The middle and lower reaches of Heilongjiang were continuously depopulated by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, but after the Cossacks came, they were still amazed at the wealth here.
Because they saw that there are farmlands in many places on both sides of the Heilongjiang River, and occasionally Daur cities (villages). In the desolate and cold Siberia, this is like a paradise, mainly because it can be cultivated and multiplied.
However, in history, when the aristocratic generals of Tsarist Russia came to collect (rob) food and grass for the army, they were furious at what they saw. On both sides of the middle and lower reaches of Heilongjiang, all farmland was destroyed and all villages were dilapidated. There was no food left to rob.
, it’s just that the Cossacks from before were killed too hard.
Due to the early arrival of the Datong Army, the situation here is much better.
Zhang Tingxun took a boat to the Heilongjiang River Basin and found that some farmland had been re-cultivated. According to the transliteration of the dialect of each tribe, it was compiled as "such-and-such village", and the leader was appointed as the village chief. If the leader died, they were asked to elect the village chief.
There will be no town-level units for the time being to prevent a certain department from taking the opportunity to grow bigger!
Hou Rusong pointed to the farmland by the river and said: "In one or two years, when these villages have recovered, they will be able to collect land tax from them. Those who can farm will collect grain as tax, and those who cannot farm will only collect fur as tax."
In a few years, there will be enough food, and military rations will not need to be sent all the way."
Zhang Tingxun asked: "I see that there is farming everywhere here, why don't more people immigrate to cultivate it?"
Hou Rusong explained: "You have to eat one bite at a time. Today, the focus of immigrants in the Northeast is the headquarters of the Andong Protectorate (Harbin) and its surrounding areas. Even there, serious immigrants were unwilling to go, and they were forced to evict them at the beginning.
There were some minor troubles, and the court could only throw the criminals here. Is Nanjing very aggressive in catching gamblers?"
Zhang Tingxun nodded: "Last year, I often caught gamblers. I heard that the casino owners, shopkeepers, and thugs were all sentenced to exile. Their wives and children were also exiled together."
"That's right, it was requested by Li Duhu (Li Zheng)," Hou Rusong said with a smile. "People were arrested all over the country and escorted to Heilongjiang in batches. It would take 30,000 to 40,000 people in three years. The Duhu Mansion
As the population there increased, the prisoners were placed near the inns. Building Han villages around the inns along the river, and then upgrading them to villages and towns in the future, would definitely be able to frighten and subdue the surrounding indigenous people. This is the imperial court's plan to open up the Northeast, so don't rush it.
, take your time, we are all here to fight. As long as those Yicheng you meet do not die of cold or illness, they will definitely become the mayor of the town in the future. They will not only manage the Han people, but also the surrounding tribes of the town. "
Northeast China is not a colony, it is developed as a native land.
"Thank you, General Hou, for clearing up the confusion." Zhang Tingxun cupped his hands and said.
These were all arranged by Li Zheng, so that Zhang Tingxun could familiarize himself with the situation along the way, and let Hou Rusong explain anything he didn't understand.
Hou Rusong continued: "As long as they are not Rakshasa ghosts, anyone you meet here can basically ask them to help. In case of emergency, go to the nearest indigenous tribe, whether it is the Daur people or other tribes, they will
I am willing to gather troops to help, because they all have a blood feud with the Rakshasa ghost."
"Understood." Zhang Tingxun nodded.
Historically, the Daur people were bullied so miserably by the Manchus, but when faced with the Cossack bandits, they all felt that the Manchus were their own.
Without him, the Cossacks would be too cruel!
Hou Rusong pointed to the shore in front: "There used to be a big village there, and the relatives of the Jianzhou Tatars lived there. The Rakshasa ghost took advantage of the village owner to go out to have a wedding banquet, and sneak attacked and captured the walled city. Those who had no time to escape were all
They were all killed, and the village was burned down afterwards. The people of this tribe often died of cold and hunger in winter. Now, the Duhu Mansion has built a post station based on the remaining village, which is named 'Ai' in local dialect.
"Hun Station'. This is the nearest inn station to Hailanpao. Sixty miles further north is Hailanpao."
The land around Aihui Station is fertile, and it is adjacent to the strategic location of Hailanpao. This area will definitely be a key development village in the future, and it is estimated that it will become Aihui Town in another twenty years.
It was getting late, so the grain transport team chose to dock and rest.
Only two to three hundred of the Daur people who originally settled in Aihun returned one after another, and many died due to lack of food and clothing. They lived around the post station, and regarded the post officials and post soldiers as their protectors.
When the team arrived, they actually took the initiative to help unload the goods.
After talking a lot, Zhang Tingxun asked the army guide: "What are they talking about?"
The guide explained: "These Daur people are asking the merchants when they will bring salt. The post station does not store enough salt and has not traded it with them. Now they are all looking forward to the Han merchants."
"What kind of salt did they eat before?" Zhang Tingxun asked.
The guide replied: "Some tribes eat pond salt, and some tribes eat soil salt. They taste bad, are bitter, and are difficult to get. A batch was shipped last year. These people tasted the sweetness and waited to exchange their furs for salt.
.”
Hou Rusong called Zhang Tingxun over and whispered: "If you deliberately don't give enough, let them taste some sweetness first, and then keep trying to keep their appetite. This is how you deal with the indigenous people. If you go to the border of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Hebei, the approach there is also the same.
Almost the same. Not only the transportation of salt is controlled, but tea is also controlled. If Mongolians don’t have tea, strange problems will arise. Tea is the lifeblood of Mongolians.”
Zhang Tingxun asked curiously: "How to prevent merchants from transporting too much tea?"
