First Minister of Ming Dynasty

It wasn't until Chang Yuchun arrived that he realized that it was a beacon tower, not the heavily guarded fortress piers along the Great Wall.It's something like a bucket.

It is erected on a tall wooden pole with a basket on it. People inside can see the situation on the other side of the river and the news from the left and right.

It's just that such a crude observation device is defenseless, and once it is suddenly killed by the Yuan army, it will easily lose its effect.

Therefore, at intervals, a fortress was built and troops were stationed in it, some with a hundred and some with fifty.

These soldiers are also going out on patrol to take precautions.

Chang Yuchun had been a bandit for several years, and there were special people watching in the cottage, for fear of sneak attacks.

But obviously, it is not as thorough as before.

What surprised Chang Yuchun the most was that there were blind people in these fortresses!

That's right, those blind people who can't see, what can they do?Isn't it adding to the chaos?

But gradually, Chang Yuchun realized that these blind people are of great use.

They are blind and usually have better-than-average hearing.

On rainy days, foggy days, or at night, the river is completely dark, and ordinary people can't see anything, but blind people can vaguely hear some voices, reminding everyone to pay attention.

This method was used even during World War II and the British Air War.Blind people can hear the sound of fighter jet engines in the clouds.

Chuzhou soldiers can always amaze Chang Yuchun, here, no one is superfluous.

People make the best use of their talents.

The military discipline is strict and the weather is completely new.

Chang Yuchun really admired her vision, it was so accurate!

If the Chuzhou soldier can't achieve great things, he will write his name upside down!

It's just that the more accurately he sees, the more painful he will be!Carrying wood and moving bricks and stones all day long, when did he become a leader?

When Chang Yuchun was in distress, Lan came back happily.

"Master, let me tell you a good thing, Madam wants me."

"Madam? What Madam?" Chang Yuchun asked stupidly.

"What can I do madam, General Zhu's wife! From tomorrow onwards, I will go to work with my wife."

"Wait!" Chang Yuchun turned pale with shock. Although he was afraid of his wife, he couldn't tolerate everything.This woman is shameless, she is clearly serving Zhu Yuanzhang when she is working with her wife.

If someone surnamed Zhu fell in love with his beautiful wife, wouldn't that be a big deal?

Chang Yuchun couldn't help short of breath, as if a light shone on his head.

Mrs. Lan knew her husband too well. When he noticed that he was wheezing and his eyebrows were raised, he couldn't help but spit: "What the hell are you thinking about? My waist is thicker than a water tank. I don't have the blessing to serve people. You don't know, this General Zhu is amazing, he has such a heart."

Lan gave her a thumbs up, forced Chang Yuchun to sit down again, and explained her experience... In Dingyuan and Chuzhou, it is not surprising that women come out to do things.

When granting land, men and women are the same, and no one is more than the other.

In fact, it is not uncommon to grant land to women. Under the Tang Dynasty's land equalization order, women could get half of the man's land...Since the Tang Dynasty could do half, it's okay to add the other half now.

Both men and women can get the same land. That is to say, under Lao Zhu's rule, women have the same status as men.

This is not obtained by boxers all over the world, but real economic equality.

This is followed by a large number of women participating in the labor force.

Maybe women are weaker than men, but when they harvest crops, they are not slower than men at all.Some women even learned to drive a car, and like men, they got up early, went to work in the fields, wore stars and moons, and went home to rest.

Relying on their own labor, they have been recognized by more and more men.

This time, men were in charge of physical labor while women were in charge of cooking, making clothes, and shoe soles for the repair of the Beacon Tower along the river... Mrs. Ma personally arranged and recruited female workers.

Three catties of japonica rice per person per day, this is the experience that Ma Shi summed up when he was in Haozhou.The only difference is that with more food, she can be more generous.

The devastation of the war was too severe. After Sun Deya entered Hezhou, he plundered a large number of men and women and incorporated them into his subordinates.

Men serve as his soldiers and pawns, but what is the use of women, then they don't need much.

Many couples were arrested and lived in different camps. Even if they met, they would not dare to recognize each other.

Some couples simply refer to each other as brother and sister. After all, it is only natural for the elder brother to take care of the younger sister. If it is a husband and wife, some people will inevitably have evil intentions and encounter accidents...

They are obviously a family, but they cannot be reunited.Moreover, he was worried and frightened all day long, fearing that those beasts would find out and encounter accidents.

Sun Deya really committed serious crimes!

After Zhu Yuanzhang occupied Hezhou, he gathered the women in the army and put them in different houses, and then let the men walk in front of the door. If they were indeed husband and wife, the women would recognize each other on their own initiative. Arrange housing for them.

Zhu Yuanzhang issued a strict order.

Bad family, husband and wife cannot recognize each other, children have no parents to rely on... This is the greatest evil in the world!

If anyone in the army dares to defy the law with his own body, he will be executed without mercy!

And Lao Zhu issued another order...During the war, many children lost their parents. In this situation, the children must be taken to the military camp to be raised.

