Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 208 Another Dog-Headed Military Advisor

After arranging the adjustment of the army, there was still one thing to do before attacking Susong, which was to arrange the appointment of civil servants.

The captured cities not only need to be defended by the army, but also governed by civilian officials. Only in this way can these territories be digested and a steady supply of food and soldiers be provided for themselves.

Looking at the three civil servants following Feng Guoyong, Lu Jin said, "You three should know your mission here, right?"

"I know." The three of them immediately stood up and answered.

"Well, I won't waste my words with you. From now on, Huaining will be renamed Anqing. Qian Guangdao, you will be the magistrate of Anqing. You only need to do four things here: register the people, encourage spring ploughing, repair the city walls, and help General Liao defend the city."

"Yes." Qian Guangdao immediately accepted the order and agreed.

"Oshen."

"The minister is here."

"You will be the magistrate of Susong and go south with the army. When Susong is taken, you will take office. Your requirements will be the same as Qian Guangdao's. You will be required to register households, build a city, encourage farming, and defend the city."

"Yes."

"Hu Weiyong."

"The minister is here."

"You are the magistrate of Wangjiang, and your mission is the same as theirs."

"Yes."

After the three of them received the order, Lu Jin added, "Qian Guangdao can start working now, Hu Weiyong can also leave for Wangjiang now, and Ou Shiheng is ready to move with the army.

"After you three take office, there is one more thing you need to do. That is to post notices to gather local talented scholars, whether they are good at military strategy or governing the people, or skilled craftsmen. As long as they have strengths, they can be gathered together. Send them to Luzhou before the end of the third month of this leap year, and they will be granted official positions based on examinations, just like you did in the beginning. Remember this."

"We know." The three of them bowed again in response.

"Okay, let's go do things."

Lu Jin waved his hand to let the three people retreat, and then called Liao Yongan to discuss with him the strategy of defending Anqing.

In addition to repairing and reinforcing the city walls, there are two other places that need attention in Anqing, namely, Congyang Town in the north and Shankou Town in the south. These two port towns, one is the estuary of Congyang River and the other is the estuary of Wanshui River. Both are large port towns. Once captured by the enemy, they can go upstream along the river and deep into the hinterland behind Anqing, so the defense of these two places must also be strengthened.

Lu Jin suggested building fortresses in both towns. They didn’t have to be too big, but they had to be sturdy, with gun emplacements, able to block the entrance to the river, and able to accommodate a few hundred soldiers.

Another thing is to register the people as soon as possible, recruit militia and train them, and establish the internal security system of Anqing Road as soon as possible, which can also make up for the lack of manpower in the main force.

In addition to the defense of Anqing City, there is also the defense of the entire Anqing Road. Lu Jin also explained to Liao Yongan the defense focus of the Leishui-Susong-Daleichi line and the canyon area west of Taihu County. As long as these places are defended, the entire Anqing Road can be saved.

Finally, it was the overall strategy of the entire army. Lu Jin took Liao Yongan’s hand and spoke earnestly.

“Brother Yongjian, now that Anqing Road is about to be taken, we will not expand outward in Jiangyou in the next six months. The entire army must strengthen training, prepare supplies, and prepare to cross the river. However, Jiangyou is still our base. We cannot abandon Jiangyou to attack Jiangzuo. Otherwise, if the progress in Jiangzuo is not favorable, we will have a place to retreat.

"It is said that before planning for victory, one must first consider defeat. This is the truth. I don't trust others to take care of such an important matter. It must be our old brother from Chaohu. I can only leave Anqing to you."

Liao Yongan said immediately, "I understand. Don't worry, Marshal. I will definitely protect our hometown for the entire army."

"Well, there is also Luzhou. If nothing unexpected happens, I will lead the team myself when we cross the river. I will let Brother Yu take charge of Luzhou, and Brother Yongjian will lead the navy to cross the river with me. Zhu Liangzu is watching Haozhou in the north. I guess he will be busy there for half a year. After the battle in Anqing is over, the Yuan army will probably be in the north. I will have to watch over the north by then, and you need to intensify the training and building of the city in Anqing."

Liao Yongan nodded repeatedly as he listened to Lu Jin's arrangements, and then he heard Lu Jin speak again.

"But Brother Yong'an, don't sit idle. Although you have to stay in Anqing, you should also pay attention to the situation in Jiangxi and Xu Song in Hubei to the south, collect intelligence, and investigate the route of the troops. When I gain a foothold in Jiangdong and march south in the future, you will be the commander-in-chief of the troops entering Jiangxi. I will then provide you with additional troops. You must be mentally prepared for this."

