Chapter 219

Zhaoqing Prefecture.

"Idiots!"

"All of them are idiots!"

Lou Xiang Qinghong scolded incessantly.

While he was fully defending against the enemy on the Xijiang River, problems appeared on the Wuzhou line again.

Learning that the government troops had successfully crossed the river, the general responsible for blocking the Wuzhou enemy troops thought the main force of the government troops was at Guanghai Guard and relaxed his vigilance.

This negligence led to a major event.

The government troops in Wuzhou Prefecture suddenly killed their way out, catching the garrison off guard, and several county towns in the west fell one after another.

Within a few short days, more than half of Zhaoqing Prefecture was lost.

According to the current situation, it won't be long before they have to defend an isolated city.

"General, calm your anger!

The enemy commander Li Mu is a famous general of the pseudo-dynasty, and his use of troops is the most cunning.

It is not strange that General Wu was caught in the enemy's calculations for a moment.

The urgent matter is to gather the defeated troops, hold the city, and wait for the changes in the world situation."

The Zhaoqing Prefect advised helplessly.

The situation is not good; others can surrender to the government troops, but only he cannot.

The gentry enjoyed the privileges given by the court, so naturally, they also had to bear corresponding obligations.

Surrendering to the rebels and serving as an official in the White Lotus Holy Kingdom undoubtedly violated the court's major taboo.

Once the government troops fight back, his whole family will be finished.

"Prefect, you don't need to plead for mercy; Wu Lao Si has already died on the battlefield.

No matter how angry I am, I won't take it out on a dead person.

The pseudo-dynasty army is coming aggressively, and the Zhaoqing city defenses are thin, so it cannot be defended for long.

I intend to lead the army to retreat, join forces with colleagues in Guangzhou, and work together to ensure Guangdong is not lost!"

Lou Xiang Qinghong said calmly.

Being trapped in an isolated city is a major taboo in military strategy.

Compared to other White Lotus Sect generals, Lou Xiang Qinghong, who came from a military household, had read a few military books.

Before the White Lotus Sect rebellion, he was a Platoon Leader in the guard station.

Because he was young and arrogant and offended people, he was always picked on by his superiors, which is why he joined the White Lotus Sect.

"General, the order from above is for us to hold Zhaoqing Prefecture.

Withdrawing to Guangzhou without authorization, I'm afraid there's no way to explain it!"

Prefect Cui advised in a panic.

The White Lotus Holy Kingdom was newly founded, and various systems had not yet been perfected, so many times they were copying the rules of Great Great Dayu.

This includes the responsibility of local officials to defend the land.

Abandoning the city without authorization and withdrawing to the rear will be held accountable.

Now is the time to fight for the world, and Lou Xiang Qinghong holds heavy troops, so the Holy Kingdom will not easily move him.

If the high-level officials want to kill the chicken to warn the monkey, the powerless Prefect Cui will easily become that tragic chicken.

"Prefect, you are scared now.

Then when you privately sold the grain in the treasury before, why weren't you scared?"

Lou Xiang Qinghong's mocking words scared Prefect Cui half to death.

He thought he had been cautious enough, but never expected that he would still be discovered.

"General Lou, what are you talking about? How come I don't understand?"

Prefect Cui decisively chose to play dumb.

Corruption was a last resort; if he didn't try hard to make money, what would he use to bribe the high-level officials of the Holy Kingdom.

It seems that the grain in the treasury was sold by him, but in reality, what he got was only a fraction, and the one doing this business was the high-level official of the Holy Kingdom.

The reason for daring to do this is very simple; it is wartime, and it is too easy to balance the accounts.

Just blow up a few empty warehouses, and you can report to the higher-ups that the granary was destroyed by the government troops' artillery.

If that's not enough, you can set a fire.

As the Zhaoqing Prefect, just keep the account books from having problems; as for the accidents in the warehouse, just throw the pot to the government troops.

"Prefect, you don't need to act here.

I ordered to clear the fields, and there will be no grain from outside flowing in.

A panic buying wave broke out in the city, and the grain in those few grain shops should have been sold out long ago.

To be able to persist until now, unless someone stole the grain in the treasury.

You oppose the current withdrawal, nothing more than because the goods have not been sold out, and the loss will be very large if you withdraw at this time.

