Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 368 Ah Zhen, Don't Come Over (Bonus Chapter 12 for Alliance Leader Yu Yuan Chu Yu)

Starting on the 18th, all the boats, large and small, brought by Shao Shuyi were stationed at the water village.

The large banner bearing the character "Shao" fluttered high above the village, and eight teams of over a hundred warriors drilled on the dock, their battle cries shaking the heavens and attracting a large crowd of onlookers.

In the training ground behind the village, the three hundred farm soldiers who came with the army were also training continuously.

The military formation was practiced on the 18th.

On the 19th, led by Shao Shuyi's personal guards, they identified the infantry formations drawn on the map and summarized the shortcomings of each unit's drills the previous day.

On the 20th, identify the golden drums and flags.

Maintenance of equipment on the 21st.

Twenty-two days to hone personal skills.

Military formation drills continued on the 23rd.

It's clear that, with the supply of good food and drink, these peasant soldiers, who usually only train once every ten days or so, have started to increase the intensity of their training, now training once every five days.

This was originally a reserve force for the main fighting force. Once the time was right, the best of them would be selected and mixed with the veterans from the first ten teams to form a new unit.

In addition to these four hundred people, there are another six or seven hundred boatmen, who are trained in batches, mainly in archery.

Unfortunately, there were no extra infantry archers in the Changqiao naval camp; it seems they had all been taken out.

There were some small crossbows for individual use, but they were all broken, missing parts or other components. Shao Shuyi collected them all like trash, intending to take them back to find someone to repair them and see if he could put together a few.

That's about it. It gave Shao Shuyi a new understanding of the corruption in the Yuan Dynasty's navy, making him feel that the officers were even more corrupt than the land forces.

Wu Heizi did send over ten or so infantry bows and seven fire lances. The quantity was rather small, but there was no other way; that was all they had. With so much fighting lately, fewer people were willing to steal and sell them.

The firearms were collected, totaling seventeen, and continued to be kept by the personal guard.

The bows will be given to Lu Shi. Recently, the training intensity has been high and the bows have been used frequently, resulting in some bows being damaged. These will be used to replace them.

On the 24th, Yu Chu arrived at the water village with a large stack of copied documents.

"I copied down the most important parts, and they're all here," he said, pushing a bamboo basket in front of Shao Shuyi.

"It still needs to be kept safe by Manager Yu," Shao Shuyi said with a smile, pushing the bamboo basket back.

"In charge?" Yu Chu was taken aback.

"I am eager to find talented people and would like to appoint you as the head of the general affairs department of Shengye Trading Company," Shao Shuyi said sincerely.

Yu Chu was silent for a moment before refusing, "That's not appropriate. I can help you with your work, but I'd rather not take charge of the household."

Shao Shuyi shook his head and said with a wry smile, "This position is perfect for you. I really can't find anyone else. If it weren't for some coincidence, any scholar with any ability would be terrified of me. I would have almost kidnapped them myself."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chu couldn't help but chuckle.

After a moment, he sighed and said, "Very well, I'll do it for a while. When a suitable candidate comes along, I'll step down and give way to a more capable person."

Shao Shuyi was overjoyed upon hearing this and exclaimed, "I have found the right person!"

After saying that, he grabbed Yu Chu's hand, summoned his personal guards, and said, "Go ashore and buy some wine and meat. I want to hold a banquet to celebrate."

"

As he spoke, he saw Liang Tai enter from the outer room and added, "Buddha's Tooth, put everything aside for now, let's have a drink together at noon. With Manager Yu's help, I have nothing to worry about."

Liang Tai paused for a moment, then said "Okay," and reported, "The government has discussed it and is willing to increase the monthly allowance to three thousand ingots of paper money and two thousand shi of grain. If you are not satisfied, they will subsidize other items, and you may not be able to get the money and grain out of your own pocket."

"What? They've already split up?" Shao Shuyi asked in surprise.

"I heard that's true." Liang Tai nodded and said, "The Darughachi, the Prefect, the Assistant Prefect, the Judge, the Magistrate, and the Chief Censor all received a share, and I heard it wasn't enough. They also recruited more than ten wealthy merchants and local gentry, and some more were allocated."

"The Yuan Dynasty is truly blessed to have such corrupt officials," Shao Shuyi sneered.

These officials know perfectly well what belongs to the public and what belongs to themselves.

For them, profiting at the expense of the public is normal practice.

As for whether feeding Shao would lead to any bad things, that's not their business.

