The Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty was extremely rebellious

Chapter 590 How Expensive is War
War is indeed very expensive these days.

As for the reason, it is mainly because the transportation tools are too backward, and it takes a lot of time for the army to advance and even assemble.

Time is money. The longer the war lasts, the more money and food will be consumed.

This time they were fighting the most time-consuming mountain battle. Even if the Sichuan Army soldiers were good at mountain warfare, it would be a great achievement for them to advance more than 20 miles in a day among the mountains.

In other words, it would take them at least a hundred days to push Yongle Mountain, which is more than 2,000 miles from south to north.

The consumption of more than one million troops in more than a hundred days is truly terrifying.

Fortunately, they already have money now, both in the inner treasury and the national treasury.

Wanli thought about it carefully and then asked, "Zixian, how much grain can Nurgan produce this year?"

Xu Guangqi estimated: "Now, each of the more than three million households of the garrison troops there has cultivated 50 mu of land, which adds up to more than 160 million mu.

They grow rice, wheat, and corn, and the average yield per mu is at least three dan. I estimate that the grain output there this year should exceed 500 million dan."

This is enough food. Five hundred million shi with a tax rate of twenty-one percent, which means twenty-five million shi. The soldiers can eat as much as they want.

The problem is that the soldiers cannot just eat rice, they also have to eat meat. Without meat, they really don’t have the strength to fight.

The main meats at this time are pork, mutton, beef and fish.

There is no need to worry about fish, as they already have quite a few large fishing boats. One large fishing boat can catch over 100,000 kilograms of fish in one trip. If there are three or four trips a day, that means 300,000 to 400,000 kilograms.

In other words, as long as ten large fishing boats are mobilized to fish specifically for the soldiers, it will not be a problem for each soldier to catch two kilograms of fish every day.

The problem was pork, beef, and mutton. The Nurgan Regional Military Commission didn't raise many cattle and sheep, and the Liaodong Regional Military Commission didn't have many either. They had to mobilize cattle and sheep from other border towns, and the journey was too long.

Moreover, cattle are difficult to breed. They can be used as a snack for more than one or two million soldiers, but it is definitely not acceptable to eat them every day.

There is not much meat from sheep, and the other border towns cannot afford to feed more than one or two million soldiers every day.

It would be great if the Nurgan Regional Military Commission had enough pork. There is plenty of pork, and the fat is the best for withstanding physical exertion.

Wanli nodded slightly, thought about it carefully, and then asked, "What about the pigs? Did the Nurgan Dusi feed a lot this year?"

This stuff won’t be produced in a short time.

Xu Guangqi said cautiously, "Your Majesty, the Liaodong Regional Military Commission can only supply a small number of piglets. Even if you add in the piglets they have bred themselves over the past six months, the Nurgan Regional Military Commission can only raise a little over 100,000 pigs this year."

so little?
Wanli thought for a moment and then asked, "How many piglets can a pig produce in a year?"

It’s hard to say.

Xu Guangqi estimated: "It depends on luck. Sows are supposed to give birth to two litters a year.

However, if you are unlucky, there will only be five or six babies in a litter, but if you are lucky, there will be more than ten babies in a litter."

This means that if a sow is unlucky, she can only give birth to about ten piglets a year, but if she is lucky, she can give birth to more than twenty piglets a year.

Let’s say it’s an average of fifteen per year.

Wanli made a rough estimate and then asked, "How many sows can produce piglets in Liaodong and Nurgan?"

This is really not much.

Xu Guangqi sighed slightly and said, "His Royal Highness the Northern King has ordered his men to count the pigs. The Liaodong and Nurgan Dusi currently have less than 100,000 sows capable of giving birth. We estimate there will be 100,000 by the end of the year."

It is not easy to raise this pig.

However, 100,000 is barely enough, because 100,000 sows can produce about 1.5 million piglets a year.

Moreover, pigs usually weigh more than 200 kilograms when they are slaughtered, and even after removing the offal, there are still more than 100 kilograms of meat. Slaughtering 10,000 pigs a day is enough to feed more than one or two million soldiers.

Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Alright, then let them focus on breeding piglets. Starting next May, they need to provide at least 10,000 adult pigs weighing over 200 kilograms every day. Is that a problem?"

This shouldn't be a big problem.

Xu Guangqi nodded repeatedly and said, "No problem."

Wanli continued to ask, "Zi Jin, what about the fruits and vegetables over there? Do you think it would be a problem to provide several million kilograms of fruits and vegetables every day starting in May next year?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiangjin said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, no problem, there are enough sweet potatoes, potatoes, and cabbages. One million kilograms of each every day is no problem.

There are also vegetables, cucumbers, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Every household in the garrison over there has at least one mu of land planted, so providing hundreds of thousands of kilograms of these every day is no problem."

That's not a big problem.

Wanli nodded slowly and said, "We are mobilizing so many people this time, so we really need to think carefully about the food issue.

There is no need to worry about food. This year, the land tax of Nurgandusi alone is more than 20 million shi.

As for oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and other things, don't worry about it. I will order Wanshengtang Company to deliver them.

We must also provide our soldiers with enough meat, fruits and vegetables, especially the Sichuan Army soldiers who go into the mountains to fight.

Yuan Jing, let's roughly determine the amount for the soldiers.

Each soldier in charge of the outer siege was given about one pound of pork, about two pounds of fish, about one pound of fruits and vegetables each, and two meals of beef and mutton per month.

In order to facilitate transportation, we provide the Sichuan Army soldiers in the mountains with smoked fish, smoked meat, dried shrimp, etc., at least three pounds a day, and three pounds of fruits and vegetables a day.

By this calculation, the meat and fruits and vegetables are more than 5 million jin a day. The average price of meat is 15 wen per jin, and the average price of fruits and vegetables is 5 wen per jin. It is more than 200,000 taels a day, and more than 20 million taels in more than 100 days.

I will have the inner treasury allocate 10 million taels to you this year. You should ask all the major border towns to prepare sheep and rush to the Ximulun River basin after the spring comes.

In addition, you should order tens of millions of kilograms of smoked mutton and smoked beef from the major border towns, as well as dried seafood from the vassal state of Korea and smoked fish from the Toyodosuki. You should place all of your orders and ship them over in the early spring of next year.

In the spring of next year, I will have the inner treasury allocate you another 10 million taels. You should also place orders for pork, fruits and vegetables from the Liaodong and Nurgan regional governments, and have the navy's fast ships continuously send them there.

If you don’t have enough money, just report it to me and I will allocate it to you.”

Why did His Majesty mobilize so many troops to encircle and suppress tens of thousands of Jiannu?
This battle cost more than 20 million taels!
Qi Jiguang really couldn't understand it.

However, he still bowed repeatedly and said, "I understand."

Wanli thought about it carefully again, then asked: "Are there any other questions? If there are no questions, then go and prepare."

Qi Jiguang had no problem, as he had money, food, and troops, so this battle would be easy to win. However, Xu Guangqi said cautiously, "Your Majesty, I heard that the islands south of the Nanyang Sea are larger than the Nurgan Dusi.

I would like to ask, when will Your Majesty send people there to open up wasteland and cultivate the land? I would like to go there and see what crops are suitable for growing."

Wang Xiangjin actually nodded and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I heard that there are many kinds of fruits and vegetables there. I also want to go over and see if I can transplant some fruits and vegetables to the Ming Dynasty."

You are national treasures and cannot take risks easily.

Wanli thought about it carefully, and then said solemnly: "You should not go there for the next two years. It will take at least three years for the area to be developed.

"For the next two years, you should first fully develop the Nurgan region. Next year, once you've dealt with the Jiannu, you can start developing the Sanjiang Plain."

We have to wait three years.

Upon hearing this, Xu Guangqi and Wang Xiangjin bowed repeatedly and said, "We obey your order."

Wanli nodded slightly and asked, "Any other questions?"

No one asked any more questions now.

Seeing this, Wanli waved his hand and said, "Okay, everyone get ready to go."

Everyone hurriedly bowed and took their leave.

The preparations required for this war involving nearly two million people are truly terrifying.

Wanli did not dare to be vague.

