plumnovel Chapter 26 Bandit Suppression and Military Training
Chapter 26 Bandit Suppression and Military Training
In the north, especially in the mountainous areas near Beijing that are destined to suffer from severe drought every year, large-scale duck farming seems unwise.
Ducks require more flowing water in ponds than chickens to be successfully farmed on a large scale.
Moreover, this thing is resistant to moisture but not to cold, and it would not have been easy for it to survive and grow in northern China during the late Ming Dynasty, when the Little Ice Age was approaching.
In addition, the winters in the northern border of the Ming Dynasty are long now, and it is not easy to obtain fresh grass and feed once winter arrives, so feeding ducks in winter has also become a problem.
However, the wisdom of the working people is boundless. Even without Emperor Chongzhen's transfer of agricultural knowledge to later generations, the working people of today had already figured out a series of solutions.
These days, silage technology exists, and farmers in some agro-pastoral mixed areas in the northern border of the Ming Dynasty also know how to ferment and store forage in cellars.
Therefore, after summarizing and adjusting, it is very reasonable to apply it to duck farming.
With sufficient manpower, it is not difficult for military settlements to harvest and store fresh grass in summer and autumn for winter.
The problem of water for ducks during the dry season can be barely solved thanks to the large-scale well drilling in the military settlement area.
The remaining winter warmth can also be solved by building large-scale duck sheds.
Water was diverted from the major rivers and streams north of Beijing to build ponds, and duck sheds were built along the ponds for segmented breeding. In addition, some ducklings could be entrusted to the homes of the military settlement residents for raising.
In this way, it is not difficult to produce a million adult ducks in a season. Once you get the hang of it, you can produce another million ducks before winter. With the addition of pickled duck eggs, the meat needs of tens of thousands of ducks can be met smoothly.
The people in the military settlements and those in the capital city also benefited from this, eating more meat than in previous years.
Logically speaking, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, various agricultural techniques had already matured and were well-established, and their dissemination would not have been a problem. However, the Ming Dynasty, especially the northern part of the Ming Dynasty, was still in dire straits, suffering from severe food and meat shortages.
At first glance, it seems that the reason was that the Little Ice Age was a time of constant natural disasters and continuous warfare, which severely damaged the agricultural foundation of the Ming Dynasty in the north and caused a decline in productivity.
However, Emperor Chongzhen, who came after him, understood that the serious land annexation and the fact that the Ming regime could not operate outside its prefectures were the main reasons for the damage suffered in the north.
What he is doing now is trying his best to mend the nearly broken string of agricultural administration in the north, even if only partially, so that the Ming Dynasty can have a better chance of survival in the face of the harsh tests of the future.
Although the affairs of aquaculture and agriculture are complicated and troublesome, and may seem less important than the affairs of the court and the military, they are not as important as these matters.
However, it should be noted that in times of chaos and disaster, grain is more precious than gold. Even if it means investing a huge amount of silver to purchase various supplies from Shandong and Southern Zhili in exchange for the restoration of agriculture in Northern Zhili, Chongzhen felt it was well worth it.
His emphasis on agriculture has inspired officials in several counties north of Beijing to put in a lot of effort in the recent spring plowing season, mobilizing local gentry and people to engage in deep plowing to kill locusts and repair water conservancy projects.
This was related to the fact that Emperor Chongzhen distributed a lot of agricultural subsidies to several counties north of Beijing under the guise of the Ministry of Revenue, and of course, the influence of officials following suit.
However, this also meant that officials in several counties north of Beijing were fortunate enough to escape a round of official purges.
Originally, Chongzhen intended to use the pretext of the capital inspection to replace all the middle and lower-level officials in Beijing and Shuntian Prefecture, and to install more young and promising members of the "Emperor's Party" in order to implement future new policies.
But now it seems that not all of these former mid- to low-level officials were incompetent and mediocre.
It seems they were mostly opportunistic, acting according to the emperor's abilities and how much importance he placed on them.
But upon closer reflection, it's really not their fault.
After all, they had made many mistakes in Beizhili in the past. The emperor not only had high expectations, but also liked to take the blame for others and absolve himself of all responsibility.
Under such high pressure, who would dare to do things seriously? Those who had ambitions and wanted to do something were either imprisoned by the emperor or demoted. How could this not be disheartening?
But the current Chongzhen Emperor has undergone a complete transformation, as if he has turned over a new leaf. Not to mention that he increased the salaries of officials in the capital and several counties north of the capital during the New Year.
After that year, several batches of silver were allocated to county officials to provide relief to the people, resettle displaced people, and encourage land reclamation and spring plowing.
It can be said that they not only gave money and showed good attitude, but also showed rare consideration for grassroots officials.
With this relaxed environment and changing policies, how could the officials below not be tempted to take advantage of the situation?
Seeing the Emperor's courage in leading troops south to rescue Commander Lu at such great risk before the New Year, they felt less apprehensive than before.
At least, the current emperor does seem worth the risk they're willing to take.
After all, if you serve as an official near the capital and do your job well, it's easy to get noticed by the central government.
