Fu Shanhe

Chapter 526 The Prelude to the Second Battle of Xuzhou
"General Zhou, you have experience in blocking enemy forces, why don't you share it with everyone!"

Shi Jingfeng said with a frown.

Originally, he wanted Shi Jingming to redeem himself through meritorious service, but his cousin was so terrified that he didn't dare to volunteer for the mission.

Not only did they not volunteer for battle, but they also portrayed the enemy as so formidable that none of the generals in the army volunteered.

Left with no other choice, he had to bring Zhou Qihai out again.

"Prime Minister, the Third General is right, the enemy is indeed not easy to deal with."

In particular, the enemy's firearms posed a serious threat to our army.

The artillery had a range of up to ten miles, and all of them used high-explosive shells. The muskets had a range of two hundred paces.

During combat, the enemy preferred to have their soldiers line up and fire in volleys.

With the support of light artillery, the firepower coverage is almost all-encompassing.

When we engaged the enemy, we tried to break through their firepower, but we lost hundreds of our elite cavalry in a single encounter.

I also tried to divide my forces and use small groups to hold back the enemy's advance and slow down their march.

Unfortunately, the loyalist army also included cavalry. Although their numbers were not large, they still inflicted serious losses on our troops due to their superior weaponry.

"If we want to engage the enemy, we must first find a way to deplete their ammunition..."

Seeing Shi Jingfeng's increasingly grim expression, Zhou Qihai decisively swallowed back what he was about to say.

Deep down, he was devastated.

Everything I said was the truth, without a single exaggeration.

Even though my own boss can't accept it, it's still the reality.

"Zhou Qihai, what are your true intentions in undermining the morale of the troops here?"

Shi Jingming was the first to raise the issue.

Last time, Zhou Qihai's cavalry ran away ahead of time, which really messed things up for him.

Not only did they lose a large number of their elite troops, but they also bore the responsibility for the defeat.

If he weren't feeling depressed, he wouldn't have bothered trying to amuse himself in the camp.

If Emperor Yongning hadn't indulged in momentary pleasure, he might not have committed suicide.

If the emperor hadn't died, the Shi family wouldn't be in such a passive political position.

Even if they find a stand-in to impersonate someone, they can only fool ignorant ordinary people.

What is fake will always be fake. No matter how well it is acted, it cannot change its core essence.

The Southern court has already held a funeral for Emperor Yongning. The Shi family's limited political credibility is simply insufficient to endorse the fake emperor's political legitimacy.

Political setbacks forced the Shi family to risk a decisive battle against the loyalist army.

Even if we win this battle, there's still room for maneuver.

No matter how dissatisfied the parties are, they will temporarily calm down under the threat of execution.

If they were to suffer a defeat, the Shi family would face their doom after the war.

After the incident, in order to cover his tracks, Shi Jingming managed to escape punishment.

The overt punishment was gone, but his covert losses were enormous.

The most direct impact was within the Liaodong Army, where various factions developed opinions about him.

"General, you flatter me. I am just telling the truth."

If this is considered undermining morale, then the fact that some people are indulging in pleasure in the camp, leading to…

Zhou Qihai paused deliberately halfway through his sentence, and everyone's attention turned to Shi Jingming.

Losing troops on the battlefield and then forcing the emperor to commit suicide upon returning home are all taboos.

Although it was necessary for the people to keep Emperor Yongning alive for political reasons, it was not appropriate to publicly demand that Shi Jingming be held responsible.

But everyone knew better than anyone else that Shi Jingming bore the majority of the responsibility for the political predicament facing the Liaodong faction.

To maintain unity within the Shi family, Shi Jingfeng feigned ignorance and delayed taking action against Shi Jingming.

If Shi Jingming had kept a low profile, things might have just blown over.

Unfortunately, Zhou Qihai is now going all out, bringing his hidden secrets into the open.

This blow not only struck at Shi Jingming's weak spot, but also cornered Shi Jingfeng.

The Liaodong Army was the Liaodong Army of the Liaodong military families, not the Liaodong Army of the Shi family.

If this is not addressed, Shi Jingfeng, the leader of the Liaodong faction, will face scrutiny from all sides regarding his impartiality.

The current situation is already extremely dangerous; if internal problems arise, the subsequent battles will be even more impossible to fight.

Liu Conghan reminded everyone through his actions that they were not only members of the Liaodong Army, but also government troops of the Dayu Dynasty.

If things don't go well with the Shi family, they can always return to the imperial court's camp.

Loyalty to the emperor and love for one's country are politically correct, and there is no moral responsibility to defect.

