On the sixth day of the first lunar month, a large number of people gathered at the port of Lushun Port, braving the cold wind to welcome the triumphant army.
In the first battle, the Dongjiang Army became famous, killing tens of thousands of enemies and capturing Huang Taiji alive. It also avenged the people and avenged their hatred.
This is the biggest difference between Dongjiang Town and Liao Town. Which people, which soldiers, do not have a deep hatred against Jianlu, and do not have a tragic story behind them?
Therefore, even if the conditions are more difficult, as long as they can have enough food, the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang will fight against the Jianlu.
With the soldiers and civilians looking forward to it, sea-going ships slowly entered the harbor one after another and docked at the docks one by one, arousing bursts of cheers.
"Back!" Mao Wenlong, Chen Jisheng and others stood at the pier, looking at the docked ships, with happy smiles on their faces.
"Back!" On the deck of the ship, the soldiers who went on the expedition were in agitated mood. The joy and excitement of returning home were uncontrollable, and some even shed tears.
Guo Dajing led the generals off the ship and went straight to Mao Wenlong's location. When he got close, he knelt down on one knee and said loudly: "Commander, the last general was ordered to go on an expedition. Now that he has won the victory, he has returned to the army. Come here to pay the order."
Mao Wenlong laughed loudly, stepped forward to help Guo Dajing up, looked up and down, nodded repeatedly, and said with a smile: "You have defeated a powerful enemy with great strength, and your hard work has made great achievements. It has strengthened the reputation of our Dongjiang Army. I am very pleased with you."
Letting go of Guo Dajing, Mao Wenlong raised his hands to the generals and said: "Generals, please excuse me. I have prepared a banquet to welcome you and wash away the dust."
"Thank you, Marshal." All the generals responded in unison and stood up.
Guo Dajing put away his serious expression and smiled at the generals and said: "We have to pay our respects once more. Congratulations to the Marquis, and can we also ask for some money?"
After saying that, he took the lead to bow again and shouted with a smile: "Congratulations, Lord Marquis, congratulations, Lord Marquis."
All the generals laughed happily, and followed Guo Dajing to give another great gift, "Congratulations, Lord Marquis, Congratulations, Lord Marquis."
"You -" Mao Wenlong pointed with his finger and said with a helpless smile: "Do you have to pay all of my salary? That's all, that's all. If you have merit, I will be generous and reward you all.
have."
"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief." Guo Dajing said in a long voice with a smile, much like a waiter in a tea house.
The crowd echoed loudly, chatting and laughing.
Mao Wenlong smiled bitterly and shook his head repeatedly, as if he was made to laugh or cry by Guo Dajing and others, but he was extremely happy and happy in his heart.
Guo Dajing and others met with Chen Jisheng and others, and they greeted each other politely and politely without any hint of arrogance.
In fact, Guo Dajing is the commander-in-chief of Jinzhou and Chen Jisheng is the deputy commander-in-chief of Dongjiang Town. The power of the two is not well measured.
Fortunately, each one is in charge of government affairs and the military affairs, so there is no conflict. Besides, Guo Dajing was promoted to deputy general before and took over the military affairs, and now they are still clearly divided.
Soldiers and war horses continued to board the dock from docked ships, and Guo Dajing and others accompanied Mao Wenlong to leave to avoid crowding and obstruction.
As the chief officer of Lushun, Chen Jisheng led his people to stay at the dock, where he arranged for the soldiers who were landing one after another to transport various supplies.
All the generals who went on the expedition chose to stay at the dock to command their troops. Only Guo Dajing rode on his horse and accompanied Mao Wenlong to Lushun Fort.
A separate report is definitely needed. The good news from Mao Wenlong has not yet been sent out, but he is waiting for Guo Dajing to show his actual results and increase the value of the victory!
"More than 12,000 war horses, 6,000 to 7,000 other livestock, gold, silver, silk and silk worth almost one million..." Guo Dajing listed the harvest of this expedition in more detail.
Mao Wenlong smiled, stroking his beard, and listened patiently.
"The last general kept more than 2,100 heads privately, which can be used as a reward to regain the lost territory and win the trust of the court. By the way, I also mention the difficulty of our army's lack of cavalry."
Mao Wenlong agreed: "That's very good."
"Our army has 4,363 dead soldiers and nearly 8,000 wounded. The losses are considerable." Guo Dajing's voice deepened, "Almost two-thirds of the wounded can recover and return to the army. The others..."
The number of casualties includes all personnel including those who were seriously injured and died. The medical conditions at that time were so poor that even if Guo Dajing tried to help, nearly a thousand seriously injured people were included in the death list.