If someone dares to abduct and traffic children, once found out, he will be executed without mercy!

Zhu Yuanzhang's laws and regulations are strict and can be called heavy codes.

But it was such orders one after another that broke into the rules of the place and picked them up again.And relying on quite strong administrative ability, let these rules be implemented on everyone.

Hezhou quickly recovered, even better than Yuan Ting's rule.

When Lan told these stories, she couldn't help but be overjoyed, she was really convinced.

"The head of the family, I earn more than you now! Let's put it this way, even if you want to leave, I won't agree. I am happy to be under the rule of Zhu's army, even as a commoner!"

Chang Yuchun helplessly raised his head and sighed, he didn't want to leave either, but he was not reconciled!

Is there no use for my own riding and shooting skills?

After lamenting, Chang Yuchun was still helpless and could only continue to wait.

……

"My lord, the autumn harvest is coming soon this year, and if there are no accidents, there will be a bumper harvest!"

Zhang Ximeng reported the situation to Zhu Yuanzhang with a smile.

Normally, the autumn grain is twice as much as the summer grain, that is to say, the autumn harvest this season can contribute about 60 shi tax grain to Lao Zhu.

Zhu Yuanzhang has made rapid progress in finance and taxation. If he wants to be a good family, he must figure it out.

"Sir, there are more than 20 people in Hezhou now, and we have recruited a lot of soldiers. Even if we divide the fields now, we will not have a harvest until next summer. We have to build beacon towers, build ships, and recruit sailors." ...Which item does not cost money? What we have right now is food."

"The 60 shi, even if I take half of it to Hezhou, it may not be enough." Old Zhu sighed, "The family business is big, and the expenses are also high. I still have to tie my hands and feet!"

Zhang Ximeng smiled slightly, and as if juggling, he took out another account.

Introduced to Zhu Yuanzhang: "Mr. Li presided over the matter of Tian Fu just now. I have some grain bank accounts here. Are you interested, my lord?"

Lao Zhu was quite surprised. The design of the grain bank was very complicated. There were grain books and various tickets.

To be honest, Lao Zhu would never have agreed to Zhang Ximeng's push.

He was a man with an earthy instinct that the simpler the better.After all, only if it is simple enough can the disadvantages be reduced and the harm to the common people be reduced.

This line of thought ran through Zhu Yuanzhang's life.

And most of the time, Lao Zhu is still right.

Guards, military households, grain chiefs...all are the result of this line of thinking.

But there are some things that really require effort.

"My lord, I have already absorbed 25 shi of stored grain. If there is no accident, after the harvest of autumn grain, my ration here will exceed one million shi!"

"Millions of stones? How come there are so many?" Old Zhu turned pale with shock. Could it be bragging?If there is really 100 million shi of grain, there are too many things that can be done.

"My lord, the reason for this judgment is that depositing in the grain bank pays interest. Moreover, although the fields have been divided, the common people's savings are not much, and it is not easy to build a leak-proof granary at home. Don't say The granary is gone, and many people’s houses are too late to be repaired!”

Zhang Ximeng said with a smile: "People deposit their grain in the bank, so they don't have to worry about storing it. We will be responsible for the expenses of repairing the warehouse. Mr. Li is already busy, expanding the granary overnight, so we must keep the grain well." .”

At this point, Lao Zhu gradually understood, "You are paying for the convenience of the people. It stands to reason that we shouldn't say anything, but Mr. has always been calculating, so what good do we have?"

Zhu Yuanzhang still knew Zhang Ximeng very well. Of course, this kid is not bad, but he is not a bad guy. He promised to hide it.

"My lord, the truth is actually very simple. I have 100 million shi of grain in my hand, so I can lend about 50 shi to my lord?"

"Borrow?" Zhu Yuanzhang rolled his eyelids and said with a smirk, "Sir, aren't you afraid we won't pay you back?"

"Don't be afraid! Because the lord dare not!"

"Why?" Old Zhu really didn't think there was anything he dared not do.

"Because my lord loves the people!" Zhang Ximeng said with a smile, "These grains are temporarily stored here by the common people, and they will naturally come to get them when they need them, so I can't lend them all to the lord. And the lord must return them in full on time. Only in this way can we explain to the thousands of people. Otherwise, the people will know that their food reserves have been taken away, and the consequences will be disastrous!"

Zhu Yuanzhang fell silent in astonishment.He took the account in Zhang Ximeng's hand, looked through it carefully, thoughtful.

What Zhang Ximeng showed him were two systems, one called finance and taxation, and the other called finance!

The so-called fiscal and taxation are naturally land taxes and miscellaneous taxes collected by the court, and these revenues are completely at the disposal of the government.

The other is the financial system. The money in this system does not belong to the imperial court and cannot be used directly.

But as long as you borrow at interest and guarantee the return, you can get it in your hands, which greatly increases the amount of wealth that the court can control.

Just like the current situation, the food and salary that Lao Zhu can control can be doubled, even super doubled!

