Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 386 The Five Fang Brothers

When Zhan Ding said this, Xia Yu and Bao Yu were also stunned. When they discussed this matter with Lu Jin before, most of them only thought about the internal situation, whether there would be chaos in their own territories, whether those powerful people would be obedient, but they forgot about those unattached territories, and what those landlords who did not want to divide their property and did not want to pay heavy taxes would do.

Supporting the Yuan court or other rebel forces will certainly increase the difficulty of the war. According to this theory, now is not the best time to implement this policy.

Perhaps it was because they were in the commander's mansion and were accustomed to the victories of the Shengwu Army. They might have subconsciously not taken other opponents seriously at all. It was not until Zhan Ding said it at this time that the two of them suddenly realized it, and then immediately looked at Lu Jin hesitantly, wondering whether they should persuade him and execute it later. Anyway, the official order has not been issued yet, so it is not a bad idea to suppress it first.

Of course, Lu Jin also knew this problem. If he was not a time traveler, had not received the education of later generations, and did not know the harm of land annexation, and if he did not have a powerful army that could dominate the world, then he might really slow down and wait until he had completely conquered the world before doing this. However, there is no if.

Some things will only be more difficult to do later if we don't take advantage of the current powerful force and this chaotic and uncertain time.

Taxation is the foundation of a country. If the foundation is not solid, the whole country will be shaken. Do you dare to say that the land annexation and financial corruption in the late Ming Dynasty were not caused by Zhu Yuanzhang's failure to lay a solid foundation? And the serious corruption in the Qing Dynasty was not related to the land tax system implemented by Emperor Yongzheng?

So some things must be done now, even if it increases the difficulty of the war. Is Lu Jin afraid of them? No matter how powerful those powerful landlords are, can they resist cannons with their bodies? This is the confidence of the time traveler who is not afraid of anything!

Lu Jin said immediately, "A real man has his own way of doing things and his own way of not doing things. I'm going to do this now. You may think I'm conceited or stubborn, but what you said at the beginning is very right. I don't just want to drive out the Tartars and pacify the world. My long-cherished wish is to revive China and even surpass the Han and Tang dynasties. I have too many things I want to do. This is much more difficult than fighting for the world, isn't it?"

Zhan Ding was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect Lu Jin to give such an answer.

Lu Jinze continued, "Take this decree for example. Those tyrants who are bent on annexing land are like weeds in the rice field. On the surface, they pretend to be exactly the same as other rice grains, but secretly they seize the fertilizer and nutrients of other rice grains, but are unwilling to produce a grain of rice for the farmers. To the farmers, these weeds are weeds, and farmers have always removed them as soon as they see them, right?

"You said that those powerful landlords would assist the Yuan court to fight against me, but I am not afraid. First, I have hoes made of 600,000 soldiers. This hoe is sharp enough, and no weeds can block the powerful blow of this hoe.

“Secondly, I can distribute the nutrients that the weeds have taken over to the rice that really needs the land. A powerful person who owns 200 mu of land can distribute 200 mu to 200 farmers. If each family sends one man to serve as a soldier, that’s soldiers. soldiers against one powerful person, I don’t believe I can’t defeat them.

"A weed will occupy the country's land but will not provide any nutrition to the country. However, two hundred self-cultivating farmers can provide the country with two hundred soldiers and a steady stream of taxes. What do you think I should choose?"

After hearing Lu Jin's theory about hoes and weeds, Xia Yu and Bao Yu looked at each other and immediately gave up the idea of ​​persuading him. They had followed Lu Jin for quite some time, and now that Lu Jin was determined, it was impossible to convince him.

Zhan Ding was also speechless when he heard this theory. He used to be a counselor for Fang Guozhen. He gave Fang Guozhen suggestions, but Fang Guozhen didn't listen. Now he gave Lu Jin suggestions, but Lu Jin didn't listen either. Are all the lords who are good at fighting more conceited?
At this point he had no choice but to nod his head and say, "Since the Marshal is not afraid of the resistance of those powerful people and is determined to implement the nine-level tax now, then I have nothing to say. However, I still insist that it is better to ease than to block. Military deterrence is important, but using the imperial examination or encouraging business to guide the powerful people to change their careers is also worth a try."

Hearing the suggestion of encouraging business, Lu Jin became interested and asked, "You just mentioned the imperial examination, so how should we encourage business?"

