Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 397 When you're in the game, you have to be loyal.

After the change of control of Bashu, Emperor Liang recruited heroes from all directions to join the army.

This news caused a great stir in the imperial court in Luoyang.

Whether it was the high-ranking officials in the Luoyang court or the generals from the north, everyone understood that the old monk from Jiangdong was truly enraged and intended to get serious.

The Southern Liang dynasty inherited the hereditary military system from the Wei and Jin dynasties, separating soldiers from farmers. Once someone was designated as a military household, that household was registered in the military, and the position was passed down through generations, from father to son, or from brother to brother.

The hereditary military system was often inseparable from the land reclamation system.

In response to frequent wars, abandoned land, and a sharp decline in population, soldiers and refugees were forced to settle and cultivate the land.

The military-agricultural colony system could guarantee agricultural production and also ensure that enough soldiers could be mobilized during wartime, and it was widely promoted during the Cao Wei period.

However, by the late Cao Wei period, the military-agricultural colony system had collapsed.

The farmland of the various military settlements was continuously annexed and encroached upon.

Not only did the garrison soldiers bear extremely high taxes, but they were also treated as household slaves by the local garrison officials, who took whatever they wanted from them. In the mid-to-late Cao Wei period, large-scale desertion of garrison soldiers occurred.

The same applies to Shibing.

Without an economic foundation, these military households, who had served as soldiers for generations, needed to be supported by the state. However, the Southern Liang provided only a limited amount, and they lived a very miserable life with low social status, while also having to endure considerable corvée labor and heavy military service.

The collapse of the hereditary military system led to a depletion of manpower and a decline in the combat effectiveness of hereditary soldiers. However, the war still had to be fought, so the Southern Liang Dynasty had no choice but to adopt a conscription system.

Compared to hereditary soldiers, recruited soldiers have higher combat effectiveness, but the disadvantage is that they require more money and food.

The Southern Dynasties repeatedly recruited refugees from the north into their army as the main force in fighting against the north, such as the famous Northern Army.

Maintaining an elite army like the Northern Army required substantial financial support from Jiankang. Simultaneously, the Jiankang court granted the Northern Army land for military farming, allowing them to control salt and iron resources, collect commercial taxes, and acquire most of the war profits to supplement their military funds.

The fighting power of such an army goes without saying.

However, for the Jiankang court, whoever controlled such an army also had the ability to change dynasties, and they had to be wary of it.

The army of Southern Liang was divided into the Imperial Guard and the local army.

The Imperial Guards were directly under the command of Emperor Xiao Yan. Their members were mostly recruits, well-equipped, and highly capable in combat. Only members of the imperial family and generals trusted by Xiao Yan could control the Imperial Guards. For example, Chen Qingzhi's White Robe Army was recruited and belonged to the Imperial Guards.

The local armies were mostly composed of hereditary soldiers, with low combat effectiveness and low fighting spirit. However, the royal family members and generals of the Southern Liang Dynasty all had their own troops, and the officials of various prefectures and counties would also recruit soldiers to maintain local security and defense.

At the same time, the Southern Liang Dynasty dispatched members of the imperial clan to govern local areas and supervise local military power to ensure that generals in various regions would not become too powerful.

Over the years, Xiao Yan has consistently achieved great things with minimal expenditure, stirring up the situation in the north by supporting the Yuan clan, who had surrendered to the Northern Wei.

This time, however, Xiao Yan spent real money to recruit soldiers and expand the Imperial Guard.

Through intelligence transmitted from Jiankang, the officials and nobles in Luoyang all learned of one thing.

The war is about to begin!

Many people are eager to try it out and have high expectations.

In the Prime Minister's residence, Hu Sichun was deeply worried about this.

Hu Sichun and He Basheng had never gotten along, but after learning about the commotion in the south, Hu Sichun invited him to dinner.

The last time Husichun took the initiative to contact Hebasheng was because of the matter of using Xianbei prisoners to build the canal.

Hebasheng hadn't wanted to come, but he came anyway. He was mainly curious and wondered what Husichun was up to.
In Luoyang today, Hebasheng and Husichun are the most prestigious.

The Prime Minister's office and the Grand Commandant's office each control three thousand northern soldiers. In addition, the northern generals who now hold official titles in Luoyang also have their own troops, which, when organized, form a powerful force.

Hebasheng attended the banquet, which was a small affair. Apart from Husichun, only his eldest son Husiyue and a few familiar but not very important northern officials were present.

Hebasheng was not disappointed by this. At the banquet, the guests and hosts were all happy, as if the conflict between him and Husichun did not exist.

As the banquet drew to a close, Hu Sichun invited He Basheng to a side room, and He Basheng knew that Hu Sichun was about to get down to business.

"Does defeating the Hu reveal the fall of Ba and Shu and the Liang ruler's military campaign?"

Hebasheng blushed and said:
"Of course I know!"

Seeing Hebasheng say this, Husichun then asked:

How to interpret "breaking the Hu" (a specific move in the game)?

"What can be done about Sichuan and Chongqing, which are extremely poor?"

