Section 57: Dividing the Booty (Part 2)
On August 3, after nearly ten days of reconnaissance, Li Guoying was convinced that the Ming army had serious shortage of troops, so he convened a meeting of generals of the entire army and decided to launch a comprehensive breakthrough. Although the number of armored soldiers of the Ming army may be comparable to that of the Qing army, the insufficient auxiliary soldiers would seriously reduce the power of the Ming army in the inland, and he did not dare to engage in field battles with the Qing army easily, because after losing physical strength, the armored soldiers of the Ming army would not be stronger than the armored soldiers of the Qing army.
On the same day, Yuan Zongdi, who was on a boat, arrived at Deng Ming's military camp. Deng Ming came out to welcome Duke Jingguo and his 1,000-armored soldiers. At this time, Deng Ming wiped out the tension a few days ago and led his subordinates to cleanse Yuan Zongdi with his face.
"General Yuan brought his troops to come, it was such a timely help." Deng Ming said to his allies with a smile, but both him and Yuan Zongdi himself knew that in this melee in the no-man's land, the role of a thousand armored soldiers could play was minimal.
Chengdu's mobilization was worse than Deng Ming thought. Now is the critical moment for harvesting rice. The self-cultivated farmers in Chengdu are hoping to respond to the conscript after handling their own grains. The merchants also complained to Liu Jinge, saying that if their workers were recruited, it would bring a heavy blow to their industry and seriously affect Admiral Deng's great cause.
Strictly speaking, these businesses are not lies. Chengdu requires staff in all walks of life. Many businesses are still hoping to hire self-cultivated farmers to do short-term workers after the slack farming farming. Everyone knows that the victory of the foreign war can bring new population to Chengdu, and they are eager to win a new victory. However, all the bosses hope to recruit workers from other businesses, and every self-cultivated farming farming farming farming farming. Anyway, this time it is fighting in eastern Sichuan, and Admiral Deng cannot ask everyone for a wife.
Liu Jinge had to report to Deng Ming that the second wave of mobilization that was earlier than the original plan was not going well. The more than 20,000 people that Deng Ming took away last time were almost all the population that could be used in Chengdu before the slack season. Liu Jinge only sent Deng Ming 10,000 people who were pieced together. This was achieved by Liu Jinge forcibly assigning tasks to various commercial banks and forcing them to work and work. It is estimated that these people will arrive one after another within a few days. Liu Jinge hopes to mobilize another scale in ten days, but Deng Ming thinks that it is too late. When the mobilized troops arrive on the battlefield, Li Guoying has already fled back to Chongqing.
However, the intensity and speed of mobilization in Xiazhou were far from comparable to Chengdu. The first wave of mobilization five days ago attracted 10,000 people, and the second round of mobilization two days raised 10,000. Yuan Xiang ordered the use of prisoners to harvest the small amount of grain around Xiazhou. Whoever provided the prisoners' short-term work compensation would have the priority to recruit workers. The prisoners who first arrived in Sichuan thought the treatment was good, so they happily took on the harvest task. Various merchants shared the grain needed by the prisoners for labor. Yuan Xiang relied on this policy to liberate more than 5,000 self-cultivated farmers from the land and all formed troops to the front line. These more than 5,000 self-cultivated farmers were "government investment". In this way, in addition to tax collection, the Xuzhou prefectural government office led by Yuan Xiang could also receive an additional quarter of the spoils.
"Isn't Xuzhou only 30,000 young men?" Yuan Zongdi was surprised when he heard that Xuzhou provided Deng Ming with 20,000 auxiliary soldiers (civilians). There was his nephew in charge of the government and had close communication with Wanxian, so Yuan Zongdi also knew about the situation in Xuzhou.
"In addition to the prisoners who had just been transported to Xuzhou, when I left Xuzhou, there were more than 27,000 fellow scholars and more than 5,000 lesbian scholars." Deng Ming nodded. This time, Xuzhou mobilized two-thirds of the males to the battlefield: "It's amazing to make my nephew's talent management."
Although there is the convenience of water transportation, although there is a large amount of food provided by Chengdu, and although it is a short-term mobilization, Deng Ming was extremely shocked. The government could not provide enough rewards to call on the people to join the army, but the business bank strongly supported the mobilization of the prefect of the Xuzhou Prefecture. They mobilized the staff from door to door to join the army. In order to make more friends moved, the boss and the shopkeepers made generous wishes, saying that they would give bonuses and raise wages - this is exactly the opposite of the role played by Chengdu Business Bank. Although people in Chengdu did not dare to play against the government on the spot, they privately poured cold water on those workers who wanted to respond to the conscript order. The traditional saying "good men are not in the army" was also resurrected in Chengdu, and was used by many bosses as a reason to persuade the staff.
Chengdu, which has 250,000 scholars, first provided 20,000 people in the season of harvest, and then 10,000 people, which is already considerable. Deng Ming felt that Chengdu's mobilization efficiency was quite good. If the government could have such mobilization ability as Chengdu in the late Ming Dynasty, it would definitely make the emperor and the important officials of the court cry out with joy. The reason why it seems inconspicuous is that the mobilization in Xuzhou this time was so impressive, and a total of 23,000 manpower was provided to the Ming army in the past and after.
What Xuzhou is worried about is that Deng Ming will make their dreams empty and interfere with the distribution of spoils. In addition to worrying that Deng Ming favors Chengdu, the business owners are also worried that Yuan Xiang will break his promise and Deng Ming will support Yuan Xiang. When Xuzhou sent the first batch of mobilized troops to the front line, a representative reported their agreement to Deng Ming. Ye Tianming also expressed his evasively on behalf of everyone that he hoped Deng Ming would not interfere with their private agreement.
