Fu Shanhe

Chapter 218 Recruitment
After the military meeting, shocked by the pressure exerted by Zhu Ge Lao, the Fujian army was forced to launch an attack on the rebels.

Together with the Guangxi soldiers in the south and Jing Yifeng who was temporarily living in Qiongzhou, they formed a three-pronged attack on the Guangdong rebels.

Regardless of the specific effects, the momentum is still full.

Guanghaiwei.

"General, it's time to rest."

The middle-aged scholar stepped forward and persuaded him.

"For a mere Guanghaiwei, the Pseudo-Dynasty has gathered a large number of troops. I can't sleep!"

The garrison general Chu Er said with a depressed look on his face.

Although Guanghaiwei is an important military base, its main function is to fight pirates.

He couldn't understand why the pseudo-dynasty army ignored the neighboring Zhaoqing Prefecture and instead attacked Guanghaiwei.

"General, we have defeated the enemy's three attacks and held the city for a month.

This record is rare in the Holy Kingdom.

Even if Guanghaiwei was lost, we could report to our superiors when we return.

You have to know that the enemy on the other side is a powerful enemy that swept across Guangxi and conquered the Holy City all the way."

The middle-aged scholar tried to comfort him.

Deep down, he felt no better than Chu Er.

As a juren, he was well-known in the surrounding area and lived a comfortable life on weekdays.

As a result, he was careless and got on the rebel ship.

Although the Holy White Lotus Kingdom is now very powerful, Cheng Jiliang, who is well-versed in history books, is not optimistic about this new regime at all.

Since ancient times, those who took the lead in rebellion have never had a good ending.

Especially the religious uprising of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom is a typical example of a pioneer for the king.

He knew best how powerful the gentry group was.

The White Lotus Rebellion shook the foundations of this group and was bound to backfire.

The smooth progress in the early stages was nothing more than the infighting among the various factions in the court, which created opportunities for them.

By the time the court reacts, everything will be very different.

"It's not as simple as you say. If we really lose the battle, we will definitely not have a good time when we return.

The Holy Kingdom never shows mercy to defeated generals.

The few exceptions were all elders in the sect, and they were able to escape the disaster.

Those of us who joined later did not receive any preferential treatment.”

Chu Er shook his head and said.

Facing a siege by tens of thousands of enemy troops, the 4,000 defenders held the city for a month and defeated the enemy's three attacks.

It sounds like the results are good, but the real reason is very heartbreaking.

For the past month, the enemy has been paddling most of the time.

Don’t hit me when the wind blows, don’t hit me when it rains, don’t hit me when it is cloudy, and don’t hit me when you are in a good mood.

During the entire month, the enemy launched siege operations on only three days.

The top leaders of the Holy Kingdom are not fools. They will verify the battle reports.

If you brag too much, you are just an idiot.

"General, the situation is unclear right now, so why not take it one step at a time?

If we really can’t hold on, at worst…”

Halfway through his words, Cheng Jiliang noticed that Chu Er's face looked strange, so he quickly shut up.

If possible, he naturally wanted to return to the imperial camp, but the prerequisite was that he could bring the team with him.

Even if he alone turns against the party, he cannot wash away the stain on himself.

"Mr. Cheng, you are right, we should consider our way out.

Unfortunately, I, Chu Er, am just a gangster. Even if I want to serve the court, I have no chance to do so.

Sir, you have a wide network of contacts. Are there any officials in the court that you are familiar with?"

After a fierce psychological struggle, Chu Er asked.

He had no psychological burden when he defected to the imperial court.

He was not originally a direct descendant of the White Lotus Sect, and joined the rebellion only to make some money.

Unexpectedly, the White Lotus rebels became more and more powerful and even established a country.

If he could continue to win, he wouldn't mind following the White Lotus Saint Emperor to conquer the world and try his best to gain the honor of following the dragon.

Unfortunately, his luck was not very good. His plan had just begun to be implemented when he was besieged by government troops.

Knowing that they were no match for the government troops outside, and not daring to abandon the city and flee, seeking amnesty became the best option.

“When I was studying, I studied at Jiangnan Academy for a period of time, and many of my classmates there developed well in the officialdom.

General, if you are interested, I would like to introduce you to someone like him."

Cheng Jiliang replied nervously.

As he spoke, his eyes never left Chu Er's face, fearing that this was a test.

But since I have already made a mistake in my promise, I can only take a gamble now.

In order to increase his own weight, he also deliberately exaggerated his network of contacts.

There are indeed many classmates who have successful careers, but that doesn’t mean they are friends with him.

As one of the largest academies in the world, Jiangnan Academy has more than a thousand students, ranging from tongsheng to juren.

Except for those who entered school at the same time, most students don’t have much interaction with each other.

If one really has a lot of connections, one can still become an official even if one does not pass the imperial examination.

There were more than one or two high-ranking officials in the court who were not Jinshi graduates.

"Then please sir!"

As he spoke, Chu Erchong bowed to Cheng Jiliang.

This was the most polite he had been since we met.

It can be seen that he really wants to be an official in Dayu.

