The northern tour of Chor Cha-hui and the southern tour of Jung Yoo-myung had a purpose. The northern tour was to prepare for the expansion of the country, while the southern tour was to review the development of Ulsan, audit the country's financial resources, and prepare for military operations.
After nearly four years of development, most of the people in the country had solved the problem of food and clothing, a quarter of the commoners lived a rich life, the cultivated farmland had passed the tax exemption period, and the farmers began to pay taxes. The factories and workshops in different places had become large-scale, and the annual tax payment increased exponentially, and the financial resources of the state of Wu began to be rich.
Chu Chao Hui has been non-stop expansion of the army, now the number of Wu standing regular army has more than 100,000 people, this number is relative to the population of only 2 million 600,000 Wu, the ratio is already quite a lot. The original time and space Qin Xiaogong with Shang Yang change the law 2 years, Qin strong with a population of 4 million, the number of army is only more than 100,000 people, Qin Shi Huang rely on those home base to complete the unification. In this time and space, Wu can't afford to raise more than 100,000 standing soldiers if it doesn't rely on the industrial and commercial development.
The social situation of the Great Qin Continent is similar to that of the late Spring and Autumn Period in the original time and space, and the entire Qin Continent has a population of more than 30 million. Chu, Wu, Lu, Zhao, Qi, and Chen were the six major vassal powers, and it turned out that the strongest state was Chu, with a large population of four million. Zhao was the next strongest, with a population of about three million. The other major vassal powers all had populations above two million and below three million.
The population of Wu barely reached two million before Ripple's rebellion, and Wu was at the bottom of the list of the six major vassal states in terms of national strength. After Zheng Yuming and Chu Zhaohui took control of Wu, they attracted civilians from the surrounding vassal states and primitive tribesmen from the south bank of the Yangtze River to join them, coupled with the improvement of medical standards in the country, the life expectancy of adults was lengthened. After the people's food and clothing were guaranteed, the birth rate of babies increased, the death rate decreased, and the natural growth rate of the domestic population increased like never before. In less than four years, the population of Wu increased by more than half a million.
Compared with the original population of Wu, in less than four years, the population has increased by five percent, the growth rate is too rapid. However, Wu's agricultural productivity increased several times and the development of industry and commerce expanded dramatically, the growth of Wu's population by half a million people was far from being able to satisfy the society's strong demand for labor.
The state of Wu needed population, and it was still too slow to rely on the surrounding vassal states to smuggle people in and settle down. The best way to increase the population was to annex the vassal states. Wu's neighboring states, such as Chu and Zhao, were too big for Wu to swallow in one go, and Chen, which had a population similar to Wu's, could not be moved either. Zhao and Chu were feuding with each other, but Chen served as a buffer between the two countries, and Zhao and Chu would not allow other countries to interfere with Chen for their own safety.
The State of Chen was a friendly state to the State of Wu among the vassal states of the Great Qin. When Marquis Xi ascended to the throne, Chen was the first to recognize him, and when Marquis Xi passed away, Chen was the first to send a delegation of condolence, so Wu couldn't reasonably include Chen as a target for annexation first.
Chu Chao Hui currently wants to annex two countries, one is Qi, one is Lu, these two big countries rich in domestic resources, densely populated, the two countries because of the gold mine for more than ten years of war, the national strength has long been weakened, the powers that be live in luxury, exorbitant, the impact of the climate of the Little Ice Age on agriculture, the two countries, domestic people struggling to starve and cold, living in misery, sharp social contradictions, rebels constantly. If Wu can successfully send troops, Chu Zhaohui believes that the Wu soldiers will be destroyed wherever they go. The first thing you need to do is to take down the medium-sized vassal state of Tang.
As for the Tang Dynasty, Chu Chao Hui had long ago considered it to be in his pocket.
Chu Chao Hui wants to annex these three countries, with the exception of the growing strength of the state of Wu, soldiers brave, another is the superiority of the naval division. Wu water army strength Da Qin dominate, not to say can sail the sea, river basin simply no enemy. Tang, Qi and Lu all have large rivers passing through, Wu can use military ships to transport soldiers and logistical supplies. Throughout the ages, fighting a war is all about logistics. Wu's army has no logistical pressure, so it is very sure that it can destroy these three countries in one breath.
Chu Zhaohui north patrol, to the northwest county inspection is for the throat mouth border to do some deployment, to prevent Wu against the Tang Dynasty, Zhao engage in backstabbing. From Zhao Xuan in order to annex Wei, take the initiative to press the green hat on his head can be seen, Zhao Xuan this person for the interests of no limit, so Wu Zhao although there is a peace and cooperation agreement, Chu Chao Hui defense or Zhao.
