Three thousand miles in exile

It was March when the news of Emperor Xuan's death reached northern Xinjiang.

As soon as the road into northern Xinjiang was cleared, Zhao Hengfu's letter was delivered to Liu Zhan as quickly as possible.

"The first emperor raised tigers to cause trouble, and in the end he reaped the fruits. This week, Chan is really ruthless." Liu Zhan's expression was serious.

The two were drinking tea, but lost their mood after reading the letter.

Although they only have hatred for Emperor Xuan and no friendship between the monarch and his ministers, Zhou Chan's regicide hegemony, and now he controls the government, it can be seen that Zhou Chan will be more unscrupulous in the future.

"It's bad news for us." Song Fenglin sighed, Zhou Chan's power will only hinder Qi Yun's army more, and I'm afraid there will be endless small shoes in the future.

Liu Zhan didn't care. "As long as I have soldiers in my hand, I am not afraid."

After this great change, it is imminent for Qi Yun's army to increase its troops.

However, there are only so many military households in the six counties of Cenzhou, and Song Fenglin's brows are full of worries, and he doesn't know whether the refugee household registration policy that has been spread out before winter can attract refugees to return to northern Xinjiang.

Liu Zhan said: "There is still good news. Xu Muyuan is appointed as Weiwei to manage the imperial palace guards. At least the emperor will not be imprisoned by Zhou Chan again."

After the sudden death of Emperor Xuan and the enthronement of the new emperor, the power of the Zhou clan was even greater than before. The only thing Fang Shouting could do was to promote a loyal guard to guard the palace.

As soon as the road to Jinyang was cleared, the two immediately returned to Jinyang to preside over government affairs.

At the beginning of April, it was the annual spring plowing in Qiyun Mountain. The snow in the fields had not yet melted, and the farmers were already plowing barefoot.

Seeing that the spring plowing had started, and the endless wasteland outside Jinyang City was still uncrowded, even Liu Zhan, who had always been calm, couldn't sit still.

"If there are still not many people coming back in May, hire someone to open up wasteland." Song Fenglin thought of a compromise.

Ruichang County to the south of Huangchuan has a large population, and it is also a way to hire tenant farmers to cross the river to cultivate.

Wen Qingshan and Lu Changquan looked at each other and smiled wryly, it was the only way they could do it.

It's just that this method is okay on a small scale. The wasteland in Furongpingding and Dazhupingding has tens of thousands of acres, so where can you hire people?

Just when Song Fenglin was planning to discuss further.

"Mr. Song!" Li Asan rushed in hastily, his surprise was beyond words. "Mr. Song! Go to the ferry and have a look. A large number of refugees have returned! They are all on the other side and waiting to cross the river!"

Song Fenglin stood up abruptly, ignoring the matter in hand, and immediately rushed to the ferry to confirm.

Luming Ferry is located between Bijia Ridge and Furong Pingding. It used to be a bustling town, but after being affected by the war, there are only ruins left.

Standing at the Luming Ferry and looking across the river, there are many refugees gathered on the opposite bank, and this is just the first group of refugees to arrive.

Counting the days, these refugees should have started to go northward on foot in February, which is the day when winter turns to spring in the Central Plains. Coupled with the twists and turns on the road, it took two months to reach Huangchuan.

Song Fenglin came to the river on horseback, but saw that there were boats on the bank and no one was sitting on it, and the refugees were crowded on the opposite bank, unable to advance or retreat.

"What's going on?" Song Fenglin frowned.

The road chief who came with him immediately saw the clue. "These should be ferries, and you have to pay the fare to get on the boat."

The boat fare for crossing the river is one copper coin per person. These refugees are no longer alive and have no money to cross the river.

And these boatmen knew that the refugees had no money to cross the river, and if they couldn't cross the other side, they would have no way of life, so they still didn't give money or give it away, which is really hateful.

"It was ordered to requisition these ferry boats to pick up people. Each boat will be given one tael of silver a day. If they don't obey, the boat will be smashed." Song Fenglin said angrily.

The accompanying guards immediately took orders, and soon Qianhu led more than a hundred soldiers into the ferry.

Those boatmen were all nearby fishermen, and they all gathered at the ferry for profit. When they saw the officers and soldiers coming, they were so frightened that the birds and beasts scattered.

"We follow Mr. Song's order to pick you up across the river for free. Get on the boat." The soldiers shouted from the bow.

At first, the refugees were a little hesitant. Seeing that the other party was wearing a military uniform and did not look like a dealer who bought and sold by force, he reconfirmed that it was indeed free before boarding the boat.

