past was wailing in the flames. The armored cavalry and infantry held torches and burned down the fortress one by one. Thick smoke and rolling dust were involved.

The raging flames devoured the wooden walls, and the raging flames seemed to lick the sky, burning away the wails of the plateau.

The people in the fort were in a panic, and their cries for help were blown away by the wind, with no one responding.

Anyone who attempts to resist will be killed by the elite cavalry's short weapons.

The crying of children, the pleading of women, and the sighing of the elderly were all ruthlessly trampled by the sound of horse hooves.

The captured natives were tied up like livestock and escorted south by a small number of elite cavalry, awaiting an unknown fate.

Those strongholds flying the banners of "Mei Lu Family" seemed to have obtained a golden medal of immunity from death. The survivors closed their doors and windows, praying that the war would not spread to their homes.

Among the elite cavalry, Shang Moyan had a cold look in his eyes and the whip in his hand was stained with blood.

He watched all this coldly, but his heart was calm, because this was the process of strengthening the Meilu family, and it was the road to glory, even if he had to step on countless bones.

"Any news from the west?"

Shang Moyan asked Jie'er beside him in a cold voice, and Jie'er bowed and said:
"The six forts in the west have all been breached, and the people are being escorted south."

"Now, there are only eight small tribes in Mochanchuan that have surrendered to us."

Jie'er's words brought a smile to Shang Moyan's face.

But at this time, some light cavalry came from the south and soon arrived in front of Shang Moyan.

"Protector General, Envoy Shang has arrived at Mochan City!"

Hearing this, Shang Moyan's pupils shrank, and he turned to Jie'er beside him and said, "You take 200 elite cavalry to escort them south, and I will lead 100 elite cavalry back to Mochan City now."

"Yes!" Jie'er bowed and responded. Seeing this, Shang Moyan shook the reins of his horse and hurried towards Mochan City in the south.

Mochan City is located in a river valley on the northern bank of the upper reaches of the Tao River, about 200 miles away from Taozhou and 200 miles away from Duomiwei Prefecture in the south.

Since moving south in March, Shang Bibi, Shang Moyan and his son Shang Moye have settled here with more than 20,000 people, and then began their journey of iron and fire.

There used to be seventeen tribes in Mochanchuan, but now there are only eight left. The rest were conquered by Shang Moyan's army because they were dissatisfied with Shang Bibi and his men.

Shang Bibi distributed the pastures of the destroyed tribes to the eight small tribes and established a taxation system.

Each tribe has one person for each thousand households and ten people for each hundred households. The population of the tribe is counted by tax officials sent by Mochan City. Each thousand households must hand over the herd according to the number of their population every year.

Each tribe had a fixed tax of one hundred horses each year, and in addition, each household had to submit a sheep based on the number of people in the household.

This is the taxation for the eight tribes. As for the taxation for Mochan City, there is another system.

Shang Bibi registered the captured people, cattle and sheep, and used duhu, qianhu, baihu and shihu to manage the native people.

He divided the native people into farmers and herdsmen. The farmers were responsible for reclaiming wasteland and cultivating it, while the herdsmen were only responsible for grazing.

Farmers need to hand over half of their grain income every year, while herders have ten heads of households as tax officials to collect taxes.

Every ten households were given twenty horses and one hundred sheep, and then one horse and ten sheep were required to be handed over every year.

Under this crude system, Shang Bibi actually managed the aboriginal people of Mochan City very well. Mochan City gradually stood on the Mochan River and became the center of Mochan River.

"Sorry..."

"Go away, everyone!"

At the noisy noon, Shang Moyan rushed back to Mochan City from the north overnight.

Outside the city of Mochan, which stands in the river valley, thousands of farmers are reclaiming wasteland and domesticating cattle.

They have reclaimed more than 2,000 acres of wasteland.

At this rate, they will be able to reclaim at least 3,000 acres of wasteland before winter.

Shang Moyan glanced at them and then galloped towards the distant Mochan City.

Mochan City was built with stones. The city wall was four miles in circumference, 16 feet high and 20 feet thick, enough to accommodate nearly 10,000 people.

There was a military camp surrounded by fences not far outside the city, but there were not many soldiers in it because most of them were suppressing the rebellion in the north.

Shang Moyan rode his horse into the city. There were countless stone houses scattered in the city. They piled stones as walls, put up a wooden roof frame, and then covered it with a roof made of grass roots and mud bricks. A small house was built that could accommodate a family.

Those who can live in the city are basically the families of soldiers and generals.

