Chapter 348: Another Marriage Alliance

Chengdu Prefecture.

Days of continuous fighting had left the defending officers and soldiers physically and mentally exhausted.

With reinforcements nowhere in sight, no matter how the officials tried to boost morale, they could not stop it from plummeting.

"Governor, the rebel offensive is becoming increasingly fierce.

Yesterday, three hundred and eighty-six of our defending soldiers were killed in action, with over two hundred more wounded.

At this rate, I fear we cannot hold out much longer."

Regional Commander Zhong Chenliang said with a bitter expression.

The number of dead exceeded the wounded primarily due to the primitive state of medical care.

Minor wounds were simply bandaged, while severe wounds were effectively untreatable.

To alleviate their suffering and secure a pension for their families, comrades would often step in to end their misery.

A loss of six hundred men a day might not seem like a large number, but Chengdu Prefecture had been besieged by the rebels for over half a year.

Had the rebels not halted their siege at times due to the weather, they would not have lasted until now.

"Where is the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force?"

Xu Xu Wenyue asked, frowning.

The national power of the Great Dayu was declining, and its control over the provinces was gradually weakening.

A few years ago, a single order from him would have prompted troops everywhere to take immediate action.

Now, the situation had changed; those below had begun to selectively execute orders from him, the Governor.

The tribal troops of the Shu region, citing the rebels blocking their path, refused to send reinforcements to Chengdu Prefecture.

The Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force had accepted the order, but during its execution, they were intercepted by the rebels.

After a major battle between the two sides, the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force, having suffered losses, suddenly became sluggish.

The original plan was to launch an attack on Chongqing Prefecture to force the rebels to divert troops and lift the siege on Chengdu.

Instead, after months of tossing and turning, they were still only engaged in minor skirmishes.

"Grand Secretary, the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force is still in Luzhou Prefecture and has not launched an attack on Chongqing.

The envoys we sent have also gone silent.

They seem to be intentionally avoiding us, unwilling to carry out the order to attack Chongqing."

Lu Lu Junliang replied with a gloomy expression.

The location of Chongqing Prefecture was critical; only by taking this eastern gateway and opening the passage to Huguang could they receive reinforcements.

This was the best route for the imperial court to reinforce Sichuan.

Otherwise, they would have to divert through Hanzhong and Guizhou.

The saying "The road to Shu is harder than ascending to heaven" was no joke.

Detouring aside, the key issue was the inability to utilize the Yangtze River shipping route to provide logistical support for the main army.

Not only was transportation difficult, but Guizhou and Shaanxi were currently impoverished, suffering from severe food shortages.

The reason the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force had entered Shu so quickly earlier was largely because the local yamen wanted to reduce their own financial burdens.

With the war dragging on and multiple prefectures in Shu having fallen, the region was now unable to provide logistical support for any more troops.

"Bastards!"

"The collapse of the world's situation is all due to these soldiers!

......"

Xu Xu Wenyue could not help but curse loudly.

Using Chengdu Prefecture as bait to lure the main rebel force into a siege while covering the imperial army's recapture of Chongqing Prefecture—

the plan was sound, but it was ruined by the pig-like teammates below.

The Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force failed to take Chongqing Prefecture on schedule and instead exposed his entire strategic layout.

Even if the rebels hadn't realized it at first, they should have come to their senses by now.

They would inevitably strengthen the defense of Chongqing, leaving no opportunities for the imperial army.

After finally striking a deal with the nobility group to exchange reinforcements for Shu, everything was now wasted.

They hadn't managed to reap a single bit of the benefits from the imperial army's recapture of Huguang.

"Grand Secretary, please calm your anger!"

"Since we cannot rely on the Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force, our plan to hold Chengdu Prefecture to the death must also be adjusted.

Without reinforcements, relying solely on the troops and civilians in the city, I fear we cannot hold out much longer."

Provincial Administration Commissioner Li Li Yongliang advised tactfully.

The geographical location of Chengdu Prefecture dictated that this city would inevitably fall if held for too long.

Throughout history, there had been countless defenses of Chengdu; those that held for half a year without reinforcements could be counted on one's fingers.

They had already held out for over half a year; continuing to defend to the death meant its fall was only a matter of time.

