Haisheng Mingdi

Chapter 431
It was the time of spring sowing in the south of the Yangtze River, and Zhu Yihai had already crossed the river.

He was on the Anping sailing warship presented by Zheng Zhilong. This double-decker sailing warship with 36 naval guns was named Shandong by Zhu Yihai. The Dragon Banner of the Moon Dragon.

The Northern Expedition Right Army, which the emperor personally proposed, advanced by land and water.

The navy set out from Zhenjiang, went down the river, passed through Jingjiang and Chongming, gathered some officers and soldiers of the navy ships, and then went to sea.

After going to sea, Zhu Yihai also clearly felt that this kind of western-style sailing warship was indeed more stable and resistant to wind and waves than Daming's naval ships.There are also many types of navy ships in Ming Dynasty. The main ones running at sea are Fujian ships and Guangdong ships. Among them, Fujian ships are more resistant to wind and waves, while Guangdong ships have strong transportation capabilities.

As for the boats in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Huaiyang, they mainly run on inland rivers. Among them, the boats running on the Yangtze River are relatively strong, while the boats that specialize in running on canals are smaller and less resistant to wind and waves.

Back then, Shen Tingyang's family traveled from the Yangtze River Estuary to the coastal waters of Beizhi. Their boats were improved after improvement, but they were still far inferior to Fuchuan in terms of wind and wave resistance.

Compared with these western sailing boats, the Fujian boat still has a significant gap. On the inland river, it doesn't have much advantage, but when it goes out to sea, it immediately shows up.

Whether it is its armed firepower, or its speed and stability, it is very good.

Zheng Zhilong and Yan Keying, who accompanied the emperor, also introduced the differences of various ships to the emperor in detail, and compared their advantages and disadvantages. They also believed that the Yi people's ships were indeed stronger at sea, suitable for long-distance voyages, and more suitable for naval battles.

"Then learn from the barbarian's skills to control the barbarians and learn how the barbarians build ships. We can also build new shipyards and recruit barbarian shipwrights to build this new type of sailboat."

Zhu Yihai didn't think it would be shameful for people to admit that there was nothing to be ashamed of. The previous naval divisions of the Ming army were not capable of fighting, and it was also related to the ships. Moreover, it can be said that the Ming army did not really have the idea of ​​​​building a navy.

Zheng Zhilong and the others were pirates, and their combat style is not serious, they are wild. Pirates, the most important thing is that they are fast, flexible and convenient.When the ship is too big, it cannot dock at will, and it is more likely to hit the reef.

The Zheng family fought against the barbarians several times in the past, and often had to use hundreds of ships to fight the opponent's few ships, and had to rely on favorable conditions such as bay ports and tides.

Daming has a long coastline, and even relies heavily on the sea in many aspects. For example, after the currency turned to silver, Daming, which does not produce much silver, heavily relies on the import of silver from maritime trade.

The financial crisis at the end of Ming Dynasty, in which the import of silver from Spain and Japan dropped sharply, also exacerbated the financial crisis of Ming Dynasty.

Not to mention the prosperity of the southeast, it mainly relies on the prosperity of industry and commerce brought about by maritime trade.

However, such a large country with a sea frontier does not have a matching navy. Whether it is the Portuguese, the Spaniards or even the Dutch, just one or two armed merchant ships would even dare to show off at the door of Daming's house.

Because of the lack of a navy, the final maritime trade of the imperial court will fall into the hands of pirates like Zheng Zhilong. It is clear that there is a prosperous trade, but the imperial court cannot take control of it. Fujian Zheng's Maritime Business Group has gone.

At this time, among the various warships of the Imperial Navy, the bird boats, boats, Fujian boats, and Guangdong rice boats, which are more suitable for naval battles, are actually far behind the sailing boat that Zhu Yihai is currently riding on. .And this sailing ship can only be regarded as a medium-sized warship in the navies of Western countries.

And even the bird boats and rice boats are already strong on the water in China at this time. Even in Zhu Yihai's navy, these ships are capital ships, and more ships are smaller bird boats and rice boats. Boats, even sand boats and tank boats with worse ship types.

