Fu Shanhe

Chapter 177 Cutting off the escape route
After sending out the compiled victory report, the army, after a day of rest, set out on the journey again.

Now it's a race against time.

The news of the rebels' defeat is spreading to the outside world.

Once they receive news of the Xunzhou Front Army's defeat, the rebels in the Nanning direction will most likely choose to flee.

"Commander Li, I'm afraid the soldiers can't stand such a rapid march!"

Jia Bo persuaded tactfully.

In order to save time, this expedition was carried out with a small group of people, only seven days of dry food.

In just one morning, the army advanced thirty miles.

Jia Bo had no idea whether the soldiers below could bear it, but as the military supervisor, he was in a lot of trouble.

There is no way. If we encounter a forced march, no one can expect special treatment.

Even if he was a military supervisor, he could only ride a horse himself.

For a military general, riding thirty miles in the morning is like a piece of cake.

But for a pampered civil servant, this is already challenging the limit.

What’s worse is that this intensity of travel does not just last for one morning, but for several days.

The government troops were unable to block the transmission of information, and the only way to stop the rebels was to march faster than them.

Destroy them on the way before they return to Nanning City.

It would be even better if we could force the rebels to split up and flee, and then chase after the defeated soldiers.

"Master Jia, don't worry!

If you can't even bear this little bit of hardship, then what's the point of being a soldier?

In order to save time, we didn't even bring any heavy artillery.

If a small group of people can't even travel 70 miles a day, how can they be called elite soldiers?"

Li Mu said with feigned disdain.

There is no doubt that he made such a marching arrangement on purpose.

If nothing unexpected happens, the rebels in Nanning have already received the news of Xunzhou's defeat.

The distance between the two armies was more than a hundred miles. If they relied solely on infantry to chase them, it would be useless.

It was the cavalry that was actually responsible for intercepting the rebels.

As long as the enemy is caught by the cavalry, they cannot easily retreat.

The infantry's mission is to get past and annihilate the enemy.

The decision to march seventy miles a day was not only due to war needs, but also to complain to the military supervisor.

For many things, it is difficult to understand the hardships of the soldiers just by looking at the data on paper without experiencing them personally.

Taking the military supervisor with you once is more useful than complaining a thousand times.

"Commander Li, you are really good at training troops!"

Jia Bo praised with gritted teeth.

As a scholar, he has to save face.

The soldiers were walking on the ground without complaining or feeling tired, so it would be too embarrassing for him, a military inspector on horseback, to complain of being tired.

If it gets out, it will damage your reputation.

Deep down in his heart, he added another criterion for measuring elite soldiers, besides the ability to fight: the ability to travel seventy miles a day.

In fact, a forced march of seventy miles a day was not the limit of the infantry in the feudal dynasties.

In history, there have even been troops that could travel a hundred miles a day, but they were temporary outbreaks and could not be sustained.

Those who can maintain a speed of 60 miles per hour during continuous marching are considered elite.

To train such an army, the soldiers' nutrition must be kept up and the intensity of daily training will not be low.

We cannot expect a troop that eats only coarse food to become an elite force.

There is no doubt that more than 95% of the troops of the Dayu Dynasty cannot meet any of the requirements.

"Ha ha……

This is the standard for recruiting soldiers, and the garrison troops certainly cannot meet it.

Generally speaking, troops that can march fifty miles a day are considered well-trained.”

In order not to harm his colleagues, Li Mu added another sentence.

It would be disastrous if this military supervisor were to rise to the rank of commander in the future and start measuring the local armed forces according to the standards of the Yangzhou Camp and the Huai'an Camp.

You know, in order to maintain a speed of 70 miles, he didn't even bring the newly formed garrison troops this time.

Don't look down on the few guards under his command. Most of the soldiers have only been in the army for a few months, and their actual level is better than that of 95% of the guards.

Not only is the training intensity on par with the main force, the soldiers' daily meals are also strictly implemented in accordance with the standards set by the court.

The poor food for soldiers in the eyes of outsiders is purely caused by the corruption of officials.

Since Dayu was able to seize the world by force, it would not let its soldiers starve.

At least in the early years of the founding of the country, the living standards of soldiers were much higher than those of civilians.

Official standard: Soldiers’ staple food is 2.5 kilograms of brown rice per person per day, plus three cents of silver for side dishes.

Although the actual amount distributed by the court was not that much, when it came to Li Mu, he still purchased it according to the standards.

As for the difference, we can just report a little more war damage and ask for more compensation.

Loot is also a nice addition.

