Chapter 25 Dilemma
The location of Yingtian Mansion is too important.
Politically, this is Taizu's land of Longxing. Needless to say, its significance is more important economically.
If Shuntian Mansion in the capital is compared to the head of the empire, Yingtian Mansion in southern Zhili is the heart of the empire. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the lifeblood of the Ming Dynasty: not only the northern army and local bureaucracy, but also the central court, if they want to operate effectively, they must rely on the water transportation of the south.
Unlike the affluent south, the north has not been a major grain-producing area since ancient times. Further north, there are endless deserts and grasslands. For thousands of years, every time there is a bad year, the northern captives will invade in large numbers, break through the border wall and go south to clear the grass valley. In order to eliminate this threat once and for all, of course, because it was the base where Chengzu "Jingnan" started his career, and the officialdom of Nanzhili was left by Emperor Jianwen, he felt uneasy, so the talented and rough Chengzu Kaitianzishou The first of its kind in the country, he resolutely moved the capital to Yanjing, but only left a set of six empty frames in the old capital.
After more than a hundred years of hard work, the elite of the Nine Sides has become synonymous with the strongest army in the empire. However, no matter how powerful an army is, it still needs food. The Grand Canal is the main artery of the empire - food, silver, cloth, silk, salt... are loaded into waterships in the prosperous Huguang and prosperous Suzhou and Hangzhou, along the Yangtze River system, Heading east, heading north, and finally gathering in Yangzhou, which is close to Yingtian Mansion, they continued to transport most of the rice, beans and wages to the north along the Grand Canal to support the operation of the empire.
No matter how small a boat is, it can carry more than the strongest livestock cart, let alone people. Moreover, wooden ships do not need to rest or eat. The larger the large-scale and long-distance transportation, the greater the cost difference - cargo ships would rather hire trackers to travel thousands of miles up the river than choose land transportation. , is one of the important reasons (another important reason is the huge investment in road development and maintenance). In any era, including today, water transportation has an absolute advantage in the transportation of bulk materials, let alone an era without mechanization. The cost of large-scale transportation relying on land and human and animal power is almost unimaginable: transporting grain thousands of miles will not save even one out of ten. Unless, like Guan Shengyun, no matter what the cost - of course, there is only one result: thousands of miles of no man's land will be left behind.
In order to maintain the smooth flow of this major artery, the empire specially set up a governor, that is, a governor of water transportation. He was stationed in Huai'an Prefecture in the south of Jiexi. The full name was "the governor of water transportation and the admiral of military affairs in Fengyang and other places and also in charge of rivers"! The power of the Cao Governor is far greater than that of the governor or chief envoy of any province: not only the more than 3,000 miles of the canal and military affairs are under the control of the Cao Governor, but he also has civil rights. He takes the lead in everything, and everything must be carried out by the canal. Give Way! The investment is astronomical. If it is cut off by the rebels, the consequences will be far beyond what a chief envoy can bear - Xue Xiaowen knows this well.
Knowing that the bandit rebellion was huge, Wang Zhidong, the governor of the Cao Cao, led 3,000 Cao soldiers to Yangzhou on the pretext of assisting in defense. Cao soldiers? Haha, it’s easy to bully the coolies with whips to show off their power on weekdays, but if you are an expert at taking cards from the dealers, what crazy guy would expect them to fight with swords and guns! Even if the governor of Cao Yun personally leads the pacesetter, it is just a decoration - although Cao Biao also has the title of a pacesetter, if he really takes action, he might not even be able to defeat the government officials!
The only reason why Wang Zhidong ran to Yangzhou was that if the thieves approached, he could hide in Yingtianfu City with high walls and deep trenches! Guazhoudu is the lifeline of the water transportation center. The thieves will not only rob it, but will definitely burn it down. In this case, even if it is taken back, the water transportation will be paralyzed for a year or two.
Governor Cao is a very fat job. To be able to get this position, the backer is not so hard - needless to say, there must be someone who can be trusted by the Holy Spirit! Therefore, by then, the Wang Governor will most likely be dismissed from office and will never be used again - Xue Xiaowen can figure out with his toes who's head will be moved first.
There is a military discussion in the Yamen of Luzhou Prefecture.
The Jedi counterattack defeated Guan Shengyun and seized such a huge amount of high-quality military rations. While excited, Song Mingyi and Sun Jie coincidentally thought of a question: with such a large amount of rations, the thieves were definitely not here to rob them. Its strategic target will never be just Luzhou Prefecture and Anqing Prefecture, or even as simple as Yingtian Prefecture! Moreover, two groups of giant bandits came out in full force. They would rather leave thousands of miles of red land behind them and completely cut off their own escape route. The only reasonable explanation is that the thieves are trying to stay in a certain place for a long time. As for the location, it depends on the two groups of giant bandits. The Kou's marching route and scale of mobilization made even Shi Erlei blurt out: South Zhili!
