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Chapter 316: Prepare to Meet the Enemy
The sudden rise of the Red Flag Army's thunderous actions completely shocked the entire Central Plains. At this time, the biggest problem facing the Red Flag Army was not the counterattack of the Mongol army, but the lack of a civil service system.

This kind of civil service issue cannot be resolved overnight, and it is impossible for Zhu Yuanzhang to completely accept the recommendations of Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong as in the original time and space history. In the end, almost all the provincial governors of the Ming Dynasty became their retainers. This is also the fundamental reason why Zhu Yuanzhang killed Li Shanchang and Hu Weiyong.

With no other choice, Suning could only adopt military control measures. With the assistance of the scholars who had been vigorously trained in recent years, the disadvantages were not too obvious, and at least the Red Flag Army could be barely able to operate normally.

"Master, I have a fellow countryman named Hu Weiyong, who is very intelligent and knowledgeable. I would like to recommend him to you."

"Hmm! Hu Weiyong?

The person you recommended must be right, so let him be your deputy!" Su Ning nodded in agreement.

"Yes! Boss!" Li Shanchang was inexplicably surprised when he saw that Suning agreed to his recommendation, because he thought Suning valued him very much.

"Boss, how do we deal with these captives from all over the place?"

"Yes! Men and women are imprisoned separately, and all women are sent to special workshops to work, raising silkworms, weaving cloth, making clothes, making shoes, and embroidery!"

"The male prisoners were screened to identify those who could read, and then made to copy the Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Names, The Analects of Confucius, and The Art of War.

Because I plan to popularize literacy throughout the army next, these books are very important."

"Ah? Why bother with all that? Why not just print these books?"

"Haha, we need to find something for these prisoners to do, slowly temper their temperaments, and subtly instill in them the ideology of our Red Flag Army.

Those who are loyal to our Red Flag Army and have outstanding abilities will still be employed by the Red Flag Army."

"what?
"Boss, you actually plan to use these Mongol officials?" Li Shanchang looked at Suning in surprise.

"That's right! The sea embraces all rivers, and greatness lies in its tolerance!
Our Red Flag Army's ideal is to build a prosperous new China. We must not cling to the old ways! "

"Uh," Li Shanchang was shocked by Suning's courage and swallowed his saliva. Then he asked again about the arrangements for the other prisoners, "Boss, what should we do with those illiterate prisoners?"

"Those who are good at riding and archery and are willing to join our Red Flag Army can become members of our Red Flag Army.

As for those who have no skills and are loyal to the Mongols, let them work in the Jianghuai Salt Fields!"

"Yes, Boss!" After hearing that Suning had arranged the prisoners, Li Shanchang was about to leave, but after thinking about it, he turned around and looked at Suning again, "Boss, I still feel that it is unnecessary to let the soldiers read and write."

"Haha, I have my own ideas on this matter, no need to waste your breath."

"Yes! Master! I'll take my leave!"

The reason why Suning took so much trouble to train soldiers was that he planned to arrange them at the grassroots level in various places after they retired. As an emperor, he must never lose his leadership over the grassroots people, otherwise he would easily be sidelined by his ministers.

In ancient feudal society, family rule was the mainstream idea, so Suning had to use various means to break this idea. The successive batches of retired soldiers were his greatest reliance.

Suning had never thought about training his soldiers to be well-educated. As long as they knew basic literacy and arithmetic, and would not be completely clueless when managing grassroots areas, they would have met Suning's requirements.

In Bozhou, at the Red Turban Army headquarters, Han Shantong and Liu Futong listened to their men reporting the news from Jiqing, their eyes widened in shock.

"Futong, our Red Turban Army is nothing compared to the Red Flag Army!" Han Shantong looked at Liu Futong with a wry smile.

"Master, don't underestimate yourself!
Although the Red Flag Army's momentum is quite large, it only shows that they were well prepared in advance, but it does not necessarily mean that they can withstand the counterattack of the Mongol army."

"Yes! Once the Red Flag Army takes action, it will immediately attract the attention of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty court. It is very likely that the pressure on us and Xu Shouhui will be reduced."

"Haha, that's for sure!
The more anti-Yuan forces there are, the better. The louder their voices, the better. Only in this way can the Mongol Yuan court avoid being distracted."

Liu Futong and Han Shantong's guess was correct. At this time, the Mongolian nobles in Yuan Dadu were arguing fiercely. Soon they reached a consensus and asked Prime Minister Tuotuo to lead an army of 200,000, claiming to be an army of one million, and go directly to the south to fight against the rebels. The Red Flag Army that captured Jiqing was their main target.

Not only was the Red Flag Army the most powerful, but it also had controlled the Grand Canal and the Yangtze River waterway, affecting the lifeline of the north and Yuan Dadu, and even the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were seriously affected.

In Yuan Dadu, in an old teahouse, a waiter was dozing off out of boredom. At this moment, a child quickly ran into the teahouse, threw a note to the waiter and quickly ran away.