As long as we can win the battle, we can find ways to recover the additional expenses.

If nothing unexpected happens, after the Guangxi Campaign is over, the troops under his command will be able to receive 70% of their wages.

If Lord Xu needs them to continue working hard, they might be able to get 75% or even 80% of the salary.

This is the strength of the elite division. The more capable the troops are, the stronger their bargaining power.

Those guys in the Ministry of Revenue also treat people differently based on their situation.

However, such good days mainly occur during wartime.

According to the laws of Dayu, the garrison troops had to farm to support themselves and also bear part of the military expenses.

The situation in Guangxi was special. The original garrison troops were wiped out, and the newly formed troops naturally had to be supported by the court.

In order to meet the needs of the war, we managed to obtain the right to recruit soldiers in a short period of time.

Once the war is over, they will return to the treatment of garrison soldiers.

In theory, the Guangxi Governor's Office should provide financial and food support.

Judging from the actual situation, Li Mu did not think that the Guangxi Governor's Office would be able to provide money and grain after the war.

Unlike Yangzhou Prefecture, when unowned properties and land were put up for sale, gentry from all over the country rushed to grab them.

Guangxi is heavily dependent on fiscal appropriations, and local industries and land cannot be sold at high prices.

The local gentry were harmed by the rebels, and even if the gentry from other places gave them land, they were unwilling to migrate here.

Apart from a few gentry families engaged in business who were willing to purchase some minerals, not much money could be raised.

The governor's office had a hard time itself, let alone supporting its subordinates.

If you count on the imperial government's funding, you will end up having to eat coarse food!
The right thing to do is to take advantage of the opportunity now and ask for more money and food.

……

Nanning Front Army Camp.

“I just received news that the Holy Dynasty army was unfortunately defeated in the battle with the Pseudo-Dynasty army in Pubei, and the Loyal and Filial Marquis died heroically for his country.

If nothing unexpected happens, the main force of the pseudo-King’s army is already rushing towards us.

Next is war or peace, let's discuss it together!"

Boss Su said with a gloomy expression.

Marquis Zhongxiao was not only the commander-in-chief of this battle, but also the highest-ranking general who had sacrificed since the establishment of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom.

Although the specific battle situation is unknown, the commander-in-chief was killed and the army must have suffered heavy losses.

It is not impossible that the entire army will be destroyed.

The main force of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom is mostly stationed in Xunzhou, and his troops are mainly composed of chieftain troops.

Once the news spreads, the morale of the army will inevitably be affected.

"General, they are just a few deserters, their words are not credible. If it is a conspiracy of the enemy, we will be in trouble if we withdraw rashly and affect the war.

In my opinion, we might as well wait and see.

If Marquis Zhongxiao were really defeated, the Holy Kingdom would definitely order a withdrawal.

At this moment, the enemy is still more than a hundred miles away from us and it will take them a while to catch up.

Send someone to keep an eye on them first, and if we find them approaching us, it won’t be too late to take action.”

The captain of the central army, Cai Xiaoliu, began to persuade.

His worries were not groundless.

Although the Holy White Lotus Kingdom was a newly established country, it had established basic operating rules.

According to the rules of the Holy Kingdom, anyone who withdraws troops without authorization will be beheaded!

Not only will the main general be beheaded, but these high-ranking generals will also be buried with him.

Without getting accurate information, it would be difficult for people to make up their minds to withdraw based solely on the information brought by the defeated soldiers.

"Captain Cai, the puppet government's army has cavalry, and they love to hunt scouts. Ordinary spies simply cannot bring back any news.

If we really verify the news, the enemy might have already arrived in front of us.

By the time the Holy Kingdom issues the order, it will be too late.

The Holy City is not closer to the front line than we are.

If Xunzhou was in the hands of the Holy Kingdom, it would be good if the news could be reported immediately.

I am afraid that Xunzhou will also fall into the hands of the pseudo-dynasty, which will delay the transmission of news."

Former military lieutenant Hua Er retorted instinctively.

As Cai Xiaoliu's mortal enemy, he would take the lead in opposing anything the other party supported.

"Hua Lao Er, stop being so pretentious here.

Even if Marquis Zhongxiao suffered a defeat, he would send someone to notify the Holy Capital as soon as possible.

If everything goes well, we will receive orders from the Holy City tomorrow at the latest.

Retreating according to the Holy Emperor's order is much more reliable than withdrawing troops on one's own initiative.

If the Holy Dynasty sends reinforcements and asks us to continue fighting, withdrawing without authorization will be a capital crime.

