Chapter 863 Clever plan
"The two are really willing to hand over the land south of Qilu Lake to the imperial court?"
Cheng Chumo was moved. Governor Tonghai, even if it was a temporary inspection, it was a rare opportunity after all. From a third-rank official, even if he was a low-ranking official, he would be a high-ranking official, but as long as he took this third-rank position, it would undoubtedly benefit his official career. would be of great help.
"The main reason is that Xi Cuan's attitude is more important. However, since Cuan Hongda Fuling returned home and was awarded the title of governor of Kunzhou, he is still more respectful to the court. The internal strife in the Cuan family split into two branches, and the Xi Cuan family Although Zhi now recognizes Cuan Hongda as the head of the family, but the children of Zhi also occupy the important areas in central Yunnan and separate one side, Cuan Hongda has to rely on the imperial court to maintain his position as the head of the family." Qin Lang He has a better grasp of the situation than Cheng Chumo and others, because he has more detailed and comprehensive information.
The Cuan clan is powerful, but since Cuan Wan was defeated several times by the Sui Dynasty, he was finally captured and executed in Chang'an. After his sons were captured in Chang'an as slaves, the Cuan clan's lineage also fell, and each branch competed for the position of patriarch. The Cuan family, which entered Nanzhong at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty and dominated the Dian region since the Jin Dynasty, became a mess.
Later, the Sui Dynasty intentionally withdrew its soldiers and horses, and indulged the various branches of the Cuan Clan to fight each other. Without external threats, the Cuan Clan fought even more fiercely, and eventually the East and West became antagonistic.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Fang Cuan Hongda returned to Yunnan and granted him an official title to restore his rule over Yunnan in name. The Tang Dynasty and Cuan Hongda had their own needs, so they cooperated with each other. When he came back, he became the master of the Cuan clan, but in fact, the Cuan clan was still divided seriously, and each ruled separately.
It was in this situation that Qin Lang believed that it would be difficult for the Cuan clan to unite with the outside world.
Therefore, the imperial court conferred the title of governor of Nanning on the prince in Dongcuan, the governor of Kunzhou in West Cuan, and the governor of Kunzhou in Erhai, the hero of Liuzhao. In the northwest and northeast of Yunnan, each of the princes was appointed as the governor of Xining Prefecture and the governor of Dongning Prefecture, forming a strategic encirclement of Dian.
Cuan was dissatisfied a lot, but in the end it was only a private complaint, and there was no one who took the lead to stand up.
Cuan's family is so weak, the court naturally wants to push forward.
This time, taking advantage of the Pingju Dingman Rebellion, the Tang army marched westward from Annan and Guangxi, not only to strengthen the footsteps pioneered by Li Daliang, but also to extend it further.
"If you are willing to put your heart into it, then do it boldly without any burden. I will also tell you that if you come to be the governor, the most important task is to connect the Butou Road with the Wuchi Road. .”
Wuchi Dao, also known as Shimen Dao or Shendu Dao, was actually built in order to effectively control the counties and counties established in Yelang, Dian and other places after the Qin State unified the six kingdoms.
This road was built by General Chang Ying. Most of the places were to widen and build the section from Bodao to Weixian. Although the road is five feet wide, it is not easy to dig through because of the dangerous mountains along the way. It is not better than the Hanzhong plank road. where to go. It all depends on burning firewood on the rocks, and then pouring cold water to make them burst, just like this little by little to make a road.
This road runs from the south of Shu via Bodao (Yibin) and Zhuti (Zhaotong, Yunnan) to Dianchi Lake. The road is only five feet wide, compared with the 50-step wide roads built by the Qin State all over the country at that time. , the road is extremely narrow, but it has strong strategic significance, and it is an important trade route between Yunnan and Shu.
This road started from Li Bing, the prefect of Shu County in the reign of King Qin Xiaowen, who recruited laborers to open mountains and quarry stones, and built the Bashu Passage Road, Bodao Road, and then continued to Changying until Qujing. The full name is more than two thousand miles.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, Zhonglang General Tang Meng was sent to lead Bashu soldiers to continue the construction of Wuchi Road, which was called Nanyi Road or Yelang Road in history. Nanyi Road started from Yibin, passed through Zhenxiong, Guizhou, Weining, and Xuanwei to Qujing. .
