Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 384 I like the way you guys can't stand it but still have to build the Ming Dynasty together
When a Tang army captain saw this notice, he felt a headache.

No, buddy, although we are here to carry out sabotage behind enemy lines, isn't Puzhou too far behind?

The captain was an official of neither high nor low rank, and he had a hundred lurking Tang army soldiers under his command, neither too many nor too few, and they needed to make the next action plan independently.

The greater the power, the greater the responsibility, and he has to consider every aspect of his actions.

Being away from the front battlefield means that the value of the intelligence they obtain will be greatly reduced.

What valuable intelligence could the rear have? It was nothing more than how much supplies were transported to the front every day, and the route was by water, so the Tang army could not intercept it at all.

Not only that, carrying out sabotage operations behind enemy lines in Puzhou not only increases risks but is also not very effective.

After all, it is hundreds of miles away from the front line.

It became impossible to coordinate with friendly forces for support, and the evacuation of 5,000 soldiers was also a problem.

What's more, the fire in Puzhou was likely to spread to the Ming army camp in Bingzhou, and it was unknown when it would last.

The results are too indirect. I wonder if everyone in Jinyang City can hold on until they can be effective...

"Ah? We're going to Puzhou to expand the port?"

The Tang army soldiers on the side let out wails.

The soldiers are all very simple-minded. They just don't want to work anymore, and they want to work in other places.

Unlike the officers who have someone else do the physical work and only need to plan and cause trouble.

The soldiers' days in the park were not so leisurely.

Because they were "conscripted" as laborers, they had to work.

Not only did they have to earn their own work points, but they also had to work for the military officers who had been released from their jobs and take over their share of the work.

Therefore, we brothers have been doing this for only a few days since we came here.

They either built houses in the industrial park or went to neighboring counties such as Yuci to build bridges, roads, dikes and dig wells.

As good family members of the Tang Dynasty's army, apart from fighting and training missions, they usually just farm and rely on the weather for their food. Except for the busy farming season, they have free time most of the time.

It’s nothing like in northern Myanmar... No, these few days in the Shanxi Park, five thousand brave men are working around the clock like an endless machine?
For the first time in their lives, the children of farming families experienced the brutal beatings of industrial mobilization. They were so exhausted that they had no interest in doing anything except eating and sleeping.

Including their main business - causing trouble.

Although the food in the park was okay, the Tang army brothers, who had been short of supplies for a long time and could only eat millet mixed with northwest wind, also ate a lot of Ming Dynasty rice for a few days.

But they felt that not a single grain of the rice was eaten in vain!
It's all watered by my own hard work!
"We just finished reinforcing the riverbank in Yuci yesterday, and the roads leading to other counties in the south of Bingzhou have just been repaired and leveled. I thought I could take a few days off, but why..."

The soldiers were all numb.

If the treatment given by the Ming Dynasty had not been good, we brothers would have risen up and rebelled long ago!

"Hey, look at what's written at the bottom of the notice!"

The literate Tang Jun found the key point and read aloud to his brothers:

"The work in Puzhou is tight on time and heavy on tasks. Participants will receive chicken legs as meals and double their work points!"

"Oh? I can earn work points and eat chicken legs? Great!"

The "spies" who changed their careers halfway through suddenly saw the cloudy sky turn to sunny, and they celebrated.

After staying here for a few days, they began to accept the Ming Dynasty's unique economic system.

For example, the results of labor are settled uniformly using work points, with the more work you do, the more you get, and the less work you do, the less you get. Work points can then be exchanged for paper money and food, and paper money can be used to purchase ordinary commodities, and so on.

The visible hand of "work points" fully mobilized their enthusiasm for work, and the people of the Ming Dynasty lived a prosperous life.

"How foolish! Still thinking about earning some useless 'work points'? Have you forgotten the instructions of the Emperor, and the mission you came here for?"

The captain severely criticized the soldiers for their easy living and scolded them so much that their faces turned red and white.

Although spies have to blend into the surrounding environment, you have blended in too well and even blended into the other side!
We asked you to gather intelligence and cause sabotage, but instead you were all lured by the bait of “work points”!
Really, does the Ming Dynasty really have such great magical power?
It's just a few bucks, food is free to eat, and extra meat is added to meals from time to time...

Gulp~ Thinking of this, the captain couldn't help swallowing.

"But apart from eating... consuming the Ming army's food and fodder, what can we do in Puzhou?" His soldiers looked confused.

