"Report—"
"Reporting to the Deputy Commander, a scout from the Prince of Zhongshan's residence has arrived with news!"
In a secluded three-courtyard house in Guangling County, Lu Jiang, the Marquis of Zhongyong, who had been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard by Emperor Zhaowu Chen Huai'an, suddenly received a report from his subordinate, the commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard.
The commander said, "The steward of the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion, after disguising himself, secretly contacted major grain merchants in Guangling County and drastically increased prices to buy up grain."
"In addition, grain merchants were sent to various parts of Jiangnan to spread the news that someone in Guangling County was buying up grain at high prices!"
Um?
Upon hearing this, Marquis Lu Jiang, the Loyal and Brave, raised an eyebrow and immediately realized that Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan intended to hoard grain and disrupt the grain market of the Tang Dynasty!
snort!
Lu Jiang snorted coldly and said irritably, "His Majesty was right after all. The Prince of Zhongshan is indeed secretly in contact with the Goguryeo rebels."
"In my opinion, his actions are not only intended to disrupt our dynasty's grain market, but also to secretly use the guise of overseas trade to send these purchased grains to the Goguryeo Peninsula to fund the rebels."
"This Su Muchen, as a former prince of the previous dynasty, not only does he not appreciate the emperor's favor, but he is also a traitor who betrays his own people. He is utterly despicable!"
Marquis Lu Jiang, known for his loyalty and bravery, astutely exposed the scheme of Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan.
The commander of the Dragon City Guard immediately asked, "Deputy Envoy, should we go to the Prince of Zhongshan's residence to arrest him now?"
"Anyway, now that the evidence is conclusive, arresting and interrogating the owners of those grain stores and the steward of the Prince's mansion will make it clear that Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, has been secretly aiding the enemy!"
"No way—"
Lu Jiang decisively rejected the suggestion of his commander, saying, "We cannot act rashly now. We must not alert the enemy. We must wait until Su Muchen has loaded all the grain onto carts or ships before we strike. Only then can we catch him red-handed and leave him with no way to defend himself!"
After saying that, Lu Jiang waved his hand and ordered, "You all continue to keep watch. No one is allowed to make any rash moves without my order. Go!"
"Yes, Vice Envoy!"
Three more days passed.
The steward of the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion had already prepared 200,000 shi of grain, which he had purchased from major grain merchants in Guangling County and surrounding cities. The grain transport caravans gathered outside Guangling County, and Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan personally went to hand over the grain.
"Your Highness, all 200,000 shi of grain are here. Please take a look!"
A middle-aged man dressed in a Hangzhou textile long gown, leading a group of similarly dressed grain merchants, cupped his hands to Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan and pointed to the endless convoy of carriages on the official road outside the city, saying, "Your Highness, shall we transport the grain away and load it onto the ship now, or..."
"No rush, let's wait a bit longer!"
The dashing Su Muchen was dressed in a white robe, and even in the cold weather, he was waving a folding fan in his hand, making him look incredibly charming.
Her icy eyes darted around, as if she were waiting for someone.
"Don't move! None of you are allowed to move!"
Just then, a loud shout rang out, and a large number of Dragon City guards dressed in flying fish robes suddenly rushed out from the forests on both sides of the official road.
"Dragon City's internal security is conducting an investigation; no unauthorized personnel are allowed to make any moves!"
Immediately afterward, Lu Jiang, the newly appointed deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard and Marquis of Loyalty and Valor of the Tang Dynasty, rode in on a tall, long-legged white horse, his eyes coldly scrutinizing Prince Su Muchen and his entourage.
Lu Jiang looked down at Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, and said with a forced smile, "Your Highness, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
snort!
Su Muchen snorted coldly and said irritably, "Thanks to you, Marquis Zhongyong, I've been living a much better life!"
"What brings you here, Marquis Zhongyong, with such a large force to surround my caravan?"
"Or is it that the Marquis of Zhongyong wants to become a bandit and rob people on the highway, and wants me to pay him some toll before my caravan can travel on the official roads of the Tang Dynasty?"
hehe!
Lu Jiang maintained his forced smile and said, "Your Highness, please don't accuse me of anything. I received intelligence that someone was trying to inflate grain prices to support the rebels, which is why I brought my men here to investigate."
"But unexpectedly, we encountered a prince!"
As he spoke, Lu Jiang asked, word by word, "I would also like to ask Your Highness another question: Do you know any of the people who bought grain at high prices in Guangling County and the surrounding areas?"
"Lord Zhongyong, we're all sensible people, so let's not beat around the bush!"
Su Muchen cut to the chase: "Those who purchased grain in Guangling County and the surrounding areas were none other than myself."