During the Three Kingdoms, the Two Jins, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties, wars were frequent, and the Central Plains was unable to look south, and earthquakes often occurred in Shu and Yunnan, which caused many sections of Nanyi Road and Wuchi Road to collapse, and the roads were abandoned.
Since the Sui Dynasty, the road from Bashu to Yunnan has been intermittent, and the Cuan family deliberately did not build these roads for their own rule, so that they could close their doors and become their own emperor.
"The Butou Road has basically been opened up now. From Jiaozhou City, the Protectorate of Annan, along the Xidaojiang Waterway to Guyongbu, the waterway is 1,620 miles, and it takes 25 days to sail."
From Jiaozhou City to Guyongbu, which is Jiayong County in Langmang Prefecture, the whole journey is by water and the transportation is convenient, but the distance is already 1,620 miles and it takes 25 days to sail.
When we got here, we needed to change land routes to Kunming. Before that, we were at the mouth of Linxi Prefecture, along the Nanxi Valley to Baping City. However, the river course was only navigable for a hundred miles in the middle and lower reaches.
It takes a total of six days to go ashore from Jiayong County in the upper reaches of Linxi Prefecture, and take another land route to Tonghai.
It's just that this land route is not perfect yet.
"We need to open up more routes, build military forts, post stations, and beacon piers along the routes, and at the same time immigrate to build villages and pastures."
In addition to Nanxi Road, Qin Lang also plans to build Jiayong Road. In addition, he plans to build another wharf on the banks of the Xidao River upstream of Jiayong, so as to shorten the distance from the sea to the Red River as much as possible, and maximize the advantages of the Red River waterway. The barbarians on the upper Red River had greater influence.
The land on the south bank of the Red River in Tonghai Governor's Mansion, Qin Lang doesn't plan to care about the management for the time being.
Three routes, Nanxi Road is from Hekou to Pingbian to Mengzi, then to Kaiyuan, and then to Tonghai.
Jiayong Road is from Jiayong to Kafang and then to Gejiu, then bypasses Mengzi, passes Jianshui, and goes north to the sea.
Butou Road starts from Yuanyang County, along the Yangma River Valley, a tributary of the Red River, to Jianshui, and then goes north to the sea.
Through these three routes, eight fortresses were established, and from this point, three chains were linked to control the barbarians in Tonghai Dudufu.
"Do you understand my train of thought?" Qin Lang asked.
Cheng Chumo pulled out the dagger and began to swipe it on the ground, slashing east and west, and quickly drew a picture according to what Qin Lang said. After staring at it for a while, he wiped it off with the sole of his shoe and said with a smile, "Understood." gone."
"Access to the sea is the key to our control of this area, but the three wharf fortresses along the Xidaojiang River, Jiayong, and Butou are also the most important. Access to the sea prevents the Cuan clan and isolates the Cuan clan from the barbarians. In addition, Our troops stationed here can also form a deterrent force against the Cuan clan, leading to the sea and going north, opening up two roads, one goes west of Dianchi Lake and goes straight to Kunzhou, and the other goes east of Dianchi Lake and goes straight to Qujing in Nanning."
Qin Lang picked up a few roasted longhorn beetles and simply placed them on the table.
"This is Tonghai City, this is Kunzhou City, this is Nanning City, and this is Erhai Lake. In the northwest of them is Xining Prefecture established by the imperial court. I have already reported to Your Majesty, requesting the imperial court to send troops from Xining to the south, along the West Lushui River. Then go down, leave Lujin Pass and go down, open up Yao'an and Nongdong counties, reach the Longchuan River in the south, and take the prestige of Chubao."
Qin Lang suggested to Li Shimin to take advantage of the current chaotic situation of the Cuan family, send troops south to directly seize the important town of Chuxiong, go south from Xining, Yongren, Yao'an, Nanhua, until Chuxiong.
This is a very ruthless move, because the destination of this knife is Chuxiong, which is located on the only way between Dianchi Lake and Erhai Lake, two important parts of Yunnan, and is an important throat.
