Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Secondly, the Sichuan Basin, where most of the grain was exported—mainly to the Guanzhong and Northwest regions.

Thirdly, the Jianghuai region, specifically from the eastern part of the Huai River basin to the north bank of Zhejiang, was also supplied in large quantities to Guanzhong during the previous turmoil. Although less should be transported thereafter, the taxes from this region still constitute the largest portion of the imperial court's revenue.

Fourthly, there is the Henan and Hebei region, stretching from Bian and Xu in the west to Deng and Lai in the east, bordering Huaibei in the south and Youyan in the north. With its crisscrossing fields and abundant produce, its arable land area and grain output exceed the combined total of the other three major grain-producing areas! This is the main reason why the An Lushan Rebellion lasted for a full eight years, and why the puppet state of Yan, despite its extremely weak local control and production organization, was still able to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against the Tang army.

But now, the imperial court cannot directly control most of the farmland in this region...

Moreover, the textile industry in Hebei was also very developed. Although it was basically a sideline business for small farming families, and there were very few workshops with more than ten people, it was enough to meet local demand and could also be sold to other prefectures. This was the case during the Tianbao era, so it should not be too difficult to restore it.

Li Ji's mission to govern Weibo was naturally to restore and develop agricultural production, but the crop yields were too cyclical—millet and wheat were basically harvested only once a year—and even silk fabrics weren't considered top-quality goods. To become wealthy through farming and weaving would truly require "ten years of preparation and ten years of learning from experience." Therefore, he turned his attention to mineral resources…

Chapter Seventeen, The Red Thread of the Xue Family Mansion

In Li Ji's previous life, there was a saying, "Having a mine at home," which was used to describe someone's immense wealth. Even in the Tang Dynasty of this timeline, mining was the most lucrative business—especially since it could yield results in a short period of time.

Unfortunately, according to preliminary investigations, Wei and Bo prefectures had few decent mineral resources. Not only were there no copper mines that could be used to mint coins—the latest monetary law allowed local governments to mint coins independently, with the imperial court only required to send officials to supervise and collect taxes—but there were also no decent iron mines.

Iron is a strategic resource. To build a strong army, one must have sharp weapons; to have sharp weapons, one must have refined iron. Within the two prefectures, there are only a few small iron mines between Liaocheng and Wushui in Bozhou. Not only are the iron mines of poor quality and unsuitable for forging weapons, but their annual output is also less than a thousand catties... It's not even enough to provide each soldier with a single iron nail!

The only decent mineral resource is rock salt in Shenxian and Liaocheng counties, but it is difficult to mine and can barely supply 70% of the salt demand of the two prefectures.

In Li Ji's previous life, he only remembered that this area seemed to have oil... But before the 20th century, no large oil fields that could be easily extracted with the technology of the time had been discovered in the entire China. Moreover, even if they were lucky enough to find one, they would need sufficient refining technology and supporting applications; otherwise, it could only be used to make ink...

Left with no other choice, Li Ji sought out Yu Ling to discuss business matters—"I have too many supplies that I need to purchase from abroad; I can't rely on the imperial court for allocations."

Li Ji naturally wanted to build his own business empire, but he lacked capable subordinates. Even though he himself possessed a certain business acumen, he couldn't dedicate his main energy to this area, which forced him to seek help from established merchants. After all, he had a long-standing relationship with "Millionaire Yu," having received Yu Ling's assistance on both of his trips to Luoyang. Moreover, from the second year of the Zhide era to the second year of the Baoying era, a full six years, Luoyang changed hands several times, yet Yu Ling's wealth and influence remained unshaken, suggesting that the old man was quite capable.

Yu Ling was quite willing to cooperate with Li Ji. Firstly, Li Ji was a favorite minister of the emperor and was about to be sent to suppress a powerful warlord. Even if he had other backers, it was best to latch onto this powerful figure. Secondly, Li Ji had twice entered Luoyang and plundered a large amount of wealth from the Yu family, which made "Millionaire Yu" very unhappy. He wanted to find an opportunity to get it back. Although the money came from the people, and Li Ji's actions were to protect the family business of Yu Ling and others, in the eyes of merchants, if they didn't make a profit, they would lose money!

