The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 312 Empty Talk
Shunzheng 19th year

The third day of July.

morning.

Zuoyun City.

Datong has four scattered prefectures and seven counties.

These prefectures and counties are Datong County, Huairen County, Guangling County, Guangchang County, Lingqiu County, Shanyin County, Mayi County, as well as Weizhou, Shuozhou, Yingzhou, and Hunyuan Prefecture.

The jurisdiction of the Western Army of Datong consisted of Shanyin County, Mayi County, and Shuoying Prefecture.

Zuoyun, where the main camp is located, was strictly speaking the site of the former Ming Dynasty Datong Left Guard military garrison and the former garrison of the five armies of Datong. Now it has become the garrison of Wang Xin's Datong Western Army.

In other words, this area, consisting of one military town, two county towns, two scattered prefectures, plus Tuanshankou and Weiyuanguan, belongs to the defense zone of the Datong Western Army.

Zuoyun City is actually a military city.

The city is not big.

The military commander's residence was located in the northwest area, the northeast area was a granary, and the southeast area was a warehouse. The main residential area was at the junction of the northeast and southeast areas, which not only had a drum tower but also a temple to Guan Yu and a Confucian temple. The southwest area had a drill ground, temples, and a bell tower.

There are probably several hundred households and two to three thousand people living in the city.

The entire Datong Western Army had 12,000 men. This is the difference between border garrisons and inland armies. Border garrisons cannot do without supplies from the inland areas; otherwise, they would never be able to maintain such a large number of soldiers.

Therefore, the imperial court's failure to pay military wages caused great harm to the border troops, far exceeding the suffering endured by the inland troops.

Zeng Zhi rushed over from outside, hurrying on his way.

When Xue Ke saw Zeng Zhi in the public room, he quickly got up.

Is the general in?

"Yes, I'll go and inform them."

Xue Ke spoke up.

Zeng Zhi was a student of the Imperial Academy, a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations), and the son of a wealthy family in Liaodong. He was generous with his money. After following the general to Datong, he was appointed as an Attendant Gentleman, participating in military decision-making, document processing, and other tasks, and providing advice to the general.

I was just one of the clerks.

On weekdays, he was responsible for handling the military camp's documents and regulations, keeping the official seals safe, and also handling some daily affairs within the government, such as matters for the general to discuss and record duty attendance.

Zheng Ang, who entered the mansion with him, was already a merit officer, responsible for assessing the merits and character of the personnel in the mansion, and providing the general with reference for personnel rewards, punishments, appointments and promotions.

However, Xue Ke was not discouraged.

Zeng Zhi and Zheng Ang are in their twenties or thirties, while I am only nineteen. Moreover, Zeng Zhi is a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level). Although I am behind them, I don't need to worry.

soon.

Zeng Zhi saw Wang Xin and reported the situation of the several prefectures and counties he had visited in the past few days to the general.

"We have already informed all the counties to supply grain and fodder, but General, don't have too high hopes, or you may be disappointed." Zeng Zhi smiled wryly, not forgetting to remind Wang Xin.

Wang Xin understood immediately.

Although Wang Xin was younger than him, as a superior, he would not force his subordinates to do things.

He has a clear understanding of what is strict and what is based on facts. In this respect, I still have a lot to learn from the general.

Zeng Zhi lamented, "Every county is complaining; they must have heard rumors."

"What are they suffering from?"

Wang Xin said with disdain.

Contrary to popular belief, the Great Zhou region was actually quite wealthy.

The Great Zhou Dynasty inherited the Ming Dynasty system, which was established by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Tax revenue.

The central and local governments share a 60/40 split.

For example, the imperial court, provinces, and county governments of the Ming Dynasty.

The main taxes collected at the county level were tax revenue from poll tax, summer and autumn grain tax (converted to silver), post station tax, horse fodder tax (converted to silver), and cloth, silk, and cotton tax (converted to silver).

However, at the provincial level, the main tax revenues became summer and autumn grain tax (converted to silver), post station tax, horse fodder tax (converted to silver), and cloth, silk, and cotton tax (converted to silver), with the huge income item of "Ding Yin" (a tax on the number of male officials) missing.

For example, the main income of Xi'an Prefecture during the Jiajing reign was 850,000 shi of grain and 240,000 taels of silver from post stations.

Once it reached the national level, the main taxes were summer and autumn grain tax converted to silver, horse feed tax converted to silver, and cloth, silk, and cotton tax converted to silver, while the post station tax and poll tax were no longer collected.

Therefore, in the Wanli Accounting Records, a financial compendium compiled by the imperial court, the main fiscal revenue of Xi'an Prefecture at that time was only 850,000 shi of grain, 240,000 taels of silver for post stations, and a considerable amount of poll tax, which were not included.

Dingyin was the county government's main source of revenue and the primary means of levying corvée labor on the people. Those who did not participate in corvée labor had to pay Dingyin.

The tax revenue from the post station and the tax revenue from the post station together accounted for 40% of the total tax revenue. At the same time, these taxes were also the subject of a power struggle between local authorities and the people, and accounted for at least 70% of the major social conflicts.

