Fu Shanhe

Chapter 566 Yangzhou Undercurrents
In the military camp.

"General, the northern barbarians' offensive is becoming increasingly fierce. I'm afraid Yangzhou cannot be defended!"

Lieutenant General Yu Jingfeng said with a solemn expression.

Since the news of the rebels crossing the Yangtze River came, rumors have been spreading throughout the city, and the atmosphere in the army has gradually changed as well.

The argument that "the difficulties are temporary and the court will soon send reinforcements" is no longer convincing.

A pessimistic mood continued to spread throughout the camp, affecting even the high-ranking officers.

"It's not 'I'm afraid we can't hold it,' it's 'We definitely can't hold it!'"

"Although the governor repeatedly promised that the court would send reinforcements soon, he avoided talking about how many reinforcements there would be or when they would arrive."

It's clearly just empty promises, a ploy to appease the troops and stabilize morale.

Cao Zirui replied with a gloomy expression.

Even though he hadn't been in the officialdom of Dayu for long, he was still very familiar with these little tricks of officialdom.

Promises from your boss are the least trustworthy.

Even with a clear promise, things can still change, let alone making empty promises without any concrete information.

"General, since we can't hold Yangzhou, we must consider our escape route!"

As soon as Shi Qi finished speaking, he immediately attracted the attention of all the generals.

As recruited troops, they were not highly regarded in the military organization of Dayu.

Cao Zirui's position as general was also given to him because of the unfavorable situation at the front, in order to win over the hearts of the people.

He was promoted, but the troops under his command were still the same old soldiers.

The number of personnel has increased considerably, but the military pay and provisions allocated by the imperial court have not increased accordingly.

To motivate them to fight hard, Governor Liang Yining specially transferred 10,000 laborers to his command.

They also secretly promised him that these were his reserve soldiers, from whom he could select the best to recruit.

We'll train them now, and once the imperial court delivers the weapons and equipment, we'll transfer them directly into the army to fill all positions.

Smart people know that these are all just perfunctory excuses.

No matter how difficult the Great Yu Dynasty is, it will not lack the weapons and equipment of this garrison.

Even if there are not enough cannons and armor, each person can still be equipped with a long spear.

First, we should complete the troop organization. We can replenish the troops later once the artillery and armor are forged.

The promises that could have been kept were not fulfilled immediately, ultimately because they were rebels who had been recruited.

A person's inherent political background cannot be remedied by hard work later in life.

Even if one achieves outstanding military exploits and proves one's loyalty to the court, one will still be suspected.

“Yangzhou City is backed by the Yangtze River. No matter how much the northern barbarians besiege the city, they cannot kill us.”

The imperial court has a navy ready to provide support at any time; retreating after the city falls will not be difficult.

Cao Zirui said without changing his expression.

He had already started thinking about his future.

If Yangzhou hadn't fallen and he had been able to withdraw his troops to the south bank, he wouldn't have brought all his possessions into this isolated city.

"General, the defending officers and soldiers thought the same thing before Anqing fell."

But when the city finally fell, it was the Jiangbei commander who fled alone, leaving the army behind to be slaughtered by the rebels.

The lessons of the past are fresh in our minds; we must be vigilant!

Shi Qi gave a serious reminder.

The bloody lessons are happening all around us.

The Anqing garrison was abandoned, but the hearts of all the Yu soldiers were chilled.

When Anqing Prefecture fell, the imperial court clearly had the ability to withdraw its troops, but in the end, it did nothing.

The primary responsibility undoubtedly lies with the Jiangbei military commander, but the imperial court also played a dishonorable role in this matter.

If it weren't for the arrogance of the civil officials who didn't value the lives of the Yu army soldiers, there should have been an emergency plan for evacuation after the city fell.

Even if not all troops are able to retreat unscathed, at least most of the defending forces can be withdrawn.

With so many intelligent people in the court, it's impossible that they didn't think of this, yet the tragedy still occurred.

The only plausible explanation is that the civil officials didn't treat the soldiers on the front lines as human beings.

"It's difficult!"

"We are not like those sons of noble families. If they don't want to serve anymore, they can just go to Shandong to watch a play."

Even if the imperial court was unhappy, there was nothing they could do about it.

Even the New Army, which was completely wiped out in Anqing, was the emperor's own son, far superior to us.

Even if you want to prepare in advance, you still need a boat to pick you up!

Cao Zirui shook his head and said.

My grandma doesn't love me, and my uncle doesn't love me.

