Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

After resting in Tongzhou City for one night, Wu Shigong left Tongzhou City and returned to his barracks as soon as the city gate opened in the morning.And those folk husbands had packed their luggage long ago, and they were waiting for Wu Shigong to come back, so they could go home after receiving two buckets of grain.

Wu Shigong called Zhou Xun, He Fei and other military officers over and asked them to announce among the civilian husbands: As long as these civilian husbands are willing to stay with Wu Shigong, Wu Shigong will pay each of them three taels of silver for settling down.Moreover, they were arranged to serve as auxiliary soldiers in the Runing Camp, receiving [-]% of the military pay, and after passing the training, they could be transferred to regular soldiers and receive full military pay.

To be honest, Wu Shigong's conditions really attracted these folk husbands.However, firstly, they were unwilling to leave their hometowns, and secondly, the reputation of the officers and soldiers of the Ming Dynasty was simply too stinky. Those who can have enough to eat, but there are still few civilian husbands who are willing to stay.

In the end, only sixty or so civilian husbands who had no family members and no worries were willing to follow Wu Shigong to the Runing Mansion.In this situation, Wu Shigong was also somewhat helpless.

Wu Shigong's current household slaves and military households in Qianhusuo are actually very uncoordinated in population ratio.There are fewer young and strong men, and more women and children, old and weak.In the process of recruiting soldiers before, Wu Shigong even transferred a large part of the military households of the Thousand Households.Therefore, those who work in the farmland of Qianhusuo even use some strong women.

In the process of expanding the army this time, Wu Shigong did not want to recruit more locals from Henan.Because, after all, Wu Shigong was an outsider, and when there were few people, the guards he brought from the capital could still hold him back.But if there are too many local people, Wu Shigong is afraid that they will huddle together in the future, forming a big tail.Therefore, Wu Shigong turned his attention to the refugees outside Tongzhou City.

When Wu Shigong arranged for the eloquent Shumo to lead people to the refugee group to recruit refugees, the entire refugee group was boiling.If it weren't for the hundreds of soldiers guarding Shumo and the others, maybe Shumo and the others would have been trampled to pieces by those refugees.

Wu Shigong explained to Shumo very simply, as long as there are refugees with skills, Wu Shigong needs them all.As long as they can read and settle accounts; have a craft, know how to work as a carpenter or blacksmith;

But what Wu Shigong didn't expect was that his own standard had been set so low. In the end, among the tens of thousands of refugees, only more than 200 people were recruited.Including their family members, there are only more than 500 people.What Wu Shigong didn't know was that those with some crafts could have found a job in Tongzhou City long ago, and they could support their families. Who would still hang out here in the shack?As for the remaining refugees, the only thing they can do is to farm.

There was no other way, after thinking about it, Wu Shigong asked the soldiers to bring a large stone weighing more than fifty catties, and asked Shumo to announce that as long as someone could lift this stone, Wu Shigong could still recruit him.However, the number of places is limited, and Wu Shigong only recruits 500 people.

This news immediately confused the somewhat disappointed refugees.They are all scrambling to squeeze forward.If Wu Shigong hadn't mobilized soldiers later, punched and kicked those refugees, and announced that if he didn't line up properly, the refugee would be disqualified from recruiting.Then there is no way for Wu Shigong's recruitment work to start.

Although the boulder only weighed more than [-] kilograms, it was indeed a hurdle for those half-starved refugees.Only nearly one-third of the refugees could be lifted up successfully.

Wu Shigong smiled and looked at the refugees who were taking the test in front of Shumo, and thought in his heart: "These refugees who can pass without a full meal must have no major physical problems. As long as they practice hard, would make a good soldier."

Chi Erwa is only 11 years old this year and lives in a village near Tongzhou.This time when the Tartars came, Chi Erwa fled with her parents and a younger sister who was only seven years old. On the way to escape, she was separated from her parents.He could only bring his younger sister to the outskirts of Tongzhou along with the refugees.

Afterwards, Chi Erwa and her younger sister joined a group of beggars. They begged everywhere every day, plus they did some petty theft. Chi Erwa and her younger sister barely survived.

