Fu Shanhe

Chapter 209 Unexpected Transfer Order

Wuchang Mansion.

Xu Wenyue was shocked when he learned that the rebel army's Western Expedition Corps abandoned Guilin and headed straight for Huguang.

Although the government troops had the upper hand on the Huguang front, this advantage was not obvious.

Once the enemy receives reinforcements from the Western Expedition Corps, the situation will be reversed again.

“What do the armies of Yunnan and Guizhou Province eat?
The rebels slipped away right under their noses, and they didn't even send troops to intercept them!"

When it came to suppressing the White Lotus Rebellion, the armies of each province had clear division of labor.

The mission of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces is to deal with the enemy's westward expedition corps.

An incident occurred at this moment, allowing the enemy's Western Expedition Army to evacuate safely. This is a typical dereliction of duty.

"Lord, the enemy army is too cunning.

The front line deliberately set up a confusing formation, and the remaining troops continued to attack, which led us to make a misjudgment..."

Before Dou Yutang could finish his words, the teacup in Xu Wenyue's hand flew over.

No matter how good the excuses are, they cannot cover up the fact of dereliction of duty.

Anyone with a little military knowledge knows how big a commotion the withdrawal of more than 200,000 troops would cause.

The failure to detect the enemy's retreat in time only proves the incompetence of the top leaders of the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Forces.

"waste!"

"They're all trash!"

After the curse, Xu Wenyue had already made up his mind to report to the governors of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

Keeping such a waste in his position is not only irresponsible to the court, but also to his own career.

"Lord, calm down!"

“After the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition discovered something was wrong, they immediately assembled a large army to pursue them. They are now only 150 miles away from Guilin.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Forces will be able to meet up with the official troops in Guangxi in five days and then work together to recapture Guilin.

It is expected that in February, we will be able to retake the entire Guangxi region..."

Pang Zhenghao then explained.

As the military governor of Guizhou, he and Dou Yutang, the military governor of Yunnan, shared the same fate.

The army at the front was commanded by the governor, and the battle was a disaster, which had nothing to do with them.

But the governors of the two provinces were not around, so these dispatched liaison personnel naturally became the scapegoats.

Being scolded is just basic stuff. If you really anger the imperial envoy, you might even be dragged out and beaten with a stick.

"The battle of Guilin is going smoothly in Guangxi. Do we need you to go over and cause trouble?"

The Huguang Governor Lu Jingxuan on the side spoke sarcastically.

The mistakes made by the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition put Huguang into a dangerous situation.

Losing cities and territories is a minor matter. What we should fear is that the army on the front line cannot withstand the pressure, resulting in the collapse of the entire front line.

If something happened in Huguang, his position as governor would be over. No matter how many objective unfavorable factors there were, they could not save the defeat on the battlefield.

When it comes to official hats, Lu Jingxuan must find a way to shirk responsibility.

The Yunnan-Guizhou coalition, which caused the trouble, is undoubtedly the best person to take the blame. If we put the blame on them, no one can find fault.

"Lord Lu, with the addition of reinforcements, progress will be smoother.

After recovering Guangxi, the joint forces of the three provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan will be able to recover Guangdong and thus reduce the rebels' space for activities to Yongzhou, Hengzhou and other places.

Even if we do not launch an attack and only adopt siege measures, the rebels will not be able to hold out for half a year."

Pang Zhenghao forced an explanation.

As a person in the position of Guizhou Military Preparations Commissioner, no matter how dissatisfied he is with the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Forces, he has to come out to defend them.

"Mr. Pang, you are joking!
Not to mention the issue of commanding the army, logistics alone is an unsolvable problem after the armies of the three provinces are assembled.

The southwest region is mountainous, and the transportation of food and fodder is very difficult, so most of the military rations will be consumed on the road.

Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi are not wealthy, so it would be inappropriate for anyone to bear this burden.

Letting the bandits escape will not only affect the battle situation in Huguang, but may also cause changes in the Jiangxi battlefield.

It can be said that this is a complete failure.

