Zhu Yihai was sitting on the porch in the front courtyard of Xuyuan. The cool summer morning breeze blew slowly by, making him feel very comfortable after having just taken a cold shower and changed into a set of dry clothes.
But Xu Min, who was brought up and kneeling on the porch, was terrified and felt as if the end was coming.
"Xu Min, do you know your guilt?"
Xu Min was pulled up from her concubine's bed in the middle of the night last night, beaten with big footprints, then tied up and thrown into the woodshed where she spent the night.
Now that I was brought here, I was completely confused.
He still doesn't know who caught him last night?
At this time, I quietly looked at the man sitting on the corridor. He was very young, had not shaved his hair, and was wearing a military officer's uniform. His rank could not be seen, but it was the military officer's uniform of the Ming Dynasty.
Looking at the surrounding soldiers with his peripheral vision, none of them had shaved their heads.
Could it be that King Yiyang’s soldiers have arrived?
Or was Chen Wu's defeated troops crossing the sea and passing by here?
"You still don't know the general's surname?"
Zhu Yihai looked at this fat old man, who was still trying to maintain his posture even when he was about to die. He sneered twice and said, "I am Zhu Wu, the commander-in-chief of the banner-bearer camp of His Royal Highness Lu Jianguo of the Ming Dynasty. I have been ordered to cross the sea for the Northern Expedition. I heard that
There is Xu Bapi here, and the common people who fish and meat are rampant in the countryside, and I came here to suppress them."
Xu Min, who had always been uneasy, became excited when he heard that it was Lu Jianguo's subordinates. He struggled to get up, "Oh my, isn't this the flood that washed away the Dragon King Temple and beat up his own family? I am the Zhejiang Inspector ordered by the imperial court.
Xu Min, who was in charge of patrolling the sea, was a Jinshi of Tianqi, and an official of the Chongzhen court came to the military department to serve."
"Misunderstanding, this is all a misunderstanding."
Zhu Yihai chuckled.
"I only know that there is King Lu in the Ming Dynasty to supervise the country, but I don't know that there is King Yiyang in charge of the country."
When Xu Min saw this, he quickly changed his tone and said, "Because Hongguang was captured and King Lu surrendered, the world was left without a master for a while. The civil and military forces of Nanzhi supported King Yiyang to supervise the country and Chongming. We didn't know that King Lu was also there.
Supervise the country in eastern Zhejiang."
"Really, now you know."
"Speaking of it, His Royal Highness King Lu is a prince and is more qualified than King Yiyang to regent and supervise the country. Xu is willing to support King Lu and supervise the country. He also asked the general to have someone loosen Xu's bonds."
Zhu Yihai couldn't help but shake his head when he looked at this guy who acted according to the circumstances.
"Xu Min, do you think no one will know about the things you did? When you were in Beijing when you were in Chongzhen, you would only cling to the powerful. After you were dismissed and returned to your hometown, you even bullied the villagers. You paid a visit to Yiyang
The king sought power and official positions, but at the same time he took the opportunity to recruit scoundrels to oppress the countryside. When the country was in crisis, you took advantage of the country's financial crisis."
"Not to mention that you are now secretly communicating with the Beilu and planning to surrender and betray the country. The surrender letter you gave to the Beilu is in my hand. What else is there to quibble with?"
"General, these are all misunderstandings. I have always been loyal to the court and to the Ming Dynasty. I am just in Cao Ying and my heart is in Han, and it is all for the country and the country!"
"shut up!"
Zhu Yihai shouted angrily to stop.
"Don't be so sanctimonious about your cowardice and fear of death. It was Qian Qianyi, Xie Sanbin and other traitors in the Ming Dynasty who made the situation worse and worse. Don't make excuses for yourself, and don't say that you are an official of the Ming Dynasty.
, Ming Dynasty is disgusting."
"Come here, take this traitor to the stage outside, gather the people in the village, and put this traitor on trial!"
Ignoring Xu Min's wails, Zhu Yihai had people drag him down.
