Fu Shanhe

Chapter 254: Kill but not bury

Capital.

After receiving the news of the fall of Anqing, Emperor Yongning felt very bad.

Before he ascended the throne, apart from the border troubles in Liaodong, Dayu as a whole was a peaceful and prosperous era, and even the phrase "Tianyuan Restoration" was shouted out.

If Emperor Tianyuan had not offended so many interest groups by appointing eunuchs, the "Tianyuan Restoration" would have been a reality and its historical evaluation would definitely have been several levels higher.

After he ascended the throne, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. But the problem was that he had done nothing and even corrected the malpractices of the previous emperor, and the government and the people supported him unanimously.

After a brief moment of distraction, Emperor Yongning once again blamed Yin and Zuo.

They were the ones who instigated the White Lotus Rebellion, so they should be held responsible for the current situation. It's a pity that they have already been crushed to ashes, and they can't die again.

"Anqing has fallen. Do you have anything to say, my dear ministers?"

Emperor Yongning asked expectantly.

The reality is very cruel. Everyone knows how serious the consequences of the fall of Anqing will be, and no one wants to break the last window paper.

After all, discovering a problem does not mean being able to solve it.

In the officialdom of Dayu, there has always been a tradition that whoever raises a problem must find a way to be responsible for solving it.

Mentioning the fall of Anqing at this time would be asking for trouble.

“Pei Aiqing, you are the Governor-General of Jiangnan, and Anqing is your jurisdiction.

Now that Anqing has unfortunately fallen, don't you have anything to say?"

When Pei Yunxuan heard the emperor calling his name, his face turned ugly and he was about to cry.

At another time, the governor of Jiangnan would have been a very lucrative position. But now the situation is different, and all parts of Jiangnan are in chaos.

This unfortunate governor had no chance to take office before he was blamed for the fall of Anqing.

If he cannot recover it as soon as possible, future historians will inevitably drag him out and whip his corpse when recording this history.

If Dayu collapses because of this, he will also be the main person responsible.

No matter how frightened he was, the emperor had already spoken, so the questions must be answered.

“Your Majesty, the reason Anqing fell was mainly due to the inaction of the Anqing prefect and the struggle for command by various generals.

The six divisions of Nanjing clearly had the opportunity to intervene, but they just sat back and watched them fight. As a result, the various government troops fought independently during the war and did not cooperate in time, which led to this great defeat.

After the rebels conquered Anqing, their next target must be Yingtian Prefecture. The imperial court had already lost Anqing Prefecture, and it must not lose Nanjing.

The most urgent task is to let the Nanjing Military Department take responsibility and make preparations to defend Yingtian Prefecture.

At the same time, the Beijing Camp and Shandong Army that entered the Huaihe River and Huaibei regions were ordered to rush to Nanjing immediately for reinforcement. The tragedy of the fall of Anqing must not be allowed to happen again. "

Pei Yunxuan's words seemed fair and objective, but in fact there was only one theme from beginning to end - passing the buck.

He has not yet taken office as the Governor-General of Jiangnan, but someone has to be held responsible for the fall of Anqing.

If he doesn't want to take the blame, then he can only let others take it.

The Anqing prefect is not important enough, and his life or death is unknown now, so he certainly cannot bear such a huge risk.

He was not familiar with the generals below and didn't know which unlucky guys to pick, so he simply listed them all as responsible.

Considering the upcoming battle, these people will still be needed to fight, and it would not be appropriate to deal with them.

After all this going around, the most suitable department to take responsibility is the Nanjing Six Ministries, or more precisely, the Nanjing Ministry of War.

After all, they have jurisdiction over the various armies gathered in Anqing.

When conflicts and disputes occur below, it is most appropriate to step in to mediate.

Failure to take timely action is a sign of inaction.

Out of political considerations, while passing on the blame, he also reached out to his colleagues in the Nanjing Ministry of War and proposed that they preside over the defense of Yingtianfu and make meritorious contributions in the process.

