Chapter 174: Changing offensive and defensive positions
"No. Absolutely not." Yang Shiqi said sternly: "Sir, if you raise millions of troops, you will spend thousands of gold every day. It can be said that since the war began, Beijing has only seen a deficit and has not seen any improvement. It is my painstaking efforts to support it until now. And after this battle, pensions for the wounded and disasters along the canal all require money."
"Now we have to create a new title. According to your Majesty's wishes, hereditary hundred households will be the lowest title, such as public servants. But based on the example of a soldier earning eighteen yuan a year, the lowest title will not be worth three or five yuan a year. Ten yuan, if it can show honor? Hedging the benefits brought by the hereditary hundred households. No, thirty or fifty yuan is not enough, it must be one hundred yuan. The rest will wait for it. But with such a great victory, the low-level nobles who canonized, It is estimated that there will be more than a thousand people. This is a huge expense. Add in other expenses, and the court will definitely not be able to support it."
"My lord, it's not that I don't support your lord's idea. But can this matter be slowed down so that Beijing's finances can take a breather?"
Yang Shiqi is the biggest one. The essence of war is money. Although this battle is likely to bring many prefectures and counties north of the Yellow River under its rule. In terms of agricultural taxes alone, the taxes levied in these places are simply not comparable to the expenses He Xi invested in this war.
This battle was essentially about using one's own strength to injure the enemy. It seemed that the strength of both sides was not much different. But He Xi spent much more money than Nanjing spent on the overall investment.
Many things cannot be done, half of them are money problems, and half are people problems.
In this battle, the outcome has already explained a lot.
Fu Youde had insufficient artillery and captured the Northern Army's artillery. But the Northern Army here will fight as many as they can, lose as much as they can, and make up for as much as they can. Brave and generous. But the pressure is all on Yang Shiqi. Even if Japan gives a lot of blood, Beijing's finances are now somewhat unable to support it.
After all, the Japanese market has reopened. Even more open than other times, but overall, it still takes time. It will take time to convert the Japanese market into fiscal revenue.
A major war costs millions of dollars directly and indirectly, and the money does not stop after the war is over.
After the war, more money was spent and rewards were given. Compensated. Battle damage was replenished. It also costs a lot of money.
But Yang Shiqi also knows the importance. No matter how difficult it is, some money cannot be saved. For example, the rewards given to soldiers. The soldiers participating in the war this time, regardless of whether they have military merit or not, will receive double salary, and there will be some other rewards, not many. On average, it only costs two or three yuan per person, but with so many people, it suddenly costs two million yuan.
The two million yuan is naturally not average.
Instead, they are allocated based on each person's different military exploits.
However, they are all rewards for low-level soldiers. As for the rewards for senior generals, Yang Shiqi's idea is to give them imaginary rather than real rewards. It is possible to have a hundred hereditary households or a thousand hereditary households. Although there are future troubles, it is just a false name. At least you don't have to pay now.
The future is the future and the present is now.
He Xi said: "If you can't even get this little money, didn't I ask you to print it?"
Yang Shiqi said: "This is prudent. After all, Baochao has learned from the past."
He Xi smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry. I have a solution. Let's take care of the things in front of you first. As for the money issue, just leave it to me."
Yang Shiqi is very conservative financially.
If others said such things to him, Yang Shiqi would not look them in the eye. But it was He Xi who said this.
There was a glimmer of hope in Yang Shiqi's heart. He felt that He Xi would definitely be able to find some refreshing and good ways in terms of finance.
As for what method he would use, he would wait and see.
Yang Shiqi said: "Okay."
After convincing Yang Shiqi, there was not much resistance in other aspects.
After the pursuit on the front line ended, generals at all levels were summoned back to Beijing to reward them based on their merits, and to carry out military reform and major adjustments.
He Xi suddenly had an idea and thought to himself: "I wonder what Nanjing's financial situation will be like?"
No, He Xi underestimated Nanjing. In terms of economic size, Nanjing is several times that of Beijing, but
In terms of the resources that both governments can mobilize, this is not the case.
