Chapter 107: Power before kindness

After Zheng Chenggong left Huang Ting, who had brought troops from Changtai City, to lead the troops to garrison in Tong'an, he also transferred the envoy An Long. After returning to Zhangzhou Prefecture, Zhang Huangyan, who was temporarily serving as an errand under Lu Ruoteng, took charge of Changtai.

The resettlement of the people in the three cities of Pu Suo and Tong'an.

During the siege of the city by the Qing army, the damage to the surrounding areas reached appalling proportions. The restoration of production in the three cities required huge amounts of money, food and human support. However, due to the destruction of the Qing army, a large number of people were massacred, and the original local social structure

It almost ceased to exist. Zheng Chenggong planned to reorganize the surviving people into households and directly incorporate them into the fort system attached to the Zheng government in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Huangyan has already demonstrated his talents at this time. Whether it is working with Wang Zhongxiao to go to the southwest to meet Yongli on behalf of Ming Zheng, contacting Li Dingguo, or handling money and food arrangements under Lu Ruoteng in the past few months, he has performed exceptionally. Such a person,

If you have knowledge and experience, and can lead troops in battle, with a little training, you will be a great talent.

Therefore, although Zhang Huangyan wanted to return to Zhang Mingzhen and devote himself to the anti-Qing cause in Chongming-Zhoushan, how could Zheng Chenggong let him go? If he was allowed to return to Zhang Mingzhen's side to work, it would weaken and divide King Lu

It will be difficult to implement the plan of internal unification for a series of soldiers and horses.

Moreover, compared to Chongming-Zhoushan, Zheng Chenggong hopes to send Zhang Huangyan to Chaozhou, where local relations are still very complicated. Zheng Chenggong not only needs Hao Shangjiu, a black glove, to clear the obstacles to local governance with thunderous means, but also needs someone who is not originally understood.

People in Zheng's system were trying to appease the gentry, and Zhang Huangyan was his favorite candidate.

Local governance, military construction, the operation of money and grain workshops, and the development of maritime trade, all departments will have intersections in Chaozhou, Huizhou, and Zhangzhou, and they must all be Zheng Chenggong's confidants. If Zhang Huangyan does not handle it properly, he will send someone to deal with it.

It will also be easier.

"Xuanzhu, come, sit down and talk." In the county office of Tong'an City, Zheng Chenggong met alone with Zhang Huangyan, who had rushed from Zhangzhou Fucheng to take office. "How did you feel after a trip to the southwest? Have you seen Sun Kewang and him?

The army in front of the palace?"

Zhang Huangyan was not reserved when facing Zheng Chenggong. After sitting down calmly, he recalled it in his mind and said:

"The King of Qin didn't see it. Originally, both Xianguan and Mr. Wang planned to go to Guiyang to ask the King of Qin for instructions, but by that time the King of Qin had already led troops to march eastward. Guizhou was heavily protected, and roads were needed to guide them wherever they went, otherwise they would be captured by the local authorities.

Xiang Yong was arrested as a spy, and Xiaguan and Mr. Wang also went through many twists and turns. Finally, with the help of the local left-behind officials, they were able to go to Anlong Mansion smoothly."

Zheng Chenggong had already known about the failure of the two to meet Emperor Yongli in his previous report. At that time, Sun Kewang's prestige was still quite high, and he was almost banned in the southwest. Anlong Mansion was stationed by his confidants, and the officials inside

It would be good to send a secret envoy to contact Li Dingguo. Under Sun Kewang's strict order, naturally he did not dare to let a few living people in.

"The Qing court is a master at using spies. If the armor is not tight and the local control is not appropriate, how can we prevent it? Moreover, if not, it will be difficult to collect local money and food. The southwest has always been poor, how can we raise such a child in such a barbaric place?

With an army of hundreds of thousands, Sun Kewang naturally has something that ordinary people cannot compare with."

"What Guo Xing said is very true, and Xiaguan paid attention to it everywhere at that time. Every time he entered the city or stayed at the Guandao Inn, he made many inquiries and found out some of its wonderful features. And the most wonderful thing is that

That camp and paid corvee service."

"Camping and paid corvee? How to talk about this?" Zheng Chenggong pretended not to know, and asked curiously. He brought the topic in this direction for the sake of what he wants to say next.

Zhang Huangyan looked at Zheng Chenggong's curious expression, thought for a while and continued:

"It stands to reason that Yunnan and Guizhou are not wealthy provinces. They both suffered from Tusi rebellions in the past few years. The people were displaced, local output was greatly reduced, and their tax revenue was less than that of Jiangnan in peacetime.

County, let alone now. But it actually raised an army of hundreds of thousands, making the King of Qin, King of Xining and King of Funan all strong reinforcements against the Qing Dynasty. This shows that the southwest must have mastered the secret of grain production.<

/p>

The lower official deceived many people and finally determined that the secret to producing grain was the camp. However, it was not actually anything unusual. It was just an improvement on the guard station set up by Emperor Taizu.<

/p>

But it is not exactly the same. The fields in it are not cultivated by the army, but by the common people. The King of Qin sends officials from the army to manage them. Under the supervision at all levels, there is very little corruption. Moreover, the entire fields in the southwest have been taken away by the King of Qin.

