Chapter 726 Attacking vassals
At this time, Li Daliang could do nothing, so he turned his attention to Qin Lang's fief under his name. Those vassals of Qin Lang are very tough. Submissive, Liaozi's several attacks did not bring any benefit.
So Li Daliang wanted to ask them to go together, but they were all Qin Lang's retainers, and they dared not cross the border without authorization. This was an important rule set by Qin Lang earlier.
Ah Huang sent Anong to Beijing this time, so he wanted to discuss this matter with Qin Lang in person.
"The Liaozi Department is no different from the savages of the Zuoxi River. The difference is that they are a little more barbaric. There are many tribal streams, but if we really want to fight, they are definitely not our opponents. We are absolutely sure to deal with them."
The area controlled by the Liaozi Department is actually very wide. The northwest of Wu'an Prefecture where Qin Lang was entrusted, the southeast of Yunnan, the south of Guizhou, the west of Guangxi, and the northwest of Vietnam, a large area is the territory of the Liaozi Department.
It is almost the vast area south of the Nanpan River, west of the Zuojiang River, and north of the Panlong River. Between this stretch of mountains and river valleys, there is almost a blank space on the map of the Tang Dynasty.
This is the real wildness.
The difference between the Liaozi tribe and the Heman tribe is not the Red River as the boundary, but in the northwest of the Heman tribe, there is also the Puzi tribe between the Lancang River and the Honghe River. In the Kunming area, there are the Heiman tribe and the Baiman tribe. In the Dali area, there is a Puzi tribe. It is the barbarians headed by the Six Edicts.
Anyway, in the Yunnan-Guizhou area, the imperial court has only set up a few Jimi Prefectures and large areas, which are still blank, and they are all controlled by these Southwestern barbarians and southern barbarians.
Although the commercial roads that Li Daliang worked so hard to open up were opened up since the Qin and Han Dynasties, they were all rather dangerous trails, and they could only go on ponies or mules and donkeys in the southwest. The caravans were mainly caravans, carrying merchant goods No traffic at all.
The imperial court set up some prefectures and counties in the northwest of Lingnan, that is, along the Zuoxi River, and most of them were Jimi prefectures. As for the areas further west, they actually had no control at all.
The barbarian king of Zuoxi Creek has accepted the canonization of the imperial court anyway, and the territory has also set up prefectures and counties, but the Liaozi tribes on the west side will not step on the imperial court. Who is your Tang Dynasty?
The southwestern barbarians are high and far away, occupying the dangerous mountains and forests, and live a primitive and backward life at ease. They usually like to fight in the nest, and occasionally they will run out of the mountains in groups to rob.
But against the regular army in the Central Plains, they never had the slightest advantage. From Zhou Sui to Tang, the generals guarding the southwest of the imperial court often killed the barbarians.
For example, when Shi Wansui conquered the Cuan family in Yunnan, he fought for more than a thousand miles, destroyed more than 30 troops, and captured more than 20,000 people. When Dou Gui was guarding Yizhou in Jiannan, he was also unceremonious to the Liao people, and sent troops to conquer the barbarians who did not obey orders.
It’s just that although the Central Plains dynasty was able to defeat the barbarians every time, the barbarians relied on the mountains to occupy the dangerous places. After the imperial court used troops, they could not occupy them. When they retreated, the barbarians often returned.
"We joined forces with the Annan Governor's Mansion, and the territory captured will belong to the Annan Mansion, and the villages captured will belong to whoever captures the money and population. I think this is a good deal!"
Ah Huang, Qin Yong and others all wanted to do this, and they had even discussed the attack route.
He took out a map, which marked the offensive line and so on.
"This is our plan A. We will go up the Qiongqi River and head north all the way. We will first hit Gaoping. There is our Gaoping Fort there, which can be used as a stronghold to sweep hundreds of miles around..."
Qin Lang glanced at the crude and excessive map.
