A small soldier of the frontier army in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 867
On the eighth day of April, 17th year of Chongzhen, the Qing army marched into Shanhaiguan. Dorgon immediately ordered everyone in Shanhai City to shave their hair. Fan Zhiwan, Li Yutian, Tang Tong and others did not dare to commit suicide or resist, so they had to obey Order from the Qing Dynasty.

Dorgon was delighted, he also crowned Tang Tong the king, and Fan Zhiwan and Li Yutian were the first literati officials he harvested, and they were also conferred the title of Marquis and Duke, with generous gifts.

In Guancheng, all the gentry, big and small, had their hair shaved off, as well as the Ming army in each battalion, also counted their money and rat tails.

Except for the Tong Department of Tang Dynasty, Dorgon ordered all these horse infantry to be subordinate to Wu Sangui, King of Pingxi, as was the case with the former Liu Zhaoji Department.

When Liu Zhaoji died earlier, Wu Sangui immediately led his family to wipe out Liu Zhaoji's personal guards in the city, and the rest had no intention of resisting, so they were incorporated by Wu Sangui.At this time, the Qing army ordered them to shave their hair. Some tried to fight, but were quickly suppressed.

Dorgon also told all the villages that they would not kill the disabled and share the peace, and those who fled to the valley one after another shaved their heads and surrendered.On the same day, Dorgon ordered Duoduo to lead the army westward, while he stayed in Shanhaiguan to handle some affairs.

On the ninth day of the lunar new year, Wu Sanfu, Yang Shen, Guo Yunlong and others from Wu Sangui's department who were staying in Ningyuan shaved their hair, and Qiu Minyang, the governor of Liaodong in the city, and Zhang Douren, the military guard, committed suicide and died.On that day, Zu Dabi, Zu Dale, Zu Dacheng and other ancestral officials in Jinzhou also all shaved off their hair.

Under Dorgon's strict order, they selected [-] soldiers and horses, and accompanied Du Du, Luo Luohuan, Ashan, Baiyintu and other soldiers and horses of the Second Red Banner of the Qing Dynasty and the original Erhuang Banner outside Yizhou and Jinzhou. Shanhaiguan, under the command of Wu Sangui, marched westward with the main force of the Qing army.

At the same time, the Qing army also stationed several soldiers and horses in various cities in western Liaoning. It can be said that Dorgon actually annexed large tracts of land in western Liaoning without any effort.

Not only that, dozens of former Qing cannons that were seized during the Jinzhou War and placed in various cities in western Liaoning were also folded to accompany the army.

When Dorgon saw these Hongyi cannons, he couldn't help touching and choked up: "My cannons are back again."

He cried passionately, and all the generals beside him also burst into tears.

……

On the eighth day of the lunar new year, when Wu Sangui switched on and off, a galloping horse galloped to the Great Wall at Lengkou, and informed Yang Guozhu, Marquis of Jibei and Chief Soldier of Jizhen, who was still guarding at the Great Wall.

Although Yang Guozhu was not disturbed, he still selected elite soldiers to defend Lengkou, Xifengkou and other places, and only withdrew Jielingkou soldiers and horses.

Then he led the main force to resist Qian'an City, intending to block the Tartar invaders from the east and north, and prevent the disaster from spreading.

At this time, someone urgently advised Yang Guozhu to leave immediately, from the west bank of the Luanshui River to the outside of the Great Wall, and go to Xuanfu through Mantao'er and other places.Or stick to the city and don't go out to fight!Otherwise, the Tartars are powerful, and if they fight in the field outside the city, it will be a disaster!

The person who reminded Yang Guozhu was the intelligence agent who persuaded Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen that day, and was also the messenger who delivered the letter written by Wang Dou, which contained news about the prince.

After the letter was delivered, he also stayed by Yang Guozhu's side.

At this time, he was even more anxious to persuade Yang Guozhu, but the old general just sighed: "I am not afraid of death, I only hope that death will be well deserved."

He said: "I guard the side wall. I only hope that the foreign prisoners will not step in. How can I sit and watch the barbarians rampage outside?"

The intelligence agent sighed in his heart, the result was the same as he persuaded Cao and Wang that day.

However, if it weren't for the loyalty in their hearts, how could they be so admirable?

He also bowed deeply, turned around and left, and then hurried out of the city on his horse.

Looking at the direction in which the messenger was leaving, Yang Guozhu's eyes were a little complicated. As the chief soldier of Ji Town, he was responsible for guarding the land. It was impossible for him to hide in the city and sit and watch the slaves burn, kill and loot outside.

