Fu Shanhe

Chapter 255 Great favor

Yangzhou Prefecture.

"Mr. Prefect, something terrible has happened!"

"The soldiers from Yangzhou Camp have returned and are now moving. The convoy is dozens of miles long.

It looks like they are going to evacuate Yangzhou Prefecture!"

Upon hearing the news, the faces of the Yangzhou officials who were discussing the matter changed drastically.

Compared with other areas, they were able to keep their composure and patiently organize defense work because they had the Yangzhou Camp to rely on.

Since the outbreak of the White Lotus Rebellion, the government troops and the rebels have fought countless times, and the Yangzhou Camp has the most outstanding record.

Now that Anqing Prefecture has fallen, Yangzhou Prefecture may also be in danger. Everyone’s first reaction is to withdraw the Yangzhou camp.

The transfer application had just been sent out, and the Ministry of War's approval hadn't come down yet, but the Yangzhou Battalion was about to run away. How could this be tolerated?

"Pass the order, they must be stopped.

Tell the people below not to engage in direct conflict with the Yangzhou Camp. We will be there shortly."

The Yangzhou prefect, Gu Youwen, gave the order decisively.

The industry is here, and the foundation of Yangzhouying is here.

At the command of the imperial court, they would do their best to protect Yangzhou Prefecture.

Once they complete the relocation and lose the weak link of industry, they will not be so enthusiastic even about sending troops.

"Sir, the soldiers of the Yangzhou camp are all experienced fighters. Our men dare not step forward at all!"

Zhao Bantou answered tremblingly.

In Yangzhou, Yangzhou Camp is the undisputed bully.

These third-shift yamen runners basically act according to the will of the Yangzhou Camp.

Anyone who dared to go against the Yangzhou Camp would have been killed long ago.

Even though Li Mu was away on a military expedition, the Yangzhou Camp remained strong and repeatedly cut off the tentacles extended by the gentry.

Intimidated by the military power of the Yangzhou Camp, neither the prefectural government nor the local clans dared to provoke it openly.

Even if they are dissatisfied in their hearts, they can only do small things in secret.

"waste!"

After cursing angrily, Gu Youwen began to worry again.

In the past, he felt that the Yangzhou camp was a hindrance and tried his best to get rid of Li Mu.

Now they suddenly realized that they really couldn't leave Yangzhou Camp.

Although they were not very obedient, the military discipline in the Yangzhou camp was strict and the soldiers basically would not come out to cause trouble.

Seizing land and establishing independent kingdoms in local areas are just small matters.

No matter how domineering Li Mu was, he was only in charge of the army, the soldiers' families and prisoners of war, and never interfered in local government affairs.

The military garrisons in various places all had their own administrative systems.

Local laws do not apply to the military.

Apart from not listening to the orders of the prefectural government and liking to ask for money, he basically has no major shortcomings.

Compared with the sense of security brought by Yangzhou Camp, these minor shortcomings are not worth mentioning at all.

"Sir, the Yangzhou Camp is also a large and powerful place, and evacuating it will definitely not be completed in a day or two.

We still have time to rush over now.

It's the court that needs to be urged.

The Yangzhou Camp is the garrison of our Yangzhou Prefecture. How can we not be in Yangzhou at this critical moment?

By the way, the Nanjing Military Department must not know about this, otherwise they will give the order to intercept Hu first, and things will be troublesome!"

Ma Cunzhong, the Tongzhi of Yangzhou, said hurriedly.

In normal times, everyone can fight among themselves as they please.

The rebels came to kill us, no matter who they came from.

“Master Ma, I’m afraid I can’t hide it anymore.

After the fall of Anqing, Nanjing fell into chaos.

In order to protect Yingtian Prefecture, the Nanjing Military Department dispatched troops everywhere.

No matter which army it was or whether they could come or not, they gave the order.

These are not the most troublesome things. The really tricky thing is that the Yangzhou Camp has just participated in a major battle.

According to the news from the court, the government troops only won a miserable victory in the great battle to encircle and suppress the false emperor.

As the main force in the attack, the Yangzhou Battalion must have suffered heavy casualties.

If the casualties are too great, even if Li Mu wants to come back for reinforcements, he will be powerless. "

Judge Zhou said helplessly.

In his opinion, the Yangzhou Camp's decision to withdraw at this time was clearly a sign of lack of confidence.

If there was a chance to keep Yangzhou, they would never give up their base in Yangzhou easily.