In the northwest of Wu'an Prefecture, there is a blank space, only the words Liaozibu, and the words "Kunzhou" in the west, but Qin Lang knows that Wu'an Prefecture and Kunzhou (Kunming) are also too close to each other on this map. Wu'an Prefecture is farther from Kunzhou than Jiaozhou.
But in fact, Wu'an Prefecture is too far away from Kunzhou. In fact, the distance is more than 1,500 miles, which is the shortest straight-line distance. Not unusual.
"Didn't you say that there is a lack of people everywhere in Wu'an Prefecture, so you can still find people to send troops to fight?"
Qin Lang asked, Wu'an prefecture does not have government soldiers stationed by the imperial court, only Qin Lang's army, which is divided into the feudal army, the Duke's mansion guards and Qin Lang's pro-army. There are 900 people in the Duke's Mansion and Qin Lang's relatives, and there are actually less than 5,000 people.
For the current Wu'an Prefecture, 5,000 people means that there are a large number of young and strong people in the fief. Once they go out to fight, it will definitely have a great impact on the current Wu'an Prefecture.
After all, Wu'an Prefecture is not entirely a farming state. It also has a large number of coal mines, gold mines, silver mines, iron ore logging factories, shipyards, ceramic factories, fishing grounds, etc., and manpower is needed everywhere.
"Going abroad to fight is very different from defending the soil."
"Although we fought many battles when we went south to Wu'an Prefecture, you should be clear that this road is the main road from Lingnan to Jiaozhou, with convenient water and land, and with the support of the left and right stream barbarian kings behind us, Jiaozhou can take care of it in the south. But it’s different when attacking the northwestern part, where the mountains are taller, the forests are denser, and the roads are smaller..."
Ah Huang put forward the plan they had discussed, "We are not going to attack cities and villages, we are going to rob money and people, so we mainly focus on raids and robberies."
What they mean is that it is a slave hunting team, so the number of people does not need to be too many, so the logistical pressure is not great. A team of hundreds of people can keep a certain distance, and they can support each other. Fortress Zhaizi, anyway, fight if you have the opportunity, and don't fight if you don't have the opportunity.
It was really pure robbery, not for the purpose of siege or occupation, Qin Lang didn't know what to say.
"How many troops are you going to dispatch?"
"We plan to divide the troops into three groups, each with ten teams, each with a hundred people..."
Three thousand troops, led by feudal knights and warriors, with their attendants and village warriors as the main force, also recruited a group of mercenaries in Taiping Port and Jiaozhou Port, and could also send troops to local chieftains such as the Nong family and the Yang family, as well as The barbarian kings of Zuoxi Creek are recruiting people. Anyway, if they have money, they grab it together and share it with others.
"Before, Sanlang, you ordered the barbarian kings of the left and right streams to destroy Jinlongdong Nong's family, and Jiangkoudong's men and horses. Those barbarian kings made a lot of money, so if we call them again, they will definitely be very happy to respond. , I guess if you write a letter to them, Saburo, I guess at least 20,000 to 30,000 barbarian troops can be gathered to send troops together."
There are 18 Juli prefectures in Zuoxixi. Of course, it is not a problem to gather 20,000 to 30,000 barbarians, and they don’t need to worry about their money, food and equipment. Anyway, everyone will fight by their own ability.
The vassals of the Qin family in Wu'an prefecture only want money and people, and nothing else. The land they have conquered is the newly opened territory of the Annan Governor's Mansion. All streams can follow the example of Jinlongdong last time. Who will be the first? Those who break through the stockade, after everyone divides up the wealth in the stockade, the stockade and the land will belong to whoever it is, and a new prefecture and county can be established, which is under the jurisdiction of the Annan Protectorate, and can also be a governor or county magistrate.
There is no reason for Zuoxi barbarians to refuse such benefits, and even many Jilin barbarians in the north of the Annan Metropolitan Protectorate cannot refuse such a temptation.
Don't dare to expect extravagant territory, his fiefdom has boundaries, as a minister of the world, even if he is entrusted in a wild land, he will never dare to cross the boundary easily.
