Southern Ming: A boy soldier at the beginning, supporting the world

Chapter 237: Minister of War Liu Yuansheng

On the first day of March, the main force of the Red Army swore an oath in Xunzhou and moved eastward under the pretext of "responding to the imperial edict to aid Guangdong."

The Imperial Guards and the Navy, totaling 12,000 men, moved down the Xun River. The Fourth Infantry Battalion broke camp in Rong County, Yulin Prefecture, and moved down the Beiliu River (Rong River), preparing to capture Teng County and secure the retreat route for the army.

Spring has returned to the land, and the rice seedlings are lush and green. The river is roaring, as if cheering for the army. The sun is shining, bringing infinite vitality.

Danchu led his troops to the battle as usual, and Yang Yuqi, a military assistant of the Military Advisory Office, followed him to serve as Danchu's replacement. Yang Yuqi was promoted from the position of Chief of Operations, and the position of Chief of Operations left by He Zhaoji was promoted. He Zhaoji was from Zhaoping, a scholar, smart and capable, and was appreciated by Danchu.

For this Eastern Expedition, the Military Advisory Office selected key personnel to form the Marshal's Headquarters. Yang Yuqi and He Zhaoji accompanied them and assisted Danchu in handling military affairs.

On the third day of March, the Red Army arrived in Teng County and stayed there, showing off its military power while inciting the defenders to rebel, in an effort to seize Teng County.

Teng County is located upstream of Wuzhou, surrounded by mountains, and is located at the confluence of Beiliu River and Xunjiang River. Although this place belongs to Chen Bangfu, it is isolated and blocked by mountains and rivers. The west, north and south are all Red Army territory, and only the east can be connected with Wuzhou.

The Red Army had to send troops to reinforce Guangdong, and Tengxian and Wuzhou were the only way. The imperial court was located in Wuzhou, so it was inconvenient for the Red Army to occupy it. However, Tengxian was related to the Red Army's food supply and retreat. Without taking Tengxian, the Red Army could not march eastward with peace of mind.

At 5 p.m., the sun was shining brightly. The Fourth Infantry Battalion arrived at Teng County and joined forces with the Imperial Guards and the Navy. Battalion Commander Cen Xun met Dan Chu and after a brief greeting, he proposed to storm Teng County: "Marshal, with more than 10,000 troops, it would be easy to take Teng County. Now, the troops are stationed outside Teng County and not attacking. Why?"

Cen Xun was the chieftain of Si'en Prefecture, and his daughter married Danchu as a concubine, who was loyal to him. After the battle of Quanzhou, Cen Xun showed his ability to lead troops, and the chieftain's soldiers were brave and good at fighting, which was recognized by the whole army.

"Teng County is a strategically important place. We must seize it to calm the troops. But the emperor is in Wuzhou, less than a hundred miles away from Teng County, and they are connected. Our army is going out this time in the name of aiding Guangdong. If we start a war in Teng County, the emperor and his ministers will surely be terrified.

"Chen Bangfu is in Wuzhou, holding the government remotely. He will certainly make a fuss and take the opportunity to slander our army. It is the best of all to defeat the enemy without fighting. Anyway, we are not in a hurry to go east. We can just train our troops outside Teng County to intimidate the defenders and force them to surrender.

"Teng County is isolated, grain production is low, and the defenders are isolated and helpless. I am sure that within three days, the defenders will surrender. You can camp outside the city and wait to enter the city in three days."

The commander was very confident in his words, so Cen Xun had no choice but to give up.

Teng County is bordered by Xunjiang River in the north and Beiliu River in the east, with Beiliu River passing through the south and east of the city. Therefore, Teng County is surrounded by water on three sides, with only the west side being land.

The Red Army blocked the river with its navy and the west of the city with its land army, surrounding Teng County like an iron barrel. Chen Bangfu was a vile man who only flattered his superiors. The army's morale was low and the generals had no intention of fighting to the death. Teng County was already a dead end. Although Chen Bangfu wanted to send reinforcements, no one was willing to come and die.

The next day, Minister of War Liu Yuansheng rushed to Teng County.

Liu Yuansheng, a native of Fuping, Shaanxi, was well versed in military strategy and could use troops. At the end of Chongzhen, Zhang Xianzhong sent troops to attack Jiangxi. Liu Yuansheng led his troops to resist and recovered Ji'an, Chenzhou and other places, making great military achievements. During the Hongguang period, Liu Yuansheng served as the governor of Southern Jiangxi and defended Ganzhou, which was besieged by the Qing army for several months. When Ganzhou ran out of food, Liu Yuansheng was defeated and captured, but was later rescued by righteous men and served Emperor Yongli.

In the Yongli court, Liu Yuansheng was famous for his "knowledge of the military", upright character and good opinions. He served as the Minister of Military Affairs for a long time and the commander of the imperial camp, which made him hated by flatterers such as Ma Jixiang, Xia Guoxiang and Pang Tianshou.