Therefore, Li Ji asked Yu Ling, "I need a long-term supply of copper, iron, and horses. Do you have any plans?" Yu Ling thought for a moment and replied, "Since Weibo does not produce its own copper and cannot mint coins, it would be pointless for the commander to purchase it. As for iron, the nearest source is the Zhaoyi Army..."

He reminded Li Ji that Ye County and Linlu in Xiangzhou, and Zhaoyi in Cizhou all had large-scale iron mines, and that there was also a top-notch iron smelting workshop in Hebei Province near Ye County.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji couldn't help but twitch his lips. He thought to himself, if we're talking about iron ore resources, then as Du Huangshang said, Wei and Xiang are indeed more important than Weibo... Why not send Xue Song to Weibo instead of ordering me to guard Wei, Xiang, Ci, Ming, and Xing?

Of course, he also knew that if he placed himself in the position of Wei and Xiang, he would be on the flank of the surrendered generals in Hebei and could only adopt a defensive posture, unlike Wei Bo, which could take an offensive posture and make it easier to spread out from the center... It seems that he really must maintain a good relationship with Xue Song, otherwise he will definitely be cut off by him in terms of supplies.

"Where should we procure the warhorses?"

Between the Yellow River and the Juma River lies a relatively flat plain, ideal for cavalry to roam freely. Li Ji believed that if he could train several thousand elite cavalry, he could gain the upper hand in both strategic planning and tactical maneuvering. Li Ji had participated in the Battle of Heyang and had seen that Shi Siming commanded many fine horses. If he couldn't obtain enough horses, and the surrendered generals of various towns had herds of fine steeds, then the battle would be virtually impossible to win.

He knew that the Tang army's warhorses mostly came from the western and northern borders, from Beiting and Hexi all the way to Shuofang and Taiyuan Prefecture, where there were horse farms everywhere. So where did the rebel army get their warhorses? From Youyan, or from the Khitan and Xi regions further north?

However, Yu Ling told him, "Hebei is known for its fine horses."

Hebei, especially its northern region, is also an important horse-producing area. Although the quality of its horses is slightly inferior to that of the fine horses from Guanzhong, the quantity is comparable. In particular, the local horses are well-suited to the local environment, while raising horses from Guanzhong would likely be much more difficult.

"Does Weibo have a horse ranch?"

"Yes, but unfortunately not much. Commander Li still needs to purchase some from Mo, Ying, Shen, Ding and other prefectures."

Li Ji rubbed his temples, feeling troubled—he would then have to deal with Li Baochen and even Tian Chengsi. To be honest, although he had only met Tian Chengsi once, he disliked the man quite a bit. Judging from his appearance and demeanor, he was ruthless, cunning, and unruly—Li Ji felt that if the various towns in Hebei were to rebel again, Tian Chengsi would most likely be the leader!

"Then can you do it for me?"

Yu Ling readily agreed and recommended a merchant from Songzhou named Bao Zitian to accompany Li Ji to Hebei to explore and attempt to open up relevant trade routes. Actually, Yu Ling's previous business dealings were mainly within the capital region and Henan, and he hadn't yet extended his reach into Hebei. However, now that the opportunity had arisen, he wasn't going to let it slip away to anyone else—not even a merchant who had always been on good terms with him.

After resting in Luoyang for three days, Li Ji continued his journey, first returning to his hometown of Ji County. Ji County belonged to Weizhou and was already under the jurisdiction of Zhaoyi Army. Therefore, although he could continue eastward along the Yellow River to Weizhou, he first sent someone to Fuyang to request a meeting with Xue Song.

Xue Song was very polite and personally went south to welcome Li Ji. In the end, the two military governors met in Anyang, the capital of Xiangzhou.

Li Ji's reasons for requesting an audience were quite grand: firstly, since he was passing through on his way to his post and would be a neighbor in the future, he couldn't help but see Lord Xue again and say hello; secondly, he still needed to consult Lord Xue about matters concerning Weizhou.

