In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 678 Shocking Change, Another Urgent Message!
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

"Urgent dispatch—"

At the west gate of Daning City, loud shouts echoed along the official road, causing those who heard them to quickly move aside.

Three men and six horses galloped in, waving command flags in their hands.

He looked as if he had been through a storm and was in a very sorry state.

Many of the workers, upon hearing this sound, looked up in confusion.
He looked rather grim as they sped past.

They tightened their grip on their hoes and brooms.
I glanced at the seemingly endless crowd and my heart tightened.
Is war about to break out?
In the office of the Regional Military Commissioner, Lu Yunyi sat in the office room.

Looking at the thick document in his hand, a look of doubt flashed in his eyes.

This document is a document submitted by Bayar regarding the supplies needed by the Savage Jurchens.

From small items like pots and pans to large items like weapons and armor, they have everything.

Even Lu Yunyi had some doubts.
Did Bayar list out all the supplies and then show them to him?

Whether there are dates or not, give it a good beating; if there are too few, ask again; if there are too many, you're guaranteed to make a profit.

Lu Yunyi did not intend to refute too much of this.
Only some tightly guarded ironware and farm tools were crossed out.

For daily necessities, they provide everything without exception.

For a first collaboration, you need to be sincere enough.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.
Before Feng Yunfang could even enter, he had already heard his shout:
"My lord, an urgent dispatch from the capital, 800 li away!"

Lu Yunyi frowned immediately. Why again?

He strode out of the yamen and looked at Feng Yunfang who was coming towards him.

"My lord, the man is from Yingtian, carrying orders from the Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War."

"Go and see."

Soon, Lu Yunyi met the three people in the side hall of the military headquarters.

These three were much more professional than the three from a few days ago.

He was dressed in the uniform of the post station, wearing a helmet and a command flag at his waist. Even his skin was much darker and rougher than that of ordinary people.

"I am Lu Yunyi, clerk."

Without hesitation, the three quickly handed over the documents.

One of them said in a deep voice:

"Reporting to Lord Lu, when we passed through Beiping..."
His Highness the Prince of Yan instructed Lord Lu to ensure proper supply arrangements along the route, and not to let the army suffer any hardship during the march.

Lu Yunyi glanced at him and quickly opened the document:

[The Five Military Commissions and the Ministry of War are responsible for dispatching troops:]
Recently, the Jurchen barbarians invaded Liaodong, and border war broke out suddenly, with war clouds gathering.

Those wolves in sheep's clothing, wantonly plunder and slaughter border people; the soldiers and civilians of Liaodong have long suffered their ravages.

The beacon fires sounded with alarm, urgent as a shooting star; this was truly a critical moment for the safety and survival of the nation.

The Three Guards of Tianjin, long known as a formidable stronghold, were renowned for their elite soldiers and sharp weaponry, making them a powerful force heavily relied upon by the imperial court.

I hereby order your commander to immediately select 13,000 elite troops.

They headed north to provide immediate assistance to Liaodong.

It is imperative to discipline the troops and enforce strict rules, ensuring that no one is violated along the way.

Wherever the army marches, all provisions, weapons, boats, and carts shall be supplied by the prefectures and counties along the route in accordance with established practice, without delay.

Upon arriving in Liaodong, await the orders of the Liaodong Commander-in-Chief.
Together with various government troops, we will thoroughly eliminate these vile elements and pacify the border regions.

You should remember the great favor of the imperial court, serve on the battlefield, and fight bravely against the enemy.

Those who have rendered meritorious service will be rewarded according to their achievements, and their honor will extend to their descendants.

Those who are cowardly and retreat, or who delay military operations, will be dealt with according to military law without leniency!
This order must be issued immediately.

You must strictly abide by this order!

December 10, 2002.
When Lu Yunyi saw the document, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Why are troops being transferred from Tianjin Sanwei when Liaodong is already bordering the enemy?
However, Lu Yunyi quickly realized the court's intentions, and his breathing became heavier.

"I understand. The Commander will not shirk his responsibility regarding all provisions and military equipment."

I just wonder when the three guards from Tianjin will arrive?

Where are we now?
Why wasn't there any prior notice?

One of them had a somewhat serious expression:
"Reporting to Lord Lu, the Three Guards of Tianjin have already departed from Xifengkou and are on their way to Daning."

