stubborn thief

Chapter 680: Hanzhong Prefect Jiang Yingchang

Liu Chengzong loved to expand his territory.

Even his desire for territory exceeded that of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji, Ligdan Khan or any other ruler of this era.

Because he knew clearly that the era he lived in was the last stage of disorderly territorial expansion.

This was also the reason why he was willing to risk his life and lose everything for a little profit in the early days.

However, as he annexed more and more territories, he came to understand more and more the key to this skill. Although land is valuable, profits will not be generated simply by expanding territory.

How big a territory he can capture depends on how good he is at fighting, but whether that land can generate enough income actually depends on demand.

This demand comes from both internal and external sources.

For example, in the Hehuang area of ​​Qinghai, the demand comes from within his Lion Camp. They need a piece of land to recuperate.

Therefore, in just two or three years after the acquisition of Hehuang, the intelligence of the entire Marshal's Office was gathered together to defeat all opponents extremely efficiently, allowing Hehuang to develop rapidly.

The Tianshan Oirat was established based on the needs of both sides, but at this time there were very few internal demands, and only Zhou Riqiang's personal will to expand the territory.

Basically, it was the Oirats who made a unilateral effort to send large batches of cattle, sheep, horses and high-quality furs to Qinghai in exchange for the most advanced firearms and equipment of that era.

This, to some extent, fed back to the Marshal's Office's manufacturing industry in Xining Prefecture.

The Oirat nobles, led by Batur Hun Taiji, with their great desire for advanced firearms, organized huge camel caravans to cross the barren land and completed huge trade time and time again.

Human will can overcome natural barriers.

As for the choice between Hanzhong and Huguang, it was not Liu Chengzong who chose Hanzhong. In fact, most of the generals in the Marshal's Office preferred the Huguang direction.

Although the generals had some resistance to the terrain of Huguang in their hearts, it was a land more unfamiliar to them than the land south of Mongolia, and it was full of rivers, so naval battles that they were not familiar with were bound to occur there.

But they have Li Zicheng who had already gone south to Huguang. If they can take over Huguang, their business will not be a problem. With the help of Huguang, they will surely have sufficient food and grass in the future.

But that's the problem.

Liu Chengzong couldn't contact Li Zicheng at all.

Lu Xiangsheng took him to the mountains, where he hid for the entire winter and no one knew where he was.

Liu Shizi was very surprised at the news at first. He thought that Chuangjiang shouldn't be so weak. How could he be beaten like this? He was even worse than Zhang Yichuan!

Later, after Zhao Zhirui, who was stationed in Wuguan, made inquiries from many sources, he learned the general situation of the battlefield in the Huguang direction.

The generals dispatched by the Ming court and those who fled from Guanzhong to Huguang all had certain strength.

Prime Minister Lu Xiangsheng, Governor of Huguang Wang Mengyin, Governor of Yunyang Song Zushun, generals Yang Zhengfang, Lei Shisheng, Qin Yiming, Li Chongzhen, Yang Shien, and Zu Dale, who made a fortune by beating others in the interior.

More importantly, in order to avoid being beaten by entering Guanzhong, they showed unprecedented unity in the matter of beating Li Zicheng. The civil officials calmed down and the military officers stopped being domineering. They went into the mountains when they were told to go and searched and raided when they were told to do so.

In fact, it was not tactically wrong for these Ming army generals who were skilled in field battles to be unwilling to go into the mountains.

Going into the mountains means leaving all the superior weapons such as heavy artillery and muskets behind, carrying light weapons and attacking the peasant army that has the advantage of geographical location.

This is feasible when the peasant army is weak, but once the enemy is an elite force composed mainly of deserted border troops and supplemented by long-time mountain bandits, they will most likely suffer losses if they enter the mountains.

But in Huguang, these contestants would rather go into the mountains and be beaten than go into Guanzhong again.

Take Zu Dale as an example. Although he was not the most domineering one after entering the Pass, he was full of complaints and was unlikely to listen to other people's suggestions.

Now, under Lu Xiangsheng's command, they can fight wherever he tells them to go into the mountains. If any of his subordinates dare to grumble, Lu Xiangsheng will just draw his sword and behead them.

Anyway, they are all picked up soldiers.

Even when I wanted to go into the county town to rest, the magistrate refused to open the city gate. Well, then don't open it. You've kicked up some cotton. Let's sleep in the wild.