Zhan Ding then explained, "Whether it is annexing land or doing business, it is actually all for wealth. Since annexing land is not feasible, we can guide them to do business. As for how to encourage them, it is simple. I think we only need to reduce excessive taxes and open the door to convenience, without suppression or obstruction, and merchants will find a way out that suits them."

Hearing this, Lu Jin shook his head in disappointment and asked, "Mr. Zhan, can you do business? Have you ever done business?"

Zhan Ding hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, my father was a merchant. I studied when I was young, and taught children in a private school when I was young. I have never been involved in business."

Lu Jin clapped his hands and spread them out, "Sir, the suggestions you put forward are all very well-intentioned and quite reasonable, but their vision is still a bit narrow. I originally planned to guide the powerful people who are willing to cooperate to switch to business, but it is not as simple as you think.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. It seems that you are not good at business. Let's talk about military affairs. My territory now extends to Lu'an in the west, Canghai in the east, Anqing in the south, and Haining, Yizhou, and Fengpei in the north. Where do you think I should expand this year?

"Here is a map, sir, you can look at it and talk."

Zhan Ding didn't expect Lu Jin's thoughts to jump so much. He was just talking about taxes and business, and suddenly jumped to military affairs. He frowned and looked at the map before speaking.

"Now Liu Futong occupies a corner of the Central Plains, Xu Shouhui retreats to Jingmen and Anlu, the commander occupies Wuyue, Huaiyang, and the Yuan court retreats to Qi, Lu, Yan and Zhao. It is vaguely a pattern of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

"Throughout history, the north-south pattern depends on Pengcheng and Hefei. Hefei is the border between Wuyue and the Central Plains. Whoever occupies Hefei will take the initiative. If the Central Plains occupies Hefei, they can launch an attack on the south of the Yangtze River. This was the case when the Sui Dynasty destroyed the Southern Chen Dynasty, and it was also the case when the general crossed the river from Luzhou to capture Jiankang.

“On the other hand, now that the Marshal has occupied Wuyue and Luzhou is still in his hands, he has the initiative in the Central Plains. He can send troops from Luzhou to the west into the Central Plains, then to the north into Guanlong and to the south to control Jingxiang. There is a lot that can be done.

"The same is true for Xuzhou in the north of the Huai River. Military strategists have long held the view that to defend the Yangtze River one must defend the Huai River. For the Northern and Southern Dynasties, whoever occupied Xuzhou would have the initiative. If the Northern Dynasty occupied Xuzhou, it could destroy Jiangsu and Zhejiang. If Jiangsu and Zhejiang occupied Xuzhou, it could retreat to retain Jiangdong and advance to the north to attack Qi, Lu, Yan and Zhao. This is the geographical advantage.

"Now the Marshal has already reached Fengpei. The entire Huaihe River defense line, Xuzhou, and Huai'an have all been incorporated into the Marshal's territory. In the north of the Huai River, Fengpei, Yizhou, Shuyang, and Haining are the outposts. Judging from the situation of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Marshal has already taken advantage of the geographical advantages.

"So under these favorable conditions, I think the commander-in-chief should first conquer the south, and then go north to attack Dadu."

"Oh? Why?" Lu Jin pretended to be curious.

Zhan Ding explained again, "Those who fight for the world are nothing more than following the king's business. What does it mean to follow the king's business? It's war, and war is fought for population, money and food. Whoever can occupy more population, money and food can support more soldiers and eventually win.

"In today's world, the Hu Yuan Dynasty has not practiced virtuous governance, resulting in a declining population in the north, with many things to be rebuilt, while the former Song Dynasty areas in the south are densely populated and have abundant money and grain.

“Therefore, although the Marshal can achieve the merit of destroying the Yuan Dynasty and recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun by fighting for the north now, he will not gain any benefits. Not only will he not gain any benefits, but Xu Shouhui may take the opportunity to grow stronger and occupy Huguang and Jiangxi, which will surely become a great threat in the future.

