At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 135, Where there is credibility and destiny

"Also, it doesn't matter even if you don't want to be a civilian. The rebels have purchased moso bamboo in large quantities. You can stay at home and cut moso bamboo and wood. Each moso bamboo weighs 5 pounds of grain. The wood depends on the size, but it is more valuable than moso bamboo. After cutting it, you can tie it up. In rows, we can send them down the river to Wancheng through Baishui, and then we can sell moso bamboo wood to earn food, and our rebel army can buy it in unlimited quantities." Zhao Yu said.

The rebel army's demand for bamboo and wood was almost unlimited. As long as they fought a war, they had to transport grain, grass and ordnance. To transport grain, grass and ordnance, they had to build baggage carts and wheelbarrows. The rapidly expanding scale of the rebel army also had an unlimited demand for armor. Although bamboo armor It's not as good as leather armor or iron armor, but it's still better than cloth or flesh-based sword-carrying ones.

Even if the current rebel soldiers have leather armor, they like to wear a set of bamboo armor over the leather armor to enhance their defense. This is because these soldiers have discovered that as long as they do not cut against the grain, the defense of bamboo armor is higher than that of leather armor. Moreover, the weight of the bamboo armor is also light. While improving the defense power, the load-bearing weight is not increased much.

If you want to save your life on the battlefield, the higher the stack of armor, the better, so the rebels' demand for bamboo armor has never decreased. The remaining raw materials can also be used as raw materials for making white paper, which can be said to be perfectly utilized.

"Is there such a good thing?" All the villagers are starving because of the lack of support. Just now, as civilians, they are worried about being dragged into the battlefield by the rebels, but if they use their own strength at home to cut wood and bamboo, this matter can be done. Dry. It's a shame to waste a little energy. Farmers like them are short of food, but they are not short of energy.

"We, the rebels, trade fairly and will never deceive anyone. If you are worried, you can cut down dozens of moso bamboos and give it a try. If you can't get food, you can demolish my house."

Although Zhao Yu said this, no one really had this idea. After all, they were backed by rebels, and they did not dare to offend him. But everyone is also excited. What's better about Wancheng than Chen County is that there is no shortage of iron here. In this era, Wancheng is the iron manufacturing center in the world. There are more than 10,000 blacksmiths here, and the price of iron is also the lowest in the world. The villagers also Saws, hatchets and other tools can be found.

The next day, the villagers in Shiwai Baihe went to the mountain with saws and hatchets and chopped 100 moso bamboos. Then they tied them into five bamboo rafts with straw ropes and went all the way down the river to Wancheng.

That afternoon, Shi and the others came back carrying 500 kilograms of grain. Everyone in the village cheered when they saw the grain.

It was really not easy for them. If the rebels hadn't sent a bag of food to the surrendered soldiers, the per capita food in Baihe would be less than half a stone. However, the autumn harvest was still more than a month away. This shows the difficulties of the villagers at this time. One meal a day It is difficult to guarantee gruel, and most of the time I eat wild vegetables.

But now that Zhao Yu has helped the villagers find a way to get food in exchange for their efforts, it is already a great thing for them. They are not afraid of fatigue, but they are afraid that they will not gain anything even if they work hard.

"This pavilion chief is a good official, and he really does good for us." During dinner that night, Shi said to his mother and Lao Wu with emotion.

The Qin officials he had seen since he was a child only knew how to exploit them and leave their families in ruins. There were no Qin officials who could lead them to wealth. But now the rebel army has such a pavilion chief, he just sighed like this.

Shi's mother smiled and said, "The rebels kept their word. They gave them food when they said they would give it. They said they would divide the land. I thought it wouldn't be wrong to come here. Our family has 20 acres of land. If the rebels give us another 50 acres, mu, there are 70 mu. As long as we work hard, it is not difficult to harvest 100 shi of grain a year. The rebels only harvested 3% of the grain. We can keep 70 shi of grain, 30 shi of food, and 40 shi more. We Use this grain to build a big tile-roofed house, find a hard-working woman, and our family will be able to flourish."

After Shi returned home, Shi's mother began to calculate her son's future happy life.

Old Wu smiled and said: "You don't calculate the land equalization like this. You have 20 acres of land, and the rebels will only give you 30 acres. But I, an old man, should also have 50 acres, but I don't have a son, so I left it to Shi."

