Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 472 The World is in Chaos (A Long Chapter of 10,000 Words)
"Huang Chao is dead?"

On the 22nd day of the third month of the first year of Qianfu, when Zeng Yuanyu sent a fast horse to deliver the news that Huang Chao had died in the Battle of Langhu Valley, Liu Jilong still felt a little incredulous.

"How did he die?"

Liu Jilong asked Zhang Yanhui a question, and Zhang Yanhui unfolded the memorial and then read it aloud:

According to Zeng Yuanyu's memorial, Huang Chao failed to break out of the encirclement several times and was eventually killed by his generals Huang Ye, Lin Yan, Huang Cun, Shang Rang, Bi Shiduo and others.

Zhang Yanhui didn't find it strange, but for Liu Jilong, it seemed different from the Huang Chao's personality that he knew.

Historically, Huang Chao was able to escape across the country like an eel by feigning surrender and then making a surprise breakout.

In contrast, Huang Chao did not employ any strategy whatsoever after his attempt to break through the encirclement failed, which was quite surprising.

"Didn't Huang Chao surrender to Zeng Yuanyu?"

Liu Jilong asked curiously, while Zhang Yanhui, having already read Zeng Yuanyu's memorial, explained:

“He surrendered several times, but when Zeng Yuanyu followed Kang Chengxun to suppress Huang Chao, Huang Chao had feigned surrender several times while wandering in Jiangnan, so Zeng Yuanyu did not accept his surrender.”

"Now that Huang Chao has been killed, Zeng Yuanyu has sent his relatives and generals to Luoyang along with Huang Chao's body."

“Your Highness, it is clear that Huang Chao committed suicide to protect his family, and it was not these people who killed him.”

Zhang Yanhui pointed out the suspicious points, and Liu Jilong understood after listening.

Historically, Huang Chao was besieged and suppressed by the Tang army many times, with the main commanders being Song Wei, Zeng Yuanyu, Gao Pian, Zheng Tian, ​​Wang Duo, Li Keyong, Zhu Wen, and others.

Among this group, some are trying to cultivate a powerful enemy for their own benefit, while others are merely going through the motions without putting in any real effort.

That's why, even though they saw through Huang Chao's feigned surrender, they pretended not to see it, which allowed Huang Chao to escape several times.

However, Zeng Yuanyu's suppression of Huang Chao and other rebel armies was characterized by zero tolerance. He was responsible for beheading Wang Xianzhi and inflicting heavy losses on Huang Chao. There was no question of him trying to persuade them to surrender.

If it weren't for the eunuchs of the Northern Division transferring Zeng Yuanyu away, given the methods Zeng Yuanyu displayed, Huang Chao probably wouldn't have had a chance to escape to Guangzhou.

Now that the two have met, Zeng Yuanyu remains true to himself, and Huang Chao naturally has no way out.

Moreover, Huang Chao was able to continue his wanderings throughout history mainly because many military governors were not truly committed to their duties. Even if Huang Chao invaded and plundered their own towns, they would not care as long as he did not attack the cities.

However, this problem began to change as the Tang Dynasty descended into internal strife and each town began to govern itself independently.

Whether Huang Chao marched south or north, many military governors who regarded their territories as their own property would no longer allow him to plunder their own territories. This was the problem that led Huang Chao to his doom.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong sighed, but felt somewhat fortunate.

He now supports Li Yi, who represents the orthodoxy of the Tang Dynasty, while Huang Chao has declared himself emperor, becoming the first person to do so. Regardless of the circumstances, he needs to deal with Huang Chao.

Now that Huang Chao could use this excuse to commit suicide and try to save his family, Liu Jilong could also spare the lives of his relatives.

"The Southern Court commended Zeng Yuanyu, bestowing upon him the title of Marquis of Pengcheng County, with a fief of one thousand households, and promoted him to Grand Master of the Palace, General of Huaihua, and Senior Protector of the Army."

"Those who have made meritorious contributions in the memorials will all be promoted three ranks; all the generals who defected under Huang Chao will be granted the honorary titles of fourth or fifth rank."

Liu Jilong still wanted to settle things peacefully. After all, Huang Chao's rebellion in Guandong had indirectly drawn a lot of firepower to him. Otherwise, he would not have been able to negotiate peace with the court so quickly, let alone advance eastward so easily.

"Your Highness, Zeng Yuanyu seems to want to defect to the court. Why not take this opportunity to summon Zeng Yuanyu to the capital and then send troops to occupy the Ganhuai Army's territory?"

Zhang Yanhui was young and somewhat impatient, but Liu Jilong remained calm and composed.

"Now that our army has successively incorporated the seven towns of Guandong, we can't even manage the land and population under our command. If we rashly extend the battle line to Xuzhou and Sishui, even with the help of the Grand Canal, it will be difficult to supply us."

