Chongzhen Daming: Starting from Coal Mountain

Chapter 289 Destroying Seven Million Taels in One Battle

However, he had just walked halfway when he met He Luohui, who was in a panic.

"Master, it's broken." He Luohui said with a dark face, "Taojiadian Ferry Wharf, as well as the fishing boats we collected, were all set ablaze by Minggou, and the Minggou navy blocked the river and was holding cannons. Bombing us."

"Damn it!" Dorgon said angrily, "This is bullying that we don't have red cannons."

Dorgon's slave-building army really didn't have Hongyi cannons. When Dorgon brought the army to Guide, he didn't think about fighting a tough battle, so he didn't bring Hongyi cannons.

As a result, the Hongyi cannon left on the west bank of the Yellow River was destroyed by the Ming army.

The Hongyi Cannon left on the east bank has been taken to Shandong by Duoduo.

"Master, what should we do now?" He Luohui asked again.

"Go upstream and find a ferry to cross the river." Dorgon said with a dark face, "I don't believe that the Ming army navy can still follow us upstream. There will always be riverbanks that they can't get to."

Without sailors and Hongyi cannons, there was no choice but to take a detour.

Dorgon turned his horse's head and turned onto the official road leading to Zhongmou.

But after walking a few steps, Dorgon couldn't help turning his head to look in the direction of Xuzhou, and swore in his heart, Chongzhen, I, Dorgon, will come back, just wait!

……

Chongzhen lay lazily on his back on the soft couch.

Listening to Zhu Cihong reporting to him the damage in the battle of Xuzhou.

The Xuzhou battle that determined the fate of the Ming Dynasty had officially ended, and Chongzhen's heart that had been hanging in the air finally fell back into his stomach. He felt lazy all of a sudden, and he didn't even want to move a finger.

Zhu Cihong opened the ledger and read: "Father, from the outbreak of the Great War at the end of February to today, more than [-] generals and soldiers of our army have been killed in the Battle of Xuzhou, and a total of [-] soldiers have been killed. More than [-] people were killed in battle, more than [-] naval officers and soldiers were killed in battle, and more than [-] were injured."

"The people in Xuzhou had a total of more than [-] casualties, of which more than [-] died."

"A total of three Hongyi cannons, nine Flang cannons, forty-seven tiger crouching cannons, more than [-] bird guns, three-eyed guns, and Lumi guns were lost, and more than [-] pairs of armor were damaged. About two thousand more."

"Also, more than [-] bamboo spears were damaged, and more than a thousand waist knives were damaged."

"In addition, a total of [-] catties of lime and about [-] catties of gunpowder were consumed."

"The consumption is about [-] barrels of golden juice, about [-] pairs of fishing nets, and about [-] catties of peppers."

Zhu Cihong wanted to continue reading, but was interrupted by Chongzhen: "Okay, there is no need to read. How much is the value of all these wasted materials? Have you calculated it?"

"Father, my son probably estimated it just now."

Zhu Cihong nodded and said: "All of them add up to no more than one hundred thousand taels of silver."

"Less than one hundred thousand taels?" Chongzhen was a little surprised, "It's much less than pensions and rewards."

"Yes." Zhu Cihong nodded and said, "It's just that the pension for death in battle is about half a million taels. In terms of rewards, the final results of the battle have not yet been counted, but there are [-] real slaves, [-] Han soldiers, and [-] more. Coating is just too much, and these bounties add up to at least [-]."

"That is to say, one million taels of silver are gone?"

Zhu Cijiong was speechless: "Wars are really costly, and the Huai'an Mansion hasn't counted it yet."

Zhu Cihong nodded and said: "If Huai'an Mansion is included, it is estimated that two million taels will not be enough. After all, Yan Yingyuan has even burned down the west city of Shanyang."

Chongzhen shook his head and said, "You guys, the bulk of the expenses have not been counted yet."

"Big head?" Zhu Cihong was stunned for a moment, and then his face changed drastically, "Father, are you talking about the wages of the soldiers in the border town?"

"War pay?" Zhu Cijiong also changed his expression greatly, "Xuzhou Thirty Town Frontier Army is compared with the Liao Town pay. The salary is two taels per Ding per month, and the war salary is tripled to six taels!"

"Thirty towns have a total of [-] frontier troops."

"One month's salary is [-]!"

After a pause, Zhu Cijiong said with a dark face again: "The Battle of Xuzhou started in February, and it is now June. It will last for five months, and the total payment will be [-] million taels!"

"[-] million?!" Both brothers were frightened.

"Doesn't this mean that seven million taels of silver were lost in one battle?"

"Now you know how expensive it is to fight a war?" Chongzhen was actually able to laugh.

"Compared to the loss of grain, grass, ordnance and various military supplies, the expenditure on salaries is the real big one! The national finances of our Ming Dynasty were dragged down by Liao's salaries."

"What can we do?" Zhu Cijiong asked anxiously, "The [-] frontier troops have dragged down our Daming's treasury. In the future, there will be no more than [-] to [-] troops in the Northern Expedition, or even a million? We can't afford it!"

Zhu Cihong also said: "Relying on the exchange to issue bonds is not a long-term solution."

"Then what do you think should be done?" Chongzhen teased, "Repudiation?"

"That's definitely not possible." Zhu Cihong said solemnly, "Father, you must not renege on your debt."