However, the officials of the Nanjing Ministry of War certainly did not want this help.

The responsibility for the fall of Anqing was shared along the way, and everyone shared the responsibility for inaction, which was nothing more than dismissal from office.

Being dismissed by the court at this time is a good opportunity to be transferred out of the storm-swirling area of ​​Jiangnan.

Staying behind to preside over the defense of Yingtian Prefecture was a way to make up for their crimes. If they did a good job, it was their duty, but if they messed up, they would lose their lives.

For the Nanjing Military Department officials who were used to slacking off, the benefits and risks were seriously disproportionate, and it was definitely a losing deal.

Except for a few official-crazy people, no one wanted to stay in Nanjing to clean up the mess.

"Ok!"

"Mr. Pei, what you said makes sense, I will give them another chance.

However, the six departments in Nanjing were used to being lazy, so when they were asked to take charge of the overall situation of suppressing the rebellion, there was bound to be buck-passing and wrangling.

Speed ​​is of the essence on the battlefield. Lord Pei, I order you to set off south immediately to take charge of the situation. You must protect Yingtian Prefecture at all costs.

I'll leave Jiangnan's affairs in the hands of Pei Aiqing!"

As he spoke, Emperor Yongning actually bowed to Pei Yunxuan, directly blocking all his words of rejection.

In fact, Emperor Yongning did this out of spite.

The governor-general at the front had too much power, so Xu Wenyue took the initiative to propose decentralization, which just suited his wishes.

In order to quickly quell the rebellion, he did not follow the advice of the cabinet in this personnel appointment, and promoted those he considered to be the pillars of the country.

With the successful case of Marquis Wuyang, Emperor Yongning believed that the difficult state affairs were the result of officials forming cliques for personal gain, and he wanted to break this pattern.

Regardless of qualifications, as long as the official is capable, he dares to promote and appoint him as an exception.

It is impossible to judge whether these practices are right or wrong for the time being. But in terms of power struggle, Emperor Yongning was undoubtedly successful.

Relying on a series of political means, the regent ministers left behind by Emperor Tianyuan were either killed, dismissed from office, or sent to remote areas, and those who remained in the court also began to turn a deaf ear and dumb.

Regent is now more like an honorary title.

In fact, the fact that Emperor Yongning's plan to seize power progressed so smoothly was also the result of the deliberate cooperation of his ministers.

The ministers selected by Emperor Tianyuan were not ambitious people. They were restrained from each other, and no one had the opportunity to monopolize power.

There are too many lessons in history. When an emperor reaches adulthood and takes power, it is respectable to cooperate actively. If he continues to hold on to power and refuses to let go, it will be a life-and-death political struggle.

Some people took the lead in letting go, and others also chose to give up. The emperor successfully monopolized power, and the ministers also retired smoothly after their success.

Without the constraints of assistant ministers, Emperor Yongning could finally do whatever he wanted in the court, but he also had to bear the pressure alone.

“Your Majesty, there is an urgent message from Guangdong that has arrived within six hundred miles.

The coalition forces of the three provinces joined forces with Guizhou to annihilate the troops of the pseudo-emperor Shi Rongxian in Tongren Prefecture, and captured more than 100,000 rebels in the battle.

Marquis Wuyang petitioned the court to reward meritorious officials.

After hearing the eunuch's words, a long-lost smile appeared on Emperor Yongning's gloomy face.

The good news came at the right time. We thought the situation in Jiangnan was going to deteriorate, but now there was a sudden turn for the better.

The great victory in Tongren Prefecture destroyed the rebel central government and was crucial to the cause of suppressing the rebellion.

Next, as long as Yingtian Prefecture can hold out for a period of time, troops from southern provinces can rush over to reinforce.

By then, it would not be difficult to join forces to wipe out the rebels entrenched in the south of the Yangtze River.

"reward!"

"We must reward them handsomely!"

“The Ministry of War and the Governor’s Office should immediately send people to verify the battle report and draw up a reward plan.

