"When can we resume sweeping holes and plowing the courtyards in Liaodong?"
In the north of Kaiyuan City, there was an endless stream of pilgrims making wishes in front of Yaowang Temple. The white-poled soldier took a broom and helped the host clean the temple's front courtyard.
These Liaodong Han people did not give up their faith, destroy their teachings, and worship shamans and other foreign gods at the most critical moment of their lives. This made Liu Zhaosun quite gratified.
"Sir, given the current situation in Liaodong, the general will think that in ten years the slaves can be pacified and the whole of Liao can be restored."
After hearing this, Xiong Tingbi frowned slightly, then relaxed his brows.
The ministers in the six departments of Yanguan all expressed to the emperor that as long as Wanli allocated more internal funds to ensure sufficient food and pay for Liao towns and guest soldiers, the Liao affairs could be quickly settled.
Some say that Liao will be leveled in three years, while others say that Liao will be leveled in one year.
Zheng Yikui, the superintendent of the Qin Dynasty, wrote a memorial to Wanli, saying that he observed the sky at night and saw that the Sirius star in the northeast was declining, and concluded that the slave chief would die in March and the Liao Dynasty would be settled in half a year.
Of course, this kind of celestial phenomenon also requires the emperor to pay first before he can see it.
Xiong Tingbi sneered at these lies. He knew that slave chieftainship had become a climate, and Ping Liao needed to be fought steadily and slowly.
All the efforts are accomplished in one battle, and all problems can be solved with one great victory. However, this requires the deployment of more guest troops and the preparation of more pay.
Wanli had to come up with all this money.
There are rumors in the capital that the emperor has 20 million taels of internal money, and these loyal ministers and generals will not stop until they drain all the money.
"How to use ten years? Please tell me in detail."
"The general thought that in the fifth year of the Ming Dynasty, we could sweep holes and plow the courts, and in ten years, we could carry out enlightenment in Liaodong, so we have the theory of restoring Liao in ten years."
Xiong Tingbi's expression softened slightly and he motioned for Liu Zhaosun to continue speaking.
Liu Zhaosun thought about it for a while, and then told Xiong Tingbi the strategy for Ping Liao that he had thought about during this period:
"It is true that the Liao Dynasty has been ruined, as the Master Jin Lue said. In the past few days, I have seen in various parts of Liaodong. The Ming army everywhere was leisurely, unexamined, not thinking about defense, not trying to make progress, as if they were still in the peaceful and prosperous age. between."
Liu Zhaosun remembered that his father-in-law once said that there were only more than three thousand kilograms of gunpowder left in Shenyang City, and the weapons were depleted, and he continued:
"The general inspected the Shenyang arsenal and randomly checked the crossbow. The crossbow was broken. He took out an arrow and the arrow was half-cut. He checked the knife and stick. The knife was rusty and could not kill even a chicken. The knife and stick were rotten and broke when touched. , not even a dog can be killed.
The bow has no strings, the arrows have no feathers, and the spears and heavy knives are all rusty. My father-in-law said that when he ordered troops at the Shenyang school, some people borrowed other people's swords and guns to deal with it. Needless to say about the armor..." (1)
Liu Zhaosun was talking about the military situation in Liao Town, and Xiong Tingbi looked heavy.
Eleven years ago (the thirty-sixth year of Wanli), Xiong Tingbi was appointed as the governor of Liaodong. At that time, the power of the Li family was at its peak, and their military exploits were illustrious in the heart of the emperor.
This time when he led the rescue in Ji Town, the soldiers were fierce and the battle was dangerous. Xiong Tingbi just passed by Shenyang in a hurry and did not enter the city.
Unexpectedly, in just ten years, Liao Town would be in such a dilapidated state.
When Xiong Tingbi passed through Shenyang, Li Rubai was afraid of being arrested and sent to the Zhenfu Division, so he committed suicide in the Liaodong General Military Mansion.