Shen Chenquan, Yu Dafu, Zhang Mingyang, Zhang Minzhen and others sat in front of Zhu Yihai, each thinking something about it.
After a long time, Zhang Mingyang made his voice heard.
"Your Highness, the Xu family in Kanpu is a branch of the Xu family in Haiyan, and has been married to the Lu family in Jiaxing for generations. They are very famous in the local area. Is it prudent to deal with Xu Min?"
Zhu Yihai was furious.
He patted the account books in his hand and said, "Look at these. Each one is filled with records of how the Xu family oppressed the people, and this letter also records how they betrayed the country and sought glory. This person is Bixie Sanbin.
Even more hateful!"
"If we don't kill this thief, how will the people be angry and win the hearts of the people?"
The purpose of going north this time is not only to reinforce Haining, but also to open up new base areas. It is to mobilize the masses and fight a defensive war to protect the world, rather than a war to fight for the throne like before.
The Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty had been in power for more than 280 years, but now they are not very popular among the people. Just like in the previous battle of Meishan and Hengtan, the boatmen, fishermen and civilians recruited from western Zhejiang were as ruthless as they were against the Ming army.
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If Zhu Yihai cannot truly care about the interests of the people, who will support his great cause of rejuvenation?
If Zhu Yihai can truly care about the people and protect their interests, then everyone will be able to support him, and he will be able to find the slightest chance of a comeback in this hellish and arduous task.
With people like Xie Sanbin and Xu Min, what else do you expect?
Historically, Zhu Yihai was polite enough to Xie Sanbin, and even later made this guy his cabinet bachelor, but what he got in exchange was just a second betrayal.
There are too many such people, they have no loyalty at all, and there is no point in fighting for such people.
Although to win this war, we must unite the majority of people and try our best to fight for it, but some people cannot fight for it and there is no need to fight for it.
"Xu Min must be killed, and the Xu family in Kanpu must also be liquidated." Zhu Yihai announced his decision in an unquestionable tone, "There is also Xujiaying. They use the banner of Daming Township Yongyi Camp, but they are actually a group of rogues, fighting against
They are no different than thieves."
Regarding these people, he pondered for a moment, and then said, "The leader of the thieves, Zhao Da, was originally a private salt dealer, and later became a bandit. He has done many evil things. He has been killed now and deserves what he deserves. As for the other people, all the key members of the evildoers should be punished, and the remaining accomplices,
Get a lighter sentence.”
Zhu Yihai of Xujiaying did not intend to recruit him. A group of scoundrels, gangsters, and salt dealers were worthless. However, they could not all be killed. Killing a few would suffice.
Most of the scoundrels were arrested and reformed through labor. They were asked to build cities and roads, and then they were given ideological reformation in classes. After three to five months, they were released after completing the reformation.
As for the strong men forced by Xujiaying and some poor and unemployed people, you can select them. If you are strong and honest, you can recruit some and recruit them into the army on a voluntary basis.
This time when we came to fight Xu Yuan, only part of the flag-bearing battalion came. However, in just seven or eight days, the sentinels had actually expanded several times. This snowball-like expansion was too fast. Zhu Yihai was very wary and felt that this was not all true.
Good thing.
"I would like to discuss with you the expansion of each unit after it lands ashore. It is too fast. We already have more recruits in each battalion. Expansion like this now will only further reduce our combat effectiveness."
Zhang Mingzhen and others were a little surprised. Isn't it a good thing to be able to recruit more troops?
"This is Gu's plan. At present, the ten battalion heads of our northward expedition remain unchanged, but one battalion can form two more rural warrior battalions to assist. In addition, depending on the situation, we can mobilize the people in the countryside and form some villagers to protect themselves and defend themselves.
A militia battalion in nature. A township militia battalion. The militia battalion still maintains its own business, but when there is a combat mission, it can cooperate with the war barracks in the township to provide front support and logistical assistance. At the same time, it also collects intelligence for us.
