Chapter 326: The heart of preventing Yuan is indispensable
Zhou Qing, Ma Min and others were not only good friends with Guo Dajing, but were also his extremely trusted comrades-in-arms.
To defeat Yuan Chonghuan, even Mao Wenlong didn't know the details. But Guo Dajing believed that he would not stop him. Even if he did, Guo Dajing believed that Yuan Chonghuan would not end well.
Emperor Chongzhen's temperament determined that after the troops came to the capital, he would be extremely angry and punish the officials arbitrarily.
Wang Qia, the Secretary of the Ministry of War, Zhang Fengxiang, the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Wang Yuanya, the governor of Zunhua, and Liu Ce, the Prime Minister of Ji Liao Bao Military Affairs were all dead or imprisoned. How could the person most responsible, Yuan Chonghuan, be spared?
Moreover, after this drastic change, Chongzhen and the court should have awakened.
The Guan Ning Jin defense line could not stop the Jian Lu from entering the pass, and Guan Ning's army also had silver-like wax spear heads to contain the attack, and even to defeat the Liao troops, they still had to count on Dongjiang Town.
In other words, Guo Dajing wanted to use a bloody battle to prove the value of Dongjiang Town. No matter how unhappy Chongzhen and the court were, they could only support the Dongjiang Army to compete with Jianlu.
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No matter how the "King Qin" plan was implemented, no matter how difficult it was for the Jianqi captives who were in famine, the construction and development of Jinzhou had never been interrupted.
In addition to the people who are working hard to build their homes, the army also implements three shifts and regularly allocates one-third of its troops to participate in large-scale development.
Spring plowing was busy with digging ditches, building water conservancy projects, and repairing roads. These were fixed projects every year. There was no corvee in Dongjiang Town, but these labors were done free of charge by the military and civilians.
But no one has any complaints, and all the efforts will be given back to the soldiers and civilians in the end, so that they can live and work in peace and contentment, maintain harvests despite droughts and floods, and have food and clothing without worries.
The disasters of the Little Ice Age were indeed severe, but they were not without harvests every year. Although it is a bit exaggerated to say that man can conquer nature, manpower can also mitigate the harm of natural disasters to a considerable extent.
If the government was effective, had sufficient finances, and provided disaster relief and support to the people, the great turmoil in the late Ming Dynasty would not have been so large-scale and would eventually have accumulated to the point of changing dynasties.
Similarly, the black soil in Liaodong not only has to withstand far more severe cold than in the past, but also suffers from droughts and floods. The environment is no better than the disaster-stricken areas in the mainland.
But Jianlu could survive the great disaster. Although there were gains from looting, there were also harvests from farming. How could Dongjiang Town be inferior?
Compared with Jianlu, Dongjiang Town has high-yielding crops that are cold- and drought-resistant, has sea routes for trade, and its speed of development is obvious to all. It has become Jianlu's most feared opponent.
The situation in Liaodong has changed. Although the territory occupied by Dongjiang Town is not large, and only Jinzhou has a stable base, the strategic initiative is quietly shifting.
The continuous victories, the disastrous defeat of Jianlu, and the shrinking of the defense line may not be noticed by anyone in the Ming court, but North Korea feels it the most deeply.
In particular, after the Jianlu forces abandoned Zhenjiang Fort and shrank significantly inland, it was no longer possible to directly attack North Korea. A buffer zone was formed in the Zhenjiang Fort and Kuandian areas, which greatly increased North Korea's sense of security.
Lin Qingye of Uiju, as a staunch pro-Ming faction, was perhaps the most excited and excited. He also felt the changes in the royal family's attitude towards the Jianlu and the strengthening of the pro-Ming forces in the court.
"Dongjiang Town will not need our help much in the future." Lin Qingye put down the letter and shook his head with emotion and regret, "North Korea, on the other hand, has to rely more and more on Dongjiang Town to get rid of the oppression of Jianlu.
"
An Kecheng felt the same way. Especially after observing the battle of Zhenjiang Fort, he was extremely impressed with the combat power of the Dongjiang Army.
"This shipment of food is a real help in times of need. Thousands of North Koreans will not starve to death. This is a kindness that we cannot repay. We try our best to resell silk and blue cloth, which is just a token of our gratitude."
"
Lin Qingye nodded and said: "The increase in combat power of the Dongjiang Army was made with money. Although trading with Jianlu is suspected of supporting the enemy, General Guo has no choice. The Ming court's support is too small.
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Guo Dajing not only obtained silk through the Lin family, but also purchased a large amount of green cloth from nearby Shandong. By trading with Jianlu in North Korea, he could obtain seven or eight times huge profits.
The lesser of two evils, silk and blue cloth would keep the Jian captives from running around naked. But they would not give them even a grain of food, and they would not sell it for huge profits.
Just as Lin Qingye said, Guo Dajing wants to take this opportunity to make a fortune and lay the financial and material foundation for the development of Dongjiang Town in the next two to three years.
