Chapter 263: Guangdong Navy

Having obtained the Marquis of Wuyang's permission, Li Mu immediately took action.

However, he didn't use the name of clearing military land, but held the banner of maintaining local public security.

To make the performance more realistic, he specifically arranged for a large group of people to go to the government office to claim land.

Everyone was clamoring that it was their own land, but none could produce land deeds, and the local officials were also having a headache.

The land registration files in the county were mostly destroyed in the flames of war, and now it was difficult to check even if they wanted to.

It suddenly became a headless case.

According to past conventions, it was certainly judged in favor of whoever had the greater power and whoever paid more money.

The current situation was different; there were still many gentry fleeing and not yet returned to Guangdong.

If the judgment was made now, and someone produced a land deed in the future, it would be another trouble.

The main thing was that this group of "rioters" didn't know the rules, only clamoring that the land was their own, without any specific expression.

Usually, in the process of a farce, those with owners would take out land deeds to claim them on the spot.

Once things reached this step, then just follow the regular procedures to confirm their property rights.

Having just experienced a rebellion, there were still remnants of the rebel army lurking among the people, and local officials were also wary.

Facing land contested by a group of people, government officials usually chose the "drag" tactic to shelve the matter.

Once it reached this step, the soldiers sent by Li Mu would take over the land on the grounds of avoiding conflict.

The struggle for land ownership was intense, and local officials were also afraid that armed clashes among the people would affect their political performance, so most of the time they chose to acquiesce.

It started from remote prefectures and counties, and then gradually spread to the whole province.

The grand land dispute case made a big scene throughout the province and soon attracted the attention of those with ulterior motives.

……

"Viceroy, land disputes among the people are intensifying; I'm afraid someone is manipulating this behind the scenes."

Surveillance Commissioner Wu Qiyu said with a gloomy face.

Seemingly simple land disputes, in fact, the interests involved were huge.

Just looking at the data collected from various places, the proportion of ownerless land far exceeded the land with clear sovereignty.

The most critical thing was that ownerless land alone was more than all the registered land in Guangdong Province.

Once such data reached the court, the fig leaf of hiding land would be torn off.

If the land dispute case hadn't made a big scene, these local officials could have colluded with the gentry to divide this piece of interest.

But now it wouldn't work; not only was it known to everyone in the province, but the ownerless land had also been taken over by the military.

It was true that it was managed on behalf of others in name, but this management had no time limit.

They required local government offices to determine land property rights before they were willing to return the land managed on behalf of others.

If it was land that could see the light, a mere land deed would not be a big deal.

If lost, it could be reissued; if none existed, it could be issued immediately.

It was a pity that local documentary materials were lost, but the imperial court had backups.

Perhaps whose land it specifically was and how to divide it were not recorded in such detail.

But how much civilian land Guangdong had in total, the imperial court had registered it.

Temporarily issuing a pile of land deeds would lead to the number of civilian land within the territory far exceeding the number filed by the imperial court.

At that time, it would involve the issue of hiding land; although it could be blamed on the dead, this data was too shocking.

If the imperial court investigated, it was estimated that the gentry of the world would have the heart to skin them alive.

Everyone in the world knew about hiding land, except for the one in the Forbidden City.

Now that it had suddenly come to light, letting the Emperor know that tax revenue was decreasing because the gentry was hiding land, that picture was simply unimaginable.

"It's not that someone might be manipulating it, but that someone is definitely manipulating it.

Without a mastermind, even if land disputes occurred, they wouldn't all pop up like this.

Under the current situation, whoever gets the biggest benefit is the mastermind."

An Qingfeng said coldly.

A large amount of ownerless land was managed by the military on behalf of others, without any explanation.

Who was the beneficiary, it went without saying.

Knowing the truth was one thing, but how to snatch the cake back was another.

Up to now, the military had only managed some land and mines on behalf of others, and there was no evidence to prove that they were the masterminds.

Once someone took a land deed to claim land, as long as the local official verified the filing, they would return it readily, and there was no suspicion of circling land.

Out of consideration for stabilizing the situation, this practice of temporary management on behalf of others was something no one could pick faults with.

Some areas that refused the military's management on behalf of others had multiple bloody conflicts.

In the most serious Huizhou Prefecture, a County Magistrate was trampled to death in the chaos, and many local officials were injured.

