Chapter 205 203 [Developing Farmers’ Associations]

Zhu Xieyuan was carried back by more than a thousand vine armor soldiers. He was not injured, but tired.

Escape from Fengcheng to Nanchang, a hundred miles, no more, no less, crossing a total of ten rivers of different sizes!

With this kind of horrible terrain, if the northern cavalry crosses the river, you can imagine how desperate it will be.

It is particularly convenient for those rattan soldiers to cross the river, because the rattan armor is waterproof and fireproof, and can float in the river, directly transforming into a life jacket.

Zhao Han's weapons workshop is also making rattan armor.

Because Zhao Han's military formation imitated Qi's army, rattan players were very important. The reason why it is called a rattan hand is because the shield is a rattan, which is lighter and more defensive than a wooden shield. It is exactly the same as the material used to make rattan armor.

This thing cannot be made in a hurry. You must select yellow vines from the mountains and soak them repeatedly for more than a year before you can actually start making them.

Zhu Xieyuan fled back to Nanchang. It was already the afternoon of the next day, and he immediately sent an order to collect the defeated troops who had fled back.

When he saw the Jiangxi Navy leaning on the shore, he quickly called Zhu Guoxun and asked: "President Zhu, has the rebel Navy shown up?"

"There seems to be a rebel navy cruising around." Zhu Guoxun answered ambiguously.

Hearing this answer, Zhu Xieyuan was so angry that he wanted to pull out Shang Fang's sword and kill Zhu Guoxun on the spot with one strike!

Forcibly suppressing his anger, Zhu Xieyuan warned: "The navy must always be on guard against rebels attacking Nanchang."

"I will obey the military commander's order." Zhu Guoxun knew he was wrong and behaved very respectfully.

Two days later, Zhu Xieyuan only gathered more than 2,000 defeated troops.

The Datong Army, including the wounded officers and soldiers, only captured more than 7,000 prisoners.

As for the remaining 20,000 officers and soldiers, of course not all were dead. Most of them fled directly back to their hometowns, unwilling to fight for the court anymore. Even if they were forcibly recruited into the army in the future, they would definitely be ready to flee anytime and anywhere.

"Cough cough cough cough!"

In the Governor's Mansion, Zhu Xieyuan hid and coughed. He did not dare to let others know that he was sick.

An old man in his seventies was carried across ten rivers and was soaked in blisters and exposed to the sun. It was strange that he did not get sick. Historically, Zhu Xieyuan would die of illness in Guizhou in two years, but now he is just getting sick in another place.

…

Hu Dinggui slept for half a day and a whole night. Due to his leg injury, he stayed on Lion Rock without pursuing the enemy.

After filling his stomach, Hu Dinggui walked to the wounded barracks lamely, leaning on a long gun: "How is Old Chen?"

The military doctor was changing Chen Fugui's dressing: "He has been having a fever and hasn't woken up. Whether he can survive or not depends entirely on him."

Chen Fugui's intestines were faintly visible in the wound on his abdomen. Fortunately, the cotton armor blocked the force and the intestines were not punctured, but the wound infection was very fatal.

Zhao Han didn't know much about medical knowledge. For the wounded in the army, he only asked people to prepare highly distilled alcohol in advance, and emphasized that the bandages to wrap the wounds must be boiled in boiling water. As for the rest, it can only be left to the ancient trauma doctors, but the golden sore medicine has always been very effective.

Hu Dinggui sat in front of Chen Fugui for a while, and then went to express condolences to other wounded people.

In the battle of Lion Rock, although there were only more than 400 casualties, the total number of casualties was more than 1,000. There were only more than 5,000 soldiers in the whole army, and the casualty rate was as high as 25%. They were all injured in fighting, unlike many officers and soldiers who were injured when they fled.

"ah!"

Screams came from the tent next door. Hu Dinggui walked over with a spear, only to see the doctor amputating the leg of a wounded man.

