Late Yuan Dynasty: I am the true emperor

Chapter 160 Fake Monk

Lu Jin said that if he was given half a year, he would be able to train an army that could defeat four or even five enemies at once. This surprised the three people present.

"One Han against Five Barbarians" is such an ancient phrase. It seems that such a saying only existed in the Han Dynasty. Even in the Tang Dynasty, this phrase was no longer mentioned.

Although the Tang Dynasty had a strong military, able to ensure that it would not be at a disadvantage when its forces were evenly matched, and often won battles with fewer troops, no one had ever said that it could defeat five with one.

In later dynasties, the Han dynasty in the Central Plains was even more suppressed by the barbarians in the north. From the Jingkang Shame to the Yashan National Disaster, let alone one Han against five barbarians, even in a one-on-one fight, the Han seemed to have lost the confidence of victory.

Now that Lu Jin had brought up this idea again, the three of them were only stunned and incredulous. At the same time, they were also very curious. What kind of army of 10,000 could defeat five enemies alone? They only relied on the two thousand or so that Lu Jin had taken in, the old and weak ones that they had picked out? There were many children in their teens among them.
Yu Tongyuan was slightly surprised when he heard this, then he asked with a smile, "I know about the 10,000 guards that the Marshal mentioned. Brother Zhu's regiment is the main force that defeated Kang Maocai's formation head-on, but the regiment only has more than 4,000 people.

"My father's Second Regiment is stationed in Lu'an and cannot move. The only thing left in Luzhou is Ye Sheng's Cavalry Regiment. In addition, there are the old and weak new soldiers that the Marshal recruited this time. We can really gather an army of 10,000.

"But with the group of child soldiers that the Marshal just recruited, can they fight one against five after half a year of training?"

"Why, you don't believe it?" Lu Jin did not answer, but asked with a smile.

Seeing how confident Lu Jin was, and the fact that Lu Jin had never lost a battle since they met, and the magical things that Lu Jin brought with him when he first joined Chaohu, Yu Tongyuan thought that Lu Jin might really have this ability, so he did not dare to underestimate him.

He immediately said with a smile.

"Of course I believe in the Marshal's ability. All along the way, if the Marshal says we can win, then we will definitely win. How dare I not believe it?"

Hearing this flattery, Lu Jin couldn't help but curl his lips, "I thought you were going to say you didn't believe it. Since you believe it so much, I won't explain any more."

"Forehead."

This actually caught Yu Tongyuan off guard. He was just preparing for the organization and training of this 10,000-man army, but Lu Jin blocked his mouth and stopped him from telling him anything.

Yu Tongyuan could only helplessly say, "Then I will defend the Marshal in Haozhou for half a year. If the Yuan thieves really send a hundred thousand troops, the Marshal must bring the Imperial Guards to rescue me."

"Hahahaha, don't worry. The Yuan court can't possibly gather so many troops to come to Haozhou. Even if you are willing, Sesame Li in front is not willing."

Several people nodded when they heard this. According to Lu Jin, they had Xuzhou Zhima Li as a barrier in front of them, and the other two brother troops of the Shengwu Army as backup behind them. In addition, the 10,000-man guards who could fight one against five in half a year that Lu Jin mentioned, Yu Tongyuan, Zheng Yong, and Feng Sheng's fear of the Yuan court's "hundred-thousand-man army" faded a little.

As they were talking about Sesame Li, Lu Jin took the opportunity to give a few more instructions.

"Toghto started to gather troops in January, and most of the main forces were actually sent to Liu Futong. If the war went smoothly for the Yuan court, Toghto probably wouldn't have led the army himself.

“But I find it very mysterious. After more than half a year of development, Liu Futong’s troops are much stronger than before. The Huanghuai region he occupies is also the main force of the Yellow River engineering. With the unity of the people and Liu Futong and Du Zundao in command, if the Yuan bandits send an incompetent general to lead the troops, they will definitely not be able to defeat Liu Futong.

