Daming: I asked you to hang yourself, but I didn’t ask you to rebuild the Ming Dynasty

Although the enfeoffment system can ensure strong combat power, under this system, when the country is stable and can no longer expand its territory in a few decades, it will become the trigger of civil strife!

It seems that I will have to persuade His Majesty to withdraw his order later.

……

After Zhu You determined the most important thing to win people's hearts, he began to take stock of the gains and losses.

Ni Yuanlu, the Minister of Household Affairs in the Ming Dynasty, could only serve as a small logistics officer at this time.

He stood up first and said:

"Your Majesty, the gunpowder we received from Mushan Guards and the gunpowder made in Xincheng have been exhausted in this battle, and we need to replenish it urgently.

There are also hunchbacks, heartless cannons, etc., which have all been used up. Such weapons of war should be prepared as soon as possible. "

Zhu Youjian nodded and asked Wu Gan, who had a superb memory, to write it down.

Zhu Youjian asked: "What are the casualties of various ministries?"

Wang Jiayan, the right minister of the Ministry of War, came out and said: "Your Majesty, 280 of our troops were killed in the battle, 78 were seriously injured, and minor injuries are not counted. There are only less than 500 intact soldiers left."

Hearing this, Zhu Youjian took a deep breath!

If he hadn't spared no expense in using oxen and horses to blast away the rebels, and if Liu Fangliang had been more tenacious and charged again... he would have been defeated!

"Where's the packhorse?" Zhu Youjian asked.

Wang Jiayan smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, Xincheng has seized the war horses of General Wagyu, totaling 340 and eight animals. Now there are only 54 horses left, and all the cattle are gone."

loss!

loss!

Zhu Youjian's face was full of bitterness, what a big loss!

Fang Zhenghua took a step forward and said:

"Your Majesty, there are still more than [-] soldiers in Baoding, more than [-] people who are slightly injured and able to move, and more than [-] war horses. In addition, there are [-] soldiers of General Ma Dai in Li County. The casualties are unknown.

If we recruit troops in Baoding, we should be able to recruit about 5000 people. "

After hearing Fang Zhenghua's words, Zhu Youjian breathed a sigh of relief.

Baoding is the capital city of a prefecture.

This business is profitable!

He said solemnly: "Everyone, after taking Baoding, we have broken Li Zicheng's blockade. As long as we jump out of Beizhili, the sky will be high and birds can fly, and the sea will be wide and fish can jump. No one can stop me from the Ming Dynasty." The rise of!”

Zhu Youjian stood up:

"I hope you will cooperate sincerely to treat the wounded, relieve the people, prepare the army, and set off in three days!"

……

The ministers who had already had the experience began to get busy as they had done in the new city.

But Zhu Youjian let brother Zhang Luojun lead the way and walked on the streets of Baoding.

Baoding was besieged for half a month. Prices in the city skyrocketed and people's morale was shaken.

Even though Zhu Youjian's arrival had forced the intruders back, the city had not yet settled down.

Zhu Youjian walked around and took a look and saw that the price of rice in the city had reached as high as five taels of silver and one stone, and the price of wheat had also exceeded four taels.

He frowned and said: "The prices in the city are soaring, and the livelihood of the ordinary people is very difficult. Why doesn't the general arrest the illegal grain dealers, suppress the price of grain, and stabilize the people's hearts?"

Zhang Luojun lowered his voice and explained:

"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to suppress it, it's that I'm powerless!"

"Oh?"

Zhu Youjian was surprised. Is there anyone the Zhang family can't deal with in Baoding?

Or is the Zhang family also involved?

Zhang Luoyan, the second eldest son of the Zhang family, saw that the emperor's expression was wrong, so he hurriedly stepped forward and explained:

"Your Majesty, it's not that it can't be suppressed, it's that there is no food in the city!"

“Natural disasters have occurred almost every year in the north in recent years. Even though Baoding is the capital city, it relies heavily on water transportation from the south of the Yangtze River. Last year, Baoding suffered another locust plague.

This year's new grain has not arrived and the old grain is about to be used up in the wild spring season, but Li Chuang besieged the city and the grain from outside cannot get in..."

Zhu Youjian sighed: "It's hard on my people!"

Everyone could only sigh.

Zhang Luoyan lamented: "I know that the grain merchants are short of grain, so before the intruders besieged the city, I asked the grain shops in the city to unify the prices, and I was destined to die in this high position.

With such a high position, the people do not dare to buy on a large scale, and the grain dealers are given sufficient profits, which naturally prevents anyone from taking the opportunity to stockpile grain, causing the city to run out of grain and grass, and the people's morale to be unstable..."

Zhang Luojun interjected: "Of course, before Baoding was besieged, I told the grain merchants that the price would be fixed here, but if anyone deliberately causes trouble, they won't be able to help our knives!"

Zhu Youjian agreed with the Zhang brothers' approach.

Even if the price is as high as five taels of silver and one stone, as long as the grain merchants are still releasing grain, the people can only scold the grain merchants for being shameless, but the people will not be unstable.

In a short period of time, no one will take risks!

Once the grain is released at a low price and is snapped up by the people, it will really be a life-threatening matter.

Just like when he was in Efeng Province in later generations, he bought three hundred catties of rice, one hundred catties of flour, fifty catties of noodles...

Although the price of five taels is very high, it has become a weapon to stabilize the people!

……

Zhu Youjian turned around and looked, Zhang Luoyan's move was great!

When he turned around, he immediately discovered that Zhang Luoyan and his brothers had a copper coin threaded through the lazy net towels on their heads.

"Zhongmei (Zhang Luoyan), what do you mean?"

Zhang Luoyan untied the rope from the hairpin and handed the copper coin to Zhu Youjian:

"The common people are ignorant and will not be strong unless they advocate great righteousness. I ordered the generals in the city to put a Chongzhen copper coin on their necks to show their loyalty and stabilize the people's hearts."

Looking at the "Chongzhen Tongbao" in his hand, Zhu Youjian couldn't help but have red eyes.

The Zhang brothers in front of them tried their best to defend Baoding City under all kinds of difficult circumstances.

In the end, after being betrayed by Li Jiantai, the whole family was loyal to the country. Only the fifth child, Zhang Luozhe, was lucky enough to survive after the city was destroyed and went to Mount Wutai to become a monk!

"If everyone were like brothers from noble families, why would the world be like this!" Zhu Youjian sighed.

Everyone in the Zhang family also sighed again and again.

The Zhang family is not new to the officialdom. The father, Zhang Chunchen, and the second child, Zhang Luoyan, have both been in the officialdom for a long time, so they naturally know the darkness of the officialdom.

The group of people unknowingly walked to the door of Zhang's house.

Looking at the green brick courtyard in front of him, Zhu Youjian sighed. This courtyard will still exist in future generations.

However, compared to the splendid former residences of those who sold their ancestors for glory, the Zhang family, the former residence of a loyal family, was abandoned.

"Let's go, I want to burn incense for the old general."

Your Majesty is coming, it will be so glorious!

Brother Zhang Luojun hurriedly opened the courtyard door and invited Zhu Youjian in.

Zhang Luoyan even said repeatedly:

"During this battle, my brothers and I were unable to return home in time, and our home was in a mess. I hope Your Majesty will not dislike it."

Following the footsteps of everyone, Zhu Youjian walked slowly into the Zhang family's house.

This is a typical northern courtyard house, built with blue bricks, and the courtyard is not too big.

Martyrs' Shrine to commemorate Zhang Luojun and others in Baoding