Fu Shanhe

Chapter 150: Holy Kingdom of White Lotus
Guangdong Governor's Office.

"boom!"

The teacup was thrown to the ground and broke into pieces, splashing water everywhere.

Zou Yunchuan, who has always been steady, was defeated today.

The Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp just left yesterday, and today we heard the news of the recovery of Lianzhou Port.

This is a great thing for suppressing the rebellion in Guangxi.

But for him personally, this good news was a slap in the face.

Originally, I was thinking of giving the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp a good beating when their attacks were blocked and they were forced to retreat to Guangdong.

It's impossible now.

The successful recapture of Lianzhou Port was equivalent to telling the outside world that the delay in the rebellion suppression war was due to the incompetence of his governor of Guangdong.

There's no point trying to make excuses.

The best proof is that it has been almost half a year since the Guangxi rebellion broke out, but Guangdong has not taken any substantial action.

"Sir, please calm down first.

It's not worth getting yourself hurt over a bunch of irrelevant people."

The old man in blue clothes at the side began to persuade.

Although he said it lightly, he was also deeply shocked deep down.

Judging from the progress of the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp, the rebels do not seem to be as strong as expected.

After occupying Lianzhou Port, the three-way siege planned by the court suddenly turned into a four-way siege.

The rebel lair, which was originally safe, was now under serious military threat.

From an overall strategic perspective, the imperial court once again took the initiative.

Even if the Yangzhou Camp and Huai'an Camp remained where they were, as long as the big flags were planted there, it would put pressure on the rebels.

"Humph!"

"It's not that I'm jealous of talented people, it's really that the military generals are overbearing, which is not good for the country.

The generals of the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp were already arrogant and domineering. Now that they have won the battle, they are still proud of themselves.

Those White Lotus rebels were so stupid that they didn't even deploy enough troops in such an important rear area as Lianzhou Port.

In my opinion, the day this group of rebels is defeated..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by the butler who suddenly broke in.

"Master, something terrible is happening!"

"Shi Rongxuan, the leader of the White Lotus Sect, proclaimed himself emperor in Guilin. Not only did he enthrone a bunch of rebel kings, he also issued the "Holy Sect Equal Land Order" in an attempt to divide up the land in the world!"

As he spoke, the old man handed over the "Holy Teaching Equal Land Distribution Order" in his hand.

"These traitors are simply courting death.

To provoke the imperial court and the gentry of the world in this way is to use the knife in our hands to weaken our strength.

Pass the order down and summon all the generals to discuss the matter.

I will capture the thief alive and chop him into pieces!"

After a quick glance, Zou Yunchuan immediately started cursing.

He suddenly changed from a passive war avoider to a war advocate. It was not because he changed, but because he had to react.

Whether it was the bandit leader Shi Rongxian declaring himself emperor or the Equal Field System, they were both huge events that shook the world.

If the commanders in charge of suppressing the rebellion continue to passively avoid fighting, they will be held accountable by the court and will soon be imprisoned.

In fact, a big part of the reason why he dared to passively avoid the war before was that the emperor ordered the abolition of the factory guards.

There are no Jinyiwei watching around, and the main officials of Guangdong Province are all members of the vested interest group, and no one will break the window paper.

……

Yongzhou Prefecture.

"Everyone, what should we do now?"

Huguang Governor Lu Jingxuan asked with a serious look.

This matter was too big, and the political impact was ten times greater than the previous failed attack on the rebels.

The rebels of the White Lotus Sect not only proclaimed themselves emperors, but also started a land distribution game.

Regardless of whether it is a political slogan or a real plan to do it, the political impact it causes is extremely bad.

Unfortunately, the Huguang army that was suppressing the rebellion had just suffered a major defeat not long ago and could only defend Yongzhou Prefecture.

"Governor, this matter is not something that our Huguang province can resolve.

The White Lotus Sect's evil followers have always been extremely daring, even daring to declare themselves emperors. It is not surprising that they are enemies of all the gentry in the world.

It is said that the gentry in Guangxi have been brutally murdered by the rebels.

If it is not put out quickly, it will inevitably lead to a big chaos.

Unfortunately, the three encirclement and suppression armies are now fighting independently and are unable to form a joint force.

It is really despicable that some villains ignore the great cause of suppressing the rebellion for their own selfish interests.

The most urgent task is to report to the court and ask it to send an imperial envoy to supervise the military affairs of the provinces and take charge of the overall situation of suppressing the rebellion! "

Yongzhou prefect Jiang Junfeng took the lead in proposing this.

The enemy's troops have arrived at our doorstep.

According to Dayu's rules, local officials are responsible for their territory.

Others still have a way out, but as the prefect of Yongzhou, he cannot abandon his jurisdiction and run away.

At this time, the White Lotus Sect broke out. It was a political disaster for others, but an opportunity for him.

“This matter must indeed be reported to the imperial court. If you are interested in signing a petition with me, please join us!

However, it will take some time for the court to send an imperial envoy, and the rebels will not stand there and wait for us.

