Fu Shanhe

Chapter 512 Eliminating Dissidents
No one answered Li Mu's question, but the civil officials were truly suffering in their hearts.

At the beginning, everyone did plan to support several armies to counterbalance Li Mu within the allied forces.

Unfortunately, there's a saying in the world: "You can't make a living off someone."

If you want them to invest resources in supporting you, then the support must be worthwhile.

Unfortunately, none of these generals who came to the emperor's aid were any good.

The soldiers they trained were not very good at fighting, but they were all more capable of harming the people than the last.

It's not that they love the people's lives, but mainly that they have read some military books and know the importance of military discipline.

A general who can't even control the soldiers he leads is a complete good-for-nothing.

Instead of supporting them, it would be better to just pick a general from among the noble families and support him.

At the very least, the soldiers these people lead are able to obey orders and won't cause them much trouble.

If the generals knew what the civil officials were thinking, they would definitely feel wronged.

The troops they brought out were nominally their subordinates, but in reality, the loyalist army was a hastily assembled force.

In order to preserve their strength, the local governor deliberately withheld the elite troops and filled in a bunch of rabble to make up the numbers.

These generals who led troops to defend the emperor were not permanent generals appointed by the court, but rather temporary positions granted to them for the convenience of commanding troops.

The arm can't twist the thigh; faced with the combined pressure from the civil officials and the commander-in-chief, the little episode quickly came to an end.

Whether the generals were willing or not, they were forced to accept the military order.

Although it was nominally a joint operation, everyone knew that this war to defend the emperor was mainly led by Li Mu's troops.

The other troops followed, which had more political significance than military significance.

……

Tibet.

"Brothers, we've just received news that the Liaodong rebellion has been suppressed!"

As soon as Marquis Wu Mu Fang Yuxuan finished speaking, everyone became excited.

From frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality.

Having grown accustomed to the vibrant world of Jiangnan, the thought of coming to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to eke out a living is incredibly disheartening.

But there was nothing they could do; Yu Jun's killing was too fierce. If they hadn't run away quickly, their graves would have been overgrown with weeds by now.

"My lord, this is a golden opportunity!"

“In the past, the entire Yu army would come to hunt us down, but this time they are fighting amongst themselves.”

I reckon it won't be long before the Great Yu Dynasty falls apart, which will be the perfect time for us to make our mark!

Old Liu was the first to agree.

It's clear that having a tough life isn't entirely without its advantages.

At least everyone maintained their fighting spirit and were always eager to fight back.

If they spent ten years lingering in a wealthy land, they would probably all be immersed in a life of pleasure and turn into skeletons in a tomb.

"Brother Liu is right, now is indeed the best opportunity."

With the rebellion in Liaodong, troops will surely rise up in various places to defend the emperor, leaving Shu with a depleted military force.

"As long as we fight fast enough, we will surely conquer Shu in one fell swoop and lay the foundation for our imperial ambitions!"

Ding Laosan immediately agreed.

He didn't want to stay in that awful place called Tibet for even a day.

Many of the old comrades who came with us did not fall on the battlefield, but were instead tormented to death by the harsh climate.

Due to the scarcity of supplies, the living standards of these high-ranking military officers also dropped significantly.

In order to survive better, they also had to compete with local indigenous forces for resources.

"We definitely need to send troops, but we can't do it too quickly."

Before we set out on our campaign, we must first secure our rear.

No matter how harsh the climate in Tibet is, it is still a foundation that cannot be easily abandoned.

In case we lose in the struggle for power, we brothers must have a way out.

Le San added accordingly.

You must learn from your mistakes after experiencing a failure.

No matter how much the Great Yu Dynasty declines, it is not something that can be shaken by the remnants of their rebel army.

Even when formulating strategic plans, everyone was only thinking about seizing the Shu region.

It is clear that they lack sufficient confidence in their ability to contend for the world, and only think about carving out a territory.

As for subsequent strategic deployments, we can only take it one step at a time, as these people are not good at strategic planning.

"Brother Le is right, we must not lose our foundation in Tibet."

Not only can we not lose it, we must also develop and strengthen it.

The collapse of the Great Yu Dynasty was not something that happened overnight.

All we know for now is that there has been a rebellion in Liaodong Town; we have not yet been able to gather more detailed information.

The plan to counterattack Shu could only be put into action after the Shu government troops had left.

The most urgent task is to expedite the conquest of Tibet and eliminate these indigenous forces before entering Sichuan!

Fang Yuxuan immediately gave the order.

Having learned from the failure of the last uprising, he had realized the importance of a stable rear.

