Later, when everyone learned that they came to help the Ming army transport grain and grass, not only took care of the food, but also issued winter clothes, and even had one or two silver per month, the original labor had become fat!

"Brother Erniu, why don't we go back." A young man in his twenties looked at the faintly visible Yangtze River, and said timidly to the swarthy man beside him, "One or two silver is a lot, but in the end, it is a war, if the Tartars are killed, we may not be able to run away......"

The swarthy man waved his hand and said, "When did Brother Erniu hurt you?" We're here to help the Dragon Guard carry grain and grass. With the Dragon Guard Heavenly Soldiers in front, the Tartars will not be able to hurt a single hair of our hair! ”

"I know about the Dragon Guard......," the young man was still a little hesitant, "You say, you really just move some grain and grass or something, you won't let us fight the Tartars, right?" ”

The sturdy middle-aged man next to him couldn't stand it anymore, and gave him a blank look, "Even if you have to fight with the Tartars, we won't frown!" How many people did you forget when the Tartars entered the village last year? The women who were robbed have a few ...... who have come back so far."

Five or six people in the company chimed in, "Yes, give him a knife, I really want to kill a few Tartars!" ”

"That is, didn't you listen to the missionary adults, without the country, where can our small family be saved?"

"Gengmao, you don't have the guts of a chicken......

The young man named Geng Mao blushed and muttered, "I am ......"

Brother Erniu smiled when he saw this, and whispered in his ear: "Gengmao, all the men in our village have gone to help the army transport grain, if you want to run back by yourself, you will definitely be laughed at by the whole village in the future." Behold, the girl of which family will marry you? ”

"Who, who said I was going back?!"

A few people talked and walked, and finally arrived near Dantu at noon, and when they looked from afar, they saw that the grain and grass by the river were piled up into a mountain. The crowd of people in the black pressure either passed by the pontoon bridge in the river, or took a small boat ferry, and the river continued to transport supplies to the other side.

They came spontaneously, so there was no Li Zheng to lead, and they had just walked a hundred and ten steps by the river when they were stopped by a soldier in a black military uniform.

"What for?!"

The middle-aged man hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Master Jun, we want to come and help the army." ”

"Ah, go back, there's enough people."

"Go back? That's enough? Several people were stunned, didn't they say that they wanted more than 200,000 people to be strong, why didn't they want it?

"Master Jun, you give ...... accommodating and accommodating"

When they said this, they themselves felt a little strange, and for the first time they heard that they were going to rush to do labor.

Before the Ming soldiers could speak, they heard someone not far away say in a loud voice: "This lord, we have walked more than a hundred miles to help the army pack up the tartars, you can't let us go back!" ”

When they turned their heads, they saw seventeen or eighteen people arguing around an official. The official said helplessly: "I won't tell you that the imperial court was going to levy 250,000 people, but now more than 280,000 have come, and they can't be collected anymore." ”

Those people seemed to be in a hurry, "My lord, I don't want that one or two pieces of silver, can't I just help with the work?" ”

"Yes, just work. I fled from Shandong, the Tartars killed my mother, I must watch the army fight back to Shandong! ”

"Please, my lord, we may be working!"

"yes, don't let us go back......"

The official hesitated, sighed, and said, "Okay, I'll go and ask Master Huo, you guys are waiting here." ”

Hearing this, several people on Gengmao's side glanced at each other, and immediately stepped forward quickly under the leadership of the middle-aged man, "My lord, we don't want any silver, let's stay too......"

The north bank of the Yangtze River.

The old Jiangkou, the Ming army's grain camp.

"It turned out to be General Ying, Lord Zhao was over there to supervise the construction of the new warehouse, and the lower official went to call him back."