This... the captain was stunned.

Yes, when you are in the enemy's rear, how can you not be a parasite?

Got it!

A light flashed through the captain's mind, and he immediately ordered seriously:
"We can still achieve great things in Puzhou!
"Puzhou is an important river port, and the Ming army's main logistics are transferred there.

"While you are working in Puzhou Port, can't you just do some sabotage and threaten the logistical supply to the Ming army's front line?"

The officer was an officer after all, and his brain was still very active. He quickly found a way to kill people in the rear.

With a clear goal in mind, the soldiers immediately became motivated.

Yes, the purpose of everyone risking their lives to sneak behind enemy lines is not to just eat a few dishes and have a soup, but to revive the Tang Dynasty!
We are the invincible Tang Dynasty's tiger and wolf division! How can we degenerate in the land of comfort, be captured by the favorable material conditions, and willingly serve the Ming Dynasty as cattle and horses!
"very good!"

Seeing his men's fighting spirit rekindled, the captain nodded with satisfaction.

Just wait, you Ming thieves! The hatred you have shown for treating our troops like cattle and horses will be repaid upon you tenfold or a hundredfold!
…………

The next day, the ship docked.

The cheapest way to travel from Bingzhou to Puzhou is naturally by boat.

The laborers moving south lined up at the port, waiting to board the ship.

The one hundred Tang army undercover agents led by the captain naturally blended in among them.

The team was orderly and it was soon their turn.

Do a good job... The captain patted his men's shoulders meaningfully and watched them board the ship.

He's next.

Just as he was full of confidence and prepared to climb onto the boat via the rope ladder.

A hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Who?!"

The captain looked back warily.

Standing behind him was the contractor who looked stunned.

"Uh, that..." The contractor with a fierce face was overwhelmed by the other party's sudden murderous aura, and his attitude softened a bit.

"This boat is full, please move to the next one."

Why Say Please...

"The next one?"

The captain subconsciously glanced at the shy contractor to make sure he wasn't playing any tricks, then looked toward the river in the direction of his finger.

There were several identical sailboats parked there, each of which was majestic and no different from the large sailboat his men were riding on.

He thought that trying to squeeze onto one boat would not only be embarrassing but would also arouse suspicion, so he followed the contractor's instructions and boarded the next boat.

Anyway, the destination is Puzhou, so it won’t be too late to meet up with my men once we get there.

They are professional soldiers who have been through fire and water for so many years. They won't be separated by just sitting on a boat, right?

…………

The next day.

The captain got off the boat with his luggage, scratching his head in confusion.

"What are you doing? Is this still Puzhou?"

By the way, it is hundreds of miles from Bingzhou South to Puzhou. Even if you go downstream, it is not a place that can be reached in one day, right?
What's worse is that none of his men, all of his one hundred men, were there.

The captain was a little panicked, so he caught a civilian on the same boat and asked:
"Where is this? Is this Puzhou?"

"What Puzhou? This is Fenzhou." The old man shrugged.

Fenzhou? Fenzhou, state... The captain's mind went blank.

Fenzhou is just south of Bingzhou and is also under the actual control of the Ming army.

Coming to Fenzhou can also have the effect of destroying the Ming army, so it's not a big problem.

But the problem is, his hundred men went to Puzhou!

Without his subordinates, what use is a captain without any troops?

"Fenzhou... That's not right! Didn't we agree to build a port in Puzhou?"

The lieutenant murmured with a pale face.

The civilian brother beside him looked at him strangely.

"Isn't it clearly written in the notice? Go to Puzhou and other counties to carry out projects such as expanding the port.

“Our mission is to come to Fenzhou to build roads.

"It's all work anyway, and the work points are the same, so it doesn't matter where you go."

What a good “wait”!
The captain's mouth twitched and he looked around in confusion.

The scenery of Fenzhou is similar to that of the Ming army-occupied area in Bingzhou.

The same river port, the same industrial park, and the same large team of laborers.

Obviously, the people of the Ming Dynasty had already started developing this place.

"I understand!"

This scene brought a flash of light to the captain's mind, and he suddenly realized.

The millions of civilians recruited by the Ming Dynasty were not all concentrated in Yuci County. Instead, they used Yuci as a transit point and were gradually dispersed to other prefectures and counties such as Fenzhou and Puzhou!

