Chapter 1502 Lack of Money
"Reported that the Northern Navy suffered a disastrous defeat. There were more than 500 large and small ships in total. Against the Suzhou fleet, more than 300 were lost, more than 100 were captured, and less than one escaped. Hundreds... The Dali fleet suffered minor losses, with only a dozen ships damaged by fireships and three sunk. "
"Reported that the East Fort was lost and the North Fort was holding on."
"Reported, General Cheng An died for his country and reincarnated. He lost 600 soldiers and killed 15 thieves."
"Reported, General Lu Pang died for his country and reincarnated. He lost 300 soldiers and killed 5 thieves."
< br>
...
“That’s enough!” Mrs. Lu slapped the table.
This exaggerated battle loss ratio completely broke her bottom line.
Fortunately, she still felt that the innovation she had made had broken the cycle of the feudal dynasty and ensured her position as Queen Mother. She had always been a little complacent.
Everyone says that she is the greatest saint, great sage, great wisdom, great hero in all times...
In the end, she actually believed it.
No way, everyone said you were wearing clothes, but you put them on even if you didn't.
Just don’t travel in winter.
The important ministers remained silent.
War, only ruthless war, can reveal what the so-called prosperous age is like.
The battle loss ratio is the most obvious manifestation of the difference in strength.
A truly powerful person will surely lose less.
And the current disparity in battle damage is obviously saying that their hundreds of years of Western learning achievements are fragile and perfunctory. They are just painted on a paper house. They look good and are not exposed to wind and rain. After beating, it becomes a pile of trash.
“Look, look, the Aijia allocates hundreds of millions of gold and silver to you every year, but you have ended up like this! Our ancestors handed over the country to the hands of the Aijia, and you just let the Aijia go. Sue the Imperial Ancestral Temple?" Lu Zhi said angrily.
The important ministers immediately knelt down.
"Your Majesty, forgive me. It's all the fault of my ministers."
At this time, they were in agreement and believed that it was their fault.
Isn’t it? The Queen Mother allocated funds generously, but if things didn’t go well, who could be blamed?
In the past, in the last years of dynasties, when the court could not provide money and had to ask ministers to do things, they could naturally complain, feel aggrieved, and surrender to the rebels with peace of mind...
Now, money is running out every year. In short supply, there is also a large amount of wealth, real troops and real wages, and they can do exercises every morning and evening, which is far better than the elite forces of any previous dynasty.
At this moment, good news finally came.
“Deng Ming, the guerrilla general of the Chengxian County garrison, led his troops to make a surprise attack on a rainy night. He defeated a partial division of the Dapopy people and killed more than two hundred Dapopy soldiers and horses. They fled and their heads had been counted.”
The important ministers took a breath.
It is still effective to provide adequate military pay. Among the ten teams, there are always one or two who have a conscience and dare to fight.
Raising on a rainy night is more difficult than at night, and a team that owes money will definitely not be able to do it. They must be elite soldiers who train hard and be led by a general who is not afraid of death.
Generals are not afraid of death, but there are still not many who can train hard.
After all, it is our nature to eat, drink and have fun.
"A heavy reward of three thousand taels of grained silver and five hundred pieces of Nanjiang cotton..." Lu Zhi's face looked a little better.
After all, it is a big country, a big court, giving enough money, clear rewards and punishments, and under heavy rewards, talents will always appear.
And she will not kill her own pillars of the Great Wall.
Whether you are loyal or not, it is enough to listen to your heart.
"Thank you, Queen Mother." The important ministers expressed their gratitude on behalf of the general.
As time goes by, there is more and more good news on land.
One after another, the garrison troops received good news or succeeded in holding on.
The fleet is not easy to train, but advanced guns and cannons are easy to buy, as long as you have money.
In later modern wars, new recruits will go to the battlefield after a week or two of training. After a few battles, they will become veterans.
With money, food, and hard work, the team is easy to train. Now it takes only a month to take shape and go to the battlefield.
Although the mortality rate is also high.
But the Eastern Court avoided a three-hundred-year round of elimination. This death is really nothing.
…………
The Dasu people finally realized that they had underestimated the resilience of the Eastern Court.
Their main wealth is still in the interior, in the hands of large landowners. Simply blocking the coastal ports will not cause real harm to them.
Only by capturing the capital can the opponent be forced to surrender.
But when they go deeper inland, they are no longer as comfortable as at sea. Even if it's only three or four hundred miles inland, it's not easy.
There are still people in the court.
After all, many of the taxes that should be collected have long been stopped. It is just a symbolic poll tax to show that you are still a citizen of the court and must abide by the rules of the court.
The imperial court often provided food relief for disasters, large disasters, minor disasters, and no disasters; the landlords also often distributed food and cotton clothes to the people to survive the winter.
