Spring and Autumn I Am King

In early April, Mengcheng, thirty miles north of Shangqiu.

The Song country had a population of one million, and there were nearly seventy townships and cities with more than a thousand households, half of which belonged to Duke Song directly after they were conferred to doctors. The officials of the Dai and Huan tribes divided up the remaining thirty or so towns, and in the hands of the Sicheng Le family, there were only one large town of five thousand households and three towns of one thousand households, with a total number of more than ten thousand households and a population of nearly sixty thousand.

Among them, Mengcheng is one of the towns of a thousand houses. It is rich in lacquerware, so it is also called lacquer town.

The planting of lacquer trees and the production of lacquer ware is a hugely profitable business, and Le's relies on it as an economic pillar in Mengcheng.

Zhao Ci, which caused a sharp drop in the sales of lacquerware in the Jin state, has not yet had an impact because of the limited number of people entering the Song state. However, Zhao Wuxi felt that if he opened another kiln in Song State, Lu State, etc., then his eldest brother, Le Mixing, would be so angry that he would curse his mother after the lacquer ware was unsalable.

In short, there are Le's lacquer gardens all over the place. Although Le Qi is kind to the people and does not want them to return the loan, many people still lose their land.

Qi Wan is one of them. From his generation on, he was forced to become a servant, like those savages of low status, doing dirty and tiring lacquer cutting in lacquer gardens or workshops. live. But their identity is not slaves, as long as the master agrees, they can also "relocate", but such an opportunity is rare in ten years.

April and summer is the time to start cutting paint. Because the moisture evaporates quickly and the sun is abundant at this time, the quality of the cut paint is the best.

Every day before sunrise is the best time to cut lacquer, lacquer must enter the garden before dawn, climb up and down on the lacquer tree every day, and work hard in the hot summer. Movement is slow. The harvest was less, and he had to be beaten by the lacquer officer's stick.

Qi Wan also complained to his grandfather more than once: "The lacquer tree is poisonous. If it is contaminated with raw lacquer, it will cause redness and swelling, and itching is unbearable. Most people avoid this kind of tree, but we are the only ones who cleave and climb against it. This is too much work. It’s too exhausting and I can only get a little brown rice to feed my stomach every day. Since the death of the former master, life has become even more unbearable. Moreover, my grandfather and grandmother died early, and my brother has been ill for a long time. It must have something to do with doing this hurtful work.”

He thought to himself: "If there is a chance to move to another business, I would rather go to work for others than let my descendants cut paint!"

Right now. An order to recruit troops spread all over the city of Mongolia, and also into the lacquer garden.

When Qi Wan arrived upon hearing the news, he saw that the open space in front of the Yi Temple had been cleared, and a group of soldiers stood neatly here. They were all wearing heavy leather armor, sheathed short swords around their waists, and poplar shields on their arms. The leader was a tall warrior with armor and hoods, and his face was hidden by a curtain.

An ugly-looking little literati saw that it was almost time to come, so he paced forward. He read the slips in his hand with Shangqiu Songyan with a Jin accent.

"The head of the family has an order to allow the gentlemen of the Zhao clan to recruit soldiers in Mengcheng, and they are over seventeen and under thirty. Those who are free and powerful can recruit and choose here. Fifty stone of corn. Four pieces of silk cloth, and the family can reduce taxes by half. One person is exempted from service."

"After signing and downloading the book, all orders will be obeyed by the gentleman of the Zhao family within the agreed time limit. I will take him as the master. After the waiting time expires, if anyone wants to return home, please listen to your honor."

The people of Mengcheng scratched their heads, fifty stones of corn and four sheets of silk cloth, which means that three adults can eat enough every day and can make one set of clothes for one season.

"It can't be fake, can it? It can't be the cunning Zheng people sneaking in to deceive us!"

Song people are honest and simple. When looking at Zheng people from neighboring countries, they always feel that they are all cunning businessmen. They always tell stories of "waiting for rabbits" and "stinging seedlings to help them grow" to laugh at Song people's stupidity.

A person who has been recruited to become a soldier of the Le clan for many times said: "Although the recruitment of soldiers has not been heard in ancient times, the city officials of Mengcheng also helped to preach, and it should be allowed by the owner of the family. If my wife is not pregnant, I want to try it."

