Fu Shanhe

Chapter 283 The situation in the court
After a countermeasure was worked out, the army coming to support the king calmed down.

Apart from sending people to urge Jinan Prefecture to build up strong defenses and clear the countryside, Li Mu was too lazy to deal with local government offices in normal times.

Having suffered such a great loss before, the Northern Tartars will definitely retaliate.

Maybe at this moment, people have already taken action.

Strategically, this is certainly a good thing.

Once the main force of the Northern Tartars moves south, the siege of the capital will be easily resolved.

Lifting the siege of the capital has enormous political significance.

The various armies that were originally waiting and watching to support the king will inevitably gather in the capital.

The northern barbarian army heading south could be attacked from behind by government troops at any time and could not stay in Jinan for long.

As long as they can survive the enemy's first wave of attack, the army will be safe.

Now that the strategic direction had been determined, Li Mu had no intention of arguing with local officials in Shandong.

If we can rescue Yanzhou, then we have to give up Jinan. We can only choose one of the two.

The army sent to support the king suffered "heavy losses" and was unable to fight on two fronts.

In fact, rushing to Yanzhou immediately at this moment would also be a battle of encounter.

The grassland coalition forces have captured many county towns and completed the siege of the provincial capital.

The reinforcements wanted to enter the city and hold it, but it was impossible to do so.

The Shandong governor ordered local prefectures to reinforce Yanzhou, which essentially had more political significance than military significance.

Unable to rely on the advantages of the city, a group of rabble going there would just be giving away their achievements to the enemy.

The generals below, as long as they have their brains filled with water, know how to deal with it.

……

Qufu, Confucius Mansion.

"Where are the various reinforcements?"

Kong Yinzhi asked with concern.

Dayu has not yet reached the point of collapse, and as the current Duke Yansheng, he has no plans to change jobs for the time being.

It has nothing to do with loyalty. It’s mainly because if you change your workplace, it will be difficult to get the same treatment you have now.

In the early Song Dynasty, they only enjoyed the eighth-rank official title, but now they are treated as the first-rank officials, ranking first among civil servants.

The many privileges it possesses far exceed those of any previous dynasty.

However, the impact of the Northern Barbarians' fight all the way to Shandong was still huge.

The White Lotus Rebellion was at home, and the Northern Barbarians were wreaking havoc abroad.

Throughout history, this has been a sign of the decline of dynasties.

If they cannot push back, the Dayu Dynasty will be in danger.

Fortunately, the army led by Marquis Wuyang fought hard and won a great victory in Jinan, which inspired everyone's determination to resist.

"Sir, due to the lack of food and money, the reinforcements have not yet taken action.

However, officials from various prefectures are working hard to raise funds, so I think we should be able to gather enough money to set off soon..."

Before the Qufu County Magistrate could finish his words, Kong Yinzhi became angry.

This is simply too much. Even when it comes to rescuing the holy land of Confucianism, they dare to be so perfunctory.

The lack of money and food is just a trick to fool ordinary people.

As far as he knew, in order to deal with the invasion of the northern barbarians, government offices across Shandong had been raising military funds since the end of last year.

The people have been taxed more than once or twice, and the money and grain raised have not yet been used for large expenses. How is it possible that they cannot even come up with the money for the expedition?

"Where are the troops under Marquis Wuyang?"

Kong Yinzhi asked, suppressing his anger.

Corruption among local officials is a chronic disease throughout history.

As a vested interest in the bureaucratic system, he cannot lift the lid.

If it weren't for the greed of local officials, the Kong family would not have been able to accumulate their current wealth.

Other reinforcements may not come, but the most capable army to support the king must come.

This army has been verified by the Northern Tartars and is indeed first-class elite.

Moreover, Marquis Wuyang also made great efforts to ensure that his troops could remain in Shandong.

If they hadn't been so shameless at the dock, they would have gone straight to the capital and would not have stayed in Shandong at all.