"After the Yuan bandits in Henan are defeated, Tuotuo will definitely lead his troops south in person to save face, but the direction he will attack will not be Liu Futong's.

"The Henan and Huaibei areas occupied by Liu Futong are just minor problems. The population there is small, and they don't pay much tax. It's not a major grain-producing area, and there is no convenient transportation. Even if it drags on for a few years, it's not a major concern for the Yuan court.

"But Zhima Li is different. Xuzhou has always been a battleground for military strategists. It is convenient for thoroughfares and the benefit of grain transport. The coastal areas are also salt-taxed and cultivated. It also blocks the passage for grain transport to the north. The official ships for sea transport were burned clean by Fang Guozhen.

"If Tuotuo doesn't come to take over Xuzhou, the people in the northern part of the city will probably eat each other this year. Therefore, if he leads the army, he will definitely come to Xuzhou, and Tuotuo will never give up. The people in Xuzhou are unprepared. We don't need to wait until the end of this year. I think around October, the 100,000-strong army of Zhima Li in Xuzhou will collapse completely."

Zheng Yong seemed to be thinking about something, Yu Tongyuan nodded, and Feng Sheng asked directly, "If Tuotuo leads his troops here personally, will he only take Xuzhou and then withdraw his troops? Will we here also be affected? Otherwise, he would look down on us too much."

Lu Jin nodded and said, "It is certain that he will be affected, but I don't think Tuotuo will come in person. At most, he will send a small army, and the most likely person will be Dong Tuanxiao.

"The affairs of the Yuan court are very complicated. There are endless internal struggles in the palace. The emperor fights the prime minister, the prime minister fights the powerful minister, the powerful minister fights the concubine, and the concubine fights the prince. How can we not grab the great achievement of suppressing the Red Turbans in Xuzhou and opening up the canal transportation?"

Zheng Yong heard this and said, "The commander-in-chief said that Xuzhou Zhima Li would definitely be defeated. I'm afraid they won't be completely wiped out. The remnants will definitely flee in all directions. Then these remnants will definitely affect us, right? I guess there are three possibilities in the end."

"Oh? What are the three possibilities? Tell me."

The three of them were originally on the northern line, which was the place closest to the Xuzhou Group. After the collapse of Xuzhou, they were definitely affected. Lu Jin was originally preparing to instruct them on some things, but unexpectedly, Zheng Yong suddenly put forward his own opinions.

Zheng Yong organized his thoughts and then spoke.

"First, Zhima Li was killed, and the generals of Xuzhou fled everywhere with their remaining troops, either to Liu Futong or to us.

“Second, after Zhima Li died, the generals of Xuzhou occupied the city one after another and proclaimed themselves kings.

"Third, Zhima Li is not dead, but escaped from Xuzhou with the remaining soldiers. After the Yuan thieves retreated, he gathered his old troops and regrouped."

After Zheng Yong finished speaking, Yu Tongyuan and Feng Sheng nodded in agreement, but Lu Jin shook his head.

"The three outcomes you deduced are all too pure and simple. How can there be so many things in the world that are either this or that?"

"Hmm? What does the Marshal mean?" Zheng Yong asked puzzled.

Lu Jin immediately helped analyze, "The conditions you mentioned are too subjective. What if Sesame Li is alive but doesn't want to continue to fight for the world, but instead hides his identity and disappears from now on?"

"Well, that's possible." Zheng Yong said, scratching his head.

“What if after Zhima Li abdicates, one of his generals comes forward to take over the Xuzhou army?
"Even if Zhima Li is not dead and wants to regroup, what if his generals feel that Xuzhou cannot be stopped and defect to other parties?" All of the above are possible, and there must be multiple situations at the same time. Some of his subordinates defect to other places, some declare themselves kings, and some want to regroup. This is more in line with the reality.

