Chapter 159 Apocalypse dies, Chongzhen ascends the throne
Guo Dajing chuckled and shook his head, but he remained noncommittal.
If someone in the court could really speak for him, Guo Dajing would not take giving gifts seriously. The key is that it would not have any effect. The replacement of officials like a revolving door was Chongzhen's most unique way of governing the country.
Besides, Guo Dajing didn't know any civil servants. It was impossible for a military man to be looked down upon by civil servants, even if he was a guerrilla.
The person who could play a decisive role was Chongzhen, but the emperor could not be bribed.
Guo Dajing had thought about giving gifts to Mao Wenlong, but then rejected it.
The emperor is about to change, and there will be a general purge in the court. Who knows who will come to power and who will be deposed?
As for Lin Qingye, Guo Dajing sincerely wanted to help him. The governor of Yizhou helped him a lot. If he was promoted to a higher position, he might be able to change North Korea's attitude towards Jianlu.
Even if it takes several years, it would be quite valuable for North Korea to wait until the imperialist rule is in decline before it dares to take tough measures.
If the Mongolian tribes were not too far away, Guo Dajing would not hesitate to provide help and form a siege on Jianlu.
……………..
The autumn wind is cool and the leaves have turned yellow; the fields have been harvested and are bare, giving me a sudden feeling of desolation.
"Having an affair with Xiyi seems to have evil intentions..." Zhao Guang, the old eunuch, stopped writing, got under the bed, dug out the bricks, and carefully hid the small notebook recording Guo Dajing's "crimes".
Zhao Guang was not angry at all, and had been preparing. He had already collected some evidence of Guo Dajing's crimes and recorded them in detail. He was just waiting to report to the court to avenge his previous shame.
Bang! The door was pushed open with great force, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps. Zhao Guang was so frightened that he almost peed his pants. He thought he was exposed, so Guo Dajing sent someone to arrest him.
"Father-in-law, father-in-law." Jiang Baohe and Shen Zonggui broke into the house, looked around, and called anxiously.
Zhao Guang recognized the voices of the two Jinyi guards, calmed down a little, and slowly crawled out from under the bed. Under the astonished gazes of Jiang and Shen, he slowly stood up and scolded in a high-pitched voice: "What are you yelling at? You're so scary."
The Za family was greatly shocked."
Jiang Baohe didn't have time to ask Eunuch Zhao what his hobby was. He got under the bed in broad daylight. He quickly put away his surprise and said with a sad face: "Eunuch, long live the death!"
Huh? Zhao Guang felt that there was something wrong with his ears. He frowned and stared at Jiang Baohe, and said sharply: "What, say it again."
"Long live the death." Shen Zonggui repeated with the same dead face.
Zhao Guang opened his mouth and stared wide-eyed in disbelief. He was so shocked that his mind went blank and he couldn't say a word.
…………….
The Carpenter Emperor is dead!
Guo Dajing put down the imperial newspaper, his face expressionless, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
What is supposed to come will always come. There have been predictions, and it is no longer possible to arouse Guo Dajing's emotions at this time.
Even if Apocalypse survives, its impact on the Ming Dynasty and the Liaodong war situation will not be crucial. It is just that it may be better than in history, or it may be worse.
Maybe, just maybe. Guo Dajing didn't place his hope on anyone, not even the emperor.
Cui Xiaoyi has left, and those Korean martyrs have been integrated into the army and started normal training.
After everything is done, we have to go to Shandong and wait for Liu Xingzuo to come back with his cavalry and sit on the island.
Well, before I leave, I still have to check on Zhao Guang, check his appearance, and continue to send people to monitor him, so that I can feel completely at ease.
Guo Dajing slowly stood up and walked out.
What should we eat tonight? Grilled meat skewers, without cumin and chili pepper, it should taste good, right?
……………..
Phi Island.
Mao Wenlong stared at the slightly dancing candlelight, thinking in thought, and did not speak for a long time.
Chen Jisheng lowered his head slightly and looked at the closed newspaper on the table. His expression changed, showing his complicated mood.
"Commander." Chen Jisheng raised his head and finally said slowly: "Long live the death of the new emperor. The new emperor has succeeded. Should I send someone to the capital to take care of it?"
Mao Wenlong did have people in Beijing, but they were not in high positions and could only serve as eyes and ears to convey news.
Shaking his head slightly, Mao Wenlong said: "It's too early!" After a pause, he continued: "Prepare some special ginseng and mink products and send them to Sun Guozhen, the governor of Denglai!"
In the seventh year of the Apocalypse, Sun Guozhen took over as governor of Denglai because of his meritorious service in recovering Penghu from the Dutch. Because he was from Cixi, Zhejiang, he and Mao Wenlong were from the same hometown, and they exchanged letters and got along quite well.
