Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 204 Preparations for the Northern Tour
After returning to Xiazhou, Shao Dashuai basically fell into a half-vacation state.

First, he had a lot of adultery with his wives and concubines.I didn't know the taste of meat for eight months, so I put Zhe Fangai into bed the first day I got home, and I didn't get up until noon the next day.Then there were various themed activities, and Shao Dashuai enjoyed the pleasure of being surrounded by beauties and getting whatever he wanted.

The next step is to socialize.Hunt with Ya Jiang, Liao Zuo, and Fan Bu to deepen their influence.

The reorganization of the shogunate is also proceeding in an orderly manner. There are quite a few people who came to vote, and they were assigned to various positions after a short inspection.Looking at the trade data of Xiazhou South City and Suizhou East City again, and listening to the Feng sisters report the prices of the past half a year, I almost know it-everything is under control!

After all this work, it is already mid-June, and it is time to prepare for the big event of the northern tour of Yinshan Mountain.

In Shao Shude's mind, the northern tour of Yinshan Mountain is the preparatory work for the Western Expedition.Only when the Fan and Han soldiers and civilians in the Tiande Army and Zhenwu Army were stabilized, would he have the mind to mobilize the main force of the Nannan Army to move westward.

On the northern tour, if you want to subdue others, you must have an accompanying army, no matter what, you need more than [-] people.Therefore, the first thing he did was to find Song Ju, the judge of the General Department, Chen Yishen, the judge of the Collection Department, and Zhao Zhi, the judge of the Zhidu Department.

"Judge Chen, the military envoy Li Yanling's writing collection department, please transfer [-] hu of military rations, how is it going?" Shao Shude asked sitting on the big chair covered with tiger skin.

This is his bad taste, but also his spoils of war—well, the spoils of war with the assistance of dozens of soldiers and the Hengshan Party.

"Last year, the two prefectures of Lingyan were exempted from taxation, and a total of 112 dendrobiums and 9676 buckets of grain and beans were harvested, 8 dendrobiums were removed, and the expenses in the state..."

"Don't listen to numbers. Wang Chongrong's 30 dendrobium grains have arrived, which should solve the urgent need." Shao Shude stopped Chen Yishen's words with a wave of his hand, and said, "If it's not enough, use cattle and sheep to make up part of it. If it's really not enough, add some more milk , Preserved (dried meat). I just ask, can it be done?"

"Go back to Commander, yes." Chen Yishen was excited, and immediately expressed his opinion.

"A batch of reward money is also prepared, and it will be distributed in advance as a reward for the Double Ninth Festival." Shao Shude turned his attention to Zhao Zhi.

Last year, the land tax of the four prefectures in Xia Sui Yinyou collected a total of 225600 pieces of silk and 44063 pieces of money. There were also more than 8600 pieces of taxes, more than 197200 pieces of salt profit, and 24 pieces of silk for horses.

Considering that from the second half of last year to the first half of this year, a large number of soldiers were supported by goods from Guanzhong. Not only did the town collect a little less tax, which reduced the burden on the people, but there should also be a lot of money and goods left over.In addition, the goods supplied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have not been reduced. Hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have contributed more than 70 cattle, sheep, horses and camels. The ratio of small livestock to large livestock is roughly 1:4. These add up to a considerable amount.

"Marshal, do it as soon as possible." Zhao Zhi replied without any nonsense.

"Judge Chen cooperates with the handling." Shao Shude ordered.

The money and silk from the tax revenue went directly to the treasuries of the prefectures, counties and collections departments, while the livestock were still fostered in the pastures of the Department of Stables and Animal Husbandry.Chen and Zhao will have to go to other departments to handle it later. They are veterans, so they naturally know how to deliver clear accounts.

The Dingnan army has not yet gotten rid of the vicious circle of using cattle, sheep, leather and other real objects to offset rewards.It is hoped that this situation can be alleviated after the capture of Lanzhou and mining and making money.

"If you understand clearly, handle it as soon as possible, don't delay." Shao Shude waved his hand.

Chen and Zhao bowed and retreated.

The commander-in-chief's style of administration is swift and decisive, but the bureaucrats are always willing to delay.Over time, everyone also understands which things can be delayed for a while and which things cannot be delayed.Now this matter obviously cannot be delayed!

"Judge Song, the key point is to serve as a secretary. You must not relax for a day in the manufacture of ordnance. Tell me the truth, how many pairs of vests will there be by the end of the year."

Song Ju was originally an important member of the shogunate army and was born in the Song family of Xihe.Last year when he was in Lingzhou, he was sent to Zhe Siyu of the Iron Cavalry Army, serving as a staff officer and serving as the de facto supervisor of the army.

After he came back, he caught up with the good time, and was promoted to be the inspector of the village on the eve of the influx of talents from other places.After the establishment of the Jiangzuo Division, relying on Song Le's old relationship and his hard work, he became the General Zuosi judge and became one of the powerful figures in the Seven States.

"Marshal, last year the Xiazhou Metropolitan Institute trial-produced the vest. After it was finished, it was sent to the army. General Lu was full of praise. The Wuwei Army chose fine cavalry to try it out. Both men and horses were armored, and their power was astonishing. So they made this model. I will get thirteen copies before the end of the twelfth lunar month." Song Ju was a little flustered, but still calmed down, and replied: "I got the commander's warrant in the first month, and the Xiazhou Court rushed to make ten copies in a few months, including sending them to Wuwei. There are a total of 24 pairs of vests that the army used as samples. At the end of April, the Commander-in-Chief ordered the Xiazhou Institute, Suizhou Institute, and Lingzhou Institute to make all-out efforts to produce vests, and it will not be a problem to produce [-] vests by the end of the year."

