Qin Official

It's no wonder that Zhang Liang wants to surrender. If you look at Xinzheng and Luoyang, you will know who to rely on to have a way out. "

A few days later, when Li Shiqi bypassed Songshan Mountain and returned to Luoyang, he saw that this industrial and commercial city was rejuvenating, and he couldn't help but sigh...

As far as Li Shiqi knew, the goods trade in Luoyang had been depressed in the past few decades. Qin's laws devalued merchants and the government's policy of monopolizing everything would undoubtedly have a huge impact on Luoyang's wealthy merchants and small traders and women. This city with little arable land and half of the city's industrial and commercial population has been stagnant for twenty years since Lu Buwei's fall.

Although the wealthy businessmen have not been directly banned, they still have to rely on government-run workshops to survive and can no longer make money unscrupulously.

After the Six Kingdoms invaded, although the wealthy businessmen regained their social status, Luoyang could not be said to be stable due to the chaos of the Chu army. This is also the reason why the wealthy businessmen joined forces to assassinate Shen Yang - they could not bring about a stable business environment. The ruler is not popular with the financial group.

It wasn't until Heifu's army took control of the city and implemented new commercial policies that it only took a quarter to bring huge changes to Luoyang.

In order to ensure the eastward expedition of the army, the Xianyang court directly issued order notices to the wealthy Luoyang businessmen who held workshops, hoping to utilize the potential of Luoyang's handicraft industry to ensure military supplies during the war.

This is in line with Guan Zhong's economic philosophy: without consumption, there is no production.

Guan Zhong once believed that: because of the huge coffins and coffins, carpenters were born; there were many quilts, so female workers were born. Luxurious things are the way to stimulate production. He stipulated that all the princes' sons who came to Qi to serve as ministers must wear two furs made of tiger skin. The upper-level officials in the country should wear furs with leopard skin sleeves, and the middle-ranking officials should wear furs with leopard skin skirts.

In this way, the officials will sell their surplus grain and buy the skins of tigers and leopards, and the people will work hard to kill the beasts, thereby allowing the officials to disperse their wealth and allowing the people to benefit from the circulation.

The new economic policy currently being finalized by Heifu, Zhang Cang, and Xiao He is also in line with Guan Zhong's strategy: the imperial court provides luxury goods such as Shu Brocade to big merchants, thereby boosting the silk weaving industry in Shu County and other places. However, the government is weak, and The wealthy businessmen were efficient in purchasing necessities in Luoyang, thereby boosting Luoyang's industry and commerce and allowing a hundred thousand industrial and commercial people to have food to eat.

Over and over again, the government even collected an extra tax, which was much better than simply cutting leeks and ransacking homes to steal money.

At present, the three big businessmen in Luoyang are all working hard: the Bai family is assisting in the management of millet affairs and the officialdom is raising grain, and they are rebuilding a large granary in Gong County, east of Luoyang, to feed hundreds of thousands of people.

Su used the loose money he used for daily loans to collect silk cloth and leather from various places, and weaved summer clothes, shoes, and even armor in the newly established Luoyang weaving studio.

The merchant Shi Shi's family started from the cart and truck business run by their ancestors and built hundreds of carts, all of which were requisitioned by the imperial court. They carried food and clothing to and from Luoyang and the front line.

Even people from Luoyang who have nothing to do with these three major items can also engage in various service industries, not least the nulv that flourishes everywhere, selling fat, pulp, peeling, and preserved stomachs. , the business suddenly improved several times, and even the veterinarians in the city were paid heavily to serve in the army.

Ruo Lu and Kaogong Lingcheng, controlled by Gongshu and Mohism respectively, also sent people to set up branches in the suburbs of Luoyang. They were ordered to produce arrows that consume a lot of money and various military parts here to prepare for the attack at any time. Replacement, a large number of local labor force, there is work to do - of course, you are not qualified to participate in the precision link, just sawing wood with wool.

The war was a devastating disaster for the people of Yingchuan, but behind the Qin army, Luoyang was like Japan during the Korean War, which gave it an economic boost.

This is the Luoyang that Li Shiqi saw. Before Heifu's hundred thousand troops arrived, the city was already well prepared under the management of Sima Xin, the governor of Sanchuan, and Chen Hui, the chief staff officer of the Feather Wing Battalion.

In theory, Chen Hui is Li Shiqi's immediate superior, and everything Li Shiqi does in Yingchuan must be reported to him.

But Li Shi was a madman at first, and now that he had achieved great achievements, he was not so polite to Chen Hui. When he saw Chen Hui, he bowed and said:

"I have fulfilled my mission and returned from Yingchuan. May I ask where the regent is?"

This means that he does not intend to report properly to Chen Hui, but wants to report directly to Heifu.

Chen Hui was originally a staff member of Qin Nanyang's garrison of Lu Ye, and he got to where he is today by lobbying Lu Ye to surrender. When he saw Li Shi's rampage, he was secretly annoyed, but his face was still like a spring breeze:

"Mr. Li, as far as I know, the regent has just left Hangu and arrived in Shaanxi County."

