Chapter 327 Meeting at Jiujiang
Wuchang Mansion.

“The rebels have gathered a large force in Jiujiang, and our total force is less than 100,000, including 20,000 new recruits.

It will be difficult to quickly win this strategic location!”

Li Yuan said worriedly.

Recovering lost territory is a good thing, but at the same time, it is inevitable to divide troops and garrison them in various places.

The longer the battle line is, the fewer mobile forces are available.

These 20,000 new soldiers were recruited just after the recapture of Wuchang and had little combat effectiveness at all.

When the battle line reached Wuchang, the government troops were somewhat unable to fight. If the enemy army was slow to react, they could capture Jiujiang Prefecture.

However, both Wu and Chu attached great importance to Jiujiang. In a short period of time, a hundred thousand troops were gathered there.

As the defending party, with so many troops, the attacking party is very desperate.

If they really attacked by force, even if they could capture Jiujiang, the government troops would suffer heavy losses.

“Uncle, if we can’t win a quick victory, then let’s fight a protracted war.

The current situation in Huguang is very favorable to us. We can take advantage of the enemy’s deployment of troops to recover the lost territory.

After we have recovered Huguang, we won’t have to worry about food. If the enemy wants to waste time, we can just waste time with them.

The combined army of Wu and Chu numbered over one million, and it was not easy to support them.

In the short term, the previously looted materials can still sustain them, but over a long period of time, logistics will inevitably become a problem.

Especially the State of Chu, they simply could not afford to support so many troops.

Once the war begins, their food reserves will be exhausted in less than half a year!”

Li Mu shared calmly.

Thanks to the government’s strong measures, the implementation of Huguang public bonds was very smooth.

The cash that arrived in the account alone exceeded 1.5 million taels, and there was an additional 800,000 shi of various grains.

The amount the gentry promised to subscribe was several times higher than this figure.

Even if only half of it is realized in the end, it is still a huge profit.

The logistical pressure on the government troops was greatly reduced, and they even had enough capacity to form a new army.

In two months, it will be time to harvest spring crops.

Although the grain production in Huguang decreased due to the war, there was still a lot of surplus after deducting the grain for private use by the people.

On the contrary, the Chu State lost its own granary and life became difficult.

The situation in Wu was slightly better, but they were spending a lot of money to build cavalry.

The Northern Tartars are not short of gold and silver. If they want to obtain war horses, they can only exchange them for strategic materials such as food and cloth.

Under such circumstances, the amount of grain that could be used to support the State of Chu would definitely not be too much.

Li Mu was not afraid of fighting a war of attrition.

“Indeed, it is the rebels who should be anxious now.

If Wei Ni doesn’t want to be dragged to death by us, he has to fight quickly and decisively.

Then in the following days, we will divide the work.

You are responsible for dealing with the main force of the rebels, and I will lead the troops to recover the lost territory.”

Li Yuan thought for a while and said.

He had been following the fight all the way and just a spectator the whole time, and he had long wanted to take action.

However, my strength is limited and I cannot participate in high-end games.

Now the rebels have been divided into two, and the states that have been separated have few troops and are in a state of panic.

Sending troops to recapture these states now is the best time to bully the rookies.

……

The army rushed all the way and finally arrived at the city of Jiujiang.

Looking at the Wu army flag flying on the top of the city, Wei Jiarui breathed a sigh of relief.

“The mouth of three rivers, the thoroughfare of seven provinces.”

Jiujiang is not only a strategic location to block the government troops from advancing southward, but also the gateway to Jiangxi.

He had been thinking about this place for a long time, but because Jiujiang was in the hands of the Wu army, he could not take action in order to fight against the Yu Dynasty.

The State of Wu also knew that Jiujiang was being coveted by someone, so it stationed a large number of troops there.

However, the “concerns” are all things of the past. After experiencing the fall of large areas of Huguang territory, Wei Jiarui no longer had any idea of ​​coveting Jiujiang.

Only when Jiujiang Prefecture is in the hands of Wu State can Fu Haoxuan send troops to participate in the battle with the government army.

Without the concern for Jiujiang, it would become an unknown whether the State of Wu would send troops to join the war.

In terms of distance, Jiujiang is much closer to Nanchang than to Nanjing.

Even if it lost Jiujiang Prefecture, the Wu State could still control Anqing Prefecture.

The State of Chu is in great trouble, as the battle to defend the capital could break out at any time.

The most prosperous land in Jiangxi is gathered along the shores of Poyang Lake.

If the government troops were to attack them, their losses would be enormous.

After losing the granary of Huguang and then this land of fish and rice, the struggle for hegemony in the world had nothing to do with him anymore.

“Your Majesty, the Wu army envoy invites you to enter the city. What do you think?”

A middle-aged civil servant stepped forward and asked.

“Tell the messenger that speed is of the essence on the battlefield and we need to rush to Wuchang as soon as possible. We will not bother you any more.”

Wei Jiarui refused decisively.

This is no longer the era of the White Lotus Holy Kingdom, and we are no longer brothers who eat from the same pot.

In the struggle for supremacy in troubled times, allies also need to be watched out for.