Shi's mother was a little unhappy at first, but when she heard the next words, she immediately smiled.

The next day Zhaoyu talked about recruiting civilian husbands again, and as expected, the villagers all signed up enthusiastically. Food was included and they could get 10 kilograms of grain every day. As long as it was not a lie, it would be a great thing for the villagers.

In the end, Zhao Yu selected 50 civilian husbands, and among them was Shi.

After Shi's mother found out, she tried her best to prevent Shi from becoming a civilian husband. For her, even being a civilian husband was extremely dangerous. She only had Shi to rely on, and she didn't want Shi to be in any danger.

But Shi said: "Mother's rebels have treated us well. If they are defeated by the Qin army, we will go back to our previous lives, so my child wants to help the rebels, and my child is just not that dangerous in the rear."

But Shi's mother didn't listen: "If the rebels are really defeated, then these civilians will be even more dangerous. Just listen to my mother's advice and stay in your hometown."

At this time, Lao Wu persuaded Shi's mother: "Now that the world is in chaos, being in the army may not be as safe as us. My two sons are both in the village, but they were not taken away by Qin officials and died in the battle. The Qin people really came. Shi will still be captured by them and become a death squad. The rebels are soldiers of benevolence and righteousness, so to speak, staying with them is probably the safest place."

Shi's mother did not continue to object. Instead, she shed tears and watched her son leave again the next day.
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The reason why Xu Fan wanted to recruit so many civilians in Nanyang County was also forced by reality. Since Xu Fan's uprising in Yang County, the rebels he led have always fought on the inside, and only a small amount of baggage troops were needed to maintain the army. campaign.

In this southern expedition, Xu Fan's troops did not encounter a food crisis at the beginning. The main reason was that they fought too fast. From entering Nanyang to directly conquering Wancheng, the rebel army fought for less than half a month. The army itself The food and grass you carry plus what you capture on the road are enough.

But from Wancheng to Nanjun, it is thousands of miles away from the core area controlled by the rebels, and the infrastructure of Nanjun at this time is not very good, which makes it even more difficult to transport food and grass.

The roads south of Wancheng are in terrible condition. The Chidao built by the First Emperor has been soaked by the rain from the south of the Yangtze River in recent years. Although it is still usable, it is no longer as good as the Central Plains.

Speaking of the South in this era brings tears to my eyes, not to mention all the barbaric and poisonous insects. The First Emperor spent a huge amount of money to build Chidao, but it was actually soaked to death after a few years because of the heavy rain in the South. Jiangnan in this period was like the Chidao in later generations. Like Mobei, investment in infrastructure is high and returns are low.

Here I have to talk about the climate at this time. The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were a rare warm period in the entire history of the Celestial Dynasty. Although the State of Chu originated from the Han River Basin, the pace of development stopped north of the Yangtze River. It’s not that the Chu people didn’t want to develop south of the Yangtze River, but that the climate south of the Yangtze River was hot, densely covered with swamps, and all kinds of poisonous insects and beasts were not conducive to development. In addition, the Chu State was still in the Bronze Age at that time, and the red soil in the south of the Yangtze River was less developed than the Loess Plateau. The difficulty is increased several times.

Therefore, the Chu State’s territory is along the Yangtze River to the east. Most of the highly developed areas are north of the Yangtze River and Huaihe River. Although the south of the Yangtze River also occupies a large area, it is basically undeveloped. It is a semi-barbaric state.

Now that the rebels are going to send a large army to conquer Nanjun, Nanjun's backward infrastructure has become a problem that Xu Fan needs to face. This requires a large number of civilians to help the rebels transport grain and grass supplies.

Wancheng, the governor's mansion.

Faced with the problem of transporting grain and grass. Zhang Liang thought for a while and said: "North by car and south by boat. If you want to march in the south, you must rely on ships to transport grain and grass supplies. What's more important is that when you go to Nanjun, our army's supply line will be stretched to an extremely long length, and we have to march into the south." Passing through the muddy swamp, if they are not fully prepared now, the rebel army may encounter all kinds of troubles before they encounter the Qin army. Moreover, war cannot be separated from ships, and the river is the biggest obstacle to our army. Unless the Qin army will Just like in Wancheng, it collapsed at the first touch."

