"I have always been very curious. This western Shandong has been fertile soil since ancient times, not to mention the convenience of canals. It should be a wealthy place, and Jining and other places are indeed prosperous. But why do you immediately become a remote place when you leave the canal and walk a little in the canal?

And he also likes to rebel.

From Tang Sai'er back then to Xu Hongru today, this place in the Ming Dynasty has never been stable."

Yang Xin continued.

At this time, they were almost at Liangjialou. This place is southwest of Yuncheng, and it is actually only twenty or thirty miles away. As for what Yang Xin is called in modern times, I don’t know. There are dilapidated villages along the way, ragged and unfriendly people. Yang Xin felt like the Japanese devils walking on this land three hundred years later, and people were sneaking around on the roadside from time to time, and then quickly disappeared from their vision. If it weren’t for technical restrictions, Yang Xin had no doubt that he would step on a landmine when he walked forward.

But this area is really poor.

Otherwise, how could Xu Hongru be popular?

But this area is indeed fertile soil. Whether it is early in ancient times or modern times, western Shandong is a densely populated area. The famous princes of the Spring and Autumn Period, such as the Shandong, Song and Wei, were all in this area.

"A canal is rich, and a canal is poor!"

Qi Jin sighed.

Because of Yang Xin's compliment to Qi Jiguang, he still had a natural favor for Yang Xin. More importantly, he knew Yang Xin's identity and knew how favored this person was in Wanli. He had a natural advantage in information volume when he was a guerrilla in Zhending and Tong Zhongkui, who had been the commander in Sichuan before, had a natural advantage in information.

"Why do you say that?"

Yang Xin said in confusion.

"The prosperity of Jining all over the country is due to the convenience of the canal. Not to mention cities, even those towns are as prosperous as the towns. The canal is indeed a blessing from heaven to the line.

But outside the line, it is not a blessing but a misfortune.

The canal is a stable water sealed with gates and dams. The water depth must be ensured. However, the river water cannot form rapids due to the increase in water volume. Rapids are also likely to cause capsizing or even collapse the dike. So in summer, the river must open the gates to drain outwards, and in drought, it must make every effort to replenish water in the inland water. But what do people outside the canal need? What they need is actually the other way around. In summer, they need water to drain water into the canal. This is originally the largest flood discharge channel for the entire Shandong. When there is a drought and water shortage, they need the canal to supply water, which is also the largest irrigation water source in this area.

Actually, this is impossible.

During each drought, all the gates along the canal are closed, and no one is allowed to release water from these rivers. These water must flow into the canal to ensure that the canal passes through the Nanwang Water Ridge.

Every time the flood is severe, the canal also releases water outward and intensifies the flood.

There is still endless amount of this?”

Qi Jin said.

"Well?"

Yang Xin really didn't think that there was such a danger when he crossed the canal.

The predecessor of this canal was the Si River. No matter how it changed later, it could not change this fact. The Shandong section of the canal was built on the Si River as the basis. The Si River is the entire water system in western Shandong and is also the core of the irrigation system. The entire range is relied on it to replenish water from drought, causing floods to discharge floods. However, in order to maintain the shipping of the canal, all this is now the opposite.

"Why not change the shipping?"

He asked.

"Marine transportation is indeed possible, but do you know how many people make money by relying on the canal?"

Qi Jin said with a smile.

“And it’s not just that.”

The canal connects north and south, and the food in the south is continuously transported north. Have you ever thought about what is transported to the north and south? Could it be that those ships are all returning empty?"

He continued.

"cotton?"

Yang Xin said with inspiration.

"Yes, cotton, the entire western Shandong area is planted. The gentry and landlords did not allow the tenants to plant anything else. They were all cotton. Then they transported the cotton to Jiangsu and Zhejiang through the canal, and the looms from Jiangsu and Zhejiang were weaved into cloth and sold overseas.

But cotton cannot be eaten. Farmers who have grown cotton can only buy grain to eat, which depends on the conscience of the grain merchants.

In fact, it was not just this area. It was like this everywhere in the Ming Dynasty. Farmland turned into cotton fields everywhere. Not to mention here, even Jiangsu and Zhejiang had to buy grain from Jiangxi, Huguang, and even from Sichuan. It was because countless farmlands that originally planted rice in Jiangsu and Zhejiang had been converted into cotton and mulberry. I don’t know if there was a famine in the future, could this cotton cloth be eaten or raw silk be eaten."

Qi Jin said like an old man who caught his juniors.

The sheep that laid the foundation for the industrial revolution ate people. In the Ming Dynasty, they became cotton ate people and silkworms ate people. As expected, both East and West were the same. Before entering the new era from the farming era, everyone walked in the same posture, except that one kept walking, and the other was broken by the invasion of foreign races. When the bright and beautiful military uniform that walked down came over with a bayonet rifle, the broken leg was still lying in the mud and rotting, and they all forgot that they had moved forward with him.

This has to be said to be a kind of sadness.

Hundreds of cavalry in front suddenly appeared in the wilderness.

"General!"

A personal soldier reminded them.

