Chapter 55: Earth and Salt Weapons, Awarded by the Count
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The front line national security headquarters that originally belonged to Guangxi were almost completely wiped out in Tengchong, which deprived the Qing army of Guangxi of an important combat force. The soldiers and generals had their own agendas and did not obey each other. Facing the aggressive Ming army in Guangxi, they would inevitably be helpless.
Use all your strength. This is actually the reason why Zhu Yongxing never forgets Guangxi. Guangxi is the weakest and Sun Yanling is the most handsome. If not him, who will he hit?
Moreover, Guangxi is connected to Yunnan and Guizhou, forming a single entity. An aggressive move towards Guangxi can not only restrain Yunnan, but also gradually isolate Yunnan strategically.
However, what kept Zhu Yongxing from letting go was still the Qing army in Yunnan Province. He had to maintain a mobile force and prepare to reinforce the war in Yunnan Province. Therefore, he could only give Ma Bao 10,000 horses, and now he added the unexpected ones.
Only with several maritime armed forces can we implement the Guangxi strategy with relative confidence.
There was a gentle knock on the door, and the guards came in to announce that Ruyang Wang Ma Bao and Ping Shuo Bo He Jiuyi came to say goodbye.
"Your Highness is a great kindness, and I will never forget it." As soon as Pingshuo Bohe Jiuyi entered the house, he paid homage and said with great gratitude: "I will definitely die in return for this battle."
"It doesn't have to be like this, get up quickly." Zhu Yongxing smiled and waved his hand, indicating to the guards to help He Jiuyi up and let Ma Bao and He Jiuyi watch their seats.
"Your Highness." Prince Ma Bao of Ruyang cupped his hands and said, "This time we are entering Guangxi. Although we only have more than ten thousand troops, we can advance or retreat. We must be cautious in the end and live up to His Highness's trust."
"King Ruyang is worried." Zhu Yongxing chuckled and said, "I'm afraid it will take some time to prepare for the war. I have found strong support for you. This contact, coordination, and planning will still take some time..."
After listening to Zhu Yongxing's story, Ma Bao and He Jiuyi learned about the gathering of maritime armed forces. With help, they naturally became more confident in advancing into Guangxi. However, they did not quite understand why they had to mobilize the troops early since they had to wait for some time.
.
"The purpose of moving troops south this time is to prepare for the invasion of Guangxi in advance, and to put pressure on the Zheng family in Annan." Before the two of them could express their doubts, Zhu Yongxing explained. "I seek justice for the merchants of the Ming Dynasty.
Haiphong specializes in opening a Chinese business office, but the Annan Zheng family has repeatedly put off the task and regards me as weak for sending people to negotiate. This is tolerable, but it is intolerable. Instead of showing that I am bound to win, they think I am just making false threats."
"That's exactly what it should be." Ma Bao took over the conversation and said angrily: "Your Highness is extremely benevolent and righteous, and you must be polite before fighting. The Annan Zheng family still doesn't know how to repent, it's really stubborn."
He Jiuyi immediately followed to show his loyalty. "Wherever your highness wants to claim, the general will lead his troops to take it directly. What can the Annan Zheng family do to me?"
It was a great improvement to describe the bandit's behavior so confidently! Zhu Yongxing felt very pleased, praised a few words, and then turned the topic to the strategy of Guangxi.
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, rebellions by local officials in Guangxi and uprisings by Miao, Yao, Zhuang and other ethnic groups continued to break out. Large-scale peasant uprisings of various ethnic groups included the Dadengxia Yao uprising, the Bazhai uprising, the Gutian uprising, etc. Among them, the Dateng uprising The Xiaxia Uprising lasted for two hundred years.
In the Qing Dynasty, the situation did not change. There were successively the Yaotong uprising against the Qing Dynasty, the Long Tao uprising against the Qing Dynasty, the Yan Guangse uprising against the Qing Dynasty... The massive Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement also originated in Guangxi.
The social contradictions in Guangxi are complicated. There are conflicts between farmers and landlords, conflicts between ethnic minorities and Han people, conflicts between working people of all ethnic groups and the court, conflicts between native officials and exiled officials, and conflicts between native officials and exiled officials. There were also conflicts between officials and the Ming court, conflicts between local officials, etc. Although social conflicts are complex and sharp, if we focus on finding the root causes from the economic aspect, they can be attributed to the land issue and the salt issue.
As we all know, Guangxi has always been an area with many mountains and few fields, with barren land and poor people. Before the Ming Dynasty, most of the land in Guangxi was occupied by workers, officials, and farmers, including Miao, Yao, Dong, Zhuang and other ethnic minority farmers and even Han farmers. Then there was little or even no land. After entering the Ming Dynasty, especially in the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the land annexation in Guangxi was even worse than that in other provinces.