Whether it's a genuine desire to do something for the people or a ploy to attract the attention of the central government and advance further in officialdom.
The proactive governance of these local officials has at least brought tangible benefits to the people below.
Their ability to persuade local gentry and local bullies to invest resources in water conservancy projects further demonstrates their skill and resourcefulness.
Emperor Chongzhen was naturally pleased with this and was willing to give them more opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
To reiterate, the Ming Dynasty's foundation is too weak right now. As long as the fall of Beijing and the complete chaos of the country haven't reached that point, we should avoid taking drastic measures if possible.
The character of local officials and whether they are greedy are not important at this time.
The important thing is whether they can understand the court's intentions and genuinely motivate the gentry to get things done.
It now seems that most of the local officials who could become the heads of a county around the capital were quite capable.
Emperor Chongzhen's plan to install young and promising officials from his faction around the capital remained unchanged, but it was adjusted and would no longer be as radical as previously anticipated.
After advancing north, Chongzhen was in high spirits as he watched the military settlement plan progress smoothly and everything gradually get back on track. Having been away from the capital for many days, he planned to stay for two more days before setting off south.
Judging by the timeline, the opening and construction of the two important naval port areas of Tianjin and Dengzhou-Laizhou, as well as the subsequent plans for opening the sea, should be launched soon.
He would inevitably have to return to the capital and waste time talking to the officials and ministers, and then pretend to concede some court interests in exchange for the support of most of them for his pilot restrictive new policies in Tianjin and Dengzhou-Laizhou.
As for Lu Xiang-sheng, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be the next Governor-General of Ji-Liao. At present, he is needed to be stationed in Jizhou Town to train the newly formed 5,000 garrison troops and also to lead the more than 20,000 local standing troops.
Lu Xiang-sheng, of course, had no objection to Emperor Chongzhen's arrangements.
The various passes in the Ji-Liao region are crucial to the safety of the capital and bear great responsibility. The emperor's order to reorganize the defenses of Ji-Liao is also a testament to his trust in his abilities and loyalty.
Furthermore, he was not afraid of dealing with the Jurchens beyond the Great Wall. He wanted to train soldiers and settle people on the front line. Once the training was successful and the time was right, he wanted to lead his troops out of the Great Wall and fight the Jurchens to avenge the humiliation of being besieged at Julu.
But on the eve of Emperor Chongzhen's departure to lead his troops back to the capital, a robbery of a transport caravan in the military settlement area interrupted his plans.
"The three horse-drawn carts and the ironware and grain on them were robbed by a group of bandits from Black Tiger Ridge. Two of the regular soldiers in the half-shed (each shed has 12 men) who were transporting the goods were killed, two were seriously wounded, and only two lightly wounded swam across the Xiaoqing River and escaped back to the camp. According to the local military and civilian people, that group of bandits used to be..."
When the messenger reached this point outside the imperial tent, his voice trailed off, as if he were hesitant to continue.
Emperor Chongzhen frowned and looked over. The messenger trembled, then could only bite the bullet and say.
"The people said that the bandits were composed of deserters from several garrisons in the south and border troops who had wandered in from beyond the pass. They knew military formations and how to fight, and they also recruited many young men and women from the surrounding area. They had been ruling the Black Tiger Ridge area for many years, and ordinary soldiers and officers could not do anything about them."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiang-sheng's face darkened, but Chongzhen, after his initial surprise, no longer displayed a stern expression, only a sense of helplessness.
Ultimately, this is also the fault of his body's predecessor.
There's no need to elaborate on the deserters and scattered soldiers in the garrisons. Those who fought to the death against the Jurchens outside the Great Wall, and who barely escaped into the interior after being routed, were unwilling to return to their camps and hometowns. Most of them were truly those whom Emperor Chongzhen ordered to be investigated and punished.
Moreover, such cases were not limited to the northern border of Zhili. In many places along the nine borders of the Ming Dynasty, there were border troops who, due to the strict orders from above, mutinied and ultimately chose to join forces with bandits or local outlaws and become bandits themselves.
Otherwise, how could there be such a bizarre situation where the northern bandits grew stronger with each battle, while the government troops sent to suppress them grew weaker?
Ultimately, it was the Ming army that fought against the regular Ming army.
It was actually the border troops, who were forced to rebel and had stronger fighting capabilities.
After the Qing army entered the pass, it was also this group of Ming Dynasty's original northern border troops that swept all the way down to the south of the Yangtze River, eventually causing the southern Ming army to collapse and surrender.
No normal Han Chinese would not feel saddened and bewildered when they see this history in later generations.
Even though Chongzhen knew there was still a chance to salvage the situation, he couldn't be like a "normal" ruler and rebuke the border troops who had been forced into exile for betraying the empire and imperial power.
He remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed softly and said to Lu Xiang-sheng.
"The regular army suffered casualties in the attack. Regardless of their background or any other reasons, these bandits must be severely punished. I will not show them any pity."
