My Sims of the Eastern Jin Dynasty

The next day, just as dawn broke and the sea fog had not yet dissipated, Xiao Heng led Xie Shao onto a speedboat bound for Yuzhou Island.

Along the way, Xiao Heng tried to test Xie Shao's bottom line with words and even conducted a normal simulation, but found that the person in front of him was not easy to fool.

He didn't even expect to be able to trick reinforcements into sending him any more, even just some warships would be helpful for the upcoming battles.

On the island, Han Yong had already made arrangements according to Xiao Heng's instructions from the previous night. The salt farmers were busy around the salt stoves, and the rising white mist mixed with the sea breeze spread across the mudflats. Deng Jing was still training soldiers at the drill ground on the east bank.

Upon arriving at Yuzhou Island, Xiao Heng explained his strategy to Xie Shaoming.

"Thank you, Commander Xie. I have decided to garrison this island permanently, using it as a base to resist the Qin navy."

Xie Shao didn't respond, but he was still shocked that the island in front of him was so large, it was practically a natural sea pass.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Heng hurriedly added an exaggerated statement.

"According to reliable intelligence, Murong Yan has a naval force of 10,000 men about to head south, aiming to sail south along the sea route. I have already dispatched a naval force to Qingzhou to engage the Qin navy once, and their main force will return today."

Upon hearing that a naval force of ten thousand men was heading south, Xie Shao was somewhat surprised and asked in return.

"Did the Qin people also learn naval warfare?"

Xiao Heng didn't expect the other party to believe him, and hurriedly explained.

"It's nothing to worry about. This naval force is mainly composed of Xianbei Murong clan members, and most of the men they employ are fishermen and pirates. They certainly won't let them pass this island!"

"No wonder Sanlang has the courage to garrison here; these northerners are skilled archers. It would be difficult for them to even stand still once they're on the ship!"

Xiao Heng felt bitter inside. This guy was just as flawless as the simulation, so he could only give a perfunctory response.

"Sima's words make sense..."

As they spoke, the two had reached the edge of the training ground, and Xiao Heng pointed to Deng Jing and introduced him to Xie Shao.

"This is Chen Jing, a well-known local leader and one of my capable subordinates. Most of the fighters on the island today are his brothers."

Xie Shao looked Deng Jing up and down. Seeing his tall and straight figure and sharp eyes like an eagle, he knew he was a skilled fighter and sincerely admired him.

"Sanlang is truly capable! He was able to quickly gather the scattered refugees and train them into a fighting force. This skill is truly rare."

After praising him, Xie Shao's expression turned serious, and he solemnly reminded him in a low voice.

"However, there are two things that you must keep in mind, Sanlang. First, the salt industry is the lifeblood of Huaibei, and the refugees are something the court has always been wary of. Both of these are hot potatoes, so you must keep your men in check and not let them cause trouble because of the salt industry. Second, the salt industry in Qu County was originally under the jurisdiction of the Wang family of Taiyuan, and Wang Xu was appointed by the court as the governor of Donghai. If the Wang family sends someone to negotiate after the war, you should avoid them as much as possible and avoid a direct confrontation."

Xiao Heng understood immediately, as he had already ascertained these details beforehand, and promptly bowed in response.

"Don't worry, Commander Xie, I understand these rules and will handle them with care."

Xie Shao nodded, then lowered his voice and added.

"There's something else you might not know: the salt industry in Huaibei is slowly transitioning from the Xi family of Gaoping to the Wang family of Taiyuan. Behind this is His Majesty's secret intervention!"

"His Majesty is interfering?"

Xiao Heng was startled; this was the first time he had heard of such a thing, but he had no intention of staying any longer.

Thinking back, I had sent a visiting card to the Wang family before, and it was normal that they didn't respond. It turns out that there was imperial power backing them up.

Upon learning of the sensitivity of the matter, he immediately made a serious commitment.

"Thank you for informing me, Sima. I will never touch this matter again, nor will I take a single drop of profit from salt."

As soon as he finished speaking, a fleet of ships appeared on the distant horizon. Accompanied by the sound of horns, Lu Da led the expeditionary fleet slowly to shore.