The literati of Jin State who was in charge of recruiting by shouting was Feng Lin. He had an advantage in language and was appointed here by Zhao Wuxi to be in charge of recruiting soldiers in Mengcheng.

Seeing everyone's hesitation at the moment, he coughed lightly and said with a smile: "Everyone, rest assured, this matter is indeed allowed by Dasicheng. Zhaoqiu's gentleman of Jin state is very capable! Maifen, Zhao Ci, and Shangqiu City. The Wanggui wine shop that everyone praised in the city was made by him! When the mourning period of Lao Sicheng is over, he will marry the prince and daughter, which is equivalent to half the head of the family. He was recruited to be his soldier, and he did The bodyguards around the head of the family are no different."

"After becoming a soldier of the Zhao family, what do you do? Guard of honor? Guard? Hunt? Or fight?"

A wicked young man asked, and everyone fell silent, wanting to hear what the scribes would say.

Feng Rin was stunned for a moment, then waved his hand: "Of course it's a fight for great wealth! If you follow the gentleman well, you and other meritorious people will return to your hometown in the future, and you will also be awarded the title of scholar by Dasicheng, reduce labor and field taxes, and increase Tianmu house!"

These days, such a way of rewarding merit and promotion with a stick like this is rare. Of course, this is also a condition negotiated by Zhao Wuxi and Le Mix.

Le Min thought of the combat effectiveness of Zhao Wuxi's minions in the Battle of Jijin, and he was also envious, thinking that if he recruited troops to return home, wouldn't he still be his own people? Wouldn't it be a good thing to promote them as soldiers at that time and teach the musicians how to fight.

Under the lure of Feng Rin, the free-spirited youths in the market are eager to try. And Qi Bai, who was huddled in the crowd, was also very excited, because this Jin person also said that the successful recruitment of Baigong and servants would be allowed to relocate!

Without hesitation, he resisted the beatings and sarcasms of the lacquer officials, and regardless of his father's dissuasion, he dragged his cousin to apply for the recruitment.

The same scene is also being staged in other Le's lands.

Zhao Wuqi was personally in charge of Daicheng, the main town of the Le family, with a household of 5,000 and a population of 30,000. He was discussing the recruitment of troops with the counselor Meng.

Zhang Mengtan said: "In Zongzhou, the soldiers of the six divisions came from the people of the six townships, and each family prepared for expeditions and served in turns. The soldiers mainly practiced martial arts and fought in battles, and they served as Jia soldiers during battles; farmers were common people. , Except for the old, weak and disabled, all adult men must receive military training, three seasons of farming, one season of martial arts, and a big search every three years. In the event of war, they must obey the dispatch at any time and serve as pawns. The period of service It depends on the length of the war. The savages are generally not qualified to be soldiers and can only serve in the army.”

"After King Ping moved east, the princes fought for hegemony, and the well fields gradually collapsed. Every time there was a war, there would be hundreds or thousands of troops, and only relying on the soldiers and the people of the country would not be enough. Therefore, Duke Hui of Jin became a state soldier and expanded the military service and army. The source, allowing savages to join the army, and other countries are all the same. So it gradually became a county and town conscription system where the country and the savage were eliminated, and the army and peasants were integrated. Generally, it is a temporary conscription. After the war, they return home. Soldiers who think about farming will lose their morale."

Finally, Zhang Mengtan said: "But Zitai's recruitment system, recruiting soldiers into the army with money in a foreign country, is unheard of, but it is a feasible method."

Zhao Wuxi smiled bitterly after hearing the words. Isn't this forced to be helpless? Otherwise, why would he temporarily "invent" the recruiting system.

For the iron rooster Le Mix, if Zhao Wuxi directly said that he wanted to recruit the people of the Le family, or to convert them into his own private soldiers, he would definitely not do it. So the only way to do it is to recruit troops first. On the one hand, you can use money and silk to tempt you to increase your enthusiasm for enlisting in the army. Wait until these soldiers are in the shirtless pockets, and then slowly digest them.

The system of expropriation is common in this era. Zhang Mengtan has already said it in detail, but the recruitment system is the first of its kind in China.

Recruitment is an army recruited with money or other material conditions. It is a mercenary who "rents a city mercenary to fight". The relationship between recruiting soldiers and the lord is the relationship between money and silk and the oath.