Today I heard that an adult wanted to recruit refugees, and Chi Erwa brought her younger sister.Relying on their small stature, Chi Erwa and her sister squeezed through the gap in the crowd to the front row.

But after recruiting refugees, Chi Erwa found that it was impossible for her to meet such requirements.Looking at the sallow and thin sister beside her, Chi Erwa suddenly became impulsive.He saw the grown-up standing behind the refugee stand.He suddenly let go of his sister's hand, and ran towards the lord from among the soldiers maintaining order.

The guards around Wu Shigong suddenly saw a little beggar running towards Wu Shigong, they immediately rushed up and pushed the little beggar to the ground.Some of the guards pulled out their knives and placed them around the little beggar's neck.

Feeling the knife on his neck, Chi Erwa felt extremely frightened in his heart. He cried out hoarsely: "My lord, you can do as you please. Accept us brothers and sisters, and we will be your cows and horses for the rest of your life."

Wu Shigong looked at the appearance of this little beggar, and felt that a ten-year-old child should not pose any threat to him.So the guards put away their knives.Although Wu Shigong felt a little pitiful looking at the little beggar, the little beggar must also be very clever.But Wu Shigong definitely couldn't agree to this little beggar on the spot, that would be throwing sparks in the powder keg of refugees.

So Wu Shigong pointed at the little beggar and shouted loudly: "If you dare to offend me, take him and his sister to the barracks." After getting the order, the guards immediately took Chi Erwa and his son into tears. His sister was dragged away.

At dusk, Shumo finally recruited 500 people.The elation of those who were recruited contrasted sharply with the disappointment of those who were not.

After Wu Shigong announced the withdrawal of the team, those refugees who were not recruited made deafening pleadings.Wu Shigong is indifferent to this, it's not that he has a hard heart, he just doesn't have the ability to fully relieve these refugees.

In fact, those recruited refugees did not get any good conditions.Apart from the fact that they all had to become Wu Shigong's slaves, they only provided food for them and their families within half a year, without any income.After half a year, they will be able to get a small amount of compensation based on their performance.However, for these refugees who are struggling to die from starvation, it is very good that someone can recruit them as domestic slaves.

After returning to the camp, Shumo came over to ask for instructions: "Master, what should we do with those two little beggars?"

Wu Shigong gave Shumo an angry look, and said, "How can we deal with it? Could it be that they were killed? Young Master, I am not a butcher. The two children don't need any food, so they can be raised."

"Oh!" Shumo agreed with a smile.

Wu Shigong then ordered: "Go again tomorrow, bring 15 shi of grain, cook some gruel for alms, and then go to recruit some male orphans who have no parents, aged [-] to [-]. Remember, recruit as many as you can. "

Shu Mo asked Wu Shigong with some puzzlement: "Master, what's the use of recruiting some children?"

"You don't understand. You can understand my thoughts, young master, so what should I do, young master?" Wu Shigong laughed and scolded Shumo away.

During Wu Shigong's service as king this time, there was an incident of soldiers fleeing.In the end, it was because those soldiers were not loyal enough to Wu Shigong.

When Wu Shigong was in Guide Mansion, he found that apart from the guards he brought out from the capital, the ones who were most loyal to him were the dozens of orphans led by his apprentice Tao Xin.

After seeing this little beggar today, Wu Shigong suddenly thought of recruiting such a group of orphans.Although it may not be useful for a moment, but after a few years, when those orphans grow up, they will become the most loyal group of people.And what Wu Shigong has to pay is to feed and clothe those orphans in the past few years.

Wu Shigong didn't feel any guilt about recruiting child laborers and scouts.As long as it is beneficial to oneself, let those morals go to hell.

In the end, Wu Shigong recruited a total of 260 refugees with skills, and 200 refugees who were strong and healthy.Including their family members, there are more than [-] people in total.

Shumo has recruited more than 600 male orphans.And it's a sigh.More than 300 of them were not orphans. They were all given to Wu Shigong and others because their families could not support them.

After finishing all this, Tang Liu also sent someone to inform Wu Shigong that their fleet was about to arrive at Tongzhou Wharf.Wu Shigong immediately asked He Fei to lead [-] soldiers as an advance to receive these ships.He led the brigade by himself and set off for Tongzhou Wharf.