Chapter 317: Pre-War Resolution

Nanchang City.

"How much grain has been collected for this year's autumn tax?"

Wang Wang Weijiarui asked with concern.

As a rebel army spanning three provinces, its territory was rich, so he had no shortage of money.

But in wartime, grain mattered more than money.

All major powers had tightened control over grain, banning its export from their territories.

At this moment, even with money, it was hard to buy grain from outside.

Under these circumstances, the autumn harvest was critically important.

The amount of autumn grain collected would directly determine the intensity of the coming war.

"Your Highness, through the joint efforts of our ministers, we have surveyed farmland across all regions.

The actual land area far exceeded the registered figures by nearly double.

The real population in each prefecture and county also surpassed the false regime's official records.

After consolidation, this year's autumn tax is expected to surpass the level under Great Dayu's rule.

We estimate approximately eighteen million shi of grain will be collected.

This is mainly because war has hindered full recovery of production in all areas.

Once recovery is complete, this figure will rise dramatically."

Minister of Revenue Xiao Yushan said with pride.

The high tax grain volume stemmed not only from regional wealth but also from their tax system.

Compared to Great Dayu's myriad complex taxes, the White Lotus Holy State's system was far simpler and more brutal.

All taxes were apportioned directly onto land, collected in kind based solely on land area.

The simplest tax model was often the most effective.

The more tax categories, the higher the collection cost and the greater the enforcement difficulty.

Most senior officials couldn't even untangle them, let alone ordinary civilians.

Most corruption occurred during opaque processes.

If Great Dayu had been able to collect this much tax grain from these regions, it wouldn't have fallen behind on military rations.

"Eighteen million shi of tax grain—after deducting officials' salaries, how much remains for military use?"

Wang Wang Weijiarui immediately asked.

In chaotic times, grain prices soared; to ensure officials fought loyally, paying them grain rations was essential.

Not only officials needed rations—lower-level clerks required them too.

These expenses were typically deducted locally during tax collection.

The reported eighteen million shi was merely an accounting figure.

Grain losses during transport and personnel salaries were all real costs.

"If we cut back, we might squeeze out ten million shi."

Xiao Yushan thought for a moment and said.

High administrative costs were unavoidable.

From the moment grain taxes were collected in kind, fire loss was guaranteed to be substantial.

"The quantity isn't enough!

Pacifying Guangdong and Among Guangxi won't be accomplished overnight.

A million-strong army marching south consumes vast sums of money and grain daily.

Ten million shi of military grain may seem large, but spread across a million soldiers, it won't last long."

Wang Wang Weijiarui frowned.

A million soldiers was a rough number, but adding civilian porters, the number of mouths to feed was even higher.

Moreover, during wartime, grain in transit suffered unpredictable losses.

If half of ten million shi reached frontline troops, that would already indicate strong organizational ability.

"Your Highness, if we ration carefully, holding out until next year won't be a problem.

Compared to the false regime, we're still relatively wealthy.

Guangdong, Among Guangxi, and Fujian aren't grain-producing regions; no matter how powerful Marquis Wu and Li Mu are, they can't conjure grain.

In previous major battles, imperial forces held clear advantages but ended in failure—precisely because of grain shortages.

To seize Guangdong and Among Guangxi, we don't need to annihilate the imperial army; starving them out will suffice.

Once I launch a major offensive, the false regime's officials will conscript civilians to defend cities.

Stretch the front lines, widen the war zone, and exhaust the false regime's military grain as much as possible.

They'll collapse within half a year at most.

After all, Guangdong and Among Guangxi have only recently fallen into the false regime's hands; local granaries hold little stock!"

Chancellor Chang Junyi immediately proposed the plan.

In war, using small tactics to win isn't shameful.

Moreover, a war of attrition is a conventional, open strategy—it doesn't lower moral standards.

"Chancellor speaks wisely; I've been overthinking this.

Issue orders to all units: prepare for major battle; launch the campaign against Guangdong and Among Guangxi in seven days!"

Wang Wang Weijiarui immediately ordered.

As a regional lord, his greatest strength was his willingness to listen and admit his mistakes.