But with such a casualty rate, tens of thousands of people were beheaded, and the enemy was almost wiped out, which is enough to be proud of. And the fact that such a large battle loss ratio was achieved was mainly caused by the Jianlu troops being chased after their defeat.
Mao Wenlong sighed and said: "This is a lot more than the number in your report. It must be that many seriously injured people did not survive. You and I feel sad, but if it is made public, I don't know how many people will be unbelievable."
"In war, casualties are inevitable. If we want to pacify Liao and destroy the captives, we still don't know how many soldiers will be sacrificed?"
Mao Wenlong glanced at Guo Dajing, and said half to comfort and half to warn: "Victory is the most important, and the blood of the soldiers should not be shed in vain."
Guo Dajing nodded, calmed down his emotions, and said: "Yuan Chonghuan is finished. When the Marquis reports victory, it is best to file an impeachment memorial to expose Yuan Chonghuan's cunning tactics to murder the Marquis."
The incident did not happen, and Mao Wenlong did not think that Yuan Chonghuan had any plot or action to kill the commander. Hearing Guo Dajing's suggestion, he could not help but ponder and did not answer immediately.
Guo Dajing continued: "Yuan Chonghuan has fallen, but the big guys who supported him in the court and the Denglai Dao Wang Tingshi have all suppressed our Dongjiang Town. Not only to clean up the remaining poison, but also to let the officials take action.
Warning.”
Mao Wenlong was moved and said slowly: "With the victory of Zunhua and the retreat of Guan Ning's army, it should be a good opportunity to take down the officials who are close to Yuan Chonghuan."
"It's just that it's hard to believe that he plotted to kill me. It seems that I am seeking personal revenge." Mao Wenlong changed his tone and said: "There is no problem in impeaching Wang Tingshi. This guy withheld food and wages and banned the sea.
, and Yuan Chonghuan are the same."
Guo Dajing did not insist anymore. Anyway, Yuan Chonghuan's case would involve a group of people. Anyone who had supported him, recommended him, or spoken for him would probably be in trouble.
This is no longer a question of how much crime Yuan Chonghuan committed, but it has evolved into a party struggle, a counter-attack after losing power, and it is difficult to escape from the relationship between gaining power. If we look deeper, even Chongzhen has a heavy responsibility, let alone others.
"The imperial court has allowed Dongjiang Town to build special docks in Tianjin and Qinhuangdao. Coupled with the lifting of the ban in Denglai, the channels for purchasing supplies have been greatly expanded."
Guo Dajing turned to report on other matters, "In the end, we will need to purchase large quantities of various livestock, especially cattle and horses, which are of great use for farming."
Mao Wenlong nodded and said: "I have discussed with Chen Jisheng that if the number of livestock is sufficient, horses and cattle will be distributed to the martyrs as a pension."
"This is a great thing and will definitely boost morale." Guo Dajing praised: "With the help of animals, the families of the martyrs will not have to worry too much about production and life."
Mao Wenlong smiled and said: "You have made a triumphant expedition and brought back thousands of livestock, plus the purchase, it should be enough. This charter will be finalized from now on."
Guo Dajing said: "With the dedicated wharf, it will be more convenient to purchase cattle, sheep and horses outside the border."
"Qinhuangdao is a good place." Mao Wenlong said: "With the decline of the Jianlu forces, Hu Duntu is likely to return eastward. In order to stabilize his tribe, the horse market outside Ji Town is expected to be reopened."
While they were talking, the two of them had arrived at Lushun Fort with their soldiers, but there were still many things to discuss, so they went to their residence.
"This is Jinzhou, this is Port Arthur!" The immigrants looked around, walked along the gangplank, and boarded the pier.
In addition to being curious and fresh, immigrants also feel uneasy. They feel unfamiliar after arriving for the first time, and they also have some doubts about their future.
Now that the coast is frozen, the only way from Lushun to Fuzhou is by land. This is the most gratifying thing for many seasick immigrants.
The government officials led by Chen Jisheng enthusiastically stepped forward and led the immigrants to temporary residences several miles away. After resting here for two or three days, they would go to a new village and a new home.
Because people from the Liao Dynasty continued to disembark from Lushun Port, government officials were already very familiar with the resettlement work. No matter where the immigrants came from, they would be the soldiers and civilians of Dongjiang Town and contribute to the development and growth of Dongjiang Town.
"Are you still dizzy?" Sister Wu asked Xiaoqin with concern, and handed her another mint leaf, "Take another one."
Xiaoqin is still a little top-heavy, but she is walking on the ground after all, but she has not yet adapted to the bumps of the ship.
"Okay, much better." Xiaoqin held the mint in her mouth, and the cool feeling made her feel better again. As people walked forward, she looked at the surrounding scenery with curious eyes.