But robbing people and money, especially robbing people, is not a small temptation for him. There is a shortage of population everywhere, especially in Wu'an Prefecture, which wants to expand rapidly, and wants to become a trading port, and even a new emerging city that wants to develop industry and commerce. Land, population is never enough, especially slaves.
It costs money to buy, and not everyone can buy it with money.
Although the fangs are barbaric, they can be exchanged for other slaves.
Qin Lang didn't agree right away. This matter involved soldiers and horses after all, and this was the most sensitive thing in the fief. The emperor gave Qin Lang a fief with 3,000 soldiers, but it didn't mean he could use it at will.
This still requires crossing the border to send troops.
Not to mention the possibility of summoning tens of thousands of barbarians from Zuoxi River and the northern part of Annan, which is too big a move. Qin Lang has made many enemies in the court, and there are many people staring at him.
"There is no rush, I will think about it carefully."
If you really want to send troops, you still have to work it out. It is best to let Li Daliang write a letter to send troops to suppress the barbarians in the name of the Annan Metropolitan Guard, send out Jiaozhou soldiers, and then call Zuoxi and other barbarian tribes to send troops to assist, and then The enlistment of soldiers and horses from the Qin family's fiefdom in Wu'an Prefecture is justified.
"Old Huang, how much cotton did you bring this time?"
"Last year, according to your instructions, Saburo, two cotton manors were expanded again. A total of a thousand acres of cotton have been planted, and the yield per mu is astonishing, reaching about one hundred catties, which is more than 100,000 catties. This time I transported all of them. , This thing just takes up too much space, and the shipping cost is very high.”
"The yield per mu is only about 100 catties? Seed cotton or lint?" Qin Lang frowned.
"With seeds, it's too difficult to remove the seeds, and the cotton production rate is also low. A catty of seed cotton can produce 20% cotton at most." Ah Huang complained, if it weren't for the fact that the white folded cloth made of cotton is very valuable Ah Huang felt that there was no need for planting. Planting was troublesome, picking cotton, removing cotton seeds, spinning and weaving were all troublesome.
"It's too low. Normal cotton can yield more than 300 catties per mu, and good yields of 400 to 500 catties are not a problem, and lint cotton can be produced at least 40 percent." Although he knew Wu'an Prefecture The climate is not very suitable for growing cotton, but more suitable for growing sugarcane, but we still try to grow cotton there, but the output is really not satisfactory.
If it is shipped to Chang'an again, it is not cost-effective. It seems that I have to build another cotton spinning factory over there to weave cotton directly into cotton cloth, but I have to improve the tools and techniques for removing cotton seeds, otherwise it will not work.
"Sanlang, why did you ask me to transport so much cotton? Weaving white cloth?"
Qin Lang just smiled, "No, the military inspector intends to use cotton to make a cotton armor."
"Cotton for armor? Making cotton clothes to keep warm is more or less the same, making armor is not a joke, right?" Ah Huang almost rolled his eyes. Can those fluffy and soft things be made into armor?
Qin Lang chuckled, cotton armor is an advanced form of armor evolution, and it is by no means synonymous with poor quality. Wet the cotton, beat it repeatedly to make a thin cotton sheet, then embroider several sheets of thin cotton to form a thick cotton cloth, then clamp an iron sheet between the two layers of cotton cloth, and fix the inside and outside with copper nails, this is the cotton armor.
This kind of cotton has a strong defense ability. If the cotton production increases, the cost of cotton armor can be reduced a lot, and the process can be much simpler than traditional iron armor. Not to mention, cotton armor has a strong cold-proof effect in the cold climate of the north.
In the future, if the Tang army fights in Liaodong, it will be very useful. As a new type of firearms unit, the Shenji Battalion, equipped with lighter cotton armor, can also have stronger fire prevention capabilities.
Seven catties of cotton can be combined with iron sheets and copper nails to make a piece of plate armor. This kind of armor with built-in iron sheets is actually called cloth face armor. If you specialize in fireproofing, you can even make it without iron sheets at all and just make cowhide. Lining on the line, that is the real cotton armor.