In feudal society, land was the most important means of production and the lifeblood of farmers. When farmers lost their land, their livelihood was cut off. Therefore, the poor farmers in Guangxi revolted against the feudal land ownership system due to their livelihood.
The Ming Dynasty's repressive method of "armed land seizure" undoubtedly formed a vicious cycle, causing peasant uprisings to continue to break out in various parts of Guangxi. The so-called armed land seizure means that the land of the rebellious farmers was called thief land. After the armed seizure, They were distributed to the government troops or recruited local soldiers for farming. This method was used in an attempt to destroy farmers' production and cut off farmers' food supply, in order to suppress the peasant uprising.
In other words, the armed seizure of land means that the imperial court openly assigned the peasants' land to the garrisoned officers and local officials and local officials. This suppressed the initial peasant uprising, and new resistance to the government's armed seizure of land was The uprising broke out again.
In addition, the salt problem was also a serious social problem in Guangxi during the Ming Dynasty. Since Guangxi did not produce salt, the salt in Guangxi was transported from Guangdong; and due to the inconvenience of transportation in ancient times, salt transportation was difficult, and the rulers had a monopoly on salt transportation and sales. As a result, there was an acute shortage of salt in Guangxi. "There were many smugglers and the price of salt was very high." Moreover, "the official supply of salt came and went, and the soldiers were short of food and equipment, and the place was in trouble."
There was no salt production in the first place, but local officials intervened in the transportation of salt and engaged in salt sales for private profit. Historical records say: "The reporter said that the chain killed him and the thieves captured his belly, but in fact it was salt." All of this shows that the government monopolized salt. Yunhe local officials engaged in salt smuggling, which made salt a serious social problem. The people were extremely dissatisfied with the local officials' smuggling of salt prices.
There was already a shortage of salt, and the rulers implemented a salt blockade policy against the ethnic minority people in Guangxi, which further aroused the people's opposition. "Guangxi does not produce salt, and the two rivers (referring to the left and right rivers of Guangxi in the past) are particularly rare. It is necessary to strictly establish private The prohibition on selling food is based on merit, and it is used as a reward for the hard work of soldiers." As a result, the ethnic minority people have no salt to eat, so they can only go to the mountains to find its substitute. "Western Guangdong Poems" says: "Mountains There is no salt in the deep road, so the banana leaves are burned with ashes to pickle the vegetables." This is a true portrayal of the salt-free life of the people of all ethnic groups in Guangxi at that time.
As we all know, salt is a necessity in people's lives. Since the Ming government implemented a salt blockade policy against ethnic minorities in Guangxi, it was bound to arouse people's resistance, and the people showed that they would not fight for salt.
"... Lessons from the past. If the source of the riots is not eradicated, even if we capture Guangxi, it will be a hot potato and cannot be used by me." Zhu Yongxing severely criticized the Ming Dynasty's bad policies in Guangxi, and several military intelligence reports were laid out on the table in front of him.
Si Tan summarized the report on the situation in Guangxi, "I own the land, and I also own the salt. Wouldn't this be able to eliminate the long-standing disadvantages and occupy the land of Guangxi, recruit soldiers from Guangxi, and pacify the people of Guangxi?"
Guangxi is located on the border, and its economy and culture have been relatively backward since ancient times. Coupled with the harsh environment, the people are fierce and aggressive. In the Ming Dynasty, there was once the title of "Guangxi's wolf soldiers are the most powerful in the world". Once the Ming Dynasty was about to perish.
, defeated the then invincible Eight Banners Army of the Qing Dynasty in the Battle of Ningyuan; the Taiping Rebellion led by Hong Xiuquan. He led the Guangxi troops from Jintian to Nanjing, spanning most of China; after the Opium War, the only rebellion the Qing government won
The war of aggression - the victory at Zhennanguan relied on the bravery and fearlessness of the Guangxi soldiers... During the Red Army period, there were "two sheep of the Guizhou Army and the Yunnan Army. The Hunan Army is a wolf; the Guangxi monkey is the Gui Army, as fierce as a tiger and evil
Like a wolf" evaluation.
When Zhu Yongxing entered Guangxi, he wanted not only to occupy it, but also to digest it and use it for his own use. It became a source of strength. Therefore, both military and political hands must grasp it, and both must be strong. Salt is produced in Yunnan Province and will be cooked by the sea in the future.
There will be no shortage of salt; if Guangxi does not have enough land, it will grab Chenla. It seems that the development of the Mekong Delta can be carried out in advance.