As for the two neighboring countries of Chu and Chen, the king of Chu had already passed the age of death, and was a mediocre and unambitious person who only knew how to enjoy himself all the time. All his sons are already old, but the king of Chu still stubbornly refuses to set up a ruler, the sons of Chu are eager to move, and the ministers of the royal court are divided into several factions to support the sons of their favorites. The king of Chu is very healthy, and the state of Chu looks fine on the surface, but when the king of Chu falls, it will be the day of great chaos in Chu. The state of Chu has no intention to fight for supremacy, so naturally it will not meddle in the affairs of the state. And the Chen state domestic drought is serious, Chen state monarch timid and cautious, will not take the lead on the Wu pointing fingers and feet, no guts and no ability to send troops to the Wu state. Therefore, Chu Dynasty Hui only Chu and Chen State to buy power and nobility, increase the arrangement of secret agents, no border stationed troops for defense.
Chu Chao Hui patrolled Qu City and Throat Mouth City, Wei Qing and Zeng You both trained the army to Chu Chao Hui's satisfaction. After spending two days in Northwest County and having a one day military meeting with Northwest officers, Chu Chao Hui went to Northeast County with 3,000 cavalry.
Northeast County Sheriff is Xu State famous scholar Wang Jie favorite disciple Xu Wei, Xu Wei is also Xu State people, is the first session of the Wu State Promotion Examination third place, Xu Wei this year twenty-eight years old, under the supervision of Wang Jie twenty years, followed Wang Jie traveled more than thirty large and small vassal states, responsible for travel clothing, food, housing and transportation, and deal with the various barriers, dealing with things is very strong ability. Because of Xu Wei's outstanding ability, Zheng Yuming appointed Xu Wei as the county governor of Northeast County.
Northeast County under the governance of Xu Wei, the changes are great, one is the East County within the seaport and river port construction is good, the other is the construction of water irrigation, reclaimed a lot of wasteland, the people of the Northeast County has solved the subsistence, close to the mines and ports area people have even been a small blessing. Zhou Cheng, the military governor of Northeast County, also made remarkable achievements. Zhou Cheng stationed at the border with more than 5,000 soldiers, and now the number of soldiers has expanded to 30,000, with another 5,000 in reserve.
Chu Chao Hui to the northeast county toured the border barracks, also held a military meeting, the meeting vaguely implied that Wu will use troops to the north in the spring of next year, the northeast county officers after the meeting are like doping. After all, the officer position promotion and get the title to rely on the military success pile, already is a knight slave general Zhou Cheng is their catch up target.
In addition to meeting with Zhou Cheng and Xu Wei, pointing out that Wu is prepared to carry out military action next spring, Chu Chao Hui also met with the head of the Northeast County Regional Intelligence, ordering the Northeast County Intelligence Group to increase the infiltration of the two countries of Qilu, in addition to letting the Intelligence Group to think of ways to create Tang-Wu contradictions, to find excuses for the next year's troops in the State of Tang.
Chu Chao Hui reached the north patrol, did not stop to go to the small bay, from the small bay on the sailor battalion and other three thousand material warships, sail from the East China Sea to return to the South Port. Chu Chao Hui took the warship arrived at the mouth of the Yangtze River in Nanbu, is Zheng Yuming assassinated the next day.
"What's going on? Why are there so many patrol boats on the river?" Chu Chaohui urgently want to reunite with Zheng Yuming, warship into the Yangtze River, Chu Chaohui take binoculars lookout. He knows that Zheng Yuming has arrived in Ulsan, South Port sailor patrols see warships, will report to Zheng Yuming, Zheng Yuming get the news will certainly go to the pier to meet. Chu Chao Hui take binoculars to the South Pier lookout, is to see Zheng Yuming figure, respectively ten days, Chu Chao Hui want to think of Zheng Yuming want to be very strong.
"Reporting to the great general, I don't know the reason, wait for me to ask with the semaphore." Battleship officers also feel strange, usually only one to two groups of patrol captains patrolling the estuary, but today there are four or five groups of military captains hovering in the estuary, and the sailors on the military ships are fully armed and solemn.
The battleship officer commanded the flag officer on the flag tower to use the flag language to ask questions with the patrol vessel, the flag officer changed various colors of small flags and the patrol vessel's flag officer exchanged information, and then stood on the flag tower and reported loudly downward with Chu Chao Hui.
"Report to the Great General! The patrol boats ahead replied that they were following orders."
"On whose orders?" Chu Chao Hui frowned.
The flag soldiers waved their flags again. "Great General, by the highest order."
"Supreme order?" Chu Chao Hui frowned deeply, Wu can issue supreme orders only military and civil prime ministers, Zheng Yuming gave orders at this time, unless there is a situation in Ulsan, thinking of this, Chu Chao Hui was uneasy, he ordered the battleship officer, "Increase the speed of the ship to approach the Nambu pier."
