Chapter 471: A Two-Pronged Offensive

Grain prices along the northern section of the Grand Canal began to climb steadily. At first it was limited to rice and wheat, but later even coarse grains started to rise. In Tianjin, grain prices shot up rapidly from 1.2 taels to 2 taels per shi.

In places like Baoding, prices were even more expensive. Although Jingshi had tribute grain to stabilize prices, Jingshi also had a large population. Once grain-price panic set in, the common people abandoned their old habit of buying only three to five days' worth of grain and began frantically buying grain to store at home — the least anyone would store was a month's supply. Grain prices in Jingshi also began to rise. Grain merchants everywhere hoarded their stocks, waiting for grain to rise further.

Many rumors also appeared in Jiangnan and along the Grand Canal, saying that roving bandits were rampaging through Huguang, so this year's Huguang harvest was sure to fail, and also that roving bandits were moving toward Nanzhili, which triggered a wave of grain hoarding in Jiangnan and other places.

A sudden grain famine swept the Grand Canal region. Every household was hoarding grain. Grain shipments from the south to the north grew fewer and fewer. Often, as soon as a grain boat reached Linqing, someone would bid up the price, causing grain prices in the northern section to keep soaring.

Similar to grain prices was the price of cotton cloth. Likewise, north of Linqing, someone was buying in huge quantities. The Deng–Lai cotton cloth that had swept the native-cloth market earlier in the year vanished without a trace, causing cotton cloth prices to nearly double.

Because of transport difficulties and the concentration of the Liaodong military tax, prices in the Guanning region were consistently more expensive than in Tianjin and Tongzhou. Now that grain prices in the interior had risen, grain prices in Guanning also began to skyrocket. The Guanning army had an annual in-kind ration, five dou per soldier per month, but it was distributed seasonally, and losses en route were counted within that amount. Not much actually reached Guanning, and much of it still had to be purchased with commuted silver.

When grain prices first started rising, Wu Xiang and others gleefully sold off the army's in-kind grain to make money. Only later did they realize something was wrong. Grain merchants in Guanning stopped selling grain one after another, while big trading companies with backing, like the Four Seas Trading Company, were still buying frantically, further driving up grain and cotton cloth prices in Guanning.

Grain prices in Guanning soon reached 4 taels per shi and were still racing toward 5 taels. At this point, Zu Dashou and Wu Xiang were both dumbfounded. They sent one plea for help after another to Jingshi. By then, Jingshi had also risen to 2.5 taels. Every merchant with connections was scrambling to hoard goods. The Ministry of Revenue urgently ordered the southern prefectures and departments to release their reserves, but prices in the south had also risen to some extent, so the north's hunger could not be relieved in a short time.

Because information traveled slowly, the south still could not grasp the specific prices in the north. Merchants would often sell at high prices right at Linqing, then turn around and go back south to pull more cargo. This way, turnover time was faster and they could also earn quite a bit of silver. The most persistent ones made it as far as Tianjin. Places like Tongzhou could not get new goods at all. Amid the bidding-up by various parties, grain prices in the north continued to surge ahead triumphantly.

When Chen Xin received the latest summary report in Dengzhou, he too was greatly shocked. This had already exceeded his expectations. The economic warfare originally aimed at Guanning, the Mongols, and the Jianzhou Bandits had also ensnared the common people of Jingshi badly enough.

After reading it, Chen Xin handed it to Liu Minyou. "Take a look at the effects of our economic warfare. Wang Erya's rumors are more effective than silver. Every kind of rumor is circulating in Jingshi. Many people think the Jianzhou Bandits really are coming. In just this short time, the banks in Jingshi have taken in 500,000 taels in new huipiao, most of it to be redeemed in Jinan or Dengzhou. Many are from capital officials — this is fear, and they think our Dengzhou is safe and secure."

Liu Minyou shook his head and said, "We actually should have thought of this earlier. The grain transported north on the Grand Canal each year is only a few million shi. We poured in 2 million taels within a single month, 800,000 in Tianjin alone, and practically bought up all the grain that could be bought. Add to that the price-bidding by grain shops belonging to Wen Tiren and others, and the other small grain merchants closing their doors and hoarding, and grain prices were bound to soar. We just didn't count on the common people spontaneously hoarding, which intensified the degree of the rise. If this gets too severe, why don't we release grain? To avoid starving people to death in Jingshi."

