Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 264: The Fierce Man Who Killed a Tiger with His Bare Hands
Outside Gaoyou City, a horse-drawn carriage was parked on the official road. Li Huafu came out of the city and got on the carriage directly. Min Zishun had been waiting in the carriage.

"Brother Li, how is it going?"

"It's done. I watched him write the memorial with my own eyes. He polished it once and copied it again. As soon as the ink dried, he sent someone to deliver it. Li Qi also gave the man 20 taels of silver and asked him to deliver it quickly without stopping. He was afraid that someone else would take the credit.

"Damn it, I just pretended to be his grandson for a long time and even stood by him to help him grind ink. Finally, I got the job done.

"But will it really work if we just hand it over like this?"

Min Zishun unfolded his folding fan and fanned himself. "Man proposes, God disposes. We have done everything we can. All we have to do now is wait and see what happens."

Li Huafu nodded and asked, "When will Coach Lu be able to come over? Do you want me to resign now and join the team? But that would expose my true identity, right?"

Upon hearing this, Min Zishun shook his head and said, "You can't resign now. First, you will be exposed. Second, even if Brother Li surrenders now, you will have nothing to do. Our Luzhou territory is so small now. We already have officials and the army has its own generals. There is no vacancy for Brother Li. We have to wait until our army arrives. By then, the territory and officials will be expanded, and there will naturally be a place for Brother Li.

"I wonder if Brother Li has decided whether to pursue a career in literature or martial arts?"

Li Huafu thought about it after hearing this and said immediately.

"Well, I'd better not pursue a career in literature. Although I can read, I can't write. If I become a civil servant, I will be laughed at. I'd better pursue a career in the military. Since I can't resign now, and I can't go to Luzhou, and the Marshal doesn't have any soldiers for me to lead, what should I do now? Does the Marshal have any arrangements?"

Min Zishun pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Since Brother Li has already done something for us, it's okay to tell you some arrangements. To tell you the truth, Brother Li, the Marshal has no plans to attack Yangzhou Road within half a year. However, if he decides to fight in the future, he must do it in one go and take over the entire Yangzhou Road and cut off Jiangbei as quickly as possible."

Li Huafu's eyes lit up, "So Coach Lu wants to attack Jiangnan first?"

Upon hearing this, Min Zishun looked at him in surprise. Seeing his reaction, Li Huafu immediately laughed and said, "My guess is right. Since General Lu wants to cut off Jiangbei, he naturally wants to protect Jiangnan. But Jiangnan is now in the hands of the Yuan court, so why should we protect Jiangnan?"

Seeing that he had actually guessed Lu Jin's thoughts, Min Zishun could only nod helplessly and said, "Brother Li, just know it yourself. You can't tell anyone about this. But now it seems that at least Brother Li's choice to follow the military is a good thing. At least you are also a person who knows about military affairs."

"Haha, of course. I have my own tricks and I know what to do." Li Huafu said with a smile, "So what are my plans next?"

Min Zishun then said, "What the commander meant is that if Brother Li chooses to join the military, he can prepare in advance now. Is the group of people that Brother Li brought with him to start the rebellion and rob the prison last year still where they are now? How many of his old subordinates can he gather? How many of them can become generals?
"The commander-in-chief's idea is that we can recruit soldiers later, but we can train the generals first. Brother Li, give me a list and hand over these people to me. I can send them to Luzhou for unified training. When they are needed, we can let these generals come back and recruit soldiers directly to raise an army of 10,000 or 20,000."

As Min Zishun spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to Li Huafu. On it was written the organization of the Shengwu Army at all levels.

"According to our military system, a third-rank military officer is a division commander, who is in charge of three regiments, each with 4500 people. A division has a total of 13500 people, and requires three regiment commanders, 3 thousand-household officers, 15 company-level lieutenants, 60 platoon-level lieutenants, and 240 squad leaders. Even if we don't count the squad leaders, we still need more than 960 officers to manage platoon leaders of 50 people. Can Brother Li find so many people?"

"So many?!" Li Huafu's hand holding the paper trembled.

Actually, the density of officers is not that high, and it is reasonable if you think about it carefully. He just has never seen such intuitive data, so he is a little shocked.

If this is changed to the Wei Suo system, the number of officers will be even greater. A force of more than 3 soldiers will probably have three Wei Suo systems, requiring three commanders, 15 thousand-household officers, 150 hundred-household officers, 300 general flags, and 50 officers above the platoon level (general flag) to manage 468 people. These are only the full-time positions, not including the deputy positions.

