That night, taking advantage of the great victory over the rebel army, Fu Zonglong hosted a banquet for Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting, who had led the guest troops to suppress the army. The three of them had a lot of feelings about the current situation.
Especially since the emperor's journey to immortality and the prince's supervision of the country, although it has not been long, the Ming Dynasty has undergone certain changes from the court to the localities.
Bashu is far away from the capital and has not been greatly affected. Both commanders came from the capital, so they are naturally well aware of the rapid changes taking place there.
The prince's supervision of the country was very different from the emperor's governance, and the opponents were like crucian carp crossing the river. Because of this, the rebellion in the Beijing camp broke out, but fortunately it was suppressed quickly.
But in extraordinary times, extraordinary things are done. Under the prince's thunderous methods, the factory guards cleared out countless moths from the court. Faced with the confiscated property, the moths were even more speechless.
In the face of tons of evidence, all sophistry is feeble. Even Zhou Kui, a national warrior, was not spared, let alone other nobles and civil and military officials.
The prince was inspired by Emperor Gao, the great ancestor of the immortal world, and naturally acted vigorously and resolutely, completely contrary to His Majesty's verbal criticism style.
As many as thousands of people have been implicated in the punishment of corruption. Except for a few criminals who will have their heads displayed in public, the rest will be sent to the mountain to mine.
Of course, this was all the result of their own suicide. There was no "Huangdou Gong" that day, and there would be no subsequent series of stories.
Regarding this "Huangdou Gong", Sun Chuanting had personally experienced it on the spot, so he briefly described it to Fu Zonglong as a source of conversation between changing glasses.
Hearing this, Fu Zonglong really couldn't laugh or cry, but he also understood very well the virtues of nobles and nobles. He also knew very well that the King of Shu was like this. Without this experience, he would not have been confiscated and his property was confiscated.
The two commander-in-chiefs praised the young prince for being able to do such a thing, and they did not hesitate to use any kind words. At least the military expenses for the campaign were raised by the prince.
The "suppression pay" of 600,000 taels per month can be paid until the end of the year. The cost of suppressing the bandits this year alone is no less than 4 million taels. This does not include the expenses of the defenders in various places. It was unimaginable before. things.
When the court has money, everything will be easier to handle. It will carry out large-scale construction projects, provide relief through work, organize and train new armies, and suppress bandits. All the things that cannot be done due to lack of money can now be solved.
After hearing Hong Chengchou relaying His Highness the Crown Prince's estimate that this year's annual income would not be less than 25 million taels if the northern tax system was fully implemented, far exceeding last year, Fu Zonglong found it unbelievable, but he was very hopeful that it would come true.
Fu Zonglong also learned about other things happening in the capital through the "Jingshi Daily" that was sent one after another. Some of the most important latest official orders had begun to be distributed to various state capitals and were ready for implementation.
After driving away the rebels and restoring order in Sichuan, Fu Zonglong, with the permission of a certain prince, also planned to print the "Jingshi Daily" in large quantities, so that the gentry and common people of Bashu could learn about the court's many favorable orders and news from the capital.
Fu Zonglong was astonished at the news, which was similar to the Di Bao but contained far more information than the Di Bao. It was all-encompassing and drew on the best of everyone. He even regarded a certain prince as a celestial being, who indeed seemed to come from the fairy world.
Not to mention anything else, the circulation in Sichuan alone, if it were released, would be tens of thousands of copies every day, and the advertising costs should not be underestimated.
If it is reprinted in various places, the news content will still be completely reprinted, but the advertising space can be converted to local investment and replaced by local advertisers, which is another huge investment.
After deducting 20% of taxes and fees, the Jingshi Daily newspaper and the local government will each share 40% of the profit. The price of advertising space is fixed. The price can be calculated as long as it is published for one day, and there is no possibility of secretly reducing dividends.
The publication place of Sichuan is in Chengdu, where merchants gather. After letting them understand the role and value of newspapers as a media, it will be easy to attract investment.
Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting were marching and fighting, which was a lot of inconvenience. They couldn't read the daily newspapers on time, and because they were far away from the capital, the time was always delayed for about ten days. However, it could also be used to relieve boredom.
Besides newspapers, the two things Hong Chengchou and Sun Chuanting looked forward to most were mahjong and ramen.
In the past, when I was running back and forth, military intelligence and war reports would come in at any time, and I had very little time to rest and sleep. I was too busy worrying about it to get angry, and I was not in the mood to think about it at all.
After the victory over the bandit army in Sichuan, the two handsome men who had tasted the sweetness in the capital frequently recalled that experience full of happiness.