It doesn't matter if you lose your life, but don't let it implicate others!"

Cai Xiaoliu retorted sarcastically.

At this point, it is not only a dispute over withdrawal, but also a dispute over face between the two.

No matter who makes the concession, they will not be able to hold their heads up when seeing the other person for a long time to come.

Seeing the two of them start quarreling, all the generals present turned into spectators.

There is little fun in the army, and eating melons is one of the rare entertainment activities.

If it weren't for the wrong occasion, people would be unable to resist starting a bet and guessing who would win this round of quarrel.

……

"enough!"

"If you want to quarrel, get out of here! This is not the place for you to act recklessly!"

The commander, Boss Su, couldn't help but scold.

The Holy Kingdom of White Lotus is a mixed bag, and the generals under its command did all kinds of things before they rebelled.

The fat man with a black face on the left turned out to be a butcher who specialized in slaughtering pigs and selling meat.

The scarred man on the right is a casino janitor and also works part-time as a loan shark.

Cai Xiaoliu and Hua Er, sitting on the left and right seats respectively, are both fishmongers. Because they often compete for the market, they become sworn enemies.

The bald man below is a monk who was expelled from the temple for violating the precepts.

The man with a face full of flesh at the back is an executioner in the government office as a side job, and his main job is selling human blood steamed buns.

There was no way. The sons of the gentry would stay away when they heard the three words "White Lotus Sect", let alone join in the rebellion.

In the early days of the uprising, anyone who dared to fight and kill could quickly come to the fore.

Those who make money through illegal means are much stronger than ordinary people.

The advantage is very obvious in the early stage.

As long as your luck is not too bad, you can get a position in the rebel army.

However, it is generally difficult for these people to survive to the end.

It’s not that the monarch is targeting him deliberately, it’s just that he has various problems that can torture himself to death.

"Report!"

"General, the scouts found a large number of horse hoof prints twenty miles away from us. It seems that a large group of cavalry passed by."

The captain of the personal guards' words made everyone in the room change their expressions.

Although the Holy White Lotus Kingdom has a cavalry organization, they don’t have any under their command!
If they were cavalry from the Holy Kingdom, they would definitely send someone over to say hello since they were so close to them.

If they are not one of us, then they can only be our enemies.

"not good!
The enemy cavalry has infiltrated our rear and may cut off our way back!

It seems that the news that the loyal and filial martyr died in battle should be true."

The scar-faced general couldn't help but exclaim.

Although the Nanning Front Army seems to have 70,000 troops, it essentially plays the role of a detachment.

The main force of this counterattack was the southward army led by Marquis Zhongxiao.

Now that the main force has been defeated, the small force has to face the main force of the government army alone. Anyone would be worried.

"Pass the order down, have the scouts expand the scope of investigation and make sure to find the location of the enemy cavalry.

Everyone, the most dangerous moment has arrived. Let's discuss how to bring the troops back intact!"

Boss Su gave the order with a serious look.

On the battlefield, the most feared thing is uncertainty.

The enemy cavalry is hiding in the dark and can deal a fatal blow to them at any time.

No general could ignore this threat.

He couldn't sleep well until he found the enemy.

“General, Nanning is located on the west bank of the Dajiang River. If our army wants to go back, we must cross the river.

As long as the bridges and the ships at the ferry are destroyed, the enemy can delay our crossing time."

As soon as the monk's words came out, the originally tense atmosphere in the room suddenly became more depressing.

Knowing your enemy's motives doesn't mean they will change.

Cavalry runs faster than infantry, so even if they immediately send troops to guard the various ferry crossings, it will be too late.

Without bridges and ships, we can only make rafts to cross the river.

Not to mention how technically difficult it is, a lot of time will be wasted alone.

Before they were ready, the main force of the government army had already arrived.

"Captain Cai, Captain Hua, you two used to make a living on the water, and you are most familiar with the situation in Yujiang.

Is there any shallow water area suitable for a large army to cross the river?"

Boss Su asked with concern.

First, his main force was defeated, and then his retreat was about to be cut off. At this moment, he no longer had the intention to fight a decisive battle with the enemy.

He would be satisfied if he could bring the troops back safely.

As for encircling and suppressing the enemy and retaking Lianzhou, we should consider that after the reinforcements from the Holy Kingdom arrive.

“General, although it is the dry season now, the riverbed is still tens of meters wide.

Nanning is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yujiang River, and even in the shallow water area, it is not possible for ordinary people to cross.

If you want to cross the river directly, you can only go to the upstream area."

Hua Er spoke first.

(End of this chapter)