The liberated serfs sing, sing!
The emperor's idea was good and beautiful, although in reality it was not so simple and easy.
Ming Dynasty officials referred to ethnic minorities as mixed races, a pattern of deep-rooted discrimination. Furthermore, securing sufficient land required waiting, robbing, or... robbing.
The amount of land had long been insufficient. The great development of industry and commerce in the middle and late Ming Dynasty was largely due to the increase in idle labor force who had lost their land.
Xu Hongyu and others led their troops back to the camp, or to be more precise, the water camp.
Based on the terrain of Shuixi, the Ming army adopted the strategy of blockade and siege using the river as a barrier.
Water forts, beacon towers and artillery batteries were set up at large crossings; water forts were built at small crossings, or blocked with wood and stone, so as to seal the rebels firmly in the mountains and forests.
In the face of food and salt shortages, the disintegration of the rebels became increasingly obvious, with more and more people escaping from the rebels' control and surrendering to the Ming army.
Xu Hongyu and others saw dozens of civilians who had escaped in the camp. They were all pale and thin, and exhausted. No one knew how many deep mountains and forests they had gone through before they escaped.
The Ming army also established regulations for how to deal with these people. After taking them to the rear for a short rest, they were escorted along the way, taking the water and land routes of Guangxi, boarding ships at Qinzhou Port, and heading directly to Mekong Province.
After the division of Guangdong and Guangxi, Guangxi gained access to the two major seaports of Lianzhou and Qinzhou. With the support of the imperial court and the supervision of the new Guangxi Governor Deng Shiliang, the migration from Guizhou and Guangxi to Mekong Province proceeded in an increasingly orderly manner.
The Maritime Merchants Association offered bribes, and the imperial court also introduced policies specifically targeting the chieftains in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangxi provinces.
If they could attract 1,000 people to settle in Mekong Province, they would be given the title of Anfusi (Anfusi), with powers comparable to those in the interior. If they could attract 2,000 people, they would be Zhaotaosi (Zhaotaosi), and so on, all the way up to Xuanfusi (Xuanfusi).
For the chieftains of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guangxi, this policy of the imperial court was extremely tempting.
According to the History of Ming Dynasty, “The titles of local officials were called Xuanweisi, Xuanfusi, Zhaotaosi, Anfusi, and Changguansi…”
Although there were many titles, the imperial court had extremely strict control, especially when it came to succession to the throne, when obstacles were often set up, hoping to end the chieftain system and take over the chieftain's land.
Moreover, there is only one chieftain title, and there are frequent fights within the family, with swords, conspiracies and plots emerging one after another, and everyone will do anything to win the right of inheritance.
Now, the imperial court has relaxed the chieftain title in Mekong Province, which is equivalent to giving the chieftains in the mainland a great opportunity to expand and prosper.
Who doesn't have children and nephews? Who wouldn't take great pains to ensure that their lineage can be passed down from generation to generation? Sending children and nephews to lead some of the tribe to establish roots in Mekong Province not only expands the foundation but also reduces internal bloodshed.
Of course, the chieftains also considered that relocating the people would weaken their power, but after weighing the pros and cons, they still felt that the benefits outweighed the risks.
The territory in the interior is already firmly established, and further expansion is essentially impossible. The imperial court will not tolerate the use of force to seize it. Maintaining a balance, preventing one party from dominating or even coercing the smaller to attack the larger, has always been the imperial court's principle.
For example, the Yang family of Bozhou was known for having "an area of 2,000 miles, with brave people and wealth", but after launching a rebellion, it only lasted for two years.
The reason is very simple. After Yang Yinglong started his rebellion, the surrounding chieftains did not join him in the rebellion. Instead, they responded to the Ming Dynasty's call and sent local soldiers to join the war. Yang Yinglong, who was isolated and helpless, was unable to resist.
In fact, it was not that other chieftains were more loyal to the court, but that attacking Yang Yinglong of Bozhou was profitable. This also shows that the Ming court's strategy towards the chieftains had certain merits.
For example, the Luchuan Si clan chieftain had great power. When he rebelled, the Ming court mobilized many chieftain soldiers from the southwest to participate in the war.
Under the attack of the Ming army and the chieftains' coalition forces, the Si family was defeated, the land of Luchuan was divided up, and the chieftains such as Mubang and Mengmi who sent troops gained a lot of benefits.
There is no such thing as no gain without hard work. If you don’t give any benefits, who will work hard?
However, after conquering the Yang family of Bozhou, the Ming court did not distribute profits to the chieftains who had sent troops. Instead, it directly dismantled Bozhou and incorporated it into the provinces under its direct control.
It can be said that the rebellion in Bozhou was suppressed successfully, but it chilled the hearts of the chieftains who sent troops to help.
When the She'an Rebellion broke out, local chieftains, both large and small, either joined the rebels or secretly assisted them, greatly increasing the difficulty of the imperial court in suppressing the rebellion.
This wasn't a mistake on the part of the Ming court; the relationship with the chieftains was inherently one of cooperation and mutual suspicion. For the empire, whenever there was an opportunity and the power, it naturally sought to bring the land under direct rule.
For the chieftains, they had to obey the orders of the court on the surface, but at the same time they had to be wary of the court's attempts to disintegrate and annex them, and try their best to maintain their independent kingdom.
Both sides find it difficult. The re-establishment of chieftains in Mekong Province seems to provide an opportunity to ease the suspicions between the two sides and it seems that there is a new way to resolve the tensions.
After handing over the task, Xu Hongyu, Xu Rubin, and the troops they led had another five days of rest.
The Ming army took turns fighting and resting, relying on its manpower advantage, using fighting as training, and constantly attacking and harassing the rebels, causing them to become exhausted and unable to even carry out their normal farming and life.
The rebels launched several counterattacks in an attempt to break the blockade and siege, but were defeated by the increasingly powerful firepower of the Ming army. They lost a large number of local soldiers and became afraid of the Ming army.
After leading his troops out of the front-line camp and to the military camp more than ten miles away to pack up briefly, Xu Hongyu and other generals made an appointment to go to the town to drink and relax.
In the Ming Dynasty, wherever there was an army, it promoted the development of local industry and commerce. The court did not owe wages, the soldiers had money, and food, clothing, housing and transportation were all business opportunities.
Another key factor is that military discipline has been continuously strengthened.
Whether in Liaodong or the southwest, even the garrisons in various places were mostly replaced by officers who graduated from military academies. In accordance with the plan of military system reform, they strictly rectified the military discipline of the troops.
The establishment of the military police was also a supporting measure. They were subordinate to the military courts, and even the highest commander of the army had no right to interfere. Furthermore, the distribution of food and wages was also a matter independent of the highest commander.
The military camp wasn't far from the town, only a few miles away. It had been nearly a month since I last visited, and the town had changed, becoming even more bustling and prosperous.
"A newly opened restaurant?" Xu Rubin reined in his horse and stared at the building not far away with wide eyes.
Xu Hongyu raised his whip and pointed, saying with a smile, "Brothers, I'll treat you. How about going to try something new?"
"Okay, okay!" Several officers responded in unison, chatting and laughing as they rode away.
Soldiers had money, officers had even more, and they didn't have families. Men, fighting outside and facing life and death, often enjoyed a drink in their spare time.
The Ming army’s barracks were located nearby, attracting many businessmen to come and make money, which also boosted the economic development of the entire town.
"Hey, it's actually Jinling cuisine." Xu Hongyu was very surprised. He had been away from home for several years and really wanted to eat it.
Seeing several officers at the door, the waiter came forward to greet them attentively, and his Nanjing accent made Xu Hongyu feel even more familiar.
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