Chapter 258

"Governor-General, it is time to set off!"

Hearing the reminder from the accompanying Embroidered Uniform Guard, Pei Pei Yunxuan's face turned black instantly.

Throughout this journey, he had been dragging his feet, clearly because he did not want to go to Jiangnan.

Yet these Embroidered Uniform Guards were oblivious and kept urging him to get on the road.

Being so lacking in awareness, it seems they haven't been disciplined enough.

It is necessary to rope in court officials and find an opportunity to put more pressure on the Embroidered Uniform Guard; it would be best if the Emperor abolished this agency once again.

"I know!

Everyone has worked hard on this journey; it won't be too late to have some tea and snacks before we set off."

Pei Pei Yunxuan said with a kind face.

No matter how much he disagreed in his heart, he wouldn't stoop to bickering with these low-ranking soldiers.

Don't look at the fact that these Embroidered Uniform Guard officers have low status; when away from home, they represent imperial power.

Once he reaches the Jiangnan region, if he wants to get things done, he will need the cooperation of these personal troops of the Son of Heaven.

Moreover, they are responsible for the escort on this journey; in case of any unforeseen events, he would need these people to risk their lives.

After all the posturing along the way, the effect was very obvious, and the accompanying Embroidered Uniform Guards had a very good impression of him.

"Report!"

"Governor-General, an urgent report from Yingtian Prefecture; the rebel army has besieged Nanjing!"

Upon receiving this news, Pei Pei Yunxuan was shocked.

The speed of the rebel army was much faster than he had anticipated.

The impact of Nanjing being besieged is far more severe than the previous siege of Anqing, and he, a Governor-General who has not yet taken office, must also submit a memorial of self-reproach.

"Take him down to rest!

Order the post station to arrange a banquet and treat him well.

The rest of you, finish your tea and snacks as soon as possible, and let's get on the road!"

Pei Pei Yunxuan said slowly.

This muddy water in Jiangnan is destined to be unavoidable.

The city walls of Nanjing are sturdy, and large quantities of strategic supplies are stockpiled inside.

There are also tens of thousands of garrison troops inside the city; the rebel army cannot possibly break through the city in a short time.

The worst-case scenario has already appeared; no matter how he drags his feet, the situation in Jiangnan will not change significantly in the short term.

All the burdens he could shift have been thrown off, and he must face the remaining matters personally.

How to suppress the rebel army has suddenly become the number one difficult problem placed before him.

If he had known it would be like this, he shouldn't have bragged when suppressing the rebellion in Guanzhong a few days ago.

Because of the drought and lack of rain in the Northwest, the taxes in Shaanxi could not be collected.

Lacking political achievements in his hands and unable to report back to the imperial court, he could only fabricate a military operation to cope.

With the concerted efforts of all parties, what was clearly just a suppression of a civilian riot in one county turned into the suppression of over two hundred thousand rebels under the "Spring and Autumn" style of writing.

Emperor Emperor Yongning is a number-sensitive emperor, and he, this Provincial Governor who quickly suppressed the rebellion, immediately caught the Emperor's eye.

After Xu Xu Wenyue's memorial came up, Emperor Emperor Yongning, knowing that relying on Grand Secretary Xu could not suppress the rebellion, decisively chose to appoint Pei Pei Yunxuan, who was knowledgeable in military affairs.

Jiangnan Governor-General—just hearing the name, one knows this is definitely a position of high authority.

Governing the most prosperous land of the Great Dayu Dynasty, it carries the Emperor's utmost trust.

However, this heavy trust made Pei Pei Yunxuan feel heavy pressure.

The Emperor sent him here to get things done.

Relying on perfunctory efforts will not wipe out the White Lotus rebel army.

"Private Secretary Liu, under the current situation, where do you think I should start?"

Pei Pei Yunxuan asked expectantly.

It is true that he has read military books thoroughly, but leading troops in battle is something he has never done before.

He might dare to try bullying a mob, but the White Lotus rebel army, which has been capturing cities and seizing territory all the way, is not that easy to bully.

Rashly gathering troops and running off to suppress the rebels might just be throwing his life away.

