Fu Shanhe

Chapter 497 Deceitful Schemes

"Nonsense!"

"Do you think rebellion is a child's game?"

"Taking the capital is easy, but what happens after it's taken?"

"The North is already exhausted, and the officials in the southern provinces will not obey our orders."

Without supplies from the south, how can we incorporate the border troops from various places?

Currently, the domestic military is mainly controlled by the nobility, and most of the generals are former subordinates of the Marquis of Hanshui.

"If they raise their arms and call for reinforcements to save the emperor, armies from all over the land will rise up in response. How will we resist?"

Shi Jingfeng immediately rebuked him angrily.

Liaodong Town had long been a separatist territory, and if he had the ability to be the leader, he didn't want to be subordinate to anyone.

Unfortunately, reality is cruel. There are northern barbarians eyeing them covetously outside the Great Wall, and there are also those fierce generals from the noble aristocracy in the country.

Unfortunately, Liaodong Town, caught in the middle, had no chance to grow and expand.

They couldn't bear it after the imperial court only cut off their salaries for half a year.

Compared to Li Mu, who inherited Annam, his foundation was far inferior.

At this point, trying to seize power will only benefit others.

“Brother, we have certainly considered the issues you mentioned.”

"If we were to foolishly rebel, it would naturally provoke opposition from the people of the world. But we have the Emperor Emeritus!"
By restoring the retired emperor to the throne, the moral issues would be resolved.

Even if officials in the southern provinces do not support it, they will not openly oppose it.

The stronghold of the nobility is in the capital, and they have the families of these people under their control. How could they not be hesitant to act rashly?

Once the capital is captured, the Beijing Garrison can be reorganized as quickly as possible, and the great cause will be accomplished!

Right now, border troops in various places are short of food. If we cut off the supply lines, we will gain the initiative.

With so many borders, it's impossible for all of them to be tough nuts to crack; there will always be people willing to cooperate.

By dividing and weakening them, they can control most of the border troops.

Even a few die-hards can use others to do their dirty work.

Those guys have been raiding deep into the grasslands quite a bit lately in order to solve their food shortage.

The Guifang people were not to be trifled with; they had already set a trap, waiting for them to take the bait again.

We've already made contact with the Tatars. They've promised that as long as we cede Liaodong and pay tribute like the Song Dynasty, they will support us in taking control of Dayu.

As for the Marquis of Hanshui, he is indeed a threat, but he is too far from the capital!
By the time he received the message, we had already taken control of the situation.

Shi Jinglin explained with a smile.

Who would dare to do something as dangerous as rebellion without being absolutely certain of success?
Although the plan still has some flaws in the details, it is already quite feasible overall.

"You dare to believe the promises of the Tatars?"

Shi Jingfeng rolled his eyes and said.

The prerequisite for the plan to succeed was that the Tatars kept their promise.

If they turn their backs on you and stab you in the back at a crucial moment, it would be a complete tragedy.

Placing one's hopes on the reputation of others is irresponsible, especially since the Tatars themselves have no reputation to begin with.

"Brother, if it's just a simple promise, we naturally wouldn't dare to believe it."

To show their sincerity, they will join forces with the Ghost Clan to first cripple the noble forces along the Great Wall.

If nothing unexpected happens, they have most likely already made their move.

When two tigers fight, there will inevitably be losses.

We'll wait until they're fighting at their most intense point before making our move.

If the situation gets out of control and the north cannot be defended, we will take the emperor and move south.

Shi Jingzhong, who was standing to the side, added.

Chinese people have a strong attachment to their hometown and find it hard to leave their native land, but this does not include Liaodong.

Not only were they constantly at war, but they were also frequently afflicted by natural disasters and man-made calamities, so those who could escape had long since fled.

Even these local bullies want to expand their businesses elsewhere.

"Moving south to temporarily avoid the brunt of the northern invaders is indeed a good choice."

However, whether this matter will succeed depends on the reaction of the Marquis of Hanshui.

If he had stood up and strongly opposed it, the southward relocation might not have proceeded smoothly.

After pondering for a moment, Shi Jingfeng said with a solemn expression.

The south is not their territory, and Liaodong Town has a well-known reputation, so the local forces are unlikely to welcome them.

Once someone takes the lead, it is very likely that a united force will be formed to oppose the southward migration.

