stubborn thief

Droughts are variable.

For more than a decade, it was initially confined to a corner of northern Shaanxi, but it has intensified over the past few years.

The situation eased slightly in the fourth and fifth years of the Chongzhen reign, which was also the period when the Ming army was most powerful and effective in suppressing uprisings.

During that period, peasant armies that fought on the run generally tried to cultivate the land, evolving from bandits into separatist forces, and were then mostly defeated by the Ming army, either slaughtered or recruited into the Ming court.

But the drought did not stop, and the affected area gradually expanded.

In the sixth and seventh years, the drought struck again, expanding the affected area, and the farmers had no choice but to take up arms and flee once more.

Today, the drought has reached its most extreme stage.

Tongguan Pass is like a natural chasm separating heaven and earth.

The same wheat.

In Kansai, one stone was worth one tael and two mace of silver.

Once you pass Tongguan, one stone is worth eight taels of silver.

Even if you want to buy them, you can't. The market only sells beans for four or five hundred coins per dou (a unit of dry measure).

Of course, this doesn't mean that God only brings drought to the east and not the west. Droughts and rains are equally severe. Henan is suffering from drought so severe that people are destitute, and Shaanxi is also suffering from drought so severe that rivers have dried up.

However, thanks to Liu Chengzong's efforts in fighting the enemy, the Marshal's Office replenished its granaries and revived the Ever-Normal Granary system in several prefectures of Shaanxi.

The Ever-Normal Granary system originated in the Han Dynasty and was a system of granaries built to regulate grain prices and prepare for famine relief.

In years of plenty, the government buys and stores grain at low prices, and sells it at a fair price in years of famine, in order to stabilize grain prices.

This system still existed in the Ming Dynasty, and it was rare, so it's no wonder that Wanli Emperor did it.

Although Wanli's policy of not appointing officials would stop local governments from replenishing the Ever-Normal Granaries, it would be useless even if officials were appointed. During the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns, there were no good years in Guanzhong with reasonable grain prices.

Even if a large amount of grain is stored in the Ever-Normal Granary, it is ultimately only for emergencies, not for daily use year after year.

This predicament applies to everyone in the world, including the Marshal's Mansion.

Ever-normal granaries can only delay the economic collapse; the climate is what truly plays a decisive role.

We just had to tough it out.

Xi'an Prefecture and Fengxiang Prefecture, these two large prefectures, which account for half of the population of the Marshal's Mansion, distributed grain daily to the four outer gates of each city, including the prefectural city, the state city, and the county city.

The amount of government grain distributed was not large, about 20 to 30 shi per day in small counties and about 100 shi per day in large counties. Residents of each village would carry wooden tags with their names, physical characteristics, family members, and address written on them, and go to purchase the grain according to their family size.

If one's residence is far from the city, one is allowed to buy enough food for seven or eight days; if it is nearby in the city, one is only allowed to buy enough food for three days.

As long as the government grain from the Ever-Normal Granary is released out every day, the market price of grain can be kept under control.

But it's only superficially manageable.

The real big move will require the combined efforts of the six departments to find a way to deal with the large landowners registered with the Marshal's Office.

Wealthy and powerful families are more resilient to natural disasters and can still maintain a relatively high output even in years of disaster.

Just like the Nanjuyi family in Weinan, even after the land was divided and the large households divided the land to the small households, as long as the key figures in the village, such as Nanjuyi and Nanqizhong, were still alive, the family had a backbone and they still had enough control over the family.

The military authorities first dispatched soldiers to inspect the land and calculate the income from grain and fodder; the household affairs authorities then calculated an amount that was hard to refuse and went to borrow grain.

Finally, the Ministry of Personnel came up with policies to appease people by giving them official hats and ribbons; the Ministry of Works, in addition to the large-scale work relief efforts during the disaster year, also included a plan to build memorial archways to honor outstanding gentry.

After this round, even if this large family is lucky enough to borrow grain, they will still survive another crisis.

