Fu Shanhe

Chapter 229: Commander of the Allied Forces
Nanchang Mansion.

After receiving the letter for help from the front line, Governor Yue Qifeng's face was full of worry.

The rebels not only attacked Jiujiang, but the enemy also marched along the Ganjiang River all the way to Linjiang Prefecture.

Judging from the posture, it is clear that they want to attack Nanchang directly in one go.

The threat from the provincial government has not yet been lifted, so there is no spare energy to support Jiujiang.

But Jiujiang’s strategic position is very important. Once Jiujiang falls, the war will spread to the heartland of Jiangnan.

"Immediately send a letter to Zhejiang and Nanzhili, telling them that if they don't send reinforcements, the fall of Jiujiang will be entirely their fault.

In addition, I will draft a memorial to accuse them of not helping the dying!"

Yue Qifeng said angrily.

The corrupt situation in Dayu was essentially caused by the inaction of the bureaucrats.

They should have worked together to fight the rebels, but their colleagues were afraid of the enemy's strength and did not dare to send reinforcements.

Of course, it would be unfair to say that there would be no reinforcement.

In the early stages, Zhejiang and Nanzhili provinces also sent large armies to participate in the encirclement and suppression operations.

However, the purpose of sending troops was not to suppress the rebellion, but to take the opportunity to settle accounts.

A group of troops that exist only on paper and have little combat effectiveness at all.

When they arrived at the battlefield, they were defeated as soon as they fought against the rebels.

The former governor Zhu Jingyi died in battle, largely because of their plot.

If it weren't for the solemn guarantee of the officials of the two provinces and the dispatch of an army of 200,000, Zhu Jingyi would not have dared to take the risk of a decisive battle with the rebels.

After a great war, officials from the two provinces successfully cleared themselves of the guilt of collecting empty salaries and empty treasury banks, and put all the blame for the defeat on the dead Zhu Jingyi.

However, he couldn't criticize this kind of operation.

He had done a similar account settlement operation before.

Once the window paper is broken, everyone will be doomed.

However, due to its geographical location, Jiangxi, which was the first to border the rebels, was forced to enter a state of combat readiness in advance.

In order to resist the rebel attack, the shortage had to be made up quickly.

The bureaucrats in Zhejiang and Nanzhili acted much more slowly.

Until now, the vacancies have not been filled.

With their own limited military strength, they were asked to send elite troops to reinforce Jiujiang, but these people chose to make concessions when executing the order.

The reinforcements were advancing at a snail's pace. Every time we sent someone over to urge them, the reply we got was always: It's almost there, you guys hold on first.

He can't hold on any longer now, and he can't bear the responsibility for the loss of Jiujiang, so he can only find a way to drag others into the water.

Originally, the commander-in-chief should have been brought along, but at that time Lord Xu was being besieged by the rebels in Xiangyang City.

Whether you can get out alive is still an unknown.

"Governor, the Beijing army has just set out and it will take some time to reach the front line.

The government troops in Nanzhili and Zhejiang were frightened by the rebels. Even if they arrived at the front line, they would most likely not be able to stop the rebels.

Once Jiujiang falls, the enemy's next target will most likely be Anqing.

There were rumors that officials from Southern Zhili and Zhejiang were secretly discussing building an Anqing defense line to stop the rebels from moving south.

If the Jiujiang defenders can hold out until the Beijing camp arrives, it is estimated that they will mobilize all their elite troops to rush over to reinforce.

Otherwise, I’m afraid…”

General Liu Yingjie's words made the atmosphere in the room even more solemn.

If Jiujiang is lost, there will be no problem in building the Anqing defense line.

But now the defenders of Jiujiang are still fighting a bloody battle with the rebels.

Instead of sending reinforcements at this time, they built a second line of defense in the rear, which clearly meant giving up Jiujiang.

To be precise, it is not just about giving up Jiujiang, but giving up the entire Jiangxi Province.

Officials in Nanzhili and Zhejiang clearly used Jiangxi to delay the rebels in order to ensure their own safety.

If the news is confirmed, then no matter what they do now, there will be no reinforcements.

“Most of the people in the Beijing camp are from the north, and they are not suitable for the southern climate.

Even if you arrive at the front line, you will need some time to adapt before you can launch an attack on the rebels.