What Liu Jilong said is true. Although the canal has facilitated the north and south, the monthly transport volume is only a few hundred thousand shi (a unit of dry measure). The canal within Xuanwu County has suffered from siltation due to war.

The Han army's supply lines now mainly rely on the Guanzhong region to transport supplies to Guanzhong, then overland to Luoyang, and then from Luoyang to the Guandong region.

This supply line was indeed too long. Of the two million shi of grain transported east to Luoyang, only 1.2 million shi remained. If it were transported further east to Xuanwu and Zhongwu towns, only 700,000 to 800,000 shi would remain, not to mention the more distant Xuzhou and Sishui regions.

Therefore, Liu Jilong did not intend to further expand the war before the three towns of Zhongwu, Xuanwu, and Yicheng had resumed basic production.

When the summer or autumn harvest arrives, he can use the excuse that the towns refuse to transport supplies to launch a campaign to subdue them, starting from the nearest and moving further away.

"Your Highness!"

As Liu Jilong was thinking this, Luo Yin walked into the courtyard of the Prince of Han's mansion, took the memorial and entered the main hall, respectfully saying: "Your Highness, Zhu Quanzhong, the military governor of Yanhai, has submitted a memorial to the court, reporting that his southward campaign against the rebels was successful and the Huang rebels have been executed."

"He's quite the schemer," Liu Jilong scoffed, taking the memorial and flipping through it.

He closed the memorial shortly afterward and then asked Luo Yin, "How is the land survey and population registration in the various towns progressing?"

Luo Yin dared not be negligent and respectfully said, "The finishing touches have already begun in five places: Hezhong, Heyang, Shanguo, Dongji, and Zhongwu. Xuanwu and Yicheng will require at least three more months."

"Gao Xiang will arrive in Luoyang in two days, accompanied by more than 600 officials and more than 3,000 clerks."

Luo Yin's words reassured Liu Jilong somewhat, but his next words made Liu Jilong anxious again.

“Your Highness, since the beginning of winter last year, there has been very little rainfall in the north, and since the beginning of spring there have only been two light rains.”

"Commander Cao reported to the court that since the beginning of the year, there has not been a drop of rain in the Guannei region, and the water level of many dikes and rivers has dropped by several feet, almost to the riverbed."

"If it still doesn't rain after summer arrives, then..."

Luo Yin didn't need to explain; Liu Jilong already understood the problem that Cao Mao was worried about.

Throughout history, whenever there have been severe temperature fluctuations, the northwest has always been the first to experience drought, followed by the Hedong and Henan regions. The late Tang Dynasty was no exception.

The drought in Guannei Road has lasted for four years, resulting in reduced grain production year after year. Land that yields 100 jin per mu may not even be able to produce 70 jin per mu if it is short of water.

Cao Mao openly and secretly wanted Liu Jilong to exempt Guannei Circuit from taxes.

"Send someone to tell Cao Mao that if the region continues to suffer from drought after the start of summer, the taxes of some prefectures and counties may be exempted or waived as appropriate."

"In addition, if the summer harvest in Longyou is sufficient, the grain can be transported to Guannei Road to stabilize the grain price in Guannei Road."

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong signaled to Luo Yin that he could leave.

Luo Yin did not delay; after bowing, he took his leave.

After he left, Liu Jilong continued to handle government affairs, occasionally giving Zhang Yanhui pointers.

Liu Jilong's idea for Zhang Yanhui was to have this son-in-law go out to govern the Western Regions with his sons and heirs in the future, thus tying their interests to those of the Western Regions.

Even though this could easily foster separatist forces, it was only in this way that the Western Regions could be continuously Sinicized, thus preventing the invasion of Central Asian culture into the Western Regions.

The lessons of the Tang Dynasty are before Liu Jilong. The Tang Dynasty under Li Zhi and Li Longji seemed powerful, but in reality, the scope of Han people's activities shrank across the board.

This resulted in the fact that after the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the scope of Han people's activities not only did not increase, but actually decreased significantly.

Blind expansion is not advisable. What Liu Jilong has always pursued is to take one step at a time and continuously expand the living space of Han people by settling people on the border through immigration.

As he was thinking this, news of Huang Chao's death continued to spread, and Gao Pian, who had just returned to Hunan, frowned immediately upon hearing the news.

"Pattering..."

The sudden rain whipped the eaves bells, and countless silver needles rose from the lake's surface.

Although the north is still shrouded in severe drought, the rainfall south of the Yangtze River has not decreased at all.

Inside Yueyang Tower, Gao Pian gazes into the distance at Dongting Lake, the sound of bells on the eaves jingling in the wind and rain.

Dark clouds churned on the horizon, blurring the outlines of distant green mountains into indistinct shadows.

