Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 340: People of Tigers and Wolves
The atmosphere on the Shanxi battlefield was grim and the situation was becoming increasingly tense, as if a storm was about to come.

At the same time, to the east of Taihang Mountains, next to the main battlefield.

Hengzhou and Zhending County of Ming Dynasty.

The sun is shining, the sky is clear and the air is fresh. It is a good time to build feudalism with Ming Dynasty characteristics.

Today's Ming Dynasty has fully shifted to a wartime economy, and the noise of digging, mining, building houses, and repairing the earth has become much quieter.

In contrast, the sledgehammers in the blacksmith shop and the hoes in the farmland were almost smoking, providing abundant logistical support such as weapons, armor, food and fodder to the front line.

In addition to material resources, manpower is also provided to support the front line.

"Kill! Kill!"

On the training ground, the new recruits are training in an orderly manner under the command of the instructors.

These young men from Hebei honed their skills in killing the enemy day and night in order to contribute to Emperor Li Ming's great cause of unification.

It's not to find an opportunity to beat up the Guanzhong guys.

"Boss, when are we going to beat up the Guanzhong guys?"

During a break in the training, several soldiers surrounded the instructor and asked.

"Yes, yes, we have been training here for almost half a year."

"I joined the army before the Central Plains War, and I haven't seen a single Guanzhong guy since then."

"The peaches are almost rotten on the front line, we are so anxious waiting~"

"Did the higher-ups forget about us?"

Facing the eager Hebei youths, the instructors gave them a big fight one by one, and scolded them:

"You are such a wretch, you can't draw the bow, you are not good at spearmanship, your formation is loose and your reaction is slow, none of your movements are decent, do you still want to compete with the elite of the Tang army? If you are tired of living, you can go to Songmo to mine."

This instructor has had a bad temper since coming to Hebei.

Because his name was Pei Xingjian.

Yes, that’s right, it was the unfortunate editor who wrote for the “little reporters” at the Chang’an newspaper and was later forced to Liaodong because he was suspected of being a spy.

When he arrived in Pingzhou, he happened to encounter Su Dingfang's expedition to Silla.

Li Ming personally assigned this old partner to the senior police officer Lao Su, as the warehouse officer in charge of military warehousing.

Unexpectedly, Pei Xingjian was discovered by Lao Su for his military talent and was forced to join the army. He changed from a secretary to a military officer and was assigned to the "reserve force" to be responsible for the training of new recruits in Hebei.

"I am a scholar who passed the imperial examination. How come I became a vulgar warrior and have to hang out with the villagers from Hebei all day long..."

The more Pei Xingjian thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. At work, he couldn't help but vent his anger on the new soldier.

But unexpectedly, perhaps he really had the talent to lead troops, the new recruits really respected him.

Even though they were poured a bucket of cold water on their heads, the Hebei men still refused to give up and continued to pester Xiao Pei.

They are not afraid of going to the front line, on the contrary, they are only afraid that they have joined a fake army.

In the Ming army, superiors generally do not conceal information from their subordinates, and grassroots soldiers can also easily learn about battle reports from the front.

And this is not some embellished "headquarters" battle report; the actual battle line is written exactly as it is.

This is the intention of His Majesty Li Ming. According to His Majesty's intention, letting soldiers understand the real dynamics of the war in real time can make them feel more involved.

The result is that it is too engaging.

When the new recruits from Hebei who were training in the rear learned that the battle in the front was not a win-win situation, but a tense tug-of-war.

I was so anxious. Why couldn't I go into battle and kill the enemy?

If there were no food and money in this military camp, they would have thought they had been tricked into some weird park, waiting to be tortured.

"Boss, they are right."

More and more athletes from Hebei gathered around Pei Xingjian and begged him repeatedly:

"If we die, it's our own fault. Please let us go to the front line and teach those Guanzhong guys a lesson!"

"Yes, those barbarians and half-blood upstarts are bullying us too much!"

"My great-grandfather was killed by the Xianbei people."

"They collect more taxes in Hebei than in other places~"

Faced with the rising enthusiasm of Shandong and Hebei athletes to serve the country, Pei Xingjian could not hold back and could only use his trump card:

"You guys are so damn strong, it means you haven't trained hard enough, first go up the mountain and train for 50 miles before we talk!"

Amidst the wailing, the noisy scene finally quieted down.

Because the noisy guys were kicked into the mountains for further training.

Pei Xingjian couldn't help but sigh.

Tired.

Unexpectedly, what made them most exhausted was not how to recruit able-bodied men, but how to stop the impulsive men and prevent them from dying in vain.

Although the Ming Dynasty entered a wartime state, there are differences between wartime and wartime.

Unless necessary, the Ming army had to undergo rigorous training before going to the battlefield.

When they go to the battlefield, they don't rush directly to the front line, but start with auxiliary tasks such as logistics and support on the second line, and then gradually replace the old soldiers who have been rotated out of the old troops, using the old to bring up the new.