According to the adults at Xifengkou, the news...

At least three groups of people have arrived; has Lord Lu not received any documents?

Lu Yunyi's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared intently at the messenger:

"Three groups of people?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, documents have been issued in Tianjin, Beiping, and Shanhaiguan."

Lu Yunyi's expression was serious, and Feng Yunfang's expression was also extremely grim.
They've all issued documents, so where are those documents?

"Go down and rest."

"Now that you, sir, are aware of military affairs, we must hasten our journey to Liaodong."

Please arrange for all necessary supplies, and also arrange for us to exchange horses.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand:
"Yunfang, make the arrangements."

"Yes!"

Feng Yunfang left with the three of them.
Lu Yunyi, recalling the documents he had just seen, sat in the side hall.
When border incursions occurred in Liaodong, troops were transferred from Tianjin, a distance of thousands of miles away.
If Da Ning is operating in the shadows, then their lack of troop deployment is understandable.

But why not transfer troops from Beiping?
Could it be that the imperial court is worried that once the northern expedition begins,

If the remaining elite troops are transferred away, will things get chaotic in Beiping?
Lu Yunyi was somewhat puzzled, but
Judging from the current situation, both Tianjin Sanwei and Daning, one openly and one covertly, are heading to Liaodong.

To put it even more extremely,
The three guards of Tianjin were merely providing cover for the forces belonging to Daning; they were both bait and a decoy in the open.

So why didn't he receive the letters and documents? Who was interfering?

A look of doubt flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes.
Is there someone who doesn't want the three Tianjin guards to move to Liaodong?

Or should we trip him up on the way?
There are currently two situations.
If border raids were to occur in Liaodong, the losses would be devastating.
They must be hoping that the new army will come here and provide support.

In this way.
Those who might obstruct them were the imperial court and some people who were hostile to Mei Yi and Emperor Shengzong of Tang.

If there were no border incursions in Liaodong, the people who would obstruct the movement would be people from Liaodong such as Mei Yi and Tang Shengzong, because they did not want to be spies planted by the imperial court.

Between the two scenarios, Lu Yunyi prefers the second one.

But the problem that followed was even more serious: where was the mail cut off?

Do they have people in Beiping, or in Shanhaiguan?

If the urgent dispatches can be cut off so easily, can't some other forms of communication also be cut off?
Or perhaps it was an imperial edict or a secret order from Beiping.

Lu Yunyi was heavy-hearted. As the struggle became more and more obvious, some of his previously hidden methods would gradually come to light.

At least this one tactic has already caused him a lot of trouble.

Thinking of this, Lu Yunyi suddenly stood up and gave instructions to the guards standing at the door:
"Summon all the officials of the Military Commandery and hold a meeting in the main hall of the Military Commandery in a quarter of an hour."

"Yes!"

Half an hour later, the officials from the prefectural government arrived one after another.

They were in a hurry, their faces showing seriousness.

The main hall quickly filled with people, some of whom already knew what had happened.

Lu Yunyi sat at the head of the table, looking at the documents in his hands.

This is a compilation of all current military asset transfer documents by the Department of Personnel.

After all the adults had taken their seats,
Lu Yunyi waved his hand, and the clerk Yao Tongchen distributed the documents one by one.

"My lords, take a look. These are the transfer orders from the Capital Garrison and the Ministry of War."

We are to provide provisions, weapons, and other necessary supplies for the upcoming Three Guards of Tianjin.

Now, the three guard posts of Tianjin have already exited Xifengkou.

"Wow—"

As soon as he finished speaking, the main hall suddenly became chaotic.
The adults frowned, their faces showing absurdity.

Tan Wei, who was in charge of the city's defense, looked grave and was the first to ask a question:

"My lord, why didn't we receive any advance notice?"

"I also want to know about this!"

Lu Yunyi's eyebrows furrowed, and a hint of ferocity appeared on his face:

"The communication between Beiping and Daning was intercepted and sabotaged by those with ulterior motives."
The purpose was to force us to react hastily, leaving us no time to prepare.

Furthermore, I have another piece of news to tell you all.
The document states that war broke out in Liaodong, with the Jurchen barbarians invading the border. Although 30,000 guards were held,
However, thousands of people were captured by the savages, resulting in a major defeat for Liaodong!