"We don't need to worry about so many things. We only need to care about two things. The first is whether there will be people from Xuzhou who will surrender to us. If so, should we accept them or not?

"Second, if a general from Xuzhou takes over the city and blocks our way, should we fight him?"

Several people nodded in agreement after hearing what he said. Zheng Yong also felt that his deduction was too idealistic. The complicated situation that Lu Jin described was more in line with reality. However, in the absence of sufficient information, it was impossible to fully deduce the result. Just like Lu Jin said, they didn't need to deduce it. They only needed to worry about whether it would affect themselves.

Hearing the two questions raised by Lu Jin, Zheng Yong hurriedly asked, "Since the Marshal has already thought of these, has he already made arrangements?"

Lu Jin nodded and said without hiding anything from them.

"We now have only three main goals. First, to stop the Yuan bandits from advancing southward. Second, to quickly build weapons and armor in Luzhou and equip each regiment. Third, to fully prepare to cross the river and capture Jiangdong.

“Therefore, all actions must revolve around these three points. So as long as the Xuzhou defeated soldiers do not intend to march into Jiangnan, we don’t have to worry about them for now. At most, we can pay attention to the movements of Yangzhou Road.

"As for whether the Xuzhou defeated soldiers will surrender to us, that's for sure. The intelligence I have collected so far is limited. I will only tell you a few people. Zhao Junyong, one of the generals in Xuzhou, must not be taken in if he comes. If he really goes to Haozhou, at most give him 200 dan of grain and send him out of the country with courtesy. If he insists on staying, just kill him."

The three of them looked at each other after hearing this, not understanding why Lu Jin said that.

Yu Tongyuan simply asked, "Um, Marshal, what's wrong with this Zhao Junyong? He doesn't seem to be very famous. Why is the Marshal so afraid of him?"

Lu Jin shook his head and explained, "It's not that I'm afraid of him, but that he is more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything. He is as cunning as a jackal, has no integrity, and loves to fight for power. In order to seize power and territory from his colleagues, he even plotted to kill his allies. If such a person became your colleague, wouldn't you be afraid?"

"Is this true? Then we absolutely cannot let him stay." Feng Sheng was shocked when he heard this.

Lu Jin nodded and said, "Zhao Junyong is such a person. In order to avoid trouble, it is better to drive him away. If you are not worried about the reputation of attacking other rebel forces, it is okay to kill him directly. You can see the situation then. He likes to occupy the magpie's nest the most. If he really refuses to leave, then don't blame us, just kill him."

The three of them nodded, and Lu Jin continued.

"There are several other capable generals in Xuzhou. One of them is Mao Gui. He is a general under Xue Xian. If he comes to surrender, even if he is just asking for help, you should try your best to keep him. If Xue Xian comes with him, you can also accept Xue Xian. As for how to deal with him, you can send a message to me by express horse.

"The second one is Fu Youde. He joined the Xuzhou Volunteer Army a little late, but he is quite capable. If he comes to join us, we will try our best to keep him here.

"Mao Gui, Fu Youde, if you can't be with us in the future and are on the enemy's side, then you must be more careful when fighting with them in the future."

The three of them looked at each other again after hearing this. They didn't expect Lu Jin to have such a high opinion of these two people. Feng Sheng was a little unconvinced.

"The Marshal thinks so highly of these two men. I wonder what they are capable of. If they really dare to be our enemy, I will definitely meet them when my new army is fully trained."

Lu Jin glanced at Feng Sheng and said, "What are they capable of? These two are both talented generals. I don't lack any fierce generals, nor do I want those who can kill hundreds of people or defeat ten thousand enemies. I only like wise generals who can use their brains. I hope you can use your brains more when you lead the army in battle in the future."

Hearing Lu Jin's serious words, Yu Tongyuan and Zheng Yong both nodded. Only Feng Sheng felt a little disdainful. This guy joined the army late, and Lu Jin's miraculous strategies and arrangements had not left a deep impression on his mind. Therefore, Mao Gui and Fu Youde did not take Lu Jin's praise seriously, but instead wanted to compete with him.

