Fu Shanhe

Chapter 508 Loyalist Alliance
"Brother, those guys are getting too big for their britches. We have to kill them to vent our anger!"

"We are not on the same path, and we are destined to stand on opposite sides."

No matter how much courtesy you receive, the final result will be the same!

Shi Jingming said casually.

In recent days, he has come to realize that neither civil officials nor nobles have taken the Shi family seriously.

All that effort was wasted; nobody truly trusted them.

Even the Qingliu Party members who cooperated with them were only cooperating with them under pressure from reality.

They could switch sides at any time if the situation changes.

"Hey!"

"The North is exhausted, and our foundation is unstable."

It's perfectly normal that those powerful families don't think we can conquer the world.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must achieve results and let them know that the world is won through battle!

Shi Jingfeng said, feigning magnanimity.

No matter how difficult the situation, the leader must have confidence, otherwise the morale of the subordinates will collapse.

"Don't worry, brother. With us brothers here, it's only a matter of time before we pacify the world!"

The crowd answered in unison.

It's clear that everyone is more confident than Shi Jingfeng, the eldest brother.

There's nothing strange about it. Just looking at the power on paper, the Liaodong Army, with its more than 300,000 troops, is undoubtedly the number one power in the world right now.

However, behind the strength and power of the army, there are also many hidden dangers.

Of the more than 300,000 troops, only 60,000 were the original core troops. The remaining 200,000 troops were half incorporated from the Beijing Garrison and half were brought back by Shi Jingming when he impersonated a rebel.

There was no other way; the northern lands were simply too suitable for the rebel army to develop.

The amount of food you have determines the number of soldiers you can recruit.

Shi Jingming was quite restrained, only selecting the strongest and most capable to bring back. Otherwise, the number would have increased several times over.

Troops with this kind of background are fine when things are going well, but once they encounter difficulties, they will collapse faster than anyone else.

"Ok!"

"Pass down the order: put the Li family's matter aside for now, just to give Marquis Hanshui some face."

However, it is necessary to strictly block the inflow of supplies and send out letters of persuasion to surrender every three days.

"As long as they lay down their weapons and surrender, I will let bygones be bygones!"

After reason prevailed and he summarized his previous failures, Shi Jingfeng instantly realized that he had done something stupid.

Judging from the current situation, even if the armies from all over the country haven't set off yet, they are already brewing.

At that time, the leader of the army that came to the aid of the emperor would most likely be Li Mu.

In this context, the Li clan in the capital became readily available hostages.

While it's unrealistic to expect these people to force the main force to retreat, at least they have the leverage to negotiate.

Not only the Li family, but other noble families in the capital are also valuable.

With these hostages in hand, their sons in the military became more cautious.

If we're lucky, we might even be able to recruit some of the border troops through them.

"Brother, if we just let the Li family go like this, all our previous efforts to establish our authority will be in vain."

The reason the Li family's stronghold wasn't captured was due to insufficient prior preparation.

Next, we changed tactics and used combat as training, having the new recruits I brought back take turns fighting them in a war of attrition.

"We'll definitely take down the Li family in less than ten days!"

Shi Jingming immediately came up with a suggestion.

The Shi family couldn't afford to fight a war of attrition with elite troops, but it was a different story with new recruits.

The Great Yu Dynasty has no shortage of people; it can make a thousand moves if a thousand die, or make ten thousand moves if ten thousand die.

"Third Brother, you only consider the military aspects and have ignored the political implications."

When the capital city fell, all the major clans in the capital, including the Li family, sent their core members away.

Those who remained were either a bunch of old guys or spoiled brats, and they had already prepared for the worst.

If they weren't free from worries about the future, they wouldn't have dared to openly oppose us at the court assembly.

From the very beginning, they were seeking death.

Those clansmen who remained in the capital were prepared as expendable pawns, just waiting for us to kill them.

