My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 192 The Salt Merchant Falls Down

"I am Taishi Ci from Donglai. Since you rebels have already failed, why don't you surrender now!"

Taishi Ci burst through the darkness, emerging from the shadowy streets, unleashing a barrage of arrows that either killed or wounded Zheng Wang and his men.

Immediately following, more than fifty riders galloped out from the street.

The streets were originally only wide enough for two horses to ride abreast, which was not advantageous for cavalry.

Taishi Ci took the lead, unleashing his rapid-fire shooting technique, which sent Zheng's soldiers flying and their horses crashing down, throwing the ranks into chaos.

More and more knights rushed out of the street and into the wide open space of the city gate, following Taishi Ci as he charged into the crowd.

This turned into a tiger entering a flock of sheep, driving the routed soldiers into a frenzy of battle.

The Zheng family's troops originally came from Yandou and had no military discipline whatsoever. In addition, Zheng Wang was the first to be shot and killed, and the entire army collapsed. The remaining soldiers were driven by the knights to flee to the city gate.

The two hundred men at the city gate had barely settled in when they saw their comrades, who had just left, retreating in disarray, and they were immediately terrified.

The leader of the small group tried to shout at the fleeing soldiers, but he didn't expect that he would be shot in the throat by a sudden arrow as soon as he shouted.

This caused an uproar even among Zheng's troops at the city gate, with some clever ones even attempting to open the gates and escape.

But Taishi Ci was keeping a close eye on the city gate; anyone who dared to enter the gatehouse and touch the main gate would surely die.

Unable to fight or escape, Zheng's troops began to surrender one after another.

In no time, more than 500 people threw down their weapons, covered their heads, and squatted or knelt on the ground.

Only then did Bao Hu arrive at the city gate with two hundred armored soldiers and two hundred Mi family retainers.

Looking at the surrendered soldiers kneeling on the ground, and among them, Taishi Ci, who seemed like a god, Bao Hu thought to himself that his Sima was fearless and extremely brave, like a tiger that no one could stop.

In every battle, the vanguard was invincible, and those who dared to block their way were either killed or wounded.

Bao Hu thought that the world's fiercest generals were all like this, but he never expected that General Taishi was even more powerful than Sima.

Just as Bao Hu was secretly amazed, Taishi Ci also noticed him.

"Lord Bao, this place is now under your command. These prisoners are also under your supervision. Any questions?"

When Bao Hu was called upon, he immediately straightened his chest and replied, "Please rest assured, General, I will do my utmost to guard the South Gate."

"good."

Taishi Ci nodded in satisfaction, then instructed, "Have your men gather the prisoners first, then open the city gates."

At this point, Taishi Ci turned back and pointed to two knights behind him: "Wang Ru, Li Tan, after you leave the city, go straight to the harbor and ask Commanders Dong Xi and Gan Ning to send troops immediately. At the same time, inform the young master that the rebels besieging the Mi residence have been defeated, the south gate has been captured, and he can rest assured that a victory report will be sent tomorrow!"

Gan Ning and Dong Xi are currently both commanders of separate divisions, each leading their own troops.

"I will obey the general's orders!"

The two whose names were called stayed behind, while the rest followed Taishi Ci, who was riding a white horse and wearing silver armor, and sped towards the west gate.

**********
"What did you say?"

Gan Zhen felt as if he suddenly couldn't understand human speech.

Just half an hour ago, he easily took over many key departments such as the county government, armory, and granary, with almost no resistance.

What excited and pleased him even more was that more than a dozen small salt-producing families also stood on their side without exception, each contributing manpower and resources, ranging from hundreds to dozens of people. In total, these families managed to gather nearly a thousand people to obey Gan Zhen's orders.

For a time, Gan Zhenzhi was full of pride, feeling that his army was strong and powerful, and that once he took over Qu County, he could easily expand his army to 10,000 men.

The city of Qu County is high and the moat is deep. The salt merchants all have the habit of storing grain. Even if Liu Bei sends troops to attack, they only need to defend the city and they can easily outlast the enemy.

Gan Zhen's only worry was the Mi family. In his view, the Mi family was the most troublesome in the entire Qu County. The other county officials and yamen runners, and the gatekeepers of the city gate were not worth fearing.

The Mi family, who sided with Liu Bei, had at least a thousand followers, and they were well-equipped and well-trained.

Even though the brothers Mi Zhu and Mi Fang took away a lot of it, at least half of it would still remain in the Mi family mansion.

If they really start fighting head-on, Wang Yu might not be able to break through.

It was for this reason that he instructed Wang Yu to use a sneak attack.

