Yang Hu and Deputy Governor Wen Qin and Zhang led the infantry battalion to the Red River Valley first.

The Red River Valley is located at the junction of Jiaozhou and Yizhou, but it is almost deserted. Apart from the densely populated jungle, it is this red river. Since the upper reaches of this river flow through a piece of red soil, the river water is dyed red. This is similar to the Yellow River in the north. It is named Honghe, and it is well deserved.

The Honghe River originates from Yunnan County in Nanzhong, Yizhou, and goes to Jiaozhi County to the sea. It is the largest river in Jiaozhi County. The main reason why Yang Hu chose to gather in the Honghe Valley at the junction of Yizhou and Jiaozhou is that the Honghe River can be navigated in Jiaozhi County, and the river transports grain and grass materials is the simplest and least expensive way of transportation.

During this attack on Shu, Yang Hu was preparing to build a forward base in the Honghe Valley. It was closest to Yizhou and could transport food and supplies from Longbian through water transportation. After the Wei army entered Nanzhong, he could continue to use the Honghe waterway to transport food and grass to the Wei army on the front line, saving time and effort.

Of course, the section where the Honghe River can be navigated is not too long. Yang Hu also conducted a survey in advance. After entering Nanzhong, the Honghe River can maintain a voyage of up to four or five hundred miles. If you go further, you will be rapids and dangerous shoals and cannot be navigated.

Moreover, the Honghe River is a seasonal river. The water surges during the rainy season, which can reach four to five times the normal flow. During the dry season, even half of the normal water volume is less than half. The water volume factor is also an important reason that restricts the shipping of the Honghe River.

The Honghe River during the flood and dry seasons cannot be navigated, but fortunately it is spring now and the flood season has not arrived. After the snow water from the South Central Plateau melts, the water level of the Honghe River is maintained at a relatively ideal position, making the Honghe River's navigable mileage much longer than other periods.

Don’t underestimate the role of a river. Its role in logistics transportation is irreplaceable. The low cost of water transportation can make the Wei army’s logistics supply more smooth.

But despite this, Yang Hu still attached great importance to logistics matters. Before the troops moved, food and grass should be taken first. You should know that the 80,000 troops of the Wei army consumed every day with extremely amazing food and grass.

Since Jiaozhou has just been recovered and production has not been fully restored, it is already a troublesome to solve the people's livelihood problems in Jiaozhou. If the Wei army still had to collect grain and tax in Jiaozhou, it would have to cause large-scale riots in Jiaozhou.

When Jiaozhou was first decided, it was time to calm people's hearts. In order to appease the people, Yang Hu even took out the food of the soldiers to provide relief to the refugees. The food and grass needed by the military and civilians of Jiaozhou had to travel thousands of miles from Wujun and Xuzhou, which was very expensive.

Fortunately, with the continuous efforts of the military and civilians of Jiaozhou, Jiaozhou's economy has finally recovered, abandoned land has been reclaimed and cultivated, and early-season rice is almost at the harvest season. At least the people's livelihood problem can be solved.

Yang Hu couldn't help but sigh that Jiaozhou is better, and it can be cooked twice a year or even three a year. If it is placed in the Central Plains area where it is cooked once a year, it will take a long time to restore people's livelihood.

The demands of the people are actually very simple. They ask for two meals a day and one night. As long as they can eat and wear warm clothes, they have no other ideas. The hungry people are the most terrifying. They may join the rebellion team at any time.

So don’t talk about loyalty, filial piety, ruthlessness, mercy, etiquette, righteousness, integrity and shame to hungry people. When people are hungry, they have no morals. If you want them to be law-abiding and obedient people, the most basic condition is to let them eat full.

In this regard, Yang Hu really had a deep understanding that the people of Jiaozhou suffered the most in the war. In order to fight against the Wei army, the Wu army adopted the strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the fields. A large number of immature crops were destroyed and all the people drove them to the city.

These people were all farmers who farmed and lived in the city, eating and drinking, but the Wu army ignored them at all. When they fled, they abandoned all of these people, leaving a mess for the Wei army to clean up.

If the people are at peace, then Jiaozhou will be safe, and the people will be safe, then Lingnan will be stable. Yang Hu knew this very well, so when appeaseing the people, Yang Hu did not dare to be careless at all, let alone let him die. Even if the Wei army's military rations were very difficult, Yang Hu still squeezed out a little share of these foods and grass to provide relief to the people and let them overcome the difficulties.

After about half a year, the people in Jiaozhou finally settled down and the economy began to change to a better position. However, the economy of Jiaozhou is still very fragile. For this reason, under the struggle of Yang Hu, the court has issued an order to reduce the taxes of the people of Jiaozhou for two years, allowing them to recuperate.

Therefore, this time when we went to the Shu Kingdom, the huge Jiaozhou could not give Yang Hu any support. It was a blessing that we would not have to become a burden.

Now all the materials and food and grass needed by the Wei army still need to be transported from thousands of miles away. Moreover, the consumption of food and grass is completely different when garrison and when going to fight. When going to fight, more food and grass and supplies are needed to support it. In addition, the loss in transportation must basically reach three times that required at ordinary times in order to meet the needs of the front line.

Before the troops moved, food and grass would lead. Without a strong and powerful logistics support system, the Wei army's expedition was destined to fail, so what Yang Hu had the most priority was the reserve and transportation of food and grass materials.

Although it was not determined in advance whether the Central Army was going to go on the expedition, all logistics reserves were prepared according to the needs of the expedition. Therefore, after the war in Jiaozhou ended, the sea fleet did not stop or slow down the speed of transportation. Instead, it increased its capacity and continuously transported food, grass and military supplies to Jiaozhi County.

In more than half a year, sufficient food and supplies had been stocked up in Jiaozhi. At first, all of these supplies were piled up near the mouth of the Honghe River, and Longbian City had not entered. The purpose of Yang Hu doing this was to conceal it.

There was almost no population at the mouth of the river. The Wei army demarcated an empty area and blocked nearby roads. Even if a spy went deep into Jiaozhou, the Shu army could not enter this grain storage base.

It was only after receiving the order to go to the expedition that Yang Hu ordered the transfer of food and grass to the Red River Valley on the border of Jiaoyi.

In fact, Yang Hu arranged this valley in advance, but it was empty before the action was taken. Until this time, the people from each camp arrived and it was overcrowded.
Chapter completed!