Luo Zhixue summoned the people from the Grain Recruitment Office to ask the Grain Recruitment Office to once again allocate capable forces to accompany the army to register and carry out grain requisition work in the new control area. In this regard, the people from the Grain Recruitment Office have already left Shandong in the east. I did it once when I was in Shan County.
Although Guo Quanshu, the former deputy director of the Grain Recruitment Department and chief of the Land and Acres Section, has been transferred to the Chief of the Civil Affairs Department, most of the other staff in the Grain Recruitment Department have been trained to complete the task of counting the loot with the army and collecting levies in the new control area. Food work is still possible.
After finalizing the grain collection office, Luo Zhixue asked the grain and salary office to do a good job in the transshipment of strategic materials, especially gold and silver reserves.
It is impossible for Luo Zhixue to run away with his army and leave gold, silver, copper coins and other precious metals worth more than 200,000 taels of silver in Songshan Village. These are the only gold and silver reserves of the Baoxiang Army. Used to purchase strategic materials, especially gunpowder and related raw materials.
After the money is transported to the south, it will basically be handed over to the Commerce and Trade Department to purchase strategic materials, especially iron materials, gunpowder and raw materials for making gunpowder, such as saltpeter and sulfur.
The continuous use of troops requires the consumption of a large amount of strategic materials. Not to mention iron materials, gunpowder is a big problem.
Nowadays, the Baoxiang Army's gunpowder consumption basically relies on sneaky purchases, not only directly purchasing finished gunpowder, but also purchasing saltpeter, sulfur and other raw materials to make their own.
In short, buy whatever you have, no matter how much!
This also means that the Baoxiang Army relies heavily on outsourcing for its ammunition supply, and the supply will be cut off if you are not careful.
In this regard, although Luo Zhixue wanted to change, he could not do anything about it in a short time. After all, there were neither saltpeter nor sulfur mines in the area controlled by the Baoxiang Army.
Saltpeter is fine, and you can get some of it through local methods, but sulfur is completely impossible to produce on your own...
The only solution for now, Luo Zhixue can only ask the Commercial and Trade Office to increase their purchasing efforts. Don't be afraid of spending money, increase the price when it is necessary, and bribe when it is necessary.
Why do you say bribery...
Because the gunpowder and raw materials currently used by the Baoxiang Army seemed to be purchased secretly from merchants, but these things were serious strategic materials. No matter how stupid the Ming Dynasty officials were, they knew they had to control these things.
No one cares if you buy a little bit by yourself, but buying in large quantities is basically impossible.
The only people who can have large quantities of such strategic materials these days are either the government or trading firms that are close to the government.
And why can the Baoxiang Military Commercial Office still purchase in large quantities?
Naturally, it’s because the money given is a lot.
After all, the civil servants and military generals of the Ming Dynasty also had to support their families. Since they had such in-demand supplies as gunpowder, saltpeter, and sulfur on hand, how could they still expect that salary if they didn't make some money to support their families?
Not to mention other places, let's talk about the gunpowder workshop under the control of the government in Xiangyang. Almost one-fifth of the output was bought by the Baoxiang Army Commercial Office.
And if you want to successfully take gunpowder from the government's gunpowder workshop, in addition to the purchase money for the gunpowder itself, you also have to satisfy the appetite of the officials who manage the workshop.
At the same time, Fenghe Trading Company, the largest saltpeter and sulfur dealer in northern Chu, has the same surname as a big boss in the capital...
This Fenghe Trading Company is very interesting. In addition to government gunpowder workshops from various places, its customers also include the Baoxiang Military Commercial Office.
Even Baoxiang Military Commercial Office is their largest single customer, accounting for 15% of their monthly sulfur sales.
When the Commerce and Trade Office came to them to purchase raw materials, the prices were naturally very expensive, otherwise they wouldn't sell them at all.
After all, everyone is not stupid, and everyone knows that this kind of caravan that has no heel and secretly purchases saltpeter and sulfur in large quantities is definitely a caravan of some rebel thief.
If you don't pay enough, how can they sell it to you?
This money will naturally end up in the hands of the actual controller behind the business bank.
At the same time, the Commerce and Trade Department wants to transport typical prohibited materials such as gunpowder and gunpowder raw materials back to Funiu Mountain, but they cannot transport them themselves, otherwise they will be seized before leaving the dock.
How did it get shipped back? The Trade and Commerce Office adopts a cash on delivery method. The large commercial banks transport the items directly to the edge of the mountain and hand them over to the Trade and Commerce Office, which requires an extra layer of freight.
In the entire process of purchasing strategic materials, the Commercial Office spent a lot of money but got the urgently needed strategic materials.
And those officials were also full of food, so happy!
So don’t think that the large amounts of gold and silver seized by the Home Guard Army are useless if they cannot be eaten or worn. These gold and silver are of great use.
Luo Zhixue naturally had to take the gold and silver with him if he wanted to go south.
After Luo Zhixue returned to Songshan, he began to arrange matters for going south. Five days later, when everything was ready, Luo Zhixue officially went south with his army.
This time going south, Luo Zhixue not only brought the first infantry battalion, the third infantry battalion, the first artillery sentry, the first cavalry sentry, the first baggage sentry and the personal sentry sentry directly under Luo Zhixue.
The officers and soldiers in each of the above-mentioned ministries are all professional soldiers, with a total strength of about 1,500 people.
In addition to these soldiers, an additional settlement camp of about 400 people was mobilized and organized to transport luggage.
