Griffin Commander in the Late Ming Dynasty

The two men squeezed the horses' bellies. The horse under 191's crotch was obviously of higher quality and charged faster than the opponent. When the opponent's horse just started to move, 191 had already started to speed up.

Charging on horseback, victory or defeat was decided in a flash. The general was obviously in good shape. After discovering that the horse's speed was not in his favor, he decisively chose to take the initiative to attack. The spear in his hand drew an arc and stabbed straight at 191, forcing him to return to defense. If he didn't defend, his shoulder would be cut, but the spear in his hand would definitely pierce the opponent's chest!

191 His eyes moved, and he held the broadsword horizontally in his hand, and charged forward with the momentum of the horse. In a flash of cold light, a large head flew high up, and Xie Yuan's body fell off the horse's back dejectedly. A moment later, the head fell to the ground, and the whole scene was instantly silent.

Soon, the volunteers reacted and shouted loudly, cheering for their general. 191 rode his horse and slowly circled the direction of the Ming army's formation: "Who else is coming to die?"

I don’t understand what it means to be young and frivolous, I only know that the winner is the king!

Just crazy!

Volume 219: Chapter Chapter : Taking Zhenjiang

After the fight between the generals, it can only be said that the Zhenjiang defenders finally redeemed themselves. You defeated me not because I am not strong, but because you borrowed other unorthodox means. However, this little trick was cut into pieces in front of 191's big knife.

They had no other way to go. The navy that could have been used to contain the enemy and attack their logistical supplies was directly crushed and incorporated. Without cavalry and insufficient personnel, the Zhenjiang defenders could not provide any troops to cooperate in harassment outside the city and could only rely on defending the city.

However, just as the Maginot Line will definitely be bypassed and the city walls will definitely be climbed over, if the other side won't fight you, what can you do?

Three knives, three corpses, three heads.

The pride of these Ming troops was completely shattered. Zhenjiang City itself had few soldiers, and there were only a few who could be considered brave. Of course, the young general before could also be considered a talent, but he was killed by Wolf Tixia with three punches.

Nowadays, these generals who are absolutely top-notch in the army in terms of martial arts skills cannot even last a round at the hands of the enemy. The enemy just comes up with their hard knives and hard horses and chops them to pieces. How do you explain this?

When the two officers were killed, the garrison knew that it was over. What was the purpose of fighting between generals? To boost one's own momentum and to hurt the enemy's morale. Killing the enemy general in battle would greatly boost morale, but being killed in battle would also be a big blow to one's own garrison. This was a double-edged sword, so one must send one's most reliable men first to get off to a good start.

If you get off to a good start but get chopped off, your situation is quite dangerous and you need to make a strong effort to save your reputation. If you fail to do so, the morale will start to drop.

Reality is not a drama. No one would be willing to use the talents under their own command to play the game of pretending to be a pig and then eating the tiger. They would just suppress you to death if they can and would not argue with you.

In the end, a general in the team was filled with righteous indignation and shouted, "I can do it too," so he went up, and then he was killed. The fire of hope in the eyes of the government troops was completely extinguished.

Seeing you whining, everyone thought you were a warrior from Jieliang, but it turns out that you are the great general Xing Daorong. Who can tell?

Moreover, the opponent is a female general.

Don't get me wrong, women in the daimyo still had rights, and the harm of Neo-Confucianism had not yet completely spread to the entire country. Women in the Ming Dynasty could do almost all jobs because everyone was treated like cattle and horses, and everyone was very equal.

Among the women, there were also extraordinary women like Qin Liangyu, who was extremely ferocious and beat Li Zicheng so hard that he broke out of his mask of pain.

In the Qing Dynasty, the status of women declined across the board. To what extent? Except for the empress, even the princesses of the country were not worthy of names, but only titles. Moreover, the titles were divided into different classes, such as the more favored Princess Gulun and the second-level Princess Yihe, and only adult princesses could enjoy them.

Yes, adulthood. In ancient times, it was a very serious problem for children to grow up. The infant mortality rate could be as high as 40% to 60%. It was a miracle for almost every child to grow up safely.

