Spring and Autumn I Am King

ps: there is another chapter in the afternoon

Going down the river, the light boat was fast, and when Linghu Bo woke up, Taihang Wangwu could no longer see the shadow, and then fell asleep for a long time, Mengjin had passed, Jijin was in sight.

In the past, Linghu Bo couldn't adapt to the rickety boat. When passing by Meng Jin, he lay on the mast rail and vomited into the gust of wind. He almost fell into the river. He finally managed to grab a rope and three boatmen rescued him safely. cabin. But now, his complexion is much better. Although he has lost a small circle of weight compared to when he set off from Anyi, he has almost recovered his original look.

The weather was fine today, the boat floated on the water like a dragonfly, the paddles rose and fell neatly, and the boatmen sang the songs that have been circulated on the river for hundreds of years.

"Who called Heguang? Zeng did not tolerate swords. Who called Song Yuan? Zeng did not respect the dynasty."

If Zhao Wuxi was on the side, he would definitely say that this poem has the imagination of later generations with apes on both sides of the strait, and the light boat has passed thousands of mountains.

This is of course an exaggeration, but when the river became wider and wider, Linghu Bo was told: Jijin is coming.

Jijin is located in the east of Zhouxian County and the south of Muye. This place was originally controlled by the Fan clan, but now as compensation for not punishing the Fan clan until the war is completely extinguished, this ferry was granted to Zhao Yang, who made great contributions, by the Marquis of Jin.

Under the pressure of the Marquis of Jin and Zhao, Fan had to make concessions, but Fan Jishe is said to have regarded this as a great shame. Because this is the place where the son of the Fan family drowned more than two years ago. Every year in the winter months, the family of Fan will worship the deceased son here, but now it has been taken away by the enemy Zhao...

"Jinjin has arrived"

Just after noon, a small town appeared in front of me. When Jijin went ashore to replenish water and food, Linghu Bo went up and walked around.

After changing the owner, everything began to be rebuilt. Zhao Yang seemed to intend to make this place a barrier to choke the throat of the river. A large number of soldiers and artisans came here to build the city. But because it has just started, it is as small as Linghu Bo's manor outside Anyi, with simple rammed earth walls surrounded by tall beacon towers. Further out, it seems that a stone wall is planned to be built.

On the two sides of the strait, fishing boats are drying the caught fish, and common people are rowing monoboats trying to sell salted dried fish to passing merchant ships. There was a faint salty smell in the air.

Smelling this smell, Linghu Bo began to think about Zhao Wuxi's strategy for buying salt again. This time, Xilu was no longer lacking in salt, but it killed Wu Dao. Jishui and Pushui are the three lifelines for Qi people to rely on for trade. I am afraid that Qi will lose?

But he also heard that the state of Qi opened a direct flight from Zhengwei to Gaotang a few days ago, and merchants sailed in an endless stream, so it seems that the outcome is unknown.

Thinking that he could go to Xilu to witness this battle without swords, armor and soldiers, but with only salt and porcelain chariots and boats, Linghu Bo suddenly cheered up.

When we returned to the pier, more than ten piers were moored with newly arrived ships. There were more than ten ships in total, and Wei's salt-carrying cargo ship was ordered to move to the side.

"Who is it, who can actually make Wei's merchant ship abdicate?"

Linghu Bo was a little annoyed, but when he looked at it, he was stunned.

Among the new arrivals, the first few were just common boats, but the next one was unusual: the largest one was nine feet long, slender, painted brown, and its bow and stern raised. There is a deck above. In the cabin below the deck, there are oar positions for oarsmen to paddle. The crowd of rope hooks. See the amphibious attack map

What is especially striking is that there is a black flag hanging on the bow of the ship, a white skull is embroidered in the center, and two skeletons are crossed under it, which is quite strange...

Linghu Bo was awe-inspiring, and the surrounding merchants were also talking quietly: "This is not a passenger and cargo. It is a warship."

According to the specifications, the captain is nine feet six feet long, belonging to the "middle wing" level, and can accommodate sixty people. The middle wing is divided into upper and lower layers: the lower layer accommodates the rowers who hit the boat; the upper layer is for the soldiers who fight in the ship. It is slender and long, with many oarsmen, relying on the power of the oars to move forward, and the speed is very fast.

This "middle wing" class warship is the core of the fleet, and there are several single-layer light boats and flat boats that seem to be converted from fishing boats. They also do not carry cargo, and there are people holding bows and arrows.

Armed fleets are very common in the south of Chu and Wu, where lakes and lakes are spread, and even near Dayezawa. But on the big river, except for the occasional arrival of Qi boat, it is rarely seen... Because for Qin and Jin and other major northern countries, water warfare is a very new thing.

What's more, the man on the middle wing looked at the merchant ship with the eyes of a fierce tiger watching a sheep, and it looked like he would pounce on it at any time and bite it.

They were not like merchants, more unusual soldiers, but like robbers who robbed their homes... I really don't know why Zhao Bing, who had been conducting an extremely strict inspection, let them ashore and occupied the best berthing position.

Linghu Bo swallowed his saliva, and was about to ask the businessmen who were silent next to them about the identity of these people, but saw a very tall, handsome, sturdy-looking warrior coming out of the middle wing of the ship. He didn't seem to be accustomed to the dress of military officials, so he straightened his clothes and looked at the big river, which was shimmering with pale green light in the sun, and then he said:

"Who calls Heguang? The dragon of Onoze, a reed hangs on the river, and is still the overlord in the water."

...

At the end of March, the rain fell sparsely again. Because of Zhao Wuxi's impoverished relief, Qi State blocked the noon road again, and the river channel that had to be opened had been passed for a whole month.

