Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 409 Human Heart
Chen Qingzhi knew perfectly well that these guys weren't as simple as they claimed; quite a few had definitely been involved in exploiting the soldiers. Otherwise, they would have been in an uproar long ago. How could they have allowed the quartermaster to act so recklessly and remained completely indifferent?
I refuse to believe that the soldiers received grain and millet for several days in a row without their knowledge.

But Chen Qingzhi couldn't delve too deeply into their affairs, because he knew the situation in the army all too well. Just as the soldiers monopolized the civil service system, the military families monopolized the military system of Daliang. Moreover, because the founding of the dynasty was relatively recent, it was still quite concentrated, with only a handful of families in total.

These generals are deeply entrenched, their influence intertwined. If it were just a few individuals committing crimes, it would be one thing, but in this case where everyone is corrupt, if he were to act too ruthlessly, he would certainly face a united counterattack from the entire military family.

He has work to do; he doesn't have the time or the ability to fight to the death with powerful families. If everyone treats each other with respect and courtesy, only then can we work together and get the job done...

“Good, not bad.” Chen Qingzhi nodded slightly and said, “The Prince of Ye and I also believe in you. You are all from military families and you wouldn’t be so ignorant, so let’s leave it at that.”

"Yep."

"Yes, yes." Everyone nodded vigorously and said, "We can't bring shame to our family."

"However, no matter what, we can't escape the blame for negligence this time." Since Chen Qingzhi was being so accommodating, the generals couldn't refuse and quickly echoed his sentiments.

"We will always remember Marshal Chen's kindness in protecting us, and from now on we will follow Marshal Chen's lead."

"Good." Chen Qingzhi nodded happily and said, "We have a heavy responsibility to attack Shouyang on our shoulders, and we really need to unite as one."

"Yes." The generals hurriedly echoed, "Since the founding of the country, the imperial court has sent large armies to attack Shouyang several times, but all of them have failed. Our task is indeed very arduous."

“Yes, we are no match for the famous generals of the previous generation like Commander Wei and Commander Pei, and our soldiers are not as fierce as the army of yesteryear.” Chen Qingzhi then changed the subject, saying, “But victory or defeat depends on the opponent. Fortunately, since the Northern Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang, it has become corrupt and its military preparedness has become lax. Its strength has declined much more severely than ours.”

As Chen Qingzhi spoke, he held up one finger and said, "This is one victory."

“Yes.” Chen Qingzhi stopped mentioning the military rations altogether, and the atmosphere in the tent became much more lively. The generals laughed and said, “Many of the Xianbei noble sons can’t even ride a horse or draw a bow. It’s enough to make their ancestors turn in their graves.”

As Chen Qingzhi spoke, he raised another finger and said, "The rebellion of the Six Garrisons has lasted for more than three years now, and it has become increasingly fierce, endangering the country. Therefore, for the Northern Dynasty, the most important thing now is to concentrate all its efforts on dealing with the rebel army of Ge Rong and the other six garrisons. It is no longer possible to fully support Shouyang as before. This is the second victory."

He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, “In fact, since last year, the Northern Dynasty has been constantly withdrawing its elite troops stationed in Shouyang. Now, less than one-tenth of the Xianbei soldiers in Shouyang remain; the vast majority are newly recruited Han soldiers. Han people in the Northern Dynasty are called ‘one-coin Hans,’ and these people will not have a firm fighting will. This is the third point.”

"The original garrison commander of Shouyang City was the renowned Fu Shuyan, but he followed Xiao Baoyin in an assassination attempt on the Emperor on New Year's Day, only to fail and be severely injured, losing all his cultivation. He has since retired to his hometown." Chen Qingzhi raised his fourth finger and said.

"Li Xian, the current governor of Yuzhou in Northern Wei, who is stationed in Shouyang, rose to power by siding with Empress Dowager Hu's male favorite. His military skills are comparable to those of Yuan Faseng..."

"So that means they can't fight?" the generals couldn't help but laugh.

“That’s right, this is four wins.” Chen Qingzhi nodded and said in a deep voice.

"Our army has been recuperating in Shouyang for a year. Although a new mutiny has occurred, it is merely a manifestation of the soldiers' excess energy with nowhere to vent. As long as we train them diligently and guide them properly, we can transform it into a powerful fighting force and defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. This is the fifth victory." "..." Chen Qingzhi then listed five more reasons why the enemy would surely be defeated and we would surely win, such as "the enemy is short of food and cannot hold out for long," "the enemy is demoralized and cannot endure a hard battle," etc., making up a "ten victory," and said: "As long as we are united and fight bravely, we will definitely be able to take Shouyang and achieve this unparalleled feat!"

"Yes!" the generals responded in unison. Regardless of the merits of Chen Qingzhi's points, they were at least very inspiring.

"But now, with our current state of disunity and lethargy, we are certainly not fit to go to the battlefield," Chen Qingzhi said solemnly to his generals.
"Go! Use whatever method you can to restore the soldiers' fighting strength as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded in unison and took their leave.

Wei Fang stayed behind, and only after everyone else was gone did he say with a wry smile, "This time, we are very grateful to Brother Ziyun for saving the day, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Chen Qingzhi studied military strategy under Wei Rui, and Wei Fang was actually his senior brother...

"I only received an urgent report last night that the army was about to mutini, so I quickly informed Prince Ye and rushed to Hefei overnight." Chen Qingzhi said apologetically, "I am so sorry that I did not have time to inform the Marquis in advance."

“Ziyun, stop talking,” Wei Fang said, feeling ashamed. “I was in the army but I didn’t know the army was going to mutini. I’m so derelict in my duty and I’m really disgracing my father.”

"It's not that bad," Chen Qingzhi said softly to comfort him. "Your Excellency is simply blind to what's right in front of you, while I am merely a bystander with a clearer perspective."

He paused for a moment and then said, "My lord, don't be too burdened. Put everything aside and focus on winning this battle. As long as we can capture Shouyang, no one will mention any mistakes anymore."

“Yes,” Wei Fang agreed wholeheartedly, “we must wash away this shame with a victory.”

As he spoke, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Qingzhi and said, "Ziyun, rest assured, I will fully cooperate with you and strive to create a miracle."

"It's definitely possible." Chen Qingzhi nodded confidently, then gave him instructions:
"I've discussed this with Prince Ye, and we've decided to divide the army into two routes. One route will advance from Xia Cai, attacking Shouyang City from the northeast. The other route will go through Lijiang, attacking Shouyang City from the south. With both armies attacking simultaneously, Li Xian will be unable to defend both sides!"

He paused for a moment, then looked at Wei Fang with a smile and said, "Would the Marquis be willing to choose one of the armies to lead?"

"I can still lead troops?" Wei Fang was very surprised.

"Why can't you lead troops, Lord Marquis?" Chen Qingzhi laughed. "Commander Wei once said that you are good at marching and fighting, but bad at leading troops in peacetime. Now that the second half of your father's statement has been proven, you must at least prove the first half, right?"

"Yes, I must prove it!" Wei Fang nodded emphatically. He knew perfectly well that Chen Qingzhi was helping him salvage his reputation. He stood up, clasped his hands in gratitude, and said, "Please rest assured, Commander Chen, this humble general will certainly not fail in his mission!"

"I believe you." Chen Qingzhi smiled and nodded.

(End of this chapter)