Volume 4 Stormy Jiangnan Chapter 83 Returning Home
The rebellion of the Three Kings in the Southeast was finally put to an end. Although the official administration and military property in the southeast half were brought back under the actual jurisdiction of the imperial court, there was no longer any obstacle to the implementation of the policy of reducing vassalage throughout the country. However, after the civil war that lasted nearly half a year was fought, the three southeastern provinces and affected areas left to the imperial court were in a huge mess.
Several previous floods that started in early and mid-summer spread to the entire Jiangnan region. However, because other areas were not affected by the military disaster, they were able to devote themselves to serious treatment. Therefore, although the floods caused some damage, they were still tolerable. Within the normal range. The three southeastern provinces, including Hannan, not only suffered severe floods, but also suffered widespread military disasters. Under the successive effects of natural disasters and corruption, the once prosperous hometown of the wealthy family, known as the granary of the world, has become a deserted land thousands of miles away.
Although the rebellion has ended, for the imperial court, another war has begun and is far from over.
The three southeastern provinces were once an important salt tea production and distribution center for the imperial court, and were also an important rice grain production area in the country. In the past, tens of thousands of stones of grain were produced here every year and transported by water to the north and the capital. Now, the floods in the entire southeast have not yet receded, and large areas of land are still wet mud and swamps. Not only have many tea gardens been destroyed by floods, but salt roads are also temporarily closed to traffic. The most important thing is that large areas of fields have been swallowed up by floods and flattened by war, which means that a large amount of grain production will be reduced or even stopped this year. As a result, not to mention this year's grain transportation from Beijing, even the local people's subsistence food may not be guaranteed. At present, the floods and wars are just beginning to show signs of ending. If the food problem is not solved properly and is delayed for a long time, I am afraid that the people's morale will be unstable, and if it goes to the extreme, it will be another big chaos caused by wars and disasters.
Fortunately, it has been many years since the founding of the dynasty and the country, and it seems that we have a lot of experience and methods in dealing with floods and disasters in the south of the Yangtze River. After several successive edicts were issued, the situation in the originally chaotic three southeastern places immediately changed. As the people gradually migrated back to their post-disaster homes, and began to slowly repair and make up for the trauma after the war, there was a hint of prosperity. It was finally a relief.
Rice and other materials from Bashu, as well as rice, tea, silk, cloth, bamboo products, etc. from some areas south of the Yangtze River, were neatly and efficiently transported to those affected by floods through the effective guidance, transportation and control of the imperial court. The hardest-hit areas and states and counties severely damaged by the war. However, relying solely on rice donations from Bashu and parts of Jiangnan is still far from enough. Therefore, experienced officials from various places have begun to take relatively pragmatic measures.
On the third day after the war, the officials headed by Zheng Ci, the chief envoy to Hannan, took a break from the busy political affairs and went down to the surrounding prefectures and counties thirty miles away to inspect the land suitable for farming after the floods. land location. Although the flooding has not completely subsided, most areas can no longer see the bright water. Although most crops cannot be grown in those muddy lands and swamps, if treated well, they happen to be good planting areas for rice.
It is almost time to enter autumn. If we can rush to plant a crop at this time, we may be able to harvest a crop of food before winter. Even if only half of the three southeastern provinces can produce food, this will still be solved. Big question. Therefore, not only officials from the southeast went to the fields one after another, but also officials from most areas in the south of the Yangtze River, under the imperial court's orders, began field inspections of grain growing areas while helping people repair their homes.
At the same time, a large number of workers and corvee laborers were recruited to organize river courses and repair farmland according to different regions of the state and county. After the summer floods, we are now busy not only with growing food and repairing our homes, but we also need to prepare for the autumn floods at the same time. If the river channel is not regulated and dredged, after the autumn floods, even if the crops have been planted, they will inevitably be submerged in the flooding flood again.
After the catastrophe and the war, the statistics of losses in the population also began. But the situation is better than before. After this great change, the people are returning home and longing for a stable and peaceful life. Therefore, although the workload of straightening rivers, repairing homes, and combing fields is huge and tiring, the people Everyone rushed to be the first, and all the young, old, women and children participated in the hot construction. No one complained, but the officials' work progressed much more smoothly.
At the same time, the tens of thousands of troops who once gathered in the southeastern half began to withdraw back to their places of origin one after another after experiencing the initial task of maintaining local stability. The Jeju Guards and Luocheng Guards crossed the Yangtze River with the Jiangbei Navy and returned to the north. The troops reinforced by the Huchuan Guard and the Nanling Guard in the southeast also returned to their respective territories.
The navy in the Jiangnan Navy camp, after this rebellion,, most of the soldiers were lost, and many generals were also missing. Similar to the situation of the Jiangnan Navy, there are also the Zhongzhou Guards who were almost completely lost in the previous battle, the Xiangzhou Guards after the bloody battle in Xiangyang City, and the Anling Left Guards who were almost disintegrated after being killed by Li Xian of the Dongyang Guards As the people They rebuilt their homes vigorously, and the reorganization and replenishment of the imperial army were also carried out in a busy manner.
