Fu Shanhe

Chapter 268 Forced to Help

Governor's Palace.

"My fellow officers, the northern barbarians have invaded and the northern mountains and rivers have been shattered. The emperor has issued an edict to call for the king to come to his aid.

We have received the grace of the country for generations, and now it is time to repay the court. This duke has decided to obey the imperial edict and raise an army to serve the king.

Does anyone have any strategy to teach me?"

Marquis Wuyang went straight to the point.

Identity determines stance.

As a relative of the emperor and a noble, you must seize the opportunity to show your abilities at this time.

Even though Guangdong and Guangxi were thousands of miles away from the capital, it was still unknown whether the army could catch up with the war in time, so the troops still had to be sent out.

If we fail to make it to the war in time, it is a matter of distance. The emperor will not blame us, and the court will not hold us accountable.

If they didn't send troops to support the king, then it was a problem of attitude.

In official circles, attitude is often more important than results.

"My Lord, as the saying goes, food and fodder must be sent before troops move.

It is thousands of miles from Guangdong to the capital, and the logistics of the army will be a major issue.

The imperial edict to support the king was issued to the whole country. There must be quite a few troops rushing to the capital, and most of the nearby provinces and cities were unable to provide military supplies.

Our most urgent task is to determine the marching route and troop strength, and use this as a basis to estimate the army's consumption of money and food along the way.

We must gather enough food and fodder before we can launch an expedition."

Li Mu said calmly.

Serving the king is a righteous cause, and they have to send troops no matter what the actual situation is.

However, the Northern Tartars are not easy to deal with. If tens of thousands of troops were to go there alone, there would be a high probability that they would be unable to defeat the enemy.

In this context, we must grasp the opportunity to send troops.

It passed too quickly, and I had to face the enemy alone. The northern barbarians were all cavalry, and once they were defeated, it would be difficult to escape. If you were not careful, your entire army would be wiped out.

It passed too slowly and I missed the opportunity to show off.

It is better to win a small victory over the enemy once in the battle to support the king than to win countless battles outside.

The probability of a big victory is almost non-existent. When infantry fights cavalry, as long as the enemy is not stupid, they can most likely run away.

“Money and grain are indeed a problem, but I think the provincial governors should be able to find a way to squeeze out some money.

Governor An, you should set an example first. How much money and grain can Guangdong provide?"

Marquis Wuyang asked with understanding.

He also had to face the problems that Li Mu was worried about. Compared with previous wars, he would definitely lead the troops himself to defend the king.

He felt pressured when he thought about fighting against hundreds of thousands or even more Hu cavalry.

Under this background, it is still very necessary to use reasonable excuses to delay a little and wait for reinforcements from all directions to march towards the capital together.

An Qingfeng, who was named, had an even more sad look on his already worried face.

It is not possible to shirk the responsibility of not having money when it comes to defending the emperor. Even if the governor's office is short of money, it must squeeze out a budget.

Theoretically speaking, the current expenses will be compensated by the central government in the future.

But those who knew Dayu's finances knew how poor the Ministry of Revenue was. Almost no one would pay back the money owed by others.

"My Lord, I will do my best to raise 300,000 taels of silver, 100,000 dan of rice, and 3,000 pieces of cloth within half a month..."

An Qingfeng gritted his teeth and reported the numbers.

Although the autumn harvest has been completed and autumn taxes are continuously being collected at the governor's office, they cannot withstand the severe deficit.

The newly collected money and grain were allocated out without even having time to warm up.

More than eight percent of the revenue is invested in military expenditure.

The remaining 20% ​​also have their own destinations.

In addition to the operating expenses of the yamen, the salaries of officials at all levels now also depend on these money and grain.

Due to funding constraints, infrastructure construction that should have been funded by government funds has now basically come to a halt.

"not enough!"

"Zhejiang is caught in the midst of war and is now powerless.

Guangxi itself is poor and can only provide limited money and food.

The bulk of the military expenses for this campaign to support the king fell on Guangdong and Fujian.

The cost of a long expedition must be huge, not to mention that the enemy they are facing is the fierce northern barbarians, so the army will most likely suffer heavy losses.

The post-war pension alone is a considerable expense.

This governor wants to raise an army of 100,000 to support the king.

Assuming that the war lasted for half a year, the expenditure on military pay alone would have exceeded 1.2 million taels, the military expenditure would have been no less than 2.5 million, and the consumption of food and fodder would have been as high as one million dan.

Governor An, you must at least raise 800,000 taels, 300,000 shi of grain, and various strategic materials."

Wuyang Hou opened his mouth loudly.

An army of 100,000 is obviously a fictitious number.

Sending troops from Guangdong and Guangxi to rescue the capital, with a force of 100,000 at a time, had long exceeded the logistical limit.

Even with sea transport, this would be a difficult task to accomplish.

