Back to the end of Ming Dynasty to be a warlord

Chapter 398
After entering the city, Haizhou civil officials put on airs and did not come, but the business gentry all came, clamoring for labor!
However, Li Wuliu temporarily pushed aside, waiting for the arrival of others. The gunners from Yangzhou in the fishing village all came, but the sailors were unwilling to come.

I asked the soldiers who sent the message, and the soldiers said that the sailors told him that they didn't want to touch foreign land, and they didn't want to board the ship for fear of going ashore.

Li Wuliu couldn't help but sympathize with these sailors, feeling that these unlucky guys really worked hard.

Suddenly there was the sound of rumbling guns from the sea, and Li Wuliu couldn't help being surprised.

The soldiers who passed on the message told Li Wuliu with a smile, saying that it meant that the navy was in charge, celebrating Li Wuliu's victory in flying the flag!

Li Wuliu couldn't help laughing and stepped on the city, but he had already seen Yang Fan's battleship.

Only then did Li Wuliu accept the kindness of the gentry and people in Haizhou, but before that, he still went to the yamen very sensiblely to have a drink with Song Lian, the governor of Haizhou. It made Song Lian feel radiant on his face.

This is Li Wuliu. If Wang Pu or even Yang Chao were here, they would not give Song Lian much face.

Especially Yang Chao, if he was a lieutenant general, if Song Lian put on a face and didn't come to greet him, he would definitely not come to him, because the rank of a lieutenant general is higher than that of Zhizhou. Yang Chao didn't care.

After building a good relationship with Song Lian, he also invited Song Lian to participate in the celebration banquet. This time, Song Lian also gave him face. The two attended together, and staged a scene of harmony between the general and the prime minister. Li Wuliu praised Song Zhizhou at the banquet. In front of the demeanor of not changing his face, Song Lian said modestly that General Li's reputation spread far and wide.

Obviously Song Lian has also tasted the sweetness. The last time he defended Haizhou, he was able to be directly promoted from a small defense to Zhizhou. The level is fixed.

On the other hand, Li Wuliu wanted to rely on Song Lian to defend Haizhou. You must know that he brought nothing but a phalanx when he came this time. The supplies, gunpowder and equipment in Haizhou all depended on Song Lian raised money for him.

The quarrel between the two reassured everyone in Haizhou. The Tartars outside hadn't retreated yet, but what the people in the city should do and what to do, except that they couldn't leave the city, they didn't take the Tartars outside seriously at all.

Li Wuliu also successfully took over the defense of Haizhou City, organized the strong people on Haizhou City to defend the city, and at the same time handed over the cannons on the city to the gunners from Yangzhou to operate.

Five days passed quickly.

Yang Chao received the intelligence from Haizhou, the fleet returned to Wusong from Haizhou, and passed the news to Tongzhou (Nantong) nearby, and Tongzhou Kuaima reported back to Yang Chao.

Knowing that Li Wuliu had already entered the city, Yang Chao felt relieved. To Yang Chao, as long as Li Wuliu's men entered the city, even tens of thousands of Qing troops would be nothing to worry about.

Needless to say, Li Wuliu's soldiers, and the gunners he brought, were all good.

It was when Duoduo attacked the city that day, the gunners in Yangzhou City did not expect that after Duoduo broke the city, they did not kill these gunners.

Of the gunners who actually robbed that day, Yang Chao would not keep any of them, and they would all be sent to Nanjing labor camp, but some conscientious ones could still emerge. Among the hundreds of gunners, in the end, [-] did not participate in the robbery, because these were all from Yangzhou. The locals, they didn't go to rob, but ran back to their home immediately, standing at the door with a knife.

When a looting soldier came, he told them that this was his house, and he prepared the posture that if the other party dared to rob, he would do his best. Fortunately, the Tartars only robbed for three days, and there were still many good places waiting for them in the city. People have the intention to risk their lives with other people at this time. If by the tenth day, all the places that should be robbed have been robbed, then it will be hard to say.

