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

Chapter 244: Aid and Suppression of the General

"The country is in danger, and I have received great favors. It is my duty to lead the army to aid Guangdong." Danchu said earnestly, "But I have something to ask of you. I have no choice but to do so. I have no intention of bargaining."

What you fear will come to you. These days, the military governors are overbearing. When the court asks for something, the military governors often ask for it in every possible way. Wen Anzhi's heart skipped a beat, but he pretended to be calm and said, "Zhuoru, please speak."

Danchu was not in a hurry to bargain, and said patiently: "When doing big things, you must be dedicated to one thing, so that you can achieve great success. 'War is a big matter for a country, a place of life and death, and a way of survival and destruction.' There are many military commanders in eastern Guangdong, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, but they are no match for the 20,000 enemies led by Shang Kexi and Geng Jimao. Why? Because the military orders are not in line.

"Right now, the Tartars are approaching Guangzhou. To resist this enemy, we must unify the military orders and appoint a general to control all the generals. In this way, the various military governors can communicate with each other and provide assistance in urgent situations and attack in less urgent situations. Only then will it be possible to annihilate the Tartars. In this regard, I wonder what the court has planned?"

The principle is easy to understand. Anyone with a little military knowledge will know the importance of unified military orders. However, in the Southern Ming Dynasty, unified military orders were the most difficult task.

The imperial court gradually lost its authority and could not unify military orders. There were also many factions within the Loyalty Camp. Liu Xiyao, Liu Fangliang, Liu Guochang and others were not tolerated by Gao Bizheng. The same was true for the Dashi Army. Sun Kewang was a great hero, but he could not effectively control Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu.

Wen Anzhi looked embarrassed, but said with a stiff upper lip: "In Guangzhou, the Marquis of Jiangning is in charge of all the towns."

Jiangning Hou is Du Yonghe, who was originally a general of Li Chengdong's army. After Li Chengdong's death, Du Yonghe got the seal of the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi first, opened the seal and took office, and appointed himself as the governor. The court did not dare to ask about it and had to acquiesce.

Danchu insisted, "Zhaoqing is the birthplace of the emperor, connecting the two Guangdong provinces, and attracting the attention of the world. Sanshui is the confluence of the Beijiang River, Suijiang River, and Xijiang River. It is a strategic point of land and water, and the gateway to Guangzhou, and must be fought for. These two places are important in terms of terrain, and military strategists must fight for them. Someone must unify and control military affairs. Has the court made any arrangements?"

When Li Chengdong was alive, he was able to unify and control the military affairs of East Guangdong. Now the Dongxun is in disarray, and Du Yonghe lacks prestige. The foreign troops from western Guangdong are naturally not in a position to dominate Dongxun. It is difficult to unify and control the military affairs of East Guangdong.

Danchu had no choice but to settle for the second best and choose a place between Zhaoqing and Sanshui to try to control military affairs.

Wen Anzhi then realized that Cen Danchu was indeed no ordinary person. Although he was young, he had extraordinary knowledge and was able to outline the crux of the problem in just a few words.

The court had no long-term vision. When it was still in Zhaoqing, it was busy selecting officials, evaluating merits, revising posthumous titles, and whitewashing peace, without any plan for restoration. When it arrived in Wuzhou, the court officials were busy fighting tigers, and even the rescue of Guangdong was put aside.

"This... In Zhaoqing, the emperor ordered Yong'an Hou (Ma Jixiang) and Nanyang Bo (Li Yuanyin) to guard Zhaoqing and supervise the various camps. In Sanshui, the eunuch Pang Tianshou requested to be the military supervisor and supervise the troops of the various camps to aid Guang."

Pang Tianshou was the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the commander of the Yongwei Camp. The Yongwei Camp was one of the three imperial camps during the Yongli reign. Pang Tianshou was the head of the eunuchs and held military power, making him very popular in the inner court. However, he was a rough and careless person and did not take much power, so his power was gradually taken away by the eunuch Xia Guoxiang who held the pen.

Danchu and he were old enemies. Three years ago, when he was a guerrilla under Jiao Lian, he took advantage of the chaos to rob Pang Tianshou of his weapons.

