In the city of Jiangning, Yan Wogong issued slogans of guarding the Yangtze River and Jiangnan. He even shouted an oath that when the city is alive and people are alive, when the city is dead, people will perish.
In order to defend Jiangnan, we must devote our strength and money.
All the wealthy households in Jiangning City received an urgent request from the Jinglue Yamen to donate money. Although this city, which was originally Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty, had been destroyed several times in the past year, Yan Jinglue ignored the complaints of the gentry and merchants at this time.
It was said to be a donation, but in fact, the list was made directly based on the net worth of each family, and the donation was approximately one-tenth of the property.
After receiving this order, everyone felt as if they were mourning for their heirs, and a group of former honorary ministers also gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
Everyone gathered at the former Xincheng Bo Zhao Zhilong's house.
Zhao Zhilong was the tenth generation of Xincheng Bo. During the Chongzhen period, he held Nanjing with honors. He was established as King Fu, had the merit of supporting him, and participated in politics. After the Qing army went south and Hongguang fled, Zhao Zhilong, Qian Qianyi and others led the Nanjing civil and military honorary relatives to surrender.
Zhao Zhilong followed Duduo to Beijing, where he managed the bachelors of Hongwen Academy as Shangshu, promoted Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, and was granted the title of third-class baron. As a garrison minister who guarded Nanjing in the last years of Chongzhen, he had great trust from Chongzhen and was also a minister whom Hongguang relied on, but in the end
However, he surrendered with 238,300 horse and infantrymen.
However, Zhao Zhilong did not stay in Beijing for long before he returned to the south. It was said that he was ill, but in fact he was unsuccessful in the north, and the Tatars did not think highly of him. When Zhao Zhilong first entered Beijing, he thought that the northern capital
Most of those who surrendered were awarded the original officials and retained their original titles, etc. They also wanted to ask for the title of Xincheng Bo.
The Earl of Xincheng in his family was earned by his ancestors when he followed Zhu Di Jingnan. It had been passed down for ten generations and he did not want to cut off the inheritance.
But the Qing court's reply was very simple, saying that newcomers to Nandu were not allowed to compare with old ministers.
He was only given a third-class baron and the vacant title of Minister of the Han Dynasty in the Ministry of Rites. Zhao Zhilong felt frustrated at Beijing University and simply returned to Nanjing.
"Master Zhao."
A group of former lords gathered together again, Duke Xu Yunjue of Wei, Duke Baoguo Zhang Guobi, Marquis Zhang Gongri of Longping, Marquis of Linhuai Li Zushu, Marquis of Huaining Sun Weicheng, Marquis of Lingbi Tang Guozuo, Anyuan Marquis Liu Zuochang, Yongchang Marquis Xu Hongjue, Dingyuan Marquis
Deng Wenxuan, Xiangcheng Bo Chang Yingjun, Daxing Bo Zou Cunyi, Ning Jin Bo Liu Yunji, Nanhe Bo Fang Yiyuan, Dongning Bo Jiao Mengxiong, Ancheng Bo Zhang Guocai, Luozhong Bo Huang Jiuding, Cheng'an Bo Guo Zuoyong, etc.
It was this group of people who, together with Zhao Zhilong, surrendered Nanjing.
It's just that after the surrender, even Zhao Zhilong, the most meritorious minister, only got a third-class man. Naturally, there will be no good rewards for the others. They, the Ming Dynasty's honorable men, have inherited family titles for several generations, but now they are all cut off in their hands.
.
In the past few months, most of these people could only stay at home and become rich men, and they gradually accepted this fact.
But now my strictness has gone too far.
"Mr. Zhao, don't you think Yan Jinglue is going to force us to death?"
Zhao Zhilong saw that it was Xu Yunjue who was speaking. This was the eleventh generation of Wei Guogong. After Xu Da, the founding general, Wei Guogong was the most outstanding kinsman in the Ming Dynasty. There were two clans of Dukes, and they were all passed down to the end of the Ming Dynasty. Among them, Wei Guogong's lineage even continued until the end of the Ming Dynasty.
