Chapter 328: Getting Long, Coveting Shu

Beneath Wuchang City.

"It's been half a year since the court issued the appointment, and you've only just arrived to take up your post."

"I'm clearly an incompetent Viceroy!"

Upon hearing Li Yuan's self-deprecation, the Huguang officials instantly switched expressions like Sichuan opera performers.

Recovering Wuchang in such a short time, by any measure, makes one a pillar of the state.

Though Li Yuan did not personally command the battle, to the outside world, it made no difference whether the uncle or the nephew led the war.

The Viceroy's self-mockery wounded them deeply.

When the rebels ravaged Huguang, they chose to flee for their lives.

In the Confucian moral system, such evasion of duty was the most despicable.

Under Great Dayu law, most officials present should have been imprisoned and prosecuted.

They were not immediately purged simply because too many officials were implicated—removing them all at once would leave no one to work.

Due to the war, Huguang was no longer the coveted post it once was in the officials' eyes.

Expecting the court to send replacements would take at least one or two years to fill the vacancies.

Even Among Guangxi's civil bureaucracy still has half its posts unfilled.

Having fallen twice, Huguang was now, in the officials' minds, little better than a grave.

Until the situation became clear, this place was a dragon's den and tiger's lair for any official.

For Li Yuan, the current Huguang needed stability above all else.

Great Dayu's bureaucrats were all cut from the same cloth; newly appointed officials from court might not be any more useful than these.

After forcing them to purchase Huguang public bonds, he offered them a chance to redeem themselves through service.

This was merely a routine warning before appointment, yet none dared take it lightly.

With their sins in their superior's hands, they felt utterly insecure.

"Uncle, let's enter the city first!"

Wuchang has been retaken—it's a day of great joy; there's no need to nitpick.

Your Majesty is wise and mighty; given Huguang's special circumstances, he surely understands the hardships of these officials."

Li Mu's intervention made them even more uneasy.

The Emperor Yongning Emperor had left them no good impression.

Over the past few years, the court had dismissed and prosecuted countless officials, harshly rebuking many.

Especially in Emperor Yongning's first year, the power struggle between the Emperor and his ministers drew the most criticism.

If their misdeeds reached the Emperor's ears, a visit to the Imperial Prison was inevitable.

"Your Excellencies, let us enter the city together!"

Li Yuan smiled at them.

A slap, then a sweet date.

This was the most traditional method of managing subordinates—and the most effective.

The warning had served its purpose; there was no need to keep scowling.

He had no time to pursue past misdeeds, but future duties must be carried out properly.

"Viceroy, after you!"

They hurried to respond.

Rarely seeing their Viceroy smile, they dared not push their luck.

Compared to Xu Xu Wenyue, the scholarly Viceroy, Li Yuan, rising from the military, was clearly far more decisive and ruthless.

Angering Xu Viceroy might cost you your post—but nothing more.

But offending this man now could cost you your life.

They were not from the same circle; the teacher-student networks common among civil officials held no sway here.

Without further ceremony, Li Yuan took the lead, walking at the front of the procession.

The recapture of Wuchang was also a personal high point for him as Huguang Viceroy.

If Great Dayu could be revived, this achievement would surely earn him a place among the great ministers of restoration.

The victory report had been dispatched at once to the capital the moment Wuchang fell.

The battlefield reports remained as dazzling as ever; rebel heads were cheap, so inflating the numbers was inevitable.

With the recovery of lost territory as proof, there was no need to fear verification by the Ministry of War.

When asked, the answer was always: "The bodies were washed away by the river."

The court needed victory—and such a clear triumph must be loudly celebrated.

No one would dare oppose the court by nitpicking the details.

But court rewards were unlikely to materialize.

The Ministry of Revenue was bankrupt; tax revenues from the northern provinces barely sufficed to feed the frontier armies and the central court.

This was not deliberate discrimination by the court—mainly because southern provinces had better economic conditions and could raise their own military funds.

The Nine Borders were all remote, impoverished lands; local gentry clans had fled long ago.

The remaining frontier folk were all paupers.

Constantly ravaged by northern barbarians, they struggled even to feed themselves.

Granting frontier armies autonomy to raise funds was tantamount to lifting the embargo on supplies, encouraging smuggling.

The embargo had failed to block the northern barbarians, yet it had driven up prices on the steppe.

The wealth plundered by the northern barbarians from Great Dayu would soon flow back.

Once the purchase restrictions were lifted, the barbarians' purchasing power surged.

With ample supplies, their strength would rise dramatically in a short time.

Worst of all, while supplying the enemy, the frontier armies gained only minimal profit—far less than their pay expenses.

In essence, the Shanxi merchants grew rich through monopoly-driven profits.

Lose the monopoly, and the enormous profits vanish.

Wealth on the steppe came primarily from raiding Great Dayu.