The guy who was awakened looked at the child who ran away angrily, muttering curses, "Whose naughty child is this!
He actually came to the teahouse to cause trouble!"

The guy was about to give up cursing when he noticed the note dropped by the child. He picked up the note and walked into the backyard. When he saw a middle-aged man, he quickly saluted.

"Boss! Someone just dropped a note."

"Oh? What kind of person?" The shopkeeper took the note and opened it, then asked casually in confusion.

"Huh? Just a very ordinary kid."

"Oh?" The shopkeeper quickly read the contents of the note, his face changed and he immediately ran to the attic, grabbed a pigeon, tied the note to the pigeon's legs, and then released the pigeon in his hand.

At this time, Suning, who was far away in Jiqing Road, also received information from the Jinyiwei, saying that the Yuan Dynasty Prime Minister Toghto led a million troops to the south to attack the rebels.

"Haha, a million-strong army?

Two hundred thousand would be great!"

"Commander Xian, we have to take precautions in advance!" Chen Boda, who had become the director of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, couldn't help but remind Su Ning.

"Commander, Director Chen is right.

This time the Mongol army is coming with great force, and our Red Flag Army must be prepared." Hu Weiyong, who had just joined the Red Flag Army, quickly expressed his opinion.

"Well! What do you think, Villon?"

"Commander, since we have already occupied Yancheng and Yangzhou, it is better to completely eliminate all the Mongol forces south of Xuzhou. When Tuotuo leads his army here, he will not be able to gather any Mongol troops here."

"Hmm! That's a good suggestion, Villon!

But this way, we will lose our buffer zone with Xuzhou's Zhima Li, which will easily lead to friction."

"Commander, I don't think there's anything to worry about.

Because no matter how stupid Zhima Li is, he should know that Tuotuo's first target is Xuzhou. If they have us behind them, they should feel safer. "

"Well! Let's do it this way!" After hearing Hu Weiyong's analysis, Su Ning agreed with a smile, then looked at Mao Gui who was standing aside, "Mao Gui!"

"The general is here!"

"I order you to lead the Fourth Division to support Xu Da's First Division. Together, we will wipe out all local Mongol forces and build up a defensive presence."

"Yes! Commander!"

After Mao Gui left, Hu Weiyong saw a look of surprise on his face. Then Li Shanchang handed over the battle report, "Boss, this is the latest situation of Taipingpo sent by Zhu Chongba, the commander of the Third Division. Chen Yexian has led 30,000 militiamen to appear near Taipingpo."

"Chen Yexian? Give Zhu Chongba an order. I will not send him a single soldier. Chen Yexian must be eliminated as soon as possible.

If our regular army can't even wipe out Chen Yexian's 30,000 militiamen, then he's totally unqualified to be a division commander."

"Yes! Boss!
The ministers also believed that there was no problem at all with Zhu Yuanzhang's Third Division. Zhu Yuanzhang had already recruited 20,000 auxiliary soldiers near Taipingpo, and the defense of the city and public security were entrusted to these 20,000 auxiliary soldiers.

Therefore, the Third Division's combat effectiveness has not been affected at all, but has been greatly strengthened."

"Oh? Did Zhu Yuanzhang make any other moves?"

"Yes! Master, Zhu Yuanzhang has selected two thousand prisoners and has incorporated them into the Third Division.

It's easy for 12,000 soldiers to face Chen Yexian's 30,000 militiamen." "Well! That's good!

Once the Third Division has eliminated Chen Yexian's troops, immediately send the Third Division southwards, striving to quickly reach Hangzhou."

"Yes! Boss!"

Suning then looked at the navy commander Yu Tingyu, "Commander Yu, your navy should also be mobilized! Take down Wuhu Water Fort and Wuhu!"

"Yes! Commander!"

"Boss, how do we deal with the barbarian Hague?"

"Haha, let's put it aside for now! Maybe we can reuse it with Fu Fushou in the future." At this time, Li Shanchang was concerned about how to deal with the barbarian Hague.

"Yes! Boss!"

In Haozhou City, the Mongol captives all bowed their heads and waited for the trial of the Red Flag Army. However, the Red Flag Army did not abuse them at all. They just separated them by gender, and then the women were taken to an unknown place by the Red Flag Army.

Xie Jinzhong, the military supervisor of the Third Division, looked at the male prisoners in front of him and said, "Who among you can read and write? Step out!"

Soon the captives looked at each other, and then less than a hundred people walked out from among the captives. The military supervisor Xie Jinzhong looked at such a small number of people and felt obviously disappointed, then signaled the Red Flag Army soldiers to take them away.

"Who among you is an excellent rider and archer and is willing to join our Red Flag Army?"

At this time, the captives in front of him were in chaos again, but no one came out immediately. Just when Xie Jinzhong was getting impatient, a middle-aged Mongolian man said, "Excuse me, sir, where will our families be taken?"

