Fu Shanhe

Chapter 560 Backstab
Beneath the walls of Xiangyang, an alliance of rebels formed.

"The Central Plains have been completely plundered. If we can't take Xiangyang City soon, our army will run out of food!"

"Killing King said indignantly."

The constant warfare has dealt a devastating blow to agricultural production in the north.

No matter how much they looted, they still couldn't avoid running out of food.

To feed their troops, many rebels resorted to cannibalism.

Even so, the food crisis remains a looming threat.

In an attempt to alleviate the crisis, the anti-king alliance split its forces and tried to cross the Yangtze River.

Unfortunately, despite the good plan, problems arose when it came to its execution.

This once again proves that northerners are not good at naval warfare.

They launched several crossing-the-river operations, all of which ended in failure.

If crossing the Yangtze River is impossible, then going against the current to capture Chongqing is even more impossible.

On the contrary, the team attacking Hanzhong unexpectedly gained something.

However, after capturing Hanzhong, they were once again blocked by a pass.

With multiple fronts blocked, the anti-king alliance was suddenly pushed to the brink of collapse.

"King of Slaughter, all that you're saying is nonsense!"

"Everyone here knows the seriousness of the problem, but how can it be solved?"

"Yu Jun's navy has blockaded the Yangtze River. With just those wooden rafts we built, we're just handing them credit for their war effort!"

Tianyun King retorted irritably.

Compared to the collapsing north, the rule of the Great Yu in the south was much more stable.

Having suffered greatly during the White Lotus Rebellion, the southern gentry now harbor extreme hatred towards the rebel army.

For their own benefit, these local bullies are doing everything they can to help the government troops defend the Yangtze River defense line.

It's impossible to sow discord or win them over; the mess they've made in the north is even worse than the White Lotus Rebellion back then.

"Please calm down, both of you."

“In the past, it would have been very difficult for us to cross the Yangtze River, but it is different now.”

The northern barbarians have launched a large-scale invasion, and the Great Yu court is drawing troops from various provinces to reinforce the Xuzhou front.

If the land forces are being mobilized, the navy will likely follow suit.

In the eyes of the officials of the Yu Dynasty, the Northern Barbarians posed a far greater threat than we peasants did.

As long as the enemy divides its forces and moves south, it will leave us with an opportunity to take advantage of.

The next step is simply to expand the battlefront, including not only crossing the river upstream but also the middle and lower reaches.

There's no profit to be made in the Central Plains, so we don't need to worry about our escape route or being cut off from our supplies by the enemy.

For the alliance, Xiangyang's strategic value is no longer so important at this moment.

Instead of getting bogged down here, we should launch a fierce attack on Anqing Prefecture and tear a gap in the enemy's Yangtze River defense line.

Even if the attack fails, we can join forces with the northern barbarians to jointly divide up the prefectures and counties north of the Yangtze River.

The King of Sanjin then made the suggestion.

For these people, colluding with the northern barbarians carried no moral pressure whatsoever.

After all, his soldiers had started eating people, and they had long since lost all sense of morality, etiquette, and shame!

They'll do anything to survive.

If they cannot break through the defenses of the Great Yu Dynasty on their own, they will seek help from allies.

As for the problem of the Northern Barbarians growing too powerful, they simply ignored it.

These are issues that need to be considered only after conquering the world; there's no need to consider them now.

"Theoretically, it's correct, but the imperial court has deployed a large number of troops in Jiangbei. We recently divided our forces to advance eastward, but we suffered heavy losses."

The government troops are firmly holding the city; even if we gather our main force and attack, we won't be able to break through the city anytime soon!

King Zhu Lu shook his head and said.

The rebel army appeared to be a formidable force, but in reality, it had never fought a truly hard-fought battle.

Rather than saying they seized the Central Plains, it would be more accurate to say the imperial court voluntarily relinquished it.

If they want to train elite troops, a poor logistical system won't allow them to do so.

The main fighting force of the rebel army came from the battlefield.

This type of unit has strong individual combat capabilities, but they become helpless in large-scale group battles.

