Sweep Yuan

Chapter 118 Dingyuan's Journey to the State for National Use

In Dingyuan City, at the county government office.

After Guo Zixing occupied Dingyuan, he converted it into the Marshal's Mansion. Later, in order to suppress Sun Deyan and others who had defected to Shishan, he changed the government office into the Ten Thousand Households Mansion.

After the Battle of Luqian River, at Guo Zixing's "invitation", Shi Shan led a large army to stay in Dingyuan City, which became Marshal Shi's headquarters.

At this moment, Shi Shan sat at the head of the official hall, with Fu Youde, Hu Dahai, Li Wu, Pu Daoren and other civil and military officials standing on his left and right. He was receiving a scholar in a green robe and listening to him analyze the development strategy for the Red Flag Battalion.

"Before taking Haozhou, the Marshal had already occupied Wuhe. Now he has also taken Dingyuan. If he takes Huaiyuan in the future, it can serve as a temporary base."

The man was over six feet tall, wearing a square turban and a plain silk robe with a cross-collar and right-fastening front. His features bore a striking resemblance to Feng Guosheng, and he was none other than his elder brother, Feng Guoyong, the head of Fengjia Village.

The people inside the room had different abilities and personalities, and their understanding and reactions to Feng Guoyong's words also varied.

Li Wu wasn't used to this kind of occasion, so he didn't listen and kept shifting his position as if there were thorns on the chair; Pu Daoren and Fu Youde seemed to be deep in thought, but were too proud to speak up; only Hu Dahai was straightforward, humble, and eager to learn, asking questions whenever he didn't understand.

"President Feng, Dingyuan alone can easily gather tens of thousands of men. If the conscription of men is allowed in the three counties of Haozhou (Haozhou administers Zhongli, Dingyuan and Huaiyuan) plus Wuhe, we can gather at least forty or fifty thousand soldiers."

"I may be a rough man, but I've heard the tales of the Three Kingdoms. A combined force of 50,000 Sun Quan and Liu Bei could defeat Cao Cao's 800,000-strong army. Our Red Flag Battalion doesn't forcibly conscript men, but we have four counties under our control, enough to hold off tens of thousands of government troops. By any measure, this isn't a temporary solution, is it?"

Although Feng Guoyong and Feng Guosheng were born of the same mother, unlike their younger brother Feng Guosheng, who was impulsive and fond of battle, Feng Guoyong was reserved and modest. Faced with Hu Dahai's question, he first nodded and smiled in response, then looked at Shishan and said:

"The disadvantages of Haozhou are mainly twofold: First, it lacks strategic depth. The Xuzhou Road to the north is occupied by Marshal Li's troops, which can barely serve as a shield for the Red Flag Battalion; the east, west, and south sides are only a little over a hundred li deep, and the government troops can reach the city in half a day by fast horse."

Secondly, there was a shortage of food. Huaixi was originally a land of plenty, but since the Yellow River changed course and changed course, the yield of produce has decreased sharply. In recent years, the people have suffered from floods and droughts, and their livelihoods are precarious. That is why Guo, Miao and others raised their arms and called for help, and many people responded. All they asked for was a full meal.

In peaceful years, trade can compensate for insufficient grain production. But now, with war breaking out, trade routes are blocked, and grain shortages within the territory are a foregone conclusion. If government troops repeatedly harass the area in spring and autumn, preventing the people from cultivating the land in peace, how can tens of thousands of soldiers be fed when the land yields no produce?

Hu Dahai's expression was solemn. Li Wu sat there for a long time, finally understanding what he meant, and then replied:
"Does President Feng think he can fool us? Do you think we're stupid enough to think the government troops can be mobilized? As long as we fight our way out, these two problems you mentioned will disappear, right?"

This question was a bit silly, but after learning of Feng Guosheng's defeat and capture, Feng Guoyong immediately came to see Marshal Shi, hoping to use his skills to save his younger brother. Knowing that the people seated in the hall were all of extraordinary status, he still patiently explained:
"The Marshal has led thousands of troops to conquer several cities in succession, so he will not be trapped in Haozhou. However, Xuzhou Road in the north has been controlled by Marshal Li, Runing Prefecture in the west and Luzhou Road in the south have been destroyed by war, and Huai'an and Yangzhou Road in the east are important areas for grain transport and salt production. The court will not give way to them."

