nashuaworldcup Chapter 359 Registered Households and Common People, One Adult Per Household
Chapter 359 Registered Households and Common People, One Adult Per Household
Hearing that these Li people were of no use, Liu Ye hardened his heart and waved his hand: "Take your men and drive them away. Whether they hide in the deep mountains and forests or break into other prefectures and counties, you have to make room for me!"
Lin San asked, "What if they refuse to leave?"
A fierce glint flashed in Liu Ye's eyes: "Kill them!"
Lin San hesitated for a moment before replying, "Yes, sir." This wasn't the first time he'd killed Li people; he'd killed many before when helping the government suppress Li rebellions. He knew the Li people wouldn't easily leave the territory they'd inhabited in their time, so killing them was the only option. However, Lin San still hesitated to kill these Li people without any apparent cause for rebellion.
Liang Xiaoming felt a pang of pity; these Li people were living, breathing human beings. Driving them from their land, killing them for disobedience—how similar was this to the massacre of Native Americans during the American westward expansion? He wanted to dissuade them, but couldn't find a reason to object. After all, immigration and land reclamation were the top priorities for the next phase, affecting the increase in the population of Qiongzhou Camp and the expansion of the army. Given Liu Ye's personality, he wouldn't allow anyone or anything to hinder this process. Without a compelling reason to persuade him, rashly stopping them would only be pointless.
At this moment, a crisp voice rang out: "Master, the children of Shengli were also born of parents, why not give them a chance?"
Liang Xiaoming was taken aback. Wasn't that Liu Ru's voice? What was she doing here? Looking in the direction the voice came from, he indeed spotted Liu Ru in the crowd. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Liu Ru turned to look at him and gave him a playful smile.
Liu Ye was taken aback. The managers were having a meeting, so why was there a woman's voice? Curious, Liu Ye looked up and saw Liang Xiaoming's wife walk in. She laughed and teased, "Miss Liu Ru, I don't remember calling a meeting for the managers today. Why did you come uninvited? Did Mingzi bring you?"
Under everyone's gaze, Liu Ru showed no stage fright and said confidently, "I heard today that Master Liang was going to discuss important matters, and since I had some free time, I thought I'd come and see how Master Liang, my husband, and the other Han gentlemen discuss important matters. I walked in through the main gate myself; my husband didn't lead me, and no one stopped me." She had suddenly decided to see what these important military and national affairs were that Liang Xiaoming mentioned so often, so she followed Li Ergou and the others. Normally, she wasn't required to attend such a meeting, but the guards at the gate all recognized her as Master Liang's wife, and no one would bother arguing with her, so no one stopped her.
Liu Ye smiled upon hearing this: "Hehe, since you're here and have offered your opinions, why not share your thoughts? I'm a very democratic person."
Liu Ru's smile faded, and she said earnestly, "Master, everyone calls you General now, but I am just a woman and don't understand these things. In my heart, you are still the master who brought us a good life. Back then, you made us work, gave us white rice and salt to eat, and we were no longer hungry or cold. You are our great benefactor... But why are you so heartless now, wanting to kill those Li people in the deep mountains? They are living, breathing human beings just like us!"
Liu Ye coughed twice, unsure how to respond. Women are women, after all; how could they understand the principle of not worrying about trifles when it comes to important matters? He glanced at Liang Xiaoming, giving him a meaningful look, signaling him to quickly take his wife home.
Liang Xiaoming awkwardly pulled Liu Ru away, "Ru'er, Master is discussing important matters here, don't cause trouble, come, come home with me..."
Liu Ru shook off Liang Xiaoming's hand and continued, "Master, we went through the same thing back then. Since you can accept us, why not give them a chance? That way, they won't have to die, and you'll have more subjects..."
Liu Ye was taken aback. He had only thought about whether these untamed Li people could be tamed and incorporated into the army, but he had never thought about turning them from semi-primitive hunters into registered Li people, who would farm, pay taxes, and perform corvée labor like the Han people.
Sun Yuanhua continued, “Madam Liang’s words make sense. As far as I know, the Tartars in Liaodong are not numerous, and to make up for their lack of troops, they often go deep into the mountains and forests to capture wild Jurchens and incorporate them into their army. These wild Jurchens also live by hunting, and are strong and powerful. With these soldiers, the Tartars will be even stronger. Although the firearms and formations of the Qiongzhou camp are not very suitable for these wild Jurchens, killing them all would be against the will of Heaven and would also be a pity for these people. It would be better to do as Madam Lin suggested, teach them to farm, incorporate them into the local government, and have them pay taxes and perform corvée labor. In the end, they will be able to contribute some taxes.”
Liu Ye was somewhat tempted. Killing these uncivilized people would yield nothing, but if he registered them as ordinary citizens and tamed them into adult people, they could still pay taxes. Even a small amount is still something. Moreover, killing too many people would ultimately damage his reputation.
Xu Yifan, who was usually quiet, spoke up: "General, I think it would be difficult to train the Shengli people into the regular army of the Qiongzhou Camp. However, after they are incorporated into the capital, we can consolidate villages and households, merge villages with small populations, and then select one able-bodied man from each household to farm during busy seasons and train during leisure time. When needed, they can be conscripted to form a team for battle. These able-bodied men may not be of great use, but when the Qiongzhou Camp goes out to fight and the island is left vulnerable, they will be more than enough to serve as a defensive force, at least to deter the villains."
Liu Ye's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good idea. The Qiongzhou camp was preparing to go to Shandong, and the main forces of the army and navy would definitely be there, leaving the island's defenses vulnerable. Although no surrounding forces dared to provoke them, it was still a potential threat. They would undoubtedly have to leave Qiongzhou for battles many times in the future. One or two times would be fine, but if they were always left vulnerable, like a bluff, and someone foolishly attacked their stronghold, it would be troublesome. Wei Lianheng's method of merging villages and households, with one able-bodied man per household, was good. They could farm in peacetime and serve as soldiers in wartime, armed with hooks or spears, enough to protect the high ground. However, this method sounded somewhat familiar, remarkably similar to the Tatar Niru system.
After weighing the options, he changed his previous order: "In that case, Lin San, when you go to sweep through these Li people, just kill the leader and his loyal followers. Give the rest two choices: either submit to the Qiongzhou Camp, be given iron tools, and learn to farm; or the whole village dies. I estimate that after the group is leaderless, the majority will still be willing to submit?"