There must be big changes in the court. When you are not clear about the situation, it is better to wait and see what happens and make friends with the nearest superior first.
"The memorial to report the victory needs to be revised." Mao Wenlong said thoughtfully: "Dajing was good. More than 600 people were beheaded. This victory can be said to be at the right time."
Chen Jisheng understood that this was to add words to praise the new emperor, such as relying on heaven's grace. It was disgusting but effective. As the new emperor ascended the throne, he would definitely need some good news to boost the morale of the people.
Guo Dajing was also sensible and knowledgeable. When he reported the victory, he first went to the headquarters of Pidao instead of going straight to Denglai.
To repay the favor, Mao Wenlong also expressed his merits for Guo Dajing in his memorial to report his victory. He fought bravely and killed dozens of people with his hands.
Describing Guo Dajing as the bravest of the three armies will only benefit him. This is Mao Wenlong's scheming.
Although warriors are looked down upon by civil servants, a simple-minded person who only knows how to kill the enemy bravely and seek revenge will not pose much of a threat.
Chen Jisheng took the order and left. Mao Wenlong walked to the window with his hands behind his back and looked at the starry night sky. His mind was churning and he couldn't calm down for a long time.
After the war to aid Korea, the imperial court, or Emperor Tianqi, had a significant change in its attitude towards Dongjiang Town, which gave Dongjiang Town a few months of relaxation.
But Mao Wenlong was not sure what the new emperor's attitude would be when he ascended the throne, and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
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Guanglu Island.
Also looking at the stars with his hands behind his back was the eunuch Zhao Guang.
In the afternoon, Guo Dajing came to talk and talked about what happened in the newspaper.
Zhao Guang could understand the meaning of Guo Dajing's words. As an emperor and a courtier, it is hard to predict everyone's future.
But Guo Dajing was a foreign general, so he only focused on fighting, and military merit was the capital for his promotion. Zhao Guang was different, and his loss of power was almost certain.
When a new emperor ascends the throne, some civil servants and generals will be retained and replaced. However, eunuchs and eunuchs will only use those whom they trust and are close to.
In other words, the former internal officials of Prince Xin's palace will rise to the top and become the new rich in the palace. On the contrary, the original eunuchs will never regain their former glory.
When one person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven. Wei Zhongxian is the best example. And the great eunuch Wang An and others who died at his hands are almost his fate in the future.
Even if Long Live is gone, even if you are nine thousand years old, you still have to keep your tail between your legs, let alone yourself?
Zhao Guang sighed heavily, turned around and crawled under the bed, took out a small notebook, came to the table, lit it with a candle, and watched it turn into ashes in the basin.
Now, what Zhao Guang cares about is no longer how to take revenge on Guo Dajing, but his own destiny.
……………..
Liu Xingzuo finally returned to Guanglu Island with the cavalry, and the news of the emperor's death did not have much impact on him.
There is a difference between heaven and earth. He doesn't know who becomes the emperor, but he still acts as his officer and fights his battles.
But when he walked around with Guo Dajing and learned about what happened on the island recently, Liu Xingzuo was really shocked.
"You have done so many great things?"
Guo Dajing reached out and patted Liu Xingzuo's arm, and said teasingly: "Old Liu, please do more work for me and stop being playful."
Tsk! Liu Xingzuo rolled his eyes, training cavalry, exchanging drills, why did he become just for fun? You don’t know that the cavalry of both sides benefited a lot from this trip to Lushun, right?
"Forget it, considering your hard work, I won't argue with you." Liu Xingzuo said, "Why did you go to Shandong? You are guilty of leaving the flooded areas without permission!"
"I have reported to Commander Mao for leave." Guo Dajing shrugged his shoulders and said, "Let's go back to the military camp. There are still many things I need to explain to you!"
Liu Xingzuo nodded subconsciously, but stared at a black tower-like guy in the distance. It was the Portuguese follower, the black Oba.
"Do you want it?" Guo Dajing joked: "I can get a few of you as bodyguards, it will be very cool."
Liu Xingzuo chuckled and said, "Forget it, I can't stand it."
Liu Xingzhi accompanied him. He basically knew everything about the island and wanted to assist Liu Xingzuo during Guo Dajing's absence.
Listening to the two chief officers joking unofficially, he laughed and interjected: "If there are some black men in the army, they might be able to scare away the Jianlu during the war!"
Guo Dajing chuckled and said: "You still have to rely on your own people to fight. Xingzhi has done a good job during this period. He not only went to war with me, but also took on a lot of work, which made me feel a lot more relaxed."
"I'm just having fun!" Liu Xingzuo spread his hands and said, "Let's go back to the military camp."
Returning to the military camp, Guo Dajing summoned several generals and stewards to explain the work clearly in the office.