Send an order to Marquis Wuyang, asking him to wipe out the remnants of the rebels and then immediately lead his troops to Jiangnan to quell the rebellion."

Emperor Yongning said excitedly.

As he spoke, he did not forget to snatch the memorial and check the details in the battle report.

Soon the smile on his face disappeared.

The rebel central government was successfully wiped out, but the army that suppressed the rebellion also paid a heavy price.

The three-province coalition forces suffered more than 40,000 casualties, and the number of wounded was even greater.

According to the description above, the army that was suppressing the rebellion has been severely damaged at this moment, and the troops are in urgent need of rest and recuperation.

What’s worse is that the whereabouts of the pseudo-emperor Shi Rongxian are unknown. He is only suspected to have died on the battlefield, and his body has not been found.

"Forget it, there is no need to issue an order to Marquis Wuyang. Let the army that is suppressing the rebellion rest for a few months and replenish the personnel.

The Ministry of Revenue raised a sum of money as soon as possible to provide pensions for the fallen soldiers and to reward meritorious officials.

The court is short of funds now, so when the Ministry of War is drafting awards, it should give more honorary titles and fewer physical rewards!"

Emperor Yongning sighed and said.

He had no doubts about the truth of the reported losses. The location of the rebel central government was obviously a tough nut to crack, and it would cost a heavy price to gnaw it.

It would be strange if we won without any damage.

The battle report was limited in length and could not provide a detailed description, but he could still see the cruelty of the war.

After all, all the armies that went to suppress the rebellion suffered heavy losses, and there was no reason why the Guangxi soldiers should be an exception.

"The minister obeys the order!"

The Minister of War agreed readily.

This was a tough time for the Minister of Revenue, who had just raised funds to quell the rebellion, and now had to ask the court to pay out pensions and rewards.

But at this time, there is no way to refuse.

No matter what, we have to come up with some money to get things done.

Judging from the current situation, the subsequent battles in the Jiangnan battlefield will still have to rely on this army.

If the Ministry of Revenue does not provide money, the army will not be able to recover its combat effectiveness in time, which will affect the war in the Jiangnan region.

The spit of his fellow villagers could drown him.

……

Guangzhou, Governor's Office.

"My Lord, don't panic!
Given the current situation, Dayu’s sky won’t fall!”

Looking at Marquis Wuyang with dark circles under his eyes, Li Mu began to persuade him.

The army withdrew to Guangxi for rest and reorganization, and he took a battalion of soldiers and rushed to Guangzhou to attend a military meeting.

The result was different from what was expected. Marquis Wuyang did not summon officials from all over the place.

Obviously, he realized that war cannot be solved by simply having more people.

“You sound so relaxed, but do you know how much pressure I’m under?

Not long ago, the emperor issued an edict to establish the Governor-General of Huguang, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, and the Governor-General of Jiangnan.

Because there is no suitable candidate, I am now the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and concurrently the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang.

Now that Zhejiang has been plunged into war, the court hopes that I can recover the lost territory as soon as possible and support Yingtian Prefecture."

Marquis Wuyang said unhappily.

He was not destined to enjoy a good life. After a few days of good times, troubles came knocking on his door.

Adding a province's jurisdiction seems to make the power greater, but it also brings more troubles.

Unlike Guangdong and Guangxi which were ravaged by the rebels, the situation in Zhejiang was the most complicated.

There are many families of scholars in the province, and there are too many people serving as officials in the court.

As soon as the imperial court's appointment came down, the gentry in Zhejiang took action, hoping that he could come up with a plan to quell the rebellion as soon as possible.

Looking at the series of business cards, even he, a royal relative, felt it difficult.

"My Lord, please calm down first!

It is better not to send troops than to lose the battle.

In the battle to eliminate the false emperor, all parties suffered heavy losses and the soldiers were already exhausted.

It won’t be too late to send troops after the imperial court has finalized the rewards and stabilized the morale of the army.”

