Fu Shanhe

Chapter 395 There are no eternal enemies

Chengdu Prefecture.

"waste!"

"They're all trash!"

Xu Wenyue launched a barrage of attacks at the general who was kneeling on the ground to apologize.

When the rebels withdrew, the Shu government troops launched a counterattack, but were defeated.

When he left office, he suffered another major defeat, adding another dark chapter to his political career.

"Lord, we can't be blamed for this alone!"

"If the Huguang government troops hadn't just sat there and watched, we wouldn't have suffered such a great defeat!"

Zhong Chenliang's explanation made Xu Wenyue even angrier.

"boom!"

The teacup on the table still smashed towards Zhong Chenliang's head.

But his aim was not good enough and the bullet flew right over his head, splashing tea everywhere.

"Humph!"

"Do you want to bully me because I don't know how to fight?"

"You took the initiative to take part in this operation, and you did not inform the Huguang troops during the entire process.

They even sent an official document asking why they didn't wait until they had rested before taking joint action.

In order to make your future life easier, I took on the responsibility, and this is how you repay me?"

Xu Wenyue scolded harshly.

The enemy was forced to withdraw, and the defenders took the initiative to pursue them. It should have been the time to join forces with the Huguang government troops to expand the results of the battle.

No one expected that at this critical moment, the Huguang government troops chose to rest on the spot.

Having misjudged the strategic situation and acted rashly and greedily, the Shu government troops became the only main force on the battlefield.

Being able to fight the enemy on equal terms when defending a city does not mean that you can be a match for the rebels in a field battle.

Under normal circumstances, if he suffered a defeat, he could still find a way to cover it up.

As long as the imperial court doesn't know about it, it's as if the defeat didn't exist.

But the troops of the noble faction were watching nearby, and they even sent a document to inquire about his affairs, which made Xu Wenyue lose face.

"Your Excellency is wronged!"

"I sent a messenger to inform them, but he was kicked out before he even entered the camp.

In my opinion, it is obvious that these Huguang soldiers wanted to take all the credit for suppressing the rebellion, so they pretended not to know. "

Zhong Chenliang said with a frustrated look on his face.

It is normal for the government troops to scramble for credit, especially when it comes to beating up the downdog, former colleagues become competitors.

But just sitting there and watching them fight the rebels is a bit too much.

"idiot!"

"What's the use of saying all this?"

“When it comes to cross-provincial joint operations, it is necessary to coordinate the two armies to act together, and I also issued official documents to promote it.

"Why should you, a general who has made meritorious contributions to his crimes, let others obey your orders?"

"They have come from a long way and have experienced countless battles along the way. Is it okay for them to rest for a few days if they are tired?"

Xu Wenyue couldn't help but curse.

When it comes to working in the government, procedures are very important.

According to Dayu law, this kind of cross-provincial joint operation requires the governor or governor-general to come forward for communication.

The direct contact between the generals below was a private appointment, which was a serious overstepping of authority and was expressly prohibited by the imperial court.

Despite these rules, in actual wars, they have long been in name only.

But since the rules exist, we should follow the procedures.

Otherwise, if something goes wrong, you will be fully responsible.

Unfortunately, Zhong Chenliang fell into all the traps.

The Huguang government troops chose to ignore the fact that they were greedy for merit, acted on their own, and failed to contact friendly forces according to procedures. Xu Wenyue could not find any fault with them.

"Mr. Ge, calm down!"

“General Zhong suffered a great defeat in order to wipe out the rebels as soon as possible.

Although this approach is not advisable, it is still reasonable.

As for the fact that the Huguang government troops chose to rest at this time, there was no big problem.

All the important roads out of Shu were tightly blocked, and the rebels had no chance of escaping this time.

A few minor defeats will not affect the overall situation of the encirclement and suppression."

Governor Lu Junliang's words seemed to be an excuse for Zhong Chenliang, but in fact they confirmed the accusation of greed and recklessness.

When a battle is lost, someone always has to take responsibility.

If the stick doesn't fall on Zhong Chenliang, it will fall on the governor.

Xu Wenyue is about to leave office, and he was appointed as the regent by the previous emperor, so the court will definitely give him some face.

The new governor, Li Yuan, is still on the way and it is even less likely that he will take the blame.

In order to keep his official hat, Lu Junliang decisively chose to add insult to injury.

Anyway, the situation has changed now. The government troops from Huguang have invaded Shu and the rebels are about to be defeated.

After the defeat, Zhong Chenliang's importance has dropped significantly.

"That's it!"

"General Zhong, please resign!
While I'm still in office, I can take on more responsibilities for you.

Otherwise, when Zhenyuan Hou comes, things won’t be so simple.”

Xu Wenyue thought for a moment and said.

This is a sincere statement. The number of official hats is not unlimited.

If the noble faction wants to expand its sphere of influence, it will inevitably squeeze out the interests of other teams.

He supported Zhong Chenliang in sending troops because he wanted to give a final helping hand to the Shu government troops before leaving office.

