Chapter 560: A Famous General
Chapter 560: A Famous General
In the afternoon, Liu Wenjing hurriedly found Xiao Xia and handed her a pigeon letter. "This is a pigeon letter I just received. It was sent from Pengcheng County."
"What happened over there?" Xiao Xia asked directly without reading the pigeon letter.
"An army has arrived from Qi County, led by Qin Qiong, and they have brought their families with them to seek refuge with Your Highness!"
"what!"
Xiao Xia was surprised and delighted, "How many people are there?"
"Six thousand troops and nearly twenty thousand family members. The coal mine has done its best to buy food and blankets for them to keep them warm. But the river didn't freeze this year, which is very fortunate."
Xiao Xia made a prompt decision and said, "Immediately arrange for a large ship to take supplies to pick them up, and arrange for a large camp here to prepare for the pick-up."
"I understand the humble position!"
Xiao Xia immediately issued an order to send 500 5,000-stone ships and various supplies such as food to Pengcheng County. At the same time, he sent Luo Shixin to lead 3,000 cavalry and dozens of officials and large ships to meet them.
Several temples outside Pengcheng County were filled with people from Qi County who had fled. Qin Qiong organized his soldiers to chop firewood everywhere. Thousands of pine trees grew on a hill belonging to the wealthy Zhang family in the east of the city. Usually, they were guarded by warriors and servants, and no one was allowed to cut down the trees.
But Qin Qiong didn't care about all this. His people needed to warm themselves by the fire, so Qin Qiong decisively ordered the cutting down of the pine forest. In just one afternoon, thousands of large trees were cut down by the soldiers and dragged away with ropes.
Zhang Guo, the head of the Zhang family, was so angry that he vomited three liters of blood. There was nothing he could do but watch the pine forest on his hill being completely cut down.
The night was the coldest time of the year. The soldiers lit hundreds of bonfires, and the refugees crowded around them. The women gave the children freshly steamed buns to fill their stomachs.
At this time, a team consisting of more than a hundred mule and donkey carts arrived. The leader was the chief steward Zheng Rong, who was also the director of the Coal Bureau under the Salt and Iron Bureau. The major strategic minerals in Jiangnan Road, including salt, iron, copper, saltpeter, alum, and coal were all under the jurisdiction of the Salt and Iron Bureau. They were all government-operated and private individuals were not allowed to participate in mining.
Qin Qiong came out quickly. Zheng Rong clasped his fists and said, "I just received a pigeon letter. His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin sent a fleet to pick us up yesterday. General Qin, please wait patiently in Pengcheng County. Here is 100,000 kilograms of wheat. General Qin, please hold on for two days. I will continue to get food."
Qin Qiong was truly moved. More than a thousand elderly people and children had died on their way south, and the entire team was extremely exhausted. They really could not go any further south. Fortunately, Zheng Rong came to their rescue and sent them 300,000 kilograms of food, so that the elderly, the weak, women and children would no longer starve. As long as they had food to eat and a fire to keep warm, they could hold on.
"Thank you, Director Zheng, for your timely help. We now have enough food to last for half a month. We don't need to give you any more food."
Zheng Rong smiled again and said, "I have negotiated with the magistrate of Pengcheng County today. Tomorrow, all the villagers of Pengshui Village will move into the city. The vacant houses can be given to the elderly and children to live in. This will be better."
Qin Qiong was overjoyed. It would be better to have a house to live in. He bowed again and said, "Thank you again for your help, Director Zheng!"
The next morning, all 300 households in Pengshui Village moved to the county town, taking away their belongings. The houses were vacated, and Qin Qiong began to arrange for the elderly, the weak, women and children to live in the houses, which suddenly became much warmer.
As time went by, the people of Qi County were looking forward to it. On the morning of the seventh day of the first lunar month, someone in Pengshui Village shouted, "The fleet is coming! Go and see!"
The people of Qi County were suddenly excited and they all ran to the Sishui River, carrying their elderly and children. More than 10,000 people had gathered by the river, and as the number of people grew, all the people of Qi County came running.
At this time, a fleet gradually appeared on the river. It was huge, and the fleet was getting longer and longer, and more and more spectacular. The people along the entire river cheered and jumped for joy. The fleet that was to pick them up had finally arrived.
At the same time, Luo Shixin led 3,000 cavalrymen and arrived in Pengcheng County.