They all guarded Nanjing until the end of Chongzhen, when Zhao Zhilong was replaced.
Xu Yunjue's father, Xu Hongji, took office as the garrison of Nanjing in the Wanli year and then served as the admiral of Cao Jiang. In the Tianqi year, he resigned due to illness. During the Chongzhen period, he served as the Nanjing garrison and became a tutor. He died of illness in the 17th year of Chongzhen, and Zhao Zhilong took his place.
"How many donation lists did Yan Jinglue disclose to Xu?"
"One million taels!" Xu Yunjue was furious. Wei Guogong's palace has been in Nanjing for generations. Basically, successive generations of Wei Guogong have been guarding Nanjing. It was just because he attacked the lord in the late Ming Dynasty and died quickly, otherwise he would have been able to serve as a guard sooner or later. Wei Guogong's palace guarded Nanjing.
Having been in Nanjing for more than 200 years, this family has naturally been very wealthy.
But with a big family and a big business, the expenses are also big.
What's more, during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Xu family was also cut off several times. "Where can I get one million taels of silver from?"
Although Zhao Zhilong returned to Nanjing from Beijing, his home was not in Nanjing. He came to Nanjing only because he was not used to living in Beijing today. He had been working as a guard in Nanjing for half a year, and he also had some knowledge of the Xu family's industry.
understand.
Not to mention other things, just talk about the farms under the name of Wei Guogong, which covers hundreds of thousands of acres, not to mention that they are also deeply involved in salt, mining, industry and commerce, etc.
"It's indeed too much." Zhao Zhilong said.
"Mr. Zhao, you have to talk to Mr. Yan for us. We also know that war requires military supplies, and we are willing to donate, but it must be within our ability." Li Zushu, a descendant of Li Wenzhong, said.
"Yes, it can cost you one million and his eight hundred thousand. Isn't this forcing us to death? Even if we sell our land and houses, we won't be able to come up with so much in a while."
Zhao Zhilong was also sent a salary package of 200,000 taels of silver by Duke Yan. Unexpectedly, Wei Guogong and the others received more, including one million and eight hundred thousand.
"Absurd, really absurd!"
In this group of people, in the past, every one of them was either a duke or a prince, or at worst a count. Their ancestors were all famous figures, either the founding princes or the heroes of Jingnan.
Everyone recommended Zhao Zhilong to take everyone to find Yan Wogong together and ask for an explanation.
A brief tour of the mansion.
Faced with the requests from Zhao Zhilong and others, Yan Wo Gong just smiled and said, "The national crisis is facing everyone, and everyone is responsible. You are all celebrities from the Jiangnan family, and all of them have great wealth, but you are unwilling to contribute money and effort. What's the point?"
Intentionally, could it be that you want to open Jiangning City to surrender again?"
With a bang, Mr. Yan dropped the cup.
Then a group of servants really broke in from outside and rushed in with murderous intent, holding swords.
The frightened Zhao Zhilong and others stood up in a hurry and even wanted to turn around and run away. However, a few timid ones actually knelt down on the ground and kowtowed to beg for mercy.
"Jingsue, please forgive us. We will never have any second thoughts, but we just can't afford so much money at the moment..."
Mr. Yan clapped his hands and said, "I'm sorry, my hands slipped just now."
The atmosphere is awkward.
Zhao Zhilong and others did not believe that Guild Yan Wo had slipped his hand and dropped the cup, but now they were all in shock. They had really felt the approach of death just now.
"Everyone, Jiangnan is in crisis. I would like to ask you for your help and help us overcome this crisis together."
After saying that, Mr. Yan also bent down and bowed to them.
Zhao Zhilong and others were all stunned there. When they came, they were still very aggressive and wanted to have a good discussion with Yan Jinglue, but now they couldn't say a word. Yan Woggong's ability to change his face was too strong, which made them wake up.