The herders' own livestock yields barely fed them—they contributed little purchasing power.

Though the Shanxi merchants ran monopolies, they were never the richest in Great Dayu.

Before ocean trade rose, the salt merchants were the wealthiest.

After ocean trade rose, the wealth controlled by the maritime merchant groups became the greatest in the land.

But these people operated far more discreetly, drawing less attention than the Shanxi and salt merchants.

The group entered the city, heading straight for the Huguang Viceroy's yamen—this was torture for the pampered civil officials.

In normal times, they rode in sedan chairs or carriages; they had never walked so far.

But they had no choice—the Viceroy walked ahead, so they gritted their teeth and followed.

Amid the crowd, watching one official grit his teeth in endurance, Li Mu forcibly suppressed his laughter.

Undoubtedly, marching into the city was part of Li Yuan's intimidation.

Without making them experience it firsthand, it was hard to make these officials, ignorant of farming, understand the people's suffering.

He didn't expect them to become sages.

He only hoped that during their tenure, they'd cause less trouble and stabilize the newly recovered lands quickly.

Whether his uncle's efforts would bear fruit, Li Mu did not know.

But his own thinking had been opened.

Since these civil officials lacked stamina, he would amplify this weakness.

In the future, whenever he found them annoying, he could invite them to inspect the military camps.

Walking around the encampment a few times would be no less taxing than this walk.

Most importantly, no one could complain about such a practice.

…

Capital, Yangxin Palace.

Since completing the personnel reshuffle, victory reports had poured in, and the Emperor Yongning Emperor's mood brightened.

"Wuchang retaken—excellent!"

Even a military novice knew Wuchang's strategic value.

With this transportation hub regained, Great Dayu's northern and southern provinces were once again linked, completing the strategic encirclement of the rebels.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"With Wuchang back under imperial control, it won't be long before the entire Huguang region is recovered."

"Wei's rebels have suffered heavy losses and lost half their territory—they're already grasshoppers in autumn."

"Once Wei is dealt with, Fu will stand alone and collapse."

…

Xu Xu Zhongen immediately flattered the Emperor.

Eunuchs did exactly this kind of work.

Providing emotional value to the Emperor was no sin.

"Hahahaha…"

You old rascal, you sure know how to talk!

Yet my several Viceroyies are indeed pillars of the state.

The Huguang front has captured Yongzhou, Hengyang, Changsha, Yuezhou, and Wuchang; the Nanzhili front has taken Songjiang Prefecture.

Now, we are effectively encircling the rebels from both eastern and western fronts.

That band of traitors probably don't even understand strategy, and have no idea death is near.

Too bad that bunch of scoundrels in Liaozhen, after crushing the rebels' northern expeditionary force, have just sat idle in Henan.

Saying cavalry can't fight on water? They're fooling ghosts!

When did I ever order them to fight on water?

I don't expect them to retake Nanjing—but surely they can capture Xuzhou, Take Fengyang, Two Huai'an, Yangzhou, and other places!

If they push harder and retake Anqing Prefecture too, this rebellion will be utterly settled.

By the end of this speech, Emperor Emperor Yongning's good mood had half vanished.

Liaozhen truly made him both love and hate.

These elite cavalry were indeed formidable fighters.

But they simply refused to obey orders.

To get them onto the battlefield, the court had to coddle them.

If these troops had been as obedient as the two Guangs and the Six Garrisons, the rebels would have been driven across the Yangtze long ago.

"Your Majesty, cavalry are not only unsuited for water warfare—they're also unfit for siege warfare.

Liaozhen cannot handle the task of capturing cities and seizing territory.

The current battlefield situation has become clear: imperial forces are gradually gaining full control.

Just wait for more good news!"

Xu Xu Zhongen said this gently.

The court has paid a heavy price to appease Liaozhen.

Whether obedient or not, they remain one of the most vital armed forces of Great Ming.

If we let temporary anger strain relations again, the consequences could be severe.

The military lords of Liaozhen band together to bargain with the court because they've done too many shady deeds and fear retribution later.

This stems from insecurity—they fundamentally have no ambition to rebel.

Simply use political means to break up their alliance; no need to overcomplicate things.

If one year doesn't work, try two; if two don't work, try three or five. With enough effort, the problem will eventually be solved.

"Enough!"

"I won't quarrel with these soldiers."

"Have the Hanlin Academy copy several copies of the battlefield victory reports and distribute them to the court officials."

Emperor Emperor Yongning waved his hand.

Great Ming already possessed movable-type printing; for documents with high demand like this, they were printed directly.

Though inferior in quality to handwritten copies, they were perfectly legible.

But since the Emperor had spoken, the Hanlin officials would have to work overtime.

That was the price of speaking out of turn—not everyone could afford to be a troll.

If you can't punish them, that doesn't mean you can't make them suffer.

(End of Chapter)