Take Kangxi as an example. He had 35 sons and 20 daughters. He could be called the stud king of the Qing Dynasty. He was in extremely good health. However, among the princesses who were daughters of the royal family, only nine survived to adulthood.

If even the daughter of a royal family is like this, then one can basically imagine what the situation is like for children from ordinary people's families.

In the final analysis, all this was caused by backward medical conditions. The ancients at that time were very fragile. A otaku like Jiang Han in later generations had a body like a chemical element table. He had been filled with various vaccines since birth, including sugar pills to prevent polio, hepatitis B vaccine, cowpox, malaria, dengue fever, and various vaccines in turn, making his body like an iron bell and iron cloth shirt, and he rarely even caught a cold.

In ancient times when these things were lacking, when children fell ill, they could only rely on Chinese medicine for treatment. Not to mention, most ordinary people basically could not afford to see a doctor and had to rely on themselves to endure. A cold could take their lives. Modern people would at most catch a cold and sneeze after being in the water, but for the ancients, they could basically start a new life.

I'm getting off topic. At a time when Neo-Confucianism had not yet spread throughout the country, women in the Ming Dynasty still had a certain social status. People would be surprised to see a woman serving as a general, but there would be no opposition or resistance. The key point was that the government troops were a little uncomfortable because everyone knew that women's physical fitness was inherently inferior to men's, so women had no advantage in doing things that required frontal fighting. Qin Liangyu, can Qin Liangyu be called a woman?

She is 1.8 meters tall, with a back as broad as a bear and arms as thick as human thighs. Who would be able to tell that she is a woman if she didn't say so?

But 191 was different. He looked more feminine than any other woman. He wore a white robe, had a face like a red swan, and had the temperament of a harmless rabbit. However, the Qinglong Yanyue steel knife in his hand and the blood dripping from the knife turned his temperament into an endless murderous aura.

Such a woman could chop her own general as easily as chopping a melon. With a swing of her long sword, she could knock off a large head. Even the enemy was impressed by her superb martial arts.

Everyone likes to watch a fight between generals. If a fight between generals occurs during an army battle, everyone will encourage the entire army to watch together and act as the atmosphere group to boost the morale of their own general. Of course, if the general is gone, they will just start the banquet procedure and there will be no need to fight.

191 Three strikes cut off the spirit of the defending officers and soldiers. These people also lost their fighting spirit. They couldn't win in the first place, and now seeing that the opposing general was so fierce, they still used hammers. Up vote, up vote, up vote! !

Seeing the Ming army lay down their weapons and surrender, the humanoids were somewhat surprised. How could they really make the other side surrender? Is it still possible to play like this? Is it so magical?

In fact, although the form of war has begun to change, the essence of war has not changed. As long as the humanoids think about it themselves, they can understand this situation.

"Hahaha! My second brother is invincible!"

Jiang Han's mouth was crooked with smile. As a loyal fan of the Three Kingdoms, this scene was just perfect for him. The feeling of getting the SSR God General Guan Yu was simply incomparable.

"Hahaha!! I am Guan Yu!"

191 was also very happy. The experience before her made her realize her dream perfectly. As the saying goes, the greatest hero serves the country and the people. Being able to fight for the country and show off her martial arts made her so happy. Oh, this commander is really not a bad guy!

Damn, the pussy is so fucking hard!

"Notify the entire army to begin taking over Zhenjiang's city defense and important institutions. Go to the county government office and get all the population yellow books. Begin a comprehensive investigation of the basic situation of the city's wealthy merchants, wealthy families, and landlords and gentry. From today on, Changjiang, I've said it!"

The tense and exciting incorporation process began. It was destined to be a sleepless night for the people of Zhenjiang City. A large number of military horses galloped in the city, and the roar of the army's movements was clearly audible. The family hugged each other, huddled in the corner, and dared not make a sound.