Cotton pieces and cowhide are actually composite armor, which has the effect of shock absorption and damage reduction on blunt objects, and has a strong defense against firearms. Raw embroidery, not so cold in winter, not so hot in summer, and the anti-stab effect is not bad.
In essence, cotton armor is similar to old cloth shoes with a layered sole, and has strong toughness.
Compared with cowhide armor, cotton armor is a composite material, stronger in toughness, lighter and less afraid of rain, and even cheaper in cost. After all, a cow only has one skin, but cotton can be continuously grown from the ground.
And if the plate armor is stuffed with iron armor, it will be stronger, tough and rigid, anti-cut, stab-proof and hammer-proof. In short, from the perspective of the development of the times, the large-scale equipment of the army must be cloth armor and cotton armor, which is more cost-effective than the full-body plate armor, and can be equipped in large quantities.
"Now that cotton cloth is so expensive, isn't it more expensive to use cotton to make armor than leather armor, and it is probably not cheaper than ordinary iron armor, so why not just use iron armor?" Ah Huang was puzzled.
Qin Lang just smiled, because the Qin family is planting less cotton now, the main reason is that the Qin family is planting it, and the small amount is naturally scarce. The high-end market for white drape that Gaochang people worked so hard to create before, the Qin family has seized the high-end market. of fall.
Cotton cloth is still only afforded by nobles and wealthy people. Using cotton to make armor is indeed more expensive than cowhide, not cheaper than iron armor. However, cowhide and iron are two important strategic materials that are in great demand, but the output is not easy to increase. Yes, cotton is expensive now, but there are still few plants, but it is easy to increase the planting area and increase production, and the price will also fall by then.
can replace iron and cowhide, and this alone is completely worth using. Not to mention that the cost can be reduced a lot after the quantity is large.
In the history of war, there are always weapons that are cheaper, easier to manufacture and equip. Cotton armor is low in cost, easy to produce, easy to wear, and light in weight. Although it cannot be compared with high-grade Mingguang armor, it can be used as armor for ordinary soldiers. , still has a strong advantage.
Ah Huang is concerned about another issue, "Our 100,000 catties of cotton have been ordered by the military department? At what price? The price is too low. Now the white folded cloth is better than silk in the market, and it is very popular. We transported it all the way from Jiaozhou to Chang'an this time, and the freight cost a lot of money."
"Don't always think about money and money. When this plate armor is made, get a batch for Wu'an Prefecture. Then you will know the benefits of this thing."
Wu'an Prefecture is located in the southernmost part of the Tang Dynasty. The climate is hot, hot and humid. It is quite inconvenient to wear iron armor. The armor that can be dried in the sun becomes hot, and it can be steamed like a sauna. It is easy to be deployed. This is also when the northern army went south. Prone to significant causes of non-combat attrition.
Although the plate armor is made of cotton, it is not the same as a padded jacket. After repeated hammering, this thing has become a thin cotton sheet. The plate armor made of it is more cold-proof than iron armor in winter and more sun-proof in summer. Much stronger than Iron Armor.
In the rainy and humid rainy season, you don't have to worry too much about rust and other issues.
Annan is mountainous and the climate is hot and humid. Traditional iron armor like Mingguang armor does not match the climate and terrain. Plate armor is definitely much stronger.
Ah Huang still doesn’t quite believe that the very fluffy and warm cotton can be made into armor if it’s made into a quilt, and it’s also suitable for use in the hot Annan?
"There is already a batch of samples of plate armor at the Armament Superintendent. I can show you a few later. You can try it yourself and you will know."
The second child gave birth to a son last night! I was happy for a while, but my wife suddenly had a postpartum hemorrhage! There was no blood in the blood bank of the local hospital. I was temporarily transferred from another place. I was scared to death. My wife suffered a lot, but fortunately, I finally saved my life. I need to accompany my wife more these days, everyone forgive me!
(end of this chapter)