Yi Song

Chapter 170 The Zhongba Army and the Desheng Army

"I argued with Wang Fu, as well as the Privy Council and the Ministry of Household Affairs for a long time, and finally decided. Twenty thousand young men and craftsmen, together with more than 70,000 family members, were organized into a middle base army to specialize in engineering projects. Build rivers, build cities, Paving roads and building bridges, stationed from Chenliu to Nanjing. The main task is to ensure the smooth flow of the Bian River.

The Ministry of Household Affairs allocated 150,000 acres of official land as ration land for the middle base army.

Two hundred thousand people were divided, mainly the Huaibei rebels, organized into the Changshui Army, and moved to Tai and Tongzhou. Zeng Yinglong sent Taizhou magistrate to Quan, and Chu Linxuan was the general magistrate of Tongzhou, and Quan was in charge of state affairs. When the Changshui Army went there, their main duties were growing cotton and building ships. "

Liu Baoxiang's original surname was Zeng, and Zeng Yinglong was his grandson. He joined the officialdom as a supplement, and was first appointed as the chief registrar of Tongyuan County in Huanzhou as Di Gonglang. He was smart, capable and courageous in taking charge of his affairs. In more than ten years, he was promoted to a court official.

"Growing cotton?" someone asked curiously.

You know about shipbuilding, but what about growing cotton?

"Yes. Last year, I called Jieshunshe and Yufengxing. I collected fine varieties of Baidiezi and Jibei from Hexi, Shaanxi, Gyeonggi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Qiongya Island and other places. Well, I gave it a name. It’s called cotton. Tai and Tong are vast and sparsely populated, making them suitable for growing cotton.

Moreover, relying on Jiangdong and Zhejiang, the land of plenty, we don’t have to worry about planting too much cotton and running out of food. "

Looking at everyone's puzzled look, Liu Guozhang simply explained: "Cotton is a good thing. The Changshui Army produces good cotton for spinning and weaving, and the people of the Song Dynasty have good and cheap cotton to wear. With cotton-padded clothes to keep warm, I am no longer afraid of the bitter cold in the northwest, Yanyun and Liaodong."

"The remaining more than 200,000 people are all members of the former Changshui Army who dredged the Bianhe River. They were ministers who worked hard. The officials gave them a new military title, Desheng Army. I fought hard and settled in Yingzhou on the northwest road of Beijing. Chang and Ruzhou areas.

It's a pity that the good land and fertile land there are all occupied by the bastard Yang Jian. Only some barren land was allocated. Straight bitch! "

What Liu Guozhang was referring to was the Xicheng Kuotian Office under the management of Yang Jian. In name, it was an agency that managed public land for the officials. In fact, it used despicable means such as "legislating to demand land deeds from the people" and used despicable means to turn the fertile land in the hands of the people into public land. It is a public land, but it is actually an imperial estate controlled by the servants.

Starting from Ruzhou, travel along Jingbei North Road, Gyeonggi, Jingdong East and West Road, and Hebei Road.

Zhang Tie secretly checked the account books and estimated that he had acquired more than 34,300 hectares of fertile land, totaling more than 3 million acres, which could feed many people, but a lot of it was abandoned.

The reason is very simple. Kuotian was exploited at all levels by its superiors and subordinates. The rent assigned to the land was too heavy, and the tenant farmers fled one after another. In the end, they had no choice but to ask the Forbidden Army to do voluntary farming. However, the Forbidden Army in various places has serious shortages and cannot provide so much manpower at all. The fertile farmland was left uncultivated and there were not enough people to work it.

Kuotian Office only knew how to collect rents, and everyone was very clever. They spread the rents of abandoned fertile fields on cultivated fields, doubling the rents of those tenants. The tenants were overwhelmed and fled one after another.

More fertile farmland was abandoned, and Kuotian Office continued to share the land rent, creating a vicious cycle. The result is that the number of refugees without farmland in the local area is increasing day by day, and the number of abandoned fertile fields is increasing day by day.

Even so, he was unwilling to give the land to the Xiang army.

Because the land was allocated to the Xiang army, the "public land" became real public land, and they would not benefit at all.

So I would rather waste it there than let your army smell it!

