Fu Shanhe

Chapter 312 Preparing for War
Nanchang City.

"The three governors-general appointed by the false emperor are organizing the army in Guangdong and Guangxi. What do you think, my dear ministers?"

Wei Jiarui asked expressionlessly.

He thought that if the Southern King Fu Haoxuan became emperor, he would be able to attract the firepower of Dayu, and he could hide behind and slowly accumulate strength.

However, the plan could not change quickly enough. The three governors-general of the Yu Dynasty gathered in Guangzhou, shattering his fantasy.

From a geographical point of view, his territory is exactly between Fu Haoxuan and the three governors.

“Your Majesty, this is a conspiracy of the Pseudo-Dynasty.

They are trying to create military pressure, influence our strategic decisions and lead us astray.

The more the enemy opposes, the more we must implement it.

Having just experienced a great battle to defend the king, the enemy is now at its weakest.

Rather than waiting for the enemy to attack us, we should take the initiative to recapture Guangdong and Guangxi and cut off the last hope of the puppet dynasty!"

Minister of War Fang Kecheng was the first to answer.

The successive victories on the battlefield helped them overcome their fear of Li Mu.

Judging from the information available, more than half of the troops from Guangdong and Guangxi who were sent to support the king had been killed, and this was the best time for a major counterattack.

If we don't seize the opportunity before us, once the enemy recovers its strength, subsequent battles will be more difficult to fight.

"Master Fang, this is wrong!"

"Two dogs fight, play off."

"When the various rebel armies were fighting against Yu Cong, they were all allies.

Once the Yu Dynasty is overthrown, the situation will change.

Li Mu, that villain, is not easy to deal with.

With our strength, even if we can conquer Guangdong and Guangxi, we will have to pay a heavy loss.

The battle for the dragon in troubled times has already begun. If you consume too much strength, I'm afraid that what will happen next..."

Prime Minister Chang Junyi immediately objected.

If we can conquer Guangdong and Guangxi, then any price we pay will be worth it.

The fear is that before they can take over Guangdong and Guangxi, the Dayu Dynasty will collapse first.

By that time, the allies will be greater than the enemies, and it will be troublesome if the main force goes out to fight and is cut off from behind.

The Holy White Lotus Kingdom itself is the biggest negative example. If it had not placed a large number of its main forces on the front lines, it would not have lost its home base.

The old nest has not been lost, and the commander of the rebel army spread all over the southeast is still the White Lotus Saint Emperor.

Even if the three kings of different surnames have other ideas, they can only keep them to themselves for now.

"Prime Minister, I'm afraid it's beyond our control.

Our currently controlled areas are mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Huguang and Zhejiang.

The government troops launched a counterattack, and the first target was us.

The north is the territory of the Southern King, and the west is the sphere of influence of the Eastern King. If we want to expand our influence, we can only fight to the south.

If we don't capture Guangdong and Guangxi, we can only go to Yunnan, Guizhou and Fujian.

We are all very clear about the situation in Yunnan and Guizhou; the places are too poor.

Not only will it fail to provide financial and tax revenues, it will also increase the burden on the Holy Kingdom.

Although Fujian's economic situation is good, its strategic value is too low as the entire territory is mountainous.

The most important thing is that it does not produce food. Even if Fujian is taken, it will not enhance the strength of the Holy Nation."

Fang Kecheng immediately retorted.

The struggle for supremacy in troubled times is cruel, and many times one has no choice.

Although they knew that Guangdong and Guangxi would be difficult to conquer, they still had no choice but to go ahead due to the situation.

Unless they abandon the strategy of moving south and provoke a civil war among the rebels in advance.

But if this happens, the imperial court will be overjoyed.

They were able to grow so big thanks to the invasion of the Northern Tartars, which tied down Dayu's main force.

Before the northern barbarians invaded, the rebel army was suppressed by the government troops and almost lost all of Huguang.