Yingbu and the others frowned when they heard this. Since the uprising, they had fought field battles, night battles, and siege battles, but they had never fought a water battle.

"The vehicles are easy to handle. For this southern expedition, the rebels have prepared 500 baggage vehicles and 3 wheelbarrows to transport grain and grass supplies. But as for the ships, even if they are built now, I'm afraid it will be too late." Chen Gang frowned. brow said. He has been managing the logistics of the rebel army, but this is the first time he has to lead a large amount of food and grass across the natural barrier of the Yangtze River.

Ji Xindao: "Wancheng is located in the south, with many water systems, and there are many boat masters here. Our rebel army can just recruit the boats of the civilians at twice the price."

Xu Fan thought for a while and said: "We must make preparations for two things. We must not only recruit the people's ships, but also our rebels must build our own warships. As long as we want to occupy the south of the Yangtze River, we must have boat masters. It's better to prepare in advance now. Wancheng has its own warships." There are many craftsmen, and it is the manufacturing center of the world. There is no shortage of craftsmen to build warships."

No wonder Xu Fan was so cautious. If he continued to go south, the Yangtze River was the biggest obstacle in front of him. As long as the Qin army blocked him south of the Yangtze River, his cavalry and infantry would not be able to swim across the Yangtze River. Therefore, they conquered Nanjun and the navy The most important thing.

Xu Fan didn't think he was Cao Ah Ma. There were internal agents like Cai Mao and Zhang Yun in Nanjun. Cao Cao didn't know his luck. He crossed the Yangtze River at almost no cost. Cai Mao's contribution to him was worth all the achievements of the five good generals. It's a pity that Cao Ah Man also failed Cai Mao.

Xu Fan looked at Chen Gang and said, "Sit in Wancheng and direct the craftsmen to build 10 dock stations on both sides of the Han River to transport grain and grass supplies. The rebel army will march along the Baishui Han River. This can reduce the burden on you."

Then Xu Fan looked at Deng Zhong and said: "I appoint you as the governor of Nanyang County. This position is extremely important. The Qin army may attack from Wuguan, Sanchuan County and even Hanzhong at any time, so you must resist Qin in these three directions. The army will guard the retreat of our rebel army, and I will allow you to recruit another 10,000 troops."

Deng Zhong bowed his hands and said, "I will be the general and guard Nanyang County."

Xu Fan's army rested in Wancheng for three days and appointed Deng Zhong as the governor of Nanyang County.

September 36, the 8th year of the First Emperor's reign

Xu Fan led the army to continue southward to attack Nanjun.

After this battle in Nanyang County, the rebels had a deeper understanding of the strength of the Qin Army. The Qin Army's combat effectiveness in Guanzhong may still be maintained to a certain extent. However, the farther away from the First Emperor, the more lawless the Qin officials became, and they became more and more lawless. The greater the oppression of the people, the weaker the Qin Dynasty's local rule.

However, when the Qin officials in Nanjun knew that Xu Fan had captured the entire Nanjun in just half a month, the world-famous Wancheng actually held on for less than three days before being captured by Xu Fan with a single charge. All the Qin officials in the county were frightened. They gathered all the troops in Nanjun in Jiangling City and directly abandoned the remaining 3 counties in Nanjun.

Especially the location of Xiangyang in later generations. Although the city of Xiangyang had not yet been established, the Chu State built a small town called Beijin garrison to defend against enemies attacking from the north. However, such a small and strong fortress was abandoned by the Qin army.

It only took Xu Fan's army less than five days to overcome the natural dangers of the Yangtze River in later generations. The process was so smooth that even Xu Fan found it a bit incredible. Think about how much troops and energy the later regimes spent trying to cross the Yangtze River. The so-called invincible Mongolian cavalry was hit with a bloody head here, and they had no choice but to cross the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and enter the country of Dali, and then go north from Dali. In order to conquer It took the Mongols more than forty years to circumvent this fortress, which covered tens of thousands of miles.

But Xu Fan had no obstacles at all. At this time, Xu Fan suspected that he was really destined. Could it be that he had a double buff, that he was both a time traveler and a child of destiny?

