Sweep Yuan

Chapter 235 There is no shortcut to conquering the world.

[Reading Tips] Some readers often compare Shi Shan to Zhu Yuanzhang, one a fictional character in a novel, the other a historical hero, and the situations they faced were completely different. This chapter contains a discussion that aims to quell this meaningless debate that also hinders creative work. If you don't like it, please don't subscribe.

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"Marshal, what should we do with Nahachu?" Chang Yuchun's rough voice interrupted Shishan's thoughts.

Shi Shan originally intended to test Li Xi and Wang Guangyang, who had recently joined his cause, by figuring out how to deal with Jin Yi and Naha Chu. However, the questions and answers he had just had about Jin Yi had given him a basic understanding of Li and Wang's positions and ways of thinking.

Li Xi valued the reputation of scholars and his legacy, and was unwilling to stand up for the Red Flag Battalion; Wang Guangyang, on the other hand, was more pragmatic and knew how to assess the situation.

Now that the matter is clear, there is no need to waste any more words on it. Therefore, Shishan had already asked Li Xi and Wang Guangyang to leave.

Seeing that Shi Shan was lost in thought and silent, seemingly in a trance, Chang Yuchun worried that he hadn't heard him clearly, and added:
“Naha was seriously injured. I only ordered someone to give him a quick bandage. The bleeding hasn’t completely stopped, and he’s breathing weak. If we don’t treat him soon, I’m afraid he won’t last much longer.”

Chang Yuchun was covered in blood, and the continuous battles had left him slightly exhausted, but his eyes remained sharp.

Shi Shan was indeed pondering deeper questions, but he also clearly heard Chang Yuchun's words. He turned his head, smiled at his trusted general, a hint of scrutiny in his smile, and said:
"Boren, tell Wang and Mao what's so special about this Nahachu that makes you want to come here specifically to ask me how to deal with him?" As he spoke, his gaze swept over the military advisors Wang Zongdao and Mao Gui who were standing to the side.

When Chang Yuchun defeated Nahachu, Dangtu City had not yet fallen.

He considered that this man was the highest-ranking Yuan army officer in the city, and capturing him alive might be used to persuade the defending troops to surrender. At the very least, it could greatly demoralize the enemy and reduce the casualties of the attacking brothers.

Unfortunately, just as Nahachu was defeated, Deng Youlong broke through the city walls, and the outcome was already decided. This man was no longer of much value.

However, in the Red Flag Battalion's military merit system, the merit of capturing the enemy chieftain alive was usually greater than that of killing him in battle, so Chang Yuchun spared Naha's life.

Aside from that, he didn't have many other thoughts.

If Shishan hadn't intentionally used this matter to test Li and Wang, Chang Yuchun wouldn't have bothered to inquire about Nahachu's specific origins.

Seeing the marshal's inquiry, Chang Yuchun had no choice but to carefully organize his thoughts and reply:

"This man... is indeed very skilled, a tough nut to crack. Moreover, according to the captured enemy soldiers, he seems to be a descendant of that Mongol Yuan... Grand Tutor King Muqali. I'm thinking that this identity is somewhat special, perhaps it will be of some use to the Marshal in the future?"

Chang Yuchun spoke somewhat haltingly, clearly indicating that such political considerations were not his forte.

Grand Tutor King Muqali was a founding hero of the Mongol Empire, renowned for his loyalty, bravery, and skill in battle. His family held a prestigious position in the Yuan court.

Shishan knew very well that, given Nahachu's bloodline and background, there was absolutely no way he would genuinely serve the Red Flag Battalion, which was based on the banner of "expelling the barbarians." Therefore, he never considered recruiting Nahachu in the first place, and his only options for dealing with this man were either to kill him or to release him.

But since Chang Yuchun had asked, and the two military advisors, Wang Zongdao and Mao Gui, were also present, Shishan simply threw out the question as a temporary test—the abilities of his civil and military officers were gradually cultivated through these tests and tasks.

