Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 21: Skinning and Stuffing, Taizu Yazheng

The system of Emperor Taizu Gao quickly triggered a craze for making guns and cannons in Nanjing.

The city has no shortage of artisans.

After all, Zhu Yuanzhang built it according to a complete military system.

All military equipment was manufactured here, from armor to gunpowder, from cold weapons to firearms, and even shipbuilding. He planted trees like tung and lacquer palm trees throughout Purple Mountain to ensure nearby materials. Therefore, there were a sufficient number of craftsmen to manufacture guns and cannons. Even after the advent of the chime clock, replicas of it were a long-standing industry here.

There is sufficient supply of raw materials.

Even the saltpeter and sulfur used to make gunpowder were piled up in warehouses everywhere.

The inner treasury of the imperial palace.

The warehouses under the Ministry of Industry,

Warehouses belonging to each guard.

……

This is the city with the most abundant supplies in the Ming Dynasty.

And of course, the new military merit system does not just include making guns.

All are calculated based on military merit.

The person who makes the cannon will also get some military merit if the cannon kills the enemy.

If a bullet used to make a bullet kills an enemy, then all the supporting components, from gunpowder to projectiles and even packaging, will get a share of the military merit. When a batch of bullets is used up, the more enemies killed, the more military merit will be calculated for all participants in the industry chain of this batch of bullets.

If you accumulate enough military merit, you can ask the court for one hundred acres of land.

Not to mention the weapons, even the production of military uniforms, shoes, and rations are all counted as military merit.

The more enemies the soldiers kill while wearing the uniforms you make and eating the rations you make, the more military merits you will get.

Military merits are granted land and military merits are granted titles.

The latter can choose officials.

The recipient of the first-level nobility could take an examination and become an official if they passed. If they did not want to be an official themselves, they could designate a quota, such as their sons and nephews. They would then be eligible to be selected as junior officials by passing the examination, just like the scholars of the past. The higher the nobility, the higher the official position one could apply for. The highest level could even directly take the palace examination to become a Jinshi. So according to this system, if a craftsman made weapons that killed enough enemies so that he could be awarded a nobility through accumulated military merit, he could designate his sons to take the examination to be selected as officials.

Similarly, soldiers can use their military achievements to allow their sons to become officials.

A craftsman could use his military merits to help his son become an official.

Even businessmen can do it.

They also have military merits.

If you run a factory that manufactures guns and cannons, and these guns and cannons kill enemies, you will also have military merits. This also includes undertaking military supply transportation tasks and transporting supplies to the front line, which will also be military merits.

He even directly paid money to support the court's military expenses.

Take out ten thousand taels of silver, this is my donation to the court for military use.

There are also military merits, land, and titles.

Thus, capitalists full of pioneering spirit can be born, and the land does not necessarily have to be arable land, you can choose it yourself. For example, a factory owner can choose a piece of land that he thinks has minerals, then he can continue to mine and make weapons and then continue to accumulate military merits, and then continue to obtain more land with minerals and continue to mine. But without military merits, it will not work. You can't even get the mines, and you can only buy ore from those who get the mines through military merits.

and so……

Let’s fight quickly!
Expand the territory outward!

Otherwise, how can we accumulate military merit?
The war cannot stop!

"It's a bit scary. A country with a population of 150 million can technically crush most countries with just 100,000 troops. Under a system where everything is measured by military merit, they can even maintain an endless war and fight non-stop.

After all, both the upper and lower parts are needed.

The poor longed to gain land and official positions through military merit.

The rich are eager to achieve greater development through military exploits.

The imperial court didn't need to worry about military spending, after all, the rich would pay for military merit, and the people didn't care about the number of deaths, after all, even if a person died, his family would still receive his military merit. Furthermore, with an absolute advantage in equipment and a large population base, a few thousand deaths in foreign wars a year would have no impact on the country. Perhaps the number of deaths from various accidents each year, such as drowning and snake bites, combined, would be even greater than this.

Not to mention those who died of illness.

The population base can make up for this loss tenfold or a hundredfold.

Therefore, as long as there is no internal trouble, this country can withstand unlimited foreign wars.

Moreover, the internal situation will develop rapidly due to the war. After all, there will still be internal competition to fight for the opportunity to gain military merit.

This is the war machine."

Yang Feng said.

"Or maybe he's a warmonger."

The so-called God said it very directly.

This system is imperialism, pure imperialism.

"What does that have to do with me? I'm just a visitor, doing something to amuse myself. As for what happens to this empire in the future, that's not my concern. And as for all the talk of imperialism, we're already an empire. This is just what an empire does. An empire is about expanding its territory."

Yang Feng said.

At this time, Han Zanzhou came over.

"Grandpa, the Jiannu have sent an envoy. It's the former Imperial Censor Huang Shu, who wants to see you, Grandpa."

He said.

