Fu Shanhe

Chapter 219: The assembled militia army

Zhaoqing Prefecture.

"idiot!"

"They're all idiots!"

……

Lou Qinghong kept on cursing.

While he was concentrating on guarding against the enemy in Xijiang, problems arose on the Wuzhou front again.

Upon learning that the government troops had successfully crossed the river, the general responsible for blocking the enemy troops in Wuzhou thought that the main force of the government troops was in Guanghaiwei and relaxed his vigilance.

This negligence caused a big disaster.

The government troops of Wuzhou Prefecture suddenly attacked, catching the defenders off guard, and several county towns in the west fell one after another.

In just a few days, most of Zhaoqing Prefecture was lost.

According to the current situation, it won't be long before they are trapped in an isolated city.

"General, calm down!
The enemy commander, Li Mu, was a famous general of the Pseudo-Dynasty, and was extremely cunning in employing troops.

It's no surprise that General Wu was caught off guard and fell into the enemy's trap.

The most urgent task is to gather the defeated soldiers, defend the city, and wait for the situation in the world to change."

The prefect of Zhaoqing advised helplessly.

The situation was not good. Everyone else could surrender to the government army, except him.

Since the gentry enjoyed the privileges granted by the court, they naturally had to assume corresponding obligations.

Surrendering to the rebels and serving as an official of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom was undoubtedly a major taboo for the imperial court.

Once the government troops come back, his entire family will be destroyed.

“Sir, there is no need for you to plead for mercy, Wu Lao Si has already died on the battlefield.

No matter how angry I am, I will not take it out on a dead person.

The puppet army was advancing aggressively, and the defense of Zhaoqing City was weak, so it could not be held for long.

I intend to lead the army to retreat and join forces with my colleagues in Guangzhou to protect Guangdong together!"

Lou Qinghong said calmly.

Being trapped in an isolated city is a big taboo in military strategy.

Compared with other White Lotus generals, Lou Qinghong, who came from a military family, had read several military books.

Before the White Lotus Rebellion, he was the commander-in-chief of the garrison.

Because he offended people when he was young and was always bullied by his superiors, he joined the White Lotus Sect.

"General, the order from above is for us to defend Zhaoqing Prefecture.

If we retreat to Guangzhou without permission, I'm afraid we won't be able to explain ourselves!"

The prefect Cui persuaded in a panic.

The Holy Kingdom of White Lotus was just founded, and there was not enough time to perfect its systems, so most of the time it just copied the rules of Dayu.

This includes the responsibility of local officials to guard their territory.

If you abandon the city without permission and retreat to the rear, you will be held accountable.

Now is the time to conquer the world. Lou Qinghong has a large army under his command, and the Holy Kingdom will not touch him easily.

If the top leaders wanted to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, Prefect Cui, who was powerless, would easily become the poor chicken.

“My Lord, I am afraid now.

Then why weren't you afraid when you privately sold the government's grain reserves?"

Lou Qinghong's sarcastic words scared Prefect Cui half to death.

I thought I was cautious enough, but I was still discovered.

"General Lou, what are you talking about? Why can't I understand you?"

Prefect Cui decisively chose to play dumb.

He had to be corrupt. If he didn't work hard to make money, how would he manage to bribe the high-ranking officials of the Holy Kingdom?

It seemed that the stored grain in the treasury was sold by him, but in fact he only got a small portion of it, and the high-ranking officials of the Holy Kingdom were the ones who made this deal.

The reason why they dare to do this is very simple. Now it is war time and it is too easy to settle the accounts.

Just blow up a few empty warehouses and report to the higher authorities that the granaries were destroyed by the government army's artillery.

If you feel it is not enough, you can set another fire.

As the prefect of Zhaoqing, all he had to do was keep the account books in order. As for any accidents that occurred in the warehouse, he could simply blame the government troops.

"Sir, you don't have to act here.

I will order the troops to fortify their walls and clear the fields, and no food will be allowed to flow in from outside.

A panic buying broke out in the city, and the food stocks in those few grain stores alone should have been sold out long ago.

They could have held out until now unless someone stole the grain from the treasury.

The reason you are against evacuating now is simply that the goods have not been sold out yet, and the losses will be very great if you evacuate at this time.