Waterbirds flew to the eaves of Yueyang Tower, trying to escape the sudden rain.

The waves of Dongting Lake, stretching for eight hundred miles, crashed against Baling City, and the sound reached Gao Pian's ears, calming his heart.

"Huang Chao was also at his wit's end, but with his death, Liu Jilong can better focus on dealing with the various garrisons."

Wang Zhongren looked at the military dispatch, then glanced at Gao Pian, who had his back to them, and then at Gao Qin sitting next to him, as well as Sun Ru and others who had surrendered to them in the past but were now under Gao Pian's command.

"Liu Jilong's eastward advance is inevitable. Our army only needs to mobilize funds, supplies, and troops to prepare for the court's recapture of Jiangnan."

Gao Pian's voice rang out slowly, and then he asked, "How much revenue did our army generate last year?"

Upon hearing this, Kuang Shiqian, who was in his seat, respectfully said, "Last year, our army's annual income from rice and wheat was more than 3,726,000 shi, and miscellaneous items were converted into cash amounted to 570,000 guan. In addition, there were more than 267,000 bolts of silk. After all these were converted into cash, the total amount was 2,460,000 guan."

Despite having a population of over three million under his rule, Gao Pian's annual income was still not much, which was the source of his concern.

“Our town has very little population, money and grain. Only by attacking eastward and taking over Jiangnan can we create a situation of confrontation between the north and south with Liu Jilong.”

"Imperial decree: Pay close attention to the situation in the Central Plains. As soon as Liu Jilong begins to attack the various garrisons, our army will immediately send troops to Jiangxi and Fujian."

As soon as Gao Pian finished speaking, Wang Zhongren took the initiative to bow and said, "King Gao, Li Bo of Fujian and Du Shenquan of Jiangxi are both people who are negligent in military preparations."

“If our army is to send troops, it should do so now. If we wait for Song Wei of Jiangdong and Dong Chang of Zhedong to start moving south, the situation will become much more difficult.”

Faced with Wang Zhongren's words, Gao Pian calmly replied, "It's alright, they're just chickens and dogs."

"Without Liu Jilong mobilizing troops, this group will fight among themselves and throw their formation into disarray."

Gao Pian looked down on this group of people; in his view, only Liu Jilong was his rival.

This group of people simply did not understand what Gao Pian was after...

Gao Pian took a deep breath, and the situation in Jiangnan at that time was indeed as he had predicted.

Since both Jiangdong and Zhejiang were prosperous, Song Wei, who occupied Jiangdong, and Dong Chang, who occupied Zhejiang, quickly went from friction to direct conflict.

"Damn it! You're just a traitorous general who rose from humble beginnings, yet you dare to attack my Huzhou?!"

Amid the pattering rain, Song Wei, who was stationed in Wuxian County, Suzhou, never expected that Dong Chang from eastern Zhejiang would take advantage of the heavy rain to launch a surprise attack on Huzhou. His face contorted with anger.

As he was getting angry, countless footsteps began to sound outside the hall, and then a dozen officials quickly walked into the hall and bowed to him.

"General!"

"Please sit down," Song Wei said in a deep voice after everyone had sat down, barely managing to control his temper.

"That scoundrel Dong Chang suddenly attacked Huzhou yesterday and seized Wukang and Deqing counties."

"Now, Li Shiyue, the governor of Huzhou, is holding firm in his position and not coming out of the counties. Although there is heavy rain, our army can only wait to march in the rain and wait for the rain to stop before we can recapture the two counties."

"I ask you, who among you dares to lead troops eastward?"

As soon as Song Wei finished speaking, Zhang Zimian, Song Wei's top general, took the initiative to bow and said, "General, I am willing to lead 5,000 troops south to recover the two counties."

Song Wei nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, but to be on the safe side, he still reassured him, "Zhang Lang is very capable, but Dong Chang has sent his general Qian Liu this time. You must not underestimate him."

"Here's what I'll do. I'll send you another three thousand troops. I hope you'll achieve a great victory. It would be best if you could recapture the two counties."

"This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!" Zhang Zimian respectfully sat back down, while Song Wei nodded in satisfaction.

Just when he thought the matter was settled, he saw a general who was six feet tall, with a strong and robust build and dark, purplish skin, stand up from among the generals.

"Yang Dalang, do you also want to be the first?"

Song Wei looked at the man with great interest. This man was a brave warrior he had recruited in Huainan. His name was Yang Xingmin. He was six feet tall and could lift a hundred-pound stone lock with one arm. Therefore, after he joined the army, he was directly promoted to the rank of colonel.

Later, he was forced by Huang Chao to go south to Jiangdong, where he had to recruit soldiers again. Yang Xingmin took this opportunity to show his talent and was promoted to general by Song Wei.