After the household official left, the adjutant beside Ying Tianxiang looked at the earthen fortress not far away, and couldn't help but sigh: "General, this place was a wasteland more than ten days ago, but at this time, it is quite large-scale, and the speed is really amazing." ”

Ying Tianxiang nodded and said, "Not to stop there, I heard that the first camp three miles away has been built recently, and the second place three miles away has also been built. ”

In order to deal with Dolgon's fortified wall and clear the field tactics, the Ming army put grain and grass in the old Jiangkou Tun, and then built a temporary camp every three miles, and built a large stronghold every thirty miles, which stretched for more than 300 forces and went straight to the south bank of the Huai River.

During the war, thousands of people would be stationed in each camp to carry grain and grass to the next stronghold every day, so as to ensure the continuous supply of military supplies on the front line.

In fact, according to the current situation of thousands of miles of white land on the line from Yangzhou to the Huai River, it is almost impossible for the Jianyu to launch an attack on the logistics line of the Ming army - their own logistics will not be able to keep up with it in the first place. However, in order to cope with the possible sneak attack of small groups, each stronghold was built with earthen ramparts.

After a while, Lord Zhao, a member of the Nanzhi Qing Officials of the Ministry of Household Affairs, who was in charge of the life of the people, entered the account, first saluted Ying Tianxiang, and then said anxiously: "General Ying, I don't know if the matter that the lower official gave yesterday can be increased?" ”

Ying Tianxiang asked rhetorically: "Lord Zhao, I just allocated 100,000 stone grain and rice to you at the end of last month, how come it will be exhausted in less than twenty days?" ”

Lord Zhao said helplessly: "The general doesn't know, the people levied everywhere said that it was 250,000, but then many people rushed to help transport grain and repair the camp.

"Most of these people don't want to be paid, and it's not easy for the lower officials to drive them away, and now nearly 300,000 strong people have gathered on both sides of the Yangtze River. These tens of thousands of people have to take care of their food, and they are consumed quickly by grain and rice......"

"No wonder this camp was built so quickly, there were more people." He said to Lord Zhao, "I will give you food as soon as possible." ”

"There is General Lao Ying, and the subordinate is very grateful."

……

Forbidden City, Nanjing.

Zhu Linmiao looked at Ying Tianxiang's recital, but she was a little worried.

This time there are tens of thousands of mouths, although it is more beneficial to the Northern Expedition of the large army, after all, the preparations for the Northern Expedition will be completed earlier, and the logistics after the war will be more guaranteed. But it takes silver to buy more food, and counting the days, the first month's salary of the people is almost due, this time it is 250,000 taels!

He first sent Zhang Canghai an edict, asking him to use the last 60,000 taels of silver in the treasury to buy grain - this was donated by the courtiers for hundreds of taels due to the payment of taxes a while ago, and a total of nearly 60,000 taels were made.

Then he asked Ma Wensheng to call Huang Zongxi, the new secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.

Huang Shangshu entered the Heart Cultivation Palace, saluted first, and said, "I don't know what the Holy Lord has to call the ministers to order?" ”

"Ah, how did I ask you to contact Jiangnan Tycoons and Giants at the beginning of the month?"

"Back to the emperor, there are already eighteen families interested in this, but it's just ...... I don't know how much money they are willing to give. ”

Zhu Linmiao nodded, after all, although there is a large amount of property as collateral, it is not advisable to force the loan, otherwise the little credit that the imperial court has just established will be destroyed immediately.

He commanded, "Do your best." If it is really difficult to make up enough silver taels, the Longnan Steel Mill and the industry of fairy stone powder will be sold out, and at least more than 200,000 taels can be sold. ”

Huang Zongxi knew that these were the private property of the Son of Heaven, and he couldn't help but be very moved, and bowed down and responded: "Minister, let's do it." ”

After he left the Heart Cultivation Palace, Zhu Linwei frowned and looked north, and said anxiously in his heart, according to the time, it should be almost the same, but he doesn't know when the ocean-going caravan will be able to come back, if he has this silver, the court's dilemma will be solved immediately......