Beiyang new warlord

Page 647

"Everyone, the world is in turmoil, the country has fallen, the northern barbarians are rampant, and they are good at setting up false emperors. At this time, they are sharpening their knives and preparing to drink horses in the Nanjiang River. Now that the imperial court is in financial difficulties, its military equipment is backward, and I have the cheek, I still want to ask for your help. !"

As soon as these words came out, the entire Kaijiang home stage became a little quieter. The salt merchants were fat or thin, and their well-maintained faces showed bitterness, especially the big general merchant just now. Kang Yuanshan groaned for a long time before he clenched his fist heavily.

"Scholar, I waited for the salt merchants to work for the imperial court, and we should have shared the concerns of the imperial court. However, the business has been difficult these years! Thieves are rampant, and it is hard to receive some meager salt profits. I really can't wait!"

"However, the Grand Scholar has spoken, and we merchants have to say something. I am willing to donate 3000 taels of silver and [-] shi of grain!"

It’s not that there is a lack of money. The salt merchants spent 800 taels of travel expenses for asking Shi Kefa to come forward this time. They invested in these officials. Maintaining the source of income for salt merchants has great benefits.

For example, during Qianlong's eight trips to the south of the Yangtze River, more than half of the silver investment was contributed by salt merchants, and they even fawned on the emperor.

But donations and salaries! This matter is of no benefit to them. It sounds good to use money to help the army.Moreover, it is a matter of course that each part of the money is divided into civil officials, and no one cares about their good.

Moreover, businessmen are looked down upon by civil officials and scholars. They also know in their hearts that businessmen are still simmering with anger. Why are you landlords so stubborn and defending your home and country to protect everyone's interests?

What businessmen pay attention to is that investment is beneficial. Naturally, they are not willing to pay for such unprofitable investment.

With such a leader, the salt merchants naturally knew the taste, and they all stood up and said, this one donated 1000 taels, and the other donated 50 taels. Although, after all, they are really much better than those miserly people in Chongzhen. But adding one plus, there is not a total of [-] taels, or [-] shi of grain.

Shi Kefa became anxious immediately, his face was dark and his shoulders were trembling with anger.

For the first time, this Dongge University scholar was so angry that the salt merchants below couldn't help being stunned. There is no way, the salt merchants have to look at this master's face and offend Shi Kefa, and they all have to eat I can't walk around, but if I say something and splash water, since I have already pretended that I have no money, isn't it self-defeating to pay for money?After hesitating for a long time, Kang Wanli fisted again solemnly.

"Great scholar, fellow merchants, this is the time when you are not receiving money. If you insist on getting money, you really can't get it out. How about this? Every family is saving money. The summer tax in June this year will be doubled." Nayin, how are you?"

This promise is strong enough. The summer tax is 50 taels, doubled to a million taels, half of which will be handed over to the court, and Shi Kefa still has 50 taels of silver available, which can be regarded as a huge sum of money.

But June!Huang Degong fought bravely, and he was unambiguous about his salary. He wanted cash. Shi Kefa's face was still gloomy before he could wait until June, and he was silent for a few seconds. Still decided to get it out.

"Mao Ni's army has reached Lizhuang Town, Liu Liangzuo fled to Jiangyin, General Huang Degong is in a stalemate with him, everyone, the court really needs it"

Boom~

Before Shi Kefa could finish his words, a shell suddenly flew out from Beiye, and immediately landed fiercely on Guanyin Mountain. The huge bomb exploded, the rocks collapsed, and the copper bell of Daming Temple was shaken. rattle.

All civilizations and beauty are so fragile in the face of war. In an instant, the literati, singers, and chefs who were preparing to open the river to release salt at the mouth of the river were all blown up in an instant. The woman jumped off the boat screaming, Running to the shore, those self-proclaimed elegant scholars didn't show their gentlemanly demeanor, and they didn't care about the women at all during their escape. Amidst the thin tearing sound, they stepped on many women's long hair. Skirt.

The boat fled tremblingly towards the mouth of the river, and the soldiers discarded their weapons in embarrassment, and retreated towards Yangzhou City. At the foot of Guanyin Mountain, they stared dumbfounded at the black smoke on the top of the mountain.

"Didn't Master Duge say that the army of the Marquis of Jingyuan is still fighting against Mao Ni in Lizhuang? This, why?"

But at this moment, Shi Kefa couldn't say a word as he stared dumbfounded at the ferocious and invincible iron-blooded corps like the cold wind from Liaodong gushing out from the distant horizon.