If someone has evil intentions and he himself delivers them to them, it would be a joke.

In fact, at the beginning he was thinking of going directly to Wuchang by land without passing through the sphere of influence of the Wu State.

Later, considering his own strength, he was not sure of defeating the government army, so he came to join forces with the State of Wu.

Of course, logistical factors are also an important consideration.

Even though they passed through Jiujiang Prefecture, the army actually still traveled by land, but left the logistics to water transportation.

It’s not that Wei Jiarui is against marching by water, but the main reason is that there are not enough ships to transport so many troops at once.

It is true that water transportation is well developed in the Jiangnan region, but the owners of slightly larger ships are either wealthy businessmen or landlords and gentry.

When they heard that the rebels were coming, these people would not forget the means of transportation such as ships when they were fleeing.

The current transport fleet is the wealth that Wei Jiarui has slowly accumulated after occupying Jiangxi.

“Your Majesty, we will have to fight together next, and a direct refusal would be too blunt.

Why not hold a banquet in the camp and invite the Wu army generals to come and have a chat?”

Prime Minister Chang Junyi began to persuade.

It is too risky to go there alone, so it is much safer to invite the other party over.

When they arrive at their own territory, they also host the Hongmen Banquet for others.

“Um!

Let’s arrange it this way. The Ministry of Rites will be responsible for arranging the reception. We can’t let people laugh at us for not knowing etiquette.”

Wei Jiarui ordered immediately.

The lower one’s origin, the more importance one attaches to etiquette as one holds a high position.

The value of etiquette has never been the etiquette itself, but the Confucian culture behind the etiquette.

The Confucian thought represented by the eight characters of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trustworthiness, forgiveness and fraternity has always been the favorite of feudal rulers.

Once in a high position, people will subtly promote others in order to consolidate their own power and position.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. The Ministry of Rites will handle this matter.”

Seeing that the job had come, the Minister of Rites on the side hurriedly agreed.

No matter how much etiquette is advocated, practicality still comes first during wartime, and the Ministry of Rites has a relatively low presence in the court.

I finally got the chance, so I must show it.

Unfortunately, his idea was destined to fail.

Wei Jiarui’s mind was full of how to recover Huguang, and he had no time to think about anything else.

……

Chengdu Prefecture.

“Wei Ni is coming with great force, do you colleagues have any countermeasures?”

Xu Wenyue asked with concern.

The expansion of the White Lotus Sect was not smooth, but the situation in Shu inevitably deteriorated.

The government imposed heavy taxes and the local gentry took advantage of the situation to loot, creating favorable conditions for the rebels to grow and develop.

In order to raise funds to suppress the rebellion, additional levies became an inevitable fact.

However, during the implementation process, government offices at all levels added more and more restrictions.

The levy of one penny of silver increased tenfold at the lower levels, forcing the people to sell their children.

When everyone was overwhelmed, the White Lotus rebels came and rebellion became a natural thing. The faster the rebels grew, the more severe the government levied, and the more motivated the people were to rebel.

The vicious cycle continued, and by the time Xu Wenyue arrived in Chengdu, the situation in Shu had become deteriorating.

There was no time to take countermeasures, and the rebels were about to reach Chengdu Prefecture.

He felt depressed just thinking about it. It seemed that his official career had become bumpy since he became the regent.

He was first the Governor-General of Five Provinces, then he became the Governor-General of Huguang, and then he became the Governor-General of Sichuan.

The rank has not changed, the main task has not changed, but the actual power in his hands is getting smaller and smaller.

It would be bad enough if the power was reduced, but the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous.

At the beginning, the imperial court’s finances were still okay and provided strong support.

He also achieved considerable results in the early stages of the rebellion suppression campaign.

If it weren’t for the drag of his teammates, the task of suppressing the White Lotus Rebellion would have been completed in his first term.

After the mourning period, he began his career of cleaning up the mess.

Although the situation was dangerous at the time, he still held on and waited for the government army’s counterattack.

Just as the entire Huguang territory was about to be recovered, the northern barbarians invaded the north, and the emperor issued an order to summon troops from all over the country to come to the rescue.

The situation, which had been improving, collapsed again.

He held out until the end of the war to support the king. The imperial court was finally able to clean up the situation in the south, and he was thrown into Shu by an imperial edict.

He could only watch with envy as he watched the counterattack in Huguang.

The local forces in Shu were very united, and his authority as the governor was seriously challenged.

At another time, he would definitely let these local officials know what the authority of the cabinet ministers is.

It’s not possible now. The rebels are about to arrive at the city, so it’s not suitable to engage in internal fighting.

“Sir, the most elite troops in Shu were almost completely wiped out in the previous battle.

To fight the rebels now, we may have to rely on the troops from Yunnan and Guizhou.

But their appetite is too big, and the governor’s office cannot provide so much money and food in a short time.”

Lu Junliang said with a bitter look on his face.

If I had known that the situation would deteriorate so quickly, I should not have saved that little bit of money and food when I was suppressing the rebellion.

Although the governor’s office was not wealthy, it could still meet military needs by gritting its teeth and scraping together enough money.