"General, you are too kind!

These are part of our job.

For the safety of the people in this city, students should do their best! "

Cheng Jiliang replied politely.

Seeking amnesty also requires an excuse.

The people in the city are undoubtedly the best fig leaf.

With this excuse, I won’t feel so anxious to go there next time.

"it is good!

In the following days, the gentleman was free to withdraw any gold, silver, or jewelry from the treasury.

Now is not the time to save money, and all relationships must be in place.”

Chu Er said generously.

After going through so many things, he finally understood.

Money is a bastard. Having money but no power is like meat on the chopping board.

Since you have chosen to seek amnesty, you must find a way to seek a good position.

Given the style of Dayu officials, it is impossible to achieve the goal without spending money.

……

"Rumble..."

As the sky was just getting light, the sound of gunfire broke the tranquility of Zhaoqing.

Looking around, the river was full of ships and the government troops began to cross the river.

There are always some places along the long river bank that are not taken care of, and the government troops soon found the weak points in the defense.

"The enemy is not attacking Guanghaiwei, why are they crossing the river so quickly?"

Lou Qinghong asked doubtfully.

From the fall of Wuzhou, his comfortable days as the garrison commander of Zhaoqing ended prematurely.

In order to save Zhaoqing Prefecture, he focused his defense on the Wuzhou front line.

Historically, all the attacks between Guangdong and Guangxi were centered around Wuzhou Prefecture.

Whoever controls Wuzhou will take the initiative in the war.

The last time the Holy White Lotus Kingdom marched into Guangdong, it also came from Wuzhou.

I never expected that historical experience would sometimes not work.

Li Mu, who occupied Wuzhou, did not attack Zhaoqing from Wuzhou as he had expected, but instead attacked the provincial capital with lower strategic value first.

In an unexpected battlefield, the number of troops deployed will naturally not be large.

Soon, we received the sad news that Gaozhou Prefecture and Leizhou Prefecture had fallen, and the government troops swept all the way to Guanghaiwei.

As the war continues, only the last Guanghaiwei is left holding out in the area south of Xijiang River.

He thought that with Guanghaiwei holding back the enemy, he could take the opportunity to repair the city defenses, but unfortunately the government troops suddenly crossed the river.

What’s worse is the city of Zhaoqing, which is right on the banks of the Xijiang River.

As the main battlefield of the previous Battle of Guangdong, the city was severely damaged and the city defense has not been restored to this day.

The temporarily reinforced city walls are not as high quality as the ones carefully selected by the Nine Clans.

“General Lou, now is not the time to discuss this.

Since the government troops have crossed the river, the defenders of Guanghaiwei must have met with an accident. You should quickly organize your forces to defend against the enemy's attack!"

The prefect of Zhaoqing on the side began to persuade him.

Compared with the Dayu Dynasty, where civil officials were respected and military officials were despised, the situation in the Holy Kingdom of White Lotus was the opposite.

As the prefect of Zhaoqing, he was under the control of the garrison commander during wartime.

In addition to conquering the world, war must come first.

Essentially, the top leaders of the Holy White Lotus Kingdom lacked trust in these intellectuals who had surrendered.

With a sense of caution in mind, this should naturally be reflected when designing the system.

However, the conflicts between civil and military officials within the Holy Land of White Lotus were not as intense as those within Dayu.

There is basically a shortage of civil servants in various places.

Even for civil servants at the prefectural level, only a few important areas were granted.

In most places, the garrison commander holds both military and political power.

Knowing that doing so would easily lead to local separatism, the Holy White Lotus Kingdom now has no choice.

There are many people who want to be officials, but only a few are capable of doing the job.

When conquering the world, there were not so many institutional constraints, which put the officials' abilities to the test.

No one can tell how much damage will be caused by putting a piece of garbage there.

Since there is no one available, it is better to have nothing than to have someone who is not qualified.

It is better to have no local officials organizing the resumption of production than for the local officials to act recklessly and deliberately cause sabotage for them.

"Um!

The order was passed down, calling on the young and strong men in the city to join the army and participate in the defense of Zhaoqing.

Tell the people below that this time it’s not just one out of every two men, or two out of every three men. All those who have young men of the right age in their families should be conscripted.

The thirty-li radius of Zhaoqing City must be completely cleared of all defenses, and the enemy must not be left with any opportunity to take advantage! "

Lou Qinghong gave the order decisively.

Knowing how powerful the enemy was, he naturally had to go all out.

If he was not worried about the shortage of food and grass, he would have wanted to move all the people outside the city into the city.

……

On the bank of the West River.

"Mr. Lan, have your classmates managed to convince the rebel leader to accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty?"

Li Mu, who had successfully crossed the river, asked with a puzzled look on his face.

After suppressing the White Lotus Rebellion for so long, this was the first time he encountered a general of the rebel garrison who wanted to seek amnesty.

In the past, the enemy had to be beaten until they cried for their parents before they would lay down their weapons and surrender.

Those who took the initiative to surrender to the imperial court were all small fry.

Either they were treated unfairly or there was a personal grudge.

The enemy troops who defected basically had special reasons.

