At that time, there was no shortage of wild animals in Liaodong. There were mountains and forests everywhere, and it was truly the Great Northern Wilderness.
Even in Jinzhou, the level of development, or the damage to nature, is far less than that of later generations, and villagers can often obtain wild animals.
Even the village soldiers will organize themselves to hunt down the wolves and wild boars near the village that destroy crops.
"There is no place suitable for hunting around here." Liu Xingzuo was also very interested in hunting and said, "Otherwise, it would be good to organize the troops to do some outdoor training."
Guo Dajing didn't really mind if it could improve his life. But he never took the initiative to make this suggestion, fearing that he would not be able to stop it and create a bad trend.
Guo Dajing confessed his crime, got up and went out, walked around and then came back. He already had several more kinds of food in his hand. Dried fish, dried meat, peanuts, and a roast chicken. He only said he brought them, but in fact they were
Snacks in space.
"Let's drink something casually first, it will make us more interesting." Guo Dajing put the food on the table and said with a smile: "It won't be long before I'm going to be busy again."
Liu Qishi poured the wine without hesitation, stretched out his hand, broke off the chicken thigh and took a bite, nodding his head repeatedly with a mouth full of oil, and making a satisfied "Uh-huh" sound.
"There's no future in this kind of showmanship." Liu Xingzuo took a piece of dried meat, chewed it vigorously, and asked: "Are you talking about recovering Haizhou or dealing with those guys in Liao Town?"
Guo Dajing shrugged his shoulders, took a sip of wine, and said, "It's both!"
Liu Xingzuo nodded and said, "It would be great if Marshal Mao could keep Zu Dashou by his side."
Zu Dashou was much older than Guo Dajing. If the two of them were together, Guo Dajing would not like to see him, and he would have to maintain superficial politeness, which was really not very convenient.
It would be much simpler if Mao Wenlong suppressed Zu Dashou and Guo Dajing suppressed other Liao Town generals.
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "The relationship between host and guest has been decided. Zu Dashou should be able to understand it, and I don't care too much. With him by my side, it will be a lot easier to discipline the generals of Liao Town."
"Hey, you always see things differently from other people." Liu Qishi ate very quickly, and only the bones were left on a chicken leg, which was thrown on the table, "But, if you think about it, that's really what happened."
Liu Xingzuo also had to admire Guo Dajing's unique perspective on the problem and his ability to make sense.
"What about Ningyuan?" Liu Xingzuo chewed peanuts and asked, "You can't let their people guard it, right?"
Guo Dajing said: "Shuai Mao and I have agreed that Qiu Zhentai will lead 3,000 troops to garrison Ningyuan. Together with part of the navy on Juehua Island, it will be enough to ensure the safety of Ningyuan."
"How can Jianlu still have the strength to attack Ningyuan?" Liu Qishi shook his head and said, "It's just that the court will be worried and will have to occupy thousands of troops."
Guo Dajing smiled helplessly and said: "This is also the intention of the imperial court. If we take over Ningyuan, the garrison strength of Shanhaiguan can be reduced. I think they should be transferred to quell civil unrest."
Cao Wenzhao and other generals who had withdrawn to the pass first had been sent to the northwest to quell the rebellion. However, the troops were still relatively lacking, and the troops in Shanhaiguan and Jizhen did not dare to mobilize with confidence.
After Dongjiang Town annexed Liao Town, the court no longer had to worry about Liao Town taking risks and rebelling.
"Actually, I hope the imperial court can send troops to guard Ningyuan." Guo Dajing added: "This will save our men. I just don't know if I can get permission to report to the imperial court."
"Ma Shilong is guarding Shanhaiguan. He should be trustworthy by the imperial court." Liu Xingzuo said: "There are also several general soldiers who performed well when Jianlu took a detour to enter the customs. They are also suitable candidates."
Guo Dajing nodded and said: "But the imperial court may not agree. The main thing is food and salary. It is impossible for us to pay. The imperial court takes it but is reluctant to part with it."
Liu Qishi shook his head and said with some disdain: "This huge imperial court is so embarrassed that it is even worse than our Dongjiang Town."
Liu Xingzuo pursed his lips and said, "With a big family and a big business, the expenses are also big. You don't know how expensive firewood and rice are before you become a family, and you don't know how much effort Guo Shuai spent on maintaining Dongjiang Town."
Guo Dajing hurriedly waved his hand and said humbly: "The most difficult period is over.
After all, Dongjiang Town has become self-sufficient, and Guo no longer has to worry about raising funds."
"Hehe." Liu Qishi laughed twice and said, "Anyway, I have food and drink, so I don't think about that much. There should be many people like me in Dongjiang Town, right?"
"Why do you think so much?" Guo Dajing raised his wine glass and said with a smile, "Here, let's go."
