In the palace, in the Xinuan Pavilion, Zhu Yijun and Gao Pragmatic sat opposite each other. They each held a glass of wine and drank it with a slight frown.
"I really didn't expect this area of Bozhou to be so difficult to defeat." Zhu Yijun frowned, turning the Yu porcelain wine glass in his hand, and sighed: "On the North Korean side, Li Rusong marched recklessly and was almost beaten to death by the Japanese pirates. Although In the end, they withstood, but the core combat strength of the army aiding Korea was damaged. The battle situation on the entire front was stalemate, and they had to consider withdrawing, and then Ma Gui led Xuanda elite to take over.
Although there were some twists and turns on the Bozhou side, they responded promptly and were about to win a complete victory. Unexpectedly, Longyan was still struggling after two months of fighting...Pragmatically, you said that fighting barbarians in this southwestern mountainous area is really better than fighting against barbarians. Is it still difficult to fight the Mongols on the grassland? I see that you have been beaten before. Please tell me about it. "
"It should be said that these are two completely different wars." Gao pragmatically said: "In fact, our main disadvantage in fighting the Mongols on the grassland is that we often cannot find our opponents, which is the problem of mobility, and we are easily led away by others. If the nose goes away, it will waste material, financial and energy of the soldiers.
As for the real battle, as long as our army's will to fight is firm enough, and since it already has enough troops and sophisticated equipment, and with sufficient food and pay, as long as we don't make too many tactical mistakes, victory is inevitable.
Fighting in the mountains of the southwest is different. We often say that the chieftains in the southwest always have some particularly elite soldiers. This is largely because of their mountain combat capabilities, but it does not mean that they are strong in all terrain conditions. .
I will take Zhuo Jing as an example. When I recaptured Annam, the Huang family's wolf soldiers once fought a great victory in Lang Son. That battle was a typical mountain battle.
How should I put it, if that battle were left to my servants, although the firepower might be stronger, they might not be able to win so easily. This is because the terrain in northern Annam, especially near Lang Son, is complex and there are extremely difficult mountain roads. It is very likely that although the soldiers have arrived, the artillery is still far behind. Even the soldiers may often not be able to arrive on time. Bit.
However, Huang's wolf soldiers do not have this problem. Not only can their troops be in place, but their artillery can also be transported to their required positions through various methods. This is related to their daily life.
They usually need to go in and out of the mountains to transport various materials and trade with us Han people. Therefore, this ability is not said to be innate, but it can at least be said to be a necessary survival skill, so it is not needed at all during wartime. train.
The reason why I gave this example is that the most critical thing when fighting in the mountains of southwest China is not our army’s ability to defeat the enemy, because in most cases the enemy’s most sensible choice is not to fight us head-on in a decisive field battle, but to use the terrain The advantage overwhelms our army.
This collapse has several levels, the first of which is food and grass supplies. The emperor also knew that even if you march on flat ground, as long as the front is too long, the loss of food and grass will increase exponentially, and if you are marching in the mountains, this loss will be greatly aggravated.
The difficulty of walking in the mountain roads is one aspect in itself, which will seriously slow down the transportation speed. Another aspect is that the mountain roads are often rugged and winding. For example, if you want to climb over a mountain, it is impossible to climb from the top of the mountain due to the steepness of the mountain. Instead of crossing in a straight line, you have to go around on a winding mountain road.
This is equivalent to treating the mountain as a snail shell. We have to zigzag up first, and then zigzag down, and the distance between them will naturally be greatly increased. Therefore, it often happens that an army spends a whole day just barely climbing over a mountain.
So what about fighting in this situation? I just said how capable these chieftains are at climbing mountains. So imagine that while our army is still marching on the winding path in the mountains, cold arrows will be shot out from time to time in the forest, or a small group of elite soldiers will ambush, waiting for our army. After discovering and starting to fight back, they immediately retreated into the mountains. What should we do?
If we pursue him, we obviously don’t know the enemy situation at this time. We don’t know if there is an ambush in the mountains and forests. What if we are ambushed? Moreover, most of the time we won't be able to catch up; if we don't catch up, then the enemy harassment will come again after a while, and there may be some sporadic losses.
The losses are actually not bad. After all, for a large army, the losses of a few or a dozen people are only a drop in the bucket. But the problem is the impact on morale.
