Chapter 009: Is it difficult to establish a stronghold? Difficult, difficult, difficult!

Ten years later, the Shaanxi rebel army led by Li Zicheng still faced numerous encirclements by the imperial troops, let alone ten years prior. Before the rise of the Later Jin Tartars, the power of the Ming court was still relatively strong. After much contemplation, Xu Xingxia couldn't help but shake his head. The difficulty of establishing a stronghold in a region is indeed quite significant

Niu Niu said happily: "That would be the best."

Sigh... Xu Xingxia silently sighed to himself, thankful that he had crossed over. Otherwise, this poor little girl might never have the chance to wear new clothes in her lifetime. He placed the copper coins back into his earthen pit, pressing them under the straw mat, and said with a smile: "Brother will leave them here; whenever Niu Niu needs them, she can come and take them."

He stood up instinctively, wanting to go outside to a spacious area for a walk, to stretch his mind. Suddenly, Niu Niu came in. The little girl, wearing new cloth shoes, particularly enjoyed moving around. With a sweet smile, she handed Xu Xingxia a piece of crispy sesame candy and happily said, "Brother, I specially bought this for you; please have a piece."

Xu Xingxia took out dozens of copper coins that he had just retrieved and stuffed them into her pockets. However, he soon discovered that Niuniu's clothes had torn pockets, making it impossible to hold anything. In fact, Niuniu's clothes were all black and covered in patches. When their mother, Wang, returned earlier, she was holding two pieces of fabric, presumably to make clothes for Niuniu, but there simply wasn't time yet. For now, Niuniu had no choice but to continue wearing this old and tattered outfit.

self-protection

Xu Xingxia gently removed his aunt's hand and said with a smile: "Aunt, please don't mind. Dazhong and my cousin are at the age of growth, so they should eat more. I said, today we will have plenty to eat, everyone can eat as much as they want"

... ...

Aunt was a bit shy, gently tapping Da Chun's head and whispering, "What's the matter with you, child? Why do you eat so much?"

It seems that in Ningxia Town, the General Li Guozhen holds the rank of a first-class military officer, which is significantly higher than that of the Governor Li Maohui, who is merely a second-class official. However, Li Maohui's additional role is that of the military commissioner for Ningxia. He controls the military provisions and salaries for the entire Ningxia Town. Regardless of how capable Li Guozhen may be, he must rely on Li Maohui's support for his survival. Otherwise, he would be unable to maintain the stability of the army. Regardless of how capable Li Guozhen may be, he must rely on Li Maohui's support for his survival. Otherwise, he would be unable to maintain the stability of the army.

Xu Xingxia nodded, gestured towards the outside, and shook the crispy sesame candy in his hand, smiling as he said: "Alright, the crispy sesame candy that Niu Niu gave to her brother has already been eaten. Now, you should go outside to see the dumplings being made. If you go too late, the dumplings might just be finished."

Xu Xingxia brought over the crispy sesame candy, took a bite, and smiled as he asked, "Did you buy this yourself?"

The feudal lords who hold significant military power

Niu Niu clapped her little hands and said: "Alright, brother is going to kill the Tartars! Brother, Niu Niu believes in you, you will definitely be able to kill many, many Tartars!"

Xu Xingxia nodded and said: "Of course. As long as the Tartars appear, I will shoot them dead with a single arrow"

Aunt couldn't help but feel her eyes redden a bit, as if touched by some hidden sorrow. She sighed and said bitterly, "Eldest sister, when do you think we can find someone to arrange a marriage for Dachun? When will I ever be able to find a daughter-in-law?"

Dongzi and Niuniu were both eating dumplings heartily, experiencing an unprecedented deliciousness. The others, including Xu Xingxia, were no exception. It was Xu Xingxia's first time feeling that dumplings could be so tasty; after finishing one bowl, it felt as if he had not eaten anything at all. After consuming two more bowls, he finally felt a bit full. At this moment, the one who could eat the most, Dachun, had already eaten five bowls.

The answer is negative. Unless one is willing to kneel and surrender, willing to become a traitor, and willing to live a life of humiliation, one will inevitably suffer harm. Since the answer is negative, there is only one way out: Xu Xingxia must possess sufficient strength for self-preservation. Whether Nurhaci comes, or Wei Zhongxian, or Li Zicheng, he must have the strength to protect himself. If he cannot even ensure his own safety, how can he protect his loved ones?

Niu Niu seemed to sense something, her smile gradually fading away. Her slightly yellowing eyes widened as she quietly asked, "Brother, are you going back to the mound?"

Xu Xingxia nodded and smiled, saying: "Yes, my brother will return to the mound tomorrow. He will kill all those Tartars, just like hunting that stag, he will eliminate them all. After that, no one will disturb our lives anymore. We can cultivate the land freely."

To become a regional lord, the most fundamental requirement is to establish control over a territory. More precisely, it is akin to the military governors of the Tang Dynasty, who not only needed to hold military power but also to control financial authority and personnel decisions. Only by consolidating these powers in one's own hands can one hope to compete with others.

