Chapter two hundred and sixty-eight of the emperor
It would be obviously one-sided to just say that Mao Wenlong wanted to stay in a secluded island and try to weaken the court's control. Although, Mao Wenlong did have such thoughts.
You must know that if the Dongjiang Army rashly occupied land and developed in southern Liaoning, it would inevitably be attacked by the Jianlu. Based on the strength of the Dongjiang Army at that time, it was estimated that it would be able to defend the territory, but it would also suffer heavy losses.
After all, the Dongjiang Army a few years ago did not have Hongyi cannons, and its weapons and equipment were similar to those of a beggar.
But now, the Hongyi artillery alone has greatly surpassed Ningyuan, and the number and power of other firearms are beyond the reach of the Ming army in western Liaoning.
"Dajing, I have thought carefully these days and think what you said makes sense." Mao Wenlong said slowly: "If the court brings up the matter of moving the town again, I will bargain and ask for more grain and grass supplies for Dongjiang Town. At least.
, the food and salary of Dongjiang Town should be the same as that of Liao Town, and there should be no arrears."
Guo Dajing deeply agreed and said: "The general has inspected the situation of Gaizhou Acropolis and feels that a strong city fortress similar to Lushun Fort can be built."
Mao Wenlong stroked his beard and smiled, understanding what Guo Dajing meant.
Moving the town to Gaizhou can be understood in many ways. Occupying the land of Gaizhou and occupying Gaizhou's acropolis are all considered. It does not necessarily require that all the troops of Dongjiang Town be stationed in Gaizhou.
The position of Gaizhou Guard is very good, with the sea at its back, making it convenient for the Dongjiang Navy to play its role. At the same time, it is very close to the mouth of the Sancha River, so it can go up the river and attack Liaoyang and even Shenyang.
Although in winter, the coastal sea water will freeze, affecting the navy. However, the Gaizhou Acropolis and the surrounding fortresses can form a defense system, and it is not easy for the built captives to break through.
Mao Wenlong's thinking changed. It was because the development of Jinzhou exceeded his expectations. He always received reports from Chen Jisheng, but they were not as good as what he saw with his own eyes.
Most of Jinzhou has enabled Dongjiang Town to continue to support itself despite the shortage of food and salary. Wouldn't the entire Jinzhou provide greater impetus for development?
Jinzhou is just one of the four guarding states in southern Liaoning. As its strength continues to grow, it continues to push northward. Southern Liaoning was once the richest place.
The conditions in Liaodong, which are suitable for guerrilla warfare, are obviously not suitable for the development of the Dongjiang Army and do not match the current strength of the Dongjiang Army.
"It will probably take a long time to build the Gaizhou Acropolis into a fortress like Lushun Fort, and the Jianlu will not just sit idly by." Mao Wenlong was more worried about this, "I guess the Jianlu will not give up without fighting one or two battles.
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Guo Dajing said: "First build field fortifications quickly. If the rebels come, fight them if there are few people. If it is a large-scale attack, then withdraw."
Jianlu's grain and grass supplies had to be carefully calculated every time he mobilized. If they were wasted in vain, they would not be able to sustain themselves at all.
Mao Wenlong smiled and nodded, agreeing with such a flexible combat plan. Although it is a bit forward, it is beneficial and harmless to think more and see further.
In one year, two years, or even several years, the development path of Dongjiang Town was basically determined. Liaonan was finally recognized by Mao Wenlong and became the most important and critical foundation of Dongjiang Town.
Seeing the big from the small, what Mao Wenlong saw in Dalian Port and Guanglu Village was the concerted efforts of the military and civilians, and what he saw was that the people's lives were getting better and better.
You don't need to sit in people's homes and eat people's meals. You can tell by just looking at the people's mental outlook and whether they look sad or sad.
"In this way, increasing the population will be the top priority." Mao Wenlong drank boiled water, which seemed to be quite tasty, and said: "Now, the total number of soldiers and civilians in Dongjiang Town is nearly 200,000, which is about 4 to 500,000.
There is still a long way to go to reach the goal.”
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "Since Marshal Mao is relatively certain that there will be a great famine among the Jianlu, the population problem is not difficult to solve. Liaodong still needs to have a considerable number of troops stationed, and the relationship with the pro-Ming faction in North Korea must also be improved.
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For every Liao citizen who escapes from Jianlu's area, Jianlu's productivity will be reduced by one point, and the population of Dongjiang Town will increase by one.
This is a seesaw effect of one ebb and flow, and next year's great famine will be the best time. The Dongjiang Army must make more arrangements, and even launch a large number of raids, to help the Liao people escape from the rule of the Jianlu.
Four to five million is just a small goal. Guo Dajing also thought that the Liao people in Shandong and North Zhili could return to Liaodong.
The feeling of leaving one's hometown is not pleasant, and the life of those Liao people in a foreign land is not easy. As long as they see that Liaonan is stable and the Dongjiang Army has the strength to resist the rebels and defend them, it is possible to return.