Once the gate is opened, Wang Yu's numerical advantage can be brought into play.

Just as he was hesitating whether to send some men to help at the Mi residence, Wang Yu's men suddenly retreated in disarray.

At the same time, Gan Zhen received two pieces of bad news.

The first piece of bad news was that Wang Yu had been captured alive.

The second piece of bad news is that the enemy has armored soldiers, and a large number of them at that.

As for Zheng Wang, he had already been killed in battle by Taishi Ci. Because the Wang family's troops had already scattered and fled, no one could have witnessed this scene.

"Lord Gan, what should we do?"

The heads or heirs of several small families around Gan Zhen had just been fawning over him, but now they looked worried, and a couple of them even had a cold glint in their eyes.

Gan Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Everyone, there is no need to panic. This old man from the Mi family has been hoarding armor and harbors ill intentions. According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, he should be executed. Wang Yu's fault is not in battle, but in that his weapons and equipment are inferior to the enemy's. For the sake of our great cause, I also have fifty armored soldiers, all of whom are fierce warriors. We can defeat this old man from the Mi family."

Because it was dark, and because Pan Zhang and his men had routed the Wang family's troops so quickly, the Wang family's fleeing soldiers didn't actually see how many armored soldiers there were. They only knew that these armored soldiers were ferocious and ruthless, cutting down anyone they saw. Their own counterattacks were like throwing mud into the sea, unable to break through the enemy's defenses at all.

Therefore, Gan Zhen did not actually know that Pan Zhang had a full five hundred armored soldiers under his command. He only thought that these people were Mi Zeng's troops, and that the armor they were equipped with was also collected by Mi Zeng, just like his own.

That's why he was able to confidently reassure everyone and send out his top fifty armored warriors.

In addition, Gan Zhen had another idea. Besides sending out three hundred troops, including fifty armored soldiers, he also coerced these small salt merchants to mobilize their elite forces, gathering a thousand men to attack the Mi family again.

Gan Zhen handed over the command of this attack to his grandson, Gan Long.

Ganlong lost his father at a young age and was raised by his grandfather, Gan Zhen.

I came out with Gan Zhen this time to accumulate merits and prestige.

If this rebellion succeeds, the Gan family might also be able to establish their own territory, so Gan Zhen naturally wants to train Gan Long as soon as possible.

Gan Zhen had originally planned it all out perfectly. This uprising was not only foolproof but also risk-free, making it an ideal opportunity for Gan Long to gain experience.

But who could have imagined that the old man from the Mi family had been hiding so deeply? The defeat of that useless Wang Yu caused these small salt-producing families to waver.

Without Gan Long in charge, Gan Zhen was genuinely afraid that these petty salt tycoons would turn against him.

Gan Zhen's idea was good, but he overestimated his grandson and underestimated the ruthlessness of his opponent.

Gan Long led a thousand men along the main road in the center of Qu City toward the Mi Mansion in the south of the city, but they ran right into Pan Zhang, who was motorizing toward the north gate.

The two sides clashed directly in the middle of the long street, and a fierce but brief skirmish ensued.

Ganlong, walking in the middle of the group, watched helplessly as the vanguard of fifty armored soldiers was brutally slaughtered and their formation was broken through by a fierce-looking armored soldier.

The main street in Qu County is already quite wide, enough to accommodate two horses walking side by side, or five or six people lined up in a row.

In this way, the fifty armored soldiers at the forefront of the Gan family formed a full ten rows deep.

But this man actually cut through the entire formation in just a quarter of an hour, his black armor almost dyed crimson, like a vengeful ghost in Buddhist teachings.

Because of Zuo Rong, Xuzhou in the late Eastern Han Dynasty was arguably the largest center of Buddhism. Even powerful and wealthy families like the Gan family had some knowledge of Buddhist scriptures.

That's why, before being split in two by Pan Zhang, Gan Long muttered to himself that the evil spirits of hell were actually real.

With more than half of the leading armored soldiers killed and Gan Long, who was overseeing the battle, split in two, how could these hastily assembled household soldiers and salt workers dare to fight again?

With a whoosh, it shouted and fled in panic. Pan Zhang was somewhat surprised; when he bumped into it head-on, he was also startled.

A dense mass of armored soldiers—this kind of formation is not often seen.

Pan Zhang once thought that the salt magnates might have invited some outside help, and not just any ordinary person.

Putting aside everything else, anyone who could muster so many armored soldiers must be a powerful figure in their own right.

Once the two sides made contact and engaged in combat, Pan Zhang keenly noticed the opponent's weakness.

These people seemed to be quite skilled, and they had all seen blood; they were experienced fighters.

