In the evening, Yijing Governor's Mansion
He Jingyun, who was riding a tall horse, hurried to the door of the Governor's Mansion. Ye Cheng, who was guarding the door, saw his appearance and said quickly:
"General He, you are finally here. The Governor and Lord Gu are waiting for you in the study..."
Hearing Ye Cheng's words, He Jingyun was also a little anxious. As the chief of staff, he was originally scheduled to go out today to inspect the training of the Fengwu Army of the Third Division stationed around Yijing, because General Guo Zhiping of the Third Division, because Involved in Zhao Sheng's case, he secretly instructed his subordinates to seek mercy from Ye Cui, but was suspended by Ye Mingsheng and ordered to reflect behind closed doors.
The position of general of the Third Division was temporarily replaced by Deputy General Cui Desheng. Therefore, He Jingyun, as the Chief of Staff, paid great attention to the situation of the Third Division. He was somewhat worried about the progress of the training and combat readiness of the Third Division, the main ace division of the Fengwu Army. , but unexpectedly, just as the inspection progressed, a messenger was suddenly sent over, saying that Ye Mingsheng had something urgent to see him.
Although he was a little confused about what happened so suddenly, he also took Ye Mingsheng's summons to He Jingyun very seriously, and immediately stopped the inspection and returned to Yijing City.
Under the guidance of Ye Cheng, He Jingyun quickly came to Ye Mingsheng's study. Seeing Ye Mingsheng and Gu Sansi who were already prepared in the study, He Jingyun immediately stepped forward and apologized:
"I am late for my humble duty, please forgive me!"
Because he knew that He Jingyun had his reasons, Ye Mingsheng naturally did not blame him and nodded with a smile and said:
"It's okay, it's okay! I called you back suddenly on a whim. General He, please don't be restrained and please sit down!"
After He Jingyun sat down, Ye Mingsheng didn't have any extra greetings and asked directly to He Jingyun:
"General He, I heard that you went to inspect the Third Division? How was the inspection?"
"I haven't inspected the troops for a few months. I always wanted to go and have a look, but I didn't have time..."
Feeling Ye Mingsheng's regretful tone, He Jingyun said in time:
"Commander, you are busy with everything, but you are still thinking about our soldiers. It is a blessing to our army! The soldiers on the front line are all looking forward to seeing you, Commander!"
After patting Ye Mingsheng's horse for a while, He Jingyun turned to the topic and said:
"General Cui is still very dedicated in training soldiers. As far as I can see, the training situation of the Third Division has not fallen behind, and it still maintains a strong combat effectiveness. However, because General Guo is at home and reflects behind closed doors, the Third Division has expanded. The plan to form an army has been temporarily shelved!"
At this point, He Jingyun thought for a moment and then added:
"In addition to the Third Army, General Yuan's First Army, General Lin's Second Army, and several newly formed divisions have been expanded, and their combat power has gradually increased. If a war breaks out, they can be deployed at any time. Get into the fight!"
Seeing He Jingyun's firm expression, Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly and said:
"Not bad! General He, you and the staff have worked hard during this time!"
"I am loyal to you! I dare not take credit for my meager abilities." He Jingyun said in a deep voice:
Ye Mingsheng was very satisfied with He Jingyun's statement, and immediately expressed all his thoughts. After learning about Ye Mingsheng's thoughts, He Jingyun and Gu Sansi, two important officials in the civil, military and military forces, both Lost in thought·····················
After about half a stick of incense, Gu Sansi finished his thinking first, looked at Ye Mingsheng and said:
"The specific combat plan is still left to General He and the staff to deploy. I will only briefly talk about what our army needs to do!"
"Currently, our army has established a good relationship with Cao Changping because of the previous firearms sales. However, if we attack Jiyu, it is very likely that he will be alert. At the critical moment, Gao Zongchang will most likely ask Cao Changping for help. In order to Without increasing variables and solving Jiyu as soon as possible, our army should arrange manpower to go to Licheng in advance to stabilize Cao Changping and prevent him from sending troops to support Jiyu!"
"In addition, I believe that solving the Henan Army is the primary problem for the army to capture Hebei, but it is not the whole problem. Currently, due to the poor harvest in Hebei and Henan, although peasant uprisings have been suppressed, they are still emerging one after another. Our army wants to completely To control Jiyu, we need to obtain enough food to stabilize the situation, and secondly, we also need a large number of experienced officials to appease and guide the people!"