First try to stabilize the garrison, then quickly send people to ask Wuyang Hou for help, and ask them to send troops to rescue Nanchang immediately! "

The governor Jin Yunliang immediately proposed.

No one knows what the specific effect will be.

As the reinforcements from Nanzhili and Zhejiang were unreliable, they could only place their hopes on the coalition forces of the three neighboring provinces.

Even if they couldn't defend Jiujiang, they had to defend Nanchang.

Otherwise, when the imperial court holds the officials accountable later, none of the officials present will be able to escape.

"Well, let's do it this way!
Also send a letter to Lord Xu for help. Although he probably won't be able to help, the procedure still needs to be followed."

Yue Qifeng said with a tired look on his face.

He is not physically tired now, but he is mentally exhausted.

Jiangxi's military strength alone is no longer able to defeat the rebels, and the only thing it can hope for is help from its colleagues.

……

Early in the morning, as soon as the sun came out, the Guangzhou camp became bustling.

A group of soldiers, led by their general, were running around the parade ground.

This is the experience Li Mu has accumulated. You may not be able to defeat the enemy on the battlefield, but you must be able to outrun the enemy.

As long as you are fast enough, you can escape unscathed even if you are defeated.

The difference between elite and ordinary troops is not only in combat effectiveness, but also in the way they run away after being defeated.

As long as the elite troops are not surrounded and annihilated by the enemy, they can usually retreat in an orderly manner after being defeated and escape the enemy's pursuit in a short time.

After a short rest, we can regroup.

However, this kind of high-intensity training is only limited to troops with sufficient supplies.

What the troops who have difficulty even filling their stomachs need is not intensified training, but to stay where they are and reduce consumption as much as possible.

If we blindly increase the intensity, the army will not be trained, but the soldiers will be ruined first.

"Commander Li, the soldiers you train are truly extraordinary!"

Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

Their combat effectiveness could not be seen, but with tens of thousands of soldiers running in unison, their momentum was immediately at its maximum.

These troops in particular have been on the battlefield and killed people, and you can feel the murderous aura from afar.

Anyone who sees this scene will have the first impression of “elite”.

"Your Excellency is too kind. These troops have only just entered the ranks and are still far from being elite!
In particular, armor is in short supply, and only a few generals can be equipped with armor."

Li Mu responded with a smile.

This is not modesty. In his eyes, the troops before him are indeed not elite.

These soldiers in front of him were all recruited by him in Guangxi, and their service time was less than two years.

Although they had fought in the battlefields several times, their combat effectiveness was still far inferior to that of the earliest Yangzhou Camp.

After all, they were just garrison soldiers, and the imperial court didn't take them seriously at all.

Part of the weapons and equipment were captured, and part of them were obtained from the Ministry of War by using his personal connections.

"The problem of weapons and equipment can be solved slowly, but the main factor that determines the combat effectiveness of the army is still the people.

You have all seen it, so go back and learn from it. Next time I inspect the camp, I don’t want to see a messy camp again! "

Marquis Wuyang turned around and scolded everyone.

It can be seen that he brought everyone here today just to warn these generals.

The coalition forces of the three provinces gathered together, and were filled with a large number of mobs.

Many troops have poor combat capabilities, but their ability to harm the people is maximized.

Violations of military discipline are the norm, and wherever there is disturbance there is no peace.

The local government had no way to deal with these foreign troops and could only report them to higher authorities, and finally they were gathered in the hands of Marquis Wuyang.

This is actually nothing. Dayu’s military discipline is not good to begin with. As long as it doesn’t cause any major chaos, everyone can accept it.

However, during the investigation, Marquis Wuyang was surprised to find that the soldiers under Li Mu's command did not come out to harm the people, and they rarely left the camp.

With such a sharp contrast, looking at other troops suddenly makes me feel uncomfortable.

In a rage, Marquis Wuyang directly ordered the arrest and punishment of soldiers who violated military discipline.

The people in front of us were all pleading for mercy on behalf of their soldiers, but unfortunately they did not get any mercy and instead received a beating today.

"I will follow the Marquis's instructions and we will definitely..."

All the generals replied in unison.

They have to be obedient. If you compare the armies under their respective command, you will know that the main force of the next battle will be the Guangxi soldiers led by Li Mu.

The role played by these local troops from Fujian and Guangdong in the subsequent counter-insurgency war was not that important.

This means that if any trouble occurs, Marquis Wuyang will really dare to chop off their heads.

