Chapter 503 Civil chaos is difficult to settle, Liaodong is the way to survive
Wen Tiren wanted to make good friends with Mao Wenlong, so he told Chongzhen that there was a precedent for military generals to confer the title of Sangong, so as to dispel the emperor's doubts.
But Chongzhen was still hesitating. He waved his hand and said, "Let me think again."
Wen Tiren stopped and saw that the emperor had nothing else to do, so he and Liang Tingdong bowed and left.
"The imperial court is in dire straits of money and food. Yesterday I saw Mr. Bi and he was still complaining to me."
As Liang Tingdong walked out of the palace, he said to Wen Tiren: "Now, we only look at the Dongjiang Army's Pingliao operation. I hope it can be completed within one or two years."
Wen Tiren nodded slightly and said: "Looking at the deployment of the Dongjiang Army, we should be able to fight the Jianlu soon. Otherwise, with nearly a hundred thousand troops pressed on the front line, the food and supplies consumed by Dongjiang Town are not something that Dongjiang Town can bear for a long time."
Although Dongjiang Town requested the imperial court to mobilize grain and grass supplies, the emperor knew that they had already solved a large part of the problem themselves.
You must know that Dongjiang Town not only has the army, but also hundreds of thousands of people. If you don't open your mouth to the lion of the court, you have already done your best to relieve the worries of the court.
Liang Tingdong sighed softly and said helplessly: "I hope Mao Wenlong can understand the difficulties of the court and not have other selfish thoughts."
Concerns about Dongjiang Town and Mao Wenlong in the court gradually began to surface again. Seeing that Pingliao was approaching, the strength of the Dongjiang Army also expanded and it was difficult to control it.
As a result, the civil servants who had nothing to do began to instinctively doubt and worry about the generals. However, no one wanted to cause trouble at this critical period.
The key lies in the emperor's attitude. Ping Liao and exterminating the captives is the top priority, and other things can be considered later. In other words, he is also worried, but he is just holding back for the time being.
Wen Tiren glanced at Liang Tingdong, but didn't say anything. Based on his cautious nature, he certainly refused to vouch for Mao Wenlong.
Although in his opinion, it was true that Mao Wenlong wanted to pacify Liao as soon as possible, it was unlikely that he would do anything stupid like Li Chengliang to support the invaders.
Jianlu is a tiger that is not easy to raise, and he believes Mao Wenlong knows it in his heart. Unless the Jurchens are beaten to pieces and then return to a situation where each party is divided, it is possible to play a balanced strategy of pulling this one and fighting that one.
"Liao Town has been annexed by Dongjiang Town. In Liaodong, Dongjiang Town is already the dominant one." Liang Tingdong continued: "Although it can speed up the process of pacifying Liao, it may not be a good thing in the long run."
Wen Tiren snorted and said displeasedly: "Is it a good thing to use the court's money and food to support those rebels in vain?"
Wen Tiren did not have the slightest favorable impression of Liao Zhen. You must know that he started by impeaching Yuan Chonghuan, and Liao Zhen was also the target of his attack.
Without the sudden rise of Dongjiang Town, both Wen Tiren and the emperor would have had to pinch their noses and use money and food to support Liao Town.
But now, who is still used to those disloyal and unjust military leaders in western Liaoning? At this time, Wen Tiren directly defined Liaozhen as a rebel.
Liang Tingdong frowned slightly and argued: "Isn't it good to let Liao Town take the blame and perform meritorious service? It must be controlled by Dongjiang Town and annexed."
"Just because Liao Zhen is as fearful of the enemy as a tiger, can he still be punished and perform meritorious service?"
Wen Tiren curled his lips and said disdainfully: "With millions of silver every year, can they win any decent battles? If we still keep them, we will have to garrison a heavy army at Guanmen to prevent them from rebelling!"
Liang Tingdong shook his head and sighed helplessly.
When it comes to Liao Town, it really doesn't live up to expectations. The key point is comparison. Dongjiang Town received less money and food, but it achieved great successes many times, which left Liao Town speechless.
Even if the imperial court has plenty of money and food, I'm afraid it won't raise a bunch of trash, who are still disloyal and unjust trash.
Alas! The more powerful Dongjiang Town becomes, the more domineering and uncontrollable Mao Wenlong becomes. And the fierce general Guo Dajing is unmatched. Such strength and combination may be more of a disaster than a blessing for the imperial court!
Liang Tingdong could also guess Wen Tiren's thoughts, and most civil servants were similar. A good bird chooses the right tree to roost in. The change of dynasty is just a change of owner. How much impact can they be affected?
Maybe, if the emperor changes, their life will be better, and their prosperity and wealth will be even better.
Indispensable.