In a word, the men of the Ming Dynasty were not there to fill in the gaps, and they wanted to reduce the casualties of new recruits as much as possible.

The result is that the new recruits recruited after the war broke out - mainly volunteers from Hebei and Shandong - have not yet been deployed on a large scale.

The main force on the Shanxi front line was still mainly the old troops brought by Li Ming from Liaodong and Northeast China.

"Li Weigong is indeed a military god. He was able to fight against the powerful Tang for such a long time with such a small army and not lose the upper hand...

"Wait, what am I thinking about? I'm a man of letters, a man of letters!"

Pei Xingjian quickly slapped himself to wake himself up.

Damn it, being in the army for too long is like being in an abalone shop. My way of thinking starts to converge with that bunch of rough guys...

At this time, he saw more recruits gathered together, surrounding him in three layers, as if they were listening to someone's speech.

"Damn it, why are these guys so troublesome during their break...

"No, no, no, I am a gentle and refined man, how can I swear at you?"

Instructor Pei muttered to himself as he angrily peeled away the outermost layer of soldiers.

"I told you to rest, not to have a meeting!"

However, to his surprise, the soldier simply moved aside, still listening intently to the man in the middle, as if he had not seen his superior at all.

You are a Hebei farmer... Pei Xingjian's anger rose up and he shouted angrily:
"Are you going to listen to him or me?!"

This shout really worked wonders, and the person in front turned his head to look at him.

Then, he silently made way for his instructor.

Pei Xingjian saw that in the center of the crowd, there was indeed a man standing on a wicker box, giving a passionate speech.

When Xiao Pei saw the face of the uninvited guest clearly, the corners of his mouth almost twitched.

"Do you know how much a bushel of rice costs in the Tang Dynasty? Fifty copper coins!

“This money is even heavier than the rice it can buy!
"Our compatriots on the other side of the river are suffering terribly. Soldiers on the Shanxi front, their sisters have to sell their bodies for food, and the old farmers can't even eat the rice they grow!
"Gentlemen, we must fight! Only by liberating the whole world can we finally liberate ourselves!"

The speech was very inspiring and it really made the recruits present feel excited and want to fight, and they all raised their arms and shouted.

"I will follow your majesty till death!"

Pei Xingjian just wanted to bury his head in the dirt.

The enthusiasm of the soldiers is already overflowing, so don't tempt them anymore...

…………

"Didn't you ask everyone to listen to you? Why are you keeping silent when I asked you to speak?"

After the meeting, Li Ming mocked Pei Xingjian with a sly smile on his face, while walking in front with his hands behind his back, inspecting the training of the new recruits.

Pei Xingjian followed closely behind, accompanying His Majesty throughout the inspection with trepidation as a subject, and hesitantly said:

"I didn't know that Your Majesty was at the front line. I didn't welcome you in person. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me... forgive me..."

He's so stupid, really.

I only knew that His Majesty was selling his head and stirring up hatred on the front line in Yanzhou, but I didn't expect him to make a sudden visit to Hengzhou...

"It's not your fault. It's my fault for not notifying you in advance."

Li Ming waved his hand generously. "The enemy has seen through our strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain. There is no point for me to stay in Yanzhou any longer.

"Instead of going back to Pingzhou and sitting in the office, it is better to come to the front line to inspect and prepare for war."

This is the truth. The top priority of the Ming Dynasty now is war.

"Your Majesty is wise," Pei Xingjian said, not entirely out of compliment.

"This is all thanks to your concerted efforts." Li Ming watched the training of the new recruits with great satisfaction.

He was majestic and powerful, his orders were strictly enforced, and every move was well-executed.

In other dynasties, they would have been considered elite.

“However, compared with General Tian Ce’s army of fierce warriors, I still feel that they lack some bloodiness in actual combat.

"A good sword is sharpened by grinding, and it still needs some time to be polished."

Li Ming pointed out earnestly.

As the first generation entrepreneur who crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Liaodong, he witnessed the bloodiness and cruelty of war with his own eyes.

Pei Xingjian was timid and lacked the aura of the military training he had just given his men.

"Your Majesty's Judgment!"

Li Ming came closer and asked in a low voice:

"The new war policy we have recently implemented has tightened finances and reduced people's livelihood. Are there any complaints from the people?"

In fact, after the new war policy was announced, Li Ming has been paying close attention to public opinion.

They have resorted to excessive military expansion, so there will certainly be a backlash from the people. The question is how big the backlash will be, whether it will threaten the stability of the regime, and whether the policy should be tightened or relaxed appropriately...

Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. Governing a country means achieving the optimal balance between people's livelihood and war through constant fine-tuning.

If the method is rough and the steering wheel is pushed to the bottom, the country's "small seafood" will be shattered.

But he didn't expect that after he raised taxes, tightened people's livelihood, and fully launched the war machine.