If we really want to recover Guangdong and Guangxi, the troops from Fujian and Guangxi are enough. We don't need a bunch of idiots to cause trouble!"

Yu Xiuwen followed up with another blow.

The struggle in officialdom is cruel, especially when it comes to shirking responsibility, no one will show mercy.

When the White Lotus Religion's Western Expedition Army entered Huguang, the first victim was naturally Huguang, and the second victim was Jiangxi.

As the economy moves southward, the strategic value of Jiangnan is also increasing day by day.

By the time of the Dayu Dynasty, the Jiangnan region, with its developed commerce, had become the empire's most important financial and taxation center, contributing half of the tax revenue.

If the rebels want to seize the world, they must take Jiangnan.

Even if they cannot actually occupy the city, a mere stroll through the city will cause heavy losses to Dayu.

Based on this understanding, the provinces in the south of the Yangtze River strongly supported the imperial court in suppressing the White Lotus Rebellion.

……

"enough!"

"I don't want to listen to you quarreling!"

"The White Lotus Sect's Western Expedition Army is about to enter Huguang. Come up with a countermeasure strategy!"

Xu Wenyue scolded immediately.

We can talk about settling accounts later, but the problem must be solved now.

The Governor of Five Provinces needs to do something. He is no longer the young and upright troll he once was.

The change in identity and status has led to a change in concepts.

"Lord, at this moment, we have no choice but to notify all departments to strengthen their defenses.

At the same time, he ordered the Yunnan-Guizhou coalition forces to come to reinforce as soon as possible.

If possible, let Guangxi and Fujian step up their offensive and put as much pressure on the rebels as possible."

Lu Jingxuan said frankly.

The main forces were all at the front line, and Huguang had no better way to deal with it.

Now we can only delay time while hoping for help from our allies.

As for asking the court to send more reinforcements, Lu Jingxuan just thought about it for a moment and chose to give up.

Far water cannot quench near thirst.

If we ask the court for help now, it will take twenty days just to transmit the message, and we don’t know how long it will take for the court to agree to send reinforcements.

"Disaster!

The rebels controlled the strategic locations, and it was difficult to break through the Fujian front.

The fight in Guangxi was going well, but Guilin was the rebels' lair after all, and a large amount of food and fodder was stored in the city.

In order to reduce consumption, the rebels drove hundreds of thousands of residents out of the city.

According to reports from Guangxi, they are preparing for a long-term siege."

Yang Yan, the military governor of Fujian, decisively refused.

During wartime, the most taboo thing is to make random promises.

It is easy to launch an attack, but no one knows whether a breakthrough can be achieved.

What's more, the enthusiasm for joining the war in the province is not high. If he takes on this task, he will have no way to explain himself later.

In order to get away, he went straight to Guangxi.

It is not easy to train elite soldiers, and no one is willing to waste them on sieges.

In order to recapture Guilin, sacrificing two elite troops from Guangxi was a strategic failure.

If he did so, Xu Wenyue would not be able to explain to the court.

"If we can't capture Guilin, then we can divide our forces and attack Guangdong.

The government troops on the front line in Guangxi have already suppressed the rebels, and they can completely withdraw some of their forces to attack areas where the rebels are weak.

I propose to transfer Li Mu, the commander-in-chief of Guangxi, to the commander-in-chief of Guangdong, and to transfer 30,000 troops from Guangxi to recapture Guangdong!"

Lu Jingxuan's proposal made everyone fall into deep thought.

In the eyes of many people, the government army's recapture of Guangxi was a miracle.

It was this knife inserted into the rear of the rebels that cut off the enemy's momentum of advancement, tied up a large number of rebel forces, and bought time for the court to quell the rebellion.

If it weren't for that expedition, the rebels might have swept across the South, ushering in a new era of chaos.

Li Mu, who played a key role in the war, also came into everyone's attention with the victory of the war.

At this moment, no one anymore thought of him as the son of a noble family who enjoyed the blessings of his ancestors.

"inappropriate!"

