Chongzhen and the Ming Dynasty: Starting from Meishan Chapter 478 Leading to the Death of the Qing Dynasty
At the same time, Dong Nuan Pavilion in Prince Rui's Mansion.
Dorgon was summoning Hong Chengchou, Fan Wencheng, Ning Wanwo and Hou Fangyu to discuss matters.
Three years after entering the Guan Dynasty, the form of the court meeting of the slaves was gradually assimilated into the customs of the Central Plains. The Shuowang court meeting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony gradually became a formality and a formality. The military machine room was the real institution that handled government affairs.
But the place where decision-making power is truly exercised is the Dongnuan Pavilion in Prince Rui's Mansion.
Moreover, Dorgon would definitely consult Hong Chengchou and other staff before making every decision. Hou Fangyu also ranked at the bottom of the four staffs by virtue of his performance, which made Cao Eryu jealous.
"Master, as you said, the next step will be a dispute over firearms." Hong Chengchou said.
"Because it takes ten years of hard work to train an Eight Banners vest, and only takes three months at most to train a musketeer. However, on the battlefield, the Eight Banners vest may not be the opponent of the musketeers."
"Hengjiu, you don't have to worry about me and save face for the Eight Banners Vest," Dorgon said.
"It's not necessarily true. Even if the Eight Banners vest is triple armored, it still can't stop a musketeer's shot."
"Now is no longer the era where whoever rides and shoots sharply and has a strong armor and stomach can win the war in just a few decades."
Speaking of this meal, Dorgon continued: "Now we are comparing whose firearms have a longer range and greater lethality, and who has more musketeers. I must admit that the era of saber-mounted shooting has passed.
It’s over.”
"Master Mingjian." Hong Chengchou cupped his hand and said, "The Eight Banners vest is not only more difficult to train than the Han army musketeers, but the armor and weapons required are also extremely difficult to make, such as a large bow, heavy arrows, cotton armor, and cloth armor.
, chain mail and all kinds of iron armor are really too expensive to make, and a flintlock gun costs only one tael of silver."
After a pause, Hong Chengchou continued: "With the same money, one Eight Banners vest can be exchanged for five Han army musketeers."
"Therefore, I propose that the Eight Banners Manchuria, Eight Banners Mongolia, Eight Banners Han Army and Green Camp be comprehensively reorganized and equipped with flintlock muskets, camel revolving guns, red coat cannons and other firearms."
"In addition, other firearms must be made." Hou Fangyu said immediately.
"Hand grenades like those used by the Ming army often have miraculous effects on the battlefield."
"Yes, there are also grenades and landmines." Fan Wencheng said, "We also need to supervise the production of a large number of them."
Dorgon unconsciously tapped the armrest of the beauty with his fingers, and said after a moment: "Gentlemen, have you ever thought about it, after the full replacement of firearms, each soldier actually spent less money and food, which means hypocrisy and
Nanming will have a larger army, will the Qing Dynasty also train more Eight Banners and Han armies?"
"Master Mingjian, this is exactly what I want to tell you today."
Hong Chengchou, Fan Wencheng and the other three looked at each other, and then continued: "The slaves and others suggested that all the Han people in Gyeonggi, Hebei, Shanxi and Shandong should be included in the Eight Banners Han Army."
"Adding all Han people to the Eight Banners?" Dorgon frowned.
"Yes, all the Han people will raise their flags," Hong Chengchou said. "They enjoy the same rights as the bannermen, and they will be given land. They do not need to pay grain taxes. However, when the court needs to go to war, all bannermen must bring their own money, grain and food."
Weapons, unconditionally fight for the imperial court on the battlefield, and of course, there will also be rewards for winning the battle."
"Is this possible?" Dorgon showed no expression on his face.
The benefits of incorporating all the Han people under the rule into the Eight Banners Han Army are certainly obvious.
First of all, the security situation will be reversed in an instant. When the Han people have land and do not have to pay taxes, they will definitely not be as dissociated as they are now and start praising the goodness of the Qing Dynasty.
The second and biggest benefit is that the Qing Dynasty can have millions of soldiers in an instant!
According to estimates from the Ministry of Household Affairs, the population of Han people in the capital, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Liaodong under the Qing Dynasty, not counting Mongolia and Jurchens, is about five million.
This number is much less than during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.
According to the Fish Scale Atlas of the sixth year of Wanli, there are more than 10 million people in Beizhi, Shanxi and Shandong alone, and the total population is at least 30 million. This means that after decades of war, this
The population of several provinces has dropped sharply to only one-sixth of its original size.
But this is still a huge number for the Qing Dynasty.
With a population of five million, Cheng Dingshao said there were nearly two million!
If these two million men were organized into the Eight Banners and Han Army, it would mean that under the ultimate condition, the Qing Dynasty would be able to recruit two million Eight Banners and Han Army for war. This would be simply wonderful.
Of course, this is just an ideal situation. After all, even if it could recruit two million Han troops, the Qing government would not be able to come up with two million flintlock muskets to equip these Han troops.
But one thing is certain.
After the Han people were included in the Eight Banners and Han Army, the Qing Dynasty would no longer be in danger of insufficient military resources.
After all, according to the information obtained by Shanxi merchants from the south, the number of Nanming's standing army alone has exceeded 800,000, including 150,000 soldiers in Xuzhou, 200,000 in Guide, 150,000 in Huguang, and 150,000 in Yunnan.