Apart from a few veterans, most of the rebel soldiers had not received systematic training, and the rebel kings were even less capable of commanding large-scale battles.

The million-strong rebel army sounds impressive, but in reality, due to the poor quality of its middle and high-level leaders, even daily command and control are extremely difficult.

Many military orders, when passed down from above, were altered beyond recognition.

The failure of the crossing-the-river campaign was partly due to the strength of Yu's navy, but more so due to the chaotic internal order within the rebel army.

They agreed to launch attacks from multiple points simultaneously, preventing the government troops from being able to attend to both ends.

When it came to the actual execution, everyone had their own agenda, resulting in a seven-day gap between the earliest and latest troops to cross the river.

With such a long time, let alone catching the enemy off guard, the government navy could easily circle the Yangtze River twice.

If you can learn from your mistakes after failing, that's also acceptable.

Unfortunately, the various rebel kings only temporarily united, each with their own agenda and trying to preserve their strength.

Everyone wants to take advantage of others to contribute more, while they themselves lead their troops to dawdle on the battlefield. It would be a miracle if they could win a battle.

"Gentlemen, the situation has come to this point, do you still want to fight amongst yourselves?"

"Once the situation in the imperial court stabilizes, it won't be long before a new round of encirclement and suppression is organized."

Although the combat effectiveness of the government troops was highly polarized, the elite troops within them were truly formidable.

The invasion of the northern barbarians presents the best opportunity to break the deadlock. If we continue to preserve our strength and miss this chance, we'll simply face a slow and inevitable demise!

Gao Yunliang said with a cold expression.

As the leader of the rebel army, he couldn't control his subordinates.

He thought he could soar to great heights with the help of the alliance, but he never expected that the position of alliance leader would not only not bring him much benefit, but would also cause him to lose a lot of resources.

The leader of the alliance bears all the expenses for these routine gatherings.

These rebel kings were all men who valued their lives, and every time they went out, they would bring hundreds of personal guards with them, who would be treated to the finest wine and meat.

He didn't think much of it at first, but as supplies became increasingly scarce, he didn't want to continue being taken advantage of.

……

Chongqing Prefecture.

"Master, the information has been obtained."

The northern barbarians captured Shuntian Prefecture, and the war at the front was critical. The imperial court transferred soldiers from two garrisons in Sichuan.

Of the recruited troops stationed in Chongqing Prefecture, only the unit under the Left Army Commander remains, with a total strength of no more than five thousand men.

The gaunt man said excitedly.

As remnants of the White Lotus sect, they lived a precarious existence ever since the government forces recaptured Sichuan.

They feared that one day the authorities would discover them and bring about their annihilation.

Fortunately, the Great Yu Dynasty was full of troubles, and local officials were busy vying for power and profit, in addition to making money.

They weren't particularly keen on hunting down these stray dogs.

Having weathered the initial period of uncertainty, the Burning Lamp Sect, which originated from the White Lotus Sect, was quietly born in Sichuan.

For security reasons, they did not place their headquarters in Chengdu, but instead chose Chongqing, which is located at the intersection of multiple provinces.

The purpose was so that if the government troops were to encircle and suppress them, they could go to a neighboring province for temporary refuge in the shortest possible time.

Cross-provincial pursuits can take months just to go through the procedures, which is enough time for them to hide.

Perhaps it was good luck, or perhaps the local officials were too incompetent, but after the Burning Lamp Sect was established, it was not noticed by the government at all.

They survived several years unscathed, and the Burning Lamp Sect gradually grew from a small group of about a hundred people into the largest rebel group in Sichuan.

It has more than 200,000 followers, spread across many prefectures and cities in Sichuan.

It's impossible to live a peaceful life.

Like many White Lotus sect organizations, once they grew in strength, they would think of rebellion.

"Ok!"

"Pass down the order: tell our men to behave themselves and not cause any trouble for me."

The government troops have just left; let's wait until they reach the front lines in Xuzhou!

Pang Suying immediately gave the order. As a cult leader with extensive experience in rebellion, he knew very well that it was not yet his time to perform.

