Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 295, Exterminating the Fang Bandits

The original plan was to recruit 360,000 troops, which, together with the original 40,000, would make a total of 400,000 troops to suppress the Fang bandits.

However, reality differs somewhat from the plan.

They only managed to recruit 80,000 men before running out of manpower.

There are various factors involved.

Firstly, due to the previous tax levy for suppressing bandits, many people in the Henan region migrated to nearby prefectures and provinces, resulting in a significant decrease in population.

Secondly, Fang Yong's reputation was widespread, and some of his deeds had been mythologized or demonized by storytellers, making many people afraid to join the army and fight against him.

Finally, it is the most important point.

The embezzlement of rations and pay in the army was so serious that it could not be concealed. Once the news spread, the people avoided it like the plague and naturally became unwilling to join the army.

After discovering this, Tian Yannian quickly reported the news to his father.

He was the only one among the six generals who did not withhold soldiers' rations or pay.

However, since the other five people all skimped on his earnings, he alone couldn't salvage his reputation.

Upon learning of this, Tian Tianrui was furious and ordered his men to bring Xiao Rang, Dai Qing, Yan Zongnan, Le He, and Qian Yanyan to him for execution as a warning to others.

However, the five had already joined forces, and Tian Tianrui's men were imprisoned as soon as they arrived.

The atmosphere was tense for a moment.

Gao Jing arrived just in time.

Upon meeting, he immediately questioned Tian Tianrui:
"Lord Tian, ​​with war imminent, why not recruit soldiers instead of killing generals on the battlefield?"

Tian Tianrui looked at Gao Jing, who had rushed over, with a hint of anger in his eyes, and glared at him, saying:
"You and your generals have embezzled and misappropriated rations and pay, and the news has spread far and wide, causing the people to fear and dare not enlist. What face do you have to question me now? What face do you have to meet His Majesty?"

Gao Jing met his gaze without fear and said:
"The outcome of a battle does not depend on the bravery of the soldiers, but on the ability of the generals and ministers. If there are a million soldiers, but no good general to strategize and no officials to assist them, they will all be a mob. How can they achieve victory?"
Although I have embezzled and withheld rations and pay, it was not for my own selfish reasons, but for the sake of harmony throughout the army!

In matters of war, though corruption may exist, the unity of purpose among superiors and subordinates, and the harmony between generals and ministers, have always been the unspoken rules of governance. Why then does Lord Tian abandon the fundamental for the trivial?

Tian Tianrui: "You!"

Tian Tianrui was breathing heavily.

Gao Jing's sophistry left him breathless with anger.

His son, Tian Yannian, rushed over to help his father and calm him down.

Gao Jing's words actually make some sense.

In the past, due to the deep-seated corruption within the Dae Hee government, certain operations had to be carried out with officials allowed to embezzle funds, as this was the only way to ensure the smooth progress of the operations.

But it depends on the timing!

At a time when the country is in such a critical situation and money and grain are scarce, how can we allow officials to take another step on the side?
After a moment of calm, Tian Tianrui stopped arguing with Gao Jing.

Gao Jing, who came from the Ministry of Revenue, was most skilled at this kind of debate, and most people simply couldn't win an argument with him.

This time, Tian Tianrui went straight to the heart of the problem, saying:
"The people are afraid to enlist because of the embezzlement. How can this be resolved? If it cannot be resolved, how can we save His Majesty!"

After Tian Tianrui finished speaking, his eyes were fixed on Gao Jing.

Gao Jing remained completely calm and said:

"This is no difficult matter; leave the recruitment of soldiers entirely to me!"

……

Tiegen stayed in the military camp for a few days.

He has been through a lot these past few days.

The training I had imagined did not materialize.

That officer rarely showed his face; it was said that he didn't live in the military camp at all, but rather in the Warm Fragrance Pavilion outside...

In addition, the army not only embezzled salaries but also food rations.

The original plan of two meals a day was reduced to one meal, which was far from enough. The veterans would finish eating before it was the new recruits' turn, and if they were even a little slow to grab their food, they would go hungry.

Fortunately, there was no training, so being a little hungry for a while wouldn't be a problem.

Today, for some reason, the sun rose in the west.

The army prepared meat soup.

That aroma!
Tiegen hadn't smelled anything like it for three years. Dinner was served—a real bowl of sorghum porridge!
A large bowl full of snow-white sorghum, its husks bursting open, looked extremely tempting.

The broth was poured over it, glistening with oil, and then a few noodles and some vegetables were added!
Tiegen took the large bowl and began to wolf it down.

Suddenly, cheers erupted from the side.

"Meat! It's meat! A huge piece of meat!"

Hearing the sound, Tie Gen looked over and saw a lucky person with a two-inch-long piece of glistening, stewed pork skin in the broth.

Fearing someone would snatch it, the man swallowed the pork skin without caring that it was hot.

"Oh, it smells so good!"

Tie Gen stared at the man, his mouth watering, and then he swallowed the food in his hand even more, looking like a starving ghost reincarnated.

This is not because Tie Gen and his group were born lowly.

Rather, it's because the body instinctively craves oil after a long period of lack of oil and water!

Fats are essential substances needed to maintain the body's health.

Even if Jia Baoyu were here, no matter what kind of creature he was, if he were starved for three days, he would still drool over fatty meat.

There is no free lunch in the world.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Tie Gen and the others were called over to gather.

I have a task today.

Tie Gen and ten other fellow villagers were assigned to a team, led by two veterans, and headed to a place called Banpo Village.

The group carried weapons and equipment, but in reality, only the two veterans had two knives, which were old and somewhat rusty. The blades were so thin that they dared not sharpen them any further for fear of breaking them.

Tie Gen took the kitchen knife he had brought from home. He modified it by removing the original handle and embedding the blade into a longer ash wood handle, making it barely usable as a long-handled knife.

Others carried sickles and operated in the same way as him, which was a castrated version of the halberd.
Some even brought hoes, others brought large shears...

……

"Please, please, my child is too young, he can't join the army!"

A woman knelt on the ground, praying incessantly.

"Go away!"

The veteran kicked the woman aside and pulled the teenage boy behind her over.

In modern times, teenagers of the same age are already tall and strong, not much different from adults. But in this era, teenagers are short and small, and their bodies are weak, as if they could be knocked down with a single slap.

Tie Gen remained silent.

The group then began "recruiting soldiers" in Banpo Village.

The slogan is "Serve the country with utmost loyalty".

The landlord and village head of Banpo Village were very cooperative and told everyone about each family's information.

Who's easy to deal with, and who's the troublemaker...

Soon, the group recruited more than twenty people, including six or seven teenagers, four old men, and about ten normal young adults.

There was virtually no resistance throughout the entire process. The only family that showed some backbone was the veteran, who brandished the banner of the imperial court, and even that family dared not resist.

Before leaving, the landlord from Banpo Village gave them a basket of freshly baked flatbread and a bag of copper coins.

Tiegen ate the hot flatbread, but he wasn't really happy.

The two veterans opened the money bag, which contained about six or seven hundred copper coins.

The two veterans each took two hundred, and the rest were distributed among Tie Gen and others, with Tie Gen receiving 22...

Due to Gao Jing's efficient recruitment methods, the people fled in droves.

However, this method is indeed highly efficient.

In less than ten days, they recruited another 150,000 soldiers.

Adding to the previous 120,000, the total has reached 270,000.

However, this had reached its limit. The people completely lost trust in the government and fled to other provinces, making it impossible to recruit new soldiers.

Not long after, Tian Tianrui officially announced the raising of an army, spreading the word throughout the land that he would punish the traitor Fang!
(End of this chapter)