Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 523 No choice

Only then did Erzhu Rong realize that there was not even a single person around him with whom he could discuss things.

Erzhu Rong looked around and found that the only person who could discuss this matter with him was Erzhu Shilon.

At this time, Erzhu Rong finally felt a little regretful. He believed that he had relied too much on Erzhu, which resulted in him not even having a staff advisor around him.

Erzhu Rong had no choice but to summon Erzhu Shilon and ask him for countermeasures.

Erzhu Shilong's answer was also very simple. He said directly:
"General, we should go back to Bingzhou to help!"

Erzhu Rong remained silent, and Erzhu Shilong continued:

"Our ancestors are all in Bingzhou, and the hearts of the soldiers are with the general. There may be a chance for a comeback in the future!"

Erzhu Rong looked at Erzhu Shilon, and he finally understood why this guy couldn't win the battle against the wind!

This strategic vision is really poor!

Erzhu Rong said:
"The reason why I was able to rise in Bingzhou is not because Bingzhou is so rich, but because Bingzhou is poor and not the foundation for a king or a hegemon!"

Fearing that Erzhu Shilong might not understand, Erzhu Rong said:

"This general relied on the accumulation of several generations of the Erzhu family and the talents and resources absorbed by Bingzhou from the six towns. This is how he rose in the troubled times."

"The world has been in chaos for a long time now, and Bingzhou is even more exhausted. Xiurong's pastures have long been empty of cattle and sheep, and there are no young men in the countryside. How can Bingzhou compete with Guanzhong?"

In fact, what Erzhu Rong said was already very polite.

Erzhu Shilong said:
"I heard from the Han people that when Qin and Zhao were fighting for supremacy, didn't Zhao rely on Bingzhou to fight against Qin? If it weren't for the Battle of Changping, Qin would not have been able to destroy Zhao."

Erzhu Rong was speechless. He said, "Back then, Zhao relied on the strength of the six countries to resist Qin. Moreover, during the Warring States Period, Zhao not only occupied Bingzhou, but also Jizhou!"

Erzhu Rong regretted it deeply. When he was fighting against Ge Rong, he had Yuan Tianmu by his side to handle government affairs, and the Heba brothers, Liu Gui, and Gao Huan to offer advice. At that time, Erzhu Rong did not need to worry much about either military or political affairs, and his subordinates could naturally handle everything well.

But now, the only fool left by his side is Erzhu Shilon.

Erzhu Rong dismissed Erzhu Shilon and then sent someone to find Heba Yun.

When he saw Erzhu Rong, Heba Yun thought that Erzhu Rong wanted to kill him, but unexpectedly Erzhu Rong helped him up and said to him:
"In troubled times, it is normal for brothers to serve different masters. I have absolutely no doubt about Heba Lang's loyalty!"

Hearing Erzhu Rong say this, Heba Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

Erzhu Rong asked:
"Heba Lang, what do you think this general should do in the current situation?"

Heba Yun had actually heard all kinds of rumors in the army, but he was still too far away from Erzhu Rong.

He said: "General, please inform me of the current situation of our army."

Erzhu Rong patiently explained everything. Heba Yun frowned and thought for a long time before saying:
"General, I think we can only return to Bingzhou."

"Why?"

Heba Yun said:
"The families of my soldiers are all in Bingzhou. If Bingzhou is lost, how can the army continue to fight?"

After hearing this, Erzhu Rong finally sorted out his thoughts.

This is not the time to make a choice, but Su Ze has already determined the topic and Erzhu Rong must follow.

Must go back to Bingzhou.

Erzhu Rong sighed and stood up. He said to Heba Yun:
"Heba Lang, I will use you as the vanguard to open up the passage from Jizhou back to Bingzhou."

Heba Yun took over Erzhu Rong's order, and Erzhu Rong then ordered Erzhu Shilon to stay in Jizhou and asked him to defend Yecheng to the death.

Erzhu Rong glanced in the direction of Luoyang and said to Heba Yun beside him:

"I underestimated everyone in the world."

Heba Yun didn't know how to answer, so he could only ride his horse silently and follow Erzhu Rong towards Fukou.

