Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty
Chapter 401: The Sergeant and the World Heritage
The Dongning Army, which Huo Weihua considered to be an empty shell, was already a qualified army in the eyes of Zheng Zhihu and others.
Looking at these people's neat formations and firm steps, they are completely different from the scattered pirates under their command.
Even though most of these people were able-bodied men who had never seen blood on the battlefield, Zheng Zhihu did not dare to say that he could defeat the same number of Dongning troops on land with a thousand pirates.
This made Zheng Zhihu, who knew the details of these people, quite envious:
"No wonder they say that the elite troops of the Ming Dynasty are in the border troops. Apart from the Guanning Army, the Qin Army in Shaanxi is the most elite."
"The men who were eliminated from their ranks are more powerful than those under our command."
Zheng Zhilong also nodded heavily and said:
"Yes!"
"This is why Big Brother wants to recruit him."
"Don't think that just because you defeated Yu Zigao, all Ming armies are like that."
"The imperial court simply didn't focus on the sea, and the elite troops were gathered in the nine borders."
"Look, the farmers who were eliminated by the Qin army are stronger than our land troops."
"If these people could swim and board a boat, who do you think would be more powerful?"
These words made leaders such as Zheng Zhihu nod their heads, and they agreed with Zheng Zhilong's decision to recruit the enemy.
Today's naval warfare has not yet developed to the point where it relies entirely on artillery battles, and boarding battles still have a certain position.
As long as some of these Qin troops were familiar with water and accustomed to fighting on boats, they would not be sure of defeating them.
Therefore, these people were more in favor of Zheng Zhilong's strategy of recruiting people. Even Chen Zhongji, who had always insisted on occupying Dongning and dominating the southeast, had completely given up this idea at this time.
Because he had realized that even if he had the upper hand at sea, it would be difficult for him to land. At most, he could only harass the Ming Dynasty, just like the Japanese pirates a hundred years ago.
At this moment, he was thinking about whether he could recruit some eliminated military households to help him expand his territory.
Thinking of the emperor's words that an earl could have one guard and a viscount could have two thousand households, Chen Zhongji said:
"The Emperor said that we can donate to become a baron. Will he give us a military household?"
"The Viscount has two thousand households, so the Baron should have one too, right?"
"If we have a thousand such soldiers with us, we won't be afraid of anyone on the land of Nanyang!"
When these words were spoken, the leaders' eyes suddenly brightened and they decided to ask the emperor for military households.
To be honest, they were not afraid of anyone at sea. Even the Dutch and the Spanish, they dared to fight them.
But when they got to the land, they were unsure and had no confidence that they could conquer the natives.
It would be different if there were military households supported by the emperor. If they had an army like the Dongning Army, they would be able to come and go freely in Southeast Asia and no one could stop them.
Zheng Zhilong, Li Guozhu and others were all tempted.
Zheng Zhihu patted his chest and said:
"Next time I go to the capital, I will ask the emperor for military household registration."
"Even if our baron is paid as a donation, the court should still support him."
He thought that this matter should not be difficult and that he should be able to get it done based on the emperor's attitude towards him.
When the leaders heard what Zheng Zhihu said, they envied his relationship with the emperor even more. They secretly hated that it was not them who went to the capital, so that Zheng Zhihu, a fool, could have a relationship with the emperor.
But now they could only envy and ask Zheng Zhihu to speak well of them in front of the emperor.
When Zheng Zhilong saw them like this, he laughed on the surface, but was actually angry at Zheng Zhihu's nonsense.
In his opinion, even if Zheng Zhihu was sure to get military households from the emperor, he should not say it out loud.
After all, Li Guozhu, Chen Zhongji and others will all be competitors in the future. When developing Nanyang, there may be disputes.
If these people had a thousand military households as their military force, how would I be able to control them in the future?
So he planned to teach Zheng Zhihu a lesson when he returned and tell him not to speak so carelessly in the future.
The Dutch in Fort Zeelandia naturally didn't know what these pirate leaders were thinking. But when they looked at the Dongning Army led by Huo Weihua, they felt the same way:
That is, these people are soldiers, not natives on the island.
Even though these people's clothes were tattered, most of them were holding cold weapons.
But the neat formations and firm steps all show that this is a well-trained army.
As long as they are equipped with firearms, they can go into battle.
After seeing this scene, Peter Nuize completely lost the confidence to hold on to Fort Zeelandia. Seeing that the Tungning Army was about to attack, he immediately ordered his men to raise the white flag and discuss matters of peaceful handover.
Some soldiers were dissatisfied, and Peter Nuys handed him the telescope and said:
“Did you see the hatred in these people’s eyes?”
“They are treating us as enemies!”
"If war breaks out, this unfinished castle will not be able to protect us."
"I can say with certainty that all of us will die here!"
This is why he decided to raise the white flag without firing a single shot.
The Ming soldiers on the opposite side looked at him as if he were the enemy who murdered his father!
The opposing Dutch soldier took a look through his telescope and suddenly fell silent.
Although the weapons of the people on the opposite side seemed to him to be of poor quality, most of them were still using cold weapons.
But this hateful look made him feel chilled.