"That won't do. Once it's started, it can't be stopped. The Jianzhou Bandits' tolerance is far lower than Jingshi's, and the Guanning army's tolerance is also stronger than the Jianzhou Bandits'. Follow the original plan and stop only after the autumn harvest."

Liu Minyou hesitated, "The Guanning army has in-kind rations..."

"Their families don't. Five dou a month is only 60 jin, just enough for the soldiers themselves to eat. To keep soldiers from daring to run away, the Guanning army keeps the families and soldiers in the same city. Add to that the military households and bondservants of those military families, and the court's grain is far from enough. Don't look down on that small area of Liaoxi — its population is not small. We can slightly adjust the plan. After prices reach their peak in July, start releasing grain in Guanning, but only enough for them to feed themselves. That way we earn the silver first, and they won't have any surplus to sell to the Jianzhou Bandits. By the end of the eighth month, we'll suppress grain prices and deal with those merchants. Reckoning it up, probably half of Guanning's military pay this year will end up with us."

"Actually, if Wu Xiang and Zu Dashou were willing to buy grain at high prices in Tianjin and Ningyuan and then sell it off, they could also stabilize prices in Guanning. The silver the two of them have is no less than 2 million."

Chen Xin sneered, "Would they be willing to part with it? Besides, they don't have banks. Their total amount definitely won't exceed ours. At most, they can delay things for a while. In the end, they won't be able to hold out."

"Kalaqin also suffered a severe drought last year and this year, even worse than Henan. They can't survive just eating cattle and sheep; they must buy grain from Guanning. Liaodong had the same severe drought. This year, with the smuggling routes through Zhangjiakou and Deng–Lai cut off, let's see what he uses to feed his people."

Chen Xin chuckled, "Not just Kalaqin — Tumote is the same. Those captives were sent back, and our horse-buying price dropped to 10 taels. That Tang Hongchang in Zhangjiakou is a real character. Not only does he not take a cut on our horse deals, he's also helping to bid up grain prices, just to seek a long-term relationship. Everything is shifting in a direction favorable to us. As long as we keep the Jianzhou Bandits pinned down in Liaodong so they can't go out and plunder money, then Huang Taiji's fate is to be dragged to death."

Liu Minyou blinked and looked at Chen Xin. "Even if this drags Huang Taiji to death, it will also drag many common people in the north to death. We still need to use military and economic means together."

"No problem. Hasn't Zhu Guobin already started?"

"What's it called?"

"No special name, just the Summer Offensive. It's just to make Huang Taiji expend more grain, that's all. Our goal this time is to drag, drag him to death."

Fuzhou City. An unending stream of cavalry exited the city from the Zhenhai Gate in the north, heading toward Gaizhou. Since the Battle of Lushun last year, Huang Taiji had contracted his defenses. No one here in Fuzhou was willing to defend it. Huang Taiji left only a small number of Plain Yellow Banner mounted troopers to use it as an outpost base.

During the period when the Jianzhou Bandits were attacking Xuan–Da, Zhu Guobin launched a diversionary attack along the Fuzhou line and easily retook Fuzhou. All the post stations and military forts south of Yulinpu were abandoned by the Later Jin. Their main force retreated back to Gaizhou City and Yulinpu. Yulinpu was only 15 li from Gaizhou. From Yulinpu to Fuzhou, along the way there were eleven post stations and military forts: Guotoupu, Guorpu, Xiongyue Post, Buzipu, Xin'anpu, Wushizhai Post Station, Yongningjian, Nanxianpu, Mengjiachuanpu, Motapu, and Bajiapu. The distances between them ranged from 10 to 20 li. Yulinpu was a full 180 li from Fuzhou.

These military forts had been restored by the Later Jin troops in the previous two years and used as logistics relay stations during the Battle of Lushun. They were then torn down by the Later Jin and reduced to ruins. When the Later Jin withdrew, they also threw rotting rats and other animal carcasses into the wells to contaminate the local water sources, to prevent the Dengzhou Garrison from rapidly pursuing them to Gaizhou.

Dengzhou Garrison cavalry entered and garrisoned Fuzhou in the second month. A simple dock was built at Niangniang Temple to the south, just as during the Fuzhou campaign, allowing supplies to be transported along the Shahe (Fuzhou River). The coastal area north of Fuzhou was all flat terrain washed out from the Liaonan mountain system. Dengzhou infantry did not garrison there, only establishing bases in the mountain areas. A company-command headquarters and a mountain infantry company from the 4th Battalion set up layered defenses there, which could effectively cover the cavalry's retreat.