Moreover, he still had a hidden worry in his heart, he couldn't understand Wang Dou, and he didn't know what he wanted to do.

He murmured in his heart: "If there is a day of choice, how should I deal with myself?"

When Dashun persuaded him to surrender that day, Yang Guozhu did not object to Wu Sangui and others seeking wealth and honor in the new dynasty, but in the end he decided to be the lone minister of Ming Dynasty.The ancestors of his Yang family, his father, his elder brother, and his nephews all died fighting for Daming. Yang Guozhu also has this heart, and he is only loyal to Daming.

So, if he has a choice in the future, what should he do?
However, he can rest assured that looking at Daming, there is no one who treats the people the best except Yongninghou Wangdou. Under his rule in the future, the people will not worry about not having a good life.

So, he has nothing to worry about.

However, he still recruited his subordinates and asked them what they meant, whether to leave or stay, respecting everyone's choice.

His subordinates are also willing to advance and retreat with the general. While Yang Guozhu was relieved, he still confessed: "If something happens to me, you can stick to the city or escape to Xuanfu Town. The general who conquered the captives will not be weak wait for you.

On the ninth day of the lunar new year, the Qing army appeared outside Qian'an City. Yang Guozhu led the cavalry to fight and gained a lot.

On the tenth day of the lunar new year, as the number of Qing troops increased, Yang Guozhu fought against the city, and gained a lot.Duoduo persuaded him to surrender, but Yang Guozhu refused.On that day, the main force of the Qing army continued to enter from Jielingkou and Shanhaiguan. The number of soldiers and horses increased by tens of thousands, and finally gathered outside Qian'an City.

On April [-]th, Dorgon appeared. He personally sent envoys to persuade him to surrender, and asked Wu Sangui, Fan Zhiwan and others to persuade him to surrender, but Yang Guozhu refused with righteousness and sternness.

Dorgon also said that the Qing army marched westward this time, without ambition, only to avenge Er Junfu, and came here simply to wipe out the bandits.

At that time, Dorgon ordered an attack, and Yang Guozhu fought against the city. He saw that the Qing army's flags and horses were like a sea, and the shouts that erupted were like a tsunami.He looked at the people around him. Although there were more than ten thousand people, they were so small compared to the Tartar camp on the opposite side.

But looking around, guns and flags stand like a dense forest, and all the sergeants I saw looked determined, without the slightest fear.

He pulled out his weapon fiercely, and roared: "All officers and soldiers, let the slaves know today that there are loyal and heroic men in the Ming Dynasty, kill the slaves!"

All the soldiers under his command roared with Yang Guozhu, they shouted hoarsely, their eyes were firm, they were not afraid, their overwhelming shouts were like spring thunder rolling across the earth, flying over the majestic and vast Youyan land.

……

For the soldiers and civilians in Xuanfu Shanxi, the news that the capital fell on the second day was unexpected. Wen Daxing, the intelligence chief of the Duhufu, wanted to take the blame and resign.

The intelligence department paid close attention to the situation in the capital, and the thieves' pursuit of stolen goods and money naturally couldn't escape their eyes. They collected information carefully and published it in the Xuanfu Times.

Like a thunderclap, what the bandits did in the capital was immediately spread by the newspapers, and quickly spread to Xuanfu Town, Duhufu, Shanxi, and Shaanxi.

"Through the five trees, it is extremely cruel..."

"The thieves went from house to house to ask for money, and every family was exhausted..."

"Women are defiled, and the common people cry without tears..."

"Looking at each other to death, all scholars and people regret..."

"I opened the door to meet the thieves, but I regret it today."

The newspapers were full of gossip, and the length of the pages was shocking, making people horrified to watch and listen to.

Even "Sunrise Dongfang" and "Favorite Jin Ping Mei", who often contradict each other in the newspapers, also spoke with one voice, condemning the thieves for their madness.If it is said that they hate noble officials and corrupt officials have their own reasons, why don't they even let ordinary people go?
How innocent are the people to suffer this catastrophe?

The Xuan Town Times was originally published every six days. After the publication of the matter of recovering stolen goods and subsidizing wages, new content was published every day, revealing various details, which caused bursts of commotion in Xuanfu Town.

……

Yanqing Prefecture is still so prosperous. There are old literati and gentry in this place, as well as families of officials from outside, and there are many wealthy businessmen. The Manfulou teahouse near the Chenghuang Temple has been full recently. It's a sigh.