"I originally hoped that the Xuzhou Prefecture could support 2,000 civilians, but now because of this agreement, you can support 20,000 people on the front line! In this case, why should I obstruct the agreement you reached? Will I be unable to get along with Shengli?" Deng Ming not only expressed that he fully recognized the agreement signed by Yuan Xiang, but also would escort the agreement and watched it be implemented with his own eyes: "I wonder if you have ever thought about turning this meeting that shares the benefits into a permanent establishment?"
In Deng Ming's view, this agreement is essentially a sharing of spoils, and it stimulates everyone to make early investments by setting the rules for post-war distribution: "In the future, as long as the agreement reached at the split-off meeting, the criminal procurator will be obliged to ensure that the agreement is implemented."
"That's to say... well..." Although the representative of the business bank knew that Deng Ming was right, the word "spoke sharing" sounded too ugly: "Well, no matter what agreement this meeting reached, the prosecutor would approve it. Is it equivalent to the law?"
"Of course not," Deng Ming shook his head: "The reason I support this association is that it can better enable scholars to support the court, and also allow scholars who support the court the most to get the greatest benefits from the victory of officers and soldiers. If the agreement proposed by the stolen goods association violates this principle, such as Boss Ye's wholehearted support for the court has received generous rewards, while other people who have not contributed their efforts look at it and want to divide Boss Ye's property, the court will certainly not agree to this behavior."
"It turns out that the admiral was worried about this." Many bosses of the chamber of commerce laughed when they heard this: "How could this happen?"
"It may not be possible. There are many people in the world who want to get something for nothing under the banner of robbing the rich and helping the poor." Deng Ming said: "As long as it does not violate the principle of 'making the profits of scholars who support the court', all the agreements of the stolen and dividing associations will be recognized and will be regarded as the same provisions as the law."
"Admiral, since it is a permanent member." After hearing Deng Ming's spoils and dividing the spoils together, someone finally couldn't bear it and said: "Well, I dare to ask the admiral to give this club a good name."
"Oh, is it bad to divide the spoils?" Deng Ming asked back: "Do you have any ideas?"
Everyone has a variety of ideas. In general, it is to claim that this is a conference that represents kindness and justice. However, the people who came from the auxiliary soldiers had limited culture and most of them could not come up with a good name. The few that were reluctant to mention were also very unpleasant.
"Just call it the Imperial Parliament's branch." Deng Ming thought for a while and took out a name he thought was very majestic: "Like the Senate, those who can have a chair in the parliament will also have the title of a member of the parliament."
Everyone talked for a while, no one understood what the Imperial Parliament was, and no one could say the bad name, so they all agreed, at least this name is much stronger than the score.
"We are the branch of the Xuzhou Prefecture, so what is the Imperial Parliament?" Since there is a branch, there will definitely be a general meeting. None of the bosses in front of Deng Ming is a fool.
"It's the whole Sichuan dividing spoils. For example, the issue of prisoners of war this time, the capital will definitely have conflicts with the State of the State. The branch of the State of the State is to manage how to divide the State of the State, and the Imperial Parliament is to manage how to divide the State of the State of the State, and the Imperial Parliament is to manage how to divide the State of the State of the State. In the future, Chongqing and Jiading Prefectures may be added. After the royal army restored several provinces, the Imperial Parliament will begin to manage how to divide the provinces."
Deng Ming said this is also a permanent meeting - there are not necessarily permanent members who can convene members to meet somewhere when there is a need to share the spoils, but the Imperial Parliament will not be cancelled.
"Will the capital agree to our discussion?" Some people in Xuzhou were still a little worried. After all, Chengdu has 250,000 fellow scholars, while Xuzhou has only 27,000 fellow scholars.
"Of course, there is a saying that "no representation will not pay taxes." Have you heard of such a fashionable constitutional slogan, Deng Ming knew that the people in front of him must not know. He was just showing off the knowledge of time travelers.
As Deng Ming expected, the bosses shook their heads, but after pondering for a moment, Ye Tianming asked back: "Admiral, does this mean 'If we don't let us participate in the sharing of spoils, don't let us contribute money and effort'?"
After a moment of silence, Deng Ming nodded with difficulty: "Yes, it's what Boss Ye means. On the other hand, if you want to participate in the sharing of the spoils, you have to pay money and work!"
"Oh, this is what the Imperial Parliament means." The representatives of the Xuzhou state all understood and smiled.
However, time travelers would never be defeated by the indigenous people so easily, and Deng Ming threw out another fashionable word: the Constitution.
"I can't violate the imperial constitution. The Imperial Parliament cannot make any resolution that is unconstitutional, otherwise the prosecutor will have the obligation to veto..." When he said excitedly, Deng Ming was flirting with a smug look on the representatives of the Xuzhou state.
"Admiral," After listening carefully for a while, Ye Tianming took advantage of Deng Ming's thirst while drinking tea to quench his thirst, and asked: "Is the Constitution the basic rule of dividing spoils?"
Deng Ming was stunned again with the teacup, and nodded after a moment: "Yes, that's what it means."
"Oh, it turns out that the imperial constitution is the rule of dividing spoils." Everyone suddenly realized and once again showed clear smiles.
Since Deng Ming had such a guarantee, everyone from Xuzhou was relieved. They said goodbye to Deng Ming and left the military camp. With the help of these future members of the Xuzhou Prefecture, when Li Guoying was preparing to launch a full breakthrough on August 5, the Ming army standing in front of him was not the two or thirty thousand people he had guessed, but the entire 50,000 troops.
"Admiral," on the eve of the war, Ren Tang suddenly asked Deng Ming again: "Is the empire meant to be a robber?"
"Of course not," Deng Ming didn't expect that Ren Tang would have such a ridiculous idea, and asked disapprovingly: "How come you have such an idea?"
Chapter completed!