“Yes, my lord!

One of the student's classmates was a native of Guanghaiwei. He was abducted by the rebels and served in the army as a staff member.

This man was loyal to the imperial court and never forgot to serve the imperial court even when he was in the rebel camp.

With his efforts, he persuaded the rebel leader Chu Er, the garrison commander of Guanghaiwei, to lead the army in the city to rebel."

Li Mu simply ignored half of Lan Linjie's words.

This loyalty to the court is all nonsense.

The real factor that made these people surrender was the siege of the city by government troops.

Guanghaiwei is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it is isolated on the seashore.

After the exploratory attack failed, he did not want to waste his troops here, so he simply surrounded the city without attacking.

He thought he would have to wear down the defenders until they were exhausted, but he never expected that the enemy wanted to surrender as soon as he crossed the Xijiang River.

"Rebel leader, how much capital do you have and what position do you want?"

Li Mu asked with concern.

Having learned from the lessons of the previous Song Dynasty, the Dayu Dynasty imposed very strict restrictions on recruitment.

The shortcut of killing people and setting fires to gain government service simply doesn't work in Dayu.

If you want to join the imperial court, you must first see whether you have enough capital.

As for the other protagonist who participated in the amnesty, he was simply ignored by him.

If a juren was involved in a rebellion, it would be good enough if he was not held accountable by the court. It would be impossible for him to enter the officialdom by being recruited.

By pulling the rebel leader to surrender to the imperial court, one can only wash away the guilt of having served the rebels.

Even if the position was promised, Cheng Jiliang would not dare to do it.

Being recruited as an official may seem like a shortcut, but in fact it is also a dead end.

Military generals are slightly better, and if their military achievements are great enough, they can climb up.

Civil servants have no hope at all. Once tainted with this kind of stain, they will be ostracized by their colleagues and sent home within a month.

“Sir, according to my classmates, the rebel leader Chu Er has 4,000 troops under his command.

Most of them are fishermen from the coast of Guangdong, and among them there are some pirates. The personnel structure is very complicated.

However, the fighting ability of these people is still good.

Leizhou Prefecture, Gaozhou Prefecture and Guanghaiwei were all conquered by this man.

Because he was not a direct descendant of the White Lotus Sect, he was ostracized in the White Lotus Holy Kingdom and was left behind to serve as the garrison commander of Guanghaiwei.

As for the specific position, the other party did not require it.

I guess it's because he doesn't have enough experience and doesn't understand the official structure of the court.

The other party promised that if the recruitment was successful, he would be rewarded handsomely afterwards."

Lan Linjie said calmly.

I spoke up for Cheng Jiliang earlier because we were classmates.

Chu Er had nothing to do with him, so the generous gift he sent over was only enough to help pass on a message.

Whether things succeed or not has little to do with him.

"Tell your classmates that the imperial court can recruit them.

However, Chu Er is a traitor after all, and he cannot hold a high position just by rebelling.

The general can only promise him the position of an inspector. If he wants a higher position, he must make military achievements.

For example: Help the imperial court recapture Guangzhou City!"

Li Mu said with a smile.

Inspector sounds good, but in reality it is just a low-level rank for military generals.

For ordinary people, this is a class leap, and everyone will definitely flock to it.

But for those who have held great power, this position is too useless.

Although he is an official in name, he is actually under the leadership of many parties, and how much power he holds depends entirely on the wishes of his superiors.

However, such conditions are also the most reliable.

Considering the difficulty of recruiting the people of Dayu, if we really promise them a high position, it means that there will be a reckoning in the future.

Even if it is just an official position like inspector, the matter of recruiting has to be reported to the governor's office for approval.

Not only are the procedures complicated, but there are also political risks.

Ordinary officials would never accept the amnesty.

Li Mu was willing to offer the conditions because Guanghaiwei was not far from Guangzhou.

Given Chu Er's status, there was nothing wrong with him leading his troops to retreat to Guangzhou after the city was lost.

Having a team acting as an inside player can produce unexpected results at critical moments.

"Sir, should we tell the governor about this?

Although the student's classmates were loyal to the imperial court, no one knew what kind of person Chu Er was.

If this person takes advantage of the opportunity to escape, there will be a lot of trouble later."

Lan Linjie spoke up to remind him.

Identity determines stance.

Out of emotional considerations, he wanted to help his classmate, but reason told him that such a matter must take into account the political risks.

According to convention, the task of recruiting people has always been the responsibility of civil servants.

Military generals who take the lead in this matter are easily impeached.

If something unexpected happens during the process, it will be a major political stain.

If it affects Li Mu's career development, he, as his advisor, will also be in trouble.

"unnecessary!
Our Governor Zhang would not like such a difficult matter.

The matter of recruiting must be kept strictly confidential.

Only if my plan succeeds can I be recruited.

If the plan fails, then it’s as if nothing happened.”

Li Mu shook his head and said.

Risk isolation is a basic operation, and the current promises are just promises.

Only if he is willing to admit it can it be considered as amnesty, otherwise it is a conspiracy of the rebels.

(End of this chapter)