If you hold on for another ten days or half a month and clear the treasury, even if I don't mention withdrawing, you will take the initiative to find an opportunity to mention it."

Lou Xiang Qinghong said with disdain.

After the grain price in the city soared, there was suddenly a lot of grain on the market; as long as you think about it carefully, you will find something wrong.

Selling the inventory grain at a high price for arbitrage, long-term defense is a joke.

The window paper was poked through, and Prefect Cui's face suddenly darkened.

It's a pity that this is the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, not the Great Great Dayu court, and he, the Prefect, has no deterrent power over the Garrison General.

"General Lou, some things cannot be said randomly.

Even if you give me a hundred guts, I wouldn't dare to privately sell the grain in the treasury.

In the officialdom, it is rare to be confused. Things that shouldn't be known are best not known."

Prefect Cui said in anger and shame.

Seeking profit is one thing, but being said out loud is another.

If the matter were really poked out, Lou Xiang Qinghong would offend people, but he, the Prefect, would also become a scapegoat.

"Prefect, confused people don't live long.

No matter whose path you took, I want 70% of the proceeds.

Don't rush to refuse; half of this 70% share belongs to the Southern Prince.

The remaining half, besides handling relationships, must also be shared with the brothers, otherwise, so many treasures cannot be transported out of Zhaoqing Prefecture!"

Lou Xiang Qinghong said with a smile that was not a smile.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Prefect Cui's secret actions had never escaped his eyes. He pretended to know nothing earlier, waiting for this moment.

Using the high grain price to scrape wealth from the people is much more clever than directly indulging troops in looting.

As a local of Zhaoqing, he didn't want to do things too absolutely. He simply stayed behind the scenes, waiting for Prefect Cui to finish harvesting, and then jumped out to pick the peaches.

"You..."

The scolding words reached his lips, and Prefect Cui forcibly swallowed them back. Reason told him that this was not the time to turn against each other.

Lou Xiang Qinghong is a confidant of the Southern Prince, and the Guangdong region is the territory of the Southern Prince's faction. Although he was sent by the White Lotus Holy Emperor, he joined halfway and is not a direct descendant of the White Lotus Sect.

If they really fell out, in the current chaos, a Prefect dying on the way to retreat would not be eye-catching at all.

If the Guangdong side helps to cover it up, the Holy Emperor cannot break with the Southern Prince's faction for his sake.

Guanghai Guard.

"What, you want me to sneak attack Guangzhou?"

Chu Er asked in disbelief.

He thought that negotiating conditions meant how much money was needed to handle things, but never expected that it would be a hell-level copy from the start.

With his current identity, retreating to Guangzhou after the defeat would not be a problem.

But wanting to cooperate with the government troops to capture Guangzhou City is not that simple.

If any link in the process goes wrong, there is only a dead end.

"General, cooperating with the government troops to capture Guangzhou is just one option.

If you want to be safe, just open the city gates and let the government troops in now.

You know, the court restricts official titles very strictly.

If there is no military merit, the position obtained after accepting the court's amnesty will be very low.

Whether to take the risk or not requires the General to carefully consider."

Cheng Cheng Jiliang said calmly.

Although he also thinks the risk of sneak attacking Guangzhou is too high, he can't stand the superior conditions promised by the other party.

If this matter is done, his joining the White Lotus Holy Kingdom will become acting under orders to go undercover.

Not only is the political stain gone, but he also has great merit to the court.

If he is lucky, maybe the Emperor will directly grant him the status of a Tong Jinshi.

Don't look at people often self-deprecatingly saying that a Tong Jinshi is like a concubine; you must first pass the Tong Jinshi exam before you are qualified to discuss this topic.

The Great Great Dayu Dynasty has about 13,000 living Juren, and about 4,000 to 5,000 people participate in the imperial examination every three years, with the number of admissions generally between 150 and 300.

Among them, the Tong Jinshi quota does not exceed 50, and the rest are all Tong Jinshi.

It seems the probability is not low, but in reality, these Juren are all people who have experienced multiple rounds of screening and killed their way out of 6 million scholars.

Being able to pass is the smoke from the ancestral grave, opening a separate genealogy is a basic operation, and the hometown also needs to build a Tong Jinshi archway.

In the face of huge benefits, even if it is just a possibility, it is enough to make Cheng Cheng Jiliang take the risk.