Not to mention Song Zushun, the governor of Yunyang.

In view of the lessons of the earlier fall of Yunyang, he had personally experienced the suffering of siege and witnessed the difficulty of defending the city. Based on Lü Kun's "Life-saving Book", which is also Liu Chengzong's "Marshal's Book of Defending the City", he combined the previous military books on city defense, summarized the essence, and compiled a "Guide to Defending the City" for distribution to various counties.

During the Chongzhen period, the grand scene of civil officials commanding unified orders and military officials working together, which was the dream of senior officials in the court, was easily achieved in Huguang.

With this group of civil and military officers and generals working together, the Marshal's Army and the Eight Banners of the Later Jin Dynasty would have been defeated to some extent if they had entered Huguang, not to mention Li Zicheng's four battalions.

He was beaten so badly that he ran away in fear.

Since Li Zicheng could not be found and the Northern Expedition was imminent, Liu Chengzong naturally would not consider dividing his troops into Huguang.

However, he was very interested in Song Zushun's "Essentials of Defending a City", and ordered Zhao Zhirui to find a way to get him a copy.

Zhao Zhirui was stationed in Wuguan, which was close to Yunyang. When the plague subsided in winter, he found some idle refugees from Shanyang County and infiltrated Yunyang as spies.

He was cheated once by his spies, and ran away with five taels of gold.

He also sent a trusted veteran soldier to lead the spy into Yunxi County, and then bribed a clerk under the jurisdiction of Yunxi County Magistrate Liu Yuanbo, and bought a set of manuscripts for five taels of gold.

This clerk was quite interesting. It seemed that he felt that "Essentials of Defending a City" was not worth five taels of gold, so he also gave me a set of "The Complete Military Record of Dengtan Bijiu", which was compiled by Song Zushun and compiled by Wang Minghe's "Dengtan Bijiu".

The former is a manuscript, with a total of more than 20,000 words, just one volume, simple.

The latter directly sent out the official edition sent down by the governor of Yunyang to Xunxi County.

When Zhao Zhirui brought it over, Liu Chengzong was stunned. Wow, a whole box, pulled back by a horse carriage.

The two books together have twenty-one volumes.

He knew that the huge work written by Wang Minghe, a military scholar and general during the Wanli period, was divided into 72 categories and contained more than one million words. Even if Song Zushun had excerpted it, there was still a lot of content left.

This made Liu Shizi feel very sad. The book was a good book, but it fell into the hands of someone who didn't want it.

When Pingliang prefect Jiang Yingchang entered Xi'an city, Liu Chengzong was reading "An Overview of Defending a City" in the central military tent of the camp west of the city with great fascination.

After receiving the notification from the palace official and waiting for Jiang Yingchang to enter the account, Liu Shizi put down the book in his hand, smiled and gestured, "County Magistrate Jiang, no, Prefect Jiang is here, please sit down."

Jiang Yingchang bowed awkwardly to Liu Chengzong and said, "Your humble servant greets the Grand Marshal," before sitting on the cushion opposite the desk.

Liu Chengzong looked him up and down and said with a smile, "You are so mean. My troops have already entered Pingliang, but you didn't even say you were coming to see me. I told you that you wanted a promotion, but you came so quickly."

In fact, Jiang Yingchang was the same as Zuo Maodi, and even more stubborn than Ju Sirang, the prefect of Qingyang Prefecture. Even when Ren Quaner had stationed in Pingliang City, Jiang Yingchang did not say anything about surrendering to the Marshal's Office.

Even now, when meeting Liu Chengzong, he still acts as a subordinate.

Jiang Yingchang thought to himself, do you think I want to come? The Pingliang garrison earlier almost scared me to death, and now it's even more outrageous. Jin Chanzi came to Pingliang to recruit soldiers with the clan flag.

  Is it possible to stay in this damn place like Pingliang?

What's more, at this time, your letter has been sent to Pingliang, how can I not come?

Jiang Yingchang was speechless.

Liu Chengzong was not surprised. He did not dislike Jiang Yingchang. He just put away his smile and said, "I understand you. You were an official who was originally a teacher. You were petitioned by the people to be a county magistrate. When there was a vacancy in Pingliang Prefecture, you were selected by the Ministry of Personnel to be the prefect. How many years has it been?"

