Until a year ago, Liu Chengzong was preparing for the New Year.
This Chinese New Year is not just about celebrating the New Year. On the one hand, we must prepare for the deployment of troops eastward. In order to ensure the suddenness of the deployment of troops, the Xining Guards and Zhenhai Battalion are temporarily stationary as second-line reinforcements after the attack.
But to the west of Juerwan, full-scale mobilization is underway. Yang Yao, Wang Wenxiu, Zhong Hu, Wei Qian'er, Dai Daozi, Huang Shengxiao, Xie Erhu, Ahai Daiqing, Basang and other battalions are selecting soldiers to prepare ordnance.
On the other hand, he wanted to send invitations to many chieftains and invite them to bring their families to Juerwan to celebrate the New Year. This was also the prerequisite for Liu Chengzong to choose collaborators.
If you are willing to come to pay New Year greetings to yourself, you can talk about future cooperation matters and select collaborators among the many chieftains; if you are not willing to come, then you can each work for your own master and seek loyalty.
Just as he was making intensive preparations, Liu Chengzong received news from Gansu that the camel bells had been ringing along Qinghai Lake, and the young master of the Sanjie Society, wrapped in a scarf to block the wind and sand, came back to report on his work.
Haixi County brought him all the way from the Qilian Mountains to the Marshal's Mansion.
The famous second-in-command of the Three Tribulations Society in Gansu Province was thrown into the bathtub by Tianbao, where he was rubbed vigorously and screamed repeatedly.
The dozen or so Gansu deserters who were accompanying him stood in the Marshal's Mansion and looked at each other.
They always thought that the sixteen mages of the Three Tribulations Society were the reincarnation of immortals, the Shaohui gods, who knew everything at a young age, and could endure long drives like veterans. They originally thought that this trip to the Marshal's Mansion was a diplomatic mission.
Why...why does it feel like Master Sixteen entering the Marshal's Mansion is like returning to his hometown?
Not long after, they saw Master Zai Shiliu put on new clothes that didn't fit well, and the small incision on his head was wiped clean and still a little damp, and the tiger came out while chewing lactose.
Behind him, there was also a young general with an impressive appearance. He came out and clasped his fists at everyone and said, "Brothers, please protect my little brother from all the hard work. Liu has prepared some wine and food. Please rest for a few days."
Then the guards took them down, and Liu Chengzong stretched out his hand to measure Shiliu's head and called him to go into the hall.
Shiliu gnawed on the lactose tiger that Liu Chengzong brought back from the arrow stove and made by the cook, and followed him into the hall. He put the candy down after sitting down, put his hands on his knees, and waited for Liu Shishi to lecture.
Liu Chengzong looked at Shiliu and laughed. He knew that the child had not seen him for more than two years and was a little scared: "I have grown six or seven inches, which is good. How are you doing in Gansu? Monk Wang, I have treated you badly." ah?"
Xiao Liu shook his head quickly: "Brother Lion, Mr. Wang treats me very well and teaches me many things...but I also taught him many things."
With that said, Shiliu took out a letter and handed it to Liu Chengzong and said, "This is the letter Mr. Wang asked me to write to Brother Lion. Please read it."
Liu Chengzong smiled and opened the letter, thinking that the king wrote the letter for himself, probably to ask for some money and food? Considering the scale of the king's personal use, he didn't spend much money on food, so it wasn't really a big deal.
However, the content of the letter was different from what he had imagined. The smile on Liu Shizi's face gradually faded. The letter said that Ningxia had just finished fighting, and soon Gansu would also fight.
Chalka Rabbit Ji wanted to do many things, many of which he failed to accomplish until his death. However, in the third month after his death, this Chalka Rabbit Ji finally accomplished one thing... inserting a Chinese tiger. Duntu is here.
The news about Wang Ziyong came from the border soldiers who joined the Sanjiehui. In the summer, Hu Duntu was still in Guihua City. In the fall, he went to the border of Yulin to fight with Hong Chengchou, leaving behind his first head.
Then they drove hundreds of thousands of people and animals across the border wall on the sand, and fought with the Ningxia border troops. They once again left thousands of corpses across Ningxia. They are currently stationed outside Liangzhou, Gansu, and they seem to be preparing to fight with the Gansu border troops. The border troops were fighting.
Gansu was actively preparing for war. Wang Ziyong's original intention of asking Shiliu to write this letter was to put the Marshal's Mansion on guard in case the Gansu border troops made a false shot and went south.
Upon reading this letter, Liu Shishi was very cautious regardless of whether the information Wang used for himself was accurate or not.
He understands the Ming Dynasty's frontier troops and the Mongols.
It is easy to understand Huduntu's route. Ah Daiqing, who surrendered, had already told him that Chuduntu wanted to recruit Lin Danhan, but he didn't take it seriously.
Liu Shizi didn't mind Hu Duntu driving her herd over. The Mongols couldn't defeat the Ming army, and it was impossible for Hu Duntu to defeat him.
