Fu Shanhe

Chapter 337: War Camps
"inappropriate!"

"If we do this, where is the dignity of the court?"

Wei Jiarui refused decisively.

Deep down, he was already groaning inwardly.

The prerequisite for refuting a rumor is that the rumor exists first.

The outside world has been spreading rumors about this, and although there is some exaggeration, human military rations do exist.

Although it is made into dried meat, it is still different from pork, beef and mutton.

If the warehouse was really opened and the soldiers were allowed in to check, they would inevitably be exposed.

There are hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and there are all kinds of talented people among them.

Only some soldiers believed the rumors in the army. Once they were exposed in public, his reputation would be completely ruined.

After the refusal, Wei Jiarui regretted it.

He read "shock and suspicion" from the changing expressions of the officials present.

Wei Jiarui knew very well that it might be okay to fool the lower-level soldiers about the military rations, but the senior officials who were familiar with the State of Chu would definitely notice something was wrong.

Refusing to check is tantamount to directly admitting it.

But we are all smart people and know that there are some things we can do but cannot say out loud.

"Your Majesty is wise, and I am reckless!"

Fang Kecheng immediately made amends.

The window paper has been broken and the goal has been achieved.

The rebel army's ability to maintain confidentiality is on the same level as that of the Dayu Dynasty.

It won't be long before the conversation just now spreads throughout the army.

Since he, the Minister of War, can betray the State of Chu for the benefit of his clan, others can naturally do the same.

The best proof of this is that rumors spread quickly in the military.

Without anyone fanning the flames, the efficiency could never be so high if the soldiers just let the situation develop freely.

“Forget it, you’re just anxious to quell the rumors, so I won’t punish you this time.

Pass down the order, forbid anyone to spread rumors, and anyone who violates the order will be killed without mercy!"

Wei Jiarui waved his hand and said.

He did not tell his ministers about using human flesh as military rations, so it is understandable that they were not aware of it.

If they dared to use Fang Kecheng, they must have verified his identity.

Before joining the rebel army, he was a poor scholar whose family was destroyed because he offended the prince.

After joining the rebel army, he personally took action and stabbed the vassal king who had destroyed his family.

It's obvious at first glance that he is a staunch anti-Yu element, and there is no need to worry about his loyalty.

Not only Fang Kecheng, but all the senior officials in the court have a blood feud with the Dayu court.

There was nothing wrong with the political background review, but unfortunately Wei Jiarui overlooked the fact that there are still people who use substitutionary means to replace the dead in the world.

Replacing identities is not something that can be done randomly. At least there should be some similarity in appearance.

Even if you meet someone you know, you won't be exposed at first glance.

In addition to civil officials, there are also various forces mixed in among the rebel generals.

A military general who is well-versed in military books cannot possibly pop out from between stones.

What about the teachings from a hermit master? That's all nonsense.

Under the household registration system of the Dayu Dynasty, those who lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests were most likely wanted criminals.

"The hermits" are also human beings and they also need food, clothing and shelter.

He is just talented, not sick.

In the deep mountains and forests, everything is inconvenient and it is purely self-inflicted suffering.

If even eating is a problem, how can I have time to study?

"The great hermit hides in the court, the middle hermit hides in the city, and the small hermit hides in the wild."

The most powerful group of people have always been in the court, but they have never been able to show off their power.

However, it is still very feasible to use it to fool grassroots rebels.

He appears so frequently in operas that many people naively believe that the most talented sages are hiding among the countryside.

"According to the order!"

Seeing that the King of Chu had made up his mind, everyone agreed immediately.

It is extremely difficult to arrest those who spread "rumors", but it is very simple to stop the spread of "rumors".

As for how effective a ban can be, that is not the point.

The order was given by the King of Chu, so they just need to execute it.

The key is to skip this sensitive topic, move on to the next item as soon as possible, and divert the King of Chu's attention.

Especially those inside players who decided to switch sides, they are more afraid of something unexpected happening at such a sensitive moment.

……

Wuchang City.

“According to an insider, they have spread the news to the camp and are just waiting for the news to spread.

Perhaps I can arrange a time and seize the opportunity to defeat the enemy with our internal and external forces."

Li Yuan said in a good mood.

Considering that he was used to taking steady steps and had never done this kind of operation before, he was still a little undecided.

The rebels outside the city have completed their organization and are different from ordinary rebels.

The enemy's strength is several times that of the government's army. If we really launch an attack, no one can be sure whether we can quickly defeat the enemy.

If the rebels could withstand the attack, the situation would quickly reverse.

At that time, the enemy can use the familiar human wave tactics to fight against the government troops.

Even if the war is won in the end, the huge amount of compensation for casualties will bring the local government down.

“Judging from the enemy’s offensive situation, their desire to fight has been greatly reduced.

The strategy of shaking up the military's morale is now beginning to show results.

In order to avoid any further complications and the rebels noticing something was wrong, he made an agreement with them to have a decisive battle tomorrow night.