Xiong Tingbi rubbed his eyes, and his memory recovered from Li Rubai. Liu Zhaosun took off the coconut scoop and handed it to Lord Jinglue. Xiong Tingbi waved it away. Liu Zhaosun raised his neck and took a sip, wiped his mouth with his fat coat, and continued:
"Looking back at the Hou Jin Dynasty, since Lao Nu founded the Eight Banners, they have strong troops and strict military discipline. Whenever they encounter the Ming army, they are all Zhenyi armored soldiers holding heavy shields, spears, and long-handled swords in front, and archers wearing cotton armor behind them. The armored soldiers stand on horseback and supervise the battle. If the Zhenyi attacks are stalled, these white-armored elites will rush to help the battle. They come and go like the wind. If we resist like Liao Zhen, how can we not be defeated?" (2)
Xiong Tingbi listened attentively. Master Jinglue also knew military affairs, but he did not have the battlefield experience of charging into battle like Liu Zhaosun, so he knew very little about the specific details of the Jin army's battle.
Liu Zhaosun thought of Ma Lin's tragic situation at Shangjian Cliff and Feifen Mountain, and said sadly:
"At that time, General Ma was in Shangjian Cliff, leading an army of ten thousand people. The equipment was more sophisticated than that of the Eastern Route Army led by his adoptive father. General Ma asked the soldiers to build a fort, connect the chariots and oxen carts into a camp, and prepare for the battle. It's a pity. , he pushed the gunmen to the front. Many of these soldiers were recently recruited and had no fighting spirit. They could not stop Jiannu at all...
The old slave actually led hundreds of white-armored soldiers to rush into the formation fiercely. Fire cannons were fired, but half of them did not go off. The artillery either exploded or the range was insufficient.
Jiannu then attacked across the board, breaking through the fire gun formation in one fell swoop, knocking down all the chariots and shields. Seeing that the fire gunmen were being slaughtered, the Ming army behind them collapsed in fright. Tens of thousands of Ming troops were chased and killed by thousands of Jiannu. The corpses of dead Ming soldiers filled the valley, blood flowed down Shangjian Cliff, and the river turned red..."
Liu Zhaosun suddenly thought of his rebel father, Deng Qilong, and those familiar faces who had all died in battle. He suddenly stopped and stopped talking.
Xiong Tingbi was angry, and it was well known that the Ming army's weapons were inferior, and that the soldiers had no fighting spirit. When these factors were combined, it would lead to the most horrific consequences, just like the Saarhu defeat this time.
Xiong Tingbi looked into the distance and concluded:
"General Liu Shen, it's rare for you to have such insight at such a young age. What you said is exactly what you said. The slave chief was originally from Liao Town and is quite familiar with the Ming army's beheading techniques. The Eight Banners Army has strict discipline and strong combat power. They have excellent armor and are in the army. Liaodong's army was spread out in detail, and the Ming Dynasty had no intention of scheming. How could the Ming army be undefeated?"
Xiong Tingbi came all the way from the capital to Liaodong in the past few days, from Shanhaiguan to Shenyang, from Hupiyi to Tieling. What he saw and heard was that the Ming armies everywhere were unmotivated and languid, as if half of Liaodong was lost and it had nothing to do with him.
The two of them walked west along the street and arrived at Qingyun Gate before they knew it.
Climbing up the turret, there were dark red blood stains on the four steps.
In the Battle of Kaiyuan, Ximen experienced several fierce battles. One of Yu Chengming's cavalry fought in a bloody battle with Jiannu who were several times his own in the west valley of the city, and all of them died in the battle.
Liu Zhaosun and Mr. Jinglue stood in front of the crenellations of the city tower. They climbed up and looked into the distance, looking north at Liaodong and the great rivers and mountains. They could not help but be filled with emotion and took pictures of the railings.