“The situation in Guangxi has just improved, so it is not appropriate to make any major moves at this moment.

Once a large number of troops are withdrawn from Guangxi, the battle line may recur at any time.

Don't forget that in addition to the White Lotus rebels, there is also the trouble of Annan.

The contemporary King of Annan is ambitious. He thinks that an army of 300,000 is not enough, and he is aggressively expanding his military in the country.

Once Guangxi is empty, the Annamites are likely to move north.

The chaos that would be caused by then would be incomparable to the White Lotus Rebellion!" Xu Wenyue decisively refused.

Ever since he took office as Governor-General of the Five Provinces, the Annan threat theory has been constantly ringing in his ears.

For this purpose, he also sent people to collect intelligence about the Annan people, and he knew everything about the actions of the King of Annan in the past decade or so.

The more you know, the more difficult it becomes.

The Annamites' sweep across the countries of Indochina was sufficient proof that their military might was at its peak.

Facing such an enemy, Guangxi must have strong generals stationed on the front line.

"Lord, Commander Li cannot move lightly, so we should mobilize General Jing Yifeng and the troops under his command to Guangdong.

If we only reduce the number of troops by 10,000, I think the situation in Guangxi can still be stabilized, but it will take a little longer to recapture Guilin."

Guangdong Governor An Qingfeng quickly chimed in.

It's not easy to be a governor without any support. He has done nothing since taking office and has submitted dozens of letters of apology.

As the governor of Guangdong, it was his duty to preside over the recovery of lost territory, and failure to do so would be a crime.

Everyone understands the objective conditions, and the court did not hold him accountable, but that does not mean he has no responsibility.

Before Guangdong is recovered, this drama of constant apology will have to continue.

He is always a spectator during normal meetings.

You must always be careful when speaking, for fear of accidentally saying the wrong thing and getting yourself into trouble.

No one likes this kind of depressing life, and An Qingfeng is also a person with aspirations.

When he heard the Governor of Huguang propose to transfer Li Mu to Guangdong, he was tempted.

After being rejected by Lord Xu, he decisively chose to settle for the second best.

In several battles in Guangxi, in addition to Li Mu's outstanding performance, Jing Yifeng's performance was also outstanding.

Among all the generals who suppressed the rebellion, he was definitely one of the best.

"Just do it!"

After pondering for a moment, Xu Wenyue chose to agree.

It is unknown when the Battle of Guilin will end, so there is no need to let Guangxi's elite troops sit idle.

He could use this time to recapture a few cities and prove to the court that he was doing his job.

……

Guilin Prefecture.

After several days of artillery fire, many breaches were blown into the city walls, but Li Mu never issued the order to attack the city.

Both the rebels and the government troops were confused by this confusing behavior.

The situation did not change until the news of Jing Yifeng's transfer came.

"Congratulations to General Jing on his promotion!"

Although they are both generals, their identities and statuses are very different depending on where they are posted.

For local officials, a lateral transfer from Guangxi to Guangdong is also a promotion.

The higher you go in the officialdom, the fewer positions there are. It is impossible to get promoted directly every time you are transferred.

For officials, moving from remote and poor areas to wealthy regions will make their "future" and "financial prospects" brighter.

However, for Jing Yifeng, this personnel transfer is mainly because of the bright financial prospects.

When a general reaches the position of general, the room for upward advancement is very narrow.

There is basically not much hope for career development.

Everyone wants to find a way to transfer to a wealthy place to work and get more benefits.

This kind of corruption of the military generals group was largely forced out.

In the Dayu Dynasty, ambitious military generals would basically not have any good results.

"Thanks to the Lord's kindness, but the court has not yet approved it. It is only a temporary appointment."

Jing Yifeng said calmly.

The joy between his brows still revealed his good mood.

Guangdong was in the hands of the rebels, and his position as the general was like a big pie, but he was confident that he could eat the pie.

For military generals, what they fear is not war, but the absence of war.

Seeing what Li Mu did in Guangxi, he also wanted to copy it.

