Chapter 145

"Set out!"

Following Li Mu's order, the Yangzhou Camp began to board the ships.

A month had passed since receiving the transfer order from the Ministry of War.

To ensure the operation went smoothly, all the soldiers going on the expedition underwent short-term naval training.

Those officers and soldiers who got seasick as soon as they boarded were all screened out and appointed as garrison troops.

Sailing on the sea is not like the canal; if one is physically unwell, one could really die over the course of thousands of li.

Compared to the high morale of the Yangzhou Camp, the Nanzhili Embroidered Uniform Guard on the other side looked as if they had lost their parents.

Last month they were the terrifying Embroidered Uniform Guard; now they have become small soldiers in the army.

Learning that Li Mu intended to take these people to the battlefield, the civil officials of Nanzhili cooperated fully.

To send away these plagues, besides the departure fee given by the imperial court, the Provincial Governor's office and various prefectures all followed suit and opened their purses.

Everyone had only one request: don't let these people come back alive.

It is rare for the Emperor to have a fit and abolish this group of annoying secret agents; how could they leave them a chance to make a comeback?

"Brother Tang Chai, your people's state is not good!"

Seeing his old friend come over, Li Mu stepped forward and asked.

The origins of the Great Dayu Embroidered Uniform Guard are relatively complex; besides professional secret agents, there are many people who entered through hereditary privilege.

This is a preferential treatment for meritorious officials, equivalent to a disguised form of hereditary succession.

Because of the special nature of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the establishment is not limited, and the social status is relatively high; it has always been the government office that military generals like the most.

Most of the redundant officials in the military general group are in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But as time passed, the group of officials who entered through hereditary privilege continued to grow.

Developing to the present, the number is as high as tens of thousands, bringing heavy financial pressure to the imperial court.

To solve this problem, the imperial court pushed for plans to cut redundant personnel many times in history, all of which ended in failure.

Generally speaking, these officials have a prestigious official title, but they usually just take their salary and don't do any work.

The new Emperor ordered the disbandment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which accidentally created favorable conditions for downsizing.

Those with powerful families started operating for transfers as soon as they received the order to disband the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Those who stayed were some whose ancestors had been prestigious, but who had now exited the center of power and had no ability to operate in the court.

This Assistant Commissioner Tang in front of him originally served in the Wucheng Military Commission; his father died in the great explosion in the capital.

His incompetent elder brother inherited the title, and the late Emperor, considering his father's merits, also arranged a good position for Tang Jincheng.

After the changes, the Tang family only had nominal prestige and had actually exited the center of power.

After receiving the news of the imperial court's disbandment of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Tang Jincheng was dumbfounded.

The position of Assistant Commissioner of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not low; wanting to transfer laterally requires the use of political resources.

His elder brother in the capital only knows how to eat, drink, and play, and didn't operate for him at all.

Favors are not favors if you have to ask for them; in such matters, if the Tang family doesn't speak up, relatives and old friends won't be meddlesome.

By the time Tang Jincheng reacted and prepared to find connections to operate, the transfer order from the Ministry of War was already in his hands.

At this step, even if he wanted to operate for a transfer, there was no chance.

He had to accept the order and go to Guangxi to fight.

Or he could claim illness and resign; relying on the shade left by his ancestors, no one would hold him accountable.

Most of the connected people chose the latter; losing an official position is better than losing one's life.

Civil officials are too hostile to the Embroidered Uniform Guard; going to Guangxi is also a fate of being cannon fodder.

If they don't trick them to death on the battlefield, they aren't qualified civil officials.

It just so happened that Li Mu sent an official document to the Nanjing Ministry of War, hoping to take the Embroidered Uniform Guard to the battlefield together.

Tang Jincheng, who was unwilling to exit officialdom, decided to stay after much hesitation.

"Brother Li, no one would feel good encountering such a thing.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is gone, and the brothers who stayed behind are not favored by the imperial court; please bear with them a little!"

Tang Jincheng said helplessly.

Fate is just that mysterious; originally everyone had a bright future.

As a result, after the new Emperor took power, a series of chaotic operations caused this new star to sink.

Without the big tree of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to shield them from the wind and rain, the resume of serving in the Embroidered Uniform Guard is the biggest political stain.

Military generals might not mind, but civil officials definitely look at him with displeasure.

"Brother Tang, things in the world are impermanent.

The Emperor disbanded the Embroidered Uniform Guard today; maybe he will order the restoration of the Embroidered Uniform Guard tomorrow.

Others don't know the significance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's existence, but don't you and I know it clearly!"

Hearing Li Mu's comforting words, Tang Jincheng revealed a bitter smile.

He doesn't dare to touch this topic at all now.

Without his father's generation to shield him from the wind and rain in the court, he must be cautious.

"Brother Tang, a bright person doesn't speak in riddles.

Going to Guangxi to fight, I need intelligence support.

It just so happens that you Embroidered Uniform Guard are best at collecting intelligence; please help me screen out a batch of usable people."

Li Mu said frankly.

Establishing a private intelligence organization is a capital crime in the Great Dayu Dynasty.

Under the banner of collecting intelligence for the army, the nature is completely different.

"Brother Li, how many people do you need?"

Tang Jincheng asked with concern.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's trip is bound to be ominous; if they could be transferred to the Yangzhou Camp for use, it would definitely be a good choice.