Yangzhou, one of the nine states in China, is now ushering in its new protagonist. Under the beautiful Pingshan River, the northern army holding high the flags with Ming and Mao characters covers the entire land from one corner to the front of the army. Sitting on top of a cannon in red, Sun Chun, the No. [-] cannon girl in the Dongjiang River, was holding her chest out imposingly, wearing a beautiful boat-shaped hat high. There were no artillerymen in the battle of Lizhuang yesterday. Sun Chun, who has always claimed to be Dongjiang's main combat force, is still very fond of the few outstanding female generals under his command, Mao Jue, so she made the opening remarks today.

On the ninth day of the war, the army set out from Jinan and reached the bank of the Yangtze River, encircling the last stronghold of the imperial court in the north.

The defenses were so lax. In fact, if Mao Jue had been attacked by carbines just now, Shi Kefa would not be able to return to Yangzhou City for a while.But this time he deliberately pushed forward slowly, deliberately looking at those Jiangnan celebrities, the literati fled in all directions, and their prestige was swept away.

Swaying on the horse, seeing the vicissitudes of the walls of an ancient civilized city with a vicissitudes of history in front of him, Mao Jue smiled triumphantly.

"Run away! Be afraid!"

Chapter 618. Scare first, then talk

Attacking the city is the bottom, attacking the mind is the top----"Sun Tzu's Art of War"

As if seeing off, the army of Liaozhen moved forward slowly, watching the literati who came across the river to participate in the cultural meeting, came to watch the singing and dancing, the poetry competition, the Qinhuai picking girls, the salt merchants, and even stationed in Yangzhou The soldiers and officials of the army crowded at the ferry in a panic and fled back to the south of the Yangtze River.

Even the cavalry moved slowly, and let Shi Kefa's car safely withdraw to Yangzhou City at will.

After waiting for all the people outside the city to flee, the Liaozhen army, which had swelled to 26, slowly surrounded Yangzhou City from three sides. During the siege, Mao Jue played like a gentleman.

Of course, the reason is not that Mao Jue suddenly became a gentleman!

This time when the army from Liaozhen went to the south of the Yangtze River, he actually didn't pay much attention to the three towns in the north of the Yangtze River. Even Zuo Liangyu, who was relied on by the imperial court, was nothing in Mao Jue's eyes. The biggest enemy was not military at all!

Until now, Mao Jue still remembered that when he went to Jiangnan in the seventh year of Chongzhen, the rampant and arrogant image of the local rich and unscrupulous forces, a few scholars could easily get the standard weapons in the army, and they were even sure to assassinate After being a general in the court, he suppressed the matter and even turned it into a side that favored him.

This kind of big family spreads all over Suhu, Changzhou, Zhejiang, and Fujian coasts. The influence of such a family is too huge. Since the middle and late Ming Dynasty, it has almost emptied the rights of the local government, and soon became small independent kingdoms. Officials have to discuss with them first, and taxes are also embezzled by them privately, gnawing at the foundation of the country financially and administratively.

What's even more frightening is that they also control the right to speak in society! The style of writing in Jiangnan is too prevalent, and every family becomes an official in order to study. The ancestors ruled the south six and the north four, and they may even seize all the positions of the court, large and small.

The conflicts of factional interests in these places were also brought to the court by them, and party disputes dominated the political situation of the Ming Dynasty for nearly a century.

These big families can be said to be a cancer of the country, even more useless than those Western aristocratic families. At least they are united in front of the country before major events, and their cohesion is very high. They also have their own set of rules for civilians and slaves, and they never go beyond. , You can look at these scholar-bureaucrats who are vying for the first place!

To be honest, how to take back the national rights seized by these big clans and make them the cornerstone of the new regime instead of parasites, Mao Jue really didn't think about it, but one thing is certain, let go to kill them like the Qing army did. , to kill all those who disobey, and to kill 8000 million to 1 million people in the south of the Yangtze River to only 2000 million people. He really can't do this. China's development has been delayed for more than 100 years.

Then first use force to frighten these southern Tu nationality scholars, and then slowly find a way to solve the three Jiangbei towns easily and neatly, and then this Yangzhou will become the best place for Mao Jue to show off his might.

On this day, they spent the day peacefully looking at each other, and the Liao army set up a stage to show off in full swing.