"The Ming court has shown you great kindness, and you are grateful for it. That's great."

Liu Shizi said, then changed the subject: "But you shouldn't not come to visit me."

Jiang Yingchang was very embarrassed and just kept nodding his head. Liu Chengzong didn't buy it and pointed at him, saying, "If you know how to be grateful, you should remember who captured the county but spared your life; who killed the tyrants in the county and made you the real magistrate with great power; and who killed the previous Pingliang prefect and made him vacate your position."

Jiang Yingchang was stunned. Is this how favors are calculated?

However, he also acknowledged these things in his heart. After all, luck played a big role in his resume.

Jiang Yingchang nodded and said, "Yes, I will never be able to repay the great marshal's kindness even if I work like a slave in my next life."

"You can't be a good ox or a good horse, can you plow the land or run fast? Hanzhong suffered a flood last year, and it may be flooded again this year. You should be the prefect."

Jiang Yingchang also realized that Liu Chengzong was really not angry with him, nor did he intend to blame him.

"Alas." Jiang Yingchang then sighed: "Grand Marshal, how difficult is it to be a human being?"

When the Marshal's army won in Guanzhong, Cao Bianjiao ran to the outside of Pingliang City and scolded him.

Cao Bianjiao spoke incoherently, saying things like all his Pingliang soldiers had run away, blaming the whole thing on him as the Pingliang prefect, and even led 200 Liao soldiers to storm the city.

Jiang Yingchang still doesn't know why he was scolded. At that time, he thought that Cao Bianjiao, the Liao soldier general, was crazy.

Then Ren Quaner came and brought a huge army to scare Cao Bianjiao away.

  That is Ren Quaner, the commander of the Yan'an Guard. The military discipline of the Yan'an Camp and the Yan'an Guard is the best in Shaanxi. He is also a favorite of Governor Chen Qiuyu. Who doesn't know him?

He is a native general from Shaanxi. He is such a good man. Who would not open the door for him?

Can you believe that they just took over my city defenses after they entered the city?

Oh my God, I, Jiang Yingchang, am just a small official with no talent. I am too busy farming and teaching. Your friendly forces are like the enemy's fringe forces, and the enemy forces are like our main force... I don't understand.

"It's meaningless if you say this. Is it easy for me to get into the sea? It's hard for you, the prefect, to be a human being. What should the common people do?"

Liu Chengzong curled his lips, turning a blind eye to his difficulties, and even said something sarcastic: "Besides, if you are in trouble, it's because you have a problem with your brain. It would have been easy if you had followed me to Qinghai. You see, it's not difficult to be an official in the Marshal's Office."

"Let's not talk about the past. You have now repaid the court's kindness."

Liu Chengzong said to Jiang Yingchang: "In the second half of my life, I should repay my contribution to your rebirth."

Jiang Yingchang was choked and had no temper, so he had to ask about business matters: "As far as I know, Hanzhong Prefecture has not yet been governed by the Grand Marshal, right? I'm afraid I am not capable of fighting."

"You don't have to worry about the war. Gao Yingxiang will fight there. I will also send you a general to partner with you. Your benefactor Luo Rucai was the one who killed the former prefect of Pingliang. Now let him help you kill the prefect of Hanzhong."

Jiang Yingchang burst out laughing at this arrangement.

Liu Chengzong didn't care about him. Anyway, he let Jiang Yingchang go to Hanzhong, and he had no greater expectations for that place.

Jiang Yingchang was a talented person in the prefecture and a state-run official. He was sidelined when he was in charge of the small county of Heshui, and he just muddled along and did what he could.

When he took power in Pingliang, he did nothing out of the ordinary. Wherever he was in office, things were not better, but not worse either.

Liu Chengzong’s greatest hope for Hanzhong is to be able to stabilize and maintain it.

If we really wanted to do something big, we would make drastic efforts for half a year, but a heavy rain caused the Han River to flood and everything was ruined.

And with Luo Rucai around, it can also ensure that Jiang Yingchang has no ulterior motives.

There was no point in having second thoughts. Gao Yingxiang went south to Sichuan, and Hanzhong was cut off from the Ming Dynasty. The time it took for the news to reach Xiangyang, thousands of miles away, was enough for Xi'an to send troops to fight twice.

There is no need to worry about the south. If even he can't make Jiang Yingchang work wholeheartedly, Gao Yingxiang will have no chance at all.