After drinking the wine in one gulp, Chu Er slapped his thigh and said:

"Wealth and honor are sought in danger; I'll bet!

But how can I ensure that the other party's promise can be fulfilled?"

Daring to do the work of rebellion, he naturally wouldn't be a timid person.

The only doubt lies in the credibility of Great Great Dayu officials, which has never been very good.

The promises made are like toilet paper, thrown away after use.

"General, rest assured, I have naturally considered these problems.

If it were the promise of ordinary officials, it would naturally be untrustworthy.

The Commander Li we contacted this time is different; this person's reputation is very good.

He has extensive connections in the court and can talk to all parties; as long as he promises things, there is nothing that cannot be done.

Back when the Eunuch Party was most rampant, there were officials who saved their lives through his operations.

Later, when the seven major families of Huaiyang rebelled, the families involved relied on his operations to get the Emperor's pardon.

As far as I know, those who entrusted him with things have never said anything bad afterwards.

Of course, his fees are also very high."

Cheng Cheng Jiliang hurriedly explained.

Before operating this matter, he had done his homework.

Chu Er is afraid that the officials who granted amnesty will not recognize the account afterwards, and he is also afraid.

No matter how great the merit is, it must be reported to count.

If you run into someone with an ugly eating style, they will directly treat them as rebels and chop them off, and there is nowhere to reason.

"A military general, can he really be the master?"

Chu Er asked suspiciously.

Great Great Dayu values civil officials and devalues military ones, which is known to everyone; usually, civil officials make the decisions for major matters like amnesty.

Military generals are too late to avoid suspicion and dare not operate such troublesome things at all.

"General, descendants of meritorious families are different from ordinary military generals; they can speak in the court.

Commander Li's background is unusual; one of the six auxiliary ministers in the court is his uncle, and one is his father-in-law.

Just look at the troops under his command; the other government troops are all sallow and thin, but the government troops outside the city are stronger than the others.

Anyone can see at a glance that they are not short of money and grain."

Cheng Cheng Jiliang continued to explain.

"Hmm, I can see it.

The government troops outside all eat good rice and can often see meat.

In the Holy Kingdom, only a few elites can enjoy it.

Commander Li is willing to let the guard station soldiers eat it; it seems he is really not short of money and grain."

Chu Er said with envy.

Background determines vision; the necessary conditions for training a strong army are seen by many as money and grain being burned.

However, this also became a corroboration.

Without a backer in the court, where would there be so much money and grain to squander.

Chenzhou Prefecture.

Relying on the title of Minister of Group Training, Bai Jing Yifeng successfully bluffed the elders of his hometown, successively annexed more than a dozen civilian groups, and created the Hunan Group Army.

After a period of integration, it finally became an army today.

Combat effectiveness is not discussed for now, at least it had the framework of an army.

Although the ranks were a bit chaotic, at least when he, the main general, gave a speech, no one dared to whisper below.

"Raising troops for a thousand days, using them for a moment.

Now that the White Lotus Sect rebels are invading the border, how can we, the sons of Huguang, allow the rebels to be presumptuous!

I have decided to send troops to reinforce Changde..."

Bai Jing Yifeng's speech was destined to be a waste of effort; chatting with these soldiers who had never traveled far about Changde was purely nonsense.

What "throat of Sichuan and Guizhou, gateway of Yunnan and Guizhou", these exclusive nouns, everyone couldn't understand at all.

Seeing that boosting morale failed, Bai Jing Yifeng immediately realized that his opening method was wrong, and then announced the reward.

"Beheading a rebel head, reward two taels of silver.

Beheading a rebel leader, reward ten taels of silver.

Beheading a rebel pseudo-king, reward ten thousand taels of silver.

..."

He doesn't know if the reward can be fulfilled, but this doesn't affect him drawing a pie first.

Taking a group of new soldiers to the battlefield, if the soldiers' morale is not good, this battle simply cannot be fought.

In fact, Bai Jing Yifeng didn't want to send troops now at all.

It's just that Grand Secretary Zhu urged him repeatedly, and he, the Minister of Group Training with a name but no reality, had no power to refuse.

Theoretically, he could command the civilian groups south of Dongting Lake, but in reality, this temporary position had no rank and could not even be considered an official establishment of the court.

