Chapter 472 Rest and recuperate (replenishment)

Time finally entered October of 184 BC (the pre-Qin calendar was the first month of the year). The disputes between countries gradually subsided, the Zhao army also retreated to Handan, and Nanyang finally entered the cold winter. As the weather turned cold, the epidemic was finally completely controlled, and the sick soldiers were cured one after another.--.net.

The isolated military camps, counties, townships and pavilions were also lifted.

The ghost of the plague finally subsided, and Xiang Zhuang finally could breathe a sigh of relief.

With the lifting of the blockade, the soldiers stationed in Nanyang County were finally able to scatter to the counties. As the soldiers of the county left one after another, the Nanyang camp quickly became silent.

Xiang Zhuang decided to follow the Xiao Cavalry Army and the last group of Tianlang Army left Nanyang. Compared with the county government soldiers with heavy casualties, the Xiao Cavalry Army and the Tianlang Army did not suffer much casualties. This probably has something to do with the elite of the imperial guards and their bodies being particularly strong. In fact, most of the soldiers who died of the plague were wounded in the Battle of Mianshui.

This is also reasonable. Injury soldiers are weak and are always easily infected.

Looking at the devastated Nanyang Basin, Xiang Zhuang sighed: "This time, we are seriously injured."

The two consecutive battles of Sishui and Mianshui plus another plague did hurt Chu's vitality. The losses of the strong men alone exceeded 200,000, and the payment of pensions would be astronomical. Moreover, nearly 700,000 strong men were transferred to the war, resulting in a large lack of strong labor in various counties and seriously affected agriculture. Grain production cuts this year have become a foregone conclusion.

The grain production cuts there is a foregone conclusion, but there are still more than 500,000 refugees hungry here. Most of the autumn grain collected by each county is not enough to support Nanjun. In the end, more than 500,000 refugees in Nanyang counties have to rely on red-topped merchants to purchase grain from the people to relieve difficulties. In this way, it will inevitably cause a soaring price of grain in Chu.

The soaring grain prices will definitely lead to the rise in prices of cotton, porcelain, liquor, etc. It can be foreseen that the entire Chu land will usher in a new round of soaring prices, and its severity will be far greater than the impact of Xiangzhuang's large-scale rewards last time. In this way, the handicraft industry in Chu land will usher in a terrible cold winter.--net.

Of course, Xiangzhuang can also stand by death and let more than 500,000 refugees from Nanjun and Nanyang counties starve to death. In this way, the prices of the entire Chu area can be stabilized and the handicraft industry will not be affected too much. From a large perspective, such a choice is actually completely acceptable and understandable.

However, as a time traveler, Xiang Zhuang obviously would not do this.

Xiang Zhuang turned around and looked at Wu She and said, "Bazhi, I have to ask you to go to Nanyue again. At least you have to buy 500,000 stones of rice from Zhao Tuo. Otherwise, this winter will be difficult this year." The Chu State was short of food, so Xiang Zhuang could only turn his mind to Zhao Tuo, the king of Nanyue. Nanyue rice was ripe several times a year, and the most undeficient one was rice.

Wu She bowed and replied: "Don't worry, the king, I will do my best to lobby the King of Nanyue."

Xiang Zhuang nodded and asked Xiang again, "Ziyi, have the officials sent to Nanyang, Yingchuan, Chen, Dang, Sishui and Donghai counties all pulled out?"

The six counties of Nanyang, Yingchuan, Chen, Dang, Sishui and Donghai have been officially incorporated into the rule of Chu. Now, the Chu State has already owned 17 counties, and the pre-Qin Dynasty was divided into 36 counties. The Chu State has nearly half of them. However, for at least three years, Nanyang, Yingchuan, Chen, Dang, Sishui, Donghai and other counties can only be the burden of Chu State.

Especially the Yingchuan Qun, Chen County, Dang County, which was originally from Liang State, and Nanyang County, which was destroyed by the plague this time, are really devastated and are in destruction. Unless Xiang Zhuang forcibly issue an edict to recruit the people of each county to fill these counties, let alone three years, I am afraid that the prosperity of the past may not be restored in ten years.

But these are all later stories, so let’s get through this winter first.

Xiang said hurriedly: "Report to the king, the six county magistrates sent to the six counties, and the eighty-six county magistrates have been briefly eliminated and will take office soon." After saying this, Xiang said again, "But the king, I heard that thieves were rising under the six counties, and the public security was not good, so I still had to retain a considerable number of troops to maintain public security."

Xiang Zhuang's heart moved slightly, and suddenly thought of 40,000 Liang army prisoners of war.

I was about to leave Nanyang, but I hadn't figured out how to resettle these 40,000 Liang army prisoners of war.

These 40,000 Liang army prisoners were originally from Liang people. Although they were bloodthirsty veterans before they were captured, their ferociousness had been much restrained after years of prisoner training. Why not take this opportunity to put them back to Liang and then train them to become soldiers from various counties in Liang?

If this matter is done well, it will not only solve the garrison problems of the counties in Liang, but also add an elite army to the Great Chu. No matter what, these 40,000 prisoners of war were once veterans who had experienced many battles. However, if you want to suppress these veterans, you have to send them a general. This matter must be Gao Chu.

Xiang Zhuang ordered Xiang Tuo, "Zi Yan, immediately condemn the flying cavalry to Wuguan and let Gao Chu come to Wancheng."

