Chapter 358 There must be no moths
Wei Zhongxian's dusty appearance made Chen Cao's sense of him rise to a higher level again, but because of the previous incident, although he said he would not pursue it, it still made him feel a little wary.
"Your Majesty..."
Chen Cao recovered from Wei Zhongxian's shouts, and then asked: "Be more detailed..."
Wei Zhongxian bowed and said, "After I went down, I asked the Jin Yiwei people to conduct a strict investigation and took all the rebellious gentry into custody. The rebels also captured the culprits. In addition, with the help of General Lou, we killed the three largest gentry families in the south of the city for their rebellion.
According to the rules of the country, all the men were beheaded, the women were thrown into the Jiaofangsi, and the boys under ten years old were also castrated and prepared to be sent to the palace..."
Chen Cao understood what Wei Zhongxian meant, then nodded thoughtfully, and then said: "There are some things that women cannot do before they become big things, but it is best to have fewer castrations. After all, they are all children..."
"Yes..." Wei Zhongxian nodded: "Your Majesty is kind, and this slave is very happy..."
After a long time, Chen Cao finally spoke: "Fu Yingxing performed well in Japan..."
"I would like to thank the prince for the boy's promotion..."
"Um..."
Xin Zhao walked into the lobby: "Your Majesty, the captured gentry was shouting when they were crossing the street..."
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"What do you want to say?"
Facing Chen Cao's questioning, a gentry with white hair on his temples spat and shouted: "National traitor..."
Zhao Xin was about to let someone come forward to take action, but Chen Cao stopped him with a chuckle, and then said with a smile: "You old guy is interesting. According to the history books of the previous dynasty, there are only two people who can be called national thieves, one is Dong Zhuo and the other is Cao Cao, do I have the advantages and disadvantages of both of them?"
When the gentleman heard this, he got angry and shouted angrily: "Chen Cao, you have a foreign surname. How can you hold the title of prince with such virtue? We have been in the Ming Dynasty for nearly three hundred years, but is there anyone with a foreign surname who is still alive and crowned king?"
"May I have your name?"
"I, Hu Youguo, what's the matter? You want to kill the nine tribes of me? Just do it..."
good...
There were no less than a hundred captured gentry, and they were all among the main suspects. With Hu Youguo taking the lead, others secretly praised him.
Chen Cao nodded: "You are very tough. Our Ming Dynasty is short of loyal people like you..."
Just when Hu Youguo was arrogant, Chen Cao suddenly changed his expression and shouted coldly: "Collecting donations, forcing girls into prostitution, persecuting others, and interfering with the judicial justice in Suzhou. You, Lord Zhaomo of the Ministry of Justice who served in Wanli for three years, where did you read the sage book? Go? By the way, it is said that you, Hu Youguo, were forced to become an official because of corruption. No wonder you are so young..."
After being exposed by Chen Cao, Hu Youguo's face flushed, and he shouted: "Chen Cao, you are a traitor to our Ming Dynasty. Everyone will kill you..."
"What to kill? What qualifications do you have to kill people? Just because they robbed your fields?"
Chen Cao was curious: "Emperor Taizu Gao founded the school because the dynasty was newly established and people were employed everywhere. However, scholars were afraid of Emperor Taizu, so they sold them one by one for a price.
Scholars like you talk nonsense all day long, and don't pay attention to the sufferings of the people at home. They only know how to drink, recite poems, and play with women. Anything that can be successful in one day can relieve the king's worries;
In my opinion, you are undoubtedly the same as that moth..."
After being scolded by Chen Cao as a moth, the gentry present were all scholars. They were all angry for a moment, and they may have forgotten the fact that they had become prisoners.
"You are talking nonsense, Chen Cao. You segregated Songjiang and sold it for a price, bringing trouble to Songjiang, Hangzhou and other places. Everyone in the two rivers will eat your flesh and drink your blood..."
Chen Cao didn't pay attention to this middle-aged man, but said to himself: "Emperor Taizu's good intentions have been used wantonly by you and others. The reason why the country fell into this state has nothing to do with you. I heard that Well, I am not Emperor Taizu, but I am not afraid of people like you. You are just asking for fame when you scold me today. However, I am not a violent person. It is a fact that you are rebelling. After Ryukyu surrenders, I There are very few people in the Ming Dynasty, so people like you who commit crimes can go, and you can be considered as having contributed to our Ming Dynasty..."
Exiled to Ryukyu...
There were no less than ten people who fainted, and others were in a daze in silence. There were many people who cried out for injustice and peed their pants. In the eyes of these people, the land of Ryukyu was a barbaric land, and if they were exiled, their families would not go there. .
"Don't you like to recite poetry, right? Ryukyu will be the territory of the Ming Dynasty in the future. You can wait and become a breeding pig..."
Breeding pig, this is an insult to Chiguoguo...
Before those people could continue to attack, Chen Cao glanced at Hu Youguo disdainfully, then turned around and walked away.
"Your Majesty, please be merciful. We are so obsessed with it that we are willing to give away the land. We just want to live in the Ming Dynasty..."
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"There must be no moths..."
Chen Cao repeated this sentence again: "Songjiang's industry and commerce are now developed. This is how the government can support so many armies. Before the world is completely established, tax exemption is impossible..."
"Yes, I also think that people with both ends of the spectrum are the most unreliable."
Wei Zhongxian was the first to take sides...
Then there are the original officials in Suzhou who surrendered.
