Fu Shanhe

Chapter 347: Guanzhong Crisis
After agreeing to take over the command, Li Mu became busy again.

After this period of rest and recuperation, not only did the troops in Guangdong and Guangxi resume their organization, but the other provinces were also actively restoring their armaments.

Huguang formed five recruiting regiments, Jiangxi and Zhejiang each formed two recruiting regiments, and the official army in Fujian was also reorganized into three recruiting regiments.

In addition to these troops, the three governors each formed their own governor's banner, with a total of approximately three to five thousand people.

Except for Jing Yifeng's troops who were transferred to Zhejiang, the backbones of the rest of the newly formed troops were drawn from Li Mu's command.

When it comes to appointing “their own people”, the three noble leaders’ positions are surprisingly consistent.

A number of sons of noble families held high positions and stepped onto the stage of history.

A large number of generals were transferred away, which affected the combat effectiveness of the six towns in Guangdong and Guangxi, but also made these troops more pure.

In this campaign to encircle and suppress Fu, government troops from many provinces took joint action.

The number of recruited soldiers alone exceeded 200,000.

Together with the garrison troops that cooperated in the battle and the surviving militia forces, the total force was more than 300,000.

The number of civilians who needed to be mobilized was as high as 800,000.

If you are thick-skinned enough, you can declare to the outside world that you have an army of one million.

When history books record an army of millions, the number of civilians is usually included.

With so many troops, Li Mu would still be at a loss if most of the commanders were not his former subordinates.

It is true that military orders are as heavy as a mountain, but when it comes to their specific implementation, it still depends on the actual situation.

With the decline of the imperial court, local officials and troops often pretended to obey orders from their superiors but actually disobeyed them.

In order to ensure smooth implementation of orders, everyone likes to promote their confidants.

The abilities of the confidants may not be the strongest, but they are obedient and can carry out the will of the coach.

If it were someone else, their abilities might improve, but whether they could command smoothly would depend on their luck.

Without a sound power system to constrain commanders, appointing trusted aides became the best option to ensure that generals strictly followed orders.

"My Lord, this is the basic information of the military in each province, including the names and backgrounds of the generals, the garrisons, the manpower deployment, and the storage of supplies."

Lan Linjie said with a tired look on his face.

Li Mu, as the boss, became busier, and the workload of his advisor also became heavier.

In order to adapt to the needs, the staff team was expanded twice.

In addition to Lan Linjie, several juren and xiucai joined the staff team one after another to cooperate with Li Mu in handling government affairs.

“Just leave it there, I’ll take a look at it later.

The most urgent task is to urge all localities to speed up the collection of food and fodder.

The autumn harvest is entering its final stages, and the rebels may launch a war at any time, so we must speed up our preparations for war."

Li Mu said with a serious expression.

The advantage of the noble governor is military affairs, but his weakness is government affairs.

No one had any experience in local administration, and having suddenly taken up high positions, domestic governance still fell on the shoulders of civil servants.

Unfortunately, the civil servants of the Dayu Dynasty were extremely corrupt and were obsessed with money.

These guys don’t care about the overall situation.

……

Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Why did a rebellion break out in Guanzhong at this time?"

Emperor Yongning asked sternly.

Most peasant uprisings occurred during the period of famine.

The autumn harvest is the time when everyone has the most money in the year, so there is no need to risk being beheaded by rebelling.

"Your Majesty, I accuse the governor of Shaanxi of being greedy and wantonly imposing taxes..."

The impeachment of the Inspector-General gave a disguised answer.

It was common practice in the Dayu Dynasty for local government offices to impose additional taxes on top of regular taxes.

The peasant uprising was at most a fuse, the real reason was still the natural disaster.

Drought and little rain have led to a serious reduction in grain production.

The people's lives were already difficult, but the local officials did not see the problem. In order to satisfy their own greed, they imposed additional taxes on top of the original ones.

The people, overwhelmed with the heavy burden, bravely argued with the tax collectors and were brutally beaten.

Under the instigation of the White Lotus Sect, peasant uprisings broke out in many places in Guanzhong.

The rebel army that had fled into the mountains earlier also took the opportunity to rush out and launched an anti-Yu riot.

The Guanzhong land, where the sparks were ignited, soon became a hotbed for the rebel army, giving rise to rebel armies of all sizes, turning the 800-li Qinchuan area upside down.

Seeing that the situation was out of control and could no longer be covered up, the Shaanxi Governor's Office reported to the court.

"Bastard!"

“It’s simply lawless!

They act recklessly and disrespect their ruler and father, they deserve it..."

Emperor Yongning immediately cursed.

Was he cursing the Shaanxi governor, or the uprising people in Guanzhong, or maybe both?

This was not known to the ministers. All they knew was that the emperor was very angry and the consequences were very serious.

In order to reduce their presence, all the ministers lowered their heads to avoid looking at Emperor Yongning.

"My dear ministers, a rebellion broke out in Shaanxi. Do you have a plan to suppress it?"

After venting for a while, Emperor Yongning asked while suppressing his anger.