"I have something important that I need to report." Li Shiqi was eager for success and did not want to discuss the details with Chen Hui. Instead, he made a request: "I hope Chen Jun will quickly arrange the manpower and ships. I can't get back and forth when I go west this time." In a few days, I will definitely get the regent’s order to go to Hanoi!”

Chen Hui smiled: "Why are you going to Hanoi, sir?"

Li Shiqi said: "I previously traveled from Hedong to Daliang and passed through Hanoi. I went to test Sima Mao. At that time, Sima Mao was already wavering. The situation now is very different from that of two months ago. If I continue to talk about it, I will surely make Sima Mao happy. Mao Jiang Hanoi puts his hands in front of the regent's horse!"

"It's an unfortunate coincidence."

Chen Hui looked at Li Shengqi: "A few days ago, the Feather Wing Battalion and the appropriate spies had been sent over to Sima Mao."

"What?" Li Shiqi's face suddenly darkened, and he was a little unhappy: "Who did you send?"

Chen Hui said: "This is a secret, but since it is Mr. Li, I might as well tell you that the person who went to talk to Sima Mao was Zuo Shu, Chang Suihe..."

Sui He is also an old man, a Confucian scholar, and a lobbyist. He has a conflict with Li Shiqi. He also joined Heifu a year earlier than Li Shiqi. He is a competitor in his eyes.

This made Li Shiqi very angry. In his opinion, Hanoi Sima Mao clearly laid the foundation by himself, just like sowing the seeds in the spring and just waiting for the melons to ripen and fall in the autumn. It’s just a matter of persuading him. If he is convinced, wouldn’t it mean that he has picked the melons he planted in vain!

So Li Shiqi asked politely: "Whose credit is this?"

Chen Hui grimaced: "Mr. Li, the regent has said that Wing Camp does not rely on one person, but on the wisdom and strength of everyone working together."

In Heifu's words, they are just like three cobblers, just like Zhuge Liang. The General Staff may not necessarily be the top military talents, but they can gather wisdom from many sources and achieve all-round coverage.

"What's more, the situation is unpredictable and the military situation is on fire. A few days ago, General Han Xin has driven Zhao to surrender and captured Taihangxing and Baixing roads. Luoyang has also prepared ships to force the crossing and can attack Hanoi at any time! Sima Mao secretly sent someone here to beg for surrender, do we still want Sima Mao's envoy to stay here until Mr. Li returns?"

Li Shiqi was a little hard to deal with, but he still believed that Hanoi had a share of his contribution.

"Whether there is any merit or not will be decided later."

Chen Hui slowed down his tone: "How about this? From now on, north of the river, I will say whatever I want, and south of the river, what will Mr. Li say?"

Li Shiqi then gave up and said goodbye to go west to report the news about Yingchuan to Heifu. However, after Li Sheng left, Chen Hui secretly slandered:

"Being so crazy and greedy for success, something will happen sooner or later!"

He added: "The regent has great foresight. Heibingtai sent spies to Hanoi a few months ago. Even if it is successful, it is only the combined efforts of everyone. How can we allow you, an old drunkard, to claim the credit alone?"

…

Sima Mao, the general of Zhao who guarded Hanoi, was a descendant of Sima Kuai, a master of swordsmanship. His eldest father, Sima Shang, was also famous in Zhao for his swordsmanship, so he became an official and became Li Mu's right-hand man. After Li Mu was killed by Zhao Wangqian, he was Sima Shang protected the young Li Zuoche and taught him and Sima Mao how to practice swordsmanship. Although the two had different surnames, they were as close as brothers.

This is also the reason why Sima Yan still insisted on staying on this canoe in Hanoi despite the turbulence of Zhao State.

"I can't betray Li Zuoche."

Whenever he couldn't persevere, Sima Yan would motivate himself like this.

But when the time entered March, Sima Yan found that he really couldn't hold on any longer...

After the Battle of Changping, the Qin army had completely occupied Shangdang, and Han Xin even drove Zhao Jiang's soldiers to Taihangxing and Baixing.

Although Sima Xuan had Mengmen Pass and Tianjing Pass closed, he only had ten thousand men and needed to defend three passes, a county in Hanoi, and a long river. It was really stretched. In the end, Mengmen and Tianjing Pass were defeated by Han Xin.

At this time, Sima Yan, who was surrounded by enemies on both sides, understood that the enemy was not far away from the city and he had only two choices left.

Surrender to Heifu, or die loyal to Zhao...

At present, Heifu's envoy Sui He has arrived in Hanoi, but Sima Yan is still hesitating because he found out that Li Zuoche is still resisting the Qin army in Taiyuan.

"Half a year ago, I made an oath with Zuo Che that I would guard the east of Taihang, and he would guard the west of Taihang."

"The State of Zhao, which my father and General Li Mu failed to protect in the past, will be preserved in my hands, and the Zhao people will no longer have to suffer the hardship of national subjugation. Now Zuoche is still fighting hard, I can't let him down..."

When he was hesitating, Sima Yan had someone call Xu Nie, a well-known magician from Wen County, Hanoi, and asked the young female fortune teller wearing a mask a question:

"I dare to ask the fortune teller, if I fight to the death, can I save Hanoi?"

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