Zhang Cheng has been conducting field investigations in the Xiaoling River section south of Huangtu Ridge recently. At this time, he has a good idea of the mountains and landforms in this area.
On that day, he declined the offer of Commander-in-Chief Zhang Ruoqi to stay, and led a group of Xuanfu generals under his command, accompanied by Chen Jiugao and Wang Pu, back to the Chinese army camp in Xuanfu Town.
Along the way, we could often see soldiers transporting food and baggage back from the mouth of the Xiaoling River, especially the horses and carts that brought drinking water to the army from a long distance.
Under normal circumstances, when an army goes on an expedition, in addition to food, grass and fuelwood, there is another extremely important thing, which is the source of drinking water for the army.
According to the needs of the human body, each person needs at least ten liters of water a day, and the requirement of mules and horses can reach as much as thirty liters.
Of course, when it is difficult to obtain water, or under extreme conditions during war, this demand can be reduced by half, but this will inevitably affect the combat effectiveness of the army's soldiers.
Didn't you see, in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" Ma Di lost his street pavilion, it was not because he did not listen to the advice of the veteran general Wang Ping and set up camp on the road and built a city wall, but instead stationed his troops on the mountain.
He also defended himself by saying in the Art of War: Looking down from a high position is as powerful as splitting bamboo.
Finally, the wily Sima Yi surrounded him from all sides and cut off the water source on the mountain. Ma Di's army of more than 10,000 Shu soldiers rebelled because of the lack of water and were defeated by Sima Yi.
It was precisely because of his mistakes that directly led to Zhuge Liang's complete failure when he came out of Qishan!
This shows the importance of water sources to a large army.
As for the tens of thousands of troops, plus the accompanying horses, mules and horses, the amount of water they need in a day is simply astronomical.
Now, there is still a Qing army entrenched on the Huangtu Ridge. They are composed of one Qing army, one Han army, and one Korean army. There are only more than 10,000 troops stationed here.
The soldiers of the Xuanfu Town Army under Zhang Cheng were stationed not far from the Huangtu Ridge. According to the deployment, they sent soldiers from different battalions to fight with the Tatar soldiers in the mountains every day. They felt that the fighting power of the Tatars in the mountains was getting worse every day.
day.
Judging from past experience, Zhang Cheng guessed that the soldiers under his command had matured and grown up through rounds of battles, and they were gradually adapting to the Tatars' tactics.
At the same time, the fear they had against the Tatars earlier was gradually receding after the rounds of fighting, and their confidence in defeating the Tatars was gradually increasing.
Furthermore, judging from the battle reports of the past few days, the number of Manchu Eight Banners troops stationed on the Loess Ridge is also decreasing day by day, because there have been no soldiers injured by Tatar bows in recent days.
In response, the cannons and artillery fire on the Huangtu Ridge became more fierce than before. It was obvious that the Tatars on the mountain had withdrawn, while the Han and Korean troops had increased.
Although it was possible to draw water close to the Xiaoling River in the southern section of Huangtu Ridge, most of the Xuanfu troops camped and formed formations to the west of Huangtu Ridge, so a large number of water trucks were needed to continuously collect water.
However, due to the Qing army deliberately shrinking the defense line on the Loess Ridge, the Ming armies detoured to the Xiaoling River to fetch water without encountering any obstacles or troubles.
In the Pingchuan Valley on the west side of Huangtu Ridge, it looks like a city has been built on the ground. Looking at the bottom of Huangtu Ridge at this time, there are densely packed Ming army camps everywhere.
On the Loess Ridge, except when the Xuanfu army attacked the mountain, there were no more people shouting "horse neigh" in the past. I wonder if this indicates that the emerging empire of Jiannu is on the way to decline.
A new empire that was extremely fierce and brave was blocked from further development and growth because of the appearance of one person.
A new empire was blocked from rising by one person, and was completely ended by the appearance of one person!
The front battalion of the Shenji Camp was divided into two groups to guard the east and west Shimen Mountain Road. General Chen Jiugao and deputy general Fu Yingchong each led one group. They aimed their artillery at the two mountain roads to prevent the Tatar cavalry from suddenly galloping out.
To the east of the Shenji Camp is the camp of Shanxi General Wang Pu. They are responsible for guarding the safety of the left wing of the Shenji Camp and coordinating Zhang Cheng's Xuanfu army to guard against the sudden attack of the Qing army's cavalry on the Loess Ridge.
Further south of Zhang Cheng's camp is the defense line of Li Fuming's Shanxi Army. They are divided into three parts of the defensive position. One is Mamatou Mountain, the second is the Empress Palace Fish Market, and the third is the Xiaolinghekou Food Store.
Place.
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In the area around Songshan City, among the mountains and plains, there are hundreds of thousands of troops aiding the Liao Dynasty. Everywhere you can see, there are ocean-like camp flags and dense forests of Diao Dou archery towers.
And with so many army mules and horses, they also need a huge amount of food and grass.
Qiu Minyang, the governor of Liaodong who was responsible for the supply of grain and grass, was very worried about this. Shen Tingyang, the minister of the Ministry of War, was in charge of supervising the transportation of grain and grass in Tianjin, advancing both by land and water, and he also tried his best.
