Northern Dynasties Imperial Industry

The bloody killings lasted for three full days. At first, they were only concentrated in the city, but as more and more people fled out of the city, the killings began to spread to the countryside.

On the flat and vast Chengdu Plain, the feet of the fleeing people could not match the strength of the Western Wei cavalry. Even if they ran day and night in the wilderness, they would inevitably end up being chased, killed, and captured. .

During these three days, Xiao Ju and other Yizhou civil and military officials were detained in the military camp in the north of the city. The brutal howls of fighting in the city soon reached their ears, and they were all frightened.

Xiao Yuansu, the young son of Xiao Ji who was persuaded to leave the city by Xiao Ju, was even more regretful. He often shed tears because he was worried that he would die at any time. He couldn't help but express his gratitude to Xiao Ju who urged him to leave the city and surrender. He cursed loudly: "Xiao Hou, Xiao Gou! You are a thief who sells himself for glory. You are in vain for the important task my father entrusted to you. You threaten me to surrender just for your own glory. The lives of the people in the city and mine are all used to exchange for your wealth!" "

Xiao Rui was feeling remorseful and depressed. Hearing Xiao Yuansu's accusation, he couldn't help but feel ashamed and angry. He burst into tears and said, "Although I am not a virtuous man, I tried to persuade the late king to be careful in everything he did. His words were not appreciated. I only try my best to fill in the gaps in the hope that things can get better, but I don’t use my talents and fail to take care of the whole country. But judging from my heart and deeds, I can’t think of today’s disaster that I alone can do..."

Of course, what Xiao Ru said made sense. Today's disasters in Bashu were mainly caused by the reckless actions of Xiao Ji and his son. Even the killings in Chengdu were caused by Xiao Yuanzheng, who was absconding outside.

But Xiao Yuansu was frightened and uneasy at the moment. He just wanted to vent his worries. How could he listen to what Xiao Ru said? He still couldn't stop cursing at Xiao Ru. No matter how many reasons he had, he had deceived himself out of the city with his nice words before, but now his life was at stake. This shows that he had ulterior motives and deserved death!

Hearing Xiao Yuansu's unreasonable accusations, Xiao Ruo felt that he was unable to defend himself and despaired of all thoughts. He simply took off the knife from his waist and threw it directly to Xiao Yuansu, and said angrily: "Your Majesty, since my sin is so serious that it is difficult to forgive me, I will not be able to forgive you." With this in mind, your Majesty, please personally sanction it!”

"You think I don't dare to kill you?"

Xiao Yuansu was feeling extremely angry. When he saw this, he grabbed the knife and pulled it out of the scabbard, then approached Xiao Ju step by step. But after all, he was just a teenager with an immature mind. Seeing Xiao closing his eyes and waiting for death, he still didn't dare to stab out the knife. He stamped his feet and cried out sadly: "General, can I still live?"

Just as they were crying and making trouble here, Yu Chijiong, who was dressed in military uniform and had a gloomy face, walked in surrounded by his soldiers. He frowned and looked at the situation in the tent, and then his eyes fell on Xiao Ju, who could not hide his grief and anger, and he said solemnly. He said in a loud voice: "Xiao Hou, there is something going on here that I need to turn to you for help."

After hearing this, Xiao Ru just snorted coldly and closed his eyes without looking at Yuchi Jiong.

Xiao Yuansu next to him looked at Yu Chijiong's gloomy expression, then nervously approached Xiao Ju and whispered: "General, Duke Wei An, General Wei Chi has something to inquire about, don't be rude!"

After hearing this, Xiao Ruo opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Yuansu with a complicated expression, who looked cautious and hopeful. Then he stood up and bowed to Yuchi Jiong and said: "Submit the defeated general and entrust me to the prince." In one thought, no servant dares to disobey the general's orders."

After Yuchijiong heard this, his face became a little better, and he immediately said: "It has been several months since our army entered the country, and food and grass are gradually becoming scarce, so we have to collect supplies from the border to meet military needs. But now... Xiaohou should know "My original intention is not to scare others with killing. In order to avoid causing more killings, I must ask Xiao Hou to go to the counties to ask for food for the army."

Although the army of the Western Wei Dynasty had entered the city and looted the city for several days, the food stores in the city were already scarce. Although the troops obtained a lot of property, it was difficult to use it for food and drink, so they were in urgent need of supplementary supplies.

Fortunately, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, and the Chengdu Plain where they were located was the most important agricultural and grain-producing area in Sichuan. As long as they were collected along the river valleys, the army would not be short of food.

However, after three consecutive days of massacre, the sequelae have already appeared.

The original scene of them looking at the scenery when they entered the country is no longer the case. Even some of the Di Qiang and Ba barbarians who had surrendered before have gradually become alienated due to interest disputes. This morning, there was still a group of two Di troops. More than a thousand people left the camp without asking for instructions and headed toward the rear in the direction of Mianzhu.

Although there are no powerful cities or towns around Chengdu that are guarded by strong soldiers, like Guanzhong and other places, there are many forts scattered around, and there are also a large number of strong men from rural areas living in them.

Since the news of the Wei army's massacre in Chengdu has spread in all directions, these Wubi powerful men also have a hostile attitude towards the Wei army. This morning Yuchi Jiong had to report that two of the scouts who were sent out yesterday to investigate where to get food disappeared silently on the Chengdu Plain.