"Alright, I don't have time to listen to your nagging.

If you want to reflect, you can reflect on yourselves slowly after you go back.

Next, I will recover the entire Guangdong Province. Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.

Anyone who wants to play as a striker in this battle, please come and sign up."

Marquis Wuyang said in a pretentious manner.

The remnants of the rebels in Guangdong were not completely wiped out, but this did not affect subsequent battles.

The miscellaneous fish that have sneaked into the population can be cleaned up slowly.

Guangdong Province now only lacks the last piece of Shaozhou Prefecture to complete the puzzle.

Choosing to launch an attack at this time has more political significance than military significance.

It not only showed the court its determination to encircle and suppress the rebels, but also to support the government troops in Jiangxi.

Although the jurisdiction of Wuyang Hou, the governor-general of three provinces, did not include Jiangxi, since the governor of Jiangxi had asked for help, he had to show some support.

Regardless of whether the rescue is successful or not, the flag must be raised first.

"My Lord, I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Jing Yifeng spoke first.

We must join the war, otherwise the current supplies will not be enough for the soldiers.

In order to ensure that the soldiers had enough to eat, he had spent all the money he had earned from the war.

The governor's office is poor and destitute, so just follow the governor for a living.

By eliminating a link in the middle, some drift can be reduced.

"Um!

The position of vanguard is given to General Jing.

The position of the chief general is held by Commander Li.

This Marquis will personally be in charge of the rear and be responsible for coordinating the overall situation."

When Marquis Wuyang finished speaking, the generals behind him were startled.

Under normal circumstances, wars of this scale are commanded personally by the Governor.

This was the first time they had encountered someone like Marquis Wuyang, who directly delegated military command and acted as a hands-off manager.

"Why, you have different opinions?"

Seeing everyone's unnatural expressions, Marquis Wuyang asked in a warning tone.

He was originally enjoying a comfortable life in the capital, but he was extremely reluctant when the emperor sent him here to serve as governor.

If he were asked to lead the army and fight the rebels at the front line, wouldn't that be deliberate torture?

What if I was fooled by my subordinates, made a wrong decision and suffered defeat, wouldn't that be unfair?

In order to avoid accidents, he simply handed over the fighting work to his trusted subordinates.

Anyway, Li Mu is a professional at fighting rebels. Since he started the expedition, he has defeated the rebels every time.

As an imperial envoy, Marquis Wuyang only needs victory.

The specific process of achieving victory is not important.

"The Marquis is wise!"

"The Marquis is wise!"

……

After a white-haired veteran responded first, the other generals hurriedly followed suit.

There was no possibility of disagreement, as no one wanted to offend the coach at this time.

If they angered Marquis Wuyang and were directly accused of lax military discipline, they would have no way to protest.

It is better to give the command to Li Mu than to a governor who knows nothing about military affairs.

There are too many lessons about "one incompetent general can lead to the death of the entire army".

No one likes to make things difficult for themselves.

“Since everyone supports it, then it’s settled.

On the first day of the next month, troops were dispatched to Shaozhou Prefecture to recover the entire Guangdong province.

Commander Li, the command of the front line is now in your hands.

I don't care how we fight, but we must take Shaozhou in the shortest possible time and drive the rebels out of Guangdong!"

Marquis Wuyang immediately gave the order.

Suddenly he found that being a head coach was not that difficult. He just had to hand things over to capable people and wait for good news in the rear.

Anyway, the emperor and his ministers only wanted to see victory and didn't care about the details on the battlefield at all.

"Please rest assured, my Lord. I will do my best to help the court..."

After a series of meaningless statements, the issue of the battle to recover lost territory was resolved.

Not only was there no detailed battle plan, but the decision was made even without going through the government offices directly in charge of the army.

Marquis Wuyang was clearly telling everyone through his actions that he was the head of the family among the three provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian.

This seemingly ordinary move is actually a new round of forcing the emperor to abdicate.

The governor is not a permanent official position, and naturally there is no clear division of powers regarding the governor's office.

The absence of specific regulations means that the governor's power can be extended indefinitely.

If the local governor's offices are unable to complete the fundraising tasks on time, the Governor's Office can intervene forcibly.

Once it comes to that, not only will the officials of the three provincial governorates be sidelined, but they may also be implicated.

After all, few officials of the Dayu Dynasty could stand up to scrutiny.

……

(End of this chapter)