In more than three months, thousands of houses have been built in Mochan City, making it the most solid and largest city in Mochan River.

The government office in Mochan City also had stone walls, but more wood was used, making it closer to the Han style.

Shang Moyan dismounted in front of the dismounting stone, walked through the main gate and the gate, and then came to the main hall which covered a considerable area.

In the main hall which could accommodate hundreds of people, Shang Duoluo was discussing matters with Shang Bibi.

Shang Duoluo sat in the first seat on the left, while Shang Bibi sat in the main seat, with Shang Moye standing next to her.

"Dad! I'm back!"

Shang Moyan walked into the main hall, bowed to Shang Bibi who was sitting in the host seat, and then looked at Shang Duoluo.

"Marshal Jie sent you?"

He had a good relationship with Shang Duoluo, so he was not so polite.

Shang Duo Luo nodded and explained, "The commander sent me to see how you are doing. Besides, it's only three months away from the beginning of winter. If you want to trade, Cuo Ben and I can dispatch supplies from Minzhou and Wuzhou as soon as possible."

Shang Moyan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that, then sat in the first seat on the right and looked at Shang Bibi.

Shang Bibi knew what he was thinking, so she took the initiative to ask, "Have those tribes in the north been pacified?"

"It's all settled!" Shang Moyan nodded, then explained:

"We counted on the way and found that there were more than 4,600 men, more than 5,200 women and more than 1,400 children."

"In addition, there are more than 20,000 horses, more than 10,000 cattle, and more than 60,000 sheep."

Hearing this, Shang Bibi did a quick calculation and nodded:

"According to this calculation, there are more than 47,000 people in and around Mochan City, more than 3,600 elite cavalry and armored soldiers, and more than 300,000 herds of cattle."

The father and son did not hide anything from Shang Duoluo because they needed to let Liu Jilong know their current situation.

In addition, it is also to prepare for the upcoming trade fair.

Thinking of this, Shang Bibi looked at Shang Duoluo and said, "Our population has increased a lot. I can take out 4,000 horses and 30,000 sheep in exchange for armor and food."

Four thousand horses mean two hundred sets of armor, and thirty thousand sheep mean thirty thousand shi of grain.

Twenty thousand shi of grain is enough for Mochan City to eat for three months.

This food, together with the food they brought back from Guzhou last year, is enough to sustain them until May next year.

As long as they lie dormant for another year next year, they should be able to accumulate 4,000 elite soldiers and cavalry, and then march south to Duomai to sweep away the small tribes in the Duomai area. This is the fastest way to obtain cattle, sheep and horses.

"In that case, I will set off back to Taozhou and have people prepare armor and food first."

After hearing this, Shang Duoluo stood up and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Shang Bibi raised her hand to signal, and Shang Moyan stood up and saluted Shang Duoluo: "I'll take you there."

The two looked at each other, nodded, and walked out together.

When they walked away, Shang Moye suddenly said, "Dad, I also want to lead the troops to fight..."

"..." Shang Bibi looked at Shang Moye in surprise, then shook her head and said:
"You should discuss this matter with your brother. Dad is no longer in charge of military affairs."

"Yes..." Shang More's eyes flickered, and Shang Moyan escorted Shang Duoluo out of the yamen, mounted their horses and walked out of the city.

The two talked on horseback, and Shang Duoluo suggested to Shang Moyan:
"We still have to attack Duomai in the south. There are dozens or even hundreds of tribes in Duomai. With your strength, even Xima from Duomiwei Mansion is no match for you."

"In my opinion, you should spend some cattle and sheep to bribe the nobles of Luoshui City and ask them to transfer Xima away. Then you can take over the Duomiwei Mansion and take over the entire Duomai."

Although Tubo was in internal turmoil, the orders from Lhasa City were still effective.

If Xima left, Shang Moyan and his men could avoid a war.

If Xima didn't leave, they could use the order from the Luoshui City to label Xima a traitor and take action against him.

"I know!"

Shang Moyan nodded calmly, and then asked: "Shang Duoluo, what is your relationship with me now?"

"..." Shang Duo Luo frowned slightly, and then said: "Friend."

"Since we are friends, I hope you can help me in the future."

Shang Moyan climbed up with the help of a pole, and at the same time comforted him: "I will not be an enemy of the general. What I want is Duomai and Weixi, and even the entire Dukang Liugang." "As long as the general can support me, I will definitely return the favor."