"but--"
Then, Su Muchen changed the subject, sneering, "I am not the one who, as Marquis Zhongyong claims, inflates grain prices and secretly supplies the enemy;"
"I have only survived to this day thanks to the Emperor's grace. Hearing of the Prince of Jin's rebellion, as a subject of the Tang Dynasty and a former official who has received the Emperor's favor, I also wish to contribute to the court's efforts to quell the rebellion."
"The 200,000 shi of grain here was donated by me, in the name of the Prince of Zhongshan, to the court for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion!"
"What, does the Marquis of Zhongyong have a problem with this too?"
"Minister of Revenue, Lord Jiang, has arrived—"
Just as Su Muchen and Lu Jiang were about to clash, a loud announcement suddenly came from the official road outside Guangling County: Jiang Xiao, the Minister of Revenue of the Tang Dynasty, had arrived!
When Jiang Xiao, riding in a sedan chair carried by eight men, lifted the curtain, he was immediately stunned by the scene before him.
He glanced at Lu Jiang, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, who was riding on horseback and looking down at others; then he glanced at Su Muchen, the Prince of Zhongshan, who was standing surrounded by people and seemed fearless; and then he glanced at the endless grain transport caravans on the official road.
He slapped his forehead and immediately realized what was going on.
Hahaha!
Jiang Xiao, the Minister of Revenue, stepped down from the sedan chair carried by eight men while laughing heartily.
As he walked, he said, "Oh dear, Your Highness, Your Lordship, this is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple! Look at my memory, it's all my fault for not informing you beforehand."
Jiang Xiao approached the two men with a smile and explained, "My lord, it's like this. If I remember correctly, this batch of grain is 200,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). It's military rations that the Prince of Zhongshan specially donated to the court for suppressing the rebellion."
Then, he turned to Su Muchen and said, "Your Highness, recently, since the news of the Prince of Jin's rebellion was announced to the world, many unscrupulous merchants have appeared all over the country, inflating prices and hoarding grain and supplies."
"As the Deputy Commander of the Dragon City Inner Guard, it is also the Marquis's duty to crack down on unscrupulous merchants and investigate those who colluded with or aided the enemy."
Finally, Jiang Xiao looked at the two and said, "It seems that the Marquis was investigating the matter of unscrupulous merchants raising prices, and inadvertently mistook the Prince, who was raising funds for the imperial court to donate military provisions, for an unscrupulous merchant."
"This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple!"
Jiang Xiao smiled ingratiatingly once again, and the two who were originally at loggerheads softened their expressions after his mediation.
Marquis Lu Jiang, the Loyal and Brave, was furious. He waved his hand and said, "Since that's the case, then let's retreat!"
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back, leading hundreds of Dragon City guards.
No sooner had Lu Jiang left than the Prince of Zhongshan hurriedly said, "Lord Jiang, all 200,000 shi of grain are here. I entrust them to you, and I hope you will convey my respect to the Emperor."
"I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Muchen didn't care about Jiang Xiao, who was still standing there in a daze. He turned around and hurriedly got into his sixteen-bearer sedan chair and left, as if there was something extremely urgent.
In the end, Jiang Xiao, the Minister of Revenue, was left standing there dumbfounded, completely bewildered.
That night.
Inside the yamen of Longcheng Inner Guard in Guangling County.
The cold expression on Marquis Lu Jiang's face, which he had shown when he was humiliated outside the city during the day, was completely gone. Instead, he looked confident and excited.
Sure enough, in the middle of the night, one of his commanders came to report.
"Reporting to the Vice Envoy, Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, has left the palace under the cover of night!"
"oh?"
Lu Jiang raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, "Hmph, Su Muchen, you think you can fool me with your petty tricks? You think you can pull off a feint while secretly advancing?"
Little did they know, they were actually the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind them!
"Old ginger is spicier!"
After saying that, Lu Jiang waved his hand and said sternly, "Pass down the order: all the guards of Longcheng, assemble and set off immediately!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
......
At midnight, at the docks and ports outside Guangling County, dozens of ocean-going merchant ships controlled by the Su family of the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion were preparing to depart. Sacks of grain were being carried onto the merchant ships by farmers on the docks in a manner similar to ants carrying grain. Countless horse-drawn carriages were also moving through the night, continuously transporting grain to the docks.
Indeed, this batch of grain, totaling 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), was purchased at high prices from various places around Guangling County by Su Muchen, the Prince of Zhongshan, under the pretext of donating grain to the court to quell a rebellion. He planned to load it onto a ship under cover of night and transport it to the Goguryeo Peninsula overnight.