With military merits to his name, no matter how powerful the noble family is, they cannot ignore the rules to replace the generals of Shu and promote their own people to power.

Now the effect has been counterproductive. Not only have I not gained any credit, but I have also been accused of a lot of crimes.

Next, no one could find fault with Li Yuan's personnel adjustments to the generals in Shu.

Instead of waiting for others to attack you, it is better to leave on your own initiative, and you can leave in a more decent manner.

"Mr. Ge..."

"Thank you very much for your protection, Lord!"

Zhong Chenliang responded with a slight hesitation.

Xu Wenyue was unwilling to protect him, and the governor was unwilling to help him, so resigning was the best option.

If he continues to occupy the position, he will most likely be held responsible for the defeat later.

In fact, these Shu generals also had a relationship with the nobles.

Those who are able to hold high positions, in addition to being good at operations, are mostly descendants of military families.

If you look up the family tree, perhaps a dozen generations ago, the ancestor was a general under some noble person, or was directly a distant relative of some noble person.

But these relationships are too far apart.

For their own interests, they have long turned to the civil service group.

The decline of the previous noble family was due, on the one hand, to a shortage of talent in the court and on the other hand, to a decline in their influence on the local military.

By the time the noble family is revived, it will be too late to get involved with them.

……

Huguang military camp.

"Brother Liu, if we do this, Lord Xu will probably go crazy, right?"

Ye Hongchang asked with a slightly nervous look.

He felt frustrated in Shu because commanding troops was not Xu Wenyue's strong point.

Once he returns to the court and takes control of the empire again, he will be the full-blooded Xu Wenyue.

If one offends such powerful officials, even if they are capable generals of nobles, they will still feel the pressure.

"No!"

"Prime Minister Xu is a man of great generosity. He probably won't bother with us."

“Although this matter was handled somewhat unfairly, it is in line with the laws of the court, and it is not our intention to deceive anyone.

Even if the news got out, people would just say that Zhong was greedy and reckless.

We are a foreign army. Our troops are not used to the local climate and need to rest and recuperate. What's the problem?

Even if Lord Xu wants to make a fuss, we will just follow his orders.

Before launching the war, we didn't communicate with the Marquis and we were all unknown. How could we cooperate in time?
The transfer of power is imminent, and Lord Xu will not cause any trouble."

Liu Qifeng said uncertainly.

As the situation improved, the contradiction between the nobles and the civil service group became increasingly acute.

Although the top leaders of both sides are trying to suppress it, many conflicts have emerged from below, and no one knows where the conflict will ignite. Those who have a little political sense are now cautious in their words and deeds to avoid being caught in the vortex of the storm.

“Brother Liu is right, Brother Ye, you are too sensitive.

From the beginning to the end, Lord Xu was not involved in this matter.

It was all Zhong Chenliang's own fault, and we were just going along with it.

Your Majesty intends to replicate the reforms of the eight southeastern provinces in Shu. Your Majesty has a heavy burden on his shoulders, and he cannot do it without the support of his own people.

Taking the opportunity to replace a group of Shu generals, just in time to make room for everyone.

It is said that Lord Xu also supported tax reform, and during his tenure in Shu, he also strengthened the collection of commercial taxes.

Maybe the higher-ups have already communicated with each other.”

Yun Yufeng said calmly.

If the sky falls down, there will be tall people holding it up.

With the end of the war, the number of newly expanded troops was a bit too large.

At least the organization of the five towns of Huguang looks very eye-catching.

You should know that other provinces all have a recruitment system of two to three towns.

The once-famous Liaodong clique now consists of only five towns.

As an inland region, Huguang could not have so many staff members.

If it weren't for the war in Shu, the imperial court's disarmament order would have reached Huguang long ago.

The solution within the noble faction was to take advantage of the opportunity of entering Shu to fight and seize the recruitment number in Shu.

Some generals were transferred to other places to ensure that everyone's interests were not harmed.

If the plan fails and the court reduces its military, he will have no choice but to be transferred to other provinces.

There are many places in Dayu that need good generals, so there will definitely be positions, but it is difficult to guarantee their remuneration.

"Brother Yun is right. It seems that I am too paranoid. Perhaps the higher-ups have already reached an agreement on this."

“But the rebels’ movements are still a little strange.

Looking at their marching routes, they are all heading towards western Sichuan, which is the territory of the chieftains.

Could it be that they want to rely on the complex local terrain to stop our encirclement and suppression?"

Ye Hongchang suddenly changed the subject, instantly arousing everyone's interest.

The rebels' route of advance was totally out of character.

Shu is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and all the important roads out of Sichuan are in the hands of the government troops.

Under normal circumstances, when faced with a heavy encirclement, the rebels should fight to the death.

“Who knows what’s going on in the rebels’ minds.

Perhaps those rebels wanted to satisfy their desire to be chieftains and planned to live in seclusion in the mountains.

Or maybe they felt that U-Tsang Dusi and Dogandusi were places of good feng shui and wanted to bury themselves there.