Xu Xingxia slowly withdrew his gaze, his visual focus gradually settling on the crispy sugar candy in his hand. His mind began to spiral into confusion once more. If the Manchus from the Later Jin came, or if the eunuchs arrived, or if Li Zicheng showed up, would this lovely little girl still be able to enjoy the crispy sugar candy? Xu Xingxia gently shook his head

In his previous life, Xu Xingxia had never conducted a thorough study on how to become a regional lord. However, as a person from four hundred years later, he was exposed to various fields of knowledge every day, and he was aware of some basic common sense. When Xu Xingxia calmed his mind and thought carefully, he gradually summarized some key points.

Strengthen capabilities

The position of the Grand General in the Ming Dynasty was undoubtedly high, and the rank was certainly elevated, yet very few individuals were able to oppose the central authority. The fundamental reason for this was that these Grand Generals did not hold the financial and personnel powers. If the court had any dissatisfaction with these Grand Generals, it only needed to dispatch the Jinyiwei or even send civil officials to take them down

Wang said with a smile: "Aren't you looking for Third Aunt? We are still discussing it, just wait for the news. How can things be resolved all at once? In my opinion, your Da Chun is still younger than my Xia Zi, and my Xia Zi hasn't even started making arrangements yet, yet you are so anxious."

The Xu family did not have a table, so Da Chun and Xiao Chun took on the role of movers and brought over a Eight Immortals table from the Liu family. That table was missing a leg, so Da Chun propped it up with a piece of dry firewood. The bowls, chopsticks, and other utensils from the Liu family had already been moved over early in the morning. There were simply not enough stools; even when combining the stools from both families, it was still insufficient, so they had no choice but to stand.

Xu Xingxia cautiously hypothesized that if Li Guozhen were to rebel, or more accurately, not fully heed the court's commands and aspire to become a leader of the common people, the first step would be to eliminate Li Maohui and take control of the military provisions of the Ningxia garrison. Following that, he would need to find a way to completely purge any dissenting elements within the army.

Wang said hurriedly: "Third sister, you really are something, saying that in your own home. Dachun, don't take it to heart; eat as much as you can. There are still plenty of ingredients that haven't been cooked yet. If it's not enough, we can make more. We have ready-made dough and meat filling."

Niu Niu jumped down from his thigh and bounced away.

With control over both the finances and the military of Ningxia, the court would have no means to intervene. Unless they were to send troops for suppression. Would the court send troops for suppression? This is certain. The court would not tolerate the existence of such an independent kingdom. Wei Zhongxian would certainly not easily allow others to challenge his authority

Niu Niu sat on Xu Xingxia's lap, smiling sweetly as she said: "Mother gave me ten wen, and I bought ten pieces. I kept one for myself. I gave one to Uncle Guangliang, one to Aunt, one to Cousin Dachun, one to Cousin Xiaochun, one to Cousin Chunlan, one to Cousin Qiulan, one to Mother, and one to Brother. I took one to give to Father, but Father said he didn't want it and said it was for you. I gave one to Uncle Guangliang, one to Aunt, one to Cousin Dachun, one to Cousin Xiaochun, one to Cousin Chunlan, one to Cousin Qiulan, one to Mother, and one to Brother. I took one to give to Father, but Father said he didn't want it and said it was for you. Brother, I miscalculated; I should have bought eleven pieces, but Mother didn't give me enough money."

In a moment, Xu Xing's mind was filled repeatedly with such thoughts.

After a full hour of busyness, the large plates of dumplings were finally served. According to Xu Xingxia, nothing else matters as long as there is enough meat. Therefore, when making the dumplings, as much meat filling as possible was added. Each dumpling was characterized by a thin skin and a generous filling, with thick meat filling making the dumplings round and plump.

The civil official group of the Ming Dynasty was exceedingly powerful. Their control over the military was also very stringent. Their methods of winning over and suppressing various generals were particularly refined. Furthermore, the military supply system was entirely in the hands of the civil officials, specifically the officials in charge of military preparations in various regions. It was extremely difficult for military generals to rise up in rebellion. Without sufficient weapons and equipment, and without adequate provisions, what could they rely on to instigate a rebellion? Moreover, the military supply system was entirely in the hands of the civil officials, specifically the officials in charge of military preparations in various regions. It was extremely difficult for military generals to rise up in rebellion. Without sufficient weapons and equipment, and without adequate provisions, what could they rely on to instigate a rebellion?

Aunt said with a mix of emotion and envy: "Your Xiazi has indeed made something of himself. This daughter-in-law, he is sure to marry someone good in the future. She is beautiful, wealthy, and graceful. Eldest sister, you can just wait to enjoy your blessings slowly in the future"

Xu Xingxia said with a smile: "Alright, if father doesn't eat, then brother will eat. Later, brother will give you a few coins, and when father wants to eat, you can buy it for him then"

Of course, as a benefit, Dongzi and Niuniu can sit at the table. The injured Xu Fuqing can also join. The pregnant Chunlan cousin is also welcome. Two long benches can comfortably accommodate four people. As for the others, unfortunately, they will have to stand and eat for the time being. However, this is already a great joy. In the past, even during the New Year, there was no opportunity to eat so freely.

Niu Niu said happily: "Brother, can you shoot the Tartars with a single arrow?"