They managed to break through the blockade

Because Qi State is close to the sea and has developed shipping, there are many ships along the Shaohai and Bohai Seas. After entering the big river, under the leadership of the old boatmen, they quickly became familiar with the hydrological conditions. The river is wide and has no reefs, so the navigation was smooth at first.

Ships from Zhenguoweiguo go downstream to Yiyi, and then go ashore in Gaotang, and then they can reach Linzi along the Tu Road. For a time, there was an endless stream of merchants on this newly opened waterway, and the number of people who took the plunge and walked to Jishui, Pushui and Wudao decreased a lot.

Of course, the Chen family has also earned a lot of tax revenue from this new channel, and at the same time it has also increased Qi Hou's reliance on them. He was not only rewarded by the Marquis of Qi, but also touted by the ministers of Qi as a young leader who could be compared with Zhao Qing, the son of Zhao Qing of Jin and the junior minister of Lu, Zhao Wuxi.

"The salt road in the Lu country has been exhausted. Not only has the price of salt skyrocketed in the city of Lu, but there has also been a salt shortage in some places. The salt in Zhao Wuxie's treasury must be exhausted. I don't think he can last long. "

"Qi Shang has already put pressure on Cao Cao in Taoqiu. Paying bribes to Dasi City, presumably soon, Cao State will abandon the dark and surrender, and cut off the relationship with the Zhao family. The relationship with Jin State will be surrendered to Qi State. As long as this is the case, Haiyan will be able to resign. It has been shipped to Taoqiu for farming, of course, the price will have to increase a lot."

Qi's officials and officials thought very well about the future. Think you will win. After all, since the Guanzi era, except for the few years when the Jin people were too strong, there were few times when the Yance stick of the Qi people didn't work. After hitting a target, Xiaobang had to obey in the end.

However, by the end of March, one bad news after another came from outside.

At the end of February, Duanmuci, a merchant of Zhao Wuxi, announced that in the future, the special porcelain of Zhao's family can only be exchanged for salt, and the rest of the grain, money, silk, and even gold and jade will not be accepted.

This statement came out. All the nobles in the Central Plains who yearned for fine porcelain were trembling, and the salt-free scholars and officials scolded, but the salt-producing princes and officials in the territory were ecstatic. You don't need Xilu to send a caravan, and you organize people to transport salt into Caolu. After all, Duanmu merchants have already said that salt ships and salt trucks are exempt from tax.

If it is said that the salt brought by the salt merchants who go to Xilu is only a small number, it is only a drop in the bucket. The hundreds of bell salts from Wei Clan of Jin State and Huaihai State of Wu State can be regarded as solving Xilu's urgent needs. The two parties have a close relationship with Zhao Clan, and if there is profit, they can earn. It is understandable to help it. Although the quality and quantity are much worse than the sea salt of Qi State, it is enough to beat the soil salt and stabilize the salt price of Taoqiu and Xilu.

The only thing that comforted the people of Qi was. Although Zhao Wuxi also asked Juguo for salt, Juzi rejected him

The reason is because Ju Junkuang was supported by the people of Qi to reset.

Fourteen years ago, Duke Zhao of Lu was in the autumn and August of 528, when Duke Qiu died. So the sensitive Ju people were not happy. Ju Zikuang was expelled under the instigation of ambitious people in the clan, and he fled to the state of Qi, where he was sheltered by the Marquis of Qi.

Twenty-three years ago, in 519 years before Duke Zhao of Lu, Ju Zigeng, who had newly ascended the throne, was tyrannical. He liked to forge swords, and every time he made a sword, he would use someone he liked to test the sharpness of the sword, killing dozens of people in one month. The people of the country felt that it was better to be the old monarch who was virtuous but did not commit murder, so the state of Qi took the opportunity to support Ju Zikuang's return to the country and resettled.

Therefore, although there is the influence of Wu State's northward advance, the current Ju State is generally close to Qi. At the same time, because Gengyu is in Lu, and for historical reasons, Ju State is also an enemy of Lu...

So Ju Zi, who was grateful to the Marquis of Qi, refused Zhao Wuxi's request and refused to sell the sea salt from Langya and other places to Xilu.

The Marquis of Qi was originally very angry because Zhao Wuxi solved the salt shortage problem easily, but after hearing Ju Guo's loyalty, he couldn't help but feel relieved. He had failed to support Duke Zhao of Lu before, but he had succeeded in supporting Marquis Wei and Ju Zikuang. Both countries are now loyal allies of Qi, and they have not changed camps because of the defeat of Xueyuan.

After all, there are many events in the Jin kingdom~www.wuxiahere.com~ can defeat the battlefield, but cannot capture the fruits of victory in time. Instead, the Qi people gain a firm foothold in Yiyi and gain a strategic advantage.

The current big river transportation is the proof

However, Qi Hou couldn't be happy for too long. First, the people of Qi gradually discovered that Ju Zikuang's refusal of Zhao Wuxi's righteous words was of no practical use.

The doctors of Juguo are very arrogant. In the past, there were not a few people who brought their fiefs to Lu. Now they are jealous of Zhao's porcelain, watching other salt merchants exchange salt for porcelain, but they lost this opportunity because of the monarch's words. , so very angry. Driven by their interests, they also quietly sent people to trade with Xilu. The salt shipped in March should be at least one or two hundred bells, but Ju Zikuang couldn't stop him from turning a blind eye and was only satisfied with the people in Qi. With a posture in front of him, the number of Zhen porcelain in the palace is increasing day by day...

There is more than one bad news. As March draws to a close, even the shipping of the Great River has an accident.

Qi Shang, who was lucky enough to escape, described it in front of Chen's family as follows: "My generation rides on a black boat with a middle wing and hangs a skull and skeleton flag, and crosses the river from Jijin below. Those who have the same boat but have passed, will all be looted by merchants. , called the River Pirates" to be continued.

...