Now, as one of Song Wei's eighteen generals, he can be said to be the youngest and most robust general among them.

"General, I believe that our army and Dong Chang are evenly matched. If we were to fight, the battle would not end in a short period of time."

"Now Liu Muzhi is in the north and Gao Qianli is in the south. If the two of them advance eastward together, our army will probably have a hard time resisting them."

"Since Dong Chang has launched a surprise attack on our army in Huzhou, our army should use a detachment to lure his main force to Huzhou, and then you, General, can personally lead the main army to capture Xuan and She."

"If we can capture the hundreds of thousands of people in Xuan and She, the military governor can immediately recruit 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers. At that time, together with the 30,000 new soldiers and 20,000 veteran soldiers that our army has just trained, we will have an army of 70,000. Why should we have to worry about not being able to defeat Dong Chang?"

Song Wei never expected that Yang Xingmin would have such a strategy. While he was impressed, he couldn't help but worry that he wouldn't be able to conquer Xuan and She.

Seeing that he wavered, Yang Xingmin remained expressionless, but inwardly cursed the man for being indecisive.

If they wait for Dong Chang to react and seize Xuan and She preemptively, then they should prepare to surrender to Kang Chengxun, or simply flee north to the imperial court.

If it were the former Yang Xingmin, who came from a farming background, he would certainly have been satisfied with entering the capital to serve as an official.

But seeing that Huang Chao, who also came from a commoner background, and who was even less accomplished than Liu Jilong, his ambition grew with each promotion.

He was unwilling to serve as an official in the capital; he preferred to achieve his own great accomplishments.

Thinking of this, he decisively bowed to Song Wei and said, "The Xuanzhou and Shezhou Inspector Cui Xuan is short of strategy. I am willing to lead 5,000 troops to take Shezhou first, block Dong Chang's westward advance, and then send troops to recover Xuanzhou."

Upon hearing this, Song Wei's slightly wavering thoughts immediately calmed down.

Five thousand soldiers may seem like a lot, but if we can capture Xuan and She, it will be absolutely worth it.

Thinking of this, he promised Yang Xingmin, "If you can capture Xuan and She, I will set up an army there and appoint you as the military governor!"

"This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!" Upon hearing Song Wei's promise, Yang Xingmin remained calm and composed.

Seeing his demeanor, Song Wei couldn't help but praise him, saying, "Young Master Yang truly has the bearing of a great general. I hope he can bring back good news and help me pacify Xuan and She."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Yang Xingmin nodded in agreement. Then Song Wei gave a few more instructions before dismissing the crowd.

Two hours later, as the rain stopped, Yang Xingmin led his officers and soldiers straight to Changzhou.

At the same time, Zhang Zimian also led 8,000 troops south to Huzhou, preparing to defeat Qian Liu, who occupied two prefectures.

The chaos in Jiangsu and Zhejiang did not affect Kang Chengxun in Huainan.

He was not young and knew that his sons had no real talent. At this moment, he had no interest in fighting for the world. He only thought that he would wait for Liu Jilong to pacify the towns in the Hehuai region and then surrender.

He controlled seven prefectures in Huainan, and these seven prefectures would be the guarantee for the Kang family of Lingzhou to gain a foothold in the court in the future.

With Gao Pian and Kang Chengxun remaining inactive, only Song Wei and Dong Chang were left fighting south of the Huai River. Li Bo of Fujian, Du Shenquan of Jiangxi, and Cui Xuan of Xuanzhou and Shezhou were all complacent and had no ambition whatsoever.

Of course, compared to the tranquility of the south, the north is much more lively.

As April arrived, the north appeared peaceful, but in reality, each town began to expand its military.

The imperial decree limiting the number of troops seemed to be nothing more than a piece of waste paper in the eyes of the various garrisons.

Han Junxiong of Weibo, Wang Jingchong of Chengde, and Zhang Yunshen of Lulong either began to intensify their training or to recruit soldiers.

Although the land of Hebei had been recuperating for many years, its population had never recovered to the level before the An Lushan Rebellion.

The population under the jurisdiction of the three towns in Hebei ranged from one million to over two million, and expanding the army would inevitably lead to a shortage of money and food.

Instead of expanding his army, Han Junxiong continued to train the state troops.

As for the guards, he dared not to mess with them, after all, He Quanhao's death was still fresh in his mind, and he could only try his best to maintain the current situation.

Compared to the three towns in Hebei, the three towns in Hebei that were trying to contain them were naturally not to be outdone and began to expand their troops one after another.

Cui Xuan of Hedong Town did not expand his army, but simply restored the number of soldiers to the original 35,000.

With all the regional military governors expanding their armies, Li Keyong of Datong Town naturally did not lag behind.

"Sorry..."