Zhao Wuxi had heard a saying that in the era when soldiers and farmers were integrated and the conscription system was complete, such as Qin, Western Han, and early Tang, the country was strong and invincible. However, if the land system collapsed, and it could only be replenished by recruiting troops, such as the Eastern Han Dynasty, the late Tang Dynasty, and the Northern Song Dynasty, the combat effectiveness would be weak.

There is some truth to this conclusion. Recruitment and recruitment actually have their own advantages and disadvantages.

After thinking about it, Zhao Wuchen was surprised to find that what he practiced in Chengxiang was actually a combination of the conscription system and the conscription system: during the slack farming season, the countrymen and savages from each household were recruited to serve as apprentices, but the light knights, armored soldiers, The archers and other arms are professional recruits who give subsidies and money, silk and corn.

The two hundred crossbowmen in Wenxian County were also temporarily recruited from the country and the wild people, but their service has long since expired. If they changed their personal commanders, I am afraid that the whole military camp would be lamenting, "The gentleman is in service, but he does not know the period; the gentleman is in service, and there is nothing." Now, maybe they will defect and return to the country in groups.

When Duke Huan of Qi sent troops to guard Xu State and guarded against Chu State, there was such a thing. When the people of Qi saw that the war was not over when the farming was busy, they all gave up and ran home by themselves.

But after the battle of Jijin, Wu Xie had established the supreme authority in Wen Zu's heart. In addition, he instructed Zhao Guangde of Wenxian County with a slip of paper to give these soldiers tax exemptions for their families and compensation for rogue servants to help in farming, so that they could continue to serve in this foreign country with all their hearts, so to a certain extent, two hundred crossbowmen can be regarded as Recruited.

But this time the recruitment of soldiers in the Song Kingdom was different, it was more like purely recruiting mercenaries.

So Zhao Wuxi said: "The army as a whole still has to rely on expeditions and go abroad to fight in the slack farming season; the elite soldiers rely on recruitment and support them with a generous salary to keep them out of farming. Combining the two is the best way. But I am now He is a landless and expelled gentleman, who is under the fence of others. If he recruits troops on the spot, Ziming will not agree, and Duke Song will have doubts in his heart. Therefore, this method can only be used to enhance military equipment. This strategy is not a common method. for emergency use."

Zhang Mengtan nodded and said: "Indeed, this kind of recruiting attracts often villains and rangers who want to go abroad to gain knowledge and riches, or businessmen who want to take the opportunity to relocate. These people tend to be undisciplined, but it's not good. train."

After listening to Zhang Mengtan's worries, Wu Xie smiled slightly and said, "Zhang Zike has heard this saying that Tai is born with water, and everything is born from water. The character of the people of various countries is also affected by water and land."

Zhang Mengtan thought and said: "I have heard that some people think that the water in the state of Qi is urgent and flowing, so the people of Qi are greedy, rude and brave. The water in the state of Chu is soft and clear, so the people of Chu are quick, decisive and brave. Dare to do it. The water of Jin State is bitter and turbid, so the people of Jin are flattering and concealing falsehoods, clever and good for money. The water of Yan State is deep and soft, so the people of Yan are foolish and fond of perseverance, light and hasty. Don't be afraid of death. The water in Song is strong and clear, so the people of Song are simple and easy, and they like justice."

Wu Xie looked at the Song people who came to apply for the recruitment in Dai Yi. Although no one maintained the order, they did not dare to rush to crowd.

"That's right, UU reading www.uukanshu.com is easy and upright, which is the characteristic of Song people, so Chu people say 'Zheng Zhao Song is deaf', which means that Zheng people are smart and clever, while Song people are stupid and dull, and their reactions are better than Zheng's. People are slow. Although this is a slanderous remark from the doctor of Chu, it is also a manifestation of the character of Song people."

The method of recruiting soldiers without shirts was changed to Qi, Chu, and Jin, and it was estimated that all the people recruited were light chivalrous people. Only in the country of Song, where the people are simple and simple, will it be more feasible.

If I remember correctly, the conscripts recruited by Qi Jiguang to build the invincible Qi family army in the future are also similar to those of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Wuxi raised a finger and said to Zhang Meng: "So this recruiting, apart from physical strength, the recruits have only one requirement, and that is to be honest, obedient, rather lack than abuse!" (To be continued..)

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