The fact that the leader of the rebels dared to proclaim himself emperor at this time was obviously telling the people of the world that he was determined to take over the world.

If nothing unexpected happens, the rebels are planning a new round of offensive.

Yunnan and Guizhou are poor and isolated areas, so they are definitely not the enemy's main attack direction.

The rebels' next goal was either to capture Huguang or to attack Guangdong.

If the enemy's main attack direction is Huguang, do you have any strategy to defeat the enemy?"

After listening to Lu Jingxuan's analysis, the atmosphere in the room became more solemn.

For the Huguang army, which had just suffered a major defeat, it would undoubtedly be difficult for them to fight a decisive battle with the rebels at this time.

"Governor, the rebels are now in high spirits.

It is very difficult to defeat them with our strength alone.

When I was coming here, I heard a piece of news from the captives.

It is said that a government army landed in Lianzhou and infiltrated the rear of the rebels.

If we can contact them and contain the rebels from behind, we should be able to reduce some of the pressure."

Han Song said nervously.

This news has not been confirmed yet.

The Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp had no relationship with Huguang. Even if there was good news, it would be sent to the capital first and then forwarded down.

The process will be completed in one or two months at the earliest.

"Zou Yunchuan, the governor of Guangdong, is a slippery person by nature and doesn't seem like someone who can accomplish such a big thing.

Send someone to verify the news first, beware of the enemy's conspiracy."

Lu Jingxuan shook his head and said.

Zou Yunchuan had missed so many opportunities to suppress the rebellion before, and he didn't believe that this man would suddenly change his mind.

If they received the news that the leader of the rebels had ascended the throne, it is possible that they would do this in order to avoid punishment from the court.

But the timing doesn't match.

Huguang and Guangdong are both adjacent to Guangxi, so the time when both sides received the news should be almost the same.

Even if you take action immediately after receiving the message, it can't be that fast.

……

The capital, Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Just after receiving Li Mu's victory report, news came that the White Lotus Sect had declared itself emperor.

The experience of ice and fire ruined Ji Zhaoshun's good mood.

"My dear ministers, the White Lotus Rebellion has been repeatedly suppressed but still not destroyed. Don't you want to say something?"

After hearing the emperor's question, the ministers continued to daydream.

The situation continued to deteriorate, largely due to factional struggles. The end of the eunuch party did not mean that the court would be peaceful.

Yin and Zuo, who attempted to seize power, used Sima Yi's past deeds to insinuate Pang Ge Lao, thus provoking a new round of party struggles.

Unlike previous power struggles, the spreading rumors made Pang Hengsheng very passive.

The emperor's attitude also made everyone confused.

On the one hand, he openly supported Lord Pang in the court, and on the other hand, he privately trusted Yin Zuo and the others.

In this complicated situation, Pang Hengsheng wanted to take revenge several times, but chose to give up at the last moment.

For the chief minister of the cabinet, it was not difficult to get rid of Yin and Zuo, but the tricky part was the emperor's attitude.

He made many attempts to this end, but unfortunately the emperor seemed not to understand and did not give any effective feedback.

As a political tumbler, he will not take action before he has a clear understanding of the situation.

Pang Hengsheng's patience stimulated the ambitions of Yin Zuo and others, making the rumors spread more and more.

This strange change made all officials mistakenly believe that the emperor and the prime minister were playing a game.

This made the ministers nervous every time they went to court, fearing that they would be caught up in the political storm, and they had no intention of handling government affairs.

The most direct impact was that the officials did not pay much attention to the rebellion in Guangxi.

The issue of the three armies fighting on their own was simply ignored by everyone.

"Prime Minister, you speak first."

Ji Zhaoshun frowned and named.

The silence of his ministers made him put the blame on the assistant ministers.

In his view, the silence of all officials was a silent warning from his ministers.

Even in daily court meetings, the ministers had to look at the faces of the assistant ministers.

If this continues, all officials will only know how to assist the emperor, and no one will take him, the emperor, seriously!
"Your Majesty, all traitors and rebels shall be punished.

In my opinion, it would be better to approve the request of the officials from Huguang.

An imperial envoy was sent to supervise the military affairs of the five provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong, Huguang, Yunnan, and Guizhou, and to preside over the overall suppression of the rebellion.

Pang Hengsheng replied expressionlessly.

An imperial envoy was sent to supervise the military affairs of the five provinces, which was equivalent to a replica of the Liaodong governor.

The difference is that he is in charge of the military affairs of five provinces, and the actual power in his hands is greater than that of the Liaodong governor.

There is definitely nothing wrong with this arrangement when it comes to overseeing the overall suppression of the rebellion.

But the position of an imperial envoy is not so comfortable.

The five provinces were so far apart that it was impossible to concentrate the troops, which caused great trouble to the command.

Most of the time, the battle was over before the order was delivered.

Overall command is more like a pie in the sky.

Pang Hengsheng had no choice but to do this even though he knew there were problems.