Because Xue Song originally served as the military governor of Ye Commandery under the puppet Yan regime, governing the four commanderies of Ye, Ji, Wei, and Guangping, which are now the four prefectures of Xiang, Wei, Wei, and Ming. When Shi Chaoyi fought the Tang army east of Changle, the Wei Commandery troops under his command were led by Xue Song. In other words, Wei Prefecture was originally Xue Song's territory, which was stripped of it after the Tang dynasty accepted his surrender. As compensation, he was given the two prefectures of Ci and Xing to the north. Therefore, it was perfectly reasonable for Li Ji, as his successor, to inquire about the local customs and conditions of Wei Prefecture from his predecessor.

Xue Song was already over fifty years old, with gray hair and beard, but he was still very vigorous. Just as Li Ji had described to Li Bi, he had an honest and kind face, completely unlike the arrogant and domineering persona he had been rumored to have in his youth. He hosted a banquet for Li Ji and Jiao Xiwang—the others were not entitled to sit at the table—and even summoned a beautiful woman to play the ruan (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) to enhance the drinking experience.

In response to Li Ji's questions, Xue Song answered almost everything he knew. He told Li Ji, "Wei is a major province in Hebei, and Bozhou is not worth mentioning. When I was in charge of Wei Commandery... when I was in charge of Weizhou, I commanded no fewer than 50,000 soldiers..."

Li Ji interjected, asking, "So how many soldiers are left now?"

Xue Song shook his head and said, "I don't know the exact number either. When we were defeated by the royal army in Changle, our soldiers scattered. After I surrendered, I heard that the court temporarily ordered the chief clerk to collect the remaining soldiers, which numbered no more than ten thousand. But how can we kill all the remaining soldiers? Most of them have fled to various counties. They are not good at farming. If we don't recruit them quickly, they may gather in the mountains and forests, which will be difficult to suppress. Weizhou was my former post. How can I bear to see war break out again and the people suffer? Moreover, if Weizhou is in turmoil, Xiang and Ming are adjacent to it, and it will be difficult for them to be at peace."

"Therefore, I have been eagerly awaiting the court's dispatch of a capable official to govern Weizhou. However, being a newly appointed official, I am in a precarious position and dare not rashly submit a memorial. Fortunately, His Majesty has sent Commander Li to govern Weibo. Although we have only met once before, I have long heard of Commander Li's reputation. I believe that only Commander Li can control those arrogant and fierce soldiers and generals in Weibo. I hope that Commander Li will govern Weibo well, maintain good relations with my Zhaoyi Army, and together we will guard the Guandong region for the court, enjoying peace for generations to come. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Li Ji hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "What Commander Xue said is exactly what I wish to do. I will need Commander Xue's strong support when I go to guard Wei." He then asked Xue Song if there were any capable officials among the generals and officers of Wei Prefecture.

Xue Song thought for a moment and replied, "There are a few, but I don't know if they are still alive... The other day, an old friend wrote to me, asking to be with me. I replied that the court has appointed an important general to govern Wei, so it would be better for him to stay in his hometown and assist the new commander. This man is a native of Guantao, named Nie Feng. Although he is young, he is very skilled in martial arts and is loyal, cautious and mature. He may be a good assistant to Commander Li."

Li Ji immediately ordered a pen to be brought and wrote the two characters "Nie Feng" on the bottom of his robe—he had drunk quite a bit of wine, and he was afraid that he would forget it later if he got dizzy.

Then the topic turned to trade routes, and Xue Song readily agreed, saying that as long as the price was agreeable, he would welcome the purchase of weapons and armor from him, or even the purchase of iron ingots to forge weapons; as for warhorses, he could also help procure a batch from the north—after all, he and Li Baochen had always had a good relationship. Furthermore, as long as the caravan flew the banner of Weibo Town, it could travel freely, whether by land to Hedong or by water to the capital and Henan—as for tariffs, well, that was negotiable.

Finally, Li Ji inquired about the situation of the various vassal states of Yan and Zhao from Xue Song. Xue Song's expression turned solemn, and he replied in a deep voice, "I know what Commander Li is asking, and I understand the court's intention in ordering Commander Li to guard Weibo. However, I can only vouch for my own family. Since we have submitted to Tang, we will certainly be loyal and diligent to the royal family, and have no disloyal intentions. I dare not speak of the other vassal states..."