To convey news, transport food and grass, etc.”
"What do you think?"
Zhu Yihai did not intend to come and shoot and leave. He hoped to establish a base in the countryside here, mobilize the people, and follow the same path that the great men walked.
Now he is short of food and weapons, and blindly expanding his troops has no combat effectiveness. On the contrary, it is not conducive to movement behind enemy lines. It is better for the army and the people to cooperate and select some young men to stay in their hometowns and become village warriors and militiamen. They will stay in their hometowns. In this way
There is no need to increase military and food expenditures.
And everyone will be willing to do their part to protect the homeland.
Zhu Yihai provided instructors or some weapons, and subsidized some money and food, etc., to mobilize these people's organizations, just like he used to fight against the Japanese.
His ten battalions of men and horses serve as the main force and can maneuver more quickly behind enemy lines.
After the new recruits become veterans, they can naturally expand the number slowly, instead of going around like Zuo Liangyu or Li Zicheng, who go around to capture the strong men. Apart from the fact that such an army sounds good because of its large number, it is actually not that big.
It's useless, it will only disturb and harm the people, and it's really vulnerable to a fight.
Zhu Yihai's idea is very bold.
After all, in the traditional concept of Zhang Mingyang and others, the powerful noble families are all members of the imperial court. Especially at this time, shouldn't it be more important to win over the powerful families in these places? Why are they being purged now?
According to the wishes of the prison country, the great cause of restoring the Ming Dynasty must rely on ordinary people?
"Your Highness, in those days the intruders rose up in a hurry and failed in a hurry." Shen Chenquan said half of the words, but the meaning was very clear. The intruder Li Zicheng was running around in the early years, and was beaten by the court several times.
After entering the city of Beijing, he also established the Dashun Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor.
The most important thing about Li Zicheng's ability to rise up among the gang of thieves is that unlike other thieves, Li Zicheng set out his own political program slogans. His saying, "If you come to invade the king, you will not pay for your food." I don't know how many people who can't survive rushed to support it.
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Although Li Zicheng gained power because of this, it is impossible for an army and a political power to have no taxes, money and food, otherwise it would not be able to support the army and provide officials. Therefore, Li Zicheng's army relied on attacking large households to solve the problem of military supplies and money and food for a long time.
Fighting local tyrants and robbing big households everywhere solved the problem of money and food for a while, but it also put them on the opposite side of the gentry and landlord class. Therefore, for a long time, Li Zicheng's army did not have many gentry and officials defecting.
Even if he finally broke into Beijing and many officials surrendered, their ensuing torture and extortion of wages made many people believe that they were thieves in nature.
As soon as the Qing army came, they rushed to abandon Shun and leave.
Li Zicheng prospered in a hurry and failed in a hurry.
Shen Chenquan was a standard civil servant of the Ming Dynasty. Naturally, he also had that view. Thieves like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong who could not truly unite the landlords and powerful gentry groups could not really secure the world.
Although Zhu Yuanzhang started his career as a beggar monk and joined the Red Scarf Army, he did not act like a bandit later. Instead, he built high walls and accumulated food to slowly become king, and recruited scholars and officials everywhere, and finally established the Ming Dynasty.
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Shen Chenquan feels that the thoughts Zhu Yihai is now revealing are very dangerous.
What is an emperor?
The emperor is the largest landowner. The emperor represents the powerful nobles, landlords, and nobles. Why is it that he wants to attack his biggest supporters now?
After hearing this, Zhu Yihai said, "Shen Qing misunderstood Gu's meaning. Gu is the supervisor of the Ming Dynasty, not the intruder Li Zicheng. Gu will not regard all the landlords, powerful men and people in the world as enemies, and will not fight against local tyrants and landlords to rob big households." .”
"What I want to do is to fight against those traitors and traitors, suppress those bullies who oppress the people in the fish and meat villages, and fight against those scoundrels, thieves and pirates. I am not targeting people of a certain class status, but targeting those who have these evil deeds." people."