They didn't need to do anything else but find an opportunity to set fire to the camp.

It would be even better if we could burn down the enemy's granary."

Li Mu made a decision immediately.

He doesn't have much expectations for the inside.

If they could get the message out and disrupt the enemy's morale, they would have accomplished their mission.

In the subsequent big battles, it would be best to have inside cooperation, but it doesn’t matter if there is none.

Once the morale of the army was lost, the fighting capacity of the rebels was reduced by 70% to 80%.

"Aren't you waiting for the battle report from Jiangxi?"

Li Yuan asked doubtfully.

The army is attacking from multiple directions to suppress the rebellion, and the Jiangxi battlefield is currently making the most smooth progress.

The main force of the rebels has been dispatched, leaving the rear forces empty. This is the best time to recover lost territory.

“The rebels brought this upon themselves, now the time is ripe, there is no need to wait.

If we win this battle, the rebels in Jiangxi and Zhejiang will be wiped out within half a year.

After the autumn harvest, the Battle of Nanzhili was launched and Yingtian Prefecture was recovered. This battle to quell the rebellion is about to come to an end!

Other scattered battlefields will not cause any big waves.

After a few years of rest and recuperation, the imperial court will be able to recover.

As for the battle to quell the rebellion in Shu, let Lord Xu take care of it!

We can't do our job too cleanly, lest those civil servants develop inappropriate thoughts.

Your Majesty is easily fooled and makes the wrong decision."

Li Mu complained without any hesitation.

Although Emperor Yongning relied heavily on the group of nobles to quell the rebellion, the relationship between the two sides was not that close.

If they really trusted them, they should have made full use of the noble group as early as the early days of the White Lotus Rebellion.

If that were the case, the White Lotus Rebellion would have been suppressed long ago and would not have dragged on until now.

“It’s better to say less of these words when you are outside.

Although the current factory guards don’t have as sharp a nose as before, they still exist.

It would be troublesome if someone misinterpreted your meaning and reported it to His Majesty.

Our enemies are not only on the battlefield, but also in the court.

In order to suppress the rebellion, the civil officials are willing to compromise with us, but once the war is over, the two sides will be in opposition again.

Your current status is different. If they find something wrong with you, it could easily become the fuse that ignites a dispute between the civil and military officials."

Li Yuan reminded gently.

People with different identities and status receive different treatments.

For the Li clan, Li Mu has gone from being a potential stock to a pillar of the clan.

Having two marquises in one family is an apparent glory, but the real advantage comes from controlling the largest number of troops in Dayu.

The victory in the Jiangxi battlefield proved that the Guangdong garrison troops also possessed outstanding combat effectiveness.

If the situation in Guangxi is the same, the number of combat-ready soldiers under Li Mu's command will be as high as more than 200,000.

In front of this force, the powerful Liaodong Town is just a younger brother.

"Uncle is right, we really can't say these things carelessly. But I'm afraid we can't avoid a new round of civil-military disputes.

Now, the seven provinces are all governed by our noble family.

This is the merit we have won on the battlefield, so we naturally cannot give it up easily.

I don't expect to keep the position forever, but the court must give me some compensation.

For example: breaking the restrictions on military generals serving as local governors and provincial governors, and arranging for us to become successors. "

Li Mu said with a serious face.

When people are in the court, they can't help themselves.

Even if he doesn't want to fight for power, when he reaches this position, he has to stand up and fight for the interests of the military.

Whether you succeed or not is not important; the key is to make a gesture and show your position.

In essence, this was done for the generals below to see, and was a disguised way of winning over the soldiers' hearts.

“I’m afraid that won’t work, the court won’t compromise on this.

If this idea is really brought up, the civil servants over there will probably go crazy, and His Majesty will also oppose it.

Our power is not enough to change the court's decision."

Li Yuan shook his head and said.

Relaxing the restrictions is equivalent to removing the promotion ceiling for military generals.

With this good start, the practice of using culture to control military power will no longer exist.

The fact that civil officials are superior and military officials are inferior will naturally become history.

“Uncle, I never expected to succeed.

We have made great contributions in the war to suppress the rebellion. If we don't ask for anything, Your Majesty will not be at ease.

Once these demands were rejected by the court, it would be much easier to put forward other conditions.

We don't need to take the lead in this matter. We just need to arrange for the people below to submit memorials to express our position.

The main reason is that the imperial court is too poor to even pay pensions, let alone reward meritorious officials. "

Li Mu said worriedly.

There is no title to be given and no reward to be given, but it is a taboo in officialdom.

Usually when something like this happens, the person who is greeted with it is the emperor's butcher knife.

Under normal circumstances, the imperial court should not destroy its own Great Wall now.

But at the end of the dynasty, abnormal operations were the most common occurrence.

Li Mu couldn't guarantee that Emperor Yongning would not do something stupid after being fooled by the civil officials.

The best way to avoid tragedy is naturally to shift everyone's attention from the great heroes to the power struggle.