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, the 6,000 soldiers and more than 20,000 family members who came from Qi County finally arrived in Jingkou after going through untold hardships. They were warmly welcomed by King Jin Xiao Xia and the officials of Jiangnan Road. Qin Qiong led the generals to pay homage to King Jin.
Xiao Xia appeased the generals and appointed Qin Qiong as the General of Cavalry to continue to lead the 6,000 troops of Qi County and organize this army into the 14th Guard of Jiangnan Army. Xiao Xia also appointed Cheng Yaojin, Jia Wuben and others as Eagle Generals. Jiangnan regular army currently has 130,000 people, divided into 13 guards. The Qi County army brought by Qin Qiong is the 14th Guard, and there are 20,000 county soldiers.
The military ranks of the Jiangnan Army are also divided into general, great general, general, lieutenant general, lieutenant general, colonel, brigade commander, team leader, fire chief, and soldier.
Of course, there will be further subdivisions here. For example, the first level of generals is divided into three levels: General Longxiang, General Huben, and General Huoqi. The General Zhonglang is also called General Yingyang, which is divided into Upper General Yingyang and Lower General Yingyang. The General Lang is also called General Yingji, which is also divided into Upper General Yingyang and Lower General Yingyang.
Soldiers are divided into first-class soldiers, second-class soldiers and third-class soldiers. In addition, there are special professional arms called sergeants, such as scouts, firearms, crossbowmen, javelinmen, water ghost troops, etc.
At present, Xiao Xia serves as the general of the Jiangnan Army. The position of general is vacant. There are two generals of Longxiang, Lai Huer and Zhou Fashang. There are three generals of Huben, Luo Shixin, Pei Xingyan and Sun Lei. The rest of the generals, including Wang Junkuo, You Junda, Wang Bodang, Xie Yingdeng and Zhou Shaofan, are generals of cavalry.
After the New Year, the army began comprehensive training and began to prepare for the Battle of Liaodong.
That morning, Qin Qiong and his deputy general Jia Wuben came to Xiao Xia's official room. They bowed and saluted, "Your Highness!"
Xiao Xia asked with a smile: "How is it, have your family members settled down?"
"Thank you, Your Highness. Everything has been settled!"
Xiao Xia arranged a mansion for Qin Qiong and other generals, and also arranged a small courtyard covering an acre for each of the unmarried generals such as Cheng Yaojin for their parents to live in.
Xiao Xia smiled again and said, "I am considering settling the 20,000 elders in Qi County in Jiangdu County. There are ready-made houses and land there. I will arrange troops to help them farm in the spring."
Ever since the emperor began to suppress bandits, the number of refugees fleeing from the north has decreased rapidly. No one has come for the past two months, and the northern camp is almost empty. It is just the right place for refugees from Qi County to temporarily stay. It's not that the refugees don't want to come to Jiangnan, but that the Wagang Army has stopped doing this business. In addition, with the arrival of winter, people in the north have temporarily stopped migrating south.
Qin Qiong asked with some concern: "Can the safety of Jiangdu County be guaranteed?"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "General, don't worry. Jiangdu County is actually still under my control. There are 1,000 troops stationed in Shanyang County. They are nominally Jiangdu County soldiers, but they are actually my army. I have also arranged 3,000 troops in Yancheng County to protect the salt fields, and another 1,000 troops stationed in Jiangdu Horse Farm. In fact, there are 5,000 troops. Let's put it this way! Except for the two county towns of Jiangdu County and Hailing County, the rest of Jiangdu County's land is under my control to ensure safety."
"Then I will feel relieved!"
Xiao Xia asked Jia Wuben again, "General Jia Runfu is General Jia's son, right?"
"It's the dog!"
"Your son is smart and capable, both civil and military. I plan to transfer him to the Intelligence Agency. Does General Jia have any objection?"
Jia Wuben quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your respect for him!"
Xiao Xia smiled and said, "There is another piece of news to tell you. The four counties of Qi, Beihai, Donglai and Gaomi impeached Wei Wentong for plundering people's property in the name of suppressing bandits. Wei Wentong has been dismissed and replaced by Zhang Xutuo. Zhang Xutuo is currently suppressing bandits in Xushan, Gaomi County."
Qin Qiong and Jia Wuben were immediately relieved. Some of their soldiers' families were still left in Qi County, and they were afraid of Wei Wentong's revenge. If Wei Wentong was dismissed, the two would be relieved.
Xiao Xia nodded and said, "I asked you to come here today because I actually want to learn about the situation in the four counties of the peninsula. I want to know the population, customs, grain production, etc. over there."
(End of this chapter)