Chapter 4266 Beating to win over
When King Li Zhi of Jin led his army to arrive near Huayin, he received news of the fall of Hangu Pass. Especially when he heard that Hangu Pass did not put up much resistance and was captured by the navy in less than half a day, he was even more worried.
He originally expected Qiu Xinggong to be able to guard Hangu Pass to delay the navy for a few days, so that his side could move more calmly. However, Qiu Xinggong saw that it was useless. The Shandong private troops who went to reinforce were also captured. When the news spreads among the army, it will inevitably shake the morale of the army and damage morale.
After the fall of Hangu Pass, Tongguan faced a fierce attack from the enemy on land and water, and it was only a matter of time before it fell.
At this point, the situation is no longer possible to recover, and the only way to win is to fight against the odds and succeed in one battle.
If you don't succeed, you will succeed.
Looking at the flags fluttering on the left and right, the chariots and horses rolling around, and the mighty and murderous army of more than 100,000 people, the worries and frustrations in Li Zhi's heart were swept away, replaced by strong confidence and longing for a better future.
Back then, when faced with the suppression and persecution of Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, and with Emperor Gaozu supporting them, the situation that my father faced was not only several times worse than it is today? But even in such a desperate situation, my father was still able to subjugate the Guanlong clan for his own use, rise up to fight under the Xuanwu clan, and change his fate against the will of heaven.
To counterattack in a desperate situation and succeed in a battle under everyone's pessimistic gaze, this is your destiny!
How do you know that I, Li Zhi, am not as good as my father in terms of destiny?
Only when my subordinates' iron armor kills Chang'an and seizes it, will everyone in the world know my destiny!
……
The army marched all the way in a mighty manner. News from Guanzhong and Hangu Pass continued to gather and flow into the army. After passing Huayin, it was already dark. The army of more than 100,000 was a private army hastily formed by Shandong families and seriously lacked military regulations. Military discipline dictates that once an emergency situation arises, it is very likely to cause unpredictable dangers, so Li Zhi did not dare to march in a hurry at night, so he chose a place with sunny mountains and yin waters to set up camp and make fires for cooking.
The night breeze was blowing, and it was difficult to keep track of the more than 100,000-strong army camp. Lanterns were hung all over the camp. Military law teams on horseback patrolled back and forth. Soldiers who violated military discipline were immediately arrested and severely punished.
In the Chinese army tent, Li Zhi, who had just had dinner, was drinking tea with Xiao Yu, Chu Suiliang, and Cui Xin. Cui Xin said worriedly: "The navy is so aggressive that it is chasing our tail. Now Hangu Pass has fallen. Tongguan is in danger, and we are getting closer and closer to Chang'an. A war may break out at any time. I wonder if your highness has any good strategy to defeat the enemy? "
Although the Shandong family is on the side of Jin Wang Li Zhi, the situations faced by the two sides are different.
For Li Zhi, from the moment he escaped from the Tai Chi Palace, he had already embarked on a path of no return where he would become a king or lose a bandit, and he would become a benevolent person if he failed. The difference between victory and defeat was life and death, and there was no way to retreat. But the Shandong family is different. Although they abandoned Li Chengqian and chose the Jin Dynasty, their fundamental purpose was to maximize their interests. While pursuing the greatest interests, even if they faced failure, the entire family would not perish. After all, Li Chengqian was the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. If you are in a stable position, you cannot indulge Shandong's corruption. No matter how much you hate the Shandong family, you need to be comforted. Deep hatred can only be developed slowly.
But once Tongguan fell and the retreat was completely cut off, the Shandong family would have no choice but to follow the Jin king's path to the dark side, and it would be impossible to retreat to Shandong.
After all, the private army composed of more than 100,000 young men has drained away the foundation accumulated by the Shandong family for hundreds of years. Once the entire army is wiped out, the consequences will be absolutely unbearable for these families, which means that the territory they have always regarded as their own. The vast Shandong area will be completely out of their control.
A Shandong clan that could not control the Shandong region did not pose much fear or deterrence to the emperor.
Since there is no fear or deterrence, how can the emperor tolerate them and be lenient to them?
Therefore, Cui Xin's face was very ugly. The Shandong family fully supported King Jin and were willing to take huge political risks with King Jin to gain greater political benefits. However, they suddenly found that they had been completely blackmailed by King Jin, and the fate of both parties was tied. There is no distinction between each other in the same place. When we live, we live together, and when we die, we die together.
This makes Cui Xin extremely dissatisfied. We can bear a huge punishment after your defeat and death, but we don’t want to die with you...
Li Zhi glanced at Cui Xin, took a sip of tea, and said calmly: "Where in the world is there any good strategy for victory? Throughout the ages, the outcome of every war is ultimately just that sentence. When two armies meet, The brave wins.”
In the past, he had tried every means to win over the powerful families in Shandong and Jiangnan, and all he wanted to do was to use their power to strengthen himself, so as to complete his war to change his destiny.
Today, the Jiangnan family is on the verge of collapse and has been horribly bullied by the navy in Jiangnan. The Shandong family has completely stood on its own ship. It has no way out and no way to retreat, so there is no need to flatter and flatter. Take care of their mood?
"Don't worry, Mr. Cui, I am not a person who breaks his promise. As long as this battle is successful, there will be no compromise on the conditions he promised. Whether you can be promoted to a noble rank or not, the feudal side depends only on whether you can go all out to make contributions. He will go to court On the day when your wish is fulfilled, I will not hesitate to reward you.”