Although Tibet was not the foundation for the rise of kings and nobles, it did give rise to a separatist regime like Tubo, which at its peak even rivaled the Tang Dynasty.

As a backup plan, there shouldn't be any major problems.

……

Western Regions.

"Your Highness, great news!"

News has come from Suzhou that the Guanzhong rebels have broken out of Tongguan.

It is said that a rebellion broke out in Liaodong, and the Great Yu Dynasty was engulfed in civil war, so they couldn't spare any attention for Shaanxi!

Minister of War Jia Simiao reported excitedly.

As one of the three major rebel leaders of the White Lotus Sect, they were the least prestigious on their journey.

At the height of the rebel army's glory, they abandoned the opportunity to seize the Central Plains and instead went directly into Shu to avoid the sharp edge of the Yu army.

He wanted to seize control of the Shu region, but was thwarted by Chengdu Prefecture.

After the army that was sent to quell the rebellion arrived, they fought a probing battle but found themselves outmatched, so they chose to flee again.

Running so fast isn't without its advantages; at the very least, it preserves some of the strength at hand.

To avoid the advance of the Yu army, they traveled intermittently, eventually migrating to the Western Regions.

Within the territory of Dayu, they were like stray dogs being hunted down by government troops, but their situation changed drastically upon entering the Western Regions.

Compared to those small kingdoms in the Western Regions with populations of only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, they were also enormous.

Coincidentally, the Yarkand Khanate, the overlord of the Western Regions, was embroiled in a religious struggle between the Black Mountain Faction and the White Mountain Faction, which gave them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

In just a few years, they replaced them and became the new overlords of the Western Regions.

Having seen their share of big events, even with everything going smoothly, the group didn't let victory go to their heads.

Even after becoming the overlords of the Western Regions, their true strength still couldn't match that of when they controlled the Shu region.

The Western Regions of this era are no longer what they were during the Han and Tang dynasties.

The opening of the Maritime Silk Road caused this ancient route to lose its former prosperity.

The reduced precipitation brought about by the Little Ice Age also affected the Western Regions.

Fortunately, the melting snow and ice from the Qilian Mountains form inland water systems such as the Shiyang River and the Heihe River, which provide a guarantee for agricultural production in the Hexi Corridor.

The melting of ice and snow in the Tianshan Mountains gave birth to river systems such as the Daheyan River and the Tarlang River, contributing to the prosperity of the Turpan Basin.

Together with the oases of the Tarim Basin, they created the current landscape of the Western Regions.

These inland rivers can only guarantee agricultural production along the river basins; other areas still rely on the weather for their livelihoods.

Reduced rainfall limited the development of the Western Regions.

Without major changes, this is the limit of their development. If they want to continue to grow and expand, the resources of the Western Regions can no longer support it.

"Lord Jia, has this information been verified?"

Prime Minister Shi Zicheng asked with a concerned expression.

If the Great Yu Dynasty were still at its peak, then there would be nothing more to say; it would be enough to simply act as a separatist regime.

Even if they had such ideas, they would go to Central Asia to seize territory, not to provoke the monster that is the Great Yu.

But once the situation changes, things will be different.

The Western Regions may be nice, but they are not my homeland.

Chinese people have a strong sense of local identity; if given the chance to fight back, who wouldn't want to return home in glory!
"Such crucial news naturally requires me to send someone to verify it before I dare to report it to Your Highness."

However, our location was ultimately too far from the Central Plains, resulting in a significant delay in receiving the information.

The rebellion in Liaodong Town is said to have occurred about six months ago.

After such a long period of change, no one can say for sure how much the situation in the Great Yu Dynasty has changed.

Jia Simiao answered cautiously.

The fact that the Western Regions were isolated allowed them to escape the government army's encirclement and suppression, but it also limited their control over the situation.

If the Shaanxi rebels hadn't broken through Tongguan, they probably wouldn't have received news of the Liaodong rebellion so quickly.

In fact, the Guanzhong rebels had also sent people to contact them before they raised their army.

Although Wei Hao, the Eastern King, was nicknamed "Wei the Runner," he still wielded considerable influence within the White Lotus Rebel Army.

However, the Western Regions had just been pacified and were in a period of recuperation, so they did not have the energy to cause trouble.

In addition, fearing that the incident would cause too much trouble and anger the Great Yu court, attracting the main force of the government army to besiege and suppress them, they rejected the proposal to join forces with the Guanzhong rebels.

Unexpectedly, even without their participation, the rebel army still managed to seize most of Shaanxi.

There's no going back on this. Having missed the chance to lead the anti-Yu alliance, they naturally have no say in Shaanxi anymore.

