Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 683 Expanding Territory

Liu Ye turned to Liang Xiaoming and smiled, "You've only been a general for a few months before stepping down. No objections, right?"

Liang Xiaoming waved his hand dismissively: "I was forced into this situation anyway, but now I'm relieved, so why would I have any complaints?"

"Hehe, you have more important tasks to do when you return to Qiongzhou, so don't let these trivial matters distract you."

After calming Liang Xiaoming down, Liu Ye said to Xu Yifan, "As for you and the Second Regiment, you will go to Taiwan with Zhu Dadian. Although I gave him the title of Governor-General of Taiwan, it's just an internal designation; the imperial court won't recognize it, and he doesn't have the power to hold both military and political power. Zhu Dadian will be in charge of the land reclamation and management of the immigrants, as well as any potential civil disputes and lawsuits, but you will be in direct command of the army. You have the right to select able-bodied men from the immigrants and expand the army. You will be responsible for listing the supplies such as firearms, ammunition, and uniforms, which will be provided by Qiongzhou..."

Xu Yifan suppressed his joy. Compared to Su Hongtu, Taiwan offered greater opportunities for development—a significant step in territorial expansion! As for the fact that firearms and ammunition would be controlled by the Qiongzhou headquarters, that was to be expected. A competent leader like the general needed this level of political acumen, and Xu Yifan considered it perfectly normal, without a single doubt. On the contrary, it was Zhu Dadian, who held considerable power, who needed to be considered in terms of checks and balances. He asked, "May I ask, General, if Zhu Dadian harbors disloyal intentions, what should I do?"

Liu Ye answered without hesitation: "If you discover any signs that he is starting his own operation or any other indication that is detrimental to the Qionghai Army, take action immediately. Whether you kill him on the spot or capture him alive is up to you. Remember, you are my ultimate weapon to control him. I have worked so hard to build up Taiwan, and I can't let it all benefit someone else in the end."

Xu Yifan also stood up, saluted, and said, "Understood!"

Liang Xiaoming felt a little sorry for him: "Don't you and Zhu Dadian have a pretty good personal relationship? Why are you so wary of him?"

"Personal relationships cannot be confused with official business. Actually, I trust him. Since he promised me, he would never do something so foolish given his shrewdness. However, politics cannot be based on personal feelings. When it comes to power and interests, even brothers cannot be trusted unconditionally. Taiwan is far from the central government. If something happens, I will have to spend a lot of energy to resolve it, which will disrupt my entire plan. Of course, I cannot rely on personal character for everything."

Liu Ye turned to Shi Ying and said, "Yi Fan and Hong Tu are both assigned to work outside, but you must be in charge of Qiongzhou. You not only have to ensure the safety of Lingao, but also be responsible for training new recruits. You have a heavier burden in this regard than the other two, because Qiongzhou has the largest number of immigrants, and in the future, when we try to relocate refugees from the northwest, some will continue to flow into Qiongzhou."

Quartz stood up and saluted: "Your subordinate obeys!"

Liu Ye pressed his hand down, gesturing for him to sit down: "In addition, you will also serve as the vice principal of the Ma Niao Army Academy, and you must also take on the important task of training mid-level officers. Outstanding talents from Shandong and Taiwan will be sent back to Ma Niao for training, and only those who pass the tests can return to the army to serve as officers."

Liang Xiaoming interjected, "Are you trying to turn Ma Niao into our Whampoa Military Academy?"

"Why not?" Liu Ye replied with a smile. "Compared to the gap in equipment, the biggest advantage we have over our opponents is that they receive unified and systematic training, build a professional mid-level officer team, and have a strong sense of belonging and identity. Based on them, we can more effectively control and command the army. The Eight Banners system, which originated from the slave society, can't compare to us, and those rabble of bandits can't even come close."

After explaining the personnel arrangements for several key figures, Liu Ye looked around and asked, "Who is the quartermaster officer sent by the Quartermaster Bureau this time?"

Lu Gengyu stepped forward: "General, it is I."

"Oh, it's Old Lu!" Liu Ye asked kindly. "You're a dignified seventh-rank county magistrate, it's a disservice to put you in charge of military supplies. Are you having any difficulties? If so, I'll help you solve them."

Lu Gengyu shook his head: "I am no longer an official, so there is no need to mention the past. I feel that what I am doing now is very meaningful, especially seeing the general drive away the Tartars and save 100,000 people. Just thinking that I have also contributed makes me indescribably happy."

"Hehe, that's good." Liu Ye said, "Now I have an important task for you: the immigrants to Taiwan are different from those going to Qiongzhou. They started from scratch and had nothing. Now it's too late to transport supplies back and forth to Qiongzhou. We can't let them go there hungry and dig the land with their bare hands. Before the ships from Tianjin dock in Shandong, you take your people to Shandong to purchase grain, farm tools, and oxen. Once the fleet arrives, transport them to Taiwan along with the immigrants. Any questions?"

Lu Gengyu nodded: "Please rest assured, General, there are no problems with the money. We have seized valuables from Changyi in Shandong and outside the capital. All the valuables and property looted by the Tartars have been returned to us, which can be considered as taking from the people and using it for the people. However, I'm afraid the Dengzhou area cannot meet the demand for farm tools and oxen needed to supply tens of thousands of people..."

"We don't need too many oxen. In the past, we had one ox for every three people. Now we can lower the standard to one ox for every ten people, and they will only have the right to use it. The ownership will belong to the Taiwan Governor-General's Office. This way, a few thousand oxen will be enough to meet the needs. As for farming tools and grain, if Dengzhou doesn't have enough, we'll buy them in Laizhou. If Laizhou still doesn't have enough, we'll buy them in Qingzhou. We'll even buy them all the way to Jinan to make up the required quantity. To ensure efficiency, let Su Hongtu send local Shandong soldiers to accompany you. We won't try to lower prices or engage in forced buying and selling, but we won't allow anyone to raise prices or hoard supplies. This is military supplies. Anyone who dares to obstruct or hinder us will be dealt with by rifles and bayonets!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Gengyu replied confidently, "Yes, sir!"

Liang Xiaoming felt he should do something for the group and volunteered: "Since the reclamation in Taiwan is to be effective as soon as possible, we can't let immigrants put too much energy into building houses and laying tiles. After returning to Qiongzhou, I will send graduates of Baicao Academy with craftsmen to Taiwan to build a few cement plants there to help immigrants build houses and pave a few main roads to improve the infrastructure."

Liu Ye was overjoyed: "That would be perfect. With your technical support, Taiwan's development will be on the fast track."

Liang Xiaoming became interested and continued, "Do we need to set up textile factories and wineries in Taiwan? What about arsenals and steel mills? Although Taiwan doesn't have abundant coal and iron reserves, and it's not a major cotton-producing area, it should be able to supply tens of thousands of people. If all else fails, we can always transport them from across the strait..."