From the very beginning, their unit was in a very awkward position within the Dayu government army system.

Even if you want to curry favor with someone powerful, no one is willing to take you in.

"General, the Tatars' proposal is actually worth considering."

Shi Qi couldn't help but offer some advice.

Whether it's defending the city to the death or looking for an opportunity to retreat, it requires a desperate fight.

The only option is to surrender to the northern barbarians; all that's needed is to open the city gates.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch. The more generous the conditions offered by the Tatars, the greater the price we will have to pay."

Just look at those Yu soldiers who defected to the Tatars; nominally they were high-ranking officials with generous salaries, but in reality, they all kept a low profile.

Why would I risk my reputation to go there and grovel before them?

Cao Zirui shook his head and said.

The reasons for opposition listed are all just pretexts.

What truly prevented him from making a decision was the uncertainty about whether the Tatars could seize the world.

The Tatar Kingdom had a strong military, but its direct descendants were too few, so it had to rely on a large number of auxiliary troops.

In order to control these troops, the only option is to create conflicts within the auxiliary forces and use these conflicts to check and balance each other.

These shortcomings can be solved with good political skills, but their reputation is too bad.

Their infamous reputation, stemming from their constant raids and plundering southwards, is enough to make even a child weep.

In chaotic times, strength is important for vying for supremacy, but popular support is equally important.

Once the Great Yu is destroyed and the warring states period begins, we will inevitably have to face an enemy—the Marquis of Hanshui.

Compared to the Tatars, Li Mu's reputation was undoubtedly much better.

If forced to choose between the two, over 90% of people would choose Li Mu.

Even among the civil officials who most despise military generals, most would choose Li Mu.

This seemingly insignificant influence can play a crucial role during wartime.

If the Tatars were to win and seize power, the victors would naturally have great Confucian scholars debating the classics on their behalf.

But once the Tatars lose, these unfortunate souls who went there to seek refuge will be regarded as traitors and cursed in history books for countless years.

Their families will be ashamed of their behavior, and their neighbors will be ashamed to live next to them.

In other units, they might be able to defect again later on, but they can't.

Swinging one's political stance not only comes at a heavy price, but there are also limits to such actions.

As troops who were recruited into the government, they already had a history of betrayal.

If one betrays their master again and again, they will be treated as a "slave of three masters".

At that point, no matter who you turn to, you won't gain their trust. If you're lucky, you might go home and live a wealthy life; if you're unlucky, you'll die instantly.

"General, you may not want to associate with the Tatars, but you can't stop the other people in the city from having the same idea!"
If anyone were to cooperate with the Northern barbarians first, our situation would be in grave danger!

Yu Jingfeng followed up with words of advice.

It wasn't that he wanted to defect to the Northern Barbarians; it was mainly because they had exploited his weakness.

They successfully evacuated from Xuzhou, but their clan and family members did not follow.

Now that the Tatars have come knocking, if we don't cooperate, our entire family will suffer.

It wasn't just these generals who were coerced; many soldiers and their families were also in Tatar-controlled areas.

Now that the other side has noticed this, it's estimated that these people will appear outside the city soon.

This method of psychological warfare is an open and unsolvable strategy.

"Ok!"

"That is indeed a problem, but surrendering to the Northern barbarians is not a good option either!"

Cao Zirui said in a low voice.

It is possible that "someone" is a traitor. This "someone" could be other government troops or his subordinates.

When faced with life and death, humanity cannot withstand the test.

"General, why don't we make contact with the Tatars first and see if we can negotiate better terms?"

If it aligns with our interests, then we'll consider whether to join them.

If one day in the future the Tatars are defeated in the struggle for supremacy, we can simply follow the example of the White Lotus Rebellion and flee to another land.”

Bao Junxian, who was standing nearby, gave him a push.

According to official propaganda, the White Lotus Rebellion had long been wiped out, but the high-ranking officials in the court knew that this was just for appearances.

Even now, White Lotus rebels are still active in the Western Regions and Tibet, and these guys are even looking for an opportunity to counterattack Dayu.

These readily available examples have made many people realize that the world is vast.

The Great Yu Empire only occupied the most fertile lands; a large amount of land in the surrounding areas was in the hands of the local indigenous people.

The conditions might be a bit harsh, but as a place to take shelter while fleeing for one's life, it was still barely acceptable.

"Master, you can make the arrangements!"

Remember, be discreet and don't let the governor find out.