However, their coordination was terrible. Most importantly, the level of cooperation within the army was extremely low. Pan Zhang led a dozen personal guards in a surprise attack and broke into the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum.

After Pan Zhang threw the armored soldiers into the formation, they were completely disorganized. They neither organized a strong counterattack nor coordinated their lines. Instead, they stared blankly as the gap Pan Zhang had opened grew larger and deeper until it finally broke through their formation.

"Ignore these people. Let the Mi family strip off their armor and take it with them. Let the rest of us run. Headquarters' target is still the North Gate!"

Pan Zhang's orders were quickly relayed, and he led three hundred armored soldiers towards the north gate. The Mi family's troops, however, took a while to strip off their armor and then chased after Pan Zhang.

By the time Dong Xi, Gan Ning, and Jiang Qin entered through the south gate of Qu County, the north, west, and south gates had already fallen under the control of the Xuzhou army.

Fortunately, Gan Zhen, who was still standing there dumbfounded in the county government, was left unresolved and was given to Dong Xi and his two generals by Taishi Ci.

Before being captured alive, Gan Zhen attempted to set fire to the granary and armory, but was rescued by Gan Ning and Jiang Qin. Meanwhile, Dong Xi stormed into the county government and captured Gan Zhen and a group of family leaders of small salt merchants.

A rebellion was easily suppressed, and the influential Salt Tycoon Group in the East China Sea was wiped out.

This is actually quite logical. Due to the unique system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the late Eastern Han period was destined to be an era of incompetent individuals fighting amongst themselves.

It is no exaggeration to say that the warlord wars at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty were far inferior to the Western Han Dynasty's campaigns against the Xiongnu, and even to the Chu-Han Contention.

In peacetime, the wealthy salt merchants of Qu County, with the protection of princes and officials, would naturally be extremely domineering. But once a real fight broke out, it would be nothing more than a brawl between a group of private soldiers who were incompetent in warfare, and how could they possibly stop the experienced Xuzhou army?

When Liu Feng accompanied Mi Zeng and Mi Yue into the city, Chen Jiao, Xu Xuan, and others who had entered the city earlier had already made a preliminary estimate of the gains from this suppression of the rebellion.

The wealth confiscated from the homes of just a dozen or so salt magnates in Qu County alone amounted to hundreds of millions in cash, countless gold, silver and silk fabrics, as well as vast amounts of farmland, shops, workshops, forests and other properties.

In addition, the granaries of these families were also full of various grains. According to Zhuge Jin's rough count, at least 600,000 shi (a unit of dry measure) were confiscated. This was the biggest bargaining chip that allowed Gan Zhen and others to dare to defend Qu County and resist Xuzhou.

In addition, there were 240,000 shi of coarse salt, more than 120 ships of various sizes, more than 30 warhorses, and more than 3,000 other livestock, including more than 1,200 oxen.

In addition, the Xuzhou army captured more than 4,000 able-bodied men, 76 sets of iron armor, more than 2,000 sets of leather armor, more than 80 crossbows, more than 30 longbows, more than 16,000 longswords, 2,000 long spears, 4,000 long halberds, 200 iron shields, 800 leather-covered wooden shields, and 20,000 sets of clothing of various colors.

As for male and female servants, singers, dancers, male prostitutes, and so on, there were thousands of them.

Judging from these preliminary statistics alone, Liu Bei and his sons have made a fortune.

It is no exaggeration to say that the combined wealth of these salt magnates was equivalent to ten years of tax revenue in Xuzhou today, which shows just how rich the salt magnates of Donghai were.

In the original timeline, these salt magnates lived quite comfortably because Cao Cao never reached the eastern coast of Xuzhou.

Later, due to the deep-seated enmity between the people of Xuzhou and Cao Cao, Cao Cao had no choice but to hand over Xuzhou to Zang Ba for administration. Zang Ba had already been cooperating with the salt merchants of Qu County for many years.

The downfall of the salt magnates of Donghai did not end until Cao Pi usurped the throne and began to focus on reforming the economy, nationalizing the huge monopoly profits from salt, wine, and iron.

In Liu Feng's era, the salt magnates of Donghai perished a full twenty-five years earlier than expected, and the wealth accumulated by these salt magnates over a century fell entirely into Liu Feng's hands.

Before taking action, Liu Feng was actually quite cautious. He not only mobilized a large number of elite troops, but also took advantage of the current stability in Xuzhou and the absence of war in the surrounding areas to launch his attack.

If Gan, Wang, Zheng and others hadn't been so eager to rebel, Liu Feng would have even wanted to wait until Guan Yu arrived before taking action.

However, the results were not as good as they are now.