Lu Jin didn't care too much about it. It was good for the different departments in the army to have some competition. As long as it didn't go too far, healthy competition would be beneficial to the improvement of combat effectiveness. As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts.

After discussing the strategic layout of this operation and the countermeasures against the possible collapse of the Xuzhou troops, the purpose of this trip to Haozhou has been almost achieved.

Lu Jinbai picked up a few generals, including the rookie and still very young Xu Da. Although he is of no great use now, he has a promising future. His bench of military generals has become thicker, and he does not have to worry about the loss of troops on the front line and the inability to replenish them.

However, among the generals on the northern front, Yu Tongyuan, Zheng Yong, Feng Sheng, and Zhu Liangzu, these four were not the ones he was most worried about. Instead, the one he was most worried about was Zhao Zhongzhong's Tenth Regiment now guarding Lai'an.

Zhao Zhongzhong had a dark history in history of losing a city, abandoning his troops and running back to Nanjing alone. In the end, he was sentenced to death by Zhu Yuanzhang. Of course, this has not happened yet, and Lu Jin cannot use this thing that has not happened to do anything to him.

In addition to Zhao Zhongzhong, the commander who made people feel uneasy, the 10th Regiment also had a battalion commander named Li Ruizhong, who was renamed Li Pusheng, who was also a cause for concern.

Now that Xu Song has proclaimed himself emperor and established his own country, he has sent envoys to ask Lu Jin to submit. Lu Jin also knows that Xu Song must be looking for Li Pusheng's whereabouts. If he knew that the envoy of Xu Song had been here, there is no guarantee that he would not have some ideas.

Even though Lu Jin had a frank talk with Li Pusheng when he took him in, people are often surreptitious and one must be on guard against others. How could Lu Jin be completely at ease?

However, Lu Jin still did not plan to tell him about the Xu Song envoy. It would not be too late to tell him about it after waiting for another half a year, when Xu Song was completely defeated by the Yuan army. By then, it would be very exciting to watch his old boss go from founding a country and becoming emperor to hiding in the mountains and fighting guerrilla warfare, from prosperity to decline, and the fall of the "capital". If all this really happened, Li Ruizhong would probably give up the idea of ​​returning to Xu Song completely.

After thinking about it, Lu Jin wrote a secret letter and sent it directly to Zhao Zhongzhong. On the one hand, he asked him to keep an eye on Li Ruizhong and see if anyone came into contact with this guy. On the other hand, he told him to rest assured to guard Lai'an, as he had the two regiments of Yu Tonghai and Chang Yuchun in Chuzhou behind him who could serve as his backup and he didn't have to be afraid at all.

At the same time, he sent a letter to Yu Tonghai and Chang Yuchun, asking them to pay attention to the movements in the north. The Yuan army might arrive in March or April, so he asked them to train their troops well and be ready to support Lai'an at any time.

After doing all this, Lu Jin finally felt relieved, and the generals began to busy themselves with their own work. Yu Tongyuan commanded the soldiers to supervise the construction of the city, and sent a small group of soldiers to help Ji Guozhang complete the construction of the city.

Zheng Yongze took his cavalry out to survey the terrain and began to choose a place to see where he could ambush Chelibuhua's 3,000 cavalry.

Feng Sheng also organized the team of new recruits. He was going to return to Dingyuan with Lu Jin. Lu Jin was going to Dingyuan to see the salt wells, while Feng Sheng was going to be transferred there to guard the city and train the troops.

When the two of them were returning to Dingyuan together, halfway through the journey, Lu Jin saw the Huangjue Temple passing by, and the round-faced monk of the same age as himself, who was sweeping the temple gate with a broom, and he couldn't help but run to take a look.

(End of this chapter)