Your Majesty, what I fear most when fighting is neither long-term pain nor short-term pain, but pain that comes from time to time, and you can't even see your head. You don't know when this intermittent pain will stop.
Fighting with chieftains in the mountains is the biggest blow to morale, because in addition to the above troubles, it is difficult for us to make an effective counterattack.
Fortunately, Yang Yinglong was arrogant and thought that the Bozhou Army was elite enough. He had chosen to fight head-on with the official army many times before. This was actually a move to exploit weaknesses and avoid strengths. If the minister had been Yang Ni instead, it would have taken half a year for the army to reach Longyandun. By the time they arrived at Longyandun, the morale of the army would have been on the verge of collapse. "
Zhu Yijun was amused and angry when he heard this, and laughed and scolded: "Oh, that's all thanks to you being from the Gao family in Xinzheng. If you were born in the Yang family in Bozhou, wouldn't it be very difficult for me? I wouldn't fight or retreat. In the end, we have no choice but to appease?”
Gao pragmatic did not laugh, but said seriously: "What the emperor said is absolutely true. In the past, the reason why our ancestors often used appeasement instead of conquest against the southwestern chieftains is actually here, which is the 'rule' that I often mentioned to the emperor before. cost'.
To the Ming Dynasty, these chieftains' jurisdiction was like worthless land. It was a pity to abandon it and tasteless to eat. A piece of land that the imperial court spent millions of taels of silver to acquire might not be able to recoup its capital in one hundred or even two hundred years. "
"That's true, I know this very well." Zhu Yijun said with a smile: "Back then, Madam Huang, the head of the family, received only a measly six hundred taels of silver from the court a year. I think 600,000 taels is definitely not enough to conquer the Huang family. According to your theory, this is a completely loss-making battle and should not be fought at all."
"The emperor's example is actually somewhat wrong. Although the chieftain Huang's tribute to the court was only 600 taels, it does not mean that the output of the Huang family's land was only 600 taels, but it will involve more problems.
For example, when the Huang family ruled, the local people would not rebel, so at least the Huang family would not rule to the point of losing money. However, if the court was under direct control, if something happened, the money received every year would not even be a fraction of the cost of countering the rebellion. If not, it will be a big loss. "
"Yes, that's the truth. That's why you later found a way to move those many Guangxi chieftains to Annan...Hey, are we off topic? Aren't we talking about Bozhou's use of troops?" Zhu Yijun realized that he was going too far and tried to Get the topic back on track.
"Otherwise." Gao Pragmatic said: "I have already said more about the use of troops in Bozhou. What I mean is that essentially, for these southwestern chieftains, no matter how the conflicts between the two sides arise or why they are irreconcilable, In short, since the imperial court has chosen to conquer, it must be prepared to postpone the war, which is why I have mobilized a large amount of financial resources."
Zhu Yijun sighed and asked: "So in the future, if Banzhou is converted to native land, will it turn into a bottomless financial pit like Annan back then? Do you have any preparations?"
Gao pragmatic shook his head and said: "Bozhou is not the same as Annan back then, and the imperial court today is also different from the imperial court back then. After the imperial court takes over Bozhou and changes its territory, as long as the administrative measures are appropriate, there is no need to worry about the change of public sentiment in Bozhou."
"What can be done?" Zhu Yijun asked.
"The method is actually very simple. As long as the life of the local people is better after the reform, the life of the local people will be better than when Yang was governed, and the public sentiment will naturally not change." Gao Pragmatic smiled and said: "In fact, this is the final analysis of any rule, only development Only in this way can the contradiction be resolved, because human happiness does not come from stock, but from increment.”
"What do you mean?" Zhu Yijun didn't understand, so he asked, "What is stock and increase?"
Gao pragmatic smiled and said: "The stock is what you already have, and the increment is what continues to increase over time. For example, if I earned one hundred taels of silver last year, it will be the same amount this year, and it will still be the same amount next year. What will happen to me?" Is it possible to be happy? Of course not, because we have become accustomed to it.
But if I earned 100 taels last year, 150 taels this year, and expect to earn 200 taels next year, then I will naturally be very happy, because this means that the future is promising.
The support of the people is actually similar to this. Suppose that in the past, the native people of Bozhou could have a hundred kilograms of rations left a year, but this year the imperial court defeated Bozhou, and they could have only a hundred and fifty kilograms of rations left. Will they oppose the court?
