The advisors had never seen Governor Yang so angry before and hurriedly agreed. They each went to write military orders and memorials. Bai Zhongzan saw that Yang Ling's anger had not subsided and his face was ashen. He quickly coughed and changed the topic, "Daren, Jiangnan is the wealthiest in the world. Robbing a village here is better than robbing a county in other prefectures. From the distribution of the Wokou pirates, their main focus is on Jiangzhe.
So this lowly official thinks that we can move troops from Sichuan, Shandong, Hunan, and Hubei into Jiangnan to help suppress the bandits. The soldiers in these areas are mostly familiar with the geography of Jiangnan and their tactics are similar. What does daren think? "
Cheng Qiyun looked pitifully at Yang Ling's haggard face and interrupted, "Daren wants to move troops into Jiangnan?"
Yang Ling tiredly sat back on the commander's chair and nodded heavily. He sighed, "Most of the soldiers in Jiangnan are not good at fighting. At this time, we can't train new soldiers. Just relying on the current troops to guard the various areas, how can it be easy to kill the pirates that roam everywhere? So I want to move troops to help suppress the bandits. "
Cheng Qiyun did not want to add any more burden to Yang Ling, but military supplies and pay were important. She had always been in charge of this. Now that Yang Ling wanted to move troops into Jiangnan, if she did not explain some things, it would delay the important military matter.
She hesitated and finally said in a low voice, "Daren, the court can no longer afford the huge military expenditure. You know, from last year until now, the court's expenditure... Jiangnan cannot compare to the border army. The border army's pay is already low, and the provinces above are mostly guards. Their pay is already high, and in times of war, this military expenditure..."
Yang Ling listened blankly and bitterly laughed. He shook his head, "If you don't take charge, you don't know the cost of food and fuel. Ai! Why do so many things have to come together? If I had a few years, just three years... in three years, the situation in the court will be very different. But now... "
He gritted his teeth, "No matter what, we have to get through this! But military expenditure... military expenditure... "He stood up and slowly paced around.
Without military pay, shouting a few slogans such as' everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the country ',' soldiers should protect the country and bring peace to the land ', and' soldiers are like fish in water 'would not work for the current army. How could they have that kind of awareness? Soldiers also have families to support. If they don't have enough to eat and their families don't have food to eat, no matter what you say, it would be strange if they would work for you.
Cheng Qiyun saw the worry on Yang Ling's face and said, "Daren, the current war situation is tense. If this drags on, Jiangnan's industry and even agriculture will be greatly damaged. Therefore, the troops must be mobilized. But in order to save money, this lowly officer thinks that we can mobilize fewer Garrison Guards. Moreover, we don't know how strong the Garrison Guards are. "
Yang Ling laughed in spite of himself. "If not the Imperial Guards? Make the people strong? That's impossible. How would they be willing to leave their hometowns? Firstly, it's extremely difficult to mobilize them. Secondly, the people aren't soldiers. They don't have the responsibility to protect a foreign land. They don't have this kind of awareness. "
Cheng Qiyun shook her head and said, "Daren, this lowly officer is not talking about the people strong, nor the soldiers. The fighting power of these soldiers is definitely above the soldiers. Also, the military expenditure is very low. They only need to have a full meal."
Yang Ling asked in doubt, "What soldiers? Is there already progress on the sea? "
Cheng Qiyun smiled and said, "No, it is the wolf soldiers! Daren can recruit the Miao, Zhuang and Tu families as wolf soldiers. Their folk customs are valiant and are used to fighting in the mountains, forests and lakes. Also, all of them are natural hunters. Guerrilla warfare and ambushes are ingenious. By mobilizing these local soldiers, we can reduce the number of soldiers recruited. What does Daren think? "
Yang Ling said happily, "Not bad, it is a good idea. But even so, is our current military expenditure enough?"
Cheng Qiyun said frankly, "Not enough, far from enough!"
"But …" She hesitated and said, "Daren, ideas are thought of by people. Can Daren give this lowly officer some time, I will definitely have a way to solve this problem."
Yang Ling stared at her for a while and suddenly smiled and said, "Good! My female Zhuge has never let me down. This time I believe you will definitely think of a way. Then this official will first report to the court and request for troops. You can put down other matters first and focus on solving the problem of military supplies and pay! "
Cheng Qiyun smiled and cupped her fists and said, "This lowly officer will obey. With Daren's words, this lowly officer will rack her brains and not dare to disappoint Daren."
※ ※ ※
Zhengde had absolute support for Yang Ling. He really could not take out money but he did not hesitate to mobilize troops. Jiangnan was the foundation of the court. Now that the Wokou were causing trouble everywhere, it would endanger the court in the long run. This was something that all the civil and military officials in the court knew so there was no official who dared to raise an objection at this time.