Similarly, you also need to bear the consequences, one of which is naturally to return the full amount and guarantee credit.The second is to borrow money to fight a war. You must win the war. If you lose, the consequences will be unimaginable if you don’t pay the money.

Faced with this brand-new game of the bank, Lao Zhu was not immediately overjoyed, on the contrary, he looked very dignified.

Such a big matter cannot be easily decided.

"Sir, take time to accompany us to see for ourselves, and then go to the homes of some depositors. We want to hear what they have to say."

Zhang Ximeng nodded vigorously, and was even a little relieved that Zhu Yuanzhang, who was cautious and astute, was the ideal head of the family.

Time entered late August, and a secret letter arrived in Chuzhou from Dadu, passed through the hands of Jia Lu, and was delivered to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"My lord, the Yuan court has decided to let the prime minister take off the leadership of the army. He has gathered all the troops from the whole country, and he has also transferred the troops of the kings from the northwest. The total number is more than 40. He is going to claim the title of one million and go straight to Gaoyou, and destroy Zhang Shicheng first!"

At this moment, Yuan Ting didn't make a formal decree, but Jia Lu was able to get the information so accurate, this old man is amazing.

Jia Lu didn't want to pretend to be mysterious in front of Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Ximeng, so he told them directly, "I used to be Zhongshu Zuocheng, and I know a few people in the Zhongshu Province. It's just that I'm a dead person now, and I can only Let others do it for you and buy some news from them."

Zhang Ximeng naturally believed Jia Lu's words, but if he could sell such an important military situation, would Yuan Ting really be sure of winning?

Chapter 98 Yuan Army 60

"My lord, this time, you must not take it lightly. Yuan Ting's plan is great!"

Jia Lu sighed deeply, and couldn't hide his worry.

The Yuan Dynasty was an empire based on military affairs, and the Mongols, as the tiger and wolf divisions sweeping the world, naturally had their own unique features.Even if the mountains and rivers are exhausted and the sun is setting, the last desperate fight is still quite terrifying.

In terms of military strength alone, a 40 army, as long as it rolls forward, is enough to crush any enemy.

Not only is there a large number of troops, among these troops, there are Mongolian kings from Shaanxi, Hexi Corridor and other places, as well as vassals from the Western Regions.

And don't forget that the Yuan Dynasty ruled the Central Plains for decades, plundering a large number of skilled craftsmen to enrich the grasslands.

The result is that these cavalry are not only brave, but also very well equipped, armor, scimitar, longbow, sharp blade... It is not at all comparable to Lao Zhu's three cavalry.

"One more thing, my lord should be careful." Jia Lu took out a letter again, which was sent from Jiangnan.

In Jiqing and other places, the garrisons of the Yuan Dynasty, including Tujian Buhua, the deputy envoy of the Privy Council, stumbled over Ma Suo's troops, Chen Yexian, the leader of the landlord's armed forces, and the Yuanting Navy of the Yangtze River, with a total strength of nearly 20 people, also Waiting for an opportunity to cross the river and attack the Red Scarf Army in Huaixi.

"From the old man's point of view, Tuotuo wants to attack from north to south, from south to north, and attack from both sides. First take Gaoyou, then take Hezhou, and then join the main force of the Yuan army to attack the Red Army in Jiangxi and other places. Get rid of Liu Futong... In this way, the massive Red Turban Uprising can only be disintegrated, and the stars will be scattered. Yuan Ting will be able to linger on and wait for the next uprising."

Jia Lu has been an official in the Yuan court for many years, and once served as an official in the Zhongshu Zuo Cheng, so he understands Yuan court's thinking very well.His analysis 100% agrees with Tuotuo's idea.

In fact, Tuotuo had wanted to go south a long time ago, but he had not sent troops. Apart from food and grass, he was waiting for the cavalry from the Western Regions.

In addition, Tuotuo also imagined going south from Suzhou and other places, using a partial division to pacify Haozhou and other places, and finally besiege Gaoyou, destroy Zhang Shicheng, and pacify the two Huaihe Rivers in one fell swoop.

And for this plan, Tuotuo tolerated Cheli Buhua's failure, and urged him to rectify his troops and launch an attack... Needless to say, Cheli Buhua smoothly gave Zhu Yuanzhang a big gift bag, Let Tuotuo's plan go bankrupt.

There is no way but to mobilize the soldiers and horses in the south of the Yangtze River, and use a north-south joint attack to bet a bigger bargaining chip.If he wins, everything is easy to say, he is the hero who continues the Great Yuan Guozuo, but once he loses, the main force of the Yuan army will be exhausted, and the overall situation will never be restored.

The rise and fall of the Great Yuan, all in one fell swoop!

It turns out that Tuotuo is the old Showa.

In history, when the Tuotuo army attacked Gaoyou, the Yuan army in the south of the Yangtze River mobilized 10 horses to attack Hezhou. At that time, Lao Zhu had only [-] soldiers and horses. The battle was very hard. Even Li Shanchang personally went into battle to defend the city. Only then did the Yuan soldiers retreat.