"Governor-General, since the rebel army has besieged Nanjing, let's go to Yangzhou first!

Although Yangzhou Prefecture suffered from the ravages of war a few years ago and lost quite a few people, the local grievances are the smallest among all the prefectures in Nanzhili.

Even if the rebel army kills its way here, the probability of internal and external collusion is not high.

Plus, Yangzhou City has an important strategic position; by holding Yangzhou, we have the opportunity to send troops to Nanjing at any time.

The most critical thing is that Yangzhou Prefecture has produced a strong army, which was invincible on the previous battlefields of suppressing the rebels.

After you take office, you only need to issue an order to recall the Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion from the Liangguang region, and you will have usable troops in your hands.

If possible, it would be best to also transfer the two great generals, Li Mu and Jing Jing Yifeng, back.

At that time, we can directly join forces with the Beijing Garrison and the Lu Army trapped in Nanjing, and wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop with internal and external coordination!"

Private Secretary Liu said with full confidence.

After wiping out the pseudo-emperor, the strength of the Among Guangxi troops was directly exposed to the world.

Everyone knew that Among Guangxi had strong troops, and after in-depth research, they suddenly discovered the Yangzhou Battalion hidden within.

After digging deeper, Private Secretary Liu also discovered the Two Huai'an Battalion, which had equally impressive combat effectiveness; it just so happened that both battalions came from the jurisdiction of the Jiangnan Governor-General.

"I have also heard of the reputations of the Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion.

After the salt merchant riots were quelled in the late Emperor's reign, in order to pacify Liaodong, five battalions of recruited troops were specially expanded.

Since the Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion have shone brightly on the battlefield, I imagine the Yong'an Battalion, the Tongzhou Battalion, and the Baoding Battalion are not bad either.

I will simply ask for them all together, and let the rebel army know the power of the imperial court!"

Pei Pei Yunxuan thought for a moment and said.

The five battalions newly organized during the reign of Emperor Tianyuan all had similar backgrounds, all formed with the sons of the nobility as the core.

Pacifying Liaodong was just a public excuse.

The real reason was to support the nobility and counter the increasingly powerful Nine Borders military families.

In the years that followed, the imperial court invested a large amount of resources into these five battalions.

"Governor-General, the Yong'an Battalion, the Tongzhou Battalion, and the Baoding Battalion have been successively crippled in the previous great battles to suppress the rebellion."

Private Secretary Liu reminded him, looking slightly embarrassed.

Pointing out the boss's mistake to his face is not exactly a display of high emotional intelligence.

But since it involves the war to suppress the rebellion, if the situation isn't explained clearly and his own Governor-General overestimates the strength of the three battalions,

and makes a wrong strategic layout, then it would be a total disaster.

"Crippled!"

As he spoke, Pei Pei Yunxuan frowned.

Just when he needed people, he was suddenly told there was no one to use.

The Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion are good, but now they are under the command of the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang; whether they can return in time, no one knows.

In this special period, everyone likes elite troops; it is not impossible that the official document is sent over and the army is held back and not allowed to leave.

Even if the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang doesn't block him, the people below might not necessarily execute the order. The imperial court owes each unit a mountain of military pay; heaven knows how many bad debts the Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion have.

If the generals below don't give him face and demand money before moving, he, as Governor-General, cannot reach them.

Holding them accountable is impossible; at this moment, the Yangzhou Battalion and the Two Huai'an Battalion are both great heroes of the imperial court; how can he destroy his own Great Wall because of a small disagreement?

Guangzhou Prefecture, Governor-General's Yamen.

Looking at the list submitted by Li Mu, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang also began to worry. Apart from those generals who had arrangements at home, all the high-ranking generals in the Among Guangxi army wanted to go out and make a name for themselves.

It's not that Li Mu isn't a good boss, but mainly because staying in Among Guangxi, everyone's position has already reached its limit.

In other places, one can set up a bunch of non-permanent positions like Assistant Regional Commanders or Vice Regional Commanders, but Among Guangxi Province cannot.

Marking out a prefecture in Among Guangxi as a garrison and asking the local yamen to provide supplies is purely a fantasy.

