Chapter 151

White Lotus Holy Kingdom.

"What is going on with Lianzhou Prefecture?"

Shi Rongxuan asked with an expressionless face.

In recent days, he had been busy establishing the system and declaring himself emperor.

Once the regime was established, he looked back and found that the imperial army had landed in Lianzhou Prefecture.

"Reporting to the Holy Emperor, the matter of Lianzhou is purely an accident.

Half a month ago, the puppet court concentrated an army of 50,000 and suddenly launched an attack on Lianzhou Port.

The Holy Kingdom had insufficient troops left behind locally, and Lianzhou Garrison Commander Zhou Damao led his troops to resist bravely, but the enemy army was too numerous.

After killing a large number of enemy troops, they were forced to retreat to defend the prefectural city.

After the situation deteriorated, Garrison Commander Zhou organized troops to resist the puppet army while lobbying local chieftains everywhere.

Now he has obtained the support of several chieftains, and is just waiting for the Holy Kingdom's reinforcements to arrive to organize a large army to recover the lost territory."

Vice Chancellor Fu Sanqi replied.

As a nascent regime of the unity of church and state, the White Lotus Holy Kingdom had not yet established a perfect reward and punishment system.

Such a big thing as losing a city and territory should have been reported immediately, but it was dragged on for half a month.

When the subordinates said there was an army of 50,000, he just assumed it was 50,000, and was too lazy to verify the information.

If the imperial army had launched a large-scale attack, it might have lost several prefectures by now.

Such a serious accident had occurred, yet everyone present was as if nothing had happened.

In the eyes of many high-level members of the sect, losing a port was about the same as losing a county town on the front line.

As long as they fought back and recovered the lost territory, it would be fine.

"Hmm!

Pass on my decree, ordering the large strongholds of local chieftains to send 12,000 troops, medium strongholds to send 7,000, and small strongholds to send 2,000, to gather an army of 100,000 to attack the puppet army.

Tell those chieftains that since they have become officials of my Holy Kingdom, they should not think about being two-faced.

If they cannot recover Lianzhou Port within a month, I will take their heads!"

Shi Rongxuan immediately issued a decree.

He had long been dissatisfied with the many chieftains under his rule.

When there were benefits, they swarmed to grab them.

When there was serious business to do, they all hid behind.

They clearly accepted his enfeoffment, but refused to obey his command.

Earlier, he was busy fighting the puppet imperial army and had no time to deal with them.

Now that he had freed up his hands, he needed to make these chieftains submit a 'letter of allegiance'.

Without letting these people's hands be stained with the blood of the puppet imperial army, no one could guarantee whether these guys would defect when the next big battle broke out.

"Holy Emperor, the chieftains are deeply rooted in Guangxi.

We have just stabilized the situation, so it is not appropriate to have a conflict with them."

Left Chancellor Sun Xingchen spoke up to persuade him.

The strength of a single Guangxi chieftain was not strong, but they could not withstand the fact that there were many chieftains in Guangxi.

Some chieftains on the border even had multiple identities.

They accepted the enfeoffment of Great Dayu, the enfeoffment of the Le Dynasty, and now they also accepted the enfeoffment of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom.

They were typical fence-sitters and had no loyalty to anyone.

"Forcing them naturally won't work, but we can also use benefits to lure them.

Don't they want more land? I will grant it to them.

Tell those chieftains that for every puppet imperial soldier they kill, I will add ten mu of fiefdom.

If they recover Lianzhou Port, I will reward them with 10,000 taels of gold, 5,000 shi of salt, and 10,000 bolts of cloth.

The one with the greatest merit will be enfeoffed as a Land King, commanding all the chieftains in Guangxi."

Shi Rongxuan immediately promised.

If one wants to be a founding monarch, one cannot be stingy with official titles.

In this regard, he was very open-minded; enfeoffing titles did not cost a piece of meat, and it was much cheaper than taking out substantial benefits to buy them.

Even if there were hidden dangers, that would be a matter for the future.

"Holy Emperor, now that Guangxi is settled, it is time to consider the Northern Expedition."

As soon as the Prince of Dongping, Wei Hao, spoke, the court immediately became lively.

"Holy Emperor, the Prince of Dongping's words are inappropriate!

Huguang is the granary of the world and a place of four battles.

If we cannot take it quickly, we will be surrounded by a large number of puppet imperial troops in an instant.

In my opinion, it is better to take Guangdong first.

Since ancient times, the two Guangs have been one; after occupying Guangxi, we can take Guangdong, and we can retreat to occupy the southeast.

If we advance, we can take Jiangxi, kill into Nanzhili, and take Nanjing; then half of the country will be in our hands."

The Prince of Pingnan, Fu Haoxuan, immediately opposed.

"Holy Emperor, both princes have their reasons, but neither is the best strategy.