The reasons are readily available: the legacy of our ancestors cannot be abandoned.

If such a serious accusation were slapped on them, not only would these powerful officials be unable to withstand it, but even the emperor would have to kneel in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

If they forcibly move south despite the pressure, it would give the Marquis of Hanshui an excuse to send troops.

The southern region is covered by a dense network of waterways, which greatly restricts the cavalry, allowing them to exert only seven or eight tenths of their full combat effectiveness.

It would be awkward if we were stuck north of the Huai River.

"Brother, in the past, this was indeed a possibility."

However, the situation is different now. The gentry and nobles of Jiangnan are at odds and are waiting for us to come and rescue them!
With their cooperation, we will not be isolated and helpless.

If we can talk to the Marquis of Hanshui, we'll talk; if we can't reach an agreement, we'll just have to fight.

If pushed too far, we can even join forces with the Northern barbarians!

Shi Jingming said calmly.

My elder brother is good in every way, except that he is too wary of the Marquis of Hanshui.

If the two sides had unequal access to resources during the heyday of the aristocratic faction, he naturally wouldn't have dared to challenge the powerful figures of the aristocratic faction.

But now the situation has changed. The once renowned first general of the Great Yu Dynasty has been living in seclusion in the Annam Protectorate for many years.

If it weren't for the enormous financial losses, the imperial court wouldn't have given up on that remote corner of Annam back then.

Apart from the subsidies from Guangdong and Guangxi, the Marquis of Hanshui had never received any resources from the imperial court.

No matter how well they managed, the newly occupied territories didn't produce much output and relied entirely on financial support from Guangdong and Guangxi provinces to survive.

Lingnan has always been a place of exile, so its tax revenue was inevitably limited.

Elite troops are made by feeding them money and provisions; he had personally experienced how expensive it was to maintain an army.

According to the Ministry of War's roster, the Marquis of Hanshui commanded 200,000 troops.

In his view, this number is heavily inflated, and that even half of it would be considered impressive.

Even if they were to raise an army to defend the emperor, they could at most mobilize tens of thousands of troops.

Besides his formidable military prowess, the military strength of the Marquis of Hanshui was mostly inferior to that of their Liaodong Garrison.

However, given Shi Jingfeng's prestige, he swallowed these words and dared not say them aloud.

"Play the piano randomly!"

"It's one thing to secretly contact the Northern barbarians."

If we really join forces with them, what will the world think of us?
Don't forget, the soldiers of my Liaodong army also have a deep-seated blood feud with the northern barbarians!

Shi Jingfeng said irritably.

He wouldn't mind joining forces with the Northern barbarians.

But this kind of thing can only be done secretly, and must never be told out loud.

"Brother, stop looking back and forth."

To conserve food, soldiers could only eat two meals of thin porridge each.

Some soldiers' families had long since run out of food and were relying on our relief efforts to survive.

Even if we take out all of the Shi family's stored grain, it will only last for another month at most.

If we don't take action now while we can still move, we'll be too late to deploy troops later.

Shi Jinglin began to offer his advice.

Due to the locust plague, crops in the Liaodong region also failed last year, and they are now in the lean season.

Driven by the need to make a living, many people in the area fled.

They can ignore others, but they cannot stand idly by and do nothing about the families of soldiers.

They had to support both the soldiers and their families.

Suddenly burdened with a heavy responsibility, no matter how large or successful a business is, it can't withstand such turmoil.

The decision to launch the attack at this time was driven not only by ambition but also by a lack of other options.

Under the existing rules and regulations, no matter how hard they tried, Liaodong Town would go hungry.

The imperial court made it sound nice, saying they would send the grain over as soon as the next batch arrived.

Anyone with even a slight understanding of the situation knows that this is pure wishful thinking.

Given the current state of Liaodong Garrison, it is simply not enough to sustain the arrival of the imperial court's provisions.

The border troops on the Great Wall defense line were all out raiding the Guifang people for survival; they didn't dare to go out and raid the Tatars.

To fill one's stomach, one must break the constraints of the rules.

Being able to be the first to enter the capital would naturally be the best outcome.

Even if they were blocked by the Beijing garrison, they could still gather food locally.

No matter how impoverished the northern lands may be, there are still wealthy and powerful families.

Although they are not as wealthy as the prominent families of Jiangnan, they can make up for the lack of quality with quantity.