Food, cloth, refined iron, copper, saltpeter, war horses and cattle, etc., plus the artillery and guns purchased from the Western Yi, all cost money, and the little the court gave was simply not enough.
Dongjiang Town has money, which saves Guo Dajing personal investment. Although he is not a miser, the money he has saved can be used at any time.
An Kecheng did not care about the suspicion of capitalizing on the enemy, and said with a smile: "Sell it to Jianlu for silk and satin cloth, and then exchange it for guns and artillery. This transaction is so worth it."
Lin Qingye smiled and said: "According to my estimation, the Dongjiang Army will have a major operation at the end of this year or next year."
An Kecheng looked at Lin Qingye in confusion, waiting for his explanation.
Lin Qingye said slowly: "Jianlu is experiencing a great famine, and there is no solution. It is bound to weaken. With General Guo's keen sense, he will definitely find an opportunity to deal a heavy blow to Jianlu. Now, he is recharging his energy.
That’s why you need money so urgently.”
"Then -" An Kecheng said with some anticipation: "Will our army send out assistance?"
Lin Qingye shook his head and said: "It's not the time yet. The imperial court will not completely change its attitude until the war situation becomes clear and Jianlu has no power to fight back. Now, it's pretty good to turn a blind eye to our secret communication with Dongjiang Town."
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After a pause, Lin Qingye said comfortingly to An Kecheng's disappointment: "The navy patrolled the Yalu River more and tried to collect as many fleeing people as possible. Dongjiang Town is not only short of money now, but also short of people. If there are 100,000 troops
, the destruction of Pingliao is just around the corner."
An Kecheng nodded in agreement. With limited abilities and limited power, he could only help Dongjiang Town so far.
"Master Shen's side -" Lin Qingye couldn't help but caress his forehead. After a long while, he sighed and said helplessly: "Let's talk about it later!"
Lin Qingye had guessed some of Shen Qiyuan's intentions. Although it was the preparation stage now, Shen Qiyuan did not dare to reveal it too much.
But Shen Jiyuan and Lin Qingye both belonged to the pro-Ming Dynasty faction in North Korea, and they were both disappointed with Injo's cowardice.
From a small perspective, the situation under In Injo's rule was no better than that under Gwanghae Gun. People's lives did not improve significantly, and disappointment continued to spread in North Korean society.
The land plundered by the nobles during the reign of King Gwanghae, instead of returning it to its original owner, Injo allowed the heroes to take it for himself. People sighed: "It's just a different owner!"
As a result, ballads that satirized King Injo and the meritorious officials began to appear, such as "Oh, my honorable ministers, there is no need to boast. We are in love with each other in the same house, but we occupy the fields, ride on the horses, and do the things you want. How can you be different from others?" ?”
"What is the Qing Dynasty? This is also the Yun Dynasty. In the past, during the Yun Dynasty, the nobles used bribes. Now in the Qing Dynasty, the nobles use private interests."
Coupled with the outbreak of famine this year, dissatisfaction in North Korean society has spread and become stronger.
Moreover, the legitimacy of Injo's regime also faced a serious crisis after Jung Mao's chaos. Because Injo's name was to support the Ming Dynasty and pave gold, but he bowed to Jianlu, which naturally made people feel disappointed.
After Jeong Mao's chaos, there was a wave of resignations and retirements in the DPRK. It can be seen that the image of Injo's regime has plummeted among scholars.
Unlike Shilin who used resignation and retirement as a means of protest, North Korea's powerful ministers took action, and rebellion plots emerged one after another.
In the seventh year of Tianqi, Li Renju launched an army on Jiangyuan Road; in the first year of Chongzhen, Liu Xiaoli and others wanted to establish Rencheng Jun; in the fifth year of Chongzhen, Liu Yingping conspired to rebel; in the sixth year of Chongzhen, Li Shi said that he wanted to establish Jinyuan to order Li Zhuo...
Historically, it did not stop until the first year of Shunzhi, when the hero Shen Qiyuan tried to establish Huai'enjun but failed.
Lin Qingye was also dissatisfied, but he was asked to raise an army to depose Injo because he was still conflicted due to the Confucian education he received and was not so easy to accept.
An Kecheng also guessed that Shen Qi had a conspiracy to make friends with Dongjiang Town from far away, but this matter really cannot be said casually, so he had to comfort him: "Sir, don't worry, it is urgent to weaken Jianlu at the moment. The direction of the wind has also changed. Then maybe there will be peace."
Lin Qingye gave a bitter smile, stood up slowly, and said, "Let's go and patrol the army. The hope of protecting our country and resisting foreign aggression lies with them."
After constant dispatches, returns, and updated weapons and equipment, it is no exaggeration to say that the most powerful army in North Korea now is the Uiju Army.
Pyongyang Road belongs to the front line, and Uiju is the frontline against the enemy. No matter how stupid Injo is, he still knows that some force is needed to resist foreign enemies. Coupled with Shen Jiyuan's support, Uiju's arms development is relatively smooth.
