Before the world is in chaos, Shu will be in chaos first.
Chen Min complained in the yamen, and Qin Ke cursed a lot. Liu Chengzong believed what the two of them said was true, but they were from different angles, and what they saw was not the whole picture.
Liu Chengzong didn't care about the grudges between the two. It was the sixth year of Chongzhen. The chaos that started in Shaanxi and spread throughout the country had lasted for four years. Any grudges would become a mess in the four years of chaos.
He just wants to solve the problem.
First of all, we need to know what the problem is. Qin Keduo, who is only a teenager, cannot give him an accurate answer to this question. Only student Chen Min can help him.
But the Sichuan in Chen Min's mouth seems to be completely different from the fertile land of abundance in Liu Shizi's impression.
Chen Min only said four words: The land is narrow and the people are dense.
Liu Chengzong was outside and had limited knowledge of the situation in Sichuan in recent years. At most, he knew about Yang Yinglong's rebellion decades ago and She Chongming's rebellion, which he learned from Ah Liu.
Apart from this, only the Songpan Guard Banner Army was bullied by the Qiang people and the Yazhou officers and soldiers were slack in combat strength. These were just trivial matters.
People still believe that Sichuan is different from Shaanxi in that there is no severe drought and its interior should be stable enough.
But in fact, he talked with Chen Min, a scholar born and raised in Bazhou, all night long. Based on his recollections, he asked his attendant to record seventeen pages of the situation in Sichuan.
It is indeed different from Shaanxi. Many problems in Shaanxi are caused by poverty; many problems in Sichuan are caused by wealth.
The chaos in Sichuan can make him, the anti-king of Shaanxi, stunned.
When Liu Chengzong analyzes things, he likes to look at it from the perspective of the conflict between man and land. However, the conflict between man and land in Sichuan is not about land annexation at all. It must be called nationalization.
For example, in Chengdu Prefecture, seven out of ten acres belong to the King of Shu, and two acres belong to the army.
The remaining acre of land must belong to the master no matter what, right? As for other people being tenants, the problem in Sichuan does not lie with the tenants.
As long as there are no natural disasters, tenants are actually not a big problem, because tenants are not the bottom class of society, but the mainstream of society.
Except for some small landowners who have one or two hundred acres of land and no sons or relatives at home, large landowners have thresholds for recruiting tenants, and the thresholds are still very high.
Without the help of cattle, farm tools, and family members, farming thirty to fifty acres of land, even if it is as strong as an ox, would be too exhausting to finish.
If you don't have the skills to farm, and if you can't pay the grain when it comes time, the landlord will suffer a loss; if you are a gangster who has no home or land in the local area, he just gets up and runs away, the landlord will suffer a loss.
Therefore, if you want to be a tenant farmer, you must first be a local who knows the locals well. You must also have an ox, a full set of farm tools, the skills to farm, and a family around you. All of them are indispensable.
Otherwise, only a fool would be a tenant.
As a tenant, a small part of the value created was given to the emperor to pay taxes, a small half or even half was given to the landlord, and the rest was his own.
Although tenants may suffer oppression from landlords, they can rely on the prestige of landlords to avoid some local informal apportionments.
For example, Mr. Wang's family in the local area had friends come over and there were not enough bearers. He asked two yamen servants to do the work. The yamen servants themselves did not want to do the work, so they went to the countryside to find a landowner and said: "Find me two sedan bearers from you. Mr. Wang wants to use them."
The land security guard approached the farmer, and without any need to threaten or use a stick, he smiled and said he would help him, but the farmer couldn't think of a good excuse and left.
If the landowner approaches a tenant, and the tenant smiles and says he can't help, then the land of Li Dashan's family will be left vacant if he goes to work on something else.
There is nothing the landowner can do.
Unless there is an economic crisis, that is, a drought or flood, people will generally not starve to death. No matter how poor they are, they can still be considered as the middle and lower class of society, which is better than the upper class and more than the lower class. They will definitely not be reduced to the bottom.
