Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 380 Chaos ([-])

Since defeating Zhai Xiaoshan and his group of thieves and bandits, the "East Bank Barbarians" have become famous in Dengzhou and even in parts of the neighboring Laizhou.Some people who thought they could not protect themselves in the troubled times came to vote one after another. What makes people laugh and cry is that a few bandits and bandits who have been rampant in the Dengzhou area for many years also came to vote for them and asked to "join the group". Very angry, co-authors regard Lao Tzu as a bandit?

However, the large number of people under these people's hands is exactly what the people on the east coast covet.Over the years, the local order in Shandong has gradually collapsed, and there have been frequent riots by hungry people in the countryside.Some bandits and thieves were mixed in and coaxed, coerced the refugees, and looted everywhere, which seriously damaged the order of the countryside.There are quite a few such people in the several armed forces that came to vote this time, but most of their subordinates are starving people who fell into grass because of lack of food. After all, there are not many real hardcore bandits.Therefore, Mo Ming gathered some small groups of armed forces that were relatively easy to control, and restrained them.

The real bandits naturally couldn't stand the strict rules of the people on the east coast, and it didn't take long for several groups of people to break up and separate their families.However, they obviously didn't realize what kind of character Mo Ming, the "bandit leader", was. Unsuspecting, they and about 100 hardcore men were hanged under the south wall of the Yantai Fortress the next day. A group of bandits and bandits who didn't follow them almost peed their pants in fright.

After peacefully expelling some bandits who had made up their minds, the people on the east bank firmly held most of the remaining population in their hands.So far, as of mid-to-late May, the population of the Ming Dynasty under the control of the people on the east bank of the Yantai Fortress Area has reached more than 5 people—this does not count the 3000 people who have been transported to Heishui Port.And as the reputation of the people on the east coast is greatly shaken, it is believed that the number of refugees here will increase rapidly in the next period of time.

Although a large piece of abandoned farmland has been newly opened up near the Yantai Fortress this year, and crops such as corn and sweet potatoes have been planted, but such a rapid increase in population cannot be sustained.If this goes on like this, the food will definitely not be enough to eat. Could it be that we are going to rob the big gentry again?After thinking about it, Mo Ming vetoed this idea. The relationship with the gentry is already very tense. If you tease them again, maybe these people will really make up their minds to sacrifice their flesh to Zeng Futai to help him recruit sergeants and clean up local bandits. , Wouldn't that be causing trouble for myself?For now, it is better to maintain that delicate balance between the two sides.Anyway, after the officials from Li Zicheng's receiving area arrive, some of these local tyrants and evil gentry in Denglai will be beaten. At that time, their attention will be shifted to the "fake obedient officials" who want to divide their fields evenly. No matter what they do, they can only swallow their anger, not daring to form a siege.

However, if the population continues to increase like this, it will be a problem. Now the total amount of miscellaneous food in the camp is less than 2 tons. For the more than 8 people (including soldiers) in the hands of the people on the east coast, the food is not enough to support them until the end of August when they can harvest the first crop of food.Not to mention that planting potatoes on Rishiri Island and Heishui Port immediately consumes a lot of seeds, and Yantai Port also raises six to seven hundred cows and horses. The consumption in this whole day is also a huge number. Come on, this food stock is even tighter.

We have to find a way to get a batch of food!Today is May 5th, and Li Zicheng has personally led an army of 18 to Shanhaiguan to conquer Wu Sangui and Gao Erren, while Wu Sangui begged for teachers from the Qing army, and at the same time sent squires to pretend to surrender to Li Zicheng in order to delay the Dashun army. forward speed.

Time is running out, should we take this opportunity to "borrow" food from neighboring North Korea?Mo Ming was a little moved. The few ships that went to Heishui Port for maintenance yesterday just returned, bringing two to three hundred Japanese warriors and their descendants along the way, as well as about 6 tons of grain bought with great difficulty from Japan.This time, the Matsumae clan of Japan made a deal in Dadomari Port, and both sides were very satisfied. The people on the east bank got a lot of cannon fodder warriors, food, medicinal materials, and slaves, while the Matsumae clan got a lot of cloth, leather goods, high-quality metal agricultural tools, Urgently needed goods such as weapons.In general, the people on the east bank had a larger trade surplus, because the Matsumae domain paid the people on the east bank an additional gold worth about [-] to [-] yuan for the goods they obtained.

All of a sudden, there was a squadron of Japanese samurai servants, and the strength of the people on the east bank became more and more inflated.Mo Ming made a rough inventory, and there are 541 people in two companies of the army (plus supplementary soldiers), 187 gunners (plus supplementary soldiers), 1472 people in two battalions of Eight Banners Warriors, and 3 people in the 276rd Squadron of the Standing Team (newly recruited , supernumerary), the newly established 4th Squadron of Standing Up Team 273 people (Japanese samurai, supernumerary), plus some staff officers, service personnel, and miscellaneous personnel, the total strength is nearly 2800.Among them, except for the newly established No. 4 Squadron of the Standing Team, the rest of the units have proved to have considerable combat effectiveness and can be trusted.