One person sighed: "The people in the capital are so pitiful, the bandits are really insane."

One person sneered and said, "Poor? Poor people must have something to hate. Didn't you hear the newspapers say that at the beginning, all the officials and people in the capital wanted to welcome the thieves and said, 'When the thieves arrive, I will open the door and invite you in'. Now it's all right. Open the door and get a satisfactory result, right? They are not worthy of pity!"

Another person also said: "With the strength of the capital, it only needs the army and the people to be of the same mind. Let alone a year or a half, even a few years of defense is easy. How can it fall in two days? The fall of the capital in two days is the result of the joint efforts of the officials and the people. Whatever they sow will bear fruit, everything they have experienced is their own fault."

The person before sighed, and some old literati and old gentry sitting in the teahouse were also silent. After they immigrated to the Xuanfu, although they were more and more integrated into the whole, they were not without dissatisfaction, and they were not without dissatisfaction with the Dashun regime in the capital. expect.

But now all their expectations are gone, only the horror and the joy in their hearts remain.

……

Datong Town, Lingqiu County, stage on Wuyamen Street, Wenchang Pavilion.

After the storyteller sang the newspaper above, another theater troupe started to perform a performance in Beijing. The densely packed audience below were all in tears, and many even cried loudly.

The stall owner watched with his head poking around, listening to the voice of the customer talking about the checkout, hurriedly wiped away his tears, and frantically went to collect the money.He heard a few customers sitting in the booth, and one of them was stunned and said: "How could this happen? Didn't it mean that the rebel army did not serve on duty, did not pay food, and the military discipline was strict, so Qiu did not commit any crimes?"

A person next to him sneered and said, "This is just rumors of thieves to confuse the public. They are used to hypocrisy and hypocrisy. Now they can't pretend, so they show themselves."

Someone else sneered and said: "It's true that I don't work on errands and don't pay food, so I have no money or rice, so I have to rely on robbing to get by. Now the most capable person in Ming Dynasty is Lord Yongning. He has to pay food and taxes under his rule. What can the thief He De do?" , dare not pay the grain?"

Someone else looked at him and said unkindly: "Sun Sanlang, are you still looking forward to the thief as before? Be careful when the thief comes, can your mother-in-law keep it!"

That Sun Sanlang sat blankly, turning a deaf ear to the cynicism and sarcasm of the crowd, with a dull expression on his face.

Seeing that he is dressed as a poor family, with a look of anger on his face, such people are the most dissatisfied with the reality, and they are also the main force in the past looking forward to breaking into the army.

However, looking at his current appearance, one can tell that the hope and faith in his heart have been shattered, leaving only panic and bewilderment.

……

Duhu Mansion, Monan East Town, a settlement in Sandcastle.

"...Don't, don't take away the rice from my family. This is the last ration of the family. Without it, the whole family will starve to death..."

"...I beg you, Master Tianbing, don't take our daughter away..."

The theatrical troupe was performing on the stage, the woman on the stage was crying terribly, the sound of despair was piercing, and the villagers below were also crying bitterly.

……

This kind of theater troupe is staged in various places, Guihua City, Taiyuan Mansion, Pingyang Mansion, and even some places in Shaanxi, etc., and reading and singing newspapers are interspersed. .

Now even some old ladies in the country know something about Beijing, and they know that it is not a good thing to have a thief with a human face and an animal heart.

Of course, the Xuanfu Times is rich in content, not only talking about the bandits, but also talking about the slave bandits approaching the fortress again, with the intention of doing something wrong.

But the main thing is to talk about the thieves' affairs in Beijing, the pursuit of stolen goods, subsidy, robbing the people and other details, exposing their faces, and dispelling the people's luck. As for the Tartars...

That's no longer publicity.

These are ordinary people, and the Ministry of Intelligence publicizes them by reading newspapers and opera troupes.As for the gentry, officials and generals in Xuanfu Town, Duhufu, Shanxi and other places, they have plenty of money to buy newspapers, and they are also very concerned about the affairs of Beijing and China, so naturally they don't miss every issue.

When they read the newspaper, they were also very shocked. In fact, they also heard about the rogue in Beijing, but they didn't know as much as the newspaper.

They are also the most sympathetic part. The thieves tortured officials and gentry in Beijing, just like they tortured themselves.

They couldn't imagine what they would do if one day they would do the same.