It's not because they are suspicious, they have been displaced all these years, and their trust in people has been worn away by the hardships. If this trip is not in the Central Plains, there is really no way out, and they will not venture back to the northern border.

As for whether the many policies in the rumors are true, they don't care too much. To them, these rumors are just a reason for them to go north.

For the refugees, those New Deals are like plums to quench their thirst, and pancakes to satisfy their hunger, giving themselves a little thought when they can't survive.

At this time, they can't imagine at all, and they don't dare to imagine what will be waiting for them.

"Let the head of the road chief and the whole organization go to the ferry to set up a point to register the refugees, and tell Liu Cheng to arrange for people to set up porridge sheds to give porridge." Song Fenglinbu ordered one order after another.

Because of the arrival of the refugees, all the officials in Jinyang City were in a hurry. Liu Zhan also received the news and brought [-] soldiers to the ferry, and asked Zheng Fengtian to lead the soldiers to maintain order.

In Liu Zhan's eyes, more than a dozen ferries went back and forth to pick up people, but it was still too slow. "Go to requisition a merchant ship, if you don't, I will destroy the ship."

Cao Ming immediately took orders to go down.

Song Fenglin chuckled, and they both said the same thing by coincidence.

Liu Zhan is in a good mood. "I have asked Xiao Lian to mobilize [-] soldiers to station at Furongpingding, so that these refugees can see that this general is capable of guarding their home."

The soldiers in his hands are Liu Zhan's confidence, and he will tell these people with practical actions that the sky in northern Xinjiang has changed!

"Conscription must also be carried out at the same time. Most of the refugees are penniless, and the enlistment compensation of two taels of silver is life-saving money for them." Song Fenglin thought of this, and hurriedly arranged for some conscription.

Zhou Chan will definitely make a fuss about Liu Zhan, they must expand the barracks as soon as possible, the more troops the better, now what Liu Zhan lacks most is people, these refugees came back just in time.

As one boat after another of refugees arrived, Luming Ferry also became hectic.

The most crowded place is the porridge shed. More than a dozen porridge stands are surrounded by people. These refugees are ragged and haggard. It’s been a long time since they tasted real food. .

Cao Ming personally led the troops to maintain order, and he had to intimidate and intimidate these people with green eyes.

"You guys make some horse-repelling fences, and divide the porridge shed into an entrance and an exit." Liu Zhan gestured on the ground with a branch, and he also thought of the fence that circled outside the train station.

Zhang Xiaoman immediately led people down to build the fence, cut down a lot of trees, tied them with hemp rope, and soon the ready-made fence was completed.

Diverting the crowd with fences is really very useful. The refugees can only queue up and get the porridge back and forth, and there is no more chaos.

The refugees who have just arrived are given a bowl of porridge and a piece of coarse grain pancakes. The porridge is not thick but the coarse grain pancakes are very filling. Only when they are full can these people feel alive.

At this moment, the belated touch came spontaneously.

"People who are already full, don't stay here, go to the front to register and register, and someone will take you to the new village where you will be resettled immediately!" The yamen servant shouted hoarse.

The homestead policy was proposed by Liu Zhan. The land he gave the refugees to build houses was called the homestead, which could not be bought or sold but passed down from generation to generation.

Song Fenglin didn't understand it at first, but after careful consideration, he realized the beauty of it.

Firstly, I am not afraid that there will be lazy people who resell and sell, and secondly, let these people understand that all these are given by General Qi Yun, not the blessings of heaven.

On the basis of this set of concepts, Song Fenglin gave a complete supplement. If the family dies in the future, the homestead will be returned to the Yamen for rearrangement.

As for the wasteland newly opened by the refugees themselves, it belongs to the private property of the refugees. There is a fixed number of wasteland for the homestead of the new village, and there is a standard for the number of people in each household and the number of acres of land. In this way, as many refugees as possible can be accommodated.

As the snow in northern Xinjiang warmed up, more and more refugees stranded in the Central Plains arrived at the bank of Huangchuan, and what they saw was beyond their expectations.

General Qi Yun not only sent a ferry to pick them up, but there was also a porridge shed on the other side, and the officials who handled the household registration set up tables at the ferry, so there was no need for them to look for them.

Outside the temporary household registration office, the horse-rejecting fence diverted the crowd, but there was still a lot of noise on the third floor and the third floor outside, and the voices of several dirty officials were hoarse.

"Those who have already taken the badge, don't stay here, go to the new village where you are resettled. When you arrive, there will be rice seeds for you, and soldiers will help you build a house. It's spring plowing now. Hurry up, don't delay here! "

"The previous villages were destroyed by the Yan thieves. Now the new villages are under the unified planning of Mr. Song. If you want to go back to your original place, you can't. Besides, the new villages have garrisons, and their safety is guaranteed."