Even if his military talent wasn't exceptional, his personal charisma drew in a large group of loyal supporters.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The ministers replied in unison.

No one had any intention of blocking a war destined to happen.

Even if they did nothing, the imperial army would still initiate war.

Better to strike first than wait passively—to seize control of the war's initiative.

…

Guangzhou City, Viceroy's Office.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard reports that Wei's forces are moving toward the border, likely preparing to attack us.

Previously, we planned multi-front warfare and a decisive battle against the enemy.

Now we must choose: wait for the enemy to come to us, or strike first."

As host, Marquis Wu spoke first.

The territories bordering Wei's domain in Guangdong, Among Guangxi, and Fujian were vast, with a front stretching over a thousand li.

Due to terrain, Fujian was largely secure.

The endless mountain ranges alone would deter enemy advances.

Under imperial control, Fujian could still profit from maritime trade and levy taxes from it.

If it fell to rebels, it would become a worthless burden; local gentry would flee quickly, making it hard to recover war costs.

That was something the rebels could never envy.

The barrier to overseas trade was extremely high.

Even Li Mu, a noble-born heir, could only enter overseas trade after wielding a knife to the throat of sea merchants.

Even then, he suffered heavy losses in the process.

After the White Lotus rebels slaughtered everyone, the gentry and sea merchants were wiped out—business became impossible.

Without overseas trade, Fujian was nothing but a poor, rugged land.

Holding it would be a burden.

"All other fronts can be chosen freely, but Songjiang Prefecture cannot be delayed.

The court is pressing hard; we must deliver results quickly.

The political slogan of reclaiming Nanjing must be raised immediately!"

Jing Jing Guoliang immediately declared his stance.

The exact tactics didn't matter—what mattered was shouting the political slogan the moment possible.

Not launching troops to reclaim Nanjing was a political issue.

The Liaozhen garrison set a bad precedent, making court officials suspect everyone of treachery.

Launching troops but failing to capture Nanjing was a matter of capability.

With the rebels so strong, failing to reclaim Nanjing immediately was perfectly understandable.

"Be cautious: except Songjiang Prefecture, hold defensive positions elsewhere.

The rebels' possible invasion routes are limited.

Either they advance from Hubei, or from Jiangxi.

Yongzhou and Meiling must be closely monitored.

If necessary, launch the Yongzhou battle first to break their momentum."

Li Yuan added.

Clearly, he was a seasoned veteran.

Yongzhou.

It borders Jiao and Guang to the south, connects Jing and Xiang to the north, and benefits from river transport along the Xiangjiang and Xiao rivers.

Meiling lies along the Five Ranges, spanning the provinces of Jiangxi and Guangdong.

It blocks Jiao and Guang to the south, resists Hubei and Hunan to the west, sits at the upper reaches of Jiangxi, and grips the back of Lingnan.

The only passage, Meiguan, is hailed as the First Pass of Lingnan.

Controlling Yongzhou is equivalent to obtaining a ticket to enter Huguang.

Controlling Meiling is equivalent to opening the gateway to Jiangxi.

Of course, the same holds true for the rebel forces.

Securing these two places means holding the key to entering Guangdong and Among Guangxi.

It is less a struggle over the two territories than a contest for the initiative in war.

"Strategically, there is no issue—Yongzhou and Meiguan are both places every general must fight for.

As long as the rebels are not fools, they will prioritize seizing both.

Yongzhou has already fallen into rebel hands; we must recover it swiftly to secure strategic initiative.

The two are not far apart; rather than two separate fronts, they are one single front.

Let me personally lead one hundred twenty thousand troops to crush the rebels decisively."

When Li Mu finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Although many generals attended the meeting, only four had the authority to speak.

A group of one duke and three marquises was an extremely powerful political bloc anywhere.

Moreover, they commanded large armies, determining the fate of southern lands and influencing the decisions of the Great Dayu dynasty.

Seeing their old superior, Li Mu, step forward to seize the initiative, no one knew how to respond.

Emotionally, everyone supported Li Mu.

There was no other reason—battlefield results were the most convincing.

But the other three were not to be trifled with; they were all insiders of the noble faction, and supporting any one of them was inappropriate.

"I have no objections. General Li's proposal is excellent—move swiftly to implement it."