"My Lord, the reinforcements reported by the Governor's Office do not include the troops of Marquis Wuyang.

Perhaps they suffered heavy losses in the previous battle and are now resting."

The Qufu County Magistrate said nervously.

Working in front of Confucius's Mansion is the worst misfortune in my life.

More than 80% of the land in Qufu is controlled by the Kong family, and collecting taxes every year is a huge problem.

Duke Yansheng would definitely not pay the taxes, and he did not dare to go to his house to collect the taxes.

In order to ensure his own evaluation, he had no choice but to transfer the taxes that originally belonged to the Kong family to ordinary people.

It was so bad that his reputation in Qufu could be smelled ten miles away in the wind.

Tax extortion was secondary, and he could only turn a blind eye to the various illegal collusion of the Confucius family.

Not only can you not intervene, you also have to help clean up the mess.

If trouble breaks out, it is not known whether Duke Yansheng will be in trouble, but he, as the county magistrate, will definitely lose his head.

Anyone with even a little bit of connections would take the initiative to avoid the Qufu County Magistrate, as this was a hotly-dealing job.

If given a choice, he would rather serve in a remote area than serve as a county magistrate in Qufu.

In fact, for most of the time, the position of Qufu County Magistrate was hereditary in the Kong family.

It was abolished because there were too many illegal activities, which often caused public outrage.

Except in the early years of the founding of the country, when the imperial power was at its peak, he was able to exercise his powers.

In the following period, the magistrate of Qufu County had to consider the mood of the Kong family.

"waste!"

“You believe whatever people say, where’s your brain?
If you can't even bring in reinforcements, what use are you!"

Kong Yinzhi scolded immediately.

The Qufu County Magistrate, who was scolded, could only lower his head.

Be it the Governor's Office or the Duke Yansheng in front of him, neither of them could afford to offend.

The troops under Marquis Wuyang were unwilling to come over, either because their vital energy was severely damaged, or because of a high-level power struggle.

No matter what the situation is, it is not something a small county magistrate can get involved in.

It is estimated that even the Governor of Shandong has very limited say in this matter.

“I am incompetent and it is difficult for me to take on such a big responsibility.

The Duke is highly respected and is the best person to turn the tide.

For the sake of hundreds of thousands of people in Qufu, please come out and take charge of the situation and save them..."

Before the Qufu County Magistrate could finish his words, Kong Yinzhi kicked him.

He has always been the one who puts the blame on others, but now someone is putting the blame on him. This is simply going against the grain.

The northern barbarians were coming in full force, and reinforcements were slow to arrive.

The few defenders in the city are not enough to fight with one hand.

Whoever takes the lead in organizing the city’s defense will be responsible for the safety of Qufu.

There were also many officials in the court who disliked the Kong family.

It was only because of the need for profit that people pushed Confucius to the altar, and the Kong family became prosperous as well.

There is only one Duke of Yansheng, but there is no unique candidate for the title.

Once a big mess is caused, the court will replace people.

If it really comes to that, not only will he be in trouble, but his entire lineage will also be ruined.

By the time it was passed down, the Kong family had long since fallen into depravity.

The internal struggle is also very fierce.

There were many people in the clan who coveted his position as Duke Yansheng and wanted to replace him.

……

Capital.

The news of the great victory in Jinan is still fermenting.

Since Emperor Yongning ascended the throne, the credibility of the Dayu Dynasty has declined significantly.

The public does not completely believe in official propaganda.

Many people believe that the Victory of Jinan was deliberately fabricated by the imperial court in order to appease the people.

There is no way around it. This is the aftereffect of the court’s bragging.

The battle report showed that 9,000 northern barbarians were killed, which was basically consistent with the battle record. By the time the imperial court released the news, the number had directly increased to 30,000.

Although the grassland coalition forces are coming in a fierce force, the actual Tatar cavalry only number about 60,000 to 70,000 in total.