If you hold out for another ten days or half a month and you have emptied the treasury, even if I don't mention withdrawing, you will take the initiative to find an opportunity to do so."

Lou Qinghong said disdainfully.

After the price of grain in the city soared, there was suddenly a lot more grain on the market. If you looked closely, you would find that something was wrong.

The stockpiled grain is sold at high prices for arbitrage, and it would be a joke to hold on to it for a long time.

The window paper was pierced, and Governor Cui's face suddenly became gloomy.

Unfortunately, this is the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus, not the imperial court of Dayu, and as the prefect, he has no deterrent power over the garrisoning general.

"General Lou, there are some things that cannot be said carelessly.

Even if I had the courage, I would not dare to sell the grain in the government treasury privately.

It is rare to be ignorant in the officialdom. It is better not to know things that you should not know. "

The prefect said in anger and shame.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to profit is one thing, but being exposed is another.

If the truth were really exposed, Lou Qinghong would certainly offend people, but he, as the prefect, would also become a scapegoat.

"My Lord, fools won't live long.

No matter whose path you take, you will get 70% of the profits.

Don't rush to refuse, half of this 70% share belongs to His Royal Highness the King of the South.

In addition to managing relationships, the remaining half must be shared with the brothers, otherwise so much treasure cannot be transported out of Zhaoqing Prefecture!"

Lou Qinghong said with a smile.

The mantis catches the cicada, and the oriole is behind.

The actions of the prefect Cui in private had never escaped his notice. He had been pretending to know nothing, waiting for this moment.

Using the opportunity of driving up grain prices to plunder wealth from the people is a much more sophisticated method than directly allowing soldiers to plunder.

As a native of Zhaoqing, he didn't want to do things too radically. He simply stayed behind the scenes and waited for the governor to finish the harvest before jumping out to pick the peaches.

"you……"

The curse words came to his lips, but Cui Zhifu swallowed them back. Reason told him that this was not the time to turn hostile.

Lou Qinghong is a close confidant of the Southern King, and Guangdong is the territory of the Southern King's party. Although he was sent by the White Lotus Saint Emperor, he joined in halfway and is not a direct descendant of the White Lotus Sect.

If they really fell out, given the current chaos and turmoil, the death of a prefect during the evacuation would not be a big deal.

Guangdong can help cover up the matter. It is impossible for the Holy Emperor to break with the Southern King Party for him.

……

Guanghaiwei.

"What? You want me to launch a surprise attack on Guangzhou?"

Chuuji asked in disbelief.

I thought the negotiation was just about how much money was required, but I never expected it would be a hell dungeon right from the start.

With his current status, there would be no problem for him to retreat to Guangzhou after the defeat.

However, it was not so easy to cooperate with the government troops to capture Guangzhou City.

If there is a problem in any link during the process, there will be no way out.

“General, cooperating with the government troops to seize Guangzhou is only one option.

If you want to be safe, just open the city gate and let the government troops in now.

As you know, the imperial court has very strict restrictions on official titles.

If you have no military achievements, the position you get after accepting the imperial amnesty will be very low.

Whether to take the risk or not requires the general to carefully consider. "

Cheng Jiliang said calmly.

Although he also believed that the risk of a surprise attack on Guangzhou was too high, he could not resist the favorable conditions promised.

If he accomplishes this, his joining the Holy White Lotus Nation will become a matter of lurking under orders.

Not only did the political stain disappear, but it also made great contributions to the court.

If he is lucky, the emperor might directly grant him the same status as a Jinshi.

Although some people often joke that their fellow Jinshi are like wives, one must first pass the Jinshi exam before being qualified to discuss this topic.

There were approximately 13,000 living juren in the Dayu Dynasty. The imperial examination held every three years attracted approximately 4,000 to 5,000 candidates, and the number of admitted candidates was generally between 150 and 300.

Among them, the number of Jinshi candidates does not exceed fifty, and the rest are Tong Jinshi candidates.

It seems that the probability is not low. In fact, each of these scholars has gone through multiple rounds of screening and emerged from six million scholars.

If one can pass the imperial examination, his ancestral graves will be filled with smoke. Opening a separate family tree is a basic operation, and the village also has to build a memorial archway for the successful candidates.