"Which prefectures and counties did the Ming army control in Shanxi?
"South of Bingzhou, there are Fenzhou, Jinzhou, Puzhou, Luzhou, and Xizhou. Each state has five to fifteen counties..."

When you calculate it this way, the number of people allocated to each place is actually not that many!
He finally understood the Ming Dynasty's strategy.

In fact, it is not complicated. It is just a matter of spreading the cake and sending some laborers over from each state and county.

This is exactly the opposite of the strategy of concentrating superior forces.

One advantage of doing this is that it won't pile up too many people in one place, causing the supply efficiency to soar.

By some accident, his troops were broken up.

The leader is in the north and his subordinates are in the south.

How can this work?
“I’ve been tricked!”

The captain let out a long sigh.

This place is in the middle of nowhere and the industrial park is not close to the county town. It would be dangerous to take bus No. 11 south to Puzhou to meet up with my men.

How to get out of this predicament?
"What are you going to do?"

The contractor spotted the sneaky guy and yelled.

"I... went to the bathroom." The captain answered guiltily.

"Just get it done right here in the bushes. We have work to do."

"what?!"

The captain suddenly realized the biggest crisis he encountered this time -

Without the big soldiers, he has to roll up his sleeves and work to earn work points!
"me……"

"What do you mean 'me'?" Seeing this guy looking at a loss, the contractor sighed helplessly and handed him a shovel.

"You don't look very smart, but you're actually quite strong. Just go dig up tree roots. At least you don't have to use your brain."

"Cut down trees? Let me cut down trees?" The captain was holding the shovel in a daze.

The contractor ignored his question and continued:

“Instead of cutting down the tree, we dig out the roots together with the trunk as intact as possible, so that the tree is still alive.

“See that hill? Follow your co-workers and draw a circle along the peak, digging out all the trees along the way.

"Then set a fire and burned all the grass and trees in the circle.

"Then, transplant all the trees you dug up to the county town."

This set of operations really confused the captain's brain.

Planting trees and setting fires, you Ming people want to step on your left foot with your right foot and spiral up to the sky?

The contractor kicked the captain:
"Just do it. You won't understand even if I tell you!"

He left the confused captain behind and started shouting at other people.

The captain looked at the shovel in his hand stupidly, then looked at the other laborers who were working hard.

He knew that among those oxen and horses working with their heads down, there must be other Tang Dynasty soldiers who had been disbanded.

However, they could not recognize each other.

After all, he couldn't possibly ask everyone one by one: Hello, are you a Tang Dynasty spy?
This is not the way to seek death.

What to do next?
Really need to work?

…………

A few days later, Puzhou.

The one hundred Tang army soldiers got off the boat one after another, only to find that they could not contact their leader and were lost.

There is no leader!
Several people took some time to meet and discuss.

"What should we do next? The captain is not here. Should we carry out the operation independently? Set fire, assassinate, or pull nails and tighten bolts?"

"I think it's more important to earn work points first."

"I feel so too."

"Hey! Have you forgotten the kindness of His Majesty?"

"But we have chicken legs for dinner here."

"...You guys are right. Now that we are in a new place, we should take it easy and get familiar with the situation."

Is Li Ming not His Majesty? Is his kindness no longer a favor?
The Tang army settled down in Puzhou, working critically and eating chicken legs.

…………

Similar stories are happening all over Shanxi.

Five thousand Tang army "undercover agents", along with millions of Ming civilians, were randomly dispersed to various corners of the Ming-controlled area in Shanxi.

The good news is that Emperor Li Shimin's idea was realized. The spies he sent out were really like throwing a handful of sand into the sea, and it was impossible to pick them out.

The bad news is that they are really like a handful of sand, washed everywhere by the sea, and even the Tang Dynasty can't organize them.

Fortunately, the soldiers of the Tang army were still very dedicated. While they worked diligently for the Ming Dynasty to earn work points, they also took the time to send intelligence to the Tang Dynasty.

It’s just that these Ling Lingqi are all latecomers, and the information they provide is completely meaningless and can be described as watered down.

Junk information continued to pour into Jinyang Prefecture, flooding Li Shimin's desk.

"Build bridges, pave roads, open up wasteland, and cultivate land...

"Oh, finally some interesting information. The Ming Dynasty first set fire to the trees and then replanted them.

“Haha, what a fulfilling life.

"Haha, this is really valuable information!"

Li Shimin was so angry that he overturned the table.

(End of this chapter)