Out of necessity to strike at the Great Yu, they did not hinder the rebel army; instead, they started doing business with them.

They didn't venture beyond the Western Regions, and the Shaanxi rebels had no interest in the Western Regions either. Overall, relations between the two sides were fairly good.

"The news is true, and things are quite complicated!"

"The best option to fight our way back to the Central Plains from the Western Regions is to fight our way through Shaanxi."

However, Shaanxi is now our ally's territory, and if we send troops now, it will inevitably trigger a conflict.

If the rebel army were to turn on each other, it would relieve the siege of the Great Yu!

"Left Commander Deng Er said with a frown."

Although the anti-Yu forces across the land cannot be considered a single entity, they are still potential allies in the fight against the Great Yu.

If troops were to be sent to Shaanxi at this time, the righteous army left behind in Guanzhong would certainly not agree to let them pass through.

Moreover, they were not at ease leaving their escape route to these allies, as a bloody battle between the two sides was inevitable.

Their internal strife is not a problem, but the Great Yu Dynasty is like a centipede that, though dead, does not fall down.

Once the best opportunity is missed, they might recover and come back to life again.

"Ok!"

“What you all say makes sense. Weapons are a vital instrument of the state, and we must be careful with them.”

"Send men to continue gathering intelligence. Once we understand exactly what happened in the Great Yu, we will decide whether to send troops."

Wei Hao said slowly.

Compared to his subordinates, his desire to return to his hometown was not as strong.

To have risen from a nobody to where he is now is a success in itself.

Contending for the world was a political slogan for uniting the team.

Given the current situation, if we don't send troops to attack Yu within the next three to five years, it will be even more difficult to send troops later.

In addition to the old subordinates who had come with them, local people from the Western Regions also joined the team.

These people had no ambition to conquer the Central Plains. Having just experienced a chaotic war in the Western Regions, they all wanted to maintain the status quo.

Today's gathering is a private one among former subordinates, which is why so many people want to fight back.

If this topic were raised at a court meeting, the opposition to sending troops would be considerable.

As the leader of a power faction, Wei Hao must consider the internal power balance.

……

Nanjing City.

Looking at the official document submitted by the Ministry of Justice, and after a quick glance, Li Mu instantly understood why the loyalist army was unpopular.

It's nothing new for foreign troops to wreak havoc on local areas.

The problem is that despite repeated strict orders from the six ministries and numerous talks with the military commanders, the situation has not improved, which is quite embarrassing.

Either they deliberately disobeyed orders, or the commander was incompetent and unable to control the troops.

Neither of these scenarios is something the civil servants would like to see.

Since we can't take it back, we might as well just throw it away.

In any case, Li Mu's influence in the army was at its zenith, and it was not something that a few miscellaneous generals could restrain.

"My lords, rest assured, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, I will certainly uphold military discipline."

I will send people to investigate these cases of violations of military discipline.

Even if it delays the deployment, military discipline must be restored first!

Li Muyi spoke with righteous indignation.

I had just dozed off when someone brought me a pillow.

He was originally considering what excuse to use to make adjustments within the loyalist army when the opportunity was presented to him by the Ministry of Justice.

Within the framework of political rules, the "Great Yu Code" was the best weapon.

Military discipline must be strictly enforced according to the laws of the imperial court, and it can be openly and legitimately displayed at all times.

Within the legal framework, it becomes reasonable to take the opportunity to eliminate dissidents and promote cronies to higher positions.

After the war to defend the emperor ended, these troops returned to their respective provinces; they were the spies he had planted there.

Local government offices had no choice but to accept the appointments; the imperial court had no say in the matter of appointing and dismissing officials.

"My lord, there's no need for this. We should prioritize serving the emperor!"

Seeing that Li Mu was about to cause trouble, An Jingzhi, the Minister of Justice who had just been furious, instantly changed his expression.

He would naturally welcome dealing with these bastards, but it absolutely could not affect the war to defend the emperor.

With so many troops gathered together, the daily cost of money and supplies is an astonishing figure.

All expenses during the war were to be raised by the Six Ministries in Nanjing.

The longer it drags on, the greater the pressure they will have to bear.

Even though the tax revenue from the southern provinces remained in their hands and could be directly used for military expenses, it still couldn't withstand the squandering of war.

The Northern Expedition, with an army of over 200,000, required not only troops but also a large number of civilian laborers.

Even with the support of maritime transport, the amount of goods consumed during transportation is still a considerable sum.

For the imperial court, suppressing the rebellion was only the beginning; they would also have to clean up the mess afterwards.