, their titles of princes and uncles were already from the Ming Dynasty, and now they are just rich and idle people.
In front of Yan Juren, who has managed five provinces, he really has no capital at all.
"Mr. Yan, but we really can't afford so much money."
"Try your best, everyone," Yan Wogong said, "I have to be busy with military affairs as well as this strategy, so please go back."
He invited them out according to the sutra mark of the sword.
After walking out of the government office, Zhao Zhilongju's back was soaked.
"what to do?"
"Let's try our best. This time we can only bleed money and lose money to eliminate the disaster." Zhao Zhilong said helplessly.
Xu Yunjue said angrily, "If this continues, there will never be peace."
They didn't say anything anymore because they didn't dare to force themselves. If these people were really bloody, they wouldn't have opened Nanjing City to surrender to the Qing army.
In just three days.
Yan Wogong received more than three million taels of silver from the wealthy gentry and merchants of Jiangning, led by Zhao Zhilong and Xu Yunjue.
Of course, the process was not smooth sailing. There were still some people who did not want to be robbed like this by Yan Jinglue. The result was that Jingbiao surrounded the houses of those wealthy families who refused to donate, and then claimed that they had colluded with Ming thieves, and immediately ransacked their homes and sent them to jail.
After copying dozens of houses, other people became very cooperative.
For example, Zhao Zhilong took out 20,000 taels of silver in one breath, and Xu Yunjue also took out 100,000 taels. Each family donated generously, although it was far less than the amount of Pai, and even basically only one-tenth of the money was given.
It still looks amazing.
In just three days, more than three million taels of silver were received.
In addition to money, Yan Wogong also asked these gentry, wealthy and wealthy businessmen to send their servants and guards over to form the Jiangning City Defense Association Army, and also recruited many water workers, porters, etc. from the docks.
After Yan Igong received the more than three million taels of silver, he first deducted one million and went with the governor of the three provinces Ma Guozhu, the admiral Cao Jiang, the governor of Anhui Chen Jin, the governor of water transportation, the governor of Huaiyang Chen Tai, and the new governor of Jiangning Zhang Dayou
, Jiangning garrisoned Mount Jingba in Melezhang, and six people first divided the one million taels of silver.
The other five people did not refuse this large sum of money and readily accepted it. Mr. Yan received 400,000 yuan, Ma Guozhu received 200,000 yuan, and the remaining four received 100,000 taels each.
They had no objections to this distribution plan.
There were two million taels of silver left, and Duke Yan took out another million and distributed them to three thousand sutras, three thousand governors, four thousand navy, two thousand five hundred banners, etc., totaling twelve thousand five hundred people.
Share this million.
Of course, according to the usual practice, the five hundred thousand is divided among the officers first, and the remaining five hundred thousand is divided into the hands of the soldiers. After layers of deductions, the last ordinary Eight Banners soldier can get fifty taels, while the other ordinary soldiers can get fifty taels.
Each soldier in the camp is divided into five taels.
There was one million taels left, so Mr. Yan went on a large purchase, including grain, cloth, rice, coats, quilts, and all the supplies he could buy. These supplies were used for the army and as rewards after the war.
Anyway, Mr. Yan spent more than three million taels of silver in the blink of an eye.
After scattering a large amount of money, soldiers and horses from all walks of life began to rush to Zhenjiang and other places with the reward in their arms.
Lord Yan also went to Zhenjiang in person to supervise the army, and Bashan led 2,580 elite banners to follow him.
Chen Jin even went directly to Jiangzhou to command the fort.
Nanjing was left behind by Governor Zhang Guozhu and Jiangning Governor Zhang Dayou. There were 3,000 soldiers under supervision, plus more than 10,000 newly recruited servants from wealthy families to guard the courtyard and Caoding recruited from Caoding, for a total of 20,000 people.