"Wow—"

The sudden roar almost blew the roof off the entire main hall.

This time, everyone looked horrified and incredulous, even the clerk standing to the side was shocked.

"Why didn't we receive any news?" Duan Zhengze exclaimed, voicing the doubts of everyone present.

The Beiping Regional Military Commandery was adjacent to Liaodong and had close ties with it.

They didn't even know about such a big thing.
They didn't figure it out until the imperial reinforcements arrived?

The officials probably couldn't understand what this meant.
But officials who reach a certain rank are extremely knowledgeable.

Something terrible has happened. It's a huge disaster.

Some officials even quietly turned their attention to those above them.
He wondered in his heart if Lord Lu had fallen out of favor.

Otherwise, how could you not know anything?
Lu Yunyi took in the expressions of everyone present and said in a deep voice:
"What's done is done; any further investigation should wait until things have calmed down."
Now, all of you commanders must give it your all.
To allocate the necessary military equipment, provisions, and other supplies for the Three Guards of Tianjin.

"My lord, the New Year has just passed, and the commander doesn't have any surplus grain."

Duan Zhengze whispered a reminder from the side.

"Yes, sir, everyone is about to replace their weapons, and the money is almost all spent."

"How can we possibly make it in such a rush?"

Tan Wei also expressed his concerns, his face darkening.

Prefect Hong Yishan looked worried and tugged at his gray beard:

"My lord, the situation of the more than 10,000 people in Tianjin is still unknown."
It is unknown whether the provisions and weapons are sufficient.

Even if we were to prepare, there's no set procedure.

Lu Yunyi waved his hand:
"I am aware of your concerns, sirs."

I have just dispatched elite troops on horseback to make contact.

Inquiring about the true situation in the army could take several days, both in person and out.

We can't just sit idly by; we need to actively raise funds during this time to prepare for the needs of six thousand people!

"Six thousand people!"

Hong Yishan's eyes widened suddenly:
"Sir, when we go from Tianjin to Liaodong, we can't just leave without taking anything with us."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Lu Yunyi's eyes as he looked at the assembled officials:

"My lords, this is a very likely scenario."

The scene suddenly became noisy, with various opinions swirling around, and the entire lobby descended into chaos.

How can you fight a war without bringing anything?

"What are they doing here in Tianjin? Are they going to Liaodong to die?"

Lu Yunyi pressed his hand down, looked at the document he was copying, and said in a deep voice:
"The document was sent from the capital on December 10th, and it would take at least two days to reach Tianjin."

Preparing for the departure of 10,000 people takes at least five days, which means...
In less than twenty days, Tianjinwei had traveled from its garrison to Xifengkou, a distance of 500 li.

All of you here have fought in wars.

"If we carried sufficient supplies, could we maintain this marching speed?"

Everyone fell silent. They had marched twenty-five li in a day.
For a mixed infantry and cavalry force, this was already incredibly fast.

Therefore, the vanguard of the Tianjin garrison will arrive within a month.

This time is the time we need to prepare.

As Lu Yunyi finished speaking, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

"My lord! The people of Tianjin don't bring their own provisions."

What does it have to do with us?
Why should we resupply in Daning?

"Yes, why not just let him go and let them resupply in Liaodong?"

"It's not that we don't want to compensate them, but a month is too short."
There wasn't enough time to procure food, supplies, and weapons from various regions.

Moreover, this is a crucial moment for the Commander-in-Chief; there's no reason for them to benefit others while suffering losses themselves.

Many people present nodded in agreement, finding this statement to be absolutely correct.

Lu Yunyi's face was gloomy. He knew a lot, but he couldn't say it outright.

He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice:
"Tianjin is for fighting in Liaodong, not for playing house."
Liaodong is currently preoccupied with its own problems, so how can it supply Tianjin?

Our Daning is here precisely so that we can rush to Liaodong's aid today.

We can leave Beiping, Tianjin, and Jizhou Town unattended, but we cannot ignore them.

If Tianjin Wei suffers another defeat in Liaodong...
When the imperial court inquired, they discovered that the problem lay in the lack of provisions and weapons.

The first one to be punished is our Da Ning!

So, no matter how unwilling we are or how many difficulties we face, we must raise the necessary supplies and weapons!