"cheers!"
"Go one!"
Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi laughed heartily and drank from their glasses.
Wine is the key to happiness. Chatting between men, especially warriors, can't be done without wine.
Guo Dajing has a good capacity for drinking, but he usually only tastes it lightly and never drinks too much. Even in today's atmosphere, when he feels happy and happy, he doesn't finish the drink.
While eating, drinking and chatting, the roasted lamb was served, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.
"After Ping Liao, we all built houses and mansions in Shenyang." Liu Xingzuo breathed out the smell of alcohol and chewed mutton, and said, "As for the big cities, the only ones are Liaoyang and Shenyang."
Liu Qishi turned his attention to Guo Dajing and asked: "Brother, where do you plan to live?"
Guo Dajing smiled and said: "You can live anywhere. One place in Shenyang, one place in Liaoyang, one place in Dalian, so what's wrong?"
"This is good." Liu Xingzuo slapped the table and said excitedly: "We risked our lives to conquer this Liaodong. It's time to enjoy it."
Guo Dajing waved his hands repeatedly and said: "You can't just enjoy it, it's too petty. My goal is the stars and the sea, you all have to follow me to the end. If you want to give up your job, there is no way."
"The sea of stars?!" Liu Xingzuo blinked, not knowing why, "Where is that place?"
Liu Qishi also cast a doubtful and inquiring look, but Guo Dajing laughed and said: "Don't be anxious, let's complete it one goal at a time. The world is so big, we all have to broaden our horizons, so that we can always have the motivation to move forward.
Lament the brevity of life."
Liu Qishi chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. He was not interested in these frivolous things. Anyway, let’s finish the big thing in front of him first and talk about it later.
A few decades are too short, and Guo Dajing may not be able to fulfill his grand ambitions. But it is still possible to revive the Ming Dynasty and reach the top of the world in his lifetime.
A closer look at the situation shows that although Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi are Guo Dajing's confidants, their optimism about the situation and confidence in victory can also be seen from their mental states.
This is not to compliment Guo Dajing, but to clearly see the decline of Jianlu. Once upon a time, who would have thought that Jianlu, riding on iron cavalry, would actually shrink back and defend.
"Actually, if we want to achieve the level required by the imperial court, we can start the counterattack now." Guo Dajing was already half drunk, but he knew very well that he started to drink less wine, but the mutton was delicious.
Liu Xingzuo nodded vigorously and said: "Use the advantage of firepower and manpower to destroy Anshan Post, then attack Liaoyang, and finally fight the Jianlu in Shenyang, or force the Jianlu to flee."
Putting down the knife for cutting meat, Liu Xingzuo then added: "I know what you are thinking. You just want to eliminate the Jianlu once and for all so that they will no longer be a trouble to Liaodong."
"You're right." Guo Dajing smiled and took the knife, cut off a large piece of meat, then cut it into small pieces, and said: "After pacifying Liaodong, I don't want to retain too many troops. I want to rebuild and develop Liaodong with all my strength. I will continue to quarrel with Jianlu when I have time."
Harassment was once the Dongjiang Army's specialty, and Liu Xingzuo and Liu Qishi naturally knew what was difficult to deal with.
If the Jianlu were able to retain considerable strength and retreat to the north, but the Dongjiang Army split up its forces to guard a territory that had expanded several times, it would definitely be a very troublesome problem.
If during the decisive battle of Liao-Chen, the Jianlu were attacked with annihilation and suffered heavy losses, they would retreat to a bitter and cold place and there would be no chance of rising again.
"To achieve this goal, first, while stabilizing the Jianlu in Liao and Shen, send troops to outflank the enemy's retreat route." Liu Xingzuo said thoughtfully, "The second is to send out powerful cavalry when the Jianlu are defeated. Pursuing him relentlessly."
Guo Dajing nodded vigorously and said: "Brother Liu is wise. The task of outflanking the enemy's retreat is given to Liaodong.
Troops, the pursuit of Jianlu will be left to the flying cavalry."
"This has been arranged, I will just follow the order." Liu Qishi said with a smile, smelling of alcohol: "If Jianlu retreats to the north, Jianzhou will definitely not be able to occupy it, and it will only be a bitter and cold place further away. It’s already very difficult to survive and develop in such a harsh environment, and I’m afraid I don’t have the power to cause trouble.”
Liu Xingzuo glanced at Liu Qishi and said with a smile: "You, you still don't understand Guo Shuai's ambitions and his abilities. As long as it is land, there is no such thing as bitter cold. You can take it if you can."
Facing Liu Qishi's doubtful look, Guo Dajing nodded slightly and said: "The bitter cold is temporary, and it is mainly about development and management. It is not for the vanity of expanding the territory, but for the long-term consideration to ensure that Liaodong's population is sufficient The land is cultivated..."
