Ming Zuo

Chapter 487

"We're out of food."

Dongjiang rebels are trapped in the city, Li Yingyuan's words are even more frightening.

The Guangrao they are currently occupying is not a big city, and the surrounding area is even more desolate.The supplies for the tens of thousands of troops can't be supplied even if Guangrao is robbed.

When marching and fighting, logistics comes first.

Without food and grass, everyone knows what the result of waiting for Dongjiang Town will be.

"Captain, what shall we do?"

Chen Yongfu's eyeballs rolled around, obviously his will was not very firm.

All the generals were in the dark, and no one noticed it.

Kong Youde crossed his legs, smoked the last puff of tobacco, and reluctantly pinned the pipe and pot to his belt.

"I can't go back to the east, and I can't go to the west. In my opinion, let's go south."

He is the chief general, and he commands every battle, so at this time, he is the only one who can make decisions.

"Going south?"

Li Jiuzheng looked over.

"Yes, go south."

Kong Youde became more and more energetic.

"We have no food, but Yidu lies to the south, where the government of Qingzhou is located, there must be plenty of food and grass. As long as Yidu is captured, we will have the capital to survive."

Mao Chenglu couldn't help baring his teeth.

"Yidu is a big city, if we can't take it down, then Zuo Menggeng will surround us again, and we will die without a place to die."

The previous attack on Laizhou left a deep shadow on the rebel generals.

Kong Youde was angry.

"Confused. If we fight Yidu, we still have a chance. If we don't fight, we will starve to death immediately."

The generals were stunned, and only then did they react.Whether to fight Yidu or not, in fact, we have no choice.

"Listen to the commander-in-chief, hit Yidu."

Li Jiuzheng also made up his mind.

Everyone in the rebel army knew that this time it was really a time of life and death, and their enthusiasm was very high.

In the afternoon of the same day, the whole army set off and broke through Linzi, the northern gate of Yidu, at night. They burned, killed and looted, and raised a considerable amount of supplies.

On the morning of the second day, the rebels surrounded Yidu.

Regarding the arrival of the rebels, Qingzhou Mansion panicked.

Apart from quickly ordering the city gates to be closed and recruiting the young and strong, there was no other way.

Nowadays, all parts of Shandong have no military power.Yidu seems to be the seat of the government, but it is actually empty.

Lying on the city wall, watching the rebels camp in the distance, digging trenches, and arranging cannons, the prefect Zhao Jiang shook like a sieve.

"Everyone, things are up to now, so... so what?"

Zhao Jiang was born as a top three Jinshi in the first year of Chongzhen. It stands to reason that just six years is not enough to be a prefect of a state.

But who said that the Ming Dynasty lost too many officials in recent years, and it also gave rising stars the opportunity to quickly rise to the top.

To succeed Wang Qiaonian as the prefect of Qingzhou, Zhao Jiang was quite happy at first, and felt that the future was bright.

Unexpectedly, Dongjiang Town rebelled soon, and went back and forth several times in Qingzhou Mansion, which also severely damaged the surrounding area of ​​Yidu.

Zhao Jiang wrote to the imperial court and the province several times, hoping to strengthen the defense of Yidu, but all of them fell into the sea, and there was no response.

Unexpectedly, this time the rebels really came.

When it comes to defending the city, all officials big and small in Qingzhou Prefecture stare with big eyes.

Tasting tea and discussing Taoism, drinking and courting prostitutes, everyone is a master of the game.

fight……

When did you read "The Art of War"?

After not getting any advice for a long time, Zhao Jiang almost cried.

Knowing that Jiang Yumin and Zhao Jiang are Jinshi of the same discipline, he was very dissatisfied with Zhao Jiang.

Why is everyone in the top three, you are the magistrate, and I am just a co-prefect?

But now that the soldiers are pressing down on the border, everyone is like a grasshopper on a rope, and they don't care about that many.

Jiang Yumin racked his brains, and finally got a clue.