Baima Mountain City, in particular, borrowed the Dongjiang Army's defensive tactics. Lin Qingye carefully built it and used muskets, artillery, landmines and other weapons to make it a very dangerous and strong line of defense that is constantly being strengthened.
In order to expand his military strength, Shen Qiyuan intended to promote Lin Qingye to manage the entire Ping'an North Road. But this did not go smoothly, and he could only continue to wait for the opportunity.
Jeju Yoon Choi Hyo-il, a staunch pro-Ming faction who shared Lin Qingye's hatred for Jianlu, had already organized and trained three to four thousand men, and was also a force with considerable combat effectiveness in North Korea.
Shen Qiyuan has high hopes for these two troops. Contacting Dongjiang Town through Lin Qingye is also one of his plans.
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What is the concept of ten times huge profits? Isn’t it scary to make one million if you take out one hundred thousand taels?
Guo Dajing did not invest one hundred thousand, nor did he invest once or twice. The amount of silk, satin and coarse cloth amounted to almost three to four hundred thousand taels.
Don’t the Jianlu have money? Then earn it back and turn it into weapons and ammunition to fight against the Jianlu, as well as food and supplies to maintain the lives of the military and civilians.
Excluding the profits for the Lin family, Guo Dajing estimated that he could earn almost two to three million. If he saves some money, it would be enough to cover the expenses of Dongjiang Town for two to three years.
What's more, Dongjiang Town issues and circulates military coupons internally, and the money earned is equivalent to foreign exchange, which is enough for three or four years.
When Mao Wenlong heard Guo Dajing's report, even though he had not received all the money, he was so shocked that his eyes widened, and it took him a long time to wake up.
"You may not be able to earn that much now, but if you sell it in batches or wait a little longer, you should be able to make an average profit of six or seven times."
Guo Dajing did not dare to speak too fully. Even so, it did not change Mao Wenlong's shocked state of mind.
"Earning three to four hundred thousand is already my highest expectation." Mao Wenlong waved his hand and said: "Dongjiang Town only needs one million taels, and the rest is yours."
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "The general also sells porcelain and mirrors. The money he earned this time is somewhat suspected of subsidizing the enemy. It was the general's idea. All of it is used for military expenses, which makes people speechless."
What can you do with so much money? Even if you pile up mountains of gold and silver, you can't buy peace in the world, you can't buy the annihilation of the Liao Dynasty, and you can't buy Guo Dajing's grand plan.
Mao Wenlong had nothing to say. He could only reach out and pat Guo Dajing's arm, expressing his great appreciation and relief.
At this time, both of them had finished their post-war leave and were handling military affairs in the Golden State Acropolis.
Now that it is already June, what Guo Dajing is most worried about may happen. He has increased his vigilance and made full preparations for this.
Although Dongjiang Town is completely different from what it was in history, it has achieved unprecedented results in the past two or three years, and the facts have shattered the accusation of "simplification of salary and merit, but no merit in diversion".
However, charges such as "hanging alone overseas, frequently disobeying the orders of the court, showing no restraint, and being domineering and unpredictable" can still be pinned on Mao Wenlong.
Besides, if you want to impose crimes, why bother? In history, how many of the twelve major crimes Yuan Chonghuan committed for killing Mao Wenlong can be justified?
Dongjiang Town's frequent achievements may be one of the reasons for killing Mao Wenlong in Yuan Chonghuan's view.
Although Yuan Chonghuan nominally governed Dongjiang Town, Dongjiang Town still had great independence. For example, military operations did not go through Governor Ji Liao, and victory was reported in both directions, first to the court and then to him.
Such an approach meant that the military exploits Dongjiang Town gained had nothing to do with his immediate boss.
In fact, the victory of the Dongjiang Army was a slap in his face, reflecting the low combat power of Liao Town and making it appear that Liao Town was wasting food and money.
Furthermore, Yuan Chonghuan's boasted "Five Years of Ping Liao" also gave him enough motive to kill.
If we take full control of Dongjiang Town and fight the Jianlu, we may be able to achieve our goal in five years; if we take a step back, we can also have the initiative to negotiate peace.
If we take another step back, even if the big words of Ping Liao in five years have completely come to nothing, with Liao Town and Dongjiang Town in hand, the court may not dare to question him.
Guo Dajing thought about it again and again, and still thought that he should be vigilant enough to avoid unexpected accidents and changes when everything was almost ready.
"Commander, this is the military deployment that will be adjusted soon. Please take a look at it." Guo Dajing took out the document and presented it respectfully.
The two battalions led by Liu Xingzuo and Zhang Pan had to switch defenses with Li Weiluan's right assistant. Guo Dajing wanted to go on a cross-sea expedition, so he had to bring his own troops to feel more at ease.
At the same time, two battalions under Kong Youde, plus one battalion under Mao Chenglu, will be temporarily combined into an association to jointly participate in the "Qinwang" operation.