With Li Mu's connections and background, the civil officials on the front line wouldn't dare to use him as cannon fodder.

"The more the better.

This Bai Lian Sect rebellion is developing and growing too fast; there might very well be the shadow of the Annan people behind it.

Besides collecting intelligence on the Bai Lian Sect rebel army, we also need to collect intelligence on the Annan people.

This trip to Guangxi, besides wiping out the Bai Lian Sect rebel army, we must also be prepared to go to war with the Annan people!"

Li Mu immediately bluffed.

The imperial court only wants to pacify the rebellion quickly and has no intention of going to war with the Annan people.

But the people below don't know these messages.

As long as there is an excuse to get the people over first, the problems later will be easy to solve.

"It is rare for Brother Li to value me; I will definitely go all out!"

Tang Jincheng immediately expressed his stance.

Regardless of how things develop later, first crawl out of the pit of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Mixing with Li Mu is better than listening to the orders of civil officials and suffering difficulties.

……

Guangzhou Prefecture.

"When will the imperial court's reinforcements arrive?"

Provincial Governor Zou Yunchuan asked with a frown.

The Guangxi rebellion broke out too fast, and they were not prepared.

After receiving the request for help from the Guangxi Provincial Governor, not long after, the flames of war spread over.

In fact, what poses the greatest threat to Guangdong is not the Guangxi rebel army, but the rebellion that could break out in the province at any time.

Since the Guangxi rebellion succeeded, the Bai Lian Sect followers in Guangdong have also become active.

"The troops from Fujian and Jiangxi have already entered our province and are expected to arrive at the front line within ten days.

However, according to our people's observations, the troops in these two places are severely understaffed, and the real strength is only half of the registered number.

The nominal army of one hundred thousand actually only has thirty thousand people.

Among them, there are also a large number of old and weak, and the real combat effectiveness is worrying; I am afraid they won't be of much use.

From the Nanjing Ministry of War, we learned that the Huai'an Camp has already entered Jiangxi, and the Yangzhou Camp has just set off from the sea.

The arrival time of the two units should be roughly the same, and they will have to wait until next month.

Both the Huai'an Camp and the Yangzhou Camp are recruited troops formed by the imperial court last year.

The Huai'an Camp was formed by drawing generals from the Capital Camp, and the predecessor of the Yangzhou Camp was the Wucheng Military Commission.

Although these two units are established as a guard, they have been highly valued by the imperial court since their formation, and their combat effectiveness should be good.

Especially the Yangzhou Camp, which also has a cavalry unit inside.

It once routed the pirates besieging Nantongzhou within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense and beheaded over a thousand pirates.

It should be the one with the strongest combat effectiveness among all our reinforcements."

Gu Minghui answered hurriedly.

As the Guangdong Military Defense Circuit, he had never been valued like this before.

If the Bai Lian Sect rebellion hadn't broken out, it would be difficult for him, a small military defense circuit official, to see these big figures even once.

"Hmph!"

"Those bastards are too much!

At such a time, they still refuse to go all out!"

Provincial Administration Commissioner Xue Weicheng immediately scolded angrily.

Although the empty military pay in Great Dayu's army is serious, in wartime, one must at least gather five or six percent of the troops.

The reinforcements from Fujian and Jiangxi provinces have an empty quota as high as seventy percent, and the troops sent over are also filled with a large number of old and weak.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that these people coming to help suppress the rebellion is incidental; the real purpose is mostly to balance the accounts.

Sending one hundred thousand troops and sending thirty thousand troops consume money, grain, and materials that are not on the same level at all.

With a little tossing up and down, everyone can make a fortune.

Even the empty quotas in the army and the previous deficits can be reasonably balanced.

Whether it is the incumbent official or the official who once served in the two places, a hidden danger will be reduced on their bodies.

"Make do with it!

Right now we need their help; some things can be covered up, so help cover them up a bit.

In any case, they also sent thirty thousand troops.

Send someone to urge them again and let them quickly transport the supported grain and pay."

Zou Yunchuan said slowly.

As an old-school bureaucrat, he follows the principle that more trouble is worse than less trouble.

Everyone present knows his style, so naturally, no one will sing a different tune.

Moreover, the current great war needs the two places to coordinate pay; if they fall out, the ones who will suffer are still them.

"Provincial Governor, the imperial court is urging us to send troops as soon as possible to join the suppression; what do you think should be done about this?"

Regional Military Commissioner Xie Chenghan asked with a difficult expression.

The Ministry of War has repeatedly urged him to send troops, but the Provincial Governor's office has been slow to give the departure fee.

The Guangxi Provincial Governor died for his country; besides his own blind command, it was also largely because he was tricked by his colleagues.

After sending the request for help, only the Huguang Provincial Governor sent reinforcements symbolically.

Because of the different factions, the Guangdong troops that should have sent troops at the first time had no action at all.

"What are you panicking about!

You just need to guard your defense area well; after the imperial court's reinforcements arrive, we will send troops together."

Zou Yunchuan immediately scolded angrily.

He doesn't understand military affairs, but he understands being an official!

If you don't send troops, you won't lose the battle.

As long as you block the rebel army and keep Guangdong, it is a great achievement.

If you send troops to suppress and fail, you have to take responsibility.

(End of chapter)