These people must be made to realize their current situation. Now it is not only him, the King of Jin, who needs them to achieve his grand hegemony, but they themselves must also risk death and go through fire and water to strive for greater achievements.
There will be no pie in the sky, and efforts and gains are always equal.
Cui Xin was silent for a moment, then nodded and said: "Your Highness, don't worry. We, the heirs of poetry and calligraphy, know how to be loyal and righteous. Since we have decided to assist Your Highness to achieve great things, we will do our best and fight to the death. There is absolutely no reason to give up halfway."< br>
Li Zhi nodded happily and praised: "Mr. Cui understands the great righteousness, which is actually a blessing to the people of the empire. If he succeeds in the future, Cui Gong should be the first to achieve success."
Cui Xin repeatedly said that he did not dare: "This is your highness's destiny, and we dare not take credit."
……
After appeasing the leader of the Shandong family, Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Yu and asked: "Although the Jiangnan family suffered heavy losses in Yanziji, after all, it has been inherited for thousands of years and has deep roots. As long as the situation is stabilized, it will definitely be able to fight back under the pressure of the navy. Otherwise, if the navy is allowed to wreak havoc in the south of the Yangtze River, your foundation will be shaken. Even if I ascend to the throne in the future, I will be unable to help you rebuild your glorious consciousness. "
Even if you suffered a disastrous defeat at Yanziji and your foundation was shaken, you can't just watch the navy unify the Yangtze River and go northward without any scruples at any time, right?
If you are really unwilling to give your best, I am afraid that the benefits you want will be greatly reduced if this king ascends the throne in the future...
Comforting and beating, promises and warnings, Li Zhi's power-playing tricks are at his fingertips and he is extremely talented.
Xiao Yu smiled bitterly and shook his head, and said helplessly: "It is not because the families in the south of the Yangtze River are unwilling to fight to the death. The deterrent of the navy in the south of the Yangtze River is far beyond His Highness's imagination. Not only is the sea trade controlled by it, but also the impact of the continuous flow of food shipped to the Tang Dynasty. The price of food in the south of the Yangtze River has caused a huge impact, making every household afraid to act without permission. I hope Your Highness can be considerate. ”
Maritime trade is controlled by the navy. They do not allow any family to play, and anyone who has it has to be excluded from the maritime trade system. The Municipal Shipping Department issues licenses, and the navy is responsible for escorting. Maritime merchants of the Tang Dynasty must rent from the navy in overseas countries. The ports set up warehouses, report goods, and conduct trade. Every move and every aspect is under the surveillance of the Navy. Anyone who dares to deal in prohibited items, disrupt the market, or evade taxes will be severely sanctioned and punished. .
That's all. The worst that can happen is that everyone cuts off sea trade. Wasn't it the same life without sea trade in the past?
But food touches the foundation of the Jiangnan gentry and even all the clans.
What is the basis of gate valve?
One is education, and the other is land. In the final analysis, it still lies in land.
When aristocratic families control more and more land, they can control more and more people, and their political voice will naturally become more and more important. The food produced by the land is the lifeblood of the country and the basis for the survival of ordinary people.
Since the navy leased ports with Annan, Linyi and other places and controlled their internal affairs, cheap food began to be continuously transported into the Tang Dynasty, which greatly alleviated the food shortage crisis in the Tang Dynasty.
Until now, the price of grain transported by the Navy into Datang has been almost the same as domestically, which has maintained the domestic grain system.
But once the navy gave up making huge profits from food and instead imported food into the country at low prices, the first people to be affected were not ordinary people, but the wealthy families who occupied countless areas.
Because the most direct consequence of low food prices is the reduction of land prices, which directly shrinks the wealth accumulated by the aristocratic families for decades or even hundreds of years, or even cuts it in half. Who can bear this?
Throughout the ages, aristocratic families have arbitrarily manipulated the rise and fall of land and grain prices, and continuously harvested the wealth of the common people from the price differences, thereby achieving the purpose of annexing land, privately accumulating people, and accumulating wealth. Once grain prices cannot be controlled, this system will It will be fundamentally destroyed, and the foundation for the survival of the family will be completely lost.
The clans in Guanzhong and Shandong may still be able to rely on their strong control to eliminate the losses caused by changes in food prices in their territories, but the Jiangnan gentry with an increasing population but relatively shallow foundation will suffer deeply.
Under such circumstances, even the Xiao family, which clearly supports the King of Jin, has secretly reached a series of agreements with the Navy in exchange for the Navy stabilizing food prices in Jiangnan and ensuring stability in Jiangnan. The other Jiangnan noble families do not have such deep support as the Xiao family. The secrets can be manipulated by the Navy at will.
After losing countless young men in the battle of Yanziji, the foundation of each family was seriously shaken. Who dared to challenge the navy?
If it were the Navy, the person involved was still a person like Su Dingfang, who was outstanding in military affairs but lacking in politics, and there might still be some room for improvement. But now Fang Xuanling is sitting in Huating Town, holding the power of the Municipal Shipping Department with one hand and the military power of the Navy with the other. We have already tidied up all the families in the south of the Yangtze River...
Jiangnan is no longer the Jiangnan of the Jiangnan gentry. (End of chapter)