If they go one step further and the court tells them that as long as they are honest and obedient next year, they will have 200 kilograms of food left over, does the emperor think they will still miss the Yang family? Of course not, they would just shout long live our emperor. "
Zhu Yijun suddenly said: "Oh... I understand. You are saying that after this battle and before the return of the land, the court should give Bozhou a three-year tax exemption, right? There is no problem with this. Bozhou will not receive it anyway. With only a few dollars, and after experiencing such a huge military disaster, being exempt from taxes for three years is also the proper meaning of the title."
Gao pragmatic shook his head and said: "This is a normal practice. I will definitely do it if I know it. But what I just meant is not that simple. I mean that we should increase Bozhou's production while reforming the land and returning it to Liu.
Your Majesty, this is why I recommended Guo Zizhang to Guizhou. I hope that Guo Zizhang can vigorously promote sweet potatoes and other products in Bozhou like he did in Fujian. This move can greatly increase grain production. Although it is different from traditional rations, it is For the local people in a poor place like Boshu, it is a great joy to have enough food. What does it matter if the taste changes? After all, it's just a different taste, not bad taste. "
Only then did Zhu Yijun understand what Gao Pragmatic meant. Taken together, his point of view was that it was best not to place high hopes on how fast the war in a place like Bozhou could be fought. The imperial court had to be prepared for the worst-case scenario of slow progress in the war and use its strong national power to force the Break this hard nut.
Then, the focus of the imperial court is on governance after recovery. It must effectively improve the local production capacity so that the root causes of local rebellion disappear. This is the way to long-term peace and stability.
What's more, only if the local production capacity develops, the huge sum of money spent by the imperial court to conquer Bozhou can be recovered in a shorter time. In addition, such as the shock that Kefu Bozhou brought to the other chieftains, these are all additional benefits, so there is no need to explain them one by one.
Due to his persuasion of the emperor and Gao Pragmatic's various means to ensure sufficient supplies for the frontline army before the war, Yang Yinglong could not wait until the court retreated as he expected, even if the war in Longyandun was delayed again and again.
Surprisingly, the imperial court's unhurried performance gave the Ming army on the frontline more opportunities to exert their initiative. During the Ming army's siege of Longyantun, Song Liangzuo, the commander of the army, summoned Miao woodcutters around Longyan and Bozhou to inquire about Longyan. On the secret road of Dun, someone finally told him that there is a secret mountain road in Longyan Dunhou Mountain that can go to the top of Dun. The place that is more conducive to rock climbing can go into Longyan Dunwan'an Pass, and the mountain road is relatively empty and unguarded.
Song Liangzuo was overjoyed and ordered an exploration team to sneak into the back mountain with him to record key points such as the terrain of the mountain road.
Who knew there would be more than just this good news in the end. Due to the heavy casualties of the Miao soldiers since the siege, the Miao soldiers suffered from long-term defense and there was no sign of the official troops withdrawing. As a result, their morale gradually declined, and rumors spread in Longyan Dun.
And Yang Yinglong also had no strategy to defeat the enemy. He was depressed all day long and became violent again. He would kill indiscriminately at the slightest inconvenience, causing panic in the army and putting everyone in danger.
Military advisor Sun Shitai came to advise: "This action of the family head may lead to betrayal and alienation. You must not act like this. If the family head has the heart to fight, he should share the joys and sorrows with the Bozhou warriors at this time, disperse the family wealth and inspire fighting spirit. If If there is no chance of recovery, in order to save the lives of these people, it is better for you, the head of the family, to ask for surrender immediately from the army, in exchange for the lives of everyone."
Yang Yinglong was furious: "Shameless old thief! How can I, Yang Yinglong, surrender to the enemy? The warriors of Bozhou should be like me and fight to the end! How dare you ask me to tie myself up and surrender? You are greedy for life and afraid of death. You, you are just trying to survive, you can't defeat the enemy by planning, so why should I keep you?"
In anger, Yang Yinglong immediately drew his knife and chopped Sun Shitai to the ground, killing him on the spot. He originally wanted to cut his body into pieces to vent his anger, but his younger brother Yang Zhaolong hurriedly stepped forward to hold Yinglong, and Yang Yinglong was able to calm down. However, Sun Shitai was already dead, and it was too late to regret.