For this reason, it is very safe to let Jiang Yingchang go to Hanzhong.

"In addition to normal local governance, you have three other things to do."

Jiang Yingchang was used to being submissive, so he quickly adjusted his mentality and accepted his fate. He bowed and said, "Grand Marshal, please give your instructions."

"First, there don't seem to be many members of the royal family of Ruifan. In addition to those who are idlers in the vassal state, there are useful and talented people. Send a list and leave them in Hanzhong and I will make arrangements for them."

Liu Chengzong knew all about this matter: "They are useless, so just send them all to Lanzhou. They will have somewhere to go."

"Second, if the Ming army in Sichuan counterattacks, you may have to defend the city. Don't be afraid then. This book is very good."

Liu Shizi pointed at the "Guide to Defending a City" on the table and said, "I have learned a lot of new things from it. I will revise it and print it and send you a copy. If you read it diligently and practice more, you won't be panicked when defending the city."

Jiang Yingchang was amazed, looking at this book he had never heard of, and said: "The generalissimo conquered thousands of miles, and he could learn something from this book. I think it must be a wonderful book."

"Uh……"

Liu Chengzong was choked by Jiang Yingchang this time. He shook his head slightly and said, "This book is not that magical. It is very conventional. It is written for people who have no experience in defending a city, such as me."

This book has a total of 23,000 words. It is a textbook on defending a city and is not at all well-written.

Just like Ji Xiao Xin Shu is a textbook on training and leading troops, this one is specifically about teaching people how to defend a city.

Song Zushun stipulated the appropriate height, thickness, depth and distance between city walls, sheep-horse walls and moats in the modern era. He also discussed key issues such as storage of materials and response methods.

And summarizes the five failures and five successes when defending the city.

The five defeats were due to the strong being few in number and the weak being in numbers, the large city walls with few people, the small amount of food and the large number of people, the livestock stored outside, and the powerful not obeying orders.

In addition, the water outside the city is high while the water inside the city is low, the soil is loose and the pool is shallow, the defensive equipment is insufficient, and the salary is not paid, so no matter how good the city wall is, it cannot be defended.

The five perfections are: the city god is well maintained, there are tools and equipment, few people and plenty of food, friendship between the upper and lower levels, severe punishments and generous rewards.

In addition, it is located under the mountains and above the long river. It is high enough to avoid drought and has sufficient water, and it is low enough to avoid water and save on ditches and defenses. It takes advantage of the weather and the location, with solid soil and flowing water, and can be relied upon for defense.

Chenghuangxiu does not mean Chenghuang Temple. The original meaning of Chenghuang refers to the moat, which means building a moat.

For a city without a moat, the city walls are almost the same as if they didn't exist at all and could be easily blown apart by underground explosions.

Even if the attackers don't have gunpowder, they can use earthworks to dig holes under the city, supporting it with wooden pillars as they go. After digging, they can set fire to the wooden pillars and the city wall will collapse if it can't hold up.

It's nothing more than replacing firewood with gunpowder, which doesn't require very high technology.

The underground cave method is not a new method that needs to be invented. It was not invented by Li Zicheng or the Taiping Army. It has existed as early as the Spring and Autumn Period.

But later, with the appearance of the moat, it was impossible to dig a hole under the riverbed, so the method of siege through underground tunnels was no longer feasible.

That is why it rarely appeared in history later on, and people would more often choose to fill in the moat and dig up the walls.

The whole book is written in a very conventional way, but military affairs rely on common sense.

"The Art of War states that in every battle, the only way to win is to use the normal means to unite and the unusual means to defeat the enemy."

Liu Chengzong raised his hand again and pointed at the book on the table: "Everything routine, boring, and should be done well is positive, and then use better preparation and response to deal with the enemy."

"Your main force cannot defeat the enemy head-on, and you are short of food and grass. The enemy's main force is holding you back, and their small forces are cutting off your food supply. If you can't do the right thing, then everything they do will be strange."

Liu Shizi said casually, and then emphasized: "Third, and this is also the most important thing for you to do in Hanzhong. Auricularia auricula and mushrooms can grow in humid places, and they are not afraid of drought or flooding. You must encourage the merchants and locals of Hanzhong to open more auricularia auricula, mushroom factories and tea plants. This matter must not be neglected."

"My soldiers need to eat vegetables."

Good morning!