The warship ship accelerated and quickly approached the Nambu military dock, where a group of people were already standing by the dock. Chu Chao Hui did not see Zheng Yuming figure, only saw his righteous brother Wu Da with a group of guards waiting at the pier.
Chu Chaohui saw Wu Da, and his heart was slightly relieved, Wu Da is safe, which means that Ulsan is still in Zheng Yuming's grasp, and even if there is a situation in Ulsan, the situation will not be serious.
"Chu Di!" Wu Da looked a little excited to see Chu Chao Hui's expression.
"Big brother, where's Yuming?" Chu Chao Hui found Wu Da's eyes slightly red, and his heart could not help but twist.
"Second brother is in Dacheng." Wu Da whispered. "Second Brother wants to see you sooner."
Chu Chao Hui stared at Wu Da for a while before replying, "When the cavalry is all ashore, for my brother to lead them to Dacheng."
Judging from the scene in front of us, there must be something happening in Ulsan, Wu Da stammers, so that Chu Chao Hui heart alert, Chu Chao Hui never easily believe in human nature, even if Wu Da is loyal and honest nature, with him and Zheng Yuming has become a brother of the opposite sex, Chu Chao Hui still choose to be on the defensive, because Chu Chao Hui knows that if something happens to him, Zheng Yuming will not be a good thing, away from him to protect Zheng Yuming's temperament, can not peacefully survive in the foreign world. The world can't survive safely in this foreign world. Chu Zhaohui himself safe, in fact, two people safe.
Because the assassination of Zheng Yuming can not be disclosed, Wu Da did not dare to explain to Chu Chao Hui in the crowded dock, so that Chu Chao Hui suspicion. This honest man did not realize that his sworn brother had defenses against him.
Chu Chao Hui led three thousand cavalry to follow Wu Da to the city, on the road, Wu Da see around there is no miscellaneous people, only to tell Chu Chao Hui, Zheng Yuming yesterday morning assassinated at the time of things.
"How is Yuming's situation?" After Chu Chao Hui heard this, he strangled his horse's reins, and the steed's front hooves nearly stood upright from the pain.
"Second brother had been sleeping yesterday, and woke up for a moment this morning, telling my brother to wait in Nambu, and when my brother came to Nambu, second brother had passed out again." Wu Da wiped the tear tracks at the corner of his eyes.
This time and space medical conditions are too poor, inflammation and fever with a terminal illness is almost the case, Wu Da worried to tears is normal.
"Trudy! Chu Di!" Wu Da's words just fell, Chu Chao Hui mount scampered out, learned that Zheng Yuming was seriously injured, Chu Chao Hui left the three thousand cavalry, hit the horse and ran in front. Chu Zhaohui mount is a thousand miles of good horse, run up the wind, a moment with Wu Da and cavalry to pull away from the distance, threw to the crowd a slip of dust.
Chu Zhaohui rode his horse straight into the city gate of Dacheng, good thing the gate guards are valley slave soldiers, recognizing that the person who broke into the city is Chu Zhaohui, stopping the gate guards from shooting arrows, otherwise, it is very likely to make Chu Zhaohui's body full of arrows into a hedgehog.
"My lord!" Standing guard at the gate of the county palace was Ma Ren.
"How is the duke's injury?" Chu Chaohui strangled his horse, flew off his horse, and threw the horse's reins god to the county guards.
"The valley healer has already rescued, the injury is still stable, there is no high fever." Ma Ren accompanied Chu Chao Hui to hurry towards Zheng Yuming's bedroom, on the way to report Zheng Yuming's injuries.
Chu Chao Hui didn't say anything along the way, only his lips pursed tighter and tighter.
Zheng Yuming outside the bedroom wafted a smell of traditional Chinese medicine, Chu Chao Hui walked to the bedroom door and stopped, Ma Ren, who was walking on the side, found that Chu Chao Hui's face was a little white, and there were beads of sweat flowing from the corners of his forehead, flowing through the corners of his eyes, as if they were tears.
Chu Chaohui took a deep breath and inhaled the strong smell of traditional Chinese medicine, making Chu Chaohui's mood plus heavy.
Zheng Yuming quietly lying on the bed, pale, lips without blood, left shoulder shoulder bandage, half covered with a thin quilt. In front of his bed lies wood, wood looks lifeless, a wilting look, heard footsteps at the door, wood looked up and found that it was Chu Chao Hui. Wood half climbed up, the dog head slightly tilted, let out a 'whimper' sound.