The main force of the government troops had just left Shu. If they caused trouble at this time, the enemy would immediately turn back to suppress them.

The Burning Lamp Sect may have had more than 200,000 followers, but most of them were unarmed peasants, and their actual fighting strength was no match for the few thousand government troops stationed in Chongqing.

Moreover, the followers are scattered in various places and cannot be gathered together in a short period of time.

For a rebellion to succeed, the first shot must be fired in order to create a united front.

From this perspective, Chongqing Prefecture, heavily guarded by government troops, was not suitable as the site of the uprising.

Of course, it's not entirely impossible to start a rebellion in Chongqing.

All we need to do is unite with the downstream rebel alliance and cooperate with them to seize Chongqing Prefecture from within and without.

However, this would mean that the initiative to rebel would fall into the hands of others, and they would become dependents.

If a ruthless leader emerges in the rebel army and has the potential to conquer the world, then doing so might not be a bad thing.

Unfortunately, the rebel army was a mixed bag, and no true dragon had yet emerged to sweep across the land, so Pang Suying naturally wouldn't go and join those useless people.

"As ordered!"

The crowd answered in unison.

These core members of the Burning Lamp Sect in front of me all participated in the White Lotus Rebellion and witnessed the rise and fall of the White Lotus Sect.

Everyone was quite cautious about the issue of rebellion.

Although the organizational structure from the White Lotus Sect era was retained, much more caution was still needed in the specific organization and operation.

Missionary work was mostly conducted in remote mountain villages, and every time they were operating under the noses of the government, they would repeatedly confirm their safety before taking action.

To facilitate their missionary work, they even dragged the clerks in the government office into their scheme.

Their daily activities seem similar to those of gangsters, and their main sources of income are smuggling special goods and collecting protection fees.

Most of the profits were given to officials and local dignitaries.

……

Yong'an City.

"My lord, the situation in the world is showing signs of getting out of control. Yong'an Prefecture is too remote and not conducive to controlling the overall situation."

In order to better control the situation, I propose that the Protectorate General's office be moved to Guangzhou Prefecture!

Lan Linjie stepped forward and offered his advice.

As the country grew increasingly chaotic, the officials of the Annam Protectorate could no longer remain idle.

With the Great Yu Dynasty on the verge of collapse, their continued confinement in Yong'an Prefecture was clearly out of step with the times.

In addition to his role as Protector-General of Annam, Li Mu also served as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.

In previous years, the government seat was located in Yong'an, not only to facilitate control over the situation in the Indochina Peninsula and Southeast Asia, but also mainly to reduce its own visibility.

Despite the fact that Yong'an Prefecture was developing well, it was still considered a "barbaric and uncivilized land" by the gentry and officials of Dayu.

In contrast, Guangzhou Prefecture was different.

As one of the top ten prefectures in Dayu, it has become increasingly attractive as maritime trade has developed.

"At this time, it might not be a good idea to move the administrative center to Guangzhou!"

Li Mu said with a frown.

He doesn't care about attracting attention from all sides; he's long past the time for keeping a low profile anyway.

But the Great Yu Empire hasn't collapsed yet, and Guangzhou is much closer to Nanjing. What if the court sends another imperial edict to come to the aid of the emperor?
"My lord, times have changed!"

"The imperial edifice is about to collapse, and the land of Han is being ravaged by foreign tribes. It is the time when heroes are needed to step forward."

Moving the capital to Guangzhou at this time is to tell the world that only you, Lord Marquis, can save the world!

Lan Linjie encouraged them vigorously.

Compared to the various warlords across the land, Li Mu's leading advantage was far too obvious.

As a result, many ambitious individuals, who clearly wanted to participate in the struggle for power during this chaotic era, forcibly suppressed their ambitions.

No matter how much they instigated behind the scenes, the governors and viceroys in various regions only engaged in verbal sparring with the imperial court, and no one dared to cross the line.

Under pressure from Li Mu, apart from the northern barbarians and peasant armies, the civil and military officials within the Great Yu territory behaved relatively well.

