plumnovel Chapter 11: Linqing Falls, Chongzhen Suffers, New Army Expands
Chapter 11: Linqing Falls, Chongzhen Suffers, New Army Expands
Linqing, an important town located at the confluence of the Grand Canal and the Wei River, was the core hub of the Ming Dynasty's grain transport system at that time.
All the grain, tax money, and other goods transported from Jiangnan had to be transshipped northward through Linqing.
This important town was tall and sturdy, with a wide and deep moat. Inside the city, there were many shops and wealthy households.
The city was filled with government-run grain warehouses, imperial silver warehouses, and grain transport offices, which stored millions of bushels of grain and countless amounts of silver year after year.
It can be said that this city was the Ming Dynasty's money bag and grain bag along the Grand Canal economic line, and it was also the core target that Dorgon wanted to plunder during his invasion of the Central Plains.
In the original timeline, after the Qing army captured Linqing, they looted the city, seizing all the grain and silver from the treasury. The grain transport from Jiangnan to the capital was forced to stop, and the economic lifeline of the Ming Dynasty was severely damaged, adding insult to injury.
After that, until the Manchus entered the pass and the north was at peace for several decades, the rebuilt Linqing could hardly reproduce the prosperous state it had been decades before.
However, the tragedies that have not yet happened in history seem unlikely to happen again.
Because Emperor Chongzhen led an army of over 10,000 to arrive here first and set up defenses.
The garrison commander of Linqing, the officials stationed in Dongchang Prefecture, and the officials of the Grand Canal Administration suddenly heard a thunderous roar of horses outside the city in the afternoon. They quickly ordered the city gates to be closed and then climbed the city walls to watch.
Before long, the scouts reported that the emperor himself had led a large army to the city. The whole city was shaken. All the officials left behind were shocked and hurriedly dressed and went out of the city to kneel and welcome him, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
Emperor Chongzhen rode his horse amidst his personal guards, clad in silver armor, with the Emperor's sword at his waist. His expression was dignified and cold, and his imposing presence made the local officials even more afraid to look up.
Emperor Chongzhen had no time to waste on words with them. He rode his horse directly into the city and issued two military orders in a swift and decisive manner.
The first military order: Eight thousand Guan Ning cavalrymen were to be divided into four teams and stationed at the four passes, ferry crossings, and official road passes outside Linqing City. They were to be on guard day and night, strictly inspecting all passersby. If any Qing scouts were discovered, they were to be killed immediately. At the same time, they were to scout thirty li away to keep a close watch on the movements of the Qing army in the direction of Guantao and Guangping, and be ready for battle at any time.
The second military order: Five thousand new soldiers shall immediately enter the city to take over the defense of the four gates of Linqing and the patrol of the streets and alleys within the city, replacing the original mediocre Linqing garrison, and take full control of the defense of the entire city of Linqing. Anyone who dares to disobey shall be dealt with according to military law!
With the two military orders issued, the defense of Linqing was completely in Chongzhen's hands within an hour.
The Guan Ning cavalry set up a perimeter around the city, while the new army controlled key locations within the city. In an instant, Linqing City transformed from a major commercial town into a military fortress.
After the defenses were secured, the first thing Chongzhen did was to send people to take over the Linqing canal transport office and the government-run granaries and silver warehouses.
This matter did not allow the local officials left in Linqing to object at all, because Chongzhen directly suppressed the noble cause of guarding the territory, securing the grain transport during wartime, resisting the enemy and protecting the people.
Anyone who dares to cause trouble at this time will really lose their head, and afterwards no official in the capital can use this incident to offer advice or remonstrance.
The more than one hundred "supervisory" eunuchs and hundreds of imperial guards who accompanied the new army immediately began to take full control of all grain storage, silver reserves and various transport materials in Linqing.
These precious supplies will be fully registered and cataloged in the coming days and incorporated into the unified wartime military supply allocation. As for how to allocate and use them, that will be decided by Emperor Chongzhen.
Huang Degong and Zhou Yuji, who accompanied Chongzhen into the city, finally understood why Emperor Chongzhen insisted on bringing a large number of supervising eunuchs and the Embroidered Uniform Guard with him on this trip south.
So they've come to check the accounts and collect the money.
These people were of little use on the battlefield, but they were indeed adept at searching for money, managing accounts, and extracting confessions.
Furthermore, with the emperor being so generous these days, there's really no need to worry about them not diligently checking accounts and handling affairs.
The grain warehouse in Linqing was one of the largest official granaries in northern China during the Ming Dynasty. It stored grain transported from the south to the north year-round, enough to feed tens of thousands of troops for several years.
Now, with Chongzhen's more than 10,000 troops stationed in Linqing, they can eat as much refined flour and meat as they want.
The canal warehouses within the city housed tax silver transferred from various provinces to the capital.
Before this silver entered the capital, it had to go through layers of exploitation: local officials and gentry, princes and nobles, various departments in the capital... which one of them didn't make a fortune?