Once upon a time, convective thieves forced them to the capital and they were in mixed feelings. Some people privately discussed whether Daming was exhausted, whether they should surrender to welcome a new master, and change the dynasty to live a new life.

But now, they have nothing to think about.

As the newspapers and other propaganda spread in all directions, the reactions from all over the place, shock, disbelief, fear, etc., finally merged into one voice.

Send troops to wipe out the thieves!
The tragedy of the capital cannot be staged in Xuanfu, Shanxi and other places.

While the thief is still in the capital, he is happy to think about leaving, so he must act first.

Unbelievable thing, Xuanfu Town, Duhufu, Shanxi and other places, there has never been a day when everyone's thoughts are so aligned.Regardless of male or female, regardless of age, regardless of class, everyone has one thought, that is to wipe out the thieves!
For a moment, the actions of the Marquis of Yongning and Wang Dou attracted the attention of all the people, and everyone was asking, when will the Marquis of Yongning send troops?
……

On the seventh day of April, in the mansion of the Great General in the town of Xuanfu, Wang Dou, the Marquis of Yongning who everyone was looking forward to, was writing something calmly.

Although Wang Dou went to Guihua City to serve as the Chief Protector of the Protectorate's Mansion, he still kept the General's Mansion in Xuanfu Town.In particular, after the Wenliu thief captured the capital, his base camp headquarters moved to Xuanfu town.

At this time in his public room, on the huge and thick desk, Wang Dou was writing something in a thick book, with hundreds of items densely packed on it, and Wang Dou was thinking about a few of the contents.

He looked at one of the items: "...the county has townships, and the villages have guarantors. The heads of each township are appointed by their superiors, and they are treated at the ninth rank. Each township has a patrol station, and the patrol chief is treated at the ninth rank..."

He thought for a while, and changed to the township head and the head of the guarantor, who were appointed by the superiors, and the head of the bao was not recommended by the people, and enjoyed the treatment of the ninth rank.There were originally about 20 to 30 people in each township's official secretary office, but it was changed to [-] to [-] people.

There is one very important point in the downfall of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the imperial power does not go to the countryside.At the end of the Ming Dynasty, when the Qing soldiers entered the customs, there were tens of thousands of resisters. However, due to the lack of organization, the local righteous people eventually became mobs. How could they be the opponents of the organized and elite Qing soldiers?

Therefore, it is particularly important for the imperial power to go to the countryside and organize households for the people.

As for the head of the township and the head of the security guard, they are not elected by the local protection people, because they are afraid that the power of the township will eventually be controlled by powerful local people.

After all, most of the common people are ignorant and short-sighted, and they have the gene of timidity and fear of getting into trouble.

So it was all changed to appointment by superiors, so that we can go from the central government to the local government like a finger.

He looked at the sources of local funds, and it turned out that the central government allocated funds. After thinking for a while, he rewritten: "Local farmers and others only maintain regular taxes, exempt from all miscellaneous taxes and fire consumption increases, but mining operations, etc. are nationalized. , run by the local governments themselves. [-]% of the profits are turned over to the state treasury, and the rest is retained by the local government, operating funds and dividends for officials.”

On education, he rewritten: "Every township has at least one primary school. Every county has at least one middle school. Every province has at least one university."

Education is very important and should not be underestimated. Now there are multiple primary schools in each township in Xuanfu Township. Originally, Wang Dounian Daming was waiting to do everything else, and there was no rigid rule on the number of primary schools in each township.

He also read the article on the training of former Ming officials and generals. All of them had to be trained in Xuanfu Town Military Academy and Civil Affairs Academy for half a year to a year.During the training time, they had to go to Xuanfu Town, Duhufu, and the Jingbian Army to "observe politics".

In the Ming Dynasty, there were also regulations on "observing politics", but they were all Jinshi talents, and they were only trainees in the Central Ministry, not at the grassroots level. In general, most of what can be learned is how to "be an official" rather than "do things" , so the effect is not good and must be changed.

The article originally said "Military Academy, Civil Affairs Academy moved to the capital", Wang Dou thought about it, and rewritten: "Still in place."

Xuanfu Town, Duhufu and other places should be used as influential places and advanced cultural export places.

He looked at the training list of the first phase of this post, which contained the treatment and fate of some people.

"Wang Pu, transfer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after training, if you don't follow, you will be punished."

"Wang Pu's father, Wang Wei, was transferred to the staff department after training. If he doesn't follow, he will be punished."