Even if someone can see it clearly, there is no way to solve it. This is the collective will, and it is also the essential reason for the so-called series of foolish moves at the end of the dynasty. No one is considering public affairs or having the world in mind anymore; everyone is only scheming for their own benefit.

Okay, okay, okay! You guys keep it safe for me for now, there will be a reason for it in the future.

Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "That's settled then. What about the equipment?"

"Kunshan Prefecture doesn't have a miscellaneous manufacturing bureau, and apart from money and grain, there really isn't much else," Liang Tai said. "However, there are government-owned and purchased warships in the shipyard, which are not yet completed. If you want them, brother, I can lend them to you temporarily, but you need to draw up a written agreement, otherwise I won't be able to explain it to you."

"What's the use of an unfinished ship?" Shao Shuyi said unhappily. "Besides, it's a ship we bought, and the shipyard was already reluctant to build it. Now I'll have to pay for the rest of the costs!"

"Those two warships are actually ready to sail, but the ballistae haven't been installed yet, and some of the interior compartments aren't fully finished," Liang Tai said. "They could actually be taken down, and even if it costs money later, it won't be much."

After a moment's thought, Shao Shuyi asked, "Have the ballistae been delivered yet?"

"It was transported from Hangzhou two months ago and is now stored in the shipyard, along with fifty large chisel-headed arrows," Liang Tai said.

"Alright, I agree," Shao Shuyi said. "Find someone to tow the boat back to Matuosha. I'll find someone in Jiangyin to build it here instead."

"Yes," Liang Tai replied.

Shao Shuyi then led Yu Chu to the watchtower of the water fortress, pointed to the soldiers training in the distance, and asked, "Chief Yu, with these men of mine, how could I possibly refuse Fang Guozhen permission to come ashore?"

Yu Chu didn't reply at first, but carefully looked at the naval and land soldiers who were training. After a long while, he said, "Shao She, forgive my bluntness, but your soldiers are being trained a bit too hard."

Shao Shuyi nodded and said, "When it requires physical exertion, you will be given three liters of rice per day. If it is just for maintaining equipment and identifying the flags and drums, you will be given two liters of rice per day. We will also buy some fruits, vegetables, wine and meat from time to time, but not much."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chu sighed and said, "In the early days of the dynasty, a military household received six dou of rice per month, which was only two sheng per day. Now, let's not even talk about it; there are soldiers everywhere who are pale and emaciated."

"I'm a self-taught soldier, I don't know how to train troops. I only know Tang and Song military books, and I just copy them verbatim." Shao Shuyi laughed: "During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, when he began recruiting soldiers, I provided them with whatever was written in the *Shenji Taibai Zhidi Yin Jing*, giving them the same amount of food and equipment. In the mid-Tang period, with regional warlords vying for power, soldiers were constantly at war. Li Quan once served as the judge of the military governor of Jingnan..."

"He served as the Prefect of Xianzhou, the Prefect of Youzhou and concurrently as the Defense Commissioner, and the Commander of the Cavalry and Infantry of the Hedong Military Command. He was skilled in naval, infantry, and cavalry warfare. If I don't trust him, am I supposed to trust myself?"

Yu Chu hadn't read many military books, and upon hearing this, he said, "Hedong was one of the three famous towns during the Tang Dynasty, with tens of thousands of soldiers. To be able to become the commander of a town's cavalry and infantry is indeed a testament to one's talent and learning. It's not wrong to imitate them. However, while the Tang soldiers were indeed fierce, they were prone to rebellion. The money and provisions they received were higher than those of the Song, Jin, and even our own dynasty. If this continues—"

Shao Shuyi leaned close to Yu Chu's ear and whispered, "Master Yu, you must not tell anyone. Although the money and rations I give my soldiers are much higher than those of the current dynasty's military households, they are still not as good as those of the Tang soldiers."

Yu Chu shook her head and chuckled.

Shao Shuyi laughed and said it was just a joke.

"Your soldiers—" Yu Chu pointed particularly at the hundred yellow-armored soldiers training on the dock, saying, "Once they're trained, defeating Fang Guozhen will be a piece of cake. Although Fang has many men, he's just a bandit; his discipline is far superior to yours. On the way here, I heard the words 'Deputy Commander,' which is good, but you shouldn't call him that openly in the future."

"Commander" and "Deputy Commander" were official titles in the Yuan Dynasty. There were many such officials in the northern garrison system. It was indeed inappropriate to call them out openly. Although Shao Shuyi played word games with "Deputy Commander", anyone who has read books knows that there were also official military officers in the Tang Dynasty called "Deputy Commander" and "Deputy Commander-in-Chief". The only difference between them and the Yuan Dynasty was the word order.