When it comes to playing mahjong, it would be imprudent and irresponsible to say that Hong Chengchou was the best player in the entire Ming Dynasty. Give him a month and he could win the annual salary of his staff and soldiers...
When playing chess in the East Palace, Hong Shaobao was able to beat the Chief Assistant and the Secretary of the Household Department to the point where they regarded each other as pig teammates, and their fighting power was extremely powerful.
Sun Chuanting's poker skills were not as high as those of Hong Chengchou, but he was not an ordinary person either. Among the officials who were qualified to play at the table, he was firmly in the middle of the pack.
This thing is the same as horse-drawing, but its entertainment quality is far greater than the former. It is a game that becomes addictive after playing it once. It also requires using your brain, especially your memory. You will not become a victorious general just by luck.
When Hong Chengchou leaves Beijing, his colleagues who have played against him at the same table will breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, this guy did not play for too long, otherwise his monthly salary would not be enough to lose.
Although the lottery standard is a stepped configuration of one liang, two liang, four liang, and eight liang, it usually ends with one or two liang, but it can't stop the itching.
What's more, they don't want to lie at home on their rest days, leaving their wives and concubines behind, and gather together to line the Great Wall at the official entertainment place designated by the prince, euphemistically called it - exchanging what they have and what they don't have.
As long as they don't collude with the enemy or break the law, a certain prince doesn't care what the officials do on their days off. As long as this kind of entertainment game doesn't involve winning houses, winning land, and losing everything, no one will interfere with it.
Hong Chengchou is now the commander-in-chief, commanding 100,000 soldiers and horses, and has 300,000 taels of silver in his hands every month. He is extremely prosperous, but he himself misses the days of being a Beijing official.
The prince is not as willful and cruel as your majesty is to the officials. However, he behaves according to the rules and is down-to-earth. He does not line his own pockets or abuse his power. He can receive a large salary every month, and he can have one day off after working for six days. His life is very nourishing. .
For a senior official of Hong Chengchou's level, his monthly salary is more than 300 taels, including allowances for various titles. He has no problem supporting his family, including eating and drinking every day.
Now he is leading an army to suppress bandits, and he can even enjoy battlefield subsidies. His monthly income is as high as 500 taels, which is already as high as that of the chief minister of the dynasty.
The three hundred thousand taels can be used by oneself, but Hong Chengchou is still very principled. He will not forget what should be taken and will not act rashly on what should not be taken.
With an annual salary of several thousand taels, Hong Chengchou believed that His Highness the Crown Prince had been very generous to him, and even invited his son to the capital to teach him. For this kindness, he had no other way to repay him other than to do his job with all his heart and mind.
There is another thing that worries Hong Chengchou more than playing mahjong, and that is "eating noodles".
Min took food as his first priority. Although Hong Chengchou was a high official in the imperial court, he came from Min and was no exception to his desire for words.
I grew up in Fujian, but I have lived in the north for a long time and led the army to fight for many years. I have to live in the open air. It is not easy to have a bowl of noodles in the wild. It is a kind of enjoyment.
As he traveled, Hong Chengchou ate different noodles in various places, but he believed that none of them could compare with Prince's ramen imitated from the fairy world.
That special and unique tangy fragrance will remain fresh in your memory as long as you smell it. The feeling that you are still unsatisfied after eating will become unforgettable the longer the time passes.
Sichuan is a land of abundance. Although Fu Zonglong did not bring the government dishes, he did his best to serve as a landlord. There were chicken, duck, fish, pig, rabbit, and pigeon on the table, supplemented by bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and various wild vegetables. It was definitely worth the calculation. enriched.
Hong Chengchou and Fu Zonglong are both from the south. One is from Fujian and the other is from Yunnan. Because they have been officials in the north for a long time, when it comes to eating noodles, they are a bit jealous.
Sun Chuanting is from Shanqian, and it is no exaggeration to say that he is an expert in eating noodles. He has traveled to various places before and has eaten almost all kinds of noodles in the north except for a corner of Shandong.
Regarding "Prince Ramen", both of them have the same opinion. To describe it in two words, it is "delicious"!
Fu Zonglong was a little fascinated after hearing this, hoping to have the opportunity to taste the legendary "Prince Ramen".
It's midsummer now, and eating hot noodle soup under the high temperature is a torture.
But on the contrary, eating a steaming bowl of ramen in the cold winter months is nothing less than a pleasure.
All three of them knew the hardships of leading an army in winter. Eating hot noodle soup in the cold and windy winter would definitely make the whole body feel so comfortable.
After listening to Sun and Hong's introduction, Fu Zonglong planned to write to His Highness the Prince to see if there was an opportunity to open a ramen restaurant here in Bashu, so that the gentry and common people in Sichuan could also taste the taste of ramen from the fairy world. .