"And the Marshal had to face the mess in the north alone. Not only did he have to station heavy troops at the border to guard against the remnants of the Yuan court in the grasslands from the south to plunder, but he also had to deal with the food shortage, sparse population, and difficulty in supplying military supplies in the north. He spent a lot of troops on border defense, but was unable to conquer Xu Shouhui in the south. Isn't this just making wedding clothes for others?
"So I think we should first gain profit, then justice! We should first attack Jiangxi and Huguang, take all the people and food from the south, and take advantage of it. Anyway, the two key places of Xuzhou and Luzhou for the Northern Expedition are in the hands of the Marshal, so we can attack the North anytime. Why not unify the south first, and then recover Yanyun in one fell swoop with our full strength, leaving a good story in the history books?"

clap clap clap-

Lu Jin immediately applauded and praised, "What a good way to make profit first and then justice. I think Mr. Zhan is more suitable to be a military strategist. Why don't you stay in the Military Academy of the Marshal's Mansion and be a palace attendant to help me analyze military strategies and advise on military affairs."

Xia Yu and Bao Yu also looked at Zhan Ding with a higher opinion. Although his strategy of going south first and then north did not go beyond their previous suggestions, it put forward a new theory, namely, "the north is a money-loser, and it is not worth the loss now."

To be honest, with Lu Jin's current military strength, it would not be difficult for him to capture Dadu if he put all his efforts into the Northern Expedition. However, the population and food there are insufficient, and military supplies must be transported from the south. Moreover, if you occupy Dadu now, you have to guard against a counterattack by the remnants of the Yuan court who fled to the grassland. By then, Xu Shouhui in Jiangxi will take the opportunity to grow stronger, and Lu Jin will have to face the pressure of fighting on two fronts. The northern defense line of Yinshan and Yanshan alone will involve most of Lu Jin's troops. Where will the troops be used to deal with Xu Shouhui?
When Zhan Ding heard about the position Lu Jin had arranged for him, he immediately bowed and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Marshal. I will do my best to help you conquer the world as soon as possible."

"Hahahaha, we have another great talent today. Although Mr. Zhan is not good at business, he has a good eye for military strategy. But with such a great talent as Mr. Zhan assisting Fang Guozhen, why does he still only have two routes, Tai and Wen?"

Zhan Ding was helpless when he heard this, "General Fang is the head of the Yuan Dynasty's maritime transport department. He is willing to be a minister of the Yuan Dynasty and has no ambition to pacify the world. Even if he has Xiao He or Zhuge Liang by his side to assist him, what can he do?"

"Haha." Lu Jin chuckled and said without comment, "Then I'll have to trouble you two gentlemen to bring the children of the Zheng family in." "Yes."

Zhan Ding and Qiu Nan agreed, and they immediately went out to explain things to Fang Guozhen's sons and nephews, and then they entered the Marshal's Mansion in a low-key manner.

"Generals Zheng Mingshan, Zheng Mingqian, and the son of a guilty minister, Zheng Li, along with our brothers Zheng Guan and Zheng Xing, are here to pay their respects to the commander-in-chief."

After the five children, two adults and three children, had paid their respects to Lu Jin, Lu Jin then looked at them. Fang Guozhen's eldest son, Fang Li, was only 12 years old now, 13 years old in lunar age, and was born in the first year of Zhizheng. He might have grown up and knew that his brothers were here as hostages, so he seemed very timid, with his head down, occasionally secretly glancing at Lu Jin, but when he saw Lu Jin staring at him, he immediately lowered his head, too scared to look Lu Jin in the eye.

The second child, Fang Guan, is 10 years old this year. This boy is quite brave. He occasionally glances at Lu Jin and is not afraid to look at Lu Jin. Only the third child, Fang Xing, who is 7 years old, actually glared at Lu Jin and kept staring at him secretly.

Seeing this, Lu Jin smiled, stepped forward and stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the child's head, but Fang Xing tilted his head and nimbly avoided it, then said shockingly, "You killed my two uncles, you are a bad person!"

"Third brother, stop talking nonsense." The eldest brother Fang Li quickly pulled his younger brother.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin forcefully grabbed the boy's shoulders, leaned over to look at him and said, "If I bring a few brothers to your house to rob and kill people, but I never beat your father, and your father beat two of my brothers to death, should my son seek revenge on you? Who is the bad guy?"

The seven-year-old was immediately confused by this complicated relationship. He looked at his second brother with a confused face. The eldest brother Fang Li was one step faster. He pulled his two younger brothers to kneel down and begged for mercy, "It was my father who was guilty and offended the commander-in-chief first. The death of my two uncles was also my own fault. I dare not complain. I hope the commander-in-chief will not bother with the naughty boy and spare his life."