Of course, it is too early to say this now. Even if Liang Tingdong wanted to extinguish Dongjiang Town's hope of separatism, he could no longer do so.
The pacification of Liao and the extermination of the captives was the common aspiration of the people, from the emperor to the common people, who all hoped to relieve the border troubles and enjoy peace again. What's more, after the pacification of Liao, the Liao's pay should not be collected, which made the common people look forward to it.
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Of course, the common people would not have thought that Liao's pay might not be collected, and that training and suppressing pay were already within the imperial court's plan. The burden would not be reduced, but would instead become heavier.
The important reason is the spread of major disasters, from Shaanxi to Shanxi, then to Henan, Beizhili, Shandong, and the entire north of the Yangtze River will be devastated.
However, the imperial court's tax collection will not be reduced or reduced due to disasters. In fact, the area affected by the disaster is getting larger and larger, and it can no longer be taken into account.
Not only was there no exemption, the imperial court would also link the amount of tax collection to the assessment of officials, creating a group of officials who were as wolf-like as tigers and would squeeze the bones and marrow out of the people.
In fact, the civil servants knew clearly whether there was any way to reduce the burden on the people, and the emperor must also have known it well.
Those clans, civil servants, gentry who are exempt from taxes, as well as the bureaucrats, landlords and gentry who hide themselves through various means are the worms of the Ming Dynasty. They have no thoughts about the country and the nation, and are only thinking about their own interests.
The richest class do not pay taxes or grain. They are not poor people. Instead, they are the poor people struggling at the poverty line. They have to bear most of the taxes. How can civil unrest be quelled?
………………
Tianjin Port.
The camp that accepts refugees in Dongjiang Town has expanded again. There is no other way. With the continuous victory of Dongjiang Town, more and more immigrants put aside their fears and went to Liaodong to fight for a way out.
Among them, not all are victims of the disaster, but also poor people who cannot bear the burden of taxes and have left their homes just to have enough food to eat.
With the strong breath of spring, the difficult winter will soon be over. People seem to see hope again, and their mental state seems to be much better.
In order to improve transportation efficiency and send immigrants to places where they can farm and work as quickly as possible, large ships are outside the port, waiting for the ice and snow to melt along the Liaodong coast.
If it needs to be transported by force, it can only dock at the two ports of Dalian and Lushun, and then it will have to take the land route, which is more expensive and takes longer time.
More than a dozen large pots are steaming and fragrant. Corn, potatoes, and cabbage are mixed together to cook thick porridge, plus a pinch of salt. It is a rare delicacy for the hungry people.
Moreover, it is supplied three times a day, and the amount is very sufficient. Not only will you not starve to death, but if you don't move much, you may not even feel hungry.
Yes, you have to obey the rules and line up! He Laogui sniffed, smelled the aroma of rice, grinned again, and reminded himself again.
The stewards in Dongjiang Town are pretty good and don't have too many requirements, but there are a few rules that it's best not to break. Otherwise, you'll suffer.
Well, it's actually quite good. The scoundrel who was fighting for food was tied up and taken away! For an honest man like He Laogui, it's a good thing to follow the rules.
He Laogui is not as old as he looks. He is holding a wooden bowl and waiting for the meal to begin.
From time to time, I would subconsciously squeeze it in my arms. There was a piece of paper stamped with a red seal, which was equivalent to the ID card issued by Dongjiang Town.
He heard that with this, he could claim land for farming. In his heart, he had already begun to look forward to the prospect of building a house and farming.
In front of the cauldron, people were already standing, waiting for the meal to be served. Some strong military-looking men, holding short sticks in their hands, were responsible for maintaining order.
Seeing that the crowd was a little restless and noisy, one soldier became unhappy and shouted loudly: "There is still a quarter of an hour before dinner starts. Let me tell you the rules again. You must not violate them, otherwise..."
The noise in the crowd subsided, and people looked at the steaming cauldron and subconsciously licked their lips.
"Mom, let's hurry up, or we won't be able to catch it." A yellow and thin little girl held her mother's hand and said in a crisp voice as she walked.
"Good girl, you can have a full meal later." The woman touched her daughter's head lovingly, but at the same time she felt unbearably hungry and longed to eat right away.
While drinking porridge, my steps are so hurried that I will fall down if I stumble.
He Laogui hurriedly stretched out his hand to give him a hand, and comforted him with kind words: "There's no need to rush, there's no need to fight, you have to queue up. Well, just come one by one!"
Oh, the woman must have just arrived, and she doesn’t know the rules here very well yet. She took her daughter and looked around, and then she queued up at the back of the queue honestly.
A sharp whistle sounded, and the crowd couldn't help but roar. A soldier shouted loudly: "Line up, line up, everyone is there, it is strictly forbidden to jump in the queue and fight for it."