"I won't be away for too long. I hope you will take responsibility and do your job well." Guo Dajing also explained next year's battle plan, "If there are no accidents, next year we will recover Jinzhou with friendly forces and fight a big battle with Jianlu
Inevitable."
Liu Xingzuo knew about the plan to regain Jinzhou and agreed with it. The land on the island alone had limited planting output. If he wanted to develop and grow, he must seize it from the land.
Looking at the entire Liaodong, Jinzhou is the one that is most certain to be captured and held firmly. It has a hundred miles of fertile land and can house at least tens of thousands of people.
The various tasks assigned by Guo Dajing were recorded on paper. Liu Xingzuo was already very responsible. When Guo Dajing left the island, he had to be even more serious.
In fact, Guo Dajing had previously assigned production and manufacturing tasks to various workshops, and appointed officers to be responsible for training soldiers and artillery. Now, he just reiterated it in front of Liu Xingzuo.
As for Guo Dajing's going to Shandong, only a few people such as Liu Xingzuo knew that General Guo was leaving the island for business, but they didn't know where he was going!
After everyone dispersed, Guo Dajing left only Liu Xingzuo, Liu Xingzhi, and Liu Qishi. There were some confidential things that others did not need to know.
For example, there are Korean martyrs in the army, who have business dealings with the Lin family, and have ordered muskets and artillery from Macau, etc.
"The person in charge of transportation and liaison is Cui Xiaoyi." Guo Dajing said: "He is of course absolutely reliable. Koreans in the army should not let the news leak."
"The Koreans have fought side by side. If nothing happens over there, there will be no problems here." Liu Xingzuo said, "There are traitors on the Jianlu side, but if we have Koreans here, it doesn't matter."
"Lin Tiansheng, I recognize you." Liu Qishi said with a smile: "Since I am the second brother, if I come again, I, the eldest brother, will entertain me."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "He will come back in two or three months at the earliest. He will return to the island a long time ago."
After a pause, Guo Dajing's face became solemn and he said: "When the new emperor ascends the throne, some unexpected things will probably happen. As long as you can hold on, just be patient and calm people's hearts first, and we will discuss the matter when I come back."
Some policy changes were normal, and Liu Xingzuo didn't take them seriously. When a new emperor came to power, there were basically two things to do, one was to establish authority, and the other was to gain favor.
To establish prestige, Dongjiang Town is located in a remote location overseas and is fighting against the rebels, so it must not be in its turn; it is possible to gain favor and stabilize the army, which is a very normal method.
But Liu Xingzuo never dreamed that after the new emperor ascended the throne, a major incident would occur, where the pay of border troops in various places would be cut off.
There were pay mutinies in Jimen, Ningyuan, Jinzhou and other places, and Dongjiang Town was no exception. Due to the loss of Tieshan and others' farmland in Korea, the hunger, cold and embarrassment of Dongjiang soldiers and civilians became even more serious.
The nine-month suspension of pay did not end until March of the first year of Chongzhen. The famine caused by the suspension of pay sharply reduced the number of soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang to more than 80,000. The rest either starved to death or crossed the sea to the inland to survive.
According to Guo Dajing's estimate, it would be difficult to survive the difficult nine months without more than 100,000 kilos of rice. Although he purchased grain from the south and had another bumper potato harvest, there was still a big gap.
The cut off of wages this time also caused another serious consequence. That is, Mao Wenlong was forced to open a horse market in Pidao and conduct smuggling trade with Hou Jin.
What the late Jin lacked was naturally food and cloth. The cold of the Little Ice Age caused a sharp decline in crop yields in Liaodong, resulting in poor harvests or even no production.
Although Houjin at this time has not yet reached the level of "a great famine in the country, a dou of rice costs eight taels of silver, and everyone has someone to eat", the price of rice grains is already three to forty taels of a dou of rice, which is ten times the price in the mainland.
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The Jianlu were not short of money, but they did not have the channels to purchase food. North Korea was small and poor, and could not provide much food and supplies.
The smuggling trade was very profitable. Mao Wenlong could exchange a bucket of rice grain for a stone grain of silver, making a net profit of nine buckets. More importantly, he was able to feed the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town who had been cut off from food and salary.
Mao Wenlong was not a fool. He could not feed Jianlu and then beat himself. The scale of the smuggling trade with Houjin must be limited.
Otherwise, Huang Taiji would not have made such a desperate move because of the great famine and led an overwhelming army to plunder the capital.
Of course, from a hostile relationship point of view, no matter how great the profits are, one cannot fund the enemy; but from a survival point of view, a temporary expedient is also a helpless move.
Guo Dajing wanted to prevent Mao Wenlong from doing this, not because he was afraid of multiple charges when Governor Yuan killed Mao Wenlong, but because he wanted to take advantage of the difficulties of building a captive army to receive more escaped Liao people.