"Even if we cannot hold it, we must hold it.

Every day we can hold out counts as a day.

I have decided to live and die with the city; those of you who wish to leave may break out of the city on your own!"

Xu Xu Wenyue refused decisively.

Rationally speaking, voluntarily abandoning Chengdu Prefecture and retreating to the northwest region of Sichuan to continue the resistance was the best choice.

However, such an action would be politically fatal.

Whoever issued the order to retreat would have to bear immense political pressure.

Most importantly, even if they wanted to retreat now, it was not certain they could get the troops out.

A slight misstep, and the retreat would turn into a total rout.

Xu Xu Wenyue knew exactly what kind of troops were defending the city.

If they were disciplined and could cover each other's retreat in an orderly fashion, they might have been able to hold Chengdu Prefecture.

Retreating now had no substantive meaning other than providing the powerful families in the city a legal opportunity to run.

"Grand Secretary, please calm your anger!"

"It is only by His Majesty's grace that we are able to govern this region.

Failing to protect the borders and the people is already a grave sin.

How could we abandon the city and flee at such a critical moment!"

Seeing Xu Xu Wenyue lose his temper, the others hurriedly stated their positions.

What was politely called "breaking out on your own" was, in uglier terms, "desertion."

The Great Dayu had never been soft on deserters.

When the time came, not only would their own heads roll, but their families would also be implicated.

Especially with the Governor choosing to die for his country, the consequences for them if they ran would be even more severe.

The collapse of the situation in Shu and the fall of Chengdu Prefecture would most likely be blamed on them.

Given Emperor Emperor Yongning's style, if they were escorted to the capital, he might even have them skinned alive.

Guangzhou Prefecture.

Since confirming his wife's pregnancy, apart from taking time each day to handle government affairs, Li Mu had almost become a full-time caregiver.

Under the pavilion, Li Mu and his wife were enjoying a maid playing the zither.

The melodious, graceful sound of the zither drifted into their ears like heavenly music, making one's heart flutter and body and mind feel refreshed.

"Regional Commander, the Governor is here to visit."

The maid's voice disrupted the atmosphere of the scene.

"Invite him in quickly!"

Li Mu said helplessly.

Some things were destined to be unavoidable.

Since the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang had come to his door in person, he could not refuse to see him.

"My lady, I will go and get busy first; I will come back to accompany you later."

After speaking, Li Mu stood up and headed straight for the reception hall.

"Wait, husband, change your clothes first."

Jing Jing Yaqing reminded him immediately.

Compared to Li Mu, she, as a traditional young lady of a prominent family, clearly paid more attention to etiquette.

It didn't matter what he wore when meeting subordinates; no one would pick on him for that.

But facing his direct superior, he could not be so careless.

"Alright!"

Li Mu said reluctantly.

In the feudal dynasty, the word "etiquette" permeated the entire society.

From clothing, food, housing, and transportation, everything was constrained by ritual law.

Entering the reception hall, Li Mu discovered that there was a young man beside the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pay respects to your cousin Mu!"

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's words gave Li Mu a start.

The Li family was a large clan, and there were many cousins of the same generation, but their status and positions were different; not everyone was qualified to call him brother right from the start.

Except for close blood relatives, others had to respectfully call him "My Lord Marquis" upon seeing him.

Li Mu had met all of these people, and this person was definitely not among them.

"Paying respects to cousin Mu!"

The young man bowed and offered his greetings immediately.

"Governor, who is this?"

Li Mu asked with a puzzled expression.

He wouldn't find it strange if a distant relative of the same generation popped up. But since the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang had brought him to introduce him in person, that was different!

"Haha......"

"This is my eldest son.

Recently, the Empress Dowager had a whim and acted as a matchmaker, betrothing my son to your uncle's eldest daughter. Calling you cousin is not going too far, is it!"

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang replied with a chuckle.

As a latecomer, the simplest way to quickly integrate into the nobility group was through political marriage.

The only question was whether the Emperor would agree to such a grouping of top nobles.

After all, the nobility group of today was not on the same level in terms of power and political resources as the nobility group of a few years ago.

Considering the special status of the matchmaker, Li Mu soon cast these worries to the back of his mind.