Under the watchful supervision of soldiers, the young and strong refugees who wanted to squeeze to the front did not dare to make any mistakes.
Some bullies have been beaten to a bloody head and taken to an unknown location. The lesson is profound and must be learned.
The crowd moved slowly in front of more than a dozen porridge pots, and spoonfuls of thick multigrain porridge were poured into the bowls in the hands of the people.
Well, apart from the two girls, there was only a broken earthen pot with the edge cut off, and they timidly walked to the pot.
The handyman scooping the porridge was a little dazed. He looked up and down at the thin mother and daughter. He saw the little girl licking her lips eagerly and couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth.
"They've just arrived. Give them two bowls." A soldier saw this and stepped forward to give instructions, his tone softening a lot.
The handyman agreed, took two large wooden bowls from the side, added two wooden spoons, handed them to the mother and daughter, filled them with porridge, and warned, "You have been hungry for a long time, so don't eat too hastily.
There will also be dinner served tonight.”
"Thank you, thank you." The mother thanked her without any words. She held the bowl and walked to the mat with her daughter to sit down. The little girl kept staring at the steaming porridge without blinking.
"Eat slowly, eat slowly -" the mother told her daughter despite her hunger, the way she devoured it was heart-wrenching.
"Well, mother, you should eat too!" The little girl ate her mouth full, not forgetting her mother.
Mother nodded and smiled happily. Although her face was sallow and thin, she still showed a bit of beauty.
He Laogui happened to be sitting opposite. Looking at the mother and daughter, his nose felt a little sore, and a familiar figure flashed through his mind.
"If you're not full, you can go make porridge again." He Laogui kindly reminded: "This is Camp A, and that's Camp B over there. In a few days, you can go to Camp B, where there's porridge and pancakes.
There are also fragrant pickles."
The woman thanked her gratefully. The little girl blinked her eyes, but was a little confused and asked: "Uncle, why are we divided into camps A and B and the food is different?"
He Laogui smiled, liked the little girl very much, and explained patiently: "We have all just arrived in Camp A. They are usually hungry for a long time, so they need to eat porridge first to relieve their stomach and restore some strength. If you come here,
If you eat dry food, you will easily die from exhaustion."
Oh! The little girl didn’t know whether she understood or not, so she responded and immersed herself in drinking the porridge.
Boom, boom, boom... a gong sounded, and then several stewards started shouting loudly from behind the table.
"Those who are good at carpentry and blacksmithing are registered here; those who are good at spinning, weaving and needlework are here; those who can read and write are here; those who are good at accounting are here..."
He Laogui looked at it with envy and shook his head with regret. It was a pity that he knew how to farm, but those who registered could enjoy good treatment and be looked down upon by Dongjiang Town.
The arsenal in Dongjiang Town needs all kinds of craftsmen, and the military uniform and quilt factory has also been established, which requires a large number of female workers. Those who can read, write, and do accounting must be assigned to various places to become government managers.
The woman blinked her eyes, hearing about the work of spinning and weaving, and felt a little at ease. There is no free lunch in the world, and it is impossible for Dongjiang Town to feed the people in vain. This is a truth that everyone understands.
"Mom, I want another bowl." The little girl looked up at her mother, grinning.
The woman hurriedly ate all the porridge in the bowl, stood up and said, "Give me the bowl, sit here and wait for a while."
The little girl was obedient and sat there obediently, waiting for her mother to come back with porridge.
When the woman came back with the porridge, she found that the man opposite was smiling and talking to her daughter. The daughter was smiling, which made her feel relieved.
He Laogui stood up to serve the porridge, and then said to the woman with a smile: "You are really good at reading and deciphering. After eating, go over there and register. Dongjiang Town is in short supply of such talents!"
"Is it okay for women?" the woman asked doubtfully.
"Both men and women are required." He Laogui came a few days earlier and knew more about it in detail, so he said, "I heard that you can be a manager when you get there. It seems like you are still an official!"
The woman blinked her eyes, doubtful, and watched He Laogui's back go away.
The little girl took the bowl of porridge and started eating happily. While eating, she said, "Mom, it would be great if you could be an official! You don't have to do tiring work and you can have enough to eat."
The woman smiled bitterly and said, "Then let's go and ask later."
After a pause, she added to reassure her daughter, "Mom can also do rough work. I will never let you go hungry again."
The little girl blinked her big eyes and said, "Mom, tell them that I am very sensible and well-behaved, and ask them not to dislike me."
"My daughter is the most well-behaved, and no one will dislike you." The woman reached out and touched her daughter's head, comforting her with a smile, but she felt a little worried in her heart.