There is a hill two miles west of the city, called Wangniugang. There is a temple of the Empress with strong incense on it. During this battle, it was burned by the slaves, leaving only the black beams standing on the mountainside. From a distance, it looks like a burning temple. Chicken carcass.
Jin Yuji followed Liu Zhaosun like a shadow, while Mangui led the pacesetters to guard the surroundings of the turret, glancing up from time to time.
Liu Zhaosun looked back to the north. Beyond the Qinghe River, there was the vast wilderness. It was the boundary between the Jurchens and the Han people and the frontier of the conflict between civilizations.
"Pingliao lies in the hearts of the people."
"People's hearts? Why don't you elaborate?"
Xiong Tingbi looked at Liu Zhaosun with great interest. Master Jinglue no longer regarded him as an ordinary warrior.
Liu Zhaosun recalled a movie he had seen in his previous life that explained the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty, and blurted out:
"The human heart is food and a steady supply of soldiers,"
Although Xiong Tingbi didn't like Liu Zhaosun's detours, his eyes lit up and he vaguely felt something.
"Go on."
Liu Zhaosun raised his head to the west, looked at what Kang Yingqian called the capital, and said slowly:
"Now that the Ming Dynasty is in Liaodong, we have no food, no pay, and no troops. This means we have lost the support of the people. Without support, the Liao Dynasty will be ruined! Even without the rise of Hou Jin, there will be speculation, tigers, and rabbits in the future, and even It’s Korea, like Korea in the Sui and Tang Dynasties!”
Xiong Tingbi thought Liu Zhaosun was going to say something profound. After hearing this, he shook his head slightly:
"What you just said is known to all officials and censors. They are all talking about increasing Liao's pay. The capital is already in a quarrel. They all want money for food, pay, and guest soldiers. Not only in Liao Town, the officials in the capital are counting on the emperor's generosity. .”
Xiong Tingbi thought for a while and felt that it was better not to dampen this true celebrity's desire to serve the country.
"Since you can think of it, I will listen to you and tell me, how much increase in Liao's salary is needed? How many more guest soldiers are needed? It will only take ten years to bring peace to Liao!"
Liu Zhaosun Zhengse said:
"Master Jinglue has misunderstood. The food and troops mentioned by the general did not refer to the imperial court sending more Liao pay and guest soldiers."
Xiong Tingbi stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before saying:
"Oh, then what do you want to do? Use Liao people to defend Liao territory? I'm afraid the court will not support this argument."
Liu Zhaosun quickly shook his head. Although Wanli was negligent in politics, he would never agree to the Liao people guarding the Liao territory. That would basically recognize the separatist status of Liaodong.
"Master Jinglue, these days, I will be living in Shenyang, Kaiyuan, and Tieling. I have seen a lot. Take Shenyang as an example. At its peak, the number of guest soldiers reached more than 30,000. Adding the soldiers and horses of Liao Town, the number of troops was 100,000. They gathered in a small place, and the court allocated a large amount of military pay. Most of the sergeants were single and had nothing to worry about, so they spent money lavishly. In this way, tens of millions of silver military pay suddenly poured into the city, but grain, grass, salt, and iron supplies were difficult to transport. , but it always lags behind the money, and profiteers are driving up prices, so the market is bound to be chaotic and prices are high. This is currency..." (3)
Liu Zhaosun was about to talk about inflation, but when he thought that it would take him a long time to explain the term, he paused, took off the coconut scoop from his belt, and took another sip of water.
"The soldiers and people in the border areas have less and less money. The imperial court has distributed money, but it is always not enough. Just because the prices in the border areas continue to rise, the general is in Shenyang. Originally, Mr. Yang planned to buy some cattle for the general to eat. As a result, I found that the beef had risen too much, so I was forced to replace it with mutton..."