His Royal Highness has many inventions and creations, far beyond newspapers, mahjong, and ramen. The ingenious mortar is one of the achievements of a certain prince.
This kind of iron barrel cannon is not amazing in appearance, but it is very powerful, has a long range and high accuracy, and the manufacturing cost is negligible. It is indeed a rare weapon.
The two commanders were originally not interested in this ugly and crude weapon, but after seeing live ammunition firing at the shooting range, their impressions changed greatly.
This campaign achieved initial success, especially in Xiangyang, Yunxian, and Fangxian, which severely damaged the rebel army. Especially in the formation battle, it was able to defeat the rebel army head-on. The mortar played a most important role.
If the whole army is equipped with hundreds of mortars, it will be invincible when it attacks the bandit army. The bandit army will be unable to resist and can only flee. This is the current situation, and the "thieves" have been frightened by the killing.
Before leaving, I heard from the prince that these sharp weapons are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are many more powerful weapons under development, which will be released one after another in the near future and be equipped with the Ming Dynasty King Master one after another.
By then, Master Wang will no longer be afraid of the Donglu cavalry and will have the ability to fight with them. It will be logical and natural to regain his homeland in Liaodong.
Regarding mortars, a certain prince was very strict with the two commanders. They must be directly under their command and divided when the war situation is special. At least one battalion is required. If there are too few, they may be discovered and annihilated by the rebel army, and then get this The secret of the gun.
Because this gun has no secrets at all. If you look at the internal structure, you will understand its principle, and it can be easily copied. Therefore, it must be kept strictly confidential in the early stage, and anyone who leaks the secret will be killed without mercy.
The purpose of letting the two commanders-in-chief be directly subordinate to Yang Guozhu and Niu Chenghu is to keep the mortar secrets for as long as possible while putting them into actual combat.
If it leaks out by accident, there is nothing we can do about it, but before that, we can keep it secret as long as we can, at least until we can cash out from Europe and deceive the fool King.
The value and effect of the mortar can be said to be great or small, but if the gun is not known in advance, it is absolutely possible to give the enemy a head-on blow.
Especially when the musketeers of the two camps are lining up and having sex, hundreds of explosive packets that can splash nails are suddenly thrown out, which can kill thousands of unarmored or lightly armored soldiers on the opposite side...
If five hundred mortars can fire ten consecutive volleys, it is estimated that ten thousand of the one hundred thousand troops on the opposite side will be killed and thirty to forty thousand injured. The rest will all run away and be bombarded from top to bottom to the point of mental collapse.
In the late Thirty Years' War, it can be said that the organic mortar group was a strategic super weapon that could decide a battle or even the entire war.
Hong Chengchou conservatively estimated that if sold to Xiyi, such sharp weapons would be worth at least tens of thousands or even more than 100,000 taels of silver. With His Highness the Crown Prince's intelligence, it would not be unusual to sell them for more money.
This is by no means a boast. The rebels had no preparation for this artillery before. As a result, no matter whether they were in battle or siege, they were completely defeated under the crazy bombardment of mortars and suffered heavy casualties. They had lost their ability to attack the enemy. The offensive capabilities of the stock officer army.
Although Xiyi is good at it, most of them have never seen such a weird fire cannon. If they buy this cannon in batches and put it into battle on a large scale, they will definitely be able to shock everyone and kill everyone.
This is Hong Chengchou's experience gained from actual combat. Ever since the government troops were equipped with mortars and the rebels suffered a lot, these rebel leaders no longer want to engage in frequent confrontations with their own troops.
This time they rushed into Sichuan because they were attacked by the government troops in the Huguang area and suffered heavy losses in personnel. They were really outmatched, so they took this strategy. However, their plot failed to succeed despite the encirclement and suppression by various government troops.
It was learned from the previously captured leader of the bandit army that the "Xian bandit" deliberately separated two groups of troops before entering Xiangyang from the east of Gucheng as a way to deceive the enemy.
The number of these two groups was 6,000. If the "thieves" really returned to Huguang and joined up with them, their strength would exceed 10,000, and they would probably wreak havoc elsewhere. Hong Chengchou had to consider what might happen in the future.
Sun Chuanting still has the bandits in the Junzhou area that have not yet been wiped out, and Hong Chengchou also has the "Xian bandits" who need to be captured and killed. After that, he may have to go to wipe out the "Fifth Gezuo Battalion" advancing eastward.
After the victory in this battle, the great task of suppressing the invaders still has a long way to go. We cannot be blindly optimistic. We must take a long-term view and remain cautious. There is still a long way to go before complete success.
