Fu Shanhe

Chapter 145 Reinforcements
"Let's go!"

Following Li Mu's order, the Yangzhou camp began to board the ship.

A month had passed since the transfer order was received from the Ministry of War.

In order to ensure the smooth operation, all soldiers going on the expedition underwent a short period of sailing training.

All the officers and soldiers who fainted as soon as they got on board were screened out and appointed to the garrison troops.

Sailing on the sea is not like sailing on the canal. If you are not feeling well, you could die after travelling thousands of miles.

Compared to the high morale of the Yangzhou camp, the Nanzhili Jinyiwei on the other side looked like their parents had died.

Last month they were the dreaded Jinyiwei, but now they have become small pawns in the army.

Upon learning that Li Mu intended to take these people to the battlefield, the civil servants of Nanzhili fully cooperated.

In order to send these plague gods away, in addition to the travel expenses given by the imperial court, the governor's office and local prefectures also donated generously.

Everyone has only one request: don’t let these people come back alive.

It's rare that the emperor has a sudden change of heart and abolished this group of annoying spies. How could he leave them a chance to make a comeback?

"Brother Tang Chai, your people are not in good condition!"

Seeing his old friend coming, Li Mu stepped forward and asked.

The origins of Dayu Jinyiwei were relatively complex. In addition to professional spies, there were also many people with royal connections.

This is preferential treatment for meritorious officials, equivalent to a disguised form of hereditary succession.

Because of the special nature of the Jinyiwei, its staffing was not restricted and its social status was relatively high, it has always been the favorite yamen of military generals.

Most of the redundant officials among the military generals were in the Jinyiwei.

But as time went on, the group of officials who received imperial favors continued to grow.

By now, their number had reached tens of thousands, bringing heavy financial pressure to the imperial court.

In order to solve this problem, the imperial court has launched plans to cut redundant staff many times in history, but all ended in failure.

Generally speaking, these officials hold a prestigious official position, but they usually just receive salaries without doing any work.

The new emperor ordered the disbanding of the Jinyiwei, which inadvertently created favorable conditions for layoffs.

Those with powerful families began to arrange external transfers as soon as they received the order to disband the Jinyiwei.

Those who remain are those whose ancestors were once powerful but have now withdrawn from the center of power and are no longer able to operate in the court.

The Tang Chenshi in front of him originally worked in the Wucheng Bingmasi. His father died in the explosion in the capital.

The uneducated elder brother inherited the title, and the late emperor, considering his father's contributions, also arranged a good position for Tang Jincheng.

After the misfortune, the Tang family was only prominent in name only, but had actually been separated from the center of power.

After receiving the news that the imperial court was disbanding the Jinyiwei, Tang Jincheng was dumbfounded.

The position of Jinyiwei Jianshi is not low, and if one wants to be transferred away, he needs to use political resources.

The eldest brother in Beijing only knew how to eat, drink and have fun, and did not do anything for him at all.

It's not a favor that's being asked for. If the Tang family doesn't speak up about this kind of thing, their relatives and friends won't interfere.

By the time Tang Jincheng reacted and was ready to use his connections to get things done, the transfer order from the Ministry of War had already arrived in his hands.

At this point, even if you want to transfer, there is no chance.

To accept the order and go to Guangxi to fight.

Or he could resign due to illness, and relying on the influence left by his ancestors, no one would hold him accountable.

Most of the people with connections chose the latter, believing that losing their job is better than losing their life.

The civil servants were too hostile to the Jinyiwei, so they were destined to be cannon fodder when they arrived in Guangxi.

If you don't kill them on the battlefield, you are not a qualified civil servant.

It just so happened that Li Mu sent an official document to the Nanjing Ministry of War, hoping to take the Embroidered Uniform Guard with him to the battlefield.

Tang Jincheng was unwilling to quit his official career, so after much hesitation, he decided to stay.

“Brother Li, no one would be in a good mood if they encountered such a thing.

The Jinyiwei are gone, and the brothers who remain are not favored by the court, so you have to bear with it!"

Tang Jincheng said helplessly.

Destiny is so mysterious. Originally, everyone had a bright future.

As a result, after the new emperor came to the throne, a series of outrageous actions caused this rising star to fall.

Without the protection of the Jinyiwei, a record of serving in the Jinyiwei would be the biggest political stain.

The military generals might not mind, but the civil officials would definitely dislike him.

“Brother Tang, things are unpredictable.

Your Majesty has disbanded the Jinyiwei today, and maybe he will order its reinstatement tomorrow.

Others may not know the significance of the Jinyiwei's existence, but don't you and I know it too? "

After hearing Li Mu's words of comfort, Tang Jincheng smiled bitterly.

He didn't dare to take up this topic at all.

Without his father's protection in the court, he had to be extremely cautious.

"Brother Tang, honest people don't speak in secret.

I need intelligence support when I go to Guangxi to fight.

It just so happens that you Jinyiwei are best at collecting intelligence, so please help me select a group of available people."

Li Mu said frankly.

Establishing a private intelligence organization was a serious crime punishable by death in the Dayu Dynasty.

Under the guise of collecting intelligence for the army, the nature of the activity is completely different.

"Brother Li, how many people do you need?"