But even so, this mighty naval fleet can still crush the Tartars in the north at this time.

The Tartars who have just entered the customs can now be said to have no navy at all.

After they briefly occupied Jiangnan last year, they also set up the Yangtze River Navy in imitation of the Ming Dynasty, but now the entire army has been wiped out.

"I heard that the Tartars are trying to build a new navy in Denglai!"

"The Tartars want to compete with us at sea, they are asking for their own death!" Zheng Zhilong said confidently.

Zhu Yihai also felt the same way. It was not easy to build a navy. First of all, the boats were not easy to get. If you just got some merchant ships and fishing boats, and then loaded some soldiers, then it would not be called a navy at all, at most it would be a water transportation brigade.

Furthermore, water warfare is very professional, especially at sea, where tides, wind direction, ocean currents, and even various topography, hydrology, and weather must be well mastered. What's more, today's navy has entered the era of sailing warships. There are dozens or even hundreds of cannons on the ground.

If the difference in strength is too great, you can't even get close, so there's no need to talk about sea battles.

You must at least have the sea strength like Zheng Zhilong, in order to barely win at home with the advantages of the number of ships, numbers, and geography.

"I heard that the Tartars have forcibly confiscated ships everywhere in the north, even the tank boats in the canals. The fishing boats in Baiyangdian Lake have been towed away, and they have recruited shipwrights everywhere. If there is not enough wood, they will forcibly demolish the houses of the people.

Originally, after the Tartars entered the customs, they also issued a decree to abolish the artisan households, exempt the artisan class from silver, become a citizen, and benevolent to the artisans.But now, it doesn't matter what you say. The government forcibly recruits craftsmen to build ships. They say they are called voluntarily, but in fact they are forced to recruit.He said that he would be hired according to the market, but the price offered was less than half of the actual market price. "

"But even so, officials from all over the Tatars are still complaining, saying that they can't pay the craftsman's silver because they have no money." Shen Tingyang, the servant of the household department, was newly promoted to the secretary of the household department, and this time he also accompanied the Northern Expedition.

His family used to be a tycoon in Chongming who was engaged in the northern coast. At the end of Chongzhen, he even formed a fleet to transport food and salaries to Beijing and even Liaodong.

He was also appointed governor of Huaiyang by Zhu Yihai. During the brief recovery of Huaiyang, he also managed it on behalf of the governor of the Son of Heaven. He also paid more attention to the situation in the north than other officials.

The situation in the northern Central Plains is quite bad now.

The war led to famine, and the rise of Zhu Yihai in the south of the Yangtze River caused a large number of people to move south. The war was stalemate and the military expenditure was huge, which added to the burden on the Central Plains.

"And after the Tartars entered the customs, because the war has not stopped and the military expenditure is huge, there is also no money in the treasury of the Imperial Palace in Beijing,"

It's hard for a clever woman to cook without rice, and the Tartars who can fight no matter how hard they are, can't fight without money and food.

As for building a naval division, it is even more difficult, but the Tartars will not stop doing it because they have no money. If there is no money, they will find a way. must be done.

For a while, officials from all over the country were like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magical powers.

If you don’t have money to hire craftsmen, then you will be forced to recruit them. As a craftsman, you have nothing to do voluntarily or not, you have to go.If there is no money, then the wages will be lowered, and even IOUs will be paid in arrears.

In turn, they reopened the artisan class silver collection from the craftsmen.

And in some places, although they are not so shameless, they force craftsmen to lower their labor costs as craftsmen, and they also ask them to pay the craftsmen's money, but they are not good people. Paying for the food, anyway, the money has to be handed over somehow.

For example, if a certain place originally needed 1000 taels of silver to hire craftsmen, they forcibly recruited craftsmen, but only paid 500 taels.

When the 2000 taels of silver were distributed to the fields, fire consumption was added, and the 2000 taels of silver eventually became 3000 taels or even 4000 taels to 5000 taels, and officials at all levels stretched out their hands.

It's fucking crazy to do this.

