There must be a decisive battle, but Guo Dajing hopes to delay it.
The strength of the Dongjiang Army will continue to increase with the injection of a large number of people. As one goes and the other goes up, the gap with Jianlu will become wider and wider, and the chance of winning the decisive battle will become higher and higher.
"Guo Shuai, are you worried that the imperial court will change its orders at night?" He Guizhong asked hesitantly: "For the great cause of pacifying Liao and exterminating the captives, besides us in Dongjiang Town, who else can the imperial court look to?"
Guo Dajing chuckled and said: "Long Live is an impatient person. He supplies war horses and facilitates the victims' entry into Liaoning. Only when he sees some rewards can he know that his support for Dongjiang Town is not in vain."
"Besides -" Guo Dajing changed his tone and said: "In order to curb the escape, Jianlu moved the Liao people to the hinterland. According to the intelligence, there are many Jianzhou guards."
He Guizhong nodded gently and said: "I understand what Guo Shuai means. If only Jianlu is left and no one is left to farm and produce for them, they will be doomed."
The deaths and escapes caused by the Great Famine caused the Jianlu to lose a large amount of labor force. The disastrous failure of the detour to enter the Pass also left the Jianlu without the opportunity to replenish their troops, and they lost 10,000 to 20,000 elite men.
What consumed Jianlu the most was the lack of materials. During the Little Ice Age, when the climate was getting colder and colder, the failure or failure of traditional crops could only be compensated by the huge amount of land.
But to cultivate a large amount of land requires a large number of people and a large amount of labor.
Guo Dajing's attack on Jianlu was all-round.
On the one hand, it is to block it and cut off its channels for purchasing from outside; on the other hand, it is to constantly harass it and strike hard at its empty areas.
As long as the strategic policy remains unchanged, Guo Dajing believes that when the decisive battle comes, he will be able to win the most certain victory at the minimum cost.
And the worry about Chongzhen is not without purpose.
Guo Dajing knew better than anyone else the character of this long-lived man, who was capricious but also headstrong. He was a good policy, but it was abandoned halfway and difficult to implement.
Despite the great support given to Dongjiang Town now, who knows one day I will listen to other people's opinions and be eager for success and press for war.
According to the current development of Dongjiang Town, it is certainly possible to deal with Chongzhen and not implement decisions that are not good for itself. But this will inevitably arouse Chongzhen's suspicion and cause something stupid.
Fortunately, I had foresight and tried my best to make Dongjiang Town basically self-reliant without having to succumb to Chongzhen's blind orders.
"Now, population has become an important factor in the situation." Regarding He Guizhong's analysis and judgment, Guo Dajing nodded slightly, but did not want to go too deep.
It seems that Jianlu has no way to get rid of the unfavorable situation, but there are also variables in it. One is Liao Zhen, which is suppressed and isolated, and the other is Hu Duntu, who is weak and timid.
Dongjiang Town's continuously strengthening navy is enough to crush Juehua Navy. If Liao Town dares to smuggle in to enrich themselves, Guo Dajing is not prepared to be polite to them.
But Lin Dan Khan's Chahar tribe and Guo Dajing were beyond his reach and could not take care of them.
Jianlu didn't need to mobilize too much. A mobile regiment of 8,000 people was enough to defeat the Chahar tribe and drive the tigers and rabbits away from their feet.
If Dongjiang Town wants to contain them, they may have to mobilize the entire army to defeat the remaining rebels. Guo Dajing will not work so hard just for the sake of being a tiger.
And even if the Jianlu were able to plunder some people, cattle, horses and livestock by attacking Huduntu, it would only delay the fate of destruction and would not change the general trend.
What is the general trend? It is technology that is hundreds of years ahead of Jianlu, various firearms that are sharp and easy to train, Dongjiang Town, which has basically got rid of the influence of the imperial court, continues to grow in strength, and is trying its best to destroy Pingliao.
Unknowingly, Guo Dajing and He Guizhong had arrived at the entrance of the village and stopped their horses in unison.
"We won't go in today." Guo Dajing said with a smile: "You don't need to prepare anything, I will bring everything tomorrow."
He Guizhong chuckled and said: "Go straight into the village, cross the cross street, and you will see a yard with a big poplar tree. The humble home is right opposite."
"Remember." Guo Dajing nodded and said jokingly: "Don't be anxious, it only takes these two days to get married. You have to get this important thing done before leaving."
He Guizhong chuckled, and said goodbye to Guo Dajing. He watched him and a few soldiers go away with their whips, and then entered the village with a horse's head.
……………………
As night falls, each fire is burning under the mat tent, emitting light and heat, warming the bodies of the victims gathered around the fire.