"Are Qian Sule, Lin Shidui, and Ge Shizhen of Ningbo officials and officials? Chen Zhihan, Ke Xiaqing, and Song Zhipu of Taizhou were not officials and officials. There were also Sun Jiaji, Xiong Rulin, Yu Ying, Liu Mu, Liu Guangshi, and Zheng Zunqian of Shaoxing. Huang Zongxi, etc., which one of them is not a gentry and landlord?"
"Another example is Wang Zhiren, Zhang Mingzhen, Wu Kai and other generals. Isn't it like this?"
"In Ningbo, Gu personally killed Xie Sanbin with a sword, but he did not loot all the big landlords in Ningbo. Now that he has come to Sanwu, Gu's attitude is still the same!"
"I will only kill the traitors and traitors, punish the tyrants and evil gentry, and attack the thieves and scoundrels."
The stage outside Xu Garden was changed into a public trial stage.
Xu Min and some of the thieves from Xujiayuan were tied up and brought to a public trial with cards stuck on their bodies.
Prosecution one by one.
There were countless onlookers, watching this rare scene. The high-ranking Xu family was tied up on the stage, and the bullies and scoundrels who were running rampant in the countryside were also tied up.
As Zhu Yihai threw the beheading card, the big knives fell down, and the heads of the sinners were chopped off one by one.
The Xu family in Kanpu was liquidated, Xu Min was beheaded on the spot, and his property was confiscated.
Then Zhu Yihai announced in public that the usurious loans owed by the people to the Xu family could be reduced by the excess of the normal high interest rate, and the debts could be forgiven under special circumstances.
Then Zhu Yihai's land was confiscated by Zhu Yihai into his own Wangzhuang, and the rent was reset for the tenants, which was basically much lower than the original rent.
Reduce rent and interest.
Zhu Yihai also ordered the Xu family's warehouse to be opened, and some of the money and grain were used to relieve the poor people, and he distributed money and grain to everyone.
For a time, it attracted the gratitude and support of countless people.
The Xu family in Kanpu copied a lot of money and food. Zhu Yihai only gave a small part to the people, which won so many cheers. Most of the rest was used as military supplies, and the other small part was used to form various organizations. The township regiment and the militia of each village.
The Xu family in Kanpu was raided, which frightened other nearby landowners and gentry to tremble. Fortunately, Zhu Yihai did not intend to fight the local tyrants against the landlords. He sent someone to invite them to come for an interview and explained his views frankly.
The wealthy landowners actively donated money, but Zhu Yihai only accepted a small amount of symbolic donations this time, and then issued an IOU to each of them. Depending on the amount of their property, he borrowed a small amount of money.
Those with a wealth of ten thousand taels can only borrow four to five hundred taels, and those with a wealth of three to five thousand taels can only borrow one or two hundred taels. Basically, they borrow money based on about 5% of their wealth, write an IOU, and set interest. , it is agreed that the principal and interest will be repaid over a period of three or five years.
They wanted to donate more and asked for an IOU, but Zhu Yihai refused. Still, each family only accepted a donation of one hundred and eighty taels, and then borrowed one to two hundred or three to five hundred taels of silver from them and issued IOUs.
"We are the Ming Dynasty King's Master, and we are here to protect the people, not to plunder and persecute them. The times are difficult now, and we have no choice but to borrow money from everyone, but please rest assured that this is a loan or not a donation. If you borrow, you will be repaid. "
"Another point is that when we borrow money from you, we owe you a huge favor. If you encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to us for help. Whether it is kidnapping and extortion by bandits or gangsters, or blackmail by gangsters,
Or if you are robbed and forced by the puppet officials from the north, or even if there are conflicts between clans and villages, you can come to us for help. We will ensure everyone's personal and property safety. This is considered an additional interest in the loan you gave me, which is quite significant.
So a security fee.”
Zhu Yihai spoke to these landlords very sincerely, and they were stunned by his words.
However, everyone held the IOU and did not take these words seriously.