But when asking for money and food, you must report more.

When officials from other places come to Beijing, various arrangements have to be made.

Not only did he, the governor, need to visit various places, but the generals under him also had to go out and do activities.

It is impossible for everyone to pay for this cost out of their own pockets.

The salary from the court was not enough to cover social occasions.

If you don't want the people below to withhold military pay, then you have no choice but to pay this amount down.

Only when everyone has made arrangements in place can this mission to support the king be realized.

Otherwise, if any link gets stuck, it will be very uncomfortable.

"Governor, Guangdong has only been recovered for a year, and this year's autumn tax is only 60% of that in normal years.

I have already shared a series of military expenses before, and now I have to pay such a huge sum of money. I really am powerless.

Do you think you can reduce one or two of them, or hold off for a while?"

An Qingfeng said with an embarrassed look on his face.

The Guangdong Governor's Office has already allocated this year's military budget.

However, that money was used to suppress the rebels, and now it is time to serve the king, which is a new expenditure.

Theoretically, the previous military expenditure can also be used.

Unfortunately, once military funds are allocated, there is no possibility of changing their purpose.

Every army is a creditor of the imperial court. The longer a unit exists, the more money and food it is owed.

Even if the military operation is cancelled, it is impossible for the people below to refund the military expenses.

It is an unspoken rule in the military that if the combat plan is changed temporarily, the travel expenses must be re-issued.

"Then cut 100,000 taels and give you one more month to raise the funds.

However, within half a month, at least half of the money and food were raised.

According to the old rules, Fujian will add 50 percent to Guangdong's contribution, and Guangxi will raise funds at one-third of Guangdong's.

As for Zhejiang, just take care of yourself for now!"

Marquis Wuyang made a prompt decision.

Among the four provinces under his jurisdiction, Fujian had the best situation.

Having escaped the war and enjoyed the benefits of maritime trade, its financial situation is now the best among the southeastern provinces.

When you encounter something like this, you naturally have to pay the most money.

After receiving this news, Yang Yan, the Fujian military commander, wanted to speak several times, but finally chose to keep silent.

In this kind of situation, if a small pawn like him stands out as the first one to do so, there is a high probability that he will be killed as a warning to the others.

After the episode, everyone began emergency preparations, and Li Mu was left behind.

The issues just discussed seem very important, but they are actually auxiliary.

The real core is still how many troops to send and which troops to deploy to participate in the war.

"Admiral Li, can Guangxi and Guangdong be competent for this mission of serving the king?"

Marquis Wuyang asked with concern.

If we want to fight against the Hu people in the north, the only ones we can place our hopes on are the elite troops from these two towns.

No matter how many other troops went there, they were just there to make up the numbers.

If they really encountered the Northern Tartar cavalry, few would dare to stay and fight the enemy.

"My Lord, please rest assured.

Both Guangxi Town and Guangdong Town were ready for battle, and they had even conducted cross-sea combat drills in order to rescue Nanjing.

As long as the money and food are raised, we can go to war at any time. However, the place we are going to this time is in the north, where the winter climate is much colder than that in Guangdong, and warm clothing is a big problem.

This involves the life and death of the army, and there can be no negligence in this matter."

Li Mu immediately raised the difficulty.

In this era without heating, it is common for people to freeze to death in the northern winter.

If extreme weather occurs, it is not uncommon for entire families of the lower-class people to freeze to death.

Every winter, corpses from the capital were taken out in carts.

Cotton-padded clothes are not only a necessity these days, but also a luxury item.

A family that can afford a cotton-padded jacket for every person is considered wealthy.

Old cotton-padded clothes can be exchanged for silver at a pawnshop.

A worn cotton-padded jacket can be passed down for several generations.

The cotton-padded jacket in many people’s homes is the oldest one in the family.

Li Mu was powerless to change the social problems outside, but the soldiers in the army had to be equipped with cotton-padded clothes.

Not only cotton-padded clothes, but also bedding are indispensable.

“You are right, warm clothing is indeed essential.

Based on the clothing that soldiers wear now, if we send them to fight in the north, it would be a disregard for their lives.

I don't feel comfortable leaving this matter to other people, so you should be responsible for its implementation personally.

The preparations were made according to the standard of 80,000 people, and all the necessary expenses were reimbursed directly from the Governor's Office.

In addition to Guangdong Town and Guangxi Town, this governor plans to bring another 30,000 auxiliary troops to cooperate.

Including the escorting navy and the merchant ships responsible for transporting grain, the total number of people was about 80,000, and it was known to the outside world as an army of 100,000.

Anyone who dares to take action will be killed without mercy!"

Marquis Wuyang thought for a moment and said.

He came from Beijing and was very familiar with the climate differences between the two sides.