If the Mongols could defeat the border troops, why couldn't they enter Beijing to celebrate Lord Chongzhen's birthday?
But there were two things in this letter that Liu Chengzong couldn't understand.
First, Hu Duntu used his brains to hit the side wall of the Ming Dynasty crazily. This irrational behavior cannot be explained by performance art.
Second, Hu Duntu fought against the border troops very frequently along the way. After passing through three sections of the border wall, they fought two battles and even wanted to fight a third one.
Shiliu, who was sitting in the hall, watched Liu Chengzong's expression change. He was puzzled and said comfortingly: "Brother Shizi, the Northern Tatars are outside Liangzhou and can't break through the Gansu border wall. It's okay."
Liu Chengzong put down the letter and sighed. Looking into Shiliu's worried eyes, he laughed and then shook his head and said firmly: "I'm not afraid of fighting him. He is running away and there is no food."
His conclusion stems from the heads captured by the border troops. Only the victors on the battlefield can get the chance to clean up the battlefield. The Mongolian army has the habit of leaving with corpses, so it has always been the most difficult to obtain heads from the Mongols.
Usually when the Ming army and the Mongolian army fought, the ratio of kills to heads captured could reach two to three or even ten to one.
It is impossible for the Yulin frontier army to kill tens of thousands of Hu Duntu's men. Otherwise, Hu Duntu would not dare to go west anymore, so it is only possible that he did not collect the corpses.
He must have been walking in a hurry and panic, and hitting the side wall again and again meant that he was short of food rations and had to use looting to make up for the military resources of the long-distance westward movement. This also shows from the side that the reason why Hu Duntu was panicking was not It comes from the Ming Dynasty, and is still some distance away from him.
The source of the fear of the tiger and the rabbit is about to emerge, and the golden Huang Taiji is revealed.
How should I describe my mood at this time? Liu Chengzong didn't know either. If he really wanted to say it, he could only feel his own pity.
The Mongols under him are either Tumut or Khalkha. One of them has a land feud with Hu Duntu, and the other also regards Hu Duntu as heretics in their beliefs. Anyway, they don't care about this Khan.
It's a pity that Hu Duntu is a poor man, otherwise he could consider crossing the Qilian Mountains to rob this guy; what's even more pity is that he is also a poor man, otherwise he can consider surrendering the hungry Chahar tribes.
However, between two poor people who have eaten one meal but not another, there will only be mutual contempt, and it is difficult to find a common language.
Liu Chengzong left the poor people in the north of Qilian Mountain behind and asked Shiliu in a good mood: "It seems that Sanjie will develop well in Gansu. Many frontier troops will join?"
Mentioning this, Shiliu raised his head very proudly, clasped his fists like a young adult and said: "Brother Lion, there are already four judges, ten landmen, forty-seven big men, forty-seven big men in the Three Tribulations Association." Pioneers, more than 8,700 brothers."
Judge, Land, Langtou, Pioneer?
Liu Chengzong could only understand the last more than 8,700 brothers, but he was not in a hurry to express his admiration for this huge number. He just asked: "What are these judges' lands used for?"
"The judge is in charge of two landowners, just like the parent officials; the landowners are all respected old people in the local area. The elder brother is the leader of the brothers, the brother who is in charge is less than 100, the younger brother, and the brother who is more than 100 is the elder brother."
Shiliu explained in turn: "Every man has a vanguard beside him. He is the most powerful person among all the brothers in the local area. He may be the small flag general of the guard station, the commander of the military camp, or he may be a Soldiers aren’t even soldiers.”
This couldn't help Liu Chengzong showing admiration. The Three Tribulations Association is a position that allows local autonomy to operate. Almost whenever Wang Ziyong said that he would set up a rebel flag, places with many brothers would rebel on the spot, and they could rebel in the blink of an eye. Pull out a peasant army.
But that's it. Shiliu said that although there are many brothers in their congregation now, more than half are elderly people living alone, and more than half of the young people are women and children from the countryside. If they want to start an uprising in Gansu, they will have to wait for two or three years.
Originally, Wang Ziyong planned to go to Ju'erwan to see Liu Chengzong in person during the New Year. However, because Hu Duntu was stationed as a herdsman outside Liangzhou, Wang Ziyong had no time to spare, so he sent Liu Shiliu back.
Liu Chengzong asked strangely: "Hu Duntu is outside Liangzhou, and if he is preparing for war, he is also preparing for war outside Gansu. What is Monk Wang busy with?"
Shiliu was astonished and said of course: "People will die in the war. Brothers in the congregation are not allowed to train funeral teams and prepare more teams. Those who died in battle will be sent back with disabilities. Those who have money can make some money from burials, but those who have no money can make some money from burial." For the funeral, we should do good things, prepare some brothers to talk to the old people who have lost their beloved children, take care of the disabled veterans, and recruit brothers in the congregation."