The enemy army arrived too quickly. The people in the city had not reacted until they received the news at noon. The only ones who were able to profit on the spot were the sons of wealthy families. The speed with which the enemy captured Zhenjiang was also astonishing. Zhenjiang did not even hold out for a day.

When the battle started, the people of Zhenjiang closed their doors and windows and hid as much food and property as possible. The disaster caused by war was even more serious than that of natural disasters. They dared not imagine what the enemy would do after breaking into the city. Even the seemingly righteous defenders would directly enter the house and forcibly collect their food when the war was tense. If they refused, they would be chopped to pieces with knives.

When it prospers, the people suffer; when it dies, the people suffer.

Many people greeted the next day's sunrise in fear.

Dangdangdangdang! The sound of loud gongs echoed through the streets and alleys.

"Attention, attention. The Zhenjiang wharf was severely damaged due to yesterday's battle. We are recruiting young and strong men to come. The clothing factory and the spinning mill are recruiting women with weaving skills! And..."

Hearing the loud and repetitive voices preaching in the streets and alleys, many people could not help but quietly open a small crack in their doors to observe secretly.

It's not that they are too careful, it's just that the war disasters nowadays are so deadly that they can't be too careful.

However, what surprised them was that, in their impression and in the government's propaganda, Yangzhou across the street was simply a picture of hell. The bandits there were all eight feet tall and eight feet around the waist. They thought about how to eat children every day, and they were so cruel that the people were terrified.

But now, it seems that something is wrong. The neighbors check with each other and find that their friends are all staying at home. What is going on? Wasn’t it supposed to be very fierce?

The volunteers sent by Yangzhou were still beating gongs in the streets and alleys and loudly talking about the recruitment plan. They were the refugees who had come to Yangzhou before, but at present, there were very long queues for land allocation in Yangzhou and jobs were even more fiercely sought after. The capture of Zhenjiang was truly a godsend for these people.

There is a lot of work to be done in Zhenjiang, and the government's decrees need to be passed down to the villages. Posting official documents is obviously not a good idea, so we can only rely on the explanations of scholars. Most people here can't read a single word, so they just believe whatever others say.

Therefore, Jiang Han simply used a stupid method. He recruited some refugees with better performance as volunteers to go to Zhenjiang to convey the government's work situation. To be honest, this job was very hard. They had to walk every day and shout loudly, which was tiring for their voice and physical strength. Therefore, Jiang Han paid them a good salary, and these people could also have priority when land was distributed in Zhenjiang.

The common people stayed in the house trembling with fear, fighting wits and courage with the air for most of the day, fearing that a group of soldiers would appear and take them away. They watched secretly through the crack in the door, and as soon as they saw the volunteers passing by, they immediately retreated back home.

But after a while they discovered that these soldiers seemed to have no interest in them at all. They walked in neat steps, looked hurried, and did not even glance at the houses on the street.

Gradually, some people slowly opened the window, leaned their heads out, listened carefully to the loud calls of the volunteers, and their hearts gradually began to become lively.

It's not that we are not careful, the conditions offered by the other party are too tempting! There is actually a job!

The policy that was once implemented in Yangzhou began to be gradually implemented in Zhenjiang after avoiding many detours, and the first thing was to recruit people.

Productivity is the key, and human resources are extremely important. Now that Zhenjiang has been captured, in addition to completely controlling the Yangtze River, expanding its scale and increasing its population, one has also taken over a mess. Under the diligent governance of successive Zhenjiang county magistrates, this place cannot be said to be peaceful and prosperous, but it is more or less a place where the people are living in poverty. With repeated taxation, Zhenjiang is not a rich grain-producing area. With a large area to the north, Zhenzi will have to let the people suffer for a while, and then things will get better. After the war, the people's taxes will be exempted.

The pie is well drawn, but isn't it enough to satisfy hunger? Three years later, Zhenzi's promise was never fulfilled. Instead, people suffered more and more. Taxes were repeatedly increased, and the belts of ordinary people were about to break.

Refugees, starving people, all kinds of problems are waiting to be solved, but no matter what, they all come down to the word money and food.