The Marshal's Office was in the process of normalizing, and most people did not really care whether the gentry were willing to lend or donate grain.

If they don't lend or donate, that's fine.

No need to pay it back.

Establishing rules and long-term plans are matters for the officials in the Marshal's Office to consider.

Compared to this relatively 'compromising' peaceful coexistence, the soldiers, who were used to getting something for nothing, found it meaningless to borrow and not get something in return; they were more adept at life-or-death struggles.

At worst, we'll release Minister Zhang and wipe you all out.

In fact, the price of grain in Xi'an Prefecture could be even lower.

As long as the Ever-Normal Granaries remain full, the Marshal's Office's control over grain prices is merely a numbers game; the Marshal's Office is fully capable of suppressing grain prices to one tael per shi (a unit of dry measure).

It's just that Liu Chengzong disagreed.

It has nothing to do with cost, but rather with the marshal's army's pay and rations.

Liu Chengzong believed that the low grain prices in Shaanxi would psychologically devalue the military pay of the Marshal's army.

But this was actually wishful thinking on his part.

Since most of the Marshal's army had already entered Henan, grain was a truly hard currency in Henan Prefecture in western Henan, where it was expensive but unavailable.

The 100,000 shi of rice transported from Tongguan Ferry was worth one million taels of silver in this land.

On his first day as the Vice Prefect of Henan, Liu Zhu witnessed firsthand the way the Marshal's Office operated.

In the official office at Tongguan, Liu Chengzong tirelessly drew plans on maps, but most of the orders he issued to the front lines were unrelated to military affairs. Instead, he acted like a herdsman lord, strictly planning where the warhorses of each unit of the army would graze.

The orders sent to Kansai took into account every detail, from rations and rewards to the replenishment of warhorses, firearms and ammunition, and the delivery of armor plates and bows and arrows.

But what about personnel and administrative affairs?

It's not even fair to call it sloppy; it's just simple and crude.

He tried on his official robes in a side room of the Tongguan General's Office. Just a wall away, Zhao Jifang, the secretary of the Marshal's Office, was in front of Liu Chengzong, and was ordered to select the chief officials of various counties in Henan Prefecture.

The selection method was surprisingly by drawing lots.

The reserve officials of the Marshal's Office were further divided into different ranks by Zhao Jifang. Among them, more than ten candidates who were to be directly appointed as the main officials were all relatively credible candidates from Liu Chengzong's perspective.

Kang Wanmin, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), and Kang Yumin, a student, are from a large family. Among their brothers, Kang Yaomin, the former commander of the Xi'an Left Guard, is currently serving in the Guanzhong Brigade, and Kang Jinmin, the former garrison commander of Yuhebao, is now serving in the Yanqing Brigade.

This belongs to the most trusted category.

Zhang Wenxi, a scholar from Wugong, and Han Wenfeng, a scholar from Xianning.

The former was the representative of Wugong County when the Marshal's Mansion purchased land, and they cooperated relatively well.

The latter, Han Wenfeng, was even simpler. The entire Han family was ordered by the Minister of Rites to be relocated to the streets and alleys in Xi'an where officials of the Ministry of Rites lived in large numbers.

Because he had a brother named Han Wenjing, the prefect of Yangzhou, who was the direct superior of Zhang Yichuan, the former Emperor of the Ancient Yuan Dynasty and the current commander of Gaoyou Guard.

To ensure that Lord Han could collude with Commander Zhang, Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Rites gave Lord Han a lot of special treatment.

There were also others like Liang Dubian, a Jinshi from Huazhou, and Zhang Shaoling, a Jinshi from Xianning, who had achieved fame and success in the Ming Dynasty in their early years but did not take up their official posts and instead returned to their hometowns. They did not refuse the summons from the Marshal's Office.

The quality of this group of people is clearly superior to that of most of the officials currently appointed by the Marshal's Office in Shaanxi.

But Liu Chengzong didn't trust him.

He has always trusted only abstract groups of people, such as his army, rather than specific individuals.