Tang Jincheng asked with concern.

The Jinyiwei's trip is bound to be dangerous, and it would definitely be a good choice if they could be transferred to the Yangzhou Camp.

Given Li Mu's connections and background, the civil servants on the front line did not dare to use him as cannon fodder.

“The more the merrier.

The White Lotus Rebellion grew too fast, and there was a high possibility that the Annan people were behind it. In addition to collecting intelligence on the White Lotus rebels, we also needed to collect intelligence on the Annan people.

During this trip to Guangxi, in addition to wiping out the White Lotus rebels, we must also prepare for a war with the Annan people!"

Li Mu immediately fooled.

The imperial court was only thinking about putting down the rebellion as quickly as possible and had no intention of going to war with the Annan people.

But the people below are not aware of this information.

As long as there is an excuse to get the person over here first, the subsequent problems will be easy to solve.

"It's rare that Brother Li values ​​you so much, I will definitely do my best!"

Tang Jincheng immediately expressed his opinion.

No matter how things develop later, we must first climb out of the Jinyiwei's pit.

It is better to follow Li Mu than to serve directly under the command of civil officials and suffer difficulties.

……

Guangzhou Prefecture.

"When will the imperial court's reinforcements arrive?"

Governor Zou Yunchuan asked with a frown.

The Guangxi rebellion broke out too quickly and they were not prepared.

Not long after receiving the letter for help from the Governor of Guangxi, the war spread here.

In fact, the biggest threat to Guangdong is not the rebels in Guangxi, but the rebellion that could break out at any time within the province.

Since the successful rebellion in Guangxi, the White Lotus Sect in Guangdong has also become active.

“The troops from Fujian and Jiangxi have already entered our province and are expected to reach the frontline within ten days.

However, according to our observations, there is a serious shortage of troops in these two places, and the actual strength is only half of the registered number.

The nominal army was 100,000, but in reality there were only 30,000.

There are also a large number of old and weak people among them, and their actual combat effectiveness is worrying. I am afraid they will not be of much use.

We learned from the Nanjing Military Department that the Huai'an Camp had entered Jiangxi and the Yangzhou Camp had just set out from the sea.

The arrival time of the two troops should be roughly the same, and both will have to wait until next month.

The Huai'an Camp and the Yangzhou Camp were both recruited by the imperial court last year.

The Huai'an Camp was formed by drawing generals from the Beijing Camp, and the predecessor of the Yangzhou Camp was the Wucheng Bingmasi.

Although these two troops are organized into one guard, they have been highly valued by the court since their establishment, and their combat effectiveness should be good.

Especially the Yangzhou camp, which also has a cavalry unit.

Within the time of a stick of incense, he defeated the pirates who besieged Nantong Prefecture and beheaded thousands of pirates.

It should be the most powerful one among all our reinforcements."

Gu Minghui replied hurriedly.

As the military governor of Guangdong, he had never been respected like this before.

If the White Lotus Rebellion had not broken out, it would have been difficult for a small military official like him to meet these big shots.

"Humph!"

“Those bastards are going too far!
Even at this time, you are still not willing to give your all!"

The governor Xue Weichen immediately rebuked.

Although Dayu’s army had a serious shortage of military pay, it was still necessary to gather at least 50% to 60% of its troops during wartime.

As many as 70% of the reinforcements from Fujian and Jiangxi provinces were vacant, and the troops sent over were filled with a large number of old and weak people.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that these people came to help suppress the rebellion as a side job, and their real purpose was probably to settle accounts.

The money, food and supplies required to send out an army of 100,000 and 30,000 are completely different levels.

With all the ups and downs, everyone can make a fortune.

Even the vacancies in the army and past deficits can be reasonably made up.

Whether they are current officials or officials who have served in both places, there will be one less hidden danger.

“Just make do with it!

We need their help right now. If some things can be covered up, please help cover them up.

In any case, they sent 30,000 troops.

Send someone to urge them to deliver the food and money as soon as possible."

Zou Yunchuan said slowly.

As an old-school bureaucrat, he believes that it is better to do less than more.

Everyone present understood his style and naturally would not oppose it.

What's more, the current war requires financial support from both places, and they will be the ones who suffer if there is a quarrel.

"Governor, the court has urged us to send troops to jointly suppress the rebellion as soon as possible. What do you think we should do about this matter?"

Commander-in-chief Xie Chenghan asked with an embarrassed look on his face.

The Ministry of War repeatedly urged him to send troops, but the governor's office was reluctant to provide the travel expenses.

The governor of Guangxi died for his country. Not only was he giving blind orders, but he was also largely betrayed by his colleagues.

After sending out the letter for help, only the Governor of Huguang sent symbolic reinforcements.

Because of different factions, the Guangdong troops, which should have been sent out first, did not take any action at all.

"Why panic!
You just need to guard the defense zone, and wait for the imperial court's reinforcements to arrive, then we can march together."

Zou Yunchuan immediately scolded.

He doesn't know how to use troops to fight a war, but he knows how to be an official!
If you don't send troops, you won't be defeated.

As long as we can stop the rebels and save Guangdong, it will be a great achievement.

If the military suppression fails, we will be held responsible.

(End of this chapter)