In addition, there is also a selected group of military men composed of Koreans and Ming people. The number is about 800 people, and the combat effectiveness is quite suspicious.They can only be used as a supply force on the battlefield to cooperate with the main force to fight, and their own combat effectiveness is almost negligible.

After this expansion, the naval power of the people on the east coast has also been greatly enhanced. At present, there are twelve large and small ships on the line from Heishui to Yantai, namely: five steam engine sailboats, two escort gunboats, and two armed transport ships. , two merchant ships, and one small fishing boat.Among them, those with combat effectiveness accounted for the vast majority. With these ships, they are basically invincible in the seas of Northeast Asia. The sea power rivaled by the people on the coast.

Now that the strength at hand is so strong, shouldn't it be time to gather a large army and go to North Korea to "borrow food"?Although the food of the Koreans is definitely not abundant, but as the saying goes, a dead Taoist friend does not die a poor man, Mo Ming doesn't worry about the life and death of the Koreans, he only worries about how to feed the 2 people under his command.Well, this time I will go to the west coast of North Korea and bring more than 1000 people with me. The North Koreans will definitely be hard to resist.

But at this juncture, several soldiers from the former Ming Dynasty Guards who had fled from the west brought a shocking news, which overturned Mo Ming's original plan.It turned out that as early as nearly a month ago, Li Zicheng had sent the powerful general Guo Sheng to lead [-] cavalry (known as [-] people) to Shandong. , to occupy these provinces that are still outside the control area of ​​Dashun, and by the way, recruit and surrender those local warlords of the Ming Dynasty such as Liu Zeqing, Liu Liangzuo, Huang Degong, Gao Jie and others.

And Guo Sheng, as the supreme general in charge of Shandong appointed by Li Zicheng, the officials and soldiers appointed by him to Deng, Lai, and Qingfu in Jiaodong will arrive soon.According to the information received a while ago, after some emergency deduction, the staff members agreed that Guo Sheng's cavalry troops moved very quickly, and they would arrive around Jinan City in the next few days.When they arrived in Jinan, Denglai was not far away, and it was only a few days away. At that time, the governor Zeng Hualong who was hiding in Dengzhou City would have to face the impact of the Shun army.

So, right now is the best time for people from the east coast to do it.If it is early, it may face the collective backlash of the landlord and gentry class in the three prefectures of Deng, Lai and Qing, represented by Zeng Hualong. It's a lot of trouble, and it will also cut off the route for the refugees to come, which is quite worthless.

But it’s different now. I heard that the officials and generals sent by the Shun Army to various places spread slogans such as "three-year tax exemption" and "equalization of land", which are definitely the life and death enemies of these landlords and literati.Li Zicheng has too much affection for the peasants. In the past two years, he has been unwilling to collect taxes, money and food from the peasants. The fields are divided equally among local farmers.

Guo Sheng, as the highest official sent by Li Zicheng to Shandong, naturally resolutely implemented his ideas.Although Li Zicheng, who is far away in Beijing, has realized the huge negative impact brought by the torture of officials, eunuchs, wealthy businessmen, and gentry under the reminders of the people around him, and has taken the lead in stopping this kind of behavior that is not conducive to him sitting in the world in Beijing, but Locally, there is still no time to correct it in the future.Therefore, the arrival of Guo Sheng and others will surely make all the officials and gentry in Shandong gnash their teeth with hatred.Now that there is such a target that attracts firepower, what are the people on the east coast waiting for?Let’s destroy the few gentry fortresses that remain nearby. Anyway, the people on the east bank have never been able to get their approval, and these people will vote for the Tartars sooner or later, so I’m sorry, go to you first The family "borrowed food" for emergency, so as not to be all enemies in a few months!

On May 5th, the army on the east bank, which took only one day to prepare for battle, marched out of the east wall of the Yantai Fortress under the leadership of Mo Ming, then turned south and headed towards Fushan County.The troops they fought this time included two companies of infantry, one company of artillery (carrying four 19-pound cannons), one battalion of the Eight Banners New Army, and all of the newly formed No.In addition, more than 12 members of the military team also came out, carrying more than 4 pack horses, commanded by Jin Wugui, and followed behind the people on the east coast, preparing to pull people and supplies back.

The whole army marched lightly and at an extremely fast speed. It took only three or four hours to enter Fushan County, and then went straight to the first target under the guidance of the leading cavalry.

(End of this chapter)