Fu Shanhe

Chapter 152 The war begins

Thang Long City, Dai Viet Royal Palace.

“Your Majesty, new changes have occurred in the Yu Dynasty.

After the White Lotus defeated the rebellion army and occupied Guangxi, the Yu army launched a counterattack.

A detachment of the army landed at Lianzhou Port on the front line, driving a nail into the White Lotus Sect's rear.

Tongzhengshi Ding Weiqi stepped forward to report.

Unlike other vassal states, the Le Dynasty was only forced to submit to Dayu by force.

When facing Dayu, they called themselves the Kingdom of Annan, but internally they always called themselves the Dai Viet Empire.

Every time something goes wrong in Dayu, they can't help but stir up trouble.

In essence, they are similar to the Northern Tartars, except that they are better at dealing with the bureaucrats of Dayu.

While encroaching on the territory of Dayu, he also left enough face for the Emperor of Yu and often gave gifts to Dayu officials in private.

But the civil servants of the Yu Dynasty just fell for this kind of tricks. As long as they gave enough face, they could let the wild land like Jiaozhi be lost.

Relying on a series of means, the annexation of Jiaozhi Provincial Government was successfully completed.

Once ambition is born, it will never be satisfied.

After tasting the sweetness, they once again turned their attention to Guangxi.

Relying on a series of means including coercion and inducement, half of the chieftains in Guangxi have now accepted the enthronement of the Emperor of Yue.

Now all we need is an opportunity to send troops to swallow up Guangxi in one fell swoop.

"The evil cult organization was ultimately unable to gain any momentum, and it actually allowed the Yu Dynasty's army to gain a foothold in the rear.

If the situation continues to develop in this way, it will be difficult for the White Lotus rebels to withstand the multi-pronged siege by the Yu Dynasty people.

Send a message to the chieftains who support us, asking them to give greater support to the rebels, and it would be best if they could help remove this thorn in our backs.

Prime Minister, arrange for people to organize caravans to sell weapons and ammunition to the rebels.

All strategic materials except food can be sold to the rebels. I want this rebellion to continue!"

Emperor Hu Ruiyang of Yue immediately gave the order.

Compared with foreign wars, the destructive power caused by civil wars is obviously much more serious.

No matter what the final result is, it will greatly consume the national strength of the Yu Dynasty.

Although the White Lotus Rebellion seemed insignificant, the real damage it caused to Dayu was actually greater than that caused by the Northern Tartars in Liaodong.

Judging from the current situation, it will take at least 30 years for the Guangxi region to recover after the war.

For the Yu Dynasty, the bigger problem was that a vacuum period would occur after a large number of ordinary people died.

If immigration cannot be replenished in time, these lands will fall into the hands of the chieftains, leading to the further strengthening of the power of these separatist forces.

Not to mention the reform of the aboriginal system and the re-emergence of rebellions by the feudal lords, all of these are possible.

All it takes is some instigation behind the scenes to intensify the conflict between the local chieftains and the Yu Dynasty, and a war between the two sides can be triggered.

Once the war continues, given the style of Yu Dynasty officials who do not feel sorry for selling their father's land, some people will advocate giving up Guangxi.

If they spend more money to operate it, just like they did when they acquired the Jiaozhi Provincial Administration, they can gradually erode Guangxi.

“Your Majesty, it is actually easier to buy land from the White Lotus rebels than to obtain it from Dayu.

Now they only have Guangxi, so naturally they will not let go no matter what.

As your sphere of influence expands, things will change.

Those short-sighted cult members only focus on the glamorous world of Jiangnan and have no idea of ​​the importance of Guangxi.

If our support was stronger, they would have successfully entered Jiangnan.

If you cede Guangxi and Guangdong to us, I think the White Lotus will accept it."

Prime Minister Cui Ziyan said in a contemptuous tone.

Choosing to support the White Lotus Sect behind the scenes does not mean that the White Lotus Sect will be welcomed by the rulers.

Influenced by the annexation of Jiaozhi Provincial Administration, a series of rebellious ideas of the White Lotus Sect also spread in Dai Viet.

Many organizations similar to the White Lotus were born in the territory, but their organizational structures were more chaotic and their combat effectiveness was not as strong as that of the White Lotus.

The success of the White Lotus Rebellion in Guangxi also stimulated the ambitions of these rebel organizations to a certain extent.

As prime minister, Cui Ziyan would receive news about cult rebellions every now and then.

In particular, the White Lotus Sect's Equal Field System was regarded as a scourge.

If it weren't for the expansion to the north, he would have wanted to drag out all the White Lotus members who caused the trouble and tore them into pieces.

“Prime Minister, our influence on the White Lotus Sect mainly comes from material transactions.

It would be difficult to encourage them to voluntarily abandon Guangxi, escape from Dayu's heavy siege, and march directly into Jiangnan!"

Emperor Yue said hesitantly.

If the White Lotus Sect really did this, it is not certain whether the uprising would succeed, but it would definitely bring disaster to Dayu.

The key to the problem is that the top leaders of the White Lotus Sect are not puppets. They are also weighing the pros and cons and will not give up their lair easily.

Compared with Guangxi, people in Jiangnan region can still live a decent life and have little desire to rebel.

It would be embarrassing if they just raised their arms and called for others to turn around and complain to the authorities.

The local believers did not respond in time. If they wanted to make their way to Jiangnan on their own, the government troops who came to encircle and suppress them would have to be brainless.

“Your Majesty, the White Lotus people will naturally not listen now.

Once they get into trouble, this is a new option.

We are simply telling the White Lotus Cult in advance that they still have an option to take Jiangnan with a gamble."

Cui Ziyan said calmly.