"Here!" Xiang Tuo agreed and went down to make arrangements. As soon as Xiang Tuo left, Qu Bucai hurried to Xiangzhuang again, bowed and said, "King, this is a letter from Feige who had just transferred from Jiangling, sent from Xianyang."

After reading the secret letter, Xiang Zhuang sighed and turned around and said to Bailixian: "Ziliang, the plan to take advantage of the situation failed."

This secret letter was sent from Xianyang, saying that Bai Mo used the power of champion Hou Zhou Guanfu to remove Lu Tai's military power and killed the Jiuyuan County Governor Lu Wan with a thunderous force. Now the power of the entire Han Dynasty has completely fallen into Bai Mo. Chen Ping's hands, the Chu monarch and ministers' attempt to provoke civil unrest in the Han Dynasty was vain.

In addition, the secret letter also mentioned that Chen Ping had rebuilt the pre-Qin intelligence agency Black Ice Platform and launched a cleaning of the intelligence agencies of various countries in Kanto. Although Eumu Cliff did not suffer much damage, the remaining intelligence personnel lurking in Xianyang City were almost uprooted by the Black Ice Platform.

"What a pity." Bailixian sighed after circulating the secret letter, "It's a pity that such a good opportunity."

After a pause, Bailixian said again: "However, this is reasonable. If Bai Mo can't even deal with this crisis, what qualifications does he have to be the minister of the orphanage?"

Xiang Zhuang was silent. Bai Mo was so difficult to deal with, and I was afraid he would have to spend some more time in the future.

Qu Bucai said in a deep voice: "King, the activities of Ebony Cliff in Guanzhong in the future will also be affected."

Xiang Zhuang frowned and said nothing. After a while, he suddenly asked: "How are the intelligence personnel sent to the Huns training?"

Since learning that the Huns had plundered the population in Yan, Zhao and Han, Xiang Zhuang has been vigilant against the Huns. Now the State of Chu has just experienced two major battles, and its military and material resources are consumed seriously. It is bound to rest for a while. During this period, the State of Chu is probably unable to use large-scale foreign troops.

But even so, Xiang Zhuang hopes to understand the background of the Huns as much as possible!

Obviously, with the deaths of Liu Bang and Han Xin, the Huns had replaced Qi, and the Han became the number one enemy of Chu, and the Huns were also aliens. For Xiang Zhuang, a nationalist who traveled through time from later generations, losing to Qi and Han is nothing, but if he lost to the Huns, he would become a sinner of history, which is absolutely impossible!

Qu Bucai replied: "There are several ebony dead soldiers who sneaked into the desert as captured slaves. However, it is not a matter of one day or one night to send a liaison agency to the desert."

This is indeed a difficult problem. At this stage, there is almost no trade activity between the Huns and the Central Plains. The Huns basically rob everything they lack, rob food if they lack food, rob salt if they lack salt, rob iron if they lack iron, and rob porcelain if they lack porcelain. In this case, no matter what identity you pretend to be, you don’t want to break into the Huns.

Xiang Zhuang ignored these things and said arrogantly: "Whatever you think is your business, I just want the result."

As a time traveler, Xiang Zhuang was always wary of the Huns, and knew the serious consequences of a large number of Central Plains craftsmen being captured and put into the desert. Once these Central Plains slaves brought advanced farming technology and iron smelting technology to the Huns, the equipment level of the Huns' cavalry will be completely improved, and the tragedy in history will likely be repeated!

Qu Bucai felt bitter, but he could only grit his teeth and replied: "King, I want to go to Liaodong. Through the Beihe tribe, I may be able to think of a way to invade the Huns."

"Yes." Xiang Zhuang said decisively, "You can find all this to buy it."

Qi Mai is Zhao She, the younger brother of the Northern Diao King Zhao She, who lost his tail. Eighteen years ago, was captured by Xiangzhuang outside Linzi City. After Xiang Zhuang returned to Jiangdong to succeed the King of Chu, Qi Mai became a red-topped merchant of Chu, specializing in selling horses and slaves between Liaodong and Jiangdong. Of course, his business was mostly done by sea.

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This time, he went south to hunt Caogu, and the Huns returned with a full load!

While Yan, Zhao, Han, Qi and Han countries were attacking each other, the Huns took advantage of the situation and captured hundreds of cities in one fell swoop. In addition to more than 300,000 women and children, the Huns also grabbed a large amount of property. The grain alone contained thousands of large trucks. In addition to the grain, there were also a large amount of iron, cloth and porcelain.

One day in early October, the mighty Xiongnu horse team finally returned to the King's Court of Mobei.

In the next half month, the entire Monarch Court fell into unprecedented joy. Maodun rewarded more than 300,000 women and children, a large number of iron, cloth and porcelain according to the size of the tribes. However, more than 30,000 craftsmen captured from the Central Plains intercepted Maodun.

One day in late October, Maodun appeared at the foot of Yanran Mountain, more than 3,000 miles away from Jiuyuan under the protection of the three thousand Huns' cavalry. The military advisor Gongshu said that he had more than a dozen old blacksmiths. These dozen old blacksmiths did not want to serve the Huns, but the Huns threatened their wives and children, and they had no choice but to surrender.

After more than ten days of searching, more than a dozen old blacksmiths discovered large areas of iron ore veins on the eastern foot of Yanran Mountain.

After the severe winter, Maodun recruited 50,000 slaves and 20,000 blacksmiths to Yanran Mountain to mine and smelter. For a moment, a boiling furnace was formed at the foot of Yanran Mountain. The iron was smelted, swords were made, and fine bows were also made...
Chapter completed!