weaving

Chapter 1496 Wangzhuang also needs to be re-measured?

After Gao Mingheng and the others left, only Prince Zhu Gongxiao of Zhou and the Earl of Yongning remained in Huali, along with the attendant Cao Kun who was serving nearby.

"I've heard that even Wangzhuang is going to be re-landed?"

Zhang Cheng had already guessed that the King of Zhou must have a reason for keeping him behind alone. He smiled and replied, "Your Highness, as I just mentioned, although the rebels have retreated, their momentum has not diminished, their main force has not been lost, and they still have tens of thousands of followers. They cannot be wiped out in one battle."

Now, the situation in the Central Plains has stabilized somewhat, but famine is rampant, and the fields are abandoned and almost no one is cultivating them. If we do not take this opportunity to conduct a thorough survey, how will we settle these starving people everywhere?
If the starving people are not properly resettled, and the rebels return, you will surely rely on them again to survive. At that time, the rebels will be even more powerful and fiercer. How will you resist them then?

Moreover, although Yuan Shizhong and Luo Rucai have both surrendered to the court, their troops are scattered, numbering nearly 100,000 outside the official ranks. If they are not properly settled, there is no guarantee they won't take desperate measures!

Seeing that the King of Zhou was listening attentively, Zhang Cheng continued, "Your Highness, I believe that the most urgent task at present is to stabilize the situation in the Central Plains, complete the reorganization and training of the Yuan and Luo rebel armies as soon as possible, and divide the eliminated troops into various military settlements as a means of keeping them under control."

Only in this way can the forces of Yuan and Luo be used by the court, whether to cooperate with our army in attacking the rebels of Li Zicheng and Xianfeng, or to be transferred to Liaodong to fight against the Jurchens. Even if they are confined to a certain place and cared for, it is better than them rising up again to help the rebels and causing chaos in the Central Plains once more.

"The Earl of Yongning is absolutely right. But what does this have to do with Qingzhangwangzhuang?"

"Your Highness, Zhang Cheng set up military settlements not for his own benefit, but because there are many starving people and the troops selected from Yuan and Luo's forces that need to be resettled.

However, arable land in the Central Plains is limited. The only way to stabilize the current situation is to requisition abandoned government and civilian land, establish large-scale military farms, and implement militarized management of the starving people and Yuan Luo's troops assigned to these farms.

Zhang Cheng glanced at the King of Zhou at this point, and seeing that he was nodding, he continued, "But those landlords and powerful families only had their own interests in mind, completely disregarding the perilous state of the nation, and only thinking about protecting their own interests."

They didn't even consider that if the bandits returned, would the land still be theirs? Let alone the land, they might not even be able to save their own lives!

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Zhu Gongxiao of Zhou suddenly shuddered: "Kaifeng, Kaifeng cannot be lost."

"Your Highness, only by completely eradicating the rebels, such as Li Zicheng and Xian Yu, can we protect our land."

Yongning Earl Zhang Cheng then said, "The rebel Chuang has already shouted the slogan 'No taxes for three years,' and many people who have lost their land are flocking to him, spreading the word and rushing to join him. There have even been instances of people opening the city gates to welcome him."

However, the imperial court relentlessly pressed for payment of taxes and levies. The people had planted the land, but in the end, they still had no food to eat. Therefore, they abandoned their land and chose to flee to distant places to beg for food.

This situation must change in order to stabilize the situation in the Central Plains; otherwise, with people scattered and fields abandoned, how can Kaifeng be defended?

"Then... what does this have to do with Wang Tian?"

"Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to ask, whose people are these commoners?"

"This……"

"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king." Wherever the sun and moon reach, all land belongs to my Great Ming Dynasty; under the whole heaven, no matter where one is, all are subjects of the emperor.

"As His Majesty's subjects, we should naturally cherish them. Now, the Central Plains are ravaged by disasters, and the people are suffering greatly. If we do not offer assistance, how can we repay the Emperor's boundless grace?"

Seeing that the King of Zhou seemed to have been persuaded, Zhang Cheng seized the opportunity and continued, "Your Highness, I have already submitted a memorial to the court and the Emperor, requesting that the people of Henan be exempted from taxes and grain for three years, so that they can recuperate and recover. This move is actually to compete with the rebel Li Zicheng for the hearts of the people."

"In order to ensure that the people of the Central Plains are of one mind with the court and jointly resist the rebel Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, they must be able to eat and survive so that they will not side with the rebels. To achieve this goal, in addition to establishing military farms, I also require all landlords to reduce rent and interest for their tenants."