Without adequate preparation, even if the army arrives at the destination, they can only stay in the camp and watch the enemy wreak havoc.

"My Lord, your arrangements are well made. I will do my best to complete them."

Li Mu answered immediately.

Facts have proved that long expeditions are very costly.

More than 25,000 soldiers are fighting on the front line, but more than 50,000 people are required to be responsible for logistics.

If we take into account the personnel responsible for transporting food and fodder within each province, the army of 100,000 is not an exaggeration at all.

If the battle line continues to extend, the actual manpower invested may be even greater.

……

The government troops from all over the country all turned their attention to the capital.

Many suppressed rebels suddenly became active.

However, they all still maintained their final restraint, waiting for the government troops to move north so that they could have a big fight.

Nanchang Mansion.

"It's over!"

"It's all over!"

Looking at the information that the spy risked his life to send back, Yue Qifeng showed a desperate expression.

Under the continuous attacks of the rebels, Nanchang Prefecture has become shaky.

The fate of this governor who has made meritorious contributions while serving his sentence will be as vague as this city, drifting in the wind and rain.

Emperor Yongning had long disliked him. If he had not been trapped in the city, he would have been thrown into prison by now.

If you are lucky, you will be demoted and exiled.

If you are unlucky, you might end up going to Caishikou.

Since the outbreak of the White Lotus Rebellion, there have been more than one or two local officials who have been convicted and beheaded.

From the governor of a local lord to a newly-appointed clerk, no one could escape the court's accountability.

There are definitely some people who are wrongly accused, but most of them deserve it.

Yue Qifeng played an important role in defending the territory.

However, he also needs to bear the main responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Jiangxi.

The previous series of loss of cities and territories were directly related to his outrageous actions.

It is not unfair at all that he was held accountable by the imperial court.

"Governor, calm down!

Especially at times like this, the more we need to remain rational.

The armies from all over the country were ordered to come to the capital to defend the king. This is an unchangeable fact and we can only face it calmly.

It is impossible for the Hu people to stay near the capital for a long time, and the war to support the king will be over in a few months at most.

We only have to hold out for another half a year before reinforcements arrive.

The imperial court will not allow Jiangnan to fall. Now the fate of the entire Jiangnan region depends on whether the three provincial capitals of Nanchang, Nanjing and Hangzhou can hold on.

We can’t control other places, but we must find a way to defend Nanchang.

Our lives and ours are tied to the city of Nanchang. We have no choice!"

The governor Jin Yunliang persuaded earnestly.

The governor is the first person responsible for defending the territory, but he, as the provincial governor, cannot escape blame.

As long as the city of Nanchang is saved, there is still room for maneuver.

Even if the imperial court holds him accountable in the future, the worst that can happen is a demotion.

If it goes well, maybe you'll just get a scolding and be fined a few years' salary, and the matter will be over.

“Sir Jin, the city is now exhausted and the morale of the army is low.

I also want to defend the city, but what can I use to defend it? "

Governor Yue Qifeng responded helplessly.

In order to boost the morale of the troops, he tried every possible means.

All the reward money raised was distributed in full, and he didn't put a single cent into his pocket himself.

Not only do they not take it themselves, they also forbid others to take it.

“Governor, you and I are both aware of the situation in the court.

Now one or two of the three important cities in Jiangnan will definitely have to be lost before the rescue troops will go all out.

But it is impossible for all of them to fall. All parties will not allow the rebels to occupy the entire Jiangnan area, as that would cause the situation to get out of control.

It's times like this that make us hold on.

Compared with Hangzhou and Nanjing, Nanchang's portion is still slightly less.

The rebels have concentrated far more troops in the two places than we do.

Now it depends on who can hold on to the end and get that glimmer of hope.

In my opinion, we might as well move to the military camp in the coming days.

He ate and lived with the soldiers to boost their morale.

In addition, we will call upon the gentry and wealthy merchants in the city to raise money and food to distribute to the meritorious officials who defend the city."

Jin Yunliang said with a cruel heart.

If possible, he didn't want to suffer.

But there is no way out now, either I suffer a little or I lose my head.

Once the rebels break in, all of them will be doomed to die.

"I'm afraid it's going to be hard to collect the money and grain!"

Governor Yue Qifeng shook his head and said.

He worked hard to raise money and food.

Those who are willing to donate generously are always a minority, and more people choose to wait and see.

The rebels threatened that anyone who dared to donate money or food would have their ancestral graves dug up and their entire clan killed.

For many gentry, the threat posed by the rebels was much stronger than the deterrent power of the imperial court.

If they say dig a grave, then dig a grave.

If he says he will kill all nine clans, then he will really kill all nine clans.

None of the officials in the court dared to act so recklessly.

“It’s not easy to collect, but we have to collect it.

At this point, if you are still afraid of offending others, you and I will lose our heads!"

(End of this chapter)