Great achievements have been made, Luzhou Fucheng must be saved - even if the thieves come back, the soldiers in Fucheng are well-prepared, their morale is high, and the people's hearts are in line. It is definitely not a problem to stand firm for a year or two, and even if there is another wrangling in the court this time , it’s impossible to delay for a year without sending help, right? What Song Mingyi and Sun Jie faced was actually a multiple-choice question: whether to send troops south to relieve the siege of Anqing.
Of course, the safest way is to defend the city.
First of all, Sun Jie's troops only had a total of 2,000 soldiers. After this battle, more than 20% of the troops were killed or wounded, and the rest also needed a period of time to recover. Even with Song Mingyi's full support in recruiting new soldiers, training and running-in will take a long time - Sun Jie has led the army for many years, and his experience is that he will never let the new soldiers form their own camp, but disperse them to the veterans' camp to let the veterans Bring them with you, and don't be greedy for more: each Guoli can add up to two or three people at a time. In this way, under the leadership of many grassroots non-commissioned officers and veterans, the army can always maintain strong combat effectiveness*. Of course, this also means that it is difficult for the army to expand its power quickly. Although they are elites who have fought in hundreds of battles, the total strength is there. Once they encounter an extremely powerful opponent, such as facing a flood of refugees, no matter how capable they are, they will be overwhelmed.
However, Sun Jie didn't seem to mind this at all. On the one hand, this is the unwritten ancestral motto of the Sun family, and on the other hand, it is due to the environment.
Let’s talk about ancestral precepts first. The old man of the Sun family gave instructions to his teenage son before he died, and Mrs. Sun always warned her in private: There are preconditions for the divine favor of the Holy One - that is, the Holy One must be reassured! Not only should they not over-expand their power, they should also be cautious about marriage: they can only find a wife from the family of their subordinates, or simply marry a commoner. You can neither get involved with civil servants nor have anything to do with other military towns, and you absolutely can't get involved with any clan! The late emperor once wanted to marry the princess to the princess, but the old man refused and almost died to prove his will. Of course, the next day the emperor sobered up and understood the concerns of the Sun family, so they made a tacit agreement. The emperor never mentioned this matter again: It's okay for this dynasty, but in a generation or two, the clan and the military town will be mixed together, which will never be a good thing for anyone! In the words of the old man relayed by Mrs. Sun: "Our Sun family is a dagger for self-defense, not a murder knife! Whether the dagger is in the boot or in the pocket, it will always be yours. The longer the knife, the sharper it will be." , the easier it is for the owner to worry: What if someone else gets it? Maybe they will destroy it in a cruel move!"
The environment doesn't allow it either. The money and food for raising soldiers is regularly distributed by the imperial court based on the number of soldiers assessed by the Ministry of War. It is shockingly low, and there is no way for it to be deducted at every level. If the military towns are paid in real terms, even the elites who can fight in a few years will be starved. Like a beggar who can't stand the wind. However, everyone knew the relationship between the Sun family and the previous emperors. They always pretended not to see the auxiliary soldiers brought in to make up the number. The Ministry of War recorded in black and white the 6,500 officers and soldiers of Sun Jie's department, excluding the necessary 15% "floating". ——This is a rule, and it also represents the respect of the adults in the civil service group (the normal market price is to deduct 30%, and the highest can be more than 50%, there are so many excuses), and they rarely default on payment. Every time there is a war, the local government will give full support. In addition to the capture, there is no problem in raising these soldiers and providing them with good equipment and training. And once you really want to become big, let alone whether it will arouse the suspicion of the Holy Emperor, the adults in the cabinet and the six ministries will definitely have some opinions in their hearts, not to mention the fierce words of the Yushitaidu masters. Those gentlemen only eat a bowl of rice with picky bones. In order to show their loyalty, they even dare to scold the Holy Emperor. They jump out and shout to support the soldiers and respect themselves. This is really to give you face. If you can't protect it, which of them will righteously accuse the Sun family of "repeatedly failing the Holy Spirit?" It's not unreasonable to worry about "encouraging people to do evil": with the protective umbrella of "hearing something happen", you will have to keep a smile on your face even if the masters spit on you - dare to wipe it off? Can't wait until you take your sleeves down and everyone will pounce on you until you can take a spit shower!
Therefore, if you choose to stick to it, there are many reasons: after a bloody battle for more than a month, half of the dead were injured, the remaining enemies were uneasy, and the place was uneasy... Most of the people were illiterate, and the Song and Ming Dynasties would not deny it when discussing public matters and private matters. The gentlemen among them won’t come here to count heads in person, so even if you say you’re 80% dead, it’ll be fine! With such a huge victory like a blessing from heaven, even the most picky Master Du couldn't say no - otherwise it would be his turn to be spitted all over his face. Everyone knows this truth. In addition, there is another biggest reason: Three hundred miles to the north is Fengyang Mansion, where the imperial mausoleum is located! If the army goes south alone, even if the siege of Anqing is solved, if a bandit escapes and escapes north, even if every plant and tree in the imperial mausoleum is destroyed, and the dragon's veins are damaged, no one can bear this huge responsibility!