In the face of huge benefits, even just a possibility is enough to make Cheng Jiliang take the risk.

After picking up the wine glass and drinking it all, Chu Er slapped his thigh fiercely and said:
“Fortune and honor come from risk, I’m taking a gamble!

But how can we guarantee that the other party can fulfill their promise? "

If someone dares to rebel, he is certainly not a timid person.

The only doubt is that the credibility of Dayu officials has never been very good.

The promises made are like toilet paper, thrown away after use.

"General, rest assured that these issues have been considered by the students. If it were a promise made by an ordinary official, it would naturally be untrustworthy.

The Commander Li we contacted this time was different. He had a very good reputation.

He has very extensive connections in the court and can get in touch with all parties. As long as he promises something, there is nothing he cannot accomplish.

When the eunuch party was at its most rampant, there were officials who saved their lives and property through his operations.

Later, the seven major families in Huaiyang rebelled, and the implicated families relied on his efforts to obtain the emperor's pardon order.

As far as the students know, everyone who asks him to do something always says good things about it afterwards.

Of course, his fees are also very high.”

Cheng Jiliang hurriedly explained.

He did his homework before doing this.

Chu Er was afraid that the officials who had surrendered would not acknowledge their deeds afterwards, and he was also afraid of that.

No matter how great the contribution is, it will only count if it is reported.

If we encounter someone who behaves in an unpleasant way, we will just chop him to pieces as if he were a traitor, and there will be no place to seek justice.

"Can a military commander really make the decision?"

Chuuji asked doubtfully.

Everyone knows that the civil officials in Dayu are noble and the military officials are lowly, and usually the civil officials make the decisions on major matters such as recruiting the amnesty.

The military generals were too busy to avoid suspicion and dared not to deal with such troublesome matters.

"General, the sons of nobles are different from ordinary generals, they have a say in the court.

Commander Li came from an unusual background. One of the six regent ministers in the court was his uncle, and one was his father-in-law.

Just look at the troops under his command and you will know that the rest of the government troops are pale and thin, while the government troops outside the city are stronger than each other.

Anyone can see at a glance that they are not short of money and food.”

Cheng Jiliang continued to explain.

“Yeah, I can see that.

The government troops outside all ate good rice and could often see meat.

In the Holy Kingdom, only a few elite people can enjoy it.

Commander Li is willing to provide food for the soldiers in the garrison, it seems that he really has no shortage of money and food."

Chu Er said with envy.

Background determines vision. It is obviously a necessary condition for training a strong army, but in the eyes of many people it is just a waste of money and food.

But this also became a piece of evidence.

Without any support in the court, where would all the money and grain come from to waste?

……

Chenzhou Prefecture.

Relying on the title of Minister of Militia, Bai Yifeng successfully fooled the elders of his hometown, and successively merged more than a dozen militia groups and established the Hunan Militia.

After a period of integration, it finally became an army today.

Regardless of the combat effectiveness, at least it has the appearance of a military.

Although the queue was a little messy, at least no one dared to whisper when he, the commander-in-chief, was giving a speech.

"Maintain troops for a thousand days and deploy them for a moment.

Today, the White Lotus bandits are invading our borders. How can we, the men of Huguang, allow these rebels to act so recklessly?
I have decided to send troops to reinforce Changde..."

Bai Yifeng's speech was destined to be in vain. Talking about Changde with these soldiers who had never traveled far was pure nonsense.

What are the exclusive terms like "the throat of Sichuan and Guizhou, the gateway to Yunnan and Guizhou"? No one can understand them at all.

Seeing that his attempt to boost morale failed, Bai Yifeng immediately realized that his approach was wrong and announced a reward.

"If you capture a rebel's head, you will be rewarded with two ounces of silver.

Kill the rebel leader and you will be rewarded with ten taels of silver.

……

Kill the rebel king and you will be rewarded with 10,000 taels of silver.

......"

I don’t know whether the reward can be redeemed, but this does not affect his promise.

If you take a group of new recruits to the battlefield and the soldiers' morale is not high, the battle will be impossible to win.

In fact, Bai Yifeng didn't want to send troops now at all.

However, Lord Zhu urged him repeatedly, and he, a minister of militia in name only, was unable to refuse.