If you want money and food, you must engage in trade. If you want to engage in trade, productivity must be improved!

It is impossible to ask Jiang Han to provide relief to the refugees, but there is no problem in giving them a job opportunity. In fact, these refugee people also have the same idea.

If everyone had hands and feet, and a piece of land, they wouldn't have ended up in this situation. If everyone had a way to support themselves, who would be willing to become a refugee, endure being looked down upon and despised by others?

Rather, Jiang Han's method made them feel more at ease. Although these refugees had never been to school, they had been wandering for many years and had experienced the warmth and coldness of human nature. They might not be able to tell you any truth or law, but they were familiar with many philosophies of life.

The fact that free things are the most expensive is very clear to them. The landlords, tycoons, and bullies act like Bodhisattvas descended from the earth at the gates of casinos. They lend you money generously to let you play for a few rounds. But after two rounds, you lose all your money, and then they will sell your wife and children to pay off the debt. Even you yourself are completely trapped in the vortex and cannot get out.

In times like this, there are no good people who would selflessly help others. Such people would have died long ago. Jiang Han had encountered such a situation in Yangzhou. He sent food directly to these people, but they refused to accept it no matter what. Even after they took it, they didn't dare to touch it, as if the food was some kind of monster that would plunge them into the abyss if they touched it.

Therefore, Jiang Han will not play the trick of sending food to Zhenjiang this time. I will directly teach him how to fish and open various factories here. All the light industrial factories in Yangzhou will be built here. I will also prepare a shipyard at the dock. All large and small sailboats and sampans will be sent out to either transport goods or to fish and pan for sand. No one will be idle!

On the contrary, this worked well, and the people liked it very much. The simple people regarded having a job to feed themselves and their families as a great thing. In their hearts, this was the right thing to do. How could they eat food if they worked like cattle and horses? There is no such thing as getting something for nothing. The gentleman of the volunteer army gave them a way to live, and such good food, so they must work twice as hard to repay the gentleman's kindness!

Volume 220: Chapter Chapter : Post-event management of Zhenjiang

The news that Zhenjiang was attacked and captured within a day soon reached Nanjing. Now, no matter who it was, no one could sit still.

Yangzhou and Zhenjiang are located on both sides of the same section of the Yangtze River. If these two places are captured, the Yangtze River will be completely in the hands of the other side!

Suzhou, Changzhou, Wuxi and other places downstream are all economic centers and important grain-producing areas in the south of the Yangtze River. Most of the exchanges of goods and resources in these places come from canal transportation, that is, water transportation. The Yangtze River is their economic line.

The Nanjing Ministry of Revenue is one of the few departments with authority in Nanjing, because this department is responsible for collecting tax grain from Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Huguang provinces. It is also responsible for grain transport and national salt permits. The tax revenue from these places accounts for up to half of the entire Ming Dynasty!

Except for the changes in Liu Jin's reforms during the Zhengde period, the taxation rights of the Nanjing Ministry of Revenue changed. The taxation in the Jiangnan region of the entire Ming Dynasty was the responsibility of Nanjing, which is located in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

The Jiangnan region has numerous water systems and a complex environment. Traveling by land is not only troublesome, but also inefficient. Transportation channels represent logistics replacement, trade, and monetary development. No matter how much products a place can produce, it is useless if you can't sell them. Jiangnan is also the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty. Now that the Yangtze River is being blocked by someone, they must consider whether the other party will set up blockades on the waterway.

Once checkpoints are set up, tax revenue in most of Jiangnan will not be collected and trade will be affected, which will become a nightmare for the entire Ming Dynasty.

Therefore, the Nanjing Ministry of War became anxious. The Nanjing Ministry of War was mainly responsible for the garrison of Nanjing area and was in charge of 49 guards in Nanjing area. At that time, Li Banghua, the then Minister of Nanjing Ministry of War, was a capable man. He carried out major military reforms in the capital and laid off a large number of officers and soldiers in the Beijing camp who were drawing salaries without doing anything. As a result, he offended many powerful people, was ostracized and impeached, and was exiled to Nanjing as a nuisance.