After a great war, not only did the imperial court urgently need to replenish the number of troops, but at the same time, the three Dongjiang guards who originally belonged to Wu Wang Zhang Xiu also urgently needed to be disbanded and reorganized. The area where the three guards were originally stationed also required the court to send troops to take over.
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Xiangyang City.
After the war, it was a mess. Although in the more than ten days after the war, the guards, mainly Xiangzhou Guards, and the city's strong people have been working day and night to repair the moat, city defenses and streets, and have achieved remarkable results, several areas that were seriously damaged that day are still It is vaguely visible how tragic the battle situation was at that time.
With the passage of time, many of the refugees who took refuge in Xiangyang City at that time, under the call of the imperial court, left Xiangyang City in batches and gradually returned to their former countryside. The chaotic scene in Xiangyang City gradually faded out of people's sight, but the desolation after the war still lingered for a while. After the war, business activities gradually began to recover. Merchants from the north and south gradually gathered in Xiangyang City, and the deserted teahouses and shops gradually became lively again.
On this day, Xiangyang City welcomed several guests from the north.
In the alley of Jiufang City, two young women in coarse cloth and skirts were fetching water from the well platform. They were Ziyao and Xiaoqing who lived in Li's courtyard. After the flood, the once clear well water became a little turbid. Two women were slender and delicate. They carried two buckets of well water that were 80% full between a bamboo pole and swayed toward Li's courtyard. Go.
As soon as they reached the entrance of the courtyard, before the two of them could step in, they were suddenly blocked by an arm that suddenly appeared. Xiao Qing, who was walking in front, was suddenly startled. When he looked up, his eyes suddenly widened and he opened his mouth, but the words seemed to be stuck in his throat and he couldn't say a word. At the same time, Ziyao, who was standing behind her, was also stunned.
Before Ziyao and the other two could react, one of the few strong young men blocking the entrance of Li's courtyard suddenly stepped forward and gave a slight salute to Ziyao: "Miss, long time no see."
"Wei Liang?" Ziyao calmed down and said coldly: "How did you find him?"
The man named Wei Liang bowed slightly: "The master has issued a death order, so of course I have to find the young one. Miss, come back with us now!" As he spoke, he took a step forward.
Ziyao narrowed her eyes slightly and took a step back subconsciously: "Wei Liang, I won't go back. You go back and tell daddy that II have" Ziyao's face turned slightly red, and she paused briefly and said: "If dad doesn't change his mind and still forces me to marry the person he chooses, then I will never return to the capital again in my life Ah - Wei Liang! What are you doing -"
Ziyao was talking to herself, but unexpectedly, several people from the opponent suddenly rushed forward, grabbed Ziyao's arms and legs, and squatted on her shoulders. Unprepared, Ziyao was immediately firmly restrained by the opponent. , I can no longer struggle!
"Ah - Wei Liang! How dare you confront Miss A Niu! Zhang Zhi! You you are so brave!" Seeing the Miss being restrained, Xiao Qing immediately dropped the pole in his hand, and with a clang, his two hands The bucket was tilted this way and that, and muddy water flowed all over the floor. At the same time, Xiaoqing yelled at the top of her lungs, and her voice spread far and wide.
"Miss, I'm sorry!" Wei Liang said apologetically: "This is the master's order. If the young lady offends the young lady, when he returns to the house, the young lady is willing to fight and punish the young lady. Gan Ling is it!"
Several people ignored Xiaoqing's shouts. Wei Liang carried Ziyao on his shoulders. The other two restrained Xiaoqing at the same time. The group turned around and rushed toward the entrance of the alley. At this moment, Li's door was suddenly knocked open with a loud bang, and Old Man Qiao rushed out first.
Mrs. Li also jumped out from behind Old Man Qiao, running towards the courtyard gate while shouting at the top of her lungs: "Someone is robbing someone - someone is robbing someone - someone - come here quickly -"
"Who are you! Put down the two young ladies!" Old man Qiao ran so fast that he almost stumbled and fell at the door. He stretched out his hand to hold the door frame and shouted outside.
Seeing countless people pouring out of the alley in an instant, Wei Liangqing knew that he couldn't leave without explaining a few words, so he stopped, looked back at Old Man Qiao, and shouted loudly: "This is a family matter in our lord's house." , Dad, I advise you to mind your own business! Don¡¯t get into trouble!¡±
Everyone around him was stunned when he heard this. Old man Qiao subconsciously looked at Ziyao and Xiaoqing, but saw that although the two of them did not speak, they had expressions on their faces.Ming told him the truth. Old man Qiao hesitated for a moment. Although he knew that forceful intervention would not work, if he just left the two of them alone, he might not be able to explain it to the young master even if he came back.
Just when Old Man Qiao was hesitating, Wei Liang had already turned around and picked up Ziyao's legs, put them on his shoulders, and walked towards the entrance of the alley. Seeing the pedestrians around him gradually moving to both sides of the road, Ziyao's eyes gradually became misty. Taking advantage of Wei Liang's distraction, Ziyao from behind bit her lip fiercely, twisted her body, and got out of Wei Liang's restraints. She raised her hand and something flew towards Old Man Qiao.
"Uncle Qiao! Thisthis is for Brother Qiao! Just tellif he is freelet him come to the capitalcome to the capitalfind me!"