bullyxtreme Chapter 105 Tiger Generals of Jiangdong
Chapter 105 Tiger Generals of Jiangdong
Li Sheng stopped his horse at the entrance of the county government office. Seeing soldiers surrendering and leaving the office, he dismounted.
"Liu Lu".
"exist!"
"Pass down the order: each battalion shall, according to their assigned duties, take control of the granaries, armories, and city gates, patrol the streets and alleys, and maintain order. Post notices to reassure the people immediately, and then prepare meals in shifts so that everyone can take turns resting."
"promise!"
Liu Lu accepted the order, turned around, and strode away.
Li Sheng stepped onto the steps of the county government office and pushed open the door to enter.
Passing through the front hall and around the screen wall, you are greeted by the main hall of the county government office.
Wang Qian, the magistrate of Siwu County, was sitting upright behind a table in the center of the main hall, with the wine pot in front of him already more than half empty.
He heard footsteps, looked up, and saw a young man covered in blood standing at the door. He was slightly taken aback.
"You are... Li Sheng, a general of the Taiping Army?"
Li Sheng nodded, walked to the desk, and without any ceremony, pulled up a chair and sat down.
"I have long admired Magistrate Wang."
Wang Qian gave a wry smile, poured himself another glass of wine, and drank it all in one gulp.
"A defeated general is no match for you. General, your methods are indeed skillful, feigning a city attack and seizing the gate in one swift motion. I, Wang, am not an incompetent man, yet I couldn't even hold out for an hour."
"Magistrate Wang need not blame himself."
Li Sheng spoke calmly.
"I was prepared for the attack on Xiaxiang and Siwu counties, but they were caught off guard. If Magistrate Wang had been given ten or fifteen days to prepare, these cities might not have been so easy to capture."
Wang Qian looked up at Li Sheng, seemingly trying to determine whether his words were sincere or just polite.
After looking at it for a moment, he sighed.
"General, your demeanor is indeed extraordinary. I heard that after the fall of Xiapi, you did not massacre or loot the city, but instead opened the granaries to distribute grain and land to the people. I originally thought it was just an exaggerated rumor, but now it seems to be true."
Li Sheng didn't respond to that question, but instead asked directly.
"What are Mr. Wang's plans for the future?"
Wang Qian put down his wine glass and remained silent for a moment.
"What does the general mean?"
Li Sheng looked into his eyes.
"Siwu County has just been captured and needs someone to govern it. Mr. Wang has served as the magistrate of Siwu for many years and must be very familiar with the county. If Mr. Wang stays to assist my Taiping Army, I, Li Sheng, will certainly not make things difficult for you."
Wang Qian was stunned.
He hadn't expected Li Sheng to be so sincere.
"Isn't the general afraid that I'll feign surrender and then betray him later?"
Li Sheng smiled.
"Of course I'm not afraid. Since you can order a surrender to prevent further casualties, then I, Li Sheng, have the guts."
The real reason is not like that.
Of course, Li Sheng believed he had no shortage of courage, but that was not the reason he readily accepted Wang Qian, who had been demoted, to continue assisting in the governance of Siwu County.
Ultimately, all of this stemmed from the Taiping Army's shallow foundation.
Most of the trusted confidants he had trained to handle local affairs remained in his hometown of Xiapi. After conquering Xiaxiang County, he left behind a group of smart and capable managers. This time, after he led a surprise attack and captured Siwu, he was short-handed.
If we rashly let those soldiers take charge, it might cause some trouble.
Therefore, he had to make certain compromises.
Now, we can only firmly control Siwu's military, financial, and personnel powers. As for the specific details of governance, they can only be temporarily handled by the original officials.
We can replace them once the talent is developed.
Of course, if the old officials act in accordance with the Taiping Army's requirements, they can be directly recruited. As for those who do not change their ways, they can be used to quell public anger.
Wang Qian remained silent for a long time.
The sound of Taiping soldiers' footsteps, neat and powerful, could be heard outside the hall.