"Sanshui is a strategically located city, connecting Guangzhou and Zhaoqing. We must have a capable military commander to unify and control the military affairs of Sanshui. I am willing to serve the country and stay in Sanshui. If I advance, I can help Guangzhou, and if I retreat, I can threaten the Tartars' flanks."

Sanshui is located in the center between Zhaoqing and Guangdong. According to the latest news, the Qing army has already arrived outside Guangzhou. If the Ming army wants to reinforce Guangzhou, it must pass through Sanshui. If the Qing army wants to capture Guangzhou, it must seize Sanshui to protect its flank.

Therefore, Sanshui will be the focus of the battle between the two armies. Danchu asked to go to Sanshui to control military affairs, which was a difficult task. Only in this way could he establish merit and win the respect of other towns.

Danchu expelled Chen Bangfu and became the biggest military leader in Guangxi. There were many rumors in the court and the public. By advancing to Sanshui, we could stop the rumors and win the hearts of the people. Wen Anzhi was relieved and said, "Sanshui is an important place and we really need a great general to lead the war. Zhuoru has great vision and is already a duke. His official title is higher than that of other towns. It is legitimate for him to control the military affairs of Sanshui."

When the Red Army arrived in eastern Guangdong, it was a guest army. It was difficult for them to control the arrogant and fierce generals in other towns. The title issued by the court could only give Danchu an excuse to control the towns. As for whether he could really control the towns, it depended on his prestige, the strength of the Red Army, and whether the Red Army was really willing to rescue Guangzhou.

"Then, please ask the court to add a big word to my official title?" Dan Chu asked tentatively.

Duke Ningguo, the General who Conquers the Enemy, was in charge of the officials, the local militia, the soldiers and the horses, and was also in charge of their food and wages. With a big character added to his name, he became the Great General who Conquers the Enemy.

Three years ago, Danchu was still a boy soldier. Jiao Lian asked him about his life ambitions, and Danchu said he wanted to be a general who conquered the enemy. At that time, the general who conquered the enemy was still an unattainable dream.

Now, the government was in chaos, and official titles were being given indiscriminately. Dukes were everywhere, and there were also generals. For example, Ma Bao, a deputy general of Dongxun, was given the title of "General of the Imperial Guard" by Emperor Yongli.

However, the Ming Dynasty's border threat was the Tartars in the north. During the Ming Dynasty, the title of General of Conquering the Tartars was a prestigious title for military generals, and it was impossible to be appointed as the General of Conquering the Tartars unless one had outstanding achievements.

At present, the small court was living in Wuzhou, and the front line lacked a general. Shang Kexi and Geng Jimao were approaching Guangzhou, and Kong Youde was eyeing them covetously in Hengzhou. In this context, whoever the court appointed as the general to conquer the enemy was equivalent to appointing the former commander-in-chief.

The Red Army had the potential to gain the upper hand, but Cen Danchu was too inexperienced. If the imperial court appointed him as the General of Conquering the Enemy Army, it would be difficult to convince the people.

Wen Anzhi did not dare to agree rashly, and carefully considered his words, saying: "Zhuoru, the title of General of Conquering the Enemy is an important one for a general, and many people admire him. You are a rising star, so it seems better for you to be humble."

Danchu just smiled and said, "I am seeking the position of general for the sake of military strategy. The presence or absence of a commander on the front line and the prestige of the commander have a crucial impact on the military. The Heavenly Army is several times larger than the Tartars, but they are defeated in every battle. This is probably the reason."

Wen Anzhi pondered Danchu's words, remained silent for a long time, and said, "Zhuoru, why not take a step back and change the title to a general? For example, how about the general of aid and suppression?"

Danchu pondered in silence.

Looking up at the sky, the sun was setting. Wen Anzhi had to rush back to the city before the gates closed, and his anxiety gradually showed on his face.

"Alas!" Danchu sighed and said, "The court has been kind to us, but now the country is in danger, how can I be so eager for official titles? As long as the post of the general of the support and suppression can control the frontline towns, I am willing to accept it.

"However, when I was young, I was determined to serve the country with all my heart. I hope you can tell the emperor about the matter of the general. If there is a chance in the future, please consider it."

Wen Anzhi heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Zhuo Ru's loyalty and bravery are commendable. Given time, you will be the general who conquers the enemy."

(End of this chapter)