"What do you think our army should do with Nahachu?" He turned his gaze to Wang and Mao, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Wang Zongdao was actually inclined to try to win over Nahachu. He believed that this man was of noble blood and that if he could be subdued, it would have a remarkable effect on pacifying and stabilizing the Mongols and Semu people who might be brought under the rule of the Red Flag Battalion in the future.

In reality, although Marshal Shi raised the banner of "expelling the barbarians," he did not indiscriminately kill in practice. After each major battle, he recruited many low-ranking Mongol prisoners of war.

Those with strong physiques were selected and recruited into the elite cavalry; the rest were mostly assigned to work in the ranches and workshops under the Veterans' Association.

Most of these Mongols who were given a way out or even a new life were able to live better than they did under the Yuan army. On the contrary, they showed a high degree of loyalty to Marshal Shi, who gave them the opportunity to "reborn".

However, Shi Shan clearly disagreed with Li Xi's suggestion to "use the name of Quan Jinyi Zhongyi," and Wang Zongdao, being perceptive and good at reading people, had to be careful with his words, saying:

"Marshal, Nahachu is indeed a rare and valiant general. If we can win him over, it may demonstrate your benevolence and help to divide the Mongol upper class, which may be beneficial for you to pacify the world as soon as possible."

Seeing that Shi Shan showed no joy, he quickly changed the subject, saying:
"However, this man has put up a stubborn resistance, killing and wounding nearly a hundred of my Red Flag Battalion soldiers. If we easily recruit him or let him go, it may discourage the soldiers and be detrimental to morale. This matter still requires the Marshal's decisive decision."

He cleverly threw the difficult question back at him, expressing his opinion while leaving room for maneuver.

Mao Gui's idea was much more direct, without so many twists and turns. He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"Marshal! This man holds a high position in the Yuan court and is a descendant of Muqali. He is arrogant and proud. In my humble opinion, the possibility of him sincerely surrendering is extremely slim. He cannot be used by us, and we must not let him go back to the mountains, especially since his hands are stained with the blood of our brothers!"

My opinion is: Marshal, please summon him first, explain the consequences, and observe his reaction. If he truly shows no intention of surrendering or repenting, then he should be executed like Jin Yi, to comfort the spirits of the fallen soldiers and to deter the stubborn enemy!

"it is good!"

Shi Shan nodded and said to Chang Yuchun:

"Have the medic treat his wounds properly, make sure the bleeding stops, and don't let him die like this. Arrange for someone to keep a close watch on him, and I will interrogate him once his condition stabilizes."

Shishan was unaware that in the original historical trajectory, during the Battle of Dangtu, Nahachu had killed three fierce generals of the Red Turban Army. After being captured, he vowed never to surrender, but Zhu Yuanzhang, moved by his loyalty and bravery, released him.

If that were all, this person would not have left a mark on history. There was more to come: Nahachu later rose to the position of Grand Commandant of the Northern Yuan, commanding 200,000 troops and occupying Liaodong for a long time, causing great border troubles for the Ming Dynasty.

But at this moment, based on realistic considerations and judgment of the future situation, Shishan had already made up his mind to execute Nahachu.

Since we're going to kill him, we absolutely cannot let him die easily from his injuries before the interrogation. To kill someone, you must first destroy their spirit. The necessary procedures must be followed so that he dies knowing the truth and so that the world can see the fate of those who stubbornly resist the Red Flag Battalion.

Shi Shan made this seemingly cold-blooded decision not because he had any bad habits, but because he had a deeper strategic intention—he wanted to take this opportunity to intimidate the conservative forces in Jiangnan who were still watching from the sidelines.

Although he chose the same landing point for crossing the river as Zhu Yuanzhang in history—Caishiji—the internal and external situations, personal strength, and political demands faced by the two men before and after crossing the river were completely different, which inevitably led them to adopt different development strategies and governance tactics.

