Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 4 Recruitment Plan
During the banquet, Yan Yi, taking advantage of the wine, expressed his intention: "I want to recruit another four or five hundred strong men and train them to replace the old and weak laborers and slaves who are transporting supplies. In peacetime, they can transport food and in times of war, they can fight in battle. Although we may not be called the Five Songs, we will be the Five Songs in reality. What do you think, Ziyue?"

Perhaps it was external pressure, perhaps it was personal ambition, or perhaps it was because he could not get a sense of security from Yan Baihu. Once he had the power to command troops, he could not wait to recruit soldiers.

Yan Baihu's army has no fixed organization. The small unit has two divisions, and the large unit has five divisions. Five divisions is the upper limit of the number of troops that a military assistant Sima can command. Any more would be an excess.

Si Qing sensed Yan Yi's urgency from his tone, and his undisguised desire for military power. Although he didn't know the source of this emotion, as a subordinate, his only duty was to help those he served. He immediately said, "I think it's feasible. Where do you plan to recruit soldiers?"

"Does Ziyue have any good suggestions?"

Yan Yi was in a dilemma. It was not difficult to come up with ideas, but the difficult part was the specific implementation, which was precisely his current shortcoming.

Si Qing thought for a moment and said seriously, "Young Master, if you want to recruit soldiers, you have three options."

Yan Yi couldn't wait to say, "I'd like to hear the details."

Si Qing's face showed a trace of seriousness as he pondered, "The first way is to purchase captives from merchants and pirates from small Southeast Asian countries like Funan and Linyi. These people would regularly capture people from Southeast Asian countries and Yizhou and sell them in Wujun. However, most captives speak Austronesian languages, so it would take some time just to teach them Chinese and adapt them to life in Han China. Therefore, training the troops would take a long time. The good thing is that many of these captives are familiar with the geography of Southeast Asia and have special skills."

Places like Funan and Linyi were not unfamiliar to Yan Yi. Aren't they the troubled countries in later generations? They were not of my race, so their hearts must be different. Of course, he would not consider these places.

As for Izu, it is suitable, but it is out of reach at the moment.

Yan Yi touched his chin, his mind in a mess, and suddenly an idea popped up.

"If we can't defeat Sun Ce, can we escape to Yizhou, Nanyang, or Jiaozhou?"

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, and his eyes looked through the window, as if he saw a new world.

Before thinking about victory, think about defeat first. It would be good to eliminate the threat of Sun Ce, but if things do not go smoothly, you must first think about a retreat and make plans early.

Seeing Yan Yi remain silent, Si Qing continued, "The second approach is to recruit soldiers from the Shanyue tribes surrounding Wucheng. The Shanyue have lived in the mountains for a long time, are physically strong, and have extensive experience in mountain warfare. They also mine their own copper and iron and forge their own armor, making them an ideal source of soldiers. However, it's only spring now, and the Marshal usually doesn't launch an attack on the Shanyue until June to capture captives to bolster his army."

Yan Yi wondered, "Why send troops in June?"

Si Qing sighed, a look of sorrow on his face. "June is the time for the rice harvest. Only by sending troops at this time will the Yue people not flee into the mountains, because they want to protect the rice they rely on for survival."

Yan Yi felt as if a stone was weighing on his heart when he heard this. He sighed and said, "If I were in power, I would treat the Yue people well!"

As soon as he said this, he thought about the history when Sun Quan ruled Jiangdong and captured and killed the people of Shanyue for years. One third of the Eastern Wu army came from Shanyue. He gradually lost confidence in his heart.

Reality will defeat everything. When there have been years of war and an urgent need for reinforcements, how could the rulers let go of the Shanyue, a piece of fat meat?
It is already very rare to be able to use gentler means.

Si Qing's eyes flashed as he heard this, and his breathing quickened a bit, as he looked at Yan Yi eagerly. Yan Yi smiled awkwardly and changed the subject, "Is Ziyue's tribe in Danyang?"

Si Qing nodded, his expression gloomy. "My tribe is located in Shitai County, on the border between Danyang and Yuzhang. After Zu Lang conquered our territory, most of our members were scattered. Fortunately, thanks to Madam's protection, some of our tribe have been able to settle down in Wucheng."

Zu Lang is a general who is as famous as Yan Baihu. The two of them are from the west and the east respectively. They are rare bandit forces that can occupy Han cities. They can be regarded as the leaders of all the generals in Jiangdong.

Historically, when Sun Ce first got involved in military affairs, he went to Danyang to recruit soldiers. After finally gathering a few hundred people, he was ambushed by Zu Lang's army. He was almost killed by Zu Lang and fled back to Shouchun with injuries.

This was also one of the rare defeats in Sun Ce's life. If it weren't for this defeat, Sun Ce's expedition to Jiangdong would probably have been brought forward.

Yan Yi asked about the situation of the Shanyue and bandits in Wucheng, and Si Qing gave him a detailed introduction.

"Qian Tong and Zou Ta are the two largest bandit gangs entrenched near Wucheng. One is in the west, the other in the south, each with 5,000 soldiers. They should not be underestimated. Qian Tong also controls the key roads from Wucheng to Haiyan and Yuhang. If Shao Jun leads his troops to Haiyan, if Qian Tong sends troops to block the food supply route, Shao Jun will be isolated. Although Haiyan has no shortage of food and fodder, the morale of the soldiers will inevitably be affected. The Marshal has always wanted to eliminate these two bandits, but Qian Tong and Zou Ta are interdependent and provide each other with strong support. The Marshal's repeated campaigns have been frustrated."

Si Qing's words made Yan Yi feel the crisis, and it was a threat that was close at hand.

How can you allow others to snore on the side of the bed?
Yan Yi secretly put Qian Tong and Zou Ta on the elimination list, and then continued to ask Si Qing for advice on recruiting soldiers.

"The third way is to recruit soldiers from Danyang. The people of Danyang are known for their bravery and fighting prowess. Their fighting spirit is impeccable, and they are considered the best in Jiangdong."

Si Qing looked at Yan Yi with a burning gaze. "Wu Jing drove the people of Danyang to attack the city, resulting in countless deaths. The people of Danyang feared Wu Jing like a tiger and fled to other counties. I'm afraid there were thousands of families who flocked to Wucheng alone. Young Lord, you can recruit soldiers from the refugees in Danyang, especially those who have resisted bandits in the past. With a little training, they can become elite soldiers."

Yan Yi had heard of the bravery of the Danyang soldiers in his previous life. He smiled and said, "This is a gift from heaven. We must not miss it. Tomorrow we will go out of the city to recruit soldiers!"

Si Qing was very excited that his suggestion was adopted, and he immediately clasped his fists in agreement.

Yan Yi was in high spirits and drank until he was slightly tipsy. Then he called his servants and asked them to prepare a house for Si Qing to live in. He also ordered people to send clothes and money, and dispatched two maids to serve her.

After Si Qing left, Yan Yi summoned the inspector Pei Ji and asked him to deliver the intelligence files on Qian Tong and Zou Ta to his residence.

The Chashifu is an intelligence and assassination agency established by Yan Baihu. All the officials in the yamen are assassins he has trained for many years, and the inspector Pei Ji is Yan Baihu's absolute confidant.

Yan Yi once tried to have Pei Ji send his assassins to assassinate Sun Ce, but was stopped by Yan Baihu.

But if it is just investigating small matters like Qian Tong and Zou Ta, there is naturally no problem.

What's more, the prosecutor's office was already piled with files on Qian Tong and Zou Ta, so there was no need to check them, just transfer them over.

(End of this chapter)