The land and minerals hidden by the gentry are themselves the greatest wealth.

Especially mineral resources, the official mines leased from the governor's office could be leased to businessmen to make a lot of money.

I don’t know the exact profit, but it’s definitely a huge profit.

Even a poor place like Guangxi can find ways to squeeze out oil and water. Guangdong, which has better conditions, will have even more oil and water.

If handled well, decades of accumulation can be achieved within a three-year term.

"Don't worry, General Jing. With your military achievements, there won't be any problem in transferring you to Guangdong."

Jia Bo immediately assured.

The imperial court needed checks and balances, and it was impossible to allow two relatives to stay in Guangxi and hold power at the same time.

With the recommendation of Lord Xu and the support of the noble group, there will be no suspense about Jing Yifeng's personnel appointment.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore.

According to military orders, I must set out for Guangdong within three days.

Without a town of soldiers, if they want to continue the siege of Guilin, they must draw more troops from the rear to join.

Do you have any countermeasures?"

Jing Yifeng's words brought everyone back to reality.

This personnel appointment not only transferred away a general, but also drew away a town's elite troops.

As the party besieging the city, the government troops were even smaller in number than the rebels defending the city. If they withdrew their troops, the siege would become a joke.

“The situation in the rear has just stabilized, and we must leave enough troops behind.

In the short term, the only troops we can mobilize are those on the front lines."

Zhang Sihan immediately made his position clear.

There are still remnants of anti-Japanese bandits lurking in Guangxi, and without garrison guarding the area, officials stationed in various places may lose their lives at any time.

Guangxi has always been regarded as a dangerous place. If news of officials being murdered continues to spread, no one will be willing to come here.

There were so many vacancies for county magistrates, county assistants, chief clerks, and registrars that he couldn't find enough people to fill the vacancies.

As long as the leadership team is not complete, the local area will have no chance of resuming normal operations.

“If the siege doesn’t work, then simply withdraw your troops and lure the enemy out of the city on their own.

The leader of the rebels is in Guilin City. The White Lotus rebels have not yet reached the point of desperation. I think he does not have the courage to live and die with Guilin.

After the enemy leaves the city, we can fight back and retake Guilin."

Li Mu said calmly.

In fact, from the moment he is sure that the rebels want to escape, he will be ready to let the enemy go.

If the enemy can be destroyed in a field battle, there is no need to storm the city.

However, letting the rebels leave is a political taboo.

After all, Li Mu was not sure he could annihilate the rebels halfway after they withdrew.

Once the enemy forces successfully join up with other rebel forces, the plan becomes an accident.

Once someone takes it too far, it becomes difficult to explain clearly.

Xu Ge Lao's military transfer order provided him with a perfect excuse.

When he was short of troops and unable to encircle the enemy and was forced to withdraw, it was not that he deliberately let the enemy escape.

If something unexpected happens later, you can also pass the blame to your superiors.

"Commander Li, what if the bandit leader leaves alone and the army remains to garrison Guilin?"

Jabo asked with concern.

If we can recapture Guilin, using some flawed strategies will not be a big deal.

The imperial court only looks at the results and never cares about the risks in the implementation process.

The fear is that you will end up making things worse and working for nothing.

“After withdrawing our troops, we can turn around and attack Wuzhou, pretending that we are about to march into Guangdong.

If the rebels were left alone, they would turn the feint attack into the main attack, and coordinate with General Jing's offensive in Guangzhou.

After recapturing several cities in Guangdong, the enemy will naturally become restless.

Whether it is sending troops from Guilin to attack our rear, or abandoning Guilin and focusing on the Northern Expedition, there will always be some action.

As long as the enemy moves, the fighter will appear sooner or later."

Li Mu explained.

When encountering local invaders like the White Lotus rebels, the best option is to engage them in mobile warfare.

By mobilizing the enemy forces to the maximum extent possible, the shortcomings of the rebels' internal organizational chaos will gradually be exposed.

Any mistake on the battlefield may lead to the failure of military operations.

(End of this chapter)