Zhu Cijiong also said: "Father, you often teach my elder brother, me and my fifth younger brother that no one can stand without faith..."

"Okay, I'm making you anxious." Chongzhen said angrily, "Father is just joking with you."

After a pause, Chongzhen went on to say: "But how to pay, we really have to make a good total. It is definitely not possible to distribute the silver directly to the soldiers in the border town. We can only distribute the land to them."

"Dividing the land?" Zhu Cihong said, "Father means to use the land as payment?"

"That's right, use the land to pay for the salary." Seeing the two brothers Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong thinking seriously, Chongzhen felt very relieved. After nearly a year of painstaking teaching, he was finally able to help the staff with some things that the ministers were inconvenient to participate in. , For example, using Xuzhou official land as payment and rewards to Shanyang Xiangyong and Xuzhou's frontier army.

This kind of thing, even the son of Prince Qin, cannot participate in it.

Because the interests involved here are too great, no one can remain indifferent.

How many officials are there in the world who can keep their original intentions like Ma Mingpao?

What's more, it is unknown whether Ma Mingpao can still keep his original intention at this time.

"Not only the salaries of the border guards, but also the rewards of the bravery of the township can also be offset by the official land."

Chongzhen said: "At present, Jiannu has decided to withdraw troops. I believe that from now on, no one will doubt whether our Daming can hold the Huanghuai line of defense. At this time, the official land in Xuzhou and even Guide, let alone five taels of silver per mu. Even if it is ten taels of silver per mu, there will be countless people rushing to buy it. I will pay two taels of silver per mu to the soldiers of the border town and the township brave of Huai'an Prefecture. No one will refuse, so the four million mu of official land in Xuzhou It can cover ten million taels of silver!"

"The salary of [-] million taels is only half of it."

After a pause, Chongzhen smiled and said: "All the losses of Huai'an Mansion and Xuzhou in this war are enough to make up for it, and there is still a lot to spare."

Zhu Cihong frowned and said, "But Father, what about the first tranche of bonds?"

Just halfway through the conversation, Zhu Cihong suddenly realized, and then asked, "Did Deputy Director Ma already buy back all the first tranche bonds at a low price?"

Chongzhen said with a smile: "Even if you didn't buy all of them back, there are not many left."

Zhu Cihong said happily: "In this case, it will be no problem to use Xuzhou's four million mu of official land to pay for salaries and rewards, and there will even be a lot of money to pay for the young crops of the common people."

"Speaking of money for young crops." Chongzhen asked with a smile, "A total of [-] million catties of young crops have been collected?"

Zhu Cihong corrected: "Father, the total is [-] million catties. Later, the remaining young crops on the north bank were collected, so there were another [-] million catties of young crops."

"Speaking of this young crop, the price you set, Father, is really too high."

Zhu Cijiong complained: "One tael per hundred catties, two hundred and forty million catties is two million four hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"Is it set high?" Chongzhen asked Zhu Cihong with a smile again, "Xiao'er, do you think Father Huang set a high level?"

"It doesn't make any difference whether the price is high or low." Zhu Cihong said with a smile, "Because even if there is no such a few million taels of young crop money, the emperor will still distribute the land to the people of Xuzhou for nothing."

For those people who fled from Beizhi and Shandong and came to Xuzhou, the imperial court will definitely allocate fields for them to grow.

So even if there is no money for young crops, the court still wants to divide the land. Now it is just a different form, from dividing the land for nothing to letting the people buy the land with the money for young crops. There is no difference in essence.

Gently tapping on the soft couch with his finger, Chongzhen murmured and said, "Father is thinking about another question now, should we take this opportunity to let the Thirty Town Frontier Army retire from active service?"

Not retired.

I really can't afford to support these frontier soldiers.

"What? Retire the frontier troops from Thirty Towns from active service?"

Brothers Zhu Cihong and Zhu Cijiong were taken aback, how can this work?
Zhu Cihong said: "Father, if the frontier troops are all retired, who will guard the Huanghuai defense line?"

"Of course it's still the [-] frontier soldiers." Chongzhen said, "Although the border town has been withdrawn, the [-] soldiers still live in Xuzhou. Once Jiannu invades south, the Huanghuai defense line will have to rely on them."

"Hmm." Hearing this, Zhu Cihuang somewhat understood Chongzhen's intentions.

"Father's meaning is to get rid of the big burden of the frontier army of thirty towns, and at the same time not be able to shake the Huanghuai defense line, and the price paid is Xuzhou's two million acres of official land."

"It's not two million mu, it's four million mu!" Chongzhen said with a wave of his hand.

"Salary plus reward, [-] frontier troops, each with [-] acres of land!"

"And all taxes, regular taxes, corvees, and dingyin are all exempted, but when Daming is invaded by foreign enemies, each household needs to contribute [-] ding to fight for the country."

"Father, isn't this the Taizu's military household system?" Zhu Cihong said, "The problem of the military household system is not small. Those military households have become servants of the generals, and they have been squeezed very badly."

"This is not a military household system, because there are no hundreds of households, thousands of households, and guards." Chongzhen shook his head, "Only Lijia is set up, and the Lijia and Jiachang are only responsible for the transmission. Only the emperor has the right to recruit these militiamen. When there is a war, the governor will lead them, and they will be scattered in the village as ordinary people, and their children can also take the imperial examination."

(End of this chapter)