The outbreak of chaos in Guanzhong put the Dayu Dynasty, which had just stabilized, into danger again.

The most direct consequence of this chaos was the situation in Shu, which could no longer be reversed.

The imperial court did not have the ability to wage war on multiple fronts, and could only fight a quick battle to suppress the rebellion in Guanzhong.

If the war is delayed, not only will the situation in Shu be affected, but the battlefield in the south of the Yangtze River will also change.

“Your Majesty, the most urgent thing is to quickly block the news and prevent it from spreading to the south.

The Battle of Jiangnan was about to begin, and the news of the fall of Shaanxi at this time would easily shake the morale of the army.

Both Marquis Zhenyuan and Marquis Hanshui are from Shaanxi. Once they know that something happened in their hometown, it will inevitably affect their command.

The current situation is extremely dangerous, the court must recover Jiangnan as soon as possible! "

Pang Chengjie said anxiously.

Another province's tax revenue was lost, which was extremely fatal for Dayu, which was already suffering from a serious fiscal deficit.

It is easy to suppress the rebellion in Guanzhong, but it is not so easy to stabilize the situation in Guanzhong.

No matter who is in charge of Guanzhong affairs, they will face a realistic problem - food shortage.

The drought affected not only Shaanxi, but also other northern provinces, which saw more or less reduction in grain production.

The North cannot be relied upon, let alone the South.

The main grain-producing areas were recovered, but a major war was about to be launched, and this was the time when money and grain were most needed.

Transferring grain from the south at this time will inevitably affect the battle to recover Jiangnan.

Compared with Shaanxi, the strategic significance of Jiangnan to Dayu is obviously much higher.

“Mr. Pang, blocking the news now is probably wishful thinking.

There are many provinces bordering Shaanxi, and the news of the rebellion in Guanzhong will soon spread throughout the world.

Rather than trying to cover up the truth, it is better to admit it frankly.

If we keep it secret, the situation will be even worse if the news leaks out in the future."

Shen Qiyuan immediately retorted.

Identity determines stance.

As a native of Guanzhong, he could not tolerate the court abandoning Shaanxi.

However, the reasons given by the Minister of Revenue were too sufficient and were completely based on the overall situation, so he could not directly refute them.

We can only hope that the two noble leaders who came out of Guanzhong can withstand the pressure and send troops from Huguang to reinforce Guanzhong.

It is not easy to do this.

If the imperial court blocked the news, even if they knew that something had happened in Guanzhong, the uncle and nephew of the Li family would most likely turn a deaf ear to it.

On the one hand, it is for the overall situation, and on the other hand, it is based on reality.

As soon as the autumn harvest was over, peasant uprisings quickly swept across many prefectures in Shaanxi, which was enough to prove that the disaster below was more serious than reported by local officials.

The imperial court could not provide enough food for disaster relief, and the uncle and nephew of the Li family were also unable to produce food.

If there really were enough food, the war to suppress Fu Ni's rebellion would not have been delayed until autumn.

Just because one's hometown is in Guanzhong is not enough to make one risk ruin and jump into the fire pit of Shaanxi.

"Sir Shen, the battle in Jiangnan cannot afford to fail.

Now everything in the court must give way to the recovery of Jiangnan.

Even if the situation in Shaanxi deteriorates, it won't be unsustainable for a day.

Let them hold out for a few months, and after Fu Ni is pacified, it won't be too late to send troops to Guanzhong. For the sake of the overall situation, put aside those little thoughts!"

Prime Minister Wan Junhui warned immediately.

The Yongning Dynasty was plagued by disasters. From the time he became the Prime Minister until now, he has not had a few days of peace.

If he had known the situation would be so bad, he would not have fought for the position of Prime Minister no matter what he said.

Deep down, he had made up his mind.

After the government troops recapture Nanjing, they will find an opportunity to escape.

Anyone who wants to turn the tide can do it. Anyway, his ability is limited and he cannot cope with the current complex situation.

"Ministry of War, please recommend someone to quell the rebellion!"

Emperor Yongning spoke slowly.

Although he seemed to have not expressed his position, he had actually told everyone that he supported giving priority to recovering the Jiangnan region.

The imperial court lacked both elite troops and money and food.

The people sent to Guanzhong to quell the rebellion are purely there to fill in the gaps.

We don't need to put down the rebellion quickly, but just want to stabilize the situation in Shaanxi.

……

Wuchang Mansion.

Looking at the letters sent from his hometown, Li Yuan was secretly worried.

The thing I was most worried about finally happened.

In recent years, there has been less and less rain in Shaanxi.

When he communicated with his fellow tribesmen, he often heard the elders complain about the bad harvest.

"Xiao Liuzi, go back and tell the elders to expand the militia to protect the ancestral temple.

If the situation gets completely out of control, then we will abandon our ancestral land and temporarily avoid the rebels!"

Li Yuan said in a low voice.

Giving up ancestral land is a great act of unfilial piety.

No one would choose to do this unless it is absolutely necessary.

However, the situation in Shaanxi really made him unsure.