In a sense, the more ruthlessly we kill them, the more it demonstrates their loyalty and righteousness.

The actions of those old guys in the Li family were not only for their own historical record, but also to pave the way for the Marquis of Hanshui.

Now that the world is in chaos, I don't believe that the Li family, as the most powerful family in Dayu, has no ambitions for the world.

If the Marquis of Hanshui were to seize the throne, they would make a fortune.

Not only will their descendants enjoy wealth and honor, but they themselves will also be lauded in history books!

Shi Jinglin shook his head and explained.

In politics, the more the enemy wants to do something, the more you should prevent them from doing it.

As a noble family, their failure to save the country at the end of the dynasty and their direct seizure of power inevitably drew criticism from the people.

If not handled properly, it can easily leave hidden dangers.

If a large number of people had died for their country from the very beginning, public opinion would have been completely different.

The failure to save the Great Yu Dynasty was a matter of loyalty and righteousness; the failure to save it after making an effort was simply a matter of destiny.

"That's way too cruel!"

"To abandon thousands of clansmen and an elite force in the capital just for a good reputation?"

Shi Jingming asked incredulously.

It is not unusual for individuals to be sacrificed for the benefit of the clan.

But the Li family played too ruthlessly; thousands of their relatives and family members in the capital were all sacrificed.

In chaotic times, where can one find tenderness?
Besides, even if they didn't abandon them, could they really take these people away with them?

Shi Jingfeng replied irritably.

My head may be severed, my blood may flow, but my reputation must not be lost.

As the leading noble family, the Li clan, with two members holding the title of Marquis, was destined not to submit to them for the sake of their family reputation.

Young and able-bodied men could break through and leave, but their families couldn't escape at all.

Even if they didn't intercept them and nothing unexpected happened along the way, it would still be difficult for the elderly and infirm to reach the Annam Protectorate safely.

What appears to be abandonment is actually the most rational choice made for the continuation of the family line.

Rather than risking total annihilation by leading the entire clan to evacuate, it's better to let the elite members leave safely, while the rest stay behind to gamble on a slim chance of survival.

Having lost the bet, they staged a poignant and heroic drama, cementing the Li family's reputation for loyalty and righteousness.

If you win the gamble, the tragic story is gone, but your good reputation will remain.

After all, while everyone else was surrendering to the rebels, they were the ones who took up arms to fight back.

If Shi Jingfeng had known the situation would develop this way, he would never have allowed his men to go on a killing spree in the imperial court that day.

This feeling of being led by the nose by the enemy is absolutely awful.

“The powerful clans are truly terrifying; they can even scheme against us like this. No wonder my elder brother is so wary of them.”

With the Li family having so many schemes, wouldn't those other prominent families of equal standing also be involved...?

Halfway through his sentence, Shi Jingming shuddered.

Everyone here is so cunning and calculating; it's really too difficult for a fighter like him who relies on physical strength.

You never know when you might get sold out and end up helping the seller count the money.

"Don't worry, those powerful families may be cunning, but they are actually quite timid."

If the Li family hadn't produced the Marquis of Hanshui, and if many of its members had gone to the Annam Protectorate to develop their careers earlier, they wouldn't have dared to go so far.

What we need to do next is to stabilize the situation as soon as possible, and then find a way to open up the canal passage so that the money and grain from the south can be transported over as quickly as possible.

Heaven cherishes life, and we cannot simply kill indiscriminately.

Fifth Brother, since you're a bit more astute, the task of recruiting rebels is now in your hands.

Anyone willing to sever ties with the traitors will be pardoned for all past transgressions!

Shi Jingfeng rubbed his forehead and said.

As a family of military generals, the Shi family had very few people with political acumen. Influenced by the principle of valuing scholars over military men, the Liaodong Garrison, bearing the title of a regional military governor, was naturally ostracized by scholars.

The Shi family had a terrible relationship with the imperial court; anyone who became their advisor was effectively out of the picture and could never have a career in government again.