Hebasheng didn't care, or rather, to be precise, he was one of the many people in Luoyang who were eager to try and were looking forward to the war.

Although the Bashu region spans thousands of miles, most of its county towns are now vacant. Furthermore, the Yuexi and other prefectures in the southern part of Yizhou during the Han Dynasty have been out of control of the Southern Dynasties for two hundred years.

After Li Shengui conquered Bashu, he had a large army under his command, but most of them were hereditary soldiers. Would the remaining soldiers recruited by Bashu officials and the troops of generals be willing to risk their lives for Li Shengui in a critical moment?

With Baidi City in Liang's hands, if Liang's army marches up the river and launches a large-scale invasion of Shu, can Li Shengui hold out?

If Li Shuang cannot hold out and watches Li Shengui suffer defeat, his own prestige will be greatly diminished.

However, if Li Shuang intends to send reinforcements, the impoverished Bashu region may find it difficult to support tens of thousands of troops in a prolonged battle. The treacherous Shu Roads could become a logistical nightmare.

Chang'an is Li Shuang's stronghold. Once the power in Guanzhong is greatly weakened, it will be a golden opportunity for the nobles and northerners in Luoyang.

This means that Guanzhong's control over Luoyang and even the Central Plains will weaken.

Hebasheng had high hopes for this.

Kehu Sichun shook her head upon hearing this.

"Po Hu is thinking too highly of himself. If this battle breaks out, do you think we can stay out of it?"

Hearing this, Hebasheng frowned and asked in return:
"What does this have to do with us?"

At present, the only place capable of providing large-scale reinforcements to Sichuan and Chongqing is Guanzhong.

In Hebasheng's view, could Li Shuang really recruit them to Sichuan?
Hu Sichun sneered and said:
"I may not know about others, but do you think I don't know Ohno Sō? Is he the kind of person who would just stand by and watch us?"

What do you mean?

Hebasheng had drunk too much and was momentarily stunned.

Hu Sichun asked:

"Is the Yongji Canal project you were overseeing completed?"

Hebasheng nodded and said:
"The project was completed a few days ago, and the last batch of Xianbei prisoners of war were handed over to Gao Ang."

Hu Sichun added:

"With Gao Huan, Yuwen Tai, and Ang Gao in charge of Hebei, things won't get chaotic. If a major war breaks out, do you think Da Ye Shuang will just watch us northerners hide in Luoyang and live a peaceful life?"

What else can he do?

After Hebasheng finished speaking, he suddenly realized something.

"You mean that Da Ye Shuang will take the opportunity to provoke a major battle in Xiangfan and Jianghuai, weakening the Liang army's offensive against Bashu."

Hu Sichun nodded and said:

"After all these years, don't you know what kind of person Ohno Sō is? Even if he's about to be finished, he'll still drag us down with him. Once a major battle breaks out, not only will he do that, but he'll also use us as stepping stones to stand in front of him."

Hebasheng subconsciously panicked and asked:

"What about that?"

"At this critical moment, we northerners must unite as one to avoid being defeated one by one."

Hebasheng remained silent for a long time, then looked at Husichun and said:

"This time, I'll listen to you!"

Hebasheng had a drink at Husichun's residence and returned to his own Grand Commandant's residence with a heavy heart.

Hu Sichun did not stay in his own residence, but secretly went to Jinyong City. Hu Sichun did it very discreetly. After leaving the Prime Minister's residence, he went out through the east gate of the inner city, circled around the outer city, and then entered Yicheng through the west gate of Jinyong City.

Jin Yong City's Jia City was where Li Shuang lived. After he left, the palace was sealed off. Jia City was where the troops were stationed and the treasury was located.

Hou Jing, who usually resided in Yicheng, asked Hu Sichun after meeting him:
"Fa Shou, how is it?"

"Wan Jing, we've tested it out. Hebasheng is indeed harboring ulterior motives and plans to secretly rally the northerners to resist the Qin King's orders."

When Hu Sichun saw Hou Jing, he smiled, even with a hint of flattery and ingratiation.

"Should I write a memorial directly and send it to Chang'an to deliver to the King of Qin?"

Hou Jing, however, remained wary.

Hu Sichun is such a master at flattery!

"No need, it's the same if you tell me."

Hu Sichun was disappointed, but she did not show it. She recounted the events of entertaining Hebasheng and the secret meeting with Hebasheng.

"Hebasheng has received great favors from the King of Qin, yet at this critical moment, he disregards the safety of the nation and must be severely punished!"

Hou Jing smiled and asked:

What should we do?

"Since he doesn't want to go south, then we must force him to go south and fight against the Liang army!"

After listening, Hou Jing nodded and said:
"Hebasheng is indeed the most suitable candidate."

After speaking, Hou Jing looked at Hu Sichun and said:

"Don't worry, I won't take your money for nothing. I'll definitely get it done for you."

"Then thank you very much, Wan Jing."

After Hu Sichun left, Wang Wei came over and, looking at Hou Jing who was writing a letter, couldn't help but ask in confusion:
"Didn't the General accept money from Hu Sichun? Why is he recommending him instead?"

