Thanks to the emperor's strategy, he went down without a fight, and the imperial camp regained the provincial capital without losing a single soldier. The soldiers sacrificed less, and the court lost casualty pensions. If they attacked hard, the casualties might still be there.
Exceeding the Battle of Zhangqiu, the pension costs alone may cost millions of dollars, not counting ammunition consumption and weapon losses.
The people who returned to Jinan learned that the emperor did not send anyone to dam the river upstream. On the contrary, after the emperor encircled Jinan, he began to use work-for-relief methods to receive the hungry people in the surrounding areas and began to build dams in Xiuyuan Dam.
The embankments of the Qinghe River should be heightened and reinforced to prevent the Yellow River from overflowing or breaking.
After the heavy rain, the sky cleared up again.
Work on the river embankment continues.
As the provincial capital of Shandong and the former political center, the population in the southern city and the city gate was about 50,000. In terms of population alone, it is not actually the largest among the cities in Shandong.
If calculated in terms of population in Shandong, the real most populous city is Linqing. Linhe on the canal is the commercial center of Shandong. Depending on the canal and Linqing Customs, in front of Chongzhen, the city's population exceeds 100,000. The second is Jining City, which is also
Large cities with more than 100,000 people also rely on canals to prosper industry and commerce.
At the end of Wanli Dynasty, the three major cities of Linqing, Jining and Jinan had an urban population of nearly 500,000. Although it was far inferior to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Huaiyang and other places in the south of the Yangtze River, it was also a populous city in the north.
Other cities with larger populations are Fucheng, such as Tai'an and Liaocheng, which have four to five thousand households and a population of twenty to thirty thousand.
Yanzhou, Dengzhou, Laizhou, Qingzhou and other cities, if you exclude the royal family members, they actually have an urban population of more than 10,000.
Large counties like Dong'a have a population of about seven to eight thousand, Shanghe County has a population of three to four thousand, Dezhou, Jimo, Huangxian, Jiaozhou, Weixian, etc. are also of similar size.
The population of an average county town is about 5,000 people.
There are also some large towns in Shandong, such as Anping Town in the east of Yanzhou, which is a commodity distribution center at the junction of three counties. At the end of Wanli, the population reached 20,000 to 30,000.
Jingzhi Town in Qingzhou Prefecture also has a population of four to five thousand. In addition, Zhoucun Town, Guting Town, Yanshen Town, and Luqiao Town are all large towns with a population of more than five thousand.
These towns are all strategic points on land and water, with a large concentration of goods, prosperous residents, and a large number of merchants. They are all commercial market towns.
The urban population of large towns is equivalent to that of Dafu City, and the population of medium-sized towns is eight or nine, which is equivalent to the population of an average county town.
There are hundreds of small towns, probably one in each county, with at least 500 households and a population of more than 2,000.
Shandong was once a prosperous place in the Central Plains.
It is a pity that since the beginning of Chongzhen, the rebellion of Kong Youde and others in Denglai disrupted most of Shandong, and then in the eleventh year of Chongzhen, and in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, the Tatars invaded Shandong twice, taking hundreds of thousands of people captive, and massacred several cities in Yanzhou, Jinan.
, slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people.
After that, the Shun army came, and the Tatars came again. Then Zhu Yihai raised his troops and went north. Shandong became the front line of the confrontation. He also encountered the Tatar dog officials who dug river embankments to divert rivers. Forty counties out of a hundred in Shandong were affected by the disaster.
The garrison of the Qing army encircled the land, imposed extortionate taxes, and floods, droughts, and locust plagues caused Shandong's population to flee.
Fortunately, Jinan was defeated without a fight. Although Xuan's soldiers massacred the whole city, they still allowed the people in the outer city to leave the city, which can be regarded as saving seven or eight points of vitality.