Li Mu said with a serious expression.

The limelight is too great, we must find a way to avoid it.

In order not to arouse the suspicion of the emperor and court officials, Li Mu discussed with his generals and decided to falsely report the war losses.

The rush to send the troops back to Guangxi for rest was also, to a certain extent, to fabricate the list of casualties.

Fortunately, when they set out on the expedition, in order to bluff, the 40,000-strong army was declared to be an army of 60,000.

After the battle, the casualties exceeded 40%, which was a serious blow to the army.

The original great victory turned into a hard-fought and tragic victory.

Compared with his colleagues from all over the country, in the eyes of the emperor and officials, he was still an outstanding general of Dayu, but not too eye-catching.

A victory that is consistent with everyone’s cognition is the real victory.

If nothing unexpected happens, the imperial court will certainly appease them so that they can recover their fighting capacity as soon as possible.

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning on asking you to send out troops right away.

The main reason they were called here is because of those idiots from Zhejiang who don’t know how to fight.

You have many capable and skilled generals under your command, can you send a few of them over to teach them how to fight?"

Marquis Wuyang said in a negotiating tone.

It is easy to say that the army should be prepared for war, but if you really put it into practice, you will face all kinds of troubles.

As the governor, he was not familiar with the situation in Zhejiang and might not get anything good if he rashly intervened.

The best option is to replace a group of officials and let your own people take charge.

Among the three provinces, there seemed to be quite a few of his old subordinates, and most of them probably fought under Li Mu.

When other generals arrived at the local areas, their performance was only mediocre and they were not worthy of major responsibilities.

"My Lord, it is their honor that you look up to them.

However, most of the generals under my command are children of nobles, and many of them have arrangements at home.

It is estimated that once the White Lotus Rebellion is quelled, they will go their separate ways.

It would be difficult for them to go to Zhejiang and wade into the muddy waters now."

Li Mu replied with a frown.

If it were Zhejiang before the war, I guess everyone would rush to take up a position there, but the situation is different now.

If you are not careful and suffer a defeat, you may lose your life.

If Li Mu asked for this, everyone would give him face, but the prerequisite was that he had to cover the consequences if any trouble occurred.

There are all kinds of accidents on the battlefield, and Li Mu did not dare to make such a promise.

“I have already considered these issues.

According to the normal promotion sequence, the commander of the garrison has made great contributions, and the next step is to be transferred to the position of lieutenant general.

If he is the son of a noble family, he may be promoted directly to deputy general, or serve as the deputy commander-in-chief.

There is only one position of the commander-in-chief, but there can be multiple positions of deputy general.

As long as they are willing to go, I will recommend them to be deputy generals.

If officers of a lower rank come here, I can also recommend them to be lieutenant generals."

Marquis Wuyang promised immediately.

If you want someone to do something for you, it's impossible not to give them some benefits.

In the Dayu Dynasty, the deputy general and the deputy commander-in-chief can be regarded as the same position, with the same rank and authority.

If he is the deputy of a general, he is called a deputy general, and if he leads troops alone, he is called a deputy general.

The people who are sent over now will definitely not be sent over as assistants to others, otherwise their work will be in vain.

"My Lord, you don't want to appoint a lieutenant general and a deputy general in each prefecture, do you?"

Li Mu asked in surprise.

I've seen people being pulled around, but I've never seen people being pulled around like this.

A group of people were sent over at once, and Zhejiang was filled with deputy generals and lieutenant generals.

"If you can let them go and allow them to take some of the soldiers away, that's not a bad idea!"

Marquis Wuyang said proudly.

Now he just wants to quell the rebellion as soon as possible and stabilize the situation in Zhejiang. As for the problem of overstaffing officials, that is a matter for the future.

When the war was over, he retired with honor and returned to Beijing to enjoy his life.

Dayu is so vast that we can always find a place to settle down.

If they really cannot be settled down, that will be a problem that the next governor or governor will have to worry about.

……

(End of this chapter)