Long-term and short-term workers, foot traffickers, matchmakers, pedicures and haircuts, there are so many people struggling to make ends meet, no matter how low-income people are ranked, they will never be able to get their turn as tenant farmers.
But in addition to the land owned by the kingdom, Sichuan also has another social phenomenon that is different from other places, that is, the local powerful are very powerful.
It was not easy for other provinces to enter Sichuan and for native people to leave Sichuan in this relatively closed place. Before the Jiajing period, officials from other places would find ways to escape if they heard that they would be transferred to Sichuan as officials.
I really couldn't escape it, so I tried my best to postpone my appointment. After a year and a half, it was normal for me to slowly take office, and nothing would happen anyway.
It was not until the Jiajing year that the Southern Japanese and Northern barbarians were in serious trouble, and the atmosphere was changed. The time for Sichuan officials to take office was shortened from half a year to two years to within four months.
Throughout the Jiajing and Longqing years, officials were basically promoted and demoted, and their successors could take office within the same month. This is also a symbol of the good operation of the state machine.
This state lasted until the Wanli period. The deterrent effect of passing the imperial examination was still there, and officials could still maintain their succession within the same month, but... Master Wanli failed.
The promotion of state bureaucrats is a complex and delicate matter. Senior officials are filled through recommendation and promotion, while middle and lower officials rely on unified elections.
Therefore, before every election, the Ministry of Civil Affairs first recommends high-level officials to the emperor, and then mid-level officials move around to make room for lower-level officials. This link is followed to make the entire machine move, and then the general election is held.
Those at the top were poorly placed, and those at the bottom had no officials. The lack of administrative officials in various provinces, prefectures, prefectures, and counties made the Ming Dynasty basically fall into anarchy.
But anarchy means that the government is gone. In this case, the court needs local support to fight the war, and the power of the government to be responsible is still there.
Without a big government, Sichuan is still functioning well for the imperial court, and the battles that need to be fought are still no problem, win!
It's nothing more than the transfer of power into the hands of wealthy families or those who originally held power.
But when the small government encountered the ownership of land lords, the situation became different.
The absence of homesteaders means that tenant farmers, who are the backbone of agricultural society and those who make a serious living, have no chance to change their destiny; the lack of local administrative power means that crooked practices grow wildly, and powerful people rely on seizing public power to rapidly expand their wealth.
People compete for luxury and are no longer simple. They are rich and poor but have no foundation. They trade at the expense of others and benefit themselves. They make a living by paying high interest and withdrawing debts. They make duplicitous friendships. They instigate and talk with each other. They indulge in lust, greed and adultery. They commit treachery and conspiracies. When they see others succeed, they are jealous. , gloating when someone hears someone's misfortune.
In Chen Min's words, the harmonious scene in the countryside gradually disappeared, but the atmosphere became more and more popular and people's hearts became increasingly dangerous, so that fathers and sons were hostile to each other, brothers were harmed, and friends were killing each other and couples were hurting each other.
People's hearts are not kind, and what Sichuan people call the four evils has emerged.
The four evils are corrupt officials, academic tyrants, local tyrants, and government servants.
They colluded with cats and mice to control local power. They were kind-hearted, lavished on other people's property, married people's children, defrauded people of money, bad people gained fame, killed people, prostituted women, broke up people's marriages, and occupied tens of thousands of acres for themselves. Jade food makes good people cry with hunger and coldness.
In such a situation, first She Chongming swept across Jiangjin in Chengdu, Chongqing, and then the White Lotus Sect in Guang'an rebelled in the seventh year of Tianqi's reign. Then the scholars in Dazhou clamored to beat dozens of government officials to death, cook them alive, and vowed to eliminate the four evils.
Now there are five evils, and the other one is the yellow stick thief.
They were the remnant party of Dalian King of Hannan who rebelled in the first year of Chongzhen. After Wang Daliang was killed by Liu Yingyu of Shangluo Army in the second year of Chongzhen, the remaining party fled into the mountains. At that time, they were a group of bandits and robbers, and they could only use wood as soldiers. , robbed business travelers, so they were called stick thieves by Sichuan people.
