Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 50: Preparing for the Next Encirclement

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Yan Guang seemed to have anticipated this question, and replied without hesitation, “My lord, there’s no need to worry too much. The court worries about the same things you worry about. Right now, the court is dealing with the Jianzhou Tartars in the north and suppressing bandits in the Central Plains. There’s no more money or troops to spare in this remote place like Qiongzhou. Moreover, compared to the likes of Gao Yingxiang in Shaanxi, my lord has his own advantages—those bandits are just peasants who have killed countless gentry and officials. The court can still appease such people, and my lord, as a local gentry, can still accept the court’s offer of amnesty even if he only kills a prefect. However…” He emphasized, “Only by defeating the government troops that are besieging us again, and making the government realize that appeasement is worse than suppression, can we reach this point.”

This analysis relieved Liu Ye. Since that was the case, he would fight another battle, beat the government troops badly, and then accept the government's offer of amnesty.

The focus returned to military struggle, and how to repel the government troops again and win the opportunity for pacification became the problem everyone had to face. Yan Guang analyzed: "If we want to repel the government troops, including the local soldiers who just surrendered, we only have more than two thousand men, which will probably be quite difficult."

Liu Ye nodded. Of the two thousand-plus men, only six hundred were equipped with firearms. Facing an attack from several thousand government troops, this small force was far too weak, lacking even a reserve. Any unexpected event could have devastating consequences. Expanding the force was imperative, but where could they find suitable recruits?

Shi Ying, who was in charge of training the guard, summarized: "To join the guard, you must ensure two things: First, sufficient loyalty. To fight against thousands of government troops, you definitely can't win with just spears. If you're given firearms but aren't loyal enough, you'll be a disaster!" Everyone agreed. Patriot rifles can be used with a little training. Even a woman could shoot and kill a burly man with one shot. If she turned her gun on her own people, it would be a disaster.

"Secondly, they must be willing to fight against the government troops. Most people are afraid of the government, and if they go to the battlefield, they will become weak-willed at the sight of the government troops. No matter how good they are at fighting, they cannot be recruited." This is an ideological issue. After all, the rule of the Ming Dynasty lasted for hundreds of years, and the people were still unwilling to oppose the government from the bottom of their hearts. The soldiers recruited must be willing to fight the government troops to the death.

Liang Xiaoming, who hadn't said much, sighed, "The refugees in Shaanxi aren't afraid of the government. If only we could recruit some refugees."

Liu Ye seemed thoughtful. "The refugees aren't afraid of the government because they can't survive and have no other way out, so they rebel. If that's the case, what if people are living better than before, and the government comes to punish them? Wouldn't they also fight to the death against the government?"

Everyone was a little confused, but Yan Guang understood what he meant. "Does the lord mean those who rent our land and those who have contributed to it within the territory of Lingao?"

His explanation made things clearer. The land Liu Ye had seized continued to be rented out, but he only charged two shi (a unit of dry measure) of rent per mu (a unit of land area), exempting them from all other taxes and grain. This not only motivated the tenant farmers but also attracted many independent farmers to contribute. Compared to before, this model greatly reduced their burden, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were living a better life. If the government troops succeeded in their encirclement and suppression, and Liu Ye, their protector, fell, this model would certainly not continue, and they would return to their previous impoverished lives.

Liang Xiaoming clapped his hands and said, "I understand! We'll tell them about the government troops' invasion and the consequences of our defeat, and they'll naturally side with us. Nothing is bigger than our own stomachs. If we can't even get enough to eat, who cares about the government!"

Yan Guang added: "The government wants to suppress us because they killed the prefect. They have to change their story about the tenants. They can say that the government thinks that our payment of taxes is hindering their personal enrichment and they want to find a reason to take back all the land for government use."

Liu Ye clapped his hands and said, "Brilliant! They have no choice but to believe it."

With a direction in terms of manpower, it is also necessary to keep track of the movements in Guangzhou, when to send troops, and how many troops to deploy. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we win the battle.

Liu Ye looked around. Among the people present, Liang Xiaoming was only suitable for tinkering with technology, Li Ergou was responsible for managing tenants, Shi Ying was responsible for training, Lin San was more suitable for charging into battle, and Yan Guang was to stay by his side to offer advice. After eliminating these options, only Li Fu was suitable. In order to ensure that he could complete the mission successfully and return alive, someone had to be sent to protect him.

So he made a decision: "Li Ergou will spread the word among the tenant farmers, and Li Fu will go to Guangzhou to gather intelligence on the movements of the government troops. He should report back as soon as he has any news, and take a few men to protect them. If there is any danger, they should be withdrawn. The guards should intensify their training and prepare for battle!"

Everyone agreed.

Liu Ye was preparing for the competition, while Hefeng Village presented a vibrant scene.

Since Zhang Mazi was driven away, Hefeng Village has regained its vitality, and everyone continues to harvest grain. The golden rice in the paddy fields reflects a golden light under the sun; what is harvested is not only grain, but also everyone's hope for a better life.

Su Da Tui stopped wiping his sickle, wiped his sweat, and looked at his own rice paddy, grinning with joy. Old Su, standing beside him, said with dissatisfaction, "It's too early to rest. Wait for your little sister to bring you food before you rest! We have to finish harvesting these few acres today."

Su Da Tui and Su Er Di exchanged a wink and smiled at each other. Ever since their father rented these fifteen acres of land, he seemed to have inexhaustible energy, treating the two brothers like oxen. But no matter how tiring it was, it was worth it. After paying the rent, all the future harvest would be theirs, and just thinking about it filled them with happiness.

At lunchtime, the youngest daughter of the Su family, Su Xiaomei, arrived carrying a bamboo basket. The two Su brothers cheered, threw down their sickles, and went to eat. Old Man Su cursed, "You two lazybones, why can't you work more efficiently!"

Su Xiaomei said earnestly to her brothers, "Big brother, second brother, I heard that the new employer has sent people again. They have something important to announce!"

Su put down his bowl, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. He asked, "What's the announcement? Where are they?"

"It's in the ancestral hall. It seems the government is going to take all this land and turn it into government land," Su Xiaomei said earnestly to her brothers.

"Damn it! Can't a person live in peace? First it was Zhang Mazi, and now it's government land. Why can't things just stop?" Su Da Tui threw down his bowl and started cursing. Our village had just started to have some good days, and we thought that with the government's heartless ways, if they were to take all this land and turn it into government land, how would we survive?

Old Su was still harvesting rice in the field when he heard the commotion and looked over in confusion: "Boss, what did you say?"

No, I have to find out what's going on. Su Da Tui didn't even bother eating anymore and turned to leave.