From the current situation, local government offices could not maintain local public security alone and needed the military to cooperate to stabilize order.

"The Viceroy is right; the most suspicious ones are that group of soldiers.

It is said that some mines have already started mining again.

Those soldiers are taking advantage of the name of managing land on behalf of others to fish for benefits.

Developing according to this situation, it is estimated that it won't be long before they start reclaiming land."

Provincial Administration Commissioner Ma Cunyi nodded and said.

Seemingly accusing the military, in fact, the spearhead was aimed at the Marquis of Wuyang.

The officers and soldiers participating in this action were mostly drawn from Guangxi.

Without the Viceroy's endorsement, who would dare to play so big.

Although it was not known how the spoils were divided, it could be affirmed that the Marquis of Wuyang had taken benefits from it.

"Under the eaves, one has to bow one's head.

If they want to reclaim, let them reclaim.

There will be a long time to come; let's just wait and see!"

An Qingfeng said with feigned calmness.

The Viceroy and the Provincial Governor in the same city, the days were destined to be tragic.

The power of both sides overlapped too much, and the Marquis of Wuyang often bypassed him and issued orders directly to those below.

The action of the guard station army suddenly managing ownerless land on behalf of others was based on the order of the Liangguang Viceroy.

Officials who refused to cooperate were the direct subordinates of An Qingfeng, the Provincial Governor.

It was not easy to win over a few people, but after such a toss, everyone suddenly knew who the boss of Guangdong was.

Relatively speaking, the situation of these civil officials was already considered good.

The military generals who leaned towards him earlier were the ones who were truly unlucky.

Either they died on the battlefield, or because of unfavorable combat, they were convicted and imprisoned.

It couldn't be said that they were deliberately sent to die; even when assigning tasks, it was treated equally.

It's just that the combat effectiveness of these troops, compared to the elite, was too disparate.

Tasks that others easily completed, when they went to execute them, would result in heavy losses.

Everyone was an imperial army, receiving the same military pay, and naturally had to follow the same rules.

If others could win and they couldn't, that was their own problem.

Explanations had no meaning; if one's own strength was insufficient and one stood on the wrong side, naturally no one would protect them.

After the war, a little investigation revealed a series of charges such as eating empty pay, embezzling military supplies, and reselling strategic materials, all of which fell on their heads.

Solid charges, without any framing.

Facing this headwind, An Qingfeng naturally pretended not to see.

For military generals, corruption was not a big problem.

But while corrupting, they also suffered heavy losses on the battlefield; this was the problem.

Taking out the old accounts to flip through, no one could save them.

Unable to build his own team, facing the Marquis of Wuyang, his superior, An Qingfeng naturally could only endure.

"Hmm!

Then endure for a year or two; the Viceroy is not a permanent position and will be abolished after the war ends.

The things lost now, just find a way to get them back then."

Ma Cunyi hesitated and said.

It was precisely because the situation was not good that the three giants in the province, who originally checked and balanced each other, could come together.

If there was no Marquis of Wuyang pressing down, the three of them would have started fighting internally long ago.

Giving up so easily was not because they were deterred by the Marquis of Wuyang's power; the biggest problem now was that there was land but no one to farm it.

Li Mu wanted to take back military land, and that was when the war started, labor would roll in.

Prisoners of war, families of rebels, there was plenty of free labor.

Just look at Guangxi; the place with the highest population density was the jurisdiction of the guard station.

Once Guangdong filled the establishment, for a long time in the future, this situation would also appear.

Theoretically, local government offices could gather refugees and settle them on the spot.

But these things cost money.

Now all levels of government offices were poor and couldn't afford this money at all.

The local gentry, after the last lesson, also became calm.

The deterrent power of the "rebel remnants" was much stronger than that of the government.

If they said they would wipe out the clan, they would wipe out the clan, without any ambiguity.

The government's investigation afterwards was even more despairing.

The Emperor personally issued an order to investigate strictly, and the final result was just catching a few thieves to serve as rebels and beheading them to show the public.

Without the support of clan power, the current Guangdong gentry could not be strong at all in the local area.

Some down-and-out gentry even had to worry about local ruffians coming to make trouble.

Wanting to re-establish connections and build a new relationship network, at least they had to wait until everyone's mourning period ended and they returned to the court.

Families and clans without anyone serving in important positions in the court were like toothless tigers.

