met free Chapter 706 Overseas Granaries
Chapter 706 Overseas Granaries
Upon hearing Zhu Dadian mention the threat posed by the local indigenous people, Liu Ye couldn't help but ask, "So how did Mr. Yanzhi resolve this issue?"
Zhu Dadian replied, "In a direct confrontation, the natives are actually quite vulnerable. Let alone General Xu's battle-hardened troops, even his newly trained army, after a month or two of training, could easily defeat them with just spears, without even using firearms. However, the natives are elusive; you never know when or where they'll appear. If they're alone, they'll be killed. And when the main army arrives, they've vanished without a trace. It's truly a nuisance..."
Liu Ye was very familiar with this tactic. A major reason why the US was bogged down in the Vietnam War was the North Vietnamese rainforest guerrilla warfare. This hit-and-run guerrilla tactic, which avoided direct confrontation, severely hampered the US military. Despite having a powerful army and excellent equipment, it was like using a cannon to kill a mosquito—a waste of resources, expending enormous manpower and materials for disproportionately small gains. Taiwan is still an undeveloped wilderness, similar to the Vietnamese rainforest. The depths of the jungle are the domain of indigenous people. In addition, miasma, poisonous insects, snakes, and ants are all enemies of immigrants and the army. In some ways, these enemies are no easier to deal with than the Tartars and bandits.
"My subordinates have come up with two solutions: First, to cut through the mountains and open roads. Wherever the land reclamation and settlement take place, all the trees will be cut down and burned down, leaving the natives nowhere to hide; second, to hide the army among the people. We will distribute weapons such as spears to the immigrants and tell them that the land they have reclaimed belongs to them, and that driving away the natives is protecting their homeland. At the same time, we will offer a reward of one tael of silver for each head. In this way, the immigrants' resistance will be very strong. Although there will be casualties on both sides in the conflict, the number of immigrants far exceeds that of the natives, and new immigrants will continue to join. Even if it is a life for a life, the natives will eventually be wiped out."
Upon hearing this, Liu Ye realized that this first method was very similar to the infamous "Operation Pastoralist." During the Vietnam War, the US, unable to withstand the harassment of North Vietnamese guerrilla warfare, sprayed defoliants for nine consecutive years to pave the way for large-scale ground warfare. This left the rainforests of the Mekong Delta region bare, exposing North Vietnamese troops and bases to bomber fire. This was one of the main reasons why the US launched the Vietnam War and faced international and even domestic opposition. However, the damage caused by Zhu Dadian's strategy was certainly incomparable to that of defoliants. Although it damaged the jungle, there were no other catastrophic consequences. In that era, environmental protection was not a concept, so Liu Ye acquiesced to the method and did not raise any objections.
As for the second method, it's strikingly similar to the CCP's people's war. Liu Ye couldn't help but recall scenes from movies about landmine warfare and tunnel warfare. He couldn't help but admire Zhu Dadian's creative thinking. For a bureaucrat in a feudal society to conceive of inspiring immigrants to defend their homes, directly having them armed with spears and hoes to repel the natives and reclaim wasteland, was truly commendable. Although this sacrificed some immigrants' lives, it was indeed the simplest and most effective method. As for the potential harm to the interests of Taiwan's indigenous people, that was a secondary concern. The stage of primitive accumulation was indeed accompanied by bloodshed and violence; the Sinicization and transformation of the natives, and national unity, were matters for the future.
"Mr. Yanzhi's method is excellent. Using the army to suppress the natives would only be a waste of time and energy with little effect. Armed immigration, carried out simultaneously with land reclamation, would gradually encroach on the natives' territory, which is an excellent approach." Liu Ye affirmed Zhu Dadian's efforts.
Zhu Dadian smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency."
The carriage traveled for over an hour before arriving at a flat area. Zhu Dadian asked Liu Ye to get out of the carriage. Liu Ye looked around and was captivated by the scene before him.
Looking around, one sees vast rice paddies all around, the golden ears of grain gleaming in the sunlight. A gentle breeze ripples through the fields, creating an atmosphere of abundant harvest. In the distance, groups of people are already harvesting the ripe rice.
Zhu Dadian explained: "This is the earliest area to be reclaimed and planted, and it's harvest season now. According to the old farmers, Taiwan has a warm climate and abundant rainfall, so two crops can be grown a year. One crop can be grown from January to July, and another from July to December. The grains are plump, and the harvest is much better than in the Northwest."
Liu Ye breathed in the scent of rice paddies and earth in the air, a fragrance of harvest, the very essence of his mission to develop Taiwan. With widespread war and land annexation on the mainland, coupled with the harsh climate of the Little Ice Age, it was difficult to cultivate such a grain-producing region. Only with the grain from Hainan and Taiwan could he confidently contend for supremacy, save more Chinese people, and reverse the fate of this ancient nation.
After savoring the sense of accomplishment brought by the harvest, Liu Ye strolled leisurely towards the rice-harvesting migrants. Zhu Dadian and the guards quickly followed behind, keeping pace with him.
When the immigrants saw this large group of people, even if they didn't recognize Liu Ye, they knew that an important person had arrived. They quickly put down their sickles and knelt down in the field.
Zhu Dadian said to them, "Do you know who this is? This is Liu Ye, the Marquis of Pingnan, Grand General, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and Left Commander-in-Chief appointed by the court. You were able to escape this sea of suffering and come here to live in peace and prosperity, all thanks to the Marquis."
Upon hearing this, the immigrants shouted in unison:
"Your Excellency is my second parents!"
"The Marquis is a living bodhisattva; he will surely live to be a hundred!"
……
Liu Ye said gently, "You all get up. Harvesting the rice is the most important thing right now. Go do what you're supposed to do." He pointed to an old farmer and said, "Old man, come up and chat with me when you have time. I have some questions for you."
The old farmer cautiously stepped onto the ridge of the field, stomped on the grass to wipe off some mud from his feet, but didn't know what to do with his hands.
"Grandpa, don't be nervous. Let me ask you, how does the harvest here compare to your hometown?"
When the topic turned to crops, the old farmer relaxed. He replied, "Your Excellency, I am from southern Shaanxi. They grow both rice and wheat there, while in Guanzhong, wheat is the main crop. But whether it's wheat or rice, the soil fertility, rainfall, and climate here are far superior. Before the war, people in southern Shaanxi could barely survive, but once the war broke out, the fields were abandoned, and everyone had to flee for their lives. The millet harvest isn't complete yet, but it's expected to be at least double that of southern Shaanxi. Everyone says they've never harvested so much grain before..."
"Hmm... tell me specifically, how many people can be supported on the same acre of land in northern Shaanxi, and how many people can be supported here?"
"I reckon that in northern Shaanxi, after paying rent and grain levies, a family of three would have a hard time filling their stomachs, at best they wouldn't starve; but here, a mu of land can be planted twice a year, and since the imperial court doesn't collect grain, six men could easily eat their fill..."
Liu Ye did a quick calculation. According to this standard, for every acre of land reclaimed in Taiwan, in addition to feeding three laborers, there would be enough food left to feed three young adults. Although this calculation was not scientific, it could still serve as a reference. In this sense, as long as Taiwan, as an overseas granary, was managed well, it would be easy to expand the army to 100,000. It could also provide relief to the people in the mainland who had lost their land due to the war. After defeating the bandits and the Qing army, it would not be too difficult to stabilize the post-war situation in a relatively short period of time.