In March of the third year of Chongzhen's reign, they passed through Jianzhou from Long'an Prefecture and were attacked by the army. After that, the imperial court set up a garrison in Guangyuan and guarded it with Zhang Pengqi, a co-president.
In the fourth year of Chongzhen's reign, the bandits became more powerful and captured Kaixian County in Kuizhou; in the fifth year of Chongzhen's reign, they captured Xinning of Kuizhou.
After finally surviving this year, the yellow bandits captured Daning County in Kuizhou. A flood occurred in Hanzhong, which made life difficult in the mountains. They also encountered Zhang Xianzhong, the Eighth King of Xiying, a big bandit with 500 men. I heard that there was no one in his hometown in Shaanxi last year. There is a drought, and the governor of the imperial court is recruiting surrender again.
Yao Zhangru thought about it, and Liu Chengzong was not the first person he contacted.
It's just that the recruitment is a farce.
They surrendered, and the Shaanxi officials allowed them to collect wood in the mountains for cooking on the road. They also took bows and knives and stayed in the mountains for a month. Then the Sichuan and Shaanxi officers and soldiers entered the mountains from the north and south, preparing to kill them all in the mountains.
Here comes the funniest part. The yellow thieves noticed before the officers and soldiers encircled them, and used sticks and stones from their old friends to defeat the ambushing officers and soldiers.
The officers and soldiers were defeated, and they robbed weapons, armor, and firearms. Only then did the survivors form a loose alliance headed by Shake Tiandong and Huang Long, and assisted by the leader of the Thirteenth Battalion.
With no way home, they could defeat the officers and soldiers when entering Sichuan, but they could not defeat the people in northern Sichuan.
The common people had firearms and armors, and built forts to trap them in northern Sichuan. Tens of thousands of people could build a fort, but hundreds of people would go out to look for food. Not only could they not conquer the fort, but they would also have to eat a lot. Guns and cannons.
Because of this, the village soldiers and the people will kill the yellow thief when they see him, and the yellow thief will kill the yellow thief when he sees the village soldiers and the people, regardless of where they come from.
After finally grabbing some food, their men were beaten by Zhang Xianzhong again.
Chen Min said that Yao Zhangru originally wanted to take Zhang Xianzhong to Sichuan and form a joint venture with them, but Zhang Xianzhong's troops were caught up in the floods in Hanzhong and could not go to their side. The two sides only exchanged envoys, and it seemed that the agreement was almost settled.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the flood receded, Zhang Xianzhong immediately turned against him.
Liu Chengzong always thought that Zhang Xianzhong's military discipline should be very poor, but in fact, according to Chen Min, the Eight Kings were particularly shrewd in controlling the army. There were only 500 veterans in his unit, but their combat effectiveness was particularly strong.
They killed people without batting an eyelid. Several teams from the Yaohuang Thirteen Family that had laid down the fortress were wiped out without a sound. There were three consecutive battles within a hundred miles in one day, including thieves, aunts, and young masters. All were beheaded.
It looked like they had been suppressed by the army. Many leaders in Yaohuang did not even think that Zhang Xianzhong was responsible for killing people at first. They also wanted to send people to inform Zhang Xianzhong that troops had entered the mountains, but they only found out when they sent people over.
The Eight Kings have already run away!
There was only a pile of grain and grass utensils that were burned and smashed that could not be taken away.
Then the Yaohuang group of thieves belatedly received news that the imperial court had transferred Qin Liangyu, the chieftain of Shizhu on the Liaodong front, back to Sichuan. Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong did not join forces with them and slipped to Huguang to take a detour into Henan to join Hengtian Wang Chuangjiang and others. .
The gang of thieves were so angry that they couldn't move at all.
In the shadow of the famous tree, all those who have fought with Qin Liangyu in this world have been buried in the loess, and the gang of Yaohuang thieves were forced to die.
"Brother, please take a look."