"Han, Tong, Yao and Li are all treated equally. If one person joins the army, the whole family will benefit; if one family moves to reclaim wasteland, half of the reclaimed land will be theirs." Zhu Yongxing's preferential policies continued to come out, which made both Ma Bao and He Jiuyi
Feeling inspired.
They did not expect that Zhu Yongxing's support was so strong and his policies and measures were so favorable and detailed. Although not many soldiers and horses were mobilized, there were strong propaganda and agitation by officials from the Ministry of Government, for the sake of land, salt, and future life.
If we are rich, how can there be fewer people joining the army?
It seems that the Guangxi War Zone is just the beginning, and from now on it will be the Guangxi and Guangxi War Zones, and after that... Ma Bao's eyes shine with eagerness.
"To advance in Guangxi, we should focus on stability and slowdown, and focus on annihilating the enemy's effective forces. Try not to occupy large cities prematurely, and try not to expand eastward to avoid touching the Qing army in Guangdong." Zhu Yongxing made the final strategic plan.
, reminded Ma Bao and He Jiuyi again, "With the Qing army in Guangxi as the main target, it is best not to advance beyond Nanning in the east. The combat direction should be mainly northward, striving to integrate with the Annan base. As for the specific battle command, it will be
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Guangxi Theater Command made a decision on the spur of the moment."
Ma Bao pondered for a moment and asked cautiously: "Your Highness, if the Qing army in Guangdong takes the initiative to attack, will our army have to retreat and avoid fighting?"
Zhu Yongxing nodded lightly. Although the idea was good, it was wishful thinking to ask the enemy to cooperate. The territory of Guangdong and Guangxi at that time was very different from that of later generations. This was mainly because the three ethnic groups of Zhuang, Li, and Yao in Guangxi had violent uprisings against the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Yuanzhang, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, adopted the divide-and-conquer method and placed Hainan, where the Li people live, and Qinzhou and Lianzhou, the gateways of Guangxi, to Guangdong. The Qing Dynasty generally followed this division, so that when advancing into Guangxi from Zhennanguan, Qinzhou and other places in Guangdong
There was no guarantee that the Qing army would not respond.
"I just try not to disturb the Qing army in Guangdong, but if it wants to invade, we will resolutely attack it." Zhu Yongxing said decisively: "I will ask the navy to contain it. I think the Qing army in Qinzhou will not dare to act rashly."
Several maritime armed forces have not yet expressed their stance, but His Highness Min is already so certain. Ma Bao and He Jiuyi looked at each other. Although they still had some doubts, they did not say anything.
"You lead your army through Taiyuan City to show off our military power to the Annan Zheng clan, and then gather in Lang Son to stand by." Zhu Yongxing made the final arrangements. "Another two thousand troops will also accompany you. After arriving at Lang Son, they
It will continue to be garrisoned in Ha Long. During this period of time on standby, order the sergeants to cook more rice and prepare enough military rations. The fleet I sent to buy food will return in the near future and will be transferred to Lang Son soon. There are also some shipped from Yunnan Province.
Salt and dried fish collected from various places will also be continuously transported to Lang Son."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Ma Bao and He Jiuyi stood up and saluted, expressing their sincere thanks.
Ma Bao and He Jiuyi knew that after successive battles, the current material supply was not sufficient. The Annan base could barely support it, and it had to rely on replanting sweet potatoes. It would take until next year to recover; the food aid from Siam was now
They all went up the river to support western Yunnan. Although the newly recovered land in western Yunnan saved most of the autumn harvest, it still needed to be supported by later replanting, rush planting of sweet potatoes and vegetables, and donations from the local government.
Zhu Yongxing must have thought hard and tried his best to raise the food and grass needed to invade Guangxi.
All matters were discussed. Zhu Yongxing personally sent Ma Bao and He Jiuyi out before returning to the room. Sitting alone in front of the desk, he put away his confident and calm expression, shook his head and smiled bitterly.
War is all about logistics. Money and food are both capital for expansion and shackles for development. Even if the bureaucracy is streamlined to a minimum and land is used as military pay, food has always been a headache for Zhu Yongxing.
If there is a period of recuperation, then that's okay, but wars are coming one after another, and a large army must be maintained. To supply food to the army, it cannot be like a little rice mixed with sweet potatoes and vegetables, as it is for the common people.
As long as you are not hungry.
Okay, we don’t have enough food, so let’s spend money to buy it. The conquest of Annan has opened up trade routes. From Champa to Chenla, we can buy a large amount of food. That’s easy to say, but as for the money, it depends on the gold and silver offered by the chieftains.
Does the treasure come from the treasury taxes collected during the war, or from the nascent overseas trade? Or from the war compensation from the Annan Zheng family? You know, apart from all kinds of expenses, it is far from enough.