Historically, this person proposed that the Crown Prince go to Nanjing to supervise the country. After Chongzhen hanged himself, he wrote a suicide poem and then committed suicide.

Li Banghua is a very stubborn person. No matter how others impeach him, he insists on doing his own thing. He has been an official for his entire life. Because of impeachment, he has been resting at home for about 20 years. This is a vacation paid for by public funds.

The current eunuch Han Zanzhou, who guards Nanjing, is also a loyal minister. When the Qing army entered the pass and headed south, the Hongguang Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty rushed out in a hurry, but Han Zanzhou did not follow the emperor. Instead, he stayed and led his troops to fight to the death. Later, he was captured by the Qing army, and because of the Qing army's lax supervision, he jumped off a building and committed suicide for his country.

It can be said that the people in charge of Nanjing military affairs are all capable ministers who are loyal to the Ming Dynasty. Their judgment of Jiang Han is also quite accurate. At this moment, if other bandits were captured in Zhenjiang, it would be fine, but for Jiang Han, they reasonably guessed that this group of bandits was preparing to set up a checkpoint on the Yangtze River.

You know what, Jiang Han really thought so.

"It is said that if you want to be rich, you must first build roads. Whoever controls the right to roads also controls the wealth."

Looking at the bustling dock construction site, Jiang Han began to give instructions in a fatherly manner.

"What do you mean?" Wang Dang asked from the side.

"Doesn't the Ming Dynasty have taxes related to road use? This also shows that the Ming Dynasty has its own system in this regard, but now, it has changed the standards."

Jiang Han shrugged. "I have spent a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to build the docks and control the waterways. I have also spent quite a lot of resources to take over Zhenjiang. They can use these docks and passages for free? How can it be so good? Of course there is a fee."

"But, if we charge a fee, won't that make merchants no longer dare to do business here? Our identities are sensitive, and merchants already have concerns. If we charge a fee again, won't it cause panic when the news gets out? Moreover, the canal transportation is so important, and if this happens, a large number of canal workers will be out of work. Their livelihoods will be in big trouble."

Wang Dang frowned, he felt like something was wrong.

"You have started to think independently and consider practical issues, which is good. I used to be like you, issuing policies based on my own ideas and doing whatever I thought of, ignoring practical issues. Only after I personally participated in the spring farming season can I understand the real problems faced by the people."

Yes, Jiang Han lacks sufficient understanding of today's people. He knows that they are poor. The textbooks used to clearly state where the main contradictions lie. But the textbooks did not explain how to enable these people to grow good crops and have enough food.

Today's Ming Dynasty is still using the primitive method of slash-and-burn farming. Before the advent of chemical fertilizers, a large number of farmers maintained the land by burning wheat straw or burying other weeds in the ground to ensure the fertility of the land. This was inefficient and time-consuming. Moreover, due to Jiang Han's previous land distribution, a large amount of land was left abandoned and waiting for redistribution. As a result, spring plowing was delayed. If his subordinates had not reminded him, this would have really caused a disaster.

"Yes, if you simply charge a fee, it will definitely scare these merchants and cause them to use other methods of transportation. However, you overlooked one point, which is that these merchants have no other options."

Jiang Han slowly raised a finger: "These merchants started their business by operating their own logistics and transportation systems. They have invested most of their wealth in their own logistics systems. These large ships need to be maintained every day, and the workers need to eat. These expenses are quite large. If they re-select the channels, with the current rising prices and no one being able to afford food, these merchants will go bankrupt directly."

"So no matter what, they will come here to try to communicate with us to ensure the smooth flow of their trade routes. As long as our conditions are within a reasonable range, they will accept them. After all, no matter how evil the Ming Dynasty is, it can be worse than that."

"At this time, we can tell them our new rules. We have set up a wharf on Changjiang Road and built infrastructure. If you want to go directly, there will be no problem. But if you want to stop for supplies or trade here, we have to calculate the docking fees and tariffs. At the same time, we have also built many roads in Yangzhou and Zhenjiang, which can greatly improve transportation efficiency. If the other party's carriages want to take this road, we have to charge a certain toll."