Marquis Marquis Wuyang said with a smile.

Outsiders saw it as "one mountain cannot hold two tigers"—Guangzhou, a small city, housed three viceroys, surely breeding friction.

But the information these people saw was precisely what they wanted others to see.

If three viceroys holding heavy troops were harmonious, colluding daily to enrich themselves, what would the Emperor think?

Under normal circumstances, creating minor tensions was to reassure the Emperor and the court officials.

But this tactic clearly did not apply when discussing strategic decisions.

"In that case, I shall take charge of the campaign to retake Songjiang."

Jing Jing Guoliang immediately declared.

Though the front stretched over a thousand li, the true strategic points of conflict were only a few.

The main force of this war was the Guangdong and Among Guangxi troops, so the focus must lie with the Guangdong-Among Guangxi side.

Even if they held higher rank and could vie for overall command, it would be meaningless.

Soldiers who do not know their generals, and generals who do not know their soldiers—charging into battle like that is a cardinal sin of warfare.

One defeat could erase decades of accumulated prestige.

For them, it was better not to campaign at all than to campaign and lose.

Especially in the Great Dayu dynasty, any failure by a military commander would be magnified and interpreted by civil officials.

No matter how great their prior achievements, they would pretend not to see them.

The sunk cost was too high—failure was unacceptable.

"Then the remaining fronts are mine."

Li Yuan said calmly.

Frankly, this assignment was wildly inconsistent with his status and rank.

Normally, the campaign to retake Yongzhou should have been under his command.

But the reorganized Huguang troops had only just begun to form combat capability.

To launch the Yongzhou campaign, reliance on the Guangdong-Among Guangxi troops remained essential.

If he seized the role of overall commander while others fought the war, it would damage future cooperation.

Even if Li Mu did not mind, the subordinate generals would not accept it.

After expansion, the six Guangdong-Among Guangxi garrisons included not only noble faction officers but also many grassroots commanders.

They formed their own system within the army and, lacking political voice, had relatively low visibility.

These men were all Li Mu's personal protégés; due to their humble origins, their relations with noble faction officers were far from harmonious.

This was the price of building factions.

Noble faction officers came here to gain prestige, blocking others' promotion opportunities.

They could not defy the larger plan, but inwardly, resentment simmered.

During peacetime, Li Mu's authority above them kept things under control.

But if another commander took over, all bets were off.

…

The efficient conclusion of the military meeting left many generals attending for the first time deeply unsettled.

It began straight to the point, with no ceremonial greetings, no lengthy citations or scholarly digressions.

This was entirely unlike the civil official military meetings they were accustomed to.

Only four senior officers had spoken during the entire meeting.

Officially a broad military conference, it was in reality just a four-man meeting held in a different location.

With fewer decision-makers, the likelihood of conflict naturally decreased.

Yet this style still annoyed some old-school generals.

"Your Grace, your status is the most exalted—this war should be commanded by you.

At the very least, you should oversee a critical front.

Launching an amphibious assault to retake Songjiang Prefecture merely rides on the momentum of retaking Nanjing—it's essentially a bone with no meat.

Unless Nanjing is captured, no matter how well you fight ahead, it's all useless!"

The middle-aged general's complaint made Jing Jing Guoliang frown.

Before the war had even begun, the game of vying for fame and power had already surfaced.

He did not seek command of the main front—not because he did not want to, but because he could not.

Without full support from the Guangdong-Among Guangxi troops, relying solely on the scattered remnants would be handing the enemy fresh heads.

"Enough!"

"Military and state affairs are not for a mere Assistant Regional Commander to comment on!

All others take heed—do not speak foolishly out of momentary mouthiness."

Jing Jing Guoliang immediately rebuked.

He was deliberately poking at a sore spot, making him look bad.

With limited military strength, if he were tricked into taking the field, disaster would follow.

…

A similar scene unfolded under Marquis Zhenyuan.

Without exception, those who made suggestions were scolded.

To overturn the four leaders' decision, only the Emperor Yongning Emperor himself could intervene—and even then, success was uncertain.

To stir up the boss to seize power with nothing to back it up—clearly not a good sort.

(End of Chapter)