Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 503: Spend the court's money to realize your ideals~
Baoqing Prefecture City, Hunan.

The main force of the Wu army launched a fierce attack~
30 cannons were lined up in a row and bombarded the city wall for half an hour.

then,

Driving the stunned captives into attack.

Among them were Green Camp soldiers and Mongolian soldiers, and each of them was given a sword and shield.

then,

"It's time to prove your loyalty. Kill."

.........

There were no extra siege engines.
That is, more than a dozen trench wagons were used to fill the moat, causing huge splashes of water. Then ladders were set up and they rushed up.

The Wu army provided fire cover from both wings with muskets and artillery.

The 1st Expeditionary Army lined up at the rear, quietly acting as a supervisory team.

now,

The resentment of the dispatched troops has obviously decreased because they have also tasted the sweetness of being the client.

Full helmet and armor, well-equipped.

If you encounter a fleeing army, just hold your spear flat and crush them all the way.

Killing feels so good~
……

Looking up the ladder,
As the fallen soldiers screamed, the veterans of the expeditionary army laughed:
"These bastards are pretty tenacious. Why don't they retreat? I still want to satisfy my desire to be a supervisor~"

good fortune tricks people,

The Qing army in Baoqing Prefecture was ultimately unable to withstand such a fierce double attack.

After only resisting for a quarter of an hour,

Total collapse~
Half of the credit for capturing the city goes to the Wu army's artillery.

Zhao Erhu was extremely excited. Being the director of the training department was not as exciting as leading troops in battle.

Gun smoke and blood are men’s paradise.

……

"Report~Baoqing Prefecture has been captured, and the city gates have been opened."

"Eliminate the remaining enemies, control the city gates, and kill!"

Zhao Erhu controlled his horse and rushed into the city gate along the suspension bridge.

Front,

There was a huge crowd of surrendered soldiers, holding up their swords and shields, howling and venting their dissatisfaction with life.

quickly,

The Wu army put leashes on these vicious dogs and drove them out of the city and into the expeditionary army camp in a wronged manner.

The veterans of the expeditionary force who were not able to satisfy their desire to be the supervisory team are waiting for them.
Zhang Laosan's voice was high-pitched:
"You bastards, you're so timid when attacking a ball city, like sissies."

"We fought Nanchang and Wuchang so heroically that the Yangtze River was dyed red. What can I say? Mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

"You can't do it. You have to keep practicing. Listen to my command and run three laps first."

……

The surrendered soldiers originally thought that they could indulge themselves and do something pleasing to the public after breaking into the city.

Killing, robbing, and being strong~
result,

But it is this!
After running comes formation, and after formation comes running.

Finally someone couldn't bear it anymore.

Throw the sword and shield to the ground:
"Fuck you, I won't serve you anymore."

The dispatched army instructors, who had been prepared, immediately ran away and blew their whistles.

Amid the shrill whistle,

A phalanx of plate armor appeared from deep in the camp, and the plate armor shone with metallic luster in the sun~
"Kill, kill, kill."

He held his spear horizontally and strode forward.

Following the drum beats, the square formation turned into an arc-shaped encirclement formation.

The surrendered soldiers who were killed in the explosion were all annihilated and no longer held any resentment.

I was convinced and surrendered completely.

That night,

Zhang Laosan ate the delicious pork and said:
"There are too many new recruits, and the rewards of wine and meat are not enough. It's hard to distribute them. It's not good to favor some over others."

"After the reduction, isn't this enough to share?"

……

Baoqing Prefecture City is an important town in central Hunan.

With the patient and careful excavation of the property-confiscation working group, 142 officials, gentry and clerks were confiscated, with more than 160 million taels of floating property and more than 400 million taels of silver in real estate.

In addition, there are more than 11 acres of farmland, forests and ponds.

The record is outstanding.

After achieving a decisive victory that affects regional sovereignty, the battlefield commander should share the worries of the court.