Relying only on the reputation left in the past, they were not qualified to direct local officials to do things.

Ancient families with long traditions had their own survival rules and knew very well that they had to set their posture right when they were weak.

……

Local government offices and the gentry chose to compromise temporarily, which did not exceed Li Mu's expectations.

After all, the name now was only management on behalf of others, and the benefits were not swallowed in one bite.

Since property rights had no ownership, there was room for operation.

Now it is wartime, and military generals are strong and not easy to provoke; it is not too late to settle accounts after the world is peaceful.

At most two or three years, these officials who were mourning would return to the court.

By then, the Marquis of Wuyang, the Viceroy of Liangguang, should also leave.

Perhaps Li Mu, this Liangguang Commandant, would also be transferred to other regions.

Without them pressing in front, other guard station commanders would find it difficult to be strong.

By then, sending people to negotiate and taking back everything lost now would become a matter of course.

Because the number of people dividing the cake decreased, perhaps the land they could get would be more than before.

Li Mu didn't take these people's thoughts to heart.

If the guard station was abandoned, it naturally wouldn't be strong.

But once the guard station military land was restored and possessed the strength of the early years of the founding, the situation would be different.

Anyone who dared to snatch land from tens of thousands of troops, Li Mu would have to say he admired them.

The occupation of military land in the past also took over a hundred years of step-by-step infiltration and corruption to complete.

To forcibly drive tens of thousands of soldiers off their own land is simply asking to have one's neck snapped.

Coastal areas like Guangdong not only had rebel remnants but also countless pirates.

If things got big, pirates capturing Guangzhou City was not impossible.

In this regard, the great sea merchant clans had the richest experience; the Wokou chaos of that year was created by them to fight against the imperial court's opening of the sea.

Looking at the soldiers training hard in front of him, Li Mu smiled slightly.

Vaguely, he found something wrong.

Originally, he just wanted to protect himself, but the current situation seemed to have changed.

The number of guard stations in Guangdong was slightly less than in Guangxi, but there were still 8 guards and 29 stations, with a total force of 70,000 to 80,000 after being filled.

Coupled with the two towns of recruited troops being trained, as well as local garrison troops and inspection divisions, the total force in the Liangguang region reached 200,000.

Once filled, he would become the biggest warlord of the Great Dayu Dynasty.

It is estimated that only the group in Liaozhen, relying on the advantage of cavalry, could be mentioned in the same breath as him.

If one day the temperature dropped and the soldiers added a piece of clothing for him, Liangguang would change color and the world would tremble.

"Commandant, the navy has finished reorganization; you see when to come over for inspection."

Hearing Wu Dage's reminder, Li Mu instantly got rid of the fantasy.

He was a loyal minister of the Great Dayu; how could he do such unfaithful and unrighteous things? He must have been angered into illness by that group of useless colleagues.

"Let's put it three days later; at that time, I will invite the Viceroy to inspect together!"

As one of the main navies of the Great Dayu Dynasty, the Guangdong Navy had always played an important role, guarding the South China coast.

However, developing to now, it still encountered the same problems as other navies—insufficient funding, rampant corruption, and insufficient training.

The imperial court did not value the navy, the resources invested in the navy were limited, and the eyes of all parties had never been on the navy.

It wasn't until Li Mu took office that the situation changed.

Others were not interested in the navy, but his interest was great!

It just so happened that the rebel army besieged Nanjing, providing him with an excuse to reorganize the navy.

Sending troops from the sea and leading the army north to rescue Nanjing was a full score politically.

Regardless of whether it was a real rescue or a fake rescue, as long as the slogan of rescuing Nanjing was shouted, no one could oppose it.

Sending troops to rescue Nanjing, and failing to hold Nanjing, one could say one had tried one's best.

Anyway, there were so many reinforcements from all sides, and the responsibility for the fall of Yingtian Prefecture was shared by everyone.

The imperial court would at most scold a few words and let them make up for their crimes with meritorious service.

But if someone opposed sending troops, and failed to send reinforcements in time, eventually leading to the fall of Nanjing, then someone would have to carry the pot.

The various forces participating in the war would push the responsibility over.

Based on Li Mu's understanding of the Yongning Emperor, encountering such a thing, he would kill without hesitation.

As for the cause and effect, the Emperor didn't have that much time to investigate deeply.

……

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 264 =====