Almost at the same time, the Nanjing army, which had been waiting in various regions for a long time, received military orders from Li Zhicai, the commander-in-chief.
Like hungry tigers pouncing on food, they launched an attack on the wealthy manors and the residences of powerful landlords.
This joint army was composed of Li Zhicai's garrison and the Nanjing garrison, and was led by the Jin Yiwei.
Although it is a mess, due to Li Zhicai's prior commitment and preferential treatment, it is now considered united and working together.
The reason why Li Zhicai was able to bring them together was ultimately due to only one reason, and that was that he was crazy about being poor.
His garrison was fine, with the emperor's strong support, and the basic guarantees were not missing. At least the soldiers were not hungry and had weapons at their disposal.
Coupled with Li Zhicai's strict military management and training, this army is still decent, and it also achieves unified command and military orders.
If they can be given armor, their combat effectiveness will not be worse than that of the border troops. This is why Zhu Youxiao dares to let go. Having an elite army that can always fight can really change a lot.
As for Nanjing's garrison, judging from their names and numbers, they are naturally tall and powerful. They are the troops defending Nanjing. Moreover, they are located in an area that is free from turmoil and is the richest grain-producing base.
But in fact, the life of the garrison in Nanjing is not as good as that of their counterparts in Liaodong or border towns.
Although the army in the north is heavily privatized and has many warlords and generals, because the court relies on them to fight against foreign enemies, food, salary and military supplies will still be issued.
As for them, it is no exaggeration to say that they live in the richest area in the country, but their lives are the most miserable, difficult and poorest.
Because the emperor and the court had no control over Nanjing in many aspects, and the power fell to the nobles and noble families, they were so oppressed that they no longer even had the heart to resist.
Because they did not belong to the garrison or the camp system of the border town, and there was no war, their situation was very embarrassing.
Not only did they have to be exploited by nobles and officials, but they also had to be slaves and servants. Their life was very difficult.
Li Zhicai grasped this point and drew a big pie for them according to Zhu Youxiao's order.
That is, if the tax money recovered is insufficient and the food is insufficient, the rewards they will receive will be more, and these rewards are naturally food and money that they urgently need.
Although they were stragglers, under the leadership and guidance of the garrison soldiers, they looked so brave at this moment.
Li Zhicai's large-scale actions also aroused dissatisfaction among the powerful landlords, who were not like those living in the city.
Since they were in the countryside and on their own manor, their private soldiers were not only capable of fighting, but also numerous in number.
At least there was a military force of hundreds of people. Therefore, many large households did not buy into the imperial court's pursuit of such armed forces. They organized their own armed forces to resist strongly.
They also offered huge sums of money and profits to lure tenant farmers and tenants to join in, promising to reduce or reduce their rent. To be more generous, they would even directly give them silver rewards on the spot.
These tenant farmers don't know anything. They only know that the landlords, who have always dug bones and sucked blood, are rare and generous.
Not to mention those hermits, they are the loyal servants of the powerful landlords, and they are completely obedient.
So in a short period of time, they gathered a lot of resistance forces, and the troops carrying out the mission were suddenly blocked.
Li Zhicai, who was coordinating the overall situation in Nanjing, only let out a few long sighs when he received military reports from various places.
His Majesty had already expected that they would resist, and he also gave him a clear order to send troops directly if they resisted.
So he quickly assembled a thousand cavalry and two thousand infantry in Nanjing, handed over the power and rear to Zhang Shize, and personally led the troops out of the city.
His first stop was to the plain closest to Nanjing. The land here was fertile and the food grown there was full and bright. Naturally, it was the back garden of powerful landlords.
When he led his soldiers and horses outside a manor, the scene he saw made him unable to start.
I saw that the high walls were filled with people holding sticks and stones. They stared fiercely at the army below, as if they were fighting to the death.
After thinking about it, he rode forward and shouted:
"You unscrupulous accomplices, why don't you want to gather a crowd to rebel?"
"Who are you? How dare you allow your soldiers to rob the people? I will report it to His Majesty the Emperor and punish you severely!"
An old man stood in the most conspicuous position with a cane, and replied with all his strength.
Li Zhicai immediately took out the holy edict and asked his own soldiers to read the content loudly, hoping to solve the problem in the name of the emperor. Unfortunately, he underestimated the people on the high wall.
"That's nonsense. I don't care who you are, whether it's a real or false oracle in your hand. It's just wishful thinking to extort food and money from me."
"You all listen to me. As long as they dare to rush up, I will beat them hard. Whether they are killed or injured, I will take care of you!"
"Anyone who kills a thief will be rewarded with ten shi of food by me, and whoever injures a thief will be rewarded with three shi of food!"
This time, the eyes of the tenant farmers shone brightly, and they were so reckless that they wanted to look good to the army below.
Li Zhicai shouted angrily again:
"You ignorant people, this general is the commander-in-chief of the Nanjing garrison. Here is an order written by His Majesty the Emperor. How dare you disobey it?"
"You must not accept the instigation of this bully. My general is here today with his troops to seek justice for you and give you fairness!"
"Whoever dares to take action will be regarded as treason and rebellion, and the lives of your whole family will be at risk!"
"If you listen to my general, put down your weapons now and walk out of the manor, my general will not only guarantee your life safety, but also ensure that you have enough food and clothing!"
Upon hearing this, the first person who was not calm was the old landlord who had just scolded Li Zhicai. He coughed repeatedly and was speechless for a moment.
When the son who was helping him saw this, he immediately said to the people on the high wall:
"Don't listen to the thieves. He is a bullshit general, just a bandit and thief."
"If they enter the manor then, they will definitely burn, kill, loot, and commit all kinds of evil. The lives of your wives, children, and children will not be guaranteed!"
"The defenders of Nanjing City have never left the city in a hundred years, how could they gather here? They must be faked by thieves and bandits!"
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PS: The plot of this chapter is not that I add drama to the landlords in Jiangnan, or that I add difficulty or suspense, but it is real.
During the Wanli period, many civil commotions and uprisings broke out. The main reason was that the Wanli Emperor collected mining taxes.
And there was no such thing as direct resistance. The emperor and the court really had nothing to do with them.