Chapter 335 Chongzhen's employment is unquestionable, and the people take food as their heaven
In his criticism and defense with Mao Wenlong, Yuan Chonghuan's IQ and character weaknesses can be seen.
Qian Longxi, Wang Qia and others all left room for words in their words, but unlike Governor Yuan, they opened their mouths without shame and kept talking big words, which finally drove themselves to the road of death.
For example, "Five years of peace and Liao Dynasty", such as "The Jianlu will not be allowed to cross Jizhou", If you don't brag, it seems like you can't speak.
It was the same this time. Governor Yuan vowed to ensure that the Haraqin tribes would receive food, be grateful, and would not betray the Ming Dynasty or invest money.
Chongzhen stood up from the dragon chair, walked back and forth in the hall, thought for a long time, and finally stood still.
I am a wise and powerful king, so naturally I will not misjudge my ministers.
Yuan Chonghuan must not have known about Shubu's ministry's defection to Jianlu, or he was deceived by Shubu's tribe, or perhaps it was against his will that Shubu's tribe had taken refuge with Jianlu, or his heart was toward the Ming Dynasty.
Chongzhen thought of several reasons for Yuan Chonghuan, not only to excuse Yuan Chonghuan, but also to subconsciously deny that he had no knowledge of others.
I have simply removed Yuan Chonghuan, and my kindness to him cannot be greater. Yuan Chonghuan will definitely not live up to his righteousness and fail to fulfill his trust. In the five years of Ping Liao, Yuan Chonghuan will definitely be able to complete it, so as to comfort my heart.
Chongzhen comforted himself again and again in order to get rid of his doubts about Yuan Chonghuan.
Use people without suspicion, and use people without suspicion. I am a wise king, and I cannot seek perfection and blame for a small amount of time.
Chongzhen returned to the dragon chair and sat down, and wrote another reply to Yuan Chonghuan. He was still very supportive, and all his hopes were pinned on Yuan Chonghuan during the "Five Years of Ping Liao".
If you refuse to admit your mistakes, you always have to find reasons to defend yourself; if you don’t take responsibility, you always make others take the blame for your mistakes...
This was Chongzhen, the emperor who claimed to be the Ming Emperor and was extremely diligent and hardworking, pushing the Ming Dynasty to its demise.
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No matter Mao Wenlong's impeachment or Yuan Chonghuan's counterattack, Guo Dajing didn't care too much about who won and who lost.
According to his prediction, it is likely that there will be no winner or loser, and public opinion will gradually subside amid the silence of the court.
This mainly depends on Chongzhen's attitude. It is obviously impossible to convict the "famous general" of Pingliao who he had high hopes for five years.
In other words, the crime of selling grain to the Haraqin tribe was not enough to bring down Yuan Chonghuan before the Haraqin tribe introduced the slaves into the customs.
Similarly, because of Mao Wenlong's military exploits in Dongjiang Town and the favorable conditions of being located overseas, the court did not dare to deal with him easily.
Just messing around like this, but the hidden danger has been planted. Yuan Chonghuan's guarantee for Haraqinbu Zhongming has made him fall into a big pit, and he is just waiting to slap him in the mouth with the facts and make the emperor angry.
The break with Yuan Chonghuan not only drew a clear line, but Yuan Chonghuan's future conviction has nothing to do with Mao Wenlong or Dongjiang Town.
Another purpose is to delay time, so that Yuan Chonghuan wants to cause trouble in Dongjiang Town and murder Mao Wenlong again, but it is already too late.
September has arrived with the joy of the golden autumn harvest.
Even though the war is imminent, it cannot stop the enthusiasm of the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town. Even Mao Wenlong and Guo Dajing are also focused on this year's harvest, which is the foundation for the development and growth of Dongjiang Town.
This is especially true for ordinary people. They work hard for a year and look forward to harvest almost every day. It is to support their families and to protect themselves from hunger.
The land is dug up, the potatoes are dug out, and they are lined up in the ridges. The harvest is full, and it makes people happy to see it.
Zhang Bang had already thrown off his coat and was only wearing a short-sleeved jacket. He was sweating from the work, but his face always had a cheerful smile from the bottom of his heart.
The wife carried the basket and carried the potatoes to the cart next to the field. She was also sweating profusely, but she didn't seem tired and her steps were still so brisk.
The little sister was under a big tree in the distance, taking care of the little baby who was already able to toddle, giggling from time to time.
The laughter was so happy and carefree that it infected Zhang Bang and his wife, who looked at their younger sister and children with smiles from time to time.