Theoretically, he was able to command the militia south of Dongting Lake, but in reality, this temporary position had no rank at all and could not even be considered an official position of the court.

In the short term, it's okay to use it to fool people.

Once time goes on, it will definitely be exposed.

Without the support of the imperial court, it is hard to say whether he can still command the troops below.

For the sake of military power, he also had to go to war.

Only by achieving outstanding results on the battlefield can the regiment gain recognition from the imperial court.

Otherwise, all the centurions, thousand-man commanders, guerrilla generals and lieutenant generals he appointed would be a joke.

Once his subordinates knew that the court did not recognize the official positions he appointed, the troops might mutiny at any time.

Although these soldiers were recruited through clan relations.

Essentially, people are willing to join with their team just to become officials.

Even though everyone says they look down on military commanders, if there is a real chance to become an official, everyone will still rush to take it.

After all, the road to the imperial examination was too narrow, and only a very small number of people could pass it all the way.

For most of the sons of the gentry, their path to the imperial examination ended at the level of tongsheng, and those who passed the examination and became xiucai were considered the outstanding talents of the clan.

With so many children, it is not possible to support them just by the family.

Children who are not suitable for studying also have to seek a living after they grow up.

In the Dayu Dynasty, no matter what profession you have, it is not as good as being an official.

If you can't be a civil servant, it's also good to be a military general.

If you gather a team of a thousand people, you will immediately start with a thousand households. The temptation is really too great.

Relying on the method of deception, Bai Yifeng managed to gather an army of tens of thousands in a short period of time.

If it weren't for the issue of money and food, the team would have continued to expand.

"Let's go!"

With Bai Yifeng's order, the army marched towards Changde in a mighty manner.

……

Changde Prefecture.

Upon learning that the rebels were coming, the Changde prefect was terrified.

He couldn't even defend Changsha, which was heavily armed. The few thousand soldiers under his command were no match for the rebels.

"My Lord, good news!
The Hunan militia minister appointed by the cabinet minister will lead an army of 50,000 and is expected to arrive in two days."

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Wenyu was happy at first, but then his face changed.

What kind of militia minister? As soon as you hear about it, you know it is a makeshift team.

In order to protect Huguang, militias are being organized in various places, and Changde also has several militia teams.

Unfortunately, these troops only sound impressive, but in reality they are just a mob.

Many gentry were well-versed in military books, but only a few of them knew how to train soldiers.

According to the records in military books, after many failed attempts, one by one they chose to give up.

Today's militia is simply a group of farmers who have put down their hoes and are not even equipped with the simplest weapons.

Many soldiers were using bamboo spears, and there was no sign of armor or artillery.

"How much was falsely reported?"

Zhang Wenyu asked with concern.

In order to enhance deterrence, large armies usually exaggerate their troop strength when going on an expedition.

How much water there is depends entirely on the mood of the coach.

However, as the prefect of Changde, he had to provide money and food to the foreign troops who came to help.

In order to avoid making a fool of oneself, it is necessary to find out the strength of the reinforcements in advance so as to plan the camp and collect supplies.

“Judging from the marching troops, there are about 10,000 people.

Even the people below don’t know the exact amount.

To be on the safe side, we can send them 20,000 reinforcements to their military camp to avoid being accused of being petty.

These regiment soldiers are all young and strong, so it shouldn’t be a problem for them to defend the city.”

The master replied calmly.

It is normal that they are not clear about the situation. They are not the Jinyiwei and are not responsible for collecting intelligence.

This news was brought by the county yamen runners.

Asking them to count a team of tens of thousands of people is obviously putting things in a difficult position, and being able to estimate a fictitious number is already considered good enough.

"Master, what you said is right. We really can't let people think that we are petty.

Since ancient times, a friend in need is a friend indeed.

It's rare that Lord Bai can bring troops to help so quickly, we must not be impolite.

Orders were passed down to level out a piece of land in the city as a camp for the militia training troops.

Also notify the treasury to prepare 5,000 taels of silver, as I am going to entertain the troops."

Zhang Wenyu stroked his beard and said.

Considering that the other party came to his rescue in time, he decided not to pick on Bai Yifeng this time.

As long as they can stop the rebels and ensure that Changde City is not lost, he will accept this makeshift team.

……

(End of this chapter)