In the yamen of the Marshal's Mansion, Liu Chengzong unfolded the map of northern Sichuan drawn by Chen Min, pointed at the mountains in southern Han Dynasty occupied by Yao Zhangru, and said: "If Qin Liangyu leads his troops back, they will be in a dilemma."
In the hall, Liu Chengzu, who had just been recalled from the river mouth, laughed: "They don't have enough soldiers and food, and their hearts are not unified. How can they fight with the Shizhu soldiers in the mountains?"
"It is true that Shizhuchuan soldiers are skilled in infantry fighting." Liu Chengzong said: "If Qin Liangyu is really transferred back to Sichuan, there is no need to fight with them in the mountains. As long as the white poles are stationed in Guangyuan and Bazhou, Shaanxi will transfer another one. The army is stationed in Hanzhong."
As he spoke, Liu Shishi opened his hands on the map to encompass the mountainous areas occupied by the yellow thieves: "In a year and a half, they will be able to eat up all the grass roots in the mountains and be suffocated to death in the mountains of Hannan."
Mr. Liu shook his head and said: "With so many mountains and rivers gathered together, it shouldn't be difficult for them to escape to Huguang."
"It's very difficult."
Liu Chengzong sighed: "They are not us. Wherever we go, the people who have benefited are living in the same place and reporting to us."
"They are bandits who harm the people. Wherever they encounter people, they have to report to the government and the army. Thirty thousand of them are marching in the mountains. Wherever they can go, even if they run out under pursuit, only two or three will be left. Thousands of people.”
Liu Chengzong laughed out loud: "You really dare to run to Huguang, carrying money and beautiful women, Zhang Xianzhong can't turn back and kill them all?"
Mr. Liu looked surprised: "We are all Shaanxi Township Party members, so they are not at war with each other, right?"
Liu Chengzong shook his head and did not say more on this topic.
The Marshal's Mansion did not mention an army of 200,000, but only 30,000 soldiers. Yao Zhangru sent someone to send a letter and wanted the 30,000 traitors to return to the Marshal's Mansion. Liu Shizi had to weigh in his mind whether he could purge these people. .
Zhang Xianzhong's five hundred soldiers come and go like the wind, and the size of the entire team will not exceed three thousand. This is also the most comfortable force to use. It can fight and run. Can he overwhelm Yao Zhangru and the others?
What's more, just for plunder, three thousand elite soldiers are enough to run rampant in the world.
Those who can defeat him cannot outrun him, those who can outrun him cannot defeat him, and a city that cannot be captured by 3,000 people cannot be captured even by adding 30,000 thieves.
Why share the same thing with 30,000 people?
Not to mention the enemy has already been made. According to Liu Shishi's idea, either don't make the enemy. If you make the enemy, you have to kill the enemy when you seize the opportunity.
Liu Chengzong just said: "It is a good thing that they are in desperate situation. I plan to let Qin Ke go back more and let him tell Yao Zhangru that if he sincerely joins, there is no need to send gold and silver. Let him come to me and meet me."
Liu Chengzu shook his head. He frowned and said, "Do you really want to appease these thieves? I think it would be better to wait until the next two years. There will be big changes in central Sichuan. By then, we can send troops into Sichuan to suppress them, which will win the hearts of the people."
"I'm afraid it won't be possible to win people's hearts. I thought so at first, but now Sichuan is too chaotic, and the temperament of the native people in central Sichuan is too strong."
Liu Chengzong said: "When the big and small bosses in Sichuan become the climate, people will not obey us, Lao Shaanxi. I am afraid that when we enter Sichuan, it will be even more chaotic than now."
"What's more, if we wait a few more years, the children of Sichuan will still suffer a lot. Regardless of whether they can enter Sichuan or not, my idea is to march eastward next year, capture Guyuan, Hanzhong, Lanzhou, and advance to Ningxia, Guanzhong, and Sichuan. These people can help me capture Hanzhong."
"We gathered these thieves and selected three to four thousand troops to form an army. The obedient ones were sent to their hometowns to farm, and the disobedient ones were sent to the underworld to be reincarnated. It was the best of both worlds."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
Good evening!
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