If we raid a few more places, we'll have enough military rations.

"Hey!"

"Very well, I agree to this."

"Reinstating the retired emperor is a major event and should not be done hastily."

To ensure the success of the operation, someone must impersonate a rebel and enter Shuntian Prefecture first to cut off the grain supply route from Dagukou to the capital. The capital is facing a severe food shortage, and if the supply route is threatened, the imperial court will definitely send out the Beijing garrison to quell the rebellion immediately.

The vanguard must withstand the offensive of the Beijing garrison and also lure more Beijing garrison troops out of the city.

Only after reducing the military strength in the capital, and with the help of the resources of Shanxi merchants, can we hope to capture the capital.

This is a matter of great importance; who among you will be in charge of this task?

Hearing Shi Jingfeng's question, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It would be good if they could persuade their own elder brother; otherwise, if the Shi family couldn't even reach a consensus, this rebellion game would be impossible to play.

"Brother, this matter is of great significance. Why don't I lead the troops to take a trip?"

Shi Jingming said eagerly.

As one of the decision-makers in the Shi family, he was certainly not a simple brute.

He lacked political acumen, but his military talent was undeniable.

His greatest strength is his willingness to fight and take risks.

"Third brother, this operation is of great importance."

Your primary task is to cut off the supply lines, and only then should you lure the enemy out. Do not be greedy for quick success!
Regardless of the final outcome, one's identity must not be revealed.

Therefore, in addition to leading three thousand elite troops, they also need to recruit a large number of cannon fodder to make it immediately obvious that they are rebels.

Shi Jingfeng immediately gave instructions.

Throughout history, rebellion has always been a high-risk profession.

It wouldn't be difficult to trick the guards of the capital into opening the gates by taking advantage of their deception.

The difficulty lies in how to deal with the hundreds of thousands of garrison troops in Beijing after entering the capital.

It's fine to look down on the Beijing garrison as pampered soldiers in normal times, but at this critical juncture, he dares not underestimate his opponent.

The nobility faction has no shortage of capable generals; if they do not take control of the Beijing garrison immediately, they will be put on the defensive.

With just a small force like those in Liaodong Town, it would be extremely difficult for them to control the entire country.

What he wanted was to incorporate the Beijing Garrison, not to fight it to the death.

The best option is to first lure the enemy away from the city and draw the main force of the Beijing garrison out of the city.

Once they seize the capital and control the court, they can issue orders in the emperor's name.

The families of the military generals were all in the city, and with the emperor's decree, even if someone wanted to resist, not many officers and soldiers would follow.

Essentially, the Liaodong garrison's southward campaign to seize power was more political than military.

"Brother, don't worry!"
If you can't do anything else, what's so difficult about impersonating a rebel?

They recruited all the refugees along the way into their army, and anyone could tell at a glance that they were rebels.

From Shanhaiguan to the foot of the imperial city, one could easily gather a procession of tens or hundreds of thousands of people along the way.

The fear is that the commotion will be too great, scaring the officials in the city so they won't dare send out the Beijing garrison.

Shi Jingming said casually.

The most distinctive feature of peasant uprising armies is their sheer number.

In a force of hundreds of thousands, it would be inconspicuous to have three thousand elite soldiers mixed in.

If we rob a few more wealthy and powerful families along the way, it would be even more in line with our image.

"Third Brother, you can't start recruiting people from Shanhaiguan."

The fact that rebels rose up right under our noses inevitably makes people suspicious.

It would be best to first disperse and travel around Shandong, then have a rebel army emerge from there, gradually grow stronger, and advance towards the capital.

The bigger the commotion you make, the easier it will be for our plan to succeed.

If we can get the court to order reinforcements, then we can seize the opportunity to send troops, which would make our actions even more legitimate.

Shi Jinglin said with a smile.

In the past, when they raised troops to defend the emperor, they would hide in the back to avoid becoming cannon fodder.

The current situation is special; the armed forces of the nobility are either thousands of miles away or starving.

Even if the garrison along the Great Wall wanted to come and help, their commanders couldn't gather enough money and supplies to send troops.

It's not easy to support oneself by relying solely on the spoils from plundering the grasslands.

Wars are fought over money and supplies.

In the context of food shortages, people can eat less during normal times.

Once war breaks out, the consumption of resources increases exponentially.