"Joining the army has money, as long as you go, you can get two taels of silver. Why are you crying? After entering the camp, you can eat enough and earn military merits and rewards. It's not that you want your son to be a slave, go to the next door, Don't take up space here."

"And you, what's your problem?"

"People who have taken the household registration card don't stay here!!"

"From the army to the next door—!!"

From Furongpingding to Bijialing, Song Fenglin planned dozens of new villages, and established Wenqu Township Furong Township to govern these new villages.

Liu Zhan also set up a barracks at the commanding height of Furongpingding, from which one can have a panoramic view of the wilderness of the Cangxia Plain.

The land reclamation of new villages is in full swing, and Liu Zhan is also stepping up his recruitment. Now he can recruit hundreds of recruits every day on average. All these recruits enter the barracks for training, and Cao Zhuang is in charge of training.

In the middle of May, the scouts who went to Yandi to spy on the enemy reported that there was no change in the Yan army, and the king of Yan was rebuilding the capital of Yan and gathering the tribes.

Liu Zhan estimated that King Yan would not send troops south this year, so he could take this opportunity to develop the wilderness around Jinyang City.

At night, the general's mansion turned on the lights, and Song Fenglin still took Wen Qingshan Road Changquan and several civil officials to settle accounts.

It can be said that it costs money to house refugees these days. The coarse-grain porridge and coarse-grain cakes distributed by the porridge shed every day are mixed with finely ground rice bran to reduce costs, but even so, the money is still spent like splashing water.

Conscripts are given two taels of pension money, which cannot be less, and the rice seeds given to refugees when they enter the households are even more indispensable. The soldiers recruited must also be equipped with equipment, which is all money.

Fortunately, the Chen family was copied last year and got a lot of money and food, otherwise the turnover would be even more difficult.

"Sell those houses of the Chen family." Song Fenglin made up his mind.

"You can't just use money to buy food like this, Liu Cheng, you first go to Hanzhong to buy goods at a low price from Hu merchants, and then exchange food with the big caravan market from Zhongyuan to Hanzhong."

Liu Cheng immediately understood Song Fenglin's intentions, so that he could use the least amount of money to exchange for more coarse grains.

On the side, Liu Zhan was quietly drinking tea with him, and he was very impressed when he heard this.

Only Song Fenglin can revive the mess in northern Xinjiang. Who dares to take in so many refugees and arrange them in an orderly manner?

These days, Liu Zhan personally waits on the saddle and back, and he doesn't dare to mess around at night.

"It's just giving porridge to treat the symptoms but not the root cause. These refugees must be self-reliant as soon as possible." Song Fenglin wrote in a brush.

"Let Liuji Trading Company increase the purchase price of mountain delicacies, and encourage refugees to go to the mountains to pick them in their leisure time. In the future, they can gradually add more rice bran to porridge and cakes, so that no one will be too lazy to do it."

Adding more rice bran sounds cruel, but only those who are really hungry will eat it, so as to reduce the inertia of refugees.

The existence of the porridge shed is only to prevent people from starving to death, not to make these people unaware of their progress.

Wen Qingshan agrees very much. "Summer is coming soon, and it's the season with the most mountain products. Wild vegetables can be picked everywhere. It only takes one night for new ones to grow."

The Liu family also relied on these wild vegetables to survive the most difficult first year. Everyone came here in this way, so they understand the truth of relying on mountains and eating mountains in Qiyun Mountain.

As long as the first batch of grain can be harvested until the autumn harvest, Xintian will be exempted from tax for two years. As long as you work hard, you can look forward to a good day with the naked eye.

Under the incentive policies and strict requirements, the refugees who settled down started a new life in an orderly manner.

Zhou Sui, who was stationed at the Yangguan Pass, couldn't hide the big movement on the top of Furongping. After paying attention to it for so long, Zhou Sui also saw some clues.

"We must not let him grow stronger!" Zhou Sui gritted his teeth, but he still remembered the hatred of being kicked out of Jinyang.

On the one hand, Zhou Sui hurriedly wrote to tell Zhou Chan, on the other hand, he secretly sent thorns to infiltrate the refugees to make trouble. Although the method was clumsy, it was very effective.

"Report to the general! The refugees on the other side of the ferry are making trouble." The matter was quickly reported to Liu Zhan.

Naturally, there is no need to disturb Mr. Song for such a trivial matter. It just so happens that there is no fighting during this time, and General Liu is idle.

"Go and have a look." Liu Zhan sneered.