Furthermore, the Marshal's great victory over Dong Tuanxiao has already caused a sensation throughout the land. Within a month to three months, the imperial court will undoubtedly deploy a large force to attack Haozhou. If we cannot consolidate our foundations during this period, the more cities we hastily capture, the more dispersed our forces will be, making us easier for the government troops to defeat one by one.

"We've been conquering cities and recruiting soldiers along the way, how could this be—"

"All right!"

Li Wu was about to argue when Shi Shan interrupted him.

Feng Guoyong's core point was correct—"strengthen the foundation." This was also the main reason why Shi Shan remained in Dingyuan City after defeating Dong Tuanxiao, instead of rushing back to Haozhou.

Riding the momentum of a great victory, the forceful reorganization of the Dingyuan rebels' leadership and the breaking of their chaotic organizational structure was only the first step in integrating the Dingyuan rebels. To quickly take control of and completely stabilize Dingyuan, making it a bulwark for Haozhou, much more needs to be done.

"President Feng's insights are brilliant. May I ask how to solidify our foundation?"

One can discern the refined meaning from the sound of the strings!

As soon as Marshal Shi opened his mouth, he astutely grasped the key words in his own words. Feng Guoyong secretly thought that he had not made a mistake in coming today. He tapped his knee lightly with his fingers hidden in his sleeve, nodded, and said slowly:

"The fundamental issues are nothing more than the hearts of the people and the availability of funds and provisions. After Guo Zixing raised his army, the villagers of Dingyuan formed militias to protect themselves. Most of them were forcibly dragged to the city walls by Dong Tuanxiao, attempting to oppose the marshal."

"In today's battle, the culprit Dong Tuanxiao has been defeated and killed, and the entire militia has fallen into the Marshal's hands. As long as these people are dealt with properly, the hearts of the people of Dingyuan can be won over."

As a local with vested interests, Feng Guosheng used this statement to subtly plead for the surrendered Miao Daheng, Feng Guosheng, and others.

However, in the Battle of Luqian River, the Red Flag Battalion annihilated the government troops under Dong Tuanxiao, which was enough to establish its authority in Shishan. After the battle, at most a few local tyrants and gentry would be punished to appease public grievances. The other landlords who organized local militias were already planning to be pardoned, so they readily agreed to this favor.

"President Feng, please rest assured, I have already ordered a proclamation to reassure the people. The two armies are facing each other, each following orders. The fighting has ceased; regardless of whether any of our soldiers were killed or wounded, past grievances will not be investigated. We did the same in Hongxian, Wuhe, and Haozhou, and Dingyuan will be no exception." Feng Guoyong finally felt a great weight lifted from his heart. He rose, bowed solemnly to the stone mountain once more, and said:

"On behalf of the people of Dingyuan, I thank Marshal for his benevolence and righteousness!"

Ishiyama accepted the bow without hesitation and then said:
"The president previously said that Haozhou is only a temporary foundation. May I ask, how can we lay a foundation for eternity?"

After its formation, the Red Flag Battalion achieved continuous victories, and as the team continued to hone its skills, Shishan's prestige grew day by day.

By now, the generals no longer doubted Marshal Shi's ability and foresight, and had no doubt that the Red Flag Battalion could carve out a place for itself in the chaotic world. However, when they first heard Shi Shan reveal his ambition to dominate the world, Fu Youde, Pu Daoren, Hu Dahai and others all had their eyes light up.

A true man born in chaotic times should follow such heroes to create immortal achievements, so as not to waste his life!

Although Feng Guoyong was also inspired by Shishan's heroic spirit, he was self-aware. If he really had the ability to establish a "foundation for ten thousand generations", how could he be confined to the small village of Dingyuan and allow his younger brother Feng Guosheng to fight against a hero like Shishan?

"I am but a humble scholar, and may be able to plan for a short time, but I may make mistakes in planning for a lifetime. I dare not speak of an eternity."

If Feng Guoyong had truly dared to boast about the "foundation for ten thousand generations," Shishan might have kicked him out. But because Feng Guoyong was so humble, Shishan sat up straight and earnestly asked for his advice:

"President, you are too modest. Please speak frankly. I am all ears."