In the past, Shandong had small towns with a population of about 2,000 people, ordinary counties and medium-sized towns with a population of about 5,000, small Fucheng and large county towns with a population of more than 10,000 people, large cities and middle- and upper-level towns with a population of more than 20,000 people, and five
There are provincial cities with a population of over 100,000 people, and national commercial towns with a population of over 100,000.
And now some county towns have been flooded and washed away, and the cities are gone.
Some towns, counties, and even prefectural cities have become empty and dead cities due to wars and wars.
Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty liberated Jinan.
Now in the whole of Shandong, only Yanzhou, the emperor's hometown, is still besieged by Tan Tai and more than 10,000 Tatars.
The emperor had already issued an order and still planned to use Jinan's tactics to deal with Yanzhou Tan Tai in order to minimize casualties and losses.
The reorganization of the imperial camp is also continuing.
The reorganization of the first, second and third towns has been completed. The first town, Shence, is now stationed in Jinan, Zhangqiu, and the second town, Yongwei Town, is stationed in Dezhou, Linqing.
The third town is located in Dongping, Tai'an.
The troops currently surrounding Yanzhou will be reorganized into the fourth and fifth towns.
Jinwu cavalry and Shenji artillery were divided into various towns, and those who were insufficient were transferred from other towns.
······
South of the city.
Xuan Dajun camp.
After the battle of the three thousand Xuan soldiers, not only were there not many of them, but there were more than 5,000 of them, reporting to the imperial court, the emperor was not surprised. The Xuan soldiers massacred the entire city, ransacked everything, and surrendered after dawn.
In fact, hundreds of people were lost, but it was dark and chaotic, and many Green Camp, Xiang Yong, etc. also took advantage of the chaos to join them. Afterwards, Yang Jie and others also unceremoniously recruited these people as their subordinates, regardless of who he was.
Those who raise the bid are still those who care about the bid, and those who are loyal to the road are those who are courageous.
They all want to have more swordsmen and men at their disposal, as well as more chips.
Who knew that the emperor's treatment of Xuan Dabing was to retain the officers and send them to Tokyo for training, and the soldiers were divided and demobilized. The court didn't care that they had two or three thousand more people, and treated them all as Xuan Dabing. Anyway, they all participated in the battle, so it counts.
Have merit.
They killed thousands of people, robbed a lot of property, and also captured a city. The emperor did not punish them for the crime of indiscriminate killing and rewarded them, but the looted property, ordnance, etc. were confiscated.
Xuan Dabing was actually very dissatisfied with this treatment, and some people even wanted to make trouble.
But the emperor sent an imperial camp to surround them, and then transferred all the officers away.
Those who did not obey the imperial edict had to consider the consequences. Not only would they not retain their official rank, they might even be regarded as traitors. Therefore, Yang Jie and Yao Qisheng personally persuaded them, and in the end all the officers above the post commander left.
The remaining five thousand soldiers were divided into several battalions.
Then Yang Jie led his own soldiers to personally capture and chop off the heads of a dozen of the troublemakers, and then sent them to all the camps. He also stabbed more than a hundred of the more serious troublemakers with arrows in their ears, tied them up and tied them up in the camp, and finally dismissed them directly.
The 20 silver dollars that were due were given, and the other two severance pay were also given. All that was left was a pair of shorts, and he was kicked out of the military camp and left to fend for himself.
The rest were so frightened that no one took the lead and did not dare to cause trouble.
The emperor also sent people to give meat and wine, and officially distributed silver rewards.
Regardless of how many heads someone snatched or how many enemies he claimed to have killed, everyone was given twenty silver dollars and two more as severance pay.
One pound of wine, one pound of cooked meat, and white flour steamed buns are enough for each person.
This group of Han soldiers gobbled up large portions of food.
"What are your plans?"
Liu Si bit into the meat and asked his companions.
Their stomachs were almost full, but everyone didn't stop. They were still eating meat and steamed buns. It was a rare reward from the emperor, so it was a pity to eat in vain.
Liu Qiang touched the money bag in his arms, and there were twenty-two silver coins in it. With these silver coins, he always felt at ease and strengthened his waist.