He was just a civilian official and had only a superficial understanding of military affairs.

The emperor did not ask the Ministry of War or the left and right generals, but first asked the prime minister. No matter how you look at it, there was suspicion that he was setting a trap.

It’s definitely not a good idea to say you don’t know, so you can only choose the one that looks the most stable.

There is nothing wrong with the strategic deployment, but whether it can be implemented during execution is another matter.

If the emperor had not strongly requested it, he would not have wanted to discuss the matter at court.

The correct solution is to call a small meeting of a few ministers, and a solution can be come up with within an hour.

It was brought to the court for discussion, which was not only inefficient but also impossible to keep confidential.

By the time they came up with a solution, the rebels would probably have received the news as well.

The White Lotus Sect is an old rebel organization with followers from south to north.

After a discussion in the court, many people who had expressed doubts about the growth of the Guangxi rebels also received accurate information from the court.

Perhaps it will also stimulate the ambitions of the White Lotus Sect in other regions and cause even greater chaos.

"Everyone, do you have any different opinions?"

Ji Zhaoshun asked again.

“Your Majesty, the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai’an Camp have completed their landing in Lianzhou, threatening the rebels’ rear.

The imperial court could increase its support for them so that they could recapture Lianzhou Prefecture as soon as possible and march into Nanning to threaten the heart of the rebels.

The four armies will attack together, making it impossible for the rebels to deal with all the problems. We will definitely be able to wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop."

Jing Guoliang suggested cryptically.

Compared with coordinating the suppression of the rebellion, he was more optimistic about concentrating one main force to carry out the main attack, and the other several forces to carry out feint attacks to disperse the enemy's forces.

Guangxi's grain production is limited, and after the White Lotus Rebellion, agricultural production was abandoned.

Adding to the losses caused by the war, by the beginning of next spring when there is a shortage of food and grass, the rebels will run into problems of their own.

Instead of sending civil officials to command the military affairs of the five provinces, it is better to let the military generals have free rein to tie down the main force of the rebels and slowly wear down the enemy.

Based on his understanding of the White Lotus Sect, he knew that the rebellion of this evil cult organization was most powerful in the early stages but became increasingly weaker as time went on.

"Um!

Then we should adopt a two-pronged approach and appoint a minister as the governor of the five provinces to coordinate the military affairs of the five provinces and oversee the overall suppression of the rebellion.

At the same time, we will increase support for the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp. I hope to recover Lianzhou Prefecture within this year!"

As soon as Ji Zhaoshun finished speaking, all the ministers frowned.

The emperor was almost obsessed with ruling the country himself, and he bypassed them and acted on his own more and more often.

Take action to stop it, the emperor will take power next year.

Now that we have slapped the emperor in the face, he will definitely have a hard time when he takes power.

For the sake of long-term considerations, they had to choose to make concessions again and again.

Unfortunately, the emperor did not appreciate this concession, but instead became more keen to interfere in government affairs.

……

Lianzhou Port.

Since the successful landing, Li Mu has been stationed there with peace of mind.

In order to collect intelligence, he also sent out the Jinyiwei.

However, the identities of these people are no longer Jinyiwei, but have transformed into "Yebushou" under the Yangzhou Camp.

As for his original identity, it was naturally "killed in battle", or about to be killed in battle.

This was not forced by Li Mu, but was entirely requested by these people.

When they were the Imperial Guards, they offended too many people.

Now that we don’t have the big tree to shelter us from the wind and rain, we will inevitably be retaliated against by others.

The best option is to die on the battlefield and play the game of "one person, one debt is cleared".

"General, there is news from the First General Banner of Yebushou that the rebel generals are bribing the local chieftain.

They tried to use the power of local chieftains to cause trouble for us.

Sir, do you think we should destroy it?"

Yao Yong stepped forward and reported.

From a captain of the Imperial Guard to a captain of the recruitment test, it seems that the rank is only downgraded by one level, but in fact his status and position has dropped dramatically.

As a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he could ignore ordinary lieutenant generals and generals.

Once you join the army, all your privileges are gone.

But there is no other way. If he wants to survive, he must leave the Jinyiwei.

Following Li Mu, at least I can keep my official status, which is better than wandering around.

"Need not!
Notify those who have infiltrated the enemy camp to just keep an eye on the enemy and not to act hastily.

Everything is based on keeping yourself safe.

If conditions permit, cooperation between the chieftains and the rebels can be facilitated.”

Li Mu shook his head and said.

At this moment, Guangxi seems to be controlled by the White Lotus rebels, but in fact it is a mess internally.

In addition to the White Lotus rebels, local chieftains, bandits and robbers also took advantage of the situation to rob and occupy each piece of territory.

The White Lotus Sect did not take action against them. As long as they were willing to accept the title, they would become members of the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus.

In the chaotic situation, there were refugees everywhere, which created favorable conditions for the Ye Bushu to hide.

By bribing the White Lotus officials, he successfully joined the White Lotus Holy Kingdom.

(End of this chapter)