Gu Sansi is indeed Ye Mingsheng's most trusted minister. These two points he said completely opened up new ideas for Ye Mingsheng. Ye Mingsheng thought for a while and said:
"Think twice, your idea is very comprehensive! The solution to the first problem is relatively simple. Su Yi was very successful last time as an envoy to Licheng. This time I am writing a personal letter to ask him to make a trip. Sending a few bones to Cao Changping can almost stabilize him."
"As for the second point, it is a bit difficult. Zhang Juning just came here during the day and reported to me the problem of money and food. Our current money and food are basically enough for Liaoyang and Youyan provinces, but there is no extra support. Jiyu·····················"
Gu Sansi said bluntly:
"Your Excellency, I will see that Jiyu is not short of food, but rather unevenly distributed. The landlords and gentry account for 70% or more of the grain harvest. Therefore, if our army wants to control the situation in Jiyu, it needs to make it clear that we Attitude!"
Ye Mingsheng nodded slightly when he heard this. Gu Sansi hit the nail on the head. The wool still comes from the sheep. If you want to completely control the situation in Jiyu, you need to get enough food from these gentry and landlords.
Jiyu is the hinterland of the Central Plains and can affect the whole body. If you want to implement land reform, you have to fully control the situation and then implement it slowly. Remember not to act too hastily, so if you want to get food, you may have only one way. !
Seeing Ye Mingsheng's eyes gradually becoming firmer, Gu Sansi knew that their commander had an idea in his mind and did not say anything more. At this time, Ye Mingsheng turned his attention to He Jingyun.
He Jingyun, who had been thinking, opened his mouth and said under Ye Mingsheng's gaze:
"Tell me, your lord, Commander Yuan's First Army has been formed, and 40,000 troops are ready to go in Zhuoxian County! In addition to the Third Division and the Fourth Division stationed around Yijing, they have also completed their rest and are ready to be deployed at any time. fighting."
"General Zhang Meng's Eighth Division has more than 10,000 soldiers and horses. Except for the last heavy artillery, which has not been installed, it has already formed combat effectiveness. If you make a rough calculation, sir, if you decide to go south to the Central Plains, we can invest about 100,000 soldiers and horses. ··················”
"After our army captured Zhuoxian County, the Coordination Office began to investigate the deployment situation of the Henan Army in Hebei and Henan, focusing on the investigation of the situation in Yecheng and Yujing. The General Staff Department has also formulated a preliminary plan based on these investigations. According to the battle plan, as long as our army moves quickly enough, I think our army can take Yecheng within ten days!"
"Even a quick march from Yecheng to Yujing will take at least five days and five nights. This adds up to half a month. From what we know, the Henan Army is very afraid of our army. , as long as our troops are dispatched, they are likely to give up immediately, wipe out Zhu Sanshan and other bandits and return to Yujing!"
"Although the distance from Yingcheng to Yujing is two hundred miles shorter than the distance from Yecheng to Yujing, judging from the performance of the Henan Army, their marching speed is far inferior to that of our army. In addition, the news It takes time to communicate back and forth, prepare to retreat, etc., so I estimate that it will take Gaodingshan about seven days to rush back to Yujing from Eagle City!"
"Although there is a food shortage in the whole of Hebei and Henan, Yujing, as the center of Gao Zongchang's rule, is still very rich in food. In order to ensure sufficient military food, Gao Zongchang only used about 30% of the food in the treasury for disaster relief. According to our preliminary It is estimated that Yujing’s food can last at least three months!”
"If there is no shortage of food, if Gaodingshan can return to Yujing quickly, we will encounter some troubles under the city of Yujing. Although the Henan army is not elite, Yujing, as an ancient capital, is indeed one of the largest cities in the world. The defense facilities are all in place. Even if we mobilize all the artillery of our army to assist the siege, it will be difficult to capture the city in a short time... ···”
Although He Jingyun said it very implicitly, Ye Mingsheng also understood the key points of what he said. He pondered for a while and then ordered Ye Cheng who was waiting outside.
"Call Huo San over!"
"yes!"
Huo San, who received Ye Mingsheng's order after burning the incense, came to the study in a hurry. When he saw him, Ye Mingsheng said directly without any nonsense:
"You are responsible for Jiyu's affairs. Can you hold off Gaodingshan for ten days in Yingcheng?"