"enough!"

"I have called you here today to discuss how to deal with the enemy, not to listen to your arguments."

I haven't even held you two accountable for the defeat at Xuzhou last time, and now you're jumping out again to stir up internal strife.

Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony!
"Guards, drag Shi Jingming and Zhou Qihai out and give each of them fifty lashes to wake them up."

He is also relieved of all his military posts and awaits further instructions.

Shi Jingfeng immediately gave the order.

Now that the matter is out in the open, Shi Jingming must be severely punished, but he also doesn't want to let Zhou Qihai, who stirred up trouble, go unpunished.

They actually dared to corner him, the boss. If this kind of coup is not severely punished, it will cause endless trouble in the future.

They decided to use the defeat at Xuzhou as an example and punish the two of them together.

Shi Jingzhong, who was standing to the side, was trembling with fear.

Try to minimize your presence, lest you be noticed and incidentally mentioned.

Being flogged fifty times is a minor matter; the key issue is being relieved of all military duties.

Under the household retainer system, the armies led by the generals of Liaodong Army were not much different from private retainers.

It's easy to hand it over, but hard to get it back.

No matter who gets the power, they will immediately replace the military commanders with their own people.

The loyal followers they left behind were most likely sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder.

In chaotic times, a general without his own loyal army is nothing.

"Prime Minister, please calm down. Now is the time when we need capable people. Why not let the two generals redeem themselves through meritorious service?"

The oldest, white-haired general in the tent took the opportunity to offer some advice.

While holding those responsible for defeat accountable can enforce military discipline, the long-term consequences can be very serious.

In the battlefield, victory and defeat are common occurrences for soldiers, and no one can guarantee that they will always be an invincible general.

If this precedent is set, and I happen to suffer a defeat later, wouldn't I also be stripped of my military command?

At this rate, these military families from Liaodong will eventually be wiped out by the Shi family.

"Prime Minister, General Bai is right. Changing generals in the midst of battle is a major taboo in military strategy."

Why not let them atone for their crimes and redeem themselves through meritorious service, washing away the humiliation of the defeat at Xuzhou!

"Prime Minister..."

In the blink of an eye, many generals in the tent began to plead for mercy.

"Since all the generals have pleaded for you two, then we will temporarily remember this punishment."

In the upcoming battle, you two will be responsible for leading the charge and redeeming yourselves through meritorious service.

If another mistake occurs, don't blame me for being ruthless!

They knew that their actions had touched upon everyone's core interests.

Seeing the strong opposition from the crowd, Shi Jingfeng decisively chose to go along with their suggestions. Although this attempt to consolidate power seemed to have ended in failure, he actually achieved his goal.

Since capturing the capital, the Liaodong army has expanded rapidly, like an inflating balloon.

Being able to command a thousand people does not mean being able to command ten thousand.

A general who can command 10,000 men is not necessarily capable of commanding 100,000 men.

The rapid expansion of the military resulted in a severe shortage of military commanders.

From the top to the grassroots, the Liaodong Army suffered from a severe shortage of talent.

With a loyalist army at the gates, the Shi family's current priority is not to seize the military power of the generals, but to maximize the army's combat effectiveness.

The decision to protect Shi Jingming was made both to maintain unity within the Shi family and because of a shortage of talent in the military.

Even in the most powerful military families, their ancestors could only command the troops of a single town at most.

The experience that has been passed down is also the experience of commanding small and medium-sized battles.

It wasn't until their generation that Liaodong Town truly prospered, and through a series of fortuitous events, it grew and expanded.

An increase in troop numbers does not equate to an increase in military command capabilities.

Even Shi Jingfeng himself had never commanded a large-scale military operation.

In the past, the largest battles they participated in were those fought to defend the emperor, in which they played only minor roles.

The slow and sluggish southward journey could be described as a process of integrating the troops, but to put it bluntly, it was a chaotic military command structure that prevented them from moving quickly.

"The general will get the order!"

"The general will get the order!"

Having narrowly escaped death, neither of them showed any joy.

Playing as a striker to redeem oneself sounds like an opportunity, but the question is, who the enemy is!

Knowing full well that this battle would be difficult, the two of them still couldn't refuse.

……

On the canal, the battle flags of the loyalist army fluttered in the wind.

Standing on the deck, looking at the lush farmland on both sides of the river, Li Mu smiled slightly.

The lean season is almost over, and the people will be able to catch their breath.

In the agricultural era, being able to fill one's stomach was the greatest happiness.