"Especially Tian Chengsi, this man is treacherous like the mountains and rivers, and is inherently arrogant; he may not be willing to submit to the king's rule for long... As for Qin Rui, I don't often deal with him, so I don't know much about him, but I've heard that he has gathered Zhou Zhi's old troops, and many of his subordinates are martial arts masters. Moreover, his territory borders Weibo, so Commander Li must be very careful..."

Both men were heavy drinkers; they emptied their cups and became thoroughly drunk, parting in high spirits. After returning to the inner hall, Xue Song ordered a maid to bring a basin of cool water, wiped his face to slightly sober up, and then summoned, "Call Hongxian here."

Hongxian was a maidservant in Xue Song's household, and the one who played the ruan at the banquet just now. Although she was young, only sixteen years old, she was not only skilled in music, but also knowledgeable in the classics and wrote excellent articles. Xue Song relied on her as a confidante and often ordered Hongxian to draft government decrees and even memorials. Therefore, many people in the princely domain called Hongxian "the inner secretary".

After Hongxian entered, Xue Song instructed her to lay out the bedding, undress him, and help him to bed. At the same time, he asked, "How did you feel when you saw Li Ji just now?"

Hongxian first spread out the bedding on the wide couch, then stood behind Xue Song, gently unbuckling his belt as she replied, "The rumors are true, he is indeed a fierce general. Moreover, judging from his words at the banquet, he has a profound understanding of strategy and is not just a brute..."

He hung the belt on the screen, then walked around to Xue Song and helped him unbutton his robe: "...If my lord has lofty ambitions, he should send troops to guard the Huan River and Fanyang, block the Liyang ferry, and form an alliance with Bei, De, Qin, and Rui in the north to jointly lock down Weibo..."

Xue Song smiled slightly and said, "Getting old, still talking about lofty ambitions..."

"If our lord hopes to preserve this foundation and ensure that his descendants can enjoy peace and prosperity, he may wish to befriend Li Ji, so that the two garrisons can be positioned to control Yan and Zhao from both sides."

Xue Song nodded, then focused his gaze on the red thread: "Li Ji is young and has not brought his wife or family with him. If I were to take you as my concubine to forge a bond between our two towns, and you could also strengthen our friendship, would you agree?"

Xue Song doted on Hongxian, but refused to take her as a concubine. He often said that his temples were already gray and his days were numbered, while Hongxian was still in her prime. How could he bear to cruelly destroy such a beautiful flower? Inside the palace and in the public eye, everyone thought that Xue Song wanted to leave Hongxian to his son Xue Ping... But Xue Ping was only eleven years old. By the time he came of age, Hongxian would be old—at that time, twenty years old was considered an old woman—would the young master still find her attractive?

Upon hearing that Xue Song intended to give her to Li Ji as a concubine, Hongxian immediately knelt down, but her face remained calm—"Going to Weibo will not benefit my lord, unless my lord commands me to find an opportunity to assassinate Li Ji..."

Xue Song frowned slightly, then waved his hand: "Get up, I had no such intention. It's just that Fifth Brother has been asking me for you... If you go with him, it would truly be a waste of a gem..."

—The "fifth brother" he referred to was his fifth brother, Xue E, whom he appointed as chief secretary and relied on as a right-hand man. However, Xue Song only promoted Xue E because of his brotherhood. In fact, he did not think highly of him and often said: "If my second and third brothers were still alive, they might be able to inherit my business. As for my fourth and fifth brothers, they are probably not even capable of guarding the household."

Hongxian said, "This servant is only willing to serve my lord."

Xue Song nodded: "I was just asking casually. Since you won't go—go out, I'm going to sleep."

Meanwhile, Li Ji and Jiao Xiwang left the yamen and headed to their quarters. Jiao Xiwang leaned closer and whispered with a smile, "This Commander Xue is quite easy to talk to..."

Li Ji curled his lip slightly: "Actually, he's wary of me. If what I said just now didn't suit his taste, he might turn it into a trap in an instant!"