"The Great Wall," Hou Rusong explained in detail, "there are many parts of the Great Wall, and only low side walls are built. Those side walls cannot protect the army. They have only two functions. One is to delay the Mongolian cavalry so that the news can be spread from the beacon tower;
The second is to prevent businessmen from smuggling. Businessmen dare not destroy the border wall, and the transportation team will not be able to get through at all."
The main purpose of that low and fragile Great Wall is really to prevent merchants, and it can only slow down the Mongols!
The Han Dynasty's biggest weapon against the nomads was economic sanctions. Mutual trade was stopped, and the export of salt, tea, ironware, and grain was prohibited. The Great Wall was a supporting facility for the material embargo. As long as the border troops did not leave a back door for smuggling, this kind of
Embargoes can drive nomads crazy.
Unfortunately, in the middle and late period of the dynasty, every time the imperial court issued an embargo, it gave the border troops an opportunity to make a fortune.
Zhang Tingxun woke up instantly, slapped his head and said: "I remembered, the strategy chapter of "On War" talks about this, and the types of embargoed goods are still a must-read."
The next day, we continued to move forward. The boat traveled sixty miles and finally arrived at Hailan Pao.
It is obviously much more lively here, and the garrison has increased to 1,500 people. After Yaksa is captured, 1,000 people will be stationed. Yaksa is the real strategic location.
The north-south tributary of Yaksa can control the indigenous tribes deep in the Greater Khingan Mountains. The southwest tributary can lead to the Hulunbuir Prairie, with Mobei Mongolia right in front of you. The west-facing river can lead to Nerchinsk,
Once you reach Nerchinsk, you are already very close to Lake Baikal.
It was still far away from Hailan Pao, and Zhang Tingxun saw a lot of smoke rising.
"This doesn't look like smoke." Zhang Tingxun said doubtfully.
Hou Rusong explained: "This is roasting bacon. Although there is generally no hunting in spring, leaving time for wild animals to reproduce. But this year troops will definitely be sent out, so they can't control so many. As long as the nearby Daur people hunt meat, they will
You can bring Hylanpao in exchange for cotton cloth. What we bring here is not only ordinary food, but also baked marching rations."
Zhang Tingxun nodded and said: "While the troops and horses are still in motion, food and grass go first. I understand this. By the way, do you want the food transport team to stay?"
Hou Rusong said with a smile: "We are the navy. Since we want to fight Yaksa, of course we need the navy to transport troops and food. At the critical moment, we also have to fight the Rakshasa ghosts in the water."
Wang Fuchen had already rode to the riverside and looked at the many ships with joy: "Have all the Anton navy arrived?"
Hou Rusong replied: "Three warships are left, and the rest are all with you. We also brought twenty additional troop transport ships. The troop transport ships are all newly built, and the wood has not had time to dry in the sun. They are completely protected by rosin, dry ash and tung oil.
Shen. You are in a hurry here, and the Protector can only make do with shipbuilding."
For the warships of the Andong Navy, the timber was shipped from Liaoning, and many shipbuilding craftsmen and apprentices were recruited.
Many of these troop transport ships were built by cutting down trees in the lower reaches of Harbin. The wood was allowed to dry in the sun for half a month before construction started. After a few months of use, water leaks would definitely occur and had to be repaired at any time. If they could not be repaired, they would be declared scrapped.
This is a manifestation of the strength of a big country. If it were a small country, shipbuilding alone would take several years.
When Hou Jin conquered the Daur people, he could only raise a large number of canoes.
"This is Captain Zhang Tingxun from Nanjing Military Academy." Hou Rusong introduced.
Zhang Tingxun hurriedly stepped forward, stood at attention and saluted: "Zhang Tingxun is here to report and ask General Wang to arrange the mission!"
Wang Fuchen was a little confused, and when he saw Hou Rusong blinking at him, he immediately understood that Zhang Tingxun's identity was not simple, and immediately praised: "What a young man, he is quite majestic. You have worked hard all the way, so go to the castle to rest first."
After sending someone to take Zhang Tingxun away, Wang Fuchen asked: "What is this man's background?"
Hou Rusong said: "The son of Governor Zhang's family is determined to fight on the front line. He is a good man. He is not a playboy. He can share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers along the way."
Wang Fuchen had a headache: "How should I serve him? Should I let him stay in Hailanpao?"
Hou Rusong said: "What the Protector means is that you take him with you in battles. Except for particularly dangerous battles, where he must not be allowed to participate, he will be used as an ordinary sergeant at other times. To put it bluntly, if this can be done
If he dies, he can only blame his own bad luck."
"I understand." Wang Fuchen breathed a sigh of relief.
Hou Rusong asked: "When will we send out troops?"
Wang Fuchen said: "I'm just waiting for your ship. As long as you come, I can send troops at any time. I have been preparing for a full year."
"What happened to Yakesa?" Hou Rusong asked.
Wang Fuchen said: "Last time we captured Khabarov and killed many Rakshasa ghosts, another Rakshasa ghost moved to Yaksa and was still working hard to collect food and build a castle. Last year, another group of Rakshasa ghosts came and the spies came back.
Said, six more cannons will be installed on the city wall."
"That's not easy to fight." Hou Rusong was a little worried.
Wang Fuchen said with a smile: "Don't worry, no matter how hard you build the city, the Rakshasa Ghost doesn't have many manpower to spare. A few more cannons can destroy the city wall. The Rakshasa Ghost's artillery is really pitifully small, about the same size as a squatting tiger cannon."
.If there were no ships to transport troops, I would have fought them off myself. How would you have had a chance to fight?"