More than a hundred naval warships went up the river, with sails lined with sails on the river. They traveled all night and arrived at Sanmenxia at dawn. They did not use trackers to cross the rolling waves of the gorge, but docked on the north bank of the Yellow River downstream of Sanmenxia. , thousands of soldiers abandoned their ships and landed, and the lightly-armed soldiers rushed northward, heading straight for the pass of Zhongtiao Mountain.
Su Dingfang had prepared for this march in advance, and the preparations were detailed, so the whole army moved like a rabbit, and the force was like thunder. Thousands of troops moved like arms and fingers, even faster than the Luoyang official who went to the Hedong Saltworks to report the news...
*****
The moonlight shines on the salt pond, which is like a vegetable patch, and the salt brine blown by the breeze ripples slightly, making the waves sparkle.
The salt ponds that have produced salt and supplied it to the world for hundreds of years have been peaceful and quiet. Even in the most turbulent times, they have not stopped, but today all production has been suspended, giving them a rare peace.
A fast horse galloped from east to west. The rapid sound of horse hooves shattered the silent night. Like rolling thunder, it arrived at the official residence where Fang Jun lived. The knight on the horse flew off his horse. Soldiers had already opened the door to welcome him into the courtyard. I saw Fang Jun sitting in the hall wearing armor and a big golden sword. Dozens of soldiers were scattered everywhere, either guarding him or standing guard in the courtyard. Their swords were unsheathed and their arrows were cocked. They were filled with murderous intent.
The knight took two steps forward and knelt down on one knee: "Commander, the vanguard has arrived thirty miles east of the salt pond and will arrive here in about an hour."
Fang Jun nodded and said warmly: "Thank you for your hard work. There is no need to go back to recover. Just rest here for a while. If anyone blind wants to come and take my life, then join me in the fight!"
This is the official residence of the salt farm. The account books of the salt farm's transactions over the past decades are all in the brick-walled house next to it. Some people jumped over the wall and came here to burn the account books out of necessity.
The knight flushed with excitement and said loudly: "I am willing to die for the commander!"
To this day, Fang Jun is the "Emperor" and "Commander-in-Chief" of the Navy. This invincible division created by him spans the seven seas and is invincible, making Fang Jun's prestige unparalleled. Every captain and soldier is full of Infinite admiration, to have the opportunity to fight side by side with Fang Jun is simply a blessing!
Fang Jun nodded, waved his hand and said: "Go down and have a rest."
"Here!"
Fang Jun wiped a horizontal sword with a white silk handkerchief. The blade was sharp and the back was broad. The blade was straight and curved to the tip. The lines were simple and the shape was clumsy. It was not similar to the Japanese swords of later generations, and it was more conducive to battle formations. Slash and kill from above.
It's a pity that I didn't bring enough firearms and ammunition when I came out this time. Otherwise, it would be more than enough to defend the yard before the reinforcements arrived, but now it must be a lot of trouble.
It had been a long time since he had charged into battle. At this moment, instead of being nervous or scared, his blood was surging and he was extremely excited.
He put down the knife, took a sip of tea, and asked around: "What time is it?"
"The Commander-in-Chief, Yin Shi is at the end."
"Be prepared. No matter what, you must guard the account books in the house before reinforcements arrive."
"Here!"
……
In February and March, although the ice and snow melt and the south wind is warm, the nights are still inevitably cool. However, the temperature at this time is the most suitable. The temperature is slightly cool, and it is most comfortable to sleep wrapped in a thin quilt.
But since the news came that the navy troops were stationed in Luoyang, Wang Fukiao had trouble sleeping these days, tossing and turning.
What is the purpose of the navy stationed in Luoyang?
Prevent Pei Huaijie from taking risks and causing turmoil after being tried and convicted?
Why did the imperial court instigate an interrogation against Pei Huaijie in Luoyang at the same time that Fang Jun triggered such an influential event as the strike and production shutdown in the Hedong Salt Works?
Is the imperial court really confident that it can control the turmoil caused by two huge events at the same time?
At a certain moment, he suddenly had the idea of whether the navy's sudden arrival was aimed at the Hedong Saltworks, but this idea was quickly discarded.
The saltworks are now on strike and production has been suspended. Even if the army comes, what's the point?
Let the soldiers and captains replace the salt collectors and civilian workers to dig canals to release brine, and shovel salt in the salt fields that look like vegetable patches? It's not that you can't do this, but no matter how hard-working the soldiers are, how can they compare to the skilled saltmen and civilians?
It is absolutely impossible to increase the output by increasing the number of workers. After hundreds of years of verification, the current production system of the salt farm is the most reasonable. Disrupting these procedures will not only not increase the output, but will also cause the production to increase. The order of the entire salt field was disordered, and the gains outweighed the losses.
Wang Fukiao felt that Fang Jun would not understand this truth, but he was still worried about the navy troops stationed in Luoyang City who were crossed by Meng Jin...
Wang Fukiao felt sleepy, turned over, put the quilt between his legs, and fell asleep.
The next moment, there was a faint vibration in his ears, which woke Wang Fijiao up.
He raised his head, looked around, and listened for a moment. He didn't notice anything unusual, but the vibration just now was very clear. He put his ears on the pillow again, and was startled. He jumped down and lay on the ground with his bare feet. Ears pressed firmly to the ground.
