Win the Ding 1617

Huang Taiji is indeed dead!

Sun Chuanting quoted the news that more than [-] Shaanxi soldiers had left Tongguan to fight Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai, together with the news of Huang Taiji's death from Liaodong, almost spread from the capital and Liaodong to Guangzhou ten days later.

Li Shouhan, who was originally organizing and rectifying the newly formed army in Guangzhou, was a little bit unbelievable when he first got the news that Sun Chuanting had left the pass to fight Li Zicheng.Not long ago, he also received a personal letter from Mr. Sun, asking him to send someone to Shaanxi to buy cotton, or to send capable people to Xi'an to discuss with him about the barter trade between the two parties.The goods exchanged were cotton produced in Guanzhong and industrial products produced in Nanzhong.

"You deaf grandson! Can't you hold on for a few more months? Wouldn't it be better to go to Henan to provoke Li Zicheng after you have harvested the autumn grain and strengthened your troops?"

"My lord, I'm afraid that even if Master Sun thinks so, the imperial court, thieves, officials, gentry, generals and clans in Guanzhong, as well as the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River will not agree! This time, Master Sun has been united by the government and the opposition, the enemy and us. They were forced out of Tongguan!"

Li Peilin, who came from Hue to report to Li Shouhan the financial and tax payment situation in the first half of this year, picked up the few pages he threw on the ground, but his face was calm and surprised.

"Besides, forgive me for your bold lies. I'm afraid it's easy for Mr. Sun to get out of Tongguan, but it's extremely difficult to go back!"

Hearing this, Li Shouhan could only let out a long sigh, and sat down on the top chair: "Brother Zong, why don't I know. However, I always have a little luck in my heart, and hope that these gentry officials can slow down a little and let Sun Baigu He was able to spend one or two years in Shaanxi Haosheng to raise troops, organize the army, and then fight Li Zicheng and others in a decisive battle, or go east to Liaodong to fight the Liao bandits. However, he never imagined that this generation's methods are so vicious !"

Li Shouhan didn't know what it was like now, he had mixed emotions.In his plan, as long as Sun Chuanting can support the storage of autumn grain.His military expansion plan was completed.At that time, whether it was the so-called bandits headed by Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, Luo Rucai, etc., or the Huang Taiji rebel group in Liaodong, they had taken the initiative.

"My lord led the staff to deduce continuously for several days. It was unanimously agreed that Sun Baigu's practice should not only be practiced for a few years, but as long as it can last until next year, the thieves with Shaanxi people as the main force will definitely shake people's hearts. As long as they are in their hometown Who would take the risk and make a living amidst swords and guns if they could have a bowl of safe food to eat."

"Oh! One moment and another moment!" Li Shouhan shook his head.He smiled wryly at his original too pure and simple thoughts.Even Sun Chuanting's implementation of the "one-on-one-office-one-on-one-office-one-to-one-to-pay-for-grain" policy implemented by Sun Chuanting in Shaanxi has reduced the burden on ordinary people.The method of increasing treasury income has a certain appeal to those Shaanxi people who have a low status in the peasant army, but it is not so attractive to middle and senior generals and officers, that is, the so-called old thieves and bosses. strong.What's more, according to the summary of information sent from various places, at this time, Li Zicheng, Luo Rucai, and Zhang Xianzhong are all changing their previous strategies, the method of attacking the city and conquering the territory, opening the city and rushing in to eat the big family.It was gradually abandoned and replaced by the means of raising cows for milking.

Even the slogan of "three-year tax exemption" put forward when first entering Henan was not mentioned. Li Yan and others put forward new slogans and new practices that are more attractive to farmers and more realistic. "Reasonable burden, shared by the mu."

"My lord, things may not be as you expected. Sun Chuanting followed my Southern Guangdong Army's approach to deploy the new army, and ordered all the towns to make up for the shortage. Right now, his treasury is abundant, and there is no shortage of food and grass. There are more in Yulin, Shaanxi. He is a man who wants to be a soldier. Thinking about it, he went to Henan to fight Li Zicheng this time, and the outcome is still uncertain. Even if he is unlucky and cannot win. Thinking about it, it is still possible to return to Shaanxi and stick to self-protection."

Regarding the news of Sun Chuanting leaving Tongguan and entering Henan, Li Peilin was very happy in his heart.He keenly saw that such a mobile and battle-ready soldier in the hands of Emperor Chongzhen would definitely never return this time.But in front of Li Shouhan, he couldn't show such a look of gloating.