Even if the local officials squeeze the common people dry, they still can't scrape together the money and grain needed by the large army.

Concentrating the strength of the entire province to support one battalion of combat troops is already considered quite good.

Staying behind means only being able to huddle in the guard posts; now it is a time of war, and with the imperial court's resource allocation, the gap is not yet visible for the time being.

Once the war ends, the gap between the guard post generals and the recruited troop generals will quickly widen.

If one wants to move up, one must jump out of the guard posts. Otherwise, one can only bitterly farm; there is no such thing as getting promoted and getting rich.

Internal resources are not enough to go around, so one can only go outside. Staying in the Jiangnan region is better than going to the Nine Borders to risk one's life.

"Is it the intention of your Commander Li to have me settle them all?"

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang asked with concern.

Although half of the people on this list were his former subordinates, there wasn't much contact between them, and there was a Li Mu in between.

Involving major personnel adjustments, things must be clarified. Otherwise, pulling away so many generals at once and ruining the Among Guangxi army would be hard to clean up.

"Governor-General, my lord asks you to arrange it as you see fit. If it's convenient, it would be best to settle them all.

The places don't necessarily have to be in Zhejiang; Guangdong, Fujian, Huguang, and Jiangxi—as long as there are vacancies, they can be arranged.

If it's Nanzhili, it needs to be delayed for a while. Appointments can be made after the situation stabilizes."

Lan Lan Linjie said with trepidation.

A transfer involving more than twenty high-ranking generals at once had long exceeded his cognitive scope.

Under normal circumstances, the appointment and removal of generals at this level are recommended from below, reviewed by the Ministry of War and the Chief Military Commission, and then reported to the Emperor for a decision.

In essence, the final personnel power for the transfer of military officers of Rank Three and above with real power still lies in the hands of the Emperor.

Transferring one is already so troublesome, let alone more than twenty at once.

Of course, these people are all sons of the nobility, whose ancestors have all shed blood for the Great Dayu; their family background investigations are all plus points, and as long as their achievements are sufficient, the review stage won't block anyone.

"Alright then, I will try my best to arrange it!"

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang said calmly.

Pushing so many people up at once is no longer a simple personnel adjustment; it also involves politics.

It looks like it's for the sake of the big picture, but in reality, it is also splitting up the Among Guangxi army to prevent local military garrisons from becoming too powerful.

Apart from these visible things, there is also a hidden line—submitting a letter of allegiance to the noble group.

Unlike other relatives of the Emperor who just wait to die, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang has military merits, especially after annihilating the central government of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, he has transcended the category of ordinary imperial relatives.

His sister, the Empress Dowager in the palace, has already promised to help him lobby the Emperor. After the war ends, he has a high probability of obtaining a military title, and at that time, he will be a genuine noble.

However, becoming a noble does not mean being accepted by the noble group. Before this, he still needs one action to show his political stance.

The appearance of this cooperation is purely a case of each getting what they need.

The influence of the noble group seems to have been recovered quite a bit, but their influence in the imperial court is still limited and they need the participation of the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang.

For the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang, although being an imperial relative is noble, its durability is too short. No matter how prominent, it will decline in a few decades.

In contrast, the duration of the noble group is much longer. As long as one doesn't court death, the title can be passed down forever.

Even if it declines in the middle, as long as the descendants have ability, they can quickly return to the imperial court.

Looking at the generals on the list is proof; many of them are collateral branches of the nobility. Some of these families had long since left the center of power, but their descendants still received care when being promoted.

To avoid complications, he has already made up his mind to push through the personnel appointments as soon as possible.

In officialdom, a recommendation is equivalent to a favor of rebirth.

If he doesn't make a move and other noble bigwigs in the court do, this favor will have nothing to do with him.

Wanting to get involved with so many noble families later would not be something that could be settled with a simple memorial.

Among Guangxi Great Camp.

With a large number of generals about to leave, Li Mu also began to look for replacements. The ideal is plump, but reality is very skinny.

In the past two or three years, he has cultivated quite a few direct subordinates, but very few are capable of taking on the positions of high-ranking generals.