The civil unrest that broke out due to major disasters in the Ming Dynasty was largely due to the serious land annexation. Land was limited, but the population continued to grow, especially during the Taiping years.
The impact of natural disasters also makes agricultural production uncertain. In order to resist major disasters, it should be a good way to make up for the lack of production with the amount of farming.
"If a family has three or four or four or five children, the population can double in 20 to 30 years." Guo Dajing said slowly: "Look at the situation in the mainland, how many farmers are there? How many sanitation farms are there? Has it been invaded by powerful gentry? The lesson is not far away. To maintain stability, we must continue to increase land to meet the growth of the population."
"What's more -" Guo Dajing smiled slightly and said: "The so-called bitter cold land has many treasures buried, just waiting for us to get it."
Liu Qishi laughed and said: "We will do whatever you say. But in my opinion, no treasure is as good as drinking wine and eating meat. Come on, cheers."
Guo Dajing raised his glass and drank, not criticizing Liu Qishi's thoughts. After all, it can be said that there is no one in this era who has his sense of urgency and strategic vision.
Moreover, Guo Dajing also had a way to use private forces to accelerate the development of the Northeast, continuously expand to the north, occupy a favorable strategic position, and compete with the evil neighbors in the north.
Guo Dajing disagrees with this evaluation of the Han people as they lack the spirit of adventure.
Could it be that those pioneers who broke through Guandong, went to Nanyang, and took the west entrance were so hungry that they took the step to leave their hometown?
As long as there are enough benefits, such as official titles and land rewards, the power of the people can be mobilized. With the popularization of muskets to ordinary people, it can also provide them with the greatest protection when taking risks.
Guo Dajing is also preparing to establish a large number of pioneering regiments composed of retired officers and soldiers. They have weapons, can fight, and are more confident to create a foundation for future generations and strive for more wealth.
Jilin, Heilongjiang; Changchun, Harbin... Guo Dajing didn't know whether these place names would still exist, but these lands must be included in the Han family.
……………
In the chill of early spring, Bai Shi rode along the road, traveling south to north, neither fast nor slow.
Zu Dashou looked calm and had put on the Dongjiang Army's standard gloves and hat, and his image had changed a lot. Accompanied by He Kegang, he rode forward while quietly listening to the discussions of the generals behind him.
"Dongjiang Town is really rich!"
Zukofa fiddled with the telescope in his hand, feeling like he couldn't put it down, but he still said with a bit of yin and yang in his mouth, "This is the first time we have seen such a sharp weapon in the army, but they have been using it for several years."
Accompanying the generals was Huang Degong, who laughed and said: "I heard that this telescope was first brought by the Western Yi people. Guo Shuai hired skilled craftsmen to imitate it. It is worth a lot of money."
If someone spent money to build it, why should you use it? When you were receiving royal salary in western Liaoning and Dongjiang Town was under oppression, what did you give to others?
Huang Degong cursed in his heart, he really looked down upon these pretentious guys more and more, and they were so stubborn when they got into trouble.
"Dongjiang Town is located in a remote location overseas, and it also occupies an advantageous location. Sea trade is very profitable!" Zu Zepu said: "They build all the weapons and equipment for the troops themselves, which costs even more."
Mao Wenlong also had doubts in his heart.
Turning to look at He Kegang, Wen Yan asked: "Vice General He, Dongjiang Town can support tens of thousands of elite soldiers and generals by relying on sea trade alone, and achieve a strong and powerful army?"
He Kegang bowed on his horse and said: "As far as the general knows, sea trade is only one of the incomes of Dongjiang Town. Like the silver reward and Guo Shuai's management, the general doesn't know the details."
Zu Dashou nodded and said: "This Liao banknote is quite powerful. It is almost the same as a treasure banknote. It saves money on wages. You can recruit as many soldiers as you want without worrying about not being able to pay them."
He Kegang pondered for a moment and answered truthfully: "The last general also expressed his admiration to Guo Shuai. After listening to his explanation, I realized that it is not that simple."
Oh, Zu Dashou looked surprised and asked: "Ke Gang, please tell me in detail."
He Kegang said: "This Liao ticket seems to be just a paper stamp, but when you take it to the market, you can buy everything. Especially food, the price comparison with the Liao ticket has always been very stable. With the Liao ticket, soldiers and civilians can spend it, and
The reason why it can be circulated in Dongjiang Town is that it does not depreciate in value."
Zu Dashou stroked his beard and was lost in thought. After a long while, he nodded suddenly and said: "Although it is paper, it is equivalent to food. Naturally, ordinary people will not reject Liao tickets."
"If there is not enough food or other commercial goods, the Liao banknote is just a piece of waste paper, just like the treasure banknote, neither the military nor the civilians will accept it."