Although Li Mu was transferred to Guangxi to serve as the commander-in-chief, this was only temporary and he could be transferred back in the future.

Compared with the glamorous world of Nanzhili, how can that hellhole of Lingnan be compared!

This is undoubtedly the best opportunity. As long as he can keep Nanzhili, there are a large group of officials in the court willing to help him operate.

Not to mention being appointed as the commander-in-chief, even if he was given the title of admiral of Nanjing or even admiral of Jiangnan, everyone would find a way to get it for him.

When it comes to the safety of my hometown and the suppression of military generals, it can be put aside for now.

Given the influence of officials from Jiangnan in the court, even if they wanted a title, it was not impossible to negotiate.

“No matter what, we have to find a way to give it a try.

Even if the troops are badly damaged and need to rest, it would be the same if they return to Yangzhou for rest.

We will provide as many troops as you need.

Even if Yangzhou Prefecture is not enough, there are other prefectures in Nanzhili that can definitely fill the gap.

I don't expect him to defeat the rebels right away, but I think it should be enough to defend the city!"

Gu Youwen said frankly.

He was very confident in the Yangzhou Camp, and the fact that he was able to wipe out the rebel leader was the best evidence.

The troops are badly damaged and need to rest, which is all the more reason for them to come to Yangzhou.

Guangxi is a poor place, so how can we afford to give them some money?

If it were Yangzhou Prefecture, the autumn tax withheld from being remitted to the central government this year would be more than Guangxi's annual fiscal revenue.

……

Looking at the endless flow of the Yangtze River, Fu Haoxuan sighed deeply.

After capturing Anqing and going down the river to capture Yingtian Prefecture, it should have been the time when he was most proud and confident.

However, problems arose within the Holy White Lotus Country, casting a shadow on the promising anti-Yu cause.

Saint Emperor Shi Rongxian led his troops to Sichuan, but unfortunately they were wiped out in Guizhou, and the Holy White Lotus Kingdom was suddenly leaderless.

It should be a good thing to have no restrictions above your head.

Unfortunately, the three kings of different surnames in the Holy Kingdom were unwilling to submit to each other and even started fighting with each other.

King Wei Hao of Dongping even gave up the fight for the Central Plains and led his troops directly westward into Shu.

Without the hundreds of thousands of troops under the command of the East King, only he and the West King Wei Jiarui were left holding the battlefield in the south of the Yangtze River.

In this situation, we should have cooperated sincerely.

Unfortunately, the special envoy he sent to lobby didn't even meet the real boss.

At this point, although the signboard of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom is still there, the territory of the holy kingdom has essentially been divided.

The supplies he can mobilize now are limited to the officials and state capitals that are willing to support him.

"Your Majesty, the wind is strong on the river, let's go into the cabin!"

The Chief Clerk Yang Jingren began to persuade.

"Don't worry, I'm not that spoiled.

Getting some fresh air can help clear your mind.

The situation of the Holy Kingdom is just like the surging Yangtze River.

It may seem calm, but once a storm comes, the waves can capsize the boat at any time."

Fu Haoxuan said proudly.

If you want to sigh or groan, just do it in private.

You must always maintain confidence in front of your subordinates.

“Your Majesty, no matter how the situation changes, as long as we take Yingtian Prefecture, the anti-Yu forces in the world will follow suit.

By then, the Great Yu Dynasty, which is surrounded by enemies on all sides, will not be able to concentrate its energy and focus all its attention on us."

Yang Jingren said with a smile.

Capturing Yingtian Prefecture and shocking the world was the driving force that supported their progress.

The days of fighting alone are really hard to endure.

They were able to develop smoothly in the past because they had the Holy Emperor Shi Rongxian leading the way and attracting the firepower of the imperial court.

Now that the leader who took the blame was gone, they suddenly became the most hated rebel group in the world.

All government troops are now converging towards Nanzhili. If they cannot capture Nanjing in one fell swoop, Yingtian Prefecture will be their burial place.

The East King's westward advance left their rear area suddenly empty.

The government troops entrenched in Xiangyang have now begun to counterattack, apparently preparing to move south to retake Wuchang.

The coalition forces of the three provinces in the south stopped their attacks on Changsha, but this was only temporary.

Once they recover, it will be another tough battle.

"You are right, the world has suffered from Dayu for a long time!

We just lit a fire. When we started the uprising in Guangxi, who could have thought that we could fight all the way to Yingtian Prefecture?