Everyone in the entire Qu County knew that the salt magnates had suddenly rebelled, and the Xuzhou army was forced to quell the rebellion. No one could find fault with them.

Liu Feng returned to his loyal Qu County around noon the next day and re-entered the Mi residence.

Although the Mi Mansion was empty yesterday, with only some beautiful maids and servants still remaining.

However, Wang Yu's troops were utterly defeated by Pan Zhang at the very beginning of the war, and Gan Long, who came as reinforcements, even lost his life.

Therefore, the Mi family mansion, which was like a piece of fat meat that was completely unprotected, miraculously survived without being disturbed by the chaotic soldiers, let alone being looted and plundered.

"With your brilliant strategy, young master, the bandits of the East Sea were defeated in one fell swoop, and the salt magnates of Qu County were pacified overnight. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."

Chen Jiao offered his congratulations first, followed by a string of compliments.

Chen Jiao was actually quite agile. Historically, he dared to confront Emperor Ming at the Ministry of Personnel, but he didn't dare to provoke Cao Pi.

They were simply taking advantage of the fact that Emperor Ming was a normal person and would pretend to be courteous to scholars and respect veteran officials.

As for Cao Pi, he was essentially Cao Cao's biological son, and even their mental schizophrenia was exactly the same.

If Chen Jiao dared to provoke Cao Pi, and if Cao Pi was in good spirits, he would probably just praise him; but if he was in bad spirits, he would be finished in no time.

If you don't believe it, you can ask Xiahou Shang, Cao Pi's best friend and one of the most typical victims.

From this perspective, Cao Rui might actually be better known as Yuan Rui.

Xu Xuan originally wanted to congratulate Liu Feng, but after hearing Chen Jiao's praise, he couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

He could only snort coldly and then proceeded to report on other matters: "Young Master, these are the statistics of the various gains. The confessions of some prisoners confirm that a considerable amount of valuables and supplies have been hidden, and they are currently being interrogated under torture."

Speaking of his gains, Xu Xuan was both surprised and amazed.

He never expected that Taishi Ci, Pan Zhang, Jiang Qin and other tribes would not commit any offenses, while Gan Ning and Dong Xi would directly kill more than twenty of their trusted subordinates who had embezzled gold and silver treasures because of their corrupt practices.

In Xu Xuan's view, this military discipline was simply too harsh.

But this kind of strictness is good.

This was the first time Xu Xuan had ever found a martial artist so pleasing to the eye. If all martial artists in the world were like the ones under the young master's command, that would be wonderful.

Liu Feng opened the silk and looked it over. After a moment's thought, he said, "First, allocate 1.5 million coins in cash and distribute them to the generals. Distribute them at a reward of 300 coins and 5 zhu each. Military officers will receive an additional 100 coins for each rank. Also, send some fat pigs, fat sheep, and fine wine to the camp so that the soldiers can relax."

Liu Feng consistently emphasized improving the various benefits for soldiers in Xuzhou, but strictly prohibited looting, embezzlement, and hoarding of property after battles.

Taishi Ci, Xu Sheng, Pan Zhang, Zhou Tai, Jiang Qin and other generals were all veterans who had followed Liu Feng. Even Pan Zhang, who was the most greedy and audacious among them, was honest in this regard. Therefore, it was not surprising that Dong Xi and Gan Ning would deal with their trusted followers so decisively.

"Mr. Chen."

Liu Feng shouted at Chen Jiao.

Chen Jiao immediately straightened up: "What are your orders, young master?"

Liu Feng smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, you have been asking about the situation in Qu County these days. The former county officials of Qu County have all been transferred to your jurisdiction. I have already written to my father, wanting to recommend you as the magistrate of Qu County. If there are no unforeseen circumstances, the appointed magistrate is already on his way to Qu County."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao was overjoyed and exclaimed, "This... how could I possibly accept such a gift?"

Historically, Chen Jiao was first recruited by Chen Deng to serve as a clerk, where he was given highly demanding tasks.

Let me give you an example of the most challenging job to illustrate just how difficult it is.

He went to Cao Cao, who was fighting the Battle of Guandu, to ask for reinforcements, and specifically for Chen Deng of Xuzhou, who was essentially a vassal state and cannon fodder.

At the time, Cao Cao did not want to send reinforcements. In his view, the best outcome would be for Chen Deng and Sun Ce to perish together.

Chen Jiao managed to accomplish such a difficult task, which truly demonstrates his remarkable talent.

But the funniest thing is that before Cao Cao's reinforcements even reached Guangling, Chen Deng had already used a strategy to send Sun Quan home.

(End of this chapter)