In mid-April, as summer approached, the drought in the north became increasingly severe.

The drought in the north has not only led to reduced grain production, but also grassland degradation.

As a result, the number of non-Tatars moving south gradually increased, and Li Guochang and his son, due to their proximity to the Tatars and their good relations with various Tatar tribes, received many Tatar tribes.

After these Tatar tribes migrated south, Li Keyong recruited them into the army by drawing one person from each household and providing each person with about seven dou of grain and three jin of salt per month. The Tatars were quite skilled in horsemanship and archery, but because they did not have enough herds, they could only raise pigs and horses to exchange for goods with the Han people.

Li Keyong organized them into an army, selected the best archers from among them, and incorporated them into the Crow Army.

With Li Guochang's pacification efforts and Li Keyong's recruitment efforts, the number of troops in Datong began to increase steadily, while the consumption of military reserves also grew daily.

"It's already mid-April, but the heavens still haven't sent rain. If this continues, this year's grain production will definitely decrease, and the number of herds will be insufficient. We're afraid we won't be able to collect much tax."

Inside the Yunzhong government office, Li Guochang sat in the main seat, while Li Keyong, along with Gai Yu, Kang Junli, and others, sat on either side.

In response to Gai Yu's words, Li Guochang looked at Li Keyong and asked, "Flying Tiger, how many troops does Datong have right now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Keyong immediately raised his chin and arrogantly said, "The number of barbarian cavalry is no less than ten thousand, and there are also fifteen thousand mixed barbarian and Han soldiers."

"Of the soldiers, four and a half are armored, but our army is as brave as eight of the other garrisons."

The lack of armor is a serious problem that Datong is currently facing.

Even though Wang Duo had previously helped Datong, the number of craftsmen in Datong was still small, and they could only make about three hundred sets of armor each month.

Based on the current situation, it will take at least three or four years to fully equip the 25,000 soldiers in Datong with armor.

Li Guochang had thought of this, so he continued to look at Gai Yu: "How long can our army's food and supplies last?"

"It can only last until July at most, and that includes the summer harvest. In short, it definitely won't last until the autumn harvest."

Gai Yu's words weighed heavily on Li Guochang's mind, but at that moment, Li Keyong's eyes gleamed, and he spoke up:

"In this chaotic world, to sit idly by and wait for death is not the act of a hero."

"Since we are short of supplies, let's take the initiative to send troops to acquire money and provisions and expand our power!"

"No!" Upon hearing Li Keyong's words, Gai Yu instinctively retorted, then explained:

"Now all the towns are waiting for Liu Mu to make his move. If our army moves its troops before Liu Mu, no matter what the reason, it will be criticized."

"If Liu Muzhi were to march north to attack us, how should we respond?"

Gai Yu knew that he was adjacent to Liu Jilong's sphere of influence, and that Liu Jilong had a strong and well-equipped army. Even if they could rely on their geographical advantage to defeat Liu Jilong, they would still be able to defeat him.

They could defeat Liu Jilong once or twice, but they couldn't defeat him three or four times.

Liu Jilong did not advance eastward into Henan because the three towns of Xuanwu were exhausted by the war, but the situation in Hedong was not the same.

Not to mention that Liu Jilong stationed 5,000 troops in Shengzhou, which was only about 400 li away from Datong, Liu Jilong had two towns, Heyang and Hezhong, in Hedong to provide him with food and supplies. Moreover, Hedong Town had a large population, so Liu Jilong did not lack laborers or food. Therefore, the more he fought north, the richer he became.

If Li Keyong grants him a mouthpiece, Liu Jilong will definitely head north.

Gai Yu was lost in thought, but Li Keyong couldn't wait any longer. He asked impatiently, "What should we do if Liu Jilong waits until the autumn harvest to launch his attack?"

"The current funds and grain are simply not enough to support the autumn harvest, so everything I said is true."

"Hou Gu of the Yiwu Army is nothing but a mediocre talent. The Yiwu Army has also suffered heavy losses in its southward march. As long as I send out a large army, I can quickly quell the rebellion."

"With hundreds of thousands of civilians and millions of acres of farmland in Yiwu, what difficulty would there be in supporting a mere 25,000 troops?"

"Moreover, the north is suffering from a severe drought this year, and every day there are Tatars fleeing south. They are our troops, so there is no need to worry about defeat!"

The young Li Keyong was still very impatient, as if Liu Jilong would appear before him with his troops the next day, and he couldn't wait to send troops out immediately to expand his strength.

"There are mountains and rivers between Yiwu and our army, making it difficult to launch an attack..."

Li Guochang was also aware of the situation and did not support attacking Yiwu.

If he could, he would actually prefer to attack Zhenwu (Shengzhou), but now that Zhenwu has been occupied by Liu Jilong, they seem to have no target to attack.