That night, Liangzuo of the Song Dynasty convened the generals and ordered Deng Zilong and Wu Guang to lead their troops to capture Wan'an Pass through a secret passage. They made a surprise attack on the city at night, causing panic and attracting Miao soldiers from the front to return for reinforcements. The generals from the front store took advantage of the situation to seize the pass and occupy the surrounding dangerous points. , and on the next day, they attacked from both front and back, and captured Longyan Dun in one fell swoop. The generals eagerly accepted their orders.
At the fourth watch of the night, Deng Zilong and Wu Guang led their troops to sneak into the hidden mountain road, climb up with branches, surprise attack on Wan'an Pass, wipe out all the soldiers guarding the pass, and attack the big city of Longyantun.
When Long Yantun heard the news, he immediately fell into panic. Yang Yinglong woke up in the night and learned that the Ming army had descended on Wan'an Pass and was attacking the top of the warehouse. He was horrified and spent thousands of gold at night to recruit dead soldiers to resist the battle. However, all the seedlings were gone. Great horror, no response.
Yang Yinglong was furious and went into battle with his sword in hand. He gathered his own soldiers and fought a bloody battle with the Ming army. He then gathered the guards at Chaotian Pass and Feifeng Pass to receive Yang Chaodong's orders and divided his troops to return for reinforcements. Deng Zilong and Wu Guang came from the trail and were quite short of troops. After fighting for a while, they led their troops back to Wan'an Pass to defend. However, the troops in Longyan Dunqian Dun were thin due to the division of troops to return reinforcements. The Ming army took advantage of the situation to seize the pass. Both Chaotian and Feifeng passes were captured by the Ming army one after another.
That night, Yang Yinglong was still in shock. He held a knife and led a team to inspect the top of the store. He saw flames shooting into the sky from all sides. All the dangerous passes of Longyan Store were occupied by the Ming army. He sighed with hesitation and sorrow in his heart.
Afterwards, Yang Yinglong moved to the "royal palace" and cried with his wife and concubines: "Yinglong is incompetent. He is unworthy of his ancestors. He lacks the wisdom and courage of his ancestors and has been repeatedly defeated by the officers and soldiers. Tonight, all the dangerous fortresses around Longyantun have been captured. Tomorrow The army will definitely attack this place, and the Yang family in Bozhou will be extinct from now on, and I can no longer care about Ruo Ruo." The wives and concubines all burst into tears.
In the early morning of the next day, the Ming army indeed invaded Longyan Dun from the front and rear. The Miao soldiers who had been extremely fierce in the past were all scattered, and they no longer had the will to fight. He Hanliang, Tian Yipeng and others also died in the chaos.
Yang Yinglong knew that the situation was over, so he first ordered his wife and concubines to hang themselves, and then they also hanged themselves to death. At the same time, he ordered his cronies to burn his body. Deng Zilong, Wu Guang and others captured more than a hundred people including Yang Chaodong and Yang Zhaolong, but Yang Yinglong himself was nowhere to be seen.
Wu Guang led people to search everywhere, but found that Yang Yinglong had hanged himself in the fire. Wu Guang was angry and dragged Yang Yinglong's body out of the fire regardless of the intensity of the fire. He was also poisoned and lost his voice for a while. He fainted and fell to the ground for a long time. Awake.
At this point, Longyan's hoarding was defeated and the entire Bozhou area was pacified.
In December, Song Liangzuo returned to the court with his troops and entered Beijing in triumph. Admiral Liu Wei and the Northern Army generals such as Ma Lin and Dong Yiyuan also accompanied him and were honored by his majesty.
After the prisoners were sacrificed at the Meridian Gate, Emperor Wanli ordered Yang Chaodong, Yang Zhaolong and others to be elected to the city. After that, the imperial court dismissed the chieftains of Bozhou, changed the status of the chieftains to the locals, and established two prefectures of Zunyi and Pingyue, which belonged to Sichuan and Guizhou provinces.
From then on, Emperor Wanli issued the "Pingbo Prefecture Yang Ni Zhao", which spread throughout the world and received congratulations from hundreds of officials. The only major war in the imperial court was on the Korean side.
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PS: I have finished writing about 50,000 words on "Banju Rebellion". In my style, I tried my best to speed up the process. This chapter is 4K7. Readers who are familiar with me also know that sometimes I will not even make up 5K for 4K9. Anyway, writing this book is not profitable. I am really too lazy to think about it.