Yuchi Jiong's tens of thousands of fine cavalry are enough to sweep the entire Chengdu Plain, but the prerequisite is that there are enough supplies to supplement them. In particular, he did not enter Shu to plunder and rob, but to establish rule and order in Shu. If he continued to plunder the countryside like rogue bandits, even if he could support war with war, he would never be able to survive in Shu. If China remains stable, the greatest possibility is to be overwhelmed by rebellions from all directions.

Therefore, Yuchi Jiong planned to establish local supply lines and bases on the Chengdu Plain through both soft and hard means before any strong resistance forces emerged. With Chengdu as the center, he fully mobilized the powerful cavalry mobile field combat capabilities of the Wei army and tried to control the core area of ​​the Chengdu Plain. As for the four wild borders, it was not something he could do at the moment.

But to achieve this, he still had to rely on the cooperation of the locals, especially Xiao Hui, who had served as an official in Shu for many years and was appointed by Xiao Ji to stay in Yizhou.

If Xiao Hui was willing to contact and lobby those local tyrants who controlled food resources, it would undoubtedly be cheaper and more efficient than Yuchi Jiong sending troops to forcibly conquer the strongholds one by one.

"It is not my intention to clear the city. If it were not for Marquis Xiao and others concealing the matter of Xiyang, I would not have forced the army into the city for the sake of stability. The current situation in the city is the fault of Marquis Xiao and others. The only plan now is not to accuse each other and alienate each other, but to unite and try to avoid killing more, so that Shu can return to stability." At this point, Yuchi Jiong put on a kind face again, looked at Xiao Hui and smiled, "The city is inevitably disturbed because of the search for the rebel army. But Marquis Xiao and King Xiao's family have their own elite soldiers to protect them. Because they are afraid that the evil spirit of the military camp will offend your family, they will stay in the city for the time being. Marquis Xiao After returning, you can reunite with your family!"

When Xiao Hui heard Yuchi Jiong's words, his expression changed, and Xiao Yuansu next to him came closer, pulling Xiao Hui's belt and whispering: "Promise him, promise..."

Xiao Hui was silent for a long time, and then nodded slowly: "At this point, I am indeed to blame. But if it can help guide the people of Shu to govern, I have no choice but to do it. I dare not boast about my merits."

After hearing this, Yuchi Jiong nodded with satisfaction. Without further ado, he immediately dispatched a thousand elite cavalry from the city to escort Xiao Hui to the nearby counties to collect grain.

However, Yuchi Jiong underestimated the bloodiness of the Shu people. He only thought that the massacre in Chengdu could more or less deter the nearby rural tyrants. In addition, Xiao Hui, the original chief of Shu, persuaded him, and he could always force some tyrants to submit.

However, Xiao Hui traveled around Chengdu and was rejected by the city walls without exception. No one was willing to open the door to welcome him. Some even set fire to the ripe beans and grains in the fields before the Wei army arrived because they did not have time to harvest.

"We, the villagers, are not brave, but we know shame! The Qiang bandits slaughtered our elders, their blood is still not dry, and their souls are not far away. How can we offer grain to feed these wolves! Xiao Hou taught and governed in the past years, but the villagers still have little knowledge of righteousness. Why doesn't Xiao Hou die quickly!"

When Xiao Hui saw those villagers who had been respectful to him in the past but now rejected him and shouted insults, he was so ashamed that he became ill and could not get up.

The Western Wei soldiers were not good men and women. Seeing that they could not persuade them, they also launched a strong attack. However, although these fortresses were not impregnable fortresses, the Western Wei soldiers were inevitably killed and wounded under the desperate resistance of the villagers. What was more serious was that some fortresses, seeing that they could not defend, actually set their granaries on fire, so that the Wei army suffered heavy casualties but gained little.

Seeing this situation, Yuchi Jiong also felt that the resistance of the Shu people was stronger than he expected, and he had no choice but to report the situation to the country.

At the same time, Qiao Yan's troops, who had been driven away by Yuchi Jiong's division, returned to Suining, while the Shu army that retreated from the gorge occupied Xinzhou, and many Shu County tyrants led their troops to occupy Meizhou. For a time, Chengdu was surrounded by enemies.

Although these troops did not dare to advance lightly because they were afraid of the strong combat effectiveness of the Wei army, they were entrenched in the surrounding areas, which made the situation of the Wei army in Chengdu gradually worse.

Seeing the situation around him, Yuchi Jiong had no choice but to send a message to the troops stationed in Langzhong, ordering them to come south immediately to support each other.

"I have said that Duke Wei An and Duke Pingchang are both favored followers. They can be used for a short time, but how can they be talented in managing the border and planning for the long term? They were used without believing in me, and now it has come true. If it weren't for the master's brilliant plan, I would have been prepared for this change, and the situation would have been even more dangerous!"

He Ruo Dun led his army south to prepare for a big fight, but ended up being stranded in Langzhong and unable to move forward. He was naturally very angry. After receiving the transfer order, he naturally couldn't help but ridicule Yuchi Jiong, but he was also excited to send troops south.

But Li Qianzhe was still a little cautious and advised: "Duke Wei An used force to massacre the city, and the people of Shu were all sad. It may not be helpful to go there rashly now. It is better to send a batch of food and grass to support them first, and then ask Langzhu whether to advance or not." He Ruodun nodded and said, "The troops ahead stole a lot of goods in Chengdu, and now I am sent to scare the people. The hidden intention is indeed necessary to investigate. What Li Kaifu said is indeed a safe plan." He was just a little bit harsh, but he was not stupid. After hearing Li Qianzhe's reminder, he also felt that he should ask for instructions, so he was no longer in a hurry to send troops.