Chen Cao glanced at Wei Zhongxian appreciatively, and then continued: "After this chaos, Suzhou can start equalizing land and exempting taxes like Songjiang. After the people get the land, they no longer have to pay taxes to the government, but there is too much food. You should pay attention to things that hurt farmers, sell all the extra grain, and let the people live a good life first..."
Suzhou is not poor. The three prefectures of Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou in the Ming Dynasty are second only to the two capitals. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about poverty. Instead, it is extremely rich. Just the property confiscated from the gentry this time is It is enough for Chen Cao to expand the military expenditure of ten more divisions.
"Your Majesty is kind..."
"Zhongxian..."
"My slave is here..."
"You go to Hangzhou first, and start investigating the landowners and gentry in Hangzhou. I don't want to see the example of Suzhou happen there..."
Wei Zhongxian bowed: "Your Majesty, please rest assured, if something goes wrong, I will die to apologize..."
"snort..."
...
"How much food is left?"
"Sir, less than half a month..."
Li Mingyuan frowned, and Yin Dongsheng came from a distance and whispered: "The commander is awake..."
The backyard where Zhang Gaoping was recovering from his injuries was relatively large. It was the house of a wealthy man in Yangzhou, but now there were not only Li Mingyuan in the house, but also Ding Wenqing and several important generals.
Li Mingyuan was stunned for a moment, then hurried over: "Commander..."
Zhang Gaopian's face flushed, and he spoke with difficulty: "I... am ashamed of... the late king... and... and... His Majesty..."
Li Mingyuan grabbed the doctor and asked, "How is the Marshal's condition?"
The doctor's face was calm. He was not a doctor in the army, but a famous doctor in Yangzhou City, so he was not afraid of these people. He shook his head gently: "If you have anything to say, just say it..."
Li Mingyuan let go and took a few steps back, staggering a little...
"Ahem..."
"Commander..."
"I...live soon..."
Zhang Gaoping was in a difficult situation, and his face turned redder and redder: "I appoint you as deputy commander...immediately...withdraw the troops..."
Li Mingyuan was one of Zhang Gaoping's subordinates. He was promoted along the way and took charge of the army together with Ding Wenqing. When he heard Zhang Gaoping's words, he burst into tears...
"Ding Wenqing..."
"Commander..."
"The army...is left to you..."
Zhang Gaoping is dead...
The coach died in the city, which was a big blow to the morale of the army. Li Mingyuan shook his head with difficulty. He did not think that the soldiers would win, because the situation in Nanjing was also quite bad at the moment.
He only knew that there was a big reason for Liang Fan to sit back and watch, and now...
"Withdraw your troops..."
Ding Wenqing suddenly said: "You lead the large troops to withdraw first, and I will stay and cover you..."
Li Mingyuan was a little grateful. It was impossible for hundreds of thousands of people to withdraw easily, especially after Zhang Gaoping died. The Northern Army would definitely pursue them after a great victory. At that time, they would not gain anything.
"There are still more than 20,000 people in our department. It should be no problem to block you for three days..."
Ding Wenqing made up his mind. Li Mingyuan looked at him and clasped his fists: "I leave it to you..."
.
Weng Linzhi got a good position because of Weng Meixin's relationship. After the new army was formed, if Chen Cao wanted to make good use of these soldiers and horses, his direct troops must be controlled by himself.
Therefore, Chen Cao made Weng Linzhi the commander of the 55th Division. He sent him to cross the river to defend Yangzhou this time, so that he could have a future.
The veteran Pang Zhihuan became the commander of the 53rd Division and acted together with Weng Linzhi.
Furthermore, Weng Linzhi and Pang Zhihuan, the original commanders of the Yangzhou Guard, can also be regarded as old landlords.
"Brother Pang, do you think Zhang Gaoping will give up Yangzhou?"
"Unless he's dead..."
Pang Zhihuan was not bragging. To become a division commander of the New Army, he had to go to Huangpu Military Academy for further training. Moreover, he was not an idiot, otherwise he would not have been the commander of the Yangzhou Guard for so many years.
The two were still talking about the follow-up matters, and the scouts from the front came quickly: "Two teachers, we found a large number of Yangzhou defenders crossing the river south."
"Is Zhang Gaoping really dead?"
Even Pang Zhihuan was a little suspicious, and rode up again. After arriving, he directly revealed his identity as a Jinyiwei: "I am the general flag officer of Jinyiwei Yangzhou stronghold. Zhang Gaoping is dead. Deputy Commander Li Mingyuan led 70,000 remnants of the army to retreat to Nanjing. General Ding Wenqing volunteered to stay in Yangzhou to stop the enemy;
In addition, after his subordinates instigated rebellion, Ding Wenqing was willing to surrender to Liang Fan. "
Weng Linzhidang first checked the person's seal, then nodded to Pang Zhihuan that there was no problem, and then said: "Is there any action by the Northern Army?"
"There is no news yet until Xiaguan leaves the city."
"Is Ding Wenqing sincere?"
The chief flag officer nodded: "Don't worry, Mr. Weng, if Ding Wenqing doesn't surrender, he will be an abandoned son..."
.
There was no reason why Ding Wenqing refused to surrender. He had an insight into the overall situation and knew that the Nanjing court was in danger and that surrendering to Liang Fan was the right way. Therefore, he took the initiative to take over the task of blocking the enemy. The root cause was the personal contact between the Jin Yiwei in the city and him.
"grown ups..."
The soldiers ran into the Yamen: "The Northern Army has come out of camp..."
"Beat the drum quickly and transport all the artillery and firearms to the city. We must hold on until the Liang Fan army comes to help..."
The soldier was stunned, and then he suddenly realized after being kicked: "Yes, little one, go right now..."