The imperial court controls Tonghai in the south, Chuxiong in the north, and then infiltrates Kunming, Qujing, Dali and other places, and the Cuan family will fall into a situation of being divided and surrounded. Also helpless.
Historically, the Tang Dynasty’s solution to the Cuan clan was to support the Nanzhao Department of the Six Edicts by the Erhai Sea to unify the various edicts, and then attack the Cuan clan, the overlord of the Yunnan region, to the east.
The Cuan clan, which dominated Yunnan for more than 400 years, was later defeated by the Nanzhao Kingdom in internal strife. However, Nanzhao, a vassal supported by the Tang Dynasty, was unwilling to continue to submit to the Tang Dynasty after the Cuan clan was wiped out, so they Instead, they joined forces with Tubo and attacked Datang in turn.
After the middle Tang Dynasty, the Nanzhao Kingdom can be said to have caused great harm to the Tang Dynasty. If there was no Nanzhao, the Tang Dynasty would not always focus on one thing and lose another in the war with Tubo.
The Nanzhao Kingdom even later captured Jiaozhou City, the capital of Annan, which caused panic in the whole Tang Dynasty. Lost, for this reason, the Tang Dynasty had to order the famous general Gao Pian to mobilize the soldiers and horses of various feudal towns to go south to crusade against the Nanman. Although 200,000 Nanman were wiped out in World War I, this also gave the peasant army of the late Tang Dynasty a chance to breathe. It laid the groundwork for their subsequent invasion of the two capitals and the turmoil in the Tang Dynasty.
Qin Lang is not willing to use the barbarians to control the barbarians. Helping the Nanzhao deal with the Cuan clan is no better than going to the imperial court to directly encircle the north and the south, and directly destroy the Cuan clan. Even if you are not ready for a while, you can take it slowly. , that's no good at all.
Cheng Chu gritted his teeth silently.
Qin Lang's map is very big. This is not just to seize the opportunity to grab the map, but to go to the whole of Yunnan, to overturn the foundation of the Cuan clan.
"How many soldiers can Saburo give me, and how many immigrants can he help me get?"
"Three thousand were allocated to the navy, of which Butou, Hekou, and Jiayong were set up as towns and garrisons. Nanting (Jianshui), Lin'an (Kaiyuan), Baping (Mengzi), and Bengu (Gejiu) were set up as garrisons. , Set up an army in Tonghai City."
"Only three thousand? Is it a little less?"
"Three thousand is already quite a lot, and I don't have more. You can think of a way yourself. You can choose the leaders and children of the barbarians to organize a city-by-city army, or you can recruit barbarians to form a township army."
Cheng Chumo hesitated, "Can't you give me more?"
"Three thousand is too little for you? It's a lot. If you can't do it, just say it."
"Okay, man, how can you say no, three thousand is three thousand. But Saburo, you have to stay a little longer, there are those unconvinced barbarians, you can help me go through a few villages and establish a reputation before leaving, okay?"
"Okay!" Qin Lang also responded with a smile.
"Then can you bring me some more people, they are all barbarians, and I, the governor of Tonghai, can't be sure."
"Wait, it doesn't mean that you can move if you move. Now the frontiers are immigrating everywhere, and there are not so many poor people to move. Even in the prisons that have arrived in various states, how many prisoners are there now? Population , you have to figure out your own way, there are so many barbarians here, I can give you some ideas, give them some policies, give them some barren mountains and wasteland, and these people will naturally support the governor of Tonghai house."
"But the barbarians are all controlled by the chieftains, and most of these barren mountains and wastelands belong to the barbarian tribes."
"You have to figure out the specifics yourself. I have to solve everything. Then why do I need you to be the governor? I can do it myself? In short, if you stay as the governor, you will fight with us earlier. The times are different, you can't just rely on force, you have to fight, you have to pull, in short, if you find a way to unite as many barbarians as possible and suppress the few, you will be invincible!"
Cheng Chumo grimaced, "It's easy for Saburo to say, but it's not so easy to do."
Qin Lang chuckled, everything is difficult.
(end of this chapter)