Jiao Xiwang was taken aback upon hearing this and immediately blurted out, "Could it be that Commander Li has noticed the axemen lurking behind the screen?"

Li Ji shook his head: "Why need executioners? The woman playing the ruan at the banquet is not someone to be trifled with."

The young girl was quite pretty, with a slender figure. Li Ji, being young and lustful, and having drunk some fine wine, couldn't help but glance at her a few more times—Xue Song had noticed this, which was why he decided to give the red thread to Li Ji—and what he saw next was astonishing. The girl had well-proportioned muscles, light bones, and her ten fingers were steady and powerful when she played the ruan; she must have practiced before!

Although Li Ji didn't have any special abilities, he was still a master of martial arts, especially knowledgeable about the martial arts world, which was skilled in lightness skills and hidden weapons. Not only was his wife a master of these skills, but she had also sparred with Jingjing'er many times and even faced the founder of this art, his mother-in-law Jiao Jingzhen. Therefore, he instinctively sensed that the red thread was different from ordinary people.

The "Feast at Hongmen" analogy was purely a scare tactic against Jiao Xiwang. Even if Hongxian truly possessed the abilities of Cui Cuo or Jingjing'er, if the two vassal states turned against each other, she could at most save Xue Song's life, not harm Li Ji—Jiao Xiwang might, however, suffer collateral damage. And if Hongxian had Jiao Jingzhen's abilities… how could that be? Even with the secret to eternal youth, she could never be over thirty!

Chapter 18, Beneath the City Walls of Guixiang

The capital of Weizhou was in Guixiang, but Li Ji was still undecided about where to set up the military governor's office.

Because three cities stand side by side near Guixiang, all less than ten miles apart—Guixiang and Yuancheng counties sometimes merge and sometimes split, and there is also Wang Mang City, the former seat of Yuancheng County.

In the fourth year of the Daye era, Emperor Yang of Sui mobilized a million men and women from Hebei to construct the Yongji Canal, connecting the Yellow River and the Hai River systems. This brought abundant agricultural water and developed water transport trade to the areas along the way. Hebei became the most important grain-producing region during the Tang Dynasty, and it cannot be denied that Emperor Yang played a pioneering role in this.

The Yongji Canal originally flowed into the Yellow River near Wuzhi in Huaizhou, connecting directly to the Bian River near Heyin on the opposite bank. However, due to the heavy siltation of the Qin River it drew, it was abandoned shortly after the Tang Dynasty began, its southern end shrinking to Ji County in Weizhou. From Ji County, it passed east through Wei County and Liyang, entering Xiangzhou; then through Neihuang and the Huan River in Xiangzhou, entering Weizhou; and through Wei County, Guixiang, and Guantao in Weizhou, it went north into Beizhou…

Originally, the canal was some distance from Guixiang County. In the 28th year of the Kaiyuan era, Lu Hui, the governor of Weizhou, diverted the canal eastward, directly bypassing the western wall of Guixiang, thus further solidifying Weizhou's status as an important transportation hub in the Hebei region.

If the military governor's office were located in Guixiang County, although it would be convenient to dispatch supplies and troops via waterway, the enemy could also attack via waterway, which would be advantageous for offense but disadvantageous for defense. So, should they retreat slightly eastward and establish their capital in Yuancheng? Or should they move even further east and restore Wang Mang's city? Li Ji was still considering the matter and planned to conduct an on-site survey first.

On the seventh day of the fifth month of that year, a large group of men of all ages and strengths, all dressed in simple cloth clothes and short jackets, many of whom carried bows and swords, gathered from all directions and assembled at the foot of Guixiang City. The garrison soldiers were all terrified upon seeing this and hurriedly sent someone to inform the governor, Shi Fengyan, who was left in charge.

Feng Yan was tidying his clothes, preparing to go out of the city to welcome the newly appointed military governor of Weibo, Li Ji, when he heard the news and was greatly alarmed. He hurriedly ordered the city gates to be closed. He then climbed the city wall and looked out. He saw a huge crowd stretching from the main road in the south of the city to the dock in the west, numbering nearly ten thousand. He couldn't help but exclaim in horror, "Could it be that all the bandits of this prefecture have gathered here?"