After issuing an edict and destroying the will to resist in most cities, the majority will be accepted and a small number will be eliminated, and the officials and gentry in these cities will be wiped out in one fell swoop to enrich the national treasury.

When the cannon is fired, there is a thousand taels of gold.

This is the war mode that Your Majesty likes to see.

otherwise,

The more wars we fight, the poorer we become. The more we fight, the more losses we suffer.
How can the empire be advanced? When will civilization come to London and Paris?
……

of course,

Some people will raise objections.

In that case, why not attack the cities one by one?

Wouldn't you earn more that way?
From an economic point of view, it is desirable.

From a political point of view, this is extremely undesirable.

Attacking cities one by one and refusing to surrender has many disadvantages:

first of all,
Excessive consumption of manpower, gunpowder and morale.

followed by,
The death of the rabbit caused the grief of the fox, which caused the frantic resistance of all the gentry in the Qing-controlled areas. When the number of samples increases, there will always be changes, and you will run into a few strong cities that are difficult to conquer.

in addition,

Planting the gene of "disdain for rules" in the genetic sequence group of the emerging empire will affect the "rule-abiding" culture that Li Yu wants to promote.

In summary, the current strategy is the best.

It can not only reduce the pressure on the battlefield, but also ensure sufficient military expenditure.

The 4th Army on the Hubei battlefield had a great impact on His Majesty's established policy.

One can imagine how furious His Majesty would be when the military report reached Suzhou Prefecture.

……

The first county of Chenzhou Prefecture, Yuanling County Government.

The former magistrate left in a hurry in two carriages.
It feels like there is a ghost chasing me.

The succeeding county magistrate, Zhao Zhuangwen, waved his right hand in farewell, and unlike his previous reluctance, a strange smile appeared on his face.

He took over as magistrate of Yuanling with a letter from the Governor-General of Huguang.

When the former magistrate saw it, he was so excited that he almost kowtowed to him.

Here comes a scapegoat~
I freed myself from this.

It’s like a blessing from heaven!
He held Zhao Zhuangwen's hand for a long time and was reluctant to let go, completing the transaction as quickly as possible.

What to do with deficit?
The magistrate voluntarily left 7% of the property he had amassed over the years to fill the hole.

Zhao Zhuangwen said nothing, his face full of grief and anger.

Chanting:

"Confucius said it was benevolence, Mencius said it was getting justice."

I issued a certificate to my ex and completed all the legal and official procedures.

……

The prefect of Chenzhou died.

Because of "slander" about the burning of Changsha, he was executed with a single order from the governor.

Xiangxi belongs to the base of Governor Zeng Di.

but,

Mr. Zeng’s whereabouts are now a mystery.

rumors,

Lord Zeng was defeated and committed suicide by jumping into Poyang Lake.

Anyway,

Panic.

If Mr. Zeng doesn't come back, Xiangxi will be ownerless.

……

When Zhao Zhuangwen came out from the back court, he was already wearing a neat official robe and had a solemn expression.

The class leader knew it was bad at first sight. This is a good actor~
really,

A notice to reassure the public was quickly posted in the city:
First, reassure the people that although the war situation is critical, the governor is safe.

Then, open the warehouse and release the grain!
If you want to get things done, you need people under you.

At first, there were 5000 people who followed Zhao Zhuangwen to escape from Wuchang City, but later the number gradually decreased for various reasons.

Lost in battle, left behind, died of illness, missing, escaped from the team~
When they arrived in Yuanling County, there were only 300 people left.

These people are the most determined team.

……

When Zeng Di was in Changsha, he ordered all prefectures and counties to transport food, fodder and military supplies to his hometown, and planned a decisive battle in western Hunan.

It shows its maturity~
Yuanjiang River is the main artery of western Hunan.

It is no exaggeration to call it the mother river of the people in Xiangxi.

By entering the Yuan River from Dongting Lake and going upstream, you can reach various places in western Hunan.

Yuanling County happens to be located on the bank of the Yuan River and is the only way to transport grain.

Zhao Zhuangwen hurriedly checked the entire city and found that there was a lot of food stored.