Cao Zirui steeled his heart and gave the order.

Reason told him that in chaotic times, power and fame are meaningless; only his own life is the most important thing.

To avoid being betrayed by his teammate, he had to take the initiative and become the teammate who betrayed him.

……

At almost the same time, a similar scene appeared inside the Yangzhou military command post.

"Bastard!"

"An army is raised for a thousand days, but used for only one."

The imperial court nurtured us and granted us high positions.

Instead of serving your country, you foolishly try to prolong your wealth and status by colluding with the northern barbarians.

Are you not afraid that when you reach the afterlife, you will have no face to meet your ancestors?

Liu Conghan reprimanded him righteously.

Unlike the Xuzhou army that was recruited by the imperial court, he was an inside agent planted in the Liaodong army by the imperial court and was a loyal subject of the Great Yu Empire.

During the suppression of the Liaodong rebels, he led his troops to defect on the battlefield, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of enemy vanguard troops.

As a positive role model established by the imperial court, he naturally received much better treatment after returning to the Dayu camp.

Not only did he become the garrison commander at a young age, but he also arranged to be stationed in Yangzhou Prefecture, a place with abundant wealth and resources.

His treatment was commensurate with his contributions, and even when the government troops suffered repeated defeats on the battlefield, his loyalty to the court remained unshaken.

"General, it is not that we are disloyal to the court."

My suggestion to prepare an escape route is simply to be prepared for any eventuality.

After all, although Governor Liang was an honest official, he was really lacking in military command ability.

While the troop deployment for defending the city was not entirely without merit, it left quite a few loopholes.

Although we made adjustments in secret and helped fill some gaps, we cannot guarantee that other military commanders have your foresight.

If someone carries out the task rigidly, Yangzhou City probably won't hold out for long.

Moreover, with public sentiment in turmoil and Governor Liang failing to implement any effective measures, it's truly worrying!

After listening to the analysis of his deputy Wu Siheng, Liu Conghan's anger immediately subsided.

As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Governor Liang was indeed respectable in his official conduct, but his ability to lead troops was completely inversely proportional to his integrity.

Not only is he incompetent, but he also has an exceptionally strong personality and doesn't allow anyone to voice dissenting opinions.

In the previous series of battles, he had taken his stubbornness to the extreme, which led to heavy losses for the Yu army.

The noble generals were unwilling to associate with him, partly because they had been tricked and were afraid of being taken advantage of.

"Ok!"

"We do need to consider our options, but we absolutely cannot let it affect our ability to defend the city."

The northern barbarians are brutal and inhumane, and had long ago threatened to massacre the city.

If Yangzhou falls, the soldiers and civilians in the city will inevitably be massacred.

Even if they surrendered to the enemy, they might not be able to escape.

Unless absolutely necessary, no one will easily surrender to the Northern barbarians.

Everything has two sides; you should try to think more positively.

With the rebels crossing the Yangtze River, the imperial court was in imminent danger, which could, to some extent, quell the disputes within the court.

It is estimated that at this point, the various factions in the court have reached a consensus to summon the Marquis of Hanshui to lead troops to defend the emperor.

You have personally experienced just how strong the Marquis of Hanshui's military skills were.

As long as we hold out until the loyalist army arrives, no matter how powerful the northern barbarians are, they will only be defeated.

After all, this is Yangzhou Prefecture, not some endless grassland!

Liu Conghan immediately offered a pie in the sky.

In a defensive battle, the greatest fear is not a strong enemy, but a lack of hope for the defending forces.

The city has ample manpower and resources; as long as there is hope of winning the war, everyone will persevere.

"The General is right to reprimand me; I was being reckless."

Wu Siheng replied in a deep voice.

He readily agreed verbally, but deep down he was not satisfied with the outcome.

Hoping for a loyal army to come to the rescue is nothing but wishful thinking.

Regardless of whether the court has reached an agreement, the distance between the two places alone means that the Marquis of Hanshui will not be able to arrive in a short time.

At the normal rate of troop deployment, the Yangzhou garrison would have to hold out for at least several months before the reinforcements arrived to relieve the siege.

If this step can be achieved, then Governor Liang Yining will become a renowned "Confucian general."

These officers and soldiers who participated in the war were also labeled as brave and skilled in battle.

……

The undercurrents continued to spread within the camp, and many of the defending generals were drawn into it.

Some chose to negotiate with the Northern barbarians, while others chose to fight to the death. This night was destined to be sleepless for many.

(End of this chapter)