Jiangxi also lost some prefectures and cities, and the battlefield in Zhejiang also did not gain any advantage. Nanjing, Lianghuai and other places were all in the hands of the imperial court.

The rebel army was at a critical moment of life and death. If they were not careful, the whole army would be wiped out.

It was with great difficulty that we turned the situation around and gained the strategic initiative.

Once internal strife breaks out, the current good situation will disappear.

Those who can stand out from the chaotic times are not fools, and naturally they would not do things that benefit the court.

Even in private, conflicts broke out more than once between the three rebel armies, but the top leaders tacitly chose to suppress the conflicts.

"Master Fang, don't be so absolute.

In addition to conquering Guangdong and Guangxi, we can also continue northward to capture Xiangyang and advance into the Central Plains.

Since ancient times, whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world. Occupying the Heluo land has a political impact that is no less than taking over Nanjing.

By then, the people of the country will be united, and it will be much easier to turn around and deal with the Yu army in Guangdong and Guangxi!"

The Minister of Personnel Huang Shanyan proposed a new plan.

The war in Huguang is coming to an end, and they are only one step away from reaching the Central Plains.

The Holy White Lotus Kingdom, which occupies Jiangxi, Huguang, Zhejiang and other places, is just a group of rebels fighting for the world.

But if he could seize the Central Plains, he would immediately become the prince with the greatest chance of ruling the world.

"Mr. Huang, the benefits and risks are always equal.

The Pseudo-Dynasty is not a fool and will not watch us seize the Central Plains.

Even if we manage to invade the Central Plains by chance, we will become the target of public criticism.

The various rebel armies will not just watch us fight for the Central Plains. They might even join forces with the Yu army to trip us up!"

……

“Okay, I have decided to march south to capture Guangdong and Guangxi.

Everyone, make good preparations for the war, and the army will set out in the autumn!"

Seeing that the dispute continued to escalate, Wei Jiarui immediately made a decision.

Life is unpredictable and fate loves to play tricks on us.

The Eastward Movement at that time failed to preserve Guangdong and Guangxi and fought all the way into the city of Nanjing.

He was a staunch supporter of westward expansion, but the poor roads in Yunnan and Guizhou slowed down his progress.

Before they could enter Shu, Guangxi was lost, and they were forced to adjust their strategic direction and march north.

On the contrary, it was the Northern Expedition faction that successfully entered Shu.

Everyone takes someone else's script and interprets a different life.

From a personal perspective, he naturally wanted to seize the Central Plains and rule the world.

But my strength doesn't allow it.

The Central Plains is different from the southern region. To start the Battle for the Central Plains dungeon, you need a cavalry that is good at fighting.

Since ancient times, the biggest reason for the failure of the South to unify the North has been the lack of war horses.

On the plains, using infantry to fight cavalry is simply a hellish situation.

Maybe the imperial court only needs to send out a few thousand elite cavalry to kill their way in and out of the hundreds of thousands of rebel troops.

Even if the rebels could win, it would not be possible in a short period of time.

If we fail to achieve speed, the Northern Expedition strategy will be a joke.

The three governors-general of the Yu Dynasty were eyeing him covetously. Once he let them complete the reorganization of their army, he would be attacked from both sides.

After weighing the pros and cons, Wei Jiarui decided to take the south first.

As long as he conquers Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian and Yunnan-Guizhou regions will be in his pocket.

By then, the problem of horse shortage can be alleviated.

The horses from the south may not be as big as Mongolian horses, but that's better than having none.

……

Time flies, and two months have passed in a flash.

Guangzhou Camp.

Tens of thousands of soldiers trained under the scorching sun, sweating profusely.

"It's so hot, I saw some soldiers fainted, will there be any problems with this kind of training?"

Li Yuan asked with a frown.

Although he held a high position, he also came from the military.

High-intensity training can indeed produce elite soldiers more quickly.

But there is a limit to this. Once you cross the line, you will be ruined.