At about noon the next morning, he summoned Duke Dingguo Xu Wenbi, Duke Yingguo Zhang Yuangong, and Duke Chengguo Zhu Yingzhen to the imperial study.

These three guys are still training personal bodyguards for Xiao Zhu Changxun, and I don’t know how the training is going.

After the emperor and his ministers exchanged greetings, Wanli asked, "How are the training of the princes, dukes, nobles, and eldest sons progressing? When can they enter the palace to serve?"

They can't be careless about this. If they just give him some casual training, they won't be able to bear the consequences if something goes wrong.

The three of them looked at each other, and it was Xu Wenbi who spoke up to explain, "Your Majesty, we are still carefully training and selecting them. It will probably take another month or two before they can enter the palace to serve."

Okay.

This is not urgent.

Wanli nodded slightly, then said solemnly: "Next year, I will mobilize nearly two million land and sea troops to encircle and suppress the Jiannu.

With so many people and horses, there are many things that need to be prepared. I can't just keep an eye on them all the time, so you guys are responsible for preparing and mobilizing some things."

Uh, you mobilized nearly two million troops to encircle and suppress tens of thousands of Jiannu!

Isn't this a bit of an overreaction?

The three of them were stunned for a moment, then they quickly bowed and said, "Your humble servant obeys your order."

Wanli nodded slightly, then said solemnly: "Wenbi, you will be responsible for preparing and mobilizing oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, based on the amount of two million troops for half a year.

As for the exact number, you can calculate it yourself. This year you can mobilize the navy's fast ships to transport them over, and you must transport them all to Beiwang City before May next year."

This is not a big problem. Wanshengtang has a large sales volume of these goods, and it is very convenient to mobilize them.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wenbi quickly bowed and said, "I obey your command."

Wanli said solemnly, "Yuan Gong, you will be responsible for mobilizing firewood. It will also be enough for two million men and horses for half a year. You can calculate how much is needed. All of it must be delivered to the Nurgan Regional Military Commission before May of next year."

firewood?

Do I need to prepare this thing too?

Zhang Yuangong was puzzled and said, "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you, don't the Liaodong and Nurgan Dusi have a lot of mountains and forests?

Firewood is everywhere. Do we need to bring it in from somewhere else?"

There is indeed plenty of firewood over there, but the problem is that our land and sea forces are either on the water or on the grassland.

Wanli patiently explained: "It is true that there is firewood everywhere over there, but our land and sea forces to encircle the Jiannu are mainly blocking the perimeter of Yongle Mountain.

That is to say, most of our people and horses are on the water and grassland, especially in the east and west.

The navy warships in the east are on the sea, and they have to land on the west side of Yongle Mountain to collect firewood.

Most of the troops in the west were on the grasslands west of the Asu River and Lake Biwa. If they wanted to collect firewood, they had to go to the east side of Yongle Mountain.

This is not safe and could easily lead to a surprise attack by the Jiannu. Therefore, we must prepare firewood in advance and use the navy's fast boats to pull it over directly."

Oh, then there’s no need to mobilize from other places.

Zhang Yuangong thought for a moment, then said carefully, "Your Majesty, don't the Liaodong and Nurgan Dusi have many garrison troops?

We can just send our navy speedboats along the river to buy them up, and when they have time to farm, they can just go to the mountains and cut them down. That way, they can earn a lot more money."

I really didn't expect this.

Upon hearing this, Wanli nodded slightly and said, "Then you can arrange for people to go to Liaodong and Nurgan to purchase them. You can collect the required amount directly from the inner treasury.

In short, by May of next year, you must fully stockpile all the 100-household garrisons, 1,000-household garrisons, and citadels within a radius of 20 to 30 miles on both sides of the Songliao Grand Canal."

This is easy, just use the money to acquire it.

Those garrison troops would probably chop wood like crazy, as the money was too easy to make.

Zhang Yuangong bowed repeatedly and said, "Your humble servant obeys your order."

There seems to be nothing else after that.

Wanli thought for a moment, then instructed, "Yingzhen, you will be responsible for continuing to train the princes and eldest sons of the nobles."

Zhu Yingzhen bowed repeatedly and said, "I understand."

(End of this chapter)