Sweep Yuan

Chapter 120 Skilled in Governance and Dominating the World

If the capture of Haozhou and the establishment of the Red Turban Army Marshal's Office signified that the Red Flag Battalion, as an independent anti-Yuan armed force, had officially entered the political stage at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, then the glorious victory at the Battle of Naluqian River demonstrated that the Shishan military and political group already possessed the potential to contend for hegemony in the chaotic world.

Guo Zixing and others' "voluntary surrender" after the war was merely a self-preservation measure out of fear of Shishan's military strength and methods; while the scholars of Dingyuan who took the initiative to surrender were betting heavily on the rise of Shishan's military and political group after they had a clear understanding of it.

The circle of scholars in Dingyuan was not large to begin with. When Feng Guoyong offered a plan to save his brother, he was immediately given an important position by Shishan and was appointed as a Zhonglang in the Marshal's Office. The news spread quickly, and scholars from Dingyuan who were unwilling to spend their lives in the countryside flocked to him.

When the Red Flag Battalion was first established, it was in dire need of scholars to help. In the past, Shishan had no choice but to accept anyone who could read. Now that so many opportunists had come, he naturally had to be careful. Anyone who was hired had to be personally interviewed by him. If someone did not have real talent and learning, he would not easily grant them even the position of clerk.

A breeze begins with a ripple on the water, and a wave is formed from a gentle ripple.

In reality, wise people who can see the big picture from small details are always a tiny minority.

Even among scholars, most simply drift with the tide, swept along by the overwhelming tide. Only the best among them can detect anomalies from small clues and deduce the major changes in the trend—this was true of Feng Guosheng, and it was also true of Li Shanchang.

Li Shanchang was thirty-eight years old at the time. He loved reading when he was young, but after failing to achieve fame and success, he enjoyed discussing current affairs, and many of the malpractices he listed were quite accurate.

In recent years, the Yuan court has been plagued by frequent political turmoil, gradually showing signs of national collapse. Li Shanchang foresaw that the world would descend into chaos and promptly moved his family and relatives living in the city to the countryside, preparing for the coming of the turbulent times.

Guo Zixing and Shi Shan captured Dingyuan and Haozhou almost simultaneously. Li Shanchang was determined to make a name for himself in the chaotic world, so he would not sit at home waiting for an opportunity. He first set his sights on Guo Zixing, who had a more solid foundation, and even risked returning to Dingyuan.

At that time, Guo Zixing, Sun Deyan and others were busy recruiting soldiers and horses. The city gate inspection was a mere formality. People flocked to join the army as if they were going to a fair. The people in the city suffered greatly from the war. Even Li Shanchang's vacant house was occupied by the rebel soldiers and turned into a military camp.

The city was in chaos, and the rebel leaders were too busy fighting for power to care about the people's livelihood. Li Shanchang saw that Guo Zixing and others had no ambition and were not wise leaders who could accomplish anything, so he quickly left Dingyuan and headed north to Haozhou.

At that time, Marshal Shi had already posted a notice to recruit talented people.

However, the scholars of Haozhou were unaware of the true nature of Shishan, this powerful dragon crossing the river. Apart from a very few impoverished scholars who were truly unable to make a living, most of them were observing from the sidelines.

Li Shanchang entered the city as a scholar, but instead of rushing to join the government, he patiently observed the administration of Shishan.

As a result, it was discovered that the Red Flag Battalion's style of operation was completely different from that of the Dingyuan rebels, and also unlike any rebel army that Li Shanchang had imagined.

He did not believe in the "Eight Articles for Pacifying the People" at first. Not to mention the newly risen rebel army, even when the officialdom of the Yuan Dynasty was at its best, few local officials dared to guarantee that the "Eight Articles for Pacifying the People" could be implemented. How much more so now that people's hearts are in turmoil.

Just as Li Shanchang was about to request an audience with Shishan, after confirming that Shishan was indeed capable of controlling his troops and had the ambition to bring peace to the world, an urgent report arrived in the city that Dong Tuanxiao was leading his troops to besiege Dingyuan. The Red Flag Battalion had set up a large army and marched south. The people of Haozhou were filled with panic and undercurrents were stirring.

Li Shanchang was skilled in governing the people but inept at warfare. Although he vaguely felt that the Red Flag Battalion was disciplined and Marshal Shi dared to take the initiative to send troops, so they should be able to defeat the government army's attack, he was unsure of himself when he thought about the poor state of the Dingyuan rebels, who might drag the Red Flag Battalion down.