"Let me lead the troops to attack Jiangxi?" Liao Yongan was a little stunned when he heard this.

Lu Jin nodded, "That's right. Jiangxi is a province, not an ordinary prefecture. It is not much different from our current territory, and there are many people there. We may have to fight with the Yuan army or Xu Song. By then, you may have to lead an army of 100,000, or more than 10 or 20 regiments."

Gollum—

Liao Yongan swallowed his saliva. Ten or twenty regiments? Isn't that the main force of the entire army now? Lu Jin just expanded two regiments, and there are only sixteen regiments in total. Now he is asked to lead so many soldiers by himself.
In fact, what Lu Jin meant by this is very simple. First of all, when crossing the river in the future, it is impossible to just abandon such a large area as Jiangbei. There must be reliable people guarding it so that Lu Jin can feel at ease.

But in this way, the leaders of the two major factions from Chaohu, Liao Yongan and Yu Tingyu, were both left in Jiangbei. Lu Jin took a group of newly recruited people to the wealthy area of ​​Jiangnan. What would Liao Yongan and Yu Tingyu, who were left behind in Jiangbei, think?
Are you rich now and don't care about the old brothers who were with you? Are you taking a group of surrendered generals and newcomers to Jiangnan to enjoy the good life and prepare to put the old brothers in the cold?
Although they themselves may not think so, it is inevitable that there are people with ulterior motives around them, or enemy spies who deliberately sow discord. Lu Jin does not want to fight against the brothers who fought together to conquer the world.

So he had to tell Liao Yongan in advance that I don’t want to hide you, you will be of great use in the future, I will give you military power and let you fight in Jiangxi, you will have military merits only if you have missions, and you can get a high position when rewards are given in the future.

As the so-called personnel appointment and dismissal is politics, there are some things that Lu Jin, as the commander of a faction, has to consider in advance. Even if his subordinates have not thought so yet, he has to express his position in advance and cannot deliberately hide it, letting both sides guess and test each other. This is not good for both sides. Human nature is difficult to withstand the test and temptation, so it is better to talk about it in advance.

Liao Yongan has a very high EQ. He is the one with the highest EQ among the three Liao brothers. Lu Jin has almost made it clear, so he can naturally understand the twists and turns.

"Hey~" Liao Yongan smiled bitterly, "Marshal, there is no need to be like this. I understand what you mean. Just half a year ago, we were still a group of bandits who camped by the water and dared not go ashore. If you hadn't led us to conquer so much territory, how could we brothers be where we are today, not to mention a dozen or twenty regiments, that's a hundred thousand strong army. When I think back to it now, it seems like yesterday, just like a dream.

"The Marshal entrusted me with an army of 100,000, and I was worried that I couldn't lead them."

Liao Yongan's gesture of goodwill and recollection of the past also showed his attitude that they are still brothers and family members, and he has no ulterior motives.

Lu Jin also smiled and said, "What can't I lead? By then, I will set up army-level and group army units above the division. Your subordinates will be division commanders like you today. You can give them tasks and let them fight on their own, just like you are commanding the regiment level now. There is nothing you can't command."

Liao Yongan also laughed and said, "Now that the Marshal has said that, I understand a little bit."

Lu Jin held his hand again and said earnestly, "I tell you this just to reassure you. I trust our brothers from Chaohu, but as you can see, more and more surrendered generals are coming to me, and it's inevitable that some of them have other thoughts in their minds, or there may be spies from Xu Song or the Yuan court. I'm not afraid that you will be upset, but I'm afraid that someone will make slanderous remarks around you and sow discord between us."

Seeing that Lu Jin had made his point clear, Liao Yongan immediately stood up and bowed to Lu Jin solemnly, saying, "General, you are too kind. I know that you trust me, and I, Liao Yongan, also believe in you. Without you, we brothers in Chaohu would not be where we are today. If any villain dares to come to me and make slanderous remarks, I will definitely hand him over to you for punishment."

"Hahaha, brother Yong'an is loyal and smart, how could I not know that? I said this today just to ask brother Yong'an to strengthen his precautions. After all, you have to be independent and become the commander-in-chief of a region in the future. The enemies you will face will be different. In the past, they were only enemies in one city and one road, but in the future, you may have to face the Yuan court and Xu Song directly. The tricks the enemy can use are naturally not comparable to the petty fights like now." Lu Jin reminded again.