But after dealing with these bandits, Governor Lu, please speak on my behalf to the bandits and outlaws in the areas north of Beijing and west of Liaoning.
I know that many of them were forced into banditry. If any of the front-line soldiers or military households in the garrison are willing to abandon their evil ways and join the light, I can give them a chance to reform.
However, they need to return to the army to guard the border and perform meritorious service to atone for their crimes. During this period, the court will continue to pay their military salaries, but they cannot be promoted before they have atoneed for their crimes.
As for those bandits who have been scattered for many years, committed numerous murders, and resolutely refuse to surrender to the imperial court again, Governor Lu can simply wipe them out on the spot. The incident of the garrison being attacked must not be repeated.
After hearing Emperor Chongzhen's arrangement, Lu Xiang-sheng couldn't help but feel grateful for the emperor's benevolence once again, as he was willing to give those border soldiers who had become bandits and those who had fled their homes a chance.
As for the matter of suppressing the bandits, Lu Xiang-sheng was naturally full of confidence.
He once led troops to fight against vicious bandits, and even fought a bloody battle against the Manchu Eight Banners, the pinnacle of military power in East Asia at that time.
Entrusting him with the task of wiping out the bandits is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito—it couldn't be easier.
However, Emperor Chongzhen's next request put Lu Xiang-sheng in a difficult position.
Emperor Chongzhen, who had recently proposed sending Lu Xiang-sheng to lead the new army to suppress bandits in various regions, explained with a smile.
"Governor Lu, please don't blame me for being nosy. It's just that the new army has too many new recruits after its expansion. General Huang is training them hard, but the new army, which has never seen bloodshed, is still just talking about war on paper. I don't have much confidence in their actual combat capabilities."
When I led my army to raid and rescue Governor Lu, I already had to bite the bullet and have the newly formed army display their military might on the battlefield, barely managing to scare Dorgon away. I can't do that again in the future.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiang-sheng was reminded once again of the day when the emperor led his troops to stand on the high slope to guard the escape route for him.
That scene still fills him with gratitude when he recalls it, but it also fills him with lingering fear.
After all, if Dorgon had really ordered an attack on the high ground, the emperor would have had no choice but to fight to the death to break through the encirclement or die for his country.
Having thought this through, Lu Xiang-sheng no longer hesitated and accepted the offer with his hands clasped.
Seeing this, Chongzhen did not stand on ceremony and directly handed over his personal Imperial Guard Commander Li Yuchun and his Imperial Guard, which had now expanded to nearly three thousand men, to Lu Xiangshan.
In the past few days, Lu Xiang-sheng has been busy accompanying Chongzhen to inspect the progress of spring plowing and well-digging in various places, and has not really paid much attention to the current changes in the imperial camp.
He thought that the Imperial Guard was just like the one he had seen in the Battle of Julu, consisting mostly of spearmen and swordsmen, not much different from the ordinary garrison battalion.
He was particularly impressed by the heavily armored Tiger Guards, who were burly, clad in heavy armor, wielding large spears and long swords, and equipped with Mongol iron shields.
But when he saw the new Imperial Guard, neatly arranged on the drill ground the next day, exuding a faint but sharp and murderous aura, his preconceived notions were quickly overturned.
After dismounting and walking up to a tall and upright imperial guard, Lu Xiang-sheng didn't ask any questions. He first looked at the calloused hand gripping the spear, and then examined the new cotton armor the guard was wearing.
"This armor has a lot of iron plates inlaid inside, and the padding is thick too. It's good stuff. This soldier is even more spirited; he must have worked hard during marksmanship training. He's a good soldier!"
Lu Xiang-sheng's comments made Li Yu-chun, who was following behind him, subconsciously straighten his chest.
Upon learning that the Imperial Guard now had a thousand musketeers, including an artillery unit equipped with a large number of tiger-squatting cannons, Lu Xiang-sheng became interested and immediately asked Li Yu-chun to arrange a demonstration.
Like other new army units, the various units of the Imperial Guard, which had been undergoing rigorous daily training in the Fengtai Camp, quickly and smoothly deployed their field attack formations on the drill ground.
Beneath the command flag, a squad of spearmen protected the artillery unit as they slowly advanced, regrouping every few dozen steps to ensure synchronized movement, advancing like a wall.
Upon reaching the target area, the artillery quickly deployed and set up the guns, and then completed a round of test firing and adjusted salvo firing.
Accuracy is not a concern; what matters is the destructive power and deterrent effect of a salvo.
Then the musketeers advanced and fired in three volleys.
However, there is only one chance for three-stage volley fire. After the volley fire, the pikemen advance to engage in close combat, while the musketeers return to their ranks and fire freely. Occasionally, they also draw their long swords from their waists and become melee swordsmen to fight the enemy.
Such a drill was certainly not perfect and had many problems, but it was already a top-notch "model" elite force in the Ming army at that time.
Lu Xiang-sheng beamed with joy after reading it.
What he needs to do next is to remove the word "model" from the unit's title and truly transform them into an elite force in the actual combat of bandit suppression.