Yu Dayou did not answer Lu Er's question.
He looked at the spreading and messy autumn grass, entangled with the distant edge line.
Galloping horses on the vast grassland will give you the feeling of walking on the border of civilization.
After staying in Hezhong Fort for a long time, Yu Dayou had a lot of thoughts.
"Zhuangshi Lu, is this your first time coming to the grassland?"
Lu Er was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
He has been working as a guard in the capital since he came of age. Even when he travels to the capital for business, he usually goes to big cities. This is also his first time to the frontier.
"When I was in the capital, Xianggong Su came to see me in prison. At that time, the court had not yet convicted me. Xianggong Su told me that the court would most likely send me to the frontier."
"Xiangong Su has seen thousands of miles. As he expected, I came to Datong and saw the grassland of Hetao."
Lu Er looked at Yu Dayou in confusion, wondering why he wanted to talk about this matter.
Yu Dayou said: "When I was leaving in prison, Xianggong Su once told me about the border."
Lu Er now admires Su Ze very much. When Yu Dayou talked about Su Ze, he couldn't help but ask: "What did Mr. Su say?"
Yu Dayou said: "Xianggong Su said that the border is the boundary of civilization and order. In the world we live in, order is the minority."
Lu Er was stunned for a moment.
Yu Dayou pointed to the south and said:
"The Great Wall, the imperial court, laws, regulations, the orderly world built by the ancient kings and sages seems very big."
Yu Dayou pointed to the skyline of the northern grassland and said:
"But the realm of order is here."
Yu Dayou was born in Fujian, a hereditary military family. In fact, his life was pretty good when he was young.
Later, he won the military examination and his official career was smooth.
Although he loves the soldiers, it is an instinctive behavior based on learning the art of war. This is just his "performance" as a qualified general.
But this time when he was assigned to Hezhong Fort, Yu Dayou saw the living conditions of the garrison soldiers, and his thoughts about the grassroots soldiers completely changed.
He saw the brutal border war, where Mongolian horsemen intercepted and killed the soldiers of the river fort for a load of grain.
Han soldiers may also kill herdsmen for a batch of sheep.
Killing good people and claiming merit is a common thing in this frontier.
And if a military camp or fort disappears from the map, it is just an insignificant rumor from passing merchants.
This is the frontier, not so much the frontier of order as the front of barbarism.
Yu Dayou suddenly asked: "My son serves under Xianggong Su, right?"
Lu Er quickly said: "The Major General is now the commander of the third brigade, commanding the Qi Army to fight in Guangdong."
"General Qi? Qi Yuanjing also voted for the Grand Governor?"
Lu Er said: "General Qi is just recuperating with the Governor."
Yu Dayou grinned and said: "That will be a matter of time. With Brother Qi here, my nephew from the Lin family, and my useless dog, there is no shortage of people under the command of the governor."
Yu Dayou said: "I want to stay here."
"Stay here?"
Yu Dayou nodded and said: "I heard from merchants that there are actually many Han military camps in the Hetao area. They are all Han people who were still unwilling to leave their homeland after Datong Town retreated."
"Some of the family trees in Wubao can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, and some are descendants of Shuofang soldiers in Tang Zhen."
"In addition to the Han people, there are also many Mongolian and Qiang people who have been Chineseized for a long time. They speak Chinese and practice Chinese customs, just like us Han people."
"General Yu wants to recruit these people?"
Yu Dayou said: "Yes, I have read many articles by Xianggong Su. Among them, Theory of Barbarian China is Yu's favorite article."
"To re-uphold the spirit of Zhu Xia and open up the frontiers of civilization is what Yu is willing to do."
"I have some reputation in the Loop area, so I should be able to build a team."
Lu Er thought for a while and suddenly said: "Then Lu also wants to be with General Yu!"
"Don't you have to go back and serve Mr. Su?"
Lu Er said with a smile: "Xiangong Su has so many talented people, so why am I missing? I also want to see what the boundaries of civilization are like on the grassland."
"good!"
Yu Dayou turned the horse's head and said: "There is a Han people's Wubao ahead. I once exchanged food there, so let's go there first."
Fuzhou, in the governor's mansion.
Su Ze fiddled with his son and whispered:
"Civilization and order exist as naturally as the rising sun in a civilized world. They are nothing more than a small ark in our human world."
"Your father and I are here to prevent this ark from crashing into chaos."
Fang Ruolan suddenly appeared, ruining Su Ze's rare family time.
"Tan Zili is here."
Su Ze handed his son to his wife, and Fang Ruolan asked, "What were you father and son talking about just now?"
Su Ze smiled and said: "Fairy tale."
"fairy tale?"
"The story of enlightenment."
Fang Ruolan nodded slightly, with a smile on her face. She only saw her son's eyes rolling, not knowing what he was looking at.
Facing the dusty Tan Lun, Su Ze received him with the highest standards.
"Mr. Tan!"
Tan Lun said quickly: "The Governor is here! I dare not claim justice."