This explains why the Ming Dynasty spent two hundred years in deficit, yet the local areas remained peaceful and prosperous.

Even during the Longqing and Wanli reigns, the central government was able to achieve further glory because the deficit was in the central government's finances, not in the finances of the provinces and prefectures. The finances of the provinces and prefectures remained abundant and functioned normally.

The bankruptcy of the imperial court is just that—the bankruptcy of the imperial court. It does not affect the local areas, as the main source of income for the local areas does not come from imperial appropriations.

The reason why the Ming Dynasty completely collapsed was that local governments also went bankrupt.

Therefore, we can see that while the central government of the Ming Dynasty was facing financial bankruptcy and internal and external troubles, local communities were thriving, with tens of thousands of scholars participating in lectures at every turn.

It seems bizarre and unbelievable.

But then came the Qing Dynasty.

All revenue went to the imperial court, and local expenditures had to wait for appropriations from the court. As a result, the Qing Dynasty's fiscal revenue increased, but at the cost of local poverty, leading to a vicious economic cycle. This was different from the reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

The imperial court's tax revenue mainly came from land.

Meanwhile, the land was gradually being taken over by large households, who were exempt from paying taxes. As a result, the imperial court's tax revenue dwindled, and it turned to local governments for help. However, the local governments were indeed short of funds, as they had already spent all their money.

Not only did they spend the money, but they also accumulated more and more debt, which in turn led to even more spending.

Because they were worried that the imperial court would "borrow money".

Since I'm going to spend it all anyway, I might as well spend it myself.

Therefore, after Hai Rui was promoted to official position, in addition to dealing with corrupt officials in Jiangnan, his biggest concern was prohibiting officials at all levels from wasting resources.

For example, regulations on the use of paper for official documents, regulations on the use of post stations, regulations on the travel of officials, and so on.

These excessive spending on food and drink account for the bulk of local government expenditures.

Unfortunately, Hai Rui was just one person; he could not change the times.

Wang Xin was well aware of the deep-seated problems within these government departments, and Zeng Zhi was equally aware of them. He himself was one of them, and he maintained a clean stream around Wang Xin, pursuing nothing more than greater benefits.

Zeng shook his head and said, "Then what do we do?"

An army marches on its stomach.

Regarding the northern expedition, Zhang Wenjin, the governor of Datong, personally went to the capital to discuss various matters. The northern expedition, involving tens of thousands of troops, was a major undertaking that could not be accomplished in a short period of time.

"boil."

Wang Xin said calmly.

"boil?"

Zeng was stunned for a moment, originally thinking that the general would have a solution.

Wang Xin glanced at Zeng Zhi's expression and couldn't help but find it amusing. He put down his pen and laughed, "War is something that can't be rushed. Every family has its own troubles. The lives of the Hu people are just as difficult. Let's see who can endure it first."

Wherever there are people, there is a social hierarchy; wherever there is a social hierarchy, there are conflicts.

During the process of the Qing Dynasty's conquest of the Ming Dynasty, its own internal contradictions never ceased; it's just that the Ming Dynasty had more contradictions and was the first to not survive.

"Is simply boiling it all in?"

Zeng Zhi asked curiously.

Wang Xin shook his head and said, "During the ordeal, we must hone ourselves so that we will not let opportunities slip by."

Nurhaci and his brother Shurhaci became enemies.

The death of Nurhaci and the struggle for the Khanate.

The Ming Dynasty failed to seize any opportunities because it could not solve its own problems.

Looking back at the rise of the Later Jin, they persevered while addressing their own problems, allowing them to seize every opportunity to exploit the weaknesses exposed by the Ming Dynasty and gradually destroy it.

“Ou Yanhu poisoned Mo Bisheng, using opportunistic and dishonest means. Although he subdued the other tribes with his own strength, many of them were not convinced in their hearts, which gave me the opportunity to eliminate them one by one.”

If all departments had been united, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to act, and the situation today wouldn't be what it is today.

Therefore, we have many unfavorable factors. Ou Yanhu also has his troubles. Doing things requires dedication and speed, but it cannot be rushed; it's like governing a country—cooking a small fish.

Wang Xin gave an example with a smile: "Many Taijis would rather Ningyuan lose both ways than Ou Yanhu win alone. Even if they know the threat from Da Zhou, they are unwilling to obediently pledge allegiance to Ou Yanhu."

Zeng Zhi suddenly realized.

"To be honest, General, when I first met you, I thought you were a great commander. But the longer I know you, the more I realize how little I knew you. You are very knowledgeable."

Wang Xin smiled and said, "I'll accept your flattery."

In later generations, news and information that became commonplace were so rampant that they degenerated into junk information.

Just as the ancients could not imagine what the concept of tens of thousands of tons meant.

In later times, a single ship could transport tens of thousands of tons.

The golden cudgel weighs only a few tons, the carrying capacity of a regular small truck, while the largest transport ships can carry 820,000 tons at a time, equivalent to more than 120,000 golden cudgels.

The ancients could never have imagined it.