Originally, the craftsmen were changed to civil registration, so they were not obliged to serve as craftsmen for the imperial court. After changing the civil registration, they had to pay the land Dingyin normally, so naturally it was impossible to afford the craftsman's silver.

But now the Tartars don't care about this, so the craftsmen are miserable, and they are forced to build ships. They could earn two cents a day, but now they only give them one cent, which is still owed.

Everyone had to bring their own dry food to build ships for the government, which actually meant that they had no income at all.

Looking back, the craftsmen's silver was distributed among the fields, and these craftsmen had to pay a sum of money.

This is no way out.

Originally, he had a skill, and finally had the ability to make a living, but now it has become a death talisman. Countless craftsmen can only find ways to escape, such as breaking a few fingers, or simply breaking a hand. Now they can't do it.

But the Tartars don't care about this, if you can't go, then you have to pay money, and the government will hire someone, isn't that even more fucking?Why do you need craftsmen to hire people?

But they are just so unreasonable. What's more terrible is that when you are confiscated, you normally earn two cents a day, but the government only gives you one cent. Even if you default, you are still paid.But now the government said that you pay the money, we hired someone to do it for you, but in the end we asked you to pay three cents and four cents a day to replace the worker.

This is not what fucking is, it's plainly robbing the people.

In order to find a way to get money to pay for raising soldiers and building ships, all localities had to grab it from the common people, confiscating the local manors and properties of the clan and relatives of the Ming Dynasty, not including the official land.

Even if you are still short of money in the end, then go after the money and food owed by the Ming Dynasty, even if you owe it to Daming, anyway, the Qing Dynasty will still have to pay back what was owed before.

The local gentry said they had the privilege of exemption, but the Tatars directly said that you were the privilege of the previous dynasty. Even if it is an official, it doesn't work.

It is necessary to pay the food as a whole, and it has to go forward for ten years to investigate and recover.

"The Tartars are now chasing the money in Huainan, Henan, Shandong and other places, and they have specially issued a strict order. If they can't make up the ten years' outstanding payment, they will be deprived of their fame."

"There is a Jinshi in Shandong, and he was the No. However, the Tartars have to impose a large amount of fire consumption, etc., and even the officials explicitly ask for additional benefits.
Tanhua was furious and filed a complaint in Beijing.

But the Beijing Luting's reply ordered him to pay off all the outstanding debts immediately, including fire consumption.

In desperation, Tanhua had no choice but to sell his properties and paid all the money and food that was paid out. Those officials took the opportunity to rob him again and bought many of his properties cheaply.

But it's not over yet, Tanhua obviously broke the family and paid all the regular tax and taxation, all the ten years' payment, the fire consumption, and even some bad rules.

But in the end, the governor of Shandong hated him for suing Beijing, so he finally instructed the magistrate below to report that he deliberately underpaid.

Then the governor approved, saying that this person deliberately resisted the imperial court, so he was arrested and imprisoned. Finally, he was beheaded for the crime of collaborating with the enemy and treason. "

"It is said that up to now, the Tartars have dismissed more than 1 gentry names in Huainan, Shandong, and Huainan in just half a year, because they failed to pay the ten-year-old land and fire consumption on time."

"The people in the Central Plains are in dire straits. Those local tyrants and evil gentry who surrendered to the Tartars are now regretting their mistakes. Everyone is looking forward to it. I hope that His Majesty can return to the Central Plains as soon as possible, regain the lost land, and drive out those Tartars."

When Zhu Yihai heard this, he didn't feel sorry for them in the slightest, but wanted to laugh a little.

These people, especially those gentry, they used to enjoy too much in the Ming Dynasty,
But when the Tartars invaded the south, most people took the initiative to meet the Tartars, and even ridiculed those righteous men who persisted in resisting the captives, thinking that they were tossing around and ignorant of current affairs.

But now that he has come to such a fate, who is to blame?
But now the Tartars are living up to their words, not only have completely withdrawn all the so-called "benevolent policies" that were promulgated when they first entered the customs, but also oppressed the people in this way, it can be seen that they are really poor and have resorted to unscrupulous means.

This is good news.

(End of this chapter)