Before crossing the Yangtze River, Zhu Yuanzhang faced at least four major challenges:
First, the legitimacy of the military was questionable. Although Zhu Yuanzhang actually controlled the military, he was still under the command of Guo Zixing's son, Guo Tianxu, and his brother-in-law, Zhang Tianyou, who were both "Grand Marshal" and "Deputy Marshal," respectively, which posed a risk to internal unity.

Secondly, there was a lack of a stable rear. After years of fighting, the people of Chuzhou and Hezhou were impoverished. Zhu Yuanzhang had elite troops but no money or food. In order to attack Caishiji, he even resorted to rhetoric about the abundance of money and food in Jiangdong to boost morale and trick his lower-ranking soldiers into crossing the river.

Third, the army was riddled with factions. Not to mention Guo Zixing's former subordinates and the Chaohu Navy, who were "allies" when crossing the Yangtze River, there were also people like Deng Yu, Hu Dahai, Feng Guosheng, Qiu Cheng, Wu Fu, and Wang Bi who came with their own troops, filling every corner of the army.

These people were actually banding together with Zhu Yuanzhang for mutual support, rather than being forced to obey him. Many of these small groups had different interests and demands.

Fourth, the civil service governance team was extremely weak. The core civil officials consisted of only a handful, such as Li Shanchang and Feng Guoyong, and lacked the broad support of local gentry, making governance difficult after conquering territory.

After looting Huaiyuan, almost no gentry joined Zhu Yuanzhang; even after conquering Chuzhou for several years, most gentry were still observing, and in fact, they did not have high hopes for this army.

But Zhu Yuanzhang, a true hero of his time, skillfully resolved core issues such as legitimacy, funding, and gentry support through a series of political and military maneuvers, even resorting to underhanded tactics, after crossing the Yangtze River. The issue of factionalism within the army was addressed much later.

However, there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Without sufficient benefits, why would the wealthy, well-off, and influential gentry of Jiangnan support a group of peasants from Huaixi in their struggle for power?
What did Zhu Yuanzhang sacrifice?

It's not convenient to elaborate, but by looking at the changes in his political slogans after he raised his army, we can get a glimpse of what was going on.

However, given Zhu Yuanzhang's nature, he naturally wouldn't allow others to share the power and benefits that "rightfully" belonged to him. He spent much of his life trying to reclaim (or betray) certain promises he made to gain the support of the gentry. His successes and failures are for posterity to judge. In contrast, Shi Shan, though his rise to power was also difficult, it was precisely this experience of surviving in the cracks and advancing step by step that gave him an advantage, allowing him to successfully avoid most of the difficulties faced by Zhu Yuanzhang in the original historical timeline.
The Red Flag Battalion already had a relatively stable rear base in Jiangbei, agricultural production within its territory was relatively stable, and the population was constantly increasing (a large number of refugees poured in). In some areas, the situation was even better than before the chaos, and there was no urgent need to wait for money and grain from Jiangnan to save lives.
With a relatively mature governing team, it not only recruited a large number of scholars from all over the country, but the Red Flag Battalion's own talent training system also far surpassed that of the Yuan court. In some areas, the government could even reach the grassroots level directly, without having to rely too much on the old gentry of Jiangnan to serve, and at least did not have to act according to their whims.
After multiple reorganizations, ideological indoctrination, and systematic training, the army has a well-developed organizational and command system, and its recruitment, training, pay, and control of weapons far surpass those of other old armies.

It is neither necessary nor advisable to rapidly expand one's power by recruiting defectors and traitors, so as to avoid complicating the internal structure and sowing the seeds of turmoil.

Shi Shan was well aware that everything in the world had its own hidden "price." If one took shortcuts in conquering the country and relied too much on a certain group, one would inevitably lose the dominant position in the future when it came to regime building and the distribution of benefits, and would be forced to pay a heavier and longer-term political price.