The vibrations became clearer and clearer...
Wang Fijiao looked a little confused. Was it the earth dragon turning over?
But the next moment he jumped up, rushed out the door, and shouted: "There are cavalry! There are cavalry! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
As soon as he ran out of the door, he saw a group of people running towards him. The leader, Sima Yu, was gasping for breath. He grabbed Wang Fukiao's hand and said in a panic: "The scouts on guard at the top of the mountain discovered at least a thousand cavalry rushing toward them. Come on, what’s going on?”
It is very difficult for the cavalry to attack at full strength at night. The horses cannot see the road clearly and are prone to trampling and spraining their feet. Therefore, more torches must be used for lighting, but at the same time, the enemy will also estimate the strength and speed of the cavalry based on the number of torches.
Wang Fukiao gritted his teeth and said: "It must be the navy stationed in Luoyang. Fang Er, this thief, wants to eradicate us!"
"Ah?!" Everyone's expressions changed drastically, and they were shocked and confused.
The two sides are now fighting over the ownership of the salt farm and profit sharing, but this is a struggle between imperial power and the clan. Both sides must exercise restraint and must not break through the bottom line, otherwise no one will be able to bear the backlash.
Even if Fang Jun was a stick, how could he dare to kill them all?
There were more than 3,000 people on the salt field, from officials and scribes to stewards and saltmen. How could he kill them?
Wang Fijiao stamped his feet and said quickly: "That guy is just a stick. He only wants the ownership of the salt farm and doesn't care whether the salt farm's output can be restored!"
Liu Changyun still couldn't believe it: "But the salt farm has been in the hands of our Hedong family for hundreds of years. Even if he wants to force it to accept it, there must be a reason, right?"
At all times, we must pay attention to a "clear and fair statement". Even if the true purpose is unsightly and unsightly, there must always be a high-sounding reason made public to cover up the nature of the evil and block the world. mouth.
Wang Fukiao was also stunned. The reason?
Immediately his expression changed drastically: "No! Everyone, bring your weapons and follow me to the accounting room!"
When he shouted, Sima Yu, Liu Changyun and others all reacted, drew their weapons one after another, chased after Wang Fijiao and rushed towards the accounting room. There were many alerted officials and saltmen along the way, and they took hundreds of people hostage along the way. , with great momentum.
Several people in charge realized Fang Jun's intention. Didn't they want a reason to take over the salt farm?
Very simple, corruption, false accounting, concealing output, false reporting of consumption...
As long as you hold the account books of the salt field in your hands, you can arrest and jail all the officials on the salt field.
There is no account book in the world that can withstand scrutiny. Moreover, the salt field has always been controlled by the Hedong family. The share presented to the court is just an estimate. No one from the court will come to check the accounts. Therefore, the salt field account book belongs to the Hedong family. accounts.
How could such an account book withstand scrutiny?
Check it out and find out...
Hundreds of people, holding torches and weapons, rushed to Fang Jun's official residence with great force.
The accounting room is on the side of the official house...
Seeing that the door was closed, Wang Fukiao waved his hand: "Open the door!"
At this time, don't pay attention to etiquette and quality. Either you die or I die, let's get started!
More than a dozen saltmen rushed forward, and with a bang, they quickly broke the latch and opened the door.
Sima Yu was extremely anxious and must not let Fang Jun use the account books as a weapon to attack the Hedong family. Not to mention the losses suffered by the Hedong family, none of the salt field officials caught in the middle would survive.
However, his arm was suddenly pulled by Wang Fukiao. Sima Yu turned around and asked with his eyes why he was holding him. Then he heard a burst of gunshots like exploding beans. He suddenly turned his head and saw that more than ten saltmen who had rushed into the door had already thrown themselves on the ground. On the ground, several of them were rolling around and howling in agony.
Sima Yu's face turned pale with fright. If Wang Fijiao hadn't stopped him, he would have been the first one to rush through the door...
With his heart beating wildly, Sima Yu said in a hoarse voice: "It's broken, this guy has been prepared for it!"
Wang Fijiao was not surprised: "Since we have planned this, how can we not know what the most important thing is?"
He raised his hands high and said loudly: "Now is the time when the family is in crisis. It is time for you to go through fire and water and go all out! Don't be afraid of firearms. There are only dozens of soldiers around Fang Jun. How many lead bullets can a musket have?" Those who died in battle were rewarded with a thousand taels, and their children were sent to various families to study. Those who were disabled were rewarded with a reward of 500 yuan, and the family provided for their retirement! Everyone rushed in and burned down the counting house! ”
A brave man must be rewarded with such a generous reward. When they heard that Wang Fukiao offered such generous terms, the saltmen and civilian husbands all became red-eyed. Their fear of firearms was dispelled by the greed in their hearts. They left a thousand taels for their wives and children with this low life. The gold, the opportunity to enter ethnic studies, and the opportunity to rise to a higher level are all worth it.
Make a lot of money!
The salt men and civilian husbands looked at each other, gritted their teeth, lowered their heads, and charged towards the gate. There were gunshots inside the door, and smoke rose into the sky. Those who rushed in from the front fell to the ground, but those behind were still brave and fearless. Hundreds of people rushed into the door like a tide.