After all, robbery also requires someone to watch the house.

If half of the enemy troops were killed in one battle, there would be no need to fight subsequent battles.

The remaining Tatar cavalry were unable to suppress the Guifang army.

There was a problem within the grassland coalition army. If they didn't retreat quickly, they would be stuck. Invading from Xuanda was essentially borrowing a passage through the Guifang people's territory.

It doesn’t matter when the Tatars are strong, but if they fall into decline, the large amount of spoils will be their death warrant.

As long as the benefits are in place, betraying allies is the norm on the grassland.

"Your Majesty, good news!"

“The enemy troops outside the city have begun to withdraw!
The number of tents has been reduced by half compared to yesterday.

......"

Jing Guoliang reported happily.

As the commander-in-chief of the capital's defense, he has been under too much pressure in recent days.

Military issues are actually nothing.

What is really troublesome is the empty treasury and granary.

Judging from the accounts alone, the imperial court had stockpiled a large amount of strategic materials in the capital.

It is enough for the garrison to last for three years, and no matter how the northern barbarians besiege, Dayu can hold out.

Unfortunately, the reality is cruel. Nine out of ten government warehouses in Beijing are empty.

Warehouses filled with goods are mostly leased to merchants.

A huge sinkhole lay before him.

In order to stabilize people's hearts, one must pretend to be ignorant while knowing the truth and not expose it.

It is easy to falsify accounts, but the money and food that need to be distributed every day must be dealt with seriously.

After persevering until now, I finally see the light.

"Have the Northern Barbarians retreated back outside the Great Wall?"

Emperor Yongning asked with concern.

He no longer had any hope of keeping the enemy within the country.

Among the various armies that came to support the king, except for Liaozhen which was mainly composed of cavalry, the other reinforcements were all infantry.

If the Northern Tartars want to evacuate, no one can stop them.

"no!"

"Judging from the direction the Northern Tartar army is moving, they seem to be heading towards Shandong.

The Northern Tartars suffered a great loss in Jinan Prefecture, and the enemy is probably seeking revenge now."

Jing Guoliang answered honestly.

When it comes to military and national affairs, there is no room for falsehood.

With the great victory in Jinan, it became almost a foregone conclusion that Marquis Wuyang would join the camp of nobles.

As civil officials became powerful, it was rare for military generals to be awarded titles based on their military merits.

For a closed group without fresh blood, decline is inevitable.

Even though they hold great power now, it is actually just a flash in the pan.

If they were not forced to do so, they would not spend a lot of money to train the younger generation.

Even if the nobles spent a lot of money to cultivate talents, most of them were descendants of collateral branches.

The descendants of noble families are used to a life of luxury and it is difficult for them to endure the hardships of the army.

It is indeed better to keep the meat rotten in the pot than to throw it outside.

However, these descendants of collateral branches have no titles and are naturally inferior to civil servants.

The upper limit of development is also relatively lower.

When it comes to local issues, the problem isn't that big.

Once he enters the central court, no one can be sure whether he can fight against the civil service group.

The joining of Marquis Wuyang, who has a special status, will definitely bring more benefits than disadvantages to the noble group as a whole.

Of course, for individuals, there are both advantages and disadvantages.

If Marquis Wuyang returns to the court in the future, it will certainly increase the voice of the nobles, but it will also take away some of the power in his hands.

But that's secondary.

Wealth and glory have reached their peak, and what we should plan for now is not the short term, but the long-term future.

"The enemy wants Shandong. Do you have any countermeasures?"

Emperor Yongning asked with concern.

He had complicated feelings towards his uncle, Marquis Wuyang.

But overall, it is still trustworthy.

In particular, the other side lifted the siege of the capital, which made Emperor Yongning feel very relieved.

Although the way things unfold are different from what we expected, the final result is always good.

The northern barbarians marched south in revenge, and he was equally unsure.

The last time they won a great victory, the army paid a heavy price.