Before Liu Zhaosun finished speaking, Xiong Tingbi already understood what he was going to say and said seriously:
"Liu Zhaosun, I have already paid attention to what you said. Since the Tumubao Incident, our dynasty has adopted many policies to control the Mongolian tribes. Afterwards, we continued to suffer setbacks and were forced to recruit more troops. The number of frontier troops increased year by year, but It is not uncommon for border soldiers to stop for a year. This is the case in Xuandaji Town, and the same is true in Liaodong. Whether it is Liao's salary or Jiubian soldiers' salary, they all end up in the hands of these general soldiers and businessmen. The general soldiers only need to support a few servants to support their appearance. , merchants smuggled slaves into Mongolia, hoarded goods, and drove up prices. If things go on like this, how can the soldiers and common people not become poor, and how can the Liao Dynasty remain undefeated?"
The guest soldiers were concentrated in several small cities, and all the money was made by profiteers and general soldiers. The court had to keep spending money. Spending money was afraid that teachers and teachers would be short of pay. When the money was spent, the soldiers' fighting power was gone, so they Urging the army to fight as soon as possible.
Those guest soldiers who were temporarily mobilized from various places in the Ming Dynasty finally arrived at the border town of Shenyang in Tieling after thousands of miles of arduous journey and hardships. They were already complaining. At this time, the court had insufficient food and pay, and the soldiers had to be exploited by profiteers and discriminated against by Liao Town, and so on. Not to mention fighting the Jiannu slaves, you would be lucky if your own people didn't fight first (this is how the white pole soldiers and Zhejiang soldiers fought before the Battle of Hunhe River)
Even if they can fight in a hurry, the troops and horses in each department will not know each other, and they will be suspicious of each other, just like Saarhu, they will restrain each other and watch the fire from the other side.
The final result was that soldiers from the south and soldiers from the north were sent to Ji Town and Liao Town with money, food and equipment in one wave after another.
It was like this in Saerhu, it was like this in Kaiyuan, and it was even more like this in the bloody battle of Hunhe River!
Of course, the court's strategy of carrying water and filling wells could not pacify the Liao Dynasty. In the end, it would only enrich a group of military leaders and profiteers, and make the slaves stronger and more confident as they fought.
"Then what are your sources of food and troops?"
Liu Zhaosun was silent for a moment and finally showed his trump card.
"My lord, people's hearts have turned from beauty to nothingness."
"The sources of food and troops are to restrain annexation and focus on commerce and agriculture. In short, it is to reform the military."
Xiong Tingbi looked at Liu Zhaosun blankly, and then said after a while:
"Use China to transform the barbarians and reform the health centers?"
"So you promise to trade with all the ethnic groups in the city, but you don't kill those Jurchens and Mongols? Can you use China to turn barbarians?"
Liu Zhaosun did not expect that Xiong Tingbi had known about this earlier, so he nodded and then shook his head.
"Your Excellency, it is clear that the Liao Dynasty was very bad. On the surface, it was defeated in Qinghe and Fushun. In Liao, there was a lack of pay and it was difficult for guest soldiers to continue. In fact, in the guard posts, in the countryside, and below the state city, these places were all occupied by the Jurchens who established the state. It is riddled with holes, and this is the foundation of Liaodong.”
"The health centers in the thirteen provinces in the north and south are all in decay, especially in Liaodong. Do you want to reorganize the Liaodong health centers? This may not be easy,"
Liu Zhaosun knew that this matter was extremely difficult, so he asked Xiong Tingbi for help, so he continued:
"Under Taizu's system, the guard station was already very complete, but it was only later that the land of the Jin gentry was annexed, and the guards and soldiers were enriched for their own benefit, so it gradually became like this."
"The general will not be able to change the Liaodong Guard, but the Thirty Thousand Guards, Liaohai Guards, and Tieling Guards under Kaiyuan's jurisdiction still have a glimmer of hope and can be handed over to the general for rectification. If the military strategy can support the general, then... ··”
Xiong Tingbi remained silent. He thought that Liu Zhaosun was trying to redistribute the fields and make enemies of the gentry and local tyrants around Kaiyuan. He was trying to attract moths to the flames and bring about his own destruction. It's not like no one has done this in my dynasty, but the end of these people is not very good.