Back then Li Shouhan told him quite proudly.As long as Sun Chuanting implements the system of one errand and one payment of grain in Shaanxi for more than one year, it will be fruitful.By that time, Shandong in the east and Shaanxi in the west, the two provinces that have already implemented a unified progressive tax system, are on both sides of Henan occupied by the peasant army. Ordinary soldiers were shaken.

"At that time, I might as well send a memorial to the emperor, and ask him to issue a decree to pardon these ordinary soldiers and small bosses. In this way, even if there are millions of thieves, they will all be scattered."

Li Shouhan recalled the story he heard from his grandfather about suppressing bandits in Xiangxi, Guangxi and other places. A large number of bandits put down their weapons and walked out of the mountains under the political offensive of land reform and being blinded and innocent. .

However, Li Shouhan forgot that the eldest son Li Huayu's implementation of the new policy in Shandong also relied on the opportunity of Abatai's wandering around Shandong, using the positive and negative forces of the Beijing camp and the Longhu camp to implement both soft and hard. Let the New Deal barely spread throughout Shandong.

Sun Chuanting absolutely couldn't do this in Shaanxi.

In his hands, there are only more than 1000 soldiers and horses of the Beijing camp, and he is not backed by a military and political group that is so powerful that the emperor is a little afraid like Li Huayu.What he faced was the counterattack of vested interest groups in Shaanxi.

Li Peilin, who knew much more about the filth of the officialdom than Li Shouhan, faced Li Shouhan's dancing and dancing, and thought that Ming Dynasty's rejuvenation could be expected, but just smiled along with it, noncommittal.

Sure enough, the officials and gentry counterattacked.What's more, everything is so aboveboard, even if they are spotted in history, they will not find any faults with them.Maybe, after Sun Chuanting's defeat and death, these officials and gentry would look far away in the direction of Henan, weep bitterly to pay homage to Sun Chuanting and the fallen soldiers, and then wipe away their tears and announce that everything will be done in accordance with the ancestral system.

"My lord, this is the end of the matter, and we can't say anything. However, the imperial court has already ordered our Nanyue Army sailors to go upstream and set up a naval battalion in Xiaogushan, Anqing, to guard the Yangtze River, and to support Zuo Liang at the same time." Yusuo's troops were defeated. The subordinates thought that this matter should be dealt with quickly. Otherwise, once Zuo Liangyu's pack of wolves and vicious dogs rushed into the south of the Yangtze River, the people in the south of the Yangtze River would be unlucky. The festival, coupled with the ambiguous relationship between him and those poor hypocrites in the south of the Yangtze River, might be detrimental to our army!"

So, the monarch and his ministers called in the people who were in charge of military affairs in Xingyuan.We began to discuss how to mobilize troops and ships to assist Jiang Fang from the Nanjing River to Anqing.

Things are good.This decree of Chongzhen undoubtedly expanded the scope of the Jianghai joint defense agreement.This section of the river, which is more than a thousand miles away, is also a golden waterway.The navy of the Southern Guangdong Army is stationed on the Xiaogushan River, and I am afraid that it will become the second Shanghai business district.

Speaking of the fact that the Shanghai business district was forced to expand more than ten times in size, the people present couldn't hide their smiles.Others encroach on other people's land.They all have to try their best to steal and plunder, even if they are famous, they still have to take some fig leafs for their contributions.However, Songjiang Mansion and Shanghai County, under the collective pressure from the noble officials and eunuchs in Nanjing to the academies below, cried out and demanded that the scope of the business district be expanded.

"It's not difficult to explain. Now, in the eyes of this generation, the business district is the only pure land in the south of the Yangtze River. Moreover, the food, daily life and travel are all luxurious and convenient. Everyone has sharpened their heads to squeeze in. Buy land and build houses. Open a shop. The land price in the business district is no longer comparable to every inch of land. It is a so-called Shikumen house on the first floor and the ground floor. The annual rent is 180 taels. And you have to pay half a year's rent as a deposit How can such huge profits not tempt these officials?"

Li Peilin pointed to the map of Shanghai County at the mouth of the Yangtze River to explain the mystery to everyone.On both sides of the Pujiang River, the huge color block representing the business district covers almost the entire area of ​​Shanghai County.