Whether it is the Northern Expedition or the Eastern Advance, we will face the enemy's heavy siege.

Instead of clashing with the enemy army, it is better to take the Great Southwest first.

In the past, the State of Shu relied on the land of the Southwest to achieve the tripartite division of the world.

Yunnan-Guizhou is the same as Guangxi, mostly mountainous.

When the puppet imperial army arrives here, their ten-tenths of combat power will immediately lose five or six tenths.

We can easily take the two provinces, and then attack Sichuan to establish the foundation of hegemony.

When there is a change in the world, we will then wave our troops for the Northern Expedition to settle the Central Plains."

The Prince of Zhenxi, Wei Jiarui, followed up and said.

The White Lotus Sect uprising in Guangxi involved not only Guangxi people but also White Lotus believers from surrounding provinces.

The current dispute over the route was actually a fierce struggle between these three factions.

The local faction in Guangxi could accept the Northern Expedition, Eastern Advance, or Western Advance.

Any strategy was nonsense; what supported them in making decisions was mainly interests.

In war, the significance of 'guides' is significant.

Marching in which direction meant that the people of that faction would be more valued in the future.

The Prince of Dongping, the Prince of Pingnan, and the Prince of Zhenxi were actually spokesmen pushed out in the court by White Lotus believers from the three regions.

"Enough, stop arguing.

The imperial army attacking Lianzhou comes from Guangdong, so let's take Guangdong first."

This decision was a bit hasty, but who made the White Lotus Holy Kingdom a makeshift troupe to begin with!

Shi Rongxuan, as the Holy Emperor, was just a man of the world who had only a basic understanding of literature.

Mixing to this position now was entirely due to coincidence.

He had only a half-understanding of the real situation of Great Dayu.

The rest of the high-level members of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom were about the same.

They all rose from the bottom of society; being able to recognize a few words was considered a rare intellectual in the sect.

If their family background was really good, and they were well-read and knowledgeable, who would join the White Lotus Sect!

Not knowing which plan was good, he simply picked the one that was the most unpleasant to fight.

Lianzhou Port.

"The rebel army is coming in a large scale, and we are just sitting still?"

Jing Yifeng asked suspiciously.

As the most outstanding talent of the younger generation of the Jing family, he was naturally well-read in military books.

Although he had never commanded a large army in battle, his experience in suppressing mountain bandits and bandits was still very rich.

Various battle examples in history books were even more familiar to him.

In the absence of a strong city to defend, the enemy gathered troops to attack in a large scale.

The most conventional operation was to catch one of the enemy armies and beat them hard, not giving the enemy a chance to gather.

"Seventh Uncle, if we don't wait for them to gather, how will we know how many chieftain forces participated in the rebellion?

If, at the critical moment when we are encircling and suppressing the rebel army, these rebels hidden among the chieftains suddenly kill from behind, it will be fatal.

If the enemy wants to gather, let them gather.

The interests of the White Lotus Sect and the local chieftains are not exactly the same.

After gathering together, contradictions will inevitably arise.

Among the various chieftain forces in Guangxi, there are even more contradictions.

In the past, it was because the imperial court was suppressing them that there was no major chaos.

The rebel army gathered a group of forces with heavy contradictions all together.

It looks like a great momentum, but in reality, the combat power that can be exerted is greatly discounted.

Moreover, the more troops there are, the greater the difficulty of command.

Even for you and me, commanding tens of thousands of troops requires caution.

The White Lotus rebels have no family inheritance and rely entirely on their own exploration; how could they grow up so easily."

Li Mu explained calmly.

From the moment he decided to take office in Guangxi, the local chieftain forces became a thorn in his side.

The lairs of these chieftains were mostly in the mountains.

Wanting to use a large army to encircle and suppress them was fraught with difficulties.

To solve the hidden danger of the chieftains, every dynasty had put in a lot of effort.

Finally, they found that the benefits and costs were not proportional, so they chose to pull one faction and fight another.

Li Mu did not think he could easily solve the problems that the ancients could not solve.

The various chieftain forces were hiding in the depths of the mountains, and he had no way either.

Now that someone had tricked these chieftain forces out, it was a great help to him.

He did not expect to wipe them out, but as long as he could give these guys a heavy blow, it would be much easier to promote the 'return of land to the state' later.

"Your appetite is really big, and you're not afraid of choking!"

Jing Yifeng couldn't help but laugh and scold.

It was also recruiting soldiers, but the gap in combat power was worlds apart.

Comparing the Huai'an Camp and the Yangzhou Camp, one could see the difference at a glance.

Whether it was military morale or daily training intensity, the two sides were not on the same level.

Military strength is the right to speak.

In this round of cooperation, Li Mu, whose army had stronger combat power, naturally gained the dominant position.