In the early morning, there was a big change outside Yangzhou City. The Guanyin Mountain, which was brought by salt merchants to sing and dance yesterday, has become Mao Jue’s main artillery base today. One after another is more than three meters long. One or two tons of cannons in red clothes, two horses and three oxen, and ten prisoners of war pushing them, came and went in an endless stream. It was very rare to see one at ordinary times. This precious toy actually gave Jiangnan people a cannon forest for the first time. It feels like what makes those Yangzhou salt merchants and oil money men tremble even more is that these things are staring at their foreheads.

With more than 1000 cannons in red, one volley is enough to raze half of Yangzhou City to the ground, right?

And not only the cannons, but also the captives made these Yangzhou gentlemen palpitate. In front of the defenders, the Liaozhen army brought bundles of banners and placed them neatly on all sides of Yangzhou City. They were all from the three towns in Jiangbei. General flags, big ones such as Liu Liangzuo, Huang Degong general flags, small ones such as Tian Xiong, Li Shan, He Man, Wang Dayong, etc., and more than twenty. The army formation of ghosts, with the wind blowing in the river, was miserable, which made the big merchants and gentry in Yangzhou feel sorry for each other. All the army formations in the north of them were pulled out by Mao Jue! Is there any hope for Nanming?

Compared with the fear and fear of the rich people in Yangzhou, the camp in Liaozhen was much more stable. They fought too fast. After fighting for more than ten days, they could rest and recuperate again. Moreover, Mao Jue knew not to delay the military reward at any time. Only gold and silver can boost morale. At this end, Huang Degong and Liu Liangzuo's surrendered troops were pulled aside, and the middle army gathered one regiment after another on the school field.

On the other side of the commanding platform, the commanders and generals of all the armies were there. Mao Jue's king's flag stood in the middle, and there were heavy boxes in the front. Hundreds of staff officers took their rosters and rolled their names one by one. The sergeant who made meritorious service was a Come up to receive the reward and kowtow to thank you.

In fact, Dongjiang rewards can issue silver bills. 3000 million taels of silver were intercepted in the capital, and 4000 million taels of silver boards were intercepted in Shanxi. Immediately, Mao Jue set up the ticket numbers for the Shanxi businessmen who made a lot of money. , took a big silver board, beat gongs and drums and walked around the capital city, letting people know that the imperial bank has silver and reputation. The social recognition of the bank notes is not low, and it is convenient to issue them to sergeants.

However, for the sake of effect, Mao Jue ordered a heavy amount of silver to be distributed. The least was ten taels of silver for a group battle, and the most was the infantry who fought in the first row in two battles. Many people who lost their fortunes became rich all of a sudden.

But more importantly, the credibility of the soldiers in Liao Town has also been established in the hearts of these new recruits. Fighting in Liao Town, you will be rewarded if you win! Even if you die in battle, there will be a national cemetery to sacrifice, and you are not afraid of being a lonely ghost , you can rest assured!

Carrying heavy silver, every soldier kowtowed heavily in excitement.

"Thank you for the Regent's Award!"

Just like watching others eat and broadcast in later generations, in fact, the soldiers are almost the same mentality. The group at one end watched others take money, and the Huang Degong Department at the other end. Looking forward to joining the ranks of Liao Town, the prisoner's heart also stabilized.

However, these rewards were not actually Mao Jue's. After breaking through Xuzhou City, more than 360 million taels of silver were copied from the homes of Liu Liangzuo and his confidantes. False roads attack Guo! If you take the road you built and beat you, you will have to pay back the money I gave you to build the road!

The Liaozhen army broke through the two Huaihe defense lines, and the shock to the entire Jiangnan was like a major earthquake. Yesterday, the most popular topics among scholars in the streets and alleys and taverns were cursing Mao Jue, scolding those rebellious officials and thieves in the north, and talking about the fake prince. Today, all the talented and scholarly scholars are like the chilling cicadas in late autumn, and they suddenly become silent. They all rush to the streets with their heads covered, and the bustling shops in the streets are also closed one after another.

As the salt merchants who escaped from Yangzhou sent the news back to their respective cities, the entire south of the Yangtze River began to suffer from a great depression. The flow of rich merchants who packed their bags and fled to the countryside was like crucian carp crossing the river.

Yingtian, Xianghefang, Qianfu.

Finally, he transformed himself into a first-rank official, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, but this official has not yet become hot, and the work unit is going to be ruined. The whole morning, Emperor Hongguang, who was drinking, having fun and playing with women in the harem, was rarely in court, but The officials in Nanjing discussed for a whole morning, but they didn't discuss any strategy to defend Jiang.

"It just doesn't make sense!"