That was a soldier whose calf was scratched by a cannonball. It was said to be a scratch, but in fact a large piece of flesh was gone. Although I wiped the wound with alcohol and quickly applied gold sore medicine, the hot and humid weather for two consecutive days still caused extensive ulceration of the wound. This was very scary, and the lower leg had to be amputated to save his life.

Hu Dinggui came to the edge of the cliff and silently looked at the fields in the distance.

"Your leg is injured, don't walk around randomly." Xiao Zongxian came behind him at some point.

This is Hu Dinggui's old chief, leading them to hold back Yang Jiamo's servants.

Xiao Zongxian was also very unlucky. On the fourth day of the fierce battle, he was injured just after the battle started. He was hit in the back of the head by a stone splashed by an artillery shell. If he hadn't been wearing a bamboo helmet, he would have died inexplicably.

Hu Dinggui said with a smile: "It's okay, I just scratched a few wounds, and it didn't penetrate very deep."

Xiao Zongxian took out a pen and paper: "How many have you killed? How many attacks have you repelled?"

"I don't know." Hu Dinggui shook his head.

Ordinarily, battle achievements must be counted every day, but on the fourth day of the fierce battle, the situation was critical and stalemate. Even if the soldiers were replaced to rest, the missionary officers and military judges would not be able to disturb them, and it has been delayed until now.

Xiao Zongxian had no choice but to write down the number of times Hu Dinggui had been injured and discuss it with the missionary officer and military judge when he went back.

Huang Yao's senior officials were also discussing, and the commander, military judge, and missionary officer agreed that if the number of individual enemy kills could not be determined, the enemy corpses in front of each position would be averaged among the soldiers in that position. Then, the military merit is calculated based on the importance of the position and the intensity of the fierce battle.

Two days later, Hu Dinggui, a slightly injured person, was able to go down the mountain on his own.

Everyone made stretchers and carefully carried the seriously injured people away to a temple at the foot of the mountain to recuperate.

People who hid in the mountains have gone home one after another, and the rice fields that have not had time to be harvested are also being harvested.

Hu Dinggui looked at the farmers and suddenly laughed, and the wounds on his body seemed to no longer hurt.

That afternoon.

Mission groups organized consolation performances, increasingly professional troupes, many of whom were former actors and prostitutes. They can sing both small songs and big dramas. Officials, soldiers and people all like this kind of show.

Hu Dinggui came to the nearby threshing floor, and the stage had been set up.

The title of this scene is "Qingjiang Yue", which is adapted from last year's story of a bloody battle between peasants and soldiers and servants. The character based on Hu Dinggui is the third male lead.

The male lead is the missionary officer Yang Mo who died in the battle, and he is only one word different from the villain Yang Jiamo.

The second male lead is Xiao Zongxian, who directs the battle.

At the beginning, an actress came out and sang in Yiyang accent about the happy life after the land was divided. It is no longer in the form of a drama, but now most of the performances have been changed to Jiangxi opera that the actors are familiar with.

While singing, officers and soldiers suddenly came, burning, killing and looting everywhere. The people fled in panic and the heroine's parents were also killed.

The actor who played the villain Yang Jiamo came on stage and laughed arrogantly, and then performed a monologue and solo.

"Kill the dog officer!"

"Kill!"

"..."

In Zhao Han's opinion, the villain's solo performance was very dramatic, but the soldiers were filled with indignation at this moment, and some even wanted to rush up and beat the actor.

This emotion had already reached a boiling point when the missionary officer Mr. Yang was killed in action.

Some soldiers yelled and cursed, and some soldiers cried with grief and anger.

Huang Yao had to organize a military law team to scold those who were agitated to sit down, otherwise someone would definitely rush to the stage to cause trouble.

The end of this scene is not about repelling the officers and soldiers, but about the actor playing Zhao Han sending the martyrs' tablets to the Hall of Heroes for worship.

After venting their emotions, the soldiers began to whisper.

Xiao Zongxian winked at Hu Dinggui and asked, "Is Miss Saisai beautiful?"