At the same time, Luo Zhixue also brought along more than 200 various civil servants and craftsmen.
Adding up the civil and military officials, combat soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, and craftsmen, the total number of people Luo Zhixue led south this time was about 2,300.
These people went all the way south from Songshan Village, passed through a small road in the mountains, and then entered the hilly area on the southern outskirts of Funiu Mountain, which is the Longtou Township area.
This area is currently also under the control of the Baoxiang Army. When the Baoxiang Army established a township government, they also established a township government in the southern peripheral area of Funiu Mountain, called Longtou Township, to control this area.
When the Baoxiang Army established townships before, a total of six townships were established, namely Songshan Township deep in Funiu Mountain; Longtou Township in the southern peripheral hilly area; Sangou Township in the eastern peripheral hilly area; and the plain area of Lushan County in the east. Shahe Township (Songjiazhuang); Huangtu Township in the northwest area of Lushan County and Yangshan Township near Ruzhou.
Among them, Longtou Township is located in the southern peripheral area of Funiu Mountain. Strictly speaking, this Longtou Township already includes part of the area under the jurisdiction of Nanzhao County.
After Luo Zhixue led his army into the Longtou Township area, although most of the area was still hilly, there were many mature villages and roads.
Even if these country roads are not very good, they can still be used by carriages. When they cannot pass, just widen the roads temporarily.
This journey south was more difficult than the previous march eastward. Luo Zhixue and the others took their people over mountains and ridges and walked for seven or eight days before arriving near Li Qingdian.
Li Qingdian is a relatively populated town nearby, because it is adjacent to the Bai River, and there is a small tributary flowing into the Bai River here.
It can barely be regarded as a transportation thoroughfare, so some merchants have gradually gathered here. Stores have set up shop here to do business, and they have done business in the past. At the same time, there are also several surrounding villages cultivating land.
Naturally, the Home Guard Army would not turn a blind eye to a place like this. Whether it was for food, grass, gold and silver or to clear the road, they must first capture Li Qingdian.
Li Qingdian is said to be a small town, but apart from the surrounding farmers, there are actually not many residents in the town, only a few hundred people. Naturally, such a small town cannot have a large number of officers and soldiers. The security of the town relies on the guards organized by local merchants and gentry at their own expense.
For such a small town, there was naturally no need for Luo Zhixue to organize an army attack personally, and he did not even need to dispatch the main force of the First Infantry Battalion. Xu He led the Third Infantry Battalion into Li Qingdian.
It only took half a day to capture this place and completely control the town.
In the afternoon, Luo Zhixue, accompanied by a group of civil and military officials, officially entered Li Qingdian and stayed in a house voluntarily donated by a local wealthy businessman.
With Luo Zhixue officially staying here, it also means that the Baoxiang Army has officially entered Nanzhao County and launched follow-up operations.
In the evening of that day, Luo Zhixue held a military meeting and once again assigned various tasks, preparing to gradually sweep and control nearby villages.
"The 3rd Infantry Battalion marching eastward must pay attention to the rhythm here and not get too close to Nanzhao County to avoid irritating them."
"The same goes for the First Infantry Battalion when it goes south. Don't get too close to Nanyang Fucheng. In principle, it shouldn't go more than fifty miles south."
"Our early mission is not to fight with officers and soldiers, nor to attack Nanzhao City or Nanyang City, but to control the surrounding rural areas to obtain more strategic materials, especially grain and iron materials."
"In the short term, we must try our best to avoid attracting the attention of officers and soldiers."
"We need time to gather food and fodder, time to train new recruits, and time to build artillery and muskets."
"There are not many officers and soldiers on the Nanzhao City side, but there are Chen Yongfu's main officers and soldiers on the Nanyang Fucheng side. As a precaution, the First Cavalry Post and the First Artillery Team followed the First Infantry Battalion."
When Luo Zhixue announced a series of orders, the generals under his command naturally had no objections. In fact, Luo Zhixue's meeting this time was called a meeting, but it was just for final confirmation.
In fact, these combat plans were already made by the staff office before going south. Based on the information reported by a large number of sentries and scouts on the way south, the staff office also improved the plans and asked the various departments involved in the combat plan to carry out the plans. Prepare accordingly.
For example, if the First Infantry Battalion and other troops want to go south, they must first cross the Baihe River. There are no big bridges in Li Qingdian that can pass artillery weighing several hundred kilograms and horse-drawn carriages loaded with supplies.
They also had to prepare to set up a temporary pontoon bridge on the Baihe River south of Li Qingdian to facilitate the passage of artillery from the first artillery post and a large amount of ammunition, grain, grass and baggage carriages.
Therefore, everyone basically knows their mission in advance, and now they are just making final confirmations.
After finishing the action plan, Luo Zhixue turned his attention to Wang Dazhuang: "Lao Wang, you stay in this battle and prepare to lead the fourth infantry battalion."
After Wang Dazhuang heard this, he had already known that Luo Zhixue was planning to set up the Fourth Infantry Battalion in the near future and that he would be the commander of the Fourth Infantry Battalion. However, when he actually heard Luo Zhixue's words, he still had an uneasy expression on his face. He was overjoyed, and while saluting, he said: "I am willing to die for the general!"
Luo Zhixue stood up with a smile on his face, stretched out his hand and said: "We are all brothers, we don't need so many courtesy, get up!"
"I leave this Fourth Infantry Battalion to you. You must train hard and strive to become combat effective as soon as possible!"