So it can be seen from this that with the same size, the Shengwu Army requires fewer officers. This is also what Lu Jin pursues. Command is simplified, with each officer only managing four subordinates, rather than one thousand households managing ten hundred households, which would be impossible to manage and the command would be more cumbersome.

Seeing his surprised look, Min Zishun immediately reminded him, "Brother Li, you have to think carefully. Our commander-in-chief cannot select just anyone. At the very least, he must be literate, able to write and calculate, and proficient in close combat such as swords and spears, archery, and riding. If you want to be a thousand households, you must meet all of the above conditions. You must be a brave warrior who can fight ten people at once. If you can only do two of the above, you can be a company commander. If you can only do swords and spears, you can be a platoon leader, but you must also be a brave warrior who can fight three people at once."

Gollum—

Li Huafu swallowed his saliva, feeling that Lu Jin was clearly making things difficult for him, asking him where to find more than 300 such outstanding generals. If he had 300 such men under his command, he would be able to do whatever he wanted.

But he also understood that if he wanted to raise an army of tens of thousands, this number of officers was indeed normal and necessary. Any less would not do. It was not until this time that he realized that he should indeed send people to Luzhou for training in advance. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find so many qualified generals if he recruited soldiers rashly.

"It's not easy to find these three hundred people. I don't know so many heroes." Li Huafu said in embarrassment.

Min Zishun said, "Brother Li, don't worry. This matter is actually very simple."

"Well, what do you mean? Brother Min, please give me some advice." Li Huafu immediately became interested. Min Zishun said, "Brother Li is a general. You don't have to know all of these 300 people. You just need to pick out three commanders, and then let them recommend a captain. The captain will recommend a company commander from the people they know, and the company commander will recommend a platoon leader. Isn't it much simpler this way? In fact, you only need to find these dozen captains, and let them find the rest."

"Yes! Oh, look at my brain, Brother Min is really quick. Why didn't I think of it? This way it is indeed much easier. Let me think about it, let me think about it." Li Huafu slapped his thigh and said excitedly.

Min Zishun was still reminding, "Let's talk about these three commanders first. Brother Li can take on one of them. After all, as the commander of a division, you can't just lead a few personal soldiers. You also need troops that obey your orders. The captain of Taizhou is Zhang Si, who broke into the prison with you and was recruited together. How is this person? Can he be of great use?"

Li Huafu nodded quickly. "Brother Zhang Si is still okay. He is a righteous man. He can ride a horse, use a sword and a gun, and is very strong. If you give him a shoulder pole, three or five people can't get close to him. But I've never heard that he can use a bow and arrow. However, after he was recruited as a captain, he had a bow and arrow in the arsenal. He has been learning it recently. But he can't read as well as I can. He can barely read notices by himself. If you ask him to write, he is at a loss."

Min Zishun also said helplessly, "Since I can learn the bow and arrow, I can also learn to write. I can barely be considered one. Now I still need a commander. Brother Li, do you have a suitable candidate?"

"Let me think about it, let me think about it. Oh, I got it. I really know a strange man. This man is from Dongming, Yancheng. His name is Bian Yuanheng. He has been reading history books since he was young. He can also recite poems and write articles. He has also read the Art of War. The most amazing thing is that this man once killed a tiger with his bare hands. He was born with supernatural power and amazing physical strength. Moreover, he is only twenty-four this year. He was once famous in Huaidong. It was because I heard the name of Bian Shahu that I went to meet him on purpose.

"Alas, if we recruit him to be the commander, it will make Zhang Si seem like a sham. There is no comparison between Zhang Si and Brother Bian."

This time even Min Zishun was a little surprised. "He has read history books, can compose poems and essays, and can even kill a tiger with his bare hands? Can you take this seriously? Is there really such a strange person in the world?"

"Of course it is true. I have seen the tiger skin with my own eyes. I heard that he was the one who subdued the tiger and kicked it in the jaw, killing it. He is truly a hero." Li Huafu immediately introduced it vividly.

Actually, Bian Yuanheng is the prototype of Wu Song in Water Margin, because he has a cousin named Shi Naian.
Historically, Zhang Shicheng started an uprising with 17 carrying poles, and among the people who followed him, Bian Yuanheng was one of them. After Zhang Shicheng officially raised the flag of rebellion, because Bian Yuanheng was both civil and military and understood military tactics, he appointed Bian Yuanheng as the commander-in-chief of the entire army.

However, Zhang Shicheng had no ambition and weak will, and he jumped back and forth between the rebel army and the Yuan army. In addition, he was stubborn, arrogant, and would not listen to advice and remonstrances. Later, Bian Yuanheng got annoyed and resigned.