No one can say whether we can defeat the enemy if we fight him again.

If Marquis Wuyang's troops were defeated, he wouldn't know who to rely on next.

“Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to gather all the troops to the capital and form a counterattack army to form a strategic deterrent to the enemy.

As for Shandong, the court informed them of the news and granted Marquis Wuyang the power to make arbitrary decisions.

We must ensure..."

Before the Minister of War could finish his words, Li Yuan, Marquis of Zhenyuan, interrupted him.

“Lord Wan, Marquis Wuyang’s troops suffered heavy losses in the previous battle and are now in a period of rest and recuperation.

The Northern Tartar Army is heading for them, so there is no need to assign them any tasks for the time being, lest they be used by the enemy."

The army led by Marquis Wuyang to support the king was not only the direct force of Marquis Wuyang, but also the direct force of his Li family.

In the past, the influence of the Zhenyuan Marquis faction in the military was mainly concentrated in the Guanzhong area.

With the help of the rebellion suppression war, we have finally infiltrated Guangdong and Guangxi and occupied a dominant position. We cannot let it go.

From their own standpoint, they would rather the army fail to achieve anything than suffer casualties.

Last fall, his wife gave birth to another son.

Deep down in his heart, he was thinking about sending his three illegitimate sons over there to gain experience.

After all, my nephew can not only lead troops, but also lead people.

All the noble generals who have risen in the past one or two years came from Li Mu's army.

After being transferred to a new position, he was able to quickly get used to the work and did not cause any trouble.

Being able to cultivate the ability to lead troops is much more important than simply arranging them for gilding.

"My Lord, this is wrong!"

“With great power comes great responsibility.

The troops under the command of Marquis Wuyang are the elite of our dynasty.

In this time of national crisis, we must shoulder our responsibilities and set an example for the world!"

Wan Yuxuan immediately retorted.

The Dayu army is under the dual leadership of the Military Governor's Office and the Ministry of War. Now that the civil servants are strong, most of the power is concentrated in the Ministry of War.

Most of the generals in the army under Marquis Wuyang were sons of noble families.

When the orders of the Ministry of War and the Military Governor's Office conflicted, the orders of the Military Governor's Office were followed, which made the Ministry of War very annoyed.

You can't make things difficult for us, because now the military expenditure is mainly raised by local government offices.

Although they still have personnel power and can restrain the generals below, the power overlap is serious.

Many times, even if they disagreed, the Governor's Office would still submit the list to the emperor.

"If that's the case, then Lord Wan should quickly get Liaozhen moving!

As the most elite military garrison in Dayu, we consume the most food and wages every year, and we can’t just sit there and watch."

Duke Chengguo Jingguoliang followed up with another stab.

If the troops under Marquis Wuyang were the direct armed forces of the noble camp, then the Liaodong generals' group was the direct armed forces supported by the civil service camp.

However, influenced by the idea that civil officials are superior to military officials, although civil officials supported the army, their actual control over it was not strong.

The emperor's edicts must be executed selectively.

Official documents from the Ministry of War were often subject to bargaining.

In normal times, the distance is far, so people cannot feel this kind of rebelliousness.

When the northern barbarians besieged the capital and the emperor ordered his troops to defend the country, all kinds of problems were exposed to the sun.

The armies from Guangdong and Guangxi have arrived, but the reinforcements from Liaodong Town are still on the way.

It was not until the great victory in Jinan that the marching speed was slightly increased.

If nothing unexpected happens, this troop will still be the first to arrive in the capital.

No one knows whether he came here to serve the king or just to make ends meet.

Anyway, since the Liaodong Town sent out its troops, it has not fought a single battle with the Northern Tartar Army.

Even if the two armies met in the wild, the battle ended with Liaozhen's retreat.

Such practices have long made all parties dissatisfied.

No matter how strong the troops from other regions are, they will attack the northern barbarians if they encounter them.

(End of this chapter)