A few days later, Lu Huaiying arrived at Jimo Camp City and was greeted outside the city by General Zhang Youxun and a group of subordinates.
Although Lu Huaiying also had the rank of staff general and was on the same level as Zhang Youxun, he was Lu Xiangsheng's personal general. As the saying goes, he was a third-rank official in front of the prime minister. Lu Huaiying, a staff general, was much more valuable than Zhang Youxun, so Zhang Youxun did not dare to neglect him.
"Haha, General Zhang is so polite, I feel embarrassed." 33
Zhang Youxun said with a smile: "General Lu Shen is the person close to the governor. Although you and I are colleagues, in my heart, General Lu Shen is just like a superior officer."
Lu Huaiying smiled and exchanged a few polite words with Zhang Youxun. Zhang Youxun then said: "I have prepared a small amount of wine in the house, and asked General Lu Shen to move aside so that we can reminisce about the past. With all of you by your side, we will not return home unless we are drunk tonight." "
Lu Huaiying saw Liu Yan in the crowd at a glance, smiled and nodded to Liu Yan, and Liu Yan also smiled.
Then Lu Huaiying said: "I appreciate General Zhang's kindness, but I'm here today not on official business, but on my way to Jimo Yingcheng. I came here specifically to see Liu Guobi. Liu Guobi and I fought side by side in the Battle of Jinan. So this time I came to reminisce with Liu Youqi."
Zhang Youxun's expression froze when he heard this, but it was fleeting, and the smile returned to his face in an instant: "Haha, so that's it. In that case, I won't delay General Lu Shen's reminiscing with Liu Youyi. But wait until General Lu Shen sets off. When the time comes, you must send someone to tell him, and I will see General Lu off at that time."
"Haha, that's easy to say, Zhang Shenjiang is too polite."
Then Lu Huaiying mounted the horse with Liu Yan under the watchful eyes of Zhang Youxun, Mao Xingyi, Wang Ye, Dong Bihui and others. The two rode side by side and went directly to Liu Yan's mansion.
"This Liu Yan!"
Although Zhang Youxun and others felt unhappy, they did not dare to say anything this time and went back angrily.
"What!"
In the guerrilla mansion, Lu Huaiying listened to Liu Yan's story and said in shock: "Liu guerrilla, you are too reckless. You actually led your troops to fight against Zhang Shen!"
Liu Yan said with a smile: "There is no fight, at best it's just a fight between two groups of soldiers."
"A fight involving hundreds of people?"
Lu Huaiying glanced at Liu Yan and said, "Who has seen everyone wearing armor during a fight! If someone is killed, or the situation is not under control, and the two sides start fighting directly, causing a mutiny, who will bear the responsibility? Then the governor will be angry. , I think this is the end of a guerrilla general like you!"
Liu Yan said: "I can't help it. Zhang Youxun probably saw that I was promoted too quickly and deliberately looked for trouble. He asked me to give him a large number of troops. How could I fulfill his wish?"
After hearing the whole story, Lu Huaiying said: "It is indeed Zhang Shen who was at fault in this matter. I think Zhang Shen was worried that you would be promoted too quickly and get on top of him, so he deliberately suppressed you. But Zhang Shen Jiang didn't expect that you, Liu Yan, are a person who doesn't care about the sand in his eyes, so he directly chopped off Zhang Shenjiang's stretched out hand."
Liu Yan laughed and said, "I've finished my business. I wonder why Brother Lu came here this time?"
Lu Huaiying said: "I do go out on business, but I came here because of the special instructions of the governor."
Liu Yan said with a smile: "It seems that Brother Lu came to see me not to reminisce about old times, but to do business."
Lu Huaiying also laughed and said: "The thing is like this. Now the governor is reorganizing the Dubiao camp, and Yan Futai is also reorganizing his troops. Both the Dubiao camp and Fubiao camp have expanded a bit, and they are also following Liu's example. Guerrilla, start training according to the style of the new army."
"According to the Governor's vision, the entire army of the reorganized Governor's Biao Battalion must be armored, and all the fire guns must be self-generated. It must be equipped with a certain number of sophisticated artillery. All officers and soldiers in the army must be allocated arable land, and they must have sufficient Money and food supplies, etc.”
Liu Yan also looked happy when he heard this. It was getting closer and closer to Li Zicheng's victory over Beijing and the Manchu Qing's entry into the country. Although Liu Yan is not prepared to be a filial son and grandson for Ming Dynasty, he will save Ming Dynasty in the future if he can, and it is good to control Ming Dynasty by himself, but Ming Dynasty cannot do so, and Liu Yan does not mind being independent.
However, with the current strength of the new army, it is still unable to face Li Zicheng's million-strong army and the Manchu Qing's hundreds of thousands of elite cavalry at the same time. If the two elites of Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Jizu can be successfully trained, they will be a great help to Liu Yan. At least when facing the Manchu Qing, the two of them can stand with Liu Yan and are absolutely reliable helpers.
Liu Yan said: "This is a good thing. With the talents of Governor Chen and Yan Futai, in time they will be able to train two tiger and wolf divisions."
Lu Huaiying sighed and said, "But now the governor and Yan Futai are encountering difficulties."
Liu Yan was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said, "Is it money and food?"
Lu Huaiying nodded and said: "The governor and Yan Futai have dug almost three feet of ground into the Jinan city, but the reorganization of the new army still cannot be carried out. Even the full amount of farmland allocated to the soldiers has been cultivated. If you don't come out, for no other reason than that, you two adults don't have enough money to reclaim wasteland and build water conservancy projects, and there is also a serious shortage of money, food and materials to build military equipment."