The landowners only accounted for 10% of the income, so they had the food needed to support the army.

The paid corvee is literally what it means, but most of it just provides food. In the early years, there was money to be paid, but now that the war is tight, there is no more. However, for the people, providing food is already a benevolent government.

."

Zhang Huangyan was originally a civil servant, but he also studied the art of war. He could ride horses and shoot arrows, and his personal martial arts skills were not bad. He organized and led the rebel army, and also served under King Lu. He was an all-rounder, knowledgeable and experienced. It is true.

It was these experiences and knowledge that allowed him to infer Sun Kewang's general policy measures based on what he saw along the way and the few words he picked up.

"But if it is according to what Xuanzhu said, how could those landowners be willing to take only 10%? Moreover, this vassal remembers that a considerable part of the land in the southwest is also occupied by temples like Zhangzhou. The rest are mostly occupied by Prince Mu's Mansion and chieftains from various places.

Owned by a wealthy family." Zheng Chenggong asked with a frown.

"Guo surname, have you forgotten what Sun Kewang did before?" Zhang Huangyan smiled and shook his head, "He is a gangster, how dare those squires say no? Moreover, he is not trying to force people to death.

As long as they don't resist, they won't ransack their homes or kill people, it's just that the land rent is less. But if they don't cooperate, the bandits will not be merciless when they kill people."

"However, this is a good thing. It is an emergency when the country is facing a crisis, and some extraordinary measures are inevitable." Zheng Chenggong nodded and said with a smile, "If not, how could Sun Kewang raise a strong army?"

"The surname of the country means that if there is no food, even if the gods come, I'm afraid they won't be able to raise a strong army." Zhang Huangyan said, sighing:

"Xiaguan commanded the rebel army in Shangyu County in eastern Zhejiang six years ago, and participated in many battles in Zhoushan. At first, I couldn't understand why these soldiers and horses were vulnerable. They obviously had a sworn enemy with the Qing army, and their morale was...

The human heart is completely usable. When I arrived in Zhangzhou, saw the training and food supply of the various units under Guo Xing's command, and learned about the training and logistics of the Southwest Army, the mystery in my heart was finally solved."

Zheng Chenggong knew that Zhang Huangyan was a smart man, but it was impossible to understand the secrets of military training by reading a few military books. What you can learn on paper is ultimately superficial. Many things should be possible, and there is nothing impossible. After all, only after practice can you understand the secrets of military training.

Really understand whether it is feasible, especially in the late Ming Dynasty, an era when empty talk was prevalent. Even many people who lack talent or understanding are still confused.

"So, this vassal has been worrying these days. If we want to defeat the Qing army, we have to continue to expand the army, but just relying on the normal grain and grass taxes from the three states of Chao, Hui, and Zhang is completely insufficient. Even if the Zheng family's annual sea tax is added,

Profits from trade are still tight."

When Zhang Huangyan heard this, he immediately noticed something and raised his eyes to look at Zheng Chenggong. Although the other person seemed to be just curious, he seemed to have something to say as they talked.

When Zheng Chenggong saw that Zhang Huang was silent, he knew what the other party had guessed, so he smiled again and continued: "In fact, this vassal has been thinking about how Sun Kewang did it, raising an army of hundreds of thousands from the three southwest provinces. Now it is being mysterious

After a little digging, I suddenly understood everything. I just don’t know if this method is feasible in the three states of Chao, Hui, and Zhangzhou!"

Zhang Huangyan did not expect Zheng Chenggong to be so straightforward, and was slightly surprised. In this case, he would be an enemy of the local gentry. Yungui is a borderland after all, and the gentry is not strong, but the three prefectures of Chao, Hui, and Zhang are powerful.

Because it’s different.

"Why, Xuan Zhu thinks it's impossible?" Zheng Chenggong smiled, as if he had anticipated Zhang Huangyan's reaction.

"No." Zhang Huangyan immediately denied it. After seeing the low food prices in the southwest, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He was just worried that if it was implemented rashly, it would cause local unrest. "The official thinks that this matter needs to be carefully considered.

Plan carefully and implement carefully."

"Tell me carefully."

"The land in the three prefectures of Chao, Huizhou, and Zhangzhou is far more fertile than that of Yunnan and Guizhou, and the water conservancy and farming methods are also more complete and better than those in the southwest. The yield per mu of cultivated land is higher. If all the grain fields in the three prefectures of Chao, Huizhou, and Zhangzhou can be like those in the southwest

, with a harvest of 40% of the grain, I am afraid that we can earn more than three million dan every year. Add in the profits from sea trade, and it will not be a problem to raise a hundred thousand strong army."

After Zhang Huangyan came back from the southwest, he actually had this calculation in his mind, and he was secretly excited for several days. At this time, he said with a serious face:

"Furthermore, according to the official's observation, the King of Xining was unable to control local fields in Guangxi, which led to a lack of food and fodder for the army and a weak attack. Every year, tax collection in various places was in arrears, and the squires everywhere evaded taxes and exempted themselves from taxes all year round. If he could not

It is nonsense to control local areas and collect taxes. In Guangdong, which is so large, the amount of grain collected in summer and autumn in previous years did not exceed one million dan."