He said with certainty:
If a war breaks out, I will definitely be executed if I am defeated.
Peter Nuys' decision to raise the white flag was the right one.
After reaching a consensus, the Dutch in Fort Zeelandia quickly went to negotiate with Huo Weihua with a Chinese interpreter.
Huo Weihua was also happy not to fight with them, so he asked Zheng Zhilong and others to come over and continue the talks.
After all, these people have always been in charge of the negotiations, and as the former Minister of War, he does not think highly of the small achievement of negotiating a castle.
What he cared more about was that the Dongning Army would be able to build up confidence after this demonstration.
When the soldiers were told the news of the Dutch surrender, the newly formed Dongning Army cheered loudly.
Before these people set off, they were informed by the guard captains such as Huo Weihua that there were barbarians on the island who relied on the castle to snatch land from them on Dongning Island.
Therefore, they were all prepared to fight to the death, ready to risk their lives to destroy the barbarians who were competing with them for land.
Now that the barbarians have surrendered, they don't have to fight to the death, so they are naturally cheering.
After all, good days are just around the corner. Swords are merciless on the battlefield, and who wants to die at this time?
They also began to look favorably upon the surrendered barbarians.
Huo Weihua led them in a parade, and then ordered the village chiefs to retreat with the able-bodied men, leaving only two thousand soldiers to keep an eye on the Dutch.
After all, with tens of thousands of soldiers, the daily food and drink expenses are not a small number. He can't keep so many people here for deterrence.
But these people did not disband because he wanted to hold a hunting party and capture the deer.
At this time, most of Dongning Island was undeveloped, and like the ancient Central Plains, there were herds of deer everywhere.
The Dutch did not come to the island to steal land for farming as Huo Weihua told the soldiers. They came mainly to trade with the Ming Dynasty and Japan.
The main trade with the Ming Dynasty was the purchase of raw silk, while the trade with Japan was the import of deerskins.
At this time in Japan, it was popular to use deerskin to make armor or vests. The demand for deerskin was great and the price was very high.
After learning about this situation, Huo Weihua planned to hold a hunting event to obtain deerskins and provide meat for the soldiers and civilians of Dongningwei.
The natives of Dongning Island also had the tradition of gathering in groups to hunt deer in winter. After the Dutch conquered them, they were forced to exchange their deer skins. The number of deer skins exported to Japan each year was at least 30,000, and the peak year was as high as 150,000.
These natives could get such a good harvest from hunting deer, so Huo Weihua would naturally be more efficient with an organized army.
In just a few days, thousands of deer were captured, which was a considerable harvest.
Seeing that they would not be able to transport the deer if they continued to catch more, Huo Weihua led his troops back and arranged for people to collect the deer skins and antlers and distribute the venison to the soldiers and civilians.
This made the soldiers and civilians of Dongning Island cheer. After all, when they were in Shaanxi, it was difficult for them to eat meat.
But amidst all the laughter and joy, there were also a few families who were worried and even had disputes. An incident happened under Li Sanshui's command. One of his captains, called Guan Laotou, accidentally fell down the mountain while hunting deer and died, leaving behind two sons who were fighting for the hereditary position of sergeant.
This was a happy trouble for him. Because in the past, when he was a military household, the competition between the regular army and the surplus soldiers was not so fierce. At that time, more people wanted to be surplus soldiers and did not want to serve in the army.
Later, because too many military households fled, many surplus men from the garrisons were forcibly conscripted into the regular army to fill the gaps in the army.
Nowadays, people are vying to become military households, which is the first time he has seen this since he was born.
Looking at the two sons left behind by old man Guan, Li Sanshui said earnestly:
"Guan Lao Da, Guan Lao Er, you are all brothers, what are you fighting about?"
"Can't we just follow the old way, with the eldest brother serving as a regular soldier and the second brother as a remnant soldier?"
Then he said to Guan Lao Er:
"Now the remaining men in the garrison can be converted into civilian households. This is an incredible grace."
"You haven't had this opportunity before. You have to learn to be grateful!"
Guan Lao Er twisted his neck and shouted:
"I don't want this grace!"
"Even if they are military households, they still have 50 mu of ancestral land!"
"How can the boss give me 750 acres of land and only give me five acres?"
"Do you think it makes sense?"
He shouted loudly for someone to come and judge whether the inheritance left by Old Man Guan should be divided in this way.
The eldest sons of the families all agreed with this division, but the other males had their own opinions.
In fact, after the treatment of soldiers and the hereditary land system came into being, many families with many sons began to experience rifts.
What’s happening in the Guan family now is just the first to break out.
Guan Laoer's experience attracted sympathy from many non-eldest sons, who all believed that this division was unreasonable.
For a time, the young people under Li Sanshui were divided into two factions because of this incident: the eldest son supported the current division method, while the non-eldest sons thought it was unreasonable.
Li Sanshui was unable to mediate, so he could only report the matter to his superiors. After reporting to higher authorities, Huo Weihua, Xu Dahua and others came.
They had never expected that the sergeant system established by the emperor would have such serious problems during its implementation:
"Is a sergeant considered a title? Probably not. He doesn't even have an official position."