A rough estimate,

There were at least 12 shi of various grains and fodders.

……

The next day,

A large crowd of people gathered at the gate of the government warehouse.

To be honest, no one actually believes it.

Since ancient times,

How can the government distribute grain to the common people? Is it not a great sin to distribute the white rice to the common people? Zhao Zhuangwen never wore an official robe, but a coarse cloth gown.

Before opening his mouth, he bowed.

The people below were frightened and became nervous, and they all knelt down and kowtowed.

Under the heavens,
There is no reason for a master to bow to a common people.

……

"My fellow villagers, there are wars everywhere in the world, and we in Hunan are also at war. It's a mess outside."

This opening statement,

The discussion was buzzing,
In this era when messages were delivered by horse and carriage, it was impossible for ordinary people to know what was happening 50 miles away.

Even in the era before Li Yu traveled through time, without the Internet and television, everyone was still deaf and blind.

Zhao Zhuangwen's voice was loud and clear:
"I, Zhao, know the hardships of the people. I'm afraid there is not much food left in everyone's rice jars. The war will soon spread to western Hunan. No matter who wins, these grains will be spoils of war. Today, I will risk my life to distribute all the grains first."

"Somebody come!"

"Open the government warehouse and release the grain."

"One bag per person!"

……

The officials of Yuanling County Government were instantly furious.

Blocked:

"No!"

However, force is the capital for speaking in troubled times.

County Magistrate Zhao's team had experienced big scenes before, and when they saw someone trying to stop them, they all raised their rifles.

The situation was calmed down in an instant.

People lined up to enter the granary to get food.

I don’t know who took the lead, but everyone bowed when passing by Zhao Zhuangwen.

The people behind followed suit.

The official warehouse in Yuanling County was soon emptied.

More and more people gathered and followed County Magistrate Zhao out of the city to continue moving grain from the dock.

……

"How dare you! This is the military rations that were transported to Mayang under the order of the governor. Who dares to take it privately?"

The escort officer of the fleet jumped out immediately.

Zhao Zhuangwen whispered:
"shot."

bang bang bang~
The person who tried to stop them was shot and fell into the river, and the rest were so scared that they knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.

Zhao Zhuangwen stood on a high place and shouted sternly:

"People's livelihood is in dire straits, and the people are starving. I will not be a county magistrate if I don't do it, but I will do it for God."

"God bless you."

"If there are any sins in the future, I, Zhao Zhuangwen, will bear them alone."

"Share the food!"

……

Zeng Di, who was hiding in the crowd and dressed inconspicuously, witnessed the whole process.

I can only grit my teeth and dare not stand out.

He lost all his troops and fled back almost alone. He was as frightened as a stray dog ​​and dared not show up.

just in case,

This man named Zhao claimed that he was a fake governor and was killed on the spot.

Or he could tie himself up and offer himself to the Wu army as a token of his allegiance.

In troubled times, evil spirits emerge~everything is possible.

Zeng's ninth son pulled his sleeves and whispered:
"Brother, let's go back to our hometown and reorganize the team."

……

It is said that

Being nice is addictive.

A scholar named Ma once summarized that this satisfies a very high-level need and is an ultimate sense of pleasure.

Anyway,

Ordinary people can forget about it.

The news of grain distribution spread along the river.

Luxi County, Chenxi County and Qianzhou Prefecture were all affected.

Zhao Zhuangben was originally from Qianzhou, and his reputation in his hometown was well-known.

The Xiangxi officialdom was horrified.

Because this guy Zhao Zhuangwen not only distributed the surplus grain in his jurisdiction, but also brought his private armed forces along the Yuanjiang River to uphold justice.

Several officers who tried to stop them were shot and killed.

Arrogant attitude and ruthless means.

……

The most terrifying thing is,
Everyone can't tell his color~
Is it Qing or Wu?
Or an independent rebellion?

now,

Wu's army captured cities and territories in Hunan and was invincible.