"This name gives me a special kind of excitement, as if there is some kind of mysterious bond between us.

Bring it here!

Also, please ask the King of Qi to come over. I don't know much about the technique of peeling the skin and stuffing it with grass. He should have been able to do this back then, right?"

Yang Feng said with emotion.

"Replying to Master Taizu, we do have some old books in the palace that record how to carry out executions, but no one knows how to do it. After all, it hasn't been used for over two hundred years. We can only try to do it according to the books."

Han Zanzhou said quickly.

"Hurry up, then."

Yang Feng said.

Of course, Han Zanzhou still went to bring Huang Shu over first.

One of the masterminds of digging the Yellow River, one of the masterminds of Zuo Liangyu's purge of the imperial court, was taken to Chengtian Gate by those eunuchs and gunmen and immediately threw himself to the ground. Then, with the excitement of seeing his relatives, he seemed to be overwhelmed. However, it was not enough, after all, he had betrayed his relatives in his hometown before. In short, he threw himself to the ground, tears streaming down his face, as if he was so excited that he choked with sobs as he expressed his loyalty to Emperor Taizu Gao...

"Emperor Taizu Gao, I have finally seen your presence. I have confidential military information to report to your majesty."

He howled.

"Aren't you a Jiannu envoy?"

Yang Feng said doubtfully.

"Your Majesty, I was previously the Inspector General of Huguang. I was coerced by Zuo Menggeng and had no choice but to surrender to the Jian Nu. However, I have been looking for an opportunity to escape. You see, I even refused to shave my hair. This time, it was Ajige who sent someone to help me escape. I have confidential military information to report to Your Majesty."

Huang Shu howled while taking off his hat to reveal his wig.

It must be a wig.

He used this trick to backstab his cousin Huang Gen, the martial arts champion who resisted the Qing army at Congshan Pass.

"Speak." Yang Feng said.

"Grandpa Taizu, the Jiannu pseudo-regent Dorgon has already issued an order to Ajige. Bolo had previously reported Grandpa Taizu's ascension to the mortal world to Dorgon. Hong Chengchou, a traitor who had previously surrendered to the Jiannu, said that if Grandpa Taizu descended to the mortal world, the officials and gentry of Jiangnan would be even more fearful. This traitor also had many disrespectful words towards Grandpa Taizu. He said that the officials and gentry of Jiangnan held a grudge against Grandpa Taizu, just as they had previously said that the Ming Dynasty would rather perish from the Jianlu than from the bandits. Therefore, the officials and gentry of Jiangnan would definitely surrender to the Jianlu rather than Grandpa Taizu.

Therefore, he advised Dorgon to suspend the attack, but to gather heavy troops in Jiangnan and show favor to the officials and gentry in Jiangnan, such as clearly stating that people in Jiangnan would not shave their heads.

In addition, open Enke as soon as possible.

Recruit more people from the Donglin lineage and issue an edict that everything in Jiangnan should return to the old system. This will win the hearts of the people in Jiangnan. If all the officials and gentry in Jiangnan surrender, even if Taizu goes to the mortal world, he will be alone.

Dorgon accepted the proposal and appointed him Governor-General of Jiangnan Military Affairs and sent him south to serve as Ajige's deputy.

Huang Shu said quickly.

"Then what does Ajige want you to do?"

Yang Feng said.

What Huang Shu said may not be false.

This bastard may be disgusting, but he is definitely smart enough, especially when it comes to grasping the situation, there is no doubt about it, so he may really betray the Qing Dynasty and turn to Emperor Taizu Gao.

You can despise his character, but his IQ is absolutely reliable.

"Your Majesty, Ajige was just trying to deceive you. He sent me here to report that they were only pursuing the rebels and had no intention of seizing the Ming dynasty. They said they entered the pass to avenge Emperor Chongzhen and to save the people of the Ming dynasty who were tortured by the rebels. The land they obtained was all from the rebels, not from the Ming dynasty. Duoduo went south only to prevent the rebels from fleeing to Nanjing, so he wanted to enter Nanjing to help Hongguang. However, he did not expect Hongguang to be deceived by the treacherous ministers Ma Shiying and Shi Kefa, so they fought. After entering Yangzhou, they punished him lightly to make him realize his mistake.

But unexpectedly, Hongguang abandoned Nanjing and left.

Duoduo then entered Nanjing to pacify the people, but Ajige had already suppressed the rebels upstream, so he originally wanted to send Hongguang to Nanjing and then withdraw his troops north.

I didn’t expect that Grandpa Taizu would suddenly descend to the mortal world.

But they did not want to fight with Taizu. Taizu was a god, so how could they dare to offend him? Therefore, Ajige wanted to ask Taizu to stay for a while so that they could discuss what to do. If Taizu did not allow them to stay in Jiangnan, they could withdraw their troops back to the north.

Huang Shu said.

"So I misunderstood them. Massacring 800,000 people in Yangzhou is considered a light punishment?"