Emperor Chongzhen, far away in the capital, had no room to intervene, let alone use his power at will.
But things are different now. He is the emperor who personally leads the expedition and is on the front line of the war against the enemy. Linqing is the first line of defense against the Qing army's invasion of Shandong. It is perfectly legitimate for him to mobilize the city's money, food and military supplies during the war!
With this moral high ground in hand, no power group dared to stand up and oppose it.
Opposition is tantamount to obstructing resistance against the enemy, colluding with the slaves, and betraying the country—a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!
Don't be fooled by those scholars and intellectuals who usually appear more aloof and righteous than anyone else. Once a knife is held to their throats, they'll cower faster than anyone else.
The Chongzhen Emperor wouldn't let the wealthy gentry who were currently gathering in Linqing City to escape the disaster go unpunished, even if the official treasury was seized.
These days, there are no simple business people.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, officials and gentry were intertwined. Those who could build large businesses without being exploited were all backed by official families.
Small merchants are not considered merchants; large merchants are local powerful figures.
These local powerful families were adept at seizing the people's land and resisting or evading taxes.
It was precisely these corrupt officials and the various princes and gentry groups in the Ming Dynasty who colluded and conspired to ultimately hollow out the financial foundation of the Ming Dynasty, leading to the empire's downfall.
Therefore, Emperor Chongzhen would never have any pity or reliance on them.
But for an emperor to directly resort to robbery would be too disrespectful to his reputation and dignity.
Moreover, now that Emperor Chongzhen has the power to deal with these wealthy gentry, there's no need to do it so blatantly and give them ammunition to criticize him.
They also have to act like "Emperor Roosevelt," taking money, levying taxes, and cutting flesh from the wealthy, with a legitimate reason, legality, and the willingness of the rich to comply.
The imminent arrival of the Jurchen army made Chongzhen's next plan a natural progression.
Sealing is a mandatory procedure for all wealthy mansions and private warehouses of a certain size.
Don't ask, the answer is that the entire city is under military control, and all resources within the city must be prepared for the upcoming major battle.
Otherwise, once the Jurchens breach the city, Chongzhen could escape with his cavalry, but none of the remaining people in the city would be able to escape!
Trading one's fortune for one's life—that's a very worthwhile deal.
They watched helplessly as their accumulated wealth and grain were seized by a group of fierce-looking Imperial Guards carrying an imperial edict. Under the pressure of the national war, the wealthy gentry in Linqing City dared not speak out against this.
However, just as they were filled with resentment and despair, Emperor Chongzhen issued another imperial edict.
The gist of it is that, considering how hard they worked to accumulate their wealth, the Ming Dynasty is now giving them a chance to express their loyalty.
The imperial court would generously allow wealthy individuals who were willing to donate half of their sealed family fortune to take the remaining half.
Moreover, in the upcoming great battle, the imperial court would, as appropriate, send troops to guard the safety of their residences.
But those who were unwilling to donate half of their family fortune gave Emperor Chongzhen ample reason to suspect that they were colluding with the enemy and betraying the country!
No wealthy family dared to bear the crime of colluding with the Jurchens during wartime. Therefore, as soon as Emperor Chongzhen issued this decree, they all eagerly offered to donate half of their family fortune to help the court fight against the Jurchens.
The sight of them enthusiastically donating money made Emperor Chongzhen laugh heartily.
The Ming Dynasty was not only overflowing with silver and grain, but also teeming with loyal gentry.
His loyalty is beyond words, truly beyond words!
Just as Dorgon was getting increasingly annoyed by being tied down in the southern part of the capital and finally decided to move his troops towards Linqing to test the waters, Chongzhen was already overjoyed as he looked at the account books presented by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.
The tax revenue ledgers submitted by the civil service in various commercial ports in the past were not just reduced; they were practically falsified and deceiving the emperor!
What?! Eighty thousand shi of grain, fifty thousand taels of silver, and they still have to cover local expenses?!
It's all bullshit!
Linqing was the vital passage for the north-south grain transport of the Ming Dynasty, supplying silver and grain from Huguang and Jiangnan to the capital and the nine border regions. It was the largest transshipment and storage center for money and grain in northern China.
After the Qing troops entered the pass and looted, martial law was declared throughout Shandong, and the north-south canal transport was suspended. A large amount of grain and silver originally destined for Beijing and Liaodong was intercepted and hoarded in Linqing.
Therefore, the amount of grain stored in the official granaries in Linqing far exceeded Chongzhen's expectations, giving him an unexpected surprise.
Based on conventional turnover and inventory levels, the amount of grain stored in Linqing during a normal grain transport season should be around 20 shi (a unit of dry measure).
Now, with the added burden of war and the suspension of canal transport, grain ships heading north from various places are unable to pass through, resulting in an excess of grain being stranded in the city, adding 25 shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain.
In addition, the local grain reserves were increased to prepare for the Qing army and bandits, resulting in an extra 6 shi of war reserve grain in the Linqing official granary.
The total amount of grain stored in these official granaries is as high as 50 shi (a unit of dry measure)!