Once Yang Ling's memorial was reported to the court, it was almost immediately approved. The Ministry of War's transfer order was immediately sent to Shandong, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou.
When Yang Ling received the report from the court, he hurried to the back courtyard, startling the pigeons that were leisurely flying around in the courtyard. Yang Ling's sleeves fluttered and he walked straight in. Suddenly he pulled open the door. Cheng Qiyun, who was about to push open the door to leave, pounced on empty air and fell head first into his arms.
Yang Ling hurriedly supported her. Cheng Qiyun blushed and moved away. She covered her sore nose and said coquettishly, "Daren, why are you in such a hurry to walk? If this lowly officer gets disfigured, I will blame you for the rest of my life."
Yang Ling was not in the mood to flirt at this time. He waved the Ministry of War's message and said anxiously, "Qiyun, the Ministry of War's message has arrived. The provincial reinforcements will set off for Jiangnan in the next few days. Is there any progress on the soldiers' pay? If the army arrives but can't pay, not to mention getting them to fight, just dealing with the disturbances of these ruffian soldiers will make me lose my hair from worry. "
Cheng Qiyun rolled her eyes at him and said, "That serves you right. Even if I get disfigured, I want you to look good."
She rubbed the tip of her nose and said, "This lowly officer is about to go see daren. These two days, this lowly officer has paid a visit to the Chief Minister, Gu Gonggong, and also met with Old Wu, Master Xu, and the other Jiangnan gentry and nobility. I have thought of two methods that the court and the people can accept. I estimate that the military funds raised will be enough to pay for the army."
Yang Ling was overjoyed and said without thinking, "The heavens have bestowed Qiyun and me. Quickly tell me, what good idea is it?"
Hearing his words, Cheng Qiyun felt a sweetness in her heart. The hard work and tiredness of the past few days were swept away. She hurriedly said excitedly, "The court has no silver. Because the war has spread over several provinces, the business of our internal factories has also been greatly affected. Besides, the silver to support an army of a hundred thousand is a drop in the bucket. Right now, we can only increase taxes in the areas where the war is going on.
There is a precedent for this. The areas affected by the war are the direct beneficiaries, so both rich and poor can accept it. After discussing with the Chief Minister Liu and Gu Gonggong, and listening to the opinions of Wu Jiyuan, Xu Jing, and the other gentry and nobility representatives, we have decided to collect taxes in the name of 'wartime emergency reorganization'. "
Yang Ling was startled and said hesitantly, "In times of war and banditry, the local officials have the right to assess the situation, to mobilize all manpower and materials, and to collect taxes in the name of wartime emergency. After the matter is over, they only need to report to the department. I am now in charge of the military affairs of the six provinces, so I can make this decision. It's just that … Jiangnan has already been troubled by banditry to the point where the people have no way to make a living. Can the people afford to collect additional taxes? What if we collect from other provinces? "
Cheng Qiyun smiled bitterly and said, "Daren, do you think that the local government and the Hundred Prefectures have achieved 'the world is public'? This matter has nothing to do with them. Not only will the people of other provinces have the intention to resist, even the local government will not do it. If we want to collect taxes, we can only collect from the war-torn areas. There are precedents for this in the past.
However, the old practice in the past is to collect additional taxes according to the original tax. This lowly official thinks that this practice is not advisable. What lowly official thinks is that first the government will divide the people of the six provinces into ten classes according to their wealth. First, they will collect taxes from the first class rich. When the taxes collected are enough for the military, they will stop. If it is not enough, they will collect taxes from the second class rich. If it is not enough, they will collect taxes from the third class rich, and so on. Just this alone, one province can collect an additional five hundred thousand taels of silver, enough for military expenses.
This can minimize the losses suffered by the poor to the greatest extent. Because the losses suffered by the war are far greater than the taxes collected, the rich are anxious for the war to subside, so most of them are willing to accept. In addition, the internal factory will spread the benefits of opening the sea and lifting the ban on the sea to the horse carriages, teahouses, gambling houses, brothels, and restaurants all over the world. This will increase the support of the people against the Japanese.
Secondly, Gu Gonggong will introduce a special 'Anti-Japanese Donation Certificate' issued by the Shanghai yamen. Those who take the initiative to donate money to support the fight against the Japanese and suppress the bandits, with this certificate, after the ban on the sea is lifted, will receive preferential treatment in all aspects such as sea trade, tax collection, and so on. I believe it will attract a considerable number of gentry and rich families to generously donate money. In this way, the extra money can be used to continue to invest in shipyards and the establishment of naval forces, as well as the establishment of various maritime yamen, so that they will not be affected by the war and their progress will not be delayed. Lowly official has tested the attitude of the local government and some of the gentry families, and they all approve of these measures. Even if some of the common people have complaints, but this is an urgent matter, we have no other choice. "
Yang Ling recalled that before Li Zicheng came to Beijing, those short-sighted misers who refused to take out money for military expenses no matter what, who sat and watched as the city was breached until they became penniless. He knew that this move would certainly attract some of the gentry's opposition. Cheng Qiyun was only afraid that he would be worried, so she deliberately covered it up.