At the beginning, everyone's goal was just to seize Guangxi and establish their own territory and wait for the right time.

Everything we have now is a gift from God!"

Fu Haoxuan said with a smile.

In the past, he would definitely say that it was bestowed by the White Lotus Mother.

The situation is different now. After gathering a large number of scholars to join him, he keenly discovered that these people are not interested in the White Lotus Mother.

On the contrary, he highly respected "destiny".

Fu Haoxuan was no ordinary person to have reached his current position. After realizing this, he no longer used the White Lotus Mother to fool these scholars, but often emphasized destiny in front of them.

Looking at the growth trajectory of the rebel army, too many legendary stories happened during this period.

Many of their victories were given to them by God. It would be hard to justify saying that there was no destiny.

Now that Saint Emperor Shi Rongxian has fallen, it proves that he is not the man of destiny. The most likely candidates are the three kings of different surnames.

In order to adapt to the general trend, Fu Haoxuan decisively relied on himself to be "appointed by Heaven".

The effect was very good, and the scholars who joined his team quickly accepted him.

Everyone of them dreamed of following him to conquer the world and become a marquis.

“Your Majesty, the King of the East has already moved westward and cannot provide us with any help for the time being.

But we still need to work hard on the Western King's side. If necessary, we can transfer all the territories of Huguang to him.

Anyway, our strategic focus has changed, and we are no longer able to reach the Huguang region.

Rather than letting the Pseudo Dynasty benefit from it, it is better to leave it to the Western King.

As long as the Western King occupied Huguang, they had to stop the government troops in Xiangyang.

The threat from Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian has also been reduced by half. We just need to be careful about the enemy's reinforcements from the sea to Yingtianfu."

The left prime minister, Yu Ruiyu, began to persuade.

The split of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom is a foregone conclusion, but now is not the time to give up its reputation.

Only under a common banner can they be qualified to participate in the fight for the world.

It has a huge bonus in attracting talents.

“The Prime Minister is right, we really can’t give up on the Western King.

Compared to us, King Xi’s situation is actually worse.

We failed to capture Nanchang in the first place and are now in a strategic passive position.

In any case, he could not sit idly by and watch Huguang fall.

When necessary, we can also give him some support to help Xiwang take over Nanchang as soon as possible."

Fu Haoxuan responded calmly.

When fighting for the world, one cannot care about the gain or loss of a city or a place.

When they first launched the war against Yu, they were destined to suffer the most violent counterattack from the imperial court.

The White Lotus Saint Emperor is gone, and nothing unexpected can happen to the remaining three kings.

At least before he takes Yingtian Prefecture, the King of the West must hold on.

When the government troops of Xiangyang went south, the Western King had to fight back; when the government troops of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi went north, it was still the Western King who got beaten.

Since they are all under the banner of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom, the imperial court doesn't care whether they are the troops of the Western King or the Southern King, they will all be wiped out.

Whoever is closer to the government troops will be beaten first.

……

After leaving the Governor's Mansion, Li Mu quickly led his troops back to Guangxi.

He even declined invitations from his military colleagues in Guangdong and Fujian.

I'm really sorry. The war was fought by the coalition forces of three provinces, but the meat was eaten by the Guangxi soldiers alone.

Of course, this approach is not considered out of line.

The main force in the war was the Guangxi soldiers, and the troops from the other two provinces played a supporting role. Naturally, they could only take a small piece when the cake was divided.

After all, we have conquered several state capitals, so there should be some gains.

As a commander, he did not ask his subordinates for money, which was quite good.

How could a commander take the initiative to share the meat in his bowl with his little brothers who are just there to watch?
If this gets out and people think you are trying to buy people's hearts, we'll be in big trouble.

After arriving in Guangxi, Li Mu immediately informed the generals in the camp of the news.

Blocking someone's career in official circles has always been a feud that will never end.

He would certainly not do this evil thing for no reason.

The conditions offered by Marquis Wuyang were good. As long as you went there, you would be promoted. It was a good place like Zhejiang where there was a lot of money.

In the process of encircling and suppressing the false emperor, everyone made a fortune, and their pockets were filled to the brim.

Now is undoubtedly the best time to release people and set up their own business.

Let’s part ways in peace and we will still be friends when we meet again.

"Don't be shy, just say what you think.

We have traveled thousands of miles from the capital to Guangxi to serve as officials just for fame, fortune and status.

Everyone knows who this general is.

We get promoted together and become rich together.