Zheng Chenggong was not surprised that Zhang Huangyan knew this. He was a practical person, not a rotten scholar who could only talk rhetoric. However, he was quite surprised by the other party's ideas.

"This is actually what this vassal is thinking about. Just relying on taxation is still not enough, and if you can't control the local area, then taxation will have no effect." Zheng Chenggong frowned slightly, he knew the difficulty and such benefits.

The battle will inevitably bleed, and it will not happen just once.

"Fujian is mountainous, has insufficient land, and is very densely populated. Although there are plains in Chaohui, the same is true in general. As for Jiangxi, Huguang, and Jiangnan, it will be difficult for us to recover for a while. If we cannot capture those lands and harvest enough grain

, then you won’t be able to train so many strong armies.

As a result, it will be difficult for us to continue to expand our army and continue our conquests. In Fujian alone, we still have eight lands that have not yet been captured. Without several battles, the Qing army will not give it to us in vain."

Zhang Huangyan couldn't help but think deeply at this time. He was a gentry himself, so he naturally understood the power of the gentry in the local area. At the same time, psychologically, he was naturally unwilling to kill and plunder directly. But he also knew that Sun Ke was expected to succeed, and this method was effective.

, even at present, the Ming Dynasty, which only occupies a small amount of land, is the most promising method.

"Perhaps, like Sun Kewang, we can have a good talk with the local squires while trying not to kill people, and exchange other benefits, and things will not go wrong. Moreover, if we want to gain the favor of the squires from various places,

Support, we can’t directly seize it, otherwise they will definitely unite to boycott other places in the future.”

Zheng Chenggong nodded, and he naturally took this into consideration. It was impossible for him to oppose all the local clans in Chaohui and Zhangzhou. In that case, the foundation of rule would be gone. He could only divide the alliances of different clans first, and then break up the internal relations of the clans and integrate them into

In the Tunbao system, the optimal solution is to complete household registration and integrate the people, allowing the government to fully control local resources.

Moreover, Ming Zheng had more interests to exchange than Sun Kewang, and he also had more means than Sun Kewang to divide local clans, especially because the interests of ordinary clansmen and clan leaders were inconsistent. But the problem was that the initial negotiations could not be based on

Just like what Zhang Huangyan said.

"Xuanzhu, you are right. This vassal can indeed have other benefits in exchange with them. It will neither force them to die nor occupy all the land. Even the part of the land they gave up will

You can give them 20%. But you can’t do that at the beginning. If there is kindness first without power, they will push forward. Power must come before kindness, so that we can do things smoothly later. This is a battle of interests."

Zheng Chenggong looked at Zhang Huangyan who seemed a little nervous at this time, paused, and then continued: "Do you know why this vassal sent you to settle the people of Changtai, Gaopusuo and Tong'an?"

"Xiaguan knows now." Zhang Huangyan replied. "Guoxing wants Xiaguan to take charge of the affairs of Chaozhou or Huizhou. This time is both an experience and a step."

"It's comfortable to talk to smart people." Zheng Chenggong smiled, "However, don't worry, Xuan Zhuqian. You don't need to take action in the demonstration. Hao Shangjiu will return to Chaozhou soon. You can just be responsible for upholding justice. And

When necessary, Hao Shangjiu must also be controlled. We will only kill those stubborn ones, and this vassal will warn Hao Shangjiu to try not to hurt ordinary people."

"Yes, I understand." Although Zhang Huangyan was slightly conflicted, he still wanted to display his ambition and contribute to the fight against the Qing Dynasty. Of course he knew that what Mr. Guo Xing said today about not killing as much as possible might not be possible at all.

But as long as he takes office, he has the power to stop the indiscriminate killing of innocent people, just like he did six years ago when he refused to defend the Qing Dynasty in Pinggang Village and ensured the peace of the people.

"If this matter is finally successful, it will not only benefit the court and the army, but also ordinary people. Sun Ke hopes that in the remote and remote areas of the southwest, people can live and work in peace and contentment, food prices are stable, and the vassal has the benefits of maritime trade. Naturally, he can also do it in the southeast.

Arrive."

In recent days, I feel that something is wrong with the writing. It seems that the rhythm is a bit messed up. Many places seem to be too fast, and the confrontation between the characters is not shown. After thinking about the reasons, one may be that the time is tight and there is no good way to do it.

I checked and deleted, but I just followed the outline. Another possibility is that I was too worried about the progress of the plot, and the result was counterproductive.

I will make some adjustments starting tomorrow, and adjust the update time back to 10 to 11 pm to see if it can be better. Try to write better quality content.

In addition, there may be two activities this week. One has a confirmed time, and the other company is still coordinating. The weekend was too chaotic and I couldn't save enough manuscripts, so I may need to take leave one day in the future. I will let you know in advance then.
Chapter completed!