But even so, so what? Even if it was a normal season, a normal tax, wouldn't there still be some unscrupulous gentry who would think of ways to delay the tax payment, to conceal the tax payment? Even if you gave them money instead, perhaps they would still find some 'my family has a lot of people, his family has a few people's, perhaps they would complain and curse at the unfairness of the gift, so there was no other choice.
Yang Ling pondered for a moment before he resolutely said, "All right, let's do it this way. Come up with a detailed plan, I will immediately announce it to the six provinces and report it to the cabinet. This matter is settled, I am relieved. I will return to the front hall first. "
He looked at the files piled up like a mountain on Cheng Qiyun's desk. He knitted his brows slightly and sighed softly, "Qiyun, if you are tired, you should take a rest. Your body is weak, don't tire yourself out."
"Yes, Daren, Daren …"
Yang Ling turned around and doubtfully asked, "Is there anything else?"
Cheng Qiyun came closer and said faintly, "Men start to grow a beard at twenty-eight years old. Daren has just reached the age of twenty, usually he pays great attention to his appearance, his beard is always shaved cleanly. But now, his hair is in a mess, his beard is green, his cheeks are thin, and he easily loses his temper.
If this lowly official is sick, there will be Daren to care about him. If Daren is sick, who knows how many bastards are secretly rejoicing. Commanding the six provinces, it will be troublesome. The war will not end in a day. You … you have to take good care of your body … "
As she spoke, she actually forgot about her emotions and gently caressed Yang Ling's chin. Her soft little hand gently stroked his short beard, her eyes sparkling. Yang Ling was startled by the deep affection in her voice and her actions. He allowed her to intimately caress his chin and cheeks …
Seeing that Cheng Qiyun was about to jump into his embrace, Yang Ling came back to his senses. He coughed awkwardly and said, "En, this official will remember Daren Cheng's instructions. This official will definitely not make certain people happy. Hehe, this important matter has been resolved, and this official has one less worry. How about we have dinner tonight? This official has not touched a drop of wine for many days. Tonight, I will drink a few cups with you. "
After Yang Ling finished speaking, he hurriedly turned around and slipped away. Cheng Qiyun's hand was in the air as she watched him flee in a sorry state. She was so startled that white pigeons flew into the sky. She suddenly burst out laughing and then clenched her fists in anger, "Afraid that I will be angry, you want to treat me to a meal? Who wants to drink your wine! If you want to eat … then eat your people! "
She rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose. She smugly laughed, "Your biggest weakness is that you are soft-hearted. Since I know this secret … Yang Ling, ah, Yang Ling, you can't be saved!"
※ ※ ※
Wujiang City was close to Suzhou. Suzhou was where the military camp of the six provinces' governor, Yang Ling, was located. At the same time, the commander of the Jiangnan Province, Bai Zhongzan, was also stationed there. With the protection of the army, Wujiang City was close to the water and had not been attacked by the Wokou pirates. The guards gradually became careless.
This morning, there was a heavy fog. The sunlight had just passed through the thick fog and shone into Wujiang City. Suddenly, a large group of people appeared. At this time, the fog was so thick that they could not see more than a hundred feet. The guards on top of the city wall hurriedly called out to the four cities to avoid the pass and defend themselves to investigate the situation.
A junior officer climbed on top of the city wall and looked down. He could not see the identity of the people who had come, so he shouted, "Who are the people below the city wall? Quickly report your identity, otherwise we will shoot arrows! "
The reply he got was a series of strange cries. Following that, a few arrows hit the top of the city wall. The junior officer was shocked and hurriedly retreated a few steps. He shouted, "Brothers, be careful, the Wokou pirates are here! Quickly inform the Garrison Commander! "
The sound of drums and clappers rang out, and the entire city was in an uproar. Liang Xinghua, the commander of the city guards, knew that there were Wokou pirates in the nearby Jiaxing, Yuhang, Shanghai, Jiading, and Taicang. However, he did not expect that they would dare to enter deep into the heart of the city and attack Wujiang City.