Even if he goes to Zhejiang to work, although he is no longer under my command, we can still continue to cooperate.

Nothing lasts forever.

At our current position, separation is inevitable.

Of course, it would be even better if everyone had a better way.

Although Zhejiang is a good place, there are still certain risks.”

Seeing that everyone was silent, Li Mu spoke cheerfully.

Although it was a special period, the military power in his hands was still too great.

In terms of strength, he is simply a replica of King Pingxi.

Of course, his situation was much better than Wu Sangui's, as he was a direct descendant of the imperial court.

Judging from the current situation, the emperor has not yet suspected him.

However, as he has been holding a large number of troops, it is only a matter of time before he is suspected.

He simply took advantage of this opportunity to let his generals take away their trusted men and carry out a wave of weight loss in public.

Anyway, in the eyes of the outside world, the freak Guangxi Army was created by the joint efforts of the noble group.

The initial backbone forces were all servants of the sons of nobles.

"Commander-in-chief, based on your achievements, you will be qualified to serve as the Admiral General of Jiangnan if you return to Nanzhili.

If we delay time and put pressure on the gentry in Jiangnan, we will have a good chance of even getting the position of Governor of Jiangnan.

Why don't we work together and go directly to Jiangnan to develop without having to separate!"

Yun Yufeng was the first to propose.

In the eyes of outsiders, the Guangxi soldiers suffered heavy losses, but those who participated knew that the Guangxi Army made a huge profit.

Going to Zhejiang alone is ultimately full of risks.

It would be much more comfortable if we could gather a team and develop together in the Jiangnan area.

It is not difficult at all to defeat the rebels.

After the war, everyone banded together and monopolized the military circles in the south of the Yangtze River. They lived as comfortably as they could.

“This is absolutely not allowed!
The imperial court is wary of our military generals becoming too powerful. Now that the civil officials are powerful, it is not the time for us to stand out.

Even if the court compromised temporarily, it would inevitably be liquidated afterwards.

For the sake of future generations, we should not be too aggressive.”

Li Mu quickly refused.

If he were wearing the imperial robe, he might still feel a little conflicted.

Governor-General of Jiangnan, isn't this just putting him on the fire?

Now everyone is willing to work for him because he can bring benefits to everyone.

If they really came into conflict with the imperial court, these people would be willing to rebel and risk having their property confiscated and their families exterminated.

"Commander-in-chief..."

Without waiting for anyone to continue persuading him, Li Mu decisively interrupted:

"Okay, it's settled!
Don’t accuse me of being an immoral superior. Anyone who wants to leave now can be taken away by my trusted relatives.

As long as the soldiers are willing to leave with me, I will never stop them.

In order to avoid interference from the governor's office, the soldiers and horses you take away can only be taken away in the name of servants."

In fact, the word "house servant" itself is the biggest restriction.

Compared with ordinary soldiers, servants are treated much better and their salaries cannot be in arrears.

If we are really foolish enough to take thousands of people away, how to feed them will be a big problem.

Given their military positions, no matter how wealthy their family is, eight hundred men is the maximum they can afford.

"Master Commander, you are so generous!"

All the generals said in unison.

Such a promise is equivalent to allowing them to take elite soldiers as servants, which is already very generous.

After all, the elite troops of the Guangxi Army were all fed by Li Mu with money raised from all over the place.

Although everyone contributed, they were not the main players after all.

The number of soldiers that a general takes away is not large, but if there are more than ten or twenty generals, the number of people they have to take away is not just a few.

Li Mu had to cooperate even though he knew that this was weakening his military strength.

This drama was performed not only for everyone but also for the court.

The purpose is to prove to the outside world that he does not have much ambition and just wants to get promoted and make money.

Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Li Mu became more resolute in his judgment.

All the generals under his command were secretly planning to leave Guangxi, and no one wanted to settle down here.

"Okay, this concerns your future.

I would still suggest that you consider it carefully, and it would be best if you write home to discuss it.

Don't go to Zhejiang to take up a position if your clan has arranged a better position for you. That would be a huge loss."

Li Mu gave pertinent advice.

Since you've decided to do a favor, just give a big one.

They are willing to release their best soldiers and don't care about saying a few nice words.

If these people develop smoothly in their careers in the future, they will also become his connections in the military.

According to the tradition of forming cliques and factions in the Dayu Dynasty, the generals who served under his command were all members of his faction.

In addition, since they all came from the same circle of nobles, they were natural political allies in the court.

(End of this chapter)