Man proposes, God disposes. There are countless heroes in the world, but only a few can achieve great things. Many exceptionally talented people fail and perish before they can accomplish anything, all because of the word "luck".

If Shi Shan lacked good fortune, he would have been defeated by Dong Tuanxiao as soon as he gained power, resulting in his death and loss of power. In that case, the matter of surrendering to him would be out of the question. However, if he truly had a destiny that would allow him to turn misfortune into good fortune, Li Shanchang was confident that even if he surrendered later, he could still gain the appreciation and important position of Marshal Shi through his own abilities.

To prevent government spies from taking the opportunity to sabotage, the movement of people in Haozhou City was strictly controlled during the army's southward campaign. Li Shanchang was imprisoned in the city until news of the great victory at Luqian River entered the city, at which point the ban was lifted, but people still had to be checked when entering and leaving.

By the time the news reached Li Shanchang, it was already the afternoon of the third day after the war.

The journey to Dingyuan took another day and a half. By the time he arrived in the city, the first wave of job-seeking among scholars had just passed.

Li Shanchang decided not to rush to send a letter to Marshal Shi. When he was questioned upon entering the city, he used the excuse of visiting relatives to stay at a friend's house. He learned in detail about the changes in Dingyuan in recent days and inquired about the situation with Marshal Shi. The answers he received were all different, but they were all relatively basic questions.

Marshal Shi would only have in-depth conversations with someone of genuine talent and learning like Feng Guoyong, but unfortunately the content of those conversations remains unknown.

After several days of careful preparation, Li Shanchang believed he had gained a deep understanding of Shishan and sent a letter requesting an audience.

He thought he would have to use a lot of persuasion to get the marshal's attention, but to his surprise, Shishan threw out an incredibly big question as soon as they met.

"The world is in chaos now, with endless wars and the people suffering. I have the will to sweep away the barbarians and quell the unrest, but alas, I am of little virtue and talent, and I lack capable people by my side. The larger the territory, the more uncertain I feel, fearing that one wrong step will lead to total defeat. Sir, you are a man of great talent, may you teach me?"

The Red Flag Battalion was far superior to other rebel armies. Dingyuan had experienced great chaos and was not yet in order, but outsiders could hardly hide. Li Shanchang, dressed in a scholar's robe, was already conspicuous. After entering the city, he did not seek an audience with the marshal but instead went to visit relatives. His unusual behavior caught the attention of Huang Er, the gatekeeper, who immediately reported the situation up the chain of command to Shishan.

Shishan certainly knew of Li Shanchang's great name. Although he did not know the specific deeds and abilities of the latter in the original historical timeline, he still knew that this person had the talent of a prime minister and was able to stand out among the elites at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. He must have had his own extraordinary qualities.

Therefore, when asked today's question, Shishan skipped the usual questions about selecting scholars' talents and went directly to inquire about major policies.

Li Shanchang had a lean face and a slender figure, and his appearance was quite capable, which was indeed the case.

Although he didn't know why Marshal Shi was so sure he had great talent, and all the prepared arguments were rendered useless, he still showed no sign of panic on the spot. After a moment's thought, he gave a fluent and appropriate response.

"At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the world was in chaos. Emperor Gaozu of Han rose from humble beginnings and had accomplished nothing by the age of forty-six. However, he was magnanimous and open-minded, knew how to appoint people to positions, and was good at accepting good advice. After raising an army, he quickly grew in power and became a regional lord in just three years."

During the Chu-Han Contention, Emperor Gaozu of Han suffered four defeats at Pengcheng, Xingyang, Chenggao, and Guling, but his foundation remained solid and his rear was well-supplied with money, food, and able-bodied men. He fought again and again, and finally defeated Xiang Yu at the Battle of Gaixia, thus establishing his imperial dynasty.

Emperor Gaozu's victory was not due to skill in battle, but to skill in governance. Skillful governance ensures a solid foundation, an uninterrupted supply of funds, provisions, and troops; even minor defeats can ultimately lead to a great victory.

Shi Shan, at a young age, commanded tens of thousands of troops and conquered several cities. What was even more remarkable was that he was neither arrogant nor impatient, nor did he blindly believe in the power of his forces. After conquering a city, he focused on pacifying the people and ensuring peace in the region. Li Shanchang simply did not believe that such a hero would hesitate about the future.