Liang Xinghua hurriedly ordered Liu Qian to take eight people to the west of the city and quickly rush to Suzhou to report the news. Then, he personally went up to the top of the city wall to investigate the situation. Liang Xinghua couldn't help but be shocked. At this time, the sunlight was gradually getting stronger and the fog had dissipated. The pirates below the city wall could be seen clearly. From the looks of it, there were at least six to seven thousand pirates. How was this possible? How could there be such a large group of pirates entering the heart of the city?
Liang Xinghua panicked and hurriedly ordered the entire army to defend the city. At the same time, he mobilized the strong archers to support the formation.
He secretly calculated that the walls of Wujiang City were high and thick. Although the pirates had the courage to fight against a hundred, the three thousand soldiers in the city should be able to hold out for a day. At that time, the army from Suzhou should have arrived. Moreover, with the pirates' characteristics of fleeing in all directions and avoiding strong defenses, it was possible that once the siege was stopped, they would immediately move elsewhere.
Thinking of this, Liang Xinghua finally calmed down and ordered the soldiers to aim the cannons at the pirates, waiting for the pirates' first round of attacks. The pirates gradually got closer and closer. At that moment, a white-clothed pirate waved his fan and shouted a few strange words. A rain of arrows shot towards the top of the city wall, followed by a large group of people charging over.
Looking at the arrows that fell to the ground, most of them were used by Ming Destiny's soldiers. Presumably, the pirates had captured these arrows from the soldiers they killed when they raided. The soldiers at the top of the city wall immediately shot back and people continuously fell to the ground. With a "boom", the cannons at the top of the city wall also sounded. Dozens of pirates bore the brunt of the attack and fell into a pool of blood.
This time, the pirates were forced to flee from Japan's Dayu and Fenghou regions to the coast of Ming Destiny. There were about twenty thousand real pirates. Because this time, their homes were uprooted, those who had families also brought their wives and children with them and settled them on hidden islands. This time, the total number of pirates had reached more than thirty thousand.
Thirty thousand people needed food and clothing, and all of their supplies had to be plundered from Ming Destiny. Therefore, this time, the pirates cut off all means of retreat and attacked even more fiercely than before. Although there were less than 20,000 pirates in total, the number of fake pirates that had surrendered to the Japanese was several times more than the real pirates. Therefore, the total strength of the Wokou pirates was more than 60,000. Fortunately, although these pirates were brave, they didn't have a unified commander or leader.
This group of pirates was one of the stronger ones. The leader was the leader of the Naimi family, Naimi Masatake. He cunningly restrained his troops and took advantage of the fact that the other groups of pirates were causing trouble everywhere to attract the Ming army's attention before quietly landing on the shore and heading straight for the big cities and ports.
Through his spies, he already knew that in Suzhou, there were six provincial governors and the commander of Jiangnan sent by Ming Destiny. Suzhou also had thirty thousand soldiers and guards. But based on his previous experience, he did not feel that this Ming army was anything to be afraid of. With his experience, against the Jiangnan Guards, his one thousand men and horses were enough to deal with ten thousand soldiers.
Naimi Masatake thought very far ahead. For the time being, he could not return to Japan. Always going ashore to plunder was also not a long term plan. There were many aristocrats in Suzhou for generations and each one was as rich as a country. If he took a risk and broke through Suzhou, then the wealth he plundered could be used to buy countless warships. In one leap, he would become the overlord of all the pirates and from then on, he would be able to move unhindered on the sea.
With this plan, Naimi Masatake resolutely decided to lead the army forward quickly. He ignored the small cities and counties along the way and rushed all the way to Wujiang. With this as a stronghold, he would attract the Ming army to come and help. He would first destroy the reinforcements and then take Suzhou.
The drums rumbled and the Wokou people shouted and charged forward again. The Wokou people worshipped authority. Under the command of their commander, they would not think twice about whether to fight or retreat. The fake Wokou that followed them were also bloodthirsty pirates. They were also valiant and unafraid of death. They raised simple shields made from rattan shields, table boards, and bed boards. They protected a group of soldiers carrying huge beams as siege logs as they attacked the city gates.
Several Wokou leaders wearing horned helmets and ghost masks jumped up and down, directing the Wokou pirates to attack. The archers and gunners on top of the city walls took turns firing their arrows. Rolling logs and stones were also ready to strike.
At this time, on the official road one li away from the west side of the city, war horses that had their legs broken by horse traps and tripping ropes were lying on the ground, whining. A Wokou pirate pulled out a bloody sword from the back of a soldier and smiled strangely at the ashen-faced Liu Qian.
The other Wokou pirates took off the clothes of the dead soldiers and put them on one by one. Then they swaggered over to Liu Qian's side. One of the Wokou pirates used Wujiang's local dialect to smile strangely at Liu Qian and said, "So it's Captain Jiang. May I know Captain Jiang's name?"
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