With the fading sound of cicadas, the days in Guangzhou are still passing day by day; it's just that the pain and scars left by the successive wars in the town and the market are not so easy to fade away.
Although the poor and the unemployed in the city have been hired by the workers, the blood-stained streets have been washed one by one, the ruins have been demolished, the water sources and ditches have been dredged, and the isolation zone and defense zones have been established. But the day is still there. You can see everyone wearing filial piety in the market, and there is no lack of cries in the night.
The turmoil of these two days and one night has caused the loss of almost one-tenth of the population of the three cities outside the Guoguo City of Guangzhou, and it is still quite a part of the wealth; not to mention the wealth that has been turned into ashes in the robbery, destruction and fire. And industry.
The only good news is that the port city and the terminal part where foreign business travelers gather have not been affected, but it can still maintain most of its functions and functions. In this way, at least the fresh source of external economic supplements and the most basic circulation of hematopoietic capacity in the future are maintained.
As an inevitable means to soothe and gather people's hearts, Zhou Huaian also abolished the left-behind department again, and gradually added those collections and reminders with a lot of names; only the most basic class (head tax), households, etc. (Tax) and municipal money (business management fee) three major items;
Anyway, Guangzhou is one of the few trade ports and sea trade ports in the south. The main input and income of Guangzhou is still concentrated on the price of imported goods and the contract payment (transaction tax), as well as personally organized and participated in the bulk import and export. And overseas trade activities.
The only exception is that under the rule of the rebel army, the wide-ranging slaves and maidservants were also subject to heavy taxes; the more the number, the higher the starting point. This is also a medium- and long-term policy to release and compete for these hidden human resources in a disguised form of boiling frogs in warm water;
Of course, in order to make these "frogs" full of fat intestines, they still have a certain fluke mentality and are not reasonable to rebound; Zhou Huaian made another opening in it; the objects of taxation and confiscation are temporarily limited to the native Chinese people or It's just the descendants of naturalized people. As for those foreign slaves, naturally it is not limited to this, and the more the better.
This is also forcing these "big frogs" to work hard to find a way out, and find ways to obtain more sources of foreign slaves, so as to gradually replace and replace those local Chinese people who have become scumbags.
And these freed local servants, except for some who are still attached to the master’s house and turned into employment contracts, as long as the others accept the help and placement of the rebels, they can easily become potential new labor resources and military service for the rebel regime. basis.
At least as a modern pseudo-nationalist who has been disgusted by "first-class foreigners, second-class officials, third-class young people and fourth-class Han", Zhou Huaian does not have so much leisure and care to care for, and those who cannot create a trace for themselves The value of foreign barbarians' rights and interests.
No matter how much they die, they are making room for the people of the Han family to survive; if they can continue to create more labor value under the whip and stick, it is obviously better and better.
Although there were several suspected clues and similar reports received in the subsequent rewards and pursuits, Meng Kai, the former left-behind envoy of the Cantonese government, is still missing. However, what Zhou Huaian was most worried about did not happen; at least the takeover and reorganization of the locality did not encounter much difficulty, and no one jumped out and raised his arms in his name, trying to counterattack the Cantonese government and bring the chaos away.
However, in Fuzhou, Tengzhou, and Gongzhou where monk changes have occurred, there are also several people closely related to the bald donkey. They colluded with the local Tu nationality Shanyi, and took the opportunity to occupy the county seat. The town choked or something; then, under the flying surprise soldiers of Chai Ping, it became the leader along the way, and finally sent back to the fresh leader hanging on the city gate of Guangzhou.
At least in the season before the autumn harvest, most of the areas in the Pearl River Basin have initially returned to the calm and old order; this way, even if today is the end of the autumn and winter, there is still a possibility of poor harvests, but as long as the additional manpower and fertilizer are in place in time If so, the expected production cut can probably be controlled within the acceptable two to thirty percent.
After all, with the fields, hukou and properties of these fourteen states in Lingdong, Zhou Huaian's expectation is somewhat reluctant to support 50,000 off-the-job soldiers; because what he wants is strict discipline and well-trained. , An elite of all kinds of battles who can advance and retreat freely on the battlefield, and can withstand a considerable degree of failure and unfavorable situation;
Rather than the traditional peasant army, with fewer clan surnames, kinsmen, and township gangs who constitute elite and daring soldiers, to entrap the vast majority of the refugees from starvation as cannon fodder. They only need to eat a few full meals and dare to be on the battlefield. One-time army. Or the officers and soldiers would cut back on the deficit and eat, and make the most of the soldiers at the bottom be like beggars. When they are used, they rely on the ravages and robberies in wartime to encourage and maintain morale. s method.