150,000, in addition to 270,000 new troops plus cavalry battalions, naval forces and Beijing camp troops.
In view of this, it was indeed necessary for the Qing Dynasty to expand the number of its troops.
However, there are also disadvantages to classifying all the Han people into the Eight Banners and Han Army. First of all, the Eight Banners Manchuria and the Eight Banners Mongolia will definitely be dissatisfied. Even the original Eight Banners Han Army will also have grievances. They were stepped on by them and allowed to be bullied and humiliated.
The untouchables suddenly become equal to them, but everyone will be angry.
Another thing is that the Qing court's grain tax was cleared instantly.
However, the current Qing court is no longer the original Hou Jin Dynasty.
The initial number of Houjin officials was very small, so the salary expenditure was not much.
However, since entering the customs, the Qing government has accepted a large number of Han people who were demoted and awarded a large number of honorary titles, so the monthly salary expenditure is not a small figure.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! If all the Han people under the rule are included in the Eight Banners Han Army, then the grain tax will be reduced to zero instantly.
Without the grain tax, how could the Qing government support so many officials and nobles?
"Master, you can follow what the old Khan did and ask for it from outside." Ning Wanwo said, "The money currently reserved by the imperial court is enough to support five years of salary expenditure. As for five years later, the Eight Banners Han Army will have been organized into an army. Our Qing Dynasty can have millions of elite musketeers, and then we can launch a war of annihilation against Nan Ming and Puppet Shun, and then seize a large amount of property from Puppet Shun and Nan Ming, and then maintain the court's expenses through plunder."
This is what the old slaves did back then.
No matter whether they are noble officials or bannermen, they have no salary to receive.
If you want to get benefits, you can only follow the old Khan to fight. If you win the battle, you can share the spoils. If you have made great achievements on the battlefield, the old Khan will also receive additional rewards.
Hong Chengchou said: "Master, as the saying goes, when Di Yi enters China, Hua Xia will be conquered, and when Hua Xia enters Di Yi, Di Yi will conquer China. Our Qing Dynasty has been the orthodox of China since the day it entered the pass. I hope that Master will not think of himself as Di Yi." , and there should be no more distinction between Hua and Yi, I respectfully ask my master to divide all Han armies into the Eight Banners Han Army!"
"I respectfully request my master to add all Han people to the Eight Banners and Han Army."
Fan Wencheng, Ning and I knelt down one after another, but Hou Fangyu remained silent.
Dorgon did not respond in a hurry, but remained silent for a long time.
Hong Chengchou and the others were indeed thinking about the Qing Dynasty, and Dorgon knew this.
But Dorgon knew better that the Manchus were the foundation of the Qing Dynasty, and this would never change.
To offend the Manchus in order to please the Han people is to dig your own grave. Dorgon would not make such a stupid mistake.
Of course, Hong Chengchou and the others did not intend to trick him into making mistakes, but their ideas were a little too naive, or they still followed Confucianism in their hearts.
It’s not that the Confucian approach is bad.
But he, Dorgon, would only adopt them selectively.
At that moment, Dorgon nodded and said, "I already know what the three gentlemen mean. It's getting late, so please go back first."
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After Hong Chengchou and the others left, Dorgon asked Hou Fangyu: "Chaozong, why didn't you speak just now? Did you disagree with the opinions of Hong Chengchou and the others?"
"Yes, I don't agree with this." Hou Fangyu said, "Mr. Hengjiu and the others clearly have selfish motives."
"Really?" Hou Fangyu's words surprised Dorgon. He frowned and asked, "What are your selfish motives?"
Hou Fangyu snorted softly and said: "Mr. Hengjiu and the others proposed that all the Han people under the Qing rule should raise their flags and be included in the Eight Banners Han Army. On the surface, the Eight Banners system of the Qing Dynasty was retained, but in fact it was cut off. The foundation of the Eight Banners system, once this policy is fully implemented, the Eight Banners system will cease to exist in name only."
"So, Hong Chengchou and the three of them want to kill the Qing Dynasty?"
Dorgon's eyes turned cold, and he was ready to punish Hou Fangyu severely as long as he said yes.
However, Hou Fangyu shook his head and said: "No, Hong Chengchou and the others did not want to kill the Qing Dynasty, but they wanted to transform the Qing Dynasty into what they wanted."
"What do they want it to look like?" Dorgon asked, "What kind of look do they want?"
Hou Fangyu said in a deep voice: "It is the ministers like them who have the final say on major national affairs. The emperor is just a puppet. They did this when they were officials in the Ming Dynasty, and now they want to bring this to the Qing Dynasty."
Dorgon said: "Even if the ministers have the final say, it's not Han Chen's turn, right?"
"Of course it is absolutely impossible for the Han ministers to have the final say now." Hou Fangyu shook his head and said, "But what about twenty years from now, fifty years from now? The Han people are better at imperial examinations. If the Han people are allowed to enjoy the same power as the Manchus,
Then one day, Hanchens will become the mainstream, and Manchus will be squeezed out of the power center of the Qing Dynasty."
Dorgon suddenly smiled and asked: "Hou Fangyu, you are also a Han."
"My slave is a Han, but I am your master's slave." Hou Fangyutian said shamelessly, "So I always think about you, my master, and the Qing Dynasty."
