Spring and Autumn I Am King

Half a decade ago, Liu Xiazhi carried the "Privateer's Order", and took more than a hundred experienced thieves across the river and lake, dressed in white, disguised as a merchant and left the noon road. [..] They traveled westward along the prosperous Zhou Road and took ten days to reach Jijin. This is the new territory of the Zhao family, and it is about to be built into a river ferry with cities and even a dock for upstream and downstream ships.

Here, Liu Xiazhi saw the boat that would be handed over to life and death in the next few months.

This is a mid-wing boat that can accommodate 60 people. It is called "You Su". It was originally a boat used by Wen County doctor Zhao Luo to travel the big river. Zhao Wuxi spent a lot of words, willing to share some benefits, and promised to send him a new ship within this year. Only then did Zhao Luo awkwardly send all his "fleet".

Although it is called a fleet, it is actually just this middle wing, plus two small wings that can accommodate 30 people, and several walking boats and flat boats around the side, more than ten boats, even one-third of the river surface. Are not satisfied.

For example, this mid-wing is far from the boat that Liu Xiazhi had in Onozawa. It was brand new, smelled of lacquer and resin, had a two-layer hull, and was ornately decorated on the outside, but in the eyes of Robber. But it is extremely useless, just like the name, she is like a girl, and she is a living target for the enemy to be stabbed and ignited.

And it is not known who designed it. The hull is not slender enough to be suitable for combat. It is a big bathtub that is difficult to move. If it encounters wind and rain, he does not want to stay on this ship. But having said that, there are very few water battles in the upper and middle reaches of the big river. The number of warships is not only incomparable with Qi Binhai and the lower reaches of the big river in Chu and Wu countries, but not even Onozawa, so Liu Xiazhi can be useful. Nothing to complain about either.

After all, Zhao Wuxi asked him to hand over the Wudao affairs to Yuxi, and when he came to Dahe, he said that there were not many ships and manpower to provide, and the extent to which the waterway could be blocked depends entirely on Robber Zhi himself.

The boatman who sent the boat from Wendi looked incredulous: "The big river is six or seven hundred li from Jijin to Gaotang, and the river is ten to thirty li wide. It only depends on boats for more than ten li, two li Hundreds of boatmen and soldiers can't even hold back Jijin, and they can traverse the river. Block this channel?"

Robber Zhi's subordinates were also suspicious. What they were familiar with was the boundless swamp, not the long river. Its depth, wind speed, and speed along the current and reverse currents could only be known by the local fishermen.

Liu Xiazhi was silent for a moment and said: "Indeed. There are no big wings, no protruding, not even a scorpion. It might be difficult for others to change, but we can do it. Back then, I relied on a boat to rule the roost. After arriving at Onozawa, and going west to the Dahe River, who calls the river wide? A reed hangs on it! The dragon of Onozawa entered the river, and it is also the overlord of the water, so why should you be afraid!?”

Some words inspired the men on the lake and the river who were plundering with their heads up and screamed, and Liu Xiazhi only spent one afternoon. The crew of each ship was allocated, and the black skull flag drawn by Zhao Wuxi himself was hung on the "Yousu" in the middle wing as the flagship. Although Liu Xiazhi didn't understand the meaning of this terrifying flag, he felt that it was in line with what he wanted to do.

Loot and bring death and destruction to those who dare to resist!

Then, he also made a plan for the next few days: "What we want to block is the waterway from Tanyuan to Yiyi. We will have a trial voyage tomorrow. Naigong hasn't been to the river for a long time, and the hydrology is unfamiliar."

Probably because the armed forces of the northern countries on the river are too scarce, and the first trial voyage was without danger. When they passed through Tanyuan. When they met five or six small boats carrying the Qi flag, the merchants were clever. When they saw the warships flying the skull flag, they fled separately, and they were finally caught by the thieves who were used to robbery on the water. The merchants and the goods were loaded into the cabin together, and the boats joined the fleet and became the spoils of war.

"The victory of a small dagger, the aperitif before the war, helps us to let go of the belly and clean up the food." Taste the wine and brew delivered by the several ships. Thief Zhi was quite satisfied with the first battle.

So from mid-March, Onozawa pirates began their career as river pirates, and it became a topic of conversation among merchants in Qi on the great river.

All merchant ships leading to Qi will be intercepted. If you are willing to turn the bow, you will be fine. If you are unwilling, a burst of bows and arrows will immediately come, and the river thieves in various costumes will jump over and take all the goods. Then return to Jijin to remove.

At first the Qi people thought it was just sporadic thieves and didn't pay much attention to it. Only when a chase happened under their noses did they realize the seriousness of the problem.

…

It was one day in late March. When cruising the big river for the fourth time, Liu Xiazhi found a new prey again. It was a big guy, a boat with a deep draft. This was a merchant ship belonging to the Chen family! We are going down the river, intending to go to Gaotang.

Like a pack of hunting wolves, the fleet that was originally lined up in a row spread out, turned into a formation of geese, and began to speed up to outflank the past.

The merchants who seek a living on the big river are all clever ghosts. At this time, the owner of the cargo ship probably realizes that the warships behind him are extremely dangerous. He immediately changed course to the east, rushing towards Yiyi, perhaps hoping to hide in the pier controlled by the Qi people, or to escape capture along the east bank of the river.

But his merchant ships were full of cargo, and Liu Xiazhi had the east wind to help him. "Yousu" and a small wing cut off the route of the prey, and at the same time the swift boat and the agile canoe flanked behind her. It was already sunset, and more than a dozen boats were racing against the water in the middle of the stream. The centipede-like oars rose and fell, smashing the brass-colored water.