But that's how job hunting works. When Shi Yuanshuai's business was just starting out, he was short of all kinds of talent. No matter what questions were asked, just focus on what you are good at. As long as you can show your talents, you will have the opportunity to be valued.

Li Shanchang immediately compared Shishan to Emperor Gaozu of Han, who also came from humble origins, thus steering the discussion towards the sophistry of "good governance is worse than good warfare." Seeing that Marshal Shishan was indeed interested, he continued:
"Looking at the heroes of the world, they all only care about taking in the young and strong while sitting idly by and watching the lives and deaths of the people. They have no thought of governing the fundamentals. Only the Marshal is magnanimous and generous, knows how to appoint people well, spreads benevolence and righteousness widely, and has secured a region by controlling several cities. He has already grasped seven-tenths of the true meaning of Emperor Gaozu of Han. What he lacks is only to consolidate his foundation."

In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han was trapped in Hanzhong before he could conquer the world. Now, the Marshal has seized Haozhou. He can advance to conquer the Central Plains or retreat to defend Jiangnan. Furthermore, various rebel armies are tying down the imperial army. If he governs well and fully utilizes the advantages of Haozhou's terrain and the strength of its people, why should he worry about the gains or losses in a single battle?

Li Shanchang's words actually avoided the strategic issue of "uncertainty about the future," focusing instead on his strength in "consolidating the foundation," replacing the strategic competition for hegemony with a contest of "national strength" in terms of money, food, and manpower.

Shishan had already realized that Li Shanchang was deliberately changing the subject, but he still nodded in approval.

By consolidating the foundation and overwhelming the world with overwhelming strength, the margin for error in the struggle for hegemony is increased, and there is no need to worry about losing the whole game due to occasional strategic mistakes.

Of course, in practice, it is still necessary to combine strategy with strength organically. Blindly "proving the way with force" is also a wrong path.

"What you say is true. In the end, the struggle for supremacy depends on money, grain, and manpower. But Haozhou is small and sparsely populated, surrounded by enemies. If the government troops harass it repeatedly, the people will not be able to produce in peace. How can we make the most of the land and manpower?"

Seeing that Shi Shan had digested his words so quickly, Li Shanchang's expectations for him increased even more.

These past few days he had inquired quite a bit about Shi Shan's administration, and he knew that all of Marshal Shi's efforts were aimed at pacifying the people, securing the territory, and stabilizing the foundation. His only concern was whether his benevolent policies could be effectively implemented. He immediately tapped his knee with his fingers and replied:

"The current predicament in Huaixi is not due to war but to famine. The fundamental solution for Haozhou is first to establish household registration, cultivate land for military settlements, and repair dikes and ponds so that the people have enough food for the next day and can live in peace; secondly, to enforce strict military discipline and clarify rewards and punishments so that the soldiers know that there are heavy rewards for fighting and generous compensation for the dead, and thus be brave enough to fight to the death."

Therefore, even if the imperial court were to send a million-strong army to attack, it would be difficult to shake the marshal's foundation.

Shi Shan nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself that this person's ability to leave a significant mark on history books demonstrated his extraordinary insight. He immediately stood up, took Li Shanchang's hand, and sincerely invited him:

“I wish to stabilize the distant lands and look to Jiangning, but this place has suffered from war and the civil administration has been ruined. It needs a wise man like Mr. Baishi (Li Shanchang’s courtesy name Baishi) to govern it. Would you be willing to temporarily accept the position of magistrate of Dingyuan? Once this place is settled, I will entrust you with the position of Registrar of the Marshal’s Office.”

Li Shanchang was somewhat disappointed that he could not follow Shishan back to Haozhou to realize his ambitions, but Shishan spoke frankly that Dingyuan was too important to the Red Flag Battalion and indeed needed to be well managed. Moreover, after accumulating merits and prestige there, he would be more convincing to the people when he returned to the Marshal's Office.

"Please observe the changes in Dingyuan again within two months, Marshal!"

"it is good!"

Unlike Feng Guoyong, whose talent could be discerned by observing his words, Li Shanchang's ability to govern the people and manage finances was more about observing his actions. Whether he could govern a region well could be seen simply by how quickly he could get started.

Therefore, Shishan did not keep Li Shanchang for a late-night talk by candlelight. Instead, he summoned Guo Zixing, Shao Rong, and others, and in person appointed Li Shanchang as the magistrate of Dingyuan County, after which he left the position to Magistrate Li.

(End of this chapter)