Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 675: Reducing talents regardless of level

A day later, the army arrived in Tianjin. Passing through Jinghai County, Liu Ye looked at the changed city walls and couldn't help but sigh. If the various units had cooperated effectively, this place would have been Abatai's final resting place. However, internal strife within the Ming army had cost them a great opportunity. But every cloud has a silver lining; this setback directly led to his journey to the capital, resulting in his current position as Grand General and the control of three provinces.

He ordered his men, "Bring Panda and Wang Hong here."

The soldiers brought the two men over, and as soon as they saw Liu Ye, they immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.

Liu Ye said, "I'm not usually one to kick someone when they're down. You guys can't go back to where you were before, so there's no point in messing with you anymore..."

Wang Hong didn't understand what he meant, but Panda was much quicker to understand. He knew that ever since he was used as a bargaining chip to blackmail the emperor and Yang Sichang, his fate had been sealed. It was impossible for the two of them to continue serving as the Tianjin Military Commissioner and the Tianjin General. Even if Liu Ye took pity on them and let them go, the emperor and Yang Sichang would not allow them to continue living in this world.

Sure enough, Liu Ye continued, "Anyway, you're all doomed. To tell you the truth, the Emperor and Yang Sichang are preparing to negotiate peace with the Tartars. The orders you received were all geared towards this plan, but this can only be done secretly, not in the open. Therefore, you are destined to become sacrificial pawns. There's nowhere left for you in this vast world. Today, I'll do you a good deed and let you die where you were serving as officials. You can die in peace then, right?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hong screamed like a pig being slaughtered, but to no avail. Several soldiers raised their bayonets and thrust them forward, ending his life.

Liu Ye turned to Panda: "General Wang has died in his own garrison. What about you? Will you stay here and become his comrade in misfortune, or will you return to the Tianjin Garrison Commander's Office before continuing your journey? Just say the word, and I will grant you your last wish."

Panda humbly prostrated himself and said respectfully, "Killing a criminal like me is merely a matter of a word for the Marquis of Pingnan. I dare not presume to ask for your forgiveness for my wrongdoings. However, the Marquis of Pingnan has been appointed Grand General and has just taken charge of three provinces. He must still be short of manpower. I am not talented, but I have some experience in the overall allocation of grain and supplies, and the transportation of famine-stricken people. I am willing to serve the Marquis of Pingnan with utmost loyalty and atone for my sins."

Liu Ye was surprised and asked, "You're not a free man, how did you know about this?"

Panda smiled obsequiously, "I was merely imprisoned; my eyes were not covered and my ears were not plugged. My guards did not deliberately conceal anything. If one is willing, these things are not difficult to find out."

Liu Ye smiled. This guy, despite being in dire straits, didn't give up and resign himself to fate like Wang Hong. Instead, he actively tried to save himself and knew how to cater to his own interests, which was quite commendable. Regardless of his character, this one incident alone showed that he was a talented person.

Liu Ye was a man of principle yet flexible in his actions. He had taken in a traitorous general under Gao Yingxiang, so why not a former military commissioner who was no longer tolerated by the court? After a moment's thought, he said, "Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Since you have this intention, I can give you a chance to make amends for your mistakes." In essence, Yang Sichang was the mastermind behind the burning of the granary, and Pan Da was merely an accomplice. Letting him go was not a big problem.

Panda was overjoyed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your magnanimity, Marquis of Pingnan. I am deeply grateful."

Back then, he was demoted from a promising censor to Tianjin, but he was able to quickly adjust his mindset and do a great job, which shows that Panda is also a very adaptable person. Facing Liu Ye, a martial artist whom he had looked down on just over ten days ago, he now humbly begs to be taken in, and his attitude is extremely natural and without any sense of incongruity.

Having become a pawn of the court, clinging to Liu Ye's coattails became the only option. Pan Da, eager to prove his abilities, volunteered: "I've heard that the Marquis of Pingnan has taken in over 100,000 people captured by the Tartars and wants to transport them back to Qiongzhou?"

This was precisely the problem troubling Liu Ye. During the Battle of Qiuyu Mountain, he had received over 30,000 refugees from the combined forces of Gao Yingxiang and Zhang Xianzhong. To ensure their safe return to Lingao, he personally oversaw operations in Nanjing for over a month. Even earlier, he had recruited famine victims from Shandong, totaling 50,000 to 60,000 people. With the full assistance of the Dengzhou and Laizhou governors' offices, almost the entire Qionghai Navy participated, a process that took nearly half a year and incurred extremely high time and manpower costs. Now, this new batch of people exceeded the total number of the previous two batches combined, making their safe and successful return to Lingao a tremendous challenge.

Liu Ye sighed and replied, "Yes, I'm really racking my brains over this! I've done this before in Southern Zhili and Shandong, so I have some experience. But with so many people, it's still very tricky... Moreover, these are people from the Beijing area, and their families are relatively well-off. They're not the homeless starving people from Shandong, nor are they the displaced and starving migrants from northern Shaanxi. Whether they're willing to come with me is a big question."

Panda said with a forced smile, "That's because the Marquis of Pingnan is kind-hearted; it's a blessing for these peasants. May I ask, Your Excellency, did you set any conditions when you recruited the starving people from Shandong?"

Liu Ye nodded: "Yes, Mr. Yan, please tell me the specific terms and conditions."

Yan Guang recited the details with great familiarity: "Anyone willing to go to Qiongzhou will receive a settlement allowance of five taels of silver. Groups of three or more will be provided with an ox for plowing. No taxes will be levied on the harvest for the first two years. From the third year onwards, two shi of grain will be paid per mu per year, and any surplus grain can be kept by the farmer. Those who do not wish to farm can work in factories, regardless of gender, with generous pay; those who pass the selection process can also join the army..."

"That's too generous..." Before he could finish listening, Panda shook his head repeatedly. "My lord, it was one thing for those starving people back then, but now if these 100,000 people are to follow this plan, it will cost 500,000 taels of silver and 30,000 oxen. Moreover, they won't have to pay taxes for the first two years. What a huge expense that is! Even if my lord is rich enough to afford the silver, where will the 30,000 oxen come from?"

"This one……"

Panda analyzed, "Although I don't know much about Guangdong and Guangxi, it's almost impossible to get 30,000 oxen at once. If the promise can't be kept, these peasants will have too high expectations, and their disappointment will be greater, which may even cause riots. I think this plan needs to be changed."

Liu Ye found his analysis quite plausible, so he asked, "Then how do you suggest we change it? If it's different from the previous immigrant treatment, how do we appease those who are comparing themselves to others?"

Panda cleared his throat, perked up, and said, "Disrupt all the clansmen and villagers so they can't coordinate and cause trouble. Don't give them a single penny of resettlement allowance, and don't allocate oxen for the time being. Let them cultivate the land themselves. The diligent ones can support themselves, and the lazy ones can fend for themselves. Taxes will remain in full, but they can apply for deferred payment until the harvest. This way, they will be focused on survival, working themselves to the bone every day, with no energy for comparison, and certainly no chance to cause trouble. You can't spoil the people too much; you have to keep them on a leash and give them a spur from time to time. That's how you control the people."