Lu Jin then sat back in his seat, nodded with satisfaction and said, "Fang Li, Fang Li, it seems that your father gave you a good name, at least you, the eldest brother, are sensible.

"Your father was a righteous soldier like me. I had no intention of dealing with him, but he defected to the violent Yuan Dynasty and took the initiative to invade my border. It was his own fault that I repelled him. Remember, I don't owe your family anything. Teach your two brothers well in the future.

"But you don't have to be afraid. Now that your father has submitted to me, he is my subordinate. As long as he is not indecisive, I will not blame him if he makes any mistakes again. I will not blame you children either. Your father sent you to Jiankang, which is good for both him and you.

"Since you are here, make the best of it. I will have someone arrange accommodation for you and a teacher to teach you. Your father is illiterate and does not understand reason, so he made mistakes. I hope you can study hard and not be blind in the future. At least you can be more promising than your father."

"Yes, thank you very much for your teachings, Marshal. Thank you very much for your kindness." Fang Li hurriedly thanked him.

"Well, get up. If you have any difficulties in the future, or if you miss your father and want to write a letter to your father, you can come to me or find Mr. Zhan. You should know him, right?"

"know."

"That's settled then, Mr. Zhan, you take them there and settle them down first." Lu Jin immediately made arrangements.

"Yes."

After Zhan Ding and his three children left, Lu Jin looked at the remaining two older ones, Fang Mingshan, who had been captured by Bai Guangtai, and Fang Guozhen's other nephew Fang Mingqian.

"Since you two are willing to bring your navy with you, what are your plans for the future? Do you plan to help me with transportation at sea, or to help me fight naval battles in the rivers and lakes of Jiangxi and Huguang?"

The two brothers looked at each other, and Fang Mingshan was a little confused and asked, "May I ask, Marshal, if we are going to transport it by sea, what will we transport?"

Lu Jin asked, "Where have you been to by boat? Haining, Jiaozhou, Dadu, Liaodong, how many of these four places have you been to?"

Fang Mingqian immediately said, "I have been to Haining."

Fang Mingshan also said, "I have been to Dadu, but only once, so I am not familiar with the route. However, there are some veteran boatmen in our navy who have been to the places you mentioned. If you have the order, we can find these people and use them to lead the army."

Lu Jin nodded, "Very good, then has anyone in your navy ever been to Java in Southeast Asia?"

"This..." The two brothers looked at each other again, and Fang Mingqian said, "I don't know, but even if we don't know, at most we can go to Quanzhou Port and rob a few merchant ships going to Southeast Asia. If those merchants have access to Southeast Asia, we can kidnap them and ask them to lead the way for us."

Lu Jin nodded again and said, "Very good. I like generals who can solve problems."

Fang Mingqian asked curiously again, "The Marshal wants to learn Javanese?"

Lu Jin nodded, then shook his head, and then explained, "There is a Mr. Wang in my house. He has been to Champa, Siam, Java, India, Persia, and the West twice. He just came back a few years ago. According to Mr. Wang, he also saw the remnants of the Mongol expedition to Java on the island of Java. The Han and Mongolian people left on the island lived a very miserable life.

"I want to send someone to contact them, recruit these defeated soldiers and use them for my own purposes, give them some support, as well as weapons and armor, and ask them to help me seize some territory on the island and collect minerals on the island for me."

Both of them were quite surprised. Fang Mingshan asked curiously, "What special minerals are there on Java Island? Don't we have any in China?"

"Yes, there are, but it is definitely not as easy to mine as on Java Island. You won't understand even if I tell you too much. I will assign you two a task. One of you will go find the old sailor who has sailed on the northern route in the navy and hand him over to Bai Guangtai. From now on, you will sail the northern route with Bai Guangtai and help me transport soldiers and food.

"The other one will go to the south to help me contact the Han Chinese generals on Java Island. In the future, he may have to travel back and forth between Southeast Asia for a long time, or even stay in Southeast Asia permanently, to collect materials and intelligence for me to buy and sell in Southeast Asia.

"I will not use you for nothing. As long as you work hard for me, I will at least give each of you a hereditary earldom. How about that? Who of you will go to the north and who will go to the south?"

The two brothers looked at each other again, and Fang Mingqian spoke first, "I have heard some things about Nanyang, so I will go to the south."

"Then I'd like to go north." Fang Mingshan agreed immediately.

"Very good, then you will stay in Jiankang to study for a while, and I will teach you some navigation and geography skills."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)