"Rent and interest reduction?"

“Yes, reduce rent and interest.” Zhang Cheng explained, “Let the people have some benefits for now. Once the situation in the Central Plains stabilizes and we wipe out the rebels, the land won’t run away. At that time, the military farms can be abolished, the land will return to the prince’s name, and the rent and interest can be restored to normal.”

A smile appeared on King Zhou's face, clearly indicating that he understood the meaning behind Zhang Cheng's words. "Given the current situation in the Central Plains, it is still necessary for King Zhou to set an example. If even your royal lands are re-measured and some are set aside for military settlements, then the local gentry and officials will have nothing more to say."

Seeing that Prince Zhou still seemed hesitant, Zhang Cheng continued, "Kaifeng was able to withstand two sieges by the rebel Li Zicheng thanks to the hard work of all the officials and generals in the city. However, Your Highness deserves the most credit for contributing money, food, and manpower. The Emperor has also praised Your Highness highly."

"If we can take the lead in reducing rents and interest rates now, and stabilize the situation in the Central Plains, once the banditry is quelled, when rewards are distributed, will Your Highness be left out?"

"Good. What the Earl of Yongning said is very good."

Now that the matter of Wang Tian had been discussed openly, King Zhou stopped dwelling on it and instead brought up another troublesome topic.

"Does the Earl of Yongning know that the imperial court has sent envoys to Kaifeng?"

“Your Highness, I have already heard that the Censor-in-Chief Li Banghua, whom I met today, is here on the Emperor’s orders regarding this matter.”

"It's good that you know. This person is extremely pedantic; even I, the king, cannot speak up for him."

"Zhang Cheng will never forget the prince's kindness in protecting him."

"Although this Mr. Li is pedantic and unapproachable, he is a very upright person. Although he is not easy to bribe, he can tell you the truth. I believe Mr. Li can see the advantages and disadvantages involved."

The Earl of Yongning hurriedly stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Zhang Cheng, thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."

"Earl of Yongning, I will also report the situation in the Central Plains to the Emperor and earnestly request that the Emperor understand the suffering of the people in the Central Plains and grant permission to exempt the people of my Central Plains from taxes for three years."

"Your Highness is truly virtuous. With Your Highness here in Kaifeng, it is a blessing for the people of Central China."

"Earl of Yongning, don't try to fool me with those nice words." King Zhou stared at Zhang Cheng with a serious expression and asked him, "Tell me now, how long will it take to quell the rebellion?"

"Your Highness, I dare not deceive you. The date for annihilating the rebel Li Zicheng is truly unpredictable."

"Is it going to be a long time from now?"

"It can take anywhere from three years to as little as one year."

Zhang Cheng said with a smile, "Among the bandits, the rebel leader is the most tenacious. He often manages to turn the tide in adversity. In the eleventh year, at Tongguan Pass, only eighteen riders escaped, yet he still managed to hold on, which shows how difficult he is to suppress."

Although they have suffered a setback in Zhuxian Town and have retreated back to the Funiu Mountain area, it is precisely because of this that they are even more difficult to eliminate. At this time, when we advance to eliminate them, we must divide our troops to guard Tongguan, Shanzhou, and places such as Huayuantou and Wawu in Shangnan to prevent them from sneaking back to Shaanxi.

We must also defend Junxian, Dengzhou, Xinye, and Tangxian to prevent the rebels from fleeing south into Huguang; we must also prevent them from heading north and attacking Luoyang again; and we must defend the Xiangcheng and Xuzhou line to prevent them from coming to the gates of Kaifeng again.

"Our division already has a small force, only fifty or sixty thousand men in total. If we divide our forces in various places, we will be unable to defeat the enemy. Moreover, the newly formed Shaanxi Army under Governor Sun Chuanting is not yet complete, and although Zuo Ping is holding the Xiangyang line, he is not enough to reassure us."

"Wait. It's better to annihilate the rebels later. We must not let them besiege Kaifeng again!"

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, with Zhang Cheng here, there is absolutely no need to worry about Kaifeng."

"Good, that's excellent."

King Zhu Gongxiao of Zhou then summoned Cao Kun, an official who was serving nearby, and instructed him: "Cao Kun, you are in charge of the land survey. Just do as the Earl of Yongning said."

"Yes, Your Highness." Although Cao Kun had doubts, he dared not issue a document and could only accept the Zhou King's order.