The life or death of the governor is uncertain, so everyone must consider a way out.

Some local officials who have no worries have already resigned.

For example, the Tongzhi of Qianzhou Hall, whose ancestral home was in Guangdong, simply escaped and returned to his hometown to do business and drink tea, and no longer got involved in this mess.

"The road to Xizhou is filled with mist and fog, and the peach and plum blossoms by the river are like fog" ~
Qianzhou is Jishou.

……

Zhao Zhuangwen works around the clock every day and does things that are extremely bold.

He also did not forget to inquire about the news outside.

Knowing that the Wu army was busy moving south to occupy eastern and central Hunan, it was estimated that once the Wu army occupied the plains, they would turn around and take western Hunan.

According to his understanding of Wu Jun during this period.

The Wu army is good at naval warfare and attaches great importance to logistics, so they will definitely not give up the use of the Yuanjiang River channel.

Therefore,
Yuanling County was the only way for the Wu army to attack.

He asked himself:
"Can you hold it?"

The answer is clear: It can’t be defended!
……

Wu Jun had strong firepower, good coordination, and sufficient logistics, which left Zhao Zhuangwen with a huge psychological trauma.

On the way to escape,

He thought about it for a long time and felt that from a realistic perspective he should go into the mountains and fight as a guerrilla.

Guerrilla warfare has a long history. The first practice was when King Helu of Wu accepted Wu Zixu's suggestion and conducted guerrilla warfare on the border of Chu for several years before launching a large-scale attack on Chu.
This concept was officially implemented during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, when the guerrilla general was newly established.

To swim is to walk, to strike is to hit.

Literally speaking, it means a mobile attack.

……

Zhao Zhuangwen thought,
A million animals against a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers is a tactic that only the decision-makers of the empire can use.

I am just a county magistrate and have no right to consider such grand strategies and tactics.

The most suitable one is guerrilla warfare.

Guerrilla warfare cannot be separated from two points.

1. Soil.

2. Qualified soldiers.

Soil: includes geography, topography, public opinion, and climate.

Qualified soldiers: refers to simple soldiers who are familiar with the mountainous areas and have not been contaminated by the Green Camp culture.

……

On the way to escape,

He kept thinking about these questions and finally figured them out.

First fight guerrilla warfare, then become famous throughout the world.

Zhao Zhuangwen was arrogant because of his talent, and he hated and despised the Qing court, especially the literary inquisition, from the bottom of his heart.

but,

He also disliked the State of Wu because it was clearly mercantilist.

Deep down, the ideal country he served was something like the Song and Ming dynasties.

As for where his future lies, he couldn't say for sure.

Anyway,

Become famous first and then consider other things.

……

Opening the granaries and releasing grain in Yuanling County is laying the foundation for guerrilla warfare!

The bosses' (Qing, Wu) properties were distributed to everyone.

Zhao Dashanren's reputation spread far and wide.
Two points have been consolidated: people's hearts and soldiers.

Half of Xiangxi knew that he was "eager to do good and righteous", and his reputation was almost as good as that of the chieftain Peng.

in addition,

As soon as she spread the word, some men from western Hunan who admired her came forward to follow her.

……

"Sir, in just seven days, 7 people have come to join you."

"Okay, okay, I'll go to the barracks and have lunch with everyone at noon."

Zhao Zhuangwen was very pleased that his bet was right.

Because Xiangxi is different from other places, it is a place where Han and barbarians live together, the landscape is dangerous, the culture is mixed, and the resources are scarce.

Since ancient times,

If people from Xiangxi want to find a way out, the only way is to join the army!

If you can't be a soldier, then be a bandit.

……

Special geography,
This gave rise to the unique wild culture of Xiangxi:
Blood and fire, books and swords, righteousness and love.

Unruly and docile, bizarre and lingering, simple and romantic, wars and battles, and apricot blossoms and spring rain.

There is no emperor in Xiangxi, nor is there any law.
The men here like to conquer men with force, and the women here like to conquer men with charm.

(End of this chapter)