"Wu Sangui, if the switch is switched on, the Wuzu clan will be punished. If the switch is not switched on, he will be transferred to the northwest after training and join the army to march west. If he does not follow, he will be punished."

"Sun Kewang, after the training, he will be transferred to the northwest, and join the army to march west. If he doesn't follow, he will be punished."

"Li Dingguo, after the training, he was transferred to the south and joined the military strategy in Nanyang. If he doesn't follow, he will be punished."

"Zheng Zhilong, after training, he will be transferred to the south, and he will serve in the military strategy of Nanyang. If he does not follow, he will be punished."

"Zheng Chenggong, after training, he conquered the East and drove away the Dutch. If he doesn't follow, he will be punished."

Wang Dou looked at the names of Li Dingguo and Zheng Chenggong above for a long time. He wanted to change it to "Reject, pardon", but in the end he kept "Punish" unchanged.

There is also the following article: "Take the two capitals and thirteen provinces, Monan, and Liaodong as Shenzhou, and all fiefdoms and states in Shenzhou are prohibited. Set up the Anxi Protectorate, and the range of attack and plunder extends to the Caspian Sea. The Anbei Protectorate, attack and plunder The scope extends to the Arctic Ocean. The Anton Protectorate, the range of raids is Dongfan, Australia, Hawaii, and the west coast of North America. The Annan Protectorate is set up, and the range is Southeast Asia, India and other places."

"This is a century-old goal. In order to mobilize the power of the people and mobilize the enthusiasm of the people, establish a feudal lord system. Those who have made outstanding achievements will be rewarded. Anyone who conquers [-] square kilometers of land for the country will be rewarded with ten square kilometers of land, about [-]. A thousand acres of land, a village, rewards the country's knighthood."

"Anyone who conquers [-] square kilometers of land for the country will be rewarded with a land of [-] square kilometers. The land of about one township will be rewarded with a baron."

"Whoever conquers 100 million square kilometers of land for the country will be rewarded with [-] square kilometers of land, which is about one county, and will be rewarded with a Viscount."

"Regardless of origin, younger siblings, male or female, meritorious service will be rewarded. The maximum fiefdom is one county, and the upper limit of land is [-] square kilometers, only counts."

"The upper limit of the lord's military strength is [-]. He has the power of personnel and officials and economic autonomy. However, he has to pay taxes to the central government and has no education and diplomatic rights. In terms of law, he can have some local laws, but the highest law is the central state law. If The laws of the Territories conflict with the Central Law, which prevails over the methods of the Territories."

"In addition, the lord is subject to the central official position, military position, and government orders. He enjoys titles such as titles in peacetime, and is restrained by military positions in wartime."

Wang Dou looked at this point. Throughout the dynasties of the Central Plains, they have always been unable to expand externally. There are many reasons, but they have not mobilized the enthusiasm of the people. This is for sure.Therefore, when the Central Plains is strong, it expands outwards, and when it is weak, its territory shrinks a lot.

As strong as the prosperous Tang Dynasty, when the territory was the highest, it reached the Aral Sea in the west, but when it was weak...

In the past, there were thousands of miles of borders in the Western Regions, but now the border gate is in Fengxiang.

There are many reasons for conquering a land but not occupying a land. However, the people did not benefit from the expansion of the dynasty. On the contrary, every time they serve in the military, some people go bankrupt. hardship.

On the other hand, Western countries have continuously expanded their territories and colonies, because their nationals are also benefiting from the expansion, and naturally everyone is active.

Therefore, Wang Dou established the feudal lordship system in order to mobilize the enthusiasm of the people. Although there are worries in the future, the advantages obviously outweigh the disadvantages.

And even if these places do not belong to the territory of the Central Plains in the future, they will still be part of the Han cultural circle, and it will be easy to form an economic, military and cultural alliance in the future.

Expanding a place and occupying a place requires a large population. Wang Dou looked at the source of the population behind this line. In addition to encouraging immigrants, there are also exiles.

He looked at the above "Xing Da Prison five times, and exiled 150 million people from Jiangnan." He looked at it for a long time, thought for a long time, and finally changed it to: "Xing Da Prison seven times, and exiled 200 million people from Jiangnan."

Wang Dou looked at each item and corrected it. He lit a cigarette and smoked it.

His eyes are deep, his expression is calm, magnificent epics, thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, all bloom in his pen.Every sentence, even every word he wrote was related to the fate of thousands of people, but he just wrote and corrected calmly.

(End of this chapter)