Involving two top noble families, without Emperor Emperor Yongning's tacit approval, even if the Empress Dowager had the heart to play matchmaker, it would be difficult to succeed.

The purpose was very simple: to release a political signal to the outside world that the Emperor trusted the nobility.

The war to suppress the rebellion had entered a critical moment, and from Emperor Emperor Yongning's standpoint, he absolutely would not allow any trouble to arise.

Releasing a political signal at this time was conducive to the subsequent suppression of the rebellion.

"Oh!"

"We are all family; what's wrong with that!"

Li Mu responded with a smile.

In this era that emphasized the "orders of parents and the words of matchmakers," once the elders had discussed it, the marriage was considered settled.

As for his cousin's marriage, the Marquis and Marchioness of Zhenyuan were handling it; it was not Li Mu's place to worry.

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang bringing his eldest son to see him was just to notify him of the result, not to ask for his opinion.

"Since we are family, I will leave my son to you to lead.

I originally wanted him to grow slowly, but military merit is too hard to come by. If he misses this opportunity, it will be difficult to gain military merit again.

He has never been on the battlefield; please take care of him, let him follow by your side to learn, and incidentally pick up some military merit.

Noble children are tough and can take a beating; if he doesn't listen, feel free to beat him; you don't need to give me any face."

The Marquis of Marquis Wuyang said frankly.

The issue of military merit distribution was a deal discussed beforehand, and they just needed to proceed according to the agreement.

It was just that at the time, it wasn't said that he would be responsible for bringing an "apprentice," but since his old superior, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang, had spoken in person, Li Mu naturally had to agree.

"That is simple. I have three cousins serving in the commander's camp; if your son is willing to come, he can follow along!"

Li Mu immediately provided an arrangement plan.

Herding one sheep is herding, and herding a flock is also herding.

How much knowledge one can learn depends entirely on one's own talent.

Compared to old noble families, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's estate was just starting out in accumulating military experience.

Relying solely on the widely circulated military books on the market, without heaven-sent talent, it was difficult to cultivate an excellent general.

"Good, let's settle it this way."

"By the way, you have been resting at home recently and may not have noticed that the situation in Shu is already very dangerous.

The Yunnan-Guizhou Allied Force failed to complete the mission of recapturing the gateway to eastern Shu, and Grand Secretary Xu's plan to lure the enemy has left him in a desperate situation.

The reinforcements sent by the imperial court were held up by the rebels in Guanzhong halfway there, and for the time being, they are unable to provide support to Shu.

The reinforcements sent by the Marquis of Zhenyuan from Huguang were also blocked outside Kuimen, unable to advance into the heart of Shu.

In order not to leave the rebels an opportunity to counterattack, His Majesty has sent a secret edict ordering us to wipe out the rebel army of Fu as soon as possible."

Speaking to the end, the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's expression also became grave.

It was true that he and Xu Xu Wenyue had conflicts, but that was just a momentary dispute of spirit.

Even if he wanted to retaliate against the other party, he couldn't drag the entire Shu region into it.

At this moment, with imperial reinforcements unable to get in, Grand Secretary Xu, trapped in Chengdu Prefecture, could only rely on himself to find a way to save himself.

If they wanted the imperial court to provide full reinforcements, they would have to wait until the rebel army of Fu was pacified.

The imperial court's strategic layout of prioritizing Jiangnan before Shu was certainly correct.

However, for Grand Secretary Xu and his party who were trapped, it seemed somewhat cruel, equivalent to being abandoned by the imperial court.

Rubbing his forehead, Li Mu also secretly complained.

He had thought that after wiping out the rebel army of Wei, he could hide in the rear and take it easy, fully preparing for the expedition to Annan.

Listening to the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's meaning, it was clearly hoped that he could return to the front line to command the main army so that the rebel army of Fu could be wiped out in the shortest possible time.

In this way, the time for the expedition to Annan would definitely be pushed back.

"Governor, after the autumn grain is stored, you should lead the army to personally conquer the rebel Fu!

The imperial army will launch a comprehensive attack on the rebels from three directions: Huguang, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang, and those guys in Liaodong will also follow to take advantage of the fire.