It was also a land of ice and snow, with mountains and woods in the distance. It didn't look like anything special. Only the snow sculptures appearing on the roadside made her feel novel.
"Those who are feeling unwell can go by car, especially those who are seasick. Don't worry about men and women, and don't be embarrassed." There were actually women among the government officials, and they greeted loudly, which made the people feel novel and friendly.
Sister Wu let out a long breath, feeling reassured. If nothing else, based on her level of education, she should be able to support herself here, not the kind of person who drives cattle to plow the fields.
A young-looking government official said loudly: "Rice, noodles, meat, and fish have been prepared for the folks. I haven't had a good New Year on the boat. I have a good rest these days and eat well to make up for it for you."
The immigrants' expressions gradually became more relaxed, and there were smiles on their faces. People took them seriously, thinking more carefully and making arrangements more thoughtfully.
"It is said that Dongjiang Town is in a remote location overseas and the conditions are difficult, but now it seems that is not the case?" Some people whispered: "Those people watching at the port are not wearing rags."
"Who knows?" An acquaintance didn't know the reason, so he shook his head and said, "Maybe it's because we won a great victory this time and the imperial court rewarded us a lot, so we can be rich, right?"
"It doesn't matter anything else, as long as I can have a full stomach." Someone expressed their doubts, "This land can really give so much and pay so little tax?"
Although the voice was not loud, the young government official heard it and said with a smile: "We in Dongjiang Town dare not say anything else, but this land is rich. Don't you know it yet? Our army has just recovered Fuzhou and
Gaizhou has such a large area of land but no one is cultivating it!"
"Did we also win the battle here?" The people nodded vigorously and said suddenly, "No wonder it's so grand. It turns out that's what happened."
"This year, only the land in Fuzhou will be allocated to the people for farming. Gaizhou is all military settlement." The government official continued to explain: "Even so, if a family wants to cultivate 180 acres, it is enough."
"If we have cattle, we can cover more than a hundred acres." A man with a short stature asked, "Sir, I wonder how much a cattle costs here?"
The government official said: "If you want to buy a farm cow, it costs fifteen or sixty taels of silver. If you don't have enough money, you can also apply for a loan. The maximum limit is twenty taels. It will be repaid in three years without interest."
During the Wanli period, the average cost of cattle farming in the capital was sixty-seven taels of silver. Over the years, coupled with the impact of the war, the price has more than doubled.
In Jinzhou, the number of large livestock has increased sharply, also this year. The war seizures and financial abundance have led to an explosive growth in the number of cattle and horses purchased from outside.
Relying solely on manual farming will obviously be unable to meet production requirements due to the substantial increase in land.
By smuggling brocades and silks to Jianlu, Dongjiang Town made a huge profit, providing sufficient funds to purchase large quantities of livestock.
Moreover, whether the people buy it with cash or take a loan, they still have to pay it back. Although there is no interest, more land is cultivated and the taxes paid also increase, so the government does not lose money.
The first people to settle and farm in Jinzhou, especially the families of military families, had accumulated some wealth over the past two years and had the strongest desire to buy large livestock.
According to the average salary standard of the Ming Dynasty, if you cultivate fifty acres, it is not difficult to earn more than twenty taels of silver a year without major disasters. This is basically the same as the income of small traders, such as oil sellers walking on the streets.
It is also because of the government's loose taxation and the promotion of cold- and drought-resistant crops that ordinary people have a clear understanding of the situation. Even if they don't have enough cash, they dare to take out loans to buy large livestock.
The newly arrived immigrants obviously don't know much about the various policies implemented in Dongjiang Town. When they hear about loans, that is, borrowing money, they don't feel confident.
What they were thinking about was what to do if they still couldn't pay, but the government had given them a three-year deadline, so they couldn't just go without income every year, right?
However, the government officials did not give detailed explanations, but still made the immigrants feel at ease. They had been told some things before coming, such as houses, farm tools, etc., so there was nothing to worry about.
"Sir, the treatment given to military families in Dongjiang Town is particularly good. Is there not enough soldiers?" Some people asked in confusion: "Is it easy to join the army?"
The government official smiled and shook his head and said: "It is not easy to join the army. The army has many conditions. There is a certain amount every year, and every year many people fail to meet the standards, or the recruitment is full, so they can only continue to wait."
"As for why military families are treated well, that's because soldiers have to shed blood and sacrifice to protect their families and the country. Shouldn't they be respected and have no worries?"
The weak combat power of the Ming army has a lot to do with the low social status and discrimination in people's traditional concepts. A good man should not be a soldier, and a good man should not hammer nails. This is the most popular explanation.