Large areas of newly expanded land and the influx of wealthy gentry from the south and north of the Yangtze River have brought huge cash flow and increasing fiscal and taxation quotas to the Shanghai business district.When these people arrived in Shanghai, they not only had to buy land and build houses to enjoy a more luxurious life, but also had to invest their property in production and business activities in order to maintain their lives.

Restaurants, warehouses, trading houses, carriage and horse dealers, and boat dealers.Credit bureaus, banks, pawnshops, tea shops, silk shops, and satin shops are all registered in the household office, finance and taxation office of the business district like crucian carp across the river.Paying Taxes.In addition to these, in the quiet streets and alleys, there are also many casinos and brothels for people of all kinds to enjoy and spend money.As for the more shady weapon smuggling, human trafficking is also going on quietly.

Just the fiscal and tax revenue in the first half of the year and the benefits brought by the exchange of silver dollars, the income of the Shanghai business district is fully worth the four provinces of Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xuanfu, and Datong.Use this income to make up for expenses in Shandong, Fujian, and Tamna Island.There is also a slight surplus.

Such a hen that keeps getting fatter and laying golden eggs, the Nanyue Army will not let it suffer any loss from top to bottom.It must be firmly guarded in a golden cage made of the sharp blades of the ship's artillery.

However, in this way, the navy that was transferred westward to Anqing seemed a bit stretched!

According to Li Shouhan's idea, not only should the navy's warships be stationed in Anqing Xiaogushan, but also the nearby Jiujiang and Wuchang should be within the range of the navy's patrol.

"We must reduce Zuo Liangyu's territory and scope of activities!"

Since the Emperor Chongzhen had a decree to ask Li Shouhan's department to be responsible for the defense of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, then our newly promoted Liang Guogong will naturally have to share his worries.Simply put all the cities along the north and south banks along the river into the protection circle of the Southern Guangdong Army!

However, in order to achieve this strategic goal, according to the calculations and calculations of the staff of the General Staff Department, at least one brigade of naval land battalions must be dispatched, and river and sea dual-purpose ships ranging from sand ships to brigantine gunboats, at least four or five Ten ships are barely enough to reach the Anqing River.

The Southern Guangdong Army currently has insufficient ships and soldiers!

After the head of the staff department reported this difficult situation to Li Shouhan, his eyes were fixed on Li Shouhan's expression. If the lord lost his temper, he was ready to suggest moving the main force of Zhang Xiaohu's fleet eastward to fill the gap.Anyway, the routes from Luzon Island to Wa, from Wa to North Korea, and from the above three places to Hue, Guangzhou, etc. are all safe and sound. It is a waste to put dozens of fine gunboats there for nothing!

After the several principals expressed their opinions, they watched Li Shouhan's facial expression with a little nervousness, fearing that his proposal of demolishing the east wall to make up the west wall would arouse the lord's thunder and wrath.

"It's true that Zhang Xiaohu has been idle for a long time. Not only the left wing fleet, but also the right wing and the central army are going to be active." Li Shouhan unexpectedly seemed a little dissatisfied with the opinion put forward by the staff officers. shy.

"A brigade of sailors and land camps marched westward to Anqing. Bring more weapons and armor, recruit sailors and soldiers who are familiar with water skills along the way, and transfer the backbone of officers at all levels to train the new army."

"Deploy the river-sea dual-purpose ships stationed at Wusongkou and Chongming Island, and then transfer a few sea-going ships to Anqing! Set up the sailor camp first. Order the local government to recruit civilians for us. Buy wood, bricks and tiles for a price, and build docks and docks. grid."

"Shizhu's Qin Zongbing has written many times to thank me for helping Shizhu's white soldiers. I also wrote back to her. We are all for Ming Dynasty. We are officials in the same dynasty. How can we divide each other? Right now, The white-armed soldiers have initially regained some vitality. It is a little bit like the old days. But there is still a shortage of equipment and food. You draw up a regulation, allocate 1 people's swords, spears, bows and arrows, transport them to Yueyang, and hand them over to Qin Zongbing."

Everyone was dumbfounded.By doing so, the lord is tantamount to turning the Yangtze River into his own inland river.The upstream is friendly with Shizhu Qin Liangyu, the midstream is blocked by naval gunboats, and the downstream is controlling the estuary. The Yangtze River is really about to change color quietly!However, such an approach.It is tantamount to leaving the Shanghai business district almost undefended!