In addition, those hundred or so soldiers actually had a number, named "Yellow Armor Army in Front of the Hall". Since this army had a deputy commander, there should also be a commander. It was a regular army with a military number, rank, flags, and drums. What else could it be but a regular army?

Therefore, it is true that Yu Chu said he was "strict in his laws and regulations," but it is also true that he easily attracts attention.

"Don't worry, only our own people can see the truth," Shao Shuyi said. "You are one of our own."

Yu Chu felt a mix of emotions upon hearing this.

On the first day you arrive, they take your hand, introduce you to everyone, and excitedly say they're going to throw a welcome banquet. They even show you their wealth. This enthusiasm is truly extraordinary, and Yu Chuwei is somewhat touched.

Then he added, "Shao She is indeed a man of principle. Just now, we were talking about Fang Guozhen. I heard that he has appeared off the coast of Taizhou and has sent someone to deliver a message to the shore."

"Oh? When did this happen?" Shao Shuyi asked quickly.

"A few days ago," Yu Chu said, "Duo'er didn't die. She even wrote a letter and sent it to Taizhou, asking the provincial governor to offer amnesty to Fang Guozhen."

"This was forced to be written by Duo'er Zhiban by Fang Guozhen, wasn't it?"

"That should be true."

What kind of official position would the provincial government appoint?

"It shouldn't be the worst it can be, just the county level," Yu Chu said.

Shao Shuyi nodded.

This is the current situation. Even if you, Fang Guozhen, defeat the imperial navy and dominate the seas, you still need new "stimuli" to change the rules.

This is how the system operates; it's not something one or two smart people can change in a short time—it's all about rules and regulations.

Rules and conventions will inevitably bind you.

Old Fang wants a high-ranking official position? Fine, then stir up some more trouble.

Perhaps some officials in the province are just waiting for you to cause trouble in the localities so they can absolve themselves of responsibility, break with convention, and improve their status as recruited officials. As for the local officials and commoners who die as a result, that's none of his business; he's an official in Hangzhou, and he's perfectly safe.

In short, if something goes wrong locally, he won't be held accountable because he followed the rules. But if he broke with convention and gave Fang Guozhen a high-ranking position, he might give them leverage against him, so it wasn't worth it.

"Fang Guozhen is bound to be dissatisfied with the minor officials like the county magistrate, county assistant magistrate, and county lieutenant," Yu Chu said. "He wants bigger and more, so this attempt to appease him may not succeed, and there will probably be more fighting. Shao She, your business in Liujiagang should still be able to continue."

Shao Shuyi laughed heartily.

In the eyes of an old bureaucrat like Yu Chu, every step could be calculated. They knew the nature of the imperial court all too well. Yu Chu was in his early thirties, not very old, but he had a long "tenure" and had been working as a trainee clerk in the yamen since he was twelve or thirteen.

"Shao She, what do you want to do next?" Yu Chu asked curiously.

"I was just about to ask you, Steward Yu," Shao Shuyi said, bowing. "I'd like to gain some more benefits and send a group of men to Songjiang to have a look around. What do you think, Your Excellency?"

Yu Chu pondered for a moment and said, "Songjiang is acceptable. However, too much of a good thing can be bad, so we must find the right balance."

"You are absolutely right," Shao Shuyi said. "I'm just going to recruit a group of seafarers. We've recruited over two hundred more in Taicang, so it's time to stop here and move on to another location."

Shao Shuyi stayed in Liujiagang until the end of August. At this time, news came from the south: Fang Guozhen released Duoerzhiban and some of the surrendered soldiers and requested amnesty, but the Hangzhou authorities did not give a reply for a long time.

This is quite surprising. Generally speaking, local provincial-level administrative divisions have the power to offer amnesty without the approval of the central government.

What happened this time? Has things gotten too big of a fuss?

But no matter what, this matter with Fang Guozhen is not over yet, and they might have to fight again.

Sure enough, on the sixth day of the ninth month, Fang Guozhen bypassed the heavily guarded Wenzhou and Taizhou routes, sailed north, and directly attacked Qingyuan and Jiaxing, causing a stir in Hangzhou.

At the same time, he also sent more than ten small boats to the sea off Songjiang Prefecture to keep watch, seemingly with the intention of advancing into Shanghai, Jiading, Chongming, Kunshan and other places.

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