Liu Yan looked at Lu Huaiying and said, "So Brother Lu is here to borrow money and food, or to learn from others?"
Lu Huaiying said: "According to my opinion, I want to directly borrow money, food, and troops from Liu Guerrilla. But the governor disagreed. The governor believed that Liu Guerrilla could support thousands of new troops, so he must have done his best. Sorry, if we take money, food and military equipment from you, it will be like killing the goose that lays the eggs. Not only will the Supervisory and Biao Battalions and Fubiao Battalions still fail to be reorganized, but it will even bring down Liu Guerrilla’s thousands of new troops.”
Liu Yan sighed: "Supervisor Gao Yi, I really don't have much money and food, and now I can just barely make ends meet."
joke!
Although Liu Yan admired Lu Xiangsheng as a person and respected this historical anti-Qing hero, it was impossible for him to give away his money, food, and soldiers without asking for anything in return.
As the saying goes, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests.
If Liu Yan is pushed by the historical trend in the future to be on the opposite side of the Ming Dynasty, Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Jizu will definitely lead an army to crusade. By that time, won't Liu Yan have cultivated two powerful enemies for himself?
So it’s better to let things take their own course. Helping is okay, but destroying families and rescuing people is not okay!
Lu Huaiying said: "It seems that the governor's guess is correct. It is also very difficult for Liu Youyi here. Therefore, the governor sent me here to learn from Liu Youyi and see how Liu Youyi raised money and food."
Liu Yan thought for a long time, weighing how to talk to Lu Huaiying.
Looking at Liu Yan who was thinking, Lu Huaiying did not urge him, but just sat quietly and waited.
After a long time, Liu Yan said: "Actually, my method of raising money and food is nothing unusual. I just built a few workshops, earned some money, and then used the money to develop military villages and resettle the military households under my rule. , when the military households and common people have harvested, I will have food and grass in my hands, so I can barely maintain the scale of thousands of new troops."
Liu Yan owns a salt drying workshop, soap workshop, wine shop and glass workshop. With Lu Xiangsheng's ability, he must have heard about it. Liu Yan couldn't hide it even if he wanted to, so he simply told the truth. come out.
Of course, Liu Yan would not talk about too specific a situation, and there was no need to say it.
After hearing this, Lu Huaiying thought for a long time and sighed: "Liu Guerrilla, a great talent, not only has the ability to run an army, but also knows how to cultivate goods. It is a pity that the governor does not have such talent. It seems that the governor and Yan Futai want to raise money and food. We have to find another way.”
Liu Yan also sighed. As for what Lu Xiangsheng and Yan Jizu thought of, he had no control over it.
Lu Huaiying stayed with Liu Yan for a full two hours. The two discussed a lot, and Liu Yan also gave a lot of practical suggestions.
For example, Liu Yan suggested that Lu Xiangsheng could track down corrupt officials, unscrupulous merchants and gentry in various places, raid their homes, and use their money and food to raise troops.
Lu Huaiying looked embarrassed after hearing this. Although such a method was simple, direct, and effective, with Lu Xiangsheng's temper, he probably wouldn't be able to do such a thing.
"Then there's nothing I can do."
In the end, Lu Huaiying bid farewell to Liu Yan with a heavy heart. Before leaving, Lu Huaiying said: "The conflict between Liu Gueryi and General Zhang and others involved too many people and could not be concealed. So I thought about it and decided that it was up to me. Report it to the governor so that he can help Liu Youji."
Liu Yan naturally understood and said with a smile: "Brother Lu has reported it, I don't care."
"That's good."
Eight days later, Lu Huaiying returned to Jinan Fucheng after a long journey. When he returned to the Governor's Mansion, he went straight to Lu Xiangsheng's study.
Lu Huaiying didn't bother to take a sip of water, so he repeated the conversation between himself and Liu Yan.
After hearing this, Lu Xiangsheng sighed and said, "It is really Liu Yan's style to confiscate the homes of all those corrupt officials, unscrupulous merchants and gentry, and use their property as military equipment. However, this governor cannot do this."
Lu Huaiying said: "Supervisor, I think Liu Guoyi's suggestion can be given a try. This method is much simpler than preparing to build a workshop, and the speed of raising money and food is also much faster."
"No!"
Lu Xiangsheng said categorically: "There are many people in the court who are dissatisfied with me. Yang Sichang, Minister of the Ministry of War, even regards me as an enemy. If I do this, Yang Sichang and others will inevitably impeach me. I will lose my official position and resign. It is a small matter, but the situation in Shandong without support is a big matter, and I cannot take risks!"
Lu Huaiying sighed and shook his head and said, "So, when will the reorganization of the Supervisory Biao Battalion be completed?"
Lu Xiangsheng said resolutely: "Even if I sell the pot and sell it, I will still get this done! Tomorrow, I will go to various wealthy merchants and gentry to borrow money and food on credit."
Lu Huaiying knew that he could not persuade Lu Xiangsheng, so he mentioned the fight between Liu Yan and Zhang Youxun.
Lu Xiangsheng was stunned for a long time after hearing this, then shook his head and said: "Liu Yan has too tough a character, and he will suffer big losses in the future."
"Master Governor, how should we deal with this matter?"
Lu Xiangsheng thought for a moment, and then said: "I wrote a handwritten letter to General Zhang Youxun, which is a warning to Zhang Youxun and others, telling them not to be enemies with Liu Yan again."
"As for Liu Yan, I will also write a note to remind him to think more about the consequences when he acts in the future and not act arbitrarily!"
Lu Huaiying sighed and thought to himself: "So, Liu Youyi's life will be much easier, right?"
Some people died, but not completely...