The area from Jinzhou toward Xiuyan was also a stretch of mountainous terrain. Another company-command headquarters, expanded from the 4th Battalion, was deployed in this direction. Many defensive works were built in the Jinzhou area. Everywhere south of Nanguan, land was being opened up and developed. The number of settler households transported from Deng–Lai exceeded 50,000. The entire Dengzhou Garrison's in-kind grain was shipped here. The Deng–Lai region's army relied on the 60,000 shi of grain collected from the tunbao, and for the rest they had to buy from outside.

Although Liaonan was a money-losing venture for the time being, it had advantages that Deng–Lai could not match. It was a complete blank zone under imperial court rule. The Dengzhou Garrison established a complete grassroots organization, with no other forces getting in the way.

The Dengzhou combat troops that had come to reinforce during the Battle of Lushun gradually withdrew, leaving only one company-command headquarters of the 1st Battalion in Lushun to provide support. The original Lushun garrison unit was also transferred to Jinzhou. The large number of auxiliary soldiers who had experienced the Battle of Lushun became the reserve source of troops for the Liaonan Brigade's expansion. The entire Jinzhou Isthmus was dotted with tunbao. From Nanguan to Lushun was a solid defense in depth. As the number of settler households increased, the Dengzhou Garrison was becoming more and more entrenched in Liaonan.

The fifth month was when the Dengzhou Summer Offensive began. Chen Xin's purpose in launching the offensive was merely to burden Huang Taiji a bit, just as a complement to the economic warfare, and incidentally to gain a few heads to report to the imperial court, making it seem that Liaonan was not quiet.

Zhu Guobin, leading the cavalry, was stationed right in Fuzhou City. He had already completed one raid on Yulinpu and established a forward base at Xiongyue Post. The Later Jin promptly transferred 3,000 cavalry from Haizhou and Gaizhou and drove Zhu Guobin's cavalry back. The forward base at Xiongyue Post was also abandoned. Facing 180 li of desolate terrain, the Later Jin troops also halted. The lessons of the Battle of Lushun were still vivid in their minds, and they did not dare to continue deeper into Liaonan. Neither side intended to fight a decisive battle in the Southern Four Garrisons right now.

The naval squadron dispatched seven bird-boats north, carrying the Special Operations Company to land at any time for reconnaissance and sabotage. After attracting the Jianzhou Bandits' attention, the Fuzhou cavalry would strike again. Zhu Guobin received word passed on by the Special Operations Company that the Later Jin cavalry at Yulinpu had already withdrawn. He needed to go give them another whack, to force the Later Jin troops to mobilize and redeploy repeatedly, draining their money, grain, and labor.

"The raid on Gaizhou is extremely critical. The Jianzhou Bandits don't have the guts to come to Liaonan again. Last month, the Dongjiang Garrison also raided the six forts north of Jiuliancheng, such as Xianshan and Kuandian. Except for the absence of an offensive in Liaoxi, the encirclement of the Jianzhou Bandits by Deng–Lai has already taken shape. To pin the Jianzhou Bandits down in Liaodong, Gaizhou is a key location. Beyond Gaizhou, the terrain opens up. If we send 100 cavalry, the Jianzhou Bandits need 300 to cordon them off. Haizhou behind it is a critical route from central Liao to Liaoxi and Kalaqin, a place that must be contested to recover Liao, and also the place where the Jianzhou Bandits boil salt. The objective given by Lord Chen is to make the area near Haizhou impossible for farming and salt-boiling within two years..."

Zhu Guobin was on the gate tower assigning missions to Tan Shen and other officers when a staff officer came up from below the city and whispered a few words in Zhu Guobin's ear. Zhu Guobin's expression changed slightly. A moment later, he said quietly to the staff officer, "Write it up as an urgent report immediately. Take a boat from Niangniang Temple directly to Deng–Lai and inform Lord Chen of this matter."

Tan Shen watched the staff officer leave and suppressed his curiosity without asking. The assembled officers were all speculating, but they could not ask about matters their superior had not disclosed. Zhu Guobin swept his gaze over them and smiled, "It's not a big deal. Yesterday we captured a Plain Blue Banner scout. Under interrogation, he revealed that Degelei suddenly died of a violent illness, and Manggultai's sister Mangguji was also arrested. The new Banner Lord of the Plain Blue Banner is now... Haoge. In the future, the banner we need to focus our attacks on will probably have to include the Plain Blue."

〖∷Fast Updates∷∷Plain Text∷〗