"Don't worry! We, the Red Flag Army, treat prisoners well.

All the women were taken to work in handicraft workshops. Although they did not receive wages, they were guaranteed three meals a day.

If you are willing to join our Red Flag Army and make contributions on the battlefield, you can bring your family with you."

"Ah? Are you serious, sir?" The captives couldn't help but feel surprised after hearing Xie Jinzhong's explanation.

“Haha, there’s no need for us, the Red Flag Army, to lie to you.

In fact, it would be more convenient to just kill you than to deceive you."

The captives no longer had any doubts and began to walk out. An elderly Han Chinese man immediately stopped them and said, "Don't listen to the lies of these rebels.

They just want us, the Yuan warriors, to work for them!
Don’t be fooled, everyone! "

Hearing the old man's words, Xie Jinzhong, the military supervisor of the Third Division, did not get angry. Instead, he smiled and looked at the prisoners who had already left the line. "Who is this old man?"

"Your Excellency, he is the trusted advisor of the Darughachi of Haozhou City and has always been very loyal to the Yuan Dynasty."

"Haha, what a good 'loyal dog'!" After hearing the captive's introduction, Xie Jinzhong remembered the ideological indoctrination Suning had put into them, and immediately revealed a look of disgust. "Since you are so loyal to your Yuan Dynasty, then I will grant you your wish! Come on!"

"exist!"

"Pull him down and chop him up!"

"Yes! Military Supervisor!"

The old man who was dragged away by two Red Flag Army soldiers was very tough. He did not shout or scream, but instead had a heroic look of being ready to die. At this time, Xie Jinzhong no longer had any doubts about Su Ning's thoughts. Sometimes traitors are more disgusting and outrageous than the cruel enemies.

"Alright! Those who are good at riding and archery and are willing to join our Red Flag Army!"

This time the captives no longer hesitated and walked out quickly. These Mongol nobles and soldiers almost all grew up on horseback, and they were the best source of cavalry.

It was obvious that more than half of the huge group of captives were gone, and the remaining ones were just useless people drained by alcohol and sex, as well as local wealthy people who had affairs with the Mongol nobles.

Although the military law of the Red Flag Army does not allow the persecution of local people, those who have colluded with the Mongol nobles are not included. They are a group of people who must be liquidated.

"Sir, our Wang family is wronged!
It was Darughaci who took a fancy to my Wang family's daughter, so she was forced to be his concubine.

Our Wang family and the Mongols are irreconcilable!"

"Humph! Who in Haozhou City doesn't know that you personally beat the gongs and drums to send your daughter off to marry Darughachi as a concubine?"

"Sir, we are truly wronged!

It’s just that the people of Haozhou City don’t know the situation. What do these peasants know? "

"Quack! Pull it down!"

"Yes!"

Soon the head of the Wang family was taken away by the Red Flag Army soldiers. Without the traitor's chatter, Xie Jinzhong felt much more comfortable.

"Those of you who don't have any abilities can only work as salt farmers at the Jianghuai Salt Works!"

"Ah? No!"

In Gaoyou, Xu Da, commander of the First Division, looked at Mao Gui, who had come with the Fourth Division to reinforce them, and immediately smiled. "Commander Mao, welcome! Welcome!"

"Haha, Commander Xu, please don't be polite to me!

I believe you have received the commander's order.

What are we going to do next?"

“What’s there to worry about?
Just push straight towards Beiping!"

“Haha, okay!
Then we should wipe out these Mongol remnants as soon as possible and then quickly build defensive fortifications.

This time, Tuotuo's army is coming with great force!"

"Haha, as long as Tuotuo dares to come, this will be his burial place." Xu Da did not care about the upcoming Mongol army, because the Red Flag Army now has the strength to fight against the Mongol army.

At this time, most of the salt farmers in the Jianghuai Salt Fields had been transformed into soldiers of the Red Flag Army. Because of the preparations made in the early stages, these salt farmers and soldiers had a strong sense of belonging to the Red Flag Army. As for the Mongolian army that was about to arrive at the city, the salt farmers, who had just enjoyed a happy life, felt ready to die.

"Brother, I didn't expect that Longmen Escort Agency would suddenly become the Red Flag Army. This Suning is really cunning!" Zhang Shide looked at his elder brother helplessly.

"Humph! Originally, these salt farmers were ours!

But now they have all been snatched away by Suning!"

"Brother, why don't we join the Red Flag Army?" At this time, Zhang Shicheng's other two younger brothers, Zhang Shiyi and Zhang Shixin, also came to their brother's side.

"Can't!

What I hate most is Suning. I don't want to work for him."

"Does this big brother already have a good goal?"

“Yeah! Yes!
We went to join the Red Turban Army led by Liu Futong and Han Shantong. We heard that they were very powerful in Bozhou."

"Okay! Big brother, we'll listen to you!"

(End of this chapter)