Fu Shanhe

Chapter 120 Pirates Attack
Facing the enthusiastic gentry of Southern Zhili, Li Mu also showed enough goodwill.

After declining the welcoming banquet on the grounds that his wife was seasick, he immediately extended an invitation to everyone.

When I returned to the mansion, it was already noon.

"My lord, this mansion is too luxurious!"

After walking around the house, Jing Yaqing said with a frown.

As a daughter of a duke, she has also seen the world.

The mansion in front of him was more luxurious than many dukes' mansions, and was not something that a lieutenant general could possess at all.

“Yes, it is luxurious.

In fact, this is the result of the renovation, and the original regulations are comparable to those of the Prince's Palace.

Although there is a sign outside that says "Commander-in-Chief's Mansion", this house is actually not my husband's property.

The Yangzhou Lieutenant General's post was a newly established one and had none of the necessary facilities.

The funding from the imperial court is limited, so I can only borrow space from the prefectural government.

This mansion was previously the residence of a salt merchant that was confiscated. During the previous defense of Yangzhou, my husband was arranged to stay here temporarily.

It felt pretty good, so I just continued to live there.

When the term of office is over, just return it to the court."

Li Mu admitted it openly.

It’s fine if it’s luxurious, it’s just borrowed anyway, it’s not your own property.

If the censors want to impeach, then let them do it.

As long as the court was willing to allocate funds to repair the government office, he wouldn't mind moving out immediately.

If he, a lieutenant general, didn't dare to stay there, those civil servants who were careful about their reputation would not dare to touch it even more.

Now that the matter has been exposed, the court cannot find a buyer even if it wants to sell it.

Unless a vassal king is enthroned, it would be too hot to give it to anyone.

"It's fine as long as my husband has his own thoughts, but this house is indeed beautiful."

Jing Yaqing said with a smile.

No one can refuse a luxury house. No one wants to compromise themselves when there are better options.

Looking at his wife who was constantly turning around, Li Mu doubted whether she was really seasick. Her recovery ability was too strong.

“By the way, my husband, you are going to host a banquet for the gentry, so now is the time to prepare the invitations.

But there were so many people just now, can you really remember them?"

Li Mu felt a little embarrassed when he heard Jing Yaqing's reminder.

The reason he sent out the invitation just now, besides showing his kindness, was more about making some money and filling up his piggy bank.

According to Dayu's rules, invitations to formal banquets are sent out three days in advance, and someone is sent to notify on the day of the banquet.

The problem was that there were so many gentry and businessmen during the day, and he didn't know most of them.

Even if I want to send an invitation, I don’t know who to send it to.

"Don't worry, Madam. There aren't many things in this small piece of land in Yangzhou that can be hidden from your husband.

My husband has already sent out invitations, so I think the people who came to greet you just now will not leave Yangzhou City today.

Invitations will be sent to all the gentry and wealthy merchants who are temporarily staying in Yangzhou, and there will be no omissions.

The people below will bring the roster over in a while.

Later, Master Lan will arrange for someone to draft the invitations, and they will be delivered to everyone before dark."

Li Mu said calmly.

Since it is difficult to verify their identities, we might as well just catch them all in one fell swoop.

In the short term, there is no conflict of interest, so we can just be friends first.

Among all the gentry and businessmen, General Li had a pretty good reputation.

Although the price was a bit high, he really did the job after receiving the money.

The gentry in Yangzhou can testify to this fact that the imperial edict of pardon from Emperor Tianyuan was indeed obtained for them.

Although it was only the emperor's oral order, it was spoken publicly in the court, so it had legal effect.

"My husband, it is proper to entertain officials and gentry, why invite those merchants?"

Jing Yaqing asked with a puzzled look on her face.

The concept of family background was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the Great Yu Dynasty. The ranking of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans made merchants always inferior to gentry.

Especially in the capital, the administrative center of the empire, no matter how powerful a businessman was, his political status was not as high as that of a juren.

In her impression, businessmen are all low-class people.

If two dandies fight and injure a scholar, it is more serious than killing a businessman.

“Madam, the business atmosphere in the southeast is strong, which is different from the situation in the capital.

These wealthy merchants were merchants in name only, but in reality they were also gentry.

Behind almost all wealthy businessmen, there is a local clan supporting them.

A purely grassroots businessman, no matter how talented he is in business, can never become big.

My husband seems to have invited businessmen, but in fact he has invited the aristocratic families hidden behind the scenes."

Li Mu immediately made up a reason.

It is impossible to tell the truth, as it would damage one's own noble image.