In the short term, the imperial court could only draw troops from the nine borders besides mobilizing the Beijing troops.

In the wars of recent years, both the Beijing Army and the elite troops of the Nine Frontiers suffered heavy losses.

The subsequent replenishment of the establishment does not mean that the combat effectiveness has been restored.

Among the nine frontiers, only Liaodong Town saw an increase in military strength.

Based on his understanding of Liaodong Town, this group of guys who only seek profit will definitely not wade into the muddy waters of Shaanxi.

If the imperial court cannot provide enough money and grain, the enthusiasm of various departments will inevitably be affected, and the situation in Shaanxi will become difficult.

Compared to others, a big family like the Li family is still considered good.

No matter how severe the disaster is, there is no need to starve.

If life is tough, you can still join the army.

His banners were filled with many distant branches and collateral relatives.

Even if they are beyond the fifth degree of kinship, people from the same clan know each other well and are more trustworthy.

"Uncle, that's not the case!
How can a mere rebel army make us…"

Before the young man could finish his words, Li Yuan interrupted him sharply:
"Shut up!"

“Arrogance is the greatest enemy!”

"Just a bunch of rebels?"

"You know, it's just the rebels you mentioned that turned Dayu upside down!"

You can see that he is really angry.

The Li family has indeed been in great prosperity in the past decade or so, so much so that many members of the family have become arrogant.

If it weren't for the strict family rules, who knows how much trouble would have been caused.

"Uncle, calm down!"

"My grandson knows he was wrong, and he will never be so arrogant again..."

After being scolded, Xiao Liuzi's attitude softened instantly, as if he had become a different person.

In a clan society, the power of the clan leader is extremely great.

A clan leader like Li Yuan, who holds great power, has the power of life and death over ordinary clan members.

He had to deal with a tribesman, and there was no point in reporting him to the police.

Officials in the local government did not dare to interfere in the family affairs of the regent.

"Humph!"

"Since you know you're wrong, why are you still standing there? Go and deliver the letter!"

Li Yuan scolded angrily.

It's really troublesome. He has no sense of the overall situation.

Recovering Jiangnan is the national policy.

No matter who raises objections at this time, there will be no good results.

Without the court's order, he dared not send troops to rescue Shaanxi on his own.

……

Guangzhou Prefecture.

When the news of the Guanzhong crisis arrived, it coincided with the Northern Expedition oath-taking ceremony.

Without any hesitation, Li Mu chose to block the news immediately.

There are many members of the Li family in the army. Once these people know that their hometown is in danger, it will inevitably affect the morale of the army.

"Hanzhong is strategically located. As long as there are no internal problems, it will be difficult for the rebels in Guanzhong to make a breakthrough in a short time.

I will write a letter to the prefect of Hanzhong, asking him to step up his vigilance.

Li Wei, when you go back, inform your clan to prepare for the worst.

It's time to make use of the fortress on the mountain.

Stock up as much supplies as possible, and if anything happens in Hanzhong, take your people and retreat to the mountains.

To ensure that nothing goes wrong, we can arrange for some young men in the clan to go south to avoid disaster, and then return after the situation stabilizes."

Li Mu immediately gave instructions to the person who delivered the letter.

Compared with the clans in Guanzhong, their Hanzhong branch has not been affected by the war for the time being.

The Qinling Mountains are a natural dividing line.

Although it was also during the Little Ice Age, the drought in Hanzhong was much less severe than that in Guanzhong.

Several rivers in the territory provide basic guarantees for agricultural production on both sides of the river.

The areas hit hardest by the disaster are northern Shaanxi, Ningxia, Lanzhou and other places.

It is originally a dry and rainless area, and in that year of disaster, agricultural production was almost a total failure.

“My Lord, although Hanzhong has been affected, the overall situation is still stable.

The rebels are wreaking havoc in Shaanxi. If no measures are taken, the ancestral land of Guanzhong may not be safe!"

Li Wei said with an embarrassed look on his face.

This time he came to deliver the letter, not only on behalf of the Hanzhong branch, but also brought a request for help from the Guanzhong clan.

There are many people from the Li family serving as officials in the court, but only Li Mu and Li Yuan can truly influence the court's decision-making.

"My uncle will take care of the matter, so you don't have to worry about it!"

Li Mu immediately declined.

Some things cannot be said openly.

Li Yuan did not write a letter to inform him. It was obvious that after weighing the pros and cons, he chose to pretend to be ignorant.

Since the imperial court did not issue any official document saying that something happened in Shaanxi, they could pretend to know nothing.

He who does not know is not guilty.

Even if their ancestral land falls into the hands of the rebels later, they do not have to bear any moral pressure.

As for the clan, there is no need to worry.

They are the face of the Li family. Only with them holding power in the court can the clan achieve glory.

For the sake of family interests, the elders will also cover up the matter to prevent their reputation from being damaged.

If they are unlucky, the clan will not evacuate in time and will be massacred by the rebels.

The family members outside are responsible for revenge and continuing the clan bloodline.

(End of this chapter)