Feng Guoyong knew whether he could gain Shi Shan's favor depended on this answer, so he carefully organized his thoughts and said:

"The Marshal has moved from Xuzhou to Haozhou, capturing several cities without seeking wealth or harming the people. He has spread benevolence and righteousness and has won the hearts of the people. What he lacks is only money and food. At present, we only need to hold Haozhou, train elite troops, and then take a grain-producing area to establish a solid foundation."

Before Shi Shan could ask further, Feng Guoyong added on his own:

"Three hundred li to the southeast on the south bank of the Yangtze River lies Jiqing Road, an important town with abundant resources and prosperous people. It also has the convenience of water transport and the benefits of copper and iron. It can gather the wealth of Jiangnan to replenish the army, build warships, cast weapons and armor, and support soldiers. It can advance to conquer the Central Plains or retreat to defend half of Jiangnan."

This place is strategically located, with the Huaiyang region to the north, the Wu and Yue regions to the south, the Jiangxi region to the west, and the sea to the east. From Jiangning, one can sail downstream to Yangzhou and Songjiang, or go upstream to Jiangxi and Wuchang. By land, it controls the vital passage to southern Jiangsu and the throat of Fujian and Zhejiang, making it a crucial and vital location.

Jiangning (the seat of Jiqing Road, also known as Jinling at the time) is a strategically important and powerful location, the capital of emperors, where the gentry of six dynasties gathered. Possessing this city would allow us to inherit the legacies of the Wu, Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen dynasties, raise the banner of "expelling the barbarians," and conquer the Central Plains, thus winning the hearts of scholars throughout the land. This is precisely the way.

Feng Guoyong was excited, and as he spoke, he seemed to see the future of Shishan conquering Jiangning and pacifying the Central Plains. His eyes were shining.

Shi Shan tapped the table lightly with his fingers, his brows slightly furrowed.

Jiangning's ability to become the ancient capital of six dynasties naturally stems from its unique geographical advantages.

Dingyuan is only 300 li away from Jiangning and is located in the core radiation zone of Jiangning's politics, economy, culture and military. It can be said that every hero in Dingyuan has the dream of making his mark in Jiangning.

Being in Dingyuan, it was almost inevitable that anyone with a little ambition would think of taking Jiangning to establish a foundation for their empire in this chaotic world.

Just like a few months ago, when Shishan misled Zhima Li into launching a northern expedition to Dadu, no matter how wonderful the prospects were described, it was useless.

Everyone knows Jiangning is good, but Dadu, Hangzhou, Chang'an, Luoyang, and other places are equally good. As long as they are ancient capitals of several dynasties and strategically important locations, which one is not good? The question is how to take them? And after taking them, how to use them to establish a rule over the country?
Without operability, even the best strategy is useless.

Shishan comes from the lower reaches of history and has no shortage of successful experiences "proven by history," but it does not enjoy the superiority of being "historically successful."

On the contrary, as he gradually intervened and changed the course of history, he became increasingly aware that the so-called successful experiences of history were simply unreliable in the face of the rapidly changing world situation. He urgently needed the talents of his time to help him identify and address his shortcomings and offer advice, rather than empty promises.

In reality, in the original historical timeline, Zhu Yuanzhang's capture of Jiangning and subsequent conquest of the empire involved too many accidental factors. Even after establishing himself in Jiangning, he did not have an absolute advantage. Whether it was Chen Youliang upstream, Zhang Shicheng downstream, or the various Yuan forces to the north, all of them had the ability to annihilate his forces.

However, since Feng Guoyong had at least taken the initiative to come and serve his scholars, and considering that his comments on the shortcomings of Haozhou and his insights on strengthening the fundamentals were both valuable, Shishan remained sincere and continued to ask for his advice:
"Jiangning is a good place, but it is the center of the imperial court's money and grain, and the government troops will definitely defend this important town. Our army is newly established, and although we have occupied several cities, our foundation is not yet stable. Even if we can take Jiangning by trickery, there is no one to defend it or govern it. It is so easy to gain it, but it will be even easier to lose it. What should we do?"

(End of this chapter)