The hunter and the prey were getting closer, even if the distance was only more than ten paces, even though Liu Xiazhi's strong persuasion to surrender was very clear, the ship owner did not slow down, and sporadic arrows were fired.

This made Liu Xiazhi extremely curious, what kind of cargo was on it, and the ship owner regarded them as more important than life.

The tall mid-wing was just a slash of twenty arrows, and this trivial resistance was muted. At this time, Liu Xiazhi directed the two winglets to move closer to the prey and sandwiched it in the middle. The group of thieves bit their daggers and boarded the side to fight, ending the chase.

On the way back, the boat had already been taken by the group of thieves. A cronie of Liu Xiazhi turned into the lower warehouse to take a look. When he came out again, he was holding the bronze cast in a rectangular block, and he was very excited.

"It's gold! More than two drums of gold!"

There are more than two drums of bronze, that is 1,000 pounds! It is enough to cast five medium-sized tripods and arm thousands of soldiers. This is probably purchased from Chu Wu and then transported to Zheng State, and then down the river from Zheng State. In the past, the river was generally safe, except for the officially authorized Liu Xiazhi, there are not many. A river thief who dared to plunder in broad daylight.

Liu Xiazhi touched the heavy bronze. With a smile, the hard work of this trip was not in vain. Zhao Wuxi said in the "Privateer's Order" that the things he obtained were handed over to the officials of Zhao's Jin in Jijin three times. 30% was sent to Xilu, 10% to Wen County, which provided the boats, and the remaining 30% was Liu Xiazhi's property.

"After dividing these dollars, try to find a way to transport them back to Yuncheng. In the future, Xilu will have no copper, and Xilu will have no salt, so I will take it from Qi people!"

He also plausibly said: "According to Zhou Li, in this month when the yang qi is radiating, it is not allowed to accept goods. The emperor wants to exercise virtue and benefit, order the officials in charge to open the granary, distribute it to the poor and helpless for free, and help those who are short of money and eat less. People; open the treasury, take out the cloth and silk hidden in it, and give it to the world. This is what we call the excess and the deficiency. Qi is rich in the sea, but Xilu has been poor for a hundred years. Lu Zhishen is in line with God's will!"

Robber Zhi is eloquent and eloquent, and the robbery full of violence and sin was actually spoken by him.

In short, Qi Guo and Chen Clan, who also have very little domestic copper and tin, suffered heavy losses this time.

The guard of Qi State at the head of Yiyi City witnessed all this. A small wing docked on the shore even planned to go to support, but he gave up after seeing the skillful water warfare of the river pirates hanging the skull flag.

A silk book was quickly sent to Gaotang and to Linzi. Notify this. By the end of March, the continuous looting incidents on the big river spread across both sides of the big river, shocking the state of Qi. Even the major river channels are in jeopardy.

The state of Qi, who claimed to be the overlord of the water in the north, suddenly felt a burning pain on his face, and realized that this was probably the work of the Zhao family.

Under Qi Hou's anger, Qi Qing Chen Qi, who was deeply distressed by the 1000 jin bronze, ordered to recruit the ships of the Chen family's officers and scholars along the river. In the end, there was one big wing, three middle wings, and five small wings. The rest of the fleet consists of more than 20 medium-sized fleets of squat, squat, walking, and light boats. At the beginning of April, they were riding the southwest wind, rowing their oars, and going upstream from Gaotang, ready to sweep away the abominable black skull flag, and make the big river navigation a bright future!

…

Because of the lag in the news, when Liu Xiazhi was stirring the wind and rain on the big river, Zhao Wuxi didn't know much about it. He could only trust the ability of the thief and the strength of the boat provided by Wenxian.

With the delivery of salt from Wei Shi, Wu Guo, Huai Shang, Ju Guo, and even some well-informed merchants in the Central Plains, the salt shortage in Taoqiu and Xilu was alleviated.

Linghu Bo was instigated by Wei Ju to come to Xilu to visit Wu Xie, and at the same time he had the heart of prying, but Zhao Wu Xie had no time to receive him. sent.

Spring ploughing has long ended, and before the beginning of summer, all regions will enter the season of green and yellow. The first year's grain has been eaten, and the summer grain has not been harvested.

According to the custom, the doctor should exercise virtue and benefit, order the warehouse staff to open the granary, distribute it to the poor and needy without compensation, and help those who lack money and food. Because last year was another half-year fierce battle, and the Zhao army was stationed, UU read www.uukanshu. com is an escaped from Dayozawa and became a householder of Qimin, so this year Xilu's food was quite tight, and he had to rely on Zigong to buy food from Taoqiu.

After finishing this, the iron official from Taoqiu came to report again, saying that the output of the iron workshop was gradually increasing, but it had not yet reached the level that Zhao Wuxi hoped, and the smelting of iron farm tools would also be put on the agenda. Preparing for the winter wheat harvest in the beginning of summer. Porcelain should be fired as soon as possible, and new products should be introduced on paper, so as to make Sirrudo the same competitive products that can sell profit.

Therefore, Zhao Wuxi didn't want to talk too much with Linghu Bo, so he let Gong Xichi, who is good at handling people and things, accompany him all the way, and accompany him around, but the key porcelain kilns, paper mills, iron workshops, barracks and other places are impossible. in.

As for himself, he intends to free up time to deal with two things that have been delayed for a long time. One is the case of Yi Bianque's privately assigning the eldest disciple Zi Yang into Qi to be detained, and the other is the opening of a Mongolian school in Xilu! (To be continued.)

ps: Thanks to the book friend Feilong brother, the summer in the cool breeze, the man is 31, the sun is at the end of the step, the lonely sail is encountered, the c work is too troublesome, waiting for you to eat j eggs as a reward! Thank you for your monthly pass!

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