He used an idiom that he was not good at. Shang Duoluo was relieved and said:
"Don't worry, Marshal Jie has no intention of joining Tibet, but if you want to show your loyalty, I think you can send your son to Taozhou."

"With me in Taozhou, your son will be fine, and you can also let the commander see your loyalty."

"What's more, if your son stays here, he can only become the same person as you, but if he goes to Taozhou, he can study in the official school and learn more."

Shang Moyan's eldest son was born in Shandan and is only six years old now.

Therefore, after thinking about Shang Duoluo's suggestion, he shook his head and rejected it:

"Li Huai is still too young. When he is ten years old, I will consider sending him to Taozhou."

"Okay!" Shang Duoluo nodded in approval and said:
"Don't even think about betraying Marshal Jie. You've seen what happened to Tuoba Huaiguang and Lun Kongre."

"I can tell you that even if the imperial court wants to deal with the general, it won't be that easy."

Hearing this, Shang Moyan hurriedly explained: "I know, I have never thought of becoming an enemy of the Marshal."

"I just want to know, if I can provide enough horses, will the commander give me enough armor?"

Shang Moyan was very anxious. He knew that armor could not be made quickly, so he was worried that Liu Jilong would restrict the armor trade with him.

In response, Shang Duo Luo gave him a look, signaling him to relax:

"I can tell you that you don't have to worry about the armor."

"Although the commander had just set up the Kuzhou Town, which created a gap in the armor, the armor of the previously captured Lun Kongre, Tuoba Huaiguang and other tribesmen remained intact."

"There are nearly 3,000 sets of armor in total, all of which are being repaired in Taozhou."

"As long as you can provide the general with enough oxen, draft horses, riding horses, and military horses, the general can sell you these three thousand sets of armor in one go."

"But the key is whether you can provide so many cattle, sheep and horses at the price given by the commander."

Shang Duo Luo finished speaking, and at this time they also walked out of Mochan City.

"I'm leaving now. Think about it yourself."

Looking at the more than a hundred elite cavalrymen waiting for him in the distance, Shang Duoluo gave some instructions and rode away.

Looking at his back, Shang Moyan returned to the yamen after thinking it over, and met Shang Bibi and Shang Moye.

Before he sat down, Shang Moye said, "Brother, I want to lead the troops!"

"Hmm?" Shang Moyan looked at him in surprise: "Didn't you dislike leading troops to fight before?"

"I now feel that it's time to share my brother's worries." Shang Moye said with a grin.

Seeing this, Shang Moyan nodded and said, "When we get two hundred sets of armor from Taozhou in the autumn harvest, I will personally recruit two hundred soldiers and give them to you."

"Thank you, brother!" Shang Moye bowed with a smile, while Shang Moyan looked at Shang Bibi:
"I just asked Shan Duo Luo, and the commander did not suppress our ideas."

"As long as we can provide enough horses, the Marshal will continue to sell us armor."

"I want to sell all the draft horses to him next year. That way I can get at least 2,000 sets of armor in return."

"We will train in the spring and go south to wipe out the tribes in Duomai before autumn. With more than 5,000 armored soldiers, even Xima will not dare to stop us."

"Not only will we be able to expand our influence to Duomai, but we can also use the captured horses to train these 5,000 people into cavalry, and the draft horses can also be sold to Liu Jilong."

Shang Moyan felt that he had found a way that would allow them to grow rapidly, but Shang Bibi frowned after hearing this.

"After Dharma Tsampa was assassinated, we fell into civil strife, and many craftsmen were consumed in the strife."

"The current price of a set of armor is about the same as the price Liu Jilong offered."

"Are you sure he will sell us one or two thousand sets of armor at once?"

"Don't forget, if we have more than 5,000 elite cavalry, Longyou will be in danger. Are you sure..."

"I am sure!"

Before Shang Bibi finished speaking, Shang Moyan responded decisively and asked in return: "Why should we be enemies with the general?"

"This..." Perhaps Shang Bibi was too old, and he didn't know why he asked Shang Moyan this.

In response to this, Shang Moyan said confidently:

"If we go to Longyou, we'll just get our heads broken and bleed."

“But if we go south, we can not only occupy Duomai within two years, but also continue south to seize Weixi, and even the entire Dukang Liugang.”

"Then I will take Kang (Changdu) and let Moye garrison in that rich place!"

Faced with his confidence, Shang Bibi showed a satisfied smile, and Shang Moye also saluted with a playful smile: "Thank you, brother!"