In a short time, it was okay to bluff people.

Once the time was long, it would definitely be exposed.

Without the tiger skin of the court, it is hard to say whether he can command the troops below.

For the sake of military power, he must also go on an expedition.

Only by going to the battlefield and achieving eye-catching results can the Group Army obtain the court's recognition.

Otherwise, the Hundred-Household, Thousand-Household, Mobile Corps Commander, and Assistant Regional Commander he appointed are all jokes.

Once the subordinates know that the official positions he appointed are not recognized by the court, the team could mutiny at any time.

Although these soldiers were pulled up through clan relationships.

In essence, people were willing to join with the team to become officials.

Don't look at everyone despising military generals on their lips; if there is a chance to become an official, everyone is still scrambling to go.

After all, the road to the imperial examination is too narrow, and only a very small number can pass all the way.

Most gentry children stop at Tong Sheng on the road to the imperial examination, and those who can pass the Xiucai exam are considered excellent talents in the clan.

With so many children, relying on the family to support them is not enough.

Children who are not suitable for reading must seek a living after becoming adults.

In the Great Great Dayu Dynasty, no matter what profession, it is not as good as being an official.

If you can't be a civil official, it's not bad to be a military general.

Pulling up a team of 1,000 people, you are immediately a Thousand-Household, and the temptation is too great.

Relying on the bluffing method, Bai Jing Yifeng managed to pull up an army of tens of thousands in a short time.

If it weren't for considering the problem of money and grain, the scale of the team could continue to expand.

"Expedition!"

With Bai Jing Yifeng's order, the army marched toward Changde in a mighty manner.

Changde Prefecture.

Learning that the rebels were coming, the Changde Prefect was directly scared out of his wits.

Even Changsha, which had gathered heavy troops, couldn't hold it; with the few thousand soldiers under his command, they were simply not the rebels' opponents.

"Prefect, good news!

The Minister of Group Training appointed by the Grand Secretary is leading 50,000 troops to reinforce, and it is expected to arrive in two days."

Hearing this news, Zhang Xie Wenyu was happy at first, and then his face changed.

What Minister of Group Training, one listen and you know it's a grassroots team.

In order to protect Huguang, group training is being organized everywhere now, and Changde also has several group training teams.

It's a pity that these troops sound majestic, but in reality, they are all mobs.

There are many gentry who have read military books, but there are very few who know how to train troops.

According to the records in military books, after many failed attempts, everyone chose to give up.

The current civilian groups are purely a group of farmers who have put down their hoes, and they can't even be equipped with the simplest weapons.

Many soldiers use bamboo spears, and armor and artillery are nowhere to be seen.

"How much was falsely reported?"

Zhang Xie Wenyu asked with concern.

When the army goes on an expedition, in order to enhance deterrence, they usually falsely report the number of troops.

How much moisture there is depends entirely on the commander's mood.

However, as the Changde Prefect, since they are guest troops coming to help, he has to provide money and grain.

In order not to make a joke, it is necessary to figure out the strength of the reinforcements in advance so as to plan camps and raise supplies.

"Judging from the marching team, there are about 10,000 people.

How many exactly, the people below can't figure it out either.

To be safe, we can prepare military camps for them according to 20,000 reinforcements, so as not to let people say we are stingy.

These group training soldiers are all young and strong, and it should be no problem to use them to defend the city."

The staff officer replied calmly.

It is normal not to figure out the situation; they are not the Embroidered Uniform Guard and are not responsible for collecting intelligence.

This news was still passed on by the yamen runners in the county.

Asking them to count a team of tens of thousands of people is obviously making things difficult for them; being able to estimate an imaginary number is not bad.

"The staff officer is right; we really can't let people think we are stingy.

Since ancient times, adversity reveals true feelings.

It is rare that Master Bai can bring troops to reinforce so quickly, so we cannot lose etiquette.

Pass the order down to have people level a piece of land in the city to serve as the camp for the group training soldiers.

Also notify the treasury to prepare 5,000 taels of silver; I am going to reward the army."

Zhang Xie Wenyu stroked his beard and said.

Seeing that the other party came to reinforce in time, he decided not to pick on Bai Jing Yifeng this time.

As long as they can block the rebels and ensure the Changde Prefecture City is not lost, he will recognize the grassroots team.

(End of chapter)