No one can guarantee the success of a strategic plan until it is completed.

Especially this kind of plan that takes into account two major forces at the same time requires more luck.

When adopting this approach, it is not about how high the success rate is, the key is that the cost they need to pay is low enough.

If you win the bet, you make a lot of money.

If you lose, just pretend nothing happened.

The Dayu Dynasty is in too much trouble right now, and it doesn't have the time to retaliate against them for the time being.

"What the Prime Minister said is exactly what I want, let's do it!
All the financial, human and material resources required will be transferred from the national treasury. I want Dayu to be in chaos!"

Emperor Yue said with satisfaction.

……

Lianzhou Port.

"Uncle Qi, the fish has taken the bait. It looks like I won the bet this time.

Does the previous bet still count?"

Looking at the rebel camp opposite, Li Mu joked.

A group of idle men, gathered together for a long time, can't help but do something.

A few days ago, he made a bet with Jing Yifeng, guessing who would be the main force of the rebels coming to attack them.

Jing Yifeng guessed it was the White Lotus reinforcements, and Li Mu guessed it was the Tusi army.

Looking around now, we see a mess of uniforms everywhere, and they don’t look like the White Lotus army at all.

They have now established the Holy White Lotus Kingdom, and even the official positions have been clearly defined, so naturally they have to have unified clothing.

Unlike the enemy troops now, some of them are still wearing the standard armor of Dayu officers.

Apart from painting the color white, I didn't even bother to change the accessories.

“The bet, of course, counts.

When we are done with this battle and come back, I will definitely invite you to have fun on the Qinhuai River as promised.

Even if your wife asks about it, I will take full responsibility. Is that okay?

If you feel that this is not enough, I will give you two famous Qinhuai prostitutes to make you feel comfortable enough. "

Jing Yifeng said unhappily.

He is willing to accept defeat, so he still has some credibility.

But the following words were purely a joke.

Going to Qinhuai River to drink wine together is a normal social interaction and not a big deal.

It’s a different matter if you send someone to your cousin’s son-in-law’s house.

It would be fine if he was not favored. If he really fascinated Li Mu and his niece was wronged, his cousin would definitely not forgive him.

"Uncle Qi, if you dare to send someone here, I will respect you as a man.

But forget about returning the gift. I am a junior who knows my limits and I dare not push anyone into the room of my elders.

Otherwise, if you work hard on the battlefield, the emperor will give you a few beauties, and I guarantee that no one will complain!"

Li Mu took the opportunity to tease.

Both of their marriages were the product of political alliances.

To enjoy the benefits, you naturally have to pay a certain price.

You can have three wives and four concubines if you want, but not now.

During the period of career development, you must adopt a positive and enterprising spirit.

Only by performing well enough can you obtain continued investment of resources from the clan.

Once they achieve success, even if they themselves have not fallen, others will persuade them to start enjoying themselves.

This is the fate of the generals of Dayu.

The greater the achievements one makes in his youth, the more he will indulge in sensual pleasures in the second half of his life.

The dividing line between struggle and enjoyment is that the emperor rewards people with gold, silver, jewelry, beauties and fine wines at the same time.

A perceptive general, after receiving these things, would take the initiative to find an opportunity to give up his military power and return home to enjoy himself.

Usually at this point, the emperor would take away the military power and give him a prominent honorary position.

In normal times, he would eat, drink and have fun, and in times of war, the emperor would occasionally consult on military affairs.

After a few years of losing one's fighting spirit, if one is lucky, it may be able to be used again.

If you are unlucky, you will continue to live a life of drunkenness and dreams.

If one is not intelligent enough and fails to understand the emperor's good intentions in time, it will be difficult to have a good end.

"Ha ha……"

"Just talking about your seventh uncle, think about yourself first!

Don't forget this battle, you are the commander-in-chief and I can only follow you to make a living.

If you really make great contributions, it will be your first contribution."

……

The two of them kept joking and teasing each other, and the originally tense pre-war atmosphere was suddenly diluted a lot.

The originally nervous soldiers, seeing their commander imagining the post-war period, could not help but fantasize about the future.

They did not expect the emperor to reward them with beautiful women.

If I can get a few taels of reward, it won't be a wasted trip.

If you are lucky enough to obtain any one of the four great merits, namely, beheading generals, seizing flags, breaking through enemy lines and being the first to reach the enemy line, you will be able to rise to great heights.

For ordinary soldiers, as long as they can become an official, it will bring honor to their family.

The sound of the horn from the enemy camp broke this beautiful moment and brought everyone back to reality.

I saw teams of enemy soldiers walking out of the camp, forming battle formations and approaching the main camp.

Leading the way was a group of war elephants. Every time their huge weight took a step, the earth trembled.

Everyone knows that the war has begun!

"Pass the order down, have the artillery split into five groups and use shrapnel shells to aim at the enemy elephants and shoot!"

Li Mu immediately gave the order.

Elephant soldiers have always played an important role on the battlefields of the southwestern chieftains.

It was once the strongest cavalry unit in the southwest region.

However, this powerful army in the era of cold weapons lost its original status when it entered the era of hot weapons.

No matter how strong an elephant is, it cannot withstand the attack of artillery.

Its huge size makes it a sitting target on the battlefield.

Under normal circumstances, a shrapnel bomb cannot kill an elephant, but it will hurt a lot after being hit!

In the blink of an eye, the war elephants hit by the shells became irritable.

The soldier who was supposed to command the war elephants to advance has now been thrown to the ground.

Some of the war elephants that had lost their command chose to speed up and run wildly, some took a curve, and some even turned around on the spot.

The originally neat elephant army formation suddenly became chaotic.

(End of this chapter)