With the spread of the Little Ice Age disaster, Shandong and Beizhili will also be devastated by disasters in a few years, which will create conditions for the return of Liao people.
Perhaps within a few years, refugees fleeing from west to east will appear in Beizhili and Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan...
This is not limited to the people of Liao. As long as they are given something to eat, those hungry people struggling on the verge of death will come in droves.
After talking for a long time, Mao Wenlong, Guo Dajing and others set off again, speeding towards Nanguan.
………………
Beijing, Imperial Palace.
Chongzhen was reading a memorial written by Yang He, the censor of Zuodu who was ordered to go to Shaanxi to appease the refugees.
This is already the second time that the memorial was presented to the court, and Yang He asked for funds to be allocated to help the victims. As long as the people are hungry, they will naturally not rebel, and those who have already rebelled will not be able to recruit more people.
After receiving the memorial, Chongzhen thought about it again and again, and finally "generously" pulled out one hundred thousand taels of silver and asked Yang He to help the victims and quell the civil unrest.
The emperor felt that he was already very generous, but Yang He didn't know what to do and sent another memorial, still asking for money, which made Chongzhen very unhappy.
"Bringing one hundred thousand gold to one person, and spending one gold per person, one can live for one hundred thousand people. And seven dollars for rice, one can only live for fifty days."
Yang He, Yang He, living for 100,000 people is not a living thing. Shouldn’t we be happy to live for fifty days? Long live the mountain? Should the court support the refugees for the rest of their lives?
Chongzhen was very angry. He picked up his pen and wrote a reply in a few strokes, "Thieves are rampant. It is wrong to appease others, but it is good to kill them."
The imperial court only has such a small amount of money. Since there are too many bandits who are causing trouble, and relief cannot come, and they are not being appeased, then they should be killed. If the people are gone, there is no need to use money to support them.
Well, as an emperor, you should have the courage to kill and fight decisively. Yang He is too weak, but Hong Chengchou is not bad.
Chongzhen was a little proud, using his wisdom and courage to finally solve a difficult problem.
After putting down this memorial, Chongzhen picked up another one, opened it and read it, and found that it was about the disaster in the northwest.
The famine in Shaanxi had lasted for three years and was getting worse. Inspector Li Yingqi went to Emperor Chongzhen to request tax exemptions.
Nonsense, just trying to gain fame and reputation.
Chongzhen frowned and cursed fiercely. If he was not allowed to report this matter, he would probably have a bad reputation for treating the people cruelly.
After thinking again and again, Chongzhen pinched his nose and replied with great pain: "The taxes in the first and second years of Chongzhen can be appropriately reduced or exempted, but they will not be exempted again in the future."
After thinking about it, Chongzhen took up his pen and added another sentence, which was regarded as a pointer to Li Yingqi, "If the rich and the poor accept both, if they can follow the rules without being disturbed, they will naturally love justice and be happy to lose."
The people of the Ming Dynasty are aware of the overall situation and consider the overall situation. They are willing to suffer a little for the sake of the country and the court. They are all good people who love justice and are happy to lose.
Yes, in Chongzhen's eyes, this is the judgment and conclusion. For the sake of the court and the country, why can't we sacrifice a little, why can't we tighten our belts and tide over the difficulties together?
However, Chongzhen was so high up that he could not understand the taste of hunger, which could drive people crazy; nor could he understand the desperation of homeless people, the misery of selling their children and daughters, and the despair of falling to the ground waiting to die.
In the forty-sixth year of Wanli period, due to the urgent "Liao affairs", the Ming court sent an additional "Liao salary" of 3.5 cents of silver per mu. In the second year, another 3.5 cents was added, and in the third year, another 2 cents was added.
The additional tax is nine cents of silver per mu.
In the third year of Chongzhen's reign, "Liao's salary" was imposed again, and an additional three cents of silver per mu was levied.
In the tenth year of Chongzhen's reign, pay was imposed; in the twelfth year of Chongzhen's reign, "training pay" was imposed again.
In the eyes of the emperor, it was just a few cents of silver, so why couldn't he get it out? But in the eyes of the people, the fields were barren, there was no harvest, and they couldn't even drink a bowl of porridge, so where could the money come from?
What Chongzhen did made his words before his death, "Don't hurt any of the people," seem so ridiculous and hypocritical.
Under his rule, and with his constant reinforcements, how many people were driven to death and rebelled? Even the rebels who stormed into the capital, rushed into the palace, and left him cornered, weren't they once the people of the Ming Dynasty who kept their peace?
After reviewing Li Yingqi's memorial, Chongzhen put down his pen and took a short rest.
He wanted to slow down his mind so that he could be smarter and wiser. But he didn't know that every "wise" decision he made made the flames within the Ming Dynasty burn brighter and pushed the Ming Dynasty one step closer to its demise.
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Wang Chengen served the fragrant tea at the right time, then bowed and stepped aside.
Chongzhen drank the fragrant tea, and his mind seemed to be much clearer.
Putting down the tea bowl, he turned to Wang Chengen and asked: "Wang companion, Fang Zhenghua reported that Jinzhou has a bumper harvest this year. There is a kind of potato called potatoes, and the yield per mu has reached more than three thousand kilograms."