If Liu Jilong weren't in the south, they could have directly attacked Hedong, but now if they attacked Hedong, Liu Jilong would definitely head north to reap the rewards.

Thinking of this, Li Guochang couldn't help but feel melancholy, while Li Keyong urged, "So what if the mountain road is blocked? Most of the Yiwu soldiers are new recruits, and there are only five or six thousand veterans. I refuse to believe that we can't take down this mere Yiwu!"

Seeing Li Keyong's anxiety, Li Guochang hesitated for a long time before finally nodding and saying, "We will send troops after the summer harvest."

"General!" Gai Yu wanted to persuade him further, but Li Keyong suddenly stood up: "I will definitely take down Yiwu!"

After saying this, he turned and walked out of the yamen, while Gai Yu could only bite the bullet and begin to make full preparations for the eastern expedition after the summer harvest.

While they were making their preparations, the northern lands began to slowly enter the middle of May as time went by.

On the second day of the fifth month, Liu Jilong, who was in Luoyang, also received envoys from the Kyrgyz and Uyghurs.

He did not choose to meet the two in the Qian Yuan Hall, but instead chose the Han Prince's Mansion.

Such regulations clearly disregarded both sides, but the envoys from the Uyghurs and Kyrgyz dared not object, because they knew Liu Jilong had the power to do so.

"The Uyghur (Kyaks) envoy pays respects to His Highness the King of Han..."

"Get up."

Looking at the two unfamiliar faces, Liu Jilong couldn't help but frown and say, "Is my identity not enough for you to send high-ranking officials as envoys?"

"Your Highness, please calm your anger..."

The two had anticipated that Liu Jilong would give them a hard time, but they didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

The Kyrgyz envoy knelt and said, "There is turmoil in the northern desert, and A're cannot spare the time; otherwise, he would have gone south in person."

"Are?" Liu Jilong asked dismissively, "How many Are are there in the northern desert these days?"

"This..." The Kyrgyz envoy was somewhat embarrassed, but still forced himself to explain, "There are three Are in the Northern Desert now, but only Li Gao is the real Are of the Northern Desert."

After Li Peiluo's death, the Kyrgyz of the northern desert split into three factions, each supporting Li Gao, Li Zheng, and Li Ye respectively.

These names were their Han names, their original names, which Liu Jilong had no interest in exploring.

In his view, the Kyrgyz were too weak; a tribe without cultural heritage could not possibly survive for long.

The Kyrgyz fighting amongst themselves in the northern desert was exactly the situation Liu Jilong wanted.

"The court may open trade with the Kyrgyz, but ironware shall not be included in the trade."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, the Kyrgyz envoy became anxious: "Your Highness, we desperately need the ironware from the Celestial Empire."

When Liu Jilong heard him say this, he snorted coldly: "You need it, but the Celestial Empire needs it too. There are many traitors in Guandong who do not respect the Supreme One. I need to lead troops to quell them one by one. I have no intention of selling ironware."

"If you feel that what I have done is too harsh, then you are free to leave and continue to be my enemy."

He could easily defeat his two defeated enemies when he had few troops, let alone now.

If Li Gao really dares to go south, Liu Jilong will definitely make sure he never returns.

The Kyrgyz envoy naturally knew that Liu Jilong was powerful, so even though he was treated this way by Liu Jilong, he dared not show the slightest expression of dissatisfaction.

"The Kyrgyz wouldn't dare; the Kyrgyz will always be subjects of the Celestial Empire..."

"That would be best!" Liu Jilong nodded, his gaze turning to the Uyghur envoy.

"You repeatedly invaded when you were in Hexi. Even after being driven to the west, you still didn't behave. Do you think I don't have the hands to deal with you?"

"Your Highness, please understand, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Upon hearing this, the Uyghur envoy immediately began to defend himself, bowing and saying, "Pang Teqin and Pugu Jun both greatly respect you. We have come here today because we have learned that there are rebellious officials in Guandong who do not respect you, and we have specially offered three thousand horses to help you suppress the traitors."

After the Uyghur envoy finished speaking, the Kyrgyz envoy belatedly realized what was happening and kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, we have also brought five thousand horses and thirty thousand sheep south."

Even though it was a gift-giving occasion, the Kyrgyz envoy insisted on waiting for others to speak before daring to follow suit, which shows that the Kyrgyz were not very good at diplomacy.

This is not surprising, though. For decades, the Kyrgyz have been almost entirely under the diplomatic control of the Khayan family. Now, the Khayan family has moved south to join Liu Jilong and was recently granted the title of Earl of a County, living a very comfortable life.

Even if Aje of Kyrgyzstan invited him to return as prime minister, he would probably refuse without hesitation.

Compared to enduring hunger and cold in the northern deserts, the warm and prosperous Chang'an was his true haven.