Due to the tight supply of food and grass, the Ming Dynasty army on the front line of Liaodong could only receive food and grass from each military town every five to ten days, and each time it was only about a few hundred dan.
Of course, these grains are not enough to feed the soldiers in each town. In this era of extreme shortage of oil and water, young and middle-aged men are particularly good at eating.
It’s especially delicious!
Rather than being particularly able to endure hardship.
They can eat one liter of rice a day, which is equivalent to two kilograms of rice in later generations. This is normal. This is still raw rice. If it is made into rice, it will be at least four kilograms, but some people are wide.
Strong people can even eat it all in one meal.
In addition, horses need three liters of fodder every day. For example, based on an army of 10,000 people and riding on foot, they need at least 200 liters of fodder a day, which is just enough to keep them from going hungry.
Relatively speaking, the Xuanfu army is doing well. After all, they have a lot of meat to supplement their food, and they naturally have a little more oil and water. The food intake of each soldier has dropped slightly. Half a liter of rice per person per day is almost enough.
However, due to the large number of horses, mules and horses they accompanied the army, the overall consumption of food and grass was not large.
During this expedition to Liaodong, there were more than 10,000 horses and mules in Zhang Cheng's army, which required more than 300 shi of fodder for one day. When the men and horses were added together, they needed nearly 400 shi of fodder for one day.
What's more, now he has taken over the soldiers and horses of the third battalion of Xuanfu Zhenbiao, which was originally under the jurisdiction of Yang Guozhu, as well as the soldiers and horses of Kuang Yongzhong's wandering camp, which has more than 10,000 people and thousands of horses, mules and horses.
Between the pines and brocades, the generals of the Ming Dynasty aiding the Liao Dynasty were working on the supply of grain and grass, and I don't know how many dirty things happened.
The biggest beneficiary was none other than Zhang Ruoqi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Liaoning Army and a doctor in the Ministry of War.
Unlike Qiu Minyang and Shen Tingyang, who had to work hard to supervise and transfer everything, Zhang Ruoqi's job was much easier.
He was based at the mouth of the Xiaoling River and was in charge of the distribution of grain and grass transported from the rear via waterways. He was exactly the person that the generals who aided the Liao Dynasty were vying to cling to and pay homage to.
The generals and soldiers in each town were constantly paying filial piety, and their words were mostly flattering, which made him feel a little elated. However, there was one special case. Although they respected him, they were far less fawning than others.
He is Zhang Cheng!
This expedition required so much food and grass, although Zhang Cheng also brought a large amount of food with him.
However, these were reserved by Zhang Cheng for emergency use. Unless it was an emergency, how could he be willing to use them? He tried his best to let the local government supply them along the way.
After all, he was traveling with Chen Jiugao, the commander-in-chief of the former camp of the Shenji Camp. Parents and officials from various places, or grain roads, could deprive the border troops of grain and grain, so how could they dare to manipulate the dignified commander-in-chief of the Beijing camp at will.
Even when he arrived in Liaodong, Zhang Cheng tried his best to raise funds and did not use the reserves he brought in large quantities. When things like grain and grain were scarce, they were like human lives. He would never use the grain and rice he brought unless it was a last resort.
forage.
Fortunately, Zhang Cheng's army had strong troops and strong horses, and he had a close relationship with the commander-in-chief Zhang Ruoqi, so the supply of food and grass to the Xuanfu army had always been a priority.
But even so, the food and grass received each time could not meet the needs of the Xuanfu army.
It is received only every five days. The Xuanfu army needs about 2,000 shi of food and grass, but each time it only receives 1,500 shi, or about 1,000 shi, only 70% of the demand. Sometimes the food and grass are even tight.
, and can only receive about 50%.
Zhang Cheng also knew that food and fodder on the front line were now tight, and it was quite difficult for him to receive 50 to 70% of the demand every time, so he used the old method for the remaining shortfall.
That is, buy it with your own money!
Although the silver he brought with his army during this expedition to Liaodong was only tens of thousands of taels, Xu Qingyi and Cheng Ruzhi, who were responsible for escorting military supplies last time, acted as guarantees in front of the capital and various merchant gangs in Liaodong to temporarily raise money for him.
A lot of money.
In fact, there are a lot of gold and silver accumulated in the warehouse on Xuanzhen North Road, and they have almost lost their circulation meaning and are of little use.
On the current Xuanfu North Road, military stamps such as food stamps and cloth stamps have been widely used for a long time. Now the silver dollar has come from behind and has become the main currency in Xuanbei area. Military stamps have been relegated to the status of accessories.
Because their credibility has been opened up, the soldiers and civilians of Xuanbei have begun to regard silver dollars and military coupons as reserve currencies and are no longer eager to spend them. Even military coupons are saved for emergencies and are no longer eager to exchange them for grain and rice.
As a result, Zhang Cheng's reserve silver stored in various official treasuries in Xuanbei was useless. However, for the safety of his own financial system, he would not use this reserve silver for other purposes.