Yang Feng sneered.

"Your Majesty is wise. He wants me to say this. First, to appease Your Majesty. When Hong Chengchou goes south, he will persuade the various places to surrender. As long as the local officials and gentry surrender, Your Majesty can conquer the world again."

Huang Shu said quickly.

"You are a sensible person. Want to conquer the country again? If all the officials and gentry rebel, what's the harm in conquering the country again? You must know that when I conquered the country, few officials and gentry followed me. These people are fawning on the powerful. Few followed me when I conquered the country, but now that I am in power, they all come out to get a piece of the pie. When I conquer the country again, these people will all be cooked."

Yang Feng said with satisfaction.

At this time, Han Xin walked in.

"Who is the most evil person that you wish to punish by skinning him?"

he asked doubtfully.

Yang Feng smiled and pointed at Huang Shu.

The latter was stunned for a moment.

"What is this person's crime?"

Han Xin looked at Huang Shu and said.

The latter's face turned pale, he knelt there trembling, staring at Yang Feng. He was full of longing just now, looking forward to following Emperor Taizu Gao and becoming a duke for generations. How could he change so suddenly?

"Would digging up the Yellow River to flood the city and kill 300,000 people be enough?"

Yang Feng said.

"We should exterminate all nine of their clans."

Han Xin said.

Huang Shu fell to the ground instantly.

"Grandfather, I wasn't the mastermind behind this. It was all planned by Gao Mingheng and Yan Yunjing. Hou Xun gave the order, and Liu Zeqing's men began digging. I tried to stop them, but my influence was too low to stop them. Grandfather, please understand. I'm innocent!"

He howled.

"I will skin these people one by one. You can rest assured that you won't be alone. Except for Gao Mingheng, who is already dead, I will skin and stuff the rest of them with straw to keep you company. Drag him out and execute him in public on Sanshan Street. After skinning him, I will throw him into the Yangtze River to feed the fish."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

Then the eunuchs came forward and dragged Huang Shu out.

"Pull his hair out first, it's fake."

Yang Feng said.

A eunuch immediately grabbed Huang Shu's hair and tore it down suddenly. The scalp that was glued on was immediately torn off from some commoner, leaving many wounds, and the rat tail inside was really exposed.

Huang Shu screamed in pain.

"That's enough. Don't say I don't appreciate your contribution to the restoration. Your crime of deceiving the emperor alone is enough for me to skin you alive and stuff you with straw."

Yang Feng said.

The eunuch dragged Huang Shu away.

Han Xin also accompanied him, acting as an advisor. After all, the Ming Dynasty hadn't carried out skinning and straw stuffing in over two hundred years, so they could only rely on palace records. He was likely still around at the time, serving as an on-site advisor. Huang Shu's death was quite dignified, given Han Xin's role. However, what he said was likely true. Dorgon must have sent Hong Chengchou south, intending to persuade the Jiangnan officials and gentry to surrender. After all, they were also bewildered by the news of the Ming Emperor Gaozu's demise, completely unaware of what was happening in the world. Ajige, fearing another attack from within the city, feared the chaos of his hundreds of thousands of soldiers, with desertions a constant stream. Therefore, he sent Huang Shu to calm things down. However, Huang Shu proved to be more resourceful than they expected.

As soon as he saw that the situation was not right, he came directly to inform on the matter.

"Did he come here on his own?"

Yang Feng said.

"Replying to Master Taizu, there are two Jiannu who will bring him here."

The eunuch next to him said.

"Go and cut off their ears and noses, then have them go back and tell Ajige to send a letter to Dorgon immediately, asking them to send over the royal family members they have, especially Chongzhen's children."

Yang Feng said.

The eunuch went there quickly.

"Hong Chengchou, he is quite clear-headed and knows the feelings of the Jiangnan gentry towards Old Zhu."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

He would rather surrender to the Jiannu than to Taizu.

I guess this is the unanimous voice of the gentry in Jiangnan.

Surrendering to the Jiannu is no big deal. They have surrendered to my Yuan Dynasty before, and they were still slave owners during my Yuan Dynasty. Even if they surrender to the Jiannu, the worst that can happen is that they will continue to be slave owners together in the future. The more barbarians they are, the more lenient they will be to them. After all, for the barbarians, there is no need to consider the lives of the common people. As long as they can plunder the people's wealth to support themselves, they can do whatever they want.

But Zhu Yuanzhang is really not okay. He doesn't even allow people to enjoy his little beauty.

Slave owners don't even think about it.

Officials of low rank have no right to take slaves.

If Zhu Yuanzhang's system were really implemented, it would probably not be a mistake to kill all the gentry in Jiangnan.

The resistance of the gentry in Jiangnan in the late Ming Dynasty was actually just shaving their heads and changing their clothes. Without this, even Jiangyin would have surrendered.

(End of this chapter)