In the distance, someone was banging a gong and shouting the order, "The Taiping Army enters the city, but does not disturb the people."
"I am willing to assist the general."
Wang Qian finally spoke, his voice low and deep.
Li Sheng stood up and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Sir, you are truly wise and righteous. On behalf of the people of Siwu County, Li Sheng thanks you in advance."
For the next five days, Li Sheng was extremely busy.
He personally oversaw every aspect of the work in Siwu County, including land surveying, household registration, and grain distribution. Although he had the assistance of Wang Qian, Liu Lu, and others, he still had to make the final decisions on the overall situation.
The most crucial step was dividing the land among the different plots.
Based on his experience in Xiapi, he announced that all landless or land-poor tenants and vagrants would each receive a plot of land of varying size. Once the land was allocated, it could not be bought, sold, or mortgaged.
As soon as the news came out, the poor people of Siwu County spread the word.
After receiving the land, the people knelt on the ground and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Taiping Army!"
Li Sheng looked at the dense crowd below and remained silent.
Wang Qian stood behind him, watching this scene, speechless for a long time.
"The general's move is more impressive than that of an army of 100,000."
He sighed.
"Once the people got the land, their hearts turned to the general and the Taiping Army. Once the land was in their hands, they would fight to the death with anyone who tried to take it back. The general gained a million protectors without losing a single soldier."
Wang Qian was not from Siwu County, so he had no objection to Li Shengxing's land redistribution, since he wouldn't get any anyway.
Li Sheng did not turn around.
"Sir, this is not a tactic. It is only natural that the common people should grow the land and receive the grain. It is unreasonable that those powerful and wealthy people do not grow the land but take the majority of the grain. I am simply restoring the principle to them."
Wang Qian remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply.
"The general is right. I have learned my lesson."
On the third day of the land distribution, Li Sheng ordered the recruitment of soldiers.
The news spread quickly and many people responded.
When the poor people of Siwu County heard that the Taiping Army was recruiting soldiers, they flocked to enlist. In just three days, nearly a thousand new soldiers were recruited.
Li Sheng put Liu Lu in charge of screening, eliminating the old and weak and keeping only the strong and capable. He also selected key personnel from the veteran army to serve as squad leaders and platoon leaders to train the new recruits.
The recruitment office was set up on an open space outside the south gate of Siwu County, and people came to apply for the job every day.
That afternoon, after finishing his official business, Li Sheng took two personal guards to inspect the recruitment office.
From afar, he saw a long queue outside the recruitment office, and two young men stood out in the crowd.
One was burly and imposing, standing like an iron tower, with piercing eyes. The other was slightly shorter, but also very strong, with eyes as sharp as an eagle's.
The two were talking to the clerk at the recruitment office.
Li Sheng took a few steps closer and heard the tall man's voice.
"My name is Zhou Tai, and this is my brother Jiang Qin. We make a living on the water. We heard about the land distribution here, so we came. If we join the army, will we get land?"
The clerk looked up at them and, seeing their imposing presence, quickly nodded.
"Yes. Everyone in the Taiping Army is equal. Those who join receive a resettlement allowance, and those who perform meritorious service are allocated land. You can register here and leave your fingerprints."
Zhou Tai grinned and patted Jiang Qin on the shoulder.
"Brother, did you hear that? Land is being divided!"
Jiang Qin nodded without saying anything, but a smile appeared on his lips.
It's important to understand that these fishermen, who make a living on the water, have it incredibly tough. They are oppressed by the government even more than farmers on land. The heavy tax burden has even forced them to abandon their generations-old fishing profession and wander from place to place.
Many fishermen simply turned to banditry and robbery.
Jiang Qin and Zhou Tai were examples of this.
In fact, they had heard about the Taiping Army back when they were in Xiapi, but they had no intention of joining them at the time. Who knew that not long after they followed the river to Siwu County, Siwu County also fell into the hands of the Taiping Army.
Seeing the Taiping Army's fierce momentum, the two brothers could no longer sit still, so they hurriedly went ashore to join the Taiping Army, hoping to make a fortune.