Not everyone can treat every profession equally like him.

……

“Sir, I just received the news.

Pirates landed in Nantong Prefecture, attacked the local salt fields, and were heading towards the prefecture capital.

The prefect and garrison commander of Nantong Prefecture sent a letter asking for help.

Sir, please come over to discuss this matter."

Hearing Wu Da's report, Li Mu frowned.

It's really disrespectful.

He had just arrived in Yangzhou, and this kind of thing happened in his jurisdiction, which was a complete slap in his face.

The prefectural government was also pedantic. After receiving the letter for help, instead of quickly dispatching troops, they held meetings, which was a pure waste of time.

Collective resolution can indeed reduce individual responsibility, but it is not in line with the art of war.

It is possible that the pirates would have already left before a conclusion could be reached.

Once at sea, it becomes the work of the Navy Office.

Yangzhou Prefecture did not have a navy directly under its jurisdiction, so it needed to be dispatched by the Nanjing Military Department. After going through a series of procedures, it was unclear where to find people in the vast ocean.

Theoretically, Li Mu could also decide to send troops, but the military expenditure would be a problem.

In order to control the military with culture, the Dayu Dynasty was very strict with logistics.

At this point in the development, if the departure expenses are not allocated first, the troops will not be able to move forward at all.

If military generals send troops to war without the consent of civil officials, you can forget about the military funds because there is none.

The military funds received by the Yangzhou Camp were only training expenses in peacetime and did not include the expenses of sending troops to fight.

During wartime, it is normal for the military expenditure of the troops to increase several times or even dozens of times.

"Madam, it seems I can't accompany you today!"

Li Mu said with a hint of apology.

I promised to take her to appreciate the scenery of Yangzhou, but now she hasn't even finished visiting the General's Mansion. The gap between ideal and reality is quite large.

"I eat your salary and share your worries.

My husband is an official appointed by the court, so he should naturally put state affairs first. Since the prefectural government has invited you to come, then go quickly.

The battlefield is extremely dangerous, so be careful!"

Jing Yaqing said with a smile.

Born in the Duke's Mansion, she has seen this kind of scene too many times.

"Don't worry, a few pirates won't amount to anything!"

Li Mu said confidently. Pirates can live freely because they are at sea. They come to the shore to act wildly simply because they are tired of living.

No matter how rich their combat experience is, naval warfare and land warfare are different after all. Bringing the thinking of naval warfare to land is just to throw away lives.

After training for such a long time, it’s time to let the troops go out and move around.

Cavalry units, in particular, need to be tested in actual combat.

Pirates are undoubtedly a good whetstone.

……

In the government office.

"Master Gu, please tell me the details first!
Even if we want to send troops to attack, we must first find out who the enemy is, how many troops they have, and what kind of weapons and equipment they have. "

Li Mu was the first to break the silence.

Wars are fought with intelligence. Knowing both yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle.

He would not lead his troops into the battlefield without fully understanding the situation.

“Commander-in-Chief Li, this information is under investigation.

You lead the troops there first, and you will know when you get there."

Gu Youwen said slightly embarrassedly.

He also wanted to find out the specific information, but the information his subordinates reported was just this much.

Apart from an urgent letter for help, no specific information about the enemy was obtained.

“It’s okay to lead the troops there first, but since we don’t know the enemy’s situation, we can only give them a lenient attitude.

Mr. Prefect, how many troops will the Yangzhou camp deploy this time?
When to set off?
How to solve the problem of food, wages and other logistical supplies?

Also, when will the military dispatch document arrive?"

Li Mu immediately raised a series of practical issues.

The military is a country’s most important weapon and must be used with caution.

If other provinces report to the governor's office and the local military commissioner's office for approval, they can dispatch a large army.

In an emergency, it is possible to send troops first and report later.

The situation in Yangzhou is different, as it is too close to Nanjing.

The Nanjing Military Department did not have much power to begin with, so the power to mobilize troops from nearby provinces must be firmly in its hands.

It is abhorrent to see subordinates act on their own.

Just because Li Mu knew these issues did not mean that all the officials present understood them.

"Lieutenant General Li, speed is of the essence on the battlefield, there is no time to waste.

You should send out the troops first, and we will solve all the problems later."

Ma Tongzhi urged anxiously.

Since the fall of the seven major families, the salt fields in the Lianghuai region have fallen into the hands of the powerful in the court.

If the salt field was attacked at this time and the problem could not be resolved quickly, all the local officials would be in trouble.

