weaving

"Commander, Yuan Shu still has some concerns."

Just as Zhang Cheng, the Earl of Yongning, put down his wine cup, he was slightly taken aback upon hearing Yuan Shu's words and said, "Speak frankly, there's no harm in it."

“Commander, you have already appointed Wang Yanbin as the garrison commander of Kaocheng, and now you have also assigned Wang Long’s troops to be stationed in Kaocheng. Don’t you know that two tigers cannot coexist in one city? I fear that they will start a fight over their interests.”

Yuan Shu continued, "The same goes for Zhecheng. Yang Shengzu was never one to be trifled with, yet he was stationed in the same city as Ning Zhen. This..."

Seeing Yuan Shu's hesitant expression, Zhang Cheng simply smiled and said calmly, "They used to be bandits and outlaws, beyond my control. Now that they have been appointed by me, they are members of my Brave and Resolute Army. If any of them violate military orders, I will not spare them."

The Earl of Yongning looked at Yuan Shu and continued, "Although I have assigned them to be stationed in the same city, I have made careful arrangements. The garrison commander is responsible for city defense, investigating traitors, and maintaining order."

However, the guerrillas in Cao Cao's camp only took over the city's defenses during wartime. In peacetime, they naturally performed their respective duties: those responsible for guarding the city and investigating spies focused on guarding it, while those responsible for training the troops focused on training them.

Zhang Cheng's gaze instantly turned cold, and he said in a chilling tone, "If they do not change their previous ways, even if I, the commander, want to let them go, the military discipline of the Yongyi Army will not spare them."

Yuan Shu was shocked to hear this. Although he had long heard that the Earl of Yongning valued military rules and discipline the most, he never expected that the Earl of Yongning would say such a thing in front of so many people.

This was a direct and unambiguous warning to Luo Rucai and his generals, and also a warning to themselves and others!
“Yes. The commander-in-chief is benevolent, but military law is merciless,” Yuan Shu explained on behalf of the Earl of Yongning.

Upon hearing this, the Earl of Yongning smiled and did not continue the topic.

He said to Yuan Shu, "Boying, you need to broaden your horizons. You can't just look at Suizhou. You need to consider and solve problems from the perspective of the entire Guide Prefecture, or even the entire Central Plains. You need to see both the big picture and the long-term perspective!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu's eyes revealed a strange expression. He picked up the wine pot and filled the wine cup in front of the Earl of Yongning, saying, "Yuan Shu has the will, but not the power!"

Zhang Cheng understood the implication in his words perfectly and casually replied, "The key is to put your heart into it."

He then said to Yuan Shu, "I have decided to entrust the troops of Wang Yanbin, Ning Zhen, Wang Wenhuan, Xu Xianhuan, Cheng Xiaoyu, and Qi Nianwu to you, Yuan Boying, for command. What do you think?"

"Huh?" Yuan Shu was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

He never dared to dream that the Earl of Yongning would place such trust in him, assigning him the command and control of the defense of six counties in Guide Prefecture. In this way, although Yuan Shu's strength in Guide Prefecture was not enough to contend with Luo Rucai, he at least had the power to fight.

If Luo Rucai makes any unusual moves, Yuan Shu dares not say he can completely suppress him, but at least he can ensure that Luo Rucai cannot cause any trouble in Guide Prefecture.

Of course, Yuan Shu was also very clear that once he accepted the Yongning Earl's arrangement, the balance of power between him and Luo Rucai would be completely formed, and there would be no way out from then on.

However, given Yuan Shu's family background and the reputation of his ancestors, he had no reason to back down. After all, this was his hometown and his ancestral home. How could he possibly refuse in the slightest?

“That would be good…” Yuan Shu still had some concerns: “But how can I guarantee that Wang Yanbin and the other six garrison commanders will be under my control?”

"Ha ha……"

The Earl of Yongning chuckled and said, "With my military token in hand, how can you not exercise restraint?"

He then added, "Besides, I will also leave you a standard battalion of men. Do you think they are made of clay?"

Upon hearing these words, Yuan Shu immediately understood, and the heavy weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted. "That's good."

Holding a wine cup, Yuan Shu said, "The commander-in-chief's arrangement shows his trust in me. What more can I say? I will do my utmost for the people of Guide Prefecture!"

Although the Earl of Yongning also picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, he muttered to himself: These stinking scholars are really hard to deal with. All they know is to serve that damned dynasty and the people. They are not as easy to get along with as the warriors!

However, these inner grievances could never be revealed to anyone.

…………

In the peaceful atmosphere of the banquet held at the former residence of the Yuan family in Suizhou New City, the future direction of Guide Prefecture was decided.

The army and military farms were handed over to Luo Rucai for training and management, while local governance, land reclamation, investigation of crimes and security, and apprehension of thieves were all handled by local civil officials such as Yuan Shu.

In this way, Luo Rucai could not interfere in local government affairs. Over time, he became like a wolfhound kept by the local government, only able to serve as a henchman for the regime that fed him grass.

The Earl of Yongning believed that after he defeated the rebel army, Luo Rucai would definitely not dare to make any further moves.

Moreover, even if Luo Rucai had some shady intentions, his generals might not necessarily follow him in rebellion.

After all, who would want to be a bandit again if they could live a peaceful life, enduring hunger and thirst, not to mention the main problem of having to wander all over the world?

They're never getting enough to eat, yet they have to travel all over the world!
If someone who has gone through such an experience were to actually live a stable life, how could they possibly go back to what they were before?

Of course, there are ways—unless… they go hungry again, and not just for a day, then they might rise up again.

However, the Earl of Yongning had already taken precautions against this.

The pay and rations of Cao Cao's soldiers were distributed by the Military Supply Office of the Yongyi Army in Henan, and did not pass through the hands of Luo Rucai and others, thus depriving them of the opportunity and means to embezzle.

Moreover, the Earl of Yongning also used some methods against several of Luo Rucai's generals.

For example, the Earl of Yongning has already sent people to contact key generals such as Yang Shengzu, Yang Chengzu, Wang Long, and Yang Mingqi. All of this was facilitated by Liu Jinhai, and Luo Rucai was unaware of it.

However, the Earl of Yongning did not have much contact with the brothers Rodney and Rodney.

These two men, being Luo Rucai's uncles, were used to bullying others and had done many things like bullying men and women. Even after the release, several similar incidents occurred.

Out of consideration for Luo Rucai, the Earl of Yongning did not investigate the matter too deeply, but he did offer comfort and compensation to the aggrieved party.

For this reason, although they were also rewarded with some wealth, no effort was made to win them over, and they were not even sent out to lead troops on their own.

Although they were given the rank of Assistant General, which seemed more prestigious than the guerrilla positions held by Yang Shengzu and others, it was merely a higher rank with little real power. They no longer even handled the finances and provisions of Cao Cao's camp. (End of Chapter)