Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 352 Heading North: The Reasons for Sending Troops

The grand Ming Dynasty version of a "population census" began under the leadership of the county magistrate. Qian Youyu was also reassigned to his former employer's side to assist him in carrying out the work. All the people within the territory of Lingao were included in this census. Those who registered received a wooden plaque. Only those who had long resided in Lingao and had ten neighboring households vouching for them could receive one. Both sides were engraved with the individual's name, gender, date of birth, address, and other information, and were numbered according to a specific pattern, similar to a modern ID number, to verify against the information stored by the government and prevent forgery.

Everyone was told that this wooden sign was called a "residence permit." With this certificate, children could attend the "Hundred Herbs Hall" run by the Qiongzhou military camp, farmers could rent land, merchants could conduct business, and even soldiers needed it to receive their pay. Moreover, the "residence permit" had to be carried at all times. If they were stopped by soldiers on patrol and could not produce the certificate to prove they were law-abiding citizens under the jurisdiction of the Qiongzhou military camp, they would first be beaten. If they still could not produce the "residence permit" after the beating, they would be directly locked up in jail for further investigation.

This survey and census clarified the number of permanent residents and the proportion of men, women, and children within Lingao. To Liu Ye's considerable disappointment, aside from the migrant population, Lingao's local indigenous population was small, and the proportion of young and middle-aged people was also low; most were concentrated in the Qiongzhou Army and factories. Although he didn't know the situation in other prefectures and counties, he could infer from this that Lingao's population density ranked in the upper-middle range within Qiongzhou Prefecture, and apart from Qiongshan County, the rest of the prefecture wouldn't be much better off. Given the persistently high infant mortality rate in this timeline, Qiongzhou Prefecture's population base was unlikely to see significant improvement in the foreseeable future, making the idea of ​​expanding the base through internal development and increasing the army's size simply impossible.

Therefore, Liu Ye turned his attention to the north. Due to the repeated incursions of the Manchus and the mutinies in Shandong and other areas, there were many homeless refugees in Beizhili and Shandong, making it a "gold mine" for manpower. In contrast, the south was wealthier than the north, and the situation was relatively stable, with virtually no war. Even during droughts and floods, the number of people forced to leave their homes was not large. Turbulent times produce heroes. Historically, the north has produced more emperors than the south, and dynasties that established their capitals in the north have been more militarily powerful than those in the south. This is because the south was wealthier and more peaceful, unlike the north, which was constantly fighting against nomadic peoples and lacked the fierceness of its inhabitants.

Besides population, Liu Ye also wants to establish a foothold in the north, creating a branch base to lay the foundation for his northward expansion. And the most ideal choice for this branch base is Shandong.

Firstly, Shandong is a coastal province, which would allow for the maximum utilization of the Qiongzhou naval forces, facilitating the transportation of people and troops. Secondly, its geographical location is neither too far nor too close to the capital, just right—it wouldn't make the court and emperor feel uneasy, yet it could still send troops towards the capital when necessary. Tianjin would also be a good location, but unfortunately, it's too close to the capital. Unless the entire court and the people are dead, it's impossible to let Tianjin fall into the hands of an ambitious military leader. As for the Lushun and Jinzhou areas, they offer both offensive and defensive advantages, and can simultaneously contain the capital and the Liaodong Tartars. However, their biggest drawback is their proximity to the Tartars. Unless prepared for a full-scale war with the Tartars, it's not advisable to go there.

But how could he legitimately send troops to Shandong? Liu Ye couldn't think of a good solution for the time being. He didn't want to prematurely break with the court and let the bandits and Tartars benefit, so he could only try to find a suitable reason for sending troops through official channels. After much thought, he decided to seek help from outsiders. Liu Ye decided to go to Guangzhou to consult with Governor Mu Tianyan.

Liu Ye hadn't stepped into the governor's office for a long time. The last time he came was to deal with Gao Hongtu and Gao Shunqin and to discuss countermeasures with Mu Tianyan.

Upon learning of his visit, Mu Tianyan canceled all official duties and social engagements to warmly receive him.

"General Liu, it's been a long time. Have you been making a name for yourself in the waters off Guangdong and Fujian, and forgotten all about me?" Mu Tianyan joked as soon as they met. Liu Ye had used a feint to secretly eliminate the powerful Zheng Zhilong under the guise of the "red-haired" regime. He could fool ordinary people and minor officials, but he couldn't fool a powerful regional governor like Mu Tianyan. Compared to the Fujian governor's dejection, Mu Tianyan was much happier. The overlord of the waters off Guangdong and Fujian had changed from Zheng Zhilong of Zhongzuo to Liu Ye of Qiongzhou Prefecture. Both publicly and privately, Mu Tianyan had no reason not to be happy.

Liu Ye didn't need to hide anything from this potential ally in the officialdom. He honestly admitted, "In the end, I couldn't hide it from the governor's discerning eyes. I was the one who eliminated Zheng Zhilong, but I used the red-haired man's name and didn't cause any trouble for the governor."

Mu Tianyan asked with a smile, "Everyone says Zheng Zhilong is richer than a country. You're quite the money-maker. After you take his place, you'll probably be even richer than him, right?"

Liu Ye laughed and said, "I did make some money. However, there is something I did not report to the governor beforehand. I acted first and reported later. Please forgive me, Governor. I set up a checkpoint in Qiongzhou and collected taxes from passing merchant ships. The profits were quite substantial." He did not mention the Tainan customs, intending to conceal his strength.

Mu Tianyan raised an eyebrow: "Oh? You actually managed to pull it off after all?" When they were discussing sending troops to attack Liu Xiang, Liu Ye had mentioned this matter, but Mu Tianyan didn't agree at the time due to too many concerns. Now, with Zheng Zhilong's biggest concern gone and his bones lying at the bottom of the sea, the Qiongzhou Camp's naval power is unstoppable, making the establishment of checkpoints for tax collection a natural progression.

"Exactly. However, we still need Guangzhou's cooperation in collecting taxes at this checkpoint, both overtly and covertly. With official backing, many things will be much easier. To show our sincerity, I'm willing to give 30% of the tax revenue to the governor's office each year as a fee for bribing officials. As for how to allocate this money, that's entirely up to the governor." In reality, with the current strength of the Qiongzhou camp, they didn't need to rely on the government at all. This was merely a bribery pretext to consolidate their relationship with Mu Tianyan. As for the 30% share, it was just a nice-sounding offer. Anyway, the governor's office didn't know how much the customs office earned each year, so what percentage was ultimately up to Liu Ye?

Mu Tianyan nodded in satisfaction: "You've put your heart into this. I'm afraid you didn't come here today for this matter, did you?" He guessed that Liu Ye wouldn't come here unless there was a reason, and it was unlikely that he would make a special trip for something that had already been arranged.

Liu Ye chuckled: "Your Excellency's words have come true. I won't beat around the bush: I want to find a reason to send troops to Shandong, but I don't know how to do it. Please teach me, Your Excellency."