After all, as a person from later generations, he has seen too many cases of financial system collapse!
Therefore, he is more willing to use these reserve silver to do transactions with many merchants. Anyway, as long as he has the silver in his hand, merchants will naturally lend him the necessary supplies on credit.
Just like the bank account he opened, branch offices are now set up in larger castles in Xuanfu Town. Withdrawing money by check has provided great convenience to merchants and wealthy households in Xuanfu Town.
As a result, he has gained great credibility for himself!
Although some money is spent in Liaodong today, the money is only called silver when it is spent, and what is not spent is called broken stone.
And because of the establishment of Jiangjun Fish Trading Company, at least a large part of the cost of this battle can be recovered. If it can really be promoted and expanded in the future, just doing fish business, I don’t know how much financial resources it will add to itself.
Along the way, there were constant carriages and horses coming and going, and when we arrived outside the Xuanfu Army camp.
Zhang Cheng also saw many merchants staying here. They had different accents and it was very lively. It was like a big market. These were caravans from various places who came to do business with the Xuanfu army.
The treatment of the Xuanfu army is the most generous among all the towns.
Not only do they pay on time and never make any deductions, but their food supply is also the best in every town.
Everyone has a fixed amount of rice or flatbreads and noodles as their staple food every day. There is also plenty of meat, vegetables, and salt, and there is even a certain amount of tea and cigarettes.
The treatment of the officers and soldiers of the Xuanbei Army since its formation was second to none not only in Xuanfu but also in the entire Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, since Zhang Cheng's successful rise, it is not that no one has come to poach him openly or covertly, but in terms of salary and food benefits, no one is willing to leave the Xuanfu Army system.
Because the welfare of the soldiers has been guaranteed, they need to purchase a lot of materials on weekdays, and each purchase is in large quantities. Therefore, many merchants saw business opportunities and gathered here to sell to the Xuanfu Army.
All kinds of goods they brought.
Of course, unlike other Ming army camps, merchants could come in and out of the camp.
The Xuanfu Army's camp is extremely tight. No one is allowed to take a step closer than 200 steps away from the camp without a token, otherwise they will be shot without mercy.
In Liaodong, due to frequent wars over the years, coupled with the abundance of silver and the lack of grain, inflation is very serious and prices are very expensive.
However, the officers of the Xuanfu Army who went out to purchase never took credit, let alone defaulted on their accounts. They always made transactions in cash, and their reputation was well-known for their excellent reputation.
The consequence of this is that more and more merchants from all over the country gathered outside the military camp, and many local military households selling goods participated.
In addition, a large number of dried fish workshops were opened, which required a lot of manpower. Even some laborers who had traveled thousands of miles to transport food stayed to help in order to earn more money.
In this way, there are many markets starting from the southwest of Huangtu Ridge and ending at the seaside and river mouth, forming a strange commercial prosperity.
Looking at the bustling caravans gathered outside the military camp, Wang Pu couldn't help but sigh: "This scene is like the Xiguan of Datong City. If an outsider looked at it, he would never imagine that this place is the front line of the Jinzhou War."
Chen Jiugao had a look of disdain on his face and said: "No wonder they say 'Businessmen are just profit-seekers'. The ancients did not deceive me. These black-hearted businessmen only know how to make money. They are really bold and have no fear of death at all!"
Zhang Cheng was also touched by what he saw. A battle for national destiny during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in which hundreds of thousands of people fought to the death, turned into a battle for profit among various caravans.
It’s true that no matter how the times change, businessmen are always not afraid of death when they make money.
It really lives up to the saying, “Wealth can be found in danger”!
He sighed and said: "This is not normal. The world is bustling for profit, and the world is bustling for profit. Especially businessmen, it is their nature to pursue profit.
Right now, many places in our Ming Dynasty cannot do without them!"
At this time, the merchants of the Ming Dynasty were very powerful. In the border towns of the Ming Dynasty, most of the food and grass for the border troops were supplied and transported by merchants. Their shadows could be seen in every war.
In fact, the same was true in the Western world at this time.
Just like when the Holy Roman Empire went to war, the army of 30,000 people was accompanied by 140,000 people, most of whom were caravans, and there were also a large number of gangsters, beggars, thieves, prostitutes, etc. following them all the way.
Zhang Cheng finally concluded: "From ancient times to the present, businessmen and capital have been like this. Once they have appropriate profits, they become bolder.
If there is a 10% profit, capital is guaranteed to be used everywhere; if there is a 20% profit, it will become active; if there is a 50% profit, it will take desperate risks.
In order to pursue 100% profit, it dares to trample all laws in the world; what if there is 300% profit?
Then it dares to commit any crime, even risking the punishment of being cut into pieces without hesitation!"
All the generals were shocked when they heard this. The commander-in-chief said: He really portrays the nature of a businessman vividly, and he is worthy of being possessed by a god.
It’s like the stars in the sky descending to earth!
As a result, everyone became more determined to follow. Wei Zhice's eyes flashed brightly, and he kept repeating the words Zhang Cheng just said, falling into deep contemplation.