"There are so many things that need to be sorted out one by one. All things are centered on the Red Heart Society and actively guided by the Hongying Party. The effect of the workshop is very good. In the past few months, many talents have been trained. Since then, From craftsmen to arithmetic, accounting, and business, our business can advance steadily.

Next month, the Jinshi Provincial Examination and the Wu Jinshi Competition will be held one after another. We must actively absorb talents and export talents.

To recruit talents, we mainly select those who have failed in the spring period.

To export talents, the outstanding talents from our military preparation training center can pass the martial arts competition and obtain official talismans, so that they can be arranged into important and suitable positions. "

The meeting lasted for more than an hour, and when it came to an end, Zhang Meng came in and whispered in Liu Guozhang's ear: "Brother, Uncle Wang and Uncle Chen are here."

Liu Guozhang nodded: "Please wait for a while in the side hall."

"Yes."

"Okay, the new strategy and new deployment have been determined, and everyone has discussed it. Today's meeting will end here. I will discuss the corresponding details with you in detail."

"Yes!"

Entering the side hall, Wang Yan and Chen Guang were waiting inside, talking softly. When they saw Liu Guozhang coming in, they immediately stood up. "Controller!"

"You two brothers have been waiting for a long time."

"It doesn't matter. Erlang, this is the talisman sent by Master Lin."

"Sacred talisman?" Liu Guozhang took four pieces of yellow paper that looked like ghostly drawings and talismans, "Did that beautiful girl send it to Zhenren Lin's house?"

"Delivered. Zhang Zhiyuan told Judge Li and quietly replaced the eighteenth aunt in Cai Mansion, and we delivered it to Zhenren's house in person. Lin Zhenren expressed his gratitude again and again, and also gave these four talismans as a token of gratitude. "

Lin Lingsu is now deeply trusted by Zhao Ji and can serve as a surprise soldier.

"Okay, I'll ask someone to post it in the front hall later. Don't waste the real person's thoughts." Liu Guozhang handed the four magic talismans to Zhang Meng, "By the way, two brothers, Brother Zhengdao is going to Kaifeng Mansion. He joined the army as a secretary and took charge of the affairs of the left and right military patrols and the left and right chambers.

The current system of the Military Inspectorate was formulated by Cai Jing. Wang Fu was determined to eliminate the old and promote the new, and decided to restore the old system, with the left and right military inspectors leading the left and right military inspectors. Brother Zhengdao and Judge Li recommended you two as the left and right army inspectors. Quan knew that Zhang Bangchang of Kaifeng Prefecture was Wang Fu's son, so he agreed immediately.

Once the mission has been promoted, the official rank should also be promoted. The documents of the two elder brothers have been approved by the Palace Front Office, and Bingyilang and Congyilang were promoted. "

Wang Yan and Chen Guang looked at each other, surprised and helpless.

In the past, when I worked hard, no matter how many military achievements I made, my promotion was as slow as a snail's pace, because most of my military achievements were shared among "connected households".

It seems that I haven't done anything now, but it has been rising rapidly in just a few months.

The difference is that there was no one above them before, but now there are people above them.

There is really someone in the court who is good at being an official.

"Erlang, we appreciate your care, but"

Wang Yan was about to speak but stopped.

Liu Guozhang laughed and said, "I know what your two brothers are thinking. Please wait for two more years. When the situation here in Kaifeng Mansion is stable, we can invite you two to serve in the army."

Wang Yan and Chen Guang were surprised and happy, "That's good, that's good!"

Liu Guozhang thought of another small matter, "Has Cai Shuiquan handled it properly?"

"Very appropriate, no one can find him." Wang Yan replied.

"The Prince of Hell can't find him either." Chen Guang added.

The three of them looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.

What a twist of fate. When the three of them first entered Bianjing last year, even Wuyou Gang Fan Sitong admired Cai Shuiquan's name. In the eyes of the three of them, Fan Sitong was a towering mountain.

Now, Cai Shuiquan is in their hands and becomes an ant that can be crushed at any time.

Liu Guozhang remembered another thing, "There is also Cai Wanquan. Ying Xiu'er interceded with him and begged him to be saved. I asked my two brothers to help with this matter."

"Please don't worry, Erlang, we will take care of it!"

(End of this chapter)