So they were given official positions to govern a county in Henan, a province ravaged by war and famine, and their achievements were judged by their genuine talent and competence.

As for which county it was, Liu Chengzong handed it over to Zhao Jifang to handle.

Zhao Jifang, a scholarly young man, relied on luck and a barbecue fork to win the honor of protecting the emperor at the Marshal's Mansion, an honor even more difficult than the fall of the city.

Today, he is a "cabinet scholar" in name only when the Grand Marshal goes on campaign.

While Liu Chengzong was only concerned with fighting and neglecting other matters, he and Zhang Yuanheng, who had obtained the experience card for the Directorate of Ceremonial, were able to handle the wartime affairs of the Marshal's Office and issue official documents to the six departments of Xi'an Prefecture.

Liu Zhu and Zhao Jifang were acquaintances. Like Zhao Jifang's elder brother Zhao Jichang, he was a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) and had dealings with him when Zhao Jifang was the magistrate of Xianyang.

He put on his official robes and came out to see Zhao Jifang drawing lots on the table. He drew the title of magistrate of Yiyang for the scholar Kang Wanmin, who was dumbfounded.

After Zhao Jifang saw him out of the yamen, Liu Zhu, his mind full of questions, finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a low voice, "The Marshal is always so ridiculous, drawing lots?"

Zhao Jifang shook his head indifferently with an expression that said, "You're making a fuss over nothing," before saying seriously, "Brother, the commander-in-chief never draws lots; I'm the one making a fool of myself."

He thought to himself, what else can we do besides drawing lots?
When it doesn't concern their own interests, these people all seem like talented individuals capable of governing the region for the Marshal's Office.

But when Liu Chengzong truly entrusted Zhao Jifang with the power to select the county officials, after careful consideration, Zhao Jifang felt that apart from Liu Zhu, the rest of these people all seemed to be loyal ministers of the Ming Dynasty lying dormant.

The key point is that Zhao Jifang really doesn't understand these people. She doesn't know their true talents, their temperament, or their personal relationships, so naturally she has no reason to risk herself for them.

Although he understood the Grand Marshal's character, he always thought that if you couldn't do what he asked, he wouldn't blame you but rather blamed himself for not recognizing talent and assigning you a mission that exceeded your abilities.

It sounds nice, but that's not how the Marshal's Office operates.

If you don't do a good job, you'll disgrace the Grand Marshal's name. There are hundreds or thousands of people eager to try, and someone will always be able to do it well.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty were nothing but hypocrites, and the generals and officers of the military headquarters were beasts.

Walking among wild beasts, the cost of failure was far too high for Zhao Jifang.

It's better to just play a simple lottery.

At least it lets Liu Chengzong know that he has no personal relationship with these people and has not accepted any bribes.

Their future is still determined by their luck.

Liu Zhu was a respectable scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and he found it difficult to accept Liu Chengzong's simple and brutal strongman style.

It's difficult to understand Zhao Jifang's situation in a short time.

But Zhao Jifang knew that Liu Chengzong valued Liu Zhu relatively.

After seeing him off from the government office, Zhao Jifang stood outside the yamen and comforted the worried Liu Zhu, saying, "Brother, the commander-in-chief is not rash in his selection of personnel. The real issue is that whether they are successful candidates in the imperial examinations or not, it is unknown whether the talents of the Ming Dynasty can be applied to the commander-in-chief's land."

Liu Zhu understood what he meant; it meant a lack of trust.

He asked in bewilderment, "If you don't believe in it, why bestow an official title upon you?"

It's not that I don't believe it.

Zhao Jifang spoke with certainty, as if there were no flaws in her statement.

But he thought to himself that the Marshal's Office's strategy was to attack Hubei and Hunan because they knew that the disaster situation in Henan was severe.

I really didn't expect it to be this serious.

The purpose of organizing officials in Henan Prefecture and providing disaster relief was actually nothing more than to maintain stability as much as possible and safeguard the route of advance to avoid being hindered by various parties.