When passing Fukou, Erzhu Rong came to the battlefield where he defeated Ge Rong. Because the war was so cruel, the area of ​​hundreds of miles had become a barren land with no one living there. A large number of corpses could still be seen on the roadside. Erzhu Rong said to Heba Yun:

"Can we still find Ge Rong's burial place?"

Heba Yun found an old soldier who had participated in the war that year, and finally found the place where Ge Rong was beheaded. After Erzhu Rong paid tribute to Ge Rong, he led his troops back to Bingzhou from Fukou and headed towards Shangdang City.
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Luoyang.

When he heard the news that Erzhu Rong led his troops back to Bingzhou from Jizhou, Yuan Ziyou in Luoyang breathed a sigh of relief.

There was no way, the pressure from Erzhu Rong was too great.

Back then, Chen Qianzhi's 7,000 white-robed soldiers could not defend Luoyang City. Yuan Ziyou naturally knew that the soldiers under his command could not hold the city at all.

The situation he was expecting was that Erzhu Rong would have no time to take care of Luoyang and would be anxious to return to Bingzhou, so that the Luoyang court would have a chance to catch its breath.

Yuan Ziyou seized this rare opportunity and sent officials to Henan Province, trying to make good use of this precious time and build an army capable of defending Luoyang.

Although Yuan Ziyou had Gao Aocao and Yang Zhong under his command, he and Xi Yi did not know how to form an army.

Yuan Ziyou's limited experience was basically in Luoyang. He was born into the Yuan clan and had never led troops personally. His abilities were basically focused on internal affairs, and he was not good at coordinating military relations.

Fortunately, he finally got the support of some nobles and Gao Aocao's appeal among the fleeing nobles in Yanzhou. Yang Zhong also recruited some Southern Liang soldiers who had fled to Northern Wei at that time, and barely put together an army of 2,000 people.

But a new problem faced Yuan Ziyou: food.

Only after becoming a real emperor did Yuan Ziyou realize how difficult it was to be the head of a family.

The reason why Luoyang was the capital of all dynasties was that it was located on the banks of the Yellow River. It was a treasure trove that could gather grain and wealth from the core areas of the north today.

The construction of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty incorporated the southern water system into the Yellow River system. At that time, Luoyang truly became a hub for the world.

But to have a treasure bowl, you also need to have treasures to gather.

Now Yuan Ziyou only controls the Jingji area of ​​Henan, which has long been hollowed out due to several wars.

When Erzhu Dulü was the governor of Henan, he exploited the people severely.

Thinking of this, Yuan Ziyou felt so angry that his teeth were itching.

In addition, although Luoyang's population has decreased by more than 90% compared to its peak period, and there are deserted palaces and houses everywhere, it is the capital after all, and is still home to a large number of fugitive nobles and former officials.

These people were Yuan Ziyou's core base, and it cost a lot of money and food just to feed them.

Yuan Ziyou finally understood why Su Ze was so dismissive of Luoyang.

Luoyang is simply a burden now!
Now Yuan Ziyou's only hope is Xiao Yan of Southern Liang. He hopes that this Bodhisattva Emperor can support him, the orthodox Northern Wei, and send him a batch of food.

However, Yuan Ziyou's plan was destined to be disappointing.

As October began, the autumn grain collection activities were in full swing in the Guanzhong region controlled by Su Ze.

The entire bureaucratic system began to operate at full capacity. The county magistrate personally sat in the granary, and officials at all levels, together with the three local leaders, began to collect rent and taxes based on the land and population registers.

The tax levied according to the number of fields is called field rent, and the additional tax levied according to the number of adult population is called adjustment.

In areas where the "Land Grant Order" was fully implemented, officials were able to collect sufficient grain based on the information at hand.

However, collecting food from the people is only the first step in a journey of a thousand miles.

These grains need to be registered and stored, and then various places need to transport the grains to designated locations.

The government will then draw teams to transport grain from the people.

The government offices at the prefecture and county levels were also not idle. They would send officials to inspect the counties below to prevent officials from harming the people and to check whether grain was collected in accordance with the court's policies.

Jianxiulang were also assigned by the Government Affairs Hall. They either traveled incognito or stayed in the provincial capital to check the account books to ensure that the entire system was operating in accordance with the regulations.

The grain collection work in Guanzhong was being carried out in an orderly manner, but the Southern Liang, which Yuan Ziyou had high hopes for, fell into chaos.

(End of this chapter)