If the supplies for men, horses, and livestock don't keep up, where will they get the strength to fight?

……

The Tatar royal court.

While the Tatar leadership was plotting a rebellion in Liaodong, they were also faced with a strategic choice.

The promises made to Liaodong Town earlier were merely decisions made by the royal court's intelligence department.

Whether or not the promise is fulfilled depends on the decision of higher-ups.

"Those scoundrels from Liaodong Town actually dared to rebel against the Emperor of Great Yu. What do you think, should we support them?"

Hugjil asked with a smile.

Since the last battle, he has given up the idea of ​​fighting the Great Yu to the death.

The Tatar population was limited, and they lacked the resources to wage a war of attrition against the Yu Dynasty.

To defeat the enemy, it is best to dismantle them from within.

As a result, the Tatar Kingdom's strategy also changed.

Whether it was supporting the rebels or sowing discord between the Yu Dynasty's rulers and ministers, these became their core strategies.

As it turned out, this tactic was indeed effective.

Not long after they started, they caught a big fish.

The rebellion in Liaodong was clearly something the already weakened Great Yu Dynasty could not withstand.

"The Great Chanyu, the Yu people are most adept at internal strife."

Those scoundrels in Liaodong Town have finally mustered the courage to rebel; we must give them our full support!

Once the Shi family raises the banner of rebellion, we can sit idly by and watch the people of Yu kill each other.

Regardless of who wins or loses, it will deplete the national strength of the Yu Dynasty.

If we're lucky, we might even get something for nothing.

Arutan Wanhu said with great interest.

For the Tatar Kingdom, any powerful military force within the territory of the Yu Dynasty was a potential threat.

Although Liaodong Town seemed to be slacking off, it was precisely these guys who blocked many key locations in Liaodong, forcing them to take a detour through Jizhou when heading south.

If there's a straight path, nobody wants to go out in circles.

The longer the battle lines are drawn out, the more strategic resources will be required.

Each time the Tatar Kingdom embarked on an expedition, it had to stockpile a large amount of strategic materials in advance in order to launch its southward invasion plan.

It's one thing to waste money and food, but the real problem is that we have to constantly worry about Liaodong Town launching a surprise attack on our base.

Although these guys didn't dare to make a single move.

But as long as a threat exists, it will always be a threat.

"Arutan, you're thinking too simply."

The Yu Dynasty was plagued by internal strife, which stemmed from the coexistence of multiple factions within the country, all of which restrained and hindered each other.

The situation will change once one side wins.

Whichever side gains complete control of Dayu, they will become our mortal enemy.

Moreover, we won't gain much from this collaboration; on the contrary, we risk losing manpower and resources.

Even if we were to send troops, we should wait until autumn, not spring.

Nichlerg immediately objected.

Solving the problem of the Yu Dynasty's border troops along the Great Wall has always been their goal.

The fact that no action has been taken for so long indicates that the enemy is quite strong.

Even if a victory is won, a hasty military expedition will result in heavy losses.

Sending troops out in the spring is a major taboo in military strategy.

Although the Tatars were a fishing and hunting people, they also had a tradition of farming.

Although the tribe's output is insufficient to feed a large army, being able to be partially self-sufficient still holds significant strategic importance.

"We can't delay any longer!"

"Due to the locust plague last year, the Yu Dynasty faced a severe food shortage in the north, and even the border troops could not be supplied with provisions."

According to information from inside sources, Liaodong Town is about to run out of food.

If we don't agree to cooperate, they might follow the example of the Yu army in Jizhou and send troops to plunder our territory.

Erd shook his head and said.

The situation cannot be changed by individual will.

Liaodong Town is now like a hungry tiger, desperately needing to go out and hunt.

The prey could be the Dayu people or the Tatars.

A tiger can die on the way to hunt, or in the process of fighting with its prey, but it cannot starve to death in its den.

"Since we can't drag this out any longer, let's add fuel to the fire and incite those scoundrels in Liaodong Town to go on a big rampage."

As for helping them deal with the noble border troops, we'll agree to it first, and then decide on the follow-up based on the actual situation.

The Guifang people have been attacked multiple times, so they must want revenge.

Send envoys to contact the Guifang people and persuade the various tribes to form a coalition army to launch an attack on the Yu Dynasty!

Hugjil immediately made the decision.

(End of this chapter)