The chaotic situation in the north was partly due to the inaction of the imperial court, but more so due to natural disasters.

"My lord, a shipwreck has been discovered fifty miles ahead, blocking the river."

Upon receiving this news, Li Mu was not surprised at all.

Knowing that the loyalist army was heading north, any enemy with a modicum of sense would try to intercept them.

The best option is undoubtedly to target the canal.

"Pass down the order: the army should find a suitable place to dock and then proceed by land."

Another battalion of soldiers was left behind to salvage the sunken ships and dredge the waterways.

Send someone to notify the Beijing garrison troops stationed in Shandong to prepare for battle.

Once the loyalist army defeats the rebels, they must intercept the enemy for at least two days.

Tell the border troops in the north that the logistical supplies prepared for them by the imperial court have already been dispatched.

They should be allowed to recapture Dagukou as soon as possible and receive military pay, provisions, and strategic materials.

After receiving the supplies, they immediately dispatched troops to cut off the rebels' retreat.

"It would be best if we could recapture the capital. Even if we can't, we must control the nearby passes and keep the rebels inside."

Li Mu calmly issued a series of orders.

In times of chaos, the human heart is the most vulnerable to test.

The border troops responded to the call to defend the emperor, but in practice, they were slow and hesitant.

It was obvious that the border troops had not received logistical supplies for a long time, and they must have been full of resentment towards the imperial court.

Aside from not establishing their own independent regimes, these border troops actually showed signs of becoming warlords.

Even when his old boss gave the order, everyone's enthusiasm for work remained low.

The stated reason was to raise funds and supplies for the army, but in reality, it was to preserve strength.

To get these people to work hard, Li Mu had to resort to bribery.

While they may not be enthusiastic about attacking the rebels, no one will hesitate to receive military pay, food, and strategic supplies.

Even with more freedom to exploit the gentry, the border troops still faced a difficult life.

After a series of natural and man-made disasters, the gentry and powerful families in the north were almost wiped out.

Apart from a few fortified strongholds that are still standing firm, the grass on the graves of most gentry is taller than a person.

Extortion from above is unlikely to yield much benefit.

Even if we launch a forced attack and capture the city, we won't gain much in terms of supplies.

The once-powerful Shanxi merchant group had already begun to decline amidst the chaos of the times before Li Muteng could even set up a fight with them.

The wealth they had painstakingly accumulated either benefited the rebels or ended up in the hands of various warlords.

Those once-proud networks of connections are now worthless in chaotic times.

They inherited a fortune from the Shanxi merchants, acquiring a large amount of gold, silver, jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy, but these things could not be directly converted into real power.

Money, food, and strategic materials are what the border troops need most.

Especially for weapons and ammunition, the small workshops on the border simply could not meet the demand.

Lacking ammunition replenishment, many units' artillery and muskets became useless, turning them into cold weapon troops.

The generals simply couldn't resist the bait offered by Li Mu.

The location of the capital region is extremely crucial. Once the border troops are in position, they will become the biggest obstacle on the rebels' retreat route to the north.

Even though the generals had undergone a qualitative change, they were still sons of noble families and had irreconcilable conflicts with the Liaodong rebels.

Li Mu did his best to annihilate the rebels.

If both safeguards fail to stop the enemy, then the Shi family is destined to survive.

……

"Zhou Qihai, I won't waste my breath with you. This battle is a matter of life and death for both of us."

We must cooperate closely now, otherwise this mission will be impossible to complete!

Shi Jingming said with a serious expression.

Others who suffered a defeat could surrender to the Southern court, but the Shi family could not.

Although Zhou Qihai's surname is not Shi, he is the son-in-law of the Shi family.

Bearing the infamy of regicide, the execution of nine generations of his family was inevitable.

Both of them were on the blacklist. If they fell into the hands of the Southern Court, even if they weren't torn apart by five horses, they would at least be cut in half at the waist and their bodies displayed in the marketplace.

It was precisely because there was no way out that Shi Jingfeng entrusted the important task of blocking the enemy to these two defeated generals.

"General, rest assured, our last defeat was due to our lack of experience, but the situation is different now."

Having learned from our previous experience, we have also developed a strategy to avoid suffering a major loss right from the start.

However, the main role of cavalry is to harass the enemy, and the main fighting force still comes from the infantry.

These fortifications are probably not enough!

Zhou Qihai responded slowly.

Deep down, he had already cursed Shi Jingming's ancestors for eighteen generations.

If it weren't for the huge mess this guy made, the Zhou family wouldn't have ended up so completely tied to the Shi family.

(End of this chapter)