Compared with Sun Jie, Song Mingyi actually had much greater temptations to stick to Luzhou Prefecture. However, this kind of thought should always be buried deep in the heart, not to mention the right brother, not even the parents, wives and children: if the thieves capture Yingtian Mansion all the way, an unprecedented turmoil will inevitably occur in the entire officialdom of South Zhili. Big earthquake! A high-ranking official will die not only from thieves but also from the court's laws - his great merit is the ladder that leads directly to the many vacant seats!
However, if you choose to stick to Luzhou, the price will also be huge - since Sun Jie and Song Mingyi are out of touch, this price will have to be borne by the Ming Empire: Anqing Mansion, Yingtian Mansion, and even the entire South Zhili 's safety.
After the siege of Luzhou was resolved, Song Mingyi immediately sent messengers to contact Fengyang Mansion and Yingtian Mansion. Sun Jie also sent an urgent military intelligence report to the Zhongdu Remaining Department. Judging from the feedback information, despite the terrifying momentum, Guan Shengyun's group is still partial to the enemy. The main force was the giant bandit Zhang Hu. There were about 50,000 to 60,000 bandits. Together with the refugees they had kidnapped, the total number reached more than 200,000. The bandit camp meandered for more than 200 miles, sweeping across both sides of the Yangtze River. They paid no attention to the provincial capitals and prefectures and counties along the way. No one is spared... Anqing Mansion is now in danger!
This was the first time that Song and Sun learned about the true scale of Zhang Hu's giant bandit.
The transmission of military information in this era relied entirely on stagecoaches, postships, and even in some places only the two legs of postmen, so most of the information was fragmented or even completely opposite. The population of the Ming Dynasty was only about one-eighth of today's (less than 200 million), and there was no road network extending in all directions. A small army of several hundred people, even if it was marching in enemy territory, as long as it had sufficient supplies, could march on five or six roads. It is perfectly normal that the sky has not been discovered yet. All information must be reviewed and analyzed by high-level officials, and a possible conclusion can be deduced - the vast majority of military commanders are illiterate, and the responsibility lies with the civil service group. This is also one of the important reasons why the civil servants generally look down on military generals and the military generals are also ashamed of themselves.
Previously, Song Mingyi and Sun Jie guessed that Zhang Hu's giant bandits should number around 50,000 to 60,000 people. If this is the case, if the Luzhou Prefecture loses all its money, and then Sun Jie breaks his back and fills in the entire military town, he can still fight hard to hold on until reinforcements arrive; but, there are more than 200,000 thieves! Even if you stand still and let you chop them one by one, who can move!
Song Mingyi, who was speechless for a long time, waved his hand: "My lords and generals, this is a serious matter, let's discuss it tomorrow." The prefect, Tongzhi, Tongpan and other core officials all understood the seriousness of the situation, and they all sighed and said goodbye. , Deputy General Shen Chenggang, Staff General Shangguan Fei and other generals also left with fists clasped. Sun Jie was about to get up, but Song Mingyi stopped him with a look.
Song Mingyi took Sun Jie to the inner hall of the Houyamen and told the elder Li to follow him: "Brother and I will have a chat about home affairs. It's none of your business. You all should step aside and have a rest." Lao Li bowed silently and left.
The two were speechless for a long time, and then Sun Jie said: "Brother..."
Song Mingyi raised his hand to stop Sun Jie's words: "You and I will live and die together, brothers. Let me say a few words to you first."
*Recruits form an independent team
Before the modern military system was widely used, generals often allowed recruits to form independent troops. This has great benefits:
First, it can be scaled up quickly. As long as you recruit soldiers, you can set up many units within the establishment in one go. Just give them a number (name), and then you can legitimately go to the court to ask for money, or you can find a way at the local level.
Secondly, you can install cronies. On the one hand, they promote their own people, and on the other hand, they leave a personal mark on the army from the beginning.
Third, the people recruited are often from the same hometown, which is easier to manage.
But the drawbacks are also very big: the combat effectiveness of such new barracks is naturally low, and they often lag behind or even collapse on the battlefield. Training takes a very long time. With limited battalion officers, team officers, and commanders, it is difficult for them to control their men well during wartime.
Sun Jie adopts a more modern method, and his combat effectiveness is relatively guaranteed. The fundamental reason is that he and the key generals know very well that they are the holy self-defense daggers and must not become long swords.