To these bigwigs, the lower-level soldiers are just a group of numbers, but the losses during training cannot be too great.

If the soldiers are treated too harshly, their rebellious psychology will be aroused, and they will be attacked from behind on the battlefield.

"Don't worry, uncle.

This is not the first time they have trained new soldiers, and they all have experience. Some people fainted, mainly because of malnutrition. After a few months of recuperation in the army, the situation will improve.

Look at those veterans, every one of them is strong and healthy.

The current training is just the beginning, the real high-intensity training is still to come.

Our soldiers have never lacked resilience.

If the food is adequate and the soldiers are paid adequately, the morale of the army will not be a problem."

Li Mu replied calmly.

The poor combat effectiveness of the Yu army was largely due to lack of money and food.

Talking about loyalty to a group of hungry soldiers is a joke.

Compared to those abstract principles, everyone is more concerned about what to eat next and when to get their salary.

Everyone's life is hard.

The resentment during training can be calmed down with just a meal of meat.

Paying the soldiers adequately is a powerful tool for winning the hearts of the soldiers.

Li Mu likes to fight together with other Yu troops and does not expect his teammates to play much of a role.

It is mainly through comparison that the soldiers’ sense of belonging is cultivated.

When their colleagues are eating coarse food and are hungry, they are happy to be able to have enough to eat.

It is a blessing to be able to receive sufficient military pay when colleagues’ military pay is withheld or delayed.

"More sweat in peacetime, less blood in war."

Daily training is hard, but that’s because the adults love their soldiers like their own sons, so they should remember their kindness.

After each joint operation, the loyalty of the soldiers under his command will be greatly improved.

Gather the old subordinates who were sent out, fill up the staffing, and train with everyone.

It seems that he is doing favors for his father-in-law and uncle, but in fact he is doing it for his direct descendants to see.

Generals with resource backgrounds all have a hard life after leaving the team.

If these generals who have no political resources leave the team, they will have no chance of survival.

If you have a little understanding of the situation, you will know that it is normal for the court to owe wages.

Only those who can get full military pay are the exception in the Dayu army.

"It's difficult!"

"By the standards you set, military spending is simply too high.

In recent days, I, the Governor-General of Huguang, have only raised a total of 200,000 taels of military pay.

I have sacrificed my reputation for this money. Before we recover Huguang, it will be difficult for me to gain anything.”

Li Yuan said helplessly.

A penny stumps the hero.

Due to financial constraints, he did not dare to accept the soldiers sent by Li Mu.

There is no other reason. After taking over, we will be responsible for the military expenses of the soldiers.

The troops withdrawn from Huguang were starving for food and needed him to pay them.

He could pretend not to see the unpaid wages left by the court in the past, but now he had to be responsible for the daily expenses of the troops.

The two hundred thousand taels of silver were divided into five months of use, with a budget of only 40,000 taels per month.

In addition to the troops, there is also a group of people in the governor's office who he is responsible for supporting.

With his own private army as the core and the troops withdrawn from Huguang, he reorganized a total of 8,000 troops, but was forced to stop the pace of military expansion.

“It’s good enough to be able to raise money.

You, the Governor of Huguang, are now just an empty shell.

The gentry and merchants who fled from Huguang were willing to give financial support as a token of respect.

As the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, I also have a province under my control, and I have only raised one million taels, much of which was verbal promises. "

Jing Guoliang followed suit and complained.

Without raising taxes, it would have been possible to raise so much military pay within two months. If it were a civilian governor, he would have been overjoyed.

When have you ever seen gentry and merchants take the initiative to pay money to support the imperial court in suppressing a rebellion?

Even if you give money, it's just nice talk.

When it really comes time to pay, everyone becomes a miser and starts complaining.

These are traditional skills, enough to control local government.

If you want to gain greater support, then offer actual benefits in exchange.

Jing Guoliang was able to raise military funds by naturally resorting to extraordinary measures.