Liu Zhaosun raised his head and saw Xiong Tingbi looking troubled.
"Lord Manager,"
Liu Zhaosun's speech slowed down.
"The Liao affairs may continue to deteriorate. The general will think that if this continues, even if Kaiyuan is victorious, Liao and Shen will not be protected."
"The last general is willing to stick to Kaiyuan, stand in the outer camp, teach the barbarians with the words of the saints, and slowly plan for them. He will use three thousand tigers to fight and horses and horses to strengthen the soldiers. If there is a change in the future, he will sweep the holes and plow the court."
"But before that, I hope Jinglue will fully support Kaiyuan and not be afraid of rumors."
Xiong Tingbi closed his eyes. He just heard Liu Zhaosun talking about the shortcomings of Liao's salary and rectifying the guards. He felt that it made some sense. How to educate the barbarians and stand in the siege. When the Jin Dynasty changes, it will be a fantasy.
"Oh, how to carry out enlightenment and teach Jianzhou Jurchens to read "The Analects" and "Shangshu"? Or cut off their money rat tails?"
Liu Zhaosun smiled awkwardly and explained:
"Sir, education is not just about reciting the Four Books and Five Classics. It is also about the imperial examinations and cultivating folk customs. The Liao people are brave and good at fighting, no less than the slaves. They are just brave enough to fight in private and timid in public war. If they can take advantage of the situation, they will have a steady supply of troops. .”
“How to take advantage of the situation?”
"With love, benefit, and power,"
"When I look at the Han people in eastern Liaoning at the end of the day, there are still a small number of people who are willing to be slaves, only twenty-three out of ten. Everyone has a sense of shame. Why do Han men commit themselves to being slaves and thieves? This is out of love."
"Kaiyuan is adjacent to Mongolia and Haixi. It is one of the largest horse markets in the North. Various ethnic groups live together and trade is prosperous. In previous years, profits were huge. Unfortunately, it was occupied by Liao Town and squandered other uses. Now Kaiyuan's trade will end. We can control a part of it and eat it up in the future, and use the power of commerce to turn China into barbarians for our own benefit."
We can increase the number of people from the inner provinces to fill the Liao Dynasty, and allow for preferential treatment and exemption of some taxes and corvees. Places such as Huguang, Yunyang and other places have a large population and a small area, and there are many refugees. If we can help the Liao Dynasty, one will decline and the other will increase, and we can also promote culture and education. , Emphasis on imperial examinations, and military merit. These are all trends. "
When Xiong Tingbi mentioned the imperial examination, he leaned forward slightly. Liu Zhaosun knew that he was interested in this, so he continued:
"As your Excellency knows, Liaodong does not have a chief secretary or an envoy. In previous years, there were only scientific examinations and no provincial examinations."
Xiong Tingbi nodded slightly. He had been in Liaodong for many years and had a headache with the imperial examination. Many civil servants regarded Liaodong as a barbaric land and would rather go to poor places like Shaanxi and Guizhou than go to Liaodong.
"Candidates from Liaodong had to go to nearby Shandong to take the exam, which was very inconvenient due to long journeys and long journeys. During the Jiajing period, although the imperial court allowed candidates from Liaodong to go to Shuntian to take the exam, the distance was not close and the imperial examination was not popular, which cut off the promotion path of many scholars in Liaodong. It aggravates their defection to slavery, so the court must pay attention."
Liu Zhaosun wanted to continue talking, but it was getting late, so Master Jinglue asked him to talk another day. The matter needed long-term consideration. Liu Zhaosun knew Xiong Tingbi's difficulties, so he said no more.
The two of them walked down the city wall and returned to the General's Mansion. Yang Hao had already had a dinner prepared.