Just this sentence gave Liu Chengzong a full understanding of the way Wang Ziyong's Three Tribulations Association operates. They welcome all comers from the congregation, accurately identify the needs of the poor and provide them with satisfaction, and gain people's recognition at the lowest cost.
This caused Liu Chengzong to feel a great sense of crisis, but the source of the crisis was not Wang Ziyong, but the Huidao sect, said to be the White Lotus Sect or some other sect, which could never be stopped.
Any cracks in the eggshell will attract flies.
Liu Chengzong felt that he had to know more about this operation method, so he asked: "How did you get the officers to join?"
Sixteen smiled and said with his fingers: "There are ten armies in a small banner, and there are seven left after running three. The banner armies are all suffering. If one joins the guild and becomes a brother, four, five or even seven of them will become brothers."
"A small flag officer has seven flag soldiers who are brothers. How can he not be a brother?"
Shiliu's childish tone made Liu Chengzong think of a very terrifying situation, as if a plague was spreading across the land of Gansu.
Liu Chengzong sighed: "Then how do you hold power and prevent other leaders from seizing power?"
He was stunned for a moment, as if he had never considered this matter. After thinking for a long time, he said doubtfully: "There is no need to guard against others before the incident, and there is no need to guard against others after the incident."
"How to say?"
"Before the incident, we were the only ones who had a list of all the judges and local gangsters. We were all afraid of being known to the imperial court. If the imperial court knew about it, they would start an incident."
After Shiliu finished speaking, he looked at Liu Chengzong and said with a smile: "After the uprising, whoever can beat the Gansu border army will not have to run to the Marshal's Mansion, and there is no need to guard against others. Without us, we can't get in."
What the fuck.
Liu Chengzong shook his head and smiled bitterly, thinking that he was also Wang Ziyong's tool for power.
"Okay, now that I'm back, I'll have fun in Juerwan, and then go to Gansu after the New Year. There's nothing urgent there anyway." Liu Chengzong thought, and said: "When I go back after the New Year, I have something else to do. You ask the king for his own use."
Although Wang Ziyong's Three Tribulation Clubs seem to be very destructive, they still only have destructive power and can hardly pose a threat to the normal political power. Even the Marshal's Mansion is not a normal political power. At least it is stronger than the imperial court's organization in Gansu. Some people If you do this in Juerwan, I'm afraid they will be wiped out in less than two days.
There are no irrelevant people running around in Juerwan. Everyone has to receive food, let alone the disciples of the old mother Wusheng who want to help people go to graves. Even if the Jade Emperor comes, they have to be treated as idlers and given to Liu Chengzong, the old man. Honestly, I was hungry for nine meals in three days.
Therefore, these three catastrophes will temporarily pose no threat to low-level political structures like the Marshal's Mansion. Instead, they will pose a great threat to the high-level design and grass-roots collapse of administrative divisions in Gansu.
Since there is no threat, Liu Chengzong plans to wait for Shiliu to return and let him talk to Wang Ziyong about the private salt dealers. The high-quality refined salt in the Marshal's Mansion will not be used up. The population of Gansu is larger than that of the Hehuang Valley. As long as the price is higher than The official salt is a little lower, and dumping it will be profitable in the past.
The equalization of grain and taxes he plans to implement will require a lot of money. Even if he takes all the Hehuang Valley, closes it and implements his own lion ticket, he will still need a large amount of reserves to prevent runs. Even if the silver coins he has in hand are counted, It's less than five hundred thousand taels.
Even including the gains from capturing Hehuang, I'm afraid it's only about a million taels.
Their salt must be exchanged for wealth.
However, a conversation with Shiliu did greatly expand Liu Chengzong's thinking. In the future, the township collective system he will implement in the Hehuang Valley will also pay attention to the care of marginalized people such as orphans and widows.
On the one hand, it is necessary to allow common people to have their own land as cultivators, and to divide a piece of land into private fields and common fields.
On the other hand, it is also necessary to prevent farmers from losing their land again after dividing their land, and to tie farmers and herdsmen together to combat risks that single small farmers cannot bear.
Each township should have its own social studies, social medicine, and water conservancy departments, and the Marshal's Mansion should also have a department with subordinate agencies responsible for selecting grain, breeding stallions, and promoting new planting techniques and crops.
In Liu Chengzong's current vision, this production method should have a good effect in inhibiting land annexation, but its shortcomings are also very obvious... Whether it is good governance or bad governance depends entirely on the amount and price of grain purchased by the Marshal's Office.
This is a very complex task, and is directly related to whether this production method can survive for a long time and even be implemented nationwide, or whether it can only be used as a stop-gap measure when a crisis comes.
After all, for Liu Chengzong, the first problem to solve is to rely on average means to fight hunger when the current total amount of food cannot satisfy everyone.
To put it simply, he may have to prevent 80,000 people from starving to death at the cost of 580,000 people.
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