"I appreciate your kindness, but the imperial court doesn't have much ironware."

"How about this, my royal palace still has 20,000 catties of iron. If you don't mind, each of you can take 10,000 catties of iron and head north."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, the two men immediately kowtowed, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Highness!"

Ten thousand catties of iron may not sound like much, but it's enough to forge more than two hundred sets of armor.

For the Kyrgyz or Uyghurs, more than two hundred sets of armor is not a small number, let alone this is just the beginning.

If they could receive more than two hundred sets of armor every time they sent a gift, they could come at least a dozen times a year.

"Since you are subjects of the Celestial Empire, you will naturally receive its favor. I hope you will govern the region diligently and refrain from any acts of provocation."

As Liu Jilong began to speak, the Uyghur envoy suddenly said, "We have no intention of provoking trouble, but every time we go east to pay homage, we are blocked by Envoy Zhang."

"We do not know whether it was Your Highness's instruction or whether we are inadequate, which is why we encountered this obstacle..."

The real issue has begun. Liu Jilong sneered inwardly, but frowned and said, "Zhang Huaishen is obstructing your eastward advance?"

“That’s right. Ever since Your Highness pacified Guanzhong for the court, the two Khans have sent several delegations to pay homage every year, but they have all been blocked by Governor Zhang, and later…”

"I understand!" Liu Jilong interrupted him with a grim expression, then flicked his sleeve and said, "You may all leave!"

Liu Jilong's displeasure was felt even by the taciturn Kyrgyz envoy, let alone the Uyghur envoy.

The two men carefully kowtowed and withdrew, while Liu Jilong, after they had left, suddenly overturned the table.

In an instant, the sounds of things falling continued to rang out. The Kyrgyz envoy shrank back, while the Uyghur envoy breathed a sigh of relief.

They quickened their pace and left the Prince of Han's residence. At that moment, Gao Jinda, Zhang Yanhui, Luo Yin, Lu Guimeng, and others emerged from behind the screens on either side of the main hall.

"Is that enough?"

Zhang Yanhui asked in confusion, he thought Liu Jilong would be acting in many plays before it ended, but he didn't expect it to be so short.

In response, Liu Jilong remained calm and said, "Let them figure it out for themselves, instead of putting on an act."

“That’s enough, just right.” Gao Jinda stroked his beard and walked out, while several officials behind him stepped forward to set up the table and place the memorials on it.

"We've acquired quite a few horses and herds for free. Let Cao Mao graze these horses and herds in Fengzhou and Shengzhou."

Liu Jilong instructed Gao Jinda, and then said, "The summer harvest has begun, but there has been no rain in the north so far. It seems that the north will continue to suffer from a severe drought this year."

"If the Jiangnan region does not transport grain, the imperial court will not be able to transport money and grain to the northern garrisons. At that time, friction will inevitably occur among the garrisons."

"How are the grain and fodder preparations in Hezhong, Heyang, and Shengzhou progressing?"

The Han army is temporarily unable to advance eastward, but that does not mean Liu Jilong will stop.

Henan had no grain supplies, but there were two towns in Hedong that could supply them, not to mention Guanzhong behind Hezhong.

"Jinzhou has stockpiled 300,000 shi of grain, Zezhou has stockpiled 50,000 shi of grain, and Shengzhou has stockpiled 70,000 shi of grain."

"There are 70,000 troops stationed in Hezhong, 20,000 of whom are newly recruited soldiers, while Shengzhou currently only has 5,000 cavalry and infantry stationed there, but Linzhou in the south can send 10,000 infantrymen north at any time."

Gao Jinda calmly explained the situation in Hedong and its surrounding areas, and then asked, "Does Your Highness intend to take Hedong Town first, or take the entire Hedong Circuit in one go?"

Faced with the question, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "Let's take Hedong Town first, see how things are there, rest for a few months, and then continue north after the autumn harvest."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone nodded. Lu Guimeng also said, "The three towns of Zhongwu, Yicheng, and Xuanwu previously had a population of 1.4 million and cultivated land of tens of millions of mu."

"Now that the population survey has been completed, the population is less than 500,000, of which 70,000 were exiled from places like Hebei and Shaanxi, and the land has been abandoned."

"Although the land survey has ended and the land has begun to be redistributed, with the current number of people, it may be difficult to reclaim the wasteland."

"In addition, this year the taxes in the three towns have been exempted, and the granaries have been opened to ensure the people's food supply, so as to reclaim the land. Therefore, this year we not only cannot obtain taxes from the three towns, but also have to send one million shi of grain into the three towns."

"Currently, Shannan East Circuit has already transported 300,000 shi of grain into Tangzhou, Caizhou, and Yingzhou."