He certainly wouldn't tell Liu Zhu the truth, but only said, "I don't know your abilities, so I'll be frank with you. Don't worry about the rank of your official position in Henan Prefecture. This is just the commander-in-chief's way of testing your talents."

"The Marshal's Office does not discriminate based on background, but rather on ability. Even a merchant who lends money and burns invoices can be promoted to prefect if he makes a contribution, let alone my elder brother."

Liu Zhu thought to himself, "I'm already an official in the Marshal's Mansion, why should I worry about this?"
He shook his head and said, "I am not ignorant of the difference between the strong and the weak. The Ming army are all defeated by the marshal, and I have heard about the style of the marshal's office."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jifang felt it wasn't a good word and asked, "What kind of style are you referring to, brother?"

"If the Ming army attacks, each side will fight for its own master. Although I am a scholar, I will fight to the death."

As Liu Zhu spoke, he spread his hands and said, "But what should I do if the marshal's officers and soldiers rob and demand disaster relief funds and grain, and plunder the people of Henan Prefecture? I hope you can teach me, brother."

Zhao Jifang was stunned, thinking to himself, "You don't know how strict the discipline is in my Marshal's army."

Let alone disaster relief funds and supplies, even when our Marshal's Mansion robs, we go in formation, so how could we possibly... Thinking of this, Zhao Jifang froze, sleeves rolled up.

It seems that this is indeed possible, after all, the frontline commander is Zhang Tianlin.

None of the generals surnamed Zhang in the Grand Marshal's Mansion are easy to deal with.

Zhang Zhen was unexpected, Zhang Xianzhong was brutal, Zhang Yichuan was someone even the Ming Dynasty avoided calling Zhang Zhi, and there was also the arrogant Zhang Tianlin.

Zhao Jifang had heard that back when Zhang Tianlin was still a lieutenant general, he had robbed friendly forces of their warhorses and equipment, and afterwards Liu Chengzong had confiscated three thousand warhorses from his spoils.

At this moment, Zhang Tianlin's troops have just requisitioned all their warhorses, donkeys, and mules in Henan Prefecture.

Zhao Jifang could hardly help but wonder if Zhang, the illustrious brigade commander in the Marshal's Office, had already made preparations in advance for the possible mistakes his troops might make on the battlefield.

He pondered for a moment, then said very seriously to Liu Zhu, "If any marshal or generals try to seize or demand the disaster relief funds and grain, then brother, you must remember not to argue with them. You should speak kindly to them and give it to them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhu was speechless, his eyes conveying a clear message: How am I supposed to do this job then?
Zhao Jifang had served Liu Chengzong for two years and knew the Marshal's Army well.

The Marshal's Army was a group of unruly warriors from top to bottom. Because Liu Chengzong had trained his subordinates well, their orders were strictly followed and their military discipline was naturally far superior to that of other armies.

Of course, soldiers are human too, and humans have both good and bad qualities. These days, people's bottom line isn't very high.

Therefore, it is impossible to completely eliminate petty theft, robbery, and murder by bad people. The only consequences are chopping off hands for robbery and beheading for murder. Any leniency shown to mid-level generals will result in them being demoted to common soldiers and sent to fill trenches.

This is a common problem faced by armies in various regions, not just the Marshal's Army.

Zhao Jifang was well aware of their problems; the key issue was that few of the officers in command were good people, although private looting by the army was extremely rare.

However, the army prioritizes war, and it is almost a given that marshals, officers, and soldiers, under the guise of conscription, engage in plundering in every battle.

"Once you see the military order, you don't need to worry about the rest, brother. That's a matter for the general who issued the order and the commander-in-chief. The commander-in-chief will have his say."

“If the soldiers are looting and pillaging, you should prioritize your own life, brother. Try to appease them first, and then let the commander-in-chief send troops to take them back.”

Zhao Jifang shook his head and said matter-of-factly, "It is because the Marshal's army needs officials in Henan that my brother has an official position. It is not appropriate for him to compete with officers." (End of this chapter)