"Have a rest. I'll use the sack after digging, and I'll pretend to be gone after a few trips." Zhang Bang reminded his wife who was wiping her sweat distressedly. He grabbed the cloth on his shoulder and wiped it on his face.
The wife smiled and shook her head and said, "I'm not tired yet. After harvesting this ridge, let's go home to eat and rest."
Zhang Bang said "Yeah", lowered his head and dug harder and harder. The movements seemed to be forceful, but he was very skillful. When he dug out, he rarely hurt the potatoes.
Every potato is precious to the hard-working farmers and is a reward for their sweat. Returning the potatoes to the warehouse is an obsession that is engraved in the hearts of the farmers.
"This year's harvest is worse than last year." The wife said while picking potatoes in the basket: "Fortunately, there are more fields to plant, and taxes are paid according to the harvest, so the leftovers are still much better than last year."
Zhang Bang nodded vigorously and said: "This year there is a drought, and it is quite unexpected that we have been able to resist the disaster and save ourselves to this extent."
"Next year should be a good year." The wife is looking forward to it. She also has the experience accumulated by countless farmers in the past dynasties and the judgment passed down to this day.
It is not entirely certain whether one year is good or bad, but compared to the continuous disasters in the northwest and central plains, Liaodong seems to be a bit more special. The main reason is the cold temperature, which has led to a significant reduction in grain production or even no harvest.
Moreover, the Jianlu people could not sustain themselves for too long just by the food they plundered. The hundreds of thousands or even millions of Han people who were captured by force and farmed and worked were the foundation for the Jianlu people's survival.
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To put it bluntly, during the Little Ice Age, food could be grown in Liaodong, but the yield of conventional crops was not high under low temperature conditions.
It is easy to come to this conclusion. Consider that the Mongolian tribes and Russia farther north, as well as North Korea, which has similar natural conditions to Liaodong, have survived the disaster of the Little Glacier.
Therefore, it is unscientific and incorrect to attribute the demise of the Ming Dynasty to natural disasters. Although this is one of the reasons, it is not the main reason.
Zhang Bang smiled and nodded, and said: "This year is also very good! I'm planning to pull a piece of cloth for you and make a dress for you during the Chinese New Year. That kind of green cloth with flowers will look great on you."
The wife blushed a little, pursed her lips and said, "It's better to buy some clothes for my little sister. I won't be shabby even if I sew them up."
They all come from similar backgrounds, and it is normal to have patches on their clothes. No one is dissatisfied with anyone, and there are fewer social conflicts.
"Do both, both are good." Zhang Bang waved the shovel again, his nose feeling a little sore.
In order to have a good wife who can share the joys and sorrows with him and never leave her, I owe him too much.
The wife didn't know that her husband was almost in tears, but she still talked while picking up and carrying the harvested potatoes. This year, she also planted corn and rye. After paying the government taxes, she didn't have to worry about eating and drinking.
I have saved some money, even though it is not much, but it gives people hope and success.
Next year, in addition to farming, we can also raise a few sheep on credit, or buy a few chickens and ducks. Life will be better, and it will get better year by year. This must be the case.
Zhang Bang quickly finished unpacking the potatoes, packed them in sacks, and transported them to the car in two or three trips.
He greeted his little sister with a smile, took the baby and sat in the car. The couple pulled the car and walked home laughing all the way.
The sun has already set in the west, stretching the shadows of people and cars very long. Accompanied by the clear laughter of giggling children, the sound of wheels rattling is as sweet as rhythmic music.
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Creak, creak, Chen Laoshi was carrying the burden, and the pole trembled and trembled, making a sound like a companion playing with his steps.
My wife is busy in the yard, with strings of burnt corn and red peppers hanging on the wall, with a look of joy on her face.
Hearing the familiar voice, the wife quickly stopped what she was doing, rushed over to open the fence gate, and welcomed her husband in.
"Hey, a hundred pounds of potatoes are really not light." Chen Laoshi put down the burden and said with a smile, "There will be food shipped in a few days!"
As later immigrants, Chen Laoshi and his wife settled in a village in Fuzhou. After the season, they could only grow various vegetables and other short-term crops.
The government has also taken this situation into consideration. After all, there are always a lot of escaped Liao people, so they have to arrange jobs for them, create value as soon as possible, and be self-reliant as soon as possible.
Some of the vegetables grown on the large land were eaten by themselves, some were supplied to the army, and some were transported to Jinzhou to be exchanged for potatoes, corn, and other grains.
In other words, Chen Laoshi, this group of immigrants, put in a lot of work and hard work. Although they grew vegetables, alfalfa, peanuts and other crops, through the government's adjustment, it was almost the same as growing grain.