At the end of the dynasty, this was almost a miracle.

However, this kind of miracle is clearly not what they want to see.

If no one rebels and no treacherous officials wreak havoc on the world, how can our lord sweep across the land and establish a new dynasty?
Since the soft approach isn't working, we'll have to resort to the hard one.

The Annam Protectorate and the Guangdong and Guangxi regions operate under two different models. Once the administrative center is moved there, it will inevitably affect the interests of the local vested interest groups.

The gentry and commoners of the land, if not hating them to the core, certainly wouldn't give them a friendly look.

In order to protect their own interests, these people will most likely cause trouble and prevent Li Mu from unifying the world.

Since the Great Yu Empire is beyond saving, the only option is to support others and compete with Li Mu for the throne.

Regardless of who they support, they must first seize the legacy of the Great Yu Empire before they can even put up a fight.

The villains were made, and the blame for the downfall of the Great Yu Dynasty was shifted to others.

He later seized the country by force, taking it from the northern barbarians and various feudal lords, thus resolving the issue of illegitimate acquisition of power.

However, this approach also carries risks.

They didn't want to bear the infamy of being traitors, and neither did anyone else.

The gentry group appears powerful, but in reality, it is internally divided and also very severely.

Hoping that they would join forces to support a group of warlords and seize the last vestiges of the Great Yu Dynasty is clearly not feasible.

If the plan fails, those gentry might even send the young emperor over, and then we'll have no choice but to play the abdication game.

Forcing a young emperor to abdicate is not a good thing.

If the young emperor were to die unexpectedly, he would have to bear the infamy of regicide.

"Bad idea!"

"The rebels have not even crossed the Yangtze River, and the northern barbarians are even further away in Xuzhou. How could they possibly face the extermination of their race?"

"If I were to jump out so hastily now, what would the world think of me?"

Li Mu scolded him impatiently.

He did not object to moving the administrative center to Guangzhou.

But to make such a plan, we need to take action first!

Whether it's letting the rebels cross the Yangtze River or allowing the northern barbarians to advance all the way, the Great Yu Empire will only collapse after these events occur.

The subordinates won't do the dirty and tiring work, so we can't expect him to personally give the orders and stab the Great Yu Empire in the back!

If you lack the ability to plan, then simply refrain from making any rash moves and wait for the Great Yu Empire to collapse on its own.

If no one intervenes to turn the tide, the Great Yu Dynasty will only be destroyed in three to five years; there's no need to act so hastily.

"My lord, the Yangtze River Navy has suffered heavy losses in the previous battles."

With treacherous officials in power and no timely reinforcements provided, the imperial court was simply unable to stop the rebel army!
Needless to say, the defending forces in Xuzhou consisted partly of surrendered rebels and partly of defected Liaodong troops.

The ingredients inside are a mixed bag, so it probably won't last long.

If we don't prepare in advance, we might be caught off guard if a landslide occurs.

Lan Linjie immediately tried to salvage the situation.

The Great Yu Empire has been able to survive until now mainly because of their support behind the scenes.

Without Li Mu's support for the imperial court, the local governors and viceroys would not have been so obedient.

The various armies, already militarized, would not obediently follow the court's orders.

Once they signal that they are abandoning the Great Yu, the Great Yu Empire, which is barely maintaining its unity, will immediately fall apart.

"It's alright, anything can happen in chaotic times."

It's not uncommon for members of the imperial family to declare themselves kings or emperors!

Li Mu said coldly.

Frankly speaking, he also had feelings for the Great Yu Empire.

If I had a choice, I really wouldn't want to betray the Great Yu at this time.

But some things are beyond our control.

A change of dynasty is inevitable, and the longer it drags on, the greater the damage to the people.

The Great Yu Empire is now completely rotten, from its roots to its trunk.

The officials in the court were all mediocre, and although they tried to maintain the rule of the empire, their efforts were merely lip service.

When it comes to actual action, they are either busy making money or vying for power and profit.

(End of this chapter)