The problems faced by the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as the external predicaments, are something that anyone who pays even a little attention to history can say a few words about, and they are insightful and clearer than most people in ancient times.

Take advantage of this gap.

Wang Xin resumed his border patrols.

We can't let the people below be idle; if they're idle, problems are bound to arise.

The Western Army of Datong had 9,000 militiamen.

The role of the militia was to do odd jobs in the military camp, dig trenches, defend cities, and guard the borders; to put it bluntly, it was used to reduce casualties among the elite troops.

Elite troops are needed to truly be in charge of field operations.

That is, the three thousand elite soldiers brought out by Wang Xin.

These elite soldiers were no less capable than household guards.

Many generals of a town only have two or three thousand retainers, and many more have a little over a thousand. There are even generals with only a few hundred retainers. But Wang Xin is only a deputy general, yet he has three thousand elite troops that can be used in field battles.

Generally speaking, an ordinary military commander is lucky if he has a few hundred retainers.

Wang Xin's strength was ten times that of others.

The cost was also very high.

Not only did Wang Xin not offer tribute to his superiors, but he also promoted the establishment of business guilds like Juzhongchang, which mostly served to maintain stability outside the Great Wall and partially supplemented military expenses.

Otherwise, what's the use of conquering the former Tao region? In three to five years, the Hu people will come back again.

Only by securing the land and developing sustainable production methods can we prevent future problems.

South first, then north.

Starting from Yanmen Pass, then to Shuozhou, then Mayi, Shanyin, Yingzhou, and finally north to Huairen.

Meanwhile, the various units set off one after another.

The main task was to send various militia units to Zuoyun, while also dispatching some vanguards to reinforce the cities outside the pass, and internally allocating some grain and fodder. By doing everything ahead of time, Wang Xin was determined to succeed.

It turns out that many veterans and officers from the old unit were transferred to the militia.

Wang Xin mainly inspected the combat effectiveness of each unit.

"Standing!"

"Take a break!"

"Standing!"

"Take a break."

Wang Xin was on the high platform.

Eight hundred militiamen from Shuozhou stood below the platform, wearing uniforms, each with a musket and a cloth bag tied around their waist, each bag containing various military supplies such as lead bullets.

As for the gunpowder, it was contained in bamboo tubes and tied to one side of the waist.

The militia originally had no fighting capacity.

In close combat, the momentum of a new recruit without long-term training will definitely crumble.

Therefore, it often collapses at the slightest touch.

However, long-range shooting is different. Even an honest, simple villager in the countryside, if asked to hold a bird gun and fire at a distance, although he might experience fear or other negative emotions, he can usually persevere.

As long as he can hold on, the bullets fired by anyone will have the same lethality.

This is the maximum power of firearms.

Ordinary militiamen could also use muskets to kill a cavalryman from a distance, even though the Hu cavalry were only equivalent to light cavalry.

The resources required to train one cavalryman in the Great Zhou Dynasty are enough to support more than twenty militiamen.

Even if the combat effectiveness of the massive militia is only increased by a third, the total number will still be unparalleled.

In the past, to achieve the same effect, the militia needed to learn archery.

Therefore, there were large private archery societies during the Song Dynasty. However, even with the financial resources of the Song Dynasty, the economic peak of a feudal state, this was the only level they could achieve. How could they compare to other dynasties?

Wang Xin was very polite to the militiamen below.

Although they were given enough money, they only received a few coins each month, and they were still forced to go to the battlefield. These laborers had never had a good life.

They can't expect to enjoy a life of comfort, but they're needed for war.

Ordinary people are human too; how could they not have their own thoughts?

Unfortunately, the imperial court was an institution of violence.

Even if they are dissatisfied, this is all they can do.

On the way to Niuxin Mountain in the Yuanzi River area, we encountered a militia unit that was taking a break.

Wang Xin dismounted and rested there.

"Where are you from, fellow villager?"

"From Henan."

"Oh, so you're being sent here as a soldier? How's it going?"

Wang Xin squatted on the ground just like everyone else.

Shi Ping and the others stood at a distance, leading their horses, while only Shi Tou followed the general.

The soldiers knew the man before them was a high-ranking officer and fearfully stepped back. The young man in his early twenties swallowed hard, too nervous to speak, and could only manage to say, "Good, very good, excellent."

Wang Xin was somewhat speechless, but he patted the soldier on the shoulder.

"This battle is to defend our homeland, eliminate the barbarians, and safeguard the future of our nation. Everyone has an inescapable responsibility. We appreciate your hard work, but if we win this battle, you will all be heroes of our nation."

Wang Xin said loudly.

"General, are we really going to have to fight?"

Someone boldly asked.

Wang Xin nodded.

When it was confirmed that war was imminent, the people around became somewhat somber, and some even became more nervous.

Wang Xin sighed.

Have I reached the point where I can only talk about ideals with my soldiers?

They talk about ideals and righteousness, about all sorts of crises, about national subjugation and racial extinction, but they can't provide money.

Normally.

Whoever sacrifices and contributes more to the country should enjoy more benefits and receive more money.

(End of this chapter)