"Haha..."

"Being choked is better than being hungry.

The worst-case scenario is to retreat to the sea to avoid the edge.

Guangxi is poor, and after being ravaged by the White Lotus Sect for so long, it is estimated that the money and grain have long been consumed.

If we don't hurry to fight out, relying on Guangxi alone, we can't support the White Lotus Sect's million holy soldiers."

Li Mu joked with a smile.

The million holy soldiers were the White Lotus Sect's external propaganda; how many real troops they had, it was estimated that even the White Lotus Holy Emperor did not know.

The only thing that was certain was that the White Lotus Sect was indeed exhausting its troops and resources.

Lianzhou Prefecture.

"Your subordinate respectfully welcomes the Chancellor!"

Zhou Damao said in a panic.

He was originally flirting with his concubine at home and having a good time when he suddenly heard his subordinate report that his old boss had arrived.

He couldn't care about enjoying himself, so he immediately put on his official uniform and ran out the door to welcome him.

"Hmph!

Garrison Commander Zhou, you are really something.

The puppet imperial army occupies Lianzhou Port and may kill over at any time.

You don't go to inspect the military camp to find a strategy to defeat the enemy, but you still have the heart to enjoy yourself at home.

Are you worthy of the Holy Emperor's cultivation?"

Fu Sanqi scolded sharply.

It was a pity that he had tried hard in the court to excuse Zhou Damao from responsibility, but he did not expect that this kid was still as if nothing had happened, still enjoying himself at home.

Although little brothers need to be maintained, they also need to be beaten.

A guy like this who caused trouble and didn't know it needed even more key education.

"Chancellor, your subordinate was confused for a moment.

After the puppet imperial army occupied Lianzhou Port, they stood still.

Your subordinate sent people to test them many times, but did not see them send troops, so I relaxed my vigilance.

However, please rest assured, your subordinate has already formulated a strategy to suppress the rebellion.

Oh, it's just placed on the military side, I'll take it over for you to see in a while!

..."

Zhou Damao explained hurriedly.

Greed for pleasure is not a crime, and daylight debauchery is not a problem, but being caught by a boss is a crime.

Now he just wanted to finish with his old boss quickly, so as not to be punished by the Holy Kingdom.

"Hmph!

Don't worry about suppressing the rebellion.

The Holy Emperor has a decree that the subsequent war will be commanded by me personally.

You immediately collect grain and fodder for me, and prepare at least two months of grain and fodder for 100,000 troops.

If you don't complete the task, there is no need for the Holy Emperor to punish you; I will cut off your head first."

Hearing Fu Sanqi's words, Zhou Damao was so scared that cold sweat broke out.

The grain and fodder needed for 100,000 troops is not a small number.

Lianzhou Prefecture was not rich to begin with, and the wealthy gentry had long been raided by them.

The bulk had been escorted to the Holy Kingdom, and they, the participants, just followed and drank a sip of soup.

Even if they desperately looted the people now, they might not be able to complete the task.

"Chancellor, save me!

It's not that your subordinate is shirking, it's really that Lianzhou Prefecture is too poor.

The territory is still full of a large number of chieftains, and the number of commoners is limited.

In a short period of time, it is impossible to collect so much money and grain."

Zhou Damao knelt down and begged for mercy.

He didn't dare to take on such a high-difficulty task.

It was easy to loot, but the problem was that the local young and strong had joined the Holy Kingdom's army.

Among them, there were many who served as officers, and some even had a status higher than his.

Recklessly tossing the military families would easily cause big trouble.

"Trash!"

"If you can't collect grain, you can find a way to buy it yourself.

In short, the army's grain and fodder must be guaranteed.

Even if you can't collect two months, you must prepare at least one month.

If you don't complete the task, I will take your hundred-plus pounds to make up the number!"

As he spoke, the whip in Fu Sanqi's hand had already been drawn out.

Deep down, he was also anxious.

The Holy Kingdom was full of muddled officials; wanting to take over the world was probably not easy.

"Yes!

Yes!

Your subordinate will definitely try my best to complete it!"

Zhou Damao, who had been whipped, said with joy.

Having been whipped, it was equivalent to being punished, and the previous things were considered over.

The grain and fodder task was halved, which was a great joy.

"What are you standing there for, hurry down and prepare the military camp.

The Holy Emperor has issued a decree to mobilize chieftains from several nearby prefectures to participate in the war, and it won't be long before they come.

You must make proper arrangements and don't cause trouble for me!"

Fu Sanqi scolded angrily.

After driving Zhou Damao away, he glanced at the beautiful concubine beside him, cursed secretly that a good cabbage had been arched by a pig, and turned and left.

Reason told him that a big battle was imminent, and it was not the time to be greedy for beauty.

(End of chapter)