Xiao Heng and Xie Shao also rushed over. When the fleet came to a stop, they saw that more than a dozen ships were loaded with captured grain and weapons, as well as many Qin army flags and armor. Xiao Heng was somewhat surprised, not expecting that this trip to Qingzhou would yield such a rich harvest.

Xie Shao's eyes lit up, and he stepped forward to pat the deck.

"Sanlang's forces possess such formidable strength; were these captured from the Qin navy?"

Seeing this, Xiao Heng had a sudden inspiration and spoke up.

"Indeed, but the success of this expedition was entirely due to our cooperation with the Cui family of Qingzhou!"

"The Cui family? The Cui family of Qinghe?"

"That's right, the Cui family has the idea of ​​moving south, but..."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shao immediately pulled Xiao Heng aside.

"What are your requirements, Saburo?"

Xiao Heng looked around and then lowered his voice.

"The branch that migrated south is from Langya. They requested that two hundred of their sons be sent first, hoping to gain prestige in the Southern Dynasty, and then arrange for some of them to enter officialdom. With my qualifications and abilities, I am simply powerless to make this happen. But you are different, Sima. There may be a turning point in this matter. Moreover, the Cui family's move is also to leave a way out for the family. If it can be accomplished, it will be a great achievement for the court to recruit northern gentry and strengthen the anti-Qin forces."

Xie Shao hesitated upon hearing this request, but he was still interested in the matter. If the Cui family came to join him, it would be beneficial to the Xie family.

"Sanlang, the Cui family's intention to surrender to the south is a major event, but it is a matter of great importance and cannot be decided by me alone. It must be reported to the imperial court!"

Xie Shao was quite cautious, neither directly refusing nor readily agreeing.

Xiao Heng knew there was something to discuss about this, so he quickly offered to help.

Just then, Han Yong led a group of new recruits and pretended to practice in an open space nearby. Most of the recruits' weapons were old and worn out, and many of them were holding crudely made bamboo spears.

Seeing this, Xiao Heng took the opportunity to complain to Xie Shao.

"As you can see, Sima, my troops are already insufficient, and weapons are even more scarce. Many soldiers don't even have decent weapons. Now, the Qin army of ten thousand men is about to march south. What I lack most is warships. Without warships, I simply cannot fight against the Qin army at sea. I hope that Sima can put in a good word for me with General Xie and allocate a few warships so that I can defend this sea area."

Looking at the scene before him, Xie Shao realized that Cui's credit was not something that could be taken for granted. He pretended to hesitate for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"I will do my best to advocate for the warships, but I cannot guarantee whether they will be approved in the end."

Xiao Heng quickly thanked him and pressed his advantage.

"In addition, the army is also in short supply of food, weapons and medicine. The island has recently produced some salt. If it is convenient for you, Sima, I would like to exchange salt for these supplies."

Unexpectedly, Xie Shao immediately shook his head and refused.

"No, salt and iron are monopolies of the imperial court. It is illegal for you to use salt to exchange for supplies. If I help you bring it back, wouldn't that be considered illicit trading? However, if you are willing to hand over the salt to the imperial court, I can convey the message and the imperial court will allocate the supplies in a unified manner."

Xiao Heng understood that whether or not salt could be exchanged for supplies, and how much, after being handed over to the court, was entirely up to the court. In most cases, it would be a complete waste of effort.

But he still respectfully agreed on the surface.

"In that case, I will hand over all the salt production to the imperial court."

He had already made up his mind that he would only hand over one-third of the salt produced recently, and exchange the rest with the Cui family.

......

That afternoon, Xiao Heng arranged for a fast boat to escort Xie Shao back to Guangling.

As Xie Shao's boat gradually sailed away, Xiao Heng felt both anticipation and trepidation.

He knew that the outcome of Xie Shao's trip would directly determine his future situation.

At this moment, Han Yong hurriedly ran over and asked.

"My lord, how is it? This fellow doesn't seem like a generous person!"

Xiao Heng smiled and shook his head, no longer looking at the departing ships.

"It's rumored that Xu Gongzi, Deng Jing, and all team leaders..."

"..."