He glanced at the heads hanging on the flagpole in the camp.
Those unlucky ghosts who caused trouble were beheaded by Commander-in-Chief Yang himself. The people who had gathered were instantly frightened.
Originally, everyone wanted to make a fuss, keep the looted property, and even use the heads chopped off from the massacre in exchange for silver rewards. Thousands of heads, big and small, would be exchanged for thirty taels of silver.
Hundreds of thousands of silver, one person can divide it into dozens of taels.
And some people have several heads in hand, or even a dozen, which is a few hundred taels.
People's hearts were dissatisfied with the snake swallowing the elephant. Xuan Dabing, who had just massacred the city, was still a little irritable and even very self-conscious.
Soldiers always make trouble like this, arguing about food, pay, and silver rewards. Who knew something would happen this time?
After Yang Jie killed the people, they became pessimistic, thinking that the emperor was going to kill the donkeys, and even thought that they would all be tricked and killed. Who knew that the emperor was rewarded with silver and wine and meat.
With the money in my arms and several kilograms of wine, meat and steamed buns in hand, I felt that this emperor was really extraordinary. Everyone's resentment and hostility subsided, and they were even faintly afraid. Instead, they felt grateful.
Now that I calm down, I have to think about my way out.
"Our hometown of Datong in Xuanhua is still occupied by Tatars. We massacred the whole city of Jinan here and killed thousands of Tatars. Even if we can make it all the way through the prefecture and county and return to Xuanda, I guess the Tatars will not be able to
If you're being polite to us, our hometown will be liquidated by the Tatars soon."
Liu Si took a bite of the steamed bun. He was a bachelor. Datong had lost his family a long time ago. So he never thought about going back. Liu Qiang was from his hometown and there were still people in his family, but he couldn't go back now.
"I heard that the salary in the imperial camp is really high. All the clothes, food and clothing are provided by the court. There is no need to deduct money. There are a few taels of silver per month and a few buckets of grain. I heard that nine months of salary are paid a year.
, keep the remaining three months, and the emperor will deposit another three months. If you are discharged from the army or die in battle, this money will be given together.
Let me forget it, even if it is only for nine months, there is no money to save three to three, and the salary is generous. The cavalry is a superior soldier, with a monthly salary of four taels and five, and if it is paid for nine months, it will still have forty taels of silver. This cavalry
It is said that there is also a cavalry allowance. When fighting abroad, there is still a few coins to pay for food, and there are still a few bushels of rations per month. Can you believe this?
But it's true.
I still don’t owe wages, so I usually pay half a month, and three months a year, plus the emperor’s birthday and so on, and then I’ll give you another three months.”
Liu Si also inquired about some information. He used to be poor and single, so he had done everything. He had done all kinds of hard work when he was young, but he still couldn't survive, so he later went out to join the caravan and went deep into the Mongolian grasslands.
Traded with the tribe. Later, he simply joined the horse bandits and lived a free, happy and unrestrained life as a horse bandit.
However, he was later captured by the army during an encirclement and suppression campaign, so he wore a uniform and became a soldier. From the Ming Army to the Qing Army, he was considered a veteran. He was very slippery in battle and would not risk his life easily, so now he is only a sentry deputy.
But still alive till now.
He is a sentry deputy, so he is not counted as an officer this time.
This was a bit regretful, but with the heads of the troublemakers hanging there as reminders, he didn't dare to cause trouble.
"The benefits of the imperial camp are not limited to these. Once you become a royal soldier, as long as you are promoted to a superior soldier, you can get a wife for free, and you can also buy land. An imperial soldier has 30 acres of land. It is said to be for sale, but the price is extremely high.
It’s low, and it can be divided into many years and repaid a little bit every year, and the interest is very low, just like giving it away.”
He took out a cigarette and smoked it around everyone. After all, Liu Si had been together for many years, so he was very good at doing things. So now, there is still a group of people around him, with him as the leader.