Liu Yuansheng was quite prestigious, and the court would often think of him whenever they were in danger. When the Loyal Camp first entered Guangxi, the court was terrified, and Liu Yuansheng went to comfort them. Kong Youde broke through Meiguan, and the officials were in panic. Liu Yuansheng went to Guangzhou to meet Du Yonghe in person. At the beginning of the month, Emperor Yongli fled to Wuzhou and immediately began to "fight tigers." Liu Yuansheng's younger brother Liu Xiangke, who was then the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was the "tiger skin" among the "Five Tigers" and was also thrown into prison.

As Wu's faction was rampant, Liu Yuansheng could no longer gain a foothold in Wuzhou, so he bid farewell to Emperor Yongli and asked to be sent as an envoy to Nanning to urge the Red Army to move eastward.

As both a fellow townsman and an old friend, Liu Yuansheng is a person worth making friends with.

After they met, they exchanged a few pleasantries, and Danchu said, "Grand Sima, it's been two years since we last met in Guilin."

Liu Yuansheng was startled, and recalled the past, saying: "In September of the first year, the emperor was trapped in Guni Pass, and Zhuoru led the army to protect him. My brother and I got to know Zhuoru. In March of the second year, the Tartars invaded Guilin, and the emperor went on a tour to the south. Zhuoru protected him to Limuling in the south of the city. It has been two years since we parted. The restoration of the country has become a dream, which makes me very sad."

The successive defeats of Jin Shenghuan, Li Chengdong, and Jiang Ge dealt a heavy blow to the morale of the army. Liu Yuansheng was also very disappointed with the court and his attitude became increasingly negative.

Danchu welcomed him into the tent, and as they walked, he said, "Years ago, I saw the memorial of the Grand Marshal in the Tang newspaper, saying 'Open the arsenal, save money and save money, recruit and train the imperial troops, and personally lead the army to Chu to supervise the generals to fight to the death'. I was deeply impressed by his talent and still remember it vividly."

Liu Yuansheng was secretly surprised. He himself had forgotten the original text of the memorial, but how could Cen Danchu recite it by heart?
"Ah, Marshal Jue, you are making fun of me." Liu Yuansheng laughed dryly and sighed, "I have been the Minister of Military Affairs for a long time. Last year, I was transferred to the Minister of War. I wanted to reorganize the Beijing Camp and plan for recovery. But the Beijing Camp was regarded as a forbidden fruit by Ma Jixiang and Xia Guoxiang, who often interfered with military affairs with imperial edicts. I can't even manage the Beijing Camp well, so what's the point of 'offering the troops to fight'? Now think about it, it's really a joke."

The Ming Dynasty's Beijing Army had three major camps, and the Southern Ming Dynasty also had one. However, the Beijing camp had been in disuse for a long time, and the Yongli Dynasty's Beijing camp was no exception. It was useless except for wasting money.

"I heard that Li Yuanyin, the commander of the imperial camp, was quite disciplined. How come it is so unbearable?"

"Li Yuanyin, humph." Liu Yuansheng sneered and said, "When the King of Ningxia was alive, the Imperial Camp was composed of Dongxun's old subordinates, and the supply of food and rations was sufficient and quite orderly. Since the death of the King of Ningxia, the Imperial Camp has relied on the court for supplies, and it is no longer the same as before.

"Although Li Yuanyin is your sworn brother, he is far worse than you. He is arrogant and conceited, and does not know the greater good. Du Ge Lao could not gain a foothold in the court, so he submitted five petitions to request military pay, and was willing to lead the Loyalty Camp to fight against the invaders. The Chu Party made things difficult for him in every way, and the emperor personally intervened before approving 3,000 taels.

"As a result, just as Du Ge Lao received the silver, Li Yuanyin sent people to rob it. Zhuoru, what else can be done when the court is in such a mess? Du Ge's troops went to Liuzhou to urge the troops, and I had nowhere to stay, so I had to stay with you."

"Ah!" Danchu sighed and looked at Liu Yuansheng, wanting to say something but stopping himself. After he finished drinking his tea, he said, "Grand Marshal, do you know that Du Ge Lao has died of illness in Liuzhou?"

"Ah?" Liu Yuansheng was shocked when he heard the news and accidentally knocked over the tea bowl with his right hand.

"After the Loyalty Camp arrived in Liuzhou, there was a great epidemic. I met Du Ge Lao when he passed by Nanning. He was already sick at that time and had been recuperating in Nanning for half a month. However, he was still very proud and insisted on going to Liuzhou to contact the Loyalty Camp before his illness was healed. As a result, the Ge Lao died of the illness, and the Duke of Xingguo also died of the illness."

Li Chixin is dead too? The commander died of illness. Can the Loyalty Battalion still send troops to aid Guangdong?

"My luck is over, my luck is over." Liu Yuansheng muttered to himself, his despair evident in his expression.

(End of this chapter)