He Xi's method of mobilizing local resources is to print money, loosen currency, and control the market. But Nanjing is much simpler and more crude. Directly call for corvee labor. Moreover, it was unbearable for the common people to call for corvées on the front lines.
It is true that the war was fought in Hebei. Hebei was the most traumatized. But in essence, He Xi is devaluing the currency and using resources from other places to make up for Hebei. Not without problems. But at least it won’t be a big problem until the over-issuance of currency reaches a certain order of magnitude, not to mention that He Xi will use various means to find a market for the over-issuance of currency.
But in Nanjing, on the one hand, there was no atmosphere for war in the areas south of the Yangtze River. On the other hand, the people in these places north of the Yellow River were recruited by the army to recruit civilian husbands, and almost all the men were recruited.
After all, the army moved hundreds of thousands of Northern troops. After a great war, nearly one million auxiliary soldiers and civilians were used, and nearly ten million were spent. The treasury was emptied. But the Confederate army would not have that much money. The Nanjing court will not spend so much, and a military expenditure of one or two million taels at most is not bad.
However, this reduction in expenditures certainly meant that the Southern Army was more economical than the Northern Army in all aspects. But the reality is that the military burden is passed on to local governments.
Let Shandong, Henan, the areas north of the Yellow River, and some prefectures and counties in Hebei bear the burden of the Southern Army.
With such pressure, it is very easy for local people to have their families destroyed.
However, even so, the two wars, coupled with the Battle of Jingjiang, had other big moves, and more importantly, the reduction of land tax. After all, after Zhu Yunwen ascended the throne, the scholar-bureaucrat group made a comeback. He would not dare to directly overturn some of Zhu Yuanzhang's policies.
But one dares to default on the taxes due.
It has only been a year, but the tax arrears in the world have exceeded three million dan.
There will only be more in the future.
This is the epitome of Nanjing's finance.
This aspect affects not only land taxes, but also other aspects of local taxes.
It's just that it hasn't been revealed yet.
He Xi is sure that Nanjing's financial crisis will definitely come. It's just a matter of time.
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Fu Youde stood at the head of Qihe County. Behind Qihe County was the rolling Yellow River.
As mentioned earlier, the Yellow River in the early Ming Dynasty was divided into several parallel streams. Behind Qihe County is the northern branch of the Yellow River.
Even if it is not the complete Yellow River, it still has a shocking power.
The Yellow River is naturally dangerous enough to stop the enemy.
But Fu Youde was unwilling to just stick to the south of the Yellow River.
Going south from Anlingbao, Fu Youde's troops met up with Sheng Yong's troops and had several battles with the Ming army. However, due to a flood caused by Fu Youde, the main force in pursuit, Ye Chen's troops, almost lost their combat effectiveness.
If it weren't for the flood, there would be mud everywhere. Fu Youde has the idea of going north to attack.
Except for Ye Shen, the other generals really had no determination to confront Fu Youde.
Moreover, after the great victory, He Xi ordered caution, and Ye Chen also ordered caution.
As a result, the two sides had a simple contact outside Dezhou City. After that, it was almost a send-off style pursuit.
Fu Youde's main force suffered little loss.
Fu Youde's desire to fight back has never been cut off. He did not retreat because of retreat, he just chose a favorable terrain to start fighting again.
Such as the Yellow River.
With the Yellow River behind him, Fu Youde had no worries.
Don't worry, a man and horse from the Northern Army suddenly inserted behind him and cut off the logistics. With enough logistics supplies, plus the firearms in Fu Youde's hands, whether it is a camp or a city, it can be defended without leakage.
Not to mention, the Northern Army had just taken over these prefectures and counties north of the Yellow River.
It also takes time to install a blocked place.
Fu Youde wanted to launch a series of counterattacks.
Instead of infantry, just use cavalry. With a thousand cavalry as a unit, they raided the north and made the enemy restless day and night. The infantry camped along the line of the Yellow River.
Set up camp and build a fortress. Back then, Fu Youde did a lot of research under Anlingbao City.
At this moment, nature is treating others the same way they are treated.
There's just one thing that Fu Youde doesn't want to admit, but has to admit, and that is the change of offensive and defensive positions.
