Zhang Xianzhong, who was famous in history, died, but no one paid attention to this kind of thing in this era. Most people only cared about whether they could survive.
However, the refugees don't care, but Wang Ziyong does.
Zhang Xianzhong was the most powerful battalion under his command, but it was destroyed without a trace. When did the Ming army have such combat power?
When one of his own died, the first thing Wang Ziyong thought of was to avoid this Ming army. No matter whether the opponent was as strong as the legend said, it was definitely right to avoid it. He could raise troops to lay down his current foundation, so naturally he had
It must be about the overall situation.
There is no point in going head-to-head with such a powerful Ming army. Just pick the weak ones and accumulate them little by little.
Wang Ziyong ran away, and Lu Xiao did not pursue him. The reason was simple. Although the Zhongyong Guards suffered few casualties in two consecutive battles, the consumption of gunpowder was huge.
Lu Xiao needs to replenish more gunpowder. By the way, he should report the military exploits of the bandits he killed recently.
Chongzhen shielded himself from many ministers' difficulties in the court. He sent some good news back to him, which could alleviate the atmosphere in the court.
But what Lu Xiao didn't expect was that as soon as his record was reported, there was an immediate chaos in the government. Then more impeachments appeared because Lu Xiao killed captive refugees.
This is true. When Lu Xiao's army passed by, there were almost no survivors left for those who resisted.
This is a very helpless move. He is not a murderer, but he is not a god either. It is just the simplest problem, he cannot afford it.
If you let them go, they will still be rogues once Lu Xiao leaves. If you stay, Lu Xiao's military rations will not be able to feed tens of thousands of rogues. Even if he could, he would not be able to do this.
After all, this is a tragedy of the times. In the past ten years in the late Ming Dynasty, the climate of the entire Central Plains was in the Little Ice Age, and the temperature dropped and grain production decreased.
Then came the five-year drought in the north, and then the locust plague. The whole scene was a doomsday. We could only wait for the gradual recovery of the climate.
It's not that Lu Xiao has done nothing. He has used the power in his hands to promote sweet potatoes as much as possible. This thing was called an artifact during the famine years.
But the effect is not as good as expected, because most farmers are very stubborn. They only believe in the crops they have planted all their lives.
Moreover, there are not enough seedlings to be quickly promoted across the country. In a few years, the effect will be achieved. But for the entire Little Ice Age, it is still far from enough.
Lu Xiao did not defend his behavior, but wrote a memorial and asked the emperor and the ministers in the court.
In Shanxi alone, there are hundreds of thousands of refugees. These people switch back and forth between bandits and refugees.
As long as the court's disaster relief money and food can feed these refugees, Lu Xiao guarantees that the rebellion can be quelled without bloodshed.
Chongzhen understood it immediately and began to appeal to the court the next day. He asked the ministers in the court to donate money to resettle the displaced people.
The court hall was quiet.
We are just talking, why do you take it seriously?
Lu Xiao took this opportunity to return to Tianjin and took over the second batch of arms from European businessmen.
With the support of Lu Xiao's large amount of gold, silver and porcelain, these European arms dealers moved much faster.
They also formed a special chamber of commerce. The members were the people Lu Xiao hosted for his first banquet. This group of people took the path of trade with Lu Xiao into their own hands. Anyone who wanted to bypass them and trade with Lu Xiao
European businessmen will face merciless exclusion and even physical attacks.
The comparison between Lu Xiao and Lu Xiao doesn't matter, as long as they can get what they want, it doesn't matter who they trade with.
And this time, the British did not disappoint Lu Xiao. He really brought back four craftsmen who had mastered the craftsmanship of making muskets and artillery.
"Lu, you have to understand that this may be the last time I do business with you. If I don't get what I deserve, then I will disappear with them."
Of course Lu Xiao didn't care about the British threat. Instead, he proposed to verify the quality of several craftsmen first.
The British hesitated for a while and finally gave Lu Xiao two people.
Of course, Lu Xiao could actually use force to snatch those four people away. But in the end, he decided not to break this business rule because it might be used again in the future.
After waiting for about three days, his people told him that the other party was a genuine craftsman. Lu Xiao quickly fulfilled his promise.
He took the Englishman William to a small and secret warehouse, opened the warehouse and revealed the contents inside.
"I prepared it for you months ago, my friend. Silk, porcelain, gold, silver, everything. You don't need to risk it anymore, because you can now go back to Europe and buy a country."
………………
Huang Taiji struggled to persevere until the autumn harvest. But this year he was no longer able to go south. A few months of frugality had made his soldiers extremely weak. Going south at this time was undoubtedly not a good choice. Moreover, there was a drought in the north, and those who were stationed in the fields were
The grain harvest was not good.
So he finally decided to take the autumn harvest of grain and grass back to his hometown for the winter.
The past few months have been peaceful, and under Huang Taiji's hard work and investigation, he has almost eliminated all the Ming army's spies.
But unfortunately, he could not take away too many slaves because there was not enough food and grass to feed so many slaves.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but hate Lu Xiao even more.
"When spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, I will march south and march across the Central Plains. I will cut that Lu Xiao into thousands of pieces to relieve the hatred in my heart."
Lu Xiao, who was far away in Tianjin, sneezed and turned around to tease Ding Baiying beside him.
"Are you thinking of me in your heart?"
After receiving a blank look, he shrugged and continued counting the goods.
After restocking a large amount of gunpowder, Lu Xiao immediately led the team back to Shanxi.
Lu Xiao actually established a musket and gunpowder production factory in Shanxi. However, due to immature technology and low efficiency, it could not be used by Zhongyong Guard.
This time, the four craftsmen brought by the Englishman William will make up for the shortcomings in some technical details in the Luxiao factory and complete the final shortcomings of Zhongyongwei.
After the Zhongyong Guard experienced two battles, the first batch of soldiers had begun to have a bit of the iron-blooded demeanor that Lu Xiaoyao wanted.
But it was not enough for Lu Xiao. The armies he led in his previous life were all those who practiced martial arts since childhood and joined the army as a boy.
By the time he reaches adulthood, he will be a strong army with almost impeccable qualities in terms of individual soldier quality, loyalty, and discipline.
The current Zhongyong Guard has killed a few bandits and has gained some blood. But it is far from enough to achieve the goal Lu Xiao wants.
"There is still a severe drought in the north this year. Although the harvest will not be lost, the food is far from enough to eat. When the weather gets cold, bandits will definitely break out.
When the time comes, let Zhongyong Wei practice more. I guess next spring, Huang Taiji won’t be able to hold it in any longer!”