A military officer nearby boldly reminded him, "Chief Clerk, if there were such thieves, they would have already stormed into the city—these should be the Weizhou soldiers who scattered earlier."

Feng Yan looked back at the officer and asked in a trembling voice, "Do you recognize them?"

"Among them are quite a few former comrades."

Feng Yan frowned: "They've gathered here, yet they haven't entered the city to plunder—could they be heading towards the military commander?" He quickly ordered someone to summon the messenger who had informed him of Li Ji's impending arrival the day before, and asked him: "You said that Military Commander Li is coming by boat, how many men does he have with him?"

"More than three hundred, and more than three hundred other subordinates, officials, and their families."

Feng Yan stamped his feet repeatedly: "Why did you only bring these people? There are tens of thousands of people below the city. Even if Commander Li is unparalleled in martial prowess, I'm afraid he will be outnumbered and unable to defeat them!" He paced back and forth on the city wall in a panic.

After much effort, he finally came up with an idea and asked his men, "Whoever dares to break out of the encirclement, inform Commander Li and ask him to temporarily retreat to Weizhou, and then plead with the Zhaoyi Army to send troops to help suppress the rebellion..."

The soldiers thought to themselves that those guys below the city didn't seem to intend to attack, so why would they need to "break out"? But they figured that relying on their former comradeship, it wouldn't be difficult to slip out of the city. However, trying to reach the dock and send a message to Li Jitong would be much more dangerous—who knew what those guys were planning?

Someone suggested, "Vice General Nie Feng is both brave and well-liked; why not send him?"

Feng Yan nodded repeatedly: "That makes sense, that makes sense, quickly summon Nie Feng!"

Before long, Nie Feng arrived at the city wall, but he objected to Feng Yan's order: "These people below the city are indeed mostly my former comrades, who fled after the defeat of the Chang Le Eastern Army. They have come to join me in succession, but the Chief Clerk refused to accept them... In my humble opinion, they may not necessarily have any ill intentions towards the Commander-in-Chief..."

People who once wanted to return to the army, you refused. Even if they harbored resentment, they should hate you. Li Ji is a newcomer, what grudge or grievance could he possibly have against him?

Feng Yan's eyes widened: "If there's no malice, why have you gathered here under the city walls?" He pointed: "Look, many of them are carrying weapons!"

Nie Feng thought to himself, "There are many more people empty-handed, why don't you mention that..."

He clasped his hands and bowed: "This humble general is willing to leave the city to find the mastermind and inquire about his intentions. If there is no malice, then let them disperse; if there is malice, then it is not too late to prevent the commander from landing."

Feng Yan stared at him for a long time before asking with a grim face, "Could it be that you conspired with them to trick them into opening the city gates?!"

Nie Feng thought to himself, "I'm innocent... If they wanted to enter the city, they would have already done so. Why would I need to help them from the inside?" "This humble general may leave the city."

Feng Yan was at his wit's end and had no choice but to agree to Nie Feng's request, using a basketball hoop to hoist him off the west city wall. As soon as Nie Feng leaped out of the hoop, dozens of men surrounded him. Undeterred, he placed his hand on his sword and shouted, "Do you recognize me?!"

Someone called out, "It's Vice General Nie!"

Nie Feng pointed and said, "It's good that you recognize me. What are you all plotting by gathering here?"

When those people spoke at once, they couldn't explain the reason clearly, their chatter like hundreds of crows cawing, giving Nie Feng a headache... So he shouted again: "Is there a leader? Who gathered you all?!"

Suddenly, a voice from not far away shouted, "Vice General Nie, how imposing and intimidating you are!"

Nie Feng stared intently and saw a burly man striding towards him. The man was not tall, but he had broad shoulders and a thick waist. He wore a short cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up high, and a standard-issue sword hung at his waist. Looking at his face, he had uneven eyes, a bulbous nose, a wide mouth, and a curly beard; he was extremely ugly.

Nie Feng recognized the man and greeted him, "So it's Fifth Brother. Did you summon these young men?"