In this case, the normal supply of food and equipment must be fully kept up and guaranteed, and the cumulative consumption of the head will be a bit too large; fortunately, there is currently Annan, a newly developed food production area, and coastal fisheries. The potential for fishing and drying salt can be tapped. (The Guangdong Coastal Fishing Grounds and the Beibu Bay Fishing Grounds, two of the four major fishing grounds in later generations in China, are just distributed within the sphere of influence of Lingnan Road)
In addition, there are some inland factories, mining and smelting construction, as well as the income from several port trade activities in coastal areas as supplements; now these things that he previously managed are justified under his full control. ; Presumably, without those redundant engine and cost, the next performance and potential may be further improved and explored.
During this period, it was Li Hanping, the secret envoy of the imperial court, who delivered the surprise gift package to the door, and also gave Zhou Huai'an enough ammunition to liquidate afterwards, at least one assassin didn't catch it but was still at large. So put him under house arrest, and slowly squeeze out the corresponding value.
At least with such a living evidence of him, Zhou Huaian could concoct and manipulate Lin Yan, and continue to coerce him to stand in his own unified position.
Two new episodes appeared during this period;
First of all, Chen Yan, who had occupied Fuzhou, who claimed to be a regimental envoy and stayed in, actually sent someone from the sea to inquire, and carried half a ship of valuable goods as a congratulatory gift; apparently he had just completed the "following the shang" feat to beat the Shangguan feat. Zhou Huaian, as a careerist and fellow traveler like himself.
This also made him feel a little dumbfounded by holding his nose. Although the other party did not use this to probe the meaning of the Cantonese falsehood and attitude and position, how could he fudge the wrong and wrong; at least in the short term, he needs a relative The harmless neighboring environment and the location value of Fuzhou itself as an important transit point to the north.
A few days after the other party’s return trip, another envoy from Hangzhou Metropolitan and Shijing Town General Dong Chang, Dong Ruo, publicly expressed the hope that they could have mutual benefits in trade with Guangzhou by sea; for example, they would exchange rice, silk and silk for Lingnan’s railway. Products and fragrances, etc. . .
Compared with Chen Yan, who is relatively unknown and relatively poor, the backing of Dong Chang, the capital of Hangzhou, is much bigger.
In the history that Zhou Huai'an knew, he was a local tyrant who took part in suppressing the rebellion of Wang Ying, the defender of Langshan Mountain in western Zhejiang. Before Huang Chao and Qin Zongquan, he was also one of the only three who dared to be emperor at the end of the Tang Dynasty.
Of course, he is still just a Hangzhou capital officer and Shijing town general. He has eight soldiers and horses (ie Shijingdu of Lin'an County, Qingpingdu of Yuhang County, Yuqiandu of Yuqian County, and Yanguan of Yanguan County). Du, Wu'an Du of Xincheng County, Tangshan Du of Tangshan County, Fuchun Du of Fuyang County, and Longquan Du of Longquan County); even as a court official in the East of Zhejiang Province, Liu Hong had to rely heavily on him.
In fact, although his official quality is not high, he occupies the hinterland of East Zhejiang, one of the two Zhejiang provinces, the most mature land of fish and rice—Hangjiahu Plain, Hangzhou/Lin'an County, the most elite part; also has the advantage of fish salt sea trade It is a large town with a large population; so this time after getting news of the renewal of Cantonese through the sea, he simply sent someone over to negotiate with the jade anti-thief forces.
According to Zhou Huaian’s short-term interview with the other person, although the specific words are still polite and pragmatic and profit-seeking, the messenger Dong Ruo has a lawlessness in his speech, and he does not take the court seriously. .
However, for Zhou Huai'an, in fact, he was more famous in later generations as one of his men. His surname was Qian, his name was 镠, and his character was beautiful. Later generations called Qian Poliu, the first king of Wu Yue, who also stepped on Dong Chang’s head. And among the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the only Wang surname existed from beginning to end.
It's just that this person is still not famous at this time, so even if Zhou Huaian knows him, he will not have the opportunity to start and explore for a while. However, Zhou Huaian still praised this monarch through Jiu Yanghe, which is considered to have buried a bit of thunder for him in advance.
In addition, he added a small additional condition on the basis of generally agreeing to provide convenience for the two parties to communicate with each other; that is, he hopes that Dong Chang, a local super tyrant and local snake in eastern Zhejiang, can help himself in the local area. Find someone to add to this "secret" trade.
At this time, a familiar announcement sounded outside.
"I have seen the general..."
"See Envoy Wang..."
"Ask the military commander to be well..."
But Wang Pan came as his old partner of the rebel army; Zhou Huaian couldn't help but stand up to greet him. Seeing Wang Pan, who was still in good spirits, came in on a frame, sat on a soft couch with her arm, and then brought a drink for relieving heat and fatigue. After a few swigs, Just opened the channel.
"Finally sent them away..."
(End of this chapter) (End of this chapter)