In fact, there were quite a few soldiers like this. After Yang Chao found out later, he singled out these people.

It's a little troublesome to pick out, but it's not too difficult. In order to survive, some people keep saying that they have protected many people. Just take a look to see if their home has been robbed. If their home is gone, only A sister or sister, and everyone else is dead, then this person must be lying. If his family is really intact and his family is safe, then it is the truth.

In the end, after screening, [-] such soldiers were selected, all of whom were local soldiers from Yangzhou, and most of their families were in Yangzhou City. Yang Chao is willing to forgive them without the blood of the victims.

And once contaminated with the blood of the common people, even Li Benshen, who had fought side by side with him, Yang Chao unceremoniously sent him to Nanjing.

Speaking of those gunners, one of them left a deep impression on Yang Chao. This person is called Zheng Luming, but he is not a local, but a gunner from Baoying. Baoying County is under the jurisdiction of Gaoyou Prefecture, which is also a canal county.

This Zheng Luming kept firing cannons in the city. Although it is not clear how many people he killed, he just blew up the cannons and blew himself up half to death. When Yang Chao found him, he was placed in a house by Duoduo However, this person found out that after Yang Chao's soldiers raided the looting soldiers on the street at night, he went directly to find them. Regardless of his injuries, he picked up a knife and fought along, and even helped Yang Chao's army as a guide.

Yang Chao only found out later that many accurate information about him were revealed by this person, for example, Duoduo was in the Governor's Mansion.

After the battle, Zheng Luming suffered an injury and fainted for several days. Yang Chao had his wound treated and he recovered slowly.

This time, Li Wuliu was asked to take him to Haizhou, and appointed him as the general of the artillery to command the more than 100 artillery.

There are many cannons in Haizhou City. The latter said that most cities in the Ming Dynasty had many cannons. The richer and more important the city, the more cannons. For example, Shi Kefa erected a With more than 300 cannons, Haizhou City is not as good as Yangzhou, but there are as many as [-] cannons.

Yang Chao finally saw his first version of banknotes today. Well, the name is silver notes, and the amount is 100 taels. The unit is one hundred taels, which is enough for small and medium merchants to exchange. Even for big merchants, a few extra bills are enough. up.

However, this bank note is a bit big, much bigger than the hundred-yuan bills of later generations, it is exactly the size of an A4 paper, and the printing is quite exquisite. Yangzhou has a strong printing capacity, the best in Yangzhou city. A printer whose craftsmanship is trustworthy.

It’s just that this banknote looks like a New Year’s picture. There is no way. The best printing craftsmen print woodblock prints, and the biggest market for woodblock prints is New Year’s pictures.

"Look, old Wu, what we print is a bank note, this is not a New Year picture, can you be more cautious in coloring. Look at the mountain you printed, it is light and floating. Ours is Purple Mountain, it is not a fake mountain!"

Although Yang Chao provided the pattern and painted the Zijin Mountain in Nanjing himself, the printing master insisted on printing it like a rockery in a garden.

"Also, this is the Yangtze River, it's not the Grand Canal. Well, I know you haven't been to the Yangtze River, but just imagine, a big river that divides the Great Ming Mountains and Rivers into two halves, how imposing she should be!"

Yang Chao’s silver ticket design, the front is the Zijin Mountain, the back is the Yangtze River water, there are trees, pavilions and clouds on the mountain, there are people, boats and rain on the water. I think the painting is very standard, but the printing master is not good at it. It has only its shape but no spirit, mainly due to the relationship between ink and ink, which is too secular in the style of New Year paintings.

Seeing the gray-haired teacher's obedient appearance, Yang Chao couldn't be too harsh on him.