At the banquet, Xiong Tingbi sat at the top of the table. Most of the civil servants in Kaiyuan Bingdao and Beiyudusi were dead. The two commanders did not dare to sit at the top of Liu Zhaosun, so Yang Hao was next to Xiong Tingbi.
The two Liaodong managers were together, looking at each other in silence. Since Mr. Xiong had a long talk with Liu Zhaosun in the afternoon, he no longer had the thought of humiliating Yang Hao.
Lord Jinglue felt more and more that he was here to take the blame for the emperor's fault during his expedition to Liaodong. When he left the capital, the emperor was seriously ill and had been on his bed for several days.
Xiong Tingbi pays attention to hard work, despises empty talk, and is stubborn. Over the years, he has offended many colleagues. From Huguang to the capital, from the Ministry of War to the Tibetan royal family, there are people everywhere who want to impeach him.
When the head of the Arsenal Department was beaten last time, some people said that Guan Shen was unruly and unruly. Some people compared him to someone like Huo Guang, who would oppress his colleagues even if he had the slightest authority, and suggested that the emperor kill him to avoid future troubles.
Xiong Tingbi did not write a letter to defend himself, but said angrily that if the emperor did not trust him, he would resign from the managerial position, which made Wanli very embarrassed.
The Master of Economic Strategy knows very well that the emperor's time is short now. When the new emperor ascends the throne, his Liaodong Economic Strategy may end, and he may even end up with this old fate.
After Xiong Tingbi thought for a long time, he finally decided that while he was in power in Liaodong, he would support this real celebrity who was not shy about his reputation and only wanted to achieve success.
Although Xiong Manzi is stubborn and impulsive, today's tour has convinced him that Liu Zhaosun is not a thing in the pond.
This son is not only decisive in killing and running the army strictly, but also has a well-organized military strategy. What is even more commendable, he also has the common people in the world in his heart, obeys the law of heaven, does not indiscriminately kill people from far away based on distinctions between Chinese and foreigners, does not care about fame and integrity, and does not cherish fame and fortune. There is the style of an ancient gentleman.
These are definitely beyond the comparison of Li Chengliang and his ilk.
After thinking for a long time, Xiong Tingbi's stubborn temper came back, he put his hands on his hands and laughed, thinking:
"That's all, that's all. The situation in Liao is like this. The town of Liao is harming the country, and a group of rats in the capital only know how to restrain it. I can't bear the loss of Liaodong, so let this young man give it a try."
Under the leadership of Liu Zhaosun, a group of civil servants and military generals raised their glasses and exchanged glasses to persuade Lord Jinglue to drink. Xiong Tingbi drank until he was so drunk that he became so heroic that he chatted with Liu Zhaosun about old events in Liaodong.
The cup is in a mess, the song ends and everyone disperses, Master Jinglue murmurs to himself:
"Liu Zhaosun, I, Xiong Tingbi, can trust you, but in this Ming Dynasty, who can trust me?"
Note:
(1) "Every time I draw a bow, the bow will be broken. If I take an arrow, the arrow will be cut into half. I will use a knife and a stick, but the knife cannot cut chickens and the stick cannot hit dogs. All armor, sharp blades, spears, and firearms are lost." , The bows held by the soldiers today all have broken backs and strings, all the arrows have no feathers or arrowheads, all the knives are blunt, all the spears are worn out, some are completely without anything, and those who borrowed them from others are empty-headed, naked, and without any armor. Cover." - "Xiong Tingbi Ji·Liao Zuo's general trend has been eliminated for a long time"
(2) "In the past, those wearing long and thick armor fought in front with spears and long-handled swords. Those wearing light net armor held bows and arrows and shot them from behind. The selected elite soldiers stood on horseback and watched from other places. If they saw that they were invincible, they would use their cameras to help the battle. . Therefore, every battle can be won." - Volume 4 of "Manwen Old Files"
(3) "Xiong Shiyu's Slips and Narratives" and "The First Collection of Baori Hall", Volume 11, Plate