“You can arrange for someone to test the waters and take the initiative, but you must not rush to take the lead.

Our Li family has been loyal for generations, we absolutely cannot..."

Li Mu naturally agreed to his uncle's instructions.

Accumulating strength is to protect oneself in troubled times.

Unless they are forced to do so, who would be so foolish as to raise the flag of rebellion?

No matter how many trusted members he has, they are ultimately established under the Dayu system.

The core that maintains the team's operation is still the traditional "loyalty and righteousness".

……

The rebel camp.

Ever since the news of human flesh rations spread, the camp has never stewed meat again.

The external explanation was that the meat had been consumed, and if they wanted to improve the food next time, they would have to wait for a new batch of military rations to arrive.

This explanation calmed the troops to a certain extent.

Unlimited meat supply is 100% problematic; intermittent supply is the norm.

However, there are still loopholes. The soldiers guarding the granary all know that a large amount of dried meat is still stored in the warehouse.

Even if there is a gag order, it cannot stop people from gossiping.

No matter how strict the management in the camp is, there are still people who let the law run during the execution process and allow the news to spread in the camp.

As the news continued to spread, various versions of the rumors also spread in the military.

After confirming the human flesh rations, many people began to speculate about the source of the human flesh.

Some people speculated that it was the bodies of enemy soldiers, some speculated that it was the bodies of fallen comrades, and some believed that someone in the rear was slaughtering the city to make military rations...

No one wants to be eaten after death, and even less does they want their family members to become food. For a time, everyone in the camp was in a panic.

There was even a mutiny at one point, but it was quickly suppressed by the generals' personal soldiers.

The direct consequence was that everyone was passive and lazy during the siege and had no morale during daily patrols.

Especially the high-risk scouts, once they are out of the general's sight, they will decisively find a place to hide.

Wait until the time is almost up and then go back to report.

The question is: There is no problem, everything is normal.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The sound of muskets broke the silence of the midnight.

"Enemy attack!"

The night watch soldiers only issued a warning after the battle started.

However, what they gained was not reinforcements, but a raging fire in the camp.

Those who turned to the court again took advantage of the chaos to start artillery fire in the camp, and for a while the sky was full of flames.

The chaotic scene triggered conflicts within the rebel army.

After someone took the lead in provoking a conflict, the soldiers who had past grudges against each other quickly started fighting each other.

No matter how loudly the generals shouted and rebuked, they could not stop the chaos from spreading.

The painstakingly built camp was quickly torn apart by government troops in the chaos, and the fighting quickly spread to the inner camp.

"What's going on outside?"

Wei Jiarui, who had just woken up from his sleep, asked in confusion.

"My Lord, the enemy has sneaked into our camp!
There were spies from the Pseudo-Dynasty in the camp who took advantage of the chaos to set fire to the camp and create confusion.

It's a mess outside now, can you think of a solution?"

The guard commander said in panic.

The chaos came too suddenly, leaving them no time to react.

In panic, many soldiers with no morale ran around the camp.

Many generals couldn't find their soldiers.

When he heard that "the pseudo-Kingdom attacked the camp", Wei Jiarui's face suddenly became gloomy.

It was no secret among the rebel army that Li Mu's troops were good at night attacks.

In order to prevent the enemy from attacking at night, he not only strengthened the defense of the camp, but also sent scouts all around.

Even in the middle of the night, there were people specifically responsible for keeping an eye on the enemy.

Under normal circumstances, as soon as the enemy troops move out, the news will be immediately transmitted back.

The scene before me was obviously different from what I had expected.

The defenders received the early warning only when the enemy troops had reached the camp gate.

Before everyone had time to wake up from their sleep, the war broke out into the camp.

"Hurry..."

Before he could finish his words, Wei Jiarui suddenly realized that something was wrong. His own tent was on fire.

Without any hesitation, Wei Jiarui quickly put on his clothes and ran out of the tent.

Looking around, the entire camp was a huge sea of ​​fire.

Screams mixed with the sound of gunfire resounded through the sky.

“Your Majesty, the situation is chaotic now, and there are enemy troops everywhere outside.

How about we help you break out under cover of night?"

The commander of the personal guards said in panic.

"no!"

"I can't go anywhere now!"

"Send a message to the generals of each unit, and have them organize their troops to fight the enemy while arranging people to put out the fire!"

Wei Jiarui refused in a firm tone.

He had escaped many times, but he couldn't run away again this time.

Once you leave, the foundation you have accumulated will be destroyed.

Suddenly there was a strong southwest wind.

The camp was already a sea of ​​fire, and with the wind fanning the flames, the fire burned even more vigorously.

Many tents that had not yet burned were now ignited by the flames that drifted over, and the fire continued to spread.

"God's punishment!"

"The King of Chu was immoral and brought down punishment from heaven.

If you continue to follow the King of Chu in rebellion, you will surely be punished by the heavens..."

The shouts from the camp were the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The rebel generals who were still organizing resistance suddenly lost their courage after seeing this scene.

(End of this chapter)