"Master Wu, you are changing. The place where the ink should be thick should be thicker, and the place where it should be light should be light. Don't be afraid of wide open and close. The contrast must be strong. It is not our style to mix muddy mud and seek the mean! "

After speaking, I exchanged the New Year picture, oh, it was a bank note to Master Wu, and I didn't forget to shake it.

Shaking his head: "This paper is not good enough, it's so light, it's 100 taels of silver, how can it be so light! It must be thick, it must be thick!"

Master Wu promised again, and finally couldn't help asking: "How about we try it with mulberry paper?"

Mulberry paper is the paper used to print Jiaozi and treasure banknotes. This kind of paper is slightly dull and yellowish, and looks a little rough, but it is strong, tough, wear-resistant, etc., and it is easy to ink and not easy to fade.

Yang Chao nodded: "As long as you think it's good. You are an expert, I only make requests."

After speaking, he signaled Master Wu to leave.

This master craftsman did change the new version of the bank note to satisfy Yang Chao and print it out, but he did not throw away the first unsatisfactory one, but carefully kept it. Many years later, someone offered 1 taels to buy it. He was not even willing to sell.

The banknotes cannot be printed for a while, and Yang Chao is not in a hurry. Anyway, the most difficult engraving work has been done, and the coloring is only a little bit, but you have to pay attention to this little bit. He is not at all willing sorry.

As for the bank's business, the war has already begun. This month, 200 million taels of loans were granted in Yangzhou City, mainly for ordinary people to repair their homes.

There is also a middle-level businessman, let them reopen restaurants and shops.

Compared with a month ago, the order in Yangzhou City is much better, and now there are not many people who are still willing to work for Yang Chao, just in exchange for a full meal. It is estimated that in one month, Yang Chao wants to find someone to work for nothing. Can't find it.

Of course, Yang Chao does not need people to work, the city wall has been repaired long ago, and even the nearby rivers have been refurbished. Finding new jobs for these people has become a headache for Yang Chao.

And Yang Chao couldn't slack off yet, because his good helper, Huang Fengfu, was sent to Yangzhou Mansion by him.

"grown ups!"

Speaking of Cao Cao, when Cao Cao arrived, Yang Chao had just sent away the printing master Wu Duoyu, and Huang Feng's mansion entered the governor's mansion.

"What's wrong? His face is so ugly!"

After meeting Huang Fengfu, he just yelled "My lord" and stood there with a gloomy face.

"My lord, sincerity is here!"

Sincerity is the original sincerity Bo Liu Kongzhao, Zhu Cihong ascended the throne, rewarded the meritorious officials, and also gave him a rank of Marquis.

Yang Chao had known for a long time that Cheng Yibo had become the new military supervisor, supervising Jiangbei's defense.

"Come and come."

Yang Chao didn't care, even if Liu Kongzhao came, even if he became his boss, so what?

It has to be said that the little emperor's political level is still very poor. At this moment when he has to rely heavily on Yang Chao, he chose to play a balance game. He insisted on causing discord between the supervisor and the town general, and he was not afraid that the Qing army would directly attack Nanjing.

"The imperial court sent the magistrate of Yangzhou!"

Yangzhou fell, and even Shi Kefa did not know where he ended up. There is still no news. The other civil servants either died or surrendered. Unexpectedly, the imperial court has appointed a prefect of Yangzhou.

Yang Chao knows why Huangfeng Mansion is so dull, because half a month ago, Yang Chao sent him to act as the temporary agent of the Yangzhou prefect and let him take charge of the Yangzhou mansion. He was so excited at that time, how excited he was then, how excited he is now lost.

"Feng Mansion, don't worry, you should take it as exercise first this time, next time I have a chance, I will recommend you to the imperial court!"

Huang Fengfu sighed secretly, but shook his head: "This is not what this subordinate said. This subordinate thinks that you still have to go back to Nanjing."

Yang Chao asked suspiciously, "Could it be that there are other things?"

Huang Fengfu nodded: "The imperial court does not agree with your lord's expansion of military training!"