"Does this stop everything else?"

"Yes."

"Inappropriate. Swords, guns, swords and halberds can be partly made by private blacksmiths in Xia and Sui prefectures, but they cannot be entrusted to outsiders. Well, from now on, ropes, quilt bags, chisels, horse spoons, and hammers You don’t want to make small things like this, but buy them all from outside, and ask Zhidu Division to transfer the money you need. For swords, guns, swords, halberds, axes, sickles, sticks, bows, armor, etc., you can entrust some of them to go out, but you still need to produce some yourself.” Shao Shude Said: "The matter of the vest is a matter of a certain. This thing is difficult to make, and it is enough to complete sixty or seventy pairs before the end of the year. Counting the 24 pairs that have already been completed, it is also okay."

"As ordered."

Shao Shude also had some headaches.His ambition is getting bigger and bigger, the battles are getting more and more frequent, and his appetite for ordnance will also grow.The foundation of the Dingnan Army is too weak, so weak that he has to resort to ruthless moves.

Shao actually cherishes feathers very much, but when he arrived in Chang'an last year, he still disregarded other people's opinions and forcibly moved out the craftsmen to serve as the team of Lingzhou Metropolitan Academy.It is conceivable how many people in Beijing are scolding themselves.How is this behavior different from Huang Chao?But Commander Shao did just that, which shows that craftsmen are indeed crucial to the Dingnan Army, and its power is no less than ten thousand elite soldiers, or even more.

At this time, I have to mention Hedong Li Keyong again.Inheriting the incredibly rich and unbelievably rich military production system of Jinyang, the northern capital, only one western capital academy in Jinyang County can produce [-] pairs of vests a year.This kind of military production capacity is also an important reason why I dare not fight Hedong.

In case of a stalemate, if it takes ten or eight years, will it be difficult for the army's equipment production to keep up with consumption?

After sending away Chen, Zhao and Song, Shao Shude found Li Hang again.

"Suishi Li, do you dare to go to the Zhenwu Army and the Tiande Army?"

"Why don't you dare!" Li Hang laughed.

This person is now the No.1 mission of the Dingnan Army.Chao Army, Hengshan Dangxiang, Fufang Four States, Hezhong, Guanzhong, Zhenwu Army, Tiande Army, where have you never been?Sometimes when you meet those unreasonable barbarians from the tribe, they will give you a bad start, and the reasonable Han vassals may also embarrass you, and even risk your life.

But Li Hang has carried it all over, and he is still intact, alive and kicking. It has to be said that it is a combination of luck and strength. Of course, he is also backed by Shao Dashuai's mighty army.

"Suishi Li is really heroic!" Shao Shude laughed.

"I can't lift my hand, I can't carry it on my shoulder, my archery and spear skills are in a mess, and my poetry and classics are no match for others. The only thing I can rely on is my courage and my loyalty to the commander in chief." Li Hang said.

Indeed, if you want to make a living in the Dingnan Army, you have to have no skills.There is no useless person in the world, the key is to find out your own position.Li Hang's studies are mediocre, he doesn't know how to fight, and he doesn't want to farm for a living, but he is good at eloquence and full of courage, so he is naturally a good candidate for an envoy.

After finding out his position and doing things well, Li Suishi now also receives a monthly salary of [-] yuan, wouldn't it be great?

"When you went to the Tiande Army and the Zhenwu Army, you told Hao Zhenwei and Wang Bian that a certain person wanted to patrol the Yinshan Mountains in the north and go to the old place of Woye Town to join the tribes and ask them to bring their generals and officers. arrived before."

"Marshal, do you need to notify the Fan Department?"

"The Qibi tribe, the Heishan Dangxiang Zangcai family, the Heyu Dangxiang, Shannan Dangxiang tribes, and the Tuhun tribe all need to pass on the commander-in-chief of XX. Those who do not obey will be punished."

For the Fan Han soldiers and civilians of the Tiande Army and Zhenwu Army, Shao Shude's idea is to solve it from both military and political aspects.Mainly politics, supplemented by military, two-pronged approach.Even if you can't completely control it for the time being, you must at least initially establish your own prestige.

Next year's expedition to the west, he plans to enlist the Yinshan Fan tribe to accompany the army. Whether it can be successful depends on the results of this northern tour.

Since the imperial court has given the title of commanding and controlling the four capitals of Guanbei, of course he has to use it hard.Especially those tribes, there are a lot of people, is it plausible that they don't go out to fight?
At this time, Shao Dashuai wanted to sigh that Datang's tiger skin was so useful.Although he has been making complaints about the collection of too many tribes since the Kingdom Dynasty, there are advantages and disadvantages in everything, and it is precisely because of this that the name Datang has influence in the tribes, and now he has to use it fully. it is good.

After Li Hang left, Shao Shude got up from the tiger skin chair and walked around the house twice.

To get moving, big ambitions are more important than gentleness.After meeting the tribes of the Yinshan Mountains, it will be the Western Expedition.

Once the power is in hand, what beauty is there?Aren't the noble daughters of officials, golden branches and jade leaves, concubines of the emperor, orchids from the Western Regions, wives and daughters of enemy generals all his playthings?
　See if you can catch up with another chapter tonight.

　
(End of this chapter)