Fu Shanhe

Chapter 531 The Second Battle of Xuzhou Begins
The messenger's shouts attracted attention from all sides.

In the Great Yu Dynasty, the use of the 600-li express courier service was reserved for major events.

At a time like this, any normal person would know it's related to the fighting on the front lines.

Despite the fierce strife among various parties over the selection of a new emperor, everyone understands that the prerequisite for establishing a new emperor is that the loyalist army can achieve victory on the front lines.

If the rebels cannot be contained, even if one puts one's own people on the throne, it will be nothing but a castle in the air.

The battle report was sent to the cabinet as quickly as possible, and all the cabinet ministers put down their work and gathered together.

"Colleagues, great news!"

"News from the front lines has arrived that the loyalist army broke through three enemy blockades in a single day and killed tens of thousands of enemy soldiers in just two days, thwarting the enemy's plot."

The army is currently advancing towards Xuzhou, and the captured enemy heads are being loaded onto ships, which will arrive in Nanjing in a few days.

As he spoke, Shi Qingchen handed the battle report in his hand to everyone to read.

In the blink of an eye, everyone's faces showed an expression of disbelief.

Although everyone knew that the Marquis of Hanshui was powerful, the Liaodong rebels were also elite troops. In everyone's eyes, the encounter between the two powers would be a fierce battle.

The Shi family marched south, claiming to have a million-strong army. The Marquis of Hanshui only led tens of thousands of loyal troops to meet them, and in reality, no one was confident of victory.

The optimistic estimate is that they can use the water network of the Jianghuai region to form a stalemate with the rebels and wear them down by supplying them with money and food.

At one point, everyone suggested sending all the troops and conscripting a group of laborers to act as a grain transport team, but Li Mu resolutely refused.

In just a few short days, good news arrived.

Judging solely from the battle results, the gains of the loyalist army this time were almost equal to the size of its own forces.

Compared to their illustrious record, their casualties were negligible.

This was not a simple victory, but a crushing defeat in terms of strength.

Judging from the outcome of the war, the combat capabilities of the two sides were not even in the same league.

As for the difference in command capabilities between the two sides, that's something that laymen like them can't discern from just a few words.

"As expected of the Marquis of Hanshui, his actions are truly extraordinary!"

He Zhengze couldn't help but sigh.

Yu Jun had a tradition of exaggerating his battle achievements. If other generals had sent such a report, everyone's first reaction would have been that he was bragging.

When it was Li Mu who was appointed, everyone believed him instantly; that's the power of word of mouth.

In the past, every victory report of Li Mu was backed by a large number of enemy heads.

Most importantly, the Ministry of War reviewed the case countless times but never discovered any instances of killing innocent people to claim credit.

Not only did he himself refrain from killing innocent people to claim credit, but even the noble generals he trained rarely did such despicable things.

Everything else can be faked, but the battle lines and the heads captured don't lie.

Compared to his colleagues, the court was too embarrassed to point out any faults.

"Ok!"

"Judging from the current situation, the Liaodong rebels are probably no match for the Marquis of Hanshui."

It seems there's a good chance of holding Xuzhou, and the Jianghuai defense line is secure.

However, the consumption of strategic materials is quite high; in just a few days, a large amount of ammunition has been consumed.

The cost of ammunition losses alone amounted to over two million taels of silver, in addition to the millions of taels of bounty payouts.

"I estimate that this battle will cost at least tens of millions of taels of silver, and will also consume countless amounts of grain."

Wan Huaijin said with a pained expression.

Only after taking charge of a household do you realize how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are.

It was thought that getting rid of the burden in the north would ease the court's finances, but now it seems that we were too optimistic.

The forced abandonment of the northern provinces may seem to have saved a lot of money, but military spending remains high.

In the past, these funds and provisions were used to defend against the northern barbarians' attacks and suppress peasant uprisings, but now they are mainly used to suppress the Liaodong rebels.

"Hanshuihou's troops were equipped with a large number of firearms and captured tens of thousands of enemy soldiers. It is normal for their logistics to be more expensive."

Since the front lines are urgently requesting funds, the Ministry of Revenue should allocate the money and provisions as soon as possible!

Shi Qingchen was the first to state his position.

As the cabinet minister in charge of overseeing the Ministry of War, every victory report from the front lines was a testament to his achievements.

The more impressive the battles fought by the loyalist army on the front lines, the greater his influence in the imperial court.

Although he couldn't intervene in the command and dispatch of the loyalist army, it didn't dampen his good mood.

"Money, provisions, and rewards will definitely be allocated."

Now that we are at war, I know what's important. We can't let down the officers and soldiers fighting on the front lines.

However, the Ministry of Revenue's expenses were too high. In addition to the army that came to the aid of the emperor, it also had to raise money and food for the Shandong Jingying and the border troops.

Preliminary estimates suggest that the two forces combined number no less than 200,000.

