nucmednet Chapter 636 Post-War "Division of Spoils"
Chapter 636 Post-War "Division of Spoils"
After the Later Jin army completely withdrew from the battlefield, Hu Dawei and Yang Guozhu tried to lead their troops closer to the densely packed civilians and the long procession of horse-drawn carriages. When they confirmed there was no ambush, the two were overjoyed to see the boxes on the carriages—some of the boxes had already been pried open by the Yu Ding or Han soldiers before they left, who had taken away some valuable and lightweight valuables, but the boxes were full of silver, which could be seen from afar.
Yang Guozhu stroked his beard and laughed, "General Hu, even if we only get 30% of the gold and silver the Tartars left behind, we won't have to worry about food and drink for years!"
Hu Dawei grinned broadly, "That's right. Otherwise, every year we'd be eagerly awaiting the meager rations from the imperial court, only to find that it wasn't even enough to pay the back wages. This time, we really did get some. But the first thing I'll do with the money is buy muskets from Qionghai Town..."
Yang Guozhu suddenly realized, "Yes, yes, yes, the arquebuses in Qionghai Town are far superior to those issued by the Ministry of War. Not only can they fire in rapid succession, but they also won't explode. They relied on these arquebuses to repel the slave chieftain Ajige. They are truly divine weapons!"
"Moreover, the arquebus is equipped with a short barb, making it usable as a spear in close combat. It's effective at both close and long range, far superior to the junk the court provides," Hu Dawei reminded him. "With such a fine weapon, we won't need spearmen for support. We can attack and defend, it's incredibly powerful. I just hope General Liu is willing to sell it to us, and that it's not too expensive..."
"Haha, if General Hu wants to buy, he should buy at cost price, as long as I don't have to pay extra," Liu Ye said with a smile as he rode closer.
The two were overjoyed upon hearing this, and Hu Dawei pressed further, "Does General Liu mean he's willing to sell?"
"Of course, you two are both brave men willing to fight the Tartars to the death, so I'm happy to sell my musket to men of courage. As for certain people, I'm not willing to sell them anything, no matter how high the price." The implication was clear: he was referring to Wang Pu, the General of Datong. Meanwhile, Wang Pu charged into a pile of corpses, and under the dense hail of lead bullets, it was unclear whether he was dead or alive.
The two men exchanged a glance, both feeling fortunate that their decision to follow Liu Ye's lead had been so correct. Not only had they driven away the Tartars, but they could also share the spoils and glory of the war. Otherwise, they might have been defeated without a doubt by the armies of Ajige and Abatai, returning to Xuanfu and Shanxi in dejection with their remaining troops. As for the ambitious and reckless Wang Pu, he could only pray for his own good fortune.
Yang Guozhu had something he didn't understand, so he couldn't help but ask, "General Liu, it's only natural that we divided up the gold and silver left behind by the Tartars, since we need money for payroll and training troops. But what do you want with these 100,000-plus civilians? We're just military officers, responsible for training troops and fighting battles. It's not our job to appease the people. The food, drink, and basic needs of so many people are a huge problem. Leave that to the civil officials. Why are you taking it on yourself?"
Hu Dawei asked, puzzled, "Yes, these men left behind by the Tartars are mostly young and strong, and most of them have lost their families. Taking them in not only means providing them with food and drink, but also resettling them in terms of housing and land. How can we military men have that kind of ability? And you are from Guangdong. How can you possibly settle them in the capital region? Are you suggesting we take them back to Guangdong?"
Liu Ye replied, "Gentlemen, you know that these are all able-bodied young men. In my eyes, they are all potential recruits! My defense zone is in Qiongzhou Prefecture, a place with vast land and sparse population. What we lack most is manpower. If we take 100,000 back, no matter how we select and choose the best of the best, we can still train 30,000 soldiers..."
The two men exchanged bewildered glances, utterly shocked. For a mere general to have the ability to command 100,000 able-bodied men—his financial resources and audacity were unparalleled.
Yang Guozhu coughed and kindly reminded him, "This... General Liu, I must remind you of something. Even if you have the ability to take in these people, you must be wary of impeachments from the censors—absorbing over 100,000 young men from a single town will make everyone think you're planning a rebellion... Besides, these people are all native to the capital region. Even if their homes are burned to the ground, they might not be willing to leave their homes and go to Qiongzhou with you..."
Yang Guozhu spoke from the bottom of his heart. Taking away 100,000 able-bodied men outside the capital's walls, ostensibly for training, far exceeded the normal troop strength under a general's command. It was perfectly normal for people to suspect a rebellion. Whether the common people would willingly follow was also a major question. Chinese farmers, unless starving, generally wouldn't leave their homes, especially in the capital region. The court wouldn't stand idly by while a large number of refugees threatened the city's security; it would always allocate grain for relief, ensuring at least some food.
"Haha, let them impeach me for rebelling. I'm thick-skinned and not afraid of these glib-tongued officials..." Liu Ye thought to himself. Besides, I'll rebel sooner or later. I just need to choose the right time. Let them impeach me. It won't hurt me. What can they do to me?
"As for the people's unwillingness to leave their homes, that is indeed a problem. Thank you for reminding me, General Yang. The capital region is of great importance, and those close to the Emperor may not look favorably upon that poor, remote place, Qiongzhou. We must think of a way..." Liu Ye's eyes darted around, and an idea came to him. He called Yang Youji over and whispered a few words in his ear. Qin Tian nodded repeatedly and turned to leave.
"Come, come, let's put everything else aside for now and divide all this gold and silver among the three of us, so that the imperial court won't covet it if it goes on for too long..."
Upon hearing this, the two realized it made perfect sense. It was said that the emperor was constantly troubled by the empty treasury, and if he knew about this silver, he would surely issue an imperial edict to seize it.
Hu Dawei winked at Yang Guozhu and said, "General Liu is righteous, but we can't be ungrateful. We two couldn't get this money even if we risked our lives. We're only doing this because of you. It would be unworthy of us to take 30%. How about this: you take 60%, and Guozhu and I will each take 20%?"
Yang Guozhu paused for a moment, then immediately nodded in agreement: "That's right, that's the way it should be. Besides, General Liu's decision to take in these people will cost a lot of money; more money will make things easier..."
Liu Ye didn't stand on ceremony and after some initial hesitation, he accepted the "spoils division plan".
While the leaders were dividing up the spoils, Qin Tian was giving a speech to the people as instructed by Liu Ye.
With over 100,000 civilians, Qin Tian had his guards and special forces soldiers spread out in groups of 100 to relay messages.
"Listen up, all of you. The Tartars have arrested and released you repeatedly; there must be something fishy going on. It's inevitable that there are spies among them. To prevent Tartar spies from infiltrating the capital, we're taking you all away now for thorough screening. We'll investigate some, release others, and kill any spies we find!"
The people cried out, "Sir, we've been wronged! We're all innocent! Please, sir, investigate thoroughly..."
Qin Tian thought to himself, "The general's move really works. If he had tried to persuade them to go to Qiongzhou with earnest words, not many people would have been willing to leave their homes. But by slapping a serious label on them and making them feel that their lives are in danger, no one would make a fuss. Once they arrive in Qiongzhou, they'll be surrounded by the sea for four years, and there will be no way to escape."