Those willing to follow them were mostly poor, pedantic scholars and students who had only completed the preliminary examinations; it was even difficult to recruit a few successful candidates for the provincial examinations.

Despite the fact that the imperial examination system of the Great Yu Dynasty kept many people out of the court, the most outstanding talents still gathered in the court.

Especially in political maneuvering, one cannot achieve mastery without experience in the imperial court.

After taking control of the capital, the situation improved slightly.

However, those who came to join them at this time were mostly opportunists, and it's hard to say how loyal they were.

If a loyalist from the Great Yu were to feign defection and then launch a major attack at a crucial moment, we would suffer a huge loss.

There are already very few talented people, and they have to be careful not to use them. We dare not let them participate in key decisions at all.

After all, when it comes to eloquence, those scholars are miles ahead of them.

Even if he, as the leader, is not easy to fool, he has a lot of stubborn and inflexible generals under his command.

"Don't worry, brother. Among so many rebels, there must be a few spineless ones."

However, food was scarce in the capital, and the grain we captured could not last long. In fact, people even resorted to cannibalism.

If the food problem isn't solved quickly, the capital will soon become a living hell!

Shi Jinglin reported with a frown.

Only after taking charge of the household did I realize that even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

The capital city is now a complete mess.

From the moment they seized Dagukou, the grain supply route from the south was completely cut off.

The grain stores on the market had never opened since they came to Beijing.

The problem facing the capital right now is not that food is expensive, but that it is simply unavailable.

Not only could they not buy grain, but they couldn't even buy inferior bran.

If the city gates hadn't been sealed off, the people would have fled in droves long ago.

But people always need to eat. Forcing people to stay in the city and starve will inevitably cause trouble sooner or later.

"First, we must procure grain from the wealthy and powerful families in the city. We must stabilize the situation in the city no matter what."

As for the people in the city, they were allowed to go out and make a living on their own.

In addition, we contacted Shanxi merchants and asked them to find a way to obtain a batch of grain for emergency use.

Third brother, you lead 30,000 troops to first wipe out the rebels entrenched in Xuzhou and open up the passage to the south.

The rest of you, hurry up and train your troops! If the southern provinces refuse to send grain, we'll march south next month and collect it ourselves!

Shi Jingfeng immediately made the decision.

It's frustrating to think about. Other powerful officials are all indulging in extravagance and debauchery.

If he were the powerful minister, he would be busy cleaning up messes every day.

Deep down, he felt a vague sense of regret.

I knew the Great Yu Dynasty was rotten, but I never imagined it would be this bad.

If we capture the capital, then we've only captured the capital.

The northern provinces were all asking for money and grain. Once the money and grain were allocated, they would acknowledge their rule.

The southern provinces didn't ask for money or grain; they were all focused on serving the emperor.

Since they took control of the capital, the Nanjing Six Ministries, this backup court, suddenly became very active.

On one hand, he colluded with officials in various southern provinces, attempting to organize a coalition army to defend the emperor; on the other hand, he relaxed restrictions and recruited soldiers on a large scale.

With the taxes they collect on behalf of others, they have the capital to expand their army.

If we don't hurry south, we'll be too weak to fight once the enemy is ready.

……

Nanjing City.

"Colleagues, more bad news has come from the north."

Shi Ni disregarded the opposition of his ministers, forcibly deposed and installed an emperor, and massacred loyal officials and righteous men. He was truly a contemporary Dong Zhuo.

Such treacherous and rebellious officials must not be tolerated!

Wan Huaijin said indignantly.

Deep down, there was a hint of secret joy.

The Shi family went too far this time; all the high-ranking officials ahead of them in the court were wiped out in one fell swoop.

With the Six Ministries in Beijing gone, the Six Ministries in Nanjing should be officially recognized!