As far as the government is concerned, as long as the immigrants have work to do, it will not be in vain. In fact, what the government gives them is not as valuable as what the people create.
Yes, to put it bluntly, it is exploitation. But if the people can have enough to eat, the people will be grateful and will not consider reciprocal value or exploitation at all.
Just like Chen Laoshi and his wife, they feel like they are living a life in heaven now, even though they don't know what heaven is.
I have food and drink, a house to live in, and work to do. I live a fulfilling life every day. I no longer live in a bare house, and every piece of household items is slowly added to my possessions.
There are tables, stools, pots, urns and cellars, and it looks more and more like home. Although life is not rich, it is becoming more and more peaceful as time goes by.
The wife helped the man put things away. She was very happy and reminded her: "I need to buy some salt and pickle all the pickles. I can eat them until next year!"
Chen Laoshi nodded repeatedly and said, "I didn't forget it! They said it would be shipped in a few days. Everyone is using salt, so I was nervous for a while."
"I'm not in a hurry. Our village is also close to the salt field." The wife said with a smile: "Tonight we will eat pancakes, porridge, and some shredded potatoes."
"Sure, sure." Chen Laoshi chuckled and said, "This is the best meal, don't forget to add chili!"
"I won't forget it. Make more pancakes. Aren't you going to participate in the militia training in two days?" The wife nodded in agreement with a smile, picked up firewood, started a fire, and started to work.
A new home, a new village, a new life, including new living habits.
Corn, potatoes, and peppers were all unfamiliar to the newly arrived Liao people, but with the help and guidance of others, they quickly became familiar with them.
Potatoes cannot be eaten because of their sprouts, but corn can be ground into grains and flour for cooking porridge or making pancakes. Especially chili peppers, with less oil and less meaty taste, can add flavor to rice and quickly became popular among the people.
Chili peppers can also be used to pickle pickles, which began to appear in the army at the end of last year. It is said that it was General Guo's whimsical idea. The spicy cabbage and spicy radish made are delicious.
From the army to the people, it is not just delicious, but also the significant increase in planting area, making peppers popular and edible.
Not only the large-scale planting in Fuzhou, but also the fields of ordinary people's homes must be set aside to grow cabbage, radish, and pepper.
While his wife is cooking, Chen Laoshi is also not idle. This is his own home. Compared with other people's homes, it is still far behind, but many homes can be built out of simple materials by one's own hands.
There are also equipment needed to participate in the militia training. Crossbows and arrows have been distributed, but they still lack the simple armor filled with wooden boards.
Chen Laoshi found a few thicker boards, carefully measured the dimensions, and began sawing them into squares.
He did it very carefully and polished the corners. In addition to not wanting to be looked down upon by the militiamen, he also wanted to abide by the rules of the government.
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If you have enough food and clothing, you will know the etiquette. If it can be simplified and refined, Guo Dajing thinks that "food is the first thing for the people" will be enough.
If the common people can fill their bellies and don't need to talk about etiquette, honor and disgrace, there will certainly not be many people who commit crimes and live an honest life.
But when hunger drives you crazy, you don't need to preach about your reputation, it's useless.
Chongzhen didn't know the feeling of hunger and wouldn't understand this truth. The same was true for officials, so they didn't care about the lives of the people.
In Chongzhen's view, these common people are ignorant mobs who do not understand justice. When the country is in difficulty, why can't we sacrifice first, pay more taxes, and make less troubles?
As for Guo Dajing, he clearly knows that if Dongjiang Town wants to be self-reliant and develop, it cannot do without the hard work of the people at the bottom.
To protect this fundamental, we need to ensure that the people have enough to eat, have yearning and hope in their hearts, and feel that their days are promising.
It is actually not too difficult to do this. Chongzhen can also do it without even having to rack his brains to figure it out.
The first is grain, which is said to have been proposed by Lu Xiangsheng. When he was the governor of Xuanda, he vigorously promoted the "grain" policy and once solved the army's food problem.
The grain policy actually imposes additional taxes on the rich: farmers who pay less than 5 taels in tax will not be levied additional taxes; wealthy households who pay more than 5 taels in tax will be taxed to varying degrees based on the amount of their property.
The second is to clear the army and use it as food and salary, which means to take back all the army's farmland and use all the income from the farmland as food and salary.
Sun Chuanting held high the banner of "ancestral system" and claimed that "one acre of land cannot be lost, and one grain of grain cannot be lost." After collecting all the land files in Shaanxi, he began to collect land for military settlements in accordance with the records.
Sun Chuanting showed no mercy and almost offended the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty. He spent three years to recover almost all the military land, clear out 450,000 taels of silver, and form a military force with great combat effectiveness.