"My lord, there is a saying in the art of war: Before the soldiers and horses are moved, the food and grass go first. If you want to defend the city, you must have plenty of money and food. In my opinion, we should quickly spend money and food and recruit warriors, which is the way to defend the city."

The pushing officer Shao Yichuan couldn't help asking: "Now that the treasury is empty, where will the money come from?"

As soon as this remark came out, all the officials blushed.

When Zhao Jiang took office, he saw the dilapidation of the government office and felt that it was detrimental to the majesty of the court.So with a swipe of the pen, a sum of money was paid out of the treasury, and the government office was well repaired.

He withdrew nine hundred and eighty taels of silver from the treasury, and the account was also nine hundred and eighty taels of silver, but the actual cost was four hundred and twenty-six taels...

After Jiang Yumin came, he saw that the tables, chairs and benches in the magistrate's hall were brand new, but his side was full of rotten wood, and he felt unbalanced.

After making a fuss, he withdrew two hundred taels of treasury silver to replace office facilities, but the actual cost was eighty-five taels.

Seeing that the two bosses were so loyal to the country, Shao Yichuan felt that he had to show something, so he suggested that all the officials in the yamen should be paid their monthly salaries in arrears.

Zhao Jiang and Jiang Yumin both praised each other for their kindness and reissued a total of four hundred and twenty-seven taels of silver.

Officials at all levels actually got two hundred and fifty taels, and they still sing praises to them and respect them like gods.

Now it's time to defend the city...

Jiang Yumin felt that there was still a way.

"The rebels are vicious. Once the city is broken, will they die? For the current plan, the only way to succeed in the defense is to ask Heng Fan to come forward and provide money and food to boost morale."

Everyone immediately rejoiced.

That's right, this country belongs to your Zhu family.It's going to be ruined, and the loss is also your Zhu family's.

If your Zhu family doesn't pay, it doesn't make sense, does it?
Therefore, Zhao Jiang, Jiang Yumin, Shao Yichuan and other officials went to Prince Heng's mansion together to ask to see Prince Heng's son Zhu Youfei.

"Your Highness, where Dongjiang's rebellion has passed, people are killing people, people are dying, and blood flows like rivers. Now that soldiers are approaching the city, the people of the whole city are in danger. The ministers and others bear the emperor's grace, and they should swear to defend the city to the death. I am afraid that your highness will come to the army. Injury, I will wait for a hundred deaths to redeem. For the current plan, I implore Your Highness, think of the country's long grace, the country's safety, and give a little charity to the whole world!"

Zhao Jiang is not good at fighting.

Flattery, threats and warnings, and extreme exaggeration are the tricks of the trade.

There is only one core meaning.

If you want to defend the city, you need money.

Zhu Youfei sat like a bell, and when he heard the situation, he immediately became solemn.

"This is a matter of life and death. Since I am a royal bloodline and enjoy local support, how can I stay out of it? Come on, hurry up and get some money to help defend the city."

Seeing Zhu Youfen so happy, Zhao Jiang, Jiang Yumin and others were really overjoyed.

Didn't you say that the princes of Lao Zhu's family are all iron cocks?

Well, it seems that this alternate prince is younger, so he is still different.

But when a shining silver ingot was placed in front of everyone, their smiles stopped abruptly.

"Five... fifty taels?"

The plate on which the silver is served is very large, more than a square foot in size.But there was only one ingot on the plate, weighing fifty taels.

This is the generosity of Prince Heng's son Zhu Youfen, which is earth-shattering!

"His Royal Highness, this..."

Zhao Jiang wanted to cry but had no tears, only to realize that the prince of the Zhu family was no different.

But Zhu Youfei really cried.

"Master Zhao, don't say any more. Although Gu has no food to eat and no clothes to cover his body, he still vows to live and die with the elders of the whole city. The money is Gu's savings over the years, and he originally planned to exchange it for chaff to tide over the difficulties. But under the overthrow of the nest, what else can I say? But I can't care so much."

Looking at Zhu Youfei, who was the hero of the mission, all the officials in Qingzhou were in mourning.

they know……

Ruined!
(End of this chapter)