How does this work? !

"It's okay! Come and see."

Li Shouhan ordered someone to lift the privacy curtain on the wall, and pointed to the huge chart on the entire wall.

"A few days ago, Erya and his wife sent a fast boat to send home a letter, and their fleet has turned around and returned eastward. It is estimated that they should have arrived here in the past few days." Li Shouhan pointed to the Lion Mountain at the western end of the Managa Strait on the sea chart. , Lingjiawei Island waters.

Li Huamei and Shi Lang's fleet's sailors are all elite sailors, and the number of artillery pieces is more than a thousand. Such a mobile force is tantamount to giving Li Shouhan a lot of bargaining chips.

"Subordinates wait for orders!"

Everyone sang promises in unison, and went to make arrangements without mentioning it.

"My lord, you just said that the navy needs to move around? Could it be that you want the navy to fight a big battle?"

Li Peilin grasped the meaning revealed in Li Shouhan's words, and asked in a low voice after everyone withdrew.

"There is no big battle. Who is the opponent of our navy right now? What I mean is to let the navy go to Fusang, Shizhou, and Europa. Go to Mugudushu and other places. To avoid always Swimming in the bathtub in front of my house! It means a ball!"

Li Shouhan expressed his opinions on the development of the Nanyue Army Navy in extremely rude language.

September.The city of Guangzhou and the entire Pearl River Delta are in full bloom again.The late rice has matured, and some have already been harvested.Looking from the middle of the Pearl River to both sides, the golden rice fields are inlaid with the shade of green trees, like a huge landscape painting.

"My God! My God!"

On the deck of the Aomei, a Europa soil turtle didn't care about the strong wind in the river, and its hair caught in its eyes from time to time.Just looking at the flowery scenery on both sides of the Pearl River, I can't stop admiring it.

Looking at Gerald Winstanley, who was wearing a coarse woolen cloak, he couldn't help praising, Shi Lang couldn't help curling his lips, "This is just Guangzhou City, if you see Hue and Hejing, you This Albion, who has never seen the world, must drop his chin on his feet!"

In the fleet of the Aomei, there are more than a dozen ships with different styles, including plywood ships from the Netherlands, three-masted ships from England, and several ships with obvious Muslim styles.Shi Lang frowned as he looked at these slow-moving but hard-working fellows, but immediately beamed with joy.

"Let you take a look at my family's strong boats and sharp guns, and you will know what to say when you go back!"

In all fairness, the speed of the ships of these three companies is not slow, otherwise it would be impossible to do business across the ocean.However, in everything, you are not afraid of not knowing the goods, but you are afraid of comparing goods.Compared with the Aomei, the Dutch's plywood ships and English three-masted ships pale in comparison in terms of speed, number of sails, load capacity, and number of artillery.

If this foreign fleet, which is a mixture of Christianity, Islam, and Anglicanism, encounters it on the sea, it may encounter cannons and swords, and the two sides will have cordial, friendly, warm and candid exchanges with each other.But in the fleet of Li Huamei and his wife, they are very polite to each other.

Nothing else, everyone came to Governor Li's territory to do business and ask for care, so there was no need to fight in front of the eldest princess, it would be too disrespectful.

Especially Gerald Winstanley, a former cloth merchant from the Lancashire region, and now a good friend and personal representative of Cromwell, a newly emerged general in the parliamentary army, is even more shouldering the important task of going forward. Come.

That night, dozens of tables of banquets were set up in the grand banquet hall of Yuexiu Tower.Li Shouhan cleans up his precious son-in-law and daughter, and at the same time entertains guests from afar.

"Father! Who is this set up for?" Li Huamei pointed to an empty desk next to Li Shouhan, a little puzzled.There were glasses and plates on the table, and the wine and dishes were exactly the same as those on Li Shouhan's table, but no guests were seen.

"This is for an old friend of my father's who has been in love for a long time! Although I have never met him, his recent death makes my father a little sad. Today's meeting, I specially set up his seat. If his soul knows, Let's have a drink together!" Li Shouhan looked a little melancholy, and his tone was quite lonely.

"Father, who is this person? Why haven't I heard you mention it before?" Li Huamei and Shi Lang looked at each other, some Zhang Er monks were puzzled.

"The two of you have also had contacts with this person." Li Shouhan paused for a while.

"It's Huang Taiji from Liaodong!" (~^~)