Su Ze pulled Tan Lun into the main hall and continued to say: "When I released Mr. Tan that day, Xu Wenchang advised me that Mr. Tan is a versatile man in both civil and military affairs. Letting you go would be like letting the tiger go back to the mountain, and you will definitely become a big trouble in the future."
"I told Xu Wenchang at that time that those who want to stay in Fujian and Zhejiang will come back naturally after they figure it out. Those who don't want to stay will not really do things for the people if they stay."
"A man like Mr. Tan who cares about the people will soon know how to choose."
"As expected!"
Tan Lun covered his face with his sleeves and said:
"Fortunately, the bereaved dog was taken in by the governor."
Su Ze immediately said seriously: "Why should Mr. Tan humble himself! This is because the emperor is stupid and the Ming Dynasty does not know how to use talents. How can it be the fault of the public!"
Tan Lun felt warm in his heart.
Su Ze added: "The "Seven Strategies for Combating Thieves" that Mr. Tan taught the Ming Dynasty really hits the key points of the Ming Dynasty. It's a pity that those stupid kings and traitorous ministers don't use it. Now what advice can Mr. Tan teach me?"
Tan Lun's face suddenly turned red. If he defeated the thief Qice, wouldn't the thief he defeated be right in front of him?
Tan Lun felt that the world was a bit absurd, he was passionate, and the Ming court wanted to arrest him.
He deliberately planned to deal with Su Ze, but Su Ze treated him so politely.
Tan Lun sighed and said: "The so-called Ping, Qi strategies are also the imperial reform countermeasures summarized by Tan based on the governor's administration. The governor has already done his best. Whatever Tan says is just trying to do the same thing."
Su Ze said: "Please don't hide your clumsiness, Mr. Tan."
Tan Lun paused and said:
"I would say that under the rule of the governor, things are flourishing and the industry is booming, but there are still some concerns."
"Speaking!"
Tan Lun has been summarizing and thinking during this period. He has also been to many places, from Nanzhili to Susong, served as an official in Fujian and Zhejiang, and led troops to fight.
Tan Lun said: "One is the administration of officials. The reason why the Ming Dynasty suffered repeated defeats is that the administration of officials is unclear. It has the advantage of land but no people."
"Nowadays, the officials under the governor's rule govern the Qingming Dynasty, but the times are changing. When Tan looked at the Susong and Song Dynasties, the commercial tax collected by a tax collector could reach a thousand taels of silver. And even the governor's treatment of officials was far better than that of the Ming Dynasty. The monthly salary of a tax collector is only one tael of silver."
"There are no problems now because the career of the Governor is developing. Even the petty officials cherish their reputation and dare not be greedy. But what about the future?"
Su Ze glanced at Tan Lun again. He didn't expect that this anti-Japanese hero whose name was recorded in history books would also have such political acumen!
Today's Ming Dynasty does not lack capable ministers and generals, but they are unable to realize their ambitions under the Ming Dynasty system.
"As far as Mr. Tan is concerned, what should it be?"
Tan Lun said: "Of course we need to legislate to punish corrupt officials. Most governors support officials generously, and those who still extend their hands are unforgivable to the people. They should be tried according to the law and heard and heard clearly!"
Su Ze said with great joy: "Mr. Tan and I thought of going together! I have the same intention, but I lack the manpower and can't do it myself!"
Su Ze nodded and said: "Mr. Tan, I am going to set up patrols according to the old Ming Dynasty system to inspect Fujian and Zhejiang, deal with unjust prisons, and deal with unjust officials!"
"Do you still have Mr. Tan?"
Tan Lun continued: "The rest is a military strategy."
"Military strategy? Someone, bring me the map!"
Tan Lun was secretly frightened when he saw the precise map.
The Ming court probably didn't even have such a detailed map. Sure enough, Su Ze's rebellion was premeditated.
However, Tan Lun no longer has any psychological burden. He has now openly voted for Su Ze, and he can be regarded as a "thief".
Tan Lun looked at the map, recalled the news he got from newspapers on the way and said:
"The Governor has already gone to Jiujiang Prefecture and occupied the four prefectures in Jiangxi. I wonder what the Governor's next plan is?"
Su Ze was silent. It wasn't that he didn't trust Tan Lun, but that there was currently no unified opinion within the Zhejiang-Fujian Allied Forces.
The group that attacked Anqing, besieged Nanjing, and captured all of Southern Zhili was one group.
It is also the same faction to occupy Jiangxi first and then attack Huguang.
There are also stories of going south to Guangzhou, north to Dengzhou, and even attacking Japan to seize Nanyang and North Korea.
Su Ze has also done a lot of military deductions. Although he has some plans, he still can't make a decision.
Tan Lun said: "In Tan's opinion, we should not attack South Zhili at this time."
Su Ze raised his head and asked:
"Mr. Tan, please speak."
Tan Lun said: "South Zhili is the second capital of the Ming Dynasty. Tan has been in Nan Zhili for a long time. The people in Nan Zhili are different from other places and have not given up on the Ming Dynasty."