Wooden head bite kui ji arm, kui ji palm slap, wooden head was hit by the injury is still biting and refused to let go, was kui ji hard to throw down to the ground, wooden head was thrown to wail. Zheng Yuming fell into a mountain stream, wood, despite their own injuries, under the master climbed to the master near to try to save the master, the dog paw climbing process of abrasion, was rescued by the guards on the wood can be said to be full of external and internal injuries. Injured wood refused to leave the master's side, has been lying on the side of Zheng Yuming's bed, wood came back to eat nothing, from yesterday to today, wood only drank a little rice soup. Healers will only cure people, on the wood can not do anything, only for the wood external wound dressing wound medicine, as for the wood internal injuries, to rely on the wood itself hard resistance.
Woody now saw Chu Chao Hui come back, while making aggrieved sounds, crawled to Chu Chao Hui's side and rubbed his dog head against Chu Chao Hui's calf.
Chu Chao Hui didn't pay attention to Woody spilling his guts, his entire attention was on Zheng Yuming.
"Yuming!" Chu Chao Hui's voice was low and hoarse. He sat on the edge of the bed and touched Jung Yuming's hand, and then gently touched the corner of Jung Yuming's forehead with his forehead, Jung Yuming was heating up.
"What did the healer say?" Chu Chao Hui put a hand on Zheng Yuming's left chest, where Zheng Yuming's heartbeat was, and Zheng Yuming's steady heartbeat slightly comforted Chu Chao Hui.
"The healers have already controlled the prince's elevated body temperature, just the prince's internal injuries. They do not have medical grasp, humble servant yesterday has to Kang City flying pigeon letter summoning Jiang healer, estimated that Jiang healer tomorrow can arrive in the city." Jiang Gui medical skill is high, this time the southern patrol, Jiang Gui did not follow, Ma Ren with speed carrier pigeon summoning Jiang Gui, afraid of carrier pigeon on the road have flashbacks, a breath of a dozen carrier pigeons back to Kangcheng.
"How was Gongzi assassinated?" Wu Da Lu only briefly said that Zheng Yuming was assassinated, the specifics, Chu Chao Hui did not yet know.
"The assassin was sent by the King of Tang to assassinate the Prince, the assassin originally brought a letter from a famous scholar of Tang to seek the help of the Northern Academy scholar Fu Chou to assist him, probably after realizing that Fu Chou was unreliable, he left, and met Prince Zhao on the street, pretended to be a defector, and followed Prince Zhao to Ulsan. The Prince invited Prince Zhao to visit the waterfalls in Ulsan, this guy avoided the guards and lurked to the side of the waterfalls first, waiting for the Prince and Prince Zhao to approach and then suddenly attacked." Ma Ren reported the details of Kui Ji's assassination.
"Looking for death!" After Chu Chao Hui heard this, his eyes glowed with a cold light and he squeezed out two words from between his teeth, not knowing if he was saying that King Tang and Kui Ji were looking for death, or that Zhao Xuan was looking for death.
"After the Prince was rescued yesterday, he instructed my humble servant to take control of the Ulsan troops, heavily protect the Great King, put Zhao Xuan under house arrest, and wait for the Great General to return to decide everything." Ma Ren again spoke out the arrangements before Zheng Yuming fell unconscious.
Chu Chao Hui heard no sound, just red eyes, he stared at Zheng Yuming eyes began to blur.
"Fool, you think throwing your important things to me is the end of the matter?" Chu Chao Hui's voice was low, so low that Ma Ren, who was standing to the side, couldn't even hear it.
Chu Chao Hui leaned in close to Jung Yuming and stroked Jung Yuming's bloodless lips with his thumb. "Fool, if you don't give me a good time, you valuing something won't exist!"
Ma Ren could not see the expression on Chu Chao Hui's face as he stood on one side of the ground, he hesitated for a moment, but still asked Chu Chao Hui for his opinion, "Great General, that Prince of Zhao has requested to come and visit His Excellency."
Chu Chao Hui slowly straightened up and turned his face to face Ma Ren, the corner of his mouth slightly hooked, slightly red eyes with a smear of ruthlessness.
"Still want to come see Yuming?" The lines of Chu Chao Hui's mouth deepened. "The day your son is fine, I will naturally go to meet him!"
"Is this how humble servant replies?" Ma Ren felt a murderous intent emanating from Chu Chao Hui.
"No, no need to reply, it's too early to say anything now." Chu Chao Hui's voice was cold, Zhao Xuan's fate changed with Zheng Yuming's safety.
"I understand." Ma Ren sort of understand Chu Chao Hui now ignore Zhao Xuan intention. If Zheng Yuming was unfortunate, Zhao Xuan's juniors and ministers would definitely have to be buried with him, so going to see him now would be a waste of time. Only if Zheng Yuming is out of danger, Chu Chao Hui will control his anger to meet Zhao Xuan.
Zhao Xuan, who was under house arrest at the post house, inexplicably had a cold shiver, and he looked up suspiciously at the window, which was sizzling in the summer.