“Sir Ma, rules are rules. There are clear provisions in the Dayu Law, and this general can do nothing about it.

Yangzhou is not far from Nanjing. Send a ship there immediately and you can get the troop mobilization documents as early as tomorrow.

There is still enough time. After all, it takes time to raise food and money and to gather troops.

Everyone is here, let's first determine the number of troops to be sent, and then we can discuss the follow-up issues."

Li Mu said without changing his expression.

Military generals can be arrogant and domineering, and can be extravagant and licentious, but they cannot send troops out without authorization.

Even in an emergency, it is best to involve civil servants in making decisions.

"Since the enemy situation is unclear, let's send out 3,000 troops first!

The prefectural government will provide logistical supplies, and we will also be responsible for handling the Nanjing Military Department.

Li Cangjiang, please mobilize the troops to go to battle as soon as possible!"

Gu Youwen said it slightly conservatively.

If you can't figure out the situation, then deploy more troops. It's better to spend more to ensure that there is no risk of error.

Otherwise, if they were defeated, people like Li Mu, who had connections, would just walk away, and the mess would be the responsibility of the prefectural government.

“It is no problem to send out 3,000 soldiers. Please, Mr. Prefect, order the conscription of 2,000 young and strong men and mobilization of 300 vehicles to serve as the logistics transport team for the army.

At the same time, 5,000 dan of rice, 30,000 taels of silver, 3,000 carts of fodder, and 2,000 dan of soybeans were allocated as the army's departure expenses."

Li Mu said calmly.

The Yangzhou Camp is not just for show. If it sends out 3,000 soldiers, they are 3,000 combat soldiers.

The combat soldiers charge into battle, and some auxiliary work naturally falls on the auxiliary soldiers.

According to past practice, young and strong people were recruited to participate.

Fortunately, the battle was fought in Yangzhou, otherwise the number of auxiliary troops would not be so small.

"Commander Li, you are asking for too much!"

Judge Zhou Tong immediately retorted.

When war breaks out, gold is worth a fortune.

The war has not even started yet, but the prefectural government has to spend a huge amount of money. What will happen after the war is over?

“Sir Zhou, you can calculate for yourself how much the army will cost.

If you want your soldiers to fight for their lives, you can't let them starve, right?

If you don't believe it, go find a group of strong young men and test it yourself to see how much they can eat at each meal.

The soldiers have to travel long distances and fight the enemy on the battlefield, so they will consume more food.

In addition to soldiers, war horses and livestock are even more expensive. You all have raised them at home, and mules should be fed well during the busy farming season.

Five thousand dan of rice can be eaten up by five thousand strong men in a month.

After I go to war, I will have to trouble you to continue raising food and money.

For the specific expenses, you can check the army’s material consumption in previous rebellion wars.

You can also check the court's annual consumption of money and grain on the Liaodong front.

They still have 30% to 40% of their salary left over, and I won't do that!"

Li Mu lied with a solemn oath.

Previously, all logistical supplies expenses for the Five Cities Army to suppress the rebellion were directly allocated by the imperial commissioner.

They were purely fighting the war on their own and managing the logistics on their own. There was no need to mistreat their own people, and all supplies were allocated in excess.

Not to mention the Liaodong front, where a large amount of supplies had to be transported from the rear. The price of grain in many areas was already three or four times that of Yangzhou.

According to this standard, what he asked for was too little.

"it is good!

We will be responsible for solving the money and grain problem. We will also recruit young and strong men as soon as possible. I will trouble Lieutenant General Li to take care of the military affairs."

Gu Youwen said with a cruel heart.

For a moment he couldn't figure out whether what Li Mu said was true or not.

But he dared to say this in front of everyone, so even if it was exaggerated, it wouldn't be too much.

After all, they didn't know how much the soldiers could eat, but they had seen how much their own farmhands could eat during the busy farming season.

With that kind of eating habits, it is not impossible to consume more than three kilograms of food a day.

What's more, there is a certain amount of loss in the process of processing grain into military rations.

If there is no problem with food, then the allocated silver will be nothing.

Soldiers were paid for their lives, and on average each person only received ten taels of silver. They also had to spend a huge amount of money on wine and meat, so the money they received in the end would be even less.

For those who have lived a life of luxury since childhood, it was just the cost of a meal, and no one thought there was anything wrong with the expense.

Even if there is some water in it, everyone can accept it as long as the pirate rebellion can be quelled as soon as possible.

After all, it is the court's money that is being spent, and no one wants to be a bad guy when there is money on deposit in the government office.

(End of this chapter)