Only Zhang Liang saw Xu Fan's doubts and smiled: "The Qin army in Nanjun does not have a boat division, so they naturally have no way to use the river to hinder the general's advance. And with the situation in Nanjun at this time, the Qin army does not dare to leave the city at all, otherwise they will definitely They were betrayed by Nanjun’s powerful men, so for Qin officials, gathering the main force in Jiangling City is the best choice.”

Xu Fan shook his head and said: "The Qin officials did not clearly distinguish between their enemies and allies. They offended the local powerful and failed to win over the majority of the people of Nanjun. They blindly relied on strong force to rule Nanjun when their force was not enough." When we protect them, they fall into the vast sea of ​​​​people. They have just passed the easy break. If you don't show kindness and righteousness, this is the end."

Zhang Liang thought of the book "The Risks of All Classes in the Qin Dynasty" that he had read a few days ago. He was shocked at that time and thought it was a treasure book comparable to the "Tai Gong's Art of War".

Now Zhang Liang listened to Xu Fan's side and found that according to the above classification, except for the top-ranking First Emperor, the Qin officials had really offended everyone.

After passing the Yangtze River, the entire Nanjun was undefeated. Xu Fan's next march was not focused on directly destroying the Qin army in Jiangling City.

Instead, he dispersed the army and mainly attacked Nanjun prefectures and counties. Xu Fan ordered all ministries to ensure the autumn harvest as a priority, strictly prohibiting them from harassing the people and damaging the people's food. At the same time, he helped the people of Nanjun to fight against bandits and other people who disrupted the order of Nanjun.

In this way, Xu Fan marched while taking over the prefectures and counties of Nanjun. After marching for 10 days, when Xu Fan led more than 4 troops to Jiangling City, he had taken over 20 of the more than 15 counties in Nanjun. The rebel army was seamlessly connected. He ruled most of Nanjun.

On August 36, the 8th year of the First Emperor's reign, under Jiangling City, there was a large tent of the rebel army.

The march went so smoothly, and everyone was excitedly discussing how to break Jiangling City.

Ji Xindao: "General, Gong Ao, a powerful man from Nanjun, is willing to sacrifice Jiangling City for the general."

"Gong Ao? What is his background?" Xu Fan asked.

Zhang Liang told Xu Fan: "The surname Gong is derived from the surname Jiang, which comes from the Gonggong surname under the Yan Emperor Shennong. It is a surname based on the official title or name of the ancestor. The Gong surname has a long history, and its origins can be traced back to ancient times. The "Gonggong clan" of the period.

Gonggong is actually the name of an ancient official position, responsible for both water and work. Jiang Chui was a co-worker during the reign of Emperor Yao and held a hereditary position. People once said that after Emperor Yan, the person with the Jiang surname who could succeed him was called the Gonggong family.

However, the common surname in Chu originated from the Mi surname, which came from the descendants of the nobles of the Chu state at the end of the Warring States Period. They were named after Gongyi. During the Warring States Period, Xiong Tong, King Wu of Chu, granted the royal family and nobles the title of Gongyi, and his descendants took the title of Gongyi as their surname and were called the Gong clan. I think Gong Ao was the queen of the great nobility of Chu State. "

"Great nobles, the people of Qin will not recognize the nobles of Chu." Yingbu said sarcastically.

There are very few noble-born generals in the rebel army, only Chen Xiao and Zhang Liang. Chen Xiao is senior and has been of great help to the rebel army. Yingbu and the others have already regarded Chen Xiao as one of their own, while Zhang Liang joined late and is a Korean. , but was reused by Xu Fan, and became a member of the army and could enter the high-level meetings of the rebel army. This has caused dissatisfaction among Yingbu and others, so Yingbu will cynicize Zhang Liang if he has the opportunity.

Ji Xin said: "Their strength is not bad. It is said that they have tens of thousands of private soldiers. If they start an uprising in Jiangling City, our rebel army will occupy Jiangling City without bloodshed.

Now even Yingbu was no longer arrogant. He understood how much the tens of thousands of troops helped them attack the city. At the same time, Yingbu also knew the importance of Jiangling City. It was once the location of the Ying capital of the Chu Kingdom, and it meant a lot to all Chu people. major.

December 36, the 8th year of the First Emperor's reign.

Xu Fan's army appeared at the gate of Jiangling City. Before Xu Fan's army could attack the city, civil strife broke out in Jiangling. Gong Ao, a wealthy family in Jiangling City, led his servants and other powerful men in Jiangling to open the city gate and let the rebel army enter the city. The Qin army collapsed immediately, and the rebel army Charge all the way to take over Jiangling.