With the four-way siege unfolding together, the rebels will definitely not be able to hold on.

No need to worry about the enemy's movements; just advance steadily and gradually, compressing the rebels' strategic activity space."

Li Mu thought for a moment and said.

He could offer ideas, and helping to command a major battle was also negotiable, but he truly had no interest in the position of Regional Commander.

Sometimes, having too much credit is also a trouble.

If he didn't push a few famous generals out to dilute his own sense of presence,

it would be difficult to plot the job of governing Annan for generations later!

Reason told him that the feudal dynasty could not survive the Little Ice Age.

No matter how hard the civil and military officials of the Great Dayu tried, facing the endless natural and man-made disasters, they would eventually have to accept reality.

If they wanted to prolong the life of the dynasty, they either had to abandon the north and move south, or open up new granaries.

It seemed like there were two choices, but in fact, there was not one.

The background of the Great Dayu Dynasty determined that this was not a place that could abandon its responsibilities and seek peace in a corner just to continue its rule.

Opening up new granaries, given the Great Dayu's current organizational and mobilization capabilities, could not be completed in time.

It was likely that before the granaries were opened, the country would be dragged down first.

After all, the Great Dayu's bureaucratic system was too "clean."

They even dared to deduct military pay, let alone administrative expenses.

Of the funds allocated by the imperial court, if two or three percent actually reached the specific implementation, it was considered that the officials had a conscience.

Sometimes, even before the funds left the capital, they were divided up by those above.

Li Mu's current plotting for Annan was just to seize the most essential Red River Plain and then slowly carry out nibbling and annexation.

Swallowing the entire Annan in one bite would lead to choking to death.

For a regional lord, this foundation was enough to carve out a territory.

Wanting to fill the Great Dayu's food gap was just a drop in the bucket.

It was estimated that only by capturing the entire Indochina Peninsula and developing it could they fill the pit of crop failure in the northern provinces.

"It is fine for me to serve as Regional Commander, but you must accompany the army to command.

This war is too critical; it can only be won, not lost.

The three-way army is fighting in coordination, and the total mobilized force is as high as three hundred thousand.

We are launching the army from Jiangxi, and the position is exactly in the middle; we must be responsible for coordinating and planning the allied forces on both wings.

I don't think I can do it, and your father-in-law and uncle similarly have no confidence.

In the entire Great Dayu Dynasty, there are very few people who have commanded large-scale army operations, and you are the only one who has achieved a complete victory."

As the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang's voice fell, before Li Mu could react, Zheng Zheng Jiarong on the side was startled.

He had originally thought that his father's self-proclaimed lack of military talent was just a humble word.

After all, the outside world had blown the Marquis of Marquis Wuyang to the sky, and he had a body of illustrious battle achievements; no matter how you looked at it, he was a famous general of the time.

But the scene before him told him that his father truly did not have the ability to command large-scale army operations, and even the other two big shots of the nobility group similarly had no confidence.

After a brief loss of focus, Zheng Zheng Jiarong instantly understood why his father had sent him over to learn.

"Alright!"

Li Mu agreed with some hesitation.

In the end, it was unavoidable; building strong stockades and fighting a war of attrition also required testing the military capabilities of the generals.

With a three-hundred-thousand-strong army fighting in coordination, if the Regional Commander's ability was insufficient, I fear he wouldn't even know where his own troops were.

In fact, the commander who had commanded the largest number of troops in the Great Dayu Dynasty was still Xu Xu Wenyue during his time as Governor of the Five Provinces.

It was just that his military ability was limited, and he often had problems in troop mobilization, suffering quite a few losses from the rebels.

Fortunately, the rebels at that time also lacked experience in commanding large-scale army operations, and the two sides were rookies pecking at each other, so it didn't end in a total defeat.

Later, relying on Li Mu stabbing the rebels in the back, they recaptured a large area of lost territory, which barely allowed them to announce a victory in the battle to the outside world.

Compared to before, the current rebels had long since been reborn.

The rebels did not lack people; previous major military operations often involved hundreds of thousands of troops.

Even if they were all a rabble, being able to mobilize the troops also exercised the Regional Commander's command ability.

If someone else went up, it was likely they would truly suffer a big loss.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 349 =====