One aspect is the limitation of their own abilities, but what is more troublesome is that he doesn't have the ability to send many confidants to those positions in the short term.

Unlike promoting sons of the nobility, where he only needs to recommend people and someone will naturally help operate behind the scenes,

for grassroots generals, if he wants them to be appointed, he needs to operate it himself.

It's easy to talk about generals below the Battalion Commander level; in wartime, efficiency is emphasized, and the imperial court's review is not strict.

For higher-level generals, they all have to go through layers of approval. Military merit is just the entry-level bottom line; the general's family background, character, and external reputation are all assessment conditions.

Promoting a Battalion Commander without any background to the position of Guard Commander all of a sudden, and promoting several people at once, is clearly fearing that the outside world won't know he is cultivating confidants.

He guesses that his father-in-law and uncle, who serve as Left and Right Commanders, would be able to kill their way over from the capital and whip him upon receiving the news.

Within the rules and system, cultivating confidants is naturally allowed, but one must follow the rules of the game.

For exceptional promotion and appointment, one must either have made great contributions or have a great background.

After hesitating slightly for a moment, Li Mu thought of an idea. Confidants must definitely be promoted, but they cannot be placed directly in the positions of main officials.

From Battalion Commander to Guard Commander, the span in between is really too large. If changed to Assistant Regional Commander, the operability would increase greatly.

It is still an exceptional promotion, but the imperial court's assessment standards for main officials and subordinate officials are completely different.

Guard post troops are not valued, and coupled with the special period of wartime, the imperial court will likely give him this face.

As for the candidates for main officials, just continue to use sons of the nobility to fill them. Although these people's abilities are not as good as those who left, it is not a big problem.

At the very least, for the people he chooses, there is a bottom line of ability, and they will execute orders according to his will.

Once their merits accumulate enough, they will leave on their own and won't stay to fight for the dominance of the troops.

However, in this way, his place has become a training camp for sons of the nobility, specifically for transporting noble generals for the Great Dayu.

After a brief hesitation, Li Mu decisively decided to do just that. Not only must he appoint sons of the nobility, but he must also attract more sons of the nobility to come.

Cultivating noble generals like this seems to be making wedding clothes for the imperial court, but in reality, the hidden benefits behind it are too great.

With their sons here, they must invest resources here. If there are occasional excessive actions, they will also help clean up the mess.

These are just the early benefits; the real gains are still to come.

For capable sons of the nobility, Assistant Regional Commander and Vice Regional Commander are just an important stage in their official career, far from reaching the limit.

Later, by accumulating seniority, they can all reach the position of Regional Commander.

In less than ten years, this group can become the biggest mountain in the Great Dayu military world.

With this group as cover, his cultivation of confidants won't be so eye-catching.

Deep down, Li Mu already has a comprehensive plan. Later, he will split the recruited troops and the guard post troops.

The "Noble Sons Military Academy" will be placed among the recruited troops and put on the table for everyone to see, while his direct confidants will be stuffed into the inconspicuous guard posts.

Among Guangxi cannot afford a garrison of recruited troops, so he will pull Guangdong to do it together. He has made such a great sacrifice; serving as the Liangguang Provincial Military Commander is not too much, right!

In the future, the scale of recruited troops will be controlled at twenty to thirty thousand. It can maintain a certain deterrent power without causing the Emperor's suspicion.

As for the guard post troops, they will slowly be replaced by his own people.

The main officials of the guard posts will be concurrently held by noble generals from the recruited troops in the early stages, but their main work must be placed on the training of recruited troops, only holding the title without performing the duties.

No one can refuse such a good thing delivered to their door. The rank goes up first, which has a very important effect on subsequent promotion and appointment.

The specific affairs of the guard posts will be handed over to the deputies to do.

After making enough military merit, they can start as Assistant Regional Commanders when they leave. Saving several years in between is definitely a big favor.

If the world is peaceful, he is a great loyal minister of the Great Dayu Dynasty and the leader of the young noble faction.

If it really reaches the end of the dynasty, or if the Emperor suddenly finds the nobles unpleasant and wants to slaughter the meritorious officials, he also has the power to protect himself.

(End of chapter)