At this time, there was chaos outside the porridge shed, and a few leaders were clamoring and agitating there.

"These porridges are full of sand, just mixed with chaff, it doesn't treat us as human beings!"

"General Qi Yun is in charge of Qiyun Mountain, making money every day, why can't he even give up this little porridge, it's really petty!"

"That's right, I don't want money when I want gruel."

"I think General Qi Yun is nothing more than that."

The thorns who took the lead in the trouble carried each other's sedan chairs and talked happily. Cao Ming led the soldiers and wanted to take them directly, but because of the large number of exiles, he was afraid of arousing public anger and ruining the good names of Liu Zhan and Song Fenglin.

Liu Zhan came with a team of guards on horseback, and saw such a scene from a distance.

"What's the matter, you can't stop your mouths if you eat pancakes all you want?" General Liu interrupted with a casual voice.

There is still a big difference between imagining and facing Liu Zhan in real life. It is rumored in the Northern Army camp that Liu Zhan is young and arrogant.

However, Liu Zhan, whom I saw with my own eyes, was handsome and powerful, and his eyes that were too dark looked at them like ants.

"Catch it." Liu Zhan ordered.

Cao Ming was waiting for this sentence, and the soldiers immediately rushed up and pressed the hands of those who took the lead in making troubles to the ground.

"Killed! General Qi Yun is going to kill the refugees!"

"Help! Killed!!"

Liu Zhan ignored the wailing and howling of these people. "Take off their clothes."

Immediately, soldiers stepped forward and tore off the tattered clothes of these people, and all of a sudden their robust bodies were exposed in front of everyone.

To be so strong, what kind of refugee is this?

Liu Zhan was not in a hurry to point it out, he scanned the refugees present, and wherever he looked, the refugees bowed their heads to avoid it.

"Who knows when these people sneaked in, the general will give you ten taels of silver."

Immediately, the exiles started talking about it, and soon a young man had the courage to stand up. "Xiaomin recognizes...they joined our team at the pier on the other side."

Some thorns immediately retorted loudly. "You are talking nonsense! We are with you, there are so many people, how do you know without us!"

That young man was courageous. "My team went northward from the Gyeonggi area of ​​the Central Plains. At the beginning, there were only a few dozen people. Later, I took in refugees along the way and went northward together. When I entered the northern border, there were thousands of people. I was the leader of the team, so I naturally recognized people!"

Unexpectedly, the mere refugees still have a team leader. Those thorns were dumb for a while, unable to refute, and finally could only stick their necks and insist that they were together.

The young man bowed to Liu Zhan. "They are not like refugees in their physical strength. We have been wary of these people from the very beginning, for fear that they are human traffickers who will deceive women and children into selling."

No wonder there were many and chaotic refugees around, but not many people were encouraged.

Who says people are stupid?

"What's your name?" Liu Zhan asked.

"Xiaomin Li Jiye." The young man bowed again.

"Do you have fame?" Liu Zhan patted the agitated black horse to comfort him.

Li Jiye lowered his head. "Xiaomin has a reputation for raising people."

No wonder it is a talent to lead a team of refugees with thousands of people. Liu Zhan already has an idea.

"The general is short of people. Are you willing to be the head of the village and take care of these people?"

Immediately, the refugees around were in an uproar. Before Li Jiye could react, the refugees led by him to the north had already knelt down and kowtowed to Liu Zhan.

Li Jiye's eyes were red and he knelt down to thank Liu Zhan.

Da Chu practiced the household registration system, leaving his original place of origin and having no way to attract officials, even if he had fame, he could not gain a foothold in a foreign land. Chen Jiye was displaced because of the destruction of his family due to Yan thieves, but he never thought that he still had this kind of fate.

Comforting the refugees, Liu Zhan turned his attention to these people again.

"Come on, are you human traffickers?" Liu Zhan asked deliberately, he knew that most of these people were soldiers sent by the Northern Army to make trouble.

Suddenly being accused of being a human trafficker, these soldiers were stunned.

Liu Zhan never thought of revealing their identities at all. The incident of human traffickers gave him inspiration. General Liu has never done this before, so let's try to be a villain today.

"Come here, tie these human traffickers up with military sticks, and beat them until they plead guilty." Liu Zhan smiled half-smile, with cruel eyes.

On the same day, the news that General Liu had captured several human traffickers at the ferry immediately spread among the refugees, and everyone warned the children at home that traffickers had recently appeared and refrained from going out.

As for the corpses of those traffickers, they were hung on the embankment far from the ferry to warn those who intend to abduct girls and women, lest the world will not be chaotic.