Hou Jing, however, said:
"Old Wang, you still don't understand!"

Wang Wei was even more puzzled upon hearing this and asked:

"what for?"

"Who do you think Hebasheng is?"

"Extremely brave, but somewhat short-sighted."

After Wang Wei finished speaking, Hou Jing picked up the paper and blew on the ink to dry it.

"That's it. The King doesn't lack someone like that, but Husichun is different; he's too obsequious!"

Wang Wei listened and asked:
"Is the General worried that His Majesty will be misled by him?"

Hou Jing waved his hand and said:

“Your Majesty is so wise, how could you be deceived by him! I am only worried that once Your Majesty gets used to having such a treacherous minister by your side, you will distance yourself from us loyal ministers.”

"..."

Wang Wei understood; this meant they had encountered a competitor, fearing that Hu Sichun would encroach on their niche.

"But the general did take the money; it wouldn't look good if word got out that he didn't do the job!"

Hou Jing just smiled, not caring at all.

"What did Hu Sichun say?"

"He made the general speak before the king about Hebasheng's disloyal intentions!"

“I’ve done the job, but does that prevent me from recommending him to lead the army to attack Liang?”

"..."

Wang Wei discovered that Hou Jing was not highly educated, but he could come up with all sorts of dirty tricks on the spot.

……

Changan.

"How is Sichuan and Chongqing doing?"

Inside the Xingtai residence, Li Shuang questioned Su Chuo.

The Su family, despite their martial arts prowess, cannot be considered a top-tier aristocratic family. Of course, in the chaotic Guanzhong region, it was difficult for top-tier clans like the Four Families of Guandong to emerge.

Su Chuo's family fell into poverty, and he was poor from a young age, but he was elegant and had a free and unrestrained spirit that was rare among scholars.

"Your Majesty, Wang Sizheng and Wang Bi have already entered Jiangzhou with 5,000 soldiers and are currently building city defenses. Wang Sizheng has submitted a memorial stating that he is 70% confident he can withstand 30,000 troops. Any more than that, and we will probably need to request reinforcements."

The troops led by Wang Sizheng were of mixed composition, consisting of a small number of government soldiers and a large number of recruited soldiers.

The biggest difference between the Fubing system and the hereditary military system lies in the integration of soldiers and farmers; farmers are soldiers, and soldiers are farmers.

Thus, it is possible to mobilize the troops to fight in the field, but it is impossible to have them stationed in other places for a long time, far away from their hometown fields.

Otherwise, you would have to provide them with additional land in the areas where they would be stationed for an extended period.

Most of these recruits were refugees who had recently entered Guanzhong but had not been granted land.

The Sichuan Basin has just been conquered, and everything is in need of rebuilding. It is not yet possible to drastically change the old order.

Therefore, it was necessary to tolerate the officials and surrendered generals of the Southern Liang Dynasty temporarily retaining their own recruited soldiers and troops to maintain the old military structure.

As for changing the hereditary soldiers of Bashu into local soldiers, it wouldn't be effective immediately.

After listening, Li Shuang said:

"It's not easy to send reinforcements!"

Su Chuo nodded and sighed:
"If the army from Guanzhong marches south, logistics will be difficult, and supplies from Bashu will be hard to come by. The army of the King of Chenliu cannot easily march south, otherwise the situation in Shu County may change again."

Since these officials and generals of the Southern Liang Dynasty were able to surrender to Li Shengui when the situation was unfavorable, how could they not betray Li Shengui again when the situation was unfavorable?
Whether they are recruited soldiers or retainers, they will only obey the person who provides them with money and provisions.

Furthermore, the retainers are mostly bound by blood ties, region, or marriage, and their loyalty is quite high.

The hereditary armies of Bashu are ineffective, and the generals with elite troops are not very loyal. Li Shengui must remain in Chengdu. If he leads his troops south to reinforce Jiangzhou, the situation in Shu County might change again.

At that time, without the support of food supplies from Shu Commandery, Jiangzhou will also be unable to be defended.

Li Shuang thought for a moment and said:

"It's not that there aren't other reinforcements!"

Upon hearing the words, Su Chuo suddenly realized something and said:
"Does Your Majesty mean the barbarians?"

“These barbarians have a grudge against the Liang army. If they are properly appeased, they may be able to be put to use.”

Since Jiankang refused to provide the funds and provisions for the soldiers recruited by officials in Sichuan and Chongqing, as well as the troops of generals in various regions, they had to find their own solutions. After all, even if Jiankang provided sufficient funds and provisions, those generals and their troops would not be loyal to Jiankang, so it was better not to provide them at all.

Conquering the Liao people was a regular source of revenue for the Liang army.

Therefore, the Liao people and the Liang army had a deep-seated grudge.

Just then, a document from Luoyang was delivered to the Xingtai government office by express courier.

Li Shuang opened it and muttered to himself:
“Husichun is loyal enough but too cunning, and Hebasheng is capable enough but not loyal enough. It seems that we need to choose someone else to lead the northern troops south.”

……

(End of this chapter)