How does the military strategy say this? "The Art of War by Sun Tzu: Beginning of Strategy" says, "If a general listens to my strategy and uses it, he will surely win. Keep him. If a general does not listen to my strategy and uses it, he will surely lose. Get rid of him."

Bian Yuanheng repeatedly offered advice and suggestions to Zhang Shicheng, but Zhang Shicheng just wouldn't listen. Since you don't listen, why should I stay with you? So he just left.

Later, Zhang Shicheng was defeated and captured. Zhu Yuanzhang heard that Bian Yuanheng was a fierce general under Zhang Shicheng, so he issued an order to recruit him, but Bian Yuanheng refused to go. Later, Bian Yuanheng wrote a poem to satirize Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and sent him to Liaodong as a soldier. Bian Yuanheng did not resist and went to Liaodong as a soldier obediently.

It was not until the Yongle period, when Zhu Di came to power, that he was allowed to return to his hometown in Jiangsu. In the end, Bian Yuanheng died of old age at home, which could be considered a good end.

Such a brave man who could kill a tiger with his bare hands, who was both civil and martial, and was also proficient in military tactics, was definitely a talented general. It was a pity that he followed the wrong person at first, and later was unwilling to submit to Zhu Yuanzhang, which led to his obscurity in history. If he could follow a wise leader from the beginning and gain more experience and growth, he would definitely be a general as talented as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, and Deng Yu.

But you can't say his choice was wrong. At least he had a good ending.
After listening to Li Huafu's introduction, Min Zishun said, "Such a brave man, who has read classics, history, and military tactics, would be a pity if we can't recruit him. Brother Li, do you have a way to recruit him?"

"I'm not sure about this, but we should be able to give it a try. I heard that he had a good friend from the same hometown named Shi Naian. He first passed the imperial examination and then became a juren. Later, he went to Jiangnan to become an official. I heard that he helped poor people defend unjust cases, but his superiors didn't like him, so Shi Naian resigned in anger and returned home. Since Bian Yuanheng could become friends with such a person, I think he was dissatisfied with the Yuan court, and there is a high possibility that he recruited him here." Li Huafu analyzed immediately.

"If that's the case, that's even better. We must invite this person here. If Brother Li has any inconvenience, I can also help." Min Zishun said immediately.

So the two of them discussed how to summon generals on their way back to Taizhou from Gaoyou.

If they had really managed to recruit Bian Yuanheng as a general, then the Water Margin, one of the four great classics, might have had to be rewritten.

According to the original history, after Bian Yuanheng followed Zhang Shicheng, he introduced his cousin Shi Nai'an to be Zhang Shicheng's military advisor. Therefore, Shi Nai'an was very familiar with Zhang Shicheng's power structure. The prototypes of many characters in the Water Margin he wrote can be found in Zhang Shicheng.

For example, Zhang Shicheng's sons-in-law, the brothers Pan Yuanming and Pan Yuanshao, were generals under Zhang Shicheng and his sons-in-law. They should have been the most loyal people. However, when Zhu Yuanzhang attacked Zhang Shicheng's territory, the brothers lived in disgrace, surrendered and became officials of the Ming Dynasty.

Shi Nai'an despised these two people very much, so he designed two women, Pan Jinlian and Pan Qiaoyun, in Water Margin, using the women's infidelity to cuckold their husbands and satirize the brothers Pan Yuanming and Pan Yuanshao for betraying their master and defecting to the enemy.

If Min Zishun and Li Huafu could recruit Bian Yuanheng, he would most likely bring his cousin Shi Nai'an over as well. But if Shi Nai'an had joined Lu Jin's camp from the beginning, would he still have written the classic character of Pan Jinlian?

There is also the miserable situation of Liangshan after being recruited, which was written by Shi Nai'an. In fact, it was also about the fact that there was no good outcome for Zhang Shicheng after being recruited. But if he changed his camp, would he still write it the same way?

Just as the two were discussing where to find more than 300 colonels and officers, a fast horse also quickly headed north from Gaoyou Prefecture. Along the way, they would change horses at inns and post stations, or transfer to ships to go north along the canal. It was estimated that in a few days, the "Military Farming Memorial" from Gaoyou Prefecture Governor Li Qi would appear on Tuotuo's desk.

If the strategy of military farming that Tuotuo came up with in the original history was told to him half a year in advance, would he start military farming in advance, thus delaying the time of marching south to conquer Xuzhou?
This is hard to be confirmed at the moment, but no matter whether Lu Jin's plan will work or not, he did not stop his actions. As soon as he sent the memorial to Tuotuo, he sent an envoy to Xuzhou.

(End of this chapter)