Su Ze nodded. Nanjing is one of the two capitals and enjoys many preferential treatment.
Not to mention that there are a large number of nobles and court ministers in Nanjing City. These people have finally climbed to this position in the Ming Dynasty court, and it is impossible for them to surrender to Su Ze easily.
Tan Lun continued: "If the Governor really takes over Southern Zhili, he will definitely invest a large amount of troops to control and eliminate Southern Zhili. The gain outweighs the loss."
"And if the Ming Dynasty lost Nanjing and the location of the ancestral mausoleum, it would definitely fight to regain it."
Su Ze nodded repeatedly. This was also the reason why Su Ze asked Lin Mojun to withdraw to Shanghai after the attack on Yangzhou failed.
Entering Nanjing now, you are faced with a hot potato.
"In that case, where does Mr. Tan think our army should go?"
Tan Lun immediately said: "Guangdong!"
"Why is this?"
Tan Lun said: "When Tan went south, he often thought that the times were different with the arrival of artillery and cannons!"
"In battles in the past, we needed to conquer cities and strongholds, ensure the smooth flow of arteries for troops and supplies, and capture passes and strategic towns."
"But it's different now. The weapons used by the Governor in Jiujiang can break through the Jiujiang city wall in an instant. No matter how strong the defense is, it can't stop the attack."
"At this time, fighting does not depend on the number of soldiers, but on the quality of the soldiers, the quality of the soldiers and their speed."
“Aside from the Yangtze River waterway, the most important thing is naturally the sea.”
"Guangdong has good ports and can produce grain. Guangzhou in particular is an important maritime trade center with prosperous commerce. Why should the governor hesitate?"
Su Ze said quickly: "What Mr. Tan said made Su suddenly enlightened!"
Tan Lun said again:
"The Grand Governor, Pan Jixun, Inspector of Guangdong Patrol, is a good friend of mine in the same department and ranking. I heard that Guangzhou Prefect Bai is also an old friend of the Grand Governor."
"When I was in Nanzhili, Pan Xun was an official from Zhejiang. Now he is quite marginalized in the officialdom. Prefect Bai was also impeached by the Sixth Section and Thirteenth Road because he was an old friend of the Governor."
"If the Grand Governor believes in me, Tan is willing to go to Guangdong to persuade these two people to surrender."
Su Ze said: "Prefect Bai used to be the magistrate of Nanping County. He was the one who appointed the chief prosecutor of our county. He has a teacher-student relationship with me. I didn't expect that Mr. Tan and Pan Xunping also had such a friendship. It's so good. I Write a letter to Magistrate Bai."
"Also, I have something else that I can bring to Mr. Tan when he meets Pan Xunjing."
After hearing this, Tan Lun looked at Su Ze in confusion. He immediately nodded and said, "Then please ask the Governor to prepare a fast ship. I will go south to Guangzhou City now."
Su Ze admired Tan Lun's vigorous and resolute style, and arranged for Tan Lun to go south the next day.
On October 5, news came from Yu Zigao, who was besieging Chaozhou Prefecture. He led the Qi army to land from the sea, attacked Chaozhou City with the help of gunboats, and captured Chaozhou Prefecture in Guangdong.
From then on, Su Ze's southward strategy never wavered. Su Ze gave Yu Zigao an order to reorganize and expand his troops in Chaozhou and wait for the opportunity to go south.
Letters for help from Guangdong Province were constantly sent to the court, but at this moment the entire court had no time to take care of Guangdong. The entire court was preparing for Jiubian's move south.
Among the nine sides, Liaoyang Town was the most active. Chief Military Officer Li Chengliang wrote to the court and asked himself to go south to quell the rebellion.
Li Chengliang also suggested to the court that three thousand cavalrymen could be recruited from the three Jurchen tribes. As long as the court provided them with horses, food, wages and winter clothes, these Jurchens would be willing to work for the court.
The Ministry of War expressed strong opposition to this request.
The objection of the Ministry of War is that the cost of three thousand Jurchen cavalry along the way is too great, and now the court simply cannot afford it.
The bigger problem is how the imperial court will place these Jurchen soldiers if the war is calmed down. If they are released to the Jurchen tribe, these Jurchens, who are skilled in horseback riding and archery and have been on the battlefield, may become a serious problem.
However, the emperor still couldn't forget the three thousand Jurchen cavalry, because Li Chengliang pointed out that although bird cannons are lethal, as long as the cavalry can be used to rush into battle and the bird cannon formation collapses, the enemy can naturally be defeated.
This was a method clearly proposed by the generals of the Ming Dynasty to defeat the enemy, and it deeply touched the emperor's heart.
On October 10, the Ministry of War's report was rejected, and the emperor ordered the cabinet to discuss the matter of the Liaoyang cavalry going south again.
As discussed, the cabinet agreed to recruit Jurchen cavalry from Liaoyang to go south.
The pressure came again to the Ministry of War, which was preparing to transport winter clothes.
(End of chapter)