Therefore, he was determined not to blindly recruit defectors in order to rapidly expand his territory, allowing a large number of old bureaucrats, gentry and powerful figures to easily flood into the newly established Red Flag Army regime, thus sowing the seeds for future problems such as the regime becoming too powerful to control, low governance efficiency, and even the hijacking of policies.

This is similar to his early collaboration with the local gentry in Haozhou. Shishan and the gentry of Jiangnan did need each other, but this cooperative relationship had to be clearly hierarchical—the Red Flag Battalion should take the lead and absorb the collaborators, rather than being bound by the local forces.

The Red Flag Battalion, riding high on its great victory, is now overwhelming us with its mighty army. A shrewd man like Wang Guangyang can immediately grasp the situation, understand who needs whom more, and thus make a wise choice.

Of course, every era has its share of stubborn individuals who fail to see the times, attempt to leverage their existing status and influence to gain an unfair advantage, and even secretly resist or openly oppose. Moreover, such people are often quite numerous.

Shishan would not back down because of this. He even expected these people to jump out and fight back to some extent—can a rebellion that does not shed the blood of nobles and does not touch the foundation of the old superstructure still be called a rebellion?
If Shishan doesn't make a firm decision to purge these vested interests from the old era, how will he reward the loyal soldiers and grassroots supporters who have followed him from the very beginning and shed blood and sweat for him in his conquest of the world?
Should we, like Zhu Yuanzhang in another timeline, compromise with the gentry and use various "soft knives" of policy to restrain or even slaughter the soldiers and common people who shed blood, sweat, and tears for his conquest of the world?

……

After dealing with the issues of Jin Yi and Naha Chu's future, Shi Shan went straight to the Taiping Road Military and Civilian General Administration Office located in the city.

The government office was somewhat chaotic, but fortunately, important archives such as registers and documents were well preserved, which relieved him a little.

Flipping through the thick household registration book, Shi Shan couldn't help but marvel at the prosperity of Jiangnan.

Taiping Road only governs three counties: Dangtu, Wuhu and Fanchang, yet it has nearly 100,000 registered households!

Although this data is from three years ago and has certainly changed since then, the fact that the Taiping Road General Administration was able to collect the full amount of taxes based on this figure suggests that the actual discrepancy is not too outrageous. This is a granary and source of soldiers with enormous potential.

After briefly reviewing the household registration and land records, Shishan went to the official granaries and treasuries in the city.

The clerks from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War were busy, sweating profusely, counting the mountains of grain, cloth, weapons, and silver piled up in the warehouse. Upon seeing the marshal's arrival, a junior clerk in charge rushed over to report.

There were naturally some discrepancies between the actual goods in the warehouse and the records in the ledgers, and inventory shortages were inevitable. However, to Shi Shan's surprise, the discrepancy was not outrageously large, and the level of corruption among local officials in the Yuan Dynasty could even be considered "lower-middle" in terms of severity.

Based on this alone, Jin Yi, the Taiping Road steward who chose to jump into the river to die for his principles, seems to deserve a relatively "dignified" death.

At this moment, the situation in Dangtu City has basically stabilized. Apart from the troops responsible for patrols and guard duties, most of the officers and soldiers have returned to their temporarily designated camps to conduct intensive post-battle debriefing and take a break.

The next step in the attack on Jiangning can only be deployed after the navy escorts the second batch of troops across the river.

Shi Shan arrived at the Zhongyiwei military camp and personally participated in the debriefing meeting of the Fifth Division of Zhongyiwei (Deng Youlong's troops).

It's clear that Deng Youlong put a lot of effort into this. He not only knew the names of the soldiers who had made contributions in this battle, but also their family information—this is the foundation of Shishan's conquest of the world, and it cannot be neglected. Every general who treats his soldiers with care deserves to be rewarded.

When the marshal personally holds a meeting at the front line, he naturally gives a speech to inspire the soldiers.

While grand pronouncements about killing enemies, achieving merit, and bringing glory to one's family were certainly made, Shishan focused more on the soldiers' practical interests, mainly addressing three points:

First, it reiterates the importance of capturing Jiangnan—to secure a stable base for supplying money and provisions. Only by establishing a foothold in Jiangnan can the soldiers be fed every day and receive their full pay every month.