The goal is to escort Tianjin Wei away from the capital intact, healthy and plump.

Otherwise, we'll all be in deep trouble!

The words were harsh, but the adults present weren't fools; they understood the underlying principle.
But for some reason, I just felt frustrated.

How did the commander, who was doing so well, end up being blamed for something so inexplicable?

Duan Zhengze was furious and slammed his hand on the table with a loud "bang":
"My lord, you must find out why the letter was not sent in advance."

A month of preparation time, with everything placed on our shoulders.

The commandery had so much to do in the first half of the year: road construction, farming, pig raising, and opening a trading company.

Now we're going to waste a whole month on Tianjin.
They still want huge amounts of military funds? What a pathetic situation!

The eyes of the adults at the head of the table were bloodshot, and their breathing was slightly heavy.

They were clearly very dissatisfied with this unexpected situation.

Lu Yunyi understood their feelings, and he himself was also very angry.
He also knew the reason: it was all an outflow of power struggles within the imperial court.

As a member of the princeling faction, he was bound to be implicated and fall within the scope of the crackdown.

Lu Yunyi calmed himself down. What's done is done.
The only option we have now is...

The goal is to go all out to face this crisis and turn the situation around for the entire command.

After pursing his lips, Lu Yunyi spoke in a deep voice:
"General Tan, from this moment forward, all replacement of military equipment within the Commandery is suspended."
Newly manufactured military equipment from various workshops was gathered in Daning City and given priority to supplying the three guards of Tianjin.

As for our own arms replacement, we'll discuss that in the second half of the year.

Tan Wei's lips trembled, his eyes widened, and finally he bit him hard, speaking with great resentment:
"Yes, my lord."

Lu Yunyi looked at Duan Zhengze:

"Lord Duan, take fifty thousand taels from the funds allocated for road repairs."
Starting today, purchase sufficient grain from major grain merchants and large households in various cities.
Polished rice, brown rice, flour, bran, horse feed,
The grain will be purchased in whatever quantity is available, with the price and quantity determined by the Grain Management Office.

Tell the wealthy households and grain merchants in the city that the Commander-in-Chief is in dire straits.

If they still resort to hoarding and speculation, let them see how sharp the Commander's sword really is!

"Yes!"

Wu Su'an was the first to agree.

Duan Zheng hesitated for a long time; this was another job that would offend people, but he finally agreed.

"Yes!"

Lu Yunyi looked at Hong Yishan:

"Lord Hong, Daning City must not be thrown into chaos."
From now on, the outer defenses of Da Ning City will be relaxed while the inner defenses are tightened; all yamen runners will be dispersed.
Anyone who spreads rumors should be arrested, regardless of the severity of the offense.

In addition, recruitment cannot stop, and road construction cannot stop.
Preparations for spring plowing and various matters related to pig farming cannot be stopped; the government must handle these matters well.

There were also trading companies jointly established by the military commander and the shopkeepers in the city.

We need to speed things up and recruit workers as soon as possible.
Give the people in the city a stable livelihood, so they won't have any more worries.

Hong Yishan's face immediately darkened.
Suddenly, I felt an immense pressure:

"My lord, I am lowering my rank."

"What's the problem?" Lu Yunyi glanced over indifferently.

Hong Yishan shivered, feeling a chill creep down his spine.

"Sir, everything is piling up at once, and the government office is short-staffed."

Lu Yunyi did not answer the question, but instead scanned the crowd present:

"I will dispatch soldiers from Xinchengwei and Qingzhouwei to the city to assist."
This matter was handled by Lord Liu, who was in charge of official duties.
Any difficulties encountered by the guards or yamen officials can be directly discussed with Lord Liu.

Liu Heiying nodded slightly:
"Yes, my lord."

After speaking, Lu Yunyi looked at Hong Yishan:

"Lord Hong, is there any other question?"

That's all.

"Yes, although things happened suddenly, we need to prepare actively."
But we must not panic internally; we must continue to do what needs to be done.

To provide a stable environment for the people and merchants in the city.

In this way, even if things get chaotic, they won't get too chaotic!

Lu Yunyi spoke with absolute certainty, then suddenly stood up:
"That's it, meeting adjourned!"

After speaking, he took the document and strode out of the main hall, his steps much faster than usual.

(End of this chapter)