"Gong Ao has met General Shangzhu!" An eight-foot tall man wearing armor saluted Xu Fan. A group of Nanjun powerful men followed Gong Ao and saluted Xu Fan.

Xu Fan smiled and said: "Everyone, heroes, please rise. Our rebel army does not need such courtesy."

Gong Ao said, "We are willing to follow the general of Shangzhu State and punish the Qin Dynasty together. I ask the general to take him in."

Xu Fan asked: "I wonder how many of you there are?"

Gong Ao said: "We and other Nanjun heroes have tens of thousands of troops in total."

Xu Fan's face became serious and said: "It's okay to join our rebel army, but our rebel army will not allow an independent mountain top. Your music department will be broken up and reorganized. With your merits, I will be able to appoint Gong Ao as a captain." "

Yingbu and others looked at Gong Ao with great joy and trouble. This scene was too familiar. Back then, Yangdi Haoqiang also acted as an internal agent for their rebel army. After making a small contribution, he opened his mouth to conquer the entire Yingchuan County. Now it is I don’t know how loud these so-called nobles of Chu can be.

Gong Ao's expression changed on the spot. Although it was the first time he heard the word "shantou", he could understand its meaning.

Doesn't this mean that more than 1 of their troops were swallowed up by Xu Fan? Xu Fan was only willing to give him the position of captain.

This is not equivalent to them exchanging 1 troops for 5000 troops that are not their own. The official positions are not satisfactory to them. How can one captain be enough for so many of them?

You must know that Nanjun is the old capital of the Chu State, and it is the place with the most nobles in the Chu State. Although they have been suppressed by the Qin State, there are still many of them.

They have never seen anything in the world. Many families have produced Ling Yin. As for the position of Deputy Prime Minister like Shang Guozhu, it is more than two hands. They are the Four Generations and Three Dukes of the Warring States Period. It is even more exaggerated than this. Their family has been aristocratic for hundreds of years.

Although this place was returned to the Qin State more than 50 years ago, they miss the days of the Qin State even more due to the miserable life and the treatment of second-class citizens in the Qin State. Now they only bribe them with a captain, which is far different from their psychological expectations. big.

Facing these former aristocrats of the Chu Kingdom whose expressions changed greatly, Yingbu and others sneered. They had followed Xu Fan and fought so many battles in his life, but they still only held the position of captain, in charge of 1 people.

But these people just want to ride on their head with an ancestor from decades ago. It is simply wishful thinking. In the eyes of Yingbu and others, a captain is too much.

Xu Fan was already prepared for this kind of thing. If he had a choice, he would not want to stay in his own territory as a noble and powerful man, but this was unrealistic after all.

So he immediately proposed the second plan: "If you feel that your military talents are outstanding, the position of a captain is far from satisfying your talents. At this time, Changsha County and Qianzhong County are still occupied by the Qin State, and the rebels are willing to support If you take back these two counties, as long as it is the territory you conquered by yourself, even if you become king, our rebels will support it."

Xu Fan's words made Gong Ao and the others hesitate. There were already many places in Nanjun that were close to the wilderness, so there were really more savages than the common people.

Moreover, in this warm climate, Changsha County and Qianzhong County have a tropical climate, which is extremely warm and humid. In this world where medicine is underdeveloped, various poisonous insect supplements can kill people, and there are many diseases. Before medical advancement, , those places are difficult to develop, and they are unwilling to go there.

Xu Fan smiled gently and said: "You can discuss it before making a decision. The door of our rebel army is still open for you."

Gong Ao and the others could only leave disappointed.

"These nobles are just greedy. They really think this is the capital of Chu State decades ago, and they are still nobles of Chu State," Yingbu said loudly.

Deng Zong said with a smile: "Although the family has declined, their pomp cannot be reduced."

Chen Lin mocked: "What kind of nobles are they? They are just a group of remnants of the Chu Kingdom. They still can't see the situation clearly. No wonder their family is in such decline."

Although they did not say it explicitly, generals such as Ying Bu, Chen Lin, and Deng Zong who came from common people instinctively began to exclude people from noble families, and they disliked people like Gong Ao even more.

(End of this chapter)