If someone is killed in action, their family will receive a full pension.

Secondly, it paints a picture of a bright future. All soldiers will be allocated land—of course, it can't all be the prime farmland of Jiangnan, where every inch of land is precious. In Shishan's plan, land allocation will mainly focus on the sparsely populated Jiangbei region.

In this way, even if the soldiers retire in the future due to old age, they will still have a livelihood.

These lands are certainly not the garrison lands of the military households. Even if all the lands are redistributed to the military households, as long as the organizational model of exploiting the military households remains unchanged, this system will still go bankrupt in at most thirty to fifty years.

Shishan was originally a military household member, and he knew all too well the backwardness and darkness of the military household system, so naturally he would no longer exploit his followers.

In fact, after taking Luzhou, Shishan was implementing a land redistribution policy. However, due to limited land, the scope of land redistribution was not wide enough and was temporarily limited to meritorious soldiers.

Third, it was announced that a new institution, the Military Law Department, is being prepared.

The Embroidered Uniform Battalion was originally responsible for both military discipline and verifying and handling general disciplinary violations. In the case of serious violations, the matter had to be reported to Shishan for review and a final decision would be made. This model was only suitable for smaller armies with relatively concentrated garrisons.

As the various guards continued to expand, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's tasks became increasingly heavy. It was about to be upgraded to a guard, and taking over these duties would easily cause many problems. Shishan himself did not have enough energy to deal with serious violations of discipline in the army, so the establishment of the Military Law Department was a logical step.

Zeng Xing, the military law officer, was an old comrade-in-arms who had followed Shishan since Chulan, and his loyalty could withstand the test.

His duties were certainly not limited to investigating violations of discipline in the army; otherwise, Shishan would not have explained this to the lower-ranking soldiers on this occasion.

The Military Law Department also has a very important function: adjudicating military and civilian cases. For example, if soldiers of the Red Flag Battalion violate national laws or their legitimate interests are infringed upon, the cases will be uniformly submitted to the Military Law Department for adjudication.

To elevate the status of the Red Flag Battalion soldiers, simply providing them with money and supplies is far from sufficient; their legitimate rights and interests must also be guaranteed through institutional and organizational measures.

Ordinary soldiers may find it difficult to understand the profound significance of the establishment of the Military Law Department, but they know that from now on they have a "family" to support them.

After leaving the military camp, it was nearly dusk. Before it got dark, Shishan led his men to inspect the city's defenses again.

Standing on the south city wall, looking at the Caishi River where the current was very small, barely reaching the bottom, but whose embankment was nearly ten feet high and whose channel was unusually wide, Shishan suddenly thought of a question and hurriedly said:

"Go quickly and invite Li Xi over."

Li Xi lived in the southern part of the city, so it didn't take him long to climb the city wall.

"Master Yun, has the Caishi River overflowed its banks?"

"Have!"

When Li Xi was answering questions about how to deal with Jin Yi, he had offended Shi Shan. However, for the sake of his descendants, he did not want to offend Shi Shan to the death. So when he was summoned, he rushed over immediately. When he saw that Marshal Shi had a solemn expression and asked him a question, he answered very seriously.

"It mainly depends on the river water. When the river water rises sharply or there is a high tide, the Caishi River will swell. But it rarely overflows its banks. In my eighty-two years of life, I have only seen it twice."

Shishan nodded, then asked again:
"In that case, if the river rises to overflow its banks, wouldn't large ships weighing over a thousand li be able to reach the city by riding the surging waters?"

Although Li Xi had never seen anyone sail such a large ship into the Caishi River, he was knowledgeable and knew how big a thousand-ton ship was. He then considered the hydrology of the section of the Caishi River where it flows into the Yangtze River and nodded, saying:

"Indeed."

(End of this chapter)