"Foreign merchants who come here only need to pay a few fees. They have to pay for docking at the dock, because I built this dock, so it's only natural. They have to pay customs duties to trade with us, because strictly speaking, this place does not belong to the Ming Dynasty. Finally, commercial activities require commercial taxes, which are deducted from each transaction. To be honest, I am so conscientious about these three fees."

"As long as we have the rules in our hands, we will never be short of money, so we must make the rules credible and acceptable to most people."

"Boarding fees and tolls are not high. When setting the prices, I have taken into account the current income level. I will specify different charging standards based on the size of the fleet, but they will all be within the range that they can definitely afford and will not affect their normal life activities."

After saying so much, Jiang Han felt a little thirsty. Pei Huayu quickly handed him a cup of tea. Jiang Han took a sip to moisten his throat.

"But, if there are checkpoints on the roads, how are farmers and ordinary people going to get into the city? They may not be able to afford the money."

"You think too much. This road is for merchants to use. It has no other use except for convenience and speed. It is no different from other roads. There is no mandatory requirement. It is mainly aimed at those groups who need fast trade and long-distance transfer. Ordinary people can just take the normal road to enter the city. By the way, how are you preparing for the spiritual civilization construction in the city that I told you about..."

Zhenjiang is bustling now. The city, which was originally like a stagnant pool, has suddenly come alive. People are constantly running in the streets and alleys, and the fields are crowded with people. The soldiers of the volunteer army mingle with the local nobles and gentry.

The factory in the city is under construction and a large number of manpower is needed for production. After experiencing the initial shock, suspicion, and temptation, many people finally couldn't help but take the first step. With the first person taking the lead, the rest of the people began to follow suit. Who would refuse if there was work to do and food to eat?

The volunteers who came to work were surrounded in three layers. Everyone wanted to know the recruitment rules, so they could only explain it to the ordinary people over and over again.

This job is very tiring. Many volunteers have hoarse voices and cannot speak after a day. Many smart people carry a bamboo tube filled with water to drink on the road.

Although it was tiring, no one wanted to quit, everyone was very motivated, and the people's response became more and more enthusiastic.

What are you talking about with the righteousness of the country? We can't even afford to eat, so how can we talk to you about the righteousness of the country? In the eyes of the common people, it's nothing more than the surname of the person sitting on the top has changed, there is no big difference, but this adult can actually let them have work to do and food to eat. If you ask them whether they are worthy or not, they are definitely worthy! After all, the court can't let them eat.

It is somewhat sad to say that the volunteer soldiers were performing their duties in the city, taking over the city defense and restoring public order. These scenes had never been seen by the common people in their decades of life. To them, the government army was the boss.

They don't pay for meals or things, they beat people at will, and if you resist the slightest, they will pull out a knife. They will even break into your house to rob you, saying it's collecting taxes. For ordinary people, if the soldiers don't harm them at all, they are a rare good army.

People like the volunteers were simply unheard of, and this undoubtedly increased the people's favorability towards them and made them trust the recruitment announcement more.

The volunteers were also very busy. They were in charge of surveying the land and re-registering the land yellow pages of Zhenjiang area.

Many local nobles and landlords could no longer sit still. As mentioned before, in the Southern Zhili region, most of the military household lands in the hands of the local garrisons had become private fields of the nobles. The nobles found people to pretend to be military households to make up the numbers, so that the garrison lands of each family had names and owners. Secondly, they could allow these military households to eat the empty salaries of the local garrisons and the Nanjing Beijing Camp.

It has to be said that each of these nobles is smarter than a ghost. If they were to check the Yellow Book, no problems would be found. Only a small group of officers had no connections and could not be saved.

Their Ruyi Suan was very loud. Seeing that this group of volunteers came with great momentum, it was obvious that they were here to divide the land. However, there are countermeasures for every policy. Can you still take all our land and redistribute it? Aren't you afraid that we will rebel?