In order to make money, Zhu Yongxing has ordered the Ministry of Military Industry of Sapa to deploy some craftsmen to set up a coin-making bureau and set up furnaces to cast coins with copper and lead. However, the coined money must be circulated among the people. Obtaining credit cannot be done in a short time
The thing that comes to mind is that water from afar cannot quench the thirst that is near.
Therefore, even though Zhu Yongxing has a distinguished status, both as a relative of the Zhu family and as a stayer for the court, he still has to worry about money. For this reason, he not only borrowed money, but also sold his title. He also had to overdraw his reputation and the government
credit.
"Exerting kindness and conferring nobility to the people" was a policy that had been implemented in the Han Dynasty. By the Western Han Dynasty, it was divided into two types: the first was to confer nobility to the people, that is, for state-owned celebrations, great victories, etc., people could be given nobility; the other
This is the title of title, which means that in years of financial difficulty or when internal and external troops are used to raise military expenses, the people are recruited to enter the government with money, food, and slaves in exchange for titles.
Because those who obtain titles can obtain fiefs (high-level titles), be exempted from some or all taxes and corvees, have their sentences reduced, and have priority in official positions. Therefore, people bought more titles to avoid taxes and corvees. Later, the court often used various methods to
For reasons, people with titles were levied and various other burdens were placed on them to replace taxes and corvee. Gradually, no one bought the titles anymore, and they were no longer valued by others.
Everything has its advantages and disadvantages, and the same is true for civilians. Zhu Yongxing believes that civilians who have contributed to the country can be given an honorary title and enjoy certain special treatment to show off. However, if the privileges given are too great, it will have negative effects.
, creating new unfairness.
Therefore, Zhu Yongxing was very cautious about adding minjue. He made the decision after a long period of consideration and conducted careful research with his officials, and formulated detailed regulations.
……………..
"...Although Zheng Yanbei is a commoner, he cares about the country and donates generously to help ZTE. He is specially awarded the third rank of civilian peerage 'Mingyi' and the third-class Medal of the Righteous People..."
Zhu Yongxing stepped forward with a smile, awarded the title document to Zheng Yanbei, personally wore the Medal of the Righteous People on him, and gave him the People's Square scarf.
Civilian titles are temporarily divided into three categories: Mingyi, Mingqin, and Mingyong. Each category is divided into nine grades, which are awarded to businessmen, workers, and soldiers who have made meritorious service to the country. Those who have won the title can wear silk and do not bow to officials.
Those who serve as officials on probation can be given priority in appointment. Their homes and vehicles can be the same as those of other officials. They can supervise the government and submit letters directly to the court. There are annual rewards every year... Well, it sounds very honorable.
But in fact, the privileges are very limited. Compared with the Western Han Dynasty, there are no exemptions from crimes and commutations of sentences, and there is no exemption from taxes and Yao labor. As for those who refuse to bow before an official, they can inspect the government and directly submit a letter. For those who have long wanted to abolish the kneeling ceremony
, and hopes to use private power to supervise officials and be able to accept opinions from a wide range of people, this is a matter of course.
In the Ming Dynasty, the economy was prosperous and commercial activities were frequent. The economic strength of merchants gradually strengthened their influence in social life. However, neither the merchants themselves nor the society around them still placed merchants in high-level society. In the capitalist economy,
In its budding state, businessmen were unable to fight against the rock-heavy and intricate feudal forces, so it was difficult to build self-confidence, and they had a lingering inferiority complex to a greater or lesser extent.
This phenomenon and psychology are deeply described in "San Yan Er Pai". Even Wang Mei, a prostitute who wants to be a good person, is unwilling to commit herself to a businessman because she is not a "disciple in fine clothes". She ends up in the hands of Qin Zhong, an oil seller.
Once you have money, when you dress up to meet the courtesan, you feel ashamed and cute because of your professional relationship.
"Common people thank you for your grace." Zheng Yanbei wanted to kneel down and kowtow, but was stopped by Zhu Yongxing.
"Today we are conferring knights and honors. No big ceremony is required." Zhu Yongxing smiled and motioned for Zheng Yanbei to go ahead. He looked around at the businessmen below. When the low voices of discussion disappeared, he said loudly: "In ancient times, there were four categories: scholars, farmers, industry, and merchants.
The people are regarded as the stone people of the country. However, things have changed and times have changed. I think that the five people should be listed at the moment, soldiers, peasants, soldiers, merchants, and workers. The five people, regardless of their order, are all the people of the Ming Dynasty. They are all the pure sons of our Ming Dynasty. Each of the five peoples
As long as they keep their positions and do their best, China will be revived and the Tartars will be driven out." (To be continued...)