"The population of the three prefectures is 160,000, which is enough to sustain them until the autumn harvest."

"However, the seven northern states, with a population of 320,000, have suffered even greater damage and require at least 700,000 shi of grain to sustain the people until the autumn harvest."

After Lu Guimeng finished explaining the situation, he continued, "Currently, there are 670,000 people in the towns of Hezhong, Shanguo, Heyang, and Dongji, and more than 4 million mu of cultivated land."

"The granaries in the various towns have stored 1.27 million shi of grain and fodder, but the 350,000 shi in Hezhong and Heyang cannot be touched."

"If 700,000 shi were to be transported to the three towns and seven prefectures, about 20% of the goods would be lost along the way, so it would be safer to transport at least 850,000 shi."

"However, after the shipment begins, the official granaries in various towns will only have 70,000 shi left. Although this can last until the end of the summer harvest, the summer harvest this year is likely to be reduced, and we may not be able to collect much grain by then..."

As soon as Lu Guimeng finished speaking, Luo Yin took the initiative to bow and said, "Your Highness, our army's granaries are mainly in Sichuan and Chongqing, but the grain from Sichuan and Chongqing suffers too much loss when transported by land."

"I have seen the grain register of Jiannan Circuit. The initial shipment was 500,000 shi, but by the time it reached Guanzhong, only 320,000 shi remained. After that, only 180,000 shi remained when it reached Luoyang, and only 100,000 shi remained when it reached Xuanwu Town and Songzhou."

"I have also reviewed the grain transport system over the past hundred years. If we can recover Jiangling, we can transport grain from the Yangtze River to the Han River, and then transfer it overland from Xiangyang to the Central Plains, finally reaching Songzhou in Xuanwu. Of the 500,000 shi of grain, at least 200,000 shi can be transported."

"If we can recover the area north of the Yangtze River and travel north along the Grand Canal, we can transport 250,000 shi of grain."

The advantages of waterways are presented through Luo Yin's description. However, judging from the Han army's supply situation, it is probably impossible to recover Huainan now, but recovering Jiangling should not be a big problem.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Zhang Yanhui and instructed him: "Go to the Southern Office and request that Xiao Ye, the Prefect of Jiangling, be transferred to the capital to report on his duties and be appointed as the Left Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat."

"In addition, Geng Ming was appointed as the Prefect of Jiangling, and Xiao Ye was required to enter the capital before the first day of the ninth month."

"Yes!" Zhang Yanhui bowed in response, and then headed to the South Office.

Upon seeing this, Gao Jinda quickly bowed and said, "As the Chancellor, it is my duty to go."

"Okay!" Liu Jilong did not stop him, but allowed Gao Jinda to follow.

After the two left, Liu Jilong, having nothing more to say, dismissed Luo Yin and Lu Guimeng.

The Han army, including the population of the seven towns in Guandong, now has a population of over ten million. If it can also recover Hedong and Jiangling, the population will easily reach twelve or thirteen million.

Thinking of all this, Liu Jilong got up and prepared to go to Zhang Yichao's residence for tea. At the same time, Gao Jinda and Zhang Yanhui, who were heading to the Southern Office, also found Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou.

The two men recounted what Liu Jilong had instructed them to do. Although Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou's expressions were not pleasant, they dared not object and could only nod in agreement.

After they nodded in agreement, Zhang Yanhui sent someone to tell Zhang Ying to have Yang Gongqing draft the imperial edict and send it to the Southern Office.

Without giving Xiao Gou and Liu Zhan a chance to hesitate, Gao Jinda sent the imperial decree to Jiangling.

After doing all this, Gao Jinda led Zhang Yanhui toward his yamen. Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou, who saw the two off, had grim expressions after they had gone some distance.

"If Jiangling falls into Liu Jilong's hands, then Jiangnan will be in grave danger..."

"It's alright. Wuchang is in Gao Qianli's hands. Even if they can pass through Zigui and Yiling, they will have a hard time crossing Wuchang."

Liu Zhan's words made Xiao Gou nod in agreement, but at this moment Pi Rixiu stepped forward from behind, bowed to the two men, and said, "Gentlemen, why don't you let Minister Xiao join forces with Gao Bohai?"

"Join forces?" Liu Zhan and Xiao Gou both wore bitter smiles.

If it were someone else, they might have such thoughts, but Xiao Ye is utterly incompetent and irresponsible.

If the imperial court had the support of him, he could have faced Liu Jilong's army and mustered the courage to hold his ground.

But now that the imperial court is in Liu Jilong's hands, Xiao Ye will most likely try to head north after receiving the imperial edict.

Thinking of this, the two of them involuntarily hunched over.

The Tang Dynasty was already leaking from all sides; no matter how hard these paperhangers tried to patch it up, they couldn't stop the impending storm...

(End of this chapter)