Another fifty personal soldiers quickly took out their bows and arrows.

"There are their large teams behind!"

Qi Jin said as he looked at the dust in the sky in the distance.

"What are their methods of siege?"

He asked immediately.

"Basically, they can't capture any city guarded by anyone unless they are unexpected."

Yang Xin said very simply.

"Go back and report to General Tong immediately, saying that the thieves are going to cross the canal east, so we can't sit still and see them leave and prepare to face the enemy!"

Qi Jin pulled out his knife and shouted.

The personal soldier immediately turned around and returned to Juye.

The remaining servants began to urge the war horses, and Yang Xin also picked up his whistle stick.

Qi Jin looked at this funny weapon with a little confused.

"This thing is actually very useful!"

Yang Xin said.

Qi Jin just smiled.

Immediately afterwards, fifty-two cavalry rushed forward, and the opposite cavalry turned around and left. Yang Xin and Qi Jin chased directly. Soon a village appeared in front of them. The cavalry quickly rushed into the village. Qi Jin gave a wink at the servants next to him. The latter immediately took off the spare torch from the saddle and lit it quickly. The other cavalry also lit the torch they carried. The fifty cavalry quickly separated and rushed straight to several thatched houses on the edge of the village. They threw the torch to the roof without hesitation. Soon under the urging of the wind, the fire began to spread in this village. As the fire spread, a large number of fragrant-smelling scholars hiding in the village ran out in panic. Some people were panicked and even ran outside the village facing Yang Qing and the others.

"kill!"

Qi Jin shouted.

Fifty servants quickly raised their bows and arrows and shot at the believers on the Mercedes-Benz battle horses.

Just as the cavalry who lured their troops back in front of him, Yang Xin rushed straight towards him with a whistle stick. Qi Jin followed with a speechless knife. The servants also turned to fight, and the two cavalrymen encountered quickly.

Yang Xin, who felt riding a horse hindered his performance, stood up directly on the back of the horse and jumped up when he met an enemy. The latter's spear suddenly pierced the air, and the whistle stick falling from the air hit his head. The cavalry's head disappeared suddenly, and then fell down with people and horses. Yang Xin, who had landed on the ground, turned around and swept across, and a passing cavalry head flew forward directly. Qi Jin, who was originally preparing to fight, watched the thing fly over his head in shock, and then lowered his head with a shocked face. He looked at Yang Xin who was leaping up again, and used the whistle stick to directly knock the oncoming cavalry to fly backwards...

"Ma, is this serious injury not healed?"

The old man cursed behind him with a heart-wrenching expression on his face.

But he didn't care about this problem immediately, because thousands of cavalry appeared in the distance, and behind the cavalry, countless infantry were also arrayed in front of them.

"Brother Yang, retreat!"

He shouted without hesitation.

Yang Xin quickly turned around and jumped onto his war horse in a few steps.

The other servants quickly gathered together, and none of the fifty cavalry were killed, but dozens of fragrant-smelling scholars were killed by them.

The rest have been defeated.

But the cavalrymen on the other side did not attack. After receiving the believers back here, they formed a formation on the opposite side and walked eastward with a constant stream of incense-smelling cultivators behind them.

"At least fifty thousand!"

Qi Jin took a deep breath and said.

"After twenty years of preaching, more than 50,000 believers who were willing to fight for him in the two prefectures alone gathered. By the way, have all the officials in this area eaten shit?"

Yang Xin said.

"What they eat is real money!"

Qi Jin sneered.

Yang Xin suddenly urged the horse to move forward. The servants looked at Qi Jin. Qi Jin shook his head and watched Yang Xin rushed forward to cover the wilderness. However, Yang Xin soon stopped twenty feet away. All the cavalrymen opposite him raised their bows and arrows to aim.

"Xu Hongru, come out and fight my grandfather alone!"

Yang Xin howled hatred.

The cavalry on the opposite side quickly separated, and then a man in his fifties appeared. He was wearing a yellow robe and a yellow umbrella on his head. The strong man next to him held a flag with a high sign, writing five big words "Zhongxing Fulie Emperor" and a flag next to him said "Dacheng Xingsheng"...

"I've given myself a posthumous title before I die!"

Yang Xin said in surprise.

It is obvious that Xu Hongru has already proclaimed himself emperor.

"Well, that demon monkey, Your Majesty wants to be lucky in Yanzhou, so I will spare you death today!"

A general beside Xu Hongru shouted.

Yang Xin immediately made a move and wanted to rush forward. The cavalry quickly closed and countless bows and arrows pointed at him.

Yang Xin immediately turned around and returned...

"Mr. Qi has given it to you here!"

He said to Qi Jin.

"Where are you going?"

Qi Jin said in surprise.

"The bandit army crossed the canal east and would inevitably harass Qufu. Yang received the kindness of Yansheng Gong, so he could not make the tragedy of Meng's mansion repeat. Please tell General Tong that Yang went to Qufu to protect Yansheng Gong. In addition, there were some wealth in Juye, even if Yang gave it to Duke Qi!"

Yang Xin said righteously.
Chapter completed!