The autumn night has become cooler. The old, weak, women and children were placed in the shack, and the thick straw became their warm bedding.
After two or three days of busy work, the chaos was finally turned into order. It was still far from orderly, but it was already the limit of Li Haidong and others.
"Twelve more rows of mat tents have been built. Even if it rains, we don't have to worry about the victims being watered."
"Another 20 toilets were dug today, and there is basically no open defecation."
"The price of rice stores has increased by another 20%. I didn't buy any more grain today."
Li Haidong stroked his forehead and listened to the reports from his men. The situation had improved a lot. The only thing that made him angry was the increase in food prices.
"This group of profiteers." He couldn't help but raise his head and cursed angrily: "You don't know that human life is at stake, how dare you make such shady money."
Zhao Huajing gave a bitter smile and said: "They only care about making money, why do they care about human lives? If we hadn't collected relief here, those traffickers would have gotten wind of it."
Li Haidong had already scolded him, but he couldn't change it. He could only roll his eyes, sighed, and said: "Fortunately, there is still some food in the warehouse. It will be enough for two or three days. Calculating the time, support will be here soon."
.”
After waving his hand, Li Haidong softened his tone and said, "It's been a busy day. Go and rest early. I'll be on duty tonight."
Zhao Huajing bowed and said: "Let the night watch be done by a humble position. Your Excellency, you will be very tired after a day's work."
Li Haidong smiled and said: "This little work is not tiring for me. I think back then, I and Guo Shuai were climbing on the ice and sleeping in the snow in North Korea with half a liter of fried rice..."
His subordinates all laughed. Ever since Guo Shuai defeated Jianlu in Zunhua and captured Huang Taiji alive, Li Haidong had often said this to show off and feel proud.
"I'm not tired from my humble position, so I stayed with you all night." Zhao Huajing waited for Li Haidong to finish and said with a smile: "I just want to hear the story of how your Excellency and Guo Shuai fought side by side."
"Okay!" Li Haidong nodded, stood up with a smile, and said as he walked: "I'm not bragging, Guo Shuai has just joined the army, when he was still a flag, I met him, and we stayed together at night..."
The moon is bright and the stars are few, and the autumn wind is bleak.
There was no hustle and bustle during the day in the camp for the victims. The victims who had eaten and drank enough had a little peace of mind, and most of them fell into a deep sleep.
"Guo Shuai once said before that the weather will get colder and colder, and the disasters will become more and more severe, and they will last for almost ten years."
Li Haidong stepped on the dead leaves under his feet, making a rustling sound, and said with emotion: "At that time, few people took it seriously, but Guo Shuai had been preparing. Whether it was overseas alien species or purchasing grain from the south, Dongjiang Town finally stopped worrying about
Eat, drink and worry."
Zhao Huajing seemed to feel something, and said: "The severe drought in Shaanxi seems to have started in the seventh year of Tianqi. It has been four years now, and even the grass roots and bark have been eaten away. There are also disasters in Shanxi, Henan, and Shandong
Flood."
"With such a vast territory like the Ming Dynasty, it is not surprising that disasters occur in some places every year." Li Haidong's voice was a little low, and he said slowly: "But large-scale disasters in the northwest, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Shanxi are rare. And, look,
This momentum has also greatly affected Henan and Zhili."
"Then the victims will continue to come?" Zhao Huajing was very surprised, and his steps slowed down involuntarily.
Li Haidong sighed softly and said: "For Dongjiang Town, the increase in population is a good thing, but I don't know how long this money and food expenditure can last?"
Zhao Huajing scratched his head and said hesitantly: "Since you dare to accept it, you should have enough money and food, right?"
Li Haidong glanced at Zhao Huajing, thought for a while, smiled and said: "I believe in Guo Shuai. As long as he is here, there will be no shortage of money and food."
Reaching out and patting Zhao Huajing's back, Li Haidong said earnestly: "Guo Shuai's ability is not only to lead troops in battles. Outsiders hear such rumors, but they are just a glimpse of the leopard."
"I absolutely believe what Mr. Li said," Zhao Huajing said with a look of hope and yearning, "I wonder if I am lucky enough to meet Guo Shuai."
"There is always a chance." Li Haidong said with a smile: "Guo Shuai is brave in killing enemies, but he is very kind to soldiers and people, and has no airs at all."
Zhao Huajing cupped his hands and said, "Then I need more support from you adults and give more opportunities to those in humble positions."
"I will do my best." Li Haidong's eyes flashed and he looked at the two figures, one large and one small, who appeared not far away.