Officially, Yang Chao is the commander-in-chief of the Xinjiangkou Water Battalion Regiment. His soldiers are regiments and armed forces. They are not considered the regular army of the Ming Dynasty. Most of them are trained in regiments. For example, Wu Sangui made his fortune from the regiment training in Ningyuan.

"What about the memorials for the northward march?"

Yang Chao asked again.

Huang Fengfu said: "The imperial court wants the adults to discuss with you sincerely, and choose an opportunity to attack north and take Huai'an."

Yang Chao couldn't help snorting coldly, he disagreed with the expansion of the army, but he agreed to go to war by himself, there is nothing to fight if there are no soldiers.

Infighting!Why didn't Daming die in internal fighting?If the civil and military officials had united early, how could Li Zicheng have entered Beijing.

Now let me discuss with Liu Kongzhao about going north, this is to let Liu Kongzhao share my credit, and worry about myself getting bigger.

"Okay, the imperial court wants to fight, so let's fight. It just so happens that the magistrate of Yangzhou is here, so you can come back and help me plan."

Huang Fengfu asked suspiciously: "My lord, didn't you say that Huai'an can only be taken if you have the power to take over Jiangbei? Didn't you say that you have to train at least 15 troops before you can go north to Huai'an, and you have to train 30 troops before you can go north to Shandong?"

Yang Chao sighed: "That's right. There are [-] people in our department, and there are [-] surrendered soldiers and civilian husbands in Yangzhou. In the prefectures and counties under the jurisdiction of Yangzhou Prefecture, there are no fewer than [-] rebels and guards. To advance in Huai'an, it is natural to gather troops."

Yang Chao identified 3 surrendered soldiers in Yangzhou, and sent troops to nearby counties to suppress bandits and stabilize places. Some bandits and disorderly soldiers who were not too famous but were recruited because of the arrival of the Qing army were directly recruited, weeded out the old and weak, and trained them. , there are also more than [-] people, but the imperial court did not allow Yang Chao to expand the number of troops, and rashly increased it, fearing that it would make the imperial court suspicious.

"How about the imperial court?"

Huang Fengfu said worriedly that recent events showed that the imperial court was suspicious of Yang Chao, which made him feel uneasy.

"What about the imperial court? I think I'm too talkative. Anyway, the imperial court is already suspicious of me, so there's nothing else to say. When the four towns in Jiangbei are here, they can expand the army as they want. The imperial court group What did the minister say. The Lord has always followed the rules, but instead they bullied you. This is disregarding the overall situation, these idiots!"

Yang Chao couldn't help cursing, but those people are not stupid, they just don't have a strategic vision, they are just short-sighted, they all only look at the power in front of them, they are fighting back and forth, the enemy has hit the top of the kang, and they still refuse to stop .

So Yang Chao decided to abandon the imperial court and do it alone, but in this way, he actually became a warlord, a warlord like the four towns, but if he quit, I am afraid that in the eyes of the court officials, he is already a warlord up.

Who let Yang Chao hold a heavy army, and he can control manpower and material resources by himself, in fact, he is already a warlord, no wonder those people think of him like this.

Now that you are a warlord, let those people see what a warlord should do!
"Pass my order to let Hu Quan bring the artillery battalion to Yangzhou. There are a lot of artillery here. Let him take Chen Jin with him to test these artillery."

After Hu Quan's cannons were sunk, he stayed in the south of the Yangtze River to guard Zuo Liangyu's surrendered troops. Yangzhou had plenty of cannons, so Hu Quan might as well come over.

"And transfer the carpenters from our battalion to install the cannon carriages for these cannons, which will be useful for going north!"

Huang Fengfu, who had just left the magistrate's yamen, immediately threw himself into his new job without saying a word. What Yang Chao valued most was his energy, his seriousness in doing things, and his non-compliance and non-complaint.And he came back just in time, because:

It's time to counterattack!

(End of this chapter)