If we don't save money now, they'll have to live a miserable life once they join the cabinet.

"Lord An, please stop trying to persuade me."

While the overall situation is important, the details should not be overlooked.

Throughout history, all powerful armies have achieved the principle of strict discipline and obedience to orders.

This is an essential part of winning a battle.

During the day at the dock, everyone saw that those generals didn't take military orders seriously at all.

Since they're not up to the task, let's replace them with capable people. Our Great Yu Dynasty lacks many things, but it certainly doesn't lack people!

Li Mu said with a serious expression.

A large-scale personnel reshuffle cannot be accomplished by the head coach alone; he also needs the support of the Nanjing Sixth Division.

Anyway, during the day, these civil officials had already labeled him, and he was just using the label.

"Your Excellency is right, military discipline must be rectified!"

Governor Zhuang Yuanjia was the first to echo this sentiment.

In this situation, he would normally have no say, but the circumstances are different now.

The imperial court fell into the hands of the rebels, and all the high-ranking officials either died or surrendered.

Zhuang Yuanjia, who was originally just a governor, was also involuntarily made into a high-ranking official of the Dayu Dynasty.

He ranked first among all the provincial governors, with power second only to the newly appointed Minister of the Six Ministries in Nanjing, and thus gained the right to speak at the table.

The group of visiting soldiers in front of him gave the governor a severe slap in the face.

If Zhuang Yuanjia doesn't retaliate, he might as well give up on his official career.

As for the consequences, the Marquis of Hanshui will take care of them anyway.

Since they dared to bring it up, they must have the ability to stabilize morale.

Zhuang Yuanjia didn't take the subsequent political repercussions seriously at all.

In his view, as long as the Marquis of Hanshui did not rebel, everything else was negotiable.

Placing a few cronies in the military is nothing to worry about.

Anyway, the aristocratic faction did the same thing once when they were in power, and it worked quite well.

If it weren't for the subsequent factional struggles that led to the transfer of these people to the north, the military equipment of the southern provinces wouldn't have fallen into disrepair.

"Military matters are for you to decide, my lord."

However, the Liaodong rebels are attacking Xuzhou, and the bandits entrenched in Xuzhou will not be able to hold out for long.

If we don't launch a swift northern expedition, panic will soon ensue, and the flames of war will reach Huai'an Prefecture!

Minister of War Shi Qingchen said with a frown.

He has figured out the issue of military leadership.

Since we're destined to lose, we might as well be generous and do each other a favor.

In any case, the Ministry of War of the Great Yu Dynasty was not positioned to command troops in battle. From the moment the department was established, its power was constrained by various parties.

He doesn't need to worry about the specifics of how to fight, but the front lines must be kept stable.

The salt industry in Lianghuai was one of the most important sources of revenue for the Dayu Dynasty. If the two prefectures of Huaiyang were to suffer from war, the court would suffer great losses.

After this unexpected turn of events, the first department to take responsibility is the Ministry of War.

"Don't worry, Lord Shi, Huai'an Prefecture will not be lost, and the salt industry in Lianghuai will not be affected."

To ensure the safety of Southern Zhili, this Marquis will dispatch troops as soon as possible to recapture Xuzhou and keep the rebels north of the Huai River.

Seeing that the other party was giving him face, Li Mu immediately agreed.

To defend the Yangtze River, one must also defend the Huai River; this is common military knowledge, and Xuzhou Prefecture is the strategic core of the region.

For the officials in the south, the success of the Northern Expedition was secondary; securing the Huai River defense line was the top priority.

The young emperor was killed by the rebels, and Emperor Yongning, a puppet emperor, was not well-liked by the people.

If Li Mu hadn't hesitated to express his opinion, they would have already supported a member of the imperial clan to ascend the throne and gained merit in the process of supporting the emperor.

There was no other way; Li Mu had to save face.

No matter how many bad things Emperor Yongning did, the title of Marquis of Hanshui was bestowed upon him by others, and the positions of Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and Protector-General of Annam were also granted to him by others.

From a personal perspective, Emperor Yongning did justice to him.

Even if they harbored some reservations, they only imposed a distant ban and did not actually betray their support.

He wouldn't say "I'd die for you, my lord, to repay your kindness on the Golden Terrace," but he certainly wouldn't do anything to rebel against Emperor Yongning.

No matter how others criticize Emperor Yongning or try to label him, he must stand on the emperor's side.

Doing this is not only for peace of mind, but also to set an example for my subordinates.

"Your Excellency is wise!"

Having obtained what they wanted, everyone unanimously expressed their agreement.

(End of this chapter)