In addition to grain, the ship also carried large quantities of sea salt (smuggled salt by salt gangs) and gold and silver.
These items were provisions and supplies that King Su Muchen of Zhongshan had raised for the rebel army of Goguryeo, secretly funding his brother-in-law Chen Longxiang to help his nephew Zhao Lingwu restore the country and the Great Xin Dynasty.
Asking Prince Su Muchen of Zhongshan to procure cannonballs and weapons for the Red-Clothed Cannons was indeed asking too much of a question.
However, for the Su family of Guangling County, whose ancestors were wealthy merchants and salt tycoons in Jiangnan, obtaining hundreds of thousands of shi of grain and sea salt, as well as providing some subsidies for provisions, was a piece of cake.
After King Su Muchen of Zhongshan made up his mind to link the rise and fall of the Zhongshan Royal Palace with his nephew Zhao Lingwu, who was restoring the kingdom on the Goguryeo Peninsula;
In just a few days, he had raised a large amount of food and supplies for the rebels on the Goguryeo Peninsula, which shows that Su Muchen has considerable skill and resources in logistics and supplies management.
Moreover, all of this was done while keeping it a secret from the spies and informants of the Longcheng Inner Guard and maintaining good relations between the garrison commanders of Guangling County and the surrounding areas.
Without these obstacles, Su Muchen's "war logistics mobilization capability" would be far stronger than he is currently demonstrating.
This is why Su Wan'er, the former queen and younger sister of King Jungsan, who was far away on the Goguryeo Peninsula, appeared so confident when she persuaded Prince Chen Longxiang of Jin to raise an army against the Tang Dynasty.
Let's get back to the main topic.
It was already late at night, but the docks outside Guangling County were still bustling with activity. More than half of the 300,000 shi of grain had been loaded onto the ships, and in another two or three hours, they should be able to set sail and head straight for Goguryeo.
Guangling County had an extremely developed shipping industry. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period more than two thousand years ago, with the excavation of the Han Canal, after more than two thousand years of development, Guangling Port became an important port in the Jiangnan region of the Central Plains Dynasty. It was a direct trading port for the Central Plains Dynasty to Japan, Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo.
Therefore, during the day, Prince Zhongshan, Su Muchen, used the excuse of "raising grain to help the court quell the rebellion" and with the endorsement of Minister of Revenue Jiang Xiao, temporarily deceived Lu Jiang, the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard. Then, he immediately ordered people to load the grain hidden outside the city onto ships to Yunzhou overnight, so as not to delay and cause any unforeseen problems.
What Su Muchen didn't know was that his supposedly flawless "switching the beams and pillars" plan was actually a charade staged for him by Lu Jiang, the deputy commander of the Longcheng Inner Guard, and Jiang Xiao, the Minister of Revenue.
The purpose was to lull Su Muchen into a false sense of security, so that he would reveal his true colors and be caught red-handed by the Longcheng Guards. This would allow them to dismantle the Su family's smuggling network in the Jiangnan region, which involved grain, salt, and other goods, and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Another hour passed.
The loading of provisions and supplies bound for the Goguryeo Peninsula at the port was nearing completion. Before the fleet set sail, King Su Muchen of Zhongshan, who had rushed over, met Fan Bao, the deputy general of the rebel army who had come to meet them.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Su Muchen grasped Fan Bao's hand tightly and said solemnly, "General Fan, I hereby entrust all of the 300,000 shi of grain, sea salt, and the 200,000 taels of silver allocated to support the anti-Tang army to General Fan."
"Please trouble General Fan to convey a message to the Empress Dowager and the Regent, saying that Emperor Chen Huai'an of the Tang Dynasty has taken notice of my connections with Goguryeo."
"In the future, it will probably not be so easy for me to support the anti-Tang rebels!"
After a pause, Su Muchen continued, "General Fan, please also convey a message to the Empress Dowager: I am waiting for their restoration at the Zhongshan Prince's residence!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Fan Bao clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, this humble general will certainly deliver the message."
"On behalf of the Empress Dowager and the Regent, who are far away on the Goguryeo Peninsula, and the more than 200,000 anti-Tang rebels, I thank Your Highness for your assistance this time."
"With this batch of provisions, the army's urgent needs can be relieved!"
Um!
Su Muchen nodded and said, "General Fan, farewell!"
"Your Highness, take care!"
Clang, clang, clang!
Just as Su Muchen and the rebel deputy general Fan Bao were saying goodbye, a rapid sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out from all directions on the official roads outside the port, getting closer and clearer.
Immediately afterwards, countless torches suddenly flickered, like fire dragons tumbling in the night.
"Dragon City's inner guards are investigating a case. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to make any moves!"
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