Due to the failure to allocate money and food, the government troops, which originally had the upper hand, began to starve.

After several unsuccessful attempts to collect grain, the soldiers on the front line mutinied and joined the rebel army.

In order to avoid being held accountable by the imperial court, the incident of forcing the government troops to rebel was covered up by a group of officials.

However, battle reports can be misleading, but the battle lines cannot be deceived.

The rebels were advancing rapidly and were about to lose Chengdu. They were in a panic at this moment.

Considering the bad things they did in Shu, the heads on their necks were a powerful weapon to appease the people.

Once we fall into the hands of the rebels, we probably won’t even have the chance to surrender.

“Where are the troops in Shu?
This Governor remembers that there are two towns of elite troops in Shu.

Even if we lose the battle, we can’t be completely wiped out, right?”

Xu Wenyue immediately questioned.

The core backbone of the official army of the Dayu Dynasty were the servants of the military generals.

Even if they suffered heavy casualties, as long as the servants were there, they could use them as the backbone and quickly form an army.

After three to five months of training and then leading them to fight a few battles, an army will be successfully trained.

“My Lord, you don’t know something.

In the previous battles, the generals personally led their soldiers to charge into the battle, and several brave generals were killed one after another.

Now, many of these generals are newly promoted, so…”

Governor Li Yongliang began to explain.

Military generals can be promoted, but not all of them have a group of capable servants under their command.

Except for nobles and military families, other generals were restricted by their own financial resources and had a very limited number of servants.

Lacking backbone forces, even if promoted to a high position, it is impossible to quickly raise a force.

Even military leaders like Marquis Zhenyuan and Duke Chengguo poached talents from Li Mu when they were forming their armies.

It’s not that they don’t have anyone available, it’s mainly because they don’t have enough backbone strength at the grassroots level.

There must be a sufficient proportion of veterans to enable the newly formed troops to form combat effectiveness in the shortest time possible.

“waste!”

“Since Shu has no soldiers, why are you hesitating? Let’s send reinforcements from Yunnan and Guizhou immediately.

As for the issue of money and food, you can figure it out yourselves.

As long as you want to raise money, you can definitely raise it.

If there is really no other way, then use your own savings to pay for it.

Don’t talk nonsense to me. I already knew how much wealth each of you has before I came here.

If the rebels really invade, no matter how much wealth we have, it will only be a blessing to the enemy.

Rather than losing both money and life, it is better to spend money to save life.

Today we will organize the evacuation of civilians, clear the fields within a radius of fifty miles, and create as much trouble as possible for the enemy.

In addition, I will recruit another 30,000 young and strong men to join the garrison, and I will personally supervise their training.

The wealthy families in the city were also mobilized.

If you have money, you will be able to do your best.

From now on, I will chop off the head of anyone who holds me back!”

Xu Wenyue said murderously.

In times of chaos, harsh punishments are used, and the previous civil service system can no longer keep up with the times.

He is not alone in this appointment.

When he was in Huguang, he trained a detachment of inspectors.

Although the total force is only more than 3,000 people, all of them are veterans who have fought on the battlefield.

This team alone is not enough to defeat the rebels.

It is very easy to use it to deal with disobedient officials.

Now we are just waiting for some idiot to jump out so that we can “kill the chicken to scare the monkey” and shock the officials and people in Shu.

……

Jiujiang City.

“My Lord, the King of Chu refuses to enter the city and invites you to meet him in the camp.”

Upon hearing the news, Weiyuan Hou Yin Mufeng showed a disdainful smile.

“It seems that Wei Jiarui is old after all, and he doesn’t even dare to enter the city.

We are all brothers in the sect, and there is always some affection between us. He actually suspected that I was setting a Hongmen Banquet for him.

He didn’t even think about what the current situation was.

If we continue to fight among ourselves, what can we use to resist Li Ni?”

The most stable alliance is always one that is bound by interests.

The rebellion-suppressing army led by Li Mu was the enemy of all the rebel forces.

If we don’t remove this stumbling block, it will be difficult to maintain our current territory, let alone dominate the world.

For strategic reasons, the Wu and Chu countries must now join hands to fight against the powerful enemy.

“My Lord, your Majesty is a man of great talent and vision, and the King of Chu cannot compare to him.

Even if he becomes the ruler of a country, it is still difficult to hide his petty nature.

But do you think you will attend the invitation from the King of Chu?”

The middle-aged civil servant asked in a flattering tone.

“For the next joint operation, we will definitely have to meet and communicate.

Send someone to tell the King of Chu that I will attend on time.

Pass the order down to strengthen the vigilance in the city.

No one is allowed to enter or leave without permission until I come back.

Especially those who have followed the King of Chu should be paid special attention.

If you find anyone colluding in secret, arrest them first!”

Yin Mufeng gave the order coldly.

No matter how confident you are, you still need to be prepared.

Just because you are a normal person doesn’t guarantee that your allies are also normal.

The rebel armies all started out as makeshift teams, and many people’s ideas could not be changed so quickly, so it was normal that there were a few who did not follow the rules.

(End of this chapter)