Liao Yongan was stunned for a moment when he heard this, then nodded, realizing that Lu Jin was still giving him some advice.

Leading 100,000 troops alone is not just a matter of military command ability. A general at this level is a top-level figure who can have a say even within a country. He has the opportunity to come into contact with the diplomatic field and will inevitably be the focus of attention of the enemy country.

The so-called military is an extension of politics. It is impossible for a general at this level to only fight wars and not get involved in politics. What Lu Jin said was also meant to make him pay attention to political and diplomatic aspects.

"Don't worry, Marshal. I will be on high alert." Liao Yongan said solemnly.

Lu Jin nodded and continued to instruct, "Not only the enemy's spies, but also your food, clothing, and guards. You must be more careful in the future. Even when you meet your subordinates, you must be more careful, especially those who surrendered."

Liao Yongan opened his mouth in shock and looked at Lu Jin in disbelief. What did Lu Jin mean by that? Could it be that there would be a surrendered general who would rebel again and poison him? Or even assassinate him?

This is a bit outrageous, isn't it?
However, Lu Jin didn't think so. In history, Zhu's son, the Prince of Jin, seemed to have been poisoned, right? Hu Dahai, the top general before Xu Da came to power, was also killed by a hammer from his subordinates. How could he not be on guard?
Seeing Liao Yongan's surprised expression, Lu Jin explained, "We must be on guard against others. Our current situation is like sailing against the current. If we don't move forward, we will move backward. Rebellion is a road of no return. Let alone turning back, even if we just stop to rest, we will be doomed.

"Look, we have gathered so many surrendered generals this time. If we develop well and keep winning battles, these surrendered generals will naturally follow us wholeheartedly. But if we lose a battle or get into a stalemate with the enemy, we are not sure whether these people will have any strange thoughts. So we must pay attention to safety."

Liao Yongan finally realized the seriousness of the situation and nodded seriously. Lu Jin did not hide anything and took this opportunity to have a good talk with Liao Yongan, and even mentioned Liao Yongan's marriage.

This old man was already 30 years old. He had advised Lu Jin to get married quickly, but he himself seemed to be in no hurry at all. Historically, of the three Liao brothers, only Liao Sheng was left, and he was the son of the eldest brother who had died long ago. It was a pity that the other three living brothers did not leave any descendants.

Lu Jin naturally didn't want the historical tragedy to happen again. Moreover, Liao was his important supporter, so he naturally had to care about Liao Yongan's family affairs.

Liao Yongan nodded repeatedly, and finally asked, "Don't worry about me, Marshal, but what do you plan to do with Old Yu?"

Lu Jin said without thinking, "I will take Tonghai, Tongyuan and the others across the river."

Liao Yongan then nodded in understanding.

What Lu Jin meant was that he would not take Yu Tingyu across the river, but he would make use of his three sons, so that Yu Tingyu could stay in Luzhou with peace of mind to help everyone guard the base.

This time, after talking things out with Liao Yongan and giving him all the necessary instructions, Lu Jin finally felt relieved. Early the next morning, he prepared to lead his troops towards Susong.

But before setting off, they had one more thing to do, which was to prepare some gifts for the Susong garrison.

Han Jian, the governor of Anqing Road who had disappeared for several days, Hao Rui, the manager of Wanhu Mansion, Yang Heng, the assistant minister, and Yesen Timur who had been captured before, were all dragged to the door, with the heads of Molenchi and others placed next to them.

Several guards drew their swords and waved them behind them, as if they were about to behead them. This scared the people so much that they either begged for mercy or cursed.

The one named Yang Heng was even more panicked and said, "Marshal, please spare my life. I am willing to surrender. I am willing to surrender."

Lu Jin raised his eyebrows, looked at the guy with a goatee with interest, and asked Mr. Miao beside him.

"Who is this person?"

"This man is Yang Heng, and he is the governor of Anqing Road. He was the one who suggested sending troops to support Tongcheng, and he gave advice to Han Jian and others many times."

"Oh, so you are a military advisor. Do you want to submit to me?" Lu Jin asked with interest.

Yang Heng nodded repeatedly, "That's right. I have elderly parents and young children to take care of. My mother has been bedridden for a long time, and my wife and children are still crying for food. I am just eating the salary of the Yuan court and doing things for them. I have no grudge against the Marshal. As long as the Marshal is willing to spare my life, I will definitely work for the Marshal and offer advice and suggestions."

(End of this chapter)