As the Minister of Revenue and Imperial Commissioner, if he succeeds in his mission to save the emperor, it will only be a matter of time before he becomes the Grand Secretary of the Empire.

As for the remaining two leaders of the Qingliu Party, he simply ignored them.

The rest of them died heroically to uphold the legitimacy of the Great Yu Dynasty. How could these two cowards, who are only concerned with their own lives, have the face to fight for power?

The problem of governing the country is easy to solve. Since the north is completely rotten, let's just abandon it for now.

Without the money-devouring beast of the northern frontier, the financial resources of the southern provinces of Dayu make building a Huai River defense line a piece of cake.

It is not too late to launch a northern expedition and recover the Central Plains after the natural disasters in the north have subsided.

At worst, they could emulate the Song Dynasty, relying on the southern half of the country to eke out a hundred years of survival.

"There is nothing to argue about regarding the matter of serving the king."

The governors' offices in various regions all gave positive feedback, expressing their willingness to join the loyalist coalition. The Marquis of Hanshui also responded.

However, when it came to actually deploying troops, the situation changed.

Most provinces could only mobilize a few thousand troops, and their combat effectiveness was questionable, but the Marquis of Hanshui agreed to send 100,000 troops.

With the addition of our newly formed troops from the three towns, we can muster an army of 200,000.

After Minister of War Shi Qingchen finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

In chaotic times, strength is the voice of power.

The main force supporting the emperor was brought by the Marquis of Hanshui, so the power of the allied forces fell into the hands of the Marquis of Hanshui.

These people are putting in money and effort, and they might just end up benefiting the nobility.

Given Li Mu's prestige and his merits in defending the emperor, if he stayed in the court, he would be aiming for the position of Grand Secretary.

If they were greedy enough to seize two more seats in the cabinet, the country would be completely dominated by military men.

The difference between them and the Liaodong garrison's autocracy was simply that the nobles were more politically astute and knew how to divide and win over different factions.

"The nation is facing difficulties, and we should strive to move forward."

We'll deal with the future when the time comes; for now, let's focus on quelling the Liaodong rebels.

If the Marquis of Hanshui can quell the rebellion and clean up the mess in the northern frontier, it wouldn't hurt to hand over the reins to him!

Wan Huaijin said, feigning composure.

When he took power, he retreated to the southern half of the country.

If the noble family were to take power, then without a doubt, they would not abandon the legacy of their ancestors.

If even the mess in the north couldn't persuade the Marquis of Hanshui to leave, then he would accept it.

"Don't worry, the Marquis of Hanshui will not take over the court."

"With the decline of imperial power, the identity of the Marquis of Hanshui is too sensitive, and it is precisely at times like these that we need to avoid suspicion."

The Li family paid a heavy price for the sake of the Great Yu dynasty, and the Marquis of Hanshui would not allow the sacrifices of his elders to be in vain!

Bai Jinwen, the Minister of Rites, said calmly.

The officials in the capital couldn't feel the power of the Annam Protectorate, but the officials in the south had experienced it firsthand.

Leaving aside the 200,000 troops that are on the surface, just looking at the number of merchant ships traveling between Jiangnan and Annam Protectorate every year, it is clear that the area is definitely not some barbaric land.

With soldiers, money, and food, plus the best general in the land, they could rebel at any time.

It should not face too many obstacles in sweeping across the southern regions, at least not the southern regions.

Compared to supporting an uncontrollable grassroots emperor, the gentry preferred to support familiar scions of powerful families to ascend to the throne.

Despite some unpleasantness with the gentry in the past, when it comes to shared interests, nothing is off-limits for discussion.

When the gentry of Jiangnan were violently suppressed by the imperial court, they even sent people to contact Li Mu, but unfortunately, they returned empty-handed.

Despite having numerous opportunities to act, Li Mu made no move, solidifying his image as a loyal subject in the public eye.

The more loyal a minister is, the more concerns he has.

(End of this chapter)