In order to get them to "voluntarily donate", all the navy under Li Mu were borrowed.

In recent days, the smuggling trade in Fujian waters has been strictly cracked down.

The house won’t be confiscated or the whole family will be killed, but if the smugglers are caught, they will still have to pay a high fine.

If the fleet wants to sail smoothly, it only needs to raise a sum of "anti-enemy money" from the governor's office in time.

Depending on the tonnage of the ship, the levy ranges from 300 to 3000 taels per ship.

Not only Fujian is conducting "voluntary fundraising", but Wuyang Hou is also not idle.

In the areas controlled by the imperial court, donations were collected to suppress the rebels.

Those who go out to sea without paying will be fined several times the amount of the donation if caught.

Basically, the fine depends on the person. The more money a person has, the higher the fine will be, starting at at least ten times.

If the maritime merchants cannot afford to pay, then they can ask the shareholders behind the scenes to pay it back.

The gameplay is somewhat similar to that of Zheng’s pirates in the late Ming Dynasty, the difference is that this is official in nature.

For merchants who refused to pay, the liquidation was not carried out at sea, but the army went directly to block the door.

Even though each company has considerable power at sea, they can only temporarily suppress their anger when faced with an opponent who solves the problem directly at the source.

The value of the "Shandong Family Case" is constantly rising.

If you can tinker with the Shandong family case, you can also plan the Fujian family case and the Guangdong and Guangxi family case.

The bigger your family and business, the less likely you are to take risks.

"Voluntary fundraising" is painful, but compared with the bloody massacre by the rebels, it is not worth mentioning at all.

The Governor's Office only gave them a piece of meat, but the rebels wanted to take everything from them.

The policy of appeasement is the measure taken after the robbery.

Rebellion, in essence, is the redistribution of wealth through violent means.

What is the point of rebellion if you don't take the money out of their cellars?
There is no point in impeaching someone in the court.

The imperial court is unable to pay for the rebellion, and if the people below do not work hard to make money, the world will change hands.

Even if revenge is to be taken in the court, it will have to wait until the White Lotus Rebellion is quelled.

"You two great governors are crying poor here, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?

The areas under our jurisdiction are all rare and prosperous places in the world.

The cost of maintaining an army is high now because food prices remain high.

If we can recapture a few states and solve the problem of military food, the pressure on military expenditure will be greatly reduced."

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m the governor of four provinces, but I’m not much richer than you.

Jiangnan has no income at all, and Guangdong and Guangxi have too much military spending, and the fiscal deficit is also serious."

Noticing that the two men's eyes were not right, Marquis Wuyang hurriedly refused.

You can send troops to help, but you can’t give money.

The massive expansion of the army was possible thanks to the selfless dedication of the Shandong family and the generous gift packages sent by the Northern Tartars.

These expenses were allocated to the military from the very beginning and did not reach the hands of him as the governor.

The financial revenue of Guangdong and Guangxi must be used to recover Jiangnan and post-war reconstruction, and not a single cent will be redundant.

"I'm not asking for money!"

“The Imperial Guards have reported that the two major rebels in the southeast region have contacted each other privately.

The most likely scenario is that they are discussing a northern expedition to the Central Plains, or heading south to attack Guangdong and Guangxi.

It is midsummer now, and the enemy will send out troops after the autumn harvest.

By that time, the training of the recruits will be almost completed, and the troops can be sent to the battlefield to fight the enemy.

The main battlefield is over there, and cannot be decided by the enemy. We must seize the strategic initiative!"

Li Yuan shook his head and said.

Organizing a group to inspect the camp is itself a preparation for war.

In times of war, strength means voice.

Among the three governors-general in the southeast, the military strength under Marquis Wuyang is the strongest, far surpassing the other two governors-general.

When choosing the main battlefield and fighter plane, Marquis Wuyang is bound to be mentioned.

(End of this chapter)