The woman was still very thin, as if her clothes were hanging on a bamboo pole. But she already had some strength. She held a stick in her hand and led the little girl slowly towards the toilet.
"Mom, just wait here." The little girl turned to look at her mother and said, "I'll be back soon if it's convenient for me."
But the woman was worried and said with a smile: "My mother can walk, she can also sleep peacefully after taking a rest, and she and my dear girl can sleep together until dawn."
The little girl giggled. A child's happiness is so simple. She can have enough to eat, no longer have to live around, and her mother is by her side. What else can she ask for?
Most of the people living in this camp were women and children. For convenience, some relatively strong women were organized to be responsible for patrolling at night and cleaning during the day.
"I have seen you, sir." The two women on patrol saw Li Haidong and others approaching, and quickly gathered their clothes and saluted.
Li Haidong raised his hand and said pleasantly: "No need to be polite. Your hard work will be rewarded."
"Thank you, sir." The woman's face flashed with joy, and she bowed again before standing up.
Li Haidong pointed to the toilet not far away and said, "Please hang up a lantern. It's easy to get into trouble if you touch it in the dark at night."
The two women agreed, took the lanterns handed over by Li Haidong's men, and hurried over.
Li Haidong did not wait any longer and continued his inspection with his men.
Those two figures quickly disappeared from his mind. Among the thousands of disaster victims, there were many such miserable people, but they only left a slight impression on him.
Even though they knew that the disaster had spread from Shaanxi and Gansu to Shanxi and Henan, Li Haidong and others still underestimated the impact of major disasters on ordinary people.
Only a small number of people from Shaanxi and Gansu were able to escape to Tianjin, and most of them were people from Shanxi, Henan, and even Beizhili who were affected by the disaster.
In the face of great disasters, the Ming Dynasty, which was full of long-standing evils, finally exposed its serious deficiencies in financial and management capabilities, both at the imperial court and at the local level, as well as the widespread corruption.
Originally, a major disaster would usually be a good opportunity for political reforms and direct remonstrances from ministers, but by the end of the Ming Dynasty, this political ecology had been lost, and party strife intensified.
The officials in the court were divided into cliques, fighting each other endlessly, and constantly criticizing local officials.
How to provide disaster relief and what strategies to adopt against the bandits have become topics of endless debate and mutual contention. Only practical policies have been slow to come up with.
Emperor Chongzhen, who was seriously short of money and food, didn't know that the military department gave Shi Zhongma Shishi "The thieves of Qin and Jin are all my sons, please use Fu first"'s heartfelt words?
If there is abundant money and food, how can it evolve into a vicious cycle of disaster victims turning into refugees, refugees turning into bandits, and then revolting again?
The catastrophe in Shaanxi has lasted for three or four years. With the joint request of local officials and people, Emperor Chongzhen finally compromised and exempted some areas from the arrears of Liao salary, but it was too late.
Similarly, after a long period of fighting and bargaining, Wu Di finally went to northern Shaanxi as a relief censor. This was just the result of a political power struggle.
Wu Di, the censor of the relief effort who took the blame, came to Shaanxi and discovered that the hundreds of thousands of silver allocated by the imperial court for disaster relief had been intercepted and corrupted by officials. After arriving in the hardest-hit areas, very little was left.
The three prefectures of Yan'an, Qingyang, and Pingliang were thousands of miles away and people were starving. Yan'an Prefecture only got 3,000 taels of silver, and Qingyang Prefecture only had more than 800 taels.
According to the local price of seven qian per dou of rice, each person is given one tael of silver equal to 16 qian, which is enough to live for fifty days. What's more, there are more than 3,000 people in Yan'an Prefecture, and Qingyang Prefecture will not only have 800 people left.
Multiple people.
The collapse of the government's credit system, the decline of imperial authority, the corruption of officialdom, and the lack of money and food have become increasingly obvious in this belated disaster relief.
During the Chongzhen period, the once complete famine relief measures and precedents were all rendered useless due to the deeply flawed political system and the too late disaster relief measures.
In the second year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court declared "ten volunteers". The ten volunteers contributed a lot of money and grain during the famine and "assisted officials to help the hungry people".
After being commended by the imperial court, these ten righteous citizens enjoyed many political rights and honors. They were not only exempted from the household chores for several years, but also could send their children to study in the Imperial College.
However, although Wu Zong lowered the standard of being well-dressed and well-dressed to "those who lose more than a hundred gold coins", the effect of mobilizing wealthy households and vassal kings in Shaanxi this time was still very poor.
The gentry and rich people at all levels in Shaanxi donated a total of about 36,000 taels of silver and more than 3,000 shi of miscellaneous grains. The vassal kings donated even less, only 3,500 taels.