Cigarettes are not cheap, but he is willing to pay for them.
"I've been thinking about it for a while. Even if His Majesty lets us go now, we have a home and can't go back. Where can we go? We don't have any ability to make a living. We might as well continue to eat the royal rations and serve as soldiers. Moreover, we are all cavalry. This
The ability to ride and shoot is still good. Now the imperial camp is most in need of cavalry. If we are willing, we can sign up together tomorrow.
It is said that there is an assessment, but with the abilities of our brothers, as long as we are more honest, are we still afraid of failing the exam?
Just go through the motions and enter the imperial camp. Not only will you get four or five taels of salary this month, but you will also be able to marry a wife and buy land in the future. We can also start a family and start a business. Is it no better than before? "
"What the fourth brother said makes sense. Where can we go with these twenty-two silver dollars now? We are in such a panic that we have people snatching them away and even losing our lives. Even if we are allowed to make a living, what can we do? Buy a few acres.
Land? But we have nothing, just a few acres of land, and we can’t do anything well. We still have to be soldiers. The royal camp cavalry is treated so well. How many lifetimes can we encounter it?
A veteran like our fourth brother, who has excellent riding and shooting skills, is experienced and tough, is already a sentry deputy. After entering the imperial camp, he will be able to become the sentry commander in less than a year.
He’s just an officer.”
This small circle is made up of people from the same country. Many of Xuanhua's soldiers are cavalry. Not to mention that they are all good at riding and shooting, but they are not bad at all.
They are all confident that they can enter the imperial camp.
"Then let's just say it, let's go sign up tomorrow."
"What if I fail the exam?"
A young man named Fuzi asked. He had not been a soldier for a long time and his riding and shooting skills were not as good as Liu Si, Qiangzi and others.
"Let Fourth Brother show you the way."
Liu Si smiled and said, "If it doesn't work out, you can go and meet the postman."
"Ah, the postman is so miserable, he might as well find his own way out."
"You don't understand. The post soldiers are suffering. That's what Chongzhen and the Tatars are talking about. Now the emperor has rebuilt the post station. It is said that the salary is quite good, two taels of silver a month, and a ration, and he can also rent ten acres of the post station.
Tian, only rents 40% of the autumn grain, and can still live in the inn. Even the horsemen are given extra subsidies. Anyway, it is not bad. If the imperial camp and other places are short of people, they will give priority to the towns and inns.
Even if it is only two taels of silver a month, if there is really no deduction, it is the same as the pay of a Tatar soldier. What's more, if there is also the benefit of ten acres of post land, it is indeed very good.
"Let's take the cavalry test first. If you can't pass the cavalry test, you can still take the infantry test. If you can't pass the infantry test, you can still take the auxiliary test. If it doesn't work, you can take the post soldier test. If you still can't, I'll show you the way. Jinan has just been recovered.
, all the yamen in this provincial capital must also be restored, including the governor's yamen, vassal lords, governor's yamen, and even the sub-inspection, magistrate, and county magistrates, as well as various grain control departments, education departments, water conservancy departments, etc. There is a shortage of people everywhere.
At least there is a way out for the time being.
If you have money on hand, you can take advantage of this opportunity to buy some land and rent it out first, or recruit helpers from the victims. You work in the government office here, and you still have a piece of land for farming at home, so it won't be a bad idea.
In three to five years, as long as there is still peace, things will get better.
Don't wander around, let alone go home, at least don't go back now, and don't think about doing business or anything, and don't just think about squandering. If you can't stand spending too much, you will have nothing by then."
When Xiao Fuzi heard what Liu Si said, he thought it made sense. He actually wanted to secretly return to his hometown in Xuanhua, but after hearing what they said, he gave up the idea of going home and decided to apply first. If he failed the exam,
Then go to the post office, and if that doesn't work, sign up to be a yamen servant. You can buy a few acres of land with the money you have.
"Everyone, hurry up and eat. Damn it, this meat is so delicious. I haven't felt this good in a long time."