Once a war breaks out with the rebels, money will be spent like water.

The Jiangnan region has also been unstable recently. In order to suppress local rebellious forces, Governor Yun has repeatedly sent troops to besiege and suppress the rebels.

The taxes collected by the provinces are barely enough to cover military expenses and the normal operation of the court, let alone the funeral arrangements for His Majesty, the preparations for the new emperor's enthronement ceremony, and the distribution of stipends to the imperial family and princes. It's a difficult situation!

Wan Huaijin immediately complained.

For the past century, all the Ministers of Revenue in the Great Yu Dynasty have had a difficult time.

It's true that he holds a high position of power, but a lack of money is also a real problem.

The most crucial issue is the lack of a new emperor; the selection process has been delayed, preventing even those who wish to suspend the stipends for the imperial clan from doing so.

"Brother Wan, for the sake of the country and its people, please bear with us a little more!"

He Zhengze said with a smile.

Compared to the troubles faced by the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Personnel was much more comfortable.

As the "Heavenly Officials" office, which controls the promotion and reassignment of officials nationwide, it has always been the object of flattery.

No matter how difficult things get for the imperial court, the Ministry of Personnel will not be impoverished.

Under the system of the Great Yu Dynasty, even if the court did not pay salaries, there were still plenty of people willing to become officials.

Officials' promotions and transfers all required bribing the Ministry of Personnel.

"Fellow colleagues, it's not that I, Wan, am making excuses, but there are some things that can't be delayed any longer."

"Only by appointing a new emperor as soon as possible and getting the court back on track can we stabilize the people's hearts!"

Wan Huaijin urged.

The longer it drags on, the more problems will arise.

Determining a new emperor sooner may not necessarily stabilize public sentiment, but it will certainly save the Ministry of Revenue money.

In order to reduce expenses, the Dayu court began to cut the stipends of the imperial family a century ago.

Close relatives of the imperial family were better off, receiving 60-70% of their stipend, while distant relatives received only a pile of paper money.

The Nanjing court did the same thing in its early days.

A token amount of money and grain was distributed, and the rest was offset by paper money.

But with the emperor's absence, the situation changed abruptly.

With the new emperor still uncertain, no one wanted to offend the royal family and princes, so they had no choice but to restore the privileges of princes and dukes.

As for the other members of the imperial family, they continued to be fobbed off with paper money, because the court simply couldn't afford to support so many people.

If you look at the royal family register, you will find that the number of royal family births has been declining in recent decades.

On the one hand, lower-ranking members of the imperial family were burdened by money and grain and could not afford to have children; on the other hand, the imperial court implemented a birth quota system.

Regardless of how many children are born, there is always a limit to the number of birth quotas allocated to each princely mansion every year.

Those members of the imperial clan who exceeded the quota could not be included in the clan genealogy and therefore would not receive any money or stipends.

During the Yongning reign, this method of playing took it a step further.

Children born to the principal wife are not included in the family genealogy.

Of course, these are all implicit rules and not absolute ones.

If you have a close relationship with the emperor, or are willing to spend money to bribe officials, things can still be accomplished.

……

After defeating the enemy's resistance, the loyalist army did not stop and soon arrived at the walls of Xuzhou. Looking at the enemy troops waiting in full battle array ahead, Li Mu was speechless.

Waiting in comfort to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out is fine, but the scale of the operation is a bit too large.

"Pass down the order to find a suitable location to set up camp and be on alert for any enemy attack."

Li Mu immediately gave the order.

The army had come from afar, and although they were not yet exhausted, their physical strength was certainly not at its peak.

Launching an attack at this time would undoubtedly be very disadvantageous for the loyalist army.

Rather than blindly starting a war, it would be better to first set up camp and rest.

In any case, the two armies are only about ten miles apart, so it's not too late to fight again tomorrow.

……

On the walls of Xuzhou, upon seeing the banners of the loyalist army, countless soldiers showed expressions of relief.

The rebels came with great force, and their seemingly endless camp put immense psychological pressure on the defending troops.

Even with the city walls protecting them, everyone was still uncertain about the outcome of the enemy's attack.

Fortunately, their efforts paid off, and the reinforcements arrived even faster than expected.

"General, isn't the reinforcement that the Marquis brought this time far too few?"

Cao Zirui asked in a low voice.

The Liaodong army led a million-strong force south; even if it wasn't a million, it was at least half that number.

In contrast, the reinforcements that came to the emperor's aid numbered only tens of thousands.

Including the garrison in the city, the army numbered around 100,000.

Fighting against overwhelming odds is nothing new.

But this time the enemy was the famous Liaodong Army, which possessed the most elite cavalry of the Great Yu Dynasty and had been renowned throughout the world for decades.

“General Cao, the Marquis doesn’t need you or me to teach him how to fight a war.”