The public reaction can’t be said to be calm, but it can also be said that they welcomed the new policy.

At least that's what Fang Xuanling and Zhangsun Wuji reported to Li Ming.

People all over the country are welcoming the price increase, right?

He suspected that his subordinates were only reporting good news and not bad news, and were making a fool of him.

Therefore, whenever he arrived at a place, he would personally inquire about the local people's customs.

As for the life-threatening question asked by His Majesty, Pei Xingjian naturally shook his head like a rattle:
“No, no, everyone is very supportive.”

Li Ming glanced at him suspiciously:
"Really?"

Pei Xingjian: “Really.”

Li Ming: “Tell the truth.”

Pei Xingjian: "If Your Majesty insists that I tell you the truth... there are indeed some complaints among the army and the people of Hebei."

Li Ming hits his left palm with his right fist:

"I knew there would be some discontent. How could the people not have complaints when a wartime economy was launched?"

How could anyone not hate the increase in taxes and rising prices?

Although according to his personal investigation, the folks in Liaodong and Northeast China really had no objections to the new policy.

But that’s because they are all used to living hard lives, and the so-called “wartime state” today is not even a reminder of the good times and the bad times for them. They have absolutely no feelings about it.

But in the rich and fertile Hebei, how could the common people not have opinions...

"Everyone is complaining privately, why His Majesty is only starting to tighten up domestic affairs now, we should have been fully preparing for war a long time ago." Pei Xingjian said.

Li Mingyi clapped his hands:

“I knew—

"What did you say?"

Pei Xingjian blinked his big innocent eyes:

"These Hebei barbarians... No, the people of Hebei all agree that it is good that Your Majesty cares about the people's livelihood, but special measures should be taken in special times."

Li Ming's mouth twitched: "You might as well make your words clearer."

Pei Xingjian said:

"These fierce people feel that the current wartime policy is not strong enough and they can use more force."

Li Ming didn't know what to say.

It seems that Lao Fang and Zhang Sun Wuji did report truthfully and did not lie?
"Cough cough."

Li Ming coughed dryly and naturally changed the topic:

“You solve people’s problems very well.

"What about the problem with that thing?"

Xiao Pei slowly raised his head, obviously more confident than before:
"Your Majesty, please take a look!"

…………

The two came to the military grain warehouse in Zhending County.

Although it is called a warehouse, it is actually more like a large logistics distribution center that integrates warehousing and transportation.

Pei Xingjian specially planned out this large "park" on the open space outside the county town as a transit base for the supply of supplies to the front line.

Precious logistical resources such as food, weapons, armor, and medicine are in good order and well preserved in the huge warehouses that are lined up one after another.

It is much safer than the crude storage in a shed set up on the open ground at the front line.

"Well, very well done." Li Ming praised sincerely.

After all, he was an intellectual who had worked as a warehouse officer, so he was quite capable of being a courier station manager.

"I dare not fail to carry out your majesty's decree with all my heart." Pei Xingjian was respectful yet a little proud.

Li Ming turned around and faced the massive amount of supplies piled up like a mountain, just like an old farmer facing a bountiful rice field.

"This is what we rely on to conquer the world."

Based on his summary of Li Shimin's military style over the years, Li Jing came up with the best strategy for beating bosses, which is -

Tuntunshu strategy.

Old Li likes to cut off food supplies, right?
What if I pile up food in front of me so that I can stay alone for quite a while without the need for food transportation? How will you respond?

"Do you know that the Tang army is interfering with our army's food supply on the Shanxi front?" Li Ming asked.

Pei Xingjian's expression suddenly became serious:

"Our main routes hidden in the mountains have been blocked to varying degrees. The transport team has suffered considerable casualties, and some civilians even refused to go up the mountain...

"Should I say, you are worthy of being called the General of Tiance?"

Li Ming and Li Jing's logistical arrangements were thorough.

They are well aware that all eggs should not be put in one basket, and have planned several transportation links across the mountains and valleys.

Not only are they concealed, but there are also large numbers of them, providing saturation logistics to the front lines.

Unexpectedly, this complex logistical network was ambushed by the Tang army almost at the same time...

Although generals from ancient times to the present, both in China and abroad, know the importance of cutting off the food supply, they are all younger brothers in front of Li Shimin.

“Although Lord Li Wei has stockpiled a large amount of supplies at the front, without external supplies, he will eventually run out of ammunition and food.

"What's more, I don't know if the Tang army will send out spies to use despicable means to burn down the granary..."

Pei Xingjian looked very worried.

"Your Majesty, what should we do? No matter how much logistical supplies are stored here, they must be transported to the front line!"

Li Ming listened quietly to the advice of this talented man, and said calmly:

"I came to Hengzhou just for this matter. Put your ear close to me."

Pei Xingjian came over:
"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"You are responsible for transporting all the supplies stored here and the people you have trained to the south."

(End of this chapter)