In this case, the common people know what is good and what is good. Under the leadership of the scholar landlords, the wall is strong and the country is clear, which rarely happens. In the late Manchu Dynasty, a dozen taels of silver could buy many traitors who led the way, and many people took the initiative to come over and sell vegetables. food situation.
On several occasions, when the Dasu people's team arrived somewhere, villagers reported to the court.
The local defenders dared to fight. Even if a confrontation only killed a few people and killed a few, they couldn't stand it.
There is battlefield fog everywhere.
The nature of invaders is to plunder. They could endure it at first, but when they went deep into the interior and supplies were inconvenient, they began to plunder food.
This further worsened relations with the locals.
The imperial court began to recruit troops and allowed localities to form team training.
Anyway, Queen Mother Lu is not afraid of Tuanlian’s rebellion. She has a hair ball and a fountain of youth in her hands.
The defeat at sea was finally restored on land.
Even for a dynasty like the Qing Dynasty that was extremely decadent, Westerners said that they did not have the brainpower and manpower to rule directly, so they must maintain this dynasty and use them to colonize.
How much more so in this prosperous Eastern court?
Half a year later, the Dasu army suffered heavy losses. Although they besieged the capital twice, they were rescued and finally had to retreat to the southern island to rest.
In the end, this defensive battle was a draw.
The important ministers are still not as thick-skinned as their colleagues in the Qing Dynasty, and they cannot say that they will win if they do not lose.
"Humph, look at each of you. You only talk about the prosperous times on weekdays. At least you didn't let the Ai family escape to the west. Record the merits that should be recorded and kill the ones that deserve to be killed. When you go back, think about it carefully. In ordinary times, the dynasty is dignified. I have learned so much from Westerners, how could I end up like this?" Empress Dowager Lu said harshly.
"Thank you, Queen Mother, for your kindness." The ministers all looked ashamed.
The enemy invaders came in and walked around, coming and leaving when they wanted.
No one can say anything about winning.
If you win, why don’t you see your opponent admit defeat and surrender, and why don’t they offer the leader of the enemy and the Ancestral Temple?
…………
A restaurant somewhere in the capital.
Wen Rensheng sat in the corner, listening to everyone talking.
"Alas, our Dacheng Kingdom is really in trouble. A group of barbarians besieged the capital." An old master shook his head and lamented.
"Isn't this a retreat? The imperial court also opened three granaries. Although the rice distributed was old rotten rice, at least no one died of starvation. Counting back three hundred years, no one was able to siege the city. People cannibalize people?" another member of the staff said without any concern.
While the city was under siege, he bought several shops at low prices without letting his family know about them. He hid the shop deeds and house deeds in a big Yaren bank somewhere.
Yes, steam engines are available, and banks are naturally available.
The reputation of Dayaren Bank is much better than that of traditional banks. They also only recognize account numbers and passwords, not people. Once they are passed on, they will last for hundreds of years.
Of course, you should also carefully choose an old and reputable bank.
“The barbarians are trying to fight back because they have exhausted all their strength. They will come back next time. The real estate they finally bought has suddenly dropped by two-thirds in price, and now it has become an increase in real estate in the west and inland. It’s really a scam.” one businessman complained.
“Why is the Navy so weak? Five hundred can’t defeat three hundred?”
“The Navy only thinks about doing business, and everyone is colluding with each other. The money given out to buy a ship can only be purchased once. They are updated every year, and steam warships have been around for 20 years, but they still use old sailing ships."
"Don't the imperial guards have an overseas division? Can't they keep an eye on overseas troops? Equipment?" Another scholar said generously.
Yes, the imperial court has an overseas department, and the Queen Mother also wants to learn from the West. Everyone is not blind. Steamships are for civilian use first and then for military use. Businessmen all know that, why doesn't the navy buy steamships?
“I know this. What the admiral of the Navy said about steam. Steam does not steam and breaks down easily... Old ships can still be used. A new ship costs millions of taels and is a waste of military pay. It is better to buy more. These sailing ships are magnificent..."
"Millions of taels? Are they so expensive?"
"The Queen Mother allocates hundreds of millions of taels of silver to the navy every year, which is only enough to buy a few dozen ships. , the three major naval divisions in the North, Central and South are not enough."
Everyone was talking and seemed to understand the key point.
It's actually very simple.
The money is not enough.
The wealth of agricultural society can no longer be used for arms expenditure in the industrial era.
The Army is okay, the Navy is a gold-swallowing beast, and daily training is a bottomless pit. Why did the Beiyang Navy stop buying new ships? There is insufficient training. Apart from the decadence of feudal bureaucracy, the biggest reason is the huge consumption. Industry relies on that idea. Can't support it.
(End of this chapter)