The local climate is harsh and not suitable for large-scale military operations. As long as the rebels hide inside, it will be difficult for us to chase them.

But this is also a good thing. It would be best if we could defeat the enemy without bloodshed.

The Marquis asked us to rest here, probably to reduce the losses and deliberately lead the rebels to a desperate situation."

Liu Qifeng said with a smile.

The situation has developed to this point, and the rebel leaders have few options left.

No matter how tortuous the road ahead is, as long as you can see hope, it will be a life-saving straw in the eyes of someone who falls into the water.

"Three generals, Lord Xu is here to visit!"

Upon hearing the news, the faces of the three people who were chatting suddenly changed.

Although they said they were not afraid, they still couldn't help but panic when the real boss came to their door.

Without any hesitation, the three of them immediately got up and went out to greet them.

……

"Three generals, this shows that you are not welcoming me!"

Xu Wenyue said with a smile.

"You are joking, my Lord. I and others have admired you for a long time. Today..."

Xu Wenyue interrupted him before he could finish his polite words.

"General Yun, right?"

“I remember when I was in Yangzhou, you were there when Marquis Hanshui led his troops to stop my carriage.

In just a few years, he has become the commander of a town. It seems that he is highly regarded by the Marquis of Hanshui!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the field suddenly became awkward.

One was his old boss, and the other was a senior official at the time. Yun Yufeng had no idea how to respond.

When he followed Li Mu to stop the carriage, he was like a newborn calf who was not afraid of a tiger. He did not realize how terrifying the power of the cabinet ministers was.

After spending a long time in official circles, he gradually understood the true meaning of power and became more cautious in his actions.

"It is my honor that the Lord still remembers what happened back then."

After a brief moment of distraction, Yun Yufeng calmed down and responded calmly.

The one who gave the order was Marquis Wuyang, and the one who led the team was Marquis Hanshui.

Even if Lord Xu wanted to settle the score later, these two would be the ones to take the blame.

According to the rules of the political game, the person in front of us is the powerful and influential elder of the current dynasty.

If they were to turn against each other directly, rebels would appear in Shu and something unexpected might happen to the elder.

"Ha ha……"

"How could I not remember that those who blocked my carriage back then have now become pillars of our Great Yu Dynasty.

This is a story that will be recorded in history books in the future.”

Xu Wenyue laughed out loud on the spot.

When his frame was stopped, he lost face. Under normal circumstances, he would definitely want to get it back.

It was just because of the special circumstances that he was sent out to quell the rebellion shortly after returning to Beijing, and had no time to settle the score later.

When he came to his senses, he found that the officers and soldiers who had intercepted his carriage had all become high-ranking generals of the Dayu Dynasty.

At this point, it is no longer a question of revenge or not, but a time to show his magnanimity.

It doesn't matter what he thinks in his heart. The key is that he did not take any substantial retaliatory action.

Once the news gets out, everyone will say that he is a very generous prime minister.

For civil servants, the greatest pursuit is to leave their names in history.

From Xu Wenyue's point of view, these officers and soldiers are just the backdrop for him to build up his reputation.

The higher the person climbs, the more it proves his magnanimity.

Directly breaking the window paper was not only for the three people to see, but also to show goodwill to the nobles behind them.

After leaving the court for many years, when I returned to the capital, everything had changed.

The greatest political resource he possesses now is his personal reputation, followed by his status as regent.

But if you want to gain a foothold in the court, fame alone is not enough, you also need real political achievements.

After being away from the capital for several years to suppress the rebellion, if there was no result at all, he would not have the face to stay in the court even if he returned to the capital.

If he wants to achieve political achievements during his final term in office, he cannot do without the cooperation of the nobles.

In politics, there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.

In order to increase his political capital, it was not difficult for Xu Wenyue to temporarily cooperate with the noble faction.

"Your tolerance is beyond the reach of this humble general!"

"I wonder why the Lord came here today?"

Yun Yufeng asked doubtfully.

He didn't think that based on the little connection they had back then, he was qualified to invite Xu Wenyue over to reminisce about the past.

"Nothing else, please kill the traitors for the country!"

Xu Wenyue said with a serious look.

The rebellion in Shu was delayed in quelling, half because of the poor combat effectiveness of the government troops, and the other half because of the fact that some people were hindering him and pretending to obey his policies.

In the past, we had to consider the overall situation and had no time to bother with these people.

Now that the situation has changed, it is naturally time to settle the accounts.

These troops of the noble faction have no connection with the local forces, so it is most appropriate to use them as weapons.

After clearing up these hidden dangers, he implemented his policy agenda as quickly as possible so that people all over the world would know his ability to govern the local area.

Because of the success of the tax reform by the noble faction in the eight southeastern provinces, the entire senior civil service group was under tremendous pressure.

It is understandable that he is not as good as a group of warriors in leading troops to fight.

If one cannot catch up with the military generals in local governance, then all one's dignity and face will be lost.

Unfortunately, reform is full of risks and can go wrong if one is not careful.

……

(End of this chapter)