Hu Dinggui shook his head and said, "I sit too far away and can't see clearly."

Xiao Zongxian said in a low voice: "I have seen her up close. She is as beautiful as a fairy. My son is two years old and cannot break the rules. You can go and try it."

"What are you trying?" Hu Dinggui asked blankly.

"Marry girl Saisai," Xiao Zongxian encouraged. "I have inquired about it. This girl Saisai is only eighteen years old, only two years older than you. You were praised by name by the headquarter. From now on, you will be the best." There is a future, and this girl is talented and beautiful."

Hu Dinggui quickly shook his head and said with a blushing face: "I...I will get married in a few years."

"Hey, you are really stupid." Xiao Zongxian felt that he was playing the piano to a cow.

Pan Saisai on the stage, although he only became a good student last year, has only been in the missionary team for a short time. But she is beautiful and can sing very well, so she has been sought after by countless soldiers and people.

After the performance, Pan Saisai was taking off her makeup when she suddenly heard someone say from behind: "Xiao Pan, I will go to the countryside of Nanchang County to perform in a few days. You will star in "The White-Haired Girl"."

"Nanchang County is not our territory, right?" Pan Saisai was quite surprised.

The leader of this performance troupe said: "Nanchang County is forming a farmers' association. We are the closest to there, and I just received the order."

Nanchang Fucheng and Nanchang County are not the same city. They are about ten miles apart.

Since he failed to seize Nanchang Mansion immediately, Zhao Han would not waste his troops to attack it. Instead, peasant associations were formed in the counties of Nanchang Prefecture and occupied rural areas first. The Datong Army had just won a great victory, and officers, soldiers and landowners would certainly not dare to attack members of the peasant association.

The farmers' association not only attracts tenants, but also small landowners and self-cultivators. It mainly does the following tasks: unites tenants to reduce rent and interest, and abolishes unfair phenomena such as bucket noodles and winter livestock. Small landowners and self-cultivated farmers do not pay heavy taxes and fees to the government. Landlords were forced to release domestic slaves and all were converted into short-term employment contracts.

The peasant association movement was not intense and remained within the tolerance range of the government and gentry. This tolerance was backed by the force of the Datong Army.

It only takes two or three months for small landowners, landowners, tenants, and domestic slaves to taste the benefits, and they will no longer be willing to fight for the government. By that time, Zhu Xieyuan might not even be able to raise a few dan of food, let alone recruiting troops in Nanchang Prefecture.

As for territorial expansion, southern Jiangxi is the main area.

Now Zhao Han, Pang Chunlai, Li Banghua and others have explored development routines.

That is to say, experienced assistant officials (county magistrates, chief registrars, etc.) are selected and appointed as magistrates of newly occupied areas. Then transfer experienced officials to serve as assistant officers for the newly occupied territory. The original positions will be promoted based on political performance and seniority to fill the vacancies after being transferred.

There is no shortage of officials, and the more they are trained, the more they are. What is lacking now is official positions!

After the victory in the Ganzhou War, Ganzhou City must be captured, mainly to alleviate the salt shortage and reduce salt prices.

Shen Youlong could no longer stop Guangyan from going north, and Ganzhou had been holding him back. After occupying Ganzhou, the high-quality and low-priced Guangyan salt continued to import energy, which immediately alleviated Zhao Han's financial dilemma.

At the same time, Yudu County (Yudu) next to Ganzhou had to be occupied.

In this way, the saltpeter mines in Ningdu County can be transported down the river from Yudu to Ganzhou, and then from Ganzhou to Ji'an. In this way, the cost of purchasing saltpeter ore is greatly reduced, and more gunpowder can be produced in the future.

Ganzhou City has not yet been captured at this time.

After the defeat of the Fujian general Chen Ting, the three thousand Fujian soldiers responsible for defending the city had to release the governor Zou Weilian and asked Zou Weilian to lead them to defend Ganzhou.

(I've had diarrhea since the morning. I'll try to do three updates today, but if it doesn't work, I can only do two.)