After Ye Mingsheng finished speaking, Gu Sansi and He Jingyun also looked at Huo San. Under the gazes of the three people, Huo San felt tremendous pressure. Because he knew that the matter was of great importance, he did not rush to take action immediately. Just answered Ye Mingsheng's question, and after thinking carefully for about half a cup of tea, he said very cautiously:
"According to the news from Dayashan, although Gaodingshan has the advantage, it is still not adapted to the guerrilla fighting style of the bandits. In addition, the Gao family has been ruined in Hebei and Henan, and the common people do not support them. Their mass base is very poor. .”
"So now Zhu Sanshan's group of bandits are still very capable by virtue of the geographical advantage. If this state continues, Zhu Sanshan and the others can persist for a few months, but if they hold back Gaodingshan, things will be very serious. Difficulties!"
Huo San hesitated for a moment before continuing:
"Furthermore, from my point of view, Zhu Sanshan is quite naughty, and he values his troops very much. If Gao Dingshan wants to withdraw his troops, he may not fight to the death... ····”
Hearing this, a cold light flashed in Ye Mingsheng's eyes. Although it was only fleeting, it made Huo San shiver all over and quickly added:
"Sir, our Coordination Office has already made a plan for this situation, and we have been preparing to take action at any time as long as you give the order!"
After receiving this answer, Ye Mingsheng's expression relaxed slightly, and he emphasized to Huo San with a serious expression:
"I don't care what you do! But after taking so much money and materials, you have to give me a result!"
Feeling the firm determination contained in Ye Mingsheng's words, Huo San was shocked and did not dare to fight with Ye Mingsheng. He gritted his teeth and said firmly:
"Sir, I understand! All our colleagues in the Coordination Office will work together as one, and we will definitely complete the tasks assigned by you, Your Excellency!"
After receiving such an answer, Ye Mingsheng reluctantly nodded and let Huo San go. Because it was already evening, Gu Sansi, He Jingyun and others had not eaten, so Ye Mingsheng asked the kitchen to cook some food for everyone to eat. talk.
Because he advocates frugality, Ye Mingsheng also sets an example. When he usually eats alone or goes to his wife and concubine's place, he always eats two dishes and one soup or three dishes and one soup. But because he left his generals to eat in the mansion, Ye Mingsheng also I didn’t want to make things too shabby, so I made an exception and asked the kitchen to make crystal elbow, braised pork, sweet and sour fish, eight dishes and one soup... ·····
Huo San, who was finally called by Ye Mingsheng, had already had dinner at home, but when he saw that Ye Mingsheng was going to treat him to dinner, in order to increase the relationship with Ye Mingsheng, he also lied about not having eaten and stayed with Ye Mingsheng shamelessly. Had a meal at the house.
Although many details were discussed while eating, and everyone gulped down the food without savoring the taste of the food, the chef in the kitchen did a good job, so the meal was enjoyed by both the host and the guest.
When he arrived, he knew that Gu Sansi loved to drink, so Ye Mingsheng sent him a few bottles of distilled liquor from the Second Manufacturing Bureau, which had not yet been officially launched, and told him not to eat because the wine was so strong. When you run out of drinks, go home and drink slowly and taste it carefully.
After Huo San and Gu Sansi left, He Jingyun still stayed in the house. Ye Mingsheng just gave him a look to ask him to stay. When he returned to the study and looked at He Jingyun with a respectful expression, Ye Mingsheng asked with a smile on his face:
"General He, I heard that your lord has come to Yijing?"
Seeing Ye Mingsheng ask about this, He Jingyun's heart tightened but he could only say:
"Yes, sir! My mother came from Rongcheng with the Murong family!"
Seeing that He Jingyun was honest and unobtrusive, the smile on Ye Mingsheng's face became even brighter. He picked up a few Buddhist scriptures from the bookshelf behind his chair and handed them over and said;
"Congratulations, General, on the reunion of your mother and son! I heard that your Majesty is also a Buddhist like my mother, so I asked my mother for some Buddhist scriptures. This is my kindness as a junior, and I hope your Majesty will like it! There’s nothing important at the General Staff, so you can put it aside for now and accompany your majesty to take a good look around our Yijing!”
Hearing Ye Mingsheng's words, He Jingyun was also very moved. He took the Buddhist scriptures with both hands and bowed without saying any more:
"Thank you for your kindness, sir. I will never be able to repay your kindness even if my body is shattered into pieces..."