Wang Chengen bowed and said: "Your Majesty is right, Fang Zhenghua did say that. He also said that Dongjiang Town is preparing for war with all its strength, and Jianlu will come to attack this winter."
Chongzhen pondered for a moment and said: "But Yuan Chonghuan's memorial said that Jianlu built a large number of weapons and there are signs of attacking Jinzhou, Dalinghe and other cities, and even Ningyuan."
After pausing for a step, he continued: "The construction of Jinzhou, Dalinghe and other cities has not been completed. If the rebels come to attack, they will have to withdraw to Ningyuan and hold on."
Seeing Chongzhen frowning, Wang Chengen knew what he meant and said: "If Dongjiang Town can launch a containment and buy it a few months, Jinzhou and other cities can be repaired."
Chongzhen picked up the tea bowl and took another sip, and said: "Mao Wenlong reported that Jianlu would launch an attack, asked for the restoration of food and wages, and asked for supplies and equipment. Is this an opportunity to threaten? If the court does not agree, it will not send out restraints?"
Wang Chengen said cautiously: "Since Jinzhou has a good harvest, Dongjiang Town is no longer in danger of food shortage. I only give them some supplies and equipment, and I think it's okay."
"There is no shortage of food, but the court wants to restore food and wages. It is really greedy." Chongzhen said very displeased: "Mao Wenlong falsely reported the money to the emperor, but the court did not punish him, and he went to court many times to make sophistry."
Wang Chengen forced a smile, but it was difficult to accept these words. He also knew that the emperor was venting his emotions, and he had already made a decision.
Sure enough, after Chongzhen finished speaking, he seemed to feel better. After thinking for a long time, he said: "Let Wang Ting of Denglai Road send some combat materials and armor and equipment to Dongjiang Town, and then tell Fang Zhenghua that if Jianlu attacks Liaoxi, he must supervise
Mao Wenlong sent troops to contain it."
Wang Chengen bowed to accept the order and reminded: "What about the potatoes from Jinzhou? Can we bring some and try planting them first?"
Chongzhen nodded and said, "It doesn't hurt to try."
After drinking the tea, Chongzhen did not continue to deal with the memorial immediately. Instead, he frowned slightly and thought about the silver supplies needed to build the city in western Liaoning. Where should he collect more and where should he save more?
Liao pay was increased three times, totaling more than 4.8 million taels of silver. After deducting Beizhili and other local uses, less than 3 million taels were left. Shanhaiguan alone needs 4 million taels of silver annually.
two.
Coupled with the cost of garrisoning the cities outside the Pass, the Liaodong War placed an extremely heavy financial burden on the imperial court.
Those officials who approve and support the Guanningjin Defense Line either do not understand economics very well, or they have ulterior motives and want to make a fortune from it.
Of course, it is not that some people who understand have seen through the serious drawbacks and made pessimistic predictions.
For example, Bi Ziyan, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, said: "Even if I order the leader of Dong Nu Lian to lie in his cave and not drop a single arrow to the west, my world will be ruined."
This is very clear. Even if Jianlu stayed in Liaodong and did not launch an attack, maintaining the city and hundreds of thousands of troops in western Liaoning would also bring down the Ming Dynasty's finances.
That's right, it wasn't that the great Ming Dynasty brought down Jianlu, but that it couldn't defeat Jianlu. Although it's not entirely accurate, it makes some sense.
Bi Ziyan said this during the Wanli period. At that time, he was the special minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, the envoy of Youqiandu, and the governor of Liao Dynasty.
At that time, the food and wages to support the Ming army in Liaodong were transported by sea from Denglai to the Empress Palace, and then transported by land to Guangning and other places.
Among them, just for shipping costs, every stone of military rations cost one gold. Therefore, he felt most deeply about the difficulty of finance in the late Ming Dynasty to support the Liaodong war for a long time.
The Ming Dynasty had a vast land and rich resources, with a population of trillions, but it could only consume a small part of the land. The Jianlu people had backward production methods, which is really unbelievable.
In fact, it's not that the Ming Dynasty and Jianlu couldn't afford the consumption, but that there was a prerequisite for this.
If both the enemy and ourselves are stationary, then the Ming Dynasty will be able to drag Jianlu to death with only its size and blockade.
But if the Jianlu were always able to succeed in robbery, such as the defeat of Guangning and the victory of Ningyuan, which allowed the Jianlu to gain a lot and increase the capital they consumed, then there would be two reasons.
Moreover, the garrisons in Jinzhou, Dalinghe, Ningyuan and other places only work for food and do not have the ability to farm for self-sufficiency. This is also very critical, and it is also the biggest difference from Dongjiang Town.
In other words, the Guanningjin Defense Line is just a series of city strongholds extending outward, and does not have the ability to block the Jianlu.
Jianlu could bypass Jinzhou City or Dalinghe City and fight directly to Ningyuan City. However, the defenders would only huddle in the city and dare not go out to fight Jianlu.