"But now someone is vying to inherit it, what should I do?"
If it is a title or a hereditary official, they can easily decide. The system of hereditary titles in the Ming Dynasty Code is very clear:
If an officer dies due to old age or injury in the military service, his eldest son must succeed him.
The order of inheritance of titles and positions for other people will have to be placed at the back.
Now the one who wants to inherit is the sergeant, and both sons are fighting for it, so things are difficult.
It is not impossible to directly reject Guan Laoer's request based on this provision.
But doing so would hurt the morale of those who are not the eldest sons in Dongning Prefecture.
Huo Weihua and others realized this, so they dealt with the matter personally.
After hearing Guan Lao Er's request, Huo Weihua said to Guan Lao Da:
"what are you thinking?"
"Are you willing to give your brother a few more acres of land?"
Boss Guan is an honest man, otherwise he would not allow his younger brother to argue with him when he is right.
Listening to Huo Weihua's question, he glanced at his brother and said:
"I want to give my second brother a few more acres of land. I can't cultivate 750 acres by myself."
"But the court stipulates that second-class soldiers must have two square miles of hereditary land. How can I divide it privately?"
When Huo Weihua heard him say this, his eyes suddenly lit up and he asked:
"Then I will demote your sergeant of the second rank to a sergeant of the first rank, and your hereditary land to a village."
"I'll give some of the extra land to your brother. Would you like to accept it?"
Boss Guan stammered:
"Can it still be divided like this?"
"Will the court blame me?"
Some were reluctant to see their inheritance land reduced, and some were too embarrassed to say they were unwilling to give their younger brother more land.
After all, a word is a promise, and he just said that he was willing to give his brother more land. Now the official has come up with a solution, how can he refute it?
Huo Weihua knew how powerful he was in Dongning, and said firmly:
"I will never blame you!"
"I will make recommendations to His Majesty."
Then he said to Guan Lao Er:
"I will give you fifty mu of hereditary land so that you can become a military household in the future."
"Are you still willing?"
Guan Lao Er said with some disappointment:
"Why is it only fifty acres? Didn't the family land be reduced to a village?"
He was determined to take over that piece of land, so he was somewhat reluctant to accept it.
Huo Weihua looked stern at such a greedy person and asked:
"Why are you asking so much when asking if you are willing?"
Guan Laoer hurriedly said he was willing and didn't dare to say no.
Being able to get an extra 45 acres was already a happy event, how could he not accept it?
After Huo Weihua dealt with him, he turned to Guan Lao Da:
"So your family's land will only have 705 acres left. It's less than the two square miles required for a second-class sergeant, so you will be demoted to a first-class sergeant."
"But there are 330 acres of land here that you can divide up. If you have multiple sons, you can give them acres to make them military households."
"Would you like that?"
Boss Guan nodded repeatedly and said he was willing.
This method of division solved the big problem of dividing the land among his sons in the future.
The hereditary second-class sergeant was demoted to the first-class sergeant, which was nothing to him. He didn't think about upgrading his title like Li Sanshui did. It didn't matter to him whether he was one level higher or lower.
In this way, Huo Weihua solved the problem of the Guan family's land division. After returning, he wrote a regulation, stipulating that those above the first-class sergeant level could choose to be demoted, and the ancestral land would be split up and distributed to the sons other than the eldest son.
However, these fields are still hereditary fields and can only be distributed to sons who are willing to serve as military households; they cannot be converted into civilian land.
And after reaching the first-class sergeant, one cannot be demoted any further, and the hereditary land cannot be divided any more.
This regulation solves the problem of insufficient motivation among non-eldest sons in many military families.
Even if some eldest sons are unwilling to share land with their younger brothers, under the pressure of their parents, they can only choose to downgrade the inheritance and give part of the ancestral land to their younger brothers.
It can be said that because of this policy, the number of military households that had previously been converted into sergeants suddenly increased again.
It is also conceivable that before all high-ranking sergeants are demoted to first-class sergeants, more and more sergeant's children will become military households in the future.
Compared with civilian households, these military households have the responsibility to serve in the army.
After taking over Dongning Prefecture, there will definitely be no shortage of military forces.
Even Li Sanshui was somewhat shaken by this policy. He didn't know whether he should continue to make meritorious contributions and rise in rank, or choose to live a stable life and split up the family land, letting his eldest son become a first-class sergeant and the rest of his sons become military households.
I told my wife Yang Dani about this idea, and she said:
"you're so dumb!"
"You have the chance to be knighted but you don't fight for it!"
"There may be millions of sergeants in the future. How many of them will be knighted?"
"If the ancestral lands of the soldiers and military households are occupied by the Lord in the future, who will you go to for justice?"
Li Sanshui thought about it and it made sense. We cannot treat the current situation as normal.
During the Hongwu and Yongle periods, not many people dared to occupy the land of military households.
But after that, it was constantly seized by officers.
This is something that happened before and lessons must be learned.
The current emperor is very good, but who knows whether the hereditary land policy will be abolished after the current emperor.
We still have to strive to make meritorious contributions and turn the ancestral land into a noble land! (End of this chapter)
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