Even if about 5 shi of grain had problems with dampness and slight mold, the remaining good grain still exceeded 45 shi.
However, this was only part of the grain stored in Linqing, because Emperor Chongzhen took drastic measures and ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to arrest all the officials in charge of the grain transport in Linqing, interrogate them one by one, and confiscate their property.
You wouldn't know it until you arrest them. After being arrested and subjected to severe interrogation, Emperor Chongzhen was truly impressed by the audacity of these corrupt officials.
Even during wartime, they did not give up their desire to steal government grain and resell it for profit.
In addition to the grain they had intercepted and stored in Linqing over the previous years that had not yet been fully sold, the total amount of stolen grain that the Imperial Guards found was as high as 20 shi!
20 shi of grain, what does that mean?
Even if Chongzhen allowed his more than 10,000 cavalrymen, totaling nearly 13,000 elite troops, to eat as much as they wanted, the food they ate and the horses chewed could last for 400 days!
The greed of these corrupt officials in the grain transport system was evident. Emperor Chongzhen had nothing to say to them and simply ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to execute the entire families of these scoundrels!
There wasn't much official silver in Linqing, only 40 taels after counting, but the amount of stolen silver confiscated was quite large, more than double the amount of official silver!
The 900,000 taels of dirty silver replenished Chongzhen's already increasingly strained imperial treasury.
The generous donations from the wealthy gentry in Linqing City further demonstrated to Emperor Chongzhen the financial strength of these local tycoons from the late Ming Dynasty.
At this time, there were 25 long-established Huizhou and Shanxi merchants in Linqing City. They mainly engaged in the trade of silk, salt, iron and canal transport, and the total assets of each merchant ranged from 15 to 20 taels.
There are as many as 80 prominent and wealthy families in Linqing, with each family having total assets ranging from 5 to 8 taels of silver.
More than 200 wealthy families in the surrounding area fled, and most of them had total assets of more than 10,000 taels of silver.
Half of each household's wealth was confiscated. Even after deducting the shops and jewelry that were difficult to liquidate during the war, the amount of cash alone was as high as 290 million taels!
The amount of grain confiscated was not much, only 8 shi.
This may be related to the fact that these wealthy merchants thought that most of the grain in Linqing City was stored up, so when they fled, they mostly took silver and jewelry with them.
The final total of the audit and donations received is as follows:
The official granary held 40 taels of silver and 50 shi of grain.
The confiscated property of the corrupt official in charge of the grain transport was found to contain 90 taels of silver and 20 shi of grain.
The wealthy merchant's share of confiscated funds and grain included: 290 million taels of silver, shops and jewelry worth 90 taels of silver (which could be sold at a discount in the south), and 8 shi of grain.
General Ledger Summary:
Silver: 420 million taels (with an additional income of approximately 90 taels to follow).
Grain: Approximately 80 shi (a unit of dry measure).
At first glance, these sums of money and grain seem insignificant compared to the 1200 million taels of silver in taxes and more than 2000 million shi of grain collected in the tenth year of the Chongzhen reign.
However, it should be noted that the taxes and grain payable on the books were subject to layers of exploitation, deduction, and interception.
In the end, only 700 million taels of silver and 1300 million shi of tax grain entered the imperial granary!
The imperial court relied on these funds to maintain the expenses of fighting on multiple fronts, support the civil service, and provide disaster relief in various regions; it had long been operating at a deficit.
But now, Chongzhen has 420 million taels of silver and 80 shi of grain in his own hands.
This sum of money is what gives him the confidence to fight the Jurchens who have entered the pass.
It is also the foundational capital for the implementation of his subsequent plans.
Emperor Chongzhen generously rewarded the Imperial Guards and eunuchs who had worked diligently and reaped considerable benefits from the audit, giving each of them no less than twenty taels of silver.
The Guan Ning soldiers stationed outside Linqing City to guard the movements of the Jurchen army also received a generous reward. The basic cavalrymen received at least five taels of silver, while the officers received even greater rewards.
With a continuous supply of meat and fine grains, and the ability to enter Linqing City in batches for consumption and entertainment, these Guan Ning soldiers no longer complained about undertaking the heaviest guard duties.
The soldiers of the new army stationed inside the city were relieved of their guard duties and the hardship of setting up camp outside the city.
Therefore, apart from the battalions that were on duty on the wall, the rest of the new army units naturally did not receive any additional rewards.
However, their deployment to Linqing City was not entirely without its advantages.
Senior officers in the new military units have been beaming with joy and high spirits lately.
The reason is simple: His Majesty has decided to conscript soldiers locally in Linqing City.
All battalions in the new army were to be expanded, and those in charge would naturally benefit immensely.
Even if he doesn't get promoted for the time being, the significant expansion of his troops will make him a formidable force on the battlefield in the future.
Emperor Chongzhen's new troop expansion targeted the laborers who worked hard on the Grand Canal and the able-bodied farmers who had taken refuge in Linqing City.
They are all top-notch recruits.