The father and his two sons reached a decision. Shang Duoluo, who returned to Taozhou, wrote a letter about his experience of going to Mochan City and his conversation with Shang Moyan, and sent it to Didao.

When the letter arrived in Didao, the Jinzouyuan of Longyou stationed in Chang'an also sent back the recent major events in Chang'an through letters.

Not only that, Yu Conghui, Wang Tao and other dental dealers also passed on the news of Jiannan, Shannan and other places to him.

In this way, Liu Jilong had three pieces of information in his hands.

"Shang Moyan's ambition is still too small. If he goes all out, he should be able to take over Duomai and advance into Weixi within two years."

At the main seat, Liu Jilong first placed Shang Duoluo's letter on the table, and then spoke to Gao Jinda and others in the hall:

"Ship 30,000 dan of grain from Minzhou to Taozhou. Xu Shangduoluo can do it at his discretion."

"Yes!" Gao Jinda bowed in response. Liu Jilong then picked up the letter from Chang'an and continued:

"Xiao Ye was appointed as prime minister, and he had an old grudge against Cui Shenyou. Linghu Tao was good at protecting himself. I think that apart from Linghu Tao, the others would not stay in the position of prime minister for long."

After saying this, he put down the letter, showed it to Yu Conghui and other dental dealers, and said:

"Wei Mo entered Shu in April, and then evaluated the merits of the various states in the northern border of Xichuan and punished the governor of Wenzhou, Wang Hui."

"As expected, I fell ill in early May after such a long journey, and I have not recovered to this day."

He put down the last letter, glanced at everyone, and then said, "It is already June 14th, and the autumn harvest is only two and a half months away."

"One of the four major government warehouses has already been filled. We will fill up one every year and then continue to replace the old grain. This is what we should do."

The four major government warehouses can hold two million shi of grain, with a capacity of 500,000 shi each.

Now that one warehouse is full, it is mainly because of the purchase of grain from Jiannan Road and the storage of summer grain. It is still far from Liu Jilong's goal of filling the four major warehouses and thirteen state and county warehouses.

"How is the horse trade going at Shannan West Road?"

Liu Jilong looked at Cao Mao, who bowed and said, "Since the resumption in February, more than 12,400 people have moved in in the past five months."

"After all, the imperial court has already noticed this place, so the speed of migration is naturally not as fast as before."

"These people who moved in were divided into two groups and settled in Lanzhou, Shanzhou and Guzhou respectively."

"Now Shanzhou has a population of 20,000, Lanzhou 28,000, and Kuzhou 19,000."

"Hankou in Sanzhou has already covered Fankou, so please let the commander decide where to move the horses next."

Cao Mao asked Liu Jilong in return, and Liu Jilong glanced at everyone: "What do you think?"

Hearing this, Gao Jinda spoke first: "Among the thirteen states in Longyou, Hezhou has the largest population, and Dangzhou has the smallest population."

"Even so, the population of Dangzhou is close to 9,500."

"Dangzhou has a rugged and complex terrain, which is not suitable for the migration of too many people. Among all the prefectures, the four prefectures of Helin, Wei and Lan have the most plains, and the population of Lanzhou is only more than 28,000."

"Sixty percent of Lanzhou's population lives in Wuquan, and although Guangwu in the north has undergone this migration, its population has barely exceeded 10,000, which is still too small."

"I think we can focus on relocating people to Lanzhou and Guangwu."

Although Longnan is rich in resources, there are not many places suitable for farming, and the only way to ensure a harvest is by drought or flood. However, the situation is different in the northern states.

Except for Shanzhou and Guzhou, the four states of Helin, Wei and Lan have more river valley plains, otherwise they would not be called the granary of Longxi.

After Liu Jilian's continuous migration, the population of the four states had returned to its peak during the Kaiyuan period as early as last year.

Today, the population in the surrounding area is close to 120,000, far exceeding the heyday of the Kaiyuan period, and the amount of cultivated land reclaimed is more than 1.4 million acres.

Even so, the four states still have sufficiently vast river valley plains to be reclaimed.

Gao Jinda's suggestion made sense, so Liu Jilong nodded in agreement after considering it:

"While the court has not yet transferred Aweng to the capital, we should actively move people in to enrich Longyou and reclaim the arable land in Longxi as soon as possible."

"General, you are wise!" Gao Jinda and others bowed upon hearing this, while Liu Jilong shook his head and said:
"No need to flatter me. Chen Ying just brought back over 400,000 yuan in cash from the north. This money must be put to good use!"

(End of this chapter)