The Marquis has a clear plan in mind regarding how many reinforcements he will bring.

"These mere rebels from Liaodong are no threat. You just wait to receive orders."

Li Sanqi responded irritably.

Other issues can be discussed, but when it comes to our own boss, we must protect him.

The Liaodong army's imposing manner could intimidate others, but it had little deterrent effect on him.

We've encountered hundreds of thousands of enemy troops before; back when the White Lotus Rebellion was rampant, they had a million-strong army.

No matter how large the army, it will eventually be destroyed.

Although the Liaodong rebels appeared to be well-off, they were actually no match for the White Lotus rebels who had once dominated Jiangnan.

At the very least, the White Lotus Sect had a base that could provide them with a continuous supply of money and provisions.

The current Liaodong rebels appear to have power spanning Liaodong, the capital, Shandong, and other areas, but in reality, they control a very limited territory.

In most areas, the rule was nominal, without the establishment of effective administrative institutions, making it impossible to transform territory into comprehensive strength.

In a sense, the Liaodong Army was an enhanced version of bandits, and there was no substantial difference between them and the rebels active in the Central Plains.

"Ha ha……"

"Lord Marquis's military strategy is divine, and his deployments are naturally flawless. General Cao is just being overly concerned!"

The words of the supervising censor Ma Wenbo immediately eased the awkwardness of the situation.

The garrison in Xuzhou was composed of a diverse group, including loyalist troops, local rebels who had been granted amnesty, and troops who had defected from the Liaodong army.

The three military forces all appeared to be serving the imperial court, but in reality, they each had their own agendas.

As the highest-ranking civil official in the city, Ma Wenbo naturally took on the important task of mediating conflicts among various parties.

The effect was, to put it mildly, better than nothing.

The local rebels who were granted amnesty wanted to turn Xuzhou into their own territory.

The troops that defected from the Liaodong Army also intended to establish a foothold in the Xuzhou area.

The loyalist army had no interest in territory, but clung tightly to the dominant position, always keeping the other two forces in the lead.

If it weren't for the threat of external enemies, these three forces would probably have already started fighting.

Of course, it's just for making a fuss.

If a battle were to break out, even if the other two forces were combined, they wouldn't be enough to defeat the loyalist army.

Even if you feel wronged, you can only keep it to yourself for now.

In any case, the army that came to the aid of the emperor was a guest force and could not stay in Xuzhou for a long time; there would always be a time for them to withdraw.

The real conflict will only erupt after the loyalist army has withdrawn.

Knowing that there was a conflict, Li Sanqi had no intention of mediating it and even added fuel to the fire.

If the conflict escalates in the future, how to handle the aftermath is a matter for the imperial court.

……

Liaodong Camp.

"Prime Minister, the enemy has stopped and set up camp on the spot. It seems they will not launch an attack today."

"How about we disband the troops first? Keeping them in formation like this isn't a solution."

Mr. Kong spoke up.

Plans can never keep up with changes.

The enemy did not launch an immediate attack; their strategy of waiting in ambush was rendered ineffective in an instant.

"Pass down the order to have the vanguard launch an attack while the enemy is still establishing a foothold."

Shi Jingfeng shook his head and then gave the order.

Making such a big fuss without fighting a battle would damage the commander-in-chief's prestige.

Since the enemy did not launch an attack, they launched their own.

The camp of the loyalist army was just beginning construction and lacked defensive capabilities.

If he can defeat the enemy, the initiative in the war will return to his hands.

"Prime Minister, the enemy's firearms are formidable."

Once we launch an offensive, the temporary defensive lines we built earlier will become useless.

Without fortifications for cover, engaging the enemy in a direct confrontation would easily result in heavy losses.

Upon realizing that his elder brother had lost his temper, Shi Jinglin quickly tried to persuade him.

He wasn't entirely sure how strong the enemy was, but he knew that the arrogant third brother had been beaten into submission by the enemy.

Upon returning to the camp, he voluntarily confessed his guilt and resigned from all his military posts.

"No need for further explanation, this battle is a must!"

Shi Jingfeng flatly refused.

At another time, he might think about it more, but he absolutely cannot hesitate now.

Regardless of the odds of winning, we have to fight first.

If we can't win now, there will be even less hope once the enemy has finished regrouping.

The purpose of restoring and repairing defensive fortifications was primarily to reassure the morale of the troops.

Time is on the enemy's side; the longer the dragging on, the greater the financial and logistical pressure on the Liaodong army.

As of now, the army's food supplies are less than two months' worth.

If the enemy cannot be defeated during this period, the Shi family's end will come.

Soldiers cut off from supplies won't risk their lives for him on an empty stomach.

The bugle call to charge sounded once again.

Countless Liaodong soldiers, carrying hastily made wooden shields, launched an attack on the camp of the loyalist army.

The roar of artillery fire once again echoed through the sky.

……

(End of this chapter)